Yay….my first blog award,I am sooooo excited! This has been bestowed upon me by dear UMA . Thankyou so much Uma for giving me this honour.This award was originally started by Roopa of My Kitchen Treats. 

“Yummy blog award is the award given to the blog with the most yummy recipes/photos”

I have to quote the yummy desserts I have ever prepared and eaten.My favourites are

Tiramisu
Seviyaan
Shrikhand
Creme Brulei

Now to pass on the honours,I choose the following 4 blogs to receive the awards.

Anjali J
Swati
Anamika
Kate

Summer is finally here and it has been unusually hot the past couple of days. We had finished a big bottle of coke and I was still feeling thirsty when I decided to go out and buy icecream and make myself a tall glass of cold coffee. When I started making the coffee I thought of adding the chocolate chips which were left over from the cookies I had made. The drink was so delicious and refreshing that I finished 3 glasses myself in the span of 2 hours.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tsps instant coffee powder
4 cups 2% Milk
4 tsp Powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
Vanilla icecream or whipped cream

Method:
Take a saucepan. Add about one and half cups of milk.To this add chocolate chips,coffee powder and sugar.Heat it on low flame till all the chocolate dissolves.Stir at regular intervals.

Put the above milk in the blender alongwith the remaining milk,vanilla essence and ice cubes.Blend it well.

Pour this in tall glasses and serve chilled with scoops of icecream or whipped cream.

PS: I am sending this to EasyCrafts for the “Fun ‘n’ Sun” event.

I was back home after shopping in my farmers market and was emptying all the fruits and vegetables on our dining table when the pretty colours inspired me to take the picture for the click event. I am still an amateur when it comes to photography but I hope our camera has done a good job The photograph was taken in Panasonic Lumix - DMC FZ18.

 The above pic is my entry for the Click Event:Au Naturel hosted by Jai and Bee.

Have been tagged by Chakoli,so here goes….

1)LAST MOVIE U SAW IN A THEATRE?
10000 BC

2)WHAT BOOK ARE U READING??
Breathless in Bombay by Murzban Shroff

3)FAVOURITE BOARD GAME?
Pictionary

4)FAVOURITE MAGAZINE?
 Readers Digest, Womans Era, People & Good Housekeeping.

5)FAVOURITE SMELLS?
• Fragrance of mogras
•Vanilla
• Baby Powder
.Chanel No 5

 6)FAVOURITE SOUNDS?
Church bells , the tinkling sound of wind chimes,children laughing
 

7)WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
 Being alone.

8)WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN U WAKE?
When do I go back to sleep I am not a morning person at all!

9)FAVOURITE FASTFOOD PLACE?
Wendy’s

10)FUTURE CHILDS NAME?
Hmm…not given a thought yet.

11)FINISH THIS STATEMENT—’IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I’D’
 World Tour with family and friends !

12)DO U DRIVE FAST?
Never! I hate driving.

13)DO U SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
Nopes

14)STORMS–COOL OR SCARY?
Scary.

15)WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
Dont personally have a car, but the first car I owned with hubby is Toyota Corolla.

16)FAVOURITE DRINK?
Cold coffee or Mango Lassi.

17)FINISH THIS STATEMENT-IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD…
Read one book a day.

18)DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?
Yup!

19)IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY OTHER COLOUR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?
Black with copper highlights.

20)NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS U HAVE LIVED IN?
Bombay,Pune,Mangalore,New Jersey,Los Angeles, North Carolina and San Francisco.

21)FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
NBA and one-day cricket.

22)ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Funloving and sensible

23)WHATS UNDER YOUR BED?
Carpet

24)WOULD U LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN??
Definitely.

25)MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
Night Owl

26)OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP?
Over Easy.

27)FAVOURITE PLACE TO RELAX?
Library.

28)FAVOURITE PIE?
Dont like them…unless there’s chocolate involved.

29)FAVOURITE ICECREAM FLAVOUR?
Chocolate and mango.

30)OF ALL THE PEOPLE U HAVE TAGGED, WHO IS THE MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST? 
Maybe Lyandra ???

I tag

Lyandra
Indian Homemaker
Mona
Uma
Pooh

I learnt this dish from a Maharashtrian friend. The recipe is very simple and delicious. She normally makes it with rice and sol kadi but I prefer it with dal-rice.

