Corn flakes chewda(reposted for repost event)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

This was my recipe posted on March 17, 2009 in my blog.  I used to prepare it when I was in UAE. This was my tea time snack. 

I  had sent this recipe to Radio 4 FM, and the RJ Charu called me to talk on air about this. She is a sweet lady. I have spoken to her many times on air. And she always used reply to my mails. Radio was my addiction when I was in UAE, and believe me, I used to on the radio at 5 in the morning while preparing breakfast for my husband and daughter. 

Here is the recipe for Cornflakes chewda. Very easy and fast to make. Children will love it. If they don't like to eat cornflakes with milk, this is the best way to give them.

Normal cornflakes - 1 cup

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Dalia (Puthani) - 2 tbsp

roasted peanut-2 tbsp

curry leaves few

chilli powder - 1 tsp

salt to taste

sugar - 1tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

salted cashew nuts -10 to 12

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, jeera. Then add curry leaves, Dalia. Fry for one minute and off the gas.

After a minute, add roasted peanuts, cashew nuts, salt, sugar and chilly powder. Keep it aside. Once its cold add cornflakes. mix properly.

Good filler for kids and elders can enjoy with a hot cup of tea.

Even you can add raw onion, tomato, fresh coriander, green chilly and lime juice to make it like a chat.

Here is the link for old post:  cornflakes chewda

I AM SENDING THIS RECIPE TO PJ'S Tasty Bites For Toddlers

Sending this to The repost event and another set of rules held by Jaya of Desi Soccer Mom.

Thanks to Jaya for holding such an unique event.

I have written the fresh lines in bold and italic letters so that you all can understand which is added new. 

Keep smiling,

My awards in the year 2009

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

Here is the collection of all the awards I got in the year 2009.

I want to thank all these lovely friends who thought of me and shared these awards with me!

Award from Chaitra

Awards  from PJ

     

Award from Shanti

Awards  from Padma 

Awards  from Sangi

                                                       Award from PJ and Sanghi

                                                                     Award from Priya

Awards  from priya

   


Award from Aruna

Keep Smiling,

Rice flour Poori and Chilli Gojju(Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All

It is so easy to prepare food, when some one is guiding you!! That's why I enjoy very much when ever I follow other blog and cook any dish. And I post it in 'Food Remake' label, as it is very common in Indian film industry to remake the movies from one language to the other. So even my food here is the remake one!!!

Laxmi of Taste of Mysore has a wonderful blog, and I follow her recipes regularly. 

This recipe  was a hit in my house with the children and my friends. So I thought of sharing my click with all of you! 

Click here  for the detailed recipe with photos. 

Gojju is very tasty and if I make this, it will get over within half an hour. I love to have it with chapati, bread, rice, roti, dosa.......!!!!!

Keep Smiling,

Award from Priya!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,
Hurray!!! One more award for me. This time it has come from priya of Priyas Recipes. 

Thank you so much priya!

I wan to share this beautiful "Sweet Friends" award with all my friends here in this blog world.

Please feel free to put it in your blog!

Keep Smiling,

Pearls and Gems!! for breakfast!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita,

Hi all,

Got confused with the title!!

When I clicked the photo, this name flashed in my mind!

As I told before also, it is like a celebration for me if this recipe comes out nice. And today was the day, I got it just right or more than right. But against its name, it was so soft that it was almost melting in the mouth! Am I exaggerating ??? NO! I was really happy and may be more than 50 times I told my mother about how I prepared it.

Still scratching your head about what am I talking??

Don't you think they look just  like pearls and gems!!!

It is nothing but Sago or Sabudana Kichdi!

This is my daughter's favorite at any time. I could never prepare it so good like today!! So writing and keeping it in a safe locker that I should not forget the process in the future.
Coming to the recipe,
Sago(big) - 200 gm
Butter milk - 3 tbsp
Potato - 1 big, peeled and cut into big cubes
Oil - 2 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Green chilly  - 1, remove seeds and chop it fine
Almonds - 6 to 8 roasted
Pea nuts - 10 to 12 roasted
Salt to taste
Lime juice - 1 tbsp
Fresh coconut - 2 tbsp grated

Few months ago, when I was searching for this recipe, I read in a blog(sorry, I do not remember the name) that if you sprinkle some butter milk on soaked sago, the kichdi will come out soft. I tried it and it is true.
So,
Wash the sago in clean water and soak it only for 5 minutes. Remove the water. Sprinkle butter milk and keep it aside for 3 to 4 hours.
Chop the nuts in to 4 pieces or crush it in to small pieces.
Add oil in thick bottomed kadai. When hot , add jeera and curry leaves. Add chilly and potato cubes. Fry till brown. Add soaked sago and keep on stirring. Or else the kichdi will get burnt. After the sago changes its color add nuts and salt. Keep on stirring for some time. Cover it and cook it till the sago is cooked. Now sprinkle the milk. Mix it and cover it for a minute on medium flame. Remove from the heat.  Before serving add lemon juice and fresh coconut, mix and serve it hot.

