Mango Yogurt Bar 

               

            

Ingredients :

 

Mango              -  1  big  

Greek yogurt    -  1 cup 

Cranberry  and Almonds (optional)

Honey   (Optional)

 

Method :

Cut mango into pieces and puree them. Mix well with greek yogurt using a beater or spoon. If sweetness is less, add honey according to your taste. Pour into a flat pan. Decorate with cranberry and almond shavings. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3-4 hours. Cut into bars and serve.

Egg salad

Ingredients:

Eggs boiled          -2

Lettuce                 -5 leaves chopped 
Onion                   -1/4 onion cut lengthwise
Cherry tomatoes   -5 cut each into two 
Strawberries       -2 cut into thin slices 

Dressing : 
Olive oil              -1/2 tsp
Lemon juice        -1 tbsp
Pepper powder   -1/2 tsp
Salt as per taste 

Preparation :
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside. In another serving bowl arrange all the salad ingredients and then pour the dressing over it. Serve it as any meal of the day 

Carrot walnut salad

    

Ingredients :

Carrot                      - 2
Walnuts                   -1/4 cup
Dry cranberries       - 1 tbsp
Parsley leaves         - 1tbsp (chopped nicely)
Lemon Juice            -1 tbsp
Olive oil                   -1 tsp
Pepper powder         -1/2tsp
Salt as per ta

Procedure :

Wash and peel off carrot skin. Cut it into thin strips or grate using a food processor. Place the carrots in a medium-size bowl along with walnuts, cranberries and parsley leaves.
For the dressing, whisk together lemon juice , olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small cup until completely combined.
Pour the dressing over the carrot mixture and stir until its completely mixed.

Asparagus, Mushroom and Chicken Stir fry

Ingredients:
Chicken            - 1 lb

Asparagus         - one bunch
Mushroom        - 1/4 lb
Fennel seeds     -1 tsp
Garlic chopped -1 tsp
Olive oil  as required
For marinating chicken:
Chilli powder                -  1 1/2 tsp ( I used Kashmiri chilli powder)
Turmeric powder           - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder   - 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste         - 1 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder               - 1 tsp
Curd                               - 1/4 cup


Method:

• Cut the washed chicken into small pieces and marinate with above mentioned ingredients for half an hour.
• Bake the chicken pieces in a preheated oven for 30 min at 400 degree F.( I used air fryer to fry for 20 min)
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet on high flame. Add fennel seeds and chopped garlic for a minute.Add asparagus and mushrooms and stir fry until the asparagus is bright green but still crispy . Now add the baked /air fried chicken pieces and saute it again for one minute . Mound the stir fry on a serving plate and enjoy !

Tabouleh

Ingredients:
Couscous(Bulgur wheat)  - 100gms
Parsley leaves                  -100 gms roughly chopped
Tomatoes                        - 3 large chopped
Onion                              - 1 medium finely chopped
Mint leaves                      - 2tbsp chopped

For the dressing:
Salt                       - a pinch
Cinnamon powder -a pinch
Lemon juice          - juice of 2  lemons
Olive oil                -2tbsp

This is a light ,fresh tastiing salad from middle east which you can serve with grilled fish or kabab.
Source :one Middle east magazine

Preparation:
Presoak couscous in hot water for 3 hours and then drain it.
Combine the wheat,parsely,tomatoes,mint and onions in a bowl.Put all the dressing ingredients into a small bowl  and mix well .Toss the wheat mixture with this dressing and serve.


Awards:
Thanks a lot Jisha for passing me this beautiful award.Thanks Swapna ,Neetz ,Ganga and Nithu for sharing me the same.Thanks alot friends!

Thanks a ton Fathima  and Deepa for passing me these two  lovely awards.

Deepa and Tanu shared these awards  with me.Thanks alot!!!

Swapna and neetz shared the same.Thanks friends!!

Priya passed me this beautiful award. Thanks dear!

I would like to pass these awards to

Lavanya

Ann

Preety

Ramya

Aruna

and

Rajeswari

Pathiri(rice roti-Kerala style)

Ingredients:
Rice flour       - 2cups
Water            - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Method:
.Boil water with salt.Add rice flour to this and lower the heat.Stir the flour with a spoon till it is well mixed.Remove from fire and keep it covered for 5  minutes.Remove it to a wide plate for kneading.

.Knead it well to a big dough  ball before the mixture is cooled completely.If you are feeling that water is not completely mixed with flour, you could wet your hands and do it.Make equal sized balls of it.(size of a lemon).Each ball makes each pathiri.

