BlackBerry Milkshake

I was introduced to this fruit called Blackberry 2 months back when we visited city of Bensheim in Germany. This city is famous for wine grapes and there were plenty of blackberry trees bordering the grapeyards.. Until then, I used to look at these as some wild fruits but when my friend just grabbed some and started feasting on them, I had to try it! And once I had some (luckily I found a big colony of sweet ones), there was no stopping.. I ate many along the way and also admired the lovely clustered structure till my husband declared that I unknowingly had 2 glasses of wine :D

Last week I found a pack of fresh blackberries at the fruit market and couldnt stop myself from buying them.. The plan was to prepare something for Meeta's monthly mingle.. But I ate some and then realised there were very few left for trying anything.. So on weekend, back I went to the fruit market and prepared blackberry milkshake the same day.. The end result aeemed lovely not just due to the tatse, but due to the lovely color! I am not sure if I can call this milkshake as I added some yoghurt as well alongwith milk.. But I surely cant call this lassi as there is more milk than yoghurt :D This blackberry Milkshake goes to Meeta for Monthly Mingle, this month's theme being "Liquid Dreams"

BlackBerry Milkshake

Preparation Time:

5 mins

Serves:

2 glassfuls

What you need:

1 Cup Blackberries
3 cups Milk
2-3 tbsp Beaten Yoghurt
2-3 tbsp Sugar

How to proceed:

1) Mix all ingredients in a blender
2) Place in refridgerator for sometime
3) Serve cold!

* I used Yoghurt to thicken the milkshake.. It can be left out to have thin milkshake!
* Chop few blackberries and put some pieces in milkshake
* Add 2-3 mint leaves to give a twist in the taste!

Hirvya Tamatyachi Bhaaji (Green Tomato Sabji)

Green/Raw Tomatoes have a different taste than the ripe red ones. I love tomatoes in any form..When it comes to ripe tomatoes, I can eat tomatoes any time of the day without any dressing or cooking.. From a plate of salad in front of me, its the tomatoes that vanish first, then cucumber, then cabbage, then carrots and then other things.. Olives and Onions mostly remain unfinished :D Other than salads, most of my soup creations include Tomato- tomato soup, rasam, sambar, tomato saar etc... Tomatoes make the base in all my gravy preparations and also spice up some rice dishes..

Hirvya Tomatochi Bhaaji is a maharashtrian vegetable prepeared using raw tomatoes.. This is my mom's recipe and she made it a point to bring these tomatoes whenever they were in market just to make this sabji or chutney! (which I am yet to prepare and post). I found these at the turkish shop here last week and decided to give it a try.. And it turned out real tasty.. A tangy taste as expected.. This Indian style stir fry vegetable prepared from green tomatoes goes to Chemcook for Fresh Produce of Month.. The theme for this month is Tomatoes!

Hirvya Tamatyachi Bhaaji

Preparation Time:

15-20 mins

Serves:

2

What you need:

3-4 Green Tomatoes chopped
1 Onion,chopped
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Pinch of Turmeric
2 tbsp Jaggery (can be replaced by 2-3 tsp Sugar)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Oil

How to proceed:

1) Heat oil, add mustard and cumin seeds
2) When they start spluttering, add onions and saute till they turn translucent
3) Now add red chilli powder and turmeric and mix well
4) Add chopped tomatoes, mix and cook covered for 5 mins
5) Add salt and Jaggery, stir well and cook covered for some more time
6) Turn off when tomato is soft
7) Serve hot with rotis or bread!

Chitranna

Chitranna is a very famous South Indian rice dish from Banglore.. We had a South Indian friend in college who used to bring this rich rice dish in her tiffin.. We used to love it and she used to just hand over her tiffin to us(which was twice a week) when it was Chitranna.. She said it was a very common item at her home and she had been eating it since childhood and so was bored to eat the same thing again and again :D We shameless people didnt even care to ask her the recipe, and would just ask to bring it more often..

And now time comes that you have to cook things yourself, I have learnt to cook some dishes from other regions as well.. And since my husband encourages me by eating everything without complaining (does he have any other option?? ;) ), I keep trying things.. When it comes to inviting friends for dinner, one rice dish is a must.. And when the same friends are invited more often, the menu should not be repeated. (Both of us agree on this rule!) That is how I learnt to make Chitranna, the flavourful lemon rice from the Karnataka Cuisine! The crispy dals, the munchy nuts and the zest of lemon have made this dish one of our favourite rice dish. Chitranna goes over to Sharmi for "JFI-Rice" and Asha for "RCI-Karnataka Cuisine"

Chitranna

reparation Time:

30 mins

Serves:

3-4

What you need:

2 cups Basmati Rice
5-6 Curry Leaves
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Chana Dal
1 tbsp Urad Dal
1 tbsp Moong Dal
2 Onions, sliced
4 Green Chillies, chopped
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 tbsp Roasted Peanuts
5-6 Cashews
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil

How to proceed:

1) Cook Basmati rice in water until just done and then drain excess water..
2) Spread in a wide pan to cool
3) Heat oil, fry peanuts and cashews and keep aside
4) To remaining oil, add curry leaves, mustard seeds and cumin seeds
5) When they start spluttering, add all 3 dals and fry until they turn golden
6) Add chilies and sliced onions and cook for a min
7) Add turmeric, salt, nuts and cashews
8) Now add rice and mix well
9) Squeeze juice of lemon over rice,mix well and turn off gas!

