Crispy Noodles Dessert

Noodles is a universally liked dish I guess!! Haven't met anyone who was against noodles. When such a liked dish is converted into a dessert, I am sure it can only get exciting!!!

Had this dish at some restaurant long ago and thought of reproducing it at home. It came out to be yummy :)

Ingredients:

Noodles(Chinese) - 1 pack

Oil - to fry

Vanilla ice cream - 4 scoops

Honey - 3 tblsp

Sugar - 3 tblsp

Method:

Boil 2 cups of water with 1 tsp of oil. Remove from flame and drop in the noodles into it and keep the vessel closed for 10 mins. Drain the water and run the noodles under cold water, keep it aside.

Take oil in a pan and fry the cooked noodles little by little until it turns light brown and crispy. Collect them on kitchen tissue to drain excess oil.

Take the sugar in a pan and add 2 tsp of water. Heat this until the sugar melts and turns light brown. Remove from flame and add honey to it and mix well.

Serve some crispy fried noodles on the serving plate and top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Now pour the sugar honey syrup on top of it and serve immediately.

Enjoy eating crispy noodle dessert :)

Written by: Nithya
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Aloevera Pickle

Aolevera pickle!!! Yup.. even I exclaimed when my neighbor shared this with me. It was yummy and damn different. Its my kind of a pickle, sweet and delicious :)

Go ahead and try it out!! trust me you will love it.

Ingredients:

Aloevera - 10
Raisins - 1/2 cup
Methi Seeds - 1/4 cup
Cooking oil - 1 cup
Chilly powder - 3 + 1 tsp
Jeera - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Dhaniya powder(coriander powder) - 2 tsp
Amchur(Mango powder) - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Mustard powder - 1 tsp

Method:

Cut small squares of aloevera and boil it. Soak raisins in warm water for 10 mins. Boil methi seeds.

Drain the water from all the above and press them against a towel to remove the water completely.

Take the aloevera, raisins, methi in a pan and add salt, turmeric powder, amchur powder, sugar and mustard powder. Toss until it spreads evenly. Now saute these for 5 mins.

Take a fresh pan and pour in the cup of oil. Add asafoetida, jeera, 1 tsp of chilly powder and immediately drop in the above sauted contents and mix well. This has to be down quickly before the chilly powder gets browned. This will keep the pickle red and nice to see.

Now let this pickle get cooked for another 1o minutes in medium flame.

Transfer to sterilized bottle and refrigerate and use. See to that the oil covers the top layer so that it does not get spoilt.

Enjoy eating a very healthy pickle.

Written by: Nithya
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Strawberry Cheese Cake

I love cheese cake.. Or rather I love anything that is creamy and yummy :) I like it even after knowing how much of a damage it would cause to my waist line!! I always hear my food shouting out to me as "Now or never". Yup! Eat them all when you are healthy and young. Never postpone or keep yourself away from your cravings. Life is short and enjoy it everyday with a dessert of your choice :) 

Ingredients:
Biscuits (Digestive Marie) - 6
Melted butter - 3 tsp
Strawberry crush - 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup for top layer
Hung curd - 1/2 cup
Fresh cream - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 2 tblsp
Gelatin - 3 tsp + 1 tsp
Water - 4 tsp

Method:
Grind the biscuits and mix in the melted butter with it, until it forms crumbs. Line the base of the serving dish with the biscuit mixture and press gently. Put in the fridge to set for an hour. Prepare hung curd using a muslin cloth. Beat whipping cream until it forms stiff peaks. Fold the cream, hung curd and 1/2 cup of strawberry crush together until it blends well to make a smooth mixture. Add 4 tsp of water in 3 tsp gelatin and microwave at high for 30 seconds or until completely dissolved. Then pour the gelatin slowly into the strawberry mixture. Keep stirring continuously.Now pour the strawberry mixture onto the set biscuit base.Cover and put in the fridge to set overnight. Take a bowl with 1 tsp of gelatin and pour 2 tsp of water and microwave for 30 seconds. Mix in 1/4 cup of strawberry crush and pour on top of the cheese cake layer and refrigerate for 3 hours. Serve chill with some whipped cream topping.

Note:

I dint have a spring form pan(Pan with removable base) so I used glass tumblers for my cheese cake. This is an interesting way to make individual portions of cheese cake :)

Written by: Nithya
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Fusilli Pasta In White Sauce

Pasta is my favorite Italian dish after Pizza. I enjoy every variation of pasta and especially the creamy white sauce base is damn yummy :) I don't mind licking my plate and finger after a delicious pasta :)

If you have a similar taste, just go ahead and try this out :)

Ingredients:

Fusilli pasta - 2 cups
Beans - 50 gms
Carrot - 2
Spinach - 1/2 bunch
White sauce
Oregano - 1 tsp
Pepper - for taste
Salt - for taste
Mozzarella Cheese – 3/4 cup

For white sauce -

All purpose flour (Maida) – 4 tbsp
Butter – 4 tbsp
Milk – 3 cups
Salt

Method:

Add pasta to boiling water and cook for 5 mins. Strain and wash with cold water and keep it aside.

