Mor Keerai (Greens in Buttermilk Gravy)

Mor kozhambu is one of my all time favorite gravy/curry. I just love the smell and the taste of coconut, cumin and the tangy taste of the buttermilk in the dish. The dish can be made with a variety of vegetables like okra, white pumpkin, drumstick,chayote squash and most of the green leafy vegetables. Among the green leafy vegetables,I have not personally tried using spinach but have prepared it with most other green leaves.This mor keerai post is the first post on my blog that contains a pictured step-by-step description of the dish. Hope you all enjoy making this dish.

Ingredients:

Collard Greens - 1 bunch
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - According to taste
Asafoetida - A pinch
Buttermilk - 2 cups (Preferably a little sour)

For Grinding:

Green chillies - 2

Cumin seeds - 2 teaspoons

Coconut grated - 1/2 cup

For seasoning:

Oil - 1 table spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Method:

• Cut and wash the collard greens and strain it and keep it aside.

• Grind the coconut, green chillies and the cumin seeds to a coarse paste and set it aside.

• In a pan, add oil, mustard seeds and cumin seeds and allow the mustard seeds to pop up.

• To this add the ground paste and fry till the raw smell from the masala goes away.

• Add salt according to your own taste.

• Add turmeric powder and Asafoetida.

• Now add the collard greens and cover it and cook for about 10 mins until the greens are cooked well and shrink in size.

• Now add the buttermilk and mix well and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes.

• Mor keerai is ready to be served hot with rice.

Notes:

• Do not cook the dish on high heat after adding the buttermilk as it tends to curdle.
• If there is no sour buttermilk available, you can add 2 tablespoons of sour cream to the buttermilk and add it.

How to make Khoya/ Mawa

Diwali is around the corner and I guess all of you will be very busy making a variety of sweets and savories at home. I am also looking forward to a fun-filled evening of lights and celebrate it with my family. There has been constant experimentation going on in my kitchen for making a variety of dishes. I was trying to make Khoya with evaporated milk and I got it right.Khoya is used to make several desserts like Peda, Gujiya and Kalakand. I am planning to make Peda's for Diwali and will be using the same recipe to make Khoya. Hope you all will try this and enjoy the dish.I am sharing the same recipe here.

Ingredients:

Milk powder - 1 1/2 cups
Evaporated milk - 1 small can - 5 oz (147 ml)
Ghee - 4 tablespoons

Method:

• In a bowl, add the milk powder and loosen it up using a fork.
• Add the can of evaporated milk and mix it well. Knead it to form a soft dough.
• Add the ghee and knead it well till the dough binds together well and is formed into a nice ball.
• Refrigerate the ball of dough as it is and later grate it and use it as required.
• Else, you can knead the dough and put it in the refrigerator.Later remove it and crumple it into crumbs and store it in a air-tight container and again refrigerate it.This will be easier as you can use the quantity required easily than breaking the dough ball every time you want to use it.
• Enjoy making the khoya and many more desserts for Diwali.

Financing Options to Help Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

We all want to do our part to help the environment and cut down on rising utility costs. But for many homeowners, green alternatives and upgrades are simply too expensive to be realistic. However, now is an excellent time to consider making eco-friendly home improvements, as an array of financial incentives is bringing these alternative energy systems into the mainstream for buyers, sellers and homeowners.

If you’re in the market for a new home, you may be able to get more for your money when you consider homes with energy-efficient upgrades like solar heating or tankless water heaters. These systems mean lower utility costs every month, which leaves more room in your budget for a slightly higher mortgage payment.

If you plan to stay in your home but are looking for a way to save on monthly energy bills, you may qualify for state or federal tax credits or special financing that will help you make energy-efficient improvements. These upgrades will reduce your utility costs and benefit the environment.

If you’re thinking about selling your home, any energy-efficient upgrades you’ve added can mean a higher asking price. Eco-friendly homes are an increasingly popular segment of the real estate market and as more home buyers look for energy-efficient properties, those upgrades are becoming an appealing selling point.

If you need financing to make energy-efficient upgrades to your home, you can get the funds you need through either a government-sponsored program or a traditional lender. Certain states even provide special programs for residents who qualify, so it’s smart to begin your search with your state’s department of energy to find out what’s available in your area.

There are also special mortgage programs that can help you afford energy-efficient upgrades. Called EEMs, or energy-efficient mortgages, these programs allow both homeowners doing new construction and those making improvements to an existing structure to obtain financing. EEMs make it possible to purchase or refinance a home that’s already certified energy-efficient, or to purchase or refinance a home that will be energy efficient after certain upgrades are made. Most lenders offer both kinds of EEMs; you may also qualify for home-improvement loans that will help defer the cost of energy-efficient upgrades.

