Eggless Dates Walnut Muffins

I was waiting to try muffins once I got my muffin pan.First of all, it wasnt easy for me to get the muffin pan then came the pain of getting the liners for the muffins. The ones I got and have used here are very thin and thats the reason its hardly seen in the pic also the fancy ones are no way in reach to me. I am on the look out for a good shop to get these liners, let me see if I can make it any sooner.

Ingredients: [Recipe Source : VegBowl]

• Maida/APF - 1 and 1/2 cups (225 gms)
• Chopped Dates - 1/4 cup (10 to 15 packed)
• Hot milk - 1 cup (250 ml)
• Oil - 1/4 cup (60 ml)
• Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup (125 gms)
• Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
• Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ground Cinnamon - 1/4 tsp
• Walnuts roughly broken - 2 tbsp
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Method:

1. First add dates to hot milk and allow it to sit for 10mins. By then, the dates would have softened.Now grind it in a mixer till a pasty consistency. Bits of dates here and there is ok too.



2. Take flour in a wide bowl, add oil and vanilla essence to the dates milk mixture and mix well.



3. Add baking powder, soda and ground cinnamom to the flour and sieve twice atleast which ensures even mixing.Now add in powdered sugar and mix well.



4. Now make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the dates milk mixture, mix well till combined properly. Fold in walnuts finally.



5. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Grease 6 cups of a muffin pan with little butter. Spoon mixture into muffin pan, bake for 20-25 minutes until a fork inserted comes out clean.

I was very much thrilled to try muffins for the first time and to my surprise it turned out well too. The above mentioned quantity gives 6 large muffins. It doesnt need any extra frosting, I just topped them with powdered walnuts for the extra look for the pics :)

Muffins are easy to make and have the advantage of flopping very rarely. Also it bakes quickly atleast most of them and does not make us wait long to dig in :)

This is one easy recipe, just fold in all the ingredients together with the exact measurements and your yummy muffins are ready in no time without any extra effort - Perfect for the lazy me and the main thing is that its a low fat version too.

This is for sure a must try for all dates lovers. I didnt make much variation just followed the orginal recipe and it turned out good. It doesnt raise much as you see in the pic, but the texture and the muffins were very delicious.Isnt that intersting?! No eggs and butter yet the muffins turned out good.

Happy week ahead, Enjoy cooking and eating!!

Broccoli Stir Fry

The first time I tasted Broccoli was at Taj Prego. My friend had ordered Nethili fry and what came as an accompaniment was broccoli stir fry. It first looked to me like no flavoured stir fry(It was an Italian restaurant and to me everything looked uncooked ;)) so didnt want to taste at all, but then knowing the health benefits and my friends compulsion I wanted to give a try.And to my surprise, it didnt have a bit of any raw smell though it looked so. It tasted awesome...the olive oil with the mild seasoning tasted sooo gud that the main attraction was the broccoli than the nethili :)

Last month, I found nice fresh broccolli at a nearby store so wanted to try a stirfry with mild seasoning and this is it. Since then this is one of my favorite veggies.

Ingredients:

Broccoli - 1 small floret
Big Onion - 1 finely chopped
Pepper powder/Sambar powder - 1 tsp
Salt As needed

To Temper:
Oil - 2 tsp (Olive oil recommended)
Mustard - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1.5 tsp

Method:

1. Cut broccoli into small bite size pieces, like we cut for cauliflower. Wash the florets well and put it in hot water(not boiling water) for 5mins and then drain to keep aside. This is to clean as well as avoid worms if any.


2. Heat a pan with oil, add mustard seeds let it crackle , now add jeera and saute for a minute.


3. Then add chopped onions and fry for a minute. Add the pepper powder/ sambar powder and salt. Now stir well and add the broccoli florets and mix well again.


4. Sprinkle little water say 1 tbsp and cook closed for 3 to 5mins.Keep in low flame and allow it to cook , dont let it become very soft.


5. Once the raw smell leaves and brocolli is well blended switch off and serve hot.

My Notes:

• Dont overcook, as broccoli tends to lose its beneficiary values. Also take care not to change the color and crunchiness.


• Broccoli with olive oil combination works best, try it and see.


