This Jiggly soyabean product of Silken tofu is one of the vast array of tofus that are commonly used in the Asian cuisine. Silken tofu is soft, delicate and just require a little bit of skill for careful handling before they fall apart. These cakes of soft silken tofu can be eaten raw pretty straightforward right out from the package, drain excess water or steamed for a couple of minutes and topped up with ingredients of choice.
One of the reasons I do not eat tofu so often is because its bland and so boring. However, a quick sauce with fried onions, garlic and green onions gave the tofu a very good flavor and the discovery of this quick go-to recipe in no time.
Preparation time: 5
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Serves – 2
Ingredients
Silken tofu – 1 pack
Sunflower / Vegetable oil for deep-fry
Onion – 1 small, thinly sliced
Soya sauce – 3 tbsp
Sesame oil – 1 tbsp
Oyster sauce – 1/2 tbsp
Garlic cloves – 1 large, finely chopped
Spring onions for garnish
Directions
Steaming the tofu:
1. Prepare a steamer or broad container with 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Place a steamer stand.
2. Since the tofu is very delicate, place a flat plate over the opening and carefully invert or flip it over, tap gently until the tofu comes out.
Place the tofu plate on the steamer stand making sure it doesn’t slide. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
Preparing the topping and sauce:
3. Meanwhile, heat a container with 1/2 cup oil. When it’s hot add the sliced onions and fry tossing frequently until they have all turn golden brown. This might take at least 5 minutes.
Strain on kitchen paper towels. Set aside.
4. Heat a small pan with the sauces such as soya, sesame and oyster. Add chopped garlic and fry for a minute or 2. Turn off heat and set aside.
5. Remove the tofu plate carefully with a pair of tongs having a good grip. Drain any liquid that has accumulated as much as possible.
Slide it on a shallow bowl. Spoon the sauce mixture over the top, then sprinkle crispy fried onions and spring onions.
Orange cake is a simple aromatic yellow cake. It has such an amazing fragrance. You will without a doubt prepare it again. One of my favorite evening snack.
One weekend we visited our old batchmates from college and before visiting we had a couple of hours. So, I thought of taking something homemade. I decided to prepare this cake. My fruit basket was calling out for oranges to be eaten. The end result turned out great as expected with simple last-minute ingredients. Two days ago I baked it again at my husband’s request. He wanted the cake after meals. All I had to do was mix all the ingredients in one bowl and bake.
Preparation time: 20 minutes – 30 minutes
Cooking time: 55 – 60 minutes
Serves: 5 +
Ingredients
Orange – 1 large (unpeeled & washed), approx 195 g
Butter 125 g (room temperature)
All-Purpose flour / Top flour – 2 cups / 1 pint / 345 g
Caster sugar 185 g / 8 oz
Baking soda – 1 tsp
Pinch of salt
Vanilla essence – 2 tsp
Eggs 2 medium whole
Dates 100 g (pitted and chopped, weighed before pitting)
Water – 2 tbsp
Almonds – 100 g (optional)
Directions
1. Take the orange, cut roughly into quarters and remove any seeds. Add it into a blender or food processor (along with its peel) and 2 tbsp of water. Blend to combine together and form a paste. Set aside.
2. Preheat the convection oven at 160 degrees. Line a baking tray base with butter and parchment paper. Grease butter over the paper.
3. In a large bowl add flour, sugar, butter, baking soda, vanilla, salt. Mix with a wooden spoon for a minute or two. This helps the flour combine without making a mess. Add eggs. Mix with a hand held mixer for approximately 2 – 3 minutes. Continue mixing on medium – high speed until smooth.
Remove the stir paddle with any leftover cake batter.
4. Add the chopped dates and if you use almonds add them now or place them on the top. Mix with the wooden spoon till well mixed.
5.Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tray, pop it into the preheated oven on convection mode (fan). Bake for 45 minutes at 160 deg Celsius. Then, reduce the temperature to 150 degrees. Continue baking for another 5-10 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes clean.
5. Let it sit in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, release the spring and serve it warm.
It’s best to leave it to cool partially or completely at room tremperature otherwise it might break apart. We loved the crispy top with a soft texture on the inside. The flavor and aroma are always best suited for big families or to serve guests. You can use chocolate sauce as a good accompaniment.
Note:
*In case you’re wondering what orange to use, here I have used Valencia Orange. Before using an orange, I dipped it for 5 – 20 minutes in a bowl. I used 1 1/2 cup of water and 1 tbsp vinegar to wash away any unwanted dirt or chemicals.
*If you wouldn’t have time to get the butter to room temperature, cut the desired quantity of butter into small cubes before preparing rest of the ingredients it gets softer faster by the time you are ready to combine the rest. On an additional note – if the eggs are lying in the fridge, place them out on the counter top.
Thank you everyone for your compliments and questions. It makes me try more recipes and also share them here. Please stay updated on Instagram #delicioussweetaroma for pictures and FacebookDelicious Sweet Aroma for food.
Sometimes I run out of ingredients. I also do not have time to do last-minute grocery shopping. With less time to make lunch or dinner, that’s when tomato rice comes in my menu😋. You see, one of the main reasons why this recipe hasn’t been posted up until now. I have been preparing this for a year. More than twice a month, I couldn’t find time to take pictures on every occasion.
It’s been a while since my last post and I believe my loyal visitors must be wondering why. I have been out of the away to spend some quality time with family. While being away, I have learnt few quick recipes. They always come in handy during busy days. I will be posting them here in the coming weeks. Tomato Rice, has been the most loved recipe in my family and I think this recipe is underrated. It’s easy to prepare, a quick lunch or dinner ready in 30 minutes. It’s easiest when prepared in a pressure cooker.
Tomato rice is perfect for a quick, last-minute decision on what to cook for lunch or dinner. After all, tomatoes are always available in the fridge, aren’t they? A great idea for lunch box or picnic party.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Basmati /Ponni rice / Langkorn Parboiled rice (German) or Parboiled rice / Turkish Rice – 1 cup / 275 g (*see notes)
Olive oil / Ghee – 1 tbsp
Bay leaf – 2 small, (optional)
Cinnamon stick – 2 inch
Cardamom – 2
Cloves – 4
Peppercorns – 5 (optional)
Onions – 1 medium, finely chopped
Tomatoes – 3 or 4 large, chopped (depending on serving part)
Green Chili – 1 long, halved (if not, substitute red Chili powder)
Garam masala powder – 2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Chili powder – 1 tsp (optional)
Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Mint leaves – approx 20 leaves, washed (optional, but recommended for intense flavor)
1. Rinse and soak basmati rice. I usually keep it for 5-10 minutes. Do this while preparing the first few ingredients, except coriander and mint. Not necessary to soak if you do not find time.
2. Heat olive oil or Ghee on medium heat, add cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf and peppercorns. Stir fry for a minute or two then add onions, fry till slightly translucent.
Add tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook and stir fry until it turns mushy and soft. Meantime prepare the mint leaves and coriander.
3. Add generous amount of spice powders. Use garam masala, coriander, turmeric, and chilli powders. Add them when the tomatoes are almost turning soft. Add ginger and garlic paste. Mix to combine.
4. Toss in coriander and mint leaves.
5. Mix well and add rice with 2 cups of water (twice the amount of rice). Add salt and check if it needs more salt. Close with the lid along with the pressure whistle.
For basmati rice, it requires just one whistle pressure. Fatter rice (parboiled) needs more time to cook. It usually takes 3-5 whistles.
Turn off heat right away. Let the pressure release on its own.
We enjoyed our tomato rice with pan-fried fish 🐟 as a side 😍
Notes:
*For this particular recipe I used India Gate basmati rice. The German Ja brand of Langkorn parboiled reis complements this dish very well. It is great even without mint and bay leaf. Only a quick 4-5 whistles are required. Tat brand Turkish origin rice takes approx 3 whistles until nice and fluffy.
*If using non-pressure cooker method: Continue cooking until the first part of step 5 by adding water to the rice. Once it has come to a boil, and the level of water has reduced, turn down the heat. Keep a constant eye on it, so it doesn’t burn at the bottom. Cover with a lid and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes. If the water has completely dried up, check if the rice is almost done. If it is still hard, add 1/3 cup hot water. Turn off the heat and keep the lid covered. The rice will cook in its own steam.
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As a hobby I blog on recipes that fascinates me to learn the art of cooking inspired from people to places I've been. In my recipes you will find step-by-step pictures with instructions for easy cooking. Hope to hear your views, share pics and have fun.
Happy cooking!
