Eating is Bliss

Curry Leaves Powder The most beautiful, gorgeous and rich herb with amazing flavour and  or shall I say to the Asian countries.  The most aromatic herb I would say in my kitchen or should I say in every  Indian kitchen.   Coriander and Curry leaves are a must in every Indian kitchen, I just can’t live without them!.  First time when I came to UK I went and bought Coriander leaves for the first time, I was so shocked it was a small bunch,  and costed a fortune (£1), for a few days I used to use it scarcely but couldn’t stay away from it for a long time, even if it was very expensive. But,  when I go to London, I act as if  I have won a bumper prize I pick up at least 4 bunches, and with that I get few greens which I never get it here. I envy people living in India are lucky they get so many types of keerais (green leaves), aren’t they lucky ?. Murraya Koenigi is the botanical name and colloquial name for this herb is called Curry leaves, Kadi Patta-Hindi, Karivepillai- Tamil, Karibevu- Kannada, Karapincha – Sinhala, Karivepaku- Telagu… Check out this website you can find the name of this leaf in 52 different Languages/countries. Curry Leaves has a great medicinal value, which is why it is widely used in Asian Continents, Curry leaves are also used in Ayurvedic medicine (alternative medicine), Curry leaves are rich in minerals, Iron and vitamins –   Check out the websites at the bottom of the post for lot more information on curry leaves. From Wiki: The leaves of  Murraya koenigii  are also used as a  herb  in  Ayurvedic medicine . They are much valued as an  anti-diabetic , [2]   antioxidant , [3]   antimicrobial ,  anti-inflammatory , hepatoprotective , anti- hypercholesterolemic  etc. They also contain iron. This recipe I got basically from Kusuma aunty, my sis’s MIL, when she came to visit here, she served this and my H and kids loved it, I tweaked  it a little bit and here is my version, Thanks to her this is our family favourite now…. This is my version: INGREDIENTS: I have measured the ingredients in gms 60 gms Curry Leaves 80 gms Garlic Cloves 100 gms Dry coconut /Copra 60 gms Tamarind 140 gms Peanuts 40 gms Dry Red Chillies (Badgi)** Salt as required 1/4 cup Grated Jaggery SEASONING: 1 tbsp Oil 1tbsp Channa dal 1 tbsp Urad dal 1 tsp mustard seeds Take curry leaves and just pluck the leaves out, wash them and wipe them clean and dry them with a tea towel or kitchen towel. Once they are dry, Crush the Curry Leaves by grinding them in a mixie in 1 minute turning (Or shall I say in short bursts). just like the above click. Take a wok or a wide pan add 1/4 tsp oil, once it is hot add the seasonings, once the dals change colour, to this add the Crushed Curry Leaves and fry them in a very low flame, keep on frying until they are nicely roasted, just like the above click. It should not loose its colour, but should be dry. Then peel the skin of the Garlic cloves fry them in the same wok for just 2 minutes then grind them in a mixie again with short turns and keep them aside. (sorry forgot to click this step next time I will update). Then as always when I  am using Tamarind I always roast them on stove top, once they are cool I cut them them little pieces so the mixie will not get into problems and them I grinded them, Just once then grind them with curry leaves and keep aside. Then Roast ground nuts remove the skin once they are a bit cool, then as I have told in my earlier post, after the skin is peeled, break them open and remove the pod from each peanut, as they tend to give a bitter taste. just like I have shown above. Grate Jaggery and keep aside (sorry no click will update soon) Grate Dry copra/ Dry coconut, fry them 2 minutes in the same pan without any oil. Once every thing is ready grind the roasted curry leaves with this grind Dry chillies, Roasted Tamarind, Roasted peanuts and Copra. Once they are well grinded together with required quantity