Eat Right! Live Happy: October 2011

Mutter Mastani: Sweet Peas Barfi or Halwa

One of my friend 'Mala Keshav' submitted this recipe to 'Sweet Peas' event. Very unique and delicious recipe.
Mala Keshav says about herself. - "I m Mala Keshav, a homemaker with 2 kids. I like trying new recipes and experimenting it on my hubby who always encourages me and gives prompt feedback which motivates me a lot. Like watching cookery shows". I am so happy to introduce her to my blog. She will be submitting some of her delicious recipes here.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients :

Raw or frozen green peas 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Khowa or condensed milk - ~1 cup
Ghee or Clarified Butter - 4 Tbs
Dry fruits of your choice
Elaichi or Cardamom powder

Method of preparation :

1. Cook green peas in a vessel till soft. While cooking add a spoon of sugar (to make it's colour remain green)
2. Strain the water n add cooked green peas in blender and make a fine paste
3. In a pan put ghee, add some dry fruits of your choice, and then add the blended paste, stir till water evaporates.
4. When it's half way done add khowa or condensed milk, 2-3 spoons of ghee, sugar and keep stirring until it forms like a ball
5. In a plate smear ghee and put the green ball and pat to spread it evenly. Cut it in to desired shapes.
6. Serve at room temperature.
7. Enjoy.

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Halbai: Rice and Coconut burfi/Halwa And aloo/Potato and Sweet peas tikki chat

Roopa had prepared this coconut halwa (Halbai) recipe on Sunday's get together. It was so tasty, I think, I must have had at least 3-4 pieces that night!. :) Thanks roopa for these delicious recipes, It was so yummy.

Ingredients for Halbai :

Rice - 1/2 cup
Coconut powder - 1 cup
Jagary or Sugar - 1 cup
Ghee or Clarified Butter - 3/4 cup
Fresh Cardamom powder - 1/4 tbs

Method:

1. Soak rice for 3-4 hrs
2. Grind the saoked rice along with coconut powder and jaggery or sugar to a smooth paste, little bit thinner than dosa batter.
3. In a pan add 1 tbsp of ghee & pour the batter and keep stirring in medium flame. ( make sure there is no lump formation )
4. Keep stirring till it thickens and add the cardamom powder.
5. Add 1/2 cup of ghee little by little and continue to mix well. Takes around 15-20mins.
6. Just like halwa, it gets non sticky and ghee tends to separate. At this time pour into a greased plate and allow it to cool for 5mins and cut into desired shape.
7. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Aloo and Sweet Peas Tikki :

This recipe is an entry to sweet peas delicious recipe event. Here is what you need

Boiled Potato - 2 big, peeled and mashed gently
Frozen peas - 1 cup
bread crumbs - 1 cup
oil- 2 tbs and more for shallow frying
Cumin Seeds - 1 tbs
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece, grated.
Green chillies - 1-2, finely chopped
Garam Masala - 1/2 tbs
Lemon Juice - 1/2 lemon squeezed
Chilly powder - 1/2 tbs optional

Easy Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, pinch of turmeric powder, finely chopped ginger, finely chopped green chilies, peas and allow it to cook for 4-5mins. Later add 1/2tsp chilly powder as per your taste, garam masala, salt to taste and cook for another 5mins. Allow it to cool and mix with aloo n 1/2 cup of bread crumbs adding half a slice of lemon juice. This makes a tikki dough.

Take small piece of dough and make a round ball. Press between the palms to make cutlet. Make it into shape either round or oval and then roll it on remaining bread crumbs and shallow fry on both sides till it turns brown in color and crispy enough. Serve hot with Ketchup. Enjoy.

Thanks roops for this wonderful recipes.

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Carrot Halwa : Microwave version

Wow, It was so tasty!. My friend Kokila had prepared this Carrot halwa for last Sunday's get together. And roopa's Halbai and Mangalore Bajji was also very tasty, Oh! My mouth is watering! :) . I had asked them for these recipe and here they are. Thanks dear for this yummy recipe.
You got to try this today and do let us know how it turned it out.

Here you go:

Ingredients for Carrot Halwa:

Carrots - 1 pound
Sugar - 1 cup
Ghee or Clarified butter - 4-5 tbsp
Condensed Milk - 5 Tbs
Cashews, almonds and raisins - handful.

Easy Steps:

1. Peel the carrots and microwave the whole carrots for 7-8 mins. Alternatively we can steam them for 5 mins.
(Microwaving or steaming the carrots softens them and makes it easy for grating).
2. Grate the carrots.
3. Microwave the grated carrots for about 6 mins.
4. Next add 4 spoons of ghee. Mix well and microwave for another 5-6 mins.
5. Add 4 -5 tbsp of condensed milk (I use fat free) and microwave for 5 more mins.
6. Add dry fruits and sugar and microwave for another 5 mins.

