Vegetable Stew

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                    This is a Kerala style dish which is a combination of vegetables cooked in coconut milk  and spices served as a side dish for various appams.
Ingredients:
Combination of your choice of vegies cubed (small)   -   2  cups
( I used potatoes,peas,corn, green beans,carrot and cauliflower florets)
Ginger Garlic paste     -      1 heaped tablespoon
Onion finely sliced      -     1 medium sized
Green Chilli                 -     4 to 5 no.
Cardamom                   -     3 pods
Cinnamon                    -     3 or 4 inch piece
Cloves                          -     3 
Black Pepper               -     5
Thin Coconut Milk      -   1½ cup  
Thick Coconut Milk    -    ¾  cup
Curry leaves                 - a few sprigs
Oil (Pref. coconut)       -  2 tbsp.
Salt as required


Method:

1. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and splutter the spices and sauté for 3 minutes or so.
2. Add the curry leaves, sliced onion, ginger garlic paste and green chillies and sauté till onions turns transparent.
3. Combine the mixed vegetables and mix well and add salt to it.
4. Add the thin coconut milk and bring to boil. 
5. Lower the flame and allow to simmer until all the veggies are cooked.
6. Once all the vegetables are cooked add the thick coconut milk and simmer for few more minutes(say 4 to 5 min.).
7. Remove from flame and serve. Goes well with palappam and vellayappam.

One Bowl Yellow Cake

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    This is a very  basic cake with the  ingredients  available at home. There is no separation of eggs n stuffs like that and there's no need for frosting as well.  This is a super moist cake. If needed you can slather on some butter cream or whipped cream frosting.

Ingredients:
all-purpose flour leveled  -   2 cups 
Powdered sugar                -   1 + 1/4 cup
butter, softened                 -  1/2 cup  
baking powder                  -  1 Tsp.
eggs                                    -  2 no.
milk                                   -  1 cup 
vanilla extract                    -  1 tsp.
salt                                    -  1 Tsp.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C . Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl at least 3 times.
3. Add butter, milk and vanilla and beat the mixture in medium speed for 4 minutes, beat in the eggs. The mixture will be creamy and of dropping consistency.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally among both. Bake 30  or until toothpick comes out clean.
5. Cool the cake in pans over a wire rack for 10 mins. Turn out and cool thoroughly on wire racks.
6. If using  whipped cream frosting refrigerate the cake for an hour or two and then apply.

Carrot Cake

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Ingredients:
Grated Carrot       -    2 cup full
Powdered Sugar   -    1 + 1/2 cup
Eggs                     -     3
Dates,chopped     -    1/2  cup
Raisins,chopped                 -    1/2  cup
Cashew, coarsely ground  -   1/2 cup
Vegetable Oil (or Ghee or equal parts of both)     -     1 + 1/2 cup
Baking Soda             -   1 tsp.
Cinnamon Powder   -    1 tsp.
Salt                           -    a pinch
All Purpose Flour     -    2 cup

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to a 180 C. Lightly grease a 9 inch pan with oil or butter and line it with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Sift the flour, salt and baking soda at least thrice.
3. Beat the eggs using a beater for 3 mins.
4. Add the sugar to the beaten eggs and combine well.
5. Combine slowly the sifted dry ingredients and oil alternately starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
6. To the above batter add Cinnamon Powder, dates, raisins and cashew nuts and combine well.
7. Finally add the grated carrot to the batter and combine well.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared tin, smooth out the top lightly and place the tin in the center of the oven and bake for an hour.
9. Check if the cake is cooked by inserting a tooth pick  or a sharp knife.(The cake is cooked if it comes out clean if not small crumbs will be stuck to the knife).
10. Give it another 10 mins. if not cooked.
11. Remove from oven and leave it out to cool. Then Serve.

Idli Upma

Ingredients:
Idli              -  4 nos.
Onion          - 1 cup finely chopped
Green chilli - 1 finely chopped
Ginger         - 1 inch piece finely chopped
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chili Powder       -   1 tsp.
Mustard                 -1 tsp.
Bengal gram         - 3/4 tsp.
Urad dal                - 3/4 tsp.
Hing                      - a pinch

Curry leaves          - few sprigs

Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp.

Salt as required

Method:

1. Crumble the idlis with your fingers or even better use a fork.(easy if the idlli is cold).
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add bengal gram, urad dal, hing and curry leaves.
3. When dal turns golden brown, add the chopped onions, green chilies, ginger, turmeric and chili powders, salt and saute till onions turns transparent.Then add the crumbled idli and mix well. Taste and see if more salt is needed.
4. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.