Coffee Cookies .... just for me :)

I love coffee and people who know me well know about my love for coffee. I love trying coffee candies, coffee cake, ice coffee, coffee biscuits, coffee ice-cream and many more. Now when I am such a big fan then I was sure to try coffee cookies as well. So yes I gave it a try and I loved every bite of it. I made a small batch as I was sure they would not love to indulge in the coffee taste

The cookies turn our slightly crisp and very light and airy. Loved the texture and the perfect sweetness and coffee flavour. In fact I just eyeballed the ingredients so am giving an estimate only for quantity of ingredients used

Kulfi using Badam milk mix... turned out delish

Summer is getting into its peak and we all longing for more of cold and chilled stuff rather than hot or warm. Helping the kids enjoy a chilled treat ... I got them a little goodness of almonds which they are not a big fan of

Badam Drink is a very flavorful drink which turns out to be rich and creamy. A shahi drink, I should say. I have loved this drink from as long as I can remember. From the time when I have had a kitchen all to myself I have started shelving it to enjoy whenever I like. I make the powder/mix in advance and fill up a little jar once in a while. It stays fresh in the freezer for a longer time. I wanted my kids to enjoy badam drink but their taste-buds did not appreciate  the drink as much as mine did. I serve them once a week to help them get the goodness of almonds. Yes they did drink it but many a times it's just poured into the tummy with a big pout on the face giving me that weird expression which always meant "Maaa.....Why do you always want me to drink something healthy?" 

I have followed the "Try and try and you will succeed method" with this but it has continuously failed. So this time I tried again with a little twist to make them smile and enjoy a treat. I was a little skeptical when I started making it. I let those little hands help in making their favorite kulfi ... the way we named it so it was more attractive to the eyes and ears

With summer heat pushing everyone to the extremes ... this was the perfect chance for us to enjoy this treat and guess what ... IT WORKED!!!!! They loved it and have been wanting more of it so the drink mix jar is getting empty faster than before :) Recipe for badam drink mix will be posted soon

Beetroot raitha

Summer is in and all the raithas and dips are swinging back into lunch menus in their full form. Raithas have always been a soothing combi for lunch and dinner menu. It can always serve as the perfect side for pulao, biryani, chapathi, parotta etc. A summer cooler perfect for these days

Personally I hate this vegetable and have this hatred from as long as i remember. There was no way I could get this into my diet. But then I figured I was instilling the same eating discipline into my kids eating habits which was not good for sure. I tried sticking this into our diet by making soups, cutlets and sometimes colorful chapathis and pooris. I accept that they have been pleasingly welcomed at the kids table but this recipe here was a fun and cool addition to my menu too. We got to know this recipe a couple of years ago when we were on a trip to kerala. That was the first time I got a chance to try this raitha and immediately fell in love with it. Now it is a common addition to our meals

                           

We all love this recipe so its a must in our homes every summer. My chotu kiddo names it "the pink raitha". So thats how we call it too. Try it and find out if it satisfies your taste buds too

A Luscious Curd Sandwich

A recipe revisited after my good old school days. All of us have lots of memories about lots of sweet things. Some things or moments are like never-forgotten. I have millions of such memories to say ;) This recipe here is one such childhood memory that has been sitting in the back of my head for a very long time. I have thought of making this recipe so many times but never got a chance. I just did not get the right opportunity to try it. Finally tried it and we all had a great time enjoying every bite of it

A sandwich that I had always loved from my besties snack box every time she brought to school. I loved it so much that the taste still lingered after so many years flew away. It is not a story about any rich, dramatic, classy recipe but for sure a very very simple recipe that had caught my attention even in my school days :) 

This recipe jotted down here is not the exact recipe that I have had memories of but I have tried keeping the basic ingredient intact while tried to play around with spices a bit. The final outcome was a little different from the original mind-lingering taste, but that was something I had expected since the spice was a little away from original. Well however it was, every sandwich served was gobbled up by everyone with a deep sense of satisfaction. Now that is when a mom can feel really happy after making something that she feel "is special". Thumbs up for this recipe from all of us

Paneer Corn ... Stove-top Sandwich

We love the stove-top style carrot topped sandwich in my home. It is an all-time hit at the dining table. It has won many hearts whenever served as breakfast or as an evening snack. This recipe of paneer-corn sandwich is the same as carrot sandwich except for the basic ingredients being corn and paneer. A recipe that turned out to be a trial-n-error hit

This recipe was a wonderful trial in my kitchen a while ago with no clue how it would turn out when first made. On its first trial I did not want to taste it first believing it might be a little disappointment to  the high expectations that I had set in my mind about the outcome. Well to be honest it was a sweet surprise instead.... The first time it was served, it received the best warm welcome that any recipe could get. Yes big cheesy smiles were all-over my bubbly busy bumble-bees faces... yes thats how I call my kids often. I was so happy that the recipe was a huge hit and a cool addition to our breakfast menu. It has always had the same welcome at the table every time its made and served

Paneer-corn sandwich is a perfect breakfast menu that is very filling and comforting with a glass of chilled lemon-juice by its side. If you find the procedure to be too lengthy I have a simpler option for you. Split it into two parts. Make the topping in advance and keep it in the fridge. When making the sandwich in the morning just spread a little mixture and fry it as needed. Enjoy it warm/hot for your perfectly delicious breakfast

Masala vada ... simple n festive n grand too

Vadas are special be it masala vada or methu vada. I love both but when asked for only one choice I would say methu vada as I end up making dahi-vada with the leftovers. But masal vadais are rock stars ... they do good at evening snack parties or afternoon authentic lunch parties. Also this is a traditional dish made at festivals in most of the households

