Big time bonding with the little one

Parents visit

Inlaws visit

Missing in action for a few months

I did not know how time flew.I royally ignored my blog.But now, am wanting ( hoping) to be back  and be regular at it.Its just that I did not blog, but I did visit your blogs and lurked there..Is there anyone to check on me? Please register your attendance.Till then,

cya

Ingredients:

Whole milk- 4cups

Cardamom- 2 seeds, punded

Sugar-2 table spoon

Corn flour-2 tea  spoon

Water-2 tea spoon

Almonds- 15 nos, blanched and chopped

Kesar/pista/almond/rose essence- a few drops

Method:

1.Bring the milk to a boil on fire.Stir in cardamom and continue to reduce the milk to one third of its quantity by cooking on a low flame.

2.Be sure to stir it often and scrape the sides

3.Mix cornflour with water and make it into a paste.

4.Once the milk is reduced to the desired quantity, add sugar and the corn flour paste and almonds.

5.Cook for 2minutes and switch off stove. Let it stand by for a couple of minutes.

6.Stir in your choice of essence and transfer the mixture into the kulfi moulds and freeze.

7.Thaw for a few minutes at room temperature before serving.

Makes:6-8 nos

Rice flour-1 cup

Sooji-1/2 cup

All purpose flour-1/4 to 1/2  cup

Salt

Oil-1 table spoon

Crushed peanuts-a handful

Curry leaves- a few

Cumin seeds-1 tea spoon

Green chillies-5-6 numbers

Chopped onion-1

Hing-a pinch

Sesame seeds-2 tea spoon

Oil- for deep frying
Method:

1.In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients except the oil for deep frying.

2.DONOT add any water as the water from chopped onion would be sufficient.

3.Make a dough out of it.

4.Heat oil in a kadai, meanwhile make little balls out of the prepared dough and flatten them like small discs.

5.Fry them in hot oil and drain excess oil in a paper towel.

6.Serve hot with chutney and tea/coffee.

Zucchini-4 nos

Onion-1

Cloves-2

Cream-as much as you like

Water- as much as you like

Salt

Pepper

Butter-2 table spoon

Method:

1.Peel the skin and dice the zucchini.Finely chop the onion.

2.Melt butter in a pan and fry the onion until pink and then add the diced zucchini.Fry for a couple of minutes.

3.Add some water and cook covered. Also, throw in 2 cloves.

4.Once cooked, switch of stove, cool and blend the zucchini .

5.Heat a pan and pour the blended puree , add water little by little, as desired.

6.Sprinkle salt, add the desired quantity of cream and give it a light boil before removing from fire.

7.Serve warm with bread/ salad

Serves:4-5

Ps:To make a vegan version, substitue butter with oil and donot cream.It tastes equally awesome.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour-2 1/2 cup

Sugar-1/3 cup

Baking powder- 3 tea spoon

Salt-1/4 tea spoon

Vegan margarine-1/2 cup

Blueberries-1 cup

Water-1/2 cup

Zest and juice of  1 lemon

Method:

1.Preheat oven to 425 degree F

2.Mix the dry ingredients along with lemon zest.

3.In a seperate bowl, miss water and lemon juice.

4.Cut the margarine into small pieces and roughly mix it into the dry mixture until pea sized pieces are left. He gently warns not to overwork the dough.

5.Chill the water and lemon juice mixture and the dry ingredient mix in the freezer for about 15 minutes and remove.

6.Now is the time to mix the blueberries into the mixture.

7.Adding the lemon juice and water to the mixture,keep mixing until the dough holds together-again just enough for the dough to hold together.

8.Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and  roll it into a ball.

9.Flatten the ball to the desired thickness and cut into 8 wedges.

10.Place these cut scones in a greased cooking tray, sprinkle some sugar on top of each scone.

11.Bake @ 425 degree F for 15 minutes.You get the most tastiest, warmest blueberry scones.

Makes:8 n0s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM741dgm-ew

Chana dal-2 cups, soaked for an hour

Onion-1, big

Curry leaves- a few

Fennel seeds-2 tea spoon

Finely chopped ginger-2 table spoon

Green chillies-6 nos

Salt

Oil- for deep frying

Method:

1.Finely chop the onion, and set aside.

2.Coarsely grind the soaked dal along with green chillies and ginger in a mixer adding very little or no water.The batter should stick to your hands inspite of being coarse and not watery.

3.Add chopped onion, fennel seeds, curry leaves and salt and mix well.

4.Make balls out of the ground mixture and deep fry in oil. Serve hot.

Makes:25-30 nos

Active dry yeast- 1 pkt

Warm water-2/3 cup

All purpose or unbleached flour- 2-2 1/4 cup

Sugar-1 1/2 tea spoon

Garlic salt- 1 tea spoon

Shortening- 1/4 cup

Water-1 table spoon

Egg white- of 1 egg

Sesame/ poppy seeds- for sprinkling

Method:

1.Grease a 15*10 inch pan.In a large bowl,dissolve yeast in 2/3 cup warm water.

2.Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off.

3.Add 1 cup flour, sugar, garlic salt and shortening.Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed.

4.Stir in an additional 1 to 1 1/4 cups flour to form a soft dough.

5.Place dough in a greased bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel.

6.Let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes.

7.On a lightly floured surface, knead dough about 10 times, or until no longer sticky.

8.Roll dough to 15*10 inch rectangle, place in the prepared pan.

9.Starting with 10 inch side, cut the dough into 12 strips.Cut strips in half forming 24 sticks.

10.Combine 1 table spoon water and egg white, blend well.

11.Brush on sticks, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

12.Cover; let rise in warm place, about 15-20 minutes.

13.Preheat oven to 375 degree F and bake 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.Serve with soup.

Makes: 24 nos

Ps: The bread sticks were  good, but my shape wasnt..did not have enough patience to set it right !

Cucumber-1/4 cup

Carrot-1/4 cup

Beets shredded-1/4 cup

Tomato-1/2

Salt

pepper

lemon juice- to your liking

Mint leaves- a few

Method:

1.Run the tomato, cucumber,mint leaves, beets and carrot in a blender.

2.Strain the juice from the vegetables.

3.Add salt, pepper and a few drops of lemon juice to the strained juice and garnish with mint leaves.Its 100% refreshing.

Serves:2