Peach and Carrot Juice

Another simple fresh fruit juice for your mornings.

Ingredients :
Fresh Peach : 1
Carrot : 1 small
Water : a little
Nectarine/ Brown Sugar/ Sugar : depending on your preference of your sweetness

Procedure :
1. Deseed and peel the peach and cut the carrot into small cubes.
2. Add a little water and blend them all together by adding the prefernce of your sweetness.

Sweet Potato and Pecan Salad

This was my second Thanksgiving in US.And I finally decided to embrace the American Holidays. Thought about preparing an Indian style Thanksgiving meal. I was very confused as to what to cook. I didn't want to miss the basic essential elements of American Thanksgiving meal at the same time. This one dish particularly impressed me a lot. I picked it up from a food group.

Ingredients :
Sweet Potato : 1
Orange/ Clementine : 2
Pecan : 3/4 cup
Cinnamon : 1 tsp
Honey : 1 tbsp

Procedure :
1. Peel the skin and cut them into small cubes.
2. Grate the zest of one clemetine around 1 tbsp and keep it aside.
3. Squeze the juice of both the clementine, add the cinnamon and honey to it and add the cut sweet potatoes and pecans to it.
4. Pre Heat the oven to 350 degree faranheit.
5. Bake them for 20 to 25 minutes.

Date with Avocado

Avocado milkshake is one of my favourite smoothie to go with my my breakfast. Usually for sweetness I substitute agave nectar or sugar. But for this I added chopped Mejdool dates.

Ingredients :
Avocado : 1/2 of a medium sized Avocado
Dates : 2 to 3 (I used Mejdool dates)
Milk : 1 and 1/4 cup (Can vary according to the thickness you prefer)


Procedure :
1. Blend all of the above in a blender.
2. Serve it with ice cubes.

Anjeer Barfi/ Fig Barfi

First of all let me apologise for the bad picture. I wanted to take a better picture. But we gobbled it as soon as it was ready. We also had our friends come over so I had to give them a piece of Barfi. It is one of the simplest recipe.

Ingredients :
Figs : 8 to 9
Khoa : 1/2 cup
Slivered Almonds : To garnish
Ghee : 1tsp

Procedure :
1. Soak the figs for 7 to 8 hours till the figs swell up.
2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Keep the khoa outside at room temperature.
3. Grate the khoa and add the 1/2 cup grated khoa to the melted ghee.
4. Puree the soaked figs in a mixer  and add them to the softening khoa.
5. Cook till the ghee leaves the side of the pan.
6. Spread it on a greased plate and garnish with slivered almonds; cut them into tiny pieces.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

I was very happy once I cooked this dish. The very first time I attempted these was with one of my friend. Cooking with friends is really good as you learn new aspects of cooking. Each one has their own method. The activation of yeast takes a little time. I had tough time learning the whole process. This was my 4th attempt at making the garlic bread. 

Ingredients :

For the Bread :

Maida/ All Purpose Flour : 1 cup

Dry Yeast : 1 tsp

Sugar : 1 tbsp

Salt : 1 tsp

Water (Lukewarm) : 1/2 cup

Olive Oil : 2 tbsp

For the Stuffing :

Mozzarella Cheese : 1/4 cup

Cheddar Cheese : 3/4 cup 

Dry Basil : 1 tsp

Garlic Powder : 1/2 tsp 

Oregano : 1 tsp

Procedure :

1. Add sugar to lukewarm water, when the sugar dissolves add dry yeast till it turns frothy. (check notes).

2. In a large bowl add allpurpose flour, salt, 1 tbsp oil, and the frothy yeast water and make a dough.

3. Move the dough in another greased bowl and cover it with a damp cloth and keep it aside for 45 minutes.

4. After 45 minutes you will see that the dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough again and keep it aside for another 30 minutes. It will rise again.

5. Mix the cheese with basil leaves, oregano and garlic powder. 

6. Punch down the dough and divide it into 2 parts. 

7. Spread the dough on a rolling board and roll into a round circle and spread the cheese mixture inside.

8. Fold the circle and seal the edges with water. Do not let the thickness be too thin. (Check the image).

9. Slice them into 1 inch intervals. Preheat the oven to 350 degree faranheit.

10. With the help of a brush spread the olive oil on the garlic bread and bake the bread for 20 minutes.

11. The crust should turn golden brown. 

Notes : 

1.When you add yeast to the water, it should be lukewarm. If the water is too hot the yeast will not be activated. To make sure the temperature is right dip your index finger into the water and count to 5. If the water is very hot when you cound to five don't add the yeast. If the water is lukewarm at the count of 5 add the yeast. If the water is cold then again the yeast will not get activated. 

2. You can substitute garlic powder with freshly crushed garlic. It makes it even more aromatic.

3. Another suggestion for the stuffing is chopped spinach and american corn

Bhakravadi/ Bhakarvadi

A maharashtrian cuisine which my husband loves a lot. We usually buy this from the local indian store. And then I decided to make this one at home. And instead of frying I baked them, hence less oil is used.

Ingredients :

For the outer Cover :

Gram Flour/ Besan : 1 cup
Maida/ All Purpose Flour : 1 cup
Oil : 1/4 cup
Salt : according to taste
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp
Ajwain : 1/4 tsp
Oil : For deep fry or apply on the bakarwadi's with a brush while baking

For Inner Stuffing :
White Sesame Seeds : 1 tbsp
Dessicated Coconut Powder : 2 Tbsp
Khus Khus : 1/2 tbsp
Ginger Powder : 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1/2 tsp
Jeera Powder : 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1 tsp
Salt : 3/4 tsp or according to taste
Sugar (powdered) : 2 tsp
Tamarind water/ Lemon Juice : 1 Tbsp or so (To apply on the outer cover so that the stuffing sticks to the dough)

Procedure :
1. Mix all the ingredients given under outer covering with water. The dough should not be very soft. It should be a little harder than chappati dough. Keep the dough covered with a cloth and keep it aside for some time.
2. Now in the meantime mix all the inner stuffing ingredients except lemon juice.
3. Now roll the dough and spread the lemon juice on the rolled dough.
4. Now spread the inner stuffing and roll the dough. Now cut them into small pieces.
5. You can either deep fry the rolls or bake them.
6. Now preheat the oven to 350 degree Faranheit. Spread the small rolled dough pieces and brush oil on them.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Can store them in a closed container. Can be stored upto 2 weeks.

Apply the lemon juice on the spread out dough

Spread the inner stuffing on top

Spread the rolled and cut pieces and brush oil on the baking sheet

Hara Bhara Kabab

A nutritious tikki filled with the goodness of spinach, potatoes, peas and with the aroma of roasted gram flour. I had this for the first time at a friends place. I loved it so much that I made it for a baby shower.

Ingredients :
Spinach : 2 cups
Potato : 2 (medium sized)
Green Peas : 3/4 cup
Ginger : 1 inch
Green Chilli : 3-4
Besan/ Gram Flour : 2 tbsp
Chat Masala : 1 tsp
Amchur Powder : 1 tsp
Salt according to Taste
Bread Crumbs : For rolling the tikki's
Oil : for shallow or deep fry

Procedure :
1. Boil the potatoes and green peas. Also clean and blanch the spinach.
2. Take the blanched spinach and cut into pieces.
3. In a pan add gram flour and roast till they give out nice aroma. (make sure not to burn it)
4. Add the roasted gram flour to the spinach. Add grated potato to it.
5. Make paste of ginger and green chilli and add it along with green peas, amchur powder,chat masala and salt to the potato mixture.
6. Now shape them into tikki's and roll them into bread crumbs shallow fry or deep fry the tikki's.