Monday, January 30, 2012

PudinaRice

Pudina Rice:

Pudina is nothing but mint leaves or also called as Mentha. They are good in aroma and healthy too. The colors range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue, and sometimes pale yellow while the flowers are white to purple. The fruit is a small dry capsule containing one to four seeds.

Cultivation: All mints prefer, and thrive in, cool, moist spots in partial shade. In general, mints tolerate a wide range of conditions, and can also be grown in full sun.

They are fast growing, extending their reach along surfaces through a network of runners. Due to their speedy growth, one plant of each desired mint, along with a little care, will provide more than enough mint for home use.

Culinary: The leaf, fresh or dried, is the culinary source of mint. Fresh mint is usually preferred over dried mint when storage of the mint is not a problem. The leaves have a pleasant warm, fresh, aromatic, sweet flavor with a cool aftertaste. Mint leaves are used in teas, beverages, jellies, syrups, candies, and ice creams.

Medicine: Mint was originally used as a medicinal herb to treat stomach ache and chest pains, and it is commonly used in the form of tea as a home remedy to help alleviate stomach pain. In Rome, Pliny recommended that a wreath of mint was a good thing for students to wear since it was thought to "exhilarate their minds".(Source: Wikipedia)

Ingredients for Pudina Chutney:
  • Pudina or Mint leaves - 1 bunch
  • Green Chillies - 6 
  • Salt to taste
  • Water for grinding - a little
  • Oil - as required
  • Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves - few

Method:
  • Separate the mint leaves from its stem, wash it well in cold water
  • Add pudina, green chillies (washed), salt and water for grinding 
  • Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds to it, once it splutters add curry leaves
  • Now add the chutney and fry well so that the rawness in mint goes away and a good aroma comes out
  • Keep it aside.

Pudina Rice:


Once the chutney is ready add rice to it and mix it.







Submitting this to:
 
"Cooking with Leftover Kitchen Chronicles" - Jan2012 series was hosted by Veena which was started by Kalyani

 


"Lets cook with leftovers" by Nayna Kanbar.


Lily Greene visited this post and here is her version.Balance Me Beautiful.



Sunday, January 29, 2012

PuriUrandai


Puri Urandai:

I couldn’t believe myself that I could make a sweet that fast. Thanks to the Blogging Marathon team and to the host who started this, that’s none other than Srivalli of spicingyourlife.
Today being the last day of second week of Blogging Marathon, I am glad to say that I have learnt very good sweets which can be made with less or more time. Thanks for my family and friends who had been very supportive.

Thanks for all the exciting comments which made me jump high on the air.

Puri Urandai is made up of beaten rice and jaggery. I was shocked to see this sweet getting ready just in 10 minutes and I cooked keep my lovely little angel my little son on my hip and then do this, but needed help of somebody while making it rounds. This is a must sweet made by Tamilians during “Karthika Deepam”.

Ingredients:
  • Beaten Rice – 1 1/2 cup
  • Jaggery – 1 cup
  • Cardamom Powder – 1 tbsp
  • Poppy Seeds – 1 tbsp
  • Chopped Coconut – as you desire
  • Fried Gram Dhal – as you desire

Method:
  • Put jaggery and water in a thick bottomed vessel to make jaggery syrup.
  • When you feel the syrup is almost ready put a drop into a small cup/vessel which has water, you should be able to make a round or small dough.
  • Once you are able to make, add cardamom powder and poppy seeds.
  • Pour it into the vessel where your beaten rice is ready along with fried gram dhal and chopped coconut. Watch out it would be hot, make your hand wet and start mixing dry ingredients with jaggery syrup.
  • Keep it on a plate, take a snap, and eat it with family members.

Submitting this to:Blogging Marathon @ Spice your Life by Srivalli
This also makes an entry to
Kid's Delight - Something Sweet at Edible Entertainment by Kavitha Iyengar and this series were started by Srivalli in her blog.




New "U" event hosted by Vardhini.































Cooking with Love event hosted by Saraswathi Iyer.

Cooking Challenge - Flavours of Tamilnadu.

TenkaiKarjikayalu:


Tenkai-Karjikayalu:

Tenkai Karjikayalu is my 5th day post for 2nd week of Blogging Marathon. My theme for this week is Kids Delight – Something Sweet.

I had done it on Saturday, 28th Jan 2012 when I cooked lunch for my family. Lunch comprised of Methi Dhal, Tomato Rasam, Rice and curds. Special entry was my sweet Tenkai Karjikayalu (tenga kolakottai or coconut rolls). Our breakfast for that day was Puri and after everybody having breakfast there was wheat flour (atta) remaining. It flashed my great brain why don’t I do this sweet. I asked my mom-in-law she told once lunch is ready I could make them; she said and went to sister-in-law’s place who stays nearby.

I was eager to make so I couldn’t wait, moreover my little son was sleeping, so it was a good time for me to do along with lunch. I kept sugar and water to become sugar syrup, and blended coconut in blender. Once sugar syrup was getting ready I added poppy seeds, cardamom powder, baby saffron and mixed well, add blended coconut to the mixture. I hope you remember I made little almond powder last week, I added them into this. As almond contains oil, it’s better to utilize them at the earliest.

Ingredients:
I had to eat 6 laddoos directly and myself, my son, and sis-in-law son, sis-in-law and co-brother it was over in no time.

Method:
Make small puris and keep coprapak laddoos in the center
Cover the dough properly so that laddoos doesn’t come out
Heat oil in a kadai and once it is full hot, keep it into medium flame and fry the rolls
Put it onto a vessel where the oil can be drained

Submitting this to:Blogging Marathon @ Spice your Life by Srivalli
This also makes an entry to

Kid's Delight - Something Sweet at Edible Entertainment by Kavitha Iyengar and this series were started by Srivalli in her blog.




New "U" event hosted by Vardhini.

Friday, January 27, 2012

DatesKheer

Dates Kheer:

Kheer is nothing but payasa, sweet which is made either of semolina or of any other ingredient with milk. It can be made instantly and ingredients are also too short. I just added dates to it.
On account of yesterday holiday and tomorrow holiday I am on leave today also. J Hence made dates milk shake, but as I had to take Aditya to doctor due to some allergy plan got changed. Suddenly it flashed, I can just do kheer in the afternoon adding dates milk shake. Yummy, it gave me very good company in my children lunch today.

Ingredients:
  • Semolina – 1 cup
  • Sugar – 1 cup
  • Milk – 2 cups
  • Dates – 5 to 6 nos (used fruit not the dried ones)
  • Ghee – 2 tsp

Method:
  • Soak dates in water for an hour
  • Add milk, sugar and dates and blend it together to get a milk shake
  • Add ghee in a thick bottomed vessel
  • Roast semolina and keep it aside
  • Add dates milk shake and allow it to boil
  • Add roasted semolina and allow it to become soft/cooked
  • Serve it

Submitting this to:Blogging Marathon @ Spice your Life by Srivalli



This also makes an entry to
Kid's Delight - Something Sweet at Edible Entertainment by Kavitha Iyengar and this series were started by Srivalli in her blog.




New "U" event hosted by Vardhini.










UradDhalHalwa


Urad Dhal Halwa:

I came across this sweet in Nayna Kanbar's blog (simply.food) I had bookmarked this sweet for a longer time. When I had paired with Nayna during Blog Hop Wednesday ver 2.0 started by Radhika on her blog (tickling palates) for Jan 2012.

Only modification I did to this is the shape, rest all remains the same.

Ingredients:

Wet Halwa
  • Urad  Dhal - 1cup
  • Chopped Coconut - 1 cup
  • Sugar - 1cup
  • Cardamom Powder - 2 tsp
  • Saffron - 3 num
  • Milk - a little
  • Ghee - 4 tsp
Method:
Fry urad dhal till reddish brown and allow it cool
Add roasted urad dhal, chopped coconut and sugar and blend it
Add ghee in a kadai when it melts add the ground powder
Urad Dhal Halwa
Roast it well so that we can get nice aroma
Add milk to it and put it on a greased plate
Once its warm cut it into pieces
Put it in an airtight container and eat it

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Yielded: 20 pieces


Submitting this to:Blogging Marathon @ Spice your Life by Srivalli


This also makes an entry to
Kid's Delight - Something Sweet at Edible Entertainment by Kavitha Iyengar and this series were started by Srivalli in her blog.
New "U" event hosted by Vardhini.












Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Onion Chutney

Onion-Chutney:

"Weekend Herb Blogging" was started by Kalyn and after 3 years Haalo took over to continue this. This series is on and continuing since 7 long years and it has reached #318 series this week. This week series is hosted by Cindystar here.




