Hearts blossom drink

This is one milkshake i would love the kids to have during the evening time when the feel really hungry . its difficult to have grown up kids to go hungry especially during the growing stage. When you have boys in your family i think the best to have is the pantry to be filled with stuffs that you can get quick for grabs. 

I had to take a break from our mourning of loosing our grandfather. He was ailing from some discomforts of life . It's very very hard for him since few months as  his health deteoriorated heavily and we could not do much about it.  

Even if he is gone our house still feels his presence. His  dominant nature was very distinct. We will miss him very much too. All shall pass this stage someday....
Today's drink is something that Aj had in the work place where a new shop had opened and it  served variety drinks . This drink is really tummy filling and we loved it . He got the fruits home and showed us how it's made . He happened to ask and they were very willing to disclose the secret ingredient of the juice being black seedless grapes .of course one would now that but the correct amount was necessary.for the drink. Use freezed milk . And the strawberry should be thoroughly cleaned too.
The name was funny but hey it's so worth the drink and we made this for the whole family gathering that took place at our house .

Ingredients

• 1 kilo black seedless grapes
• 2 packs strawberry
• 1/2 litre frozen milk
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• Sugar to taste

Method

• Soak the chia seeds in water to bloom.
• Next add all the ingredients in jar and bitze to smooth paste. It will be very thick.
• Do not add water.
• Add milk if needed only. Add sugar accordingly and blitz again.
• Serve cold .

Read More

Kappa puttu /tapioca rice cakes

As I am writing this post ,I was thinking where to start. I was just so immersed in thoughts,that is not encouraging enough to get me to write posts...I have so many things going in life and one of them is the state at which we are in now . The laws of the country changing and we as Muslims lived in Harmony with all the others . Never there has been discrimination amongst us in this country,but now, after the bill was passed , I can feel the tension in public. While travelling in public places , still we do not feel safe anymore. I don't know how this will end but will it ever end .. only Allah can have a say it.

Today's recipe is something the usual the keralites love to make . And as a working mom ,it's my favorite. Easy ,healthy and filling.
Puttu recipe  is authentic of Kerala. It's usually had with kadala curry or the next combo is with banana and sugar.

Today's puttu is with a little different variety. Aj had got some tapioca. We love to have for tea tempered  with roasted chilli's and curry leaves. There were few left overs . So we had some sliced and I sun dried  them .As it was sunny I got to get it sun dried quick enough . Grind the pieces and it's good to go . Add it with the puttu podi and steam as per recipe . It tastes unique and it's very healthy too. The filling is very simple just add in layers the  coconut shreds ,puttu podi and tapioca powder ,layer it in the cylinder and steam it up .that's it. This  variety puttu is healthy and tasty too.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Puttu podi / rice Flour
• 1 cup Freshly Grated Coconut
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup  Water
• 1 cup tapioca powder home-made or as needed.

Method

• First I took the  flour in a mixing large  bowl and adding salt, nicely crumble the mixture and stirwell. Add  water by 1/4 cup at a time  and mix well till wet and crumbly.
• Now take a  puttu maker. Layer coconut in the base with  rice flour mix on top and then with a generous  tapioca powder and  more coconut and rice flour. Repeat to fill the cylinder.
• Place it on top  steamer
• Cook for 10 mins.
• Unmould and serve with kadala curry or banana sugar mix.

Read More

Chicken corn soup

It's been a tough week for me , with my whole family,at the bedside of ailing grandfather. It's tough to see someone go through this fight for life.  I have been through the ups and downs of life but it's worth fighting life all through the hard times too. As far as , blogging and cooking is going on, I am jingling to balance everything. Work and home , then my kids doing boards this year . It's all a mess and still I am planning and working things out. 

Coming to the cooking part , I have few for this month, not as I have planned as time is retrieving everything for me . All are sick here at the moment , with fever and cold.  I decided to post few though . But while I get to the spree for blogging which has always been a fight for me as I literally get through many chores in daily mess ,I try to plan it out too. I don't know what more is going to come up this week but yes there is some posts that's exciting coming up too. Hope it turns well for this year . 
Ok now coming back to soups ..I have eyes on simple soups for my blog. What's so fun about soups is that it's so easy to make and easy to settle down with it too. As we are all having a slight flue I decided having a little spicy soup would be fine for the family .
Here's the recipe ...

