It’s been aaaages. Five months almost, ah…well, what to say, life came in the way.
But I was rustling up something for friends the other day when I suddenly remembered to get my camera; that’s the basic problem, usually I just forget, and somehow, if I don’t have a photograph, I don’t feel like posting.

Well, back to food. Papeta-par-eeda, or eggs on potatoes. This is a simple Parsi dish that can be eaten for breakfast, or as a side with any meal. Or even as a snack. It really doesn’t take long and there are all kinds of short-cuts, ( some of which taste better than the original – like replacing potatoes with deep fried potato wafers / crisps / chips – but then doesn’t the sinful stuff always taste better? ). It’s a bit like a fritata. Incidentally, Parsis put eggs on just about everything, especially if it’s a vegetable.

Here’s what I did, in a step-by-step

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PAPETA-PAR-EEDU (Eggs on Potatoes) Serves 4
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INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
4 large potatoes
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
1 chili
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
A pinch turmeric powder
Oil to fry – about 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped Coriander for garnish

PREPARATION
Cut the onions long and thin, and the potatoes a thin and flat as possible. Chop the chili up fine.

Put the oil in a skillet and when hot, put in the onions to fry. When the turn pale brown add the garlic cloves after crushing them slightly. Fry a little more.

Meanwhile to save time, boil the potatoes in water with salt. Don’t let them get completely soft, about 5 minutes short of done.

Add the turmeric powder, chili and red chili powder to the onions.

Drain the potatoes thoroughly and add to the onions let them fry till cooked properly but not soft. Flatten them evenly in the skillet.

Meanwhile break the eggs carefully, separating the yolk from the white and beat each separately. The whites should be as stiff as you can get them. Mix them together quickly and pour immediately over the potato mixture. Cover and leave till it sets, between 3-5 minutes.

Cut up into squares, garnish with coriander and serve hot. Yum!!

As I mentioned, Parsis can add eggs to anything. Try this on cooked fried okra, tomatoes or white pumpkin. More details soon.

I mentioned recently about They Cook & Draw. Well, a few days back I came across a recipe that I scribbled down and that was held up by magnets on my refrigerator since. This morning I actually woke early enough to try the Supreme Orange Sponge Cake. For a change, I actually had every single ingredient – not that there are many, in my kitchen. It was simple and it turned out wonderful! There’s nothing quite like the tangy flavor of orange wafting round your kitchen on a summer morning! Mmmmmmmm!

This is the recipe, almost ditto, but I added some milk and butter, simply because at one point the batter was just too thick to stir! I think I would have liked double the orange juice too but I had no more. And the walnuts are my addition too.
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SUPREME ORANGE SPONGE CAKE Serves 8
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INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (maida)
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
5 tablespoons orange juice ( 1 small orange should be enough)
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon salted butter
7-8 walnuts. 4 whole for the top, the rest crumbled (optional)

PREPARATION
Turn your oven on high and grease your baking tin. (more…)

This is an ancient recipe from my mother, who got it from her aunt. It requires a bit of jugglery, and moving like you have 6 hands instead of just 2 but, and frankly I’ve never tasted a cold, sweet, dessert souffle as good as this one. Give it a try.

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LEMON SOUFFLE Serves 8
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INGREDIENTS
2 cups milk
2 flat tablespoons Custard Powder (vanilla or lemon flavored)
1 flat tablespoon gelatin (Soaked in 1/4 cup water)
3 egg whites
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar
2 limes juiced
Keep ice available.

PREPARATION
Mix together sugar, egg yolk and custard powder. Add just 1/2 cup milk and mix till it is totally smooth.

Add the remaining milk and heat them on a low flame to blend. Stir constantly, don’t let it reach a boil, until it just begins to thicken slightly.

Use a large tray and fill with ice cubes. Place the hot vessel over this to cool as soon as possible. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile quickly melt the gelatin completely in a double boiler. Then bring to room temperature by taking it off the stove and stirring vigorously.

