Pumpkin cake

Pumpkin desserts are especially popular during the fall and winter months. Of course, pumpkin pie is America's favorite pumpkin dessert, but this lovely orange colored Pumpkin Cake, is sure to please. I made it with home made pumpkin puree. You can always go for store brought cans to make this delightful desert for a sweet surprise.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups (270 grams) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup (240 ml) fresh or canned pure pumpkin (about 1/2 of a 15 ounce can)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (200 grams) sifted all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350F

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes for an electric mixer). 
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin batter.

Pour the batter into the greased pans.  Bake for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then invert and remove the cakes from their pans

Alternatively you can fill this batter in cupcake pans to make pumpkin cupcakes.

Enjoy the lovely desert with your family and friends.

Masala Bread Toast

Bread is always a super easy fix for breakfast. It also an quick fix for the lunch box. The masala version adds some spice to our Indian taste. Give this a try and you will love it. Egg does makes it filling and remains soft even for lunch box.

Ingredients:

• Egg – 4
• Bread – 6
• Garam masala powder- 1/4 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 1/4 tsp
• Chili powder – 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric – a pinch
• Garlic – 2 cloves
• Onion – 2 tbsp
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – to toast

Recipe:

1. Grind Onion and Garlic as paste.
2. Apart from Bread and Oil, mix all the ingredients with Egg and beat it well.
3. Heat Oil in a pan, dip the bread slices in egg mix and place it on pan, apply oil on all sides of bread.
4. Toast the Bread on both sides and remove from heat.

 

Oven roasted Chana Dal

Chana dal that is deep fried was a great snack for me when I was little. That too the added spice and garlic flavor really enticed me. I wanted to try that recipe for a ling time but was hesitant to deep fry. Luckily I got this recipe of oven roasting the dal which is a healthy alternative to that. And believe me you still get the crunchy and crispy texture of deep fried ones. As this greatly impressed me, I'm planing to oven roast some soy nuts too for a healthy protein rich snack. Now on to the recipe.

Ingredients:

Chana Dal - 1 cup
Olive oil - 1tbsp
Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garlic cloves - 2-3

Preparation:

• Wash the dal and soak it for at least 4 hours.
• Drain the water and transfer the dal to a sauce pan. Fill the pan with water, about ½ – 1” above the dal. Cook it on high for 3 minutes. You will see foam forming on the top. We don’t want to cook the dal for too long. Turn of the heat, drain it and run the dal under cold water to bring it back to room temperature. 
• Transfer dal to a paper towels or a kitchen towel and pat dry it. Leave it on the towel to dry, for about 5 minutes until the oven is preheated.
• Preheat the oven to 350F. 
• Line a baking tray or cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
• Transfer chana dal to bowl and mix it well with oil, ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. chili powder & turmeric. You can also do this directly on the lined baking sheet.
• Spread seasoned chana dal on the baking sheet and bake it for 10 minutes in a preheated oven.
• Remove from the over, shake the tray properly or with a spoon mix the dal and spread it evenly on the tray. Put it back in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Pull it out and repeat the above step. Bake for another 5 minutes or until chana dal turns brown. The total bake time is 20 minutes. However, I felt I should have pulled it out of the oven a minute earlier. Do keep an eye on the dal after 18 minutes into baking.
• Crush together garlic, ¼ tsp. salt & 1 tsp. of chili powder. Sprinkle it on the baked dal and mix it well. Add the garlic immediately after removing the dal from the over. 
• Once the dal is cooled, store in an air tight container