In order to qualify for these special mortgage programs, most lenders require homes to have an energy-efficiency rating. These ratings are based on an inspection by a certified professional and tell lenders how energy efficient your home is.

The energy rater will check all the features of your home that relate to its energy consumption. This includes windows, insulation, heating and cooling systems, water heaters, and ductwork. You will receive a report that includes your home’s energy rating, as well as an estimate of your yearly energy usage and spending. The report sometimes includes suggestions for improvements you can make to boost your home’s energy-efficiency and the costs of those upgrades, along with an estimate of the annual savings and return on investment of making changes.

Check Out These Resources from the Federal Government:

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Energy Efficient Mortgage
  Home Owner Guide
• Energy Star - Energy Efficient Mortgages
  

Related Information from Horizon Services...

• 14 Web Sites That Can Save You Energy, Money and Time
• Home Energy Myths Debunked!
• Cutting Edge Solutions For Energy Efficiency
• 101 Ways to Save Energy and Money in Your Home

APPLE BASANTHI

This is a very delicious dessert. It is very simple to prepare! Apple makes all the difference. If the apple happens to be very sweet, then the dessert will be very tasty! Instead of thick milk, milk powder can also be mixed with water.

ஆப்பிள் பாசந்தி

Ingredients:

Big apples-2
Thick milk- 8 cups
Cardamom powder- 1 tsp
Almonds-8
Cashew nuts-10
Raisins-1 tbsp
Ghee- 2 tbsp
Sugar- ½ cup
Saffron- a pinch

Procedure:

Shred the apples finely.
Soak the almonds in hot water for 30 minutes, then peel off the skins and then cut them into thin pieces.
Fry them along with the raisins and cashew nuts in the ghee to golden brown.
Boil the milk on medium fire until it becomes half in quantity.
Then add the apple and cook for some minutes.
Now add the sugar with the saffron and cardamom and boil for some minutes.
Lastly add the fried ingredients and boil for a few seconds.
The delicious apple basanthi is ready now!!

Quick Cauliflower masala

Cauliflower is a versatile veggie that it can be paired with any veggie or can stand on its own too. This is a quickie adapted from the stable of Mallika Badrinath - A one pot side dish. Throw some cauliflower florets, onion and tomato paste with spices into your pressure cooker and cook for one whistle and the curry is ready.  

 

 

You need

 

• Cauliflower broken into florets - 2 cups
• Aniseed - 1/2 tspn
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
• Cloves - 3 nos
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Oil - 2 tblspn
• salt to taste

 

 Dry roast and powder

 

•  Red chillies - 4 nos
•  Poppy seed - 1 tblspn
•  Dhania/Coriander seeds - 2 tspn
•  Roasted gram/Chutney dal - 1 1/2 tblspn

 Grind coarsely

 

• Onion - 1  
• Tomatoes - 2 nos

Method 

Chop onion and tomatoes. Dry roast red chillies, poppy seeds and dhania. Powder the roasted ingredients along with the chutney dal. To that add the chopped onions and tomatoes and grind coarsely.

 

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the spices and then cauliflower. Fry for 3 minutes. Add the ground paste, salt and just enough water to cover the florets. Close the lid and pressure cook for one whistle. Switch off the heat and open the lid, when the pressure is fully released. Garnish with coriander leaves.

 

A Few Words About Home Heating

Some Key Points About Heating To Keep In Mind Before Winter Arrives

Generally speaking, most people usually don’t have major troubles with their home heating systems. But as Murphy’s Law states, “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” And with home heating systems, that is usually in the middle of winter...and at a time when you least expect it or that is inopportune.

Preparation and prevention are the best ways to deal with Murphy and his law. The autumn months are always a good time to familiarize yourself with the essential workings of your home heating system. Before grief strikes and you experience a heating system breakdown, take some time to review your system’s manuals and paperwork for proper operational instructions as well as simple adjustments that you can make yourself. Also, take some time to visit the manufacturer’s website; it’s always a great place to pick up a few tips on both operation and maintenance so the worst is less likely to happen.



Nothing Beats a Pre-Season Tune Up

During the year, your heating system accumulates dust and dirt, making it less efficient and costing you additional money in utility bills. The vast majority of heating service calls and repairs are caused by lack of regular heating system tune-ups and maintenance.

