Basics 101

This is Basics 101-a page where I will keep uploading recipes or skills I feel are a basic necessity- like making bechamel(white sauce for pasta), garam masala or how to make frosting for your cake.

• Bechamel Sauce
• Mint Chutney
• Vanilla Sponge Cake
• Buttercream Frosting

Bechamel(white sauce)/Cheese Sauce

 Bechamel is a very basic sauce that you can use as a base for pastas, baked vegetables and cheese sauces. It really is only a cooked mixture of flour, butter and milk.

1. Get a pan/pot simmering on the stove. Once it is medium-hot, add 3 tablespoons of butter and let that melt.
2. Once it is fully melted, add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to the butter and whisk it in.
3. Now the flour has to be cooked before we add our milk. Constantly whisk the flour-butter mixture for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture gets a little light brown colour.
4. Now keeping your hand whisking the pot steadily, add some milk. Note: The milk has to be cold. It will bring down the temperature of the mixture and prevent the flour from over-cooking or burning. 
5. There will be some sizzling when you first add the milk, and don't worry, it is normal. Just keep whisking until all the milk you added was incorporated. Then add some more milk and repeat the same until no lumps remain and all the milk has been added. You will need a total of 1.5 cups of milk if you want normal consistency bechamel.
6. After all the milk has been added, let the sauce simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Over this time, the sauce will thicken and get a nice consistency. Don't make it too thick, else when you add cheese it will become very gooey and you won't be able to mix it well with your pasta or vegetables.
7. Now its time to add the best part: the cheese. You can go with any you like-mozzarella, cheddar, processed, etc. Add it to the sauce and let it melt completely.
8. Then add salt and pepper according to taste.
9. Now your sauce is ready. Add it to your vegetables, potatoes, pasta or just store it as plain ol' cheese sauce.

Mint Chutney

Mint Chutney is a classic Indian side dish which pairs well with kebabs, parathas, cutlets, and the list goes on. It is the *perfect* side you didn't know you need, but you certainly do.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pudina(mint leaves)
1 cup dhania( coriander leaves)
1/4 cup peanuts
1 green chilli
1-inch ginger, peeled

Instructions:

In a blender, take all the ingredients together and blend well until a smooth paste.
That is literally it.

Enjoy!!

Your chutney will look brighter because I didn't have enough peanuts *guilty noises*

Basic Vanilla Sponge Cake

Sponge cake is one of the easiest cakes to make. No flavouring, simple but classy. Just a few simple ingredients and some things to keep in mind, and your cake will be better than most store-bought ones.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of flour
3/4 cup curd
3/4 cup neutral flavoured oil
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1.25 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup milk powder(optional)

Instructions:

1. In a separate bowl sift your dry ingredients- flour, baking powder, baking soda and milk powder. Set it aside.
2. In a blender take oil, yoghurt and powdered sugar and blend it well(about 15 seconds). If you blend it too much the butter from the curd might separate and we just want a vanilla cake, don't we? You could also whisk by hand but it will be much more difficult.
3. Not transfer the blended wet ingredients to another bowl and slowly add your dry ingredients.
4. Using a whisk put your dry ingredients in your wet ingredients and whisk in one direction only to avoid lumps.
5. Once the batter is done add vanilla essence, mix well and set it aside. You could add 1.5 teaspoon of essence if you are going for a strong vanilla vibe.
6. Preheat your oven 100 degree Celsius for 10 minutes.
7. Pour your batter into the tin and tap it twice to set the batter and release any bubbles.
8. Bake it off at 160 degrees celsius for 25–30 minutes.

Voila! You cake is done!!!

This is a base cake recipe. You can add other flavours and/or colours to it if you want. Lemon zest, chocolate powder, crushed strawberries, pureed mangoes, oranges, pineapple and whatnot.

Check out Ultimate Chocolate Cake Recipe. It is a tad bit different from just adding the chocolate powder to the above recipe, and it tastes so much better!

Butter Cream Frosting

Buttercream frosting is one of my favourite types of frosting. Easy to make, suitable for any type of climate and is the easiest to use! Here is a basic recipe to which you can make alterations and tweaks.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups of unsalted room temp butter
2. 5 cups of powdered sugar
3. 1 tsp vanilla extract
4. a splash of milk(3 tbsp)

Instructions:

1. Take 2 cups of unsalted butter at room temperature and whisk them until you have incorporated some air into them. a good way of telling that is when your butter lost almost white and has increased in volume. This will take time, but like I said, totally worth it.
2. When you have reached this stage, it is time to add your sugar. Gradually add your sugar in small batches to the butter and continue whisking. Add in the next batch of sugar only when the present amount has fully been incorporated.
3. This is the time to customize your frosting. You can add flavourings, food colouring or fruit purees to the frosting. Make sure that the fruit purees dont thin it out too much.
4. Almost done! just add the vanilla extract and mix well.
5. Note: Take a small amount of the buttercream and smear it on a piece of parchment. If it spreads well, then you are in a good place. However, if you have difficulty in it then add a splash of milk to your buttercream and whisk well.