Ambrosia

Moist and buttery and loaded with dry and candied fruits, Buttermilk Spice Cake has a lovely flavour of the spices. It is a perfect tea time cake for winters and also a quick Christmas Cake.

Sun finally peeped through the thick fog that had haunted the region for days leaving us wondering if we were ill-equipped to face the cold or was it age factor or was it global warming leading to extreme weather conditions. While the latter looks the most likely reason, the appearance of the Sun definitely lifted the spirits and finally the layers of woolens that had almost concealed the identities were reduced.

We spotted a Rufous Sibia on a tree

The hills enjoyed good sunshine while the foothills shivered and shuddered at the wrath of the winters. In hills where modern amenities are almost nonexistent, people resort to natural ways to keep themselves warm. Villages have houses with thick stone walls plastered with mud that retains the heat inside. The use of firewood for cooking also keeps the insides warm. Kumaonis (people living in Kumaon region of Uttrakhand) also incorporate a lot of madua (ragi or finger millets) in their diet. Tea is had with lots of fresh ginger and ajwain (Bishop’s seeds). Piping hot tea is had with a loud whoosh sound. A lot of warming spices are incorporated in food in different ways.

Recipe edited on 15.12.19

We baked a cake with loads of warming spices.
The flavour and warmth of spices and the sweetness of fruits made a great combination.
This is also an easy Fruit cake recipe for Christmas. It is Eggless.

If you do not have buttermilk, take 240ml milk, add a tablespoon of white vinegar. Stir and let it stand for 10 minutes. Milk will curdle. Use.

If you wish to get a lighter crumb, use 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour in place of whole wheat flour.

Adding candied orange peels give a great flavour to the cake. I have added homemade candied peels.
Click here for the recipe.

The Cake has a beautiful combination of flavours that come from the spices and peels. Every bite is loaded with dry fruits and peels.

Buttermilk Fruit And Spice Cake (Eggless)

Ingredients

1¼ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup buttermilk (240 ml)
½ cup (1 stick) butter
¾ cup unrefined sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg powder
¼ teaspoon ginger powder
¼ teaspoon clove powder
1 teaspoon baking soda.
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup glace cherries or dry apricots
½ cup black currants
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup chopped figs
3 tablespoons candied orange peels
½ teaspoon vanilla essence

Instructions

Preheat the oven at 165 degrees C. Grease and line a 9 x 5-inch pan or grease and line one 8 inch round cake pan.
Take flour in a deep bowl. Add salt and soda and pass it through a sieve 3 times.
Add spices.
Now add all the chopped fruits and mix well.
In another deep bowl, melt butter. Add buttermilk, vanilla extract, and sugar. Mix well.
Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Level with a spoon.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top turns brown and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
Remove from the pan and cool on the rack.
Slice the next day. The flavours will develop fully.

Garlic (Allium Sativum) is a member of the onion family. It is called Lehsoon in Hindi. The bulb of the plant has several fleshy sections called cloves. The cloves have both medicinal and culinary uses. Garlic has a peculiar pungent smell and flavour. It has great medicinal properties. The bulb contains alliin and alliinase which is an enzyme, vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, and C. It also contains calcium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, zinc, magnesium and selenium. Garlic is believed to be very beneficial in preventing heart diseases. Garlic prevents clotting of platelets. It disintegrates fibrin, a protein that forms blood clots. It is recommended for people suffering from thrombosis and blockage of artery. It decreases the level of LDL cholesterol in the blood. Regular consumption of garlic regulates the blood sugar levels. It also normalizes the high blood pressure. Garlic contains allicin . It is a powerful anti- biotic. It also has anti viral and anti fungal properties. Garlic kills the harmful bacteria in the intestines and promotes the growth of the intestinal micro flora. It is helpful in diarrhea, gastroenteritis, colitis, intestinal infections and flatulence. It promotes the overall well being of the intestines and prevents the formation of malignant tumours. Regular consumption of garlic also prevents bronchitis, cough, cold and asthma. It prevents the occurrence urinary tract infections. Garlic activates the defense mechanism of the body. It helps the body to destroy the cancerous cells. Regular consumption of garlic kills the worms in the intestines.

