Carrot Tomato soup

I add carrots to many dishes- upma,vermicelli upma,pav bhaji,bread pizza,etal.I add carrots to gravies of chhole,rajma & other lentils as I feel carrots blend nicely with tomatoes.Moreover ,my daughter would eat carrots smuggled into the dishes which otherwise she would not.

Ingredients : 2 medium sized tomatoes,1 medium onion( optional ) ,1 small carrot,1/2 tsp pepper powder,1/2 inch grated ginger ,fresh coriander-a few sprigs, salt to taste.

Method : Chop tomatoes,onion & carrot into big chunks.Pressure cook them all.After the pressure cooked veggies cool to room temperature,blend all of them in a mixer or blender.

Take the blended paste or liquid into a thick bottomed vessel.Add water to make it thin -of soup consistency. Add grated ginger.Boil the liquid.Add salt & pepper powder.Mix properly.Take off the vessel from gas.

Serve in bowls -garnished with fresh coriander which has been cleaned,washed & chopped.

Banana bread :eggless

There were over ripe bananas & I thought of trying banana bread recipe .I had come across this recipe @ http://www.jeyashriskitchen.com/2012/03/eggless-banana-bread-no-egg-no-butter.html.

I made my own changes & the bread turned out great !

Ingredients :1 cup multigrain atta ( I used Pillsbury- any other multigrain atta or wheat flour or maida can be used ), 3/4 cup brown sugar( white sugar can be used as well ), 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder,a pinch of salt,3 tbsp olive oil ( any other oil can be used ),1/4 cup yoghurt,1/4 cup milk,1tsp vanilla essence,2 over ripe bananas.

Method : Mix all dry ingredients - atta,sugar,baking powder & soda nicely.I do not sieve -hence I use fork or even whisk can be used to mix dry ingredients thoroughly.Keep aside.

Mash bananas into a puree.Add vanilla essence.Mix.Add yoghurt & milk.Add olive oil .Mix nicely.Keep aside.

Make a hole in the dry ingredient mix.Pour the liquid mix of banana,milk ,yoghurt,oil  into the dry mix.Whisk nicely till all ingredients are nicely mixed.The mixture must have drop down consistency.If the mixture has thicker consistency ,little water or buttermilk can be added to get drop down consistency.

Take a glass vessel or a microwaveable vessel.Line it with butter paper.Pour the mixture into the vessel.Bake in microwave for 10 minutes.After 10 minutes,switch off.Let the bread  be in the microwave for 5 minutes.Check if bread  is done by inserting a knife into the cake.If knife comes out clean ,it is done.Otherwise bake for another minute.Check again.

Cool bread  outside the microwave for another 10- 15 minutes.Now turn the vessel upside down on a plate.The bread will drop down after 10-15  minutes on to the plate.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

I felt that my bread had a nice brown colour as I had used multigrian atta as also brown sugar.The  banana taste was not prominent. So maybe 1 more banana & perhaps no milk in the next attempt.I felt that I should have baked for 9 minutes.The bread was on drier side.The sugar was just apt.So for those, who want a sweeter version, more sugar can be added.Instead of 3/4 cup sugar , 1 cup sugar can be used.

Tomato rice

I learnt this dish some years back.Then I had forgotten all about it.Recently,I packed this for my kid's tiffin box.She ate it & that is a big deal as she seldom eats rice !

Ingredients : 1/2  cup rice ,2 tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 green chilly, 1/4 inch ginger, 1/4 tsp red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp gram masala,1 tbsp oil, 1/4 tsp mustard, 1/4 tsp cumin ,1/4 tsp urad dal,1/4 tsp haldi ,1/4 tsp hing,1 sprig of curry leaves,salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook rice.After the cooker has cooled ,spread the rice on a plate so that the grains do not form lumps.

In a kadhai, warm oil.Put mustard seeds followed by jeera or cumin.When they splutter add urad dal.They will become golden brown.Add chopped green chill pieces & chopped curry leaves.Add finely sliced onions & grated ginger.Fry all nicely till onions get transluscent.Add chopped tomatoes.Fry nicely.The mixture in kadhai will be reddish.Add haldi,hing ,garam masala ,red chilli powder & salt.Mix nicely.The red mixture will start separating from the oil in the kadhai. Put the cooked  rice into the kadhai & mix nicely.Cover with alid & cook for 2-3 minutes.Put off the gas.

Tomato rice can be served by garnishing  with fresh coriander.

Even left over rice can be used in place of freshly cooked rice.

Pav bhaji

Pav bhaji is a favourite fast food on the streets of Mumbai.It is very easy to make at home.Kids especially love this fast food.I first learnt to make pav bhaji from Amul Cook book which I had received in post.Since then I have made it many times.My daughter loves it though I would prefer she eats more bhaji & not many pav.

This is a healthy option as many kids make faces while eating vegetables ( that is if they eat many veggies ) .This recipe uses many vegetables & hence the kids will eat a variety of veggies in  this dish as all veggies are mixed up.

Ingredients :
Buttered pavs :
10 Pav ( buns available at the local bakery ) 10 is just an approximate number.Kids will eat all pav & leave no pav for you to taste.Option is to make chappatis & eat with the bhaji. Another healthy option is to buy whole wheat pav( wheat brown in colour )  if available at any stores nearby.Generally, the pav which is found in shops & bakeries is white pav ( off white in colour ) -made from maida.
Amul butter -2 to 3 tbsp.

Bhaji : 3-4 potatoes,1-2 onions,1 capsicum,2-3 tomatoes,1 carrot,1 cup beans,1 cup cabbage, 2 green chillies, 1/2 ' ginger,1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp hing,1-2 tbsp oil,1 tbsp pav bhaji masala,salt to taste.

Method : Clean & roughly chop the carrot,cabbage & beans.Pressure cook these chopped veggies & potataoes seperately in different vessels.Keep aside.

Take a kadhai & add oil.Put on gas.When the oil gets hot,add finely chopped onions,green chillies & grated ginger.Mix nicely.Cook covered with a lid till onions get transluscent.  Remove lid & add finely chopped capsicum.Cover with lid & cook.After 3-4  minutes,add finely chopped tomatoes to the kadhai & mix nicely .Cover with alid & cook till it tomato pieces get pureed nicely giving a red colour to the veggie mix.Another option is to pressure cook tomatoes & mash them.Then add the tomato puree to the veggie mix.

Now mash the boiled carrot-cabbage & beans mix into paste form.Add the veggie paste  to kadhai & mix nicely.Add hing & red chilli powder.Mix.Let it keep getting cooked.Peel the potatoes & mash them into a paste.Add the patato paste to kadhai & mix nicely with the other veggies in kadhai.Add some water & mix nicely to avoid the potato forming lumps.Add salt.Mix nicely.

For mashing ,mashers are available in market- wooden ones or steel ones can be used.

Add pav bahji masala ( readymade pav bhaji masala mix are available in market ).Mix nicely.Put off the gas.Keep aside.

Take a pav & slit it horizonatlly with a knife.Smear the insides of the pav thus split with Amul butter.Toast the pav with butter smeared surfaces on the tava which is getting heated on the gas stove.After the buttered pav has slightly browned,remove it .Repeat with remaining pav pieces.

Serve the pavs with bhaji which has been garnished with finely chopped onions & a slice of lemon.

