Christmas in Canada is incomplete without Kuswar ‘ Traditional Indian Christmas goodies’.

As is my yearly tradition, I’ll be preparing roce cookies, nevris, chaklis and many more mouth watering delicacies.

If you would like to enjoy these treats with your loved ones on Christmas day, you can place an order with me.  Please see the attached flyer for details.

So Come All Ye Faithful and spread some Christmas cheer.

Share this with your friends and family as Christmas season is near.

Mango Raspberry Mousse

Mango Raspberry Mousse

It was my hubby’s  birthday. I wanted to throw him a nice surprise party and I decided to make all the desserts for the party. This was one of the desserts I made and it turned out really well. After all the heavy Indian food, this dessert was perfect to wash it all down. Very refreshing taste to welcome the spring season. An all time favorite among kids. You must give this dessert a try especially when it is so effortless to make it.

Ingredients:

1 tin Mango Puree

1 packet of Peach Jello

1 packet of Raspberry Jello

½ cup water

¼ cup sugar

500 ml whipping cream

15 strawberries

15 maraschino cherries or fresh cherries

Method:

Heat Mango Puree with half cup water on slow flame. When it is slightly hot, add the peach jello and raspberry jello powder to the mango mixture and stir well. Also add in the sugar and stir till everything is dissolved well and no lumps are formed. Let this cool down to room temperature.

In the meanwhile, take 500 ml of whipping cream and whip it well with a beater or hand whip till it forms soft peaks. Fold the whipping cream in to the mango mixture. Use cut and fold method until everything is well incorporated.

Now, take a trifle bowl. At the bottom of the bowl, add freshly cut strawberries. On top of it pour the mango mousse mixture. Let this set in the refrigerator overnight. Just before serving, garnish it with fresh cherries or maraschino cherries. Serve chilled.

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

This Thanksgiving I was looking for new ideas for a dessert. I didn't want to make the pumpkin pie as I  made it last year. So, decided to browse through some sites online. I came across this recipe of Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake on the internet and liked it a lot. When I read it, I thought it would be a lot of work, but the effort was worth trying it out. So, decided to share it with all of you. I tweaked a few ingredients to my liking.

INGREDIENTS

CRUST

• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg yolk

Filling:

• 4-8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 tsp pumpkin spice powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tins of Ed Smith Pumpkin Pie filling
• 2 tbsp Jamaican Spiced Rum

Pan:

• 1 9-inch diameter, 3 inch tall spring form pan

METHOD:

• Pulse pecans, flour, sugar, and crumbs in a food processor. Add butter and egg yolk. Pulse until mixture is combined together. Press into bottom of 9” spring form pan and bake for 10 minutes at 375°F. Remove from oven and let cool.
• Drain or strain any liquid from pumpkin pie filling. Take pumpkin purée and strain all the liquid using a muslin cloth. Two cans of puréed pumpkin should yield a little more than 2 cups of purée, with the excess moisture removed. You want exactly 2 cups of the purée.
• Whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice powder in a medium bowl. With a wooden spoon (no need for a mixer for this step), mix in the salt, pumpkin purée, vanilla, and spiced rum. Beat in the eggs.
• In a large bowl with the help of a mixer combine the cream cheese and the brown sugar until fully creamed and smooth (no lumps). Gradually add the pumpkin mixture until fully incorporated. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
• Place crust-baked spring form pan in the middle of two layers of large sheets of aluminium foil (to help prevent water-bath moisture from leaking into the pan). Fold the aluminium foil up the sides of the pan and trim. Place the aluminium wrapped pan in a large roasting pan (large enough so that there is room on all sides). Pour the pumpkin cream cheese mixture into the spring form pan.
• Place the roasting pan containing the spring form pan in a 325°F oven on the middle rack. Pour boiling water into the pan so that it comes halfway up the side of the spring form pan. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven heat and prop the oven door open. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven, cooling for another hour. Then remove from oven and let come to room temperature. Once it has cooled down, chill for several hours in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.
• When ready to serve, gently remove the cake from the spring form pan.Serve cheesecake with caramel sauce and whipped cream.

