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Green Smoothie

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Nidhi

Today I am sharing recipe for Green smoothie made with kiwi, grapes, mint leaves, spinach and curd. The recipe was published in my newspaper Rajasthan Patrika and immediately captured my son’s attention. I have made some changes as per my family’s taste.

My husband is not a big fan of Kiwi but by chance he had bought Kiwi that day. All the other ingredients except spinach were also at home so we decided to give it a try. Green Smoothie was yummy packed with fruits and very filling. My son and I loved it.

My son is a big fan of smoothies and shakes. Sometimes when I am not home and he feels like making something for himself he will go to great lengths to make mocktails and smoothies when he can easily have fresh juice. But NO he will make something special for himself and his brother, serve it in best glasses and garnish with mint leaves. And he always share it with everyone else.

He surely loves to eat and drink in style J

How to make green Smoothie

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
2 kiwi (peeled and sliced)
2 cup green grapes
12-15 mint leaves
1 banana
½ cup thick curd
10-12 ice cubes
½ tsp kaala namak/rock salt
black pepper or chaat masala as per taste
Note: in the recipe they have added spinach too. I have not added it as I did not have it at home.

To make green Smoothie

Wash grapes and mint leaves. Blend kiwi, mint leaves and grapes in your blender. Add banana pieces and curd. Blend again till smooth. Add crushed ice, salt and pepper. Serve in glasses with mint leaves and kiwi slices.

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Posted in breakfast, curd, Drinks, For beginners, fruits, healthy, Kids, No cooking required, quick and easy, Recipe, under 10 minutes | Tagged breakfast, drinks, fruits, green Smoothie, healthy, kids, mint, mocktails, quick and easy, sweet and sour, vegetarian | Leave a comment

Eggless Black Forest Cake

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Nidhi

Rich creamy yummy Eggless Black Forest Cake. Everybody loves Black forest cake. This is the only cake which we order for birthday parties if we are not making cake at home. I have made this cake after a long time as we generally make regular eggless cake without icing.

I have had this recipe for more than 15 years. My friend’s sister made this cake and as soon as we took its first bite we were hoping she will offer a second piece to us I think she had got the recipe from Nita Mehta’s book.

There were 4-5 girls in our group and we immediately took the recipe from her including me. Even though I was not much into cooking at that time. But the cake was so yummy so perfect that I knew I will be making it. And I did (after 4-5 years). I still use the same recipe with slight changes.

My brother and I had a record of finishing it in 24 hours. This cake never lasted for more than a day. Even today as I am writing this post there is not much cake left and it will be finished before 24 hours are up.

The cake that we get from bakeries has a thick layer of icing. I have used very little but if you want a creamy look you can use more cream.
How to make Eggless Black Forest Cake

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients:

250 grams maida/plain flour
4 heaped tsp cocoa
1 tsp baking powder

100 grams butter

1 can (400 grams) milkmaid/mithaimate

200 ml coke/pepsi

¾ cup water
½ cup sugar
(you can also use cherry syrup from the can instead of making sugar syrup)

1 cup cream fresh cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar
a few drops vanilla essence
1 small tin cherries
25-40 grams chocolate bar
To make Eggless Black Forest Cake

Lightly grease a baking pan. Preheat the oven to 180 C for 10-15 minutes.

Melt the butter in a pan. Cool and add milkmaid.

Sieve flour, baking powder and cocoa.
Mix some of the flour and milkmaid butter mixture with coke. Keep on adding the flour mixture and coke gradually and beat well.
Immediately pour into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes at 180 C.
while the cake is baking you can make the sugar syrup by boiling water and sugar for 5 minutes. Cool it down.

Check by inserting knife whether the cake is uniformly baked or not especially at centre of the cake. If it is not done then bake it for another 5 minutes.
Leave the cake in oven for some time.
Take it out of oven and invert the pan over a rack. Tap the pan to remove the cake. Let the cake cool for some time.
Slit it horizontally into two parts.
Whip the cream till light and fluffy.

Spread half of the sugar syrup on cut piece of cake. Spread whipped cream on it and destoned cherries. Put the other half piece over it and press slightly. Repeat the same process with sugar syrup, whipped cream and cherries. Cover all the sides of cake with remaining whipped cream.
Sprinkle grated chocolate on it.
Chill the cake before serving.

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Posted in baked, Inspired/ adapted, Recipe, sweets | 4 Comments

Paneer wrap

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Nidhi

Paneer wrap made with whole wheat roti, Paneer stir fry, lots of salad and chutneys.
Your kids are going to love these believe me. My son absolutely loves them and he will have three roti this way happily.

