Mango Treat, Deviled Monaco & Pomegranate Treasure (Biscuit Toppings)

After I posted biscuit chaat recipe i received loads of messages for more biscuit topping ideas here are a few healthy snacks for kids of all ages...:)

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Ingredients:
2 Packets Monaco Biscuits
1 Boiled Egg
1 Onion ( sautéed in a sp of oil and a pinch of salt)
1 Tomato (Deseeded chopped into tiny cubes)
2 Sprigs Coriander (Finely chopped)
4 Chillies (Finely Chopped)
1 Tbsp Chilly Powder
Fruits 1 Ripe Mango(peeled and cut into tiny cubes) and 1 Pomegranate
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
4 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
Cream Cheese
Garlic Spread or Mayo
Salt as per taste

 Mango Treat:

• In a bowl add 3 to 4 tbsp cream cheese and powdered sugar  mix well till smooth texture.
• Add half the chopped mango and 1/2 tsp lime juice mix well and reserve on a serving bowl. top with rest of the mango as garnish place a cling film and refrigerate to chill.

Once chilled serve topped on monaco biscuits enjoy...:)

 Pomegranate Treasure:

• In a mixing bowl add 3 to 4 Tbsp Cream Cheese using a fork soften the cheese.
• Add half the onion , tomato, 2 chilies little bit of coriander 1/2 tsp of lime juice and mix well.
• Crush four or five biscuits into the mixture mix well add half pomegranate mix well. reserve in a serving bowl garnish using other half of the pomegranate cover and allow to set in the refrigerator.

Once chilled serve with monaco biscuits enjoy...:)

Deviled Monaco:

• In a mixing bowl crumble the boiled egg using a fork add 2 tbsp garlic spread and 2 tbsp of cream cheese mix till well combined.
• Check for salt add if needed add the rest of the coriander, onion and 1/2 lime juice mix well and reserve in a serving bowl sprinkle chilly powder.

Serve along with monaco biscuits engage your kids and family to assemble the topping on their own its great fun...enjoy...:)

Mango Sambar

Somebody asked me how to prepare sambar...its not rocket science...as per the hindu myth preparing sambar for a festive occasion or marriage with different spices and vegetables and serving along with ghee rice will bring good luck to the family i don't know how far this is true...surely is a great treat for my tummy...:) this recipe is to simple and authentic perfect for a beginner you can never go wrong on this recipe...In future i will post more variations for sambar recipes...

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Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Cooked Smashed Pigeon peas
2 Blanched Tomato(chopped)
1 Medium Onion (roughly chopped)
2 Medium Tender Murungakkai/Drum Sticks(Chopped into 2 inch)
4 Medium Brinjal/kathirikai(quartered)
2 Green Chilly (Slit)
1/2 Mango Cubed Please use totapuri mango
Coriander for garnish
3 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Masala:
1 1/2 Tbsp Red Chilly Powder
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tbsp Coriander Powder

Tempering: 
1/2 Tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 Tsp Split Black Gram Dhal
5 Dried Red Chilly
A pinch Asafoetida

Prep Up:

• Take 1/2 Cup Pigeon peas wash it thrice in running water add to pressure cooker and add 2 cups water along with the dhal add two whole tomato place the lid and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles till dhal goes mushy.
• Separate the tomato from the dhal once cooked chop and reserve. using a spoon mash the dhal reserve. 

Method:

• Heat a heavy bottom handi or wok add oil add mustard seeds allow to splutter add urad dhal fry a bit add asafoetida, dry red chilly and curry leaves fry a bit.
• Add chopped onion and fry till light pink in color add drumsticks tomato, chilly powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder fry a bit add 2 cups water cover and cook the drumsticks till half done.
• Add brinjal salt and cook till brinjal is half done add mango cover and cook till well done.
• Add dhal extra water stir and adjust the sour content bring to rapid boil garnish with coriander and serve hot with rice...Enjoy...:)

Please note to adjust sour taste in the sambar always have extra cooked dhal.

Mango Karuvadu/Dry Fish Thokku

This is one of my experiments which totally turned out in flying colors...had to share this recipe with the world its so tangy perfectly spiced and goes well along with sambar rice and rasam rice this will stay in the refrigerator for upto 2 to 3 months if preserved properly.

