Quicky and Yummy Mango Chutney

This recipe if form my lovely sister Divya. She is an expert in chutneys and whips them up in seconds. She was kind enough to share it with me and let me blog it :). Love you Divs.

Here we go with

1. 3 tbsp Chana daal
2. 1 tbsp Urad daal
3. 1 green mango, peeled and sliced
4. Jeera, Mustard seeds, Methi seeds, 2 red chillies and Hing
5. 3 Green chillies - cut
6. 3 tbsp of oil
7. Salt to taste
8. Turmeric
9. Stub of tamarind - if the mango is not tangy enough
10. 4-5 Curry leaves (optional)

Process

1. In a shallow vessel, heat the oil.
2. Add chana daal and urad daal till the color changes slightly
3. Add ingredients in #4 above and turmeric. Wait till you hear splitting sounds
4. Add green chillies and mix well
5. Turn off the stove when the daals are well roasted (medium brown color). Let it cool
6. In the blender, add the cooled mixture, tamarind and curry leaves. Beat to a very coarse mixture
7. Add cut mango pieces, salt and beat to a very coarse mixture again. Do not make a paste!
8. Add cilantro to season if you like it.

Pineapple Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

2 cups sugar (I use 1 brown sugar and 1 granulated)
3 eggs beaten lightly
¾ cup oil
1 -8oz can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups ground zucchini
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
3 ¾ cup flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped nut (opt.)


Preheat the oven to 325 degreed.
Mix sugar, eggs, zucchini, oil, vanilla, and the pineapple. Add flour, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Add nuts (opt.). Do not over mix. Place in loaf pans greased. Makes 3 small or 2 large loaves. The pineapple gives this bread a great flavor and stores well. Can be frozen.
Bake for 75 - 90 minutes.

Onion Fritters

My friend Krishna made some yummy pakodas that were a super hit in the party. Here is the recipe for those yummy fritters

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups besan (gram dal flour)
½ cup rice flour4-5 green chillis, finely chopped
2 large onions, sliced2 spring onions (optional)
2 tbsp melted ghee (clarified butter)
few sprigs curry leaves
salt to taste
pinch of baking soda
oil for deep frying

Directions

Combine both the flours with salt, soda, green chillis, curry leaves and onions.
Add the melted ghee and mix well with fingers.
Combine well till u have a crumbly texture.
Add few tablespoons of water and mix well that it forms a hard batter. Don’t add too much water.
Heat enough oil in a deep frying pan. It should be piping hot.
Use your fingers (carefully) to drop the batter in the oil to form small fritters.
Reduce heat to medium and deep fry till they turn golden brown.
Use a ladle to keep turning the fritters so that it cooks on all sides.
Once they turn golden brown, remove them on to absorbent paper.
Store in air tight containers

Note: Krishna says - "You dont need to add spring onions for preparing gatti pakodi. I used them for added flavor. The quantity of rice flour can also be reduced to one fourth cup. The softer variety of pakodi can be prepared by omitting rice flour"

Veggie Casserole

Ingredients

2 Cups of uncooked Rottini or Penne pasta

1 can Cream of Mushroom (try others if you want to get creative)

½ cup milk

3 slices of bread (preferably end slices)

2 tbsp capers (optional)

1 cup broccoli

1 cup cut green beans

1 cup green peas

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder (optional)

1 tsp nutmeg powder ( I sometimes add garam masala powder instead)

Directions

Dry toast the bread slices twice and let them cool.

Boil the pasta and set aside

Microwave the veggies for 3 minutes or till they become tender (specially the beans)

Pre heat the oven to 350 F

Take a flat baking dish to set the casserole layers. Sprinkle some oil in the bottom

Set a layer of cooked pasta and start adding layers of veggies on top of it

Sprinkle salt, pepper, nutmeg powder, garlic powder (and any other spices if you like)

Pour the cream of mushroom and milk. Mix gently to make sure the cream and milk spread and sink

Cover the dish with a foil and bake for 15 minutes

In the mean time, grind the toast to make bread powder/crumbs

Take the pasta out to add the layer of Bread on the top and sprinkle some oil/butter

Bake it for 10 more minutes without the foil.

Scoop it and eat it while its still hot. Garlic bread is a good side dish for this casserole

Linguine & Shrimp

Rich and fruity kalamata olives are imported from Greece. They're an invaluable flavor booster in this simple pasta dish. Takes Under 30 minutes and makes 4 servings. Original recipe is from the Healthy living kitchens which has been modified for the Indian tongue.

Ingredients
1/3 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/2 cups boiling water
8 ounces linguine or spaghetti, preferably whole-grain
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Full block of Hard tofu - roasted with minced garlic in Olive oil (14 oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (original recipe)
1 teaspoon dried oregano or basil
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup sour raw mango (or 3 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives)
1 tablespoon drained capers, optional


Preparation

1. Combine tomato bits and boiling water in a small bowl; let stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid.
2. Cook penne in a large pan of boiling water. Drain and keep warm.
3. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add Tofu/shrimp and basil/oregano, and sauté for 2 minutes. If you are making this recipe with shrimp, pour it in the reserved tomato liquid. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes or until the shrimp are opaque.

