Spicy Batate Wada

There are some foods....that make you drool the minute you see them....and 'Batata wada' is one of them for me. Spicy potato filling encased in a besan deep fried coating...yummmm.To top the spiciness..eat it with more spicier chutneys and fried green chilies....heaven!!

There are different versions of the potato filling...some add onions, mint, ginger garlic paste, dry fruits etc etc. No matter how you make it...It comes out super delicious!!

And the accompaniments are the icing on the cake....you got to have a chutney- green spicy or a sweet-tangy type, fried green chillies, chopped raw onions may be......I am drooling already!!!



Ingredients:
3 Boiled and mashed potatoes
1/2 onion chopped
4-5 green chilies finely chopped
2tsp mint cleaves chopped
1tsp Ginger-garlic paste
1/2tsp each cumin, mustard seeds
1/2tsp turmeric
few curry leaves
Salt
oil(for saute and for frying)
Coating:
3/4 cup Besan(gram flour) + water to make semi thin paste
1/2tsp Ajwain seeds
1/2tsp turmeric
1/4tsp red chili powder
salt

 Method:
1) Coating: Mix together besan and water and make into thin paste.Add the ajwain seeds, chili powder, turmeric, salt etc.Keep aside
2) Heat 3tsp oil, add the mustard, cumin, curry leaves, green chilies, onion, ginger-garlic paste etc.Fry for few seconds. Add the boiled mashed potato, salt, mint leaves etc.Mix. Let it cool.
3) Make the potato filling into flat round balls.
4) Heat oil in a deep pan for frying. Dip the potato filling ball into the besan paste and deep fry till golden brown in the hot oil.
5) Serve HOT with Coconut-Peanut-Garlic chutney and fried green chilies.
Or Eat with bread just like the famous Indian street food...'Vada Pav' aka 'Indian burger":)

"Shades of Hearts" Eggless chocolate cake cake with Butter-Cream cheese icing colored with Beet juice!

 It was Valentines day 2014...and surely I wanted to make something special :))  What can be more special than a 'homemade' treat? 'E' and 'A' were all set to celebrate Valentines day at school and I wanted to make them feel special at home too. On top..I was sure..'M' would love this cake too:)

Looked into the fridge...to find....OOopps no eggs...So set out to make this simple 'Eggless' chocolate cake with Butter-cream cheese frosting. Instead of putting any artificial colors...squeezed the good red beet juice into icing...to get lovely shades of pink!

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cup all purpose flour (sifted)
3/4th cup Granulated Sugar
1/3rd Cup Canola oil
1/4 th cup Cocoa powder (I used Hershey's dark chocolate powder)
1tsp Baking soda
1/2tsp Instant coffee powder
1/2tsp salt
1 and 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tbsp Vinegar (use just few drops less then 1tbsp..to avoid the vinegary smell)
1 cup cold water

For Icing:
1/2  stick Unsalted butter
4tbsp Cream cheese
3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar (adjust according to sweetness desired)
1/2tsp vanilla essence
Beet grated and juice squeezed out
Mini chocolate chips/ grated chocolate bar

Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 350F (preheating is very imp). Grease the 8 inch pan with vegetable shortening. Apply liberally in all corners.Dust with all purpose flour to coat the pan.
2)First sift flour, sugar separately.Then by a spoon add to the measuring cup to measure exact amounts.Level with a knife.DO NOT pack the flour into the cup.The ratios will change and the cake will not come out as good.
3) Mix wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls.
4) Mix them together in a single direction.Bubbles will appear as vinegar reacts with baking soda.Do not over mix.But all the lumps should be gone
5) Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 mins.Do not open the door for first 20 mins atleast.
6) Check with a tooth pick, if the cake is done.The inserted toothpick should come out clean.
7) Flip on a serving platter carefully
8) Let it cool for 1hr or so before icing. 

Icing:
1)With a electric blender mix together butter,cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla till smooth and fluffy.
2)Add beet juice to achieve the desired shades of pink (I made 3 different shades)
Spread the white icing in thin layer on the cooled cake.
3)Fit the icing bag ( you can use a ziplock bag with tip cut) with a small round icing tip.Fill a icing bag with 1 colored icing.Pipe out hearts on the cake.Use the other shades and pipe out the entire surface of the cake with hearts.
4) On the sides of the cake, stick the mini chocolate chips/ grated chocolate bar with a flat knife.
5) Keep the cake refrigerated and covered.

Enjoy with your Loved ones:))