Paneer Kheer

INGREDIENTS:

Grated Paneer - 1 cup
Milk - 3 cups
Condensed milk - 1/2 a can
Sugar - 1/4 to 1/2 cup or ( as per your taste )
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Cashewnut - few
Raisins - few

PROCEDURE:

1. Boil the milk in a heavy bottom vessel. And let it reduce to 3/4 of its original volume.
2. Add the condensed milk to it and stir well (check for sweetness, if less add the sugar as desired and stir it ).
3. Cover and let this boil in a very low heat for 15 mins.
( If you still feel the milk is too watery, allow it to boil for another 10 mins)
4. Now add the grated paneer, cardamom powder and boil the same for 10 more mins in low heat.
5. Finally garnish it with roasted cashews and raisins.
6. Serve it chilled with a dollop of ice cream. ( If u r not diet-conscious )

Kasuri methi Aloo

INGREDIENTS :

Boiled baby potatoes - 20 or Boiled big potatoes - 2
Onion - 1 small ( finely chopped )
Green chilies - 2 (finely chopped )
Kasuri methi - 3 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp ( as per your taste )
Oil - 3 tablespoons
Salt to taste

For Seasoning :
Split urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Red chilly - 1
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

PROCEDURE :

1. Heat oil in a pan, season the fry under " For Seasoning".
2. Add finely chopped onions and green chilies and saute for 2 mins.
3. Then add the chopped potatoes and saute for few mins, then to this add the kasuri methi.
4. Stir fry for 5 mins.
5. Kasuri methi aloo is ready to be served with sambhar sadam or chapathi or curd rice.

Banana Sweet Appam

INGREDIENTS:

Ripe Banana - 1 ( nicely mashed)
All purpose flour  - 1 cup
Sugar - 3 Tablespoons ( as per your taste )
Baking soda - a pinch
Badam slices or coconut pieces - few (optional)
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Oil for deep frying

PROCEDURE:

1. Take a bowl, add all ingredients and make a thick batter.
2. Add very little water if absolutely required as banana releases moisture eventually and would make the batter too watery.
3. Heat oil in a kadai and drop spoons of batter in hot oil and deep fry.
4. Banana sweet appam is ready.

Quick Bread Cutlet

This is a very simple recipe and this bread cutlet can be made in a jiffy. Less oil and tastes great.
No potatoes required!

INGREDIENTS:

Wholemeal jumbo bread or wheat bread - 7
Onion - 1 small (finely chopped )
Tomato -1 small (finely chopped )
Green Chilies - 2 ( finely chopped )
Ginger -1/2 inch size ( minced )
Mint leaves - few ( finely chopped )
Coriander leaves - few ( finely chopped )
Roasted Peanuts 1 1/2 tablespoons ( i would say this is must )
Lemon Juice - little ( 1 tablespoon)
Rava or Sooji - 2 tablespoons ( For coating )
Salt to taste

Oil as required for cooking the cutlet.

PROCEDURE:

1. If the bread crusts are too thick, remove them and finely chop the bread slices.
2. Spread rava on a plate and keep aside.
2. Take a bowl, add the chopped bread pieces, green chilies, ginger, onion, tomato, mint leaves, coriander leaves, roasted peanuts, lime juice and salt.
3. Mix well so that the juices from tomato and lime softens the bread ( Masher can also be used ) but i used my hands.
4. Let it remain aside for 2 mins.
5. Make a ball out of the bread mixture prepared and lightly press the ball to flatten the same, if any rough edges adjust accordingly.
6. Now coat the bread cutlets prepared on both sides with the rava or sooji and transfer it to a plate.
7. Repeat the same with the remaining bread mixture.
8. Heat oil in a pan, place the coated cutlets and cook on both sides until golden brown.
9. Finally serve hot with ketchup or chaat chutneys.

Apple Rabdi

I am back. Was busy with so many things all these days that i couldn't continue blogging.
Today i am posting something special as its my brother's birthday. Just give a try and let me know. I am sure kids will love this dessert. Though its time consuming but the end result is awesome! YUMMY....my hubby gone crazy after having this....

