simple taste ,simple food

Rasgulla

2010-02-25T12:43:00.000-08:00

This is one of the most elegant,easiest yet simple dessert a person can make.With very few number of ingredients and least work in least time you can imagine.However practice is a great factor and I made this dessert so many times that making them have become as easy as making chapati to me.

Here's what you are going to need:-

1. milk 1/2 gallon
2. sugar 1 cup
3. water 3 cups
4. cardamom 3-4
5. rose water 2 teaspoons
6. lime/lemon juice 4-5 teaspoon or as required

1) Make paneer out of milk or you can also get store bought paneer but the outcome will have a stark difference in texture and smoothness of rasgulla.At home too when you are making paneer for rasgulla try making a little smoother.You can have smooth paneer by adding least amount of lime juice ,just enough to curdle it and once the milk curdles completely immediately run the paneer under cold water or put ice cubes in it to stop further cooking.The outcome will be soft paneer which is perfect for rasgulla or any paneer based dessert .

2) Mash the paneer pieces into a soft dough by mixing it with the heal of your palm.It takes around 5-8 minutes.

3) Divide the dough into equal size balls.Remember to keep the balls a little smaller than the size of rasgulla you want because after boiling in sugar syrup the balls will double in size.
4)Prepare the sugar syrup by dissolving sugar into water and bringing t to a rolling boil.Dissolve 3 cups of water in one cup of sugar.The ratio is always 3:1 for water and sugar.Add cardamom.

5) with the help of your both palm make the balls .Try to have as less cracks as you can in the balls.You can achieve this by rolling and pressing the balls in between you palms for a while untill you get the smooth surface.

6) Now turn the heat to high and bring the sugar syrup to boiling point again.Once it starts boiling start dropping the balls one by one gently.Should not crowd the balls so depending upon how many balls you have pick the size of the pan.To be on the safe side always pick a little bigger pan.
7)Once you have dropped all the balls bring the heat to medium-low and let it boil for 2 minutes and the cover with a tight lid.

8) After 8-9 minutes lift the cover and you will see that the balls have doubled in size ,like the picture below.Now let all the steam come out and cover again on low heat.Boil for another 5 minutes.
9) After 5 minutes when you will remove the lid you will see the balls doubled in size but this time they have somewhat settled at the bottom of the pan.This is because they have soaked the syrup to their heart extent.If they have not setteled then cover the lif for few more minutes on low heat.The sign that your rasgullas have soaked enough syrup is that they will become heavy yet still being very spongy and set at the bottom of the pan.
10) Let it cool down completely , add rose syrup and serve chilled.

Chandra_Kala

2010-01-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

As the name says ,this sweet signifies the looks and shape of the Moon(Hindi name chandrama).even though I am not trying to boast myself but making this sweet is a real piece of art.In old days a girl who knew how to make "Chandra_Kala" had easier time getting married as that proved her to be a skillful cook.It is nothing like this these days ,but since I grew up watching my mother making this dish unconsciously learnt how to make this.Again this sweet dosent require much ingredient as in my other recipes however it does require some time and real patience.But once you taste it you will feel every minute spent in making t worthwhile.

Here is what you are going to need:-

For the Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour (unbleached white flour or maida)
1 tablespoon sooji (semolina flour)
2 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup lukewarm water or as needed

For the Filling:

1/2 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
1 cup milk powder
1/4 cup coconut powder
1/4 cup sliced almonds(optional)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
2 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon melon seeds (optional)

For the Garnish:

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 Water

Oil to fry

1) Mix the cream and milk powder in a frying pan.

2) Cook on medium heat until mixture starts leaving the sides of the frying pan and becomes soft runny dough. Stir continuously so the mixture does not burn on the bottom of the pan.Turn off the heat and add coconut, almonds, melon seeds, and cardamom powder. Mix together well.After cooling, the mixture will be lightly moist.
3) After the mixture cools down a little but still warm,mix sugar and mix well.

4) This is how the final dough looks like.You can substitute milk powder with home made khoya or store bought khoya.

