Asan Khana

Advay's lucnh box for the month of April

2013-05-06T17:59:00.003+08:00

Its been a month since Advay's new term started ,now since he has two lunch break one short and one long everyday I have to think of something different to pack in his tiffin box,
sharing with you all pic of the lunch box meal which he had in April,this post is also for my friends who ask me suggestion about what to pack in tiffin

The above pic has Onion Paratha and fried egg.

Advay loves to eat chicken sausage in the above pic I have prepared sandwich with lettuce leaves,cucumber slices,cheese slice and sliced pieces of fried sausage.

the above lunch box has Sattu Paratha

simple sandwich this one has lettuce leaf.,cheese slice,cucumber slice ,tomato and onion

ya he loves to eat aachar specially aam aachar ,have packed plain paratha,fried cottage cheese ,aam aachar and roasted cashewnut .

cottage cheese,toamto and cheese slice perfect combo for sandwich

have kept fried sausage ,paratha and a box of grapes

Sandwich prepared with leftover Matar Paneer Curry
for Pyaz Paratha
Ingredient
Wheat flour two cup
salt as per taste
oil to cook
to mix in the flour
finely chopped onion one
grated ginger one tbsp
green chili one finely chopped
carom seeds half tsp
garam masala powder half tsp
one tbsp gram flour
one tsp oil
Procedure
In a mixing bowl mix finely chopped onion ,grated ginger,green chili ,carom seeds,garam masala powder add wheat flour,gram flour ,oil and salt.
knead dough to form a smooth mix
divide the dough into lemon sized discs and roll out chapathi shape
roast on a preheated tava till brown from both sides.
serve warm.
Linking this post to
The Weekly Story week 14 hosted by Colours Dekor.
take care and happy blogging.

Advays 6th Birthday Celebration

2013-04-30T13:00:00.001+08:00

This month was pretty hectic with so many things on my mind I hardly got any time to blog or to visit my favorite blogs,even though when I am typing this post I am monitoring my sons homework so you guys can imagine how busy I have been ,last week was Advays birthday unlike last year i couldn't plan a good party for him this year :-( , keeping the design of the cake

in mind just decorated the wall

with handmade birthday banner

and banner for the banner followed the same procedure which I had done on the kinder graduation cake
inspired from here ,the only difference is I stuck the cardstock paper on the rope with help of tape and with some balloons on the wall the decor was complete .
and for the entrance kept a picture of Advay

and decorated a frame with handmade bunting and welcome message .
For the goodie bag traced out the template of Mickey Mouse on card stock paper

and made label for the goodie bags.
That's Advay with his friend :-)

That's all guys have been learning lots of new things as MIL is here will be updating the blog soon with new recipes,..:)
Linking this post to
the weekly story week 13 hosted by Colours Dekor.

Take care and happy blogging .

Ram Navami Celebration with fasting and feasting

2013-04-20T18:02:00.001+08:00

Last week was spent fasting and feasting for the Navrarti Festival,

,sharing with you all few pics of the delicacies prepared at home ,

Vrat thali which has Kuttu Paratha,Phalahari Alloo,Makhana Kheer,Alloo Papad and Curd.

Phalahari Thali

for the phalahari alloo
heat oil in wok ,add two crushed green chili followed by boiled potato ,sprinkle half tsp black pepper powder and rock salt/sendha namak as per taste,keep frying till the potatoes turn brown.serve warm .
kuttu paratha /buckwheat flour paratha recipe blogged here
makhana kheer recipe blogged here
Phalahari Singhare ka halwa

Singhare Ka Halwa

recipe blogged here.
Ninth day on the Ram Navami day navedyam of poori ,halwa and chana is prepared

and offered to the goddess

recipe of kala chana blogged here
recipe of sooji halwa blogged here
so you guys can see how busy I was btw how was your week,,..?

some precious moment from India trip 2013

2013-04-16T14:19:00.001+08:00

Its gonna be three years this June since I moved back to Singapore ,life is more laid back now as Advay comes back home at 4pm so by the time he is back home I am almost free from the daily chores so that I can spend some quality time with him ;-)
Coming back to todays post sharing with you all few precious moments from last months India trip,..;-)
this time Advay got to see the Taj Mahal for the first time ,

ya this one was beautiful experience for all of us

We Celebrated Holi festival too which is incomplete without colours,

a glass of Thandai

and a moment like this :-)

and ya how can I forget food,check out this thali

and the one below which has Bedai ,Jalebi and Curry ,street food of agra

the rustic food of India Horha /roasted green chickpea

Indian street food Bhelpuri prepared at home

and had Papdi Chaat this one too prepared at home

this awesome cake baked by Aunty coined yummy cake by kids

Advay too had a rocking time with his cousins,pictures say it all

;-)

my favorite one is this :-)

thats all guys ,will catch up with you all soon
take care and happy blogging.

