Divya's culinary journey

Eggless Tutti Frutti Muffins | Tutti Frutti Muffins Recipe (without egg)

2017-03-12T19:24:00.003+00:00

Today I am here with Eggless Tutti Frutti Muffins Recipe. These soft muffins are made without egg. Tutti Frutti is nothing but candied papaya, which is the star ingredient of this recipe. They can be served for breakfast or for snack.

I baked these muffins today and my kids loved it so much and it vanished quickly. This recipe is easy to follow and quick to prepare too. It took around 30 minutes from start till end. If you have to prepare a quick snack to serve kids, then you can give this a try. This will definitely be a hit with kids who have sweet tooth.

Eggless Tutti Frutti Muffins, eggless muffins with tutti frutti, tutti frutti muffins

Eggless Tutti Frutti Muffins

Easy recipe for soft muffins with tutti frutti made without egg.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : March 12, 2017
Prep time : 10 mins; Cook time : 15 mins; Total time : 25 mins;
Yield : 12 muffins

Ingredients :

All Purpose Flour : 1 1/4 Cup
Corn Flour : 1/4 Cup
Baking Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Baking Soda : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : 1/4 Teaspoon
Sugar : 1/2 - 3/4 Cup
Yogurt : 1/2 Cup
Milk : 1/2 Cup
Oil : 1/2 Cup
Vanilla Extract : 1 Teaspoon
Tutti Frutti : 3/4 Cup
Sliced Almonds : for topping (optional)

Instructions :

Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C / 160 Fan / Gas mark 4. Prepare the muffin pan by greasing and flouring it.
In a bowl, sift together all purpose flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and keep it aside.
In another bowl, whisk yogurt and sugar together. Then add milk, oil, vanilla extract and mix well.
To this yogurt mixture, add the flour mixture little by little and mix well to form a smooth batter.
Add tutti frutti to the batter and mix such that they are evenly distributed in the batter.
Fill the prepared muffin pan such that each cup is about 3/4th full. Optionally, you can top it with sliced almonds.
Bake in preheated oven for about 15 - 20 minutes till the muffins are done.
Let it cool for 5 minutes. Then remove from the pan and let it cool completely. Then store it in airtight container and serve it when you need.

Notes :

As tutti frutti is sweet, you can adjust the quantity of sugar added to this recipe to suit your taste. I added 1/2 cup of sugar. But if you want it more sweet add 3/4 cup of sugar.
Baking time varies with each oven. Check yours accordingly.

Pineapple Kesari Recipe | Pineapple Sheera

2016-09-17T23:31:00.000+01:00

Today I am here with Pineapple kesari recipe. This kesari is prepared by my husband. I have to tell you that in this 10 years of marriage, I have not eaten anything cooked by him. Though he used to cook in US referring my blog when I was away in India with kids, for about 3 months before he returned and joined us. After that, he has never entered kitchen to cook though he helps me a lot, he would never cook. This weekend we had got pineapple and after relishing it there was few slices left. I playfully suggested my husband to make kesari with it. He took it seriously and decided to give it a try. He tried this with basic kesari recipe and adding his own twist, pineapple kesari came out really yummy and I loved it. I would say this is the best pineapple kesari I have ever had and I am so proud of my husband. It was really sweet of him to try that for me but am sure he is not going to enter the kitchen for another decade unless there is a need. Anyways, jokes apart, I loved the kesari and decided to blog about it.

Now let us go the recipe.

Pineapple kesari is made with rava/ sooji , sugar, ghee, pineapple and loaded with cashews and raisin. It is a popular sweet dish served in weddings and other functions.

pineapple kesari, pineapple sheera, how to make pineapple kesari

Pineapple Kesari

Pineapple Kesari is a popular sweet in South India made with rava, sugar, pineapple, ghee, cashew and raisins. Learn to make perfect pineapple kesari using this easy recipe.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : September 17, 2016
Prep time : 10 mins; Cook time : 20 mins; Total time : 30 mins;
Yield : 4 Servings

Ingredients :

Rava / Sooji : 1/2 Cup
Sugar : 1/2 Cup – 3/4 Cup
Water : 1 1/4 cup
Pineapple : 1/2 Cup
Ghee / Clarified Butter: 1/4 cup
Cashews : 14 – 15 nos.
Raisins : 14- 15 nos.
Yellow food color : a pinch
Cardamom : 4 – 5 nos.
Pineapple essence : few drops(optional)

Instructions :

Divide the pineapple into 2 equal parts of 1/4 cup each. Puree one part while chop the other part into small bite sized pieces. Keep them ready.
Remove the cardamom skin and powder the seeds alone with a tablespoon of sugar and keep it aside.
Dry roast the rava till light aroma comes, no need to change in colour. Then transfer it to another plate.
To the same pan, add 2 Tablespoon of ghee and fry cashews and raisins and keep it aside.
Now to the same pan add roasted rava and cook for 2 minutes in medium heat.
In the meantime, in another pan heat 1 1/4 cup of water, mix food colour to this water.
Then add this warm water to roasted rava and mix well and cook till water is absorbed. Take care while adding water, it might splutter.
Now add the sugar and mix well. The mixture will become slightly watery and loosen up.
Then add the pineapple puree and chopped pineapple to the mixture and cook till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
Now add the powdered cardamom and mix well.
Add the remaining ghee and the fried cashews and raisins. Mix well and turn off the heat.
Kesari is ready.

Notes :

As we don’t prefer overly sweet kesari, only 1/2 cup of sugar is used here. You can add 1/4 cup more if you want it more sweet.
If you do not prefer pureeing the pineapple you can chop them and add or vice versa. But if you want to add bigger pieces of pineapple instead of bite sized pieces, then I would suggest you to cook them in water for 2-3 minutes and then add to kesari. This will make them soft.
If you do not prefer to add food colour then soak a pinch saffron in 2-3 tablespoons of warm milk and add it at the end along with powdered cardamom.
If you prefer, you can add 2-3 drops of pineapple essence.
Ghee plays vital role in the texture and flavour of the kesari. If you want add more ghee but don’t reduce the quantity.
I felt the kesari tasted better when it is completely cooled.
You can store leftover kesari in the refrigerator. But slightly warm it to loosen the ghee that has hardened before serving.

Mixed Berry Muffins- Egg free, Eggless Berry Muffins

2016-08-07T17:27:00.001+01:00

Today I am here with an eggless mixed berry muffins recipe. I baked these muffins with a combination of berries like strawberry, blueberry, blackberry and raspberry by adding a 1/4 cup of each. You can use any combination of berry or just only one whichever you prefer. These muffins are egg free, so if you are allergic to egg or simply looking for egg free recipe, then do try this recipe. The muffins are soft and spongy. These are perfect for breakfast or can be had for snacks too.

Mixed Berry Muffins

These soft and moist muffins are made with combination of berries like raspberry, blackberry, strawberry and blueberry, but made without egg and butter. This muffins can be had for breakfast or as snacks in the evening.
Recipe Developed, Cooked and clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : November 5, 2009
Prep time : 15 mins; Cook time : 20 mins; Total time : 35 mins;
Yield : 12 muffins

Ingredients :

All Purpose Flour : 1 1/2 Cups
White sugar: 3/4 cup
Baking Powder : 1 1/2 Teaspoon
Baking Soda : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : 1/2 Teaspoon
Sugar : 3/4 Cup
Yogurt : 1 Cup
Milk : 1/2 Cup
Oil : 1/4 Cup
Vanilla Extract : 1 Teaspoon
Mixed Berries : 1 Cup

Instructions :

Pre-heat the oven to 350F/ 180C / 160 Fan / Gas Mark 4. Prepare the muffin pan by greasing and flouring it or simply you can use cupcake liners.
Wash clean and chop berries. You can coat them with a tablespoon of flour and keep it ready.
Sieve together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and keep it aside.
In another bowl, mix yogurt and sugar well, then add oil, milk and mix well and then add vanilla extract and mix well.
To this mixture add the flour mixture little by little and keep mixing till all the flour is added and a homogeneous mixture is formed.
Now add the flour coated berries into the batter and mix well such that it is evenly distributed in the batter.
Pour this batter into the prepared muffin tins such that it is about 3/4th full.
Bake them for about 15-20 minutes till the tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Let them cool before removing from the baking pan and then serve.

Notes :

Baking time varies with oven. Check yours accordingly. Mine took around 18 minutes.
I have used one cup of mixed berries, that is 1/4 cup each of strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and blueberry. You can adjust the combination of berries as per your choice.

Murungai Keerai Soup | Drumstick leaves Soup | Moringa leaves Soup

2016-05-02T10:14:00.000+01:00

Today I am here with a healthy soup made with Drumstick leaves / Moringa leaves . Drumstick leaves (or Murungai keerai as we call in Tamil) are packed with nutrients and are very healthy. Back in India, we have a Drumstick tree in our back yard and my mom makes Stir fry (Poriyal) with Moringa leaves very often and it is my favourite. She also makes Sambar with it. Also when she makes fresh ghee she would add it at the end. It would be nice to mix it with rice and eat. I am always a fan of Moringa leaves but when we were in US it was not available there(the part where we lived) at all. But after moving to UK, it is available here. We get it once in a month. The bunches will be huge. This week when we got it, after making stirfry, I had some left over drumstick leaves. The weather is still cold here, and also I am suffering from severe cold so wanted to have some warm soup and used these leaves to make soup. The soup came out good and it was comforting for the cold.

Murungai keerai Soup (Moringa leaves Soup)

This light soup is made with fresh moringa leaves (drumstick leaves). It is a healthy soup packed with nutrients. This soup is vegan and gluten free.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : May 02, 2016
Prep time : 10 mins Cook time : 25 mins Total time : 35mins
Yield : 5 Servings

Ingredients :

Murungai Keerai / Moringa leaves : 2 Cups
Tomatoes : 2 medium sized
Onion : 1 Large
Garlic : 5-6 cloves
Oil : 2 Teaspoon
Cumin Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Cumin Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander Powder : 2 Teaspoons
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 Teaspoon
Ground Pepper : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : To taste
Water : 5 cups

Instructions :

Clean drumstick leaves. Remove the leaves from the stem, wash them and keep them aside.
Blanch the tomatoes and peel their skin. Then puree them and keep it ready. Then finely chop the onions and garlic.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, add cumin seeds and fry. Then add chopped onions and garlic and fry till onions turn translucent.
Then add the pureed tomato along with turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Now add the cleaned drumstick leaves and cook for another 2 minutes. Now add water along with required salt and bring it to boil. Then let it simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Serve it warm.

Notes :

Some people prefer to filter the soup to remove the solid particles and serve only the clear liquid. But I like to drink it as is. So if you like, you can filter it.
If you are planning to filter the soup, then you don't have to blanch the tomatoes. Just chop them into small pieces and cook them.
Adjust the quantity of pepper powder as per your taste.

Easy Egg Fried Rice Recipe

2016-04-13T23:36:00.004+01:00

Today I am going to share a simple and easy recipe - Egg fried Rice. This is not the Indo-chinese version. This is a fried rice without soya sauce and chilli sauce. This is a simple, yet tasty version of egg fried rice which will be ready in just few minutes. I learnt this recipe in my school days and I used to love it. All you need is onion, capsicum, ginger, green chilli, egg , salt, pepper and of course, rice. If you have left over rice, then this is a great recipe to finish it off. I had not prepared this recipe for a long time now. But yesterday I had to cook lunch only for myself and I was feeling too lazy to cook anything elaborate, so this recipe came to my mind, and I prepared it in no time, then clicked few pictures to share it here in the blog and then enjoyed my lunch. So if you have to prepare a quick lunch for yourself or a quick snack for kids then try this simple recipe, you will definitely love it.

Easy Egg fried Rice Recipe

This is a easy recipe for tasty egg fried rice that can be prepared in few minutes.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : April 13, 2016
Prep time : 5 mins Cook time : 10 mins Total time : 15 mins
Yield : 1 serving

Ingredients :

Cooked Rice : 1.5 Cups (or as required for 1 person)
Egg : 1 No.
Oil : 2 Teaspoon
Onion : 1/4 Cup, sliced (about half onion)
Capsicum : 1/4 cup, diced (about quarter capsicum)
Ginger : 1/2 Teaspoon (grated)
Green Chilli :1 no.
Black pepper powder : 1/4 Teaspoon
Salt : To taste
Ghee : 1 Teaspoon (optional)

Instructions :

Heat oil in a pan. Then add onions and green chilli and fry till the onions turn translucent.
Then add diced capsicum and ginger and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Then break and add the egg to this and scramble it. Add salt and mix well.
Now add the cooked rice, pepper powder and mix such that they are well combined. Keep mixing till the rice gets warm, to avoid burning the rice. Then turn off the heat.
Additionally, you can add a teaspoon of ghee at last, mix well and serve it warm.

Notes :

You can easily double the recipe for 2 persons.
Adjust the rice quantity as per the quantity you will eat.
You can adjust green chilli and pepper powder as per your heat tolerance level.

Easy Peas Pulao recipe | Matar Pulao

2016-04-12T12:07:00.002+01:00

Today I am here with a Peas Pulao recipe. This is a simple and delicious pulao made with green peas. It can be prepared in a jiffy. I usually prepare peas pulao to serve it with a rich/ spicy gravy like paneer butter masala, malai kofta gravy etc., I usually prepare this in pressure cooker. I have also shared the method to prepare it in electric rice cooker too (Check notes section.)

Peas Pulao recipe / Matar Pulao

This mildly spiced pulao is easy to make and is delicious. This can be served with a rich/spicy gravy.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : April 12, 2016
Prep time : 10 mins Cook time : 20 mins Total time : 30 mins
Yield : 4-5 Servings

Ingredients :

Basmati Rice : 2 Cups

Green Peas : 1 Cup

Onion : 1 no.(large)

Green Chillies : 2 - 3 nos.

Ginger Garlic Paste : 2 Teaspoon

Oil : 1 Tablespoon

Fennel Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Cloves : 3 - 4 nos.

Cinnamon : 1" long piece

Star Anise : 1 no.

Green cardamom : 4 nos.

Bay leaves : 2 nos.

Cilantro : To garnish

Cashew : As required

Salt : As required

Instructions :

Wash basmati rice and drain excess water and keep it aside. Then proceed with rest of the process.

Slice onions, slit green chillies, then wash and clean cilantro / coriander leaves and keep them ready.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, then add cashews, fry till they are slightly golden, remove them and keep it aside.

Return the cooker back to heat and add more oil if necessary then add fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom and bay leaves and fry for a minute or two. Then add the sliced onions, green chillies and fry till the onions are translucent. Then add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute.

Now to this add the green peas, required salt, mix well, cover and cook for 2 - 3 minutes in medium heat. If needed, sprinkle some water.

Now add the washed basmati rice, required water, check the salt and add more if needed. Mix well and pressure cook it in medium high heat for a whistle. Then lower the heat to low and let it stay for 5 minutes and then turn off the heat.

Wait till the pressure releases, then gently fluff it up with fork and garnish it with cilantro and fried cashews. Serve it warm along with side dish of your choice.

Notes :

I used 3 cup of water for this in the ratio 1:1.5. There might be variation to this in each brand of basmati, accordingly you need to add water. You can check the packaging of rice for more information.

