Nuts - Dry Fruits Milkshake

Here is a rich, creamy and nutritious milkshake that can be put together under five minutes. It is prepared using a combination of nuts and dry fruits which makes it a yummy drink. This milkshake can be used as a breakfast or brunch beverage or even as a quick fix energy booster anytime of the day. This is apt for kids like my daughter who drinks only milk and never eat any breakfast. 

I keep the recipe simple by grinding nuts and dry fruits with just milk. I used dairy milk but it can be made vegan by substituting any non dairy milk like almond, soy or coconut based one. I add about 1/4 cup each of nuts and dry fruits for each cup of milk used. Any combination of nuts and dry fruits of one's choice can go into this drink. I added almonds, cashews, pistachios, raisins and dates here. There is no need to add any extra sugar in the recipe as the sweetness lent by dry fruits is enough.

This post is an entry for Blogging Marathon and check what other marathoners are cooking, clicking at the link.

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A - Z Karnataka Recipe Series ~ W for Watermelon Rind Dose / Kalingana Polo

I did not have to think much about the alphabet 'W' in this series as I was set on this watermelon rind dose recipe early on. I could not think even one recipe from Karnataka with a local name that starts with the letter 'W'. In fact I have saved this recipe for ages in the hopes of doing a Karnataka recipe series in the alphabetical order some day. Mysore pak, hitakida bele saaru, nuchinnunde, some of the classic recipes were not posted on my blog until this series for the same reason.

This watermelon rind pancakes called kalingana polo is a traditional recipe from Konkani households. Dosa, the popular south Indian breakfast is called dose (though-say) in Kannada whereas it is called polo in Konkani. It is one of those recipes which shows how our ancestors in the agrarian economy had been frugal and nothing went wasted in their kitchens. The white part of the watermelon rind which is usually tossed away after enjoying the fruit is used in these dose preparation. The white rind is crisp with a very mild flavor and is used in preparation of other dishes as well.

These dose are not instant and needs advance planning. The ingredients need to be soaked, ground and fermented overnight similar to regular dose. These are soft and spongy in texture like surnoli / set dose. One cannot even notice the watermelon flavor here. In fact one can hardly notice these dose being any different from the regular version except these being softer. The yummy dose go well with any spicy accompaniment like the regular dose.

I find summer to be the best time to prepare these dose when the watermelons are available in abundance. I freeze the white part of the rind after enjoying the fruit so that I can have access to it even during winters when the fruits are not found. Any cheap quality rice will work for dose recipe, if living in India. I use extra long grain rice for my dose which they sell in bulk at Sams / Costco stores. 

Ingredients:  (Yield - about 9 to 10 dose)

1 cup rice
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1 cup puffed rice or flattened rice (I used puffed rice.)
1 heaped cup of white watermelon rind
1/4 cup fresh / frozen grated coconut 
Salt to taste
1/2 cup water
Oil to make dose

Prep work:
* Rinse rice, fenugreek seeds and flattened rice (poha) if using with water and drain. Soak them in water for at least 3 to 4 hours. If using puffed rice / murmura instead of flattened rice / poha then just rinse them before grinding the dose batter.
* Cut the red fruit from the watermelon and you will be left with the outer green skin and the white rind.

* Carefully remove the white part with a knife and discard the outer green part.

* Drain the water used to soak the rice or save about half a cup to grind the batter and drain the rest.

* Thaw if using frozen coconut. First grind together watermelon rind and coconut. Then add soaked rice and fenugreek seeds, rinsed puffed rice / flattened rice, coconut and salt. Grind into a thick and fine batter adding water as needed. (I used about half cup. You can use the water that was used in soaking the rice. If you live in a hot climate, salt can be added before making the dose instead.)

* Transfer the ground batter to a container, cover it and leave it in a warm place overnight to ferment. (I ground the batter the previous evening at around 4 pm and made dosas for the breakfast next morning. Basically I left it to ferment for about 15 hours.)
* The batter in this case won't rise dramatically but it will become thicker and porous and you can lightly smell the fermentation.

* Heat a tawa and pour a ladleful of batter at the center and don't spread it. 

* Add a tsp. of oil around the edges and COVER it with a lid. You will start to notice holes developing and when the dose appears dry  on the surface, flip it.

* Cook for few more seconds until the bottom side gets cooked as well and transfer the dose onto a plate using a spatula.

* Repeat the steps of dose making with the remaining batter.
* Serve them warm with a chutney any spicy accompaniment. Mine were served with vegetable saagu and chutney pudi.

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Malabar Aval Milkshake

This post has been in my drafts for the past two years. I tried this milkshake as soon as I saw it on PJ's blog and again the day after for my son and many more times later. A proof of how much I liked it. This is an unusual milkshake made with aval (poha aka flattened rice) and is supposedly a popular drink in the Malabar region of Kerala, a south Indian state. I can guess why. It was like a banana milkshake taken to another level by topping it with crisp toasted flattened rice flakes and peanuts. 

The crunchy rice flakes and peanuts add an interesting and contrasting texture to the otherwise smooth shake. While the texture of this drink was what made it appealing to me,  surprisingly it had an opposite reaction on my son who is otherwise an ardent lover of milkshakes. And so, I suppose it is not everyone's cup of shake. 😊

Ingredients:
1 tsp. ghee
2 tbsp. poha / flattened rice 
1 small banana
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 cup chilled milk
1 tbsp. toasted and skinned peanut halves

Directions:
* Heat ghee in a pan and add peanuts. Toast them until they turn golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer onto a plate.
* Now add the flattened rice to the same pan and toast on low flame until the flakes turn crisp. Take care not to burn them.
* Chop the banana into discs and roughly mash the pieces with the back of a spoon. (We don't need banana puree here and so don't go grabbing the blender.) Add sugar to the banana and mix well.
* Take a tall serving glass and add the mashed banana to it. Sprinkle half of the fried flattened rice and half the peanuts over the banana. Pour the chilled milk over it.
* Garnish it with the remaining flattened rice and peanuts. Serve immediately.

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Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge

 

This Caribbean cornmeal porridge could be a great breakfast alternative to a bowl of oatmeal or if one is looking for a serving of whole grain in the morning. This creamy bowl of porridge is full of flavors and quite a filling one. It is a classic comfort food from the Jamaican region and is also called 'cog' or 'pop' there. Some of the versions of this recipe use a small quantity of flour also added along with cornmeal.    
 
Recipe Source: Here
Ingredients: (Yields 1 generous serving)
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 one inch pieces of cinnamon 
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
A pinch of ground nutmeg
1 to 2 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk or any other sweeteners

Method:
* Heat water, coconut milk and cinnamon pieces to a pan and bring it to a boil. 
* Next add cornmeal and stir well to prevent to form any lumps. 
* Cover and cook on low flame, until done, about 10 minutes.
* Add vanilla extract, nutmeg and sweetened condensed milk to the cooked cornmeal and mix well.
* Add extra milk / water and adjust the consistency if the pudding appears too thick.
* Discard the cinnamon sticks and serve the pudding warm. Add sliced fresh fruits, dry fruits or nuts as garnishes if desired. (My daughter enjoyed it with a sprinkling of some brown sugar, raisins and nuts over the porridge.)
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #85, under the theme 'Breakfast Recipes'. Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.

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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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Mango - Coconut Overnight Oats

Overnight oats is a make-ahead and no cook option when looking for a fuss free breakfast. It is also an easier and quicker way to include whole grains into one's diet. The humble bowl of oats could be transformed from a boring one to a delicious one with the add-ons that can go into an overnight oats dish. Besides, overnight oats can get interesting since there are plenty of variations one could think of depending upon the fresh / dried fruits, nuts, liquid base choices, sweeteners and flavorings that can go into the bowl of oats.

Ingredients: (Yield 1 serving) 
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
3/4 cup milk or milk + yogurt
1/4 cup or more mango cubes
2 tbsp. grated fresh coconut or coconut flakes
A sweetener to taste

Method:
* Combine oats and milk or milk and yogurt in a closable container. Close the lid and refrigerate overnight.
* Add mango cubes and coconut to the oats before serving. Stir in a sweetener of your choice as needed and serve.
 
This post goes to Blogging marathon #77 under the theme "Whole Grains". Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.
 
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Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

  
Remember the pumpkin pie pancakes I made from pumpkin pie? This pumpkin pie overnight oats is one more dish that I tried to finish off that left over pumpkin pie. And so, this one is not a pumpkin pie flavored oatmeal but literally uses the pumpkin pie. Alternatively, canned pumpkin pie filling or canned pumpkin puree + flavoring + sweetener can be used. 

This is a quick breakfast option as this is overnight oats recipe and flavor filled one for pumpkin pie lovers. For those wondering what I did with the remaining pie, I used the leftover filling to make some cupcakes and I broke the crust into pieces and baked them until crispy and used as a topping for some Indian chaat.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup to scant 1 cup milk
1/4 cup pumpkin pie filling from the pie
Roughly chopped pecans / walnuts to garnish 

Method:
* Mix the oats and milk in a bowl, cover and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
* Stir in the pumpkin pie filling and the walnuts before serving. 
 
This post goes to Blogging marathon #76 and check out the page to read what ot marathoners are cooking.

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Avocado Toast

Here is one more easy recipe as part of the 'bread toast' series I have been posting this week. This one is based on avocado and pick a ripe or almost ripe avocado so it would be easy to mash and spread over the toasted bread. Season avocado well since basically avocado is bland on it's own.

Ingredients:
4 bread slices (I used whole wheat bread.)
1 avocado
Salt to taste
Crushed pepper corns and/or red chili flakes
1 small lemon / lime
Flax seeds and/or toasted white sesame seeds

Method:
* Toast the bread slices.
* Mash the avocado and sprinkle salt, pepper and/or chili flakes. Add lemon juice to taste and stir to combine.
* Spread the avocado paste on the bread slices and sprinkle flax seeds and/or sesame seeds over. 
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #76, under the theme 'Toasts'. Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.

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Griessbrei - German Semolina Pudding

I gather the humble semolina pudding is common to many cultures around the world albeit prepared with minor variations. Semolina pudding would qualify as either a breakfast or dessert depending upon how sweeter it is, I guess. Today's version of pudding called griessbrei is from Germany and falls more under the former category. This easy breezy breakfast pudding can be prepared in under 10 minutes and tastes quite different than the Indian semolina halwa since there is no ghee toasting of semolina before cooking and it is cooked in milk. The preparation sounds more like south Indian rava ganji though it is more sweeter and thinner than giessbrei. And of couse vanilla flavoring is not traditionally used in Indian cuisine. The sugar in the griessbrei recipe can be either omitted or increased depending how sweeter you prefer your pudding.
 
Source: Here
Ingredients:
1/4 cup semolina flour / fine semolina
1 cup milk
1 tbsp. sugar
A pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:
* Add all the ingredients to a thick sauce pan or a non stick pan and whisk well. Cook the mixture on medium flame stirring now and then to avoid it sticking to the bottom / lumping.
* When the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat and cover the pan. Cook until the mixture is done or until the mixture comes together to a thicker consistency.
* Serve warm with toppings like butter, cinnamon, jam, fruit compote or sugar.

This goes to Blogging marathon #74, under the theme 'Are you Pudding me' Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.

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Chia Seed Pudding

I have been noticing the health buzz that is going on about chia seeds for years now and decided only recently to join the band wagon. I had stuck mostly to breakfast puddings or shakes using chia seeds until now and decided to post today one of those as part of the blogging marathon under the theme of  'puddings'. This is not one of those traditional puddings but an uncooked one that takes about two minutes to put together and can be eaten as a healthy breakfast or even a hassle free dessert.

My daughter just stepped into the kitchen the night I was putting together this pudding for my next morning's breakfast. She took a look at chia seeds and asked what those were and then started to freak out. Turns out that she had assumed that they were not edible, thanks to those TV commercials of foliage heads. 😊

A chia seeds' based pudding is quite flexible and can be customized according to one's diet preference or the ingredients on hand. For today's version I have used milk and yogurt as the base and added strawberries and almonds.
 
Ingredients: (Yield 1 serving)
1/2 cup milk + 1/2 cup Greek style yogurt
or
1 cup diary or non dairy milk 
2 tbsp. chia seeds
Vanilla extract for flavor
Sweetener to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup hulled and chopped strawberries 
1 tbsp. slivered almonds.

Method:
* Blend milk, yogurt and vanilla together. Add chia seeds and stir. Refrigerate the mixture for about 4 hours or overnight.
* Before serving, taste and add sweetener as needed and stir in berries and nuts. 
* Or all ingredients can be blended together and refrigerated.

This goes to Blogging marathon #74, under the theme 'Are you Pudding me' Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.

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Banana and Chia Seeds Overnight Oats

Though I jumped late on the 'overnight oats' band wagon, I have come to realize that I love it more than the cooked oatmeal because of the texture of the oats. It doesn't turn mushy and there are zillion ways to jazz it up. All you need to do is mix equal parts of rolled oats, milk, yogurt, sweetener and flavoring agent if preferred in a sealed jar / container and refrigerate it overnight. And a hearty breakfast in a creamy base is ready by the morning to eat or carry it to go. There is no cooking involved and it is a fuss free preparation that hardly involves a couple of minutes of one's time. Just before serving it in the morning, fruits / dry fruits / nuts can be added to make it more interesting and nutritious. Or they can be added along with the oats at night. Overnight oats would make a perfect breakfast especially on hot summer days. 

I usually prepare this overnight oats using a little over 1/3 cup rolled / old fashioned oats but depending upon one's intake the oats quantity can range anywhere between 1/3 to 1/2 cup for one serving. Any dairy or non dairy milk can be used depending upon one's dietary preferences for the liquid portion. Though usually equal quantity of oats and liquids are used in an overnight oats recipe I tend to add more milk and yogurt since I don't prefer my oats with a thick consistency. Sweetener can be anything ranging from honey, sugar, maple syrup, agave nectar, again depending upon one's taste and choice. I prefer to add the sweetener in the morning to decide the quantity depending upon what toppings I am going to use. In today's recipe, I mashed a overly sweet banana and added a tiny quantity of sweetener. Ditto with the flavoring agent though it is optional. Some of the choices would be vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon and pumpkin spice. The basic overnight oats preparation is like a blank canvas though with garnishes and one's creativity, it can lead to great variety of breakfast options. There is no problem in eating the plain, basic version of oats but however it can be made more colorful and interesting with toppings. They can range anywhere from fresh and/or dried fruits, nuts, seeds, coconut, chocolate and many more. For today's version, I used a mashed banana, chia seeds, raisins and sweetened dried cranberries.

 
Ingredients:
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup yogurt (I used homemade fat free yogurt.)
2/3 cup milk 
1 tbsp. chia seeds
Sweetener to taste (I used honey.)
1 banana, mashed or sliced into discs
1 tbsp. dry fruits / nuts to garnish (optional. I used sweetened cranberries and raisins.)

Method:
* Whisk oats, yogurt, milk and chia seeds in a pint sized container with a lid.
* Close the lid and refrigerate the oat mixture overnight or about 4 to 6 hours.
* Add banana slices or a mashed banana and toppings of your choice to the oats. Mix well and taste it before adding the sweetener to make sure whether it is needed.
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #70, under the theme 'Cooking for One'. Check here to find out what the other marathoners are cooking as part of the BM.

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Eggless Peach Pancakes

My kids love pancakes and especially my daughter, who is not a fan of spicy variety breakfast dishes, polishes them off without any complaints. These peach pancakes were made especially for her and she enjoyed them with maple syrup. I arranged the peach slices over the pan, poured the batter over them and cooked. Instead, finely chopped peaches can be added to the batter. To make them more flavorful, ground ginger can be added. 

Ingredients for 6 pancakes:
1 tbsp flax meal (Or one egg substitute)
1 cup all purpose flour (Substitute half the quantity with wheat flour for an healthier version.)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 cup milk (preferably at room temperature.)
2 peaches
Honey / maple syrup to serve

 Method:
1. Whisk flax meal and 3 tbsp. warm water together and leave aside for about 5 minutes.
2. Peel and slice the peaches, lengthwise or chop them fine. 
3. Heat a griddle / non stick pan on medium heat such that a drop of water beads when dropped on it.
4. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar and salt in a bowl. Whisk the flax meal from step 1, melted butter and milk in another bowl. Combine both dry and wet ingredients and whisk the mixture to a thick batter. Stir the peaches in the batter if they were chopped fine.
5. Pour about 1/4 cup batter of batter onto the pan. Arrange 3 to 4 slices on the spread batter. Or place the slices first on the pan and pour batter above them. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the bottom side turns golden brown. Flip the pancake with a spatula and cook for about 30 - 40 seconds more. Transfer onto a serving plate. Repeat the steps with the remaining batter.
6. Serve the pancakes warm with maple syrup or honey.

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Eggless French Toast (Using Custard Powder)

My daughter in general is not a fan of breakfast sandwiches but loves this version of toast. It is a super quick and easy breakfast recipe for kids during the morning rush hours. I used some leftover whole wheat bread slices for this toast but any version of bread, cut slightly thicker would work good for this toast. Serve it with some fruit and milk to make it a wholesome breakfast.

Ingredients:
4 Bread slices
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp. sugar (or adjust as needed.)
2 tbsp. custard powder or corn starch *
Vanilla extract if using corn starch
2 tbsp. butter
* (I used vanilla flavored custard powder and omitted vanilla.)

Method:
* Whisk sugar, custard powder / corn starch and vanilla if using into milk in a wide pan or a pie plate.
* Heat a flat griddle / pan and melt 1/2 tbsp. butter on it. 
* Meanwhile, dip a bread slice quickly in the custard powder mixture to coat well on both sides. A few seconds extra soaking will make the bread slice soggy.
* Place the bread slice on the griddle and cook on both sides on low flame, until golden brown.
* Repeat the steps with the remaining bread and custard powder mixture.
* Serve with maple syrup / honey if desired. (If the sugar quantity in the recipe is increased, the toast would be sweet as it is and may not need any garnishing.) 

This is going to be my contribution to 
1. Kids' Delight event under the theme 'Breakfast for Kids', hosted by Nisha.
2. Blogging marathon #67



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