CupCakes :)

Cupcakes Cupcakes Cupcakes!!! YummYumm Yumm !!!


Those yummy little cupcakes, brightly coloured look so delicious that you can't but grab a few. I decided that it was about time I tried my hands at them. Alas, I had not a beater/whisker so had to whip the cream with my hands :P It didn't turn out badly but better use a hand mixer !


Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup (113 gms) Amul butter (room temperature)

2. 2/3 cup (130 gms) powdered sugar

3. 3 eggs (room temperature)

4. 1 tsp vanilla essence

5. Zest of 1 lemon (outer yellow skin)

6. 1 1/2 cups (195 gms) maida (flour)

7. 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

8. 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

Procedure:

1. Take a big bowl and pour in the butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. I used a whisker and beat it manually. I suggest that you try this rather than using the blender. Beat slowly till the mixture is a smooth and fluffy paste.

2. Add the eggs one by one. Beat after every egg added. Once all eggs are added, beat for some more time to achieve a thick, yellowish, light and fluffy mixture.

3. Add the lemon rind (scrape the lemon) and the vanilla essence. Mix well.

4. In a separate bowl, sieve the flour and the baking powder together. 

5. Add the flour to the egg mixture slowly, mixing well alternately. Add the milk and mix some more. 

6. You need to use the paper cupcake moulds. Place the paper moulds in the metal cupcake moulds. One in each cavity. Then add the cake mixture in each mould till 3/4th of each mould is full. 

7. Bake at 180* Celsius for 16-18 minutes. Check with a  toothpick to see if its done. Repeat till the entire mixture is over. 

For the Frosting:

1. 2 cups (230 gms) powdered sugar

2. 1/2 cup (113 gms) margarine (room temperature)

3. 1 tsp essence (Mango / Strawberry / etc)

4. Food colours ( Yellow if you add mango flavour / Red if you put strawberry flavour )

5. Beat the above well till the mixture is light and fluffy. The mixture will rise to almost double the size.

6. Put it in a icing bag with the nozzle that you want. 

7. After the cakes cool down to room temperature, apply the icing on the cakes. 

Thai Ban

It rarely happens that I praise restaurants more than 50 times in the span of an hour! And I couldn't stop but thanking Tanay for taking us to this small Thai outlet, near Pali hill. Thai Ban is a 6-7 table restaurant which serves mainly Thai food alongwith some Chinese varieties. Serves both Veg and Non-Veg.


Date: May 17, 2012
Time: 10 PM - 11.15 PM
Occasion: My birthday!
Place: Thai Ban
Location: Pali Hill, Bandra (W)
Ratings: ****1/2
Courses Tried: Thai
Decently priced.
Pricing: Around 150-300 per dish.
Quantity: 1 dish = 2 people
Address: Shop No 8/9, Gaspar Enclave, Junction of St. Johns & Pali Road, Pali Naka,
 Bandra West, Mumbai 
Telly: 022- 26459775
Closest Station: Bandra


Thai food closely resembles our coastal Konkani food with coconut used very generously in most preparations. Thai Ban comes across as a tiny restaurant, cramped for space (which it sadly is). But the food it has to offer more than makes up for that. And when you go to a Thai place, order Thai. Don't even think of meddling with Chinese. We were in a hurry as we had reached quite late and our tummies were making noises ( :P ) so we skipped the drinks and starters and directly jumped onto the main course. We ordered a plain Ginger Mushroom Rice. Its a basic rice with invisible mushrooms and ginger (or maybe I was too busy eating). You can't have it without a gravy so we ordered a veg. Phad Phak. It comes with zuccini and tofu of which we got the tofu replaced with paneer. And we ordered veg. Phad Khi Mao which essentially are flat noodles. In non veg. we ordered a chicken Gaeng Phed or the famous red curry. The flat noodles were very spicy and I had to resort to the honey-based sauce which lay on the table to temper the spiciness. The red curry was par excellence. Superlatively brilliant. I strongly recommend it.

Prices as on the abovementioned date -
Ginger Mushroom Rice - Rs. 165

Veg. Phad Khi Mao - Rs. 230

Veg. Phad Phak - Rs. 295

Chicken Gaeng Phed - Rs. 345

It's worth a visit or a few more if you really like Thai food. Lot of varieties and very nice preparations. 

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