Sabudaana kheer

                 Kheer is a famous dessert of India with infinite variations. The main component being milk which is paired with another ingredient to get the desired kheer. Bottle gourd kheer, rice kheer and Sabudana kheer are some of my favorites.

                Sabudana is the Hindi name for Sago. These white little pearls are rich in carbohydrates and act as a fuel for the body. We consume sago water mostly when we are sick or have an upset stomach. If you are skinny and wish to gain weight in a healthy way then Sago is the best option.

                Today's Sabudana kheer is a delight for sweet lovers. It is easy to put together the only time consuming step being the soaking of sabudana or sago pearls. Sabudana kheer is mostly served with pooris, the pooris in this case being similar to gujiyas that are made during the festival of Holi. Here comes the detailed recipe :-

Ingredients:

1.  Sabudana - 1 cup
2. Milk -2 1/2 cups
3. Sugar - 3/4 cup
4. Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
5. Cashews - few
6. Almonds - few
7. Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method:

• Wash and soak the sabudana in water for approximately 30 minutes in a cooking vessel.
• Place the vessel on stove (containing both sabudana and water used for soaking) and let the sabudana cook through. May take around 10 to 15 minutes. 
• Now add the sugar. You may adjust the sugar level to your liking.
• Once the sugar has dissolved add the cardamom powder. Mix well. Turn out the flame.
• Soak or boil cashews and almonds and cut them very finely.
• In a pan heat ghee and add cashews and almonds and fry till browned. Remove to a plate. (If you wish you can skip this step and add the nuts directly while serving). Add the remaining ghee to the sabudana mixture.
• Heat milk and add it to the prepared sabudana mixture. 
• Garnish with fried cashews and almonds.
• Serve immediately or chilled.

                                             

You may also like to try other desserts like Vermicelli kheer, Orange kheer, Bread Rasmalai, Aloo ka meetha and Gulgule from My Mom's Kitchen.

Happy Cooking!!!

Turai kheema (Ridge gourd & minced meat curry)

             Turai which is known as Ridge gourd in English when paired with minced meat or kheema gives a beautiful delicious side dish that tastes best with chapathis or soft phulkas. An ideal dish for breakfast.

           Ridge gourd is an excellent blood purifier and beneficial for diabetes and a cure for jaundice. Being low in calories it aids in weight loss and has a good content of Vitamin C and B. It is also a good source of zinc, iron, manganese, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.

          There are few points to remember while preparing this curry. First, do a taste check - the turai or ridge gourd can be bitter so it is important that you taste all the raw gourds before you cook lest the entire curry will turn bitter even if one gourd was bitter. Next the gourds reduces significantly in volume while cooking and finally, while peeling the gourd leave a little bit of green here and there like in the picture added below to keep the gourd firm or it will turn too soft and mushy. Here comes the recipe in detail :-

Ingredients:

1. Ridge gourd - 1 kg
2. Minced meat - 250 gms
3. Onion - 1 no
4. Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
6. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
7. Methi (small variety) - 2 bunches
8. Coriander leaves - few
9. Green chillies - 2 to 3 nos
10. Salt - to taste
11. Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

• Peel the ridge gourd. Do a taste check (refer paragraph above). Wash and chop finely like in the picture below.

• Wash and clean the minced meat. Drain the water completely.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel.
• Add finely chopped onion. Saute over a minute.
• Add salt, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix well.
• Add the minced meat. Give a quick stir. 
• Now add the ridge gourd. Mix very well. Cover and cook on low flame while stirring occasionally. 
• Add the chopped methi leaves along with chopper coriander leaves. Slit and the green chillies as well. Continue to cover and cook on low flame for another 5 to 7 minutes or till the water dries up.
• Serve hot.

                                                       


         You may also like to try Palak kheema, Kheema baingan masala, Aloo kheema, Beans & minced meat curry and Kababchini ka kheema from My Mom's Kitchen.

Do come back to tell me your experience.

     I will meet you with my next post till then....

Happy Cooking!!!

Pista milk

               Pista milk is a refreshing drink that can be served warm in winter and chilled during summer season.

