Lemongrass and Coconut cake!

This cake is a riot of flavours with a lovely texture and a soothing aroma. It is a perfect dessert after any meal !  

Ingredients: 

• 4 lemongrass, base and tops trimmed, outer leaves removed but reserved for the syrup
• 250 g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 200 g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 125 g desiccated coconut
• 125 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Freshly whipped cream, to serve

For the syrup

• Reserved trimmings and outer leaves of the lemongrass
• 75 g caster sugar
• 75ml water

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter the sides of a cake tin and dust with flour, then line the base with a parchment paper. 
2. Thinly slice the lemongrass stalks into thin rounds , in a grinder put in the sliced stalks with the caster sugar and grind for a couple of minutes until the lemongrass is finely pureed
3. Add the eggs, butter and coconut and grind again until combined
4. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the jar, run the grinder again but very briefly just until the ingredients come together
5. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean

For the syrup

1. Chop the lemongrass trimmings, place them in a saucepan with the sugar and water and set over a high heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to the boil and boil for just 2 minutes before removing from the heat and leaving to infuse
2. Reheat the syrup when the cake is ready
3. Pierce holes all over the cake with a skewer and pour the hot syrup through a sieve all around the cake 
4. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream

P.S Recipe inspired by Rachel Allen

Easy Halwa!

Papaya Halwa

Ingredient

• Papaya - 2 cups, 1 whole fruit ( grated or chopped into cubes)
• Sugar - 3-4 tbsp, depending on how sweet your fruit is
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
• Nuts(almond , cashew.,etc) - A fist full 
• Ghee - 2-3 tbsp 

Preparation

1. Heat a pan with ghee, on medium flame add the nuts and saute until partially golden brown 
2. Remove the nuts from the pan and keep aside 
3. In the same pan with the remaining ghee add your papaya and start to saute on low flame for 10-12 minutes
4. The fruit will change in color and  release juices as you continue, now mash the fruit with a potato masher (if cubes)
5. Continue to saute for another 10 minutes and you will notice a change in consistency of the fruit mixture
6. Here add sugar if you wish to and continue to cook
7. Finally once the entire mixture comes together and separates from the pan add cardamom powder and your nuts
8. Serve warm and enjoy!