tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38760421794973050732024-03-19T09:46:07.723+05:30Of mangoes and everything elseA repertoire of recipes,art and storiessmitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-60414613691416782832020-05-28T15:37:00.001+05:302020-05-28T15:37:42.496+05:30winter nights and hot skewers!!!After having spend over two and a half decades and another in cities of Lucknow and Bhopal; i assume i have eaten through my fair share of all sorts of kebabs possible.From the very famous galawat kababs from 'tundey kababi' that simply melt in the mouth to boti kababs,shami kababs and seekh kababs;i have eaten them all and am always up for more.I also like to cook them at home for friends and family;usually over a barbeque if time and weather permits or else at my trusted iron griddle otherwise.Here is a simple recipe for seekh kabab:<br>
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<strong><u>Ingrediets</u></strong><br>
<ul><li>minced meat(goat or lamb)-400 gms(it will make around 12 to 14 kebabs)</li>
<li>chickpea flour(besan)-1<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong>½</strong></span> tbsp</li>
<li>grated ginger-1"inch</li>
<li>garlic mince-around 8 to 10 cloves</li>
<li>roasted cumin powder-2 tspn</li>
<li>red chilly powder- 1 tspn(or more if you like it hot) ,you can also bash up a few green chillies and use it...but i did not.</li>
<li>garam masala powder-i tspn</li>
<li>grated raw papaya-1 tbsp(optional)</li>
<li>egg-1</li>
<li>lemon juice-1 tspn</li>
<li>chopped coriander -a medium sized bunch</li>
<li>salt to taste</li>
<li>ghee/oil to bast </li>
</ul><strong><u>method</u></strong><br>
<ul><li>The first step here is to marinate the mince for atleast an hour before cooking so as to allow the flavours to develop nicely and meat to tenderize a bit.Mix the mince with all the dry spices and add the grated ginger and garlic paste.Cover and keep aside.If the outside weather is hot ,it should be kept inside the refrigerator.</li><li>Meanwhile roast the chickpea flour or besan over a pan on medium heat ,stirring continuously until it is fragrant.Take it out in a plate to cool down.</li><li> After about an hour,take the mixture out of the refrigerator and mix in the egg and salt.Carefully add the required amount of toasted besan so that it is just sufficient to hold everything together gently.Do not add more.</li><li>Heat the skewers well if you are using metal ones over barbeque or an oven.This will help with meat sticking to the skewers well.Incase you are using wooden skewers,soak them in water for 10-15 minutes before using.This prevents the skewers from burning and wasting away all the glorious kababs.</li><li>Take a handful of mince and try to cover the skewers in thin and even sized layer taking care not to add too much or else it will break under its own weight while cooking.Use water to wet hands while doing this to prevent the meat from sticking to your palms.Needless to say that you need to be careful of the hot skewer that can burn your hands.</li><li>It needs to be cooked over medium to high heat as the layers are thin and cook fast.Incase you feel the need you can baste the kababs while turning them over.They should be cooked in 5 to 7 minutes.</li></ul><ul style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It should be done once all the sides are cooked to a nice golden brown.Remove the kababs from skewers into a plate.Cut them diagonally and serve them with lemon wedges, fresh mint chutney and a spicy onion salad.Eat them with parathas or chapatis for a complete meal or just on their own like i do.have fun eating!!!</li></ul>smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-69375702332954200792014-07-27T10:36:00.001+05:302014-07-27T12:23:50.950+05:30Easy Chicken Roast<p dir="ltr"><b>Ingredients:</b></p>
<p dir="ltr">1 Whole Chicken <br>
Minced garlic(1 whole clove)<br>
Cayenne/Red chilli powder - 2tspn<br>
Crushed black pepper - 1 tspn<br>
Dried onion powder-2 tbs*<br>
Peanut oil/Olive oil - (3-4) tbs<br>
Dried thyme - roughly 2 tbs<br>
Dried oregano - roughly 1 tbs<br>
Baby potatoes(you can leave the skins on) washed thoroughly - about 10-12<br>
Baby onions(again you can leave the skins on if you feel they are clean) -10-12<br>
Lemons- 2 large ones<br>
Finely chopped coriander/parsley - about a handful</p>
<p dir="ltr">salt to taste</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Preparation:</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Step 1 :</b><br>
Preheat the oven at 180°c.Prepare the rub by adding in the minced garlic,onion powder,cayenne powder,black pepper,chopped parsley,salt and sufficient oil to mix it all up well in a bowl.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Step 2 :</b><br>
After the chicken is completely skinned,washed,cleaned and pat dried;apply the rub on it and massage it well;taking care to put some of the rub inside the cavity as well.Use a spoon or a brush if you must.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Step 3:</b><br>
Prick the lemons well with a fork and place them inside the cavity.At this point you can tie the thighs together with a string to avoid the moisture from chicken escaping out and hence helping it to cook well from inside.You can skip the tying part if you wish and directly place the chicken backbone side up in the baking tray.<br><br></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Step 4:</b><br>
Toss the baby onions and baby potatoes in the remaining rub and just randomly place them in the tray along with the chicken.Personally i like to line the tray with aluminium foil before placing the chicken in to save on a lot of washing up later.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Step 5:</b><br>
Pour a generous amount of oil over the chicken and the veggies and cover the entire tray with foil.Place it inside the oven at about 165°c for about 35-40 mnts.<br>
After this remove the foil nd raise the temperature of the oven to 200°c and cook for another 10 mnts.This will crisp up the chicken.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Step 6</b>:<br>
It is a good idea to let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes after it is done.<br>
Place the chicken on a chopping tray.Now simply use a kitchen knife to cut along the breastbone and the backbone to split it into two,and further along the joint above the thigh to make four large pieces in total.<br>
Collect the juices from the tray nd season if needed.<br>
Serve it hot with roasted veggies on the side and spoon the juices that you collected over it.<br>
<b>Bon Appetite :)</b></p><p dir="ltr"><b>*dried onion can also be easily prepared by roasting,cooling and then grounding thinly sliced onions lined up on a baking tray on moderate heat in a conventional oven.</b></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-AxU_SP0HOLw/U9SX50PnuBI/AAAAAAAAAKw/s1600/20140725_194855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-AxU_SP0HOLw/U9SX50PnuBI/AAAAAAAAAKw/s640/20140725_194855.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKIpJnhjbhinIFPUpFDRcxI98Ql77sLNYhfkoTUxEJvmxxKb83sFavgHI6Vrw_qqvPVW53JIC2iDi32k6cKVfTiWcKPbwLCBWJckej_-ULywxfaJnQD9cZK_Bu92uRuV7zSLNPZeZGkf6/s1600/20140725_194841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKIpJnhjbhinIFPUpFDRcxI98Ql77sLNYhfkoTUxEJvmxxKb83sFavgHI6Vrw_qqvPVW53JIC2iDi32k6cKVfTiWcKPbwLCBWJckej_-ULywxfaJnQD9cZK_Bu92uRuV7zSLNPZeZGkf6/s640/20140725_194841.jpg"> </a> </div>smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-51359048033735341182013-11-09T01:46:00.001+05:302013-11-09T11:30:49.414+05:30The King Of Curries<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In everyone's life there is this one recipe that takes the very last ounce of effort and patience to prepare and comes out completely dead.Its a huge put off to toil away at a dish like that only to find it staring back at you uneaten;untouched.I'm quite sure it has </span>happened<span style="font-family: inherit;"> to each </span><u style="font-family: inherit;">one</u><span style="font-family: inherit;"> of us at some point and if it hasn't;be rest assured that it will.But isn't this how we learn our lessons. (-;</span></span></i></div>
<span style="background-color: #666666;"><i></i><br /></span>
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<i><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now,I have always been one of those people who would start digging a ditch when thirsty.It was only much later that I learnt the art of being prepared and it came in quite handy after kids.Although I had some very basic idea about cooking </span>ever since<span style="font-family: inherit;"> i started living away from home; if you threw me words like a bain marie then,I would have simply stared at you cutely fluttering my eyelashes away.Having said that;its not that now I have suddenly turned into this gourmet diva but </span>at least<span style="font-family: inherit;"> now I know the difference. </span></span></span></i></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite being an enthusiastic cook I was a tad skeptical about cooking a lamb curry at home for the longest time ;the reason simply being the fact that whenever I tried my hands at it; it never met my expectations.To tell you the truth i am a big sucker for perfection and i cannot eat or feed people mediocre food even if i had an impending fire burning my behind.Having eaten some great lamb curries in the past ;i </span>didn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> wanted to spoil the experience for me.But a casual chat with a friend over tea and a few tips from over the internet came to my rescue.I finally mustered up the courage to make the curry with just a couple of tweaks to my own recipe.Needless to say there was absolute silence on the dining table. i also did a little winning jig after dinner (-;</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I've been cooking now for years and have perfected quite a few recipes like this one here but the most important thing that i have learned over the years is to never shy away from trying something new.It may not come out perfect the first time or may never do so but it is absolutely alright to not be perfect at everything.It pays to try and fail;and then try again until you get where you want to be.And while you are at it; share experiences with a friend you must :-)</span></i></div>
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<b><u><span style="background-color: #666666; color: #ffd966; font-size: x-large;">Lamb/Mutton Korma:</span></u></b></div>
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<b style="background-color: #666666;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><u style="background-color: #666666;">Ingredients and preparation</u></i></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: #666666;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;">Mutton 1 kg<br />
Onions (sliced) 1 kg <br />
Ginger garlic and<br />
Green chillies paste 3 tbspn<br />
Curd (beaten) 250 gms <br />
Green cardamoms 4-5 pods<br />
Cloves 6-8</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;">Black cardamom 2</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;">Cinnammon stick 1 inch </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;">Kashmiri red chilli </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;">powder 2 heaped tbspn</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;">Coriander powder 1 heaped tbspn <br />
Garam masala 1 tbspn<br />
Dried ginger powder 1 tspn<br />
Chopped fresh coriander </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"> <br />
Salt to taste<br />
Vegetable oil to cook<br />
Ghee for flavor 1 tspn<br />
Lemon zest (optional)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><b>#1</b><br /><i>
Wash and clean the meat pieces and trim any extra fat if you want.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i><b>
#2</b><br />
Fry half of the sliced onions till deep red and drain on a kitchen towel.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><br /><b>
#3</b><br />
Prepare ginger,garlic and green chilli paste.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><br /><b>
#4</b><br />
Soak all dry spices in half a cup of water and keep aside.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><u style="background-color: #666666;">Method:</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><u style="background-color: #666666;"><br /></u></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><b>#1</b><br />
In a heavy bottomed pan heat two tablespoons of oil.Add the meat pieces;few at a time and sear them from each side till they turn light golden in color.Remove them on a kitchen towel .<br />
<b>#2</b><br />
In the same oil;add whole spices.When the spices become aromatic;add the ginger,garlic and the green chilli paste.Fry the paste on medium heat till the raw smell goes away.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><b>#3</b><br />
After the paste is cooked;add the dry spices soaked in water and cook over medium heat;stirring in between till they leave oil from the sides of the pan and take on a reddish golden colour.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><b>#4</b><br />
Now add mutton pieces to the pan;stir well to coat all the pieces.Cover and cook for a few minutes over low heat.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><b>#5</b><br />
Now add the remaining onions quickly followed by the beaten curd to the mutton.Add salt to taste and cover the pan.Leave it to cook over low heat for another 10 minutes occasionally stirring in between. <br /><b>#6</b> <br />
Add in the fried onions now.Increase the heat and keep stirring to prevent the spices from sticking to the bottom of the pan.At one point the curry will begin to leave the sides of the pan;at this point add two cups of water/stock and cover the pan.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><b>#7</b><br />
Cover the pan and cook over low heat for about 40 minutes or till the till the meat pieces are tender.You can also pressure cook it on low to medium heat for 2-3 whistles to make sure the meat is well done.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"><b>#8</b><br />
After the pressure is released from the cooker; add chopped coriander and the zest of a lemon. Stir in some ghee while the curry is still hot to add great rustic flavor. <br />
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Serve either with Chapati/Naan or rice; it goes well with both. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<i><u><b style="background-color: #666666;">Point to remember:</b></u></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #666666;">The pan that you cook the mutton curry in should be sufficiently large to stir the meat around well else it will turn out soggy.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFUD9aSR8gLQy4T267nxY16mB_K8lkUXeEg06s8VXEbEQMdnpAAMaVHQawYRvabaozBFmk8keBGrEahvwLPntlIEMm0Ob1eZmLdZmRBJqX3DUix5PXYO0VUUrtkt6ges0HAedyLKJ6-Xe/s1600/CYMERA_20131109_015023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFUD9aSR8gLQy4T267nxY16mB_K8lkUXeEg06s8VXEbEQMdnpAAMaVHQawYRvabaozBFmk8keBGrEahvwLPntlIEMm0Ob1eZmLdZmRBJqX3DUix5PXYO0VUUrtkt6ges0HAedyLKJ6-Xe/s400/CYMERA_20131109_015023.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div>