       
                Among all the nuts pista has always been my favourite. Removing its shell has been my childhood craze and then collecting the shells to make designs is a hobby that I still love to continue it was only sometimes that when the shells were too hard to remove and made my nails break that I hated them, nostalgia! However dad now gets the unshelled pistas and that also speeds up my cooking and eating process alike.
   
                Pistachios are loaded with nutrients, high in antioxidants and therefore this Pista milk brings a delicious and nutritious substitute to the daily plain milk. It is absolutely easy to make, put together in minutes. This can also be served in parties as a welcome drink. To make it appear more colourful you can also add green edible food colour towards the end of the recipe. Here comes the recipe in detail :-

Ingredients:

1. Milk - 1 & 1/2 cups
2. Pistachios - 2 tbsp
3. Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Sugar - 2 tsp

Method:

• Soak pista in half a cup of boiled milk for some time.
• Grind it to a coarse paste.
• Boil the remaining one cup of milk. 
• Add the ground paste along with sugar and cardamom.
• Adjust sugar level as per your liking.
• Cook on low flame for another 5 minutes. 
• Garnish with crushed pista and serve warm or chilled. 

                             You may also like to try Badam milk, Dry fruit milkshake, Milk sherbet, Strawberry milkshake and Mango milkshake from My Mom's Kitchen.

  Write your thoughts below in the comments...

             Connect with me on facebook and instagram

             Happy Cooking!!! 

Almond pilaf (Badam-i-pulao)

                        Today, I have an interesting recipe for you called Almond pilaf that can be a star dish on your next party table.

                                     

                    Going by the name this pilaf or pulao as we call it, is full of almonds that give a delightful crunch against the soft grainy texture of rice. Almonds give a royal look to this dish besides adding to the nutritional value they being a power house of  Vitamin E and antioxidants. The greens included here add to the visual appeal and the dish in itself is very quick and easy to prepare while also projecting the feeling to your guests that you have put in a lot of effort (a win win situation).

                    The Almond pilaf presented here is served with Hyderabadi kofta curry, however this can also be served with Hyderabadi bagaare baingan and it also tastes equally good with Mirchi ka salan (with capsicum), or also with Chicken khorma and Chicken curry while you can also try serving it with Dum ke tamaate. Here comes the recipe of Almond pilaf in detail:-

Ingredients:

1. Rice - 500 gms
2. Onion - 1 no
3. Almonds - 1cup
4. Shahjeera (caraway seeds) - 1 tsp
5. Cinnamon stick - 1 piece
6. Green chillies - 4 nos
7. Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
8. Mint leaves - 1 bunch
9. Salt - to taste
10. Oil/ghee - 3 tbsp
11. Water - as required

Method:

• Wash and soak rice grains in water for atleast half an hour. Basmati preferred.
• Take water in a vessel to cook rice.
• Slit and add green chillies to the boiling water for cooking rice.
• Break cinnamon stick into two to three pieces and add it to the water.
• Add caraway seeds/shahjeera and let water come to a rolling boil.
• The water turns slightly greenish, at this stage add the soaked rice grains. Cook the rice completely. 

                                     

• In the meantime, heat oil or ghee and fry onions till golden brown. Remove to an absorbent sheet.
• In the same oil fry almonds. Remove to an absorbent sheet. Preserve and use this oil while layering.
• Now, that the rice is cooked drain the water completely. Remove to a strainer to ease the process.

                     

                 

• Now start layering the rice. First take rice add some chopped coriander and mint leaves followed by fried onion and almonds. Add a tablespoon of oil pouring it all over the rice.
• Next add rice making another layer. Again add coriander leaves, mint leaves, fried onions and almonds and a tablespoon of oil.
• Repeat the same step if you are still left with rice. The final layer being the garnish on top.
• Cover and cook on low flame for another 5 to 7 minutes.
• Serve hot.

                If you are looking for more rice recipes then do check out Bagaara khaana, Achari chana pulao, Boot pulao, Fitni pulao and Chana vegetable biryani from My Mom's Kitchen.

Share what you think of it in the comments section below.

Happy Cooking!!!

Mirchi ka salan (with capsicum)

                        Today this recipe of mine marks 150th recipe on my dear blog! So, I wished to keep it a special one, one of my favourites and also a special dish from the Hyderabadi cuisine and one dish that perfectly adhered to all categories above was Mirchi ka salan or like we say in the plural form mirchiyon ka salan. This is my personal favourite as my biryani is incomplete without this being my side. And nothing worse for a Hyderabadi to have its Biryani's taste spoiled.

                        Mirchi ka salan literally meaning pepper curry is a rich curry with the base of selected ground ingredients like coconut, sesame seeds and peanuts. It is rich in taste and the richness is further exalted with spices like mustard seeds (rai), cumin seeds (jeera), nigella seeds (kalonji) and fenugreek seeds (methi). Out of context, but I've recently read and like to share that 63% of the world's cumin seeds is consumed in India.
                   

                      Like I mentioned above, Mirchi ka salan is generally an accompaniment to biryanis along side Dahi ki chutney. Here, as you will see in the picture below, it is served with Methi Vegetable Pulao. While this curry can be made with any type of green peppers I am sharing the recipe using green bell peppers or capsicum or shimla mirchi.

                      This recipe is absolutely easy, a beginner level one and very quick to make when you have got all the ingredients ready on hand. This recipe can be halved or doubled as per need. Here comes the detailed recipe :-

Ingredients:

1. Capsicum - 7 to 8 nos
2. Tomatoes - 4 nos
3. Dry coconut - 1 no
4. Peanuts - 4 tbsp
5. Sesame seeds - 4 tbsp
6. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
7. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
8. Nigella seeds (kalonji) - 1 tsp
9. Fenugreek seeds (methi) - 1 tsp
10. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs for tempering + 2 sprigs with twigs
11. Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
12. Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
13. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
14. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
15. Salt - to taste
16. Tamarind extract - 1 cup
17. Oil - 5 tbsp

Method:

• Dry roast coconut, sesame seeds and peanuts. Grind to a fine paste altogether or one by one and remove to a plate. Add about a spoonful of water to keep the paste moist.
• To the ground paste also add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and ginger garlic paste.
• Take a fistful of tamarind and soak it in water for atleast 15 to 20 minutes. (The longer you soak, the better) Extract the juice and keep aside till ready to use.
• Wash the capsicum well. Cut the stalks(not entirely). Using a sharp knife make two small slits one horizontal and other vertical like in the picture below.

                              

• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel.  
• Add the seeds - mustard, cumin, fenugreek and nigella. 
• Once they crackle add the curry leaves followed by capsicum. Cover with lid and cook till the capsicum gets fried or begin to change their colour. Stir frequently in between.
• Next, add the grounded masala paste with 1/4th cup of water.
• Now add in the extracted tamarind juice.
• Cut the tomatoes into quarters or halves like in the picture below. Add them to the gravy.

                                                             


                                                          

• Cover and cook on low flame till it comes to a boil and also till the tomatoes have softened a bit. Adjust the amount of salt.

• Add the curry leaves with the twig just as they are like in the above picture followed by chopped coriander leaves.
• Cook on low flame for another 5 to 7 minutes.  Turn out the flame.
• Serve hot with rice.

 

               Even though this curry is made specially to accompany biryani or pulao it tastes equally good with simple plain steamed rice and papads or  Boondi. Do try it!

               If you are looking for more capsicum recipes then do check out Carrot capsicum rice, Onion capsicum masala, Lobia chawal, Fresh green salad and Lobia salad from My Mom's Kitchen.

              

Do try and share your thoughts with me.

Happy Cooking!!!

Boondi

                   Boondi is a savory snack in India that is relished by all age groups. They are crisp and appetizing and hard to resist.

