Benne Biscuit

Benne Biscuit means "Butter cookies".Its a mouth watering cookie and its so smooth that it melts like butter when u take a bite.

Ingredients:

1+1/3 cup All purpose flour/Maida
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2cup Shortening/Margarine
1/8tsp Baking Powder
1/2tsp Cardamom powder
a pinch of salt

Method:

First take the Flor/maida and add baking powder, salt and sieve it and keep aside.Take sugar and Shortening in a bowl and mix it with your hands till it forms a nice soft mixture .Now add the cardamom powder and flour mixture slowly and keep mixing it till you get a soft dough and make small balls and pat a little to form the shape and place in on a baking plate and bake at 325*F for 11-12 minutes.Cool it and store it in an airtight container.

[Tip: Don't use butter for this recipe as it makes the cookie hard and make the dough with your hands to give a proper consistency and don't use a food processor and hand mixer.]

Strawberry & Banana Smoothie

Smoothie is one of the best drink to cool in the hot summer days.Smoothie mainly originated from Brazil.Its a very simple recipe as you blend everything together at one shot and its ready.

Ingredients:
1 Banana
4-5 Strawberries
1/2cup Apple juice
1 cup strawberry yogurt/Plain Yogurt
1tsp Honey/Sugar

Method:
Put all the ingredients in a blender/mixie and blend it into a smooth liquid.Pour it into a glass/cup and garnish with a strawberry and enjoy.


[Note: You can add ice cubes while blending or u can use frozen strawberries for a cold smoothie.Apple juice gives a nice sour taste to the drink but it can be substituted by grape juice or strawberry nectar.]

Edible Flip-flops

Yes i mean it, these flip-flops/slippers are meant to be eaten.They are a form or decoration which makes a center piece on a Lunch/dinner Table.Easy to make and very attractive.

To make 1 pair of Flip-flops/Slippers you will need:

2 Oval shaped crackers
1tsp Coconut shredded
2 drops Orange food color(gel)
2 Donuts balls(can be found in any grocery stores near the donuts/bakery)
1tsp sugar syrup(to make this add 1 tsp of sugar to 2-3 drops of water)
Method:

First take the coconut in a bowl and add 1 drop of food color and mix it and keep aside.Now take donut balls and dip it in the sugar syrup and then roll it in the colored coconut and keep aside.Now take 2 oval crackers and put it on a plate and place the coconut covered ball on one corner of the crackers, repaet for the other cracker too.Now draw small dots or lines throughout the the edges of the crackers with the help of the orange colored gel.The Slippers are ready to be eaten.

Note: Refrigerate once you are done for setting take them out only at the last moment as the donuts start to get soft.

Shankar Poli

Shankar poli is a very easy South Indian snack and kids love them as they are a crunchy finger foods and tastes like chips.It is made in sweet and salty versions. I have made both and both the recipes are here.I am still not sure why this kinda name for a snack.

Ingredients:

(Sweet)

1cup All purpose flour/Maida
1/2cup Powdered/confectioners Sugar
a pinch cardamom powder
1tsp Hot ghee/butter/Oil
1.5cups Oil for deep frying

(Salty)

1cup All purpose flour/Maida
3/4tsp salt
1/2tsp Ajwain/Oma seeds/cumin seeds
1tsp Pepper powder
1tsp Hot ghee/butter/Oil
1.5cups Oil for deep frying

Method:

Mix maida,sugar,cardamom powder and a spoon of ghee and make a soft dough with required amount of water and knead it well and keep aside.Do the same way for the salty dough too.Roll the dough as thin as possible with a rolling pin and cut it into diamonds with a knife or pizza cutter and deep fry them in hot oil till they are golden brown.Store them in an airtight container.Its so easy and ready to munch.

Note:Fry the sweet shankar poli first and then the salty one,so the oil doesnot get spoiled.Sweet usually burns fast so keep the flame in the medium low.

Masala Capsicum Rice

Capsicum is a multicolored and multi-useful vegetable.I usually prepare curry or make capsicum bath using vangibath powder.I was in hunt of a new recipe and found this on www.vahrevah.com .So i gave it a try and it turned out well.So its a keep.Give it a try and let me know how it is.

Ingredients:

1 cup Brown Rice
2 big Capsicums(bell peppers)-Thinly Sliced
1 tsp Black Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
1piece Cinnamon Stick
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
3-4piece Dry red chillies(adjust spice level)
10 Fresh Curry Leaves
1 tbsp Freshly Grated Coconut(Optional)
2 1/2tbsp Ghee/Oil
3 tbsp Roasted Peanuts

Method:

Cook the rice add a tsp of Ghee and combine(each grain should be separate). Keep aside. Heat a tsp ghee in a cooking vessel on medium heat and add cumin seeds and black gram and fry till the cumin splutters and the dal turns light brown. Add the coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, curry leaves and dry red chillis and fry further for another minute till the rawness disappears and the flavors come out. Finally add the roasted peanuts and combine with the other spices for a few seconds and turn off heat. Once cool, grind to a make a fine powder. In the same vessel, add the remaining oil/ghee and once its hot, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the curry leaves and let the flavor of the curry leaves come out and the leaves turn crisp. Add the sliced capsicums and fry them for approx 3 minutes. Don’t over cook them, let the capsicums retain their crunchy texture. Add salt to taste and combine well.Reduce heat and add the cooked rice and combine with the spice mixture. Add the grated coconut,roasted peanuts and ground masala powder and combine with the rice till its well mixed . Serve hot with raita.

Note: Dont over cook the capsicum, if its a little crucnhy it tastes good.Use different color to give it a nice look.I have used brown rice but any rice of your choice can be used.

Mango Lassi

Lassi is a popular drink in India especially in summer.Its a buttermilk with a little sugar in it. Summer also reminds me of Mangoes.So here comes a combination of two summer favorites.

Ingredients:

1cup Plain yogurt/curds
1cup Mango pulp/fresh mango puree
2tsp Sugar(if mango pulp is sweetened u can avoid extra sugar)
a pinch of salt
a piece of fresh mint for garnish.

Method:

Add all the ingredients except mint leaves and blend it till the mango and yogurt is mixed together about 2-3 minutes.Then pour it into a glass and garnish with Mint leaves and is ready to drink.

Note: Ice cubes can be added while blending to make it a chill drink or u can make it and refrigerate before serving.

Lima Beans and Potato curry

Baby Lima beans is also called as Butter beans or Double beans.They are available either as frozen or as dry beans.Baby lima beans and potato makes a nice pair and is a very tasty curry.I usually have it frozen in my freezer as I use it for most of my dishes, it cooks fast too.

2cups Baby Lima Beans(frozen)
1cup Potato(skin peeled & cut into cubes)
1chopped Onion
1chopped Tomato
1tsp Ginger+Garlic paste
1tsp Red chilli powder
1tsp Garam Masala
1tsp Oil
1/2tsp Mustard seeds
1/2tsp Turmeric Powder
a pinch of Asafoetida/Hing
1tsp Sesame seeds, dry coconut and Peanuts powder(blend it in a blender)


Method:

In a pan put a tsp of oil and add mustard seeds when it is splutters add onions and fry till it turns brown.Then add giner-garlic paste,turmeric powder, asafoetida,red chilli powder and garam masala and fry for few minutes and then add tomatoes,salt to taste,Potatoes and baby lima beans.Add a cup of water and cover it with a lid and let it boil for 10 mins on medium flame.Finally add sesame seeds, dry coconut and Peanut powder to it and mix well.Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and serve it with Chapthis'/roti's.

"Vanilla Sponge Cake"

Vanilla sponge cake is a basic cake prepared in almost all the bakeries.It is then used to make pastries or can be eaten the way it is.It is so fluffy and sponge as the name suggest.Its very simple and easy to bake too.

Ingredients:

Makes one 8-inch-square cake

Unsalted butter, for pan
1/2 cup All-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1/2 cup Cornstarch
4 large Eggs, separated
1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup Sugar
Pinch of salt

Method:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.Butter a 9-inch-square baking pan. Line pan with parchment paper, and butter again.Flour the pan, and set aside. In a small bowl, sift together flour and cornstarch; set aside.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks, vanilla and 1/2 cup sugar on high speed until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Transfer the egg-yolk mixture to a large bowl. Wash and dry the mixer bowl and the whisk attachment.Combine egg whites and salt in the mixer bowl, and beat on medium speed until whites hold soft peaks, about
1 1/2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Continue beating until stiff and glossy, about 1 minute.Fold the egg-white mixture into the egg-yolk mixture. In three additions, fold the reserved flour mixture into this new mixture. Transfer the batter to prepared pan, and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted into middle comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool; turn out cake
and wrap it in plastic wrap until ready to use.



Note: when mixing the flour mixture into the egg mixture do not fold too many times otherwise the cake will not turn out to be fluffy/sponge.Do not break the peaks of the egg whites.

Designer Top

Fabric painting is one of the fun things which anybody can do and make your own Design and makes it a Designer wear.One of them i have done here is a Top which was too plain and dull to wear, so I gave it a dashing look.Its so simple and doesnot take much time to do, only time needed for it is to dry .These fabric paints are available in tubes and are so easy to use and is completely mess free, no need of paint brushes or water.

I have used some glitter paints to give a sparkling effect, but normal paints are also available which can be used.Before making anything see to it that the fabric is washed once and you have a design in hand either to trace or copy.Here i have done some free style paint, simple but elegant.Hope you all give it a try and enjoy this easy to make designs.

Gorikai Matodi Palya

A strange name!Isin't it?Palya is a Kannada word for "subzi/dry curry".Its a very interesting South Indian recipe and tastes very different.If you haven't tasted it give it a try u will love it.Its eaten with rice or Chapathi's/roti's.Its a hit in my house.

Ingredients:

1cup Gorikaai/Guvar
2tsp Toor Dal
5-6 Dry Red chillies
4tspDry coconut
1tsp Cumin seeds/jeera seeds
1tbsp Oil
1/2tsp Mustard seeds
1tsp Turmeric powder
Hing
Salt to taste.

Method:

Soak the Toor dal in water for about an hour.Cook gorikaai/guvar with a little water and a pinch of salt.Drain and keep aside.Take the soaked toor dal, dry red chillies, dry coconut and cumin seeds and grind it in a mixie without any water if possible till its smooth.(if not able to grind add very little water) Now make tempering with oil in a nonstick pan and add mustard seeds and when it splutters add hing and turmeric powder.Now add cooked gorikaai, dal paste, salt to taste and fry it till the oil dries out and the paste becomes a dry powder or like crystals.

Note: Donot leave it unatteneded as it may burn and add a little more oil if required.It can be made with fresh Methi leaves too.When eating with rice add a spoon of oil so its not too dry.Guvar can be found in frozen section inany indian stores.

Mexican Rice

Mexican Rice has a wonderful combination of vegetables and Beans with lots of flavor.Its easy to make and delicious for any occasion.

Ingredients:

2 cups Brown Rice
1 can Black beans
1 Onion
1cup Tomato puree
1 pack Taco seasoning
1tsp Cumin powder/jeera powder
1tsp Ginger+ Garlic paste
1cup Cooked Vegetables (Beans, carrots, Peas, Sweet Corns)
1 cup Bell Peppers
1tbsp Oil
1tsp Tomato Ketchup

Method:

Cook the 2 cups Rice with 4 cups water and cool it on a plate.Take a Vessel and heat it and add oil and saute' Onions, ginger and garlic paste.Then add Capsicum and cook a bit now add all the cooked vegetables, black beans(strain all the water first) tomato puree and saute' for few minutes.Now add tomato puree, Taco seasoning, cumin powder, tomato ketchup and salt to taste, fry for few minutes till all the vegetables absorbs the seasonings.Finally add cooled Rice and mix well on high flame.Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve HOT.



[Note: This if made spicy tastes really good.I added a little bit of Garam Masala and chilli powder to make it spicy]