Homemade Yogurt Recipe | How to make thick creamy yoghurt at home [Video Recipe]

Making yogurt at home is easier than you think. Follow the recipe to make thick creamy plain yogurt at home.

Yogurt forms an integral part of the Indian cuisine. No meal in South India is complete without a serving of yogurt or curd rice and North Indians love for the Lassi needs no explanation. Yogurt is used in raita (salad with yogurt), kebabs, chaats, beverages, biryanis and so many more ways out here.

Pretty much every house in India makes a fresh batch ever so often. I remember times, when if you wanted yogurt, you had to make it at home or borrow from your neighbor. It was never packaged and  promoted as a super food with so many health benefits. It is only in recent times, I see the market flooded with flavored yogurts. While flavored yogurts may be the go to snack over chips, it is still high in sugar and not as healthy as it is probably perceived to be. The best yogurt out there is still the humble plain one which is made with just milk and no other additives.

A lot of people who think making yogurt is actually difficult, but believe me once you see the video below, you'll know it is the easiest thing in the world. And once you see how easy it is, you'll never (probably) buy another jar of yogurt, unless of course, you are using it as a starter or a mother.

Advantages of making Yogurt at home:

• Zero adulteration - Some manufacturers add corn starch to get a thicker yogurt. Making at home will ensure that the yogurt is pure.
• Less calories - Since plain yogurt, it just that, plain, it is up to you to decide if you want to add any sweetener and how much of it. Top it up with fresh fruits and a spoonful of honey for a healthy snack.
• Pure happiness - Happiness on a job well done. A thick set yogurt can make you very very happy.
• Less plastic for the world to digest - Make yogurt in stainless steel boxes or glass and rid the world of unnecessary small plastic jars.
• No additives - A lot of manufacturers add food coloring to flavored yogurt to make it appealing. Zero coloring in the homemade version.
• And so many more.... just google around

Yogurt is a good source of probiotics that aid in digestion. It is considered to cool the body and hence, is extremely popular in a hot tropical region like India. It is full of calcium, vitamins and is a decent source of protein.

Follow these tips to make the PERFECT batch of yogurt:

• Use the best quality milk - Use milk with a higher fat content to make a thicker yogurt. I use milk with around 3% fat and I still get thick yogurt (not as thick as Greek yogurt).
• Use a clean vessel to make the yogurt to prevent the milk from curdling. Use a stainless steel or a glass jar to set yogurt.
• Never ever insert a spoon or any foreign object into the vessel while the yogurt is still setting, it will cause the yogurt to split into curds and it will not set well. Instead, gently tilt the vessel, if the milk is still liquid, then it needs more time. If the milk has set, it will be solid.
• At room temperatures of around 25-28 degrees Celsius, it takes around 8 to 10 hours for the yogurt to set. If the temperature is lower, you have to find a warm spot to rest the vessel in. Either keep it in sunlight, or preheat the oven to around 40 degree Celsius and turn it off and keep the vessel in the oven and check on it in 5-6 hours. If the temperature is higher than 28 degrees Celsius, check if the yogurt is set within 6-8 hours.
• Yogurt tends to get sour, the longer it stays at room temperature. To make a really sour yogurt (excellent for making buttermilk), keep it at room temperature longer. To make a blander yogurt, keep it in the fridge as soon as it sets.
• Always store at least one teaspoon of yogurt aside to use as the starter/mother for the next batch. If you are a first timer, just use a spoon of store bought plain yogurt as the starter.

If it doesn't set right the first time, don't fret. It takes a little practice to get the technique right.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Homemade Yogurt Recipe

How to make thick creamy yogurt or dahi at home.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     0 minutes
Cook time:     5 minutes
Total time:     8 hours
Yield:                500 ml

Ingredients:

500 ml Pasteurized Milk (boiled and cooled)
1 Tbsp Yogurt

Method:

1. Heat milk until lukewarm. When you dip your finger in it, the milk should feel slightly warm.
2. Remove milk from heat and add the old yogurt culture. Mix well.
3. Cover and leave undisturbed in a warm place for 8-10 hours.
4. Check out the tips above to make the perfect yogurt.
5. After 8-10 hours, the yogurt is set.
6. Save the leftovers in the fridge.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Rose Lassi

Bircher Muesli

Dahi Kebab

Read more ...

Roasted Vegetable Torte

Roasted Vegetable Torte is made by baking thinly sliced roasted vegetables along with herbs, spices and cheese. Oh, SO delicious, you have to make extra!

I gave up refined sugar for a whole year back in 2015-16 and I did not suffer from withdrawal symptoms.  But take away my internet for a week and I'm cranky all week. We had a double whammy last week. We decided that since we barely watch TV, we should disconnect our cable TV for while. That was a mutually agreed decision that we were ready to live with, after all we had internet and a prime video account. We could survive!

That was until our internet broadband provider decided, we did not need them anymore and deactivated our account by mistake and could not enable it back. After their wait time went from 2 hours to over 24 hours, we were done with the provider - Hathway. We applied for a new connection from a new provider on Sunday and are still waiting for the connection to arrive.  Until then, we are depending on connecting to the faint WiFi signals from my sister's house. Not a good week!!

No TV, no internet makes Anu an extremely cranky girl, when she is not occupied. So I've been cooking more - I even started my second attempt at a sourdough starter, I'm attempting a slow rise no knead bread. I have been walking more, reading more. We also started composting again, something we had stopped in the past few months since our apartment complex had started doing it for us. So yes, I've been trying to keep busy this last week.

So in my keep-myself-busy week. I made this wonderful roasted vegetable torte again. It is:

• healthy
• fresh
• low cal
• vibrant
• and delicious!

And the best part is it fit right into my healthy diet. This Roasted Vegetable Torte is made by layering thinly sliced vegetables in a baking dish with spices and cheese thrown in between.

I LOVE vegetables, do you? Let us go ahead with the thought that you are as veggie crazy as me. Otherwise why would you be here, right? This Roasted Vegetable Torte is perfect for us veggie lovers, it is bright, colorful and so full of flavor. It is so beautiful, it could almost be a center piece on the table. 

The first time I made this Torte, I made it without roasting the vegetables first, and took all the pics then, hence, the intermediate steps may not necessarily match the recipe. Apologies for that. This time, I roasted the veggies for a while before placing them in the torte tin. The difference in the end product is not in the flavor but in the texture. If you roast the vegetables before setting the torte, they will be soft and easy to eat. If you don't mind slightly crunchy vegetables, then you can skip the roasting. Although I recommend roasting if using vegetables like butternut squash or potatoes. If you are using quick cooking vegetables like zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms and onions, you can skip the roasting.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Vegan Zucchini Kale Lasagna
• Carmelized Onion and Mushroom Tart
• Stuffed Potato Skins

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Roasted Vegetable Torte

Roasted Vegetable Torte is made by layering thinly sliced vegetables in a baking pan with herbs, spices and cheese in between and baked until done.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:                Makes 2 tortes, Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Zucchini
1 small Butternut Squash
2 firm Tomatoes
2 handfuls Spinach or Kale leaves
2 medium Brinjals or 0.5 large Eggplant
1 small Onion (optional)
1 cup grated Cheese
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
4-5 Garlic Cloves
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Red Chilli Flakes
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Slice all the vegetables thinly except for the spinach or kale. 
2. Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.
3. Mix salt, pepper and 2 tbsp of olive oil in a small bowl. 
4. Place the butternut squash, zucchini and brinjal on a baking sheet and brush them with oil.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes until soft.
6. While it bakes, crush the garlic and chop it finely. Add it to the remaining oil along with red chilli flakes, oregano, a little salt and pepper.
7. Grease two 6" springform pan or a loose bottomed cake pan.
8. Start by placing the butternut squash as the lowest layer in both the pans. Then layer the zucchini, tomato, onion in both pans.
9. Drizzle a little of the garlic flavored oil. Spinkle a quarter of the cheese in each pan.
10. Layer in the fresh spinach or kale. You can chop it roughly or use it whole.
11. Place the eggplant, zucchini and butternut squash on the spinach.
12. Drizzle the remaining oil and top each pan with remaining cheese.
13. Cover loosely with an aluminium foil and bake for 8-10 minutes. Prefereably keep a tray in the lower rack to collect any juice that drips.
14. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese melts and browns. This may take 5-7 minutes.
15. Wait for 4-5 minutes before removing the torte from the pan.
16. Cut into slices using a sharp knife and serve.

Read more ...

Valentine's Day Persian Love Cake Recipe | Almond Semolina Cake (Eggless) [Video]

Rose and Cardamom flavored cake made to celebrate LOVE!!
In a hurry? Jump to Video or Jump to Recipe

Happy Valentine's Day people!!!

Okay, I know it isn't Valentine's Day yet, but I'm sure you have already started planning something special for your special someone. Right?

A lot of people shrug away Valentine's day thinking it is only for those newly crazily in love who can't keep their hands of each other types.

But with 10 years of relationship under my belt, I  can tell you it does matter even for those who have quietly slipped away into a routine. And maybe more than the newfound lovers.

When Raj and I started out, we had so much to talk to each other about, we did special things for each other, we strived to remember each other likes and dislikes. Roses were given, chocolates too. Gifts and cards and plushy toys. Now 10 years later, the conversation usually revolves around what happened in the day or what is happening around the world. We already know so much about each other, nothing is new. In a strange way that is comforting, but there is a lack of surprise. We don't strive to remember the likes and dislikes, because it is now etched away in the subconscious mind. Gifts have less whimsy and more practicality. A lot of people call it the boring married life, I too sometimes. But there is comfort in this "boredom", in knowing there is someone who cares for you. Someone who will be there for you when you need it.

But comfort tends to make one complacent and we miss out appreciating each other as often as we probably should. Hence, days like Valentine's day are required along with anniversaries and birthdays, just to celebrate the love you have for each other.

So, I made this Persian Love Cake, a while ago just to celebrate love. I thought it was perfect to share right around this time. It is a delicious cake made with almond flour and flavored with middle eastern flavors like cardamom and rose. This is then topped with citrus syrup and nuts. You can use nuts like pistachios or almonds. Hazelnuts or cashews may be delicious too. I also added saffron to the citrus syrup to give a more orange hue.

This cake is one of the simplest I have ever made. No whipping, no creaming. Just mix all the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Allow it to rest. Then bake it. Prepare the syrup while the cake bakes. Brush brush brush and top with nuts. It is a simple yet flavorful cake. My family loved it, and I hope yours does too.

I substituted half the almonds with semolina considering the cost of almonds. To get a richer and gluten-free cake, just use almonds.

You can serve this cake with whipped cream or Greek yogurt or your favorite vanilla ice cream. Or just plain, like I did.

P.S. Not all our gifts are practical. The man got me this little fella from Thailand cause I always wanted a tiger cub!! Isn't he adorable?

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updates via Email

Video Recipe

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Persian Love Cake | Almond Semolina Cake

Persian love cake is an eggless rose and cardamom flavored cake made with almond flour and semolina. Brushed with orange syrup and topped with chopped nuts. Persian love cake is an eggless rose and cardamom flavored cake made with almond flour and semolina. Brushed with orange syrup and topped with chopped nuts. 

Recipe Type:  Dessert

Cuisine:            Middle Eastern

Prep Time:     40 minutes

Cook time:     40 minutes

Yield:                Serves 4-5  

Ingredients:

0.75 cup Yogurt (thick Curd)

4 Tbsp Oil

3 Tbsp Rose Water

1 tsp Cardamom Powder

0.75 cups Fine semolina (Chiroti Rava)

0.5 cups Whole Almonds or 0.75 cups Almond Flour

0.75 cup Powdered Sugar

0.25 tsp Baking Soda

0.75 tsp Baking Powder

0.75 tsp Baking Powder

1-2 Tbsp granulated Sugar

1-2 Tbsp Water

Few Saffron strands

Oil to grease the cake tin

Flour to dust the cake tin

Chopped pistachios for decoration

Dried rose petals for decoration

Method:

