Gandhoraj Lemon Cake

We had one Gandhoraj Lemon growing at our place. So used it to make this rustic simple delicious cake for my sweet little doggie, to celebrate her 6th birthday. It’s a simple recipe without using an oven. Made this cake in a wok / Kadai. 

Ingredients

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour 

1/2 tsp Baking powder

3/4 tsp Soda Bicarbonate 

1/4 tsp Salt

1 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

1/4 cup Butter

1 cup + 1/2 Milk 

Juice of 1 Gondharaj Lebu

1/4 tsp Zest of Gondharaj Lemon

1/2 tsp Vanilla essence

Method 

Take a cup of milk and add butter into it and microwave it for 30 seconds. Remove the milk from the microwave. Add the lime juice and vanilla essence. Stir and mix the liquid. Take a medium size mixer jar. Add the sugar and grind the sugar into a powder. Now gradually add the milk and churn the mixer until all the liquid and sugar have incorporated well. 

Take a mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lime zest and mix the ingredients together. Grease the cake tin and keep it aside. Take a wok, add a stand to the base. Cover the wok with a lid and on a low flame let it pre heat. Now pour the churned milk gradually in the flour mix and mix the ingredients together. Add the oil and mix the batter. Now gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup milk and form a thick batter. Pour the batter into the greased pan and tap the cake tin 3 times. Place the baking tin into the wok, cover the lid and bake for 1 hour or until the cake is brown from top. To check insert a toothpick in the center of the cake, the toothpick should come out clean. 

Remove the cake tin from the wok and place it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the cake tin and cool the cake completely. This cake can be kept for 2 days outside.

Bread Upma

This dish is ideal for breakfast or evening snacks. Upma is a common dish made in South India and Maharashtra. There are many ingredients that can be used to make Upma like Semolina, Vermicelli, Broken Wheat etc. Bread is another ingredient that can also be used to make Upma. If you have leftover bread pieces, you can use them. 

Ingredients 

5 to 6 pieces of Bread cut into small square pieces 

1 small Onion chopped 

1/4 of the Green Capsicum chopped 

1/4 of the Carrot chopped 

1/2 Tomato chopped 

Handful of Green Peas - I didn’t have 

1 Green Chilli chopped 

1 small piece of Ginger grated (optional) - I didn’t use

Few Coriander Leaves chopped 

Few Curry Leaves 

Juice of 1/2 Lime 

Handful of Peanuts or broken Cashews - I didn’t use 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Sugar 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder 

Pinch of Asafoetida 

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tbsp Fresh Coconut grated or Desiccated Coconut 

1 tbsp Oil

Method 

Take oil in a Kadai. Let it heat. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilli and asafoetida. Sauté it for few seconds. If you are adding peanuts or broken cashews, then add it now and sauté it for another few seconds. Add the chopped vegetables and ginger. Continue to sauté the vegetables for a minute. Add the Salt, Sugar, Turmeric powder and Chilli powder. Stir and add 1/4 cup of water. Let it simmer for few seconds. Add the bread pieces and gently stir all the ingredients together. Switch off the flame. Drizzle the lime juice and stir it once. Garnish the dish with coriander leaves and coconut. Serve the dish immediately. 

Shinwari Chicken Karahi

Shinwari Chicken Karahi is a popular dish belonging to the Shinwari Pashtun tribe residing in some parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.  It’s a very easy dish cooked with very less spices, yet it’s very delicious in taste.  This dish is served with naan and salad and also can be eaten with roti, chapati or paratha. 

Ingredients
500 grams Chicken cut in to pieces
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1/2 tbsp Garlic paste
2 big Tomatoes cut into small cubes 
3 Green Chillies cut into halves lengthwise 
Salt to taste 
1/2 tsp Pepper powder 
Few Coriander Leaves chopped
Few Ginger Juliennes
1 Green Chilli cut lengthwise into thin strips
1/4 cup Oil

Method
Heat oil in a kadai. Add the chicken and stir fry for  5 to 7 minutes. Now add tomatoes, 3 green chillies, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt and pepper. Stir and cover the karahi and cook on low flame stirring it occasionally. Cook the chicken for 10 minutes or until it’s done and the oil separates from the chicken.
Garnish with coriander leaves, green chilli and ginger. Serve with hot Naans / Roti / Paratha.

Kalo Jam Makha (Jamun / Black Plum Mashed)

This recipe takes me back to my childhood days. Every year as a little kid, religiously every summer my mother and myself would visit my Uncle’s place (Mamar Bari) in Kolkata. Across my Uncle’s house there was a big Kalo Jam tree that use to be loaded with Kalo Jam which belonged to a family staying there. Every afternoon after our lunch affair was over, I use to visit their house to play with their 3 girls and eat Kalo Jam Makha. It was fun collecting the Kalo Jams. It’s a rustic dish but so delicious and mouthwatering. We also make this similar dish with raw mangoes. Peel the raw mango, cut it into cubes, add all the same ingredients give below, also add red chilli powder, sugar and Kashundi. Crush the mango in a mortar. I really feel sad that these simple rustic recipes are getting extinct with our new generation. I am sure all of us will have some stories to share of such dishes. 

Ingredients 

15 to 20 Kalo Jam / Jambun / Black plums

2 or more Green Chillies chopped 

Salt to taste or black salt and salt mix

1/2  tsp Mustard oil

Method 

Take all the above ingredients and mash it well. You can mash it with a help of a spoon, but best to use your fingers. 

It’s simply divine. 

Mustard oil is optional, but I love it with mustard oil as it enhances the taste. 

Review - YOUnion

   

‘Youth Has No Age’.  This quote by Pablo Picasso caught my sight as I entered the restaurant. I absolutely believe this should be the mantra of life. 

 YOUnion is a newly launched restaurant in town by none other than Zorawar Kalra at Kamla Mills Mumbai. 

After I entered the new generation neon restaurant, there was this attractive table, which was been set. There were all  kinds of colourful drinks which were served in weird attractive drinkware. With smile on their face the people at the restaurant claimed that there are around 200 types of drinks that they serve at the restaurant. Skulls, helmets, disco balls, briefcase, Cinderella glass slippers were some of the props that were converted into drinkware. 

 

Further getting into the space, and greeting our TNF team members, our first drink was served. Though I don’t drink, that day I was all prepared. One after the other different types of drinks were served along with tasty  tit-bits. 

Chef Momin 

Along with the flow of drinks and food, the tempo of laughter and enjoyment also took a level higher. To add on to the enjoyment and to make the ambience more cheerful and lively there were people dressed up as avengers. We all were in high spirits. 

I had couple of drinks and loved each and every drink that was served. My favourite were Litchi sake, Strawberry daiquiri, Quick blow job, Southern spice.... there are some more but lost track of the names... 😅 you can imagine after couple of shots. The concept of Community Drink was mind blowing. It was a great experience to see the drinks served in briefcase, helmet and disco balls. 

Disco Ball used a prop for the Community Drink 

Darth Vader  Helmet used as a prop to serve the Community drink 

Community Drinking from a Briefcase 

Delicious beautifully plated food too started to fill the table one after the other along with the drinks. Some of my favourite starters were Chana Koliwada, Crispy Panko coated Mussels, Hara Bhara Candy Kabab, Vegetarian Momo, Tandoori Chicken Momo, Veg and Non Veg Dim Sum, Garlic and Cheese Pizza, Ghee Roast and a dish with broccoli. At the end not to miss out on the delicious desserts.

Chana Koliwada 

Panko coated Mussels 

Hara Bhara Candy Kabab

Veg Momo 

Tandoori Chicken Momo 

Stirred Fried Broccoli and Water Chestnut  

Kandi Gosht 

Butter Chicken Pizza 

Cheese Chilli Pizza 

Shiitake and Prawn Dim Sum

Texas French Fries  

Mutton Ghee Roast

Misal Pav 

Cheese Cake 

Tiramisu 

I was very lucky to have won a contest held by The Nomad Foodie and was invited by them. I am very thankful to Suprio - The Nomad Foodie. 

Photo Credit - The Nomad Foodie 

YOUnion has indeed very well incorporated the mantra of life ‘Youth Has No Age’.