Recipes

Recipes Tested and Tried from my Kitchen.The recipes will include appetizers, sweets, main dish, side dish,vegan recipes all around the world.

Awards and Recoginitions

March 29, 2013 By

Happy to share with you all that i recently won so many giveaways and awards 🙂 Thanks to all who host lovely events 🙂

I had won an ice cream bowl from +Lavanya T R of Diva likes for sharing 41 recipes in her contest she conducted ” write for us contest” . Thank you lavanya for hosting as a lovely event I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in it. My mom loved these cute ice cream bowls a lot 🙂 thank you for the lovely gift too dear 🙂

Next i won a cash award of Rs 250/- worth flipkart gift voucher from +Priya Suresh aks of Priya’s verstile recipes for valentines day event she conducted in her blog . thank you so much for the gift voucher aks. Was really feeling happy and surprised when i heard about it .

Next comes one of precious giveaway of mine as i won this for my favorite sweet recipe .. yes its Ghevar recipe for which I received Rs 1000/- worth flipkart voucher from +Gayathri Kumar of Gayathiri’s cookspot for the Recipe contest he conducted in her blog . I was speechless and was so happy to hear this bcoz it was one of my fav post for which i received this gift as an compliment . Thank you so much gayathri for the gift 🙂 loved it and spent it in a right way.

Next comes sanjeev kapoor cook book for my masala cone recipe .. Merry tummy +Shweta Agrawal guest hosted +Gayathri Kumar event “walk thru memory lane ” for this event i had submitted many recipes but masala cone won this sanjeev kapoor cookbook 🙂 thanks to shweta for the lovely cook book 🙂 waiting to see it and try recipes from this book dear . Thank you so much dear.

Next recently i won a “velvet purse” for an event “passion on plate” Hosted by Faiza kadar of Enn- iniyaillam

Last month +VIJAYALAKSHMI DHARMARAJ of virundhu unna vaanga started a new series event (SYS-W) for which i was showered with lots of awards . thank you for the lovely awards viji dear 🙂

Thank you viji for the lovely awards 🙂

Apart from these awards received libester awards from my co blogger friends sharanya from ” sara’s tasty bud” , linsy patel from ” Home cook food”. Thank you so much dearies 🙂

Am blessed to be surrounded with so many lovely blogger’s who keep on encouraging and supporting me .. thank you to each and every blogger for their appreciation’s .. Thank you all 🙂

My first Event announcement for Non – bloggers !!! – “Come on – Lets Cook Buddies”

March 28, 2013 By

My 100th post

Am really happy that am a part of this huge blogosphere and my fellow blogger’s have accepted me as blogger with a very kind heart and are encouraging me all the time. As you all lately know i have been showered with lots of awards and giveaways 🙂 so thankful to the blogger’s for bringing me under lime light . Am so happy to announce my first ever event in my blogging :). Happy to host this time for a difference…. Am hosting this event to celebrate all my victories i have been showered with..

I started concentrating and innovating only after marriage and loved to share my pics with my friends in FB … They were so kind enough to give me encouraging words and appreciating me now and then .. They are the soul reason for me having my own blog thanks to them. My buddy’s are also great cook’s 🙂 this event is truly dedicated to our non- blogger friends 🙂 .Our non blogger friends rarely get chance to show case their talent’s so this event is to give them fair chance to take part and enjoy the event.

Blogger’s do share this with your friends and tell them to take part in this event. It will kind enough if you do so 🙂

Now lets come to the event.. As the event say’s am going to cook with my non blogger buddies and the best recipe is going to win a surprise giveaway award 🙂 so the event name is

“Come on – Lets cook buddies!!”

The event starts form March 29th and there is going to be only one non blogger winner 🙂 From Apr 1st i’ll start posting the entries .

Rules

First mandatory rules is to Like my FB page – ” Desi fiesta “

Only non- blogger can take part in this event.
Non blogger can share any veg recipes.. NO egg/ No meat/No mushroom are allowed as am a veggie and am going to trying your recipes it is recommended to not use the before mentioned ingredients in your dish.
As i have already posted about the event in my FB page and some of my friends have already given their name i’ll be posting the recipes in first come first served manner who ever sends me the recipe soon i’ll post their recipe first ..
Non bloggers can sent any number of recipes but each recipe will be considered as separate entries .. This may increase your chance of winning 🙂
Non blogger have to mail me with the name of the recipes they are going to submit in this contest in a single mail . I will approve the entries and then you can send the recipes one by one..
Once i approve your list of recipes you can send the recipes one by one and I will be publishing them simultaneously one by one.
Regarding the pic you send me should not be just garbed from internet or any other source. It should compulsorily belong to you . If you have already shared the recipes in any other social network or any other sites you can’t again use it for the contest.
You can start sending your recipe approval from 29th Mar and send the recipe one by one after approval till 29th Apr. I’ll be publish all the entries one by one from Apr 1st to- till all entries i have received get published.
Am asking for an approval list before sending the recipes bcoz i don’t want any repetition of recipes . So do send decide and send the approval list in a single mail so that i can inform you if there is any repetition.
I ‘ll be trying your recipe depending on the ingredients available in my place readily. As soon as i try will post the pic taken in a separate post and not on the same post or the participants entry. So that way i want the participants to get all the appreciations .
Send your entries and approval list and then recipes with a pic with subject “your name – come on lets cook buddies event ” .

send it to tis Mail id : manjulabharathkumar@gmail.com

Plz send your recipes in the following manner:

Brief intro about you?
How did you come to know about this event and how do you feel to be a part of this event?
Any cooking tips you want to share ?
Your name:
Your mail id:
Recipe name:
Take a pic of the recipe :
Introduction about the recipe:
Ingredients
Method of preparation
Variations(if any )

* If you don’t go by the rules given i have to disqualify your entry. so plz try to follow the rules buddies 🙂
If you have any doubts about the event you can either leave a comment here or in my FB page .

How will the winner be selected ?

As you all know i’ll will be trying each recipe so me and hubby are the first panel of judges and the second plan of judges are 5 of my Blogger friends .We are going to score based on the following criteria :

Method and measurements
Explanation of the recipe
Innovation
Taste
Presentation

Surprise giveaway

All the participants should be having an INDIAN address bcoz the giveaway will be useful only to the participants having an Indian address . If you are living away from india but having an indian address you can take part in this event ..Am going to be sponsor of this giveaway event so will be letting the winner know via mail , FB and also announce officially in my blog . The winner has to acknowledge me with in one week after announcing the Results else i have to select some other entry from the list .

This event is open only till 29 th Apr so hurry !!!

So “Come on – Lets cook buddies “..

All the best to all the participants 🙂

Rava dhokla / Semolina cake

March 28, 2013 By

This is really yummy tea time snack which my H loves a lot . Dhokla’s are soft and porous a great snack anytime of the day. Dhokla are a great gluten free light and healthy option as well..As dhokla this Khaman is made of rava / semolina it is a bit heavy but really a delicious and instant dhokla .This goes well with some mint or coriander chutney .They are a good breakfast options too .. Lets quickly look for the recipe for this yummy Gujarati snack .

Ingredients

1 cup semolina(rava)
1 tbsp chickpea flour(besan)
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 no green chilli finely chopped
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder(haldi)
1 tsp eno fruit salt

For tadka/tempering

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp fine mustard seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds (til)
2 slit Green chilli
2 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves
1 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Grated fresh coconut(optional)
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
5-6 Curry leaves
1 tsp Sesame seeds or til (optional)
Water -3/4 cup

Method

Mix semolina, besan, yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste,Green chilli, salt, and add water to this to make a batter. Consistency should be like dosa batter.
Grease a small pan with oil.Take a large pan or pot in which the smaller pan can fit.
Add water in the larger pan and bring it to boil.
Keep it in the large pan containing boiling water
Put the Eno fruit salt in the batter and beat well till frothy for a minute and immediately pour in the greased plate.
Cover the large pan with a lid and let steam on high for about 10-15 minutes.
To check for whether the dhokla’s are done insert a toothpick in the center of the dhokla.
Take the plate out of the steamer and let cool slightly for 5-8 minutes and cut into squares or diamond shapes.

Heat the oil for the tempering in a small pan , add the mustard seeds, sesame seeds and when they splutter add the slit green chillies and saute. Add 1/2 cup water and sugar , boil them. Pour this tempering all over the dhokla.
Sprinkle with shopped coriander leaves and grated coconut(optional).
Serve then warm with ketchup or green chutney .

Flaxy Fruity Milkshake ( Flax seed banana strawberry milkshake )

March 25, 2013 By

Flax seeds are a good source of omega-3 fats and fiber. Flax seeds have anti-inflammatory properties, promote bone health and help protect against heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Studies have shown that nutrients in flax seeds can help prevent and lower high blood pressure and cholesterol. Consuming flax seeds even decrease the risk of dry eye syndrome. After reading the facts about flax seed just wanted to grab a box from groceries . This my first ever recipe i tried with this healthy ingredients and wanted to include in my family diet .

Milkshake are my H favorite and i try to give him different milkshakes every time. This time tired this yummy and healthy shake .. Lets look for the healthy ingredients and method to prepare this shake 🙂

Ingredients

Banana- 1 riped
Strawberries – 3 nos
Organic Flax seeds – 2 tbsp
Whole Milk – 1 1/2 cup
Heavy cream – 1/2 cup
Sugar- 2 tsp

Method

In a blender dice in some riped banana’s, some sliced strawberries, flax seeds, whole milk sugar .
Blend them till all the ingredients are combined and flax seeds are well ground.
Pulse the mixture till they resemble nice and smooth . At last add heavy cream, give them 2-3 pulse and serve them chilled in a glass .
Garnish them with a strawberry sliced and fixed on the rim of the glass.

Serving options

You can add desired fruits to this shake eg kiwi ,pomegranate.
You can serve with vanilla ice cream scooped on top .

Pineapple Avacado salad

March 23, 2013 By

This yummy salad is easy to prepare with in minutes and refreshing too. Pineapple avocado salad can be served with a meal or used as a salsa for tortilla or Doritos chips. As avocado’s are great for dietetics this salad makes a good and delicious choice for them. Now lets move on too this quick and easy salad recipe.

Ingredients

Pineapple – 1/2 cup (chopped)
Avacado – 1/4 cup (chopped)
Cucumber – 2 tbsp (chopped)
Onion – 1 tbsp (chopped)
Spring onion greens – 1tbsp (chopped)
Tomato – 2 tbsp (chopped)
Green chilli- 1 small (chopped)
Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
Red chilli flakes – just a pinch
Pepper pd – just 2 pinches for seasoning
Sugar – a pinch or two (optional)
Salt to taste

Method

In a bowl add all the chopped veggies and fruits. Add all the seasoning salt,pepper pd, lemon juice . Mix them well and salad is ready to serve with lemon dressing .

Watermelon Halwa

March 23, 2013 By manjulabharathkumar@gmail.com

Summer is coming near and watermelons are easily available at every store and farmer market here , So we pick one last week .We had some watermelon slice sprinkled with chaat masala and with the other 1/2 half of the watermelon i wanted to try something different other than juices so was searching for recipes in net then i remember once in a cooking show i saw the recipe of watermelon halwa . They used sooji/semolina and corn flour to make the halwa. I liked the recipe but wanted to try with some variations in that halwa . Wanted it to look like a Thirunavelli halwa or agar ka petha with glossy texture so tried this recipe .

In traditional thirunalvelli halwa they take out the milk from the soaked whole wheat flour and then make them.. so hear am using watermelon instead of whole wheat flour milk and for thickening i have used corn flour.

Ingredients

Watermelon – 1/2 medium sized
Sugar -1 cup (heaped)
Cashewnuts-5-6 nos
Pistachoes- 2-3 nos
Ghee – 4 tbsp
Cornflour- 3 tbsp
watermelon essence- few drops

Method

Deseed the watermelon and remove from the green skin. chop them in to cubes.

In a blender blend the chopped watermelon and sugar coarsely ,only up to 2 -3 pulse or you can even mash the watermelon with you hands and mix in sugar.

Take a kadai add 1 tbsp of ghee ,to which add the nuts fry till light brown . Pour the watermelon mixture and mix them till they start boiling. Dilute the cornflour in 2 tbsp of water.
After it starts boiling add the cornflour mixture and mix them. Mix it constantly for 10-15 mins.

Stir continuously till they leave the sides of the kadai you can see ghee separating from the halwa.
Add chopped cashews and pistachios to the halwa.
After it attains the required consistency turn off the heat and add the desired watermelon essence which is optional. Now you can serve them warm .
They taste gud when they are served warm as the ghee in this may solidify if they are chilled. If you want you can heat them again in a low flame till they are warm but do not over cook them .

Pineapple Jam ( with no preservatives)

March 20, 2013 By

Its so very easy to prepare fresh jam at home with out any preservative and ingredients needed are easily available . Sweet and citrusy jam is brightened up with lime juice for an easy and delicious spread .This delicious jam is perfect for spreading on toast or can be just spread on plain breads any ways it is going to be yummm ..

Ingredients

Pineapple – 2 cups Heaped ( chopped into cubes)

Sugar – 1 cup

Nut meg – 1/4 tsp

Lemon – 1/2 (halved)

Method

Grind the chopped pineapple in the blender till they are nice and pureed.
In a pan add the pineapple puree , sugar and cook them in low flame till the sugar dissolves.

After the sugar dissolves turn the heat high and stir constantly using an wooden ladle , add nutmeg and stir well. When making any jam its recommended to use wooden ladle .

The mixture will keep on getting thicker .To test whether the jam is ready and see if it feels sticky and forms a string on separating the two.

Turn off the flame. Let it cool down a bit add lemon juice . If it cools down if you drop it with the spoon then it falls in clots.
Enjoy this fresh jam and store them in refrigerator for up to 3 months in a sterilized glass jar .

Sending to virundhu unna vanga and Gats samyal

Tamatar sev ki sabzi / Crunchy noodles tomato curry

March 18, 2013 By

This curry is a popular Rajasthani and Gujarati side dish for chapathi. Yesterday was talking to my mom abt the traditional rajasthani recipes and she gave me this yummy recipe. This is an awesome recipe if you don’t have any veggies available at home but few toamtoes and ghatiya/karasev might do to prepare this yummy curry. I made this curry for the first time loved it so much . It is a easy to make side dish option .I came back from shopping and it was already too late and i just made this yummy curry in 10 minutes, it was super fast. Lets quickly look it the simple ingredients to make this delicious curry 🙂

Ingredients

Tomato -3 (small)
Kara sev/ Ghatiya (crunchy noodles)- 1 cup
Red chilli pd- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric pd – 1/4 tsp
Cumin pd – 1/2 tsp
Dhania pd/ coriander pd – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Sugar- 1/2 tsp
Oil- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method

In a pan heat oil and add mustard and cumin seeds. After they splutter add the chopped tomatoes and saute till they are nicely cooked and are mashed well.
Add red chilli pd, turmeric pd , cumin pd , dhania pd and salt and mix well, add 1- 1 1/2 cup of water . Boil the mixture till it forms a nice and thick gravy consistency… After attaining the required consistency add sugar and mix well.
Turn off the stove and add the sev .

Serve immediately hot with chapathi / roti.

Sending to Athidhyam

Eggless Pinwheel Cookies(without baking pd )

March 15, 2013 By

I have been looking for an eggless pinwheel cookie recipe and glad that i found it from cooking thumb . The original recipe was a checkerboard cookie which i have made it in to pinwheel cookie .

The texture here is thick , slightly on the dense side. These are chewy cookies, and would be fantastic dipped in milk, a cup of hot tea. These are also very convenient cookies. They can be sliced and baked while still frozen, so you can make the dough in advance and freeze it until you’re in the mood, or unexpected guests drop by. They can be kept in an air tight container for at least a week and munch them.These cookies a little crunchy and hard than usual cookies so not recommended for kids as their tiny little teeth can’t bite these. As the fact it doesn’t have any Baking soda it is a little crunchy but taste delicious thou ..

Ingredients

1 3/4 All purpose flour
2 tsp cocoa pd
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 stick butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 milk (optional)
water to brush

Method

Sift together flour, and salt. Combine with sugar , vanilla essence and set aside.

Add the softened butter the flour and mix them well till they are well combined and form’s a dough .. If the mixture is too crumbly you can add milk little by little to make a nice stiff dough.

Divide the dough in half and add chocolate to 1 half and incorporate with hands till they are well combined. Cover both with plastic wrap and chill for approximately 5-10 minutes.

Roll out the chocolate dough in rectangular shape and also also roll the white dough in the same manner . Now brush some water on the top of chocolate dough and place the white dough on top.
Using waxed paper or flexible cutting board underneath, roll dough into log. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 1- 2 hours or more this step is necessary so that we get neat slices of the cookie.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Remove dough from the refrigerator and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place cookies 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Tips

Do not add too much of milk as it will make the cookies hard.
When rolling the dough to form a log make sure not to leave any gaps and roll them firmly.
Make sure butter is in room temperature. It will help to form the dough nice and stiff .

Variation

Marbled cookie

To make marbled cookie take the combine white and chocolate dough together so that you get marbled texture in your cookies. Roll the dough with a rolling pin and cut them using cookie cutter in desired shaped.

Sending to shama and jagruti

Sending to Foodelicious and Raksha

Banana Nutella Milkshake

March 14, 2013 By

This is a simple breakfast milkshake and wonderful combo. Banana and nutella (hazelnut spread) are such a flavorful combo which you can’t resist to take a sip. This flavorsome milkshake are easy to prepare and tempt’s both kids or adults .. lets quickly look for the ingredients and method to prepare this delicious healthy and milk shake.

Ingredients

2 riped bananas
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup fresh cream
2 tbsp nutella hazelnut spread
sugar as per taste (optional)

Method

In a blender chop in the banana, add milk , fresh cream, nutella spread..
If you wish you can even add 2-3 ice cubes to it and beat them till well combined..
Serve them chilled in tall glass. I haven’t added any sugar to this milk shake if you wish you can add it ..Garnish with choco sticks if you have or else with chocolate chips..I have just garnished the glass with some powdered sugar
You can even top them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream..