Asan Khana

Indian Veg Thali - Chapati with Alloo Bhujia,Palak Dal and raita

2012-05-21T23:53:00.002+08:00

Weekend was preety hectic but still i managed to cook decent meal ,help Advay with his homework and do other chores.For Sunday's dinner prepares this delicious Chicken Curry from Srivalli's blog which i paired with plain rice and a simple salad.Thanks a ton for sharing the recipe Srivalli,will be preparing this soon again.
For today's post sharing with you all a simple and delicious thali which i can have anytime ,this one is perfect for weekends too,as this dal can be prepared with leftover toor dal ,and the fried rice is prepared with leftover rice.With crispy Alloo bhujia and refreshing cucumber onion raita nothing can beat this meal specially in summers.

Recipe name Alloo Bhujia /crispy spiced potatoes
Recipe source my mom's kitchen
preparation time 10 mins
cooking time 20 mins
Ingredient
Peeled and Cubed potatoes kept in water three
dried red chili shredded one
fenugreek seeds one tsp
asafoetida one fourth tsp
salt as per taste
turmeric powder half tsp
mustard oil one tbsp
Procedure
Heat oil in non stick pan,once hot lower the flame
add fenugreek seeds,dried red chili and asafoetida
let it splutter add drained potatoes
sprinkle salt and turmeric powder
fry for a minute and cover and cook on low flame.
after five minutes mix everything again and cook till its done.
serve warm with chapati,dal,rice and raita.
For fried rice flavoured with mustard and curry leaves
heat half tsp oil in the same pan in which potatoes were cooked
once hot add pinch of mustard,few curry leaves and a crushed dried red chili
add leftover rice and fry everything for two to three mins
serve warm.

Spinach dal recipe blogged here .
Cucumber raita recipe blogged here
Linking this post to
Indian Thali Mela hosted by Srivalli of Cooking for all seasons.
The Weekly Story Week 79 hosted by Colours Dekor.
Thats all friends,wish you all happy week ahead.
Take care and Happy Blogging.

Baking for Advay - chocochip cupcakes.

2012-05-17T00:06:00.002+08:00

Are you guys like me,every morning when i am packing Advay's lunch box i run out of ideas,sometimes its leftover rice fried with egg ,or with pea and cottage cheese,sometimes its a box of fruit and some biscuits ,but today i didnt had any of these so i had to pack some chips and biscuits .Thus today noon when he was taking his afternoon nap,i baked some Choco chip cupcakes.

Recipe name Choco chip Cupcakes

Preparation time 15 mins

Baking time 5 to 7 mins
yield 24 mini cupcakes

Ingredient

all purpose flour one cup

baking powder one tsp

sugar half cup

butter one fourth cup

milk one fourth cup

choco chips one tbsp

Preparation

line a cupcake tray with liner and keep aside

preheat the oven to 100 degree centigrade

Procedure

In a mixing bowl mix all purpose flour with baking powder and sugar .

add butter and milk and mix everything together for a minute

add egg and mix with a spatula to a smooth mix

scrape the sides of the bowl with the spatula

spoon half tsp batter in the cupcake tray

sprinkle chocolate chips and place half tsp batter again

sprinkle some choco chips on top

and bake for 5 to 7 minutes.

serve them warm with tea ,
keep them in air tight box once they have cooled down

these Choco chip cupcakes are joining

The Weekly Story Week 78 hosted by Colours Dekor.

Lets Bake Cupcake and Muffin hosted by Simply.food.
do check my other blog ,updated it with a painting ;-)

Thats all friends,take care and Happy Blogging,

Mutton Dum Biryani perfect meal for busy days,.

2012-05-16T00:28:00.001+08:00

This is another meal which i truly enjoy cooking,
though it takes hours to prepare this
but still cooking this one pot meal is like
cooking therapy for me .

Prepared this one pot meal
when i was busy with preparation
for Advays Birthday.

Perfect for weekends
or some family get together
this one gonna be my favorite
forever,..:-)

Paired this Dum Mutton Biryani
with onion tomato raita and
sun dried potato chips from home .
Recipe name Mutton Dum Biryani
Preparation time one hour
Cooking time one and a half hour
Recipe of Chicken Dum Biryani blogged here
replaced chicken with goat meat 500 gm
rice three cup
rest all ingredient and procedure same as blogged for chicken dum biryani..

This platter is joining
Thali Mela hosted by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons
The Weekly Story week 78 hosted by Colours Dekor.
thats all friends ,take care and Happy Blogging.

todays special - Pear Cake for Mothers Day

2012-05-13T23:36:00.003+08:00

Today was just like any other day or any other weekend
the only difference was that i paired my morning coffee with coconut cake

smeared the coconut cake with a rich layer of kaya
and sipped the coffee and relished the cake till the last crumb
and thus started the day sipping coffee,reading Blogs and teaching Advay ...