Remove from the heat and stir in spinach, olives and capers, if using, and the plumped tomato bits.
4. Toss with the drained pasta in a large shallow serving bowl.

Perugu Vada

Ingredients

1. ½ packet shredded wet coconut
2. 6-8 baby carrots grated
3. 3 cups yogurt
4. ½ onion finely chopped
5. Salt
6. Garam masala
7. 1 loaf of sliced white bread

Procedure

1. Dilute 2 cups of yogurt with 2 cups of water, add salt and mix well
2. Pour 1/3 of it in the serving dish and keep it handy
3. Mix the remaining yogurt with all the other ingredients to make a thick paste
4. Cut the edges of bread and keep it ready
5. In a dinner plate pour some water and keep it handy (refill as and when required)
6. Take a slice of bread, place it in the water plate (for 5 seconds)and let it soak up some water
7. Take it out of water, put it on your left palm and press it with your right to drain off the water
8. Take a small spoon full of the mixture (less better than more), place it in the center of the wet bread
9. Bring the sides of the bread onto the mixture to make it a ball. Make sure you cover the whole mixture
10. Place the ball in the serving tray with the joins facing downwards
11. Pour the remaining yogurt on top
12. I decorate with cilantro and some carrot on the top of each ball

Almond cookies

These cookies taste just like the Osmania biscuits you get in Hyderabad.
Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, plus more for dusting
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup whole raw almonds, toasted and finely ground
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Soften the butter by leaving it in the room temperature (do not melt it in microwave). Put butter and sugar in the bow and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and extracts and continue to mix on slow speed. Add the flour mixture and almonds until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic; refrigerate until firm - for about 30 minutes.
3. Roll the dough into 1 cm thick sheet and cut into circles (or desired shape). Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment.
4. Bake cookies (rotating sheets halfway through) until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
   
5. Sift powdered sugar over cookies.
   
   Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature 2 to 3 days.
   

Oreo Truffles

Ingredients

1 pkg OREO Cookies, finely crushed

1 pkg Cream Cheese, softened

2 pkg or 8 squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate bark, melted

Directions

1. Place completely unwrapped package of cream cheese in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 10 seconds or just until softened.
2. Take 3 rows of Oreo cookies and crush them as finely as possible.
   
3. Save about 3 tsp of crumbs for decoration. Mix the rest of the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese with a wooden spoon until well blended. You will get a dark brown mix. If the dough seems sticky, refrigerate for 5 minutes.
   
4. Shape into 1-inch balls and set aside.
5. Microwave the chocolate bark - about 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and place it in hot water (microwave again if needed).
   
6. Dip the balls in melted chocolate, carefully rolling them with forks to ensure total coverage.
   
7. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover melted chocolate can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature and saved for another use.)
   
8. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs. Colored sugar or sprinkles can also be used in addition to or in place of the cookie crumbs.
   
9. Refrigirate for an hour or until firm.

It can take around 30 mins to dip all the prepared oreo balls.

Easy kulfi recipe

Ingredients:
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 14 oz
Evaporated Milk - 12 oz
Heavy Whipping Cream - 16 oz
Cool Whip Whipped Topping - 16 oz
Saffron (Kesar) - 1 big pinch
Cardamom - 1 tsp
Cashews, Pistachios (unsalted), Almonds - 1/2 cup, coarsely ground

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine Sweetened Condensed Milk, Evaporated Milk, Heavy Whipping Cream and Cool Whip and stir it well with a wooden spoon. Add in Saffron, cardamom and the nuts powder (save a few teaspoons of powder for decoration). Mix well to make sure all the condensed milk does not settle to the bottom. Transfer the whole mixture into a wide pan and drizzle the remaining powder on the top. Cover the pan with foil and freeze it at least 4 - 6 hours, preferably overnight. Cut it into small squares with a warm knife before serving.

If you wish to make individual servings, use small dixie style plastic cups. Add a small amount of cardomom powder in the bottom of the cup and then pour the liquid slowly. Cover cups with foil and make a small slit in the center of the foil. Insert insert a wooden popsicle stick into the center and freeze. Remove the cups from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before serving.

You can add 1 cup mango pulp to above recipe to make mango kulfi.

Banana Bread

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup oil
3 bananas, very ripe, mashed
2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup Raisins and Almonds

Directions
Set oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper. (I like to bake it in muffin cups to make it easy to take along)
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Beat sugar and eggs with a whisk until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Drizzle in oil. Add mashed bananas, creme fraiche, and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients and nuts. Pour into the loaf pan (or muffin cups) and bake for about 45 minutes. Insert a fork in the center of the loaf and it should come out clean. For muffins, it takes about 30 mins ; till the muffins look golden brown. Turn off the oven and let the muffins sit in for 5 more minutes. Let them cool down completely before cutting/boxing your yummy treat.

Shelf life = 1 week (2 weeks in refrigerator)