of salt, finely add garlic and Jaggery give one more turn in the mixie do not over do it, if you grind garlic too much it becomes like paste, so be careful. Take them out from the mixie, mix them well in a big bowl with your hand or with a spatula so they are well combined together taste and adjust salt. and your very Nutritious Curry leaves powder is ready to eat with hot rice and Ghee… Enjoy I will post few more versions of my curry leaves powder I make… Check out these links to know more about Curry leaves Kusuma Aunty’s version wasn’t too different, as hers was the basic recipe.., what I tweaked about this was I just added Groundnuts, as they have lot of proteins in them. If you want to skip it that makes Kusuma Aunty’s recipe! enjoy however you like…. h ttp://www.prokerala.com/health/medicinal-herbs/curry-leaf.php http://ayurvedichomeremedies.blogspot.com/2011/08/ayurvedic-home-remedies-medicinal-uses_14.html http://www.diabetesmellitus-information.com/diabetes_herbs.htm http://www.health-enz.com/herbs/curryleaf.shtml http://www.diethealthclub.com/health-food/curry-leaves-health-benefits.html http://jaiho-dubai.blogspot.com/2011/07/curry-leaves.html http://www.diethealthclub.com/health-food/curry-leaves-health-benefits.html http://benefitsofindianfood.blogspot.com/2007/03/curry-leaves.html

This colourful post is a celebration of my 2 & 1/2 months of  Smart-Snacks journey, receiving 3 awards   &  a  compliment to all my  41- sorry 42  wonderful fellow friends & each one of you who has visited my space ( one more friend has joined me while I’m writing this post) This recipe is inspired from Anushruti of” Divine Taste.” Being a beet lover when I came across this recipe I knew I had to do it . I have also tried using beetroot in one of my earlier cake recipes & the cake turned out very moist & delicious. ( See Chocolate Beetroot Cake ) . While boiling the beets on one stove I was also making paneer on the adjacent gas stove . So the bright idea struck me…..why not make masala paneer that could be had as a salad and here I go throwing the boiling beet into the curdling milk with a tsp of salt , 1 tsp of cumin powder & 1/2 tsp black pepper powder.  The result is amazing. The most delicious paneer I’ve ever had. Ofcourse I had to dice & boil another beet for the Yogurt. So here goes the Raita  recipe : 2 cups of yogurt 1 beet  / finely chopped & boiled in 1/2 cup of water 1 tsp salt 1 tablespoon coconut powder ( u can use fresh coconut also) 1-2 finely chopped green chilli For Frying : 1/2 tsp oil 2 red whole chilli 1 tsp of mustard seeds 7-8 curry leaves a Pinch of asafoetida Whisk  the yogurt to a smooth paste,  add boiled beets , salt, coconut powder & green chili – mix well. For frying:  Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a small wok, add mustard seeds & let them splutter, add red chili, curry leaves & asafoetida & add it to the yogurt mix. Refrigerate for 2-3 hrs before serving.,resting the yogurt will also bring a very nice  colour to the yogurt. For the Masala paneer Beetroot Cheese) 1 & 1/2 L of milk ( I used whole milk) 1 tablespoon white vinegar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground black pepper Cheese cloth for draining the paneer Method: Bring the milk to a boil , add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar & stir .  Let the milk curdle & the cheese will seperate from the water. Drain some of the water & add the spices. Drain the mixture into a cheese cloth & press out as much water as possible. Wrap cheese in the cheese cloth & place it in a flattened bowl or plate & refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Cut into slices & serve. Eat Healthy & Stay Healthy…….. Jay From “Tasty Appetite” has shared these 4 awards with me. I am totally floored by the graciousness & warmth of my Fellow friends in every respect. Thankyou Jay & Thankyou all for all your beautiful comments & compliments . 

