CHOCOLATE LOAF CAKE

This rich chocolate loaf cake makes everybody drooling over. The lovely close textured loaves are very soft and chocolate flavoured with a lovely crackle crust. They would excellently shine as the perfect base and building blocks of decadent desserts such as the most delicious sundae, black forest, icecream cakes or the yummiest soft sweet choco-truffles. sometimes we can simply enjoy the loves with a cup of Tea or Coffee.

It is just heavenly delicious with a dollop of whipping cream between the two loaves.

 

It is a very easy recipe even to the learners too.

Ingredients, we need:

All-purpose flour 1.5 cups

Powdered brown sugar 1.25 cups

Baking powder  2 half spoons

Cooking soda 2 half spoons

Cocoa powder 4 tsp

Vanilla essence 1.5 tsp

Milk at room temperature, 125 ml

Egg one at room temperature

Cold-pressed Sunflower oil 100 ml

Boiling water 100 ml

Instant coffee powder any brand 3/4 tsp

Sunflower oil 1/2 tsp extra and one tsp all-purpose flour for preparing the cake pan.

Procedure:

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add all-purpose flour, powdered brown sugar, Cocoa powder, Baking powder and Cooking Soda together and mix thoroughly using a spatula for about 2 minutes.

Add wet ingredients i.e., Milk, Egg, Vanilla essence, Sunflower Oil with the well-mixed dry ingredients.

Stir well using a spatula. Once all the ingredients mixed to form a thick paste consistency, blend for 3 minutes using the electric blender at medium speed until the silky and smooth texture.

Boil 100 ml water and add instant coffee powder.

Stir to dissolve.

Pour the decoction to the mixed contents.

Stir well to combine using a spatula.

Then, blend again with the electric blender for 10 seconds.

Preheat the microwave oven at 180 degrees Celcius for 10 minutes

Meanwhile, we prepare the cake pan greasing with little oil and dusting with all-purpose flour.

I am using the loaf pan measured 23 cm lengthx13 cm breadth x 5.6 cm height.

Line up with the fittable parchment paper and again grease and dust with the flour.

Pour the cake batter to the half level of the pan.

Tap the pan twice to release the air bubbles.

Once the oven beeps, place the cake pan into the oven on the lower rack.

Set the temperature for 37 minutes at 180 degrees Celcius.

Let baking. 

After the baking over, take out the cake pan carefully and set aside for cooling.

Just tilt down to sit on the tabletop.

After 15 minutes, slice it as you desired.

Chocolate Cake is ready to enjoy.

Cooking Time one hour

Yield 500 gm

 

 

THATTAI|THATTU VADAI|THATTU MURUKKU

தட்டுவடை/தட்டை
Thattai is an authentic snack of Tamilnadu to celebrate the festival occasions. It is available throughout the year in almost all snack stalls.

Ingredients:

Store-bought Raw rice flour 250 gms
Fried gram 100g
Dried Red Chillies 3 pcs
Salt 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida one pinch
Curry leaves 25+10 torn curry leaves
Chana dal 2 tsp
Water to knead
Groundnut OIl/any oil you prefer: 400 ml
Hot Oil @deep fry temperature 1 Tbsp

Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Yield 35 Thattais

Procedure:

Wash and soak chana dal  in little water for 30 minutes
Dry roast the raw rice flour on low to medium heat without changing its colour for a while.
Set aside.
Grind the fried gram, red chillies to a fine powder.
Add some (25)curry leaves and run the mixie for a second.
In a mixing bowl, add roasted raw rice flour, ground fried gram contents, asafoetida, salt, 10 torn-curry leaves.
Mix to combine.
Add water little by little and knead the contents to form a soft non-sticky dough.
Make a small pit in the centre and add hot oil 1 tbsp @deep-fry temperature
Apply a few drops of oil over the dough to prevent dryness.
Make equal sized gooseberry sized balls.
Take a square size Aluminium foil and smear with oil.
Place the ball on aluminium foil and cover it and press gently using a bowl.
Open the foil and flatten into a thin disc using your fingers.
Make 9-10 discs on aluminium foil-squares.
Heat the oil to a deep-fry temperature.
Once the oil reaches the deep fry temperature, reduce the heat to low-medium level.
Now remove the discs one by one and lower them into the hot oil carefully, one by one.
Let them deep fry until the oil bubbles subside.
Collect them and place on oil absorbent paper.
Crispy and crunchy Thattais are ready to be served.

THAKKALI CHORU/தக்காளிச் சோறு

How to make Thakkali choru

There are so many traditional one-pot meals in Kongu Cuisine. Out of these, the so-called Thakkali choru is stunningly delicious. Whenever we get busily engaged with works, we make one of these various one pot-meals that cover the whole day meals.

Thakkali choru is quite easy to make.

Ingredients:

Medium size tomatoes 4 pcs
Boiled Ponni rice (old) 200 gms
Chopped Shallots 20 pcs
Dried Red Chillies 2 pcs
Groundnut oil 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Garlic cloves grated 5 pcs
Curry leaves 20-25 pcs
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida one pinch
Cinnamon sticks 6 pcs
Cloves 6 pcs
Rock salt 3/4 tsp
Water 650 ml
A few Coriander greens

Procedure:

Wash and soak the old and boiled Ponni Rice for 1/2 an hour.
Drain the excess water and add 650ml water
Heat the pressure cooker with groundnut Oil on medium heat.
Add mustard seeds to splutter.
Once they start to splutter fast, add shallots, slit red chillies and curry leaves.
Saute for a while until the shallots turn soft and transparent, add turmeric and grated garlic.
Saute to combine.
Sprinkle one pinch of asafoetida.
Transfer the rice along with water.
Allow boiling on medium heat.
Add rock salt and stir to combine well.
Return its lid and place the weight.
Pressure cook up to 2 whistles and simmer for five minutes.
Turn off the heat and set aside to cool down.
Open the cooker and add some coriander greens.
Fold gently to infuse the flavour of coriander greens.
Mild tangy Thakkali choru is ready to be served.
Onion Raita and chips or papads  go very well with this one-pot meal


Time of cooking: 45minutes
Yield: 2 servings

CRISPY POTTUKKADALAI MURUKKU

Diwali 2019, the grand great Diwali is around the corner, celebrate and enjoy these crispy and delicious murukkus with your loved ones. Diwali Celebrations are not complete without this savoury in almost all of our homes.

Ingredients: 

Store-bought Raw rice flour 400 gms
Roasted gram or fried gram 200 gms
Himalayan Pink salt 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida one pinch
Ajwain Seeds 1/2 tsp
White sesame seeds 1 tsp
Ghee 1 tsp
Hot oil 2 tsp
Cold-pressed Groundnut Oil 750 ml
Water 150 ml

Procedure:

Take Raw rice flour and Fried gram powder and mix well.
Add salt,  Asafoetida, ajwain seeds (ease digestion) White sesame seeds.
MIx well. 
Add water little by little.
Knead to form a mass.

Heat the Groundnut oil until the deep-fry temperature on a medium flame.
Check the temperature by dropping a tiny bit of the dough. If it rises up, the perfect temperature is achieved.
Add 2 tsps of this hot oil to the dough and knead again.
Smear a drop of oil inside the press.
Fill the  3/4 th  murukku press with the portion of the dough 
Squeeze the dough spirally on the spoons.
The good shape will be achieved by practice.
Drop the spirals into the oil one by one and deep fry.
Medium heat is to be maintained throughout the process.
Flip over until the murukkus fried evenly.
Once the oil bubbles around each murukku subside, take out that murukku and place it on a dry tray.
Collect them one by one.
Crispy murukkus are ready to be served or stored in an airtight container.
Safe and happy cooking!

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 25 murukkus

Make 5 murukkus per batch.
25 murukkus can be made using the above-given measurements

PODI IDLIES

For this Tiffin, fresh idlis should be prepared to get soft podi idlis. Fresh Idli podi should be prepared. Fresh cow ghee is needed. These three fresh ingredients transform the idlis into a delectable treat for your loved ones. Tossing the idli pieces with ghee and idli podi makes it spicy and delicious and ensures that it maintains softness and moisture for more than five hours. It is a perfect picnic packing.

Important note: Never heat the ghee or sesame oil to make this Tiffin. the rich taste of ghee and its nutrients destroyed while heating. Sesame oil should be consumed raw to attain its nutritional value. The fresh hot steamed idlis are tossed with fresh ghee and fresh idli podi.


Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 3 minutes
Servings: two
     

Ingredients:

Fresh Idlies 8 nos
Fresh Idli Podi 3 tablespoons
Ghee Three tablespoons

Procedure:

Cut each idli into six pieces using a knife dipped in water.
Collect them in a broad bowl.

Sprinkle the Idli podi over the idli pieces.
Pour the fresh cow ghee over the idli pieces.

Waggle the bowl so as to mix podi and ghee with idli pieces evenly.
You can substitute sesame oil instead of ghee.

Serve hot! 
This can be served during monsoon as evening tiffin.
Kids will love to eat!
It can be packed for picnics, lunch of kids.