Cantaloupe and Cranberry Popsicle

Cantaloupes are in season. And I never knew what to make out of them. Other than the milkshake. Then I found there are so many things you can cook out of cantaloupe.

Ingredients :
Cantaloupe : 2 cups
Milk : 1 cup
Cranberry : 1/4 cup
Almond : 2 tbsp
Agave Nectar : according to taste

Procedure :
1. Soak the almonds in hot water for half an hour so that they become soft and easy to grind.
2. In a blender grind the cantaloupe, almonds and milk (you can avoid the milk completely if you are a vegan) and add the required amount of agave nectar.
3. Now fold in the dried cranberries with the cantaloupe paste.
4. Now add them into the popsicle moulds and freeze for 4 to hour hours.

Custard Halwa

On the occasion of Guru Poornima I made Custard Halwa. An instant dessert that can be made easily. And the jelly like consistency was yummy.

Ingredients :
Milk : 2 cups
Sugar : 3/4 cup
Cardamom : 1
Custard Powder : 5 tbsp
Water : 1/2 cup
Ghee : 1 tsp and for greasing the Mould
Cashew : 2 tbsp (Crushed into small pieces )
Almond and Pistachio's : for garnishing

Procedure :
1. In a deep bottomed pan boil the milk with sugar, crushed cardamom pods and crushed cashew pieces.
2. Meanwhile mix the custard powder with water.
3. Once the milk comes to a boil add the custard powder mixture and ghee.
4. Cook on a low flame till you get the consistency of halwa. The ghee starts leaving the sides.
5. And pour the mixture on a greased thali. Garnish with pistachio and almond slivers. Once it cools down cut in into small squares.

P.S : You can use any custard powder. I used strawberry flavoured ones.

Multigrain Dosa

Another dosa from my kitchen. I would not exact;y categorize it as a healthy dosa. Because it uses 2 cups of rice. But it has a small quantity of wheat and other lentils.

Ingredients :
Dosa Rice : 2 cups
Urad Dal : 1/2 cup
Chana Dal : 1/4 cup
Whole Wheat : 1/4 cup
Methi Seeds : 1 tbsp
Salt according to Taste
Oil : for the dosa's

Procedure :
1. Wash and soak all the ingredients other than salt and oil for 5 to 6 hours.
2. Grind it into a smooth paste with a grinder or a mixer. The consistency should be like any other normal dosa batter.
3. Ferment it for 6 to 7 hours.
4. Add salt to the batter and then spread the batter on a tawa.
5. And cook on one side and flip and cook on the other side too.
6. Serve hot with chutney/sambar.

Coconut Cake

Its been 3 years since I have started this blog. There is growth in my cooking and my food photography too. I still click the photos with my mobile. The more you cook the more you learn. I get inspiration to cook new things from facebook food groups and many other food blogs.

Ingredients :
All Purpose Flour : 1 and 1/4 cup
Coconut Oil : 1/2 cup
Dried Coconut Powder : 3/4 cup
Curd : 1/2 cup
Milk : 1 cup
Baking Powder : 1 tsp
Baking Soda : 1/2 tsp
Vanilla Essence : 1 tsp
Granulated Sugar : 1 cup

Procedure :
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree faranheit.
2. Mix flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.
3. MIx together oil, sugar, curd, vanilla essence and milk with a beater at medium speed.
4. Now add the all purpose flour in the wet mixture.
5. Fold it the coconut flakes and beat for another 20 seconds with the beater.
6. Pour the batter in a 9x5 bread tin. You can alternately pour it in a cake tray.
7. Bake it for 20 minutes. The top bakes pretty quickly.
8. Cover it with a foil and bake furthur for another 20 minutes. (It took me nearly 40 minutes to bake the cake overall).

Masala Bhindi

This is a dish that I learnt from my mom. Plus I have altered it a little.

