Easy method to make Chena poda

Ingredients:

Milk : 1 1/2 ltrs

Sugar : 1/4 cup

Cardamom powder : 1 tsp

Bombay ravva : 2 tsp

Baking powder : 1 tsp

Raisins ( chopped ) : 2 tsp

Cashew ( chopped ) : 2 tsp

Pistachio ( chopped ) : 1 tsp

Ghee / Butter for greasing

Method :

Making panner:

Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pan in medium heat. Stir in between to prevent from sticking it to the bottom.

As the milk boils, gradually add the lime juice and stir. You will notice that the milk gets curdled into white solids and whey gets separated now turn off the heat.

Strain the curdled milk through a sieve lined with cheese cloth or a piece of muslin cloth.

Press the chena to take out the whey. Now the chena would be very hot. Run cold water through the chena. It helps to remove the smell of lime juice from the chena as well as prevent the chena from getting hard.

Tie the chana in the muslin cloth and hang it for 15-20 min, so that the water drains out.

But make sure you do not drain it for too long and the chena does not get too dry. It should be moist enough to knead it smoothly.

Now a take cake mould ( baking tray ), apply ghee to it.

Now take a bowl add all ingredients ( expect milk as we made panner with milk ) to panner and combine well.

Add this mixture to cake mould and cover it with butter paper.

Keep this in Oven at 175 degrees for 45 minutes.

Insert a toothpick or a knife at the center of the baked chena, if it comes out clean then your chena poda is done. If you found sticky chena mixture on the toothpick or knife then bake it for some more time.

Let it cool down, take it out on a plate, cut into slices and serve.

Eggless Vanilla Cake

Ingredients needed 

All purpose flour/Maida - 1 1/2 cup
Thick curd - 1 cup
Sugar -3/4 cup  (1 cup if you want it very sweet)
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Cooking Oil - 1/2 cup (any flavourless oil)
Vanilla essence -11/2 tsp

Preparation

Seive maida 3 times and keep it aside.

Pre heat the oven for 10 minutes.

Grease and flour the baking tray and keep it ready.(I used an 8 inch square baking tray).

Method

Mix sugar with curd until sugar dissolves.

Now add baking powder and baking soda to the above and mix well. Leave it for 5 minutes.You will see bubbles appearing. Now add oil, vanilla essence and mix well.

Then add maida little by little and combine well with the wet ingredients.Mix well until creamy.

Pour the mixture in the greased baking tray and bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes (180 degree C )  or until a toothprick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Wait for the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan, then cut it and enjoy!

Butter icing 
Recipe adapted from joyofbaking

Ingredients needed 

Butter - 1/2 cup
Icing sugar - 2 cups
Vanilla essence -1 tsp
Any food color of your choice

Method

Sieve icing sugar.In a bowl, cream together butter and vanilla essence.Then add icing sugar, little at a time and beat well. Keep it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.

Cut the top and the sides of the cake evenly.

Spread the butter icing on the top of the cake evenly with a spatula and pipe design of your choice.

To get the desired spreading consistency,you can add little milk if needed.

If you want pipe some designs and want it thicker,add more sugar.

I am a beginner in cake decorations but just wanted to share with you how I did this simple butter icing.

Note - Cool the cake for at least 2 hours before frosting..

Pressure Cooker Vanilla Cake Recipe

Ingredients needed

All purpose flour (maida):  1 1/2 cup
Sugar (powdered) :1 cup
Egg :2
Butter : 1/2 cup (125 grams)
Baking powder : 1 1/2 tsp
Salt : 1/4 tsp
Vanilla essence : 1/2 tsp
Milk : 1/2 cup

Preparation

I used the aluminum cooker vessel for baking this cake. Grease the vessel with butter and dust flour. Keep it aside.

Sieve maida, baking powder and salt together twice.

Important point to be noted- Bring everything to room temperature.


Method

Cream butter and sugar well .Use an electric beater or an wooden ladle but beat well untill light and fluffy.

Add eggs and beat again.

Add milk, vanilla essence and beat for a few more minutes.

Fold in flour until well incorporated.

Pour the prepared batter in the prepared cooker vessel.

How to bake cake in Pressure cooker

Fill the cooker with sand till 1 1/2 inches and place the plate you get along with the cooker on top of it. (picture -1)

Preheat the cooker for 5 minutes on high flame with the sand.
(We are following the same principle as in the oven but here the sand is heated and the cake gets cooked in the heat produced by the sand.)

Now, keep the flame in low and place the vessel with the cake batter carefully inside the cooker.

Close the cooker, watch TV or relax as it will take 4o minutes to 1 hours for the cake to be done.

Check it after 40 minutes by inserting a wooden toothpick in the center of the cake, if it comes out clean, your cake is done, otherwise cook for some more time. (Mine took 1 hour)

Important points to be noted while baking cake in pressure cooker

• Do not use the rubber gasket.

• Do not use the weight. (weight valves)

• Do not pour water inside the cooker as we are not steaming the cake.

• It is preferable to use old cooker. Do not heat empty cooker without the sand as your cooker will get damaged.

How to prepare Cake in pressure cooker/preparing cake using pressure cooker

Ingredients:

1 cup All purpose Flour / Maida

1/4 cup Oil

1/3 cup Sugar

3 tbsp unsweetened Cocoa Powder

3/4 cup hot water

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

1/4 tsp Vanilla Essence

Method:

Mix together Oil, Sugar, water and vanilla essence in mixing bowl.

Stir in all wet ingredients well until sugar is dissolved.

Sift all dry ingredients maida, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, in wet ingredients.

Mix dry ingredients well with wet ingredients.

Preheat pressure cooker over medium heat for 5 mts.

Grease cake tin well using cooking oil.

In a cake mixture add lime juice, mix and immediately pour cake mixture in baking tin.

First put one empty pot in a pressure cooker and on the to of empty pot put cake tin.

Make sure that cake tin doesn't touch the bottom of the cooker.

Cover with the lid without putting whistle on.

Bake on medium heat for first 5 mts.

Lower down the heat to low to medium and cook for 30 to 35 mts.

After 30 mts leave the cake in hot cooker for 5 more minutes.

After 5 mts insert a tooth pick in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clear that means cake is done.

If some batter sticks to the toothpick then continue to bake cake for 10 more minutes.

Allow the cake to cool down for 10 minutes.

After 10 minute run the knife around the edges of cake tin.

Pu one dish on the top of cake tin and flip this over.

The cake should come out without sticking to the bottom of cake tin.

Allow it to cool down on cooling rack before putting icing on cake.

Serve just as it is or with dollop of cream or ice cream!

Tips

If you are using thick bottom pressure cooker, in that case bake the cake over medium high heat only.

Cooking time may vary depending on thickness of pressure cooker, temperature settings of stove.

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