Idli Sambar

Idli  is a traditional breakfast in South Indian households, especially in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka where it is a popular breakfast dish that is consumed in numerous households. Idli is a savory cake that is popular throughout India and neighboring countries like Sri Lanka.  The cakes are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils and rice. The fermentation process breaks down the starches so that they are more readily metabolized by the body.

Idli has several variations, including rava idli,  which is made from semolina. Regional variants include sanna of Konkan and Enduri Pitha of Odisha. Idli is a savory dish that hails from the southern part of India and is made by grinding rice, urad dal (skinned black lentils), along with water. This mixture is then left to ferment overnight before being steamed in an idli steamer.

While they were traditionally eaten as a breakfast item along with chutney and sambar, during the last couple of decades it has become popular as a snack food throughout India.

To make Idli, four parts uncooked rice (Idli rice or parboiled rice) to one part whole white lentil (urad dal) are soaked separately for at least four hours to six hours or overnight. Optionally spices such as fenugreek seeds can be added at the time of soaking for additional flavor. Once done soaking, the lentils are ground to a fine paste and the rice is separately coarsely ground, then they are combined. Next, the mixture is left to ferment overnight during which its volume will more than double. After fermentation some of the batter may be kept as a starter culture for the next batch. The finished idli batter is put into greased moulds of an idli tray or "tree" for steaming. The perforated molds allow the idlis to be cooked evenly. The tree holds the trays above the level of boiling water in a pot, and the pot is covered until the idlis are done (about 10–25 minutes, depending on size). A more traditional method is to use leaves instead of molds. This time on our 103rd Foodiemonday Bloghop event, We are back with #Steamed theme, and I really wanted to make these super soft idlis for my this bloghop entry ! Check out the idli recipe below and enjoyy the perfect recipe of it.

 Ingredients

  
    2 cups idli rice / parboiled rice
    1/2 cup whole urad dal
    1 teaspoon methi (fenugreek) seeds
    1 teaspoon salt
    water as needed
 
Method:

 1. Wash the rice and urad dal separately until the water runs clean.

 2. Add the methi/fenugreek seeds to the rice and soak it in water for 4-6 hours. Soak the urad dal too for the same amount of time.

3. Drain all the water from the urad dal and grind it to a fine paste using spoonfuls of water at a time.  Grind the rice to a coarse paste with approximately 1 cup of water and then mix both the pastes together in a large bowl and whisk them well.

4. Add water as needed (approximately another 1/2 cup) to get the batter to a consistency that is neither too thick or thin.

5. Keep the batter in a warm place to ferment Once the batter has risen, add salt to the batter and whisk the batter to mix it well.

6. Grease the idli stand with oil. and take a ladleful of batter and fill the idli mold. Add 1/2 cup of water in the idli steamer and let it boil. Put the idli stand inside and close the lid. Let the steam build for 8-10 minutes before switching off the gas.

7. If you are using a cooker, use it without a vent and steam it for 10 minutes and then switch the gas off. In both cases, wait till the steam is released (another 5-10 minutes) before you take the idli stand out.

8. Wait for another 5 minutes and then use a sharp knife to scoop the idlis out.

9. Serve warm with coconut chutney or red coconut chutney and sambar.

Enjoyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Roller Coaster

Fireless Cooking is so interesting, easy and quick. There are many recipes which we can make without fire. e.g Chutneys, Milkshakes, Biscuit Cakes, Kulfi, Chaat and many more. Biscuit cakes sounds interesting when we make it without any gas or any fire.

On this Monday we #Foodiemonday people back again with another interesting theme which is #Firelesscooking and I am contributing this No bake egg less Biscuit cake. This is so easy and quick recipe to enjoy it as a dessert you can serve it with chocolate syrup and with some fruits. The desiccated coconut enhance the flavor and look of this Swiss roll.

You can use Marie Biscuit or digestive biscuits. Each ingredient is handy and there was no cooking. There was some freezing time and Its tough to wait. I used to make them may times and gift them to my friends on some occasions. I remember when My elder brother was in London, I sent him 3 boxes of these No bake Swiss rolls, As he love them a lot. beautiful memories with this Swiss rolls as  since teenage I used to make them. We used to call it roller coaster too. Check out the recipe of these Roller Coaster recipe below.

