Carrot Cake with glaze

Carrot Cake with glaze

24 pieces
 Ingredients:
200 g butter
4 eggs
4 dl granulated sugar
5 ½ dl flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ tsp salt
300 g carrots


Glaze
125 g butter, softened
275 g cream cheese (type philadelphia)
4 dl powdered sugar
2½ tsp vanilla
2 tablespoons lemon juice


 Directions
1. Melt the butter. Let it cool. Whisk the eggs and sugar until fluffy. Mix the dry ingredients and stir them into the mixture with the butter.
 2. Grate the carrots and stir them in. Spread batter in a roasting pan, about 25 × 35 cm, with baking parchment.
 3. Bake in the lower part of the oven for about 40 minutes.  Oven 175 ° Celsius degrees. Let cool.
 4. Glaze: Beat butter with the other ingredients. Spread the icing on the cake. Cut into squares.

Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:

1/2 medium head of cauliflower (about 1 pound), coarsely chopped

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon (or more) salt

2 cups (packed) flatleaf parsley leaves with tender stems

1 cup (packed) mint leaves

2 scallions, white and palegreen parts only, sliced

A few chopped salad leaves

1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 medium cucumber (about 8 1/2" long), cut into 1/4" pieces

6 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered

Directions:

Grate cauliflower with the coarse grater disk on a food processor or the largest holes on a box grater until ricelike in texture. Transfer to a large, microwavesafe bowl and toss with 1 Tbsp. oil and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high 3 minutes. Carefully remove plastic wrap, spread cauliflower "rice" on a rimmed baking sheet, and let cool. 

Wipe out food processor, if necessary, and fit with chopping blade. Pulse parsley, mint, scallions, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, 3/4 tsp. salt, and remaining 1/4 cup oil until herbs are coarsely chopped (or finely chop with a knife). Transfer to a large bowl and stir in red pepper flakes. Add cauliflower, cucumber, and tomatoes and gently toss to coat. Season with additional salt, if necessary.

Cauliflower "rice" can be made 3 days ahead. Chill in a resealable container.

This is a lot like middle eastern Tabbouleh but instead of bulgur I use cauliflower.

Carrot Fry

Carrot Fry

This is a basic carrot fry recipe and you can play around with whatever ingredients you have.

Ingredients: 
1 tbs OilA pinch mustard seeds
A few red chilis chopped
1 tsp curry powder
1 ½ tsp coriander powder
2 green chilies slit length wise
3 cm piece fresh ginger cut into small pieces
1 Onion cut into small pieces
2 Spring onions cut into small pieces
Salt to taste
3 large carrots peeled and cut into small pieces
A half rutabaga (Swedish turnip) cut in small pieces
A can of Chickpeas
A can of crushed tomatoes
2 tbs toasted sesame seeds lightly crushed


Directions:
Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add the mustard seeds. Heat until the seeds starts popping. 


Add red chili, curry powder, coriander powder, green chilies, ginger, onion, spring onion and saute for 5 to 6 seconds. 


Add the chopped carrots and rutabaga and mix. Cook without lid on medium heat for 4 to 5 mts, mixing the contents once in a while. 


Reduce heat, add chickpeas and tomatoes. 

Add a little water according to feeling if you find the fry too thick. Salt according to taste and cook till the carrots are soft, approx. 25 mts. 


Add the crushed toasted sesame seed. Turn off heat and remove into a serving bowl. Decorate with thyme or mint leaves. 


Serve warm with rice, Carrot Chutney, Naan bread or with Indian chickpea flatbread /Rotis.

Sweet Carrot Chutney

Sweet Carrot Chutney

Ingredients: 

2 Tbs. grated fresh ginger

4 medium carrots, grated (4 cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

1 cup sugar

¾ cup cider or rice vinegar

½ tsp. ground cardamom, optional

Instructions: 

1. Bring carrots, ginger, garlic, and 11/2 cups water to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 45 minutes.

2. Stir in sugar, vinegar, and cardamom, if using. Simmer 45 minutes more, or until chutney has thickened. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cool. 

Spiced Chickpea Flat Bread- Indian Punjabi Missi Roti

 

Spiced Chickpea Flat Bread- 

Indian Punjabi Missi Roti

Makes about 8 medium Flat Breads

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 Cup Chick Pea Flour
1 & 1/2 Cup Wheat Flour

1/2 Cup onion (finely chopped)
4 tbsp cilantro (finely chopped)

1 red pepper (finely chopped)

1 tbsp salt

1/2 tbsp black pepper

2 tbsp canola oil (plus extra for pan frying)

1/2 tsp (Or 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes. This amount does not make bread spicy, but it is

totally optional.)

