Puri/Masala.

Puri/Masala.
This is a wholesome breakfast in many South Indian homes. It is also very convenient to prepare, when guests are around.

For Puris.

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour(atta)-2cups,
salt-to taste,
oil for frying.

Method:
Mix atta and salt and make a tough and hard dough.
Apply little oil and knead well and keep aside for 15 mts.
Heat oil in a pan.
Roll out puris on a flat wooden surface. .
Deep fry them, one by one.
Fry both sides on getting golden brown.
Puris are ready.

For Masala.
Ingredients:
 potatoes-4(medium),
onions-3(medium),
green chillies-4,
ginger-1" piece,
tomato-1,
chana dal-1tsp,
mustard seeds-1tsp,
turmeric powder-1/4tsp,
curry leaves-a few,
corriander leaves-2tbsps(cleaned and chopped),
salt to taste,
oil-1tbsp.

Method:
Cook the potatoes.
Mash them well.
Cut onions into pieces.
Cut the chillies and ginger to small pieces.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and when it flutters, add the chana dal and saute a little to golden brown.
Add the onions, chillies, ginger and turmeric powder.
Cook for 5 mts on a low flame.
Add chopped tomatoes and a cup of water along with salt and cook for 5 more mts on medium flame.
Add the mashed potatoes and mix well.
Add more water, if necessary, to get one's own required consistency.
Boil well and remove from flame.
Add chopped corriander leaves and mix well.
The masala is ready.

Eggless Fruit Cake

Eggless Fruit Cake.

Those who do not use eggs, but  have a taste for cakes, this is an ideal one. The preparation is similar to the other cakes.

Ingredients:
flour(maida)-250gms,
sugar-250gms,
butter-100gms,
milk powder-100gms,
sugar-30gms(for making caramel)
dryfruits-200gms,(dry fruits can be a mixture of almonds,cashews,raisins,dates, pista,walnut or any other fruit as per choice.)
baking powder-1tsp,
soda-1/4tsp,
almond essence-1/4tsp,
salt-1tsp.

Preparation of caramel:
Put the sugar in a kadai and heat it.
The sugar will start melting(no water is used). Keep on stirring till it becomes deep brown.
Lower the flame and add 1/2cup of water and stir well .
Put off the flame.
When it cools down, filter the solution.
Caramel is ready.
Preparation of cake:
Sieve the flour with baking powder and soda 3 times in order to ensure the proper mixing of the baking powder, soda and the flour.
Powder the sugar.
Chop the fruits to small pieces.
Put the butter(at room temperature) and sugar in a vessel and beat the mix, till it gets fluffy.
Add 1/2 cup of water or milk to the milk powder and mix well. add it to the butter-sugar mix.
Add caramel, salt, essence and the dry fruits into the above mix and mix well.
Add flour to the above and mix well.
Preheat the oven to180 degrees centigrade for 10mts.
Grease the cake pan/vessel with butter and sprinkle little flour on it.
Pour the above flour and dry fruit mix contents into the pan.
Bake it for 1 hour or till done.
Insert a needle to find out whether the cake is done. The cake is done, if the needle does not stick to the contents.
On cooling, remove the cake from the pan and put it upside down.
Cut the cake into pieces