Homemade Curry Powder

Ingredients:  [Yields about 45g curry powder]

(A)
20g coriander seeds
15g cumin seeds
15g fennel seeds
15g or more dried chillies, remove seeds
1 clove
1 star anise

(B)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp tumeric powder

• Put all the ingredients (A) into a sieve and rinse with water.  Drain thoroughly.  
• Then place the spices into a frying pan (without oil) and toast the spices on low heat, tossing constantly until fragrant.  Leave to cool in the pan.
• In a grinder or blender, grind the toasted spices into fine powder.  Add in ingredients (B) and continue to blitz until combined.  
• Sift the ground spices through a fine mesh-sieve, and return the coarser remains in the sieve to the grinder and grind again.  Discard any residue that cannot pass through the sieve.
• Store in an airtight glass jar.

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

(A)
2 eggs
100g oil
100g brown sugar
40g caster sugar
165g (1 cup) grated zucchini
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

(B)
190g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
30g pecan, chopped
50g mixed dried cranberries & blueberries

• Preheat oven to 170 deg C.
• Beat eggs until frothy.  Gradually add in sugars and beat until thick and pale.
• Then beat in oil slowly while the mixer is still running. 
• Add in vanilla extract and beat to just combined.
• Add in grated zucchini and mix until just incorporated.
• With a spatula, fold in ingredients (B).
• Bake in a lined 20 x 10 cm loaf pan for about an hour or until cooked.

Butter-Pandan Marbled Cake

Ingredients:

250g butter, softened

180g caster sugar

4 eggs (60g each), room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

190g plain flour

60g cornflour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

60g coconut milk

1/2 tsp pandan paste

• Preheat oven to 170 deg C.  Grease and line an 8 inch round cake pan.
• Sift plain flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt together.  Set aside.
• Beat the butter until soft.  Then add in sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time and beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.
• With the mixer on slow speed, alternately add in the flour mixture and coconut milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Divide batter into two portions.  Add pandan paste into one portion and mix to just combined.
• Place a spoon of the plain batter onto the middle of the cake pan and top it with a spoonful of the pandan batter. Continue with alternating batters, making sure to keep placing them into the centre with each addition.
• Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.