Happy Holi 2013

2013-03-22T22:29:00.001+08:00

I will be leaving for India today night for the holi festival ,
sharing with you all virtual treat of the holi delicacie Ghujia

which I prepared few days back,

since past few days it has been very hectic maybe when I am back from India I will be more regular with the posts ;-)
Wish all the readers of the Asan Khana Happy Holi

take care and Happy Blogging.
See you all soon,...;-)

Eggless Chocolate Sandwich Cake for the Kinder Graduation Party

2013-03-22T11:58:00.000+08:00

I had planned for something like this but couldn't due to lack of time so when my friend told she is planning to host Kinder Graduation Party for kids I was elated so yesterday evening I prepared
Eggless Chocolate Sandwich Cake with coconut buttercream icing in between the layers and frosted the cake with Chocolate buttercream Icing,

for the first time I prepared sandwich cake so I was a bit skeptical how it gonna look ,what if the cake breaks but thankfully nothing like this happened :-)
bake two eight inch eggless chocolate cake and keep aside
recipe of Eggless Chocolate Cake is blogged here

for the coconut butter cream icing -
ingredinet
icing sugar sifted one cup
unsalted butter three and a half cup
dessicated coconut thw tbsp
vanilla essnece one fourth tsp
pink colour one fourth tsp
procedure
beat icing sugar and unsalted butter in a mixing bowl ,till creamy
add dessicated coconut and vanilla essence followed by pink colour
spread evenly on the cooled down cake with the help of spatula .

Place the second cake on top of the frosted cake and proceed with the Chocolate Butter Cream Icing .
Chocolate Butter Cream Icing
Ingredient
Icing sugar sifted one cup
unsalted butter three tbsp
milk one tbsp
pink colour one fourth tsp
rose essence one fourth tsp
crushed chocolate two

Procedure
In a mixing bowl beat sugar and unsalted butter till fluffy
slowly add milk to get the creamy consistencey
add pink colour ,rose essence and crushed chocolate
spread evenly on the cake with the help of spatula .

to decorate
edible pink ball
edible gold stone
pink sprinkler
banner and two satay sticks , banner inspired from here
name tag done on post it and stuck with tooth pick

Special thanks to my friends for taking care of Advay when I was decorating the cake and for helping with the decoration too :-) this wouldn't have been possible without you guys and ya this one was my dream which has come true,..:-)
this one is for you guys

and ya how can I forget to share the pic of the happy kids

after cutting the cake :-)

for my son on his Kinder Graduation day

2013-03-16T00:01:00.000+08:00

I know there will be a time

when you will be too old ,

to hold my hand

and ask me 100 things .

There will be a time

When I will yearn for

Those moments

When you were a kid .

So now I just want to ,

relish each second

and spend some priceless moments

with you my dear son .

For I know soon there

will be a time

when you will be

lost in your own world,...

I love it when you ask me ,

mummy can I help you

when I am busy cooking ,

trying in your sweet ways

to learn new things.

Or when you suddenly ask ,

mummy what happened

Why are you sad

or are you angry

just because my brows are up .

I still remember the first day
when we dropped you at the school
the dress which you wore

and the way you looked
with a pony and a book.
It seems as if it was yesterday
when i thought you how to write

and now when you read on your own
I feel how quickly time flies.

It's been four years

since you started with

your kinder education

And now when you
graduate today
I feel as if I gonna
miss all those fun .

when we planned
the angry bird
and the bubble party
for your chums.

I know this time is priceless too

Just like it was yesterday

So I just want to hold on to the moment

And wish the best to you today,..:-)

Indian thali - teekha meat curry ,drum stick leaves paratha and boondi raita

2013-03-12T23:23:00.000+08:00

Mummy I want to eat this ,thats what my son told when he saw me flipping the pages of the cookbook,
he was pointing to a page which had kabab on skewers ,I told him that i wiil prepare the same
but then I was craving for something hot and spicy so thus with no recipe in my mind I started with the preparation ,asked Advay to coarsely pound the whole seeds,while I was busy chopping the onions and ginger garlic,ya these days he helps me in the kitchen :-)
Recipe name Teekha Mutton Curry /Hot and spicy mutton curry

recipe source kitchen experiment
Ingredient
goat meat 700 gm
onion seven choped coarsely
ginger garlic paste or grated coarsely two tbsp
tomato one chopped coarsely
green chili sliced four
curd two tbsp
red chili powder one tsp
turmeric powder half tsp
coriander powder one tsp
salt as per taste
oil to cook
whole seeds/khada masala
kabab chini five
clove six
black pepper six
black cardamom two
green cardamom three
cinnamon stick half inch
khada masala for tempering/chaunk
bay leaves crushed four
dried red chili four
cumin seeds one tsp
pinch of asafoetida
preparation
coarsely pound the khada masala ,keep aside
mix goat meat with curd and red chili,coriander and turmeric powder ,keep aside

procedure
heat oil in non stick wok ,add the khada masala for tempering and lower the flame
slowly add the chopped onion followed by grated ginger-garlic paste and keep stirring
once the onions are done add the marinated goat meat and salt keep stirring for 10 mins
add the coarsely pounded whole seeds and let it simmer for 20 mins
after 20 mins add sliced green chili and chopped tomato mix everything together.
cover and let it simmer for 15 mins ,after 15 mins transfer the content to pressure cooker
pressure cook for two to three whistles.
serve warm with plain rice or chapathi,

I paired the curry with Drumstick leaves paratha,boondi raita,plain rice topped with coriander chutney and some onions and lemon wedges on the side.try this one guys when you are craving for something hot and spicy:-)
for advay arranged some on a satay skewer and ya he was elated and satiated
Recipe of drumstick paratha is the same as the paratha recipe blogged on thhis blog
In a mixing bowl add half tsp of carom seeds,salt as per taste,drumstick leaves one cup,pinch of turmeric,one fourth tsp oil,pinch of red chili powder,one cup of flour and knead to mix a smooth dough ,divide the dough into equal sized lemon sized balls,flatten each ball and roll out in the shape of chapathi,heat a pan,and cook the paratha till its brown on both side.
serve warm

Linking this post to
The Weekly Story week 6 hosted by Colours Dekor.
Thats all guys ,wish you all happy week ahead,.

Its gonna be five years

2013-03-09T23:51:00.000+08:00

It's gonna be 5 years when I started this
But even today I love doing this
As doing this makes me feel serene
And doing this I feel complete

Penning down my thoughts
With the food stories
I feel as if
Someone's listening to me

Whether I am feeling happy
Or I am feeling down
Blogging has thought me
A lot on its own

So today I just want to
Say thanks to one and all
For listening to my musings
And getting me so far

For this wouldn't have been possible
Without your beautiful blogs
For the beautiful thoughts
On your gorgeous blogs
That's all I wanna say
Today on this beautiful day
As its gonna be
Five years today,...:)

Thanks to god to
For showing me the right path
And for this
Beautiful blog :)
The more I say the less it is
Words can't define my feeling for this
I am just ecstatic ,elated and pleased
That today I complete 5 years doing this,...

Indian Veg thali - Crsipy fried bhindi and Dal makhani

2013-03-07T17:48:00.000+08:00

most of the time I prepare the regular sabzis the way its prepared at our home but then there are times when I see some new and different recipe and feel like trying the same ,
this one is one of such recipe not prepared at our home

Recipe name crispy fried okra/bhindi jaipuri
Ingredient
300 gm Okra
three tbsp gramflour
half tsp each of turmeric,chili and amchur powder
salt as per taste
pinch of nigella
oil to cook
Preparation
wash and dry the okra,cut the stalk
slice the okra at an angle into 3cm

Procedure
In a mixing bowl mix all the ingredients listed above
add the chopped okra pieces and two tbsp water
make a thick and sticky paste
heat oil in a wok ,once hot lower the flame
fry the okra pieces till they are golden
remove and drain on kitchen paper
serve warm with the meal.

Paired the crispy fried bhindi with Dal Makhani and Chapati .
Dal Makhani recipe is blogged here
thats all friends wish you all happy week ahead
take care and happy blogging.

Indian Veg Thali with Lacha Paratha and Panchphoran spiced potatoes

2013-03-05T10:37:00.000+08:00

Last weekend was pretty hectic,with hubby away on conference I had to manage home and Advay alone,so the weekend was spent helping him with his homework

,taking him for the art

and dance classs

and entertaining him

so that he doesn't miss his father.

Coming back to todays post sharing with you all simple meal of

lacha paratha with potato sabzji and a bowl of curd.This meal is my favorite as the warm parathas taste best with the fried alloo spiced with the panch phoran and to complete the meal a bowl of curd.
Lacha paratha recipe is inspired from what I saw at my friends place while she was preparing the same ,I will just share a pictorial how I prepared

panchphoran wale alloo/ boiled potato tempered with spices recipe is inspired from Srivalli's Blog .She has shared how to prepare panch phoran /bengali spice mix here

Thanks a ton Srivalli for sharing the recipe.We relished the meal like anything.
Linking this post to
The Weekly Story Week 5 hosted by Colours Dekor.
Thats all guys,wish you all happy week ahead,..
take cake and happy blogging.

