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Mar 3, 2017

Creamy Macaroni soup

Soups are very comforting during lazy, cozy evenings. A rainy day or a cold evening is best enjoyed with a warm bowl of soup. Macaroni soup is a rich, creamy and heart-winning soup that will please kids and elders alike. My kids are a big fan of this soup. The best part is you never have to ask them to finish the soup... coz its already gone before you have to even ask them to drink some. 

This soup has little bit of veggies and loads of macaroni seasoned with mild seasonings and enriched with cream. Its not one of those spicy hot soups but instead gently seasoned
A bowl of soup is pretty filling and sometimes we end up having just this soup for dinner with a small serving of fruits. Light to the tummy it sounds perfect to me. A bir treat for kids



Rumali roti.... very soft and yummy


Rumali roti means handkerchief like rotis... a soft and very thin roti that can be crushed and squeezed in your palm but still would hold itself without tearing like a kerchief. They are very thin and soft and are best enjoyed when served hot. This is one of my favourites in our very loved Indian bread basket. Pair it up with a spicy chicken curry or some silky paneer butter masala or some sweet shahi korma. It goes well with any gravy 

This recipe uses 50% maida and 50% atta for making the roti dough. I tried this recipe fro the internet though I dont remember which one. The first try was a huge hit at home and so I have been hooked on to this recipe ever since. I havent tried any other recipe for rumali roti as this seems fool-proof and yields really soft rotis

The trick to making this rotis very thin and soft lies in making a very very soft dough and also the rolling part. It has to be rolled out very very thin for best taste



Mar 2, 2017

Uppu urundai.... a simple healthy breakfast

I love this breakfast option coz of its simplicity in taste and appearance too. My hubby is not a big fan of it though so I seldom make it. My mom makes it for me whenever I feel like having it as its a regular option for breakfast at theirs. I would say this would fall under healthy category as it uses very little oil and is steamed.... so everyone can enjoy guilt free

Rice batter is seasoned with a wonderful tadka and then steamed to perfection. It would serve good for breakfast as well as an evening snack. It is very filling too. Steaming hot they are perfect to taste




  

Crispy corn.... a yummy appetizer

Crispy corn appetizer is a new starter to me. We ordered it some time back when we went out for dinner with some friends. I usually order the regular stuff for starters whenever I visit vegetarian restaurants. But this time my friend was very clear that she wants to try something different so picked up 2-3 starters all that we had never tried. Well I should say... it was worth a try especially this crispy corn starter. We all loved it. Even the kids could not resist eating and they really really enjoyed it

After that I almost forgot about it until a couple of months back when my elder kiddo asked me to make some for him. I was somehow tied up with something or the other and kept forgetting about it. Last week when I bought some sweet corn to make some sandwich for breakfast Niks insisted me to make some crispy corn that day itself as I keep forgetting about it. He was not adamant in asking me to make it insead he told me how much he loved it the other day. He knew the recipe was easy so he kept pushing me and also offered help from his end to make this snack

I had some idea about the recipe because you can easily guess it once you try it. Checked out some recipes to get a good idea before I started to make it. The recipe calls fro deep-frying corn and then tossing them into some minimal spices... thats it. It doesnt take much time except if you are gonna photograph all the steps :)




Mar 1, 2017

Spicy mushroom masala


Mushroom sauteed and then simmered in a spicy and tangy gravy is definitely a wonderful side when having chapathis/naan/pooris for a meal. A silky smooth gravy with a rich colour gives the dish a restaurant-style effect. This recipe can be a called a crowd pleaser. Kids and elders ... everyone will love this gravy 

I was very lazy to make dinner yesterday but then realised that I had to finish up a pack of mushrooms that was lying in the fridge for 2 days. Was feeling very dull and lazy from morning and could not get out of it. When I saw the mushrooms I knew I could not let it go waste. So reluctantly pulled it out and decided to make something spicy and restaurant-style. Kids showed up in the kitchen and offered help. They had so much of enthu after having a tiring day at school and an evening class. I could not say no to those cute-little smiling faces. So keeping the laziness aside I decided to make our evening a fun-filled one with lively conversations in the kitchen. We ended up having lot of fun and enjoyed a dinner which we relished till the end.  I paired it with whole-wheat naan and some chilled lemon-juice to enjoy a great dinner.
  
Well the gravy can be made in under 30 minutes but we were so busy chatting and helping each other and taking selfies and each others pictures that we spent more than an hour in the kitchen. Finally it was all worth it when the dinner turned out perfect pleasing everyones taste buds




Dry fruit chikki...using jaggery


Dry fruit chikki is a healthy snack which is a good addition to kids evening or any-time snack. Made with jaggery and dry fruits it is as healthy as it sounds. I make small batches to enjoy them fresh whenever we want. It is easy to make this chikki if you get the right trick to make the syrup. Its all in the syrup... if too thin then chikki becomes sticky and chewy and if its too thick then the chikki turns out very hard

I am not a big fan of store-bought dry fruit chikki. I feel that something is lacking in taste always. The sweeter component always dominates the dry fruit flavour making it more of something else than a chikki ;) The first time I made this at tie I knew what was the taste I was looking for. Adjusted the jaggery level and made according to our taste preferences. Making it is pretty easy and hassle-free so why wait when we can make the best at home. My kids love peanut chikki so when they gave this a try they loved it too. They pick them whenever they want and munch on

You can make a big batch and store it in an airtight container. Make some today and enjoy with your loved ones. I am sure everyone will love it



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