Chocolate Walnut Fudge Cake

Butter brags !!! Hmm, people brag, but butter? Yeah, why not?

;-) Well, butter ball, when you are in my cake, you have all rights to brag... Being so utterly, butterly, deliciously, fatty, rich and creamy, you should,  c'mon now. You see, I don't use these lean, skinny, boring vegetable oil or canola oil to bake diet cakes. You are so precious, butter ball. I so yummly love you !!!

And now what is this "Butter brags" all about??? Well, when I named my blog as "SlurpBurp", people did say, "Eww! What a name! Name it something like "Cooking and blah", "Spicy and blah", "Rasmi's kitchen". "Rasmi's kitchen" !?! How disgusting! As it is, my friends call me "RaSSSm" because of my "H" deficient name. And after all this, a blog by that name??? ;-) Anyways, my strange choice of name "SlurpBurp" remained as is and now just when I wanted to post the recipe here, this thought creeped into li'l brain. Why not my cakes have a deserving name? Suddenly, all the beautiful things in my cakes came alive in my mind and flashed a beautiful smile. Among all, butter looked amazing like a cute, chubby, fairy to me.
 
:-O Now let me guiltily confess to all my dear friends whom I have tempted with food photographs and offered cakes and cookies with so much of love and to all my family members whom I have welcomed with generous servings of cakes and cookies. I do add a llllot (you know what I mean by multiple "l"s. Read it with raised eyebrows and wide-opened eyes, you will get it) of pure butter chunks in my cakes. So I am gonna let it brag and let the world know what it's up to. So hereafter, my cakes and cookies are branded as "Butter brags Cakes and Cookies". Should I patent this? LOL ;-)

 
So, all butter-haters and diet conscious people out here, this is a danger zone, stay miles away... ;)

By the way, do you all get this sudden, irresistible cravings for chocolates right after breakfast, mid mornings, just after lunch, evenings, Ok forget it, at least once in a day? Ask me, :-) I even steal chocolate bars from Meghna's school bag because her bag never falls short of chocolates due to birthday celebrations at school.

Here I am presenting the most sinful chocolate overloaded cake that I have ever baked... This deep, dark Chocolate Walnut Fudge cake will for sure satisfy all your chocolate cravings. It's truly worth a try... ;-)
 
Ingredients 

1. All purpose flour - 1 cup
2. Unsweetened cocoa powder - 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp
3. Unsalted butter/cooking butter - 1/2 cup
4. Brown sugar-1 1/4 c, packed
5. Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
6. Salt - 1/4 tsp
7. Large eggs - 2
8. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
9. Walnuts - 1/2 cup, roasted and chopped
10. Hot water- 1/2 cup

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).  Grease an 8 inch cake pan with butter and dust it with plain flour. 
2. In a non-stick pan, melt butter and let it to cool.
3. Add the sugar to it and combine it well with the butter by using a wooden spatula.
4. Add in both the eggs and vanilla together and mix until combined.
5. Add in all the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Make sure the batter is smooth and lump-free.
6. Pour in the hot water and mix it well. (Don't panic if the cake batter becomes watery. That's the consistency of this cake unlike other ones.)
7. Fold in the chopped walnuts and keep aside a few to sprinkle on the top of the cake batter.
8. Pour the cake mix into the baking tin and sprinkle the remaining walnuts on the top of the batter.
9. Bake for about 35-45 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
10. Remove the cake from oven and let it cool. ;-)

This was mainly baked for my office friends. But the chocolate-lover in me couldn' resist, I gobbled one generous portion of this delicious cake before I transferred the remaining pieces into the container. And my li'l girl, who was pretending to have fallen asleep tip-toed to the kitchen to take away her share. So, the rest of it goes to my office tomorrow for the long-pending treat that I had promised ... ;-)

Crunchy Apple Streusel Cake - With Streusel Topping

;-) Heyyy SlurpBurp, here I am, back again with a much more fabulous recipe !!! You see, I have been busy and I know I kind of alienated you for so many years.. Never again, trust me !!! :-)

