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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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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Apple - Badam Mix Drink

I was on a blogging break, for those who have been wondering to which hole I disappeared into for the past few months. A break that spanned over two seasons without intentionally meaning to. A break when I didn't glance at my blog, touch my camera or peek into my email folder even once. 

Now getting back into business, here is a quick and flavorful drink using only three ingredients - apple, milk and badam mix powder. The latter one sold by the south Indian brand MTR is an instant mix of ground almonds, sugar, milk solids and cardamom. A small quantity of this instant mix is usually blended with milk and served either cold or hot. This almond milk aka 'baadami haalu' is a popular beverage sold in restaurants across Bangalore. 

For today's drink, I blended 1/2 peeled apple, 1 cup milk and 2 tbsp. almond instant mix powder. This can be served cold as a milkshake or the mixture can be boiled on low heat and served warm. It tastes delicious either way.

This post goes to Blogging marathon #85 under the theme "Recipes using three ingredients". Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.
 

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Chikoo Coconut Milkshake

I would pick a chikoo milkshake any day over other fruit based drinks. It has remained my favorite for years and my son seems to have caught the vibe and he favors it too. For today's chikoo milkshake version, I tried substituting coconut milk for dairy which makes it a vegan option besides adding a flavor layer. I prefer using the frozen chikoo from Indian stores over the fresh variety available to me locally which seem to be only good to break one's teeth. Besides the frozen fruit lends the chill factor without the need of adding ice cubes and diluting the drink. This creamy and yummy milkshake makes a quick and vegan breakfast / brunch option. And of course, for the regular milkshake version, coconut milk can be replaced by milk.

Ingredients: (Yield 2 servings)
1/2 cup chikoo / sapota pieces (I used frozen fruit.)
1 cup chilled coconut milk or as needed
Sweetener to taste

Method:
* If not using frozen fruit, try to chill both the fruit and milk beforehand if possible.
* Blend all the ingredients to a puree and serve immediately. 
* If the fruit / milk is not chilled, add some ice cubes to the drink. 
 
This is going to be a part of Blogging marathon #62 under the theme 'coconut' and check here to find out what other marathoners are cooking today.
  
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Chocolate Milkshake

 

My mother over our phone chat the other day was mentioning that the hot summer season is slowly creeping in on them and it is already hot in some parts of India. We on the other side are still in the middle of the winter considering that there will be a few snowfalls even during the spring season. Officially, we are yet a month away from the spring season and need to get past that for the summer season to make it's presence in our parts. In fact, a winter storm is blasting through our region right now as I am drafting this post. We are expecting to cleanup a pile of snow, first thing in the morning tomorrow. A post on hot chocolate would have sounded perfect on the occasion but alas I am here with a chilled milkshake that is chocolaty and yummy. I prepared it yesterday when the sun peeked through and the weather seemed warmer and glorious succeeding a few cloudy, gloomy days. Of course the post wouldn't sound off the season, considering those living on western or southern coasts who seem to have summer weather all year long. :) Besides I had to send it to  'Kids' Delight' event, hosted by Kalyani, this month under the theme 'Chocolate', with a #KidsDelightChocoGiveaway. 
 
The recipe is quite a simple one considering that all you do is blend the ingredients together.

Ingredients: (Yield 1 serving)
3/4 cup chilled milk
1/2 cup chocolate ice cream
1 tbsp. chocolate syrup
Chocolate sprinkles(optional)

Method:
Blend milk, ice cream and syrup together. Garnish with chocolate sprinkles if using and serve immediately.
 
Check here to see what other marathoners are cooking for BM #61.


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