Serve hot wit tomato rasam or raitas..

Rawa Laddu

When it comes to microwave cooking, I am *scared*.. A friend packing up to go back to India left his microwave(without the book of instructions) at our place 2 months back.. It took us one month to take time to check if it was in good condition.. We then started using it for re-heating veggies and at times cooking rice.. When Srivalli announced the "microwave easy cooking" event, I discovered that I was the only one in this blog world who was afraid to load the microwave with any tough tasks! Looking at some other real tough entries for making desserts in microwave, I decided to try making something on the easier side... Also since Srivalli had extended the deadline for accepting entries, I had to make something! Finally I tried my hubby's favourite sweet, Rawa Laddus, last weekend.. This is a very common sweet at my place, and I need to make it twice a month, at times investing 2-3 hours.. The laddus in microwave turned equally good, and saved me a lot of time n efforts.. With my college starting next week I was worried how I gonna cater to my husband's wish for a continuous supply of these and besan laddus, but now am totally relaxed about this :) Thanks Srivalli for this event and other bloggers , I am no more afraid of experimenting with the microwave now :D Am sharing both ways the normal one and the microwave one...

Rawa/Semolina/Suji Laddu

*Total* Preparation Time:

1.5-2 hrs normally
Less than 1 hr in microwave

Makes:

10-12 big Laddus

What you need:

2 cups Fine Semolina/Rawa/Suji
1.5 cups Powdered Sugar
3/4 cup Ghee
1 tsp Powdered Cardamom
8-10 Cashews cut into pieces (Optional)
12-15 Raisins (Optional)

How to proceed:

1) Place rawa in a microwave safe bowl and add ghee to it.. Mix well and place in microwave on high for 6 mins
2) Keep stiring in between at interval of every one minute.. (6 mins)
[In case not using microwave:
*1) Heat ghee in a pan and add semolina to it
*2) Roast on low medium stiring constantly till u smell aroma of rawa.. (30-40 mins)
This procedure usually takes 30 mins or so and your hands tend to retire before the rolling of laddus starts!
Follow rest of the steps as below]
3) When done, remove and set aside to cool in a wide plate (30 mins)
4) Once cool, add powdered sugar cardamom and nuts and mix well to remove lumps. I prefer not adding any nuts to rawa laddus.
5) Roll laddus with hand.
6) If they break easily and are hard to roll, add 2-3 tbsp hot melted ghee and then try rolling in circular shape..
7) Store in air tight container and enjoy for next few days!

The above snap is of microwave rawa laddus..Have a look at the ones I made 2-3 weeks back.. Dont both look equally mouth watering???? :)


* From now on, the microwave will be used to the fullest ;)

Celebrating RakshaBandhan with Gajar ka Halwa!

Happy RakshaBandhan to all my blogger friends! Ask my brother whats RakshaBandhan and he would say "money making business for girls!!" :D For those who dont know, I have a real bro elder to me whom I call "Da" (Dada is marathi word for elder bro but its tooo long for me, hence......) And I used to agree with him on this till last year when we used to be together on RakshaBandhan day! But now both of us have better definitions for this festival.. Before my marriage all we did was quarrelling (and we plan to continue fighting when I am back in India), but now we really miss each other.. Sometime back he just called to wish me and I happily asked him to courier me some gift.. Oh yes, I didnt forget to courier a Rakhi so he better not forget about the gift! ;)

Its just impossible to find Rakhi material here in Belgium.. I tried nearly all the shops, even childrens hobby classes but nothing could suit my taste.. Finally I got some wool and made a batch of simple Rakhis for Da, a cricket team of cousins and Sid n Vish, two most important people in my life- whom duniya will call rakhee brothers, but for me they are just as close to me as is my real brother.. They have been by my side through all my tough times and at times helping me take the toughest decisions in my life.. The best gift that I have for Rakshabandhan is the assurance that whenever I need them they are just a call away! Love u guys n miss u very much! Happy RakshaBandhan.. A glimpse of the rakhis I made and sent alongwith handwritten letters which my brothers just loved!

Festivals are always associated with sweets and I decided to make something sweet today.. Now I cant make all the variety of sweets which my choosy bros love (with one becoming highly health conscious these days and posting all health funde on his blog :P) so decided to make my favourite.. Gajar Ka Halwa.. The most famous Indian dessert, thanks to Bollywood ;) 9 out of 10 mothers in Hindi films welcome their sons coming back from Pardes with a bowl of his favourite sweet.. No points for guessing.. its my dear favourite Gajar ka Halwa! :) Here's a bowl for u guys!!

Gajar Halwa

Makes:

3-4 servings

Preparation Time:

40-45 mins

What you need:

4-5 Carrots (2-2.5 cups grated carrots)
3 cups Whole Milk
2 tbsp Ghee
1-11/2 cups Sugar [may vary depending on sweetness of carrots]
1/2 tsp Elaichi Powder
4-5 strands of Saffron
Nuts (Golden Raisins, chopped cashews, almonds and pistachios)

How to proceed:

1) Boil milk
2) Heat 1 tbsp Ghee in a non-stick pan and fry cashews and raisins till they turn golden brown
3) Keep them aside and add grated carrots in the remaining ghee
4) Saute carrots for a 2-3 minutes
5) Now add cardamom, saffron and boiled milk and cook on medium low heat till all the milk is absorbed. Keep stiring at intervals. This might take 15-20 mins
6) When milk is nearly absorbed, add sugar, fried cashews and other nuts
7) Add remaining 1 tbsp Ghee
8) Cook till ghee separates from the sides of the pan (If you prefer mushy version as I do, cook for just 2-3 minutes)
9) Serve hot or cold.. I prefer the refridgerated one! :)


* Next Gajar Halwa is gonna be a trial in microwave.. Am looking for time saving recipes these days.. Hope it turns out equally good!

Belgian Waffles

Glenna's theme for Weekend Breakfast Blogging (WBB#14)-"Ethnic Dishes with a Twist!" really inspired me to try my hand at making waffles at home! Staying in Belgium for past 10 months, I had to post something local to this place... I have been eating waffles regularly at a joint which boasts of "The Best Waffles in the World".. I always wonder how he can proclaim without having tasted waffles at all other places in the world ;) When it comes to food, Belgians are proud of their waffles, chocolates and frites- the thing we call "frech fries" were actually invented in Belgium.. Other than crossiants, pastries, chocolate bread or toasted bread with jam/cheese etc., a typical(traditional) Belgian breakfast consists of waffles topped with hot chocolate or whipped cream, served with fruits and juices or coffee.. Thanks to my allery towards breakfast, I enjoyed this "belgian breakfast" yesterday for lunch! :D Waffles with strawberry jam, fruits and juices...

Belgian Waffles

Preparation Time:

20 mins (if 4 waffles at a time)

Makes:

8 waffles of the size above

What you need:

1 cup All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Butter, melted
1 tsp Oil
1 cup Milk
2 eggs, beaten
Pinch of Salt

* Waffle maker

How to proceed:

1) Combine all the ingredients, mix well and keep aside for 4-5 mins
2) Pre-heat the waffle maker according to instructions.. If you dont have a waffle maker, go over to some friend who has one.. I did the same thing :D
3) Put batter on the hot waffle tray and close it
4) Bake for about 2 mins (Till waffles turn golden brown)
5) Serve hot or store it and heat in microwave before serving!


* Usually served with hot chocolate, whipped cream topped with fruits.

Jahni Aalu Posto

Orissa cuisine is totally new to me.. And I didnt know what to cook for Swapna's RCI Orissa Cuisine.. Firstly I settled down with rasgullas from Puri temple.. But ek se mera kya hoga :D So decided to try another recipe and went on for Jahni Aalu Posto using recipe posted here.. And it came out to be amazingly tasty.. Loved this simple and lovely dish.. Not much of a hassle to cook and tastes is different from the normal sabjis.. This will be a regular dish at my place now :) That is what you need to do when you get minimal Indian vegetables here and cannot repeat the same dish for more than twice a month :D Here's the recipe for a simple yet lovely dish from the Orissa Cuisine

Jahni Aalu Posto

Preparation Time:

20-25 mins

Serves:

2

What you need:

3 medium sized Ridge Gourd (Jahni/Dodka/Turiya)
2 Potatoes
2 tbsp Poppy Seeds
5-6 cloves of Garlic
3 Green Chillies
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Panch Phuran seeds (fennel,fenugreek, mustard,cumin and nigella/black onion seeds mixed in equal amounts)
2 tbsp Oil
Salt as required

How to proceed:

1) Peel and dice Ridge gourd and Potatoes
2) Soak poppy seeds in warm water for 10-15 mins
3) Heat oil in a pan, add panch phoran and chopped green chillies
4) When the seeds start spluttering, add turmeric and salt
5) Saute for 5-10 secs and then add the chopped vegetables
6) Let the vegetables cook
7) Grind soaked poppy seeds and garlic to a smooth paste
8) Cook the vegetables for 10-12 minutes and then add the poppy seeds-garlic paste
9) Cook for another 5 mins till vegetables are done
10) Serve hot with rotis!

Lychee Grape Drink

Lychee on its own has a lovely taste... But when it comes to Lychee Juice, its just a few drops from a single Lychee fruit... I decided to mix grape juice to it, to make a lovely drink.. The end result was awesome.. Both tastes preserved and a refreshing drink ready!


This is my second entry for AFAM-Lychee, hosted this month by Sig.

