Strawberry milkshake

               All through the winter I've been only talking of peas and peas and peas but there are so many other produces of this season that are as enthralling as peas and one such thing is Strawberry, the queen of fruits.

            Every time I think of strawberries the first thing that comes to my mind is the jingle straw-ba-ba-berry shortcake of the cartoon strawberry shortcake ( I badly miss those epic days of childhood). Also, on my trip to Mahabaleshwar a few years back, I remember seeing tons & tons of freshly harvested strawberries packed & being sold with other berries and carrots all around the place & clearly strawberries are the most popular berries. Strawberries are also quite beneficial for they are packed with rich nutrients like flavonoids, antioxidants, Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and other minerals.

            Today, the background is strawberries, the foreground is strawberries in short it is a very-berry-merry day!               

                                                 

         

           Strawberry milkshake is an easy to put together drink with readily available ingredients and is also quite refreshing. I've omitted using ice cream in this milkshake but you can add a scoop to add up the creaminess of the shake.

Ingredients:

1. Strawberries - 1/2 cup (6 to 8 nos)
2. Milk - 3/4 cup
3. Sugar - 2 tbsp
4. Ice cubes - 2

Method:

• Remove stems of the strawberries.
• Take all the ingredients in a blender jar and blend till smooth.
• Pour into serving glasses and serve chilled.

       

Also try Milk sherbet, Badam milk, Pista milk, Mango milkshake and Dry fruits milkshake from My Mom's Kitchen!

Share your thoughts below in the comments section and/or on our facebook page.

Also share the pictures of the dish when you give it a try over here.

Meet you soon with another recipe from My Mom's Kitchen...

Happy Cooking!!!

Drumsticks Besan Curry

              Another day and another healthy vegetarian recipe this time, with drumsticks. Drumsticks are packed with nutritional benefits. They are rich in minerals & proteins. They help in building strong bones while also promoting blood purification.

              This drumstick besan curry is similar to the toddler friendly Besan that I had shared previously but this has drumsticks and a couple of tomatoes too. For the uninitiated besan in English is known as gram flour and it is mostly used to give thickness and used particularly for coating and is specially used to make bhajiyas or fritters in the Indian cuisine like Aloo palak tikki, Pyaaz ki pakodi, Corn fritters and Aloo bonda from My Mom's Kitchen.


         

Ingredients:

1. Drumsticks - 3 nos
2. Besan / gram flour - 1 cup
3. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. Tomatoes - 2 nos
6. Onions - 2 nos (medium sized)
7. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
8. Red chili powder - 1 tsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Green chilies - 3 to 4 nos
11. Coriander leaves - few
12. Salt - to taste
13. Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

• Dry roast the besan for a few minutes till it turns light brown in colour. Keep aside for cooling.
• Once cooled add about two cups of water and mix till the flour dissolves completely.
• Meanwhile, in a vessel boil the drumsticks with a pinch of salt till soft. Drain the water and keep aside.
• In another pan heat oil and add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. 
• Add onions and saute till translucent. 
• Add ginger garlic paste along with green chilies and saute for a few more seconds.
• Add tomatoes and mix well.
• Add the spices - red chili powder and turmeric powder. Stir well.
• Add the boiled drumsticks along with dissolved besan and stir continuously to avoid lump formation. 
• Add salt as per taste and serve immediately.

              

                       This curry tastes best when served immediately and goes very well with chapathis. Serve it along with Pyaaz ka anda for a complete satisfying meal.  

                       Also try other vegetable recipes like Dal bhaji, Vegetable oats kofta, Aloo matar til, Onion capsicum masala and Spring onions & moongdal wadi from My Mom's Kitchen.

                      Eat right and stay healthy, Happy Cooking!!!

Dal bhaji

              I always faced a lot of difficulty when it came to finding out the names of the green leafy vegetables in English as such I know only Spinach and can only differentiate it from others but I enjoy devouring Dal Bhaji the recipe I'm sharing today from My Mom's Kitchen, it's made using what we call ambade ki bhaji and from google I found that it's also called Gongura leaves or Kenaf leaves. Kenaf leaves are very low in calories and rich in protein when compared with other leafy vegetables. They are rich in calcium, phosphorus and have good amounts of Vit C.

                 Dal bhaji is made mostly using chana dal (split chickpeas) but since my grand parents preferred Moong the tradition still continues in our family. Moong dal compared to other dals is one of the low carb pulses available and forms a good source of protein for vegetarians. My Mom uses this dal to prepare many Hyderabadi dishes which includes Hyderabadi khatti dal and Shami kebab do check them out.


    As for today's Dal Bhaji recipe it is very easy to prepare and gets easier if you leave the Moong dal soaking for a long period of time. Also, in this recipe you will find that no red chili powder is used hence more number of green chilies are added.

Ingredients:

For dal:

1. Ambada / Gongura / Kenaf - 12 bunches.
2. Moong dal - 1 cup
3. Green chilies - 8 to 10 nos.
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
6. Salt - to taste.

For tadka:

1. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
2. Dry red chilies - 4 nos
3. Curry leaves - 2 twigs
4. Oil - 3 tbsp

Method:

• Soak the dal in water for 30 mins.
• Remove the leaves from stems and wash well.
• Take all the dal ingredients in a pressure cooker except salt with enough water to soak the dal. 
• Place the lid and cook for 10 mins. If you skipped the soaking of dal then increase the cooking time accordingly.
• Remove from flame. When pressure subsides remove the lid and add salt as per taste. Do not add salt before else the dal may not cook through.
• Mash the dal using a masher.

                                                   

• Add 2 cups of water or a little more to get a little thin consistency. Mix well.

                                         

• Cook on medium flame for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile prepare the tadka or the tempering for which heat oil in a pan.
• Add cumin seeds, followed by dry red chilies and curry leaves.
• Remove from flame add this tempering to the afore prepared dal. 

                           

• Serve hot. 

              

           This dal bhaji tastes delicious with steamed rice and some Tala hua ghosht on the side another of the famous Hyderabadi delicacy.

          You may also like to try other vegetarian side dishes like Raw banana fry, Tomato chutney, Khadi dal. Spring onions & moong dal wadi and Sweet corn curry from My Mom's Kitchen.

          Happy Cooking!!!

Vegetable Oats Kofta

              Friday evening I was in an experiment mood so I tried to make these Vegetable Oats Koftas. Oats in today's fitness freak world doesn't need any introduction, rich in fiber they can easily be incorporated into any recipe. My Vegetable Oats Kofta could have also been termed healthy but for the deep frying option that I choose, may be you can use your air fryer.

                You certainly don't wish your experiment to fail and that too working with an expensive ingredient like poppy seeds. Yes, you read it right that's another key ingredient in this recipe. I was skeptical using this ingredient 'coz previously I have tried Bengali recipes like Aloo phoshto and sheem poshto. While sheem poshto seemed okay, Aloo poshto failed to impress even a potato lover like me. But, in this recipe you will find poppy seeds giving a unique taste and texture to the koftas.

               

            For the vegetables you can use what you prefer however, I have used grated carrots and peas. For a newbie like me peas work as atom bombs when they come in contact with oil so either cut them into halves or use crushed peas or be very very careful if using whole peas. Also try some more carrot & peas recipes like  Matar kachori, Gajar ka halwa, Aloo matar tikki, Carrot capsicum rice and Vegetable khorma from My Mom's Kitchen. 

Ingredients:

1. Oats - 4 tbsp
2. Poppy seeds - 2 & 1/2 tbsp
3. Carrot - 1 no
4. Peas - 1/4 cup
5. Corn flour - 1 tbsp
6. Coriander leaves - few
7. Black pepper - 1 tsp
8. Salt - to taste
9. Oil - for frying
10. Water - as required.

Method:

• Dry roast oats and poppy seeds separately.
• Grate the carrots and boil and crush peas.
• Take all the ingredients in a mixing bowl except oil and water.
• Add water little by little to bring the dough together.
• Take small portions and shape them into round balls or koftas.
• Fry them in batches and remove onto an absorbent paper.
• Serve hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney.

You may also like Aloo bonda, Masala vada, Rava vada, Moong dal kachori, Egg spring rolls also from My Mom's Kitchen.

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

Happy Cooking!!!

Masala chana chaat

               If you are looking for a snack recipe that is easy to put together and healthy at the same time with a great taste then this masala chana chat is the perfect one for you. This recipe can be made in a jiffy provided you have boiled brown chana / chickpeas at hand.

              Brown chana or chickpeas are high in fiber & protein & contain several other essential vitamins & minerals. They form a great deal of protein source for the vegetarians.

               

             Masala chana chaat can be found through out Hyderabad on small little kiosks at all market places. They serve the chaat packed in folded news papers topped with lots of red chili powder making it very very spicy, it will both make you drool and open your tear gates at the same time. Therefore for me the best part of making it at home is adjusting the spice levels as per the taste.

Ingredients:

1. Brown chana / chickpeas - 1 cup
2. Onion - 1 small
3. Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp
5. Salt - as required
6. Coriander leaves - few

Method:

• Soak chickpeas in water for 4 to 5 hrs or overnight.
• Drain the water well and pressure cook the chickpeas with little salt.
• Chop the onion finely.
• Take all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Adjust the spice levels and serve.

             If you are looking for more Indian snacks recipes then do check out Matar kachori, Pudiney ke namak paare, Chudwa, Aloo bonda 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!!!

Aloo matar til

                 
                           Continuing with my vegetarian recipes streak here is another delicious lip smacking side dish which is also very healthy. As the name says Aloo matar til it has aloo i.e potato, matar i.e. peas and finally til i.e. sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are rich in calcium also being an excellent source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus & other vital nutrients. Also try Til ki chutney from My Mom's Kitchen.

           

                           If you follow my blog you know how very well I'm enjoying the season of peas. If you too like to do the same do check out these easy and tasty recipes varying from snacks to main dishes using peas both veg & non-veg - Matar kachori, Gobi matar, Kheema baingan masala, Aloo matar tikki and Egg Macaroni.

     Ingredients:

1. Potato - 2 nos
2. Peas - 1/2 cup
3. Sesame seeds - 1 tsp + more for garnishing
4. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
5. Red chili powder - 1 tsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
8. Amchoor powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Coriander leaves - few
10. Salt - to taste
11. Oil - 1 & 1/2 tbsp

Method:

• Boil the potatoes, peel them and cut into cubes.
• Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds and sesame seeds.
• Add cubed potatoes and peas. 
• Add salt and all the spices - chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder & amchoor powder also called raw mango powder. Stir well to combine.
• Add a little water about a tablespoon or so. Cover with a lid and let it cook for about 6 to 7 minutes on medium flame.
• Remove from flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and sesame seeds. Serve hot.

             For more potato curries do try Beans & potato curry, Aloo pyaaz, Aloo kheema, Broad beans & potato curry and Eggplant & potato curry from My Mom's Kitchen.

 Do try the recipe and share the joy of taste with your loved ones...

Happy Cooking..!!!