I have been following this simple recipe from my mom and mil. There is a little difference in the way they bought taught me. Finally I ended up with something which is a combination of both. The base for this recipe is chana dal and for a mix of spices it includes little greens. Some people use saunf/fennel seeds but personally I am not a big fan of fennel seeds... but for the aroma I add a little fennel powder :) Me and my elder son dont like to bite into a fennel seed. So this trick has helped us enjoy the flavor without biting into the seeds

Time to make this is not very less as I would like to say. It involves soaking, grinding and the frying time. So it is time consuming... not much though.  But whatever it is the end-result if gonna be crispy, spicy and aromatic vadas 

Cornflakes mixture ... a super hit with all kids

Mixture is a snack that everybody enjoys... adults and kids equally. It is made in different parts of India in different ways. Also they taste very very different in each version....some are sweet, some spicy, some plain, some nutty and so on. It has so many versions that everybody will fall in love with it in one form or the other or may be even many like myself. 

We too love the simple types. I am not a big fan of the spicy ones. Also I love the ones with a little sweet hint in them. And to add... my all-time anytime favorite are the ones with nuts.... hmmmm ... they just make my mouth water. But yes as I said everyone has different choices

This cornflakes mixture is a very very simple kind which involves very less effort and turns out to be perfect when it comes to taste. We love it at my home every time it is stacked :)

Nan-Khatai.. simple biscuits for anytime snack

Landing back on this page after a long time. Feels like I am in a whole new place... really ... am not kidding. I am so lost that I am  trying to figure out how to post :) 

I saw a lot of comments and likes over these days that I was away from the blog. Nice to know and hear from you all and the best part that you liked what I have shared in this little space. Few of my friends have also been asking why I stopped blogging. Answering that would be tough as I cant say I was busy instead I would like to admit that I have been lazy. 

As a come back I thought of posting something sweet. A simple biscuit recipe that everyone will love anytime of the day. Nan-khatai is a biscuit version that has been made for ages. I remember by mom stocking it up in big boxes for us to munch on all day. I was an all-time snacker in my school-days, college-days and I still fall in that category. I can stay away from snacks as long as it is away from my sight. But try putting a box in front of me and I can finish it in no time. This snack has been my favorite for a veryyyy long time now. There are a lot many versions  that people make but I have been strictly following my moms recipe which has been fool-proof till date.

The recipe calls for very little ingredients and just a few mins to put everything together. Add up 15-20 mins to baking time and voila you can enjoy a perfect snack. I am sure you and your family will enjoy it as much as we do. My kids love taking this as an additional snack to school to share and enjoy with their friends. 

Bread upma ... simple to make and simple to eat

A simple breakfast or an evening snack... try this and you will love it. It all started when mom used to make it with leftover bread when we were kids. We started loving it so  much that she started buying extra bread especially to make this upma. 

Easy to make and minimal spices makes it a hit...  finally making easy on tummy too. I have loved every time I had. 

Paneer Corn Sandwich

Paneer Corn sandwich is another simple addition to the sandwiches list that can be made in no time and can satisfy your taste buds too. Kids will love them for snack and lunch box too. The bite and sweetness in the sweet corn kernels and softness of the paneer go long so well. It is perfect for a filling breakfast

Peas paratha... Matar Paratha

I have decided that when green peas is in season then these parathas are sure to be had. Parathas are always welcome at our dinner table and this special peas paratha is sure a lovely addition to the parathas menu. I have  never made it  before so it sounded new to me the first time. One day when I was talking to my kids friends mom she said that she would be making matar ke parathe for dinner. Quite amused I asked her how did she make it as I had never tried it before. She said that I would be missing a great dinner if I did not make it when peas are in season and laughed out aloud. Its a must in her home when theres fresh green peas all piled up in the market and thelas

Made it last week for dinner and everyone in the family enjoyed it including my 3-yr old kiddo. It tasted awesome... the taste, the softness, the spiciness .... hmmm just tooo good. The recipe is very simple and its worth jotting it down here

  

Curdled milk instant sweet ... kinda palkhova but not exactly :)

What do you do when milk gets spoilt or there little leftover milk. Well I make this instant sweet to treat myself. Take the crumbled paneer and add sugar to it. Saute for a couple of minutes and you are done. To it with nuts and enjoy

Paneer and Pepper Cheesy Sandwich

Do your kids eat pepper or capsicum and that too all the colours. I guess no... mine atleast dont :) The only way to make them eat all these peppers is to make this sandwich. Its creamy and cheesy with the bite of capsicum inside which makes it even more tasty. My kids hate peppers but then when it comes to this sandwich there is no saying no. My four year old also likes this

Making it is very simple. Just make the regular white sauce and add in peppers and paneer with just a couple of spices and there you go, the filling is ready

Carrot Halwa.... Gajar ka halwa

Carrot Halwa....... our favourite. I loved it so much that I started making it as soon I got a kitchen all by myself to handle. I could make it whenever I wanted and enjoy as much as I wanted. Soon I realised that my hubby was also in love with this dessert. Hmmmm...we make big batches and then leave it in the fridge . Whenever we want to enjoy, we would microwave one serving to make it warm

This recipe takes time as I dont use mawa to make it instead I let milk simmer for a long while to reduce to 1/4 of the quantity. The carrots are cooked all the way in milk to ensure the best flavours 

There is another quicker version of making gajar halwa. Will try sharing it soon

Grated Cucumber Raita

Grated cucumber raita is my younger ones  favourite. Its my favourite too. I love the freshness of the cucumber along with tadka it gets. Whenever we make this at home, me and younger one have to our fill but still we would fight for the last spoon of raita in the bowl. He usually ends up having more raita than rice lunch