Somasi with Tutty Frutty Filling

I had planned to make something and landed making this. But still am happy of the dish, as my friends daughter ate two of them straight after this shoot.

This is a very traditional somasi with a different filling. Instead of the usual coconut and sugar filling I put in a spoon of multi colored tutty frutty. It tasted a little less sweet and had to bite into the small pieces of filling.

Ingredients

Maida - 1 cup

Oil for deep frying

Tutty Frutty - 1/2 cup

Method

Make a dough using Maida and water.

It should be in the consistency of a chapatti dough

In a cup take the multi color tutty frutty

Roll out small rounds from the dough , fill it with the tutty frutty

And close it in a semi circle shape

Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry the filled somasi

I personally loved the taste, though I thought only one to eat.

Samosa - Evening Snack

Welcome to the 18th edition of blogging marathon. I have chosen Kids Friendly Snacks for the first week and the first dish I am going to serve you is Samosa. Who only does not like this deep fried delicacy, right from Bengal till Kanyakumari, you can see this samosa in the tea stalls, cafe' s , coffee shops, chat shops, restaurants etc.. This is a very popular snack in every household, it is either store bought or home made. I made this for my nieces and they simply loved it. 

Ingredients:

Maida - 3 cups

Oil - for deep fry 

Ajwain - a pinch

Salt to taste

For the filling

Potato - 3 big 

Jeera - 1 tbsp

Green Peas - 1 cup

Onion - 1 cup sliced

Red Chili powder - 2 tbsp

Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method :

To prepare the filling

Boil and mash the potatoes

Boil the green peas and keep aside

Heat oil in a wok and add the Jeera

When the Jeera sputters add the sliced onions

Saute for a minute till it is translucent

Now add the mashed potato and boiled green peas

Add the red chili powder, salt and mix well.

Let this mixture cool

You can add coriander and mint leaves for flavoring

To prepare samosa

Make a dough with the Maida, salt and oil. 

Divide the dough into small balls

Keep the filling ready for the samosa

Roll out the dough into thin chapatis

Cut the whole circle into two halves

Make a conical shape out of one half and fill it with the potato curry

Seal the samosa well using a little water.

Samosa is ready to be deep fried. Prepare the whole batch of samosas and keep it ready for deep fry

Meanwhile heat oil in a wide wok and deep fry the prepared samosas in them

Samosa is ready to be devoured with pudhina chutney

This hot samosa is being served at Blogging Marathon#18 and Kid's Delight-Evening snack hosted by Vardhini and started by Srivalli

Vegetable Spaghetti

This is one dish I know that kids love any day. I have made this dish for my nieces, nephews,friend's kids, everyone has just loved it. I ensure that a whole lot of veggies are sneaked into this dish, as it will be a treat for the eyes as well as fulfill the requirement of feeding the kids with veggies.

Ingredients:

Wheat Spaghetti - 1 cup

Capsicum - cut into long stripes 1 cup

Carrot - cut into long stripes - 1 cup

Onion - cut into long stripes - 1/2 cup

Tomato Sauce - 2 tbsp

Salt for taste

Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Boil spaghetti to al dente and keep aside 

In a heavy bottomed wok heat two tbsp of Olive oil

Add the onions, carrot and capsicum in the wok and saute well 

Add tomato sauce and adjust salt to the mixture

When the veggies are done, add the boiled spaghetti to it and mix well

Serve hot for kids when they crave for food in evenings

Check what my fellow bloggers are cooking today here

Kulfi - Kids Summer Special

Come summers , we encounter power cuts now and then , and especially at nights. When I had summer holidays, we frequented power cuts at night and would spend the a major portion of the night on the roads so that we could get some breeze. At such times, the kulfiwala would come in with his vehicle and will have a busy day selling off his kulfi  to us . It would be a relief from the heat of summer time that too when you are feeling sleepy. Kulfi is a summer cooler which is liked by people from all ages, be it a kid or a old uncle. This 

is one dish that is approved by my nieces as well. 

Ingredients :

\

Full Fat Milk - 1 litre

Badam, Pista - 1/2 cup

Condensed Milk - 1/2 tin

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Sugar - as required 

Method :

In a heavy bottomed wok take the milk and bring it to boil

Soak Badam and Pista. Blend it to make a smooth paste

When the milk is cool add the condensed milk, sugar and cardamom powder to it and mix well

Add the Badam and Pista paste to the milk and mix well

Now place this mixture on the stove and bring it to a boil till the mixture becomes a little thick 

Taste the mixture to check for sugar levels

Adjust sugar levels if required and take it off the stove

Let it cool and then pour them into moulds and freeze for 2 -3 hours

Hold the moulds under running water to remove the Kulfi.

