Li'melon Cooler

We had some summer rains this morning here in sunny Chennai.We have some cool relief but not as much as I wanted it!

Water melon and sweet lime are 2 summery cool fruits which was a great hit when i combined them both.

Watermelon is a a seasonal fruit which is a wonder fruit in itself.Its so thirst quenching and cooling and so aptly available during the summers.Nowadays theres no such thing as seasonal fruits as we get them from one source or the other but the watermelon definitely tastes better in the summers.Check out the health benefits of watermelon juice here.

Sweet lime/mosambi is a cooling citrus fruit which is beautiful.On our way from college there used to be this juice guy and we used to pick one glass each day everyday it used to be such a blessing to keep us going after a long day at college until we got home.

To make this juice you need

Water melon flesh deseeded and chopped 1 cup
Sweet lime/musambi juice of 1

• Put the water melon and sweet lime juice with a little water if you need the water melon will have enough water content and blend it well until frothy.

• Pour it into glasses and serve immediately.Enjoy the sweet cooling juice.

Variations:

- you can add mint leaves,ginger and a pinch of pepper for a spicy drink.
- I haven;t added any sweetening agents as my juice was sweet enough.

Sending this to CHilled delights @ Tickling palates,Kids delight@hosted by UK rasoi started by Srivalli , Summer spirits @ tomato blues

Li'melon Cooler

We had some summer rains this morning here in sunny Chennai.We have some cool relief but not as much as I wanted it!

Water melon and sweet lime are 2 summery cool fruits which was a great hit when i combined them both.

Savory French Toast

I have mentioned this a few times in my blog that I'm a bread-lover.This toast is so yummy and easy to make for a easy breakfast on the go.I have added some vegetables to the toast which makes it extra tasty and healthier.

Like you all may already know french toasts can be served both sweet and savory.This is a slightly pepped up version for you people who love your morning bread and eggs.

The sweet french toast is yummy no doubt served with a hot cuppa!Generally french toast is a good way to use up stale bread as is a yummy bread pudding.But who's asking if you use fresh bread :)

French toast can be served just as it is with fruits and cream,honey,butter or any sauce of your choice.Also you can use slices of french toasts and make your favourite sandwiches.

You need
Bread slices 4 cut half or whole
Egg 1 beaten
Milk 4 tablespoons
Salt to taste
Pepper as per your need
Potato 1 small boiled,grated or mashed
Capsicum 1 tablespoon chopped finely
Cilantro chopped finely

• Mix the eggs and milk in a wide bowl and whisk well with salt and pepper.Then add the vegetables and mix well.
• Heat a nonstick pan and grease slightly, dip the bread in the egg and vegetables mixture and place it on the pan.Fry the toasts until golden brown on either sides.

• Serve hot with chutney or tomato sauce and enjoy with your hot cup of tea.

Sending this to Breakfast ideas :Bon Vivant Moments@Sumee's culinary bites, Lets make sandwiches@simply.food, 

Savory French Toast

I have mentioned this a few times in my blog that I'm a bread-lover.This toast is so yummy and easy to make for a easy breakfast on the go.I have added some vegetables to the toast which makes it extra tasty and healthier.

Lemon Muffins and lemon cream drizzle

I made these muffins for my friend who was coming to meet me after a long time.I wanted to make something simple and easy and also delicious for the summery afternoon tea.These muffins were nice and crumby and with the drizzle it was just perfect with a cup of tea.

I somehow feel baking muffins are easier than making a cake...So you will see i have many muffin recipes posted.They are just so cute and pop in the mouth deliciousness.

Lemon cupcakes with lemon cream drizzle
Recipe source:Joy of Baking
You need
All purpose flour 1cup + 3 tblspns
Oil 1/3cup+2 tblspns
Egg 1
Curd 3/4thcup
Vanilla essence 1/2tsp
Sugar 3/4cup
Salt 1/4tsp
Lemon zest 2and half tsp
Milk 1/3cup+1tblspn
Baking powder 1tsp
Baking soda 1/2tsp
Fresh lemon juice 1 tblspn

For the lemon cream drizzle
Cream 3 tblspns
Confectioners' sugar 1//4cup
Fresh lemon juice 2 tsp

• Preheat oven to 180C and line the muffin tray.
• Mix the flour,sugar,salt,baking powder and baking soda in a bowl and leave aside.
• Mix the eggs and oil well in another bowl, add the vanilla essence and curd to this mixture and mix until all combines well.
• Add the lemon zest and milk and mix well.
• Slowly add the lemon juice to this and combine well.
• Add the wet mix to the dry and mix well until all the dry ingredients are well mixed up.
• Spoon the batter to upto half the muffin liners and bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until done.
• Mix the lemon cream ingredients in a bowl and chill in the refrigerator.

