Soups

Carrot Soup

I love thick creamy soups that are full of natural flavor. A vegetarian supplement is essential and I wanted to prepare it in the form of a soup.

I usually find soup recipes have some cream added for more flavor but this Carrot soup recipe was easy to make without the cream, a delicious soup that can be enjoyed all year round.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time:25- 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Olive oil / butter – 2 tbsp

Carrots – 325 g / 4 medium, roughly chopped into 1 inch after peeling

Potato – 100 g/1 small, peeled & chopped

Pepper – 1 tsp

Salt – as per taste

Water – refer below

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a medium, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add chopped carrots and potatoes, stirring for a couple of minutes.

carrot and potato's cooking

Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 to 10 minutes until they are almost soft. Turn off the heat and let it cool.

2. Once they have cooled. Place the carrots & potatoes in a blender with 1 cup water to make a smooth paste.

placing carrots in a blender to make a smooth paste

Smooth paste of carrot & small potato

3. Transfer it into the same heavy bottomed pan you used earlier.

Smooth paste of fresh carrots

Heat until it boils. Serve hot with bread.

Carrot Soup | Delicious Sweet Aroma

Good with: Crusty bread

Stay Healthy!

January 29, 2017

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Snacks

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Jackfruit Fritters (Mangalorean Cuisine)

Jackfruit is an exotic produce popularly found in South India. If you haven’t heard of this fruit before, you sure must be wondering what in the world is that and how does it look like? Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the whole jackfruit to share but will surely post it here when I do. It is extremely delicious, sweet and chewy. I have known of 2 varieties: One variety has a harder flesh with crunchiness. The other variety is very soft, stringy, juicy and slips easily through your fingers as you hold them. One can just swallow without biting.

I grew up in my native with these 2 varieties of Jackfruit trees in my granny’s yard. We rarely ate the softer jackfruits during those days. We used to just sit down for lunch with a big jackfruit and eat it until we became full. My granny and mom are experts in cutting open a Jackfruit and it is a laborious one as it gets very messy because of its sticky white fluid that oozes from its core. To cut it, a traditional Mangalorean Implement called ”Adalo” in Konkani, which is a small stool that is attached to a sickle at one narrow end, is commonly used to cut big fruits or vegetables that would be usually hard to cut with a hand held knife.

I prepared Jackfruit Fritters (also called as Ponsache Gariyo in Konkani) from rice grains, a traditional way my mom used to make during the season of jackfruits. Also, make sure to check out my previous post on Banana fritters in case you haven’t which can be prepared using flour. Jackfruit fritters are brown and crispy on the outside. The inside is yellow and soft, full of fruity sweet flavor. You can double the ingredients for more fritters.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Makes: 15 – 20

Ingredients

Raw rice/white small grain + dosa/idli rice or Surai – 1/4 cup (mixed together in equal proportion)

Jackfruit – 280 g / 10 bulbs

Cardamom pod – 1, seeds to be used

Grated Coconut – 2 tbsp

Jaggery cubes – 50g, powdered (for sweetness as required)

Pinch of Salt

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Directions

1. Soak the raw rice and dosa rice mixed together covered in water for 2 hours.

Raw rice

Idli rice or Surai

2.Remove the seeds from the jackfruit bulbs.

jackfruit

Place the jaggery cubes in a zip lock bag and pound them to fine powder.

jaggery cubes

jaggery mash

3. Combine the rice, jackfruit, cardamom seeds and puree in a blender until smooth.

Jacfruit

Jacfruit batter

4. Transfer the puree to a mixing bowl. Add coconut, jaggery, salt and mix until well combined.

coconut

palm sugar, jaggery

2. Heat oil in wok on medium heat. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a pinch of batter. If it bubbles around then its hot enough.

oil

Now, drop in a tablespoon of batter. Cook several at a time, but do not overcrowd the wok or the temperature of the oil will be lowered. Flip the them after it turns slightly brown until it turns golden brown let it cook. Lower the heat and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve warm

Jacfruit Fritters

Stay Healthy!

October 6, 2016

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Rice Recipes

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Easy Beetroot Rice

When I say Beetroot rice, what is the first thing you notice? Oh yes! The color, of course. It’s gorgeous purple/red color is so deep and vibrant, that when combined with rice, just makes a wonderful one pot easy recipe.