Tip : Green peas can also be added to the bhaji-take care not to mash green peas.Just add cooked peas to the veggie mix.In place of cabbage ,cauliflower can be added by pressure cooking & mashing it.

The essentials of pav bhaji are onions,capsicum,tomatoes & onions & pav bahji masala.If red colour is needed,more tomatoes can be added. Kashmiri chilli powder may also add to the redness of the bhaji..Other vegetables can be as per choice.I do not use garlic & hence have not added.

Apple crumb cake : Eggless

I had apples which I wanted to use in a cake recipe.I came across this cake recipe @ http://mykitchenaroma.blogspot.in/2009/09/eggless-apple-vanilla-cake-with-apple.html.I made some changes & got a nicely textured cake.I feel this is the best cake ,I have baked so far !

Ingredients : 3/4 cup multigrain atta,1/4 cup quick cooking oats,1tbsp butter ( I used Amul butter ),1tsp baking powder,1/4 tsp baking soda,1/2 cup apple puree, 1/2 cup dahi,1 cup sugar,1 apple peeled & chopped,1 /2-1tsp cinnamon powder.

Method : Chop an apple & cook it in pressure cooker for 1 whistle.After the cooker has cooled,remove the apple .The peel easily comes off .Make a paste of the apple pieces.Keep aside.

Mix  atta,oats & butter nicely.A crumb type mixture is obtained.Add baking soda & powder.Mix nicely.Add 3/4 cup sugar & mix again.Keep aside.

Mix apple paste & dahi & slowly add to the atta mixture.The cake dough this formed, must be of drop down consistency.If it is not,add some water & make it of drop down consistency.Keep aside.

Line the cake vessel with butter paper.Now arrange the chopped apple pieces at the bottom on the butter paper.The whole bottom must be  lined with apple pieces.Sprinkle cinnomon powder & 1/4 cup sugar on to the chopped apple pieces.Pour the cake dough on to the apple pieces covered with cinnamon sugar mix.

Microwave for 10 minutes.Allow for 10 minutes for microwave to cool.Remove the cake vessel & let it cool outside for 10-15 minutes.Turn the cake vessel upside down on to a plate.

The cake will drop down on to the plate after some 10  minutes.Carefully remove the butter paper sticking to the cake bottom.Allow the cake to cool for some more time.Cut into desired pieces & serve.

I found the cake texture superb ! Only the cinnamon -sugar mixture was too ,sticky ,sweet & strong.Next time,I am going to sprinkle just 1 tbsp of sugar on the chopped apple pieces along with maybe 1/2 to 3/4 tsp cinnamon. The sugar in cake will be 1 cup less 1 tbsp.

Raagi thalipeeth

Raagi or finger millet is a popular millet in Karnataka.It has acooling effect on our bodies.It is consumed as raagi mudde or raagi balls ( millet is cleaned,washed,dried & powdered .It is mixed with boiling water & salt to taste  & served with sambhar or any curry  ).These raagi mudde are given to workers who do hard labour as they are  very nutritious..My mom makes raagi thalipeeth & this is recipe as told by her .The raagi thalipeeth seen in the snap has been cooked by me.

Ingredients : 1 cup ragi flour ,1/2 inch grated ginger,1-2 green chillies-finely chopped,1 large onion finely chopped ( I grated the onion ),1/2 tsp hing,2 tbsp oil,salt to taste,1tsp flaxseed powder( optional ).

Method : Mix raagi flour with chopped or grated onion,finely chopped chillies,hing & salt.Add water & make a dough just like chappati dough.No oil is to be used.

Take tawa. Grease the whole surface of tawa. with oil.Take a  ball of the prepared raagi dough on the tawa & pat it with plam & fingers to shape the ball into a flat roti. Keep dipping hand into water to continue patting the roti till a reasonable thin roti is obtained. Make 4-5 holes in the roti so that it does not fluff up.

Light up the gas & put the tawa on that with the raagi roti on it.Cover with lid.Let the gas be on slow flame.After five minutes,put some oil through the holes in the roti & turn the roti over & let it cook again for 3-4 minutes or till it changes colur completely.It will become a chocolate brown roti when fully cooked.Remove from tawa & serve with achar & dahi.

1 cup raagi flour yeilded 1 large & two medium raagi thalipeeths. I used 2 tawas & I made the third thalipeeth after the tawa had cooled.Alternatively ,aluminium foil sheets are available.The rotis can be shaped on them after greasing the sheets with oil .Then the roti is slowly put on the tawa by catching one end of the sheet & letting it fall on to the tawa.

I had added 1 tsp flax seed powder to the flour while mixing just for good health.I let the dough rest for 15 minutes as I had added flax seed powder before I made the thailpeeths.Instead of green chillies ,red chilli powder can be added.Please take care to flip on the thalipeeth after it changes colour .My first thalipeeth had become hard as it got overcooked.Still it was delicious !

Sprouted masoor curry

I came across this interesting masoor recipe @ http://sindhirasoi.com/2008/08/25/masoor-daal/I made some changes.I soaked whole masoor overnight.Next day ,I threw the water.I covered the masoor with a plate & let it sprout.The next day.,Masoor had sprouted roots.

Ingredients : 1/4 cup sprouted masoor, 1/4 tsp ajwain, 1/4 inch ginger,1 onion, 1 tomato, 1 green chilli, 1 sprig of curry leaves, 1 tsp garam masala powder,1tbsp oil,1/2 tsp haldi ,1/4 tsp hing, salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook sprouted masoor.Keep aside.

Chop tomato ,onion ,green chillies & ginger.Add curry leaves.Grind all the veggies -tomato ,onion,green chilly,ginger & curry leaves into  a paste in the mixer.

Take a kadhai.Add oil.Warm the oil.Add garam masala .Now add the ground paste of tomato onion,curry leaves,green chilyginger to the kadhai.Mix nicely.Now add haldi,hing & slat.Add the cooked sprouted masoor to the kadhai .Add ajwain & salt .Mix.Put off the gas.

Now take another vessel & pour this mixture in it.Pressure cook for two whistles.After the cooker has cooled,the masoor can be relished.

Cabbage beans kootu

My friend has been making kootu for quite some time.Almost once every week.I asked her for the recipe & made it myself one day.It was liked by all.I mixed tur & moong dal in equal ratio.

Ingredients : 1/4 cup moong dal ,1/4 cup tur dal, 1/2 cup chopped cabbage, 1/4 cup beans cut in 1/2 inch pieces,1-2 green chillies,1 spring of kadipatta( curry leaves ),1 tsp cumin or jeera,3-4 peppercorns,1/4 tsp haldi ,1/4 tsp hing,salt to taste

Method : Wash moong & tur dal & add the cabbage & beans to it.Add water,haldi & hing  to this mixture & pressure cook for two whistles.Then lower the flame & cook on slow gas for 5-10 minutes.Let the cooker cool.

In the mixer ,grind  coconut,green chillies,peppercorns,kadipatta & jeera till it becomes a coarse powder.One can opt to make it into fine powder.I prefer little coarse.Keep aside.

Take the dal mix with the veggies into another vessel & add the ground mixture to it.Add salt.Bring this whole mixture to a boil on the gas.The kootu is ready.It is good for rotis as also rice.

Optional : One can make seasoning of oil ,mustard seeds & red chillies to add to the kootu.I prefer kootu without seasoning as cumin,coconut & other spices are already part of the kootu.

