Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

·             Milk – 1 cup

·             Cocoa Powder (unsweetened) – 1.5 tbsp

·             Sugar – 1-2 tbsp

·             Vanilla Extract – 2 drops

Method

1.          Take the cocoa powder, sugar and 1-2 tbsp of milk in a cup until it is well dissolved.

2.          Transfer this mixture to a sauce pan and add the remaining milk.

3.          Place it on the stove and heat it. Once it becomes hot , just before it boils add the vanilla extract and switch off.

4.          Make it frothy using a hand shaker or a blender. You can also make it by simple pouring it back and forth using two cups (the traditional old method).

5.          Pour it into the serving cup, top it with marshmallows, cream or chocolate shavings. Enjoy it hot.

Chicken Vindaloo

Ingredients

·             Chicken - 1 lb (cut into chunks)

·             Potatoes - 2 (cut into big chunks) - optional

·             Coconut milk - 1 cup

·             Salt - as needed

·             Oil - 1 tbsp

To Grind

·             Fried Onions (Birista) - 1 cup

·             Vinegar - 1 or 2 tsp

·             Ginger - 1.5 " piece

·             Garlic -6-8 cloves

·             Dry red Chillies - 5-8 (or use chilly powder as needed)

·             Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

·             Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

·             Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

·             Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp

·             Cinnamon stick - 1 small piece

·             Cloves - 3

Method

1.          You can use store bought fried onions for this recipe. If not, slice the onions and deep fry in oil till it turns crispy and brown in color.

2.          Grind together all the ingredients under 'to grind' adding water as needed to make a very smooth paste.

3.          Mix this paste with the chicken and let it marinate for at least half an hour.

4.          Heat oil in a pan and add the marinated chicken along with the masala (marinade).

5.          Add the coconut milk, potatoes and required salt to this. Add more water if you want more gravy.

6.          Cover and cook till the chicken is done and oil separates from the gravy.  

7.          The fried onions and the red chillies give a bright red color to the gravy. So it does not need any garnishing.

Curd Idli

Ingredients
Mini Idlis - 25
Curd - 4-5 cup
Milk/ Water - 1 cup
Cilantro - for garnish
Carrot(grated)- for garnish
Sugar - a pinch
Salt - to taste
 
For grinding
Cashew - 1 tblsp
Coconut (fresh grated) - 2 tblsp
Green chillies - 2
 
For seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 5-6
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chillies - 3-4
Asaefoetida - a pinch
Oil - 1 tblsp

Method
1. Make mini idlis in the usual procedure and keep aside. If you do not have mini idli plate, make regular idlis and cut it into four.
2. Beat the curd with water/ milk. Add the required salt and sugar to it.
3. Heat oil in a small pan, splatter the mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chillies and curry leaves.
4. Add this to the beaten curd with a pinch of asaefoetida.
5. Grind the cashews, green chillies and grated coconut together and add it to the curd as well.
6. Finally add the idlis half an hour before serving to prevent it from becoming soggy.
7. Garnish with grated carrot and chopped cilantro.
8. Refrigerate and serve it chillied. It is the most refreshing snack for a summer day.

Pudding

(Rice Pudding, Bread Pudding, Cake Pudding)

ingredients

Cooked rice / Old bread pieces/ Old cake pieces- 1 cup
Eggs - 3 (beaten)
Milk - 2 1/2 cups (or use coconut milk)
sugar - 3/4 cup 
salt - a pinch (optional)
vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Lemon Zest - 1 tsp (optional)
Raisins - 1/2 cup 
Nutmeg powder- 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp 

Method
1. Mix all the ingrediants in a large mixing bowl.
2. Pour into a buttered baking dish.
3. Place the baking dish in a big baking pan filled with water.
4. Bake for 45 minutes in the oven preheated to 350 degrees.
5. Check if the pudding is set by inserting a clean knife in the center. The pudding is done if the knife comes out clean with nothing sticking to it. If not, keep it in the oven for another 5 - 10 minutes and check.
6. Serve warm or cold. Some whipped cream added on top while serving will be good.

Banana Bonda

Ingredients

·             Banana - 2

·             All purpose flour (maida) - 1 1/2 cup

·             Sugar - 1/4 cup(or as needed)

·             Water - as needed

Method

1.          Mash the bananas nicely and then mix maida (all purpose flour), sugar and little water to form a thick dough. It should be in the consistency of bonda mix

2.          Heat some oil in a kadai for frying.

3.          Take a handful of the mix and drop into  the hot oil as small rounds. 

KNORR CREAMY SHRIMP ALFREDO

 

 

INGREDIENTS

·                                 1 package Knorr® Pasta Sides™ - Alfredo

·                                 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

·                                 2 cups baby spinach leaves

·                                 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

·                                 1 lb. uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

·                                 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1.        HEAT oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook shrimp, stirring occasionally, until shrimp turn pink, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2.      PREPARE Knorr® Pasta Sides™ - Alfredo in same skillet according to package directions, stirring in tomatoes and spinach during the last 5 minutes of cook time.

3.      STIR in cooked shrimp. Sprinkle with cheese.

·                                 TIP: Also delicious with chicken! Substitute 1 lb boneless chicken, cut into strips, for the shrimp.