1. In a large bowl, whisk oil, yogurt and rose water until combined.
2. Add in the cardamom powder, semolina and powdered almonds.
3. Add 3-4 Tbsp of the powdered sugar and mix well until combined. Add more sugar if required.
4. Mix well. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celcius.
6. Add the baking powder and baking soda and mix well.
7. Spray the cake tin with oil or rub oil in it using paper towel or your fingers.
8. Dust it with flour.
9. Pour in the cake batter and bake for 30-40 minutes.
10. Remove from the tin after 2-3 minutes and keep aside to cool.
11. Juice the orange.
12. Add sugar and 1-2 Tbsp water to a pan on stove and cook until the sugar dissolves.
13. Add the orange juice and saffron.
14. Boil for 3-5 minutes until the syrup thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
15. Brush the cake with the syrup.
16. Decorate with chopped pistachios or almonds and serve.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Eggless Chocolate Cake

Vegan Date Walnut Cake

Honey Cake

Read more ...

Pineapple Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting (Eggless)

Eggless Vanilla cake with fresh pineapple pieces and a light whipped cream frosting!!

Happy Birthday to the most important people in my life - My husband and my sister!!

Coincidence? Divine plan? No idea, but the two most important people in my life share their birthday with each other. It was last week and they demanded this Pineapple Cake. Normally, I'd bake a chocolate since that's everyone's favorite, but a birthday girl/boy's wish has to be fulfilled.

So Pineapple Cake it was!!

The last time I made this cake was four years ago on my birthday and I almost swore I'd never make it again. I was a novice at frosting cakes back then and I messed it up real bad. First I tried to make the whipped cream frosting with low fat cream by adding butter to increase its fat content. I've heard it works, but in my case I ended up with a gloopy buttery mess. Then I found that there are lots of local dairies around that sell fresh full fat cream and I went in search of that. We had to check out several stores to find the freshest of the fresh lot. And to my back luck, I over whipped it and ended up with lots of vanilla flavored sweet butter. So you understand my trauma when the pair asked for Pineapple while I was trying to steer them towards anything that needed a ganache or a buttercream.

So this time I bought back up packets of cream and guess what? All my back ups are safe in the fridge. I've finally learnt when to stop whipping the cream. My suggestion would be to use cream with at least 40% fat content and not fret about making this cake low calorie. Lets get real, this cake is a treat, and not a low cal diet eat, so close your eyes for once at the calorie count and just enjoy a slice of the delicious Pineapple Cake. 

The first time I made this cake, was also the first time I ever bought a pineapple. It is much simpler to use canned pineapple here, but I'm all about using fresh fruit when I can. So I learnt how to peel and slice a pineapple. While I'd have loved to use the fresh pineapple straight away, it ends up getting bitter after a while, hence, stewing it in sugar syrup. You will need to stew the pineapple a few days in advance, at least one day. I made the pineapple in syrup 4 days in advance and it turned out beautifully sweet and soft. The leftover syrup can be used in smoothies or juices to add a subtle pineapple flavor. 

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Honey Cake - Bangalore Iyengar Bakery style honey and orange cake. Video Recipe.
• Banana Bread - Delicious dense banana bread/cake.
• Fresh Fruit Tart with Mango Cream - Tart filled with a fresh mango cream and fresh fruits
• No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake - Strawberry cheesecake made without egg or gelatin.

