Basbousa/Harissa - Semolina And Coconut Eggless Cake

Basbousa or Harissa is an Arabic word for a sweet cake which is made up with the mix of both roasted semolina and coconut, later soaked in rose flavor sugar syrup or orange flavor sugar syrup..It has a very little hint of flour or can also be said as no flour cake. Few months back i saw a popular chef cooked this cake....Yes cook is a right word,, as he made this without oven or microwave. He simply made on gas stove and allowed it to cool and sliced than after, so here my version is baking..Yesssss. and its a Baked Basbousa/Harissa (A semolina and a coconut cake).

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup Semolina (Sooji) or Rawa dry roasted until light brown
1 1/2 cup dried coconut
2 tbsp corn starch
5 tbsp Maida
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ( & 3 tbsp more) milk at room temperature
3 tbsp golden Raisins
10-15 cashew nuts (cut into small pieces)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt

Garnish Toppings:
6-7 golden raisins
6 almond sliced in between (total of 12 slices) or (can use almond flakes)
4 cashew nuts (cut in to small pieces)

For Syrup:
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 tsp rose water


Recipe:

• Pre Heat Oven at 180 degree Celsius.
• Dry Roast Semolina (Sooji or Rawa) in a non stick pan until light brown in color, let it cool and keep it aside.
• In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients- Cooled and roasted semolina, dried coconut, corn starch, maida, golden raisins, cashew nuts cut in to small pieces, baking powder and salt.
• In a small bowl mix all wet ingredients-melted butter, water, milk and vanilla essence.
• Fold all mixture of wet ingredients into all dry mixture and mix all well.
• Pour the mixture into greased cake tin. 
• Spread all over evenly.

• Garnish the cake top with golden raisins, almond slices or flakes and cashew nuts cut in to pieces.
• Bake the same in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in it comes out clean.
• In a mean time make syrup to pour over on cake as soon as it comes out fresh and still hot from oven.
• In a small fry pan pour water, add sugar and rose water. Cook the mixture on a medium low flame until sugar dissolves. 
• Once sugar dissolves in it completely turn the flame to low and cook furthur for 2 minutes.
• Here the syrup does not need to be too much thick. It should only be very little thick but still runny.
• And yes its done and turn of the flame.
• Now as the cake is done and still warm, pour the syrup on top of the cake. Let it cool completely and all syrup get absorbed in cake.
• Cut into slices and serve with a hot cup of Tea or coffee. It goes really well with coffee (as served traditionally), as am not much fond of coffee, so i prefer having it with a cup of tea.

I really look forward for your lovely response...
Thank you :)

Layered Vegetable Biryani (Middle Eastern Style)

This recipe of biryani is now one of my favorites. Actual recipe calls for goat meat but here i have used vegetables instead. (Feel free to use goat meat or chicken pcs, totally up to you and rest of the procedure remains same). Few days back i was looking for authentic middle eastern biryani and i came across to chef Sonia Kayani's recipe. I saw this recipe and it was so very tempting that i pulled up my sleeves and just made it. It turned out very well with vegetables too and all guest who visited me enjoyed it a lot with lots of appreciation. My husband is now big fan of this biryani.
Usually this layer biryani is middle eastern daawat biryani on every festive occasion they make this. Which is very much packed with full of middle eastern spice and flavour. Must must try this, all biryani lovers will definitely enjoy.

Ingredients:

2-3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
Pinch of Heeng powder (Asafoetida)
3 onions sliced (2 medium & 1 small)
1 large ripe sliced Tomato
1 large potato sliced
1/2 cup chopped french beans
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/3 cup boiled green peas
1/3 cup creamy full fat curd
1 cup Fresh Mint Leaves
1 cup Fresh Coriander Leaves
1 whole large green chilly
1 whole bay leaf
3-4 whole black cloves
3-4 whole black pepper
1 whole black cardamom
3 whole green cardamom
1 whole cinnamon stick
11/2 tbsp saffron soaked in 3 tbsp milk (for about 30-40 minutes before using)
2 tsp Coriander powder
2 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp dry Mango Powder
2 tsp Saunf powder (fennel powder)
1 tsp dry methi powder (dry fenugreek powder)
1 tsp punjabi garam masala powder
11/2 tsp kashmiri red chilly powder (its not very spicy but gives nice red color)
1/2 to 1 tsp spicy red paprika (feel free to adjust the spiciness to your taste)
Salt to taste

For Garnishing:
1/2 sliced tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
4 tbsp sultanas
4 tbsp sliced almonds
3 tbsp small chopped walnuts
4 tbsp roughly chopped fried cashew nuts
4 tbsp fried onion (till brown)

For Rice:
2 cups / 300 gms  Basmati rice (Wash and soaked for about 1 hr)
2 whole black cloves
2 whole green cardamoms


Recipe:

• Cover lid and cook washed and soaked rice with enough water. Once cooked drain extra water and let it cool. After it cools down color half of the rice with saffron mixture soaked in milk. So now on we are having yellow rice and uncolored white rice.
• By now in a deep non stick pan, heat ghee with cumin seeds, as soon as cumins seeds splutters add hing powder and Onions with very little salt. Saute sliced onions until translucent.
• Now add and use 1/2 cup tomato out of 1 cup which i mentioned earlier in ingredients with sliced potato, french beans, carrots, ginger- garlic paste, 1/2 cup mint leaves (use remaining 1/2 cup later), fresh coriander leaves, beaten curd, whole black cloves, bay leaf, whole black pepper, green and black cardamoms, cinnamon stick, salt and all dry powdered spices (Coriander, cumin, dry mango, fennel, methi, punjabi garam masala, red paprika, kashmiri chilly powders). Mix all nicely add water & whole one green chilly.
• Now cover the lid and on low flame cook for about 20-25 minute or until all vegetables are cooked.
• Open the lid, now use the remaining 1/2 cup of sliced tomatoes mixed with remaining 1/2 cup of mint leaves. Just sprinkle this on top of cooked rice and do not mix. Again cover the lid and cook further for another 10 minutes and later than turn off the flame.
• Now in big plate make first layer of white rice and layer this cooked vegetables on it, on top of this now layer yellow rice and again vegetables and sprinkle tomatoes and mint leaves, again follow the same procedure (white rice than vegetables, than yellow rice and lastly tomatoes and mint leaves)
• Now garnish it with sultanas, sliced almonds, chopped walnuts and chopped & fried cashew nuts and fried onions. 
• Here it is ready now. serve it with fried papad and Pudina raita as i did or any raita of your choice.