Kooka is Potato in Kerala Konkani and Batata in Mangalore Konkani.There are at least 4-5 kukka humman's that I know of.As it is potatoes are definitely a main ingredient in our cuisine.Usually all these varieties of humman are paired with different entrees.There's one for pej/kanji,one for upma,one for chapathi/appam and another for dosa/idli/appo.Shall try to post each one of these sooner.It is Srivalli's curry mela which gave me the idea of posting each one of these with the accompaniments.With all these potato curries,no wonder we consume about 2 kgs of potato in a week or two!!
I remember amma making this curry to go with dosa/appo.Chutney was made once in a while and all of us preferred having this humman.I think appo was always paired with red kukka humman(which is what we called it to differentiate between the various hummans).Its only after marriage that I started making chutney on a daily basis as hubby is a chutney fan.It goes great with dosas/idlis/roasted idlis and appo.Do try it out for a change from the daily chutney grind-pun intended;-).
Kukka Humman
Ingredients
Potatoes - 3 big,boiled and mashed
Tomato - 1 big,chopped
Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Asafoetida/Hing - 1 tsp
Method
Mash the cooked potatoes well and keep aside.
In a kadai add oil and splutter mustard seeds.
Add the red chilly powder and curry leaves,mix well.
Add the tomatoes and fry till it softens.
Add the potatoes and enough water(almost a cup),salt to taste and let it boil.
Simmer for a while till the curry thickens,add the hing.
Serve hot with appo/dosa or idli!
Kukka Humman is off to Valli's Curry mela andto the new event by Sunshinemom-Food in Colours-This month's colour is Red.
Its been a while since I last posted,I wonder why.I have many recipes with pictures in my drafts but somehow,when I hit New Post,mind goes blank and I am left staring at the screen for a while and I hit Home/Back.I really don't know what's wrong.But to be honest,I am enjoying blog-hopping and discovering many new blogs during this blank period of mine,which is a great thing.I have stopped taking photos too,of the dishes I make coz I want to finish the ones in my drafts.I geared up myself for this post because I missed an event which I was so looking forward to,when I had a post specially for that.Anyway,shall post it minus the event tag soon.Since I had many leftovers in my drafts,thought of posting a leftover special from my kitchen;-).
Leftovers are a nightmare for me,I never seem to get rid of them! I still have not mastered the task of "cooking for two" and always end up with more food for the fridge and then for our stomach the next day.I have tried and tried to measure and cook less but have failed miserably.I make dosa/idli batter measuring rice and urad dal in the smallest cup ever possible,but still end up getting enough batter for a few days.A set of idli,for example,lasts us for 3-4 days.What do I do to finish it up without frowning?Usually I make idlis out of fresh batter and keep the rest for dosas.The first day would be Idli-Chutney/Sambhar,second day would be Roasted idli and third day would be Idli upma along with a sigh of relief from me and my hubby;-)
What to prepare with Leftover Idli-
Roasted idlis- These are a great way to finish up idlies as a snack.Just cut the idlis into two horizontally-Place a dosa tawa on flame-Drizzle coconut oil(or any oil of your choice)roast the idli pieces in it till light brown on both sides-Serve with pickle/chutney powder.(I don't have a pic for this,shall update asap)
Idli Upma - Best way to camouflage idlis into upma!Very easy and tasty too.Crumble idlis till they resemble the texture of upma-Place a kadai on flame-Add oil-Splutter mustard seeds,curry leaves,green chillies,red chillies,salt to taste-Add crumbled idli and mix till everything gets mixed-Serve hot with chips/mixture/pickle or just like that!
Another thing that always ALWAYS features in the leftover list is rice.There is no end to dishes you can prepare with leftover rice,but here,I am posting three of my favorite rice leftovers.
Lemon Rice - Place a kadai on flame-Add oil-Splutter mustard seeds,urad dal-Add chopped ginger,red chillies,curry leaves,turmeric powder and salt to taste-Add the rice and mix well-Add lemon juice-Garnish with coriander leaves-Serve hot with pickle/chips.
