Cooking Pleasures

Mango Sorbet - A Slushy Summer Treat

2010-06-07T00:27:00.000-07:00

Heat is on. Summer is here in full swing. And I am back after a pretty long hiatus, finally settled in a new place and enjoying doing nothing. Sometimes just being at homes is a joy in itself and all of a sudden we get to know that there is so much to do. So taking time I am sorting my new home, making it home. With all the movement, cooking was hit too. Slowly things are getting into shape. And this delicious mango sorbet is a result one of my those first efforts. More will follow thats a promise.

Eat it chilled and you will instantly feel refreshed. The mango flavor and aroma will make you fell on top of the world. The recipe is also so easy and can be made few hours before serving. Kids especially love this exotic mango sorbet. Its just that you have to take care in making the sorbet slushy by chilling it then mixing it again and again.

Ingredients

2 large mangoes, peeled and pureed
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
5 tbsp sugar
juice of 1 lemon
rind of 2 lemons
1 mango chopped

Method

* In a pan simmer water along with ginger and sugar for about 10 minutes.
* Remove from flame and let it cool.
* Add lemon juice and lemon rind along with mango pulp to this sugar syrup. Stir well.
* Freeze this mixture in a freezerproof container till it thickens.
* Remove from the freezer and in blend it in a mixer till all the rice crystals are broken.
* Freeze the mixture again. Do this 2-3 times.
* Before serving, remove the sorbet from the freezer to the refrigerator and let it there for about 15-20 minutes.
* Using icecream scoops serve the mango sorbet in precooled glass bowls along with fresh mango slices.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake - Happy Women's Day

2010-03-08T02:10:00.000-08:00

She is every ounce of
"strength, courage and wisdom"
in trace amounts of man
and -isms

She is the effervescence of life:
dignity, destiny, faith in our fathers,
love, light,
hope for tomorrows

She is the seed of prosperity
bringing forth virtuous fruit
faith, charity, resilience
and truth.

She is the dawn
of every tomorrow
she speaks peace
to every sorrow

She is woman
for God's man
She is the chosen
by His hand

Happy Women's Day !!

To All Women In The World

Hey Guys!! I am back after a long hiatus just in time not to miss the special day for all the women. Lately the ending of the financial year has really kept me busy at work with all the deadlines to meet. At home front too, things are changing. Probably in a month or two, I will be shifting my base to a new place. So, please bear with me for a few months more. If you really wanna help me then I will be more than glad. Guest posts are invited. You can send me posts on any of the recipes of your choice, I will publish them with due credits.

Chocolate lava cake is one of my favorites and I can bet no one can resist it after just one bite. The warm molten chocolate inside makes a great combination with chilled fresh cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Also its very easy to make and is ready in minutes. For celebrating the Women' Day its just the perfect way, forgetting all the calorie dilemmas for a day and celebrating womanhood. So here goes my Chocolate Lava cake to all the wonderful women in the world, including me :)

Ingredients

2 egg yolks

2 eggs

4 pieces of semi sweet baking chocolate

1 cup butter

1 cup podered sugar
1 cup flour

Method

* In a pan heat butter and chocolate pieces together.
* Remove from heat and whisk till the chocolate completely melts in butter
* Add sugar and mix well.
* Add the egg yolks as well as eggs and stir the mixture.
* Fold in the flour.
* Take 4-5 small cups, greased well. Pour in the mixture.
* In a baking tray line them and bake them for about 15 minutes or till the edges are set but the inner crust is still moist.
* Turn the cup upside down and remove the cake.
* Serve the cakes with fresh whipped cream or scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Recipe: Pioneer Woman Cooks

Strawberry Pie Dessert - Welcoming The Summer

2010-02-18T04:42:00.000-08:00

Strawberry, strawberry and strawberry everywhere be it cosmetics or desserts, even shakes. I just love the flavor and smell of fresh strawberries. Every time I find something of that flavor or smell, I just but that product. Few days back, luckily I got a pound of fresh ripe strawberries from the local grocery shop. I can't tell how happy I was.

The other day was Valentine's Day. So time to celebrate love. And to make my love feel special, I deiced on ordering his favorite food. The time I saved from cooking the meal, I used it in making the dessert. After all the saying goes like - All's well that ends well.

Strawberries helped me in pleasing his taste buds, as I made a romantic Strawberry Pie. Romantic being the day of love and as its wonderful aroma and flavor set the mood. I tried making my first tart or crust. And the filling was all love. These days you can get the crust from food shops too and the dessert will be ready in minutes.

Ingredients

For Crust

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

For Filling

1 bar cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup sugar
3-4 cup strawberries, hulled and halved
3 tbsp corn starch

Makes 8 servings

Method

* Blend flour, butter, sugar, and salt until moist crumbs form in a food processor for around a minute.
* Transfer the dough to a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.
* With floured fingers, press dough evenly into pan and up sides. Dip a dry-measuring cup in flour, and use it to press dough firmly into bottom and against sides of pan.
* Freeze crust until firm for about 10 to 15 minutes.
* Preheat oven to 350°
* Using a fork, prick crust all over. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes, pressing down gently once or twice with a spoon during baking if crust puffs up. Cool completely in pan.
* For making the filling, in a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth; spread mixture evenly in bottom of baked crust (still in tart pan).
* Chop half of the strawberries and place them into a saute pan
* Add one cup of sugar combined with three tablespoons of corn starch.
* Cook strawberries and sugar/cornstarch on medium heat.
* Using a whisk, crush strawberries as they soften and continue cooking on low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
* Take the other half of the strawberries and into the sauce prepared.
* Pour the strawberry pie filling into your perfectly baked crust.
* Chill the pie for about 2 hours.

Note: To prevent the delicate crust from breaking, leave it in the pan while assembling and chilling tart. Remove the tart from mold tart just before serving.

Chocolate, Bread & Butter Pudding

2010-02-08T03:13:00.000-08:00

Starting the blog post with an apology is making me feel so guilty. But I can't help it too. I am really sorry to my blog as well as my readers. Lately I have not able to update much, even my cooking is affected. As the financial year is going to end in another month, I have been piled up so much of work that I am unable to breathe. That is leaving me all occupied that I am not able to cook or bake much.

The delicious chocolate bread and butter pudding is off to Meeta's Monthly Mingle hosted by Life's A Feast.

Although the recipe was perfect. I baked it well too. The only mistake I did was that somehow I added more milk. Because of which it became more moist than required. So I have reduced the quantity of milk. Still it tasted heavenly. The lovely moist gooey taste of chocolate along with butter was delicious.

Ingredients

10-15 slices of bread or a loaf of brioche
4 yolks
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 cup cream
2 cup milk
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 cup salted butter – melted
1 piece of dark chocolate, chopped finely

Method

* Remove the crust of the bread slices.
* Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until the mix turns pale. Keep it aside.
* In a pan add milk, cream and vanilla essence. Let it be warm on low heat.
* Add one fourth of this mixture to egg one. Again whisk.
* Then pour in the remaining mixture, whisking continuously.
* Strain the mixture and let it cool.
* Apply butter on the slices and place them on a baking dish.
* Sprinkle the chocolate pieces on them.
* Then add another layer of slices, followed by chocolate pieces.
* Pour the mixture on top of the slices.
* Let the slices soak the milk mixture for about half an hour.
* Bake it in a preheated oven at 130(C) for about 40-45 minutes.
* Remove from oven and cool the pudding.
* Serve warm, sprinkled with little powdered sugar.

Granola Bars - Deliciously Healthy

2010-01-28T07:50:00.000-08:00

In order to keep up with my new year resolutions and do away with the excess of granola packets, I tried making healthy granola bars last weekend. Although granola makes a great breakfast in terms of time it needs to be prepared. But after consuming it number of times, it has become almost tasteless to me. So, I decided on giving tasteless granola a twist by combining them with dates. Those who like the taste of dates will love this recipe.

Granola bars are chewy, crunchy and crispy with not too much of sweetness. They make a great afternoon snack for the untimely hunger pangs. And when you are devouring a good book on the cozy couch, you can have them to save yourself from getting up and breaking the continuity. Being an avid reader myself, I hate getting up to make anything specially when I am on the verge of reading a good book.

I was a bit finicky when I was making them being my first time. But the bars came out to be good. The flavor of the dates gave them just the proper sweetness and the lemon juice the perfect tanginess. And both granola and dates combination made the granola bars rich in fibre, natural sugar and nutrition.The main thing to keep in mind is the time of baking. Otherwise you can refrigerate them too, if you don't want to bake them.

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup dried and roughly chopped raisins, walnuts, cranberries and almonds
(or 1 cup granola)

Method

* In a pan boil the dates with a little amount of water.
* Remove from heat and let it cool.
* Then blend it into a blender to form a thick paste.
* Melt butter in a pan.
* Add lime juice and honey followed by oats, dried fruits and chopped nuts(basically the granola)
* Saute for few minutes and add the date paste. Mix well.
* In a greased baking tray, place the mixture and smoothen out the top using an oiled knife.
* Bake for just about 15-20 minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C.
* Cool it into a refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes.
* Once the mixture sets, cut it into small bars ans store them in an air tight container.

Off To A Great Start - Happy 101 Award

2010-01-24T22:23:00.000-08:00

Gera of Sweet Foods brightened my January with a Happy 101 Award. Thanks a lot !! I think that was a great start for a new year.

Accepting the award I have added the Happy 101 picture. Further as part of the Award Acceptance, I must do the following too.

List 10 things that make me happy -

1) Reading novels
2) Delicious Desserts
3) Watching movies
4) Weekend offs
5) Showing off my culinary skills
6) Shopping (from clothes to veggies)
7) Blogging
8)   .................
9) .................
10) .................

Rest of the rules -

Tagging 10 bloggers who brighten my day.
Giving a link to their blogs
Notify the award receivers (will do sometime today)
Award recipients need to link back to the sender's(my) blog.

In no-particular order, 10 bloggers who can brighten up my day:

1. Lubna of Yummy Food
2. Parita of Parita's Kitchen
3. Muskan Sadhna of A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine
4. Freddy of Palachinka
5. Srivalli of Cooking 4 All Seasons
6. Deepa of Food Lyrics
7. Anncoo of Anncoo's Hobby
8. Nupur of Randomness
9. ................
10................

Apple Cinnamon Cake - Sinfully Fresh

2010-01-19T07:34:00.000-08:00

From chocolate cakes to truffles, Irish to plain vanilla, strawberry, cakes and pastries are a delight for everyone. But at times these cakes become too much of a sin. Still they are hard to resist. And since I am new to baking, every now and then craving for a warm piece of cake arises. Most of the times, I have to run to the nearmost bakery and only after having a piece of cake or pastry that the craving subsides. Its just that I am lucky, the bakery is just fabulous.

Although, this weekend shedding my laziness finally I made a cake. The recipe is somewhat similar to apple oatmeal muffins but with a few changes, adapted from a cookery show. Cookery shows come second in my list of things addicted to. First being the cookbooks, which I have already mentioned. Every time I get to watch a show, I scribble the recipe in my diary, just to use it at some point of time. Finally its turn came.

Lately, the weather has been freezing cold. But after the whole lot of effort of making the apple cake, when I took the first bite of the warm cake, I felt devine and much more fresh. The cold had made me really lazy to the extent of guilty of neglecting my blog. From a past few days, I was really feeling bad. So, I am back with a lovely delcious cake. Take my advice and have it fresh from oven. A warm cake is an indulgence worth taking. And with a dolop of chilled icecream or fresh scoop of cream cheese icing, the fun becomes much more joyful. s

Ingredients

For Cake

2-3 apples (peeled & chopped)
1 cup flour
1 cup butter
1 cup superfine sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp cinnamon powder

For Icing

1cup cream cheese
pinch of roasted cardamom powder
1/2 cup whipped cream

Method

* Whisk sugar and butter together for few minutes.
* Then fold in the flour followed by eggs, honey and cinnamon powder.
* Finally add apples and mix properly.
* Pour the prepared batter into a buttered baking pan.
* Bake for about half an hour at 170C
* Meanwhile prepare the icing by whipping all the ingredients together
* When the cake is baked, let it cool.
* At the time of serving spread the icing over the cake and serve.

My Super Seven - Cookbooks To Look For In 2010

2010-01-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

Reading has always been my passion. Since my growing years from Noddy to Nancy Drew then moving on to Jeffery Archer, Dan Brown, Mario Puzo, Chetan Bhagat, Shivani & countless more, I just don't remember how many books I have devoured till now. Still the passion has no bounds. But since when I started my food blog, my interest has moved a little from fiction to cookbooks. For me a cookbook is not just a recipe book but a collectible, which I can show off. Here is a list of my super seven which I am hoping to get my hands on, this year in 2010.

1) Cook In Boots - By Ravinder Bhogol, an Indian-origin food writer and stylist. Has won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for the UK`s Best First Cookbook

2) The Emperor’s Table by Salma Husain a resplendent collection of dishes from the imperial Mughal past

3) ChefMD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine by John La Puma, Rebecca Powell Marx. A Food Lover's Road Map to: Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, Getting Really Healthy

4) The Ultimate Low Fat Indian Cookbook by Shehzad Husain and Manisha Kanani: This dieter’s dream-come-true is a jugalbandi by the two authors, a Pakistani and an Uganda-born Indian.

5) Healthy Indian in Minutes by Monisha Bharadwaj: Provides mouth-watering glimpses of the diversity and subtlety and gentleness of our cuisine with gorgeous photographs.

6) Princely Legacy Hyderabadi Cuisine by Pratibha Karan. A must have cookbook on Hyderabadi cuisine.

7) Cooking For All Seasons by Jasleen Dhamija. Its an old one but evergreen, a must for everyone with wonderful recipes made using seasonal veggies and fruits.

My Mantra for 2010 is to eat healthy and cook healthy !!

2009 My Year In Food - A Retrospective

2010-01-07T04:10:00.000-08:00

Over the past few days, I have been enjoying dinner parties, entertaining surprise guests and shopping to my heart's content in the year end sales. You can say I was having quite an enjoyable end to the year and a great start of a brand new year. All of a sudden it dawned on me that already the new year has started and I am way behind in retrospection. Still as 2009 was a special year for me, I had to. After all I had started my first blog and finally discovered the enriching experience of various flavors and aromas in this very year.Not just that, I even got so many new friends with whom I could share my passion for cooking and learn from theirs.

To start one of my favorite desserts from the year gone was Mango Pudding, all credits to my darling husband. Then the outcome of one of my early baking experiences, Chocolate Plum Cake. For me desserts come before anything else. So much that, if I could then I would have made the five course dining menu always start with something sweet. Fried rice is one of my favorite creations of all time being so quick and so much fun to make. From drinks section I would choose Masala Lemonade, a superb heat buster for summers.

As 2009 turned out to be superb, I have a strong inkling that 2010 will bring with it many more yummy creations from my kitchen to yours! To start the new year, here are some of my resolutions for the ongoing food journey.

- More of baking

- Some cookbook reviews

- Lots of recipes from different cuisines

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-01T08:02:00.000-08:00

Wishing all my foodie friends A Very Happy & Prosperous New Year. I wish all of you more of cooking, more learning of new recipes & more food blogging. So overall a wonderfull food season ahead. For me I wish to cook better each day and my journey of dicovering exotic tastes, flavors & aromas may be something very fulfilling.

Rice Flour Pudding (Phirni) - Creamy Indian Delight

2009-12-29T09:21:00.000-08:00

Party season has started to welcome the new year and bidding adieu to the passing year. And parties mean entertaining guests, decorating the house, making wonderful food and indulging oneself. Finally the perfect time to stop thinking 'healthy' and start thinking 'desserts'. Given that I have done so much throughout the year to cut down on calorie intake, the holiday season means all sweet for me with divine cakes, tasty pastries, yummy chocolate to delicious puddings.

Creamy, sweet and delicious, Phirni/Firni is a fabulous dessert for serving in party dinners. Very easy to make. The main ingredient Rice flour can be obtained ready made from food stores. If you want you can even prepare rice flour at home by soaking rice overnight. Then remove all the water and let the rice dry on old newspaper. When rice becomes completely dry, grind it in a grinder to powdered form and use whenever you want. You can experiment with the flavors to make mango phirni, almond phirni or pistachio phirni. I really love the creamy taste and aroma of phirni be it of any flavor or plain.