Enjoy it and beat the summer hear

 Check what my fellow bloggers are cooking for this marathon.

French Fries

BM#13 Day 4

What a week it has been for me, not able to post the blog in the morning times. Phew.. Anyways today my post is about the favorite of almost 90% of the population, no matter whether your young or old. Yes it is the french fries we always love to much in the theater , while shopping , with our sandwich or our burgers.

Ever since I got the product " Nicer Dicer" at home, have been wanting to try this french fries. In just minutes you can cut potato for this fries.  Off to the recipe

Ingredients:


Potato - 2 Long ones
Oil for Deep fry
Salt and pepper to taste
Zip lock covers.

Method:


Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin rectangular pieces using Nicer Dicer.
(I am not endorsing the product)
Soak it in cold water for 10 mins
Store them in a zip lock cover in the freezer for about an hour or so
When you want to make them, take it out of the freezer
Thaw for 5 mins
Deep fry them in hot oil.
Remove them on kitchen towels to remove the excess oil
Serve hot with tomato ketchup or Tomato salsa.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#13

Carrot Cubes

BM # 13 Day 3

I have been having hectic schedules due to leadership team's visit to Chennai. I was very tired yesterday to check my fellow blogger creations. Today s recipe is a simple one. No fancy ingredients, just the ones in our fridge. and some oil.

I have named them as Carrot Cubes, just a different name. They look like potato cube, but no they are carrot cubes. Simple to make , but very tasty, I bet you cannot stop with one.

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1
Oil for deep frying

Method:


Cut the carrot into small cubes
Heat oil in a wide thick bottomed wok
When the oil is hot, add the carrots and deep fry them
When done , remove them in a kitchen towel
Serve just like that.

The sweetness of carrot that is deep fried, has a very different sweet taste, which will never leave your palate. Kids would love these cubes. Some were a little soft on the inside, while some where very crispy. Either way I loved it.

                                 Check out what my fellow blogger are cooking for this Blogging Marathon

Kids Delight - No Fire Cooking

Hello friends,

I am back with a wonderful and interesting event for which you need to put on your creative hats. Im very glad to host this event , many thanks to Srivalli for giving me this opportunity. Given below are few guidelines for the event

• Do not use fire to cook the Final dish.


• The dish can have ready made stuff that is got from the storeex : Sev for Bhel puri can be got from the store ( the bhel we preparewithout chutneys)


• No microwave or OTG or stove top to be used


• In case you are making smooties the milk can be pre boiled


• Multiple recipes are permitted


• Recipes from archives can be accepted ONLY if updated as current posts.


• Veg and non veg recipes are welcome.


• Recipes from those who do not blog can be accepted.


• Please provide links back to this announcement as well as to Srivalli's Kid's Delight post(http://spicingyourlife.blogspot.com/2010/01/announcing-kids-delight-wholesome.html)


• Feel free to use the event logo in your post.

Some ideas to cook without fire

• Sandwiches


• Yogurts


• Smoothies


• Salt biscutis with different toppings


• Different Dips


• Hummus


• Salads


• Coolers


• Laddoos

So don your creative hats and send me your creations.

Format for sending entries.

Name:

Blog Name:

URL:

Send in your entries to akamalika@gmail.com.

The event is open till September 15th 2011

Day 7 - Blogging Marathon - Corn Cheese Balls with French Fries

I am at loss of memory to think that its already 7 days gone .. Sure time flies.. So did these Corn Cheese Balls. This is yet another dish that I made for K & T. They loved it. I served it with French Fries and Tomato Sauce. My sister mailed me saying that K & T are totally excited about thier mention in my blogs. How could I be without mentioning them in my post. They are so adorable and loved almost everything I made for them. To be precise I spend close to 48 hours with them.. but memories are there even today after a year' s time.

