Not Your Grandma's Carrot Cake. 3 Spice Carrot Cake Indian Style From Asha Gomez

    
   Ah, Carrot Cake! That spicy cinnamony heavy cake loaded with dense cream cheese frosting, carrot cake could often back in the day be mistaken for a door stop,. for some reason I always seem to associate it with the '70s and not in a good way, and so around here carrot cake has always been as dead as disco. Well, news flash. There's a new carrot cake in town and it's nothing like the old one thanks to Atlanta Ga master chef  Asha Gomez  @ashagomez

   Asha Gomez is the owner of Spice to Table in Atlanta. In 2013 her restaurant Cardamom hill won the James Beard Award Nomination for Best New Restaurant, and once you try her carrot cake you'll understand why. The recipe for this cake originated from her mother in Kerala, South India and the flavors and spices called for here take one out of every 1970's hippie-dippy diner party and into the present where this version of the old favorite rules!

    I've been baking this cake a LOT, it's that popular, and I have baked both a regular version and also a gluten free version using the flour blend I developed when I was working with Cocoa Planet Modern French Cafe developing their gluten free menu. This cake is a winner, made for birthday parties  (it easily feeds 16 people) or any sort of family celebration. I have a feeling - actually I've been ordered - that this is going to be on our holiday table this coming season.  I LOVE this cake!! So without further ado  here's Asha Gomezs Three Spice Carrot Cake.

Three Spice Carrot Cake

 

Here's What You Need:

 

The Cake:

2 Tbs unsalted butter for greasing cake pans
3 and 1/2 cups of all purpose flour plus  some extra for dusting the pans
1 Tbs baking powder
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
1 Tbs coarse freshly ground black peppercorns
2 tsps ground cloves
2 Tbs  green cardamom powder
2 cups of white sugar
9 large eggs
1 and 3/4 cups canola oil 6 carrots peeled and grated ( 3 cups)

The Frosting:

1 and 1/2 lbs cream cheese at room temperature
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
1 Tbs fresh ground black peppercorns
1 Tbs green cardamom powder
1 tsp ground cloves
      

Here's What To Do:

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Grease two 10 inch round cake  pans.

Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper and grease the paper and sides of the pans.

Dust the sides and the paper bottom with flour. Tap out any excess.

 Grate carrots in a food processor and set them aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda together in a bowl.

Then mix in  the ground black pepper...

...cardamom...

...and cloves.

 Set this aside.
In an electric mixer set on medium speed, whisk together  the eggs and sugar until they are light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Keeping the mixer running, add the oil slowly to maintain the emulsion.

When the oil has been added, put the dry ingredients in (the flour mixture).

Mix on medium speed for another 3 minutes until it's all blended.

Now add the carrots and mix for another 2 minutes.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans.

Divide the batter evenly and tap the pans to release any air bubbles.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in their pans on a cooling rack for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cakes to loosen them and turn them out onto the racks to cool completely.
   
Meanwhile.....

Time to make the frosting.

Here's What To Do:

 

In an electric mixer using a paddle, beat the cream cheese and butter at medium speed until creamy -  about 3 to 5 minutes.

Gradually add in the confectioners sugar, black peppercorns, cardamom, and cloves while beating at low speed for 3 to 4 minutes.
Using a serrated knife trim off the rounded tops of the cakes.

Place one trimmed cake cut side up on a platter.
spread  1 and 1/2 cups of frosting over the cake.
Top with the second half of the cake cut side down.
Spread another 1 and 1/2 cups of frosting over the top and sides.

Complete the cake frosting.

Refrigerate before serving.

  The cake is deliciously moist, and the spices are quite different from what most carrot cakes contain. No cinnamon or nutmeg. Don't be afraid of the black pepper as it makes this cake!!! The cake can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for about a week and as long as it's covered it stays moist. However don't count on keeping this one around very long. The last time I made it, everyone had two pieces which is absolutely unheard of around here!!

