Basic Layer Cake with Ganache

This year, Thanksgiving was just the two of us, so I thought I'd try a new dessert idea. First I thought of a yellow cake with an apricot preserves filling, topped with a chocolate ganache. Then I looked up the recipe for a yellow cake and was scared off by all the egg yolks (6!!) that went into the cake. Fast forward a few minutes, and I decided on this basic layer cake recipe by Martha Stewart. I followed the instructions to the letter, with the exception of the butter. I only used 1 stick instead of the 1.5 sticks in the recipe. The cake came out a little dry, but I think that can be solved by brushing a little sugar water on to the cake layers before adding the filling.

Ganache

1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used the generic brand and it came out tasting delicious, so I don't think brand names matter)
3 tablespoons butter, cubed
1/2 cup skim milk
Double-boiler OR a pot -bowl combo with the bowl sitting 2-3 inches above the pot bottom.

A couple of ganache recipes I looked up called for 1 pint of cream to be added to the chocolate chips, but C can't handle full-fat dairy so I used butter and nonfat milk instead. It works out to the same ingredients, essentially...

1. Heat water in pot so that it is simmering, not boiling.
2. Place bowl in the pot. Add chocolate chips, butter and milk.
3. Stir continuously until ingredients are completely melted (5-7 minutes) and chocolate looks shiny.
4. Take chocolate off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
5. Set up cake layers on wire rack over a baking pan with foil (to catch drips).
6. Pour ganache over cake. Use an offset spatula to evenly distribute ganache so that it drips down the sides.
7. Allow ganache to set for 10- 15 minutes. Transfer finished cake to serving plate and chill in the fridge until ready to eat.

'Til the next dish...

Jhatphat Dosa

This is another childhood fave...I would get so excited to see this brown crispy, yet soft dosa on my plate. I attempted to make it a year ago, working on memory for a list of ingredients. It did not turn out well. C ate it, most likely because we were still in the honeymoon phase of our marriage and he felt obligated. I made it once more trying to perfect it, this time with help from the Konkani cooking goddess (a.k.a. my mom). It came out better, but C was not a fan. Then, inspiration struck and I added a lot more water and voila! It came out perfect! This time, I added too much salt, so C was just about done with this dosa but nevertheless, I persevered. I begged him to try it justonemoretimepleaseifyoureallylovemeyou'lljusteatitandstopbeingapain pretty please and he did and whaddaya know? It came out perfect. He is now a jhatphat dosa fan. Not as big a fan as I am, but I'll take it! :)

On to the recipe!

Serves: 3-4

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1.5 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp asafoetida
2 tsp freshly grated coconut
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
3 green chillies, chopped
4 curry leaves (karbev)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (sasam)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp oil

1. Place chopped chillies, coconut, ginger, salt, asafoetida and sugar in a bowl. Muddle until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add flour and stir. Gradually add water until batter has a thin consistency.
2. Add 1 tsp oil and mustard seeds to a pan on medium high. When mustard seeds start to pop, add curry leaves. Be careful, because the oil will splatter once you add the leaves.
3. Quickly take pan off heat and add oil/seeds/leaves (phan) to the batter. Stir until mixed evenly.
4. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into a hot, well-oiled pan. Batter should spread instantly and bubble. If it does not spread, add more water. Mix batter before pouring as some ingredients will settle to the bottom. Place a little oil at the circumference of the dosa to make it easier for removal. Flip dosa until both sides are browned to your satisfaction.
5. Put on a plate and serve!

'Til the next dish...

Bread Upkari (Spiced bread)

I thought I would break the monotony of Indian/Konkani dishes by throwing in a Pad Thai dish. That didn't last too long because here I am again with a Konkani dish. For me, the point of this blog is to create an online recipe book for myself, so that I have a record of the winning recipes for my favorite dishes. :) 


Bread upkari isn't a 'fixed' recipe and by that I mean there are tons of variations on the recipe I'm about to post. I've looked online for some and found that people add peas and carrots to theirs. I'm a purist (or rather, I grew up eating a purist recipe) and I don't like adding peas and carrots and whatnot to my bread upkari. Although, there's nothing to stop you from adding them if you prefer them. :) 


Ingredients:


1/2 pound slightly stale bread (1/4 a sliced loaf), cubed
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps plain non-fat yogurt*
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium red onion, sliced
3 green chillies, sliced
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
3 tbsp shredded coconut
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp fresh lime juice 
1/2 cup water


*Omit if using fresh bread


1. Place bread cubes in a large bowl and add the turmeric, salt and yogurt. The yogurt is used to soften the slightly stale bread, so do not use it if the bread is fresh. Mix until the turmeric is evenly distributed. The bread should have a slightly yellowish hue to it, so add a little turmeric and then increase if it looks very pale. 

2. Heat oil and butter in a pan. Add mustard seeds until they start to pop. Then quickly add green chillies and curry leaves. Fry for about 10 seconds and add the sliced onions.

3. Cook onions until they are translucent. Add the bread and stir. Once the bread and onions are well mixed, add two tbsp of water around the edge of the pan and quickly stir the bread. Continue to add water (sprinkling is better than pouring) until bread achieves soft and slightly moist texture. 


4. Add coconut, cilantro and lime juice. Stir until well mixed and serve!


'Til the next dish..

Pad Thai

I guess if I'm posting a recipe for Pad Thai, it's safe to say I love Pad Thai. :) I used to get by with using this premade Pad Thai sauce even though it tasted *nothing* like restaurant Pad Thai. I told myself that it was probably better than attempting to make the sauce myself. That is, until I happened to come across this website. It's still not restaurant Pad Thai quality, but it's a helluva lot better than the premade sauce that's for sure! So it's a keeper.


Sauce Recipe:


1/2 cup hot water
3-4 tsp tamarind paste
4 tbsp soy sauce
5 tbsp brown sugar (packed)
1 tbsp peanut butter (optional)


1. Boil rice noodles until they are almost cooked. My method of testing the 'doneness' of the noodle is to stop it when I think it needs a couple more minutes to get the perfect consistency. Once noodles are cooked, drain and separate into portions. I separate right away because once the noodles dry, they tend to stick in clumps that makes it hard to separate them.

2. Stir fry vegetables and 2 eggs (optional). Heat 2 tsps of oil in a wok and bring it to high heat. You can use any vegetables you like or would like to try with your Pad Thai. I usually add napa cabbage, mushrooms, green onions, and sliced carrots. Remove vegetables when done. I like my vegetables to have a slightly charred look. I think they taste better that way. Also, don't forget to lightly salt the veggies while they cook. 

3. Prepare sauce by dissolving tamarind paste in hot water. Tamarind paste looks exactly like tar. It also has a very bitter (?) taste. If you've never eaten it before, add half the amount. Once the paste is dissolved, add the soy sauce, brown sugar and peanut butter. I use the crunchy peanut butter so that there are flecks of peanut in the final dish. Creamy peanut butter is an equally good alternative.

4. Pour enough sauce for a portion into the wok. Wait until it bubbles. Add noodles and stir until they are coated with the sauce. It will look like there is too much liquid, but keep stirring and it will thicken. Add the vegetables and stir until they are coated as well.

5. Serve and eat!! :)


'Til the next dish...

Spiced Corn

I'm not sure if this is an Indian dish or something my mom invented...Regardless, it's yummy and oh-so-simple, so it's a quick go-to recipe if you're jonesing for a snack or a salad topping (my preferred use).

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen corn nibblets (Recommended: Steamfresh Green Giant brand. A little pricey, but amazingly fresh taste)

2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

5-6 curry leaves (karbev)

3 green chillies, chopped (more, if you like it spicy)

Salt to taste

1. Thaw bag of corn. 

2. Heat oil in a pan. When hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start to pop, add chillies and curry leaves.

3. Add thawed corn. Salt to taste.

4. Stir until well mixed and serve!

See, super easy. Since this is a really easy and quick recipe, I'm including another recipe for today. :) 

'Til the next dish...

Curried bell peppers and potatoes

This one is a personal favorite of mine. Again, I'm not sure if this is my mom's invention or an Indian dish. I think it's my mom's invention because I haven't seen it served at other people's houses. Ever. Go Mom!

What makes this recipe even more attractive is how simple and quick it is. Don't you just love knowing you have one dish out of the way in 20 minutes? Love.this.

