Fruity choco muffins with a punch!
Hi foodies..I’m back after my holiday break.July has been a month with heavy rains in Munnar.The holidays fly by with ease and I’m all over again in my busy bee schedule. Today’s post goes out to the Sweet punch team.The recipe for this month sought out for strawberries..but the sad prt was that I couldnt get hold of any to pop into my batter.So I thought of giving it a bit of twist.If you love a fruit blast for your kids heres one Banana Apple choco muffins..
Banana Apple Choco Muffins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Place a rack in the center of the oven. Line a muffin pan with paper liners .
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Mini Aloo Bondas for the monsoon!
The rains have started pouring out here..June and July being the monsoon months in Munnar. I really hate goin out when there are showers in Munnar. Some hot chocolate for the kids and tea for us are the best opted drinks with snacks..
The recipe that I have shared here are the ones that comes out from my Mom’s diary of recipes.This spicy Potato snack is one of my Monsoon favs!
Mini Aloo Bondas
For the filling
4-5 potatoes pressure cooked and mashed
5-6 green chillies finely chopped
a small piece of ginger finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
3 large onions chopped
cilantro chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
a pinch of asafoetida powder
1 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste
For the batter
1 1/2 cup of gram flour
2 tbsp of rice flour
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Water
salt to taste
Oil for frying
Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan.Pop the mustard seeds and add the asafoetida powder and stir.Add in the chopped large onions,green chillies,ginger and garlic and saute till the onions turn translucent.Add in the turmeric powder,chilli powder and garam masala .Stir and add in the mashed potatoes.Mix well with the required amount of salt and chopped cilantro till well incorporated and keep it aside.Add in the lemon juice and mix.
While the filling cools, mix all the ingridients required for the batter in a bowl.Slowly pour in water to make a batter of thick consistency .Make lemon sized balls of the filling.Dip the balls in the batter and deep fry them in oil.
Your Potato balls are ready to be served with ketchup.! 🙂
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Khara Biscuits for ICC!
I’m so happy that Srivalli chose Khara biscuits of Iyengar bakery(Karnataka special) as this months ICC.If you are looking for something to munch of with a hot cup of tea when its raining..this biscuit is perfect with the spice of chillies and the aroma of cilantro.The best part is that these cookies can be stored in airtight containers for about 4 days.
My husband was quite addicted to these biscuits..guess its bcz he craves masala biscuits…:)
Here’s the recipe
Iyengar bakery Khara biscuit
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/3 cup softened butter
5-6 green chilies chopped
4 tsp sugar
1tsp salt
coriander leaves/cilantro a few twigs chopped
2-3 tbsp yogurt(i used 4 tbsp yogurt)
Preheat oven to 160 degree
Prepare the baking tray with an aluminium foil sheet smeared by a few drops of vegetable oil/cooking spray.
Whisk the flour and salt together in a bowl.
In an other bowl beat the sugar and butter till creamy.Now add in the yogurt.
Mix in the flour(you will have to use your hands ) and incorporate well to make a dough.
Do not use too much of pressure.
Roll the dough into 1/4 inch thickness and cut out round shapes with a cookie cutter.
Line them in the prepared tray and bake for about 18-20 minutes.
If you want more crispier biscuits you can bake for a few for minutes.
Cool them on a wire rack and transfer into airtight containers.
Happy Munchhing..!
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Rava-ulli vada and Kadalaparippu chammanthi..with a sip of tea!
Its quite some time since I put up my posts frequently…its been quite a busy week for me with my kids.My younger one has got his attack of flu as it has started raining here.As every kid likes to play in the rain..hes up with his own pranks…:D
The recipe that I’m posting today is Semolina Onion Vada with Bengal gram chutney.I love hot n spicy fried items when its cold and raining with a hot cup of tea!:P
Heres the recipe
Semolina Onion Vada
3 cups of roasted semolina
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour
5 green chillies chopped
a small piece of ginger chopped
1/2 cup of small onions/shallots chopped
1/2 cup of coriander leaves chopped
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup yogurt
1 cup water
salt to taste
oil for frying
Mix all the ingredients together so that it becomes a sticky dough.Make small balls of the mix ,flatten them to make thin discs with the palm of your hands(make sure to wet ur palms) and fry them out in hot oil till golden brown in colour.