Ingredients:

1 whole prompfret slit in the middle
1 cup grated coconut
2 green chillies finely chopped
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp oil.
Thread for tying the fish.

Method:

Rub the promfret with tumeric powder,salt and chilli powder both outside as well as inside the slit and keep aside for half an hour.

Combine coconut,cilantro,chillies,ginger and garlic.Add lemon juice and mix well.

Take the promfret and stuff it with the coconut mixture.Take some thread and tie it across the fish so that it doesnt open up.

Take frying pan.Add a tbsp of oil and cook the fish on low flame for approx 15 minutes on the first side and then 10 minutes on the other.

Remove from the pan.Cut the thread and serve hot.

I made this cake when we had about 12 guests one evening.I thought an 8 inch cake would be good for that number and thought instead of making a traditional pound cake, I would try this one from Barefoot Contessa episode.It looked yummy and simple enough when she made it and it was my first attempt at icing a cake. As you can see from the pic,the icing was not smooth but it definitely looked homemade. It tasted great and I didnt have any problems finding volunteers to take home the leftover cake

 Ingredients:

For the cake:
2 cups sugar
1 and one-third  cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 and half cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided 
1 teaspoon nutmeg powder 
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 pound carrots, grated
1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple

For the frosting:
3/4 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted

For the decoration:
1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple

Method:

Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

For the cake:
Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light yellow. Add the vanilla.

In another bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, the nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Toss the raisins and walnuts with 1 tablespoon flour. Fold in the carrots and pineapple. Add to the batter and mix well.

Divide the batter equally between the 2 pans. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans set over a wire rack.

For the frosting:
Mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until just combined. Add the sugar and mix until smooth.

Place 1 layer, flat-side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Decorate with diced pineapple.

PS: I am sending this to Barbara for the “Livestrong with a taste of yellow-2008” event.

I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t like chocolates.The only chocolate chip cookies I had in India were the Hide n Seek ones.These were little square biscuits with one or 2 tiny chips of chocolate. During my exams,I used to eat 2 packets everyday! Since these were the only one’s available,I didnt know any better.When I came to the US,I had chunky chocolate chip cookies for the first time and have been a fan ever since.The big bites of chocolate alongwith the nice crunchy biscuits just makes my day.This is my first attempt at making these and I simply love them.I used semisweet chocolate chips but you can use chunky bits of chocolate if you like.This is adapted from a recipe by Rob Standley.

Ingredients:

1 and quarter cup powdered sugar
1 and half cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
3 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 and half cups semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and keep ready.

In a large bowl, mix sugars until well combined. Melt butter in the microwave and add to sugar mixture.

Stir until well combined. Add vanilla and eggs and stir until well mixed.

In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Add dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined.

Add the chocolate chips.Stir until just combined. Avoid any extra stirring to avoid tough cookies.

Drop dough onto sheets with a small ice cream scoop. Flatten the dough slightly with your hand.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges and tops of cookies are just turning brown. Cool on wire racks.

Dosa’s are my favourite.I remember in my college days whenever we used to go out to eat,most of my friends used to take chaat and I would be one of the few having masala dosa. This inspite of having a heavy lunch! I could always fit in a dosa ….. calories be damned So its really sad and disappointing to admit that my dosas never come out well! I have a very nice recipe for the most delicious and crisp dosa but they always stick to the pan.I have blamed it on everything mostly on the pan rather than my inefficiency.I have friends who have told me that if you are using a pan for a dosa,you shouldnt use for anything else.I didnt really believe it as my mom uses the pan for everything under the sun and her dosas come out pretty well.But I am still trying to get the perfect crisp dosa.You guys will be first to know when I manage it.So in the meantime here is an attempt to make a green dosa.I had given my friend some theplas and as she didnt want to return the plate empty she bought these dosas for me hot from the pan.I took one bite and fell in love.They are full of flavour and nutritious.There are a couple of dosas I manage to make well and this is one of them.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole green moong dal (soaked overnight)
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tbsp  garlic,finely chopped
1 tbsp  ginger,finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp cilantro/coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp sugar or honey
salt to taste
oil for frying

Method:

Grind the soaked moong dal with 1 tsp cumin seeds,coconut,fennel seeds,garlic,ginger,chopped green chillies and cilantro using little water to make a medium thick paste.

Remove it in a bowl.Add some salt, sugar and the remaining cumin seeds and check for taste.

