Lapis Sarawa Coloured Layered Kek

Lapis Sarawa Coloured Layered Kek...

The Sarawak layer cake is traditionally served in Sarawak, Malaysia on special occasions. In the Malay language, the cakes are known as kek lapis Sarawak, Kek lapis moden Sarawak, 'or simply Kek lapis. They are often baked for religious or cultural celebrations such as Eid ul-Fitr, Christmas, Deepavali, birthdays and weddings. 

According to the history, layer cakes have been made in Jakarta, Indonesia since the 1970s and 1980s. During that time, Betawi people came to Sarawak and taught the people, how to make the spiced Betawi cake. The Sarawak people then added new ingredients, flavour and colour that resulted in a new version of the layer cake been introduced and named as Sarawak layer cake. In addition, modern Sarawak layered cakes were inspired by Western cake-making in the early 1980s. In 2011, cake maker Kek lapis Qalas Qalas introduced modern design to the traditional layer cake, along with new flavours. Sarawakian modern layered cakes can be divided into two categories, cakes with ordinary layers and cakes with patterns, motifs, or shapes. All must have at least two colours. The cake can be baked in an oven or microwave. The batter is made from butter or vegetable oil, milk and eggs, it requires a strong arm or electric mixer to beat the ingredients together. The baked cake has a high, firm texture and the layers are fastened together with jam or a similarly sticky sweet substance. More detailed cakes often require special moulds to maintain the perfect layer thickness.

(Net Source )

Here is my version of this recipe with the ingredients available in my kitchen.

Ingredients

160 grams All Purpose Flour 

80 grams Malt / Horlicks or Malt based drinking powder like Bournvita 

1tbsp Coco powder 

1 tsp Baking powder 

200 grams Butter

80 grams Caster Sugar

5 Eggs

200 grams Condensed Milk

1 tsp Vanilla essence 

3 Ameri Colour of your choice

Method 

Grease a rectangular 7" × 5 " × 2 " baking tin and keep it aside. Take a mixing bowl. Add butter and sugar. Beat it well till fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat it well. Add the vanilla essence and condensed milk. In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder and malt powder together. Add the flour mix little at a time and beat it well. Divide the batter into 5 parts. Add cocoa powder into 1 part of the batter and mix it well. Let one part remain as it is. Add different colours in each of the 3 remaining batter. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees celcius. Pour 2 tbsps of cocoa batter into baking tin and spread mixture evenly. Bake for about 6 -7 minutes or until cooked. Once cooked, remove the pan from the oven & press top of the cake gently using a fondant smoother or bottom flat surface of bowl.Then adjust the oven setting to top heat only and increase the temperature to190 degrees celcius.  Pour 2 tbsp of any colour batter into baking tin and spread evenly. Bake untill cook. Continue baking the same way, by pressing the baked layer and adding another colour batter on top of the baked layer. Repeat till all the batter is over. Take it out from the oven and cool it completely. Cut it into square pieces and enjoy it...

P. S. 2 tbsp batter will remain which can be baked in a small bowl.

Veggies and Cheese Toast Pakora...

Veggies and Cheese Toast Pakora... 

This is an ideal breakfast or snack for a rainy day with a garam /hot cuppa of Chai /Tea.... Today since it is raining heavily from morning, I am only thinking of pakoras and bhajiyas... Ufffff.... Could not resist my thoughts.. Finally had to make some thing fried.
This is an in between version of French toast and Bread Pakora. I have added vegetables, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese and green chutney for stuffing the bread and the batter is made with egg, baking powder, flour and cornstarch. It is crispy and filling too  with all veggies. It is eaten hot with green chutney and ketchup.
You can add any filling of your choice...

For the Stuffing 

Ingredients
1 small  Beetroot cut into cubes
1 small Carrot cut into cubes
1 small Onion cut into cubes
1 small piece of Red Cabbage chopped
5 Garlic cloves
1 tbsp Pickled Red Chillies or Green Chillies chopped
Few Coriander leaves chopped
Cheddar Cheese around 4 to 5 pieces
3 tbsp Cottage Cheese
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Pepper powder

Method
Take a food processor or chopper. Add all the vegetables in the chopper and chop it fine, add both the cheese, churn the chopper. Add the salt and pepper and mix it. Take it out in a bowl.

