EASY CHEESY VEGGIE MACARONI~ for kids

Ingredients-

• 1 cup macaroni
• ½ cup mixed vegetables(carrots, beans, cauliflower, beans, corn)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large tomato, pureed
• Ginger and garlic chopped-1/2 tbsp
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tsp plain flour(maida)
• Cheese spread- 4 tbsp
• Oregano- 1 tbsp
• Chilli flakes-acc  to taste
• Black pepper-1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Butter-2 tbsp

 Method-

1. Boil macaroni in plenty of water in a heavy pan, till almost done, drain under running water, splash a bit of oil on top to keep from sticking to each other.
2. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan on low heat and sauté onions till soft, add ginger garlic and then tomato puree, cook well till it starts leaving sides of the pan.
3. Add the vegetables into pan along with ½ cup water and cook till veggies are tender.
4. On the other side make the white sauce- heat a tbsp of butter and add flour, roast the flour over low heat for a minute or so, tip in the milk stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed.Let milk thicken, season with salt and pepper and keep aside.
5. Once veggies are tender, add macaroni to it and toss well, season with salt, pepper n oregano.
6. Take a serving dish and layer white sauce at the bottom, spread out the macaroni on it and spoon the cheese spread on top, garnish with chilli flakes.
7. Cheese will melt in a minute.Serve hot with toasted garlic bread.
   

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AN ITALIAN SUMMER RHAPSODY~ MANGO PANNA COTTA

Panna cotta (from Italian cooked cream) is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk, and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. It is generally believed to have originated in the Northern Italian region of Piedmont although it is eaten all over Italy, where it is served with wild berries, caramel, chocolate sauce, or fruit coulis.(source- wikipedia)

My first tryst with this beloved Italian darling.. Panna cotta is the simplest of desserts — a softly set pudding that, at its most elemental, is made with cream, sugar, and gelatin. which gives it a smooth mouthfeel and a melt-in-the-mouth texture. But you can create a wide spectrum of taste and richness depending on the type of dairy and fruit used. You can create a very light, soft pudding using milk and fruit puree, or an intensely rich, thick pudding using mostly cream. 

Panna cotta can always be the right dessert — whether you're throwing a fancy party or a small one, have lots of time or no time, are gluten-free, dairy-free, allergy-prone, vegan, or simply craving a delicious and creamy sweet. It's perfect.
Before you emabark on this silky journey you might want to lap up some more info, tips and tricks- 3 keys to perfect Panna cotta

This dessert can be made ahead of time and will keep fresh for 2-3 days, the options are almost limitless! I picked the recipe I wanted to try from Deeba’s Blog since she too blogs from India.

Ingredients:

• 50ml milk, lukewarm
• 2tsp gelatin
• 500ml low-fat cream {20-25%}
• 1 tin sweetened condensed milk {approx 400ml}
• 2 mangoes, peeled, diced {approx 500g net}
• Fresh mint to garnish

Method:

1. Sprinkle the gelatin over lukewarm milk and leave to stand for 5 minutes to soften.
2. Place the condensed milk and cream in a heavy bottom pan and whisk to blend. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a bare boil. Take off heat and whisk the gelatin mixture in well. Strain and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Reserve 3/4 cup diced mangoes for topping. Divide the rest between the serving glasses, alternately you can puree and fold in the mangoes. Gently pour the cooked cream over.
4. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours {preferably overnight} until set.
5. Top with the reserved diced mango and garnish with fresh mint.
6. Serve chilled. {Keeps refrigerated for 2-3 days}

Need more Inspiration to cook this Summer favourite???read on…

• a la cuisine!: Coconut Panna Cotta & Pineapple Gelée Terrine
• Aesthetic Appetite: Rosemary Panna Cotta
• Chez Pim: Pumpkin and Coconut Milk Panna Cotta
• Cooking Debauchery: Cardamom Panna Cotta
• Curiously Ravenous: Pandan Panna Cotta
• David Lebovitz: Perfect Panna Cotta Recipe
• epicurious: Green Tea Panna Cotta with Strawberries
• Gourmantine’s Blog: Double Chocolate Panna Cotta
• Making Life Delicious: Chocolate Panna Cotta with Raspberry Gelée & Orange Florentines
• Moveable Feasts: Rosewater Panna Cotta with Rhubarb Verrine
• Italian Food Forever: Chocolate Panna Cotta with Espresso Cream
• My Kitchen Snippets: Panna Cotta with Raspberry Sauce
• Panna Cotta: How to Make Panna Cotta
• Serious Eats: Luscious, Light Panna Cottas
• Tasting Menu: Perfecting Panna Cotta
• There’s a Newf in My Soup: Meyer Lemon & Basil Crème Fraiche Panna Cotta with Blackberry Puree
• Use Real Butter: Espresso Panna Cotta

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HOLI SPECIAL!! DAHI BHALLA, CRISPY BESAN SEV, CAPE GOOSEBERRY JAM AND TIPS FOR A SAFE HOLI

 Here's wishing all my beautiful readers a colourful Holi!
We are moving towards warmer weather and the palate craves some spicy cooling foods along with Holi staples like Gujiya and Thandai. Gujiya we bought this year and I made the spicy stuff!!My mom loves Chaat and the likes on Holi and we usually make it every year.So here we go...

 DAHI~BHALLA(Dahi Vada/ Lentil dumplings in spicy yogurt)

 

FOR Detailed recipe just click HERE 

            AND CRISPY BESAN SEV

                      FOR Detailed recipe just click HERE

Also Cape Gooseberries are in season yet again and I made huge batches of my famous Cape Gooseberry Jam(Rasbhari Jam). For the recipe, just click right HERE

 

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PAPER BOAT BEVERAGES- THE HOT NEW WAY TO BEAT THE HEAT!

Its 12pm..I am at work and trust me I am bored..I take a piece of orange colored paper and try to make a boat out of it, one of those paper boats we used to make as kids, especially during the rains and let them loose under rainy torrents. So I fold this way and that but I cant make the boat..its been so long..have I forgotten how to make it???

Weird how I got down  to making this..how did it cross my mind?? Oh yeah .. I received a package from paper boat drinks and that’s how the whole –making the paper boat thing started!! Well more about that later...Right now I am eager to share my package with you!!

 Cute, cute, cute…I loved the packaging, so fresh and hep! Once opened there were some unusual flavours and I could not wait to taste them, so one after the other the packs were opened, poured into a tall glass, clunked in some ice cubes and voila!I am a happy girl!!

AAMRAS

JALJEERA

JAMUN KALA KHATTA

IMLI KA AMLANA

AAM PANNA

Wow! Man I sure was impressed and eager to lap it all up!!

Here is a shot of my favourite- Imli ka Aamlana with Besan methi ki roti and a dollop of butter...yummmm

One click onto their site and a calmness washed over me, I could spend hours here...

I think u guys must try these cutesy yummy drinks and as for me, I' ve found a way to beat the heat and office boredom on sultry summer afternoons!!!!

NOTE: I finally made the orange paper boat, after following instructions at their site lolzzz

Call them at:
+91-124-4222034/33

Mail them at:
paperboat@hectorbeverages.com
hector@hectorbeverages.com

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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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