Remember when I fractured my hand last year. I would ask the cook to prepare rotis and cut the vegetables and we would make this alternate day with soup. Mummy bhi khush tummy bhi khush

you can add salad of your choice in the wrap according to season. Mayonnaise, green chutney and tomato ketchup take the taste to another level. If you have not tried already then you should try this Eggless Mayonnaise recipe made with curd. Since the day I have tried it I have not bought mayonnaise from shop.

This recipe has the goodness of whole wheat roti, paneer and salad and your kids will be asking mom is there more. What more can we mothers ask forJ

How to make Paneer Wrap

Preparation time: 10 minutes
cooking time: 5-8 minutes (for paneer stir fry) + 5 minutes (for making roti)

Makes around 6 wraps
Ingredients:

For wraps:
1 ½ cup of whole wheat flour
water

for paneer/cottage cheese stir fry:

200 grams cottage cheese/paneer (made from 1 litre milk)
2 onions
1 capsicum

1 large tomato

1 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp oregano

¼ tsp chaat masala

Serve with:

Green chutney
tomato ketchup
salad of your choice (I have used cabbage, carrot, capsicum and tomatoes)
Eggless Mayonnaise

To make Paneer Wrap
Make soft dough of whole wheat flour with water and leave it covered for 10 minutes. Divide into 6 equal portions. Roll out each portion using rolling pin with the help of little whole wheat flour. Cook lightly and keep covered for making wraps.

Heat oil in a pan. Add onions and capsicum and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and all the spices and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Add paneer cubes and mix thoroughly. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Switch off the flame.

To make wrap

Take a roti and spread some paneer stir fry in the middle of it.

Add tomato ketchup and green chutney.

Top up with salad and Eggless Mayonnaise.

Roll the wrap and serve with more salad.

Your job is done. Sit back, relax and watch your kids enjoy a healthy meal

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Posted in breakfast, For beginners, healthy, indian, kids lunch box, main meal, quick and easy, Recipe, snacks, Vegetables | Tagged breakfast, dinner, healthy, indian, kids, lunch box, paneer, quick and easy, snacks, vegetarian, wraps | 6 Comments

Bread Pizza with cottage cheese

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Nidhi

Everybody loves pizza especially kids. Though we do not want them to have these often as they can be unhealthy. This Bread pizza with cottage cheese recipe uses whole wheat bread and cottage cheese with lots of vegetables. Cottage cheese is really good for growing kids and I try my best to get as much of it in my kids diet as I can. Now my kids love this pizza and I do not feel guilty
about feeding them this.

I learned the recipe from my elder sister who used to make it quite often. You can add any vegetables according to your kid’s preference.

You can also serve these as appetizers in kitty parties and kid’s birthday party as this hardly take any time to make and are loved by all.
These are perfect as breakfast or afternoon snack for kids.
How to make bread Pizza with Cottage Cheese
preparation time: 5 minutes
Baking time: 5 minutes in tandoor/ 10 minutes in oven
makes 16 pieces

Ingredients:
8 bread slices ( I have used whole wheat bread you can use any)
100 grams cottage cheese/paneer ( from around ½ litre of milk)

2 onions chopped
1 green capsicum chopped

1 red capsicum chopped
6-8 olives
salt to taste
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp oregano
¼ tsp chaat masala
1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp olive oil for brushing slices

Note: you can add corn, tomatoes, carrots, peas or pineapple to the pizza as you like.

To make bread Pizza with Cottage Cheese

Preheat your oven at 180 C for 7-8 minutes while you prepare the slices.

Cut bread slices into half so that you get 16 slices from 8 bread slices. You can cut a slice in 4 pieces if you are serving these as appetizer as that will be easier to handle.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and sauté all the vegetables for 3-4 minutes. We don’t want to cook them too soft.

Add olives and spices. Add grated/crumbled paneer to the mixture and switch off the flame immediately. Do not cook paneer. Mix thoroughly, taste and adjust spices according to your taste.

Brush one side of slices with olive oil and spread cottage cheese mixture on the other side.

Put in the oven/tandoor to bake. We just want to crisp the bread slices. If you use white bread it may take longer than whole wheat bread to grill.
Serve hot with sauce or chutney.

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Posted in Appetizers, baked, bread, breakfast, For beginners, healthy, indian, quick and easy, Recipe, snacks, under 10 minutes | Tagged appetizers, baking, bread, bread pizza, breakfast, cottage cheese, cottage cheese pizza, healthy, indian, kids, paneer, paneer pizza, quick and easy, snacks, vegetarian | 8 Comments

Achaari Mathri

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Nidhi

Achaari Mathri

Hi friends, how was your holi? Hope you had great fun and made lots of sweets and snacks for your family. So did I. But sadly I was not able to share the recipes with you as my computer refused to cooperate. Anyways thought I will share with you this Achaari Mathri recipe which I made on holi.