Today was just like any other day ,the chores were the same
i didnt had a minute to spare or breath
still I managed to bake this cake
just because today was Mothers Day,,,:-)

Wish all the Gorgeous Moms out there in Blogosphere A very happy Mothers Day ,..

Few days back i was discussing something about Mothers Day with Hubby,
Advay who was sitting there said ," I know what happens on Mothers Day"
Me - "how come ?"
Advay - " flower and card is given to Mummy "
Me - " But who told you ,i never discussed Mothers Day with you "
Advay - "Mam told ."
Me - " so will u get card for me ."
Advay - " yes i will..."
and thus he got this sweet card on Friday which he did in the craft class in his school this sweet card really made my day,..

Recipe Name Pear Cake

Preparation time 10 mins
Recipe inspired from Not Quite Nigella
Baking time 20 mins
Baking temperature 100 degree centigrade
followed the recipe without any change,
altered the quantity of sugar from three fourth cup to half cup,

Linking this post to
The Weekly Story week 78 hosted by Colours Dekor.
thats all friends,wish you all Happy Week Ahead
Take care and Happy Blogging ,
heres a slice for you guys too,..

cheers

Indian Thali with Bharwa Baingan and Stir fried Paneer

2012-05-07T23:56:00.000+08:00

Its been so long since i shared the home cooked meal or the food which we eat everyday ,

sharing with you all today a simple thali which i cooked when my cousin had come for dinner

the below thali has Chapati,Lemon Rice,Bharwa Baingan,Stir fried Cottage Cheese,Kheer and Curd.

For the Stir fried Cottage Cheese/Curried Cottage Cheese

Ingredient

cubed cottage cheese 200gm

onion one chopped

tomato one chopped

green chili one sliced

cumin seeds half tsp

oil to cook one tbsp

salt as per taste

garam masala powder one tbsp

Procedure

Heat oil in non stick wok ,add cumin seeds

once it starts spluttering add chopped green chili followed by chopped onion

keep stirring till onion becomes mushy add tomatoes followed by salt

once oil is seen along the sides add cubed cottage cheese ,garam masala powder

fry for two minutes and half cup of water let it simmer

serve warm garnished with coriander leaves.

Recipe of Bharwa Baingan /Stuffed Brinjal blogged here

i added sliced potatoes too with the brinjal and pressure cooked for a whistle.

Recipe of Kheer Blogged here

This Thali is joining

Thali Mela hosted by Srivalli of Cooking for all Seasons.

The Weekly Story Week 78 hosted by Colours Dekor.

Eggless Coconut Cake for the Weekend

2012-05-04T18:34:00.001+08:00

For me Friday means
planning for the weekend
so today i baked this yummy cake
which i had bookmarked few days back
perfect to start a lazy day
with a mug full of Nescafe

Recipe Name Eggless Coconut Cake
Recipe inspired from Paaka Shaale
preparation time 10 mins
baking time 15 mins
Ingredient
Dry Ingredient
All purpose flour one and a half cup
baking powder one tsp
baking soda half tsp
salt half tsp
dessicated coconut half cup
Wet Ingredient
Coconut milk one cup
oil 5 tbsp
sugar three fourth cup
curd one fourth cup
vanilla essence half tsp
cardamom crushed two
Preparation
preheat the oven to 100 degree centigrade
line a 8 inch cake pan and keep aside.
Procedure
In a mixing bowl strain and mix all the dry ingredients except dessicated coconut ,add dessicated coconut and keep aside.
In another bowl add oil followed by coconut milk,sugar,curd,vanilla essence and cardamom,stir everything together
add the dry ingredient to the wet ingredient and stir everything together,
pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake till a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Thats all friends,wish you all Happy Weekend Ahead
take care and happy blogging,..:-)

Brownie and Chocolate Sugar Cookies for Advays Birthday

2012-05-01T23:41:00.002+08:00

I wanted to do this post last week but couldn't so sharing with you all today the Angry Bird Chocolate Cookies and the Bite sized brownies which i baked for Advays Angry Bird themed Birthday Party.

For the Angry Bird Chocolate Sugar Cookies
recipe of Chocolate Sugar Cookies inspired from here and blogged here
have halved the ingredients
ingredient
All purpose flour one + one fourth cup
Cocoa half cup + one tbsp
Salt half tsp
Baking Powder half tsp
Butter half cup
Sugar three fourth cup
Egg one
Vanilla essence one tsp
Preparation
preheat the oven to 100 degree centigrade for 10 mins
line a baking tray with baking sheet and keep aside.

