What did you cook/eat today? Part 2 Options

[Sue Darlow]

Jenni, if your eggless chocolate cake recipe is quick'n'easy and really good, I would love to see it posted here..

TIA!

[Jenni]

Hi Sue, sort of made this up on the fly so I can't promise that it's the best eggless cake ever, but it tasted good to me! I'm just copying the recipe straight off my blog, so here it is:

Ingredients:
200ml milk
150g good quality 72% chocolate
200g cream cheese (choose a good quality, preferably organic, cream cheese with no added stuff like carrageenan)
200g sugar
100g fine wholewheat flour
100g rice flour
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
50ml extra milk
2 teaspoons baking powder

Put the 200ml milk in a small pan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, break up the chocolate and put it in a jug. When the milk comes to the boil, pour it slowly over the chocolate, stirring until the chocolate is completely melted. Allow to cool.

When the chocolate mixture has cooled, preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream them. Add the flours and the coffee, and mix well. Slowly pour in the chocolate mixture, mixing all the time. Add the extra milk to the jug you had the chocolate in and stir it around to get all of the chocolate off the sides, then pour it in to the batter. Mix well until smooth, then add the baking powder and mix again.

Pour into a prepared baking tray and bake for about 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

ETA: Oh, and my baking tray was 7 inches by just shy of 11 inches. And I can confirm that the cake is delicious when cool, just been eating it for lunch. Actually rather brownie-like.

This post has been edited by Jenni: Nov 7 2009, 07:01 PM

[Jenni]

Lunch was roasted cauliflower and almond soup, followed by more chocolate cake. A delectable meal.

[Sue Darlow]

Thanks for the cake recipe, Jenni. Although eggless, it is very dairy! The cauliflower and almond soup is a classic.

Yesterday I made yummy pumpkin, cavolo nero and borlotti bean soup.

[Jenni]

^^
I like my dairy Were you looking for a vegan cake?

[Wildflower]

Yesterday I made yummy pumpkin, cavolo nero and borlotti bean soup.

Mmmmmm. That sounds good -- all of those (including fresh borlotti beans) are in season here. Do you mind posting a sketch of the recipe in the Lets Talk Soup thread?

[Matilda]

Went to a restaurant for a yum cha (dim sum) with friends. Had the usual favourites but the one that left a lasting impression were:

the steamed oblong soft rice noodle rolls enveloping shrimps, with some soy drizzled on top
and the chewy beancurd wrapping with some delicious savoury meaty filling.

Loved the warm egg custard tarts & mango pudding. Could have had seconds!

Can't wait for another yum cha organised in 2 weeks time!

[Sue Darlow]

^^
I like my dairy Were you looking for a vegan cake?

The answer is not straightforward, I'm afraid. In my past I have been omnivore, ovo-lacto vegetarian, vegan, and then back to omnivore, but with a definite bias towards an essentially vegan diet. One thing I have never been is lacto-vegetarian, as most Indian vegetarians are. So in my mind, if I am going to have an eggless cake, I would probably want it to be vegan too.

I think this distinction arises because while most Indian vegetarians are so because of ethical, socio-religious and cultural reasons, more than merely health reasons, in the West there is more of a mix of the two. Also, most Indian vegetarians are so because they were brought up that way, most vegetarains and vegans in the West have made a personal choice to be.

Having just written the above, I can see there is plenty of room for debate!

[Jenni]

I was vegan for a while, but although I was essentially healthy on the outside, I was not feeling my best on the inside. I've now introduced some dairy back into my life, but not eggs. Usually I just eat a little yoghurt, and maybe a bit of milk here and there in recipes, but when I'm making a cake, it's a treat! Also, you have to remember that the amount of dairy per slice is actually not hugely high.

Just so you know, you could sub soy milk for the milk, and vegan cream cheese for the cheese. I don't know if you can get that where you are, but I can get it in my local supermarket so I guess it's not that uncommon. If not, why not use soft tofu? Obviously, the cake will be drier as these substitutes have less fat.

This post has been edited by Jenni: Nov 8 2009, 08:26 PM

[deedawar]

I was vegan for a while, but although I was essentially healthy on the outside, I was not feeling my best on the inside. I've now introduced some dairy back into my life, but not eggs. Usually I just eat a little yoghurt, and maybe a bit of milk here and there in recipes, but when I'm making a cake, it's a treat! Also, you have to remember that the amount of dairy per slice is actually not hugely high.

Just so you know, you could sub soy milk for the milk, and vegan cream cheese for the cheese. I don't know if you can get that where you are, but I can get it in my local supermarket so I guess it's not that uncommon. If not, why not use soft tofu? Obviously, the cake will be drier as these substitutes have less fat.

silken tofu works well as a sbstitute for cream cheese. I's geat for ice cream type desserts too.

[Sue Darlow]

Made alu paratha after AGES, and though they were pretty good, they were not as nice as Ushaji's... Want to try using dried kasoori methi next time.

I followed Jiggs Kalra's recipe from his book of Punjabi recipes, but there is something about the way the recipes are laid out that rubs me the wrong way. It's like that in Prashad as well. Also, he is always described as a consultant - does that mean he doesn't write the recipes, or doesn't cook?

For instance in this case, he calls for 400g of Atta-dough. Then an asterisk says "See recipe for tandoori roti". Then after flicking around to find that recipe, it calls for 550g atta, so then you have to work out proportions. This is just laziness on his part. He should have listed the amount of atta and water to be used and then, perhaps, have said, follow instructions for tandoori roti dough, if not writing out the complete instructions.

[agp]

We had mushroom tonak and ambadachi chutney with chapattis today.

I am not sure where this message will end up for I know only to reply not to create a new message. I am sorry if I am adding a reply in the wrong place.

Could someone please point me in the right direction.

Thanks.
agp

[bague25]

Sue, Your aloo paratha looks good!

We had kheema pulao for dinner.

[hima]

I like the look of your metal rolling pin, Sue! Where did you get it?

[jason gogal]

Nice ghee jar.

Edit to add: I found some green mangoes today so we made a green mango/carrot/cucumber salad that was really tasty. The green mango added an awesome flavor.

I also picked the magical right day to go to a desi grocer here, and found fresh curry leaves, which is a monumental event. The leaves aren't in the best shape, but just to get them here is a revelation.

This post has been edited by jason gogal: Nov 19 2009, 06:00 AM

[Wildflower]

I also picked the magical right day to go to a desi grocer here, and found fresh curry leaves, which is a monumental event. The leaves aren't in the best shape, but just to get them here is a revelation.

Do report back on what you did with them, Jason.

[Wildflower]

Back in the kitchen after a longish break. Found some fresh ash gourd (white pumpkin) at the farmers market, had some sour yogurt in the fridge, so made some southern style kaDhi i.e. with freshly pounded coconut, ginger and green chillies, and a taDka of mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves. Also saw some tender, radiant looking, purple mustard greens, so shot off in the northerly direction and made some sarson ka saag. Julienned the greens, washed them and drained them partially in a colander, then bunged them in a pot with no oil or anything else (i.e. resisted the urge to add any water to the pot). When the greens cooked down, pulsed with a hand blender so that I ended up with a coarse puree, not a pool of liquid or an over smooth paste. Tadka of ghee, microplaned ginger and green chillies. Ate this with local fresh thick corn tortillas. KaDhi/majjiga pulusu with rice of course.

Dessert is all about fall fruit: gorgeous pomegranates, fuyu persimmons and the best Shinseki pears I've had in years.

[Sue Darlow]

I am not 100% sure, but I think both the stainless steel rolling pin and the stone platform were bought in Akbarally's in Fort, Bombay. You get nice, good quality, and quite stylish kitchen and table ware there, sort of midway between merely functional and total designer ware. Decent prices, good value.

PS I also found a kind of multi storey department store for "gifts and novelties" that had a similar kitchen and table ware section at Crawford Market, just near to Badshah Cold Drink Depot, of Falooda fame. Can't remember the name though.

This post has been edited by Sue Darlow: Nov 19 2009, 02:36 PM

[Sue Darlow]

Belated Halloween Greetings!

Display in a shop making and selling fresh pasta.



My local supermarket started stocking this yummy pumpkin bread, with pumpkin seeds in it. I enjoy it with all kinds of cheese, in this case, Gogonzola.

[jason gogal]

Some really tasty goodies from Vij's cookbook.

Oddly, the tastiest of them all was the (sauce on the) grilled corn and zucchini. The relatively simple sauce tasted amazingly good.

[deedawar]

Have just been to the Saturday market. I now have wild rabbit, venison and partridge in the fridge. So some recipes please folks.

[Sue Darlow]

Have just been to the Saturday market. I now have wild rabbit, venison and partridge in the fridge. So some recipes please folks.

In Italy rabbit is often cooked with olives. Here's a selection of recipe offerings.

[bfuller]

By way of atonement for the culinary excesses of the past few days a simple salad of baby spinach, avocado and cucumber with a simple lime vinaigrette dressing.

On the side some Baguette with butter and a honeydew melon, apple, banana fruit salad with chaat masala to close out the meal.

[loislane]

For a post market lunch, made a salad mostly inspired by this - quinoa, pomegranates, beans, walnuts, goat cheese. Supplemented by a wholesome wheat-rye bread.

[rangoli]

Made some kulith koddel, bitter gourd gojju and jowar roti yesterday. And a carrot koshimbari to use up those 5 kg of carrots we bought at the market, thinking we could juice them, but couldn't. The bitter gourd gojju was amazing, but the jowar roti was a bit disappointing, I think my new flour may be slightly bitter. Either that or it has been so long since I made them I lost the touch for getting the right consistency for the batter.

[arnab]

made a big vat of chili last night. we ate some, refrigerated some for eating in the next day or so, and froze the rest for later in the winter.

[jason gogal]

A really tasty lamb stew that was sort of a curry and sort of a stew. Served with frozen butter biscuits to which fenugreek leaves had been added.

[Matilda]

We had lean barbecued burgers all weekend, as I made so many,
therefore I planned to make some khitchdi, raita & pickle for tonight's dinner,
but went shopping & found some lovely fresh barramundi fillets & a tray of garlic prawns
so we'll have a seafood meal instead, with steamed asparagus & rice.

The khitchdi can wait until tomorrow night.

Wouldn't mind some of that koddel that Rangoli made though!

[rangoli]

Haha Matilda, I would send you some, but I don't think UPS would be too happy with a leaky package stinking of garlic!

Here is a recipe, and I think we even have one somewhere on AS, although it may be with sprouted kulith. I have memories of the phrase "tadkafied garlic"

[Matilda]

Thanks for the offer Rangoli, after all its the thought that counts.

The fish & garlic prawns were great the other day, and I made a gingery spinach & tomato dal yesterday with my favourite seasoning - mustard seeds,hing & dried red chilli (which I eat with the rice & dal, as the frying gives it the most sublime flavour!)

Tonight I'm pan frying some lovely chunky fillets of flake, which were sold as gummy shark.
I've been using using Bague's method of dusting them in some maida seasoned with salt & pepper before frying in olive oil.
This seems to give them just enough oomph without overpowering the fish. Then all it needs is a squeeze of fresh lemon at the table.
Also on the menu tonight is a crunchy cabbage salad with an asian dressing (sweet, sour & salty) that I've recently discovered and adore (similar to this one).