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100 delicious desert recipes E-Book from Indusladies

100 sweets and desert E-book available from IndusLadies for free download.

My pumpkin halwa recipe is published there. Yippee, I am so happy :)

Visit here to download it for free. http://www.indusladies.com/forums/announcements/148569-free-download-100-yummy-diwali.html

Thanks so much IndusLadies for this wonderful book.

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Sweet coconut spring roll : Dosa or Crepes spring roll : Jenu Kolu (Honey sticks)

Coconut spring roll also called Honey sticks is a delicious recipe from my mom, very easy and super tasty. Authentic Havyaka Community recipe. Make a thin dosa(Crepe) stuff the stuffing's, deep fry and dip in a syrup! . I just love it. Try it yourself!

Ingredients:

Filling:

Dry Coconut Powder - 1 cups

Jaggary - 1/2 cups

Cardamom powder - 1 tbs

Wrapper: (You can use the store bought french crepes for quick and easy rolls)

Raw rice - 1 cup

Methi seeds - 1 tbs

Salt - 1 tbs or to taste

Syrup:

Jaggary or brown sugar - 1/2 cup

Honey - 1 Tbs
Water - 2 Tbs

Method :

Soak rice and methi seeds for 5-6 hours. Grind to make very thin batter.

Let it rest for fermentation.

Prepare the filling : Add all the fillings ingredients together and bring it boil while mixing continuously. Once the mixture is bit thickened turn off the heat.

Prepare the Syrup : Boil syrup ingredients together on a low-medium heat, until the jaggary becomes gluey and slightly thick. Keep it aside

Heat a pancake pan or tava on a medium-high flame.

Pour a serving spoon full of batter in the center and spread it around to make a very thin paper like dosa. You can use thick photo matt paper cut into small rectangle. ( I use my un-used debit card! :) ) . It makes very thin pancake.

In minute or two pancake or crepe will be ready.

Repeat the process for rest of the batter.

Divide the each crepe or dosa in to 2 piece.

Fill the desired amount of filling's in to the divided crepe and roll to make a spring roll.

Make all the spring rolls, mean time heat oil in a pan.

Deep fry until brown.

Place the fried spring roll in the paper towel to absorb the excessive oil.

Drop them in the syrup bowl for 5 minutes.

Ready to serve!.

Enjoy.

Note:

You can use only sugar to make spring roll filling's and syrup.

This stays good for weeks in the refrigerator.

If you like, you can serve this with ghee or clarified butter.

Instead of making Rice crepe you can use the store bought french crepes

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Ragi Manni : Millet burfi / Millet Halwa

Ingredients:

Millet flour - 2 cups
Sugar or Jaggary or Brown sugar - 1 cup
Coconut powder - 2 Tbs (Optional)
Freshly ground cardamom powder - 1 Tbs
Water - 5 cups

Method:

Slowly add the water to the flour while stirring continuously to make a smooth batter.
Strain it through a clean muslin cloth or with the colander having a very small holes to remove the dirt.
Add some more water to the millet and strain it again.
After extracting a millet liquid, add sugar or jagary and bring it to boil on a medium flame.
Keep stirring, until the millet liquid becomes thick.
You can test the done-ness by placing a spoon of millet mixture in to the plate, if that is very sticky and does not spread around, that means it is done.
Add the cardamom powder and any dry fruits and cashews if you prefer.
stir well, You will have a kept stirring it until done, other wise it gets stuck to the bottom and all your efforts goes waste.
Grease a plate with ghee or butter
Spread the tick millet mixture on the plate and spread it evenly.
Let it rest for minimum half an hour before serving.
With the help of knife, cut the halwa into square or any of shape of your choice.
You can keep this in the refrigerator and serve chilled.
If you cover this and store it in the refrigerator, it stays good for weeks.
Enjoy.

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"I Love Peas!" - Delicious Recipe event: oct 10th - oct 30th

Hello Friends,

We all know that peas are one of the most nutritious vegetable, very rich in minerals, phyto-nutrients, vitamins and anti-oxidants.
So, dear friends, lets cook peas today and get the most exceptionally strong nutrients. Before you start cooking, you can read more about sweet peas and learn more about the it's health benefits. Here are some links:

@ WHFoods
@ Nutrition-and-you

I am conducting a sweet peas recipes event from October 10th to October 30th. Friends!, I am looking for delicious healthy peas recipes from you all. And I will post the round ups in a week after the event closes.

Key points:

Prepare your recipes with sweet peas. Make your recipes more healthier and easy to prepare.
Only vegetarian / Vegan recipes should be submitted.
Link your post to this announcement.
Include the logo in your post.
Optional but appreciated- Like us on the Facebook and join this site publicly.
Archived entries are accepted if it is re-posted with this announcement.
Non bloggers can also send their recipes.