Ingredients:

1 medium potato*, chopped into bite size pieces

1 medium bell peppers, chopped into bite size pieces

2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp jeera powder

1 tsp coriander/cilantro powder 

Salt to taste

*boiled preferable as it's faster, but raw works too. 

Side note: If you only have dhan jeera (a 1:1 combination of jeera and coriander powders, use 2 tsp instead of 1 tsp each of jeera and coriander powders)

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add potatoes and stir. Salt to taste. If using raw potatoes, put on low heat, cover and cook for 5-10 minutes (or until soft). If using boiled potatoes, cook for 3 minutes each side or until browned.

2. Add chilli, jeera, coriander and turmeric powders. Stir until potatoes are evenly coated with spices.

3. Add bell peppers and stir.

4. Put on low heat and cook for 10 minutes, or until bell peppers are soft. They will also turn a lighter shade of green than when they were raw. 

Plate and serve!

'Til the next dish...

Nevri/Karanji

As a kid, one of my aunts would make this every so often and I loved them so much, I would call them "Ds" because of their shape. I never learned the actual name of the dessert, tsk tsk. Luckily, my mom knew what I was referring to, but would refuse to make it because it involved frying. *sigh*

I had a hankering for them a few days ago and found out that in Konkani, they're called Nevris. In Marathi, they're called Karanjis. I call them delicious. :) Funny story, I was in India having dinner with my parents and uncle before leaving for the airport when my uncle asked if I wanted dessert. I had an upset stomach, so I wasn't too keen on it but he insisted I would love it when it came out. I half-heartedly agreed and when it came out, I was SO excited (it had been years since I had one) that I dug in, tummy ache and all. Point being, nothing gets in between my nevris and me. :)

Alright, on to the recipe... (I made a few changes to the recipe for the filling)

Ingredients:

Dough

1 cup flour

2 tbsp warm oil

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

Oil for frying

Filling

1 cup shredded coconut

3/4 cup jaggery

1/2 cup water

1 tsp ground cardamom (20 pods worth)

1. Make the dough by adding oil and salt to the flour. Once mixed, slowly add in a little water until the dough is formed. It should feel sticky, but not stick to the fingers. The description on the site said "stiff" dough, but I think a better word is dry dough. Stiff, to me, means a rock hard ball of flour, which is not what you want.

2. Cover the dough with plastic and keep aside for 1/2 hour. I usually make the dough first, and then make the filling.

3. Heat the water on a low flame until bubbly. Add jaggery (best if they're in small pieces). Stir until all the jaggery is dissolved, the liquid is golden brown and when you try to part the liquid it stays separate for 4-5 seconds. Basically, it should have the consistency of thick syrup.

4. Stir in the shredded coconut. Take the pan off the heat and add the ground cardamom. The amount of cardamom can be reduced if you're not a fan.

5. Keep aside to let it come to room temperature.

6. Divide the dough into 16 portions (or 8, if you want larger nevris). Roll out each portion into a thin circle (see pic). The thinner the better.

7. Add 1 tsp (twice for a larger nevri) of filling to the right side and fold the left half over the filling. Crimp edges using a fork or by hand. There are also molds available to give a uniform look to the nevris.

8. Fry and serve!

I can't get my nevris to be crispy the next day. I'm trying to figure out what I can add to the dough that will make them remain crispy. I also remember the nevris from my childhood have a rounded shape, like they ballooned during frying. I'll have to keep tinkering and find out the tricks to making them that way.

'Til the next dish...

Fish Biryani

So this isn't a completely authentic recipe. It's something I slapped together based on C's biryani expertise (gained solely through eating and not by actually, you know, cooking it) and mom's recommendation of a good biryani mix.

I use Sanjeev Kapoor's Bombay biryani mix as the rub for the fish and the seasoning for the rice. It smells and tastes amazing, so it's going to stay until they decide to discontinue the brand. When that happens, I will cry. But until then, I will make full use of this recipe! :)

Ingredients:

2 tilapia fillets (fresh, thawed whatever), cut into bite size pieces

1 cup + 1 tbsp Bombay Biryani mix

4 tbsps plain yogurt (I use nonfat, but as long as it's plain, it's ok)

1/2 tsp salt (and some for the fish)

1/2 cup cilantro

1/2 tsp fennel seeds (jeera)

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 tsp saffron (optional)

2.5 cups basmati rice

1 small onion, sliced

1 tbsp oil

1. Cut fish into Add 1 tbsp mix and some salt to the fish. Make sure all the fish is coated and salted. Put aside.

2. Mix 1 cup mix with yogurt and salt to taste.

3. Prepare rice. Add cinnamon, jeera, and cilantro leaves to the rice cooking water. Add saffron if you have it by crushing it in the rice water.

