TRY THESE DELICIOUS MAHASHIVRATRI RECIPES!

Shivaratri (literally meaning Shiva's night) is a festival of great significance for Hindus all over the world AND especially for those of Kashmir. It is symbolic of the mystic union of Jiva (soul) with Paramatma (the Supreme God) and it represents the highest state of spirituality

If you ask each and every devotee of Lord Shiva then they will tell you that the Maha Shivaratri Fast or vrat vidhi is the most important of all because if a devotee with a pure and sane heart observes Shivaratri vrat then he/she is blessed with the diving blessings and grace of Lord Shiva. Some of the foods that are religiously followed on the Maha Shivaratri vrat is - Fruits and milk is really very important. The extreme devotees step up it up a notch and do not take in even a drop of water through the day and night. 

Here is a compilation of recipes from my blog which I plan to make, HAVE FUN! 

 FROZEN PINEAPPLE YOGURT

EASIEST COCONUT LADDUS IN THE WORLD

 

DULCE DE LECHE CARAMELS

CREAMY STRAWBERRY YOGURT

PANEER SHASHLIK

CRISP ALOO TIKKIS

HOMESTYLE POTATOES (TARI WALE ALOO)

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SPICY BEAN BURRITOS WITH SALSA AND SOUR CREAM~ from a scratch!

An old time buddy and Fitness enthusiast Nitin who blogs here has been asking me to make these since long, sparking the fire to learn more about World cuisine, so today I got down to making these and the freshness, taste and health benefits of this handy snack took me by surprise!! This one is definitely going into lunchboxes, frozen for meals in a jiffy, as well as smaller versions  as party snacks….the creativity with these is simply endlesss!!!

Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients, they are however quite simple to make with a little bit of prep, and quite resemble our very own Indian Kathi rolls.

What I got to know about them-

Burritos are a traditional food of Ciudad Juárez, a city in Mexico, where people buy them at restaurants and roadside stands, burritos are one of the most popular examples of Mexican cuisine outside of Mexico.

Varieties of Burritos- 
Breakfast burrito

The breakfast burrito, a variety of American breakfast, is composed of breakfast items wrapped inside a flour tortilla. This style was invented and popularized in several different regional American cuisines

 Smothered burrito(Wet burrito style)

A smothered (often called "wet" or enchilada style) burrito is smothered with a red chili sauce similar to enchilada sauce with melted shredded cheese on top.

A burrito bowl is not technically a burrito, as it consists of burrito fillings served without the tortilla, with the fillings placed in a bowl, and a layer of rice at the bottom.

A chimichanga is a deep-fried burrito popular in Southwestern and Tex-Mex cuisines, and in the Mexican states.

NOW LETS MAKE ‘EM!

For the tortillas-

• 2 cups plain flour
• ½ cup wholewheat flour
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Warm water for kneading

For the filling-

• 1 cup Haricot beans(rajma)/ Chickpeas (boiled and lightly mashed)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• Spring onion greens- 1 cup sliced
• Tomato-1 medium chopped
• Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tsp.
• Hot sauce- 2 tbsp
• Jalapenos- ½ cup sliced
• Tomato ketchup-1/2 cup
• Corn kernels-1/2 cup
• Olive oil- 1tsp
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Fresh chopped coriander leaves

 For the Salsa-

• ½ cup sliced spring onions
• ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
• 1 grated carrot
• ½ cup shredded lettuce
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Coriander leaves chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

 For the Sour cream-

• ½ cup fresh cream
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

 For finishing-

• ½ cup Shredded cheese of choice

 METHOD-

Make the tortillas-

Combine flour, wholewheat flour, oil, salt and knead into a pliable dough with warm water.

Let the dough rest for 1 hour

Knead again and roll out into discs just like chapatis and of the same thickness, stack and keep warm

Make the filling-

Heat oil in a pan and add ginger-garlic paste, followed by onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, corn and the boiled beans, cook for 5-10 minutes till soft and dry.Add rest of ingredients and cook for a further 10 minutes. Keep aside to cool.Taste and adjust seasoning, at this point you can add more chopped green chillies if you like it hot!

Make the salsa-

In a large salad bowl combine all the ingredients for the salsa and toss wel, taste and adjust seasoning.

Make the sour cream-

Combine all the ingredients and mix well, keep aside.

FOR FINAL ASSEMBLY-

Take 1 tortilla and add 2-3 tbsp of the filling, layer with the salsa and sour cream, lastly shredded cheese, roll up and wrap in silver foil.

Eat them hot :-0

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UNBAKED STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE~with 7 ingredients only!

“I think cheesecake helps call attention to you. Then you can follow through and prove yourself.”-Marilyn Monroe

Judging by the looks of it, it seems that Marilyn DID love Cheesecake A LOT!!!
There have been odes written about this irresistible dessert..who thought that it would be so easy to make!!Though for a lot of people a cheesecake simply means a huge number of calories, but in this recipe the calories are minimal, the fresh fruit in abundance..and the recipe really, really simple and easy to make.
We liked it very much, the creaminess of the cheese offset by the acidity and tanginess of the strawberries,I will be making this throughout the Summer months for sure!

INGREDIENTS

For the biscuit base-

• 100 gms/1 pkt Britannia Digestive biscuits
• 80gms Salted butter(Amul)

For the filling

• 400 gms Thick curd (Dahi, I used Nestle A+)
• 200 ml Cream (I used Amul)
• ¾ cup Powdered sugar
• 250 gms Fresh strawberries (reserve some for topping)
• Gelatin- 2 tbsp

METHOD-

Make the crunchy salted biscuit base-

1. Blitz the digestives with 2 tbsp powdered sugar till they resemble breadcrumbs.
2. Add melted butter and press well with fingertips onto a springform pan.Level with the back of a spoon, esp. along the sides.
3. Keep in the fridge to Chill well

 Make the filling-

1. Hang the curd in a muslin cloth till whey drips out( about 2 hrs).
2. Blitz the washed and hulled strawberries with ½ cup powdered sugar.
3. Add the thick curd to the strawberries and process for 2 minutes till smooth and creamy.
4. Measure out gelatin in a small bowl, add ½ cup room temp. water and place on top of double boiler, for 8-10 minutes, till gelatin melts and turns into a clear liquid, DO NOT stir.
5. Whip fresh cream till stiff peaks form.
6. To the curd-strawberry mixture pour in gelatin and process for a minute till well combined.
7. Lastly fold in whipped cream lightly.
8. Pour onto prepared  chilled biscuit base
9. Leave to chill atleast 2 hours or better still, overnight.
10. Run a knife along sides of the set cheesecake to loosen, then remove base of pan to release.
11. Top with sliced fresh strawberries/ macerated with sugar strawberries or strawberry conserve/jelly , as desired.
12. Serve chilled.

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