Besides medicinal uses, garlic is also very popular around the world as a flavouring herb. Garlic is used immensely in the Chinese and Thai cuisines. In Indian dishes, garlic is used along with ginger, tomatoes and onions to make gravies. Garlic chutney is made by blending 7-8 cloves of garlic along with a bunch of fresh coriander, 2-3 green chilies, dry mango powder, salt and sugar. It is an appetizer. It tastes excellent in sandwiches. Garlic toast can be made by melting butter and adding raw garlic paste along with a little salt and heating for a while so that garlic flavour is released into the butter. Garlic is also put in the soups. Garlic pickle is available in the market. Garlic pills of some very well known pharmaceutical brands are available. But the best way to get maximum benefits of garlic is to have 1 to 2 raw cloves of garlic on an empty stomach in the morning.

Garlic can be easily grown in the garden. The plants can be bought from the market or the cloves can be sown in the moist soil. The plant grows well in dry and sunny areas. The plant is hardy and is not attacked by the pests. The stems or the leaves are often cut or tied so that the garlic bulbs grow bigger. The stems and leaves also have a distinct flavour and are eaten as a vegetable. When the leaves start drying up, the bulbs are ready to be taken out. The bulbs are dried in the sun and stored for use.

RECIPES IN MY BLOG WHERE I HAVE USED GARLIC
1. GARLIC PAV

Bishop’s seeds or carom seeds (trachyspermum ammi) are called Ajwain in Hindi. Ajwain has been an integral part of the Indian cooking and an important ingredient of the kitchen cabinet remedies since ancient times. It belongs to the apiaceae family. Ajwain is a small erect annual shrub. It has thin tender feather like leaves. The fruits are small and oval. The fruits taste hot and bitter. The fruits are dried and used as medicine and spice.

Ajwain contains protein, fat, minerals, fiber, carbohydrates, iron, calcium, phosphorus, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. Ajwain is an appetizer. It is carminative, digestive, expectorant, laxative, diuretic, antihelmenthic and an aphrodisiac. Ajwain is a tonic for the stomach and is good for all the stomach related disorders. It gives relief in stomach ache caused due to flatulence, indigestion or infection in the intestines. A teaspoon of ajwain with hot water expels gas and gives relief in discomfort caused by the bloating of stomach due to flatulence. It stimulates appetite and aids digestion. A teaspoon of ajwain with a pinch of rock salt gives relief in symptoms of indigestion. In case of dyspepsia, a teaspoon of ajwain can be soaked in water and left overnight. This water can be sipped in the morning. This also improves digestion. Ajwain is also used in herbal formulations for treating constipation. Ajwain is very effective in opening the clogged nasal passage and relieving congestion in acute cold. Add a teaspoon of ajwain to water. Boil and inhale the vapours for instant relief. For small children, ajwain can be crushed and put in a small cloth bag. This bag can placed around the pillow so the fumes can be inhaled by the infants. The fumes open the nasal passage and reduce congestion in the chest. Boil the seeds in water and add a pinch of salt. Use this to gargle for relief from sore throat, chest congestion and acute pharyngitis. Ajwain tea is also very good to cure colds. Drinking a little hot water after chewing ajwain also gives relief from cough. A teaspoon of powdered ajwain added to buttermilk is an excellent expectorant to remove dry phlegm in acute bronchitis. Ajwain water controls vomiting in the early stages of diarrhea. Essential oil is obtained by the steam distillation of ajwain. It is colourless and has a strong aroma and a sharp hot taste. It contains thymol. Thymol is a powerful germicide and an antiseptic. It is used in many syrups and formulations for treating sore throat and cough. The essential oil is also very effective in rheumatic pains and neuralgia. It can be massaged to the affected area. In case of insect bites, ajwain paste can be applied to get relief from pain and to prevent any poisoning and infection.