You can use either fresh green peas or frozen peas.

This can be prepared in the electric rice cooker too. Prepare as per the steps 3,4,5 in a frying pan, then transfer it to a electric cooker along with rice, required water and salt and cook.

If you are not keen on the vegan version, you can fry the cashews in 2 Tablespoons of ghee and add it to the rice as in step 7, mix well and serve. This will add more flavour.

Chocolate Coconut Muffins (using Coconut Flour)

2016-04-08T23:34:00.002+01:00

Today I am here with Chocolate Coconut Muffins. These muffins are baked using Coconut flour. I had to bake with coconut oil and I wanted to make it more "Coconut'y". So when I found Coconut flour in the baking aisle of the grocery store, without a second thought, I brought it home. Then I realised coconut flour is much different from the regular flour and it acts differently. I read so many articles on-line and did couple of experiments and finally came up with this recipe. Coconut flour recipes calls for a lot of eggs, I didn't want my muffins to be egg'y, instead I used flaxseed powder mixed with water and used only 2 eggs in this recipe. Also this recipe has coconut oil instead of butter and coconut milk in place of regular milk. The muffins came out so moist and delicious. Our family loves coconut and so I was confident that they will love it and I was right. My kids totally loved it.

Chocolate Coconut Muffins (using coconut flour)

These soft and moist chocolate muffins are made with coconut flour. These are gluten free, dairy free and grain free.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : April 08,2016
Prep time : 15 mins Cook time : 25 mins Total time : 40 mins
Yield : 12 muffins

Ingredients :

Coconut Flour : 1/2 Cup
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder : 1/4 Cup
Baking Soda : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : 1/4 Teaspoon
Ground Flaxseed : 2 Tablespoons
Eggs (large) : 2 nos.
Demerara Sugar : 1/2 Cup
Honey : 1/4 Cup
Coconut Milk : 3/4 Cup
Coconut Oil (melted) : 1/2 Cup
Vinegar : 1 Tablespoon
Vanilla Extract : 1 Teaspoon
Desiccated Coconut : As required

Instructions :

Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C / 160 Fan / Gas mark 4. Prepare the baking pan by lining with liners.
In a bowl, add ground flaxseed mix it with 6 Tablespoons of water and keep it aside for 10 minutes till it forms a gel like consistency.
In a bowl, combine together coconut flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
Beat eggs, to it add sugar mix well. Then add honey, coconut milk and coconut oil and mix well.
Add this egg mixture to the flour mixture little by little and mix well.
Then add the ground flaxseed mixture, vanilla extract and mix well. Finally add vinegar and mix it well.
Divide the batter equally and fill the 12 muffin cups, then add desiccated coconut to the top of each cup and bake them for 20- 25 minutes till it is done. The tester inserted in the centre has to come out clean.
Remove them from pan, let it cool completely then enjoy the muffins.

Notes :

Baking time varies with each oven, check yours accordingly. These muffins took about 23 minutes in my oven.

Sweet Ragi Paniyaram (with Jaggery) | கேழ்வரகு வெல்ல பணியாரம்

2016-04-07T12:54:00.000+01:00

Today I am here with Sweet Ragi Kuzhi Paniyaram. This is an instant paniyaram made with Ragi flour and jaggery. Ragi is called as Finger millet in English, Kezhvaragu (கேழ்வரகு) in tamil and Nachni in Hindi. Ragi is rich in calcium, iron, has high fibre content. It is also a great baby food. I try to use it in as many dishes as possible. For sweetness I have used Jaggery, which is a healthier substitute for sugar. It is rich in iron, and it is loaded with anti-oxidants and minerals. This is easy to make, healthy and tastes delicious. I made this paniyaram for my kids for breakfast and they loved it. If you want to feed something healthy and also the one kids will love, then you can give this paniyaram a try.

Sweet Ragi Paniyaram with Jaggery

This is a South Indian style paniyaram (aebleskivers) made in appe pan using finger millet (ragi) flour and jaggery. It is quick to make, delicious and is healthy. This paniyaram can be had for breakfast and also snacks.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : April 7, 2016
Prep time : 10 mins Cook time : 15 mins Total time : 25 mins
Yield : about 40- 45 paniyarams (depending on size)

Ingredients :

Ragi Flour : 2 Cups
Salt : 1/2 Teaspoon
Baking Soda : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jaggery : 1 Cup
Water : 1/2 Cup
Milk : 1 Cup
Green Cardamom : 5 nos.
White sugar: 1 Tablespoon
Oil : As required to cook paniyaram

Instructions :

In a pan, add jaggery and 1/2 cup of water and heat it. Let it melt, then turn off the heat. Filter any impurities and let it cool slightly.
Peel cardamom skin and remove the seeds.In a blender add those seeds along with tablespoon of sugar and grind it into a fine powder.
In a bowl, add ragi flour, along with salt and baking powder and mix well. Then add the melted jaggery, powdered cardamom and milk and mix well such that the batter is smooth without any lumps.
Heat the paniyaram pan, add little oil to each paniyaram cup, then pour the prepared batter such that it is about 85% full. Cook for 2-3 minutes till it is golden. Then turn it to other side, apply oil if required then cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Repeat the process for rest of the batter.
Serve it warm.

Notes :

While cooking paniyaram, heat should be in medium- low. If it is high, the paniyaram will burn outside while it is still uncooked on the inside.
You can also add 1/4 cup of fresh grated coconut for variation.
If you are not keen on the vegan version, then instead of oil, you can add ghee for more flavor.
This batter serves about 4 persons, for 2 persons, you can reduce the quantity to half.

Peanut Rice | Groundnut Rice | வேர்க்கடலை சாதம்

2016-03-29T22:55:00.001+01:00

Today I am here with Peanut Rice. This South Indian style variety rice is easy to make and can be prepared in a jiffy, which makes it perfect for packing lunch box. First peanut spice powder is prepared and then it is mixed with cooked rice. So simple to prepare and it tastes delicious. It is vegan and gluten free too. I came across this recipe in Sangee's site couple of years ago. Since then have tried is so many times and tweaked the recipe to suit our family's taste buds.

Peanut Rice

This Peanut rice is prepared in South Indian style. It is easy to make and can be prepared in a jiffy.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : March 29, 2016
Prep time : 5 mins Cook time : 10 mins Total time : 15 mins
Yield : about 4 servings

Ingredients :

Cooked Rice : 4 Cups

Peanuts : 1/2 Cup

Oil : 1 Teasooon

Sesame Seeds : 2 Teaspoon

Chana Dal : 1 Teasooon

Urad Dal : 1 Teaspoon

Dried Red Chillies : 3 - 4 nos.

Grated Coconut : 3 Tablespoons

Salt : To taste

To Temper

Oil : 2 Teaspoons

Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Urad dal : 1 Teaspoon

Peanuts : few(optional)

Curry Leaves : 1 Sprig

Instructions :

Dry roast peanuts till it is slightly brown and the raw smell is gone. If you have already roasted peanuts, skip this process.

In a pan, add a teaspoon of oil, then add channa dal, urad dal and fry for a minute, then add red chillies and sesame seeds and fry for for another minute. Then add grated coconut, mix well and slightly roast it till there is no moisture in the coconut and turn off the heat. Let it cool completely. Then add this to a blender and grind into a coarse powder. Then add the roasted peanuts and pulse it. It has to be a coarse powder. The spice mix is ready.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when they sputter, add urad dal, peanuts and curry leaves and fry for couple of minutes. The tempering is ready. Turn off the heat. To this add the cooked rice and spice mix along with required salt and mix well.Peanut rice is ready.

Notes :

The preferred oil for cooking this rice is sesame oil (gingelly oil). Though you can use other oils like sunflower oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, this rice tastes best with sesame oil.