Bengal gram Chutney
1 cup grated coconut
1/2 cup Bengal gram
3-4 dry red chillies
2 small onions
a small ball of tamarind
salt to taste
Grind all the above ingredients in a blender with required amount of water .
For seasoning
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 dry red chillies (broken)
5-6 curry leaves
2 tsp coconut oil
Heat a oil in a small pan and pop the mustard seeds.Add the dry red chillies and curry leaves to it and pour it over the chutney.
Serve the hot vadas with chutney!
Enjoy ur monsoon!:)
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Aloo Mutter an impeccable delight!
Aloo Mutter is a dish that my hus always craves for rotis/chapathis..This lovely combi of potatoes and peas really kicks up your taste buds..
Heres the recipe
ALOO MUTTER
3 large potatoes (cut into quarters)
1 1/2 cup green peas
2 large onions chopped
1 and 1/2 tsp of Ginger garlic paste
a pinch of turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 large tomato
1/4 cup curd
1/4 tsp garam masala
Fry and seperate the potatoes and peas in oil.In a heavy bottomed pan fry the onions and saute in the ginger garlic paste and all the spice powders (chilli ,coriander,cumin and turmeric except garam masala).Add blanched tomatoes and simmer till the spices are cooked.Add in the potatoes and peas let it cook covered.Pour in about 1/2 cup of water if the gravy is very thick,When the potatoes and peas are well cooked,add in the well beaten curd and simmer till the gravy becomes thick.Garnish with coriander leaves.
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Suruttai Poli the “sweet rolls ” for ICC!
It was after Srivalli’s post that I was quite poppin out this wonderful snack.Thanks to Nithya for choosing such a wonderful recipe.This simple yet yummy snack has been a big hit with the kiddos..
Heres the recipe for this wonder snack..
SURUTTAI POLI
For the filling:
1 cup Roasted gram
1 cup sugar
20cashew nuts cut into small pieces
1tbsp grated coconut
1tsp cardamom powder
1tsp Ghee
Powder the roasted gram and sugar together either coarsely or to a fine powder.Heat ghee in a pan and roast the cashew nuts till golden in colour and add in the coconut and turn off the heat.Mix it with the powdered gram-sugar mix in a bowl.
For making the poli/Appalam:
1 cup all purpose flour
a pinch of salt
oil for frying
In a bowl combine flour with salt and add in water to make a stiff dough.Let it rest for 30 minutes.Pinch out small balls and roll them out into thin discs.Prick the rolled out discs with a fork so that they dont puff up while frying.Heat oil in a kadai and fry the discs before they turn colour.Be careful not to turn them crispy.On removing the poli from the oil spread the filling on to the poli and roll them tightly.These rolls are soft when they are hot ,but they become crispy when they are allowed to cool.
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Wheat Almond Cookies for this months Sweet Punch!
This months punch ..Wheat Almond Cookies.. was chosen by Ria from Manjula’s Kitchen .If you are in a mood to bake out cookies super quick and simple this is the best recipe.My modifications to the recipe was that I added almond meal to the dough in lieu to the sliced almonds and topped the cookies with almonds.I did lessen the sugar to about 3 tbsps.
Here’s the recipe for this crunchy delight..
EGGLESS WHEAT ALMOND COOKIES
1 cup Whole wheat flour
1/2 cup castor sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp elaichi coarsely powdered
1/2 cup Butter
2 tbsp milk
- Preheat the oven to 360 degrees farenheit.
- In a bowl mix flour,sugar,salt,sliced almonds and cardamom powder.
- Add soft butter and milk to the mix and knead it into a soft dough.
