Cupcakes-[Black & White Wednesdays]

Hi All...

Its long time that I had submitted anything to susan's BWW gallery. This time I felt that the click was good to go into it. The recipe of the same will be published soon.

This goes to Susan's Black & White Wednesdays.

ebook-100 Yummy Diwali Recipes

Hi Friends.
The most  awaited eBook -  "100 Yummy Diwali Recipes"  has been published by IndusLadies...!

This eBook  has lipsmacking 100 yummy
Sweets & Desserts recipes.

And  I m  excited, to see  my recipe coconut balls in the ebook.

Click the below link to see my recipe and also the other delicious recipes, shared by various Food Bloggers !

http://www.indusladies.com/100diwalisweet 

Go ahead and download the eBook  now ..!

Enjoy Diwali with  wonderful sweet recipes...:)

Ricotta cheese peda/sweet

Hi There..Hope everyone is good and had an excellent week..with the fall colors over here and the constant fight between sun and wind I too enjoyed my weekend.
Last week was a tough time for me... I had my dental visits as result of slight tooth ache.. and to my horror the doctor was behind my wisdom teeth..After a long talk the doctor told me to come for the wisdom  teeth extraction...My hubby dear...being very kind to me took the nearest extraction date...I tried all the tricks to keep teeth in position and to avoid any injections...but those failed :(..My main prob was injection...not the tooth extraction..;),...ya true...I fear injections at this age too...Anyways reached back that day...checked with everyone about the pain of teeth extraction and everyone lied to me saying it takes just a min after injection...which I came to know later.

Anyways I went on the appointed date and as always pulled my hubby to the extraction room to wait there till the injection was given to me..Oh my... I think the doctors should change the syring size...My doc came with a huge syring...like something that is used on cow...seeing that itself my BP increased...anyway I can't cry like a kid...so closed my eyes with mouth wide open and he gave me a prick...Thats over..He left me for 15 mins...Now I was brave...so asked my hubby to go...My biggest mistake :(

After 15 min the doc came..he asked me if I felt the lip as thick...I told ya....but..I can feel the teeth and gum....doc said  hmmm...
Now he came with another syring...a bit smaller than the earlier one..Oh no...I regretted for sending my hubby back...anyways he pricked and started his work...Now I was waiting for the 1 min when he would remove my teeth...He started off with a hammer kind of stuff..hit my teeth...off and on...went on trying all his tools with all his energy for approx 3 min to 5 min....Each time he pulls...I was expecting my teeth in his hands...but no :(..and to make matters worst he was saying everything he was doing...which slowly died off..
After some time..the doc felt that the tools he brought was not sufficient to remove my teeth...so he ordered the assistant tro get something...He explained me that there will be a loud sound...I just felt to run from that place...Anyways he put that new tool into my mouth and drilled..or I felt so...What would ul expect after that...theeth came out...isnt it...I did that..
But you should never expect.. He after drilling for some tim,e..kept that tool and started using his previous stuffs again...Again the process of pull ..push..... went for 3 min approx and finally...ufff...he got my teeth...Noooo thats not the end..
He went and brought another injection...and gave that...Now I had lost all hopes of getting up from that chair..so I was sitting there waiting for next stuff..when the assistant told...You are good to go...

Now I was so happy to come out and meet my hubby to say a big thanks to him for showing me this very beautiful day...that I left the medical prescription..ya which they brought and gave...
Now before I could reach home it started paining...and you know what...now the medicines are over and today when I type this also my pain is there...intact...So sceduled a visit today...:( I wished badly that I never meet him again...but no luck..

This is how my last two/one and half week was...

Now to the recipe...I always try to participate in some contest that is hosted by my friends...but always I end up unsuccessful...I cook the recipe but dont blog about it and by the time I blog the same place will have another contest...This has been happening for a long time....hopping to change that atleast this time...
Made this peda/sweet  with ricotta cheese...which is very delicious...do give a try

Ricotta cheese-15oz
Ghee- 1 tbsp
Sugar-3/4 cup
Milk Powder-3/4 cup
Cardamom powder-1/2 tsp
Almonds to garnish



















Method Of Preparartion:
1. Heat a thick bottemed pan and add ghee to it and then add ricotta cheese.
2. When the water starts to evaporate add milk powder and sugar and keep on stirring till it starts to seperate from sides of pan, add cardamom powder to it and mix well.
3. When the mixture forms a lump turn off the heat.
4. Allow it to cool for some time and when it can be handled by hands grease your hands with little ghee, take small amount of mixture and roll to round or oval. Place an almond and press slightly.Peda is ready.

Sending this to:
Serve it festival potluck by  Krithi & Denny

Diwali special sweet n savories by Radhika
Diwali Sweet Recipes by Sameena Prathap

My Diwali My Way by Khusi

Diwali- Festival of Lights by Anu

Kutchi Dabeli

We had a picnic and Arti, my neighbor and friend, introduced me to this food. I was so much interested in the dish that I asked her about it then itself. I tried it twice at home and its a super hit here.... :)

Kachcchhi Dabeli is a snack originated in Kutch,  Gujarat.  Dabeli means pressed and kachcchhi or kutchi just as it was originated in Kutch. Here potato with dabeli masala is pressed along with chutneys between ladi- pav (From Wiki)

Here is the recipe:

Potatoes-2 big(boiled & mashed)
Dabeli Masala-2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Cilantro-(finely chopped)
Oil-2 tbsp
Raisins-2 tsp
Pomgranate seeds/Grapes-2 tbsp
Masala peanuts- 1/4 cup
Onion-1 small(chopped)
Pav Buns/dinner rolls-4 no
Butter
Green Chutney
Dates-tamarind chutney/Sweet Chutney

Green Chutney:
Cilantro-1/2 cup
Mint-1/4 cup
Green chillies-2 to 3
Cumin powder-a pinch(roasted)
salt for taste
Grind all the ingredients with 2 tbsp of water to form a smooth paste. Serve with chaat.

Dates chutney/Sweet chutney:
Dates-1/2 cup(pitted)
Tamarind-1/4 cup(I used pulp)
Jaggery-1/4 cup
Salt to taste.
Cumin powder-a pinch(roasted)

Soak jaggery in little warm water to form liquid, strain and keep aside.
Soak dates in warm water for some time to soften.Remove & grind all the ingredients together.
** If using tamarind, remove the seeds & soak that  in warm water & grind.

Masala Peanuts:
Peanuts-1/2 cup
Oil to drizzle
Chili powder-1/4 tsp or less
Salt to taste

Heat  a wok, toast the peanuts. Drizzle oil on top and sprinkle chili powder and salt.Remove from heat after a few minutes.
**Before using masala peanuts you can remove the skin. You can even remove the skin first and then make masala peanuts out of it.

Method Of Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a pan ,fry the raisins and add the mashed potato, salt and dabeli masala.Add about 2 to 3 tbsp of water and mix well.Heat it till the spices get mixed and water evaporates.Turn off the heat.
2. Shift it to a plate,flatten it and garnish with  cilantro.Spread the masala peanuts, onion, pom seeds/grapes.Press it slightly on top of the poatato masala.
3. Heat a pan and add little butter to it.once hot  toast the slit buns on both sides.
4. Apply green chutney on one half and tamarind chutney on other half. Then stuff the dabeli masala and garnish with sev(I dint use it) if desired and serve hot.

Notes:
1. Adding Raisins is optional.
2. Once dabeli masala is added, before turning the heat off just check if the masala is sufficient, else add little more.
3. The chutney ratios depends on ur taste.Add ingredients accordingly.According to my ratio the coriander chutney had mild flavor of mint and sweet chutney was bit sweet and bit tangy.

100 Diwali Sweet Recipes- Ebook from Indus Ladies

For the upcoming Diwali on October 26th, 2011, we at Indusladies are compiling an E-Book called “100 Yummy Diwali SweetRecipes”. We are collecting sweet/dessert recipes from various bloggers to be featured in this E-Book.

This E-book will be made available as a free download to our community's 1.3 Lakh+ members. In addition, we will also be making this E-Book available to our 9000+ Facebook fans and Twitter followers. It's LOTS and LOTS of exposure to those food blogs entering the E-Book!! We believe this would be a nice way to get the word out about a wonderful blog to the entire membership of IndusLadies!!

Those bloggers interested in submitting a recipe for this E-Book...all you need to do is as follows:
1. Send a link from your blog for a sweet /dessert recipe. It should also include the picture of the sweet/dessert. Your recipe, food picture, recipe URL as well as the entire blog URL will get featured in the E-Book.
2. In return, we need you to do two things:
- Now make a blog post in your blog announcing the E-Book compilation by IndusLadies and the recipe you are sending for this E-Book. That way inviting your co-bloggers interested to send in their contribution by Oct 10th,2011.


Any blogger interested can send their entry to partners@indusladies.com by October 8th.


I am sending: Coconut Balls

Vegetable Biryani

A rice dish which is a combination of rice with various veggies and aromatic spices.

For Rice:
Basmathi Rice-1 cup
Water-1 nd 1/2 cup
Cloves-3
Cardamonm -2
Bay Leaves-1 no
Cinamon stick-1 inch
Salt to taste(minimum)
Ghee-1 tsp
Water to cook rice.

Saffron- a small pinch
Milk-1 to 2 tbsp(warm)
**Using a mortar and pestle crush the saffron with milk for max colour and flavor. Keep aside.

For Gravy:
Beans, cauliflower, Carrot, Beetroot, Green peas,Tomato-Altogether it was about 2 cups(cut to equal sizes)
Onion-1 no(thinly sliced)
Green chilli-1 no

Ginger-Garlic paste-1 tbsp
Yogurt-2 to 3 tbsp

Salt to taste.
vegetable oil- 2 tbsp

Masala powders:
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Biryani Masala-1 tsp
Garam Masala-1 tsp
Cumin seeds-1 tsp

Spices:
Bay leaves-2 no
Cardamom powder-1/2 tsp
Cloves-2 no
Cinnamon stick-1 small piece

To Fry:
Cashew nuts- few
Raisins- few
Ghee-1 tbsp
**Fry nuts and keep aside.
**keep the remaining ghee aside  too.


Method Of Preparation:
For Rice:
1. Wash the rice and soak  it in water for 10 min,so that you get fluffy rice.
2. Add water to the rice in a cooker and cook without the whistle on high. When high pressure starts to come reduce flame to low, put the whistle and cook for 5 min.Turn off the heat.Open the cooker once its cool and fluff the rice using fork.

To make the gravy:
1. In a wok,heat oil add cumin  along with spices and  fry for a minute.
2. Fry the ginger garlic paste.Then fry onions till translucent. Add masala powders and fry for 1 to 2 mins.Do not burn it.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook it till it turns soft.
4. Then add all the vegetables along with curd and mix well. Add sufficient water & salt to cook the veggies, you should get about 1/4 to 1/2 cup thick gravy after the veggies get cooked.So add water accordingly.
5. The veggies should be cooked 3/4th only. It should not be mushy.
6. when the veggies look cooked turn of the heat after checking the  gravy.

To assemble:
1. Now add about 2 tsp of ghee in a pressure cooker. Add 1/2 of the cooked vegetables along with gravy and layer it. Now add the cooked rice on top. Again the gravy and followed by rice.
2. Now sprinkle the  ghee after frying nuts and saffron mixed with milk on top of the rice.
3. Close the cooker without weight and heat it on high for a min and on low for  15 to 20 mins.Turn off the heat.Open after 5 mins. Garnish with fried nuts. Serve warm.

Biryani with less turmeric powder and  no saffron.

Raita Recipe

Onion-1 small
Cucumber-1 small
Tomato-1 small
Carrot-1 small
Green chilli-2 small
Yogurt-1/2 cup
Water-2 tbsp
Chaat Masala-a pinch(optional)
Coriander leaves-1 tsp(cut)
Salt to taste

Method Of Preparation:
1. Cut all veggies to small/ medium sized pieces.Add salt,yogurt and water and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and chaat masala.
** Add or remove veg according to ur taste.

Notes:
1. See that the veg gravy added at the bottom has 3/4 of the liquid gravy, so that the dish doesnt burn. Keep it on low, else sure it will burn at the bottom.
2. You can also cook the rice in a separate vessel instead of pressure cooker with required amount of water, till the rice is 3/4 th done.
3. Add or remove veg according to ur interest.
4. Spread 1/2 tsp of garam masala on top, if you wish.
5. Add salt very carefully as it is added in many places.

Separation Is Inevitable...[Black & White Wednesday]

This goes to Susan's  Black & White Wednesday