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

Name: Persian Love Cake
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 4040 min
Cuisine: Persian
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

Rose and Cardamom flavored cake made to celebrate LOVE!!
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Rose and cardamom flavored semolina almond cake with an orange syrup

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

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!

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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

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:

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

Healthy Miso Noodle Soup

This 30 minute vegan healthy Miso Noodle soup is perfect for those cold winter nights!!

Vegan healthy soup made with white miso, wholewheat noodles and fresh vegetables

Miso Soup... I'd read about it, seen it but never got a chance to try it. Reason? It usually contains fish. Even the ready to eat soup packets have fish in them. So I knew the only thing I could do was make it myself, without fish, of course. But for that I needed Miso Paste. Hard that it may sound, but not many people have actually heard of Miso Paste, not just in India but in a lot of South East Asian countries as well. I looked for it high an low in everywhere nope, I did not find it. It is more apt to say I did not find it in the quantity and the cost that I was actually looking for. I did find it in a Japanese store in Cambodia but it was over 1 kg in quantity and with everything written in Japanese on the cover, I was completely lost on what the ingredients were. It is available in India, however, it is either not too good or way too expensive. I finally purchased my first batch in Whole Foods, Chicago and have been loving it. It is fish free, salty-sweet and delicate in flavor. I could it just by the spoonful.

Miso is a paste of rice and soybeans that has been fermented using koji. Shiro Miso is the mild light colored one and also the one I used in this recipe. It just adds a hint of flavor but a lot of health to the soup. It is a great source of iron and protein. You can replace it with the red miso or Aka Miso, but definitely reduce the quantity as that is much stronger than the white miso.

Traditionally, the base of a miso soup is a Japanese stock called dashi which is made from sea kelp (kombu) and fish flakes (bonito flakes), but that is not something I would eat. So I skipped that totally and made it vegan. If you can find some sea weed like wakame or nori, add it to enhance the umami of the soup. I would have loved to, but I did not have any.

I know all my talk is about Miso here and it is a Miso soup, but even if you cannot find a good miso paste, don't be disheartened. Make the soup anyway, just call it Noodle Soup :) The soup is very healthy because of all the vegetables it contains. It is also super low in calories, with one serving being under 150 calories. All the more reason to make it, don't you think? It is absolutely guilt free. And if you thought it won't fill you up, let me warn you right away, you are wrong. I could never drink/eat 2 whole servings because all that fiber from the vegetables filled me up right away.

I used whole wheat noodles in the soup, you can substitute it with soba noodles. Udon noodles wouldn't be bad as well. This soup is the healthiest thing you can have on a cold winter night. And the best part, it takes less than 30 minutes to make.

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

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Healthy Miso Noodle Soup

Vegan healthy soup made with white or shiro miso, wholewheat noodles and fresh vegetables.

Recipe Type: Soup
Cuisine: Japanese
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

3 tsp Shiro Miso Paste
50gms Wholewheat Noodles
1.5 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Sriracha Sauce
30gms Tofu, cubed
4-5 Mushrooms, sliced
3 baby Bok choy, chopped roughly
0.5 cup Broccoli florets
1 small Onion
1 cup Cabbage, shredded
1 small Carrot, julienned
3 tsp Oil
1 liter Vegetable Broth or Water
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Method:

Cook the noodles as per instructions on the packet. Drain and keep aside.
Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the onions until they are translucent.
Add the broth or water and bring to a rolling boil.
Dissolve the miso paste in half cup of water and add it to the pan.
Add the soy sauce, sriracha sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
Boil for 2-3 minutes.
Add the bokchoy, broccoli, mushrooms, cabbage and carrot and boil for another 2 minutes.
Add the noodles and tofu and serve hot.

Vegan Thai Green Curry

Fragrant, creamy and vibrant vegan Thai Green Curry made with fresh ingredients!!

Happy 2018 guys!!! I know I’ve been AWOL for way too long from the blog and I feel extremely guilty. It may be a new year but my excuses are the same – work, home and travelling took up so much time that I could not devote enough to my one passion – my blog. I’ve missed blogging much more than anything last year and I don’t wish to repeat that again. So hopefully, you’ll see more of me and more consistently in 2018. Cheers!!