5) divide it into equal parts.Around one table spoon each in each part.

6) Mix the ingredients of dough,Knead the dough and set aside.Divide the dough into equal small parts and roll into balls with the palms of your hands.Roll each ball into about 4-inch diameter (like a roti or chappati).Dip your finger in some water and spread it around the rim of the rolled dough.On one of the rolled dough put one portion of the filling mixture in the center and cover it with another rolled dough. Now press the edges together with your fingers. Make sure the edges are completely sealed otherwise they will open while frying and oil will get in and filling will come out.Continue filling the rest of the chandre-kala in the same manner.

7) Heat about 1-1/2 inches of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a small piece of dough into the oil. It should sizzle right away but come to the surface slowly.Place the Chandra-kala in the frying pan few at a time.After they are floating on top of the oil, turn them slowly. Fry them until they turn light golden-brown color on all sides. Don’t fry on high heat; the chandra-kala crust will be too soft and not crispy.When they are done cooking, lift them out of the oil with a slotted spoon.

8) Garnishing:Boil the sugar and water on medium heat until syrup is about one thread .Dip chandra-kala into the syrup making sure they are coated with syrup all around.Place them on a wire rack to allow the extra syrup drain.They will be dry in an hour.They can be stored in airtight container up to a month.

Enjoy!

Simple sandwich bread.

2010-01-20T15:32:00.000-08:00

I bake our regular sandwich bread at least once every week.The reason behind it is that it becomes a wholesome meal for lunch once a week and other than that there is always a loaf of bread handy in case we want to eat some thing nice and simple,easy to eat.Just whip up some side dish and salad and this bread serves a very hearty meal.

Here is what you are going to need:-

1. white unbleached organic flour -3 cups
2. water at 80 degree F/27 degree C -1 cup
3. olive oil - 1/3 cups
4. sugar - 2 tsp
5. salt - 1 tsp
6. active dry yeast - 1 and 1/2 tsp
7. dried Italian seasioning
8. Un-toasted Sunflower seeds

1) Mix everything together and kneed for some time till the dough becomes soft and smooth.Once attaining that state leave it covered in a greased bowl for at least 2 hours in a warm place.This helps in giving the yeast enough time to make the final result that is bread very fluffy and soft.

2) After 2 hours the dough will become the double of size .Take the dough out and keep it in floured surface and kneed a little more.This time the dough has rested enough and will be very smooth to touch.This is how the dough will look this time.

3) After kneading little like 4-5 minutes,start flattening it out in a rectangular shape.Like below.

4) Now starting form one end start rolling it into a log by constantly pinching the open end.Once you have completely rolled the rectangle into a log ,pinch the last two ends tightly.

5) Prepare the loaf pan by applying a little oil and dusting it with a little flour.

6) Now seam side down put the rolled log in the pan.

7) Cover it with a kitchen towel for at least an hour or till the roll loaf double in size in a warm place.

8) This is the state when it is ready to go into the oven.Preheat the oven at 400 degree F/205degree C and bake it for 20 minutes or until done(by looking at the crust color and tapping the crust which will sound like hollow.) in the middle rack.
10) Take it out form the oven and immediately transfer it into a cooling rack.
11)Let it cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

12) Use it into any type of sandwich you like.I mostly prefer making vegetable sandwich with green coriander leaf chutney,cucumber ,boiled potatoes ,tomatoes ,sliced onions .This bread also goes very well with the deli sandwich with your choice of meat ,chicken or turkey slices.

Tilkut(sesame seeds bars)

2010-01-14T20:59:00.000-08:00

First of all happy "Sankranti" to every one.

I remember when I was at home, my mother used to make sesame bars or sesame balls all the time. Not only in the special festival but otherwise too.

The main reason behind starting to make that was health .My father was transferred to a place which had lots of cement factories .As a result problem of pollution was huge and people used to develop lung and breathing problems a lot. When My father was transferred to that place as a precaution doctor asked him to eat products made of jaggery.Now eating jaggery alone was a not an easy task ,so my mother came up with the idea of sesame balls or bars which were made of jaggery.