Banana Walnut Muffins

Last month, one of my friends gifted me with a Wilton Baking Set. I was waiting to experiment with it. So, decided to start by using the muffin tray. Emily loves bananas and hence, I decided to make banana walnut muffins for her. We made the muffins together and had so much fun doing it.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Baking time : 20 - 25 minutes

Makes : 14 muffins

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 beaten egg
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tbsp cinnamon powder (optional)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 11/2 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

• First put the bananas in a big bowl and smash it using a potato smasher or a fork. Ensure that all the bananas are smashed well are there are no lumps left.
• Now, mix the melted butter into the mashed bananas.
• To this, add the sugar, beaten egg, cinnamon powder and vanilla essence and mix well.
• Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix it well.
• Finally, fold in the flour gently in to the mixture with a spatula. Add chopped walnuts and gently fold it again.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.
• Grease the muffin tray and gently pour the mixture into a prepared muffin tray. Bake for 20 minutes. To ensure that the muffins are ready, slowly insert a knife in the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, that means the muffin is ready and done.
• Cool on a rack and then serve it warm or at room temperature.

Tiramisu

My all time favorite Italian dessert. I always thought this particular dessert was extremely difficult to make. But, I was wrong. One day I was watching this show on TV called Kitchen Boss and the host of this show who is a renowned pastry Chef was showing how to make Tiramisu. It looked so simple and easy that I had to give it a try.

Last month, I had organized a party for about 30 people where I cooked everything at home right from starters to dessert. I decided to make this particular dessert for the first then. It was a big challenge for me because, I never made it before and I decided to try it out for the first time and that too make 2 trays of the dessert. But, the end result was phenomenal. I was extremely happy and both the trays were swiped clean. Everyone simply enjoyed this dessert, more so because I put a lot of booze in it :) I have used Buddy's recipe and added a little of my own personal touch to it.

Preparation Time : 1 hour +

Serves : 12 - 15

Makes : One (9x13) tray

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups american strong coffee / espresso

11/4 cup sugar

6 tbsp plus 1 tbsp coffee liqueur (Kahlua)

4 extra large egg yolks

1 pound marscarpone cheese

2 tbsp sweet marsala

1 cup heavy cream

48 store bought saviordari biscuits

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 slab of milk chocolate

Method:

• Put the espresso / american coffee, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and 1/4 cup of the coffee liqueur into a heavy saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the syrup cool.
• Put the yolks, marscapone, marsala, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and remaining 1 tbsp of coffee liqueur in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment and whip on medium speed until light and airy, approximately 7 minutes. You can also do this using a hand mixer. Transfer the mixture to another bowl and clean and dry the stand mixer bowl and the whip attachment, returning them both to the mixer.
• Put the cream in the bowl of the stand mixer and whip until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the cream mixture into the marsala mixture.
• First spread some cream mixture at the bottom of the 13 inch x 9 inch pan.
• Then one by one, dip the saviordari biscuits in the espresso syrup / american coffee syrup and arrange a layer in a the bottom of a 13-inch x 9-inch pan. Spoon a layer of cream over biscuits. Sprinkle some cocoa powder over top of cream. Dip and arrange another layer of biscuits over the cream, with the second layer perpendicular to the first. Spoon the remaining cream over the top.
• Dust the tiramisu with cocoa powder. Finally, grate some milk chocolate all over the cocoa powder. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or upto 2 days.
• To serve, use a kitchen spoon to scoop out portions into small bowls or glass dishes.