Ingredients :
Lady's Finger/ Okra : 1/2 kg
Ginger : 1 tsp (Finely Chopped)
Green Chilli : 1 (Finely Chopped)
Tomato : 2 (Finely Chopped)
Cumin Seeds/ Jeera : 1/2 ts
Oil to Temper
Salt according to Taste

Spice Powders:
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1 tsp
Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Amchur Powder : 1/2 tsp


Procedure :
1. Wash, wipe and cut the head and tail of Lady's Finger; and chop it into tiny pieces.
2. Heat oil and add cumin seeds; once the seeds start crackling add green chilli and ginger.
3. Now add the tomatoes and cook till it turns mushy; and add the spice powders.
4. Now add the chopped Okra and close the pan with a lid and cook it in the mushy Tomato.
5. Sprinkle salt. You will know its cooked when the stickiness of lady's finger disappears.

2 min Coffee Microwave Cake

What do you do when you get hungry at 12 at night? The pantry empty. With a few basic baking ingredients here is a Coffee cake. A 2 in 1 delight. It almost takes as much time as it takes to make the cake. I made this cake in my cereal bowl. This is an eggless cake.

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour : 1/2 cup
Sugar : 1/4 cup
Baking Powder : a pinch (1/8th tsp)
Instant Coffee Powder : 2 tsp

Milk : 5 Tbsp
Vanilla Extract : 1/4 tsp
Oil : 1/4 cup

Procedure:
1. Mix well all the dry ingredients.
2. Finally add the wet ingredients and mix well.
3. Microwave for 2 min.

Your cake is ready. Relish with Ice cream. 

Salmon in Coconut Milk Gravy

I loved the unique taste of this fish curry. The flavor of coconut milk just played with my palates for a long time. 

Ingredients:

Onion : 1/2 (Finely Chopped)

Tomato : 1

Oil : 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp

Curry Leaves : 5-6

Green Chilli : 2 -3

Marinate fish with :

Coconut Milk : 1/2 cup

Chilli Powder : 2 tsp

Lemon Juice : 1 tsp

Ginger Garlic Paste : 1 tsp

Salt

1. Marinate the fish with ingredients under marinate.

2. In a pan heat oil and temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilli.

3. Add chopped onions and fry till they turn brown. Now add chopped tomatoes and cook till mushy.

4. Add the marinated fish and cook till it comes to a boil

P.S : The quantity of all the items can be varied. And each time it would be innovative. 

Bhenda Songa

This is a very spicy Lady's Finger curry with a little amount of gravy. Very simple to make and easier to eat. This is a jhatpat curry when we are in a hurry to eat

Ingredients:

Onion : 1/2 (Cut lengthwise)
Onion :1/2 (cut into tiny pieces for tempering)
Tomato : 1 ( Chopped finely)
Ladies Finger : 15-20 (Cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
Coriander Powder : 1 tsp
Garlic : 5-6 pods (Crushed and Chopped)
Asafoetida : a pinch
Garam Masala : 1 tsp
Chilli Powder : 1.5 tsp
Oil : 2(cookimg)+2 (Tempering) tbsp

Procedure:
1. In a Tawa heat oil, add chopped onions and garlic;fry till they turn slightly brown.
2. Add Chopped tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy.
3. Add the chopped ladies finger and add the spice powders (Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala along with salt and cook till the stickiness disappears.
4. Add half cup of water and bring it to a boil.
5. In a pan add oil add finely chopped onions and fry till they turn brown and temper it on the boiling curry.

Oats Quinoa and Urad Dosa

Another healthy dosa from my kitchen. I found this on a FB food group and I simply had to try this one and I never thought I would have ever said this. Oats recipes aren't so bad. Usually oats recipes never work for me. But this one did work really well.

Ingredients :
Quinoa : 1 cup
Oats : 1 cup
Urad : 1/2 cup
Fenugreek Seeds : 1/2 tsp
Salt according to Taste

Procedure :
1. Wash the quinoa and urad really well and soak it with Oats ( with water just covering just the top) and fenugreek seeds for 5 to 6 hours.
2. Now grind it into smooth paste (theconsistency being of the usual dosa batter) and then let it ferment for 4 to 5 hours. Add salt to the batter.
3. Spread the batter on the tawa and go around in circles to spread the batter.
4. Add oil if you prefer (I didn't add any). Flip and cook on the other side.

Mawa Pistachio Cake

I prepared this cake for our 4th engagement anniversary. I love experimenting with mawa. I was happy visually about the cake. But when the cake was not warm I could feel the smell of was overpowering. So the next time I make it I would probably add 1 egg.