I was discussing holi sweets and snacks with my friend, Priyanka, when she told me about these special Mathris she makes with mango pickle masala. I loved the idea as they will be perfect while travelling and you will not have to carry pickle separately. It can get messy sometimes especially if oil leaks.

My family also loved the Mathris and it goes without saying that while travelling they will be my first choice.
How to make Achaari Mathri

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Makes around 40-50 mathris depending on size

Ingredients:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 tbsp semolina/suji
around 3 tbsp oil
salt to taste ( add a little less salt than usual as achaar masala also has some salt)

2 tbsp masala from mango pickle (leave the pieces and use the masala from your mango pickle)

¼ tsp carom seeds

Water for making dough

Oil for deep frying

To make Achaari Mathri

Mix the flour,suji and wheat flour. Add salt to it. Now make a well in the centre and add the oil. Rub the flour between your palms and mix thoroughly. When pressed in palm it should be able to hold its position otherwise you can add more oil. Add carom seeds and achaar masala and mix thoroughly.

Add a little water and start kneading the dough. Start adding the water slowly not all of it at once. You might need only ½ or ¾ cup of water only. The dough should be tight like that of pooris.

Make small balls and roll out the mathris on a flat surface. Prick with a knife or fork.

Deep fry 5-7 mathris at a time in the oil till golden. Drain on a paper.
After the mathris cool down store them in an air tight container.

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Posted in Appetizers, Festival snacks/ namkeen, Fried snacks, indian, pickles, Recipe, snacks | Tagged appetizers, Diwali snacks, indian, pickles, snacks | 2 Comments

Birds in our balcony

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Nidhi

Birds in our Balcony

Today I am sharing with you some photographs of our sweet cute little guests who have been visiting our balcony for the last 5-6 days because of the beautiful white flowers on my lemon tree bonsai. All the photos have been clicked by my husband.
we could not open the balcony sliding door for the fear that they might fly away. But they were happy to pose for us from a little distance.

Quite a pleasant change from the monkeys who often come in balcony and photogenic too.

And here is her companion. They both come at the same time and even stay for the same time.

Birds

And these are reason for our special visitors interest in our balcony.

Thank you for brightening our day and life

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Posted in photography | Tagged birds | 4 Comments

Nariyal ladoo

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Nidhi

Nariyal Ladoo

Nariyal Ladoo recipe that I am sharing with you today is really easy to make. There are just three ingredients involved. The nariyal ladoos that we get are so juicy, yummy and soft that they simply melt in your mouth.

I met a friend of mine, Veenu, around Diwali time on my grocery store and I was buying Nariyal burada for making Gunjiya. She said that we make this Nariyal ladoo in the ratio 4:3:1 and they are quite popular with their guests. And she insisted that they are REALLY good and I must give them a try.

Since then I have made these around 5-6 times and the results have been great all the time. The ratio 4:3:1 is of milk: nariyal burada (desiccated coconut powder): sugar. I just reserve some nariyal burada for rolling the ladoos in.

I have been so busy with my elder son’s exams that I did not get time to post anything for so long. I made these last month and they have been lying in my draft for the last 20 days. I was also not very satisfied with the photographs as weather was really bad that day. But the recipe is so good that I could not stop myself from sharing it.
A perfect sweet to make this Holi.

How to make Nariyal Ladoo

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Making balls of laddos : 5 minutes

Makes around 30 Ladoos though it may depend on the size you choose

Note: you can half or double the recipe as per your wish just keep the ratio same.

Ingredients:
4 cups milk
3 cups nariyal burada/dessicated coconut powder
1 cup sugar
optional:
you can add nuts or elaichi powder. I don’t as me family loves them as it is.

To make Nariyal Ladoo

Remove 3 tbsp coconut powder from the 3 cups for rolling the laddos.

Mix rest of the burada/nariyal powder, sugar and milk in a wide non stick pan and keep on high flame stirring in between. After 4-5 minutes reduce the flame to low and let it cook for around 25- 30 minutes on low flame.

Mixture should become thick and milk should not be visible at all.

Let it cool for some time and make ladoos when mixture is cool enough to handle.

Roll them in the desiccated coconut. I got around 30 Ladoos.
Keep the Ladoos in fridge.

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Posted in Diwali Sweets, Festival sweets, For beginners, indian, Indian Sweets, No bake sweets, Recipe, sweets | Tagged coconut, desserts, Diwali Sweets, holi sweets, indian, milk, sweets | 4 Comments

Matar ki chaat / fresh peas snack

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Nidhi

Matar ki chaat / fresh peas snack
Peas are in season and I am sure you must be using them in every way possible. You can make aloo matar, matar paneer, samose mix vegetable and baked vegetables. There are so many ways to use this wonderful vegetable. Today I am sharing with you yet another recipe involving peas Matar ki chaat / fresh peas snack. This is my mother in laws recipe and it is very delicious and healthy.

