Think Pink - Strawberry Lassi

STRAWBERRY LASSI

10-15 big fresh strawberries, trimmed and halves
3 tbsp Sugar
2 cups plain yogurt (whole-milk or low-fat)
1 cup ice cubes/cold water
Pistachios for garnishing
Puree strawberries with sugar in a blender until smooth.
Add yogurt and ice, then blend it again.
Serve chilled.

I've already posted strawberry lassi Here so withdrawing my name from the event but Lets welcome summer !!! with this post.

Mera Lucknowi Andaz.........

Ever since I heard about RCI-Lucknow, I wanted to participate in this event. I wanted to represent my state with my fellow blogger. Lucknow cuisine is all about variety, but living in this part of world (U.S) where 2 people is a family, it is not at all motivating to cook this much of food for one time meal. But I totally believe in- If there is a will, there will be a way. So I cooked, I clicked and happily waited for my husband for a big surprise. Guess what!! I got a call from my husband that he might come late due to some work call. So here I was alone (not exactly, my 2 year old son was there) so here we are, with lots of food but no company. I lit some candles and thinking them as my company ate food in totally Nawabi Style.

So here I present My Lucknowi Andaz....-:-)

I made - Bathue Ka Raita, Aloo Wadi, Shahi Paneer, Muglai Chawal, Hari Pyaz Aloo ki Sabji, Ajwain ka Tikona Paratha with Mirchi ka Achar, Aam ka Mitha Achar and Papad.

Lucknowi food is no food without Mango. Dusshari thats the variety very popular in U.P. Last but not least no meal is complete with out Mukhwas (Mouth-Freshener) and most popularly Paan in lucknow.

Let's start with Bathue Ka Raita and Aloo Wadi -

Bathua in hindi, I searched on net and these are the other names for it.

Common name: Fat Hen, Lamb's-quarters, Pigweed, Bathua बथुआ (Hindi), Paruppukkirai (Tamil), Chandanbethu (Bengali), Vastukah (Sanskrit), Bathua (Oriya), Kaduoma (Kannada), Pappukura (Telugu), Vastuccira (Malayalam), Chakvit (Konkani)

Bathue Ka Raita

1/2 cup Bathua Blanched and grinded

1 cup Yogurt

Salt

1/4 tsp Hing

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

Chat Masala (optional)

Red Chili Pd

Whisk yogurt until smooth (add water if needed) with salt and Bathua. Heat few drops of oil in a very small pan, add cumin seeds. When they start to crackle add hing and add this in to the yogurt. Serve cold.

Aloo Wadi here I posted it earlier in my post.

Shahi Paneer and Mughlai Chawal

Shahi Paneer

2 cups cubed Paneer

1 big onion Chopped

4 cloves Garlic (Garlic in US is quite big add more in India)

1 green Chili

4 tbsp Crushed Tomatoes or 2 chopped Tomatoes

15 Cashewnuts soaked in 1 cup of milk

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp garam masala pd

1/2 tsp kitchen king

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 bay leaves

salt

Oil

Heat 2 tsp of oil, add cumin seeds, onions, garlic, chilies and fry until onions are light brown in color. Once it cool down grind it in to smooth paste with tomatoes, cashewnuts and milk.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in the same pan, add bay leaves and the tomato paste in the pan. Fry it for a minute (add little water if needed) til you can see some oil on the surface. Add all masalas and 1 cup of water. Give it a boil and add paneer cubes in it. Cover it and cook it for 5 minutes on low flame.(Keep stirring in between and add more water if the gravy is thicker for your taste)

Serve Hot with a garnishing of your choice.

Mughlai Chawal

1 cup Basmati Rice

3/4 cup Sugar

Saffron soaked in warm milk

Fried Cashewnuts

Raisins

Dried Cranberries

1/4 cup Coconut Pd

4-5 cloves

2 star aniseeds

1/2 tsp Elachi Pd

1 tbsp Ghee

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add cloves, star aniseeds, cardamom pd and rice in it. Mix it well and add water and cook until rice is half done. Now add sugar, raisins, cranberries, coconut pd cashewnuts and saffron milk in it. Cover and cook it until rice is fully done.

Hari Pyaaz Aloo Ki Sabji

Hari Pyaaz Aloo Ki Sabji

1 cup chopped Hari Pyaaz/Scallion

2 potatoes Cubed

2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 1/2 tsp Coriandar Pd

1/2 tsp Turmeric Pd

1/2 tsp Chili Pd, Salt

Heat oil In a pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to crackle add all the masalas excluding amchoor pd. Stir it for 20 seconds and add pyaaz and aloo. Mix well, add salt little bit of water, cover and cook until it is done. Serve hot sprinkled with amchoor pd.

