Yeddyurappa defiant even after BJP asks him to resign

BJP asks Yeddyurappa to resign immediately

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NEW DELHI: The BJP parliamentary board on Thursday asked tainted Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa to tender his resignation immediately, following the indictment by the Lokayukta over illegal mining in the state.

Briefing mediapersons, BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad said that the party has decided that it was time for a change in the Karnataka BJP leadership. He also said that Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh will go to Bangalore on Friday to choose an alternative leader.

The meeting was attended among others by LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu.

Even as BJP bosses have officially asked Yeddyurappa to step down, the Karnataka chief minister is defiant and is threatening to play spoil sport for the party.

Soon after his abrupt return from New Delhi, Yeddyurappa convened a meeting of MLAs at his residence and also announced he would go ahead with scheduled plans of his cabinet meeting.

State BJP unit KS Eshwarappa, who is also in Delhi issued stern warning to MLAs not to attend the meeting called by Yedddyurappa.

Though there are 25 MLAs and 6 ministers attending Yeddyurappa's meeting, party sources said it was just a courtesy call and many would side with the party once an alternative leader was announced.

Senior leaders Ananth Kumar, KS Eshwarappa and Jagadish Shettar are the frontrunners for the post of chief minister.

Former state BJP president D V Sadananda Gowda is seen as a dark horse.

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Quick and Healthy Breakfast Smoothie

Few days ago, my colleagues were having a conversation at work about good and healthy breakfast, its benefits and how it boosts metabolism etc.

Research has proved that eating breakfast improves memory and concentration. Even though we try to follow this at home as much as possible, with today’s hectic schedules, long commute a full sit-down breakfast is not always possible. So many a days we end up skipping breakfast and end up having a heavy lunch which is not very desirable.

I have also read that even having an energy bar and a glass of milk can go a long way towards helping staying focused and engaged. But I am not a huge fan of the store brought bars.

I tried to look for other ideas for easy and healthy breakfast that takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. Another important thing I was looking for was incorporating milk in the mix and Breakfast smoothie was on the top of the list. Breakfast smoothies can be prepared in a jiffy and is a blend of fruits, milk, juices etc all the right things to kick start the day. I made this and loved the taste.

Here is one question I have and I would love to read your thoughts or appreciate any feedback:

What are the drawbacks (if any), if I prepare this blend of smoothie the night before? Will there be problem with the nutrients if I store it in the fridge the previous night and drink it the next day morning?

Ingredients:

• ½ cup mangoes cubed
• ½ cup cantaloupe
• ½ ripe banana
• ½ cup orange juice (cold)
• ½ cup milk (cold)
• 1-2 Tbsp Oats (quick cooking)
• Flax seeds (optional)

Method:

• Grind the Oats separately to powder and keep aside.
• Blend the fruits together until it turns fine. Add milk if required.
• Add the remaining milk, orange juice and oats and blend well. Sprinkle flax seeds over the top. Enjoy cold.

Banana Chocolate Milkshake

Last week was pretty hectic both on the work front as well as on the personal front. Right from the get-go on Monday up to Friday we had crazy schedules and other things lined up one after the other. Dear Husband was also out of town for couple of days and that just piled more work on me. Never the less I was very happy to see the weekend come by and was able get some rest and relaxation.

Another good thing that happened during the weekend was that we had invitation to dinner on Saturday and Sunday at two different friend’s place. So that made me stay away from the kitchen and try my hand at little experimenting and also reading books.

I had been eyeing this recipe for a long time now. I had seen this on many blogs and also in the book “Joy of Vegan Baking”. The weather was pleasant and seemed very apt to try out this cold and soothing drink.

For this week I am not totally out of the woods yet as we have an up-coming release this weekend, but the personal part does not seem that bad. Also we have the Memorial Day long weekend coming up so that will make up for any stress caused this week J

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk ( I used low-fat)
• 1 ripe banana
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp sugar/honey
• 1 small cup vanilla ice-cream (optional)
• Cinnamon a pinch (optional)

Method:

• Peel the banana and chop the banana into 2-3 pieces. Run it through the blender and make it into a paste.
• Add the remaining things to the blender and blend well. Serve cold.

Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

Thank you all very much for the warm wishes and comments in lieu to the Blog Anniversary. I was over whelmed, touched to say the least and will cherish those words for a long time to come.

Moving on, the temperature here has soared and has become unbelievably hot. Continuously for the past 2 weeks are so, the temperature has been 100+. Of course, July and August are the hottest months here and hopefully after that the temperatures should slide down.

But at least these warm temperatures provide us with an excuse to indulging onto something cold, creamy and deliciousJ. Lately I have been seeing lots of blogs posting recipes for Frozen Yogurt and I could not resist trying it myself.

I had a box of no-so-fresh blueberries lying around and also a tub of the Oikos Organic Greek yogurtand so during the weekend, I decided to give this a try. I was not disappointed as it is very easy to prepare, the taste is creamy, delicious and above all guilt-free. I have stored it in a big freezer box and eat a scoop of it after returning back from work. It is refreshing and also re-charging.

Note: However, as you can see from the pictures, the frozen yogurt melts pretty fast. With in a span of 10 minutes nearly half of it had melted. Also check to make sure that the yogurt does not have a sour taste. Else the sour taste of blueberries will add onto the sour taste of the yogurt.

I followed the recipe instructions from here. I did not strain the skin/seeds from the blueberry, so I could taste the tartness of the blueberries.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups nonfat plain Greek yogurt (I used Oikos Organic Greek yogurt)/thick curd
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup blueberries

Serves:

Approximately 4-5.

Method:

• Blend blueberries and milk in blender until blueberries are completely pureed.
• Mix the blueberry milk, sugar, and yogurt together in a blender.
• Place in freezer for about 8 hours. This melts pretty fast when scooped out, so be prepared for that.

Watermelon Limeade Cooler

What is summer without some sweet, juicy watermelon? Also what is summer without some sweet and tangy limeade? Now how about combing the juice from watermelon and limeade and making a refreshing summer drink? This drink is just that and is a great way to enjoy the summer fruits!

We had our fair share of water melons this summer. They were on sale most of the time and it is a good way to quench thirst naturally and add some nutrition.

Last week we had some guests over for dinner and we had brought some store brought limeade. I served them with Watermelon Juice by mixing in watermelon juice and limeade. Suffice to say that it makes a great summer drink.

If limeade is not available then simply take the water melon juice, mix in water, lime juice and sugar. (See recipe below). I do not strain the fruit from the juice, but if preferred then please go ahead and do that. This recipe is more of an idea and a guideline so I have not provided the exact measurements. Changes can be made as required; some people prefer this with fresh mint, crushed pepper, bit of grated ginger etc.

Ingredients:

• Watermelon de-seeded and cut into chunks
• Readymade Limeade (optional)
• Limes
• Sugar
• water

Method:

• Remove the skin from water melon, remove the seeds and cut into chunks.
• Run it through the blender without adding any water. Make sure that no chunks remain in the juice.
• Strain the watermelon pulp if necessary.
• If you have ready made limeade then mix in some water melon juice and limeade.
• If not add lime juice, sugar to the melon juice and mix well. Chill it before serving.
• Do not store this mix for a long time as the taste goes bad after few hours.

Panaka (Indian Lemonade)

Panaka(Kannada) is usually prepared on Sri Rama Navami a Hindu festival, celebrating of the birth of Lord Rama. Panaka or Panakam (Telugu) is a sweet drink prepared with jaggery, lemon and pepper. This is an Indian version of lemonade and uses jaggery instead of sugar.

Jaggery is a rich source of iron due to the process involved, using iron utensils. It is considered by some to be a particularly wholesome sugar and, unlike refined sugar, it retains more mineral salts. Moreover, the process does not involve chemical agents. Indian Ayurvedic medicine considers jaggery to be beneficial in treating throat and lung infections (Source:Wiki).

This day of Ram Navami used to be a special one in Bangalore the place where I grew up. People performed special pooja that day and the neighbors (women) would invite each other to their houses to offer “kumkum” and savor their Panaka, spiced buttermilk and Kosambari. Before my pre-teen years I used to enjoy going to other’s houses and trying out their special panaka, “Neeru majjige” (thinned and spiced buttermilk) and cucumber kosambari. Some people even added cantaloupe to make it more special. The combination is a treat in itself.