Today is my 25th post & with 7 awards in a row i really wanted to celebrate this occasion with a sweet & simple recipe. Fruit custard is one of my all time favorite desserts , very easy to make with few ingredients , healthy & delicious & the best part is that it can be done in 15 minutes if you are having guests at a very short notice. Not saying too much here goes the recipe for this easy, breezy super delicious dessert. For the custard: 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons custard powder( I have used vanilla flavour) 2 tablespoon sugar 2 cardamom pods 1 tablespoon raisins( kishmis) 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped pistachios For the Jelly: 3 tablespoons  of Jelly Crystals ( I have used cherry flavoured Vegetarian jelly) 1/2 cup water Some fruit of your choice ( I have added raspberries) Method: Bring milk to a boil in a pan, when the milk starts boiling add sugar, cardamom , raisins & nuts  & keep stirring so the milk dosent stick to the pan. Dissolve the custard powder in 1/4 cup of water & add to boiling milk slowly & keep stirring to avoid any lumps . Just stir for 3-4 minutes & turn off the heat. Let the custard cool completely before assembling. For the jelly , boil half cup of water in a pan ( I generally do it in the microwave) Add jelly crystals to the boiled water & stir well until the crystals dissolve completely. Let the jelly mixture cool before adding any fruit. Refrigerate for 25-30 minutes. I have added some raspberries here to the jelly. Jelly can be served as you would like …..just as is or on top of the custard . I have just assembled the dessert in individual portions. You can add any fruit of your choice to the custard. A big thank you to all my dear friends who have supported me all through with all their beautiful compliments. It is your comments & compliments that I feel are a reward for all my efforts to share some of my tried & tested recipes with you . Happy Cooking & keep blogging.

Ingredients: For Samosa pastry: 1.       1 cup all-purpose flour 2.       1 ½   tablespoons semolina 3.       1 ½   tablespoons oil 4.       Salt to taste 5.       Water as needed 6.       1/4 cup water + 1 tablespoon flour Method: 1.       Take 1 tbsp flour and water than make smooth paste. Keep aside. 2.       Combine all the ingredients in bowl, using water and knead    stiff dough. 3.       Cover the dough   in muslin cloth and keep aside for 10 minutes. 4.       Divide the dough into equal golf size ball. 5.       Roll each ball into circle and toast slightly on griddle. 6.       Cover this roti in kitchen towel and put in airtight container.   For Filling: 1.       2 cups boiled and mashed potatoes 2.       1/4 cup split chickpea 3.       1/2 cup green peas (frozen) mashed 4.       1 teaspoon garam masala 5.       1 teaspoon coriander powder 6.       1 tablespoon green chili-ginger paste 7.       1/2 teaspoon turmeric power 8.       1 teaspoon red chili powder or taste 9.       2 tablespoon oil 10.   1 tablespoon mint leaves chopped 11.   1/2 teaspoon tea masala (optional) 12.   1 tablespoon sesame seeds 13.   Salt to taste 14.   1/4 cup coriander leaves chopped Method: ·         Wash and soak split chickpea about one hour than drain the all water. ·         Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add cumin seeds when it splutter add asafetida, red chili powder and sesame seeds. ·         In one bowl add this mixture and other filling ingredients. Mix well. ·         Take one Samosa pastry   should be cut in four part (Triangle shape) and each part   folded. (Following the directions of snaps). ·         Pick this triangle and fold into a cone shape. Brush with paste and sealed the edge. ·         Place about 1 tsp of filling in cone the edge of the brick and then fold across into a triangle, trimming any excess and brush with paste and sealed the edge. ·         Brush with melted butter or cooking spray on both sides of samosas. ·         Place the “samosas” onto a baking sheet or strong sheet of aluminum foil. Bake at 375F / 175C for 15-20 minutes until golden and crispy.   Note: * You can prepare Samosa and can be freeze for a month. * Before freezing bake them enough until samosa changes the color to gold brown. * After samosas are on room temperature bag them in zip lock bags and freeze them.

Rose petal drink Sharbat is a syrup made from fruits or extracts of flowers and herbs. The syrup is diluted with water and served with ice. Some of the Sharbat may not be diluted in water, for Falooda rose syrup is diluted in evaporated milk. The Sharbat may be used to pour over desserts. Sharbat is an aromatic syrup that is diluted with water and served over ice. Sharbat is a cooler beverage served during hot summers in India . Sharbat is derived from Arabic word ‘Sharbah’, meaning ‘a drink’. Sharbat remained a popular beverage of all the Moghul emperors. Up to 1950s, Sharbat were the preferred beverage for poor and rich, and then came the Coca Cola, rest is history.On a hot summer’s day,   frosty glass of Rose Sharbat can really cool you off. Another nice way to have it is in a glass of cold milk. Yummy! Ingrideants:               I.       2 cups Pink rose petals,            II.       1 cup Sugar,          III.       1 tablespoon Lemon juice,         IV.       1/4 teaspoon Cardamom powder,            V.       1/2 cup Fresh pomegranate juice (optional),         VI.       1/2 cup Water,   Method: ·         In pan add sugar and water Than heat till suger is dissolved. ·         Take 1/4 cup warm water and rose petals than crush and make paste. ·         Add cardamom powder and pomegranate juice or beet paste than mix well. ·         Leave this mixture about 4 hours than strain through a very fine sieve. ·         Now add sugar syrup and lime juice and mix well. ·         Store in the fridge for a 15 days.    ·         Pour some syrup in a glass , mix with chilled water and ice than serve. Note: ·         If   you like Rose milkshake than add some syrup in chilled milk and mix well than serve. ·         Coriander leaves, basil leaves and mint leaves take ½ cup and make paste than strain. and take this 1 teaspoon water in one glass of rose drink.     

