Chocolate Cake Illustrated Recipe Sheet

Recipe - Illustrated Chocolate Cake

 Have you tried using a recipe illustrated sheet to bake a cake?

If no, here is one such easy-to-follow recipe.

Chocolate Cake Visual Recipe Sheet:

 Ingredients

 → 3 eggs

→ 200 g sugar

→ 120 g butter

→ 150 g flour

→ 40 g cocoa

 → 1 tsp baking powder

 → 120 ml milk

Then the sheet could visually guide you:

1. MIX Eggs + sugar → whisk

2. ADD Butter → milk → vanilla

3. SIFT Flour → cocoa → baking powder

4. FOLD

5. POUR A graphic showing exactly how full the cake tin should be.

6. BAKE 180°C → 30–35 min

7. FINISH Cooling → frosting → decoration

Try this out and let me know the final outcome.

If you're looking for a proven recipe, the one which I regularly follow, check this chocolate cake recipe blog post. 

9 Essential Steps of Bread Making: From Flour to Fresh Loaf

Bread Making Steps

 Homebaker Tips — South India

Watch the dough, not the clock. Warm Kerala/South Indian weather can make dough ferment much faster. If it has doubled in volume, it's ready—even if the recipe says otherwise.

Use lukewarm, not hot, water. Hot water can weaken or kill the yeast. The water should feel comfortably warm to your finger.

Hold back some water. Different brands of maida absorb water differently. Add most of the water first, then gradually add the rest until you get a soft, slightly tacky dough.

Don't add too much flour while kneading. A slightly sticky dough often produces a softer loaf. Adding flour repeatedly can make the bread dense.

Give the dough enough time to develop. Good bread isn't only about yeast. Proper kneading, fermentation and proofing are what give you a light texture and good flavour.

Use a cooler spot for long fermentation. In hot weather, if the dough is rising too quickly, move it to a cooler part of the kitchen or refrigerate it.

Don't over-proof. If the dough rises beautifully and then collapses or develops a strong yeasty/sour smell, you've probably gone too far.

Preheat the oven properly. Give your oven enough time to reach the required temperature before putting the bread in. Small home ovens can vary considerably from the displayed temperature.

Let the bread cool before cutting. It may be tempting to slice it immediately, but the crumb continues to set as it cools. Cutting too early can make the bread appear gummy.

And one particularly useful South Indian home-baker rule:

Warm climate = less yeast + more attention to fermentation.

You don't necessarily need to increase yeast because your dough is slow. Temperature, fermentation time and yeast quantity work together.

For your 9 Steps of Bread Baking poster, I'd condense these into a small box at the bottom:

Homebaker Tips

Measure accurately → Keep the dough soft → Watch fermentation, not the clock → Don't over-proof → Preheat well → Cool before slicing.

In South India's warm climate, your dough may rise faster than the recipe suggests. Let the dough tell you when it's ready. 

Popular Bakeries to Buy Bread in Trivandrum 

1. St Michael's Plamoodu
2. Eastern Bakery
3. Square One Home Treats

What is Tadka?

Tadka

 What is Tadka?

Tadka (also called tarka, tempering, or chaunk) is a North Indian cooking technique where whole spices and aromatics are briefly fried in hot oil or ghee. The hot fat extracts their flavour and aroma, and the mixture is then poured into a dish or incorporated into it.

Think of it as a final flavour boost—a small amount of oil carrying a lot of aroma.

Common ingredients in a tadka

Depending on the dish and region, you might see:

• Cumin seeds (jeera)
• Mustard seeds
• Dried red chillies
• Asafoetida (hing)
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Curry leaves
• Green chillies
• Turmeric
• Ghee or oil

The sequence matters. For example, cumin is added to hot ghee, allowed to crackle, followed by dried chilli and garlic. The whole process may take 30–60 seconds.

