Punjabi De Beer Chaas

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Its been ages I have blogged as I had some urgent commitments which is keeping me away from the computer. But believe me I am missing all your wonderful posts and will try to catch up soon.

Last week we were shopping around and we had a wonderfull punjabi beer !! at one of the dhabas in chennai. Mint chaas which is also popularly known as the beer of punjab which I noticed in a popular dhaba.

Curd is blended with spices which give it a very unique flavor and truly a perfect thirst quencher. I am sure you would love it too.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh plain yogurt (curd) 3-5 % fat

1 tbsp chopped cilantro (coriander)

2 tbsp chopped mint leaves

1 finely chopped green chilli

1/2 tsp cumin (jeera) powder

a few mint leaves (phudina) for garnish

salt to taste

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Method

Blend all the above ingredients in a blender (or mixie) till smooth, then add 1 cup of water and blend for another minute. Put it in a refridgerator for minimum 30 minutes

Pour into individual glasses, garnish with mint leaves and serve chilled

Note: You can serve immediately without refridgeration with additon of ice cubes . I prefer refridgeration as the spices will infuse more and give a superb flavor.

Linked to Hearth and Soul hosted by a moderate life

Tri-Flavor Kesar Pista Choco Malai Kulfi

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Since last week the temperatures has been rising in chennai and my younger sister who came to visit me had requested me to prepare a regular malai kulfi as she had seen on my blog earlier but I thought I could prepare a interesting variation . It came out pretty well and she was so delighted to have three flavors in one kulfi. So here is the recipe

Ingredients

• 8 cups organic whole fat milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 bread slice
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• pinch of saffron (kesar)
• 1/4 cup pista
• 1/4 tsp crushed cardamom
• 1 /4 chocolate chips
• drop of saffron color ( yellow )
• drop of green color

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Cooking Procedure

In a non stick pan boil the 8 cups milk, once it starts boiling reduce it to mediumflame n stir occasionally until the milk reduces to half quantity.

In the meantime finely chop the pista n keep aside. Take the bread slice n remove the sides n cut it into small pieces,soak it in the 1/3 cup milk, add the corn flour n blend it nicely to a smooth paste n keep aside.

When the milk which was kept for boiling has reduced to half, add the above bread mixture to it n stir for 2 min until it begins to thicken then divide to three portions.

Melt the chocolate chips in microwave and blend it nicely with the first portion and fill this mixture to 1/3 level into the molds and freeze it for 1 hour

To the remaining 2 portions add the sugar and cardamom powder and stir still sugar melts and let it cool.

Then to one portion add the chopped pistachio, cardamom powder and green food color and fill the mold to to 2/3 level and freeze for 1 hour

To the third and final portion add a pinch of kesar and yellow color and fill the mold completely and freeze for 3 hours

Before serving take the mould from freezer n keep it under running water for a min and slowly remove the kulfi.

Enjoy your tri-flavor kulfi

I am sending this recipe to two wonderful events :

Bookmarked recipe hosted by Priya and Aipi and to another wonderful event Hearth and Soul

I am also send sending this recipe to a new and exciting event

"Celebrate Sweets - Ice Cream" hosted by Niveditha

Muffins De Chocolate

Last week my younger sister came to visit me, she is studying college and stays in hostel near chennai and she was missing a lot of good food and came with a big wishlist. She loves chocolate and I prepared these muffins for her. She was so delighted with these muffins and kept asking for more

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup tutti frutti
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour(Atta)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter at room temp
• 1/8 cup any cooking oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• pinch of salt

Cooking Procedure:

Put the microwave in convection mode and preheat to 225 C

Take a large bowl sieve the whole wheat flour,all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking power , baking soda , cinnamon and salt all together.

In another bowl beat the eggs and sugar for 3 min with a hand blender with medium speed till it become fluffy.Then add butter,cooking oil,milk,lemon zest and again blend till it all mix nicely.

Take the flour and slowly add to the above egg mixture and stir till it blends properly .This can done with hand blender or even with a spatula.

Now add all the tutti frutti and chocochips to the above mixture and stir softly with spatula.Take 12 muffin cups, spray some oil n pour 3/4 batter each cup.Top some chocochips n fruit bites to the prepared muffins.Then place this tray in the microwave and let it bake for 20 min.

You muffin is ready to be served after it cools

Flavorful No Onion No Garlic Meal

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I had prepared this meal ( Mint Pulav, Paneer Makhani and Palak Raitha ) for my mom who visited me this weekend.

According to ayurveda our ancient traditional medicine system of India there are three formats of food rajasik, tamasik and saatvik, foods simple and wholesome in nature are saatvik by nature, onion and garlic have sharp flavors and they fall under the "tamasik" category.

The theory is based on the fact that "tamasik" food tends to excite the negative feelings such a anger, violence, and deceit and therefore should be avoided. It is a hindu custom to have saatvik food on sacred days. Also practised by the wonderful krishna conscious devotees ( ISKCON photogallery ) around the world. So here is the recipe for the complete meal.

