Carrot-Paneer Stuffed Chappathi

Carrot- Paneer Stuffed Chappathi is very easy to make and it is ideal for breakfast and dinner. You can serve it with Curry or Raitha. I made this last week when I felt that  I need a change from the ordinary chappathi. Besides my both kids don't  prefer curries with chappathi. They eat it plain. So  sometimes I hide vegetables in chappathi by stuffing it.

Ingredients:

1) Wheat flour- 2 cups

2)Oil/ Ghee- 1 tbsp

3) Water- more or less one cup

4) Salt

5) Carrot - 1

6) Paneer - 1/2 cup

7) Pepper powder - 1/2-1 tsp

Method:

• In a chopper, Add carrot and Paneer. Chop or grate it to fine. Add pepper powder and salt. Mix it.
• To the flour , add oil/ ghee and mix it with finger tips. Add salt and water. Add water part by part. Knead well. ( Refer the post " How to make good chappathi ). Roll the dough into a big ball.
• Make small balls with the dough. Roll out into thick chappathi. 
• Place 1 1/2 -2 tbsp of Carrot- Paneer mix on the center of the chappathi.
• Close it as shown as in picture. Press over the edges. Roll with rolling pin on the top of it.
• Heat a griddle/ pan, place the chappathi when it is hot.
• Fry on both sides. Brush ghee.

Makes approximately 10 stuffed chappathi

Source: Adapted from vanitha

How to make good Chappathi

Chappathi 

Well, this recipe is for beginners in cooking. Last week I was chatting with my cousin, 'R...' who just  got a job and moved to Chennai. She suggested to add some easy recipes. My Aunt was telling me that she moved with her friends to a new house and started cooking by themselves. I don't know whether she know to make a chappathi. If she knows then I hope that she wont kill me. "Rosychechi, How dare you even think that I don't even know to make chappathi".Anyway I am dedicating this post and next post " Carrot- Paneer Stuffed Chappathi" for her. Actually, My dear cousin, 'R..' I was actually planning to post "Carrot-Paneer Stuffed Chappathi" for you then thought that it will be good idea if I added chappathi recipe too. hee...he... Enjoy!

Makes approximately 15 chappathi

Ingredients:

1) Wheat flour - 3 cup

2) Oil/ Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsp

3) Salt

4) Water/ Milk - more or less 1 1/2 cup

Method:

• To the wheat flour add oil/ghee. Mix it with your fingertips. Add salt and water. Add water in parts. Knead with hand.Knead the flour outward from the center.The more you knead the softer it becomes.  Roll it into a big ball. 
• Cover it with a wet kitchen paper towel or cotton cloth. 
• You can keep it aside or start rolling right away. 
• Make it into small balls. 
• Sprinkle flour on the ball and rolling surface. The rolling pin should be light. While rolling the dough roll it outwards instead of rolling forward and backwards. Don't sprinkle too much flour  while rolling.
• Heat the griddle/ pan. When it is hot, place chappathi. (medium- high flame ). Press it with a wet cloth or spoon. Fry both sides.Apply ghee on both sides(optional step).

Note:

If there is leftover 'dough' keep it  in refrigerator covering with a wet paper towel. Defrost it  (dont overheat)  in microwave when you need it. When you defrost it , it will become soft. Then roll it into chappathi.

Cherupayar / Green Gram Thoran (Stir fry with grated coconut)

Green Gram/ Cherupayar is very nutritious food rich in protein and is very good to include it in the diet of pregnant, breast- feeding moms, kids and sick people. I was down with flu last week and I craved for some kanji and cherupayar thoran. This recipe is also a very easy and quick recipe to make when we are sick and we don't have much energy to cook.

Ingredients:

1) Green Gram/ Cherupayar- 1 cup
2) Grated coconut - 3/4-1 cup
3) Shallot - 3-4
4) Garlic - 3 cloves
5) Green chilly -2
6) Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
7) Pepper Powder - 1/2-1 tsp
8) Red chilly (optional)
9) Salt
10) Mustard seeds
11) Oil

Method:

• Soak Green gram / cherupayar in water overnight or 3-4 hours.
• Pressure cook Green gram / Cherupayar with enough water (water covering green gram) for 3-4 whistles. 
• Grind gently Grated coconut, Garlic, Shallot, Green chilly, Turmeric powder.
• Add it to cooked green gram. Add salt. Cover it and cook for 1 min. 
• Remover the cover and mix well.
• Heat oil in large pan and add mustard seeds.
• When it starts spluttering, add curry leaves and red chilly.Saute.
• Add Green gram, Pepper powder and adjust the salt. Mix well.
• Cook for 2-3 min , stir ring occasionally. Remove from flame. 

Pasta

Pasta ..... It is something I make at least once a week for dinner. It is easy to make and I don't have to make any other side dish along with it.And my kids and usually all the kids I know here love Pasta. It is also a great way to make kids eat vegetables.I add lots of vegetables and sausage so kids get somewhat a complete meal. Initially it was my husband who was the official Pasta Maker and Spaghetti Maker in the family. Now I learned to make pasta from him. Spaghetti is easy but I am lazy to learn.

  Ingredients

Ingredients:

1) Pasta ( I usually use Rotini or Penne) - 1 packet

2) Pesto sauce - 2-3 tbsp

3) Pasta Sauce (I usually use Prego) - 1 1/2 - 2 cup

4) Alfredo sauce - 2-3 tbsp

5) Butter- 3-4 tbsp

6) Garlic (crushed) - 3-4 cloves

7) Mushroom( sliced) - 8 oz (227 gm)

8) Broccoli - 1 bunch

9) Zucchini / Green squash - 1

10) Sausage (sliced)-(optional)

11) Pepper powder - 1 tsp

12) Parmesan Cheese- to sprinkle

13) Olive oil

14) Salt

Method:

• In a large sauce pan, take plenty of water. Add salt and pour 1-2 tbsp olive oil. When water comes to rolling boil, add Pasta. Stir occasionally. Cook it uncovered till it become tender. Usually 9 min. (Check the package for cooking time. It depends on Pasta you use). When it is cooked, drain the water and keep it aside.
• In a large pan, heat olive oil. Add crushed garlic. Saute. When the aroma comes , saute for a few seconds and add the vegetables. Sprinkle salt and mix well. Cover the pan and cook for few minutes. Stir in between. When the vegetables are somewhat cook , add COOKED sausage.
• Add Pepper powder, butter, Pesto sauce,  Pasta sauce and  Alfredo sauce. Mix well.
• When it boils, toss in the cooked Pasta. 
• Sprinkle with  Cheese.

Note: You can use Alfredo sauce instead of PREGO sauce. Most people seems to prefer Alfredo over Prego/ Ragu. Alfredo is white in color and Prego is red. Prego's main ingredient is tomato and Alfredo is cheese. Pesto sauce main ingredient is  basil .If you want, you can add fresh or dry basil  in your pasta.

Beetroot and Beetrootleaves Thoran

It is been a while since I have posted something. I had a busy and stressful week-end. I was not feeling well and in between my youngest son had a fall and started vomiting in the middle of the night. If a child hit his head in a fall and starts vomiting in 24 hrs it is not a good sign. You should consult your doctor immediately. There may be a chance of bleeding in brain and in such case a emergency operation should be done to save the child.(I am writing this for new moms. I didn't knew these things before I had a baby ).Since our doctor was out of town,we took him to the emergency care. They examined him and  fortunately he was fine. It was just a concussion of the fall. I hope this post help some new moms or mothers-to-be. Other bad signs to watch for in 24 hrs after the fall are- crying uncontrollably after you did everything to sooth him, walking like a drunkard, pupil been dial acted, if he blacks out, lose of appetite. 

Disclaimer: I am not a medical person, these information is from a mother of two children.You should always consult a doctor.

Well, here goes a recipe. This is very healthy recipe. I didn't add even one tsp of oil in this. I used both beetroot and its leaves. We can cook beetroot leaves like we cook spinach. Recipe follows:

Ingredients:

1) Beetroot together with leaves( see the pic below)

2) Grated coconut- 1 and 1/2 cup

3) Small onions -2-3

4) Green chilly -2

5) Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

6) Salt

Method:

• Wash beetroot and its leaves with plenty of water. There may be sand particles here and there.
• Chop the leaves, stem and beetroot. 
• In a food processor, mixie or chopper , add grated coconut, onions, green chilly and turmeric powder. Grind gently.
• Take a sauce pan and add the vegetables. Sprinkle some salt and add the grind ingredients. Add   little water if neccessary. Cover and cook for 1 min. Then cook uncovered till the water dries up.

Home-made Banana Chips, UPPERI

My son was pestering me for the last 2 weeks to make some banana chips for him. He even took one ripe banana started to cut. So I decided to make it atlast.

Ingredients:
Raw Banana
Coconut Oil
Salt
Turmeric Powder (optional)

Method:

• Peel off the skin of bananas. Chop very thinly. 
• In a frying pan, heat coconut oil very well. When it is really hot, add the bananas. Stir occasionally.
• When it is half cooked or when a sound comes add salt and turmeric. Stir occasionally.
• When it is done, take it out and place on paper towel to remove excess oil.

Source: My mother

Home-made Curd

Why waste money on buying curd when you can make it very easily at home? It is recession time guys, save money !!!

Ingredients:
Curd - 2-3 tbsp
Lukewarm milk

Method:

• Boil Milk. Keep it to cool
• Take a steel or glass bottle, Add curd.
• Pour lukewarm milk to this bottle over curd.
• Close the lid and keep it on the kitchen counter for overnight.
• When the curd has formed, Refrigerate.

Source: My mother

Meen Peera Pattichathu ( Fish in grated coconut and kukum star)

Spring has started.It is fine weather outside.Now everybody has thrown of their jackets. Little girls are now in colorful frocks. I started searching for salwars in my closet. Well, it is really an irony. When I was a  kid I used to love wearing Shorts and T-shirt. When I grew up I loved pants and Capri. I fought with my Dad when he decided to send me to a college were salwar was compulsory. As a teenager my view was " Salwars are for mummy's and married women". There I used to wait for an occasion like tour so that I can go back to my comfortable outfit. Now I am in USA. A place where people is not bothered about what others are wearing. Now been 5 years, I have changed, my taste has changed....when it is good weather here, you can see me in salwars now.

One day my sister met one of my college professor and she asked her about me. When she told her that I am in  US, my teacher told her ..." ha, ha.... now she can wear whatever she likes." My sister just gave her a smile. 

That much for weather and me. Here goes a recipe. This is a very healthy and easy recipe. There is no oil in this recipe.

Ingredients:

1)Fish ( Cut into pieces) - 3 Lb

2)Green chilly( cut lengthwise) - 10-12

3) Chopped Small onions- 10

4) Finely chopped ginger - 1 piece

5) Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

6)Grated Coconut - 3-4 cup

7)Kukum star (Kudompuli) - 4-5 pieces

8) Curry leaves

9) Salt

Method:

• Soak kukum star ( Kudompuli) in half cup of warm water.
• In a clay pot or pan, Mix  grated coconut, green chilly, onions, ginger, turmeric, curry leaves and salt with your hands. Add kudompuli with the water. Add fish and water enough to cook the fish.
• Place the pan on fire. When it starts boiling, reduce the heat. Cook till the water has dried up. It is ok if there is a little bit water left.

