Spiced Watermelon Juice

Should I even tell anyone how hot it is in Chennai!phew!I can say that i'm almost melting :) Thank God for such heavenly blessings fruits they are natural coolants to our poor bodies.

I know you must be wondering why I'm making a juice out of this when it is so yummylicious to have it just by itself.Its so cooling and refreshing in its every bite but this juice is a good substitute for those who can't do without their teas and coffees.

I have heard many people say how watermelons are too cooling and kids catch a cold too soon I don't know how much thats true now because fruits are so healthy right.So when my LM comes back dripping in sweat I make her a glass of this juice and all goodness goes in at one go.

This I watched on tv long back one of the many recipes of Sanjeev Kapoor I used to watch religiously on tv.But I haven't added many more of the stuff he had mentioned.

To make this juice, you need

Watermelons chopped 2 cups (don't bother to de-seed) 

Sugar/Honey as per need

Mint leaves/pudhina 4 sprigs

Lime juice 1 tablespoon

Ginger 1 inch piece

• Whizz everything up in a blender and sieve it if you feel like drinking juice without any tid-bits else your refreshing juice is ready to go.

Cooling watermelon spiced juice is ready to cool your head :) 

Sending this to Summer Splash

Spiced Watermelon Juice

Should I even tell anyone how hot it is in Chennai!phew!I can say that i'm almost melting :) Thank God for such heavenly blessings fruits they are natural coolants to our poor bodies.

Cucumber mint cooler & Awards

The summer is fast approaching and anything cool would do good to our thirsty souls.

I watched this on tv, nothing great I thought until i had it myself.The mint and cucumber impart a soothing flavour to the water rather than just having it by itself.Adding a little salt and lemon juice takes it a notch higher!

You need

Water as required
Mint leaves as required
Coriander leaves/cilantro as needed
Cucumber slices few
Lime juice of one lime
Salt to taste
Chaat masala as required

• Pound or chop the leaves and drop in a glass or jug.Add a few slices of cucumber.Top it lime juice,salt and chaat masala.
• Add enough water.
• Have this cool drink as it is or chilled and rejuvenate yourself!

Sending this to EP series-Cilantro-cumin @ErivumPuliyum



I would like to thank Hema of Aromatic Cooking and Julie of Erivum Puliyum for giving me thie 'Versatile Blogger" Award.She has been generous with her encouraging words to my blog.

The rules for accepting this award are:
1. Add the Versatile Blogger Award.
2. Thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link back to their blog.
3. Share 7 completely random pieces of information about yourself.
4. Include this set of rules.
5. Forward this award to 15 fellow bloggers, and inform them with a comment on each of their blogs.


So coming to the 7 random tidbits about me:
-  I started to cook after my graduation and it was always sambar and tri-color sabji during those starting days.
- When it comes to making special meals for special people i can spend hours in the kitchen.
- I feel planning what to cook for a meal is more tedious than the actual cooking bit.
- I love baking especially cupcakes.
- I would love to master bread making with yeast-the monster!
- I love to crochet :)
- I can't stay away from the blog even for a day...i'm addicted to it :)


I would love to pass this award onto a few of my good blogger friends who continue to amaze me with their kitchen experiments!
1.Surabhi Nayak @ My cook Book
2.Usha Rani @ Maha's Lovely Home
3.Simran @ LAzy Cook's kitchen
4.Vimitha Anand @ My culinary Trial room
5.Faseela @ Good Food ends with good talk
6.Julie @ Erivum Puliyum
7.Anisha @ Flavours for u
8. Sobha @ Good Food
9.Kavitha @ Edible Entertainment
10.Rasi @ Vegetarian food & Me
11.Poonam Borkar @ Kande Pohe
12.Asiya@Samaythu Asathalam
13.Vidya@Cook Like Zany
14.Sonali@Only Fish recipes
15.Sangee Vijay@SpicyTreats

Cucumber mint cooler & Awards

The summer is fast approaching and anything cool would do good to our thirsty souls.

