Badam and Pista Milk for Day 7 BM#12

Today is the last day of Blogging Marathon #12. It has been successful till the 6th day. I was sick and forgot that I did not schedule this post.

My last entry to the Marathon is a easy breezy Badam Pista milk shake. I had often seen children getting attracted to flavored milks available in Aavin outlets. So wanted to try making them at home. One such experiments resulted in this yummy drink.


Ingredients:
Badam - 4 - 5 pods
Pista - 4 - 5
Milk -  11/2 cups
Condensed Milk - 2 tsps
Sugar - as required
Food color - optional

Method:
Soak Badam and Pista for about an hour in hot water
Peal the skin of Badam and Pista
Blend them into a smooth paste along with some milk
Now add milk, condensed milk and sugar to the paste and blend well
I added a little food color for kids appeal
I had strained my mixture so as to get a milkshake consistency
You can drink it like that itself after refrigerating it.

This Milk is being served at 
Blogging Marathon, under the theme ‘Something Sweet’
Kid’s Delight : for this month’s theme ‘Something Sweet’

Moong dal Payasam for Day 6 BM # 12

It the penultimate day of the Blogging Marathon. I'm completely satisfied with my run this time. I did full justice to my posts and fellow runners.

This was one of my new year's resolution, to be an active blogger , by posting regularly and visiting my fellow bloggers space. I think this marathon has helped me to initiate the act.

I had prepared Moong Dal Payasam yesterday for Neivedhiyam. It is a simple, healthy and delicious dish. It does not require much ingredients also.

So here goes the recipe for my moong dal payasam.

Ingredients :


Moong dal - 2 cups
Jaggery - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tsps
Cashew and raisin - for decoration

Method:
Soak the moong dal for about 30 minutes
Pressure cook it for 3 whistles
Allow it to cool and then mash the dal
In the mean while prepare jaggery syrup and strain it
Add the jaggery syrup to the mashed dal
Heat a little ghee in another pan and roast the cashew and raisin
Add them to the payasam and let it mix well.
As an option you can either mix milk to this payasam and have or just have it like that.
You can also add fried coconut pieces to the payasam to make it rich


This Moong Dal Payasam is served at

Blogging Marathon, under the theme ‘Something Sweet’
Kid’s Delight : for this month’s theme ‘Something Sweet’

Pineapple Juice for Day 5 of BM# 12

I have been so busy for the past two days, due to hectic schedule at work and at home. Fresh juices had always attracted me as a kid. I try to stay away from aerated drinks . Making fresh juice at home makes it healthy and I can drink more at my ease.

With simple ingredients at home you can whip this refreshing drink . All you need is Fresh Pineapple , water and sugar ( if required ). Put them all in a blender and make a smooth paste. Strain the pulp through a fine muslin cloth or sieve.You can either refrigerate it or add ice cubes to the drink. Pineapple juice is ready.

This makes a healthy option than a bottle of chilled water, when kids come back from play or tired after school.

I am serving this Pineapple juice at

Blogging Marathon, under the theme ‘Something Sweet
Kid’s Delight : for this month’s theme ‘Something Sweet’

Strawberry Yogurt for Day 4 BM#12

Its the 4th day of the 12th Blogging Marathon, and the momentum is setting in. We have a large group of bloggers running this marathon. I long wanted to prepare flavored yogurt from the time I got hooked to watching friends. Invariably you can see Raechal or Joey eating from the yogurt tin. The one I have made is very simple which can be a healthy snack anytime of the day for kids and for adults.


Ingredients:
Thick Yogurt - 1 cup
Strawberry Jam - 2 spoons
Sugar - if required

Method:
Take the fresh curd in a bowl
Add strawberry jam to it
Mix well
Serve chilled and garnished with cut almonds

I enjoyed this bowl of yogurt watching season 9 of Friends. Oh I love that series.. and can relate to those characters. Anybody like me ?

This yogurt finds its way to


Blogging Marathon, under the theme ‘Something Sweet’
Kid’s Delight : for this month’s theme ‘Something Sweet’

Black and White Wednesdays

Hot Steamy Vadais in Mylapore for Susan Black and White Wednesdays

Banana Split for Day 3 BM # 12

Day 3 of the Blogging Marathon, and here I am with another sweet dish for the kids, err..for adults like me too who have a sweet tooth. My dish for today is Banana Split. This is one Ice cream that I had loved eating when I was a child.

This dish can be made with items readily available in our pantry.

Ingredients:
Banana - 1 long one
Ice-cream - any flavor of your choice
Tutty Fruti - for decoration
Chopped Nuts - for decoration
Strawberry Sauce - for decoration

Method:
Split the banana lengthwise and place it on a plate or boat shaped bowl
Carefully scoop the ice creams on them .
I used two scoops of Butterscotch ice cream and one scoop of Chocolate Ice cream
Decorate it with Tutti Fruti and Strawberry Sauce
Refrigerate for 30 mins before serving.

Trust me Kids will love it , for the color , presentation and the taste of the dish.

This Banana Split goes to 
Blogging Marathon, under the theme ‘Something Sweet’
Kid’s Delight : for this month’s theme ‘Something Sweet’
Banana Event @ Easy to Cook Recipes by Dr.Sameena Prathap.

Chocolate Ice cream for Day 2 BM #12

I had always wanted to make Ice Cream at home, but some how did not wanna buy the fancy ice cream maker. When we had No Fire Cooking event a couple of months back , Srivalli had made Banana Ice cream. I was inspired to make ice cream too.  I followed a more or less same methodology but replaced banana with Choco chips and got the desired result.