Lychee Grape Drink

Preparation Time:

5 mins

Makes:

1 drink

What you need:

4-5 Lychees, peeled and deseeded
A bunch of seedless Grapes
(Juice of Lychee and Grape should be in 1:3 proportion)
A pinch of Black Salt
Few drops of Lemon

How to proceed:

1) Blend Lychees and Grapes in a Blender
2) Sieve the juice and add black salt and lemon juice to it
3) Refridgerate for some time and serve cold!

Pa Thong Ko [Thai Donuts]

Glenna is hosting the Weekend Breakfast Blogging(WBB) event this month and has come up with a lovely theme- Ethnic Dishes with a Twist! She wanted "a dish from a culture, country, or ethnicity other than your own".. In my opinion, nothing can beat the Indain breakfast with a wide variety of dishes like Pohe, Upma, Thalippeth, Idli, Dosa, Vada Sambar, Puri Bhaaji etc..... A coward that I am when it comes to trying dishes from cuisines other than Indian, google was the only thing that could help..My fear is not due to the taste but because I dont eat meat and am allergic to eggs, pineapples and several other things :( Finally I settled down for an easy Thai breakfast dish called "Pa Thong Ko" literally meaning salted donuts which I followed from here. A lovely crispy dish, which would go best with hot cocoa or chocolate but I enjoyed with coffee.. Btw, I am not a breakfast person.. I am allergic to that too. :( I get a nauseatic feeling if i eat something early moning.. So its just an apple/juice at 10 am and then directly shortcut lunch.. But a lavish tea biscuit session at 4 and then proper dinner.. So these coffee and donuts served as my 4 pm breakfast yesterday :) Tastes much like Indian namkeen.. Why shouldnt? Afterall whats the difference between burger and vada pav?? :D

Pa Thong Ko

Preparation Time:

30 mins (4 hrs for dough)

Makes:

10-12 Donuts

What you need:

1 cup All Purpose Flour (Maida)
1/3 cup Water
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
2-3 drope of Lemon
1 tsp Oil
Oil for frying

How to proceed:

1) Mix all the ingredients and make a stiff dough
2) Place dough in a bowl,cover with a thin damp cloth and leave aside for 3-4 hrs
3) Knead the dough and make 2 equal parts
4) Place oil in a wok for frying
5) Shape them long like sausages
6) Roll to a long strip 4-5 cm wide
7) Cut into 5-6 equal rectangular parts widthwise
8) For each part, cut 2 cms from each side in the middle, leaving them joint in the middle and pull each of the 4 parts aside to make an X shape
9) Deep fry in oil till they turns golden brown

* Tastes best when dipped for a minute in hot chocolate!

Jaljeera

Summer here is coming to an end.. And so is my entusiasm to try my hand at summer drinks.. But Sunita inspired me to try this summer cooler when she started a lovely Spice-driven event called Think Spice.. Think Cumin! Cumin is one spice that is used daily in every household.. Whole cumin seeds or cumin(jeera) powder.. Its an absolute must in my masala dabba! Another speciality of tis spice is that I can use it in fasting foods.. Maharashtrian fasting foods allow the use of cumin seeds and hence sabudana khichadi and batata bhaaji can taste so yummy on these days. :D As a kid, I couldn't distinguish cumin from fennel seeds (saunf) and once ate jeera after dinner.. I had stopped eating saunf for years after that.. Mom explainedme the difference in their sizes and taste... After that I got back to eating saunf, but only the roasted one which had distinguishable yello color :D Now I wanted something some recipe for this event which was rich in cumin.. Though I use cumin in lots of things there are other spices used alongwith which dominate the taste.. Then I thought of the lovely summer cooler- Jaljeera.. A drink dedicated purely to the real taste of Cumin.. And a lovely appetizer to excite the taste buds!

Jaljeera

Preparation Time:

8-10 mins

Makes:

2 glassfuls

What you need:

2 tbsp Cumin seeds, roasted and powdered
11/2 tbsp Mint(pudina) leaves paste
1/2 tbsp Corriander leaves paste
1 tbsp Dry Mango(Amchur) powder
1/2 tsp Black Salt
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 glassful Water(normal/cold)
1/4 tsp Salt
Salted Boondi for garnishing

How to proceed:

1) Mix all the ingredients except water
2) Add water and put in fridge to cool (Optionally add cold water if you wish to serve immediately)
3) Garnish with boondi and serve cold as an appetiser.