Curd rice- This is an ultimate favorite when finishing up the leftover rice.There is no recipe as such for this one.Just mash the rice-add curds,salt to taste and serve.You could also add seasoning to it if you want-In a kadai-add oil-splutter mustard seeds,jeera,chopped ginger,green chilly,red chilly&roasted peanuts,add it to the curd rice.Serve with pickle.
Fried rice-Now you don't have to wait for leftover rice to make this,but still..!;-).In a kadai-Add oil-add chopped garlic-chopped spring onions,carrots,beans,capsicum-add soya sauce-stir-fry sauce(optional) and salt to taste-Mix well-add the rice,mix well-Garnish with spring onions-Serve hot with Gobi manchurian-recipe coming soon!(It tastes great plain too just with a dash of tomato ketchup).
Thats my spread for a leftover meal..shall come up with many many...soon!!
Horse gram or Muthira(Malayalam),Kollu(Tamil),Kulith(Konkani) is one of the lesser known beans.It is an excellent source of Iron and is believed to prevent the formation of stones in the kidney.Even though many regard Kulith as horse food,it is used widely in the cuisines of South India and Konkani cuisine is no different.Amma used to prepare Kulitha saaru,similar to rasam and insisted we finished it with our pej/kanji.I used to dislike it and made a big fuss whenever she prepared this.This was not an everyday curry as we did not use much pulses in our cooking back then.Sometimes,amma would feel like cooking it and it used to pop up.I remember quite well,always we used to tell her that it was horse feed and we are not supposed to eat it!!
As luck would have it[:)],hubby is a totally pulses person.He wouldn't mind if I prepared variations of SaarUpkari seven days a week!!Last time we went grocery shopping,he took a packet of Kulith and said it was ages since he had it and I have to prepare something with it soon.That packet stared at me whenever I opened my shelf.I didn't want to prepare the usual curries with it so as usual,I searched my cookbooks and came up with an authentic Mangalore-South Kanara curry-Koddel.It is a curry with a coconut base and a garlic seasoning.It can be prepared with any beans/pulses,it is also called Bendi.It can also be prepared with any vegetables of your choice.Kulitha koddel was delicious and we loved it.Hubby said it was perfect in taste and almost like his amma's..yay!!!
Kulitha Koddel~Horse Gram curry Ingredients
Kulith - 100 gms(about 1 cup)
Drumsticks - 3-4,cut into pieces(you can add any vegetables of your choice,or no vegetables at all)
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Red chillies - 6(3 byadge and 3 normal-roasted)
Tamarind - 1 channa size
Oil - 2 tbsp
Garlic cloves - 6-8
Salt to taste
Method
Wash the horse gram well and cook till soft,I cooked in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes.
Add drumsticks and cook till soft.
Grind grated coconut with red chillies and tamarind to a fine paste.
Add this masala to the cooked kulith-drumstick mix,add salt and let it boil.
Simmer for a while and switch off the gas.
Crush the garlic cloves a little(do not peel) and fry them in a little oil till brown.
(This curry can also be seasoned with Mustard and Curry leaves for those who don't like the taste of Garlic.)Add it to the koddel and serve hot!
Kulitha Koddel is off to dear Srivalli's Curry mela!!
When we got married and came to Chennai,the first place we went to was our friend V's house.Our house wasn't ready and we had not got the keys,so we stayed at his place for about a week.His family was out of station too.We reached at his place from Bangalore,early morning.We sat and talked for a while and V said he'll make tea for us.Me,being the new bride,all set to impress my hubby and his best friend,took up the plunge and said I will make tea and breakfast too(!!!).I made tea,which was a disaster,as I used up the entire packet of milk(1/2 ltr),it was tasty,only thing,it tasted similar to a milk based sweet(!!).;-).I am sure what hubby must have gone through at that moment..hehe.I could see pity for him in V's eyes..;-).