                   These are called boondi as when the batter falls down into the frying pan through the slotted spatula it falls in the form of small drops and drops in Hindi are called boond and so the name boondi - solely my interpretation 😎

                  We always had store brought boondi and as a kid I could never imagine making it at home. These round shaped balls always fascinated me and I was sure that there was a complex procedure involved behind it. Then, one day I heard that one of my maternal cousin makes it at home for her family and I was curious, at last, I laid my hand on the recipe and I must admit it is the easiest recipe ever. It requires minimal ingredients and even those that are almost always present in an Indian kitchen. Note that you will need a slotted spoon for this recipe. Here comes the detailed recipe :-

Ingredients:

1. Besan/gram flour - 4 tbsp
2. Rice flour - 2 tbsp
3. Chilli powder - 1tsp
4. Baking soda - a pinch 
5. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
6. Salt - to taste
7. Oil - for frying

Method:

• In a mixing bowl, sieve together besan and rice flour.
• Add chilli powder, salt and baking soda. Mix well.
• Take a cup of water and add it little by little to get a thick batter but of running consistency. You may require more or less of water to get the right consistency.

• Heat oil for frying in a kadhai or deep bottomed vessel.
• Hold a slotted spatula a little above the vessel. Using another spoon add the mixture. You can use this other spoon to help the batter pass through or gently shake the slotted spoon itself.
• Once the boondi gets fried or turns golden brown on all the sides remove to an absorbent sheet. Repeat the process with the entire batter and fry boondi.
• Once all the boondi is fried, in the same pan or in another one heat little oil and add the curry leaves. Remove these and add it to the prepared boondi. You can also crush them while adding.
• Serve hot.

                  Boondi can be stored in an air tight container for quite a long period of time and can also be used in preparation of other recipes such as boondi raita or carried for picnics or served along a cup of tea or with steamed rice along with a curry or just relish it on its own. The delicious taste will always keep you craving for more.

                  You may also like to try other snacks recipes such as Chudwa, Chana dal snack, Masala Lobia, Sukha bhel and Masala Chana Chaat from My Mom's Kitchen.

If you have tried any of the recipe from My Mom's Kitchen you can upload the pic of your dish on our facebook page. 

           Share your thoughts with me in the comments section below.

           Happy Cooking!!!

Tomato Upma

                             Walk down the south Indian menu and you will find a variety of breakfast dishes of which Upma is an integral part. Upma again is made in different ways and today I'm sharing with you an easy tomato based tangy Tomato Upma.

                               

                             The key ingredient in a Upma is sooji or rava or semolina. Semolina is high in protein, rich in B vitamins like folate and thiamine and also has large amounts of Selenium, that works as an anti-oxidant and helps in strengthening the immune system.

                             This tomato upma can be served along side a vegetable preparation and in this case it is served with Carrot beans fry. You can also serve it with a dal such as Hyderabadi khatti dal.

                            To add a crunch to this soft upma you can add peanuts or cashew nuts while frying the tomatoes.  Here comes the detailed recipe :-

Ingredients:

1. Sooji/rava/semolina - 1 & 1/2 cups
2. Tomato - 3 nos
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
5. Green chillies - 4 nos
6. Coriander leaves - few
7. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
8. Salt - to taste
9. Oil - 2 tbsp
10. Water - 2 glasses

Method :

• Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel.
• Add mustard seeds, when they splutter add curry leaves followed by roughly chopped tomatoes.
• Add turmeric powder, slit green chillies, coriander leaves and salt to taste. 
• Cover with lid and cook till tomatoes turn pulpy.
• Remove the lid and add water.
• Next add in the sooji or semolina.  Keep stirring as you add in the sooji to avoid any lump formation. Give a good mix. As soon as the water dries up switch off the gas.
• Serve hot.

                             For more tomato recipes check out Tomato spaghetti, Tomato soup, Sutriyan, Tomato chutney and Dum ke tamate from My Mom's Kitchen.


Do come back to tell me your experience. 

I will meet you with my next post till then....

Happy Cooking!!!

Shikampur kebab

                   While we all know Ramadan's Eid is all about sheerkhurma Bakrid has a few special dishes allotted to itself too. In my home, the Bakrid breakfast is strictly to be chapatis with Shami kebab and the recipe that am sharing today, that is - Shikampur kebab.

 

         Shikampur Kebabs are usually made alongside the Shami kebab as the basic ingredients are the same. While Shami kebabs are directly shaped and fried shikampur kebabs are stuffed with an onion mixture that has a generous amount of lemon squeezed into it and this gives the unique taste to the kebabs. The difference also lies in the shape, the shikampur kebabs are round to form the cavity for stuffing while the shami kebabs are diamond shaped.

        Shikampur kebabs are crisper on the outside and very soft inside. They also like shami kebab are shallow fried on a pan. Here comes the detailed recipe :-

Ingredients:

1. Minced meat - 150gms
2. Moong dal - 50 gms
3. Coriander leaves - few
4. Mint leaves - few
5. Green Chilies - 3 to 4 nos
6. Ginger garlic paste - 1tbsp
7. Red chili powder - 1tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
9. Salt - to taste
10. Oil - to grease hand
11. Water - 1cup

for stuffing:

1. Onion - 1 no
2. Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
3. Red chili powder - 1 tsp
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Coriander leaves - few
6. Mint leaves - few
7. Salt - to taste

Method:

• Wash minced meat with water and allow the water to drain completely. Keep aside.
• Wash the dal and keep aside. You may also soak the dal for an hour or so.
• In a kadai or wok add all the ingredients except oil.
• Cook till the water dries up completely while stirring occasionally.
• Remove to a plate and let it cool down.

                                   

• Once cooled, grind to a fine paste.

                           

• In a mixing bowl take finely chopped onion and add the rest of the ingredients mentioned for stuffing. Mix well.
• Grease your palm with oil.
• Take a lemon sized ball. Flatten it on your palm.

                           

• Add a spoonful of onion mixture in the center. Bring together all the ends and seal them. 

                                                       

 

• Gently tap to smooth the surface from top

                  
                                                      

• Repeat with rest of the mixture.
• Heat a pan.
• Add a drop of oil and place the shikampur kebabs 3 to 4 at a time with a little distance in between.
• Add more oil from the sides. Turn over, when golden brown.
• Add more oil from the sides. When golden brown on both sides remove them to a plate.
• Serve hot.

                          Accompany these delicious Shikampur kebabs with Til ki Chutney for a flavorful night out.

                          You can also substitute moong dal with chana dal or split chickpeas and make this recipe and in this case you may have to pressure cook instead of using a wok, the rest of the recipe remains the same.

                          You may also like to try Kheema cutlet, Kheema Luqmi, Kheema Macaroni, Kheema Seviyan Biryani and Mutton kebabs from My Mom's Kitchen.

                          Do share your views with me in the comments section below.

Happy Cooking!!!
                         

Vegetable Macaroons

                        Hello all! Today, I'm very excited to share a tasty and appetising snack and moreover a zero oil recipe - vegetable macaroons. A quick snack that is easy to put together with readily available ingredients and without much effort. A snack that you'd soon fall in love with. I admit We did!

                        While we all know, macaroons as a French dessert, I'm sharing a snack loaded with goodness of veggies in the shape of a macaroon.

                          Today's kids are our teachers and we will have to accept this fact sooner or later. I say this, 'coz today's recipe was so as to say invented and named by my niece and I feel proud enough to share this to the world. While my choice of vegetables is a regular one as that was what we possessed at the time of experiment you can employ your imagination and gather the best and healthiest veggies to your plate. Also, you can use whole wheat bread to make it more nutritious. Here comes the detailed recipe :-

Ingredients:

1. Bread - 1 loaf
2. Potato - 1 no
3. Carrot - 2 nos
4. Onion - 1 no
5. Red chilli flakes - 2 tsp
6. Red chilli sauce - 2 tbsp
7. Soy sauce - 1 tsp
8. Salt - to taste

Method:

• Boil, peel and mash the potato.
• Finely slice the onion and carrots.
• With a lid or round cookie cutter cut the bread slices into round shapes. Keep aside.
• In a mixing bowl take the rest of the ingredients together and mix well. Adjust the levels of salt.
• Take a spoonful of this prepared mixture and spread this over a slice of bread. Place another round slice from top. Keep aside.
• Repeat the previous step to make more vegetable macaroons.
• Sprinkle some more red chilli flakes from top and serve.

Alternatively, you can also toast the macaroons and then serve.

You may also like to try Mint cucumber sandwich, Aloo matar tikki, Aloo palak tikki, Aloo bonda and Masala vada from My Mom's Kitchen.

 Wish to hear from you

Happy Cooking!!!

