Amazing moist Carrot cake & Cream cheese frosting

Here is my special thanksgiving recipe, the Best moist carrot cake. This recipes makes 9 x 13 inch rectangle cake. Serves nearly 25 people. Tastes yummy along with ice cream. I love this recipe very much and have made it a LOT of times and it is always a crowd pleaser.  Even though this quantity is said to be enough for 25 people, I have seen it getting finished as soon as the dessert round is started. This is my hubby's most favorite cake (almost all desserts are his favorites. LOL) and he insists me to make this for almost all of our celebrations. This cake needs a lot of ingredients , so it takes a lot of time in bringing everything together, But the final result is always a winner. Hope this cake recipe reaches a lot of people and brings me a million subscribers . Click to see my carrot cake video in youtube too. Thanks for subscribing to my youtube channel.

Happy Thanksgiving dear all !

Ingredients:

Carrot - 4

Apple (small) - 1
All purpose flour - 2 1/4 cup
large egg - 4
sugar - 2 cup
butter - 1 1/4 cup
shredded coconut (dry / fresh) - 3 tbsp
vanilla extract - 2 tsp
orange peel - 1 tbsp
orange juice - 3 tbsp
cinnamon powder - 1 tsp
baking soda - 2 tsp
baking powder - 2 tsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
walnut - 1 cup (toasted)
raisin - 1/4 cup

Ginger powder - 1 /2 tsp

Method:
Shred the carrot. Core, peel and shred the apple. (Pineapple can also be used instead of apple, but sometimes that makes the cake soggy. So I use apple for controlled moisture) . Preheat oven to 350 deg (175 deg C) for at least 30 minutes before we start baking. Grease and flour the cake tin. Keep aside. Beat the eggs in a mixer or using a fork till fluffy. Then add vanilla essence,orange juice, sugar, butter and beat till its fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt TWICE. Put it in a mixing bowl and add the liquids from mixer. Mix well. Add the shredded carrot,apple, coconut, orange peel, cinnamon, coarsely chopped walnut, raisin and mix slightly. The batter should be approximately of 7 cups. Now the batter is ready! Pour into greased cake tin of size 9x13 inch rectangle. Bake at 350 deg F for 45 minutes or till an inserted skewer comes clean.

Cream cheese frosting:
Ingredients:
Cream cheese - 8 oz (1 pack)
unsalted butter - 8 tbsp (1 stick)
confectioner's sugar - 4 cup
vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by leaving them in counter top(not any means ...this is important). Mash together the cheese and butter. Sift the sugar and add it along with vanilla essence. Mix well. Enough to frost 2 to 3 dozen cupcakes (1 tbsp icing per cake) or one 9x13 sheet cake. 

Butter cream frosting:
Ingredients:
Butter - 1/2 cup (1 stick)
confectioner's sugar - 4 cups
milk - 1 tbsp
vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
salt - a pinch
food color - if needed

Bring butter to room temperature by leaving it in counter top. First beat the butter to fluffy. Mix other ingredients to get a smooth flowing but stiff icing.
Butter cream icing is ready!

Tips for moist cake finish / Soaking before icing:
Sugar syrup :
brown / white sugar - 1/4 cup
water - 1/4 cup
Microwave sugar and water for 2 minutes or heat in stove top till it gets dissolved. switch off and let cool. After baking the cake, cool it completely in wire rack. Then transfer it to the base.  Then using a skewer randomly pierce all over the cake and brush the sugar syrup on top of cake. This keeps the cake very moist and delicious while refrigeration / storage. Then do the icing. Keep refrigerated. Keep in room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.

Bakery soft Vanilla cake, Butter cream icing

Bakery soft Vanilla cake, Butter cream icing - 

For a detailed explanation pls click to see my video on making vanilla cake, icing rose techniques in my youtube channel 1Viki'sKitchen, . Kindly Like, Share and Subscribe to my channel. Thanks. 

Vanilla cake, Icing video Link 

Vanilla Cake

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter 5 tbsp, softened

sugar 1/2 cup

large egg 

vanilla extract 1 tbsp

all-purpose flour 3/4 cup +2tbsp

corn starch 2 tbsp

salt 1/8 tsp

baking powder 3/4 tsp

curd (plain yogurt) or milk - 4 tbsp

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

Sift together flour, corn starch, salt, baking powder. Keep aside.

In a mixing bowl put butter, sugar - beat for 2 min using an electric beater.

Add milk, egg, vanilla, beat together for 2 mins.

Add the flour. Beat for 1 minute.

Prepare a baking pan by applying butter a coating and coat with 1 tsp four.

Bake for 30-35 mins. 

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

Butter - 1/2 cup (1 stick)
confectioner's sugar - 4 cup
(for rose and decorations use 3 cups of powders sugar)
milk - 1 or 2 tbsp
vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
salt - a pinch
food color - if needed

Method:
Bring butter to room temperature by leaving it in counter top or microwave 15 secs. First beat the butter to fluffy. (I did manually using a fork, but a mixer is good for this). SIFT the sugar twice and add to butter. Again mix well with other ingredients to fluffy. Butter cream icing is ready!