Ajwain has always been used in Indian cooking for its strong flavour and taste. It is used in daals and vegetables. It is put in the beans and lentils that have a tendency to cause flatulence. Ajwain gives delectable taste and flavour to pooris, paranthas, matharis and other snacks.

The severity of winters has thrown life out of gear. It is common to see rickshaw pullers huddled around a fire made by burning tyres and plastic bags collected from the road. Most of them are poor migrants with just a tattered sweater on. Little do they know about the toxic effects of the fumes they are inhaling but they certainly seem to be getting some relief from the biting cold. For the lucky ones like us, blowers, heaters and geysers are helping to face the onslaught of the weather. With mercury mayhem continuing, it is difficult go outdoors and daily routine has also been disrupted. With so much time and nothing to do, I have been arranging the wardrobes, cupboards and completing all the pending jobs at home. I also involved my daughter in sorting out her clothes and in selecting a lot of woolens which were not fitting her any more for our helper’s daughter who is always playing in mud, has rough hands and red cheeks and a perpetually runny nose. She would value the woolens as she has only one sweater that too oversized.

For me baking is a very beautiful way of utilizing time. It is comforting. With a heap of carrots lying at home I baked a CARROT CAKE recently with whole wheat, brown sugar and olive oil. Here goes the recipe-

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)

1 cup brown sugar powdered

1 ½ cups grated carrots

½ cup olive oil

2 eggs

2 teaspoons cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

METHOD

Sieve together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder. Beat white of the eggs till stiff. In a bowl mix together powdered brown sugar and oil.

Add yolks and mix well. Add grated carrots to the flour and toss well. The carrot shreds should get coated with the flour mixture. Add beaten egg whites to sugar, oil and yolk mixture. Now add carrot and flour mixture. Pour the batter in a greased and lined cake tin about 6 inches in diameter. Bake in a pre heated oven at 150 degrees C / 350 degrees F for one hour. The top should turn brown and the tester should come out clean.

Remove the cake from the tin when cold. Slice and serve next day.

If you liked this recipe and tried it, do write to me.

“Another fresh year is here, another year to live!

To banish worry, doubt and fear, to love and laugh and give!

This bright New Year is given me, to live each day with zest,

To daily grow and try to be, my highest and my best!

I have the opportunity, once more to right some wrongs,

To pray for peace, to plant a tree, and sing more joyful songs!”

- William Arthur Ward

Few episodes in the fag end of the year 2012 stirred our souls leaving us shocked and grieved. When there is so much turbulence and chaos in the external world how can there be peace inside…. after all we all are a part of this world and the world is a part of us. The world did not come to an end in 2012 and the New Year will definitely be a new beginning….. With hope in our hearts and a prayer on our lips let us welcome the New Year.

Yes! With a lot of enthusiasm and hope, we welcomed the New Year. And a WHOLE WHEAT EGGLESS PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE was made for the occasion.

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
½ tin (about 200 ml) condensed milk
60 Gms butter (about ¾ stick)
½ cup and 3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons sugar (for preparing caramel)
Tinned pineapple slices
Tinned cherries (I used dried cranberries)
About 10 almonds soaked, skin removed and halved
5 drops of pineapple essence

Instructions

First, prepare the tin. Grease one 7-inch cake tin. Arrange pineapple slice, almonds and cherries as shown in the picture.

Prepare the caramel by heating sugar in a heavy bottom wok. Tilt the wok from side to side till sugar melts and turns golden. Pour evenly on the prepared tin covering the base completely.

Beat butter and condensed milk. Add essence.

Sieve together whole wheat flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add half of the flour to condensed milk butter mixture. Add half the quantity of milk and mix till smooth. Add remaining flour and milk and mix well. Pour the batter in the prepared tin.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 150 degrees C for 40 minutes. The top should turn golden brown and the tester should come out clean.

Invert the cake on the rack to cool.

My notes: I first made this cake with all-purpose flour.

There will be a slight change in the recipe. When using all-purpose flour, take 1 and ¼ cups all purpose flour. Quantity of milk will be ½ cup only. Rest of the ingredients will be the same.