Popular dishes that use tadka

          Dish                       Typical tadka

• Dal Tadka Ghee, cumin, garlic, dried red chilli, hing
• Dal Fry Ghee/oil, cumin, garlic, chilli
• Rajma Cumin, hing, dried chilli
• Chana Dal Cumin, garlic, dried chilli
• Kadhi Cumin, mustard, dried chilli, curry leaves
• Jeera Rice Cumin fried in ghee
• Khichdi Ghee, cumin, hing, dried chilli
• Aloo dishes Cumin, dried chilli, sometimes ajwain
• Raita Cumin, dried red chilli, sometimes mustard

The interesting thing about tadka

The same basic dish can taste completely different depending on the tadka.

For example, plain dal + ghee + cumin + garlic + dried chilli becomes dal tadka. Change the tempering to mustard + curry leaves + green chilli, and you've moved toward a very different flavour profile.

So, in simple terms:

Tadka is the technique of blooming spices and aromatics in hot fat to release their flavour—and using that flavoured fat to finish or enhance a dish.

It's one of those deceptively simple techniques where 30 seconds in hot ghee can transform an entire pot of food.

In Malayalam, we use the word - “താളിക്കുക” (thāḷikkuka) is essentially the Malayalam equivalent of tadka, though there is a slight distinction.

The equivalents

Language Word                      Meaning

Hindi तड़का (Tadka)    Tempering spices in hot oil/ghee

Malayalam താളിക്കുക (Thaalikkuka) To temper/bloom spices in hot oil

Tamil தாளிக்க (Thāḷikka) / தாளிப்பு (Thāḷippu) To temper / the tempering

English Tempering                  Frying spices/aromatics briefly in hot fat

Vattayappam - a steamed Teatime Snack from Kerala

Vattayappam 

 One of the best places to buy vattayappam in Trivandrum is Square One Treats near St Mary's School, LIC Junction. Due to the high demand of this snack, it gets sold fast. Usually, when I visit Square One for an evening coffee, the shelves are mostly empoty of any snacks let alone this light evening bite. 

So, for those who are new to making vattayappam at home, you can try this recipe. Check it out and feel free to contact me for any doubts. 

Here's the my way of doing it - Preference is raw rice + cooked rice + coconut + a small amount of yeast, with cardamom added after fermentation. Kerala Tourism uses this basic combination, while other soft-vattayappam recipes use a small amount of cooked rice/rice paste specifically to help with softness.

 Soft Kerala Vattayappam — Light Elaichi Flavor

Ingredients

For the batter

• Raw rice / pachari — 2 cups
• Cooked rice — 1 cup
• Fresh grated coconut — 1 cup
• Sugar — ½ cup
• (use ⅓ cup if you prefer it only mildly sweet)
• Instant yeast — ½ tsp
• Salt — ¼ tsp
• Water — as needed

For the elaichi flavour

• Cardamom — 2–3 pods, seeds powdered finely
• Optional topping
• 1–2 tbsp raisins
• A few cashews

This ratio is close to the traditional Kerala Tourism version, which uses 2 cups soaked rice, 1 cup cooked rice, 1 cup coconut and ½ tsp yeast.

Why it's better to use only 2–3 cardamoms

Since you said "elaichi light flavour," don't use a large amount of cardamom powder.

For this quantity of batter, 2–3 pods should give you a gentle fragrance without making the vattayappam taste like cardamom cake.

And importantly, add the cardamom after fermentation. This lets you control the final flavour rather than having it dominate the whole fermentation.

Method

1. Soak the rice

Wash the 2 cups raw rice well.

Soak for 5–6 hours, or overnight.

Drain well.

It's recommended to keep for  5–6 hours of soaking for this style.

2. Grind

Grind together:

• soaked rice
• cooked rice
• grated coconut
• sugar
• Add water gradually.

You want a smooth, flowing batter, roughly like idli/dosa batter—not watery.

The cooked rice is important here. It contributes to the soft, slightly spongy texture.

3. Add yeast & ferment

Mix in:

½ tsp instant yeast

¼ tsp salt

Cover loosely and leave somewhere warm.

Allow approximately 6–8 hours for fermentation. Kerala Tourism gives 6–8 hours, while some soft versions work in 4–5 hours depending on warmth.

Don't judge it only by the clock.

Look for:

• batter visibly risen
• slightly bubbly/foamy surface
• pleasant fermented aroma
• lighter texture

If your kitchen is warm, it may be ready earlier.

