Carrot Halwa / Gajar ka Halwa

Ingredients:

2 cup grated carrots/gajar

½ cup milk

5 to 6 tbsp sugar

2 cups milk 

1 to 2 tbsp Ghee

½ tsp cardamom powder

2 tbsp almond, pistachios or cashew slices.

Instructions:

Add ghee in a microwave safe bowl and melt it.  Add the grated carrots and microwave on high power for 2 and a half minutes. Add milk, sugar, cardamom powder and  microwave for 8 minutes on high power. Allow a standing time of 5 minutes. Garnish carrot halwa with slices of almond, pista and cashew nuts. You can either serve carrot halwa hot or cold.

Chinese Bhel

          "Chinese Bhel"  the name says it all Chinese & Mumbai ...a lip smacking Indo Chinese  chaat which is a quick mix of simplest  ingredients. 

Ingredients:

2 cups noodles (ex:  Hakka noodles, or Maggi Noodles )

4 tbsp chopped red onion.

1/2 cup red or green cabbage shredded.

1/2 cup shredded cucumber

1/4 cup shredded carrots

2 tbsp chopped red or green bell pepper 

4 tbsp fresh cilantro/coriander very finely, chopped

2 stalks of green/spring onion, chopped

1/2 tsp very very finely julienne fresh ginger

2 tbsp oil

For the sauce: (adjust the quantity of each of the ingredients below to your taste)

1 tsp soya sauce 

2 tbsp schewan sauce

1 tbsp ketchup

1  tbsp any hot sauce 

Method for noodles:

1. Boil 4 cups of water and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the noodles while stirring occasionally and cook until they are soft but not cooked. Drain well.

2. Spread the noodles on a clean piece of cloth and allow to dry for at least 20 mins.

3. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over a medium flame. Fry small quantities of noodles at a time in the hot oil until light brown.

4. Remove the noodles from the oil and drain on absorbent paper. Repeat with the remaining noodles.

Method for Bhel :

1. Whisk all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl.

2. Place the fried noodles in the serving bowl and add all the above dry ingredients except the sauce. Toss.

3. Spoon the sauce uniformly over the noodles and toss again. Serve right away before the noodles get soggy. 

 

Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:

6 slices of whole grain bread or any bread
3 cubes of softened cream cheese
1 cup sliced and peeled cucumbers
5 sprigs flat leaf parsley or basil leaves or mint leaves
little salt to taste

Method:
1. Soften the  cream cheese into a small bowl and add salt and parsely or mint or basil leaves.
2  Mix the mixture well.
3. Spread a thick layer evenly on both slices of bread.
4. Cut a few slices of cucumber and spread the slices onto one of the slices of bread.
5. Pat the sandwich down and cut off the ends.
Serve it anytime . 

Penne Pasta Salad

   

Ingredients: 

1 Box(16 ounces) Penne pasta
1 cup square cut red bellpeppers
1 cup square cut Green bellpeppers
1 cup zucchini
1/2 cup onions square cut
1 cup Broccoli florets
1 bottle (8 ounces) Italian salad dressing or (Mix Olive oil, redwine vinegar ans whisk well)
1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper
1/4 tsp sliced garlic (optional)
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes or chilli sauce

Method: 

1. Cook pasta according to package directions around 10mins.
2. Meanwhile in a large pan add Olive oil and add garlic and all the vegetables green pepper, red pepper, onions, zucchini and brocolli . Cook until they half cooked.
3. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water. Save 1/4 cup water from the pasta.
4. Add pasta to the vegetables.
5. Combine salad dressing and seasonings; pour over salad and toss to coat.
6. Add the pasta water little to make it a little juicey. (optional )
7. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Grate  a little cheese on top before serving.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Tortilla Rolls/ Pinwheels

  

Ingredients:

8 ounces  Cream Cheese, Softened
1 Tbsp Chopped Green Onions Or Chives( optional)
8 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped (optional)
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
5 Flour Tortillas
1 cup sliced olives
3 Carrots Peeled and thinly sliced or grated
1 zucchini thinly sliced or grated
1 cup Red/green/orange bell pepper sliced thinly .
3 leaves Green Leaf Lettuce (Optional)
2 Avocados Sliced.

Method:
1. Combine the softened cream cheese with the chives, basil, green onions, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
2. Spread cream cheese in a thin layer over the tortillas. Make sure to apply well on edges so that when it's rolled they stick well .
3. Lay the rest of the ingredients in the middle of the tortilla.
4. Let the veggies extend past the edges on either side.
5. Roll up the tortillas as tightly as they'll go, then wrap each roll up in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
6. Then cut each roll up and serve.

Eggless Sponge Cake

My mom used to make cakes all the time on occasions like birthdays, anniversary or any parties. Well I should say sometimes no reason to make a delicious cake :). And I am continuing her tradition & making for my Family.

Ingredients:

Maida /All purpose flour - 11/2 cups
Melted Butter/ghee  - 100 gms
Milk -  120 ml
Vanilla Essence or pineapple essence - 2 tsp
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1 tin
Baking Powder - 2 tsp
Baking Soda - 1 tsp
11/2 tsp ground flax seed powder  soaked in 2 tbsp water (make it frothy like consistency) .

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 350 *F
2. Sieve the flour, baking powder and baking soda and keep it aside (dry ingredients)
3. Take the melted butter in a bowl and whisk it very well till it is creamy and frothy.
4. Add vanilla essence, condensed milk  and beat it till it is creamy and fluffy. Add the flax seed mixture and whisk well with a beater.
5. Add the dry ingredients(maida, baking soda, baking powder) little by little and keep mixing it well.
   Add  milk and mix well.
6. Beat it for 5 mins till it is in a smooth flowing consistency.
7. Grease the baking dish with butter and dust it with little flour. Pour the batter into the pan.

8. Bake it in the oven at 350*F for 35 mins or until it is cooked. To check if it is cooked put a toothpick in the center of the cake if it comes out clean , it means it is done.
9. Cool it on the cooling rack for 5 mins and Remove the cake from the baking tray to cool completely.

Spicy buttermilk curry - Mor Kozhambu

Spicy buttermilk curry - Mor Kozhambu

Ingredients

Toor dal - 2 tbsp
Dhaniya (Coriander Seeds) - 2 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Rice - 1 tbsp
Fenugreek seed (methi seeds) - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 1
Dried Red chillies - 2
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Grated coconut - 4 tbsp
Onions - thinly sliced onions 1/2 cup
Fresh Curd - 2cups
Gingely oil (Nallennai) - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tbsp
Soondakai (turkey berry) - 2 tbsp Optional

Preparation

1. Soak toor dal, dhaniya, rice in water for 15 mins.
2. Add oil and roast the fenugreek seeds, green and red chilly in medium flame for 2 minutes.
3. Mix coconut, jeera and add the above roasted mixture  and grind well with water
4. Add toor dal, dhaniya, rice and turmeric powder to above mixture. Grind this well with water
5. Put the grinded ingredients in a heavy bottomed vessel.
6. Add required amount of water and mix thoroughly till the consistency is like dosa batter.
7. Boil this for 5 minutes in medium flame.
8. Add curd and salt and mix thoroughly
9. Turn the stove to low flame
10. Heat for 2 minutes and turn off the stove. (Do not wait till this boils)
11. In a pan, heat 1 tsp of gingely (or) coconut oil. Add mustard and curry leaves and sliced onions. Once they are translucent add this to kuzhambu.

Serve with hot or cold rice.