• Once the baked muffins cool down, enjoy tangy lemon muffins with yummy delicious lemon cream.

Sending this to I love baking@Tickling Palates, Picnic desserts@Cook.Eat.Delicious,Bake fest#6, Only Snacks

Lemon Muffins and lemon cream drizzle

I made these muffins for my friend who was coming to meet me after a long time.I wanted to make something simple and easy and also delicious for the summery afternoon tea.These muffins were nice and crumby and with the drizzle it was just perfect with a cup of tea.

Summery cool Pasta salad

Its Blog Hop time again!I was worried i'll miss it because I just don't want to enter the kitchen in the heat.And the power cuts aren't even helping.I was more interested in posting something for BHW because of my very talented parter Santosh Bangar from Santosh's Kitchen. She has a lovely space with a wonderful variety of recipes.

I haven't done the recipe exactly like the original one.I didn't have any italian dressing in hand.So I tried something similar to this recipe.The salad dressing was super tangy and cool.My LM who's fond of pasta just downed plain pasta and dressing while i enjoyed it with the veggies and cheese.yum yum!!

To make this salad you need

Pasta any shape 1 cup cooked and drained
Cucumber,carrot,green capsicum,onions all cubed as required
Cheese any of your choice as per your liking (i used cream cheese chopped)

For the dressing
Olive oil 2 tablespoons
Vinegar 2 tablespoons
Lime juice of half a lime
Rock salt a small pinch
Chilli flakes as required
Pepper powder 1 tsp
Mint leaves 2 sprigs cut finely
Garlic pods 1 pounded

•  Pound the garlic and rock salt with the chopped mint leaves and mix it all with the rest of the ingredients to make the salad dressing.The original recipe for italian dressing asks for parsley i can't spot parsley in any of the regular shops i goto.
• Mix the pasta,vegetables and toss it in a mixing with the salad dressing mix well.
• Just before you serve grate or chop pieces of cheese and add to the salad :) 

• Enjoy this cool salad on a hot summer's day :)

Sending this to BHW@Tickling Palates , Breakfast ideas:Bon Vivant Moments@Sumee's Culinary Bites, Lunchbox ideas@Cuisine delights

Summery cool Pasta salad

Its Blog Hop time again!I was worried i'll miss it because I just don't want to enter the kitchen in the heat.And the power cuts aren't even helping.I was more interested in posting something for BHW because of my very talented parter Santosh Bangar from Santosh's Kitchen. She has a lovely space with a wonderful variety of recipes.

Carrot Raisin Rolls

The summer is just beginning but its already squeezing the juices off everyone.I really had to drag myself to the kitchen and i was bursting with this idea ever since i had the somas/gujjias on Easter day from a local shop.Thanks to Magic Mingle i made these rolls and it was super good.You must try it out to believe me!!

What will your first thought be if you hear carrots and raisins-yes gajjar ka halwa(carrot halwa) but I didn't want to make it nor did I want to make muffins or cookies.This month's magic ingredients are carrots and raisins.Some of my other blogger friends have posted some superb recipes too.

This filling in itself was yummy I was hoping i get some left over after the stuffing to finish off :) i have only made this shape to suit my fancy you can make them like traditional gujjias -semicircle shaped or even stuff them and roll them out into sweet puris.

To make these rolls you need
For the outer covering:
Maida/All purpose flour 1 cup
Pinch of baking soda
Water enough to make a soft dough
Salt optional to taste
Ghee 1 tsp

Oil to deep fry the rolls

For the stuffing:
Carrot 1 cup grated
Coconut scrapped 1 cup
Cardamoms 3nos
Raisins handful
Sugar 2 tsp
Ghee 2tsp

• Mix the ingredients for the outer cover and leave it for atleast 2 hours so its becomes soft and pliable.
• Heat ghee(1tsp) in a pan,add the carrots and fry until soft. 
• Grind the coconut and cardamoms into a course powder.Now add this to the carrots too and fry until the aroma rises.
• Add some more (1tsp) ghee and fry the raisins until they swell up.Mix this with the carrot coconut mix and once you turn off the heat add the sugar and mix well and leave to cool.
• To make the rolls, pinch a ball of dough and roll into a small puri put a tsp of the filling toward one end of the circle and roll the sides to make a roll and seal the ends with a little water.

• Repeat the above for all the dough and filling.The filling maybe a little excess you can relish it just as it is :) 
• Deep fry the rolls until the outer shell is crispy.Mine only turned golden brown and so they were softer.

• Enjoy the yummy rolls hot or cold.

 Sending this to Magic Mingle #4@Sizzling tastebuds, Coconut Event@Indian food chronicles, Only series started by pari@Foodelicious and hosted by Raji @ vegetarian tastebuds

 

 

Carrot Raisin Rolls

The summer is just beginning but its already squeezing the juices off everyone.I really had to drag myself to the kitchen and i was bursting with this idea ever since i had the somas/gujjias on Easter day from a local shop.Thanks to Magic Mingle i made these rolls and it was super good.You must try it out to believe me!!

Kalkals-Sugar coated fritters

Kalkals are Anglo-indian speciality sweets typically made during Christmas to share the joy of the season with friends and family.Typically the kalkals are shaped like curls, deep fried and sugar coated.

I know its way past Christmas now,but I thought i'd share this recipe for the Easter Season :) I first tasted kalkals when my neighbour a mangalorean aunty used to share them for Christmas.They had a whole array of specialities for the Christmas season.I really miss those days when we used to get some goodies for all the festivals-Diwali,Vishu,Eid,Christmas :)

Now to the recipe, this is the eggless version i have seen people using eggs too.

You need

Maida/all purpose flour 2 cups

Rawa/semolina 1tablespoon

Dalda/butter 1/4cup

Salt a pinch

Sugar 3/4cup

Water 1/8th cup

Vanilla essence 1tsp

Icing sugar/powdered sugar about 1 cup (enough to coat the kalkals )

Oil to deep fry

• Mix flour,rawa,salt,sugar in a bowl.Slightly melt the butter and add to the flour and mix it to make a smooth dough.Add water little by little to make the dough.

• Leave the dough for 15 minutes.
• To make the kalkals, pinch a small ball of dough and place it on the back of a fork,press with your finger so the impressions form on the dough then roll into a curl.Repeat for all the dough.
• Deep fry the kalkals until golden brown and once you remove it from the oil drop into a dish with icing sugar/powdered sugar and coat well.

• Crispy sweet kalkals are ready to be served.These can be stored in air tight containers for 2 -3 days.

Note:

- I needed a little more than 1/8th of a cup of water use as per your requirement.

- Some people make a nice thick sugar syrup and pour it over the kalkals so they have a thick sugary layer.I thought this was good enough sweet and had a crunch of sugar.

Kalkals-Sugar coated fritters

Kalkals are Anglo-indian speciality sweets typically made during Christmas to share the joy of the season with friends and family.Typically the kalkals are shaped like curls, deep fried and sugar coated.

Chilli Fish

I was not a big fan of fish when i was young for its bad stench.Over the years i got over it especially after my stay in UK where i didn't have anything to have but chicken and frozen shrimps.This dish my mom used to do when she had excess fried fish.Its a good side dish for chapatis and goes well with rasam and steamed rice too.

I have used king fish for this recipe, but you can use any thick fleshed fish.The process may seem longer but its worth the efforts.

You need

King fish fillets 4-5 nos
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Coriander/dhaniya powder 1tsp
Pepper powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Vinegar few drops
Oil 1 tablespoon + more to shallow fry

- Clean and keep the fish fillets aside.
- Make a smooth paste of the remaining spice powders and marinate the fish for about an hour and shallow fry it.
- Once the fillets cool down, shred the fish with fingers or fork and remove the bones.Keep aside.

To make the masala
Whole garam masala spices cloves 3,cardomoms 3,cinnamon 2 1 inch pieces
Onions 1 large sliced
Tomato 1 large sliced
Paste of Ginger 1 inch piece + Garlic 4-5 pods
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Mint leaves 2 sprigs
Cilantro/coriander leaves a couple of sprigs
Dhaniya/coriander powder 1 tsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Lime juice 1 tsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Oil 2-3 tablespoons

• Heat oil in a pan, add the whole spices and let it splutter.When thats done add the onions and fry them until soft and translucent.
• Next add the ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell goes away.Add the mint leaves now and fry well.
• Add the tomatoes and curry leaves and fry well until the tomatoes mash well.
• Now add the dry masala powders and mix well.
• Add the shredded fish and mix well.
• This dish is a dry one and so you needn't add any water.
• Check for salt and add the cilantro.
• Sprinkle the garam masala and lime juice just before serving.

• Serve hot with chapatis or steamed rice.

Chilli Fish

I was not a big fan of fish when i was young for its bad stench.Over the years i got over it especially after my stay in UK where i didn't have anything to have but chicken and frozen shrimps.This dish my mom used to do when she had excess fried fish.Its a good side dish for chapatis and goes well with rasam and steamed rice too.