For Rose icing :  Wilton icing tips is used. I used tip number 105.

Kothu curry Sukka 200 gm கொத்துக்கறி, காய்கறி சேர்த்து சுக்கா பண்ணி பாருங்க

Vazhaikkai Poriyal (Plantain stir fry)

This vazhaikai poriyal was a staple in our house as we had some (lot) of banana trees in our backyard. I have seen amma running there to pick some unripe plantains whenever there were some surprise guests. We love this poriyal very much. Also recipes like this comes handy when we need some extra side dishes. Hope you too love this just as much as I love this vazhaikkai poriyal. 

Ingredients:

Unripe Plantain - 2
onion (finely chopped) - 1
dry red chilly - 2
curry leaf - 1 sprig
Peanut oil - 2 tbsp

mustard - 1 tsp

urid dal - 1 tsp

hing - 2 pinch
shredded coconut - 3 tbsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp
turmeric - 1/2 tsp

salt - 2 tsp

Method:

Wash the green plantains / bananas. Steam cook them using an Idly cooker or in a normal cooker without adding the pressure valve for 10 minutes. Check it by piercing a fork and it should pass through without difficulty but firm in shape.

Take out and let them cool. Remove the skin.

Let cool. Cut it into small cubes.

In a wok, heat the oil and add mustard seeds followed by the black gram lentil. As soon as the mustard crackles add the hing, dry red chillies, curry leaves , onion and stir till the onion wilts. Immediately add the diced plantain, salt, turmeric and mix well. Check for salt.  

Fry till it becomes loose. If using nentharankaai (plantain variety) add 1/4 cup water and cook closed for 2 mins if needed. If using shorter banana (Tamilnadu variety), no need to cook in water after steaming.

Then mix the freshly shredded coconut and switch off.

Vazhaikkai Poriyal is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve as side dish with rice and sambar or vatral kulambu or kara kulambu or rasam.

Kadaai Paneer masala

There are two varieties of kadai paneer. One is like a gravy and the other one is dry like a sukka. Today we are preparing the gravy type.

In this recipe we are preparing the traditional kadai masala powder from scratch. Kindly see my youtube video for more details. Also pls subscribe, like and share to show your support. Thank you !

Kadai Paneer is a dish prepared using paneer, bellpepper and made like a thick spicy gravy. The special masala used in this recipe distinguishes it from Paneer mattar masala (paneer with peas gravy)  , Shahi paneer (sweetish, creamy gravy) etc.

Kadai masala is made with coriander seeds, red chilies, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon & fennel seeds. Coriander seeds are used in larger proportion than the regular curry masala.

                                   

Ingredients:

Kadai masala:
Coriander seed - 3 tbsp

Dry red chili - 4

Cinnamon - 1 /2 inch

Fennel - 1 tsp

Cardamom - 6

Cloves - 6

Saute and Puree:

Peanut Oil -  2 Tbsp

Onion - 1

Tomato - 2

Ginger -  1 inch

Garlic - 1 

Cashew - 10

Other Ingredients:

Peanut oil / Ghee - 2 tbsp

Paneer - 1 lb

Capsicum -2 

Salt - 2 tsp

Ginger julienne - 2 tbsp

Cilantro - few

Onion - big cubes

Kasuri methi - 1 tbsp

Method:

First prepare the kadaai masala.

Dry roast the items given under kadai masala gently. Powder them using the small mixie jar.

Heat oil in a pan. Add ginger garlic and fry till garlic wilts. Then add onion , cashew and fry till onion turns mild red.  Add chopped tomato and fry till mushy.

Let cool. Puree to a thick paste with 1 cup water.

Heat oil in the pan. Add onion, capsicum, paneer and fry a little bit. The onion and pepper should be crunchy. Don't overcook them. Take them out. Keep aside.

Add the tomato masala, kadai masala to the pan. Cook well till oil separates and raw smell vanishes. 

Then add the fried bellpepper, paneer, onion. 

Add required salt.

Mix well. Garnish with ginger julienne and crushed kasuri methi.

Kadai paneer is ready !

Egg kuruma Udaithu ooriya muttai kulambu

உடைத்து ஊற்றிய முட்டைக்குழம்பு  Udaithu ooriya muttai kulambu. My amma used to prepare egg curry almost always like this. I used to love this hot curry over rice very much, as amma would make it piping hot for lunch. 

This recipe can be cooked very easily and quickly. So I prepare this for lunch on many Sundays. This curry comes handy,  when we reach home from church.  I start cooking the rice and this curry alongside. I make this curry within 15-30 mins. If we have some leftover veggies from previous day we would cherish this as a quick lunch. Or, I will make a raitha or some simple stirfry too. 