Ingredients :

All Purpose Flour : 1 and 1/4 cup

Baking Powder : 1/2 tsp

Green Cardamom Powder : 1/4 tsp

Salt : a pinch

Mawa : 1/2 cup (softened)

Butter : 7 tbsp

Sugar : 1 cup

Eggs : 2 ( Or 1 and increase the milk )

Milk : 6 tbsp

Saffron : 1 tsp

Pistachio : 1/2 cup

Almonds/ Pistachio : for garnishing (I used almonds but you can substitute with Pistachio)

Procedure :

1. Bring the eggs, mawa and butter to room temperature.

2. Heat up the milk for 10-20 seconds in microwave add the saffron strands and let them soak. 

3. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and cardamom powder. 

4. In another bowl mix the butter, sugar and mawa till it turns slightly brown in color. 

5. Once the mawa mixture turns creamy add the eggs and beat for 2 more minutes.

6. Now add the milk saffron mixture and beat it on low speed for 2 minutes. 

7. Add the mixed flour beat on medium speed to make it smooth and creamy batter. Fold in the pistachio with the batter 

8. Pour the batter in a greased cake pan and garnish with pistachio/almonds.

9. Bake them for 22-25 minutes at 350 F. Check once with toothpick if not bake for another 5 minutes until the toothpick comes clean.

Lemon Coriander Quinoa

A new found love of my life. Heard about the health benefits and also found that its very expensive in India. So utilizing the best of quinoa when I am stuck in US. And finally I am also also pronouncing it right. Apparently its pronounced as keen-wah and not qui-noah.

Ingredients :
Quinoa : 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice : 1 tsp
Corinder Leaves : 1 tbsp
Oil : 1 tsp (Can be skipped)
Salt according to Taste

Procedure :
1. Soak quinoa in water to remove the bitterness for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. In a pan add 1 tsp oil and add the drained quinoa.
3. Add 2 and half cups of water and let it cook.
4. Add salt according to taste.
5. Once cooked add lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Mango Barfi

Well summer time is my favorite, not for the like of the weather but for the like of Mangoes. One of my favorite. I recently found yummy Mangoes in Fry's store. 3 mangoes for $1. And I was not sure how they would taste. So I bought 6 of them. And later I went on to regret why I didn't buy more of them. Well I came across this yummy recipe in one other food blog.

Ingredients :

Khoa/ Mawa : 3/4 cup (Softened and grated)
Sugar : 1/2 cup (According to the sweetness of mango)
Mango Pulp : 1/2 cup (Or from one large mango)
Saffron : A pinch
Milk : 1 tbsp
Ghee : 1 tsp
Cardamom : 1 (Crushed)


Procedure :
1. Keep the mawa/khoa at out of refrigerator to bring it to room temperature.
2. Heat a pan add ghee and add the crumbled khoa/mawa.
3. Add the pureed mango and mix well with khoa/mawa and cook it well.
4. Add a pinch of saffron in warm milk and add it to the khoa mixture and cook till it starts releasing ghee from the sides.
5. Add the cardamom pods (I skipped this step).
6. Pour it in molds and refrigerate for some time.

Salmon Kebabs

This is one fish here that I find all around the year in American stores. My experience of buying fish from Indian markets have not been so good here. Every time I have bought fish from Indian markets I have either found a bad smell emanating from them or white goeey stuff come out when I cook them. So I stick to buying fresh Salmon.

Ingredients :
Salmon Meat (After cleaning) : 3/4 cup
Green Chili's : 2
Egg : 1
Onion : 1
Cumin Powder : 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper Powder : 1/4 tsp
Amchur Powder : 1/4 cup
Garam Masala : a pinch
Cilantro : 1 tsp chopped
Salt : according to taste
Oil : To shallow fry

Procedure :
1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except oil
2. Make them into small gooseberry sized balls.
3. Flatten them and shallow fry on a tawa.

P.S : I used fresh salmon. Cleaned it up and mashed them with a fork. You can substitute with a canned one.
I have spelled it wrongly in the image.

Kerala Style Prawn's Fry

The simplest Prawn's curry I have come across. And the yummiest. One of my friend had tried this from a blog called kothiyavunnu where there are many other authentic recipes.