Pineapple Cake (Eggless)

Eggless pineapple cake with pineapple pieces and a whipped cream frosting.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:          International
Prep Time:     1 Hour
Cook time:     40 Minutes
Yield:              One 6" cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

1.5 cups All Purpose Flour (Maida)
300 gms Condensed Milk
1 cup Milk
0.5 cups Oil
2-3 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
1.5 Tbsp Cornstarch (Cornflour)
1 tsp Baking powder
0.5 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Pinch of salt

For the Whipped Cream Frosting:

200 ml Fresh medium fat cream(40% milk fat)(Chilled)
4-5 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Cornstarch
0.25 tsp Vanilla Essence

Other ingredients:

2-3 slices of canned Pineapple or 2-3 fresh Pineapple slices
1 cup Water (not required if using canned pineapple)
0.75 cups Sugar(not required if using canned pineapple)

Method:

To prepare the Pineapple:

Skip these steps if you are using canned pineapple.
Add the sugar to the water and heat until it dissolves.
Lower the heat and add the fresh pineapple slices.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour the pineapple and the syrup into a glass jar.
Allow it to cool before closing the jar and refrigerating.
Preferably, do this at least 1 day in advance to assembling the cake. I made these 4 days in advance.

To make the Cake:

Sift together maida, baking powder, baking soda and cornstarch at least twice to ensure even mixing
In a large mixing bowl, take the condensed milk, vanilla essence and oil. Whisk until combined.
Add the powdered sugar and salt, mix until combined.
Add the flour by the spoonfuls and whisk until combined. When it gets harder to whisk, add in a little milk. Continue until all the flour and milk has been combined. Do not over mix, the cake will end up hard.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.
Grease two 6" round pans and line the bottom of the pan with butter paper or dust the pan with flour.
Divide the batter equally between the two pans.
Bake for 30-40 mins until done.
Cool on a wire rack until completely cool before frosting.
The cake can be made a day in advance and frosted later.

To make the Whipped Cream Frosting:

Before making the whipped cream, place the whisk and a steel bowl (in which you will be whisking) in the fridge for 30 mins.
Alternatively, place the steel bowl in an ice bath while whisking.
Pour the cream to the cold bowl and whisk until you have soft peaks.
Now add in the cornstarch, sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until you get stiff peaks. Be careful not to over whip the cream, else it will turn to butter.

Assembling the cake:

Allow the vanilla sponge cake to cool completely.
Level the cake as required.
Spoon the pineapple syrup on both the halves.
Spread a part of the whipped cream on the lower half of the cake.
Cut the pineapple into small pieces and spread on the whipped cream.
Place the upper half on the cake on top.
Spread the whipped cream all over the cake.
Decorate with the remaining pineapple slice.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Read more ...

Honey Cake (Video Recipe)

Bangalore Iyengar Bakery style Honey Cake is made by soaking an orange sponge cake with honey syrup and then topping it with a jam-coconut frosting

Flashback to April 2002, 15 years and 1 month ago, I was in Bangalore with my dad, all set to answer the Common Entrance Test (CET) that would give me a chance to study Engineering in Karnataka. Because I took so long to decide that I want to answer CET, all the hotels we knew of were full. My aunt came to our rescue and arranged for us to stay at her sister's place. Her family was extremely hospitable, so before we left, we asked them what their favorite sweet was so we could it buy it for them as a gift. Their response was - Honey Cake, a complete novelty to me. 

Honey Cake is a Bangalore special. It is not something you will get in the gourmet high end bakeries, it is something that is available in the humble Iyengar Bakeries that dot the old city. A simple orange sponge that is soaked in a sweet honey syrup, topped with a jam coconut frosting is what this sweet treat is all about.

I had completely forgotten about this beauty until I went to the bakery randomly to buy some bread and saw them bring out a tray full of fresh honey cake. I had to have it!!! Unfortunately, the cake wasn't eggless and that prevented us from enjoying it then and there. So the food blogger was given the task of making the cake at home so all could enjoy it. I'm happy to say I did not disappoint. The cake was very similar to that memory of 2002. The only little tip I have is let that cake soak for a few hours. The syrup needs to soak up the entire cake and not just the bottom. Eating it immediately (like we impatient bunch did), will not let the honey permeate through the cake.  If you cannot resist the cake (like us, again), just keep a bowl of syrup nearby and just drizzle it over the sides of the piece of cake while you eat.

Soooo, let's break down the Honey Cake:

ORANGE SPONGE CAKE - The base of the whole cake, well, is the cake. This orange sponge was sooo delicious that I could eat it just like that over a cup of tea. In fact, I will, very soon, just when I feel I've denied myself of sufficient number of calories to bake a cake again. Until then, I just live with the memory of this yummy orange sponge. This sponge is so simple to make, you could have a kid do it. No creaming butter until your arm aches. Just 6 simple ingredients, hand whisked until combined. I used freshly squeezed Orange Juice in my cake, 2 not so juicy oranges gave me half a cup of OJ. Use more to get a more pronounced Orange flavor. I know I will. If you dislike oranges, however, just skip it and use water in place of it. 

HONEY SYRUP - This syrup isn't like your regular syrups. It is not boiled until you get a certain thread consistency. Just mix honey in warm water and your syrup is ready. Tastes purely of honey. 

JAM COCONUT FROSTING - Use whichever jam you want. The cake you get in bakeries seem to use mixed fruit, so I used mixed fruit. But I know I would love a mango jam to go with this cake. Heat together the jam and desiccated coconut (dry) along with a little water or honey syrup to make the frosting. The consistency should be slightly loose so it is easy to spread. You can buy desiccated coconut from the supermarket or you can just grate dry coconut using a fine grater to make your own. Top the frosted cake with more of this desiccated coconut to make it more coconut-y.

I have a Video Recipe for you too: 

Video Recipe

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life is there on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+ or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email (How convenient!!)

If you liked this, you may also like:

• Banana Bread - Eggless banana bread.
• Coffee Walnut Brownies - Vegan coffee flavored brownies with chopped walnuts.
• Almond Chocolate Brownies - Eggless brownies with almonds.

Honey Cake

Bangalore Iyengar Bakery style Honey Cake is made by soaking an orange sponge cake with honey syrup and then topping it with a jam-coconut frosting.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

For the Orange Sponge Cake:

1.5 cup all purpose Flour (Maida)
1 cup + 2 Tbsp sweetened Condensed Milk
0.5 cup fresh Orange Juice
0.5 cup Oil
1 tsp Baking Powder
0.5 tsp Baking Soda

For the Honey Syrup:

0.5 cup Water
3 Tbsp Honey

For the Jam Coconut Frosting:

2 Tbsp mixed fruit Jam
1.5 Tbsp Water or Honey Syrup
3 Tbsp dry desiccated Coconut

Others

3 Tbsp dry desiccated Coconut

Method:

To make the Orange Sponge Cake:

Add baking powder and bakind soda to the flour and mix well.
Add orange juice, oil and sweetened condensed milk and mix until combined and smooth.
Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.
Grease a cake mould or baking tin and dust it with flour until coated. Remove the excess flour by upturning the tin.
Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes or until done. Test by inserting a toothpick in the center, if it comes out clean, the cake is done, else, let is bake a little longer.

To make the Honey Syrup:

Mix the honey in warm water and keep aside.

To make the Jam-Coconut Frosting:

Heat the jam in a pan and add the desiccated coconut.
Loosen the jam-coconut mixture by adding a little water or honey syrup.
Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. The frosting should be smooth without any lumps of jam in it.

To assemble the Honey Cake:

Remove from heat and keep aside.
Prick the cake with a toothpick or a fork to create holes.
Pour half to 3/4th of the syrup onto the cake and allow it to soak. You can keep the cake aside at this point for 30-60 minutes and then pour the remaining syrup on the cake.
Spread the jam-coconut frosting on the cake.
Top with more dry desiccated coconut and chill until ready to serve.

Read more ...

Vegetable Souvlaki Rolls

Vegetable Souvlaki Rolls - Greek flavored grilled vegetables and a zingy yogurt sauce, rolled in your favorite bread

I've been MIA for a while, I know. I've been super busy at work doing things I never did UNTIL last week. I was super excited and tired at the same time. I'm used to sitting uber low in my chair at office, getting up only to get a cup of tea or a drink of water (which is a lot of trips). But last week was nothing like that, I got to go to out in the field. So the trips for water and tea were much longer than in office and all that walking around and working from 8am to 7pm kinda got me tired and in no mood to blog.