* Sieve the jaljeera if you wish to.. I prefer having it with the masala layer on top alongwith boondi! :)

Murukku

Murukku is to the Tamil Cuisine as Chakli is to Maharashtrians.. Well, same item but different names.. Also the procedure being a bit different.. I have to agree that chakli needs lots efforts and murukku is the easier version.. Last Diwali I was able to make all Maharashtrian snacks, except chakli and shev.. The only reason being that I didnt have the chakli press.. Mom finally sent it to me last month and from then my husband is pestering me to make chaklis, his favourite snack! But soon I realised that I cannot prepare Bhajani, the flour used for chakli here as there as no flour mills :D So I had to settle down with murukkus.. These taste equally great and I am satisfied to find an easier option to chaklis.. Now chaklis will only be prepared if I get readymade bhajani flour from India :)

Since Rice flour is the main ingredient in Murukkus, they will go to Sharmi for JFI-Rice. Now that it comes to RICE, before going for the recipe, someone please help me solve my query.. Is it healthy to eat rice regularly?? I have always heard that eating rice makes you fat.. Rice being the staple diet of South Indians, I always wonder how they tend to be so slim when they eat rice twice a day.. Also I read somewhere that eating rice during lunch (before 3 pm) is absolutely fine but should be avoided for dinner.. That ultimately means that rice can be eaten only on weekends since we have shortcut lunches and lavish dinners at my place.. Experts and dieticiens, please educate me :)

Murukku

Preparation time:

40-45 mins

Makes:

12-15 Murukkus

What you need:

2 cups Rice Flour
1/4 cup Besan
1/4 cup Urad Dal Flour
2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Ajwain Seeds
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/8 tsp Sodium Bicarb
2 tbsp Hot Oil
Oil to Fry
*Chakli Press

How to proceed:

1) Sieve and mix all the flours
2) Add all the remaining ingredients except oil
3) Pour the hot oil over this and mix well with a spoon
4) Now add water and knead to a stiff dough
5) Place oil to heat for frying chaklis
6) According to quantity allowed by the chakli press, divide the dough into parts
7) Roll each part in a cylindrical shape and put it inside the chakli press
8) Squeeze spiral murukkus in a plate or a plastic sheet
9) Slide 2-3 murukkus in hot oil and fry them on medium heat till they turn golden brown.
10) Drain on kitchen towels and cool before you pop them into your mouth :)
11) Can be stored for 15-20 days in an air tight container.. Serves as a great snack wit hot tea!

* Take care not to hastily fry on high heat.. The murukkus will not get cooked from inside and will not be crispy

* I didnt have Urad dal flour.. So I just soaked Urad dal fro 2 hours and then prepared a paste in the mixer and added this to the other flours while making the dough!

Rasgulla

Rasgullas have long been associated with West Bengal.. But the origin of Rasgulla is in the neighbouring state of Orissa.. Rasgullas were initially served as an offering in the Jagannath Temple at Puri in Orissa.. The brahmin cooks from Orissa who were employed in Bengali households prepared this sweet. Hence it became more popular as a Bengali sweet. (Read more here) This detailed study is just for making a smooth way for my Rasgullas to go to Swapna's RCI-Orissa Cuisine :)

In India, these sweets are easily available in sweet marts.. In pardes here, you are lucky if you are the first few to spot the can of Haldiram Rasgullas at the Indian stores.. Finally I googled once to find the smae recipe posted at every other site.. And it seemed too easy.. So I had to try this.. After many trial and errors, my rasgullas came out perfectly soft n fluffy at the fourth try.. Thankfully I always cooked in small batches so did not waste a lot of material into it.. No cooker, stored/store brought paneer or semolina/plain flour worked for me... Finally what made the yummy sweet balls perfect was this recipe....

Rasgulla

Makes:

~25 medim sized Rasgullas

Preparation Time:

3-4 hrs

What you need:

1/2 lit Whole Milk
2 cups Water
1/2 cup Sugar (add more if u want more sweet)
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
2-3 strands of Saffron (optional)

How to proceed:

1) Boil milk
2) As soon as milk boils, add lemon juice to it and boil for another 10 mins till two separate layers are seen
3) Drain the water and collect the paneer/curd in a muslin cloth.
4) Hang for an hour and then press under weight for another hour or two to remove all excess water from paneer/curd
5) Remove Paneer and knead it for 15-20 mins till it turn soft
6) In a cooking vessel, add sugar to water and bring this water to boil
7) Add cardamom powder and saffron strands to the water
8) Make round balls from the curd and add it to the boiling sugar syrup
9) Let them cook for 10-15 mins till the balls enlarge
10) Garnish woth nuts and serve yummy Rasgullas as soon as they cool down a bit


* The rasgullas *may* turn hard if left aside for long time.. I cant confirm this since I burnt my mouth while having these sweeties :D

Thai Lychee Banana Dessert

With so many events coming up(and me not wanting to miss any), I hardly get any time to post other recipes... So I make it a point to try and cook something new for these events.. Thats how I learn and post something new and different (not always :D)

When Sig anounced Lychee as Fruit for AFAM this month, I had no idea what I would be preparing for this event.. Then some googling and I came upon a Thai dessert.. Decided to try it but had to wait long to find fresh lychees.. Frozen/canned foods are avoided as much as possible at my place.. Finally last weel I found these lovely fruits at a fruit mart and the long wait came to an end.. Greedily, I brought a big pack(later realising it cost me a lot!!! :( ) and ultimately I have one more recipe to try other than this one..

