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Mushroom Paprikash

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Mushroom Paprikash Recipe

Mushroom Paprikash inspired by the novel “Dracula” by Bram Stoke.

The Inspiration Behind Mushroom Paprikash

“We left in pretty good time, and came after nightfall to Klausenburgh. Here I stopped for the night at the Hotel Royale. I had for dinner, or rather supper, a chicken done up some way with red pepper, which was very good but thirsty. (Mem., get recipe for Mina.) I asked the waiter, and he said it was called “paprika hendl,” and that, as it was a national dish, I should be able to get it anywhere along the Carpathians.”

Amongst the several food and drink references in Bram Stoker’s horror masterpiece, I have been particularly fascinated with the idea of Paprika Hendl ever since coming across it while reading “Dracula” over a decade or so ago.

Believed to be what is known as Chicken Paprikash in current times, the vegetarian take on this Hungarian classic, Mushroom Paprikash, has been one of the 768 or so recipes that I keep telling myself I need to try but never get around to making.

With the Lahori weather turning cool, gray and decidedly Transylvanian, and today being a special day for the massive horror fan that I am, it was finally time to make this comforting classic.

What Is Mushroom Paprikash And How Exactly Is It Made

Simple yet rich, this creamy stew gets its velvety texture from heavy cream (easy hack to make sour cream in the instructions/method: no premixing required!) and packs a punch with heady smoked paprika and hot red chilli powder.

This may not seem like a lot of crisp fried button mushrooms but they are sitting atop a bed of shredded & equally crisp fried chanterelles and oyster mushrooms, all of which together, are a textural and flavour umami bomb.

Please read the note at the end of the recipe for details on the fresh mushrooms I used in this recipe and what you can substitute them with.

Mushroom Paprikash Recipe

Traditionally eaten with homemade egg noodle dumplings (galuska/nokedli/spätzle), I enjoyed this with a side of gnocchi-shaped pasta and a simple side of steamed broccoli and fresh baby spinach spiked with a fresh red chilli to balance the richness of this hearty dish.

For a cult-classic horror novel, there are plenty of food and drink mentions (magmila, impletata and slivovitz to name a few); rather strangely chilling if you think about it, since a vampire’s sole diet consists purely of blood and nothing else.

Perhaps I will create my versions of all of the food in the book together one day, as a feast in the infamous Count’s honour 😈.

On that note, here’s wishing a Spooky Halloween 🎃 to fans of the celebration!

 

Mushroom Paprikash

 

Simple yet rich, this creamy Mushroom Paprikash packs a punch with heady smoked paprika and hot red chilli powder. Topped with a selection of umami-rich crisp fried mushrooms for a deeply satisfying flavour.

 

Recipe Type: Main

Author: Alice In Eatland

Cook Time: 15-20 Minutes

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 2

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 tablespoons oil
  • 2 cups mixed fresh mushrooms*
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder or paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (if available)
  • 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1-2 tablespoons cream/sour cream, to drizzle
  • Chopped fresh parsley
  • Boiled and buttered pasta, to serve
  • Steamed broccoli, to serve
  • Fresh baby spinach, to serve
  • Fresh red chilli, deseeded, to serve

 

METHOD

  1. Sauté whole or sliced mushrooms in a flat-based pan over high heat in batches, until crisp and browned. Cool completely in a metal sieve.
  2. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and sauté onions and garlic until soft and fragrant.
  3. Add the tomato paste and cook till it darkens slightly.
  4. Sprinkle flour and cook the mixture 2-4 minutes or until the flour no longer smells raw.
  5. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the vegetable stock till the mixture is lump-free.
  6. Place pan back on the heat, season with salt, red chilli powder or paprika, smoked paprika (if using), garlic powder, onion powder and bring to the boil, whisking constantly.
  7. Cook 5 minutes until bubbly, keep whisking frequently.
  8. Turn the heat off and quickly whisk in 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream and lemon juice.
  9. Check seasoning, add more salt or lemon juice if needed and grind in fresh black pepper.
  10. Pour into serving dish/bowl/plate.
  11. Drizzle with heavy cream or sour cream, if wished.
  12. Top with fried mushroom mix and sprinkle chopped fresh parsley.
  13. Serve with boiled and buttered pasta of your choice and a side of steamed broccoli, fresh baby spinach and deseeded red chilli.

 

NOTE:

*I used a combination of sliced button mushrooms and shredded chanterelles and oyster mushrooms in this recipe.
Though fresh mushrooms taste best in this particular dish, you can absolutely use canned mushrooms instead.

This recipe, like most of my other recipes, is more of a guide rather than a strict set of rules to be fanatically adhered to, so please feel free to make substitutions and alterations to suit your preferences and budget.

23 Tips To Drastically Reduce Your Food Bill

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23 Tips To Drastically Reduce Your Food Bill

A home-cooked budget friendly meal.
Clockwise from top left: Boiled White Rice, Zucchini Malai Kofta Masala, Kachumer Salad, Moong Masoor Tarka Daal and Aaloo Channa Daal Cutlets

 

With food costs at an all time bone-crushing high, it is no surprise that most of us are feeling quite the pinch when it comes to eating well and feeding our families.

The idea is to be able to feed yourself and your loved ones delicious, wholesome and nutritious meals while also being able to:

-Spend Less

-Get The Most Out Of Your Purchases

-Minimise Wastage

-Save


Here are 23 practical tips that have helped me cut down on my overall food budget with the hope that you too will find some or all of these tips useful:

 

1. Track Your Spending

This is absolutely ESSENTIAL and the first step to getting your food budgeting on track.

Once you get this down right, everything else will fall into place and make sense so please don’t skip it.

Get a notebook (the old-school paper kind) and a pen.

Jot down every single food bill and food related expense you incur for 1 week (takeout, grocery bills, restaurant meals etc).

Writing every single amount down on paper and adding it all to arrive at the total hits different.

2. Assess Your Spending

Once you have an idea of your weekly and hopefully monthly food spending, do a thoroughly honest assessment of whether your money is being spent wisely or not.

How many are essential food items and what are your impulse purchases?

Are you buying too much food?

Do you really need 4 bags of frozen fries a month when maybe 2 will do just fine?

Can you cut back on a pricey ingredient and use a cheaper substitute?

Think about it.

3. Set A Budget

Once you have your overall food bill and related expenses roughly figured out, try to set a realistic food budget based on your family’s requirements, preferences and lifestyle.

Challenge yourself to stick to it.

4. List Down Meals, Snacks & Drinks

Next make a list of:

–breakfasts, lunches and dinners that your family mostly eats on rotation.

-snacks (crisps, frozen ready to cook products, candies etc).

-drinks (water, teas, coffees, soft drinks etc).