My fellow blogger had posted this recipe and i just tried it and it was too good that i am sharing this to you all in my blog.


INGREDIENTS:

Milk - 1 litre
Apple - 2
Sugar - 1/2 cup ( adjust according to your taste)
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp ( adjust according to your taste )
Badam - few
Pista - few

PROCEDURE:
1. Soak badam and pista in a hot water for about 5 mins.
2. Then remove the skin and cut them into thin long pieces and keep aside.
3. Take a heavy bottom vessel and boil the milk over the Sim flame and keep stirring in between.
By doing this, milk quantity should be reduce to 1/2 of its original quantity.
4. In the meantime, grate the apples with or without its skin.
5.Take a pan, add the grated apples along with sugar and cook well by continuously stirring the same.
 The sugar should caramelize the apple mixture and should become thick.
6. Transfer this caramelized mixture to the milk which has been reduced to half.
7. Finally add cardamom powder, badam and pista slices and mix well.
8. Apple rabdi is ready to be served either hot or chill.

Amaranth leaves/Thandu keerai Dal

INGREDIENTS:
Amaranth leaves - 1 bunch (washed and chopped)
Moongdal - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 ( finely chopped )
Tomato - 1 ( finely chopped )
Garlic pods - 2 ( minced )
Ginger - 1/2 inch size ( minced )
Red chilies - 3
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

To Grind: ( Make fine paste of the below ingredients )
Shredded coconut - 2 tablespoons
Green chillies - 2

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp    

PROCEDURE:
1.Wash and pressure cook the moong dal with turmeric powder for 3 whistles.
2.Heat oil in a kadai, season with mustard seeds, urad dal and red chilies.
3.Add the finely chopped onions and fry until they turns translucent.
4.Then add the minced garlic pods, minced ginger and chopped tomatoes and saute for 3 mins.
5.To this,add the chopped amaranth leaves and cook until they shrinks.
6.then add this sauteed mixture to the cooked moongdal, add salt and bring it to a boil( add water if required )
7.Now add the grounded paste of coconut mixture, again add enough water if needed.
8.cook for 5 mins and remove from flame.
9. Serve this dal with hot steaming rice with a dollop of ghee. Also goes well with rotis.

Best combination for this dal can be garlic pickle or spicy potato roast or appalam....in short anything spicy!

Sweet Pongal/Sarkaraipongal

My 25th post....definitely a sweet.Yes,  it is sweet pongal.
Sweet pongal is a very popular recipe and it is definitely prepared on a well known festival called PONGAL.
And i simply love the sarkarai pongal offered in temples...heavenly...i am really missing it as there is no temples here.
And this sweet is specially dedicated to my sweet brother who is crazy about this......

INGREDIENTS:
Raw Rice - 3/4 cup
Moongdal - 1/4 cup
Boiled Milk - 1 cup (optional : add this while mashing the rice and Dal )
Grated Jaggery - 1 to 1/2 cups
Ghee - 2 tablespoons ( minimum quantity )
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp nos
Cashew nuts - 10 nos
Dry grapes -12 nos.

Shredded coconut to garnish

PROCEDURE:
1. Roast the cashews and dry grapes and keep aside.
2. Wash both the rice and dal and pressure cook with enough water.
3. Make the syrup of the grated jaggery by adding 1/2 a cup. Also cook in a medium flame.
( If there are any impurities in the jaggery water you can strain to remove the same and put it back to heating in medium flame. )
4. Keep stirring continuously till it forms a thick syrup.
( you can check for consistency if the syrup forms a thread when dropped in a bowl of water).
5.Add the mashed rice and dal to the thick syrup ( add ghee while mashing the rice and dal ) and cook on low flame for 3 to 5 mins and keep stirring to blend the pongal.
6. Add cardamon powder and stir well.
7.Finally garnish with roasted cashews, dry grapes and shredded coconut.
More jaggery and ghee can be added to suit your taste.