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smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-10116073043884572622011-07-09T16:48:00.001+05:302013-11-09T10:49:24.029+05:30All Things Mango!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I remember mentioning in one of my posts about how we can replace some traditional ingredients from certain recipes and end up totally blown away by the results.Yes it is possible,only if we keep in mind what flavours could go with what in terms of taste and texture and yes,be appealing to the eyes too.I was just surfing through the internet for some desserts recipes when i found cranachan.A traditional scottish summer dessert that is usually served during harvest time or on special occasions is often assembled right at the serving table so as to suit to everyone's taste.I also read Anjum anand's Punjabi cranachan recipe,which is slightly more eloborate because it involves making custard as well.I'm adding her link for your reference. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/indianfoodmadeeasy/recipes/episode_4/cranachan.shtml"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/indianfoodmadeeasy/recipes/episode_4/cranachan.shtml</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I'm sure it tastes good too ,but what i like is my recipes to be simpler.May be some day i'll attempt at it,but for now..i'm going to stick to the simpler version.Here it is:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em><u>Mango Cranachan with Ginger syrup:</u></em></strong></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1ZKvDGJn1LtOfeQJqfX2b8hBHG0TTKRHLklkBHmMHwPlyDFAMAWKQaW_IimHfA3JV2jjk5uzmkBuBHXng7HK_TDFeEjF5mRs5Nhv-LAQZc3WsukxTGedmxJ2Dzvt1yqEuWr8T_aVjuRz/s1600/P7031097e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" m="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1ZKvDGJn1LtOfeQJqfX2b8hBHG0TTKRHLklkBHmMHwPlyDFAMAWKQaW_IimHfA3JV2jjk5uzmkBuBHXng7HK_TDFeEjF5mRs5Nhv-LAQZc3WsukxTGedmxJ2Dzvt1yqEuWr8T_aVjuRz/s320/P7031097e.jpg" true="" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>Ingredients:</em></strong></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">4 tbl spns of rolled oats</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 medium sized ripe mangoes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">300 ml of whole milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">4 tbl sp sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">200 ml double cream(whipped to soft peakes)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">crushed almonds-1/2 cup and some to garnish</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">lemon juice-2 tspn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 tspns ginger syrup/single malt whiskey</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: yellow; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><strong>Method:</strong></em></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Dry roast the porridge oats slowly in a pan untill it begins to smell warm and nutty.</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Boil the milk with sugar(reserve a spoon for later).</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Peel and dice one of the mangoes into cubes and puree the other one with the reserve sugar and lemon juice.Mix the dices and the puree together.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Add the cooled oats(save some for garnish) to the boiling milk and cook for some time till it begins to thicken.Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.Cover with cling and keep it inside the refrigerator to chill.</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">At this stage,traditionally some whiskey is added to the whipped cream,but you can choose to add other flavours.I added two tspn of ginger syrup to the cream and it tasted great.To know how to make a ginger syrup check out http://beyondwonderful.com/recipes/sauces/ginger_syrup.htm</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Add the crushed almonds to the oats mixture just before serving.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In a glass,spoon some mango mixture,then some porridge mixed with amonds and then cream mixed with ginger syrup/whiskey.Repeat for as many layers as you want.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sprinkle some rolled oats on the top and some flaked almonds.I added a strawberry and dusted the glass with coco powder to add color.Serve immediately.</span></div>
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smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-7187130642637163352011-07-06T22:18:00.009+05:302013-11-09T10:48:44.281+05:30Eggless but not Mango-less!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It is largely unfair for the whole vegetarian/vegan lot to be bombarded with yummy looking things they really can't eat.I'm neither a vegan/vegetarian myself,nor do i fancy eating meat everyday.I'm somewhere in the middle trying to balance the two.Most of the days we eat a normal homecooked vegetarian fare and to say the least;it is anything but boring.At the same time i love my indulgent meat/dairy days too.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #d0e0e3;">Having said that and considering that i've to continue with the "</span><span style="color: orange;">Mango Marathon</span><span style="color: #d0e0e3;">" week,i'm</span> <span style="color: #d0e0e3;">here with a beautiful cocoa-mango cake with a bright yellow mango glaze that looks yummy and tastes even yummier.It is completely vegetarian and if you use vinegar instead of the buttermilk,it becomes a vegan cake.In the end i've also tried to compile different ways eggs can be replaced in different dishes.I hope it helps people who avaoid eggs in their food.Here it is:</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><strong><em><u><span style="background-color: #444444; color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Eggless Choco-Mango Cake with tangy Mango Glaze </span></u></em></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiC0qYokUrF7xZGRXbc7vuyDLQbnTqcbBxHSJBWG2PBdMQDj-_4OsvL71az2eGyZYzIied5uhPzQZOrgxN_rATeDONjH_4Zkz0vMVGokiAAiEwfjyxN_wf1FHRnGNbtxb52Hs65hocCliR/s1600/P7061157ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="281" i="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiC0qYokUrF7xZGRXbc7vuyDLQbnTqcbBxHSJBWG2PBdMQDj-_4OsvL71az2eGyZYzIied5uhPzQZOrgxN_rATeDONjH_4Zkz0vMVGokiAAiEwfjyxN_wf1FHRnGNbtxb52Hs65hocCliR/s320/P7061157ed.jpg" true="" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<em><span style="background-color: #444444; color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></em></div>
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<em><span style="background-color: #444444; color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>(for cake)</strong></span></em></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">3Tablespoons dark cocoa powder</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a pinch of salt</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoons baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 teaspoons baking soda</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">3/4 cups granulated sugar</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 tblspns vegetable oil </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/2 cup finely chopped mangoes</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 & 1/2 cups thick buttermilk</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 teaspoons vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><em>(for glaze)</em></strong></span></div>
<span style="background-color: #444444;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">250 ml/1 Cup of mango(pureed) about 2 small to medium, very ripe mangoes</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 tspn lemon juice</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">500 gms of powdered sugar, sifted</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></div>
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<em><span style="background-color: #444444; color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Method:</strong></span></em></div>
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<span id="goog_1389684230"></span><span id="goog_1389684231" style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour the cake tin. Set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sift together all of the flour,cocoa,baking powder and baking soda and salt.</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mix the pureed mangoes with the oil,vanilla extract,buttermilk and sugar.In place of buttermilk you can use a tblspn of white vinegar/apple cider vinegar and add a cup of apple juice to adjust liquid content.I haven't used vinegar ever in my cakes but from what i learnt from some people is that it works.You may give it a try.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ones spoon by spoon using a flat spatula to fold them together.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Pour batter into a greased cake tins. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (17 minutes for cupcakes), until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mix together in a blender the mango puree,lemon juice and vanilla extract.Now keep adding the sifted sugar in small quantities till you get the desired consistency.If the mangoes that you have used are juicier then you might consume a little extra sugar than the given quantities.This glaze can be kept inside the refrigerator in an airtight container without spoiling or discoloring for a few days.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="254" i="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWauGCvMxaQtNSwdiQO7_Vh3Jdac1chKHhGQKlVkDL_RkPkWGjob_bTm-QjQsQY0jt_bse-slKFN6TBz21aocmvxAVzGfjDZogrmU8kd2J4hJuw6aXKUh3H4zy5t9H84otngHyqZ6q2ZE/s320/P7061163ed.jpg" true="" width="320" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em>General guidelines for replacing eggs in different recipies:</em></strong></span><br />
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<u><span style="background-color: #444444; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></u></div>
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<em><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The most common substitutes for eggs are: </span></em></div>
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<strong><em><span style="background-color: #444444; color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Soy Milk/Milk:</span></em></strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As a thumb rule,use 150 ml of Milk/Soy milk for one egg in general.If you have soy powder instead you can use 1 heaped tblspn in place of one egg.You can also use condensed milk in some cases(you will need to alter you sugar quantities though) keeping in mind that you can use a 100 ml for every two cups of flour used in the recipe.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In some cake recipies you can replace 1 egg by 2 tbsp flour+1/2 tbsp butter+1/2 tbsp baking powder.</span></div>
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<em><strong><span style="background-color: #444444; color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Buttermilk:</span></strong></em></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This is one of the preferred substitute for eggs specially in eggless cake recipes.Add half a cup of buttermilk in place of one egg.Keep in mind to check on the quantity of other wet ingredients in the recipe.</span></div>
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<strong><em><span style="background-color: #444444; color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Pureed fruits:</span></em></strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Although the resulting cake might be a little bit more crumbly,it is good idea to use it if you are allergic to eggs.Use three tblspn of pureed banana in place of one egg.Alternatively applesauce can be used too.</span></div>
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<em><strong><span style="background-color: #444444; color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Flaxseeds:</span></strong></em></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Grind 2 tblspoon of flaxseeds in a coffee grinder or take flax meal ready available in the market.Soak it in warm water for 10 mts and use it in place of 1 egg.In case you mind all the fibre from flaxseeds you can strain the liquid after soaking the flaxmeal and use it.</span></div>
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<strong><em><span style="background-color: #444444; color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Vinegar/apple cider vinegar with baking powder:</span></em></strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Take a tblspn of vinegar and water each in a small bowl and mix it with a tspn of baking powder,mix it well to form a paste and use it in place of one egg.</span></div>
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<em><strong><span style="background-color: #444444; color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Egg replacement powders:</span></strong></em></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444;"><span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Available in the market in health stores,they usually have some sort of gelatin and proteins derived from different sources.Sometimes they also contain egg whites so people with allergy issues should always read the labels.</span></span></div>
