Sprouts !!

I am not discouraging you to buy sprouts outside, but to encourage you to make sprouts at home with your preferred grains / beans…very easy and once done you can use them unto 10 days, storing them in refrigerator. Very easy & you can choose the grains of your choice..but the procedure is very easy…

Check for the Moong sprouts patty recipe @ Moong / Mung bean Sprouts Patties recipe

Check the Mixed sprouts sundal recipe @ Sundal / Guggillu with Mixed Sprouts Recipe

Sprouts

Ingredients :

Whole Moong dal / Mung bean - 1/2 cup

whole black chickpea / black chana - 1/2 cup

Whole Horse gram - 1/2 cup

Water - to soak the grains or beans over night

Preparation :

Sprouts

- Take all the grains / beans / dal in a bowl & add water as required to completely soak all the dal.

- Soak all the ingredients overnight.

Sprouts

- Next day morning, drain all the water completely.

- Take them in a airtight container & keep them in refrigerator for 1 day.

- We can leave them outside as well.

- For a longer sprouts, leave them for 2 days.

Sprouts

- The Sprouts will be ready in 1 to 2 days, you can use them for salads, or temper them with little seasoning or use them to make sprouts patties.

http://luv4cuking.blogspot.com/2015/03/moong-sprouts-cutlet-mung-bean-sprouts.html

Make sprouts as part of your meal at least once or twice a week to get enormous health benefits & nutrients.

Bhindi Fry / Okra Pan fry

Bhindi / Okra Fry is favorite to many of us…& many of us believe ' Eating Bhindi / Okra makes one GOOD at Mathematics :-) ' & I, Believed it so strongly since, my sister loves Bhindi & she is very good at mathematics !!!!! Kidding…but, it must be true, because " Bhindi / Okra Okra is relatively high in nutrients deemed important for brain function like Phosphorus and Vitamin A. It is also relatively high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 and other antioxidants "

Bhindi Fry

So here is the recipe…

Ingredients :

Okra / Bhindi (chopped) - 3 cups
Red chili powder - 1/2 to 1 table spoon
Turmeric Powder - 1 tea spoon
Coriander / Dhania powder - 1 tea spoon
Cumin / Jeera powder - 1 tea spoon
Dry Grated coconut - 1 table spoon
Salt - As per the taste

For Seasoning :

Oil - 2 table spoons

Mix of Chanadal / Urad dal / Split moong dal / Cumin seeds / Mustard seeds - 1 table spoon

Curry Leaves - 3 to 4
Dry Red chilli - 2
Chopped / Crushed Garlic cloves - 1/2 table spoon

Preparation :

- Heat the oil in the pan & add all the seasoning ingredients.

- Once the seasoning started spluttering, add chopped garlic, dry red chili & curry leaves and fry for few seconds without burning the seasoning.

- Once, the seasoning is fried enough add the chopped okra / bhindi pieces to the pan.

- Also add salt and stir well & leave it to cook for 3 to 4 minutes loosely covering with a lid under a low to medium heat.

- After, few minutes, you can notice that bhindi pieces are soften little. At this point add cumin powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and gently stir once, and leave it to cook for another 4 to 5 minutes under low to medium heat.

- Please note, while stirring the bhindi do it along the edges of the fry..otherwise the bhindi pieces will be mashed up or break & have to stir very gently, also always cook under low to medium heat.

- You can see the bhindi pieces becoming crispier after some time..at this point, add the chilli powder & grated dry coconut to the bhindi fry & strir gently and let it cook under low heat. DON'T COVER WITH THE LID. If, you cover with the lid, bhindi pieces won't be crispier.

You can feel nice aroma of Crispy Bhindi fry….once done turn off the heat and can garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Okra fry

Mango Shrikhand / Amrakhand

The thought of Shrikhand brings back the visuals of enjoying the chilled shrikhand in the earthen pot…..

Since, Summer is on the way ( still Spring, though) …most of my thoughts and heart longing for more & more MANGOES… :-) So, here is the Mango Shrikhand (or) Amrakhand recipe for you all….with Love !

Mango Shrikhand 

Ingredients :

Yogurt - 1 cup shouldn't be sour & Should be thick / hard

Mango Pulp - 1 to 1 1/2 cup 

Sugar - 2 table spoons (OPTIONAL)

Cardamom powder - 1 pinch

Nutmeg powder - 1 pinch (optional)

flakes / stamped pistachio & almonds - 1 table spoon

Milk - 1 table spoon

Saffron - few strands

Preparation :

- Yougurt / Curd should be thick / hard shouldn't be watery or sour.

- If you want to get the thick & hard yogurt, keep the yogurt in muslin cloth or any cotton fabric and squeeze and drain all the water.

- Warm the milk & soak the saffron strands.

- Mix the sugar & mango pulp with the yogurt & whisk thoroughly without any lumps, should be creamy texture. I didn't use the sugar as I feel the mango pulp is sweet enough for us.

- Add the saffron soaked in the milk , cardamom powder / nutmeg powder to the whisked yogurt & mango pulp mix.

- Blend / mix them thoroughly.

- Take the Mango Shrikhand in to the dessert bowls or serveware and top them with almond / pistachio flakes.

- Keep the Mango Shrikhand in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Serve the Chilled Mango Shrikhand…..it tastes heavenly

Amrakhand

Semiya Kesari Bath !

Semiya / Vermicelli Kesari paired with Semiya Upma :-) Try this combo… sweet & hot together !!!!!

Semiya Kesari

Ingredients :

Semiya / Vermicelli - 1 cup

Water - 1 1/2 cup

Sugar - 2 to 3 table spoons

Ghee - 1 table spoon

Cardamom Powder - 1 pinch

Roasted cashew & Raisins - about 2 table spoons

Food color  - 1 tea spoon ( OPTIONAL) Usually, I DON'T PREFER FOOD COLORS

Lemon Juice - 1/2 tea spoon

Preparation:

- Add the ghee to the pan & once the ghee is melted add the semiya / vermicelli  and roast for few seconds.

- Don't burn the semiya while roasting, once done, take out the semiya from the pan and keep it aside.

- In the same pan, you can roast the cashew as well.

- Add the water to the pan and let it come to the boil & then add the sugar. I used the Organic light brown sugar, hence the color is brownish like jaggery :-)

- After few seconds add the roasted semiya / vermicelli and let it cook until semiya be softer.

- If you are using food color, at this point you can add the color to the kesari.

- Add the roasted cashew & raising, cardamom powder. and let the all cook for few minutes.

- It doesn't take much time to cook semiya.

- Once done, turn off the heat and add 1/2 tea spoon of lemon juice if you prefer but, this is totally optional.

& here is the Semiya Kesari ready to enjoy & preferably have Semiya Upma on the side…It is a distinct style of eating Kesari bath with Khara bath together in the state of Karnata, India.

Semiya Kesari

Egg Burji with Tomato & Onion !

The recipe of Scrambled egg with Tomato & Onion or Egg burji with Tomato…was first cooked by my sister when I was about 15 years old :-) !!  My first impression looking at the Egg Burji was, BEAUTIFUL & COLOURFUL !!!…. & it TASTED GREAT ..superb delicious ! The way my mom makes egg burji is different from how my sister cooks..but to confess, both tastes great in their own way.

Here, I am rolling out the recipe for you ….

Scrambled Egg with Tomato & Onion

Ingredients :

Eggs - 2

Chopped Onions - 1/2 cup

Chopped Tomato - 1 cup

Chopped green chili - 1 table spoon

Chopped Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup

Red chili powder - 1/2 table spoon (optional)

Dhaniya / Coriander powder - 1/2 table spoon

Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon

Salt - As per the taste

Seasoning :

Curry Leaves - 2 to 3

Dry Chana dal / mustard seeds / jeera - 1 table spoon

Oil - 1 table spoon

Preparation :

- Heat the oil in the pan & add curry leaves, seasoning ingredients and fry for few seconds without burning.

- Add the chopped onions & green chili to the seasoning and fry for 1 to 2 minutes.

- Add the chopped tomatoes &  cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt to the tomatoes which makes the tomato to cook faster.

- Add red chili powder, turmeric powder & dhaniya powder, mix well and let it cook for few minutes until tomato is cooked well.

- You can observe, the cooked tomatoes softer & cooked well. At this point add the beaten egg and gently mix through the tomato seasoning. Adjust the salt & let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes on low to medium heat.

Egg Burji

- Once done, turn off the heat & add the chopped coriander leaves to the Egg burji. 

It tastes great with Roti / bread toast or as a side to the rice !!

Deviled Eggs - Indian Style !

:-) …I know, it sounds scary but tastes great !!! & I am sharing the Indian version of  deviled eggs and is a favorite to Mr. S !!!

Very simple & quick recipe….

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients :

Eggs - 6

Red chili powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Salt - 1/2 tea spoon

Oil - 1 table spoon.

Preparation :

Step 1 :

Boil the eggs in the water , crack & remove the egg shells carefully.

Step 2 :

Slice the each egg into 2 halves, lengthwise .

Step 3 :

Heat the oil in the pan, and place the egg slices in the pan & sprinkle the chili powder and salt over the slices.

Step 4 :

After 3 to 4 minutes turn off the heat & slowly flip the egg slices on to the other side.

Step 5 :

After  few seconds ( chili powder burns quickly & smokes out ), slowly turn the egg slices to the other side.

Crispy & Indian version of Deviled Eggs are ready !!!!!

Raw Mango - Summer Chiller !

Yet, another summer chiller…Raw Mango chiller with a hint of mint & a dash of ginger…..for you all..

Raw Mango summer chiller

Ingredients :

Raw Mango pieces - 2 cups

Sugar / Honey - 4 to 5 table spoons

Chopped / Crushed Mint leaves - 1 table spoon

Grated Ginger - 1 tea spoon

Water - 2 to 2 1/2 cups

Orange - 1

Preparation :

- Wash the raw mango & peel off and chop the raw mango into medium sized cubes.

Raw Mango

- I used only half of the raw mango for this chiller - can serve 2 people.

- Take these raw mango cubes into a sauce pan just sprinkle some water (about 1 to 2 table spoons of water) & cover with a lid and steam them on a low heat. Make sure you don't burn the mango cubes.

- It hardly takes 5 minutes to steam the mango cubes on low heat.

- Once steamed , grind them in a juicer with sugar / honey (of your choice).

- I used this, organic blueberry sugar for this chiller, you can use any sugar or honey.

- Add 2 to 2 1/2 cups of water to this raw mango paste and add, grated ginger, crushed mint leaves.

Raw mango cooler

- Slice the Oranges and add to this Raw Mango chiller and keep it in the refrigerator until served. 

Raw Mango Chiller

On any hot & sunny day enjoy this Raw Mango Chiller …..and relax.& soothe your soul !