Procedure
In a bowl whisk together Flour,Cocoa,Salt and Baking Powder.
Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy (3-4 mins)
add the egg followed by vanilla essence and the flour mixture.
keep beating till a smooth dough is formed.
wrap the dough in cling wrap and keep in fridge till firm enough to roll.
after an hour remove the dough from fridge and roll out the dough to a thickness of one fourth inch
cut out the angry bird shape with help of cookie cutter and place the cookies on prepared tray
for the cookies stamp i had drawn design of Angry birds on cardboard and then traced out the design with help of butter knife.
place the tray with unbaked cookies in fridge for 15 mins
after 15 mins ,bake them for 10 mins and let them cool on wire rack.
once the cookies have cooled down
iced them with ready made icing and some sprinklers

For the Brownie recipe - my sister mailed me the recipe

ingredient
butter three fourth cup +one tbsp
cocoa half cup +one tbsp
egg one beaten
brown sugar half cup
vanilla essence half tsp
chopped nuts half cup
all purpose flour three fourth cup
Preparation
preheat the oven to 100 degree centigrade
grease a muffin pan and line it with liners ,keep aside.

Procedure
Melt the butter and stir in cocoa,let it cool
In a mixing bowl beat egg ,sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl.
stir in cocoa and butter mix, followed by nuts and flour.
pour one tbsp of mix in each muffin liner
and bake for 10 mins.
brownies can be served with ice cream too

For the Birthday Table had kept a photoframe with Advays picture ,a flower vase with some Angry Bird pens,Advays Birthday Invitation card and
For the Wall Decor - had painted Birthday Banner with poster colour and painted Angry Bird with each Alphabet ,stuck the alphabets on the wall with help of Blue tac.Hubby helped me stuck some Angry Bird Balloons on the wall

.
This post is joining Made with Love Party hosted by Colours Dekor.
Thats all friends ,take care and happy blogging.

Morning cup of Coffee and #Shot4Shot

2012-04-29T19:15:00.001+08:00

the first thing i do when i get up is to prepare morning cup of coffee ,i just mix one tsp of instant coffee powder with half tsp of sugar add half cup of water and microwave it for a minute after a minute i add one fourth cup of milk and microwave it further for a minute ,thats all my morning cuppa is ready to get me started for the day.

if i get up early then i have the luxury of enjoying the cuppa sitting on one corner of my couch and my ipad on the lap browsing the newspaper or my mail or my favourite blog .

but if there's hardly any time then i have to just keep the mug on the dining table have a sip or two and then continue with my chores which includes waking up Advay ,and so many other things and in between come back have a sip or two again thats how my week days are,..:-) from Monday to Friday.

There are days when i go to the nearby Cafeteria and enjoy my morning coffee /kopi with Kaya toast

So when I saw the post of Kristen of Dine and Dish and Tracey Clark of Shutter Sisters who are teaming up for Global Immunization Week with the United Nations Foundations Shot@Life campaign in a project to make vaccines accessible to children everywhere.
I thought of sharing my Cup of Coffee too,..;-)
Their goal is to raise awareness and funds so that vaccines are accessible for everyone.
They have invited everyone to join them for a week of coffee,creativity and giving kids a shot of life.They are encouraging us to share the mug shots (#mymugshot) of morning shot of coffee ( #shotofcoffee) with them on
Instagram,Flickr,Facebook,Twitter and or Blog.Capture and share with them for #Shotforshot..
I am linking this post to I am Loving it Party at Tidy Mom
thats all friends,wish you all Happy weekend,.
take care and happy blogging.

Advays Angry Bird Birthday Cake and Angry Bird Cupcakes for the Angry Bird themed Birthday Party

2012-04-26T19:50:00.001+08:00

Last post i shared with you all the practice cake which i baked with Angry Bird theme ,
this post i will be sharing the recipe of Angry Bird Birthday Cake

and Angry Bird Cupcakes which i baked for Advays Birthday.

Recipe Name Angry Bird Cupcakes/Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Icing and Angry Bird Toppers
Recipe of Vanilla Cupcakes Blogged here
yield 24 mini cupcakes
once done ,cool the cupcakes on wire rack and keep in airtight box in fridge.
Recipe of Vanilla Buttercream Icing inspired from here and blogged here

divide the icing into four equal parts and tint them with green,yellow,red and blue colour.
spread the icing on the cupcakes and keep aside.

For the Angry Bird Cupcake Toppers
Ingredient'
ready to roll fondant red,yellow,blue and green colour
edible marker black colour
sprinklers to decorate.

how i did
shape out the fondant with help of fondant cutting equipment
gave red,yellow and blue fondant angry bird shape
and with the green fondant made pig shape.
with edible marker made the eyes and beak.
with the help of toothpick inserted the topper on each cupcake.

For the Birthday Cake for Advay i had the same design and recipe on my mind which i have blogged in previous post

.But when i placed the cake pan in the oven and started the timer , i kept waiting for some 20 mins ,but after 20 mins the cake was still unbaked from the top ,so i thought of trimming out the edges and giving some shape but the cake was very crumbly ,disappointed and dejected, mixed the batter again and kept the tray in the oven ,

i could see that the top burner was not lighted,then i realised the knob of the oven was not in the original position,relieved i turned the knob to the original position and within five minutes the cake was done,by then it was already 1 am,i didn't had any energy to prepare new frosting for the cake with a single colour,so i thought of using the leftover red,yellow green and blue icing,divided the cake into four equal parts with help of icing and thus the cake was decked with four different colour of icing.