Optional Tip : I added vagar of mustard seeds, urad dal & byadgi mirchi to the kootu though it tastes well without vagar.That is how , in the snap above, the byadgi mirchi seems to be peeping out from the kootu in the katori.

Doodhi halwa

I had brought doodhi last week & still had not used it.I also had cream in the freezer- home cream - I remove malai from milk & keep it in a box in the freezer for 9-10 days at a stretch.I thought of making doodhi halwa like gajar halwa.

I googled for the recipe &  was inspired by this recipe at vah re vah !

Ingredients : 1 cup peeled & grated doodhi( bottle gourd ),1/2 cup frozen malai, 1tsp ghee ( optional ),1/2 cup sugar,5-6 almonds -grated or finely chopped.

Method : Clean the doodhi & peel it.Grate the doodhi.Remove the malai from the freezer.Let it attain room temperature.

Take a kadhai & put  on gas.Gas must be on slow burner.Let it warm.Pour the malai on to the kadhai & now put the grated doodhi on to it.Mix both the malai & doodhi nicely.Cook the mix in the kadhai -covering the kadhai with a lid.After 5-6 minutes,uncover the kadhai & mix the contents with spoon.Cover with lid & let it cook again.Repeat this 3-4 times.By this time,doodhi & malai would have mixed nicely & got cooked.Now add sugar.Mix nicely.Cover with lid & let it cook.After 5-6 minutes,uncover the lid  & mix nicely.Repeat once more.By this time ,all water would have evaporated.Add a tsp ghee & mix nicely.It will give a nice aroma to the halwa. Put off the gas.

Serve the halwa garnished with grated almonds or finely chopped almonds.I garnish with almonds as my kid does not like any dry fruits in halwa.Alternately,one can fry dry fruits like chopped almonds,cashews in ghee & add them to the halwa.

Pasta

My kid loves this red tomato pasta my neighbour prepares for her kid.She knows that my daughter loves it & shares it most of the times.I tried it once & it was just edible.This time ,I tried harder & it turned out very good- more so, because I used Del Monte Extra Virgin Olive oil.

Ingredients : 1 cup  penne pasta,2 tbsp ready tomato   pasta sauce, 1 tbsp tomato ketchup,1tsp oregano flakes,, 1 tsp chilli flakes,2 tbsp Del monte Extra Virgin Oil, 1 Cube of Amul cheese, salt to taste.

Method : Take a vessel & boil some water in it.Add salt to taste. Put penne pasta & let it get cooked till the pasta gets soft.Put off the gas.Drain the water.Add 1 tbsp Del Monte Extra Virgin Oil to the cooked pasta & toss we;l.This will make the oil coat all the pasta.Keep aside.

In another vessel ,take the ready pasta sauce & cook it on slow flame.Add tomato ketchup & mix with the sauce getting cooked.After the mix has boiled,add the cooked pasta to it Mix nicely.Now grate the cube of cheese on to the pasta sauce mix.Mix.Add oregano & chilli flakes.Put off the gas & mix nicely.Now add 1 tbsp of Del Monte Extra Virgin Olive Oil to the ready pasta & toss it well .

The pasta is ready to be savoured !

Be extremely careful while adding salt.I added salt only while pasta  was getting cooked.Later ,I avoided adding salt as ketchup has salt in it & even the cube cheese has salt in it.

This is my second entry for the Del Monte Blogger  Recipe Carnival on IndiBlogger.Please share your recipes too to win exciting prizes in this contest !

Colorful salad

I love salads as they are quick to make & highly healthy ! Making a salad does not require any cooking skill.

For the The Del Monte Blogger Recipe Carnival on IndiBlogger,I thought ,the Del Monte Extra Virgin Olive oil would be the perfect choice.And I was right !

Ingredients : 1 small beet root, 1 small potato,1 small carrot, 1 small cucumber,1/2 green capsicum,1/2 onion,1/2-1 tbsp Del Monte Extra Virgin Olive oil,1/4 tsp oregano ,salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook beet root ,carrot & potato in the pressure cooker.Put off the gas & let the cooker cool.Take out the potato,beetroot & carrot & peel them.Cut them into small chunks.Keep aside.

Wash cucumber ,capsicum & onion.Peel cucumber & cut into chunks.Chop capsicum & onion also into chunks.

Mix all the veggies in a glass bowl- the cooked as well as the raw ones.Add 1/2 to 1 tbsp Del Monte Extra Virgin Olive oil & mix so that the Del Monte  Extra Virgin Olive oil is coated on all the veggie chunks. Add 1/4 tsp oregano spice powder - it is like bits of leafy flakes.Add salt to taste & mix again so that salt & oregano coat all the veggies.

I ate the salad just like that - in fact ,if I had made more ,I could just have the salad for a meal ! The Del Monte Extra Virgin Olive Oil just adds the right amount of dressing to the salad.Even my daughter, who makes a face at many of the veggies loved the salad !

Capsicum sabzi with besan

This is a very dry sabzi  that can be made very quickly.And hence apt for dabbas to office, college, travel etal .It is very tasty as well ! This sabzi type is called pheet pherun bhaaji in Marathi  ( pheet meaning  atta ,pherun meaning mixed & bhaji meaning sabzi ).

Ingredients : 2 medium sized capsicums -finely chopped, 1 medium sized onion finely chopped, 1 tbsp besan,1 tbsp oil,1tsp jeera , 1/2 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder,salt to taste.

Method : Dry roast the besan in kadhai without any oil till it slightly changes colour. Keep aside by taking out the besan in a plate.

In the kadhai ,put oil & warm it on gas.Put jeera into the oil.When jeera pops up,add hing & haldi.Then add chopped onions & saute till the onions  turn transluscent.Now add chopped capsicum & saute .Cover kadhai with a lid Let it cook for five minutes .Add salt & mix well.Let it cook covered with lid for a minute.Next add red chilli powder & mix.Let it cook for another minute.Now add the besan & mix.Let it cook for 1-2 minutes covered with a lid.

To add tanginess,a slice of lemon can be squeezed & mixed with the sabzi.

Then put off the gas.The sabzi is ready.Serve with chapatis.This sabzi can be made by using finely chopped bhindis or even finely chopped spring onion shoots in place of capsicum.

I can eat this sabzi just like that -I don't even need rotis !

Healthy Kabuli chana

My kid loves chhole.She eats only the chana & I eat the liquid curry  !

Ingredients : 1/2 cup kabuli chana soaked overnight ,2 onions,1-2 tomataoes,1 carrot ( optional ),1/2' grated ginger ,1-2 green chillies, a few sprig curry leaves,1 tsp garam masala powder,1/2 tsp haldi,1/2 tsp hing,2 tsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : Pressure cook the soaked  kabuli chana in cooker for 2 whistles.I throw the water in which it has been soaked & take fresh water which is enough to drown the chana.I add salt to the chana when I pressure cook.Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.

Then lower the flame & let it cook on low for 10 minutes.Put off the gas.

Now roughly chop the onions,tomatoes,curry leaves ,green chillies &  carrots.Blend them all in a mixer - I mince the onions,curry leaves ,mirchi,ginger & carrot at one go .Later I add the chopped tomatoes to the onion -ginger carrot paste & run the mixer again to get a mixed veggie paste.

Take oil in a kadhai & put on the gas.Now add the garam  masala to it.Mix so that the oil & garma masala get blended.Now add the mixed veggie paste from the blender.Add haldi & hing.Let the mixed veggie paste start boiling .Add the cooked chana to it & bring to a boil again .Alternatively ,after chana has been added ,the contents can be transferred to another vessel which fits in cooker & pressure cooked for 2-3 whistles.

Serve chhole garnished with fresh dhania .Also a little lemon juice can be added before serving to make it tangier ! I add some whole masur sometimes,which has been soaked overnight along with chana in pressure cooker as the masur will add to the body of the curry.

Chhole is ideal for rotis as also rice !

I am sending this to Linking toCWS  hosted by Foodomania) & to Priya's page .

Chappati laddoos

I have tried making chappti laddoos earlier & had failed miserably.This time I googled for the recipe.I learnt from creative saga 

I made some changes & my recipe is as below....

Ingredients : 2.5 chappatis,approx 1/4 cup jaggery or even little less than 1/4 cup,1 tsp ghee.

Method : I crumbled the chappatis to powder in the mixer.Mix the crumbled chappati powder with grated or powdered jaggery.Take a kadhai & heat the ghee.Add the chappati -gur mix to the kadhai & with a ladle roast the chappati gur mixture on the ghee.After five minutes,put off the gas.

After another 5 minutes,take a small amount of the mixture on to your palms & shape it into a ball.Repeat with the remaining of the chappati-gur-ghee mixture.I got nearly 6 laddoos.

Huggi & palde

Huggi is Kannada for moong dal khichdi & palde is Kannada for kadhi.I love this simple combination though I love  Gujarati kadhi.

Ingredients for Khichdi : 1 cup rice & moong ( half split ) - one can use yellow moong dal as well.I use 1.4 moong with 3/4 cup rice.Preferences for the variation of moong dal to rice varies from 1 /4 cup moong to 3/4 cup rice to 1/2 cup moong to 1/2 cup rice.

1-2 clove -slightly crushed with pestle,4-5 peppercorns-slightly crushed,1 tsp cumin seeds,1/2 ' ginger -grated,1/2 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,1tbsp oil or ghee,2.5 cups water.salt to taste.

Method : I cook khichdi in pressure pan .Take oil or ghee in pressure pan & warm it by putting on the gas.Add jeera followed by cloves & peppercorns.When they have turned aromatic ,add haldi & hing.Now add washed rice & moong dal & shallow fry so that all ingredients are mixed up.Add grated ginger & mix with the moong dal -rice mixture.Add water to the mixture .Mix all nicely.Add salt & mix again.Now close the pressure pan lid ( which is the pressure cooker lid ) & pressure cook on high for 2 whistles.Lower the flame & cook on slow for 5-6 minutes.Put off the gas.After the pressure pan has cooled,take off the whistle.After 5 more minutes,open the lid & serve khichdi garma garam !

My khichdi is generally on the drier side.More water can be added if a wet & loose khichdi is needed.Some prefer to cook in open pan.

Ingredients for Gujarati Kadhi: 2 cups beaten curds or chaas,1 tbsp besan ,1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1-2 sticks cinnamon,1 clove-roughly crushed,1tsp dhana jeera powder,1/2 inch ginger grated, 1 green chilli split in the middle,1/4 tsp methi seeds,1 tbsp ghee,1/4 tsp hing,salt to taste.

Method : Mix the besan with little amount of beaten curds & make into a smooth paste with no lumps Now add remainder of the beaten curds & nicely mix.Add grated ginger,hing,split green chilli & salt to the curds.Mix thoroughly.Add dhana jeera powder & mix again.Keep aside.

Take ghee  in a kadhai & warm it.Add methi seeds.When they splutter add mustard seeds,cinnamon sticks & the clove.Add hing .Pour the curd mix on to the spice mix in the kadhai .Keep mixing the contents with a ladle every now & then.Keep warming the mix till one boil.Put off the gas.Tangy kadhi is ready -pour it on khichdi or keep tasting with a spoon as you gently savour the khichdi.

Namkeen Shavinge

I love seviyan as breakfast -the salty ones.In the market ,there are wheat seviyan available as also rice ones.Generally,on the vermicilli packet,instructions would be given regarding proportion of water to be used for the quantity of vermicilli.It is usually 1cup vermicilli to 2 cups water.

I have used wheat vermicilli in this dish - roasted ones.Even plain ones ( unroasted ones ) are available.If unroasted ones are being used,it is preferable to roast them in kadhai till they change colour & become little brown in colour.These roasted ones can be used for this recipe.

Ingredients : 3/4 cup roasted vermicill,1-5 cups water,1 tbsp boiled peanuts ( optional ),1 small onion ,1/2 capsicum,1 small carrot,1 green chilli,1 sprig  of curry leaves,1/4" piece ginger,1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1/4 tsp urad dal,1 tbsp oil,1/4 tsp  haldi,1/4 tsp hing,salt to taste,1/4 piece of lemon.

Method : Cut all veggies finely - onions,capsicum & carrot.I cut the green chilli in the middle longitudinally so that I can avoid eating it. I prefer to peel & then grate the carrot.I grate the ginger.Chop the curry leaves as well so that one can eat them even if the curry leaves are not crunchy.

Heat oil in a kadhai.Add mustard seeds.After they splutter add urad dal.Let the urad dal turn golden brown.Now add onions,green chilli & ginger..Once onions turn translucent,add capsicum & carrots & shallow fry all veggies.Add haldi & hing.Mix with all veggies.Now add the vermicilli & the bolied peanuts.Mix so that vermicilli & veggies are nicely combined.Add salt to taste.Mix again so that salt is distributed .Now add water & mix thoroughly.Cook by covering with lid for 5-10 minutes on high flame.Open the lid & see if all water has escaped.If it has,vermicilli is cooked.If little water is still there ,cook for 1-2 minutes more.Check & now vermicilli will be cooked.Put off the gas.Let the lid cover the kadhai.After five minutes,squeeze a piece of lemon on the seviyan.Mix the lemon juice nicely with the prepared dish & serve.

Pundi palya chutni

I love pundi playa chutni.Pundi palya is Kannada  for Gonghura or Ambadi leaves.It is said that Ambadi & Alu leaves are the freshest in monsoons & must be consumed in monsoons.Whenever this chutni or dal with gonghura leaves is made ,I eat till my tummy is ready to burst.I can eat chappatis & rice with this chutni or dal.I can eat it just like that .In other words, I tend to overeat whenever this pundi palya is cooked either as chutni or in dal form.I love it so much.

Gongura or sorrel leaves are rich in iron & folic acid which helps in absorption of iron by the human body. So for anemics, Gongura leave are a good source of iron. And consuming this in any form like chutni or gongura dal will help in improving iron deficiency.

Ingredients : 1 bunch of Ambadi leaves ( it is available as a bunch -tied by a jute string ) ,1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1 tbsp oil,1/4 -1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds, 5-6 green chillies, 1-2 tsp red chilli powder ( optional ),1/2 tsp hing,1/2 tsp haldi,1/3-1/2 cup jaggery shavings  or jggery bits, salt to taste.

Method : Remove the leaves from the stems & clean them in water as any leafy vegetable.The leaves can be chopped roughly or the leaves can be used as such after washing .I used whole leaves.I did not cut them.