• Select the broccoli floret which is nice green in color with no black spots.

Few Health Facts: [Source : Google]

• Avoid over cooking broccoli as about half of its beneficial substances may be destroyed in the process. Also, microwaving is thought to remove valuable nutrients from broccoli.Light steaming is best. Steam the broccoli for just a couple of minutes, until it turns bright green.


• Broccoli health benefits include weight reduction, reduction of cholesterol and few birth defect risks can also be lowered.It has almost as much calcium as whole milk


• Broccoli helps fight cancer and there is strong evidence that broccoli may reduce the risk of heart disease. It is an antioxidant and helps with stress.

There is always a saying that any veggie that is green has numerous health benefits...Its so true!!!

Dal Tadka / Tadka Dal Fry

When we moved to the new place and the house works were going on, we relied on easy yet nutritious dishes for lunch. Having very little time in hand, and a naughty kiddo all that we could do is such simple meals only. One such days lunch was this simple yet flavorful dal with potato curry and steamed rice....YUM! Do check out the "Coming up next" section which is newly located on the right tab.

Ingredients:

• Toor dal (Thuvaram Paruppu) - 1 cup [You can use yellow moong dhal too]
• Tomato - 1 chopped
• Small Onions - 4 halved
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Kasoori Methi leaves - 1 tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tsp

To Temper :

• Oil / Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Dry red chillies - 2 halved
• Curry leaves - 4 to 5

Method:

1. Pressure cook dal with enough water and a pinch of turmeric powder until soft or give 3 whistles in a pressure cooker.Drain water, mash the dal once but not too mushy and keep aside.



2. Heat oil in a pan, add 1/2 mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.Then add jeera, onions, garlic and 1 red chilli one by one and saute for 2-3mins



3. Now add tomato and saute till raw smell of tomato leaves. Next add salt, hing and sprinkle little water and let it boil for 2mins.



4. Now add mashed dal, mix well and let it boil for 3 more mins. Add kasoori methi leaves and mix well. Switch off and transfer to a serving bowl.



5. Heat a tsp of ghee, add remaining 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 red chilli and curry leaves. Allow it to crackle, switch off and transfer this tadka to the dal in the serving bowl .

Tadka is nothing but the seasoning we do with ghee / oil which gives a nice flavour to the simple dal.

[Source : Google]

• Dal Tadka is a staple dish in several Indian households and is generally eaten with rice or rotis (indian flat-bread).



• The traditional Dal Tadka Recipe is a preparation made from a variety of different lentils and a lot of spices making it a favourite accompaniment with Rice or Rotis/Naan etc.



• Dal refers to the dry pulses that come as a result of splitting the whole pulses, and ridding them of their husks/hulls and shells.



• Dal forms a very important part of the daily Indian meal, as it is one major source of proteins and energy.



• Dal is generally eaten as accompaniment to Roti or Steamed white rice.Toor Dal or split Pigeon peas are generally used in preperation of this dish.

Anytime comfort and nutrtious dal, do include it in your menu and enjoy!! Happy Karthigai Deepam wishes to all!

Pori Urundai for Karthigai Deepam

First of all thanks to everyone for the encouraging words for my previous pizza stepwise post. It made all the efforts I had put in fruitful :)

I am fond of lighting lamps and arranging them outside and inside the house, who doesnt?! This year for blogging sake, made pori urundai in advance. These days my little one has become a choosy eater(now mothers gene at work ;)), But pori is her favorite right from the day she tasted it. So this time when I tried pori urundai at home I made sure to make tiny balls to give it to her, seeing her smile to a mile, I was a contented mother :)

Pori Urundai (Sweet Puffed Rice Balls) Ingredients:

• Pori / Puffed rice- 3 and 1/2 cups
• Jaggery - 1/2 cup
• Water - 1/4 cup or little less than that (It should be just for the level of jaggery to immerse)
• Elachi powder - a pinch
• Ghee - 1 tsp to grease hands

Method:

1. First add jaggery in a wide bottomed bowl, add water and dissolve it well, keep aside for sometime so that the jaggery gets dissolved completely.Now strain using a strainer to remove the impurities and keep aside.



