Juicy Beef Steak

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Hawaiian marinade (optional)

1 1/2 lb beef cut into bite-size pieces
1 small to medium onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 small green pepper, deseeded and cut into bite-size pieces

METHOD:

* In a small bowl stir together the masala powders and Ginger garlic paste.
* Add the beef to the marinade, mix and leave to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
* Soak bamboo or wooden skewers in cold water for the same time.
* Preheat your barbecue in the usual way until it reaches the   correct temperature.
* Thread the chicken, peppers and onion alternately onto the skewers.
* Brush any remaining marinade onto the peppers and onion pieces.
* Cook directly over a medium heat until the beef is cooked, turning halfway.

Carrot Rice

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati Rice Cooked - 2 cups
Grated carrot  - 1 cup
Thinly sliced onions - 1
Thinly sliced green chilli - 2

Cumin seeds
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - half tsp
Garam masala powder - half tsp
Mustard seeds
Salt  to taste
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

METHOD:

* Heat oil in a deep frying pan.

* Add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start crackling add cumin seeds . Add thinly sliced onions, green chillies and fry till pink.

* Add grated carrot and curry leaves. Saute for a while and then add salt, chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala.

* Add cooked rice and gently mix well. Cover the pan and cook on a low flame for about 3-4 minutes.

Eggless Sponge cake

This is a simple, easy to make cake ideal for people who follow an egg free, low calorie diet. In fact I tried this recipe for a kid who was allergic to egg and milk but not soy milk. I had to avoid butter as it is diary.
I did not imagine this cake to be super soft and moist. May be I should call this a bread, but there was not much difference between this bread and the cakes I bake, except this one was softer than the other cakes. I added this in my favorite baking recipes when the baby asked for seconds and thirds. I am not very fond of  icing or frosting unless its a special occasion. If you prefer more sweet than the recipe, feel free to adjust the amount of sugar used.
Substitute ingredients:

Butter – it is easy to substitute butter in recipes with vegetable margarine or oil. I used Olive Oil.
Sugar – bleached white sugar can be substituted with unbleached cane sugar
Eggs - applesauce or Soda can be used. If you are using soda I prefer 7 up. The coke/Pepsi leaves an  aftertaste.
Milk and cream - try using soy milk 

Recipe Ingredients:

All purpose flour (maida) - 2 cups
Olive Oil - 1/2 cup
sugar - 1/2 cup
Soy milk - 200 ml
Baking powder - 1 tablespoon
Soda (7 up) - 1/2 cup

* Preheat oven to 350F/180C for 15 minutes. Coat the loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray on the sides and bottom.
* Sift together the flour and baking powder and keep it aside.
* Add Milk and sugar, beat it on low speed. Add Olive Oil and mix it as well.
* Add the flour mix to milk-sugar-Olive oil mix alternatively and beat for a couple of seconds after each addition.
* Pour the soda and whisk it again.
* Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for around 45 minute or a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
Happy Baking.

Egg Curry

Ingredients:

Egg  -  2  nos
Onion - 2 nos
Tomato - 2 nos
Green chilli - 2 nos
Ginger (finely chopped) -  1 tsp
Garlic  3 pods
Garam masala  1 teaspoon 
Chilli powder  1 tsp 
Coriander powder  1.5 tsp
Turmeric powder  1/2 tsp 
Coconut (grated)  1/2 coconut
Cloves (Grampoo)  2 nos
Cardamom  1 
Olive Oil
Mustard  1/2 teaspoon 
Salt  to taste 

METHOD:

* Boil the egg in water with some salt. Remove the shells when its cool.
* Grind the coconut and extract the first milk (concentrate) and the second milk (diluted).
* Cut Onion,tomato, ginger and green chilly into small pieces..
* Heat oil in a pan, when mustard splutters add onion,tomato, ginger and green chilli . Fry till the onion turns light brown.
* Now add tomato and fry again. Add the masala powders, i.e. garam masala, chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and saute for few seconds until the raw masala taste disappears
* Add the second milk. Keep it covered and cook till the gravy thickens.
* Now add the boiled eggs and cook for 2 minutes.
* Remove from fire and then add the first milk of coconut and mix well.

Vegetable Stir Fry with Shrimp

This is a healthy colourful inviting dish that can be made in minutes.
Just make sure you do not overcook the vegetables or you Will lose the vitamins. The vegetables taste great too.
We can make it according to our taste by adding the vegetables we like/are available and omitting the ones we do not like.
This can be served with plain steamed rice, fried rice  or noodles.

Ingredients:

Shrimp - 1 cup
mixed vegetables, chopped into bite size - 3 cups
(Carrot, Beans, broccoli Florettes, onions, mushroom, red bell peppers, green capsicum)
ginger& garlic paste - 1 tsp
corn starch - 1 tbsp
soy sauce - 1 tbsp
chili sauce - 1 tbsp
Vegetable stir fry sauce - 1 tbsp (optional)
vinegar - 1 tsp
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - according to taste.
Water  -2 tbsp

Method:

* Clean shrimp and marinate it with soy sauce, chilly sauce, vinegar and salt. Fry it in oil. drain the excess oil and keep it aside.
* Mix corn starch in a little water and add soy sauce, vegetable stir fry sauce, chili sauce, vinegar and salt to taste in a small bowl.Mix them together and Keep it aside.
* Heat oil in a pan and add ginger garlic paste and stir. Add carrot and beans and allow it to cook for around 5 minutes. Here we should start by adding the vegetables that take longer to cook.
* Add other vegetables and cook until heated through and vegetables are tender.
* When the vegetables are almost cooked, Add the corn starch mixture and Stir gently until mixture thickens slightly to required consistency.
* Stir in the fried shrimp and serve hot.

Cabbage Thoran

This is a simple and super easy recipe which accompanies a kerala lunch.

Ingredients:

Cabbage(finely chopped) - 3 cup
Carrot (finely chopped) -1 cup
Onion(finely chopped) - 1 cup
Green chillies -2 nos
(cut into small pieces)
Grated coconut - ½ cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Olive oil - As required
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

* Mix together the finely chopped cabbage, carrot, onions, chillies, grated coconut, turmeric powder and salt.

* Heat oil in a pan and add mustard. When the mustard seeds splutters add the mixture into the pan, close it with a lid and allow it to cook on low flame. Stir it after two minutes and close the lid again and cook the cabbage for about another 6 minutes.
* Remove the lid and keep the pan on low flame for another few minutes, so that the thoran wont be mushy. 

 Note: There is no need to add water. The water present naturally in the vegetable is sufficient for cooking.

* Adding a small piece of finely chopped ginger gives a different taste and good.

Banana Marble Cake/ Banana Cake

I was always very fond of marble cakes with chocolate swirls, so when I made the traditional Banana Cake, I thought I would give a try with the marble cake with banana in it. I don't like the cakes too sweet, so I reduced the amount of sugar and also substituted the Butter with Olive Oil. Even with no butter, these cakes came out smooth and tasty. its a perfect snack with tea. I do not know how a perfect marble cake will be, but this looks better than okay to me. Does it?

Ingredients

Sugar - 1/2 cup
Eggs - 2 nos
Bananas (mashed) - 2 nos
All purpose flour (maida) _ 2 cups
cocoa powder - 1/3 cup
Baking powder - 1.5 tsp
salt - 1/4 tsp
olive oil - 1/3 cup
milk - 1/4 cup
vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

* Preheat oven to 350 deg F
* Beat egg, sugar, oil, milk, banana and vanilla essence
* whisk together flour, baking powder and salt separately
* Mix banana mix and flour mix in portions
* Take a part of this and mix cocoa powder into it to get the chocolate cake mix.
* The swirls are created by placing white and chocolate cake batters alternately and then running your knife through the two batters.
  Pour the white original cake batter as the base layer, followed by chocolate cake mix and top it with rest of white original cake batter into a oiled baking pan
* Make swirls in it by running a tooth pick or knife through the flour batters. Make sure you do not stir.
* Bake for around 45 minutes until a tooth pick inserted come out clean.

I made this Marble cake from The traditional Banana Cake and this is how I made it.

Ingredients

Butter- 1/4 stick
sugar - 1/2 cup
Eggs - 2 Nos
Bananas (ripe) - 2 (mashed)
All purpose flour (maida) - 2 cups
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Butter milk - 1 cup
Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

* Preheat oven to 350 deg F
* Beat butter and sugar till fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Beat bananas until smooth
* Sift together flour, Baking powder and salt.
* Mix banana mix and flour mix in portions along with buttermilk and vanilla essence.
* Bake for around 45 minutes until a tooth pick inserted come out clean.

Note: If a mixture of baking powder and water doesn't foam immediately, the powder is stale.