Take oil in a kadhai & heat it.Add mustard seeds followed by methi seeds.When they splutter ,add chopped green chillies,hing & haldi.Mix all .Now add the leaves .Mix the leaves with green chillies,haldi hing mixture.Cover the kadhai with a lid & let it cook.After 5-6 minutes,remove the lid & the leaves will have contracted into a grennish brown mass.If some leaves are still green ,mix again & cover with lid.Remove lid & if the whole mass is greenish brown ,add jaggery or gur & mix again.Cover with lid & cook.After five minutes,remove lid.Check with spoon  for any chunks of gur remaining in the veggie mass.If all gur has melted,add slat & mix again.Allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes till it becomes little dry.Remove from gas.

If chunks of gur are still there,cook till all jaggery has melted & then add salt.

I tasted the chutni thus made & found that it was very sour.I added 1-2 tsp red chilli powder & mixed again .Then the taste was somewhat less sour.

The amount of red chilli powder or green chillies ,gur & salt depends on how sour the ghungaroo leaves are.Many times ,one may have to add more chillies or jaggery or salt or all three to make the chutni less sour or lessen the tanginess !

This dish is very rich in iron as it has jaggery as well. Jaggery is a rich source of iron as well.So this chutni has twin benefits of sorrel leaves & jaggery , both rich sources of iron .So this chutni has twin advantages of iron!

This is my #livogenironchef entry for the Iron Chef contest on IndiBlogger.

Mango lapsi sheera

My neighbour makes lapsi sheera with gur.Even my mom makes lapsi sweet - kheer consistency with sugar & jaggery mixture in equal parts.I checked out some recipes on net about mixing mango & lapsi & jaggery.I failed to get any such recipe.So I made up my own.I tried this earlier with different amounts of the ingredients & mango taste was unnoticeable.Hence ,in this second attempt ,I changed the quantities & was quite satisfied with the dish.

Ingredients : 1/2 cup thin lapsi rava,2.5-3 cups water, 1tbsp malai ( optional ),1 tbsp ghee,1/3 to 1/2 cup jaggery,1/3 cup mango puree ( I used Langda variety of Mango ),1 clove & 2 cardamoms ( peeled ),grated or thinly sliced 5-6 almonds for garnish.

Method : Roast lapsi rava on  a low flame in a kadhai  for 5 minutes.Add ghee & roast again.On another gas burner, keep water for boiling.Add malai, if using, into this water, so that it will get broken up ( I hate malai -so try to use it in dishes where I cannot make out taste of malai).

Now add jaggery & boling water to the lapsi rava & mix nicely .Cook it with a lid covering the kadhai..Keep removing the lid & mixing the contens in the kadhai every 2-3 minutes.Add powdered spice mixture ( 1 clove & 2 cardamom )to the kadhai .As the sheera thickens add ,the mango puree & mix.Cook it covered with lid.After 2-3 minutes,if it is done -mango puree has been absorbed,put off the gas.

Garnish with sliced almonds & serve.

The sweetness was just right.I was able to make out that mango had been added.If more sweetness is needed,one can use more jaggery or more of mango puree.

Pav bhaji cutlets

Yesterday , I made pav bhaji as my kid loves it.This is a good method to make fussy kids like my daughter consume all veggies which go into making pav bhaji.The pav bhaji turned out to be quite spicy.My kid ate sparingly.She added loads of Amul butter to the bhaji & consumed it.Still, a lot of bhaji was left.

I am going to eat it today as well.I had some pav buns-2 & some bread slice sides & corners in the refrigerator.I crumbled the bread slice corners & the 2 pav buns in the mixer & got it all powdered.Mixed this with left over pav bhaji & added some haldi etc & made cutlets.I ate them for nashta & gave them to my maids as well.They liked it.

Ingredients : 1 boiled potato,3-4 tbsp leftover pav bhaji,a few bread slice sides & corners -approximately half a cup,2 pav buns,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,1 tbsp oil,1/2 tsp grated ginger,1/2 tsp flax seed powder ( optional ) ,salt to taste.

Method : Crumble the bread slice sides &  corners & pav buns in mixer -grinder to get fine moist powder.Mash the boiled potato after peeling it .Add the mashed potato. Add the left over pav bhaji - I added 3 tbsps.Add haldi ,hing & salt.If you want to make it more healthy ,add 1/2 tsp falx seed powder as it is good fat.Add grated ginger & mix nicely.Keep aside.

Grease palms with a little oil & take a little of the pav bhaji -bun mixture kept aside & shape into flat circle.Similarly make more falt circles from the mixture.

Take a tawa & spread some oil on it.Put on the gas.Gently drop the flat patties on the tawa.After some time ( 2-3 minutes) ,turn the patties  upside down.They may have browned on the side they faced the tawa.After another 2-3 minutes,take them off the tawa.Serve with green chutni or tomato ketchup.

I ate my cutlets without any accompaniment as I felt ,they had all tastes in them.I got 9 cutlets-one was quite big.So approximately 10 small cutlets can be made with the amount of ingredients listed by me.Snap is taken after my binging of the cutlets-hence only 6 can be seen.

I did not add any red chilly powder or green chillies to my cutlet mix as my pav bhaji was quite spicy.If you love spicy food ,you may add as per your wish.

Surti Locha

I had been posted in Surat for quite some time & therein I ate dhoklas,khaman,locha etc.Locha is crumbled dhokla garnished with chopped raw onions,thin sev ,chutni etal It is like dhokla bhel .

I love dhoklas.I have made dhoklas before ( recipe @ http://vasusanchayah.blogspot.in/2011/08/dhoklas.html).Today ,I made them & they did not rise.They were just like solid steamed batter cakes.So I decided to make them into locha.

Ingredients : 2 plates of dhoklas( which have not risen & hence are not fluffy ) ,1tbsp oil,1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1 green chilli -finely chopped,,a few curry leaves-chopped,1/4 tsp hing ,1/4 tsp haldi.

Garnish : Finely chopped onions,thin sev.

Method : I found that my dhoklas were not breaking with my hands- they were soft -so I broke them into 1inch chunks & put them in the mixie.I powdered the chunks.

Take oil in kadhai.Put on the gas.Put mustard seeds in the oil.After they have spluttered ,add the chopped curry leaves & the green chilli.Add hing & haldi.Now put the powdered dhoklas into the kadhai & fry for some time so that the mustard,curryleaves & green chillies are all nicely mixed with the dhoklas.Put off the gas.

Serve the locha with raw chopped onions & sev.My friend says even chutni -green or sweet can be added.

After you taste the locha,you will pray for the dhoklas to get spolit now & again .Locha tastes better than dhoklas !After all ,as one of my ex-colleague used to remark -nothing can beat the partnership of oil & besan !

Aloo -gobhi in pressure cooker.

Well, there is a joke, about any such mixed veggie dish-if it is aloo gobhi ,it has more potaoes less of cauliflower & if it is gobhi aloo ,it has more cauliflower & less of aloos. !

My vegetable recipe has no such standard.I just added aloo,gobhi ,tomato & some spices & pressure cooked it.

Ingredients : 1/4 kg cauliflower -cleaned & cut into medium sized florets,2-3 aloos -peeled & diced into big chunks,1 tomato,1/4 inch ginger -grated,1 green chilli -chopped in two -three pieces,2 tsp oil,1 tsp all spice powder ( garam  masala ) or a mixture of pepper,dhania & jeera powder,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 hing,salt to taste.

Method : Take oil in a kadhai & put it on the gas for cooking.As the oil gets warmer ,toss aloo chunks,grated ginger & green chilli.Shallow fry for 2-3 minutes.Add haldi & hing & mix all to enable haldi & hing to nicely coat the aloo pieces.Now put in the cauliflower florets & mix all veggies once again.Lastly add tomatoes,all spice powder & salt & nicely mix.Put off the gas.