- Divide the dough into 24 equal parts and roll them into balls.
- Press each ball between palms tp half inch thickness and place them on cookie sheets about an inch apart.
- Bake for 18 mins till light brown.
- Let cookies cool for about 2 to 3 mins before taking them off the cookie sheets
Store the cookies in an airtight container and ..MUNCH on 🙂
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Paneer Butter Masala..to butter your senses!
Paneer curries are quite a fav with my kids.Last day when I made Paneer Butter masala for them,Surjeeth was planning a photo shoot with the curry..while my little one was all tears thinkin that my camera was going to gobble up the curry 😀
Well here’s the recipe
2oog of Paneer
4 big tomatoes
3 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 large onions chopped
25gms of cashewnut paste
3 green chillies (julian cut)
2tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1tsp garam masala
4tbsp butter
1/2 tsp of Kasuri methi powder/dry fenugreek powdered
1/2 cup cream
2 tbsp curd
Salt as needed
- Boil the tomatoes with water and on cooling peel the skin of the tomatoes.
- In a mixer grind the tomatoes into fine paste.
- In a heavy bottomed pan pour butter and slightly fry and seperate the paneer cubes till golden.
- In the remaining butter saute the onions till brown.Now add in the ginger garlic paste and cashewnut paste and saute for a minute.
- When well sauted add in the tomato paste.When it starts simmering add in the chilli powder,garam masala and kasuri methi powder.
- When the flavour comes out and simmers well , add in the fresh cream.
- Switch off the flame and granish with freshly cut coriander leaves and butter.
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Paneer Magic !
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Kashmiri Dum Aloo for ICC!
Dum Aloo has been one of my favs for a long time and this month when Srivalli and Lataji chose it as this months challenge..I was quite looking forth to it.Tandoori Naans was my combi with this curry.I have been posting quite late on my blog these days…with my younger one starting on play school…sorry Srivalli for the late post! 🙂
Reading through this post I’m sure your eyes stop at a snap with scenic snap..u c those white storks..i know i haven’t quite zoomed them(the view was the back part of my house).The reason for the white storks lurking next to the dum aalo …he he..while I was clickin the curry ..I couldnt help my self from shooting these white beauties..
Ok..guess I have done enough of blabbering ..now off to the Dum Aloo
Baby potatoes 1 Kg
Cumin seeds, – 1 tsp, roasted gently and ground into a powder
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Kashmiri red chillies – 3-4 nos roasted and powdered
Fresh yoghurt – 2 1/2 cups (must not be sour)
Ginger powder – 1 tsp
Fennel/aniseed powder – 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp
Mustard oil – 4 tbsps
Cloves roasted and powdered – 6
A pinch of asafetida
Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil to deep fry potatoes
Salt to taste
A cup of firm dough made from flour and water
- Wash the potatoes well and poke them all over with a fork. Soak them in water for 20 mintues adding a teaspoon of salt to it.
- Heat a pan with oil and deep fry the potatoes till golden in colour. Drain them on a kitchen towel .
- Make a paste of curds/yogurt, chili powder, ginger, cardamom and fennel powders. Then add the potatoes well with this paste and keep it aside.
- Heat the mustard oil in another pan, add the clove powder and asafoetida and mix well.
- Then add a half cup of hot water and salt to taste and bring to a boil.
- To this mix, add in the potato-yoghurt mix, stir thoroughly and cover.
- To do the dum, seal the edges of the pan’s cover with the dough to ensure no steam can escape. Put on the stove, cook on a low flame for 10-15 minutes.
- Turn off the flame, remove the cover and add the cumin and garam masala powders, and cover again quickly. Leave for 5 minutes.
Serve hot with Chapatis or Naan
A homemaker who fell head over heels in love with food -an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, award-winning culinary demonstrator
Hi! I am Nimi Sunilkumar…an award winning cookbook author /culinary demonstrator/freelance writer / food photographer/food blogger …spiced with the flavors of food..