Turkey Cheeseburger Meatloaf

 

 

 

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
•  
• 7 slices turkey bacon, or more to taste
•  
• 1 pound extra lean ground turkey
•  
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
•  
• 1 egg
•  
• 1/2 small onion, diced
•  
• 1 slice French bread, crumbled

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
•  
•  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
•  
• 1/4 cup ketchup
•  
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
•  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar  

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook turkey bacon until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Drain bacon on paper towels; crumble when cool.
• Mix cooked bacon with ground turkey, Cheddar cheese, egg, onion, crumbled French bread, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper; turn the turkey meatloaf mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish and form into a loaf shape in the middle of the dish.
• Mix ketchup, yellow mustard, and brown sugar together in a bowl, stirring to dissolve brown sugar. Spread the mixture over the turkey loaf.
• Bake the turkey loaf in the preheated oven until the juices run clear, loaf is no longer pink in the middle, and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loaf reads at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees F), 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Carrot Bubble Bread

 

 

 

Ingredients 

·                                 375 g carrots

·                                 400 g strong white (bread) flour

·                                 2 tsp salt

·                                 1 sachet easy-blend dried yeast

·                                 125 ml semi-skimmed milk

·                                 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

·                                 about 150 g strong wholemeal flour

·                                 4 spring onions, very finely sliced

·                                 1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions›  

1. Finely chop 250 g of the carrots and coarsely grate the remainder. Set the grated carrots aside. Cook the chopped carrots in the minimum of boiling water for 12–14 minutes or until soft. Drain and purée the cooked carrots in a food processor or blender, or mash them until smooth. Put the carrot purée in a sieve and press out as much moisture as possible, taking care not to press the carrots through the sieve. Leave the purée in the sieve to drain over a bowl.
2. Mix the white flour, salt and yeast in a bowl. Heat the milk with 125 ml water until lukewarm. In a large bowl, mix together the carrot purée, the milk and water mixture and the oil. Stir in the white flour mixture to make a very soft dough. Gradually mix in the wholemeal flour to make a dough that will form a soft ball.
3. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes or until smooth but still soft and slightly moist. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in it. Cover with cling film and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (this will take about 2 hours).
4. Grease two 20 cm round deep cake tins and line the bottoms with greased greaseproof paper. Knock back the dough and knead for 2 minutes, then flatten it slightly. Sprinkle the grated carrots and spring onions over the top and continue kneading until they are well incorporated. If the carrots make the dough too moist, sprinkle it with a little extra flour and keep kneading until the flour is absorbed.
5. Cut the dough in half and cut each half into 8 equal pieces. Shape the pieces into smooth balls and arrange them in the prepared tins, one ball in the centre and the rest around the edge. Cover with a tea-towel (cling film may stick to the rolls when they rise) and set aside to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in volume.
6. Preheat the oven to 200° C. Brush the tops of the rolls very lightly with beaten egg, then bake for about 30 minutes or until golden. To test if the bread is cooked, tip it out of the tin and tap the base with your knuckles: the bread should sound hollow, like a drum. If not, continue baking for 5 minutes and then test the bread again.
7. Remove the bread from the tins and transfer to wire racks to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. The bread can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Akkaravadisal Recipe 

 

 

 

Raw Rice - 1/2 cup
Moong Dal - 3 tbsp
Crushed Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Boiled Full Fat Milk - 3 cups + 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Cashews - 6 broken
Raisins - 10
Saffron - 4 strands
Cardamom powder - a tiny pinch
Edible Camphor - a very tiny piece

Akkaravadisal also called as Akkara Adisil is a traditional Iyengar speciality.I have already postedakkaravadisal with sugar version, this recipe is Iyengar Style which uses jaggery, the recipe is also different so wanted to make a separate post, also we have Gokulashtami tomorrow so thought of posting it now.I love anything sweet so its was sure a treat for me , akkaravadisal is always my favorite ever since I tasted it and akkaravadisal always reminds me of Sri Krishna Sweets, I have had it once and just loved it so much.

Traditionally in temples they cook akkaravadisal in a bronze pot the one we use for making sweet pongal...Though it takes time the taste is just awesome...If you have bronze pot and time in hand then you can try with that :).Akkaravadisal is a slightly different take to sweet milk pongal which has its own unique flavour and texture.I love to have it hot hot with a drizzle of ghee....Divine!!

Method:

1.                Take powdered jaggery in a pan, add water to it and mash it well so that the jaggery dissolves quickly.Then heat it up and let it boil for in medium flame for 3-5mins until the syrup becomes slightly thick...no need to check for any consistency.Strain to remove impurities and set aside.

2.                Rinse raw rice and moong dal well strain water.Dry roast it for 3 mins until nice aroma comes.Then in a thick bottomed vessel add 3 cups of milk and add raw rice moong dal to it.

3.                Add a small plate inside the vessel, this is to avoid milk from overflowing.Carefully place the vessel inside a pressure cooker containing little water.Close and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles in low medium flame.Once pressure releases take out the vessel from the pressure cooker open and mash it well with a laddle.

4.                Now add the jaggery syrup and mix well.Then switch on the flame, keep the vessel and add remaining 1 cup milk to it and let it cook for 5mins in low flame.Now add ghee.Add edible camphor and cardamom powder and mix well.Simmer for another 5mins till it comes together.

5.                Take a tsp of warm milk and add saffron to it and crush it well.Fry cashews and raisins in a tsp of ghee.Finally once the rice dal mixture comes to a more pudding like consistency add saffron milk, cashews and raisins and switch off.

Garnish with more cashews, raisins with a drizzle of ghee.Serve hot...Bliss!!