Eggless Whole Wheat Banana and Candied Cherries Cake

Hii friends,

After long long time!!!!
It has been so long since I posted something in this blog.. I came to India a couple of weeks back and got spoiled by all petting and pampering by my parents and in laws. Everyone were so excited to cook for us and so I hardly get any chance to cook now a days. Still, as cooking is my life breath, it is impossible for me to be without cooking for days together. This is the first time I came to India after staring this blog. I showed my blog, dashboard etc to all my relatives and friends. They gave me enough motivation, encouragement and wishes for my future posts.

About this cake.. This super soft, moist and fluffy cake is very low in calories as it is made using whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour, curds instead of egg and oil instead of butter. I am not a very big fan of cinnamon. But then I started realizing that adding cinnamon powder to banana cakes gives an awesome taste to it. As it is eggless, it can be prepared by vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

Try to use the bananas which are big and has black spots on its skin. The more riper the banana is, the more sweeter your cake will be. 

Have the ingredients and measurements right, the cake will taste simply great. Let's go through the recipe. Try and let me know your feedback.

Ingredients

• Whole wheat flour -  1 cup
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
• Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - a pinch
• Candied Cherries - 1/4 cup, roughly chopped
• Sugar - 1/2 cup + 2 tblspns
• Thick unsour yogurt - 1/4 cup
• Oil - 1/4 cup
• Banana - 2, medium sized
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
• Apple Cider Vinegar- 1 tblspn
• Flax seeds powder - 1 tblspn
• Hot water - 3 tblspn

Method

• Preheat the oven @180 deg C. Grease your cake/ loaf pan with oil/ butter. Dust some flour, spread them all around the pan. Tap off the excess flour. This step will allow the cake from sticking to the pan.
• Mix together flax seeds powder and hot water. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
• Sieve the dry ingredients together for about 2 or 3 times; Wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder and salt. This will make the cake more light and spongy.
• Take some flour in a bowl and mix the chopped candied cherries. Keep aside
• In another bowl, mix all the wet ingredients one by one; oil, sugar, yogurt, vanilla essence, mashed bananas, apple cider vinegar and flax seeds slurry taken out of the fridge.
• Now add half of the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold in gently, as slow as you can. Do not over mix or mix vigorously as it would take away the aeration of the cake.
• Now add the remaining dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix in slowly until everything is combined
• Add the flour coated cherries to the batter and fold in gently.
• Pour the batter to the cake/ loaf pan. Bake in the preheated oven @180 deg C for about 40 to 50 minutes or until the tooth pick inserted comes out clean. The temperature of each oven will vary from each other. So, keep an eye often until it is baked.
• Once baked, take out of the oven. Run a knife over the edges to separate the cake from the pan.
• Allow it to cool for 15 minutes before you remove from the pan.
• Cut / slice once it cools down completely.
• Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee

Vegetarian Nargisi Kofta Gravy

 

Nargisi Kofta!! Originally this dish is stuffed with egg and covered with shell of kheema. I just came across this dish very recently, when a friend of mine posted this on a Facebook group. I got so tempted and wanted to try a vegetarian version of it. A lot of ideas were running in my mind as how to prepare it fully vegetarian and how to make it look like an egg stuffed inside.
So, here is my own version of vegetarian Nargisi Kofta Gravy. It is a little time consuming, but totally worth the each second you spend on it. After frying the koftas, when you cut open, you will be surprised to see that it looks just like an egg stuffed inside. Even my hubby did not know that it was paneer.
Just to add a little fiber, I added boiled and mashed cow peas for the outer layer.
This Hyderabadi  dish has the ability to enlighten your guests.

Ingredients

For the Nargisi Koftas

(For the inner vegetarian egg)

• Paneer - 1 cup, mashed
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

(For the outer layer)

• Potato - 3 big, boiled, peeled and mashed
• Cowpeas/ black eyed beans - 1 cup, boiled and mashed
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala- 1 tsp
• Corn flour - 1 tblspn
• Onion - 1, finely chopped
• Corn flour mixed in water - 2 tblspn cornflour mixed in 1 tblspn water
•  Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup
• Oil for deep frying

For the Kofta Gravy

To Grind

• Onion - 2, big, sliced
• Tomato -  2 big,diced
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tblspn
• Green chillies- 2 or more according to your spice preference
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Cardamom - 2 nos
• Cloves - 2 nos
• Star anise - 1 no
• Fennel seeds- 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Cashews - 5 or 6
• Almonds - 5 or r
• Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup, chopped
• Mint leaves - 1/4 cup, chopped

Other Ingredients

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Tomato puree- 1 tblspn
• Dried fenugreek leaves- 1 tsp, crushed
• Yogurt - 1 tblspn
• Cream - 1 tblspn
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala/kitchen king masala powder - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves to garnish

Method

• For the Nargisi koftas
• Soak the cowpeas/ black eyed peas for atleast 3 hours. Boil and run in a mixer. Grind it coarsely.

• Mash the paneer and divide in to two portions @ 3:1 ratio. Let us name the smaller portion as A and the bigger portion as B

• Now, take A, add salt and turmeric powder. Mix well. Divide in to small gooseberry sized portions. I got 3 out of it. Turmeric powder is added to get the yellow colour to resemble like egg yolk

 



 

• Now take the B, add salt and divide the portions little bigger than A. This is to look like egg whites

 

• Now, take a ball from B(white), flaten it with your fingers.

• Place a ball from A(yellow) in the centre.

• Bring all the edges together inorder to seal it. Make it oval shape.

• Repeat the same for all 3 or how much ever you have.

• Now, work on the outer layer.
• Combine the mashed potatoes, cowpeas, salt, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala.

 

• Add the onions and mix well.

 

• Divide in to 3 big portions (or how much ever vegetarian eggs you have)

• Flaten it using your fingers

• Place the vegetarian egg in the centre.

• Bring all the edges together in order to seal it.

• It will now look like Ostrich eggs

• Keep your corn slurry ready

• Keep your bread crumbs ready

• Dip one ball in corn slurry. Make sure to coat all the side

• Roll it in the bread crumbs, so that the bread crumbs sticks on all the sides

• Repeat the same for all.

• Now, deep fry all the koftas until it is golden brown in colour from all the sides.

• Keep it aside to cool. Do not cut it until it cools down completely.

 

For the Kofta Gravy

To Grind

• Heat oil in a pan. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and star anise
• Add cashews, almonds,onions, green chillies and ginger garlic paste. 
• Fry till onion becomes translucent. Add salt.
• Now add the tomatoes.
• Saute till tomatoes turn mushy.
• Turn off the heat and add chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves.
• Allow it to cool and blend it to a smooth paste.
• Keep aside

How to proceed?

• Heat oil in a pan. Add the ground onion and tomato paste and water. Add sugar. Allow it to boil. Add all the spice powders. Chilli, coriander, cumin and kitchen king masala powder.
• Add the crushed dried fenugreek leaves.
• Add water. Cover the lid and allow it to boil for 15 minutes in a medium heat. Keep stirring occasionally inorder to avoid burning at the bottom.
• The mixture will splutter. So be careful. Open the lid and add beaten yogurt.
• Add the cream. Allow it to come to one boil. Check the seasoning and add accordingly.
• Turn off the heat. Cover the lid and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
• When the koftas have cooled down completely, cut them in to halves or any number of portions.
• The stuffing will be just like egg and nobody, until said will come to know it.

• When you are ready to serve, tranfer the gravy to a serving dish and add the cut koftas. Do not add the koftas before hand, as it will become very soggy. 

 

Potato Base Vegetable Pizza

Potato!!!!!!!!!!! My face will brighten up if I see potato on my dining table, from my childhood. I love it so much. No matter what you cook with this vegetable, I just go crazy ;)
Same way, I love pizza. Who doesn't love it???? From kids to any age group, pizza is one of the most liked food by all.
So here is my twisted version of pizza, with a potato base.

 Ingredients

Fot the Potato Base

• Potato - 4 big, skin peeled and sliced in to thin rounds
• Corn flour - 2 tblspn
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper - 2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp

For the Pizza filling

Marinara sauce - 1/2 cup
Vegetables of your choice cut thinly
Mixed Italian herbs - to sprinkle
Grated cheese of your choice
Salt - 1 tsp
Pepper - 1 tsp

Method

• Squeeze out any water from the sliced potatoes
• In a bowl, mix together sliced potatoes, salt, pepper, cornflour and oil.

• Mix well.

• Grease a cake tin with oil. Place a butter paper in the bottom. Arrange the potato slices on the bottom and sides. Make sure there are no gaps.

• Bake in the pre-heated oven @200 deg C for about 30 minutes or until you see the potatoes on the sides turn golden brown in colour.

• Remove from the oven. Run your knife through the edges to separate the potatoes sticking on the tin.
• Now start filling for pizzas
• Spread a generous amount of pizza sauce.

• Sprinkle a very little of cheese

• Top with your favorite toppings

• Sprinkle more cheese
• Sprinkle some Italian herbs, salt and pepper.

• Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes @150 deg C, until you see the cheese starts melting.

• Remove from the oven.
• Let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Very carefully, remove from the cake tin.

• Slice and serve