Pound Cake

Ingredients–

3 large (150 grams) eggs, at room temperature

3 tablespoons (40 grams) milk, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons (6 grams) pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups (150 grams) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder

1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) salt

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Method –

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and place the oven rack in the center of the oven.

Butter or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter or spray the paper.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, along with the milk and vanilla extract.

In another bowl, mixer, place the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar, and beat on low speed until well mixed (about 30 seconds).

Cut the butter into pieces and add to the dry ingredients, along with half of the egg mixture.

Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about one minute

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Add the remaining egg mixture, in two additions, beating well after each addition (about 30 seconds) to incorporate the egg.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

Bake for about 40 – 45 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes

Slice and enjoy.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Ingredients–

• ½ cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Grated lemon zest from 1 medium sized lemon
• ½ cup sunflower oil

For the Glaze –

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¾ cup of powdered sugar

Method –

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with baking spray, rub inside surface of pan with a paper towel to cover evenly with the spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and spray parchment paper lightly. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs – stirring until well blended.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and zest, mixing to just combine.
4. Add the oil and stir well. Don’t worry, at first it will seem to separate, but keep stirring till smooth.
5. Pour the batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (every oven is different, so check with the toothpick test rather than the time). Be careful not to overbake though.
7. Cool cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes; then turn it out of the pan onto the rack.
8. Combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl and stir until smooth. With a pastry brush, gently pat the glaze all over the cake. Just keep going over the cake till the glaze is gone. Some of it will drip off, but most of it will soak in. Allow cake to cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired and serve

Assamese Sour Fish Curry

Ingredients –

• 2 potatoes
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 400 gm small fish
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• A big pinch of sugar
• 2-3 slit green chillies
• Finely chopped coriander leaves
• 3 tbsp mustard oil

Method –

1. Wash, peel and quarter the potatoes
2. Pressure cook the potatoes along with whole tomatoes, salt and enough water to make the curry for exactly one whistle.
3. Once the pressure releases, remove the potatoes and tomatoes from the stock
4. Blend the tomatoes with the stock
5. Rub salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder on the fish pieces
6. Leave to marinate for 15-20 minutes
7. Fry the fish lightly and set aside
8. In the same oil, splutter mustard seeds, add blended tomato stock, turmeric powder, sugar, salt, slit green chillies and bring to a boil
9. Add fish and potato pieces and simmer for 5-6 minutes
10. Sprinkle with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice

Cape Gooseberry Jam (Rashbari Jam)

Ingredients –

• 250 gm cape gooseberry
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• A small pinch of salt

Method –

1. Chop cape gooseberry
2. Put it in a saucepan with water
3. Cook it covered on medium flame for 10 minutes
4. Now, add sugar and salt and cook on low flame till water is absorbed and the mixture becomes thick and glassy
5. Allow jam to cool down
6. Add lemon juice and mix well
7. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight glass container

Japanese Egg Sandwich

Ingredients–

• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise
• 1/8 tsp English mustard
• 1 tsp cream
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 4 slices white bread
• Butter at room temperature

Method –

1. Boil and peel the eggs
2. Cut the eggs in half and remove the yolks
3. Add mayonnaise, mustard, cream, salt, sugar and pepper into the egg yolks
4. Whisk until smooth
5. Finely dice the egg whites
6. Mix the egg whites with the yolk mixture
7. Lightly butter the bread slices
8. Divide the filling on 2 slices of bread
9. Cover it with the balance slices
10. Trim the crusts of the bread
11. Cut the sandwiches into rectangles and serve

Tomato, Carrot, Dal Soup

Ingredients–

• 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 2-3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp moong dal, washed, soaked for 20 minutes and drained
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 8-10 fresh coriander stalks
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander leaves to garnish
• Croutons to serve

Method –

1. Heat oil in a pan
2. Add cumin seeds and sauté till the seeds change colour
3. Add the carrots and sauté for 2 minutes
4. Add tomatoes and sauté for 2 minutes
5. Add moong dal and sauté
6. Add 3 cups of water and mix
7. Add coriander stalks, red chilli powder and salt and mix well
8. Let the mixture come to a boil
9. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes
10. Switch off the flame and allow the mixture to cool down
11. Transfer the mixture to a blender jar and blend it to a fine purée
12. Transfer the blended purée to the same pan and let it come to a gentle simmer
13. Take the pan off the heat
14. Pour the soup into a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and bread croutons