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi ­ Optional)

1 tsp Ajwain (Or dry thyme )

Directions

1. Make Dough ­ In a mixer with dough hook or in a large bowl using hands. Mix chickpea and wheat flour. Add all dry spices, salt and onion, cilantro. Mix well. Add oil and 1/4 cup water at a time till dough comes together. Dough should neither be very sticky nor firm. Let dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes before rolling breads.

 

2. Roll Flat Breads ­ Heat an iron griddle or flat skillet. On a board dusted with wheat flour, take out dough. Divide into 8 to 10 equal size balls. Dust with flour to stop sticking with board. Use rolling pin to roll the dough to 5 inch circle.

3. Cook ­ Place the flat bread on heated skillet, add 1 tsp oil and sear it for 2­3 minutes on each side.

4. Serve ­ Repeat Step ­3 for all remaining uncooked flat breads. 

Indian Spiced Carrot Soup with Ginger

Indian Spiced Carrot Soup with Ginger

6 to 8 portions

Ingredients

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1/2 teaspoon curry powder (preferably Madras)

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

2 cups chopped onions/yellow and spring onion

1 tbsp chopped red chili

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled, thinly sliced into rounds (about 4 cups)

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel

5 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

salt and pepper to taste 

Plain yogurt (for garnish)

Directions:

Grind coriander and mustard seeds in spice mill to fine powder. 

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.

Add ground seeds and curry powder; stir 1 minute.

Add ginger; stir 1 minute. 

Add red pepper, onions, carrots and lime peel.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper; sauté until onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add 5 cups broth; bring to boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree in blender until smooth.

Return soup to pot.

Add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if too thick.

Stir in lime juice; season with salt and pepper. 

Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before serving. The soup can also be frozen and heated again and will taste perfect!

Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with yogurt and serve.

Serve with Naanbread or Spiced Chickpea Flat Bread also called Indian Punjabi Missi Roti 

An Indian meal with Chicken Masala, Coconut Rice, Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew, Mango Chutney and Naan bread!

I have food from all around the world on my blog. However this is the first Indian food I have made and put up here. I am so fascinated  with the culture of food. I love to make food from all corners of the world. The fascinating thing is that the ingredients are the same, however what makes the difference is the combination of the ingredients and the way we use spices and the preparations. 

Indian food I am not familiar with at all so I started out with a common Indian dish, Chicken Masala. I also made Coconut rice and a vegetarian stew with Cauliflower and chickpeas. And with Indian food there are chutneys and Naan bread. I made Mango Chutney for this meal and of course Naan.

The coconut rice is the best rice I ever ate!

I have now made links and recipes for each dish. However I combined these dishes to one meal. 

Indian Chicken Masala

http://ohemmabjorg.blogspot.se/2016/10/indian-chicken-tikka-masala.html

Indian Coconut Rice

http://ohemmabjorg.blogspot.se/2016/10/indian-coconut-rice.html

Indian Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew

http://ohemmabjorg.blogspot.se/2016/10/indian-cauliflower-and-chickpea-stew.html

Indian Naan bread

http://ohemmabjorg.blogspot.se/2016/10/indian-naan-bread.html

Indian Mango Chutney

http://ohemmabjorg.blogspot.se/2016/10/indian-mango-chutney_1.html

Indian Mango Chutney

Indian Mango Chutney

Ingredients:

1 tbs cooking oil

2 yellow Mangos

1 tsp Coriander seeds

½ tsp Cumin seeds

Apple Cider Vinegar

Sugar

2 tbs Fresh ginger

½ Onion

2 cloves of Garlic

1 red Chili

A pinch of salt

1 cup water

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

Chop the chili, onions and ginger finely. Cut the mangos into small cubes.

Heat the oil in a non- stick pan. Add the spices. Roast for a minute. Add the chili, onions and ginger. Fry to soften. Add the mangos, and the water. Add the sugar and apple cider vinegar. Add the salt. Taste to see if the sweetness and sourness is according to your taste. Adjust according to your own. Stir to combine.

