Chocolate Trifle A Taste of Heaven

This eye catching, full of rich chocolate flavor is a dream dessert with six luxurious layers of cream,custard and chocolate cake crumbles. If you want to taste heaven with every scoop this dessert will not fail you. So go ahead and surprise your loved ones..

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp chocolate cake crumbles
• 6 tbsp whipped cream
• 3 medium size glasses
• 6 tbsp chocolate custard

For chocolate custard

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbsp custard powder
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 4 tbsp sugar

Procedure

To prepate chocolate custard in a bowl mix the cocoa powder, custard powder and little milk.Mix nicely keep aside.

Boil rest of the milk, add sugar and mix nicely. Then add the above mixture to this and stir continously so that it does not stick to the bottom. Once it begins to boil switch it off after one minute and let it cool.

In a serving glass, put 2 tbsp crumbled chocolate cake, 2 tbsp chocolate custard, 2 tbsp whipped cream some nuts then again add 2tbsp of chocolate crumbles , chocolate custard and whipped cream.

Sprinkle some tutty fruttie and refrigerate for 8 hrs

Serve chilled

Note: To prepare whipped cream please refer to the homemade whipped cream frosting I had prepared earlier
 

Tasty and Easy Puffed Rice Upma / Maramaralu Upma

Puffed rice can be used innovatively even for breakfast.If you are looking for something quick and light on the stomach then do try this out. Sometimes puffed rice may become slightly soft and cannot be used for bhelpuri then this recipe of using puffed rice will be a delightful evening snack too.

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups puffed rice ( Maramaralu / Pori )
• 1.5 cup chopped veggies (cauliflower, carrot, potato)
• 1/4 tsp jeera / cummin seeds
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1/2 cup tomatoes
• 3 slit green chilies
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro/coriander
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

 Cooking Procedure

 

Heat oil in the same pan, add cumin seeds, chilies  then add the chopped veggies and fry till they become tender.

 

Then add tomatoes and cilantro/coriander and cook until it becomes soft. Add salt and tomato ketchup and mix nicely,

Put the puffed rice in water for a seconds then immediately drain the water then add the puffed rice and give a quick stir so that everything can blend ricely. Serve immediately. It tastes great when served hot.
 
Note: Dont soak it too much in water and neither stir too much after adding to the veggies.

A Tasty and Healthy Avocado Sandwich

Avocado is a healthy fruit also known as butter fruit in the indian market . One of my close friend gave me this recipe to try out. It got some amazing flavor and with its creamy and buttery texture it feels you have added cheese to the sandwich.

You can even eat it as a dip with some garlic bread/sticks/nachos.

Ingredients

• 12 bread slices
• 1 avacado medium size
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro/coriander
• 1/4 tsp of any pickle or lemon juice
• 1-2 chopped green chilli
• 1/4 tsp roasted jeera/cummin powder
• salt to taste

Procedure
Cut the avacado into half, discard the seed and scoop out the pulp into a bowl. Add rest of the ingredients to it and mash it with a fork to a smooth paste. And your stuffing in ready.

Apply the spread to one slide of bread and close it with another.Heat a tawa and toast the bread with some butter/ghee until light golden brown. Slice in triangle and serve hot.

Note:
Make sure it is ripe when you buy it ... it will be slightly soft without dark spots.

A firm avocado will ripen in a paper bag or in a fruit basket at room temperature within a few days. As the fruit ripens, the skin will turn darker. Avocados should not be refrigerated until they are ripe. Once ripe, they can be kept refrigerated for up to a week. If you are refrigerating a whole avocado, it is best to keep it whole and not slice it in order to avoid browning that occurs when the flesh is exposed to air.

