"Pat a Cake"- Eggless Mango Cake with Simple Glaze

It was our monthly 'Tea party' and it was my turn to host it. I get all excited about cooking and baking for parties...though sometimes I go overboard and exhaust myself out.But after all.... it is worth it...to get together with friends chit-chat,laugh, share stories....it washes all the tiredness out of me!
So for the tea party I planned a menu of ---This Eggless Mango cake with simple glaze, Dabeli (http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2009/11/chatpata-chaat-kutchi-dabeli.html), Bruschetta (recipe coming soon to the blog) , toast topped with sweet Ricotta cheese mixture and pineapples and then chip,cookies etc to munch.

This eggless cake...I tried out for the first time...and it was my recipe!!!! Yipeeeeee!!!! It came out DELICIOUS, moist, soft and tasted sooooo good....I myself can't stop eating it!!

Ingredients: (measured with standard measuring spoons and cups)
(I had doubled this recipe and baked 2 cakes---- one 8 inch round cake and one bundt cake)

1 and 1/2 cup All Purpose flour
3/4th cup sugar
1/2tsp salt
1tsp baking soda
1tsp vanilla extract
1/3rd cup Canola oil
1tbsp vinegar (Add just few drops less than 1tbsp.....it prevents that 'vinegar' taste)
3/4th cup Cold water
1/4th cup Mango Puree( I used Swad Kesar Mango pulp)
1/4th cup (Finely cubed 'Mexican' Mango found in walmart or other grocery stores)

For the glaze
1/2stick unsalted butter
1 and 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2tsp Vanilla
2tsp milk

Method:
1) Sift the flour, sugar etc separately.Then measure correctly with a measuring cup.Don't over fill the cups.
Pre heat the oven to 350F
2) Mix together dry ingredients-flour, sugar, baking soda, salt etc
3) Mix together wet ingredients- water, oil,vinegar, mango puree, vanilla etc
4) Mix together the wet+ dry ingredients and stir in one direction till well blended
5) Stir in the cubed Mango pieces
6) Mix again.
7) Grease the pans with shortening and dust with flour.
8) Pour in the batter till 3/4th full.
9) Bake at 350 F for 20-25 mins until golden brown.

 10) Let the cakes cool completely before glazing.


Glazing:
1) Melt butter. Mix together vanilla, powdered sugar and milk. Mix till smooth and shiny.
2) Pour over the cooled cake.

Enjoy this mouthwatering moist,Mango--eeee, soft eggless cake either with tea or as dessert!

"Fusion Cuisine"- Collard Leaves Rollups ( Collard leaves--Aloo Vadi)

These 'Rollups' or 'Vadis' are typically made with " Aloo" i.e Colocasia leaves(Shown in the picture below) and are one of my favorites!!

But since colocasia leaves are not easily available here in Columbus, I substituted the leaves with 'Collard Greens" and tried out the vadis. They came out pretty good and tasted very much like the 'real deal'.

So try this out.....I think it's a good way to eat your greens too!

 Ingredients:
4 Large Collard leaves
1cup Besan/gram flour
1tsp chili powder
1/2tsp turmeric
1/2tsp goda masala (maharashtrian masala)
1tsp sesame seeds
1tsp tamarind extract
1-2tsp grated jaggery
salt
oil

Method:
1) Gently wash the greens and dry them with paper towels.
2) Trim the stems from the backside of the leaf, so that the leaves are pliable and can be easily rolled.

3) Mix besan with turmeric,chili powder, masala,salt,sesame seeds,tamarind, jaggery and water.Make into a thick paste which can be spread on the leaves.This paste should be 'Spicy-sweet and tangy'

4) Spread the paste on the backside of the largest leaf. Sprinkle few sesame seeds.Place the next leaf on top of this one. Spread another 2 tsp of paste on this leaf.Repeat for all 4 leaves.

5) Roll the stack of leaves into a tight roll. Seal the edges with the besan paste.

6) Steam in the pressure cooker for 15-20 mins.

7) Slice horizontally.

8) Shallow fry in oil till golden brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.