I’ve been very blog lazy lately.  I made a couple of tasty items, but did I take pictures?  Nope!  I will of the Mushroom Barley Soup and post it, but I’m afraid the Strawberry Ice Cream is long gone. First, the soup.  I belong to the Eat 2 Live Yahoo! group founded by Susan Voisin.  Recently, Susan posted a link to her recipe for Mushroom Barley Soup with Cannellini Beans and Cabbage on her website FatFree Vegan Kitchen .  I had two packages of mushrooms in my refrigerator, so this was the perfect recipe to use one of them. I made this soup using organic mushroom broth to replace the vegetable broth.  Also, I used pinto beans instead of cannellini beans, and I used two cans versus one can.  I upped the mushrooms to 8 oz. of sliced baby bella  mushrooms and I used green cabbage instead of red cabbage.   I don’t ever have sherry in my house.  I had some Tokay Port Wine, but the bottle was unopened and it’s a sweet wine, not a dry wine.  So, I used 2 tablespoons of Pinot Noir instead.  No, it’s not the driest of wines, but the measurement was small and I figured it would do in a pinch.  I don’t have spicy hot paprika, so I just used a teaspoon of the smoked paprika that I do have and added some red cayenne pepper and dried jalapeno flakes.  It had enough of a kick. The soup is very thin and very light.  Normally, one wouldn’t think soup would be an ideal meal in June, but it’s been rainy and in the mid 60′s here in Chicago, so it worked.  I like the lightness of the soup as it saves on calories.  I wouldn’t make this soup in the coldest winter months unless I altered the recipe to make it into a creamy mushroom soup.  It’s a good cool summer day soup. I’ve been on a frosty dessert kick for the past couple of weeks in a determined attempt to use my ice cream maker more often.  After reading through several dozen ice cream recipes, I settled on Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream by David Lebovitz. I altered the recipe a bit as I don’t buy rice milk.  I decided to use 3/4 cup unsweetened original almond milk and 3/4 cup SO Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer.  Instead of honey, I used agave and I used slightly more than 1 1/2 pounds of organic strawberries. The ice cream was icier than commercial ice creams.  I thought the texture was between ice cream and a sherbert.  The strawberry flavor was more pronounced than in commercial ice creams. The appearance was very close to the picture on David Lebovitz’s recipe page.  It was a very deep pink.  I did have leftovers and it froze very well.  While the ice cream did get a bit hard, it wasn’t like a rock and 30 seconds at 60% power in the microwave softened it to perfection. I did a nutritional analysis on the version I made and the calorie count was under 170 calories per CUP.  It was about half of the calories of the watermelon sorbet I made a couple of weeks ago.  Shocking!  That was just an added bonus to an already tasty treat.  I’ll be making this recipe again.  My next frosty treat adventure will be some type of vanilla ice cream.  I have some Newman O’s and I think I’ll throw some of those in during the last 5 or 10 minutes of processing to make Cookies and Cream Ice Cream.  I promise to take pictures of that.