Ingredients:
Choco chips : 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Condensed Milk - 1 cup
Sugar - as required
Tutti Fruti and Choco chips for decoration


Method:
Blend the Choco chips in the mixer and make a coarse powder of it.
I like to bite into Choco pieces in my ice cream
Pour in the milk , condensed milk and sugar with the Choco chips and blend again
When they all mix well, pour into a large box and freeze it
Take it after 2 hours and blend it to a smooth paste
Freeze it again. Repeat this for two times.
After about 5 hours your Chocolate Ice Cream is ready.
Serve chilled in a bowl
Sprinkle some tutti fruti and choco chips before serving
I had used it to make Banana Split which is my post for tomorrow

Sending this Chocolate Ice Cream

Blogging Marathon, under the theme ‘Something Sweet’
Chocolate Mela
Kid’s Delight : for this month’s theme ‘Something Sweet’
And to Srav's  Cooking Concept #6 - Chocolate fest

Shahi Tukra for Day 1 BM # 12

Another sweet dish this year. Looks like I have posted three sweet dishes in the new year. Wait there are six more to come for this Blogging Marathon. My Theme for this marathon is Something Sweet for Kids.

I have already mentioned about two angles K & T in many of my posts. The Kids special items are all those which I had made for them. They love all what I cook and I love to cook for them. Waiting for them to come here this year too.

I wanted to make something different out of the Left over bread at home. I was first inclined to do bread jamun but then decided to make Shahi Tukra.

Ingredients:
Bread Slices - 8
Ghee - as required
Milk - 2 cups
Corn Flour - 1 spoon
Sugar - as per your taste ( I used it on the higher side)
Cardamom Powder - a pinch
Almonds and Cashew - sliced into small pieces

Method:

Trim the ends of bread and cut them into Triangles

Shallow fry them using ghee in a non stick pan

Prepare Sugar syrup as per your taste and cool it

In another pan, pour milk and mix Sugar in it

Add the corn flour mixture with the milk and allow it to boil

Let the milk mixture boil and simmer it to become half of the quantity

Arrange the fried bread pieces in a bowl or shallow plate

Pour the Sugar Syrup over it and let the bread soak in that

Pour the milk mixture on the bread and garnish with small pieces of almonds and cashew

Refrigerate it and serve chilled as a filling dessert

My nieces loved it so did my sister also. It is always a pleasure to cook for people who love to relish the stuff you cook

This Shahi Tukra finds its way to

Blogging Marathon, under the theme ‘Something Sweet’

Kid’s Delight : for this month’s theme ‘Something Sweet’

Cooking with Leftovers at Veena's

Please visit the Blogging Marathon page to see what my fellow bloggers are cooking.

MysorePak with Blog Hop Wednesdays

This is my first post with regards to Blog Hop Wednesdays. I have often seen posts from members of this group and had always wanted to be a part of it. So this time when Radhika gave the announcement I did not think twice before I filled in the form and send it to her. 

For those who do not know what this is all about. Its simple, you will be paired with another blogger. You have to cook something from the other blog and post it on the said date. For this month I am paired with Pinky of Pinky's Recipe Diary

The moment I got the mail from Radhika, I opened Pinky's blog and the first post I saw was, Mysore Pak. I decided to make it. I made the Mysore pak for two reasons, one I saw it first and two wanted to have a sweet beginning to this Blog hop Wednesdays.

You can find Pinky's recipe for Mysore Pak here. I have adopted mine from hers. Actually doubled her recipe

Ingredients:

• Besan Flour - 2 cups
• Ghee - 2 cups
• Sugar - 2 cups
• Water - 1/2 cup

Method:

• Heat 2tsps of ghee in a heavy bottom wok and roast the besan flour in it, till you get a nice aroma of besan
• Add the 3/4th of the ghee to the roasted besan flour and make a thick paste of it
• Keep aside in a different vessel
• Take the sugar and water in the same wok and heat it till one string consistency
• Now add the besan mix to the sugar and keep stirring
• Add the rest of the ghee and keep stirring without forming lumps
• Look out till the mixture leaves the sides of the wok
• Pour it to a greased plate and allow it to cool a little
• Using a knife cut into pieces and serve.

Chocolate Cake for the New Year

Wishing you all Very Happy and Prosperous New Year !!

I hope this new year brings in a lot of good things and events that are truly good to each of your lives.

Its always nice to start the year on a sweet note. I was pondering over two posts on which should go in first, when I stumbled upon Chocolate Mela by Srivalli. So I decide to post the cake I baked few days ago.

Its a simple chocolate cake made in the pressure cooker. You can find the recipe here.

A few variations that I made to the original recipe or rather improvised was the presentation part of the cake. I have used Icing sugar and pomegranate seeds for the decoration.

With so my inspiration from Siri and Nags, I have started Project 365.Third Eye Visuals do visit and let me know your comments. If you are also doing this project, do leave me a comment I will add you to my side bar and visit your blogs.

Again wishing you all a very happy new-year ..One of my new year resolution is to be active on my blogs. Hope I do justice to it. 

Updating the post with my entries to two wonderful events happening
Bake Fest  @ Pumpkin Farm which is a brain child of Vardini

And to Srav's  Cooking Concept #6 - Chocolate fest