For the Batter
Ingredients
4 Eggs
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
2 tbsp Cornstarch
1 tsp Baking powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Pepper powder

Method
Mix all purpose flour, baking powder and cornstarch together. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl. Whisk the eggs. Add the milk and whisk it once more. Add the mixed flour, whisk it. Add salt and pepper. Mix it.

To make the Toast Pakora
Ingredients
1 packet of Bread loaf
Stuffing
Batter
1/4 cup Green Chutney
Oil for frying

Method
Take 2 pieces of bread. Apply the green chutney on one bread and spread the stuffing on another. Place one piece of bread over the other. Cut it into a triangle. Repeat the process for other bread pieces. Take a frying pan. Add the oil and let it heat. Take 4 pieces of the triangle cut bread, dip it into the batter and fry it in the oil until brown in colour from both the sides. Take it out from the oil and keep it on the absorbent paper. Serve it hot with chutney, ketchup and garam chai, and enjoy the rains...

Gyeran-Bbang (Korean Egg Bread) with a twist...

Gyeran-Bbang (Korean Egg Bread)with a twist..

This is a popular Korean street snack. This is a sweet, hot and fluffy mini loaf of bread with a egg inside. The vendors selling Gyeran-Bbang have special moulds or machines in which they make this little egg breads. At home we can make in any cupcake moulds or a mini bread loaf mould or tray. It is made with eggs, all purpose flour, milk, vanilla essence, sugar, butter and baking powder. 

Here I have given it a twist by making it savoury. I have add very little sugar just for taste and have added salt, garlic powder and pepper. Have it hot. It's delectable. Make it to believe me. 

Inspired from Maangchi's post...

Here is the recipe from my kitchen...

Ingredients 

1 cup All Purpose Flour 

2 tsp Baking powder 

1 tbsp Sugar 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Pepper powder 

2/3 tsp Garlic powder 

3 tbsp Butter melted

1 cup Milk

2 Eggs for the Batter 

6 Eggs for the Moulds

12 small pieces of Mozzarella cheese 

Oil to brush the mould

Method 

Take a mini loaf tray or a cupcake tray. Grease it with oil and keep it aside. Take a mixing bowl, add butter, sugar and 2 tbsp of milk. Beat it till the sugar has dissolved. Add another 2 tbsp of Milk and beat it well till fluffy. Add the rest of the milk and beat it. Add one egg at a time and beat it. Add the salt, garlic powder and pepper powder. Beat it once. Add the baking powder. Beat it once more. Finally add the flour and beat it well. Take the greased loaf tray. Pour the batter into each mould, filling only 1/3 of the mould. Break a egg in the centre of each mould on the batter. Add 2 mozzarella cheese pieces into each mould on the side of the yolk. Bake at 200 degrees celcius for 15 minutes in a preheated oven. If you want a little hard egg then bake for 20 minutes in the oven. Once done, take it out from the oven. Cool it a bit. Run a knife around the edges of the mould and remove it from the mould. Enjoy it hot.

Paya Nihari

Paya Nihari 

Nihari is a stew, usally slow cooked overnight which consist of meat mainly cooked with bone marrow. It can be made of trotters (Paya) too.
The word Nihar originated from the Arabic word "Nahar" which means "day" as it was typically served after sunrise Fajr prayers.
This dish was first developed in the 18th century, in either Delhi or Lucknow, by the Mughals. According to many sources, Nihari either originated in Old Delhi (Jama Masjid and Daryaganj areas) in the late 18th century during the last stage of the Mughal Empire or in the royal kitchens of Awadh. The Nawab ate Nihari early in the morning after Fajr prayers and then took a long nap before going to Zhuhr (afternoon prayer). Later on, it became popular among the labourer class for morning breakfast.
Another story reveals that Nihari was cooked overnight in large volume to be served to the labourers. Whenever there were massive constructions involved and the kings served meals free to labour and also paid them.This dish is now cooked all over south Asian countries. It has been an old popular delicacy in parts of Bangladesh, particularly Dhaka and Chittagong. People cooked it for one whole night and they eat it in the early morning at sunrise. It is a popular dish and is regarded as the national dish of Pakistan. The dish is known for its spiciness and taste. It is served with Paratha, Naan or Kulcha.
(Net Source)

Ingredients
8 Paaya (Lamb trotters) cleaned and washed properly
1 Onion chopped
1 Onion sliced, fried and crushed
1 Tomato puree
2 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
4 Green Chillies slit
2 tbsp Coriander
2 tbsp Mint leaves
4 Clove
2 Cardamom
1 Cinnamon stick
4 Pepper corn
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
2 tbsp Nihari Masala powder
Salt to taste