Ingredient:

Chocolate Layer:
11/4 cup Marie biscuit powder (around 30 cookies)
2tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp Chocolate Syrup
2tsp powder sugar
1tbsp butter
Milk if needed

Coconut Layer:
2/3 cup Desiccated coconut
1/3 cup powder sugar
2tsp butter or Malai or white butter
2tbs milk ( as needed )

Method

1. Combine all ingredients for chocolate layer and make smooth dough.

2. Combine all ingredients for coconut layer and mix it well.

3. Roll chocolate dough on Foil paper or on Wax paper about 10" diameter.

4. Now spared coconut mixture on top of chocolate layer.

5. Using wax paper, roll the chocolate and coconut layer in a single roll.

6. Put the roll in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

7. After 1 hour cut the roll in 1/2" slices.

No bake Roller Coaster Cookies are ready to serve.

Enjoyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!

Pistachio Rabri

Sravan is the fifth month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Sravana is the fifth month of the Hindu year, beginning in late July from the first day of the full moon and ending in the third week of August, the day of the next full moon. In the Tamil calendar, it is known as Avani and is the fifth month of the solar year. In lunar religious calendars, Sravana begins on the new moon and is the fifth month of the year. Srabon is the fourth month of the Bengali calendar. This is also the 2nd month of rainy season.

The month of Shravana is very important for the entire sub-continent of India as it is connected to the arrival of the South-West monsoons. For many Hindus, the month of Shraavana is a month of fasting. Many Hindus will fast every Monday to the Lord Shiva and/or every Tuesday to the Goddess Parvati.

The main Shravan Puja is the worship of Shivling with Gangajal, Bilva leaves or pure water. Some people observe fast on Mondays. Many people observe different vows during the month like having only vegetarian food, or reading a particular Holy Scripture on all days of the month.  Mondays in Hindu religion is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The importance of Shravan Somvar is because it is believed that the Samudra Manthan (Churning of Ocean) took place in this month and Lord Shiva drank the poison Hala Hala to save the world during this period.

 In India It is common practise to do fasting during popular festivals i.e. Navratri, Shravan Month, Shivratri, Krishna Janmashtmi and many more. Each festivals are considered highly auspicious day for worshiping various God/Goddess. Though many are staying miles and miles apart from India they wish to celebrate all these festival that brings them to follow our rituals and customs. This will even inculcate religious belief among our next generation.

During these festivals people avoid non-vegetarian food and abstain from drinking alcohol. There are many devout Hindus, Jains and Gujaratis who are very particular about food during this month. While some eat a single meal, some avoid food which contains onion and garlic and still others eat food without salt. Some are of the view that restriction in diet is to avoid diseases during the monsoon season. Some fast the entire month, eating fruits, roots, tubes, milk and milk products and avoid grains. For our 101th #Foodiemonday Bloghop event, We are celebrating #Sravanvratspecial recipes on our blogs. I am contributing the dessert which make you full whenever you want to enjoy it. This Pistachio Rabri is made with Full fat milk, Milk Powder and Condense milk. The addition of Saffron and Cardamom makes this Rabri more flavorful. check out the recipe of this Pistachio Rabri and Enjoyy the fast of holy month of Sravana :)

Ingredients

    2 litre milk, full cream
    200 gm Condense Milk
    1/2 Cup Milk Powder
    ½ tsp cardamom powder
    2 tbsp saffron milk
    7 pistachios, chopped
    5 almonds, chopped
    10 cashews, chopped

Method:

    1. firstly, in a large nonstick pan heat Full Fat milk. furthermore, stir occasionally and get to a boil.
    also reduce the flame to medium. Now add Condense Milk and some chopped pistachio and cashews in the boiling milk and stir it properly. Once a layer of cream is formed over the milk, stick it to sides of vessel. and repeat the gathering of cream to sides of kadai.
   
    2. Repeat the process till milk reduces to 1/2 quantity. Add Milk Powder and keep steering. also add cardamom powder and saffron milk. give a good mix and get the milk again to boil.
  
   3. Scrape off the collected cream from sides. and give a good stir. Transfer to a bowl and let it attain to room temperature.
  
   4. Serve in individual bowls or in glasses, garnish it with lots of chopped pistachio :)





Enjoyyy!!!

100th Blogpost of Foodiemonday

A "Foodiemonday Bloghop" this name, This beautiful journey was started with me :) The thought of making this community popped up in my mind someday on June 2015. I started my blogging career not in a serious way in 2014. Gradually I started to connect with fellow bloggers, Learn t lot of things from fellow bloggers, about blogging, about cooking, new ideas, new recipes and lot more. after a year I was already connected with lot of bloggers, But I was only active on Google+ with my blog. One day thought to grow with other bloggers, to make my blogging career lil more successful. Everyone wants to grow in their own field, This was my field, A cooking Field, a blogging filed. And then I made a google plus community called "Fantastic Bloggers". There I added some bloggers whom I was knowing virtually as a blogger and viewer of my posts. And Put this Bloghop idea on the community. Initially there wasn't a good response from anyone. In fact I can say no one responded on that ;) Slowly I started to publish my blogposts on the community and tried to push the other bloggers to join it. Then I got connected with one of the blogger on a messenger, and I asked her to join it and make a bloghop event. She agreed on that and we approached another bloggers too to join the event. On a first Foodiemonday Bloghop event, There were only three bloggers, and by second  bloghop our very own +alkajena dee and +Preethi Prasad dee joined the bloghop and we were 5 bloggers after that. within 4th or 5th theme we started to get very good response from Foodiemonday audience, and other very talented bloggers joined us. later we were 14 bloggers on board, and Foodiemonday is everywhere on social media. The journey during this bloghop event was not so easy, lot of ups and downs came during this journey. Many bloggers left the bloghop bcoz of some reasons, new bloggers joined us, But #Foodiemonday was on its way to grow.

I have lot of memory with this event. We all bloggers share our blogging queries on our group, our personal things on group. We enjoy our group like family. The fights when we are going to select the next theme, the different thoughts of everyone, the objection of some decisions . After all we are ladies, So this is very common that views and thoughts of different ladies with different region. But the bond is strong, I always believe when you have support of your elders you will always go in right direction. The elders in our group Alka dee, Preethi dee, Sujata dee, Mayuri dee, Saswati they always tried to make group smooth and understandable. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, to give a life to this group. The younger and super talented people of our group are Pushpita, kriti, and the other new joinies. I do miss two of my favorite bloggers who were in this group, but bcoz of their personal problems they left the group, +Rupal Patel and +Flavour Diary (Habeeba nisa) I miss you girls both :) Thank you each and everyone to make Foodiemonday so lively and successful.

This Foodiemonday bloghop gave me all the success in my blogging career, Lot of things changed in my life during blogging, bcoz of blogging, and the most bcoz of Foodiemonday event.

Here, We reached to 100th Foodiemonday Blogpost and its a big achievement itself. I cant believe it that we already on our 100th foodiemonday blogpost. I am proud of myself to achieve this goal in my blogging career. Its our Golden anniversary and We all will take you on a tour of our Foodiemonday journey. Take a look of the collection of my recipes which I did publish during my Foodiemonday bloghop journey.

1) Eggless Chocolate Mousse

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2017/02/eggless-chocolate-mousse.html

2) Mini Bread Pizza

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2017/01/mini-bread-pizza-bites.html

3) Mini Ghevar with kesar Rabdi 

 Recipe at:http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2016/01/mini-ghevar-with-kesar-rabdi.html

4) Coconut and Khus Cooler 

 Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2017/04/coconut-and-khus-cooler.html 

5) Makhni Daal

Recipe at : http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2016/02/makhni-daal.html 

6) Coconut Sandwich

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2016/04/coconut-sandwich.html 

7) Saffron Flavored Dryfruit Rice

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2016/03/saffron-flavored-dryfruit-rice.html 

8) Sponge Rasgulla

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2017/02/sponge-rasgulla.html

9) Eggless Mango Tiramisu 

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2016/03/eggless-mango-tiramisu.html 

 10) Cherry and Nuts Brown Rice Kheer 

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2016/06/cherry-and-nuts-brown-rice-kheer.html

11) Jhal Muri  

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2016/10/jhal-muri-kolkata-street-food.html 

12) Besan Gatte ki Curry

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2016/08/besan-gatte-ki-curry.html 

13) Chocolate Cake Balls 

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2016/02/chocolate-cake-balls-valentines-special.html

14) Strawberry Cream Dessert

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2017/03/strawberry-cream-dessert.html

15) Go Green Sizzler

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2015/12/go-green-sizzler.html  

16) Nutella Chocolate Dessert

Recipe at: Nutella Chocolate Dessert

17) Watermelon and Mint Salad

Recipe at:  http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2017/04/watermelon-and-mint-salad.html

18) Baked Donuts 

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2017/06/baked-donuts.html

19) Mango Mastani

Recipe at: http://cookingisfunn.blogspot.qa/2017/05/mango-mastani.html

 

Achaari Gobi

Indian cuisine encompasses a wide variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to India. Given the range of diversity in soil type, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines vary substantially from each other and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Indian food is also heavily influenced by religious and cultural choices and traditions. Also, Middle Eastern and Central Asian influences have occurred on North Indian cuisine from the years of Mughal rule. Indian cuisine is still evolving, as a result of the nation's cultural interactions with other societies, And vegetables are the most important in any Indian dish.

Cauliflower is a cruciform vegetable flower head. It is very similar to broccoli, but with a different flavor. Cauliflower is naturally light green, but will be white if it is kept from the sun. Normally this is done by tying the leaves over the flower head. A purple variety of cauliflower is sometimes available that turns blue when cooked. It's great for novelty value, but tastes slightly bitter. Cauliflower is useful as generic vegetable matter, because few people have a strong opinion for or against it. Cauliflower tends to have a bland flavor on its own, and can thus absorb a variety of other flavors. Common ways to eat cauliflower include: 1) overcooked and mushy, with a thick covering of cheese sauce 2) raw or steamed, in salads or with salt 3) cooked as part of a soup or mixed vegetable dish 4) roasted, with the head broken into florets, tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and put in a roasting pan in a oven for 35-40 minutes. Sometimes cauliflower is pickled, typically to be sold with pickled onions and pickled cucumbers. This time we Foodiemonday people came with the theme of Flowerrecipes. and I choose the famous Achaari gobi recipe to share with you all.

Achaari Gobi is dish with a different and delectable taste. Those who love eating gobi, will definitely relish eating this dish as well. The cauliflower florets are sautéed in achaari masala until soft and tender.  Cauliflower may not seem too appealing and a great pick in the culinary world but I do often include this veggie every now and then. I keep looking for making the best use this veggie and the end results is always worth the sweat. I followed this recipe from Nishamadhulika's website. Its an easy recipe to follow and you can enjoy it with Roti or paratha or with poori too. check out the recipe below :)

Ingredients

    500 gm Cauliflower
    1 Cup Green peas
    2-3 tbsp Mustard oil
    2 Green chilly (finely chopped)
    1 inch piece Ginger (grated)
    1 pinch Asafoetida
    1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
    1/2 tsp Mustard seed
    1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
    1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
    1/4 tsp Red chilly powder
    1/4 tsp Garam masala
    1 tsp Coriander powder
    1 tsp Fennel powder
    1/2 tsp Mango powder
    1 tsp Salt

Method:

    1. Cut off the stalk from cauliflower and make florets.
 
    2. Place the florets in warm water and Keep them aside for 5 minutes and then wash thoroughly.     Soaking florets in warm water with salt helps remove any kind of bacteria and impurities.
  
    3. Take out florets from water and wash them thoroughly.
  
    4. Now coarsely grind fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and mustard seeds in a mixture jar.
  
    5. Heat some oil in a pan. Add coarsely ground spices and Asafoetida in the oil and sauté for few minutes. Now add chopped green chilly, ginger paste, turmeric powder. After sautéing for while add washed cauliflower florets and Green peas mix nicely.
  
    6. Then add salt, red chilly powder and coriander powder into it. Stir the florets with help of a spatula and sauté for 2-3 minutes with spices.
  
    7. Now add 2-3 tbsp of water in the sabzi. Mix it well. Cover and cook on low flame for another 4-5 minutes. Check later.
  
    8. Open the lid, stir the sabzi with spatula, cover again and cook for 4 more minutes. Sabzi is ready.
  
    9. Add mango powder, Garam masala and green coriander in the Sabzi and mix all ingredients nicely.
 
  10. Transfer the sabzi in a serving bowl. Achari Gobi Sabzi is now ready. serve this luscious Achari Gobi with parantha, naan, chapatti and poori and relish eating.