One Lovely Blog Award & A No-Fail Birthday Surprise!

Let’s start with some great news-Binding Curry got nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award YAY!!! A big thank you to the lovely blogger Swetha for this honor! She is the author behind this amazing blog Swetha’s Culinary Trials and her food always tickles my taste buds! I mean…just look at these Prawns!! Yummy, right?

Now, according to the nomination rules, I am supposed to tell my readers 7 things about myself…so here you go:

• Hi, my name is Utkarshini. I am 23 years old and currently residing in my home town Jabalpur which is in Madhya Pradesh, India.
• I completed my graduation from Indore, which is also known as one of the foodie cities of India and though Punjabis are born foodies but, Indore is the place where I realized my true passion for food!
• My favorite dishes are my mom’s chicken curry and chicken biryani!
• Once when I visited home during my winter break, I started craving warm chocolate cake but, I was lazy and I had never baked anything in my life before so I wanted something instant! I googled a 5-minute microwave mug cake recipe and baked it in a tandoor (I have no idea why!). Some unexpected guests came over that time and my mom offered them my Tandoori Chocolate Cake and I got rave reviews for it! That was the beginning of my baking journey!
• I haven’t watched anything other than Fox Traveler, TLC and Star World on TV, ever! And, these channels have a great influence on my life. Even today!
• In my free time, I binge watch Game of Thrones, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, New Girl or Julie & Julia (my favorite movie!) on my laptop.
• I have just completed my Diploma In Organic Skincare Formulation from Formula Botanica and currently, I am working on my own line of natural and organic skincare products!

Okay. Enough about me now! Let’s explore some other MIND BLOWING blogs too. Here are my nominations for One Lovely Blog Award:

FOOD:

• Keralas.live– This is one food blog that you should be following if you want to be a good food blogger! The exceptional author Chef Sumith Babu won’t only teach you how to cook amazing South Indian delicacies but he will also make sure that you get your plating right!
• Ministry Of Curry– Archana Mundhe is the ministry behind this fine blog where every dish seems to be so beautifully designed with so much love and such finesse! Her blog will make you feel like you have been invited over to her house for a royal feast!
• The Mint Thief– Visit this blog and keep scrolling downwards. Serious wanderlust goals! No this is not a travel blog but, the food will make you wonder whether you are sitting infront of a screen or dining at a 5-star open restaurant on a beach!
• Indfused– If you are easily bored of the classics and want something jhataaakk to eat, do visit this blog! Sandhya, the author of Indfused, has carefully curated some of the best Indian fusion food recipes (that I have ever seen!), on her blog! Okay…now I am thinking about her Cauliflower Rice Upma 😀
• The Veggie Cooker– Ever had bhakarwadi cravings? If you’ve been to Chitale Bandhu, you’ll know what I am trying to say! Infact, if you do, then I don’t need to say anything anymore! Who needs packaged bhakarwadi when you could bake some fresh ones yourself! And, totally worth the simple hard work when they are as good as Chitale Bandhu’s bhakarwadi!
• Sweet Spell– Baking could be tedious at times but, this blog will never let you feel so! From the simplest recipes I have ever read, to the oh-so-beautiful and dreamy pictures, Sweet Spell is worth a check out! It is an amateur baker’s tutor as well an inspiration for pros!

SOUL:

• Incredible Pie– Vivek Vatsal is one talented pie and his blog is a perfect all-rounder! From inspirational thoughts to interesting stories on varied topics, you will find all the chicken soup your soul needs in this one blog! What’s even better is that he takes great pleasure in reblogging works of his favorite bloggers which has been a great platform for me to discover and get discovered!
• Travelling Krishnaite– Ever wondered what happened to Radha after Lord Krishna left her? Then do check out Travelling Krishnaite’s stories! If you are an Indian Mythology enthusiast just like I have become after discovering this fabulous blog by Shekhar Srivastava, this is just the right window for you!  Trust me! His words can make anyone teary eyed (in a heart-felt-way of course!).
• ODD ball– No matter what Indians say today about women empowerment, the truth still stands that our country is way behind other nations in that respect! Neha Mantry, the perfect odd ball, is not afraid to speak against these atrocities that happen with women everyday in this gut-wrenching society! Interested in paintings and the written word which can boggle mind chains? Then this blog is worth a follow!

Congrats to all of you fab bloggers! Here are the rules to follow if you wish to accept this award:

• Write a post to accept this nomination.
• Thank the person who nominated you and mention their blog link.
• List 7 things about yourself.
• Mention the links of the blogs you further nominate.
• Notify the recipients of their award.
• Post these rules again.

P.S You are not in any way obligated to accept, and I fully understand that not everyone has the time and inclination to participate in these self-and-others-promoting exercises. Therefore, I will truly appreciate if you accept the nomination, as I sincerely think you deserve it, but I won’t get offended if you don’t. Nominating each one of you is my way of giving credit to some exceptional bloggers and perhaps attracting attention to your work!

Also, don’t forget to check out the world’s simplest and yummiest Oreo Birthday Cake recipe below! Have fun 🙂

OREO FOREST CAKE

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 400 gm (1 can) sweetened condensed milk
• 200 gm butter, softened
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Ganache:

• 3/4 cup milk chocolate chunks
• 3/4 cup fresh cream

Oreo Cream:

• 3/4 cup powdered Oreo cookies
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Oreo cookies for filling & topping, crushed & whole

Method:

1. For the ganache, heat the fresh cream in a pan, till it comes to a boil.
2. Pour the hot cream on the chocolate chunks and cover and let it sit for a few minutes.
3. Mix the chocolate and cream together till no chocolate lumps remain.
4. Transfer this to an air tight container and place the container in the freezer.
5. For the Oreo cream, mix the heavy cream and Oreo cookie powder together.
6. Whisk in the icing sugar and vanilla extract.
7. Transfer this to an air tight container and place the container in the freezer.
8. For the cake, preheat your oven to 180 C and grease 2 cake tins.
9. Sieve together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
10. In a bowl, whisk together the butter, condensed milk and vanilla extract.
11. Fold the flour and milk alternatively in the condensed milk mixture in 4 lots.
12. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake tins.
13. Bake for 25-30 minutes or till completely cooked.
14. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to let them cool completely.
15. For assembling the cake, sandwich the chocolate ganache and crushed Oreo cookies between the two cakes.
16. Cover the cake with Oreo cream and top with some more Oreo cookies.
17. Let it chill slightly before serving!