EGG FREE COFFEE CAKE TOPPED WITH CREAM & PISTACHIO

Had he being alive today, they would have completed 50 years of being together ... 1969 till date makes that, right?... You all know my mathematical ability... Again destiny had some other plans, he too was in a hurry to experience heaven... sans the nagging wife... which means unlimited bridge card games and chat without any interference! Wherever he is, he is happy. On this day, the two siblings did arrange for a little bit of special something than normal for the two incompatible person who gifted us a good life. We never celebrated their birthdays until the brother's wife Bidisha started with the ritual. Let us move now with a note to some who keep sharing memories in social media... specially of the deceased... doing that you are creating a fear in the minds of the aged people who are still alive. Anyway, you know the importance of this date in the sibling duo's life! Until my marriage, I used to bake a simple cake for them.... thereafter it lessened because my mother-in-law considered me their "personal property" and told straight on my face that I should stop doing "mya mya" all the time... the more she spoke ill of my own, the more I got distanced from her! Hello! dear feminists, before axing on the entire male kind, change the mind set of women patriarchs .... I am pretty sure my maa[in law always] does not tell her daughter to sacrifice everything to keep her in-laws better... had the case been so.... I may have made an attempt to make some peace with her....

Yesterday, once back from a long brisk walk, all of a sudden I remembered I forgot to wish one Partha Dey on his birthday... 9th March! I messaged him forgetting that he must be at office... In fact, there was a time when he stayed in office until 11pm  ... those who do "doshta-panchta apish"... they hardly grow... retire at the same stage where they had joined... this off course is a personal choice based on one's priority... Did Partha ignore my message or answered showing off how busy he is ... and why not? he is one among the top brass of a bank in Mumbai and works in close coordination with the government. However, he does not speak to me the way he may talk to one Chanda Kochar! T told me not to call him in office hours... his job is different... Totally oblivious of that, I asked "jonmodiney ki kheli?".... His prompt answer was "ekta choto restaurant e idli-dosa".... I giggled and said... "T will start crying listening about this development".... and the food talk went on without making me feel down with any kind of big lectures... What was surprising was that his super woman wife did not cook 10 dishes way back from work on his birthday. I told you na of a Madhuchanda Dey Ghosh who is a Jadavpur university's alumnus... a rank holder and learnt to prepare 'ruti' at age 12. 

Madhuchanda did wish all on the 8th of March but  used to prepare dinner for Partha around 9pm back from work ... Partha does not know the way to the kitchen or how to use a toilet brush.... he will never lose his focus... their marriage talks started with Partha saying "my career comes first".... I call it the marriage of the century... two equally intelligent brains getting together and making a good life for 20 years.... possible... possible .... because of "Chutu".... I remember... back in 1998... I met her for the first time in front of the Eros, Mumbai.... and was too unwilling... I told the husband, she is such a class you say and look at me... all your friends' wives  either have physical beauty or they are a Madhuchanda! Till date I do not have anything to rave about myself... Although the husband's and mine wave lengths do not match at all, we spent 21 years sans any romantic drama... may be the bond got stronger years back in the Dadar area? If you have a quality... flaunt it... [o chyamra-chemri tomago hokoldirey koitiyasi.... jama khuley felar modhya ki amon krititto achey... pragaitihashik jugey firey jete chaina to].... Yes, I have always revered Chutu kind of girls since childhood, unfortunately never worked towards being one.

Anyone else who deserves this one from my no fancy cake series.... EGG FREE COFFEE CAKE TOPPED WITH CREAM & PISTACHIO?... [choro na dukhta hai.... I meant haath dukhta hai].. I still have much to write ..... I am really not keeping well... but neither can sit at home idle for over a week. The day before I told to myself... enough... if I cannot go for swimming, let me go for walks... I have to... back to back two days I managed nearly 9km of walks... Yesterday noon, I targetted 10km but could not. Below pictures say what I did yesterday.... I lost my way at one point and how the three fatherly kinds motivated me for a long brisk walk... If you calculate the time taken, you will call me a poor performer... I did not participate in any running event in the past 11/2years... it was the son's boards... this & that... The motivation too left the island! The very enthusiastic, sincere runner Noopur Somani... the mother of two girls relocated to the bahargaon... may be had rented a flat next to Priyanka Chopra or at the other side of the river... "the greenest area of the vast country".... as one 'she' puts it... I say yes, your kids are the best, they live in the best city, they are best placed in life ... 

