28 Feb 2014

Peanut Chutney Recipe | Verkadalai Chutney Recipe | Easy Chutney Recipes

This peanut chutney is yummy and can be made easily. I tasted this first in my mother in law's house and I have loved it ever since. I like to make something different for idli and dosa and keep trying different side dishes. This chutney goes very well with idli and dosa, it tastes great.




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Strawberry Lassi Recipe

My husband has been on a weight loss spree and he doesn't eat much so I am making lots of drinks. This lassi is one such drink. The strawberry flavor gives the simple lassi such a delicious twist. This is one of those wonderful thirst quenchers.
Sometimes the berries you get here are not so sweet, well most of the time I have been unlucky and got some pretty tart ones. So if eating it as it is, is not so pleasant, then the next option is to make them into delicious shakes or smoothies.
Check out the other Lassi recipes too.

Strawberry Lassi


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27 Feb 2014

Banana Date Cake

I baked this cake one lazy Saturday afternoon. It's a simple tea time cake and tastes awesome. It's a super easy cake to bake and for sure everyone will love it. 

Banana Dates Cake

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26 Feb 2014

Instant Banana Bread Recipe (Microwave )

I like 'instant' anything! Simply because I get to have it immediately and also if it is instant, it should be easy and quick to make! My all time favorite 'instant anything' is the instant microwave brownie, get's done in 3 minutes. This banana bread is like that, gets done quickly and tastes good too, enough for a sudden craving!




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24 Feb 2014

Strawberry Lemonade Recipe

I'm obsessed with strawberries this season! Have made so many recipes using fresh strawberries and I want more! Sometimes these berries don't taste so good eating raw but when turned into a dessert or drink, it's absolutely delicious! This is one such recipe. This is a refreshing drink and tastes awesome! Check out my mango lemonade recipe too.




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Word Press Family Award

I am happy to be chosen by Tanya of Easy and Simple Foods for this award. From what I read, this award is for word press users and I don't know how it came to blogspot users but I don't care about that technicality! This is such a beautiful award and I am happy to receive it and share it with my other blogger family.



A bit about this award - This was started by Shaun of  http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com/  for being accepted and loved by the word press blogging world. I think it's an awesome idea! I know since I was feeling so lost in this huge world of blogging and now I have started making friends and it's great. I'm still new and there are more new people to meet! But for now I am grateful for the friends I have made and found. 

I want to take this opportunity to thank Aara from Sweets & Spices, she is the first person who reached out to me and befriended me and she is still a special person.

Here are the other people who are like a family to me
1. Aara from Sweets & Spices
2. Asha from Chikkus Kitchen
3. Tanya from Easy and simple foods
4. Remya from Remmy's Kitchen
5. Rafeeda from The Big Sweet Tooth
6. Teena from Recipes Passion
7. Manjula from DesiFiesta

Thank you guys for supporting and encouraging me with your presence and comments! Love you all and I appreciate you all!

Spread the love!

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22 Feb 2014

Mixed Vegetable Kurma Recipe

I love this kurma / korma! Well, I think almost everybody will love this. This goes well with poori, roti, paratha, idiyappam, dosai - almost everything! There are so many ways to make this but trust me, this version is so good. It tastes just like the kurma served in hotels! 


Mixed Vegetable Kurma


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21 Feb 2014

Strawberry Cake

I had been looking for a strawberry cake recipe for quite sometime.  And then I stumbled upon this recipe and it tasted great. I did not get the natural pink color but the cake was awesome. If you love strawberries, then this cake is for you!


Strawberry Cake


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20 Feb 2014

Easy Chicken Masala Recipe

This is one of the most simplest and easy chicken masala recipes you will find. Most of the time, with 2 small kids, I don't find time for elaborate, fancy cooking and this recipe comes in quite handy. And it tastes great too. Goes well with roti, paratha, rice or even dosai.




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19 Feb 2014

Mushroom Pepper Fry Recipe

Mushrooms are one of my favorites! It is packed with nutrients and is so good to include it regularly in our diet. I make lots of mushroom dishes and this is one of them. This is lip 'smackingly' delicious! And it is extremely easy to prepare. Do try it out.

Mushroom Pepper Fry

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18 Feb 2014

Strawberry Kulfi

Kulfi is a frozen dairy dessert that is very popular here in India. It is denser and creamier than ice creams since it is not whipped like how we make ice creams. Personally, I love kulfis more than ice creams. The traditional kulfis are made by stirring and cooking milk for long period of time, I have not stirred it for very long, I cooked the milk for only 45 minutes and still I got some tasty yummy kulfis! I love adding khova to my kulfis and this pista kulfi is my most favorite but for this recipe I did not use khova, instead I have added cream. 