Ingredients :
Prawn's : 1/2 kg (Peeled and cleaned)
Coconut Oil : 2 tbsp
Curry Leaves : 20
Rice Flour :  1 tbsp

To marinate :
Shallots : 4 to 5 (Or use a small onion instead)
Garlic : 1 inch
Garlic : 2 -4 cloves
Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp
Dried Red Chilly : 4 to 6 or Red Chilly Powder : 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder ; 1/4 tsp
Black Pepper Corn : 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice : 1 tbsp
Curry Leaves : 4 to 5
Salt according to Taste

Procedure :
1. Marinate the prawns after grinding all the ingredients given under to marinate.
2. Keep it aside for 1/2 an hour.
3. Take a pan and heat 1 tbsp oil and add curry leaves. Once the curry leaves starts giving out their fragrance add the marinated prawns and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
4. You can add rice flour so that the masala of the marinade sticks well to the prawns.Cook till the prawns turn golden brown. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tbsp coconut oil on top.


Notes : 1. Increase or decrease the spices according to your tolerance level.
             2. Take care not to scorch the masala.
            3. Use coconut oil for  the authentic taste.

Dahi Chicken

This is yet another chicken curry from my kitchen. A simple chicken curry which requires the least amount of investment in making plus that tangy sourness of the curd makes it irresistible. I found this recipe from a facebook foodgroup.

Ingredients :

Chicken : 3/4 kg
Oil : 2 tbsp
Red Chillies : 2
Curry Leaves : 5-6
Onion : 1 large (thinly sliced)
Bay Leaf  : 1
Cloves : 2
Cinnamon :1 inch
Salt according to Taste
Kasuri Methi : 1 tsp
Pepper Powder : 1 tsp
Coriander Leaves : For Ganishing

For Marination :
Curd : 1/2 cup
Ginger Garlic Paste : 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala : 1 tsp

Procedure :
1. Marinate the chicken with the ingredients given under marination and refrigerate for half an hour.
2. Heat kadai add oil, red chillies, curry leaves, bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon.
3. Add finely chopped onions and cook till they turn slightly brown in color.
4. Add the marinated chicken, salt and water.
5. Cover and cook till the chicken.
6. Once 3/4th of the chicken is cooked add kasuri methi, pepper powder and garam masala and cook the chicken completely.
7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Pear Rabdi

The pears that I found here are so sweet that you could make a dessert out of it. And no sugar made it even more attractive. I found this recipe from Chitra's Healthy Kitchen.

Ingredients :
Milk : 2 cups (2% fat)
Pear : 1 (Grated)
Honey : 2-3 tbsp (According to Taste)
Bread Slice : 1 (optional)
Saffron : A pinch
Cardamom : 1
Chopped Nuts : Almond & Pistachio


Procedure :
1. Boil the milk in a deep bottomed pan and once it comes to a boil, simmer and add the crumbled bread.
2. Grate the pears and add them to the milk, till the milk thickens.
3. Add saffron and cardamom and chopped nuts and give the pan a stir.
4. Once it cools down add honey according to the level of sweetness you prefer.

Palak Mushroom

Palak is one of my favorite veggie. I recently tried another recipe from veg recipes of India and as usual it turned out yummy.

Ingredients :
Spinach : 1 bunch
Mushroom : 20
Green Chilli : 4 -5
Ginger : 1 inch
Garlic : 2-3
Oil : 2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds : 1/2 tsp
Cardamom : 2
Cloves : 2-3
Bay Leaf : 1
Onion : 1 large
Tomatoes : 1 large
Kasuri Methi : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp
Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Garam Masala : 1/2 tsp
Fresh Cream : 2 tbsp
Salt according to taste


Procedure :
1. Wash and blanch the spinach leaves and puree the blanched leaves with green chilli, ginger and garlic.
2. In a kadai heat 2 tbsp oil and add cumin seeds,cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf and saute till they become fragrant.
3. Add the finely chopped onions and cook till they turn pink in color.
4. Once the onion turn brown add ginger paste and garlic paste.
5. Now add the finely chopped tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy.
6. Once the tomatoes turn mushy, add the chopped mushrooms and cook till they release water and cook till all the water dries up.
7. Now add 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi.
8. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and garam masala.
9. Add the spinach puree add the water and and let it come to a boil.
10. Add the required amount of salt and fresh cream.