How to make Idli Dosa Batter using Mixie | Idli Recipe

Idli-dosa is synonyms for South India food or breakfast for many though I make it rare now a days and it goes same in my parents house too idli-dosa is made only once in blue moon so to own a grinder is out of question.  My mom used mixer, my sisters using mixer for grinding idli-dosa batter and I do same too though I gifted my sister a table top grinder but never thought of getting one for me so you can see I have plenty years of experience when it comes to idli batter in mixer starting from my mom trials. In fact I never used grinder so far in my life I don't know even how to operate a grinder, strange right?

Vegetables Oats Upma | Oats Recipes

Oats is something that took me a while to get used to it and that's the reason you don't see oats recipes in my blog.  Though it couple of years now I started to eat oats but I never managed to take pictures whenever I make oats dishes. Eating plain oats with milk and honey is just not my cup of tea I simply doesn't like that so I try different way to jazz up the oats so it's easy for me to not fuss a lot about it.  Apart from using it in milkshakes, I have few recipes that I make from oats some of which are way too easy and simple just the way I like it.

Strawberry and Oats Milkshake Recipe | Summer Drink Recipes

I prefer milkshake over juice if I am making it at home cause it's more filling, easy and quick.  Juices are also easy and quick but then straining and cleaning part takes little time. We get strawberry in Singapore around the year to relish.  This is one of my breakfast milkshake easy, quick and hassle free. Oats add good volume to the milkshake to make it filling, I do the same with apple, banana and few other fruits.

Paneer Kanda Poha Recipe

Poha is regular breakfast at my place some times I make it every day so I do lot of experiment with poha and this paneer poha is one such trial, I have no idea if there is any authentic paneer poha recipe but this is my version and it's good.  Now I make this paneer poha regularly it works great as a breakfast or snack specially if having guest at home then it's kinda different from regular kanda or batata poha.

Onion Pakoda | Pyaz Ke Pakore | Onion Fritters Recipe

Onion pakoda is one of the pakora that I make most often simply cause I make onion pakoda very good and generally everyone prefer my onion pakoda than any other pakoda or bajji.  If I have guests at home then mostly for evening tea I will make this as this is my no-fail and crowd pleaser recipe.  I wonder now why I took years to post this recipe!

Cucumber Cheese Sandwich | Easy Sandwich Recipes

Cucumber sandwich is a very easy and simple recipe that I was hesitant to post this recipe but then it's just to give you a idea for a quick breakfast or snack, it's specially good now during this hot summer as no-cooking involved in this and it's hardly takes any time, cucumber has high water content making it a perfect summer recipe.  One can do variations with this simple cucumber sandwich too so let your imagination run wild.  You can skip cream cheese if you wish and replace with mayonnaise or any other spread of your choice though cream cheese and cucumber goes well together.  You can also make this for tiffin or lunch box just make sure to pat dry cucumber slices well otherwise it will make the bread soggy.  I normally make this for breakfast or along with evening tea, the day I clicked I made this for my breakfast with ABC Juice.

Eggless Savoury French Toast | Besan Toast

What to make for breakfast is big question for me always and most of the time it's batata poha ( and I made that again today) as DH likes that very much.  Since we don't make idli/dosa much or say it happens only once in blue moon, what to make breakfast always troubles me, of course there are many good North Indian recipe but it requires time and patience which I hardly have.  I wonder how my mom use to make roti/paratha/poori sabzi for breakfast I can hardly do that or even think about it.

The truth is I don't make breakfast every day, most of the time we eat out but when I do make breakfast I try look for simple and quick options. That's why I try few different things with bread like Open Rava Sandwich, Eggplant Curry Sandwich (you must try this), French Toast, Vegetable Sandwich (my personal favorite), Cheese & Veg Sandwich, Bread-Jam etc as these recipes are delicious plus easy.