A pre-season tune-up, inspection and cleaning of your heating system is an easy way to prevent costly furnace and heating system breakdowns BEFORE they occur and to assure that your heating system is performing at peak efficiency throughout the winter. Without a doubt, it’s the smartest thing you can do to guarantee a warm, worry-free, energy-efficient home during those cold winter months. You wouldn’t think twice about giving your car a tune-up before a long trip; doesn’t it make similar sense to give your heating system a tune-up before the long winter ahead?



Use All Your Senses

Energy efficiency in home heating systems is a natural result of good maintenance, and regardless of your system type there are certain general rules which, if observed, can save you time and expense in the long run. Now’s a good time to stop, look, listen and feel; give your heating system a complete inspection using sight, sound and touch to see if something is out of place or if something odd is going on.

In terms of maintenance, there are a number of factors to bear in mind when seeking to keep your home heating system in good working order. Regardless of the system, always keep an eye on the condition of the chimney and the vent connection pipe. Problems with the chimney can be a real pain and expensive to sort out. The heat exchangers in boilers leak water, which is pretty easy to pinpoint. With furnaces it is a bit more serious as combustion gases will be mixing with air in the house, and this is why it’s especially important to have furnaces regularly inspected for leaks.

Make sure that the controls are always set appropriately to provide the recommended air and water temperatures. This will assure that you are not putting unnecessary stress on your heating system, as well as maximize your energy efficiency and comfort.. Consult the manual if in doubt.

Air quality is also an important factor in connection with home heating systems. Unintended air leaks in many homes provide some of the combustion air for the heating system, and a number of the combustion by-products can be harmful to health. Making sure that the chimney is properly cleared and maintained -- and that the system is adequately ventilated -- will reduce these risks. Purchasing a sealed-combustion unit is often recommended for safety and optimal efficiency.

If you have one of the old horizontal, plastic venting systems this should be replaced with a steel vent pipe, as all horizontal venting was recently recalled due to risks of gas leaking into the domestic air.



Upgrading Your Home Heating System

Autumn is also a great time to upgrade from an old heating system to a more modern, energy-efficient heating system. Nothing provides more peace of mind than going into the winter season with a factory fresh heater!

Furnaces and boilers are the main heat sources for homes in the United States. Furnaces distribute hot air through ducts, whereas boilers use hot water through pipes. The efficiency rating of both is measured in AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency).

Older furnaces and boilers can be upgraded for increased efficiency, although it may work out cheaper to get a new one. Fuel bills can be reduced by installing one of the modern systems which typically have energy ratings of around 97%. A heating contractor can recommend the type of furnace or boiler you’ll need after you optimised your home’s energy efficiency. Choose a unit of the appropriate size for your needs, and go for a sealed-combustion model which is more efficient.

Related Home Heating Information from Horizon Services...

• Horizon Heating Repair Services
• Horizon Heating Systems Installation and Replacement
• Horizon's Pre-Season Furnace Precision Tune-Up Offer
• SEER, AFUE and HSPF Ratings Explained
• 15 Ways To Stay Warm This Winter
• Cutting Edge Solutions for Energy Efficiency

Ashoka Halwa - Wheat flour and Green gram sweet

ASHOKA HALWA

' Without grief '- That is the exact meaning of the word Ashoka. Ashoka Halwa or Happy Halwa is a festive sweet and is very popular in Tamil Nadu. It is a very simple and nutritious halwa which can be shared with the near and dear ones on the happy occassion of Deepavali.

INGREDIENTS

Wheat flour - 1 glass ( Which can hold 250 ml of liquid)
Green gram dal ( lightly dry roasted) - 1 glass
Sugar - 2 1/4 glass
Ghee - 12 tbsps
Cardamom powder - 1 pinch
Raisins - 50 gms
Cashew nuts - 50 gms

METHOD

1. Heat three tbsps of ghee in a heavy bottomed pan.
2. Add wheat flour and roast till it emanates a pleasant aroma.

3. The wheat flour should look like cream and not dry when roasted. Use more ghee, if needed, to get the creamy consistancy. Switch off flame and keep aside.
4. Wash and pressure cook dry roasted green gram dal with 2 1/2 cups of water. The dal should be well cooked and mushy.
5. Mash the cooked dal well and add it to the creamy wheat flour.