Indian Veg Thali - Brinjal Curry in Tamarind Sauce and Cucumber yogurt salad

2013-02-26T21:43:00.002+08:00

Its been a long break again from blogging I know,though I had on my mind so many posts but I couldnt due to lack of time,so today I am back writing,checking on the vegetable cooking on the stove,teaching my son and doing numerous other things .Ya thats how life is these days by the end of the day I just want to sleep and again the next day the same cycle continues...:-) Earlier i used to get one or two hours for myself when I could just sit and blog but now for a sinhle post i have to it in breaks ,...
Coming back to todays post sharing with you all this simple meal which I prepared few days back
recipe is inspired form the cook book

Recipe Name - Brinjal Curry in Tamarind sauce/kerala style brinjal curry
Ingredient
small purple brinjal six
onion chopped two
ginger garlic paste one tbsp
mustard seed half tsp
curry leaves six
salt as per taste
oil to cook
half tsp each of coriander powder,cumin powder,turmeric and chili powder
one tbsp tamarind pulp
coconut milk three tbsp
Preparation
wash and dry the brinjal ,make cross on the bulbous end and sprinkle salt ,keep aside
Procedure
heat oil in non stick wok,once hot lower the flame
add mustard seeds followed by curry leaves
add onion and keep stirring till onion starts changing colour
add ginger,garlic ,powdered masala and salt
after five minutes add the brinjal fry for three minutes
add half cup of water and tamaring pulp
let it simmer for 10 to 15 mins
add coconut milk and let it simmer for 10 minutes
serve warm garnished with coriander leaves.
Paired the curry with plain rice and cucumber yogurt salad
Recipe name - Ccucumber yogurt salad./Vellarikka Pachadi

Ingredient
yogurt one cup
cucumber grated one (i have used finely chopped cucumber)
salt as per taste
green chili two slit lengthway
peanut crushed one tbsp
oil one tsp
cumin half tsp
coriander leaves chopped one tbsp
Procedure
whisk the curd and add cumin,salt and coriander leaves
add the chopped cucumber
heat oil in a small fry pan and fry the chillies and peanut
cool and add to the seasoned yogurt
keep aside for 30 mins before serving .
Recipe of Phirni /ground rice pudding

800 ml full cream milk
four tablespoon rice flour
four table spoon sugar
chopped almond and pistachio two tbsp
three green cardamom seed crushed
saffron strand pinch
half tsp rose water optional
Procedure
boil the milk in saucepan
once the milk starts boiling add rice flour and sugar
keep stirring on low flame so that sugar is dissolved
add the chopped nuts and the rose water
keep stirring till the mixture thickens like that of custard
spoon into serving cups and leave to cool
refrigerate for one hour
serve chilled garnished with cardamom seeds and saffron strannds.

Linking this post to
the weekly story week 4 hosted by Colours Dekor.
thats all guys
take care and happy blogging,..:-)

Chicken Yakhami with Middle eastern bread

2013-02-19T23:37:00.002+08:00

With just a month left month for India trip I am on a pantry cleanup spree these days ,so that by the last week of next month my pantry is empty so I have resolved not to buy any pantry staples unless there's no legume or lentil.,you guys do the same when you are travelling ,any tips,suggestion for extending the shelf life of the legumes and lentil please share in the comment section .
Coming back to todays post sharing with you all the recipe of Chicken Yakhmi and bread which I prepared few weeks back.Creamy texture of the chicken was balanced well with the middle eastern bread baked in oven.

Recipe Name - Kashmiri Chicken Curry/Murgh Yakhani
Recipe source cookbook
Ingredient
Chicken drumsticks four
cardamom three
clove six
cinnamom one inch in length crushed
fennel dry roasted and ground in blender one tsp
grated ginger one tsp/ginge rpowder half tsp
curd half cup
garam masala powder one tsp
salt as per taste
oil to cook
Procedure
heat oil in non stick wok ,once hot lower the flame
add cardamom,clove and cinnamon
after a minute add the chickne drumsticks
keep stirring till 15 minutes till the chicken becomes brown
add salt,fennel powder and grated ginger to the chicken
keep stirring and add hot water and cover and cook
once done add yogurt and garam masala powder
cook further for five minutes
serve warm with rice or bread.

Recipe Name Barbari/Iranian Flat bread
Recipe source cookbook
one cup whole wheat flour
one cup all purpose flour
one tsp salt
yeast two tsp
water to knead the dough
oil for brushing
Preparation
Mix the yeast and salt in half cup of warm water ,
keep aside for 15 minutes ,
after 15 minutes yeast will be frothy and ready to use

Procedure
sift the flour in a mixing bowl
add the proofed yeast and mix everything together
till the dough is smooth and elastic
place the dough in a oiled bowl
cover it with cling wrap
and let it rise for 45 mins till it doubles in size
punch down the dough and divide into six equal pieces
shape each piece into rectangle shape
roll it out and place on the prepared baking sheet
make four slashes on the top cover with cling wrap
let it rise for 20 minutes
preheat the oven to 100 degree centigrade
brush the bread with oil and sprinkle sesame seeds
bake for 10 to 15 minutes till pale golden
serve warm.