We try to buy freshest peas available. Still we get some peas which are not very soft and we do not want to add them with rest of the peas. When we remove peas from the pods we separate these peas and use these to make this Matar ki chaat / fresh peas snack.
As these are not very soft these retain their shape after cooking.

Kids exams are approaching and with all the studying and talking involved it is not surprising that my kids (me too) feel hungry all the time. This is a perfect snack for times like these. You can also pack this in kid’s lunch box with paranthas or bread slices. You can add any vegetables of your choice as salad to it to make it healthier.

How to make Matar ki chaat / fresh peas snack
Preparation time: 5 minutes
baking time: 3-5 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup hard peas shelled/matar ke dane
1 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp haldi/ turmeric powder
salt to taste (around ½ tsp)
around 2 tbsp water

For salad:
1 onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
juice of ½ lemon

Coriander leaves to garnish
salt to taste
a pinch of red pepper powder or black pepper powder
¼ tsp chaat masala (optional)

You can add curd, green chutney or sauce to it.

To make Matar ki chaat / fresh peas snack

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add turmeric powder and salt. Immediately add peas.

Add minimum water needed for whistle as per your pressure cookers instructions. Close the lid. Switch off the flame immediately on first whistle. Open the cooker after the steam escapes.
Or you can cook peas in a pan too with closed lid but that will take a little longer to cook.

There will be some water in the peas. Drain the water. You can use this water for making dough or in soups.

Let the peas stand in the strainer for some time.

Add everything for salad in a bowl. Add peas to it. Mix it properly.

You can have this chaat as it is or serve it with roti, parantha or bread slices. or you can serve these with biscuits as canapes.

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Posted in Appetizers, breakfast, Chaat, For beginners, healthy, kids lunch box, quick and easy, Recipe, salads, snacks, under 10 minutes, Vegetables, winters food | Tagged appetizers, breakfast, dinner, Diwali snacks, healthy, indian, quick and easy, salad, snacks, vegetarian | Leave a comment

Easy Valentine Day Recipes

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Nidhi

Easy Valentine day Recipes
Here is a collection of easy Valentine day recipes from my blog

Oreo Truffles

Turkish Carrot Truffles

5 minute eggless chocolate mug cake

Eggless Marble Cake

Mocha Biscuit Cake

Virgin Sangria

Virgin Mojito

Tomato Basil Bruschetta

Vegetarian Spinach Lasagna

Pineapple salsa Canapes

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Posted in Appetizers, baked, bread, breakfast, chocolate, Drinks, For beginners, fruits, No bake sweets, No cooking required, quick and easy, Recipe | Tagged appetizers, baking, chocolate, coconut, desserts, Diwali snacks, drinks, easy valentine day recipes, mocktails, quick and easy, truffles, vegetarian | Leave a comment

Roasted Makhane

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Nidhi

Roasted Makhane

Roasted makhane is a very popular snack made in India in winters. Makane are also known as lotus seeds or fox nut and have high nutritive value.

Makhane are also used in many Indian sweets and curries like kheer or matar makhana. These are generally roasted in ghee and then added to ladoos and panjiris too. These are also given to mothers with new born babies to munch on with tea.

You can have the healthy version and roast them in a very little oil and skip adding salt. these can be eaten raw also but roasting really adds to the taste and crispness. These taste just like popcorn after roasting even better than them and my kids love these. These are also ideal to take with you while travelling or going on picnics.

Roasted makhane are quite popular in Jain families too. As some jains do not eat cereals after sunset they can have nuts or these roasted makhane. Some Jains do not eat anything after sunset.
2-3 days back I was talking to my cousin and she was telling me that she is thinking of making makhane ki kheer. Then we started talking about other recipes in which makhane can be used and its nutritive value. I told her about these roasted makhane that I make which are quite healthy. She loved the idea so I thought I will share the recipe with you too

How to make Roasted Makhane

Preparation time: 10 minutes
cooking time: around 10 minutes

Ingredients:
250 grams Makhane
1 tbsp ghee
½ tsp salt ( I use sendha namak)

A pinch of chaat masala

Note: 1. you can make these without salt and chaat masala too. It is your preference.

2 we can roast makhane as a whole too but I have cut Makhane in half before roasting. Sometimes there is a kind of web in Makhana which means it is not fit for eating.

Some makhane are very hard which we realize on cutting. We can avoid them too.

3. Keeping Makhane in sun for sometime before roasting ensures that they take less time on gas.
To make Roasted Makhane

The process is very simple. Heat ghee in a large pan. Add makhane to it. After 2-3 minutes turn the flame to low. Keep turning makhane in pan to ensure even cooking. Roast till they are crisp like popcorns. Mine took around 10 minutes.

After they cool down store them in a dry jar with a tight lid.