Cabbage kootu is a simple South Indian recipe with cabbage, dal, and some roasted spices and coconut that’s blended and cooked with the rest of the ingredients.

Since cabbage has a stronger flavour than other vegetables typically used to make kootu – like chow chow kootu – the coconut paste has some roasted ingredients which adds a lovely flavour to the final dish.

My only gripe with this cabbage kootu recipe is that it does require 3-4 pans to make it. There are ways to consolidate some of the steps but I have found that there’s a fine light between getting this kootu just right and overcooking it terribly so how I explain it here is how I make it usually.

I will give the shortcut tips below the recipe in notes so you can decide how you want to get it done. Having lesser vessels to wash at the end of cooking is definitely understandable.

Alright, let’s make some delicious cabbage kootu, folks!

If you are a kootu lover, do check out:

• Spinach kootu
• Pudalangai kootu
• Pumpkin kootu
• Broccoli kootu

If you are a cabbage lover, then here you go with some easy cabbage recipes:

• Cabbage dal
• Cabbage poriyal
• Cabbage rice
• Cabbage thoran

Cabbage Kootu Recipe

★★★★★ 4.7 from 3 reviews

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 6
• Category: Kootu
• Method: Pressure Cooking
• Cuisine: South Indian
• Diet: Gluten Free

Print

Pin

---

Description

Cabbage kootu with a simple coconut spice paste to make it delicious and healthy. Perfect with rice and rasam.

---

Ingredients

• 4 cups cabbage, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup yellow moong dal
• 1/4 cup chana dal
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• A few curry leaves

For roasting and grinding

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds (optional)
• 1/4 cup sliced shallots (chinna vengayam, ulli) or onions
• 2 green chillies (adjust to taste)
• 1 small tomato, cubed
• 1/2 cup grated coconut, thawed if frozen

For tempering:

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1/4 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 4 shallots, sliced thin
• 2 dried red chillies
• A pinch of hing / asafoetida

---

Instructions

1. Wash and drain 1/4 cup yellow moong dal and 1/4 cup chana dal together
2. Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook for 15 minutes (2 whistles)
3. Set aside and let the pressure release naturally
4. In the meantime, place 4 cups of chopped cabbage in a pan and add 1/4 cups of water
5. Cook on low heat until the cabbage is half cooked
6. Remove from heat and set aside
7. In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil and add 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds (if using)
8. Let them brown a bit and then add 1/4 cup sliced shallots (or onions) and 2 chopped green chillies
9. Saute until golden brown
10. Then add 1 small tomato cubed and sprinkle some water
11. Cook until the tomato is soft
12. Turn off the heat and add 1/2 cup grated coconut
13. Mix everything well and cool completely
14. Grind with water to a coarse paste and set aside
15. On low flame, return the cabbage back to the stove and add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and a few curry leaves along with salt
16. Mix well and add the cooked dal
17. Top this up with the roasted and ground coconut spice paste 
18. Add some water if the consistency is too thick
19. Bring to boil and turn off heat
20. In a pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil for tempering
21. Add 1/4 teaspoons mustard seeds and when they pop, add the sliced shallots and red chillies along with the hing
22. Fry until the shallots are golden brown
23. Dunk into the kootu and mix well
24. Cabbage kootu is ready!

---

Notes

It’s important to make sure the cabbage doesn’t cook to a mush so when you cook it, just do it halfway and leave a bit of bite in it

I use a mix of two dal – chana dal and moong dal – because I like my kootu to have some texture. You can definitely choose one over the other. Remember that moong dal will cook to a mush and chana dal will be soft yet whole so go with what you prefer

Adjust the amount of chilli to your taste. A blend of green chilli (in the coconut paste) and red chilli (in the tempering) tastes fabulous

Serve cabbage kootu with steamed white rice and a dollop of ghee. This is also a great dish to feed your babies and toddlers with adjusted spice levels

Temper your cabbage kootu in ghee for an extra special flavour. I normally use coconut oil which we love!

Keywords: cabbage kootu

Step by Step Images for Cabbage Kootu Recipe

Wash moong dal and chana dal and pressure cook with enough water for 15 minutes or 2 whistles

Chop cabbage finely and cook with some water until half done. Leave a bit of crunch in the cabbage, don’t make it too mushy

To prepare the coconut spice paste for this kootu, heat oil in a pan and roast cumin seeds and coriander seeds. The coriander seeds are optional but I highly recommend them

When the cumin turns golden brown, add sliced shallots (or onions) and green chillies. Fry until the shallots turn golden brown

Then add chopped tomato and sprinkle some water. Cook until the tomato is soft. Turn off heat and add coconut. Mix well and let it cool completely

When the coconut mixture has cooled, add some water and grind to a coarse paste. Set aside.

Now back to our semi-cooked cabbage. Turn on the heat to low and add some turmeric powder, salt, and curry leaves to it. Give everything a mix and add the cooked dal

Then add the ground coconut paste and mix together. If the mixture is too thick, add some water. Bring to boil and turn off heat.

For tempering, heat some oil and add mustard seeds. When they pop, add some sliced shallots, red chillies, and a pinch of hing. When the shallots are golden brown, remove from heat and dunk into the kootu

Mix together and cabbage kootu is ready! Serve with white rice.

The post Cabbage Kootu Recipe Step by Step appeared first on Edible Garden.

Ellu chutney or sesame coconut chutney is a healthy and delicious chutney recipe, or thogayal really, that is usually served with rice. During summer breaks, we would go to Salem to my aunt’s house. That train ride with aunts and cousins and nieces and nephews was one of my happiest memories and of course, no train ride in India is complete without the mention of food.

Lemon rice packs really well and when it’s placed in warmed banana leaves with this ellu chutney on the side, that’s pure deliciousness right there. Ellu or black sesame contains healthy omega 3 fatty acids and also fibre that helps in digestion. The nutty aroma when it’s roasted is perfect when combined with raw coconut.

A few things to remember when preparing to make this ellu chutney at home

• Use black sesame or black ellu for the chutney
• Fresh coconut works best but frozen coconut works just fine too
• If you would like ellu chutney without coconut, it’s definitely possible too. Omit the coconut in the recipe below and half all other ingredients
• Roasting the ellu or sesame is an important step. Since the seeds are black, it’s hard to tell when it’s done. Look out for a nutty aroma and to be doubly sure, rub a few seeds between your palms to see if the inner white seed has turned a light brown (see picture below)
• Since we want the flavour of ellu to dominate, no curry leaves, coriander leaves or other spices are used in this recipe. Keep it simple!
• The proportion of ellu to coconut can be altered. Keep ellu on the higher side, again, for the true flavour of the sesame to come through
• Ellu chutney tastes best with rice more than dosa or idli

You may also like this ellu sadam recipe (sesame rice).

Ok, now on to the ellu chutney recipe.

Ellu Chutney, Sesame Coconut Chutney

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4
• Category: Chutney
• Method: Roasting
• Cuisine: South Indian
• Diet: Low Fat

Print

Pin

---

Description

Ellu chutney or sesame chutney is a delicious and healthy chutney recipe using black sesame seeds and coconut. Goes perfectly with rice

---

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup black sesame seeds (black ellu)
• 2 tablespoons grated coconut, thawed if frozen
• 2–3 flakes of garlic, crushed
• 2–4 dry red chillies, adjust to taste
• A marble-sized ball of tamarind
• Salt to taste

---

Instructions

• In a dry pan without oil, roast the sesame seeds on medium flame
• The goal here is to get all the moisture out of the seeds first and roast it to a golden colour inside. This is tough to see since the seeds are very dark coloured so I have a tip below to check that
• Keep stirring the seeds as they roast and adjust the heat to make sure they don’t burn
• After about 3-4 minutes, add the red chillies and continue roasting on low-medium flame
• The seeds may pop and scatter a bit similar to mustard seeds. This doesn’t mean they are done. Keep stirring and roasting
• After about 5-6 minutes, take 2-3 sesame between your fingers and gently rub them open. The white parts inside should be a light golden brown. This means they are done. If it still looks white, continue roasting for another few minutes
• When the sesame seeds are nicely roasted, turn off the heat and add the crushed garlic, coconut, salt, and tamarind to the same pan and give everything a good mix
• Cool completely and grind to a coarse chutney with minimal water. Ellu chutney is meant to be thick so be cautious not to add more water than is needed. It’s also important not to grind the chutney very smooth. Ellu chutney should be a bit coarse in texture
• All done! Enjoy with some rice and ghee or any flavoured rice like lemon rice

---

Notes

Why is my ellu chutney bitter?

If you burn the sesame seeds while roasting, it can turn bitter. Keep a close eye on the heat used as you roast them and take my timings above as just a guideline. Stoves and pans and definition of low heat will differ from kitchen to kitchen. Adding some more coconut can salvage a bitter ellu chutney somewhat

Can I make ellu chutney without coconut?

Yes you can! Omit coconut in this recipe and halve all other ingredients. Taste as you go when grinding. However, I must say that this chutney tastes bet with some coconut so consider adding at least one tablespoon if you can

What can I do if my chutney becomes too spicy?

I have given a range of 2-4 chillies in the ingredients list. My mother adds 6 because our food back home is usually more spicy than how I cook in my kitchen. Start with 2 chillies, it’s much better to have chutney that’s less spicy than it be too spicy to eat! Adding more coconut can help salvage a chutney that is too spicy

Can I make ellu chutney with white ellu or white sesame seeds?

Technically you can but the flavour just won’t be the same. It’s the bran on the black sesame seeds that gives this chutney it’s unique nutty flavour and texture. Definitely worth getting the right type of sesame seeds to make this!

Keywords: ellu chutney, sesame chutney

Step by Step Ellu Chutney Recipe

Dry roast 1/4 cup sesame seeds in a pan for 3-4 minutes in medium heat, stirring frequently. Add 2-4 red chillies (adjust per your spice tolerance and preference) and continue roasting

Do not worry if the sesame seeds start spluttering. They are still not done and need to be roasted until the insides turn light golden brown.

When the sesame seeds are done, turn off heat and add 2 heaping tablespoons of grated coconut, 2-3 flakes of crushed garlic, and a marble-sized ball of tamarind to the pan. Add salt too.

Mix everything well and let it sit in the remaining heat of the pan. Cool completely.

Grind with minimal water to a coarse texture. Remember that ellu chutney is not meant to be very smooth.

