Idiyappam & Kurma

Roasted rice flour - 2 cup
salt
hot water - 2 cups

I used store bought rice flour sold specifically for idiyappam. If you have fresh rice flour at hand, slightly roast and use. Add salt to the water while boiling. Slowly add the hot water to the rice flour, mixing it using a spatula. Adjust the water to get a soft dough. Pinch a golf ball size dough and with the help of a idiyappam press, press on to idli/idiyappam moulds. Steam cook for 10 minutes.

For side, I prepared kurma following Mallika Badrinath's recipe of Kurma for Idiyappam. I haven't made much changes to the original recipe.

Big onions - 3 nos

Tomatoes - 3 nos

Mixed vegetables, diced - 2 cups (carrot/french beans/cauliflower/potatoes etc)

dhania powder - 2 tspn

chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp

turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn

salt

Fresh thick curds - 1 cup

milk - 1/2 cup

oil - 3 tblspn

Green chillies - 2 nos

cardamom, cinnamon,cloves - few

Grind together

Grated fresh coconut - 3 tblspn

poppy seeds - 2 tspn

cashewnuts - 10 ( I didnn't add)

Slice chillies lenghtwise, finely chop onions and tomatoes.

Steam cook /MW the vegetables.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add the spices (cardamon,cloves and cinnamon), slit green chillies and onions.

Fry till onion turns golden brown and add chopped tomatoes. Stir till the tomatoes becomes pulpy and add dhania powder and mix well.

Add ground paste along with cooked vegetables, salt, turmeric and chilli powder

Cook till it becomes thick.

Add whipped curds and boil for a minute.

Remove from fire and stir in 1/2 cup milk.

Serve with idiyappam. This kurma can be paired with idli/dosas too.

Note: It tastes equally good if you omit the mixed vegetables. This makes a yummy side dish with only onions and tomatoes too.

My kurma goes to Srivalli's Curry Mela

The combo goes to WBB-Combi Breakfasts, hosted by Latha for the month of August.

Chocolate Moist Cake

Chocolate moist cake was one of the most frequent buying product from the "King of the Belgians Restaurant". I suppose its enchantment for those chocoholics is heaven!

I would normally leave the cake plain without any decoration but this time of year I must add something in order to look like a celebration cake for my friends birthday. I don't have any piping skills so I gave it a floral arrangements to produce a better look. However, the flowers is unedible, it's just for decoration.
The texture was very moist with rich chocolate flavor. Perhaps the instant coffee had enriched the cake flavor and it wasn't too sweet for the birthday girls.

Recipe for 8 inches cake tin:

Ingredients for the cake:

220g cake flour / 50g cocoa powder / 1 tsp baking powder / 1/2 tsp baking soda / 1/4 tsp salt / 190g butter / 280g sugar / 1 1/2 tsp vanilla / 3 large eggs / 250ml cold water / 1 tbsp instant coffee (dissolved with some water)

Ingredients for the chocolate fudge:

50g cocoa powder / 125ml water / 200ml evaporated milk / 100g sugar / 1/2 tsp salt / 1 tsp vanilla extract / 2 egg yolks / 60g cornflour / 1 tbsp instant coffee / 60g butter

Method for making the cake:

1. Beat the butter, gradually add in sugar then vanilla extract until the mixture become fluffy.


2. Add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.


3. Add shifted dry ingredients and water alternately to beaten mixture and mix well till well combined.


4. Pour mixture into two 8 inches greased and lightly floured round baking pans.


5. Bake at 180'C for 20 - 25 minutes. (do not over cook in order to produce a moisture texture)

Method for Cooking the Fudge:

1. Mix everything in a double boiler and keep on stirring with a hand whisk until the mixture thickens.


2. Lastly add in the butter until a smooth consistency.


3. Spread 1/3 of the fudge on a piece of 8 inches moist cake then sandwich with another piece.


4. Gently spread the fudge on top and side of the cake.


5. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours then start your creative decoration.

About Food Blog Awards

First awards and two at the same time! Totally unexpected, and what joy! Chitra Amma was very thrilled too. Usha and Srimathi - Thank so much from both of us.

I have been seeing pictures of these awards on so many sites, and was wondering what they are all about. Now I know. These remind me of chain mails that we used to send during our school days ...remember those blue inland letters? Friends used to buy them in stacks, just for the chain mails. I was never a great fan of chain letters, and was always the spoil-sport who took great pleasure in breaking those chains. This time however, is different. Receiving these awards, has pushed me to look up as many blogs as I could between work and work! I did enjoy visiting so many varied sites that I had bookmarked earlier, and found some nice new ones too. I wish I could send these awards to many more sites, but have carefully followed the rules, and numbers specified! I am not going to list the rules here.You will have to track back sites on the chain to find out. That's fun, as you again get to see many more ! I would not mind if you did not have time, inclination or energy to pass these awards on... but I do guarantee that its good fun!

Thanks to Usha of Veg Inspirations for sending the Blogging Friends Forever award.
I am happy to send them to:
A & N of Delectably yours . Check her James Bond style Pitle.
Teresa of Mexican-American Border Cooking If you have kids you must see this.
Rashmi of En Vittu Virundhu . Try this unusual and yummy sweet!
Sireesha of Mom's Recipes . Ever heard Dahi Vada without oil?! The health conscious will cheer!
Sanhita of Taste Buds . Here is a nice 'seedha-saadha' ridge gourd.
Shreya of Mom's cooking .Check her Rasam exotic !

I've never met any of you, but you are my blogging friends forever - for sure! Maybe we will meet someday!

Thanks to Srimathi of Few Minute Wonders for sending me the Brilliant Weblog
award.
I would like to pass on these awards to:
Jenn - The Leftover Queen Jenn needs no introduction. She is the power behind Foodie BlogRoll widgets on so many sites! Thanks Jenn . Really appreciate all your good work in bringing foodies together.
Teresa of Mexican-American Border Cooking Teresa's site has wonderful recipes, and photos. Her writing style and sense of humour is great. Don't miss the Little Fat Girls post!
Lakshmi of Taste of Mysore. I could just stare at the images on her header forever. Mysore nostalgia ....sigh.
Drew of How to cook like your Granmother . Photos, photos, and more photos! Drew has wonderful presentation and very interesting recipes - even how to make garlic salt!
Ramki of One Page Cookbooks. Just check his site to know what's great about it!!
Asha of Foodies Hope . Whoa! Asha does everything in plenty. I dont know anybody who cooks so much, or blogs so much, or comments so much, or expresses so much! Waiting for you to come back soon Asha.
V K Narayanan of My Dhaba One can channelise all the postive energy of foodies for something so much meangingful. Kudos to you VKN, and all the very best!

Now I am off to make 'cooker bisibele bath' for lunch!