Pineapple Tutti Frutti Cake

Dear All,

I have always been very fond of tutti frutti right from school days. Tutti frutti studed muffins and fruit cakes are quite common at my home and is enjoyed by everyone. Tutti fruitti's are also used in number of other desserts like Falooda ,  Ice creams etc.  When used in bakes it looks very attractive and colorful and is specially enjoyed by kids very much. I love to  have them just like that as well :-)

Tutti Frutti is nothing but papaya tit bits colored and cooked in sugar water. Sometimes these are also made from pineapple, candied cherries and apricots. You can even make these at home for more information visit Viki's post here. While making these at home, make sure you use good quality organic colors.

Pineapple Tutti Frutti Cake
Ingredients:-
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup tutti frutti mixed with 1 tbsp of flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs at room temperature
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pineapple extract
2 tbsp pineapple juice (optional)

Procedure:-

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and flour a loaf pan.
• Sieve flour, baking powder and baking soda together and keep aside.
• Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffly, about 2 to 3 mins.
• Add one egg at a time and beat well.
• Add in the pineapple extract and pine juice if using, beat well.
• Now add in flour and milk alternatively and beat well after each addition.
• Finally fold in the tutti frutti's rolled in flour, mix gently, donot beat.
• Pour the batter in the pan and bake for 40 to 45 mins until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and cool is completely.
• Slice and serve with coffee or tea.

Verdict? I have already made this cakes twice in one week so you can imagine how good it is! You can replace pineapple extract with vanilla or any other flavor of your choice. Infact I am planning to replace tutti frutti with some chocolate chips and walnuts...mmmmm yummm.....isnt it?  The only mistake I made was to slice the cake before cooling it completely and hence i got some crumbs, in my defense it was very tough to resist as the cake looked so beautiful :D

On 23rd April 2010 D and I completed two years of togetherness filled with love and friendship! This is the day we met for the first time! Dedicating this cake to you dear! 


Have you seen my  first guest post as yet? No? I would urge to go and visit Deepa's blog right away, check out my first guest post - Eggless Mini Chocolate Muffins. I know its little late but never late too have some chocolate muffins right?

Sending this cake to BakeOff event.

Until next time take care and keep baking!

Love,

Bhindo Do Pyaza in a very different style!!

Dear All,

“So few people eat okra (more radishes are grown in this country) that it never even makes it onto the lists of Top 10 hated foods.”

- Julia Reed

Okra/Bhindi/Lady Finger's was not on my list of favorite vegetable until recently. Bhindi Do Pyaza is a famous North Indian dish where okra is cooked along with almost equal amount of onions. Okra is slit in half and cooked on slow heat with very minimum spices. This way of cooking brings out the crunchiness in okras which blends well with the taste of onions and together its an delicious combination best served with rotis or phulkas. 

I personally havent met many people who dislike bhindi well I am one of them! Its true I am not a big fan of okras. While growing up my mom tried all different ways to make okra either stuffed or with onions but somehow I never liked it. Recently while doing grocery shopping my roommate picked up 1kg of okra...dear oh dear were the only words which came out of my mouth. She loves okras in any form, I dont know why always two opposite people are forced to stay together by nature, nah dont get me wrong she is adorable but completely opposite to me! Thats the reason why she is one of my closest friend. 

Ok before I bore you guys to death, lets get back to today's special. Bhindi Do Pyaza but cooked with khoya! Exactly my reaction when i first heard it..Okra with khoya? Hmmm now thats something different isnt it? Addition of khoya or mava as we call it increases the richness and taste of this dish, it takes the dish to completely different level .If you love Bhindi Do Pyaza you got to try this recipe! I promise you will ask for more just like we did :D

Bhindi Do Pyaza with Khoya
Serves 2 to 3
Ingredients:-
1/2 kg Okra, washed, dried, chopped in 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup mava/khoya
1 big onion, finely sliced
1 big tomato, finely chopped
1 tbsp oil
2 small cinnamon sticks
3 cardamon pods
2 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 dry red chili broken
a pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp sugar

Procedure:-

• Heat oil in a pan, add in cloves, cinnamon, cardamon pods, bay leaf, red chilli and asafoetida.
• Now add in onion and tomatoes and saute for 5 mins until onions have become soft.
• Now add in okras and rest of spices and mix well.
• Cover and cook for 15 to 20 mins, dont forget to sprinkle some water in between if okra starts sticking to the pan.
• Finally add in mava/khoya and mix well. Cover and cook for another 5 mins.
• Serve hot with rotis or phulkas.
• Enjoy!

Macaroni In Creamy Mascarpone Cheese Sauce

Dear All,

Pasta is something which I love a lot but my sister R is absolutely crazy behind them. Frankly I have never seen a person so crazy behind pastas as much as her. Even if she hears the name pasta her eye balls pop out and her head automatically turns that direction. Infact the only reason she loves to attend weddings these days are because she will be able to eat different types of pastas..lord! Another thing she is too fond of is cheese! Yes cheese and butter are her favorites and I am always very jealous of her as she eats goodies loaded with butter and cheese without even putting on few hundred grams whereas I put on even if i smell it! The last part was just an exaggeration but its quite true, I am sure you all must have come across many individuals who dont really put on weight even if they eat very fattening. Isnt that unfair???

After successfully making mascarpone cheese at home, its become my all time favorite and i try to incorporate it in my desserts as well and I dont need to mention that the results are amazing, some yummy desserts and cakes coming up soon! Last weekend my sister was having a gals night out at home. Well she wanted me to make some pasta as just like R her friends too were nuts about it! I already had some mascarpone cheese at home so I decided to make white sauce using mascarpone cheese. The experiment turned out quite well and everyone loved it! R had pasta for lunch and for dinner the next day, still  wondering about her madness for pastas? I will never understand!

The recipe below will serve 6 to 8

Ingredients for Mascarpone Cheese Sauce:-

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour (maida)

1 cup milk

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese (100 gms), recipe here

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (any variety will do)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pasta:-

Macaroni pasta 2 cups
1 big green bell pepper, chopped
1 big white onion. chopped
1 tsp olive oil

Some grated cheese for garnishing

Procedure:-

• Prepare the pasta as instructed on the cover. Drain and keep aside.
• In a pan, heat olive oil and add in the bell peppers and onions, lightly saute them for 3 to 4 mins. Remove from pan and keep aside.
• In a heavy botton pan, preferrably non stick, melt the butter. Add in the flour and mix well, roast the flour for about 4 to 5 mins on low heat, make sure the flour does not get burnt.
• Slowly add in the milk and keep on stirring to avoid any lumps. Make sure the gas on slow heat. Cook for 2 to 3 mins.
• Now stir in the mascarpone cheese, salt and pepper and keep on stirring well.
• Cook for 2 to 3 mins, finally add in the cheddar cheese and cook for another 2 mins.
• Stir in the cooked pastas, bell peppers & onions and mix well, make sure you do it slowly as pasta tends to break easily and looks messy.
• Garnish with some grated cheese and basil leaves. 
• Serve hot!

Verdict? I too grabbed few spoonfuls each timing praying and promising myself that this one will be the last but I just couldnt stop and before I knew i had finished off an entire plate, yup the same one shown in the pics above! It was yummy and sinfully creamy! I am sure it will be a big hit with kids as well!

Easter and long weekend is coming up so here's wishing all my blog reader's a very Happy Easter and wonderful time with your families!