Then i placed the angry bird toppers and the golden egg and the some sprinklers.
Still i felt that something was missing so wrote Happy Birthday Advay on a strip of paper and with help of blue tac and tooth pick placed it on the cake.

So i was really happy with the final cake,ya it was not something which i had planned bt then this one looked cool too,.isnt it,,
Linking this post to Made with Love Party hosted by Colours Dekor.
Lets Bake Cupcake and Muffins hosted by Simply.food.
theres more to share which i will be sharing in the next post
take care folks,and ya thanks for the wishes too,...

Angry Bird theme Birthday Party for Advay

2012-04-25T21:24:00.000+08:00

Advay - "Mummy angry birds speak like this."
keeeeeee
Me - okay enough stop it.
Advay - "Mummy angry birds can juggle their eyes."
me - " juggle their eyes."
Advay - "yes they can juggle their eyes ,i can show you."
Advay - "Mummy please draw eggs too."
me-" which eggs ?"'
Mummy- " golden eggs which pigs have taken from the birds."
this was the conversation which we had when i was sketching invitation card for Advay's Birthday Celebration few days back,

yes guys since past few days i have been busy like anything,planning,shopping,designing ,baking and doing so many other things.

Back when we were kids,celebrating a birthday meant a family get together and a reason to indulge in delicacies like Chola Bhatura, Dahi Wada,or Matar Paneer and Kachodi,there wouldn't be any planning,early morning menu would be decided and by evening living room would be decked with streamers and balloons and a ready to eat cake would be bought from the neighborhood bakery, that's how birthday were celebrated for us,then with time as we grew up,instead of celebrating at home,we started going out for family dinner at a restaurent and a birthday cake would be cut there.I was not brought up eating muffins,cupcakes brownies or home baked cakes and bread,had read about brownies and tarts in
Enid Blyton books,but i never thought that in few years i would be baking the same for my sons birthday .
Ya this was like dream for me,i had imagined about something like this,had thought and planned but never knew that whole thing together would look so nice,and at the end of the celebration i did feel good,.:-)
how i planned for the Angry Bird theme Birthday Party for my Son.
designed the card with Angry Bird theme
designed the Birthday banner
baked a cake at home to practice topper for cupcakes
planned the menu for kids which was
-Eggless Chocolate Cake with Vanilla butter cream frosting with angry bird toppers made of fondant.
-Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla butter cream frosting
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies shaped like Angry Birds
- Brownies
and ready made potato wafers
this post i will be sharing how i did the Angry Bird Cake (practice cake :-) )

for the Eight inch Egg less Chocolate Cake i followed the same recipe which i have blogged here.
bake the cake and let it cool,
remove from the pan and keep aside.
for the Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting i followed the recipe shared by Joy the Baker
Recipe name - Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting
Recipe source Joy the Baker
have halved the ingredient for the cake,
Ingredients
Icing sugar one cup
unsalted butter three tbsp
vanilla essence one fourth tsp
milk one tbsp
Procedure
In a mixing bowl mix the butter and sugar ,till creamy and fluffy
(i mixed it with hand )
gradually add milk and vanilla essence and mix to a spreadable consistency
spread on the cake with the help of spatula.

For the toppers
ready to roll fondant yellow and red
toothpick
sprinklers

how i did
shape out the fondant with help of fondant tool
i did red and yellow bird and two eggs
(as my son told he wants golden eggs too on the cake ,)
placed the shaped out toppers with the help of tooth pick on the cake
sprinkled some edible sprinklers on the cake,and kept in fridge for some 30 mins
this is how i planned the cake which i wanted to bake on the eve of Advay's Birthday but then that's a different story will tell you guys about it soon,,,;-)

Linking this post to
The Weekly Story Week 77 hosted by Colours Dekor.
Bake Fest 6 event party hosted by Sumee's Culinary Bites event started by Cooks Joy.
Made with Love hosted by Colours Dekor.
Thats all guys ,will share with you all more about the party soon
till then take care and Happy Blogging.

this is life ,Carry On...

2012-04-19T16:44:00.001+08:00

from past few days i have been really busy

and my mind has been clogged with so many things

busy because i am doing preparation for my sons upcoming birthday

and mind is clogged because i am feeling homesick and nostalgic.

so though one part of me is busy planning for the celebration

other part of me is missing everyone

one part of me is listing out everything

other part of me is telling me what i will be missing

one part of me tells me this is life carry on

other part tells me this is life look beyond.
So when my father tells me about the poem

which he wrote for my sons birthday

and when my mother reads it with tears filled eyes

i could feel the pain they were feeling
but i had to fake a smile for them

so that they dont feel my pain

or how i am feeling
thanks to skype
i feel closer to them everyday
as one part of me telle me this is life carry on

and the other part tells me this is life look beyond,..