Ingredients

• 300 gms chicken with bones
• 1 cup vegetables chopped finely
• ( Mushrooms, carrots and corn )
• 1 litre water
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cube vegetable stock
• 1 onion chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon garlic chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• 1 tablespoon water

Method

• Take a heavy bottom pan .
• Add one cup water , add stock cube ,chicken ,pepper and  salt .
• Boil and simmer till chicken is cooked well.
• After the chicken is done . Keep aside.
• Take the same pan and add butter ,garlic, onions . Stir and soften only .
• Add the vegetables and stir  for 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken shredded. Stir well
• Add one litre water and cook for 5 minutes on medium flame .
• Add the cornflour slurry and boil for 10 minutes.
• Check salt and pepper and add accordingly.
• Garnish with corriander leaves .
• Serve hot .

Read More

Masala potato fries

I love potato and they are versatile vegetable.I love cooking them . Somehow I find it interesting to prep easier snackes with them . My family are foodies so we always have tendency to cook new meals which is an added advantage for my blog . Only reason not to say no to snacks is when we don't want oil fried ones .
Sometimes we just  go for just aval and coconut shreds mixed with sugar. A snack that is so filling to our stomachs . But potato is always available in my pantry which makes it easier to make anything quick . I like quick snacks and this is simply simple,!

My kids always remind me of how a great cook I am but to tell you the truth I am lazy at times . So lazy , that I order takeaways from outside,which is very addictive too. Instagram and Facebook help to boost me up. Some amazing cooks make so difficult recipes so easy . Especially baked ones are so easy to make. I am a baker myself so I focus more on that. My one recipe bread pakoras is inspired from a Facebook channel and it was so yummy.

Coming to this recipe, my mom was searching for a breakfast idea for poories. We love poori bajji,but sometimes I need a chance to cook different. I have been wanting to make a curry with potatoes. Something different in style but that's when she came across this recipe and I insanely said you found only this to make ... She said then don't eat if you don't want...anyways she was going to make it  for chai. And I must say as she drained the cook fries on tissue paper,I was licking it clean.. she made two batches .and it was so yummy ...some mum's know a recipe will be good just at a glance itself .
 

Ingredients

• 4 boiled potatoes
• 1 green chili,chopped finely
• 1/2 onion chopped
• Few Curry leaves finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cornflour
• salt to taste

Method

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
• Fill into a piping bag.
• Slit a small opening at tip of piping bag. The hole should not be big .
• Heat oil ,and drop small pieces into the oil .
• Fry till golden brown .
• Serve hot with chilli  sauce .

Read More

Ney Adda/ layered nutty pancakes

I have my recipe for the year on the first post . I don't know how but I love to start everything with sweets . My mind is dwindling on lot of things .I love baking and I will be putting up few of the here also. Last year was really hectic . I had health issues with weight gains and I started to 'Instagram ' a lot. I kept my time limit though, with help of few apps online.
This year I am focusing on same as such as going back to getting slim and losing all chubbiness around my waist line.  , Also I want to do a lot for the blog. As working from office is hectic at times.  I manage to make  healthy meals for my family as much as I can.

Today's recipe is an ancient recipe by all ways.

It is baked pancakes in layers for the 'puthyapila' or newly weds. It's given for breakfasts and as snacks for chai. It's loaded with nuts and eggs and it's loved by all the members of the family. It's something like a pola and egg filled pathiri,but this is ,it's filled with nuts and not eggs or any savoury ingredients. The most loved is this recipe which I am posting here. Some people add scrambled eggs to the layers ...but I didn't make it that way as I am not a lover of too many eggs I my meal . If your in a hurry and want to give your kids a good breakfast ,this is an healthy option too.

This recipe is special to my part of the world . It's served as a delicacy to the groom who enters the house on the day after the wedding.
I wouldn't recommend any variations to the recipe because some recipes are not worth changing at all. Please add cashews and raisins only ..I tired with walnuts at it wasn't satisfying at all. My mom who is that kind of person who follows strictly to her ancient recipes and never changes them  , told me not to add anything new.. well she was right .
So here's the recipe and do comment below ...

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain flour
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1/2 cup cashews and currents crushed.
• Ghee

Method

• Beat the eggs and sugar in mixer grinder and add the cardamom powder. Keep aside.
• Beat the plain flour ,milk and salt . Also keep aside separately.
• Now take a non-stick pan . Spread one teaspoon ghee generously all sides of the pan.
• Pour one laddle of flour batter on low flame. cover cook till half set . After two minutes add another laddle of egg batter . Cover cook till set for two minutes.
• Next add a layer of nuts .
• Repeat by adding another laddle of flour batter cover cook till set for 2 minutes .
• Repeat with egg batter again . Layer the nuts.
• Keep repeating these steps till your ingredients are over .
• Last Finish off with egg batter pour on all sides.
• While cooking the Adda , cook on low flame careful not to burn the bottom.
• Last take a frying pan,add a teaspoon of ghee and flip the Adda too cook the top side .
• After two minutes take out.
• On cooling ,serve.

Read More