Yum! Yum! Yum!

Call it a Bread or Loaf or Coffee Cake, when i saw picture of this Pineapple Praline Bread in my FB news feed during quarantine times, it won my heart and My daughter fell for it as it is made with "Pineapple" ( her favorite fruit). We have lot of Pineapples handy at home at the edge of getting ripen, so we took this recipe as a perfect opportunity to put those pineapple and lockdown time to good use. And in this recipe there is no butter or oil used, all the greatness of taste comes purley from the fresh crushed pineapple. This recipe is so simple and you can find all the ingredients in your pantry and preparation is also as easy as dump everything, mix it and bake it to perfection, hence it is so apt to make it with your kids or let them experiment on their own if you have tweens/teenagers at home. Here is the recipe, Njoy

Pineapple Praline Loaf Cake

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour - 2 cups
Baking Soda - 1 tsp
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Eggs - 2
Sugar - 1 cup
Crushed Pineapple - 1 can (15oz) ( I have used fresh pineapple)
Pecans - 1 cup ( chopped and divided) (Optional)

For Praline Sauce:
Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup

Adapted from: Manila Spoon


Method:

1. Pre-Heat Oven to 350 F.  Grease Loaf pan with butter or PAM spray
2. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl (APF, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt)
3. Combine Eggs, Sugar and crushed pineapple in another bowl.
4. Pour wet mixture to dry ingredients and fold well until everything is incorporated. (Don't beat or overdo mixing)
5. Add 1/2 of Pecan Chopped Nuts into batter and fold gently.
6. Pour this mixture into loaf pan, top with remaining chopped pecans and bake until 40 - 50 min until toothpick comes out clean
7. Cool the Loaf cake in pan for 10 min once it is out of the oven, slice it up and serve with Coffee.

Before Praline Sauce Topping

With Praline Sauce Topping

My hubby who is not so much Pineapple lover, munched on this until it is done, Go figure! Hands down to this recipe, I will be going to make this quite often, knowing how simple it is plus chance to infuse more fruit to my sweet tooth family! Shhhhh....!

This bite is so moist and Delicious...! Nom..Nom.. Nom..!

Other Baking Recipes with Fruit you may enjoy:

• Orange Blueberry Loaf Cake
• Nutella Swirled Banana Bread
• Simple Orange Loaf Cake
• Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Will be back with another simple baking recipe
Stay tuned until we meet here next time.
Keep Smiling and Spread the Joy!
-Mythreyi

I got introduced to Kandi Chutney in my inter college days, they used to serve this in my college hostel in Nellore. Mom always makes chutneys with vegetables but never made with lentils. So i never got a chance to explore this. Usually this chutney comes handy when you don't have any vegetables (not even Onion, Tomato) at hand but need to make chutney. So this COVID quarantine is the perfect time that enforced me to try this chutney as I am out of vegetables. The recipe is very simple it was on hot seat on the menu today. It won everybody's heart, try this for yourself, it goes well with Idli, Dosa or White Rice. Here is the recipe, Njoy!

Kandi Pachadi

Ingredients:
Toor Dal ( Kandi Pappu) - 1/3 cup
Red Chili - 5 to 6
Coriander Seeds - 2 Tbsp
Garlic - 3 cloves (optional)
Tamarind - 1 Tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Water - 2 to 3 Tbsp (as required)

Tempering Ingredients:
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Red Chilli - 1
Chana Dal - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves -  6 to 10

Method:

1. First dry roast Red Chili and Coriander Seeds for 2 min and keep them aside in a plate.
2. Dry roast Toor Dal for 2 min and keep them aside in a plate
3. First grind Red Chili, Coriander Seeds, Garlic in the mixie jar. Add roasted tour dal and grind until it becomes fine powder. Add Tamarind and grind one more time with little water. Add salt and grind again (it becomes like paste now). Taste and adjust the salt.
4. Transfer to a bowl. Make tempering and add tempering to the chutney in bowl and serve with hot white rice and some ghee. 

Tempering:
Heat Oil in the non-stick pan, once oil is hot, add red chili, followed by Chana dal, Urad Dal, Cumin Seeds, Mustard Seeds and saute for 2 min until mustard splutter. Then add curry leaves, switch off the stove and add tempering to the chutney.

Tour Dal Chutney

Will be back with another quick and traditional recipe
Take care until we meet again!
Keep Smiling and Spread the Joy!
-Mythreyi 

Today I am bringing you a super simple and easy yellow rice recipe, that goes well with any meat or vegetable dish. This rice is loaded with turmeric and garlic herbs and spices that has medicinal values, makes this dish bold in color, delicious in taste and good for your gut. And this is very simple recipe can happen in jiffy effortlessly. Do you need any other reason not to make this recipe! ;-) Here is the recipe, Njoy!



 Yellow Rice is a basic recipe that is popular in Spain, Latin, Mediterranean, Indian, Indonesian regions. This rice is flavored with Turmeric or Saffron spices that are popular in those regions. The flavor is very mild and subtle that this can be paired with several other sides dishes.




Ingredients:
Long Grain Rice - 2 cups (raw)
Butter - 1 Tbsp
Vegetable Oil - 1 Tbsp
Garlic - 5 to 6 cloves
Onion - 1/2 medium (finely chopped)
Salt - 1 to 2 tsp (according to your taste)
Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp
Black Pepper - 1 tsp (freshly ground)
Vegetable Broth - 4 Cups ( or Water)
Cilantro - 2 Tbsp
Butter - 1 Tbsp (for topping, optional)

Preparation:

• Finely chop onion into small pieces
• Remove peel on garlic cloves and mince them
• Wash rice under luke warm water and drain in colander allowing to fully drain

Method:

1. Heat Sauce pan/pot and add butter to it followed by Oil, give it a min for butter to melt.
2. Add finely chopped onion and minced garlic to oil, let the oil infuse with flavors.
3. Add rice to pot and coat well with oil. Add turmeric powder to rice and mix well until every grain is coated. Add 4 cups of Vegetable broth or Water to the pot. Add salt to the pot, followed by freshly ground black pepper. Mix everything well.
4. Close the lid and let it simmer for 15 to 18 min, until rice is fully cooked and done.
5. Switch off the stove, add finely chopped cilantro leaves on top of rice, fluff it up with fork. Top with some more butter on top of rice and leave it on stove for 4 more min. (no need to on the stove). (Adding butter is optional, you can totally skip this step)
6. Yellow Rice is ready now, transfer to serving bowl and serve with any vegetable gravy or meat dish. 

Tips:

• Minced garlic in this rice not only adds lot of flavor but also loads good medicinal values.
• If you are using vegetable broth, use salt sparingly, as broth has some salt already. 
• If you din't have vegetable broth handy, you can use Water. 
• Adding butter at the end is optional, it gives a nice glossy touch to your rice, makes it even more fluffier and shiny. 
• We are heavy rice eaters, hence i made 2 cup batch, if you need to make for less servings, you can follow the same recipe with 1 cup rice, by cutting down all other ingredients to half. 

You can serve in lunch boxes as well to make it colorful. I have loaded with Yellow Rice, Mini Tacos, Black Beans to create Mexican combo lunch box. :-)

Will bring another simple and easy recipe soon
Take care until then, keep smiling and spread the joy!
-Mythreyi

Today I am presenting the simple recipe of Muffins that are filled with mini chocolate chips, that you can make from scratch with simple ingredients that are available in your pantry. This is such a simple recipe that your kids can make on their own with minimal guidance. Today kept the quarantine time to best use by making these muffins with my little man. Had loads of fun and bonding time in kitchen with my son, definitely made few long lasting memories. When Life throws lemons at you, make lemonade out of it. When COVID gives Quarantine time, make the best memories out of it while you are locked down at home is the best time for family bonding. Here is the recipe, Njoy!



Ingredients:
All purpose flour (APF) - 3 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Baking Powder - 2 tsp
salt - 1/2 tsp
Milk Chocolate chips - 1 1/2 cups
Butter - 1 /2 cup ( 1 stick, unsalted, at room temp)
Vegetable Oil - 1/2 cup
Eggs - 3
Milk - 1 1/2 cup
Vanilla Extract - 2 tsp

Adapted from :The Country Cook

Method:

1. Mix Dry Ingredients: Take a wide bowl, add APF, Sugar, Baking Powder, salt and mix well. Then add chocolate chips and fold them together. keep it a side. 
2. Mix Wet Ingredients: Take a wide bowl add butter and melt it ( microwave for 30 sec). Add oil, eggs, milk and whisk well together. Add in vanilla extract and whisk again. 
3. Pour the wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold and up & down, until everything is combined and moistened, becomes like batter. 
4. Pre-heat oven to 375F
5. Line Muffin Tray with cup cake liners in baking sheet. Fill with batter in cup cake liner (up to 3/4 way)
6. Muffin tray goes in Oven and Bake for 15 to 18 minutes
7. Take them out when the toothpick comes out clean, allow them to cool for 2 min and enjoy the  cup cakes or muffins right away! 

Tips:

• Add few chocolate chips on top of the batter in each cup cake before they go oven, that makes it best presentation when they come out of oven (clearly i have missed that as i am out of choco chips)
• As i have few milk chocolate chips at hand, i have mixed in white chocolate chips as well. 
• If you want to cut down on sweet, you can add brown sugar in place of white sugar. I have used Turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw, brand)
• These are best, very easy to make, no need to fuss with topping or anything. Will be a good to-go breakfast or snacks. 

take a peek inside, so fluffy and filled with small choco chip morsels!

Hope you have enjoyed this quick and easy baking recipe!
Keep Smiling and Spread the joy, Take care until we meet again!
-Mythreyi

Today I am brining a perfect recipe for your Lunchbox, that can keep good use of your left over rice and excess coriander (Cilantro) leaves at hand. Usually in states you get 3 or 4 packs of Cilantro bunch for a dollar at India Stores, and with out any hesitance i buy all the 3 or 4 bunches that comes. Then at home, at least half goes waste as it goes bad beyond 7 to 10 days. Now this recipe rescues your excess Cilantro and that results in wonderful lunchbox recipe as well. Here is the Coriander Recipe, Njoy!





Ingredients:
Rice - 2 cups (uncooked basmati rice) or ( 4 cups cooked rice)
Coriander Leaves - Cilantro Bunch - 1
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Ghee - 1 Tbsp ( or Butter)
Clove - 2
Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon - 3
Shazeera - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 medium
Green Chili - 3 to 4
Mint Leaves - 10
Salt - 2 tsp ( per your taste)
Lime Juice - 2 tsp
Cashew Nuts - 5 to 6 Whole (Optional)

Preparation:

• If you are using left over rice, break it apart to make sure each grain is separate and microwave it for 1 min. 
• Cook 2 cups Basmati Rice with 3.5 cups water until each grain is separate and cooked fully, spread cooked rice in a wide plate. 
• Wash Cilantro, drain and chop roughly and grind to smooth paste adding some water in mixie grinder or blender. 
• Chop Onions into thinly slices. Chop green chilies length wise into thin slices.

Method:

1. Heat non-stick pan, add Oil, followed by Ghee or butter. Once butter melts, add Clove, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Shazeera. Saute spices for  2 min, allowing oil to get flavored. 
2. Now add thinly sliced onion to pan, and saute until onion is soft and caramelized. Add green chili slices, followed by chopped mint leaves. Add 1 tsp salt and mix well. 
3. Add Cashew nuts now if you are using; and Add Cilantro paste to pan and mix with onion and spices. 
4. Add cooked rice to pan and mix with cilantro paste, fold rice up and down until it is coated with green paste. Add 1 tsp salt to rice and mix gently. Add lime juice to rice and coat well. 
5. By now the rice gets bright green color and looks beautiful. Now taste and adjust any salt or seasoning. 
6. Switch off the stove, top with few cilantro springs, leave on stove for 5 min, then transfer to serving bowl and serve immediately with cool cucumber or onion raita. 

Check out other Green Recipes:

• Dil Flavored Green Rice
• Mint Herbed Rice
• Poblano Pepper Cilantro Rice

Will be back another variety and/or lunchbox recipe,
until then take care and Stay Happy!
Keep Smiling and Spread the Joy!
-Mythreyi