Eggless Milk Powder Cake

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup milk powder

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method

• Preheat the oven at 180 degree celsius.
• Mix the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda,milk powder and sugar together in a bowl.
• Add the melted butter, milk and vanilla essence.  Mix everything well.
• Pour the mixture into a greased baking tray.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Once cooled cut the cake into slices.
• Serve with whipped cream 

Yam & Peas croquettes

Ingredients

250 gms, elephant yam/jimikand/suran/chena

1/4 cup green peas

1 large onion, chopped

3 green chillies, chopped fine

2 Tbsp ginger- garlic paste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp onion powder(optional)

1 tsp mango/amchur powder

1 tsp black pepper(freshly ground)

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

few curry leaves chopped fine

salt to taste

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup all purpose flour

oil to fry

 Method

• Peel the yam and cut it into big chunks. Cook the yam along with the green peas, turmeric powder and little salt in water until the yam is fully cooked and soft.(Alternately you can pressure cook the yam and peas too. One whistle in the pressure cooker on a medium flame will be enough for the yam to get cooked.)
•  Drain the yam and peas from the water and mash them well and keep aside.
• Heat 2 Tbsp oil in  wok. Add the ginger- garlic paste, green chillies and curry leaves and fry until the raw smell is gone.
• Now add the chopped onions and fry until the onion starts to turn golden brown.
• Reduce the flame, and add the pepper powder, garam masala powder, amchoor powder and onion powder. Saute for one minute.
• Now add the mashed yam and peas mixture. Mix everything well until everything is combined well. Check salt and add more as required. Remove from heat and keep aside.
• Add water to the all purpose flour, mixing well until you get a smooth and semi thick batter.(dosa batter consistency). Keep this aside.
• In a separate plate keep the bread crumbs ready.
• Take small portions of the yam mixture and shape them into your desired shapes. Dip each in the prepared all purpose flour batter and then roll them in the bread crumbs and keep aside. Do the same with the remaining yam mixture.
• Heat oil in a wok and deep fry these croquettes until golden brown and crisp. 
• Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

*You can also freeze these and fry later as and when required.

Keoti Dal

There are some days when we crave to have something simple and those days we immediately opt to make a dal. Try this dal on such a day, it is truly yummy.Keoti dal("keoti"means a mix of lentils) is a medley of four lentils. This dal is something which I make often at home as it is loved by all at home. Recipe is adapted from Nita Mehta's cookbook.

Ingredients

1/4 cup toor dal(split and skinned pigeon pea)

1/4 cup masur dal(red lentil)

1/4 cup split and skinned moong dal(green gram split)

1/2 cup channa dal(bengal gram-soaked in water for 20 minutes)

2 medium onions, sliced thin

1 tsp ginger paste

2 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 whole green chillies

3-4 Tbsp lemon juice

4 Tbsp oil

salt to taste

For the tempering

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

4 dry whole red chillies

few curry leaves

5-6 garlic cloves, sliced thin

3 Tbsp ghee or oil

 Method

• Drain the channa dal and cook it for one whistle in a pressure cooker adding 1/2 cup of water. Then keep it on a low flame for 3-4 minutes more. Remove from heat and release the pressure( keep the cooker under running water to release the pressure), transfer the dal into another vessel and keep aside.(The dal should be cooked and soft, but it should not turn mushy)
• Now add the remaining three dals into the same pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water, salt and turmeric powder. Cook until the cooker gives off one whistle. Let the pressure drop by itself.
• Heat oil in a wok. Fry the onions till golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute or so.
• Now add the boiled lentils and a little water. Bring this to a boil, then add the separately cooked channa dal, green chillies and the lemon juice. Check salt and add more if required. Remove from heat.

• For the tempering, heat ghee or oil on a small pan. Add the mustard and cumin seeds. Once they begin to crackle add the red chillies, sliced garlic, and curry leaves. When the red chillies darken, pour this on the prepared dal and close immediately with a lid, so that the aroma lingers in the dal.
• Mix well before serving. Pair it with hot rotis or phulkas.