Basic Sponge Cake

Wish you all Shubho Nabo Barsho (Happy New Year) as today here in Kolkata we are celebrating Bengali New Year. Here is my favorite recipe for you.

Since childhood i have been baking cakes. I remember helping my mother with the creaming of butter and sugar while my brother whisked the eggs. It is a very simple yet delicious recipe. Baking can be very easy if proper ingredients in proper quantities are used. I do not use any fancy tools or equipments. All you need is a whisk and a bowl. It is that simple. As there are only a few ingredients that go in so the quality of ingredients matter a lot. The good quality butter gives it a rich taste. The recipe is so simple and delicious that it is definitely worth trying.

It is very important to follow the steps correctly. To make the cake rise beat the eggs with sugar until it doubles in volume and turns pale.

2 eggs have increased in volume that it filled the bowl.

To keep the air in the mixture intact add the maida in 3 additions and fold it in using a metal spoon. Do not use wooden or rubber spoon as it will knock all the air out and the cake won’t rise.

Using this basic sponge you could either make a simple cake like this 

Or a beautiful cake like this.

Let’s make it.

Ingredients

130 gm plain flour (maida)

100 gm butter (melted)

120 gm sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

2 tbsp milk

Method

1. First beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture becomes pale and foamy.

2. Sift in 1/3^rd of the flour and baking powder and fold gently.

3. Add the butter and flour alternatively to the batter.

4. Add vanilla extract and fold until everything is well incorporated.

5. Preheat the oven at 180° C or 356° F.

6. Bake in a 8 inch pan for 30-35 minutes.

7. Insert a skewer in the middle and if it comes out clean your cake is done.

Enjoy this recipe and don’t forget to give your valuable feedback. I shall see you next week with another easy yet delicious recipe.

DONUTS

Donuts are one of the most loved desserts. Eaten as a snack or for breakfast it never fails to makes us happy. Today I am going to share a vegetarian recipe for it.

So let’s make it.

Ingredients

For donuts

2 cups flour (maida)

¾ cup milk (slightly warm)

¼ cup butter

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp dry active yeast

A pinch of salt

Oil for frying

For glaze

100 gm chocolate

Method

1. Make soft dough with the above ingredients.

2. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 1 hour.

3. After 1 hour the dough will become double in size. Knead the dough to get rid of all the air in it.

4. Roll out the dough to ½ inch thickness and cut out the donut shape using two bowls of different sizes.

5. Let it rest for another hour or until it doubles in size.

6. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat and fry the donuts until light golden brown.

7. Melt chocolate in a double boiler (boil water in a bowl and put chocolate in a bigger bowl on top of it. The chocolate needs to be melted slowly to avoid burning.)

8.  Once the donuts have slightly cooled glaze the donuts by putting it in the melted chocolate and sprinkle colourful sprinkles on it for a beautiful look.

Puchkas

One of the most loved street foods is golgappas,

 also known as puchka here in Kolkata. It has a sweet, sour and spicy flavour. Be it after school or outside office or during shopping, we all have memories of enjoying a puchka with friends. Here i have a easy and quick recipe for it.

So let’s make it.

The Filing

Puchkas

 Ingredients

1cup sour curd

2 medium potatoes (boiled and cut into small pieces)

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp chaat masala

2 tbsp sugar

A pinch of salt

Chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp tomato sauce

2 tbsp green chutney

1 packet puchkas

Method

1. In a bowl mix all the ingredients except the puchka.

2. Then make a hole in the puchka and fill it with the above mixture.

3. This step is optional. You can also sprinkle bhujia on top of it.

Chinese Vegetable Manchurian

This is the first recipe that I had made and it turned out to be a crowd pleaser. I couldn't have asked for more. This recipe has the goodness of the vegetables and the flavor of Chinese sauces. It had to be the first recipe that I share with my readers. This recipe is worth trying.

 Let’s make it.

Ingredients

2 cups of finely chopped vegetables (I used cabbage, spring onion, carrot, capsicum and peas)

4 tbsp corn flour

2 tsp black pepper powder

3 tbsp chopped greens of the spring onions

4 cloves of garlic

Salt to taste

1 cup soya chunks (boiled and ground to coarse texture)

2 tbsp vinegar

1 ½ tsp soya sauce (dark)

¼ cup chilli sauce

½ cup tomato sauce

2 tsp sugar

Oil for frying + 1 tbsp extra

Method

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add garlic to it. Add the chopped vegetables and soya to it and cook until no moisture is left.
•  Add corn flour to the mixture and cook until they clump together. Turn off the gas and let the mixture cool.
• Make small balls out of the mixture and deep fry it until slightly brown.
• In another pan heat 1 tbsp oil and add chopped garlic and sugar to it. Once the sugar starts melting add chopped greens of the spring onion.
• Add all the sauces and stir for few seconds. Add a cup of water and cover the pan. Let it simmer for 3 minutes.
• In a serving bowl place the fried Manchurian balls and pour the sauce over it. The dish is complete.
• Serve it either with fried rice or chowmein.