No matter what the reason was, we kids also had good time eating them even though we did not live in the cement factory place .My father lived there alone and would come on weekends. Unconsciously I also learn't making that.

Now I live in a place, which is so polluted that we do not get a chance to see the starts in the sky. Since Phoenix is a valley and thus surrounded by mountains, it is very hard for the polluted air to escape out. All the polluted air stays trapped in and the sky is not clear enough to let the stars visible to naked eyes. The saying that starts are countless is proved completely wrong with the stars in Phoenix sky. I was completely unaware of this fact until I visited Lowell Observatory. That tour was incredible .We not only got to see 100 year old telescope in a wooden dome which was used to discover the planet Pluto but we also found out some interesting facts .The tour guide said that the pollution level in Flagstaff which is just 2 hours drive from Phoenix is much lower than Phoenix. That was obvious when we saw the sky full of starts at night in Flagstaff and compared it with stars in Phoenix. I never saw that number of stars after I left India what I saw in Flagstaff.

Apparently, when I came back to Phoenix after Flagstaff trip, the first thing, which struck my mind, was to make that same old sesame balls and bars. Went to an Asian store and bought plenty of sesame seeds packets along with lots of jaggery.Now was the time of real experiment and test of my cooking skill, which I learnt unconsciously from my mother when I was a kid. I am glad that every thing went well, and the sweet came out good. Most importantly, my husband loved it and I felt my hard work was worth every thing.

Later I also found out that not only are sesame seeds very good source of manganese and copper, but they are also a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber. In addition to these important nutrients, sesame seeds contain two unique substances: sesamin and sesamolin. Both of these substances belong to a group of special beneficial fibers called lignans, and have been shown to have a cholesterol-lowering effect in humans, and to prevent high blood pressure and increase vitamin E supplies in animals. Sesamin has also been found to protect the liver from oxidative damage.

The only thing I wish is that, I could send few pieces to my mother to let her know how her skills became helpful to me and how proud she should be for me. I wish she could taste a piece of these sesame bars.

Making this long story short(which is already too long) lets jump to the recipe.Here is what you are going to need:-

1. 2 cups raw sesame seed(buy from whole foods ,they are the best)
2. 1 cup of jaggery
3. some water

1) In a hot wok dry roast the sesame seeds until brown.Cosntant stirring is required otherwise they burn very fast which will give a bitter taste to the bars.

2) This is how they will look.It takes about 6-7 minutes.The aroma of roasted sesame seeds will be everywhere in the house.Transfer them into a bowl to avoid getting further roasted.
3) Put them in food processor.If you dont have one you can use mixer or grinder .The whole idea is to grind the seeds very course not fine.If nothing than mortar and pestle will also do.That is what my maa used .

4) Here is how they will look.

6) heat up a non stick pan ,add jaggery and little bit water like 1/2 cup and bring it to boil.Remove the dirt with a spoon.Now keep boiling for some time until you get the consistency of the liquid very stringy and bubbling like shown below.

7) To test if the jaggery syrup has attained the desired consistency you can take some cold water in bowl and pour some bubbling liquid .You will see that as soon as you drop the liquid in the cold water it will from into a thick mass like caramelized candy.This step in very crucial as formation of proper bars depends upon how your jaggery syrup is.
8) If you try to stir with a spoon the mass will stick into it and with your fingers you can easily form a ball of jaggery.That is when you know your syrup is done.

9) Now pour the syrup into ground sesame seeds ,not all at once but little by little.In the mean time keep stirring the sesame seeds powder so that you will get an idea how much more syrup you need.Once you think you have poured enough syrup ,you can stop and give it a final stir.
10) Mix properly.You will have to be very fast because if the mixture cools down even a little then the jaggery syrup will crystallize.So keep every thing prepared ahead of time.
11) Transfer it into the aluminum paper.

12)Dip your hands in cold water and start flatting it out.Keep it about 1/2 inch thick.Let it cool down a little .

