OATS AND DRYFRUITS SMOOTHIE

Hello everyone

Due to summer, everyone wants to have something chilling to refresh their senses in this scorching heat. What if it is healthy too along with chilling and yummy. Today I am having a very easy but nutritious and healthy smoothie recipe for smoothie lovers. It is full of nutrients from dryfruits and dates and fiber from oats. It is not only soothing but also filling too. You can serve it either in breakfast time or as after school evening refreshment. It will provide necessary energy to go long way during day time and satisfy your little hunger during evening. For people observing Ramadan fast, it is quick and full of energy, suhoor or iftaar drink. You can try this without hesitation, only if you have any allergies to particular dryfruit, then avoid adding it.

Recipe is given below, do try and let me know your feedback😊

OATS AND DRYFRUITS SMOOTHIE 

Serves: 3-4

Time: 5 mins ( leaving soaking time)

Ingredients 

3 1/2 cup chilled milk ( toned or full fat, as per your like)

10-12 almonds

5-6 dates, deseeded

4-5 walnuts

15-20 raisins

1-2 tbsp oats ( use as per thickness of smoothie, you like)

1 medium size fruit ( Apple/ pear/ banana/ mango etc , any non citrus fruit) , peeled and chopped roughly ( optional)

1 tbsp sugar or honey( adjust as per your taste)

Sliced pistachio and rose petals to garnish

Method:

First of all soak all dryfruits and oats in 1/2 cup milk or water. Keep it in fridge overnight , if want to make smoothie early morning or soak for atleast 2-3 hrs on your countertop . 

Now put it in blender along with soaked water/milk. Add chopped fruits, sugar/honey and little milk , if needed. Churn to get nice smooth paste. 

Now add remaining milk to it and again churn till frothy, 1-2 mins. Pour in individual glasses and garnish with pistachio and rose petals. Serve chilled . 

This is so creamy and nutty healthy smoothie that no one can resist. Even your kids will too love to relish on it. 

* You can increase or decrease quantity of ingredients as per your taste preference.

* You can make it without fruit too.

*If you forgot to soak your dryfruits then not to worry at all. Blend it all together then let it rest for 5-10 minutes in jar itself and then churn again to get nice smooth creamy paste. Rest procedure is as given above.

**You can keep it in refrigerator for 1-2 days but not more than that. But try to consume same day .

**If you wish to use any citrus fruit like kiwi, orange , grapes etc then avoid using milk. Use water instead.

Do try this healthy cum delicious chilled drink and beat the heat , maintaining your health. Hope you all will like to try this delicious tempting drink recipe and do let me know how's it turned out for you. Your precious comments and suggestions, meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

CHICKEN MASALA CURRY

Hello everyone 

Chicken curry ....this name brings  strong craving for it to chicken lovers . So today I am here with a very easy and no more fuss chicken curry recipe. Hope you all will definitely love it. It is neither loaded with loads of butter or cream nor needs special technique or utensils yet super yummy spicy curry to relish on. Do try this scrumptious chicken curry recipe and let me know too , how's it turned out for you. I bet ,you will not regret😊.

Stepwise recipe is given below.

CHICKEN MASALA CURRY

Serves: 4-5

Time : 1 hr

Ingredients 

1 kg chicken breast, cubed

3 medium onions , thinely sliced

4-5 green chillies, broken in halves

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

2 tbsp chicken masala powder
1 1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp kasoori methi, crushed between palms
Salt to taste
Oil

To make puree:

2 medium onions, roughly chopped 
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green cardamoms

For marination:

1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp salt

For tempering:

4 green cardamom
4 cloves
2 inch cinnamon stick
1/2 inch mace
1 bay leaf

Method:

First of all marinate chicken pieces with spices given under marination section. Keep it for 20-30 mins for marination.

Make puree of ingredients given under puree section and keep aside for later use.

Take all dry spice powders in a bowl and add 1/3 cup water to it. Mix well and keep aside for later use.

Heat oil in a big wok, add all spices of tempering section, saute for 2 mins till they become aromatic. Then add onions , green chilies and little salt.

 Saute till onion become light golden, add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mins. 

Now add soaked spices powders in it and fry till it starts releasing oil. 

Now add prepared puree and again fry till it starts leaving edges of the wok and raw smell of onion goes off.

