Category: RECIPES

Dates & Vermicelli Halwa

This is one of my favourite desserts. My family loves it without extra sugar and so I prefer to skip the sugar part and I choose to increase the quantity of dates to get the natural sweetness.

Vermicelli – 1 cup(Roasted using a little ghee)

Hot water – 1 cup.

Dates chopped into long bits – 1/2 cup

Raisins – 1 table spoon

Almonds – 2 slivered

Walnuts – 3 to 4 chopped

Cashew nut bits – 1 spoon

Brown sugar – 1/4 cup

Ghee- – 1/4 cup.(warm)

Cardamom – 3 to 4 pods skinned and powdered.

Take a little ghee in a pan and roast the vermicelli on low heat and keep aside.

Roast the dry fruits in the same pan and keep aside.

Add a cup of hot water to the pan and then add the roasted vermicelli and cook on a closed lid for about 5 minutes.

When it’s done add ghee and the dry fruits. Mix well and lastly mix in the brown sugar and powdered cardamom. Mix well and the halwa is ready.

namithaskitchen

Cabbage k Raw Mango Salad

Red Cabbage or purple cabbage as it is called has a distinct peppery flavour and is best eaten raw or braised.

Once sautéed or braised it gets a sweetish taste.

Tried this salad today and was quite glad that I made it. The flavour of the salad was tangy due to the raw mangoes and sweet due to the shredded cabbage . The toasted sunflower seeds gave the crunch. Overall we loved it.

Ingredients:

Purple cabbage shreds – 1/4 cup

White cabbage shreds – 1/4 cup

Raw Mango – thinly sliced into bits

black salt – As per one’s taste.

Lemon juice – 1/4 spoon.

Green chillies – slices finely.

Hot boiling water – 2 cups.

Sun flower seeds -2 table spoon

Cumin powder -1/2 t spoon.

Coriander leaves – 1 spoon finely sliced.

Method:

Boil 2 cups of water and drop in the white and purple cabbage . Let it blanch for a minute.

Remove them within a minuets and transfer it to a colander.

Now put them in cold water so that they are not overcooked but crunchy.

In a mixing bowl add black salt, lemon drops, finely chopped green chillies and cumin powder.

Mix well and then mix in blanched red and white cabbage along with the mango bits.

Add half an onion finely sliced and mix well.

Garnish with coriander leaves and toasted sunflower seeds.

Enjoy them cold or as is.

namithaskitchen

Straw Mushrooms Masala

Make most of the mushrooms when available in abundance.

Tried these Straw Mushrooms Masala with coloured peppers. Was very happy with the unique and creamy masala. Rich, creamy and delicious.

Do try them. I am sure you will love it.

Ingredients:

Onions-2 chopped

Straw Mushrooms chopped-about 8-10

Tomatoes-2 small chopped.

Red and Yellow Capsicum – Half a piece of each peppers.

(Apply oil all over the capsicum and roast the capsicum for a minute over direct flame or on a tava. Chop them into big bits and keep aside.

Chilli powder(coarse)- 1 spn

Turmeric powder – 1/4 spn

Green Chilli – 1 fine chopped

Salt to taste.

Kasuri methi-1/4 spn

Milk-1/2 cup

Cashew nut 4-5 soaked

Oil – 3 tablespoons

Garlic-10 cloves(roasted on tava or direct flame and then peeled.

Method:

Take some oil in a pan and add in the chopped onions, soaked cashew nuts and garlic and saute them till its pinkish and then add in the chopped tomatoes.

Grind the mixture in a mixie adding half cup of milk.

In the same kadai add the remaining oil and chopped green chillies, haldi and chilli powder and then the chopped mushrooms and the ground masala. Mix well and cook for about 3 mins.

Add in the chopped capsicums and switch off the flame

namithaskitchen

Tomato & Mint Chutney

This chutney is finger licking good and I enjoy it with almost anything. Rice, roti, bread and porridge.

Porridge being my comfort food.

Do try out and let me know how you liked it….,

ingredient’s

Grated Coconut-1 handful

Tomatoes-2

Green chillies-2

Red roasted chillies-2

Onion-1

Garlic -4-5 cloves

Ginger1/2” piece

Mint leaves-2-3 sprigs

Coriander leaves-1 handful.

