Tasty Dreams

Tasty Dreams A CHRISTMAS DELIGHT FROM SMARTMAA

Three extremely delicious homemade cakes to make your X Mas more special.

           1.Santa's Surprise: The Rich plum Cake

           2.Delightful Dream: Dates & Carrot Cake

           3.Smartmaa Special: The Magic Marble Cake

Cakes available in small and Big packs. All Cakes are custom made to your order.

Lead time for Cake delivery is 1 week for Plum Cake and 2-3 days for all other varieties.

Upcoming surprises from Tasty Dreams: 

Ethnic foods, Baked food varieties, Starters & Snacks for kitty/B’day parties.

Tandoori / BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

1. Chicken  - 500 gm ( Big pieces)
2. Caraway(Ayamodhakam) - 1/2 tsp
3. Black Salt - 1/4 tsp
4. Curd - 2 cup
5. Chilly Powder - 2 tsp
6. Lime Juice - 1 lemon
7. Kasoori Methi (dried Fenugreek Leaves)- 1/2 tsp
8. Salt - to taste
9. Mustard Oil - 1 tbs
10.Ginger garlic Paste - 2 tbs

Preparation

First marinate chicken with lemon juice ,salt and oil. Keep it for 15 min

Then add all other ingredients and marinate chicken completely.

Keep the chicken in room temperature for 2 hrs.or refrigerate it over night, then the taste will be good.

Then cook it in the proper BBQ grill.

Serve it with Green Chutney: http://smartmaa.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-chutney.html

Photo Courtesy : Manoj B Ramakrishna

Mixed Veg Paratha

Ingredients

1.Oil - 1 tbs
2.Onion  Chopped  - 1 full
   Ginger Chopped  - 1 tsp
   Garlic Chopped   - 1 tsp
   Green Chilly Chopped  - 1 tsp
3.Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
   Turmeric Powder  - 1/2 tsp
   Cumin Powder - 1/4 tsp
   Garam Masala -  1/2 tsp
   Salt  - To taste
4.Carrot Chopped - 2 tbs
    Beans Chopped - 2 tbs
    Potato (Boiled &smashed) - 1
5.Coriander Leaves Chopped - 1 tbs
6. Butter - 1 tsp
7. Wheat Powder - 2 cup

Preparation

Make chapati dough with wheat powder ,Oil  and salt.Use hot water for preparing the dough.Keep it for 30 min.

Heat oil in a pan

Saute all the 2 nd ingredients in it.

When the onion turns to brown color add 3 rd ingredients.

Then add Vegetables and coriander leaves and mix it properly and turn off the flame.

Make chapati and add 2 tbs filling vegetables then keep another chapati on it and roll it nicely.

Then make veg paratha same like chapati and add butter....

Serve with curd ..

Vanilla Icing Glaze

Ingredients

Confectioners' sugar -1 1/2 cups

Milk- 2 1/2 teaspoons

Salt - 1/8 teaspoon

Vanilla extract -1/4 teaspoon

Butter -1 teaspoon


Preparation

Melt the butter and add to rest of ingredients. Mix until creamy.

If you want to add color you can add.

Then pore over the cake.

X mas Plum Cake

Ingredients

For Soaking : I soaked the dry fruits in Rum for 1 Year

Mixed fruits - 3 cups
Rum/Brandy - 1.5 cups

For Caramel:
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Water - 1 tbsp
Warm water - 1/4 cup

For Cake:
Plain flour (maida) - 2 cups
Baking powder - 1 1/4 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 cup+ 2 tbsp
Unsalted Butter - 250 gms (1 cup + 2 tbsp, approx) @ room temp
Eggs - 4 @ room temp
Vanilla essence - 2 tsp
Jam - 1 tbsp (Mixed Fruit)
Liquid Glucose - 1 tbs

For Spice Powder:
Cloves - 2
Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - a small piece
Nutmeg - a small piece

Preparation

1. Soaking of Fruits :  I soaked it for almost 1 Year  Try to soak it for a minimum of 1 week, at least. Shake the jar of soaked fruits once in a while.( I used a mixed fruit packet from Super Market)

2. Caramel Preparation : Combine 1/2 cup sugar & 1 tbsp water in a sauce pan. Heat it & let the sugar melt. When the color of the melted sugar becomes dark brown, remove the pan from fire & add 1/4 cup warm water to this. You need to be very careful at this stage since the water tends to splash & can cause burns. Bring it back to the heat & boil for a few more mins, 3-4 mins. Remove from fire & let it cool completely. You can prepare the caramel in advance & refrigerate it. (If the Caramel is over burned it will give you bitter taste.)

3. Spice Powder : Grind all the spices with a pinch of sugar, to a fine powder & keep aside.

4. Cake Preparation:
                 1.Preheat the oven @ 180 C for 10-15 mins, before baking.
                 2.Drain the soaked fruits & keep aside. Retain 4 tbsp from the drained liquor. Toss the drained                            
                    fruits in 1-2 tbsp of flour.(This will prevent the fruits from sinking to the bottom of the cake).
                3.Sift the plain flour with baking powder & baking soda.
                4.Powder the sugar & keep aside.
                5.Separate the yolks & white of the eggs.
                6.Beat egg whites till soft peaks form. Keep aside.
                7.Beat the egg yolks & add the softened butter to it. Beat it till it forms a smooth paste.
                8.Add powdered sugar to this,gradually. Beat after each addition.
                9.When it becomes smooth add vanilla essence & cooled caramel & spice powder &beat again.                                            
               10.Add the sifted flour in 2 batches. Beat after each addition. Add jam ,liquid glucose & combine.
               11. Fold in the beaten egg whites in 2 parts & combine till no white streaks are visible
               12. Fold in the soaked fruits & 4 tbsp of retained liquor.
               13. Grease the baking dish line with baking paper. Pour the batter into the prepared tins.
               14.Bake in the pre heated oven for 40-45 mins or until the skewer inserted comes out clean. The          
                    baking time can vary depending on the oven & also the size of the tin used.
               15. Alcohol free version:
               16. Soak 3 cups of fruits in 1.5 cups of fresh orange juice. Leave it overnight @ room temp.The rest of the recipe is same.

 Icing :
           1.Vanilla Icing Glaze(Green Color- 2 cake ) - http://smartmaa.blogspot.com/2013/01/vanilla-     icing-glaze.html
          2. Fondant Icing - http://smartmaa.blogspot.com/2011/12/fondant-icing-recipe.html