Yum! Yum! Yum!

When It comes to meeting the Team whether it is in Dallas or Bangalore, It does not stop me from indulging them with treats in order to appreciate team's efforts towards our product, more over I believe Food always brings people together and adds little fun to the team. and When it is Homemade, it's really special for them. :-) As my team has sweet tooth (unlike me),  I wanted to make something sweet and chocolaty, but I also wanted it to be quick. Oh Boy, That's the real challenge for me then! At that time, Aarathi's No Bake Choco Bars recipe comes to my rescue. I have made some variations by adding Walnuts to the original recipe. Here is the recipe, Enjoy!



Ingredients:
Condensed Milk - 400 g ( 1 can)
Butter - 100 g
Cocoa Powder ( Unsweetened) - 4 Tbsp
Vanilla Essence - 2 tsp
Walnuts ((chopped)) - 1/2 cup
Mary Biscuits - 30




Method:

1. First break the biscuits roughly and grind them into rough textured powder. 
2. Take a Non-stick pan and Add the Butter, Condensed Milk, Cocoa Powder and Vanilla Essence.
3. Heat the Pan Stove with medium heat, stir it until the butter melts completely. and Mix it very well.
4. Take it off from heat and add the Biscuit Mixture and Walnuts. mix it well so that it forms like a sticky dough.
5. Take a Pan and place Parchment Paper or Aluminium foil. Spread this dough evenly in the pan.
6. Chill it in the Fridge and wait patiently for an hour or two.
7. Take it out and cut into squares, serve with ice cream or as it is.

By looking at the title you must be confused, or wondering about my absent mind, instead of Guava Fruit Juice did i made the Chutney!!!!!! Don't worry, I am completely in my senses, what you saw is right. :-) There is a saying that if you add proper portions of Salt and Spices, even the Grass can be a new Dish. I think the Chef's in India are really turning Creative to make the above statement true. As you may know, Obviously this is not my Idea, but Recently When I went for wedding, I have witnessed this new Chutney made with this Wonderful Tropical Fruit Guava.  When they are serving, this chutney, I have asked several times 'Is this really made with Guava?' or did i heard it wrong. (Who can imagine, you can make a chutney with this rare fruit.) After they confirmed, I have tasted it and surprised that it is very tasty and could not make it out that it made with a fruit. So I remembered all the flavors then to bring this to my blog readers. After coming home experimented this Chutney in my kitchen and presenting it for you, Today. This recipe is same as any other chutney recipe, you have to be just bold enough to use the Guava here. :-) Here is the recipe,Enjoy!

Guava Chutney

Ingredients:

Guava - 2 small
garlic - 4 cloves
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
green chili - 2
tamarind - 1 Tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
sugar - 1 tsp
lime juice or vinegar - 1 tsp
salt - 1 tsp ( according to your taste)

and

Tempering Ingredients


Method:
1. Cut the stems of guava on top and bottom , Wash and pat dry them
2. Cut into 4 slices and remove the seeds part. and cut the wedges into small cubes.
3. Heat oil in the non stick pan, add cumin seeds.
4. followed by garlic, green chili and tamarind.
5. Add the guava cubes to pan and fry it for 3 min.
6. Add the Sugar and simmer for 1 more min.
7. Let this mixture cool and grind all the ingredients in the mixie along with salt and lime juice. ( use water little as needed)
9. Now Take it into a serving bowl and top with Tempering.

To get the Goodness of this, Serve this over Hot White Rice with Ghee. Hmmm Yum, Yum...

Note:

• Sugar and Lime Juice will remove the tartness of Guava.
• You have to pick the Raw Guava ( not the ripe one)
• The texture of this chutney will be little rough compare to other chutneys. This feels similar to Chintakaya Pachadi (Raw Tamarind Chutney).
• If you use pink Guavas, you will light pink color in your chutney. ( But i prefer white Guavas for this)

Take Care until next time we meet here..
-Mythreyi

Until we meet here again..Have Fun in the Kitchen,
-Mythreyi

If I have to cook Methi ( Fenugreek) Leaves, other than Dal, Aloo Methi is one quite common dish in my kitchen. Not sure, if Potato hides the bitterness of Methi or Methi enhances the taste of Potato, but the combination is always awesome. Today I have bought these small, cute round baby potatoes, and then I had to darn the experimental hat to come up with something innovative. Usually Dum Aloo is the spicy and tangy curry that you can make with these baby potatoes. By following the same spices that used in Dum Aloo,  and with the addition of methi leaves, Today this 'Dum Aloo Methi Rice' Dish has happened . Check it out and Here is the Recipe...

Dum Aloo Methi Rice

Ingredients:
Baby Potatoes -  8
Methi Leaves - 1 cup
Cooked Rice - 4 cups

For Marination:
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Curry Powder - 2 tsp
salt - 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp
salt - 2 tsp
black pepper - 1 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chili - 1
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Clove - 2
cinnamon - 1 stick
cardamon - 1
green chili - 2
Red Onion - 1 medium

Preparatory Steps:

• Boil the Baby potatoes until they are soft. You can pressure cook for up to 1 whistle for medium soft.
• If they are Red potatoes i usually leave the skin, as Potato skin has good nutrition values.
• Separate the Methi leaves from stems, wash and drain them.

Method:

1. First make slight slits to boiled baby potatoes. 
2. Take yogurt in wide bowl, mix in Curry Powder, salt and Red Chili Powder. and add the baby potatoes and marinate them for 30 min. 
3. Take a non stick pan, add Oil. Once the oil is hot, add red chilies, cumin seeds, clove, cinnamon, cardamom. 
4. After 1 min, Add  ginger garlic paste, followed by green chili and chopped onions.  
5. Saute Onions for 2 min, Add 1 tsp salt and black pepper. then, Add the Methi ( fenugreek) leaves. 
6. Once the leaves wilted, add the marinated potatoes to the pan. Mix it well until all the spices are well coated. 
7. Now add the cooked rice to the pan. Add remaining salt and Mix the rice together with vegetables. ( do it gently so that potatoes won't get mashed). Taste and adjust all the seasonings. 

Note:

• As the Yogurt and Potato softens all the spices, you can serve this rice as it is ( with out any side or Raita).
• If you don't have curry powder handy, you can add 1 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of coriander powder and 1/2 tsp of cumin powder.

Take care until we meet here again
Ba Bye
-Mythreyi

These days I got bored of eating bread toast  or bread omelet for breakfast, these two are my easy peasy power breakfast options though. Today I wanted some crunch and munch in my breakfast. The Fresh Babycorn from yesterday's grocery shopping gave some hints that I have to make something out of it. and That's how this recipe got invented in my kitchen. This recipe  is not as elaborated as Manchurian, but it walks in those steps but with out much usage of sauces with preservatives. So it turns out be healthy, quick, different and Tasty in your Breakfast Plate. Here is the recipe, Enjoy!

Bread Manchuria

Ingredients:
Onion - 1/2 medium
Green Chili - 2
Tomato -1 medium
Baby corn - 5
Bell Pepper - 1 medium
Whole Grain Bread Slice-2

Oil - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
salt - 1 tsp
black pepper - 1/2 tsp
garlic - 2 cloves
soy sauce - 1 tbsp
Hot chili Sauce - 1 tsp

spring onions - 1 Tbsp ( for garnish)


Method:
Cut all the vegetables and Bread Slices as thin strips with equal consistency.

Heat the Oil in the non stick pan. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, followed by garlic, onions and green chili. Once the onions are sauted, add tomato slices and stir them on high.Tomatoes oozes all the juices and it becomes dry.

Then add the baby corn and bell pepper slices. Stir them quickly on High flame. now add salt, black pepper and soy sauce and add Hot chili Sauce.

Add the Bread Slices. mix it all well together.

Now top with Spring Onions and now your Tongue Tickling Bread Manchuria is ready in minutes literally.


See how I served my Breakfast Plate with Bread Manchuria and Cranberry Walnut Salad!!!! Looks Yumm right, now you have this new recipe so make your next day morning bright!!!

Tips:

• Striing on high flame is very critical for this recipe. This makes your veggies cook out side fast and leaves them crunch inside. 
• That's why you need to be choosy with your vegetable for this, like BabyCorn, Bell pepper, cabbage or Beans will good for variations. 
• Tomato is usually not part of the Manchurian, but here I have added it to avoid extra tomato sauces for sweet and sournes.
• You can try Hot Chili Sauce or Chili Garlic Sauce also for variations.

Take care until we meet here again..
Ba Bye
-Mythreyi