Mango and Pepper Salad

It is summer season in India and it is time for my favorite fruit which is "Mangoes". In Canada, we don't really get nice mangoes but I found the Ataulfo mangoes pretty good for this recipe. This is a Mexican variety and I found this particular variety of mangoes simply perfect for this recipe. But, you could really use any ripe mango. This recipe was passed down to me by a close friend of mine and I really liked it and hence decided to share it with you all.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Serves: 3- 4

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow bell pepper

1 medium red bell pepper

2 medium sized mangoes

3 small shallots sliced or you could use 1/2 red onion

3 tbsp of Jufran hot banana sauce (easily available in No frills)

2 tbsp of roasted salted peanuts chopped

1 green chilli chopped

a few coriander leaves finely chopped

Method:

• First cut the peppers lengthwise into thin strips and after you have finished cutting them, try to pat them dry using a kitchen towel. Make sure you remove all the excess water from the peppers.
• Once you have done that, combine the rest of the ingredients with the peppers and garnish with some peanuts on top.
• Serve it chilled.

Sprouted Moong Dal Curry

Recently, my husband has decided to go on a complete protein diet in order to lose weight. He is completely off carbohydrates, and that keeps me thinking which protein to cook every day for him. I came across this particular dish at a friend's place and found it to be very healthy, nutritious and also delicious. So decided to give it a try.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 cups sprouted whole green moong dal

1 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

pinch of asafoetida (hing)

1/2 can of coconut milk

juice of 1/2 a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• In a vessel, add sprouted moong dal and enough water (around 4 cups) and bring to a boil on medium heat. Cover and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cook for about 30 minutes till the dal is tender.
• Now, add the red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and add the coconut milk and lemon juice. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then taste to adjust seasoning.
• In a pan, roast some cumin seeds, hing and mustard seeds on medium heat and add this to the dal.
• Serve hot with rice or chapattis.

Baingan Bartha

Today I am going to share with you all an interesting recipe. This is very easy to make. It can be made in a lot of different ways but the real flavor comes from roasting the brinjal. Although, some of you might not like the look of it, believe me, it is really delicious and goes very well with phulkas or chapatis.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Serves : 2 - 3

Ingredients:

1 medium sized long eggplant / brinjal / baingan

1 cup onion finely chopped

1 cup tomatoes finely chopped

2 tbsp of crushed garlic

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 green chilli finely chopped

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

salt to taste

oil

Method:

• Rub a little oil all over the brinjal and roast it in the oven at the highest temperature for 20 minutes. You can also do this over a flame. (By rubbing oil over the brinjal, the skin comes out easily)
• Heat some oil in a pan. Add some cumin seeds and garlic and saute for a minute or two.
• Then add the onions and green chillies and saute for a while. You need not brown them.
• Then add the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, chilli powder and mix it well. Add salt to taste.
• Add tomatoes and chopped coriander and allow it to cook on slow flame for about 3-5 minutes.
• Then slowly separate the brinjal pulp from the skin, chop it and add it to the tomato onion mixture and mix it well.
• Check the seasoning and serve hot with phukas or chapatis.

Note: Some people also like to add boiled peas to it but it tastes good as it is.

Rich Rum Fruit Cake

I wanted to try a different fruit cake this Christmas and hence was looking for the perfect recipe. Finally, while browsing through various interesting blogs on the internet, I came across this particular recipe which really caught my attention. I wanted to give it a try. I must say that I have found the perfect Christmas fruit cake which is so moist and delicious.

Here is the link to this recipe http://www.ecurry.com/blog/desserts/rich-rum-fruit-cake-for-a-very-merry-christmas/

I am sure you all are going to enjoy this Rich Rum Fruit Cake as much as I do.

Sweet Corn Chicken Soup

This is one of my favorite Indo Chinese soup. I order it all the time at restaurants. This soup hardly takes any time to make if you have ready chicken stock with you. But, I wanted to make the stock at home. The homemade stock gives the soup a nice taste.

Preparation time: 20-30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Chicken Stock:

1 small packet of chicken drumsticks (about 12 small pieces)

1 cup celery chopped

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

2 carrots diced

1 onion diced

salt to taste

4 cups of water

1 can of cream style sweet corn

1/2 cup of cooked shredded chicken

1 egg beaten

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp of green chilli sauce

2 tbsp of hot and sweet chilli sauce

2 stalk of green onion diced

3 tbsp of corn starch dissolved i a little water

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp pepper powder

1 tsp chilli flakes

salt to taste

Method:

• Put all the ingredients for the chicken stock in a pressure cooker and close the lid and cook on medium heat for 2-3 whistles or until the chicken is cooked.
• Strain the liquid from the cooker in a large bowl
• Keep the cooked chicken pieces and separate the chicken from the bone, shred it nicely and discard the veggies.
• In a big bowl, combine the stock with the cream style sweet corn.
• To this add, salt, pepper, chilli flakes, all the sauces and bring it to a boil
• When you see it boiling, add the shredded cooked chicken to it.
• Then add the beaten egg slowly and keep stirring until the eggs form fine threads in the soup.
• Finally, add the cornstarch and you will see the soup thickening.
• Let it cook for 2 minutes and then you can take it out and garnish it with some sesame oil, green chillies soaked in vinegar and diced green onions.

Note: You can make the vegetarian version by using vegetable stock and using cooked vegetables instead of shredded chicken.

Rose Cookies

The holiday season is on and soon it is going to be Christmas. Love this season, especially here in Canada. It is so beautiful to see the houses and malls decorated and also the experience of a white Christmas. Simply amazing!!! This year I decided to start my Christmas sweets by making rose cookies first. This is something that I have tried for the first time. I remember my mom making this for us every Christmas and they were so delicious and crispy that most of it was over the minute she made it :)

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Makes: Approx. 50-60 rose cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 kg all purpose flour (sieve and keep it aside)

1 tin of coconut milk

3 eggs (beaten well)

350 gms of finely powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder

a pinch of salt

oil for deep frying

Method:

• Mix the coconut milk and the sugar together in a bowl. Make sure that the sugar has dissolved well in the coconut milk.
• To this add the beaten eggs and mix well.
• Then, add the salt, vanilla essence, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder
• Finally, add the all purpose flour little by little, thereby mixing the batter well with the spoon in order to ensure that no lumps are formed
• The consistency of the batter should be neither too thick or too thin. If you find it too thick, you can adjust the batter by adding a little water to it.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and while doing that, insert the rose cookie form (easily available in the specialty stores) in the oil and let it heat simultaneously.
• When the oil and the form is hot enough, take the form out from the oil and dip 3/4th of the form in the batter and quickly dip it in the hot oil moving it slightly. You will see the batter leaving the form.
• Repeat the procedure again quickly and fry them for 3-4 seconds on either side and take them out and drain the oil from the rose cookies.
• Always make sure that the form is hot enough before dipping it into the batter, else it won't hold the batter.
• Crispy rose cookies are ready to eat.
• Store them in an airtight container.

Corn Bread

This is my sister's recipe. She gave it to me last Thanksgiving and it turned out really good so thought of sharing it with you all. Corn bread is one of the popular American thanksgiving dishes.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Baking Time : 30-40 minutes

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

11/3 cup sugar

8 oz melted butter

4 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups butter milk

2 cups cornmeal

2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

Method:

• Mix sugar and melted butter in a bowl.
• Beat the eggs and add it to the sugar butter mixture and fold it well.
• Add baking soda to the buttermilk and mix it with the above mixture
• Finally, add the cornmeal and the flour and mix well till you see no lumps. It should be a smooth batter.
• Grease the parchment paper and pour the batter in the tin.
• Bake it 375 degree F for 30 -40 minutes
• Let it cool and then cut it into pieces and serve.

Pumpkin Pie

We had our thanksgiving in Canada on 11th October but, I could not put up any recipes then as I was busy studying for a short term HR course. So, I thought of putting it now, as my American friends are celebrating their thanksgiving tomorrow.

This recipe is not my original. It was written on the E.D. Smith pumpkin pie tin. But, for all those who can't find this particular brand of pumpkin pie mix, you can simple use this recipe with any other brand.

