Strawberry Milkshake

Strawberries are not only most delicious fruit, but they are also nutricious.  Ideally, it should be a part of daily diet.  Addition of icecream makes it rich and creamy.  Kids will just like this.

Ingredients :

1. Strawberry - 1/2 cup
2. Milk - 1 cup
3. Sugar to taste
4. Strawberry (or) Vanilla icecream (optional)
5. Icecubes

Direction to cook :

Slice & cut the strawberries to thin pieces & blend it together with all other ingredients. 

Serve cool.

Semiya upma with scrambled egg

Most of our sunday food menu begins with this delicious yet simple semiya upma with the touch of scrambled egg for additional flavour.  Combination of cinnamon, cloves & mint leaves will bring unique taste to this dish.  It simply taste yummy :)

Ingredients :

1. Vermicelli semiya - 1 cup
2. Oil - 1 tsp
3. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
4. Cloves - 2 nos
5. Mint leaves - 1 tbsp
6. Green chillies - 3 nos
7. Onion - 1 no
8. Water - 1 1/4 cup
9. Ghee - 1 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Egg - 1 no
12. Black pepper to taste

Direction to cook :

#   Heat ghee in the pan & roast the semiya.  Keep aside.

#   Heat oil in the another pan, add cinnamon stick, cloves, mint leaves, green chillies & lengthwise sliced onions.  Saute for 4 mins.

#   Add water & salt to taste.  Bring it to boil.

#   At this stage add the roasted semiya.  Cover and cook till done.

#   Meanwhile break the egg in the another pan.  Add salt & scramble when it is half cooked.  Finally add the pepper powder. 

#   When the semiya is cooked, add the scrambled egg & mix throughly.  Switch off the flame immediately.

Serve warm.

Egg pizza

Yesterday, it was really boring day may be because of the dull climate.  And no mood to cook as well.  Luckily, I had storebought pizza dough & tomato sauce.  To that I used 2 eggs with little salt and pepper.  Finally, hot and tasty egg pizza is ready & that made our dinner the best.

Ingredients :

1. Pizza dough - 1 roll
2. Pizza sauce - 1 cup
3. Shredded cheese - 1/2 cup
4. Eggs - 2 nos
5. Black pepper to taste
6. Salt to taste

Directions to cook :

#    Unroll the pizza dough in the baking pan.

#   Spread the pizza tomato sauce & bake it according to the instructions given.

#   Just 2 mins before switching off the oven, remove the pizza & crack the eggs.  Sprinkle some black pepper, salt (optional) & cheese.  Bake it for 2 to 3 mins (remaining time left).

Ven Pongal

When it comes to south indian beakfast menus, most of us like to have venpongal with chutney and sambar.  Ven pongal are made in different manner and this is best & easiest way.  At this time, I remember my early days of marriage, we wake up very early in the morning to see the sun rise in the marina beach  and have ven pongal with spicy chutneys arround.  Those days are memorable.

Ingredients :

1. Basmati rice (or raw rice) - 1 cup
2. Moong dal - 1/4 cup
3. Ghee - 1 tbsp
4. Oil - 1 tbsp
5. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
6. Ginger - 1 inch piece
7. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
8. Black pepper corns - 1 tsp
9. A pinch of hing
10. Roasted cashew nuts - 1 tbsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Water - 3 cup

Directions to cook :

£   Heat oil in the pressure cooker, add cumin seeds, black pepper, curry leaves & a pinch of hing.

£   Meanwhile soak the rice and moong dal in water for 1/2 hr.

£   Add the soaked rice and dal.  Fry for 2 mins.

£   Add salt to taste & water.  Pressure cook them till done.

£   Finally, add the ghee & serve warm.

Moong dal payasam (paruppu payasam)

My husband likes inviting his relatives to home frequently.  And this time he informed me just half an hour before.  Menu ideas started overflowing & finally I decided to make ghee rice, kuruma & this delicious moong dal payasam.  It never took me more than one hour for my whole preparation yet it tasted great. Moong dal can be substituted with channa dal or combination of both. Addition of condensed milk will makes this dessert more tasty :)

Ingredients :

1. Moong dal - 1/2 cup
2. Water - 1 cup plus  1 tbsp
3. Jaggery - 1/2 cup
4. Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Nut meg powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Nuts (Cashewnuts, almonds, raisins) - 1/4 cup
7. Milk -1/2 cup (depending upon the desired thickness)

Directions to cook :

#   Cook the moong dal in water.  Keep aside.

#   Dissolve the jaggery in a tsp of water & filter it.  Keep aside.

#   Heat the pan, add the jaggery & allow it to boil on a lower flame.

#   Add the moong dal & milk.  Allow it to boil. (adjust the quantity of milk based on the consistency you are looking for)

#   Add the cardamom powder, nut meg powder & fried nuts.

Serve warm or cool.

Crispy rava dosa

Most of the time, the last few scoops of dosa batter will be leftover.  By adding few other ingredients to that makes the best & crispy rava dosa.  Taste yum with spicy chutneys and sambar.

Ingredients :

1. Dosa batter - 1/2 cup
2. Rava - 1/2 cup
3. All purpose flour - 1/4 cup
4. Onion - 1 no (finely chopped)
5. Green chillies - 4 to 5 nos (finely chopped)
6. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
7. Cumin seeds -1 tsp
8. Black pepper - 1 tsp
9. 1 Grated carrot
10. Salt to taste
11. Water

Directions to cook :

Mix all the ingredients together.  The final batter should be little thin than normal dosa batter.  Heat the pan, pour 1 big scoop of batter & rotate it.  Pour some oil arround the edges.  Cook till either sides are brown and crispy.

Serve with chutney & sambar.

Bread Masala

Quick and simple snack perfect for evening time.  This is one among the two dishes I cook before marriage.  And this is my hubby's  favourite snack too.

Ingredients :

1. Bread slices - 3 nos
2. Onion - 1 no
3. Tomato - 1 nos
4. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Oil - 1 tbsp

Directions to cook :

#   Toast the bread slices & keep aside.

#   Heat oil in the pan, add finely chopped onions.  Saute till golden brown.

#   Add finely chopped tomatoes, chilly powder, turmeric powder & salt to taste.  Saute for 5 mins.

#   Cut the toasted bread slices to small pieces.  Add them to the above masala.  Toss them till well combined.  Switch off the flame.

Serve warm.