I was elated when i heard about the marriage

of my cousin which would be held in two months

excited because i would be meeting everyone

and there would be so much fun
three days of festival like celebration
and love,laughter and happiness

but then i knew i wont be able to make it

because of the planned trip to oversesas
one part of me tells me its just a marriage
other part tells me to plan the trip ahead
so with tears filled eyes i am planning for the trip
and faking a smile and telling everyone i am so happy
as one part of me tells me this is life carry on
other part tells me this is life look beyond.
this is my entry for
My Family Memories hosted by Blogadda in association with imlee.com

This entry is a part of the contest at BlogAdda.com in association with imlee.com

thats all friends,
take care and happy Blogging,

two potatoes ,three onions and a thali to share

2012-04-11T23:18:00.000+08:00

day had been quiet busy,still i had managed to complete all the chores and was breathing in and out for few mins sitting on the couch with my favourite book and a cup of filter coffee when my siesta was broken by the sudden ring of the cell phone,hubby was on the line

me -yes tel me ,

hubby- he is coming

me- comin who ?

hubby- i told you right my friend would be coming for dinner ,he will be home by 6 pm

me --but he hadnt comfirmed right

hubby he just did..

me-uhh oky.

this was the conversation which we had the week we had to leave for India .I didnt had anything in my pantry except for two potatoes,three onions,green peas in the freeze and soaked chickpeas which i had soaked for our own consumption.Dazed and shocked and with no menu plan in my mind i entered kitchen,breathed in and out and planned the menu,i just had four hours ,it was already 2pm when i got the call,i had to tidy the living room where advays toys,books and other things were kept and ya two suitcases too as we had to leave the next day.Since i had soaked chickpeas ,i stuck to the original plan of preparing Chola Curry,thought of pairing it with Bhatura,Aloo Matar Ghughni,Onion tomato kachumber,Pulao with dried fruits and for sweet dish Kheer.

Now this was not easy ,i knew i had to multitask ,i kept the soaked garbanzo beans for boiling,and kneaded the dough for bhatura,kept it for fermentation,

prepared curry for the chickpea,once boiled mixed the curry with boiled chickpea and pressure cooked again for one whistle.

Next was Allo Matar Ghughni ,i fried the matar and potato and pressure cooked for a whistle and kept aside

.Cooked rice in microwave for 15mins and kept aside and started with kheer preparation,once kheer was done

,tidied the room and started with tea preparation.By 6pm everythin was ready except Bhatura .Ya i was tired but then this was an experience which i never gonna forget ,..:-)

Recipe of Chola Curry Blogged here

Recipe of Bhatura blogged here

Recipe of Aloo Matar Ghughni blogged here

Recipe of Kheer blogged here

for Pulao with dry fruits

Ingredient

Cooked rice two cup

onion half chopped

cumin seeds half tsp

cinnamon crushed one fourth inch
bay leaves crushed two

green cardamom crushed two

salt as per taste

ghee one tbsp

fried cashed to garnish

raisin to garnish

Procedure

heat ghee in kadhai/wok

once hot lower the flame and add dried seeds

followed by chopped onion

keep stirring till onion browns

add the cooked rice and mix everything together

serve warm garnished with fried cashew and raisin.

Linking this post to
Thali Mela hosted by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons
The Weekly Story week 75 hosted by Colours Dekor.
thats all friends,take care and happy blogging,

weekend baking - garlic rolls

2012-04-09T23:59:00.001+08:00

Its been so long since i baked bread at home
or worked with yeast ,
but when i saw my sister baking bread almost everyday
in New delhi
i was inspired to bake again
yesterday while Bloghopping i saw

garlic rolls blogged by Prema
i had tried them earlier from Raks space

and thus i tried again

and ya i luved them and
will be baking them soon again...;-)
original recipe is from My Singapore Kitchen
thanks Suhaina for sharing the recipe,..:-)

linking this post to
the weekly story week 75 hosted by Colours Dekor.
thats all friends.take care and happy blogging.

New delhi trip march 2012 - seven days in Delhi

2012-04-05T16:33:00.001+08:00

yes guys i am back

But this post i gonna share what i did last week in New Delhi ,
Day 1 sister surprised me with this Chocolate Cake

Day 2 we sisters bonded over a cup of tea and coffee in Delhi Haat

Day 3 fried some samosas with MIL and enjoyed family time

Day 4 learnt to make white butter from fresh cream at home ,truly enjoyed :-)

Day 5 Cooked Vegetable Dum Biryani for 25 people ,ya it was an experience

which was followed by celebration at home

Day 6 fasted and feasted

at my younger sister place

Day 7 prepared poori ,halwa and kala chana with sister in law for Navami Kanya Pooja

Recipe of Vegetable Dum Biryani is inspired from Chicken Dum Biryani recipe blogged here ,
have replaced chicken with caulflower,potato and green peas,procedure is the same,
recipe of Samosa blogged here baked version
recipe of white butter blogged here
Thats all friends,will catch up with you posts soon,,.
take care and happy blooging,
Special thanks to my sisters for making the trip memorable for me,..;-)

will be back soon,..;-)

2012-03-24T23:35:00.002+08:00

Every time i just disappear from the blogosphere
this time i didnt wanted to do the same,
just wanted to let you all know
that Asan Khana will be on Blog Break
as i am leaving for India tomorrow
so see you all guys,.

wish you all Happy Festival and Shri Ram Navami.,
take care and happy Blogging.