Ingredients

1 l milk
1 cup rice flour
nuts & raisins according to your choice
1 cup sugar
pinch of cardamom powder (roasted)
few saffron strands

Method

* Boil milk and sugar together in a pan, until a thick consistency is achieved.
* Add rice flour slowly in parts, dissolving each part properly so that no lumps are formed.
* On medium heat let the mixture boil.
* Add the cardomom powder & saffron strands.
* Remove from heat. Serve warm or chill it as you want.
* Garnish with raisins and nuts and pour in clay pots for serving.

Fried Rice - When You Want Something Quick

2009-12-25T09:38:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all of you!!

Christmas spirit is everywhere. Got a wonderful Plum cake from my neighbor. I gifted her some assorted chocolates along with a greeting card. She gave me a wonderful Plum cake, which was absolutely delicious with lots of nuts & raisins inside. After having large bites of it, tummy was almost full and feeling of laziness started overpowering me. But still a need for something fulfilling was there. Somewhere in these moments, I always wish if I had a magic wand. Just a swish and piping hot delicious food is there on my plate. As I am no magician nor I have a magic wand, I have to cook.

A quick peep inside the refrigerator and I found some leftover rice, along with the regular veggies. My joy knew no bounds. At that very moment I knew, I am lucky. Out of plain leftover rice, so many rice dishes can be put together in minutes. Just throw in variety of flavors, some veggies, saute and a wholesome meal is ready to be served. And I bet anyone will be pleased. I also did the same and a delicious steaming fried rice was ready. Although there is no specific recipe but I used a mix of few Chinese ingredients and some regular ones on my instinct.

Ingredients

2-3 cup cooked plain rice
1 cup mixed vegetables (peas, beans, celery, cabbage)
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/4 tsp red chili powder
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
copped spring onion & cilantro leaves for garnish

Method

* Heat oil in a wok and fry onions till golden brown.
* Add vegetables, salt, pepper and chili powder and fry till all the water from the vegetables evaporate.
* Add rice and mix well. Splash soy sauce and fish sauce.
* Stir-fry rice till everything is mixed well.
* Garnish with spring onions and cilantro leaves.
* Serve hot.

Apple & Oatmeal Muffins - Crunchy Christmas Treats

2009-12-22T08:05:00.000-08:00

Sunday, after being unwell for last two days, finally I got to do some of baking. By now my fear of baking is gone and after few successful attempts, I feel pretty confident. Still have a long way to go before I become a perfect baker.

The apple & oatmeal muffins turned out to be extremely delicious, moist and crunchy. Moistness was due to apples, crunch came from the roasted oats and the recipe from a cookery show. Whenever I get a chance to watch any of the cookery shows, I jot down the recipe in my recipe diary. The muffins' recipe was also there. Christmas is just in a few days and muffins make a delicious treat for the holiday season.

Initially, I was reluctant in using the oatmeal in my muffins. But then thought I should at least give a try. Until now I have used oatmeal in my breakfast with just milk. These muffins are special treats, just in time for Christmas. So foodies do try these muffins whenever you get a chance.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup oatmeal
apples (peeled & chopped)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tbsp cinnamon powder
1/2 cup cream

Method

* In a pan dry roast oatmeal for few minutes and keep it aside.
* Same goes with apples, in a pan saute apples in a spoon of butter for few minutes and also keep it aside.
* Whip sugar, cream & eggs in a big bowl.
* Fold in the flour. (you can blend the mixture as well for few minutes, in a blender)
* Add the oatmeal, apples, cinnamon powder & baking soda.
* Melt butter in a pan and pour in the batter. Mix.
* Pour the batter in the greased moulds.
* Bake the muffins for about 30-35 minutes at around 170 degrees C.
* Serve warm with any sauce of your choice or fresh cream.

Fried Onion Rings - For Tea Time

2009-12-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

Winters have started with misty mornings and cold evenings. And cold evenings call for hot cups of ginger tea
along with some quick knick knacks. Although snacks can be as simple as biscuits or something sweet. But if you will ask my choice, then I am always on for something crunchy, crispy & salty. Most of the week I have to suffice myself with readymade items. But on weekends, I indulge myself fully in making every effort to enjoy my tea time.

Onion rings are simple "bhajiyas" which is usually made in any Indian home. But making crunchy rings is a trick which I have learnt from my mother and she has from her mother. When we keep sliced onions with salt. Then after few minutes they release water which is sufficient for making batter for bhajiyas. As soon as I got back home I salted the onions and kept them. Then I continued with my other things. After 10-15 minutes when I started, enough water was there. The aroma which started coming was in itself very overwhelming. Along with it I made hot cups of ginger tea. Both made wonderful combo. So what are you waiting, enjoy your cold winter evenings with something hot n crunchy.

This is off to the Tea Time Snack Event on Simple Indian Food.

Ingredients

2-3 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced in rings

1 cup of gram flour

1 cup of fresh green cillantro leaves chopped

¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder

¼ teaspoon of oregano

¼ teaspoon of fresh green chilies chopped fine

¼ teaspoon of red chili powder

Salt to taste

Oil as required for frying

Method

* In a large bowl add salt to the onion rings and leave for about 15-20 minutes.

* Then add gram flour followed by all the other ingredients.

* Mix well.

* In a wok, heat oil.

* Take out each onion ring or a small portion of the batter and drop into the hot oil.

* Deep fry till they turn golden brown in color.

* Pat the onion rings on an absorbent paper to soak the excess oil.

* Seve them hot with green chutney or cheese dip for tea.

Note: Don't use water, if you want to make crispy rings.

Caramelized Bananas - A Quick & Simple Dessert

2009-12-15T08:14:00.000-08:00

When you are back home after slogging for almost nine hours of work and you come to know that you have guests, then what do you do? Panic ? Atleast I do. Although I love to entertain but unexpected guests really spoil my mood. Yesterday night was also the same. But for a change, I pondered for a few moments, searched quickly through my refrigerator, checked the blogs of my foodie bloggers, took a deep breath and diverted my anger towards preparing the dinner.

Preparing the main course was easy, followed by a salad. Being equipped by the appliances of modern cooking, it took me over an hour. Yoo-ho !! Guests arrived just at that moment. Cooking had made my mood. I welcomed them with a smile. But still an important thing was left and that was the dessert. All of a sudden a glance on a bunch of bananas and something clicked. Any guesses?? Yes, Caramalized Bananas. Bingo !! When you want something quick and simple, caramelized bananas make just a perfect dessert in winters and even in summers, if served with scoops of ice cream. The recipe is just too simple and almost all the ingredients are there in the home.

Ingredients

6 bananas (peeled)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp cinnamon powder (roasted)
1 tbsp cardamon powder
handful of raisins, peanuts & pistachios
1 tbsp orange zest
1 tbsp brown sugar

Method

* In a pan, heat sugar on low flame until it melts and turns brown in color.
* Add butter, orange juice, cinnamon and cardomom powder.
* Keep on stirring till the mixture comes to a boil.
* In a baking dish, place the bananas and pour the mixture over them.
* For topping add orange zest along with the nuts.
* Sprinkle the brown sugar and bake the bananas for about 20 minutes at 170 degrees(C).
* Remove and let it cool for sometime and serve warm with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream.

Vegan Minestrone - The Big Soup

2009-12-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

The host Harini of Tongueticklers decided on Soups for this month's Monthly Mingle, started by Meeta. I must say a perfect theme for the cold of December. Right from my growing years, I have been a big fan of different types of soups. And still I cannot imagine even a week without one or two bowls of soup.
Soups can be as simple as possible. Yet they can be as complex as you want them to be, by mixing more or less ingredients. But they have a thing common and that is the great comforting factor along with oodles of warmth. Packed with goodness and great flavour, Minestrone is one such soup from Italy. Best eaten in fall or winter months, minestrone makes a perfect light and healthy meal for lunch or dinner. Although there is a huge variety of minestrone recipes as many are the minestrone cooks. But almost all minestrone recipes have three basic vegetables to start with - onion, carrot and celery. One important feature of this soup is that vegetables are to be chopped very fine so that each remains its identity and doesn't blend.

The aroma is fabulous. When you will start making it, I can bet that your family members will start peeping into the kitchen to check what's special is going on. You can experiment with the flavors according to the taste of your family and the vegetables available at hand. This is a vegan version. But vegetable broth can be replaced with chicken stock another minestrone will be ready.

Ingredients
1 cup macroni boiled
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
½ cup onion chopped
1 or 2 cup chopped carrots, potato, celery with leaves, cabbage
½ cup garbanzo beans or green beans, or any beans of your choice
1 cup tomato puree
4 cups of vegetable broth or water
2 tbsp herbs (optional)
salt and pepper for taste
grated cheese for garnishing (optional)

Method

* Heat olive oil in a large pan or pot and saute chopped onions.
* When golden brown, add ginger garlic pastes followed by chopped carrots, celery, cabbage and salt accordint to taste.
* Saute the mixture till all the vegetables are tender.
* Add herbs, beans and tomato puree.
* Pour in the vegetable stock and macaroni after five minutes.
* Sprinkle black pepper powder according to your taste.
* Cover and cook for about half an hour .
* Season with grated cheese and serve hot in bowls.

Chocolate Plum Cake - A Simple One For Christmas

2009-12-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

Weekends are a joy for everyone. Whole week everyone plans for weekend getaways and I plan for what I will make or bake. Lately baking is a new passion in my life, for which I get time on weekends only. In the last one, I had few of my friends. Just a bunch of women, no men. That makes me think, do we really need men in our life. No!! not at all. But yes men and women compliment eachother. And this will remain a fact as always. After all whatever we cook or we wear, if we don't have an admirer then from where will come the appreciations. We women love to be appreciated!!

For the lunch I had planned well in advance. There were grilled vegetables with tahini in the starters followed by fried rice and then my lovely chocolate cake with vanilla icecream for dessert. We chatted, we ate, watched a movie. All together you can call it a super fun time. Each part of my body freshened up.

Since when I have bought a can of chocolate, I am going totally crazy. Whatever dessert I am making, there is chocolate in it. Thats why I made chocolate cake. Its an easy recipe. I am gonna make one again and gift it to my darling neighbour on Christmas. So this one is for her. Rest of the menu, I will post in coming days. Enjoy this simple cake with your family this Christmas !

Ingredients

1 cup chocolate
1 cup butter
2-3 tbsp sugar free, powdered
2 eggs
2 tbsp honey
1 cup flour
handfull of chopped nuts

Method

* Melt the chocolate in microwave or a pan of low heat.
* In the meantime whip butter and sugar together in a bowl until light & fluffy.
* Add melted chocolate and beat in the eggs.
* Fold in the flour. Whip the whole mixture in a blender as well for having a perfectly soft cake.
* If required add a little milk
* After blending, stir in the chopped nuts.
* Take a pan, grease it with butter and pour the mixture in it.
* Bake the cake at 170 degree C for about half an hour or more. Check using a toothpick.
* Serve with freshly whipped cream or a scoop of icecream.

Steamed Chocolate Pudding - Weekend Special

2009-12-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

Sunday was special for me. After contemplating for about a month, finally I had bought a laptop. So there was a reason for my happiness. And any reason of happiness needs a celebration. Now we foodies when we are happy, what we do? Obviously cook or bake or eat out. Whatever we decide on, food is definitely there playing an important role. The menu consisted of chicken in red wine sauce with mushroom pilaf, followed by the yummy dessert.

The star of the menu was the dessert, a lovely Chocolate pudding and that too steamed making my weekend treat special, . Easy to make in home, even if you don't have an oven. Morever you dont have to have a steamer too. What you can do is take a large pot anf fill it one third with water. Put a strainer in it and over it put your mould, covering it with a foil. Then close the lid of the pot. Its a quick home method. But if you have oven, you can always bake the chocolate pudding.

The chocolate pudding I made was wonderful. I served it warm with scoops of vanilla icecream. And I also saved some spoons of melted chocolate. While serving I poured it on the pudding. It was such a lovely treat. I still have that warm gooey taste in my mouth. So here goes my recipe -

Ingredients

1 cup grated dark chocolate
2/3 cup all purpose flour, sieved
3 tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla essence
3 tbsp sugar
1 teaspoon coffee powder
Milk as required

Method

* In a pan on low heat add grated chocolate and melt it.
* Then whisk the chocolate till it smoothens.
* Mix flour, baking powder, cocoa and coffee powder.
* Then using a strainer sieve through into a large bowl.
* Add eggs, vanilla essence, melted chocolate and sugar.
* In a blender, blend the mixture adding little milk if it is thick.
* Take a mould and grease it with butter and pour the mixture in it.
* In a steamer, add the mould and cover it.
* Steam it for around half an hour or so. Check using a knife by piercing it in the pudding. If nothing sticks to the knife then the pudding is ready.
* Let it cool for few minutes then remove from the mould.
* Serve it warm.

Cheesecake - A No Fuss Wonder

2009-11-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

Lately, I have been less into blogging for some or the other reasons. Nothing specific. These days I am somewhat into a wandering state. Although I am not moving but my mind is. Lots of thoughts are coming and going. At one time I want to write a story, then at another I want to start a new blog and some other random musings. But there are so many thoughts that I have become a little uncomfortable. I need to organize them. After much of contemplation, finally I have decided on making a notebook and jotting down all my thoughts and may be I will have to start another blog for my ramblings which are not at all related to food. Probably then I will be able to reach a sense of stability.

Other than thinking, I baked a wonderful cheese cake. There was no reason of celebration. But then Food is itself a reason to celebrate. Whenever we are cooking something delicious for our family, then that counts as a celebration. The Cheese cake on Thanksgiving came out to be perfect with all the flavors of my superb learning experience from other food blogs on baking. With not much fuss, I just used a simple recipe ofcourse a synthesis of all the cheese cake recipes I read.

Cheesecake is such a delicious dessert, a wonderful way to end the dinner. After having it you will be smiling with pleasure. I made a plain one but you can use any of the fruits, nuts, raisins or chocolate to make different flavors for the topping. Morever if you don't want to bake then you can set it also. But that takes few hours to set before serving.

Ingredients

For Base

2 cup biscuits crushed (around 8-10 biscuits)
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine

For Cake
1 cup cream cheese, softened
2-3 tbsp sugar free
2 eggs
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp cream
1 tbsp coffee

Method

* First mix butter and crushed biscuits properly for making the base of the cheesecake and refrigerate.
* In a bowl mix well all the other ingredients.
* Place the biscuit mix in a baking pan.
* Pour the cheese mixture over the base.
* Bake the cheesecake at 325 degree F for about half an hour.
* Serve warm otherwise you can chill it for few hours, if you want to have it cold.

Thanksgiving Day, Cranberry Relish & New A Look

2009-11-23T04:50:00.000-08:00

After a new domain, I almost disappeared for a week. Worked hard to get a new look for my blog. Finally I have been able to come up with something. Although I consider it a beta version somewhat. Need a lot of advices and lot more changes so that I am finally satisfied with it. So dear friends a request to all of you. Please give me the feedback on this new one and help me improve it.

Thanksgiving is just in a few days. So here is an easy recipe to make. No preparations required. Ideally you should serve it warm. What you can do is make it a day before and when required, just warm it in the microwave. The recipe is so delicious and so easy to make. Its just that you will have to get the cranberries.

Ingredients

2 cup frozen cranberries
2 cup sugar or any other sweetener
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

Method

* In a pan combine cranberries, sugar and cinnamon powder. Mix well.
* Add the mixture into a baking dish. Cover the dish with a foil.
* Preheat the oven to around 300 degrees(F).
* Place the dish in the oven and bake for almost an hour.
* After an hour, take it out and let it cool.
* Serve it warm.

Gulab Jamuns - Reason To Celebrate

2009-11-13T10:01:00.000-08:00

News !! Reasons to rejoice and celebrate. I have got myself my own domain. In one more day all will be set, further changes will follow like new design and other new interesting things which will make my foodie friends enjoy my blog even more.

So to celebrate, I ended up making Gulab Jamuns. This was my second attempt and the results were even better. May be my happiness got into those sweet balls !! My first attempt was on Diwali, which by luck also came out to be pretty good.

When Srivalli announced the new ICC in October, reading the name of the dish gave me fritters. I wondered if yet again I will be able to fulfill the challenge or not. Frankly speaking I have been always little skeptical in making Gulab Jamuns. Giving the round shape then facing the frying disasters really frightens me. Although when it comes to having gulab jamuns then I can gorge lots n lots of them. I have seen my mom making them but mom is mom and I am a daughter. Nothing can be compared to the perfection of a mother. But thanks to Srivalli, finally I have been able to shed away my fears and make such delicious soft and gooey syrapy sweet balls ie. Gulab jamuns. Next time whem my mom will come, I will definitely make for her.

