Fluffy Pancakes

Pancakes! best thing ever! I love American fluffy pancakes, they are the bestest. When I was in New York in 2010 my friend MissO and I went looking all over New York for an International House of Pancakes (IHOP) because I had to have some before I left. And the only place they had an ihop was in HARLEM! So Harlem is this scary area that you don't go to because you will get mugged, raped and murdered. The two of us were so determined to have pancakes that we put on our bravest faces and ventured out into the darkside, the kinda side that Mufasa warned Simba about. The dark shadowy place. You have no idea how scared we were. We had to get there before the sun went down, so we got on a bus, got there, eventually found the place, ate and ran back like scaredy cats. All that horror was well worth our while. The pancakes were amazing and it also proves why American's are obese. I mean, who wouldn't be when food is that amazing. So one day I decided to make pancakes at home instead of buying pre-made mix at the supermarket or even going to Pancakes On The Rocks. I must say, they did come out rather fluffy. Good effort.

Your Challenge: Pancakes for those with a brave face.

 

Ready --- Steady --- Cook!

Fluffy Pancakes

(makes 8 pancakes)

INGREDIENTS  

135g Self Raising flour
½ teaspoon Salt
5 Tablespoons Sugar
130ml Milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 Tablespoons melted butter (allowed to cool slightly) or olive oil, plus extra for cooking

If using plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Method
1. Sift the flour, (baking powder), salt and sugar into a large bowl. 

2. In a separate bowl or jug, lightly whisk together the milk and egg, then whisk in the melted butter.

3. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using a fork, beat until you have a smooth batter. Any lumps will soon disappear with a little mixing. Let the batter stand for a few minutes.

4. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter. When it's melted, add a ladle of batter (or two if your frying pan is big enough to cook two pancakes at the same time). It will seem very thick but this is how it should be. Wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble, then turn it over and cook until both sides are golden brown and the pancake has risen to about 1cm (½in) thick.

5. Repeat until all the batter is used up. You can keep the pancakes warm in a low oven, but they taste best fresh out the pan.


To serve maple syrup, butter, bacon, eggs, sausages Variations

Challenge Accepted ???

Enjoy!

Tosakanth

Mongolian Beef

Sorry for my lack of action in the past few weeks. Been super duper busy with work and study and haven't had time to do anything. I leave home in the morning and only come home to sleep and do the same cycle the next day. do forgive me. The story behind this was that I was craving some Asian food and didn't have enough money to go get take out so I decided to make some at home with ingredients I had lying around. Anyway, this recipe is a mix between a Mongolian beef and a beef in oyster sauce, because I'm an oyster sauce addict and thought it would taste better with some oyster goodness. Either way, it's yummy.

Your challenge: Mongolian beef to go head over heals.

Ready --- Steady --- Cook!

Mongolian Beef

(Serves 4) 

Ingredients

300g Beef tenderloin, thinly sliced against the grain

1 Red bell pepper, sliced 

2 Green onion, sliced 

2 Bunches of Bok Choy, cut

50g Cornflour

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp ginger, grated
1 Teaspoon chilli flakes
1 Tablespoon Corriander, chopped 

4 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons oyster sauce

3 Tablespoons agave nectar (or sugar)

3 Tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry or any red wine

3 Tablespoons water

1-2 Tablespoons oil for the pan

Method:  

1. Stir together soy sauce, agave nectar/sugar, water, and Chinese rice wine/dry sherry. Set aside. 

2. coat the beef in cornflour

3. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Make sure the oil completely coats the bottom of the pan. Add the beef and quickly sauté until lightly browned.

 

4. Add garlic and ginger. Sauté for a few seconds. 

5. Add onions, bell peppers, bok choy and cook.

6. Add the sauce from step 1. The sauce should quickly come to a boil. Lower the heat a bit and allow it to bubble. Keep stirring. Reduce until it becomes thicker and glazes the beef. It should happen very quickly, within minutes. 

serve with steamed rice

Note: The corn starch helps to brown the beef and thicken the sauce once the sauce is added to the pan. 


Challenge Accepted ??? 

Enjoy!

Tosakanth 

Moist Carrot Cake

Ok, I know what you are thinking. "Why carrot cake out of all the things you could have made and posted about, whyy whyyyyy?" Sri lankans have this mutual hate or detest for putting vegetables in their desserts. I get it, I really do. The first time I heard about carrot cake when I was a itsy bitsy little kid I was as repulsed as you are right now about the thought of it. "Ewww carrots?, why carrots?, and why in a cake?, that must be fowl". But seriously once you get out of your little Lankan comfort zone and try things that are 'weird' it really does open your eyes to endless food possibilities. That's exactly what happened to me. My cousin made some carrot cake when I was about 12 years old, although I was sceptical to try it, I did anyway and my mind = BLOWN. It really is an amazing concoction. You have to try to it believe it. And for all those who already thought putting carrot in a cake was a brilliant idea - you are special.

So, finally about a decade later I found this super awesome carrot cake recipe and wanted to give it a go, but realised I didn't have any carrots at home. So I kept putting it off until now. One of the subjects that I'm doing for my HR course requires me to do a 30min theory presentation/training session for my class and the following session is going to be the practical training session where I teach the class a skill in 30 minutes. I decided to do cake decorating as my skill. Although I'm pretty crap at it, I thought I could get my sister to teach me a few things about fondant modelling. For the theory session I did a presentation on cakes. History, types, flavours, cake decorating tools, ingredients etc. I decided to make a carrot cake for the class to enjoy after my training session and also to bribe the bitch! The bitch is my teacher. I do not like her at all. If the name-calling did not suggest that, I'm telling you that she's an absolute meanie. She's the biggest bully ever. She picks someone she doesn't like and just keeps going at them. And as per usual, I was picked. I thought I left all that nonsense behind in school. But I thought wrong. In school teachers either loved me or absolutely HATED me, there was never any middle ground. Some liked the tomboyishness and others just thought I was trouble just by looking at me. I thought once you grow up and move on to tertiary education that shit would stop. But I guess this woman clearly doesn't agree. Anyway, whatever! I passed the theory session. So all's well in the world, until next week when I have to train the class on fondant decorating. Help!

Anyway, back to the carrot cake. Got side tracked as usual. I have to say that this is the most amazing cake I have ever made. It is so amazingly yummily superbly moist. I cannot believe how good it is myself. You must try it. My housemate Loopi doesn't even like carrot cake or nuts for that matter, but she was orgasming after she ate it. Although the process seems really long, it's quite simple. So give it a go and let me know!

Your Challenge: Moist carrot, what a challenge!

 

 

 

 Ready --- Steady --- Bake!

Moist Carrot Cake
(serves 10 or more) 

INGREDIENTS:

240g  All Purpose Flour or Self Raising Flour

300g  Sugar

50g  Brown Sugar, packed (dark or light)

1 1/2 teaspoon  Baking Soda (if using all purpose flour)

1 teaspoon  Baking Powder (if using all purpose flour)

1 teaspoon  Salt

4 teaspoon  Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon  Nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon  Ground Cloves 

1/4 teaspoon  Ground Ginger

200g Finely Grated Peeled Carrot

85g  Coconut Flakes, sweetened

225g  Crushed Pineapple or Peaches, drained

       (reserve 2 Tablespoon of drained Pineapple/Peach juice)

110g  Nuts (Cashews, Walnuts or Pecans) Chopped into small pieces

200g/250ml  Vegetable Oil

2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon  Orange Zest, Fresh and Finely Grated 

3  Eggs, extra large

165g  Raisins (Optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

70g butter

170g icing sugar

125g cream cheese

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

 

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 

2.  Prepare two 9 inch cake pans by spraying with Vegetable non-stick spray (like Pam Spray) and line with a parchment paper round on the bottom then spray the top of the parchment.  Or spray a 9 X 13 baking pan with Vegetable non stick spray (like Pam Spray) or use 20 jumbo Cupcake liners in a Muffin tin without using Pam spray. 

3. In a large bowl whisk well:  Flour, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt, all Spices. 

4. Peel then Grate approx 5-6 medium Carrots to yield 2 cups packed.  Grate Carrots finely to no more than 1/4 inch pieces.  Or process in a food processor until finely grated but not mush.  It is important that you peel the Carrots before grating.  You do not want the tough skins in your cake. 

5. In a medium bowl or KitchenAid bowl add Carrots, Grated Fresh Orange Peel, Drained Pineapple, Raisins (optional), Coconut Flakes, Walnuts or Pecans and mix well with a big spoon.   

6. To this mixture add the Vegetable Oil, Vanilla Extract and Eggs one at a time mixing in well then add the reserved Pineapple/peach juice and maple syrup and mix well.  Scrape down bowl often.   

7. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a hand mixer or Kitchen Aid for  about 1 minute until well mixed.  Do not over mix. 

8. Pour divided into prepared (as above) 9 inch cake pans, or 9 X 13 pan, or approximately 20 Cupcake liners filled 3/4 full or a 9 X 13 baking sheet sprayed with Pam but no parchment paper needed.   

9. Bake at 180°C for 25-30 mins for Cupcakes,  

35-40 minutes for 9 inch layer cakes and 

45-50 mins for 9 X 13 in the center of the oven.  

Half way through cooking rotate the pans for even cooking.  A toothpick will come out clean when done.  All ovens vary in timing so check at lowest time first and if not done put back in oven and recheck in 2- 3 minutes. My oven took about 30mins to bake.

10. For the icing: whip butter and icing sugar together till smooth. Then add the cream cheese and mix well. Add vanilla in last to get a smooth texture. You may add a pinch of salt if it is too sweet.

11. Allow the cake to cool completely in pan for 1-2 hrs. before removing to ice with Cream Cheese Icing.   Place 1/4 of icing between the two layers and when placing the top cake layer on, put the flat side of the cake (the bottom when it was in the cake pan) facing up for a flat top which makes a more attractive cake and easier to ice. dust with a little ground cinnamon for effect.


Challenge Accepted ??? 

Enjoy!

Tosakanth

Archa's Sago Pudding

This one goes out to my Grandma who is the bestest cook ever. I'm sure she's up in heaven cooking up a storm with all her new and old Bandas. If you ever had the honour of meeting my Grandma you would know what a cool chika she was. If you didn't have the pleasure of meeting the most awesomest lady, the following are a few fun facts about her.

She lived till 95. She's the oldest person I know. Custest Grandma. Bestest Grandma. The smallest person I know, like pocket sized. She's a de Silva who married another de Silva. She always won Avurudu Kumari. She was born on the 14th of April (Sinhalese & Tamil New Year) that made her automatically qualify for Avurudu Kumari I think. She knows P-language (that is the coolest). Her letters are the most interesting things you would ever read. You need a magnifying glass to read them though, because her handwriting was so small. She was a book worm - spent most days reading. She made the best Bombay Toast. Always had an ample supply of Orange Barley at home for us. She loved her sweets. She loved eating Banis and Monis Baby Rusks. She was the only one who could get me to eat fish and that was also only if she made it herself. Her stuffed Cuttlefish and meatloaf were out of this world. I only recently found out that she used to hide her crystal ornaments when I went to visit her as a kid because I was so naughty, I would break them by just even being around them (bit of a bull in a china shop I was). She was the only 95 year old that I know who had naturally black hair at that age (few white ones, but mostly black). She's been through a world war. Lived during the British colony. Stood in line for days to watch the royal wedding (Charles & Diana). Favours my dad way too much over my aunts. Never favoured one grandchild over the other though. Constantly worried about the whereabouts of her China. Loved to collect/use China. Has the best collection of Chimney Lamps. Got me hooked onto 4711 (perfume) because she had hundreds of them. Showed me that old people are cool. She was very very sneaky. More open minded than any other Lankan that I know. Always believed in me. Always proud of me no matter what I do. Always wanted me to be/do what makes me happy. Always said that people will talk, forget them and be who you are and be proud of it. Thanks for everything Archa. You were the best and I miss you dearly. 

R.I.P Archa

 

14 April 1917 ~ 08 June 2012

I decided to write this ode to Archa post because she used to make the bestest Sago pudding (Sau). It was a white version, not the brown one everyone makes and it was sooo good. She mixed a few fried Cashews in it too. I was craving sago pudding one day and wanted to make Archa's one just 'cause. It turned out super well. I mixed some other random stuff into it as usual, so it's not really Archa's one, mine turned out brownish because I added honey and cinnamon to it. But close enough. Next time I will stick to just sugar and it'll be Archa's white sago pudding.

Your challenge: This one's for you, Archa! Let's make her proud.

 

Ready --- Steady --- Cook!

Sago Pudding

(serves 4)

INGREDIENTS: 

200g Sago(Sau)/Tapioca

150ml thick coconut milk

50ml Milk

50ml Water

50g Sugar (add to taste)

2 tablespoons Honey

1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

pinch of salt

15g cashew nuts (optional)

3 tablespoons butter (optional)

METHOD:

1. Wash sago and soak in water for about an hour.

2. Heat pan and add sago and bring to boil.

3. Stir continuously to avoid sago forms ticking to the pan. 

4. Add the milk and coconut milk to the sago and keep mixing

5. When sago starts cooking, the pearls become clear.

6. Add sugar, honey and cinnamon and keep mixing till most of the pearls are clear.

7. Add a pinch of salt to taste.

8. Add water if you want it to be thinner, add more coconut milk if you like the coconut taste.

9. In a separate pan heat the butter and lightly fry the cashew nuts. Mix the butter-cashew mixture into the sago. (the butter gives a beautiful flavour to it, you can add some extra butter if you like)

Note: you can add plums/currants if you like. You can either serve it hot or cold. You can also add a little coconut milk to garnish with some palm syrup before serving.

Challenge Accepted ???

Enjoy!

Tosakanth