Thai Lychee Banana Dessert is my first entry for AFAM-Lychee.. Apart from Indian cuisine, I love Thai food.. Thai cuisine is mostly associated with use of coconut milk.. Not just in the curries, but also in desserts.. Coconut milk in Thai Desserts is as milk in Indian Desserts.. This is a simple Thai dessert, which can be prepared in no more than 5 mins.. I am not a big fan of cocunut milk, and hence didnt like the dessert a lot.. I prefer shikran(bananas in sweetened milk) to this.. But not a disaster either.. My husband didnt mind finishing off my share as well :D So overall, good for a change!

Thai Lychee Banana Dessert

Makes:

2 servings

Preparation Time:

5 mins

What you need:

7-8 ripe Lychees
1 Banana
200 ml Coconut Milk (Lite)
2-3 tsp Sugar

How to proceed:

1) Peel and deseed the Lychees and cut into halves
2) Cut the banana lengthwise and then make 1 inch pieces
3) Place the lychees and bananas in a bowl
4) Heat cocunut milk for a min and add sugar to it (Do *not* boil)
5) Pour the milk over the fruits
6) Let it cool and place in the fridge to cool for sometime
7) Serve cold.


I had to use a spoon to forcibly lift the lychees for a snap :D

Spiced Mamra

During school days, picnics for me used to be more to do with food and then with roaming :D My all time favourite picnic food used to be Puri-Bhaji and Methi Parathas.. Mom used to wake up early in the morning to cook lunch for my picnic.. Other timepass foods or snacks would include varieties of homemade chiwdas prepared well in advance or store brought chips, cakes etc.. When Anupama announced the event for Picnic Food- Fun in the Sun, I could think of the easiest, quickest and tastiest snack- Spiced Mamra. This is obviously a snack to be enjoyed during the journey, as a timepass snack, not as lunch since its not filling.. Since I know there would be many entries for lunch category, I thought of this for the snacks category.. A snack that will be loved by all and will be finished off in minutes.. Thats too with minimul fuss and no fear of spoiling.. I usually make 2-3 batches of this snack every weekend.. Minimal ingredients and a few minutes is all it requires.. Can be prepared just before leaving for the picnic!

Spiced Mamra

Preparation Time:

2-3 mins

What you need:

3-4 cups Mamra/Murmura/Puffed Rice
1 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Salt

How to proceed:

1) Heat Oil, add asafoetida and turmeric powder
2) Saute for 5-10 seconds and add mamra and mix well till turmeric is evenly coated on mamra
3) After 2 mins, add chilli powder and salt and mix well..
4) Spiced mamara ready, pack and leave!


* Add fried Peanuts if you like...Add in some shev with chopped Onions, Tomatoes, Raw Mangoes and some Lemon Juice to make mouth watering Bhel!

30 minute K meal- Kadhi Khichadi Koshimbir

I know u must be wondering whether I am too much into Ekta Kapoor serial these days.. Well fortunately nothing if that sort.. Its just coincidence that all dishes for "Summer Express Cooking Event" start with a K.. Kadhi Khichadi, a famous Maharashtrian combo with the Maharashtrian Koshimbir, tomato-onion-cucumber salad! I was very glad to hear about this event.. This was the first thing that came to my mind. Coz its usually the shortcut dinner at my place quite a lot of times! :D Am eagerly waiting for the roundup to get ideas and options for other quick meals.. I really need these since I'll be starting my Masters next month and will be attending college full time! : Hope I get time to do some blogging on weekends!

My kadhi khichadi koshimbir meal is perfectly ready in 30 mins with some rest time as well in between :D Well no intermediate snaps posted since I didnt waste any time taking snaps and then finishing up everything! ;) I proceeded like this.....

Kadhi-Khicadi-Koshimbir

What you need:

For Khichadi:
1 cup Rice
1/2 cup Moong Dal
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 big Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
2 tbsp Peanuts
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Maharashtrian Goda masala (can be substituted by 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder+1/2 tsp Corriander Powder+1tsp Garam Masala)
1/2 tsp Turmeric
Salt
Water
Corriander for garnish

For Kadhi:
1 cup Yoghurt
2-3 tsp Besan
Small piece of Jaggery
Salt (depends on sourness of curd)
5-6 Curry Leaves
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Ginger Chilli paste
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/4 tsp Turmeric

For Koshimbir:
1/2 cup Thick Yoghurt
1 small Onion, finely chopped
1 Tomato, chopped
3-4 tbsp Chopped Cucumber
2-3 tsp roasted Peanut Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
A pinch of Sugar
Salt to taste

How to Proceed:

0-5 mins:
1) Mix rice and dal, wash, drain and leave aside
2) Chop 2 medium sized Onions
3) Heat oil in a cooker and add mustard and cumin seeds to it
4) Add chopped 11/2 onion (leave aside half onion for koshimbir) and garlic to oil and saute for 2 mins