6. Cook dal and wheat flour together blending with a spatula.
7. Add sugar and keep stirring till the sugar melts and blends with the dal and wheat flour mixture.
8. As it starts thickening keep adding ghee little by little stirring all the time.
9. Cook till the mass leaves the sides of the pan and starts looking like custard.
10. Blend in cardamom powder.
11. Pour on a greased plate and level with a greased spatula.
12. Fry cashew nuts and raisins in 1 tbsp of ghee and pour all over the halwa.

Scoop out the halwa with a spoon when still warm and relish the flavoursome treat. When cold you can cut them into desired shapes and sizes. But do not forget to top the cold piece with a speckof ghee and microwave before you relish the halwa. Find yourself slipping into a happy trance as the Ashoka Halwa slides over your taste buds.

Narayanan Krishnan - Inspiring!

We got this message via -mail today, and thought we should spread the word!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catch: He brings hot meals to India's homeless – so please vote for him New Delhi: If you had not heard of Narayanan Krishnan, as I had not, it is a collective failure. This is one of the most incredible stories of personal commitment. Narayanan Krishnan, all of 29 years old now, does what he was professionally trained to do as a chef. Feed people. Only Krishnan does not do this in the swanky confines of a 5-star hotel. Every day, he wakes up at 4 am, cooks a simple hot meal and then, along with his team, loads it in a van and travels about 200 km feeding the homeless in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Krishnan feeds, often with his hands, almost 400 destitute people every day. And for those who need it, he provides a free haircut too. According to CNN, eight years ago, this award-winning chef with a five-star hotel chain was all set to go to Switzerland for a high-profile posting. On a visit to a Madurai temple, he came across a homeless, old man eating his own human waste. That stark sight changed Krishnan's life. Much to the dismay of his parents, CNN says, Krishnan abandoned his career plans and decided to spend his life and his professional training in looking after those who could not care for themselves. He has provided more than 1.2 million hot meals through his nonprofit organisation Akshaya Trust, and now hopes to extend this to shelter for the homeless too. Krishnan is the only Indian in a list of 10 heroes that CNN has picked worldwide to honour. One of them will be chosen CNN Hero of the Year, selected by the public through an online poll. If many Indians get together to vote for this inspiring man, he can win by a long mile. If Krishnan wins he will get $100,000 in addition to the $25,000 that he gets for being shortlisted for the Top 10. Akshaya Trust needs all the monetary support it can get to build on Krishnan's dream. Let's help him get there. Vote for Krishnan here. The poll continues through November 18 at 6 a.m. ET. Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/catch%20of%20the%20day/catch-he-brings-hot-meals-to-india-s-homeless-61029?cp

Voting Link: http://heroes.cnn.com/vote.aspx

Pancake Durian

Kemaren siang, Ci Santi langganan aku, BBM :

" Ren, pengen makan pancake durian nih, bisa ga?"

" Waduh, tapi ga janji ya ci..soalnya ga tau duriannya ada apa nggak, mesti cek dulu" balas aku

Jadilah setelah bermacet2 ria kmrn pulang dari kantor, mampir sebentar ke Superindo nyari duren.

Untung ada..wah jadi deh nih bikin pancake durian, langsung deh bbm Ci Santi, dia ok mesen 30 pcs.

Uda lama nih aku ga bikin pancake ini.Lumayan cepet kok bikinnya, jadi ga makan waktu juga.

Aku paling doyan ama namanya durennn, asikkk masi ada duren sisa nih buat dimakan bakul kue nya..

Komen Ci Santi : " Gila yaaa lo, minta bikinin apa aja ama lo pasti bisa..Canggih!!"

Hahahahaha tugas ci,kudu bisa semua..Thanks yaa

My First Fondant

Ini sebenernya uda dari tgl 3 Oktober kemaren..

This my first fondant and figurine juga first carving, buat ultah si cayank..qiqiqiqi
Cake nya lapis Surabaya yang super duper enyakk (narsis.com)

Kenapa rumah? Karena cayank pengen banget punya rumah..

Tapiiii ada kesalahan nih..org benerannya kuyus,tp knp figurine nya seksoy gt?

wakakaka tukang kue nya berdalih.."ini cayank kalo uda jadi bos" ^_^

Alhasil nih kue 3 hari ga ada yang tega motongnya saking sayang nya.Katanya bagus bgt, walaupun lom sempurna. Harap maklum ya yank, ini fondant pertama aku n cuma modal nekat.hehehe.Tapi walopun begitu ga ketinggalan dong,bikinnya pake rasa sayang..Caileeee..hehehe.
Bikin ini bener-bener pontang panting cari peralatan fondant. Tapi hasilnya bikin happy!

Happy Bday, yank..

