Palak and Paneer kofta curry .
You will need :- Kofta
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 packet of tofu almost 400 g
2 – 3 tbsp corn flour or plain flour
Salt to taste
4 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
3 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp. ginger green chilli paste
1tbsp.finely chopped coriander
Pinch of garam masala
Pinch of cardamom powder
1 cup tomato puree ( 2/3 tomato + 1/3 water )
2 medium onion roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic
2 tsp. grated ginger
2-3 tbsp. oil
Pinch of cardamom powder
Pinch of mace powder ( Javentri ) optional
4 – 5 tbsp. light coconut milk ( optional )
1/2 tsp. kasoori methi
Salt to taste
1/4 cup plain cashew nuts + 2 tbsp. poppy seeds + 1tbsp. + 2 tbsp.raisins +1tbsp melon seeds soaked in a warm water
1 tbsp. Kashmir chilli powder
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
2 tsp. ground coriander and cumin
Handful of chopped coriander
Place them on a M/W proof plate and cook 12-15 minutes or until the flesh is thoroughly cooked and tender. Let it cool little and remove skin, mash them with a potato masher or by hand. Sweet potato mash should be without any lumps. Mash tofu and combine with mashed sweet potatoes. Add corn flour, ginger green chilli paste, finely chopped coriander, garam masala and cardamom powder. Once again mix all the ingredients well and make equal sized balls, press slightly place cashew and raisins and seal the ball properly. Repeat with remaining balls and filling. Heat paniyaram pan,add few drops of oil and place stuffed koftas to cook. Cook the koftas till light golden brown on a low heat. Remove them and leave it aside for later use.
Grind soaked cashew and seeds in a grinder to a puree. Heat oil in a heavy based kadai or pan. Add onion, garlic and ginger and saute till light pink. Switch off the heat. Transfer sauteed onion. garlic and ginger in a processor and process till you get fine puree. ( Maybe you’ll need little water ) Turn on the heat, add pureed onion mixture in to same kadai and start cooking on a high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato puree and continuously cook the mixture. Add chilli powder, turmeric, ground coriander and cumin powder and salt. After 2-3 minutes add cashew paste and keep cooking the mixture. Turn the heat down and cook slowly till you see oil separating on side of the pan. Add little water if gravy is too thick. Add kasoori methi, cardamom and mace powder. Let the gravy cook for 8-10 minutes. Add coconut milk, garam masala and switch off the heat. When ready to serve, heat the gravy once again add koftas, garnish with coriander and serve straight away. Enjoy with round and soft gujarati rotlis , naan or plain paratha.
Thank you for stopping by 🙂
You will need :- For Vanilla and Chocolate sponge cake
225 g very soft butter + 1 tbsp for greasing
225 golden caster sugar
175 g self-raising flour
85 g ground almonds
1 tsp. baking powder
3 tbsp. ground flax seeds soaked in 3 tbsp. water ( 15 minutes )
150ml plain yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 tbsp. cocoa powder
225 g very soft butter + 1 tbsp for greasing
175 g light muscovado sugar
50 g dark muscovado sugar
85 g ground almonds
1 tsp. baking powder
3 tbsp. ground flax seeds soaked in 3 tbsp. water ( 15 minutes )
150ml plain yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
You will need :- To assemble and frosting
1 can of caramel
140 g dark chocolate
140 g milk chocolate
300 ml double cream
4 packets of maltesers around 480 gms. ( more if you’re fan of maltesers )
1 can of gold edible spray
250 g chocolate fondant ? Gum Paste
1 packet of gold wires 22 gauge about 6″ long.
Star shape cutter
Rolling pin
Few bubble tea straws
Edible glue or sugar glue
Small paint brush
little cornstarch for dusting
Method :-
- Pre heat oven to gas mark 4.
- Grease and line bases of the two 20cm cake tins with baking paper.
- For the vanilla and chocolate sponge combine all the ingredients except the cocoa and mix or blend to give a smooth texture.
- Divide half of the mixture in another bowl and whizz in the 5 tbsp . cocoa.
- Pour in the lined cake tin and bake for 30-32 minutes or until skewer inserted in comes out clean.
- For the caramel and caramel chocolate sponge follow the same procedure above. ( step 1 to 5 )
- While four of the sponges are cooling, make frosting.
- Melt the both chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
- Turn of the heat and remove the bowl and pour double cream over the melted chocolate and stir and let it cool till spreadable. ( it will take about two to three hours )
- When the sponges are cool, place vanilla sponge on a serving plate or cake stand ( it’s a good idea to put a dollop of frosting underneath the sponge so that the cake doesn’t move around.
- Spread a third of caramel over the vanilla sponge.
- Now top with the caramel sponge and again spread a third of caramel over the caramel sponge.
- Now top with the caramel chocolate sponge, spread remaining caramel and top with the chocolate sponge.
- Now spread the chocolate frosting over the whole cake.
- Once cake is covered with the chocolate frosting, take the maltesers and stick them all over the cake. Try and stick them in a nice line without any gaps..but if not who cares !!
- Allow the maltesers to stick properly.
- Now spray the gold spray and let it set for a while.
- Start rolling out a fondant pretty thin, if fondant sticks to the surface use corn starch.
- Cut out star shape ( if you need 5 cut out 10 )
- Then paint or apply very little glue on the one side of the stars.
- Then lay a wire in the centre of the star.
- Stick another star on top of it. ( like a sandwich )
- Let it dry overnight and when ready put several wires together and slide them into straw.
- Then bend them to spread out.
- Insert the straw into the cake.
- I made few fondant balls and sprayed them with the gold spray to make gold Maltesers.