Did I tell you that this is the first ever cake that I have baked with Apple as the main ingredient? The fruit stall near my home was vibrant and colorful with blushing red apples... ;-) How can I ignore and not take away a few along? Once back home, without giving my overexcited brain much time, I started hunting for my kitchen sweethearts - butter, sugar, all-purpose flour, my not-so-favorite walnuts, and the 1 lonely egg left after the "overly-eggy" tutti-fruity cake that I baked a couple of days ago. And not to forget my dusky beauty, the WANKANAI tightly packed brown sugar, which my friend has dearly gifted me a month ago. All put together, I got this gorgeous, brown beauty for my dear buddy who visited us today with her kiddo!!! I couldn' wait for it to cool down to gorge on it. It was just too delicious to resist and I finished half the portion with generous dollops of yummy Vanilla Ice-cream... ;-)
 
The simplicity of this recipe and the amazing result it gave me reminded me of my slurpburp and my foodie friends... So here you go... ;-)

For Streusel Topping:

1. All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
2. Cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces - 3 tablespoons
3. Ground cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon
4. Brown sugar - 1/4 cup
5. Walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped  - 1/4 cup

For Cake Batter:

1. All purpose flour - 1 cup
2. Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
3. Salt - 1 pinch
4. Unsalted butter (room temperature) - 1/4 cup
5. Granulated white sugar - 1/2 cup
6. Large egg - 1
7. Milk - 1/3 cup
8. Vanilla extract - 1/2 teaspoon
9. Large apples (peeled, cored, and thinly sliced) - 2

Method
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).  Grease an 8 inch cake pan with butter and dust it with plain flour.

Streusel Topping

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and ground cinnamon. 
2. Add the chopped, cold butter with fork until it resembles coarse crumbs. 
3. Stir in the brown sugar and chopped walnuts. Set this mix aside.

Cake Batter 

1. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 
2. In a separate bowl, beat the butter until creamy and smooth. 
3. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. 
4. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until well incorporated.
5. Add the flour mixture, alternately with the milk. Continue to alternate between the milk and flour mixture and end it with flour mixture and beat until combined. 
6. Spread the batter into the the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula.
7.  Evenly arrange the apple slices on top of the cake batter (do not press it) and then sprinkle with the streusel topping.
8. Bake for about 45 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 
9. Remove the cake from oven and let it cool.

Slice it and indulge... It tastes the best when it is warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream.

Makes 9 - 10 servings.

Happy Baking !!! :-)

Chicken/Mutton Thoran

Yeah, the combo of 'Chicken' and 'Thoran' sounds a bit strange because in traditional kerala cuisine, a 'Thoran' means stir fried vegetables with coconut. And It is a compulsory accompaniment with any typical Kerala meals. This recipe is dedicated to my wonderful mom who is no more with me. I learned most of the cooking from my mom who was an excellent cook. She used to make each and every dish very special in her own creative way. This is her very special dish which she used to make with Chicken/Mutton meat served with Rice and Chicken/Mutton bone curry. When I was a kid, I used to literally bury those 'juicy, rich with bone marrow' bones inside the rice served because both my naughty brothers had this habit of finishing off my portion first and then indulge in their portion of curry served with a "Sis, I really don't know how your curry vanished, and now you dare not touch mine" expression, which they still continue to practice whenever we get together... ;-) This weekend, I prepared this Chicken Thoran for my dad and my li'l girl. I felt really nice when they certified that it tasted exactly like my mom's Chicken Thoran... So here is the recipe of my mom's very special Chicken/Mutton Thoran. All non-veg coconut-lovers out here, I am sure you all will love it. So it's worth a try. All non-veg coconut-haters, you can still give it a try because coconut taste is not felt much in this dish... ;-)

Ingredients

Chicken (preferably flesh) - 1/2 Kg, cut into small cubes
Coconut - 1.5 cup, grated
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Small onion - 1 cup, cut into two
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1.5 tbsp
Curry leaves - as required

For seasoning

Small onion - 6, sliced
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - as required (I use about a tbsp of it)
Red chillies - 4, cut into two
Cooking oil (my mom uses coconut oil for that flavor) - as required (use a bit more)
Curry leaves - as required

Method

1. Wash chicken thoroughly with 1 tsp turmeric powder (apart from the qty mentioned in the ingredients list). My mom uses turmeric powder to wash chicken to remove that raw flesh smell.
2. Cook chicken with adequate amount of water, onions, chilly pdr, turmeric pdr, ginger-garlic paste in low flame in an open vessel until the chicken is properly cooked. Add curry leaves at the end and let it cook for sometime until the flavor mixes well with the chicken. (we don't use pressure cooker for this dish).
3. In the meantime, while the chicken is getting cooked, prepare the coconut masala by coarsely grinding coconut and cumin seeds in a mixer.
4. Add the coconut mix into the chicken and cook it for about 10 minutes until the water content is completely absorbed and the raw smell of coconut is gone. Keep this aside.
5. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add urad dal and leave it until it turns light brown (do not let it burn, so simmer the stove).
6. Next add the sliced onions, red chillies, and curry leaves. Fry lightly until the onions turn soft and translucent.
7. Finally add the cooked chicken into the pan. Stir around to combine and saute it for about 10-15 minutes until you get a fried coconut smell.
8. Remove from the fire and garnish it with a few fresh curry leaves. Serve warm as a side dish with rice or rotis/chappathis.

As I have mentioned earlier, this is an accompaniment with my mom's special chicken/mutton bone curry. I am yet to try that one. So my dear foodie buddies, you don't have to wait for long. Will be trying out during one of these weekends. So keep watching this space for the bone curry recipe as well...;-)

Magic Cubes Potato with Capsicum

Does it look like a bowl of fresh fruit salad to you? Yeah, it does to me too ;) So I struggled to bring a 'Curry' look to it and stuck some red chillies for the second and third pic I took, but it looked too made up, so I conveniently chopped off that part... ;)
Yes, this is yet another experiment which I did today...This recipe is dedicated to all working spinsters and bachelors because this consumes less time, less effort and truly incredible!

Before you start, there is a pre-requisite to prepare this dish. :) You should have 'Maggi Magic Cubes Vegetarian Masala' handy. It comes in a pack of 10 cubes for Rs. 25. Not a bad deal, right? ;)

Magic Cubes Potato with Capsicum Recipe



Ingredients
Potato - 1 large, cubed
Onion - 1 large, diced
Tomato - 2 medium, chopped
Capsicum - 1/2 cup / 1 small, diced
Red Chilly - 4, chopped
Maggi Magic Cubes - 2
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Refined Oil / Cooking Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Salt - one pinch

Note: Magic cubes already have salt in it, so add more salt at the end only if it is required.

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter.
2. Add onion, red chillies, curry leaves and saute for a minute.
3. Lower the flame and add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilly powder, chopped tomato and potato, one pinch of salt (not more) and saute it well.
4. Pour adequate amount of water and cook it covered on low flame for 10 minutes.
5. At the end add Maggi Magic Cubes and capsicum and cook it covered for another 5 minutes until the gravy becomes thick.
6. Turn off the stove and serve it hot with roti / chappathi / dosa.

So go ahead and give it a try! I feel potato tastes the best with capsicum and I truly loved it!!! :)

Egg Roast/Egg Masala

Egg curry always complements my 'Non-Veg Lacking' dinner/lunch during my weekends in Bangalore. Most of my Sunday dinners are either with my friend Sowmya if I am in Bangalore or in Kerala . So this weekend, for a change, I decided to cook dinner at home for both of us. I just had 30 minutes left to go before she arrived... So I quickly made this curry for chappathi and this is my mom's simple recipe which I always follow with less masala and yet spicy! ;)

Thanks a ton to you sweetie for arranging this so well, especially the tomato flower!!! :)

Egg Roast/Egg Masala Recipe
Serving Size: 2
Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients
Eggs - 2
Onion - 2 Large, finely chopped
Garlic cloves - 2, finely chopped
Tomato - 1 Large, finely chopped
Green chillies - 1 large or 2 medium, sliced
Red chilly powder - 1/4 - 1/2 tbsp, depending on the spice level
Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp

For tempering
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few

Method

1. Boil the eggs for 10 - 12 minutes. Remove the shells, slice each egg into two and keep it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter.
3. Add onion, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute until onion turns translucent.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, stir well. Add salt (tip from my mom - add salt in the beginning itself for tender vegetables for a super-fast cooking) and let it cook for 2-3 minutes, stir occasionally.
5. Add turmeric powder, coriander pdr, and chilly powder (in the same order as the chilly powder tends to get burnt very fast), fry it until the raw smell goes off.
6. Add adequate amount of water for the gravy, add garam masala and cook for 2 minutes until it forms a thick gravy.
7. Add the boiled eggs into this curry and turn off the stove.

This goes well with rice, chappathi, appam, dosa,...the list goes on ;)

Tips: You can also add capsicum and boiled cubed potatoes to make it even more delicious. But I like it plain without any add-ons. ;)

Eggless Easy Nutella Pancake

Ask about cravings! My cravings for authentic pancakes started right from my childhood days whenever I see those in cookery shows, but never got to try one until last week ;) Yes, I found out an authentic French pancake counter at the Oasis Mall in Bangalore. It is an open counter, after placing the order, I eagerly waited to see how they made. Watching me standing over there, the cook said politely, "Ma'm, please have your seat, we will serve it at your table", shamelessly I continued to stand there with a smile. Before he could ask, I explained, "I just want to see how you make that thin pancake..." With a proud smile, he started making that yummy pancake and patiently clarified all my recipe queries after I promised that I have no plans to start a pancake shop... ;) And I post recipes only if I try and I tried it today...It's truly worth it, so give it a shot... :D

Ingredients
Maida /all purpose flour - 1 cup
Milk - 2 - 2.5 cups depending on the consistency
Nutella (Hazelnut cocoa spread) - as required, to spread

Method

1. Mix maida and milk together until you get a smooth batter (meaning, lumps-free batter).
2. Heat a non-stick tawa, when the tawa is hot, pour one spoonful of batter and spread it to make a thin paper dosa.
3. Cook it on low flame for a few seconds (do not flip to the other side).
4. Turn off the stove and spread Nutella evenly on the top of dosa.
   
5. Fold it inwardly from all the four sides.
6. Flip it to the other side and line the pancake with a knife or a spatula to form squares as shown in the picture.
7. Transfer it to a plate and serve it with a dollop of fresh vanilla ice-cream.

South Indian Capsicum Rice

Yes, I totally agree, there is no such thing called 'South Indian Capsicum Rice'. But you should also understand that when you are too lazy and indecisive about your Sunday lunch and when you are left with just some capsicums, onions and tomatoes, you will naturally end up trying something new and posting it on your blog if you have one... ;-)
Capsicum is extensively used in Italian, Chinese, Mexican and American cuisine. This recipe does not belong to any of this category because most of the ingredients I have used here are very much South Indian. ;-) Hence the name 'South Indian Capsicum Rice'.


Ingredients
Rice - 2 cups
Water - 4 cups
Capsicum - 2 medium sized, diced
Tomato - 2 big or 3 medium sized, chopped
Onion - 3 large, diced
Garlic - 3 cloves, chopped
Green chillies - 5 (according to the spice level)
Turmeric pdr - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

For tempering
Split black gram /urad dal/uzhunnu parippu - 1 tsp
Chana dal / bengal gram / kadala parippu - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick - 1"
Curry leaves - a few

For garnishing
Chopped coriander leaves - as required

Method

1. Cook rice in 4 cups of water. Keep it aside.
   
2. Heat oil in a frying pan for tempering and add the ingredients in the order given. Saute it well.
3. Add chopped onion, chillies and garlic to it. Fry till onion turns light brown in color.
4. Add tomatoes, salt and turmeric pdr.
5. Saute it well until the raw smell goes off.
6. Add diced capsicum and saute (do not over cook capsicum because the color turns to light brown and it becomes soggy).
7. Turn off the stove.
8. Add this masala into the cooked rice and mix it well.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves.
   

Your hot, steamy capsicum rice is ready! It goes well with papad and raita.

Tips: You can omit tomato, green chillies and turmeric pdr and instead, add freshly ground peppercorns, red chillies, and roasted grated coconut (add at the end). This will give altogether a different taste and flavor which is neither South Indian nor Chinese and to make it more interesting, you can name it as 'Pepper-Capsicum Rice' ;-) This idea popped up in my mind while writing this recipe. :-)