Linking this post to
The Weekly Story week 3 hosted by Colours Dekor.
thats all friends,take care and happy blogging.

Kesari Basam Doodh for Basant Panchami

2013-02-15T23:22:00.003+08:00

Today is Basant Panchami ,day dedicated for Goddess Saraswati
who is Goddess of Knowledge,Music ,Art and Culture

I had plans of cooking elaborate meal but couldn't
so to celebrate the day and to feel festive and good
prepared this Kesar Badam Doodh .

how I did
Ingredient needed
milk two cup
sugar as per taste
badam keasri milk masala one tbsp
Procedure
boil milk in the sauce pan
once it starts boiling add the masala
add sugar as per taste and let it simmer for five to 10 minutes.
serve warm or chilled .

Thats all friends,wish you all Happy Festival and Happy Weekend
Take Care and Happy Blogging.

Off Facebooking and Still Breathing :-)

2013-02-14T14:00:00.000+08:00

I know today is Valentines Day
day to celebrate love and friendship

so today I mailed my friends to say
that I am alive and breathing
they thought that something wrong with me
as I am not facebooking
My sis got a mail from my college friend
and I scolding
for not leaving a message on Facebook
that I gonna disable it

So now we are living in time
when off Facebook means
we are not breathing.

so I chose today
to mail my friends and say
that I am breathing and
just off Facebooking,..:-)
so that I can Blog
and do Pinteresting .

For the Eggless Coconut Cupcake with Lemon and Almond shortbread Cookies
this post is inspired from blogosphere, I had seen conversation cookies,so thought of doing the same with the leftover plain shortbread cookies ,wrote with wilton edible markers and placed them on the cupcakes,//
recipe of eggless coconut cake blogged here
recipe of lemon and almond shortbread cookies blogged here
,sharing with you all my favorite quote

Linking this post to
Sweet Luv event hosted by Cooks Joy.
Lets Cook/Bake for Valnetine hosted by Simply sensational food.
Spotlight event theme this month being Valentines Treat hosted by Cuisine Delight event started by
Recipe Junction.
Bake Fest 16 hosted by My Cook Book event started by Cooks Joy.
Thats all friends,wish you all happy Valentines day
take care and happy blogging,.

Cookies Therapy - Lemon & Almond Shortbread Cookies with Raspberry Preserve

2013-02-12T21:33:00.001+08:00

Last weekend was long weekend for us due to Chinese New Year celebration ,long weekend for me means no time for me time and that's how it went ,today I thought of taking some break from cooking and baking which has been going on since past few days and sharing with you all these delicious cookies which I baked yesterday inspired from a book which I got from library

Recipe name - Lemon and Almond Shortbread Cookies
Recipe source cookbook
Ingredient
Unsalted butter half cup
Sugar half cup
Egg one
Vanilla extract half tsp
Finely grated zest of one lemon
All purpose flour one cup +one fourth cup
Almond finely grounded half cup
milk one tbsp to brush
two tbsp raspberry preserve

Preparation
line the baking sheet with parchment paper and keep aside
preheat the oven to 100 degree centigrade

Procedure
Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl till pale and creamy
add egg ,vanilla essence and lemon zest and beat again
add the flour and the ground almond
shape the dough into two flattened disc
wrap in cling film and chill till firm
roll out one piece of the dough on the floured surface
stamp out desired shape with help of cookie cutter
continue doing the same process till all the dough is used
transfer the heart shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheet
brush with the milk ( i forgot this step)
place one fourth tsp of raspberry preserve in the middle of the cookies
place the remaining cut out shape on the top
press around the edges to seal
sprinkle with sugar and almonds
bake for 10 mins till light brown
let the cookeis cool on the baking sheet ,till they harden a little
transfer to rack and let it cool.

I baked some plain one too without the filling of the raspberry preserve they were delicious too

Next time maybe i gonna try these cookies with orange zest ,i guess they gonna be equally delicious too ,

Linking this post to
The Weekly Story Week 2 hosted by Colours Dekor.
Spotlight event theme this month being Valentine's Treat hosted by Cuisine Delight event started by
Recipe Junction .
Lets Cook / Bake for Valentines hosted by Simply Sensational Food.
Sweet Luv event hosted by Cooks Joy.
Bake Fest 16 hosted by My Cook Book event started by Cooks Joy.

