Tiranga Doodh Peda

Carrot Doodh Peda
Milk - 4 cups/1 litre
Grated Carrot - 2 Cups
Condensed Milk - 3 tbspn
Sugar - 3 tsp
cardamom - 4 no
Butter - 2 tbspn
Orange food color - 1 drop

Method

1.Take a heavy bottomed sauce pan and boil milk in a low medium flame.

2.Grind grated carrot with little amount of milk into paste and keep it aside.

3.After milk starts bubbling add butter and Carrot paste ,cardamom pwd ,Condensed milk, a drop of Orange Food color and stir well for 30 - 40 minutes,continuously with wooden spatula to make fine thick paste.

4.Remove from fire and tranfer to a greased plate and allow it to cool.Make into small balls and flatten it and garnish with Cashewnuts.

Coconut Doodh Peda
Milk - 4 cups/1 litre
Dessicated Coconut - 2cups
Condensed milk - 3tbspn
Cardamom - 6 no
Sugar - 3tspn

Method

1.Take a heavy bottomed sauce pan and boil milk in a medium flame and stir continuously .

2.Grind dessicated coconut with little amount of water and extract milk from that and keep the coconut scrape aside.

3.After milk starts bubbling add butter and extracted coconut milk and boil until it gets thicken ,stirring in the middle in low flame.

4.Now ,add leftover coconut paste , cardamom pwd ,Condensed milk and stir well.Boil for 30 - 40 minutes,by stirring continuously with wooden spatula to make fine thick paste and make sure it should be in the stage of soft lump .

5.Remove from fire and Transfer into a greased plate and leave it to cool.Cut into any shape and serve by garnishing with silver foil and pistachio.

Pistachio - Green Peas Doodh Peda

Milk - 4 cups/1 litre
Pistachio - 1/2 cup,soak in hot water to remove skin,
Frozen Peas - 1/2 cup,boiled 6 minutes in microwave oven,
Sugar - 3 tspn
Condensed milk - 3 tbspn
Cardamom - 6no
Green Food color - 2 drops

Method

1.Take a heavy bottomed sauce pan and boil milk in medium flame and stir continuously .

2.Grind Pista ,Green Peas with little amount of milk into fine paste.After milk starts bubbling add butter and Pistachio - PEAS paste ,sugar and boil until it gets thicken ,stirring in the middle in low flame.

3.Now ,add cardamom pwd ,Condensed milk ,2 drops of Green Food color and stir well for 30 - 40 minutes,stir continuously with wooden spatula to make fine thick paste and it should be in the stage of soft lump .Remove from fire and allow it to cool.

4.Transfer into a greased plate and leave it cool.

5.Cut into diamond shape with knife and serve by garnishing with silver foil and shredded pistachio.

Making Tiranga (Indian Flag)

1.Make a small amount of carrot doodh peda and make it into a cylindrical shape and keep it on a plate.Make another two cylindrical logs with Coconut Doodh Peda, Pistachio - Green Peas Doodh Peda.

2.Join all these Orange ,White ,Green color pedas together and adjust edjes with knife.

3.For Ashok Chakram, Take Thin Semiya and touch it up with Blue food color and place in the middle of Coconut Peda .

That's it ,Tiranga Doodh Peda is ready .
This is my contribution to Dear Indira's Food Parade on Independence Day Celebrations.

Watermelon Waffle Sandwich

"Watermelon" is universal favourite fruit.It looks fat but really Fat Free.

Nutritional Facts of Watermelon
High in Vitamin A ,B6 and C
Contains Fiber and Potassium

Uses
Good for Sorbet,Slushes,Smoothies and juices." Charmagaz " is famous in India which is a mixture of dried Watermelon,Muskmelon,Pumpkin, Cucumber seeds in equal quantites.It is used in Sweets as a "Topping".Roasted and Seasoned seeds with Salt and Redchilli powder taken as a Snack at "Tea time".
Know more about watermelon here

Ingredients
Watermelon cut into circle - 2 no
Buttermilk Waffles (Eggo Brand) - 4 no,
Whipped Cream - 2tspn
Vanilla Frosting - 4 tspn
Vanilla - Pistachio Icecream(Hazen Dazes Brand) - 5 small scoops

1.Cut the Watermelon into circle shape by using any lid and store in refrigerator.

2.Preheat the oven to 375F.

3.Place Frozen Waffles on a waxpaper and bake for 2 minutes by turning both sides until crispy and hot .Waffles should be in light brown color(So,4 Minutes for baking both sides of waffle.)

Assembling Sandwich

1.Apply Vanilla frosting on the top of Waffle and place Watermelon circle on it and spread Icecream and place another Waffle and apply Whipped cream ,again Watermelon square and apply a scoop of icecream and cover with Waffle and press down gently the whole sandwich.

2.Decorate each sandwich with a small dollop of Vanilla-Pistachio Icecream and with watermelon florets.

3.Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

Dear Stephanie invited for her" Blog Party #13" for the theme of "No Cooking"as a wonderful concept for this Summer and I am ready with cool... cool... Watermelon Waffle Sandwich .

See the recipe of vanilla waffle sundae .

Food Blogging exposed in the newspaper...The HINDU - Business Line(August 4, 2006).

Nowadays Indian newspapers are in search of exposing all FOOD BLOGS. This is a very healthy sign for us - my dear Food Bloggers. August 4th 2006, Hindu Business line published an article on Food Bloggers highlighting the friendship, commitment and the pooling of cooking knowledge / recipes by the food bloggers...Thanks to the Media for spotlighting our culinary work. Thanks to all helpful hands for publishing the experiences and expectations of the Food Bloggers in the newspaper. Thanks to the author Sravanthi Challapalli.
Enjoy reading, August 04, 2006 Hindu Business Line article titled Hot off the...blog!

JFI News -" Semiya Payasam"

Hi Friends,
This is time to make anouncement for JFI and I am thanking to Dear Indira for starting this wonderful JFI event.
I have choosen " Milk and Milk Products " as an ingredient which includes whole milk, condensed milk, yoghurt, buttermilk, paneer, khoya, ghee / clarified butter.
Particpation Details:
1.All entries are due on September 1st and please mail me the link once you publish in your blogs.
2. If you have any doubts, feel free to mail me. You can send your entries with a picture 75X75 pixel size to vineelascooking@yahoo.com mentioning the subject as “JFI#5" and also mention the milk derivative name used in the recipe.
Example :
If Recipe : Gulab jamun then milk product :Khoya
3.History, nostalgic tales, paintings, and drawings, your experiences anything related to Milk and Milk Products are welcome from all...If you don't have a blog I will publish for you with your name..just email me...
4.I will do a round up after receiving your entries.

JFI # 5 - Milk and Milk Products

Today is an auspicious day - "Varalakshmi Vratham" and all the Festivals follow from this day onwards throughout the year.I made "Semiya Payasam" ,"Pulihora" "Vada" as Prasadam for "Godess Lakshmi".
Here is the Recipe for Payasam:

Semiya Payasam:

Milk - 5 cups
Semiya - 2 cups
Cardammom - 7 ,crushed,
Cashewnuts - 10
Raisins - 8
Ghee - 2tbspn
Sugar - 1 cup
Saffron - 5 strands

Making :
Fry Semiya in ghee for light brown color and add milk and cook in low meidum flame for 15 minutes.Add Sugar and cardamom pwd,saffron mixed in milk and stir well .Cook until Semiya becomes soft and add fried cashewnuts and raisins.Serve warm or chill.

Matar Bhutte Ki Dhokla

"Dhokla" is a Traditional Gujarathi Dish taken as a snack at tea time or as a light meal.
I used to watch "Cook It Up with Tarla Dalal " known as "Queen of Indian Cookery " along with "Sudhanshu Pande" cooking series in "Sony" channel and "dhokla" is one of those recipes.This is my first attempt of making "Dhokla" and I added Peas to the original recipe. See here for Dhokla Maker.

Ingredents For Dhokla
Besan / Senaga Pindi /Kadalai Mavu /Bengal Gram Flour - 2 cups
Ginger paste -½ tsp
Green chilli paste - ½ tsp
Green Peas - 1cup
Fresh Corn seeds (Mokka jonna ginjalu/Bhutta) - 1 cup
Curd(Perugu/Dahi/Thayir) - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Asafoetida (Inguva/Perumgayam/Hing) - a pinch
Baking Soda - ½ tspn
For Seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
Sesame seeds - 1 tspn
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Green chillies - 1 ,finely chopped
Coriander leaves for garnishing - &frac 14 bunch / 6 sprigs
Grated Carrot - 3 tspn
Oil for cooking

1.Seive the Gram flour(Besan) and place in a bowl to mix the Green chilli-Ginger paste ,Salt,Turmeric,Asafoetida,Curd.Mix well without forming any lumps.

2.Add Baking soda and Frozen /Soaked Green Peas ,Frozen Corn seeds and mix well and cover with lid and keep the batter for 4 hours until you will see bubbles on top.