-takeout/delivery meals that you usually order in.

-restaurant meals that you may be going out to eat that week.

5. Meal Plan For The Week

Once you have the above list done, choose meals from it and allocate for all 3 mealtimes (plus snacks and drinks) for each day of the week.

Also factor in any meals that you’ll be ordering in or eating out during the week (hopefully just one, maximum).

Meal planning not only eliminates the daily stress of racking your brains about what to cook but keeps you from spending on extra ingredients you may not need that can add up unnecessarily to your food bill.

6. Shop Your Pantry, Fridge & Freezer

Based on your meal plan, write down the ingredients required for each meal for the week.

Then do a thorough inventory check to see which ingredients are in stock and what needs to be purchased.

You don’t want to spend on a new box of pasta when there are 3 already, waiting to be used.

The same goes for useable vegetables, fruit and protein that you may already have in your fridge or freezer.

Make a note of spices and condiments on hand as well.

7. Overlap Ingredients

When trying to reduce your weekly or monthly food bill, it really helps if you can use one or more main ingredient for multiple recipes.

For example, boiled potatoes can be used to make Aloo K Parathay and Aloo Cutlets for the freezer.

Or if you make Marinara Sauce, use half of it to make simple spaghetti topped with your favourite protein and freeze the remaining to use as sauce for a homemade pizza later.

8. Lean Towards Vegetable-Based Meals

As produce heavy dishes take the spotlight like never before, it makes sense to eat more vegetable driven meals not just for health benefits but also for economics.

Inexpensive items like grains, beans and legumes are a great way to stretch your meals on a budget and lower your food bill.

Platforms like Pinterest and YouTube offer a staggering array of veg centric recipes should you wish to explore wildly delicious vegetable-based meals beyond the usual daal sabzi realm.

Shameless Plug: explore this blog and my YouTube channel for some great veg friendly main, snack and dessert recipes!

9. Shop At Less Expensive Stores

Stores that offer more affordable prices without compromising on quality are your best bet.

In Pakistan, think of stores like Metro, Imtiaz and CSD.

Also assess if ordering groceries online from a certain store will cost you more or less compared to physically shopping there.

10. Buy Store Brands

Many store brand products (like grains, spices etc.) are generally cheaper and of pretty much the same quality as many of their branded counterparts.

They’re a great choice when food budgeting.

Try them.

11. Limit Specialty Foods

I adore imported raspberries and blueberries and love locally grown exotic vegetables such as oyster mushrooms and poblanos and have a fondness for cheeses (both imported and a few locally produced artisanal ones).

But due to the very high retail prices associated with the above, my use of them is now limited to rare and special occasions only.

In my quest to reduce my weekly food bill, I try and make use of more affordable substitutes and a lot of times they work just fine.

12. Bulk Purchase

Bulk purchases are often more economical than buying smaller quantities repeatedly.

Bear in mind that bulk purchases make sense only if you bulk use them.

No sense buying a 5 kg bag of rice when you use it just once a month.

13. Shop Sale Items Sensibly

Again, buy sale items only if it makes sense.

That huge box of cornflakes at half price is no good if you’re going to use it just a few times a month.

14. Stick To Your Shopping List

Try your best not to give in to the urge to buy random things just because.

Impulse buying is unwise to say the least when you’re trying to stay on a budget so it is important you know and understand your triggers.

15. Bulk Cook & Make Freezer Meals

Most fully prepared food items from daals, rice and roti to lasagna, pizza and burgers freeze very well.

Save yourself the time, energy and money by bulk cooking enough to get at least 2 freezer meals out of every cooking session and thank yourself later.

16. Limit Grocery Runs (In Store and Online)

Try not to give in to the urge of ordering ingredients when they run out, unless they are absolutely essential.

Many times you can make do with an acceptable substitute already available at home or make do without entirely, saving money (including commute costs and delivery charges).

17. Grow Your Own Herbs

Fresh herbs from the store may not exactly put a dent in your food budget but if you use them quite often, its a good idea to grow them yourself.

Most herbs like coriander, mint and parsley are easy to grow, don’t require much space (they thrive in pint sized flowering pots) and are low maintenance.

They may not cost a lot but don’t forget that even the smallest purchases add up.

18. Repurpose Leftovers

Freeze leftover meals for another day.

Or use them to make other meals.

For example, use leftover plain cooked/boiled rice a day or 2 later to make fried rice with lots of veggies and your choice of protein.

Your freezer is your friend. Use it wisely to save time, hassle and money.

19. Minimise Meal Deliveries And Takeaways

With a multitude of food choices to suit every mood and budget just an app away, it is now easier than ever to order meals in.

I am all for supporting local businesses but I also have a keen focus on minimising my overall food bill.

Hence I opt for the convenience of ordering in only on days I’m crazy busy, not feeling too well or just plain dead tired to cook.

And for me, that’s once a month at the most.

20. Limit Restaurant Meals

It goes without saying that eating out these days can cost an arm and a leg.

Even a cup of coffee at a decent café can set you back around PKR 1000 per person.

It’s natural to want to go somewhere nice for a meal sometimes but bear in mind that it does come with a price.

21. Socialise Wisely

Its ok to say no to meeting friends at pricey eateries.

Alternatively, you can recommend catching up somewhere less expensive.

Or suggest getting together at home (yours or theirs) and doing a potluck or one-dish party with everybody bringing one food item (homemade or store bought, whichever is affordable) each.

Real friends will understand and respect your need to be financially wise.

Be smart about your both friends and finances.

22. Change Your FOMO to WOMO

Try not give in to the urge of heading to high-end bakeries, cafés and restaurants just because friends, someone on a food forum or an influencer on social media posted gorgeous photos and glowing reviews about it.

The temptation may be high but please do not forget that right now may not be the wisest time to give in to the extravagance of exorbitantly priced food.

Change your FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) to WOMO (Wisdom Of Missing Out).

23. Don’t Lose Your Focus

Despite your best intentions, life happens and sometimes it’s easy to get sidetracked.

It’s ok.

Get back on track as quickly as you can.

Keep an eagle eye on what you cook and eat so you know exactly where your money is going.

Don’t forget that when it comes to your overall food bill, every single thing adds up.

Remember the reason you’re reading this post.

Remain focused.

You got this.

Paneer Hara Masala Rangoons

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Paneer Hara Masala RangoonsPaneer Hara Masala Rangoons are a flavourful Pakistani style take on Panda Express’s popular cream cheese rangoons.

I have never had Panda Express so my understanding of the flavour profile of the chain’s cream cheese rangoons and their texture is based solely on the description and copycat recipes found online.

Paneer, cheddar and green masala ingredients along with dry aromatics make up the rangoon filling. Instead of wonton wrappers, I use samosa patti or spring roll patti cut into squares. A simple but punchy green chutney to dip the crisp Paneer Hara Masala Rangoons in rounds things off nicely.

My hardcore Pakistani tastebuds love desi-fying recipes wherever they feel that particular fusion will work. And I feel it works rather well here.

Paneer Hara Masala Rangoons

Make Ahead & Freeze Paneer Hara Masala Rangoons:

A stash of frozen Paneer Hara Masala Rangoons on hand means that you can fry, air fry or bake these in no time should you have guests over or should a craving for hot melty flavoursome cheese encased in a crisp filling suddenly arise.

Follow the recipe till you’ve completed the “Assembly” part.

Then freeze flat on a plastic wrap lined tray or cookie sheet overnight.

Once frozen solid, place in an airtight container in a single layer, using plastic wrap between layers.

Paneer Hara Masala Rangoons

Paneer Hara Masala Rangoons

 

Paneer Hara Masala Rangoons: crisp cheesy bags with coriander, mint, green onion & green chillies for a uniquely desi take on cream cheese rangoons!

 

Recipe Type: Starter & Snack

Author: Alice In Eatland

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 2-3

 

INGREDIENTS

Rangoons

  • 1 cup grated paneer, store bought or homemade
  • 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup very finely sliced spring onion (green part only)
  • 6 – 8 green chillies, deseeded & finely chopped 1/2 – 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • Salt
  • 2-4 tablespoons cream or cream cheese

Slurry

  • 2-4 tablespoons plain flour
  • 1/2 – 1 cup water

Wrappers

  • Samosa patti, spring roll patti/wrappers or wonton wrappers (cut into 3” squares)

Green Chutney

  • Handful fresh coriander leaves
  • Handful fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4” piece ginger, peeled
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 2-4 fresh green chillies
  • 1/2 a slice of bread
  • Splash of white vinegar
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Salt
  • Drinking water

METHOD

Filling

  1. Mix all the filling ingredients, adding enough cream or cream cheese to make a sticky mixture that comes together.
  2. Divide into 12-14 equal portions and shape into balls with wet palms.

Slurry

  1. Whisk flour into the water until combined and heat, whisking until thick, opaque and bubbly.
  2. Cool completely.

Assembly

  1. Place a ball of filling in the centre of a samosa patti square (or spring roll patti or wonton wrapper, whichever you are using).
  2. Rub slurry along all 4 edges.
  3. Bring the opposite corners of the square to meet in the middle and pinch together, sealing the sides as well. (see image 2 above for reference).

Frying

  1. Deep fry till golden.
  2. To air fry, brush rangoons and your air fryer basket both with oil and cook 10 minutes at 200 degrees C or until golden.

Freezing

  1. To freeze, lay uncooked rangoons flat on a plastic wrap lined tray or cookie sheet and freeze 2-4 hours or till frozen solid.
  2. Place in an airtight container in a single layer, using plastic wrap between layers.

Green Chutney

Blend all ingredients together either with a stick blender or in a regular blender until the desired consistency is reached.

Tamatar Paneer Recipe

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Tamatar PaneerTamatar Paneer, a vibrantly spiced Hyderabadi-style tomato curry with “crisp-on-the-outside-creamy-on-the-inside” grilled homemade paneer wedges.

A spring-summer favourite, ideal for cooking when tomatoes are in seasonal abundance and one of my top favourite ways to enjoy paneer.

This recipe has been inspired by the Tamatar Paneer on the menu of Patli Galli, a desi restaurant that I am very, very fond of.

During Lockdown 2020, the restaurant started offering takeaway vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis and Tamatar Paneer was one of the veg thali offerings. Notable mention: the Mirchi Ka Saalan from the veg thali was quite possibly, the best I’ve ever had.

The thalis have been discontinued but the delicious vegetarian options such as the ubiquitous Daal Maash and Palak Paneer are still available (both very good, actually). Thankfully, Tamatar Paneer is also still being offered and I believe, Patli Galli is the only restaurant in Lahore that has it on the menu. I hope they bring the Mirchi Ka Saalan back.

Tamatar Paneer Recipe

The phenomenal takeaway Vegetarian Thali (Tamatar Paneer in the centre) from Patli Galli Restaurant, during Lockdown 2020. They need to bring this back!

6 Tips For Making The Best Tamatar Paneer

  • Use ripe tomatoes for best results.
  • Tomato Paste adds great depth of flavour so please try not to omit it.
  • A small amount of sugar (preferably soft brown sugar, but regular white sugar is fine)  is essential to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
  • Please use the best quality paneer you can find for this recipe.
    Search for home-based vendors or small scale artisanal cheese makers. Commercially available cottage cheese is no substitute for paneer and is “highly NOT recommended” here!
  • I have used homemade paneer and would encourage you to do the same to make a really standout Tamatar Paneer. The recipe for homemade paneer is linked in the ingredients list (or just type in the search bar above).
    If you follow the recipe correctly, your paneer will turn out rich and creamy and will stay moist and velvety inside even after being grilled to a crisp outside.
  • Try Tamatar Tofu for a delicious vegan spin on this dish.
    Simply replace the paneer with firm or extra firm tofu.
    Slice tofu slab in half horizontally and  microwave 2 minutes on high. Much of of the liquid will get released.
    Drain and place tofu between heavy duty paper towels or a kitchen towel with a cutting board and a weight on top to press out as much moisture as possible.
    After 30 minutes, cut the pressed tofu into cubes or wedges and proceed with the grilling part of the recipe.

Tamatar Paneer is best served with garlic naan but a simple roti or a paratha will do in a pinch. Good with boiled white rice too. Surprisingly decent cold, straight out of the fridge as well.

Tamatar Paneer Recipe

 

How To Make Tamatar Paneer

 

Tamatar Paneer, a vibrantly spiced Hyderabadi style tomato curry with “crisp-on-the-outside-creamy-on-the-inside” grilled homemade paneer wedges.