Egg, Caramelised Onion and Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients–

• Bread Slices – 8
• Egg – 3
• Mayonnaise – as needed
• Onion – 1 large sliced thinly
• Bell Pepper / Capsicum – ½ a large one sliced
• Butter – 1 tsp + more for grilling bread
• Cheese Slices – 4
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Method –

1. Boil the eggs
2. Once cool, peel and slice them
3. Season with salt and pepper
4. Set aside
5. Trim the edges of the bread and set aside
6. Now heat butter in a pan.
7. Add in sliced onions and saute them for 5 mins till they turn light golden and cooked till soft. Add in salt and pepper.
8. Now add in bell peppers and saute them for a couple of mins.
9. Remove this to a plate and set aside.
10. Take the bread slices..Apply mayonnaise thinly on all the slices
11. Spoon generous portion of onion and capsicum on 4 slices of bread
12. Place the boiled eggs equally
13. Top with the cheese slices
14. Cover with the remaining 4 slices of bread
15. Melt some butter in a skillet
16. Place the sandwich on the skillet and cook till golden, apply some more butter on top of the bread, flip over and cook till golden on both sides.
17. Remove and slice in triangles

Anda Bhurjee (Scrambled Eggs Indian Style)

Ingredients–

• 6 large eggs
• 3 large onions, chopped finely
• 3 large tomatoes, chopped
• 4 green chillies, chopped
• 1” piece ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp pav bhaji masala
• Salt to taste
• Chopped coriander leaves

Method –

1. Heat oil and butter in a pan
2. Add onions and fry till golden
3. Add chillies and ginger and sauté
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till soft
5. Mix in the spice powders and sauté till oil releases
6. Whisk the eggs well and pour into the pan
7. Add salt
8. Mix continuously on low heat till it combined together and not runny
9. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves

Butter Cake

Ingredients–

• 200 gm all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 225 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 200 gm sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons plain yogurt (preferred) or full milk

Method –

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
2. Lightly grease the pan (loaf pan, mini loaf pan, 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch square pan, round pan) with some butter.
3. Arrange a parchment paper over the butter
4. Mix the flour and the baking powder together and sieve.
5. Add in the salt and mix well. Set aside.
6. Use an electronic hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the butter and sugar until well combined or pale yellow in color, about 3 minutes.
7. Add in the first egg.
8. Beat well after each addition of egg until creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes after adding each egg.
9. Scrape down the sides for even mixing.
10. Add in the vanilla extract and mix well.
11. Fold in the flour and mix well.
12. Add in the plain yogurt or whole milk
13. Pour the batter into the greased baking pan. Shake it lightly to distribute the cake batter evenly.
14. Bake until golden brown and cooked, about 35 -40 minutes.
15. To prevent the top of the cake from over browning, cover the top of the baking pan with a sheet of aluminum foil once the cake top is set. Use a cake tester to test doneness.
16. Remove it from the oven and let cool on the wire rack for 5 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve warm.

Note –

• Add 2 tablespoons more butter to the recipe (a total of 250 gm butter) if you want an extremely buttery cake.

Vegetable Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients–

• 6 slices of bread
• Green chutney
• Chaat masala powder
• Cucumber slices
• Tomato slices
• Boiled potato slices
• 3 cheese slices
• Butter
• Salt if required

Method –

1. Trim the edges of the bread
2. Spread butter thinly on all the slices of bread
3. Spread green chutney over the buttered slices
4. Take 3 slices of bread
5. Arrange the boiled potatoes, tomatoes and cucumber slices in layers and sprinkle chaat masala over the vegetable layers
6. Sprinkle salt if required
7. Place the cheese slices on the top
8. Cover with the other slices of bread and press down firmly
9. Spread some butter on the outside of the top bread slices
10. Place over a heated pan buttered side down
11. Cover and grill till golden
12. Cut into triangles and serve