Lastly its Mango and Mukhwas.

Mukhwas - Khatta Mittha Dried Aam, Silvered Fennel Seeds, Khatta Khajoor, Coloured Mukhwas and my favourite Aam Papad.

Well its one long post - and it is for RCI-Lucknow Cuisine Event hosted by Dear Lavanya's Home Cook Recipes and brain child of Lakshmi's Veggie Cuisine.

Thank You Lavanya, Thank You Lakshmi.

Devi Navratris are starting from tomorrow, So no non-veg, eggs, onion, garlic for 9 days. Happy Navratis to all of you.
Before I finish, I want to complete my story. Next day when I gave this food to my husband for the lunch, He called me just to talk about-- what he missed??!! Thanks Dear.

Bharwan Karela

Bitter Gourd or karela with all the medicinal qualities, is one vegetable that does not get due love and regard from people. Aaj maine karela banaya hai, but I'm not hungry that's the answer it gets every time. Even I used to have this bitter relationship with this vegetable but now I've started liking it, cooking it and sharing it. M (not the junior) loves karelas, so this is must have vegetable in my home.

This is my Mom's Recipe (what's new) and I like this Khatta (aam and amchoor) spicy and crunchy swad of this vegetable. And best of all this sabji stays good at least for a week in refrigerator (its like a pickle and store it with used oil) and if going out its good for two days.

Bharwan Karela

Karela - 6 Small Karelas(Peeled off upper layer) (Bitter Gourd)

Onions - 3 medium (Finally chopped)

Kaccha Aam - Half (grated) (keri, Raw Mango)

Green Chilli - 2 (Finely chopped)

Salt as per taste

Coriander Powder - 2 tbsp

Red Chili powder - 1 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

Mango Powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds Powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Slit peeled karelas lengthwise and make space for stuffing by removing seeds from inside. Now sprinkle salt all over them(inside and outside). Keep them aside for at least an hour to drain out all bitter juice from them.

For stuffing - Take oil in a pan and saute onion til light brown in color. Add grated R-Mango and all masalas. Mix well and cook for another 2 minutes. Let it cool down.

(Squeeze out bitter juice from karelas) Stuff the onion masala in to the karelas. (I don't thread them but if you are not comfortable you can tie them with the thread)

Shallow fry karelas in a flat-bottom pan. Remember changing their sides time to time when they become little darker in color. Once they cooked blot excess oil in paper towel and serve with roti, puri or parantha.

I know this is not one of the most loved recipe but I will like to send it to event- SWC Meals on Wheels hosted by Lakshmi from Taste of Mysore.

Thank U Lakshmi.

Holi Hai!!!!

Its already Late so without any further delay, I'm posting my recipes for Dear Purva's event - "Holi Hai !!"

Thank U Purva for hosting this colorful event. Looking forward for colorful round-up.

GUJIYA

1 tin Evaporated Milk, Semolina (Suji) 1/4 cup, Sugar 1/2 cup, Coconut, grated 1/4 cup, Almonds, chopped 2 tbsp, Cashew nuts, chopped 2 tbsp, Raisins 2 tbsp, Green Cardamom Powder ¼ tsp

For Dough- Maida 1 cup, Oil (4 tbsp) + for frying, Water

Roast suji on medium flame till it changes colour. Mix in all the other ingredients for the filling. Cook on medium / slow flame, stirring occasionally, till the mixture is dry.

To prepare the dough, rub oil into maida. Add water and make into stiff dough. Knead the dough till pliable. Keep aside covered for 10-15 minutes. Knead dough once again. Divide the dough in to small balls. Roll each ball into a flat round like a thin puri. Place one tbsp of the filling. Fold over and shape into gujiya sealing the edges with little water.Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.

TIP-To seal, you can use gujiya mould or press with ends of a fork or simply twist with hand.

CHIVDA

2 cups Thin Poha

Roasted - Peanuts, Almonds, Cashew nuts, Coconut slices, Pinenuts

Raisins (all nuts- to taste)

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

Few Curry Leaves

1/2 tsp Turmeric Pd

1 1/2 tsp Sugar

Amchoor Pd/salt/Kala Namak (to taste)2 tbsp Oil and oil to fry poha

Red chili/green chilies - to taste

Fry poha in a hot oil (It will puff as soon as you put it in a oil) Be careful as it splutter lot of oil.

