Sunday, February 27, 2011

Mesmerizing Grape Ice Cream

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One of my favorite ice cream is the black current ice cream in which dark black grapes are used for flavor. Recently I got some seedless black grapes n prepared this ice cream at home. It is got a mesmerizing color and taste.

Ingredients:
  • 3 cups seedless black grapes
  • 397 grams condensed milk
  • 100 grams fresh cream
  • 1/2 cup seedless black grapes pieces
  • 1 tbsp sugar
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Procedure:

Wash the 3 cup grapes, pat them dry and blend it and stain the juice from the pulp.

Take the 1/2 cup grapes and slice into small pieces

Mix the condensed milk, fresh cream and sugar in a bowl with a hand blender in low speed till it become fluffy.

Now pour the grape juice and the cut grape pieces into it and mix nicely with a spatula.Pour the mixture in a freezer safe container.

Freeze it for 3 hrs and mix nicely with a fork to break ice crystals.Repeat this procedure three time in total at 3hr intervals.After the third time using an ice cream scooper, scoop the ice cream and serve.

Top it with almonds and chocochips for the extra nutty feel.

Tip: To get the scoop easily and smoothly dip the ice cream scooper in water.

I am sending this recipe to a wonderful event : Any One Can Cook ( With Less Ingredients )



Thursday, February 24, 2011

Healthy Cracked Wheat Oats Pongal


Today I was searching for a healthy breakfast and I had come across this version of oats pongal in anubhavati blog which I had bookmarked earlier long back.I prepared as per her instruction and it came out very well. I was amazed pongal can taste so good with so many healthy ingredients. So here is the recipe.

Ingredients
  • 1.5 cup cracked wheat
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 3/4 cup moong dal
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp pepper powder
  • 1/2 cup grated carrot
  • 1/2 tsp chopped ginger
For tempering
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 8-10 whole black pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • handfull of cashews
  • 2 green chillis slit
  • 1 spring curry leaves
  • pinch of hing
Cooking Procedure

Dry roast cracked wheat, oats, moong dal each seperately and mix them and keep aside.

In a pressure cooker pan heat 1 tbsp ghee then add cumin seeds and once it splutter add grated carrot,ginger let it fry for a while then add six cups water,when it starts to boil add salt,pepper and cumin powder and the above dry roasted ingredients. Mix well and close the lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles and switch off.

To prepare tempering in a tempering pan add 2 tbsp ghee once it get heated add cumin seeds and once it splutter add cashew nut, crushed black pepper,green chilli,curry leaves,pinch of hing and stir. Switch it off and keep aside.

Open the pressure cooker after it cools add the above tempering to it. Switch on the gas and stir the cracked wheat oats pongal. Stir well till uniform consistency and if need add little milk.

Serve hot.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Delicious Tender Coconut Pudding

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Coconut water is my favorite summer quencher and in chennai the summer has started. My hubby loves puddings. This weekend when I went out to a restaurant I saw a tender coconut pudding on the menu card.While shuffling through the net I got a set of recipes which gave me idea how to make this tender coconut pudding. It had a unique taste and it was gobbled up in no time.So here is the recipe

Ingredients
  • 2 tender coconut pulp
  • 1 cup tender coconut water
  • 8 gms gelatin
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1/4 cup condensed milk
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Mix gelatin in hot water and stir continously till it blends. Then add this mixture to boiling milk and stir for a while and keep it aside.

Blend the tender coconut pulp with little coconut water and shift to the container. Now add the remaining coconut water,condensed milk and the milk with gelatin.Stir it nicely and let it rest .

Once it comes to room temperature cover the container with aluminium foil and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

After 3-4 hours slightly turn it out on a plate , garnish with your choice of topping (I used grated red cherry) and enjoy.

I am sending this to bookmarked recipes a wonderful event hosted by Priya and Aipi

And to another wonderful event Hearth and Soul


Thursday, February 10, 2011

Best food I have blogged in 2010

When I got to know about the event hosted by Smitha - Best food blogged in 2010, I wanted to post these two recipes.

I started blogging in 2010 June and the best part was I started to learn baking ... and even better I won recognition and new pals from around the world. All my recipes are my favorite but two are very close to my heart.

Both these recipes could be categorized as "A Kiddie Delight" as both taste wonderful and easy to hold too

The bread swirls won many hearts but my greatest satisfaction was my simple innovation was tried out immediately by lot of readers and comments poured in appreciating the joy expressed by their loved ones.