Adding peanuts to tempering is optional.

Adjust quantity of spice mix added to the rice as per your taste.

While mixing spice mix with rice, if needed you can add couple of teaspoons of sesame oil for more flavour.

How to clean Prawns / Shrimps ?

2016-03-28T23:10:00.003+01:00

Today I am here with a video tutorial of how to clean prawns / shrimps to prepare them for cooking. There are two veins that run in prawns. But they are not actually veins. One in the back of the prawn is the digestive tract, it is dark in colour. The other in the bottom part is actually the nervous system. Some believe that it is not necessary to remove these veins. But the digestive tract contains the food the prawn / shrimp is digesting and it might not taste very pleasant. Couple of times, I had prawns in restaurant and I immediately developed allergic reaction. So I never dared to eat outside / cook at home until one day Hubby took up the task of cleaning prawns properly. Then when I cooked it and I never got any allergic reaction. From then, Hubby does the cleaning while I cook. It is with his help, I shot this video.

Let us now see how to clean the prawns using hands and a knife.

Twist and pull the head of the prawn.
Remove the legs from the body, then the shells. You can hold the tail and pull it off.
Then there is the digestive tract in the back of the prawn. Run a sharp knife, remove it.
Then turn the prawn to the other side, make another slit and remove the other vein.
Make sure there are no vein remains in the tail area of the prawn.
Rinse thoroughly.

If you see this video, it will be more clear.

The recipes I have tried with Prawn are

Prawn Biryani

Prawn Fry

Hope this video is really helpful to you all.

Beetroot Cutlet | Beetroot Tikki | Beetroot Patties

2016-03-24T12:50:00.000+00:00

Today I am here with Beetroot Cutlet Recipe. I have prepared these cutlets long ago and they have been in my drafts for really long time. One after the other I was posting other recipes, so this post was waiting for its turn. Finally, today the day has come to publish this post. From today Easter holidays starts and kids are going to be at home for couple of weeks and I am not sure if I will get time for blogging. I may not completely ignore the blog, but definitely the time I spend for it will be less. This may affect the number of recipes I post here too. Let us see how the vacation goes.

Anyways, coming to today's recipe- It is beetroot cutlet, spicy patties made with grated beetroot and mashed potatoes. These patties are perfect as finger food and can be served as snack / appetizer. These patties are great vegetarian option for preparing burger. Usually these beetroot cutlets are deep fried. But I pan fried it. We had this as snack while for the kids I served them with White bread rolls. They enjoyed it too.

Beetroot Cutlet

These spicy patties are made with mashed potatoes and grated beetroot. These can be served as an appetizer. These cutlets are great vegetarian option for burger.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : March 24, 2016
Prep time : 20 mins Cook time : 20 mins Total time : 40 mins
Yield : 6 - 8 cutlets (depending on the size)

Ingredients :

Beetroot : 1 no. (equals 1 cup grated beetroot)
Potatoes : 2 nos. (boiled and mashed equals 1 cup)
Onion : 1 no(finely chopped)
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Chilli powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Cumin Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Amchoor Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Bread Crumbs : 1/4 Cup - 1/2 Cup.
Salt : As required
Cilantro : a handful

For Coating

Corn flour : 2 Tablespoons
Bread Crumbs : To coat the cutlet (about 1-1 1/2 Cups)
Oil : To Pan fry the cutlets

Instructions :

In a bowl, add the mashed potatoes, grated beetroot along with all other ingredients (chopped onions, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, amchoor powder, garam masala powder) mix well. Add salt to taste and add bread crumbs little by little. If you feel that the cutlets are not holding shape you can add more.
Divide the mixture into 6 - 8 equal parts depending on the size required and roll each one and flatten it to the shape of cutlet. Repeat the process for rest of the mixture.
Mix corn flour with water to form a thin mixture. Dip each patties in this mixture and then roll them in bread crumbs such that they are well coated.
Heat a heavy bottomed pan. add oil just to cover the base. Place these patties in the pan about 3 to 4 depending on the size of the pan, such that they are slightly away from each other. Let it cook on one side, then turn it to other side and cook it too. Instead of pan frying, you can deep fry it too.
Remove from the pan, drain excess oil and serve it warm.

Notes :

Adjust spices as per your taste buds.
If you do not prefer, you can skip onions.
If you do not have bread crumbs, you can use grind the bread slices in the blender and add them to the mixture and for coating, you can use sooji /fine semolina.

Blackberry Yogurt Muffins

2016-03-22T19:56:00.001+00:00

Today I am here with blackberry yogurt muffins. My hubby got blackberries from super market. Though I have always wanted to try blackberries, when he actually got them, I was reluctant to eat them as is. I always resort to baking muffins, when I don't know what to do with the fruit(let it be any fruit). So this time again, I decided to bake muffins with blackberries. I baked these muffins using yogurt and without using butter. They came out so soft and moist that my kids loved it.

Blackberry Yogurt Muffins

These soft and fluffy muffins are made with fresh blackberries and Yogurt. This recipe does not require butter.These muffins are great for breakfast or as a evening snack.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : March 22, 2016
Prep time : 15 mins Cook time : 20 mins Total time : 35 mins
Yield : 16 Muffins

Ingredients :

Fresh Blackberries : 1 Cup(wash and quarter)
All Purpose Flour : 2 Cups
Baking Powder : 2 Teaspoon
Baking Soda : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : 1/2 Teaspoon
Eggs : 2 Nos
Yogurt : 1 Cup
White sugar: 1 Cup
Vanilla Extract : 1 1/2 Teaspoon
Oil : 1/4 Cup

Instructions :

Pre heat the oven to 350F/ 180C / 160 Fan / Gas Mark 4. Prepare the muffin pan by greasing and flouring it or simply you can use cupcake liners.
In a bowl, sift together all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and keep it aside.
In another bowl, beat eggs till they are fluffy. Then add yogurt and whisk well. To this add sugar, vanilla extract and oil and whisk well.
To this yogurt mixture, add flour mixture little by little and mix well. To this add the chopped blackberries and mix such that they are evenly distributed in the batter.
Pour this batter into prepared muffin pan such that each cup is about 80% full and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes till it is done.
Let it cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the muffin pan and let it cool completely.

Notes :

Optionally, you can add zest of 1 lemon for additional flavor.
Baking time varies with each oven, mine took about 18 minutes.
Instead of blackberries, you can use strawberries, blueberries or raspberries too.

Kuthiraivali Kuzhi Paniyaram | Barnyard millet savoury paniyaram| குதிரைவாலி குழி பணியாரம்

2016-03-20T21:36:00.001+00:00

Today I am here with Kuthiraivali Kuzhi Paniyaram. Kuthiraivali is known as Barnyard millet in English and Jhangora in Hindi. I made Idli batter using kuthiraivali rice few days back, with the left over batter made this spicy paniyaram. This paniyaram was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and was perfect, just the way a paniyaram has to be. Also since it is made of kuthiraivali, it is healthy too. So when you are looking for a healthy alternative you can try this KUTHIRAIVALI IDLI BATTER and when it is fresh try idli, then when it is couple of days old, try this paniyaram.

Kuthiraivali Kara Paniyaram, Barnyard millet savoury paniyaram

Kuthiraivali Kuzhi Paniyaram

South Indian style aebleskivers(paniyaram) made with Barnyard millet. Perfect for healthy and delicious breakfast. It is vegan & gluten free.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : March 20, 2016
Prep time : 10 mins Cook time : 15 mins Total time : 25 mins
Yield : about 25 paniyarams (depending on size of the paniyaram pan)

Ingredients :

Kuthiraivali Rice Idli Batter : 2 Cups
Oil : 1 tsp + more (for frying paniyaram)
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urad dal : 1 Teaspoon
Onion : 1 large (finely chopped)
Green Chillies : 2 nos.
Curry leaves : 1 sprig (torn into pieces)
Cilantro : handful
Salt : As required

Instructions :

Heat oil in a skillet, add mustard seeds, when they sputter, add urad dal and fry for a minute. Then add finely chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves and fry till onions turn golden brown. Add salt just enough for this tempering as batter will have salt already. Add cilantro to this and mix well. Turn off the heat.
Add this tempering to the batter, mix well. Heat paniyaram pan, add oil, then pour batter into the pan, cook for few minutes, flip them to the other side cook for few minutes, then remove from the pan.
Repeat the process for the rest of the batter. Serve with Chutney of your choice. I served it with Mint Chutney.

Notes :

To the batter, you can add some grated carrots. It will look more attractive and is healthy.
Optionally, you can add grated coconut for more flavour.
Cook paniyaram in medium to low heat. If it is too hot, then paniyaram will brown too fast, however the inside will stay uncooked.
Also be generous while using oil. Every time pour oil, before adding batter, also a little when you flip them to the other side, this will ensure the outer of paniyaram is crispy and golden.

Mint Chutney (with onion & tomato) | புதினா சட்னி

2016-03-17T23:06:00.001+00:00

Today I am here with Mint Chutney recipe. This mint chutney is made with onion and tomato. This spicy chutney is perfect with idli, dosa or paniyaram. If there are leftovers, I use them as spread for sandwich too.

Mint Chutney, Pudhina chutney - Side dish for Idli / Dosa

Mint Chutney (with Onion Tomato)

This spicy chutney is made with mint leaves, onion and tomato. It can be served with idli / dosa.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : March 17, 2016
Prep time : 10 mins Cook time : 15 mins Total time : 25 mins
Yield : 4-5 servings

Ingredients :

Mint Leaves : 1 cup
Onion : 1 large
Tomatoes : 2 nos.
Oil : 1 Tablespoon
Urad dal : 1 Tablespoon
Channa dal : 1 Tablespoon
Red Chillies : 2-3 nos.
Tamarind : small gooseberry size
Salt : To taste.

Instructions :

Heat oil in a skillet, add urad dal, channa dal and fry for 1- 2 minutes. Then add the chopped onions and cook till they turn translucent. Then add chopped tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy. Now add the mint leaves and let it wilt. Then turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
Then transfer this to a blender along with tamarind and salt and grind it into a fine paste. Add water as per the required consistency.
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with idli/ dosa.

Notes :

Adjust red chillies as per heat tolerance level.
Instead of mint leaves, cilantro leaves can be added to make cilantro chutney.

Beetroot Chutney | Beetroot Thogaiyal | பீட்ரூட் சட்னி | பீட்ரூட் துவையல்

2016-03-15T12:53:00.000+00:00

Today I am here with beetroot chutney. This tasty chutney is so versatile that it can be had with rice, or as a side dish for idli or dosa, or as a spread in sandwich. This can also be used like a pesto and can be mixed with pasta and had. I came across this recipe in a FB group called Flavours from kitchen where it was posted by a member, Gomu Karthi. She is a active member there and everyday she posts delicious and healthy recipes in the group. One day she posted a wonderful lunch spread with this beetroot chutney. I requested for the recipe and she shared it immediately. I tried the chutney yesterday and loved it so much. It was so delicious. I had made it as an accompaniment for rice and rasam. But for lunch, mixed it with rice along with some sesame oil and had it. It was yum! Morning I used the same chutney as a spread for sandwich. Hubby loved it. This chutney will be great with idli, dosa too. When this chutney can be mixed with rice, why cant it be mixed with pasta? It would be great too. I will have to try this another time and am sure kids will love it. Another way to sneak in beets in their diet!

Beetroot Chutney Recipe.

This is a South Indian style chutney with beetroot. This chutney is so versatile - it can be had with rice or as an accompaniment to idli / dosa and also as a spread for Sandwich. This chutney is vegan and is gluten free.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : March 15, 2016
Prep time : 10 mins Cook time : 10 mins Total time : 20 mins
Yield : about 5 servings

Ingredients :

Beetroot : 1 or 2 nos.(depending on the size)grated equals 1 1/2 cups
Oil (Sesame oil / Gingelly oil) : 1 Tablespoon
Urad dal/ Ulunthu : 1 Tablespoon
Chana dal / Kadalai Paruppu : 1 Tablespoon
Coriander seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Dried Red Chillies : 3 - 4 nos.
Curry Leaves : 1 sprig
Grated Coconut : 1/2 Cup
Tamarind : About a gooseberry size
Green Chillies : 1 or 2 nos.
Salt : To taste

Instructions :

Heat oil in a pan, add urad dal, channa dal and fry for a minute then add red chillies, curry leaves and coriander seeds and fry for another minute. Urad dal and channa dal has to be slightly golden. Transfer them to a container and keep them aside.
Return the pan, back to heat and if needed add more oil. Now add chopped green chillies, grated beetroot along with required salt and cook till the raw smell of the beetroot is gone and is cooked. Now add the grated coconut and saute for a minute and turn off the heat.
Let the mixture cool completely. Then transfer everything to a blender (fried dal red chilli mixture,beetroot coconut mixture and tamarind) and grind it in to a fine paste. Add little water just to enable the grinding process.
Then transfer it to a serving bowl and serve.

Notes :

Adjust the quantity of chillies, as per your heat tolerance level. I skipped green chillies, specially for my kids.
Chutney tastes best when made with sesame oil. If you do not have that you can use other oil too.

Banana Pancakes (Egg-less)

2016-03-14T13:04:00.001+00:00

Today I am here with banana pancakes recipe. These soft and fluffy pancakes are made with ripe bananas and are egg free. Usually I make pancakes for Sunday breakfast. There were few ripe bananas lying in the fruit basket, I thought will bake some muffins as usual but didn't find time for baking at all. So this Sunday, I used them to make pancakes. I wanted to try the egg less version of banana pancakes and it came out so delicious and my kids loved it. I served the pancakes with maple syrup.

Banana Pancakes (Egg free)

These soft and fluffy pancakes are made with ripe bananas. These pancakes does not require eggs.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : March 14, 2016
Prep time : 10 mins Cook time : 15 mins Total time : 25 mins
Yield : about 12 pancakes

Ingredients :

Ripe Bananas : 2 nos.

All purpose flour : 2 Cups

Baking Powder : 2 Teaspoon

Baking Soda : 1/2 Teaspoon

Cinnamon powder : 1/2 Teaspoon

Salt : 1/4 Teaspoon

Milk : 1 3/4 Cups

Sugar : 4 Tablespoons

Melted Butter :3 Tablespoons + more

Vanilla Extract : 1 Teaspoon

Instructions :

Mash bananas well and keep it aside.

In a bowl, sift together all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, salt. To this add milk little by little and and mix. Now add the sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract and mix well.Finally add the mashed banana and mix the batter such that it is well combined.Now the pancake batter is ready.

Heat a griddle and spread butter. Now pour a laddle of batter onto the hot griddle and cook till bubbles are formed. Then turn it to other side and cook for a minute. Remove from the heat.

Repeat the process for the rest of the batter.

Stack the required number of pancakes, drizzle with maple syrup and enjoy your breakfast.

Notes :

Instead of milk, you can add butter milk too.

Additionally you can add some chocolate chips to the batter, kids will love it.

I served the pancakes with maple syrup. You can also serve it with honey or chocolate syrup as per your preference.

Kuthiraivali Idli | Barnyard millet Idli | குதிரைவாலி இட்லி

2016-03-12T12:53:00.002+00:00

Today I am here with Kuthiraivali Idli. Kuthiraivali is known as Barnyard millet in English and Jhangora in Hindi. We all love idli and make it often at home. But I have been experimenting with millets a lot lately and tried making idli using barnyard millet and it came out very well. Instead of regular idli rice, I used Kuthiraivali rice and instead of de-skinned urad dal I used whole black gram. Idli tasted similar to regular idli, except for the difference in colour because of using whole urad dal (with skin).

For this Kuthiraivali Idli, I followed the ratio of 3:1 i.e., for 3 cups of Kuthiraivali Rice, I used 1 cup of whole urad dal (black gram). If you do not prefer whole black gram, you can use regular white urad dal. But trust me, you wouldn't find much change in the taste except for the colour and also it is more healthy. The only small hitch I found is that while grinding the urad dal the skins were stuck to the back of the grinder wiper(white one). What can be done is that, in regular intervals you can just scrape them back to the batter and continue with grinding or later discard it. But I just added them back to the batter, It was giving a marbling effect to the batter slightly. Again, this did not bring in any taste difference. Also I did not add any poha or normal rice to this. But added a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds.

Kuthiraivali idli, Barnyard millet idli - How to make millet idlis?

Let us now see how to make soft Kuthiraivali idlis.

Soak kuthiraivali rice and urad dal for atleast 3 - 4 hours.

First in grinder add urad dal and grind till the batter is smooth and fluffy. Transfer it to a container. It took about 30 minutes.

Now add the soaked kuthiraivali rice and then grind till the batter is smooth. Take care while adding water, the batter will become runny. This took another 30 minutes.

Add this to the urad dal batter along with salt and using hands mix them well and let it ferment for minimum 10 - 12 hours. The idli batter must have raised well almost doubled. Then the idli batter is ready.

Now prepare the idli plate by applying oil. Then pour a ladle of batter into the idli plate such that it is about 80% full. Then steam cook idli for about 10 - 12 minutes till it is done.

Then let it cool for 3 -4 minutes then using spoon remove it from idli plate.

Serve it warm with side dish of your choice.

Kuthiraivali Idli

Learn how to make soft Idli using Kuthiraivali rice and whole black gram. It is healthy and delicious.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : March 12, 2016
Prep time : 18 hours (including soaking, grinding and fermenting time) Cook time : 12 minutes. Total time : 18 hours 12 mins
Yield : about 25- 30 idlis.

Ingredients :

Barnyard millet Rice / Kuthiraivali rice : 3 Cups
Karuppu Ulundhu / Black Gram : 1 Cup
Fenugreek seeds / Vendhayam : 1 Teaspoon
Water : As required
Salt : As required

Instructions :

Soak Kuthiraivali rice and Black Urad dal with methi seeds separately for atleast 3 - 4 hours.
First grind soaked urad dal along with methi seeds till it is smooth and fluffy. It takes 30 minutes. Transfer it to a container.
Then grind kuthiraivali rice till it is smooth.This will take another 30 minutes.
Add the kuthiraivali batter to urad dal batter, add salt and using hands mix the batter well. The batter will ferment and almost double in quantity. So the container should be big enough to accommodate it.
Place the container with batter in a warm place to allow it to ferment. It will take about 12 hours. On warm days, fermentation will be faster while on cold days fermentation will delay.
Once fermented, the batter is ready for preparing idlis. You can prepare idli immediately or refrigerate them for later use.
Prepare idli plates by applying oil. Then pour a ladle of batter into the plate such that it is 80% full and steam cook for about 10-12 minutes. Let it cool for few minutes. Then remove using a spoon / knife and serve it warm with side dish of your choice.

Notes :

Instead of whole black gram, you can use regular urad dal too. But use the whole urad dal not the split one.
While mixing the batter use your hands, which will aid in fermentation.
Store the batter in warm place for better fermentation.
The batter consistency is very important for soft idlis. If it is too thick then idli will be hard. If it is runny then idli will be flat.
Once the batter is fermented, then without mixing take a laddle of batter from one corner of the container and use for fluffier idlis.
The same batter can be used for making dosas. Dilute with little water and use it.

Cilantro Rice | Coriander leaves rice | Kothamalli Rice | கொத்தமல்லி சாதம்

2016-03-08T23:00:00.001+00:00

Today I am here with Kothamalli Rice Recipe. Kothamalli is nothing but fresh coriander leaves / Cilantro. This is one of the easy to make variety rice recipes that can be prepared in a jiffy. This is perfect for packing lunch. If you love the flavor of cilantro, then you will definitely love this cilantro rice. This has a very attractive color too. In this recipe I have also not used onion and garlic. So if this rice has to be prepared for any festival, as offering to God, then it can be prepared as-is. There are two methods of preparing this rice - one method is to prepare the cilantro mixture and cook rice along with it. The other method is to prepare the cilantro mixture and then mix the cooked rice with it. We follow the latter method. It is called Kalandha Sadam (கலந்த சாதம்) in Tamil, which means Mixed Rice.

Kothamalli Rice Recipe

This is a South Indian style flavorful rice made with fresh cilantro leaves. It is quick to make and is Vegan.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : March 8, 2016
Prep time : 10 mins Cook time : 10 mins Total time : 20 mins
Yield : About 2 Servings.

Ingredients :

Cooked Rice : 3 Cups

Coriander leaves / Cilantro : 1 Cup (cleaned, washed and chopped)

Green Chillies : 2 nos.

Ginger : 1" long piece.

Water : 1/4 Cup

Oil : 2 Teaspoons

Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Urad dal : 1 Teaspoon

Dried Red Chillies :1 or 2 nos.

Peanuts : Few (as required)

Turmeric Powder : 1/4 Teaspoon

Salt : to taste

Instructions :

Grind together cilantro, green chillies and ginger, by adding 1/4 cup of water into a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when they sputter, add urad dal, peanuts, red chillies and fry for a minute. Then add the ground cilantro paste, turmeric powder and salt, mix well and cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low, add the cooked rice, mix well such that the cilantro mixture is evenly coated in the rice. Check and add salt if necessary. Cook for couple of minutes and then turn off the heat.

Serve it warm.

Notes :

Adjust green chillies and red chillies as per personal heat tolerance level.

If you do not prefer adding peanuts, then you can replace it with cashews.

I have not used onion or garlic in this recipe, but if you prefer you can add them for more flavour.

Beetroot Paratha

2016-03-06T17:12:00.000+00:00

Today I am here with beetroot Paratha recipe. This is a spicy flatbread made with shredded beets. Unlike the other parathas where the spicy filling is stuffed in the centre and then the parathas are rolled and cooked, here in this paratha, the spicy filling is mixed with the dough, then rolled and cooked. Thus it is easy and the beets give a beautiful color to the paratha making it look attractive for the kids. My kids called it 'Pink Chappathi' and though my daughter was happy about it, my son refused to eat it saying pink is for girls and asked me to make chappathi in blue (I am really not sure from what I can get the blue colour). Then I had to explain him that it is made with a vegetable called beetroot which give that color to the parathas and also it is very healthy. He was then convinced and happily had those parathas.

Beetroot Paratha Recipe

This is a recipe for spicy flatbread made with shredded beets. These parathas are healthy and are delicious.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : March 6, 2016
Prep time : 15 mins Cook time : 15 mins Total time : 30 mins
Yield : 18- 20 parathas (depending on the size).

Ingredients :

Shredded Beetroot : 1 Cup (from 1 medium sized beetroot)

Wheat flour / Atta : 3 Cups + more for dusting

Oil :1/2 Teaspoon + 1 Tablespoon + more (as required to cook parathas)

Cumin seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon

Chilli Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon

Garam masala Powder : 1 Teaspoon

Cumin Powder : 1/4 Teaspoon

Amchoor Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon

Kasoori Methi : 1 Teaspoon (crushed)

Salt : As required

Water : As required

Instructions :

First heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and then add shredded beets, chilli powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder, amchoor powder and mix well. Add salt required for beets, sprinkle some water and cook till the beets are cooked. Now add kasoori methi mix well and cook for another minute and then turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool off.

In mixing bowl, add wheat flour, the beetroot mixture, salt and add water little by little and knead till a smooth dough is formed. Now add a tablespoon of oil and knead again.

Divide the dough into equal sized balls (about size of golf ball), dust some flour and roll it into thin round discs.

Heat skillet, add the rolled discs, brush some oil, turn it to the other side, cook and then brush oil turn it to other sides and cook. Remove from heat. Repeat the process for rest of the dough.

Serve it with side dish of your choice.

Notes :

If you want the parathas more spicy, you can adjust chilli powder accordingly. You can also add chopped green chillies. But since my kids do not prefer biting into chillies I avoided it.

Though you can prepare the parathas once the dough is ready, you can let it rest for 30 minutes, for more soft parathas.

Also while rolling the parathas it does not have to be thick or very thin.

Once cooked, keep the parathas, covered, otherwise if kept exposed to air, they will turn hard.

Strawberry Yogurt Cake (with fresh Strawberries)

2016-03-03T23:05:00.000+00:00

Today I am here with Strawberry Yogurt Cake made with fresh Strawberries. This cake is so soft and moist and the lemon icing drizzled on the cake perfectly complements the flavor and makes it even more delicious. I have already mentioned in my earlier posts that my kids love strawberries, so we get it very often. Though they enjoy eating it as is, I love to experiment various recipes with it. You can find the Recipe collection with Strawberries here. I was searching in google recently for cake recipes with strawberries and came across this recipe and as soon as I saw it, I definitely wanted to give it a try and I am glad that I did. The cake came out so well and my family enjoyed the cake. We had it as dessert and also for breakfast the next day. It is also perfect with a cup of tea. If you love strawberries, then you must definitely give this cake a try and am sure you will love it just like we did.

Strawberry Yogurt Cake Recipe

This is the recipe for soft, moist and delicious cake made with fresh strawberries. The lemon icing drizzled on top perfectly complements the flavor of the cake.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Recipe Adapted from :Food.com
Published : March 3, 2016
Prep time : 10 mins; Cook time : 1 hour Total time : 1 hour 10 mins
Yield : 1 bundt cake (12 servings)

Ingredients :

All purpose Flour : 2 1/2 Cup

Baking Soda : 1/2 Teaspoon

Salt : 1/2 Teaspoon

Lemon Zest : From 1 lemon

Butter : 1 Cup

White Sugar : 1 1/4 Cup

Eggs : 3 nos.

Yogurt : 1 Cup

Vanilla Extract : 1 Teaspoon

Lemon Juice : 1 Tablespoon

Fresh Strawberries : 1 1/4 Cup (Washed, Hulled and Chopped)

For Lemon Icing

Powdered Sugar : 1 Cup

Lemon Juice : 2 Tablespoons

Instructions :

Preheat the oven to 325 F/ 170 C / 150 Fan / Gas Mark 3. Prepare the bundt pan by greasing and flouring it.

In a bowl, sift together 2 1/4 cup of flour , baking soda and salt. Add the lemon zest to this, mix well and set it aside.

In another bowl, beat butter and sugar together till it is light and fluffy, continue to beat adding eggs one by one. Add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice, vanilla extract and stir well.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture little by little alternating with yogurt. Mix well till a smooth batter is formed.

Add 1/4 cup of flour to chopped strawberries and mix well. This prevents the strawberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake. Now add this to the batter and gently mix them.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50 - 60 minutes till the cake is done. A tooth pick inserted should come out clean.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cake on to a cooling rack and remove from the bundt pan and let it cool completely.

Once it is cooled, prepare the lemon icing by whisking together lemon juice and powdered sugar till the required consistency is obtained. Then drizzle this icing over the top of cake. Slice and Serve.

Notes :

I have used regular full fat yogurt for the cake. You can also use Greek Yogurt.

The original recipe uses 2 Cup of Sugar but I adjusted to 1 1/4 cup to suit our taste. If you want it more sweet then you can increase the sugar upto 2 Cups.

Baking time varies with each oven. Check yours accordingly. My cake was done in 55 minutes.

Kesar Peda | Saffron Milk Fudge

2016-03-01T23:40:00.001+00:00

Today I am here with Kesar Peda recipe - Saffron flavored milk fudge. This is an easy recipe to prepare kesar peda in few minutes using milk powder and heavy cream. When I came across this recipe, I really wanted to give it a try. I tried it today and it was easy to make and it came out really well. Kids really loved this peda. If you are looking for an easy recipe for diwali or for party or for any special occasion, you can try this rich dessert and am sure everyone will love it.

Kesar Peda Recipe

This is a easy recipe for kesar peda made using milk powder and saffron. This delicious saffron flavored milk fudge will be ready in minutes.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Recipe Adapted from : Manjula's Kitchen
Published : March 1, 2016
Prep time : 10 mins; Cook time : 15 mins Total time : 25 mins
Yield : about 10 pedas

Ingredients :

Milk Powder : 1 Cup

Heavy Cream : 1/2 Cup

Saffron strands: 1 pinch

Warm milk : To soak saffron

Cardamom powder : 1/8 Teaspoon

Powdered Sugar : 1/4 Cup

Chopped nuts : As required to decorate

Instructions :

In a heavy bottomed non stick pan, mix milk powder and heavy cream such that there are no lumps.

Place this on medium heat and cook for about 10 - 12 minutes stirring continuously. The mixture will first soften and then come together leaving the sides of the pan.

Now add soaked saffron and cardamom powder and cook for another 2-3 minutes. The mixture will soften and again come together as soft dough. Try to make a ball from the dough, you should be able to make it without being sticky. That is the right consistency.

Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly. Then add the powdered sugar and knead well.

Divide this mixture into 10 equal parts and form peda shape. If needed, you can decorate them with nuts in the centre of the peda.

Notes :

Don't add sugar when it is hot, then the dough will soften.

If the mixture turns dry, add milk little by little and knead to get the required consistency. If it turns loose, then add ground almonds and knead. Do not cook it again, it might turn chewy.

You can use any chopped nut to decorate the peda as per your taste.

Rajma Pulao | Red Kidney Beans Pulao

2016-02-28T20:42:00.000+00:00

Today I am here with Rajma Pulao recipe. This flavorful one pot meal is vegan and gluten free. From start to finish, it took less than 30 minutes to prepare this pulao except for the soaking time for dried red kidney beans which requires minimum 4 - 6 hours. If you are using canned ones, you don't have to worry about that too. I cooked this for a weekend lunch and my family loved it so much. I served it with fryums (the one in the picture), yes it is 'not so healthy' of an option for a side dish but still our family loves it, so once in a while it is ok, I guess. I have prepared this pulao using bay leaves from Schwartz They have wide range of spices, herbs, seasonings and recipe mixes. I happened to pick this one from our local Sainsbury store and loved it. Yet to try the other products though, which I will do it soon.

Rajma Pulao Recipe

This is a flavorful one pot meal made with red kidney beans using pressure cooker. This vegan and gluten free pulao is easy to make and is ready in less than 30 minutes (cooking time).

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : February 28, 2016
Prep time : 10 mins Cook time : 20 mins Total time : 30 mins
Yield : about 5 servings

Ingredients :

Red Kidney Beans(dried) : 1/2 Cup

Basmati Rice : 2 Cups

Oil : 1 Tablespoon

Fennel Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon

Cloves : 4 nos.

Cinnamon : About 1" long piece

Bay leaves from Schwartz : 2 nos.

Onion : 1 no.

Green Chillies : 2 nos.

Ginger : 1" long piece

Garlic : 5 cloves

Mint : handful

Turmeric Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon

Chilli Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon

Garam Masala Powder : 1 Teaspoon.

Coconut Milk : 1/2 Cup

Water : 3 Cups

Salt : To taste

Cilantro : To garnish

Instructions :

Soak dried red kidney beans for atleast 4 - 6 hours. Overnight soaking is preferable, so plan accordingly.

Do the required preparations for the pulao- Slice onions, slit green chillies, grate ginger, mince garlic , clean-wash-chop mint leaves and cilantro leaves and finally, wash basmati rice, drain excess water and set it aside.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves and fry for a minute. Then add onions, green chillies and fry till onions turn translucent.

Now add the grated ginger, minced garlic along with chopped mint leaves and cook for another minute.

Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder and garam masala powder and mix well.

Drain the soaked rajma(red kidney beans) and add it, mix well and then add the washed basmati rice. Now add coconut milk and required water along with salt as per taste and mix well. Cover the lid and pressure cook it for one whistle in medium-high heat and then turn it off.

Wait till the pressure releases. Then gently fluff up the rice and garnish with cilantro and serve it warm.

Notes :

I used 1/2 cup dried red kidney beans and after soaking it was about 1 cup. So if you are using canned red kidney bean, use 1 cup of it.

Adjust green chillies and chilli powder as per your heat tolerance level.

This can be prepared in electric rice cooker too.

The dried red kidney beans has to be soaked for at least 4 - 6 hours.

I have used basmati rice. You can use other variety of rice too. Based on the variety of rice used water quantity will vary.

This post is written in collaboration with Schwartz but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Strawberry Milkshake

2016-02-25T22:47:00.000+00:00

Today I am here with an easy recipe for Strawberry Milkshake. Usually milkshakes are made by adding ice cream and I didn't want to add ice cream but still wanted to make a creamy milkshake. The secret ingredient I chose is heavy cream. Milkshake came out so creamy and delicious and my kids loved it so much.

Strawberry Milkshake

Easy recipe for rich and creamy Strawberry Milkshake. This recipe does not require ice cream. This milkshake is made with heavy cream and milk.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : February 25, 2016
Prep time : 5 mins Cook time : 5 mins Total time : 10 mins
Yield : 1 serving

Ingredients :

Strawberries : 1/2 Cup (Washed, hulled & Chopped)
Heavy Cream : 1/4 Cup
Milk : 1/2 Cup
Sugar : 2 Tablespoons
Vanilla Extract : 1 Teaspoon

Instructions :

Place all the ingredients in the blender and blend until it is smooth and creamy.
Transfer it to a cup / tumbler and serve it.

Notes :

If you do not prefer heavy cream, you can use either light cream or replace it with milk.
Adjust the sweetness as per your taste.
You can chill it for a while and then serve.
Instead of fresh strawberries, you can use frozen strawberries too.

Indian Non Vegetarian Lunch Menu # 4 - Chicken Special

2016-02-22T23:14:00.001+00:00

Lunch Menu with Chicken dishes

Today I am sharing here with the lunch I cooked this weekend. The menu consists of all Chicken dishes and I have posted the recipes in the blog and here I am sharing the links to the recipes and few other tips in case if you plan to replicate the menu at home. It took almost 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes for me to cook and serve this lunch. I did not prepare any special dessert, but we had store bought ice cream.

This Menu Consists of

Chicken Biryani
Pepper Chicken Roast
White Rice
Chicken Rasam
Boiled Egg and
Cucumber Raitha
Ice cream (store bought)

I cooked this menu in the following order.

First I marinated the chicken for Biryani and Pepper Chicken Roast. The chicken has to marinate for at least one hour.
In the meantime, I chopped the onions, tomatoes, mint, cilantro etc., and also prepared the spice powder for Chicken Roast and then Rasam Powder for Chicken Rasam.
Then I prepared chicken rasam. Kept White rice in cooker. Put the eggs to boil.
If you soak the basmati rice, soak it for 30 minutes. I skipped it this time.
Then started the biryani making process. I prepared this in pressure cooker. It took almost 25 minutes for the biryani to be ready from beginning till ready to serve.
Side by side I started preparing the pepper chicken roast too. It took some 20 minutes.
Then when the biryani and chicken roast were cooking, I prepared raitha and then peeled the eggs.
Once the biryani and chicken roast are ready, transferred them to serving containers and arranged the plates, water glasses on the dining table.
Finally, time to serve lunch.

Hope this post will be helpful in planning for your special lunch. Do share your views and feedbacks to my email blogadmin@divyasculinaryjourney.com

The other non vegetarian lunch menus I have shared are

1. Non Vegetarian Lunch Menu # 1
2. Non Vegetarian Lunch Menu # 2
3. Non Vegetarian Lunch Menu # 3

Chettinad Chicken Rasam | Chettinad Kozhi Rasam

2016-02-21T20:04:00.001+00:00

Today I am here with Chettinad Chicken Rasam Recipe. This spicy rasam is made with freshly ground spices and can be had as a remedy for cold. I made this for this Sunday lunch and my family loved it. With the weather still on the colder side, this is what we needed. This rasam can be served as a soup too. Usually chicken with bones are preferred to make this rasam, then the chicken pieces can be strained and then they can be fried and served as chicken fry too. But I used boneless chicken pieces and cut them into bite sized pieces and then cooked the rasam and didn't strain it as my kids like those chicken pieces from rasam. Serving it with rice or having it as a soup, is your choice. Either way it is going to taste delicious!

Chettinad Chicken Rasam

This is a spicy rasam made with freshly ground spices. This rasam can be had with rice and also consumed as soup too. This is an excellent home remedy for cold.

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : February 21, 2016
Prep time : 15 mins Cook time : 30 mins Total time : 45 mins
Yield : 4 servings

Ingredients :

Chicken : 250 gms (about 1/2 lb)
Oil : 2 Tablespoon
Fennel Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry leaves : 1 sprig.
Pearl Onions / Chinna Vengayam : 10 nos.
Garlic : 7 - 8 cloves
Tomatoes : 2 nos.
Chilli powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Cilantro : To garnish

To grind for Rasam Powder

Cumin Seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Whole Black pepper : 1 Teaspoon
Fennel Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Dried Red Chillies : 2 nos
Coriander Seeds : 2 Teaspoons

Instructions :

Do all the required preparations. Finely chop pearl onions and garlic. Chop tomatoes. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.
Dry roast the ingredients listed for rasam powder and then grind them into fine powder and set them aside.
Heat oil in a pan, add fennel seeds, fry for a minute then add finely chopped pearl onions, curry leaves and garlic and fry till they turn slightly golden. Then add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and chilli powder mix well and cook till the tomatoes are mashed.
Now add the chicken pieces to this tomato mixture along with one cup of water and salt and cover and cook till the chicken pieces are well cooked. You can cook them in pressure cooker too.
Once the chicken is cooked, you can add 3 cups of water, ground rasam powder and add salt (as required) and mix well and bring it to boil and turn off the heat.
If needed, you can strain off the chicken pieces at this point or let them stay in the rasam itself. Garnish with cilantro and serve it warm.

Notes :

Adjust the spice level as per personal heat tolerance level.
You can cook the chicken in pressure cooker too.
You can do the tempering at the later stage too. Heat oil, add fennel seeds and curry leaves fry for a minute and then add it to the rasam when it is ready and then garnish with cilantro.
The strained chicken pieces can be used to make chicken fry. Or simply heat the oil, add fennel seeds, when they start to sputter, add sliced onions and fry till they turn translucent. Then add chopped tomatoes and chilli powder and cook. Then add the chicken pieces and cook for another 2 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.