Banana Walnut Muffin / Bread

I had 3 over ripe bananas. Today my husband said he would be coming home late. Looking at the bananas, i asked my lil one, 'Can you help mommy make some banana bread'. She said 'No mommy, let make pup cakes ( cup cakes) and surprise daddy'. So we changed the banana bread recipe to Banana walnut muffin. This recipe is again from my friend who is in St.Louis and she actually borrowed the recipe from her neighbour. I should say thanks to my friend's neighbour. The muffins turned really yummy!

Ingredients:
List1:
Over ripe bananas - 3
sugar - 1 cup

eggs - 2

Milk - 1/2 cup ( I used 2%)

List2:

All purpose flour - 2 and 1/4 cup
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 2 tsp
salt - 1 tsp
cinammon powder - 1/2 tsp

List3:
unsalted butter - 1/4 cup soft
Chopped walnuts - 1/2 cup

Method:

Butter should be at room temperature and really soft.

Using a hand blender, mix all the iingredients under 'List1' until they combine well.

Mix all the ingredients under 'List2' separately in a bowl, so that all the dry ingredients are mixed well.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the banana, sugar, egg and milk mixture. Mix them well using the hand blender.
Add the butter and beat until they combine well. Don't over beat the mixture.
Gently fold in the nuts.

Line the Muffin tray with the cup cake liners or grease them well with some oil spray.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree celcius.
Pour them mixture in to the Muffin cups( Fill only 3/4th  of the muffin cup).

Bake for about 25 to 28 minutes or until the tooth pick comes out clean. Each oven is different, so keep an eye on it.

Transfer to a cooling rack, once they cool, transfer to a Airtight box and njoy!

Paal Kova - Stovetop Method

This was the fist sweet that i tried after wedding. It turned out really good and my husband was happy thinking atleast i can make one sweet well. For sure this is a flawless recipe and you will never go wrong! This recipe was again from one of my good friend here. This is one of my husbands favourite sweet, so i make it very frequently.

Ingredients:
Unsalted Butter - 1 stick
sugar  - 1 cup
Ricotta cheese - 1 tub (15 Oz)
Nonfat instant dry milk powder - 1 cup


Method:

In a pan melt the butter.

Once the butter is melted, add the Ricotta cheese, keep the flame in medium, cook for about 10 to 11 minutes uncovered. Make sure to stir frquently to avoid getting burnt at the bottom.

After 10 to 11 minutes, add the sugar. Cook for another 6 minutes uncovered. Stir frequently to avoid getting burnt at the bottom.  After adding sugar it will tend to leave some water.

After 6 minutes, add the dry milk powder. cook for another 12 minutes uncovered, stirring frequently.
Now you could feel that paal kova would have thicken a lot. The paal kova would start leaving the pan. Turn off the gas.

Now grease a plate or a bowl with few drops of ghee. Pour the mixutre, flatten the top surface. Let it cool for some time. If you want them as pieces, cut with the knife else use a spoon to scoop them and serve in a bowl. store them in a Air-tight container and enjoy the sweet.

Rose Milk Popsicle

This week when i went to the Indian store for grocery, i picked the Rose syrup for making Falooda. My daughter loves Kulfi's and ice cream a lot. So decided to make Rose Milk popsicles. Though summer is not here yet, we are already ready for it!
Just few handy ingredients and you can make this in no time.

Ingredients:
Milk - 1.5 cup
Sugar - 1 Table sp + 1 tsp
Rose syrup - 3 Table sp


Method:

Boil Milk, Let it cool down.

Strain the milk using a strainer. Add Sugar and rose syrup. Mix well

Pour them into Popsicle moulds and freeze it for atleast 10 hrs.

When you take them out from the freezer, show them under the running tap water for 20 to 30 seconds, they just come off easily!
 Enjoy while the sun shines!

