Ari Payasam / Rice Kheer

                                                Happy Birthday Dad
Today is my Dad’s birthday and so I made his favorite payasam. He loves all varieties of payasams and all the time.But now as he is diabetic, Mom makes payasam only on special occasions and that too very little just to taste.

This is a special payasam which I never made before. I had this once, when I visited my S-I-L’s house. The taste was amazing. I thought they might have added milkmaid, but to my surprise the taste is just because the rice is cooked in milk in slow fire till the colour of the milk turns light pink. The ingredients are also simple. I was desperate to try this and today is the perfect occasion to try and it came out really well.

Traditionally the rice used for this payasam is red rice to get the light red colour, but we can also use basmati or normal rice.

Ingredients:

1. Basmati rice- a hand full
2. Sugar- 2 hand fulls (double the rice)
3. Milk- ½ litre
4. Cardamom powder- 1 tsp
5. Almonds / Cashews (roasted in ghee)- 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash and grind coarsely basmati rice in mixer.
2. Take a cooker put the rice, sugar and milk together, mix and close the cooker on high flame.
3. When the steam starts, put the whistle and lower the flame and cook for about 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes when the cooker is cool open and add the cardamom powder and mix.
5. The colour of the milk will turn to light pink and the rice is cooked. A delicious payasam is ready to serve. While serving add the roasted almonds or cashews.

Poha

This is one of the most easiest and delicious breakfast that can be made within minutes. This is a nutritious snack and kids will also love this tangy delicacy.

Always in the morning it is a big headache to think about breakfast and also what to pack as snack for my kid. I had to think about nutritious, healthy and everyday different snack. Then one day my friend told me about this and I thought of giving it a try. This is a simple breakfast which can be made without any preparations and which is filled with lots and lots of nutrition and I am sure kids will love this. For this dish, you don’t need any side dish. We can have it just like that.

Poha is a very popular dish, but it varies from region to region. This is my version and I hope you will also love it.

Ingredients:

1. Flattened Rice- 1 Cup
2. Boiled Potatoes (Cubed)- 2 nos
3. Onions (chopped)- 1 no
4. Oil- 1 tbsp
5. Mustard Seeds- 1 tsp
6. Roasted Peanuts- ½ handful
7. Curry Leaves- few
8. Green chillies- 2 nos
9. Turmeric Powder- ½ tsp
10. Salt- as required
11. Lemon Juice- 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash the flattened rice well under running water and it drain.
2. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry it for 1 min and add the chopped onions. Fry till it turns translucent.
3. Add the roasted peanuts, salt and cubed potatoes and mix well.
4. In this add the drained puffed rice, mix well. Add the turmeric powder and lemon juice over the poha and mix till all blends well. Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy...

Red Velvet Cupcakes- for my valentine....

From so long I was thinking of making these beauties and I got the occasion at last. The red colour makes it perfect for a Valentines day.

These red velvet cupcakes have a mild chocolate flavor, that is by adding a tbsp of cocoa powder. The red colour is due to the addition of red liquid edible colour. This will make the cupcakes look more beautiful. As buttermilk is added these cupcakes will be more moist and soft.

Usually over these cupcakes, cream cheese frosting is used to decorate. But I didn’t have that with me, so I made a butter icing which my kid loved to lick.

When I googled, there were so many sites with different type of ingredients. Finally I decided to make this from one of the blog’s. For some ingredients I added less quantities than the original recipe requires.

So here is a perfect recipe on a perfect day....

Ingredients:
Adapted from food network

1. All purpose flour / Maida- 1 ¼ Cup
2. Baking Powder- ¼ tsp
3. Salt- A pinch
4. Cocoa Powder- 1 tbsp
5. Unsalted Butter- !/4 Cup
6. Sugar- ¾ Cup
7. Egg- 1 no
8. Vanilla Essence- ½ tsp
9. Butter Milk- ½ Cup
10. Red food colouring- 1 tbsp
11. Vinegar- ½ tsp
12. Baking soda- ½ tsp

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. In this add egg and beat well.Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Keep this aside.
3. Mix butter milk along with red food colour and this alternately with flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture.
4. In a small bowl mix vinegar and baking soda, the mixture will fizz and quickly add this to the flour batter.
5. Pour this in the greased cupcake liners and bake in the preheated oven for 20 - 30 minutes or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Let them cool on wire racks and when it is completely cooled decorate with cream frosting.

Pachamulaku ulli chammanthi / green chillies and shallots chutney(dip)

This chammanthi or chutney is often made in my household. Even though there are other  curries made at home, sometimes this chutney just steals the show. This is one of the mouth watering chutnies that can be made within minutes and I love to have this daily, but I hold back due to my acidity worries.

I would love to eat this from my Mom’s hand as she mixes the hot rice and this chammanthi it would taste like heaven and more. Sometimes instead of breakfast we would prefer rice and my Mom prepares this within minutes. She mixes the chutney with rice and we would finish off the rice within seconds.

I remember, once when we were travelling in night from Hyderabad to Nalgonda (when we were staying in Andhra), we stopped at a dhaba for dinner. There along with roti they served chana masala and this chutney. We were surprised thinking about the combination of rotis and chammanthi. But believe me it was mind blowing. I cannot forget the taste.
I know what I am writing for a simple chutney is too much, but this much at least  I have to say about this amazing chammanthi. Try this and see...

Ingredients:

1. Green Chillies- 5- 6 nos
2. Shallots- 8- 9 nos
3. Salt- as per taste
4. Coconut oil- 2 tbsp
5. Water- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Crush the green chillies and onions in a mixer jar or with a mortar and pestle.
2. Transfer it to a bowl, add salt and water.
3. Add the coconut oil to the above chutney and mix well.
4. Amazingly delicious chutney is ready to serve. Serve it with hot steaming rice / Boiled tapioca (kappa).