Garlic and herb Focaccia bread

We are a bread crazy family and I've been wanting to try this focaccia bread for a long time since I saw it in some blogs.I tried a pumpkin focaccia bread it tasted really nice and we all loved it.I was happy that all vegetables were going in.

Veg Pizza pockets/Calzones

We recently started getting the Zee Khana Khazana channel.Its India's full time food channel and I am Loving it!I watched a couple of shows where they show making the pizza is like baby tasks.One chef even mentioned these calzones thats how I got the idea to try them.

Sweet potato sticks

School has closed for two weeks here after the final exams and we are always on the lookout for munchies.My LM just loves them straight out of packets the more happier she is.So I'm trying to supply her with snacks healthy ones ofcourse made at home.We all agree even if its a deep fried one, home made is the best.

We recently started buying a lot of roots and some days she has a good helping but other days her same old no no face.So these sticks almost half and more of a medium sized sweet potato went in with no qualms.

Yelllow pumpkin and coriander leaves paratha

Two weeks ago I received this lovely book full of delicious recipes of parathas.It was a giveaway i won for an event.I usually always want to make and post something from the other books also but it never happens I'm sure you'll know its not everyday one cooks out of a book.But this book I am sure will be put to good use because one i make chapathis daily and second parathas are a super easy way to sneak in veggies.Oh and theres a third reason too you don't need a side dish especially to go with it so when you want to escape cooking make one delicious paratha!

Stuffed Ladyfingers/Bhindis

Its International Women's Day, I'd like to wish all the beautiful ladies - grandmoms,mothers,sisters,daughters a very Happy Women's Day.Hope women get more respect in all aspects in our country.Today I share this simple stuffed bhindi recipe to celebrate Women's day to celebrate ourselves.

We only need to flip through the newspapers and we can that our country is adapting the western culture with faster speed but also forgetting the dignity that women need and get.In a huge media crazy country like ours we have television soaps showing abuse of housewives daily.It hurts to think people can pen such scripts, and then we have no right to even blame any person abusing women because its all right in every sense in our country.Us women most of the time forget to eat what we cook and this ignore our health, we have to remind ourselves to eat healthy food and take care of us before we do the same to our families   

You need

Bhindis 10-12 large ones

Oil to cook the bhindis

For the stuffing

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Onion 1 large chopped finely

Tomatoes 2 medium chopped finely

Kasuri methi 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Ginger crushed 1/2 inch piece

Garam masala powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Oil 1 tablespoon

• Chop the onions really finely i used my trusty chopped which almost minced the onions.Same for the tomatoes.
• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, add the onions next on a low flame let the onions turn translucent
• Add the crushed ginger, followed by tomatoes, add a little salt so the tomatoes break down faster.
• Once the onions and tomatoes have become mushy add the garam masala powder and dhaniya/coriander powder.
• Finally when the powders have cooked thoroughly crush the kasuri methi in between your palms and add the powder.Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.

Preparing the bhindis/ladyfingers

Cut off the top and the tails of the bhindis.Make a deep slit through the centre of the ladyfinger but be careful not to cut it through to the other side.

Using a small spoon or your hands stuff a little of the above stuffing into the slits of the bhindis.

Heat oil ( 2-3 tablespoons) to shallow fry the bhindis.

If you have remaining stuffing, once the bhindis are soft and tender slather it over the bhindis and cover and cook for 2 minutes.Turn off the heat.

Serve hot stuffed bhindis with roti or chapathis.

Stuffed Ladyfingers/Bhindis

Its International Women's Day, I'd like to wish all the beautiful ladies - grandmoms,mothers,sisters,daughters a very Happy Women's Day.Hope women get more respect in all aspects in our country.Today I share this simple stuffed bhindi recipe to celebrate Women's day to celebrate ourselves.

Wonderful Mother Nature

Mother Nature has been extremely generous in giving us her rare and precious gems of love all through these years. Though man has never been grateful to Her. We instead destroy the forests and make concrete jungles everywhere. In this present day when children are surrounded by gadgets and technical marvels, it would be the primary duty of us parents to educate them to the true beauty and I inner value of Nature.

My daughter enjoys taking care of the plants in our backyard with her grandparents. They always encourage her to water the plants and take care of the plants they have in their little backyard. During our last vacation we even enjoyed a home grown pineapple and do I even have to tell you how yummy it was.She enjoys taking a tour of the flowers and vegetables daily during her holidays.