Coming up next, an easy weekday lunch or dinner, eggplant, scallops, and shrimp  with coconut rice.

Follow along on Twitter @kathygori
  

Indian Cheesecakes in Rose Pistachio Cream, aka Ras Malai

   This hasn't been my favorite summer. With all the family stuff afoot there hasn't been a  whole lot of entertaining going on. In fact there's been a lot less than usual. The last big dinner we had was a few weeks ago when our friends were visiting from Finland. When people come from that far away one simply has to roll out the red carpet, kill the fatted whatever and break out a really special dessert. I thought about a number of possibilities. I wanted something sweet but not too sweet, rich but not too rich. The weather was hot so no frying, an no baking would be good, and I wouldn't kick "make ahead" out of bed for eating crackers.

   Ras Malai, a Bengali dessert of  small lightly poached cheese patties seemed to be perfect. Of course to be really authentic it would mean making a batch of paneer cheese, and I wasn't up for the trouble that would take. I'd read some recipes where ricotta cheese was used instead, as a sort of light, easy, substitute. Light you say? Easy? I was in. As it turned out there was a sale on Ricotta cheese. Ras Malai it was going to be.

   The idea of  trying to make anything formed out of ricotta cheese that would keep it's shape were slim to none. When I make Italian cheesecakes, usually a bit of flour is used as a binder. The Ras Malai recipes I had looked at, suggested that cream of wheat would be a good addition to the flour and help these things keep their shape during the poaching.

The last time I'd tried poaching anything, the results weren't so very pretty. There had been the Floating Island debacle of two years ago. There was that.

And that.

And yes, I know what they look like. Moving on, I decided I would not like to repeat that adventure. I wanted these little patties to hang together without looking like horse puckies. And, so they did.
 
 

Ricotta Patties In Rose Cream, Sauce

Here's What You Need:

One 15oz container of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup and 1 Tbs of sugar
1/4 cup of flour
2 cups of water
2 Tbs and 1 tsp of quick cooking cream of wheat
Seeds from 5 green cardamom
1 and 1/2 tsp of rose water
1/2 cup of whipping cream
A small handful of finely chopped pistachios

Here's What To Do:

Mix together 1 cup of sugar and 2 cups of water in a deep pan or skillet.
Stir until all the sugar is dissolved, and it comes to a boil.
Turn down the heat, put a lid on things and simmer it all for about 10 minutes.
Mix the flour, cream of wheat, and ricotta together into a dough.

Knead it for about 10 minutes.

I found that I needed to add a bit more cream of wheat to make things stick together. It didn't seem to hurt anything. Use your judgement because it's important that these cheese patties don't dissolve while they're poaching.

Roll the cheese mix into about 2 dozen small balls.
Place a single cardamom seed into the center of each ball.

Press it in and then shape the balls into patties.
I made mine on the flat side so that they'd poach through.

Poach the patties in groups in the sugar syrup, 5 minutes on one side, then flip them and cook them another 4 minutes.

As they cook, pull them out of the syrup and stick them in a serving bowl.
When all the cheese patties have been poached, turn up the heat and boil down the sugar syrup to 1 cup.
Add in the rose water.

Pour the syrup over the cheese in the bowl.

In a small pot add 1 Tbs of sugar to 1/2 cup of whipping cream.
Bring the cream to a boil then take it off the heat. Let it cool thoroughly.
Pour the cream sauce over the cheese patties.

Mix everything together so that the flavors combine and all the cheese patties are covered.
Put a lid on the bowl and keep it in the fridge overnight.
To serve it up, put 2 cheese patties in each bowl and spoon cream sauce over them.
Sprinkle pistachios over the top and serve them up!

   Cool, refreshing, aromatic, and lightly chewy, these cheese patties are just the creamy taste that's perfect after an Indian feast. This can be made 2 days ahead of whenever it's going to be served, so that's an added benefit. The way I look at it, the last thing I want to worry about the day of a dinner party is what dessert's going to be.

