Blueberry Cake - Starbucks style

It's been ages since I blogged. Last weekend, my bro came home and asked if I could make some blueberry cake for him. Well, I asked him if he wanted muffins or cake and upon insistence set out to make some "cake". He has a sweet tooth while I don't so here's what I ended up making that finally satisfied both our taste preferences.

The ingredients I used are:

Butter - 1/2 cup
White sugar - 1/2 cup
Salt - 2 pinches or 1/4 tsp
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Eggs - 2 large/extra large (separate the yolk from the white but retain both)
All-purpose flour - 1 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Whole milk - 1/3 cup
Fresh blueberries - 1 1/2 cup
White sugar - 1/4 cup
All-purpose flour to roll in the blueberries - 1 tbs
Brown sugar - 1/2 tsp

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 50 mins

Its a very simple process and starts with preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the meantime, grease and flour an 8 inch square pan or a circular one.

Now, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy. Add some salt and vanilla. Separate eggs and reserve the whites. Add egg yolks to the sugar mixture and beat until creamy.
            
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour and baking powder; add alternately with milk to egg yolk mixture. Coat berries with 1 tablespoon flour and add to batter. 
           
In a separate bowl, beat whites until soft peaks form.  Add 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form.  Fold egg whites into batter.  Pour into prepared pan.  Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar.               
                   
Bake for 50 minutes, or until cake tests done.

You don't need to pay "Star bucks" to get that home-made taste.

 

Brinjal Chutney/ Pachadi

Ingredients:
1lb Brinjals
1 tspn Chilli powder
½ tspn Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Seedless Tamarind as big as a grape
¼ cup Vegetable Oil for frying Brinjals
Green Chillies that turn red 6 nos
½ tspn Asafoetida powder

For Seasoning: 4 Tbspn Oil (you could use the oil from the fried brinjals, too)
1 tspn mustard Seeds
Curry Leaves
2-3 Dry chillies de-seeded & broken into two pieces

Preparation Time : 30 mins Cooking Time : 20 mins

Wash & cut the brinjals into cubes and keep them aside.
Take a Kadai (wok) add oil for frying the brinjal pieces. Fry till the Brinjals change colour and are soft. Remove from oil & keep aside to let it cool. When the brinjal pieces are cold, take a little of the fried Brinjal pieces and grind with the Green chillies that've turned red, along with the tamarind & salt to a fine paste & keep aside.

Now take another kadai, pour the oil kept for seasoning. When oil is hot add the seasoning ingredients & fry till the mustard seeds crackle. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder & fry on low heat for a minute or two. Now, add the ground paste & fry for another 2 mins on low heat or till oil comes to the surface. Then add the fried brinjal pieces and asafoetida powder. Mix well & continue to fry for another 2-3 mins. on low heat. Check the salt & add if required. Remove from heat and cool . You may use it immediately or bottle it for later use. Tastes yum with stuffed parathas or steamed rice and ghee.