.Take each ball and dip it in dry rice flour.Sprinkle some rice flour on a dry rough surface.Now place each ball on the surface and roll it out into a thin round using a rolling pin.If you didnt get round shape, dont worry trim  the edges using any round shaped lid.

. Heat  tawa or griddle.Spinkle some water and  see whether the water is evaporating quickly.If so its ready to put pathiri.Cook the Pathiri  by turning both sides till it puffs.Remove from fire.

Preparationof coconut milk

Grated coconut  -   1/4 of a coconut
Shallots             -    2
Curry leaves      - 3-4
Oil                     - 1 tsp
Water                - a cup
Salt to taste

.In a mixi ,blend coconut, salt and water together.Drain it through a drainer to get coconut milk.Heat oil in a small pan.Add sliced shallots and curry leaves and saute for sometime.Pour this to the coconut milk.
.To make the pathiri softer,either dip pathiri in the coconut milk prepared earlier or keep it separately and serve.

Im sending this to theRice event hosting by Anita

Brocoli-Carrot Soup

Ingredients:
Brocoli               - 500gms
Carrot                -1 carrot
Onion                  -1(big) sliced
Vegetable broth    - 4 cups
Milk                      -1/2 cup
Butter                    - 3tbsp
Salt as required
Pepper powder as required

Method:
Melt butter in a heavy bottom vessel.Add sliced onion pieces and saute it for a few minutes.Add brocolli and chopped carrot pieces and saute again for few more minutes,.Then add 2 cups of vegetable broth and bring it to boil.Switch off the gas and allow it to cool.Blend it to a puree .Now again boil the puree together with 2 more cups of vegetable broth and salt.Add 1/2 cup of  milk also to this before boiling.Serve hot with croutons and pepper powder.

Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
Tomato                          -4
Ginger and garlic paste   - a little
Green Chilli                    - 1
Pepper powder              - 1 tsp
Springonion chopped      - 2 tbsp
Cellery chopped             - 2 tbsp
Tomato ketchup             - 1/2 tbsp
Corn flour                      -  4 tbsp
Salt                                - 1 1/2 tsp
Sugar                             - 1/2 tsp
Butter                             - 1 tbsp
Fresh cream and croutons (optional)   

Method:
.Steam the four tomatoes .Allow it to cool and peel off the skin.Blend it in a blender to a puree.
.Heat a thick bottom vessel with butter.When butter melts,add chopped celery,chopped spring onion,ginger paste , garlic paste and green chilli.Saute it for some time.Add the tomato puree to this along with 5 cups of water.Allow it to boil.When it boils add tomato ketchup,salt  and pepper powder.
.Mix cornflour to 1/4 cup water and add this to the boiling tomato soup.When it starts to thicken,remove from fire
.Serve  hot with fresh cream and croutons.

Grilled Fish

Ingredients:
Fish                         - 1 whole fleshy fish cleaned
Ginger-garlic paste   - 1 tsp
Chilli powder           - 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder     - 1/2 tsp
Fennel Powder        - 1/2 tsp
Shallots                    - 2
Pepper powder        - 1/2 tsp
Maida Flour             - 1/4 tsp
Lemon                     - 1
Curry leaves             -5-6 leaves
Salt as required

Method:
. Clean  fish thoroughly  and prick with  a fork to make long cuts on both sides.
. Marinate  the fish with ginger garlic paste ,1 tsp lemon juice and salt for 10 mins.
. Make a  fine paste of chilli powder,turmeric powder,fennel powder,shallots , curry leaves ,pepper powder and maida flour in a mixi using little water as required.

. Marinate the fish again with the paste made and keep it for half an hour.
If you are using a conventional oven,
. Preheat the oven to 450 degree fahrenheit.Keep the fish peice in an oil greased oven-safe pan or a foil paper and keep it in the middle rack and bake it about 10- 15 minutes ,until your fish flakes easily with a fork.
If you are using a microwave having grilling button,
Keep the fish in the turnable microwave tray and grill it according to the microwave manual.

Serve with sliced onion,cucumber and sliced lemon pieces.

Egg White Omelette

If you are a health conscious cook,you may need to limit the usage of cholesterol loaded food like egg,beef,mutton ,shrimp....Sounds a bit difficult right?For those people here comes a tasty omelette recipe with very low fat and cholesterol.

Ingredients:
2    egg whites
1    slice of bread(preferably white)
2    tbsp low fat milk
1/4 cup sliced vegetables(bell pepper,onion,tomato,mushrooms etc) according to your taste.
1    small piece ginger crushed
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp oil(preferably olive oil)
Salt and pepper powder to taste.

