Kesari Meethe Chawal | Sweet Saffron Rice | How to make Meethe chawal

This is a celebratory dish,often made on festival of Basant Panchmi in India.

Popular in all parts of Northern India,it is easy to make and delicious to taste.This dish is so simple that you will love making it on all occassions be it pooja,birthdays or festivals.Like all my recipes,this too is suitable for all working ladies and new cooks.
So what are we waiting for.... lets enjoy this traditional recipe!

Preparation Time:15 minutes
Cooking Time:20 minutes
Serves:4

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup rice(long grained)
2. 2 tbsp ghee(clarified butter)
3. 1 cup powdered sugar
4. 1 tbsp warm milk(for mixing kesar)
5. few saffron strands(kesar)
6. 1 tsp cardamom powder
7. 6 almonds or nuts of your choice (sliced)
8. 1 tbsp ghee( for roasting almonds)
9. 2 cups boiling water(for cooking rice)

RECIPE:

1. Add saffron to milk in a small dish and let it stand for 10 minutes.
2. Take a pan.Add ghee ,now roast almonds till golden brown and keep aside.
3. Clean ,wash and soak rice for 10 minutes.Drain and keep aside.
4. Take a heavy bottomed pan,add ghee to it.Add rice and roast it for 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame.
5. Now add boiling water and saffron to the pan.Cover it and let it cook till rice is 80% cooked.Keep stirring so that rice doesnt stick to bottom.
6. Now add sugar and cardamom powder and cook till rice is ready.Donot overcook.
7. Garnish with roasted almonds and serve hot.

Check out following recipes too:

Banana kiwi fruit smoothie,Plum and apple jam|How to make jam at home|Homemade jam,Paneer Manpasand recipe|How to make paneer manpasand,Vanilla Cupcake| Basic Cupcake recipe| How to make Cupcake recipes

Mexican Stuffed French Toast sandwiches recipe|How to make Mexican stuffed French Toast sandwiches

This Mexican stuffed french toast sandwich is nutricious,delicious and quick.

It can be conveniently called STAR amongst breakfast recipes....and at my place it is eaten as Breakfast,Lunch and Dinner(literally!).
So all you multitasking ladies,fresh cooks and teenagers who want to throw a party,this dish is a crowd pleaser.

Preparation time:10 minutes
Cooking time:10 minutes

For Stuffing:

1. 3 tbsp vegetable oil
2. 1 capsicum (choppped)
3. 2 green chillies(finely chopped)
4. 1 tomato(chopped)
5. 1/2 cup boiled corn kernels
6. 2 medium potatoes
7. Salt as per taste
8. black pepper crushed(as per taste)

Other Ingredients:

1. 6 big white bread slices
2. 2 tbsp milk
3. 2 large eggs
4. 2 tbsp butter
5. 2 cups grated cheese(cheese block will  do)

RECIPE:

1. Boil the potatoes and chop them roughly.Donot mash.
2. Take a pan.Add oil to it.Add capsicum,tomatoes and green chillies to it.Saute it for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add potatoes and corn kernels to the pan and saute for 2 more minutes.Take it off heat.
4. In a small bowl,whisk egg and milk together.
5. Now take a skillet over medium heat .Add butter to it.
6. Now dip 2 slices of bread(both sides) into egg milk mix and place them onto buttered skillet.
7. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes till light brown.Do this for both sides of breads.Place the stuffing and grated cheese onto first slice and cover it with second slice.
8. Now cook for 2 to 3 minutes more till all cheese is melted.Remove from heat.
9. Repeat and make two more sandwiches.Serve hot!

Check out following recipes too:

Banana kiwi fruit smoothie,Plum and apple jam|How to make jam at home|Homemade jam,Paneer Manpasand recipe|How to make paneer manpasand,Vanilla Cupcake| Basic Cupcake recipe| How to make Cupcake recipes

Besan Laddoo|how to make Besan Laddoo

Laddoo.......and my son starts mimicking his favourite cartoon character Chhota bheem.