Do view my video demo...rate comment and subscribe...thank you...:)

Ingredients:
3 Cups Raw Mango Pulp
5 to 6 Sprigs Curry Leaves
150 Grams Dry Seer/King Fish(Vajaram Karuvadu)
2 Tbsp Mustard Seeds
12 Dry Red Chilly
2 Tbsp Chilly Powder
2 Fist Full Garlic Pods(peeled)
1 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Asafoetida
1 1/2 Cup Oil
3 Tbsp Salt

For Masala Powder:

2 Tbsp Split Chickpeas 

15 Whole Dry Red Chilly

2 Tbsp Pepper Corns

Fist Full Garlic Pods

Fist Full Curry Leaves

1 Tsp Asafoetida

1 Cup Dry Shrimp

• Dry roast all the ingredients given in the masala list one by one on a medium flame once dry roasted place on a plate and allow to air dry.
• Add the ingredients to a mixer jar and blend to a fine powder.

• Peel and dice the raw mango wash twice and place in a bowl with a splash of water place inside a pressure cooker steam cook for 3 to 4 whistles.
• The mango should go mushy reserve.

• Dice the dry fish wash in running water and add chilly powder a pinch of asafoetida mix allow to marinate.

Method:

• Heat oil in a large heavy bottom wok on a medium flame add mustard and allow to splutter add garlic and fry till light golden.
• Add asafoetida curry leaves dry chilly and turmeric fry a bit.
• Add the mango pulp and stir.
• In another wok or pan add 5 tbsp oil and start frying the fish on medium flame allow the fish to turn golden in color reserve.
• Add the shrimp masala salt and the fried fish to the mango stir and fry till oil separates preserve in a air tight container once cooled serve along for any southindian meal...Enjoy...:)

Mango Puliyodharai Karnataka Style Recipe

Mango/Manga Puliyodharai is one of the most famous recipes in Karnataka once the mango base is prepared it can be stored for weeks even months in refrigerator it has prefect blend of spices excellent recipe that can be packed for lunch kids of all ages will love this recipe its tangy spicy lip smacking delicious...:)

Deliciousness overload do watch the video demo comment and subscribe for more...:)

Ingredients: 
2 Raw/Green  Mango

For Masala Powder:
2 Tbsp Peanuts
3 Tbsp Dried Shredded Coconut
1 1/2  Tbsp White Sesame Seeds
2 Inch Stick Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Pepper Corns
1/2 Tbsp Cumin
2 1/2 Tbsp Channa Dhal/Split Chick Peas
1/2 Tsp Fenugreek Seeds
2 Fist Full Dried Red Chilly
12 Pods Garlic (Optional)
6 Sprigs Curry Leaf
1/2 Tsp Hing/Asafoetida

For tempering:
1 Tbsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 Tsp Hing/Asafoetida
1 Tbsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tbsp Dried Shredded Coconut
10 Red Chilly
3-4 Sprigs Curry Leaf
1/4 Cup Sesame Oil
1/4 Cup Sunflower Oil
Salt to taste

We prepare this in bulk and store for the rest of the year you may try half recipe if you like it then try the full recipe...:) oil should always be extra since it will preserve the mango.

Masala Powder: 

• Heat a wok on medium flame dry roast 2 1/2  tbsp channa dhal once its golden brown reserve on a plate and dry roast 2 tbsp peanuts once that turns light golden in color reserve in the same plate dry roast sesame seeds once it splutters reserve in the plate dry roast pepper corns cumin fenugreek and cinnamon and reserve in the same plate dry roast 3 Tbsp dried coconut when it turns light brown in color reserve in the plate dry roast 2 fist full dry chilly and reserve in plate dry roast curry leafs and garlic for few minutes and reserve in the same plate lastly dry roast 1/2 tsp asafoetida and reserve in the plate allow all the ingredients to air dry before grinding to a powder.
• Basically all ingredients should be dry roasted separately all the ingredients have different cooking timing.   
• Once all the dry roasted ingredients have cooled add to a mixer jar and grind to a fine powder.

