Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

I read this recipe at a blog and wanted to try the strange combination of ginger and clove with chocolate... woooo it turned out wonderful in first try...
I tried eggless and hence sharing the same. In case you wana use egg, replace cream & yogurt with egg and butter. Here it goes



1 cup cream
1 cup yogurt
1 3/4 cups sugar-Preferably brown sugar
2 cups refined flour/maida
2 teaspoon ginger powder/paste
3 teaspoon powder of cardamom, cloves & cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tbs chocolate powder
2 Tbs chocolate sauce

Sieve maida, baking powder & chocolate powder and set it aside.

Blend the cream, yogurt and sugar in a jar. empty the blended contents in a mixing bowl. Add ginger powder/paste and mixed spices and mis it well. now add the flour and mix using folding methos. don NOT beat the mixture at this stage.

once done. pour the mixture in the baking tray. pour the chocolate sauce over the mixture and use a knife/spoon to create random patters.

Bake the cake for 30 mins at 200 degrees Celsius.. check the with a knife to test the cooking.

cake is ready for serve...

Quick Raw Mango Achaar

During my summer vacations when i was in school, often we stole raw mangoes and got them home... My mom usually got her stock of raw mangoes for her pickles... So when we got these little ones, she made this quick achaar which she called 'Haath Aachaar' meaning 'pickle made by hand in Bengali.

I loved it and so does my hubby.. especially in summers and while having your lunch.. its refreshing... We Bengalis love the aroma of Mustard oil so that's what I have used in it. In case you don't like it.. you can do with out it too...

Grate the Raw mango. Add Sugar and Salt to taste. You can also add green chilies if you like it spicy and hot. Add a tinge of Mustard oil. Keep it for aside for a while to let the juices mix and set. Consume it in a day or two. 

Moong Daal ke Dhokle

This is a  healthy breakfast recipe that I accidentally experimented and it worked well. This can be steamed/cooked in pressure cooker, rice cooker or microwave. Its a healthy breakfast. But you need to plan in advance.


Ingredients:
4 cups soaked Moong Dal
4 Garlic gloves
1 small piece of Ginger
1 chopped Green Chilly
Salt
a sachet of Eno
2 teaspoon Oil
Curry leaves
Mustard Seeds

Procedure:
Oil the vessel in which this dish will be steamed/cooked and set it aside.

Grind the moong daal to get a smooth paste  . Grate garlic and ginger and add it to the paste. Add chopped chilies and salt to taste. Add little water to bring the mixture to dropping consistency. Empty Eno sachet contents in the mixture directly and put it to steam/cook.

It takes approx 20 mintues to cook and get set. I make this in Rice cooker so when i see bubbles and a set top i check it with a knife. If knife comes out clean, its ready.

Cut these in small square pieces. Heat oil in a work. Add curry leaves and mustard and allow them to crackle. Add these Moong Daal Dhokla pieces in it and toss for a while. Serve it with Dhaniya chutney or ketchup.

Capsicum Masala

This is a simple to cook and a tasty one too. Goes well with Roti and Paratha...

Ingredients:
4 medium sized Capsicum chopped/chopped
1 small bowl Peanuts (approx 100-120 gms)
3 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
5 teaspoons oil
Chili Powder to taste
3 Tablespoon tamarind pulp (suggest to add small amount of sugar/jaggery to pulp)
salt to taste

Procedure:

Roast Cumin seed and peanuts until golden brown. Ground them to paste adding little water. sets this paste aside.
Heat oil in a cooking pan/kadhai. add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and let them crackle. Add chopped capsicum. Toss them for a while... Take them aside. In same pan with the leftover oil add the paste of roasted peanuts and cumin seeds. Simmer them for a while. Add tossed capsicum to it. Fry for a little while before adding Tamarind pulp. Add chili powder and salt to taste. Simmer for a while and there it is ready to be served...