This savoury french (besan) toast or as known as Bombay Toast is best option if you don't eat egg (or even if you eat egg) and looks for quick yet delicious option for breakfast or snack.  It can be done in less than 10 minutes  making it good option for kids snack/tiffin box, you can also modify the recipe according to your taste and needs so go ahead and try it out.

Ingredients for Eggless Savory French (Besan) Toast 

[Makes 4 Toasts]

Bread - 4 [Use any variety]
Chickpeas Flour/Besan - 1/4 Cup
Rice Flour - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 Medium [ 1/4 Cup Chopped]
Green Chilli - 1
Red Chilli Powder - 3/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Cilantro - 1 tbsp [Chopped]
Salt - To Taste
Water - 1/4 Cup or little more
Oil - To Toast

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients expect oil & bread in a bowl without forming lumps, use a wire whisk or hand.

2. Dip bread in prepare batter both sides to coat well with batter.

3. Heat a pan/tawa drizzle little oil, place the bread pieces carefully and toast both sides until light golden brown, sprinkle little oil on sides of bread.  Repeat same for rest of bread pieces.

Serve warm with green chutney, sauce or anything else of your choice.

Variations ~

• You can use 1/2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste.
• You can skip garam masala and/or chat masala.
• You can add little freshly crushed pepper.
• You can add other vegetables like grated carrot, finely chopped capsicum etc.

Have a nice day ~~

Chocolate Chip Cookie Milkshake Recipe

It's start of summer & juice, milkshake etc going to be in demand again so here something easy yet interesting for you guys.  Milkshake doesn't only keep us hydrated but also it's filling and can be breakfast or snack by itself, over juice I prepare milkshake more due to this reasons.  Normally I settle myself with fruit base milkshake but sometime I do different things like this chocolate chip cookies milkshake.  I used my double chocolate chip cookies here which gave his milkshake wonderful texture and chocolate flavor.

It's not only tasty but also if you have any leftover cookies laying around which is not crispy anymore those can be used in this milkshake.  I have used eggless chocolate chip cookie you can use any cookie of your choice including digestive biscuits isn't that wonderful?  The bonus here is we can do any variations of our choice like add a fruit along, chocolate sauce, nuts to give you few ideas.  I didn't take step wise picture cause I was in hurry and there's hardly anything complicated here isn't it?  So enjoy the recipe and wow your family & friends.

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookie Milkshake

[Serves 3]
Chilled Milk - 4 Cups
Chocolate Chip Cookies - 6 [medium size] [ I used eggless double chocolate chip cookies]
Ice cream - 2 scoops [Chocolate/Vanilla or any flavor]

Method:

1. In a blender or mixer add milk, ice cream and 4 cookies.  Blend until smooth or for 2 minutes.
2. Pour in serving glass, crush remaining cookies and use for garnishing.

Our yummy milkshake is ready in no time.

Variations
~ Use any cookie & ice cream of choice.
~ Add a ripe banana for extra flavor.
~ Add sugar if needed.
~ Do any topping of your choice like nuts, chocolate sauce, sprinkles etc.

Check out other Milkshake & Smoothie Recipes

• Apple Milkshake
• Apple, Banana, Dates & Almond Milkshake
• Papaya Smoothie

Have a nice day ~~

Vegetables & Cheese Sandwich Recipe

Do you like sandwich specially for breakfast or snack? I like because it's simple, easy and quick to prepare. We can do lot of variations in sandwich filling to suit our taste.  This is one of easy sandwich toast recipe again with lots of vegetables plus goodness of cheese.  I used less of cheese because I made this only for myself, you can reduce cheese too if you like or for kids you can add it generously.  Cheese helps to bind the vegetables well so they doesn't keep sneaking out of sandwich :) in my sandwich if you don't see cheese oozing out then don't be surprise.

The good thing about this simple vegetable filling is you can also use it as salad, it taste spicy, yum and refreshing due to all raw vegetables.  Good option is to use sandwich maker to toast these sandwich this way vegetables get's cooked well and cheese melt nicely, but to show the filling I didn't use my toaster once again, also I have used wholemeal walnut bread, it's add good walnut crunch to the sandwich.  Next time if you happen to see wholemeal walnut bread perhaps you can give a try.

Other Sandwich & Toasts Recipes you can check out

• Eggplant Curry Sandwich {Leftover Magic}
• Open Rava Sandwich
• Vegetable Sandwich {Street Style}
• Murukku Sandwich
• Tomato Toast
• Sweet French Toast

Ingredients for Vegetables & Cheese Sandwich

[Makes 2 Sandwich Set]

Bread Pieces - 4
Grated Cheese - 1/4 Cup [more if preferred]
Chopped Onion - 1/4 Cup
Chopped Tomato - 1/4 Cup
Chopped Cucumber - 1/4 Cup
Chopped Capsicum - 1/4 Cup
Grated Carrot - 1/2 Cup
Green Chutney - 1 tbsp [or use Sandwich Chutney]
Chaat Masala - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Finely chop onion, tomato, cucumber, capsicum and grate carrot & gather all our ingredients.

2. In a bowl add all the vegetables, cheese, green chutney, chat masala and mix well.  Add generous amount of prepared mixture around 3-4 spoons on top of bread and place another pieces of bread to cover.

~ Here is picture of whole meal walnut bread.

3. Heat a griller or tawa and toast bread both sides until brown.  We can press the bread sightly to seal all the veggies inside.

Serve warm with tea/coffee or juice.

~ Variations 

• Use any vegetables of your choice like grated beetroot, boiled potato etc
• You can make this in griller or sandwich toaster.
• Apply butter on bread if preferred
• Since we use green chutney &chat masala, salt is not needed.  Add salt & pepper if required.  
• You can add 1 tbsp of chopped walnut for a nice crunch, since I used walnut bread it give good nutty crunch to the sandwich.

Have a nice day ~~

Homemade Mixed Fruit Jam Recipe

Homemade is better any day doesn't matter what ever that may be and homemade jams too fits the bill, we can control sugar quantity, add our choice of fruits and most important we know it has been made in a hygiene environment, not to mention homemade jams taste more delicious than anything for the simple reason that it's fruit of our labour.

I started making jams couple of years back and that's thanks to blogging we intend to try new things.  I have tried all those crazy combination, sugar replacement and what not but among all mix fruit jam is family favorite.  But somehow whenever I make jam I never managed to take pictures, I always think I will do it tomorrow and we all know that tomorrow never comes thus none of my jam appeared in this blog.   I was planing to make jam again for quite some time now but it was not happening until last week I pulled myself and decided complete the task.

I have used fruits available in my pantry you can use any fruit of your choice.  Since I added more of black grapes color of jam is nice dark brown, if you like your jam to be in red/dark pink color then add more of strawberry and less of red grapes.  Don't miss apple and a well ripen banana, while cooking the jam the banana fragrance was mind blowing and it also helps to add sweetness.  Don't worry about the timing, just keep flame in slow and do your other things but remember to stir in intervals, don't keep forget about it totally :) Step-vise pictures are taken from my hand phone, that particular time I couldn't find camera memory card so clicked with hand phone, old habits hardly dies :) so ignore the picture quality, won't you?

Ingredients for Mixed Fruit Jam

Apple - 1
Ripe Banana - 1
Orange - 1
Plum- 3
Sugar Prune - 3
Seedless Black Grapes - 2 Cups
Sugar - 1 1/2 Cups Or More if needed
Lemon Juice - 1/2 tbsp or Citric Acid - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Peel, core and chop apple, plum, prune, orange and banana.
2. In a blender or mixer add all the fruits and blend until smooth. [I got 4 cups of puree]

3. Bring the fruit puree to a pan, add sugar, stir and cook in medium to bring it to a boil. Slow flame and simmer until it thickens stirring in regular intervals.
4.  Once jam starts to thickens, add lemon juice/citric acid and mix well.

5. Cook until jam becomes thick  it takes around one and half hour in slow flame, do stir in intervals.
~ My jam is little more on thick, firm side the way I like. You can stop cooking once desire consistency reached, just make sure to cook in slow flame and stir regularly.

Tips to Check if jam is ready ~
1. If you lift your spatula and pour jam, it should flow together and not in drops.
2. Pour few drops of jam in a plate, if it's spreads then it's not ready, if it's stays firm without moving then your jam is ready.

6. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly and store in sterilize jar.

Isn't it looks gorgeous, nice and glossy?

Variations ~ 
~ You any use any fruit of your choice like pineapple, strawberry, all types of berries, papaya etc
~ Use strawberry more for the dark pink color jam.
~ Increase sugar quantity to suit your taste, for us this itself I find it sweet.

Have a nice day ~~

Sprouts Scrambled Eggs Recipe

I have posted Scrambled Eggs recipe before and in this recipe I just added sprouts to make it more nutritious and also sprouts adds wonderful crunch to these scrambled eggs.  I am trying to include sprouts in many different ways in our diet and this was one such try which now has become a regular recipe.   If you like or want to add sprouts in your diet then you might like this simple and different scrambled eggs with sprouts, it's not really a pretty looking dish but it's differently taste yum.  A quick breakfast option which can be fixed in less than 10 minutes. So leavings you all this with simple recipe and wish you a wonderful weekend.

Other Sprouts Recipes
Homemade Sprouts
Beets & Sprouts Stirfry
Cabbage, Carrot & Sprouts Stirfry
Sprouted Khichdi

Ingredients for Sprouts Scrambled Eggs

Sprouts - 1/2 cup
Eggs - 4
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt & Pepper - To Taste

Method:

1. Break eggs in a bowl and whisk until fluffy and light.
2. Heat Oil in a pan or wok, add sprouts, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until sprouts gets almost cooked.
3. Add beaten eggs and cook for 2 minutes in medium flame or until they starts to set.
4. Using a whisk or spatula stir the mixture to break eggs in to pieces.
5. Add salt & pepper mix and cook for another 2 minutes and off flame.

Serve warm with toast, pancake or anything of your choice.

Have a nice day ~~

Sweet French Toast Recipe

One of the most quick, easy and delicious breakfast has to be french toast (also known as Eggy Bread) and I like french toast very much. It's good breakfast option for me whenever I am in hurry or simply in no mood to do something elaborate.

We can make savory french toast too but I hardly do that, I stick with sweet version to indulge always.   So leaving you all with a good, quick weekend breakfast option here.

Other Sandwich & Toasts Recipes you can check out

• Eggplant Curry Sandwich {Leftover Magic}
• Open Rava Sandwich
• Vegetable Sandwich {Street Style}
• Murukku Sandwich
• Tomato Toast
• Vegetables and Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients for French Toast [Serves 2]

Bread - 4 pieces
Eggs - 4
Milk - 1/8 Cup
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Butter - To Toast

To Serve [optional]
Icing Sugar - To Dust
Maple Syrup

Method:

1. Beat egg & sugar well.
2. Add milk, essence extract and mix well.

3. Heat a tawa or griller, apply 1 tsp of butter and melt.
4. Soak bread in egg mixture for 30 seconds in both sides and carefully place in heated pan.

5. Cook both sides until golden brown in slow-medium flame, repeat same for rest of breads.

Sprinkle icing sugar and maple syrup before serving warm or just have as it is.

Notes
~ Cook only in slow to medium flame otherwise toast will get burn and not cooked properly.
~ Use stale or old bread so it can soak the mixture.  Fresh bread might break in pieces.  You can keep bread in fridge for some time too before using.
~ You can add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder.

Have a nice day ~~