Recipe world

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Blueberries are one of among the Baker's favorite fruits. As the name indicates, these pretty fruits are blue in color and have a sweet and a bit sour taste. I had eaten fresh blueberries quite a few times, but never used them in baking. Last month, we bought the frozen ones to prepare smoothie and I thought of preparing Blueberry Muffins for the kiddo with the leftover fruits.

Whenever I plan to bake something, I need to think of the egg substitute first, since we wont eat eggs. This time, I decided to use milk to prepare my muffins. Experiment went on well and the muffins tasted good. But I felt like some more improvement is needed. Next time, I replaced milk with curd in the same recipe and yippee..muffins came out perfect!

I have tried this recipe several times and yes! now its the time to share the recipe with you all!! Here is the recipe of Egg less Blueberry Muffins..

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 23 - 25 minutes

Yield: 6 muffins

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

All purpose flour / Maida - 2 1/2 cup (1 cup = 70 gm)
Sugar - 1 cup
Curd - 1 cup
Baking powder - 1 1/4 tsp
Baking soda - 3/4 tsp
Cooking oil - 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence - 3/4 tsp
Salt - pinch
Blueberries - 1/2 cup

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Sieve all purpose flour 2 - 3 times and keep aside.
Combine curd and sugar in a mixing bowl and dissolve the sugar completely.
To this, add baking powder, baking soda and mix it slowly. Leave it for 2 - 3 minutes to rise.
Add oil, pinch of salt and vanilla essence to the curd mixture and mix it lightly.
Fold in the all purpose flour in small batches and mix it slowly without lumps. This batter will be thicker than the regular cake batter. If you find it too hard to mix, you can add 1 - 2 spoon of milk. For me, it was fine and I didn't add any milk.
Finally add the blueberries to the muffin batter and mix it well.
Fill the batter in lined muffin cups up to 3/4th level and leave some space for them to rise. This batter would be sufficient to make 6 medium sized muffins.
Keep the muffin tray inside the oven and bake for 23 - 25 minutes or till done. Check the muffins after baking for 20 minutes. If the toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean, its the indication that the muffins are done.
Take out the muffins and keep them on a cooling rack.
Enjoy the home made Egg less Blueberry Muffins with your family!

Tips:

I have used frozen blueberries here; fresh blueberries also goes well for this recipe.
Don't add more blueberries than mentioned above. Once I had added 3/4th cup of blueberries instead of 1/2 cup. It was too moist and the texture was not to good.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Ash gourd, also known as winter melon or white pumpkin, is used for preparing various dishes in Indian cuisine. Apart from regular dishes like Sambar, Majjige Huli, Palya and so on, delicious sweets like Petha and Halwa can also be prepared with this vegetable. Ash gourd is a good source of various nutrients like iron and calcium. Due to its nutritional facts, I love to use it in my cooking frequently.

Kashi Halwa is a well known sweet dish prepared using Ash Gourd. Its a traditional sweet in Indian cuisine, I had tried it this time with slight variation. It was delicious and my family liked this sweet. I am sharing the recipe of Kashi Hawa / Ash Gourd Halwa here..try it and enjoy with your family!

Time required: 30 - 35 minutes

Servings: 6

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Grated ash gourd (after squeezing the water content) - 1 cup (1 cup = 300 gm approx)
Khova - 100 gm (yield from 1/2 ltr milk)
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup or to taste
Ghee / clarified butter - 1/4 cup
Chiroti rava - 1/4 cup
Salt - pinch
Elachi / Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Saffron strands (optional) - 10 to 12
Broken cashews - 3 tbsp

Method:

Pressure cook the ash gourd for 2 whistles on medium flame.
Melt the ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Fold in the chiroti rava and roast it till aromatic.
To this, add the cooked ash gourd and saute it for 2 - 3 minutes.
Add sugar, saffron strands, pinch of salt to the mixture. Cook it on low flame till it becomes thick.
Add Khova and cook it for 5 more minutes and switch off the flame and add the cardamom powder.
Roast the cashew pieces in 1 tsp ghee till golden brown and mix it with Halwa.
Thats all, delicious Halwa is ready to serve!

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

At many rural places like my native, various fruits and vegetables are grown in their own estate. Rarely they buy veggies from the markets. Home grown vegetables are always healthy, tasty and are free from harmful chemicals and pesticides.

Here in Australia, we will grow few veggies like fenugreek leaves, tomato, chillies, etc. in our balcony garden. I love to use various leafy vegetables in my cooking. Few days back, we had got a big bunch of drumstick leaves from the grocery store. I remembered my Mom's way of preparing the Stir Fry and tried the same. It was so tasty and I prepared it one more time! Some recipes like this are always a hit at my home.
Try out this recipe of Drumstick Leaves Stir Fry and enjoy with hot rice!

Preparation time: 25 - 30 minutes
Servings: 6 - 7
Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Drumstick leaves - 1 big bunch
Amchur powder - 3/4 tsp or to taste
Sugar - 1 1/2 tsp or to taste
Salt - for taste

- For Masala Powder:

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cloves - 3 or 4
Dry red chillies - 7 (adjust according to taste)
Shredded coconut or fresh grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Chana dal (split) - 4 tbsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 3/4 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida / hing - pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 1/2 tsp

- For seasoning:

Oil - 3 tbsp
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch

Method:

Separate the drumstick leaves from the stems and wash them thoroughly.
Next thing is to prepare the Masala Powder. Roast all the ingredients under the heading Masala Powder except shredded coconut in oil. Powder them coarsely. Finally add the shredded coconut and run the mixie for few seconds to make it a course powder.
Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottom pan. Do the seasoning with urid dal, mustard seeds and pinch of turmeric powder.
Addthe drumstick leaves to the seasoning and fry them on low flame for 8 - 10 minutes or till it gets cooked and changes the color.
Add the Masala Powder, salt, sugar and amchur powder and mix it well. Cook it on low flame till it gets nicely hot and switch off the flame.
Serve this stir fry as a side dish with Rice or Roti.

Tips:

Add chopped onion for this stir fry if you would like to. Add it to the stir fry along with Masala Powder and cook it till the raw smell is gone.
You can prepare Capsicum Stir Fry in the same way. Just replace the drumstick leaves with capsicum.
I have used shredded coconut for this stir fry. Fresh grated coconut also goes well for this recipe.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Kesari, Shira or Sheera is a popular sweet dish in South India. It is one of the most common sweets prepared in festivals, marriages and other occasions. Also, its one of the easy n rich treats for the unexpected guests! Main ingredient for this dish is Semolina / Sooji Rava. I had posted the Kesari / Shira recipe long back. Pineapple Kesari is a variation of that recipe, with added pineapple and of course, more flavorful!

We had bought pineapple few days back for preparing Pineapple Jam. The fruits were large enough and juicy. There was a quarter piece left after preparing the jam and I used the same for making this Pineapple Kesari. Try this yummy Pineapple Kesari / Sheera and enjoy with your family :)

Time required: 35 - 40 minutes

Servings: 8

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Medium semolina / Sooji rava - 1 cup

Sugar - 2 cups

Salt - big pinch

Ghee / clarified butter - 2/3 cup

Hot water - 2 1/2 cup

Grated pineapple (including the juice) - 1/2 cup

Broken cashews - 3 to 4 tbsp
Raisins - few (as needed)

Cardamom / Elachi powder - 1 tsp

Method:

Heat the ghee / clarified butter in a heavy bottom pan. Add the semolina and roast it on low flame for 8 - 10 minutes or till you hear a nice aroma of roasted semolina.
Meanwhile, bring the water to boil and let it be ready by the time semolina is roasted.
Add 2 1/2 cup water and a big pinch of salt to the roasted semolina and mix it nicely. Close the lid and cook it for 7 - 8 minutes. Stir it occasionally.
Once all the water is evaporated and the rava is cooked, add 2 cups of sugar. Mix it, close the lid partially and cook for 8 - 10 minutes on low flame.
Roast the broken cashews in 1 tsp of ghee. Add it to the Kesari mixture.
Finally, add the grated pineapple and mix it well. Cook it for 5 more minutes and turn off the flame.
Serve it hot along with some spicy snacks. Kesari and Kharabath / Uppittu is a well known combo!

Tips:
I usually great the pineapple and use it for this Kesari. Alternatively, you can chop the pineapple into small chunks, puree the same and use it for this sweet.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

We have a big Indian grocery store nearby. I love buying few veggies from there which are rarely available in other shops. This time, I bought drumstick leaves from there and enjoyed preparing different dishes. Drumstick leaves has lot of health benefits. Its a good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and anti oxidants. It helps in the well functioning of heart, eyes and nerves system.

Drumstick leaves add a nice taste to the dishes. I love to prepare delicious Sambar, Stir fry, Dal, Tambli, etc, using these leaves. Let me share Drumstick Leaves - Tomato Sambar recipe today. Its quite easy to prepare, and tastes awesome with rice.

Time required: 30 minutes

Servings: 3 - 4

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Toor dal - 1 cup (1 cup = 50 grams)
Moong dal - 2 tbsp
Drumstick leaves - 1 cup
Tomato - 1
Salt to taste
Sugar / jaggery (optional) - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind - 1 1/2 tsp or to taste
Onion (optional) - 1 small
Water - 5 cups approx

Masala for grinding:

Dry red chillies - 3 (adjust according to spiciness required)
Fenugreek seeds - 3/4 tsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - Big pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1 1/2 tsp
Fresh grated / desiccated coconut - 3 tbsp

Method:

Chop tomato into medium size pieces.
Wash toor dal and moong dal together in clean water. Cook them till soft by adding few drops of oil, pinch of turmeric and 4 cups of water or as required. I have pressure cooked them till 3 whistles.
Roast all the ingredients except coconut in oil. Add grated coconut and tamarind with roasted spices and grind them into a smooth paste. Add water as required.
Add drumstick leaves and chopped tomato to the cooked dal. Add 1 cup of water, salt and sugar / jaggery for taste. Boil it for 5 minutes.
Add the ground masala paste and allow it to boil for 8 - 10 minutes. After boiling for 6 - 7 minutes, add the chopped onions. Boil it for 3 - 4 more minutes and turn off the flame.
Serve this delicious Sambar along with hot rice and Papad.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

If there are kids at home, demand for snacks will obviously be more. This holds good for our house as well and not only the kiddo, we are also snacks lovers! More than deep fried items, we like the baked goodies.
This biscuit recipe caught my eyes sometime back while reading a local magazine. I just gave it a try and the biscuits tasted delicious! Original name of this biscuit is 'ANZAC Biscuit'. As I read in Wiki, the name of these biscuits is associated with Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). During the time of 1st World War, wives of the soldiers were preparing biscuits using flour, rolled oats, desiccated coconut, sugar, etc. They were sending those biscuits to the soldiers which had a good shelf life. There are several ways to prepare these ANZAC biscuits. This recipe was published in a local magazine during the time of ANZAC Day. Original recipe called for Golden Syrup. I have replaced it Honey and it worked out well!
Recipe courtesy: Coles Magazine

Preparation time: 15 - 20 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 25 - 30 biscuits
Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

All purpose flour / Maida - 1 cup (1 cup = 150 gm)
Rolled oats - 1 cup
Desiccated coconut - 1 cup
Butter - 125 gm
Brown sugar - 55 gm
Caster sugar - 110 gm
Honey / Golden syrup - 2 tbsp
Bi Carbonate soda - 1/2 tsp
Hot water - 1 1/2 tbsp

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Transfer the rolled oats into mixie jar and make it a course powder.
Combine all purpose flour, rolled oats, desiccated coconut, brown sugar and caster sugar in a mixing bowl and mix it well.
Heat the honey and butter together and allow the butter to melt on low flame. Stir it occasionally. Once the butter is completely melted, turn off the flame and keep it aside for cooling down.
Mix 1/2 tsp of Bi Carbonate soda with 1 1/2 tbsp hot water. Add it to the melted butter and honey.
Fold in the flour mixture into melted butter and mix it nicely.
Take tablespoons of mixture and roll them into balls. Pat the dough balls and arrange them on a lined baking tray.
Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes and allow to cool.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Beetroot is one of the nutritious vegetables which tastes awesome with its natural sweetness. This root vegetable is good for preparing delicious stir fry, sambar, salads and sweets. Beetroot Palya / Stir Fry and Sambar are my family favorites. My little one also loves to have it because of its nice red color!

Here is the recipe of Beetroot Palya / Poriyal. This tastes very good with rice, chapathi, roti and poori. Give it a try and let me know your feedback :)

Preparation time: 40 - 45 minutes

Servings: 5

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 1 1/2 bulb
Dry red chilli - 1
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida / hing - big pinch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Green chilli - 1 (adjust according to taste)
Curry leaves - 4 to 5 leaves
Cooking oil - 3 tbsp
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Onion - half
Salt - for taste
Amchur powder - for taste
Sugar - 1 tsp or according to taste
Water - 1 1/4 cup or little more (as needed for cooking)

Method:

Wash the beetroot cleanly and peel off the skin. Chop them finely.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add broken red chilli pieces, urid dal, asafoetida and then mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add turmeric powder, slit green chillies and curry leaves.
Saute it for a while and add finely chopped beetroot and mix it well.
Add 1 1/4th cup of water for cooking the mixture. Close the lid and cook it for 18 - 20 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally. Add more water if needed.
When the mixture is almost cooked and water is evaporated, add salt, amchur powder and sugar and adjust the taste. Also add the chopped onion and grated coconut and mix well.
Cook it for 8 - 10 minutes more and turn off the flame.
Serve this Palya along with rice, chapathi or poori.

Tips:

Beetroot bulbs are bit hard. If you find it difficult to chop them finely, just cut them into 2 or 3 pieces and pressure cook till 2 whistles. Then, chop them finely and follow the above recipe. Only change you need to consider is no need to add water after doing the seasoning since the veggie will already be cooked.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Here comes a simple and quick Ladoo recipe which can be prepared to serve the guests, or to munch on just like that! Its good for kids as well since all the ingredients used here are good for health. My kiddo loves to have it anytime and she renamed it as 'Tun Tun Laadu'! No need to worry about the calories, we are going to add less ghee for this Ladoo :)

Wheat Flour Laddu is one of my favorite sweets from childhood. There is one more method to prepare Wheat Flour Ladoos where we need to make the sugar syrup. Anyways, I love to prepare Ladoos with powdered sugar which is simple and quite easy!

Try these yummy ladoos and enjoy with your family..

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Yield: 12 ladoos of medium size

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 1 cup (1 cup = 200gm)

Ghee / clarified butter - 1/2 cup

Powdered sugar - 3/4 cup

Cashews - 4

Raisins - 15 to 20

Cardamom - 2

Cloves - 1

Method:

Melt the ghee in a heavy bottom pan.

Add the wheat flour and broken cashews. Toast it on medium or low flame till you get a nice aroma.

Turn off the flame and allow the mixture to cool down.

In the meanwhile, make a fine powder of cardamom and cloves and keep it ready. You can powder them along with sugar to make it easy.

Once the roasted mixture is cool, add powdered sugar, cardamom - cloves powder and raisins.

Mix it nicely and make sure that everything is combined well.

Take small portions of mixture in your hands and make lemon size balls.

Store them in an airtight container and use as required.

Tips:

If the ladoo mixture looks too dry and you are not able to make the ladoos, add 1 - 2 tsp of heated ghee and mix well.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Fruit Biscuits from Karachi Bakery situated at Hyderabad are one of our family favorites. These biscuits are unique in taste and flavor. They just melt in your mouth and are truly addictive. Since these goodies are not available for us here in Australia, we always had missed them.

Ever since I started my baking journey, I was trying to replicate the taste of these fruit biscuits. After some experiments and guess works, finally I got it perfect!
Here is my version of Fruit Biscuits or Tutti Frutti Biscuits. Try these delicious biscuits and enjoy with your family :)

Preparation time: 15 - 20 minutes
Refrigeration time: 30 minutes or more
Baking time: 20 - 25 minutes
Yield: 40 - 45 pieces (depending on the size)

Ingredients:

All purpose flour / Maida - 5 cups (1 cup = 70 gm approx)
Unsalted butter - 185 gm (at room temperature)
Sugar - 1 cup (110 gm)
Milk powder - 1/2 cup (25 gm)
Custard powder - 1/4 cup (13 gm)
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Rose water - 3 tsp
Tutti frutti - 100 gm

Method:

Take the sugar and make a fine powder in a mixie. Alternatively, you can use the caster sugar available in stores.
Beat the butter in a mixing bowl till creamy. I have used the electric beater to ease this process.
Add the powdered sugar in 2 - 3 batches to the butter. Continue beating till the mixture is fluffy and creamy.
Now, add the vanilla essence and rose water and mix gently.
Pour in the custard powder and milk powder and mix it nicely.
Add the all purpose flour in small batches and keep mixing till you get a soft, non - sticky dough. If needed, you can add little more extra flour than mentioned above, absolutely no probs!
Finally, add the tutti frutti and mix it nicely.
Divide the dough into two equal parts. Take each part of dough, and make it into the shape of a log or as you like.
Wrap it in a butter paper and keep refrigerated for 30 minutes or more.
Pre heat the oven to 175°C. Line the baking tray with butter paper.
Take out the dough from the refrigerator. Cut them into slices of 1 cm width.
Arrange them on the lined baking tray. Leave some space in between for the biscuits to expand.
Bake them for 20 minutes or till done.
Enjoy the delicious biscuits with a cup of tea or just like that!

Tips:

You can keep the dough refrigerated even for more than 30 minutes. For me, it took 5 minutes more to bake when I kept the dough in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 hours.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Banana is one of those healthy fruits which is commonly available everywhere. This nutritious fruit can be eaten as it is and also can be used in preparing ice-creams, cakes and delicious desserts. It works as egg re-placer for some cakes and hence, is good for egg-less baking.
When I find over ripened bananas in my pantry, either I will prepare Banana Rotti or go for baking something. Over ripened bananas are perfect for preparing cakes and muffins. I had posted Banana Cupcake / Muffins recipe some time back. Here is the recipe of perfect Banana Bread..hope you like it!

Preparation time: 10 - 15 minutes
Baking time: 45 minutes
Yield - 1 loaf (serves 5)
Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:
Over ripened banana - 1 (equal to 2 cups of puree)
All purpose flour - 2 1/2 cup (175 gm)
Salt - pinch
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Curd - 1/2 cup
Melted butter - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 175°C.
Cut the peeled banana into medium size cubes. Combine sugar and banana pieces in a blender or mixie and prepare the puree.
Melt the butter in a bowl and allow to cool.
Sieve together all purpose flour, salt and baking soda and keep aside.
Take the banana puree in a mixing bowl. Add melted butter, baking powder and vanilla essence. Mix it gently.
Fold in the flour mixture little by little and mix it well without lumps.
Transfer the batter onto the greased loaf pan and spread it evenly.
Bake it for around 45 minutes or till done. Keep an eye on the loaf after baking for 35 minutes.
Take the loaf out of the pan before it cools down completely. Put the loaf on a cooling rack to allow proper air circulation.
Cut down into slices once it is completely cool and enjoy it with a cup of hot coffee or tea!

Tips:
If you want to avoid using butter, just replace it with cooking oil.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Hibiscus is one of the most common garden plants which is easy to grow and lasts for years. We can find varieties of hibiscus plants everywhere. This plant has got lot of uses. People use hibiscus flowers for offering to God. Hibiscus leaves are good for hair growth and remedy for all hair problems. We can prepare Juice and Tea using hibiscus flowers, which is good for health.

We had a Hibiscus plant in our backyard. It was full of flowers all the time except during peak winter. We used to pick the flowers daily for offering to God. Kiddo also wanted some flowers for playing and she never missed her share :) Even after picking so many flowers, we could see many flowers still on the plant.

These days, I have learned a new recipe using hibiscus flowers. Hibiscus Juice is damn easy to prepare and tastes really yum! I just love that sparkling red color of this juice. Ingredients for this juice are also simple..one can give it a try anytime!

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Red hibiscus flowers - 3
Ginger - 2 inch (sliced)
Sugar - 4 tbsp or according to taste
Water - 1 1/2 cup (1 cup = 400 ml)
Lime - half piece

Method:

Heat water in a vessel. Add the ginger slices and hibiscus petals and boil it for 8 - 10 minutes.
Filter the boiled water using a tea strainer.
Add sugar and lime juice according to taste. You can see the color of juice changes to sparkling red now.
Make it cool before serving. Also, you can refrigerate it or add ice cubes if desired.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Ganike Soppu, also known as Kage Soppu in Kannada, is a medicinal plant which is not familiar to many people. Scientific name for this plant is Solanum Nigrum (Black Nightshade). Leaves of this plant are used as a good remedy for cold, cough, mouth ulcer and stomach related problems. Kids love to eat the small, black colored fruits of this plant.

I use Ganike soppu as medicine for my daughter whenever she gets cold. I will crush the leaves with little water, collect about 2 table spoons of extract, then mix it with sugar / jaggery and make her drink. This works really well for her. I have few Ganike Soppu plants in my backyard just for kiddo. She loves to pick and eat those small berries from these plants daily!

Few days back, I was talking to Mom something about my plants. She told me that delicious Chutney can be prepared using Ganike leaves. I just tried her recipe and it tasted really well. Its so easy to prepare and also good for health.

Sharing the Ganike Soppina Chutney with you now..hope you like it!

Time required: 10 minutes

Servings: 6 - 7

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Ganike / Kage leaves - handful (I have used 30 - 32 leaves here)
Grated coconut - 1 1/4 cup
For seasoning:

Oil - 3 tsp (divided)

Green chillies - 2 (adjust according to taste)

Cumin seeds - 1 1/4 tsp

Sesame seeds - 1 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Tamarind - gooseberry size (around 1 1/2 tbsp)
Salt to taste
Water for grinding

Method:

Heat 1 1/2 tsp of oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add cumin seeds and sesame seeds and roast them till nice aroma comes.
Then add the cleaned Ganike leaves. Saute them for 1 - 2 minutes till it changes the color and switch off the flame.
Grind together the roasted ingredients along with grated coconut, tamarind and salt to taste into fine paste. Add water as required.
Heat oil in a heavy pan. Add mustard seeds and when they start crackling, switch off the flame. Add this seasoning to the ground paste.
Delicious Chutney is ready now. Serve it as a side dish with rice.

Tips:

Instead of 2 green chillies, 2 red chillies and 1 green chilli can be used here.
If you don't want to preserve it in the refrigerator, heat the Chutney nicely and it will be good for few more hours.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Carrot Halwa also called as Gajar Ka Halwa, is a delicious sweet prepared on festivals and such special occasions in India. Being prepared using healthy and rich ingredients like carrot, milk, sugar, Khoya, Ghee, dried fruits and nuts, it tastes delicious!

Carrot Halwa is one of our family favorite sweets. My daughter is not crazy about eating the sweets..but she loves to have this Halwa anytime! Since its made of all healthy ingredients, its good for kiddos health as well. Adding of khova is not a must for this Halwa, but it increases the taste. I had tried adding some quantity of paneer when I had a small quantity of Khoya with me. It was truly delicious and nobody could make it out that I had replaced some quantity of Khova with Paneer!
There are different versions of preparing Carrot Halwa and here is the one which I usually follow. Hope you like this recipe :)

Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hour

Servings: 10 - 12

Difficulty level: Difficult

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1 kg
Sugar - 800gm (adjust according to taste)
Salt - a big pinch
Milk - 1/2 litre
Ghee / clarified butter - 6 tbsp
Khova / Khoya - yield from 1 litre milk (or around 200 gm)
Cardamom powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Raisins, Almonds and Pista - handful

Method:

Wash the carrots cleanly and grate them using a vegetable grater.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Add the grated carrots and saute them for 5 minutes or till the raw smell is gone.
Add half litre of milk to the carrot mixture and cook it partially covered. Stir it regularly.
When the carrot mixture is cooked and the milk is almost evaporated, add sugar and pinch of salt.
You can notice the mixture becoming watery after adding the sugar. Continue cooking on medium flame, it will thicken after some time.
When the mixture becomes thick, add the Khova and mix it nicely. Cook it for 10 - 12 minutes and turn off the flame.
Finally add the cardamom powder and mix well.
Garnish with ghee roasted raisins, and pieces of almonds and pista.
Serve it warm or cold.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Khoa or Khoya, also called as Mawa, is a product of milk which is widely used in Indian cuisine. This is prepared by boiling the milk till it gets thick. For preparing Indian sweets like Halwa, Barfi, Pedha, Gulab Jamoon, etc., Khoa is used to make them rich in taste.

In India, Khoya is easily available in most of the supermarkets and grocery stores. When I was in Bangalore, I always used the store bought Khoa for my sweets. I had tried preparing Khoa at home sometime back and it was really good. These days, I am making Khoya at home whenever needed. Preparing Khoa at home is not at all difficult. The only thing is it takes lot of time to prepare.

Here is the recipe to prepare your Khoa at home..

Time required: 1 hour

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Full cream milk - 1 litre

Method:

Transfer the milk into a wide pan with thick bottom and bring to boil. I prefer using non-stick pan to avoid milk sticking to the bottom.

Keep stirring the milk with a spatula occasionally.

Slowly, the water content in the milk gets evaporated and milk starts thickening.

Keep stirring the mixture, and when it starts leaving the bottom of the pan and comes to ball stage, its time to turn off the flame.

Once it cools down completely, knead the Khoa nicely. Transfer to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. Use when required.

Khoa gives a richer taste to Indian sweets like Barfi, Halwa, Gulab Jamoon, Pedha, etc.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

When its summer, something cold would be perfect to have when we feel thirsty. I prepare varieties of milkshakes, juices, smoothies, Lassi, etc. healthy n refreshing drinks at home using fresh ingredients. Since its the mango season now, we all love to have mango milkshake and juice whenever mangoes are there at home. Mango Milkshake is my daughter's all time favorite. She will be happy to have this drink anytime!

