Banana Raita

Ingredients

• Bananas: 3
• Dry Shredded Coconut: 1/2 Cup
• Lemon or Lime: 1
• Vanilla or Plain Yogurt: 1 Cup
• Finely Chopped Almonds (Optional)
  

Procedure

1. Dry roast shredded coconut till it gets light brown.
2. Cut bananas into approximately 2 inches or very small pieces.
3. Squeeze lemon juice over banana pieces to keep them fron browning.
4. Coat banana pieces with yogurt and roasted coconut. Add almond pieces & mix well.
5. Chilled this raita and serve as a side dish or snack.

This is my entry for EasyCrafts Fun 'n' Sun Event

Healthy Tomato Cooler

Ingredients:

• Tomato: 3
• Sugar: 1 & 1/2 tsp
• Pepper Powder: 2 Pinches
• Chat Masala: 1/2 to 1 tsp
• Lemon Juice: 1 tbsp (Optional)
• Water: 1 Cup
• Ice Cubes (Crushed): 5-6
• Mint Leaves: 2-3
• Salt to Taste

Procedure

1. Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 5 minutes.
2. Remove, peel and blend with mint leaves. Strain, cool and chill well. Use remaining pulp in any sabji.
3. Just before serving, put all remaining ingredients in a mixie. Blend well and serve immediately.

This is my entry for EasyCrafts Fun 'n' Sun Event

Click Au Naturel: Curry Leaves

Young Curry Leaves

This is my entry for CLICK Au Naturel event hosted by Jai & Bee.

Camera Used: Sony

Model: DCR-DVD 403

To see all other entries Click Here

Maharashtrian Garam Masala

Ingredients
Coriander Seeds: 1/2 Cup
Lavang (Cloves ): 10 - 15
Dalchini (Cinnamon): 4-5 sticks
Jeera (Cumin Seeds): 2 tsp
Shahjeere (Caraway seeds ): 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp
Naagkeshar: 1 tsp
Methi (Fenugreek Seeds): 1 tsp
Tamalpatra (Bay Leaves): 6-7
Dagad Phool (Black Stone Flower): 2-3
Black Peppercorn: 10-15
Black Cardamom: 6
Oil

Procedure

1. Heat little oil in a kadhai and then fry cloves, black peppercorn & fenugreek seeds.Then in remaining oil fry all other ingredients one by one.


2. Grind all ingredients seperately one by one. Then sieve those to get fine powder.


3. Then mix all powders together and sieve again.


4. Keep this masala in air tight container. This masala will remain good for years.


5. You can use this masala in any curry.

Source:
Ruchira by Kamalabai Ogale

Coriander Salsa

Makes about 1 Cup

Ingredients:
Spring Onion: 6 (White and Light Green Parts Only)
Coriander Leaves: 3 Cups
Finely Chopped Tomato: 1/4 Cup
Finely Shredded Fresh Coconut: 2 tbsp
Garlic Cloves: 2
Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
Green Chillies: 1 or 2
Lime Juice: 1/4 Cup
Salt to Taste
Olive Oil: 1 & 1/2 tbsp

Procedure
1. First wash spring onion and chop them into small pieces. Wash coriander leaves and keep aside.

2. In a small pan roast cumin seeds & keep aside. When they cool littlebit crush with rolling pin.

3. In a food processor, process spring onion, garlic and chillies. Then add corainder leaves, crushed cumin, lime juice, coconut,tomato, salt, oil and 1-2 tbsp water. Process it to form a coarse paste. You can adjust the quantity of water according to your desire.

4. Serve this salsa at room temperature or chilled with tortilla chips or you can use in any taco.


This is my entry for DK's A.W.E.D. Event

Healthy Ragi & Bitter Gourd Utappa

Ingredients
Nachni (Ragi) Flour: 2 Cups
Besan or Rice Flour: 1 Cup
Finely Chopped Karela (Bitter Gourd): 1 Cup
Finely Chopped Onion: 1/4 Cup
Finely Chopped Tomato: 1/4 Cup
Finely Chopped Carrot: 1/4 Cup
Finely Chopped Corriander: 1/4 Cup
Finely Chopped Green Chillies: 2 tsp
Salt to Taste
Water
Oil

Procedure
1. Mix all ingredients except oil and make lump free batter. Make batter little bit thick.

2. Heat tava / griddle. Pour 1 tsp of oil. Then pour a ladle full of batter on tava. Spread it round evenly but slightly thick in size. Pour some oil around the edges. Cover this with lid. Cook for 2 minutes or till it cooked.

3. Serve hot with any chutney, sambar or pickle.

This is my entry for Srivalli's Dosa Mela and Pooja's VoW: Bitter Gourd events.