If you have tried this, then drop a feedback of your recipe.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

Olive oil/Ghee – 2 tbsp

Grated Beetroot – 1 big size

Basmathi rice/ Ponni rice – 1 cup

Onions (optional) – 1 medium, cut into thin long strips

Green chilies – 1

Cinnamon – 1 bark

Cardamom – 2

Fennel seeds – 1/4 tsp

Salt – 3/4 tsp

Water – 2 cups

Directions

1. In a pressure cooker or deep sauce pan (see notes if your using electric rice cooker) add 2 tbsp olive oil/ghee. Fry the cinnamon, cardamom and fennel for a minute on medium.

cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seeds

2. Add onions, green chilies, grated beetroot and salt. Stir well and fry for 4 minutes until its slightly less raw.

onions, green chilies

beetroot, onions

3. Now, add rice with 2 cups of water( twice the quantity of rice taken). Mix and taste for salt. Add more if necessary.

rice, beetroot

beetroot

4. Close and cook (for pressure cookers one whistle, if using electric rice cooker check in 15 mins if the rice is cooked and make sure not to over mix)

My Beetroot Rice is ready with Papad (it’s tortilla like) and some cheesy pork sausages. Yummm!!

Notes

*If your using an electric rice cooker. First, fry all the ingredients till step 2, add rice, water and check for salt. Transfer the contents to the cooker and cook.

Stay Healthy!

September 2, 2016

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Cakes

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Cocoa Easy Cake

No matter what level of baker you are, this quick and easy cake recipe can be done in a matter of few minutes. No butter, no eggs, no milk, no whipping! It has a dense texture.

The first time I prepared this cocoa flavored cake it was on my husband’s birthday. It was my first cake with cocoa, the ingredient which acts as a mood elevator and natural antidepressant.

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Bake : 35 minutes

Ingredients

Baking pan 20 cm (8 inch)

All-purpose flour – 1 1/2 cup

Unsweetened Cocoa powder – 3 Tbsp

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Granulated sugar – 1 cup

Table salt – 1/4 tsp

White vinegar – 1 tsp

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Vegetable oil – 5 Tbsp

Water – 1 Cup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius ( 340 degrees Fahrenheit). Grease the baking pan with butter and then line with parchment paper. Sprinkle some flour evenly.

2. In a bowl add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar and salt. Mix with a spoon.

all-purpose flour

cocoa powder, salt, sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder

cocoa powder mixture

3. Now, pour white vinegar, vanilla extract, vegetable oil and water. Mix well until the there are no lumps in the mixture.

white vinegar, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, mixture

Cocoa Crazy Cake

4. Pour the above mixture into the prepared baking tray. Tap the tray for an bubbles trapped inside. Bake at 170 degree Celsius for 35 minutes.

baking tray

5. Once its baked, remove it out of the oven to cool on a rack until its completely cooled before serving (Check if its baked by inserting a skewer at the center).

Step5_IMG_2880

Serving suggestion

+ Since I prefer less sweetness, plain was just perfect for me. Just like a brownie.

+ if you wish, topping it with a chocolate frosting gives it a rich flavor.

+ For a mid- afternoon snack

Note:

* Using a smaller baking tray would turn it into a nice thicker cake.

Stay Healthy!

August 11, 2016

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Vegetarian

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Paneer Butter Masala

The word “paneer” is of Persian origin. It is a fresh cheese common in South Asia, especially in Indian, Pakistani, Afghani, and Bangladeshi cuisines.

Requirement: Blender

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the paste

Olive Oil – 1 tbsp

Onions – 2 Medium, roughly chopped

Tomatoes – 3, chopped

Salt as required

Garam masala powder – 3/4 tsp

Coriander powder – 3/4 tsp

Cashews – 10 to 12, cut half through it’s center-line

Red chili powder – 3/4 tsp

Sugar – 1/2 tsp or as required

Post Blending

Panner cubes / Cottage cheese (frozen pack) – 250 g

Butter – 1 1/2 tbsp

Cardamom – 3

Cinnamon stick – 2 inch

Cloves – 3

Ginger paste – 3/4 tsp (or ginger-garlic 1 1/2 tsp )

Chili powder – 1/2 tsp

Water – 1/2 cup or as required for consistency

Dried fenugreek leaves / kasoori Methi – 1/2 tsp

kasoori methi_IMG_2861

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (for garnish)

Cream – 3 tbsp

Directions

1. Heat a large pan with olive oil, fry onions until they turn translucent.

Chopped Onions

2. Add tomatoes along with salt , cover & cook until they turn mushy for 2-3 minutes on medium.

Step2a_IMG_2390

Step2b_IMG_2391

3. Now, add red chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cashews & sugar. Mix well, fry until you see that it doesn’t stick to the sides of the pan. Turn off the heat and let it cool down almost completely before you put it in a blender.

red chili powder

Garam masala

coriander powder

Cashew nuts

sugar

4. Once the above mixture is cooled, pour it into blender with 1 cup of water (add less water initially)and blend till it turns smooth and creamy.

blender Step4b_IMG_2857

5. After blending, in a deep wok or pan heat butter. To the melted butter add cardamom. cinnamon sticks, cloves & fry for 2 minutes. Add ginger paste, stir again for 15 seconds.