   Coming up next I get on the 5 minutes ice cream bandwagon. What, you've never heard of 5 minute ice cream?? Yes, it's really ice cream and yes it's really 5 minutes no kidding. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori
 

Mousse or Squirrel? Kaffir Lime Mousse, The Perfect Pal For A Gluten Free Cookie

   Last week when I was in the midst of planning my Franco-Indian Bastille Day Lunch based on Richard Grausmans' book French Classics Made Easy,  from Workman Publishing, one of the recipes that really got my attention was a dessert. Lime Mousse. Now like anyone from my generation, I can't think about mousse with out thinking about this Moose. Bullwinkle J. Moose to be exact.

 Yeah I know it's juvenile, but I couldn't help it.
   In thinking about the lime mousse and how to give it an Indian translation, I only had one thought in mind and that was Kaffir lime. The Kaffir lime is used a lot in South Asian cooking and I've almost always used it in soups. It's one of the main ingredients in tom yum. It has a distinctive double leaf with a rather perfumy  aroma.
  Now I've always had Kaffir lime leaves in my freezer (they're commonly found in all Asian markets) and I've always used them for savory dishes, but never a dessert. The idea of using them in a sweet course was really appealing. I'm nuts for floral scented dishes so this was right up my alley.
 I scouted around and found a couple of mousse recipes that seemed they would be candidates,  and with a bit of modification on my part, I found something I liked.
  French mousse dishes use eggs and lots of cream. This Indian flavor version uses yogurt and a bit of cream and no eggs. It makes up fairly easily (1 hour) and it's a great make-ahead dessert. It sets up overnight and is ready to go the next day.

Kaffir Lime Mousse

Here's what to do:
In a heavy pot mix together:
 1/3 cup of cream
 1 and 1/2 tsp of lime zest

  1/4 cup of sugar
  3 or 4 Kaffir lime leaves

Mix it together until the sugar is dissolved and then bring it to a simmer. Keep stirring, and when all the sugar is dissolved, take it off the fire, put a lid on it and let it steep for 30 minutes.
  In another bowl mix together:
   1/2 tsp of lime juice
   1 Tbs of water
Sprinkle 3/4 tsp of gelatin over the water lime juice mixture.
When it starts to get soft, heat the cream mixture again and pour it through a mesh strainer into the gelatin lime water.

 Press on it to get all the juices out, then mix it all together for about 1 minute until the gelatin is all dissolved.
  Whisk in:
   1 cup of plain yogurt

 Put it all into the fridge to chill for about 25 minutes.
 Put a metal bowl to chill in the freezer.
 After 25 minutes pour 1/3 of a cup of cream into the chilled bowl and hand beat it into soft peaks.
   Yes, I did say hand beat. It's important not to over-beat the cream, that's why you use the 'by hand' method. I'd never done it before I made this mousse and it doesn't take long to get it whipped up so don't be scared. It does work, and just think how proud your grandma would be to see you do that.
  Once the cream is whipped, fold it gently into the chilled lime yogurt mixture.

Cover it and place the whole thing back in the fridge for at least 8 hours. That's it. You're done. Perfect mousse.

   I loved this mousse and I'd never personally made any sort of mousse before, I'm planning on trying it with other flavors as it's so light and simple to make. I paired it with Bibi from Katmandus'  Gluten Free Cardamom and Coconut Cookies and the flavors were perfect together.
  Coming up next, a simple soup and a fancy homemade spice that takes the taste from France to India. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori

Friday! Friday! Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout The Weekend...Dessert!

 "Friday, Friday" in the immortal words of Rebecca Black, "Everybody's Talkin' Bout the Weekend." 