Bengali Khichuri for Arusuvai

For Arusuvai Friendship Chain Manasi send me two homemade powders. One is curry powder which is for 'Chavli Curry' from Nupur's : One Hot Stove blog and second is Masale Bhat powder which is for 'Masala Bhat' from Ashwini's: Food For Thought blog. Thanks Manasi for sending me these lovely powders. I made Katachi Aamati with Nupur's Masala and now I am making Khichuri with Ashwini's Masala. This is also Ashwini's recipe. I made two small changes. Instead of yellow moong daal, I used moong daal with skin & instead of Garam Masala, I used Ashwini's Masala Bhat's Masala.

To read this recipe in Marathi Click Here

Ingredients
Basmati Rice: 1/2 Cup
Moong Daal with Skin: 1/2 Cup
Finely Chopped Onion: 1/2 Cup
Finely Chopped Vegetables (Potato, Carrots, Cauliflower etc): 1 Cup
Ginger Paste: 3/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
Bay Leaves: 2
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Chilli Powder: 1 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 & 1/2 tsp
Masale Bhat's Masala: 1 tbsp
Salt to Taste
Water
Oil

Procedure

1. Dry roast moong daal untill golden brown. Let it cool.

2. Wash rice with water 2-3 times. Drain water and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Add cumin seeds and bay leaves. When they sizzle add finely chopped onion. Fry onions till golden brown. Then add ginger paste. Cook for 2 minutes.

4. Then add vegetables, rice & daal. Then add turmeric, chilli & coriander powder. Mix all these ingredients very well for 3-4 minutes.

5. Then add 2 Cups hot water & salt to taste. Stir all ingredients very well. Bring water to boil. Then cover the pot with lid and cook until done. If required add extra hot water.

6. When daal & rice are cooked, heat oil in small kadhai & add Masala. Fry this masala for 15- 30 seconds. Add this masala & ghee to the khichuri. Mix well this khichuri. Cover pot with lid again & remove pot from heat. Keep this pot covered with lid for 4-5 minutes.

7. Serve this hot Khichuri with fried eggplant or any other sabji.

Thank you Manasi again for sending me those lovely spices. Now to continue this Arusuvai Friendship Chain I will send 2 secret ingredients to Hima and Roopa.

This is my entry for Sandeepa's RCI: Bengal Event and Pavani's MBP April : One Pot Wonder Event

Karela (Bitter Gourd) Fritters

To read this recipe in Marathi Click Here

Ingredients

Karela (Bitter Gourd): 1

Nachni (Ragi) Flour or Besan: 1/2 Cup

Rice Flour: 1 tbsp

Hing (Asafoetida): A Pinch

Aamchur ( Dry Mango) Powder: 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder: 1 tsp

Baking Soda: 1 Pinch

Lime Juice: 1 tbsp

Salt to Taste

Water

Oil

Procedure

1. Wash karela and make thin round slices. Mix some salt, lime juice & slices very well. Keep aside for 15 - 20 minutes. Then remove seeds & wash slices 2-3 times with water.

2. Make a batter with ragi flour or besan,rice flour, salt, hing, baking soda, red chilli powder, aamchur powder by adding water slowly. Mix this batter very well. Make the batter little thick so that it can form a coating over karela slices.

3. Heat oil in a kadhai. Dip each karela slice in a batter and coat batter very well. Then put those slices in hot oil. Repeat this procedure for all other slices. Fry these slices from both sides for 2-3 minutes. Remove these slices and put it on paper towel to remove excess water.

4. Serve these hot fritters with any type of chutney or sauce.

This is my entry for Pooja's Vegetable of The Week: Bitter Gourd Event

Awards

Thank you very much my fellow bloggers who gave me these awards and recognize my work and thank you very much to all my readers for visiting this blog. Keep Visiting.

Besan Ladoo

To read this recipe in Marathi Click Here

Makes: 15 – 20 Ladoos

Ingredients

Ladoo Besan (Gram/ Chick Pea Flour): 2 Cups
Pure Ghee (Clarified Butter): ¾ Cup
Powdered Sugar: 1 Cup
Elaichi (Cardamom) Powder: 2 tsp
Milk: ¼ Cup
Raisins, Almonds & Cashews as per required

Procedure

1. Heat ghee in a heavy sauce pan. Add besan slowly in a pan. Mix ghee & besan very well.

2. On low flame cook the besan. Keep on stirring otherwise it will stick down or burn.

3. Once the besan becomes golden brown remove pan from heat. Sprinkle milk and keep stirring till mixture become dry.Let it cool for a while.

4. When mixture is little warm add sugar, cardamom powder, chopped dry fruits & mix well. Keep aside to cool it down.

5. When mixture becomes cool, take small amount of mixture, rub it very well in your palms & make ladoo. While making ladoos place one raisin on the top. Follow this procedure for remaining mixture.

6. Keep ladoos on plate until they become little dry. Then store these ladoos in air tight container.

Tips
1. If you want to avoid continues stirring while roasting besan, you can roast besan in microwave.
2. To avoid lumps & make ladoos soft, you have to rub or mix this mixture very well or you can use mixer. If you are using mixer then add dry fruits later.