The Mad Scientist's Kitchen!!: May 2015

Tuesday, 26 May 2015

Pound Cake

This month for Baking Partners we were to try a Pound Cake.

Simple and beautiful!

This recipe is different from that I follow here & here.

The main points that surprised me was that we were to bake in a cold oven, that is the oven is not be pre-heated and the batter after mixing is to be beaten after all the ingredients are mixed.

Since I was baking this cake for my daughter’s birthday I pre-heated the oven but I did beat the batter and the cake rose beautifully.Also I used my regular 150°C/302°F and not the recommended 190°C/375°F.

Coming to the birthday cake since the theme my younger one had chosen was childhood, she wanted me bake a rabbit cake.

She got out my old book and showed me what she wanted. The book had asked for coconut flakes but she did not want the flakes. Personally I feel the cake looks like a cat the girls were satisfied so who am I to complain…

Also I forgot to take pictures of the pound cake and the cake also in my setup. So this is what you will get for I do not think I will be making this shape again.

Pound Cake

Recipe Source:Gourmet | September 2005

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan
1 ½ cups sifted cake flour, sifted before measuring plus additional for dusting
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 and 1/2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream

Method:

Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
Once you sifted the homemade cake flour for 5 times, then add salt and sift together once again. If using cake flour then you need to sift only 3 times.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer.
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla.
Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition.
Scrape down side of bowl, and then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.
Transfer the batter into pan and tap the pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles.
Place pan in pre- heated oven at 150°C/302°F.
Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering.
Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes.
Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, and then invert cake onto rack to cool completely.

Pound Cake

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Sunday, 24 May 2015

Akki Bhakari/ Akki Rotti/ Tandula-chi-Bhakari

Flatbreads are a part of Indian menus. We, Indians make flatbreads out of wheat, jowar/sorghum, and millets like ragi, bajra and many more grains I do not know about.

Indian flatbreads like its culture and cuisine is diverse but still there is a thread connecting them all. You can read about Indian flatbreads here.

Coming to today’s CCC challenge I am making Akki rotti (like the Lingayats community will say in my hometown) or Akki Bhakari like the Brahmin community will say!

Akki bhakari was a standard food growing up. It used to be like jowar one only whiter, easier to eat and hot straight from the tava/skillet to the plate!

This used to be breakfast and then straight to books after that to do holiday homework!

Amma never added spring onion or dhania/ coriander or chillies but here in Goa the same is made with all the above and is called Tandula chi bhakari.

Remember the thread that connects the whole of India! You will find the same foods with a slight variation all over India.

It’s delicious and hubby loved it.

Akki Bhakari/ Akki Rotti/ Tandula-chi-Bhakari

Ingredients:

1 cup Rice flour
1 bundle of spring onions, chopped fine
2-3 green chillies, chopped fine
3 tblspn coconut, freshly grated
A few springs of dhania/ coriander
Salt to taste
Oil to fry
Water

Foil

Non-stick tava/skillet

Method:

In a bowl add the rice flour, spring onion, green chillies, coconut coriander and salt.mix well.
Pile the mixture in the middle and make a well in the centre.
Using hot water and a spoon mix a little water. Add water gradually the idea is to get a soft dough without it being sticky.
Once the dough is ready make small balls the size being smaller than that of tennis balls but bigger than a lime. Set aside.
Heat the non- stick tava/skillet.
Oil the foil and place one ball on the smeared portion. Flatten the ball on the oil gently turn it over and using your fingers flatten the dough to make a thin circle about 1/8 inch in thickness.
Place the foil on the tava/skillet with the flattened circle on the tava/skillet. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes then you will be able to peel the foil off and reuse to make the next roti.
Meanwhile the roti on the tava/skillet needs your attention. Use a tsp to oil the sides of the roti. Flip it over and cook on the other side. The roti is done when it gets slight brown flecks and changes colour.
Serve hot with homemade butter.

Akki Bhakari/ Akki Rotti/ Tandula-chi-Bhakari

This joins the May Week 3 Cooking from Cookbook Challenge Group.

Friday, 8 May 2015

Alsande cho Tonak at BM#50 Meet

Alsande cho Tonak

"Make Alsande Tonak "

And I panicked and made a SOS visit to Sheetal!

What am I talking about?

My readers, I am a part of Bloggers Marathon, a group of us who blog every month on various themes.

Naturally we are all very close, it’s more like a family group and we meet. We met in Chennai this year and it was fun.

On the last day we were go to Foodology, an amazing place for foodies.

Valli and Padma asked me to make Alsande cho Tonak and I decided to ask Sheetal, my guide for all these traditional recipes!

I must thank Valli and Padma for the honour not mention Kamalika for organising the place!

This is a mild tonak you may use more of the masala starting from laung/cloves to chillies to get stronger gravy.

Alsande cho Tonak

Recipe Source: Sheetal

Ingredients:

½ kg alsande, soaked overnight
1 onion, chopped fine
1 tomato chopped fine
1 coconut, freshly grated
1 onion, sliced
3-4 garlic cloves
10 laung/cloves
1 inch dalchini/cinnamon ( adjust)
3 tblspn dhania/ coriander seeds
4-6 kali mirch/ pepper corns
12-13 dry chillies
½ tsp saunf/fennel seeds
Haldi/turmeric
1 pinch nutmeg
2 dagad phool/star anise petals
Oil
Salt

Method:

In the alsande add the onion and tomato and salt you can either pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or cook outside in an open pot till the alsande are cooked.
Meanwhile in a kadhai/wok add a little oil and fry the cloves, cinnamon, coriander seeds, pepper, dry chillies, fennel seeds, nutmeg and the star anise and set aside.
In the same kadhai/wok roast the coconut with the onions and garlic.
Grind the coconut with turmeric to a fine paste.
Add to the alsande and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste.
Serve with pav garnished with dhania/ coriander.

This joins the May Week 1 Cooking from Cookbook Challenge Group.

Linking to The Veggie Indian, Lisa’s blog and Susan’s blog.

Saturday, 2 May 2015

Round up of “#FireUpYourOven" Mega Marathon this April'2015

April is a busy month as we have Mega Marathon. Mega means we choose a theme and follow the theme entire month. This time around we are
Baking!!
These are my bakes
Day 1