Eggless Pistachio, Saffron and Cardamom Cake

Eggless Pistachio, Saffron and Cardamom Cake

For My son in law's birthday  I was looking for an easy to bake and yet a fancy cake recipe.  While browsing recipe ideas for the same, I noticed that Saffron  pistachio cake is quite famous. It looked exotic and elegant. This Moist and delicious cake infused with saffron ,cardamom flavor with a chopped pistachio. The richness of the Pistachios coupled with the delicate saffron just melts in your mouth. The cake turns out moist, flavourful and delicious. It is very festive in appearance It is rich in taste and flavour.

 

Ingredients

Flour (Maida) - 1 cup

Powdered Sugar - 2 tbsp

Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

 Condensed Milk - 200g

 Butter - 100g

Pistachio Powder - 50 g

Milk- 1/2 cup

 Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

Saffron & Cardamom - 1/2 tsp each

For Icing:

Whipped Cream (chilled) - 2 cups

Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

 

 Method:

1.Preheat the oven at 180deg C.Grease a bakingpan.

2.In a bowl sieve maida, 2 tbsp sugar, baking soda, baking powder and keep aside.

3.Take a large bowl, add butter, condensed milk, Pistachio powder,cardamom, vanilla extract and  saffron milk mix together and whisk for 2 minutes to form a smooth batter.

4.Using a spatula, fold dry ingredients to the whisked batter and mix well. Mix till well combined.

5.Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.

 

6.After 20 minutes, poke a toothpick into the centre of the cake and remove instantly. If the toothpick comes out clean, it means the cake is cooked completely.

Remove the cake from the oven and keep on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes.

 

Make theFrosting:

1.  Using both a chilled bowl and chilled beaters, beat the cream until frothy.

 2. Add the icing sugar and vanilla gradually while beating.

  3.Whip until light and a thick enough consistency to spread as an icing.

  4.Decorate with Pistachio Powder and pinch of saffron

Chakka Dosa/Jackfruit Dosa

Chakka dosa/ JackfruitDosa

Plenty of jackfruit is available in Mumbai. In my everyone Like jackfruit very much. From jack fruit i made chakka varatti. chakka payasam, chakka curry.  For evening snack I wish to prepare chakka dosa.It is similar like vella dosa. in that we adding jackfruit pulp. This dosa is different than the regular ones in that its thick and sweet and does not really need a side dish./chutney. Jackfruit flavour ,cardomon  and dallop of ghee makes this dosa  heavenly delicious.

Ingredients:

Rice- 1 cup

Ripe Jackfruit, chopped- 1 cup

Jaggery- 1/2 cup

Cardamom pods- 1/4 tsp

Grated Coconut- 1/2 cup

Salt- A pinch

Ghee-as needed

Method:

1.Wash and soak the rice for 1-2 hours.

2.Chop jackfruit into small pieces. Also chop jaggery in to small pieces.

 3.Mix all the ingredients well (rice, jack fruit pieces, jaggery, salt, grated coconut).

4.Add some water and blend well in the mixer until it forms a fine paste At this point taste the batter to check for its sweetness. If desired add jaggery more and grind it further.

5.he batter can be used immediately for preparing dosa.

6. Now transfer this paste to a bowl and heat a tawa on a medium flame. When hot pour a ladle full of batter and spread it slightly

7.Once the lower part of the dosa turns golden- brown, flip it.

8.Wait till it gets golden- brown spots on the second side. Once done transfer it to a plate.

9.Serve it immediately with generous drizzle of ghee.

*these dosas are generally thick and soft and they need to be cooked on a gentle heat. The dosa will burn on a high heat as it has jaggery in it.

Mango Masatani

Mango Masatani is a popular mango milkshake drink from Pune . Mastani is a unique name it’s actually based on the name of the queen Mastani who was wife of Peshwa Bajirao. Mango Mastani is nothing but a thick milkshake served with a big dollop of icecream and it tantalize your taste buds and cool your senses. Relish this glassful of flavorful drink this summer to beat the heat. Serve it to guests or to kids, everyone will be over joyed to have it.

