Baajias Type I

Ingredients
5 potatoes halved, partly boiled and cooled
Good quality cooking oil for deep-frying

For the batter
200g Gram flour
1 tomato grated
Chopped Coriander
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder(optional)
Water(enough to make paste/slurry)

Method
Pre-heat cooking oil
Combine all ingredients to make a slurry batter thick enough to coat the potatoes.
Place potatoes into the batter, coat and then drop in cooking oil
Fry until golden-ish in color

Serves 3-4

Pancakes with strawberries and honey

Ingredients

45g all purpose flour

20g granulated sugar

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp cinnamon powder

1 large egg

Water or Milk

A handful of fresh strawberries

30g honey

Cooking oil

Method

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix. Add in the egg then whisk while adding water slowly to make a semi-watery mixture.

Heat the frying pan to moderate, not too hot, add a little oil and then start to ladle the pancakes one by one spread onto the pan and cook in low heat until browned on each side.

Garnish with honey and strawberries and enjoy with a hot cup of tea or coffee!

Berry Crumble

Ingredients

½ cup all purpose flour 

½ cup Brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

A pinch of salt

½ cups oats

6 tbsp cold butter cut into bits

4 cups mixed berries (in this case strawberries and raspberries)

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp corn flour

Method

Preheat oven to 180°c or gas mark 4

In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt and oats. Use finger tips to cut in butter until mixture resembles bread crumbs.

In another bowl combine berries, sugar and cornstarch, toss to coat. Pour into baking dish and top with crumble topping. Bake for 35minutes or until top is golden and fruit is bubbly.

Serve warm.

BlackForest Gateau

Ingredients

2/3 cup all purpose baking flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder

4 eggs separated

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup kirsch or brandy or sherry

1½or 450ml cups whipping cream

Box of Strawberries (separate 5 pieces for decorating)

100g dark chocolate

1.      Preheat oven to 180°c. Brush a 20cm baking tin with margarine or fat. Sift little flour onto the greased tin.

2.      Place egg whites in a clean dry bowl. Using electric beaters, beat until firm peaks form. Add sugar gradually beating constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture is thick and glossy. Add yolks beat for another 20seconds.

3.      Fold in flour and cocoa quickly and lightly ensuring that the air bubbles do not escape. Spread the mixture into prepared tin. Bake for 30-40mins until cake is springy to touch. Leave cake in tin for 5mins before turning into cooling rack. Cool until cold.

4.      Cut cake into three pieces horizontally, invert the top so that he bottom piece will be its upper surface.

5.      Layer the cake in this manner, top part of cake first, spread brandy liberally on cake then spread whipped cream then strawberries. Repeat the same for the other layers until cake is completely covered with whipped cream.

6.      Shave curls from block of chocolate with a knife or using a grater. Decorate the top with remaining strawberries an chocolate curls.

Tidbit: traditionally Black forest is made with fresh Morello cherries, poached in sugar syrup and pitted. Strawberries and grapes are a great substitute.