I had to salvage my pride and how!V told me that there is dosa batter in the fridge and chutney powder in the shelf,he was so very tensed whether I knew to make dosas..!!Anyway,I kept quiet and waited for them to get busy reading the newspaper and scanned the kitchen.There was a rack which had potatoes and onions and Yay!! I knew how to impress them.I set about making masala and while it was getting cooked,made chutney-put the dosa tava on gas and called them for breakfast.I should say they were stumped!!The expression on their faces was worth a watch.Till date,I don't know whether it was because the masala dosa was tasty or because they couldn't believe I could whip up such a breakfast after the disastrous tea!!!
Whenever I make masala dosa I make this Ulli chammanthi too-Chutney made using small onions.I love the flavor that this chammanthi imparts to the dosa along with the masala!!So here's the star dosa which salvaged my pride..Masala dosa it is!!
Masala Dosa
Ingredients
Potatoes - 3,diced into small cubes
Onions - 2,chopped finely
Salt to taste
For the Tadka/Seasoning
Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1 tbsp,finely chopped
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Green chillies - 2,chopped finely
Haldi/Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
For Garnish
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsps,finely chopped
Method
In a pressure pan/cooker,add the oil and splutter mustard seeds.
Add the green chillies,ginger and curry leaves and stir well.
Add the onions and saute till they become translucent(not brown).
Add the potatoes,haldi and salt to taste-mix well.
Add water just enough for the potatoes to cook and cook for 10-15 minutes(about 6-8 whistles,on slow heat)
Mash the potatoes a little and add the coriander leaves.
Mix well and keep aside.
Ulli Chammanthi
Ingredients
Small onions/shallots - 10(peeled and halved)
Red chillies - 4-5
Tamarind - 1 small piece,channa size
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Coconut oil-to drizzle
Method
In a kadai,add the oil and shallow fry the onions till they become light brown.
Add the chillies and tamarind and fry for sometime.
Remove from the kadai,add coconut and salt to taste and grind to a smooth paste in a mixer.
Drizzle with coconut oil and keep aside.
Dosa batter
Ingredients
Idli rice - 3 cups
Urad dal - 1 cup
Methi/Fenugreek - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Method
Soak rice,urad dal and fenugreek seperately for 2-3 hours and grind each to a smooth paste in a mixer.(methi can be blended along with urad dal)
Mix well and add salt.
Keep in a warm place for fermenting,overnight.
Next day prepare dosas.
Heat a greased dosa tava on flame and pour a ladle full of dosa on to the pan and spread it well.
Sprinkle ghee/oil.
Cover and cook it on medium flame.
Apply ulli chammanthi on one half and masala on the other.
Fold and remove,
Serve hot with coconut chutney.
I first heard about this pudding from a good friend KK.I remember so well,he said he had tasted a yummy pudding made by his friend S and it was simply out of this world.I asked him about the ingredients and he said it had Marie biscuits and chocolate sauce.Well,I was not going to attempt this just with his suggestions so I dropped the idea and completely forgot about this.Thank God for small mercies-call it co-incidence or anything,S happened to be my hubby's first cousin!!Can it get more merrier than that?
I decided to ask S for the recipe first thing when I met her.I was casually telling amma(m-i-l) about this and she asked-"you mean chocolate pudding with marie biscuits?,I make it quite often,in fact S actually follows my recipe"...WOW!!!She made it for me the very next day and I almost finished off half of it.It tasted simply divine..Yummy!!!
The best part of this pudding is,it really requires very little time to prepare.Make it,keep in the fridge for chilling and eat it-yes,it is as simple as that!!Amma makes it a point to make it everytime we are in Bangalore coz she knows I look forward to it;-).Thanks ma..!!I am posting it today for exactly that reason.Amma is celebrating her birthday today and what better way to wish her with her signature dish..??!!I have made it many times but I love the one that she makes!!This pudding finds its way whenever there is an overdose of milk or marie biscuits and what better way to polish it off in the form of a pudding..??!!;-)
Biscuit Pudding-Amma's special
Ingredients
Marie Biscuits - 1 pack
Milk - 1 packet ( 500 ml )
Sugar - 5 tbsps,about 1/3 of a cup
Cornflour - 3 level tbsps
Cocoa powder - 3 level tbsps
Coffee decoction - 4-5 tbsps diluted with 2-3 tbsps water OR
Instant Coffee powder - 1 tsp mixed with 5-6 tbsp of hot water
For garnish-Nuts,white chocolate chips,chocolate curls etc
Method
Make the coffee dipping liquid.Instant coffee mixed with hot water.
