Ombre Rosette cake - Eggless vanilla cake with Caramel frosting

Ombre  = Gradient and Rosette = formation resembling a rose.

So a Ombre Rosette cake means gradient cake from dark to light and frosting decorations in the form of a rose.

These are in trend right now in birthdays,Anniversaries .and much more.Honestly do you need a reason to bake a cake ?..No :) ...I made this cake for a friend's surprise baby shower.

This cake is two tiered and has 5 layers of cake. The bottom tier has 3 and the top has 2.The filling is caramel frosting.It goes really well with the Vanilla cake .

Teal Ombre Rosette Cake

The baby topper is made with marshmallow fondant which I made from scratch .First I made the babies and then wrapped them in quilted blanket and this added more cuteness to this cake.I made 2 babies, one in pink and one in Teal .We found out at last minute that she is having a boy , so I made a the cake in Teal blue.

Tomato Pulao - Lunch box recipes

Mornings are always busy as we pack breakfast and lunch for our loved ones.The main question we all have is What should i cook today?? .This is one big head scratcher.There are days when I keep pacing around my kitchen and fridge wondering what to cook.That is when this tomato pulao comes to rescue. This is one of our favorite go-to lunch.It is a fragrant ,tangy and spicy pulao.

I made this recipe with juicy red plum tomatoes instead of roma tomatoes.It gave the much needed tangy kick to the pulao.

Red juicy plump tomatoes make this dish more yummy.

Ingredients :

• Tomatoes - 4 large
• Basmati rice /regular white rice - 1 cup
• Water - 2 cups
• Onion - 2 large
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tblsp
• Green peas - 1/4 cup
• Mint leaves - a few finely chopped
• Coriander leaves / Cilantro - a few finely chopped
• Oil - 4 to 5 tblsp
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp or as per taste
• Garam masal powder - 1.5 tsp
• Salt

Spices :

• Bay leaves - 2
• Cardamom - 4
• Cloves - 4
• Cinnamon stick - 1 small

Tip : If you dont like the spices as whole in the pulao, this is what you can do.Fry the spices in oil for a min then carefully remove all of them from the oil using a spatula.Since we have fried them in oil the taste and fragrance remains in the oil too.You can enjoy its taste without it being stuck to your teeth.

Method :

• Wash the rice and cook it separately in a rice cooker as usual.For basmati rice and water ratio would be 1:1.5 and for normal rice its 1:2 .Cook the rice separately.
• Finely chop onions and tomatoes and keep them aside.Boil green peas separately.Drain and keep them aside.
• In a large pan on medium heat add oil.Add the spices and fry them for about 30 sec.
• Add the onions and fry them with the spices until they lose their raw flavor.Add ginger garlic paste and fry for another min.Add the chopped mint leaves.Fry until the mint leaves are completely wilted.Add the chopped tomaotes and fry until they turn mushy.
• Add garam masala,red chili powder and saute for another few mins.Add the boiled green peas.Add more oil if required.Fry everything until oil separates from the gravy.Adjust salt and chili powder to taste.
• Add the chopped cilantro leaves.Switch off the flame.
• Using a fork fluff the boiled rice until they are loose.Add rice to the pan and gently mix.
• Serve hot with fryums ,papad/chips.

Tips for using Spices

Papaya Halwa - Happy Pongal

Happy Pongal Everyone !!

Makara Sankranthi / Pongal is one of the most auspiciously celebrated festival in India. It is celebrated on 14,15,16 and 17th  January when the harvesting season begins.

Known through various names, it is called Pongal in Tamil Nadu and is celebrated for 4 days.


Jan 14th - Bhogi 
Jan 15th - Thai Pongal
Jan 16th - Maattu Pongal
Jan 17th - Kaanum Pongal

During these 4 days a lot of sweets and savouries are prepared in traditional vessels like earthern pots in a traditional log wood stove decorated with sugarcanes .A lot of recipes are prepared for Pongal. As per usual I prepared a few of them sweet pongal , savoury pongal , sambar and Papaya Halwa.

In this recipe the color of the halwa is purely from the papaya.I have not used any food coloring .The pure lustrous red color comes from the goodness of the fruit.So I call it the "Red beauty" :) .

Here is an interesting article on the health benefits of papaya by well-beingsecrets.com . Do check it out here.

What you need :

• Sweet ripe papaya - 1 full

• Sugar - 2 cups

• Ghee - 1/2 cup

• Almonds - dry roasted and finely powdered - 1/4 cup

• Cardamon powder - 1/2 tsp

• Saffron(optional)

• Salt - a small pinch

• Cashews and Raisins - 1/4 cup

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Christmas is all about sharing love with your loved ones.

May your home be filled with the joy of the Christmas season. Here’s wishing you a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Sharing these freshly baked Sugar Cookies from my home to yours :)

Sugar cookies are crunchy unlike normal cookies.They are baked flat on top so we can start icing on them easily.You can store them in the refrigerator for almost a week.

Nutella Mug cake in a microwave - Super moist,Eggless,No Baking,andunder 2 mins

Everyone loves Nutella. I am a Nutella addict and I have been using it in a lot of recipes.They are creamy,buttery nutty and have chocolate in it.What more can you expect ? :)

This mug cake recipe is something I have been trying for a while now .I have been experimenting with quite a few ingredients in various quantities and finally came up with a recipe that is super moist, soft ,has the right texture of a cake, doesn't get grainy even if it cools off and it has ooey gooey nutella in the center.It is egg less,can be made under 2 mins and all you need is a microwave. This is a quick fix dessert when you have friends come over.If you serve these warm mug cakes right out of the microwave,your guests are going to love it for sure.