Strawberry Kulfi


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17 Feb 2014

Grape Squash Recipe / How to make Grape Squash

Summer is almost upon us and we must prepare ourselves to fight the heat! This grape squash is an absolute must for summer season. Every time I dare to venture out into the scorching sun, the thought of coming home to this delightful, cool thirst quencher, keeps me going on to complete my chores.
This is very easy to make and keeps well for few months, refrigerated. 




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Chicken Chukka Varuval Recipe / Kozhi Varuval Recipe

Chicken is one of the favorites in our house. We normally make chicken in the weekends and each weekend, we make something different. This recipe s very easy to make and tastes awesome. Goes well with rice. I made it quite spicy but you can change the spice level to your liking. 
I have already posted a mutton pepper fry recipe and this is quite similar to that. 




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14 Feb 2014

Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

Isn't strawberry the best! I feel like it is the King of fruits - well maybe, next to mangoes! It is so good to look at and tastes awesome too. I have been wanting to make some strawberry ice cream, since I love fruit based ice creams. This ice cream did not disappoint us! Tastes too good! But make sure your strawberries are not tangy. These tangy berries really spoils the ice cream!




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13 Feb 2014

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse is as delicious as it gets! I have made eggless chocolate mousse before but I should say a mousse with eggs tastes a gazillion time better than one without eggs. This mousse was so silky and soft, it just kept melting in the mouth, leaving behind a delicious chocolate taste! Pure bliss! If your in the mood to indulge then this is the dessert for it!


Chocolate Mousse


I don't make this often since making a mousse with eggs is more laborious than a mousse without eggs but that should never be an excuse to not make this lovely dessert. If you don't eat eggs or can't eat eggs then that's fine but if you do eat eggs, then stop being lazy and make this delightful mousse. Trust me, you will not be disappointed!
I am a bit finicky about using raw eggs in my mousse. I liked this recipe as it uses cooked  eggs yolks. I skipped adding egg whites to the mousse as it had to be added raw. If you don't mind raw eggs, you can add the whites also to the mousse.

I made this to celebrate our Valentine's Day!! A chocolate overload is always the best way to celebrate Valentine's Day!!


Chocolate Mousse


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11 Feb 2014

Banana Grape Slush Recipe

I love to have fruit drinks. Doesn't it make you feel refreshed when you have a fruit drink? For me, there are some fruits which I would not eat but enjoy a it as a drink! 
This is a delightful drink.



Recipe Source - ChitVish App

Ingredients
Black seedless grapes - 1 cup
Ripe Banana - 1 big
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Brown sugar or powdered sugar - 1 to 2 tbsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Ice cubes

Method.
1. Wash the grapes.
2. Add it to the blender along with banana, sugat and salt.
3. Blend till smooth. 
4. Adjust with water. 
5. Serve with ice cubes.




Notes
1. You can even add milk instead of water.


Until next time,



Sending this to
Cook and share what you like


Chef Mireille's Taste of Tropics hosted by Prachi





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10 Feb 2014

Mutton Pepper Fry Recipe / Lamb Pepper Fry Recipe

This is a lip smacking dish! Very simple but full of flavor. This dish is apparently my grandmother's specialty, I don't remember though. I tried to re create her dish to the best of my ability. 
This tastes absolutely wonderful! We only had a simple rice and rasam but this side dish, really lifted it up to a totally different level. A simple lazy lunch became a delicious lip smacking event!
This is extremely spicy, do adjust the spice level according to your preference.




Ingredients

  • Mutton - 1/2 kg
  • Small onions - 1 Cup
  • Cumin powder - 2 tsp
  • Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
  • Green Chilli - 2
  • Curry leaves - few

To Marinate

  • Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
  • Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Curd - 1 tbsp
  • Pepper powder - 1 tbsp
  • Salt - to taste

To Temper

  • Oil - 2 tbsp
  • Cinnamon stick - 1
  • Bay leaf - 1
  • Cloves - 3
  • Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp



Method
1. Marinate the mutton pieces with ginger garlic paste, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, curd, pepper and salt for at least 2 hours.
2. Pressure cook the marinated meat with 1/2 cup of water for 6-7 whistles. Do not add too much water since this is a dry dish.



3. Check if the mutton is cooked well otherwise pressure cook again.
4. In a pan add oil. Wait for it to heat up. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves and fennel seeds.



5. Add the small onions, curry leaves and green chillies and saute until the onions change color. 
6. Once the onions are cooked, add the cooked mutton pieces. (if there is some water remaining, make sure you saute the mutton pieces until the water dries up)



7. Add the cumin powder and red chilli powder. Check for salt. Add more if needed.
8. Close the lid and cook for 5-10 minutes, saute every few minutes until the meat is well cooked along with the spices and is totally dry.

Goes well with plain rice.




Notes
1. The measurements given here, make this dish extremely spicy. Do adjust to your preference.



Until next time,
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9 Feb 2014

Whole Wheat Oats Peanut Butter Bars

This bottle of peanut butter was lying around my house and I was thinking of how to use it up, when I chanced upon this recipe and tried it instantly and we were not disappointed! This tasted too good and disappeared quickly. I will be making more of these in the future.

The only thing I will change when I make it the next time is, I will increase the amount of sugar. The amount added in this recipe makes it just sweet but for me I like my desserts on the sweeter side so will be adding a bit more sugar.

I made the same recipe with nutella instead of peanut butter, it was awesome! Check out Whole Wheat Oats Nutella Bars





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8 Feb 2014

Neer Mor Recipe / Spiced Buttermilk Recipe

Summer is coming and we need to find ways to cope with it! I think this is by far the most common and loved drinks to beat the scorching summer heat. It is simple and easy to make and doesn't cost anything. It is extremely good in combating heat and making the body cool down. 
This buttermilk is made in different ways, many different ingredients are added. You can add what you have at hand. The main ingredients being curd, water and salt. The rest helps to add flavor to the drink.




Ingredients

  • Curd - 1 cup
  • Water - 2 cups
  • Green Chilli - 1 (chopped finely)
  • Ginger - a tiny piece, chopped
  • Coriander leaves - few, chopped
  • Curry leaves - few, chopped
  • Salt - to taste





Method
1. Take curd in a bowl and add the 2 cups of water and whisk well with an electic whisk or egg beater or a traditional mattu. You can even use a blender but blend in short bursts or use the whipper.
2. Coarsely chop the green chilli, ginger, coriander and curry leaves and add to the whisked curd mixture.
3. Add required salt and mix well.
4. Serve chilled.

Enjoy the best summer coolant!




Notes
1. You can temper with mustard seeds and hing and add to the drink.
2. You can add cumin powder too.
3. There are so many variations, you can do according to your preference.
4. This drink is supposed to be watery but if you prefer a thick buttermilk, reduce the amount of water added.


Until next time,




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Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

Paneer Butter Masala is one of the most popular Indian vegetarian dish. I read that this dish is by far the most preferred and most ordered dish in restaurants. I agree completely! If we go to a vegetarian restaurant, this is the dish I almost always order. This and Palak Paneer is my most favorite vegetarian dish. 
This is nothing but Indian cottage cheese in a thick tomato gravy. Tastes absolutely delicious!




If you want restaurant styled paneer butter masala, then you need to add cream and lots of cream! I did not want to make it so rich to made it half cream and half milk.
Years ago I watched a video of Vah chef in YouTube on how to make paneer butter masala and he had mentioned that restaurants use ketchup to make this gravy. And I always add ketchup and the taste is exactly like the paneer butter masala we have in restos! 
Goes well with roti, naan or even dosai.

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7 Feb 2014

Oven Roasted Chickpeas with Indian Spices

Roasted chickpeas is one of the best snacks that I can think of, especially when your on a diet! When the craving hits hard for some fried snacks or chips, this is a wonderful alternative. When your roast these, they taste like nuts and it's such a delightful snack to munch on! 
It's is very easy to make and takes very little time to make these.




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5 Feb 2014

Carrot Juice Recipe

Many years ago I fell sick and I was advised bed rest for few weeks, during that time, one of my father's friend came to visit me. He is a naturopathy doctor and he gave me a 'medicine' or rather a solution to the road to recovery. And that was carrot juice. He told me to blend carrots along with a small piece of ginger and some coriander leaves and drink this juice everyday and he challenged me to see the difference for myself. He asked me to drink it without any sugar. Today I made the same drink that I used to drink regularly years ago, only difference is that I added some sugar in an attempt to tempt my daughter to drink. Of course I failed in my attempt! But that's another story! 
This juice is full of fiber, anti oxidants, vitamins and minerals, so don't hesitate to try this delicious drink!




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Dundee Fruit Cake

So last Christmas, I was on a mission to find 'the perfect fruit cake recipe'! I know many of you must have been hunting around like me! If you are into baking, then somehow, baking the perfect fruit cake seems like a very big deal! 




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4 Feb 2014

Mutton Biryani Recipe / Lamb Biryani Recipe

Biryani is a must on weekends and during festival times. We normally go for chicken dishes but on this special occasion we made lamb biryani. We were not disappointed! This tasted too good. 



We made a large batch as we were cooking for the whole family, you can adjust the measurements as per your serving requirements. This biryani is another one of my mother's specialty dishes. I have already posted a chicken biryani recipe. 
I know the list seems long, but don't let that intimidate you, it's actually very simple to make. Do try out this mutton biryani, you will not be disappointed.
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2 Feb 2014

1 Feb 2014

Onion Raita Recipe / Onion Pachadi Recipe

This is one of the simplest dish that we make yet one of the most desired and loved dish. Can't imagine a variety rice without a raita. We make different raitas or pachadi and this is the easiest one. I have already posted a mixed vegetable raita. Do check that too. There is no measurements for raitas, add as per your preference. This is just a guide for you to make a onion pachadi.




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