Ingredients:

Ripe Mangoes – 2

Fresh cream 1 cup

Sugar- 3 tbsp as per taste (optional, skip if mangoes are sweet)

Cashew nuts – 2 tbsp ( finely chopped )

 Almond – 2 tbsp ( finely chopped )

Pistachios – 1 tbsp finely chopped

Milk – 400 ml

cherries for garnish- 2-3

few sliced mango cubes for garnish

 

Method:

 Wash, peel and cut 2 ripe mango into small pieces. Keep a little mango aside for making the shake. Put the thick pieces of mangoes in a jar. Add 3 tbsp sugar, 400 ml milk to it to prepare a thick shake. Blend it well.

 To prepare Mango Mastani:

Pour the mango shake into it. Leave a little space in your glass.   Put 1 or 2 scoops of ice-cream /heavy cream in it, Garnish with chopped dry fruits ( cashew, pistachios almonds in it) Then add chopped pieces of mango and cherry in a glass.   Luscious Mango Mastani is ready . serve them chilled.

Angoori Rasmalai

Rasmalai is one of the popular Indian sweet from West Bengal. Rasmalai is basically, a soft and spongy cottage cheese balls dunked in saffron flavoured milk and garnished with dry fruits. The word Angoori derives from the name Angoor which means grape in Hindi, is significant here for its shape and size. This angoori Rasmalai is creamy, soft and luscious and heavenly delicious. I made this dessert for my daughter's Birthday.

 

Ingredients :

For the Paneer:

Full cream milk - 1litre

Lemon juice - 3 tbsp

For the Sugar Syrup:

Sugar -1/2 cup

Water - 3 cups

Cardamon -1/2 tsp

The Saffron Flavoured Thick Milk:

Thick milk- 1 litre

Sugar- 1/2 cup

Cashew nut - 2 tbsp

Pistachio- 2 tbsp

Cardamon powder - 1 tsp

Saffron - a good pinch

Yellow food color - a small pinch

Almond/Pistachio slivers, for garnishing

 

Method:

1.Heat 11/2 litre of the milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Allow the milk to come to a boil. Once the milk comes to a boil, pour in the lime juice and give the milk a stir. Turn off the heat.

2.The milk will curdle immediately.Let it rest for 5 minutes. Drain the curdled milk in a cheese cloth.Wash the cheese under running water to remove the traces of lemon juice.

3.Tie the cloth holding the corners and hang it in the sink tap for 1 hour to drain away any excess whey.

4.Place the chena in a wide mixing bowl and begin to knead the chena with the heel of your palm.

 

5.Knead well for about 5 to 10 minutes until you get a really smooth dough.

6.Make small bite size balls of the chena dough. Roll the chena balls between your palm to make the outer surface smooth. This will be your angoori (grape sized) rasmalai balls.

 7.Mean while, heat the remaining 1 liter milk in a  heavy bottom pan. Add saffron and yellow food coloring. Cook on low heat, till milk is reduced to half.

 

8.Add 1/2 cup sugar and dry fruits and cardamom powder in the reduced milk    Mix well.    Keep the milk aside.

 9. Heat 1 and ½ cup sugar and water in a pan. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add a few  chenna balls.Do not over crowd .

 

10.Cook for about 5 minutes on high heat and then turn the flame to minimum possible flame. Now cook it covered for next 10 minutes on lowest flame.

11.Open the pan and Angoor(mini rasgulla) are now cooked. You may check it by pressing a sponge with your finger if it bounces back to its original shape, its cooked.

 

12.Squeeze out any excess sugar syrup from the rasgullas gently. take out the angoor gently and add in the warm reduced milk.

 

13.Once the rasmalai is completely cool, refrigerate it and serve chilled with some extra garnish of dry fruits.