Dahi ki Kadhi with moongdal bhajiyas

                      Dahi ki Kadhi is the vegetarian version of Gosht ki Kadhi wherein instead of mutton you find tasty moong dal dumplings or bhajiyas. This can be safely termed pakoda kadhi of Hyderabad.

                     This is personally one of my favorite dish and the bhajiyas or the dumplings of this curry can be eaten as a snack also or be even served with rotis. The batter for the dumplings can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days and can be made just when you crave for them or just before serving the Kadhi. The Kadhi tastes best when served hot with steamed rice.

                      As the name suggests this Kadhi recipe uses dahi or curd and that also includes sour curd. So whenever your curd turns sour you can happily cook this Kadhi just like my Mom & my sisters do. The dumplings or bhajiyas can be made using besan or gram flour too but in our house Moongdal is most preferred and that gives an additional step of grinding the dal. And as my Mom says it's worth it when you work for it.

                      The recipe can be divided broadly into 3 steps 1st preparing the Kadhi, 2nd Tempering and 3rd preparing the bhajiyas and adding it to the Kadhi. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Let's get on to the recipe now...

Ingredients:

for kadhi:

1. Curd - 500 gms
2. Besan/gram flour - 2 & 1/2cups
3. Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
4. Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
5. Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
7. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
8. Curry leaves - 1 sprigs
9. Green chillies - 4 nos
10. Coriander leaves - few
11. Dry red chillies - 2 nos (optional)
12. Garlic cloves - 3 to 4 nos (optional)
13. Salt - to taste 
14. Oil - 3 tbsp
15. water - as required 

for bhajiyas:

1. Moong dal - 2 cups
2. Onion - 1 no
3. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp (optional)
4. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
6. Coriander leaves - few
7. Mint leaves - few
8. Salt - to taste 
9. Oil - for frying

Method : 

for kadhi:

• To begin making kadhi whisk the curd in a bowl. 
• Add besan or gram flour to the curd followed by two cups of water.
• Add red chilli powder and mix well. Sieve this mixture and transfer it to a cooking vessel.
• Now to the sieved mixture add turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and salt.
• Add water as required. (As the kadhi cooks it will get thicker so don't worry if you have added an extra cup vice versa if you find the kadhi too thin or runny while cooking mix a little gram flour in water and add it to the kadhi on stove) 
• Place the vessel on medium flame.
• Add coriander leaves and curry leaves with the twig followed by green chillies.
• Stir the mixture frequently to avoid lump formation. 
• Let the kadhi come to a boil. If the green chillies has slightly changed its colour or when the kadhi looks cooked remove from flame.

                                             

• Heat oil for tempering in a pan.
• Add mustard and cumin seeds followed by curry leaves and also garlic cloves and dry red chillies if using.
• Add this tempering to the prepared kadhi. 

                                 

• Cover the kadhi only half way like in the pic below, cover it completely only after it cools down.

                                           

for bhajiyas:

• Soak moong dal in water for about an hour. 
• Grind into a smooth paste. Remove to a mixing bowl.

                               

• To the bowl, add finely chopped onion along with finely chopped coriander and mint leaves.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
• Heat oil for frying in a pan or griddle. 
• Put spoonful of batter and this way you can fry around 3 to 4 bhajiyas at a time.

                                                     

• Turn them once they are golden brown. 
• When golden brown on both sides remove to an absorbent sheet.

                               

• Add few bhajiyas to the prepared kadhi. Serve the rest alongside rice and kadhi.

                                        

• Serve hot.

                     Also try Hyderabadi khatti dal, Vegetable khorma, Dum ke tamaate (Stuffed tomatoes gravy), Tomato chutney and Dal bhaji from My Mom's Kitchen.

Happy Cooking!!!

                 

Almond cookies

                     Almond cookies made from whole wheat flour make a great tea time snack.

              These almond cookies are both nutritious and delicious and very easy to make. Substituting plain flour with whole wheat flour in this recipe makes these cookies fiber dense, and since we are using whole wheat flour and not the refined one makes it even more nutrient dense. Almonds provide with Vitamin E and antioxidants. While I have used powdered sugar you can safely replace it with brown sugar but remember to adjust the amount to suit your liking.

            
             Previously in my kids summer vacation special series I had shared the recipe of Kaju badam biscuits do check it out. You may also like to try Jeera biscuits and Tutti frutti biscuits from My Mom's Kitchen. Now onto today's recipe :-

Ingredients:

1. Whole wheat flour - 3/4th cup
2. Almond powder - 1/4th cup
3. Almonds - 10 to 12 nos
4. Powdered sugar - 2 to 3 tbsp
5. Butter - 1/4th cup
6. Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Salt - 1/8th tsp
8. Milk - 2 to 3 tbsp

Method:

• Soak the above mentioned 10 to 12 almonds in water for about half an hour. Peel and sliver. Keep aside.
• For almond powder - Take about 10 to 15 almonds in a grinder and grind to get a coarse powder. Add this almond powder to whole wheat flour in a mixing bowl.
• Add rest of the ingredients except milk. Mix well to combine.
• Add milk little by little and form a dough. No need to knead, just bring it all together.
• Next, using a cookie cutter or manually shape the cookies in the desired form.
• Now take the slivered almonds and add it to the cookies on top.
• Grease a baking tray and arrange the cookies on it.

 

• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 15 minutes or till they change to golden in colour. (Keep an eye on the oven after about 12 minutes as every oven settings are different)
• Remove to a plate. The cookies will turn crisper with time.

 

                         This was the first time I was using whole wheat flour for baking and as this was an experiment I have used very little quantities however, if you are confident then you can double the quantity to yield more cookies. And I'm happy to share that my experiment was quite successful and next time I bake these goodies I will make more than enough to fill our cravings.

                          Hope you give this delicacy a try, waiting for your thoughts. Connect with us on Facebook by texting and sharing pictures of recipes you tried from My Mom's Kitchen.

Happy cooking!!!

Budmey ka salan (Lemon cucumber curry)

                     Salan literally means curry and budmey (plural) are the round, yellow coloured vegetables with orange stripes  known as lemon cucumbers in English. So, this is a lemon cucumber curry. A very simple, very easy curry and one that is very low on calories...

                     I always thought that budmey were known as round gourd in English, after all they are so perfectly round in shape (in our region). To double sure myself, and not spread around wrong information and confuse my readers I opted to search for it online. After google-ing for about ten minutes I was surprised to know that these are called Lemon cucumbers owing to their lemon colour skin.

                     Lemon cucumbers are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, potassium, calcium, fiber and antioxidants. They have lots of seeds that can be consumed. But, too many seeds in every bite may become overwhelming as they are a little hard. So, you can choose to include seeds in your recipe or discard them or use some, may be of one lemon cucumber and discard the rest. This is what my Mom generally does but, owing to a dental issue that I was facing Mom discarded all the seeds making it seedless but it was not fruitless as the curry was still delicious. ☺

                    Lemon cucumbers are measured in kilograms like the rest of the vegetables and as I have mentioned below in ingredients list that 1kg of lemon cucumbers are used in this recipe we had 4 medium sized ones you may get more or less depending upon the size. Here comes the detailed recipe:-

Ingredients:

1. Lemon cucumbers/budmey - 1 kg
2. Onion - 1 large
3. Tomatoes - 2 to 3 nos
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
5. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
7. Green chillies - 4 to 5 nos
8. Coriander leaves - few
9. Salt - to taste
10. Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp

Method:

• Peel the lemon cucumbers. Wash and cut them into half. Keep the seeds or discard depending on your taste (Refer 2nd para above) Thinly slice the lemon cucumber like in the picture below.
• Slice onion and tomatoes too.

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
• Add onions and saute for two to three minutes.
• When the onion turns slightly translucent add salt, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and turmeric powder.
• Now add the sliced tomatoes and lemon cucumbers. Pour in half a cup of water. (You won't need more as the vegetables will also release some)
• Close the pressure cooker with its lid and pressure cook for three to four whistles. 
• Let the steam subside on its own, open the lid

• Stir gently. Place back the vessel on flame.
• Slit and add green chillies followed by chopped coriander leaves.
• Cover and cook on low flame for five to seven minutes. 
• Turn out the flame and serve hot.

                                    

         In our home we love to have it with steamed rice along with some  Tala hua ghosht (Mutton fry) for a satisfying meal. You should try it too. 

         If you are looking for more such simple and nutritious vegetable curries then do check out Dondakayal curry (Ivy gourd curry), Onion capsicum masala, Drumsticks besan curry, Eggplant & potato curry and Beans and potato curry from My Mom's Kitchen.

Share the picture of the dish when you give it a try on our Facebook page.

Don't forget to leave a comment below.

Happy Cooking!!!

Noodles salad

                  When it comes to salads, the more the variety the more you enjoy it. Today's post is something like that. Shallow fried noodles are paired with veggies to give a bowl of appetizing noodles salad.

                  While I have shallow fried the noodles you can deep fry it as well if you wish to, to make it more crispy like the one you get in american chopsuey. You can add vegetables of your choice I, for myself have included coloured peppers, spring onions, carrots and cabbage. Also, to make it more filling and to give the extra crunch I have also included peanuts here. Well, basically the more the merrier ☺

                    Like my previous post Sweet n sour carrot salad this salad recipe also has a sweet n sour dressing. Here comes the detailed recipe :-

Ingredients:

1. Hakka Noodles - 1/2 packet
2. Cabbage - 1 cup
3. Carrot - 1 large
4. Red bell pepper - 1 no
5. Green bell pepper - 1 no
6. Spring onions - few
7. Peanuts - 2 tbsp
8. Oil - for frying

for dressing:

1. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
2. Vinegar - 1 tbsp
3. Honey - 1 tbsp
4. Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
5. Salt - to taste 
6. Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

• Soak the noodles in hot water for around 10 minutes. Remove and dry completely, then shallow fry in a pan.
• To the same oil (add more if needed) shallow fry the veggies. Add these to the noodles.
• Dry roast the peanuts, crush or halve them and add to the noodles bowl.
• In another bowl take together all the ingredients listed under 'for dressing'. Mix well.
• Add the prepared dressing to the bowl of noodles. Toss well.
• Serve

                                     You may also like to try Egg pepper noodles, Egg spring rolls, Thai green mango salad, Fresh green salad and Tomato spaghetti from My Mom's Kitchen.

Happy Cooking!!!

Masala Lobia

           Masala lobia is a flavourful snack dish with black eyed peas or lobia as the main ingredient. The regular dishes that I try with Lobia/Black eyed peas include Lobia chawal, Lobia salad and Lobia baingan masala, Masala lobia is different in a way that it serves both as an appetizer and a snack and is full of spices.

                                Masala lobia can be safely termed as a healthy snack as it possesses the goodness of lobia or black eyed peas. Lobia is power house of protein and a great source of it to the vegetarians. These are also a good source of soluble fiber and also helps in preventing anemia. You can make this dish as spicy as you like it. Very easy and quick to prepare, and tempting as it can be, it will keep you craving for more. Here comes the detailed recipe :-

Ingredients:

1. Lobia/black eyed peas - 1 cup
2. Onion - 1 no
3. Tomato - 1 no
4. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Chaat masala - 1/4 tsp
9. Amchoor powder - 1/4 tsp 
10. Coriander leaves - few
11. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
12. Green chillies - 2 nos (optional)
13. Lemon juice -1 tbsp (optional)
14. Salt - to taste
15. Oil - 1 & 1/2 tbsp

Method:

• Soak lobia in water for 3 to 4 hours. Drain the water.
• Pressure cook the lobia with little salt and water. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add the cooked lobia and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add chopped onion, curry leaves, finely chopped green chillies and mix and saute for over a minute.
• Then add the spices - red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin seed powder, coriander powder, amchoor powder and chaat masala along with salt. Mix well to combine.
• Add chopped tomatoes, lemon juice. Give a good mix.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately.

                      You may also like to try Chudwa, Aloo matar tikki, Corn fritters, Rava vada and Chana dal snack from My Mom's Kitchen.

If you have tried any of the recipe from My Mom's Kitchen you can upload the pic of your dish on our facebook page. 

           Share your thoughts with me in the comments section below.

           Happy Cooking!!!