Keep it aside to cool down.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. when it start to crackle add curry leaves, turmeric pd, chilies. Now add all the nuts, sugar, salt, amchoor pd and kalanamk. Add fried poha and mix it well. when poha is all even colored taste it and add what ever is needed. Cr

Crispy Crunchy snack is ready.

This recipe goes to Event- Lets go nuts with almonds hosted by Tasty Treats

Thank you.

My Holi 2009

Jab We Met....

This month we celebrated 5Th year anniversary of Jab We Met.... yeah! we met 5 years back as strangers over a cup of Cappuccino. That's what we ordered and spent some time talking and knowing each other. Coincidentally he was wearing shirt of my favourite color, and being fan of "Dil To Pagal Hai" I thought its a sign from above (ya! those days) and that color is everywhere in our home now.

We met as Strangers, Started as a Couple and now "Three" is a company.

On our Fifth Anniversary of Jab We Met I made Cappuccino (Tried ya, at home without Machine) just to relive our first meeting all over again.

I tried it for the first time ( we both are Tea Lovers - Adrak Ki Chai) and it comes out fairly good. But today I want to share much delayed recipe for-

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

For Caramel

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 tbsp unsalted butter

6 pineapple rings/slices

6 maraschino cherries ( I used 11)

For Cake

2 cup All Purpose Flour/Maida
2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Butter
1 c Sugar (or less up to ur taste)
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1/2 cup Milk

For Caramel- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pan. Add brown sugar and mix it very well. When sugar starts caramelising, pour it in to a greased cake pan. Arrange pineapple and cherries according to the shape of the pan.

For Cake- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking pd and salt. Separate the yolk and white of eggs. Beat yolk with Butter and Sugar until light and lemony yellow. Add dry ingredients and vanilla essence. Add milk mix it well. Beat egg whites until stiff then fold into the egg yolk mixture. Pour it on arranged pineapple and cherries. Bake in preheated oven at 350F for up to 35 to 45 minutes. Let the cake cool down for 10 min, and then raise the curtain by turning it upside down.

Cake is ready to serve.

Egg Curry with Curried rice

I decided to make Egg curry for my husband one evening. Egg curry means left-overs for me. Somehow I'm not able to develop taste for this curry. While I was making it I realised amount of curry is too much for 3 eggs. Then and there I decided to make Curried Rice.

EGG CURRY

3 Eggs Boiled

1 Big Onion

3-4 cloves Garlic

1/2 inch piece of ginger

1 green chili (u can add more if want spicy)

1/4 cup Tomato Puree

3tbsp yogurt

Masala- Turmeric, coriander, roasted jeera pd, chili pd, garam masala, salt

Fry Boiled eggs in hot oil until light brown in color. Keep them aside to cool.

Grind onion, garlic, ginger and green chilies in to a smooth paste. Heat oil, add onion-garlic paste and fry till golden brown. Add all the masalas fry for sometime and add tomato puree in it. Fry till you can see oil on the edges. Add yogurt mixed in a cup of water (if making curried rice later add 2 cups of water :-) ) and boil on a medium flame. (stir in between if necessary) Cut the eggs in to halves (vertically) and add them in to gravy. Simmer it for 10 minutes or until it reached to the thickness of your choice.
Garnish egg curry with garam masala and coriander leaves and serve hot with paratha, roti, naan or rice.

Tip- After mixing yogurt if u see little chunks of it in the gravy or if the gravy is not smooth, Blend it in the blender before adding eggs.

CURRIED RICE

1 tbsp oil

1 bay leaf

Few cloves and whole black pepper

Left over curry

1 cup Rice (soaked in water )

2 cups Water

Garnishing of your choice

Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaf, cloves and peppers. Add curry and fry it for few seconds. Now add rice and mix it well. Add water and salt (if needed) cover and cook till done.

Serve hot with Egg Curry or Curry of your choice.

This recipe is going for Think Spice..Think Pepper.. event hosted by Dear Divya from Dil se..

Thank You Divya, Thank You Sunita-Sunita's World

Happy Holi

Holi is a festival of 3 "F" - Fun, Family and Food. Yes..."Food" that brings festivity on holi with colorful and scented gulal. Mom used to make (sorry mom u still make) so many food items on Holi. Name a few like Gujiya, Mathri, Meethe and Nankeen Shakarpare, Imli ka paani, Dahi Wade. Gosh! all that work for us (me and my brother) coz we were so excited for all the good food weeks before on Holi. I love u Mom for all the hard work you did and you're still doing to make each and every day special for us. I still remember making gujiya with my mother. (Thank U Mom for insisting me to help u, now when I'm married and have my own family and kid without any thought I know how to make the day special for my family). These are the few things I made on Holi.

Holi is incomplete without Gujiya. I also made Sev, Chivda and Banana Bread for my son.(Its not customary its just for his love for Bananas.) While I was making gujiya I was thinking all about home, we all (my dadi, bhabhi, mom and myself ) used to make gujiya's together. It was more fun than work. Here (in US), I have to do everything by myself all alone. Its OK, then I wonder, if my son with his all American taste (cupcakes, muffins, croissant, donuts.....) is going to like it or not. Lets see if not this year, probably next year. With thinking and hoping I finished my work and with all love and hope I gave very first gujiya to my son. He took a bite and return to his unfinished work of messing up whole room. And I returned to my work of cleaning and sorting things in the kitchen. All of a sudden my son came and hold me, I asked what happened and his one word made my day. He said "MORE"

Like a very proud mother I gave him one more gujiya and felt so satisfied that all my hard work is paid. I was feeling like a super Mom (blushing blushing) and can relate myself to my mom. Mom I have started understanding you more better.

Well today just my story, recipes very soon....

As Cool As Cucumber.......

Are they really cool ??? Well I searched and my research says... It's true! They says..It's much cooler inside of a cucumber than outside! So with out any wait take advantage of this fact by eating lots of cooling cucumbers on coming hot summer days. We can do so many things with it. Add cucumber slices to salads, sandwiches (my all time favourite), wraps, cold noodle dishes or pasta salads. But I like my "Desi" recipes like Matra chaat with cucumber,Upma with cucumber, desi style canapes with corn and cucumber and lastly my favourite favourite "CUCUMBER RAITA" .

Cucumber Raita

1 Cucumber- Grated

2 cups of yogurt (if thick add water)

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp roasted cumin seeds pd (I like it more)

R-chilli pd to taste

Chaat masala and chopped coriander leaves (optional)

Whisk yogurt with salt until smooth. Add grated cucumber and rest of the ingredients in it.

Mix well and chilled until the time you want to serve.

It goes well as a dip and foods like stuffed parantha, pulav or just cucumber raita on hot summer day.

This recipe is well suited for AFAM:Cucumber event hosted by Neha of Tasty Recipes

Thank You Neha and Thank You Maheshwari of Beyond The Usual for starting it.

Trouble Two...

Once they are "two" kids really become choosy, fussy and stubborn about what they want to eat. My son loves to eat rice but I want him to eat chapati also. This one dish is a full meal for him. He is happy and as a mother I'm happy to.

This recipe is for Stuffed Dal Dhokli and I'm really thankful to "coffee" from The Spice Cafe for sharing this wonderful recipe with us. Her recipe with all those fabulous pictures will really push you towards the kitchen. Rush in and Rush out with Stuffed Dal Dhokli.

THANK YOU, COFFEE.

Link for the recipe-- Stuffed Dal Dhokli From The Spice Cafe

My version is just the copy of the original recipe (thank u coffee) but little mild (no chillies) up to the taste of my son.

This post also goes for MBP:Kids Food Event hosted by Dear Trupti of Recipe Centre and brain child of Coffee's MBP Event

Thank U Trupti and Thank U Coffee.

Instant Treat For Kids

There are times when you want to instantly reward your children with some colorful tasty treat, that your kiddos really deserve. Kids wants something sweet, colorful, and whipped cream..yeah !! This is what I gave to my kiddo when he ate green beans in his lunch without any fuss. Bravo...he earns it.

This colorful bowl requires sesonal fruits or any fruits you have and whipped cream (can use that are available in cans or whipped at home)

Fruits I used were-- Mango (cubed), Banana (sliced), Strawberry (sliced) and raspberries.

Really simple, Place first layer of fruit in a bowl (in my case I used Mango) then thin layer of cream, second layer of fruit (IMC-Banana) again thin layer of cream, Third Layer of Fruit (IMC - Strawberry) swirls of w-cream and last fruit I used Raspberries.

Instant Fruit Pudding ready to eat.

I really want to mention the help I get from my son by giving me the fruit bowls, repeating fruits name after me and lastly sharing it with our neighbour's daughter.

Just for u Shonna... Anyday Anytime Anything.