Shavige Bhath (Vermicelli Upma)

     Simple traditional recipe best eaten for breakfast... Loaded with nutrients and tasty...

Ingredients:

Shavige (vermicelli) - 2 cups

Carrot chopped - 1/2 cup

Beans chopped - 1/2 cup

Sweetcorn - 1/2 cup

Potato  chopped - 1/2 cup

Green peas - 1/2 cup

Green chillies - 2 to 3

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Bengal gram - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Curry leaves - 5 to 10

Coriander for garnishing

Method:

Roast vermicelli on medium flame till it is golden brown. Keep aside.

Boil potatoes, carrot, beans, peas and sweet corn for 5 mins till they are 3/4 cooked.

Meanwhile heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add bengal gram and urad dal. Then add curry leaves and fry. Add chopped green chillies and saute. Also add asafoetida.

Now add the vegetables along with the water. If required add little more water. One cup of vermicelli requires 2.5 cups water.

Add salt and mix well. Once the water starts to boil, add vermicelli and mix. Cook on low to medium flame till they are cooked properly.

Serve hot garnished with coriander.

Enjoy Cooking!!!

Nellikayi Bisi Uppinkayi

       Nellikayi is Indian Gooseberry.. U can make an instant pickle and it tastes wonderful. Loaded with vitamin c and antioxidents, this recipe is a must try during these monsoon months...

Ingredients:

Nellikayi - 4 to 5

Chilli powder - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Methi - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 2 tsp

Jaggery - 2tsp

Tempering:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 6 to 8

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida, turmeric and mix well. Once it's tempered, add chilli powder and curry leaves.

Now add the nellikayi full without chopping in to the pan. Mix well.

Close the lid for two minutes till they are little soft. Now add water and allow it to cook for few minutes. Once the nellikayi is done they start to separate from their seeds. This is an indication that they are cooked perfectly.

Meanwhile dey roast methi, mustard and urad dal and grind them together.

Add the ground powder to the pan and mix well. 

Add required amount of salt and jaggery and mix well.

Serve hot with some rice.

Enjoy Cooking!!!

Eggless Chocolate Ganache Cake

       This is my most favourite cake. The taste is just to die for.. and what can be best than to make the cake at home, eggless with all the best ingredients...

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 1 1/4 cup

Sugar (powdered) - 3/4 cup

Choco powder - 1/2 cup

Curd - 1/2 cup

Oil - 1/4 cup

Milk - 1/4 cup

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

For the Ganache:

Dark cooking chocolate - 300 gms

Fresh cream - 200 gms

Butter - 1 tsp

Sugar powder - 1/2 cup

Method:

Mix curd and oil and whisk well. Now add all purpose flour, sugar, choco powder, baking powder, baking soda and milk and mix well.

Grease a cake tin with butter and add the batter to it. Bake it in a pre heated oven at 180°c for 20- 25 mins approx. Check whether it's done using a toothpick.

Allow the cake to cool down. Once it's completely cool slice the cake into two halves.

Meanwhile chop the chocolate into small pieces. Melt it using the double boiler method. Once the chocolate melts add cream to it.

Mix well. Also add butter and sugar powder and mix well. Allow it to cool to room temperature.

Once done pour it on the bottom slice of cake. Place the other piece on top of it . Cover the entire cake with ganache. 

Keep the cake and the left over ganache in the refrigerator for 30 mins. The ganache thickens and can be piped easily now.

Remove from refrigerator and smoothen the edges of the cake.

Pipe the left over ganache and design the cake.

Once all the decorating is done place it in refrigerator for another 30 mins before serving.

Enjoy with your family.

Note: If you use milk chocolate, you can skip sugar powder for the ganache....

Enjoy Cooking!!!!

Sweetcorn and Spinach Soup

      Soups are our favourite during these rainy season. They are easy in calories and tasty too.

Ingredients:

Spinach - 1 bowl

Sweet Corn -  1 bowl

Salt to taste

Butter - 1 tsp

Italian seasoning - 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Corn flour - 2 tsp

Chilli flakes - 1/2 tsp optional

Mozarella cheese - garnishing

Method:

Blanch the spinach in water for around 5 minutes. Immediately soak them in cold water and keep aside. 