Paneer Makhani (Adopted from Nita Mehta Recipe)

Ingredients

• 200 gms paneer (cut into cubes)
• 3 large tomatoes
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 4-5 almonds or cashew
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
• 1 tsp tomato ketchup
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 green cardamoms crushed
• 3 tbsp cream
• salt to taste

Soak the almonds or cashew in 1/4 cup milk for a 1/2 hr and blend it a smooth paste.

Microwave tomato and ginger with a 1/2 cup water for 5 min.Blend it to a smooth paste.

Heat oil and butter in a pan, add salt,sugar,garam masala,crushed cardamom and chilli powder and stir for 30 seconds and add the prepared tomato paste and ketchup and mix well and cook till oil begins to separate.

Add the cashew paste and kasuri methi and stir well, add 1/2 cup water and cook on medium flame for 5 min.

Now add paneer and milk to get a nice gravy. Mix well and cook for another 5 min

Now add cream and serve hot.

Mint Pulav

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Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• 1 tbsp clarified butter or ghee
• 1 handfull of mint leaves
• 1 handfull of coriander leaves
• 1/2 green peas
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 inch cinnamon stick broken into pieces
• 2 crushed cardamoms
• 4 black pepper
• 1/4 tsp pepper powder
• 1 tsp chopped green chillies
• salt to taste

Soak rice in water for 30 min and stain it and keep it aside.

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick , cardamom and black pepper and fry till cummin seeds splutter. Add the chopped cilantro, mint leaves and green chilli fry for a min. Then add green peas,salt and pepper powder and stir for 30 seconds. Now add the soaked rice and mix nicely.

Add 1.5 cup water, stir nicely and close the pressure cooker. Let it cook for three whistles and switch off and let it cool.

Once the pressure cooker cools , open the lid add 1 tbsp ghee on top of it and mix carefully and serve hot with your choice of side dish and raitha.

Palak Raitha

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Ingredients

• 1 cup curd
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• 1 green chilli
• salt to taste

For tempering

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp oil
• a pinch of hing (asafetida)

In a micowave safe bowl cook the spinach with some sprinkling of water for 2 min, when it cools blend it with the green chilli, then add curd and salt to this mixture and whisk nicely till it becomes really smooth.

Now prepare the tempering , heat oil in a tempering pan, add cummin seeds and asafetida , once cumin seeds splutter transfer this tempering on to the above curd raitha.

Your palak raitha is ready. Serve it with chappati and any other choice of your rice.

I am sending this recipe to two wonderful events :

Bookmarked recipe hosted by Priya and Aipi and to another wonderful event Hearth and Soul

Crunchy Sweet Corn Walnut Salad

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Recently my hubby has fallen in love with salads and I was looking out for salads with different flavors. I noticed in some of them balsamic vinegar is used commonly for salads.Surprisingly he came one day with a bottle of balsamic vinegar, it looked like a wine bottle !!

So it was decided I had to make a lot of varieties of salads , so here is one recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup sweet corn kernels
• 1 tbsp chopped spring onions
• 1/4 cup diced tomato
• 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• salt to taste

Preparation

Microwave the corn for 2 min and once it cools mix all the above ingredients and refridgerate for minimum half hour

Serve chilled

Snack-time With Savory Khandvi

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One of my favorite cusine is the gujarati cuisine, who are predominant in western India. Khandvi is a gujarati delicacy made using chickpea flour and flavoured with tempering of mustard, sesame seeds, spicy green chillies, a perfect snack which can be prepared quickly.

It has a lovely yellow color and simple melts in your mouth with a savory taste. The preparation is easy but needs a little patience. So here is the recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
• 1 cup yogurt ( plain curd )
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp green chilli paste
• 1/4 tsp ginger paste
• pinch of hing (asafetida)
• salt to taste

For tempering

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp cilantro (coriander)
• pinch of hing (asafetida)

Cooking Procedure

Sieve the chickpea flour to remove the lumps. And then to it add all the above ingredients to make a smooth paste.

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Take a non stick pan and put this batter in it and switch on the flame.Stir continuously till it becomes soft thick paste.

To test the consistency apply a tsp of paste on the backside of a small plate and once it cools if it is able to peel off easily for rolling , switch off the flame immediately.

Take a clean surface and apply this paste lengthwise with spatula approx 1 mm thick. Once it cools cut vertically and start rolling.

Keep the rolls on a serving plate and prepare the tempering.

Heat oil in a tempering pan, add mustard seeds once it splutter add sesame seeds, hing and stir once sesame start spluttering switch off the flame and spread this mixture on the khandvi.

Garnish with coriander and serve.

I am sending this recipe to two wonderful events :

Bookmarked recipe hosted by Priya and Aipi and to another wonderful event Hearth and Soul

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 )

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.

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

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.

Delightful Bread Swirls

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.

Spinach Cottage Cheese Stuffed Buns

Sending this to- Best food I have blogged about- by Smita