If you’re following me on Instagram, then you know what I’ve been eating and where. No? What are you waiting for, go follow me here or search for @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram.

How to make vegan thai green curry recipe, asian curry recipe, how to make thai curry without fish sauce, vegan green curry recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Just to catch you up a little, I spent the last week in Chicago freezing myself. I went from a comfortable 20 degrees C (Positive) and to -20 degrees C (negative) for one week. My fingers froze when they weren’t in the coat pockets and my ear hurt when it errantly slipped out of the cap. I applaud those who brave this weather regularly, but I’m not made for that chill. While it was an a nice to experience just how that cold feels, I’m happy to be back to warm weather where I don’t need even a light jacket and I can roam around in open sandals.

I am one of those weirdos who actually likes airline food. I look forward to meals on planes. But after 8 meals in a span of one week plus a week of eating in restaurants, I’m just simply glad to be back to eat warm clean food at home. A touch of spice, a lot less cheese and a lot of health – that’s how I like my everyday food.

So my first recipe of 2018, is this warm flavorful Thai Green Curry with lots of vegetables that is perfect for cold winters. Did I tell you how much I love it? It is simply delicious plus it is hearty, healthy, vegan, gluten-free and full of fiber. Serve it with a bowl of brown rice for a healthier meal. I also had so much fun making this curry. I found all the fresh ingredients in the market and they were such a colorful bunch. I enjoyed shooting this recipe, all those colors popped beautifully.

Back to the recipe, one might be discouraged by the number of ingredients, but I ask you to look beyond it. The number may be more, but the effort is really not too much. The prep here is more time consuming than the actual cooking. And this is the perfect recipe to engage your family – ask your partner or kids to help out in peeling, chopping and slicing. Make it a family recipe and you won’t be so daunted.

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

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.

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Thai Green Curry (Vegan)

Easy to make vegan Thai green curry that is made with a fresh green curry paste and creamy coconut milk along with lots of stir fried vegetables.

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Thai or Asian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

For the Green Curry Paste:

3 Lemongrass Stalks
2 Tbsp chopped Ginger
4-5 cloves Garlic
1 small Onion
2-3 green Onions (spring onions)
2-3 green Chillies
1 Tbsp fresh Turmeric or 0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
Handful of Basil leaves
Handful of Coriander leaves
2 tsp Coriander seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
0.5 tsp Peppercorns
Zest of 1 Lime
1-2 Tbsp Lime juice
1 Tbsp Palm Sugar (Jaggery/Sugar)
Water as required
Salt to taste

For the vegan Thai Green Curry:

1 cup thick Coconut Milk
1 cup thin Coconut Milk
3 Tbsp fresh Green Curry Paste
75 gms firm Tofu (cubed)
0.5 diced Capsicum
1 cup Broccoli florets
0.5 cup sliced Zucchini
1 small Carrot sliced
4-5 Mushrooms sliced
0.5 cups cubed Sweet Potato (boiled)
1 diced Bokchoy or handful of Spinach
3-4 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

To make the Green Curry Paste:

1. Powder the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns coarsely. I hand pounded these in a mortar with a pestle.
2. Remove the outer later of the lemongrass stalk and chop into slices.
3. Roughly chop the green chillies, onions, green onions and garlic.
4. Add the pounded spices, lemongrass, green chillies, onions, green onions, garlic, chopped ginger, chopped turmeric, coriander leaves, basil leaves, lime zest, lime juice, sugar/jaggery and 1 tsp of salt to the food processor or a mixer and give it a whizz.
5. Scrape the sides of the jar and grind again. Add water by the spoonful to get a smooth paste.
6. Adjust salt, sugar and lime as per your taste.
7. Fill in sterilized glass jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
8. This recipe makes approximately 1.5 cups of curry paste.