 Sago flour (from Metroxylon) is nearly pure carbohydrate and has very little protein, vitamins, or minerals.... Read more about sago here.
But definitely a good breakfast or evening snack for kids. If you want to make it more nutritious,add more nuts, potato and other vegetables.

Sending this to Srivalli's  Announcing Kid's Delight ~ Wholesome Breakfast! . 
Hope it goes into her list!

This is going to the event conducted by iloufer of Kitchen Samraj! "Cooking with Seeds- Sago Event Announcement"  which is started by  Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes.

Keep Smiling,

Green mutton chops

Tried and tasted by Nivedita,

Hi All,

The food I miss the most in India (or to be precise, my house) is Non Vegetarian food. I miss cooking These  preparations. This photo is taken when I was in UAE. Even before leaving UAE, my last Friday Food was all these three together.

I have already posted the Biryani recipe long back, and the recipe for chops and curry was due.

Without much introduction, I am posting the recipe for Green mutton chops.

(I forgot to take seperate photoes! So for all the three recipes, the same photo will be posted!!)

Mutton Chops - 1/2 kilo

Apply salt and turmeric to the chops for half an hour. Then clean it 2 to 3 times with good water.

For marinating,

Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tbsp each

Oil - 1 tbsp

Fresh coriander - 1 small bunch

Green chilly - 3 to 4

Curds - 2 tbsp

Salt - 1 tbsp

Put all the ingredients and make in to fine paste in a grinder or blender.

Marinate the mutton chops with the ready paste at least for 2 hours. If it is marinated over night, it tastes better as mutton will be tender and all the flavors goes inside it.

For masala,

Oil - 1/4 cup(you can reduce if you do not like more oil)

Onion - 3 big, cut into long thin slices

Tomato - 2 big, cut into small cubes

Bay leaf - 1

Garlic Ginger paste - 1 tbsp together

Whole garam masala - 1 tbsp Crushed

(Cardamom, Clove, Cinnamon, nutmeg, Pepper)

Fresh Coriander - 1/4 bunch, cleaned, washed and chopped for garnishing

Kasoori methi - 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste, add 1 tbsp first. After the mutton is cooked half, check again and adjust the taste.

Water 

Add oil in a very thick and wide kadai. When very hot, add onion and fry till it changes its color to golden brown. Now add whole garam masala and bay leaf.. After few seconds, add ginger and garlic paste. Fry for a minute. Add tomato. Mix properly. Cover it and cook till Tomato is tender. Now add marinated mutton chops. Mix with all the masala. Add 2 cups of water. Cover it and cook for at least half an hour, make it sure to check in between for the water. If you feel, still water is needed to cook the mutton, add one more cup. When you see the mutton is cooked, add kasoori methi and keep on a high flame. Cook or fry it till the water is gone. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve it with Lemon juice sprinkled on the top. 

Sending this one to Srilekha's  EFM - MUTTON SERIES! event. 

Hope you all will enjoy this feast. My next recipe in Non vegetarian is my way of Mutton curry.

Keep Smiling,

Mixed Lentil Dal

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Dal is a food, which can be prepared in more than 1000 ways and each preparation tastes different.  The down one is a simple and healthy dal.

Again, as usual, I have mixed 7 lentils in this.

Here is the recipe,

All mixed lentils - 1 cup all together, Qty of each dal is as per your taste, but Urad dal should be little.

(Toor dal, Yellow moong dal, Chana Dal, Masoor dal, Urad dal, Split black Urad dal, Split green moong dal)

Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Tomato - 1 big chopped

Wash the dal and mix jaggery and tomato in a cooker with dal. Give 3 whistles. Allow it to cool.

