Orange Cake (Eggless) without condensed milk

So their is another addition to my cakes & bakes section. I love baking with fresh fruits, like their fresh flavours. Already posted few cakes & muffins with fruits and this is with oranges. I have prepared this last weekend as few guests were arriving us and they specially demanded to have some cakes in dessert :). So I picked up my all the baking gadgets and baked a very simple yet flavourful orange cake. 

Its an eggless version, as I have already mentioned several times that I try to prepare eggless stuff more so that it can be followed by everyone :). I substituted eggs with yogurt and also substituted butter with oil. During my last post of Banana and walnut cake, someone asked me that why I use oil rather than butter, though butter taste nice? Hence would like to share with all of you that yes butter taste nice, but at the same time oil is no less, rather it makes the cake moist. Sometimes using butter in recipes, makes the cake a bit dry. But I am not very stringent with using oil, if the recipe demands for butter I use butter even and use other ingredients to make cake moist like sour cream, buttermilk. I saw many recipes which used condensed milk, making it more easier I tried it without on and results were too good, as u can see in the above pic. So lets move towards the recipe following the method 

Link for the video - 

Ingredients :

I have divided the ingredients list in two parts- the dry & wet ingredients. This way it will be easy for you to follow.

Dry ingredients: 

• All Purpose flour/Maida/Plain flour - 1+1/2 cups
• Baking Powder - 1+1/2 tsps
• Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Wet ingredients :

• White granulated sugar - 3/4cup
• Thick Yogurt - 3/4 cup (at room temperature)
• Vegetable Oil - 1/2 cup 
• Orange juice - 1/2 cup (Freshly squeezed)
• Orange Zest - 1 tsp 

 For Sugar glaze :

• Icing sugar/Ground sugar - 3-4 tbsps
• Orange juice - 2tbsps

Method :

• First preheat the oven at 180°C. Grease & flour the baking tin of 7" diameter, if you want, line with parchment paper/Butter paper. I took a loaf tin.
• Sieve the dry ingredients together atleast 3 times and keep aside, this give more aeration in the flour and helps in making the cake light.
• In other bowl mix sugar + yogurt and whisk nicely, you will get a very nice texture. To this add orange juice, oil and orange zest and mix. After they are well combined add the dry ingredients and fold in gently.
• Pour the batter in tin.
• Bake it on the middle rack for 35-40 mins or unless a tooth pick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Mine took exactly 40 minutes. But keep checking after 35 minutes as every oven vary as per the power :)
• When done, take it out and give a rest of 2 minutes in the tin, then demold and cool on a cooling rack.
• Prepare the sugar glaze - In a bowl take sugar and mix in orange juice little by little. Don't pour entire juice in one go. Mix well and you will get pouring consistency glaze. For details watch the video attached.
• Once the cake is completely cooled, pour the glaze and let it set for 5-10 minutes. Slice it and serve.

Note :

For orange zest - Take an orange wash it thoroughly, grate the outer skin but make sure to grate only the orange part and not white (otherwise it will be bitter). This is your fresh orange zest

Enjoy cake with Tea/coffee or with icecream or just like this only.

Please do share your experiences and feedback with me in the below section of comments or on my Facebook page. I too have a You Tube channel please do visit for all the video recipes. All the links mentioned below :) 

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/user/cookwithpriyanka

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/cookwithpriyanka

Thanks & Happy Baking

Priyanka :))) 

Quick Roasted Murmure/ Laiya/Lava - Low cal (Roasted Puffed Rice)

It was raining here in London since morning and I was craving for some adrak wali chai (Ginger Tea), I love it and can have 4-5 cups in a day, though I have started controlling my tea and switched to green tea more :))). 

We always have some snacks with evening tea, I am sure you all too. Usually in my Native Town, we all sit together and have evening tea with lots of fried snacks and no one is worried about the weight gain at all. I still remember during my schooling whenever I had my exams, mummy used to make a big dabba of murmure namkeen. She used to roast it in batches with lots of oil. I loved it and had it in huge quantities, later realized the unhealthy part. After marriage I started roasting them in a nonstick pan with no oil, but the results were not that good. Then one day I made this namkeen in microwave and voila the results were just mind blowing. My mother didn't realize that they were made in 1 tsp of oil (that too for only tadka/tampering). Its supereasy and quick to make too. I also prepare flattened rice/chivra namkeen almost in the same manner and pretty sure that you all will love it :))).

Here is the link for roasted chivra namkeen - Click here

Ingredients :

• Laiyya/Murmure/Puffed rice - 2 cups
• Peanuts - 3/4 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Black salt - 1 tsp
• Green chilies - 3 medium sized (finally chopped)
• Curry leaves - 15 (appx)
• Sugar - 1 tsp (optional)
• Salt - if needed (I didn't add)
• Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

• Take a microwavable big bowl, dry roast murmure in microwave for 2-3 minutes on high (do stir twice in between) and keep aside. Following the same procedure roast peanuts also for a couple of minutes or unless nicely done.
• In the same bowl, heat oil for 2 minutes in microwave. Now add curry leaves, green chilies turmeric powder, mix well and again microwave it for a min.
• Finally add black salt and sugar, mix (If you are adding plain salt, add at this point of time)
• Now add roasted peanuts and murmure, mix very well.
• Cool the mixture completely and store it in an airtight container for a month and enjoy with tea, coffee or cold drink. But I am sure it won't last for such long :)))

Note : 

• You can add some dry fruits like coconut, raisins, almonds etc.
• Adjust the quantity of peanuts, green chilies & salt as per the taste. You can also add red chili powder while tampering, and omit green chilies.

Do share your experiences and feedback with me in the below section of comments or on my Facebook page. I too have a You Tube channel please do visit for all the video recipes. All the links mentioned below :)

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/user/cookwithpriyanka

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/cookwithpriyanka

Thanks & Happy Healthy Cooking
Priyanka :)))

Oats & Whole wheat crackers with a kick of chili & lime

Today I have got something healthy for you guys and can bet you all that " no on can eat just one". Here in London there are various options for sweet snacks but very rare for savoury ones. Though I have a sweet tooth but sometimes really crave for something Chatpata :). Same thing happens with Sushant too, he needs to have something savoury with tea. So just thought to prepare a batch of these crackers. 

It was in my mind since a long time but never prepared, always was searching aisles in the supermarkets and returned with very mild biscuits or the one which we liked, had too many calories. 

While I was baking these, just gave a thought to add in some oats too as they are among one of my favorite ingredients. And yes the decision was right :)), Oats gave nice texture and made it healthy too. Secondly I used olive oil in place of butter and the results are not bad at all :). Adding chilies & lime was totally up to the preference. So lets quickly run through the ingredients following the method :)

Ingredients :

• Whole wheat flour - 3/4 cup
• Quick Oats - 1/4 cup
• Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chili flakes - 1/2 tsp (or as per the taste)
• Mixed dried herbs - 1/2 tsp
• Lemon Zest - 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Salt - as per the taste (I used a little more than 1/4 tsp)
• Olive oil/Veg Oil - 3 tbsps
• Water - less than 1/2 cup

Method :

• Preheat the oven at 180 ° C.
• Mix all the dry ingredients well including the lemon zest.
• Add oil and mix nicely. The mixture should be a little crumbly and when you hold it in your palm it should come together. 
• Now add little by little water and try to gather it. Pleas don't knead it. Kneading will form gluten and the crackers will not become crispy then.
• Try to make a ball and transfer it to a flat surface. If required dust the surface with some dry flour and roll it to 1/4 inch thickness.
• Cut them into desired shape and repeat the same process with rest of the dough. Transfer them on to a baking tray lined with baking paper.
• Prick them with a fork, to avoid puffing.
• Now apply some milk with a brush on the top.
• Bake them for about 20-25 minutes. Mine were exactly in the oven for 25 minutes and I also flipped them after 15 minutes for even cooking. (Every oven varies when it comes to temperature)
• Finally, I kept them on to the top rack and increased the temperature to 220 ° C for 30 sec, to get a nice color.
• Cool them completely by keeping them on a cooling rack and store in an air tight container.

Enjoy with hot Ginger Tea or cold drinks :)))

Note : The addition of flavors is totally as per the taste buds, you can also add cumin seeds or carom seeds. If you are baking it for your kids, then decrease the amount of chilies.
Adding lime zest is totally optional, but it gives a unique flavor.

You can roll them thin also if you want :)

Thanks & Happy Baking 
Priyanka :)

Avocado Patty Burgers (Eggless/with egg - both the recipes)

These days most of us wants to live their lives on a healthy platform. Everyone wants to be fit and honestly speaking one has to. I am on the same track even :))). I always avoid eating burgers, though I just love them. Sacrificing them is a big task :((( What if you find Health and taste together ???

One morning I had wheat buns with me. Some avocados, eggs, about to make salad. But suddenly I thought to make avocados and egg Patty burger. Sounds a bit different and unusual but trust me guys its full of taste. Once you start preparing them you will forget those fried aloo/chicken pattice. They are very easy to make with very little ingredients. As avocado have a very bland taste hence they can be mixed very well with others for a nicer taste. 

I usually purchase avocados and keep them for 2-3 days. Once they are perfectly ripped I use them for making salads or Mexican Guacamole.  But this time I incorporated it with some eggs and made burger Patty for it. And guess what it was a super duper hit in my house. Avocados have many health benefits, few of them are -

• Lowers cholesterol levels and maintaining a healthy heart.
• Controls blood pressure
• Regulates the blood sugar levels 
• My fav-Anti-aging properties 
• It protect against cancer 
• Has lots of goodness for Skin 
• Gives lot of energy 

I prepared it with eggs but it can also be very well prepared without them. So here I am posting both the versions :)))))

For the whole wheat buns please visit the mentioned link - Whole wheat seeded buns

Ingredients for the Patty with egg :

• Avocado - 1 nos
• Hard boiled egg - 1 nos
• Corn flour - 1/2 tbsp
• Semolina/Rava - 1 tbsp
• Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp (adjust as per the taste)
• Oil - 1/2 tsp 

 Ingredients for Assembling burger :

• Wheat buns - 1 nos
• Ice burg lettuce leaves - few
• Sliced tomatoes
• Sliced Onions (optional)
• Some low fat spread - I used hung curd with little salt & pepper as a spread

Method :

Making Patty

• Slit the avocado in between and take out the seed. Now with the help of a spoon scrape out its pulp leaving the skin.
• In a bowl mash it and add finely chopped egg
• Add rest of the ingredients - salt, garlic powder, chili powder, semolina and cornflour and mix well. Give it a minute, let semolina absorb some moisture.
• Apply some water on the palms and try to make out a Patty (size depends as per your choice). It will be a bit sticky but no worries.
  
• Immediately put it on a hot pan and drizzle some oil. Cook for a couple of minutes on medium flame and then turn lightly and then again cook.

Assembling the burger :

Slit the bun in to two. Keep it on the same pan without any oil, and slightly warm them up.

Apply spread on the bun, put lettuce leaves, then Pattie, then tomatoes/onions and cover it with the other part of the bun. And your burger is ready.

For the Eggless version, instead of egg simply mix a small sized boiled potato to it and rest of the ingredients & method will be same :)))

Enjoy your yummy Breakfasts !!!!!

Thanks n Happy Cooking 
Priyanka :)