Mandarin Orange Cake

I felt it as an instant food. Buy everything and mix all. But quick and easy to make.

Preparation time: 1 hour and 30 min.

Working time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

For cake:

Yellow cake mix: 1 package

Eggs: 4

Oil: 1/2 cup

11 ounce can of mandarin oranges: 1

For frosting:

8 ounce can of crushed pineapple: 1

4 ounce package of vanilla instant pudding mix: 1

12 ounce whipped cream:1

Method:

Cake:

Combine cake mix, eggs and oil in a mixing bowl. Beat well.

Add mandarin oranges with juice.

Beat just until oranges are slightly chopped and mixture is smooth.

Pour into greased and floured cake pan.

Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake is done.

Insert a tooth pick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it indicates that cake is done.

Do not over bake.

Chill.

For frosting:

Drain pineapple juice reserving 1/3 cup juice.

Pierce top of cake with fork.

Pour reserved juice over cooked cake while it is cooling.

Blend pudding mix and whipped cream in a large bowl.

Stir in pineapple.

Apply this frosting over the cake.

Refrigerate.

Cake is ready to eat on second day.

Upma

This is an easy to make breakfast. Does not require elaborate preparations like soaking overnight, grinding etc. The same dish can be prepared with either sooji/ cracked wheat ( goduma ravva).

Preparation time: 30 min

Ingredients:

Sooji/Cracked wheat: 1 and 1/2 cups

Onion: 1 medium ( make long slices)

Green chilies: 3-4

Seasoning:

Mustard: 1 tsp

Cumin: 1 tsp

Ginger: 1" ( finely chop)

Chana dal: 2 tbsp

Curry leaves: 5-6

Salt to taste

Oil: 1 tbsp

Ghee: 1 tbsp (optional)

Water: 2 cups

Method:

Heat oil in a pan.

Add mustard, cumin, chana dal, ginger, green chilies, curry leaves and onions.

Saute until onions turn light golden brown.

Add water to the pan.

Add salt.

Keep the lid.

Let the water boil.

Add the sooji/ cracked wheat gradually to the boiling water while stirring it simultaneously.

If the consistency is too thick, add little amount of water.

Keep the lid.

Keep stirring in between.

When it is 3/4 th done, add ghee and stir.

Cook for 2 min. and remove from heat.

Serve it either as a single dish or with any pickle.

Some kids love to eat this upma with sprinkled sugar on it.

Janthikalu

Those who know the name 'Janthikalu' does not require any introductions for this dish. It is a tasty, easy to make and great snack. Only problem is, it requires a specific instrument which I have shown.

Preparation time: 45 min.

Ingredients:

Rice flour: 3 cups

Split black gram (urad dal): 1 cup

Tapioca (sabu dana): 2 tbsp

Carom seeds (Ajwain/ Vamu): 3 tsp

Unsalted butter: 2 tsp

Salt

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Grind Tapioca into smooth powder.

Dry roast black gram until the gram turns light golden brown. When it cools grind into a smooth powder. We can also get gram flour from groceries. It saves time and energy.

In a mixing bowl, add rice flour, gram flour, carom seeds, butter, salt and tapioca flour.

Mix well.

Make it into a smooth paste with consistency between semi smooth to thick.

Heat oil.

Take the 'Janthikalu maker'. It contains different variety of plates with holes. Select one of them. Fix this plate in the bottom of the maker.

Keep the dough in the bottom vessel.

When oil is hot, place the top vessel on the bottom vessel as if placing a lid with very light pressure.

Now keeping this maker above the hot oil, press hard so that the dough leaks through the holes.

Move the maker in a small circle while simultaneously pressing the dough.

If this seems to be hard, grease a plastic wrap/ aluminium foil, press the dough onto it. Carefully transfer this into oil.

Remove this circular dough after it turns golden brown from oil.

These are called Janthikalu.

When they are cool, transfer them into an airtight vessel.

Do not refrigerate.

They would be fresh for a week.