 

Recipe Type: Main

Author: Alice In Eatland

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 2

 

INGREDIENTS

 

TOMATO CURRY

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 dried red chilli
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon nigella seeds
  • Salt
  • 6 – 8 fresh or dried curry leaves
  • 1/2 tablespoon crushed garlic
  • 1/2 tablespoon grated ginger
  • 2 teaspoons gram flour
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • Good pinch brown sugar or white sugar
  • 500 grams ripe tomatoes, blended to a coarse purée
  • 3/4 cup hot water

 

GRILLED PANEER

  • 100 – 200 grams paneer wedges or cubes (find the recipe to make your own paneer at home here
  • 1 tablespoon oil


TEMPERING & GARNISH

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 dried red chilli
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon nigella seeds
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled & thinly sliced
  • 2 fresh green chillies, quartered
  • 6  – 8 fresh or dried curry leaves
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • Fresh coriander leaves
  • Fresh red chillies (optional)

 

METHOD

 

TOMATO CURRY

  1. Heat oil.
  2. Add dried red chilli, cumin seeds, brown mustard seeds and nigella seeds.
  3. Sauté until the seeds start crackling.
  4. Add curry leaves, followed by crushed garlic and grated ginger.
  5. Stir until fragrant and add the gram flour.
  6. Sauté until the gram flour doesn’t smell raw anymore and the colour deepens slightly, about 2 – 4 minutes.
  7. Add tomato paste, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Kashmiri chilli powder (if using, cumin powder, coriander powder and sugar.
  8. Cook, stirring and adding a splash of water if needed, till the masala thickens and the oil begins to separate from it.
  9. Pour in the coarsely blended tomato purée and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
  10. Cover partially and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid evaporates and the tomato mixture thickens and begins to come together.
  11. Add water at this stage, stir and bring to a simmer.
  12. Let cook 5 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oil begins to float on top in places and the curry is as thick as your preference.

 

GRILLED PANEER

  1. Heat a grill pan or heavy bottomed frying pan (non-stick works better here) on high heat and brush with half a tablespoon of oil.
  2. Coat the paneer wedges or cubes thoroughly with the remaining half tablespoon of oil.
  3. When the grill pan/frying pan is searingly hot (this is important, otherwise the paneer will stick to it), add the oil-coated paneer pieces. (Please follow the same instructions if you’re grilling tofu for a vegan Tamatar Tofu – see tip #6 at the top first though!)
  4. Let sit undisturbed 2 – 4 minutes or until you can see the bottom edges of the paneer browning.
  5. Turn carefully, prying gently to loosen with a spatula or butter knife if needed, and cook the same way on the other side.
  6. Remove paneer pieces to a plate.

 

TEMPERING & GARNISH

  1. Spoon the Tomato Curry into a serving dish or bowl.
  2. Arrange the grilled paneer pieces on top.
  3. Heat oil in a small pan.
  4. Add all other ingredients, except the mint and coriander leaves.
  5. Sauté until the garlic turns light golden and pour the hot tempering over the tomato curry and grilled paneer.
  6. Garnish with fresh min leaves, fresh coriander leaves and sliced red chillies, if using and serve.

Homemade Paneer: Made With Just 3 Ingredients

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Homemade Paneer Recipe

Homemade paneer, with its mild milky flavour and firm but creamy texture is the easiest cheese you can make with just 3 ingredients.

This lovely tasting non-melting cheese is a great source of vegetarian protein and is good either on its own or as an ingredient in vegetarian recipes.

Homemade paneer is pretty easy to make but there are certain things that need to be kept in mind if you want to make a really good one as opposed to just the okay-ish kind.

I have been making it myself for many years now and hope that the following tips will help you make excellent paneer at home.

Tips For Making The Best Homemade Paneer:

How To Make Paneer

  • Raw, unpasteurised whole milk is a must for good quality and decent yield.
  • UHT treated milk can be used but both the quality and quantity of your final product will be significantly lower.
  • Fresh lemon juice can be used instead of white vinegar in the recipe, though I find paneer made with lemon juice tends to have a very pale yellow tint compared to the bright white shade that paneer made with white vinegar has.
  • A clean muslin cloth (that you use exclusively for cheese making) placed over a sieve is excellent for draining the whey from the curds.
  • The handy dandy paneer press that I use and was sent to me by my maternal aunt from Karachi. It measures nearly 4” in diameter and is around 2 1/4” high.
    She purchased it from Bohri Bazaar but in case you wish to order one online, a couple of sellers on Daraz.pk are stocking stainless steel ones.
  • 1 litre of quality unpasteurised milk usually yields around 170 grams or so of cheese.
  • For a rich and creamy paneer, store it  submerged in drinking water in an airtight container in the fridge.
    The yield will increase to around 200+ grams within 24 hours.
  • It will not dry out should you grill or fry it, which seems to be a common issue with paneer.
  • Stored airtight, submerged in drinking water in the fridge, the paneer stays fresh up to 3-4 days as long as you change the water once daily.

Delicious Recipes Made With Homemade Paneer:

Paneer is a pretty versatile ingredient. Check out my recipe for Paneer Hara Masala Rangoons for the ultimate crispy, cheesy starter.
For a satisfying Hyderabadi style main course, have a look at my super delicious Tamatar Paneer.

Homemade Paneer Recipe

My Pac-Man style paneer 🙂

Homemade Paneer: Made With Just 3 Ingredients

 

Recipe Type: Homemade Cheese

Author: Alice In Eatland

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Total Time: 60 Minutes

Serves: 2

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 litre raw unpasteurised whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar

 

METHOD

  1. Add 1/4 cup water to a heavy bottomed pan.
  2. Pour in the milk and bring to the boil over medium heat.
  3. When milk reaches the boil, lower the heat and let boil for 5 minutes.
  4. Stir the white vinegar into the remaining 1/4 cup of water.
  5. Lower the heat under the milk and slowly stir in the vinegar solution.
  6. The curds will begin to separate from the whey (which will have a greenish tinge, ideally).
  7. Turn off the heat, let sit a minute or so.
  8. Line a sieve suspended over a bowl with a clean muslin cloth.
  9. Transfer the separated curds onto the muslin cloth with a slotted spoon.
  10. Alternatively, the curds can be transferred directly into a paneer press if using one.
  11. Let drain 2 minutes then cover with the cloth sides and place a weight on top.
  12. If using a paneer press, place the lid down firmly and place a weight on top (I usually use my small steel mortar).
  13. After an hour or so, remove the disc of paneer from the muslin or press and place in a container with a lid.
  14. The paneer is ready to be used though I find the texture vastly improves in creaminess once it is submerged in drinking water and stored airtight in the fridge for a day.
  15. Store 3-4 days in the fridge, changing the water once daily.
  16. This recipe makes a 3.5” – 4” paneer disc with a 3/4” thickness.

Harissa Hummus Recipe

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Harissa Hummus
Harissa Hummus: Of all the takes, spins and flavour additions on the classic hummus recipe, this one in particular may just be my favourite.

I like my hummus smooth, airy and as cloud-like as possible. Spike that velvety creaminess with fiery harissa and you have the kind of flavour profile that makes you wonder why it took you so long to finally getting around to making this. I speak from personal experience, naturally.

I have used a homemade harissa (recipe below) to make this Harissa Hummus recipe but you may use any canned or jarred variety of this sensational North African condiment you like or have on hand.