Spice powder for Dry curries

I usually make the Dry curry/Masala using the sambar powder or masala powder. I was boared with it and wanted to try something different. One of my college friend's mom used to make a special spice powder for all dry curries. When i asked her the recipe, she said its very simple. Equal proportion of Channa dhal, corriander seeds and urid dhal with little hing and red chilly to your taste.
This spice powder can be used for brinjal fry, Tindora fry or to any other dry poriyal to get a extra touch.

Ingredients:
channa dhal - 1 tab sp
corriander seeds - 1 tab sp
urid dhal - 1 tab sp
Dry red chilly - 5
hing - 1/8 tsp


Method:
 Dry roast all the ingredients until nice aroma comes. Let it cool for a while and then ground them to a fine dry prowder using Mixie or spice grinder.

Store them in Air-tight box and use when needed.

When i made this powder this week, i doubled the quantity as i am lazy to make it in small batch every single time.

Cracked wheat Adai

This recipe is again from one of my friend here. She made this Adai couple of times in the last two weeks, from a cook book her mother-in-law gave her( what a nice M-I -L :) ). When she shared this recipe, it was quiet interesting and it was new to me. I couldn't wait to give a try. Made it the very next day and posted it .

Ingredients:

Cracked wheat ( fine variety ) - 2 cups

Thoor dhal - 1/2 cup

Fennel / sombu - 1/2 tsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Pepper corns -  1 tsp

Cilantro finely chopped - 1/2 cup

Curry leaves finely chopped - 2 springs 

Method:

Soak cracked wheat and Thoor dhal together for 2 to 3 hrs.

Grind them to a fine batter using grinder or mixie.

When they are 3/4 the ground add the fennel , jeera and pepper corns.

This batter doesn't need any fermentation.

Before making the Adai  add the cilantro and curry leaves.

Heat the dosa pan, take  a ladle full of batter pour them in the tava, sizzle some oil , cook both sides and serve with chutney.

Thin, yummy and healthy Adai is ready. !

Veg Samosa

This recipe is again one of the Revathy Shanmugam's recipe from a TV show. I made this couple of times and every one at home liked it. The stuffing is easy to make ( No need to cook on the stove top). The actual recipe calls for making the samosa sheets from scratch, me being lazy found an alternate for it. I used the wonton wraps, which we find in any grocery store in the fridge section  ( Not in the freezer)along with Toffu and other vegetables. Don't get the big square or rectangle Wonton wraps. The one that i picked are small squares and are easy to make.

Ingredients:
Cabbage - 4 cups finely chopped
Red onion - 2 cups finely chopped
salt - 1 tsp or to taste
cilantro - 1cup finely chopped
red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
lemon juice - 7 to 8 drops
chatt powder - 1 pinch
green chilly - 1 finely chopped
Wonton wraps - small size ( Mini squares )

To seal the edges :
Maida/ All purpose flour - 1/8 cup
water - 1/8 cup.

Method:
Finely chop both red onions and cabbage of same size.
Add salt to the cabbage and onion, Mix well and let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, if you see the cabbage/onion mix would have left lots of water. Take small amount of the mix in hand, squeeze the water out completely. Repeat the process to completely squezee all the water from the cabbage/onion mix. If there is water in the stuffing, it will absorb lot of oil when deep frying.
Discard the drained water.

Add the cilanto, red chilli powder, lemon juice, green chilly to the cabbage/onion mix after squeezing the water. Mix well. Stuffing is ready!

Mix the All purpose flour and the water using a small wisk to avoid the lumps.

Take a wonton wrap, place a spoon full of the stuffing . Apply the all purpose flour paste on the four sices of the wrap. Fold them like a triangle. Make sure to seal the sides of the triangle tighly, else not oil would go inside when deep frying.

Heat oil in a pan , when it is hot, drop the samosas gently, Fry well on both the sides until golden brown.

Serve hot. Yummy crunchy Samosas are ready! Enjoy with a cup of coffee or Tea!