These are pictures from our little kitchen garden and front yard.

Being brought up in the city I hadn't seen many plants they grow like brinjal blossoms, custard apple, corn cobs, green chillies and we being South Indian our wonder herb curry leaves grow abundantly and my little girl loves to pluck it for our daily cooking.

I'm just glad that there are still nature loving people and would be really wonderful if schools and colleges nurture the love of nature into the new generations so we can protect our Mother Nature for the years to come.

This is going to the Welcome to Kissanpur contest from Indiblogger.

Wonderful Mother Nature

Mother Nature has been extremely generous in giving us her rare and precious gems of love all through these years. Though man has never been grateful to Her. We instead destroy the forests and make concrete jungles everywhere. In this present day when children are surrounded by gadgets and technical marvels, it would be the primary duty of us parents to educate them to the true beauty and I inner value of Nature.

My daughter enjoys taking care of the plants in our backyard with her grandparents. They always encourage her to water the plants and take care of the plants they have in their little backyard. During our last vacation we even enjoyed a home grown pineapple and do I even have to tell you how yummy it was.She enjoys taking a tour of the flowers and vegetables daily during her holidays.

These are pictures from our little kitchen garden and front yard.

Being brought up in the city I hadn't seen many plants they grow like brinjal blossoms, custard apple, corn cobs, green chillies and we being South Indian our wonder herb curry leaves grow abundantly and my little girl loves to pluck it for our daily cooking.

I'm just glad that there are still nature loving people and would be really wonderful if schools and colleges nurture the love of nature into the new generations so we can protect our Mother Nature for the years to come.

This is going to the Welcome to Kissanpur contest from Indiblogger.

Peas and egg curry

The pea season is almost over yes they are available in plenty during the winter months, they are so easy and tasty as well.I stored two zipper bags full of them last year in the freezer and I was surprised at how handy they were at times!

This is one such easy curry to go with your breads.

Oats roasted gram/pottu kadala ladoos

We all love our sweets in this house from the DH to the lil JA everyone.Especially LM who takes her love for ladoos after her cartoon hero the great Chotta Bheem.These are healthy not only does it have the potu kadalai ofcourse which is said to be very good for kids but also I added oats yes disguising it to send the wonder grain inside.

We by mistake purchased the first pack of potu kadala ladoos from a shop and then all of us fell in love with it.When i checked for the recipes it was much easier than my first try at ladoos which was the besan ladoos which i found too tricky yes the roasting the besan part.But the outcome was nonetheless super good and vanished in a day.

When I tried these potu kadala ladoos they were easy peasy (i felt) so i tried sneaking in the oats in it too noone even knew it was in there and I was one happy mommy!

 You need

Potu kadala/roasted bengal gram or daalia 1 cup
Oats half cup
Powdered Sugar less than 3/4 th cup
Ghee 3 tablespoons
Milk half cup or more/less as needed
Cardamom powder 1 generous pinch
Cashews 6 nos broken into small pieces
Raisins/kismis 8-10

Heat a pan on a low flame to dry roast the oats.Be careful it burns really quick.This takes about 2-3 minutes.Allow to cool.

Take the potu kadala,oats and sugar in a blender and powder it smooth.

Take this powder and spread it out on a plate.

Heat the ghee in a pan, add the nuts and raisins to this once golden brown turn off the heat.

Add the powdered kadala, sugar and oats mix to this and turn on the heat to a medium low.

Keep stirring well until all the ghee has been absorbed and the mixture appears like a crumbly mixture.

Remove this mixture on to a plate and add enough milk little by little until you can shape the mixture to balls.

• Grease your hands with butter or ghee and roll them out into ladoos. 

Yummy healthy oats pottu kadala ladoos are ready.Since we have added milk and ghee they will stay good for only 2 days if they last longer please refrigerate them in an air tight container.

Oats roasted gram/pottu kadala ladoos

We all love our sweets in this house from the DH to the lil JA everyone.Especially LM who takes her love for ladoos after her cartoon hero the great Chotta Bheem.These are healthy not only does it have the potu kadalai ofcourse which is said to be very good for kids but also I added oats yes disguising it to send the wonder grain inside.