Apple Pie Cake

I love apple & cinnamon combo....& when you bake it...your home smells soooooooo yummy ;) .....  Here is the recipe of a very simple cake with Apples.

Ingredients 

For Cake

1 1/4 cups Flour (OR 1/4 cup whole wheat + 1 cup plane flour)

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 cup Olive Oil, or 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened

1/4 cup Soymilk + 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar (or lemon juice)

1 tbsp Cornflour mixed with 1/2 Cup Water

1 tsp Vanilla Essence 

1/2 tbsp Sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, for topping.

For Apple Pie Filling

3 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup regular sugar

juice of 1/2 lime

1 tsp cinnamon powder

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp cornflour 

Method

For Apple Pie Filling

In a saucepan, place the apples, sugars, lime juice, cinnamon powder & cook on medium heat until the apples are cooked through.

Once the apples are cooked, mix the cornflour with the water to form a paste & add this paste into the apple mixture. 

Cook on low heat until the liquids thicken & form a smooth mixture. 

Keep aside to cool.

For Cake

Preheat oven to 180º C.

Combine all the dry ingredients of the cake & mix well. 

Add all of the liquid ingredients & fold the batter until just combined. 

The batter should be thick & nearly dough-like, as this will prevent the filling from sinking to the bottom of the pan.

How to Proceed

Spread 1/2 of the batter in the bottom of a greased baking dish.

Add apple pie filling evenly over the top.

Spoon the rest of the batter over the top.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake for 80 to 90 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Be sure not to under bake. 

Cover the cake with aluminum foil for the last 20-30 minutes to prevent over-browning.

Remove cake from oven and let cool before serving. 

It’s just as good or better the next day.

Tips

* If you are in a hurry, you can use ready made apple pie filling instead of making it fresh.

* You can make the apple pie filling a day before & refrigerate it.

* You can also use normal milk or water instead of the soy milk.

* If using salted butter then avoid adding pinch of salt.

* You can spoon the second layer of batter in clumps, leaving some of the apple filling showing through. (Batter is thick so sometimes it's not easy to spread it evenly).

* This cake really taste better when served warm with vanilla ice-cream.

* Sprinkling sugar & cinnamon gives a beautiful finish to the top so don't forget to do it before baking.

Aloo Methi

Fenugreek or methi is a green leafy vegetable with many health benefits. This dish is delicious and can be served with parathas or poories :)

Ingredients (serves 4)

3 cups methi chopped (fenugreek)

4 medium size potatoes peeled & cubed 

1 small onion chopped fine (optional)

1 medium tomato chopped fine

1 inch ginger chopped fine

1/2 tsp green chillies chopped fine

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp cumin seed (jeera)

1/4 tsp turmeric (haldi)

1 tbsp coriander powder (dhania)

1/4 teaspoon red chili powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp mango powder (amchoor) (optional)

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. 

Add cumin seeds, ginger, green chillies & when cumin seeds crackle, add onions & fry them.

Add tomatoes & cook for sometime.

Add potatoes stir & add 2 tbsp water and cover them to cook.

Once potatoes are softened, add methi leaves & salt and cover for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add turmeric, coriander powder & mix it well.

Let it cook for about a minute on medium heat.

Add the mango powder and mix it well. 

Turn off the heat. Aloo Methi is ready to serve.

Tips

* Methi leaves, even if they look clean, are very dirty so to remove that always wash them really well (2 or 3 times) before chopping.

* This vegetable becomes less after cooking so always take care of amount of salt.

* You can use boiled potatoes in this and then you don't have to wait for potatoes to be cooked first. 

* Can easily be made without onions, just leave that out.

* Do not cover the saucepan for more then 2 or 3 minutes after adding methi leaves, or your vegetable will not have a beautiful green colour.

Oreo Brownie

World's favorite cookie in brownie!!!! Sounds so yumm :D .... It's my elder son's 16th birthday & I decided to make Oreo brownie & cupcakes for him, as he loves Oreo cookies. He had class whole day so I had to save them from my lil one till his brother is back :D.... & then when they finally had their favorite brownie, I enjoyed cute smiles on their faces while they polished off almost all brownies :D

Ingredients 

1 cup plain flour (maida)

2 tsp cocoa powder (preferably unsweetened)

1 1/2 tbsp dark chocolate

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp soda bi-carb

1/2 tsp baking powder

100 gm or 7 tbsp vanilla yogurt 

5 tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

6 tbsp milk

20 Oreos separated 

(20 disks of cream side & 20 disks crushed)

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180˚ C

Sieve together flour, Cocoa, soda & baking powder.

Melt dark chocolate & butter over double boiler

Add sugar & mix well. Add yogurt & mix really well.

Mix 3/4th of crushed Oreos with flour so they wont settle down after baking.

Fold flour & milk alternately, making sure to end with flour.

There should be no lumps.

Pour 1/2 of the brownie batter into a greased & dusted baking pan.

Arrange cream Oreo disks, cream side up, & pour rest of the brownie batter.

Sprinkle remaining crushed Oreos.

Place in the oven & bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Once ready, cut into 2" x 2" pieces & Enjoy :)

Tips

* These brownies are little on drier side 'cause of biscuits, so if you want you can pour chocolate sauce over it before serving.

* Cool the brownie completely before cutting.

* You can use curds in place of yogurt.

* Serve these brownies with a glass of milk, everyone will love them :)

Non Fried Bhindi

There are many ways to make this vegetable but frying is one of the most popular one. But I just can't muster the courage to eat that much oil so I cook it in another simple way, that everyone enjoys without the guilt feeling :)

Ingredients

250 gm bhindi (ladyfingers/okra) chopped

1 small onion sliced thinly

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp jeera

1 tbsp dhaniya powder

3/4 tsp amchoor powder

1/2 tsp haldi

1/2 tsp chilli powder

Salt to taste

Method

Wash dry and chop bhindi.

Heat oil in a wok & add jeera.

Fry onions till translucent.

Add bhindi, salt & amchoor. Stir, cover & cook on slow flame for about 4 to 5 minutes.

Bhindi will be cooked in its own moisture.

Check if its done by cutting it with a spoon.

If its not done then cover & cook for just about a minute or two.

Uncover and put rest of the masals, stir & cook for a minute & it's done.

Serve with roti, parathas etc.

Tips

* Ladyfingers should be fresh, green & unripe. They will cook fast and will not lose the beautiful green colour due to over cooking.

* Always wash and DRY ladyfingers before cutting. I wash them the night before and leave them to dry overnight, saving me from drying each one with a kitchen towel.

* Refrain from stirring a lot after they are cooked, or you will have a Bhindi Bhurji ;)

* It can be made without onions in same way.