Rajasthani Special Mathri The Tiny Little Crispy Wonder

Mathris or Mathis are the perfect anywhere, anytime snack. They taste really nice with a hot cup of tea.Mathris are eaten with a spicy mango or lemon pickle and are often served with tea. This savory indian cracker is a signature snack of rajasthan and with dewali just around the corner this can light up your life

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour/maida
• 1/4 cup semolina/sooji
• 2 tbsp clarified butter/ghee
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1/4 tsp roasted cummin/jeera powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• oil to deep fry

Procedure
Mix all the above ingredients nicely except ghee.Then add ghee and mix it nicely to get a crumbled texture. To this add water as required to make it a firm dough

Let it rest for 1/2 hr. Heat oil in a pan for deep fry. Divide the dough in 3-4 ball, spread with roller and cut small circles with a cookie cutter or make tiny puri and prick them with a fork so that they do not puff up.

Fry in medium flame until crispy golden brown , then take them out and spread on tissue paper to remove excess oil. One they are cool completely store in airtight container and enjoy your tiny little crispy wonder.

South Indian Delight Pearl Millet Laddu / Kambu Laddu

With my new found passion for millets when I recently mentioned to one of my close friend that I had prepared curd rice when she mentioned millets would also taste wonderfull as laddus.So I found a recipe online and tried it out immediately.

This laddu has a wonderfull crunchy and crispy texture that would break softly and make you feel excited with every bite.And as it is packed with nutrition you can have it guilt free !!

Millets are also a great economic booster to the farming community so its my small contribution to make India self reliant and healthy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pearl millet (Bajra, Kambu)
• 1 cup grated jaggery
• 1 tbsp chopped cashewnuts
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 3-4 cardamom crushed
• 5 tbsp ghee

Procedure
Dry roast the pearl millet until a nice aroma drifts in the air or until it is light golden color. Let it cool for some time, then grind it to make it a powder.

Heat 1 tbsp clarified butter or ghee in a pan, add cashewnuts and raisins and fry till golden brown. Switch off the flame, add the above millet powder, jaggery, cardamon powder to this mixture and mix properly.The heat of the pan will make the jaggery melt a little and blend nicely into the mixture.

Transfer the whole mixture to a plate , take portion by portion of mixture, add little ghee and make your laddus.

Note:
In place of jaggery you can use sugar

You can replace the ghee with honey and also reducie the quantity of jaggery, so that you laddu is sweet and binded.

Sattu Ki Kachori A Tasty Delicacy from Bihar

If you are looking for an authentic delicacy for breakfast or dinner then sattu ki kachori also known as makuni in bihar would be a wonderfull treat and would not dissapoint you even as a evening snack. They compliment well with pickle or potato curry.

I made these very recently after I got the recipe from my SIL who is from north india.She is one of the best cooks I have known who shares a lot of lovely north indian delicacies.So just try this out and make your family have a wonderfull evening snack.

Ingredients

• 1 cup wheat flour/ atta
• pinch of ajwain / carrom seeds
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• oil to deep fry
• water as required

For Stuffing

• 4 tbsp sattu ka atta/roasted gram flour
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp finely chopped green chillies
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
• 1 tsp pickle oil or mustard oil
• salt to taste

Procedure
Mix the flour with oil,ajwain and salt nicely, then add required amount of water to form a nice dough. Not too soft like chappati or not firm as poori.Let it sit for 1/2 hr.

Make the stuffing by mixing all the ingredients mentioned above.It will be somewhat dry , add approximately 1 tbsp water to this mixture to make it little lumpy in our fist.

After 1/2 hr knead the dough again for 1-2 min, divide into small lemon size balls,and flatten it by pressing. Place 1/2 table spoon of stuffing on it and enclose it.Seal the edges completely so that stuffing does not come out. Flatten again, sprinkle a little flour and roll them with a rolling pin to approximately 2.5 inch diameter

Heat oil for deep fry to medium temperature. Drop kachodi one by one and deep fry till both side golden brown. Drain the excess the oil and put them in a plate with tissue paper. Serve immediately..

 

Eat Perfect Curd Rice with Kodo Millets and Also Save India

Recently during my recent encounters in my grocery shopping I felt encouraged to buy millets. I researched online for recipes and came across a very important source of infomation.
 
