Mixed Berry Milkshake

My children luv this drink a lot. Very easy, gets ready in a minute and is very healthy. You can twist it the way you like, there is nothing hard and fast here. The main requirements are a some berries and milk.

Mixed Berry Milkshake

Ingredients
Mixed Berries - 1/2 cup
Chilled Milk - 2 cups
Honey or Sugar - 2 tb.sp
Ice cubes (optional)

Method
Puree the berries first in a blender. Then add the milk, sugar. And blend together. Pour it in glasses and serve cold.

This is going to FIC - Pink event hosted by dear Priya of Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes.

Holi Hai

Sending both these entries to Holi Hai event hosted by Purva of Purva's Daawat.

 

 Please find the recipe here

Please find the recipe for this tempting Kesari here

Idli Milagai Podi / Spiced Powder Accompaniment for Idli, Dosa

Idli Milagai Podi is very common and very famous in Tamil Nadu. Idli milagai podi mixed with gingelly oil or ghee is a wonderful/winning accompaniment for Idli/Dosa. You will find it every where in Tamil Nadu in hotels, messes, houses, marriages, functions etc. Each and every tamilian house is sure to have this podi stocked in their shelves. Though there are many varities of sambhar and chutneys to accompany Idli and Dosa, still this podi has it own place. If you go to hotels in tamil nadu and order for idli or Dosa you will get two to three varieties of Chutneys, one sambhar and also this Podi mixed with some gingelly oil.

My husband loves this Podi very much and can eat just about any tiffin item with this podi. It was one among the very first items I learnt to make after I got married.

Each one has their own version of this podi. Here I am producing my mother's recipe for this Idli Milagai Podi. My mother used to sometimes pack idlis/uthappams coated with oiled podi for lunch. This used to be the greatest hit not only among my friends but also among my fathers friends. For him she had to pack one more box extra for his friends. She has so many fans for this Podi in the appartment we used to live before marraige. Very often she used goes to others houses to make this podi for them. One of her friends used to call to make this Podi, and sends it to America where her daughter lives.



Idli Milagai Podi
Dry Red Chilli - 2 cups
Urad Dal / Split Black Gram - 1 cup
Channa Dal / Bengal Gram - 1 cup
Moong Dal / Split Peeled Green Gram - 1 cup
Roasted Channa Dal/ Chutnika dal/ Roasted Bengal Gram - 1 cup
Peanuts - 1 cup
Dry Coconut Grated - 1/4 cup
Til / Sesame Seeds - 5 to 6 tb.sp
Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized ball
Asafoetida - 1 tb.sp

Method

1. Roast each of the following seperately in one t.sp oil : Red Chillies, Urad dal / Split Black Gram, Channa Dal / Bengal Gram, Moong Dal / Split Peeled Green Gram, Roasted Channa Dal/ Chutnika dal/ Roasted Bengal Gram. 
2. Roast them in medium/low flame and preferably in a thick bottomed vessel. 
3. Roast them till the aroma of the dals start coming and till they start changing colours. 
4. Do not over roast them or under roast them. 
5. Roast the Peanuts without oil. Remove the skin if they have it. 
6. Roast the coconut and sesame seeds one at a time without oil. 
7. Heat the asafoetida and the tamarind a little.
   
8. Let them all cool down.
9. Grind all them one by one in a mixer to a coarse powder.
10. Mix them together. Add salt.
11. Again grind the mixed powder in a mixer, little at a time.
12. Store it in a clean and dry bottle. Will stay good for months.

You can also add Fenugreek Leaves, Garlic etc according to your liking. Roast them before adding it to the powder. The measurements I have given the ones which I always take. But you can take it the way you like, you can reduce some dals and just omit some dals depending on the availability and the taste. The compulsory ones are channa dal, urad dal, red chilli, salt, tamarind. Others all you can change it according to the availability and taste.

This podi is going to the Lentils Mela hosted by Ashwini of Ashwini's Spicy Cuisine and to the Colors Of Taste - Powders: Podi's as an Accompaniment event hosted by Smitha of Kadumanga.

Easy Tomato Soup

We all like to drink soups not only because they are healthy and but also many a times the climate demands for a soup. A Hot soup on a snowy or a rainy day tastes like heaven. My five year old son comes running to me on such days and asks me to make soups. Mostly I make them this Easy Tomato Soup. It gets ready in a jiffy and is very easy.

Easy Tomato Soup

Ingredients

Tomato Puree - 1 cup

Salt

Freshly crushed Pepper - 1 t.sp

Sugar - 1 t.sp

Cornflour - 2 tb.sp

Fresh Cream - 2 tb.sp (optional)

Water - 2 cups

Method

1. Mix together the water and the tomato puree with a ladle. 
2. Add sugar and heat it. 
3. Let the mixture boil for about five to seven minutes so that raw smell of the tomato goes away.
4. Add salt. Dissolve the cornflour in 1/4 glass of water and add to the soup.
5. Let it boil it the soup thickens. Add fresh cream if you are using it.
   