Source: My mother

Brownie (My sister's own recipe)

This recipe and picture was sent to me by my youngest sister, Maria. She makes cakes, desserts, pizza,  puddings, pasta, wafers, Nan.....etc. I always tell her to start a blog. But she don't want to do it. But she is a active critic and support of my blogs. She had send me recipes of her and was telling me that it is perfectly o.k with her if I used it as mine and take the credit. Well, even it is my sister's I don't want to take undeserved credits. Here goes one of her recipes, that is perfectly her own recipe.

Ingredients:

    1)    Butter- ½  cup

    2)   Cocoa powder - 10-12 Tbsp

    3)    Powdered sugar- 2 cup

    4)     Flour - 2/3 cup

    5)     Salt- ½ Tsp

    6)      Eggs – 2

    7)    Vanilla extract - 1 Tsp

    8)     Milk – ¼ cup

    9)    Chopped cashewnuts/ walnuts or pecans – 2 cups

Method:

·         Preheat the oven at 320F (160°C).

·         Melt the butter and add cocoa powder. Mix well.

·         Add sugar, flour, salt, eggs, vanilla extract and milk to the above mixture and mix well.

·         Add  cashew nuts, walnuts or pecans pieces. ( She used cashew nuts since other nuts were not easily available in kerala.)

·         Bake for 35-40 minute until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

·        Cut into squares and serve.

Source of Recipe & Picture: Maria (My sister)

Kappa Vevichathu (Tapioca )

"Kappa and Fish curry" is one of the favorite combination of Kottayam side. It can be served any time of the day- breakfast, lunch, snack , dinner. I sometimes make it for dinner when we need a change.

Ingredients:
1.Tapioca - 2 Lb (908 gm) ( 1 'daily delight' packet)

For Grinding
2. Grated Coconut - 1 cup
3. Green chilly - 2
4. Small onions - 2
5. Garlic- 1 slice
6. Cumin- 1/4-1/2 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

• Boil tapioca with salt and  lots of water. Drain all the water when it is cooked. 
• Add little water and grind-ed ingredients. Mix well
• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When it is popped, add curry leaves and red chilly.
• Add it into tapioca and mix well.

Kuttucurry- My own recipe

Lent season.... time to try out new vegetarian dishes. This dish was the outcome of my experiment. 

Ingredients:
1.Chana/ Chickpeas / Kadala -  1/2- 1cup (I added 1 cup because I like lot of chickpeas in kuttucurry)
2.Carrot (diced) -2
3.Potato (diced) - 1
4.Zucchini (diced)- 1
5.Raw Banana (diced) - 1
6.Ginger - 1 piece
7.Pepper powder - 1 tsp
8.Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
9.Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Salt
11. Curry leaves
12. Coconut oil - 1-2 tbsp

For grinding:
Grated Coconut - 1- 1 1/4 cup
Green chilly - 1
Cumin- 1 tsp

Method:

• Pressure cook chana with enough water  for 3-4 whistles or until cook.
• Cook the vegetables with ginger, pepper powder, Chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt.
• Add cooked chana and mix well.
• Add the grind-ed ingredients and cook with the lid closed for 2-3 minutes.
• Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. After it is popped add 1 tbsp of grated coconut, Red chilly and curry leaves. Saute well.
• When the grated coconut turn brown add it into the kuttucurry. Mix well.

Buttercream Icing/ Frosting on Thomas Train Birthday Cake

This is the first cake I made with Icing. Mainly I used Butter cream Icing in this cake. Sheet cake and tunnel I frosted with buttercream. Pond, Rails and trees I made with fondant Icing. Train is a toy.I made Butter cream Icing at home and gave colors using Wilton Icing colors. Fondant Icing I brought from store and colored it using  Wilton Icing colors and I shaped it to ponds, Rails and trees.Tree's bottom is cinnamon stick. For Pebbles, I used chocolate covered raisins. Birthday wish was written in edible ink. But that was a mistake. Edible ink work better on fondant icing not on butter cream frosting. You can see it on the cake.

This I made for my eldest son's 4th Birthday. He is fond of trains especially Thomas train. So I decided to make a  Cake with Thomas train theme for his birthday. He was really excited and started asking me for his cake I week before his birthday.