Bring to a rapid boil and reduce to medium-low. Steady simmer for about 30 minutes to an hour. Watch to see when the chutney has cooked and has the consistency you prefer.  Remove from heat and allow it to cool. If you prefer smaller chunks, use a potato masher to mash the mixture to the desired consistency.

Serve with your Indian meal.

Indian Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew

Indian Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp oil

225g pack paneer, cut into cubes

1 head of cauliflower

1 can chickpeas

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic cloves

1 red peppar

1 green peppar

1 red chili

1 piece fresh ginger (about 5 cm)

A handful green Peas

1 tablespoon coriander

Salt

2 cups sauce (see Chicken Masala Sauce recipe)

Directions:

Chop garlic, onion, peppers and chili to small pieces. Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Cut the peas into small pieces.

Heat oil in a large non-stick pan, add the garlic, onion, chili, red and green pepper. Fry until soften.

Add cauliflower and fry while stirring for a couple minutes to soften.

Add the chickpeas. Stir.

Add 2 cups of sauce. I set aside 2 cups from the sauce I made when preparing the Chicken Masala before I added my chicken. If you make only this dish, make the sauce according to that recipe.

Cook until the cauliflower is tender. Add the peas and the cheese. Stir! When done garnish with fresh coriander.

Indian Coconut Rice

Indian Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

1 tbs coconut oil

2 cups of basmati rice

1 cup of coconut milk

3 cups of water

Coconut oil

Star Anise

1 whole cinnamon (crack it a little)

A few Cardamom seeds

A few Mustard seeds

1 tsp salt

Directions:

Soak the rice covered in cold water for at least 20 minutes. Before cooking rinse through sift to get out all the water and the starch.

In a pot on the stove, add 1 tbs coconut oil. Throw in the Star Anise, the cinnamon, cardamom and mustard seeds. Toast until the mustard seeds starts to pop. Add the rice and fry while stirring for a minute.

Add 3 cups of water, 1 cup of coconut milk, tsp salt and bring to a boil. When boiling turn down the heat to low and put a lid on. Let the rice simmer for 20 minutes. Do not take the lid off. After 20 minutes the rice should be done and ready. Remove the Star Anise and cinnamon.

The rice is ready to serve.

Indian Chicken Tikka Masala

Indian Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

4 skinless chicken breasts

Sauce

2 onions

5 cm piece of ginger

Coriander seeds

1 fresh red chili

1 tsp cardamom

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

Coconut/groundnut or vegetable oil

400g tomatoes

½ x 400g tin of light coconut milk

Fat-free natural yogurt (as much as needed to marinate all the chicken)

1 lemon

2 cups of water

Tikka Masala Marinade

1-2 fresh red chilies

2 cloves of garlic

5 cm piece of ginger

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 ts turmeric

2 tablespoons oil

1 tsp salt

Preparing the chicken:

Slice the chicken lengthways into 2cm strips. Put the chicken in a bowl and add the marinade. Mix to make sure all the chicken meat is covered with the marinade. Put in a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour, but preferably over a night (12 hours). The marinade makes the meat really tender.

When the chicken has marinated: heat a frying pan and add a tablespoon of coconut oil. Fry the marinated chicken

Preparing the sauce:

To make the sauce, chop the chilies, then peel the garlic, onion and ginger and finely chop.

Place a frying pan over a medium-high heat and scatter in the cumin, cardamom and coriander seeds. Lightly toast for a few minutes, or until golden brown and smelling delicious than remove from the heat.

Add the toasted spices to a pestle and mortar and grind until fine. If you don´t want to toast and grind your own spices, use grinded.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large casserole pan over a medium-high heat. Add the spices, the garlic, onions, chili and ginger. Cook for a few minutes, or until softened and lightly golden.  

In a food processor, grind the tomatoes and add to the spices and onions.  Add the water.

Add the marinated chicken and heat to boiling point. As soon as it boils turn down the heat and let it simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced, stirring occasionally.

When the sauce has cooked down add the salt, lemon juice and at the end the yoghurt.

Indian Naan bread

 Indian Naan bread

Ingredients:

1 (25 g) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

1/4 cup butter, melted

Instructions:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and flour to make the dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

Punch down dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls and place on a tray or back in the bowl. Cover with a towel, and allow buns to rise again to double in size, about 30 minutes.

During the second rising, preheat grill or frying pan to high heat. Roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil frying pan or grill. Place dough on grill or frying pan, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. To help the puffing press the Naan with your spatula while in the pan. Remove from grill/pan and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.