Dip the marie biscuits in coffee decoction(both sides) and layer them in a serving bowl.
Finish the whole packet this way.
Mix together the cornflour and cocoa powder in a bowl.Add about 1/4 cup of cold milk and make a smooth lump-free paste.Reserve.
In a pan,boil the milk and add sugar.
When the milk boils,add this cocoa-cornflour paste and mix well.
It will start thickening immediately,keep stirring.
Switch off the flame when it thickens,but still of pouring consistency(similar to custard).While still hot,pour it over the biscuits and cover the biscuits all over with this sauce.
Garnish with nuts or chocolate chips.
Refrigerate for 4-5 hours and serve chilled!!
Wishing you a very Happy Birthday Ma..!!!
100 posts already?I just can't believe I've managed to post 100 times..!!I still remember one evening in December,after drooling enough looking at all the yummilicious blogs around,I finally decided I will start a blog too..but I did just that-registered to blogger and just left it at that.It wasn't until March that I started posting and I realized that I just needed a start coz ever since,I've managed to post regularly,even though not on a daily basis.Its amazing what blogging could do to you..I've made so many friends..just can't describe the joy I feel when the people whom I adored posted comments on my blog.
I crossed the borders I had drawn out for myself and ventured into newer arenas in cooking.I can never imagine myself getting into baking and other fusion cooking,if not for this blog.In fact,now when I make something special,hubby mock-teases me saying that I made it for my blog and not for him!!Menus are planned according to the events going on in blogosphere and same attention is given to posting as is to cooking.Hubby has got used to waiting on the table(and sometimes,helping me too!)while I finish taking the snaps and giving me suggestions whenever he remembers a favorite but long forgotten dish and reminding me to put that on my blog!Thank you dear!!;-)
I thank all my friends in blogosphere for all the love and encouragement you guys have showered on me,which is the sole reason which motivates me to keep going.Thank you guys-We Rock!!!
Now presenting the special dish for a special post-Zebra cake..or was it a Tiger cake..a Leopard cake..??Your pick!!I've been mesmerized by this one ever since I saw my blogger friends posting it on their blog.I never ever thought I could make this,but I did!!All thanks to you guys..!!I thought hard on what to post for my 100th..this one sounded so apt..!!I've been hugely inspired by Deeba,Shyam and Arundhathi and had checked out their posts about a hundred times before making this myself.Do check out Farida's version too.
So applaud please...for the Zebra..!!!
Zebra Cake
Ingredients
Eggs - 4
Sugar - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Oil(I used Sunflower) - 1 cup
Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp
Flour - 2 cups
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Dark Cocoa Powder - 4-5 tbsp
Method
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar until creamy and light in colour.
Add milk and oil and continue beating till well blended.
Add Vanilla.Gradually add flour and beat till the batter is smooth.
Divide mixture into 2 equal portions.
Keep one portion plain.
Add cocoa powder to the other and mix well.(the colour of the batter should be quite dark,so add more if needed).
Preheat oven to 180*C.
Assembling the cake -
Scoop 3 heaped tbsps of plain batter into the middle of the baking pan.
Then scoop 3 tbsps of cocoa batter and pour it in the center on top of the plain batter.
Continue this way until both the batters are finished.
Do not spread the batter or tilt the pan to distribute the mixture. It will spread by itself and fill the pan gradually.Bake for 40 minutes,or till done.