Heat a frying pan.Add some oil.When the oil heats up pour the batter to cover the entire pan depending on the thickness desired.

Cover and cook on medium high flame for about 3 to 4 minutes.

Uncover and flip it to the other side.Cook again for another couple of minutes till slightly brown.Remove on a plate.

Serve hot with chutney.

PS: I am sending this to Srivalli for the “Dosa Mela“

This recipe is by Sanjeev Kapoor and I wanted to try it out for a long time.I love garlic and use it in all of my dishes.So when I found this recipe which I knew would have a dominant flavour of garlic, I had to try it out. So last week I went and bought a couple of zuchini’s from the grocery store and promptly made the soup as a starter for the evening meal of shrimp pad thai. If I am experimenting with a new dish, I normally make another well liked side dish which my hubby can fall back on, incase he doesnt like it.But this time I made 2 new dishes and crossed my fingers that he would like both the soup as well as the pad thai.Just to be safe I made sure I had a couple of eggs in the fridge incase I had to make an omlette for him :)  But I didnt have to resort to Plan B as the soup was well liked by both of us.

Ingredients:

25 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced 
2 medium Zucchini, trimmed and diced 
4 tbsp Olive oil 
1 small Onion, finely chopped 
2 medium Potatoes, thinly sliced  
6 cups Vegetable stock 
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder to taste

Method:

Heat olive oil in a large heavy-based pan, add three-fourth of garlic and cook over medium heat for about ten minutes or until it turns light brown.

Add onion and cook for another five to six minutes till the garlic is lightly burnt and onion is golden brown.

Add potatoes and continue to cook stirring all the while.  Add vegetable stock , salt and black pepper powder to taste.

Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for half an hour. Take off heat and let cool slightly.

Puree in a blender until smooth.

Heat the puree and when it comes to a boil, add the zucchini pieces and cook for twenty to twenty five minutes till the zucchini is cooked and tender. Correct the consistency by adding stock or water, if needed.

Toast the remaining one-fourth garlic in an oven or a frying pan with a dash of oil till golden in colour and crisp. Garnish the soup with this and serve piping hot.

PS: I am sending this to Mathy for the “JFI-Garlic” event.

Among Thai dishes,Pad Thai is my favourite.I dont usually like noodles but this dish is an exception.Whenever we eat at a Thai place,I always order this dish.I wanted to make it for a long time but never really took it up as I didn’t want to mess it up.So when I found a recipe I liked I went to the Chinese store and bought all the necessary sauces and ingredients at one go and hoped my husband would like it enough for me to use up those things eventually.So when I finally made it, I was really in high spirits as the aroma of the sauces were on the spot and I knew I would like it.Needless to say,we both loved it! This is adapted from a recipe by Chef Puck.

 Ingredients:

Sauce 1:
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons tamarind paste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Sauce 2:

3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped green chiles
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves

Other Ingredients:

4 ounces rice noodles, linguini size
1 quart hot water
Oil, for deep-frying
2 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon milk plus salt, to taste
1 ounce peanut oil 
1 tbsp scallion whites. 
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves, plus sprigs for garnish 
12  large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1/2 cup bean sprouts 
 Scallion greens for garnish. 
1 wedge lime

Method:

For Sauce 1:

In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce slightly and set aside to cool.

For Sauce 2:

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir until well blended.

Other :

Soak the rice noodles in hot water until softened. (This can be done several hours ahead of time.) Strain and reserve until needed.The noodles I bought were transluscent.Check the directions for cooking the ones you buy.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Deep-fry the diced tofu until crisp and golden. Drain in a paper towel and set aside to cool. Add the peanuts and fry for 30 seconds. Remove and set aside with the tofu.

Drain the excess oil leaving 1 tbsp in the pan.Fry the shrimp on both sides till they become pink.Dont overcook the shrimp.

In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Scramble eggs and keep aside.

In a wok, over high heat, add the peanut oil. When almost smoking, stir-fry the  green chiles, scallion whites, ginger, lemon zest, cilantro, and shrimp for 1 minute. Add the softened noodles, half of the bean sprouts, fried tofu, scrambled eggs, Sauce 1 and Sauce 2. Continue to stir-fry until noodles have flattened and blended with the sauce.

Garnish with the remaining bean sprouts, cilantro, green onions and chopped peanuts. Remove from flame.

Transfer Pad Thai to serving plate. Serve hot with a wedge of lime on the side.