Try this easy and delicious milkshake and let me know how you liked it!

Time required: 10 minutes

Cooling time: 1 hour

Servings: 3

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Ripened mango (medium size) - 2 nos
Sugar - 5 tbsp (adjust according to taste)
Full cream milk - 300 ml (see Tips)
Water - 100 ml
Salt - a big pinch

Method:

Peel and chop the mangoes roughly into medium size cubes.
Blend the mango pieces along with sugar and pinch of salt into fine paste. Add little milk if required.
Once it becomes a fine paste, add the remaining milk and water and adjust the consistency.
Blend it for one more minute so that everything is combined well.
Check and adjust the taste.
Serve it chilled.

Tips:

You can reduce the quantity of milk by adding more water.
If the milkshake need to be served immediately, use the chilled milk for preparing it!

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Fenugreek / Methi seeds, even though used in very small quantities, are very much necessary for our day-to-day cooking. Without fenugreek seeds, preparing Dosa, Sambar Powder, Methi Powder, etc. will not be perfect. These seeds are having some health benefits as well. For all sorts of hair problems, fenugreek seeds works as a good remedy. Not only the seeds, fresh fenugreek leaves are also good for cooking. Roti, Paratha, Stir Fry and various rice items can be prepared using Fenugreek / Methi leaves.

Sometimes, I need fresh methi leaves for my cooking, but we get them very rarely in the convenience stores here. So, since the summer has started, I am growing the fenugreek leaves in our backyard and using the same for cooking. Every week, I will sow the seeds in 1 - 2 rows and within the next 3 weeks, it will be available for cooking.

Both fenugreek leaves and dill leaves can be interchanged for some variety of dishes. I had posted the Dill Leaves Stir Fry recipe long back. The same way, you can prepare the Fenugreek Leaves Stir Fry. Since fenugreek leaves are slightly bitter in taste, it tastes better if we add little more sugar to this stir fry.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2 - 3

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Fenugreek leaves - 3 big bunch
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Sambar powder - 2 tsp or according to taste (see Tips)
Sugar - 1 tsp or to taste (see Tips)
Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Grated coconut - fistful
Oil - 4 tsp

Method:

Wash and clean the fenugreek leaves. Chop them finely including the tender stems.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add urid dal, asafoetida and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add the sambar powder followed by chopped fenugreek leaves.
Add salt, sugar and amchur powder according to your taste. Cook the mixture half covered.
Saute the mixture regularly. Cook it for around 7 - 8 minutes or till its dried out fully and looks too dark.
Add grated coconut and cook for 2 - 3 minutes more and switch off the flame.
Serve this delicious stir fry along with Roti, Chapathi or rice.

Tips:

Any type of sambar powder, saarina pudi or palyada pudi can be used for this recipe.
Since the fenugreek leaves are bitter in taste, I have made this stir fry slightly sweet in taste. Those who won't like sweet taste, can add less sugar for this recipe.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

If there are any special occasions like birthday or anniversary of near and dear ones, it calls for a celebration. Baking a cake at home is not a big deal, but decorating the cake needs some thinking and more efforts. Depending on the type of cake, we need to decide which type of frosting will be suitable.
I tried chocolate frosting for my chocolate cake few days back. Chocolate cake with layers and yummy frosting..it was divine! You can remember my earlier recipe of Egg-less Chocolate Cake which I shared sometime back. I just prepared 2 chocolate cakes in that way, layered and decorated them and finally, here is the outcome!

Time required: 45 - 50 minuted
Cooling time: 2 - 3 hours
Servings: 10 - 12
Difficulty level: Difficult

Ingredients:
- Egg-less chocolate cakes - 2 nos (prepare and keep them ready)
- For Frosting:

Unsalted butter (at room temp) - 1 cup
Icing sugar - 3 cups (adjust according to taste)
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Dark chocolate - 200 gm
Milk - 1/2 cup
Big pinch of salt
Chocolate shaves - as needed (see Tips)
Chocolate coated peanuts (or any other chocolate bytes) - few

Method:
- How to prepare frosting:

Melt the dark chocolate and allow to cool.
Beat butter using a beater or hand mixer till creamy.
To this, add melted chocolate, salt and 1 cup of icing sugar. Beat them for a minute.
Add 2 - 3 tbsp of milk and one more cup of sugar. Beat the mixture again.
Continue adding milk followed by sugar till you are done.
Adjust the consistency and taste.
Beat the mixture for 2 - 3 minutes or till its light and creamy.

- How to assemble the cake:

Slice each cake carefully into two layers. You will have 4 separate layers in total now.
Keep the first layer on the cake base or on a plate. Cover it with one layer of chocolate frosting.
Put the second layer of cake upon that and cover with frosting.
Fix all the four layers in the same way and cover the top and sides with frosting.
Decorate the sides with chocolate shaves. Arrange the choco-coated peanuts / your favorite chocolates on the top. Sprinkle some chocolate shaves as you like.
Refrigerate the cake for 2 - 3 hours before cutting.

Tips:

Dark chocolate which I used for frosting was sweet and hence, 3 cups of icing sugar was enough. If using unsweetened chocolate, add more sugar accordingly.
You can prepare the chocolate shaves easily at home. Refrigerate the chocolate block and once it becomes really hard, peel them using a peeler. Your chocolate shaves are ready to use!

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

There are some well known areas for shopping in Bangalore and one of them I like most is Gandhi Bazar. Evening time will be really good to roam around there, and our shopping will be complete only after having some food, preferably chat food. You can see so many chat shops serving various chat food to the never ending crowd. I had been to Gandhi Bazar with my sister quite a few months back. She knows that area very well and we did plenty of shopping. We were really tired and feeling hungry. She took me to a chat shop in Gavipuram Area. Mango - Sweet Chat from that shop was her all time favorite. So, we ordered the same enjoyed eating. It was so good and so yummy!

Unripened Totapuri mangoes are perfect for this chat recipe. Grilled sweet corn and finely chopped mangoes are really a wonderful combination. This chat food has become one of our favorite snacks for the evenings. Here is the recipe of Mango - Sweet Corn Chat for you!

Time required: 20 - 25 minutes

Servings: 3

Difficulty Level: Medium

Ingredients:

Sweet corn cobs - 2
Totapuri mango (medium size) - 1
Green chilli paste - 1 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Lime juice - for taste
Salt - for taste

Method:

Roast the corn cobs on direct flame. I did this on my stove top. Separate the kernels when its still hot. You can do this job easily using a knife.
Chop the raw mango finely. I prefer cutting them to the same size as of corn kernels.
Combine corn kernels and chopped mango in a mixing bowl. Add salt, chilli paste and lime juice according to taste.
Toll them quickly and serve immediately!
This delicious chat can be served as salad for the lunch or as evening snacks.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

When its mango season, raw mangoes are generously used for cooking in most of the Indian homes. Raw mangoes are perfect for preparing tangy and spicy Indian side dishes like Chutney, Gojju, Appehuli, etc. Here in Australia, whenever we get raw mangoes, I will prepare these yummy dishes. These days, frozen raw mango cubes are available in Indian convenience stores and hence, we are able to enjoy raw mango dishes whenever we feel like.

During my last visit to native, I had got a nice tip from one of my relatives. She told that she will cut the raw mangoes into cubes in mango season and preserve them in the freezer. They will be good for months and when needed, they can be used for cooking. Hope this tip will be useful for you as well!

I had shared another version of Mango Chutney long back. That was using green chillies and, here is one more version of Mango Chutney. For this recipe, we use dry red chillies and it tastes delicious with the nice aroma of fenugreek and asafoetida. Try this Mango Red Chutney with rice and let me know how you liked it!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Servings: 5 - 6

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Raw mango, chopped into medium size cubes - 1 1/2 cup
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Dry red chillies - 2 or 3 (adjust according to taste)
Fenugreek seeds - 3/4 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - big pinch
Cooking oil - 3/4 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 3/4 cup approx.

For Seasoning: Oil - 1 tsp, Mustard seeds - 1 tsp, Pinch of asafoetida

Method:

Heat 3/4 tsp of oil in a small wok. Add broken red chillies and fenugreek seeds. Once they are roasted nicely, add big pinch of asafoetida and turn off the flame.
Grind the roasted ingredients along with grated coconut, mango cubes, salt and sugar into a fine paste. Add water as required while grinding. But don't make it too watery.
Check and adjust the taste of Chutney.
Heat 1 tsp of oil for seasoning. Add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, turn off the flame.
Add this seasoning to the Chutney. Serve with rice and see how delicious it is!

Tips:

Peel off the green skin of mango if it tastes bitter. If not bitter, no need to peel off the skin.