A Subzi, A Snack & A Dessert

For the past few days, my busy life has kept me away from the computer and I am unaware of the happenings in Blogosphere.
I wanted to participate in some of the events hosted by fellow bloggers and I see most of them end by this 25 th. Hence I thought of doing a 3 in 1 kind of post - posting for three events in a single post. So, here we go in an alphabetical order.

CONDENSED MILK HALWA

Condensed milk halwa is a hit with my guests and always brings compliments, when served. The halwa has an exquisite grainy appearance with melt in your mouth kind of texture. It tastes similar to the pala khova, sold by Andhra sweet sellers. Every time I serve this, people think it is khova and I might have toiled for hours in the kitchen stirring the milk to prepare it.

This rich halwa surprisingly needs a few ingredients and can be prepared in short time, in 12 minutes, to be exact. The best part is it is prepared in a microwave. So, you can be ready with a delightful dessert under 15 minutes.


Add 14 oz / 400 gm sweetened Condensed Milk , 3 Tbsp Yogurt and 1 Tbsp Ghee to a microwavable bowl and put it in the MW. Cook for twelve minutes on high. Take the bowl outside and stir the contents once, every three minutes. The mixture would have reached the halwa consistency around 12 minutes. If it has not, cook more for a minute or two.
I usually use condensed milk and yogurt, both fat free.

This one goes to 'Microwave easy cooking event' hosted by Srivalli of 'Cooking 4 for all seasons'.

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JEERA ALOO

Potato is one vegetable that is prepared in numerous styles and with lot of variations because of it's wide usage. Here is a simple and yet delicious potato subzi flavored with cumin seeds. Toasted cumin seeds and cilantro add a wonderful aroma to the dish and this goes well with both rice and rotis.

Ingredients needed:
Big sized potatoes - 3
Cumin seeds, Grated ginger, Chili powder & Coriander powder - 1 tsp each
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Chopped cilantro to garnish - 2 Tbsp
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Lemon / Lime juice - 1 Tbsp or more

Method:
Peel the potatoes and chop them into small cubes. If you prefer, chop the potatoes with skin.
Cook them with enough water in a sauce pan till fork tender. Don't over cook the potatoes. Drain all the water used to cook.
Heat oil in a pan and add ginger. When it starts to brown add cumin seeds and turmeric powder. When cumin start to turn brown, add potatoes, chili powder, coriander powder and salt. Adjust the seasonings if required. Mix well so that the potatoes are coated well with the spices. Add a Tbsp or two of water, if required. Saute for a minute or so and add the chopped coriander and toss well. Turn off the stove. Drizzle with lemon juice and serve.

This one goes to 'Think Spice - Cumin' event hosted by Sunita of Sunita's World.

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PLANTAIN CHIPS

Among the few things I prepare with plantains, this snack is our favorite. It is a great alternative to potato chips. Chips prepared from a plantain would serve two as a snack and takes around 15 minutes to prepare them.


The process is really simple.

• Take half a tsp each of chili powder & salt and few pinches of asafoetida in a small bowl. Mix them well and keep them aside. You can increase the quantities of salt and chili powders to suit your taste.
• Chop the ends, peel the plantain and slice it into very thin circles. (Use mandoline / slicer for an easy job).
• On medium flame, heat enough oil (around 2 cups) in a deep, small pan. Drop plantain slices in the hot oil with out over crowding. If plantain slices are sticking to one another, separate them before dropping into oil. Fry the plantain slices in batches and sprinkle them with the above spice mixture immediately. I usually fry them till they turn a shade yellow. Once they are done, drain on paper towels.

This one goes to 'Favorite Snack' event, hosted by SnackOrama's Hima.

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