ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.
 

I was planning to prepare cupcakes at home from long time. I bought muffin moulds few months back and couldn't use them any time. Finally, I could use them for baking my muffins last week! I had few ripened bananas, which I couldn't finish off. So, just thought of using the same for the muffins! Ahh, my first experiment with muffins was a big success! <:-P It was so aromatic and delicious, and especially I loved the texture very much.

I prepared only 5 (in fact bigger ones!) muffins and it got sold like anything! But this is really a stomach filling dish since its made of bananas and all purpose flour (maida). We had it as evening snacks, but I thought it will be good for breakfast or for kids snacks also!  

Time to prepare the batter: 10 minutes

Baking time: 23 - 25 minutes

Yield: 5 big muffins

Ingredients:

Fully ripened bananas - 2 (large bananas)

All purpose flour / Maida - 1 1/2 cup

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Cooking oil - 1/4 cup

Cooking soda - 3/4 spoon

Baking powder - 1/2 spoon

Pinch of salt

Vanilla essence - 1 spoon

Cashew pieces - for garnishing

Method:

Sieve all purpose flour, baking powder and cooking soda.

Transfer the sugar into the mixer jar and make a fine powder.

Pre-heat the oven to 190 °C / 380 °F temperature.

Cut the bananas into medium size cubes and blend them in mixer into fine paste. Don't add any water.

Transfer the banana paste to a mixing bowl, add powdered sugar and mix well.

Then add baking powder and cooking soda and mix it lightly. Let it rest for 2 - 3 minutes. By that time, it will form bubbles and you can notice little bit increase in quantity.

To this, add cooking oil and vanilla essence and mix it lightly.
Add all purpose flour little by little and mix the dough slowly without lumps. Don't mix it too much otherwise, muffins won't puff up nicely.
It is important that the batter should be little thicker than regular dosa batter. If the batter looks too thick, you can add some milk to adjust the consistency.
Arrange the muffin moulds and cover them with paper muffin cups. Now, fill the muffin cups with the batter up to 3/4th level. Once you put them for baking, muffins will puff up and cover the whole cup.
Garnish the muffins with cashew pieces on the top.
Bake the muffins on pre - heated oven for about 20 - 25 minutes. Mine got done exactly at 23 minutes.
To check whether muffins are done, insert a toothpick or knife into the muffin. If the batter is not sticking to the toothpick, its the sign that they are done!
Enjoy these delicious home made muffins with a cup of hot tea! These muffins will be good for breakfast as well as kids snacks :) 

Sending this over to -

• Banana Recipes Event @ My Culinary Creations

• Valentine Special Event @ ANZZ CAFE

• Valentine's Day Event @ Teenz' Yummy Delights

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ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.

We both love to have different varieties of pickles, gojju and thokku as a part of our lunch and dinner. More than me, my hubby loves them a lot :) So, surely I will make some time to prepare these tangy and spicy preservatives at home.

There was some raw tamarind sitting in my fridge from couple of days. I remembered my mom making raw tamarind Thokku during this season and thought of preparing the same. I just called her and got the procedure. Thokku came out very well and hubby dear liked it a lot! I had very few tamarind pieces and prepared in small quantity. But it was a big hit and got over within 4 - 5 days. Already he told me to prepare same kind of Thokku when I get the raw tamarind next time! :D

Preparation Time: 40 - 45 minutes

Yield: It will be enough for 2 people for a week

Ingredients:

Raw tamarind 5 - 6

Spicy green chillies - 3 (adjust according to taste)

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 spoon

Cumin seeds - 1 spoon

Asafoetida - a big pinch

Salt to taste

Method:

Take the raw tamarind and remove the outer skin, seeds and fiber content. Huh, this is really a time consuming process and took me more than half an hour!

Grind the cleaned tamarind pieces along with other ingredients to a fine, thick paste.

If the quantity is more, you can grind them easily without adding water. But mine was little less, hence added 1 spoon of water while grinding.

Preserve this Thokku in a plastic or glass container. It will be good for 2 - 3 months if refrigerated. If not refrigerated, it will last for 15 days if no water is added.

It can be served as pickle also. Just try half a spoon of thokku along with rice. Mix it well and add few drops of coconut oil if you like..it tastes heavenly!! 

Tips:

• Green chillies can be substituted with dry red chillies also for this Thokku. Adding of small green chillies known as Chooru menasu or Nuchchu menasu will give a very nice taste and flavor to this Thokku. 

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ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.

Whenever we bring Fenugreek (Methi) leaves to home, I am sure to prepare this rice variety! My hubby also loves to have this dish anytime :) Last time when we had been to groceries, I had got few bunches of fresh methi leaves. I prefer using the leafy veggies first and never refrigerate them for long time. One bunch, I used for preparing parathas this time. Then, I prepared Fenugreek leaves rice next day for hubby's lunch box. 

Here is the recipe for simple and delicious Fenugreek Leaves Rice. Hope you like it!

Preparation time: 25 - 30 minutes

Servings: 1 

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup

Fenugreek leaves - 1 bunch

For seasoning: oil - 2 spoon, ghee - 3 spoon, urad dal - 1/2 spoon, mustard seeds - 1/2 spoon, chopped green chillies - 2

1 lime

Sugar - 1/2 spoon or to taste

Salt to taste

Grated coconut - 3 spoon

Method:

Cook the rice with 2 cups of water. Don't make it mushy mushy. 

Spread the cooked rice on a plate and allow to cool.

Wash the fenugreek leaves and chop them finely.

Heat oil and ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Add urad dal, mustard seeds. Once you hear the spluttering sound, add the chopped green chillies and saute for a while.

Add the chopped fenugreek leaves and roast them on low flame for 7- 8 minutes.

Then add the rice and grated coconut. Mix it nicely till rice and coconut are heated up and switch off the flame.

Add salt, sugar and lime juice for taste. Mix it well and check the taste.

Tasty rice is ready to serve now! You can have them as it is or with curd and pickle.

Sending this over to EP Series - Fenugreek Leaves And Green Chili, hosted by Kaveri @ Palakkad Chamayal which was started by Julie @ Erivum Puliyum

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ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.

It was a long time ago I was trying to balance both Kannada and English version of my blog. Since the English version is little younger, it was lagging behing a bit! And finally, I am able to balance them!! These days, my sister was helping me to write few posts in English version coz I was little busy with my saree embroidery :) I want to say a big thanks to my sister for her help :) She only gave me the idea of completing all the posts before this Pongal (Sankranti) festival. We both wish you Happy Pongal :)

Usli means a kind of kosambari. This recipe can be a healthy evening snack or even a combination curry for chapati. Also, it will be prepared as 'prasadam' on the occasion of Tulasi maduve / Karthika in my native. Many people use Kabuli chana instead of black bengal gram for this recipe.

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Servings: 3 

Ingredients:

Black bengal gram - 1 1/2 cup (soaked in water for 4 - 5 hours)

Sugar / Jaggery - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Cooking soda - a pinch

Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp

Shredded coconut - 1/2 cup

- For  Masala powder:

Oil - 2 tsp

Cloves 3 - 4

Cinnamon sticks -  2

Red chillies - 3 (adjust according to taste)

Bengal gram dal - 3 tsp

Black gram dal - 1 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves 1 - 2 strands

Method:

Wash the soaked bengal gram and cook it in a pressure cooker with sufficient water and a pinch of cooking soda for 3 whistles. Take the cooked bengal gram out and drain the water.

Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a thick bottomed pan and add the masala ingredients one by one and roast them.

Make a coarse powder out of it. Add shredded coconut and blend it for few seconds.

Heat rest of the oil in the same pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add cooked gram, prepared powder, salt, amchur powder, sugar, 4 - 5 curry leaves and little water.
Cook it for few minutes to get a proper consistency.
Your healthy snack is ready for eating. Also, it can be used as a side dish with roti or chapathi.

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ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.

I just do not know why many people do not like upma and call it sarcastically as 'Concrete'! If the rawa is not roasted properly, no doubt, the upma will look like concrete :D In my opinion, if you roast rawa properly and add vegetables, you can prepare a 'superb' upma.

Anyways, leave it! Here is a different upma recipe which is prepared using bread pieces. It suits for breakfast as well as evening snacks. It won't take much time to prepare and never it will be a concrete!

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Bread slices (big) - 6

Green chilli - 3-4

Curry leaves - 1-2 strands

Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tsp

Oil - 2 1/2 tsp

Black gram - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric -1/4 tsp

Onion (small) - 1

Salt to taste

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Lime juice - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Chop green chillies and onion. Make small bread pieces out of slices. Heat oil in a pan and add black gram, mustard seeds. 

When Mustard seeds splutter, add turmeric powder, chopped green chillies and chopped onion and stir for a minute. 

Now add bread pieces , salt, sugar, lime juice and sprinkle 1/4 cups of water and mix well. 

Close the pan with a lid / plate and cook for 5 minutes. 

Garnish with coriander leaves. It will be tastier if eaten hot!

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