Baking these cookies was like cooking therapy for me ,try them u gonna love them too,...:-)

That's all guys,wish you all happy week ahead....:-)

and thus I prepared Nakli Anda

2013-02-05T23:29:00.001+08:00

me - "I gonna preparae Nakli Aanda."
hubby -" u wont be able to."
me - "u know about it?"
hubby -"ya it would be difficult for you."
me-" whats difficult in it.?"
hubby-" leave it ,you cant do it."
Next day while chatting with my mother on skype
me- " is the recipe of Nakli Aanda very difficult?"
mother -" no who said so?"
me -" hubby ,he told i wont be able to prepare it."
mother -" no you can do it"
me with a sigh - "okay tell me the recipe,...."
mother -" prepare ,...
thus I followed the recipe as told by my mother and prepared Nakli Aanda just the way it was prepared at my Nani's home whenever we visited her.

Recipe name Nakli Anda/Rice flour dumpling stuffed with spiced gramflour
Recipe source Nani
Preparation time 30 mins
Cooking time 30 MINS
yield eight anda/fried dumplings
Ingredient
Rice flour one cup
gramflour half cup
salt as per taste
oil to cook
half tsp each of coriander,cumin,turmeric and red chili powder
garam masala powder half tsp optional .
Preparation no 1
Dissolve rice flour in one cup of water ,so that there's no lump
add more water if needed ,half tsp of oil and pinch of salt
heat non stick wok and pour the rice flour mixture
keep stirring till the water is absorbed and smooth dough is formed
remove from the flame and keep aside.

Preparation no. 2
dissolve gram flour in two tbsp of water ,half tsp of oil and salt as per taste
add the powdered masala mentioned above and mix to form a smooth paste
add more water if needed .
heat non stick wok and pour the gramflour mixture
keep stirring till the water is absorbed and smooth mix is formed
remove from flame and keep aside.

Procedure
Grease pam and take lemon size dough from the rice flour dough
flatten it and keep aside,
make a marble shaped ball of the gramflour mixture
place it on the flattened rice flour dough
seal the edges and give it oval shape
do the same for the rest of the dough
heat oil in kadhai ,one hot lower the flame
fry the rice flour dumplings /aanda
till brown and crispy
serve warm with chutney.

Linking this post to
The Weekly Story week 1 hosted by Colours Dekor.
Thats all guys ,wish you all happy week ahead
take care and happy blogging.

Thali with Maa Chole Ki Dal and Crispy Karela Sabzi

2013-02-01T18:25:00.000+08:00

Most of the time when I don't know what to cook with a particular ingredient I ask my mother ,my friends or search on my favorite food blogs,so when I was clueless about split urad dal apart from preparing khichdi , I asked my friend as I knew she would be knowing some recipe
Me- I called you up to ask recipe for split urad dal
she - prepare dal
me -plain right
she - no you can mix chana dal equal ratio
me -and then i can temper it the usual way
she- ya however you wish,we like it with onion tomato ,...
and thus my menu for the night was decided as I had asked her whats the name of the urad and chana dal ,
she told me its called Maa Chole Ki Dal ,so that's how I got introduced to this yummylicous dal last week prepared in my own kitchen ,recipe shared by my friend.

Recipe name - Maa Chole Ki Dal
Recipe source - my friend
Preparation time 30 mins
Cooking time 30 mins
Ingredient for dal
Split urad dal with skin half cup
Chana dal hal cup
turmeric half tsp
salt as per taste
Ingredient for tempering/chaunk/tadka
ghee one tbsp
salt as per taste
asafoetida pinch
cumin seeds one tsp
dried red chili two crushed
bay leaves crushed two
half tsp each of turmeric powder,coriander powder and red chili powder
one tsp garam masala powder
onion one chopped
ginger garlic paste one tbsp
tomato one chopped
Preparation
soak the dal and keep aside for 10 mins
after 10 mins cook the dal in pressure cooker
Procedure
In a non stick pan heat ghee ,once hot lower the flame
add cumin seeds ,asafoetida,dried red chili and bay leaves
followed by onion and ginger garlic paste
keep stirring till onion s start chaning colour
add the powdered masala ,salt followed by tomato
cook for 10 to mins till oil is seen along the sides
add cooked dal and garam masala powder and let it simmer
after 15 mins serve hot with chapati or rice .

Paired the creamy dal with plain rice,chapati,kachumber and karela sabzi.
the tangy and crispy karela sabzi is perfect combination with creamy dal ,chawal ,chapati with some salads on the side .
For the Karela Sabzi/fried bitter gourd

recipe inspired from cookbook
Ingredient
bitter gourd chopped six
onion chopped two
salt as per taste
turmeric powder one tsp
dessicated coconut two tbsp
garlic crushed two
red chili powder half tsp
amchur powder half tsp
Preparation
rub salt and turmeric powder to the bitter gourd ,keep aside
after 10 mins squeeze the bitter gourd and drain the excess liquid
soak in a bowl of fresh water for 10 mins
after mins wash and drain the chopped bitter gourds
keep aside on a plate
In a mixing bowl mix rice flour,crushed garlic,red chili powder and dessicated coconut.
Procedure
heat one tbsp oil in non stick pan
fry the bitter gourds till light brown on both sides
drain and keep aside
In the same pan fry chopped onions till brown and caramelised
after five minutes add the fried bitter gourds
followed by the rice flour mixture
cover and cook for 15 to 20 mins
sprinkle amchur powder before serving,
serve warm.