Quickly whisk the egg whites in a clean dry bowl till absolutely stiff.

Add the cooled gelatin to the cooled custard mixture, mix thoroughly and add the lime juice. Quickly fold in the beaten egg whites. our into serving dishes and put in the refrigerator.
Serve cold when set.

Believe it or not!

I haven’t been posting, but I’ve certainly been cooking. And baking. Donno why, somehow getting a dish done, photographed and onto the blog, often becomes a monumental task. I’ve got recipes typed out, but no matching photographs, or photographs for which I never did make an entry and then feel I might as well repeat it to make sure.

Well, to cut a long story short, I did try out this enchanting 3 minute-Cake-in-a-Mup. I’ll be honest, it’s not the best cake I’ve tasted, nor the best texture. It’s a little chewy. But there’s something absolutely enchanting in a simplicity, and the magic of watching it just rise in a minute, and grow and grow and grow like something out of an Enid Blyton book. And the wonder of having it done within minutes of thinking of it, and NOT having to clean up any mess. I’ve actually made it 3 times so far, the 3rd with my own variation. But I’ll come to that.
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This is the very simplest chocolate cake possible. And I say that with real authority because the very first time I’ve baked a cake all on my own and it turned out fabulous! Looks, texture, aroma, taste. Really perfect. And it continues to turn out perfect – this is the third time I’m making it.
The second time I bravely made this for 20 people! Very brave or very stupid, depending how you look at it, I guess. Some said it could be sweeter, but well, I really don’t like my desserts oooozing sugar.

The recipe is a combination of one given to me by a friend, thanks Rashmi, and other stuff I’ve read off the wonderful internet. Her recipe was already marked over and all sorts of convenient substitutions had already been made. Then the second time I made this I read someplace that yogurt was a great substitute for all the excess fat that needs to go into a cake, so I tried that, and it worked beautifully with no negative effects on the cake that I could tell. There’s probably a million recipes out there, but the ease ans speed of this one, the sight of it emerging perfect from the oven, and the sight of my four year wolfing it down… Well, here goes.

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SIMPLE CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE Makes a 4 x 9inch cake about 2 inches high
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Ingredients
I used a coffee mug for all measures. Bigger than a normal cup measure. about 10oz compared to the normal 8oz cup.
Whatever you use, stick to the same throughout. This simple illustration says it all.

1 measure all-purpose flour (maida)
1 measure = 2/3 mug castor or plain sugar + 1/3 mug drinking chocolate powder
1 measure = 1/3(100gm) salted butter + 1/3 cooking oil + 1/3 yogurt
[ I discovered here that any combination of the 3 will do it, including eliminating the oil all together so long as it makes a measure full. The 1st time I used all butter, but I've never yet used all yogurt ]
3 – 4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon baking soda
Add salt only if your butter is unsalted.

PREPARATION
Turn on the oven to 260C.

If you like whizz the sugar through a blender. I did the first time, but not after and it didn’t make a difference.

Put all the measured ingredients into a large bowl and mix lightly till they’re all blended- 4-5 minutes max. I don’t own an electic hand beater but that should do it in 2 minutes.
Don’t go overboard with the mixing, I believe it takes the air out of it.

Line the baking dish with grease or brown paper.

Pour in the mixture.

Pop it in the middle rack of the oven, and turn the heat down to the lowest, -160C on my oven.

Start checking after 25-30 minutes. First just shake lightly. If it wobbles, don’t touch.
As it seems firmer, put in a knife. When it really comes out clean, you’re done.

Remove from the oven, and in 5 minutes, remove onto a rack to cool.

This last time I made the cake, I crushed some walnuts and added them into the mixture.
The time before, I “iced” the cake all over with Hershey’s Chocolate Sauce and put the walnuts on the top. My expertise doesn’t yet stretch me to making an icing!

Whatever! it’s been yummm every time.