Cannelloni Savoury Cake


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Preparation time  : 40 minutes
Cooking time       : 1 hour
Serves                 : 8-10 members

Description

Comfort food is what I needed. As mentioned earlier to me Italian cuisine some how relate’s a lot to romance. So it’s going to be an Italian dish celebration said my mind. How can I say no to it. Now the next big thing in mind.. Simple and quick or elaborate and long dish. Well simple and easy always seems a cheat’s way to me so of course it’s got be elaborate and long dish to make. Next what do I sizzle up ?? Just went through my picture gallery for ideas and there it was an image of a cannelloni made in a different way. I started with great enthusiasm and went on and on with too many things to be done but once I started to assemble the dish.. The warmth of the dish was felt and the elaborate long process just melted away. Placed it in the oven to bake. I could not wait to see and taste the dish. The longest forty minutes of my life I can say. Removed it from the oven and had to wait for it to cool down a bit. The dish looked deep and cozy oozing out comfortableness as I wanted. Served it and hubby dear goes on to ask me what is this? My mind went blank as I didn’t think of a name for this dish. With the knife in my hand all ready to cut and serve, the first thing that came to my mind was a cake. So I just told its cannelloni savoury cake. Wow I just named my dish and cut her as well to celebrate it. Ate her too.. All I needed now was a big warm hug for the efforts put in to create her. That’s a pretty cool way to celebrate with warmth and coziness .. Right ??

Step 1 – cheese sauce

Ingredients for cheese sauce

Ingredients
Quantity
Milk 2 cups
Refined flour2 tablespoons
1 tbsp butter1 tablespoon
Saltto taste
Cheese slice4 slices
Chilli flakesto taste
White pepperto taste
Mixed dried herbs( oregano , thyme ,rosemary , dill , basil )a pinch of each

Method for the white sauce

  • Heat and Melt butter, add refined flour, saute a little and add the milk very gradually, stirring vigorously all the time.
  • Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes, add the salt, white pepper, chilly flakes dried herbs and cheese slice.
  • Mix well and boil till a thick gooey saucy consistency is obtained.
  • Add a little more milk if the sauce gets too thick.

Step 2 – Marinara Sauce

Ingredients for Marinara sauce

Ingredients
Quantity
Chopped onion3/4 cup
Garlic minced5 flakes
Olive oil4 tablespoons
Whole peeled tomatoes3/4 kg , ( blanch whole tomatoes in hot water and peel the skins ) , ( I blitzed the peeled tomatoes to a corse pulp )
Saltto taste
Sugar1 teaspoon
Bay leaf1
Tomato paste / tomato sauce1 tablespoon
Dried basil3/4 teaspoon
Ground black pepper1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder1 teaspoon ( for the Indian pallet )

Method

  • Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent.
  • Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer.
  • Stir in tomato paste, basil and 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder.
  • Cook until sauce is thick and gooey. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat.

Step 3 – Chicken filling 

Ingredients for Chicken filling

Ingredients
Quantity
Boneless chicken1/4 kg
Garlic paste1/4 teaspoon
Saltto taste
Onions5 big chopped
Green chillies4 chopped
Mixed vegetablescarrots , beans , cabbage , green peas chopped and boiled in water with salt
Dried basil + oregano1/4 teaspoon
Pepper powderto taste
Oil2 tablespoons

Method for chicken filling

  • Pressure cook cleaned chicken, salt and garlic paste for one whistle. Bring to boil and Reduce the water. Cool completely and shred the chicken to treads ( I run it in the food processor for a second ).
  • Heat oil in a non stick pan. Add onions and fry to translucent. Add green chilies, boiled chopped mixed vegetables, shredded chicken, dry basil and oregano, salt and pepper to taste.
  • Mix well and lower the flame and keep stirring for 3 minutes letting all the flavours infuse together. Remove from heat, cool and set aside.

Step 4 – Cannelloni 

Ingredients for Cannelloni

Ingredients
Quantity
Cannelloni shells1 packet store bought

Method

  • Cook the cannelloni shells according to packet instructions and keep aside.

Step 5 – how to proceed

Other ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Egg1 whole
Salt + pepper + red chili flakesto taste
Coriander leaves few chopped
Grated cheese1/4 cup

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Grease a spring form generously with butter.
  • Beat egg with pepper, salt, chilly flakes, chopped coriander leaves and 2 teaspoon of grated cheese.
  • Fill each cooked cannelloni shell with the chicken filling.
  • Spread two ladles of white cheese sauce over the greased spring form tin. Top it with two ladles of marinara sauce and spread evenly.
  • Pour the egg mix and spread evenly.
  • Stack the filled cannelloni shells in a horizontal manner tightly.
  • Top with two ladles or more of marinara and spread evenly. Pour two ladles or more of white cheese sauce and spread evenly.
  • Sprinkle with the remaining cheese on top.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for forty minutes. Remove and bring cool for five minutes. Cut and Serve hot.