Chakkuli/Murukku

Another favorite snack on which I like to munch on. Easy to make but be sure you are energetic as you have to stand for a long time pressing the molds and deep frying them. The best way to cook these are as a group activity.

Ingredients :
Rava/ Sooji : 1 cup
Jeera/ Cumin Seeds : 1/2 tsp
Rice Flour : 1 cup
White Sesame seeds : 2 tbsp.
Water : 2 cups
Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Asafoetida : a pinch
Butter : 1 tbsp
Salt : according to taste
Oil : for deep frying

 Procedure :
1. In a deep bottomed pan bring the water to a boil.
2. Once it boils add jeera, red chilly powder, asafoetida, salt and rava.
3. Cook the rava till it becomes a lumpy dough.
4. Let it cool down and add 1 cup rice flour.
 5. Now add 1 tbsp butter and sesame seeds and mix it with the rava dough.
6. Now put them into molds and make the swirl patterns.
7. Now deep fry them. Make sure to deep fry them till the bubbles disappear from the oil.
8. Cool them down and store them in air tight containers.

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.