Welcome Spring!!!!

(SOPT IT: Spot a chipmunk couple hidden in the photo :)))

Finally!!!! Spring has arrived!!! Its bright and sunny!!!

Birds and flowers coming in from everywhere!!!

There is chirp, rustling and a little bit of zing!!!

Spring is "IN" my friend!!

Jalapeno Cheese and French Wine

"The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for" goes Allan K. Chalmers.

There are times when we all get busy with the day to day affairs. From cooking breakfast to cleaning, work, lunch, shopping, errands to run, office duties, conference calls, meetings, hurry curry dinners. Stop!!! Are you taking your me-time for yourself and your loved ones!!! Today P and I enjoyed our sweet me-time with some exotic french wine and yummy Jalapeno Jack Cheese picked by P himself. The taste was amazing. We threw in some crackers for extra punch and the evening was some. Aptly accompanied with some soft numbers to be concluded as a "wonderful evening".

Strawberry Jelly

I am honestly not much of a dessert person. But of late after coming to US, thanks to P I have started liking sweets, that could be partly because P has introduced me to various kinds of sweets and desserts which I had never tasted before. So I decided to try my hand at Jellies and brough a packet of Jelly powder from nearby grocery store. But much to amazement it was quite an easy task and I think it turnd quite well. P added another zing to it with some fruits and the end result was simply superb.

Serves: 2 individuals

Recipe: A typical Jello recipe

Ingredients:

Jelly powder - 1 packet

Water - 2 Cups, one cup boiled and one cup cold water

Method:

Boil a cup of water. Once boiled. add to the serving bowl and add the powder and stir well. If not continuously stirred, lumps would form. Keep stirring for 3 minutes and add cold water (1Cup) after that. Mix well. Allow to settle. Refrigerate for 4-5 hours and your jelly is set.

Serve with fruits and enjoy!!!

Vegetable Noodles

There are some days when you are just down with a flu and you want some yummie spicy dish to pep you up and add some punch to your already dead taste buds. DH and I are down with flu, stuffy nose and little bit of fever. Both of us wanted something spicy and nice. I checked the pantry and it was stocked up with vegetables - mushrooms, french beans, spring onions. What better dish than Chinese noodles. This one is ideal for any bachelor cooking coz its easy to make and has a nice punchy flavour to it. DH loved the final taste and wanted some for his lunch box as well. Needless to say I am beaming with happiness!!!

Serves: 2-3 individuals

Recipe source: Ashwini

Ingredients:

Mushrooms - 6-10 of them sliced

French beans(green beans) - 8-10 (1 inch chops)

Spring onions - 2-3 shoots - finely chopped

Noodles - 1 packet

Stir fry sauce - 1 T

Soya sauce - 4-6 drops

Salt - As per taste

Method:

Boil around 3 cups of water. Once boiled, put off the stove and add noodles to it and add a drop of oil abd mix well. Drain after 3 minutes and add cold water and keep aside.

Fry spring onions, beans and mushrooms in oil for around 5-10 minutes till they are well cooked. Add soya sauce and stir fry sauce. Mix well after adding salt. Now add the cooked noodles and give a gentle stir. Do not stir much after adding noodles because the dish can turn soggy and the noodles will get a mashed look. Serve hot with stir fry curry or gobi manchurian.

Neer Dosa (Paan Polo/ Paan Pole)

Neer Dosa or Paan Pole is a staple dish and one of my personal favorites. Neer in Kannada stands for water. The dosa batter has a watery consistency owing to which the name - Neer Dosa. In Konkanis, we flip the final shape of the dosa which takes the form of a leaf, hence the name - Paan Pole. Good quality rice forms the basis of a good batter, that along with the amount of coconut (grated) added.

I liked this Dosa for the simple reason that it does not require fermentation. So weatherman goes right or wrong with predictions the breakfast is safe and intact.

Yield : 20-25 dosa's

Ingredients:
Rice (uncooked) - 2 Cups
Grated coconut - 1/2 to 3/4 Cup
Water for consistency
Salt as per taste
Oil/ Ghee for frying

Method:
Soak rice after multiple wash for 4-5 hours. Once ready, grind coconut to a fine paste along with rice. Add enough water and salt to make a smooth paste which is like milk but thinner than regular dosa batter. If the batter is right the dosa comes out well. If the batter is not okaye or if coconut gets added wee bit more, the dosa tends to get sticky. So if you desire Dosa's for breakfast, soak rice the previous day and grind the batter at night and keep it in warm oven or microwave. Take a ladle full of batter and pour on a heated frying pan; unlike other dosa batter Neer Dosa batter tends to spurt on the pan after it comes into contact with heat since it has a watery consistency. Do not bother about shape as the Dosa batter spreads on its own and takes its shape. Slather ghee on the edges of Dosa, once the Dosa is entirely fried, fold it once and fold again till it forms the shape of a leaf (as shown in picture). Hence the name Paan Polo, serve hot with chutney of choice.

Suggestion: Unlike conventional Dosa batter this batter does not require fermentation. So the rice quality and time for which the rice is soaked determines the quality of your dosa.

Maida Dosa (Maida Phanna Polo)

A simple Dosa made of All Purpose Flour (Maida) with seasoning and one of my personal favorite. The seasoning and crushed green chillies with few spoons of grated coconut adds the extra flavor. This is a favorite Dosa among my cousins and extended family. I would not be surprised if there are many fans of this humble Dosa.

~ Maida Phanna Polo ~

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 8-10 Dosas

Ingredients:
All purpose refined flour - 2 cups
Green Chillies - 2
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

For Seasoning -
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Oil/ Ghee
Hot water for consistency

Contraption needed - Cast Iron Pan

Method:

Crush the green chillies, salt and grated coconut in a pestle and mortar along with salt. Once completely crushed to a paste, add the flour and mix well. Take care to avoid any lumps. Use a whisker to get a smooth consistency. Heat little oil in a small frying pan, season with mustard seeds and once they splutter add curry leaves. Pour this seasoning on the whisked batter. Mix well to get a thick paste (almost like buttermilk consistency).

Slather some oil/ghee  on a hot cast iron pan. Pour a laddle of dosa mix and spread as much as you can. Fry till cripsy and light brown on both sides. Serve with Pitti Chutney or Pickle.

Note: Use hot water for good results while mixing the batter. For a crispy Dosa, use Cast Iron Pan for frying.

Beetroot Potato Cutlet - Diana Style

Growing up, Ma made these lovely Cutlets which were inspired by a restaurant which was and still is very close to our hearts. Its Diana Hotel located in the heart of Udupi, a small cosy town near Mangalore. Any visit to Diana would be incomplete without a trip to Diana for their signature dish - Beet-Potato Cutlet. I have some fond memories of dining at this place with my Grandma and Grandpa who are no longer in this world. Every time I visit this place, their memories flash by and my eyes turn misty. So in essence, it is greater part of our family legacy and past that will be cherished always.

This recipe is my Ma's spin inspired the same restaurant. She does not add too many vegetables and keeps it simple, plus its shallow fried so is an healthy option. As a kid, I loved packing these goodies for my school tiffin box. To make life easy, I prepare them way ahead before use. This way they can be easily shallow fried and quickly cooked.

~ Beetroot Potato Cutlet ~
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 20 Cutlets

Ingredients:

Potato - 4 (Medium - boiled, peeled and mashed)

Beetroot - 2 (Medium - boiled, peeled and mashed)

For Seasoning -

Green chillies - 3 (chopped finely)

Split Urad Dal - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Rava (semolina) - 3/4 cup

Salt 

Method:

1. Boil, peel and mash potatoes and beetroot together. Add salt and keep aside. To make things easy, I use a pressure cooker. 

2. In a small frying pan, heat few teaspoons of oil. Season with mustard seeds and once they splutter add Split Urad Dal. Saute till they change a shade or two in color. At this stage add the chopped green chillies. The chillies need to be well sauted to turn crispy. Allow the seasoning to cool.

3. Pour this seasoning and mix well with the mash mixture done earlier. Using a Cutlet mould, make cutlets of uniform shape and refrigerate till use. This helps in binding the mixture and firms their texture.

4. Heat a cast iron pan and dredge the cutlets in Rava. Pat lightly to let go of extra Rava and place on the pan side by side. After a minute, drizzle oil on sides. Keep the flame medium-to-high. Flip them with a turning spatula after 5 minutes. Let the cutlets cook on both sides. There will be a brown crust formed on either sides making the texture crisp. Once done, turn off flame and serve with Ketchup.

Note - Ensure the Cutlets are refrigerated after done. This process keeps them firm and aids binding when dredged in Rava.