I first made Besan Laddoo on my sons demand.He wanted to become strong by eating laddoo just like chhota bheem.And like a true health conscious mom,I made these healthy Almond induced Laddoo.You should see him relishing these laddoos.Every minute of hardwork is worth it!

Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cooking Time:20 -25 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 500gm besan flour(bengal gram lentil flour)
2. 1/2 cup ghee(clarified butter)
3. 1/2 to 1 cup powdered white sugar
4. 4 tsp cardamom powder
5. 20 almonds powdered(in grinder)

For Garnish:Cashewnuts and pistachios (optional)

RECIPE:

1. Sieve gram flour in a thick bottomed pan.Place the pan on heat.
2. Roast it in low flame until colour changes to brown or deep brown colour.Keep stirring continuously toavoid burning at the bottom.This may take 10 to 12 minutes or more.
3. Take it off the gas.Let it cool a bit.Add sugar and crushed almonds to the mix.
4. Now transfer mix to a bowl and add ghee to it.
5. While mix is still warm ,combine well to form a smooth dough.
6. Now grease hands with ghee,shape balls with your hands.
7. Let the laddoos cool.Transfer the laddoos to airtight container and enjoy them whenever you feel like.

Check out the following recipes too:

Dahi Vada,Mushroom and Corn Puffs,Bread Bonda(Fried bread and potato dumplings),Arum Fry Veggie(Kurkuri Masala Arbi),Punjabi Chole Masala

Hummus recipe|How to make Hummus

Hummus is a middle eastern chickpea based dip.It is now enjoyed worldwide.

Hummus is  a proof that best tastes dont need complicated techniques of cooking.It only needs a few ingredients a nd a mixer.What we usually do with chickpeas is make 

Punjabi Chole Masala or chana masala or chana pulao.But food blogging gives me the joy of trying out new dishes and then share that with world.

Hummus can do much more than just cling to a croot or cucumber stick.It can be added to salads,sandwiches,rolls,breads,crackers etc.What more .......it is so simple to make at home.It is only the sequence of ingredients that you have to take care of.

I was introduced to Hummus for the first time by a friend,an Australian resident,who was visiting India.She was praisin g this guilt free dip and I was staring hard at her.That was when she explained me all about it.I tasted it and was bowled over instantly.

Preparation Time:20 minutes

Cooking Time:10 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 250 gm chickpeas
2. 3-4 cups of water
3. 2 garlic cloves(chopped)
4. 1 cup chickpeas stock
5. 2 tbsp thaini paste(sesame seeds paste)
6. 3 tbsp lemon juice
7. 1 tsp crushed sea salt
8. 1 tsp cumin powder
9. 1 tsp paprika powder
10. 6 to 8 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For granish(optional):Coriander or Parsley leaves

RECIPE:

1. Take chickpeas in a pressure cooker.Add garlic and water to it.Let it cook on high heat for 15 to 20 minutes till chickpeas are toatlly soft.Now drain and cool them.
2. Now take a mixer.Add tahini and lemon juice to it.Blend it well.
3. Add remaining ingredients and blend them well for a while till you get an extra smooth Hummus.
4. Hummus can be refrigerated for upto three days and kept in freezer for a month.Add olive oil whenever you want to use it.

Check out following recipes too:

Dahi Vada,Mushroom and Corn Puffs,Bread Bonda(Fried bread and potato dumplings),Arum Fry Veggie(Kurkuri Masala Arbi),Punjabi Chole Masala

Banana kiwi fruit smoothie

A health drink,energy booster,crowd pleaser and pleasant part of brunches and breakfast.....that is what smoothies are all about!

Simple is beautiful.And that is what I love about this drink.Just whiz everything together and voila!your smoothie is ready.

My son lend his hand (very enthusiastically) in making this drink.A time will come when I will have to officially hand over the charge of making smoothies for my entire family ,to my four year old.
Kids are often tired of eating fruits.Smoothies are the easiest way to let kids try different types of fruits/.
P.S: Adults,this is guilt free!