Mint Rice

First of all, let me wish all of my wonderful friends a very Happy 2012 :) Hope the new year has been good so far!Its been good for me.Just that I'm lagging behind on my blog!Happy Pongal to everyone too.

I've been away for 2 reasons one my laptop has been broken and this Pongal season brought us a new one and secondly we were away on our Christmas break(which was also our getting well break...yes all of us sick and recovering :( ).So now I have a new laptop(whistles...I've been admiring it :) Dell Inspiron) and thanks to which I'm slowly back to blogging! I just can't even begin to tell anyone how i missed my blog, and it dawned on me that I am addicted to blogging :)

This is my first entry to Kalyani's Magic Mingle(MM).The idea behind MM is each month the blog partners would be given 2 magic ingredients and we need to use both of those magic ingredients in our dishes :) exciting idea isn't it?I was sad when I knew i couldn't post this month, because even though the ingredients for this month - Cinnamon and chillies, initially scared me i eventually found an easy idea-Pudhina/mint rice.Flavored rice is such a blessing, especially when packing lunch boxes.Even my LM seems to like this one.

Magic ingredients

I made pudhina rice often since DH has started carrying lunch.Its quick, easy and tasty :) 3 good enough reasons to make it.

This is how i make it.You need

Rice 2 cups (i used boiled rice)
Onions 1 medium sliced finely
Garam masala whole1 inch pieces 2, cardamom 2 nos, cloves 4 nos
Aniseed 1 tsp
Water 5 and half cups
Curd 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Butter/oil/ghee 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon

Grind to a paste
Mint 1 small bundle/handful
Cilantro 1 small bundle/handful
Ginger 1/2 inch piece
Green chillies 1 (as much as you need)
Cashews 5(you can add more)

•  Heat butter in a pan, fry the washed and drained rice in the butter until the rice turns white and set aside.
• Heat the pressure cooker or heat bottom pan in which you are cooking the rice, heat the butter or oil, add the whole garam masala once it pops, add the chopped onions and fry till soft.
• Add the ground green paste and fry well for 2 minutes.Now add the curd and stir well.
• Add the fried rice and stir well in the green spice mix.
• Add the required amount of water for the rice to cook.
• Add salt to taste.
• Cover and cook for about 15 minutes on medium flame.
• Once the pressure cooker cools down, fluff the rice with a fork.

• Serve the pudhina rice with fried potatos and raita.

Tips:

• I have used boiled rice which can be well substituted with basmati rice.
• The amount of water used will vary from rice to rice.If using basmati rice, you need 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of unsoaked basmati rice.If the rice is soaked, less than 2 cups about 1 and half cups would be sufficient.

Sending this to Magic Mingle @ Sizzling tastebuds and Let's cook #11~Rice@TicklingPalettes

Mint Rice

First of all, let me wish all of my wonderful friends a very Happy 2012 :) Hope the new year has been good so far!Its been good for me.Just that I'm lagging behind on my blog!Happy Pongal to everyone too.

Mint Masala Buttermilk/Lassi

Lassi/ Moru/ buttermilk is a very common thirst quencher/heat buster in India.Its the end of September and I can't believe the heat. I just want to go and dunk my head in a bucket of cold water. This cool lassi would do a great deal to cool your body. In south india, moru is even served as an accompaniment in the veg thaali ( meals).

To make one glass full

Half cup of thick yogurt
One tiny piece of Ginger chopped
Few sprigs of mint
Green chilli 1/4 of one big one ( I do not like it too spicy)

Salt to taste
Water half cup

• Blend all the above and serve in a tall glass.

• Serve chilled or normal temperature.

Mint Masala Buttermilk/Lassi

Lassi/ Moru/ buttermilk is a very common thirst quencher/heat buster in India.Its the end of September and I can't believe the heat. I just want to go and dunk my head in a bucket of cold water. This cool lassi would do a great deal to cool your body. In south india, moru is even served as an accompaniment in the veg thaali ( meals).