I made this recipe for the first time and it came out really good. My friends enjoyed it and my daughter simply loved it.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Baking time: 50 minutes

Serves : 8

Ingredients:

To make 1 pie:

3 eggs

398 ml (1/2 can of 796 ml) of E.D. Smith Pure Pumpkin (you can use any other brand too)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup(175 ml) evaporated milk

1 (9 in/23cm) unbaked home-made or frozen deep dish pie shell

Method:

• Beat the eggs lightly in a medium bowl.
• Add pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt; stir until well combined.
• Blend in milk. Pour filling in a pie shell.
• Bake at 425 degree F (220 degree C) for 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degree F (180 degree C) and continue baking for 30 to 35 minutes, longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool and serve.

Nutty Couscous Salad

Couscous is basically a Mediterranean dish. In general, I am not too fond of couscous and have never prepared it at home. But, one of my friend taught me this recipe. It was very easy to prepare and I liked this recipe of couscous, as a salad. I found it very nutritious and tasty. This recipe serves as a good side dish with fish, chicken or lamb or also a salad.

Preparation time : 20 minutes

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fine couscous
• 11/2 cup water
• 1 red bell pepper cut into small cubes
• 1 tbsp parsley or coriander finely chopped
• 1 small can of mixed beans
• 2 tbsp of roughly chopped pecans or walnuts
• 2 tbsp dried blueberry
• 2 tbsp dried cranberry
• salt to tast

Method:

• Bring 11/2 cup water to a boil.
• Pour this hot water over the couscous and cover and keep it for about 15 minutes
• Then with the help of fork, gently flake it like the way you would handle cooked rice.
• Drain the water from the canned mixed beans and rinse it nicely under the tap and mix these beans with the couscous.
• Add all the remaining ingredients to the couscous and gently mix it together with a fork.
• Chill it for about 1/2 hour in the refrigerator and serve it as a side or a salad.

Note: You can customize this salad and put in any ingredients of your choice. You can add grilled chicken breast to it if you like or some smoked sausages. Also serves as a great snack idea.

Baked Salmon with an Indian twist

Salmon is considered to be a health food by many because of its omega-3 fatty acids. A lot of health benefits are associated with its consumption. This is one of my favorite fish, here in Canada. However, I don't buy it often because it is too expensive. Whenever, I did buy salmon, I generally prepared it in a Continental style but was very surprised to know that our Indian spices also go very well with this fish. I had this dish at my friend's place and really liked the preparation. So, decided to share it with you all.

Preparation Time : 40 minutes + marination time

Serves : 4

Ingredients :

4 medium sized salmon steaks

3 tbsp of fish fry masala

salt to taste

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp of mixed Italian herbs

2 tbsp of fresh chives finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

• In a bowl, combine fish fry masala, salt, lime juice, Italian herbs and chives together.
• Pour in 1 tbsp of olive oil to form a thick paste
• Apply this paste or marinade on both sides of the salmon steaks.
• Let this rest in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
• Grease a baking tray lightly with olive oil
• Preheat the oven to about 400 degree F and bake the fish for about 15 minutes on either side.
• Serve hot with some nutty couscous salad.

Note: If you don't have fish fry masala, you need to combine 2 tbsp of red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp garlic powder together. Combine this with the rest of the ingredients mentioned above and make a marinade for the fish.

Crab Cakes with Pickled Garlic & Cucumber Relish

One of my dear friend is suffering from Cancer. I have been accompanying her to the hospital for her chemo treatment. It is so sad to see some young kids going through this sickness. I have come across so many young and old people with different kinds of cancer and it is so sad to see them suffer. But, I must say that this experience has helped me appreciate life better rather than simply taking it for granted.

While waiting at the hospital for her turn, I was whiling my time reading a few magazines. Suddenly, I saw this interesting recipe of Crab cakes with Pickled garlic and cucumber relish. The picture looked so appetizing that it simply caught my attention. I immediately grabbed a paper and pen from the receptionist and wrote it down. Last week, I tried it out at home and it came out really good. So, thought of sharing it with all of you...