I love Paneer,in its different forms,my favourite being Paneer Butter Masala.As much as I love Paneer,hubby hates it even more.I think it has to do with one's eating habits-I've seen that majority of non-vegetarians hate paneer and majority of the vegetarians love it.I really have no idea why.I have managed to persuade hubby to tide over that feeling and he has started a liking for Paneer tikka,but that too if there is no non-veg food around!!Hah..what to do..??!!
Me and amma,during our cooking-together days have tried many recipes with Paneer.It used to get over in no time.Almost always it used to be Butter masala or Jalfraize.I got a liking for paneer tikka recently and I love making it at home-I make mini paneer tikkas as I don't have big skewers,I make them on a toothpick and they come out great.More on that in another post.
As Srivalli rightly said here,Paneer must be the best example of fusion cooking.Even though it is an Indian Cheese,you find so many recipes in Chinese cuisine featuring paneer.Of course,Chinese is Indo-Chinese!!I've been wanting to try Chilli Paneer for a long time.There are so many recipes for this,in fact this is not exactly a recipe-just toss your favorite ingredients and you have your delicious dish ready.Don't believe me?Check this out...
Paneer Chilli~Chilli Paneer
Ingredients
Paneer - 200 gms(1 pkt),chopped lengthwise
Capsicum - 1,chopped lengthwise
Onion - 1,chopped into small cubes
Green chilly - 1,chopped lengthwise
Garlic,chopped finely - 1 tsp
Ginger,chopped finely - 1 tsp
Green chilly sauce - 1 tbsp
Soya sauce - 2 tbsp
Tomato sauce - 2 tbsp
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Water - 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp
Spring Onions - for garnish
Method
In a kadai,add 1 tbsp oil and shallow fry paneer till they turn slightly brownish.
Take them out and keep aside.
In the same kadai,add rest of the oil and add chopped green chilly,ginger and garlic.
Saute for a minute and then add capsicum and onions.
Stir fry till they become soft,but not overcooked.
Add the sauces and salt to taste.
Mix well and add paneer.
Sprinkle the cornflour over the paneer,add water.
Keep mixing till the paneer is well coated with the sauces.
Transfer to a serving bowl,sprinkle spring onions and serve hot!!
Paneer Chilli goes to Paneer-A Delicacy,an event hosted by Vandana Rajesh of Cooking up something nice.
Paneer is a great source of protein,so this one's also on its way to Sangeeth's Eat healthy-Protein rich event.
Last weekend was a boring one..hubby was out of station and I was all alone:-(.Enough of TV watching..enough of reading..I got into something which I can never get enough of.Yes,you guessed right..blogging.While I was going through my blog,it suddenly struck me that I am only a few posts away from my 100th post!!Wow..I got so excited.I started thinking of the special dish to post on my blog for the 100th one.I badly wanted to try a popular dish doing its rounds in the blogosphere,but was quite hesitant.Anyway,I had all the ingredients in my kitchen and at the height of my boredom,took the plunge and made it.It came out beautifully and I just cant wait for the 100th post now.Can you guys guess what I made???Start guessing..(Update-Check out my 100th post here!)
I wanted to bake a new batch of cookies ever since the last batch got over in two days.Hubby said he prefers having cookies rather than a piece of cake because having a cake often makes one feel guilty because of the calories.I agree cookies too have enough calories,but still.He does not have a sweet tooth and I am trying to maintain my diet,so baking a cookie sounded better.After my beginners luck stint in baking in convection mode on MW,I am all set to try new stuff to bake.Was blog-hopping to search which cookie to bake which had a healthier tone to it,struck upon Shammi's blog and saw her eggless cookie series.Bingo!Since I already made these which are quite similar to these,I wanted to try something different and Peanut butter cookies sounded very apt.I had some not-easy-to-spread peanut butter in my shelf which was nearing its expiry date.I put it to good use and baked some yummy cookies.I tweaked Shammi's recipe a bit and added some oats too,just to satisfy my guilt pangs;-)
Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
Maida - 1 and 1/2 cup
(I substituted 1/2 cup of maida with half cup oats ie 1 cup maida and 1/2 cup oats-optional)
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 1/2 cup
Peanut butter - 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 cup demerara sugar and 1/4 cup sugar-I used 1/2 cup normal white sugar.