Finally his birthday was approaching. I baked one sheet cake and some cupcakes one night and kept it for cooling at room temp. Cakes should be cooled well before frosting. Next day I made Icing and started frosting. I haven't attended any Icing classes so far. So it took me hours and hours for the frosting and decoration. I slept around 2'O clock that night. My son's excitement and happiness worth all the hard work and 2 night sleep. He sat with me during Icing section till 1.30 am. Saying thanks in between. He had lot of questions and want to help me in between.(You can see his hands and legs in some pics). Sometimes his child like curiosity, naughtiness  and help  was giving me more trouble than help . He tried to move his train on his cake's rails and since Icing was not dried yet, I had to stop him. I promised that he can do it on his bday. He helped me with the pebbles and he enjoyed doing it.  I asked him to go to his bed since his eyes looked heavy. But he sat till decoration was somewhat over. Here, goes the Buttercream Icing Recipe.

Ingredients:
1)Solid vegetable shortening - 1/2 cup
2)Butter - 1 stick or Margarine softened - 1/2 cup
3)Clear vanilla extract or Clear Almond extract - 1 tsp
4) Sifted confectioner's sugar - 4 cups
5) Milk/ Water - 2 tbsp

Method:

• In a large bowl, beat shortening and butter. Add extract. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. In between scrap sides and bottom of bowl. Icing will appear dry when all the sugar has been mixed. Add milk. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

Source for buttercream Icing Recipe: Wilton

Note:

• Keep the icing bowl in fridge when not in use. Refrigerated in an air-tight container this icing can be stored for 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.
• For thin (Spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tbsp light-corn syrup, water or milk.
• For Pure White Icing ( Stiff Consistency), omit butter, substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 tsp no-color butter flavor. Add up to 4 tbsp light corn syrup, water or milk to this for icing cakes

My inspiration into cake decoration is my friend, Manju. She got a real talent in cakes decoration and baking. Check out this link : mmkakes.wordpress.com, www.mmkakes.wordpress.com

Ghee- fried Banana (Ethaka) QUICK & EASY

Amma had send me 2 jar of home-made ghee made from our own cow's milk. So I use lot of ghee in my recipes. This is a snack dish that is very easy to make. You can give them to your kids when they come from school. When I was a kid, I used to love it has an afternoon snack. Day before yesterday my youngest son ( 18 month old) was really fussy with food. He didn't eat lunch and he refused the fruits I gave him. So I made this for a change and he ate it. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients: 
1) Banana -1 ( cut into 6 pieces)
2) Ghee
3) Sugar

Method:

• Heat Ghee in a frying pan. Add  sliced banana. Fry it until it is golden brown or slight blackish.
• Sprinkle with sugar and serve hot.

Recipe Source: My mother

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Ghee-fried Banana (very easy & quick)

Amma had send me 2 jar of home-made ghee made from our own cow's milk. So I use lot of ghee in my recipes. This is a snack dish that is very easy to make. You can give them to your kids when they come from school. When I was a kid, I used to love it has an afternoon snack. Day before yesterday my youngest son ( 18 month old) was really fussy with food. He didn't eat lunch and he refused the fruits I gave him. So I made this for a change and he ate it. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients: 
1) Banana -1 ( cut into 6 pieces)
2) Ghee
3) Sugar

Method:

• Heat Ghee in a frying pan. Add  sliced banana. Fry it until it is golden brown or slight blackish.
• Sprinkle with sugar and serve hot.

Recipe Source: My mother

Kachi Moru

This is a very easy recipe for Kachi Moru. It is an excellent combination with prawns pattichu ullathiyathu, beef ullathiyathu , Red Fish curry etc. I use lot of ginger and garlic in this recipe because both are good for stomach.

Ingredients:

1) Big Onion - 1

2) Ginger (Sliced)- 4 tbsp

3) Garlic (Sliced) - 3-4 tbsp

4) Red Chilly -2-3

5) Pepper Powder - 1 tsp

6) Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

7) Ground Fenugreek - 2 pinch

8) Ground Cumin - 3/4-1 tsp

9) Curd- 3 cups

10) Water - 1/2 cup

10) Curry leaves

11) Salt

12)Oil

Method:

• Add Ground Cumin,water and salt to curd and beat well. 
• Heat oil and sputter mustard seeds. Add Onion, Ginger, Garlic, Red Chilly and Curry leaves. Saute well. When the onion starts turning brown add pepper powder, turmeric powder and ground fenugreek. Saute. 
• Add curd. Saute continuously. When it becomes warm, remove it from the heat source. Add some curry leaves.

Recipe source: Alinachechi

Prawns Pattichu ullathiyathu

Last Saturday while I was doing my week-end grocery shopping I found some prawns on sale. It is being a long time since I tried some prawn dish. Besides my eldest son likes "Lobster"  which he calls "konchu meen" . I brought some uncleaned prawns because it didn't look like the frozen ones we always get it here. Anyway I wont buy anymore uncleaned prawns  till my sons grew up. It took me hours to clean 4 Lb prawns alone. Any way here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:
1)Prawns (uncleaned) - 4 Lb  (after cleaning approx 3 Lb)
2)Pepper Powder - 3/4 tbsp
3)Small Onions (Chopped) - 4
4)Crushed Red Chilly - 1 tbsp
5)Garlic- 3-4
6)Ginger - 1 piece
7)Kudompuli - 3-4 ( take 1/4 cup hot water and put washed kudompuli into it.)
8)Sliced coconut- 1/4-1/2 cup
9)Turmeric powder - 1 tsp (in this recipe I put less. so color didn't come as I wished)
10) Red chilly powder (optional) - 1/2 tsp
11)Curry Leaves
12) Salt


Method:

• In a sauce pan, cook all these ingredients with some water. When the water dries out and the prawns are cooked, off the flame.
• In a large pan heat oil and add curry leaves. Add the cooked prawns and saute really well.

Recipe Source: my mother


Note for beginners:

How to clean prawns:

Peel of head and tail with your fingers. Make a small cut and take the black thread like thing out. Rinse well with water.

This dish goes well with rice and kachi moru.

Prawns Pattichu Ulathiyathu

APPLE GHEE CAKE

This is the first cake I tried in my life. It was during the first X'mas season after my wedding. I remember that I didn't have a beater at that time. So I made the cake batter using my mixie and it got overloaded and it stopped working. I had to reset it again. I didn't have a baking dish so I baked it on a Pyrex glass dish.Anyway cake came out well.And I baked 4-5 cakes and gave it to my family members, friends and neighbors. One day I had a craving for that cake again and that night I made it again using a beater and baked it on a regular baking dish . Here goes the picture of that. It is really a yummy soft cake. I got lot of compliments for this cake from my friends and neighbors. Many were asking for the recipe. Some of them have tried this recipe and told me that it came out pretty well.

Ingredients:
Sugar - 1-11/4 cup
Apple chopped with its skin - 3 cup
All purpose flour (Maida) - 2 cup
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Egg - 3
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Chopped cashew nut - 1 cup

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 325 F.
• Grease a 9" baking pan.
• In a saucepan, take half cup of sugar. Stir continuously. Add apple when the sugar become golden in color. Stir continuously in low flame till the sugar melts. Remove from flame and let it cool.
• Sieve Maida, Baking Soda and Cinnamon powder.
• Mix the remaining sugar, vegetable oil and ghee. Beat well. Add egg one by one, beating after each egg. Add vanilla essence. Beating in between, add the dry ingredients slowly. Stir in apple and cashew nuts.
• Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 40 min.

Topping:

Caramelized syrup - 2 tbsp

Butter- 75 gm

Condensed Milk- 1/2 tin

Mix all these ingredients and heat it on low flame until it thickness. Pour it over the cake when the cake cools.

Note:

I made the topping syrup only the first time I baked. After that I made plain cake. Because most of people seems to prefer plain cakes.

Source: Vanitha

Shahi Tukre

This dessert is something I have made 5-6 times. It really melts in our mouth. I have tasted "baked" version of "Shahi Tukre" in some restaurants. That doesn't come near the taste of ghee fired bread dipped in sugar syrup and topped with milkmaid and nuts. Try out this recipe and you will understand what I meant. Weight watchers better watch out. This contains lots of calories.

Preparation time:10 min   Cooking Time: 15 min         To serve: 10-12

Ingredients:
Milkmaid ( Condensed Milk) - 1/2 tin
Bread - 8 slices
Milk - 1 cup
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Almonds and Pistachios (chopped) - 1 tbsp
Ghee to fry
Syrup:
Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup

Method:

• Make a paste of cornflour with some milk. Mix rest of the milk with milkmaid and bring it to boil. Add cornflour paste. Stir continuously until it is thick. Add cardamom powder.Keep it aside.
• Prepare syrup by boiling water and sugar together.
• Cut bread slices into 2 and deep fry it in ghee till golden brown.
• Immediately dip it in sugar syrup. Dip for one minute and arrange it on a serving dish
• Top each piece with 1 tbsp mixture of milkmaid and nuts. Chill and serve.

Source: Taste the wonders of milkmaid
Note: Condensed Milk and evaporated Milk are different

Double Almond Cookies

This recipe I found on the back of my Almond extract.  Since this recipe seemed to be very easy I decided to give it a try.

Prep Time: 15 min    
Cook Time:12 min

Ingredients:
All purpose flour (Maida) - 2 cups
Finely chopped almonds - 1/2 cup ( I chopped in a chopper)
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Softened butter- 1 cup
Sugar- 1 cup
Egg- 1
Pure almond extract- 2 tsp

Method:

• Heat oven to 350 F. 
• Mix flour, almonds and salt.
• In a large bowl,beat butter and sugar until creamy. Blend in egg and extract. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon or small ice-cream scoop onto cookie sheet. 
• Bake 10-12 min or until golden brown

Makes 3 dozen

Source: McCormick Pure Almond Extract

MINT- PESTO LAMB CHOPS

One day while I was going through my American recipe collections to try out something new I came across this recipe. I usually make Indian stuff at home. For me it is really easy to try out Indian dishes since ingredients are known to me and most of the ingredients are in my kitchen shelf. But when I browse through foreign recipes what happens is that I will be having one or 2 ingredients rest I have to search through shop shelves. There will be cheeses, sauces  and spices I have never heard of . This recipe seemed to be simple and easy to make without much searching for ingredients.

Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients:

LAMB:

lamb rib chops- 1 rack 

Olive oil- 1 tbsp

SAUCE:

Pomegranate juice - 2 cups

Balsamic Vinegar - 1 cup

PESTO:

 Mint leaves- 1/4 cup

Coriander leaves- 1/4 cup

Garlic cloves- 8

Salt - 1 tsp

Pepper- 1 tsp

Olive oil - 1/4 cup

Method:

• In a large saucepan, boil pomegranate juice and balsamic vinegar. On medium heat cook until it is reduced to half cup.
• For pesto, Place  mint, coriander, garlic, salt and pepper  in a small food processor or mixie bowl. grind well. While processing, gradually add olive oil in a steady stream.
• Coat chops with pesto. In a large ovenproof skillet, brown lamb in oil on all sides.
• Bake uncovered , at 450 O oven for 15-20 min or until meat reaches desired doneness. (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145 0 ; medium 160 ; well-done 170)
• Drizzle with pomegranate sauce.

Note:  When I made it second time I didn't make the pomegranate sauce. But it tastes good without sauce too. You can serve it with salad, mashed potato etc.

Serve: 8

Recipe adapted from "Taste of home contest winners"