refreshing lemon polenta cake to welcome summers !!!

Finally summer's here!!!After a long wait we are finally enjoying sunshine and it feels great !!!

So its time for juices and refreshing drinks... its time for salads and sushis...its time for everything light and refreshing so here comes my lemon polenta cake !! I have been thinking of trying polenta for a while...so when I came across this amazing gluten free cake I gave it a shot !!!

Ingredients

150 gm ground almonds
65 gm polenta
150 gm sugar
130 gm butter
2 Eggs
3/4 tsp baking powder
Lemon zest from 1 Lemon
1tsp Lemon juice


Lemon syrup/glaze

Icing  sugar- 1/2 cup

Lemon juice- 1 tbsp of lemon juice

Method 

Cream together  butter and  sugar till light and fluffy.Add the eggs and beat well.

Fold in the almond flour followed by polenta and baking powder. Add the lemon zest and juice and mix well to combine.

Transfer the batter into a greased pan and bake in a preheated  oven  at 180C for 40 minutes or till a skewer comes out clean.
Place the sugar into a mixing bowl and gradually add the lemon juice, whisking continuously till you have a pourable consistency. It shouldn't be too thick.

Place the cake  on a cooling rack and once a little cooled prick it using a toothpick and pour the lemon sugar glaze.Let it sit for five minutes and then wait no further..just slice and eat !!!!
Its so moist,soft and refreshing ...simply delicious !!!

crispy baked onion rings

 Looks like I am on some kind of a baking spree ....Back to back baking recipes  from mains to starter ...and the next up is a dessert :)

To tell you the truth it is not a planned theme or something which I am following its just that I love baking and so that's what I am doing thesedays !!!

And here is something which is not actually a baked dish but a fried one ...but why not try the baked version when it tastes as good as the fried one with little effort and lesser fat content.

Onion rings are a great snack with tea or as a side dish with burgers or other meals !!!

Ingredients 

1 Medium White Onion
1 Egg white
1 tbsp Cornflour
1/2 tbsp All purpose flour
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Red Chilli
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1 tbsp Milk 
1 cup Breadcrumbs
Oil Spray 

Method 

In a bowl whisk egg white ,salt,pepper and red chilli .Add milk. Dip the onion rings and rest it for 15 minutes so the batter gets coated to the rings.Now add flour,cornflour and garlic and coat the onion rings and then finally coat them with breadcrumbs.Arrange it on  a lined baking tray and spray some oil .

Bake it in a preheated oven for 200C for about 15 minutes checking on both the sides.

Enjoy this quick and crunchy snack without any guilty pangs !!!

Sending this to From Fried to Favourite by Nupur 's UK Rasoi.

baked vegetables with oaty goodness

Baked vegetables has always been our favourite ...but its something which we eat once in a while owing to the amount of fat which goes in the form of white sauce.....the other day  I came across this wonderful  recipe  which has the goodness of oats and tastes great too!!!

Its is also a great way to  finish off leftover veggies..I had some cauliflower lying  but  didn't want to eat gobhi aloo or gobhi paratha... had some broccoli but  didn't want to have stir fry or soup... had some carrots which were off late usually eaten raw as salad... had some corn in the freezer which was untouched for a while ...so just chopped and mixed everything in this oats based white sauce and had a hearty meal.

So here 's how you can try this healthy and delicious dish . !!


Ingredients

1/2 cup oats(powdered)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup milk
2 cups mixed vegetables (cauliflower,broccoli,carrots,corn )
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
Pinch of nutmeg powder
2 tsp grated cheddar cheese
Salt to taste

Method 

Take oil in a pan.Add chopped onions and garlic and cook till they soften.Add chopped veggies.Add salt and pepper and cook till the veggies are tender but firm .
In a pan add olive oil.Add oats and roast till it gives a nutty aroma.Add milk and keep stirring to avoid lumps.Add nutmeg powder,salt ,pepper,oregano and basil.When the sauce thickens add 1 tsp cheese.Add veggies and transfer it to a baking dish .Sprinkle 1 tsp grated cheese and bake it at 180 C for 15-20 minutes.
Serve warm with bread or chapatis .

 The best thing is that you would  not notice any difference in taste due to oats and olive oil...simply yumm!!!

Sending this to
I love baking by Tickling Palates 

momos with hot dipping sauce on a rainy day !!!

London is showing its true colours thesedays...rainy...cloudy...windy!!

The past month has been like that...you just couldn't think of going out without an umbrella ... I 'm waiting for some sunshine now !!!!

This weather makes you crave for something hot and spicy ...one such dish which I love eating in this kind of weather is momos ...though this dish has its origins from Tibet,Nepal and north eastern states its one of the most popular street food in Delhi...You will find it in every corner..be it Lajpat Nagar ,Noida,Connaught Place..!!I have tasted some of the best momos of every market...Depauls in Connaught Place...Road side vendors in Noida,Lajpat Nagar and the famous stall in Dilli Haat.The soft and steaming dumplings with the hot sauce is a treat to your tastebuds !!!

Here's the recipe for you :

Ingredients 

2 cups All purpose flour

A pinch of baking powder

Salt to taste

1 tsp Oil 

For Filling 

1 cup Cabbage 

1 Carrot(grated)

1/2 Onion (chopped)

1tsp Ginger garlic paste

1 Green chilli (chopped)

1/4 tsp Soya sauce

Salt to taste

Method 

Combine maida, salt, baking powder and oil ( around 1 tsp). Knead it into a soft dough.Cover it with a wet cloth and rest it for an hour.

Finely shred patta gobhi. Rub salt and keep it aside. After 15-20 minutes squeeze out all water.

Heat oil in a pan.Add onions and fry till they become pink.

Add  remaining chopped vegetables; green chilies, carrots,cabbage and fry well.Add little salt to fasten the process.

When vegetables are cooked completely, add ginger and garlic paste and fry for 5 minutes on medium flame.

Add soya sauce.Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.Adjust salt’s amount. Keep it aside.

Now take the  dough and make a small and a thin chapati out of it. It should be very thin .Add some vegetable mix in the center of the chapati.Fold the edges making a semi circle and seal and crimp it on the sides.Steam the dumplings for 15 minutes till its cooked.Serve hot with spicy sauce.

 Spicy dipping  sauce 

Ingredients 

1/2  Red Onion( chopped )

2 Tomatoes(chopped)

3-4 dry red chillies (chopped)

1 tsp ginger garlic paste 

1  green chilli chopped

1/4 tsp soya sauce

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Tomato ketchup 

Method

In a saucepan, heat the oil and throw in the onions and red and green chillies. Sauté till they turn light brown.

Add the tomatoes, ginger garlic, soy sauce and salt to this and on medium heat cook till the tomatoes are cooked..

Add  tomato ketchup and mix well for about a minute or so.

Take it off the fire and leave aside to cool a bit.

Enjoy rain with  MOMOS and HOT DIPPING SAUCE !!!!