Peachy Mango Smoothie

California Peaches are available from April through October. Summer is the best time to use the ripe n sweet peaches in a smoothie.. and this year I am loving the Mangoes. We still have not found Indian Mangoes in the store, however, the Mexican ones are just as yummm !

This smoothie was a real experiment. I was not sure if all the flavors would work together.. but they turned out just fine and I am thrilled about that! I have used some fresh apple too in this one, and that kinda changes the consistency of the drink to more viscous. I used ice-cream spoons to scoop it instead. To keep it drinkable, you may want to use apple juice.

INGREDIENTS:

Fresh Peaches - 1 to 2, cut in half and seeded, 1/4 chopped finely
Fresh Mango - 1, cut into cubes OR
Tinned Mango Pulp - 1.5 cup
Fresh Apple - 1/2 cut into cubes OR
Apple Juice - 1/2 cup
Plain Yogurt - 2 tbsp
Water as needed

COOKING TIME: 10 minutes

SERVING: Serves 2

METHOD:

1. Cut all the fruits. Peaches in halves, Mango in cubes, Apple in cubes.
2. Put all the fruits into a blender and blend in.
3. Add the yogurt and 1/4 cup water (if needed to adjust consistency), blend again.
4. Pour out the smoothie into beverage glasses.
5. Add crushed ice.

To Serve -
6. Top it up with cut peaches.
I used Mango as the topping here just because its in season now.

Alternatively, you can blend in the crushed ice into the smoothie. If you are using fruit juices instead of fresh fruits, there will be no need to add water. Feel free to add more yogurt for a thicker smoothie.

Enjoy !!


This recipe is part of Divya's "Show me your Smoothie" Event.

Mangoes are my favorites.. its amazing how many times I have had to update this post with all the requests from readers. I probably cant thank everyone enough ! Thank you all for trying out the smoothies and for leaving feedback. July is almost here and we can still find some real nice mangoes in the market.. these are the mexican variety, nevertheless, they are really great.. I've had a whole month of Mango Bliss !! YUMM !! YUMM !!!
The Peachy Mango Smoothie is now linked with Foodista. Readers looking for MANGOES will now be able to view recipes of the same with just a click. Enjoy !

Mango

Strawberry Mint Smoothie

Hubby and I enjoy eating healthy. However, I've been feeling that we dont eat a lot of fruits.. and it almost gets impossible to get the daily recommended doze. I like juices, but I often wonder if drinking packaged juices is any good?
Gradually we have been introducing changes into our eating habits to ensure we consume more fruits.. at least a few varieties everyday. My smoothie series is all about getting more fruits into our routine. The Smoothie thought is inspired by a very close friend who loves to cook and is always ready to whip up new recipes every time we meet up!! Thanks Suraj for your inspiring ways....


INGREDIENTS:

Fresh Strawberries - 5 to 6, cut in half and 1 to 2 chopped or sliced
Ripe Banana - 1/2
Ripe Guava - 1 small OR
Guava Juice - 1/3 cup
Fresh Mint Leaves - 4 to 5
Plain Yogurt - 2 to 3 tbsp

COOKING TIME: 10 minutes

SERVING: Serves 2



METHOD:

1. Cut all the fruits. Strawberries in halves, Banana into coins, Guava into 4 to 6 pieces.
2. Put all the fruits into a blender and blend in.
3. Add the yogurt and 2 to 3 Fresh Mint leaves, blend again.
4. Add the chopped strawberries to the bottom of your beverage glass.
5. Pour out the smoothie into beverage glasses.

To Serve -
5. Top it up with sliced Strawberries and Mint leaves.

Enjoy !!

This recipe is part of:
Divya's "Show me Your Smothie" Event !
"RC - 23 Smoothies & Milk Shakes" - An IHM Event !

Mathra (Dried Peas Recipe) Chaat !

Mathra is a very popular North Indian "Chaat". It is made of Dried Yellow Peas. [Matar means Peas in Hindi, Mathra is made of peas.] It is a coveted item on the Menu list in Weddings and Celebrations across North India. I love it spicy and tangy, just the way it is sold by the local chaat-wala (usually street hawkers) in the bazaar!

It is eaten with a number of accompaniments or sometimes its good all by itself. This could very well be a distant cousin of Ghugni, which is a Bengali favorite (a preparation from the Eastern part of India). This is a simple recipe which is very easy to prepare, takes very little time and is always appreciated.