For dal masala,

Oil -1 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Jeera or cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Onion - 1 medium, cut into long thin slices

Garlic - 6 to 8 cloves, crushed

Ginger - 1/2", cut in to thin long pieces

Whole red dry chilly - 3 to 4

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander - handful, chopped finely

Heat oil and ghee in a kadai, add jeera. Fry for some time. Add curry leaves and garlic. Fry till the garlic changes its color. Now add onion and ginger and fry till onion is fried. Then goes whole red chilly, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Fry for half minute and add boiled dal. Mix it and allow it to boil for a minute. Now add 1/2 cup water. Close the lid and allow it to boil for 2 minutes on low flame. Open the lid and add fresh coriander. Remove from the heat.

Dal is ready to serve.

Sending this to EC's event MLLA-19th Helping event announcement for the month of January 2010.As per the rule of the event, I am linking my post to  Susan's event host lineup page..  also.

Keep smiling,

Sindhi Curry(Veg curry with Gramflour)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more healthy traditional food, with lot of vegetables in to it!!!! It is very good in winter and rainy season, as one can just drink it or sip it sitting beside the window and watching rain drops and enjoying the hot soup with cold breeze(At least this is what I do whenever I get chance!!!) or can enjoy with Brown rice or Bhooga chawar.

It takes time to cut all the vegetables and it takes time to cook the curry also, but the result is very tasty that you will forget the pain of cutting the vegetables and waiting for it to cook.!!!

When I was in UAE, I learnt it from my Co-Sister and Sister In Law. And I love it to have any time of day or night!!

Coming to the recipe,

Potato - 2 big, washed, and cubed in to big pieces.

Carrot - 1 big, chopped length wise

Beans - 8 to 10, cleaned and cut in to two.

Cluster beans - 10 to 12 cleaned and cut into two

Brinjal - 1 medium, cut into lengthwise

Drum stick - 2 washed, cleaned and chopped in to 3 to 4 pieces

Ladies finger(Bhindi) - 4 to 6, washed, cleaned and dried. Cut in to 2 pieces and shallow fry in little oil. Keep it aside.

Oil - 1/4 cup

Methi Seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Green Chilly - 2 slit 

Ginger - 1/4" crushed(optional)

Gramflour(Besan atta) - 4 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1 line.

Tomato - 2 medium (or tomato paste or puree - 1/4 cup)

Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp

Amsol - 4 to 6

Salt to taste

Haldi - 1/2 tsp

Dhania or coriander powder - 1 tbsp

The vegetables are optional and you can replace or skip few. But more vegetables really make the curry tasty and healthy.

Add oil in a thick bottomed kadai or cooker. Keep on a medium flame, when oil is hot, add jeera, green chilly, ginger and methi seeds. Fry for few seconds. Now be careful before adding Gram flour. Keep on stirring or else it gets burnt. When good fried aroma starts coming, put hard vegetables like potato, drumsticks, beans and cluster beans. Keep on stirring for a minute. Now add Tomato or tomato puree. Mix and let it cook for a minute. Time is to add red chilly powder, dhania powder and haldi. Again mix and add cook for one more minute. All should happen over medium flame. Add at least 3 cups of water and close the lid and cook for 10 minutes. Now add other soft vegetables like carrot, brinjal and salt. Again boil it for 10 more minutes. And then comes the chance of Bhindi or okra or lady finger to get boiled. Cook it for 2 minutes adjust the seasoning. Add Amsol and curry leaves. Cook for 5 minutes. 

The curry is ready in the cooker and will be waiting for you to take it in a bowl and taste it.

An instant and fastest way to cook is,

After you add gram flour, add all other ingredients except curry leaves and amsol, add water and give 4 to 6 whistles. When cool, add curry leaves and amsol and boil it directly on medium flame for 2 minutes. 

But the first method tastes better even though takes lot of time.

Moral of the cooking is 

"Slow and steady wins the race!!!"

Keep Smiling,

HAPPY MAKARA SANKRANTI

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

Wishing every one a very 

Happy Makara Sankranti

ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಮಕರ ಸಂಕ್ರಾಂತಿಯ 

ಹಾರ್ಧಿಕ

ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು 

Keep Smiling,

Frist award of the year!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

My first award of this year and that too so early! Thank you so much Malar of (Malar's Cuisine)  for making my day! 

Hope I will be loaded with many more from my sweet friends.(just kidding), but who will not love to accept the awards?(Of course, except Aamir Khan!!, hey I am a his one of  admirers rather than a  fan!, so Aamirians, do not get angry!)

Rules for accepting this award:

1) Thank the person giving the award

2) Copy the award to your blog

3) Place a link to their blog

4) Name 7 things people don't know about you

5) Nominate 7 bloggers

6) Place a link to those bloggers

7) Leave a comment letting those bloggers know about the award

It is a real test when you have to write about yourself., Check 7 things about me!(except which I already shared before)

Scroll...........

1. I  am a confused person, I take time to decide about any thing.

2. I love eating.

3. I am very bad in dressing.

4. I can cook more than 3 dishes at a time with proper time management.

5. I am an introvert.

6. I love blogging.

7. I love nature and try my ways to protect it.

I hope,now,  you all know me better than before.

I want to share this award with my other friends,

priya  of Priyas recipes.
Lena Rashmin Raj of Lemon n Space
Swapna Raghu Sanand  of Petals!
SE(Denufood)  of Denufood
Malar Gandhi of Kitchen Tantra-tease your palate
Aruna Manikandan of Veggie Paradise..... and
Faiza Ali of Faiza Ali's Kitchen


Keep smiling,

Ginger Pickle

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Simple but healthy, tasty and instant pickle. My daughter and me will eat it like sabji than pickle. We eat it with paratha, chapati, rice, upma and the list goes on. Some times just like that!!!

Here are the ingredients,

Ginger - 1/4 kilo

Lime juice - of 4 to 6 medium

Salt to taste

Red chilly powder - 3 to 4 tbsp

Haldi - 1 tsp

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp, heat the oil and let it be cool

Soak the ginger in salted water for half an hour. Clean the skin and cut into thin long pieces.

Add in a glass jar with all other ingredients. Check the taste. Keep for an hour for immediate use. Try to preserve in the fridge as it may spoil if kept outside.

Keep smiling,

Plain green biryani rice

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

When I prepared this rice few weeks back, my daughter was like "wow mamma, only chicken pieces are missing in this" She was happy to have this rice after many months.

After coming to India, as I stopped preparing non veg, I totally forgot about this rice. As I have told before, my daughter loves to take rice for her lunch box, I am learning to make varieties. And suddenly this rice came in my mind. When in UAE, I used to make this rice  with  chicken or meat curry.

Now a days,  once a week, this rice is in her lunch box.

Here, I prepared plain with one small potato. If you want you can add Soya nuggets in this.

Coming to the recipe,

Any long grain rice - 1 cup, washed and kept aside.

Onion - 1 cut into long thin slices

Bay leaf - 1

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water to cook the rice

For grinding,

Fresh coriander - 1 small bunch or 1 cup

Green chilly - 2 to 3 as per your taste or depending upon chilly

Ginger - 1" piece

Garlic - 1 small bulb, peeled

Jeera - 1tsp

Cinnamon - 1/2" piece

Cloves - 3

Cardamom - 1

Put all these in a grinder and make it into fine paste.

Heat oil in a cooker or kadai (I prefer cooker). When hot, add onion and cook till brown. Now add bay leaf and the ready paste and fry for 5 minutes. When you start getting aroma add rice and salt. Fry for a minute. Add water till the rice level. Close the lid and give two whistles.

You open the lid and the aroma will take you  in another world!!!

Keep smiling,

Kitchen Mishaps!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Is there any one who learnt cooking before messing up the whole kitchen, self painting your face with flours or burning poor vessels!!! I really feel very bad for the vessels in the kitchen, these are our victims which tolerate all our crime on them. But may be even the vessels will feel happy if our food turns out good, which is not regular for new bees.(hey, just for fun)

Sending it to Kitchen Mishaps - Event Announcement! by Malar Gandhi of  Kitchen Tantra - tease your palate. 

I do not believe in PRACTICE MAKES MAN PERFECT!!   NO! Because no one is perfect in this world.

But  FOR SURE, PRACTICE BRINGS MAN NEAR TO THE PERFECTION.

So Girls, do not loose your hope if you are not getting success in the beginning.

Now coming to the title, I started thinking about my funny, bad or very bad experiences or mishaps. But these are not funny to sit and enjoy the reading.

As I told before, first thing I learnt to make was  Upma. When I learnt(at the age of 7) and started making it, first it was always either more watery or was half cooked with raw onion smell. But as the days passed I learnt to make it tasty and edible.

Next I remember is to make Jowar rotis. I really do not remember how many rotis I might have wasted either while patting it or frying or cooking. But I learnt it after very long time practice.

And then comes the TEA. I always used to get scoldings from my uncle(Father's brother), because he never liked my tea. Either it used to be like hot water or it used be more sugary or some times like only plain milk!!

My most worst mishap is with sago kichadi! It becomes like rubber always. Now also, if kichadi comes out perfect, its like a celebration for me.