2. Now switch on stove and add strained jaggery water/syrup in a wide pan and add elachi powder. Stir continously and check it throughout so that we dont leave the consistency.



3. Consistency check : Keep a seperate bowl ready filled with water.Take a drop of jaggery syrup and put it in water, it should stand firm and not dissolve. It should form a slightly hard but flexible ball when you roll it with your fingers and see. When this consistency is reached, add the pori and switch off.



4. Now stir well, so that pori gets completely coated with the jaggery syrup. By the time of stirring, the hotness would be hand bearable.



5. Grease your palms and roll them into tight balls. Dont let it cool else it would be hard to roll them into balls.Store in airtight container and enjoy!

Karthigai Deepam is a festival of lights, celebrated in the Tamil month of Kaarthigai. It is celebrated on the full moon day of the Kaarthigai month which coincides with Krithikai star. It is also considered as the extension of the Deepavali festival. The lighted lamp is considered an auspicious symbol. It is believed to ward off evil forces and usher in prosperity and joy. While the lighted lamp is important for all Hindu rituals and festivals, it is indispensable for Karthigai.

Rows of agal vilakkus (oil lit lamps) in front of every house... this is the image that at once comes to mind when we think of Karthigai Deepam - the festival of lights that is celebrated throughout Tamil Nadu during the month of Karthigai (November-December). Not many of us are aware that it is one of the oldest festivals celebrated in the state, perhaps even before people began celebrating Deepavali and Navarathri.

Hope you all have fun lighting lamps and bursting crackers. See you all in the next post!!

Homemade Veg Pizza / Paneer Tikka Pizza - Step by Step Recipe

Veg pizza in 2 versions (Normal & Low Fat)

I was postphoning this pizza post just for the reason that I had to write more ;) Also I wanted to compile all the pics with stepwise, and the variation that I had clicked each time I made Pizza. And with no doubt this recipe is a keeper but I made adjustments here and there each time and finally found the recipe for perfect pizzas, So no more pizzas from restaurants. I have tried with 2 different toppings and here am giving u both for normal as well as low fat version.

Pizza pics updated on 22/7/11

Ingredients for Normal Pizza : [Recipe Source - Raks Kitchen]

• All purpose flour/Maida - 1 & 1/2 cups [My 1 cup measures 200 gms]
• Active dry yeast - 1 tbsp [but not a heaped one]
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Water - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 tblsp
• Salt - 3/4 tsp
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp

For the topping :

• Pizza/Pasta Sauce - 1 tbsp
• Tomato Sauce - 1/2 tbsp
• Onion - 1/2 chopped
• Capsicum - 1/2 chopped
• Grated mozarella cheese - 2 tbsp or as required to cover the topping
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

For Paneer tikka marinating:

• Paneer - 10 to 12 small cubes
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Curd - 1.5 tbsp

Method:

Boil the water first in a wide vessel and keep aside. Now add milk, oil, sugar, salt to boiled water and mix well till sugar dissolves. Now add yeast to the milk oil solution.

Mix well and keep aside for 5-7 mins stirring occassionally. After sometime you can see the yeast completely dissolved as shown below. Now add the flour.

After adding the flour, gather to get a smooth pilable dough. No need to knead completely just bring it together that is enough.Keep covered with a wet cloth till an hour or 2, preferably in a warm place for best results.

When u check after an hr, the dough would have been raised(I wouldnt say its exactly doubled) .Now again punch it down incase for any airbubbles and then keep aside. By the time cut paneer into small cubes add curd, salt, turmeric, chilli, coriander, garam masala powder and lemon juice - Marinate it for 15mins. I usually dont roast the paneer seperately but attimes when I have time in hand I do it and yes this time I toasted it in a tawa with little oil till golden brown. You can also just keep the paneer along with the topping to bake without toasting.

Grease a baking tray with aluminium foil [I didnt dust flour or add oil] . Keep the dough on the tray, Now roll the dough a little thick as 1 to 1.5 inches and fold the ends as shown in the below pic. Just fold the ends inside and press it till u get a small depthness.Prick the base with fork to make sure of even cooking [I forget it everytime ;)]. Spread the pizza sauce, I used the readymade maggi pizza sauce.

