Lemon Poppy Seed Sour cream pound cake

My first experience with a lemon pound cake was a failure. It was not good, it was artificial and there was this lingering aftertaste which just made me go yuck. I mostly withhold myself from buying cakes from the grocery but that single slice of lemon cake was so tempting and with that bright yellow color and speckles of lemon zest peeking out, I had to give in. And since it was a single slice I knew that it would not go to waste. But one bite and I knew that it was goner.

Something told me that that should not have been my first lemon cake. The all-time famous Starbucks lemon pound cake just didn't seem right and made me skeptical. I knew it had to be homemade for me to get the flavor profile in the cake right. This cake is what I have waited for in my life. Make this in winter and you will savor spring in very bite. Make it during spring and it will freshen and liven your senses. Make it anyday, for guests or family or friends or for yourself, it will elevate your mood right away.

~*What U Need*~ All purpose flour - 3/4 cup Baking soda - 1/8 tsp Salt - 1/8 pinch Unsalted butter - 1/4 cup, room temperature Granulated sugar - 1/2 cup Large eggs - 1, room temperature Lemon juice - 1/8 cup Lemon zest - 1/2 tbsp Sour cream - 1/4 cup For the glaze: Cream cheese - 2 oz, at room temperature Icing sugar - 4 tbsp Milk - 1 tbsp or as needed How I Made it: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a mini loaf and a small ramekin(just in case you have excess batter). Dust pan with flour and tap out the extra. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar gradually and beat for 5 minutes. Add the egg and mix until combined. Rub the lemon zest with 1 tbsp of sugar so that the sugar becomes fragrant and the zest releases its oils. Beat in lemon juice and zest mixture. Stir in the dry ingredients with a spatula. Finally, add the sour cream and fold it in to the batter. Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for about 20 -25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Release the cake and remove it. Cool it completely on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar or glaze if desired. For the glaze, mix everything till smooth and pouring consistency. Place the cake over a wire and pour the glaze over. Allow to set.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

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Mughalai Chicken Biryani

By now, you should have known about our love for biryanis. When I say its biryani for lunch or dinner, the boys keep chanting the term till they get some on their plates... I love trying new biryani varieties when the mood sets in and it happened again last week.
It was a weekday and pappu was sound asleep taking his afternoon nap... I felt like doing something and reading a book didn't help... The kitchen seemed to be the destination and biryani the solution... I was going through my biryani booklet when I came upon this mughalai biryani.. The richness called my name and I didn't waste another minute resting on my couch...

~*What U Need*~ Chicken - 500 gm, cleaned Onion - 1, large, sliced Tomato - 1, large, sliced Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Green chilli - 1 Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp Coriander powder - 1 tsp Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup Mint leaves - 1/4 cup Oil/ Ghee - 2 tbsp Basmati rice - 1 1/2 cup Water - 2 cups To grind to a paste: Cashew - 1/4 cup Almonds - 1/4 cup Poppy seeds - 2 tbsp Yogurt - 1 tbsp For Briyani Masala Powder: Fennel Seeds - 1 tbsp Cinnamon - 1" Cardamom - 2 Star anise - 1/2 Cloves - 2 How I Made it: Dry roast the ingredients under biryani masala and grind in a coffee grinder. Soak the rice in enough water. Grind cashews, almonds, poppy seeds and yogurt to a smooth paste. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and fry the green chilli. Add the onions and saute till brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes off. Add the tomatoes and fry till oil separates. Add the spice powders and biryani masala powder. Add the chopped coriander and mint leaves followed by the chicken. Once the chicken is half cooked and leaves water add the ground cashew paste and mix well. Add the soaked rice and water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Serve hot!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

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