Quick & Easy Cold Coffee

My husband's Favorite beverage is Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee,….did I mention Coffee?  :-)

He loves cold coffee in this warm weather.  So we make this cold beverage very often in our home.

This recipe is a super easy recipe and can be prepared with fewer ingredients which give a yummy taste!!

Recipe varies this can be complex as well as easy. But we usually prefer easy way.

If you are not a coffee lover this recipe just might change your mind, which has happened in my case. Cold coffee can be a refreshing afternoon treat, especially in hot summers.

Ingredients:

Instant Coffee – 3 tsps

Milk – 2 cups

Sugar – 2 tsps

Whipped cream – 2 tsps

Topping Icecream or Whipped Cream (optional)

Ice cubes

Preparation

• Blend Sugar, coffee and Ice cubes
• Add chilled milk, whipped cream to the above mixture
• Blend until coffee mix well.
• Top with either whipped or ice-cream

How easy is that?  :-)


Sending this to Fun N Sun hosted by Radhika, Series Summer Coolers hosted by Sukanya , Only Coolers and Mocktails hosted by Simplyfood originally started by Pari, Serve it - Chilled hosted by Krithi and Denny.

Rasmalai Using Ricotta Cheese

Rasmalai is one of popular sweet in North India (Orissa, West Bengal). It consists of sugary, white cream or yellow colored balls (or flatten balls) soaked in malai and flavored with cardamom. The milk is flavored with pistachios, saffron or rosewater.

I learnt this recipe from my friends. Prepared by using Ricotta Cheese which makes the recipe simpler and the taste is very close to the original.

I usually make this sweet when we have guests. And also it is one of my favorite sweet.

Ingredients:

Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese – 15 oz

Sugar – 1 cup

Saffron – a pinch

Cardamom Powder – ¼ tsp

Whole Milk – 4 – 5 cups

Almonds/Pistachio chopped

Preparation

Rasmalai Syrup

To make syrup take a pan and on low flame simmer whole milk, ¾ cup sugar, cardamom powder, saffron. Heat for few mintues and let it cool.

Rasmalai

• In a bowl take ¼ cup sugar, with Ricotta cheese and mix well.
• Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
• Take oven safe dish. I used muffin pan and add 2 spoons of above cheese mixture in each cup.
• Bake them for 40-45 mins or until it turns light brown. Or insert a tooth pick into the cheese and if it comes clean then remove from the oven.

• Remove from oven and allow them to cool.
• Remove them from dish safely using spoon or hand and place them into a bowl
• Add the rasmalai to above syrup and garnish with almonds and pistachios.
• Keep them in the refrigerator for 6 hours before serving. Serve Chilled.

Sending to Flavors of Bengal hosted by priya originally started by Nayna. 

Spinach Kofta Curry

I usually prepare kofta curry with different vegetables, this time I tried with spinach and  it came out so well. It was so yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spinach Kofta is a grand party dish and goes well with rotis and naans. This is prepared by deep frying kofta’s (balls) made with spinach, potatoes, corn flour and  cook them  in a rich gravy prepared with  spinach, onions, cashew nut paste and lemon juice.

Ingredients:

For Koftas

Spinach washed and chopped – 1 cup

Boiled potatoes mashed – 1 cup

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Corn flour – 1 tsp

Green chillies chopped – 2 -3 no

Salt as required

Oil for frying

For gravy

Spinach – 2 cups

Onions – 2 no

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Cashewnuts – 4 -5 no

Garam masala powder – 1 tsp

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Lemon juice – 4-5 tsps

Shah jeera – 1 tsp

Salt As Required

Preparation

• To make koftas, in a bowl mix spinach, mashed potatoes, corn flour, green chillies, ginger garlic paste and salt.
• Make small size balls and deep fry them in oil and keep aside
• Make paste of onions, spinach, cashewnuts in a blender and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a cooking vessel add shah jeera and when it splutters 
• Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1-2 mts
• Add salt, red chilli powder, grinded paste and cook for some time till the oil separates.
• Add a cup of water and cover with lid and cook for 15mins on low flame.
• Stir well once in a while.
• Add garam masala and lemon juice mix well
• Cook for 5 mins
• Lastly add koftas and simmer for 1 minute turn off the heat
• Serve hot with rotis and naans.

Sending this to Veggie/Fruit A Month-Spinach hosted by Reshmi originally started by Priya. 

Noodles Cutlet

Noodles cutlet is a simple, delicious and healthy snack/appetizer prepared by using noddles, veggies, chaat powder, jeera, lemon juice.

I got this recipe from my mom; she saw this in one of the food TV show. I tried them over the weekend and they came out so wonderful...Loved them!!!!