5-10 mins:
5) Add peanuts and other spices (red chilli powder, turmeric, goda masala/garam masala, cumin and corriander powder)
6) Now add rice and dal and mix well for a minute..
7) Add 31/2 cups of Water and salt as required and mix well..
8) Close the cooker and let the khichdi cook for 3 whistles

10-15 mins:
9) Take a mixing bowl, add 1 cup yoghurt and 1 cup water to it.. The mixture should not be too thin
10) Add besan, jaggery and salt to it.. Mix well to avoid any lump formation
11) Heat 1 tsp Oil, add curry leaves,hing, mustard seeds and ginger chilli paste to it..
12) Saute for a minute and transfer the buttermilk-besan mixture to this.
13) Let this cook on medium heat

15-20 mins:
14) Chop cucumber and tomato
15) Take 1/2 cup yoghurt in a mixing bowl and add chopped onions, cucumber and tomato to it.. 16) Add rest of the ingredients- roasted peanut powder,red chilli powder,cumin powder,sugar and salt and mix well
17) Koshimbir ready, keep it in fridge to cool
18) Stir the kadhi

20-25 mins:
19) Keep stiring the kadhi at intervals of 2-3 mins
20) Keep your ears tuned to the whistle else you'll miss the count ;)
21) The khichdi is ready in this interval, keep cooker aside to cool
22) After stirring the kadhi, you have some time to rest.. Dont sit down.. Roast some papads on the gas thats just free from cooker! :D

25-30 mins:
23) Kadhi starts boiling, switch off gas (Total time required for kadhi to boil is 10-12 mins)
24) Now the semi-cooled cooker and extra hot kadhi is set on the table
25) Take dishes, bowls and spoons and set the table
26) The cooker cools completely.. Remove koshimbir from fridge and get ready to dine!! :)

* I enjoy plain khichdi.. You can add vegetables like potatoes, peas, brinjals, cauliflower etc. if you like.. Khichadi can be served with some pickles as well!

Zhaal Muri

After Zhanzhanit(Marathi word for extra spicy), its Zhaal(Bengali term for extra spicy). Zhaal Muri is a famous bengali chaat, which is as famous in Calcutta as bhel is in Mumbai. Zhaal Muri, meaning spicy mamra(puffed rice/murmura) tastes best when prepared from crisp puffed rice and eaten with extra hot chillies!

I have a Bengali friend here whom I visit quite often. Once I took along murmura chivda for her and she loved it.. Siad that it reminded her of Zhaal Muri, a bengali chaat/snack. She told me how its prepared(plus minus some ingredients) and served.. As a true chaat lover, returning back home, my first task was googling for the recipe.. found it at some places and finally prepared a mix n match combination.. Tasted lovely.. Next time my friend visited me, I said I was preparing sukki bhel(dry) for her. She had the first bite and said "This tastes exactly like Zhaal muri".. Now this was the real compliment and confirmation I was waiting for. :) So this perfect bengali favourite chaat goes for Nupur's "Z of Indian Vegetables"

I just thought what were the other words that come to my mind when i think of Z.. in general, just for timepass.. firstly zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, ofcourse sleep :) secondly Z for Zebra and Zoo, strong basics :) Z for zucchini, a common vegetable here in europe, Z for zunka, a maharashtrian vegetable dish, Z for Zimbabwe, thanks to my love for cricket few years back.. Z for zero, my childhood score for drawwing paper where I painted the sun green and the mango blue. :D Z for zhakkas, my favourite appreciatory word meaning awesome when extremely happy with something... Z for..........Wondering if I have missed some important Z words? :D

Zhaal Muri

Preparation Time:

15-20 mins

Makes:

2-3 servings

What you need:

2-3 cups crisp Puffed Pice(Mamra/Murmura/Muri)
1 Onion, finely chopped
1-2 Potato, boiled and finely diced
1 Tomato, finely chopped
Cucumber chopped (1/4 cup)-Optional
2 tbsp roasted Peanuts
1 tbsp roasted Cashews-Optional
3-4 Green chillies, finely chopped
Jucie of 1/2 Lemon
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Corriander Powder
A pinch of Turmeric
2 tbsp chopped Corriander
1 tbsp fresh grated Cocunut
Salt to taste

How to proceed:

1) Mix all the ingredients.
2) Garnish with corriander and cocunut.
3) Serve freshly prepared before mamra's become too soft

I served it topped with crushed Paprika flavoured Potato chips

* Best way to serve....



* A tsp of Mustard oil is usually added at the end before serving. I didnt have it and so didnt opt for it.. The quantity of lime, salt and red chilli powder should be adjusted as desired!

Zhanzhanit Thecha

Zhanzhanit- meaning extra spicy in marathi is an exclusive word used for chilli preparations , mostly the ones that are so hot that it makes one cry while eating. :D Thecha is a chutney prepared from green chillies for which this adjective suits perfectly! Thecha is called so due to its process of preparation. Deep roasted green chillies and garlic are pounded (called "thechana" in marathi) to make this chutney.. This goes for Nupur's "Z of Indian Vegetables" and "JFI for August-Chillies" hosted by Nandita!