3.Transfer the mixture into a greased vessel and place the vessel in the pressure cooker without putting weight and steam for 25 minutes till done(Test by using toothpick if dhokla is cooked or not if tooth pick comes out clean then Dhokla is done.).

4.Remove from fire and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.For seasoning, heat the oil in a sauce pan and add Mustard seeds and Sesame seeds once seeds splutter add Asafoetida,Green chillies,Curry leaves.

5.Pour this seasoning over Dhoklas.Cut Dhokla into desired shape.
Garnish with the chopped Coriander leaves and grated Carrot / Coconut and serve warm Fluffy Matar Bhutte ki Dhokla's with Parsley Mint Chutney and with Tomato Chilly sauce.

Recipe Source:TarlaDalal's Makai ka Dhokla

Parsley Mint Chutney:
This is the way i make quick green chutney with Coriander .I used "Parsley" for variation. Wash:
Parsley one bunch( Substitute Coriander )
Mint one bunch
Green Chillies - 4no
Ginger - 1" size,piece

Preparation:
Fry above ingredients in 2 tspn of oil until color changes to dark green.
Grind in a blender into a fine paste by adding sufficient Water and Salt.
Do Seasoning with Mustard Seeds,Red chilly with 1tspn of oil .
Serve this chutney with any snack or breakfast.

This is my entry for the " jihva " event of JFI# 4 - "Flour" hosting by Dear Santhi of "Me and My Kitchen".

Thanks for giving a nice ingredient and going to see a big round up with loads of recipes. Happy Hosting ,Santhi.

Frozen Apricot Yoghurt Ginger snap Squares

First I got introduced to "SHF" event by Ruth of "once upon a feast".That month theme was "Ginger".After searching on net i came across with lot of recipes like Gingersnap cookies,Ginger bread etc.But i held up with some work at that time and i ended up with Ginger peanut bars for that entry.I made this dessert after reffering from Pillsbury magazine and changed "APRICOT" instead of "CHOCOLATE".
This is my entry to "Sugar High Friday " #21 for the theme of "ICEICEBABY" by lovely "Sarah" of The Delicious Life.

Ingredients for GingerSnap Cookies:
Gold Medal® all-purpose flour - 2cups
Egg - 1
Sugar - 1 cup
Vegetable oil - 1 cup
Molasses(Brown Sugar) - ½ cup
Baking soda - ½tspn
Baking Powder - 1tspn
Salt - ½ tspn
Ground Ginger - 1 tspn
Ground Cinnamon - ½ tspn
Ground Cloves - 1 no,crushed

Method

1.Heat oven to 350F.In large bowl, beat egg and add oil and stir well and then add molasses and sugar,ground ginger,crushed clove,cinnamon and stir for fine blending.Mix this into dough and knead well.Make dough into small balls and flatten it and roll in sugar bothsides.

2.Place on a parchment paper lined with baking sheet and Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges to turn brown color and tops appear cracked.Remove from oven and sprinkle sugar on gingersnaps and leave snaps to cool on wire racks.

3.Store in an airtight container once cool.
Adapted from Elise's Simply Recipes

Ingredients for :
Gingersnap cookies - 15
Dried Apricots - 2 cups
Butter - ½ cup
Frozen yoghurt - 8 cups
Frozen Whipped Cream - 2cups
Pistachio - 1/2 cup,coarsely ground
Honey - 1tspn for glazing

Method

1.Soak Dried Apricots in warm water for 1hr.Heat oven to 350 F. Grind Gingersnap cookies for powder in blender.

2.Add Butter to the cookie crust and mix well.Place Cookie mix into 13x9inches greased Rectangular baking pan and press evenly for same surface.Bake for 6 to 8 min.Remove from oven and Cool it for room temperature.

3.Grind soaked Apricots into paste in blender and strain for smooth paste.Fold Apricot paste into Whipped Cream and Mix well and store in fridge.

4.Spread Frozen Yoghurt on the upper layer of Baked Cookie crust and keep in freezer to set for 1 hr.

5.Once Youghurt is set ,spread apricot whipped cream over the youghurt layer and freeze for 3 hrs to set.

6.Before serving,Make a stencil of flower(my favourite) on whipped cream layer and sprinkle Coarsely ground Pistachio on top and glaze with honey at edges.

7.Cut the dessert with the knife (dipped in warm water) into squares and transfer to platter and Serve immediately.

