Eggless Sponge Cake and a Reminder for the Fundraiser

As many of you already know, Srivalli has started a fund raiser for the cause of Anita Lakshmi, 26 , who is a mother of two kids aged 6 and 3. Lakshmi is suffering from a serious heart problem which requires immediate surgery. After trying all possible sources, for some kind of monetary assistance for the surgery and not getting any favorable response, Valli has started this fundraiser. So far only 13% of the target amount of $15,000 is raised.

This is an opportunity for all of us to come together and give Lakshmi a life and to give back those two kids, their mother. So, dear readers, please chip in your donation securely through Paypal using the Chip in widget at Valli's blog. The donated amount goes directly to Laskhmi's account. Valli has also mentioned that the amount will be paid to the hospital directly and will not be given to Lakshmi or her relatives. If you wish to send your donation through cheques/DD in Indian Rupees, please mail at lakshmi.fundraising@gmail.com to get the details. I also request my readers to kindly spread the word and also to inform Valli of any charitable organisations which will be ready to contribute for Lakshmi's cause.

Now coming to the recipe, this is adapted from Tarla Dalal's.

All purpose flour/Maida - 1 1/4 cup

Baking powder - 2 tspn

Baking soda - 1/2 tspn

salt - 1/4 tspn

Milkmaid - 1/2 tin

Melted butter - 1/4 cup

Vanilla essence - 1 tspn

water/soda - 1/4 cup

Sift the dry ingredients together. Mix flour mixture, milkmaid, melted butter, vanilla essence and water/soda. Pour into a greased and dusted cake tin. Preheat the oven and bake at 180 C for 15 minutes and at 150 C for 15 minutes.

The cake is ready when it leaves the sides of the tin and is springy to touch. When ready, take out from the oven and leave for 1 minute. Invert the tin over a rack and tap sharply to remove.
The cake was very moist and fluffy.

I am sending this sponge cake to Hima, who has started the Sunday Snacks event and has selected the theme Bake It for the current edition.

Illatharasi has passed me "Just Nice Photos - Beautiful Site" & "2008 Best Blog Darts Thinker" awards. Thank you Illatharasi for your thoughtfulness.

P.S. With this post, I have hit a century. Thank you all for your support.

Maanga Sadam (Mango Rice)

Come mango season, this is one dish that features in our menu regularly. This is ideal for lunch box too. Everyone in our family loves this. You can prepare the base mixture before hand and mix the cooked rice when required.

For preparing the base mix for the rice
Grated raw mango - 1 cup ( Select mangoes which are not very sour)

For grinding
Grated coconut - 2 tblspn
green chilly - 2 nos
Dry grind the coconut and chilly together and keep it aside.

Seasoning
Gingely oil - 2 tblspn
mustard seeds
chana dal - 1 tspn
red chilly - 2 broken
turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
curry leaves - few

salt

Method

Take a skillet. Heat oil and do the seasonings. Add the grated mango and saute for few minutes,
till it is cooked. Make sure the grated mangoes retain the shape and not get mashed into a paste. The grated pieces gives a crunchiness while eating the rice.

Stir in the grounded coconut-chilly and mix well. Saute for a minute and remove from fire.
The base mix is ready.

Take 3 cups of cooked basmati rice and leave it to cool. Stir in the base mix to the rice and
carefully mix with a spatula with out mashing the rice.
Serve with roasted papad.

If the mangoes are too sour, add a tablespoon of grated jaggery along with the mango to saute. It will offset the sourness.
During my blogging break, Sunshinemom has given me a virtual bear hug and the official friendship tag. Thanks for the warm hug and the official title.

I pass the virtual hug to my fellow bloggers Sagari, Prema,Kalai

Pumpkin Halwa in Microwave

Pumpkin halwa is part of almost all breakfast menu served for brahmin marriages. If its not this sweet, then mostly Kesari takes its place. Every time I taste the halwa for marriage breakfasts, I wanted to try it at home. And this is the first time I am trying. I am happy that it came out well. I didn't have any recipe to follow. I think basic method for preparing any vegetable halwa/sweet is the same.

Ingredients

Ripe pumpkin grated - 2 cups
Milk - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Orange color - 1/4 tspn
Cardamom powder - 1 tspn
Ghee- 1 tblspn



Take a MW safe bowl. Mix grated pumpkin and milk. Mix the food color in a tablespoon of milk and add to the milk+pumpkin mix.


MW high for 4 minutes. By then the pumpkin must be cooked and milk be fully absorbed. Its alright If pumpkin is cooked and some milk left.


Stir in sugar. MW high for 12 minutes. Keep stirring at every 4 minutes. By then it must have cooked to form a homogeneous mixture.


Add a tablespoon of ghee and powdered cardamom.


MW for another 1 minute.

Timings may vary according to your MW and the texture of pumpkin used. Adjust accordingly.
Cooking in MW doesn't call for constant attention as on stove top method.





