·      Sieve together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
·      In another bowl, add sugar and eggs and beat them till pale in colour and fluffy.
·      Add oil to this mixture followed by vanilla essence, beat a little more.
·      Now gently fold in the flour and cocoa cake mix in this batter.
·      Line a cake tin with baking sheet, grease lightly and pour the mixture into it, spread it out evenly using a spatula and then tap it against the stand to release any air bubbles.
·      Bake for 30-35 minutes at 170 degrees C or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
·      After the cake is done, let it cool for sometime, then remove and let it completely cool on a wire rack.

·      Using a double boiler or microwave, melt the dark chocolate.
·      In a pan, take 250 ml fresh cream and bring it to a boil.
·      Add this cream in the melted chocolate and keep folding till it becomes a thick dropping consistency mixture.
·      Let it cool a bit.

·      Transfer the cooled cake to a turn table and cut in two equal parts from the centre.
·      Moist the cake with sprinkling some water on it.
·      Now spread the strawberry crush on the bottom half of the cake, then generously spread dark chocolate ganache on it.
·      Keep the top layer on cake and moist it once again with water, now cover the layer generously with chocolate ganache covering the sides as well.
·      Let it cool down a bit.
·      Now melt the milk chocolate either in microwave or on a double boiler.
·      Take a piping cone and fill it with the melted chocolate.
·      On a baking sheet, draw circular patters, or other patterns of your choice and let it set in fridge for about 10 minutes.
·      Once your patters are set, remove them lightly from the sheet and arrange them on your cake to decorate it.
·      Finally finish the border with some wafer sprinklers and you have yourself an irresistible chocolaty delight..

1/2 cup oil1 cup castor sugar3 eggs1 spoon baking powderA pinch of baking soda3 table spoons milk
3 table spoons cocoa powder1 spoon vanilla essence

Directions

• Sieve together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. 
• In another bowl, add sugar and eggs and beat them till pale in colour and fluffy. 
• Add oil to this mixture followed by vanilla essence, beat a little more. 
• Now gently fold in the flour and cocoa cake mix in this batter.
• Line a 10 inch cake tin with baking sheet and pour the mixture into it, spread it out evenly using a spatula and then tap it against the stand to release any air bubbles. 
• Bake for 30-35 minutes at 170 degrees C or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• After the cake is done, let it cool for sometime, then remove and let it completely cool on a wire rack.

Ingredients for the Icing:250 ml fresh cream200 gms dark chocolate
50 gms white chocolate
3 table spoons strawberry crush
Some raisins
1 ice cream cone, preferably waffle cone, though i used the normal one here..
sprinklers for garnishing

• Using a double boiler or microwave, melt the dark chocolate. 
• In a pan, take 200 ml fresh cream and bring it to a boil. 
• Add this cream in the melted chocolate and keep folding till it becomes a thick dropping consistency mixture. 
• Let it cool a bit.
• Similarly make a chocolate ganache using rest of the cream and white chocolate.

• Transfer the cooled cake to a turn table and cut in two equal parts from the centre.
• Moist the cake with sprinkling some water on it. 

• Now spread the strawberry crush on the bottom half of the cake, then generously spread dark chocolate ganache on it and sprinkle raisins all over it. 

• Keep the top layer on cake and moist it once again with water, now cover the layer generously with chocolate ganache covering the sides as well. 

• Just keep about two spoons full of chocolate ganache in a bowl and cool it in the fridge for half an hour. 

• After half an hour, you will be able to roll this ganache in a soft ball. 

• Place this ball in one corner of the cake, and put the cone on top of it, now dribble the white chocolate ganache on this ball and in and around the cone, giving it a feel of ice cream being dropped over the cake. 

• Garnish with sprinklers..and woo hooo you have yourself a mouth melting cake that looks good too..!! Enjoy…!!

Well.. when I bake pineapple cake, I like using fresh pineapple in stead of the canned ones available in the market, though they may be softer and sweeter, but I like my pineapples in the natural way..the sweet and tangy taste of it..gives a fresh and refreshing feel to the cake.. you may opt for the canned ones if you like so.



Ingredients for the cake:
10 heaped spoons flour
1/2 cup oil
1 cup castor sugar
3 eggs
1 spoon baking powder
A pinch of baking soda
3 spoons curd
1 spoon vanilla essence

Directions
Sieve together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, add sugar and eggs and beat them lightly. Add oil to this mixture. Now add the dry ingredients to this wet mixture, put curd and vanilla essence, fold in nicely. Do not mix rigorously or you will lose the air, fold in gently if you like your cake to be spongy and light.. if you like them dense, you may let some air release.Grease the cake tin and pour the mixture into it. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 170 degrees C or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
After the cake is done, let it cool for sometime, then remove and let it completely cool on a wire rack.

Ingredients for the Icing:
1 1/2 cup whipped cream
1 cup pineapple chopped
100 gms icing sugar
some pineapple pieces and gems for garnishing

Directions
In a large bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks are formed. Add icing sugar and whip some more. Divide this cream into two parts, in the ratio of 60:40. Add chopped pineapple pieces in the lesser part of the cream and fold gently. Keep rest of the cream for top coat and piping.

Arranging
Transfer the cooled cake to a turn table, cut it in half from the centre. Moist the cake with sprinkling some water on it. Gently spread the chopped pineapple icing over it and cover the cake with top piece. Spread the remaining cream (plain cream) on the top of the cake and fully cover it. Add some cream to a piping bag and decorate your cake as desired. Garnish with fresh pineapple pieces and some gems.

What a moment it is when the appetizing aroma of Goan Fish Fry mesmerizes my taste buds.
It takes me back in time, when as a kid I learnt how to savor fish fry without being poked by its bones. And yes, the only competition if I ever faced was that of my pet; Tom cat.. 