13) Cut it in what ever shape you like.I made them in a square shape.

14) Enjoy.Once completely cooled down you can store them in an air tight container.It stays well for 2-3 weeks.However it is better not to make in large batches because the oil in sesame seeds can go rancid if kept for a long time.

15) On Sankranti we have the tradition of eating "chura-dahe-chinni aur tilkut"(That is water soaked beaten rice ,yogurt,sugar and sesame seeds bar)
Again the nice thing is that there are very few ingredients used,has less fat and very simple and less time taking.Above all a very good source of calcium.Sesame seeds have more calcium than milk.Good for kids as they love eating sweet ,at the same time getting loads of calcium for their constant and rapid bone formation.

This post is my contribution to "cooking with seeds event" hosted by Priya.

Black Gram Sprouts snack

2010-01-12T20:38:00.000-08:00

Sprouts in any form and any kind is healthy.One of my favorite sprouts is black gram(kala chana) sprout which can be made very easily at home.Just soak black gram over night,in the morning strain out all the water.Cover it with a light lid and keep it in a dark place for two days.I like my sprouts a little longer and little bitter so I leave them for three days.Longer sprouts give a little bitter taste because of the increase in protein amount.However never let the sprouts grow that long so they start forming roots.Once root formation starts protein depletion also starts.So after you get the desired length of sprouts keep your sprouts in the refrigerator and use them within 3-4 days.

These sprouts are very sturdy unlike moon sprouts which are very delicate to handle.These sprouts can be used in several form,but my favorite is using them as snack item made with beaten rice.The nice thing about this snack is that you have to use little oil and very little cooked which serves the purpose of eating sprouts.

Here is what you are going to need:-

1. One full cup of sprouts.
2. Beaten rice -1 and 1/2 cups(keep it dry ,do not soak in water)
3. oil- 1 teaspoon+ one table spoon
4. one green chili
5. 1/2th teaspoon cumin seeds
6. 1/4th teaspoon turmeric powder
7. salt to taste
8. 1/2 of a medium size onion

1) Clean the sprout and drain all the water.

2) Heat up a wok,add one teaspoon of oil,cumin seeds and green chili.

3) Once the cumin seeds are little brown,add chopped onions.Also add sprouts,turmeric and little salt.Saute for a minute.

4) Cook for total of two minutes and turn the heat off.I know it sounds funny that a tough daal like chana getting cooked in two minutes but believe me it gets cooked enough to be eaten without problem.Moreover you do not want to kill all the nutrition so sprouts.So just cook enough so that the raw taste is gone.Transfer the sprouts in a bowl.

4)In the same wok add one table spoon of oil and add beaten rice and little salt.Cook on high heat.Keep stirring constantly otherwise it will burn very quickly.

5) It takes about 5-6 minutes to cook the beaten rice .
6) Now add the cooked sprouts and mix together.

7) Transfer into a serving dish and enjoy hot.
Tips:-
1)you can cook beaten rice and sprouts separately ahead of time but mix them together only just before serving.Otherwise the beaten rice will become soggy and very chewy to eat.

2)If you want you can just eat the cooked sprouts alone.Makes a light snacks.Again a good way to feed sprouts as they do not want to eat sprouts raw.

Chili-Garlic chutney

2010-01-12T14:03:00.000-08:00

This is the simplest chutney I can make and also the tastiest one.More because there is no cooking no preparation and as you know very few ingredients.Goes well with every thing.I can eat it with regular chapati,corn tortillas(makke ke rotte),with rice and daal,With parathas both plain and stuffed.

Here is what you are going to need:-

5-6 green chillies
3-4 cloves of garlic
One teaspoon of mustard oil
1 tablespoon of salt

Every thing should be raw.You can increase the proportion according to your need.Once you will make following this recipe you will get a hang of it as how much to increase each ingredient to make a large batch.

With mortar and pestle crush every thing together .Do not make it into fine paste.If you are making a large amount then you can use the food processor .