To make the vegan Thai Green Curry:

1. Heat oil in a wok or kadhai.
2. Drain the excess water from the tofu using a kitchen towel. Add the tofu to the wok and fry until golden.
3. Remove the tofu and keep aside.
4. Add the carrots, mushroom, zucchini, broccoli, bokchoy stems and capsicum and stir fry them for 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the bokchoy leaves or spinach and stir until they are wilted.
6. Cook until the vegetables are cooked to your liking and remove it from the wok and keep aside. Preferably, the vegetables should be crunchy and not overcooked and mushy.
7. Heat the remaining oil and add the green curry paste. Stir fry it for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
8. Add the stir fried vegetables along with the boiled sweet potato to the wok.
9. Add the thin coconut milk and cook it for 3-4 minutes.
10. Add the thick coconut milk and salt and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
11. Add the tofu before serving. Serve the curry hot with steamed white rice.

BEST CERAMIC SHOPS IN UBUD

This is my 3rd and final post on Bali. If you have followed me on Instagram, your feed was possibly flooded last month with my Bali pics. I've already posted the Top 5 Places to see in Bali and the Top 5 Tips for Bali, so if you are visiting Bali or planning to do so, go check them out. Now my third and final one is mainly for all those Ceramic lovers out there , especially food bloggers like me.

Bali is a Ceramic lover's paradise, so much variety - white and colored, plain and textured, old fashioned and modern. Ask, and you shall get. I made sure I was wayyy under the baggage limit when we flew from Bangalore. I knew I wanted to come back with a lot of plates and bowls. I went with an empty bag and came back with a full one. Raj could not believe I had accumulated so many pieces by the time we flew out of there.

We walked and rode around quite a lot to get some of the beautiful pieces at the best rates possible and I really wanted to share it with you. While you will get a few of these stores as you walk along the main market of Ubud, not all of them are as easy to find. Some of the best places are tucked away and you really need to know what you are looking for to find it. I've added Google Map references to help you out. If you visit any of these stores, click pics and tag me on Instagram/Twitter, I wanna see which piece of art is now yours.

1) ART ON THE TABLE

This has to be my most favorite store in Ubud. It is a big store and has a lot of choice. From colored to plain whites, you can buy almost anything here. Of all the stores, this was definitely the most pocket friendly one out there. I bought the maximum here. It is on the way to Goa Gajah and very easy to find. They have a pretty collection of Batik prints on plates that you may want to check out. The wooden ware here is also cheaper compared to what you will find in other places, so shop guilt free.

Website: https://www.artonthetable.com

Address:

2) KEVALA HOME

A famous name in Bali, not just Ubud, Kevala is a must on the ceramic shopper's list. While it is a tad bit expensive, the pieces are pretty exclusive, hand made and gorgeous. You will find tableware, decorative wares and bathroom collection. They have 4 shops all over Bali and they cater to some of the biggest hotels in Bali. The store in Ubud is very close to the market and super easy to find.

Website: http://www.kevalaceramics.com

Address:

3) GAYA CERAMICS

Gaya has to be one of the most popular ceramic stores in Ubud. They have a beautiful store and it appears they have an even prettier archive collection. I was unaware of this archive collection and a tour of their factory that they organize. I just found out about that on their Instagram account. You can ask the staff at the store to organize this tour for you. If you were a ceramic fanatic like me, you would not miss this. They have a pretty unique collection in store too. Gaya is slightly away from Ubud center, but definitely worth the visit.

Website: http://www.gayaceramic.com/

Address:

4) UBUD CERAMICS AND WOODCRAFT

There are multiple outlets of Ubud Ceramics all over Ubud market. We ran into 3 of them. The stock is the same in all 3 of them. They have a lot of tea sets with kettles and cups in various colors. While the prices are slightly high, I've heard you can bargain out here. They have cheeseboards and other wooden wares too.

Website: None

Address:

5) BaliZen, Setia, Nava Ceramics and more:

There are several small stores all over Ubud market that have a limited collection, however interesting pieces. Some of the stores I visited and purchased stuff from - BaliZen, Setia and Nava. The Ubud market also has wooden ware to offer, but make sure to bargain out here. Read my tips on shopping here.

TOP 5 TIPS FOR BALI

If you've been following me, you know I'm just back from a lovely vacation to Bali. For a small island, Bali has a lot of variety - it has a wonderful clean long coastline as well as picturesque hills and lakes. It has so much to offer for every kind of traveler. You can read about what to see in Bali right here.

We had a relaxing, stress free vacation, and we wish you could too. Hence, a few tips that we feel will make it easier for you and give you a feel of Bali before you even arrive.

Currency:

Indonesian Rupiah or IDR is the official currency in Bali. Since it is a non-tradeable currency, you cannot exchange for it in your own country. It is best to travel with USD, AUD or EUR or any tradeable currency. There are a few Forex counters right at the airport, but if you don't need it immediately, you are better off converting in the city as the counters in the city offer you a better exchange rate. USD may be accepted at certain stores/restaurants, however, they will not give you a good exchange rate, so advise you to convert to IDR as soon as possible. Cards are accepted too, but you may need to bill a certain amount before they do. Counters in Kuta/Legian gave a better rate than Ubud.

It is good to know that when the locals say for example, 50 or write the rate of anything as 50, they actually mean 50,000 IDR. The smallest denomination we encountered was a coin of 200 IDR and the largest was 1,00,000 IDR.

Shopping / Cost of Living:

Bali is not too expensive, but I would not call it cheap either. A meal for two in Ubud can cost you around 1,25,000 to 2,00,000 in a mid-range restaurant, while in Kuta, you may be paying appx 2,00,000 to 3,00,000. The same supermarket may price the same item differently in the 2 cities with Kuta being more expensive.

Ubud is the center for art and handicrafts. You may want to pick up wooden artifacts on the outskirts of Ubud, mostly on Denspasar-Ubud road. Bali is famous for its ceramics/pottery and Ubud is the place to buy, watch out for my next post on the best ceramic shops in Ubud. Batik clothing and Silver jewellery are other things Bali is famous for, you can pick up both in Ubud. However, all the shops I frequented for Batik were very expensive in comparison to India, so I did not pick up any.

Ubud closes down early, the market closes by 6.30-7pm and the shops close by 8pm. Kuta closes later than that. Bargain in the market for sure. You may want to start at 50% the price and move up. You can try asking if you will get a discount in the stores as well. Buy beaded jewellery outside Legian beach, they are really cheap and there are many stores.

Ride

There is literally no public transport in Bali. You can easily hire a cab - Uber and Grab are the app based taxis available in Bali. There are other local taxi companies too, but they are slightly more expensive than Uber or Grab.

But your best way of transport is actually a two wheeler. Priced at 50,000 IDR to 1,20,000 IDR per day depending on the type of motor bike, this is your cheapest mode of transport. Indonesians drive on the left side of the road. Fuel is considerably cheap at Fuel stations/Petrol bunks. Within villages, you will find small shops selling you fuel in bottles, however, they charge you more. The northern part of Bali is hilly and most of the roads in and around Ubud are narrow. Google maps works really well, so you won't get lost. so rent a two wheeler only if you have experience riding one and are not scared of the terrain.

There are 10-13 seater shuttles available between major towns and to the airport at really reasonable prices. A cab from Ubud to Kuta will cost you around 2,50,000 IDR while a shuttle will cost you 60,000 IDR per person. So if you are single, it really works out financially. You will be picked up from your hotel or the closest main road and dropped at a single point. There are fixed time departures, so use this only if the time works out for you. You need to book these in advance.

Sarong:

Bali is predominantly Hindu in religion and most of the attractions, other than the beach are actually Hindu Temples. You have an entry fee at all the famous temples and tourists are not allowed inside the main temple. However, a few of them expect you to wear a sarong even to enter the premises (men have to wear one too). You will find a lot of hawkers trying to sell you sarongs outside the temple, before you even buy the ticket, but be aware that there are free of cost sarongs given at the entrance of the temples, such as Goa Gajah. But there are a few temples where they will rent it out to you. My suggestion would be to carry one if you already have it or buying one if you plan on visiting a lot of temples.

Cell/Wi-fi:

You can buy pre-activated SIM cards in Ubud/Kuta or at the airport. The one at the airport is really really expensive and you are better off pushing it until you get to the city. You have several plans and different service providers, so select what works best for you.

Most of the restaurants offer free wi-fi, ask the staff for the password and stay connected.