So what are you waiting for ?? Go ahead and make this mug cake and I hope you enjoy every bite of it :)

Preparation Time : 1 min

Cooking Time : 70 sec

Serves : 2

What you need ? 

• All purpose flour -1/4 cup

• Unsweetened Cocoa - 2 tblsp

• Baking powder - 1/4 tsp

• Sugar - 3 tsp

• Salt-1/8 tsp

• Milk - 1/4 cup + 1 extra tblsp

• Canola oil - 2 tblsp

• Nutella - 1 tsp

Method:

Bread Rollups - Easy veg stuffed bread snacks - perfect appetizer for parties.

These bread rollups are so easy to make and they make a perfect evening snack especially with coffee or tea.You can make these in three ways - Baked , Pan fried or Deep fried . In this recipe im gonna pan fry or shallow fry that requires minimum amount of oil.

The stuffing can be anything you want - vegetables, fruits or chocolates. I did a filling with the leftover stuff in my refrigerator - Potatoes :)
Serve these yummy crispy snacks with tomato ketchup , sour cream  or any other dip you like.

So, lets get started....

Diwali sweet Recipes - Happy Diwali !!

Happy Diwali folks !!

With Diwali right around the corner , kitchens all around the world are getting busy with scrumptious fragrance of ghee and spices.The happiness of eating desserts on Diwali with family chatting around,watching few mass movies in TV :) ...is something everyone should experience..

Well I have rounded up some sweet recipes. They are easy to do recipes with step by step pictures.Hope this festival of lights bring loads of happiness to you and your family.

Jack-O-Lantern Fruit Bowls Recipe - Pumpkin Cups made with Fruit and Oreos - Happy Halloween !!

Happy Halloween everyone !!

Its fall and we see pumpkins everywhere..I mean literally everywhere..I wanted to buy a large pumpkin,carve it and do all the stuff..But my patio is full of fall leaves and all wood and I was worried putting a candle inside of it especially when im not at home.Whats the purpose of having a real Jack-o-lantern without the candle inside??

So I decided to make mini Jack-O-Lantern Fruit Bowls.These are Pumpkin Cups made with Oranges.

First we have to cut the orange on top and scoop out all the pulp.We are gonna use the pulp and make a compote.

You can fill them up with fruits,ice cream,pudding and much more...I wanted something light so I filled them up with strawberries, orange compote and Oreos.

These are super cute,healthy and will make an awesome dessert for Halloween. Just look at those fresh ingredients !!

Ok lets move on and see how you do this cutie :) 

Kala Chana / Kondakadalai Sundal - Navaratri recipes

Happy Navaratri everyone !! As festivities start in full swing all the gollu steps are readily arranged with silk dhoties or sarees covering them.Then comes all the cute dolls which we have been collecting over the years.We bring down all our dolls from the attic and clean them. With mom's  help the dolls are arranged in the steps in no time.We invite friends and family over to see out beautifully displayed arrangements of dolls and wait for them to start appreciating...And all those hard work pays right off..This is the tradition of gollu in my house.Hope you all have similar wonderful gollu stories like mine.

And the best comes in the last. - Sundals.

Every evening mom makes yummy sundal and we get to taste it before the guests arrive...My favorite of all sundals is the kala chana or kondai kadalai sundal.

They are legumes which are dark brown in color and have a strong earthy nutty taste.They make an awesome evening snack and makes you feel full for a really long time.Its packed with nutrients and are so yummy to eat.

Ok lets move on to the recipe,

Mango Blueberry Smoothie - Two tone colorful mocktail - Party drink ideas

Smoothie - We see them everywhere these days. In restaurants, malls , coffee shops , TV ..
What is a smoothie ?

It is a beverage made by adding  raw fruits / vegetables + water/dairy products + sweetener + protein.

Smoothies are healthy, nutritious not to mention delicious and a great way to start a day.They are easy to make and they keep you full for a few hours so you don't have to keep munching on snacks.

Two tone smoothies are so in trend right now.Smoothies don't have to be boring. Two Color Smoothies are so adorable .These super cute mocktails come in handy when you have a party.

Serve these colorful beauties when you have guests and I am sure you will be a hit within no time.

You can choose any fruit. I picked Mango + Blueberry as these two fruits have contrasting colors and textures.When you set these on the table they are a visual treat.

This recipe is all natural , vegetarian and has no added sugar or preservatives.

Black Plum a.k.a Naaval Pazham

Black plum is a seasonal fruit known in various names all over the world.

 It is also called as Java plum, jamun, black plum. This fruit is called Jamun , Jambhul , Naaval Pazham , Nhara Pazham , Nerale Hannu , Neredu Pandu, Kalojam, Jamukoli , Jambu,Dhanbu , Dhuwet/Juwet, jamelão, jambo , guapê , jambulan, rotra , reyang dut or krian dot.



Did you know?

• High in Vitamin A and C ,the seed of this fruit is used in  Ayurveda to control diabetes.

• Dried extract of the seeds reduces blood sugar.

• The pulp of the fruit can be juiced.It tastes great when sprinkled with salt. 

Strawberry Shortcake - Sponge cake layered with real strawberries and whipped cream

Happy Mother's day to my mom and all wonderful moms out there !!

Strawberry Shortcake has always been my favorite of fresh fruit cakes.They are delicate ,moist and just melt in your mouth. Layers of sponge cake are sandwiched between sweet delicious strawberries and fresh whipped cream.

Sponge cake  has no butter or oil in it.It gets its soft pillow like texture with the help of eggs .The egg yolks and whites are separated and whisked in a very high speed and the cake batter is folded gently.So be calm and gentle while handling this cake else you will end up with a big mess.Ya I learned my lesson a little late :)