As with any hummus recipe, it is important that you use it as a guide and taste along the way using your own judgement in terms of adjusting the texture and the flavour.

My Harissa Hummus is reasonably fiery (pleasantly so though by no means unbearable) enough as it but since I like to go just a bit too far I drizzle chilli oil over the top as well. Not necessary at all but recommended if you’re a heat junkie like yours truly.

Tips For Making A Damn Fine Harissa Hummus:

-Use a blender (a high speed one if you have it) to make this Harissa Hummus recipe.

-Texture is a matter of personal preference but ideally, hummus is great when it’s smooth, creamy and not too thick, dry-ish or grainy.

-If you prefer a chunkier hummus, using a food processor may be a better idea.

-I find that the order in which ingredients are added and blended makes a real difference in the texture of the hummus.

-Cold water is necessary to ensure that your hummus is light and airy and not dense and heavy.

-For a smooth and creamy hummus, please follow the instructions as written.

-Skinning the chickpeas apparently makes for a smoother hummus. If you have the patience, try it.

-Rather than skinning the chickpeas, I prefer blending the hummus really, really well and then pushing it through a sieve for the smoothest texture possible.

Harissa Hummus

 

HARISSA HUMMUS

 

Recipe Type: Starter, Appetiser, Snack

Author: Alice In Eatland

Serves: 2

 

Harissa Hummus: airy and cloud-like with its velvety creaminess spiked with fiery North African harissa. A truly sensational flavour profile!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1-2 tablespoons tahini
  • Juice of 1 -2 lemons
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled & grated
  • 1-2 tablespoons harissa
  • 1 cup well boiled or canned chickpeas
  • Cold drinking water
  • Salt
  • Chilli oil or extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh parsley (to garnish, optional)
  • Finely chopped pistachios (to garnish, optional)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Blend tahini, grated garlic and lemon juice with a few tablespoons of cold water until thick and pale white in colour.
  2. Add harissa (starting with just a teaspoon or two), chickpeas (drained and rinsed, if using canned), salt (add sparingly, since the harissa is quite salty) and a little more water (only if required).
  3. Blend, scraping down sides occasionally, and tasting, until the Harissa Hummus is smooth and fluffy looking.
  4. Check for seasoning and add more harissa if necessary.
  5. Optional: Push Harrisa Hummus through a sieve for a creamier consistency.
  6. Serve topped with extra virgin olive oil or chilli oil and chopped parsley and pistachios, if liked.

 

Harissa

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup dried red chillies (Kashmiri, round red chillies, etc. whatever you can find)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • extra oil to pour on top

Instructions

  1. Slit the dried chillies and remove seeds.
  2. Place in a bowl and pour over enough boiling hot water to cover and let sit 10-15 minutes.
  3. Drain and blend with the rest of the ingredients (except extra oil), adding a couple of teaspoons or so of the soaking liquid if needed until a semi smooth paste forms.
  4. Cool completely.
  5. Transfer harissa to a container and pour over a thin layer of oil to cover the surface complainant.
  6. Store airtight in the fridge for around 2 weeks and up to a month in the freezer.

How To Make Moutabal

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Moutabal
Moutabal is a creamy, smokey and pleasingly textured Middle Eastern eggplant dip. Healthy, budget-friendly and delicious, it is a must add to your “dips” repertoire, if you have one.

When served with crudités, pita chips or crackers, Moutabal is a fantastic everyday snack and a fabulous mezze platter item.

What’s the difference between Moutabal and Baba Ghanoush?

Aren’t Moutabal and Babaghanoush interchangeable names for what is essentially the same dip? No.

While the star of the show in both dips is charred eggplant, the recipe for Moutabal calls for the addition of tahini as a key ingredient, that gives the dip it’s characteristic taupe creaminess.

Many recipes for Moutabal also call for the addition of a bit of yoghurt which balances out the slight bitterness that sometimes charred eggplant and tahini can have.

Babaghanoush, on the other hand, has no tahini and a couple of additional ingredients such as tomatoes, onions and capsicum/bell pepper. It is another delectable dip that’s a great addition to a mezze spread.

Here’s an easy recipe for Moutabal that you can whip up in no time. As long as you have the ingredients on hand, it doesn’t take long to make. No special equipment required either.

Tips For Making Delish Moutabal:

-charring the eggplant directly on fire with a pair of steel tongs gives the best smokey flavour.

-alternatively, the eggplant can be roasted in the oven under the grill/broiler.

-when the skin of the eggplant blackens, chars in places and the size of the fruit (yes, eggplants are technically fruits and not vegetables) reduces, it is ready.

-a butter knife works well here, allowing you to scrape off the charred eggplant skin without slicing off any flesh underneath.

-peeling the burnt eggplant skin may be a bit of a pain, but kindly do not give in to the temptation of giving the eggplant a rinse under running water or worse, submerging it in a bowl of water  to loosen every bit of skin *shudder*

-if your eggplant has been roasted to perfection, a fork is all you need to shred the eggplant flesh and mash it into a semi chunky purée along with the other ingredients.

-if using a food processor, pulse the ingredients in quick, short bursts so that the texture remains slightly chunky and you don’t purée everything into a gray coloured paste.

Moutabal

 

MOUTABAL

 

Recipe Type: Starter/Appetiser/Snack

Author: Alice In Eatland

Serves: 2

 

Moutabal, a mezze superstar! A creamy, smokey and pleasingly textured Middle Eastern eggplant dip that’s healthy, budget-friendly and absolutely delish!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large or 2 medium eggplants
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1-2 tablespoons dairy or plant-based yoghurt (optional)
  • Lemon juice
  • Salt
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Pomegranate seeds, fresh red chillies or pickled radishes (to garnish)
  • Fresh parsley (to garnish)
  • Black sesame seeds or nigella seeds (to garnish)
  • Crudités, pita chips, crackers (to serve)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place the eggplant(s) directly on the burner on a gas stove on medium high heat.
  2. Roast, turning and rotating the eggplant frequently with metal tongs, until it shrinks slightly and the skin blackens and chars with no purple areas remaining.
  3. Remove to a heatproof bowl or plate, cool and peel off the skin.
  4. Remove the stem and place peeled eggplant flesh in a colander or sieve with a bowl underneath for 10-15 minutes.
  5. Whip (either in a food processor, blender or using a hand whisk) the tahini with grated garlic, lemon juice, salt & yoghurt (if using) till pale and creamy.
  6. Add drained eggplant to a mixing bowl along with the with the tahini mixture and mash until a semi-smooth yet textured consistency is reached.
  7. Check seasoning and adjust if needed.
  8. Serve swirled with extra virgin olive oil and garnish as you wish.

Tikka Kofta Biryani

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Tikka Kofta Biryani Tikka Kofta Biryani: juicy barbecue-smoked tikka flavoured plant-based koftay on a bed of fluffy fragrant masala rice, the stuff of biryani dreams!

This beautiful and satisfying biryani makes for a comforting family meal and is also elegant enough to be served when entertaining guests.

Like most good biryanis, this one doesn’t need any sides really except maybe a cool plant-based raita and a crunchy kachumer salad on the side.

Tikka Kofta Biryani

I probably should’ve started with a basic biryani recipe instead of jumping straight onto a Tikka Kofta Biryani, since this is my first biryani recipe on the blog. Which is strange, considering how often I make biryani at home.

The recipe is fairly straightforward and just because there are several steps does not mean it is difficult by any means.

The key to making a good biryani, in my most humble opinion, is practice.

Tikka Kofta Biryani

Since biryani making can be an involved and time consuming process, I often prefer making the biryani components in stages.

Like for this Tikka Kofta Biryani, I’d make the tikka koftay and the biryani quorma one day (sometimes weeks ahead – thank you deep freezer!) and then boil the rice and assemble and finish the biryani the next day. Much easier to manage my time and sanity that way.

I would urge you to go through the tips at the end of the recipe, which are some of my thoughts and tricks that I’ve learned making biryani over the years.

Tikka Kofta Biryani

 

TIKKA KOFTA BIRYANI 

 

Recipe Type: Main

Author: Alice In Eatland

Serves: 2 – 4

 

Tikka Kofta Biryani: juicy barbecue-smoked tikka flavoured plant-based koftay on a bed of fluffy fragrant masala rice, the stuff of biryani dreams!

 

Tikka Koftay

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated garlic
  • 1-2 tablespoons tikka masala
  • 1 tablespoon roasted gram flour
  • 4 medium potatoes, boiled, skinned & mashed
  • 1/2 cup boiled kaalay channay or red kidney beans, coarsely ground in food processor
  • Salt
  • Handful chopped fresh coriander leaves
  • A few green chillies, seeded & finely chopped


For the dhuan/smoke:

  • A small piece of charcoal
  • A small square of aluminium foil
  • 1/2 teaspoon oil
  • Metal tongs

 

  1. Heat oil in a pan.
  2. Add grated ginger and grated garlic.
  3. Sauté until fragrant then add the tikka masala and the roasted gram flour.
  4. Mix well and sauté 10-20 seconds.
  5. Add the mashed potatoes and the beans and mix very well.
  6. Check seasoning and adjust if required.
  7. Switch off the heat and cool to room temperature.
  8. Stir in the coriander and green chillies.
  9. Form into 15-20 balls, the size of an apricot.
  10. Chill koftay in the freezer half an hour.
  11. Deep fry, shallow fry, air fry or bake as per your preference.
  12. Place the aluminium foil in the centre of a pan that has a lid.
  13. Arrange the koftay around the foil.
  14. Ignite the charcoal by placing it directly into the fire on your burner.
  15. Turn a few times with the tongs until red hit in a few places.
  16. Using the tongs, place the charcoal onto the foil in the pan.
  17. Pour the oil on top of the charcoal and as soon it smokes, cover the pan immediately with the lid.
  18. Let stay covered until the smoke subsides.
  19. Remove the charcoal.
  20. Your Tikka Koftay are ready.

 

Biryani Masala

  • 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 4 cloves
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • Seeds of 1/2 a black cardamom
  • 1 inch stick cinnamon
  • 1/4 of a star anise
  • 1/8 inch piece nutmeg
  • 1 big blade of mace
  • 1/2 teaspoon black cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tablespoon white cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds

Grind all of the above as finely as possible in a coffee grinder.

Then add the following to the ground spices:

  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
  • 1/2 tablespoon white cumin seeds
  • 1/4 of a star anise
  • 4 black peppercorns
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 1 small black cardamom
  • 1 inch stick cinnamon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 dried plums (aloo bukharay)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix well.

This makes enough for the whole recipe.

 

Biryani Ka Quorma

  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled & finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon grated garlic
  • 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely puréed/blended
  • 2 tablespoons biryani masala from a box OR the entire quantity of the homemade biryani masala from the recipe on top
  • 1/2 cup vegetable stock OR 1/2 a vegetable stock cube
  • 3/4 cup coconut yoghurt OR full fat coconut milk OR 1/2 cup coconut cream + 1/4 cup full fat or lite coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

 

  1. Heat oil and sauté onion till golden. Do not over brown.
  2. Remove 1 tablespoon oil from the pan and reserve.
  3. Stir the grated ginger and the grated garlic into the pan.
  4. Sauté 10 seconds.
  5. Add puréed tomatoes, biryani masala, vegetable stock or crumbled vegetable stock cube & coconut product of choice.
  6. Stir and bring to a rolling boil.
  7. Let boil a minute or so then lower the heat and simmer partially covered 10-15 minutes or till the oil starts floating in places at the surface of the gravy.
  8. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice.
  9. Taste.
  10. At this stage the quorma should be saltier and spicier than your preference.

 

Biryani Rice

  • 2 1/4 cups rice, basmati or sella
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • 2 small bay leaves

 

  1. Wash the rice in a few changes of water.
  2. Soak basmati 15-20 minutes and sella for 2 hours.
  3. Bring 14- 16 cups of water to a rolling boil in a large pan.
  4. Have a colander or sieve ready.
  5. Add salt, green cardamoms and bay leaves to the boiling water.
  6. Drain the rice and add to pan.
  7. Bring the water back to the boil.
  8. Cook uncovered until the rice is half done (2-3 minutes for basmati & 3-5 minutes for sella).
  9. Drain.

 

To Finish:

  • Small pinch red food colour powder
  • Small pinch yellow food colour powder
  • 4-5 sprigs fresh mint
  • 4-6 fresh green chillies, pierced in places
  • A few slices lemons
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • Khewra water or essence
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • Roasted cashews
  • Edible silver leaf (warq), optional 

 

  1. To assemble the Kofta Tikka Biryani, place your tawa onto the stove over a medium heat.
  2. Pour the biryani quorma into the base of a flat bottomed pan that has a tight fitting lid.
  3. Spread the boiled rice evenly in a single layer over the quorma to cover.
  4. Mix the red and yellow food colours separately in two small bowls with a teaspoon each of water.
  5. Drip the 2 colours in places all over the rice, making sure to leave most of the rice white.
  6. Place the fresh mint sprigs, green chillies, lemon slices and sliced tomatoes on top.
  7. Drizzle over the reserved tablespoon of oil and the khewra essence.
  8. Arrange half the tikka koftay on top of the rice.
  9. Cover with the lid and place on the hot tawa.
  10. Increase the heat to high and let cook 5 minutes then reduce the heat and let simmer 10-15 minutes or till steamy and damm is reached.
  11. Remove the mint sprigs and plate biryani onto a serving dish.
  12. Top with the remaining tikka koftay.
  13. Garnish with fresh mint leaves, sliced green chillies and roasted cashews.
  14. Top some of the koftay with a bit of warq, if wished.


Tips For A Great Tikka Kofta Biryani Making Experience:

 

  • Make Ahead: Tikka Koftay

Follow recipe till step 11.

Cool koftay completely and freeze airtight up to a month.

To use, preferably flash deep fry or pan very briefly directly from the freezer.

Or just thaw completely in the fridge and use.

Finish from step 12 onwards.

 

  • Make Ahead: Biryani Quorma

Follow recipe till the end and cool completely.

Freeze airtight for up to 1 month.

Defrost completely in the fridge and warm up throughly before finishing with the rice.

 

  • Basmati rice requires careful timing and may break or the grains may stick together if not handled with care.
  • Sella rice is very forgiving as it retains its shape even if overcooked.
  • When making biryani for guests, I prefer hardy sella over delicate basmati.
  • The water for boiling both the basmati and sella must be well salted, just as you would generously salt it for boiling pasta.
  • For all 3 biryani rice colours to show separately, do not mix the biryani when plating. Just scoop it out and place on your dish. Mix rice on your plate when actually eating.

 

  • I feel fresh mint is essential for biryani damm. 
    However, I do not care for blackened mint leaves after they’ve been steamed and damm’ed, neither looks wise nor taste wise.
    Hence, I use whole mint sprigs for the damm as they are much easier to fish out and discard.
    I then top the biryani with fresh vibrant green mint leaves just before serving.
  • Skip the koftay if you are pressed for time (or energy) and make an equally delicious Aaloo Biryani.
    Just add 4 – 6 medium potatoes (halved) to the quorma after step 7 with 1/4 cup water.
    Cover and cook till potatoes are tender.
    Follow the rest of the recipe as is.

 

  • It is completely ok if you prefer commercially available biryani masala over making your own from scratch.
    Ignore anyone who may judge you for that.

White Blueberry Cake With Stable Fluffy Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

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White Blueberry Cake with Stable Fluffy Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

White Blueberry Cake with Stable Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting is the cake of the year for me. It was also my birthday cake this year.

My obsession with white cake means that I’ve pinned almost every white cake recipe on Pinterest onto my White Cake Board and tried and tested more than several white cake recipes over the years.

I adore the white cake recipe by Goodie Godmother and that is the one I’ve used here with a few alterations. You can find the original recipe and photos of her very pretty perfect white cake here.

Fresh blueberries are a fabulous addition, providing a bright, tart flavour and contrasting texture to this tender-crumbed milky vanilla cake.

White Blueberry Cake with Stable Fluffy Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Additionally, the deep purple of the blueberries dotting the pale white serenity of the cake in places is quite the visual treat.

I feel baking emulsion works really well for non-cocoa cakes (especially white cakes) and I have used LorAnn’s utterly gorgeous Butter Vanilla Emulsion in this recipe. Obviously any vanilla extract or your go-to vanilla essence is equally good too.

I use the reverse creaming method here created by ultimate cake authority and baking guru Rose Levy Beranbaum whom I hold in divine culinary reverence. Her “The Cake Bible” which my mother has owned since 1989, is one of my most loved and trusted books ever when it comes to baking and cake making.

Good fluffy cream cheese frosting is a thing of joy but can also be a nightmare when it comes to stability.

Add to that the challenge and despair of not being able to find brick-style cream cheese in Lahore and that equals grounds for a possible unstable cream cheese frosting situation.

White Blueberry Cake with Stable Fluffy Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

I had the very rare good fortune of stumbling upon a couple of Philadelphia Cream Cheese bricks just once at Essajee’s (February 2015 to be precise). I joyously bought them to make the most stable cream cheese frosting ever for the Rainbow Cake at my birthday that year. Sadly I have never come across that product again in Lahore.

Luckily, I found a recipe by the baking perfectionist Cleobuttera, calling for cream cheese squares, easily found at many grocery stores here. The result is a super stable, slightly tangy and ultra creamy frosting. Her original recipe and close ups of her beautiful cream cheese frosting swirls on a delicious carrot cake can be viewed here.

Since special frostings call for special extracts, I have added Nielsen-Massey’s dazzlingly heady Mexican Pure Vanilla Extract to the frosting. I am equally happy adding any other vanilla extract or a beloved vanilla essence to the frosting.

The edible pansies I have decorated the cake with are from Macroorganics, who grow a frankly staggering selection of edible flowers, fruit, vegetables and herbs, both the local and the exotic varieties. The variety of their produce grown in Okara and shipped as fresh as can be to other parts of the country is unmatched.

Thank you if you’ve read the post so far. For those wanting to skip directly to the recipe, I am quite obviously behind times and will upload the “Jump To Recipe” button as soon as I can figure out how to add it.

On to the recipe.

White Blueberry Cake with Stable Fluffy Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

 

White Blueberry Cake With Stable Fluffy Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting 

 

Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Alice In Eatland
Serves: 8 -10

 

Milky tender white vanilla cake dotted with fresh blueberries & filled and topped with a stable fluffy lemony cream cheese frosting + edible pansies

 

WHITE BLUEBERRY CAKE 


INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar or fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 cup cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons LorAnn’s Butter Vanilla Emulsion OR vanilla extract OR vanilla essence
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 2-4 cups fresh blueberries
  • 3 cups flour
  • 6 tablespoons cornflour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • 2/3 cup oil

 

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F.
  2. Line (either with grease proof paper or foil), oil and flour two 8 inch round cake pans (the heavy and deep kind will give the best results).
  3. To make the sour cream, stir vinegar or lemon juice into the milk and then stir this buttermilk into the cream.
  4. Lightly combine the sour cream, 1/4 cup milk, vanilla extract, almond extract (if using) and egg whites.
  5. Toss the blueberries in a couple of tablespoons of the flour until evenly coated. Set aside.
  6. Combine the remaining flour, cornflour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  7. Beat in the oil and the remaining 3/4 cup milk till combined followed by the egg white mixture in 3 batches.
  8. Finally fold in the flour-dusted blueberries.
  9. Divide the cake batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans.
  10. Bake 30 – 60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted near centre of the cakes comes out clean.
  11. Remove cakes from oven, let cool 10 minutes then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
  12. To frost, thinly trim away any crusty tops and brown bottoms of the cold cakes if you wish.
  13. Slice each cake into 2 horizontally.
  14. Sandwich the layers with Stable Fluffy Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below).
  15. Trim sides with a serrated knife (optional).
  16. If you choose to leave the sides of the cakes unfrosted like I did, you may have leftover frosting which can be frozen in an airtight container for another use.
  17. Decorate the cake with washed and dried edible pansies or any other edible flowers.
  18. Keep refrigerated but serve at room temperature.

 

STABLE FLUFFY LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 – 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/4 cup cream
  • 150 grams Lurpak Slightly Salted Butter
  • 3 cups icing sugar/confectioner’s sugar, well sifted
  • 2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Mexican Pure Vanilla Extract OR any vanilla extract OR vanilla essence
  • 400 grams cream cheese squares such as Kiri or Almarai, cool & not at warm room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon rind, very finely grated (optional)

 

METHOD

  1. Combine the lemon juice and milk and stir into the cream to make sour cream.
  2. Beat butter until pale in colour and fluffy.
  3. Add the sifted icing sugar/confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy.
  4. Beat in the sour cream.
  5. Add the cream cheese squares, one at a time, beating very well after each addition and scraping the bowl from time to time.
  6. Whip the frosting until smooth, lump free and fluffy.
  7. Add the very finely grated fresh lemon rind, if wished.
  8. Use.

Café Con Tres Leches Cake

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Café Con Tres Leches Cake
A hauntingly beautiful plant based Café Con Tres Leches Cake with fresh, tart berries and dark chocolate skulls is just the kind of dessert I need this Halloween. Or anytime of the year, really.

Making and assembling the cake is pretty straightforward, though you do need to plan slightly ahead due to the number to steps involved. A little time consuming maybe but not complicated at all.

Café Con Tres Leches Cake

Use your preferred combination of plant based milks, either store bought or homemade. The milks listed in the recipe are my personal preference and I have made both the almond and pistachio milks myself.

Some may feel that a chilled Café Con Tres Leches Cake is perhaps a little summery for autumn/fall since the season mostly calls for warming desserts and cosy sweets.

Café Con Tres Leches Cake

The cream white pumpkin & dried foliage autumn/fall centrepiece that I made for Halloween 2021

 

If you’re one of those folks, please be assured that this is pretty good enjoyed at room temperature too.

Tips For Making A Stunning Café Con Tres Leches Cake:

  • The cocoa can be omitted from the cake base for an uninterrupted coffee experience.
  • I added cocoa + coffee to the lovely Vegan Tres Leches Cake recipe by Cook’s Hideout for 2 reasons:

Café Con Tres Leches Cake

-For visual drama, since the topping, berries and skulls show up more vibrantly on a darker base

-The flavour combination, as coffee is one of my favourite pairings with chocolate based desserts.

The chocolate skulls are of course, in honour of Halloween though if you’re a true horror fan like me, you wouldn’t mind adding these to your celebratory desserts throughout the year.

On to the recipe for this easy and eerily elegant Café Con Tres Leches Cake.

Café Con Tres Leches Cake

 

CAFÉ CON TRES LECHES CAKE

 

Recipe Type: Dessert    Author: Alice In Eatland
Serves: 6 – 8

 

Milky mocha sponge, creamy topping, tart berries & dark chocolate skulls make this elegant vegan Café Con Tres Leches Cake perfect for Halloween or for any time of the year.


CAKE

  • 1 cup plant based milk (oat, almond, coconut or any milk of your choice)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoons instant coffee dissolved in 1 teaspoon boiling water, cooled completely
  • 3/4 caster sugar
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
  • 1 1/4 cups plain flour
  • 3 tablespoons cornflour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

3 MILK SOAK

  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee
  • 1/4 cup sweetened coconut condensed milk *(recipe below)
  • 1/4 cup almond milk **(for homemade option, please see the recipe below)
  • 1/4 cup pistachio milk **(for homemade option, please see the recipe below)

TOPPING

  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup coconut cream, well chilled
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
  • Raspberries, blueberries or any fruit of choice
  • Chocolate skulls*** (recipe below)

 

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F.
  2. Oil & flour an 8” square cake pan.
  3. Stir plant based milk & lemon juice or white vinegar to make buttermilk & set aside for 5 minutes.
  4. Whisk in the cooled coffee, sugar, oil & vanilla until combined.
  5. Sieve flour, cornflour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
  6. Stir dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredient mixture until just combined. Do not over mix.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 30 – 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean.
  8. Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan 10 minutes.
  9. Poke the entire surface of the cake with either a fork, a skewer or a toothpick.
  10. For the 3 Milk Soak, stir the coffee, coconut condensed milk, almond milk, pistachio milk & vanilla together in a pan and bring to the boil.
  11. Lower the heat, let simmer 5 – 7 minutes & pour evenly over warm cake.
  12. Let the cake cool completely and then chill covered for at least 2-4 hours. Overnight is best.
  13. To make the topping, whip the cold coconut cream with icing sugar & vanilla until thick and fluffy.
  14. Spread or pipe topping all over the top of the chilled cake.
  15. Decorate with fresh fruit & chocolate skulls, if using. I also added some well-washed leaves of a rose plant from my garden.
  16.  Keep refrigerated.

 

*Sweetened Coconut Condensed Milk

Stir 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk & 4 tablespoons sugar in a pan over medium heat.

Bring to the boil, stirring constantly and then lower heat and cook stirring frequently, until milk thickens & reduces by half ( 20 minutes or so).

Cool completely & store airtight in the fridge.

 

**Nut Milk

Soak 1/4 cup raw unroasted almonds or pistachios in 1 cup water for 8 -12 hours.

Drain, rinse with clean water and add to blender jar with 1/2 – 3/4 cups drinking water.

Blend until smooth and then strain through a nut bag, cheesecloth or muslin, squeezing all the milk out.

Save the leftover nut solids airtight in the freezer and add to things like roti dough, pizza dough or cookie dough for a nutty flavour & texture.

Stir a drop or so of vanilla extract into the strained milk, if you wish.

Cover airtight & store in the fridge.

Stir before using and consume within 2-3 days.

 

***Chocolate Skulls

Break a bar of vegan friendly chocolate (I used a bar of Nestlé Bourneville Classic Dark Chocolate) into pieces.

Microwave on high in 20 second increments, stirring every time until the chocolate is completely melted, being careful not to burn it.

You can melt the chocolate on top of a double boiler instead of using the microwave.

Pour melted chocolate into silicone skull moulds (I purchased my skull mould from Darak.pk) and freeze for an hour.

Unmould and store chocolate skulls in a paper towel lined airtight container in the fridge.

 

The raspberries & blueberries adorning this Café Con Tres Leches Cake were purchased from Al Fatah Gold Crest Mall, Lahore.