Ingredients
For gulab jamuns

2 cup khoya
1 cup plain flour
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
Oil for frying

For sugar syrup

2-3 cup sugar
a few saffron strands (not necessary)
2-3 cup water

Method

For making sugar syrup

* In a thick bottom pan, heat water. Dissolve sugar and bring it to boil.
* Let it simmer for few minutes till one string consistency is achieved. From time to time remove the scum from top.
* Add the saffron strands.

For making balls

* In a large bowl, add flour, khoya and cardomom powder. Mix well using hands.
* Knead into a firm dough using a liitle oil. Do not use water.
* Make small firm round balls from the dough.
* Keep the balls in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. This will prevent them from cracking while frying.
* In a wok heat oil and deep fry these balls on slow flame till golden in color.
* Soak the balls in the sugar syrup for about half an hour.
* Serve them hot

Lemon Prune Tart - A Sinful Dessert

2009-11-06T03:51:00.000-08:00

“Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person."- Albert Einstein

I took a lot of inspiration from this quote reading Leo Babauta's blog and this is the reason for my delayed tart. I know you all must be wondering what kind of tart I am making that I disappeared for so many days. But in true terms I made the tart twice to achieve the perfect flavor and color and then after so many clicks the perfect shot, which I liked. I know I have a long way to go after all mastering anything takes time and depends on how often and how much you do it. Still I really envy food bloggers who have such professional food pics with food worth dying for.

The first tart I made using dried prunes, it came out to be a little sweeter. So the next time when I made prune tart again, I added lemon to it which reduced both its sweetness and the golden color. Making the prune tart is very easy. Its just that it takes a longer time to make. But all good things are priceless. When you will have the first bite, you will just feel wonderful. The flavor and aroma is almost sinful, filling your senses.

Ingredients

For the pastry

1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 egg
pinch of cardamom powder

For the filling

10-12 dried pitted prunes
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup golden syrup
2 eggs
1 lemon juice

Method

* Put flour, sugar, butter and an egg together in a bowl and mix properly with hands.
* When everything is properly mixed, using a little water form a firm dough.
* Keep the dough in refrigerator for half an hour.
* After half an hour, remove the dough and roll out in the form of a large round flat thin pastry.
* In a preheated oven at 180 degree, bake the pastry for 10 minutes.
* Meanwhile start making the filling. On a low flame, heat butter and golden syrup in a pan.
* Remove the syrup after few minutes. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and add to the syrup along with lemon juice. If you want, you can add cardamom powder to the filling too.
* Remove the pastry from the oven and let it cool.
* Arrange the prunes on the pastry, followed by pouring the filling evenly over them.
* At 160 degrees, bake the tart for around 30 minutes.
* Serve warm with mango sauce.

Food Ingredients Dictionary - Golden Syrup

2009-11-02T04:02:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is in a few days. A time to thank everyone dear to our hearts. And what could be a better way other than serving a delicious Thanksgiving lunch or dinner with choicest of dishes. So in my ever going quest to learn something new and serve my family all of my culinary experiments, I am in the process of making a Prune Tart this time. Tomorrow I would post the recipe. Tart has been done. Filling would be made in the evening followed by the perfect click and posting. Not wasting any more time, I would come straight to point. I am going to introduce a superb sweetener, Golden syrup to all my foodie friends which I have used in this tart.

Generally referred to as pale or light treacle, Golden syrup is a thick, amber-colored form of inverted sugar syrup looking just like honey. Golden syrup has an interesting story about its discovery. Way back in 1883, a Scottish businessman Abram Lyle was refining sugarcane in his factory, when he found a byproduct golden in color with very sweet taste. He took that home and used it as a spread and for making desserts. Due to the golden color, it came to be known as Golden Syrup. He first sold it to Lyle's employees and other locals. In 2006 Guinness World Records listed it as the Britain's oldest brand.

Golden syrup is made from the juice of sugar canes, which is evaporated to produce the flavor and texture of the syrup. For vegans who do not eat honey, it is a great substitute for making desserts. Comprising primarily of sucrose, glucose and fructose, golden syrup is easy to be stored without worrying about the low temperatures in winters. In UK it is a popular ingredient for making tarts or as a topping for pancakes. One thing that has to be taken care of is to use it in lesser amounts. It is sweeter than sugar.

Wonton Soup - A Recipe Of Warm Goodness

2009-10-28T05:49:00.000-07:00

October is leaving making me feel guilty about how much less time I have given to my love my blog and my fellow food enthusiasts. At first it was festival fervor and then all the festivities had left me tired. But Diwali festivities were indeed a joy. A time which comes once in a year.

Visiting friends and having guests have made me gorge on so much of calories. I am sure each of the food lover must have put on a few kilos. Post the festivities, the time to shed those extra kilos has come. Being not an exercise person what max I can do is with food. That too cutting on the high calorie ingredients and opting for healthier ones. And now with cold winds and dropping temperatures winter is on its way. A time when we want to sleep a bit more in mornings, eat a bit more in meals and feel a bit more drowsy.

Light soups are a delight in this cold weather. Warming our souls and protecting us from the cold winds. And when it comes to soups, I have a special liking for Chinese soups. Hot n spicy balancing the coldness. Last night I decided on making Wonton soup keeping my dinner light and having a great morning ahead. Deriving its name from Cantonese (simplified Chinese), the name won ton means swallowing a cloud. The wontons floating in this popular soup of Chinese cuisine are thought to resemble clouds. The soup is served hot and makes a fulfilling meal in itself.

Ingredients

For Wontons

1 cup chicken minced
2 tbsp onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1-2 green chillies finely chopped
salt to taste
a package of wonton wrappers
water as required

For Soup

4 cup chicken broth
vegetables of your choice (broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, scallions etc)
1/2 cup noodles (optional)
salt to taste
pinch of black pepper

Method

* Mix all the wonton ingredients together properly to make the filling.
* Then moisten the edges of the wonton wrapper with water.
* Place a big teaspoon of the filling in the center and fold the edges giving desired shape.
* Take care in closing the edges so that the won tons do not open while boiling.
* In a large pan boil water add the won tons made.
* Let them cook for 10 minutes and they come up in the pot.
* Remove them from the pan and set aside.
* Boil chicken broth in another pan with salt and pepper according to your taste.
* Add broccoli, scallions and won tons to it.
* Bring it to a boil.

Note: No need to add all the won tons made. You can use a few as per your requirement and freeze the rest. For almost 2 months you can use them for making wonton soup.

Diwali Festival - Suggest A Recipe

2009-10-14T00:14:00.000-07:00

I always seem to remember festivals as special days which brought the family and friends together. Other than new clothes, beautiful rangolis, mango leave torans, fresh flowers, smell of camphor, incense sticks what I was more excited about was great food delicacies. From sweets to chocolates, cakes to desserts, curries to pastas everything was made with special care and festive spirits. And on the days of the festival cooking together, then eating together was real fun resulting into great bonding and delicious food. Such is the fervor of festivals. Magical !!

Now when Diwali, the festival of lights is just after few days, I have been thinking, planning are reading through the blogs for deciding on the festive meals. This time its my turn to host the festive dinner. Already I have been occupied with a lot of cleaning and decorating the house and neglecting my blog. But I promise to be back with full set of mouthwatering recipes and photographs of what all I had made.

For Diwali I have thought of few and rest you all suggest me. Already I had a big mind boggling session with no results. So I would be glad to get a little help form all my foodie friends and visitors. Add a comment with your suggestions. The recipe that would be a hit with my guests, I would feature it on my blog. You all just have to give the post link and I would get extract the recipe from there (**this time no gifts but I promise next time I would offer a giveaway). According to the five course would take one from each suggested like a soup, a dessert, a curry etc.

So I am signing off for now. Would be meeting with all of next week with more. Wishing you all a very Happy & Prosperous Diwali !!

Broccoli Tikkis For The Evening Tea

2009-10-06T05:48:00.000-07:00

With low temperatures, foggy weather and unwelcome showers, I found myself longing for something hot to warm my insides. Peeping into the refrigerator I realized I missed on buying the fresh stock of groceries. But the wet weather dampened my spirits of going out. Other than milk, cheese and butter, what called out to me was a bunch broccoli. My culinary mind started thinking and I decided on making Cheese Broccoli Tikkis which would be just perfect with hot glasses of tea. I prefer having tea in glasses rather than cups and I know most of the tea lovers would agree with me on this.

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil
2 onions chopped
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp green chillies chopped
1 broccoli chopped
1-2 boiled potatoes grated
2-3 tbsp mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/4 cup bread crumbs
salt to taste
2-3 tbsp oil

Method

* In a frying pan heat 1 tbsp oil.
* Add onions and fry them till golden brown.
* Further add ginger garlic paste, green chillies, garam masala powder, black pepper powder and saute them for few minutes.
* Then add broccoli and salt. Mix well.
* Cook for few minutes till broccoli is tender.
* Remove from heat and let it cool.
* Add grated potatoes and mix properly.
* Make balls from the mixture or kebab like shapes.
* Cover them with breadcrumbs.
* Heat a non stick pan with 1 tbsp of oil and cook the tikkis.
* Let one side turn brown then the other.
* Serve them hot with yogurt dip or green chutney.

Note: You can make variations to the recipe. Like by making a thick chickpea flour paste and dipping the broccoli balls in it and then frying them. Although this method takes in much oil.

Gatte Ka Saag From Jaipur Trip

2009-10-05T04:39:00.000-07:00

Three days of goodness and now I am back to my love my blog, writing very first post after almost a gap of a week. I went to the colorful city of Jaipur symbolizing the royalty of the bygone era. Surrounded by hills, the beautiful city was laid by the great Rajput king, Maharaja Jai Singh II.

Although I have been to Jaipur earlier but this visit was the best. Being with family, I had a blast. From the magnificent Nahargarh Fort (Rang De Basanti song was shot) to the glorious Jaigarh Fort and then the remarkable Amber Fort, my journey was filled with awe on the glorious history and architecture. Then off to shopping where I bought beautiful hand made art pieces.

The highlight of the whole trip was the food at cultural village resort of Chokhi Dhani where we got lucky in having the complete traditional Rajasthani meal consisting of Bajre ki roti, Gatte ka saag, Panchmel dal, Moong dal halwa, kadhi, Aloo dum, Bajre ki khichdi. Each of the dishes were served in seperate small leaf cups. Halwa was as usual the favorite of everyone. For me Gatte ka saag served with hot rotis was ummy. The aroma of ghee was enriching and the taste was heavenly. Here is the same recipe which I got from the Rajasthani cook -

Ingredients

For Gattas

1/2 cup chickpea flour (Besan)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/8 tsp carom seeds (Ajwain)
2 tbsp yogurt
2 tbsp Oil
salt to taste
water as required

For Curry

2 tbsp onion paste
1/2 tbsp ginger paste
2 tomatoes, blanched and pureed
1-2 tbsp Oil
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/4 tbsp garam masala powder
salt to taste
(according to taste you can vary the quantity of spices)
fresh chopped cilantro leaves

Method

Making Gattas

* In a large bowl mix all the ingredients and knead into a soft dough.
* Make long cylindrical rolls from the dough.
* Then heat a pan filled with water.
* When water starts boiling drop the rolls in the water and let them cook for 5-10 minutes.
* Then remove the rolls from the water and cut into small pieces.

Making curry

* In a wok, heat oil, add cumin seeds.
* Then add onion paste followed by ginger paste, coriander powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder.
* Let the spices cook on medium heat for few minutes till the paste turns brown in color and oil separates.
* Pour the tomato puree and 2 cups of water.
* When the water starts boiling add gattas made earlier and garam masala powder.
* Further let the curry simmer for few minutes.
* Serve hot with chapatis, garnished with cilantro leaves.

Note: For a twist you can add a little besan dissolving in few spoons of water to the curry.

Navratri Special -Suji Halwa

2009-09-26T03:39:00.000-07:00

Finally parents have arrived. Family is all together after a long long time. Since morning house has been bustling with activity. Aroma of delicious breakfast my mommy was cooking almost filled my hungry stomach. I sat in a corner taking in the activities, beaming with pleasure. I was in back seat and mom was in control. I cant tell how relaxed I felt. Mothers have some magic with them or being a mother is the magic enough to make the simple food tastier. I really wonder !!

Semolina pudding or suji halwa is one of the easiest sweet delicacy cooked in every home all across the country. The warm goodness is known to engulf all the morning worries and the sweetness stays through out the day. On Ashtami or Naumi, on the closure of Navratri, in almost every home suji halwa is made to break the fast and celebrate the glory of Goddess Durga. My mom too made it along with hot puris and black chickpea (masala chana)., the traditional Navratri feast.

Ingredients

1 cup semolina (suji)
1 cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp ghee
chopped nuts & raisins

Method

* In a wok dry roast semolina for few minutes on medium heat.
* When slightly brown in color, add ghee. Mix well
* Meanwhile, in another pan boil water. Add sugar.
* Keep on stirring till the sugar dissolves.
* Add the sugar syrup, along with milk in the wok, stirring continuously to avoid any lump formation.
* Let it cook for few minutes, till the water is absorbed by the semolina.
* Serve hot garnished with raisins and nuts.

Festival Special Sweets - Mung Dal Burfi

2009-09-22T05:01:00.000-07:00

Diwali one of the most awaited festival of the year, is just round the corner and I am feeling nostalgic. I fondly remember my Mom making various sweets beforehand and store them, while I and my brother peeping inside the kitchen, waiting for Mom to leave so that we can have a handful of them. If caught then always blaming each other. Then laughing and running to escape the scoldings. Such were the festival holidays full of fun and frolic. Now when I am the owner of my own home and my whole family is coming over to celebrate the festival, I am finding myself full of ideas from decorating the house to making sweets. I want to make all what they will love. Specially my mom. It will be great to see her beaming face, when her daughter has made something which is just perfect to appease her.

I started with something very easy and quick yet a lovely sweet. My dad and my mom both love mung dal ki burfi. You can store them for quite a few days. But I don't think that case will happen. Mung dal burfi is so good that it gets finished in moments. Serve them to guests and see their beaming faces.

Ingredients

250g Mung Dal (split yellow grams)
250g sugar
3-4 cup water
100g khoa/mawa
2-3 tbsp ghee/oil
2-3 tbsp pistachio, almonds & cashew nuts sliced

Method

* Soak the grams in enough water, few hours(2-3) before you require.
* Using a strainer remove water.
* Grind the grams in food processor, to make a paste.
* Heat oil or ghee in a non stick pan and add the grams paste in it.
* Keep on stirring till the paste turns light brown in color.
* Add khoa/mava. Mix well, cook for few more minutes and set aside.
* Meanwhile, in another pan heat 2-3 cups of water and add sugar to it, to make sugar syrup. Boil water till it achieves one sring consistency.
* Add this sugar syrup to the gram paste. Mix properly and further cook for few minutes.
* Grease a tray with little butter or oil and add pour the gram paste in it.
* Sprinkle the sliced pistachios, cashews and almonds on top.
* Let it remain as such for few hours to set. Once set, cut into any shape of your choice.

Tom Yum Gai - A Delightful Thai Chicken Soup

2009-09-18T00:29:00.000-07:00

My foodie friends, I am back after a short break from blogging. At first weekend party hit me. I fell ill. I had to take a day off from work. Then at work lots of things got piled up (Its something with the Bosses, whenever employees take an off, things start going haywire.) I was dying to get back to cooking and blogging again. Although I made quite a few things in the last few days but couldn't get them posted. From curries to fritters, I made everything and ended up having simmering soups with light recipes.

Festival time is just round the corner. On the weekend, I bought lots of spices, herbs, condiments and other ingredients, making sure my kitchen is fully decked up for all the festival culinary delights. Festivals, holidays and guest all together invoke all the creativity inside me. Experimenting with the taste buds of guest can be tricky. So my poor hubby was the ultimate sufferer of my culinary experiments. But to my delight in my first shot I got my first recipe just right, with loads of praises from him.

Tom Yum Gai or Chicken in lemon grass soup is a popular soup of Thai cuisine, characterized by its distinct hot and sour flavors, with heavenly aroma of herbs. The basic broth is made of vegetable or chicken stock with fresh ingredients such as lemon grass, lime leaves, galangal, shallots, lime juice, fish sauce, tamarind, slices of ginger and crushed chili peppers. Because of its health benefits, tom yum soup acts as a natural remedy for cold and flu. It has been in my TO DO list from a lon long time, since I had tasted in my sister's home. I made it her way. The only difference was that she used prawns (Tom Yum Goong) and I used chicken making it Tom Yum Gai. The soup is quick if you can get all the ingredients ready made like tom yum paste. The basic paste can be stored for future use.

Ingredients

For Paste (basic Thai flavoring)

1 tbsp whole black pepper (roasted)
3-4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp salt
1 cup cilantro leaves (chopped)

For Soup

6-7 chicken drumsticks
1 tbsp garlic paste
6-7 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup shallots chopped
2 stems lemon grass;
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
2 red chillies
1 tbsp pepper and cilantro paste
2 galangal/ginger sliced
2 small round tomatoes sliced
3-4 baby corns
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
fresh cilantro for garnish
salt to taste

Method

* Make a paste combining whole black pepper, garlic cloves, lemon juice, salt and cilantro leaves, in a blender.
* Marinate the chicken pieces with 1-2 tbsp of this paste and leave for 15-20 minutes.
* In a large pot, add chicken stock, lime leaves, ginger, chopped garlic, lemon grass, tomatoes, baby corn, salt to taste and chicken. Cook for 30 minutes or till the chicken pieces are tender.
* Add fish sauce, soy sauce and lemon juice. Mix well.
* Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and sliced fresh green chillies.
* Serve hot

Note: This soup is hot and spicy, perfect for cold weather and people suffering from cold. If you like it less or more spicy then adjust the flavor according to your taste.

Food Ingredients Dictionary - Bulgur

2009-09-10T05:07:00.000-07:00

In the continuation of food dictionary, next is Bulgar Wheat or broken wheat from the Tabbouleh Salad. Bulgur wheat is a natural whole grain cereal, made by coarsely milling grains of wheat (usually durum wheat). Do not get confused with cracked wheat. Bulgur is parboiled while cracked wheat is just crushed wheat grains.

Bulgur is a common ingredient of Turkish, Middle Eastern, Indian (daliya) and Mediterranean dishes for making pilafs, soups, bakery goods or for stuffing. Available in three grinds -- coarse foe making pilafs or stuffing, medium for cereals and fine for salads. When cooked, broken wheat has a very hearty, warm aroma and a grainy, delightful taste.

Minimal processing makes bulgur, highly nutritious. A cup of bulgur has fewer calories, more fiber and less fat than twice the fiber of brown rice. Replace white or brown rice with bulgur to maximize weight loss, as you would consume less calories but would still feel full. Bulgur is high in minerals and prevents constipation, reduces the risk of diabetes, cancer and heart diseases.

Taboule Salad - Cheers To Our Health !!

2009-09-09T04:42:00.000-07:00

Is food just a fuel for our living or much more than that? I think much more for most of us. Food is the answer to everything, solution to all our problems. We use food when we want to socialize, as gifts when we are in love, as rewards when we want to cajole our kids or even for comfort and pleasure. If we eat more, food will be as fat in our body. If we eat less, our body will not get proper nutrition. But the problem is we don't eat less, we eat more, even more than what we need to survive. Anyways even if you eat more or less, at least try to eat healthy.

Ah! a lot of food thoughts. Actually lately I have been reading a lot on health and trying to flatten my tummy, eating healthy and practicing yoga. Just a week and I have recognized my eating patterns which are a cause of all that fat. Friend's party, good food, I ate lots of desserts. Farewell party at office, I ate lots of oily snacks. Occasional binges which led to more of chips. And when I read all this after a week, I was shocked to know that its me who has eaten all those stuff. You too can do this. Just take a notebook and note down all what you eat, when you eat and why you eat. Then after a week go through it and you will recognize your eating patterns. When we are eating our mind is so engrossed with the beauty of food or its flavor that we fail to judge the quantity. But if we have a plan in hand well before, set and implemented then, at least we will face a resistance from our own inner self. Who else can stop us from eating after all :)

In my quest for a healthy regime, here is a Mediterranean salad recipe which is extremely simple, low in calories and full of nutrition. I first had it in a Mediterranean restaurant. At that time I was really skeptical in selecting the salad for dinner. But trusting the waiter I ordered it. The first bite and I was glad I ordered it. That was my first step in discovering the Mediterranean food. Since then the restaurant became on of my favorite and I started enjoying other Mediterranean dishes too.

You can experiment with this salad to make variations in terms of ingredients. Only bulgur wheat would be an essential ingredient. With more herbs or sprouts, you can make it tastier and healthier as desired. This Mediterranean salad which is eaten cold, would make an excellent side dish and just right for the September Theme of No Croutons Required. Cheers to our health!! And here goes the recipe-

Ingredients

1/2 cup Bulgar wheat
2 cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 bunch mint fresh
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 scallions both white and green parts chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 cup chickpea sprouts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
salt to taste

Method

* Warm water in a pan and soak the bulgur wheat for 15-20 minutes.
* Then strain the excess water by squeezing the bulgur wheat.
* Add salt to taste and leave it for few minutes until the bulgur is soft.
* In a large bowl add softened bulgur, parsley, scallions and tomatoes.
* Sprinkle a little salt, black pepper and lemon juice. Mix well.
* Toss the mixture with olive oil.
* Serve it cold after an hour garnished with fresh cilantro leaves.

Sultani Dal From The Nawabs

2009-09-05T03:08:00.000-07:00

Heirloom Recipes i.e old vintage recipes that have endured the test of time is the theme for this Monthly Mingle hosted by Jugalbandi. The theme made me go to the place where I belong, where I have grown and where I have developed the special love for food. Lucknow, the city of Nawab is still rich with the reminiscence of its royal heritage and luxurious life of the Nawabs, who were great connoisseurs of fine food. Their regular experimentation in the royal kitchens gave the Avadhi cuisine a new height of fineness and dimension. Greatly influenced by Mughal cooking techniques, each dish of Awadhi cuisine is an example of richness in both flavor and aroma. The Awadhi style of cooking includes cooking food slowly and steadily so that all ingredients are well soaked and cooked into each other. Kebabs, kormas, biryani, kaliya, nahari-kulchas, zarda, sheermal, roomali rotis and warqi paranthas, are the main attractions of Awadhi food.

The Sultani Dal is another such attraction, discovered by a very famous rakabdar of Lucknow, Pir Ali and passed on from generations to generations. The tantalizing aroma coming from the dal is magical and has the prowess to activate your hunger pangs instantly. It is a rich variation of Arhar Dal (Pigeon Beans). When I had tasted it for the first time in a friend's party, I was amazed by the flavor. The cook who made it had learned from his father and his father from his father. A recipe passed on from generations to generations. Arhar Dal is cooked in North Indian homes almost daily. But the rich aromatic Sultani Dal has elevated the simple dal to a dal for kings. You can make Sultani Dal on special occasions in your house and your loved ones are sure to feel like Kings.

Ingredients

1 cup pigeon beans (Arhar Dal)
4 garlic cloves chopped
2 green chillies sliced
1 large onion chopped
1 onion chopped
1 betel leaf
2-3 cardamom pods
6 cloves
few sprigs of mint and cilantro leaves (chopped)
1 teaspoon cumin Seeds
1 teaspoon. saffron dissolved in 1 tbsp milk
¼ tbsp. red chilly powder
¼ tbsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup cream
1 cup milk
2-3 tbsp butter or oil
1 piece of live coal

Method

* Cook the lentils in 2-3 cups of water in a large pan or handi.
* Meanwhile mix milk, cream and yogurt and keep in a cool place.
* Grind the cloves and cardamoms to a paste.
* When dal is cooked, water is evaporated otherwise strain away the water. Mash the dal.
* Place a betel leaf on the dal, over it cardamoms and cloves paste followed by a small piece of burning coal. Pour 1 tbsp of butter and cover with a lid for 10 minutes.
* Then remove the betel leaf and coal.
* Add salt to taste, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, milk yogurt mixture and saffron dissolved in a spoon of milk. Mix well and cook on low heat.
* In another frying pan add butter, cumin seeds and chopped onions
* When onions are golden brown add garlic, and tomatoes.
* Pour this over the dal.
* Serve hot garnished with the chopped green chillies and mint leaves.

Note: If you are a non-vegetarian, you can add mutton stock instead of milk

Aromatic Garlic Vegetable Soup

2009-09-02T01:55:00.000-07:00

Adding a number of aromatic ingredients, vegetables and some other nick knacks, you could make a variety of soups matching your mood and weather. Any type of soup would make you feel your life has sprung up again and the aroma would make your thoughts wander to faraway lands. Such is the energy in soups. In summers, usually I don't make soups. But with the rains making a welcomed appearance since morning, the day was just perfect for the lovely dinner to start with large bowls of soups. And that is the reason why I decided on hot vegetable soup. The warmth from the hot liquid brought about a comfort like no other to my guests, just the way I wanted. Slurping the warm liquid in the misty evenings with joyful conversations really make great dinners.

The garlic vegetable soup is full of health with the assortment of vegetables in it. You can chose to add any of the vegetables according to the season or availability. The soup I made was thin and watery. If you want you can blend the vegetables in a blender to thicken the consistency. So bring out the pot, make a soup and let the aroma and warmth recharge your spirits.

Ingredients

1 cup assorted vegetables (carrots, French beans, broccoli, baby corn), chopped
4 garlic cloves(chopped)
¼ cup finely chopped onions
2 tbsp quick cooking rolled oats
1 tsp oil
1 tbsp cream
3 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Method

* In a pan heat oil. Add garlic and onion.
* Saute till the onions are golden brown.
* Add all the vegetables, mix and close the lid. Cook for few minutes.
* Add 3 cups of water followed by salt and pepper, stirring continuously.
* Cook till the vegetables are tender and water comes to a boil.
* Lower the heat, add oats and let it simmer for few more minutes.
* Mix the cream and serve hot in large soup bowls.

Food Ingredients Dictionary - China Grass

2009-08-31T23:16:00.000-07:00

Many food enthusiasts asked about china grass which I used in making Low Calorie Chocolate Mousse. This gave me the idea to start a new food dictionary. In these blog posts, I would explain the new or uncommon ingredients which I would or I had used in making any dish. Here I start with the first ingredient.

Agar or agar agar is a gelatinous substance extracted from seaweeds like Ceylon moss. Because, gelatin is made from animal tissue, agar agar is used commonly as a vegetarian gelatin substitute for making soups, jellies, desserts, ice creams by vegans. According to Wikipedia, the word "agar" comes from the Malay word agar-agar (meaning jelly). It is one of the main ingredients of Japanese cuisine for making desserts.

Kanten, China grass, or Japanese isinglass are the other names of agar agar. Like ordinary gelatin, agar is flavorless. When dissolved in water, heated and then cooled, it becomes gelatinous. Its is full of protein along with number of minerals and gels more firmly than gelatin.

Agar's gelling power is weakened by acids and would breakdown when exposed to enzymes of raw fruits like kiwi, papaya, pineapple, peach, mango, guava, and fig. So, use canned fruits instead of fresh ones.

Low Calorie Chocolate Mousse For A Perfect Summer Dinner

2009-08-31T03:42:00.000-07:00

Weekends are a great way to relax and to hangout with old friends. From the last many weekends I have been relaxing. So this weekend I chose to invite two of our friends, in fact my husband's. But over a period of time I have gelled with the husband and wife so well that it seems we have been friends from years. For a lovely couple like this, with whom I and my husband really love to spend our time, I had to take utmost care in preparing the food to their likes.

After lingering on a lot many dishes, I decided on the menu. Then started for the preparations. I checked on the ingredients. Most of them were there. What were not, I sent hubby dear to pick them from the market. Good music, engrossing chit chats and the warmth of old friends is the quintessential core of perfect entertaining on a superb weekend. And hence, finalizing the menu is not just the end of the worries for the host. Setting the table comes next with deciding on the cutlery, dinnerware and the decor.

Initially I was a bit skeptical about the dishes I chose. But the dinner was delightful, and the conversations we shared from movies to our daily woes over fresh was simply exceptional. I was glad that they enjoyed each of the dishes. It started with garlic vegetable soup followed by pesto pasta and baked garlic mushrooms. Ended with the drooling chocolate mousse. I preferred to make everything quick and light so that I have time to chat with them and not get tied in the kitchen.

Ingredients

4 cup skimmed milk
1½ cup water for china grass
10 grams unflavored china grass (chopped)
2 tbsp sweetener (sugar free)
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp low fat milk for cocoa powder
2 tsp coffee powder
2 tbsp warm water for coffee powder
2 tbsp low fat cream

Method

* In a pan combine china grass with water and cook on low heat till it is dissolved, stirring from time to time.
* Strain with a strainer and let it cool.
* Dissolve cocoa powder in 2 tbsp milk and coffee powder in 2 tbsp water, separately.
* Boil milk in a pan.
* Add the china grass mixture, sweetener, cocoa powder paste, coffee powder paste. Mix well and cook over a low flame for around 10 minutes, stirring continuously.
* Remove from heat and let it cool for few minutes.
* Add the cream and mix well.
* Pour the mixture into small cups or bowls.
* Chill them for 4 to 5 hours.
* Garnish with chocolate sprinkles. Serve chilled.

Fresh Fruit Muesli - A 5 Minute Breakfast

2009-08-27T05:10:00.000-07:00

There are two infact three things which lead to this breakfast. Although its such an easy one and most of you must be already making this. Still I wanted to add it on my food blog for its simple nature. The first thing that led to this was a morning email from Food Bloggers Unite on How A Single Post Drew Over 20,000 Hits In One Day? The post was How To Make Butter In Under 5 Minutes ? I must say reading it was such an enlightening experience. Second thing was I needed to submit my favorite breakfast recipe for WYF: Breakfast Event. But being a lazy bone I wanted to make only one that could some up my both ideas.

Then late afternoon, when I was going through my daily dose of a science daily on food and nutrients, something caught my attention. A study was mentioned according to which, women who ate breakfast daily were less likely to be overweight although they took in more calories. The reason given was the whole day of work ahead which made them burn all the calories, avoided over eating and reduced snacking.

Early morning breakfast really plays a vital role in providing necessary nutrients to kick start the day. So even if you have loads of work or short of time, do not miss the breakfast. You can make some quick healthy breakfast. Fresh Fruit Muesli is just that. It can be made in less than 5 minutes and has loads of nutritional value. You can even get packaged muesli for making it, as it is easily available in the market. Its a loose mixture of rolled oats together with various pieces of dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.

Ingredients
1/2 cup quick rolled cooking oats
1/2 cup cornflakes
2 tbsp chopped mixed nuts (cashewnuts, walnuts, almonds)
1 tsp wheat bran
2 tsp chopped raisins
2 tsp castor sugar
1 cup soya milk (per person)
1 cup fresh assortment of fruits (chopped)

Method

* In a pan warm milk with sugar.
* Take a large bowl. Add all the fruits, oats, cornflakes wheat bran, nuts, raisins, fresh fruits and mix.
* Pour warm soy milk.
* Serve immediately.

Note: If you like it cold, then no need to warm the soy milk.

Frankie Rolls For Kids Evening Snacks

2009-08-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

When I read Divya's post on monthly event Cooking For Kids with Healthy Evening Snacks as the theme, started by by Sharmi of Neivedyam, I began thinking what to make which could be healthy as well as kids would love. Snacking is important for growing kids to help meet their energy and nutrient needs, required for proper growth and development.

Most of the children are picky when it comes to food and making them eat is a big task in itself. At times singing, playing, cajoling etc nothing works. Better idea is to make the food tempting yet, in sync with their taste and healthy. Kids will gradually gain interest. One very important thing is variety, so keep experimenting. Try to be creative by using proper garnish, different shapes of molds and food colors. But the golden rule is not to force them to eat.

The best approach is to make food from the five food groups of the Food Guide Pyramid - Milk, Meat, Vegetable, Fruit, and Grain. So what could include all of this? A Frankie. A frankie is an Indian version of wraps or tortillas with a filling of meat, vegetables, cheese, eggs etc. According to the taste buds of your kids, you can make the filling.