Cornflour - 2 tbsp
Milk - 2-3 tbsp
Method
Preheat oven to 150*C.
Sift together flour,oats,baking powder,salt and cornflour.Keep aside.
Beat butter,peanut butter and vanilla essence in a large bowl.
Beat in sugar.
Stir half of the flour mix.Mix well.
Stir in the other half too and mix well.
Add milk if the dough is too dry.
Roll the dough into small balls,flatten a bit with a fork and make a criss-cross pattern.
Arrange the cookies in a tray and bake for 18 minutes in 150*C,until the cookies are dry on top.
Remove from oven and let the cookies cool completely before storing them in an airtight box.
P.S-The temperature for baking the cookies might differ.Shammi's recipe calls for baking them in 180*C for 15-16 minutes.I pre-heated the oven and kept the cookies inside,within 5 minutes into baking the cookies started getting burnt on the top.So I lowered the temperature to 150*C and baked for 18 minutes and they came out fine.So,set the temperature accordingly.
I had bookmarked this recipe when Shammi posted it and came around making it successfully.So I am sending these to Ruth for her Bookmarked Recipes event.
Awards Time
My dear blogger friends have been kind enough to me and passed some beautiful awards to me.Thank you so much dear friends!!!
Seema,Suma and Ranji have passed on to me Friendship award and Yum yum Blog Award-Thank you so much folks!!!
Chinese food tops my list when it comes to eating out or ordering in.I prefer Chinese food in an Indian-Chinese flavor and not the authentic Chinese-Chinese.Nowadays,on almost every corner you can find fast-food shops serving Chinese cuisine.Easily because they are finger-licking tasty and easy on the pocket too.I had posted earlier about a Chinese fast food joint in Ekm,Bimbis.I simply adore the food served there.I always stand next to the counter where they cook up the delicious stuff.I am always amazed by the way they make it-so simple yet so tasty!!
I remember the first time me and amma tried making Fried rice and Gobi Manchurian.We were so excited when it came out near perfect.We kept on trying new methods to make and loved each of them.Amma would make the rice and I was in charge of the curry and always it used to be Gobi Manchurian and nothing else.
While chatting with my vanni one day,she asked me whether I have tried making Gobi the healthier way.The recipe of Gobi that I have does not seem to be healthy in any angle(with frying in oil,saute-ing in more oil!).But who cares anyway..!!But we can always try and make it more healthier so that we can enjoy it guilt-free!!She gave me a recipe which she tried and said it comes out too good.I decided to try it and I did and am gonna make it again..and again..!!Great recipe for a healthy version-No fry version of Indian-Chinese Gobi Manchurian!!
No-Fry Gobi Manchurian
Ingredients
Cauliflower-Gobi - 1,florets cut into thin slices
Garlic chopped finely - 2 tbsp
Green chillies,chopped finely - 2 tbsp
Ginger,chopped finely - 1 tbsp
Onion,chopped finely - 2
Salt to taste
Maida/Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2-3 tbsp
Tomato sauce - 2 tbsp
Green chilly sauce - 1 tbsp
Soya sauce - 2 tbsp
Spring onions - for garnish
Method
Cut gobi into florets and then cut them into thin slices.
Wash them well and drop into a pan of boiling water to which 1 tsp salt has been added.
Close the lid and keep aside for 4-5 minutes.
Drain and keep aside.
In a pan add gobi and sprinkle maida/cornflour,so that a thin layer forms on the gobi.
Add 1 tbsp chopped garlic,green chillies,ginger and salt to taste.
Mix well and keep aside.
In a thick bottomed kadai/wok,add oil and saute marinated gobi pieces in it,stir well.
Keep stirring till it becomes brown.(Since very less amount of oil is added,gobi pieces might stick to the bottom,so you have to keep stirring all the while)
Remove from pan,keep aside.
