4 Minute Vanilla Sponge Cake - Microwave recipe

Use the following recipe to make an array of cakes.
I have made Star-fruit Gateau, White gateau with berries like the Cranberry cake (pic above) with this basic sponge cake recipe.
Re-make this recipe 2 or 3 times for the number of layers you need upto a day or 2 in advance. Cool and store well covered in the fridge.

This cake is baked in the microwave. It requires just 4 minutes on high. But follow the recipe well. Total time required is 15 minutes to make 1 cake.
If you plan on making 2 or 3 layers, then please wash, clean and dry all your vessels before repeating the making process.
Give 15 minutes before you re-start making your recipe batter for the next layer, or the cake will never rise.

If you want to make a Black forest or any other layered Chocolate cake, follow the link for the 4 minute Chocolate sponge cake.

Ingredients:
Flour - 1/2 cup
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Egg - 2
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup
Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Milk - 1/4 cup

Method:
Sieve the flour and baking powder and keep aside
Beat the eggs with the sugar.
Add the oil and continue beating.
Add the vanilla essence and mix well.
Add the milk and flour alternately in batches and beat well.
Transfer into a microwaveable greased vessel immediately.
The batter must be only half way up.
Microwave on high for 4 minutes.
Leave in the microwave for a further 5 minutes.
Invert after 10 minutes.

If baking in oven , then preheat oven at 200C and bake for 15 minutes.

Cool, decorate and serve.

White sauce (or) Bechamel sauce

This is one of the most used sauces in European / American cuisine (I know it is sweeping statement, but it is used only in Non-Asian recipes!). Mac and cheese and many other pasta recipes like Lasagne, Cannelloni use this sauce.

I have reached the following measurements after much trial and error. My sauce is not too thick. If you wish to use it as a dip, then reduce milk.
The original recipe uses ONLY butter. But since my husband is VERY health concious, I substitute it with olive oil and sometimes a mix of both.
And French chefs swear by Nutmeg as the spice to be used. But me, being an Indian,add an array of spices!!
Cheese can be added to the sauce, if you wish. Just remember to keep aside some of the cheese for decoration.
Similarly the flour can be fried in the butter till it loses it's raw smell or till golden brown or till it turns caramel brown. And depending on the color of the fried flour, your sauces color changes and so does it's name! (Dark brown is Roux.)

Ingredients:
Butter / Olive oil -  5 tbsp
Flour - 5 tbsp
Milk - 2 and 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Cheese - 1/2 cup grated (optional)
(So the ratio is something like this.... for 1 tablespoon of butter, use 1 tbsp flour  and 1/2 cup milk)

Various spices which may be used:
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Chilly flakes - 1 pinch
Thyme - 1 pinch
Rosemary - 1 pinch
Nutmeg - 1 pinch

Heat butter  in a thick bottomed pan on a low flame, till it melts and add the flour.
If you are using olive oil, just add in the flour.
Stir constantly.
The raw smell of the flour must go (around 2 minutes on very low flame).
Add the milk slowly while stirring constantly.
No lumps must form. If lumps occur, turn off flame and sieve.
When the mixture starts to boil / thicken, add the salt and rest of the spices you wish to use.
Keep stirring until mixed well and turn off flame.
Add cheese now, if using and stir well.

Tomato Chutney

Tomato - 2 large
Red chilli - 5 or more (depending on spice level)
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 1 pod (opt)
Onion - 1 medium
Coriander leaf - 3 tbsp
Mint leaf - 2 tbsp (opt)
Curry leaf - 5
Oil - 1 tbsp
salt

Heat oil and fry the red chillies and keep aside.
Now fry the rest of the ingredients , except salt.
Cool and grind into a fine paste.
Serve with dosa.

We do not add spluttered mustard to this, but you can if you wish.

Coconut Icecream

Basic Ice Cream - 1 recipe
Coconut Milk powder - 50 gms
(mixed with 1 cup water)
Thick cream - 1 cup
Tender coconut pulp - 3 cups (minced)

Beat the basic ice cream mixture while placing the container on top of ice.
Once beaten add the cream and continue to beat until light and volume doubles.
Add the coconut milk and beat for another 2 minutes.
Transfer to a freezer-proof container and when half set add the tender coconut pulp.
Mix well and set again.