Boil the sweet corn till they are cooked well.

Now grind the spinach and 1/4 cup of sweet corn together.

Heat butter in a pan. Add the spinach puree to it. Also add the rest of the sweet corn and bring them to boil.

Now make cornflour slurry with little water and add it to the pan. Mix well.. Add salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.

Once it's the right consistency, remove from flame. Serve hot with little bit of mozarella chunks on top. Also add chilli flakes if required.

Enjoy Cooking!!!

Godhi Halwa

     Godhi Halva or wheat halva is a quick sweet which u can make in few minutes. This is also served as Kada prasad offered by the Sikhs.. but the prasad also has devotion and divinity with it.. so let us just call it Godhi Halva...

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 cup melted

Water - 3 cups

Cashewnuts (optional)

Method:

Heat ghee in a pan. Roast cashews in it and remove once they are golden.

Now add wheat flour to ghee and roast it on med flame till the wheat is golden brown and turns aromatic.

Meanwhile heat water in another pan and add sugar to it. Boil till the sugar dissolves in the water.

Once the wheat is properly roasted, slowly add the sugar water to it. Mix well so that no lumps are formed.

Within two minutes the wheat soaks up the water and starts to thicken. Keep stirring till it forms lump and starts to release the ghee on sides.

Remove from flame. Garnish with cashews and serve.

Enjoy Cooking!!!

Paneer Poha Cutlets

Healthy, stomach filling evening snack.. Try this...

Ingredients:

Med Poha - 1 cup

Paneer - 100 gm

Potato - 1 med

Corn flour - 2 tbsp

Coriander - 1/4 cup chopped

Oil - 2 tsp

Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp

Dry mango powder - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Kasoori methi - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Wash the poha and keep aside. Boil the potato.

Take a large bowl. Crush the potato and add it. Crush the paneer and add it too. 

Now add poha, coriander chopped, garam masala, chilli powder, dry mango powder, kasoori methi crushed and salt and mix well.

Add the corn flour and mix well.

Make patties and shallow roast them on a pan with little oil..

Healthy snack is ready. Serve it with tomato ketchup.

Enjoy Cooking!!!

Kaju Barfi

      One of the easiest sweets that you can make within less time..

Ingredients:

Cashewnuts - 100gms (1 cup)

Milk powder - 1 tbsp

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Water - 1/4 cup

Cardamom - 1

Ghee - 2 tsp

Milk - 2 tbsp (optional)

Method:

Grind the cashews in the mixer in pulse mode. Do not grind for longer time or else the cashews release oil which cannot be used.

So just grind till you get a fine powder...

Now heat a non-stick pan and add sugar. To this add water and allow it to form one string consistency. Add cardamom powder to this.

Once it's the string consistency, add the cashew powder and milk powder to it and mix well. Add milk only if it is too thick.

Keep mixing well and cook on medium flame till it combines well together and forms a lump.

Now add ghee and mix .

Once done remove it from flame and allow it to cool for two mins. Then knead well.

Keep the mix between two butter paper and roll it into 1cm thick.

Now cut it into diamond shape. Once it cools completely enjoy with your family...

Happy Cooking!!!

Benne Biscuit (butter cookies)

    Melt in mouth cookies are made easily with just four ingredients... Very easy to make and kids love it...

Ingredients:

All purpose flour (maida) - 1.5 cups

Butter - 1/2 cup

Sugar powder - 3/4cup

Cooking soda - 1 pinch

Method:

Take maida in a large bowl.  The butter should be in room temperature. 

Mix butter and sugar powder properly and whisk well. Once it becomes little light, add maida and soda  and mix well. Form a dough.

Now take little part of dough knead well. Make it flat and put some design...

Once you are done with all cookies, preheat the oven for 180°c for 5 mins. Then place the cookies on a tray and bake them for around 15 to 20 mins.. keep checking in between...

Once they are golden remove them allow to cool. Once cooled they become crisp..

Enjoy with your evening coffee or tea..

Enjoy Cooking!!!!