Month: October 2017

Cucumber Steamed Cake / Mangalorean Mandas

Yesterday was Deepavali, so I thought of preparing this incredible rice cake called as Cucumber cake or Mandas (konkani) which my mom used to prepare occasionally at home. The steaming process gives a lovely aroma due to the common ingredients such as jaggery and coconut that I usually add to most of my mangalorean snacks (please check the Mangalorean Recipe categories for more on this).

Preparation time: 15 minutes + soaking time

Cooking time : 30 to 60 minutes

Serves: 4 to 6

 

 

Ingredients

Cucumber – 370 g / 1 large, peeled with seeds removed and chopped

Ghee / Oil – 3 tbsp

Idli rice / White small grain – 1 cup, soaked for 3 to 4 hours (*see here)

Fresh or frozen grated Coconut –  95 g

grated coconut

Jaggery – 70 g, powdered (more info on jaggery read here)

Jaggery

 

 

Directions

1. Soak the rice for nearly 3 to 4 hrs with water 2 inches above the level of rice. Prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2. First blend the cucumber to liquefy, otherwise the blender might heat up while adding the hard ingredients at the bottom.

Cucumber chopped

Then, add the rest of ingredients such as rice, coconut and jaggery. Do not add any water and blend to make a smooth batter of running consistency.

batter for cucumber cake

3. Grease the container with 1 tsp Ghee. Pour the batter into a container and drizzle 2 tbsp ghee. Run a knife through the batter to evenly spread the ghee.

preparing for steaming

Cover with aluminium foil.

4.  In a large pot or work with enough water, place it on a stand of water bath. Close the lid. Cook for 30 – 60 minutes until a toothpick or skewer inserted comes clean without any wet batter.

steaming process

Cooking time varies so check after 30 minutes. You can remove the foil carefully with a pair of tongs and place it back. Steam can be very hot hence must take care not to cause steam burns.

IMG_8937

Steamed Cucumber Cake

 

Thank you for visiting!

 

Stay Healthy! 🙂

Read More

Celery Soup

This simple creamy celery soup is a healthy recipe. I usually use just one or two heads of celery for my mutton soup and wasn’t sure of what to make with the rest. I think that celery is an underrated ingredient which I realized over time and has known to be a very healthy supplement to use on a daily basis. I’m not sure if everyone would love this soup but you must try it. I loved this soup and would think more than twice before tossing left-over celery in the bin.

If you would like to know more about Celery check here.

 

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Celery – whole bunch (for thicker soup)

Onions – 1 medium, chopped

Potatoes – 1 small

Salt for taste

Water for thickness consistency

 

Directions

1. Heat oil in a deep bottomed container on high. Add onions and fry till translucent.

Frying onions_IMG_8836

2. Add potatoes with a pinch of salt and fry for 3 minutes on medium. Then, add the chopped celery with 1/4 cup water. Cook for 7-10 minutes.

Transfer to a flat plate and let cool before tossing in the blender. It’s not a good idea to add hot ingredients into a blender.

Resting to cool_IMG_8839

3. Once cooled, blend it into a smooth paste.

Celery paste_IMG_8841

4. Transfer to the same container used before and set it on medium-high heat. Add 1 cup of water, season with salt and pepper. Stir to check for thickness required. You can add even more water for a less thicker soup.

Celery soup_IMG_8847

Enjoy!🙂🙂

Celery Soup_IMG_8845

 

More soups please click below and do not forget to follow me on FB: Delicious Sweet Aroma 🙂

Pumpkin Soup

Mushroom Soup

Carrot Soup

Pork Wonton Soup Recipe

Soup of Mutton Bone-Marrow

 

Stay Healthy!

 

 

 

Read More

Potato Bhaji / Aloo Bhaji – Vegetarian

Potato Bhaji or Aloo bhaji is a South-Indian dish served hot along with a round deep-fried bread called puri or poori also named as poori bhaji as a whole. It’s typically prepared spicy so you can add green chilies if you like it hot.

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 35 to 40 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

Potatoes – 3 large / 500 g

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves – 2 small stems, lightly rinsed and tapped dry

Ginger – 1 inch, mashed

Garlic cloves – 5 small, mashed

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Onions – 1 medium, chopped thinly

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Green chili – 1 (optional for spice)

Salt – 1 tsp

Water – 3/4 cup

Directions

1. Prick the potatoes with the fork all over. In a large pot of  lightly salted boiling water cook the potatoes for 25 minutes on medium-high heat.

Cooking potatoes for 25 minutes | Potato Recipe

Drain them well and peel the skin. Mash them using a fork. Reserve for later.

2. Heat deep bottom container with olive oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot add mustard seeds, as they sputter add curry leaves, ginger and garlic.