Panjang umur, sehat selalu dan selalu bahagia (apalagi kl sama aku..hehehe)

Wishing all the best for you

Here they are :

moga-moga ini membuahkan pesenan-pesenan laennya ya..Aminnnn

Amla/Indian Gooseberry Jam in Microwave

I lolve making jams at home and with microwave its surely a breeze. It gets done easily in less time. After seeing Latakka's amla halwa, I was inspired to try jam.

You need

• Amla - 250 gms (Around 13 nos) gave  a packed cup of cooked amla pulp
• Sugar -1 cup
• Cardamom - a pinch

Method

  

Microwave the washed amlas for 3 minutes till it is soft. De seed and pulse for few seconds in the mixer to get a coarse mixture. Don't grind it smooth else it will effect the texture of the jam. Measure the pulsed amla paste. Take equal quantity of sugar.

Mix sugar and  amla and micro high for 8 minutes. Stir in between. Check if there is any liquid present. If then cook for a minute or so. Adjust the timings according to your oven.  Don't cook long enough that it might turn hard on cooling. When cooked in microwave, it continues to cook even after its removed from the oven. So keep that also in mind.

I added a teaspoon of saffron + cardamom syrup or add just cardamom powder. Next time I am planning to add freshly crushed ginger too.

Enjoy the healthy jam on a warm toast.


The tart taste of amla is very much felt... To mask the taste of amla, you can increase the amount of sugar. After a week, I could not feel  the khatta meeta of amla... not sure if I got used to it or its the result of ageing.

Anyways, not many may like it at the first instant. If you love amla, then you will surely like it. 

GO GIANTS!

We in the San Francisco Bay Area are SOOOO excited about our Giants being in the World Series.

The first game starts at 4:57PM (PDT). Don't call me.

Our team this year is not the same team that started the year. So many changes. So many new (to us) players who were cast off from other teams and thought they would be watching the rest of their season from the couch.

It's quite remarkable that they were able to pull off an end of the season run to the top in the rankings and beat what we all thought were better teams in the playoffs.

Many, many fans have been cheering for the Giants ever since they came to San Francisco from New York back in the '50's. That includes me. My Mom was a SF Seals fan before the Giants came to town. We often went to (tiny) Seals Stadium, at 16th and Brannon, to watch both teams play, before Candlestick park was built.

After Candlestick was built, we went there. This was the era of Mays and McCovey, Cepeda and Marichal. Now the Giants have a gorgeous new stadium in Pac Bell Park.

The one thing missing all these years has been a World Series win. We've come close. Gotten into the Series, only to lose, in 1962, 1989 (the Earthquake) and 2002 (Barry Bonds).

Now here we are again; hoping against hope that this ragtag bunch of castoffs and rookies can pull off a miracle.

We're the underdogs, but that's the way we like it.

Go, GO Giants!
and Fear the Beard!

Peggy

ADDENDUM 11/1/10:

I just watched the Giants clinch the World Series title in 5.
What a run!
All of San Francisco is ecstatic!

Manoharam - Rice and lentil tubes coated with Jaggery

MANOHARAM

This is a traditional festive sweet and it takes a prominant place especially in South Indian weddings in cone forms. The prepared sweet is moulded in a pair of conical containers and is called 'Manoharam Paruppu Tengai'. This occupies the central position among the other 'seer bakshanams' displayed during the wedding ceremoney. Seer Bakshanams are sweets and savouries presented to the groom's party and will be distributed among relatives during the wedding.
The literal translation of Manoharam is Mind Stealer or Heart Winner! A savoury dish called Thaen Kuzhal (meaning Honey tubes) is first prepared and later dipped in jaggery syrup and is transformed into the delicious Manoharam. This can be relished as it is or formed into balls for easy handling.

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour -2 glasses ( 1 glass can hold 250 ml of liquid)
Black gram dal - 1/3 glass
Green gram dal - 1/3 glass
Bengal gram dal - 1/3 glass
Salt - 1 pinch
Ghee - 4 tbsps
Powdered jaggery - 3 glasses
Dry ginger powder - 1 pinch
Oil - for frying

METHOD

1. Powder the three dals (lentils) smoothly in a mixer. To prepare Manoharam in a large scale the lentils can be powdered in the local mill. For people living abroad all types of flours are available in India Stores.
2. Mix rice flour and the tri lentil flour in a wide bowl.
3. Add salt and rub in 2 tbsps of ghee thoroughly into the flour.