Ghee-2 tablespoons

Salt as per taste

Method:

Heat ghee and add in the sliced onions, ginger, garlic, green and red chillies,coriander leaves and the mint leaves and sauté till it is well roasted.

Now add in the sliced tomatoes(deseeded)

Sauté again until it’s well cooked and gives an aroma.

Takes about five minutes on medium flame.

Allow to cool.

Now add salt as per taste and 1/ 4 cup of water and grind the masala to a smoothie paste.

For tempering

Mustard-1/4 spoon

Coconut oil-2 tablespoons

Curry leaves.

Transfer the ground chutney to a bowl and add the tempering and mix well.

Can be had with dosa, idli or even in sandwiches.

namithaskitchen

Wheat & Oats Cookies.

Lockdown has led to cravings for sweets and savouries.

Tried these delish looking cookies and they tasted heavenly!!!

The aroma that filled the kitchen was so refreshing and tempting that within minutes of baking the cookies disappeared.

My family loved them so very much.

Would bake more of such cookies with some variations…….

Ingredients:

Wheat flour – 3/4 cup

Oats flour -1/4 cup

Butter – 1/4 cup

Almonds bits – 2 table spoons.

Vanilla essence – 1 small spoon.

Jaggery powder – 1/2 cup.

Baking powder – 1/2 t spoon.

Salt – less than a quarter spoon.

Milk – 1.5 spoon.(Room temperature)

Method:

In a deep bowl pass the wheat flour, oats flour and baking soda through a sieve and sift them twice.

This step is important to get a good texture.

You may use the normal oats and powder them.

Keep the sifted dry ingredients aside.

Now in another deep bowl, beat the melted butter slowly using the manual beater.

Add the jaggery and beat until it gets fluffy.

This will take less than five minutes.

Now add the vanilla essence and salt.

Now slowly add the sifted flour to the butter and sugar mixture and make a dough using the milk.

Divide the dough into 12 to 13 small balls.

Flatten the balls with the help of your palms.

Now grease the baking tray and keep a parchment paper on it.

Place the slightly flattened cookie balls on the parchment paper leaving an inch of space as they rise a bit while baking.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees for 10 minutes.

Now bake the cookies at 170 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes.

Allow to cool and then store them in airtight jars .

Enjoy them with family , with tea coffee or milk.

Note:

You may use plain or brown sugar in place of jaggery.

namithaskitchen2 Comments

Pointed Gourd Rolls

Pointed Gourd also known a Parwal is mostly grown in india and some of the Asian countries.

It aids digestion, detoxifies the body and also purifies the blood.

It has many health benefits and is easy to cook. It’s rich in vitamin C sand B. Helps aid digestion.

Today I tried making some pointed gourd rolls which I was glad I tried. It turned out perfect and yummy. My family enjoyed them.

Ingredients:

Milk Powder – 1 cup

Powdere sugar – 2 table spoons.

Ghee – 2 table spoons

Cardamom powder – 1/2 spoon

Pista flakes – 2 table spoons

Pointed gourd – 4

Soda bi carbonate -1/4 spoon

Water – 1 cup

Cashew nut powdered – 2 spoons

Milk – 1/2 cup( cold )

Method:

Peel the pointed gourd and slice them into tiny bits.

Add them to boiling water to which soda bicarbonate is added.

Blanch them for 2-3 minutes and drain the water.

This step is essential to retain the green colour of the pointed gourd.

Now put them in cold water for a minute and strain them. Pat them dry on a dry cloth or tissue.

In a bowl add the cup of milk powder and ghee.

With the help of your fingers lightly rub the mixture to get a grainy texture.

Once it turns grainy in texture add in the powdered sugar, cardamom powder, cashew powder and the blanched pointed gourd bits.

Now add in the milk spoon by spoon to get a soft dough.

Heat a pan and sauté the mixture for 5-6 mins on low heat until the mixture turns into a ball and leaves the pan

You may grease your hand with some ghee so that it does not get sticky.

Wrap the dough in a foil or cling film and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes.

Roll each piece over the slivered pista or pista flakes.

Refrigerate for another half and hour or so.

Please note the amount of milk to knead may be less than what is mentioned.

Also you may increase the sugar as per your preference.

namithaskitchen