Kulhad wali Lassi for Navratri Fasting

2012-03-23T14:13:00.000+08:00

Wish all the Readers of Asan Khana Happy Chaitra Navratri,Gudi Padawa and Ugadi.

Today is the first day of Chaitra Navratri ,starting from today for nine days hindu goddess Durga,Lakshmi and Saraswati are worshipped.Ninth day is celebrated as Ram Navratri .

As its quite hot here i didnt prepare the usual delicacies which are prepared for fasting instead prepared this refreshing drink ,

one sip and i was in my hometown ,the smell,the taste everything reminded me of home and the narrow street where we used to go for the Lassi,this one wasnt creamy and thick ,but the taste was similar to the one sold in the narrow street famous for Kulhad wali Lassi,and ya guys this kulhad is from my home town :-)

Recipe Name - Kulhad wali Lassi

Ingredient

half cup curd

ice cubes four

sugar as per taste

rose water one fourth tsp

cardamom one crushed

chopped pistachio one tsp to garnish

Procedure

blend all the ingredients in a mixer except pistachio.

garnish with chopped pistachio

Other lassi recipe blogged

Malai wala Lassi

Gulabi Lassi

for phalahar/fasting recipes for Vasant Navratri /Chaitra Navratri check here

read this interesting article about Importance of Nandana Ugadi,read here

Thats all friends take care and happy blogging ,

wish you all Happy Festival again.

A cup of tea and a book - perfect me time ;-)

2012-03-21T23:34:00.000+08:00

Most of the time when i have me time for my self
i like to spend that time doing this

even if i read few pages i feel blissed
sipping tea,reading and musing
life cant be beautiful than this,..:-)
Recipe of Chai blogged here but now i prepare different way
ingredient
water two cup
sugar as per taste
tea leaves one tsp
crushed cardamom two
crushed ginger one fourth tsp
procedure
Heat water in a sauce pan
once the water starts boiling
add crushed ginger ,cardamom ,sugar and tea leaves
let it simmer for 5 to 7 mins
bring to boil lower the flame and add half cup of milk
let it simmer for 5 mins and serve warm.
Linking this post to
Comfort Food event hosted by Daily Cuppa
The Weekly Story Week 72 hosted by Colors Dekor.
Thats all friends ,wish you all happy week ahead
take care and happy blogging.

Khoa Kofta Curry from,..;-)

2012-03-19T22:51:00.000+08:00

Last post i shared the recipe of Gulab Jamun,i gonna share a secret with you all , i tried something else with the fried balls ,while dunking them in sugar syrup i saved some to prepare this,

and i so glad i did or how i would have known the taste of fried khoa balls dunked in a rich gravy ,served with some chapati ,pickle and onion on side.

For the curry
one onion grated
one tomato grated
one tbsp ginger,garlic and green chili paste
cashew 15 soaked in warm water for 10 mins
salt as per taste
oil to cook
cumin seeds half tsp
half tsp each of cumin powder,coriander powder,turmeric powder and red chili powder dissolved in two tbsp of water ,
coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation
make paste of soaked cashew ,keep aside.
Procedure
heat oil in non stick wok
add cumin seeds,once it starts spluttering
add the ginger,garlic and green chili paste
followed by onion paste and tomato paste
add the spice paste and keep stirring till oil is seen along the sides
add half cup of water ,cashew nut paste and let it simmer for 10 mins
add the fried khoa balls in the gravy
garnish with coriander leaves and serve warm.

Linking this post to
The Weekly Story Week 72 hosted by Colors Dekor.
thats all friends,wish you all happy week ahead,.
take care and happy blogging.,.:-)

Gulab Jamun for IndianFoodPalooza

2012-03-18T17:59:00.000+08:00

This is not my favourite dessert to indulge ,i go for the creamy kheer during summer and winter time its Gazar ka halwa or posta ka halwa ,then few days back when i saw the recipe of Gulab Jamun

while flipping the pages of a cookbook, i thought of trying this indian mithai ,i took hubbys help for preparing the sugar syrup/chasni as i wasnt very sure about the consistency,,,so while he prepared the chasni i prepared the gulab jamuns