Serve with rice! Enjoy

The post Ellu Chutney, Sesame Coconut Chutney appeared first on Edible Garden.

I have many different chocolate cake recipes in this blog but this one is really the best chocolate cake recipe ever, which I discovered a few months ago has been a staple and it’s hard to go back to any other recipe now.

A few things I love about this best chocolate cake recipe:

• This recipe uses no butter. So no setting it out, softening it, melting it, etc. Also easy to make the cake dairy-free if needed
• Speaking of dairy-free, the milk needed in the recipe can be regular milk, any nut milk, rice milk, etc. I made it with rice milk for school one time to keep it dairy and nut free
• The amount of flour is quite low in this recipe, in relative terms
• The cake itself is not very sweet since it’s meant to be frosted so you can adjust the level of sweetness to your preference
• I have make this cake in a single tier and double tier – all works really well
• Replacing the flour with gluten free flour from Bob’s red mill works well too
• Due to no butter in the cake recipe, it stays really well refrigerated and needs very little thawing time when you take it out

So as you can see, really very versatile and a truly no-fuss recipe.

A few other chocolate cake recipes I have tried with great luck over the past years:

• Chocolate olive oil cake
• Microwave chocolate cake (no oven needed)
• Steamed chocolate cake (no oven needed)
• Pressure cooker cake (no oven needed)

The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: One 9 inch cake
• Category: Cake
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: International

Print

Pin

---

Description

This recipe is truly the best chocolate cake recipe ever – perfect for birthdays, lunch boxes, or just to bake on a day you feel like eating some chocolate cake. 

This recipe makes one 9″ cake. To make a layered cake, simply double or triple the recipe

---

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coffee powder
• 1/2 cup milk (can substitute with nut milk, rice milk, etc)
• 1/4 cup oil (I normally use olive oil but vegetable oil works well too)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup boiling water

---

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C / 350F
2. Grease a 9″ cake pan with oil and set aside
3. Mix together the dry ingredients – flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, baking soda, coffee powder, and sugar until well combined
4. Add oil, egg, vanilla, and milk to this and stir well to combine without any lumps
5. Add boiling water to this batter and mix well
6. The batter will be very runny and this is perfect
7. Pour into the baking pan and bake in pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes
8. Let cool completely before frosting as needed

---

Notes

• This chocolate cake recipe is very forgiving and I have tried it with many substitutes, all with good results
• Instead of milk try – almond milk, rice milk, oat milk, buttermilk, coconut milk
• Instead olive oil try – vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil
• I have used 50-50 wheat flour and plain flour with good results. I have also tried Bob’s red mill gluten free flour as a direct substitute to the plain flour. The cake turned out more crumbly but still delicious and a good option if you are avoiding gluten
• In the picture above, I have used a simple chocolate cream cheese frosting with sprinkles on top
• To make Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting – Beat together 150 grams softened cream cheese with half cup softened butter, 2 cups sugar, a pinch of salt and a few drops of vanilla. You can adjust the ingredients as you make it. Add milk if too hard and more sugar if too soft. Slather on the cooled cake and serve!

Keywords: chocolate cake recipe

Original recipe is from Pinch of Yum

The post The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe Ever appeared first on Edible Garden.

Rainbow swirl bread is nothing but a basic bread recipe with rainbow colours swirled in for a lovely marbled effect. A very easy recipe to pull together with beautiful results!

During the COVID lockdown period, I found a few different projects for my 3 year old and I. She loves kneading bread dough, understandably, and we made quite a few loaves of various shapes.

The basic dough in this bread recipe is highly flexible – you can use pretty much any white bread recipe you have in hand or use mine below which I have adapted from this garlic pull-apart rolls recipe. I have even used the dough function in my bread maker and used the dough to add colour and shape it again.

If you are new to bread baking, fear not. This dough recipe doesn’t need much kneading and is quite fuss free. The most important thing when baking bread is to use the best yeast you can get your hands on. I have had good luck with SAF instant yeast and have made bread successfully both in my bread machine and by hand. If you don’t find this brand where you live, that’s fine too. Just buy whatever is available and make sure the yeast is within it’s expiry date!

Rainbow Swirl Bread Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 1 loaf
• Category: Bread
• Method: Baking
• Diet: Vegetarian

Print

Pin

---

Description

A beautiful bread recipe with rainbow colours swirled through it. Slice and enjoy toasted with some salted butter and jam! Kids will surely love this one

---

Ingredients

• Plain Flour – 3 cups
• Warm Water – 1 cup (see notes)
• Yeast- 2 teaspoons
• Salt – 1 teaspoon
• Sugar – 2 tablespoons
• Olive oil – 2 tablespoons

---

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients except the oil and knead until soft. This should take around 5-7 minutes
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil and knead again until the dough becomes springy to touch. It should be not sticky. If sticky, add a little flour. If too dry, you can add more water by the teaspoon
3. Transfer this dough into an oiled boil, cover, and leave in a warm place to double in size. Usually takes about an hour or so
4. When doubled in size, punch the dough down and knead slightly
5. Divide into equal parts to add colour – I divided into 6 equal parts
6. Add 2-3 drops of food colour to each dough portion and gently knead in with your fingers until you get a marbled look
7. Repeat with all the dough portions
8. Let them rest for about 10 minutes and then roll out each portion into a long piece.
9. Stack them up as you roll them. They don’t need to be perfectly equal, just roughly the same size as you stack them
10. Roll firmly from one side until you get a log
11. Place in a well oiled bread pan and cover gently
12. Leave in a warm place to double again in size
13. Pre-heat oven to 180 C and bake for about 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top and cooked through
14. Cool completely before slicing

---

Notes

• Depending on the type of flour and temperature / humidity where you live, the amount of water required will vary. Add more or less depending on how the dough turns out – dry vs sticky
• This is the food colour I used but any kind should work fine

Keywords: bread

Step by Step Rainbow Swirl Bread

Preparation of the dough – mix all ingredients except oil and knead into a soft, non-sticky dough

Divide the dough into equal portions

Add few drops of colour per portion of dough and knead in with fingertips to get a marbled effect

Let the dough rest a bit and roll into oblong pieces you can stack together

Roll into a tight loaf

Place in a greased loaf pan. I also lined the pan but this is optional.

Leave it in a warm place to double. Takes about 1 hour. In the meantime, pre-heat oven to 180 C. How to pre-heat an oven.

My loaf rose a lot because I left it around for more than an hour. What a beauty!

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked through. You can brush the top with some butter or milk as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Slice when the loaf has cooled completely. How gorgeous is that?

The post Rainbow Swirl Bread Recipe Step by Step appeared first on Edible Garden.

Methi matar malai – fenugreek leaves leaves cooked in paneer and a creamy base – a delicious creamy side dish that goes with pulao and roti equally well.

While I have no issues adding cream to my dishes (paneer butter masala, anyone?), I decided to make a version of this recipe with no cream by using or white melon seeds. You can very well use cashew nuts instead but I loved the nuttiness of melon seeds in my paneer makhani so decided to use up the rest in this methi matar malai recipe – or should I say methi matar no malai.

The methi matar malai you get in restaurants has a white base since most don’t add tomatoes. I wanted to give my version a bit of tang so used some canned tomato sauce which lends itself well to a smooth gravy for the curry. You can definitely omit the tomatoes.

I also didn’t add too much masala to the methi matar malai, deciding to keep it simple and let the flavours of the methi, peas, and basic spices shine through.

Looking for more methi leaves recipes? Check out my top 3 favourites – methi pulao, aloo methi, and methi paratha.

Methi Matar Malai Recipe

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4
• Category: Curry
• Method: Cooking
• Cuisine: Indian
• Diet: Gluten Free

Print

Pin

---

Description

Methi matar malai is a simple dish made with peas, fenureek (methi) leaves into a curry. My version uses no dairy cream but white melon seeds to make that creamy base.

---

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of onions, cubed
• 1/2 cup of onions, sliced thin
• 2–3 cloves of garlic
• 1″ piece of ginger
• 2 green chillies
• 1 teaspoon of jeera or cumin seeds
• 1/3 cup of canned tomato sauce or 1/2 cup pureed tomato – optional
• 3 tablespoons of melon seeds (or 1/4 cup cashew nuts) soaked in water for 15 mins
• 2 cups of packed methi or fenugreek leaves
• 1/2 cup of green peas
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 teaspoon of garam masala or Kitchen King masala
• 2 teaspoon of ghee or butter or oil

---

Instructions

1. Grind together the cubed onions, green chillies, ginger, and garlic to a smooth paste.

2. Add the melon seeds or cashew nuts and grind further to a smooth paste, adding a few spoonfuls of water.

3. Heat the ghee (or butter or oil) in a pan and add the cumin seeds.

4. When they splutter and turn fragrant, add the sliced onions and sauté until lightly browned.

5. Add the ground paste and tomato sauce (if using) to this and simmer for 3-4 mins.

6. Meanwhile, pick the leaves of the methi and wash well.

7. Chop roughly and add to the simmering paste along with the green peas.

8. Add the milk and some salt. Mix well.

9. Cook covered for about 10 mins until the peas is cooked soft.

10. Uncover and add the garam masala and more salt if needed.

11. Mix and remove from fire. If the gravy is too thick, add more water or milk and bring to boil again before removing from flame. If too watery, you can simmer it longer but remember that the gravy will thicken as it sits.

---

Notes

Methi matar malai is a lovely blend of sweetness + bitterness + saltiness. Adding a pinch of sugar won’t be a bad idea but mostly, the sweetness will come from the onions

Use frozen methi leaves if you can’t find any fresh ones. You can also use kasuri methi soaked in water instead of the fresh leaves. Reduce quantity in this case to about 3/4 cup since dried methi leaves are much more intense in flavour than the fresh leaves

You can, of course, omit the melon seeds or cashews and add cream in the end along with the garam masala to make restaurant-style methi matar malai. Tastes delicious that way too.

Step by Step Methi Matar Malai Recipe

Grind together the cubed onions, green chillies, ginger, and garlic to a smooth paste without adding any water

Add the melon seeds or soaked cashew nuts and grind further to a smooth paste, adding a few spoonfuls of water to keep it moving

Heat the ghee (or butter or oil) in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they splutter and turn fragrant, add the sliced onions and sauté until lightly browned.

Add the ground paste and tomato sauce (if using) to this and simmer for 3-4 mins.

Meanwhile, pick the leaves of the methi and wash well. Chop roughly and add to the simmering paste along with the green peas or matar.