Thecha

Preparation Time:

15 mins

What you need:

10-12 Green chillies
5-6 cloves of Garlic
2 tbsp roasted Peanuts
Salt
Oil

How to proceed:

1) Remove the heads of chillies.
2) In a skillet, take 1/2 tsp Oil, and add chillies and garlic to it
3) Roast them uniformly on all sides till you see brown black spots over them
4) When done, pound these alongwith peanuts and salt as required using a mortar pestle (mixie will do, but mortar pestle works best)
5) Add a bit of oil while serving, and some salt(this will reduce the spiciness a bit).
6) Serve with bhakris!

Thecha can be stored for 4-5 days in fridge.

Ratalyacha Sheera (Yam Halwa)

Feels so nice to get back to blogging after a break.. Had been to Austria and Germany for 10 days.. Was real fun to experience the adventure of camping :D Unplanned trips are great fun sometimes. ;) Saw "The Simpsons Movie" first day evening show as well.. a good way to get down your frustration level if your laptop is not working when you really need it after a long break!

Getting back to the important thing- food.. "Ekadashi.. duppat khashi" - a saying in Marathi meaning "eating double on day of the ekadashi fast".. So true... Yesterday was "Ashadi Ekadashi"- a big fast for Maharashtrians according to Hindu Calendar.. I call it big fast bcoz its full day upwaas, and ends the other day with proper full meal! When I am the only one fasting at home, its usually fruits and juices for me.. Also eating fasting food(sabudana khichadi, varyache tandul, potato etc.) go against the actual motives of fasting.. But I decided to please myself and made yummy sheera/halwa using sweet potato yesterday.. a typical maharashtrian dessert called Ratalyacha Sheera, it becomes Yam Halwa when it goes for Nupur's "Y of Indian Vegetables" :)

Ratalyacha Sheera

Makes:


2-3 servings


What you need:

2 big Sweet Potato/Yam/Ratale (~400 gm)
2 tbsp Ghee
4-5 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
1/2 cup Milk
2-3 tsp chopped nuts(optional)

How to proceed:

1) Boil sweet potato in cooker till soft (~ 3 whistles)
2) When cold, remove the skin and mash the sweet potatoes
3) Heat ghee in a pan and add mashed sweet potatoes to it.
4) Cook till ghee starts separating corners of the pan
5) Now add cardamom powder and sugar. Cook for another 5 mins
6) Now add milk and nuts. Stir continuously and cook for another 5-10 mins
7) Serve hot or cold.

* Remove the hairy part of sweet potato if possible. Dunno exactly what you call them! :D

Xtra Rich Patiala Lassi

Patiala Lassi is a rich Punjabi drink prepared from Yoghurt. It probably gets its name from the place where it came from originally, Patiala, a district in Punjab. It is usually served in long steel glasses. This lassi(like others) is a filler, as its difficult to finish a glassful even after a light meal. Weight watchers.. Beware.. This is absolutely not recommended for you guys.. This is just for carefree people like me :) This Xtra rich Yoghurt Drink makes its way to Nupur’s “X of Indian Vegetables” and Richa’s "RCI Punjabi Cuisine"!

Patiala Lassi

Makes:

1 glassful

What you need:

2 cups full Yoghurt
2-3 tbsp Milk
2-3 tbsp Sugar
½ tsp Cardamom Powder
¼ tsp Nutmeg Powder
½ cup Crushed Ice
4-5 Saffron strands
Chopped dry fruits like pistachios, almonds, cashews

How to proceed:

1) Beat the yoghurt until smooth
2) Mix all remaining ingredients except Dry fruits
3) Blend again to dissolve sugar
4) Serve fresh topped with chopped dry fruits!

* You can optionally add vanilla /rose /pista essence!

Watermelon Popsicles

Jai and Bee have chosen a lovely fruit for this month’s AFAM-Watermelon. Due to its high water content (95%), summers are incomplete without watermelons…Atleast for me :) I can have watermelon for breakfast, lunch as well as for dinner in summers… I am one person who doesn’t drink much water regularly (just 2-3 glasses), but eat loads of watermelon n cucumbers in summer.. That’s the reason I can bear the summers. :D I was planning for another watermelon drink or snack, but then thought of some way which would be pleasant and inviting.. Here are lovely watermelon popsicles for AFAM Watermelon!

Watermelon Popsicles

Makes:

6 popsicles (of size of Kulfi/Ice-Candies)

What you need:

1 cup Watermelon Juice
¼ cup Sugar
¼ cup Water
1 tsp Lemon Juice
2 tsp Chaat Masala (Optional)
A pinch of Salt

How to proceed:

1) Deseed watermelon and run through blender to make juice
2) Mix sugar and water. Heat for 2-3 mins
3) Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients to it
4) Add to kulfi moulds/ ice trays and make popsicles of desired shape n size
5) Freeze for 3-4 hrs!

* Addition of chaat masala gives it a tangy flavour.. Reminded me of the “barf ka gola” sold in India :)