Caprese Chocolate and Almond Torte 

Recipe from Milk Street Cafe

This flourless chocolate cake from Capri, Italy (where it is called torta caprese), gets its rich, almost brownie-like texture from ground almonds and a generous amount of egg. Before grinding the nuts, we toast them to intensify their flavor and accentuate the deep, roasted notes of the chocolate. We preferred the cake made with bittersweet chocolate containing 70 to 80 percent cocoa solids. You can, of course, use a lighter, sweeter bittersweet chocolate, but the cake will have less chocolate intensity. Serve slices warm or at room temperature dolloped with unsweetened whipped cream.

Don’t forget the reduce the oven to 300°F after toasting the almonds. Also, don't overbake the cake or its texture will be dry and tough. Whereas most cakes are done when a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, a toothpick inserted into this one should come out with sticky, fudgy crumbs, similar to brownies.

10 servings     

233 gms sliced almonds

5 large eggs

2 tsps vanilla extract

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

199 gms packed dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp table salt

Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Spread the almonds in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Cool to room temperature.

While the almonds cool, reduce the oven to 300°F. Mist the bottom and sides of 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray, line the bottom with kitchen parchment, then mist the parchment. Crack the eggs into a liquid measuring cup and add the vanilla; set aside.

In a food processor, process 185 grams (2 cups) of the almonds until finely ground, 20 to 30 seconds. Add the chocolate and pulse until the chocolate is finely ground, 10 to 15 pulses. Add the sugar and salt, then process until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping the bowl as needed. With the machine running, gradually pour in the egg mixture. Continue processing until the batter is smooth and homogenous, about another 15 to 20 seconds. Remove the blade and scrape the bowl.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle evenly with the remaining 48 grams (⅓ cup) almonds. Bake until the center feels firm when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with moist, fudgey crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes.

Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cake, then invert onto a rack. Peel off the parchment and reinvert the cake onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Amma's chutney recipes

 

Vini's Pulav

1 big onion

2 cloves garlic

Frozen mixed veggies

3/4 tsp sambar pwdr

1/2 tsp garam masala

2 tbsp coconut

1 cup rice

Heat oil.  Fry onions.  Then add garlic. Then veggies.  A pinch of salt.  Cover and cook on medium low until veggies are soft.  Then add spices and coconut.  Finally, add rice and salt.

Palak with badis (MIL's recipe)

Boil paalak with ginger and garlic.  Blend.

Saute the badis.

Heat oil.  Add finely chopped onion.  When brown, add finely chopped tomatoes.  Add turmeric and red chilli pwdrs.  Once tomatoes are cooked, add the badis and palak.  Cook for a few mins.  Garnish with garam masala pwdr.

Sookhi Moong Dal 

1 1/4 cups moong dal

2 inch ginger

1 green chilli

Jeera seeds

Hing

1 tsp red chilli pwdr

Haldi

Salt

2 tsps lemon juice

Coriander leaves

Soak moong dal for half an hour.  Boil dal w/salt and haldi till it is just cooked but not mashed.

Drain excess water.

Heat oil.  Add jeera, hing, chopped ginger and green chilli.  Then add red chilli pwdr and cooked dal.  Mix and season with lemon juice and salt.

Cook till dry.

Beans Foogath

Dice beans fine (400 gms)

One onion, finely chopped

Green chilllies, finely chopped

Heat oil.  Burst mustard seeds.  Then curry leaves, onion and green chillies.  Cook for a few mins (do not brown the onions).  

Add beans and salt.  Cover and cook on low flame for 5 to 7 mins till cooked, but still crunchy.  

Add grated fresh coconut and juice of one lemon.

 

Palak Moong Chilka 

Serves 4

250 gms palak, chopped

1/2 cup moong chilka dal

1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

Jeera seeds

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp red chilli pwdr

1/2 tsp dhania pwdr

1/4 tsp amchoor

Salt

Mix together dal, palak, ginger, salt and 3 cups of water and pressure cook.

Heat oil.  Add jeera, then fry onion.  Add pwdrs and saute for a minute.  Add to dal.

Cauliflower, Peas & Potato Sabzi

Serves 4-6

2 cups, when cut, cauliflower

3 smallish potatoes

1 cup shelled peas

Hing

Mustard seeds

8-10 curry leaves

2 green chillies, finely chopped

Turmeric pwdr

Salt

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp grated fresh coconut

Coriander leaves

Cut cauliflower into small florets.  Cut the potatoes into 3/4 inch dice.  Burst mustard seeds in oil.  Add hing, curry leaves.  Then add potatoes, cauliflower, peas, green chillies, turmeric, salt and sugar.  Stir for 2 minutes.  Add about 1/4 cup of water and stir.  As soon as the water begins to bubble, cover and turn the heat to low.  Cook for 10-15 mins or unti the potatoes are just done.  Sprinkle coconut and coriander on top.

 

 Aappam

Raw rice (Basmati or regular) - 1 cup

Grated coconut 1 to 1 1/2 handful 

Cooked rice 2 tbsp

Sugar 3 tsp

Yeast 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Soak rice for 4 hrs.

Grind it w/other ingredients (except yeast) to dosa consistency.

Add yeast and keep aside for fermenting for 6 to 8 hrs.

Add water to bring it to the right consistency.

Make aapams.

 Vini's coriander chutney

Saute (for 1 bunch coriander, 2 to 3 tomatoes) coriander, tomatoes, ginger and green chillies in a little oil.  Then grind.  Good in sandwiches.

Vini's Brinjal rice

Saute onions, then chopped eggplant until cooked.  Put some powder (Vini uses Iyengar's Bisibele bath pwdr, can also use sambar pwdr).  Add chopped coriander and peas. 

 Vini's coriander rice

Grind a handful of coriander, red chilli, 3 black peppercorns, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds with just a little water.  Heat oil.  Burst mustard, urad dal.  Add the paste.  Saute for a minute, then add cooked rice (1 1/2 cups) and salt.

Pattani Rice