Method:

• Peel the mango chop into cubes wash and place in a bowl which can fit inside pressure cooker.
• Add 1/3 cup water to the mango and steam cook inside pressure cooker for 5 to 6 whistles the mango will go mushy.
• In  a wok add oil bring to a boil fry the peanuts till golden in color drain and reserve in a plate. in the same oil add mustard seeds allow to splutter add 1/2 tsp asafoetida 10 red chilly fry a bit add 2 to 3 sprigs of curry leaves and turmeric powder fry for a second.
• Add the mango pulp to the oil and fry a bit add the prepared masala powder and fry the mango on low heat till oil surfaces.
• Add the peanuts and salt must be a bit extra fry for 2 more minutes.
• Allow to cool and store in air tight container.

• The mango paste can be mixed with cooked rice or can be eaten with roti.
• For 2 cups good quality rice (sona masuri) add 3 cups water and pressure cook for 3 whistles till rice is cooked
• Allow the rice to cool add 2 to 3 tbsp of the mango paste mix and adjust the tang as per your taste buds.

Serve mango puliyodharai along with rice fryums...Enjoy...Happy Cooking...:)

Mango Ginger Cardamom Mini Bundt Cakes

It poured all day yesterday and not just your average rain but the kind that you hear loud and clear even when all locked up inside the house over the sound of the movie playing on TV. It is surely daunting at first, scary even with the occasional loud thunder but then you start to enjoy it. Hubs decided it was perfect weather for some backyard grilling. First we decided to grill some corn-on-the-cob followed by our favorite veggie pizza. When I went looking for my pizza stone in the drawer where I keep all my baking trays and pans, that is when I saw my mini bundt cake pan sitting idle stacked away and hidden under several other trays. If you noticed recently I have made a few mango based drinks from which I had some mango puree left over. That's when this dish was decided. The cakes turned out perfect with the exotic flavor of Alphonso mangoes and a hint of ginger to kick it up a notch.

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Mango Pineapple Smoothie

There are a very few things sweet that my little one will let touch her taste buds. She even drinks her daily glass of milk with no sugar. Chocolate is one thing she enjoys but although a total chocoholic when it comes to drinks she doesn't even like hot chocolate or chocolate milkshake - go figure. As far as drinks go, mango based drinks is one the recent finds the we discovered she thoroughly enjoys. It happened at a recent visit to an Indian restaurant at their lunch buffet. They had a dispenser with Mango Lassi. It took a little effort to get her to try it. We always make it a point to get her to try things, the conversation usually goes - "Try it, you don't have to eat any more if you don't like it". Well... those 30 minutes at the restaurant, that mango lassi is all she drank. Several little cups full.
Hence this drink. Granted its a variation of your typical mango lassi, I wanted to put a little tropical tang and twist with it. Yes she enjoyed this too.
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Mango Lime Cooler

ot sure if its the summer doing it or its just me but lately I have been enjoying making different kinds of lemonades and summer coolers. Takes few ingredients, minimum effort and the result is a tasty drink that everyone enjoys and you get to additionally enjoy the compliments as they come back from school or work and feel the need to cool down. This is one such in the series that I made lately. With the fabulous taste and sweetness from the ripe mangoes and the fresh citrusy lime flavor, it has a feel of a sophisticated mocktail with a tropical twist. Something you would want to sit sipping on the beach on a hot summer afternoon (yes you can put an umbrella in your glass :) A refreshing taste that you will remember and will want to come back often to.