No, I do not get angry or put an end to the conversation.... I do not have any contact with 'her' kids but deliberately kept with 'her'.... You know why?.... because I have seen the sacrifice, the struggle to bring up the cubs... specially for one among the two... else you would have seen one "giving goragori in a kancha nordoma"..... Do not judge your kids at a tender age... their wrong tendencies or associations may get a sea change later in life and they would well know who to discard for a better life! At this home, it is not only difficult but impossible to contribute to the son's betterment... I can only crib and cry... "tor moto baba thakle chele-meyera ucchonne jai.... chele bolche private tutor rakhbo na... tui omni bolli ok... chele tarowal khele beracche... tor kono bikar nei".... I wipe my own tears because there is no one to .... I bake two fresh breads... or say "cake-bread" too and pack their lunch boxes along with a cheese-tuna-potato medley... I cannot have tuna, so had my bread with fine Darjeeling! You see my heart is placed at yesterday's dinner plate .... "bhindi sheddo, chuno maach bhaja, lau diye moong dal, shorshe dim, begun bhaja".... boiled okra is very helpful for those who have constipation.

Before I start with the recipe of the simple but yummy EGG FREE COFFEE CAKE TOPPED WITH CREAM & PISTACHIO, I would like to share my yesterday's experience at walk. I usually go for my walks in between noon and afternoon... when the wiser in the clan go to work... the by lanes remains deserted. Ever since, my brother-in-law Anirban Dhar told me why doctors say not to go out too early for a walk.... I am at peace! He keeps on giving a lot of funda.... but this one I believed because both the brothers are atheletes... the younger brother is a cricket coach in Salt Lake while he is a certified trekker... mad travellers... travels 3-4 times a year... the longest being trekking in the Himalayas in October. I like watching the photographs they share [like banta hai... deti nehi hoon].... Anyway, as I saw the old gentleman wearing my favourite black & white, I thought of treading the unknown path...  the road I knew roughly was under construction... I took the other side of the canal... I never went beyond the tunnel... tried but got scared at one point inside it although I stay in one of the safest nation.... I was unwilling to follow back the same path... took another way beyond those government housings... the elderly handsome with black glasses helped... when I reached the known path..... another gentleman reminded me I have a target of 10km today, I will not take a bus... I could not fulfil the target...  I already had reached one of our local food courts by then and before having a lunch with some greens, eggs with bitter gourd, saucy chicken wings, orange fish... I could click two motherly figures too... The week days are like this in general to me.

I need to wrap up now... have to call the mother, off course not to remind her the date... the father-in-law too... As long as long I cannot swim... have to plan other ways... walking or whatever... I hate hitting the gym .... If this health condition continues... has to see the doctor.... The couple fights shall continue... "boss tor amar dikey kono kheyal nei... if I die... you have to get food from the roadside stalls everyday... radhtey to parish na"... the answer is cliched... "when will we be so lucky?".... Now, I am not like those who consider this chauvinism because I know it is not really .. do not make an issue out of everything... be normal... keep some humour alive within you... else life seems to be a dried up well. What is important is that in the making of this cake, I got confused at a point... still unable to decipher the reason .... was it adding dried coconut that made the batter look weird? Would it be better if we use moist, shredded? Anyway, finally we got a decent one to enjoy!

INGREDIENTS :

REFINED FLOUR : 1COFFEE MUG

COFFEE : 2 TBSP

COCOA POWDER : 1TBSP

BAKING POWDER : 1TSP

BAKING SODA : 1/4TSP

CONDENSED MILK : 100-150ML

SHREDDED COCONUT : 2-3TBSP [NOT DESICCATED]

OIL : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP [MAY BE 100GM OF SOFTENED BUTTER IS A BETTER OPTION]

CINNAMON POWDER : 1TSP

NUTMEG POWDER : 1/2TSP

INGREDIENTS [FOR THE TOPPING] :

FRESH CREAM : 100ML

POWDERED SUGAR : 1TSP [I PREFER LESS SWEET]

CHOPPED PISTACHIOS TO GARNISH

PROCEDURE :

Preheat oven to 180*C.

Take a bowl & place a strainer on it. Add the refined flour, baking powder, baking soda to it and strain.

Now add the cocoa powder & strain. Thereafter, do the same with the coffee powder.

The flour mixture looks like below.

In another bowl, pour the condensed milk. Beat for say 2-3 minutes. Add the oil and beat further for 2 minutes.

 

Now we will add the flour mixture and shredded coconut to the liquid batter.

Something went seriously wrong here and the batter turned hard ... ace bakers will not read my cake recipes, so the problem remains a mystery. I hate gadgets in my kitchen too. 

Anyway, I decided to go ahead and not waste the ingredients. I added the cinnamon & nutmeg powders and beat for another 1 minute before baking it for 35 minutes @ 180*C on my convection oven.

Once cool, I mixed together the powdered sugar & cream and spread over the cake, garnished with chopped pistachios.

It did taste well else I would not have blogged on it.

Enjoy it fresh & warm with your loved ones... increase the amount of the ingredients and prepare more if you are doing it for your friends.

I still could not add 2-3 pictures... may be later... needed an hour extra to finish... why? Ask WIFI... will not go public with it... I dislike excess of anything!