Ingredients

4 wheat/flour tortillas
2-3 tbsp cilantro leaves (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
1 tomato (chopped)
2-3 green chilies finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt & pepper, to taste
2 tbsp grated cheese
2-3 tbsp olive oil

For different fillings-

Vegetables- 1 cup of assorted vegetables like carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, capsicum, cabbage, green beans etc

Eggs - 1 or 2 eggs as desired with assortment of grated or minutely chopped vegetables

Paneer (cottage cheese)- 2 cup of paneer diced

Chicken- 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts shredded

Method

Preparing Filling

* In a wok heat oil on medium flame.
* Add chopped onion. Fry till they turn golden brow.
* Then, add ginger garlic paste followed by chopped tomatoes. Mix them and cook for few minutes.
* The spices are then added- pepper, salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder and lemon juice.
* Let the spices cook for further few minutes.
* Lastly, you can add vegetables, eggs, chicken or paneer according to the type of frankie you want to have.
* When the filling is cooked, add cilantro leaves and let it cool at room temperature.

** Only chicken frankie will take longer time to cook.
** For eggs, you will have to beat them and make into diced omelet.

Preparing Frankie

* Take a non stick with 1 tbsp oil. Heat it and add a tortilla.
* If you want you can brush a side of tortilla with egg also.
* Flip and cook from both sides, adding the filling on one side.
* Add grated cheese and roll the tortilla.
* Serve hot with tomato sauce or green chutney.

Another Tag Another Reason To Smile

2009-08-25T04:28:00.000-07:00

The last few days were hectic. Missed making anything. Reason Teej, an occasion of fasting. No food, so no recipes. Lots of work became pending. Here I am back again with all of my energy back. Parita tagged me but could not answer her tag. Thanks a lot dear. Finally I have answered all of them, from A to Z.

The Tag

1. A – Available/Single? I Wish ;)

2. B – Best friend? Ekta

3. C – Cake or Pie? Cake

4. D – Drink of choice? Mocha Shake

5. E – Essential item you use every day? PC, Mobile Phone

6. F – Favorite color? White

7. G – Gummy Bears Or Worms? Gummy Bear

8. H – Hometown? Allahabad

9. I – Indulgence? Novels, Sweets, Potato Snacks

10. J – January or February? February- Spring Time

11. K – Kids & their names? May be next year

12. L – Life is incomplete without? My Family

13. M – Marriage date? A Memorable Date

14. N – Number of siblings? 1 brother

15. O – Oranges or Apples? Oranges

16. P – Phobias/Fears? Locks- I always feel that I have left the lock open

17. Q – Quote for today? "I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it." (Charles Schulz)

18. R – Reason to smile? When any of my effort gets paid

19. S – Season? Monsoon

20. T – Tag 3 People? 4 Anncoo, Purva, Somoo, MBC

21. U – Unknown fact about me? Someone else will have to discover

22. V – Vegetable you don't like? Bitter Gourd

23. W – Worst habit? To repeat the same mistake time after time
24. X – X-rays you've had? Don't Remember

25. Y – Your favorite food? Alu Paranthas (Indian Potato Bread)

26. Z – Zodiac sign? Pisces

The Rules

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share the ABCs of you.
4. Tag 4 people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let the 4 tagged people know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so that there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag.

Almond Milk - A Beauty Drink

2009-08-20T04:17:00.000-07:00

Childhood memories are so beautiful. Just thinking about those times gives so much of happiness. I wish I could be a small girl again and indulge myself in the natural pleasures of doing small things. Without a care in the world I could imagine things, create, play, laugh, smile and cry. But not anymore.

Almond Milk is a special part of my childhood memories. When I was a small girl, my mother used to make me almond milk because of its varied benefits. I used to have it before sleeping. Still whenever I am home, she makes it. In those growing years I used to hate milk both plain or with any of the mixes. But I loved warm almond milk. And still do, specially in winters.

Full of health and beauty benefits, you could use almonds to make face scrub or moisturizer to soften your skin and prevent aging. Drinking warm almond milk before you go to bed would improve your sleep. For growing children it helps in increasing energy levels and memory. Almonds are an incredible nutritional resource.

Ingredients

10 almonds (blanched and chopped)
4-5 cup milk
pinch of cardamom powder
pinch of nutmeg powder
3-4 tbsp sugar
few saffron strands

Method

* Boil milk in a thick bottomed pan.
* Add sugar and almonds and lower the heat. Keep on stirring till the water evaporates and somewhat thicker consistency is achieved.
* Just before removing from heat, add cardamom and nutmeg powder. Stir and boil for further 2-3 minutes.
* Serve hot in glasses garnished with saffron strands.
* If you want it cold in summers, then chill it for few hours.

Simple & Healthy Pesto Pasta

2009-08-19T03:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of spoons of pesto is all you need to make your pasta delicious. Pesto is a classic Italian sauce made with a blend of basil leaves, olive oil, garlic, hard cheese and pine nuts. Low in fiber but high in fat, so use only in limited amount. I used only two spoons of it, to make a healthy pasta.

Just after finishing all my pending tasks when I glanced at the clock, it confirmed that I was past my regular dinner time. I was tired, still not in a mood to eat anything. I had to act fast. So, on the very first night of my extended weekend, I made pesto pasta for dinner along with baked garlic mushrooms. The pasta smelled lovely, filled my kitchen with a natural aroma and gave back all my energy. If you have pesto sauce, then you too can make your pasta just in few minutes. And its great for evening snacking.

Ingredients

200gm fettuccine Pasta
2 tbsp pesto sauce
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp parsley
4 blanched almonds
2 tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese grated

Method

* Cook the pasta in a pan of water for 7-8 minutes.
* In a blender add garlic cloves, almonds, parsley, 1 tbsp olive oil, black pepper, salt and blend to form a paste.
* Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan.
* Add the paste earlier made and pesto sauce. Heat for few minutes.
* Then add pasta, mix well and cook for few minutes. Do take care not to overheat it.
* Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and lemon wedges.
* Serve hot with Baked Garlic Mushrooms.

Note: As the ribbons of fettuccine pasta have a tendency to catch and stick together, add butter or olive oil for lubrication

Baked Garlic Mushrooms - Love For Baking

2009-08-14T04:15:00.000-07:00

An extended weekend of 3 days is not always you get. I was lucky to get this after a long long time. Previously I was planning to go somewhere. But a few things were pending from a long time, for which usually I don't get time in weekdays. So, I decided to be at home make good use of time, try new recipes and enjoy a lazy weekend just lying and roaming in the house and doing whatever I love to do.

These weekends are such a joy. Just one day and I watched a movie, slept, cleaned the house and cooked. With working women cleaning becomes a weekend task only. Washing of clothes and then readying them for the week ahead and finally organizing the cupboard. I can do all this on a weekend only. At times a weekend day even seems to be a working day. But still the joy is there in doing these small tasks too. And we women enjoy this.

After all this what I managed to cook was something very easy. Baked garlic mushrooms and Pesto Pasta. From the week my tongue was longing for a taste of herbs. I included this in both the recipes. First comes the recipe of baked garlic mushrooms and then I will share the Pesto Pasta. May be some dessert too, as the occasion is Janmashtmi.

Ingredients

12 large mushrooms

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup coarse dry bread crumbs, preferably from Italian bread

2 garlic cloves (minced with a garlic press)

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, (1/4 tsp dried)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

* In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter. Add breadcrumbs.

* Cook them stirring continuosly on medium heat till the moisture evaporates and they are brown.

* Wash the mushrooms properly and slice them length wise.

* In another pan heat another tbsp of oil. Ass lengthwise sliced garlic, thyme, salt, black pepper, and mushrooms.

* Heat for few minutes. Take care not to overheat.

* Grease a baking dish with butter or oil and add mushrooms.

* Sprinkle all the breadcrumbs over the mushrooms and bake in a preheated oven at 100 degrees for 15-20 minutes, till the mushrooms are tender and the breadcrumbs are from brown to dark brown in color.

Hot 'n' Spicy Watermelon Drink Recipe

2009-08-13T05:13:00.000-07:00

During summer, melons are at their best. And to beat the heat of summers, nothing cools as much as the chilled melon salad, soup or drink. But when showers happen, thirst for something cold gives way to something hot. This watermelon drink is hot and spicy and just right for the Monthly Mingle Event, hosted by Chew On That.

This is my first submission for Meeta's Monthly Mingle. I look forward to it in the future too. Its a great idea to unite with other food bloggers and share recipes.

Watermelon Drink is an easy drink to make. Although I have made a hot watermelon drink. If you want to have it cold, you can chill it for few hours.

Ingredients

2 small ginger roots
4-5 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
6 cup watermelon cubes (seeded)
1 cup water
5 cup sugar
3 lemon slices
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

* Place ginger, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in a double layer of cheesecloth. Tie ends into a spice bag. Set aside.
* Peel the dark green skin. Coarsely chop watermelon and place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until the watermelon reaches the consistency of coarse
applesauce.
* Place processed watermelon and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 30 minutes, until watermelon is soft.
* Add spice bag, sugar, lemon, and salt to the watermelon. Simmer and cook for an hour, .
* Pour into glasses.

Another Award For Cooking Pleasures

2009-08-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

Time to celebrate again. My food efforts have won me another award from Parita of Parita's Kitchen. Do check her blog for some of the tastiest treasures. I thank her from the bottom of my heart. Through this food blog, I have made many food friends and a lot of admirers. This gives a great feeling.

Every single appreciation matters a lot. Its just like cooking. Whenever we cook
something special, there is always a feeling of anticipation. Anticipation to be appreciated by others, anticipation to expect rewards for it at times. These rewards in a way are a pat on your back, to encourage you further. Another award has boost up my energy and my love for food. I promise to work harder and make recipes tastier for my food blog lovers.

Find the Answers below for the tag - I have answered all the questions, adding my own question in the end.

1. What is your current obsession?
Blogging

2. What are you wearing today?
Shirt and Trousers

3. What’s for dinner?
Chicken Curry with plain rice

4. What’s the last thing you bought?
Monthly food products

5. What are you listening to right now?
My Inner Voice

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
Parita is one beautiful food blogger with a great love for 2 Bs- baking & blogging

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
India

8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?
Capri, T shirts, Cotton frocks and suits

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Paris, London, Switzerland, New York

10. Which language do you want to learn?
Oriya

11. Who do you want to meet right now?
My Mom

12. What is your favorite color?
White

13. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet?
My new yellow suit

14. What is your dream job?
Would love to be an Interior Decorator

15. What’s your favorite magazine?
None but I do love to reading magazines

16. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
Probably, a custom made blog template for my blog

17. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?
Backless

18. Who are your style icons?
None

19. Describe your personal style?
Something classy and chic

21. What are your favorite movies?
Jab We Met, Love Actually

22. Give us three styling tips that always work for you
Combed open hair, a comfortable dress and light makeup

23. Coffee or tea?
Tea

24. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Eat chocolates, go for shopping, bake a cake, read a novel, basically try to divert my mind.

25. What is the meaning of your name?
Part of a part

26. Which other blogs you love visiting?
food, photography, traveling and personal blogs

27. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Custard Trifle

28. Favorite Season?
Monsoon

29.Which is your dream destination?
Whole World

30: Which is your favorite international cuisine ?
Chinese

Parita's Question

Your favorite kitchen tool?
A good Knife

My Question

Which kitchen tool or equipment, you have wanted from a long time?

The Rules

Respond and rework – answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, and add one more question of your own. Then tag eight or ten other people.

I want to pass the awards and tags to the below friends. Please accept these awards and pass on!

TracieMoo
Amy Ong
Anncoo
Donna-FFW
A2ZVegetarian Cuisine
Diva

Evening Madness - Fried Cheese Balls

2009-08-12T04:27:00.000-07:00

It is a misconception that eating snacks leads to weight gain. If you eat healthy snacks, then there is a benefit of it. Evening snack will prevent you from feeling too hungry at dinner and overeating. You will prefer something light like soup or lentils and bread, giving you a sound sleep at night.

As soon as I get back home from work, I am hungry. I had to have snacks. Usually I try to have healthy snacks like a quick chickpea salad or slices of brown bread with peanut butter during weekdays. But at times I am unable to resist myself on gorging more calories than that is justifiable with some fried snacks. This mostly happens on weekends, when I have plenty of time and I have been through a lot of food blogs. Cheese balls are yummy. Melted cheese will give you a gooey feeling and the aroma is just wonderful. Eat them hot only, dipped in green chutney or sauce with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients

1 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup bread crumbs
oil for frying
salt to taste

Method

* In a large bowl mix cheese, flour, eggs, black pepper, chili powder, baking powder and salt to taste making a thick consistency.
* Beat it into a fluffy batter. Take care in beating, as a proper batter makes cheese balls tastier.
* Leave it for 15-20 minutes.
* Make round balls from the batter and brush them with breadcrumbs.
* In a wok, heat oil and deep fry them, till golden in color.

Blueberry Soy Pancakes

2009-08-10T23:27:00.000-07:00

Every morning when I wake up, the first tension that arises in my mind is what to make in the breakfast. Knowing what to make is half the battle won. I am a big lazybones so, I prefer making elaborate dishes on weekends. Week days are for something quick yet tasty. This morning I oped for Blueberry pancakes. Remember I had got a box of frozen blueberries, a few days back from a friend. Other than having it and making blueberry smoothie, I had saved the rest for trying some other blueberry recipes.

In pancake recipes, usually everyone uses all purpose flour for making pancakes. Instead I used soya or soy flour which is gluten free and has low fat. Soy flour is made from roasted soybeans that have been ground into a powder and is easily available in supermarkets and food store. Buy it and store in a refrigerator. You can make numerous healthy low fat dishes with it, replacing flour.

Ingredients

1/2 cup soy flour
3 tbsp soy milk or milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp superfine sugar
3-4 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup canned blueberry
1-2 tbsp oil
1 egg

Method

* Mix soya flour, milk, baking powder, sugar and one egg yolk to make the thick batter of dropping consistency.
* Leave it for 10-15 minutes.
* Meanwhile whisk the egg white until fluffy. Add it into the batter.
* Take a nonstick pan, brush it with oil and heat it.
* Pour the batter into the pan in a circular manner. As soon as the lower side is done at blueberries on top.
* Then flip and let the other side also cook.
* Serve hot with maple syrup, blueberries.
* For garnishing sprinkle with sugar.

Green Gourd Juice

2009-08-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

While surfing around the net, I came across a superb concept of raw food diet. A diet based on unprocessed and uncooked plant food, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouts, juices, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, dried fruit, coconut milk etc. And the results Increased energy, Better skin, Improved digestion, Weight loss, Reduced risk of heart disease and many more.

The best thing about this whole concept is that if you follow a raw food diet you can eat almost as much as you can and still maintain a healthy weight. I found this whole idea just amazing. I am sure all of you would too and many must be knowing this already, even some must have tried it out. In synch with this I found Raw Divas, a website which is offering a free 7-Day Raw Food Detox Program for Women.

This green juice which I have made is the result of my inspiration from this whole concept of raw food diet. I am yet take the program. But I will try it for a day, if all goes well. May be I get going for more. Best idea would be to take a week off and then enjoy the program doing everything you were wanting to do from a long time. Anyone who wants to lose weight, I will suggest any this great concept for losing weight in a healthy way. My juice will help you in that. Easy to make, green and very nutritious.

Ingredients

1 calabash or bottle gourd peeled , seeded, chopped
bunch of cilantro
2-3 Indian gooseberry chopped
small ginger chopped 2
black salt to taste
2 tbsp lemon juice
ice cubes as requiredsalt to taste

Method
* Leaving water, add everything in a blender and blend for few minutes.

* Add water and again blen for few minutes.

* Using a strainer, pour the juice in chilled glasses.

* Add ice cubes and serve chilled.

Wheat Biscuits For Healthy Snacking

2009-08-07T04:44:00.000-07:00

According to a survey by the American Dietetic Association (ADA), the majority of working people eat lunch (67%) and snack (61%) at their desks and over one-third eat breakfast there. So, we know now most of us have a habit of munching something after every few hours (workplace snacking habit) and specially when stressed, under pressure, or bored. And don't even realize the amount of intake but can go for something or anything within reach. If what we are munching is unhealthy and full of calories like chips, cookies, chocolates, pizzas, pastries leads to a lot of fat gain. Avoiding snacks is not the answer as snacking helps you in overeating at meals and also in keeping up your energy levels.

I take my own lunch still the craving is there. I am able to resist it in first half but around 4 or 5, I am starving. As I am one of those and I just can't change this habit, I opted for something which is healthy and nutritious like fruits or low carb biscuits. I buy a stock of fruits and bring 1-2 each day or on weekends I make some low calorie cookies or biscuits which will be enough for a week. If you are working and love baking, you can easily make these for you and store in air tight containers. Trick is to eat with a full glass of water to feel more fuller faster and not coffee or tea. Munch away your office hours with these low fat, low calorie whole wheat biscuits.

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tbsp Bran
1/2 cup all purpose flour
150 gm chilled butter
1 cup caster sugar
milk as required

Method

* In a large bowl mix wheat flour, bran and all purpose flour.
* Add butter cut into small cubes and mix with the tips of your finger slowly till the mixture starts looking like breadcrumbs.
* Then add the superfine sugar followed by cold milk.
* Knead the mixture into a smooth dough.
* Using some flour, roll out the dough into biscuit like thickness.
* Using cutters, cut the dough rolled out into shapes you want.
* On a baking tray, apply some butter and place the biscuits.
* Bake the biscuits in a preheated oven at 160°C, till done.
* Let them cool and then store in airtight containers.

Custard Trifle - A Sweet Celebration

2009-08-04T05:17:00.000-07:00

The occasion was Rakshabandhan, a festival for brothers and sisters. My brother came. Its been a month since I last met him. Hence, the time was indeed special and so I had to make something special too to match up with the occasion and taste buds of my brother, who is a great foodie and had a sweet tooth like me. So what best came to my mind was a Trifle, excellent for a summer dessert with layers of cream custard , fruits, mass of sponge cake and juice of fruits.

Custard Trifle is more easy, if you could get a ready made sponge cake from the market. It is one of the typical desserts of the English cuisine. The ingredients are distributed in layers by the sponge cake as separation with cream or custard as the last layer. I wanted a break from chocolate, so i opted for a custard one. With small variations, you could make a chocolate, lemon, or strawberry trifle. Although making a trifle is very easy but to make the best trifle you should star preparations a day before.

Ingredients
1/2 kg sponge cake
3-4 tbsp orange juice
1 apple chopped
2-3 bananas chopped
5-6 strawberries chopped
5-6 raspberries
1/2 cup pineapple chopped
2-3 vanilla custard powder
2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whipped cream
few nuts chopped

Method

Making Custard

* Boil milk in a heavy bottom saucepan.
* Lower the heat and add 2-3 tbsp of sugar according to your taste
* Meanwhile dissolve custard powder in 2-3 tbsp milk.
* Add this in the milk. Keep on stirring till it becomes thick.
* Remove from heat and let it cool.

Making Trifle

* Mix all the fruits and sprinkle some sugar on them. Refrigerate them for around one hour.
* Slice the cake in 2-3 layers horizontally. Place one layer in the base of a deep large glass bowl.
* Pour 1 tbsp of orange juice on the cake layer.
* Spoon the fruits over the sponge. Spread the custard over the fruit. Then add another layer of cake following the same process.
* Leave the flavor to develop overnight in the fridge.
* Whip the cream until it is firm, fold in sugar to taste, and spoon on top of the custard.
* Sprinkle chopped nuts and some fresh fruits to decorate.

Blueberry Smoothie - A Summer Delight

2009-07-31T05:27:00.000-07:00

After making chicken samosas, I decided to take a break from cooking. And by luck I got it too. I got a dinner invitation, which I eagerly accepted. And you know after dinner, when I was leaving what I got. A can of frozen blueberries. My joy knew no bounds. The urge for blueberries must have been straight from my heart. While on my way back, lots of ideas started coming.

Blueberries are full of nutrition with flavors ranging from tart & tangy to sweet. Being low in calories make a good ingredient for smoothies and desserts. From May through October when they are in season, blueberries are at their best. And at this is end of July, finally I have got blueberries. To start I tried out this simple smoothie.

Ingredients

1 cup frozen blueberries
3-4 tbsp sugar or any sweetener
2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

* In a blender, blend sugar and the frozen blueberries first.
* Then add rest of the ingredients and again blend till smooth.

Chicken Samosas - Flavor Of The Season

2009-07-29T05:39:00.000-07:00

Sifting through the newspaper, a news on Chicken Samosas caught my eye. President Barack Obama had served them with other dishes at a White House Reception hosted for ambassadors this monday. Being a foodie, most of the time I am in search of culinary delights which I could make to suffice my taste buds. But this news made me hungry and I could think of nothing else other than samosas. Monsoon drizzle had made the weather also perfect. Only ingredient that my kitchen lacked for making chicken samosas was chicken. Usually I had never made so much effort for making anything. But samosas made me make that extra effort. I immediately went to the market and bought some boneless chicken.

Making samosas is not a very difficult task. The only difficulty is in giving the right shape and closing them properly. As soon as you start frying them, your kitchen will be filled with a nice aroma as my had. Finally when I took the first bite, I knew that all of my efforts had paid. I cuddled up on the terrace with piping hot samosas dipped into tangy chutney and a hot cup of tea. For vegan variations, instead of chicken filling you can try the original Indian potato filling. Try it out, and if you don’t get hooked, I’ll eat it all of them on my own!

Ingredients
For dough
2 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp oil
1 cup Water
pinch of salt

For filling
2 cups of boneless chicken shredded
1 large onion chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
coriander leaves
2 tbsp Garam Masala Powder
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tsp. turmeric powder
salt to taste
oil for frying

Method
Preparing Dough
* In a bowl mix together flour, salt and oil. With hands mix it well till the mixture is coarse.
* Add water and knead into a smooth dough.
* Leave it for about half an hour and prepare the filling in the meantime.

Preparing Filling
* In a saucepan heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add cumin seeds.
* Then add chopped onions. Fry till golden brown.
* Add rest of the spices- garam masala, turmeric powder, salt and ginger garlic paste.
* When the spices are cooked add minced chicken and let it cook for few minutes.
* Add chopped coriander mix well.
* Let the chicken filling cool before making samosas.

Making Samosas
* Make small balls from the dough. Roll each ball into a big round. It should not be very thin.
* Cut it into 2 halves using a knife. Pick one half and make a cone out of it.
* Add the filling into the cone. Seam the mouth and open edges with a little water, by pressing the ends. Take care in doing this so that it may not open while frying.
* Do the same with the rest of the dough.
* When done, heat oil in a wok and deep fry all the samosas till golden brown.
* Serve them hot with yogurt and green chutney or cilantro yogurt dip.

Note: To remove excess oil, press the samosas on paper napkins.

Fried Fish Fillets

2009-07-28T04:16:00.000-07:00

"I wake up in the morning to the sound of raindrops
And I wonder where you would be
And I wonder if its raining there.
Wherever you are, I hope you think of me, when its raining there"
- Tushar Raheja

It was not morning, it was evening but it was raining. I was back home just in time. If I hadn't come home early, I had been stranded in the traffic for hours. This was the best downpour this season. The weather was mesmerizing. Rains brought a lot of feelings both happy and sad. And the memories of our loved ones. If I had been home, mother must have made something delicious to bring the warmth.

I made a hot cup of ginger tea and made myself cosy on the couch on the terrace looking in the rains. For some moments I was lost. I wanted to sit there for some more time. But I was getting messages from my stomach. I had nothing much in terms of grocery. But had some fish fillets which I had bought earlier this weekend. My mom loves fish. So nothing could be better than making fried fish fillets. And I made them her way by pounding spices for making fresh paste to marinate the fillets. But the whole effort paid. As soon as the paste was ready, a nice aroma of the spices started coming. If you don't want to follow the traditional method of making the marination paste using mortar & pestle, make the paste using an electric mixer.

Ingredients

1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper corn seeds
4-5 fresh fish fillets
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp onion paste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 red chili powder
salt to taste
oil for frying

Method

* Properly wash the fish fillets and dry them.
* In a mortar, add coriander seeds and black pepper corns. With the pestle crush them till a fine powder is made.
* Add chopped onions, red chillies, salt, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and make a fine paste.
* Coat the fish fillets with this paste, covering all the sides.
* Leave the fillets for an hour.
* In a frying pan, add oil and shallow fry the fillets from both sides.
* Serve hot with lemon onion cucumber salad.

Note:Pounding the herbs and spices releases the full range of essential oils, aroma and flavor they contain, giving chili sauces and curry pastes a greater breadth and depth of flavor than chopping them in a food processor can achieve.

Rice Pudding With Orange Flavoring

2009-07-27T05:27:00.000-07:00

There are many of us who have a strong urge to have something sweet from time to time. And when we are invited for dinner by any of our friends, colleagues or relative, what we look forward to is desserts. And I am just that kind of a person. No matter how good might be the food, I make sure that I have space reserved in my tummy for the dessert. Although any dessert means a lot of calories even if most of the steps have been carried out to reduce the calories. Still that has no relation with the craving.

To end this craving I made, rice pudding this weekend finally. And while I was making it, a wonderful thing happened, it started raining. Initially I wanted to have a chilled dessert but when I was through, I couldn't resist and ate it when it was warm. Rains had made the temperature dip and in that cool weather when I had this warm dessert, it was such a heavenly feeling. The orange flavoring gave such a wonderful aroma and a change from the traditional rice pudding.

Ingredients

For rice pudding
1 cup rice
3 cup milk
1 cup cream
1/2 cup coconut milk (optional)
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
3 tbsp caster sugar

For flavoring

1 cup orange juice
2 tbsp honey

Method

* Before making rice pudding, wash and soak rice in water for half an hour.
* First prepare the flavoring. For it in a saucepan add orange juice and honey and boil on medium heat till it thickens like syrup.
* Set it aside to cool.
* Take another saucepan and boil milk.
* Drain and add rice to the boiling milk, reduce heat to low and cook for some time, stirring continuously.
* Cook till the rice is soft and the milk is thickened.
* Add cardamom powder, cream and sugar. Stir and set it aside to cool.
* Refrigerate for an hour.
* Serve in chilled bowls with orange flavoring on top.
* If you want you can add chopped nuts.

Note: Coconut milk not only thickens the pudding but also make it tastier.

Raspberry Parfait - A Fresh Fruit Dessert

2009-07-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

Its been raining lately, humidity is on the high and heat is still on giving the signal that summer us no where to go. Back from work, I was craving for having something chilled and as I have a sweet tooth so of course a dessert. But was in no mood to make something elaborate which would take most of my time and energy. Then came to my rescue Parfaits. Easy to make and yummy to eat. A parfait is just a dessert made with by combining layers of cream, ice cream, fruits, nuts, syrups and served in tall glasses.

Layered desserts with lot of fruits and cream are so elegant that whenever you serve them, guests get excited even before tasting them. Here I have made raspberry parfait. But you can make others also replacing raspberry with cherry or blackberry or by combining all the berries.

Ingredients

2 cup fresh raspberries
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup cream cheese
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

* Wash and drain raspberries and place in a small bowl.
* Add granulated and set aside for some time.
* In a mixer add cream cheese, vanilla extract and caster sugar and blend or add in a bowl and whip till the mixture is fluffy.
* Slowly pour the cream, beating until all of it is mixed and the mixture is thickened.
* Crush the raspberries a little with a spoon or you can blend them too.
* In chilled champagne glasses or wineglasses place a layer of raspberries followed by the creamy mixture. Repeat this as much as you want with creamy layer in the end.
* If you want it to be more chilled, then refrigerate it for half an hour and then serve in glasses.
* Garnish it with a fresh raspberry and serve.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad With Lemon Dressing

2009-07-22T05:51:00.000-07:00

Originally native to Africa, but black-eyed pea is now grown in many countries being an excellent source of calcium, vitamin A and folate. Black-eyed pea salad is an easy, the only thing to keep in mind is soaking it overnight or few hours before when you need it. This can be a side dish or a healthy replacement of snacks. My mother used to make it for my grandfather and I loved it. No cholesterol and so healthy. After boiling it becomes soft and tastes wonderful. Other than onion and tomato, cabbage, radish or cucumber can also be added in the salad.

Ingredients

1 cup black eyed beans
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1-2 green chillies chopped
cilantro chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
salt to taste

Method

* Before cooking, soak black-eyed peas for 4-5 hours.
* Then boil them in water for about 10 minutes.
* When boiled, remove the water.
* Take a large bowl, add boiled black-eyed peas, tomato, onion, green chillies, cilantro, lemon juice, black pepper powder and salt to taste.
* Mix everything properly.
* Let it sit for half an hour before serving. Serve warm or cold.

Walnut Chicken Curry - For That Crunchy Flavor

2009-07-20T23:02:00.000-07:00

Walnuts add a crunchy flavor to the dishes. And being high in protein can be used as replacement of foods that are high in saturated fats (such as cheese and meat). Is considered "brain food" due to its high levels of omega-3. Although the dish I have made is high in calories. Hence, Walnut chicken curry is something to be eaten once in a while, may be to celebrate any special moment. To add no more calories to it, have it with steamed rice.

Ingredients

For Marination

1 cup yogurt
1 tbsp garam masala
salt to taste

For Curry

1/2 cup walnuts (crushed)
1/2 kg chicken (boneless or with bones)
1 tbsp garam masala powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon red chilly powder
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
2 onion chopped or grated
1-2 green chillies chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp cream
2 tbsp oil
1 cup water
Salt, to taste

Method

* In a large bowl, add chicken pieces after washing properly.
* Add curd, salt and garam masala podwer. Mix well.
* Leave the chicken for marination for about half an hour.
* In a skillet heat oil. Add onions.
* Fry onions till brown. Add salt, ginger garlic paste, green chillies and tomato puree.
* Cook till oil begins to separate.
* Then add garam masala, red chilly, cumin powder, black pepper powder and walnuts. Mix properly
* Add chicken and fry them till they are cooked.
* Lower the heat and add water.
* Stirring continuously, add fresh cream.
* Cook for another few minutes, till the curry thickens and chicken is cooked.
* Serve hot with steamed rice.

Chocolate Cupcake - A Guilty Pleasure

2009-07-17T04:03:00.000-07:00

From a long time, I had been wanting to bake a cake. And finally I made one yesterday, after going through a lot of food blogs and magazines. This is an easy version as I had less time to make an elaborate cake. Also, this was my first time so, I was not ready to take the risk. But somehow things got along well and the result was chocolate cup cakes with melted chocolate chips inside ,adding a gooey goodness to it. You can chill it too, if you like cold cakes. Although, I would suggest having it fresh from oven to have that heavenly taste of melted warm chocolate.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
1 cup warm water
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1 cup chocolate chips

Method

* Melt the butter in a pan.
* Beat the eggs well in a separate bowl.
* Add flour, sugar, melted butter, water, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla essence and coffee powder
* Mix all the ingredients properly to form a thick batter.
* Add chocolate chips.
* Pour the batter in small cups.
* Place the cups in a tray and bake for 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 375 degrees.

Note: Prick in the middle of the cakes to check if the cakes are done. If it comes out clean, that means the cakes are ready.

Orange Ecstasy - A Refreshing Summer Mocktail

2009-07-13T23:48:00.000-07:00

Oranges add a special tang to any recipe. Not just that they are so full of goodness that they are in desserts, drinks, squashes and then in cosmetics too. An orange is equal to a small world of benefits. The fiber in orange reduces high cholesterol level in the body and the natural fruit sugar, fructose controls the rising blood sugar levels after a meal. Oranges are an excellent source if vitamin C and flavonoids. So eat at least an orange a day, specially in summers.

Normally I don't like juices, still I like having fresh juices. Orange juice is my favorite. In canned juices also, orange tastes better than others. So, for natural flavor try to use fresh orange juice.

Ingredients

2 cups chilled orange juice
3 cups soda
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup milk
1 cup vanilla ice cream
sugar to taste
1 tbsp grated rind of orange
A drop of orange color

Method

* In a jar, mix together milk, orange juice, lemon juice, orange rind, sugar, and color
* Stir till everything is mixed and sugar dissolved.
* Add soda
* In glasses, add ice cream and our the orange soda mixture
* Serve chilled

Lemon Ecstasy - A Delectable Summer Mocktail

2009-07-13T04:11:00.000-07:00

For those of you who love to have cool drinks to beat the red hot summer heat but don't drink alcohol, mocktails are always welcome. Quick to make, colorful and full of goodness of fruits, a mocktail would give you all the fun of a cocktail along with a quick boost in energy.

The beauty of using superfine or caster sugar is that because of its fineness, it dissolves more quickly than regular white sugar.