Onions are often chopped and used an ingredient in various hearty warm dishes, but are often used as a main ingredient in their own right, for example in French onion soup or onion chutney. They are also used raw in cold salads. Onions pickled in vinegar are eaten as a snack. These are often served as a side serving in fish and chip shops throughout the United Kingdom and Australia, often served with cheese in the United Kingdom, and as "pickled onions" in Eastern Europe. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion)
Ingredients:
Onion - 2
Oil - 2 tsp (for frying)
Oil - 1 tsp (for tadka)
Tomato - 2
Groundnuts (roasted) - 1 handful
Green Chillies - 4
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Coconut - 1/2 cup (grated)
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - few
Cilantro - few

Method:
Fry onion, tomato, green chillies and ginger in a kadai with hot oil
Allow it to cool for sometime
Using a blender blend all fried ingredients along with roasted groundnut seeds, coconut, salt and cilantro or coriander leaves
Heat little oil, once it becomes hot, add a tsp of mustard seeds and wait till it splutters
Add curry leaves and pour this tadka on to the onion chutney.




Dark Chocolate Milk Shake

Dark Chocolate Milk Shake:

I planned to prepare puriundai (might be my next recipe) but ended up preparing dark chocolate milk shake in office. :(.

Great thing I did yesterday is, I informed my hubby somehow stating that I like my blog which motivates me to cook/make/bake new things and asked him to cooperate my work. Reason is, my little son has become a nightmare for me, he doesn't sleep nor he lets anybody sleep (including my older son). As my mom-in-law would have cooked something in the afternoon and very rarely I  get a chance to cook something, great thing I do is cook rice in the evening which will hardly take 5 minutes. I need to put this guy to sleep and then prepare whatever I would have planned.

In the early morning, once I got up, my little son also got up and as it was just dosa chutney had to be done. Good my mom-in-law did a new chutney and the recipe will be out shortly.

In the office today I was supposed to have some training and instead of keeping my blog readers wait i just thought a dark chocolate milk shake can also serve as a sweet as we had sugar to it. Please pass your valuable comments if it can be considered under sweet or not.

This is going to be my 3rd day in Blogging Marathon under 2nd week event. As you are aware my group is "Kid's Delight - Something Sweets" for this week.

Ingredients:
B&W Photo
  • Dark Chocolate - 4 pieces (one chocolate will have 8 pieces)
  • Butter - 1 tsp
  • Milk - 1 cup
  • Sugar - 1
  • Fruits of your taste (just to make you have a good breakfast)

Method:
  • Melt butter in microwave
  • Add dark chocolate to them and melt them in oven
  • Add milk, sugar and heat it for a  moment so that chocolate mixes well with milk
  • Take a bowl for fruits add your desired fruits. I have added musk melon and pineapple.
  • Click a pic and have the milk shake with fruits. :)
  • Post it after tasting the milk shake.

Submitting this to:Blogging Marathon @ Spice your Life by Srivalli



This also makes an entry to

Kid's Delight - Something Sweet at Edible Entertainment by Kavitha Iyengar and this series were started by Srivalli in her blog.




Bake Fest @ Pumpkinfarmfood by Pradnya started @ Zesty Palette by Vardhini.






New "U" event hosted by Vardhini.













MEC series by Kalyani started by Srivalli on Cooking4allseasons









Breakfast Club Jan'12 series hosted which was started by
 

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

AlmondBreadGolls

AlmondBreadGolls:

It gives me immense pleasure to treat my blog readers who are making me successful in a very short time from the time I restarted my blog.


Golls or balls made out of almond and cashewnut powder and kept inside bread and baked for 2 minutes in microwave oven.

Ingredients:
  • Wheat Bread Slice - 4
  • Maida Bread Slice - 1
  • Almond - 4
  • Cashewnut - 2
  • Sugar - 4 tsp
  • Ghee / Clarified butter - 2 tsp
  • Spraying Oil (to spray on the bread so that it doesn't get burnt)

Method:
  • Blend almond, cashewnut to a coarse powder 
  • Cut the sides of a bread (bread crumbs) and put little ghee on both sides of it
  • Keep the ghee in microwave for 1 minute so that it would become thin 



  • Add blended powder, sugar to ghee and mix and keep it for 1 minute so that it gets mixed well

  • Now take the bread as a cup shape and put the mixture on to it

  • Nicely cover the bread with little water or with ghee and spray some oil on the bread
  • Keep it in oven again for 2 more minutes so that the bread gets roasted. 

  • Take it out from the oven and allow it to cool
  • Take the bread crumbs into a glass, add some milk and sugar

  • Serve both the dishes almond bread golls and bread crumbs mixture

Submitting this to:Blogging Marathon @ Spice your Life by Srivalli

Submitting this also to:

Bake Fest @ Pumpkinfarmfood by Pradnya started @ Zesty Palette by Vardhini.












New "U" event hosted by Vardhini.

































MEC series by Kalyani started by our BM preacher Srivalli on Cooking4allseasons.