Molten Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Jam

                                          As I sit by the window, nibbling my breakfast, just after the men in the house are sent off, my window tales that reflect the life on the other side of the window begins in the busy hour of the day. I see this grocery store guy with OCD,who rubs his eye and pinches his nose constantly every few minutes, little anxious kids held tightly in the loving arms of their grand parents waiting for the school bus, an embarrassed college going girl, reluctantly walking with her over protective father, as he takes her everyday to board a bus, a school kid on a bicycle, never forgetting to pray, as he passes by the statue of Lord Mary, a sad looking white bull pulling a cart, moving to the rhythmic sound of the jingling bells tied to its neck, which sounds more melancholic and announcing ‘here I go', a young physically challenged person walking everyday to a nearby tea shop for a drink, without any help, never fails to remind me of how abnormal we are to always complain over trivial issues. I have seen petty road accidents and traumatised victims, street quarrels that starts and ends before anyone could intrude, young men recklessly racing in their bikes for fun and pump up the blood pressure of many old people on the road, loud funeral processions that silences everyone for a moment, daily labourers walking hastily to find work, busy office goers, rushing to report on time, some familiar faces, some I don’t know. For all that drama that unfolds through my window and while I sit there wondering where these people are headed to, I wish and pray they all return home safe, for they have, mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters waiting for them.

                  To me, molten chocolate cake would be the most desired dessert that gives instant gratification. My first molten chocolate cake was from Domino’s and I fell in love with this chocolate treat that instant. Ever since then, I have tried a few molten chocolate cake recipes and have tried replacing the ingredients this for that, to make my own version of this cake that is easy to make and guilt free to eat  and this is my latest version of molten chocolate cake which I guess is, low in fat and low in cholesterol too. Whatever, this version of molten chocolate cake proved to be as good as the other versions, with not much difference and a cake that you can happily reach for the second one without guilt. If you don’t believe in this low calorie, low fat nonsense, just use the given substitutions to enjoy a rich molten chocolate cake.

                                  The given quantity for two is quite adaptable to taste and requirement. I have tried a few combinations which has been satisfactory so far. The next time I may try with avocado or some banana and replace some of that oil and sugar or may be use just nutella instead of butter and I can imagine how chocolatey such a combo would be. It’s such a flexible recipe and it always tastes good, no matter however modified. Use peanut butter only if you love the taste of peanut butter and chocolate, as the taste of peanut butter dominates over the chocolate taste in the cake.

Ingredients
Dark chocolate                100 g     ( I used 72% cocoa)
Egg whites                        2            ( or use 1 egg)
Dark brown sugar           1/4 cup  ( or use white granulated sugar)
Oil                                     50 ml     ( or use 50 g of butter or Peanut butter )( I used sundrop oil)
Almond flour                   2 tbsp     ( or use white flour)
Vanilla Extract                 1/2 tsp
Raspberry jam                 1tbsp

Method
Melt the chocolate pieces in a double boiler. Set it aside.
Beat egg whites until frothy and double in volume.
Add sugar and beat until pale and thick like a custard. (If using white sugar, grind to a fine powder and use)
Mix in vanilla.
Stir the oil in the melted chocolate and whip this into the beaten eggs and sugar.
( If using butter or peanut butter, melt it along with the chocolate)
Stir in the almond flour, just until mixed.
Grease two to three ramekins well.
( I used oil spray to grease the ramekins and it helps the cake to slide out easily when inverting on to a plate)
Fill half of the ramekins with the chocolate batter, place about 1/2 to 1 tsp of raspberry jam in the centre and pour more chocolate batter, covering the jam and fill upto the rim.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180*c for about 12 minutes. Leave it in the hot oven for another 1 minute. Remove from the oven and invert it onto a plate.

Since cherries and strawberries are seasonal fruits, it is not that easy to get it when desired. These glass cherries and strawberry, comes handy whenever I need some reddish hue to contrast the dark chocolate. They are quite heavy and it started sinking into the soft molten centre the moment it was placed. I know, these glass fruits can never replace the beauty of fresh raspberry or strawberry on a cake, but they make the cake look pretty visually.
Just ignore the spoon marks on the plate and note the fused molten chocolate and the jam inside the cake.
Chilled cake tastes gorgeous too.

Kavuni arisi/Black sticky Rice and a Banana Paayasam

                               Black puttu rice/ karuppu puttarisi is the sticky rice, that’s popularly used in asian cuisines without the husk, particularly in their desserts. This rice is also popular in chettinad cuisine, one reason I believe is that, traders from chettinad, who frequented Burma and other east asian countries back in those days, brought back not only Burmese teak to adorn their palaces, but also the rice to south India, which has become a part of their cuisine as well. I was actually introduced to this rice in school by a friend, a refugee from Burma who had moved in to India during the war. This sticky rice used to be her lunch many a times or rather my lunch, because I would always be the one to finish this sweet and delicious sticky rice.

                             The rice made with the husk gives a distinct flavour and taste . The white sticky rice with the husk removed can be used to make puddings using coconut milk and served with fruits. Because of its sticky nature, the rice will suit best to make sarkkarai pongal and can be substituted for rice in most of our south Indian rice based desserts.
Here I have made the traditional kavuni arisi, exactly the way my friend used to bring it to school and a paayasam/pudding made with sago and banana using palm jaggery and the sticky rice. Both are utterly sweet and a delicious treat for sugar lovers, especially the banana paayasam will be a delight.