Recipe Name Gulab Jamun
Recipe source cookbook
Ingredient
khoa 350 gm
cottage cheese/chena four tbsp
all purpose flour/maida four tbsp
baking powder one tsp
ghee one tbsp
pistachio unsalted 10
seed of green cardamom two tsp
for the sugar syrup
pinch of saffron strands
rose water one tsp
sugar four cup
half tsp lemon juice
Preparation

-Chena- recipe blogged here and here
-Soak the saffron strands in rose water and keep aside.
-Sugar Syrup /Chasni -
fill a sauce pan with water ,add sugar and keep stirring
till the sugar has dissolved ,increase the heat
continue boiling and remove the scum
which reaches on the surface with slotted spoon
syrup should be of one thread consistency
stir in lime juice and saffron soaked in rose water
For the filling -chop pistachio and mix cardamom seeds for filling and keep aside
For the balls

In a mixing bowl knead khoa to a smooth mix ,add all purpose flour,cottage cheese,baking soda ,
mix everything together to a smooth dough,and divide the dough into equal sized round balls
make depression in the centre and add one fourth tsp of filling ,seal the edges
do the same for all the khoa balls.
heat oil in wok/kadhai
once oil is hot that it browns the bread crumb in 30 secs
add the gulab jamuns slowly and keep frying till they turn golden brown
once done drain on kitchen towel
after five mins add the fried khoa balls to the sugar syrup
serve warm or chilled garnished with rabdi .

Gulab Jamun is my entry for the #IndianFoodPalooza hosted by Indian Simmer ,
The Colors of Indian Cooking and Creative Culinary.
This platter is for you friends,..;-)

take care and happy Blogging.

Weekend Cooking - Thali with Masoor dal and stir fried bittergourd

2012-03-13T18:24:00.000+08:00

Whenever its Festival time ,its another reason for ur to eat all the yummy delicacies though this year i didnt prepare whatever i had planned ,now life is back to the normal chores and the daily grind,Advays school will be soon closing for the term break and in a week time we will be in India for his holidays,with so many things going on i try to prepare comfort meal everyday which for us is a thali with a bowl of curd,dal,sabzi ,chutney or pickle and chapati and rice.
Nothing can beat this simple meal which is healthy and delicious too.I prepared Masoor Dal for the first time here in Singapore,ya i did asked my mother hows its prepared ,what all goes for tempering and so many other things,i was skeptical whether Advay will like it or not,but he luved it and nothing satiates a mother then her child enjoying the meal,so i gonna prepare this dal again soon,..
Coming back to todays post sharing with you all

Thali which has Masoor Dal,Fried Bittergourd /karela bhujia,Coriander chutney,bowl of curd,chapati and rice.
recipe of karela bhujia/stir fried bitter gourd bogged here
For the Masoor Dal
ingredient for the dal
Masoor dal one cup
salt as per taste
turmeric powder hal tsp
Ingredient for the tempering/Chaunk
cumin seeds one tsp
asafoetida pinch
grated onion one
coarsely grounded ginger garlic one tbsp
green chili chopped one
tomato chopped one
half tsp each of turmeric powder,coriander powder and red chili powder
salt as per taste
oil or ghee to temper one tbsp
to garnish
one tbsp butter
chopped coriander leaves
Preparation
pressure cook dal for two whistles,keep aside

Procedure
In a non stick wok heat ghee or oil
add cumin seeds and asafoetida let it splutter,
lower the flame add onion followed by ginger and garlic
keep stirring till it becomes mushy
add the powdered masalas and salt
followed by tomato and green chili
once oil is seen along the sides
add the cooked dal and let it simmer for few mins
once done add butter and garnish with coriander leaves
serve warm with rice or chapati.

Linking this post to
Comfort Food hosted by Daily Cuppa
Serve it Series - Stir fried hosted by Krithis Kitchen and Oh Taste and See
The Weekly Story week 71 hosted by Colours Dekor.
have update my other blog with wall makeover do check,.
thats all friends,take care and happy blogging.

today is the day ,...:-)

2012-03-09T22:20:00.001+08:00

today when i got up,i had a smile on my face
today is the day i started this space of mine
to document my love for food and cooking
today is the day i started this sweet adventure

which has become a space for me
space for me to take a break
from my daily chores
to document my day to day life
along with food
to share my musings,
and this wouldnt have been possible
without your support friends
thanks a ton friends
this celebration is incomplete
without you all,..

Today Asan Khana turns 4 year old
and i am so glad i started this journey
4 years back,..or i wouldnt have met
such wonderful bloggers
who are full of life,
who make me come back to this space
to read,write and update ,..;-)
and inspire me to go on
i owe a lot to yo friends,..
Today is the day i started this space of mine
and how could i forget to celebrate ;-)

recipe of Vanilla cupcake blogged here
i just iced it with icing tube
wrote 4 with icing tube
sprinkled some edible sprinkles,..
enjoy friends,..and wish ya all Happy Weekend'
take care and happy Blogging..