These are crispy outside and soft inside. Noodle cutlet are a good change to normal potato cutlets and they taste so delightful. 

Ingredients:

Noodles - 1 packet (I used Instant Maggie Noodles)

Potato - 1 no

Onion - 1 no small

Mixed veggies – ½ cup

Chaat Masala – 2 tsps

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Jeera – ½ tsp

Green chilies chopped – 4 no

Coriander leaves chopped

Salt as required

Oil for shallow frying

Preparation

• Cook the noodles in boiling water without the tastemaker.
• After they get boiled, drain the water from noodles and keep them aside.
• Microwave potato for 4-5 mins, peel off the skin.
• Microwave mixed veggies (carrot, peas, and beans) for 1 min.
• In a mixing bowl take boiled noodles, potato, mixed veggies.
• Add chopped onions, green chillies, coriander leaves, jeera, chaat powder, salt, lemon juice and mix well.

• Take a small portion of mixture and flatten it like a small patti.
• In a cooking wide pan add little oil, after oil gets heated place these cutlets on the pan.
• Cook on low flame till the both sides turn golden brown
• Serve hot with tomato ketup. 

Sending this to Bookmark Recipes - Every tuesday hosted by Priya, Fast Food event - Noodles hosted by Shama, CBB Series - Chinese Cuisine hosted by Radhika

Sagu Jaava/ SaguBiyam – a Healthy Drink

Sagu Jaava (not Java Techies  :-) ) is a healthy and nutritional summer drink. This drink reduces heat in the body and it is a great remedy for tongue inflammation ( doesn’t make any difference for java Programmers :-) ).

My mom used to prepare this drink regularly in summer and it tastes delicious.

Sagu Jaava is very simple and prepared by using Sagu or Sabudan, water, milk, sugar and salt.

Ingredients:

Sabudan/ Sagu biyam/Sago – 3 to 4 tsps

Water – 4 cups

Sugar – ½ cup
Salt - a pinch

Milk – ½ cup

Cardamom powder – a pinch

Preparation

• Soak Sabudan in water for 30 minutes.
• In a cooking vessel take water and boil it.
• Add only sabudan by straining water from it to the boiled water.

• Cook for 5 minutes add sugar, salt to it.
• Stir well and add milk to it and boil it for another 5 minutes.
• Cool and serve it. 

Sending this to Fun N Sun hosted by Radhika, Series Summer Coolers hosted by Sukanya, Only Coolers and Mocktails hosted by Simplyfood orginally started by Pari , Serve it - Chilled hosted by Denny and Kid's Delight - Coolers hosted by PJ orginally started by srivalli.

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ki Salan

Mirchi Ki Salan is a popular dish of Hyderabad.  I am from Hyderabad and used to have this regularly when go outside. This is a spicy curry made with green chillies(large) or bell peppers and goes well with biryani and rotis.(yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

This is prepared by boiling green chillies , to remove the tartness and adding freshly roasted grounded  paste which is made by using peanuts, coconut, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, jeera, tamarind paste and masala spices. This grounded paste gives a unique and delicious flavor.

I make this curry in most of my parties that we host in our home.

Ingredients:

Green chillies medium – 8 -10 no

Onion Medium – 1 no

Cloves – 2 no

Red Chilli – 2 no

Cinnamon Stick – 1`` inch piece

Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 1 tsp

Coconut grated fresh or dried – 3 tsps (I used fresh)

Sesame seeds – ¼ cup

Peanuts – ½ cup

Tamarind juice/paste – 4 tsps

Jaggery – ½ tsp ( optional)

Red Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Curry leaves – a few

Ginger Garlic paste – 2 tsps

Salt As Required

Oil – 3 tsps

Preparation

• Wash and split green chillies by removing the seeds inside it.
• In a vessel add sufficient water to boil green chillies for 15-20 minutes and keep them aside.
• In a frying sauce pan add peanuts roast them. After they get cooled remove the skin and keep aside.
• In the same pan add cloves,red chilli, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamom stick and roast for 2 mins and keep aside.
• Now in the same pan add sesame seeds and roast by continuously stirring for 3 mins.

• Add a tsp of oil in the pan and fry the chopped onions for 3 mins.
• Cool and grind them (all the above roasted items) to paste along with salt, chilli powder, coconut, peanuts and tamarind to a smooth paste by adding 1 cup of water to it.
• Heat 2 tsps of oil in a cooking pan add curry leaves.
• After they splutter add the grinded paste and turmeric powder and cook for 5 mins
• Add the boiled green chillies along with water and cook for 10 mins on medium flame.
• Keep stirring once in a while to prevent the grounded paste from sticking to the pan.
• Cook for another 10-15 mins or until the gravy become thick.
• Remove from heat and serve with biryani or rotis. 

Sending this to Dish Name starts with H hosted by Akila.

Healthy Apple Muffins

Usually I love to bake in weekends especially on Sundays as I spend relaxing day and also get time to experiment new recipes.

I and my husband never touch apples in the refrigerator; I thought why not use them in my baking. So made these apple muffins which came out so perfect. 

These Healthy apple muffins are very moist, slightly sweet and have a wonderful homey taste of cinnamon.

Healthy Muffins for a Healthy Breakfast!!!

Ingredients:

For 12 Muffins

Green Apple -1 no

All Purpose Flour – 2 cups

Sugar – 1 cup

Unsalted Butter – 6-7 tsps

Milk – ½ cup

Vanilla Extract – 2 tsps

Baking Powder – 2 tsps

Eggs -2 no

Salt a pinch

Cinnamon powder – 2 tsps

Preparation

• In a small bowl take baking powder and salt and mix well.
• Add melted unsalted butter, sugar and beat for few minutes until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs and mix well. 
• Now add milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon powder mix well.  
• Add flour to the batter and mix well until fluffy.
• Fold in chopped apple. 
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

• Put paper liners in 12 muffin tins and fill them to ¾ with batter
• Bake for 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. 
• Transfer muffins and let them cool.

Sending this to Breakfast Mela hosted by Srivalli and Dish Name starts with 'H' hosted by Akila

Bobbatlu / Puran Poli – My 50th post

I can’t believe this is my 50^th post!  Half century Hurray!!!! I am amazed!! Thank you to all my fellow bloggers, friends, readers for your sweet comments and thanks for reading my blog, And to my lovable hubby who is my food taster, encourages with his comments and helps me out in my cooking. And also to my sweet mom who suggests and guides me in my cooking.

I prepared Bobbatlu for 50^th post – Andhra Special sweet which is my and my hubby’s favorite (he has many LOL!!!!). 

Bobbatlu is one of the traditional and delicious sweet prepared for festivals and occasions. In Andhra they call Bobbatlu and in Maharasta as Puran Poli. This sweet is very time consuming but it’s worth.  I learnt this recipe from my mom.

Ingredients:

Maida – 1 cup

Channa Dal – 1 cup

Jaggery – 1 cup

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Salt – a pinch

Oil/ghee

Preparation

• In a bowl mix maida, salt , water and make smooth dough. Keep aside for 1 hour.
• Wash channa dal and boil it in 3-4 cups of water until the dal becomes soft.
• After it gets boiled, drain the water completely.
• In the same vessel add jaggery and cardamom powder and mix well and make a smooth paste
• Finally add ghee to it
• Make this puran into round balls and keep aside
• Grease your hands with oil and take a small portion of dough and spread it on a plastic cover and make a small round chapatti.

• Place puran inside the little rounded chapatti and close it till the puram will not be visible
• Using roll stick roll it like chapatti or we can use hand and spread it slowly by pressing it down until it forms a round like chapatti.
• Now on pan put little ghee/oil and cook on low heat
• Cook on both sides till it turns golden brown
• Delicious Bobbatlu’s are ready. Serve these with ghee.

Sending this to Celebrate Sweets-Stuffed Sweets event hosted by Akila originally started by Nivedita and to MLA 35 started by Susan

Spinach Vada

It’s been a while since my last post. Things were been very busy all around and I haven’t been able to make time to blog.

Spinach Vada is quick and simple snack. I got a lot of spinach at home, so tried making these vadas for the evening snack. This is an easy vegetarian appetizer which helps us to eat green veggies.

Ingredients:

Spinach – 1 cup

Onions- 1 no

Rice powder – 1 cup

Corn flour powder – 1 tsp

Jeera powder – 1 tsp

Coarinder leaves chopped – ¼ cup

Curry leaves – 5 no

Baking powder – a pinch

Salt as Required

Oil/ Ghee – 2 tsps

Oil for deep frying

Water

Preparation

• Mix chopped spinach leaves, onions, coriander leaves, curry leaves, jeera powder, rice powder, corn flour powder, baking soda, chopped green chillies, and salt in a vessel
• Heat oil or ghee of 2 tsps
• Add heated oil to above mixture and mix well
• Make a soft dough by adding little water to it.
• Divide the dough into portions.
• Make small balls and flatten into small round vadas
• Heat oil in pan and deep fry vada on medium flame till little golden brown and remove them on paper towel
• Serve with chutney or tomato ketchup.

Sending this to Veggie/Fruit A Month - Spinach hosted by Reshmi originally started by Priya Kid's Delight -Colorful and Healthy Meal hosted by Mina originally started by srivalli Evening Tiffin hosted by Radhika