Rava Ladoo

Rava Ladoo

Ingredients
Rava/Semolina(Bombay rava) - 3cups
Milk - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 cups
Cardamom - 8 no,crushed
Cashewnuts - 15 no

1.Take a heavy saucepan/kadai ,add 1 tbspn of ghee and add rava to that and roast for light brown color stirring continuously with wooden spatula in low medium heat.

2.When Rava changes to light brown color add powdered sugar,caradamom pwd and mix well.When sugar melts into rava ,add ghee ,sprinkle milk slowly and mix well for 5 minutes until rava becomes wet.

3.Heat Ghee in a pan and first fry raisins,once they plump up remove from spatula and add cashewnuts and fry for brown color.

4.Add these into rava mixture and remove from stove.Wet hand with 1tbspn of chill milk and shape the rava mixture into small balls.Chill milk prevents your palms from burning.You can moisten with ghee /oil also instead of milk if rava mixture is luke warm.Shelf will more if you don't add milk to ladoos . Ladoos can be shaped into round balls if mixture is hot.

5.Allow to cool these Rava Ladoos and store in airtight container.

Orange,Strawberry,Kiwi Milk Shake & Caramalized Banana

"Comfort Food" is the theme of this month's From My Rasoi # 7 hosting by Dear Revathi of En ulagam. So,Here goes my Tri (fruit +color)ful milk shakes and Caramalized banana.

Ingredients for Orange Milk Shake
Orange - 2 no
Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 3 tspn
Vanilla essence -½tspn

Method

1.Wash and Peel Oranges and deseed while making into pieces.

2.Transfer to blender ,add milk and sugar and blend until smooth and chill in refrigerator.

3.Chill the serving glass in fridge (It will keep milk shake cool for somemore time ) and dip the glass rim in granulated sugar for extra sugary flavour and an another reason is decorating glasses.

4.Pour the "Orange Milkshake" in glasses and serve.

Ingredients for Strawberry Milk Shake
Strawberries - 8 no
Milk - 2cups
Sugar - 4 tspn
Vanilla essence -½ tspn

Method

1.Wash and cut strawberries into half .

2.Transfer to blender make puree and add milk,sugar,vanilla essence and blend until smooth.Chill and serve.

Kiwi Fruit Milk shake and "Uses of Kiwi Fruit "

Nutritional Facts
High in fiber
High in vitamin C
A good source of vitamin E
A good source of Potassium
Low fat
Saturated fat-free
Sodium-free
Cholesterol-free

Health Benefits
Imporoves heart health
Protect against cancer
Relief from Asthama
See calharvest for detailed information.

Storage
Place Kiwi fruits in a paper bag and can store for 2 weeks in refrigerator.

Ingredients for Kiwi fruit Milk shake
Kiwi Fruit - 2 no
Milk - 3 cups
Sugar - 4tspn
Almond essence -½ tspn

Method

1.Wash kiwis and pare and cut into slices.

2.Transfer to blender ,add milk and sugar,almond essence and blend for smoother consistency and chill in refrigerator.
Chill the serving glass in fridge and fill the glass with kiwi fruit shake and serve.

Ingredients for Caramelized Banana
Butter - 2tbspn
Light brown sugar - 2tbspn
Honey - 2 tspn
Ripe Bananas - 2no,peeled, sliced to lengthwise in ½ and cut into crosswise
Whipped cream - 1tbspn

Method

1.In a large sauce pan,melt the butter on medium heat.Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.

2. Add the bananas and cook, stirring for 3 minutes when sugar caramelizes and is bubbling add honey and shake the pan to get bananas coated with sugar and honey syrup.

3.Remove fron fire and leave it to cool and chill in refrigerator.Serve chill with Whipped cream as a topping.
Caramalized Banana Adapted from Emeril's Live.

Idly with Vadai Curry,Garlic - Golden Orange Bell Pepper Chutney

Idlys are low in fat and full of protien and easily digestive."Vadai Curry" is one of my husband's favourite side dish for Idly.I just tasted "vadai curry with idly" once when we visited to one of our favourite Hotel "Data Udipi" in K.K Nagar,Chennai.It tastes spicy and yummy.Being an Andhraite "vadai curry" is new to me as a side dish for idly.Mom used to prepare like gravy called "Vadala pulusu" for hot rice with the vadas made with Urad and Chana dal .I grown on idlys along with favourite Peanut chutney,Kobbari chutney(Coconut chutney) and yummy Karappodis(dal powders),Tomato Chutney and Red chilli chutney.Lets come to the point ,i am sharing this recipe in the occasion of Nanditha's Weekend Breakfast Blogging Event as my entry.More info about Idly here.