   Around our house, what they're usually talking about is dessert. At least I am, and after the super heated week we had here in Sonoma, what I want is something cool and smooth and no, ice cream is not the answer to everything (a lot of things yes, but not everything) as much as I'd like to think so. On a day like today when my mind is mush from work, the fan is whirling, the air conditiong means nothing and the foxes are shrieking in the vineyard out the back door, I would kill for a tall, frosty glass of Coconut Wedding Pudding. Except that I am too damn lazy to make myself some. Not that it's hard mind you. It can be ready in less than an hour.
   The reason I chose to make this dessert for my big Goat Vindaloo Lunch last week was the pure simplicity of it all, and also because Goat Vindaloo can be like the hottest July day in one's mouth, and the mere idea of coconut wedding pudding... well, it's indescribable. So if there's a real hot July day right outside the window, it doesn't get much better than this sweet little pudding.
   This pudding is what's known in the South Indian kitchen as a payasam. It doesn't really resemble the puddings that Americans are used to, and yes, Jello Cook and Serve, I'm talking to you. The consistency of this pudding is more like a thin, creamy soup. So when it doesn't thicken, set up and look like it's waiting for a dollop of Cool Whip, don't freak out. It's not supposed to. This pudding can be made in a little less than an hour and be served warm, hot or cold. It's delicious any old way.

Gluten Free Coconut Pudding

Here's what to do:
It starts with a base of dal. Yes, this pudding is made from lentils.

In a heavy pan or kadhai heat:
  2 Tbs of unsalted butter
When the butter has melted, add in:
 1/4 cup of moong dal
 1 Tbs of chana dal

Saute them for about 2 minutes or so.
 Add in:
  2 and 1/2 cups of boiling water.
Partially cover the pot and let it all cook on a medium heat for about 35 minutes or until the dal is nice and tender.
Turn up the heat and pour in:
 1 cup of milk.

Take the lid off and keep things cooking for another 5 minutes or so.
Give it an occasional stir to make sure nothing sticks or burns.
Turn off the heat, let things cool a bit, and then using an immersion blender or regular blender, puree the dal and milk together.
Put the pan back on the fire and add in:
 1 cup of coconut milk
 1/2 cup of light brown sugar or jaggery
 1/4 tsp of ground cardamom
 1 cup of milk
 2 tsp of cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbs of water or milk
Simmer it all together  until it starts to thicken a bit and keep stirring in the meanwhile. It's going to come out as a thin, custard sort of pudding.
If a skin forms, don't worry. A couple of spins with a whisk takes care of that.
 Serve it in individual dishes or parfait glasses. I served it chilled for a hot afternoon lunch.

 When having a bold main course such as a vindaloo, it's great to have something a bit gentler to finish out the meal. This pudding fills the bill. Not too sweet, and fragrant with cardamom, it's just the finishing touch my #Goaterie meal needed.

   And now for something not exactly completely different.....Prizes!
   I'm celebrating my 2nd Blogiversary (yes, that is a weird word) this month, and I've decided to celebrate it with some great gifts from the very generous people at Workman Press, and Tropical Traditions.  I'm giving away 2 great gifts.
 A Copy of the fabulous cookbook Mangos and Curry Leaves

The other prize I have is Organic Coconut Water Vinegar from the nice people at Tropical Traditions. This vinegar is great and what can I say, a must have for old skool Indian cooking!

So how do you get this stuff???? Here's what to do?

1.) Follow  @WorkmanPub  and  @Troptraditions on Twitter 
2.) Follow @kathygori on Twitter or follow my blog The Colors Of Indian Cooking
3.) Tweet about the sponsor and my giveaway  or mention it on your blog
4.) Let me know you've done so

 The drawing is going to be conducted on Random.org. It starts today July 1st  and ends on July 14th. Thanks again to everyone who helps make this blog possible, especially my husband Alan Berger for his great photographs.  
Coming up next, I go Gluten Free with an answer to the regular wheat chapatti. Follow along on Twitter @kathygori