Banana Walnut Cake

Ingredients
Bananas: 4 large Walnuts: 5-6. Butter or margarine: 10tbsp. Sugar: ¾ cup. Eggs: 3. Refined flour: 2 cups. Baking powder: 1tsp. Baking Soda: ¼ tsp. Coffee Powder: 1 tsp. Vanilla essence: 1 tsp. Cinnamon powder: 1 tsp. Lemon juice (freshly squeezed): 1 tbsp. Milk: 10 tbsp

Method of preparation

1) Shell walnuts and coarsely chop them.
2) Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy
3) In a separate bowl break the eggs one at a time and beat them well.
4) Add the beaten eggs to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well.
5) Sieve flour with baking powder and baking soda.
6) Mix walnuts, vanilla essence, coffee powder and cinnamon in a bowl.
7) Mash the bananas, add lemon juice. Mix it in the nuts mixture.
8) Add the flour mixture alternating with the banana mixture to the butter, sugar and egg mixture. Add milk. Mix lightly.
9) Pour the batter in a buttered, baking dish. Bake in a preheated oven at 175 degree C for about 1 hour.

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients
Chocolate: 150 gms. Coffee powder: 1 tbsp. Water: 2 tbsp. Eggs (separated): 2. Butter: 1 tbsp. Vanilla essence: half tsp. Sugar: 50 gms. Cream(whipped): for decoration

Method of preparation

1) Melt the chocolate in a doule boiler (bowl with chocolate to be kept in a bigger bowl with boiling water over heat. Stir in the coffee powder and simmer until slightly thickened.
2) Remove the heat and beat the egg yolks into the mixture one by one until the mixture thickens. Beat in the butter and vanilla essence. Let the mixture cool until tepid.
3) Whip the egg whites with the sugar until stiff and fold into the above mixture.
4) Pour into glasses and chill.
5) Decorate the top with rosettes of whipped cream.

Lemon and Tortilla Soup - A Mexican Way

Lemon and Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
llas : 2 Tomato: 1 medium onion: 2 medium Green Chillies: 4 Lemon: 1 Saffron: a pinch Vegetable oil: 2 tsps plus for deep frying Vegetable Stocks : 4 cups Salt : to taste Lemon Juice: 1 tbsp Walnuts: 4 Cream: half cup

Method of preparation

1) Cut tortillas in 5 by 1 cm strips. Wash and chop the tomato. Peel, wash and chop the onions. Wash and chop the green chillies. Cut lemon into four. Dissolve saffron in warm water. Shell the walnuts and cut into four.

2) Heat oil in small saucepan and fry tortilla strips in hot oil until brown and crisp. Drain the oil and keep aside. Heat two teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large saucepan, add onions, green chillies and sauté until onion is soft.

3) Add vegetable stock and salt. Cover and simmer for twenty minutes.

4) Add chopped tomato and simmer for another five minutes, then stir in lemon juice, shelled walnut pieces and saffron. Take the soup off the heat.

5) Add fried tortilla strips and cream. Garnish with lemon pieces and serve hot.

TIP – To make vegetable stock boil roughly chopped vegetables like carrots, French beans, onion, leeks, celery, garlic in plenty of water. Once it comes to a boil simmer for 10 minutes. Strain.

Chetinaad Fried Chicken Recipe

Chettinaad Fried Chicken

Ingredients
Chicken: 1 medium (800gms) Onion: 2 medium Ginger: I piece Garlic: 4-6 cloves Red Chillies whole: 4-6 Green chillies:4 Curry leaves: 10-12 Turmeric Powder: half tsp Lemon Juice: I tbsp Rice Flour: 2 tbsp Salt: to taste Oil: to shallow fry

Method of preparation

1) Clean, wash and slit chicken through the backbone and the breast into two equal halves. Make three to four half-inch deep cuts on breast and leg pieces.
2) Peel, wash and rough chop onion, ginger, garlic and grind to a smooth paste along with green and red chillies, adding a little water if required. Wash, drain and finely shred curry leaves.
3) Blend turmeric powder, lemon juice, curry leaves and rice flour into the masala paste and mix in salt to taste.
4) Apply this mixture thoroughly and liberally on the chicken and leave to marinate for two or three hours, preferably in the refrigerator.
5) Heat oil in shallow pan, add marinated chicken and sauté for two minutes on both sides to seal the exterior.
6) Reduce heat to minimum, cover with a lid and cook for fifteen to twenty minutes, turning over and basting frequently with the remaining marinade, if any or with oil. Sprinkle a little water, if the chicken starts drying.
7) The last few minutes of the cooking should be done on high heat, so that the surface of the chicken is crisp and golden brown.
8) Cut into smaller pieces and serve hot.