Yummy ingredients that will help you make these (calorie filled) Cheese Balls

• Grated Cheese - 1 block
• Corn Kernels - a handful
• Corn flour - 2 tsp
• Bread Crumbs - to roll the cheese balls
• Oil - for Shallow Fry

Here is how I made them

• Grate Cheese
• To this add the frozen corn kernels
• Mix well and make small balls
• Mix the corn flour in a small bowl with a little water
• Dip the cheese balls in corn flour and roll them over bread crumbs
• Shallow fry them in oil for just 30 secs
• Delicious cheese balls are ready
• Serve it with tomato ketchup
• I made french fries ( the store bought ones) along with it

Note ;

• It was a super hit combo with the kids.
• You can add bread crumbs to the cheese /corn mixture. It will give you a nice texture.
• These balls can also be made with veggies in them.

On the last day of the marathon, let us go kitchen hopping.. come along.

• 30 Minutes Meals:Priya Mahadavan, Pavani
• Seven Days of Salad: lla, Divya Vikram
• For Ongoing 7 Events: Priya Suresh, Suma Gandlur, Harini
• Kids Friendly: Vatsala, Jay
• Seven Days of Rice: Veena Krishnakumar, Priya Vaasu, Padma Rekha
  
  

Day 6 - Blogging Marathon - Gulab Jamun with Icecream

Here I am in the penultimate day of the Blogging Marathon. This post is about the sweet I prepared for my nephew P who was here on vacation. I have heard from his mother, my cousin sister in law that he likes anything that is made in a restuarant style. So that is when this idea of Gualb jamun with Ice cream hit me.
My nephew loved it so did his cousin who came with him. He has gone back to Australia, but from what I hear from my SIL is that he still keeps talking about Gulab Jamun and Ice cream.

This is what I used to make Gulab Jamun

• Khova – 11/2 cups
• Maida – 1 cup
• Sugar – 3 cups (if you want excess syrup i.e floating jamuns increase by a cup)
• Water – 1 cup (increase if you’re increasing sugar)
• Cooking Soda – 3 pinches
• Cardamom – 4 pods
• Saffron leaves – a few
• Oil – 1 cup (for deep frying)

How I made it

• Combine sugar and water in a flat bottomed broad pan and simmer on a low heat until sugar dissolves.
• Add cardamom powder and saffron leaves and remove from fire.
• Knead khova, maida and soda and quickly shape into elongated balls.
• Heat oil on a medium flame.
• Fry the jamuns till golden brown over a low to medium flame, keeping oil temperature uniform. Oil should not smoke.
• Drain the jamuns and soak in the warm sugar syrup.
  

PS : I adopted the recipe we used for ICC in November 2010

Serve the jamuns with Ice cream, not only children adults will also love it.

Let us see what my fellow marathoners are cooking.

30 Minutes Meals:Priya Mahadavan, Pavani
Seven Days of Salad: lla, Divya Vikram
For Ongoing 7 Events: Priya Suresh, Suma Gandlur, Harini
Kids Friendly: Vatsala, Jay
Seven Days of Rice: Veena Krishnakumar, Priya Vaasu, Padma Rekha

Day 5 - Blogging Marathon - Gajar Halwa with Ice cream

I wanted to post a sweet on this special day which is dedicated to Women. A very happy Women's Day to all those lovely ladies out there. Women rocks the world. I am very proud to be a woman, I can see nods there agreeing to this point.

The recipe for today is a special one. This one again was completely loved by my nieces K & T. On a Sunday morning we had gone for a walk in the apartment when we encountered fresh carrots. One cannot resist buying them, they were so fresh. So I asked these kids if they would like to have carrot halwa they immediately said yes.

Things that help you make this dish

• Carrot - 1 kg grated
• Sugar - as per taste ( I used 3 cups )
• Ghee - as per the requirement
• Cashew & Raisins - to Garnish

The method of preparation

• Grate the carrot and pressure cook them without water for one whistle
• In a large wok, heat a little ghee and add the steamed carrot
• After 2 mins time , add the sugar little by little. Adjust to the taste of your family.
• In another pan, add ghee. When the ghee is hot add cashew and raisins to be roasted
• Keep stirring this mixture and occasionally keep adding ghee to it
• The mixture should come together and ghee should start coming out
• At this juncture switch off the flame and add roasted cashew and raisins
• Cardamom powder can be added, though it is optional
• Serve this hot carrot halwa with vanilla ice cream. I bet you nothing can be more sinful

Verdict : My nieces loved it and had heaps of this halwa with icecream.

