Molten lava cake

My friend’s 2 year old son had just learned the Happy Birthday song. He always burst into the song when he sees cake. My husband’s (he calls him kaku) birthday was coming up.  He wanted to sing the happy birthday song in presence of a cake for his kaku. The opportune day came and I started to look into my refrigerator on what should I make for desert.  I also wanted to clean up my refrigerator as I would be leaving for an extended time on vacation.  I wanted to make falooda- but my husband hates it when I ask him to go to the market for one product.  I opened my refrigerator and was able to find among other things- half a gallon of milk, 2 eggs.  I thought of making rice kheer, but it would take a long time with continuous stirring.  Just then I recollected having seen a lava cake recipe in www.Showmethecurry.com. 

Ingredients:

4 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
1 Tbs Butter (Room temperature)
2 Eggs (Room temperature)
1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
Butter – for greasing ramekins

Preparation:

In a double boiler, melt chocolate.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat Eggs and Sugar until light and fluffy.
Once chocolate is melted, remove pan from heat and add in butter. Mix until the butter melts fully.
Add chocolate/butter mixture into the eggs, add all-purpose flour and mix until well incorporated.
Butter bottom and sides of ramekins (small glass/porcelain bowls) and pour in mixture about 3/4 way full.
Place ramekins on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 – 15 minutes.
Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

Pahala Rasgulla( Sweet Cheese Ball )

Ingredients:

2 liters full cream milk

2-3 tbs lemon juice/Vinegar

2 tsp semolina

4 cups water

2 cups and 1tsp sugar

½ tsp freshly ground cardamom

2-3 tbs rose water

Preparation:

Bring the milk to a boil over a medium flame. Stir occasionally to ensure the milk does not burn. When the milk begins to boil, add the lemon juice and mix well.

When the curds begin to separate from the milk, turn off the fire and leave the milk aside for 10 minutes to let the curdling process finish.

Strain the cheese and wash it well under running water - to remove all the lemon juice from it.

Now put the cheese in a cheese cloth and hang for 1 hour to completely drain all the liquid from it.

Put the drained cheese into a mixing bowl and begin to knead it. Continue till all the lumps are removed and the cheese is absolutely smooth. When this happens the cheese will begin to release its fat and your hands will feel greasy. The success of your Rasgulla making effort depends on how smooth you knead the cheese, so give it your best shot!

Now sprinkle the semolina, 1 tsp sugar and cardamom powder over the surface of the cheese and work it into the cheese to mix thoroughly.

Mix the sugar and water in a wide deep cooking pan and bring the mixture to a boil on high heat. Make sure the pan is large enough to accommodate the finished Rasgullas, as they will expand to double their size while cooking in the syrup!

While the sugar syrup boils, divide the dough into small marble-sized balls and roll between your palms till smooth.

Gently add the balls to the sugar syrup and cook for 20 minutes with the lid on. Make sure the Rasgullas are cooking in high heat.

In another sauce pan boil a cup of water. After 20 minutes remove the lid and cook the Rasgulla for another 20-30 minutes. In between occasionally add 1 tbs of boiling water to the Rasgullas (Adding water helps the sugar syrup to remains thin in consistency).

Allow the Rasgullas to cool completely before touching them. They will have expanded to almost double their original size and will be delicate when hot.

When cool, pour the rose water on the Rasgullas and chill for a few hours before serving.

Puli Pitha

Ingredients

1 cup Urad Dal
1 cup Rice
1 cup grated coconut
1 cup sugar
2 Tbs raisin
2 Tbs cashew nut
1/2 Tsp Salt
Ghee/  Vegetable Oil


Preparation

Soak rice and urad dal over night in water or at least 5hrs.
Make a fine thick paste of rice and urad dal. Add salt and 1/3 of the sugar and leave for 1 hr.
In an frying pan add coconut, rest of the sugar, cashew nuts and raisins and fry in low heat until coconut starts to change its color. Remove coconut mixture from the pan and keep it aside.
In the same pan add little oil then pour around one scoop of batter (try to make a thin layer). Then put around 2 tbs of coconut mixture on top of it and again cover the coconut mixture with batter. This time just spoon the batter . Fry in medium heat adding oil one spoon at a time for 5-7 minutes. Turn the heat to low- medium and cook for another 15 minutes covered. Serve hot or cold.