Take all this veggie mix & transfer it into a vessel which can be fitted into the cooker.Sprinkle little water & mix all together.Pressure cook for two to three whistles.Check for the veggie after the cooker has cooled down.It will have cooked well.Mine had cooked after 2 whsitles.If not ,it can be cooked outside cooker or pressure cooked for 1 whistle.This method uses little oil.Water is sprinkled on the veggie so that florets don't get overcooked & aloo pieces get cooked.

Mango peach salsa with a twist.

I came across this easy salsa @ http://anjali-cooklog.blogspot.in/2012/05/desi-chatpata-mango-salsa.html

As I had some peaches & mangoes at home,I decided to make my own version of  salsa inspired by the desi salsa of Anjali.

Ingredients : 1 small ripe mango ( I had Neelam mango -any sweet mango can be used ),1 peach,1 tomato ,2-3 spring onion bulbs ( since I had them -I used them -ordinary onions can also be used ),1/4 tsp pepper powder,1/4tsp jeera powder, 1 tbsp thin sev ( used to garnish bhel puri,sev puri etc ),salt  to taste.

Method :Peel the mango & peach.For peach ,put the peach in lukewarm water & let it remain in water for 10 minutes.This will help in peeling peach.

Cut the mango ,peach,tomato & onions into 1/2 inch pieces.Mix all the cut veggies.Sprinkle pepper & jeera powder.Add salt to taste & mix all together.Now garnish with sev & serve.

It tasted awesome ! I added lots of sev after I had taken this snap & devoured it ! I did not have any chips or papad handy to accompany the salsa.Hence, added sev generously & gobbled it up !

Tips : One can add boiled potatoes,boiled mung or chana as well.One can add cucumbers, radishes,carrots also.One can add red chilli powder or chilli flakes ,oregano etc.It was tangy enough for me -the peach being on the sour side.Mango provided the sweetness,pepper provided pungent flavours.Even lemon juice  can be added to make it more  tangy.Honey can be added for extra sweetness.The options are unlimited !

This is very healthy & full of fibre.What more can I ask for ? !

Mango Malai Kulfi

I started collecting malai off the milk on a daily basis n freezing it.My purpose was to make mango ice cream -better than my last attempt.I made it & served to my maid to learn about her opinion.She said that it tasted like kulfi.That's when I decided to put the ice cream into kulfi moulds presented by my bhabhi ( at last I used them ) . That's how I came to name this dish as Malai mango kulfi !

Ingredients : Frozen malai off ( removed )  from 15 days milk( I buy less fat milk -so hardly any malai is recoverable -every time I heat milk& cool it ,whatever malai comes ,I collect & freeze it ).This malai was approximately 1 cup,1/2 cup white granulated sugar,1/2 -1 cup mango puree from 1 kesar mango ( any mango can be used - Happus,dussehari etc ).

Method : Remove the frozen cream from the refrigerator .After it has achieved room temperature,pour the cream in mixie & run the mixie to get a smooth frothy milky liquid.Now add mango puree & sugar & again blend all into a smoothie.

Now pour this into a freezer box - any airtight box & freeze it.I did this in the night.Next morning ,I removed it & after it had melted,poured into mixer & blended it gain.Repeat freezing.Do this,de freezing ,blending & re freezing three to four times.

Then pour the blended smoothie into kulfi moulds & freeze again.After 4 hours ,remove from refrigeration.Let 5 minutes pass,then remove kulfi from mould & enjoy !

I read on Tarla Dalal's website that after removing kulfi moulds,five minutes must pass before the kulfi comes out on the kulfi stick.If we try this as soon as we remove the kulfis from the refrigerator,then ,only the kulfi sticks come out without kulfis.

My recipe is imperfect -one can notice that kulfis have started melting in the snap.I promise to better the recipe next time around.

Soya cutlets with peanuts powder.

I had some soya chunks & did not find any use for them.I chanced upon this recipe @http://www.sharmispassions.com/2012/01/soya-chunks-cutlet-recipe.html.I wanted to try this out.I tried & they turned out quite nicely.I rolled the cutlets on peanut powder & put them on non stick tawa.The peanut powder release oil & the cutlets got cooked !I had read about this peanut powder technique in an interview by a nutritionist ,Ms.Venkat.

Ingredients : 3/4 cup soya chunks,2 medium sized poataoes,1 small carrot ,1 green chilli,1 sprig of curry leaves,1/2 inch ginger,1/2 tsp dhana jeera powder,1/4 tsp red chilli powder,1/4 tsp hing,1/4 tsp haldi,1 tsp lemon juice,salt to taste,4-5 tbsp peanut powder,1-2 tsp oil for greasing hands to make cutlets.

Method : Pressure cook potatoes & peel them.Keep aside.Pressure cook soya chunks for 1 whistle with 1 cup water.After cooling them a bit outside the pressure cooker,squeeze the soya chunks to remove excess water.Grate carrot & ginger.Chop finely the green chilly & curry leaves.

Mash potatoes,soya chunks nicely & mix.Add haldi,hing, finely chopped green chilly, grated ginger,carrot & thoroughly mix them.Now add lemon juice,red chilli powder ,dhana jeera powder & mix nicely.It will become a unified mass.

Grease hands with little oil & take abll of the mass & pat it into flat shape - round or oval.Roll it in peanut powder such that it is coated on all sides with it.Put it on a non stick tawa & shallow fry it.After 2-3 minutes ,turn it upside down & shallow fry on the other side.

Repeat till all the mass of potatoes,soya mix gets over.I was able to make 15-20 small cutlets.I liked the taste.

After pressure cooking soya chunks ,please run water on soya chunks to get rid of soya taste as per Sharmi of Sharmis Passions.

Eggless Pear Upside down cake

I wanted to make this cake from the day I glanced at  gluten free version of pear cake on  "My diverse kitchen" .I finally brought one single pear & made this cake a week ago.It turned out too good to my surprise !

I was inspired by http://priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.in/2011/01/eggless-pear-oats-upside-down-cake.html

I changed the recipe a bit.

Ingredients : 1/4 cup jowar atta,1/4 cup raagi atta,1/4 cup oats,a little less than 1/4 cup maida & another little less than 1/4 cup corn flour,1/2 tsp baking soda,1/2 tsp baking powder,a pinch of salt,1/2-3/4 cup jaggery sugar ( I have given this amount as little more than 1/2 cup was enough for my taste),1/2 cup dahi or curds,1/2 cup boiled water,1/4 cup oil,2tsp vinegar ( I used simple colouless vinegar as I don't have apple cider vinegar).

Method : Mix all the dry flours together in a bowl.Add baking soda ,baking powder & salt to the flour mix & mix nicely with spoon or fork many times.Keep aside.

Mix curds,oil,vinegar & sugar in another bowl..Dissolve sugar so that no lumps of sugar remain.Make aeell in the flour mix & pour the liquid mix of oil,vinegar & curds.Mix nicely.Now add boiled water till no lumps remain & a drop down consistency batter is obtained.Keep aside.

Take a microwaveable vessel & line it with butter paper.Place thinly cut slices of pear on the butter paper in any pattern that you like.Pour the batter over the pear slices.Bake in microwave for 8-9 minutes.My cake came out perfect in 8.5 minutes.

Let it cool in microwave for 10 minutes.Then take out the cake & let it cool for 15 minutes.Then put the microwaveable vessel with cake upside down on to a plate.The cake will drop down on plate.Check if the cake has cooled. Then cut into desired pieces &  serve.

My cake was little crumbly -so next time around ,I will put only 1 tbsp of corn atta.

Sugarless Mango shake

I loved mango shake as a kid.Hence,during this mango season ,I made mango milkshake with happus mango & asked my kid to have a sip.She loved it !

Mango milk shake is full of fibre,energy ,vitamin A -total nutrition.
Ingredients : 1 mango ,1/3 cup milk.This makes only 1 glass milk shake.

Method : I used Kesar mango ( shown in the snap ).Even happus,dussehari or any mango( on the sweeter side ) can be used.

Peel the mango & take out the flesh of the mango .Puree the flesh in a juicer or mixer.Take milk & try to squeeze remaining fruit pulp from the mango peel .Take the mango seed ( guthli in Hindi ) & try to remove whatever mango flesh is sticking to the seed .Mix all this fruit flesh in the milk.Add this milk to the mango puree in the mixer or juicer.Put the juicer or mixer on & blend the mango puree & milk into one uniform mix.

Pour into a glass .Add ice cubes  to the shake.This shake was sufficiently sweet.For extra sweetness,one may have to add sugar.

Eggless Bournvita banana cake

I read about this cake @http://www.egglesscooking.com/2011/05/03/chocolate-banana-bread/.I made some changes & the cake turned out quite well.

Ingredients : 1/2 cup  whole wheat flour,1/2 cup ragi flour, 1/4 tsp baking soda,3/4 tsp baking powder,1/2 tbsp Bournvita powder ( I did not have cocoa & so I used Bournvita ),salt to taste.

3 medium sized ripe bananas-all mashed  & pureed,1/2 cup jaggery sugar( this is almost chocolate colour - ordinary white sugar can be used),1/4 cup yoghurt,2 tbsp oil,1 tbsp vinegar.

Method :In a bowl,mix  banana puree,oil,sugar & yoghurt nicely till sugar dissolves.Add vinegar & mix nicely.Keep aside.

In another bowl, mix all dry ingredients by sifting the flours ,Bournvita powder baking powder & baking soda.Make a well in the dry ingredient mix & slowly pour the banana puree oil-vinegar-sugar mix .Mix nicely into a batter so that no lumps remain.Add water, if batter is too thick.It must have drop down consistency.Keep aside.

Take a  microwaveavble vessel & line the bottom with butter paper.Pour  the cake batter into this vessel.Microwave for 7-8 minutes till a toothpik inserted comes out clean.

Let the vessel be in microwave for 10 minutes.Then take it out from microwave.Cool outside the microwave for another 10 minutes.Put the vessel upside down on to a plate.It will take some time before the cake drops down on to the plate.Then cut it into desired shapes & serve.

My cake turned out very moist & the wonderful aroma of bananas.Sugar content was just right.Jaggery sugar is very sweet -hence I used only 1/2 cup.It can be increased if more sweetness is needed.

Veg Frankie

My kid loves rotis.I am constantly tensed up thinking about her tiffin box- she must eat nutritious food & she abstains from eating upma, lemon rice,dahi rice etal.She suggested frankie one day & I said that I must try this.

I googled & realised that rotis can be made of atta ,maida or a mixture of both.I took the easy way out.I made use of left over rotis.Her school is very early for me to prepare rotis as also the frankie filling in the morning.Of course ,those of you who are very enthusiasitic may do this & more .I am lazy & often opt for such solutuons !

Ingredients for the frankie roll: 3 or 4 Leftover chappatis,or rotis or plain parathas,3-4 tsps butter ( I used Amul butter - you can use any butter or even ghee )

Ingredients for frankie filling : 2-3 medium sized boiled potatoes,1 medium sized onion -finely chopped,1 small capsicum -finely chopped,1/4 inch ginger - grated,1/4 tsp haldi,a pinch of hing,1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1/4 tsp dhana jeera powder,a dash of lemon juice, 1tbsp oil & salt to taste.

Method : In a kadhai, saute chopped onion in oil.Add grated ginger & saute again.Add chopped capsicum & mix nicely.Cook for 2-3 minutes by covering with a lid.Add haldi & hing.Mix nicely.Break the boiled potataoes into chunks & add to the kadhai.Mix all nicely.Add dhana jeera powder & red chilli powder.Mix nicely.Cook for 1-2 minutes by covering with a lid.Now put off the gas.After a minute or two add a dash of lemon juice & mix to give the filling a tangy taste.

Take a roti & warm it on the tawa.Take a tsp of butter & spread the butter on the whole of the roti.After the warming for 1 minute ,take a generous amount of the tangy filling & put it in the middle of the roti .Now roll both the ends of roti one over the other so that the filling is covered.The roll must look like masala dosa roll.Remove this from the tawa .The roll can be turned upside down on the tawa to make it crisp on both the sides.

Repeat similarly for the remaining rotis.I cut the frankie in the middle, so that my kid can just shove each frankie piece into her mouth.

One can use amchur powder or tomatoes instead of lemon juice.Chat powder can be sprinkled on the filling to give more tangy taste.

Mango Ice cream.

I love ice creams except chocolate ice cream.I amke it apoint to eat an ice cream whenever I go out to the market.I am especially fond of Amul Ice creams.Gelato is a new favourite.

I always felt that ice creams will never turn out the way they are in the Ice cream parlours as the freezers are very important & we do not have access to those types of freezers.Our refrigerators are opened every now & then.This affects the freezing & obviously the ice cream.

I was inspired to try this ice cream by Kavi @(http://myedibles.blogspot.in/2012/06/mango-ice-cream.html & Veg Inspirations who shared the 2 ingredient ice cream recipe @http://www.veginspirations.com/2012/06/simple-2-ingredient-nutella-icecream.html

I would like to clarify that I used all approximate measurements as I was very skeptical of the results.So if you want to try ,please be careful.All measurements are approximate except the jaggery sugar & cream.

Ingredients : 200-225 ml milk,1/2 cup jaggery sugar, Mango pulp of 1 medium sized mango ( I used Kesar ).Happus ,Dussehari or any other sweet variety can be used,1 tbsp cream,any dry fruit for garnishing ( I used almonds ).

Method : I boiled milk for 20-25 minutes.I beat the mango pulp & cream in a mixie along with the sugar.Now added this pulp-cream sugar mix to boiled milk & mixed nicely.Allow it to cool.Now take an airtight container  & put the milk-cream-pulp sugar mixture into it.The mixture must come upto three fourths level in the container & not more.It can be less than that.This is because after cooling ,there will be expansion & there must be room for that.Keep the container in the freezer.

I did this in the night.I took the container from the freezer in the morning.The ice cream had set.I mixed the contents of the container with the spoon  after it had warmed up a little bit as it had been kept out of the freezer.Then I kept it in the freezer again.After every hour ,the container has to be taken out from thr freezer & mixed again & set in the freezer.This prevents to some extent the ice crystals which get formed.I repeated this in & out of the freezer some 5 -6 times.

You may notice from the snap below that my ice cream is not that creamy as it has more water content than it should have.I am posting this  as my first attempt has turned out better than my expectations ! Next time around,I plan to use more cream & boil the milk for a longer time.