Add the milk and some salt. Mix well.

Cook covered for about 10 mins until the peas is cooked soft.

Uncover and add the garam masala and more salt if needed.

Mix and remove from fire. If the gravy is too thick, add more water or milk and bring to boil again before removing from flame.

If too watery, you can simmer it longer but remember that the gravy will thicken as it sits.

The post Methi Matar Malai Recipe Step by Step appeared first on Edible Garden.

A Thai-style steamed fish recipe with a broth of chilli, garlic, and lime. This is a super simple fish recipe that you will find in most Thai restaurant menus. I was craving it so badly one evening (because Corona lockdown my friends!) so made it, ate it, and felt happy again.

You need some very basic ingredients to make this:

• Fish – I used cleaned and gutted sea bass
• Garlic – lots of it chopped fine
• Coriander leaves or cilantro – fresh and chopped
• Chilli padi – Thai chilli padi is fiery and hot so use sparingly based on your heat tolerance
• Chicken stock – you can also use fish stock but plain water is probably not going to cut it
• Lime – you know you want to use it! Tangy and delicious in the soup base

In general, this Thai steamed fish is made with a whole fish that’s cleaned and gutted. So the final dish will have the head, eyes and all, as well as the tail and fins. I am a teeny bit squeamish about that and prefer to remove those extra parts so my fish here has its head, tail and fins removed. No need to descale though, steaming will make it easier to take care of.

This recipe for Thai-style steamed fish is from a cooking class I took in Bangkok many years ago. We learned quite a few dishes in 3 hours including soups and curries but this simple steamed fish we cooked last remained in my memory and it’s so simple that I didn’t even need to refer back to my written notes.

Check out my tom yum soup recipe and vegetarian green curry recipe too!

Thai Steamed Fish with Chilli Garlic Lime

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4
• Category: Fish
• Method: Steaming
• Cuisine: Thai
• Diet: Low Fat

Print

Pin

---

Description

A simple Thai steamed fish recipe with chilli garlic and lime in a soup broth. Goes with plain rice to make a delicious meal.

---

Ingredients

• 1 whole Sea Bass, cleaned and gutted
• A few pieces of lemongrass
• 2–3 cups chicken stock (or fish stock)
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 3–4 chopped chilli padi, adjust to taste
• A fistful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• Salt and sugar to taste

---

Instructions

1. Take a large pan that can hold the fish and add water
2. Create elevation to keep the fish on like a small dish or plate placed inside the pan
3. Keep the fish on this, add the lemon grass pieces, and steam the fish on medium heat for 15 minutes or so or until the fish is fully cooked through
4. Meanwhile, let’s make the soup base
5. Take the chicken stock in a pot and add the chopped garlic, lime juice, salt and sugar to it
6. Bring to boil and simmer for a minute or two then remove from flame
7. When the fish is done, place on a wide serving bowl and pour the soup base on top
8. Add chillies and coriander leaves on top of the fish before serving

---

Notes

• The original recipe also included Thai fish sauce and you need only about a teaspoon or two. I rarely keep fish sauce in hand and have always omitted it with no major issues. If you happen to have some fish sauce in hand, add it to the soup based and check saltiness before adding salt
• All ingredients can be adjusted to your personal taste

Keywords: Thai steamed fish

A few more pictures of step by step process to make Thai steamed fish recipe below.

This is the set up I used to steam the fish. A wide pan with two plates and enough water to create steam but without touching the fish

Use a pan with a tight fitting lid to make sure the fish steams properly

The delicious soup broth for Thai steamed fish. Make as much as you want, serves as a delicious side too and can be served as is.

The post Thai Steamed Fish with Chilli Garlic Lime appeared first on Edible Garden.

Mushroom tikki recipe – a simple yet unique recipe for tikki using mushrooms, perfect for vegetarians or those looking for more plant-based snack recipes.

The Husband and I eat vegetarian burgers for dinner occasionally. It’s a tried and tested recipe and we like it. However, I recently tried a new mushroom tikki recipe and it turned out really fab so the next time we make vegetable burgers, I may just make larger mushroom patties with this recipe and try it instead – they were that good!

This mushroom tikki recipe is adapted from a recipe in the new Anjum Anand book I was sent a copy of Anjum’s Quick and Easy Indian which incidentally has one of the prettiest covers on a cookbook I have seen. I leafed through all the recipes so here’s a mini review.

• The recipes are all very easy and I didn’t see anything that will take longer than 30 mins, true to the title of the book
• Most of the recipes have an image to go with it which is a big deal for me since I like to visually see how a finished dish looks like
• The book is sturdy but not heavy so its easy to use in the kitchen and carry it around
• The section on Indian tapas is my favourite and the idea to use Vietnamese rice paper rolls with Indian masala dosa filling? Brilliant!
• A majority of the recipes are not vegetarian so if you are vegetarian, then this book may not be for you. You can adapt and make it plant-based, of course

Mushroom Tikki Recipe

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Yield: 8 tikki
• Category: Snacks
• Cuisine: Indian
• Diet: Vegetarian

Print

Pin

---

Description

Mushroom tikki that uses two types of mushrooms and some simple spices. The tikki are perfect as a vegetarian snack or can be used in sliders or burgers to make a vegetarian burger.

---

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely chopped oyster mushrooms
• 1 cup finely chopped shiitake mushrooms
• 2 tablespoon plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder or 1 green chilli, minced
• 2 tablespoon minced coriander leaves (cilantro)
• 1/2 tsp garam masala or Kitchen King masala
• 1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder (jeera)
• A sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper (optional)
• 2–3 tablespoon gram flour (besan)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• Salt to taste
• Oil for pan frying

---

Instructions

1. Add 1 teaspoon oil to a pan and add the mushrooms and some salt.
2. Saute until the mushrooms let out water and the water evaporates. 
3. Add the ginger and garlic and saute for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Remove and transfer this to a bowl.
5. In a small dry skillet, dry roast 3 tbsp gram flour (besan) until it turns a slightly darker shade (not more than 3-4 mins)
6. Add 2 tbsp of the gram flour to the mushroom mixture and mix well. 
7. Now add all the remaining ingredients except breadcrumbs and mix thoroughly.
8. The resultant mixture should not be too wet or moist and you should be able to easily shape small tikkis or cutlets.
9. Heat enough oil in a skillet to submerge your tikkis halfway.
10. Shape the tikkis into whatever size you prefer, coat generously with bread crumbs, and fry in the oil until golden brown.
11. Serve hot with mint coriander green chutney or ketchup.

---

Notes

• You can use any type of mushrooms you prefer but shiitake is a good addition due to its meaty texture. Button mushrooms have too much moisture so they will really cook down a lot in the first step, so make sure you start with enough
• Dipping the tikki in bread crumbs and then frying resulted in some of the coating getting into the oil. This annoyed me so I added bread crumbs to the mixture itself, shaped and fried directly. This worked better for me.
• Another idea if you are ok with eggs is to coat first in a beaten egg and then coating with the breadcrumbs.
• You can use green chillies or red chilli powder in this recipe
• If your yogurt is slightly sour, that works better since it gives more of a sour tinge to the mushroom tikki
• Adjust all spices to your taste
• If you want to keep this recipe gluten free and/or low carb, use grated parmesan or ground cashew nuts instead of the bread crumbs
• I tried baking the mushroom tikki but they turned out a bit dry. I recommend pan frying for best results

Step by Step Mushroom Tikki Recipe:

1. Add 1 teaspoon oil to a pan and add the mushrooms and some salt.

Saute until the mushrooms let out water and the water evaporates. Adding salt brings out the moisture from the mushrooms so when we fry the tikkis, it won’t be moist and absorb too much oil

2. Add the ginger and garlic and saute for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove and transfer this to a bowl.

3. In a small dry skillet, dry roast 3 tbsp gram flour (besan) until it turns a slightly darker shade (not more than 3-4 mins)

4. Add 2 tbsp of the gram flour to the mushroom mixture and mix well. We can add the remaining later if we need it (I did).

5. Now add all the remaining ingredients except breadcrumbs and mix thoroughly.

The resultant mixture should not be too wet or moist and you should be able to easily shape small tikkis or cutlets. I found mine to be too moist so I added the remaining gram flour and also about 3 tbsp of breadcrumbs.

6. Heat enough oil in a skillet to submerge your tikkis halfway. Shape the tikkis into whatever size you prefer, coat generously with bread crumbs, and fry in the oil until golden brown.

Serve hot with mint coriander green chutney or ketchup.

Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post. I did receive a copy of the cookbook but all opinions, burnt tikkis, and typos are my own.

The post Mushroom Tikki Recipe, Step by Step appeared first on Edible Garden.

I have been getting a few messages recently on why banana bread is called a bread and not cake, which it more closely resembles. That’s a great question and having lived in Australia briefly where banana bread is super popular, here’s my guess – the banana bread is baked in loaf pans and sliced into squares which are normally toasted and served with salted butter. It’s delicious when had this way with coffee. A cake is obviously sliced differently and often frosted which is the key difference I can see.

Anyway, this one bowl chocolate chip banana bread is my favourite for a number of reasons:

• It requires only one bowl to mix everything in, if you don’t count the bowl you would need to melt the butter in
• The recipe works with slightly lesser amount of bananas in it which I have tried numerous times with good success
• Any recipe that calls for melted butter is a win for me. It’s so much easier than remembering to keep the butter out to soften to room temperature and way less messy
• The recipe doesn’t require any hand mixer or Kitchenaid and is so easy for even a child to make
• Kids loving baking this with you because mashing the banana and then adding the chocolate chips, etc is so much fun!

Check out my best banana cake recipe if you want a slightly different take on the banana bread. It’s truly delicious!

The original recipe is from Tasty and I have made a few minor changes over the many times I have attempted this. This chocolate chip banana bread is super versatile and I will leave notes below on the various substitutions and changes you can make.

One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 9 slices
• Category: Bread
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Australian

Print

Pin

---

Description

A simple one bowl chocolate chip banana bread recipe that’s perfect to bake with your kids.

---

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• A pinch of salt
• 1 and a 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips 
• 1/4 cup almond flakes (optional)

---

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F / 180 C
2. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan with some butter and set aside
3. In a bowl, add the bananas and mash with a fork until fairly smooth
4. Add in the melted butter and stir until well combined
5. Next, add the sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt and stir to combine
6. Add the flour next and fold it in until the batter is smooth
7. Add in the chocolate chips and fold well to distribute them well through the batter
8. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan
9. Top with almond flakes or additional chocolate chips
10. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the banana bread comes out clean
11. Leave in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack
12. Cool completely before slicing and serving

---

Notes

• You can replace the flour with whole wheat flour (atta) without much compromise in taste or texture
• It’s best to beat the egg in a separate bowl and then add to the batter. This will make sure that the egg is not spoilt and if you add directly to the batter, you’ll need to discard the entire batter if you got a bad egg
• The chocolate chips can be regular sized or mini ones. I prefer the regular sized ones, they make the banana bread so chocolate-y
• The egg can be replaced with 1 tablespoon flax seed powder + 3 tablespoon water. Personally, I don’t like the texture this substitute gives in this recipe – a bit more fudgy and gooey rather than spongy. If you can, don’t replace the egg and instead try this eggless banana bread with walnuts
• The almond flakes are optional but I highly recommend them
• I once had only two ripe bananas and so added 2 tablespoons milk and went ahead with the same measurements for all other ingredients. Came out with less banana flavour but a great tasting banana bread nevertheless
• You can reduce the sugar and / or chocolate chips to suit your taste

Keywords: chocolate chip banana bread

Step by Step One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Pre-heat oven to 350F / 180C. Grease or line a 9 x 5 loaf pan and set aside

In a bowl, add the bananas and mash with a fork until fairly smooth

Add in the melted butter and stir until well combined

Next, add the sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt and stir to combine. Add the flour next and fold it in until the batter is smooth

Add in the chocolate chips and fold well to distribute them well through the batter

Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan

Top with almond flakes or additional chocolate chips

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the banana bread comes out clean

Leave in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack

Cool the chocolate chip banana bread completely before slicing and serving

The post One Bowl Chocolate Chip Banana Bread appeared first on Edible Garden.

Vada Pav is often likened to an Indian-style burger. While it does resemble a burger in the way it is assembled, a well-made vada pav couldn’t be more different in taste to a burger. Even when you make vada pav at home with burger buns like I did here, it’s still a delightful little snack.

As any self-respecting vada pav lover would tell you, the key to making a good one is the dry garlic chutney that goes with it. It’s super easy to make an essential component for your vada pav. Also goes great with dosa, just saying!

Another key component of vada pav is, of course, the pav or the soft pillowy bread roll / bun that is essential to make this work. If you live in a place that doesn’t give you access to good pav in a store or you don’t feel like making pav at home, store-bought burger buns would absolutely work too.

A few reasons why I love vada pav

• The flavours are complex as Indian street food tends to be and balances heat, sourness, spice, tanginess, and saltiness perfectly
• When something gets coated in besan and fried, I normally don’t say no
• The chutneys! They add a depth and yumminess to the vada pav which is just so good!
• It’s easy enough to make at home and doesn’t need ingredients that are special. I sometimes struggle with this aspect when attempting other Indian street food

Vada Pav Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 6 vada pav
• Category: Indian Street Food
• Method: Deep Fry
• Cuisine: Indian

Print

Pin

---

Description

Vada pav recipe, Mumbai-style vada pav recipe that’s easy to make and so satisfying as a snack or even a meal

---

Ingredients

For the potato vada

• 2 medium-sized potatoes
• 1–2 green chillies
• 2 cloves of garlic
• A one inch piece of ginger
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• A few curry leaves
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing)

To coat the vada

• 1 cup besan (gram flour)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder (or to taste)
• A pinch of baking soda
• A pinch of salt

Other ingredients:

• Oil for deep frying
• Green chillies to fry and serve
• 6 pav or burger buns
• Green chutney
• Dry garlic chutney for vada pav

---

Instructions

For the potato vada:

1. Boil or steam 2 potatoes until tender. A fork inserted should go in easily.
2. Set aside to cool and then mash without any big lumps.
3. Grind together – 2 green chillies, 2 cloves of garlic, and a small piece of ginger to a coarse paste.
4. Heat 2 tsp oil and add 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds and a few curry leaves.
5. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the chilli-garlic-ginger paste and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
6. Then, add the mashed potatoes, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, a pinch of hing or asafoetida, and salt to taste.
7. Turn off flame and mix well until the mixture is well combined. Don’t add any water, the potato vada mixture should be thick.

To make the coating for the vada:

1. Place 1 cup besan, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp red chilli powder, a pinch of baking soda, and some salt in a bowl.
2. Mix well to combine.
3. Add enough water to make a thick paste
4. Make 6 balls with the potato mixture and dip into the besan coating
5. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown
6. Drain and set aside
7. Once all the vadas are done, fry 2-3 green chillies in the same oil. This is optional but recommended

To assemble and serve the vada pav:

1. Place a generous amount of green chutney on one side of the pav or burger bun.
2. Place a potato vada on it and top off with a generous sprinkling of dry garlic chutney.
3. Serve with fried green chillies for those who want an extra spice kick.
4. Some ketchup would go well with vada pav too.

---

Keywords: vada pav

Step by Step Pictures to Make Vada Pav

Boil or steam 2 potatoes until tender. A fork inserted should go in easily.

Set aside to cool and then mash without any big lumps.

Grind together – 2 green chillies, 2 cloves of garlic, and a small piece of ginger to a coarse paste.

Heat 2 tsp oil and add 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds and a few curry leaves. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the chilli-garlic-ginger paste and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Then, add the mashed potatoes, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, a pinch of hing or asafoetida, and salt to taste.

Turn off flame and mix well until the mixture is well combined. Don’t add any water, the potato mixture should be thick.

 Now we make the outer coating for the potato vada.

Place 1 cup besan (gram flour), 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp red chilli powder, a pinch of baking soda, and some salt in a bowl. Mix well to combine.

Add enough water to make a thick paste as seen below.

Divide the cooled potato mixture into 6 equal balls and coat in the prepared batter.

Heat enough oil in a kadai or wok to deep fry the vada. When the oil reaches smoking point, gently drop the vada into it.

Some besan coating will go astray and that’s ok, because I say so.

Once the vada is golden brown, drain and set aside on kitchen napkins.

You can also fry some green chillies to serve alongside, in true Mumbai vada pav fashion. Take care though, fresh chilies tend to burst in hot oil.

To assemble the vada pav:

Place a generous amount of green chutney on one side of the pav or burger bun. Place a batata vada over it and top off with a generous sprinkle of garlic chutney.

Serve with fried green chillies for those who want an extra spice kick. Some ketchup would go well with vada pav too.

The post Vada Pav Recipe, Mumbai Vada Pav Step by Step appeared first on Edible Garden.

A gluten free almond cake with coconut and lime – using almond meal, desiccated coconut, lime zest, and good quality butter and eggs for a perfectly delightful tea cake.

Over the past week, I have been looking for various recipes to cook and bake with my 3 year old. I remember “helping” out in the kitchen when I was as young as her and this whole staying home and social distancing seemed like the perfect chance to cook or bake with a toddler.

I chose this super simple, can’t-go-wrong cake recipe with almond flour, desiccated coconut, and some lime zest. The advantage of baking with almond flour is that the batter runs no risk of over mixing and the cake turning out hard. Toddler loves to keep mixing cake batter, as I’ve discovered.

This cake is an adaption of my flourless almond flour coconut cake but with a few simple changes. Adding lime zest to the batter gives it a nice tanginess that complements the coconut so well. The original recipe I had, from a colleague in Sydney, uses a lot less lime zest and a lot more butter. I had adapted it to what I think would result in a more springy, lighter cake.

Gluten Free Almond Coconut Lime Cake

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 10 pieces
• Category: Cake
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Australian
• Diet: Gluten Free

Print

Pin

---

Description

A gluten cake with almond flour, coconut, and lime zest. Simple and easy recipe that you really can’t go wrong with.

---

Ingredients

• 1 and 3/4 cups almond flour
• 2/3 cup desiccated coconut
• 180 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• zest of 2–3 limes
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
• 3 eggs
• 4 tablespoons almond flakes

---

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 C / 350 F
2. Grease a 9″ cake pan with some butter
3. In a bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut, and brown sugar
4. Add lime zest to this mixture and stir well to combine. Lime adds a beautiful flavour to the cake so please don’t skimp on it
5. Add melted and cooled butter to the above
6. Mix gently to combine
7. Add vanilla and salt and mix again
8. Add the eggs and beat again until you get a smooth mixture. You can also beat the eggs separately in a small bowl and add to the batter at this stage which is probably what I’d do if I made this almond cake again
9. Transfer to the greased cake tray.
10. Smoothen the top and gently tap the cake pan on the kitchen counter to let out any air bubbles.
11. Add almond flakes on top evenly.
12. Bake in pre-heated oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out with moist crumbs
13. Cool completely, cut, and serve

---

Keywords: gluten free almond cake

Step by Step Gluten Free Almond Cake

Pre-heat oven to 180 C / 350 F and prepare all your ingredients.

Grease a 9″ cake pan with butter and set aside

In a bowl, mix together the almond flour, coconut, and brown sugar

Add lime zest to this mixture and stir well to combine

Lime zest makes the cake so fragrant so don’t skimp on it. I found I needed the zest of 3 limes since mine were quite small

Add the melted and cooled butter to this

Mix gently to combine. Add vanilla and salt and mix again

Add the eggs and beat again until you get a smooth mixture. You can also beat the eggs separately in a small bowl and add to the batter at this stage

Transfer to the greased tray. Smoothen the top and gently tap the cake pan on the kitchen counter to let out any air bubbles.

Add almond flakes on top evenly.

Bake in the pre-heated oven until golden brown or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out with moist crumbs – around 40 minutes.

Cool the gluten free almond coconut lime cake before cutting and serving. Kids and adults alike would totally enjoy this delicious cake so if you do try it, leave me a comment and rating below!

Hat tip to Cook Republic for inspiring me and reminding me to bake this cake through her recent Instagram post.

The post Gluten Free Almond Cake Step by Step Recipe appeared first on Edible Garden.

Best banana cake recipe – yes that’s what I decided to call this banana cake because this is hands down the best banana cake recipe I have ever come across, baked, and tasted. I tasted this banana cake for the first time when I was in Sydney. I have a colleague there who loves baking almost as much as I do and she bakes cakes for people in her team very often. She brought this banana cake and a flourless chocolate cake the day I landed. They were both divine.

Australians love their banana bread and banana cake. It’s a staple in all coffee shops – thick slabs of banana bread served toasted with salted butter. Ah, bliss.