4. Add water little by little and knead the flour into a smooth dough.
5. Add the remaining 2 tbsps of ghee and finish the kneading process.
6. Grease the inside of the chakli press ( a device to get strands of dough when pressed through it) and fill it with the dough.

7. Heat oil and press the dough into it samultaneously swirling your hands, so that the strands of dough form coils.
8. Cook on medium flame turning it now and then till the Thaen Kuzhal becomes crisp and turns into a light honey (thaen) colour.
9. Remove the Thaen Kuzhal with a perforated ladle and drain on a kitchen towel. It will become crisp as it cools down. When a strand of the cooked savoury is broken you can see a fine bore running through the length of the strand making it look like a tube (Kuzhal).

10. Allow the Thaen kuzhal to cool well.
11. Melt jaggery powder in 2 gasses of water and filter it.
12. Break the Thaen kuzhal into small bits and spread them out on a greased plate.
13. Add ginger powder and cook jaggery syrup till it reaches a soft ball stage.
14. Remove syrup from flame and add it little by little to the Tthaen Kuzhal strands.

15. Mix syrup with Thaen Kuzhal using a wooden spatula so that the thick jaggery syrup coats each and every strand.
16. Make balls or store as it is in an air tight container after it cools down.
Though the steps may seem elaborate, it can be prepared with great ease once the ingredients are ready at hand.

Manoharam is sure to steal your hearts when you bite into the crispy sweet delicacy.

Sulfer-Tainted Drywall - Who Knew?

I just finished reading a lengthy expose on Pro-Publica, China Plays Tug-of-War With U.S. Inspectors Over Drywall, about Chinese and American drywall, tainted with sulfer, that causes extensive corrosion of metal components in walls, such as wiring; and also makes the occupants sick.

As a longtime sufferer of sulfer sensitivity, all I can say is this:

It looks like it is advisable to have the drywall that is delivered to your job site tested before it is installed in your home. At the very least somebody needs to give it a "smell test" to see if there is the tell-tale scent of rotten eggs.

There is no other way to protect yourselves from the fate of those people who tell their stories about contaminated drywall in their homes in the Comments below the article.

Peggy

Addendum:

There are a lot more stories on ProPublica about the tainted drywall. Go to http://www.propublica.org/topic/tainted-drywall to read about the Lowe's settlement, now worth up to $100K to homeowners, and much more.

UPDATE 12/14/10

Here is an update from ProPublica on this problem:

http://www.propublica.org/article/federal-probe-of-chinese-drywall-falls-short

Stuffed Capsicum

It was yet another Evening, figuring out what to do for dinner. I made some Yardlong beans parupu-usli and Tomato rasam for Lunch. The parupu-usli was still staring @ me in the evening too, i didnt want to waste it. Long before i bookmarked Lataji's Recipe of Stuffed Bell Peppers, thought of trying it, Voila!!!! it was a hit!!!! Thank you Lataji for sharing a Healthy recipe!!!! :)

Sending this to Bookmarked recipes- Every tuesday(Vol-13), happening @ Priya Mitharwal's Mharo Rajasthan Recipes


Ingredients
2 cups chopped yardlong beans/beans/methi leaves
1 cup of toor/tuvar dal
1/2 chana dal/Gram Dal
5-6nos red chillies

4-5 Capsicums (any color, i used green)
Little oil for brushing them

Seasoning
3-4 tbsp oil (Be generoussssssssssssss)
1-1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp Chana dal
a pinch of turmeric

one tight fist curry leaves

a pinch of hing

Method

Soak the dals for half an hour. Grind the soaked dal, red chillies, and hing. Add no water. let it be not so fine paste, lil coarse will be better. It should of the masala vada batter consistency.In case it bcomes watery, jus add some besan flour.Heat oil in a kadai, be generous. splutter mustard seeds, add turmeric and some curry leaves.Now add the dal batter. stir and cook. Let it cook. you can see the raw color changing to a golden yellow.Add some oil, if necessary.

It takes about 5-6 minutes for the tuvar mixture to cook. Well cooked usli has no moisture/water, has a crumbled texture.Now add chopped beans. check the salt. Keep the flame low, cover and cook.Stir often to avoid burning. Take it of the flame when the beans is cooked.Beans can also be pre-cooked and add it here, but i have used uncooked beans. In case of using cooked beans, pls do strain the excess water and add it to the usli

Preparing the Capsicums

Wash and dry the Capsicums, Cut open the top and remove all the seeds. Boil a Shallow pan with water, place the capsicums covered in it,Put the flame off , let them sit in there for 2-3 minutes. Take it off the water, Brush some oil inside, Spoon the parupu usli into it. I brushed some more oil on the outer skin of the capsicums too. Keep in a MW safe bowl, Cover and Cook @ high for 4-6 minutes. This cooking time depends upon ur MW Power, So once the Capsicum skin starts shrinking, its cooked !!!! We enjoyed with some Tomato Ketchup!! A filling Dinner indeed, and Light on everything!!!! :)

Cinnamon Roll

Wangiii abissss...