6. Remove from fire and strew the crushed pepper.
7. Serve hot.
   

 Easy, isn't it. In this recipe nothing is hard and fast rule. Just change anything according to your choice and availability.

This soup is being served to SWC : Soups event hosted by Neha of #Tasty Recipes. SWC is an event started by dear LG of the famous blog Taste of Mysore and

To Think Spice : Think Pepper hosted by Divya of Dil Se. Think Spice event was started by Sunita of Sunita's World.
And to Sanghi's Fall in Love With Food : Tomato at Sanghi's Food Delights 

 

 

 

Soya Bean Curry - The Indian Style

The soybean (U.S.) or soya bean (UK) (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia. It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years as a food and a component of drugs. Soy contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids for humans, and so is a good source of protein. Soybeans are the primary ingredient in many processed foods, including dairy product substitutes. Soybeans are very rich in protein.

Information and Picture Source : Wikipedia

Since Soyabean is protein rich, I try to use it often. The way my family members like it is the indian style curry which goes well with rice as well as chapathis. After getting cooked it becomes soft but not mushy and has a nice taste, my children it like very much.

Soyabean Curry - The Indian Style
Ingredients
Soyabeans - 1 cup (soaked overnight)
Onion - 1 chopped finely
Tomato - 2 chopped finely
Ginger - Garlic Paste - 1 tb.sp
Sambhar Powder - 2 tb.sp ( I prefer to use this, if you do not have it then you can use a combination of chilli powder and coriander(dhania) powder in the ratio 1:2) (Recipe for sambhar powder will follow soon)
Salt to taste
Garam Masala Powder - 1 t.sp (optional)
Oil - 7-8 tb.sp 

Method

1. Pressure cook the soaked Soyabeans in salt water till it becomes soft. I keep it for 1 whistle.
2. Heat oil in a pan and when it is hot add the ginger-garlic paste. Keep stirring, once the raw smell of the ginger-garlic paste has gone, add the onions. Saute till the onions become translucent.
3. Add the tomatoes and 1/2 t.sp salt. Keep stirring and smashing the tomatoes with laddle. 
4. Once the tomatoes get cooked and all get smashed add the sambhar powder, salt, garam masala powder.
5. Stir for a minute.
6. Add the cooked and strained Soyabeans. Mix it nicely, so that all the masala spreads evenly over the soyabeans. 
7. Cover and cook for about 10 - 15 minutes on low flame. Keep stirring in between, to avoid sticking to the bottom of the vessel. Sprinkle some water if needed.
8. Serve hot with rice or chapathis.

This Soyabean Curry is going to the My Legume Love Affair - Eighth Helping hosted by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook.
And to Lentils Mela hosted by Ashwini's Spicy Cuisine

Bhoondhi Laddoo

Bhoondhi Laddoo, very famous in south india. Many make it for diwali and other festivals. People of all ages like it very much. My co-sister makes it very often. I saw how to make it at her place about two years before. And this year atlast for diwali I made it for the first time. And to my surprise it came out very very nice. So here goes the recipe for the Bhoondhi Laddoo.

Bhoondhi Laddoo

Ingredients
For the Bhoondis
Gram flour - 1.5 cup
rice flour/corn flour - 1 tbsp
Soda Bicarbonate - 1/8 tsp
Bhoondi stirer
Oil for deep frying

For the Sugar solution
sugar coarse - 1.5 cups
saffron strands - 10-15
cardamom powder/clove - 4 -5
or
some flavoured powder like Badam Feast powder, I used MAAS powder which we get in shops - about 1 tb.sp
water - 1/2 cup
cashews/raisins/badams of choice

Method

1. Make a thick paste of gram flour, rice/corn flour, soda, salt with water
2. The consistency should be thicker than dosa batter but thinner than idli batter
3. Take another vessel add sugar water and saffron let it soak meanwhile you prepare the bhoondhis
4. Heat oil for deep frying boondhis
5. Keep the bhoondhi stirer at a distance from the hot oil, pour a laddle of besan and stir quickly to the hot oil. Must be done fast
6. Fry the bhoodhis. Remove the bhoodhis when they are little soft and strain well
7. After straining the bhoodhis spread them on a tissue paper so that it sucks the oil from the bhoondhis.
8. Heat the sugar solution.
9. The solution should reach 1 string consistency.
10. Remove from heat, add in raisins/cashews/cardamom powder and mix well
11. Crush about handfull of bhoodhis to a coarse powder.
12. Add the bhoondis and stir well close for just 2 minutes
13. Shape them into laddoos while still hot.
14. This can be stored in airtight jars for 2-3 weeks

Points to take Note :
If you are unable to shape them and feel very liquid after adding bhoondhis keep on low fire for sometime until it comes to the consistency to shape into laddus.
For first time check the consistency of the batter is right for the bhoondhis. The bhoondhis should come out round must not be elongated nor flat with holes. Add little water if it is soft and thick and make it faster if it falls elongated.