So, here’s the recipe which has been my all time favorite and Tom’s too… and I’d love to lend it for you all to cook and relish it.

Directions
Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda.Set aside.In a large bowl, cream together the eggs and sugar until its light and fluffy. Add the oil,  and then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with curd and beat well. Add drops of food colour and give the mixture a stir. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for 15-17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.


Ingredients for the Filling
3 table spoons butterscotch sauce
3 table spoons strawberry crush
3 table spoons kiwi crush
  
Ingredients for the Frosting
125 Ml Whipping Cream
100 Gms Icing Sugar
2-3 drops yellow food colour
Coloured Sprinklers for Garnishing


Directions
Take the whipping cream in a bowl and using an electric mixer, whip till soft peaks are formed. Add icing sugar and whip agan till firm peaks are formed. Add colour and mix very gently, for a light lemon yellow colour.
Now scoop out a little cake from the centre of your cupcakes using a cookie cutter, but be careful to not reach the bottom of the cake. Now take your fillings and fill the scooped out portion, 4-5 cupcakes each with butterscotch and strawberry fillings respectively. Now fill up your piping bag with shipped cream and make swirls of icing on top of the cupcakes covering the filling portion as well.
Use sprinklers to garnish and decorate the cupcakes.. and ta daahhh.. yummy cupcakes and ready for savouring..

This recipe has been my all time favourite, but I almost forgot to make it since a long time. I was just flipping through old photographs and suddenly saw this in one of the pictures.. right there on my plate.. it seemed as if the pancakes were asking me desperately to make them again and relish.. and I could not wait any longer.. it was the dinner menu along with some chicken pasta in red sauce( separate recipe).

So here we go…



Ingredients for the Pancakes: (yield about 5-6 medium sized pancakes)
8 table spoon refined flour
1 egg
1/2 spoon ajino moto
salt to taste
two pinches black pepper

Directions:
Sieve the refined floor in a bowl, add the egg and fold in gently, add water to make a dropping consistency batter. Add the seasonings and keep it aside.
In a non stick pan, add very little oil and rotate it all through the pan. Let it warm up a little. Now using a ladle, drop a scoop of batter in the pan, and rotating the pan, let it spread across it, just like an omelette. After two minutes flip the side and let it cook from the other side too. Keep flipping to cook until both the sides turn a little golden in colour and you can feel that the flour is cooked completely. It will rise a little just like an omelette. Once its done, remove it in a plate and add the filling in the centre, fold it and a yummy pancake chicken roll is ready..!!

Ingredients for the filling:
Boneless chicken strips boiled, 200gms
1 capsicum shredded
1 cabbage shredded
1 onion ringed
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1 table spoon green chilly sauce
1 table spoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ajino moto
salt to taste
Oil to saute

Directions:
Add oil in a wok and add the onion rings and saute till they turn a little brown, now put the remaining vegetables, and saute on a high flame stirring continuously. Now add the shredded chicken and season the filling with the sauces and spices. Stir for another couple of minutes and let it cool it a bit. 

Ingredients for Shredded Chicken in Hot Garlic Sauce:
250gm boneless chicken shredded into thin strips
1 table spoon ginger garlic paste
2 cloves garlics chopped
1 table spoon chilly sauce
1 table spoon soya sauce
1 table spoon vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 onion cut into rings
1/2 capsicum shredded into strips
1/2 teaspoon ajino moto
1 glass water
2-3 table spoons corn flour
2 table spoon refined oil
salt to taste

For frying the chicken:
2-3 table spoons all purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
a pinch of ajino moto
water for mixing
Oil for frying

Directions:
Take the all purpose flour in a bowl, and add rest of the ingredients, adding water, make a mixture of coating consistency. Dip chicken strips in this batter, and deep fry until golden brown in colour. Keep them aside.

Now in a separate wok, take oil, and add chopped garlic, saute it for sometime, then add ginger garlic paste, saute it a little more. Then add the onion rings and honey, and saute till onions turn little brownish in colour.
Now add the red chilly sauce, soya sauce and vinegar to the onions and garlic. Add water and let it boil for sometime. Now mix the court flour with a little water to make a paste, and add to the boiling water to thicken the gravy. Add the fried chicken, and capsicum. Now season it with ajino moto and salt and let it simmer for a couple of more minutes.
And a very quick and easy chicken in hot garlic sauce is ready.

Ingredients for the fried rice:
2 cups basmati rice cooked
1/2 medium sized cabbage shredded
1/2 capcicum shredded
1 scrambled egg
a little boiled chicken shredded
Oil 1 table spoons

Directions:
In a wok, add about 1 table spoon oil, and on a high flame saute the cabbage, capsicum and chicken for a couple of minutes. Add some salt and keep aside.
Toss these vegetables and chicken and scrambled egg into the rice gently and here you go.. yet again a simple and delicious fried rice to go along with your chicken are ready..!!

Ingredients :
6 vanilla cupcakes( I used left over cupcakes, which feel a little dry after a couple of days, or you may refer to vanilla cupcakes recipe in older posts)
3 table spoons of strawberry crush
200 gms milk chocolate
100 gms desiccated coconut( grated)

Directions :
Crush the vanilla cupcakes with hands, and then put them in a mixer to get a fine blend. Add the strawberry crush and knead a little with your hands. Make a roll and keep aside for sometime or put in the fridge for 10 minutes to let it firm up a bit.
Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or microwave for a minute.
Make small round balls of the cake mix, and again refrigerate them for 5 minutes.
Insert a toothpick in these cake pops and dip them in the melted chocolate, then roll these pops in grated coconut and let them set in the refrigerator, and voila..you await yourself a yummy sweet surprise..!!

Ingredients for the cake: