Lemon Idli

Idli and dosa is a staple breakfast at my house and it's actually everybody’s favorite dish along with chutney and sambar. In South India, in almost all the restaurants we will get the mini version of the idli in the form of podi idli (idli mixed with chutney powder). My kids always liked them and this time when I went to India, I decided to buy the mini idli maker, which is now very useful to make podi idlis, lemon idlis for lunch box.

My daughter, one day after coming back from school, told me that she liked the lemon idli, which she ate from one of her friend's box. She asked me to make the same and I tried making it and it came out perfect. This is the first time I tried to make it and successfully posting it in my blog for all my friends to try. I am sure that this will be liked by all.
This is a pretty good idea for making idlis more interesting. A different way of eating form the regular ones. If you don't have a mini idli maker then don't worry, you can cut the regular idlis into cubes and make them this way.

Ingredients:

1. Idli Batter- 3 Cups
2. Oil- 1 tbsp
3. Mustard Seeds- 1/2 tbsp
4. Curry Leaves- few
5. Desiccated Coconut - 3 tbsp 
6. Chana dal- 1 tbsp
7. Urad dal- 1 tbsp
8. Cashews- 2tbsp (chopped)
9. Lemon Juice- 1 tbsp
10. Green Chillies- 2 tbsp(chopped)
11. Asafoetida- 1tsp
12. Turmeric powder- 1 tsp

Method:

1. Make the idli batter like this. Just like dosa batter.
2. Make the idlis in a small idli pan. Make around 20- 30 small idlis. Keep this aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds. In this add the chana dal, curry leaves, green chilis, cashews along with desiccated coconut. Stir for a minute.
4. Add the asafoetida and turmeric and required amount of salt. Add the lemon juice and mix the prepared idlis in the mixture and stir till everything gets combined well.
5. Enjoy the hot steaming lemon idlis.

Baked Tandoori lamb Chops

From so long I was thinking of making lamb chops but many things were going through my mind, like how they will turn out, whether they will get cooked properly or not and whether they taste good if baked. But when I saw lamb rack in Costco, I thought of giving it a try and here it is today in my blog which I am sharing for all of my friends to try and let me know how this dish turned out.

Before making the lamb chops, I was thinking this dish as a time consuming one, but once you start the process, this dish will take less time and at the end you can enjoy a very healthy and tasty, delicious food.

Marinate the lamb rack using the marinade ingredients and bake it till done. A perfectly cooked, mouth watering, juicy lamb chops will be ready within no time and this will be a hit among the guests. Marination plays an important role in enhancing the flavors of lamb chops. this can be served along with Indian mint chutney or along with potato wedges or cooked veggies. I served them along with quinoa- veggie soup, a perfect combination. Hope you all might like this.

Ingredients:

1. Lamb Chops- 8-12 nos
2. Marinade:
3. Greek Yogurt- 1/2 Cup
4. Paprika powder- 1 tbsp
5. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tbsp
6. Cumin powder- 1/2 tbsp
7. Minced ginger- 1 tbsp
8. Minced garlic- 1 tbsp
9. Garam Masala powder- 1/2 tbsp
10. Salt- as required
11. Coriander Powder- 1 tbsp
12. Lemon juice- 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients under marinade in a bowl and keep this aside.
2. In the above mixture add the cleaned and drained lamb chops and coat the chops well with the marinade.
3. Let it sit for  3-4 hours. No need of keeping this in the refrigerator, if you are doing so, make sure the lamb should be in room temperature before baking.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
5. Place the marinated lamb chops on the baking paper and pour the liquid on top and bake this for almost 10- 15 minutes. After 15 minutes let the chops broil for another 2- 3 minutes and switch off the oven and take the lamb chops out.
6. Cut accordingly and serve warm.

Simple and Easy South Indian Fish Curry/ Meen Kulamb

I first tasted this fish curry, when my dear friend made it for a potluck and instantly we all liked it. From then on,  I started making this fish curry by asking her for the recipe. When I made the first time, I forgot to note down, so the next time again I asked her for the recipe and this time I noted it and here I am sharing the recipe in my blog. I never made a fish curry other than the Kerala style. My daughter likes this fish curry a lot, as this is not at all spicy. A perfect kid- friendly dish. Of course in any dish we can adjust the spices accordingly.

This is a delicately flavored, finger- licking, delicious dish in a bowl which can be served in a party along with appam/ idiayppam. I am sure that this will be an instant hit. This is a simple and an easy dish with a combination of freshly roasted and ground spices and tangy gravy in which the cleaned fish pieces gets cooked till done. Here in my house, fish curry is everyone's favorite and this is a perfect one, which we all like to have anytime. Please try this recipe and let me know how it turned out.

Ingredients:

1. Fish Slices - 15- 20 nos
2. Oil- 2 tbsp
3. Onions(roughly chopped)- 2 nos
4. Tomatoes (chopped)- 1 no
5. Garlic Cloves- 6-7 pieces
6. Coriander Seeds- 1 tbsp
7. Pepper Corns- 1/2 tbsp
8. Cumin Seeds- 2 tsp
9. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
10. Red Chili Powder- 1 tbsp
11. Mustard Seeds- 1/2 tbsp
12. Fenugreek Seeds- 1 tsp
13. Asafoetida Powder- 1/2 tsp
14. Tamarind Extract- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, pepper corns along with roughly chopped onions. Stir in between till it becomes translucent.
2. Add the tomatoes and garlic. Stir till they get well blended with each other. After for about 5- 10 minutes, switch off the flame and let it cool.
3. After the mixture cools down, grind to a paste. Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaf and asafoetida.
4. Add the ground paste, salt, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Mix well. When the raw smell disappears add little amount of water, stir and allow the gravy to boil. Add the cleaned and washed fish pieces and cook on a low flame till done. Turn off heat and serve along with steaming hot rice.

Coconut- Jaggery Bars- A Festive Delicacy...

Festive season, everyone is busy cleaning their houses, bringing new furniture, making sweets, gifts, meeting family and friends. Festivals serve to unite people in celebrations and understanding. In India, food is associated with many festivals and Diwali is Festival of lights, fun, frolics and feasts.

As I spent my childhood in Andhra Pradesh, I remember my neighbors and friends sending the homemade festive delicacies, which we all enjoyed. Popular sweets like laddoos, halwas, jilebi, mysore pak and so on. Most importantly gujjiyas.

Festival is the time which reminds me of wanting to make something sweet and here I am today with one of my favorite, which my mom makes in the form of laddoos. This recipe, I saw in a blog which sounded like exactly the bars which I get from Bangalore, Nilgiri's supermarket. They are so firm and delicious. I am so excited that the bars turned out to be exactly like them.

Mix all the ingredients listed below in a low flame and within seconds a mouthwatering delicacy will be ready to eat. Just make sure, you don't burn the coconut while cooking it along with jaggery. In my house, everybody likes this. You can make ahead and pack and gift them to your family or friends. This will be a perfect Diwali sweet to make as it won't take much time and can be made ahead and stored.

Today, I am posting this delicious recipe of coconut- jaggery bars, which I am sure that everybody will like it. It is so delicious and yummy that you won't stop eating once you start.

Ingredients:

1. Desiccated Coconut- 2 Cups
2. Jagger Powder- 2 Cups
3. Milk- 4 Cups
4. Ghee- 3 tbsp
5. Cardamom Powder- 1 tsp

Method:

1. Combine the coconut and jaggery in a non stick pan and mix them using a wooden spatula on a low flame till it gets combined. 
2. Pour the milk and stir well gradually add the ghee and cardamom powder. Mix well till everything gets mixed well.
3. When it starts to leave the sides, switch off the flame. Grease a steel pan with some butter and pour this mixture into that. let it cool and keep refrigerated for 4-5 hours or overnight.
4. Cut into desired shape and enjoy with your friends.

Brewed Cacao Tea and Cacao tea Smoothie

One day I got a mail from my friend Jessica (who sent me Moscow Mule Cups last year). They have started a new company that sell cacao tea, which is not only delicious but also has many health benefits. This is a perfect healthy alternative for coffee. It is high in antioxidants and is completely sugar- free, gluten- free, and dairy free. This tea is 100% pure and organic. This doesn't have artificial flavorings, additives or preservatives. If you want to know more about this tea, here it is  www.cacaoteaco.com

As soon as I saw the message from Jessica, to review about their product, I was so happy and excited to try their new product. I received it and as I opened, the chocolaty aroma was too fascinating. If you like chocolate and coffee and worry about the calories and caffeine, then this is a perfect alternative. This is a good energy booster. Now a days instead of green tea, I will be having this cacao tea, so that my chocolate cravings will be satisfied. This has a subtle flavor of chocolate, unless you make it stronger by adding more cacao tea or boiling the water for a longer period.

As they suggested I tried the brewed cold cacao tea in my post workout smoothie. A slight chocolate flavored smoothie was ready within no time. You can use many different ingredients to make smoothie along with this cacao tea.

We can also add almond milk a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the brewed cacao tea for a nice milk chocolaty flavored milk tea.
Their links are
Instagram: @cacaoteaco
Facebook: #cacaoteaco

Ingredients:
For Cacao Tea:

1. Cacao Tea Powder- 1 tbsp
2. Water- 1 1/2 Cup

Method:

• Boil the water in a pan and when it starts rolling boil add the cacao tea and let it simmer for 5- 10 minutes.
• Enjoy a nice chocolate flavored tea.

Cacao Tea Smoothie:

1.  Almond Milk- 2 Cups
2. Spinach Leaves- a handful
3. Dates- 4 nos
4. Brewed Cacao tea- 1/2 Cup
5. Chia Seeds- 1 tbsp
6. Hemp Seeds- 1 tbsp
7. Peanut Butter- 1 tbsp

Method:

• Blend all the ingredients in a blender and enjoy an amazing smoothie within no time.

Apricot Energy Balls and Oats Energy Balls

These energy balls are so easy to make that it does not require any baking. Just process it, make it into round balls and enjoy these within no time. There are so many varieties in these energy balls. We can add many ingredients of our choice in these balls.

 I love apricots. Dried apricots from Costco are my favorite snack. And as we get them in a bulk, I made some delicious healthy energy balls which is a hit in my family. I was in a mood of making the energy balls, and as soon as I finished I finished making with apricots, I made some using oats. I ground the oats to powder, as I don't like to bite the oats in energy balls.

Energy balls or protein balls are so easy and packed with nutrients, that they are a very good to go snack. These soft, chewy balls are a perfectly awesome snack to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Ingredients:
For Apricot Energy balls:

1. Dried Apricots- 1 Cup
2. Almonds- 1/2 Cup
3. Chia Seeds- 1 tbsp
4. Dried Coconut- 2 tbsp

Method:

• In a food processor, blend all the ingredients till it forms a nice sticky mixture. Make round balls and store in an airtight container for almost 2 weeks.

For Oats Energy Balls:

1. Oats- 1 Cup
2. Cocoa Powder- 2 tbsp
3. Chis Seeds- 1 tbsp
4. Hemp Seeds-- 1 tbsp
5. Dates- 3/4 Cup

Method:

• Ground the oats to a fine powder.
• Add all the other ingredients along with the powdered oats to a food processor and process till everything combines well. At this stage the mixture will look like powder, but transfer to a plate and start rolling them into round balls. Store them in an airtight container in refrigerator and enjoy as needed.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

It's slowly becoming cold during night time and a better way to enjoy cold weather is by making a warm, richer, creamier soup that will be liked by all in your family. This mushroom soup was rich without being heavy and delightfully earthy. I suggest pairing this with warm oven toasted bread. That's how I like to slurp my soup.

To make this delicious soup , I used 3 portobella mushrooms, they give nice flavor and the lovely color to the soup. This is a chunky soup, if you want your soup to be more pureed, just use the immersion blender and blend well. As the mushrooms are roasted along with garlic, it gives an amazing flavor to the soup.

I make this soup once in two weeks as my family loves it a lot. My daughter is a big fan of this soup and likes a warm soup after coming back from school. She is like me, I like mushrooms a lot. As a kid, I remember, my dad used to bring lots of tiny mushrooms on the way back home after a morning walk. He plucked fresh mushrooms from the woods that used to pop up after a rainy day. My mom makes amazing dishes out of them. Feeling very nostalgic. In my native, we see these mushrooms in our backyard. They grow after a stromy night. They are edible and are so tiny. They used to grow in a large groups.
Ingredients:

1. Mushrooms (chopped)- 2 Cups
2. Onions(chopped)- 1 no
3. Garlic (crushed)- 2 nos
4. Flour- 2 tbsp
5. Salt- as required
6. Pepper Powder- 1 tbsp
7. Dried Herbs-1 tbsp
8. Water/ Broth- 3 Cups
9. Cream- 1/2 Cup
10. Butter- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat butter in a pan, add the crushed garlic, stir for a min on a high flame.
2. Lower the flame and add the chopped onions along with chopped mushrooms. Stir well and let this cook till all the water gets evaporated. Mix in between.
3. When the mushroom becomes soft, add the dried herbs, in another bowl mix the flour, salt, pepper powder and water. 
4. Add this flour mixture into the cooked mushroom, mix well till everything gets well blended. Bring to a boil, stir and cook until thickened.
5. Stir in the cream, simmer until the flavors are blended, approximately 15 minutes. Switch off the flame and enjoy with oven toasted bread.