Garnish:
Toasted dry coconut - 1 tbsp for each scoop
Honey - 1 tbsp for each scoop
Toasted groundnuts - 5 per scoop

Paneer Curry with ground almonds

This recipe was adapted from a recipe given to me by my dear friend , Sheena Abdul.

Paneer - 200 gms, cut into small cubes
Onion - 1 large
Garlic - 1pod
Green chilli - 3, chopped  + 1 slit
Salt
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Tomato - 1 large
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Almonds or Cashewnuts - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaf - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2tbsp

Grind the onion and garlic into a fine paste.
Grind the coconut and nuts into a fine paste and keep aside for later.
Heat the oil and add the onion paste. Fry till raw smell goes.
Add the green chilli and the all the powders.
After a minute add the tomato and fry on a low flame till the tomato turns pulpy.
Add 1/2 cup of water and the diced paneer.
Cook on a low flame covered for 5 minutes.
Add the coconut paste and add another cup of water if necessary.
Boil and decorate with coriander leaf.
Serve with ghee rice.

Ghee Rice

Basmati rice - 3 cups, washed and soaked in water for 1/2 hour
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt
(opt) Mint leaves - 2 tsp
Cloves - 4
Jeera - 1tsp
Cinnamon stick- 4* 1inch pieces
Pepper - 10
(opt) Cardamom - 2 pods
Onion - 1 medium, sliced thin
Raisins - 1 tbsp
Almond or Cashewnuts - 2tbsp

Heat the ghee and oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and once hot add all the spices.
Add 5 1/2 cups of water, salt and mint leaves.
Once it boils add the rice and cook covered on a low flame for 10 minutes. Do not open pan for a further 10 minutes.
The rice will not stick to each other and all the water must be absorbed by then. Fluff with a fork.
Garnish with fried onions, raisins and nuts.
Serve with Paneer curry.

Raita

This is basically an accompaniment served with hot spicy food to tone down the effect of the main dish.

Cucumber - 1 , chopped or grated
(or)
Carrot - 1 large , grated

Onion - 1 small, minced
Tomato - 1/2 medium, chopped
Curd (chilled)  - 2 cups
Salt
Green chilli - 1, chopped fine
Coriander leaf - 1 tbsp
Jeera powder (opt) - 1 pinch
Chilli powder (opt) - for decoration

If grating the cucumber, you might have to squeeze it to remove its juice.
Mix the vegetables, salt and curd.
Decorate with the coriander leaf and jeera powder/ chilli powder.
Serve chilled.

Kutchi Vegetable Biriyani

This recipe has been adapted from the chicken biriyani recipe made by kutchi muslims. This recipe was given to me by my friend - Safeena Harris.

Ingredients:

For the rice:
Basmati rice - 3 cups
Cardamom - 4
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch pieces - 4
Cloves - 4
Salt
Mint leaf - 2 tbsp
Lime juice - 2 tbsp

Masala:
Onion - 2 large , sliced thin
Ginger paste - 2 tbsp
Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Carrot - 2 medium, cut into big chunks
Potato - 2 medim, cut into big chunks
Green peas - 1 cup
Tomato - 1 medium, minced (3/4 cup)
Curd - 3/4 cup
Green chilli - 2 slit
Salt
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Garam masala - 1 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp for garnish
Coriander leaf - 6 tbsp
Mint leaf - 4 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Oil (pref. vegetable) - 6 tbsp
Milk - 2tbsp
Saffron or orange food colour - 1 pinch

Method:

Wash and soak rice in water for half an hour.
Boil a vessel of water with all the above ingredients except rice.
Once it starts to boil, add the rice and cook till just done. Drain. Keep aside.

Boil the carrot, potato and green peas with a little salt till just cooked. Keep aside.
Heat the oil and add half of the sliced onion and fry on a medium flame till golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to remove it. Keep aside on a tissue paper to be used later.
In the same oil, add the rest of the onions and saute till they become transparent. Now add the ginger paste and garlic paste. Cook on a low flame till raw smell goes.
Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala and salt.
After a minute add the tomato and curd. Cook on a medium flame, stirring often till oil starts to seep from the edge.
Add the boiled vegetables and green chillies with 1/4 cup water. Mix well and turn off flame. Keep covered.

Arranging the biriyani
Take a heavy bottomed vessel and heat till it gets hot. Turn off flame.
Add the ghee and coat the bottom of it.
Now layer the masala at the bottom.
Add the cooked rice on top and press down to get a smooth top.
Mix the saffron or food colour with the milk.
Top the rice with the milk, fried onions, mint leaves and coriander leaf.
Cover with a tight lid.
Bake in oven at 150C for 10 minutes or Keep on top of a hot iron tava. (if possible keep a hot tava on top too).

Serve with raitha and pappad.

Upma ingredient : water Ratio

Usual variants of upma available - rava, semiya and wheat.

Rice upma can be made, but it is not really an upma. It is called kozhakkatta. The rice flour is cooked like an upma, but is further steamed as balls. Find the link of this below.

The ratio of water to each ingredient is different and this is the formula I strictly adhere to.
Rava : water = 1 : 2
Semiya (fried) : water = 1 : 1
Wheat (broken) : water = 3 : 1

Serve with coconut chutney.

Links to recipes:
Vegetable rava upma recipe
Semiya upma recipe
Wheat upma
Upma kozhakkatta

Upma - Semiya or Vermicelli

Feel free to add or remove ingredients.

Semiya - 2 cups
Water - 2 cups
Salt*
Oil - 2 tbsp#
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Curry leaf - 6
Green chilli - 1 ; slit
Carrot - 1 medium (chopped fine or grated)
Beans or frozen peas - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1tsp
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaf - 2 tbsp
*(Tip: The water must taste salted but not like sea water!)
#(Do not use olive or sesame. I use coconut, sunflower or vegetable)

Heat oil. Splutter the mustard and fry the urad dal until golden brown.
Tip in the onion, green chilli, green peas/beans, carrot and curry leaf.
Cover and cook on a low flame for 5 minutes.
Add the water, salt, ghee, coconut and coriander leaf.
Once it starts to boil, add the semiya ; mix well and cook covered on a low flame for a further 5 minutes till all the water gets absorbed.
Open and mix well.
Serve hot with pickle and/or coconut chutney.

Pitla - South Indian Bittergourd curry

There are two types of bitter gourd available in the market - one is dark green and small but very bitter; the second is much lighter in color and quite large and not so bitter.

In our home, we use the light colored one . 

When using the small green variety, slice the gourd into thin slices and knead in 1 tbsp of salt and (optional) 1 tbsp of lime juice.

Sqeeze out the juice after 10 minute and use this gourd in the recipe.

Bittergourd - 1 , deseeded and cut into thin slices (about 4 teacups)
Tamarind - 1 lemon sized ball soaked in water and 4 cups of pulp removed
Tur dal - 1/2 cup
Coconut - 1 cup
Channa dal (kadala parippu) - 2 tbsp
Red chilli - 6 (more or less according to your requirements) + 1 extra
Salt 
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard - 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaf - 10
Jaggery - 1 tbsp

Pressure cook the Tur dal, mash well and keep aside.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a kadai and fry the channa dal and red chilli till dal turns red.

Grind this with the coconut and keep aside.

Heat rest of the oil, splutter mustard, 1 broken red chilli and 5 curry leaves.
Into this add the Bitter gourd and cook on medium flame until golden brown.

Take out the pulp from the tamarind.

Add the salt, turmeric powder ,asafoetida and Jaggery to this.

Then add the lightly fried bitter gourd.

Cook covered on a low flame for 5-10 minutes.
Then add the Tur dal.

After 5 minutes of simmering, add the ground mixture.

Boil and simmer for about 5 minutes and garnish with rest of the curry leaf.

Your Pitla is ready!!

Bharwan or Stuffed Vegetables

A tasty gujarati recipe of Vegetables stuffed with a beautiful light mixture of Besan (chick pea flour) and assorted spices.

Recipe Courtesy : Mrs. Shefali Arvind

Ingredients:
Assorted vegetables:
Potato - 2 medium
Cauliflower - 300 gms
Onion -1 large
Ladies finger - 8
Bhajji Chilli - 4

For the filling:
Chick pea flour (kadala mav) - 1 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Salt
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaf - 3 tbsp (optional)
Chilli powder - 1tbsp
Asafoetida - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Tadka:
Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 tsp
Red chilli - 2 , broken

Method:
Mix all the ingredients of the filling together and keep aside for 10 minutes.

Slit all the vegetables keeping the shape intact.
Stuff the vegetables with this mixture being careful to not break the vegetable open.

Steam the potatoes first. When it is 1/2 done, add the cauliflowers.

When the potatoes are nearly done, add the ladies finger and bhajji chillies.

Close lid, increase flame and turn off.
Do not open the lid till the vessel cools down.

The rest of the steps can be done , just before serving time.

Tadka:
Heat oil, splutter the mustard and add in the jeera, red chilly and asafoetida powder.
Carefully place the steamed vegetables into the oil.

Do not overcrowd like I have done.
Once it becomes golden brown on one side, flip carefully.
Serve hot.

Churros

Maida (all purpose flour) - 1 cup
Baking powder - 1/4 tsp

Water - 1 cup
Vegetable oil - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 pinch (opt)
Sugar - 1 tsp

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

Keep the oil for frying on a low flame.
Heat the water with 1 tsp vegetable oil, salt and 1tsp sugar.
Sieve the flour with Baking powder.
Add the flour into the boiling water.
Stir fast and make sure no lumps are formed.
Transfer this hot mixture into a piping bag.
Pipe the batter into hot oil and deep fry.
The churros will rise to the top.
Transfer to a kitchen napkin and serve dusted with sugar.

We had this with Nutella, because we had no chocolate sauce at home.
(Don't mind the calories, darling!)

Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin - 1/2 kg, diced into big chunks
Olive oil (pref) - 2 tbsp
Garlic - 1 pod
Onion or Leek - 1 cup
(opt)Rosemary - 1 pinch
(opt)Thyme - 1 pinch
Oregano - 1 pinch
Salt
Pepper - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1 cup
Water - 3 cups

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan on a low flame.
Add the garlic and onion / leek and cook slowly till breakable when pressed.
Add the pumpkins and saute on a medium flame for 3 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook covered on a low flame till very well cooked.
(I use a pressure cook - 3 whistles and reduce flame for 5 minutes, but it can be messy)
Cool and blend or use a immersion masher.
Heat again and check for seasoning.
You can add more water or milk if you need to make it less thicker.
Serve hot with croutons and more olive oil drizzled or get fancy and servo with pesto!

Achari Vegetable

Potato boiled and cubed - 2 cups
(or) Cauliflower - 2 cups parboiled

Oil - 2tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Methi - 1sp
Red Chilli - 2 broken
Curry leaf - 5

Salt - 1/2tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
Vinegar - 1tbsp
Water - 1tbsp

Mix the salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and keep aside.
Heat oil and splutter the mustard, methi, red chilli and curry leaf.
Reduce flame and add the powders.
When the raw smell of chilli powder goes (1/2 minute) add the vinegar.
After another 30 seconds add the potato.
Mix well to coat.
Add the water and cook covered for 5 minutes.

Channa (for Channa Batura)

Chick peas - 1 cup , soaked overnight
Onion - 2 medium
Tomato - 1 large , ground
Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1tbsp
Oil - 3tbsp
Mustard - 1tsp
Jeera - 1tsp

Powders:
salt
Turmeric powder - 1tsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1tbsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Jeera powder - 1 tsp

Garnish:
Coriander leaf

Pressure cook the Chick peas until it is well cooked but retains shape.
Heat oil. Splutter mustard and jeera
Fry the onion, ginger paste and garlic paste on low flame for 5 minutes.
Add the powders and fry for a minute.
Add the ground tomato and fry for 3 minutes.
Tip in the Chick peas and cook covered for 10 minutes on a low flame.
Garnish with Coriander leaves.

Vattayappam

Keralites love this sweet Steamed snack and it is so healthy!

Ingredients:
White rice - 2 cups, soaked for 90 min
Coconut - 1 cup
Yeast- 1 tsp
Cooked rice - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp + extra
salt - 1 tsp
Raisin - 10 or more
Nuts - 4 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
(opt) Banana -Nenthira pazham - 1, cut into rounds
Oil / ghee for greasing dish

Method:
Grind the white rice, coconut, yeast, cooked rice, sugar and salt into a fine paste with enough water to make a thin batter.
Ferment for minimum 6 hours.
Now taste the batter and add more sugar to make it sweet.
Add the raisin , nuts, cardamom powder and mix well.
Grease a plate and line it with banana , if using.
Pour the batter and steam covered. (this takes time)
When a skewer goes into the center and comes out clean, then it is done.
Cool for an hour and cut into pieces.