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Mango Coconut Ice-cream

ango is undoubtedly the king of summer fruits for me. Now summer is not my most favorite of seasons but there are a few things that make the memories of summer good. Be it the long vacation away from school, being allowed to just go out and play, visiting grandparents, all the pampering, several of these things that I often talk about in my posts. These along with a lot of fun and cool food and fruits and berries - jamun, lassi, a million varieties of kulfi, soda pops, ice-chuski and the list goes on. The mango definitely figures in there somewhere as well. For some strange reason these things are what I think of first when I think of summer (of course followed by the reminder of the scorching Indian sun that I used to hate). Any conversation on food and summer is incomplete with mango featuring in it. Especially with its versatility, the mango is a fruit well loved in my family. Eat it raw, just peel it, chop it up, mix in a little salt and red chilli powder and tantalize your taste buds, or roast it, pulp it and make a nice cool drink with it or chop it up and cook with brown sugar to make a nice sweet and sour chutney... and then the 'achaar' of course, pickle it if you can't think of anything else to do with it. When in ripe form it of course can be had as a fruit but its pulp is also used to flavor many dishes.
Ice-cream is one such dish. It can be made using different kinds of mangoes however the pulp of Alphonso works the best. Use a sweet, ripe and a non-fibrous mango for best results. This time around I wanted to try the classic combo of coconut with mango to give it a nice tropical twist.The best part with this recipe is that it is extremely easy to put together without the need of an ice-cream machine.

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Saffron Mango Lassi

ow summer is not my most favorite season but for some reason I have a strange sense of longing now that it is almost over. This drink is an ode to summer saying goodbye and what better than to do that with with king of summer fruits ~ the Mango! The sound of 'Lassi' reminds me of hot summer afternoons, a tall glass filled with a chilled frothy yogurt drink. Summers in India are even harsher than here but they still used to be fun. Not just because we used to have long vacation away from school and we were allowed to just go out and play, visiting grandparents, all the pampering .. but also because the season would bring a lot of fun and cool food and fruits and berries - mangoes, jamun, lassi, a million varities of kulfi, soda pops, ice-chuski and the list goes on.

Lassi is a sweet chilled yogurt based drink is especially loved by all n very popular all over India especially in the northern and north-western parts of the Indian Subcontinent. Being made of yogurt it has a cooling effect so just the right thing to do to gulp own a tall glass before you head out in the scorching sun. 

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Minty Fresh Berries and Fruit Couscous Salad

y
hubs is not the biggest fruit lover. Just about the only fruits he likes (read: can eat) are banana,
guava and ripe mangoes. I on the other hand love all kinds of fruit
(except banana and mangoes, go figure) and can live on the fresh fruit
juice and salads for a few days. Also, because of all the goodness of
fruit, I try to incorporate them in our meals at-least once a day. Hubby
always takes one or two bites and I am the one left to finish my plate and his. Same with my little one. She is even stranger with her fruit
habits. She only likes fresh pineapple and orange juice. Her reasoning
why she doesn't like a particular fruit is because of the color,
watermelon is too red, papaya is too yellow, guava is too green. But
then who's to argue with her that my dear pineapple is yellow too, lol!

Anyway,
thats a little 'fruity' detail about my family, back to the post. Summer brings in colors, brightness, vibrancy, fresh fruits and vegetables and 
also the sun and the heat. The local markets got crates of fresh berries and fruits and mostly on sale nowdays which means I completely go crazy and bought us more than we could handle. It was not possible for me alone to finish
(although I did finish most of them all by myself). Now, hubs is a salad fan mainly couscous salad and last weekend I was all set to make some veggie salad and I opened the fridge and saw the rack full of fruits wanting to get my attention and hence this recipe. Some time back I had a similar kind of salad at the salad bar of the local Whole Foods market so this is slightly inspired from that. Mixed in a
few home grown organic mint leaves and a lite lemony dressing. To
my surprise both hubby and kiddo loved it. It was refreshing, gorgeous
and a great alternative to regular salads and helps with your daily fruit intake as well.

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Aam Panna/Green Mango and Mint drink

hopping in air-conditioned malls is the modern trend. If you have ever shopped old-school on the streets in India in the scorching heat of summer you would know that it gives the saying 'shop till you drop' a whole new meaning. Just when you have shuttled around twenty odd stores and looked through scores of dresses and hundreds of accessories and are about to 'drop' from the heat and exhaustion but still want to go to the store around the corner - who knows maybe they have the perfect accessory to go with the dress you just bought - you feel a serious craving for this drink. You crave for a glassful of Aam Panna to give you that much needed relief and recharge yourself. You start looking around for the nearest push-cart vendor or stall that is making them fresh and yes you are bound to find it around every street corner.