Millet is one of the oldest foods, history goes behind 3000 years.Millets are the real god particle as it can fight the four challenges india is facing
1. Water shortage
2. Diabetes
3. Malnutrition
4. Encourage farmers livelihood from debt and drought

We use 4000 litres of water to grow one kg of rice while all millets grow without irrigation. This can turn out to be a tremendous national gain especially in the ensuing decades of climate crisis. In a future, where water and food crisis stares us in the face, millets can become the food of security.

Another advantage of growing millets for farmers is it is pest resistant so it is by default grown organic saving farmers from buying pesticides.
 
40% of indian population is heading towards diabetes. One of the main reasons for this is we are eating a single cereal diet. People are eating only rice or only wheat. It is very important to bring in a multigrain diet into our life.

It has become a recent trend to include oats in our diet.The top 5 producers of Oats is European Union, Russia, Canada, Australia and United States

It does not benefit India or Indian farmers. When we buy millets we really support our own farmers.Why should I buy something manufactured by farmers in EU and US when our own farmers produce equivalently nutritive food.A kg of millets is cheaper than a kg of oats.  When nature has provided India with a grain that has equal benefit then why eat oats. And I have also found millets taste much better than oats  and can be used to make a lot of indian recipes.

Millet and other whole grains are a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body's use of glucose and insulin secretion

Millets are amazing in their nutrition content. Each of the millets is three to five times nutritionally superior to the widely promoted rice and wheat in terms of proteins, minerals and vitamins. Each of the millets is a storehouse of dozens of nutrients in large quantities. They include major and micro nutrients needed by the human body. Hence they can help people withstand malnutrition

Millets are alkaline in nature and hence beneficial for anti-aging

More info on millets

Varieties of millets
http://millets.wordpress.com/millets/

Saving India
http://cm.naturelabs.org/?p=552

12 Health Benefits
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/12-health-benefits-of-millet.html  

Nutritional Benefits of Millets
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=53

Millet Vs Oats
http://suryaecolife.blogspot.in/2013/04/millets-vs-oats.html

To begin with I tried curd rice with the kodo millets it tasted so perfect every spoonfull would simply slide in with joy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup kodo millet (Hindi: Kodra; Tamil: Varagu; Telugu: Arikelu; Kannada: Harka)
• 2.5 cups water
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tbsp curd
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 2 tbsp grated carrot
• 1 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
• 1 sping curry leaves
• 2-3 chopped green chillies
• 1 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Procedure
Wash the kodo millets properly and pressure cook the millet with 2.5 cups of water with 4 whistles on high flame  and 5 mins in low flame.Once it cools take the cooked millet out and mix it with spatula in a large bowl,now add the milk and mix nice till millet and milk blend nicely.Then add the curd,carrot mix again.

To prepare the tempering heat oil in a small pan ,add mustard seeds,cashew nuts and fry in medium flame till mustard splutters then add green chilli,curry leaves and fry for 30 sec and add to curd millet porridge. Let it sit for 1-2 hours

Note:
 1.If you can make the millet curd rice in the morning itself and serve it at lunch
time ,it will taste awesome as you made it fully with milk
 2.If you have lack of time then in place of milk you can directly make it with curd
but have to serve immediately
3.Milltets are pest resistant hence they are organic by nature

In chennai millets are begun to be available across many stores however I have found them priced appropriately at murugan stores (43 rs/500 gms)

Location of Murugan store: On poonamalee high road after hot breads near anna nagar arch ...
   

Eggless and Natural Velvet Beet Cake

I normally prefer not to use food colors in my food and when I saw the beet version cake,I just immediately bookmarked it. Its got a natural beautifull deep red color and infused with a mild flavor of beetroot which no one can guess.

The beetroot puree makes up for the eggs and with rice bran oil it becomes a very healthy cupcake. Do try it and I bet no one would guess beetroot has been used in this cupcake !! And the best part it tastes awesome.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour / maida
• 2 medium size beetroot
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup oil ( I used rice bran oil )
• 1 cup milk
• pinch of salt

Procedure
Wash the beetroot thuroughly and pressure cook for 4 whistles or until its tender . Once it cools remove the skin and make a smooth puree and keep aside

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees

Seive the dry ingredients (flour,cocoa powder, salt , baking powder) for 3 times. Grind the sugar to fine powder if the sugar granules are big.Mix the beetroot puree and sugar in a big bowl nicely then add milk, vanilla essence and oil and mix nicely.

Add the dry ingredients to it and mix properly to a fine lump free consistency. Pour into cupcake moulds upto 3/4 level.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or till done. Insert a toothpick in the center , if it comes out cleanly then its done.

Remove and let the cupcakes rest in a cooling rack. Serve warm as it is or with a scoop of vanilla icecream.

Note:
1.Baking time may vary from oven to oven so keep a eye over it when baking.
2.If you wish you can use a medium size 9 inch cake pan instead of cupcake moulds.
3.I got approximately 20 cup cakes

4. You can sprinkle sugar powder over it to give it a little zing

 

 

Tangy and Healthy Mango Ginger Pickle

Mango-ginger is neither related to mango nor ginger but to turmeric. It is a rhizome which is pale yellow inside and lighter colour outside.It combines the zing of ginger and the coolness of sweet, sour, raw mango.
 
Mango-ginger has excellent medicinal properties and finds extensive use in the indigenous system of medicine. It is an appetizer that aids digestion, a aphrodisiac as it stimulates blood circulation, an antipyretic as it cools down the body in case of a fever. It is also effecive against inflammation due to injures. It has been discovered in germany recently that people who have eaten mango ginger regularly have lost weight naturally.
 
This is a south indian delicacy with many variations. This version is the most basic and a wonderfull pickle to have with rice and rotis.

Ingredients

• 250 gms mango ginger
• 6-7 green chilles
• 6 lemons medium size
• 3/4 tbsp

Procedure
Wash and peel the mango ginger, cut into short slices lengthwise

Cut the green chillies lengthwise of same size. In a preferably glass/plastic bowl squeeze the lemons, add the mango ginger and chillies with the salt and mix nicely.

Let it sit for 24 hrs for it to pickle. Enjoy with rice and rotis

Note: Dont cut the ginger too thin else it will loose it crucnhiness and if it is too thick it will take more time to pickle

Use dry spoon for serving as else it will form fungus, it will have a shelf life of 4 -5 day if it is kept outside. If it is refridgerated it will last for 15 days.
 
 

A Delightful Corn Bhurji Sandwich

I tried many sandwiches with corn and this is one of my favorite. If you are looking for a new variety of corn based sandwich this would be a tasty option to try out. The spread used in this has many tasty ingredients that add crunch and flavor to the sandwich.Dont be surprised if your kids ask for more !! Recipe adopted from chef harpal singh sokhi.

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup fine chopped onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped capsicum
• 1/2 cup fine chopped tomato
• 1 cup boiled corn
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup crumbled paneer
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cummin/jeera powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 finely chopped green chillies
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste ( approx 4 garlic / 1/2 inch ginger)
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro/coriander leaves optional
• pinch of turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp amchur powder
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• salt to taste

Procedure

Boil the corn kernels and grind it with milk to a fine paste

Heat oil in a pan, add onion, green chilli, ginger garlic paste when onion become translucent, then add the chopped capsicum and let it fry for 1 min, then add the chopped tomatoes, salt,chilli powder, turmeric, cummin and coriander powder and fry till tomatoes become soft Add the corn paste and fry for another 5 min till everything blends nicely, now add amchur powder and mix nicely

Add the crumbled paneer and cilantro leaves and mix nicely

Add butter to the above mixture, mix it and switch off the flame, your sandwich spead is ready

Once it cools it will be soft and lumpy which you can spread evenly on a bread slide and grill it with another slice on top of it in a sandwich maker or on a pan.

Serve the sandwich immediately hot and crispy

Note:
1. The corn kernels which have normally not tender can be best used for this sandwich

2. If you like tangy flavor you can add lemon juice in the curry

3.You can use this spread in a stuffed paratha as it will be the best choice for a lunch box as it will taste good even if it is cool.