4. Drain rice when it is half cooked. To me, the rice is half cooked if the water is boiling and the rice is 'dancing' or bubbling in the water. Also, when you look at it, it does not have the fluffy look of cooked rice.

5. While the rice is cooking, add 2 tsp of oil to a pan and cook the onion until it is caramelized .

6. Place oil in the wok(a wok is ideal, but any heavy bottomed pan with high sides will do). Layer fish in the wok . Spread half the rice on top of the fish. Spread the paste on the rice. Distribute the remaining rice on top.

7. When the lid goes on, make sure it is airtight. There should be no steam leaking from the sides. That steam is needed for the rice to cook completely. I place two paper towels and the lid on top of them to create an airtight container.

8. Cook for 20 minutes on medium low heat.

9. When it's done, mix so that the rice and fish are evenly distributed. Sprinkle onions on top and serve!

'Til the next dish...

Set dosa

There's a Hindu temple in Flushing, NY that has a canteen in the basement. When I used to live in NJ, and my parents would suggest a visit to the temple, I would jump at the chance because that meant I would get to eat at the canteen. Sounds irreverent, but I was never very religious, except when it comes to dosas. :)

The composition of the set dosa batter is slightly different from regular dosa batter in that the former has the addition of flattened rice. Regular dosa and masala dosa (posts to follow soon) batters have black gram (urad dal), rice (medium grain), fenugreek seeds (methi), split chick peas (channa dal), and pigeon peas (toor dal). Set dosas have urad dal, rice, fenugreek seeds, split chick peas and beaten rice. Almost the same, but not quite. In any case, it's supremely delicious!

The recipe isn't tedious, but it is time consuming. Most of it involves soaking the grains or letting the batter ferment. Nothing you can do about it other than let it happen.

Recipe:

2 cups medium grain rice

1 cup urad dal gota (black gram whole)

2 tsp chana dal

1/2 tsp methi seeds

1 cup beaten rice (poha)

1. Wash the rice a couple of times and cover with water. Place the urad dal, channa dal and methi seeds in another bowl, rinse and cover with water. Soak overnight (6-12 hours)

2. Reserve water in a measuring cup and place rice, urad dal, channa dal and methi seeds in a food processor. Grind to a fine paste while adding water to produce a batter with the consistency

of pancake batter (should be pretty thick, simple test: if you pour a spoonful in a pan, it should not rapidly increase in size, that's an indication it has too much water). At this point, add the poha and continue processing until the batter is smooth.

3. Pour out the batter into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Keep in a warm place for 6-12 hours. If that's not possible, heat the oven to 100F, let it cool a little and place it in the oven overnight. The dosa batter ferments best in a temperature similar to a hot summer day so if the oven temperature feels very hot, it will probably cook the batter. Unfortunately, this is not a step you can skip since it produces a unique taste in set dosas.

4. Pour out 1/4 cup of batter onto a well-oiled/seasoned pan. Cover with a lid until set dosa has bubbles on the surface. Place a few drops of oil onto the top surface and flip to cook the other side. Once done, you're ready to serve (or eat).

Yum, I just finished the leftover batter tonight and these pictures are making me drool... :P

Enjoy!!

'Til the next dish...

I'm back!!

Geez, the last post on this blog was in Oct of '09. '09! That feels like a lifetime ago...

Well, back to blogging! My professional life is finally settling down and I can devote more time to this blog. It was fun working on it two years ago and I'm hoping I can get to my original goal of increasing my repertoire of recipes as well as perfecting them for posting. :)

Random note: I've imagined writing this post for months now. I can't believe it took me so long to get an apology post in here. Ha, talk about procrastination. I definitely take it to a whole new level. *sheepish grin*