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Cooking and Baking has always been my passion though it changes according to my mood fluctuations.The last one week had been full of trial recipes which were pending to be tried for long,so I skipped new posts and concentrated on my recipes.

BLACK FOREST CAKE has always been a tricky one for me.I've tried this recipe several times and it had always been a flop-unable to get fresh cream,cherries at the same time,the cream would curdle etc.After nearly 2 years I wanted to make this special cake and it was a success though I had to make it twice to get the exact taste.

Thanks to my little niece who encouraged me this time to make it by getting the fresh cream and cherries after hunting for it in many stores in my place,of course she is madly in love with this cake and she was fully satisfied with it and relished it too

This recipe is from one of the books I have which is also an eggless recipe

Ingredients
Milkmaid-400gms(used Nestle)
Maida-225gms
Butter-125gms
Cocoa powder-3 to 4 tbsps
Aerated cola drink-200ml(used Pepsi)
Baking powder-1tsp
Soda-bi-carb-1tsp

For decoration
Fresh cream-1cup(used Amul)
Tinned cherries-1 small tin(Kaytis)
Chocolate bar/cooking chocolate-min 5/as required(used Cadbury)

While the cake is cooling keep the following ready

• Whip the cream to spreading/piping consistency and keep in the fridge(do not overwhip as it would curdle)
• Make sugar syrup with 100ml water and 100gms sugar,not very thin and not thick consistency
• Grate the chocolate either with knife or a big grater and refrigerate
• Seperate the cherries from the syrup and deseed them

Method
Lightly grease and flour the baking tin
Preheat oven at 150 C
Melt butter in a double boiler and allow to cool
Add milkmaid to it and mix
Sift together maida,baking powder,soda and cocoa powder
Mix maida with milkmaid-butter mixture alternating with cola till maida and cola are over
Immediately pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30-40 mins at 150 C or till done
Cool and slit horizontally into two
Sprinkle the syrup liberally on the two halves of the cake
Use also the syrup in the cherry tin on the cakes
Spread the whipped cream on the lower part of the cake
Deseed the cherries and arrange them liberally on the cream
Place the other part on top
Spread the cream liberally on the sides and top
Sprinkle the grated chocolate on the sides and top and arrange some more cherries on top
Refrigerate and serve it cool

The word PAROTA itself makes everyone hungry.One of the kids favourite food is parota.When we go out to hotels we find our children ordering parota as their first choice.It is actually a travel food for the people in Tamilnadu.You can see lot of people especially the bus and lorry drivers queing up the Night Kadais,as they are popularly known and the sound of making the Kothu Parota on the large sized tawas is a sight to watch.But the surroundings and the oil they use to make them will make us,health freaks forget parota.Everyone in my house loves this special dish and making them at home has become like making idlis.I thank my dear friend Tasneem for giving us(a group of friends)a demo.I would like to share this method so that your children can also boast to their friends with parota packed lunch box.
Parota is also my entry for Vanamala's KID'S FOOD EVENT



Ingredients
Flour/Maida-1cup or as required
Salt-as required
Cooking soda-1tsp
Oil-1tbsp

Method
Sieve maida with salt and cooking soda
Add water and knead to a smooth dough
Add oil and keep it covered with a wet cloth for minimum 3 hours
Just follow the steps as in pictures below

THE KNEADED SOFT DOUGH


ROLLING OUT


A SPOON OF OIL


SPREAD THE OIL


FOLDING


FOLD LIKE SAREE PLEATING



THE PLEATING COMPLETE


TAP AND STRETCH SLOWLY


THE STRETCHED DOUGH


ROLL INSIDE


ROLLED IN DOUGH


ONE SIDE ON TOP OF THE OTHER


READY TO BE MADE LEAVE FOR 15 MINUTES


ROLL OUT AGAIN


THE LAYERS ARE SEEN


PAROTA ON TAWA


PAROTA ON TAWA ADD OIL AS REQUIRED TILL DONE


LOOSEN THE PAROTA


THE LAYERED PAROTA


READY TO BE SERVED


KURMA
This is the recipe which I make for parota

Ingredients
Onions-2 cut length-wise
Tomatoes-3 finely chopped
Coriander leaves-to garnish
Turmeric powder-1tsp
Salt-to taste

To season
A few pieces of cinnamon,cloves and cardamon

To grind
Garlic-a few
Ginger- a small piece
Fried gram dal-2tsp
Green chilly-2
Khus-khus-2tsp

Method
Heat oil and season with the ingredients
Add onions and saute for 5 min
Add tomatoes and saute well,add tumeric powder and salt
Now add the ground paste and saute for a while
Pressure cook by adding required water
Garnish with coriander leaves
Serve parota hot with onion-tomato kurma or chicken gravy
If you want to make parotas for lunch box prepare the dough the previous evening and finish upto the pleating step one side on the other,just roll them out in the morning

KOTHU PAROTA
Just make pieces of the parota
Spread on the tawa
Pour some kurma on top
Use the dosa laddle and just mix well and serve hot
Eggs also can be added in the process
Just break in the eggs and mix

Iam sure this is an easy way of making parotas with very less oil and when done two or three times you will get used to the procedures and it would become a weekly menu

This popular and favourite food for many is also my entry for Jai and Bee's Click-Flour Event

Ras Malai,a perfect cool dish for this summer.Thanks again Sri for choosing this for this month's ICC.Though I have tried Rasgulla in the same method I didn't know it was the same procedure but with milk syrup.The malais came out well of course few broke,but was good for the first attempt.I followed the same method expect that I added a pinch of food colour




You can find the recipe here