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smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-12622596652572760802011-07-06T00:07:00.009+05:302013-11-09T10:47:31.744+05:30Chilled Mango Delights!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mangoes...Mangoes & some more Mangoes ... I love mangoes & I am sure you all know this by now. I wasted so much of the precious mango time on shifting my house and all that comes with it(uuugh!! it still makes me mad @#$% !!) but i've to make sure that I make the best use of the rest of the mango season while it lasts.Well if you ask me,it wouldn't last very long because from here looking outside my windows all i can see is a dark cloudy skyline rendering a mysterious gloominess to the entire surrounding.This reminds me that i love rains.It is one of those things that can make you feel both sad and ecstatic at the same time.It comes as a relief after harsh summers,refreshing everything around with life and verve.I love how raindrops feel like little kisses of nature against the skin and fills the air with the wonderful fragrance of earth.The sound of raindrops on the rooftop and on the window panes has a lullaby sort of effect on people,atleast it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.Then like all good things,this romantic side is suddenly put to offset by the not so flattering reality of the mud puddles,dripping, wet and smelly clothes,slippery pavements,smelly dogs,overflowing gutters and jammed roads.I suddenly crave to see fresh vibrant tropical summer colors that can uplift my spirits and make me ready to face the gloomy rainy season ahead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Besides all the telltale signs of rains,the weather is still humid and occasionally hot too and that gives me a perfect chance to make a sorbet.I always saw sorbet as the ultimate frozen treat and gorged on it only to realize all the sugar had parked itself conveniently on my behind. Yes, it’s virtually fat free, but the amount of sugar added can sometimes be a little over the top .Of course, it doesn’t always have to be that way,unless you are eating the whole tub i mean.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now sorbets are not a new concept to us(afterall who hasn't had those wonderfully colorfull ice-golas in their childhood!! :-)).They are generally prepared from fruit juices with some simple sugar syrup and a small quantity of alcohol(which you can always opt out).Apparently alcohol keeps the ice in the sorbet from forming bigger chunks and helps keep it on the creamier side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Enough said, the recipe of a mango sorbet is very easily available over the internet and is fairly similar everywhere,however you don't need to stick to the exact measurements,because its all about the taste that you prefer.Here is a general recipe:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><u><em>Mango and Strawberry Sorbet(A scoopfull of summer)</em></u></strong></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1pr5a7hhtj1fgHcncvZsm9cDL25NV9gBfEdFO6pmrpGMHO31lDnJln2FdvbNhm-Q3-0KXx2ypNi-sw-twypQT4NYDqjlIq10bT8voxVAXHk_ASF7rswnTk7zNzMD1yS7p6EXBEP71Rd_/s1600/P7051155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="366" i="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1pr5a7hhtj1fgHcncvZsm9cDL25NV9gBfEdFO6pmrpGMHO31lDnJln2FdvbNhm-Q3-0KXx2ypNi-sw-twypQT4NYDqjlIq10bT8voxVAXHk_ASF7rswnTk7zNzMD1yS7p6EXBEP71Rd_/s400/P7051155.jpg" true="" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><strong><u>Ingredients:</u></strong></em></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Frozen/fresh strawberries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Dices of mango</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Simple syrup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Lime juice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Lime zest</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">alcohol(it can be vodka/tequila/rum) 3 tblspn for a pint of sorbet(optional)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">small pinch of salt</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><u><strong>Method:</strong></u></em></span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You can either make a seperate sorbet for both mango and strawberries or mix them up into one.Its actually a personal preference.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Blend all the ingredients until smooth(if needed you can strain it too because strawberry seeds can make the sorbet grainy and so can some mangoes with a fibrous pulp).</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Transfer it in a freezer safe bowl covered with a lid and keep inside freezer for 8 hrs or until set.Do not forget to take it out every two hrs to churn it in the blender(or use a fork) taking care to not allow it to melt so that the ice crystles break down very fine.Alternatively an icecream maker can be used which is also quicker than the conventional method.</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Chill the serving bowl for ten minutes before serving time.Scoop out the sorbet and garnish with mint leaves or mango dices.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOktoLg4CGgxuHIKec-2CgCESN_Ob818bcndyf7xGFBqTWR0ShWn12CmgHXC490RoBtJHO9aR6KQhvRIAP0PXzYdL32_H1_ynhezIei8v_bCgrlxI9eoZhBzjGnPzBsvwwu1h1trsSb8sj/s1600/P7051156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" i="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOktoLg4CGgxuHIKec-2CgCESN_Ob818bcndyf7xGFBqTWR0ShWn12CmgHXC490RoBtJHO9aR6KQhvRIAP0PXzYdL32_H1_ynhezIei8v_bCgrlxI9eoZhBzjGnPzBsvwwu1h1trsSb8sj/s400/P7051156.jpg" true="" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It is a great treat for a summer afternoon indulgence.It can be used in between courses to clean up the palate or as a refreshing dessert in the end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"># Note that there is hardly any aftertaste of alcohol in the sorbet firstly because the quantity is fairly insignificant and also because the ice in it numbs the taste buds much before the taste of alcohol can sink in.However for people who do not want it at all,it is completely fine because the mango pulp anyways keeps it on the creamier side.Have great fun devouring it :-).</span></div>
smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-43464023657695037712011-07-04T23:59:00.005+05:302013-11-09T10:49:57.153+05:30Yeah its mango again!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As i mentioned in my last post that i'll be doing a mango marathon wherein i'll post atleast ten interesting takes on mangoes over the entire week...here i am with my second recipe in tow.Its fairly simple to do;just a few steps and well....how complicated a simple cake can be anyway?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now,there are endless ways to incorporate mangoes in different recipes,we just have to think "out of the box". Afterall who says if a particular ingredient isn't used in a recipe traditionally ,it cant be.This cake in particular is light,airy and has a wonderfull crunch at the top and somewhere in between the tongue will meet the mellowness of the wonderfully ripe mangoes rendered goey by baking .Its a delight to eat it,you will agree with me after you've tasted it.So go on,make it.. eat it..here is the recipe:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmC3sDSgj7k-a8tMWJyIv8VvCFFXe0IX8IbOR4VgO42jVHbsO64iv4ihhdBj6u3dd_v_tyADy_Y9l2dVUG3WV-Q6zf8hQdbhWFePKCssRK2w5pMaQdZlD0KYIs7BYNmr4YNMp04-_x31JW/s1600/P7041147edit1+copy.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" i="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmC3sDSgj7k-a8tMWJyIv8VvCFFXe0IX8IbOR4VgO42jVHbsO64iv4ihhdBj6u3dd_v_tyADy_Y9l2dVUG3WV-Q6zf8hQdbhWFePKCssRK2w5pMaQdZlD0KYIs7BYNmr4YNMp04-_x31JW/s320/P7041147edit1+copy.bmp" true="" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="background-color: #c27ba0; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Light Mango Dimpled Cakes with Stresuel Topping</em></span></u></strong><br />
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<em><u><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></u></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 cups(appx.220 gms) all purpose flour<br />
2 tsps. baking powder<br />
¼ teaspoon salt<br />
½ cup(slighly over 100 gms) soft margarine or you can use 75 gms of butter with two tblspns of any vegetable oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">½ cup granulated sugar<br />
2 medium eggs<br />
3 tblspn(30 ml) clear sweet unflavoured syrup(it can be prepared by heating up equal ratios of sugar and water over gentle heat till it becomes slightly syrupy)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract<br />
2 Tbsps. brown sugar<br />
2 tbl spn unsalted butter (in sticks)<br />
1 large mango, sliced in wedges</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">note: What you see in the picture is quantities modified for half proportion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Grease and flour an 8''/8'' baking tin.Preheat the oven at 350°F / 180°C.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Cream the butter and oil together(or margarine) with granulated sugar till it pales in color and becomes fluffy.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBWpbQBn2rbcgewPGQbwEJtRwGhq-OTXu2QCmuUnYYSk_1kvRrUIqnFzJB50iViW9g3zcWh2ZT0nlviVkzVrmcqUDRuapZa5LJtJuop_VYTXLigLpSj7Sck5sexro4LvA3mNGsFJ9Ntsu/s1600/P7041120edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" i="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBWpbQBn2rbcgewPGQbwEJtRwGhq-OTXu2QCmuUnYYSk_1kvRrUIqnFzJB50iViW9g3zcWh2ZT0nlviVkzVrmcqUDRuapZa5LJtJuop_VYTXLigLpSj7Sck5sexro4LvA3mNGsFJ9Ntsu/s320/P7041120edit.jpg" true="" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Add both eggs,one at a time whisking continuosly till the mixture combines well and fluffs up considerably.Add vanila extract and syrup to this mixture.</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sieve the flour twice with baking powder and keep aside in a bowl.Reserve a spoon full of this mixture to be used in the end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Take the flour spoon by spoon and add to the egg mixture folding gently(you can let your tiny enthusiastic cooks take over from here and indulge them in folding the mixture by teaching them cut and fold technique and they'll think they've really done a big job,mine was boasting all day long !! :-)), the resulting batter should be of dropping consistency. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Pour it in the baking tin and tap the tin lightly so the batter settles well.Arrange the mango slices over the batter.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56PmlF0qMVHa3OLU8U4vDmCG3FLxR3KLusIaJE64t-Ddv-Oyd0Eyy-coy8OzSQZ0T3qImVI0lhVzYDiOJhCbPZKehLp7kjB4bvpO6zVC2USftmxiAuV41GyDMNF3lBBeQhsGkPFKN6I9R/s1600/P7041126+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="237" i="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56PmlF0qMVHa3OLU8U4vDmCG3FLxR3KLusIaJE64t-Ddv-Oyd0Eyy-coy8OzSQZ0T3qImVI0lhVzYDiOJhCbPZKehLp7kjB4bvpO6zVC2USftmxiAuV41GyDMNF3lBBeQhsGkPFKN6I9R/s320/P7041126+edit.jpg" true="" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefUkDG0obkZfxiXYpEvNOcEcPNwq2ctwHCP8JC9PEEu1q-ddv1K0to_4up_-cYMrap87WF2oTKON-Z4hIRxt6cxkyE6K4uubObIMI5pA9uk4r3c1AQe4FaSNB9bwQ6a35ralaiFlaRVB2/s1600/P7041129+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="277" i="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefUkDG0obkZfxiXYpEvNOcEcPNwq2ctwHCP8JC9PEEu1q-ddv1K0to_4up_-cYMrap87WF2oTKON-Z4hIRxt6cxkyE6K4uubObIMI5pA9uk4r3c1AQe4FaSNB9bwQ6a35ralaiFlaRVB2/s320/P7041129+edit.jpg" true="" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mix the reserve flour with brown sugar(for additional flavours you can add a generous pinch of nutmeg/cinnamon powder) and sprinkle generously over the mango slices.This is important because the sugar in this is going to caramalise and render a crunchy texture to the top of the cake.</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">dice the unsalted butter stick and arrange all over at the top layer.</span></div>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Bake it for appx 30 to 40 mts minutes depending on how big or small your oven is.Cool it over rack and dust with icing sugar just before serving.</span></div>
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smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-87320261922876520012011-07-03T01:25:00.016+05:302013-11-09T10:51:00.580+05:30Mango Revisited !!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I had to do it and i was suppose to do this much earlier...i had planned last friday to do a marathon of 10 recipes using mangoes with atleat one recipe every day in order to make up for my absence over the past one month and a half.As usual i got caught up with things and then didn't feel upto it. Nevertheless i will begin afresh and try to stick to my plans over the coming week.It wouldn't be easy though;but i know with a little bit of motivation from here and there i'll be able to sail through.Its my first of the ten entries of the marathon and the second one in the mango series.At this point all i can do is admire fellow bloggers who diligently do one food marathon after other and none of their recipes look like they've been made in a hurry.All I can say is that they inspire me .</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I had a lot of recipies in my mind but i wanted to begin with the one which had a few ingredients and was considerably easy to make.i wanted to do a mango pudding initially but later i decided that a mango flan was a better option ;much easier to make as well.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now,lets talk a little about flan first.Quite similar to creme caramel/caramel custard,Flan is a popular dessert in Latin America,with preparation changing a little as you move around the entire region.Traditionally cooked over Bain Marie or the Double Boiler,flans can be easily cooked in a water bath in the oven.They can also be cooked inside a pressure cooker(i have added instructions for this at the end).There are numerous recipes over the internet for flan,some of which really have great pictures and have good feedbacks from users but i just cannot attempt at something too complicated for a dish that has a history of failures.I have heard stories about flans that have gone runny or have remained undercooked or tasted too eggy.But trust me,this one given to me by a friend,which i tweaked to incorporate mangoes didn't dissapoint me so i am holding on to this one.Here it i</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">s:</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em><u>Easy Mango Flan</u></em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Ingredients:(4 servings)</em></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444;"></span></div>
<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/4 cup white sugar</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 teaspoon lemon juice</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2/3 cup mango puree(strained to remove any fibre if present)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #444444;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">300 ml reduced milk(begin with apx. 440 ml of milk-almost two glasses and keep reducing over medium heat till it has reduced to almost a glass and a quarter.It should still be a little warm while mixing but not hot.)Alternatively you can use a can of packaged condensed milk(Nestle/Amul)in which case you can completely omit the white sugar from the recipe.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 teaspoons cornstarch</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">4 tblspn of any dark colored sugar(i used demarara).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 large eggs at room temperature</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #4c1130; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Method:</em></span></div>
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<li><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Place ramekins in a baking pan.Place the demerara sugar with a tablespoon of water and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat, until the sugar melts and turns the color of honey.Distribute the caramel among the ramekins.Sprinkle 1 tablespoon diced mango in each ramekin(optional).Set aside. </span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350° F/180°C.</span></span></div>
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<li><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Using an electric mixer, beat mango</span> puree with eggs and sugar on low speed to combine. Dissolve the cornstarch in a tablespoon or two of warm milk and add it to the egg mixture.Increase speed to medium high, and mix until incorporated. Add evaporated milk(luke warm) continuing the whisking on medium high for 2-3 minutes.</span></span></span></div>
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<li><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ladle custard over caramel in the ramekins, filling them upto almost the rim. Place filled ramekins in a baking dish and pour enough hot water in it to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and place in the oven. Bake until flan is set, about 45 minutes (when you tap the edge of a ramekin the flan should still wobble a little in the center)or you can do the toothpick test.</span></span></div>
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<li><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Carefully remove baking dish from oven, remove foil, and let ramekins cool slightly. Let them chill in the refrigerator for least two hours before serving(better still let it chill overnight).Just before serving place the ramekins in a hot water bath for a minute or two in order to melt the caramel well.Run a thin knife around the inside edge of the ramekin to loosen flan, and then invert it onto the plate. Add slices of mango and a sprig of mint for garnish.</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"># For cooking in a pressure cooker,first ensure that the dish in which the flan is to be set fits well inside the cooker and has a lid that closes well.Fill up the presure cooker with water that reaches almost halfway to the rim of the container.Cook at high heat till you begin to hear a faint whistle,reduce heat to medium high and cook for 15 to 20 mts.Turn off the heat and let the pressure in cooker release on its own.Remaining procedures are all same as above.Also make sure you fill up the dish leaving some room for expansion or else the flan will be bulged in places and will come out uneven.</span></div>
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smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-34919381739388728032011-06-15T09:49:00.014+05:302011-07-05T13:35:26.029+05:30Good Bye break time!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">i know..i know..I didn't really mean to take a break that long but then such are holidays..they have a longer lasting affect on you than you can perceive them to.My life itself is a whirlpool of things and activities,add to it children having summer vacations and moving an entire household to another address and i see a perfect excuse to get away from the chaos of my own life.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What i love about these breaks is being sorrounded by all the people i love ,visiting places that remind me of old times and eating the best food i can ever get;one that my mom cooks for us.I sometimes find it very relaxing in just being embraced by all the sounds and smells that i relate with a happily regular life...the chatter of people,clanging of pots and pans,the smell of the rain,the shrill cries of children playing all around and demolishing the entire household in doing so,the list is endless.No matter how exhausting these family gatherings can be,needless to say ;they are therapeutic for my soul.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Everytime i go to visit my parents i have to keep reminding myself to not laze around for more than a weekend so i could spend the rest of the time catching up with friends and family in a more relaxed and a planned way and have a little more fun than i usually get.I almost expected this as i always do; the moment i got into the grove of good things like sleeping late into the night;waking up only at noon to the wonderful aromas wafting up from the kitchen downstairs and making its way up into my room,eating till i actually burped,taking leisurely walks besides huge palm trees and freshly cut grass underneath our feet,chatting up late into the night with endless mugs of coffee pouring in,wondeful music and some more food;i was already a victim to my senses,and the feeling of euphoria slowely engulfed me in and transported me to another world where i simply could get more and more lazy and this actually is a huge understatement;-).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Obviously,there went all my "having fun"plans down into the drain.It didn't even occur to me when that single weekend transcended itself over into the entire week and the week later.When there were left just the last couple of days;i came back to my senses(and thankfully i did!!) and did whatever i could do save my butt from being kicked by a lot of people and that includes my children(whome i had promised to take places).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Given all the lazying around i did,its obvious for anybody to think , that i didnt cook at all,but guess what..i did.I mean i still found some time to cook,because this is something i'd do even if i'm sleepwalking.What i cannot really do right now(and its a candid confession)is find the right things to say,i'm so out of sync,its getting difficult for me to write sense when it fails to make any sense to me.Surely i shouldnt be doing this very often(i refer to my absence here..wht else you thought!!).I took some pictures too,but i must say that some of them haven't really come out as well as i had expected them to.Nevertheless i intend to share them with you all.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now,with mangoes having arrived in a big way,it would be rude and mean if we talk about anything else or try my hand on anything that doesn't include them simply because i'll end up feeling like you do when you have to sit out when all you want is to dance,when you've to do with just a kiss when you'd rather make love(i hope you get what i mean!!)because i am simply partial towards it so much so that my children call themselves"the mango of my eye".Only someone who loves mangoes just as much or more can understand my feelings when i say it...and i for sure know a few such people.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It's a recipe we all in our house loved as children and still do,only we didn't had a name for it.Recently a friend told me it was called "galka" and so here it is;the recipe.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong><em><u>Raw Mango Galka</u></em></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: #4c1130; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><u><em>Ingredients:</em></u></strong></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Raw Mangoes,roughly a kilo</span></div></li>
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Garlic cloves(keep them whole)-5 or 6</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Whole dried red chillies(break and remove seeds)</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A few cloves and star anise(optional again)</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A tblspn of oil(any oil works but mustard oil works the best)</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">dried ginger powder-1 tspn</span></div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">dried cumin powder-1 tspn</span></div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">paprika/chilli powder-1/2 tspn</span></div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Grated jaggery-1 cup</span></div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">granulated sugar-1/2 cup</span></div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">salt to taste</span></div></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Soak the raw mangoes in salted water for half an hr to remove the acid from the tip.Wash them well under tap water.Peel the skin off and prick the surface well using a fork.Keep it dipped in water till you prepare the tempering.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iBvgYYIOj6yYgAjvJydUYlyKg3nCD6CFta38WVtN6lPdQX1YCQeiueI1rjT5iRi84jIvypfAik-497mSkwtKRQH591W28UASN9MzTqCMvZBmEHwatV-DI0upLydSwFhV_SJZeaFdnvtD/s1600/new+return+trip+141.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iBvgYYIOj6yYgAjvJydUYlyKg3nCD6CFta38WVtN6lPdQX1YCQeiueI1rjT5iRi84jIvypfAik-497mSkwtKRQH591W28UASN9MzTqCMvZBmEHwatV-DI0upLydSwFhV_SJZeaFdnvtD/s320/new+return+trip+141.png" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Heat the oil in the pan,add the panchforan/tempering and when it sizzles add the whole chillies ,cloves and star anise and then add the garlic and saute till it turns golden .Add the raw mangoes to the pan and stir well.add salt,cumin powder,ginger powder and a cup of hot water.let the water boil first before reducing the heat to minimum.cover and let the mangoes cook untill they feel soft to touch(it took me appx 20 mts for small sized whole mangoes).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILkBCxdz_uwcdoWYgesTlP8zqlC8G1Wie_gwv8OteJQdfDJz7hHnAn_eJYi9g8_gwPQTyOwi8ItqtvnaV7d9-dOxACNXLzeCmGc2T-P8VHKov8-ZgO0OLy55N8y_cLJ6HDm6uj1UjDWji/s1600/new+return+trip+151.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILkBCxdz_uwcdoWYgesTlP8zqlC8G1Wie_gwv8OteJQdfDJz7hHnAn_eJYi9g8_gwPQTyOwi8ItqtvnaV7d9-dOxACNXLzeCmGc2T-P8VHKov8-ZgO0OLy55N8y_cLJ6HDm6uj1UjDWji/s320/new+return+trip+151.png" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Add the jaggery and the sugar and let the whole thing cook till they dissolve to form a syrupy base.Adjust the consistency to your liking by adding some boiling water if required.Cook on a low/medium heat untill the mangoes darken in colour and are perfectly cooked through.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-E4HIzjSe0d65BBEd0Y9lAm7ChWiGR04xmBjO9RDt5n7Kju2Uq6JPO5cvgtkjTa4pae_5sH22t55syUTl84VyRm4KSUFTCjJgGBSOcixsUiYINiJsWJx599ITOAH5vuSwIhrzwZ9cMmZ/s1600/new+return+trip+154.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-E4HIzjSe0d65BBEd0Y9lAm7ChWiGR04xmBjO9RDt5n7Kju2Uq6JPO5cvgtkjTa4pae_5sH22t55syUTl84VyRm4KSUFTCjJgGBSOcixsUiYINiJsWJx599ITOAH5vuSwIhrzwZ9cMmZ/s320/new+return+trip+154.png" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Turn off the heat and let the galka stand in the same pot untill it cools down to the room temperature.It should be transferred to an airtight jar,kept in the refrigerator and it will last for about a week.If kept outside at room temperature it should be consumed within a couple of days.It goes well with paranthas/chapatis/ or toast.It can be eaten on its own as well...Yummy!! My mouth waters... :-)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #666666;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxKxqy2XZx0qGgX7J045xKsQfK04yxT_ldnmVc-YjKCiopM9dP96N_hEHfV-wMvjFQqhJLHz80-_NzmT6C-L9D8JggiGeOhbR9udf0yOTkpSQjwpZHKhQU8q3Qt-dyan7fF3Ci8LwhAi2/s1600/new+return+trip+164.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxKxqy2XZx0qGgX7J045xKsQfK04yxT_ldnmVc-YjKCiopM9dP96N_hEHfV-wMvjFQqhJLHz80-_NzmT6C-L9D8JggiGeOhbR9udf0yOTkpSQjwpZHKhQU8q3Qt-dyan7fF3Ci8LwhAi2/s320/new+return+trip+164.png" t8="true" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDV5MSlOciyWoZvi61TBY170GIJZ1zKbBxS1LsvZdpAZpeTpytrRQBc1uYrwNcQ1Qob3sCXmxPCFQMcbDuF4JaReHhzdAJdgEUZk_KquuU0G6-fHN4-YHC8wyG1CFfjTvipmoMDwFKSfJS/s1600/new+return+trip+137.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></a></div></div>smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-29702251656764005412011-04-07T15:37:00.016+05:302013-11-09T10:51:56.842+05:30Moroccan feast!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One rule to eat in my house is that no rules are followed.We can easily be found eating an Indian bhel for starters,a Chinese stir fry for main course and an a very English creme caramel for desserts.I guess this is how we Indians are...a potpourri of odd things,flavors,colors and textures put together.We love to assemble up incongruous stuff in ways that it suddenly becomes meaningful.Food is one such thing...as long as it pleases people who are eating it,i give a damn about what the gourmets have to say.For me food has only one objective to fulfill and that is to seduce the senses and lure them to consumption and beyond.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Few days back Indian cricket had a rendezvous with one of its historical and glorious moment that I'm sure every Indian will remember for a long time to come.Now sport events are when all males of a particular specie are at their craziest best and need a lot of food and beer to sober up(their female counterparts are left to do their own thing....cooking and cribbing!!)....but it usually peaks on the day of the finale and suddenly there are these innumerable trips to the kitchen,the refrigerator and the loo:-).Tired of playing stewardess the entire week i gave in and decided to make something that could be cooked without a lot of supervision and would still get me accolades from people(and also gimme the much needed time to do all the cheer leading right in my living room);I zeroed in on a moroccan Tagine with chicken,preserved lemons and olives.I usually make this and the Moroccan Herrera (spicy chick pea soup) when all of the family(including my extended family) gathers on holidays and are all hungry after long hrs of chit chat and gossip.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A tagine is an earthen pot with a heavy and flat bottom and a conical lid that creates a slow cooking environment for vegetables and all sorts of meats,rendering them tenderness and an earthy aroma that is reminiscent of flavors from "handi daal" or "handi chicken" or whatever.It is a great excuse to eat in togetherness,dipping each morsel of bread in the silken gravy and in conversation.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Moroccan food is actually very easy on the Indian palate because of the familiar spices and flavors.This dish is versatile enough to let you use whatever vegetables you have in stock including carrots,baby potatoes,aubergines,green peas, sweet potatoes and so on.Pickled lemon and sweet flavors like raisins or dried apricots are also added sometimes to give it a different dimension.It is also possible to make this dish entirely vegetarian and still retain its basic character.Here is the recipe:</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Chicken Tagine with Potatoes,Raisins and Green Olives</em></span></u></strong><br />
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<em><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></span></em><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Half a kg of chicken(i used only chicken thighs,6 pieces)It is alright to use regular curry cut chicken that we mostly get from the markets here.</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Minced garlic cloves-4 or 5</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Saffron threads or saffron extract ,depending on what you use-equivalent of 4 to 5 threads</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Half a cup of extra virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Turmeric powder-1 tsp</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Dried ginger powder-1/2 tsp</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Cumin powder-1 tsp</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">cinnamon powder-1/2 tsp</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">paprika/red chilli powder(optional)</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Preserved lemon(washed and pulp removed)-1 whole lemon</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Green olives</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Potatoes-2 medium sized,peeled and cut into thick wedges or baby potatoes,peeled -around 10 to 12 </span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Golden raisins-two tsp /dried apricots-2(just cut them into two halves or it will render the gravy an overly sweet taste</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">freshly chopped coriander/parsley</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Chicken broth,veg stock -1 cup</span><br />
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Salt to taste</span><br />
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<em><strong><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Preparation:</span></strong></em><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In a bowl mix all the spices and aromatics(garlic,grated onion,dried ginger powder,cumin powder,turmeric,cinnamon powder,paprika and saffron threads/extract and some salt).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Add the olive oil and chopped coriander/parsley to this mixture and combine it to make a paste.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now coat all the vegetables,onion slices and chicken thighs in this paste and layer them in the tagine(or a flat and heavy bottomed pan) with onion slices going in the first layer and the rest arranged above them.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Throw in some green olives,apricots/raisins and the preserved lemon chopped or whole.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">cover the pan with some foil and let it rest in the refrigerator for about an hr before transferring it to a charcoal fire/gas top or oven.I cooked it covered on a low flame for about 15 mts,added a cup full of broth and transferred it into oven at around 180°<strong>C/</strong>350°<strong>F</strong> for about 25 mts.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Serve it hot and still bubbling with either Bread ,Couscous or plain white Rice.</span></div>
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<strong><u><em><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Health Fact:</span></em></u></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The traditional Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits and nuts, and cereals, and a high intake of olive oil but a low intake of saturated lipids, a moderately high intake of fish, a low-to-moderate intake of dairy products (and then mostly in the form of cheese or yogurt, which contain friendly bacterial probiotics), a low intake of meat and poultry, and a regular but moderate intake of wine.In other words, freshness, small portions, moderate quantity of wine along with such food and above all pleasure in food consuming, obviously make the winning combination for a long and healthy life.</span></div>
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smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-59572697117220489172011-03-25T12:20:00.008+05:302013-11-09T10:52:24.547+05:30Evil evil of them all !!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDNHs_L68856z5PAOAC7lAyvKbrLrMpobPz3X3dI5yzOrQ9L3wzzo5IzQLBQCWCDK5tqE_r9I6J3owzqpLINcu-URexYfZzPKA3qVTcocXTMuQCeW_qEZ_F-YBP8fWW_wYGbaiDgMpv9J/s1600/souffle+003.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span></a><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">No women can deny the fact that they love their chocolates as much as their men love to drool over super hot shot gorgeous looking women...if not more.We all give in to our temptations sometimes but chocolate is something we give in to most of the times.I know of some women who religiously eat their dark chocolates everyday as their secret formulae to keep their skin glowing and swear by its feel good effects too!! I'm pretty sure theses claims are true but i always eat my chocolates for only one good reason.... that they are sinfully delicious.But more often than not...i like using chocolate in some form in my desserts instead of eating bits out of the bars.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now there is no dearth of ways we can use chocolates to create desserts ....be it a rich chocolate truffle cake or gooey and warm chocolate brownies(that both me and my sister loved to eat with a chilled scoop of icecream during our mid night hunger pangs) or a more complicated melting chocolate centre cake.Whatever it is,chocolate has always given me numerous ways to express,feel and enjoy and i can vouch i'll never be tired of trying more ways to do that.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Here is a very quick recipe for a dark chocolate souffle that i made last evening after i had this sudden urge to eat it(though i can always cover up by saying my kids wanted it!!) and all it took me was ten minutes of preparation and fifteen minutes for it to come out of the oven.....and in less than two minutes it was on its way to our tummies.Now a souffle is suppose to be light,airy and puffed up and is meant to be eaten immediately after it comes out of the oven or else it goes flat after a few mts and then is a big dissapointment.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">here is the recipe:</span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Super Easy Double Chocolate Souffle</strong></span></u></div>
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<u><em><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></span></em></u></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a stick of butter(about 125 gms) / half a stick of butter(75gms)+a tblspn oil</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 tblspoon all purpose flour</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a cup of shredded dark chocolate</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">3/4 cup of milk</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a tspn of vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 eggs(at room temperature)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a tblspn of rich cocoa powder</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a tablespoon and half of castor sugar</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><u><strong>Method:</strong></u></em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The first step is to make the base creme sauce.In a pan melt the butter(or butter and oil).Once melted add the flour and mix well.Cook it for a minute at low heat stirring continuously.Now add the milk slowly,stirring the mix so that no lumps are formed.Once all the milk is consumed and starts to bubble away,add the sugar , switch off the heat and let it cool.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Meanwhile breaks the eggs and seperate the yolks from the whites.Add the yolks to the creme mixture and stir well.Now add the chocolate shards,vanila extract and cocoa to it and mix well again.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Whip up the egg whites in a seperate dry bowl to soft peakes.Scoop some of the whipped white into the creme and chocolate mix now and stir to incorporate.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now transfer the dark chocolate mix into the bowl of remaining egg whites.Carefully fold them all together taking care not to remove any air out of the mix.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Grease the ramekins or small bowls with butter and dust with sugar.Discard the excess.Now pour the chocolate mix into theses ramkins or bowls almost upto the rim and transfer them to a preheated oven.Cook them at 220<span id="RAsnippet2">°C/400°F for appx 12 mts or until a toothpick comes out clean.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Dusted with icing sugar,the souflle should be served with alarming quickness.It is quite a task to bring it on the table and click without the souffle settling down by a few centimeters.By the time i had the shot ready it had already begun to fall flat but is still in good shape.They dont say"souffle never waits for anyone" for nothing!!</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Health tip:</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Well its wonderful taste aside, chocolate contains phenylethylamine - the same chemical that is released in your brain when you fall in love; leading to that increase in the pounding of your heart, feeling of a sudden gush of excitement. "Love Chemical" is what some would call it. It is also believed by researchers that phenylethylamine in turn causes the brain to release mesolimbic dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain, another chemical where its presence is at peak during an orgasm.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Nevertheless, the sweetness from chocolate also triggers the release of endorphins. Think about those blissful feeling you had after a wonderful session of lovemaking. That is the effect from the production of endorphins in your body. Perhaps that is why some women actually remarked that they felt a feeling of elation when eating chocolate.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/56419">http://EzineArticles.com/56419</a></span></div>
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smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-17220660253996337492011-03-21T16:01:00.006+05:302013-11-09T10:53:00.918+05:30Pretty pumpkin!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Brutally woken up by the doorbell ringing right into my ears when i was having one of my rare afternoon siestas a few days back, i came to open my door all grumpy. But my frown soon gave way to a broad grin as soon as i found what was on the other side of the door.I was greeted by the sight of a shiny golden,beautifully ripe and just out of the farm pumpkin from my neighbour.Thanking profusely for the generous and friendly gesture i came back and thanked my stars for giving me such considerate neighbours who actually thought i would be the deserving one.I really do rather love being gifted a big pumpkin over a fancy bouquet of flowers or even scented candles for that matter(no puns here).But it was far too big for my entire family's needs..so i cut it into half ,kept one half for me and rang the bell next door, spreading around the same bonhomie that i had just received (i totally do intend the pun here..;-) ) .</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">we all in my family love our pumpkins and often use it in sambhar(a spicy curry from south india) and all sorts of curries and sabzees(veggie side dishes).I've even used it in desserts and cookies...but what i love is a spicy carribean inspired hearty soup that uses white lentils(urad daal) too.It is my own replacement for chicken soup for the soul when i'm unwell for it just lifts up my spirit and opens up all the senses including my tastebuds and to top it all,it is very nutritious. It is very filling and satisfying too.Here is the recipe:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">p.s. it also uses some raw mangoes,that are in the season here right now...yay!!!</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Pumpkin Medley </em></span></u></strong><br />
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">(sweet,tangy and spicy pumpkin soup with lentils)</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Ingrediets:</em></span></u></strong><br />
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<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">400 gms of yellow pumpkin,cleaned ,peeled and diced</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">two medium sized red onions,julienned</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">chopped celery-half a cup</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">3-4 cloves of garlic</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">half a raw mango, peeled and finely diced or pureed(as a substitute you can use juice of a lime or some tamarind pulp or even fresh and tangy green tomatoes;although each will slightly change the overall flavour of the soup)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">cayenne pepper/smoked paprika or red chilli flakes - 1¼ tspn or more if you like</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">white lentils(urad daal without the husk)-2 tblspn</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">grated jaggery(or honey or sugar)-2 tspn</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">turmeric powder-1tspn</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">cumin powder-1 tspn</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">salt and pepper to taste</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">fenugreek seeds -1 tspn</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">vegetable stock</span></li>
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<strong><u><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Preparation:</span></u></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Soak the white lentils in some water and proceed to heat a broad pan,pour over about two tablespoons of olive oil and when its hot enough,add fenugreek seeds.stir for 10 seconds.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Add garlin cloves,onions and the celery to the pan.Reduce the heat and let the aromatics sweat over for 5 mts.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Increase the heat and add the pumpkin dices now,stirring in between till the some of the dices get a light brown color on them.Lower the heat now and add the turmeric powder,paprika,cumin and the jaggery and stir for two minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Add three cups of vegetable stock now and let it simmer for 5 mts.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Strain the white lentils now and add them to the pot.Cover and Simmer for another ten mts.The lentils should be cooked through yet firm by now. If not ,then give it another 3 to 4 mts.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now add salt,the raw mango and pepper according to how sour and salty or spicy you like it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">While stirring the soup,mash some of the pumpkins using the back side of the spatula so the soup gets all mushy and a little thick.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Serve the soup very hot(this will serve around four people) with a little dollop of chilled yoghurt and some chopped parsley accompanied by toasted bread of your choice.sumptuous.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I will not get into the details this time,but will just tell you that this vegetable is a must have if you want to keep fit and healthy,have great immunity,great skin and a good oral health.Pumpkin not only has many antioxidants(like alpha and beta carotene) that help to slow the ageing process,it has vital nutrients like potassium and zinc that keeps hypertension and depressions at bay(now i know why i need it the most when i am all bedridden!!) and prevent osteoporosis,so have plenty of them.</span></div>
smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-73875716781583997512011-03-08T13:10:00.003+05:302011-07-05T14:44:09.956+05:30Street Foods From Around!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Super fresh,quick and devilishly lip smacking is why street food remains on the top of my choices when I'm starving and want a really quick bite;fact remaining that the hygiene conditions on theses sidewalks are not necessarily something to rave about but yes,there are exceptions. I was just thinking about the scrumptious samosas(now an international fav),pakoras(fritters),jalebis(a spiral shaped sweet with dripping goodness..ha ha)and not to forget the whole range of chaats that makes me drool every time i mention them,when i realised that every country and every street on this world(yes and that includes so called french by lanes famous for dishing out the most sophisticated cuisine of the world)has their own favorite street foods and so i just thought i would do a small series on street foods from around the world and see if we would love to make them in our humble kitchens(obviously altering a few to suit our taste buds) as much as we love to devour them on streets and also keeping in mind that we have a cholesterol to take care of!!</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Here is the first one from the series and from one of my favourite destination for food : Malaysia.</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Banana fritters are a common thing on the streets of Malaysia and have become so popular that many Thai restaurants feature them on their desserts menu serving them with a scoop of vanilla icecream. I'm also posting the link where you can get the original recipe and it also has some great pictures.The one that I'm giving you here is its healthier cousin(and definitely not the most authentic) because i'm using whole wheat flour and baking instead of deep frying it.It tastes quite similar in terms of texture and flavours but not as good as the one on the streets coz they are the best anyways.</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.shesimmers.com/2010/08/thai-fried-banana-recipe-tutorial.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.shesimmers.com/2010/08/thai-fried-banana-recipe-tutorial.html</span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This is the link to original thai banana fritters recipe.I took sometime to find this one but i'm happy i did because it is totally authentic and well described.Do take a look.</span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div></span><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><strong><u><span style="color: orange; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"><em>Crispy Banana Parcels :</em></span></u></strong></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<em><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-size: large;"></span></em></span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Half a cup of whole wheat flour</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a tablespoon of rice flour</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a good tablespoon and half of sesame seeds</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a generous pinch of cayenne pepper/red chili powder</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/3rd tsp of salt</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 tablespoons of caster sugar</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 tablespoon of vegetable oil (one for adding to the dough and other for baking)</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">3 bananas</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">dessicated coconut</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Method:</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mix both kinds of flour,salt,sugar,cayenne pepper and sesame seeds in a large bowl.Add one tablespoon oil and mix it well,crumbing it with <span style="background-color: white;">your</span> fingers.Now add water slowly to make a dough(the dough should be firm and not too soft).</span></div></li>
<li><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Divide the dough into six parts.Dust a flat surface with flour and roll one of the balls into a six inch by four inch(appx. size,depending on the size of bananas you have)long strip.</span></div></li>
<li><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Cut the strip into half. Prepare other strips using this method till u have twelve such strips.</span></div></li>
<li><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Slit the banana lenghtwise and then into half so that one banana is now divided into four parts each.</span></div></li>
<li><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Coat the banana slices with dessicated coconut first and then place it onto one end of the strip,secure from the sides and fold over.Wet the other end with a finger dipped in water and seal the banana parcel.</span></div></li>
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpO0KgbM-64ds0P9Gi31H4jdGEoqitYI1QbUboj5LAMT4qeUPa5v1_u-TnXz5_IaUXHrS7EiyFNx9xOtFiHY8Ntrej-eOkIXxqbc8AmxCVmCpZCtXfOOpYjVJ-ojMb2HB3fiTgmoe9EC5/s1600/manav+sangrahalaya+103.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpO0KgbM-64ds0P9Gi31H4jdGEoqitYI1QbUboj5LAMT4qeUPa5v1_u-TnXz5_IaUXHrS7EiyFNx9xOtFiHY8Ntrej-eOkIXxqbc8AmxCVmCpZCtXfOOpYjVJ-ojMb2HB3fiTgmoe9EC5/s320/manav+sangrahalaya+103.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div itxtnodeid="160" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span><div itxtnodeid="160" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div itxtnodeid="160" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When all the parcels are ready,place them on greased dish,brush them well with oil and bake them for 20 mts at 200ºc.Alternatively the parcels can also be cooked on a griddle or a pan with a little oil on medium high heat from both sides.I did a few on the griddle as well so i'm putting both the pics.</span></div></li>
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LtCzhq81Njwy6ouW_F7QuKCAZz9Jj8n0ua0CyUociadv3gJ4gQVSF25Eeb-U7Gha9gsmddx4VDYq36C4iPTt0fyS1Rwos8pgmLh_ApHe74KjTDr7ZRDqeePOsRb42M_XVtwiJdCDj9U5/s1600/manav+sangrahalaya+122.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LtCzhq81Njwy6ouW_F7QuKCAZz9Jj8n0ua0CyUociadv3gJ4gQVSF25Eeb-U7Gha9gsmddx4VDYq36C4iPTt0fyS1Rwos8pgmLh_ApHe74KjTDr7ZRDqeePOsRb42M_XVtwiJdCDj9U5/s320/manav+sangrahalaya+122.png" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbwPCfdrsEcCqWA_9OcoAr-IUAk7Dxcsbtw12t3wr2HT1HyUS6uXQalHDl2K6s-pjFWNijfffz1Iw-XLNAwO8kbKLkTiFLTWNY-Ancaq21R0dLRQFOG7tOvAPZDLW96G999JHOe0JNGA8/s1600/manav+sangrahalaya+114.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbwPCfdrsEcCqWA_9OcoAr-IUAk7Dxcsbtw12t3wr2HT1HyUS6uXQalHDl2K6s-pjFWNijfffz1Iw-XLNAwO8kbKLkTiFLTWNY-Ancaq21R0dLRQFOG7tOvAPZDLW96G999JHOe0JNGA8/s320/manav+sangrahalaya+114.png" width="320" /></a></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It is usually served warm with a scoop of icecream,but incase you like it savoury,it can be served with yoghurt whipped up with some dried mint leaves and some chaat masala(a condiment made from cumin powder,rock salt and other spices) sprinkled over.For super busy..short on time people;this can also be made using ready made pastry shells;just remember to add some seasonings to the dessicated coconut before coating bananas with it.</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><u><em>Health tip:</em></u></strong></span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Bananas contrary to what people generally believe is one of the healthiest fruit we have.Available all round the year ,it makes a perfect morning or after workout snack.It is a very good source of dietary fibre,Vit c,potassium,manganeses and vit B6.Being high on natural sugars(sucrose,fructose and glucose)it should ideally be consumed after exercise as it also promotes muscle formation.Care should be taken to not eat it with any of the major meals;fruits should be enjoyed on an empty stomach for maximum benefit.</span></div><div itxtnodeid="160" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div align="justify" itxtnodeid="159"></div></div>smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-53196964053581409922011-02-28T22:54:00.004+05:302011-07-06T11:00:22.939+05:30Berry Goodness!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">With the winters having gone into a deep slumber and the sun begginning to dance through most part of the day,it looks like summers are not very far off and so are the mangoes(wink!!! i keep reminding myself this everytime i mention summers <strong> :-)</strong> !!) well its not time yet to discuss mangoes...not even the raw ones..sigh!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now,last few days i was observing while i went to shop for my fruits and vegetables,a few of the shops stocked strawberries alongside other fruits but they all looked a little stale and unappealing to me.However,as i went out yesterday for my routine shopping,i could see there was a huge influx of strawberries in the market because every vendor in the market i saw; had loads of plastic boxes stacked neatly on wooden trays with holes underneath them and containing luscious,red strawberries.I immediately knew it was the right season and the perfect time to pick some and so i did,a whole lot... for i simply just couldnt resist.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Not too long ago strawberries were difficult to find in india,and even if one did,it was the smaller fruit and it often would get stale on its way to markets because of its highly perishable nature not to forget that it was way too overpriced to be afforded by anyone but the affluent.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mahabaleshwar(a town some hundred kms from pune and around two hundred km from Mumbai) was the first cultivator of strawberries in India and now other places like Pune,Nashik,sangli in maharashtra and Nainital in Uttarakhand have followed suit.Over the time,the fruit has become larger in size and also become less perishable(read better storage and transport) and yes,cheaper...a lot cheaper.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now strawberries are not here to stay for long because the sun will soon be warmer in the coming months and considering that its mostly the scorching summer months that we'll want to have those smoothies and icecreams and other yummy stuff, its a great idea to freeze these beautiful red ,just ripe ones.Here is a step by step guide:</div><ul><li><div style="text-align: justify;">Remove all the leaves from the fruit and give it a good wash under running water to remove any dust or soil that may be there.</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Cut off the green stem and the cap using a sharp knife(if you dont want to struggle with a frozen tip later).</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Check all the fruits for any bruises or mouldy or soft spots and remove them with the tip of your knife(better still ; chuck them off and keep the good ones only).</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Lay them on a thick sheet of kitchen towel and leave them for 10-15 mts so as to remove any excess water.</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Lay a wax paper/butter paper on a tray and line the strawberries on it taking care to keep all the berries seperate from each other.</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">keep the whole tray inside the freezer compartment and let it stay there overnight or atleast for four hours.Freezing in the tray will ensure the strawberries dont fuse with each other and stay seperate.</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Remove the strawberries from the tray and store them in a Zip lock bag inside the freezer.Do always remember to remove maximum air out of the bag and make sure you label your bags with contents and date so that you know when to discard them off(if you are left with any,that is :-) ).This will keep good for atleast 6 to 8 months depending on the freezer condition.Do not try to refreeze them once they are thawed.</div></li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjoZ5UbrNx3YIDebHmCZdzFdAAu9K3UKeo7DCJ2E1OqgnW-79pz6rEXI4hLpDLTle2vM5EJ16skK_BYG-RTD47UTQDMFwUl6WiKLzohresWdLxqMDVXy7NcasurBMJNYrHb3FOevGPblp/s1600/Frozen-Strawberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjoZ5UbrNx3YIDebHmCZdzFdAAu9K3UKeo7DCJ2E1OqgnW-79pz6rEXI4hLpDLTle2vM5EJ16skK_BYG-RTD47UTQDMFwUl6WiKLzohresWdLxqMDVXy7NcasurBMJNYrHb3FOevGPblp/s320/Frozen-Strawberries.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Now, i kept a batch in the freezer last night and in the morning after the kids had left for school and husband for office,i treated myself to some nice strawberry yoghurt smoothie.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4cyGrx467cq0kWf2Mv5eoLJneg4LUuHpO3uAXGmkSo9eUKXjfGthSgKbs-kOw80o7OA51Z3OcWx9h8NpeXHe7LtVDrlCPJ5l9md7HK8QRo9Vr5Vy7qqsysT8-VTDHqLvXsmmvk4RInBB/s1600/upload+070.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4cyGrx467cq0kWf2Mv5eoLJneg4LUuHpO3uAXGmkSo9eUKXjfGthSgKbs-kOw80o7OA51Z3OcWx9h8NpeXHe7LtVDrlCPJ5l9md7HK8QRo9Vr5Vy7qqsysT8-VTDHqLvXsmmvk4RInBB/s320/upload+070.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">It was fab and easy too.Just whizz some sugar and a few frozen strawberries in the blender and fold into fresh home made yoghurt.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">some other great options to use up frozen stawberries are:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><ul><li><div style="text-align: justify;">Make some great strawberry mousee folding lightly whipped creme,whipped egg white,sugar syrup and pureed strawberries together.</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Its a great milk shake option for the little ones(they all like strawberry flavour and i hate giving them packaged ones loaded with preservatives.)</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Make a delicious sauce to go with icecreames and pancakes.Simply cook it up with some sugar and water(add whole spices of your choice like a star anise or cinnamon for that special twist!!),strain and use!!</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Frozen strawberries make great pie filling and excellent tart fillings too!!</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">Strawberry cheesecake is yet another yummylicious thing!!(i'll post a recipe soon.)</div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;">It makes a delicious sorbet.whizz it up with some sugar syrup and lime/lemon zest thrown in for that extra kick!! its a great palette cleanser in between courses or after a heavy meal.</div></li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><li><div style="text-align: justify;">Its a great add on for cocktails...add it to your margaritas and daiquiries or just go wild and make your own cocktails!!</div></li>
</ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><u>Health Tip:</u></strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This heart shaped, red fleshy fruit isn't just great looking but packs a great amount of nutrients for surprisingly small amount of calorie it imparts.Its a great boon for weight watchers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. They are also a very good source of dietary fiber and iodine. Plus, strawberries are a good source of potassium, folate, vitamin B2, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, copper, and vitamin K. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Not only that; it is super rich in phytonutrients(antioxidants) and helps preventing cell degeneration.It has natural anti inflammatory properties and helps a great deal in patients suffereing from rheumatoid , osteoarthritis,asthama and even cancer.</div><br />
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</div></div>smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-35391386957426946132011-02-08T18:17:00.003+05:302011-07-05T15:47:16.176+05:30Bye Bye Winters...welcome Spring!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It is the first day of the Spring season in India and is celebrated as "Vasant Panchami".The Winters have quietly begun to wrap up and the sun shines brightly in the day.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now,Spring is the season when nature is at its beautiful and bountiful best. Flowers are in full bloom and trees sprout new shoots. It is a season when nature regenerates and every thing is fresh and new. New life is evident in the woods and fields. In North India the cool morning air is laden with the faint smell of Mango blossoms(the sign that we may look forward to eating those luscious,tangy and juicy things in the next few months to come...YUM!!).Mustard fields turn into a heady mix of yellow and green as the blossoms add color, poetry and romance to life. </span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Its a time to celeberate and eat(the best part..aint it?) and so i decided to make something sweet today and zeroed it on "millet pudding"or "Bajra Halwa" as we call it here.It is a speciality from the state of Rajasthan and also loved in Gujraat and parts of Madhya Pradesh.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Here is the recipe:</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ofwcXM1tqyx7n65WgcnZMMsx8LAKC8W-qXYEnUkcWAqu7r5Xza-hudLOkJizodL6MfpPnY_oaQO3dl5ON4_DP33_sm6Lfus4wFS0GLtBG4QqP63xvCeJcCFQ2y29p_jEorGV7eQADdiI/s1600/latest+008.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ofwcXM1tqyx7n65WgcnZMMsx8LAKC8W-qXYEnUkcWAqu7r5Xza-hudLOkJizodL6MfpPnY_oaQO3dl5ON4_DP33_sm6Lfus4wFS0GLtBG4QqP63xvCeJcCFQ2y29p_jEorGV7eQADdiI/s320/latest+008.png" width="320" /></span></a><strong><u><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></u></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A cup of Millet flour</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/3rd cup of Demerara sugar(white sugar will do as well,a tspn of mollasses/jaggery can be added for color)</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A cup and a half of whole milk(about 180 ml. or 6 oz.)</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A handfull of mixed nuts(i used cashews only)</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Some raisins and chopped dates</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 and 1/2 tblspns of clarified butter/ghee</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 or 3 green cardamom pods</span></div></li>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Saffron threads(optional) around 5 or 6 soaked in a spoon of warm milk.</span></div></li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><strong><u><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Preparation:</span></u></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Dry roast the mixed nuts in oven (at appx 120deg.C. for about 7-8 mnts)or in a pan over medium heat.Remove and keep them aside.Crush them lightly when they've cooled down.</span></div></li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ofwcXM1tqyx7n65WgcnZMMsx8LAKC8W-qXYEnUkcWAqu7r5Xza-hudLOkJizodL6MfpPnY_oaQO3dl5ON4_DP33_sm6Lfus4wFS0GLtBG4QqP63xvCeJcCFQ2y29p_jEorGV7eQADdiI/s1600/latest+008.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Bruise the cardamom pods slightly so as to release flavour.Heat a tbl spn of ghee and add the cardamoms,followed by the millet flour.</span></div></li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffFtPD3ADO8IujXPpnuCfNR904bQj18YWRyMU4HtppncDpNjED7gwuuDU7z78MoIk2NZkdphWHSVlxoTvYxzNoGDsp4JCUnkcuj4mrTpM1C47nWXVMCcJdfZ2YE6Ib3eaW-8bA1xSy_ao/s1600/latest+009.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffFtPD3ADO8IujXPpnuCfNR904bQj18YWRyMU4HtppncDpNjED7gwuuDU7z78MoIk2NZkdphWHSVlxoTvYxzNoGDsp4JCUnkcuj4mrTpM1C47nWXVMCcJdfZ2YE6Ib3eaW-8bA1xSy_ao/s320/latest+009.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPlsEIaDrzZ7Gd8lqyn2YjpuuRG8er2krj0GDQrHIKuHC1Ve9HwgKubZfzNdHrtTFek8kD8ZdAEy4FzCyxUBiPP6l6kDzg1LPbKzgYvAdiGjMbFX_duMAhHk7sAOGTKN6obrZkC_B5PF1/s1600/latest+010.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPlsEIaDrzZ7Gd8lqyn2YjpuuRG8er2krj0GDQrHIKuHC1Ve9HwgKubZfzNdHrtTFek8kD8ZdAEy4FzCyxUBiPP6l6kDzg1LPbKzgYvAdiGjMbFX_duMAhHk7sAOGTKN6obrZkC_B5PF1/s320/latest+010.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">At medium heat,keep stirring the flour,till it gets sandy in texture and darkens slightly in color.The beautiful aroma rising from the pan will let you know when the roasting is complete.</span></div></li>
</ul><ul><li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now add the whole milk,the sugar,raisins and the chopped dates.Roll up your sleeves and be ready to slog(yes!! a lil bit though)...stir like a manic now ;-).</span></div></li>
</ul><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRC0aFa8Yr4NbCMQpTTSy2XK_1_y7uCFnLyr1XvxwJKjIRLZiGjmxxdazHgLxdqbb6ROOPZm9jBP2g76f-xPaGNEPAyVwALezqIz3N-3XnXexjsYMUcqxMWjTJXCt9uPg3ZVRuke2j03ou/s1600/latest+011.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRC0aFa8Yr4NbCMQpTTSy2XK_1_y7uCFnLyr1XvxwJKjIRLZiGjmxxdazHgLxdqbb6ROOPZm9jBP2g76f-xPaGNEPAyVwALezqIz3N-3XnXexjsYMUcqxMWjTJXCt9uPg3ZVRuke2j03ou/s320/latest+011.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><div dir="rtl" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div dir="rtl" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div dir="rtl" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><div dir="rtl" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">After about 4-5 mnts of continuous stirring the thick slurry will begin to leave the pan slightly from the sides.At this moment add the remaining ghee(1/2 tblspn) and the whole thing will start to combine up in a single ,slightly squidgy and mushy mass.</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Add the crushed nuts and saffron and cook for another minute or so,continuing the stirring.</span></div></li>
<li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This halwa tends to set on cooling down ,so it can either be spread in a Flat greased dish;so that it can be cut into pieces later or else served hot in individual bowls.Garnish it with chopped dates and nuts.Eat your way to good health and let people take guesses!!</span></div></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7pt8B16Cr6mS0kHLogVXXOjzXhbDgn4AFllA4TQQDqikbGYMAO5oO_bvGrmCvY9lnDwn1jHtnK-C0URhyXekU88wULEAS3KirMVB07ZMQNRegQ815LTKAzk6YvMKmgQl9GByciIUXL46/s1600/latest+014.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7pt8B16Cr6mS0kHLogVXXOjzXhbDgn4AFllA4TQQDqikbGYMAO5oO_bvGrmCvY9lnDwn1jHtnK-C0URhyXekU88wULEAS3KirMVB07ZMQNRegQ815LTKAzk6YvMKmgQl9GByciIUXL46/s320/latest+014.png" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #f1c232; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><u>Health tip:</u></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;"></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Millet is one of the superfoods that has a bomb of nutrients filled inside tiny seeds.It reduces cholestrol,prevents colon and breast cancer and lowers the risk of Type 2 diabetes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This tiny grain is gluten free and is packed with minerals and vitamins like niacin,manganese,magnesium and calcium ;therefore is a boon for people who are allergic to wheat and other glutenous grains.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #a2c4c9;">This recipe in particular is great for breakfast or a mid meal snack.Using a little ghee with millet actually reduces its glycemic index and <span style="color: #a2c4c9;">hence</span> aids in fat burning.It should be kept in mind to never have it post any of the major meals else its</span><span style="background-color: #444444;"> <span style="color: #a2c4c9;">nutrients are not utilised.</span></span></span></div></div>smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-33701475552929274982011-02-02T20:31:00.003+05:302020-05-28T14:15:55.738+05:30The joys of being fed by mother!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Some people say home is where heart is...i'd say home is where my stomach wishes it were,right now.Whenever i miss my home i realise that its mostly the mom's food and comfort it brings is what i miss and then i crave for it to a point when i'm compelled to cook something that mom cooked for us back home and eat it all,just to relive the moment all over again.</div>
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Now, most of us miss our home food only once we are deprived of it and then the thought that one cannot have it more often starts haunting us day and night. Moral of the story : Learn to cook while you are still sitting on you ass shamelessly polishing off all the food you mom prepares.I had my moment of enlightenment at quite an early age when i was put up in a hostel for a year at the age of twelve and when i came back from there...i literally started on an eating spree that never ended(and yes it all showed up at my behind..LOL!!),but it gave me the wisdom to take interest in whatever mom was concocting up in the kitchen.</div>
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Now my mom has always cooked for us inspite of having ample help around and this has inspired me to do the same with my kids.I love to cook for them and at the same time make sure they know their food well.Sometimes they surprise me by how much they pick up just by being around.</div>
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Anyways today's recipe is one my mom used to and still makes for us in winters(by demand ofcourse) and is called "fara".Now this recipe appears in different avatars in bengali cuisine as well in kitchens of northern india.In calcutta they also make a sweet version but ofcourse i'm telling you the savoury one here.However this time i forgot to check the exact measurements so i'm giving approximates here,but they should do well if you follow the recipe(its damn easy).</div>
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<strong><u>FARA</u></strong><br />
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The ingredients are:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>a cup and a half of rice flour(preferably the young rice i.e.from the recent crop yield)</li>
<li>a tablespoon of clarified butter/ghee(it is important to not miss it because it keeps the dough moist which otherwise is very dry and difficult to roll)</li>
<li>warm water(to make dough)</li>
<li>a cup of soaked chana daal(split bengal gram)/urad daal(split white lentils)</li>
<li>a few dried red chillies</li>
<li>whole coriander seeds, about a tspn and a half</li>
<li>cumin seeds(zeera) ,about a tblspn</li>
<li>asofoetida(hing), a generous pinch</li>
<li>green coriander leaves,a small bunch</li>
<li>salt to taste</li>
<li>a steaming basket/colander to steam the dumplings</li>
</ul>
<strong><u>preparation:</u></strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Grind together the lentils( you can use these lentils seperately or a mix of different ones to suit your taste) with red chillies,asofoetida,cumin ,coriander seeds,leaves and salt with the help of little water to a coarse paste.Leave it aside for half an hour to soak in the flavours.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgrdWUFx3fj4dXKaT16yIYigsZIUM5PID0TZHN49kc8PcommYsUwQiOA9Z3bK0x2Go3Hf715kO8QlauuujfmTzMUH4C56G0SrwyjVjy0YMuCYc2y9cYidSIAw0vwNOhtRP9XOTD0li-Bc/s1600/new+001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgrdWUFx3fj4dXKaT16yIYigsZIUM5PID0TZHN49kc8PcommYsUwQiOA9Z3bK0x2Go3Hf715kO8QlauuujfmTzMUH4C56G0SrwyjVjy0YMuCYc2y9cYidSIAw0vwNOhtRP9XOTD0li-Bc/s320/new+001.png" width="320" /></a><br />
<ul>
<li>Now prepare the dough by mixing the clarified butter(you can use any neutral flavoured oil like vegetable oil instead; if you prefer not using the butter) with the flour first and then add the warm water spoon by spoon,mixing well in between.Knead it well till it forms a smooth ball and then cover and let it rest for about half an hour.</li>
</ul>
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<li>Now roll out a tennis ball size of dough on a dusted surface to about half an inch thickness(or thinner if you can handle).Use cookie cutters to cut out circles from it.Return the leftover dough to the bowl.keep repeating till all the dough is consumed.Now take aprx a teaspoon and half of the lentil stuffing and place it on one side of the circle that you just cut out and press gently to fold in a half moon, keeping the sides open.If you wish you can use two circles with stuffing sandwiched in between(this is faster to prepare but takes a little exta time to cook).</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmVrNU1n4wV8wJpwHbGRq-PkVcoe7TEq2Q2nSWTcoZOizGY-CefnR34_XItI4Z1mz4WRiCGWsXufqRyvoJyFHcLCRTBeOLVDg7XQHb4ovmqzzWWSygXAJGckpp307l8uArem5UaX_uHPh/s1600/new+003.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmVrNU1n4wV8wJpwHbGRq-PkVcoe7TEq2Q2nSWTcoZOizGY-CefnR34_XItI4Z1mz4WRiCGWsXufqRyvoJyFHcLCRTBeOLVDg7XQHb4ovmqzzWWSygXAJGckpp307l8uArem5UaX_uHPh/s320/new+003.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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<li>Arrange the dumplings on a tray and steam at medium heat for around twelve to eighteen mts depending on how you have prepared the dumplings).</li>