Mathri and Namkin for Holi Festival

2012-03-08T00:19:00.000+08:00

Some two decades back when i was kid ,todays night ie Holi Eve was full of zeal for us,we would wait patiently for the warm ghujias ,which would be lined on a tray ,munching them slowly on our way for the Holika Dahan,after the ritual we would greet everyone Happy Festival ,

those were the days,now sitting here as i write this post i am nostalgic ,i am missing those days when i was too naive to understand anything,too immature to say just anything without understanding the impact,
too busy in my own world to live in the moment,
back in India everyone must be getting ready for Holika Dahan,
Sometimes i feel how boring and monotonus life would have been if there were no festivals,as festivals are something which bind us to our culture and our traditions.

Many delicacies are prepared for the festival i have already blogged about Ghujia ,todays post i will be sharing pics of Mathri and Namkin for the festival.

Recipe of Mathri and Namkin is Blogged here
Recipe of Baked Namkin Blogged here
Linking this post to
The Weekly Story Week 70 hosted by Colours Dekor
Thats all friends,wish you all happy festival
take care and happy blogging.

Delicacies for Holi Festival - Ghujia

2012-03-05T23:47:00.000+08:00

Just like every year this year too i prepared delicacies for Holi Festival

,though we dont play Holi here in Singapore just the preparation of these Holi Special delicacies add zing to the monotonus life ,this year i gonna share the story of Prahlada and other Legends to Advay,so that he knows what the festival is about,,he has some memories of Holi when he played with his cousins two year back by sprinkling coloured water with toy gun on his cousins ,this year its gonna be just us .

Coming back to todays post sharing with you all pics of Ghujia

which i prepared this weekend,hubby helped in rolling the dough while i filled the stuffing , in between Advay started crying as he wanted to shape out the Ghujias ,which he finally did.//;-)

Recipe of Indian Sweet Dumpling Ghujia is blogged here
Linking this post to
The Weekly Story Week 70 hosted by Colours Dekor
Holi Hai Event hosted by My Cook Book
Holi the Celebration of Colour hosted by Cuisine Delight
Color and Sweet Holi Fest hosted by Preetis Kitchen
that all guys,this one is for you guys,,:-)

Wish you all Happy Week Ahead,..

Weekend Cooking - Mango Dal from Mahanandi and Curried Brinjal

2012-02-28T19:29:00.000+08:00

This particular curry of Baingan Aloo Tamatar is my all time favourite,whenever i prepare this curry i am nostalgic as this one brings backs lots of memories,this one is one of the regular curry prepared at our home most of the time for lunch meal ,i prepared the same and paired it with this scrumptious mango dal from Mahanandi ,kachumber and plain rice.

Recipe of Baingan Aloo Tamatar Curry blogged here
Recipe of Mango Dal /Mammidikaya Pappu inspired from here
Omitted onion and garlic for the mango dal,luved the flavour of toor dal with green mango and together with baingan curry and plain rice meal was finger licking,

Linking this post to
The weekly story Week 69 hosted by Colours Dekor
Comfort Food event hosted by Daily Cuppa as this one is comfort meal for me,..
Bookmarked recipe volume 82 hosted by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan
have updated my other blog with Wall Makeover project do drop in there
thats all guys take care and happy blogging,

Thali with Kashmiri Shami Kabab,Ajwain Paratha,Bathua Raita and Mint and Coriander Chutney

2012-02-23T20:39:00.002+08:00

Its been so long since i prepared Kabab at home ,
so when i saw this simple recipe of Kabab
i thought of preparing the same
paired the same with Ajwain Paratha ,Bathua Raita
and Mint & Green mango Chutney and Coriander Chutney

Kabab Thali

Recipe NameKashmiri Shami Kabab
Recipe Source
Ingredient
Minced Goat Meat 500kg
onion one chopped
ginger garlic paste one tbsp
dried kasturi methi leaves one tbsp
mint leaves chopped one tbsp
coriander leaves chopped two tsp
salt as per taste
garam masala powder one tbsp
oil to cook

Preparation
Mix all the ingredients in a miixng bowl
and keep in refrigerator for half an hour
Procedure
The recipe called for shaping the minced meat on skewers
but instead of that i shaped them in patty shape
heat oil on grill pan ,once hot lower the flame
and place the patties ,keep turning till its brown from boxth side
serve warm with paratha ,raita ,chutney and some salad on side.
For Bathua Raita
Ingredient
Bathua leaves one cup
green chili
salt as per taste
curd whisked one cup
Procedure
heat water in a saucepan
once it starts boiling add the bathua leaves
and let it simmer for 5 to 7 mins.
once done drain the water and let the leaves cool down
make a smooth paste of the boiled leaves and green chili
mix the bathua paste in whisked curd and seasxon with salt
serve with paratha and kababs.

Kashmiri Shami Kabab

This Thali is joining
Kabab Mela hosted by Srivalli of Cooking for all Seasons.
Thats all friends,wish you all happy week ahead
take care and happy Blogging