Now add chicken cubes , fry on high flame for 5 mins stirring continuously to avoid sticking to bottom, till it become white from all sides.  Now lower the flame ,cover the wok and let chicken to cook for 12-15 mins or till chicken pieces become nice tender and soft, stirring occasionally. 

When chicken become nicely cooked and tender then add chopped tomatoes ,fry till raw smell of tomatoes goes off. 

 Now add water as per your choice of gravy consistency, adjust salt. 

Let it boil then add kasoori methi and simmer for 5 mins, and done. 

Your yummy home style chicken masala curry is ready to serve with roti , naan or rice.

Hope you all will like my little initiative towards healthy and easy cooking so please pour your valuable comments and suggestions, they meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....

MUHALLABIA ( A MIDDLE EASTERN DESSERT)

Hello everyone

On the occasion of sharad purnima generally we used to prepare kheer but this time I thought to give it a new twist and made muhallabia, which is much similar to kheer and taste is really amazing. This can be prepared on any occasion like Diwali, holi, Eid or even during Ramadan fasting too. You can prepare it very easily and please your guests in a different way. It's perfect for those kids who don't likes bits of dry fruits or rice in their kheer, like my younger one. And luckily he loved it too much and finished in no time. So you can also serve this yummy cum healthy dessert to your fussy eaters.

Recipe is given below, hope you all will definitely give it a try.

MUHALLABIA 

Serves: 7-8

Time: 45 mins 

Ingredients 

4 cup milk

1/3 cup rice powder

2 leveled tsp corn flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup almond powder

Few drops Rose or kewda essence 

Pista and rose petals to garnish

Method:

First of all Boil 3 cup milk in a pan. 

Now dilute rice powder and corn flour in 1 cup milk.

 Add slowly in boiling milk stirring constantly to avoid lump. 

Let it get thick then add almond powder in batches and mix well to avoid lumps. 

Then add sugar. Cook for 4-5 mins. 

Now off the flame , let it cool for 5 mins then add essence. 

Now pour in serving bowls and garnish. Chill before serving.

Your yummy dessert is ready to serve.

You can use any dry fruit or cherry to garnish the dish.

You can also make it with different flavours by adding strawberry syrup and crush,rose syrup , dates, cocoa powder etc. 

Add sugar as per your taste.

If you don't get almond powder then soak nearly 3/4 +cup of whole almonds in hot water for 2-3 mins then peel it and let it dry and grind to fine powder. 

 Use your creativity and give this dish the flavour of your choice.

Enjoy this middle eastern dessert in your way and please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here ,they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

EASY KALAKAND

Hello everyone

Sweets are the heart of each and every festival. No festival can be completed without having some sweets in menu. So here I am having a very easy , quick but tempting Indian sweet, kalakand. It needs minimum ingredients and time but turn out to be a droolsome awesome dessert. Any sweeth tooth can never say no to this scrumptious dessert. Whenever you want to please your guests without any fuss then go for it, you will never regret.

Recipe is given below, must give it a try. Hope you will like it.

EASY KALAKAND

Yield: 15-20 pieces

Time :15 mins

Ingredients

2 cup mashed soft paneer or chhena ( cottage cheese)

1 tin condensed milk ( 400 gms)

1/2 cup milk powder

1/2 tsp kewda or rose essense or green cardamom powder

1 tbsp finely chopped pistachios or almonds

Method:

 Heat a nonstick wok on medium flame then add mashed paneer, condensed milk and milk powder. Cook , stirring continuously to avoid burning, till it starts leaving edges of the wok. Then add essence or cardamom powder and mix well. 

Spread it in a greased tray evenly and sprinkle chopped pistachios or almonds all over it and press a little to stick them firmly. 

Now let it cool completely then cut desired slices and serve. Your easiest yummy sweet is ready to hog on😊.

Once it starts leaving edges of the wok means it's ready to spread, so don't over cook the mixture otherwise it may become little chewy.

Always use soft paneer to get nice texture of sweet, also put every thing together in the wok . If you cook paneer first then it may become chewy. 

You can use any essence or dry fruit of your choice or simply skip it.

This is kids friendly as well as sweet tooth favorite sweet treat . So definitely give it a try ,you will never regret. Hope you all will like this easy ,simple , quick and yummiest dessert, please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....