Method:
. Heat 1/4 tsp of oil in a pan and  saute the vegetables and keep aside.
. Remove the sides of the bread and soak it in water taken in a bowl.Sqeeze out the water completely.
. Whisk the egg whites using two forks or with a beater.
. Add the bread  to the beaten egg whites .Add  ginger crushed,garam masala powder and milk to this and    beat it again.

. Heat a non-stick pan which is greased with rest of the oil.Pour the egg mixture.As the egg white mixture begins to cook,place the vegetables on the omlette.When the down part of the omelette is done,turn it over and cook the other side too.Season with salt and pepper and serve immedietely.


Sarah passed on two lovely,encouraging awards.Thanks a ton dear.

Sangeetha too shared me an award.Thanks a lot Sangee for sharing this award.

I would like to pass on these awards to all my blogger friends.

Easy Carrot Salad

Ingredients: 
Carrot               -2
Chilli                  -1
Lemon juice       -2-3 tbsp
Salt  as required

Method:

 Grate carrots.Chop the chilli.Now in a serving bowl , mix grated carrots,chilli,lemon juice and salt.
If you like coconut flavour, you can add 3 tbsp of fresh grated coconut.

Toasted Salad

Ingredients:

Carrot        -1 cup cubed

Onion         -1 cup cubed

Cucumber  - 1 cup cubed
Capsicum   - 1 cup cubed

For dressing

Sugar               -1/2 tsp

Lemon juice     -1 tsp

Pepper powder-1/2 tsp

Olive Oil           -1 tsp

Salt to taste         

Method:

 Mix all the chopped vegetables  in a bowl.Mix together the dressing ingredients and pour to this.Now toasted salad is ready.Serve with grilled chicken or fish.

Sprout Salad

This is avery healthy salad which helps to control diabetics and cholestrol level.

Ingredients:

sprouts           -1 cup

For making sprouts,soak green dal for 6-7 hrs with lot of water.Drain the water,cover it with a lid .keep it in a warm place.Within a day or two the sprout will be ready

Onion             -1/2 chopped(medium sized)

Cucumber       -1/2 cup

                                                            

 

Tomato           -1/2 cup

  Parsley leaves or coriander leaves- a small bunch

Lime juice - 1 lemon

                                                                 Pepper powder-1/4 tsp

                                                                 salt            -1/2 tsp

Procedure:

       Mix everything in a bowl along with the sprouts and serve

Indian flag puttu

In this blog I'm planning to share some of my experiments with my spoons and cutting board.When i started my cooking,i didn't know the ABC of cooking.In this blog I'm sharing some of the easy recipes i know to those who are facing the same situation as me when they started fighting with spoons n vessels in the kitchen.

Lets start with breakfast.When we ask a malayali about the easiest breakfast they can offer,they will tell its puttu.So lets make some different varieties of puttu(steamed rice cake) to impress our family or guests.Usually with puttu we will have either banana or whole green gram Dal and of course pappad.This flag puttu is one of my mother's recipes which she makes when some unexpected guests comes in the morning.

Ingredients

Rice flour                               -2 cup

Grated coconut                      -3/4 cup
Grated carrot                         -1/2 cup

Whole green gram dal            -1/2 cup

Green chillies                         -1

Turmeric powder                   -a pinch
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak whole green gram dal for few hours.Better to keep it soaked overnight.Cook it with some water in a pressure cooker if you soaked it in the morning only.otherwise cook it in the normal vessel with a pinch of turmeric powder ,salt and split ed green chilly.When it is almost done mix quarter cup grated coconut to it.By that time we can grate coconut and carrot and keep it aside.

Take the rice flour in a big bowl.Add some salt to a cup of warm water and sprinkle it evenly over the flour and knead it.Add 1/4 cup of grated coconut to it.The key is that only enough water to wet the flour be added, and that too slowly.This should not have the consistency of dough,but rather a damp coarse mixture.

Usually for making puttu there is a special utensil which is available in most Indian stores.This puttu maker can be used over any pressure cooker lid.Fill the pressure cooker with enough water and keep this puttu maker over the lid.If u didn't have a puttu maker ,you can use idly mould too.

Now in this puttu maker ,primarily put quarter cup of carrot grated mixed with 2 tablespoon grated coconut.Above that put the rice flour mix and last the gram dal mix .Steam it.hmm...our colourful healthy puttu is ready.We can serve it with some pappad and pickle.