I scooped out 3scoops with a ladle & put it into a bowl.I garnished it with chopped almonds.

Tip : Dussehari has a watery pulp.Kesar &Happus  have thicker mango pulp. Hence ,I feel Happus & Kesar are good for mango ice cream.Any other variety of mango can also be used. Jaggery sugar has a brownish almost chocolate colour.My ice cream therefore has a darker colour.Ordinary white sugar can be used.I use jaggery sugar as it is healthier- I believe so as it is not as refined as ordinary white sugar.Jaggery sugar is more sweet than ordinary sugar is my opinion-so I use less than what others may have used.

The milk I used is  low fat milk.The cream I used is malai of the milk which I boiled.I have already started collecting malai in the freezer for my next ice cream !

Healthy bread pakoras.

My kid is always yearning for pakoras.. Potato & bread pakoras are her favourites .I am petrified of frying & so I avoid making pakoras.I came across this shallow frying of bread pakoras at Priya's versatile recipes.I tried it & my kid just loved it.I made some changes.

Ingredients :1 cup besan,1/2 cup dahi,4 tbsp oil,1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1/2 tsp ajwain,1/4 tsp hing,1/4 tsp haldi,salt to taste,a pinch of baking soda,1 tbsp rava or sooji, 1tsp flaxseed powder ( optional ) , 4 bread slices,water to make batter consistency appropriate.

Method : I used brown bread slices.Even white bread can be used.Cut each bread slice diagonally into 4.Keep aside all  cut bread slices.

Take besan .Add sooji, flaxseed powder , red chilli powder,ajwain ,haldi,hing ,salt & mix .Now add dahi to make batter.If batter is not drop down consistency,more water or dahi can be added.Mix batter nicely till no lumps remain.

Take a shallow tawa or non stick tawa & put oil on it.Spread the oil on the tawa so that the whole surface of tawa gets coated with oil.Heat the tawa with oil in it.As the oil gets heated up ,dip bread slices in the besan mix & put them on the tawa.Fry the slice on one side.Turn it upside down after some time & fry the reverse side.Take it off from the tawa.Repeat with other bread slices.

Serve with tomato ketchup  or any chutni.

Eggless mango cake.

I have been wanting to bake a mango cake this mango season.I did try it & it did not come up that well.I tried it again today & it has turned out okay.So ,I am posting this now.The original recipe is from http://www.sharmispassions.com/2011/06/eggless-mango-cake-mango-loaf-bread.html

I have made some changes.

Ingredients : 1 cup whole wheat flour,1/2 tsp baking powder,1/2 tsp baking soda ,a pinch of salt,1/4 tsp cardamom powder.
3/4 cup mango puree ( I used Dussehari mango ),1/4 cup curd malai,1/4 cup oil,1/2 cup jaggery sugar ( this is dark brownish black sugar from jaggery -it is unrefined & available at Rajkamal Tea centre,Chembur).I use this sugar as it is healthy . Ordinary sugar can be used.My cake has got a dark colour due to this jaggery sugar.

Method : Mix all dry ingredients together - the flour,baking powder,soda & cardamom.

Mix mnago puree,curd malai ( or curd ),oil & sugar.Jaggery sugar is lumpy & if mixed in dry mix does not mix properly.Hence ,I mix jaggery sugar in liquid ingredients.

Make a well in the dry mix & pour the liquid mix.Mix nicely till no lumps remain.One can add water or curds or chaas to get drop down consistency batter.Curd,chaas should not be sour to avoid sour taste.

Line a baking dish with butter paper.Pour the batter onto the butter paper in the dish.Bake in microwave for 7-8 minutes.Leave for 5-10 minutes.Remove from microwave & insert a knife to check if it comes out clean.If knife is clean ,cake is done.Otherwise,bake for 1-2 minutes more.Leave it for 5-10 minutes.

Then cool it outside the microwave for 15-20 minutes.Then put it upside down on a plate.Cool it for 5-10 minutes.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

Naval kol sabzi

Naval kol is a cabbage like vegetable .It is shaped like any onion .Its colour is like green cabbage.It tastes like cabbage .It is a solid mass unlike cabbage which has layers.

I love this vegetable as I like variety.It is quite a tricky vegetable.It may look fresh & yet may be hard to cut as also get cooked.It has leaves like radish.I discard the leaves & only use the solid mass for sabzi.I peel the vegetable to remove small offshoots which are there on the outside & cut it like any other vegetable.If I find any part of the vegetable very hard,It has to be discarded as it will not cook .The rest can be cut & cooked.

Ingredients : 2 navalkols- chopped into half inch pieces,1 green mirchi-chopped into 2-3 pieces,1-2 sprigs of curry leaves,1/2 tsp urad dal,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4tsp hing,1/2 mustard seeds,1tbsp oil,1tbsp fresh dessicated coconut,salt to taste.

Method : Heat oil in a kadhai.Add mustard seeds.When they  pop up,add urad dal.After urad dal has turned golden ,add mirchi & kadi patta.Then add the navalkol pieces along with haldi & hing.Mix all.Cover with a lid & cook for 5 minutes.Remove lid & sprinkle some water.Mix & cook again for 5minutes.Prick the navalkol pieces to see if they have turned tender.If tender ,add coconut & salt & mix nicely & cook covered with lid for another 2-3 minutes.Put off the gas.Serve sabzi as side dish to chappatis or even as an accompaniment to rasam-rice.

If they are not tender,add some more water.Cover with lid & cook again.After the veggie pieces have turned tender,add salt & coconut.Mix nicely.Cover with lid & cook for 2-3 minutes.Put off gas.Navalkol sabzi is ready.

Ukrainian coffee cake

I came across this exotic cake in the magazine i Diva.I have made some changes.Please refer to the  original recipe here.

I made some changes.

Ingredients :
For cake :
1 cup whole wheat flour,1/2 tsp baking soda,1/2 tsp baking powder,1/4 tsp cinnamon,a pinch of salt,1/3 cup jaggery sugar,1/4 cup honey,1/3 cup coffee ( 2 tsp Bru  instant  coffee powder dissolved in hot water ),2 tbsp oil,1/3 to 1/2  cup yoghurt.

For icing : 1/4 cup powdered sugar,1tbsp lemon juice,1tbsp honey.

Method : Sift the atta,baking powder,soda cinnamon & salt together in a bowl .Keep aside.

In another bowl ,mix the jaggery sugar with yoghurt,hot coffee & oil.Initially,add only 1/3 cup yoghurt to this mixture.The jaggery sugar cakes out ( in humid climate,it forms lumps ) & hence, it is advisable to mix in liquids before adding to cake batter.Otherwise,if it is added just like that without mixing in liquid,it may not mix properly in cake.

Pour the liquid into the dry mix bowl & mix till no lumps remain.The batter must have drop down consistency.More yoghurt can abe added to get drop down consistency.

Take a microwaveable vessel & line the bottom with butter paper.Pour the cake batter into it.Microwave for 7-8 minutes.After 5 minutes.Check with toothpik.If toothpik comes out clean,cake is ready.

Take it out from microwave & cool for 15-20 minutes.Put it on to a plate.

Mix the powdered sugar ,honey & lemon juice nicely.Take a spoon & spread this icing  mixture on the surface of the cake evenly.It can also be spread on sides & bottom as well.

Cut into desired shapes & serve.One can cut the cake & then apply icing individually to cake pieces & serve.