This drink basically comes from the streets of northern India and is popular because of its cooling properties. A nice and refreshing drink made of raw unripe mangoes which gives it a tangy flavor and  the refreshing mint that gives a cool fresh taste. Freshly roasted cumin for a smoky taste, the black salt adds the flavor which cannot be substituted by anything else. Complete with the right amount of sugar makes it a perfect thirst quencher.

Back home where I come from it is always made with roasted charred mangoes. Some people also boil the mangoes. It does work both ways, but the charring process gives it a nice smoky touch. Mom would make a big jug full of this Aam Panna during the months of late April and May when raw mangoes were found in markets in abundance.

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Cardamom Pancakes with Mango Saffron Compote/Chutney

ather's day this year was special as it has been for the last four years since we were blessed with our little princess. Now she is daddy's little girl so this Father's day I figured I'd make something that would be manly enough for papa and would be fun for his little princess to make and eat and they can sit together and enjoy. Little and I made these incredible pancakes for dearest papa this Sunday ~ warm, fruity, rich, decadent and gourmet breakfast/brunch with the best mango compote/chutney ever (dad is a BIG mango lover)... and yes if you look closer, these are pancakes with no eggs! The feedback from both of my critics was very positive :) Hubby later explained how amazed he was that the pancakes were as light and fluffy as the ones with eggs except only better as they did not have the eggy taste. Me personally am not much of a pancake fan so cannot say much about it but I surely have a thing or two to say about the compote. If this is any proof, every time I open the refrigerator I lick a fingerful of this chutney :) Tangy and sweet, very fruity taken to the level of exotic with the dash of saffron flavor. You will never go back to your syrup again.

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Mango-Saffron Kulfi for the Men in Blue

s I write this and get ready to publish, I cannot but help mentioning the victory of the Indian cricket team in the Cricket World Cup. Hip Hip Hooray! Three cheers for the Men in Blue. It feels great to be on top of the world and in such style. Go India! So this post is dedicated to the victory.
As the mercury climbs and the sun becomes more relentless, it is beginning to remind me of summers in India. The carefree school days, long summer holidays, visiting grandpa's place- I am sure each one of us must have some fond memories of summer like these. Summer also reminds us of our favorite food ice-cream :).The popular variation of which in India is called Kulfi. I have some fond memories of those summer evenings. I remember whenever we used to go out to eat chaat and panipuri (which was very often) we had to have kulfi otherwise the whole outing used to be incomplete. 

Kulfi is an Indian version of ice-cream... often flavored with cardamom, saffron and nuts and has a very unique flavor. It has similarities with ice-cream in terms of texture, taste and of course the fact that it is frozen milk! But unlike western ice creams, kulfi is not whipped, resulting in a solid, dense frozen dessert. Where I come from, it is often served with falooda noodles (kind of like vermicelli). During the summers in india, there is no dessert more popular than kulfi.

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Aam Ka Panna (Raw Mango Juice)

Ingredients:

1 Raw Mango

Fist full Mint leafs

1/2 Cup Jaggery or Sugar

1/4 Tsp Jaljira Powder or Cumin Powder

1 1/2 Tbsp Lime Juice

1 Pinch Salt

3 Cups Water

Method: 

• Wash the mango and mint leafs throughly pat dry.
• Finely chop the mint leafs.
• Chop the mango into large chunks.

• In a heavy bottom pot boil the water add the mango to the boiling water and cook till well done.
• Once the mango has cooked the skin will discolor the pulp will cook to a soft constance.

• Remove the cooked mango and reserve in a plate.
• After removing the mango to the same water add sugar or jaggery  stir and allow the sugar to melt remove from flame and allow to cool.
• Once the cooked mango has cooled a bit remove the pulp using a spoon or knife.
• In a mixer jar add few mint leafs along with mango pulp and grind to a puree add water to grind if needed.
• Mix a pinch of salt to the jaggery water add the mango puree and mint leafs stir well add lime juice, jaljira powder and stir well.
• Chill the prepared mixture just before serving add chill water and sugar if needed stir well serve chilled...Enjoy...:)

Requested video: Musicbox, kavinair, loveguru100, suji , shiludeep, Kumar, radhamani & doradoll...love you guys... keep watching...Enjoy...♥♥♥