Send your entries to eatright.livehappy@gmail.com OR nivedita02@gmail.com in the following format.

Your name
Blog name
Blog URL
Recipe name
Recipe URL
And a beautiful picture of your recipe.

I am looking forward for your recipes. Happy cooking!

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Vegetable Couscous quesadilla and Tomatillo salsa

Ingredients for Vegetable Couscous quesadilla :

Whole grain tortilla or Chapathi
Couscous - 3/4 cup
Vegetables of your choice - I used : Beans, carrot, peas, corn and green bell pepper,
Cheese - of your choice - I used: Sharp Cheddar cheese, Grated
Salt - to taste
Pepper - to taste
Olive oil - 1 Tbs
Cumin - 1 tbs

Ingredients for Tomatillo Salsa:

Tomatillos - 4, husked and rinsed
Jalapeno Chile - 1
Pepper - 1 tbs, freshly ground
Garlic - 2 cloves
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbs of Salt
Basil or cilantro - 1/2 cup roughly chopped

Easy Steps:

Salsa:

Preheat the broiler, place tomatillos on cooking sheet.
Turn tomatillos when they start to blister and blacken.
Remove from broiler once the other side blisters, and let cool
Remove the blackened spots.
Grind the tomatillos , jalapeno, lime juice, salt and garlic to make chunky puree.
Place a puree in a bowl, add chopped cilantro or basil and stir to mix.
Cover and let stand until ready to serve.

Quesadilla:

Cook the couscous according to the package instruction. OR check my other recipe for cooking instruction. and set aside
Chop the vegetables.
Heat oil in a pan, add cumin.
Add all other vegetables and cook on a low flame until tender.
add salt and pepper to taste.
Now add the cooked couscous and mix well.
Place tortilla or chapathi on the pancake pan. Turn the heat to low.
Spread desired amount of cheese on and couscous mixture and freshly prepared tomatillo salsa.
Spread another round of cheese if you like.
Place another tortilla carefully over the stuffing's.
Once the below tortilla turns brown, carefully flip to cook another side.
Once the other side of the quesadilla turns brown, take it out from the heat.
Run the pizza cutter in the middle of the quesadilla to divide.
Serve warm with tomatillo salsa, sour cream and freshly shredded lettuce.
Enjoy

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E-book compilation by Indus Ladies 2011 - 100 Yummy Diwali recipes

Dear friends,

I am so happy to link my deserts recipes to Indus ladies compilation E book. They are making a E-book available to lacks of people for free download. If you are interested, you can also send your deserts recipes to them. Another 4 days left!. Hurry up. Here is more information.

These are the recipes I have sent:

Name: Sweet pumpkin halwa / Halakumbalakayi halwa : http://happyrays.blogspot.com/2011/08/hala-kumbalakayi-halwa-sweet-pumpkin.html

Sabudana payasa : Sabakki payasa : : http://happyrays.blogspot.com/2011/07/sabudana-payasa-shabakki-payasa-tapioca.html

Sweet Potato Payasa : http://happyrays.blogspot.com/2011/08/sweet-potato-payasapudding-genasina.html

Eggless chocolate cake : http://happyrays.blogspot.com/2011/09/eggless-apple-sauce-chocolate-cake.html

Akki Payasa in coconut milk : http://happyrays.blogspot.com/2011/09/sushi-ricejapanese-rice-and-coconut.html

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Avocado Paratha

Ingredients: For Stuffing

1 Avocado - scooped and mashed gently.
pinch of garam masala
Pinch of turmeric

Method:

Make a chapathi dough - like this .
Make a Medium sized potato like ball.
Sprinkle the dry flour on the clean surface.
Roll the ball to make chapathi.
Stuff the avocado stuffing's in the middle of the rolled chapathi.
Cover the stuffing's from all the corners and make ball again.
Now slowly start rolling from the center to the edges.
Sprinkle more flour if chapathi is sticking to the surface.
It is difficult to make thin paratha, the stuffing's comes out easily. So be very care full while rolling.
Heat the Pan and cook both sides, brush butter, ghee or oil.
Serve hot with chutney or pickle.
Enjoy the healthy dinner.
If you cannot eat avocado just like that, Find a way to eat Avocado!. Thats my thoughts.. It has so much of health benefits.

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Easy and healthy Corn bread

Ingredients:

Corn meal - 2 cups (I used self rising white corn meal, salt and Baking powder is added already)
Milk - 1-1/2 cups
Egg - 1 or You can use Apple sauce to substitute that.
Butter - 3 Tbs, at room temperature.
Sugar - 2 Tbs

If you are not using Self rising flour then,
Baking powder - 1 tbs
Salt - 1/2 tbs

Method: