Zebra Cake

                       

ZEBRA CAKE

Dry ingredients:
Flour - 2 cups
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1 cup

Wet ingredients:
Butter - 1/2 cup
Egg - 2
Vanilla - 1 tsp
Milk - 1 cup

Coco powder - 2 tbsp ( to be mixed at the end)

Mix dry and wet ingredients separately and later combine both with a beater or wooden spoon. Divide the batter into half and add coco powder to one portion.

Well grease the pan with butter and flour so that you can get the cake out of the pan with ease.

Add 3 tbsp of plain batter to the middle of the pan then 3 tbsp of coco batter and continue till the batter is over. Make sure you don't shake or spread the batter with spoon or anything. It will spread by itself when u pour the batter in the middle of the pan.

Bake it at 180 degree for 40 min or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Enjoy baking.. :)

                      Chalked by Akhila 

Super Easy Chocolate Cake

So.. its that time of the year again to pamper my husband. It's his Birthday... Yuhuuuu !!! 

Keeping all the other fun items i needed to get my hands on, i landed on this super quick and definitely delicious chocolate cake. 

Next time u need to cook up something quick and yummy, try this one :) 

So then lets get started..... 

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar ( better if it's brown sugar )

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup strong black coffee

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Heat oven to 180°. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined.Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about two minutes; the batter will be thin.Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. I used a simple whipped cream between two layers of the cake.

Notes:

1. Preferably use brown sugar than the normal sugar as it lifts up the flavor.

2. This cake also pairs beautifully with a simple chocolate ganache.

3. Before frosting, Spray sugar water all over the cake, this makes it super moist :) 

Try it out and let me know if you liked it.... 

Happy Cooking:) 

- Chalked by Akhila

www.facebook.com/ColoredChalks 

Apricot raisin cake

Ingredients:

1.5 cup flour
1.5 Cup sugar
4 Eggs
250g butter
1.5 Tsp baking powder
1 Tsp Cinnamon powder
1 to 2 Tsp vanilla essence
Apricot -- chopped finely
Raisins -- chopped finely

Method:

1. Caramelize 0.5 cup sugar.  Let sugar melt, remove from fire before it burns. Then add 1/4 cup water and keep on low fire till sugar crystals melt.
2. Sieve flour, baking powder and cinnamon powder together and keep side.
3. In a bowl beat butter and sugar till fluffy.
4. Add eggs and flour mixture alternatively and mix well.
5. Add vanilla essence
6. Finely chopped Apricot and raisins should be coated with some flour. This is to avoid it going to the bottom of the pan when baking.
7. Finally add the caramel and the fruit mix and once mixed pour into baking pan.
8. preheat oven to 180°c and bake for about 45 -55 minutes, or till done
9. Use tooth pick to prick and check if cooked well.
10. Once done let it cool and enjoy

- Chalked by Megha Kuruvilla

 www.facebook.com/ColoredChalks

Caramel Custard Pudding

Ingredients:

0.5 ltrs milk

4 eggs

1 tin condensed milk

Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

Method:

* In a vessel (preferable aluminium) put enough sugar to cover the bottom surface and heat on stove.

When golden brown remove from fire and keep aside to cool . The bottom surface should be fully covered by tht layer… be careful not to overdo melting, cos if burnt off it will taste bitter.

* In another vessel  beat 4 eggs , mix the milk and condensed milk.

* Mix well and add vanilla essence as required for taste.

* Once the caramelized vessel is set, pour the above mixture on top of it.

* Double boil, or put in a steamer to cook.

* Can be considered done once the surface has thickened.

* Remove and allow to cool. Keep in fridge after that.

* Serving: topple the vessel contents onto a plate… so that caramelized side is on top. Cut as required and serve with the caramel liquid.

- Chalked by Megha Kuruvilla

Carrot Milkshake

Ingredients:

Carrot- 1/2 medium size(grated)

Milk-1/2 ltr

Vanilla essence-few drops

Cardamom powder-small pinch

Sugar-2tbsp

Condensedmilk-1 tbsp (optional)

Water-1cup

Ice cubes-2/3

Method:

2 ways u can make this shake ..

I.       Blend all ingredients together &pour it in a tall glass, serve with chilled ice cubes.

         II.       Boil the carrot & make a paste of it. Then mix with above ingredients

-Chalked by Sai Priya

Cold Coffeee......

Ingredients:

Coffee powder instant – 1 – tsp

Hot water – 2 tsp

Ice cubes – 4 /5

Milk cold – 2 cup

Sugar – 2tsp(or u can add)

Method:

Take a bowl add coffee powder add hot water mix well.

Take a blender add ice cubes, coffee mixture, milk and blend it. Pour it in a glass and sprinkle coffee powder

-Chalked by Sai Priya

Malabar Chicken Biryani

Ingredients:

1.       Basmati Rice – 2 cups

2.       Chicken – 500gm(cut in to medium pieces)

3.       Onion- 3/4 medium(finely chopped)

4.       Tomato – 2/3 medium(chopped)

5.       Biriyani Masala Powder – 3 tsp

6.       Garam masala-2 tsp

7.       Curd – 1/4 cup

8.       Lime – 1

9.       Coriander leaves –1 cup(chopped)

10.   Mint leaves – 1/4 cup(chopped)

11.   Curry leaves-2 sprigs

12.   Cinnamon stick-1

13.   Cardamom-2

14.   Cloves-2

15.   Ghee/oil

16.   Salt

17.   Cashew nuts – few

18.   Raisins – few

For Marinating Chicken:

1. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
2. Chilly Powder – 1 tsp
3. Salt

For Grinding:

1. Green Chillies – 4/5
2. Ginger garlic–2 tbsp(chopped)
3. Grind them together to a fine paste. Keep it aside

Method:-

1.       Marinate the chicken pieces 30 mnts with the ingredients as said above.

2.       To prepare the Rice:

Heat little ghee in a pan put cinnamon stick, cardamom & cloves and roast the washd rice for 4-5 mts(optional). Add enough water and salt into it, cook rice till done and all the water is absorbed.

Spread the rice in a serving dish, and sprinkle 3-4 drops of lime juice & allow it to cool.

3.       Heat a little ghee in a pan and roast cashews and raisins till brown and keep it aside.

4.       Now add half amount of sliced onion and fry them until they are well browned. Add more ghee /oil if needed. Drain them into a tissue paper and keep aside.

5.        Now into the same oil, add marinated chicken pieces and fry them for 10mnts .Keep it aside.

6.       Now heat oil in another vessel and add rest of the onions and saute them till translucent. Mix with tomatoes, salt and the ground paste and saute them for 2-3 mts. Stir in curd and lemon juice and saute until oil seperates. Now add fried chicken pieces, mix well, cover and cook.

7.       When it is half done, add Coriander leaves, Mint leaves, curry leaves, garam masala & Biriyani masala powder.

8.       Mix and allow the chicken to cook well in medium heat, until all water is absorbed and chicken pieces are coated with gravy. remove from fire.

9.       Take a big vessel, spread chicken pieces along with the gravy in the bottom. Now add one layer of cooked rice over chicken.

10.   Sprinkle a little garam masala, fried onions, cashews, raisins .

11.   Repeat the same for 2 more layers with chicken ,rice and fried cashew-raisins-onions etc.

Seal the vessel with aluminium foil. put it in dum (on fire) for 5m.

Mix thoroughly and serve hot with Onion Raita .

-Chalked by Sai Priya

Chicken Vindaloo

Ingredients:

1.       Chicken -10 pieces(cut in to medium size)  

2.       Onions - 3 medium (thinly sliced)

3.       Tomato paste -1 1/2 tbsp

4.       Cumin powder-1/2 tsp

5.       Chilli powder-1 tsp

6.       Coriander powder-1tsp

7.       Ginger garlic paste-2 tsp

8.       Pepper powder-1/2 tsp

9.       Vinegar-1 tsp

10.   Coriander leaves – for garnishing

11.   Oil

12.   Salt

Marinating:

Make a smooth paste of the cumin powder, chilli powder, coriander powder,  ginger garlic paste, pepper powder and salt. Apply this to the chicken pieces .Keep aside for 30 mnts.

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions till they turn brown. Remove the onions from the oil and remove excess oil. Make a fine paste of the onion with vinegar and keep it aside.

Heat a vessel put a little oil add the marinated chicken and cook it on medium heat. Add the tomato paste and onion paste after about 10 minutes and cook until chicken is fully cooked and the gravy is thick. You can add little water if u want more gravy.  Garnish with coriander leaves.

-Chalked by Sai Priya