Ingredients

6 lemons
5 tbsp Caster sugar/superfine sugar
2 bottle soda
3 cup vanilla ice cream
Crushed ice

Method

* Take out the juice of lemons, discarding the seeds
* Mix together lime juice and super refined sugar and stir till the sugar dissolves
* Add half of the vanilla ice cream and soda
* Whip with a beater till the ice cream is half melted
* Put in a serving glass over crushed ice
* While serving add the remaining ice cream on top

The Marvellous Taste Of Butterscotch

2009-07-10T03:19:00.001-07:00

Butterscotch, a flavor without which many of the desserts, shakes or sundaes will be incomplete. The whole process is simple but takes almost half an hour. But the best thing is that you can refrigerate it in an airtight non reactive container for about a month and use it whenever you want to make any dessert, cake or a shake.

Ingredients

4 tbsp butter (unsalted)
1 cup dark brown sugar (tightly packed)
¾ cup heavy whipped cream
1 tbsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt

Method

* In a saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. As the butter is melting add brown sugar and stir with a wooden spoon.
* Keep on stirring till the mixture becomes thick paste like a caramel. This will take approximately about 5 minutes.
* Add all the cream and mix.
* Lower the heat and whip the cream into the mixture till it forms a uniform mixture.
* Then on medium heat cook it for about 10 minutes till it starts boiling, whisking every few minutes.
* Turn off the heat and let it cool.
* When cooled, add vanilla essence and salt. Stir well and taste it.
* If the wonderful taste of butterscotch is there then you have done everything perfect. If not then add more vanilla extract and salt.

Note: Making butterscotch sauce is a quick process. Hence, keep everything ready beforehand.

Cooking Pleasures' Very First Recognition

2009-07-09T05:02:00.000-07:00

Cooking was never my love nor my passion. I was just a normal cook although a great foodie. So when I started this blog, it was kind of strange for me. But still I did (there was a voice deep down, longing for doing something just for me). And now it has become one of my great motivation factors. When I wake up, I think of recipes and when I sleep, then too the last thing going in mind is recipes only. And just after the hard work of a month, my blog has been appreciated by none other than Food Travel Diva. She comes from Barbados, a beautiful continental island off South America. In her Food Travel blog you will find treasures of the world, the places where she has been and recipes from their delectable cuisines. I am elated that she liked my blog so much and thank her from the bottom of my heart for the beautiful award.

7 things about me, you may not know

* I love to gorge on every chicken recipe.
* In my free time, if I am not cooking, I am reading. I just love to read novels.
* In the weekends I love to watch every movie be it new or old.
* Although I have never been out of India, I would love to travel to new places and
try their delectable cuisines.
* If I would not have been in IT sector by profession, I would surely have been an
Interior Designer
* I met my husband in one month in a unique way and married him in the next.
And after few initial ups and downs are happy together.
* My husband says I am a happy person and can keep the environment happy
regardless of my mood.

Cooking Pleasures Nominations

Indirect Heat
The Cooks Collection
A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine
Parita's Kitchen
Food Gourmand

The rules are as follows

1. Thank the person who has given you the award-goes without saying lol
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog
3. Link to the person who has nominated you for the award
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate
7. Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated

Watermelon Drink - For A Zesty Summer

2009-07-08T23:53:00.000-07:00

These days when the temperature is rising, rather than eating we go for drinking cold drinks, shakes, squashes or may be just chilled water to quench our thirst. Watermelon is one such fruit which has about 6% sugar by weight and the rest is water. Rich in vitamin C, watermelon has some very important antioxidants that neutralize harmful free radicals.

On a summer day this watermelon drink is just the perfect thirst quencher. Very easy to make too as are most of my recipes. The only thing is to remove the seeds, which you can do in advance and then store in an air tight container in refrigerator. Whenever you want you can make this. Although this is a drink my mother used to make but dear Julia of A Slice of Cherry make me redo it with a few changes according to my tastes and her ingredients (watermelon & mint) from In the Bag: Cooking the Month of June.

Ingredients

2-3 cups watermelon chunks (seeds removed)
4-5 mint leaves
black salt to taste

Method

* In a blender, mix watermelon and mint leaves
* Blend for few minutes
* Take a muslin cloth or a strainer and strain.
* The pulp is discarded, although can be used to make watermelon salad
* Add black salt and stir well.
* Serve in chilled glasses.
* If you want you can add few drops of lemon juice.

Vegan Semolina Pancake Recipe

2009-07-07T04:12:00.000-07:00

Most of the recipes made with semolina are low in calories. And the good thing about semolina is that, having no taste, it can be used to make a variety of breakfast cereals, snacks, cookies and even desserts. Semolina pancakes are packed with the goodness of various vegetables and curd. Hence, a very light snack. Any vegetables can be added which doesn't take much time in cooking. Serve these pancakes hot with tomato sauce or any sauce of your taste.

Ingredients

1 cup semolina
1 cup curd
1 cup water
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 large onion chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
1 radish grated
1/4 cabbage chopped
2-3 green chillies chopped
coriander chopped
salt to taste
3-4 tbsp oil

Method

* In a large bowl mix semolina, water, curd, salt and black pepper.
* Keep the batter for 1-2 hours so that semolina gets soaked.
* After few hours the consistency of the batter will thicken, add all the vegetables.
* Mix well, if required add a little water.
* In a non stick frying pan, add 1 tbsp oil. Then pour 2 large spoons of the batter giving it a round shape.
* Cook on medium heat.
* Change the sides till both sides are golden brown.

Hazelnut Affogato - The Perfect Coffee Dessert

2009-07-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

Served at many Italian restaurants or coffee shops, an affogato is an espresso based dessert or a beverage. Excellent for summers. " Affogato al cafe" means "drowned in coffee" as per the Italian language. You can make an affogato at home all you need is a strong coffee or espresso and scoops of ice cream. For topping you can even add different syrups or caramels.

Hazelnut affogato is a treat in summers. Easy to make, it is equipped with the goodness of hazelnuts, the best known source for Vitamin E. You can either add hazelnut syrup or hazelnut caramel. Both go well in affogato. The good thing is that you can further experiment to make different affogatos, only thing to keep in mind is the ratio of various coffee drinks and ice cream flavors. So brew some coffee and make great affogatos to beat the heat.

Ingredients

* 2 tbsp espresso shot
* 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
* 3 tsp hazelnut syrup

Method

* Take chilled glasses and add the espresso shot in it.
* Over it add the scoops of vanilla ice cream.
* Pout hazelnut caramel or syrup over the ice cream
* If you want you can garnish with chocolate chips.

Strawberry Yogurt - A Healthy Summer Dessert

2009-06-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

Strawberry yogurt with strawberry and yogurt as main ingredients is a healthy dessert in summers. Yogurt being an excellent source of protein, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin B 12 and strawberry being rich in folic acid and numerous other minerals. Hence, both form an excellent healthy combination.

Ingredients

2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup strawberry chopped
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp custard powder (vanilla or strawberry)
3 tbsp sugar/sweetener
1 tbsp honey
few fresh strawberries

Method

* Take 2 tbsp of milk and dissolve custard powder in it
* In a pan add remaining milk, sugar and the already made custard powder
* On a low flame cook while stirring continuously till the custard thickens and becomes creamy
* Let it cool for 10 minutes
* In a blender blend chopped strawberries, then add yogurt, honey and custard and again blend for a minute
* Pour in chilled bowls and let it cool in a refrigerator for half an hour
* Serve chilled, garnishing with fresh strawberries

French Toasts With Cream And Syrup

2009-06-30T03:31:00.000-07:00

This is an excellent dessert with the toasts being moist, soft, and rich in flavor, a perfect ending to summer dinners. Along with cream they just taste delicious. The source of this recipe is my mother. For every girl, her mother is her source of inspiration in most of the things in life be it food, life or marriage. Food is one thing which we learn from our mothers, by doing initially small tasks then making great meals.

She usually made french toasts with left over sugar syrup from other desserts in an effort to finish off the syrup. When breads are properly soaked in syrup they are moist and soft. A single slice is enough for a dessert after meals for a person. So, depending upon the number of guests slices can be taken. Sugar syrup can be made in advance and stored in refrigerator.

Ingredients

* 4-5 slices of bread
* Oil to fry
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 cup water
* fresh whipped cream

Method

* Remove the sides of the bread slices
* Deep fry them in a wok till they turn brown
* Take a skillet and mix water and sugar in it
* Boil on medium heat till the sugar dissolves and forms a thick syrup
* Let the bread slices and sugar cool
* Soak the slices in the syrup for half an hour and place it in the refrigerator until
cold
* Serve with freshly whipped cream and chopped nuts

Black Pepper Iced Tea - Summer Cool Way

2009-06-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

For those tea lovers who just can't live without thier daily dose of tea, iced tea is a cool way to steal the heat. Not only iced tea is refreshing but adding spices or lemon juice reduces the negative effect of tannins in iron absorption. I just love lemon tea or iced tea. It is an excellent coolant which will give you instant relief from heat.

Its not necessary to add any sweetner in it. People who are diabetic can drink it without any sweetner. For other people who are health concious, honey will do too. Sweetner, lemon and pepper give iced tea a sweet and salty flavor which is very soothing in summers.

Ingredients

* 2 tbsp tea/ tea bags
* 1 tsp black pepper powder
* 2 tbsp sugar/sweetner
* juice of 1 lemon
* 2 cup water
* ice cubes

Method
* Boil tea in water or boil water and steep the tea bags in it.
* Add black pepper and sugar and stir well
* Remove from heat and strain.
* Leave it for hal an hour so that it comes to room temperature.
* Pour in chilled glasses with lots of ice.
* Add lemon juice, stir and serve.

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Yogurt Fruit Salad - Secret For Good Health

2009-06-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

Low in calories, rich in nutrients that is what are Fruits. Hence, are a pillar in our diet which ensures good health and natural nutrition to all individuals. Whenever possible fruits should be eaten with the skin to gain maximum nutrients and preferably 2 hours before meals rather than after meals. This recipe is an excellent way to have lots of seasonal fruits. Salad dressing remains the same, but fruits can change according to your taste and availability.

Ingredients

1 cup yogurt (water removed)
1/3 cup cream
1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin powder

2 teaspoon honey/sugar

salt to taste

1 apple chopped

5-6 strawberries chopped

1 cup black grapes

1 cup papaya chopped

1 cup green grapes

Method

* In a large bowl mix all the fruits together.

* For dressing, take another bowl and mix yogurt, cumin powder, black pepper, honey or sugar and salt to taste together.

* Pour this paste on the fruits and mix well.

* Refrigerate for 3o minutes

* Serve chilled

Toffee Date Pudding - A Summer Dessert

2009-06-23T02:49:00.000-07:00

I know my readers must be thinking that I have a sweet tooth. But that is true. I just love to have desserts after a sumptuous dinner. This is almost a craving. If someone invites me for dinner then a sweet dish is a must. I just love chilled sweets in summers. First of all they help in digesting and then make the meal complete. This is a recipe which is easy to make although takes a little time. Go gooey with this dessert. In summers you can serve it chilled and in winters you can serve it hot.

Ingredients
For the pudding base
1 cup seedless dates
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon soda bicarbonate
1/2 cup flour
5 eggs
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tbsp vanilla essence
For Toffee Sauce
3 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp glucose
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup milk

Method
* Boil the dates in water. Then add soda bicarbonate
* Keep this mixture in refrigerator for few hours before making the pudding
* In a bowl mix butter and brown sugar foolowed by eggs.
* Add one fourth of the flour. Pour the soak dates and water in it and mix properly.
* Cream in the remaining flour and add baking powder followed by vanilla essence.
* Butter the baking mould and pour the mixture in it.
* Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 160 degrees.
* For toffee sauce cook sugar, water and glucose till it turns into caramel color.
* Add butter and remove from heat.
* Add milk and cream together to the caramel. Mix it properly.
* Whisk till the mixture is smooth.
* In a plate place the pudding base first, then pour toffe sauce on it.
* Garnish with few nuts befor serving.

Soy Choco Milk - Nutritive Summer Drink

2009-06-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

Soy milk is very nutritive and contains same amount of protiens as cows milk. Hence can be used as an option for milk for those people who either do not like milk or are allergic to it. Kids will love it as much as the adults.

Ingredients

2 cup soya milk

2 tbsp sugar/any sweetner

2 tbsp choclate powder

1 tbsp choclate chips

few ice cubes (crushed)

Method

* Mix all the ingredients in a blender jar except choclate chips

* Blend for few seconds till smooth

* Pour into chilled glasses

* Garnish with choclate chips and serve

Date Cake - For Someone You Love

2009-06-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

A special cake recipe and when you will have its first bite you will fell in love with its delicious taste. Date Cake is a delight to eat. If you had a fight with your husband or want to win over some new love, do try to make this. I am sure anyone will fell in love with its distinct flavor and softness. Also its so easy to make unlike all the cakes. Maybe the first time you don't get it right but there is no trick in it.

Ingredients

18-20 dates (seedless)
3-4 cup milk
3-4 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
nuts chopped

Method

* Blend the dates in a blender along with sugar. ( Although I first boil the dates in
milk and then blend )
* Add milk and blend again till a smooth paste is formed.
* Take out in a bowl and add oil, mix.
* In a separate bowl mix baking soda and flour together.
* Then add flour slowly, mixing with a spoon at the same time. So that no lumps are
formed.
* If you want then you can add nuts and cherries.
* Preheat the oven at 350F
* Take a baking dish grease it with oil.
* Pour the paste in the baking dish.
* On a frying pan roast some sugar, till a brown liquid is formed.
* Pour the liquid sugar on the paste.
* Bake for 40 minutes. (Before taking out, do check by inserting a knife in the
cake.)

Strawberry Smoothie - A Low Calorie Summer Cooler

2009-06-16T03:25:00.000-07:00

You know being rich in antioxidants and low in calories, Strawberry is considered as the best antidote for aging and that is the reason why there are many creams, moisturizers and skin care products have it as one of the important ingredients. I never knew this until today. So women, who want to be young forever start having strawberries more and more. And this the season from April to July to have abundant of fresh strawberries.

Do not wait, try out this easy smoothie recipe, one of the ways to have strawberries. If you are using frozen strawberries, then prefer adding sugar or honey or any other sweetener. To enjoy the taste of strawberry, don't blend them too much. When I am telling you about strawberries, then I will give one more tip. While buying, take only the reddest ones ie those which are fully ripe. And for storing for a few days, place them in a bowl with a plastic covering on top.

Ingredients

6-7 large strawberries
1-2 cup of milk or yogurt
2 scoops of vanilla or strawberry ice cream
sugar (optional)

Method

* Blend strawberries in a blender till they form a smooth paste. If you want, then you can add sugar to sweeten your smoothie.
* Add milk or yogurt. Again blend or shake a little, until everything mixes.
* Serve in chilled glasses.
* If you want, you can add vanilla or strawberry ice cream on top.

Strawberries are rich in various nutrients, with vitamin C heading. They also contain significant levels of phyto nutrients and antioxidants,vitamin K and manganese, as well as folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Coconut Pineapple Pancake - For Kids Breakfast

2009-06-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

Pancakes are easy to make and kids love them.To get your kids to eat sensibly and obtain the nutrition they need, you just have to experiment with the ingredients ofthe pancake. A few changes and you can give your child daily a different meal and all the necessary nutrients they need in their proper growth.

Instead of using flour you can try making pancakes using wheat or mix both in certain amount. For filling you can use coconut, choclate, cheese, banana, strawberry or raspberry and for toppings any jam, maple syrup, peanut butter or fruits. Here I have used pineapple and coconut as the main ingredients. Those who love pinapples will love this recipe.

Ingredients

For Pancake

2 cup flour
1 cup coconut milk

2 eggs

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

For Filling

1 tbsp butter

1 cup grated pineapple

1 cup grated coconut

sugar/brown sugar to taste

Method

* In a bowl mix flour, coconut milk, eggs, water and salt. Make a smooth paste.
* For making filling, mix the mashed or grated pineapple and coconut with sugar and butter

* On a hot, greased frying pan pour around 3 spoons of the batter.
* Place some filling on it. Then roll it or pour some more batter on the filling.
* Flip and brown the second side too, if you don't want to make a pancake roll and just want to have stuffed pancakes.

* For topping, add butter and pineapple or maple syrup.

Bael Fruit Squash - A Healthy Summer Drink

2009-06-11T05:22:00.000-07:00

Bael, Bengal Quince or Wood Apple is a fruit found in the dry forests of India and the regions around in summers. Rich in riboflavin, it is used to prepare numerous drinks, squashes and candies. Pulp of the ripe bael when eaten acts as a superb laxative. Pregnant women can have in the morning to avoid nausea. With butter and sugar, bael fruit is good for improving memory power for growing children.

