Chocolate cake

Ingredients

• Butter - 2/3 cup 
• Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
•  Eggs - 3
• All purpose flour - 2 cups
• Baking powder - 1 tbsp
• Baking cocoa - 2/3 cup
• Salt - 1 tbsp
• Milk - 1 1/2 cups

Directions

1. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder,sugar and salt in a bowl. Mix it well.

2. In a bowl, add butter and eggs. Beat it well. Add the above powdered mixture to this alternatively with milk, beating until smooth after each addition. 

3. Pour batter into a greased pan.

 

4. Preheat oven at 350 degree. Then bake at 350 degree for 35-40 minutes.

5. Once again, in a saucepan - add the cocoa and the butter and melt, then remove from the heat, add milk and sugar, then mix until they are well combined. Once it is done, decorate the cake with it.

Enjoy your cake!!!!

Mutton Biryani

                     A quick special one pot meal for busy days. Simple preparation, not at all complicated and can be made in less than one hour.

Ingredients

• Basmati rice - 2 cups
• Mutton - 1/2 kg (washed and drained)
• Cloves - 2
• Cinnamon stick - 1/2"
• Cardamom - 2
• Onions - 2 (finely sliced)
• Garlic - 5 pods
• Ginger - 1/2"
• Large Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)
• Red Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp
• Corriander powder - 1 tbsp
• Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp
• Corriander leaves - 1/4 cup
• Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Oil/ Ghee - 3 tbsp
• Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp

Method

1. Soak Basmati rice for atleast 15 mins, set aside.

2. Wash the mutton well and chop into required size pieces.

3. Heat oil/ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds, after it splutters add mutton and a tbsp of salt. Saute till the oil comes out.

 

4. Heat Oil/ Ghee in a pan. Add cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds and dry red chilli. After cumin seeds splutter, add the chopped onions. Saute till it starts browning.

5. Then add the grinded ginger, garlic, corriander and mint mixture into it. Saute it till the raw smell goes. Then add chilli powder, turmeric powder, corriander powder and garam masala. Fry it for 5-6 mins.

6. Now add the chopped tomatoes, saute till the oil separates. Then add the mutton pieces and saute for 3 mins.

 

7. Add a cup of water and cook it in pressure cooker. After whistle comes, let it be in low flame for about 15 mins. 

8.  Once the masala is nicely blended with mutton , add basmati rice - give a quick stir. Then add required water and pressure cook for 3 whistles (after the first whistle , lower the flame). once the pressure releases, fluff the rice with fork carefully without breaking the rice.

Serve it hot with Raita or any gravy.

Happy cooking... 

Porotta / Paratha Recipe

                          Paratha is a very popular Indian dish. Paratha can be plain or stuffed with green, vegetables or cheese. Plain parathas are usually layered and are served with any gravy. It is a very filling and tasty dish.

Ingredients

• Maida Flour / All purpose Flour - 2 cups
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - as required
• Baking soda - a pinch (Optional)

Method

1. Mix maida flour, salt, oil and prepare a soft dough by adding warm water little by little just as you make dough for chapati. Make smooth equal sized balls out of it. Pour some oil over it. Let it sit for 1 hour.

2. Roll them out in oval shap. Roll it holding on one end to form a round. This is done to get the layers. Then roll out to make it like a chapati. 

3.  Put this on a pan on low flame till the paratha is ready. Once done, use both hands and pat on the sides of the paratha to get the layers. 

Serve it hot with any gravy.

Happy cooking..