That is it.It is ready to serve.

Mustard Greens/sarso ka saag

2010-01-12T12:55:00.000-08:00

Mustard greens are natures little secret. It is one of the most nutritious plants you can eat. Mustard greens belong to the same family as Broccoli and Collards. It is quite a spicy little plant.Mustard were often used for their extremely green chlorophyll. The taste is a bit bitter perhaps that is due to the many minerals found in the leaves. Mustard greens may possibly help with asthma and other respiratory problems. The magnesium in mustard greens helps to smooth the walls of the bronchial tubes.Mustard greens are low in calories and contain a large amount of antioxidants. They provide an excellent source of vitamins B6, C, and E, folic acid,calcium, carotene, manganese,copper, and fiber. They also offer a very good source of phosphorus, vitamins B1 and B2,magnesium, protein, potassium,and iron.

Mustard greens once cooked go very well with pretty much anything like chapati,rice ,as a side dish and the best combination is with corn tortilla/makke ke rotte.

Here is what you are going to need:-

1. One bunch of mustard greens(we buy from whole foods as it is organic and pesticides free)
2. Half bunch of spinach
3. 5 cloves of garlic
4. one inch big piece of ginger
5. one green chili
6. butter one table spoon
7. one teaspoon of vegetable oil
8. salt to taste.
9. 1/2 table spoon cornflour

1) Clean and wash the leaves(mustard and spinach)

2) Put the leaves and 1/2 cup of water in the pressure cooker and add a little salt.(Do not add too much salt as mustard greens are salty in it self.)Cook for two whistles and let the pressure come out on its own.

3) Blend the cooked leaves with one green chili into a fine paste along with the leftover water in the cooker.(Add more chili if you want more spicy)

4) peel ginger and garlic and mince them with your knife as fine as you can.

5) In a pan heat the oil and add minced ginger and garlic together.Let it cook for some time till well cooked but do not let it turn brown.
6) Now add the pureed greens.

7) Add corn flour.Stir every thing well and taste a little.If needed add some more salt according to your taste.Cover and let it cook for some time on medium heat.It takes about 6-7 minutes untill you get the right consistency.It should not be very liquidy nor very runny.It should be like thick batter of idli.

8)Transfer it into a bowl and add butter/ghee on top and stir.Serve hot with corn tortilla/makke ke rotte and spicy chili-garlic chutney.
This a very hearty meal with full of nutrition.A good way to feed your kids greens.My two year daughter loves to dip pieces of corn tortilla in mustard greens and relishes it.

Tips :-
1. Adding spinach takes out some spiciness of mustard greens and makes the whole dish very creamy.
2. Adding butter or ghee is must to bring out the flavor.
3. Never add roasted corn flour.Raw corn flour gives the creamy texture in the dish.

Makke ke rotte(corn tortilla)

2010-01-07T13:53:00.000-08:00

I think anyone who is from India is very well familiar with "Makke ke rotte" .Even though it is more popular in Punjab but every state has it own version of "makke ke rotte" recipe.In our culture of Mithila we do not eat it with mustard greens ("sarso ka sag") but with spicy chutney or pickles.It is healthy and wholesome meal.In our village the elites wont eat "makke ke rotte" as it symbolizes the food of poor or fodder food as it is grown in abundance and very cheap.It is so funny that here we go to whole foods to buy fresh corn flour and pay double the price to get that taste which is so readily available in my village.I am not ashamed of writing about it as I do not like adding frills and frame to hide the reality.I grew up with village food and we were not elites to show off enough.If food is tasty ,cheap and nutritious we would not care about anything else.

Whole foods carries fresh cornflour/yellow cornmeal which tastes as good as freshly ground corn flour in my village.If you buy packed cornflour from any Indian store or other stores named as "masa harina",it wont taste as sweet as it should as most of the time the flour has gone rancid.

So here is what you are going to need :-
1.) 2 cups of corn flour or fine corn meal.
2.) 1 cup of boiling water.

1) Measure corn flour and set aside.Boil water and pour little by little over the flour and start mixing it with a spoon.
2) Since it will be too hot, you cant mix it with your hand in the beginning.Once you think you do not need more hot water and the dough has cooled down enough , you can use your hands to mix it.

3) some times depending upon the weather and quality of flour you may need more or less water so do not add all the water at once.Now with your hands knead on a flat surface for a while.Since there is no gluten in corn there wont be formation of gluten if you knead the dough a lot.However a little kneading makes the dough very pliable and smooth.
4) Form smooth balls and cover it until ready to use or it will become dry at the surface.Divide it into 5 equal part.Make it into round balls with the help of your palms.
5) Now take a cellophane or just a plastic transparent grocery bag and cut both long sides .So there will be three sides open and one side intact.Put one ball in between the plastic ,cover it and roll it like chapati.
6) While rolling you have to be very gentle and slow.Some times you will see frayed end after rolling or while rolling that is because you may have not kneaded the dough enough.Once you have rolled the "rotte" put a flat pan and heat it on high heat.
7) Now remove the upper layer of plastic .It will come off just like that.
7) Place your right hand palm on the "rotte" and with the left hand hold the lower plastic layer and transfer the "rotte" on your right hand.
8) Immediately transfer the "rotte" into hot pan.If you leave it on your hand for even a little bit time you wont be able to transfer the "rotte" into the pan properly .The "rotte" will get stuck in your hands.After 2 minutes flip it .
8) Here is how it will look after the first flip.
9) Now let it cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes and flip over again.This time press all parts with a clean cloth and the "rotte" will puff up.Cooking part is just like making ordinary wheat flour chapati.
10) It is now ready to serve with Mustard greens(sarso ka sag) and Chili-garlic chutney Or you can just serve with tangy hot pickles.

Tips:- Some people mix wheat flour to make it more pliable to work with the dough.This happens in three cases:
1) when you use cold water to mix the dough
2) when you do not knead enough
3) you use excess water than needed.

So to correct these mistakes people use wheat flour.However there is no need of mixing wheat flour if you do every thing right.Because if you mix wheat flour you will feel the distinct taste of wheat in "rotte" which dosent serve the purpose if you want real "makke ke rotte"

Moong Sprout snacks!

2010-01-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

One of the simplest snacks or breakfast items is moong sprouts.If you want it to eat it as breakfast just add a teaspoon of fresh raw honey in the sprouts and eat it complimenting with a whole fresh fruit.It becomes a wholesome and hearty breakfast.Particularly I do not like to start my day with spicy food so this turns out to be my favorite breakfast.Hate cereals because they have more harmful effects than health benefits .Anyway without digressing let us talk about sprouts especially moong sprouts.In the sprouted moong, the overall energy decreases by 15% but the protein availability increases by a whopping 30%. The carbohydrate molecules during sprouting are broken down and these, when they react with nitrogen, go to form amino-acids which, in turn, give rise to easily digestible proteins.Sprouts are considered an excellent and inexpensive substitute for expensive fruits since both are rich in fiber and vitamins. Sprouts are also a rich source of assimilable minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. In moong sprouts, the availability of calcium increases by 34%, potassium by 80%, iron by 40% and phosphorus by 56%. This is attributable to the release of minerals from protein complexes and decrease in the level of phytates during sprouting.

People think that sprouts are very boring and monotonous to eat.Actually that is not true at all.A non complex food like sprouts can be turned into such a tasty treat with very little time and effort that it is very hard to fathom.And the best part is low calorie , rich in nutrients and yet tasty.What else can you want from a food item.My goal has always been to eat cheap and healthy.Here is my recipe to make a tasty snacks with moong sprouts.

Here's what you are going to need:-

* 1 cup of moong sprout
* 2 cups of puffed rice
* salt to taste
* 1 teaspoon of mustard oil
* 2 teaspoon of lime/lemon juice
* one green chill finely chopped.
* some thinly chopped raw onion.

There is hardly any steps here.Still to make it simple and readable I have divided this recipe into as simple as two steps.

1) Except puffed rice mix every thing else in a big bowl.Stir it properly.

2) Just before serving add puffed rice ,mix again and serve.If you mix puffed rice ahead of time they turn soggy and non non appetizing.

This really tickles your tongue.This recipe can be made with any kind of sprout such as kala chana sprout.However it tastes the best with moong sprout.Kids can eat this easily with lots of relish,just exclude the green chili .A very good way to incorporate sprouts in their meal.My 2 year old daughter can devour one bowl in just a blink of my eyes .

Almonds Kulfi

2010-01-04T21:43:00.000-08:00

Almonds kulfi is one of my favorite desserts and so is my daughter's.Kulfi is better to me in several ways and one of them is that there is no use of eggs unlike ice creams.Even though we are non-vegetarians still I try to keep my kitchen untouched with non vegetarian items that includes mixing or touching other things with non-vegetarian hands.I know it sounds ridiculous but my MIL is a big time God fearing lady and believes that non-vegetarian and vegetarian items should be kept separately.For hygienic reason I also prefer the same.
Cutting the idea short I want to say that when my daughter eats ice cream made with eggs she definitely spills few drops here and there which is not acceptable in our house.With this kulfi recipe I do not have to worry about all these and she can also eat carelessly.Above all it s little less fatty than your regular ice cream ,less ingredient used and easy to make.

So here's what you are going to need:-

* 4 cups whole milk
* 1 slice of white bread
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch
* 1/4 cup sugar, adjust to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground cardamom (ilachi)
* 10 Almonds sliced
* few saffron strands

1. Remove the crust from all sides of the bread and cut the bread in small pieces.
2. Blend bread pieces, cornstarch, and a 1/2 cup of milk, making smooth paste and set aside.

3. Boil remaining milk (3.5 cups) in nonstick frying pan on medium high heat.Stir milk frequently to keep the milk from burning on the bottom of the frying pan. Stir the sides of the pan to avoid scalding.After milk comes to boil, let the milk boil for some more time till 3 1/2 cups reduces to 2 1/2 cups.

4. Add the bread mixture to the milk in frying the pan and cook for another 4 minutes, reducing the heat to medium. Bread and cornstarch are added to reduce the water crystallizing in kulfi during freezing.Next add sugar and Almonds and cook for 2 more minutes.Turn off the heat and add cardamom powder and saffron strands.

5. Cool the milk to room temperature and pour into molds.

It will take about 6-7 hours to be ready to serve.
As usual my daughter gave me the approval of super taste by not getting distracted by anything untill she finished the whole kulfi and here she is busy without any inhibition of people looking at her with kulfi smeared around her mouth.

Makhana Kheer

2010-01-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

This is the one of the most simplest and heart filling desserts I can think of.The subtle flavor of "makhana"also known as fox nut, foxnut, makhana, or gorgon plant) reminds me of my village and my childhood where we used to go in every summer vacation.In Mithila culture of Bihar,India, the makhana is an auspicious ingredient in offerings to the Lord during festivals and is used in cooking, specially to make a porridge/pudding called kheer of makhana or 'makhane ki kheer'.Being from the same Mithila region I had the oppurtunity to see and feel this plant up close.
The near by pond in our village would be full of "makhana plant" laden with "makahanas" inside.We would dip our legs inside the pond and pluck few of them even while raw and it tasted so sweet and elegant.There was no inhibition as kids getting saoked in muddy water of pond and plucking makhana.The best thing about this dessert is that you can never go wrong while making it.

This recipe can be just right for those people who have sweet tooth but do not want to eat oil or butter too much or are avoiding too much frying.That in turn increases the otherwise health benefits of makhana.
Here is what you are going to need:-

Makhana :- 1 cup
whole milk :- 1 and 1/2 cup(preferably whole milk but can be made in skim milk too)
cardomom powder :- 1/2 pinch
sugar :-1 table spoon and 1 teaspoon
ghee :- 1 teaspoon
raisins

1)Roast makhanas in the non stick pan with ghee for 5-8 minutes.Let it cool down.It will become crunchy after getting cold.

2)in a mortar and pestle or just in a bowl with a heavy spoon crush it into a powder form.Grinder or food processor should not be used as we do not want makhana to be a fine powder.
3)Bring the milk to boiling point .Add raisins and pour the crushed makhana into the boiling milk.Stir properly and keep boiling for 2-3 minutes to bring it to the consistency you want.It however thickens after getting cold.So do not boil too much.

4)Let it cool down ,sprinkle cardamom powder and serve .

When you are short on time or want some thing simple this is the dessert I will suggest.No complication at all.By the way you can buy "makhana" from Indian stores which is sold as "phool makhana" or some times just "makhana".

Roasted Potatoes!

2009-12-29T13:40:00.000-08:00

I feel that food is the most soul satisfying thing in the whole world.Nothing comes before tasty food,except few things here and there.However my idea of tasty food is that it also has to be simple to cook and less time taking with as little ingredients it can be.

Here is one item which I often cook just for myself and my daughter when I do not have to think about people judging my food.Some times my husband has dinner or lunch with friends and I do not have to cook for him ,I usually make this dish.But I never forget to save some for him because even though the food is simple ,the aroma stays inside the house till he comes home and will definitely ask for few bites.

Here is what you are going to need:-

5-6 potatoes
some salt
few tsp of mustard oil
one dry red chili

1)Turn on the oven to 350 degrees .Wash potatoes and put them on the bottom rack .Roast for 30 minutes turning upside down once.After 30 minutes turn the oven off and let them stay in the oven for another 30 minutes.I also roast one sweet potato for my daughter for later use.

2)Take the potatoes out and peel them.Roast the whole dry red chili on the stove.Add salt(according to your taste) and 2 teaspoons of mustard oil.Mash them with your hands.Roasted mashed potatoes are ready.Eat it with plain chapati or phulka , curd and cabbage vegetables (optional).

This food truly tickles my taste buds.When I crave for some thing spicy and simple this is what I eat.One more best thing about this food is that the day I make it I do not have to struggle to feed my daughter who has a very refined taste buds from this early age of 2.I just take out some mashed potatoes before I add red chili.She gets all the nutrition and satisfaction in the food.

You can also make this mashed potatoes by boiling potatoes and following the rest of the recipes as it is but I have always felt that roasting makes it more flavorful.Taste of potaoes have more concentrated taste as excess water evaporates while roasting.

Use less ingredients!

2009-12-16T20:49:00.000-08:00

For few weeks I have been hooked on finding some good cooking ideas and recipes.I have to accept that on the one hand the Internet has made cooking very simple and on the hand it has made cooking equally difficult.Simple because you just have to recall the name of the item you had eaten some time ,some where which you liked it but do not know how to make it and you can get the recipe.Some times also videos of the recipe.Difficult because while searching for those recipes you will come across some recipes which need lots of effort and ingredients to cook.It is such an irony that most of the food bloggers post recipes which look very fancy and includes lots of ingredients,specialized utensils and what not.No one writes about recipes which are simple,less time consuming,less expensive yet tasty and filling.

I remember when T.V was a new item in our house we used to watch each and every program during vacation.One of them was Sanjeev Kapoor's cooking show.One day my brother commented "add lots of almonds and cashew in any dish and it will become very tasty".I did not follow then but that is what I see these days in every food blog.Add almond paste in chicken curry,in aloo dum and every thing.Cant people make simple masala chicken curry.
Dont take me wrong I am not writing all this to judge the food bloggers ,but it is really overwhelming to follow some of the recopies.The most funny thing is that several people will comment nice things such as "wow nice pictures","wow good description" ,however it is very rare to see when some one did some practical work,took some time to actually try it out first and then appreciate.That is really annoying to me.
All this motivated me to write some thing about food and the recipes I like.May be some one out there will love to try out some of them.The every day food,which is nice simple affordable and tasty.Why does food always have to be fancy and high class.