Stir for a minute, then, add asafoetida powder, chopped onions, turmeric. Mix together and fry for 2 minutes for the onions to remain crisp.

Ingredients | Seasoning for Potato bhaji | Delicious Sweet Aroma

3. Add the mashed potatoes along with 3/4 cup water. Combine together, cover and cook for 5 more minutes.

Mashed potatoes | How to cook potatoes | Hungry?! That's what I made!

Keep an eye to see that it doesn’t get burnt at the bottom of the container by stirring occasionally.

Potato Recipe/Potato Bhaji/Aloo Bhaji - Poori Bhaji

I served it with hot crispy pooris (Indian deep-fried bread). A lovely combination and a great recipe for a vegetarian dish.

Potato Bhaji or Aloo Bhaji | Vegetarian Recipe | Delicious Sweet Aroma

I couldn’t manage to take detail pictures while preparing the pooris, so I haven’t posted the recipe of poori yet. But, if I prepare it anytime soon, I will make sure to share pictures and publish the recipe.

Potato bhaji /Poori Bhaji/Aloo Bhaji -Vegetarian | Delicious Sweet Aroma

In case you want me to post the recipe of pooris earlier, please comment below and I will post it for you. 🙂 Until my next post! 👋👋

 

More Vegetarian Recipes? Click below

Raw Jackfruit Dry / Kadgi Sukhi in Clay Pot

Pan-Fried Zucchini

Sweet Pulav – Rice Recipe

Mushroom Soup

Easy Beetroot Rice

 

Dessert:

Vermicelli Pudding or Kheer

Cocoa Easy Cake (No Eggs, Butter or Milk)

 

 

Stay Healthy! 🌹

Read More

Pear Cake

 

If you noticed, the last time I blogged a recipe was a week ago. Since then I have been thinking of ways to prepare something sweet that can be made with fruits. My husband is so charming that when he is home he doesn’t want me being in the kitchen the whole time preparing snacks or dishes for him that consume a lot of time. He would rather love watching television shows like Ozark or The Good Wife the whole day if possible. Yup! 😃

Yesterday evening before I could get dinner on the table, I gathered all the ingredients for the Pear cake 🍐. It was quite simple and was less complicated with just few basic ingredients a cake always needs. This is the first time I baked a cake for this long with a waiting time of 60 minutes but, was super easy to prepare. It was delicious, less sweet (I usually prefer that way) and just what I expected.

If you are reading this, then I would like to hear from you. My Facebook page is also available for any comments. Happy October!! ☺

 

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 60 to 65 minutes

Appliance : Convection oven

 

Ingredients

Spring-form baking pan – 21 cm

Parchment paper

Pears – 3 small  size, peeled deseeded & halved 

Butter – 150 g, soft at room temperature

Caster Sugar – 100 g / 1/4 cup

Eggs – 3, large

Lemon zest – 1

Vanilla essence – 1/2 tsp

All-purpose flour / Top flour – 150 g

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Pinch of salt

 

Directions

1. Grease the spring pan with butter and line the base with parchment paper. Grease again with some butter and set aside. Prepare the ingredients.

2. Using a hand held mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy with the speed set at 1. The butter must be soft to get a smooth texture.

Butter and sugar mixed to form a creamy batter | Pear Cake

3. Mix the eggs one at a time starting from a lower speed and increase the speed after adding all the eggs for 2-4 minutes.

addition of eggs into butter-sugar mixture | Pear Cake

Add lemon zest and vanilla. Mix together.

Meantime: Preheat Oven at 170 degrees Celsius.

4. Using a separate bowl add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix with a spoon.

5. Add the flour mixture (step 4) to the egg mixture (step 3) part by part. Mix with the lowest speed until well combined. Make sure not to over beat.

Flour with baking powder and salt into the Egg mixture | Pear Cake

6. Transfer half of the batter to the greased spring-form pan. Spread it evenly.

Pear cake Recipe | Easy fall recipes

Arrange the pears on top of the batter. Pour the rest of the batter and spread it gently with a spatula.

Pear batter

7. Place the baking pan on a low rack in the oven. Set the baking time for 170 degrees Celsius and time it for 60 minutes.

After the baking is done the oven beeps. Let the cake sit in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit to cool.

Pear cake - Fall recipes

Pear Cake

Pear Cake - tart

 

 

For more Dessert or Cake Recipes click below 👇👇

NO BAKE:

Caramel Orange Pudding

Vermicelli Pudding or Kheer

Jelly and Custard Recipe

 

BAKE using Convection oven:

Lemon Cake

Butter Biscuits

Pineapple, Honey and Pistachio Flapjacks

Moist Cassava Cake (or Tapioca Cake)

Read More