FRESH ORANGE SUJI CAKE

This was an idea hired from a cake that a friend got for us... it was written "orange sugi cake" on it .... the family loved it... their "short break food box" returned empty... I too liked but as you know I am averse to artificial flavours and not fond of candies either. That cake from a well known store here uses candied orange zest I felt, sweeter as compared to the standard of this island. Then on my walks, I discovered this vending machine for orange juice... the idea of preparing a FRESH ORANGE SUJI CAKE popped up on my mind! This vending machine is just few metres from my home, I got it and prepared this super easy and yum cake in the comfort of my kitchen! There are a couple of occasions around... birthdays, anniversaries and yes... my reunion with a long lost friend Nupur Datta after 21 long years.... we last met on my marriage day! I was frantically searching for her for a couple of years and all of a sudden last week I came across her name and wow its my dear friend indeed! 

Nupur and I have worked in a school for 3-4 years... she joined there one or two years after me.... the best moments we spent together was catching "4:10 er Barasat Local" to attend our master's classes.... Nupur had been working in the morning shift and I in the afternoon shift. Our school gave over at 4pm, I would run through the rocky pebbled roads, unmanned railway tracks to catch that particular train. If the train was in time there was a "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge" kind of "chin chinari"..... aka scene scenery!  The train started, S.... the fat girl in her early 20's running.... Nupur laid her arms ..... "S you can, hold tight and get up".... Ok, I could... We could not afford to go separately... we had to share one single rickshaw from Dum Dum station to the university... the fare was 5 rupees, each gave 2:50 rupees. The only child of lovely parents, Nupur used to get food for me that "kakima" prepared as I used to leave home at 9 am in the morning! Who many of you call aunty, is "kakima, pishima, mashima" to us! Still a primitive, I fail to understand why Bengalis of our generation have to call the motherly women... "aunty".... is it a criteria to be on the top of the societal hierarchy? Lets have a quick flashback, we were invited to a family function in Kolkata some nine years back.... I discovered people addressing each other's mothers as aunty.... the primitive self  was utterly confused ... "kaidabajir shobhabta jaini"..... Anyway, I do not think I can get along with such kinds, I mean the "shutkir bharta" loving me knew it long back that specific people have certain dreams.... not only to build a strong career for themselves but they equally garnered a wish to go high up in the social ladder.... "S be a nice girl... do not come in the way of people's dreams .... eat shutki and be happy!".... 

S's inner self does not let her go wrong to an extent that may cause harm to people .... thanks to my guides "lokkhi-saraswati-gonshu or laddu".... Leave that already cliched part of my life, I am happy for Nupur, she has also made a niche for herself, she is the principal of a high school in Barasat now.... look at me... a worthless! Nupur deserves, why not? The head girl of Ballygunge Shiksha Sadan School... still one of the premier girl's school in Kolkata.... her spoken power, her crisp English... her prowess in compering a programme had hardly any equal... amazing! I remember I was entitled the job to compere on the annual sports day until she joined! I felt low though it never came in between our friendship... may be because they say I am a good soul, haha! Today at 48, I believe one should always give way to the better, then only this world can flourish ... one must admit their shortcomings.... else one is a mean and nothing else! 

Now, the worthless self too spends her day the way she wishes... she discovered some red bhindi growing just yesterday on her walk, she enjoys her coffee latte often! She learns everyday from little things.... she bursts into tears discovering her deceased friend Chanchal Sen's gift to her... the purse below.... each year he would gift me a bag from his factory... last time I promised I will visit his baby! Come December, I will visit his widowed wife and children... who else but a Swati Bhattacharya will take me there, no one else but Swati will reserve all the pujo special magazines for me, I can message her just like the brother.... change your profile picture, take a knife and cut the extra fat from your sides... haha... I always tell my brother, get out of the mother's lap and make at least five to six genuine, trustworthy friends.... it is a requirement! 

Before I blog about a FRESH ORANGE SUJI CAKE, I have to do some irrelevant talks as usual with my loving readers... how do you tolerate me by the way?

Let us come back to some food talk now! I am a poor baker... a cliched but a true fact, I love to bake and bake a cake every week... it is true... I blog only about those that comes out well .... that is a wise thing to do! Below is the orange cake with candied zest that our visiting guests got us... its favourite with the son as he prefers plain cakes and hardly can discover the zest in it. Mumma is a diabetic but her over all medical reports are better than the last year.... she can blog about a FRESH ORANGE SUJI CAKE for her loving readers and herself have a big slice, she is a shameless diabetic! Since, I do not know what went into the store bought, super moist semolina cake, I did it with fresh orange juice, fresh cream, sugar, a little of vinegar.

Mine was moist too if not done with much of expertise! I mean my bakes are always for novice bakers and the ace bakers or teachers can ask the kindergarten kids to try my cakes! The FRESH ORANGE SUJI CAKE I prepared was done with a readymade but fresh orange juice, this island makes things easier for me! We get lazier in the process.... did our mothers or grandmothers ever require to go to the gym? My grandmother still has a normal sugar level! Let us drop that matter and enjoy some cake done with more or less "desi" ingredients!

My omelette wrapped fried rice recipe wishes to reach some more people, would you have a look please?... an easy solution to your week night dinner!

OMELETTE WRAPPED FRIED RICE

INGREDIENTS : 

Semolina : 1 coffee mug
Fresh Orange Juice : 100-150ml
Fresh Cream : 150-200ml [I used Nestle]
Sugar : 1small tea cup [I used brown sugar]
Vinegar : 1tbsp
Baking Powder : 1tsp

Baking Soda : 1/4 tsp
Oil : 1/2 small tea cup 
Vanilla Essence : 1tsp

Edible Yellow Food Colour : 2-3 drops
I garnished it with Pistachio

PROCEDURE :

I used store bought fresh orange juice, you can make your own!

I have mixed together the semolina and baking powder & soda.

Now in a blender which is not used for blending spices, we will take together the fresh cream, orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, oil. We will blend at high for 2-3 minutes pausing in between. We will pour the mixture into the semolina flour mix and fold in well. 

We would stir well after adding 1tsp of vanilla essence & the yellow food colour. We would cover & keep it for rest for half an hour to 40 minutes!

We would pour it on to a cake tin that is greased with oil & then dusted with flour!  I preheated my mini toaster oven @ 180*C. Then I placed the cake tin inside & baked at 180*C for 40 minutes! Every machine differs, please adjust your temperature accordingly! I believe, bigger oven would take lesser time!

Enjoy the FRESH ORANGE JUICE SUJI CAKE with cups of tea / coffee / flavoured milk or pack the kid's tiffin boxes with 2-3 slices... they will be happy!