Apple Cider Donut Cake

For the Cake:

9 tablespoons (4 1/2 ounces; 135 g) unsalted butter at room temperature, divided

2 small Granny Smith apples (about 6 ounces / 170 g each), peeled, cored, and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)

1 1/2 cups (355 ml) fresh apple cider

1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature, plus more as needed

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces; 319 g)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon (3 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

3/4 cup sugar (5 1/4 ounces; 149 g)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces; 99 g)

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil

1 teaspoon (4 ml) pure vanilla extract

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

6 tablespoons granulated sugar (2 2/3 ounces; 75 g)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

For the Cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a large (10- to 12-cup capacity) Bundt pan with 1 tablespoon butter.

In a medium saucepan, bring chopped apple and cider to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until most of the cider has been absorbed and apples are easily smashed with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cool 5 minutes, then process  in food processor until puréed, 60 to 90 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Measure out 1 cup apple mixture (if you have less than 1 cup apple mixture, add additional milk to reach 1 cup). Stir apple mixture into milk, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and mace; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, about 20 seconds. Add oil and beat until incorporated, about 45 seconds.

Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with apple mixture, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Increase speed to medium and beat mixture just until combined, about 20 seconds. Add vanilla and beat once more, just to combine, about 10 seconds.

Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth surface with a spatula. Bake in preheated oven until a cake tester inserted in cake comes out with just a few crumbs, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer cake to wire cooling rack set inside baking sheet and cool in pan 15 minutes, then invert directly onto wire cooling rack (see notes).

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating: Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl. While cake is still hot, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, using fingers to rub it onto sides. Cool cake completely, about 1 hour, then serve

Channa Pulao

¾ cup white chickpeas (garbanzo beans or safed chana or kabuli chana or chole)

1 cup heaped basmati rice, 200 grams rice

1 medium to large onion, sliced thinly

1 medium tomato, chopped

¼ teaspoon Red Chili Powder

1 pinch Garam Masala

1 pinch turmeric powder (ground turmeric)

1 pinch saffron strands – optional,

½ teaspoon lemon or lime juice or 1 teaspoon yogurt (curd)

2 tablespoon Ghee or oil

1.75 cups water for pressure cooking the rice

a few chopped mint leaves for garnish (or coriander keaves)

salt as required

Whole spices

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

1 black cardamom

2 small green cardamom

2 single thin strand of mace

1 tej patta (indian bay leaf)

2 to 3 cloves

1 inch cinnamon stick

For the green paste

¾ to 1 inch ginger – chopped

3 to 4 garlic – chopped

1 tablespoon mint leaves – chopped

3 tablespoon coriander leaves – chopped (cilantro)

1 green chili – chopped

½ to 1 tablespoon water for grinding

Rinse and soak white chickpeas (chana or chole) overnight or for 8 to 9 hours in enough water.

Drain them well. 

Then add the drained chickpeas to the pressure cooker. Add 3 to 3.5 cups water.

Also add about 1/2 tsp of salt and pressure cook for 12 to 14 whistles or more, till the chickpeas are tender and cooked well.

Drain the cooked chickpeas and keep aside.

Rinse the rice very well in water till the water runs clear of starch.

Then soak the rice in enough water for 30 mins. Strain and keep aside.

Make a smooth paste of the ingredients, mentioned under ‘green paste’ in a chutney grinder or magic bullet with very little water. Keep this green paste aside

Slice the onion and chop the tomato.

Making chana pulao

In a pressure cooker heat ghee or oil and add all the whole spices – caraway seeds, cardamoms, mace, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf.

Saute the whole garam masala or whole spices for some seconds till fragrant, and then add the sliced onions.

Saute the onions till golden brown.

Now add the green paste and saute till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute for two minutes.

Next add the turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder.

Saute the tomatoes for a minute or so and add the basmati rice. Mix well and saute the entire mixture for a minute.

Add the drained cooked chana (chickpeas).

Add the curd or lemon juice, saffron threads and again mix everything well.

Now add 1.75 cups of water.

Season with salt and pressure cook the pulao for 2 to 3 whistles. I pressure cooked for 2 whistles.

When the pressure settles down on its own, then only open the lid of the cooker.

Gently fluff the rice. Garnish with coriander leaves or mint leaves. 

Serve chole pulao hot with raita, pickle, papad or any veg salad.

Shrimp Sandwich

Olive Oil - 2 tbsp.

Shrimp - 1 lb., shelled and deveined

Salt

Pepper

Shallot - 1, minced

Jalapeno - 1, minced

Lemon - 1/2, juiced

Parsley

Chive - 1 tbsp., chopped

Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Mayonnaise - 1/2 cup

Dinner Roll

For Sweet Onion Jam:

Onion - 2, sliced

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Salt

Pepper

Lemon - 1, juiced

Heat Oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season the Shrimp with Salt and pepper. Add the Shrimp to the skillet and cook for about 2 min on each side. Allow the Shrimp to cool down completely. Chop the Shrimp roughly and keep aside. In a large bowl, add the Shallots, Jalapeno, Lemon Juice, Parsley, Chive, Chilli powder, Mayonnaise and chopped Shrimp. Cover and refrigerate to chill.

Put equal amounts of Shrimp salad on the Rolls and top with Sweet Onion Jam.

In a medium saucepan, add the Onion, Sugar, Salt and Pepper. Cook over low heat until reduced by half. Stir in Lemon juice and turn off heat.