Now coming to the 2 awards I received last week.
Thanks Gaurav and Uma for passing the awards for me.

Gaurav has passed the Good Chat Blog award.


I in turn pass this to
Aparna
Sunshinemom


Uma feels I make her day. Actually, you made my day Uma with this award.


I pass the award to
Sowmya
Jayashree


Please accept the awards, even if you have already received them.

Instant Wheat Appam and an Award

Neyyappam or Appam is always the traditional one using rice, for me. Never I have bothered to try anyother versions. When I was discussing various quick snacks, with one of my Christian friend J, she told me about this appam. When her kids ask for any sweet dishes, she makes this easily. J said she adds maida (AP flour) also. I made with wheat flour alone to make it a healthier version.

Ingredients
Wheat flour - 2 cups

Jaggery powdered - 1 1/2 cup (Adjust to suit your palate)

Cardamom powder - 1 tspn

Ghee or Oil for frying

Melt jaggery with 1 cup of water. Strain for any impurities. Add the melted jaggery to wheat flour without forming any lumps. Add water to the batter if required, to get a pouring consistency. The batter should be like dosa batter.

Take the appam pan. If you are using non-stick pan, add teaspoon full of ghee into each pit. Spoon in the batter to 3/4th of each pit. After 2 minutes, slowly turn the appams with the help of a skewer and cook for another one minute. Repeat for the rest of the batter.

Spongy appams are ready in less than 15 minutes.

Sowmya of Creativesaga has passed on the Nice Matters Award.

About the award

“Nice Matters Award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.”

Thanks a ton Sowmya for passing the award to me. I know I have delayed in picking up the award and passing it on. Better late than never and I am passing the award to

Gaurav

Prema Sundar

Sagari

Seena

Please accept and enjoy your awards. You all deserve it.

Badam Katli in celebration of my second award

My second award. It feels great to get an award by a fellow blogger. Thank you Cham for considering my blog as yummy. The Yummy Blog award is started by Roopa.

"Yummy blog award is the award given to the blog with most yummy recipes/photos”


One of the rules of the award demands writing our most favorite desserts. The top 3 in my list are
Jhangiri

Gulab Jamun

Rasmalai

To choose 4 among the many yummlicious blogs around is difficult. Let it be passed to the other deserving blogs through friends. I pass the Yummy blog award to

The doctor blogger Nandita of SaffronTrail, who makes her dishes both yummy and healthy.

The chocolate queen Arundati of Escapades

The sunshinemom of Tongueticklers, a true super mom who prepares yummy treats for the tummy.

Kalai of Samaithupaarkalam , who has recently received the best presentation award from VOW event.

Here is your logo .


Rules for the ‘Yummy Blog’ award Receiver:

The person who receives the award should display the "Yummy Blog !" logo on their blog and also the meaning of the award which is "Yummy blog award is the award given to the blog with most yummy recipes/photos".·The receiver should also quote their favorite yummy-licious :) dessert(s) that they have ever prepared/eaten. Don’t restrict yourself to any dessert, chocolate bars also welcome.·Also the receiver should pass on the award to four other bloggers whose blog they find "yummy" and let them know about the rules.

Coming to the recipe, I followed the recipe for Kaaju katli. Just replaced badam(Almonds) in place of Kaaju (Cashewnuts). In Microwave, it was easy and ready in less than 5 minutes.


Badam Katli

Badam powder - 1 cup

Milk powder - 1/2 cup

Milk - 1 tbspn

Powdered Sugar - 3/4 cup


Mix all the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.

MW high for 2 minutes.

Stir and MW for 1 1/2 minutes.

By that time it will turn dry and starts frothing on the surface.
Remove from the MW.

Keep mixing with a ladle for 3 more minutes. It gets dried in the heat trapped in the mixture.

When warm, knead into a smooth dough and spread on a greased surface. Pat it using a rolling pin and mark the pieces using a knife.

My Awards

When I logged in today morning, I had a surprise waiting for me. Dear Uma of teluguruchi has passed this award to me. My blog is Rated E - Excellent. I am so thrilled and excited that I fail to find words to describe my feelings. It sure is an encouragement. It is a tonic for me. The award has come at the time when the total posts have touched the 50th mark. I would like to thank all my readers for their support, comment and feedback. When I think of passing this award, many well deserving blogs come to my mind. Since it is not possible to mention all the names here, I am passing this award to

viji of vcuisine
Nanditha of saffron trail
Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons.
Jayashree of luvgoodfood
Sagari of indian home food

Update:

I am listing all the awards I received here

Thanks Cham

From Sowmya Thanks Gaurav


Thanks Uma Thanks Harini

Again from Harini Thanks Illatharasi

Another one from Illatharasi

Thanks Sowmya and Malar Gandhi.

Shama, Viki and Vidhas has passed the Inspiration Award to me.

Perfect firenship and Hard working blogger award from Vidhaas