Arrange the toppings - I've used paneer, capsicum and onion here.Then grate the cheese till it covers topping.Just add tomato sauce on top this is purely optional but it tastes good with it. Then sprinkle pepper powder. Preheat the oven for 210 degree Celsius and bake for 15- 20 mins,till the base turns golden brown.If you cut a tiny area with a knife, u can see if its cooked fully by seeing the bread like texture.Mine gets done usually in 20mins, check at 15mins then proceed with the extra 5mins.

Cut the pizzas with pizza cutter/knife, make wedges and enjoy hot and yummy pizza :)

The topping combination is endless.To me pizzas are only if they served from Pizzahut but sure homemade pizzas changed my mind :)

Low Fat Version Ingredients :

• Wheat Flour - 1 cup
• Maida - 1/2 cup
• Active dry yeast - 3/4 tblsp
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Water - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 tblsp
• Salt - 3/4 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp

For the topping:

• Tomato Sauce - 1tbsp
• Onion - 1 chopped
• Capsicum - 1/2 chopped
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder 1/2 tsp [You can alternatively use chilli flakes also]
• Cheese - 2 tsp grated
• Paneer cubes - 6 to 8

Low Fat version of Veg Pizza with thin crust/base

Except for the ingredients the method is the same just give an extra 3-5 mins while baking as wheat flour takes a little more time than maida.

My Notes :

• The dough shouldnt be sticky...if so then ur dough is watery so add in a little more flour. Give a slight press while arranging the topping, so that after baked the topping gets nicely blended with the base.



• It is again a no fail recipe.The only thing to keep in mind is the measurements and the yeast activeness.With the measurement specified above , u can make 2 thin crust pizzas too, it tastes equally gud. If you are opting for one then u will get a big pizza a little bigger in radius than the ones u get in pizzahut.



• I have tried with normal cube cheese but it never melts and spreads well like mozzarellacheese.If you use other cheese, it will sit in the place u have grated :)



• Usually I roll the dough in the baking tray with aluminium foil which I opt to place it in oven, this way its messfree as u need not transfer from one to another carefully.

Carrot Juice - The Natural Fanta!

After about 35 days of living with the dust and the smell of paint, all our music was the driller machines sound all these days......Yes finally the interior work is over and we are totally relieved though few works are pending which are very minor. I tell you, it isnt that easy to get things done after occupying.....the house was in a total mess all these days and we are in the process of slowly arranging things. Next comes my job search, hope everything goes smooth :)

About this carrot juice recipe, amma learnt it from our neighbor.Once when it was served, we were clueless that it was from carrots, first we asked was it rasna? we were totally surprised to know that it was carrot juice. It is not only healthy but tasty at the same time, with lemon juice it tastes close to fanta minus the foodcolors and soda. Isn't that interesting?!

Ingredients:

• Carrots - 2 medium sized cut into small
• Water - 1 cup
• Salt - a pinch
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Lemon - 1
• Ginger - 1/4 inch piece [optional]

Method:

1. Add carrots and ginger in a blender/mixer with little water say 2 tbsp and blend it until its crushed well. Blend it for 2 times to extract the pulp completely.



2. Now strain it using a strainer and press the pulp with a spoon, so that the juice is extracted completely.



3. Then add the extracted carrot juice to a glass, squeeze lemon juice(taking care to omit the seeds), sugar, salt and remaining water and mix well.Recommended to serve cold.

My Notes :

• If your carrots are sweet enough, then you can reduce sugar to 1/2 tsp or omit the sugar completely.



• For the above mentioned quantity, it serves 2 small glasses(as in the pic). I picked fresh tender carrots to get the nice orangey color, guess it worked out :)



• You can make this juice and refrigerate, it keeps well for about a week. Carrots with a dash of lemon makes it all the more healthy and tasty.



• The recipe calls for ginger, but its purely optional. I sometimes omit it to relish the true taste close to fanta :)

Its truely a tongue tickling drink with the sweetness of sugar and the tanginess lemon brings in. Try this refreshing drink and enjoy yourself. Stay tuned for the next post - Homemade Pizza with stepwise.