Another recipe which was very new to me was baking stuffed buns with a healthy tasty filling. The reader response was very encouraging and baking has now become a delightfull experience.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Schezwan Paneer Frankie


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Sometimes on weekends we love to eat tibbs schezwan paneer frankie..a nice name for a wrap which can contain paneer,vegetables or chicken pieces with some sliced onions . However it is a little expensive and also use full maida which is unhealthy so I wanted to prepare a healthier option at home and surprise my hubby !! So here we gooooo

Basically the total process needs 3 steps
  1. Preparing the stuffing
  2. Making the wrap roti
  3. Assembly
Ingredients
  • 1 cup paneer cubes (cottage cheese)
  • 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup diced baby corn
  • 2 tbsp chopped onion
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
  • 1 tsp green chilli
  • 1 tbsp chopped celery
  • 1 tbsp chopped red chilli
  • 2 tbsp red pepper sauce
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup homemade vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp corn flour dissolved in 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • salt to taste
Step 1: Schezwan Sauce Preparation

Heat oil in pan/wok in a high flame, saute the garlic,green chilli,red chilli, green chilli, ginger, onions, celery for a minute

Add the vegetable stock and mix well. Add the corn flour mixture, vinegar,red pepper sauce, sugar, salt amd bring to a boil and keep aside

In another pan add 1 tbsp oil and saute the paneer cubes, bell pepper, baby corn for 3-4 minutes on high flame...add this to the above prepared sauce and keep aside.

Step 2 : Preparing the wrap roti


Ingredients
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup wheat flour
  • 2 tbsp cold butter
  • a pinch of salt
Mix both the flour with salt,then add the butter and crumble with ur hands and mix nicely my by adding little by little water and make a soft dough.Let it rest for ten minutes.

After ten min knead the dough into a smooth ball and then divide the dough into 10 parts.Make them into small balls, with a rolling pin roll it into a nice thin circle of 5 - 6 inch diameter and as thin as possible.

Heat the skillet/tawa and it should be hot. Put one roti and after 2 min flip it let it cook for 1 min. Both the sides should cook nicely. Repeat the procedure for the rest of wraps

Step 3 : Assembly of Frankie

Ingredients
  • 10 wrap roti (prepared above)
  • 1 cup sliced onion
  • 1.5 cup above schezwan paneer

Take on wrap and spinkle some onion slices along the length

Take one table spoon of schezwan paneer on top of onion slices

Wrap the paneer in the roti as per the steps below as it will avoid spillage from the bottom





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Wrap it and place it on the tawa until roti is warm, then roll a small paper tissue on the bottom and serve warm

Note:

1. You can add chicken pieces in place of paneer
2. For egg lovers you can put some beaten egg on the roti, toast it on tawa and then assemble it.

I am sending these yummy frankie to Hearth and Soul


hearthandsoulgirlichef

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Traditional Andhra Style Sweet Bobattu

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Bobattu a traditional sweet roti also known as obbattu, puran poli is the perfect traditional dessert served during festival times in andhra with pulihora (tamarind rice) make a best combination of sweet and sour tastes blending with one another.

I never realized this combination until my MIL used to prepare this for my hubby. Bobbatu is served with a little serving of ghee and pulihora in my home and it tastes so divine.

My MIL prepares the best traditional andhra style dishes like bobattu, pulihora, pessarattu ... in my home and I would rate this as one of her best. So here is the recipe

Ingredients
  • 1 cup chana dal
  • 2 cups maida
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cardamom powder
  • 1/2 cup oil
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In a bowl mix the maida with water to a smooth dough and the poke some holes in it with your fingers and pour the oil over it ,let maida soak in oil for 3 hrs .

Soak the chana dal for 30 min before cooking .Pressure cook the dal along with 3 cups water for 3 whistles and switch of the flame .After it cools open the pressure cooker and stain the water from dal completely .

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In a blender make a smooth paste of sugar and dal.Heat a broad open pan and put this paste and stir continuously till this paste start to caramelize.Transfer the whole mixture to a plate ,keep aside and let it cool.After the dal mixture cools ,divide the total paste to large lemon size balls .

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Divide the the dough into small lemon size balls. Spread it flat into a small circle and place the sweet dal mixture in the center and enclose it. Then put on a greased plasic sheet and pat it nicely to form a nice circular shape.

Heat the tawa and place the each piece till golden brown on each side.

Serve hot with ghee and tamarind rice.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Aromatic Aloo Methi Curry


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Baby potatoes are cooked with fresh fenugreek leaves along with some aromatic spices which make this dish very exotic and very ideal when you have guests at home. The special twist of this preparation is using crushed spices which give it a unique taste.

Ingredients
  • 2 cups baby potatos
  • 1 cup chopped fresh fenugreek leaves (methi)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 6-7 whole black pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • pinch of sugar
  • salt to taste
Cooking Procedure

Boil the baby pototoes in pressure cooker for 3 whistles after it cools peel it and keep aside

Crush the garlic, cumin and black pepper to a fine paste and keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add the boiled potatoes and shallow fry till its golden brown

Heat oil and butter in pan, add cumin seeds once it splutter add the crushed above paste and then fry for 30 seconds, then add onion and fry till it slightly translucent or golden brown.

Add the tomatoes, coriander powder,red chilli,sugar and salt and cook till oil begins to saturates

Now add the potatoes and mix nicely, then add the chopped methi leaves and let it cook for 5 to 10 min

Add the chopped coriander leaves and let it cook for 2-3 min.

You curry is ready, serve with rice or rotis