I bought the Vegan Diner: Classic Comfort Food for the Body & Soul .  I received it a couple of weeks ago, but haven’t made anything out of it.  Today, I decided to make Herbed Breakfast Sausage Patties .  I don’t know why I wanted to make it as I’ve never been a big breakfast sausage fan, but I was looking for a tofu breakfast scramble and it just sounded good when I ran across the recipe. This sausage dough was incredibly easy to make.  I loved the fact that all but 3 ingredients were whisked together. Then I only had to whisk the water, olive oil, and soy sauce (I used low sodium Tamari) and just stir it into the dry ingredients with a fork. I used a coffee scoop to measure out the dough into 1/8 cup increments.  I don’t have a small burger press, so I just used my hand to flatten the dough mounds into patties.  They came out fine.  I think part of the charm of breakfast sausage patties is that they aren’t perfect patties when made at home. I used my Wolfgang Puck Rice Cooker with the 3 stainless steel steamer trays to steam the patties.  I steamed the patties in the top steamer tray for 10 more minutes after removing the patties in the lower trays just to make sure they were done.  This rice cooker was an excellent investment and relatively cheap.  I only paid $50 for the entire set.  At the time of purchase, I had no idea I would stop eating meat and would use it repeatedly to make steaming seitan a snap! So, the recipe says to let the sausage patties cool completely before removing them from the foil.  Then, the patties should be refrigerated, preferably overnight, before pan frying and consuming.  I removed the patties from the steaming trays and put them on a cookie rack to cool. OK, did you think that I would make these on a Sunday morning and follow the directions exactly?  Ummm … NO!   Hey, it was Sunday morning.  What better time to eat breakfast sausage???? I threw one into my trusty skillet and browned it to perfection.  One thing I did learn from browning these is that it would have been better if I had used a flat surface, instead of my hand, when forming the patties.  While the bottom of the patties is flat, the tops are not making it brown unevenly on one side.  Of course, that did NOT affect the taste. Herbed Breakfast Sausage with Pancakes and Earth Balance I asked my oldest son if he wanted a vegan sausage patty.  His response was exactly one word, “YUCK!”  However, he did say that the sausage patties smell like regular sausage patties and he didn’t know how that was possible.  :::chuckle:::  My response, you ask?  I replied, “That’s because I’m a great cook!”  He agreed. This recipe actually yielded 15 sausages for me.  I think using the coffee measuring cup helped with that.  The sage flavor is very strong.  I thought with adding 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, the sausages might be too spicy, but they aren’t spicy at all.  It’s been years since I had breakfast sausage, but from my memory, these taste close.  I’ll definitely be freezing the dozen I have left for future use and I’ll definitely make this recipe again.  It’s easy, quick, and yields great results! A post blog entry note:  I did a nutritional analysis on these patties based on the 15 that I got from the recipe.  The results are per patty:  61 calories, 13 from fat; 1g fat; no saturated or trans fats; no cholesterol; 226mg sodium; 5g carbohydrate, 1g fiber; 7g protein.

As I write this, I am attempting to come up with a name, for this dish.  It came about because I had a cup of cottage cheese and some dill dip to use up.  Anything leftover has to find a purpose.  I added an egg and mixed it up and baked.  I thought it was good but I am not sure what it is. It is soft like a pudding and it wiggles even when just sitting still.  It has the tangy flavor of the dill and the cottage cheese smooths out completely.  I guess, it is Dilly Wiggles. Dilly Wiggles Ingredients: 1 cup cottage cheese 2 teaspoons store-bough dill dip 1 egg dash of black pepper  (You could use red pepper flakes for a bit of color and a little sting.) Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients together. Bake 20 – 30 minutes until is wiggly set and is browning.  You will have to judge what wiggly set is.  :) I ate this as a light snack. Linked to Things that Make You go Mmmmm.

These are truly, the best corn cakes, I have ever had.  I have made a variety of corn cakes, over the years, and loved them.  Despite, how well, they all turned out, these were even better.   I got this from the Internet and I can’t find the recipe, at this moment.  If anyone has seen it, please let me know.  It was featured yesterday by a major site. Cheesy Corn Cakes   (adapted) Makes about 3 dozen Ingredients: 21/2 cups of frozen corn 2 eggs 3/4 cup milk 1 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 cup gluten-free flour 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal 1 cup smoked mozzarella cheese, grated 1 cup white Cheddar Cheese 2 tablespoons chopped chives 1 teaspoon white pepper Method: Mix the first four ingredients together. Stir together flour and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in corn mixture just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon 1/4 cup batter for each cake onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or large nonstick skillet to form 2-inch cakes (do not flatten cakes). Cook cakes 3 to 4 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.  Turn and cook other sides 2 to 3 minutes.