Preparation Time: 30 minutes + refrigerating time

Makes :12 crab cakes

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter

2 green onions finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped celery

2 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper

250 gms crab meat drained

2 eggs

juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp cilantro finely chopped

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp chilli powder

11/2 cups panko breadcrumbs - divided into 2 portions (I used regular breadcrumbs)

1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

• Melt the butter in a pan. Cook onions, celery and red bell pepper for about 5 minutes and then transfer it into a bowl.
• To this, add the crab meat, 1 egg, lime juice, mayonnaise, cilantro, salt, pepper, cumin, chilli powder, 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs. Stir till it well combined.
• Make 12 crab cakes and freeze it for about 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.
• Brush the baking sheet with olive oil
• Beat one egg in the bowl and put the remaining panko breadcrumbs in another bowl.
• Dip the crab cakes first into the egg and then sprinkle it with panko breadcrumbs and transfer them to the baking sheet.
• Bake for about 10 minutes on one side and then flip it and bake again for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Serve hot with Pickled Garlic & Cucumber Relish on top.

Pickled Garlic & Cucumber Relish

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Makes: 1/2 cup

Ingredients:

3 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp cucumber finely chopped

1 tbsp red bell pepper finely chopped

2 tbsp mango finely chopped

1 tsp red onion finely chopped

1 tsp cilantro finely chopped

1/2 tsp Indian pickled garlic (you can find this in the Indian Grocery stores)

Method:

• Mix everything together and serve it on top of the crab cakes.

Strawberry Smoothie

Who doesn't love strawberries??? This delicious recipe is a perfect drink to beat the summer heat. You can make this with fresh or frozen strawberries and it tastes simply refreshing. Enjoy!!!

Preparation Time : 5 minutes

Serves : 1

Ingredients:

100 gm fresh or frozen strawberries cut into halves

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup low fat yoghurt beaten

a pinch of nutmeg powder

a sprig of mint leaf

Method :

• Sprinkle the sugar on the strawberries and put everything together in the blender except for the mint leaves and blend it till it is smooth and creamy.
• Garnish with mint leaf and a slice of strawberry.

Beef Roast Sandwiches / Beef Chilly

I generally cook a lot of chicken. I am not too fond of beef or any other meat. But, one day this friend of mine taught me to make this delicious beef roast. I am not exaggerating, it is simply amazing. The best part of this recipe is that, you can make the beef roast and then have different variations of it. You can either make chilly beef out of the roast or beef roast sandwiches or simply have beef roast with some vegetables and mashed potatoes. So, just one simple recipe can help you prepare 3 days dinner. Isn't that so convenient?

So, here goes the recipe :

Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 2-3 hours

Serves : 6 people

Ingredients:

for the Beef Roast:

11/2 lb beef eye of round

3 big onion chopped fine

3 big tomatoes chopped fine

2 tbsp ginger paste

2 tbsp garlic paste

4-5 kashmiri whole red chillies

1 tbsp clvoes

5-6 cinnamon sticks

2 tbsp cane or rice vinegar (if you don't have this, even regular vinegar would do)

salt & pepper to taste

Oil

Method:

• First prick the eye of round with a fork on all sides. Then, apply salt all over the eye of round. Then, rub the ginger-garlic paste nicely on all sides. Finally rub the pepper and pour the vinegar on it and keep it aside for about 1/2 hour. (You could also marinate this the previous night and keep it in the refrigerator)
• Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker. When the oil is hot, throw in the cloves and cinnamon sticks, whole red chillies and fry for a minute or two.
• Then, add the onions and fry till they turn translucent.
• Then, add the tomatoes and salt and fry for about 10 minutes.
• On top of this gravy, place the marinated beef and pour in 1/4 cup water and cover the cooker and wait for the pressure cooker to release 3 whistles.
• After the 3 whistles, lower the heat and without opening the cooker, let it cook on slow flame for about 25-30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, remove the meat from the gravy and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes.
• Increase the heat and thicken the gravy. This will take about 30 minutes to thicken the gravy.
• After the meat has rested, cut it into thin long strips and mix it with the gravy.
• Delicious beef roast is ready.

