Dalgona Coffee

Hello Everyone,

Dalgona coffee is originated from South Korea. It has become popular in social media during the coronavirus lockdown period. Came across many peaple posting photos of internet trending dalgona coffee. I thought of giving a try.

 It is made by whipping equal proportion of Coffee powder, Sugar and Warm water until it is creamy.

Ingredients:

Instant Coffee Powder - 3tsp

Granulated Sugar -3tsp

Warm water -3tsp

Hot milk -1 cup

• Place instant coffee, sugar, water in a mixing bowl.
• Using whisk, keep beating until you get  thick froth
• It takes upto 10 minutes when using hand whisk.
• In serving cup, fill with hot milk and top the coffee cream as a layer.
• Sprinkle with coffee powder if needed. Mix and enjoy.

Usili Upma/Rice Usili

Hello Everyone,

Usili upma is an easy one pot dish made with rice and moong dal. We can say it as dry form of Ven Pongal :).

My grandma and my aunts used to make this. They call it as accusili(Akki Usili - Rice Usili). As far as I know my mom never made this during my early days.

After marriage I got a chance to taste this from my MIL. She makes it very often. It is easy to prepare and this can be made for lunch as well as dinner. My son likes it very much and he even takes it as a lunch for school. Sambhar/puli kuzhambu/coconut chutney goes well Usili Upma.

Ingredients:

Rice- 1 Cup

Moong Dal-1/2 cup

Water - 2 Cups

Salt as per taste

To Temper:

Coconut oil-2 tbsp

Mustard seeds- 1tsp

Split urad dal- 1tsp

Channa dal- 2 tsp

Dried red chili- 2-3(according to spice level)

Grated Coconut-2tbsp

Curry leaves -5-6

Method:

1. Dry roast rice and moong dal until dal turns light brown.
2. Wash it, drain the water and keep it aside.
3. In a pressure cooker pan, heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds. 
4. Once the mustard seeds splutters, add other ingredients in the To temper section.
5. When the dal turns brown, add washed rice, moong dal, water and salt.
6. Let it boil for 2 mins. Close the lid and pressure cook for one whistle.
7. Rice is cooked. Stir once before serving.

Usili upma can be made using instant pot as well.

1. Dry roast rice and moong dal until dal turns light brown.
2. Wash it, drain the water and keep it aside.
3. Set Sauté mode, heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds. 
4. Once the mustard seeds splutters, add other ingredients in the To temper section.
5. When the dal turns brown, add washed rice, moong dal, water and salt.
6. Let it boil for 2 mins. Close the lid and pressure cook in high pressure for 5 mins.
7. Rice is cooked. Stir once before serving.

Strawberry Jam/Strawberry Fruit Spread

Hello everyone,

I usually don't make Indian breakfast on weekends. We eat Oats with berries and nuts,sandwich or just bread jam. We buy homemade fresh fruit jam from Fred Meyer(American store). We were out of Jam and we had more strawberries. Hence, I thought to give a try to make strawberry jam. It came out really well with just 3 ingredients.

I made this with Organic Strawberry, Organic brown cane sugar, Organic lemon. I don’t prefer white sugar so used brown sugar. Adding lemon juice prevents sugar from crystallizing.

Ingredients:

Organic Strawberries : 2 Cups

Organic brown sugar : 3/4 -1 Cup

Organic lemon juice: 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash and chop Strawberries by removing the green top.
2. Add them to saucepan with sugar and mix well. Stir frequently in medium heat to rolling boil.
3. Add lemon juice and allow it to boil for about 10-15 mins. 
4. Mash the strawberry until it is smooth. (I skipped this step as we like with the pulp).
5. Keep stirring and cook on medium flame until it is thick.
6. Allow it to cool down and store in a glass jar.

Enjoy the Strawberry jam with bread :)

Dill Leaves Pulao

Hello Everyone,

Dill leaf is an aromatic herb with delicate, tiny leaves. Dill Leaves is popular in India. It's called Soa in Hindi, SoaKura in Telugu, Sabsige soppu in Kannada and Sadhakuppi in Tamil. It can be used in making Akki Roti, Dal, Pulao, Fritters/Vadai.

Dill Leaves is rich in fiber and calcium. My MIL used to say it helps to increase breastmilk supply for new mom.

Dill Leaves Pulao is an one pot dish mixed with Dill Leaves and vegetables. I made this in instant pot. This can be made in pressure cooker as well.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice:1 Cup

Dill Leaves: 1 Cup(Washed and Finely Chopped)

Ginger Garlic paste:1 tsp

Onion: 1(thinly sliced)

Tomato: 1 (Chopped)

Potato: 2 Cut into cubes

Peas: 1/4 Cup(Fresh/Frozen)

Green Chili:2(Slit)

Cumin powder:1tsp

Coriander powder:1tsp

Grated Coconut:1/4 Cup

Ghee/Oil:1tbsp

Water:1.5 Cup water

Whole Spices

Cumin Seeds:1tsp

Bay Leaf:1

Cinnamon Stick:1inch

Cardamom:2

Clove:2

Method:

 1.Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat it. Add ghee, whole spices and sauté them for 30 seconds until the cumin seeds change color.

 2.Once cumin seed splutters, add green chili, ginger garlic paste, onion and sauté for 2-3 mins until onion is transparent. Sprinkle a pinch of salt for the onion.

 3. Add tomato, cumin powder, coriander powder and mix well. Sauté until it is mushy.

 4. Add chopped potatoes, peas, salt and mix well. Let it cook for a min.

 5. Add Dill leaves and give it a stir. Add rice and water. Mix the vegetables and check for salt. Close the lid in sealing vent position.

6.Change the setting to pressure cook mode and cook for 5mins in high pressure. Instant pot beeps once it is cooked. Let it be in keep warm for 8-10mins and then release the pressure manually and open the lid.

7.Dill Leaves pulao is ready to serve with raita of your choice(I prepared cucumber raita).

Aval Upma/Avalakki/Poha

When you want to make quick breakfast or dinner Aval/Poha is the best option. Not everyone makes Poha by grinding. My mom makes it by grinding and everyone in our family is big fan of this. I learnt this recipe from my mom.

Ingredients:

Aval/Beaten rice flakes -2 cups
Tamarind - small lemon size
Water -1 cup
Coriander leaves to garnish
Salt to taste.
To temper:
Oil-2 tbsp
Mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal-1 tsp each
Green chili-2, Curry leaves-5-6, hing
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp.
Peanuts-2 tbsp
Onion- 1 Cup finely chopped

Method:

1. Soak tamarind in hot water and extract the juice to 1 cup. 

2. Coarsely grind Aval/Poha in a mixer and soak it in tamarind juice for 20 mins. 

3. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add mustard seeds. Once it sizzles add Urad dal, channa Dal, green chili, Curry leaves peanuts,a pinch of hing. Try till Dal turns brown. 

4. Add onion,turmeric powder, salt for onion and saute until it turns translucent. 

5. Then add soaked Aval mix with it with needed salt in a medium flame for 5 mins. 

6. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Cashew Burfi/Kaju Burfi

Hello Everyone,

My mom used to make this often during my childhood days. I must say she is expert in making this delicious sweet. Everyone in our family love this especially my son. Whenever my mom visits my place, she used to make this for him. We moved to USA and my son asked me to make this.. phew, I don't know how to make. My mom gave me this recipe and I started making this. This has become fav for my friends here.

Ingredients
1 Cup Cashew
1 Cup Besan flour
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Fresh Grated Coconut
1 Cup Ghee + 2 tbsp ghee in case needed while stirring
3 Cups Sugar

Method
1. Soak cashew in cup of milk for 1-1.5 hrs. Grind soaked cashew, milk and coconut to smooth paate. Keep it aside.
2. Heat and melt Ghee in a large pan/ non stick pan. Add Besan to ghee and mix well without any lumps. Switch off the flame.
3. Add ground cashew, milk, coconut paste and 3 Cups of sugar to ghee and besan. Mix well thoroughly without lumps.
4. Switch on the flame. Start stirring.
5. Stir continuously on low flame.
6. Mixture starts to thicken. Stir until it is thick paste. The mixture should separate from the pan.
7. Add 1 or 2 tbsp ghee if needed so that mixture doesn't stick it the pan.
8. Switch of the flame. Grease large plate with ghee.
9. Transfer cashew mixture to the plate. Let it cool down for 5-10 mins. Cut it to diamond shaped pieces.

Beetroot Halwa with Paneer

Hello Everyone,

I have tried carrot halwa earlier but never tried beetroot halwa. I had tasted beetroot halwa once at a wedding and at a homestay in Sakleshpur. I have made carrot halwa with paneer so i wanted to try adding paneer with beetroot halwa as well. It came out really well. 

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 3 cups grated

Milk - 1 1/2 cups

Brown Sugar/White - 1 Cup

Paneer - 1/2 Cup grated

Cardamom powder -  1 tsp

Ghee - 3tbsp

Cashew and Pistachios - 10

Method:

1. In a heavy bottom pan heat 1tbsp ghee and fry grated beetroot for 3-4mins.
2. Add milk and bring it to boil. Simmer the stove and let the beetroot cook in milk until it gets slightly thick.
3. In the mean time heat 2tbsp ghee, fry cashew and pistachios. Keep this aside.
4. Add grated paneer to the beetroot and give a stir. When the mixture is think add sugar(I used brown sugar).
5. Cook in medium flame until it is glossy. Switch of the stove.  
6. Finally add fried cashew,  pistachios and cardamom powder to the halwa. Mix well.

Strawberry Rasam

Hello everyone,

We usually buy small box of strawberry whenever we go for groceries. This time SV(my husband) bought huge box from Costco. I wanted to try some interesting yet simple recipe with strawberry. Why not try south Indian Rasam instead of regular Dal, garlic, tomato or lemon Rasam. I replaced Strawberry instead of tamarind with freshly ground rasam powder. 

Ingredients:

Strawberries - 1cup chopped

Water - 2 cups

Coriander leaves few chopped

Curry leaves- 5-6

Salt to taste, pinch of hing

Rasam Powder

Toor dal -1tbsp

Pepper corns-1/2tsp

Cumin/Jeera-1/2tsp

Dhania/Coriander seeds-1/2 tsp

Dried red chilli-1-2 according to spice level

To temper

Mustard seeds-1tsp

Method:

1. Heat 1/2 tsp ghee in a pan and roast Rasam powder ingredients mentioned above. Grind it to coarse powder. Keep this aside. 

2. Grind strawberry with 2 cups of water in a mixie. Let one or 2 pulps be there. 

3. Transfer it to a vessel, add salt, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Allow it to boil in a medium heat for 5 mins. 

4. Add the ground rasam powder to strawberry mix and let it boil for another 2 mins. 

5. Heat ghee and add mustard seeds, once it sizzles and hing pour it to rasam. Garnish with cilantro. 

Serve with hot rice or drink as soup.