In the same pan,add oil and saute rest of the chopped garlic,chopped onions and chopped green chillies.Saute on high flame.
Add the gobi pieces,mix well.
Add tomato sauce,green chilly sauce,soya sauce and salt.
Mix well till the gobi pieces are well coated.
Sprinkle spring onions,serve hot!!
No-fry Gobi manchurian is my entry to this months A.W.E.D. It is hosted by DK of Culinary bazaar and this months theme is Chinese Cuisine-which includes -Sichuanese and Indo Chinese/ American Chinese version.
When I buy mangoes from the market for exorbitant prices,I am reminded of my childhood days!!I don't remember my parents ever buying mangoes from outside.We had 3-4 mango trees in our backyard and every summer,appa hired someone to pick the mangoes when they were greenish/yellowish in colour and kept aside for ripening.My room always smelled yummy coz of the mangoes kept under the bed,no wonder I always dreamt of yummy mangoes,lol-jokes apart,amma used to carefully pack them into baskets and distribute among friends and relatives.We had three varieties-Salem,Priyoor and Alphonso.Amma used to make yummy mango curries and it was my duty to finish up the rest of the mangoes for the day in whichever avtaar I wished to.So after dinner it used to be mango milkshake in different varieties.I used to add vanilla essence,honey instead of sugar,add nuts,add other fruits etc etc.All of us loved it!!
Hubby,in contrast does not like to "waste" mangoes in juices and milkshakes!!Yeah,he feels mangoes should be eaten just as it is and nothing else.He loves Ambe Upkari,but feels that it should be made with mangoes which are not sweet and can't be eaten just as they are!!Can't fight with that logic especially since nowadays prices of mangoes are soaring to sky levels!!I somehow manage to keep aside few slices for the milkshake..;-)
Mango Smoothie
Ingredients
Ripe mangoes cut into slices - 1 cup
Frozen milk(crushed) - 2 cups
Sugar - 2-3 tbsps
Method
In a blender add the mangoes,sugar and half cup ice-cold milk and blend into a smooth paste.
Add rest of the milk and blend well for a minute till everything gets mixed.
Serve immediately!!
Mango Smoothie is off to this month's Monthly Mingle-Mango Mania by Meeta.And the round-up is here!!
Also to Sia-Monsoon Spice for WBB-Summer feast
And to Nalabagham for Summer splash!!
Fruit Shop on Greams road,Chennai is a place which we haunt almost every weekend.In case we miss it for a while,we plan our outings in such a way that on our way back we could hop in there for a juice!People in Chennai must be familiar with this one since its branches are scattered all over Chennai,they started their first shop on Greams road,hence the name.I have never seen such an array of fresh juices-milkshakes-smoothies-puddings in one place.It would be unfair to call it "just another juice shop"coz its much more than one.Now,before I sound like a Fruit shop ad,let me come back to today's recipe.
Lemon-Mint cooler is nothing but our good old lime juice with a twist.Once,while having our share of yummies there,we casually asked one of their guys which was their best-seller.We expected to hear -Jughead special(an ice-cream based mix fruit milkshake,which is our favorite),but were shocked when he said it was lemon-mint cooler!We asked,lime juice?He said,just taste it and see whether its "just lime juice".We tasted it and were mighty impressed,such an innovative drink for hot Chennai climate.We decided to order this every time we go there(besides Jughead special,of course!).I tried making it at home trying to recollect the taste and I should say it tasted almost the same.I should have added some more mint though.I was apprehensive how it would turn out,hence added just a small amount.So when you guys make it,increase the quantity of mint.
Lemon-Mint Cooler Ingredients
Mint leaves - a handful(or as required)
Lemon juice - of 2 lemons
Sugar - 4 tsp
Ice-cold water - 2 cups
Method
In a blender,add the mint leaves and run it for a few seconds.
Add the lime juice,sugar and water and blend again for a minute.
Sieve through a strainer.
Serve chilled.
Lemon-Mint Cooler is off to this month's Herb mania-Mint!