Hello Every one..once again a Happy Diwali all of u….. I am back with another Diwali sweet….as this time i prepared different sweets for all the 3 days of Diwali…yesterday we had final day celebration with nice and heavy festive lunch and lots of crackers and Diyas in the night time….My kid was so exited for crackers….so we enjoyed a lot..I hope you all do enjoy the festival.. Now coming to the sweet…its a very traditional sweet of our community in south Karnataka(a Place in India).my granny prepare this very very well….even though i like this holige..i never tried it by my own…so this time decided to prepare this kind of holige this year (as last year I had prepared Bele (Lentil) holige) I hope you all will try this ,,,,,or many of you know this sweet…..for me this is the first time I am preparing it by my own…but don’t worry..the result was very very good…my family loved it… Ingredients: For filling: Fresh shredded coconut(of one full) or u can used the same quantity of dry coconut Beaten rice one handful(soak in 1 cup water and drain before grinding) Gaggery around 1/4 kg(or as per taste) cardamon 4-5(powdered) for cover: Self growing flour/all purpose flour(maida) 1 1/4 cup Turmeric 1/2 tsp Coconut oil 1/2 cup(adjust according to requirement) war,m water 1/4 glass to prepare dough(use only as much required) cooking oil or coconut oil for rolling holige around 1/2 cup(I have used sunflower oil) Silver foil sheet for rolling How to prepare: Covering: Sift Self growing flour and Turmeric in a bowl mix well then add 1/2 cup of coconut oil to this and mix well in hand.Once the oil is mixed with flour properly add half portion of water(from 1/4 glass) and knead the flour gently to prepare the soft dough(use more water if required).The dough should be more soft as compare to chapati dough.Do not use dry flour if it is sticky,apply coconut oil (or can use cooking oil)on your palm and knead the dough.and keep covered for 40 mins for resting. Filling: Add the shredded coconut,and beaten rice(soaked and drained) in blender, add little (warm) water and just make coarse paste(not very smooth paste). Take a heavy bottom pan add this paste, cardamom powder and jaggary to it and turn on the heat(low) and cook till it will become non-sticky or when u touch it in a wet hand it wont be sticky..instead you can make balls from that(it will take apprx around 1 hour and 45 mins) you should be keep on stirring in once five mins to avoid lumps and burn of the bottom of the pan. Then once it is done turn of the heat and keep aside to get cool..(it may takes 30 mins to 40 mins)… Once it is cool…make around 15-16 equal parts of balls from this….. Take out the covering dough and knead it for 2-3 mins by applying oil to your palm and make 15-16 balls from this dough also(keep this balls in a greased plate) (even though the above looks bigger in size in the picture,this balls will almost half the size compare to filling balls). Take a small dough ball(made for covering) flatten it by hand,keep big dough ball(made for stuffing) in the middle and cover with the outer portion dough and prepare holige ball covered with stuffing(apply oil to ur fingers while preparing this). Now apply oil on the silver foil, keep a holige ball(apply on top of the ball) and roll it gently and care fully. Otherwise it will stick everywhere or the filling will come outside and will become mess.(Roll as big as normal roti). Heat tava in medium flame, Once it is hot transfer the holige(along with the foil sheet) on tava, and slowly take of the sheet carefully(so that u can use the same sheet for the next holige) and turn on the other side(here also you should be very care full ). and again after 30-35 seconds turn on the other side.Like this once both sides are cooked properly transfer it on a plate…….Kaai Holige is ready … Ready for pooja…. …..once it is completely cool…store in a big flat bottom container(u can also store this container in fridge for long stay)it will stay till 2 weeks… Serving: Transfer one or two holige in a serving plate melt ghee(clarified butter)(or u can use with out melted ghee) sprinkle 1 or 2 tsp on top of the holige and serve ..usually this sweet will be served during festive lunch as main sweet…. http://anuzhealthykitchen.blogspot.com/2011/08/diwali-festival-of-lights-event-aug.html glitter-graphics.com