I always try my best to cook all meals at home, as it is healthy, but most of all this is far more 'less expensive' than going out to a restaurant for lunch. So after we started living in USA (since 2007), I almost reserve those restaurant foods for special occasions only. Not only myself, most of my neighbors too cook their foods. But my hubby always asks me, if I need to buy any lunch from nearby restaurant after church. But my answer is always ,'no , I will make a simple meal in 15 mins'.   Thanks be to God and amma, I learned some cooking even when I was in my teens.

Learning such simple and quick recipes definitely comes handy !

Ingredients:

Egg - 3

Onion - 1

Tomato - 2

Curry leaf - a sprig

Sesame oil - 2 tbsp

Fennel  - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Red chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Coconut milk powder - 3 tbsp

Water - 4 cups

Method:
Slice the onion into small pieces. Chop the tomato finely keep aside.

Heat a tsp oil in a wok.

Add 1 tsp fennel.

When it gets red,add chopped onion.

Fry it till golden.

Then add the ginger garlic paste.

Mix well and add tomato.

Fry till tomato mashes.

Add turmeric, salt, red chili powder,coriander powder, garam masala powder and saute till raw smell vanishes (1 min).

Mix 1 cup lukewarm water with 3 tbsp coconut milk powder. 

Add this to wok. Add 2 more cups of water. Bring it to boil.

If needed add 1 more cup of water.

When the curry is boiling, crack open the eggs one by one and pour them with some space between. 

The eggs should not touch one another. Do not stir after this stage , till eggs are cooked.

Now close the vessel and reduce flame to minimum.

Let it remain there for 5 minutes. Switch off after the egg gets completely cooked.

Muttai kuzhambu is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve with rice / roti / idli / dosai.

Note:
we can add hard boiled eggs or omelet also instead of poaching.

Grilled Tandoori chicken in Airfryer (Ninja Foodi smart XL Grill)

Grilled Tandoori chicken in Airfryer (Ninja Foodi smart XL Grill)

Ingredients:

Chicken drumstick 

(or) chicken thighs -  2 lb

Tandoori Masala:

Peanut oil - 3 Tbsp

Ginger Garlic paste - 2 Tbsp

Curd - 2 Tbsp

Lemon - 1

Turmeric - 1 Tsp

Salt - 2 Tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 Tsp

Red chili Powder - 1 tsp

Pink salt - 1 Tsp

All purpose flour - 3 tbsp

Recipe:

Wash the chicken drumstick and pat dry using paper towel.
Make 3 to 4 slits per drumstick and keep aside.
Mix everything given for marination in a large mixing bowl.
Put the chicken pieces and mix well.
Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or keep marinated in room temperature for up to 3 hours.

In Ninja Foodi grill:

Place the grilling grate inside the grill .

Plug in the Ninja foodi grill.

Plug in the thermometer (see video above).

The display unit will light up.

Press start button on the left. 

Press 'Grill'.

Choose 'Hi' by using the left up and down arrows. This is the recommended grill plate temperature setting (as per manual for chicken).

As soon as the thermometer is plugged in, the units in the right side would come live stating, "Preset / Manual'. 

Choose Manual by touching 'Manual'.

If we are choosing 'Preset', then choose the meat variety . It will be cooked / grilled automatically.

We have chosen 'Manual' to get a special Tandoori chicken (which is not in menu).

Then using the left side arrows, set the targeted temperature to 210 deg F.

This temperature is the targeted temperature of the chicken (measured by the thermometer we inserted).

Once the preheat is done, the display will say ' ADD FOOD'.

Place 6-8 drumstick pieces or 6 chicken thighs (1 inch apart).

Insert the needle portion of thermometer to the thickest portion of the biggest piece of meat.

It should neither touch the bone nor kept on the upper layer like skin. It should be inserted as close to bone. but not touching it.

Close the hood.

Let it cook for 5-10 mins. At that time the temperature would have risen to half the targeted temperature.

Then the panel would send a visual as well as audio cue like beep sound as well as 'FLIP' in display.

Then open hood, flip the chicken. Remove the thermometer and insert it again,

Close hood and the required temperature will be achieved within 5 - 7 minutes.

Let it get the 'resting time' as per display.

Now open the hood . Take out the tandoori chicken.

Grilled Tandoori chicken is ready !

In Oven:
Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
Line a cookie sheet or baking tray with aluminum foil.
Apply a tbsp oil over the foil.
Keep the marinated chicken pieces with some spacing.
Turn after 15 minutes.
Let it bake both side for 10 minutes.
Then turn the oven to broil mode and keep for 3 minutes both sides or till we get red color.

Tips:

If needed add some red food color while marination.
BBq will also yield a similar quality tandoori.
If oven is not preferred, then shallow fry the pieces with very little oil and make it red by putting over hot dosa tawa.

Serving suggestion:

Sprinkle some chaat masala before serving.
Wrap a piece of aluminum foil at one end to make it holdable:)
Serve hot as side dish with biriyani, paratha etc.
Lemon wedges, onion slices or raitha are often served along with this tandoori.
It can be reheated by Microwave or using a dosa tawa.
The left over can be made into a gravy.