Purple Grapes Ice Cream

Ice Cream with goodness of natural fruits is something very rare to find. This is actually possible with simple recipe and you can make it at home.

Enjoy this superb ice cream filled with antioxidants as grapes are loaded with nutrients. 

 Ingredients:

Purple Grapes - 250 gms
Whipping cream - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Red food colour - 1 pinch (optional)

Method:

Blend the grapes coarsely. Deseed them and add sugar to it. Mix well till the sugar is dissolved completely.

Take the cream and whip it till it becomes thick. This takes around 10 mins if you have a electric mixer. If done manually this would take around 15 to 20 mins.

Now add the grapes and sugar mix to the cream. Also add the food colour. Mix slowly from the sides so that the cream is not disturbed. 

Freeze it for about 6 to 8 hours before serving. Serve it chilled.

Note:
1. If the grapes are very sweet or sour, adjust the sugar quantity accordingly. 
2. Add the grape juice along with the pulp. This gives a good texture and taste to it.
3. Food colour is optional. I have used the food colour used for cake icing.

Enjoy making Ice cream.. :)

White Chocolate Pudding

A delicious dessert made in few minutes, will make you feel proud of yourself.

Ingredients:

White Chocolate - 50 gms
Cream - 2 tsp
Corn flour - 2 tsp
Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 1 cup

Method:

Melt the chocolate using double boiler method.  Meanwhile mix the other ingredients like corn flour, sugar, cream and one cup of milk. See that no lumps are formed and sugar is completely dissolved.

Mix the rest of the milk with the melted chocolate and keep aside.

Now heat the cornflour mix in a thick bottomed pan on low heat. Slowly add the chocolate mix to it and mix well. Keep stirring for five minutes or till the mixture thickens and forms cream consistency. 

Allow it co cool down. Pour it in the dessert bowls and seal them with aluminium foil. Refrigerate it for atleast one hour and serve chilled garnished with almonds and pistachios.

Note:

1. This serves around three people. 

2. You can also prepare it with milk chocolate or dark chocolate.

3. If the chocolate is already sweet, you can use less sugar.

Enjoy Cooking.. :)

Masala Uppittu

One of the most famous and a favourite South Indian breakfast of all times. Though you can call it with different names like upma, kharabhath etc.., it is always a stomach filling breakfast. No wonder people even refer to it as 'concrete'.. :)

I have made little variation to the normal recipe with garam masala and carom leaves. 

Ingredients:

Upma Rava (Semolina) - 1 bowl
Carom leaves (Ajwain) - 2 
Green chillies - 2
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Dry roast the semolina on medium flame till it starts releasing aroma and turns golden brown.

Grind the garam masala, cumin and coriander powder and carom leaves with little water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, and add mustard seeds. Once they start to splutter, add channa dal and urad dal. Chop the green chillies and add it to the pan.

Now add 2 1/2 cups of water. Once the water starts to boil, add the semolina slowly while stirring so that no lumps are formed.  

Add the ground masala paste to it. Also add salt. Mix well and cook on medium flame till the semolina is cooked properly.

The distinct aroma of carom leaves gives it a superb taste. Serve hot with chutney or chutney powder.

Enjoy cooking... :)

Beetroot Rice

A very healthy and nutritious lunch box recipe. It is also very easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 1 med
Potato - 1 large
Carrot - 1 large
Cooked Rice - 2 cups
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Bengal gram - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Turmeric - 1 pinch
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Cut the carrot and potatoes into small cubes.  Grate the beetroot and keep aside. Boil the potato and carrot till they are cooked.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once they start to splutter, add bengal gram and urad dal. Also add turmeric and asafoetida. Once the dal turns golden brown add the grated beetroot to it and mix well. 

Now add the boiled vegetables to it. Mix well. Add chilli, pepper powder and sugar. Add little water about half a cup and allow it to simmer for five minutes or till the water evaporates.

Now add rice to the pan and mix. Add salt and serve hot.

Butter Naan

Naan is one such recipe which is liked by many. Though it is made of Maida it can be had occasionally.. and the butter topping on it makes it more tastier.

Butter naan is not so difficult to make the way I had assumed before trying it. You can make healthier naan's in your home and I assure that they taste the same as restaurants.

I am also posting the recipe for Mutter Paneer along with Butter Naan, so that you can enjoy it with the naan and make a complete meal.

Ingredients:

Maida (All purpose flour) - 3 cups
Yeast (dried) - 2 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Butter - 1/4 cup
Water

Method:

Heat one cup of water just to warm it. Do not boil the water. Add the yeast, sugar and salt to it and mix well. Cover it and leave it for five minutes for the yeast to rise.

Take Maida in a bowl and add the yeast mix to it and mix well. Add one tsp oil and knead well. If required add little more water. Cover it with a cling film or in an air tight container and leave it to rise for half an hour. 

Make sure that the air tight container is big with enough space for the dough to rise.

Now take the dough and knead well around five minutes. If you press the dough and leave, it should bounce back. 

Divide this dough into six to seven equal parts and roll it into naan shape. 

Roast on the tava for few seconds and then on the flame directly for another five seconds. 

Apply butter over it and serve hot.

Enjoy cooking.. :)

Mutter Paneer

Mutter Paneer is the perfect side dish for Naan, Kulcha or Roti's.

As I had mentioned in my previous post on Butter naan, here is the recipe....

Ingredients:

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) - 250 gms
Green Peas (mutter) - 1 cup boiled
Onion - 1 large
Tomatoes - 3 to 4
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Cashewnuts - 10
Green Chillies - 2
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Curd - 1/2 cup
Cream - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - 2 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 3
Bay leaf - 1
Oil - 2 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

Take onion, tomatoes, poppy seeds and cashews and grind them to a smooth paste.

Slit the green chllies length wise and keep aside. Take oil in a pan and heat.

Once the oil is hot, add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf to it. Fry for a min and then add ginger garlic paste and green chillies to it. Fry again for few seconds and add ground onion paste. 

Add little water and allow it to simmer to five minutes.  Take the pan away from flame and add curd to it and mix well. 

Once the oil starts to separate, add garam masala, cumin and coriander powder. Also add chilli powder, salt, sugar and cream and mix well. 

Chop the Paneer into small cubes and add it to the pan. Then add the boiled peas and kasoori methi. Mix well and leave it for another two minutes.

Serve hot with the Butter Naan...

Enjoy cooking... :)