The moment I had my first taste of this banana cake made by a colleague, I decided I not only want the recipe, but I want the book it came in as well. I asked her to bring it in the next day so I could jot down the recipe, and ordered it online the same day from Book Depository. Mix and Bake by Belinda Jeffery is a great one to own and bake from, you all!

I made it exactly the same way mentioned in the book the first time. It tasted wonderful – quite dense, sweet, deliciously banana-ey. The cream cheese frosting was the perfect indulgence along with the humble banana backing. The beauty of this cake is, it can be entirely made in a food processor so use yours if you have one.

I have an immersion hand blender that has a processor/chopper which worked perfectly. If not, you can just use your hand-help whisk or electric beater to bring the batter together. A blender may work well too.

The second time around, I decided to make it less sweet with no frosting, perfect for breakfast or to carry in a tiffin box to school, work, or a picnic.

Also check out this banana bread recipe
eggless banana oatmeal cookies
eggless chocolate banana pound cake

Best Banana Cake Recipe Ever

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 12 pieces
• Category: Cakes
• Cuisine: Australian

Print

Pin

---

Description

The best banana cake recipe ever, hands down!

---

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup / 110gm plain flour
• 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 very ripe large banana (about 1/2 to 3/4 cups when mashed)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (regular white sugar)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
• 50ml sour cream (or buttermilk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Cream Cheese Frosting

• 125 gm cream cheese, cut into chunks, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup / 4 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup / 150gm icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

---

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F / 180C.
2. Grease a 9″ cake pan. This size is actually for the recipe which I have halved here so you can only make a thin single layered cake if you use a 9″ pan. Try a smaller pan if you want to frost the cake in layers.
3. Put the flour, baking powder, salt, and soda into the food processor and whiz them together for about 15-20 seconds.
4. Tip into a bowl and set aside. If mixing by hand, just put everything into a bowl and blend together using a whisk or a fork.
5. Chop the bananas into the food processor next and whiz into a pulp. Make sure the banana is really ripe. Again, you can do this step by hand using a fork or potato masher, in a separate bowl.
6. Add the sugar and egg to the mashed banana and whiz for another minute.
7. Then add the butter and whiz for another minute until the mixture is thick and creamy. (Cream together for about 5 mins if doing by hand).
8. Next, add the sour cream (or buttermilk) and vanilla extract and whiz in quick pulses until just blended. Fold together if doing by hand.
9. At this stage, you can either tip the flour mixture into the food processor or fold together in a separate bowl. My chopper bowl is not that big so I did this in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and fold until just blended. Don’t overdo the mixing part.
10. Scoop into greased tray and smooth out the top layer evenly.
11. Bake for about 40 mins or until the top turns golden brown and the cake passes the skewer test.
12. Remove and let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting

1. Blend the cream cheese and butter together until smooth
2. Add the icing sugar and vanilla and process again until completely smooth and creamy – about 3-5 minutes
3. Refrigerate until needed. 
4. Let the cake cool completely before frosting

---

Notes

• I halved the recipe in the book to make one cake. You can double the measurements above to get a 9″ layered cake 
• The frosting is optional, the cake is sweet and delicious enough on its own, in my opinion
• The banana needs to be really ripe for best results – please see picture below

Step by Step Pictures for Best Banana Cake Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350F / 180C. Grease a 9″ cake pan or a brownie pan like I used.

Make sure your banana is really ripe before you attempt this banana cake recipe

2. Put the flour, baking powder, salt, and soda into the food processor and whiz them together for about 15-20 seconds. Tip into a bowl and set aside. If mixing by hand, just put everything into a bowl and blend together using a whisk or a fork.

3. Chop the bananas into the food processor next and whiz into a pulp. Again, make sure the banana is really really ripe. Again, you can do this by hand using a fork or potato masher, in a separate bowl.

4. Add the sugar and egg to the mashed banana and whiz for another minute. Then add the butter and whiz for another minute until the mixture is thick and creamy. (Cream together for about 5 mins if doing by hand).

5. Next, add the sour cream (or buttermilk) and vanilla extract and whiz in quick pulses until just blended. Fold together if doing by hand.

6. At this stage, you can either tip the flour mixture into the food processor or fold together in a separate bowl. My chopper bowl is not that big so I did this in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and fold until just blended. Don’t overdo the mixing part.

7. Scoop into greased tray and smooth out the top layer evenly.

8. Bake for about 40 mins or until the top turns golden brown and the cake passes the skewer test. Remove and let cool completely before frosting.

For Cream Cheese Frosting:

Whiz together all ingredients in the food processor for about a minute until well blended. Chill until needed to frost. You can mix by hand too, just make sure the butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature so that they blend well when mixing with hand.

When the cake is cool, layer on the frosting on all sides. Cut and serve. With sour cream, the cake turns out much much softer so try and use it instead of buttermilk, if you can. Yum.

For banana cake recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Kannada, Malay, Urdu, etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.

The post Best Banana Cake Recipe With Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Edible Garden.

Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe in 5 minutes: a super quick and easy method to make chocolate cake in a mug in your microwave. Perfect for odd hour chocolate cake cravings!

Making cake in a microwave, that too a microwave chocolate cake, is a no-brainer to me. Most of my childhood stories that my parents relate revolve around chocolate in some form.

So yeah, I am a chocolate-lover and this microwave mug cake is a really dangerous thing to enter my life. Throw some ingredients you already have in your pantry into a mug, microwave for a minute on high, and there you go – mug cake!

Sugar cravings are real and while it’s advisable to ignore it most of the time, sometime’s a girl’s gotta have her chocolate cake!

When 5-min chocolate mug cake recipes did their rounds in the Internet, I turned a blind eye. I told myself it can’t actually be chocolate cake if it’s made in a mug in the microwave for 2 minutes, can it?

Well, it is. I recently caved and made the darn thing one night when I had to have something with chocolate in it. It took all of 5 mins to whip one up for myself and it was good. Like, really good.

This chocolate mug cake is springy and fudge-y and tastes just like regular cake, trust me. All you need are basic ingredients which you probably already have in your pantry. Even an occasional baker or complete beginner can whip up a mug cake.

So what type if microwave is needed to make cake? For this mug cake, a generic microwave that has heating functionality is good enough. Isn’t it a delightfully scary thought that now there’s nothing (much) standing between you and a mug of delicious chocolate cake?

Also check out this microwave chocolate cake ready in 7 minutes, and this chocolate chip cookie in a cup recipe. Want to make cake without an oven? Here you go – pressure cooker chocolate cake recipe that turns out perfect!

5-Minute Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 3 mins
• Cook Time: 2 mins
• Total Time: 5 mins
• Yield: 1
• Category: Cake
• Cuisine: International

Print

Pin

---

Description

A chocolate cake you can make in the microwave in a mug in 5 minutes. Dangerously delicious and perfect to take care of those cravings that hit at the oddest hours.

---

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoon flour
• 5 tablespoon sugar (white or brown)
• 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons milk (any milk will do)
• 3 tablespoons butter (or any neutral oil)
• A pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)
• 2 drops of vanilla extract (optional)

---

Instructions

1. Grab two microwave-safe coffee mugs that can hold about 250 ml liquid 
2. Halve the quantity of flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and sugar and add into each mug.
3. Mix well with a fork.
4. Then halve the quantity of milk, butter, and vanilla and add into each mug.
5. Break egg into another small bowl, whisk with a fork, and add half of it into each mug.
6. Stir well until all the ingredients mix well. Make sure there is no flour stuck to the bottom of the mug.
7. Add one mug at a time to the microwave and cook on medium heat for 2 mins.
8. Every microwave acts differently and mine is a very basic one with just two knobs, one for heat level (low, medium, high) and one for time. I kept mine on medium and set each mug at 2 minutes. The cake turned out perfect.
9. If your microwave can show power levels, etc, keep it at medium and start with 2 minutes.
10. You can adjust it once you take a look at your cooked cake.

---

Important Notes for Making Mug Cake in a Microwave:

• Bake mug cakes in regular heating mode, not convection mode on your microwave.
• Stop cooking the cake when its still a bit fudge-y and goo-ey around the edges. The cake cooks a bit more while cooling down (yes you will have to wait a while after it cooks!).
• For an eggless chocolate mug cake, replace the egg with 3 tbsp plain yogurt (1.5 tbsp for each mug).
• If you make this without eggs, it won’t be as airy as the version with eggs. Still, if you don’t eat eggs, it’s absolutely acceptable to go the eggless route.
• You can add chopped nuts, chocolate chips or sprinkles on the cake to jazz it up.
• Serve with whipped cream or ice-cream for an extra special touch. Works great if you are hosting and want a quick dessert idea
• Almost all ceramic mugs can take 2-3 mins in the microwave but be mindful of what you choose. Ceramic or glass works best. Avoid plastic mugs (not just for microwave use but in general, if possible).

For chocolate mug cake recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.

The post Chocolate mug cake recipe, 5-min mug cake in microwave appeared first on Edible Garden.

Homemade Pizza may seem like a daunting thing to bake but with this almost instant pizza crust recipe, it’s way easier than you can imagine.

The best part about making pizza at home with kids is the free reign you can give them when it comes to toppings. We generally make vegetarian pizzas at home so everyone can enjoy them, The Husband being the key pizza-lover around.

Pizza is TH’s absolute favourite food of all times. That and Palak Paneer. In fact I am planning to combine the two soon and try a Palak Paneer Pizza soon.

Wherever we travel to we taste the local pizza from there, he’s that into it. On that note, the Japanese make amazing pizza (among almost all other things) and their version with mayo and sweet corn is incredible.

So anyway, since he loves pizza so much and Pizza Hut is not exactly the healthiest of choices, I make pizza at home as often as I can. I make the dough for the pizza base in bulk and refrigerate it to use it on a weeknight.

In fact, if you have all the ingredients for the topping, pizza is a super quick weeknight meal that requires very little hands-on time.

The pizza recipe that I always default to is this pizza with Gouda cheese. The original recipe is from Pioneer Woman and I have tweaked it over many attempts to make it my own.

A couple of weeks back, I had about 1 hour to make lunch and I wanted a super quick and easy pizza base to throw some topping on and bake while I cleaned up the kitchen.

This recipe from Best Recipes hit the mark and it had so many great reviews that I had to try it. The result was fabulous and I make a thick crust homemade pizza with loads of tomatoes and capsicum.

I also had some almost-limp broccoli which I threw into the mix. Let your imagination go wild for the toppings!

Homemade Pizza Recipe

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 1 large 12″ pizza
• Category: Pizza
• Method: Baking

Print

Pin

---

Description

An easy and quick homemade pizza recipe from scratch. The base dough requires just 30 minutes for kneading and rising, making this a very achievable dinner or lunch idea.

---

Ingredients

For the pizza crust:

• 2 cups of plain flour / maida
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoon (one sachet) of instant or active dry yeast (I use and recommend Fleischmann Yeast)
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of warm water

For the topping:

• 4 tablespoons canned tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves or oregano
• 1 cup grated mozzarella or a mix of mozzarella and cheddar cheese
• Sliced cherry tomatoes
• Optional: broccoli, onion, capsicum (bell pepper), etc

---

Instructions

To make the pizza dough:

1. Combine all the ingredients and gently knead with fingertips until a slightly sticky dough forms. You don’t need to knead too much, just until the dough forms. In the Kitchenaid, it took me about 3 mins.
2. Place in an oiled bowl and turn the dough so the oil coats it. 
3. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise for about 20-25 mins or until doubled in volume
4. Punch down the dough and knead lightly until it forms a ball
5. Transfer to a floured surface.
6. Roll the dough into a circle or rectangle, flouring it as you go.
7. You can also transfer straight to your baking tray and flatten with your fingertips until the pizza crust reaches your desired thickness. Use oiled fingertips to make this easier

To make the topping and assemble:

1. Boil the tomato sauce with some water and basil / oregano and salt
2. Let it cool and spread on the pizza dough
3. Add grated cheese on top and follow it up with onions, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, onion, capsicum, etc
4. Pre-heat oven to 375F / 200 C and bake for about 15-20 minutes or the pizza base base turns a golden brown
5. Slice and serve pizza hot with chilli flakes and ketchup

---

Notes

• With this quantity of dough – you can make two smaller pizzas, use half the dough and refrigerate the rest, or just make one large pizza like I did
• The toppings and choices are up to your imagination. Choose your own sauce, add pepperoni, ham or any other meals of your choice.
• The dough can be refrigerated for a day or two but it will continue to rise slowly.
• If you plan to use it after a day, I’d recommend refrigerating the dough as soon as you knead it; don’t let it rise outside
• Be generous with salt, I often find my homemade pizza lacks enough salt and tastes bland due to that.

Keywords: homemade pizza recipe

Step by Step Homemade Pizza

Combine all the ingredients and gently knead with fingertips until a slightly sticky dough forms. You don’t have to knead for too long.

Place in an oiled bowl and turn the dough so the oil coats it. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise for about 20-25 mins or until doubled in volume. In sunny Singapore, it barely took me 25 mins.

Punch down the dough and knead lightly until it forms a ball. Transfer to a floured surface.

Roll the dough form with your fingertips into a circle or rectangle to fit your baking tray. Make sure to flour the baking tray and oil your fingers to make it easy to do this

Add your tomato sauce, cheese, and toppings. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C for 15-20 minutes.

Serve your homemade pizza hot!

The post Homemade Pizza Crust in 30 Minutes appeared first on Edible Garden.

Instant oats idli recipe with rava, yogurt, eno salt, and spices.

This is an easy Indian breakfast recipe with rava or semolina and oats. Instant oats idli, much like the popular rava idli recipe, is fast gaining popularity as we try to use oats more in our daily diets. Learn how to make instant oats idli at home – they come out super spongy and delicious.

Indian breakfast recipes with oats (Quaker oats in particular) have been gaining a lot of popularity over the last couple of years. I have been constantly getting requests to post ideas but honestly, I hadn’t gotten into the bandwagon during its early days until I tried making this instant oats idli.

Then I just turned around and kicked myself for not trying to do this earlier. Oats is a healthy gluten-free cereal that used to be associated with a gloopy porridge until a few years ago (in my mind anyway). Then it started seeing its way into baked goods like cookies and breads, and now, very aptly into Indian food recipes.

We love rava idli and I make two versions of them very regularly – rava idli with eno and an instant rava idli version without eno. Both turn out really good (I prefer the eno version though) and is always a quick dinner option when I am feeling too tired after a long day at work. With a good bowl of sambar or a tomato chutney, rava idlis are quite a treat.

But this instant oats idli recipe is something else. It uses roasted and powdered oats along with rava (semolina) and the other usual suspects of rava idli and boy, do they play well together! I made them for breakfast on a Sunday morning and really wished I’d made a larger batch.

I played around a bit with the proportions (I made 4 batches in total) and finally figured out what worked best for me. Accompanied by spicy green coconut chutney, radish sambar, and cardamom tea, this was quite a meal to start the day.

More breakfast recipes you may enjoy:
Sago dosa recipe
Jowar dosa recipe
Idli with idli rava
Kanchipuram idli recipe
No-grind dosa batter recipe

Instant Oats Idli Recipe with Rava

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Yield: 10 idlis
• Category: Breakfast
• Cuisine: Indian

Print

Pin

---

Description

Instant oats rava idli recipe, a twist on the popular rava idli, a healthy and delicious steamed Indian breakfast recipe

---

Ingredients

• 1 cup of uncooked oats
• 1/2 cup of rava or semolina
• 1 cup of thick, plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup of water (adjust as needed)
• 1 tsp of oil
• 1/4 tsp of black mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp of chana dal
• 2 tbsp of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 3/4 tsp of plain eno salt (or baking soda)
• 2 tbsp of roasted cashew nuts (optional)
• Salt to taste

---

Instructions

1. Roast the oats in a dry skillet until the colour begins to change and the ends of the oat flakes begin to curl. Make sure not to burn them, do this on a low flame.
2. Cool and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and chana dal. When the dal turns golden brown, add the rava and roast for 2-3 mins or until lightly browned.
4. Add the powdered oats, cashew nuts, some salt, and chopped coriander leaves to this. Mix well and turn off the heat.
5. Transfer this mixture to a bowl and cool. Then add the yogurt+water and mix wel. The batter should be fairly thick.
6. Now add the eno salt. You will see bubbles appearing on the batter. Immediately pour into greased idli moulds and steam for 10-12 minutes.
7. Don’t let the batter sit for too long after adding eno. If you can’t steam all in one go, add the eno salt just before steaming.
8. It’s also a good idea to bring the water in the steamer to a boil in advance (maybe when you are setting the roasted mixture to cool before adding yogurt) so that you can immediately start steaming after the eno salt is added.
9. Serve oats idli warm with accompaniments and chutneys of choice.

---

Step by Step Instant Oats Idli Recipe

Roast the oats in a dry skillet until the colour begins to change and the ends of the oat flakes begin to curl. Make sure not to burn them; do this on a low flame.

Cool and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and chana dal. When the dal turns golden brown, add the rava and roast for 2-3 mins or until lightly browned.

Add the powdered oats, cashew nuts, some salt, and chopped coriander leaves to this. Mix well and turn off the heat.

Transfer this mixture to a bowl and cool. Then add the yogurt+water and mix well. The batter should be fairly thick.

Now add the eno salt. You will see bubbles appearing on the batter.

Immediately pour into greased idli moulds and steam for 10-12 minutes.

Don’t let the batter sit for too long after adding eno. If you can’t steam all in one go, add the eno salt just before steaming.

Tips for making successful instant oats idli:

• Bring the water in the steamer to a boil in advance (maybe when you are setting the roasted mixture to cool before adding yogurt) so that you can immediately start steaming after the eno salt is added.
• Serve oats idli warm with accompaniments and chutneys of choice.
• The idlis can be stored in the refrigerator for a day.
• Gently re-steam before steaming.
• I generally don’t re-heat idlis in the microwave since they start to dry out if you do. However, if you plan to serve immediately after heating in the microwave, it should be fine.

For instant oats idli recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, etc, please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.

If you try this instant oats idli recipe, please share on your favourite social media platform with #ediblegarden and drop a comment below to let me know, I’d love to see it! Don’t forget to rate the recipe too.

The post Instant Oats Idli Recipe Step by Step appeared first on Edible Garden.

Amritsari paneer tikka recipe, learn how to make Amritsari paneer tikka using this simple step by step recipe.

Hello everyone! It’s been a while. If you follow me on my Facebook or Instagram profiles, you would know that I now have a beautiful baby girl. She’s absolutely wonderful, but then of course, I am a biased-first time mom. Having a baby is every bit as challenging and exciting as they say and it’s been a complete life-changer, as you can imagine. The last time I took such a big break from blogging was during my wedding. 

So anyway, here I am, stealing some time to post a recipe here while baby girl naps. I now have a Sri Lankan full time helper who is a very good cook and been making some pretty amazing dishes for us over the past few weeks. This Amritsari paneer tikka is one of the first few dishes she made for us when I told her how much TH and I love paneer.

The most interesting and delicious part of Amritsari paneer tikka is the generous addition of dried fenugreek leaves (kauri methi) and besan. We chose to pan fry it with a dab of oil and it was really yummy. You can also use a griddle or grill pan if you have one or use the broil function in your oven to get some nice charred Amritsari paneer tikka to serve your guests. 

The recipe itself is very simple. You need:

• some fresh paneer
• a marinade that comes together easily with few ingredients
• a pan to just fry them up
• You can even marinate and keep the paneer tikka to make and serve hot later, if entertaining. 

More paneer recipes if you are paneer lovers like us!
Dingri Dolma – mushroom paneer masala
Matar paneer
Paneer shashlik
Paneer tikka
Aloo paneer kofta

Print

Amritsari Paneer Tikka Recipe

★★★★★ 4.8 from 5 reviews

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hours 5 minutes
• Yield: 20 tikka
• Category: Appetiser
• Cuisine: Indian

Print

Pin

---

Description

Amritsari paneer tikka recipe, an easy starter recipe with paneer in a simple marinade finished on the stove top. Serve hot with green chutney for a great party starter.

---

Ingredients

• 250 grams paneer
• 2 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp ajwain (omam)
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp fresh ginger garlic paste
• 3–4 tbsp besan (gram flour)
• 2–3 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Water as needed
• Oil to pan fry

---

Instructions

1. Cut the paneer into 2 inch cubes and set aside
2. In a pan, heat 2 tsp oil and add the ajwain. Fry for 5 seconds until fragrant
3. Make sure heat is very low and add the red chilli flakes. Saute for 15 seconds
4. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute again for 10 seconds
5. Now add the besan and roast for a minute or two
6. Lightly crush the kasuri methi between your fingers and add to the above
7. Saute again for a minute. Add salt and mix well. 
8. Transfer this to a bowl and add sugar and lemon juice. Mix well. 
9. Add enough water to make a loose paste
10. Add in the paneer cubes and mix well gently without breaking the paneer pieces
11. It’s best to leave this aside for 30 mins or so in the refrigerator but you can proceed to make the Amritsari paneer tikka immediately too
12. To pan fry the tikka, heat some oil in a pan and add the pieces one by one without overlapping
13. Let it cook on medium heat until one side is nice and crisp and then turn over and cook the other side
14. Transfer to a plate and serve hot with green chutney

---

Notes

• If using frozen paneer, make sure you thaw completely before cutting. Fresh paneer tastes best to prepare Amritsari paneer tikka recipe
• I cut the cubes into thin pieces (so it’s not exactly a cube but more like thin squares) so that the marinade spreads more evenly. If you cut the paneer too thick, it will taste bland in the middle
• You can add roasted jeera (cumin) powder along with ajwain if you like

---

Nutrition

• Calories: 0
• Sugar: 0 g
• Sodium: 0 mg
• Fat: 0 g
• Saturated Fat: 0 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 0 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Protein: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

Step by Step Amritsari Paneer Tikka Recipe

Cut the paneer into 2 inch cubes and set aside

In a pan, heat 2 tsp oil and add the ajwain. Fry for 5 seconds until fragrant

Make sure heat is very low and add the red chilli flakes. Saute for 15 seconds

Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute again for 10 seconds

Now add the besan and roast for a minute or two

Lightly crush the kasuri methi between your fingers and add to the above

Saute again for a minute. Add salt and mix well.

Transfer this to a bowl and add sugar and lemon juice. Mix well.

Add enough water to make a loose paste

Add in the paneer cubes and mix well gently without breaking the paneer pieces

It’s best to leave this aside for 30 mins or so in the refrigerator but you can proceed to make the Amritsari paneer tikka immediately too

To pan fry the tikka, heat some oil in a pan and add the pieces one by one without overlapping

Let it cook on medium heat until one side is nice and crisp and then turn over and cook the other side. Transfer to a plate and serve hot with green chutney.

The post Amritsari Paneer Tikka Recipe Step by Step appeared first on Edible Garden.

Since I am now down to, what, one post every 50 days or something, I might as well share a recipe that is close to my heart and a personal favourite. So a prawn coconut curry recipe it shall be today!

If you guys follow me along on Instagram, you would know that I am back to work. It’s been 5 days and I am surviving and my baby girl is surviving and sometimes it’s like I never took a six month break and had a baby. I am told that’s a good thing so we’ll go with that.

 You know what’s also a good thing? This prawn coconut curry that I made only a dozen times during my maternity leave, kept it in the fridge for days, and ate a little at a time while watching Netflix. Now that I am back at work, this prawn coconut curry also makes for a super quick and easy lunchbox idea and if you’re anything like me, this curry paired with some steamed rice is all you need.

If you must have some vegetables alongside your meal, then cut up some cucumber, tomatoes, and green bell pepper, toss in salt + pepper + some lime juice and you have yourself a winning office lunch.

The beauty of a prawn coconut curry, or this recipe anyway, is that you can customise to your heart’s content. Increase or reduce the amount of coconut, spice it up more or less, add or remove any ingredient of choice, etc. I will say that if you follow this recipe, you will get to a pretty great prawn coconut curry that’s a happy medium.

A medley of prawns, coconut, tomato, onion, spices, all smothered over some steamed rice and served hot. What’s not to love, I ask!

While the Kerala style prawn curry with coconut milk and the Thai prawn coconut curry is a hit with me too, I do think this is THE BEST prawn curry recipe because it’s so EASY. Easy is a win, always.

Other seafood goodness for you to sink your teeth into:

Dry Chilli Prawns
Fish Fry
Chilli Fish
Kerala Prawn Roast

Prawn Coconut Curry Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 4
• Category: Seafood
• Cuisine: Indian

Print

Pin

---

Description

A simple and easy prawn coconut curry recipe to serve with rice

---

Ingredients

• 500 grams prawns, shelled and deveined
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 2 cups cubed ripe tomatoes
• 2 cups sliced onions
• 2–3 garlic flakes, sliced
• 2” piece of ginger, sliced
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 5–6 dry red chillies
• 1/2 cup tamarind water
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves or coriander leaves for garnish

---

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan and add the onions, ginger, and garlic
2. Saute until the onions turn soft and pink. Add the tomatoes
3. Give everything a mix and let the tomatoes cook for 2-3 minutes
4. Then add the coconut, chilli powder, and coriander powder
5. Mix together and it cook for 5-6 minutes or until the raw smells leaves coconut and onions
6. Transfer to a mixer jar and grind to a coarse paste. Set aside.
7. Clean and prepare your prawns.
8. Extract tamarind juice and discard the pulp and seeds, if any
9. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the same pan and add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and red chillies torn roughly into pieces
10. When the mustard pops, add the ground coconut mixture
11. Add in the tamarind extract and some salt
12. On medium heat, cook the coconut tamarind mixture for 8-10 minutes
13. It will thicken quite a bit and the flavours would be nicely incorporated. Taste test and add more salt as needed
14. Add the prawns at this time and cook covered for no more than 5 minutes.
15. Prawns need very little time to cook and overcooking will make them rubbery. Nobody likes rubbery prawns. Nobody.
16. Uncover, turn off heat, and serve hot with rice.

---

Step by Step Prawn Coconut Curry Recipe

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan and add the onions, ginger, and garlic

Saute until the onions turn soft and pink. Add the tomatoes

Give everything a mix and let the tomatoes cook for 2-3 minutes

Then add the coconut, chilli powder, and coriander powder

Mix together and it cook for 5-6 minutes or until the raw smells leaves coconut and onions

Transfer to a mixer jar and grind to a coarse paste. Set aside.

Clean and prepare your prawns. 

Soak tamarind in water and extract tamarind juice and discard the pulp and seeds, if any

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the same pan and add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and red chillies torn roughly into pieces

When the mustard pops, add the ground coconut mixture

Add in the tamarind extract and some salt

On low heat, cook the coconut tamarind mixture for 8-10 minutes

It will thicken quite a bit and the flavours would be nicely incorporated. Taste test and add more salt as needed. Add the prawns at this time and cook covered for no more than 5 minutes.

Prawns need very little time to cook and overcooking will make them rubbery. Nobody likes rubbery prawns. Nobody. 

Uncover, take in the wonderful aroma of prawn coconut curry, and serve hot with rice.

Prawn coconut curry is also a good recipe to whip up if you are expecting guests. Just make sure nobody is allergic or dislikes prawns because I find it’s not a universal favourite as one might imagine.

Good luck and tag #ediblegarden if you cook up any of my recipes, I’d love to have a look see.

The post Prawn coconut curry recipe step by step appeared first on Edible Garden.

Chettinad chicken curry is the bomb dot com. Enough said. Learn how to make a ridiculously delicious Chettinad chicken curry – or maybe I should say Chettinad-inspired chicken curry – since I am not sure how authentic this recipe truly is but if you love your chicken curry, make this NOW.

It’s not a secret that I love Chettinad chicken recipes and had great success trying out a few, especially this Chettinad chicken masala and a Chettinad pepper chicken recipe. But those two recipes are more on the “dry” side and if you like Chettinad food, a chicken curry recipe has to be part of your cooking arsenal.

Chettinad recipes are usually:

• Spicy
• Fiery
• Fragrant
• Flavourful
• Meat-based
• Delicious!

This chicken curry definitely checks all of the above. Get chicken pieces with bones for best results. We used some leftover chicken wings to cook it up and weren’t disappointed.

Serve this with cumin rice or rotis.

Chettinad Chicken Curry Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 4
• Category: Chicken
• Cuisine: Indian

Print

Pin

---

Description

A spicy and delicious chicken curry recipe made Chettinad-style. Chettinad chicken curry tastes best with a simple pulao or roti.

---

Ingredients

• 300 grams chicken pieces with bone
• 2 tbsp curd / plain yogurt
• A few curry leaves
• 1–2 tbgp ghee or oil
• 1 cup sliced onions
• 1 green chilli, chopped (optional)
• 1 cup tomato, cubed
• 2 tsp crushed kasuri methi / dried methi leaves (optional)
• 1 tbsp cream

For masala paste

• 1–2 tsp chilli powder
• 2 flakes of garlic
• 2 dry red chillies
• A few cashew nuts
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• A small piece of cinammon
• 2 cloves
• 1 star anise
• Seeds from 2 cardamom pods

---

Instructions

1. Wash and clean the chicken pieces and set aside
2. In a wide pan, dry roast the ingredients for masala paste until the chilli powder gets roasted and the mixture turns aromatic
3. Cool and grind to a smooth paste with enough water and salt
4. Add the ground spice paste along with the yogurt and curry leaves to the chicken pieces
5. Mix thoroughly and set aside
6. In the same pan, heat ghee or oil and add the sliced onions and green chillies (if using)
7. Fry the onions until golden brown and add the tomatoes
8. Give it a good mix and add the marinated chicken pieces
9. Mix well and add 1 cup water
10. Cook covered for 7-10 minutes or until the chicken pieces are cooked through
11. Add crushed kasuri methi on top (if using). You can also use fresh chopped coriander leaves instead
12. Drizzle cream on top. This is also optional but really enhances the taste of the curry. Adjust salt as needed
13. Serve hot with cumin rice or roti

---

Notes

• Adjust the spice levels to your taste. This recipe makes a fairly spicy Chettinad chicken curry
• You can grind the onions and tomatoes once roasted and then proceed with the rest of the recipe. This gives a creamier gravy
• You can also omit tomatoes and add 1 tsp tamarind paste or 1/4 cup tamarind water to the chicken when cooking
• The kasuri methi is optional and not typically used in Chettinad recipes. Omit or use as you wish

---

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 150
• Fat: 35 grams
• Protein: 110 grams

Step by Step Chettinad Chicken Curry Recipe

Wash and clean the chicken pieces and set aside

In a wide pan, dry roast the ingredients for masala paste on low heat until the chilli powder gets roasted and the mixture turns aromatic

Cool and grind to a smooth paste with enough water and salt

Add the ground spice paste along with the yogurt and curry leaves to the chicken pieces

Mix thoroughly and set aside

In the same pan you used for roasting chilli and spices, heat ghee or oil 

Add the sliced onions and green chillies (if using)

Fry the onions until golden brown and add the tomatoes

Give it a good mix and add the marinated chicken pieces

Mix well and add 1 cup water

Cook covered for 7-10 minutes or until the chicken pieces are cooked through. Add crushed kasuri methi, on top if using

You can also use fresh chopped coriander leaves instead. Drizzle cream on top. This is also optional but really enhances the taste of the curry.

Adjust salt as needed. Serve hot with cumin rice or roti

For Chettinad chicken curry recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.

The post Chettinad Chicken Curry Recipe Step by Step appeared first on Edible Garden.

A chocolate olive cake recipe that’s perfect for even beginners. An eggless chocolate cake recipe which gives soft and delicious cake!

I’ve come to realise over many years of baking that using oil in chocolate cake recipes, instead of butter, is the way to go. It makes the cake way lighter, less dense, and overall just amazing.

Also check out: eggless chocolate sponge cake | chocolate pressure cooker cake

This chocolate olive oil cake has been my go-to recipe for many years and it’s crazy that it hasn’t shown up in the blog yet. I think it’s mainly because I bake it for TH’s birthday almost every year and often when I have guests and these times are usually not leisurely enough to take pictures.

Anyway, the last time I made this chocolate olive oil cake, I did take some pictures so here we go – a truly no-fail chocolate cake recipe with olive oil and it’s eggless too!

I usually bake this chocolate cake in a regular square 8″ pan but after getting this Nordicware bundt pan, I am unable to bake in anything else so please bear with me. Also, this chocolate cake turns out incredibly soft and if you cut into it as soon as it comes out of the oven, like I did, clean pieces are not guaranteed.

The key to making a great chocolate olive oil cake is :

• Good quality cocoa powder
• Not to over-mix the batter
• Not to worry when the batter is “too runny” – this is normal!
• Make sure to pre-heat the oven before baking

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake Recipe

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: One 9″ Cake
• Category: Cakes
• Method: Baking

Print

Pin

---

Description

A soft and delicious chocolate using olive oil instead of butter. This chocolate cake is also eggless. Adapted from here.

---

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or atta, wheat flour)
• 1 cup white sugar (I have used a bit lesser than this)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup water

---

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C / 350F. Grease a 9″ baking pan or bundt pan with butter and set aside
2. Mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk – flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar – ensuring there are no lumps
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, vanilla, and water
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and mix gently until just combined and there are no lumps. Do not over-mix the batter
5. Pour into the greased pan and bake in the pre-heated oven for 35 minutes or a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean
6. Cool completely before slicing. You can also frost this cake for a special occasion

---

Notes

• The batter will be a bit runny, this is normal
• Use good quality cocoa powder
• You can use regular white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar
• You can use plain all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or spelt flour in chocolate cake recipe. The texture may change a little based on the flour used

Keywords: chocolate cake, eggless cake, easy cake, baking, cake, chocolate, easy baking

Chocolate olive oil cake recipe – stepwise

Gather all your ingredients together

Add the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking sugar, coffee powder, and salt to a mixing bowl

Whisk until well incorporated without any lumps

In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water

Gently pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients

Mix gently to combine without any lumps. Do not over-mix the batter, it will result in a hard cake

The matter will be quite runny, this is perfect

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and give the pan 1-2 gentle yet firm taps on the kitchen counter to get rid of air bubbles

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes

Cool completely before cutting and serving. You can also frost the cake as you desire

The post Chocolate Olive Oil Cake {Eggless} Recipe appeared first on Edible Garden.

These whole wheat flax seed cookies were a strong favourite with my toddler for a few months when all she would eat during snack time was cookies. I adapted it from an old favourite and added flax seed powder to make it healthier and add a bit of fibre.

A few reasons I love these cookies:

• They are versatile and no-fail
• You can bake them with plain flour or a mix of whole wheat flour and i flour. I used 100% whole wheat flour or atta this time
• The nuttiness of the whole wheat flour and the butter really complement each other well
• The flax seed powder I added to this batch is just one of the many ways you can customise them
• They are easy to make in a single bowl
• You can go from ingredients to cookies in 40 minutes flat
• My toddler seems to love them too!

If you are looking for more toddler-friendly recipes, then try the following recipes. Chicken meatballs with vegetables, banana atta oat muffins, and this yummy semolina porridge which is also baby friendly.

Whole Wheat Flax Seed Cookies

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: ~15 cookies
• Category: Cookies
• Method: Baking

Print

Pin

---

Description

A delicious and nutty cookie recipe with whole wheat flour and flax seed powder

---

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp almond meal or almond slices (optional)
• 4 tbsp flax seed powder (flax meal)
• 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• Milk, as needed

---

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 360F / 180C
2. In a bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, sugar, salt, almonds, flax seed powder and cardamom powder.
3. Next, add butter to this and mix with fingertips until a soft dough is formed. If the dough seems crumbly or dry, add milk one teaspoon at a time
4. Form small lemon-sized balls with the dough and flatten lightly between your palms. The cookies should be roughly ½ inch in thickness
5. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet with some space between them. They don’t spread a lot during baking
6. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 15-18 minutes or until they are a light golden brown
7. Once done, remove the baking tray from the oven and let the cookies cool down for two to three minutes before taking them off
8. Cool completely before storing in airtight containers
9. Enjoy with a glass of cold milk or tea

---

Notes

• The almond meal is optional but adds some nice flavour to the cookies. You can also use some chopped walnuts in place of almonds
• Replace green cardamom powder with cinnamon powder for a different flavour
• You can also omit the spices and use vanilla extract instead
• The butter should be soft but not melted or runny

Keywords: almond cookies, whole wheat cookies, eggless cookies, healthy cookies, cookies for kids, cookies for toddlers

These whole wheat flax seed cookies were adapted from Manjula’s Kitchen.

The post Whole Wheat Flax Seed Cookies appeared first on Edible Garden.

Appam is a quintessential Kerala breakfast and can seem quite tedious to make, especially if you are new to to the process. I love Appam and have had years of success with this quicker version of making appam with rice flour instead of grinding raw rice to make a batter, etc.

A few key things to remember when making appam using rice flour

1. The rice flour needs to be plain rice flour. No need to buy appam powder or any other ‘special’ kind. I’ve had success with pretty much all brands I’ve tried
2. The recipe calls for yeast. Use good quality, instant yeast. The kind you use for bread is perfect
3. Coconut milk is another key ingredient. I use full fat coconut milk which I thin down with some water. If using homemade coconut milk, add to the batter and thin down as needed with water
4. An appam pan is necessary to get perfect appams. These are typically round bottom pans or kadai and traditionally come in iron. Non-stick is available too. Use what works for you. I have the Nirali brand appam pan.
5. Using the right temperature to cook appam is critical. Check notes below recipe to learn more

Appam with Rice Flour

★★★★★ 4.7 from 3 reviews

• Author: nags
• Prep Time: 10 hours
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 10 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 10-12 Appam
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Cooking
• Cuisine: Kerala

Print

Pin

---

Description

Appam with rice flour, an easier and more fail-proof recipe to make spongy and soft Kerala appam recipe. Serve with Kerala egg roast for a perfect meal.

---

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups + 1 tablespoon rice flour
• 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup thick coconut milk

---

Instructions

1. Add 1 tablespoon rice flour to 1 cup water and cook in medium flame until thick and glossy – about 3-5 minutes
2. Remove from heat and set aside to cool
3. When cool (or lukewarm is fine too), add the remaining rice flour and yeast and mix with fingertips gently
4. If the mixture is too dry, add water one tablespoon at a time and mix together to form a thick yet soft mixture
5. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 8 hours (see notes)
6. After 8 hours, add coconut milk to this mixture and gently mix it in. The rice flour mixture will be thick and may form lumps, just gently break with a spoon or fingertips
7. Add water or thin coconut milk to bring it to a pouring consistency, like that of dosa batter
8. Mix in salt and sugar
9. Set aside again for 1-2 hours
10. The mixture should bubble up and get much lighter and watery
11. Heat the appam pan and add 1/4 cup batter to it (use a large round ladle to pour)
12. Holding the appam pan by the handles on both sides, gently swirl the batter along the edges. This video is helpful to see this in action.
13. Cover and cook on medium heat until the centre is cooked and the edges are drier and start to peel off from the pan, or turn a light orange brown
14. Gently start to remove from pan along the edges and transfer to a plate
15. Serve warm with sweetened coconut milk and Kerala egg roast

---

Notes

• Make sure the heat is maintained at medium. Too hot and the sides of the appam will get burned and centre will remain uncooked., Too low and you won’t be able to make an appam shape hold while swirling the pan.
• If you plan to cook appam with rice flour for breakfast, start the prep the night before, add the coconut milk in the morning 1-2 hours before you need to serve breakfast. If you want to make appam for dinner, then start prep in the morning.
• There should be minimum 1 cup thick coconut milk in the batter for this quantity of rice flour. If using homemade coconut milk, you can add remaining water to thin the batter or thin coconut milk (second milk, etc)
• Test salt and sugar in batter and adjust to taste. The batter should be slightly sweet. This feeds the yeast and also lends a better flavour to appam
• Leftover appam batter can be stored for 12 hours in fridge and used to make more appam
• Fermentation will depend on room temperature and other factors. These are the timings I use in Singapore which is a warm place. In Kerala, it ferments faster
• Always remember to use good quality yeast that’s active and check expiry to ensure it will work

Keywords: Kerala appam recipe with rice flour

Step by Step Pictures to make Appam with rice flour

Mix 1 tablespoon rice flour with water and cook in medium flame until you get a thick paste

Add remaining rice flour and yeast to this

Mix gently with fingertips and add more water as needed to make a soft yet firm dough. Cover and set aside to ferment for 8 hours or so.

After fermenting (the batter will have a fermented yeast-y smell), add the thick coconut milk and some water / thin coconut milk to get a pourable batter

Add salt and sugar to this. Mix well and keep covered for another 1- 2 hours.

The batter will bubble up in this time.

Gorgeous bubbles that will ensure super soft appams

Pour a ladle-ful into appam pan and swirl to make appam. Cook covered until done.

The post Appam with Rice Flour, Step by Step Recipe appeared first on Edible Garden.