This simple and delicious thali is perfect for guests or for weekend meal,and ya this one is perfect comfort food for me ,maybe will try the same combination with some raita and chutney as side dish,..:-)

Linking this post to
Dish it out event hosted by Nivedhanam
thats all guys wish you all happy weekend
take care and happy blogging,

til gud ladoo for Sakat Chauth

2013-01-30T23:58:00.002+08:00

Today is Sakat Chauth also known as Magh Ganesha Utsav /Ganesh Jayanti.
today God Ganapati is worshipped along with Moon

As per the tradition prepared Til Gud Ladoo for Naivedyam
and after the moonrise broke the fast with milk and boiled sweet potato.

recipe of til gud ladoo blogged here
wish all the readers of Asan Khana happy festival
wish you all happy week ahead
take care and happy blogging

weekend cooking and eating

2013-01-28T23:40:00.003+08:00

last post I blogged about the bread and the dough ,bread was baked

so that I could prepare something which was on my mind since a long time and thats what I did .I had never heard of Vada pav before coming to Singapore,maybe I had seen vendors selling this delicacy in stations of Maharashtra but I never thought of buying for myself, though I had seen passengers buying and eating the same ,i would happily settle down for nagpur oranges,those were the days now i really miss those train journey between Delhi to Bangalore .
Thanks to Blogopshere and the food bloggers for tempting me with the gorgeous pics since past few years,I had to try this ,

Coming back to today's post sharing with you all pictures of Vada Pav which i prepared inspired from blogopshere ,together with red chutney and green chutney truly savoured the meal like anything,

followed blog SizzlingVeggies for the batata vada and pav recipe
green coriander chutney blogged here
tawa fried green chili blogged here
dry garlic chutney -red chuutney inspired from A bit of this and a bit of that
btw these pavs taste good with tea and coffee ,i loved them with my morning cup of coffee

thats all friends,wish you all greay week ahead
take care and happy blogging .

Preparation for the weekend ,...

2013-01-25T23:45:00.000+08:00

Today I baked bread

prepared kalonji masala

and kneaded dough and kept in freeze

for the weekend

Friday is busy day for me as I have to plan for the weekend ,so most of the time I do some preparation for the weekend and that's what I did today,sharing some make ahead preparation

dough for paratha /spinach paratha

had spinach paste in freeze which I had prepared by boiling spinach leaves for 10 mins and then running the leaves through the blender.

In a mixing bowl add two cup wholewheat flour,salt,red chili powder,carom seeds and the spinach paste and knead to a smooth dough if needed add few drops of water and half tsp of oil.once done keep in an air tight in freeze.

For the Kalonji Masala/Bharwa Masala

Ingredient

cumin seeds one tsp

fennel seeds one tsp

carom seeds one tsp

nigella seeds one tsp

fenugreek seeds four to six

asafoetida pinch

Procedure

Dry roast all the ingrdients listed above for five to seven minutes

let it cool and then run through the blender

store in air tight box .

this masala can be used to stuff brinjal,ladysfinger,bittergourd or for potatoes

for kalonji masala wale alloo/spiced potatoes with kalonji masala

Ingredient

potato sliced two

onion one chopped

garlic clove grated two

green chili chopped one

salt as per taste

kalonji masala one tbsp

red chili powder half tsp

turmeric powder half tsp

coriander powder half tsp

garam masala powder one fourth tsp

mustard oil one tbsp

asafoetida pinch

cumin seeds half tsp

Preparation

mix kalonji masala with salt,red chili powder,turmeric power and coriander powder ,

add few drops of water ,keep aside.

Procedure

heat oil in non stick wok/kadai/pan

once oil is hot add asafoetida followed by cumin seeds and let it splutter

lower the flame and add chopped onion followed by garlic and green chili

keep stirring till onion starts turning brown and add kalonji masala paste

fry for a minute and the potatoes followed by garam masala powder

cover and cook till the potatoes are done.

serve warm,tastes best with plain rice and dal,..

that's all friends,wish you all happy weekend

take care and happy blogging.

Love to shop for Kitchen Gadgets then hop on to Cuponation

2013-01-22T23:12:00.001+08:00

I am someone who loves to cook and is continuously on lookout for kitchen gadgets and utensils which make my life easy so when I saw the website Cuponation which provides thousands of working free discounts coupons and deals I was elated as they have coupons of all my favorite brands,ya I do love online shopping specially from sites like Flipkart which has awesome cook book collection from my favorite authors,some of which i will be adding soon in my cookbook collection ,

talking of kitchen gadgets Roti maker

is on my wish list which can be easily bought by Cuponation as they provide free discount coupons.

Next on my wish list is this awesome Red and Black striped kitchen linen set from online shop Pepperfry which is again supported by Cuponation .

most of you must be knowing my love for home cooked biryani ,and when I saw this Handi

on Pepperfry I knew that this gonna be in my kitchen one day,perfect to cook handi biryani or curry.

that's all friends,

take care and happy blogging and shopping

hooked on Kababs - Chicken Shami Kabab with Spinach leaves

2013-01-22T10:30:00.001+08:00

Last year when i learnt the art of making kababs and storing them in freezer so that they can be just taken out,defrosted ,reheated

and paired with paratha ,dal chawal or simply eaten as appetizer I didn't had any notion that i would be so hooked to them that I would be preparing this delicacy almost every month and ya guys that's what I have been doing so last month I prepared the same Chicken Shami Kabab

and while I was preparing the mince I saw the spinach leaves fresh from the market in the kitchen ,so I took some chopped spinach leaves and added in the mince while shaping out the patties ,

and paired the kababs with onion rings,lemon wedges coriander chutney and mint chutney ,try it guys ,you gonna be hooked too,...:-)

Recipe of Chicken Shami Kabab blogged here
Recipe of Kashmiri Shami Kabab and Bathua Raita blogged here
Recipe of Chicken Shami Kabab with Bari Chutney blogged here
Recipe of Chicken Shami Kabab Pizza blogged here
Recipe of Mint and Green Mango Chutney blogged here
Recipe of Dhania Chutney blogged here
Special thanks to Deeba of Passionate about baking ,Sangeeta of Banaras ka khana and
For the love of yum for the detailed post on Kababs and for teaching me the art of making kababs ,.i owe it to you guys,,:-)
Thats all friends,wish you all happy week ahead
take care and happy blogging.

A new day and a new life -food fiction

2013-01-19T23:43:00.000+08:00

Morning when I got up and looked in the mirror I saw the changes which had happened in me ,there were wrinkles on my skin,my skin looked pale and white and I almost look like a skeleton ,now I knew why I was not given the mirror even after repeatedly asking for it and why my hair was combed by my husband .I looked in despair at myself and then heard my sons scream in the background.
"Mumma look what I baked for you today"
I turned around holding the door and the clutches and saw him with a tray full of cupcakes and my favorite coffee.

My son looked so mature,two months had matured him so much,he took my hand and guided me slowly to the coach my favorite area to sit in the house ,nothing had changed in the house ,everything looked the same

.
Still lost in my reverie my son brought me back to the reality by giving me a envelope which was titled graduation day ,tears brimmed in my eyes when I read the card,we had been invited for the graduation ceremony ,so much had happened while I and been sleeping how they must have managed ,what about my family with so many questions going in my mind I felt as if I would collapse again ,..
"Mumma you know what I knew that you would be fine one day"
I just shook my head and controlled my tears
"Mumma I used to read your blog and felt as if you are talking to me , I would read your blog daily and felt at peace and I learnt to bake cake too ,the one which you love to eat."
Me-" How's your papa?"
"He is fine ,we came every evening to meet you ,.."
Me-" but I have changed I am not the same I look so different ,like a ghost how can anyone love me now ?"
" Mumma you are back and that's the greatest gift to us from god ,you know what I never cried for you because I always felt that you would be back one day scolding me ,teaching me ,loving me,and caring for me like you always did ,..and ya now you drink coffee or it will be cold ,dad will be coming soon and then we are going out for a drive ,,..:)"

I just sighed and smiled ya indeed life is back to normal but will I be fine and be the same PIa as I was two months back before the accident which changed my life forever but when I took a bite of the cupcake which my son had baked for me and saw the gleam in his eye I could see sunshine in the clouds and thanked god for giving me second chance to love and live again

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda

Awadhi Biryani with mint raita and kachumber

2013-01-18T23:42:00.001+08:00

When I saw the recipe of Awadhi Biryani on Sangeeta's blog i knew that i would be preparing the same soon and that's what I prepared today for dinner ,followed her recipe without any change substituted mutton with chicken drumsticks and relished it with onion tomato kachumber and mint raita

recipe of Biryani taken from here
recipe of mint raita taken from here
thanks a ton Sangeeta for sharing the recipe ,truly relished the meal like anything and the aroma while cooking worked like cooking therapy for me,,,;-)

that's all friends,
wish you all happy weekend
take care ,see you all soon