Dice beans and carrots into long pieces and cook them in microwave. Clean, chop and cook spinach.

To make white sauce - Dilute the maida in milk and mix it thoroughly without lumps. Melt the butter in a pan. Simmer the stove, pour in the diluted milk mixture and stir continuously until the sauce thickens. Finally add salt and mix well.

Now take a pan and add the cooked vegetables, spinach and pasta. Pour in the prepared white sauce and cook for five mins. Add oregano, salt and pepper to it mix well.

Transfer this to a baking dish and sprinkle the grated cheese on top and grill in an oven till the cheese melts down.

Serve hot and enjoy eating :)

Written by: Nithya
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Cucumber Olive Salad

A salad a day keeps the doctor away. This can be a new generation saying ;)

A salad diet can easily fill your tummy but still make you feel so light and fresh. Salad is the mantra for a fit body. Ooops guess its a lot of gyan which I really don't follow everyday but then its true I say!! ;)

Here is a simple yet delicious salad for you all..

Ingredients:

Cucumber - 1
Cabbage - 1/2 cup grated
Sweet corn - 1/2 cup
Olives - 10
Capsicum - 1
Mint leaves - few
Curd - 1 cup
Salad dressing (Knorr - Light french salad dressing)
Mixed herbs - 1 tsp
Chilly flakes - for taste
Pepper - for taste
Salt - for taste

Method:

Dice cabbage, cucumber, capsicum and olives into small cubes. Chop mint leaves. Add them all in a large bowl and toss to mix it up. Add thick curd, salad dressing, mixed herbs, salt, pepper and chilly flakes and mix well.

Serve and enjoy eating :)

Written by: Nithya
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Dry Pitala

A million thanks to all my friends and relatives who have wished me by calls, mails and sent me gifts :) I am so overwhelmed and feeling really blessed :)

I need to extend my thanks to my sweetest neighbor Suman Mundra aunty who made a feast just for me :) She cooked a lot of dishes and presented to me in a beautiful way. It was an amazing spread with delicious dishes. Hugs aunty :)

I'm posting her recipes in my blog since I really fell for them and she was sweet enough to share the method with me.

Dry pitala is a Maharashtrian dish which goes as a great accompaniment for toast, poori or even ghee rice. Its simple to make and delicious to eat :)

Ingredients:

Besan (Chickpea flour) - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Jeera - 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Salt

Method:

Add three tsp of oil in a kadai and add jeera, asafoetida, turmeric powder, salt and curry leaves. Fry for a min and add chilly powder. Immediately pour in 1/2 cup of water. When it starts to boil, sieve in the besan and keep stirring until it gets cooked well and dries up to from crumbles. Add chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with poori, toast or eat with just ghee rice.

Variation:

Make a gravy of the same kind by adding more water and also chopped onion, capsicum, grated raw mangoes etc to make it flavorful.

Written by: Nithya
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Masala Kaapi - Indian Energy Drink

I have been physically and mentally busy for the past few weeks and henceforth blogging has taken a back seat :(

Today I could hear my blog cry for some quick post and so did my energy crave for some boost. Went to the kitchen and quickly brewed a masala kaapi to rejuvenate myself and my blog :)

I enjoyed this version of typical Indian kaapi(Coffee) irrespective of my liking for coffee and tea. Hope you guys enjoy it too :)

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 cup
Coffee Decoction - 2 tblsp
Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon - 1/4 inch piece
Cloves - 2
Ginger - 1/4 inch grated
Pepper - 3
Sugar - 2 tsp

Method:

Grind cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and ginger in the mixie.

Boil milk, add the ground masala and sugar to it and stir. Remove from flame and add freshly made coffee decoction and pour from one tumbler to the other until it foams ;)

Serve hot.

I tried the chill version of the same as well and liked it too :)

Written by: Nithya
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Milk Halwa - Diwali Wishes

Wishing all my readers & friends a very happy Diwali :)

The festival of lights is here and its celebration time :) This festival is something that every kid would look forward for.

Sweets, New clothes, Wishes, TV programs and Crackers!! Can any other celebration get better than this?!!! ;)

Gods have been celebrating Diwali on the sky as well with idi vedi and lightning sparklers this year. Chennai is chill and I'm enjoying it thoroughly, watching my favorite movie with a hot cup of halwa in hand ;) Hope you all are having a great time too!!

Ingredients:

Milk - 4 cups
Sugar - 2 cups
Ghee - 1 cup
Sooji(Rava) - 1/2 cup
Cashews - 10

Method:

Take milk, sugar, ghee and rava in a thick bottom pan and cook until it becomes thick. Keep stirring in intervals until it thickens and the ghee separates. Once it forms rolls into a ball without sticking to the pan, switch off the flame. The entire process would take around 20 mins.

Roast cashews in a tsp of ghee and garnish.

Simple, Delicious and rich milk halwa is ready :)

Enjoy eating :)

Tips:

You can add vanilla essence to it for extra flavoring.

Use thick milk for rich taste.

Written by: Nithya
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Oregano Fritter / Karpooravalli Bajji

Isn't it interesting if healthy food comes in a flavorful and delicious form??!!!

This oregano fritter serves the purpose. A healthy and tasty snack for the evening :)

Oregano also know as Karpooravalli is a easily available herb in India. It can be grown in home garden and used for medical purposes. It cures cold and is a soothing herb for soar throat.

This is the first time I tried it in a bajji and fell for it instantly. Loved the flavor and the puffed up leaf shaped bajji was an attraction to all :)

Ingredients:

Oregano (Karpooravalli leaves) - 15

Besan(Chickpea flour) - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Cooking soda - a pinch
Salt - for taste

Method:

Pluck, clean and wash the oregano leaves thoroughly and spread them on a clean cloth.

Mix a batter of besan, rice flour, chilly powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cooking soda, ginger garlic paste and salt by adding some water to it. The consistency should be that of bajji batter.

Now heat some oil in a pan. Dip the oregano leaves in the above made batter and fry till done on both the sides.

Enjoy the natural flavor of oregano in the fritter :)

Tips:

The same batter with the flavoring can be used for onion, potato and banana bajjis too.

Alternative method to make this is to simply chop the oregano leaves finely and add it to the batter. Drop small portions of the batter into the oil to make oregano bonda :)

Written by: Nithya
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Vegetable Cheese Pizza - From Base

I feel really great when I make some unusual dish (other than south Indian) at home from the base. It gives a sense of achievement and an opportunity to put the collars up when people exclaim "you made it at home???" :P

One such celebrated dish is Pizza. Making it at home right from the base is really exciting and delicious too :)

For heaven sake, pizza came out really well at the first go itself and I've been baking it quite a lot of times since then. I have tried different toppings for my pizza but nothing can beat the simple vegetable cheese version :)

Ingredients:

For the bread base -

All purpose flour(Maida) - 1/2 kg
Instant yeast - 15 gms
Butter - 10 gms
Sugar - 30 gms
Salt - 10 gms
Water

For pizza -

Pizza Sauce
Tomato - 2
Baby corn - 10 cobs
Red bell pepper - 1
Green bell pepper - 1
Yellow bell pepper - 1
Onion - 1
Paneer - 200 gms
Italian seasoning (Herbs)
Mozzarella cheese
Chilly flakes

Method:

For the bread base -

Take the maida in a large mixing bowl or simply pour it over your work surface. Make a large well in the center. Put sugar, salt and instant yeast in the center of the well. Add luke warm water to the yeast, sugar and salt mixture and mix well with your hands until the yeast becomes frothy and dissolves completely.

Now gradually push the maida into the yeast mixture and start kneading. Add adequate water to make soft and smooth dough. Knead well for 20 mins incorporating air bubbles. Add melted butter to the dough and kneed well until well incorporated.

Rest the dough for 1 hour covering the bowl with cling film or wet towel. The dough would raise to double its volume.

After an hour, knock down the air in the dough and divide the dough into three parts.

Flour the work surface and roll a ball into a flat disk of desired thickness(depends on how thick you like your pizza crust to be) Prick holes with fork. Place on greased tray and let it raise for another 10 mins.

Preheat the oven to 210 °C and bake for 10 mins.

Allow it to cool on wire rack. Cover and store in the fridge until use.

This quantity would make 3 medium sized bread bases.

Method:

For vegetable cheese pizza -

Place the bread base on the baking tray.

Spread two tblsp of pizza sauce on the base evenly.

Arrange the baby corn, paneer cubes, diced onion, tomato and bell peppers according to your favorite pattern and sprinkle grated cheese generously over the pizza.

Microwave it at maximum temperature for 3 mins or until the cheese melts completely.

Serve topped with Italian herbs and chilly flakes.

Enjoy the sizzling hot home made pizza :)

Note:

Use yeast that is active for best results.

Kneading the dough for atleast 20 mins is a must.

Do not knead too much after the dough raises. Just punch the air out and roll them into balls and flatten them.

Tips:

You can cover and preserve the bread base in the refrigerator for at least a week.

Use exotic toppings like mushrooms, olives, broccoli etc while you make it for guests :)

Written by: Nithya
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