Itu kata-kata pertama yang diucapin ama orang-orang rumahku.

Iyalah secara Cinnamon Roll ini full butter, cinnamon dan raisin.

Dewi, temen kuliah ku dulu pesen ini buat suaminya. Katanya suaminya doyan bgt ama Cinnamon Roll.

Karena dia tau aku suka bikin kue, dia tanya aku bisa nggak bikin Cinnamon Roll.

Bisa dong,Wi..hehehhee. Ini kedua kalinya bikin Cinnamon Roll ini.

Jarang ada yang mesen sih karena bingung jg ini arahnya kemana, pastry ga juga, roti ga juga.Hahahaha

Pokoke ada yang mesen apa nggak, yowes bakul kue kudu bisa bikin apapun.Ciaooo..(loh??)

Pesen 35 pcs, mo dibagi2 temen kantor sekalian katanya.



Cinnamon Rolls



Siang2 SMS masuk " Rennnn, laki gue demen bener ama kue lo, lo tau ga dia makan berapa..10 aja dong, minta gue pesenin lagi.."

Hhahahaha makasi ya Wiii..seneng kl orang suka ama makanan gue...Pesen lagi yakk!!

Bread Puding Baked

Hoaaaaaa akhirnyaaa..bisa update blog juga..

Kemaren mau update tp uda lemes banget gara2 jalanan Jakarta yang makin lama makin ga karuan.

Beberapa hari ini sibuk banget ama orderan cupcake lamaran, cupcake wedding ama mingle (laporannya menyusul ya..secara blom di WM )

Disela-sela kesibukan ngerjain cupcake lamaran,teteupppp ga nolak orderan.

Slogan bakul kue "pantang nolak pesenan".hihihihi

Ini orderannya tante Ika, yang lagi pengen makan bread puding.

Pesenannya 2 loyang ( iyalah tan..kalo 20 loyang bakul kue nya wes tepar ) hahaha.

Secara ngerjain bread puding ini simple tp teteup dong pas lagi di panggang, wanginya itu loh..oalahh ampe bakul kue nya jg kepengen, bikin juga deh 1 loyang.. ^_^

Bread pudding baked ini full susu, pasti yang suka susu, suka banget deh ama makanan yg satu ini.Diatas nya ada taburan almond panggang dan kismis.Yummy.

Pesenannya diambil tante Ika sendiri, maapp ya tan abis aku jg ga bs gerak lagi ngerjain cupcake ini.

Commentnya Tante Ika " Ah tau gini mah mesennya lebihan, ini aja di jalan uda dimakan ama si Delvin ampir 1 loyang"

Hahahaha buset deh Vin, kamu doyan apa laper..hahahaha

Arisi Thengai Payasam - Rice Coconut Payasam with Jaggery

I have settled down well in my new place. Navarathri was the first festival after our move. I kept three steps of Bommai. I got only the small bommais here. Navarathri, here is very quiet since we don't have people visiting golus here. We did the poojas and made payasam in the morning and chundal in the evening. I could not transfer the pics from my camera, since I broke the battery recharger. Yet to buy a new one. There are loads of pics to be transferred and shared with you all. Meanwhile, I have quite a lot of pictures in the drafts, to feed my blog. I thought I will share a recipe of sweet with you all. I have already posted a payasam with coconut and rice, where sugar is the sweetener. This version is similar with jaggery as sweetener. I liked the jaggery version better.

You need

• Raw rice- 2 tblspn
• Grated coconut- 1/2 cup
• Grated jaggery - 3/4 cup
• Boiled milk - 1 cup
• Cardamom powder - 11/4 tspn
• Water - 2 cup

 

 Method

 

Soak rice in water for an hour. Drain and grind rice coarsely . Add coconut and pulse to form a coarse paste. No need to add water.

 

 

Boil 2 cups of water. When it starts to boil, stir in the ground paste. Take care not to form lumps. Cook till the rice is well cooked. By the time the rice cooked, it would have got a thick porridge consistency. 