</ul>
<img border="0" height="239" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNzpws35kRSp4i5P0TAbygSfyiVxWBwhmnDLPkG6e7f7XqBjWmn-zaQ-8ACKng_ER7AO-jk214zVBXUi6BxQcPb_LZnuWIkkpyaKbfcR5Pd1p68sxhQF0Qkhcp6AQ5Hi1yOw9Du2CaHmq/s320/new+005.png" width="320" /><br />
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Serve hot with a savoury green chutney (i have a special chutney recipe that we eat with this but will share later for sure) or sauted with some curry leaves and mustard seeds....And yes don't forget the steaming cup of masala chai.</div>
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note: The dumplings keep well for atleast three days in an airtight box inside the refrigerator.</div>
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health tip: This works as an excellent in between meals snack or breakfast.It has a good balance of carbs and proteins wth spices thrown in to aid in the digestion and providing micronutrients like zinc,potassium,vit b-6,niacin etc.The cooking method used is steaming which is possibly the best way of cooking and helps retaining maximum nutrition.</div>
smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-53587862031296610682011-01-19T13:32:00.006+05:302013-11-09T10:55:37.356+05:30desi tadka!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For me no sophisticated meal can beat the taste of good old "chulhe di roti "with a dollop of home made white butter on it...yum"!! ("Chulha" is the clay oven that uses fire wood and is found in most rural indian households) The hearty and robust food that is made from freshly procured goodies in these households are not just yummy tasting but can also put any of those so called"healthy and low calorie fancy sounding fancy tasting"foods to shame in terms of their nutritional value.I try and source these ingredients from the best possible places(read nearby village markets)which is easier for me beacause i live in a place that makes shopping in local rural markets as easy as shopping in an upmarket store for ingredients from far off shores.</div>
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Now "makke di roti and sarson saag"(corn/maize meal tortillas and mustard greens curry) is one such favourite combination that almost all of us would have loved at some point.This recipe originated from rural areas of punjab where farmers would eat this after a long and tiring day of working in the fields.This is usually accompanied by a tall glass of full cream sweet to the core" lassi"(a drink made from sweetened yoghurt).</div>
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But i decided to stay away from it because it is so popular that almost everyone knows the recipe so well its no point retelling it again.</div>
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Instead; i did a jowar (sorghum)roti with a hearty palak paneer with a twist(i called it patiala palak paneer because i couldnt find a heartier sounding name).Here is the recipe:</div>
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<strong><u>patiala palak paneer</u></strong><br />
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<strong><u>ingredients</u></strong><br />
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fresh paneer(cottage cheese)-250 gms<br />
palak(spinach)puree-1 cup(i blanched the spinach leaves in hot salted water for a minute before pureeing it)<br />
tomatoes(sliced in strips)-2 medium sized ripe ones(if u want u can deseed them)<br />
grated onions-1 medium sized bulb<br />
garlic cloves-8 to 10<br />
grated ginger-1"inch<br />
whole coriander seeds-i tspn<br />
cumin seeds-1 tspn<br />
whole dry red chillies-2 or 3<br />
cumin powder-1 tspn<br />
garam masala powder-1 tspn<br />
paprika.red chilli powder-1 tspn<br />
turmeric powder-1 tspn<br />
salt to taste<br />
oil/ghee to saute<br />
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<strong><u>procedure:</u></strong><br />
<ul>
<li>heat a tblspn of oil/ghee in a heavy bottommed pan or wok.when the oil is hot enough add cumin seeds and the whole coriander seeds followed by the red chillies.</li>
</ul>
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<img border="0" height="238" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1eZM_ofRnG4i1BYp1w1FXVKksx2bu4YzwCeOHzASeViQJDQ_WB1M_Iq3TBsTxfeCTqET-G-OU238J6iNK8Jblsd_FTmNsv0jMqXfdUg-FHeAZLekhecCRsmWU-obfW9QMEWhWa6LCMz4/s320/new+updates+007.png" width="320" /></div>
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<li>Add the whole garlic cloves and then throw in the grated onion and ginger.saute till the mixture is well cooked and is golden in colour.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vsB6AgLczAwvlTK8L9egXPx0jY-9ogaR6mv1rJO6kCocNj4-MWN91KkU116XhtP_sqTSRFVajrNeCq-d-mts0ZKTmG1UKXhUEu7dSjr_adMnFRfjLddOZz0qYzPVImgENbsmMLDwoi8L/s1600/new+updates+010.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<li><div style="text-align: justify;">
Add the powdered spices i.e. turmeric,paprika,cumin powder and then add the tomatoes.add a little water to bring together the spices and cook till the masalas start to leave oil from the sides.</div>
</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBPks-fftuGykhd-vNd0Ppy01kyitGgu7NhZxP0cfaZhYJO1Wh7-ESqv4DMLNyQSnE4SFrMgPvu5VudvIUxkakf34lr9YUs-KWtAQ0jPWDxy3yCeXgSivlkmBmG3K1DtJXbsV7U1KtfFN/s1600/new+updates+014.png" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBPks-fftuGykhd-vNd0Ppy01kyitGgu7NhZxP0cfaZhYJO1Wh7-ESqv4DMLNyQSnE4SFrMgPvu5VudvIUxkakf34lr9YUs-KWtAQ0jPWDxy3yCeXgSivlkmBmG3K1DtJXbsV7U1KtfFN/s320/new+updates+014.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;">
Now add the pureed spinach,salt and garam masala.Cover and cook at low heat for about 6-7 mts.do stir it in between.add paneer and cook for further 3 or 4 mts.water can be added according to the desired consistency,just remember to season it accordingly.add some white butter in the end(optional) and remove from heat.serve with hot bread/chapati/paranthas.</div>
</li>
</ul>
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<strong><u>Jowar rotis(sorghum flat bread)</u></strong><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mix a cup full of jowar meal with a three quarters cup of very hot water.Mix vigourously with a spatula and cover immediately.keep this covered for 10 to 12 mts(after which it also gets easier to handle as it cools down by then).Now take out the dough on a floured surface and knead it adding some wheat flour when needed to.also add a big spoonfull of sesame seeds to enhance the taste if you like it.i added it while rolling the dough into chapatis though.this much dough will make some 4-5 medium sized ,slightly thick rotis.</div>
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roll the chapatis and when needed use some wheat flour to dust.</div>
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note: do not roll the chapatis too thin or else they'll turn very hard and chewy after cooking.</div>
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<img border="0" height="239" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZCs62g1jBEnSM-BbDmfFRi4IaqGmOOCkrmdZUiT-_hh3dSowtbp-1MjSotleFgJVlLX_Mkj1OHW_iuyg73yKPLywTwfLHJGwyauoMthsfN3i5VMIkz_7LMTJ5TJe2Gn0ywp3rq0zacea/s320/new+updates+018.png" width="320" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="239" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07wIo_D8F4Kai9qYZxFxYHvCCrv997TPvJKQf1KYKeZmQjLcstHm5NGV4DErYQWVwqetGuX3p2XR7GBCJRYpkCl-tibemq3YcqrrMxwZ95LDqfJv_dkcR3sRPR9n0o3BPCOJcMjbgQ8GU/s320/new+updates+019.png" width="320" /></div>
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<img border="0" height="239" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9EZtREaZbQDhTjYA6aXTPrupUz0X9KBNPPXsw-u63b8Ih6HaJLerhqP-eiDyYXsvwJcS4X_DnVjsuuQzbtv2TPSdUWcdNGUSLmhydGM16P_p0xz5dl56POYBHdpjH12Jw3EGyaqzjFc1/s320/new+updates+020.png" width="320" /></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;">
cook on the griddle/pan on medium heat on both the sides till well done,use some ghee if required.Serve hot with daal or curry and some pickles on the side.</div>
</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7h23kYCnBDcOH4vBTHlo0G6dxi_P-7LPPQkOJBT0gG_sCa0AUm1DCGwUJAe6_EHt_LCog3INgr9pQ-xMOOgNrWI2RcRO1IKFLhjCGYzvdsadRWWmeW4fIRtcQ2Nfk03aRfQIH_Si5ceN/s1600/new+updates+024.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7h23kYCnBDcOH4vBTHlo0G6dxi_P-7LPPQkOJBT0gG_sCa0AUm1DCGwUJAe6_EHt_LCog3INgr9pQ-xMOOgNrWI2RcRO1IKFLhjCGYzvdsadRWWmeW4fIRtcQ2Nfk03aRfQIH_Si5ceN/s400/new+updates+024.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<strong><u>Health tip:</u></strong><br />
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Including slower carbs(maize,sorghum,whole wheat and millets etc) in our daily dinner menu is far more beneficial for our bodies as opposed to excluding carbs totally in dinner(i know this is what most health freaks do)because not only it helps bring satiety and thus better sleep;but also when combined with good proteins(paneer,tofu, legumes and lentils etc),ensures that the body effieciently repairs itself overnight hence increasing the chances of fat burning through the day.Happy eating!!</div>
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smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-55774100829512310282011-01-13T19:29:00.001+05:302011-07-05T14:17:00.321+05:30simple flavours are often the best!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">yes i know,my first recipes was suppose to be a mango recipe..but sadly this time in india we dont get any mangoes around.Its not the season of mangoes here..although i have a recipe for a raw mango chutney that my mom made when we were younger and i wanted to share it but again that wouldn't be any fun without pictures.so i decided that i'll do another recipe this time and mangoes later.Its fish...and its something we find in abundant in this winter season here simply because the cold helps increasing the shelf life of the catch and hence it can be transported over a longer distance.i used basa fish for the recipe which is a sweet water fish from south east asia and belongs to the catfish family.here is the recipe which is loosly based on meen moilley from cochin..<br />
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<strong><u>ingredients:</u></strong><br />
<br />
basa fish fillets(skin removed)-400 gms<br />
green peas/pea brinjals-half a cup<br />
coconut milk(thick)-200 ml<br />
coconut milk(thin)-120 ml<br />
red chilly paste(dry chillies soaked in water for a few hrs and grounded to a paste)-1 tbl spn<br />
julienned onions-1 large bulb<br />
julienned ginger-1 inch<br />
garlic flakes-6 to 8 cloves<br />
green chillies-2 or 3<br />
lemon/lime-1 tbl spn<br />
curry leaves- a few<br />
mustard seeds- 1 tspn<br />
cardamom pods-2<br />
clove-2<br />
turmeric powder- 1 tspn<br />
salt and sugar to taste<br />
coconut/vegetable oil to cook<br />
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<strong><u>method</u></strong><br />
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1.Use a flat and thick bottomed pan for this( i mostly use my longpi ham stone pot that i bought from a manipur handicrafts store; to cook fish and other meat dishes becausei love its earthy look,its thick bottommed...and spreads the heat uniformly..so cooks the food really nicely).heat a tablespoon of oil (ghee works here as well)over medium heat and drop the cardamom and cloves in it.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2.Drop in mustard seeds,slit green chillies,curry leaves and finally the onions.fry till onions get transluscent.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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3. add garlic,ginger,red chillie paste and turmeric followed by a little splash of water so that the spices don't burn.<br />
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4. add the thinner extract of cocnut milk first and let it simmer before adding the fish fillets.It is a good time to add green peas/pea brinjals if u like them well cooked or else u can add them later.cover and cook for 6 mnts or more depending on how big ur fillets are.Now add salt ,a pinch or so of sugar and squeeze in the lemon.<br />
remember not to stir the pot at this stage or else the fish will break.add the thick extract now and cover the pot for another two to three mnts.<br />
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5. In the meen moiley recipe, tomatoes are used at this stage...but we dont like tomato in this dish so i omitted it.If u want u can add a chopped tomato.add chopped parsley/coriader and serve hot with rice.<br />
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i served it with brown basmati rice...let me know how you all like it.</div>smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3876042179497305073.post-68624203818795731552011-01-13T17:12:00.002+05:302011-07-05T15:43:27.985+05:30why mangoes of all the things?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d9ead3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why mangoes? Because i love them...not just because of how they taste but also because of how much its been a part of my childhood.A bite and i am transported back to the small village in Faizabad(in Uttar Pradesh,India.For those who dont know its a town near ayodhya where its believed lord Sri Raam was born)where my grandparents lived.We spend most of our summer vacations there and it was surrounded with acres of mango orchards...which not only served as our play ground but also provided us with lush,tangy and freshest mangoes on demand....hmm what a feast!! now eating mangoes these days have begun to have a nostalgic affect on me...mostly because our childhood holiday home is no more there...and also because things around there have changed so much that it exists only in my memories.These recipes are my dedication to those long gone happy childhood days.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;"><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: #d9ead3; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">That said,its just not about mangoes...but about everything else i eat,feel and enjoy...mostly the food that i grew up on (my mum's recipes mostly) and a lot of food i came across while staying away from home especially in mumbai.Here are also some recipes i borrowed from my mom in law,my friends and other relatives and also some tv shows,blogs and magazine inspirations...which are definately tweaked according to my and my family's taste.i hope all of you enjoy making and sharing my recipes just as long as you dont forget to mention the source.bon appetite!!!</span></div></div>smitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09529454953471596110noreply@blogger.com0