Im gonna be a good foodie today, who will surely visit her fellow runners. Come on let s go

• 30 Minutes Meals:Priya Mahadavan, Pavani
• Seven Days of Salad: lla, Divya Vikram
• For Ongoing 7 Events: Priya Suresh, Suma Gandlur, Harini
• Kids Friendly: Vatsala, Jay
• Seven Days of Rice: Veena Krishnakumar, Priya Vaasu, Padma Rekha

Day 3 - Blogging Marathon - Thayir Vadai ( Curd Vadai )

I have crossed a little less than half of the marathon. Yeah, its the third day of the marathon. My colleague TP and myself were a part of the Treasure Hunt organised by Hindu today and had loads of fun. We did not win though. But I tell you it was exciting to the core, we discovered many small things on the regular roads we commute. It was wonderful experience on the whole. Next year when this treasure hunt is held I would recommend every woman out there to take part in it.
Coming to today 's dish, curd vadai, this was a super dooper hit with my nieces. They just loved it and had it alone for breakfast. I made it two days in a row and still my little angels did not feel bored about the dish. It is a pleasure to see little kids happily gobble down something you cook for them, isnt it ladies. I guess many of you would have experienced the same emotions.


Here goes the list of ingredients that will help you make this lovely thayir vadai

• Moong Dal - 1 cup
• Urad Dal - 2 cups
• Thick curd - 3 cups
• Oil for deep fry
• Cumin seeds powder - 2 tsps
• Boondhi, Coriander leaves for garnish
• Mustard seeds and oil for tempering
• Salt to taste

This is how I made these Vadais

• Soak moonga dal and urad dal for an hours time
• Grind it along with some salt in a blender.
• Take care not to add much water when you grind
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed wok for deep fry
• Pinch small balls of batter and deep fry them in oil
• In the meanwhile beat the curd well and add salt
• Curd should be in Dosa batter consistency
• Once all the vadais is deep fried, arrange them in the serving bowl
• Pour beaten curd over it
• Sprinkle cumin powder over the curd
• Garnish with boondhi and coriander
• You can either serve it chilled or just like that

I did not have time to chill it. By the time this was ready the girls were out from their bed and headed the dining table to have their breakfast which was Thayir vadai

For a complete menu for the day in the marathon visit

• 30 Minutes Meals:Priya Mahadavan, Pavani
• Seven Days of Salad: lla, Divya Vikram
• For Ongoing 7 Events: Priya Suresh, Suma Gandlur, Harini,
• Kids Friendly: Vatsala, Jay
• Seven Days of Rice: Veena Krishnakumar, Priya Vaasu, Padma Rekha,

Day 1 - Blogging Marathon - Simple Veggie Sandwich

OK , another marathon.. this time a different group. It is gonna be fun. The theme that I have chosen this time is Kids friendly recipes. This is a area which I do not venture in often ( no necessity as of now ). I have two lovely nieces who enjoy my cooking completely. They just love the food I make for them. There were in India for a month s time last year. That is the time when I actually learnt the likes and dislikes of kids. These recipes come from that experience.
Today I am going to share a simple recipe. Veggie sandwich.
Simple ingredients for this dish

• Bread ( preferably whole wheat)
• Cabbage - shredded
• Carrot - shredded
• Onion - finely chopped
• Green chilli - 1 finely chopped
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Mustard seeds and oil for tempering.

How to we make this wholesome breakfast.

• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed wok
• Add mustard seeds and let it sputter
• To this add the cabbage and saute till they are al dente
• Set the sauteed cabbage aside.
• Add a little oil and saute the Onion and carrot till they are done.
• Add turmeric and salt to the mixture followed by cabbage
• Saute the whole thing until you get a completely blended filling
• Now, toast the bread slices either stove top or toaster

• Place some filling on one slice and then cover it using another toasted slice
• Cut them diagonally and serve with tomato ketchup ( I had mine just like that )

Most important part of the post is when I peep into my fellow runners kitchen and see what is cooking. Let us go ...

• 30 Minutes Meals:Priya Mahadavan, Pavani
• Seven Days of Salad: lla, Divya Vikram
• For Ongoing 7 Events: Priya Suresh, Suma Gandlur, Harini,
• Kids Friendly: Vatsala, Jay
• Seven Days of Rice: Veena Krishnakumar, Priya Vaasu, Padma Rekha,