Then comes the rice preparations, Till 6 months back , I always got scared to make any type of pulao, bath, biryani!It always turned out to a disaster. No one liked my rice as it was always bland without salt or any masala. But as my daughter loves to take rice for her lunch I forced my self to learn more of these dishes and now I can make variety of rice!

Now a days my most disaster food is baking the cake. My cake always turns out like a stone!!! or comes out with dark burnt ring on the edge. Or my cake is never cooked.

But!! I do not have any pictures taken when these mishaps took place. 

I hope you will visualize the photos and read it. Sorry!

Keep Smiling,

Polished wheat halwa (ಗೋಧಿ ಹುಗ್ಗಿ ) for new year!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Starting my first post in this year with traditional sweet called Godhi Huggi or polished wheet halwa. This is the heaviest sweet which is common in most of the functions in North Karnataka. It is not for weight watchers, as it has lot of dry fruits, jaggery and cups of ghee in to it. And its like, some medicines have instructions written  "not to drive when you take the medicine". You will feel drowsy and lazy after you have this.

Again, one of my favorite sweet.

Here is the recipe,

Polished Wheat : 200gm (Available in Indian store)

Chana dal - 4 tbsp

Jaggery - 200gm, powdered

Cardamom - 4 to 6 crushed

Nutmeg powder - 1 tsp

Poppy seeds - 4 tbsp

Dry desiccated coconut - 1/4 cup

Salt - 1 tsp

Ghee - 1 cup

Water depends on the wheat.

Soak the wheat overnight. In the morning, soak chana dal for an hour or two. Mix wheat and chana dal in a cooker with double the water of soaked wheat. Give 10 to 12 whistles. Yes, wheat takes time to cook. Once cool, open and check the wheat, I mean, take one seed in the hand and press it. If it breaks into pieces then its done. Otherwise you have to grind it to coarse paste.

Once this is done, add powdered jaggery, salt and 1/4 cup ghee and mix well with hand or churner. Keep it on medium heat to boil, keeping in mind to stir in between. once it starts boiling, check the sweetness of the dish and if you feel you need more sweet add some more jaggery(because, it has different taste always, depending upon the sugarcane)

If you feel the sweet is fine, add salt, poppy seeds and coconut. Mix properly and allow it to boil for few more minutes. Now add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder with 1/4 cup ghee. Let it boil for 10 minutes with stirring it often. 

The sweet is ready to eat with more ghee on the top with some spicy chilly and sandige.

Wishing everyone a very happy, prosperous and beautiful new year.

Keep Smiling,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

WISHING EVERY ONE

A

VERY HAPPY

AND

WONDERFUL

NEW YEAR

MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE AND LETS WORK HARD TO KEEP THIS EARTH GREEN AND BEAUTIFUL!

Keep Smiling,

Yeh doulat bhi lelo....(ये दौलत भी ले लो ये शौरत भी लेलो)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Got confused with the title!!

My brother and me are a great fan of Jagjit Singh. We always enjoy listening to his gazals and sing together. My brother remembers all his gazals and sing without any mistakes. He has a huge collection of Jagjit Singh's gazals.

During our school and college days, we always used to wait for his next album. Now also we enjoy the same way.

Why I am writing all this?? Because, last night we went to Jagjit Singh Live in Concert, here in Pune.(Yes! I am in Pune for Christmas Holidays!) It was first time for me!(my brother never misses his concerts in Pune) I was so excited to see Jagjit Singh! It was like a dream come true for me! I never imagined I will get a chance to attend his concert and that too with my brother!

I was in different world for those three hours. Even though we could not see him from close! we could feel his voice in the air! There were big TV screens fixed in three corners. It was an open area and very cold. It was like a heaven, listening to Jagjit Singh's gazals under the open sky with moon and stars, in chilled weather. Then came the Vada pao and hot cup of tea!

The best part was, me and my brother were guessing his next gazal and we were testing our memory by singing the next line before Jagjit Singh will sing!! All the times my brother sang it perfect.

And when Jagjit Singh started the gazal "Hoton se Choolo tum",  every one started to sing with him, In between  he stopped singing and enjoyed our singing! I enjoyed this also very much.

Even his people who were on instruments are very good. He gave each of them a chance to play the gazals on their instrument(there was a guitarist, Flute player, Setar player and Tabala player.) Jagjit Singh looks the same how he was 15 years back, with same smiling face and same enthesuasam when singing.

He finished his concert by singing 'Laari rappa...'

Last night was unforgettable one for me!

Keep Smiling,