2 tsp Flour 
3 tbsp Oil

Method
In a pressure cooker, add the paya, a tbsp of ginger - garlic paste, chopped onion, cloves, cinnamon, cardomom, 1/2 tsp  turmeric powder, salt and 2 cups of water. Cook at medium heat and give 10 whistles or cook till the payas are tender.
Take a pot, heat the oil, add rest of the garlic - ginger paste. Sauté it for a minute. Add the tomato puree and sauté for another minute. Add red chilli powder, remaining turmeric powder and nihari masala, stir and cook it for a minute. Add the cooked paya along with the curry in which the paya was boiled. Add 2 cups of water. Mix well and let it simmer on low flame. Add the coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chillies and fried onions keeping 1 tbsp of fried onions for garnishing aside.  Continue simmering for 20 minutes on low flame. Take the flour in a bowl, add 4 tbsp water and mix it. Add the paste into the pot. Stir and simmer for 2 minutes more. Remove from the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onions. Serve hot with naan, kulcha or paratha.

Nihari Masala
Ingredients
10 Dry Red Chillies
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 tsp Coriander seeds
2 tsp Pepper corn
2 Cloves
2 Cardamom
1 Cinnamon stick
1 Star Anise
1Bay leaf
1 tsp Kashmiri Chill powder
1/2 tsp Ginger powder
1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

Method
Dry Roast all the above ingredients except turmeric powder and nutmeg powder. Let it cool. Add the roasted spices, nutmeg powder, ginger powder, kashmiri chilli powder and turmeric powder into a grinder. Grind the ingredient into a fine powder. Store it in a dry glass container.  

Tilapia Mach Shorshe Bata Diye Jhal.. / Telapia Fish cooked in Mustard Gravy......

Tilapia Mach Shorshe Bata Diye Jhal.. / Telapia Fish cooked in Mustard Gravy...... 

I have a small pond next to my house, where the villagers come and fish sometimes. It's a bliss to have that pond as so many small birds comes and catches their feed. You can see the fishes playing in water. I can just spend some hours sitting in the balcony, just seeing the movements of the water. The sound of the birds that come to fish takes you to a different world, way from the urban life. Life away from the city is indeed a bliss. Some times the villagers sell their catch for the day. Fresh catch taste so different from the market fish, the fish just melts in your mouth, the taste is simply divine. The other day my husband got some tilapias from the villagers. I was thrilled as I love cleaning them. As he got the fish home, the high command order too followed... "Today please make Shorshe Bata Mach".... I said ok, but will keep some fish back for the fish roast.. We both agreed upon and here is the recipe for Sorshe Bata... 

Here I have used Sunrise Mustard for the paste. This is a rich gravy and hence any dish with mustard paste is called Jhal. You can make it just with mustard paste, but  I have added ginger, garlic, coconut, chillies and curd to enhance the taste.. Little poppy seeds too can be added. It can be had with hot steaming rice. 

For the Mustard Paste..

Ingredients 

3 tbsp Sunrise Mustard powder

1 big Garlic clove

1 small piece of Ginger 

4 to 5 Green Chillies as required 

3 tbsp Curd

2 tbsp fresh Coconut grated or Desiccated Coconut

Salt to taste 

Method

Add all the above ingredients in the grinder and blend it well. Keep it aside for 15 minutes. 

For the Macher Jhal.. 

2 Telapia Fish cleaned and cut into 2 pieces or can be kept whole

2 to 3 Green Chillies slit lengthwise 

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

Mustard paste 

1 Tomato cut into 4 pieces lengthwise 

1/4 tsp Kalonji /Nigella seeds 

1/2 tsp Turmeric paste

Salt to taste 

1/4 cup Mustard oil for fry the fish 

1/2 tsp Raw Mustard oil for garnishing 

Method

Take the fish and apply 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder and salt. Keep it aside for 10 minutes. Take oil in a wok, heat it up till smoking point. Reduce the heat, add the fish and fry till brown on both the sides. Remove the excess oil and leave 3 tbsp oil back in the wok, add kalonji and green chillies in the oil, let it crackle. Add the tomato and sauté it for a minute. Add the mustard paste and the remaining turmeric powder, stir it and cook it for 2 minutes on medium flame. Add 1 cup of water. Stir and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Add the fish and cook for 2 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and mustard oil. Serve it with hot steaming Rice...