For Beef Chilly:

Ingredients:

2 big onions cut into thick round circles

2 big tomatoes cut into thick round circles

3-4 green chillies slit (depending on your spice intake)

1/2 fresh lemon squeezed to get juice.

Method:

• Place the cooked roasted beef with the gravy in a pan.
• On top of it, place the onions and tomatoes and the slit green chillies.
• Adjust the seasoning and pour in the lemon juice.
• On slow flame, keep mixing the onions & tomatoes into the beef till you see the tomatoes getting mushed and the onions turning slightly translucent.
• Remove from heat and serve it with some roasted potatoes or grilled vegetables

For Beef Roast Sandwiches:

Serves : 1

Ingredients:

1 hot dog bread

1 tbsp mayonnaise

3 tbsp beef chilly

some shredded ice-berg lettuce

some shredded cheese (any cheese of your choice)

Method :

• Cut the hot dog bread into half and apply mayonnaise on both sides.
• On top of it, place about 3 tbsp of beef chilly
• Sprinkle with some shredded cheese of your choice and grill it in the oven for about 5 minutes till the cheese is melted.
• On top of the cheese, put some shredded ice-berg lettuce and serve immediately.

Sweet & Spicy Brinjal Pickle

One day at a friend's place, I tasted brinjal pickle. I liked the sweet and spicy taste of the pickle. I went about hunting for it in every Indian store, but I just could not find it on the counter. So, I decided to make it myself. My friend told me that it is quite a simple procedure to make this pickle and so I decided to give it a try. This is my first attempt at pickle making. The output was really good. I am definitely going to try making different types of pickles now.

Preparation Time : 1-2 hours

Makes : 500 gms bottle

Ingredients :

1/2 kg long purple brinjals / aubergines / eggplants

4 cloves of garlic

1 inch piece ginger

1 cup vinegar

1 cup vegetable oil or any refined oil

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp salt

3 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp mustard seeds

for the paste:

3 cloves of garlic roughly chopped

1 inch piece ginger rougly chopped

1 tsp methi seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

Method :

• Wash and dry the brinjals. Then cut them into medium size pieces. Marinate them with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp chilli powder and keep aside.
• Roughly cut the ginger and garlic and keep aside.
• Combine all the paste ingredients together and soak it in 1 cup of vinegar for about 1 hour.
• Strain the vinegar and keep aside and make a paste out of the residue with a little of the strained vinegar.
• Heat 1 cup oil in a pan. Throw in the mustard seeds.
• When they start spluttering, add the chopped ginger and garlic and sauté for a minute or two.
• Then add the ground paste and fry it nicely for about 5 mins to take out all the raw smell of the ingredients.
• To this add, the brinjals, salt and chilli powder and cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
• When the brinjals get a little soft, add the sugar and the vinegar and stir nicely till the sugar is dissolved.
• Keep the flame low and continue to cook the brinjal without covering it till the sugar dissolves completely and the brinjal are softened and the mixture has thickened.
• Remove from heat and let it cool completely. This will take atleast 5-6 hours to cool off.
• Then fill it in bottles or any air-tight container. Make sure you have put in sufficient oil from the pickle in the bottle so that it can be preserved for a longer time.
• Chill it in the refrigerator and serve it with chapatis or with rice and dal.

Avocado Smoothie

Saw this recipe on my friend's blog. Always wondered how avocado smoothie would taste. But, the fruit itself is pretty bland. Was a little hesitant to even try it out first, but then finally decided to give it a try. It turned out really good. The texture was so creamy and smooth...just couldn't stop sipping it.

This recipe has taught me not to be afraid of trying out new things because sometimes, until we try, we will never know.

For the recipe, click on the link http://adukalavishesham.blogspot.com/2010/02/avocado-smoothie.html