Cooking time:10 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 2 ripe bananas(peeled  and chopped)
2. 1 kiwifruit(peeled and cooked)
3. 5 tbsp yogurt/dahi
4. 2 tbsp milk
5. Sugar(if you need it)
6. Crushed ice(if you need it)

RECIPE:

1. Take a pan,add kiwi fruit to it and let it simmer for  a minute till soft.I have included this step only as a precaution.Because if eaten raw ,kiwi can cause irritation in throats of some people.(you can totally avoid this step too).
2. Now put all ingredients in blender .Process untill smooth.Pour in a glass and enjoy!

Check out the following recipes too:

Dahi Vada,Mushroom and Corn Puffs,Bread Bonda(Fried bread and potato dumplings),Arum Fry Veggie(Kurkuri Masala Arbi),Punjabi Chole Masala

Tandoori aloo|Tandoori Aloo tikka|How to make Tandoori Aloo without oven

One late evening,when I returned from clinic,I found my hubby had got a kilo of baby potatoes.

His wish was to cook his all time favourite Dum aloo.But I had something else in my mind.A foodie had asked for this recipe.And I had promised her  too.Here was my chance to please my hubby and make my foodie friend happy  too.So here I present an easy and fast method of making tandoori aloo.

 Preparation Time:1 hour 15 minutes

Cooking Time:15 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 8 medium baby potatoes
2. 4 tbsp refined sunflower oil 

For marinade:

1. 1 cup beaten curd
2. 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
3. 2 tbsp lemon juice
4. 1 tsp turmeric pwder
5. 2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
6. 1 tsp garam masala/tandoori masala
7. salt as per taste

For garnish:

1. Kashmiri red chilli flakes
2. Pinch of chaat masala

RECIPE:

1. Wash,half boil and peel baby potatoes.
2. Pierce them with a fork and keep aside.
3. Take a bowl .Add all marinade ingredients in it and mix well.
4. Add potatoes in the bowl and coat well.
5. Let the potatoes marinade for an hour in fridge.
6. Heat oil in a non stick pan and start adding potatoes to it.Close the lid and let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes till dry.
7. Take off the heat and  garnish with kashmiri red chilli flakes and chaat masala.
8. Serve hot with coriander chutney.

                                                                                                                                                        

Check out the following recipes too:

Dahi Vada,Penne pasta in white sauce,Bread Bonda(Fried bread and potato dumplings)  ,       Bharva Karela(Bitter Gourd Veggie)   , Bharva Gobi(Cauliflower Veggie) ,   Garlic bread (a loaf)                 

                           

Plum and apple jam|How to make jam at home|Homemade jam

Jam at home??You must be wondering that why to make jam at home.

Well the reasons being,its fresh,hygienic and organic.Over riped fruits dont get thrown away.The recipe needs only 40minutes approximately the time of 2 episodes of a daily soap.

Convinced.I hope so.You wouldnt believe how wonderful it tastes.The consistency is not very thick but its oh so yummy.You can store it in fridge for upto three weeks(if it doesnt get over before that).

You can get creative and make label for your jam.So guys Happy jamming!!

Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cooking time:40 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 250 gm plums(chopped,seed removed)
2. 2  medium apples(peeled,cored and chopped)
3. 1 cup powdered sugar
4. 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
5. 1 sterilised glass jar(for storing jam)
6. 1 cup water

RECIPE:

1. Place water,plum and apples in a frying pan and simmer on high heat.Simmer until fruit is softened that is for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Add sugar over low heat and stir until dissolved.Add lemon juice and stir.
3. Boil this mixture for 15 minutes more till it becomes gelatinous.
4. We dont need artificial pectin as apples provide pectin and make our jam gelatinous.
5. Take off the heat and let it cool.
6. Put the mix in mixer and grind to get that extra smooth texture.
7. Store in glass jars.Serve with bread,pancakes or just eat it on its own:)

Check out the following recipes too:

Dahi Vada,Mushroom and Corn Puffs,Bread Bonda(Fried bread and potato dumplings),Arum Fry Veggie(Kurkuri Masala Arbi),Punjabi Chole Masala