Custard Powder Bundt Cake ~ Egg less Yellow Cake With Chocolate Ganache

A very happy new year to all my fellow bloggers and my blog readers. May the new year bring you lots of happiness, prosperity and good health!

I have been away from this space for over a month now. Actually, I have shifted places and am now settling down slowly in a new city. There was a lot happening on the home front that blogging took a back seat. I will try to blog more frequently from now on. Today, I have something sweet to share from my drafts. I had made this cake quite some time back for our girls get together.

So lets start the new year on a sweet note!

 Recipe Source: Divine Taste 
 
Custard Powder Bundt Cake ~ Egg less Yellow Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 cup vanilla custard powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter

Process:

1.      Grease a bundt tin or a 8” round tin and lightly dust it with plain flour. Tap to remove excess flour from the surface of the pan. Preheat the oven at 160 C.

2.      In a large bowl shift all the dry ingredients except sugar.

3.      In a separate bowl whisk butter and sugar till soft and fluffy. Add in room temperature milk and whisk till well incorporated.

4.      Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well with a whisk until there are no lumps.

5.      Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake at 160 C for 45 minutes to 55 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.

For the ganache:

50 ml cream
50 gm chocolate chunks

1. Add both the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and heat for a minute. Stir till you get a smooth silk ganache.

Pour it over the cake once the cake is fully cooled. I had poured it while the cake was still a bit warm( was in a hurry). So, the ganache melted and dripped down ;(

Note: The cake taste best when eaten on the same day. Later it tends to get dry.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Happy New Year 2013!!

May the new year bring you renewed hope and spirits, new promises, new aspirations and new reasons to celebrate life.

 

Have a wonderful & fabulous 2013!!

Wordless Wednesday - Clouds

Paneer Butter Masala/ Paneer Makhani

Paneer Butter Masala is one of the most popular paneer curries in India. Paneer chunks in a rich, silky, smooth tomato gravy, it sells like hot cakes in Indian restaurants. I tried this version recently from a Sanjeev Kapoor book I have and it turned out great. Lets hop over to the recipe.

Recipe Source: Mastering the art of Indian Cooking by Sanjeev Kapoor

Paneer Butter Masala/Paneer Makhani

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil
3 green cardamom crushed
1" piece of cinnamon
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp red chili powder or more to taste
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 cups tomato puree
Salt to taste
2-3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp kasoori methi
1tsp sugar
1/4 cup cream
200 gm paneer cut into small cubes


Process:

1. Heat a pan and add oil. When heated add crushed cardamom and sauté for a few seconds till they are fragrant. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for another minute.

2. Now add the tomato puree, salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder and cook on medium high heat for 10-15 minutes. When the oil begins to leave side turn off the heat.

3. To make sure it is smooth, pass the gravy through a strainer. Discard any residue.

4. Put the gravy back into the pan. Add butter, kasoori methi and sugar. Add water to get the desired consistency. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the garam masala. Stir and then add the cream. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.

5. Add the paneer and stir gently. Serve hot with chapati, nan or rice.

Notes: If you want to have a richer gravy you may increase the butter and cream.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

What Young India Wants by Chetan Bhagat

I had read What Young India Wants and Revolution 2020 by Chetan Bhagat on my India visit this year. In fact, I have read all the books by the author, but, none of the reviews for those books have found their way into this space. One reason for that is that I had read them before I started this blog. When I read these two books by the author recently, I made sure that I write about it here. The name Chetan Bhagat evokes different reactions from different people. He is revered by many, he is idolized by many and even hated by many. I fall into none of these categories. I pick up his books when I am in the mood for an easy, fast read and Bhagat's book promises exactly that.

Here is the blurb from his book 'What Young India Wants':

In his latest book, What Young India Wants, Chetan Bhagat asks hard questions, demands answers and presents solutions for a better, more prosperous India.

Why do our students regularly commit suicide?
Why is there so much corruption in India?
Can't our political parties ever work together?
Does our vote make any difference at all?
We love our India, but shouldn't some things be different?
All of us have asked these questions at some time or the other. So does Chetan Bhagat, India's most loved writer, in What Young India Wants, his first book of non-fiction.

What Young India Wants is based on Chetan Bhagat's vast experience as a very successful writer and motivational speaker. In clear, simple prose, and with great insight, he analyses some of the complex issues facing modern India, offers solutions and invites discussion on them. And, at the end, he asks this important question: Unless we are all in agreement on what it is going to take to make our country better, how will things ever change? If you want to understand contemporary India, the problems that face it, and want to be a part of the solution, What Young India Wants is the book for you.

When you pick Chetan Bhagat's book, you don't expect it to be a literary masterpiece. It is well known that his books doesn't fall under that category. This non fiction attempt by the author is not different either. The author has tried to address the main issues that are plaguing the Indian society - from the rampant corruption in Indian political system, ever increasing number of scams to the severe flaws in our education system -he talks about everything, gives his views and offers solutions.

The chapters are short and to the point. He often gives examples and shares a story from his personal experience. But overall, the book lacks depth. There is an overview of all the problems without any detailed analysis. Even the solution offered are very general, simplistic and too shallow to be applied in the real world.

The book will work like a crash course if you are preparing for debates and group discussions. On the brighter side, it can serve as a starting point for a much wider discussion and search for real and meaningful solutions to our nation's problem.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!