 

Meanwhile liquidize jaggery in 1/2 cup of water. Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked rice+coconut mixture. Cook till the flavor of jaggery is well absorbed. Add hot milk and switch off the heat. Stir for a minute or so for the mik to be well incorporated into the cooked mixture. Sprinkle cardamom.Serve warm or chilled as desired.

 

Note : Milk tends to curdle when boiled along with jaggery. That's why boiled milk is added at last and no further cooking is done after the addition of milk to avoid curdling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pista Burfi - Pistachio Fudge

PISTA BURFI

My sister - in- law gave me a recipe for Badam Burfi and she said that the same could be adapted in the preparation of Pista burfi, peanut burfi and mixed nuts burfi. I tried out Pista Burfi and it turned out quite good. While most of the sweets prepared during Deepavali ooze with ghee, this burfi is minus that 'sin '!
No flavouring or colouring agent is required as it is awesome in its natural colour and flavour.

INGREDIENTS

Pista - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup

METHOD

1. Blanch the pista, remove the peels and spread out the nuts on a cloth.
2. Keep aside a few bright green ones for topping.
3. Dry grind the remaining pistas into a coarse powder. If a smooth burfi is prefered grind it to a smooth powder.
4. Heat sugar with 3/4 cup of water in a thick bottomed pan.
5. Grease a plate with little ghee and keep aside.
6. When the sugar syrup reaches a one thread consistancy decrease flame and add the powdered pista and blend well.
7. Keep stirring till the mass leaves the sides of the pan. You can see and feel the sugar crystalising on the sides of the pan.
8. Switch off flame and imediately pour the pista sugar mixture on the greased plate.
9. Quickly sprinkle the whole pistas on top and cover the plate with a greased plastic sheet or an alluminium foil.
10. Flatten the burfi mass by running a rolling pin on top of the foil so that the whole pistas get embedded on the levelled burfis.
11. Since this will harden very fast remove foil and immediately cut out diamond shaped burfis using a sharp knife.
12. Leave it to cool thoroughly before storing in an air tight container.

Share the joy and the flavoursome, colourful Pista Burfis with your near and dear ones on a Happy Deepavali day.

Sweet Tooty-Fruity-Nutty Rice Dessert

Arborio rice is Italian short-grain rice. It is named after the town of Arborio in the Po Valley, where it is grown. Cooked, the rounded grains are firm, creamy, and chewy, due to higher amylopectin starch content of this rice variety, thus they have a starchy taste of their own yet blend well with other flavors.

I wanted to try this rice dessert for satisfying my sweet tooth and rice cravings, but as I didn’t want to make the usual rice pudding/kheer. I made this dessert with my touch of creativity using different ingredients all throughout this recipe.

Ingredients:
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1 cup Arborio Rice

1 tbsp Butter (unsalted)

3 cups Water

¾ cup Sugar

¼ tsp Cardamom powder

2 tbsp Heavy Whipping cream

1 pinch of Saffron

¼ cup Semi Sweet Chocolate chips

For nut and fruit filling:

1 tbsp golden Raisins

1 tbsp chopped dates

1 tbsp sliced Almonds

1 tbsp chopped Walnuts

1 tbsp chopped Cashew nuts

2 tbsp fancy fruit cake mix

2 tbsp sweetened Condensed Milk

Method:
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Making Sweet Rice:
----------------------

1. In a sauté pan on medium heat add the butter and rice and sauté it for about 3 mins until the rice is bit 2. crispy or you can feel the rice is hot when you touch it.

3. Now pour the water and bring it to a boil keeping the flame to high.

4. After one boil, reduce the fame to low and cook it for about 10 mins or until the rice is cooked 3/4th.

5. Mix the saffron in 1tbsp of whipping cream to get a soft yellow color.

6. Add sugar, and whipping cream and mix well. Increase the flame to medium high and cook it until done or 5 mins more until it gets thick and there should be no water left.

7. Make sure that the rice is cooked through.

8. Split half of this rice to a separate bowl.

9. In another bowl add the chocolate chips with 1 tbsp of whipping cream and microwave it for about 30-60 secs or until the chocolate melts completely.

10. Now mix the second half cooked rice to the melted chocolates.

Fruit and nut filling:

--------------------

11. Mix all the ingredients and keep it aside in a bowl

Assembling:

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12. Of Sweet rice, Chocolate rice and Fruit filling.

13. You can assemble this two types of rice and fruit filling as you like, but I have shown two types of presentations.

14. You can choose any one of my presentations or you can get creative to make your own presentation.