This Bhoondhi Laddoo is rolling its way to FIC - Orange event hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen. FIC was started by the sunshinemom of Tongue Ticklers.

Awards/Token of Appreciation

Appreciation/Awards, they mean so much to me. When I started blogging, I use to muse about all those awards in others blogs. But little did I know that they are all token of appreciation passed on by blogger friends. Then came my first award, when my blog was not even 1 month old. I still remember the day when I got my first award. I was so very happy and excited. I was almost flying in the air. And then on my blogger friends started showering me with Awards. Thanks to one and all for this appreciation and encouragement. Every time I receive a award, it makes me very happy, makes me keep going. Thanks once again to one and all.

Here I am trying to put all the awards/token of appreciation received so far. The awards are in no particular order.

 Thanks to DK of Culinary Bazaar, who presented this trophy to me for running Recipe Marathon in November 2008.

  

Thanks to Ramya of Ramya's Kitchen Corner, Priya of Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes, Purva of Purva's Daawat, PG of My Kitchen Stories

  

From Hemabalaji of Adlak's Kitchen

  

Thanks to Malar Gandhi of Kitchen Tantra, Lubna of Yummy Food, PG of My Kitchen Stories

  

Thanks to Lubna of Yummy Food, PG of My Kitchen Stories

  

Thanks to Sripriya of Srikar's Kitchen, Lubna of Yummy Food

  

Thanks to Divya of Divyaseasyrecipes and Viji of Vazhga Vazhathudan, Lubna of Yummy Food, Ramya of Ramya's Kitchen Corner, Priya of Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes, PG of My Kitchen Stories

  

Thanks to Lubna of Yummy Food

  

Thanks to Sripriya of Srikar's Kitchen, Purva of Purva's Daawat, Indranee of Indranee's Culinary Delights, PG of My Kitchen Stories

  

Thanks to Indranee of Indranee's Culinary Delights

  

Thanks to Ramya of Ramya's Kitchen Corner, Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes

  

Thanks to Indranee of Indranees' Culinary Delights

  

 Thanks to Ramya of Ramya's Kitchen Corner, Priya of Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes, Indranee of Indranee's Culinary Delights, PG of My Kitchen Stories

 

 

Thanks to Ramya of Ramya's Kitchen Corner, Purva of Purva's Daawat, Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes, Indranee of Indranee's Culinary Delights

RM#2 : Day 30 Kesari

Today is the last day for RM#2. So like it was planned I am also posting a sweet dish today. Kesari a very easy sweet dish. And I make it when I get guests all of a sudden and I don't have any specific ingredients to prepare any special sweets, then I prefer to prepare kesari. It consumes less time and is requires very common ingredients also.

Kesari
Rawa (Sooji) - 1 cup
Ghee - 11/2 cup
Water - 2 cup
Sugar - 11/2 cup (or less)
Cashew nuts, Raisins
Elaichi powder - 1/4 t.sp
Food colouring - 1/4 t.sp

Method
Heat 1 t.sp ghee in a non-stick kadai. Fry the cashewnuts and raisins and keep it aside. Now add the rest of the ghee. And when the ghee is hot put in the sooji. And fry in medium heat till light pink in colour. Heat the water simultaneously in another vessel. When the water starts boiling add it to the roasted sooji. Add the orange food colouring. Let it cook. When the water is all gone, add the sugar and keep stirring till the kesari leaves the edges. Add the roasted cashewnuts and raisins and elaichi powder. Serve hot.

Don't forget to check out what my other co-runners have prepared specially for the last day of RM#2.

1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga

20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

24)Karuna

25)Roochi

Rm#2 : Day 29 Potato Rosti

Rosti is supposed to be swiss dish. But very famous here in Germany also. And my children like it very much. For long I have been wanting to make this at home. Then sometimes back while browsing through DK's blog, Culinary Bazaar. I found this. To my surprise it involved very very less ingredients and so I immediately made it. It came out much better than the shop bought ones.

So here is the recipe. I did not make any changes. Just that she had made given the shape by putting it into a muffin form and I shaped it with my hands.

 

 

1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga

20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

24)Karuna

25)Roochi

RM#2 : Day 28 Banana Nut Cake

I had long been wishing to make a banana cake. But never got the opportunity to try it. Some days before I was going the Baking buddies blog of Lakshmi. I found it very simple and had all the ingredients in hand. so gave it a try and it came out fantastic.

You can find the recipe here.

I did not make much changes to the recipe. Like Lakshmi said I used one banana more and reduced 1 egg.

 

Check out what the other RM runners are cooking today.
1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga
 
20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

RM#2 : Day 27 Butterscotch Brownies

I saw this at Aparna's My Diverse kitchen. It was very simple, used very less ingredients and it used very less butter. So gave it a try immediatley. And it came out very nice.

I just followed her recipe as such. No changes.

 

 

Check out what the other RM runners are cooking today.
1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga
 
20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani