Sweet Potato Kheer

This post was originally published in 2009 and needed some revamping both in terms of content and images. I had posted a microwave version but I am updating with the stove-top method too. 

Kheer / payasam is a popular and quick to cook dessert from Indian cuisine. It is equivalent to the pudding recipe from the western world sans eggs. Rice, vermicelli, sago/tapioca pearls, and split chickpeas versions are the most common and traditional kheers prepared across India. There are though several other delicious versions and kheers are mostly easy to prepare. The basic preparation of a kheer remains the same. A grain / lentil / vegetable / other ingredient is cooked in milk and sweetened with sugar or jaggery. Dairy milk is most commonly used though other milks like coconut milk, almond milk can be easily substituted in the recipe. Whole milk adds richness to a kheer but replacing it with half and half or a splash of condensed milk makes it festive. Cardamom is the most common flavor used in south India while saffron, kewra essence and rose water are other flavoring agents that go in north Indian style kheers. A garnish of ghee toasted dry fruits and nuts finishes the dish.

I love simple kheers like carrot / chayote / dates that sound special and unusual. I sometimes combine half & half to my kheers for the extra richness. These are some of the kheers that I have already posted on my blog. The first time I prepared this sweet potato kheer was for my guests who had hard time guessing the contents of the kheer and were bowled over by it's taste. I had never heard about sweet potato kheer before that and it was an experiment done on a whim. I use the pink fleshed sweet potato that is common in USA to make this kheer. The color of this chilled kheer is just because of the yam and no saffron was added. It can be cooked with the Indian variety sweet potato too but the sugar quantity in the recipe needs adjustment as it is a more sweeter variety. This is so delicious that it can be served to guests or can be included in festive meals. It can also be cooked during vrat / fasting since sweet potato is allowed during the period.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. ghee

1/2 cup peeled & shredded sweet potato 
1.5 cups whole milk or as needed (or substitute with half & half for more richer version.) 

3 - 4 tbsp. sugar or to taste
Seeds ground from 2 cardamom pods / 2 pinches of ground cardamom
1 tbsp. cashews and raisins for garnishing (optional)

(For the original microwave version, I had used a tbsp. of ghee and 1.5 tbsp. sugar.)

Stove-top method:

* Heat ghee in a pan and add cashews and raisins. Toast them until raisins turn plump and cashews turn golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a small bowl.

* Add grated sweet potato to the same ghee and sauté for 5 - 6 minutes, stirring continuously. 

* Next add milk to the pan and cook until sweet potato softens. (It doesn't tale much time.)

* Next add sugar and ground cardamom and cook until the sugar melts. Turn off the stove.

* Garnish with toasted cashews and raisins. 

* I usually serve it chilled but it can be served both warm or chilled.

Microwave version:
* Mix the ghee and the shredded sweet potato in a microwave safe bowl and cook it for a couple of minutes in the microwave. Remove and stir the contents once in between. 

* Add 3/4 cup of milk to the bowl and mix well. Put the bowl back in the microwave and cook until the sweet potato is almost done. Check once in between and if the milk has been absorbed by the sweet potato, add some more. (It may take about 3 - 4 minutes.) 

* Add sugar, remaining milk, and cardamom to the bowl. Mix well and put it back in the microwave and cook for a couple of minutes or until the sweet potato is cooked. Garnish with nuts/raisins if using. Stir well before serving. This kheer can be served warm or cold.
 
Note:
1. For diabetic-friendly version, omit the sugar and add a little sweetener to the bowl just before serving.

2. The time to cook the kheer in a microwave may vary depending upon the strength of the microwave. Use your discretion and cook accordingly.

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Meethi Sakrouri / Boondi ki Kheer

This boondi ki kheer was part of the Bihari thaali that I posted back in September. This is supposedly a traditional Mithila sweet and goes by the regional name meethi sakrouri. This kheer contains boondi, the tiny balls of chickpea flour that are deep fried which makes it a special one. Boondi can be prepared from scratch or store bought boondi can be used which makes the kheer preparation quite a simple and easy task. The milk needs to be reduced until it thickens and then cooked further after addition of boondi and sugar. The dish is finished with a generous garnishing of nuts which makes the kheer more inviting.

Ingredients:

4 cups full-fat milk

Sugar / sweetener to taste (I added about 6 Stevia packets.)

Plain boondi as needed 

1/8 tsp. ground cardamom

Coarsely chopped nuts to garnish

Directions:

* Boil milk in a non stick pan or a thick bottomed pan on low heat setting. Continue to cook until the milk quantity reduces to about 3 cups.

* Add sugar and cook further until the sugar is melted completely.

* Next add boondi, cardamom and nuts to the milk. Cook for 4 -5 minutes more and turn off the stove. The boondi soften and slightly plump up by the time.  

* Serve the kheer immediately.

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Dahiwaali Toovar Dal

After the black gram and the split chick peas based dals, here is a dal prepared using toor dal / yellow lentils. Toor dal or pigeon peas is used in my kitchen almost on a daily basis and is a pantry staple like many households of India. In fact, for the south Indian folks who eat a rice platter served with a vegetable preparation, lentil based side dish and yogurt for their lunch and dinners, these lentils are the most commonly used ones. Today's dal however doesn't come from a south Indian kitchen and I happened to try this version from Tarla Dalal. This dal is a simple one with an unusual addition of yogurt to it. A good addition to everyday kind of dals to rotate.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pigeon peas / toovar dal
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 cup low fat yogurt
1/2 tsp. chickpea flour / besan
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Chili powder to taste
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. coriander powder
2 tbsp. minced cilantro to garnish

Directions:
* Rinse and pressure cook pigeon peas adding a cup of water and turmeric for three whistles or until the lentils are softly cooked. When the valve pressure is gone, remove the lid and mash the lentils well.
* Whisk together yogurt and chickpea flour together in a bowl and keep aside.
* Heat oil in a non stick pan and add cumin seeds. When they start to brown, add onion. Fry until the onion turns light brown. Lower the heat and add mashed dal, salt, chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and the yogurt mixture. Stir well and add about 1/4 cup of water. Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes. Turn off the stove.
* Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with rice / rotis.

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Avena Colombiana

Avena means oats in Spanish and avena is also an oatmeal based drink from South America that is quite popular locally. There are subtle variations in the recipe depending upon where it is prepared in the Latin American regions. However, generally rolled oats are stewed in a mixture of milk, water, cinnamon and cloves and finally sweetened with sugar.

Avena is usually served as a breakfast drink both for kids and adults though serving it as an evening snack is also not uncommon. This thick and creamy drink can be served either warm or cold, depending upon the seasons. I prepared it past this week when we had the heat wave going on and obviously, I had served it chilled.

Recipe Source: Here
Ingredients: (Yield 2 servings)
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
A pinch of ground cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Sugar to taste

Method:
* Cook oatmeal, milk, water and cinnamon together for about 10 to 15 minutes on medium flame. Add ground cloves and sugar to the mixture and cook for about 5 minutes more.
* Let cool the mixture and chill it, covered.
* Discard the cinnamon stick and blend the oat mixture fine. Add extra water if thinner consistency is preferred. Serve it cold.

This post goes to Blogging marathon #77 under the theme "Latin American Recipes". Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.

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Banana Oatmeal

The theme I picked for this week's blogging marathon requires me to come up with breakfast dishes that can be cooked in under 15 - 20 minutes. For those who do not have the luxury of even spending that much of time owing to the maddening morning rush hours, here is one humble and healthy oatmeal recipe. It is ridiculously simple and can be prepared in a fraction of the above mentioned time frame. One can customize the recipe based on their preferred toppings, fruits and flavors.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup milk + extra milk if needed *
1 mashed ripened banana
1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder
Preferred sweetener to taste
1 to 2 tbsp. nuts / dry fruits / seeds / berries / sliced fresh fruits 
of your choice
* I use fat-free milk. Half the quantity of milk can be substituted with water to cook oatmeal. Or oatmeal can be cooked in water alone.
 
Method:
* Add oats, banana, milk and cinnamon to a microwave safe bowl and cook for about 2 - 3 minutes or according to package directions until done.
* Add the sweetener and toppings of your choice to the cooked oatmeal. Serve as it is or stir in extra milk if desired before serving. 
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #59 under the theme 'Bookmarked Dishes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Thursday Teatime ~ Lemon and Mixed Nut Meal Scones

 
It seems that my yesterday's post gave everyone the wrong idea that I am doing 'Flourless Bakes" this week. Actually I thought about that theme, cooked a few dishes based on it but the dishes got scattered under various themes when the final planning happened. I divided my posts under six themes based on the days of the week rather than basing on the varieties of bakes. My post titles  are going to represent my themes and I had reserved 'Wednesdays' to showcase vegetables while 'Thursdays' are meant for tea time snacks. Now that's off my chest, I will move towards these subtly lemon flavored scones made with nuts meal. :)

A scone is according to wiki, a single serving cake / quick bread. They are a basic part of a Devonshire tea / Cream tea where scones are served along with clotted cream and jam during tea time. The pronunciation of scone rhymes with the word 'gone' in England regions while it rhymes with 'cone' in the U.S. I have never been in England to vouch for the authentic texture of scones and have eaten mostly the ones that have come out of my oven. Most of the recipes I have tried so far have been flaky, slightly on the crispier side and subtly sweeter ones. And I had never felt the need of a sweeter jam or cream to go along with it even though they are traditionally eaten that way. Yesterday I was going through some discussion boards regarding scones and read that British scones are more like dense cakes and are lightly sweetened. If that is the case, this recipe is a winner and for the first time, I understood why jam is needed to enjoy these subtly flaky dense cakes. The exterior was very slightly crispy and the scones were redolent with lemony flavor.
 
We all loved these scones to the core and enjoyed them for our yesterday's evening tea and today's breakfast. This recipe gave the inspiration for these scones and I was attracted to the beautiful images captured there. Mine looks different in color than the original one probably because I used pistachio meal more and used flax  meal. However they rose as they should be and tasted good, with only subtle hint of sweetness.

Ingredients: 
2 cups flour
3/4 mixed nut meal (I ground almonds, pistachio and walnuts together finely and substituted for almond meal.)
2 tbsp. sugar
2 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2 cup / 1 stick frozen butter, grated (This method proved a lot easier and if not following it, cut the butter into small cubes)
Substitute for 1 egg (I combined 1 tbsp. flax meal + 3 tbsp. water for about 5 minutes.)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 - 3 tbsp. almond slices to garnish

Method:
* Preheat oven to 375 deg F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
* Combine all the dry ingredients (From flour to salt in the list) in a mixing bowl. Toss in the grated frozen butter. 
* In another bowl whisk the egg substitute, buttermilk, almond extract and the lemon zest. Add them to the dry ingredients' bowl and gently combine with a fork.
* When the dough roughly comes together, transfer to a lightly floured surface and gently knead just until it comes together into a ball. (My dough was on the sticky side and I lightly greased my hand to work.)

* Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and gently pat it into a circle of about 9 inches in diameter. Score into 8 wedges, keeping the circle intact. Sprinkle slivers of almond over it.
* Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and springs back when gently touched.
* Cut the wedges when they are still warm and enjoy with jam.

Alternatively the recipe mentions that they can be cut into 8 wedges and baked for 15- 20 minutes at 400 deg F. I haven't tested it.

Check here to learn what other marathoners are cooking during this blogging marathon.

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Shrikhand (Short-Cut Method)

Shrikhand in short can be described as a thick, sweetened yogurt redolent with cardamom and saffron flavors and garnished with nuts. It is a sweet dish that is popular in the Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra and ridiculously easy to prepare. It is even eaten as a side dish to pooris in Gujarat. While this would be the basic, traditional version, another version prepared adding mango pulp, called aamrakhand is equally popular in Maharashtra.
Traditionally full fat yogurt is tied in a muslin / thin cotton cloth and allowed to drain until all the whey is separated and one is left with thick yogurt. Usually I follow this method when I have time. I leave the tied yogurt in a colander and place the colander over a container to catch the whey. And I place the whole setup in the refrigerator overnight so that I have the hung yogurt ready by the morning. If you want to prepare shrikhand from scratch then you can follow this method. However remember that the final hung yogurt would be less in quantity than the original yogurt you started with since some of it will be lost in the form of whey.
Then sugar is whisked into the hung yogurt until it is dissolved, garnished with spices and chilled before serving. 

For a short cut method, one can skip above steps and directly use the Greek yogurt as I have used here. I prefer powdered sugar over the granular variety since it is easy to mix. And sometimes I even use a sugar substitute. This shrikhand doesn't need chilling since the Greek yogurt comes from the refrigerator.
My husband and I love shrikhand and I frequently prepare it to eat as a dessert. However I paired it with pooris for the first time today and it was not that bad as I had anticipated. In fact I liked the combo.

Ingredients:
1 cup Greek yogurt (I used non-fat Greek yogurt.)
A generous pinch of saffron strands
1 tbsp. warm water / warm milk 
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar (or as per taste.)
1/4 ground cardamom
Sliced almonds and pistachios to garnish

Method:
* Gently crush the saffron strands between your fingers and add it to the warm water / milk and leave it aside for about 10 minutes.
* Add the Greek yogurt and powdered sugar to a bowl and gently whisk it until blended. 
* Next add the saffron along with the liquid and cardamom to the yogurt mixture and mix gently.
* Garnish with nuts and serve. If not serving immediately, refrigerate it until ready to use.

This 'Poori-Shrikhand' combo goes to BM #46. Check what other marathoners are cooking during this marathon.

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H for Hungary ~ Vaníliás Kifli

 
Event: BM #44    
Choice of country: Hungary  / Magyarország
Capital City: Budapest
Official Language: Hungarian

For "H" nation, I am hopping back to Europe and presenting these delicious and "melt in your mouth" textured Hungarian walnut cookies. One common thing I have noticed among the nations I have tried cooking from this month is that they were all invaded and ruled by foreign nations at one or other point of time in history. I know it's not a staggering fact considering that most of the nations in the world have gone through the same plight. Hungary is no exception but what is remarkable is that this nation had lost 71% of it's territory, 58% of it's population and 32% of ethnic Hungarians after World War 1. It further suffered significant damages and causalities in World War 2. 
I was in no mood for any extra history lessons after learning that and straight away jumped into the food section. Hungarian cuisine is mainly influenced by it's primary ethnic group, the Maygars and so is also known as Maygar cuisine. The nomadic lifestyle of that group and the importance of livestock has influenced the Hungarian cooking style. Traditional dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables / fruits, fresh bread, dairy products and cheese. The mixing of different varieties of meats is a traditional feature of Hungarian cuisine. Other characteristics of Hungarian cuisine are the soups, desserts, pastries and stuffed crepes. Two remarkable elements of Hungarian cooking which attract foreigners are cold fruit soups and vegetable stews. Paprika, lard, yellow onions and sour cream are commonly used ingredients in cooking. (Source:Wiki)
 
I assert not to go by the simple looks of these cookies. They are dangerously addictive and extremely delicious. These deceptively simple and "plain Jane" looking cookies are called "Vaníliás Kifli". The word "vaníliás" refers to the vanilla flavor used while the world "kifli" stands for the crescent shape of the cookies. These cookies are said to have been created in the shape of the Turkish crescent moon symbolizing the celebration of the Hungarian victory over Turkish army in one of the wars. These crescents are commonly made during Christmas and are very well known in other European nations such as Austria, Germany, Czech Republic and Slovakia as well. These are similar to Russian tea cakes or the Mexican wedding cookies in texture and taste.
 
These are made primarily with walnuts in Hungary while almond substitution is more common outside Hungary. The cookie dough is somewhat fragile to shape and the baked cookies are rolled in icing sugar once they come out of the oven. The cookies are somewhat bland without the sugar coating. Originally lard was used in preparation but the modern versions have replaced it with butter. And there is another version of kifli which are a crescent shaped pastry and not to be confused with these.

Ingredients: (Makes 18 kifli or more if you make them smaller and thinner.)
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp ground walnut
1/3 cup softened butter
1/3 cup icing sugar (or finely ground sugar) + extra for dusting
1/2 tsp vanilla

Note: According to the original recipe, if you are using almond meal instead of ground walnut, add 2 tbsp more butter and 2 tbsp extra almond meal to the above ingredients.
Method:
* Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and just mix enough to
 form a dough using your hands.
 
* Cover and let it rest in a cool place (not the fridge) for about 30 minutes. (I think I kept in refrigerator for about 10 minutes and left it on the counter for the remaining time since it was a hot day.)
* Grease two baking sheets or line them with baking paper. Preheat oven to 180 deg C / 355 deg F. 
* Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape them into logs of about 1 inch diameter. Cut the log into 2 inches sized pieces and shape each piece into a crescent.
 
 * Bake for about 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
* Remove them from the oven and dust them with icing sugar.

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An InLinkz Link-up

Peach Smoothie

 

 For many years, I had this misconception that smoothie has to do something with fruit and yogurt while a milkshake involves fruit and milk. That was until I read about the history of smoothie somewhere. According to wiki, a smoothie is a fruit based, blended and (sometimes) sweetened beverage. Sometimes chocolate or peanut butter may be added as well. Besides fruit, it may include crushed ice, frozen fruit, honey or syrup. They may also contain dairy products like milk, yogurt or ice-cream. And coming to ice-cream, there are divided opinions about whether it can be used in a smoothie or not. Some believe that ice-cream is added to milkshakes and not smoothies. As long as I know it tastes yummy, I don't care whether the ice-cream goes into a milkshake / smoothie. :)

It turns out that pureed fruits and fruit slushes have been a part of many cultures across the world for many centuries. The word "Smoothie" supposedly first appeared in 1940 in connection with the then newly commercialized electric blender. In short, the invention of electric blender paved the way for smoothies in America. The waring corporation (who financially backed the inventor of the blender, Fred Osius) had published a booklet that contained a dozen early recipes of "Milk Smoothees". Mabel Stegner, a Home Economics Consultant developed these recipes for the blender company and she coined the word "smoothie" for the first time in her article "Let the blender do it for you" in the year 1940. Her instructions to smoothie preparation were to add a banana / strawberries / pitted cherries / diced vegetables to a few ounces of a liquid base of one's choice. The liquid base can be milk / fruit juice / tomato juice or any other desired liquid. And the recipe mentions that in under one minute comes out a banana milk smoothie, a fruit nectar or a raw vegetable cocktail.

Smoothies were made initially in households that owned blenders. The first smoothie flavors were limited to the seasonal fruits available until refrigerators started appearing in homes. Banana, strawberries and pineapple used to be the most commonly available and popular flavors. The invention of blender and refrigerator during the early 1900's have revolutionized the smoothie making business. Other berries and exotic fruits came into the smoothie world once refrigerators became popular among households. The fruits could be now frozen and stored for using during the off-season. The smoothies gained popularity once the  ice-cream vendors and health food stores started selling them during 1960's. 
(Source:wiki) 
I kept it simple for today's smoothie. I just blended a cup of peach slices, a cup of yogurt, some ice cubes and a small quantity of sweetener. The resulting beverage was thick, creamy and real yummy.

This is going to be a part of "Smoothies" week, at BM #43

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Yeast Breads ~ Sweet Pull-Apart Bread

Event: Blogging marathon #40
Theme: Yeast based breads

I saw a monkey bread for the first time on American TV, about 15 years ago. The idea of pulling apart the chunks of bread seemed fascinating at that time. I have been planning  a pull apart bread since then and somehow the opportunity never came until now. In my quest, I landed at this recipe which was on the similar lines of a monkey bread. This recipe doesn't need the biscuits and the added bonus was my kids love cinnamon flavored bakes. The recipe uses bread machine and is easy, no fuss kind recipe. Recently I had stowed away my bread machine in the basement and was lazy to bring it up and so I hand kneaded the dough and baked in the convection oven instead. 
This recipe is very simple and reliable. There are no surprises springing up at you during any steps of the bread making and so even for novice bakers, it is good recipe to try. The dough balls are usually arranged in a bundt pan or cake pan but I layered them in a loaf pan. The shape wouldn't matter if you ask me since you are going to pull apart the pieces anyway to devour them. As expected, my kitchen was filled with cinnamon flavor while baking and the kids' who stepped into home a little later were inquiring whether I was baking any cinnamon buns. The texture of the bread pieces is somewhere between a cake and a bread. I have considerably reduced the brown sugar quantity when I made this bread and probably that's why it was not very gooey. That's a good thing if you ask me. The pieces were not sticking to your fingers and yet the bread was not bland. When you first bite into a bread piece, you encounter the sweetness but as you take more bites, the sweetness subsides because only a small quantity of sweetener went into the dough making. This was more than a super hit at my home and the bread was gone in about a day. 

Ingredients for the dough:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
4 tbsp butter
1& 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla

Ingredients for topping:
1/4 cup melted butter
2/3 cup light brown sugar mixed with 1 tbsp cinnamon

Bread machine method:
* Place all the dough ingredients into the bucket of a bread machine. Program the machine for dough and press start. After about 10 minutes of kneading, check the dough's consistency. It should be soft and smooth; though it should form a ball and clean the bottom and sides of the bucket. If necessary, adjust the consistency with additional flour and water and allow the machine to complete it's cycle.
* Lightly flour the work surface if needed. Divide the dough into 32 small pieces and shape them into balls. Dip the balls in the melted butter and roll them in the cinnamon - sugar mixture. Layer them in the bucket.
* Place them in the bucket, close the lid and allow the bread to rise until doubled, for about an hour. 
Program the machine for bake only, 65 minutes, light crust and press start.
* Let the bread stand for a few minutes when the baking cycle is complete. Remove the bucket from the machine and turn the bread out onto a serving platter.

Manual method:
* If preparing the dough manually, combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead by hand for about 8 - 10 minutes. The final dough would be smooth and pliable, leaving not any residue on your fingers.

 * Lightly flour the work surface if needed. Divide the dough into 32 small pieces and shape them into balls.

* Dip the balls in the melted butter and roll them in the cinnamon - sugar mixture. 

*  I had lined the pan with foil as I didn't want to ruin the pan with those sugar stains.

* Place them in a loaf pan, cover it and allow to rise until doubled, for about an hour.

* Preheat the oven to 350 deg F / 175 deg C. Bake the bread for about 40 to 45 minutes.

* Let the bread stand for about 5 minutes and flip it on the serving platter. Serve warm.
* If serving on the next day, just zap them in microwave for few seconds before serving.

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J ~ Jam filled Muffins

Event: Blogging Marathon #32

Theme: Baking

When I was looking for jam filled muffin recipes, I came across this. I must say that I was attracted to it because of the image and the recipe did not disappoint me. It is a keeper though I must admit that it got me into a panic mode when I saw that half way through baking the muffins were not raising as I expected.  The batter was thinner compared to the thick, dense batters I usually whip up for muffins. I was cursing myself for not adding some extra flour to the batter as I was in no mood to cook another "J" dish at the last moment. However they turned out beautifully at the end and tasted really good. And besides they can be a nice surprise to little ones. I guess berry jams work good for this but I have used apricot and fig jams here. Chocolate or peanut butter surprises may replace the jam filled ones.

There is one more thing I like to add here about how jam is added to the muffin batter. I filled the muffin cup with batter half way through, added jam and covered it with some batter. After baking, I realized that the jam has gone to the bottom of the muffins and so had given below the method mentioned in the original recipe. 

Ingredients: (I got 9 muffins.)

1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk (For vegan version, use plain soy or rice milk.)

1 tsp cider vinegar

2 Tbsp cornstarch

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter / vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract (I didn't use.)

1/3 cup jam / preserves of your choice (I used apricot jam.)

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Method:
* Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set it aside. 
* Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl and make a well in the center
* In another bowl, whisk together milk, vinegar, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is well incorporated. Pour this into the well in the flour mixture. Add sugar, butter/oil, vanilla and stir until combined. (My batter at this point was not on the thicker side like the usual muffin batter.)
* Fill each muffin cup with batter to about 3/4th. Create a small indentation in the batter using a spoon, by slightly spreading it from the middle out toward the edges. Measure a heaping teaspoon of jam/preserves and place the back of the teaspoon inside the indentation. Rotate the spoon, letting the jam slide into the indentation. Repeat in each well.
* Bake until the tops of the muffins are firm, about 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove the pan onto a wire rack and let cool. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.


Logo courtesy : Preeti

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Mango - Sago Kheer / Mango - Tapioca Pearl Pudding

 

Blame my luck, I couldn't get hold of mangoes either raw or a good variety of ripened ones when I chose to post mango based recipes  this week for BM#28. The kesar mango pulp can I had in my pantry came for my rescue for my Day 1 post. If I cannot get hold of some mangoes even during this week's grocery trip, the other two recipes are also going to end up being made with the pulp. :)
I usually prefer the commercially sold sweetened puree of the kesar mango variety when making aamrakhand or the cake because of the beautiful, vibrant hue it imparts to the dishes. For today's recipe, I chose to go with a kheer that is simple, quick and yummy. I had previously tried this mango version kheer with both vermicelli and rice. And so thought of trying with sago today as the previous versions were liked at home. Using readymade pulp of course reduces the mess and this kheer is done in no time. It is done faster than the vermicelli kheer.

Ingredients: (2 servings)
2 Tbsp sago / sabudaana (I used fine variety)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup kesar mango pulp
Sugar / sweetener only if needed
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

  
Method:
* Wash sago and cook in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle adding a cup of water. If using not fine variety, sago can be cooked up to three whistles. Or the sago can be cooked in a nonstick sauce pan on stove top until sago is cooked. The sago would look transparent when properly cooked.
* Pour the cooked sago into a fine meshed sieve or a tea strainer and wash with plenty of water to get rid of the starch.
* Boil milk in another sauce pan and add the cooked sago. Add cardamom and cook for a couple of minutes more. Turn off the stove and let the mixture come to room temperature.
* Just stir in the sweetened mango pulp to the sago milk mixture and serve chilled if preferred.

Notes:
1. If fresh mango is being used instead of the readymade sweetened pulp, just pass the mango flesh through a blender and stir in at the end. Taste the mango and check if sugar is needed. While boiling the milk - sago mixture, add sugar if needed. Let cool and stir in the mango puree.
2. Garnish of ghee toasted raisins and cashews can be added if preferred. Or garnish with mango cubes.

Check out here to know what other participating marathoners are cooking. 

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Fresh Fruit - Pudding Milkshake

Happy Mother's day to all the wonderful mothers out there!

Milkshake was the last thing I had in mind when I was planning for kid friendly dishes this week, though they are a great way to include fruits and dairy in one's diet. I was very much pleased by the bright sunshine outside today after several gloomy days in a row and woke up with a feeling that it was my lucky day. Only to feel that I woke up on my wrong side of the bed when I ended up with two baking disasters, a couple of hours later. A fruity roll ups recipe from a magazine literally was a disaster. The other turned out kind of OK and I even got decent pictures but however I decided to give it another try before I post it. And so, here is a healthy, delicious and flavorful milkshake that can be whipped up in no time.

Ingredients: (3 servings)
2 cups milk
1 cup strawberries
1 small banana
3.4 oz vanilla flavored pudding (or vanilla flavored instant pudding or pie filling)
Sugar to taste

Method:
Add everything to a blender and blend until smooth.

This goes to "Kids' Delight" event, hosted this month by Pavani with the theme "5 Ingredient Fix".
Check out here to know what other participating marathoners are cooking. 

Comments 

Banana - Gooseberry Milkshake

 

My son always has loved milkshakes and even now he likes to be surprised by a new variety each time he drinks one. I see no problem in it as I see shakes/smoothies as a healthy way to serve milk and fruit to kids instead of offering junk food as snacks. Sometimes during time crunches, they can be a quick, filling breakfast too. I like to whip up new ones just keeping him in mind and this goose berry one was made at the spur of the moment since I happened to notice the gooseberry preserves bottle in the refrigerator while I was grabbing the milk can. Recently my husband got a bottle from IKEA and instantly we fell in love with it. The small sized, sweet bananas (the elakki balehannu kind) I used lend creaminess and sweetness to the shake. 

Milkshakes are hardly recipes. Just by the title, you can guess what went into a milkshake. Nonetheless here is what you need for this shake. For one serving - blend a cup of cold milk, 2 small bananas and 2 Tbsp gooseberry preserves. And a rich, creamy, nutritious drink is ready to enjoy.

Check what other marathoners are cooking during this month long marathon.

Comments