Sunday 30 March 2014

Rich Fruit Cake

It's Xmas again and as we are going on vacation to India, I didn't prepare anything special for xmas except this cake. This time I went for Rum soaked fruit cake. Yesterday I baked the cake and I am waiting to taste it... Fingers crossed...

I made 2 big cakes , one square
 and another round one both 9 inches pan to feed my big family back home..









Ingredients
--------------
For the Fruits
------------------
Luxury Dry Fruit Mixture - 500gms
Cashew Nuts - 200 gms
Candied Orange peel - 100gms
Rum - 300ml

I made this 3 weeks advance. Cut the fruits and chop the cashew nuts and put them in a clean dry glass bowl with 250ml of Rum. Close with lid and keep mixing them every 2- 3 days.

Caramel Syrup
-------------------
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Water - 1 Tablespoon
Hot Water - 3/4 cup

Heat sugar in a heavy pan with a tablespoon of water. Keep stirring till it becomes dark brown. Remove from stove and add hot water carefully. Cool it.

Cake
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Self Raising Flour - 3 3/4 cup
Sugar   - 2 Cups
Molasses - 1Cup
Egg - 7 Large
Almond Powder - 1 Cup
Butter - 350gms
Baking Soda - 2 Tsp
Baking Powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - a pinch
Orange Marmalade - 4 Table Spoons
Spice Powder - 2 Tsp
Jeera Powder -1/4 Tsp
Vanilla Essence - 2 tsp
Whole Cashews - To decorate

Method
----------
1.Preheat the oven to 180 C. Separate egg yolks. Line the cake pans with double or triple layered baking paper.
2.Drain Fruits in a colander. collect the drained juice in a bowl.
3.Sieve flour with baking powder and soda. Then mix it with spice powders, salt and almond powder.
4.Cream butter and sugar together. Then add molasses and mix it.
5.Add egg yolks one by one and beat it nicely.
6.Mix 3 Tablespoon of flour mixture with fruit mixture.
7.Add the remaining flour to the butter, egg mixture in 4 times and mix with wooden spoon.
8.Add essense , orange marmalade and caramel syrup.
9.Now mix the dry fruits gently into cake mixture.
10.Beat the egg whites with a tablespoon of sugar and beat till soft peaks formed.
11.Mix them into cake mixture.
12.Pour the cake mixture into cake pans evenly.
13.Decorate with cashew nuts.
14.Bake in oven for 1 hour or till done. Mine took 1 hour 15 mins. So, after 1 hour I loosely covered the top with 2 layers of baking paper to prevent the burning in top.
15.When the knife comes out clean, Take it off from oven and sprinkle with 2 teaspoon of Rum.
16.Keep it rest for 30 mins.
17.Turn it upside down on a wire rack and let it cool for 1 hour.
18.Mix the remaining rum with drained fruit juice and brush it all over the cake.
19.Wrap it tightly with a cling wrap.
20.Wait patiently for a week to enjoy your cake..
21.I have no more rum left. But if we have anything left, we can brush the cake with rum every 3 days..

Friday 31 January 2014

Roasted Chicken

Prepared this chicken yesterday for dinner. It was so perfect, crispy and juicy. Surely a keeper.










Ingredients
--------------
Medium Chicken -1
Lemon     - 1
Kashmiri chilly Powder - 3 Teaspoons
Jeera Powder - 1 Teaspoon
Salt
Oil - 1 + 1 Tablespoon
Butter - 1 Tablespoon

Potatoes - 250gms
Carrots - 2
Chilly Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon
Coriander Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon (Optional)
Oil - 1 Teaspoon
Salt

Method
---------
1.Clean the Chicken , Remove the skin and wash it with vinegar, turmeric powder and salt.
2.Wipe it gently with a tissue paper.
3.Make slits.
4.Mix lemon juice, chilly powder, Jeera powder, salt and  oil in a bowl.
5.Apply them evenly in chicken. Place the lemon skin inside the cavity and tie the legs.
6.Cover it with a cling film and keep in refrigerator for atleast 12 hours. I kept mine for a whole day.
7.Preheat the oven to 250 C.
8.Place the chicken on a wire rack placed in a roaster tin.
9.Apply some melted  butter all over the chicken.
10.Cover it loosely with a aluminium foil.
12.Place it middle rack of the oven.
13.Reduce the temperature to 200 C and cook for 40 mins.
14.Cut the potatoes and carrots lengthwise and mix it with masala powders and oil.
15.After 40 mins, take the chicken out from the oven. remove the aluminium foil and brush with
    juice from the tray.
16.Turn the chicken.
17.Place the marinated vegetables in the roasting tin below the wire rack.
18.cook the chicken uncovered for 20 mins in 180 C.
19.Take it out , turn it again , brush with juice from the tray and cook again for 15mins in 180C.
20.Increase the temperature to 200 and cook for 5 mins. Switch off the oven.
21. I put some frozen peas and corn to the roasting tin at this stage and keep it oven for 10 mins.
22.Take it out from oven and brush with little melted butter and leftover juices.
23.Rest it for 10mins .
24.We enjoyed this with some boiled sweet corn.
25.Yummy.........