CHOCO VANILLA FRUIT CAKE

INGREDIENTS

Flour- 100 grams
Sugar - 100grams
White oil or butter - 100 grams
Eggs - 3
Milk - 2 tbsp
Semi sweet chocolate - 50 grams
or
Chocolate powder - 2 tbsp
Vanilla essence - 1tsp
Baking powder - 1tsp
Salt - a pinch
Dry fruits -2 tbsp (cashew, raisins, cherries, orange or lemon peel, black currants and so on )

PROCEDURE

Grind sugar into powder. Keep aside. Melt the chocolate and keep aside. Break the eggs one by one separately. Now beat the eggs along with 2tbsp of milk . Beat for 2 minutes if using an electric beater and 10 minutes if using a spoon or spring beater. Now add the oil or butter and beat for 2 minutes by an electric beater or 10 minutes by a spoon or spring beater. Now add the powdered sugar and beat for 2 minutes by electric beater or 10 minutes by spoon\spring beater. Shift flour along with baking powder and salt on a large tray or dish. Take 2tbsp of flour and shift in the bowl of oil, sugar and eggs beaten. Now mix or rather fold in (stir the batter downwards or inwards and again upwards continuously in a pattern of eight\8.) the flour in the batter. In this way fold in all the flour little by little. Lastly mix the vanilla essence. The batter should have a ribbon like pouring consistency. To test - take a spoonful of batter and pour lightly to see if falls uniformly or in a ribbon like consistency. Add milk if batter appears thicker. Now grease with oil a 7 inch round cake tin or a 6 inch square cake tin . A cake tin is any metal utensil. Sprinkle a little flour at the sides and base of the tin. Chop all the dry fruits in small fingertip sizes. Smear a little flour in the dry fruits. Now shift half of the cake batter in a bowl. Beat the melted chocolate
and mix well with half the batter. Now set the oven in pre-heat mode at 180 degree centigrade. Meanwhile pour the chocolate batter in the tin. Pour lightly and evenly. Now pour pour the white batter evenly over the chocolate batter. Sprinkle the dry on top. When the oven is ready put in the cake tin. Bake at 175- 180 degree centigrade for 30 - 40 minutes. After 30 minutes insert a skewer in the cake . If the cake is done the skewer will come out clean(not sticky). If the cake is not done bake for 5-10 more minutes. Keep the cake to cool on a wire rack. You can serve the cake hot or cool(keep in the fridge for 3-5 hours.

Posted by Keya

STEAMED FISH

This is a non veg dish prepared very easily.

INGREDIENTS

Fish (Rohu or Hilsa) -500 grams (cut into 5-6 pieces)
Mustard seeds- 2-3 tsp
Green chillies-5-6
turmeric powder- one fourth tsp
Salt- 1 tsp Mustard oil - 2-3 tsp

PROCEDURE

Soak mustard seeds in water overnight.
Remove all scales of fish. Clean inner part of fish well. Wash fish and smear a little salt and turmeric powder and keep on a colander to drain out water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile wash and drain out water from mustard seeds. Put seeds and 1 tsp of water in small jar of mixer and grind at high speed for 2 minutes . Open jar to check if a smooth paste has formed. If not, put a little more water and grind at high speed till a smooth paste is formed. Strain the mustard paste through a strainer pressing with a spoon. In this way you would get a smoother paste without seeds. Smear the fish with this mustard paste, 2 tsp mustard oil , one fourth tsp turmeric powder and whole green chillies. Put in a flat metal box with a tight lid. Let water boil in a larger vessel. Put the covered box of fishes in the water when it starts boiling . Put a cover. Let steam on high flame for 5 minutes .and on lower for 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle open the container ( box ). Serve hot. Can be served with plain rice.

Posted by Keya