Butter

cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick

ginger paste

6. Pour the mixture of blended paste puree with red chili powder and water and adjust the consistency of thickness. Cook for nearly 5 minutes on medium. Check for salt, add if necessary.

chili powder

creamy, thick

salt

7. Add paneer, fenugreek leaves. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Pour in cream, stir for a minute. Remove from heat. Add in coriander leaves or more cream if desired when serving.

paneer cubes

kasoori methi/fenugreek leaves

cream

Coriander leaves

8. Creamy Paneer butter masala is now gonna make you wanna prepare once more.

Paneer butter masala

Stay Healthy!

May 23, 2016

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Tag: vegan

Ingredients

Directions

Ingredients

Raw rice/white small grain + dosa/idli rice or Surai – 1/4 cup (mixed together in equal proportion)

Jackfruit – 280 g / 10 bulbs

Cardamom pod – 1, seeds to be used

Grated Coconut – 2 tbsp

Jaggery cubes – 50g, powdered (for sweetness as required)

Pinch of Salt

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Directions

1. Soak the raw rice and dosa rice mixed together covered in water for 2 hours.

2.Remove the seeds from the jackfruit bulbs.

Place the jaggery cubes in a zip lock bag and pound them to fine powder.

3. Combine the rice, jackfruit, cardamom seeds and puree in a blender until smooth.

4. Transfer the puree to a mixing bowl. Add coconut, jaggery, salt and mix until well combined.

2. Heat oil in wok on medium heat. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a pinch of batter. If it bubbles around then its hot enough.

Now, drop in a tablespoon of batter. Cook several at a time, but do not overcrowd the wok or the temperature of the oil will be lowered. Flip the them after it turns slightly brown until it turns golden brown let it cook. Lower the heat and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve warm

Ingredients

Olive oil/Ghee – 2 tbsp

Grated Beetroot – 1 big size

Basmathi rice/ Ponni rice – 1 cup

Onions (optional) – 1 medium, cut into thin long strips

Green chilies – 1

Cinnamon – 1 bark

Cardamom – 2

Fennel seeds – 1/4 tsp

Salt – 3/4 tsp

Water – 2 cups

Directions

1. In a pressure cooker or deep sauce pan (see notes if your using electric rice cooker) add 2 tbsp olive oil/ghee. Fry the cinnamon, cardamom and fennel for a minute on medium.

2. Add onions, green chilies, grated beetroot and salt. Stir well and fry for 4 minutes until its slightly less raw.

3. Now, add rice with 2 cups of water( twice the quantity of rice taken). Mix and taste for salt. Add more if necessary.

4. Close and cook (for pressure cookers one whistle, if using electric rice cooker check in 15 mins if the rice is cooked and make sure not to over mix)

My Beetroot Rice is ready with Papad (it’s tortilla like) and some cheesy pork sausages. Yummm!!

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Bake : 35 minutes

Ingredients

Baking pan 20 cm (8 inch)

All-purpose flour – 1 1/2 cup

Unsweetened Cocoa powder – 3 Tbsp

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Granulated sugar – 1 cup

Table salt – 1/4 tsp

White vinegar – 1 tsp

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Vegetable oil – 5 Tbsp

Water – 1 Cup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius ( 340 degrees Fahrenheit). Grease the baking pan with butter and then line with parchment paper. Sprinkle some flour evenly.

2. In a bowl add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar and salt. Mix with a spoon.

3. Now, pour white vinegar, vanilla extract, vegetable oil and water. Mix well until the there are no lumps in the mixture.

4. Pour the above mixture into the prepared baking tray. Tap the tray for an bubbles trapped inside. Bake at 170 degree Celsius for 35 minutes.

5. Once its baked, remove it out of the oven to cool on a rack until its completely cooled before serving (Check if its baked by inserting a skewer at the center).

Ingredients

For the paste

Olive Oil – 1 tbsp

Onions – 2 Medium, roughly chopped

Tomatoes – 3, chopped

Salt as required

Garam masala powder – 3/4 tsp

Coriander powder – 3/4 tsp

Cashews – 10 to 12, cut half through it’s center-line

Red chili powder – 3/4 tsp

Sugar – 1/2 tsp or as required

Post Blending

Panner cubes / Cottage cheese (frozen pack) – 250 g

Butter – 1 1/2 tbsp

Cardamom – 3

Cinnamon stick – 2 inch

Cloves – 3

Ginger paste – 3/4 tsp (or ginger-garlic 1 1/2 tsp )

Chili powder – 1/2 tsp

Water – 1/2 cup or as required for consistency

Dried fenugreek leaves / kasoori Methi – 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (for garnish)

Cream – 3 tbsp

Directions