Eggless Banana Walnut Cake

Banana walnut cake is enriched with goodness of Banana and Walnut. If the kids are troubling to eat banana, definitely you can try this recipe for them... And This is my first try in egg-less baking.

Ingredients:

All purpose  -1.5 cups
Banana - 4 big (ripen)
Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup (tightly packed)
Oil - 1/4 cup
vanilla essence - 1 tsp
baking soda - 1 tsp
Elachi powder - 1/8 tsp
Walnuts- 1/2 cup chopped.

Preparation:
1.Preheat the oven to 375F.
2.In a bowl, smash the banana with fork.
3.Add sugar,oil and mix well to it.
4.Add vanilla essence, elachi powder and give a gentle stir.
5.in another large bowl, Mix/sieve flour, baking soda.
6. Pour the wet mix of banana, sugar, oil and vanilla essence, and elachi powder to the flour bowl and mix gently.
7. Transfer the batter to the baking pan and bake for 25-30 mins. (mine took 28 mins).
Insert a toothpick and check whether it is coming out clean.

Notes:

1. If you are using white sugar, use 3/4 cup of it.
2. You can substitute the whole wheat flour or bread flour instead of maida.

Stuffed balls- Left over recipe

These stuffed balls are made with bread and leftover Rava upma. Few days back had some leftover upma, as my husband doesn't like upma, I knew I cannot ask him to have it again. Still I dint not want to waste it and prepare anything else. When I was checking my pantry, what I can make with these left over, I found half a pack of sour bread which we did not like actually...  So thought of trying something new for my family with both...

And the results were good. The sour breads gave some nice taste along with the upma. Finally I had finished both the bread and upma without wasting any of those... :)))

Ingredients:

Bread slices - 4-5 (I used sour bread)
Upma - 1 cup
Oil - to deep fry
Water - 2 cups in a wide bowl

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in Kadai
2. Make the upmas as small balls (about a big gooseberry size)
3. Remove the hard part of bread and slice them into two halves.
4. dip the bread slices quickly in water and squeeze it in between the palms and remove the water.
5.place the ball in the middle of the bread and cover it.roll like a ball. Repeat steps for the remaining also.
6. fry them in oil until they turn golden brown.

Enjoy with tomato and chili sauce.

Notes:
1. While squeezing the water, make sure not to tear the bread, at the same time try to squeeze the water as much as possible, Or else, it will take more oil.
2. Even you can use bread crumbs to coat it.
3.You can make it as oval shape also
4. Any Bread varieties can be used.

Linking to Dish it Out hosted by Full Scoops and organized by Vardhini of Cooks Joy

Vegetable Oothappam

Vegetable Oothappam will be definitely liked by all kids, and this would be a great alternate for the regular dosa. It can be made with leftover poriyal also.

Ingredients:
Dosa batter - 2 cups

Vegetables- 1 cup (Carrot, beans, green peas,cauliflower, cabbage)
Onions- 1/4 cup finely chopped (optional)
green chili - 1 medium
Tomato - few slices(optional)
Oil - 2 tea spoons
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
Salt- as required
Coriander leaves - finely chopped (optional)

Preparation:

1. clean and chop the veggies finely.
2. In a pan, heat 2 tea spoons of oil and add mustard seeds and urad dal.
3.Then add finely chopped onions, green chili and saute until the onion turns transparent.
4. Then add veggies and saute well by adding a little salt.
5. Once the veggies are cooked enough, switch off the flame and let it cool down for a while.
6. Then add this veggie mix to the Dosa batter and mix well.
7.Heat Dosa pan and make thick oothappam. Place tomato pieces on it. Cook both sides well.

Serve with your favorite chutney/podi or sambar

Linking this recipe to #recipeoftheweek | A Mummy Too

Linking to Dish it Out hosted by Full Scoops and organized by Vardhini of Cooks Joy

Carrot Chutney

Simple yet delicious carrot chutney recipe is here for you. I first heard this chutney in my friend's aunt's house in pondy. I could not believe that even chutney can be made from carrots. At our home carrot poriyal, grated carrot, carrot egg, and carrot juice are common, but making chutney was new and interesting.. :) Since I was in hostel that time i could not experiment the chutney again. After my marriage, If i struggle to decide what chutney to make, always this chutney will come in mind, and I never hesitate to make it now and then. There are variations in this chutney, I used to use urad dal / channa dal / both subject to their availability.  Sometimes I add onions too. I am mentioning the ingredients which I used to make this chutney this time. for variations please check my notes.

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1 medium (grated carrot should be atleast 3/4 cup to 1 cup)
Urad dal - 1.5 tbsp
tamarind - a small gooseberry sized
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Red chilies- 2
salt- as per taste

To temper:
Oil- 2-3 tea spoon
mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
urad dal - 1 tea spoon
curry leaves- a few

Preparation:
1. Heat a tea spoon of oil and saute the grated carrot for 2-3 minutes and keep aside.
2. add another teaspoon of oil and add, urad dal,  and roast well.
3. When it turns to a slight brown add tamarind, ginger and roast well, until the raw smell leaves.
4. At last add the red chilies and saute for a minute. (do not let the ingredients burn. It will spoil the taste of chutney).
5. Once it is cool down, in a blender, add all the ingredients along with the salt and grind it to a coarse paste.(Add only one or 2 tbsp of water while grinding. Consistency must be thick)
6. Temper it with the given ingredients.

Serve with Hot idlies or crispy Dosa.

Note:
1. do not add more water while grinding chutney.
2. Saute the grated carrot just until the raw smell leaves.
3. Even carrots can be just cubed,  instead of grating it.
4. Channa dal/urad dal can be used.
5. Adding some small onions will give a good taste for chutney. Make sure to saute the onion well. 2 or 3 pearls are enough. saute it along with ginger, red chili
6. If you are using tamarind puree, add it at last, that is just before switching off the flame. 1/2 a tsp of puree will be sufficient.

 For other Chutney recipes click here

Pumpkin Chutney

This is another tasty and healthy chutney recipe. A perfect dip for your Idly dosa varieties. Suitable for kids who don't eat pumpkin curry or other pumpkin dishes. They can not find that you have added pumpkins in the chutney. I have made this chutney twice in the past one week itself, and it was loved by my family.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin- 1 cup (cubed)
Onion- 1 medium
tomato- 2 medium
ginger- 1 inch
garlic- 2-3 gloves
red chilies- 2nos
salt- as per taste
oil- 2-3 tea spoon

to temper:
Oil- 2-3 tea spoon
mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
urad dal - 1 tea spoon
jeera- 1/2 tea spoon
curry leaves- a few
perungayam- a pinch

Preparation:

1. In a kadai, heat 2 tea spoons of oil and  add, ginger ,garlic pieces and red chillies, saute well  and add Chopped onions.
2. When the onions are turning transparent, Add tomatoes to it and saute until  the raw smell leaves and they are blend together.
3. At last add the pumpkin cubes and saute for two to three mins. It doesn't require much time to cook.
4. Let it cool down, then In blender, grind it to a paste by adding salt.
5. Temper it with the items listed















Serve with Idly, Dosa varieties.