The little free time I had, I was planning a vacation. It's been 6 months since our amazing last vacation to Cambodia and I'm now ready for more. I'm thinking July, but the weather is kind of deterring me right now. The monsoons will be full swing in India and surroundings, so it has been quite a challenge to pick a destination as of now. I am all open to suggestions, if you have any.

While I don't have a vacation planned, I definitely have a recipe planned for you. I have a wonderful super healthy recipe - Vegetable Souvlaki Rolls that will take you to Greece, at least temporarily. Souvlaki is generally grilled meat with a few vegetables, but I tell you, you are missing nothing when you go all veggies. It is healthy and so quick to make. And so colorful, don't you think so?

I thought about calling it Grilled Vegetable Rolls, but Souvlaki sounded so fancy and the marinade had oregano and Olive Oil, so Souvlaki it was!! The recipe isn't even really a recipe, all you need to do is dice vegetables, the more variety you have, the better. And I would say use all the colors you can get, a bright vibrant dish has more takers. Once you are done dicing, marinate the vegetables in good quality extra virgin olive oil, garlic paste, lime juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Leave it aside for 30 minutes, while you make the yogurt sauce to go with it.

Just whisk together yogurt, salt and pepper. I made the saucy zingy by adding the marinade leftover at the bottom of the bowl after the vegetables were grilled. It made the sauce taste all Greek... Grill the vegetables until they are slightly soft and they develop a char.

You can eat the Vegetable Souvlaki just like this, dip the vegetables in that zingy Yogurt sauce and you have a cool and refreshing meal right there. But I love rolls!! So does Raj. I went all Indian and used Naan bread for the rolls, you can be traditional and use Pita. I upped the healthiness by adding a simple salad of julienne cabbage and coriander leaves. Veggie Power!! Then put the Souvlaki and drizzle the yogurt sauce, roll the bread and your Vegetable Souvlaki Rolls are ready to eat.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. 

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If you liked this, you may also like:

• Grilled Cauliflower Summer Bowl - Spicy grilled cauliflower tossed with black rice and a mint coriander oil.
• Grilled Eggplant and Coriander Hummus Rolls - Coriander hummus wrapped in grilled eggplant slices.
• Instant Paneer Tikka - Paneer marinated in spices and grilled until charred.

Vegetable Souvlaki Rolls

Vegetable Souvlaki rolls are Greek flavored Pita/Naan bread rolls with grilled vegetables and a yogurt sauce. 

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:            Greek
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     30 minutes
Yield:                Makes 4 Rolls

Ingredients:

For the Vegetable Souvlaki:

1 Zucchini
0.5 Green Pepper / Capsicum
0.5 Yellow Pepper / Capsicum
0.5 Red Pepper / Capsicum
1 small Onion
2 Tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil
1.5 tsp dried Oregano
1 tsp Garlic paste
Juice of half a lime
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

For the Yogurt Sauce:

1 cup thick Yogurt
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp Marinade

For Assembling the Vegetable Souvlaki Rolls:

Naan bread or Pita bread
1 cup julienne Cabbage
1 Tbsp chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

To make the Vegetable Souvlaki:

Mix together the extra virgin olive oil, garlic paste, oregano, lime juice, salt and pepper to make the marinade.
Dice the vegetables into chunks and mix them in with the marinade. Keep aside for 15-30 minutes.
If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water until ready to grill to prevent the skewers from burning later.
Skewer the vegetables, mixing and matching as you please.
Heat a grill pan and when hot, place the skewers. You can grill these on charcoal or in the oven too.
Once one side is charred, flip the skewers until the other side is done too.
Remove from heat when done and keep aside.

To make the Yogurt Sauce:

Whisk together the yogurt, salt and pepper.
Spoon in the marinade leftover at the bottom of the bowl after grilling the vegetables, and mix well.

To assemble the Vegetable Souvlaki Rolls:

Heat the naan or pita bread.
Mix together the cabbage and coriander leaves with salt and add some over the bread.
Remove the vegetables from the skewer and place over the cabbage.
Drizzle some yogurt sauce and roll the bread.

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