INGREDIENTS:

Yellow Peas - 2 cups, soaked overnight
Cloves - 3 to 4
Black Pepper - 3 to 4
Haldi (Turmeric) - 1/2 tsp
Bhoona Jeera Powder(Roasted Cumin) - 3 tsp
Chaat Masala - 4 tsp OR according to taste
Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp
Onion - 1 medium, chopped finely
Tomato - 1 medium, chopped finely
Green Chilli - 1 medium,chopped finely
Ginger - 1/2 inch cube, chopped finely
Fresh Coriander Leaves - a small bunch, chopped
Water - 1 cup
Salt to Taste


COOKING TIME: 20 minutes

SERVING: Serves 6

METHOD:

1. Soak the dried peas overnight.
2. Place the soaked peas in a Pressure Cooker, add clove, turmeric and black pepper. Pressure cook the peas till they are soft.
3. Once done, remove lid and add Bhoona Jeera Powder and Chaat Masala to taste.
4. Add the lemon juice.
5. Add salt, if needed.

To Serve -
6. Add chopped Onion, Tomato, Green Chilli, Ginger and Fresh Coriander leaves as Garnish.
7. Serve with bread or puffed rice or Bhel !

TIP:
For the Jain version, avoid onion and ginger.
The Garnish items can be used all together or even singularly, as preferred.

Pineapple Tart

Hey Everyone !

I'm back !! My vacation almost turned into a sabbatical.. it was fun traveling and learning new things. I found some resting time as well... and now I am back to my experiments in the kitchen.

Beginning the New Year with something sweet.. :-)

PINEAPPLE TART

This recipe is a mix of my Mom's biscotto and my cheese cake recipes. It is a low fat version for all calorie counters. I was inspired to create something different for our Jain friends who dont eat any animal products / derivatives. Pineapple was just the thing.. nailed it !
Here goes...

INGREDIENTS:
Miniature Muffin Tray - 1

Tart Base:
All Purpose Flour - 1 cup
Sugar (powdered) - 4 tbsp
OR
Sugar Substitute (Glenda/Equate etc.)- 4 tsp
Olive Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp
Vanilla Flavoring - 1 tsp
Salt - a pinch

Pineapple Filling:
Fresh Pineapple(chopped into cubes) - 1 cup
Cream Cheese Lite - 4 Oz.
Whipping Cream Lite - 4 Oz.
Sugar (powdered) - 2 tbsp
OR
Sugar Substitute (Glenda/Equate etc.)- 2 tsp
Pineapple Flavoring - 1 tsp


COOKING TIME: 40 minutes

SERVING: Serves 10 to 12

METHOD:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. For the Tart Base: Mix in the All Purpose Flour, Sugar OR Sugar Substitute and Olive Oil.
3. Add Vanilla Flavoring and Salt. Mix in well to make into dough.
4. Apply slight Olive oil or Spray the Miniature Muffin Tray with a thin coat of Oil.
5. Use the dough to make base for each cup of the Miniature Muffin Tray.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes, until slightly browned.
7. When done, remove the tray from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. When cool, remove the Tart Base from the tray. You can now put in a second batch for baking, if needed.
8. For the Filling: Mix cubed Pineapple, Cream Cheese, Whipping Cream, Sugar OR Sugar Substitute, Pineapple Flavoring and blend. (I use my hand mixer)
9. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. (Sometimes I freeze it overnight, beware coz Pineapple turns bitter too.)
10. To serve, fill up the Tart Base with the filling.
11. Top the Pineapple Tarts with fresh cut fruits - Peach, Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Grapes or even Pineapple.. whichever you like.

Enjoy !!

Don't forget to write me your feedback !

TIP:
In Step 5, to make even sized cups, I used a smaller cup to press in the dough. Makes the task so much easier and faster.

Rohini's Stuffed Tondli

Tondli or Tindora Zhunka or Kundru is a Gherkin. Like the cucumber this is also a fruit and has similar nutritional value. It is known by various names in different states of India and are prepared in a variety of spices. The Tondli seems like a far off cousin of the Parwal, which is a bigger version of the same. It is said that the Tondli can help reduce blood sugar (Your nutritionist would be the best person to talk about that). Although the taste of tondli is bland, it can be used in many interesting ways.

I love Tondlis, and I have had them only in Maharashtra, India. And therefore, to me this is a typical maharashtrian dish. Of course, this preparation is maharashtrian too.

I tried this recipe from a friend's blog. I have experimented with other traditional recipes for tondli and nothing came close to this one. Rohini's recipe for tondli is by far the best my husband and I have ever tasted !

So dont just read through this post, get started with the preps !!!

Here goes -

http://rohinigore.blogspot.com/2009/08/stuffed-tondli.html

INGREDIENTS:

Tondli - 4 cups

Peanut Powder (Roasted) - 1/2 cup

Dry Coconut Powder - 1/2 cup

Sesame powder - 1/4 cup

Red Chilli Powder  - 1 tsp

Jeera (Cumin) Powder - 1tsp

Dhania (Coriander) Powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Hing ( Asafoetida) - 1/2 tsp

Haldi (Turmeric Powder) - 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Fresh Coriander Leaves - 1/2 bunch, chopped

Oil - 2 tbsp

Water - 1 cup

Salt to taste

COOKING TIME: 35 mins

SERVING: Serves 2

METHOD:
1. Wipe dry the washed and cleaned Tondli.

2. Cut off the top and bottom ends. Slit the tondli in the center, keep aside.

3. Prepare the Masala to go into the Tondli.

Masala:

4.Mix the Peanut Powder, Dry Coconut Powder, Sesame Seed Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Jeera Powder, DHania Powder, Garam Masala, Jaggery, Fresh Coriander and Salt to taste.

5. Stuff this Masala into the Tondlis, keep aside.

6. In a pot, heat Oil.

7. Add Mustard Seeds, let them splutter. 

8. Add Hing and Haldi. Cook for a couple seconds.

9. Add the stuffed Tondli and left over masala, if any.

10. Add the water, mix well.

11. Cook the tondli covered for about 7 to 10 mins.

12. Stir and remove from fire.

Serve hot with Roti or Pulav.

The only thing I do differently sometimes from the recipe mentioned above is cutting the tondlis into half, instead of making a slit and stuffing it with the spices.

Enjoy !!

Renu's Mint Coconut Rice

This is a flavorful recipe. Its a unique blend of spices and goes well with yogurt (Dahi) based curries, works for all occasions !!

For the recipe, please visit Renu's Kitchen at -
http://renus-kitchen.blogspot.com/

I have tried this recipe a few times, and it has turned out great each time. The use of mint and fresh coconut is unique and refreshing. Thank you Renu for the recipe.

Here are some pictures from my kitchen.

Enjoy !

Moong Pudina Wali Bharva Shimla Mirch (Bellpeppers stuffed with Green Gram and Mint)

This is the Second in the series of stuffed bell peppers. The stuffing for this one is made of a paste of Green Gram and Mint Leaves. The mix of these flavors is very unique and a dash of lime juice at the end gives it a real spike !



This is surely a dish to inspire. Be sure to hear about it from your guests !!
The dish goes well with Pulao, Biryani and all kinds of Rotis. Adding a simple curry to the mix of dishes makes it a complete dinner extravagance! Hope you like it !

INGREDIENTS:

Green Bell Peppers - 4 medium
Moong Daal (Green Gram) - 1 cup
Fresh Mint Leaves - small bunch
Green Chilli - 1 or 2 small
Lime Juice - a dash
Ginger or Ginger Powder - 1/2 inch cube grated (optional)
Jeera Powder (Cumin Powder) - 2 tsp
Dhania Powder (Coriander Powder) - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Pam Oil Spray
Water - 1 cup
Salt to taste

COOKING TIME: 40 minutes

SERVING: Serves 4 to 6

METHOD:

1. Boil the Moong Daal and keep aside. Let it cool.
2. After the daal is cooled to room temperature, make it into a paste in a blender. Please read the notes below on how to get the daal to the required consistency.
3. Cut the Bell Peppers into halves or just cut the top and scoop out the seeds and pulp from inside, as you prefer. Keep aside.
4. Make a paste of the Mint leaves, Ginger (optional) and Green Chilli in a mixer.
5. In a pot, add the Moong daal paste, cook it on flame, while adding little water to prevent it from getting burnt at the bottom.
6. Add Jeera Powder, Dhania Powder and Salt. Cook for a bit.
7. Add the Mint-Ginger-Green Chilli paste, cook till the paste blends into the daal mixture. Add Garam Masala.
8. Cook on medium to high flame to let most of the water evaporate to bring to a consistency of a thick paste. Cool the mixture. The stuffing is ready !
9. Spray and thinly coat the Green Bell Peppers with Pam Oil Spray.
10. Prepare a tray for the oven - Cover the tray with aluminium sheet, spray some Pam Oil Spray on.
11. Use the stuffing to fill the Bell Peppers. Put them on the prepped tray, ready to bake.
12. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the stuffed bell peppers for 30 to 35 mins.
13. When done, garnish the stuffed bell peppers with mint leaves or coriander leaves, as you prefer.
14. Add a dash of Lime Juice when you serve.

Serve with Curry, Rice or Roti.
Enjoy !!!

NOTES:

The Moong Daal needs to be boiled in indirect flame -  place the daal in a container and add water in the ratio of 2:1. So, for 1 cup of daal, use 2 cups of water. Place this container inside a cooker with a little water at the bottom of the cooker. Steam the Daal like you would normally do in the cooker. What comes out is daal thats cooked, but has very little water. The advantage of using indirect flame is that it prevents the dall from burning at the bottom and you get a thick consistency of daal that could be used to make the stuffing.