ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ. 

Villages like my native are the places where people can stay happily by spending very less on the daily needs like fruits and veggies. What I mean to say is, villages are such heavens where almost every plant, bush or creeper is useful either as food, medicine or in some other way! People will prepare delicious and healthy food even when there is no vegetable at home, using these naturally available ingredients.
For instance, we use raw banana for cooking and ripened ones for eating directly. Many of us don't know that even the plantain / banana stem can be used for cooking! It has got lot of medicinal values and some healthy and tasty dishes can be prepared using plantain stem. As I heard, regular usage of plantain stem is very good for kidney stone problem. Also, its a good remedy for stomach pain and dry cough. These days, its not that difficult to get plantain stem in cities. Coz plantain stem is easily available in vegetable markets in cities like Bangalore.
Well, today's recipe is Plantain Stem Salad - a yummy and healthy starter for your lunch. Credit goes to my Mom who helped me in preparing and presenting this recipe. Traditional name for this salad is 'Hulilu' even though I called it as Salad! Below is the recipe of Plantain Stem Salad..


Preparation Time: 15 - 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:
  • Plantain stem - 1 small
  • Ginger - 1 inch
  • Green chilli - 1
  • Lime - half piece
  • Thick curd - 1/2 cup
  • Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste  

Method:
  • Cut the plantain stem into thin slices. Remove the fiber and chop the slices finely. About one cup of chopped plantain stem is enough for this salad.
  • Chop the ginger and green chilli finely. Either you can chop them or crush them, its fine anyways.
  • Combine chopped plantain stem, chopped ginger and chilli, curd in a mixing bowl. Add salt and lime juice for taste. 
  • Enjoy this healthy and delicious salad with your lunch!


Tips:
  • Don't be scared if chopped plantain stem looks like oxidized. It will be back to its original color when you add lime juice to it.  
ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ. 

As all of us know, fruits are very good source of nutrients needed for our body. For fruit lovers like me, anything that's made using fruits sounds delicious! Recently, we had enjoyed the season of grapes and enjoyed various dishes with fruits. Apart from regular fruit salad and ice creams, I wanted to try something new with fruits this time. What came to my mind is Fruit Sandwich which I had long back in a restaurant. I still remember the taste of that yummy sandwich filled with lots of seasonal fruits and cream. 
For various salads and ice creams, pineapple makes a good combo along with juicy grapes. I just used these two fruits along with cream for the filling. My family enjoyed eating this delicious sandwich for the evening snacks and everybody liked it. 
Below is the recipe of Fruit Sandwich for you! And here is a small tip before you go ahead for preparation..don't forget to keep all the ingredients refrigerated before using, coz the sandwich tastes better when its cool!


Preparation time: 30 - 35 minutes
Difficulty level: Medium
Yield: 8 pieces

Ingredients:
  • Sweet bread - 16 slices
  • Pineapple chunks - 2 cup
  • Fresh grapes - 2 cup
  • Powdered sugar - 1/4 cup
  • Water - 1 cup
  • Fresh cream - 200 gm

Method:
  • Dissolve 3 tsp of sugar powder in 1 cup of water and keep it aside.
  • Beat the fresh cream well and prepare the whipping cream. Add sugar powder for taste and mix it well. Keep it refrigerated till use.
  • Place two bread slices on the plate. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tsp of sugar syrup on both the sides. 
  • Spread a thick layer of whipping cream on one slice of bread. Top it generously with pineapple chunks and grapes.
  • Cover it with another slice of bread and serve immediately!


Tips:
  • Keep all the ingredients refrigerated before use. Fruit Sandwich tastes better when it is cool!

ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ. 

I came across this recipe few days back. It was written on the back of All purpose flour packet. They had used orange zest in this recipe to give it a nice flavor. Orange zest means the grated peel of orange. This was the first time I used orange zest in my cooking. Loved this simple recipe and gave it a try! Shortbread was light and crispy with the nice aroma of orange zest.
I have tried this recipe several times already and the shortbread got over within 2 days every time. I'm sure, kids love this yummy and crispy shortbread. Also, you can give it as teething biscuits to babies for biting.
Wish you happy cooking :)

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Difficulty level: Medium
Yield: 25 pieces (depending on the size)


Ingredients:
  • Zest of 2 Naval Oranges
  • Sugar - 1/2 cup (plus 2 tsp if you want to make it sweet)
  • All purpose flour / Maida - 3 cups (approx)
  • Unsalted butter - 125 gm

Method:
  • Transfer the sugar to mixie jar and make a fine powder. 
  • Let the butter be in room temperature. Beat it nicely and then add powdered sugar. Beat it till its fluffy and creamy. Add the orange zest and mix it well.    
  • Fold in the all purpose flour little by little and make a smooth dough. Keep adding the flour till you are able to make a dough ball out of it.  
  • Dust the rolling surface with some dry flour. Roll out the big dough ball into a large circle using a rolling pin and cut it into desired shapes. Rolling is not compulsory, you can make it into any shape of your choice.
  • Pre heat the oven to 170°C. Arrange the shaped shortbread pieces in the oven tray and bake them for 15 - 20 minutes or till golden brown. Take them out after 5 minutes and allow to cool.
  • Shortbread will become crispy once they cool down. Store them in an air tight jar and enjoy with your cup of tea or coffee!
 
ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ. 

Happy new year to one and all! Hope you had a nice time and enjoyed long holidays. We were off to native for two weeks. All the vacation went on just like that with our family and relatives there. Grand parents were eager to see their little grand daughter. Little one enjoyed playing and roaming around with them. She was very happy to see cow and little calf, cat and dogs and trying to imitate their sounds. One more happiest thing is that, just few days before our trip, she started walking. Her steps are more firm now by the time we are back from trip to native.
Coming back to the recipe..capsicum is one of the vegetables which will be available during all the seasons and all the regions. I love to use it in sambar and side dishes to enhance the taste and aroma of the recipe. Stuffed capsicum is our all time favorite and it will be my choice of side dish many a times. Sometimes, I will prepare Capsicum Palya (Stir fry) in my mom's style. She will use home made masala powder for this Palya which will give a unique taste to this recipe!


Preparation time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 - 5
Difficulty level : Medium

Ingredients:
  • Medium sized capsicum - 2 nos
  • Salt to taste
  • Amchur powder - 1 1/2 tsp
  • Sugar - 1 tsp

- For Masala Powder:
  • Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
  • Cloves - 4
  • Dry red chillies - 10 to 12
  • Desiccated coconut - 1 cup
  • Chana dal - 1 tbsp
  • Urad dal - 2 tsp
  • Fenugreek seeds - 3/4 tsp
  • Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
  • Cumin seeds - 3/4 tsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Big pinch of asafoetida
  • Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
  • Oil - 1 1/2 tsp

- For tempering:
  • Oil - 4 tbsp
  • Urad dal - 1 1/2 tsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
  • Turmeric - 1/4 tsp


Procedure:
  • Cut the capsicum, separate the seeds part and dice it into medium size pieces.
  • Heat oil in a pan and roast all the ingredients for masala powder except desiccated coconut. Transfer them to mixie jar and make a course powder. Finally add desiccated coconut and run the mixie for 4 - 5 seconds. Take care that masala powder should not become a fine powder.
  • Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottom pan and do the seasoning with urad dal, mustard seeds and turmeric. Once the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the diced capsicum. Add salt, sugar and amchur powder for taste and mix it nicely. 
  • Cook it partially covered till done. Saute the mixture occasionally to ensure its cooked evenly.
  • Once the capsicum is cooked, add the prepared masala powder and mix it nicely. Switch off the flame and serve it with rice, roti or chapathi! 
ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಲು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.

These days, I am not able to update the blog regularly. Some recipe picks are waiting in my laptop for posting. But time goes like that with my little one and I am not getting enough time for my activities. Sometimes when I cook something new, I feel like taking picks of the same. By the time I start the photo shoot, either she will be hungry or it will be her sleeping time. Her voice will alter my concentration and makes me to stop the photo shoot there itself! These picks are also taken at least 3 months back and finally, I am able to write down the recipe now :)
Who says 'no' to the yummilicious Fruit Yogurt? It has become one of our favorite dessert from past couple of years. More often, we will get it from super markets which is available in various flavors like Strawberry, mixed berry, mango, etc. I wanted to prepare my own fruit yogurt from long time and after several trials, here is the outcome. Hope you like it!
Also, I feel its a nice way to feed the children some healthy food.
 

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooling time: 1 - 2 hours
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
  • Strawberries - 4 to 5
  • Sugar - 7 tsp or to taste
  • Hung curd - 1 cup
  • Vanilla essence (optional) - 1 or 2 drops   


Procedure:
  • Wash the strawberries and chop them finely.
  • Transfer the sugar and hung curd into mixie jar and run the mixie for a minute or till it becomes a smooth paste. You can use the hand mixer also for doing this.
  • Keep aside 2 tsp of chopped strawberries and combine the remaining with yogurt mixture. Run the mixie for half a minute so that the fruit pieces are blended nicely with curd. 
  • Finally, add the remaining fruit pieces and also, 1 -2 drops of vanilla essence if you desire. Run the mixie for 4 - 5 seconds and switch it off.
  • Keep it refrigerated for 1 - 2 hours for setting down. 
  • Enjoy the delicious Fruit Yogurt as dessert or as snack anytime!


Tips:
  • This yogurt should be consumed within 1 - 2 days of preparation. Since we didn't add any preservatives, it won't be good after 2 days.
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