Ingredients
Black puttu rice         1 cup
Water                          3 cups
Sugar                           1/3 cup for 1 cup of cooked rice

Grated coconut          1/4 cup
Salt                              a pinch

Method
Combine rinsed rice with water and salt in a pressure cooker and cook for twenty minutes. ( see TIPS on how to pressure cook rice)
Let the rice cool completely.
Stir in the sugar and mix in the grated coconut. Serve as it is or chilled.

Black puttu rice, Banana paayasam
Cooked black puttu rice       1 cup
Palm jaggery                          3/4 cup (melted and strained )
Cardamom                              2
Coconut milk                          1 cup
Sago/javvarisi                        1/4 cup
Banana                                     1

Method
Soak sago for two hours and cook using a cup of water. It will take about five minutes or so.
Add in the cooked rice, crushed cardamom, palm jaggery syrup, sliced banana, stir well and cook on low heat for another five minutes or so until the mixture thickens.
If the paayasam is slightly thin, then increase the heat and stir until it thickens.
Remove from heat, stir in 1/4 cup of coconut milk and leave it to cool.
The paayasam can be served in two ways. Either mix in a 3/4cup of coconut milk to the entire mixture

and serve or scoop out  a small portion in a bowl and pour the coconut milk on the rice and serve like a pudding. I would suggest the second method with chilled paayasam.

Note:
One cup of uncooked rice yields 3 cups of cooked rice. If planning to make in small quantity use only 1/2 cup of rice, which will yield about 1 1/2 cup of cooked rice. I cooked a cup of rice, divided into three and used one cup each to make kavuni arisi and the banana paayasam. The third cup of rice, I mixed with sugar, grated coconut, coconut milk, chilled the rice for a few hours and that tasted more heavenly with another dimension.

Chicken Stew, Vegetable Stew and Appam without yeast

                             Feeding small kids is not an easy task and I have had my hard times, when I used to  constantly run behind my son to make him finish his food when he was a small child. But, when he had his first taste of stew with idlies, he actually sat down to eat more than he usually did, much to the surprise of a happy mother. Now, things are different, with his favourite chicken stew and appam, I have to be constantly vigilant to prevent him from over eating! It is a curry with simple ingredients, yet a spicy and aromatic stew that will surely make your sunday breakfast special and one that will make you want for more.

Ingredients  Chicken Stew
Chicken                                            1/2 kg
Onion                                               2
Ginger                                              2"inches or 1 1/2 tbsp, Julienned
Green chillies                                 4 (slit)
Turmeric powder                           1/4 tsp
Chilly + Coriander powder           1/2 tsp
Salt                                                    1 tsp
Cocnut milk                                     3/4 cup ( I st extraction)
Coconut milk                                   1 cup  ( II nd extraction)
Cornflour                                         2 tsp
Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom       3 each
Boiled eggs                                       3 (optional)
Oil                                                      1 tbsp
Pepper                                               1/2 tsp
Curry leaves

Method
Mix cornflour in the Ist extracted coconut milk and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan, add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, pepper, curry leaves and when it begins to change colour, add sliced onions, ginger, green chillies and sauté, just until the onion is transparent and soft.
Add the turmeric powder and give it a stir.
Add the chicken pieces, chilly+ coriander powder, salt and mix well.
Add the II nd extracted coconut milk, close the pan and cook on low heat.
When the chicken is cooked, add the I st extracted thick coconut milk mixed with cornflour to the stew and stir.
Cook on low heat for a few more minutes, until it thickens to the desired consistency.
Remove from heat, throw in a few more curry leaves and serve the chicken stew with appam, Idly or dosai.

Since, I have already given the recipe for making Appam using yeast, here goes the recipe for -
Appam without yeast
Raw rice             1 1/2 cup
Urad dal             1 tbsp
Cooked rice       1 cup
Fenugreek         1/2 tsp
Sugar and coconut milk to taste if desired

Method
Rinse raw rice, urad dal, fenugreek and soak them together for 2 hours.
Grind rice, urad dal, fenugreek to a paste, add the cooked rice and grind again to a smooth paste.
Add salt and leave it to ferment for 10 hours.
Use the batter to make appam in a appa kadai.
I did not add sugar or coconut milk to the batter, since I was going to serve with stew which again is rich in coconut milk, so if desired add coconut milk, either while grinding the rice or just before making appam, in that case make the batter thick to dilute it with coconut milk. Adding coconut milk to the batter is a matter of taste and it does not alter the texture of the appam.

Ingredients Vegetable Stew
Onion                         2
Green chillies           4
Ginger                        1 tbsp (Julienned)
Potato                        200 gms
Carrot + beans          250 gms
Coconut milk
Ist extraction             1/2 cup
IInd extraction          1 cup
Cornflour                   2 tsp
Pepper                        1/2 tsp
Cinnamon,Clove, cardamom - 3 each
Curry leaves

Method
Same as chicken stew, use vegetables instead of chicken.
The stew can also be prepared with eggs alone. For making egg stew follow the chicken stew recipe.

Note:
In my previous post, I had mentioned I used horlicks cereal mix, but that was a mistake, I used Britannia multigrain powder and I have corrected it in the post - this information is for those who have subscribed by Email.