EASY SPONGE CAKE

ingredients:

plain flour 1 cup

powdered sugar 1 cup

melted butter 1 cup

eggs 3nos

vanilla essence 1 tea spoon

baking powder 1 1/2 tea spoon

milk 2 table spoon

whisk

cake pan

method:

1. break eggs & keep egg white and egg yolk separately.

2. in a bowl mix plain flour and baking powder and keep aside.
4.in a bowl put egg white and beat with electric whisk until it froths.

5.add powdered sugar to the egg white and beat well.

6. in a bowl beat egg yolk and melted butter  well.

7. now mix both the  egg white(egg white+sugar) mixture and egg yolk(egg yolk+butter) mixture.
8.beat well for 2 minutes.

9. to this mixture sift the plain flour and baking powder mixture.

10. add vanilla essence, milk and fold smoothly.

11.pour into cake pan.

12.bake in a preheated oven at 180c for 30 minutes.
13. remove and cool down.

14.dust with icing sugar(powdered sugar) if desired.

15. slice it with knife and serve.

RAS MALAI

ingredients:
milk 1 litre(whole milk)
lemon juice 2 tsp
sugar 1 cup
water 2 1/2 cups
plain flour /maida 2 tsp
evaporated milk 1 tin
pistachio,saffron required

method:
1.boil milk in a heavy bottomed vessel ,stir continuously so that it won't stick to the bottom.

2.when milk comes to boil add 2 tsp of lemon juice  and leave the stove in simmer stir occasionally.

3.when the milk curdles  strain in colander with clean muslin cloth and run cold water over it to remove the lemon juice.
4. squeeze out excess water and keep it in strainer for 1/2 an hour  to drain out.

5. knead the paneer add 2 tsp of plain flour / maida to absorb excess moisture .
6. make small paneer balls out of it.

7. heat 2 1/2 cups of water with 1 cup of sugar.
8. put the balls  in the sugar syrup and cook it in medium heat.

9. paneer balls expands a lot after cooking , carefully strain and keep aside.
10.slightly warm the evaporated milk & pour  over the paneer balls.

11.garnish with grated pistachio and saffron.

12. keep refrigerated .

KOZHI KUZHAMBU/CHICKEN GRAVY

ingredients:
chicken 1 kg
onions 2
ginger garlic paste 2 tsp
green chilli 2
tomato 1
grated coconut 3 tsp
turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
oil,salt required amount

to fry and grind
red dry chilli 7
coriander seeds 2 tsp
whole pepper 1/2 tsp
whole cumin 1/2 tsp
fennel 1 tsp
urad dal 1 tsp
rice 1 tsp
cinnamon 2,cloves 6

fry these in a very medium heat and grind with grated coconut & keep aside.

method:
1.heat oil in a pan fry onion, green chilly, ginger garlic paste, tomato.
2.add chicken ,turmeric powder,salt &saute well.
3.in medium heat cover & cook the chicken.
4.add the grounded masala & add water.
5.adjust salt.
6.garnish with coriander &curry leaves.

MURUKKU

ingredients:
rice flour 2 cup
gram flour 1 cup
urad dal flour 1/2 cup
sesame seeds 1 tsp
ajwain 1/2 tsp
chilli powder 1 tsp
butter 2 tsp
salt,oil ,water required  amt
murukku press

method:
1. sieve the flours together add sesame seeds, ajwain, chilli powder, butter, salt.
2. add water little by little to make a soft dough.
3. heat enough oil in a pan.
4. apply oil to murukku press and press it on greased polythene sheet .
5. fry each batch and place it on paper towel.