4. Add the elaichi

Once fermentation is complete:

Add your finely powdered seeds from 2–3 cardamom pods.

Taste the batter.

Adjust:

• sugar
• salt
• cardamom

Then fold/stir gently. Don't beat the batter vigorously and knock out all the air.

5. Steam

Grease a round steel plate or shallow cake tin lightly with ghee.

Pour the batter to about ½–⅔ of the height—leave room for it to rise.

Bring the steamer water to a good boil first.

Place the plate inside and steam on medium heat for around 20–25 minutes. Kerala Tourism recommends 20–25 minutes; another traditional version uses 15–20 minutes, so the exact time depends on the depth of your vessel.

Don't keep opening the lid.

Test with a toothpick or skewer. It should come out clean.

The 4 things that will make the biggest difference

1. Don't make the batter watery.

This is probably the easiest way to end up with a flat, dense vattayappam.

2. Don't over-ferment.

You want a well-risen, airy batter—not one that has collapsed and developed a strong sour smell.

3. Add elaichi after fermentation.

This is particularly useful for your preference for a light elaichi flavour.

4. Don't over-steam.

Once it's cooked through, stop. Excessive steaming can make the texture firmer and drier.

My preferred schedule

If you're making it for breakfast:

Night before — 7 PM

Soak rice.

Next morning — 7 AM

Grind batter + add yeast.

7 AM–1 PM

Let it ferment.

1 PM

Add cardamom and adjust sweetness.

1:15 PM

Steam.

1:40 PM

Rest for 10 minutes.

1:50 PM

Cut and serve.

That gives the fermentation plenty of time without requiring you to continuously work on it.

One final suggestion: I would make the first batch without raisins or cashews. Get the basic vattayappam texture and elaichi balance right first. Once you're happy with that, you can decide whether you want the traditional raisin/cashew topping..

Travancore Style Chicken Fry Recipe

 

Trivandrum Chicken Fry

Travancore Style Chicken Fry Recipe

This style of chicken fry is popular in the Travancore region of Kerala. It is spicy, aromatic, coated in roasted coconut, curry leaves, and shallots, giving it a deep, authentic flavor.

: Ingredients

For marinating

* Chicken (with bone) – 1 kg

* Kashmiri chilli powder – 2 tbsp 

* Hot chilli powder – 1 tsp (adjust to taste)

* Coriander powder – 1 tbsp

* Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

* Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tbsp

* Black pepper powder – 1 tsp

* Garam masala – 1 tsp

* Fennel powder – 1 tsp

* Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

* Salt – 2 tsp

* Coconut oil – 2 tbsp

Marinate for at least 1 hour (overnight is even better).

To fry

* Coconut oil – 4 tbsp

* Shallots – 200 g, sliced

* Curry leaves – 3 sprigs

* Green chillies – 3, slit

* Ginger – 1-inch piece, julienned

* Garlic – 10 cloves, sliced

Roasted coconut masala

* Fresh grated coconut – ½ cup

* Black peppercorns – 1 tsp

* Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

* Dry red chillies – 3

* Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Method

1. Dry roast the coconut until golden brown.

2. Add peppercorns, fennel, red chillies, and curry leaves. Roast for another minute. Cool and pulse into a coarse mixture (do not make it into a fine paste).

3. Heat coconut oil in a heavy pan.

4. Fry the marinated chicken on medium heat until it starts browning.

5. Cover and cook for 15–20 minutes until the chicken is nearly done.

6. Add shallots, ginger, garlic, green chillies, and curry leaves. Sauté until the shallots turn golden.

7. Sprinkle the roasted coconut mixture over the chicken.

8. Cook uncovered on low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring gently until the masala coats the chicken well and the edges become crisp.

9. Finish with a pinch of freshly crushed black pepper and a few fresh curry leaves fried in coconut oil.

Tips

* Always use coconut oil for the authentic Travancore taste.

* Bone-in country chicken gives the best flavor.

* Avoid adding water; let the chicken cook in its own juices.

* The roasted coconut should be coarse, not powdered, for the traditional texture.

Serve hot with:

* Kerala parotta

* Kappa (tapioca)

* Ghee rice

* Steamed matta rice and moru curry


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