Simple and easy Blueberry Milkshake

I had mentioned in my previous (Blueberry Cupcakes) post about this blueberry milkshake. Here I am posting you this amazing, scrumptious, succulent, darkish purple blend which will be loved by all.

I know that this is a summer time drink, but I love this any time and in any season and that too if it is made of blueberries. When my brother brought these blueberries last month, the first thing came to my mind was to make this milkshake which I was craving for… and here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Blue berries- ½  Cup
2. Milk- 1 Cup
3. Sugar / Honey- 3 tbsp (as required)
4. Vanilla essence- 1 tsp (optional)

Method:

1. Drop all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and a yummy, delicious, simple, easy, mouthwatering, milkshake is ready within minutes. Garnish with more berries on top.

Nadan Manga Achar/ Kerala Style Mango Pickle

Usually I like to eat pickles along with rice, breakfast and so on. My mom makes different varieties of pickles and I used to enjoy them always. So recently I started trying to make pickles in small amounts and got successful. This raw mango pickle holds a special place in my heart.

This mango pickle is an important ingredient in any Onam sadhya. In different parts of Kerala, this pickle is made in different varieties. As Onam is nearing, I thought this is the best time to prepare this yummy and spicy pickle. Just try this out…

Ingredients:

1. Raw Mangoes- 5- 6 nos
2. Garlic- 1 Cup
3. Curry Leaves- few
4. Red Chillies- 5-6 nos
5. Mustard Seeds- 1 tbsp
6. Fenugreek Seeds- 1 tsp
7. Water- ½ Cup
8. Red Chilli powder- 5 tbsp
9. Turmeric Powder- 1 tbsp
10. Fenugreek powder- 1 tsp
11. Asafoetida Powder- ¼ tsp
12. Salt- as required
13. Oil- ¼ Cup
14. Vinegar- 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Peel the skin of mangoes and chop the raw mangoes to small pieces (I used a food Processor). Add salt to the pieces, mix well and set it aside overnight.
2. On the following day, heat oil in a kadai, splutter the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
3. Add the red chillies, curry leaves and garlic. Saute till the raw smell goes.
4. On low flame, add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder and fenugreek powder and mix for some time.
5. Adjust salt and pour water, let it boil till it thickens. Add the mango pieces, mix till everything is well blended. In this stage add vinegar, mix and transfer to a neat glass jar and serve as you wish.

Lemon, Blueberry and Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Since quite some time now, I was in search of fresh blueberries, but I couldn’t get any and those which we get in market were so expensive that I decided to get it through my brother who works in the UK, when he was planning to visit me in July.

I am a huge fan of fresh blueberries. When I visited UK and Europe last year , I had eaten these blueberries in tonnes. My bro was not sure whether they will stay fresh till he reaches Bangalore, but I was confident and he bought about 2- 3 packets.  I wanted to make many dishes out of these, but ended up eating most of it, just like that. And with the last few which I had saved, I made these cupcakes and also a blueberry milkshake (which I will be sharing later).

In these cupcakes, I have added fresh blueberries along with white chocolate chips and lemon zest. The lemon zest imparts a strong citrusy flavor to these cupcakes. These lemon, blueberry and chocolate chip cupcakes would make a perfect addition to your breakfast menu. Try this out and you will end up eating more…

Ingredients:

1. Blueberries- 1 Cup
2. All Purpose Flour- 1 ½ Cups
3. Baking Powder- 1 ½ tsp
4. Baking Soda- ¼ tsp
5. salt- a pinch
6. Sugar- 1 Cup
7. Butter- ¼ Cup
8. Egg- 1 no
9. Buttermilk- ½ Cup
10. Milk- ½ Cup
11. Lemon Zest- 1 lemon
12. Chocolate Chips- ½ Cup (I have used white chocolate chips).

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Coat the blueberries and chocolate chips in 1 tbsp of flour so that it won't sink to the bottom when baked. Keep this aside.
3. Beat the eggs along with lemon zest till fluffy. In another bowl beat the butter and sugar till light and cream.
4. Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt thrice and keep this aside.
5. In the above egg mixture add the buttermilk and beat well.
6. Slowly fold the sieved flour mixture alternating with milk into the wet ingredients well till the flour and milk gets finished.
7. Add the coated blueberries and chocolate chips in the above cake batter and pour this in a greased cupcake liners and bake for about 20- 25 minutes.

Easy Chick peas/ Chana / Kadala Curry without Coconut

Being the kind of lazy person I am, I really dont like spending time grating, roasting and grinding coconut and to add to that, my husband doesn’t like coconut in any currys. So always I will be looking for gravies which does not require coconut.

Once for breakfast, my friend made a chana curry without adding coconut. Usually Keralites like to make varutharacha kadala curry i.e chick peas using roasted coconut curry along with puttu. So when my dear friend made this easy kadala curry and also that it tasted exactly like the one which we make by adding coconut, I thought that this is my kind of dish and I noted down the ingredients and when I got a chance, I made this for breakfast along with puttu. This is not at all time consuming and can be made easily.

The flavours in this dish is really enhanced when the crushed garlic along with onions and tomatoes are roasted and added to the cooked chick peas. The thickness in the gravy is obtained by adding ground chick peas.

Just try this out and you will never forget the taste.

Ingredients:

1. Chana / Kadala- 1 Cup
2. Cinnamon- 1 small stick
3. Cloves- 3 nos
4. Cardamom- 3 nos
5. Onions( chopped)- 2 nos
6. Tomatoes (chopped)- 1 no
7. Garlic (crushed)- 2 tbsp
8. Curry Leaves- few
9. Oil- 2 tbsp
10. Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
11. Red Chilli Powder- 2 tbsp
12. Coriander Powder- 2 tbsp
13. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
14. Fenugreek powder- ½ tsp

Method:

1. Soak the chana overnight and pressure cook the next morning until it is done.
2. Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods and curry leaves. Stir well.
3. Add the chopped onions and crushed garlic, stir till it turns translucent.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and mix till it turns mushy.
5. Meanwhile from the cooked chickpeas take about a handful and grind coarsely. Keep this aside.
6. In the above onion, tomato mixture add the powders one after the other, mix well till the raw smell disappears.
7. Add the cooked chick peas along with water and the ground chick peas, mix well. Boil well and let it simmer. Serve along with hot with puttu.