I still remember, when I was young my mother used to almost force me to eat ripe bael. But I used to hate it at that time. Actually children in that age have a tendency to dislike everything that their parents ask them to do. Still to make me have such a nutritional fruit, she used to make me the delicious bael squash which I used to gulp down, as soon as I reached back home after school or play. Now when I am grown and fully aware of the qualities of bael and love its refreshing flavor in summers (consists of 61% moisture), I want every mother or wife should make this summer drink and give to their children and husband.

For older and diabetic people, I would advice to avoid sugar. If they want a flavor then they can replace sugar with salt to taste and pinch of blacksalt. Even lime juice is good as it gives the drink a sweet & salty taste.

Ingredients

1 bael
2 tsp sugar (optional)
2 glass water (chilled)

Method

- Extract the pulp of the bael fruit with help of spoon or knife
- Pass through a sieve For removing seeds, pass the pulp through a sieve
- Add sugar and water. Shake well
- Serve in chilled glasses

Cottage Cheese Salad - For That Lean Look

2009-06-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

Salads come with a lot of health benefits.

Ingredients

1 cup cottage cheese (paneer), cut into small slices
1 tomato chopped
1 cucumber chopped
1 onion chopped
1-2 chillies
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper powder
1 tsp lime juice
Salt to taste
chopped coriander leaves

Method

* On a frying pan roast the sliced cottage cheese pieces till light brown (around 2-3
minutes)
* Take a bowl, mix tomatoes, cucumber, green chillies and cottage cheese
* Add lime juice, black pepper and salt according to taste
* Before serving, garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Potato Chutney - Spicy Recipe

2009-06-08T04:41:00.000-07:00

Some dishes are never complete without freshly home made chutney. They add to the flavor of the food and are a talk of the table. Dry chili chicken, chili paneer or roasted dishes that are made without curry, require a chutney to go along with them.

Although potato chutney is not my own recipe, but i learned from a colleague of mine at work. While working women have a habit of talking anything and everything from work to home which includes the world in it. In between these talks only we shared our recipes. The special thing about it is that, its so easy to make and can be made in any season. But my advice is to eat it fresh to enhance the flavor of your snacks or appetizers.

Ingredients

2-3 potatoes
2-3 green chillies
bunch of coriander leaves
2-3 garlic
1 cup curd
1/2 teaspoon black salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt to taste

Method

* Boil potatoes in salted water till properly cooked
* Peel the potatoes
* Wash the coriander leaves properly
* In a blender mix boiled potatoes, curd, salt, black salt, green chillies, lemon
juice, garlic and salt according to taste
* Blend for few minutes, till it becomes a smooth paste

Black Forest Cake - A Very Happy Birthday

2009-06-04T22:52:00.000-07:00

"I’m wishing you another year
Of laughter, joy and fun,
Surprises, love and happiness,
And when your birthday’s done,I hope you feel deep in your heart,
As your birthdays come and go,
How very much you mean to me,
More than you can know."

Birthdays are always special and if of someone close to our heart then we want to make them feel special on this special day. This post is dedicated to that someone special. If it would have been possible then I would have prepared a special kind of treat which would include Candle Light Dinner with a Birthday Cake.

Ingredients

225 gms Maida (all purpose flour)
400 gms Sweetened condensed milk
2-3 tbsp Cocoa powder
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Cooking soda
125 gms Butter
200 ml Aerated cola drink
A pinch of salt
125gms Dairy Milk Chocolate
250 gms Fresh whipped cream
10 Cherries

Method

* Place a thick bottomed pan on very low flame and melt butter in it.
* Remove from the flame and let the butter cool.
* Add condensed milk and mix well.
* Sift maida, cocoa powder, baking powder, cooking soda and salt together.
* Make sure there are no lumps in the mixture.
* Grease a baking tray with little butter.
* Dust it with maida and keep it aside.
* Take a pan with little butter and put the maida mixture with the condensed milk-butter mixture.
* Now add aerated cola and mix it well.
* Pour the batter into the greased baking tray and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 150 degrees C.
* When it is done, let it cool and then slit it horizontally into two.
* Whip the cream till light and fluffy.
* Sandwich the two layers of cake with whipped cream and designed cherries.
* Top with whipped cream and cherries.
* Grate dairy milk chocolate bar and sprinkle over the cake.
* Serve it chilled.

Summer Special - Lychee Shake

2009-06-04T05:51:00.000-07:00

Summer is a time to rejoice and have lots of watery fruits. Lychee is one of such tropical fruit belonging to soapberry family. In China it is a symbol of love and romance. The taste is so tempting that once you start eating, you will want to eat more and more.

Ingredients

2 cup milk or low fat milk or yogurt
2 cup Lychee pulp
2 tbsp sugar/honey
Crushed ice

Method

* Lychee pulp is made by removing the cover and seeds of
7-8lychees, then blending them in a mixer
* Combine milk, lychee pulp, sugar or honey and crushed ice in
a mixer
* Blend till a smooth consistency is achieved ( takes only
20-30 seconds)
* Serve in chilled glasses

Egg Biryani - A Quick Meal

2009-06-03T04:32:00.000-07:00

When you are a working woman, then life is not at all easy. Juggling between home and work makes you completely stressed out. And many a times after a hectic day of work, you don't have energy left for making dinner. At these times meals like Egg Biryani or Egg Rice work. Easy to make and not much of the ingredients are required.

Although people usually use boiled eggs for making egg biryani. I experimented a bit and changed it according to my preferences and taste. This way rice gets the taste and aroma of eggs making it delicious to eat. I have made this for many people and everyone liked it. Its light to eat in dinner and also less spicy.

Ingredients

3 eggs
1 cup rice
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp chicken masala
1/2 tsp red chili powder
2 tbsp cooking oil
fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste
fresh chopped coriander leaves

Method

* In a bowl beat 2 eggs together. Add a pich of salt & red
chili powder
* Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet and pour the beaten eggs
* Cook the beaten eggs till they set a little. Then break them
into small pieces
* In a pressure cooker, heat the remaining oil. Add onions and
fry till they are golden brown.
* Add rice. Fry them also a little on medium heat.
* Mix eggs made earlier. Add garam masala, salt, red chili,
black pepper and chicken masala powder.
* Finally add a cup of water and an egg (uncooked), stir well. Close the pressure
cooker. Cook till one whistle comes.
* Before serving garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Chilli Cheese Toast - A Healthy Snack For Kids

2009-06-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

Making your kids eat food has been always a big task for mothers. As a kid my brother was also such a kid. He liked all the stuff which was unhealthy. So my mom had to think of lots of ways to make the food tasty as well as healthy so that he may have it. Cheese toast was one of her many creations although the idea came from my brother. He had cheese toast at one of his friends house and then wanted mom to make it. My mother improvised a little and came up with this Chilly Cheese toast which is very delicious when eaten hot with tomato ketchup.

Paneer, the basic ingredient of chilly cheese toast is a very nutritious cottage cheese extremely popular with kids and a rich source of proteins, carbohydrates and calcium. When served hot cheese toast just melts in mouth. If you want you can add other vegetables also like chopped tomatoes, shredded cabbage or carrot etc. Kids will love it in their breakfast or evening snacks along with a glass of milk or fresh juice. The key is making the food fun to eat.

Ingredients

6 slices of white/brown bread
2 capsicum chopped

100 grams paneer (cottage cheese)

1 onion chopped

coriander leaves chopped

2 green chillies chopped (not mandatory)

salt to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 tbsp cheese spread
1 tbsp tomato ketchup

Method

* In a big bowl mix paneer, onion, coriander, chillies, capsicum, salt and pepper
together.
* Spread the mixture on bread slices.
* Apply cheese spread on the mixture or cheddar cheese
* Place the bread slices on the baking tray in a single layer
* Bake the bread slices in a preheated oven at 200C (400F) for about 10-15
minutes
* Serve them hot with tomato ketchup. If you want you can cut the bread slices
diagonally to make triangles.

Roasted Potato Wedges - Heaven On Plate

2009-05-29T05:36:00.000-07:00

Crispy on outside and velvety inside, roasted potato wedges are the perfect low calorie appetizers. Sprinkle a few herbs and you have heaven on a plate. It is also recommended that 50% of our diet should consist of carbohydrate, mainly from starchy foods like potatoes. They are a rich source of fiber, potassium and vitamin C

From my childhood years, I have been in love with the potatoes and never could grow out of them. Initially I used to hate the skin of potatoes, then I got to know the nutritional value of the skins one day, while going through an article in newspaper, I prefer the potatoes with skin. Potato skins store many nutrients and also contain a lot of fiber which is essential for a healthy diet. Leaving the potato skins on the potato also helps contain the nutrients in the flesh of the potato which has a tendency to escape during cooking. Even it saves a lot of time. What is important is that they should be washed with utmost care.

Ingredients

* 5 large potatoes
* 4-5 tbsp vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
* salt to taste
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 teaspoon red chili powder ( if you like it to be spicy )

Method

* Scrub and wash potatoes properly
* Pat them dry and cut lengthwise into thick wedges (peeling is not necessary, depends on what
* In a large boil add potato wedges and toss them with oil, butter, salt, pepper
* Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet
* Roast them for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 450 degrees.
* Shake around. Stir.
* Bake for another 20 minutes. Turning occasionally with a wide spatula, until potatoes are golden brown and tender when pierced
* Take them out. Check the seasoning. Add more if necessary.
* Sprinkle with herbs.
* Serve immediately.

Grilled Cheese Tomato Sandwich - A Creamy Treat

2009-05-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

While travelling to many places by road around the country, whenever we used to take to stop at some road side restaurant to take a short break, the first thing that came to both mine and my brother's mind was Cheese Tomato Sandwich. We both just loved them and devoured on them, everytime we got a chance. And still it is our favorite because of its heavenly taste and being a special part of our growing up years.

The creamy melted cheese and juicy tomatoes complement eachother perfectly in this mouth watering grilled cheese sandwich recipe, which is so easy to make.

Ingredients

* 4 slices white/brown bread
* 3 tbsp butter, divided
* 2 slices cheddar cheese
* 1 tomato sliced
* 1/2 tbsp black pepper
* salt to taste (not necessary)

Method

* Melt a teaspoon of butter in the preheated sandwich maker
* Apply the remaining butter on one side of each slice of bread
* Then apply cheese slices on the two slices of bread, butter side down
* Add tomato slices on top.
* Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper
* Then at last the remaining slices of bread, butter side out
* Grill the sandwiches till they turn golden brown
* Serve them hot with mustard or tomato sauce and coffee

Masala Lemonade - A Refreshing Summer Drink

2009-05-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite drinks in summer is the masala lemonade. Its cool and refreshing. Not just that, it comes with a lot of health and beauty benefits too. Most of the food we have are acidic in nature leading to a lot of health problems. While both lemon and water help in clarifying our system removing toxins and making our skin glow.

In my college days, I used to have lots of Masala lemonade to cool myself from the scorching heat. And still do in summers. I just love it. It gives such a soothing effect. You can also use sugar syrup to make the process quick by saving your time in dissolving sugar.

Ingredients

* Juice of 4 lemons
* Sugar or Honey to taste
* 2 tbsps Chat Masala or Jaljira powder
* 2 Soda bottles (250ml) (fizzy mineral water)
* 1 Cup Chilled water
* Crushed ice
* Lemon slices to garnish

Method

* Squeeze all lemons to extract juice and remove seeds
* Pour water into a large jug. Add sugar and stir well to the get desired sweetness
* Add chat masala, lemon juice and crushed ice. Again stir well
* When ready to serve, add soda
* Serve in chilled glasses garnished with lemon slices

Banana Smoothie - An Excellent Energy Booster For Summer

2009-05-26T03:32:00.000-07:00

In summers, if you are feeling tired and low in spirits, then you must go for a banana smoothie. Banana acts as an instant energy booster making it a must to add in our daily diet in summers. As it contains Tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin. Serotonin is a hormone which is known to improve your mood, make you feel happy and relaxed.

You can also add few drops of vanilla essence in the smoothie. And one important tips for making banana smoothie is use chilled glasses i.e glasses which have been kept in freezer for some time before pouring the smoothie into it, so that it doesn't change its color.

Ingredients

* 2 bananas
* 250gm pineapple chopped
* 1-2 cups of milk
* 2 tbsp honey (or sugar)
* 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream
* few chopped nuts

Method

* Blend bananas, pineapple & honey in a blender until smooth
* Add milk then blend again
* Start adding ice slowly or use crushed ice
* Pour the mixture into chilled glasses
* Garnish it with ice cream scoop & nuts before serving

Note: A banana smoothie is not advised for people who have weight problems rather it is good for people who want to gain weight. Hence, excellent for athletes and people interested in body building.

Egg Chili - Indian Style

2009-05-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

Egg recipes are generally easy to cool, moreover eggs have a very high nutritional value with lots of proteins, minerals and vitamins. Whenever I think of making a quick dinner or breakfast, the first thing that comes in mind are eggs.

So, in continuation of quick recipes, this is another one which is a little spicy but sumptuous for a dinner with brown bread or wheat rotis (paranthas also go well with it). I learn' t this originally from my husband but changed a bit to make it more spicy. Instead if chopped onion & tomotoes, I prefer to make a seperate paste of both. Then use it, as this makes the gravy thick. The ingredients I have mentioned make the recipe for two.

Ingredients

* 4 eggs - boiled
* 2 tbsp oil
* 2 tomatoes - chopped
* 2 pc onions - chopped
* 2 pcs green chilies
* 1/4 tbs red chili powder
* 1/2 tbsp garam masala
* 1 tbsp chicken masala
* salt to taste

Method

* Heat 1 tbs oil in a pan
* Fry the onion and green chilies, saute till the onion turns brown
* Then add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and the gravy thickens
* Add red chili powder, saltto taste, chicken masala and garam masala
* Add 1 cup water & boiled eggs cut into two seperate pieces
* Cook on medium heat for few minutes
* Before serving garnish it with chopped coriander leaves

Mango Pudding - A Delicious Summer Dessert

2009-05-22T02:21:00.000-07:00

India is the largest producer of Mangoes. But mango lovers are found all around the world. Because of its tasty juice, flavor and fragrance, they form a key ingredient of various desserts and drinks. Mangoes are not only delicious but are rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Also are high in fiber but low in calories and sodium.
This recipe is for all the mango lovers and the credit for this recipes total goes to my husband, who not only discovered it but also taught me. Normally mango puddings contain gelatin, but that is only for giving it the right shape. I love my mango pudding without it and I am sure others will also love it. Very easy to make and delicious to eat as a dessert after dinner in summer nights.

Ingredients

* 3 cup sugar
* 3 pureed fresh mangoes
* 2-3 cup milk (or 1 cup condensed milk)
* 2 eggs

Method

* In a large bowl, mix the mango pulp, milk, sugar & eggs
* Blend the mixture in a mixer
* Then in a vessel boil the mixer on medium heat till it gets to somewhat thick
consistency
* Let the mixture cool
* Then pour the mixture into small molds or serving bowls and chill in a
refrigerator until set for at least 3 hours.
* Before serving garnish it with mango slices

Chilly Chicken - Indian Style

2009-05-21T02:28:00.000-07:00

When I got married, what I knew in cooking was just day to day food. No Chinese recipes or any other cuisine. Simple Indian food was all I knew. This is a problem with all the working women who eventually get married and because of lack of time don't get to learn. This is one of the first recipes I got to learn from my in laws. This Chilly Chicken is not at all Chinese. No soya sauce, no vinegar. Acts as a very tasty appetizer with chilled bear or cold drinks.

Ingredients

* 1 kg boneless chicken
* Red color (a pinch )
* 1-2 tbsp green chilly paste
* 3-4 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
* 4 tbsp cornflour
* 2 tbsp all purpose flour
* 2 eggs
* salt according to taste
* black pepper according to taste

Method

* Mix green chilli paste, garlic-ginger paste, cornflour, flour, salt, black pepper & eggs in a large bowl
* Marinate the chicken in this paste for 1 hour
* After 1 hour, fry the chicken pieces till they are brown and keep them on a tissue paper to absorb the excess oil
* Serve them hot with any sauce you like and garnish with onion rings, lemon wedges, tomato slices

Cooking Index

2009-05-18T04:13:00.000-07:00

Here I will try to organize my recipes so that food lovers may not have any problems searching their favorite recipes.

Contact

2009-05-16T00:37:00.000-07:00

Contact me at

loneacorn at gmail.com