Recipe and Ingredients for Idly
I will make idlis with Idly rava (from my mom's kitchen) and grinding rice and urad dal in wet grinder according to my aunty's method.Here ,this method is using with Idly rava:
Idly Rava /Uppudu Rava /Cream of Rice - 2 cups
Urad dal - 1 cup
Menthi seeds - ¼ tspn
Salt to taste
For Making
Idly plates,Pressure Cooker
water
Oil for greasing

1.Soak Urad Dal and Fenugreek seeds for 4 hours and grind the dal for smooth consistency.

2.Soak Idly rava in water for 1 hr before you are going to grind Urad dal.

3.Add Idly rava to the urad dal paste and mix well.Store in a big vessel because batter will rise up and may overflow if vessel is small.

4.Cover with lid and leave it to ferment for 8 hrs.When Batter rises up mix well with ladle by adding sufficient salt.

5.Grease idli plates with oil and pour batter with the ladle and steam for 12 minutes in Pressurecooker without using pressure.

6.Remove from fire Leave it to cool for 2minutes without opening the cooker lid once they are cooked.This makes idlys non sticky to plates while taking with spatula.Another way is Dip spatula in water and take the idlys from idli plates carefully.

7.Serve fluffy - hot idlys with any chutney or podi and especially with "vadai curry ".

Recipe Source :Amma

Check here for more idli’s from Raji's Menthi Idli,Indira, Sailu's Food, Priya, Priya, Madhu, Shynee,Menutoday

Ingredients for Vadai Curry

Soaked Chanadal (Senagapappu/Kadala parupu) - 2 cups
Ginger - 1 " size piece
Green Chillies - 4 ,chopped into small pieces,
Tomato - 1 ,large size or 2 meduim (blanch in hot water, remove the skin and make into a puree)
Onions - 2 ,chopped finely,
Garlic - 4 pods,crushed
Cloves - 2 no,
Cinnamon(Dalchina chekka) - 1"size piece
T urmeric - a pinch
For seasoning
Cumin seeds - 1tspn
Bay Leaf - 1
Red chilies - 2 no ,pieces
Curry leaves - 4 or 5
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Salt to taste
Oil for frying.

Method:

1.Soak Chanadal for 4 hrs and grind along with Greenchillies,Ginger into coarsely by sprinkling less water.Add Salt,chopped Onions and keep it aside.

2.Heat Oil in kadai,and make sure when oil is enough hot for deep frying then make batter into small ball and flatten it with your palms and drop slowly from the edjes of kadai into the hot oil.

3.Fry both sides in light goldenbrown color and make sure not to fry like dark golden brown color like masala vada which is crispy.Places vadas on tissue paper to drain out excessive oil.

4.Grind chopped Onions,blanched Tomato along with Cloves,Garlic,Cinnamon into a fine puree.

5.Heat oil in a saucepan,add Cumin seeds and stir for a while to change its color and add crushed garlic,chopped onions and fry for golden brown color.

6.Add the ground paste and fry till the raw smell goes.Add Turmeic pwd,Salt,Red chilli pwd,little water and stir well and cook for 3 minutes by keeping lid.

7.Split vadas into small pieces and add to the gravy and stir once.Cook in low medium flame by keeping lid until the vadas become soft and coated well with the gravy.

8.Garnish with Chopped Coriander leaves and serve hot with Idly or Dosa.

Method
Garlic - Tomato - Coriander - Orange Bell Pepper Chutney
Golden Orange Bell pepper(Known as "Capsicum" in India) - ½
Garlic - 10 pods,peeled
Tomatoes - 2 no ,medium size
Coriander leaves - ¼ bunch
Red chillies - 7 no(depends on your taste)
Salt to taste

I used Orange bell pepper,Coriander in this chutney which i felt a nice combo of aroma leaves and sweet flavor(Red Chillies will reduce the sweetness of chutney).This recipe is Very simple and easy to make and yummy too.

1.Fry Garlic pods in oil to goldenbrown color and keep it aside.Fry Coriander leaves in the same for slightly change of its color and Fry Red chillies ,chopped Tomato pieces until tomato become tender and fry chopped Orange color Bellpepper/Capsicum pieces and saute for 3 minutes.

2.Remove from the fire and allow it to cool completely.

3.Grind all these ingredients together by adding little water for a fine paste.Season with mustard seeds and curry leaves and serve with Idly or Dosa or Upma.
Look here for Capsicum Chutneys - Indira's Red Bell pepper Chutney , Capsicum Chutney, Saffronhut's Palette , Red Capsicum Chutney , Hot ORANGE chutney