We had a glorious day this past weekend. The weather was mild, pleasant and sunny at the same time. The sunlight in the morning radiating in our breakfast area was glorious and hard to miss. That inspired me to take these pictures.

The recipe here is more of a guideline and an idea; please change the quantity as per your taste. In our house, we prefer the tangy taste of lemon and so we add more lemon and less sweet.

Note: The color of the panaka depends on the color of the jaggery. The jaggery that I got recently from the Indian grocery was very light colored and hence the color is pale.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups water
• Juice of 2 lemons
• ½ cup jaggery (Gur in Hindi) / use sugar or brown sugar if jaggery is not available
• ½ tsp powdered cardamom
• 1/2 tsp fine pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger ( I used fresh ginger as I did not have dry version)

Procedure:

• Take a big bowl and pour in the water. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Let it sit for about 1-2 hours before serving.

Shunti Tambli Recipe

Tambli/Tambuli or Tamboli as it is referred to in Konkani is a refreshing yogurt/buttermilk drink. It is usually had cold, preferably after a meal and forms good coolant, aids in digestion etc. This was a popular summer drink at my grandma’s place. Other substitutions for ginger could be garlic, kokum, spinach, gooseberry etc and it is prepared in a similar way. In this recipe, I have made the Tambli using Shunti (ginger in Kannada). The drink is usually had as is, but I prefer having it over warm rice.

Nutrition and Benefits of ginger: Ginger is a good source of potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese and vitamin B6. Ginger extracts have been shown to have both antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects on cells.Ginger reduces all symptoms associated with motion sickness including dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and cold sweating. People with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly. (Source)

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp shredded coconut (fresh/frozen)
• 1 inch ginger (cleaned and skin removed)
• 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds (roasted lightly in little oil)
• 2-3 green chillies
• 2 cups buttermilk/yogurt/dahi/curd (buttermilk is preferred)
• salt

For tempering/Tadka/seasoning

• Jeera seeds/cumin seeds
• 2 curry leaves
• Mustard seeds
• 1-2 red chillies cut into bits
• pinch asafetida

Method:

• Grind the coconut, ginger, green chilli and cumin seeds with little water to a smooth paste.
• Take a bowl, add buttermilk and salt and mix well. If using yogurt/curd thin it out with little water.
• Add the above prepared coconut paste and add it to the yogurt and mix well.
• Seasoning: Take a small pan and heat oil, add the mustard seeds amd let it splutter. Now add the cumin seeds, asafetida, curry leaves and red chillies.
• Add this seasoning to the yogurt/buttermilk mixture. Mix well.
• Drink it as is preferably at the end of the meal or serve with warm rice or with Adai as

Sol Kadi/ Konkani Style kokum Kadi –II

Kokum is the dried skin of a fruit related to mangosteens.The outer cover of fruit is dried in the sun to get Aamsul or Kokam/Kokum. It is used as a slightly sour spice in recipes that yields peculiar taste and dark red colour. It is a preferred substitute for tamarind in curries and other dishes from Konkan. It is very abundant in the west coast region of India and hence an integral part of Konkani cuisine. These are called ‘bhirnda sol’ in Konkani.

At home I use the Kokum to make Kokum kadi. I have already posted one version here before, this does not use coconut in it. This version that I have posted here uses coconut milk along with garlic and green chillies. This is referred to as Birinda Sola Kadi in Konkani. We enjoy drinking this Kokum kadi especially during hot summers as it has a cooling effect on the body. This can also be consumed along with food or after dinner and tastes terrific when used as an accompaniment with Varan Bhat/ Daali thoy (Konkani daal).

This drink has combination of sweet, sour, hot and tart taste which is hearty and refreshing. The sour taste of the peels is neutralized by the addition of coconut milk and jaggery.

Studies have shown that this fruit can reduce fat, cool body, purify blood and also reduce cholesterol. Check out the other health benefits of kokum here.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 kokum peels
• ½ coconut shredded (to extract coconut milk)/coconut milk
• 3 cups water
• 2-3 garlic pods
• 2 green chillies (increase if you like it spicy)
• salt and jaggery to taste

Serves: 4

Method:

• The first step is to make the kokum juice and then the second step is to extract the coconut milk.
• Option 1: Boil the kokum peels with half the water for about 5 minutes. Remove the peels and keep the juice aside.
• Option 2: In a bowl, add half the water and the kokum peels and set aside for 6-8 hours. Remove the peels and keep the juice aside.
• To make the coconut milk, blend together the coconut along with water and make a thick paste. Pass this through the sieve and save the extracted milk. Note: you can use readily available coconut milk instead of this.
• Make a paste of green chillies and garlic and keepaside.
• Now mix the kokum juice and coconut milk, add salt, jaggery and the green-chilli paste.
• Note: Run this through a sieve to remove the bits and pieces of garlic and green chillies.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Refrigerate and serve cold or optionally drink warm.
  

Traditional Konkani Recipe: Kokum Kadi/ Sol Kadi

Kokum is a dark purple to black sticky fruit with curled edges. It is very abundant in the west coast region of India and hence mostly used in Konkan homes. It adds tart taste to the food and many use this as a substitute for tamarind. Studies have shown that this fruit can reduce fat, cool body, purify blood and also reduce cholesterol.

Since it is difficult to find the type of kokum we use at home, here in the US, I load bagful of kokums when in India and stock it for years. At home we enjoy drinking this Kokum kadi especially during hot summers as it has a cooling effect on the body. This can also be consumed along with food or after dinner and tastes terrific when used as an accompaniment with Daali thoy (Konkani daal).

This is very easy to prepare as well. Before going to work, I mix all ingredients along with water and let it do its thing. When I come back home, it is ready to be devoured. There is no seasoning, heating, tadka etc nothing to this. If only cooking other dishes was as easy! This can be kept in the fridge for days and makes a cool refreshing drink during summers. The making process of this reminds me of the old Indian advertisement (Kinetic Honda, I guess) “Mix it, Shut it and Forget it”.

The only note for this is that the asafetida needs to have a very strong flavor as that plays a strong role in this drink. This drink has combination of sweet, sour, hot and tart taste which is hearty and refreshing.

Ingredients

• 5-6 kokum
• Asafoetida
• Salt, jaggery
• 2-3 green chillies
• chopped coriander leaves
• 3 cups of water

Method:

• In the 3 cups of water, put in all the ingredients except coriander leaves.
• Let it rest for about 6-8 hours and do its own thing.

Remove the kokums and garnish with coriander leaves while serving

Healthy Barley Drink

The nutritional benefit of Barley is enormous. I have heard so much about this grain that is hard to ignore its health benefits. I wanted to document some of its health benefits in this post and refereed to this link here. I looked at it for about 2 minutes and I could already feel my head spin. It is as if nature has created a wonder-grain for us and it is waiting for us to take advantage of it.

I have highlighted some of the benefits mentioned in the link from that website.

• Barley’s Fiber can be used to lower Cholesterol & Intestinal Protection
• Additional Protection Against Atherosclerosis
• Significant Cardiovascular Benefits for Postmenopausal Women
• Barley and Other Whole Grains Substantially Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
• Barley Can Help Prevent Gallstones
• Whole Grains Highly Protective against Childhood Asthma
• Lignans Protect against Cancers and Heart Disease
• Development and Repair of Body Tissue

I got this recipe from my MIL few days ago, it is very easy to prepare and I have been making this ever since. I sometimes even carry barley powder to work and prepare this drink using hot water and salt.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole barley (use barley flour if that is available)
Water
Salt
Pepper
Ginger (optional)

Procedure:

1. If using the whole barley, then lightly roast it on low flame until it turns very light brown. Keep aside to cool and then make fine powder out of this.
2. If using the readily available barley flour then skip step 1.
3. Take 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Add 2 tsps of barley powder, salt and let it come to a roaring boil. Stir frequently as it tends to develop lumps.
4. Allow it to cool, add pepper powder and optionally ginger.
5. This can be served hot or cold and can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Sangeeth has kindly reminded me that I can send this for her Eat Healthy Event. So off this goes to her event.

Still Hungry?

Coriander Yogurt Lassi

Talk about yogurt and I do have to mention a funny incident that happened yesterday. I am a big fan of yogurt, the plain old one and love it in combination with rice at the end of lunch/dinner. It works wonders for me; it not only cools me but also manages to calm my nerves.

When I had been to the grocery yesterday I could not find my regular favorite Plain Danon Non-fat yogurt. I was miffed by that and even mentally swore at the store, I mean how could such a big super store not carry a regular brand, and even if they were out of stock, could they have not replaced it? Anyway, I cooled and then got around and picked up the only available non-fat yogurt. Nothing unusual so far about it right? Yeah, until I actually had it for dinner! As usual I lavishly poured the yogurt over my rice and when I tasted the first bite I literally jumped out of my chair! Because the yogurt had this very sweet, mellow taste unlike the sour taste that I am used to, so when I looked at the yogurt container I realized that I had bought fat free Vanilla yogurt instead on the regular plain one. Eeeks! I have been feeling odd and also getting this wired taste in my mouth ever since.

Anyway, coming back to this refreshing drink, this one works as a good coolant especially during the scorching summers. The measurements in this recipe can be changed as per one’s own taste. The distinct flavor of this drink comes from the crushed cumin.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• Handful of fresh coriander leaves
• 1 Tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 green chilli (optional)
• Salt to taste
• water

Method:

• First grind the cumin seeds along with coriander leaves and little water. Make sure that the cumin seeds are ground well. The crushed cumin seed is what adds flavor to the drink.
• Next add the green chilli(optional), salt and blend once more. Finally add yogurt and water and blend again.

Serve cold!

Indira’s Chanadaal, Vermicelli Sabudana Kheer/Payasam

Come to think of it, I should have started my first post for the New Year with a recipe for something sweet. After all it is customary isn’t it? I followed this protocol the previous 2 years, but then this year I strayed away and started off with this, something savory, sinful yet delicious. So am I trying to be different this year and break some grounds? Nah, the pictures for the payasam were not ready on time and hence I could not make this the first post to kick start the New Year.

The source of this recipe is Indira’s Chana Dal Payasam. I love this recipe for its simplicity and ease of preparation. But don’t be tricked, the taste is just delicious and divine. Another factor that interested me is that this payasam does not use coconut at all. Prior to this I had not seen traditional payasams made without the coconut. The addition of sago and vermicelli gives it the carbs and the thickness. I prepare this payasam when I am low on coconut or not in mood for grinding the coconut for the regular Chana Daal Kheer. Also as a bonus the addition of Chana daal gives me feeling that I am eating something healthy. Thanks Indira for sharing this wonderful recipe.

I have made some small changes to the recipe, but mostly stuck to the original one. I like my payasam consistency to be thick and creamy. But if you prefer it thinner then feel free to add more liquid.

On an ending note, I am not very thrilled with the pictures. The tube light in the room in which I take pictures went kaput. So I took the pictures with what ever options I had. Much to my dismay the white counter tops appear grey mostly because of the absence of bright light.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup chana daal/ Bengal gram daal (soaked in water for 4-5 hours)
• ¼ cup vermicelli
• ¼ cup sago/sabudana (soak for 1 hour)
• Milk (preferable 2% or even more)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• ½ cup jaggery (powdered, preferable light colored)
• 2 tsp ghee
• ½ tsp Cardamom powder
• 5-10 cashew pieces
• 10-15 raisins

Recipe Source: Indira’s Chana Dal Payasam

Method:

• This is the most important part. Pressure cook the soaked chana daal along with ½ cup water and ½ cup milk.
• Make sure the chana daal does not over cook and become a paste. But on the same note, make sure it is cooked and does not have a bite to it. The cooked daal should melt in your mouth. It is good if the daal disintegrates a bit, as it blends well with milk and jaggery. Otherwise the taste of milk and jaggery is overpowering.
• Take another pan, heat some ghee and lightly roast the vermicelli.
• Take a heavy bottom pan, pour the milk, water in the pan and bring to boil. Add the jaggery and let it blend well.
• Reduce the flame and then add cooked chana daal, soaked sabudana, vermicelli, sugar, and let this simmer for about 20 minutes ( or until it thickens up a little).
• Stir this whole thing in between, so that it does not settle at the bottom.
• Meanwhile separately heat the ghee(please do not substitute with oil) in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat and fry cashews till golden brown, next add raisins and fry until they plump up. Keep them aside.
• Remove from flame and then add cardamom, cashews and raisins. Cool to room temperature. Note that after it is cooled the entire thing will thicken a lot.
  

Rice Kheer (Pudding/ Payasam)

Dear Friends,

Wishing you all and your loved ones a very Happy Diwali.

Hope you are all having a wonderful time with family and friends celebrating Diwali.

Deepavali called Festival of Lights has had been my favorite festival while growing up in India. The excitement would begin even before the festival actually started. As compared to the other festivals this had fun, excitement right from the get go. First off we get the much needed holidays from school/college, then we get to wear new clothes, indulge on varieties of goodies, light up fire crackers, light some beautiful diyas(lamps), meet with friends relatives, chit chat etc. So it was just non-stop excitement not just for 1 day but for many days after, even extending to a week.

That was then. But now physically being 10,000 miles away from home things are totally different. Being in a society with different culture and traditions it is hard to feel the same joy and excitement. Apart from occasional email from friends or phone calls from relatives the euphoria is missing. The hectic work schedule, the long commute and the daily grind does not help either. Also the thought that we are so far away from our parents and loved ones changes the mood to gloomy and somber.

That is one dispiriting thought process running in the background. Yet another bright and lively thought process focuses on the little one and spouse reminding of our responsibility towards them. One of our responsibilities as parents is keeping our traditions alive and passing it on to our children in our own way. What better way of keeping it alive than actually celebrating the festival and passing the joy and sentiment that we grew up with to our next generation?

Rice Kheer is a classic and traditional Indian dessert/ pudding, made during festivals and special occasions. Rice is cooked along with milk, sugar, cardamom and finally garnished with nuts and raisins. Simple to make yet divine in taste.

This is my contribution to JFI-Sweets hosted by Srivalli of Cooking for all Seasons.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cooked basmati rice
• 3 cups milk (low fat)
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• Raisin, cashews
• Saffron few strands
• 1 tsp Orange rind for garnishing (optional)
• (Note: make sure that the rind does not have the white part of the orange as that is bitter)
• Oil/ghee

Method:

• Boil the milk and water in a big heavy bottom pan, then add the sugar and continue to boil.
• Add the cooked rice, saffron strands and mix thoroughly at intervals. Make sure that the rice does not get stuck to the bottom.
• Add the condensed milk and then continue to stir on medium flame.
• Please note that even though at the beginning the quantity of liquid seems to be more than the rice, stirring for a long time reduces the quantity and the rice soaks the liquid and plumps up to a creamy consistency. This takes about 35-40 minutes.
• Add the cardamom powder when the mixture has thickened considerably but still warm.
• Heat some ghee/oil in a small pan on medium flame and roast the raisins and cashews. Add this to the mixture.

• This can be served warm or chilled. Garnish with orange rind before serving (optional).

Sabudana Vermicelli Kheer/Shavige Payasa

An easy, yummy and guilt free dessert which can brighten up a dull day!

• 3/4 cup roasted Vermicelli
• 1/4 cup sago/sabudana
• 3 cups milk (2%)
• ½ cup fat free condensed milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
• 5-10 cashew pieces
• 10-15 raisins

Preparation:

v Soak the Sago/sabudana in enough water for about 3 hours.

Method:

v Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat and fry cashews till golden brown, next add raisins and fry until they plump up. Keep them aside.

v Fry the roasted vermicelli for a little while, making sure that it does not burn up. Keep aside.

v Pour the milk in the same pan bring to boil.

v Reduce the flame and then add roasted vermicelli, soaked sabudana, sugar, condensed milk and let this simmer for about 20 minutes ( or until it thickens up a little). Stir this whole thing in between, so that it does not settle at the bottom.

(Adding too much condensed milk will make it overtly sweet)

v Remove from flame and then add cardamom, cashews and raisins. Cool to room temperature. Note that after it is cooled the entire thing will thicken a lot.

v This can also be served cold by keeping it in the refrigerator.

Tabouli Wheat Pudding/(Dalia kheer, Broken Wheat Payasam)

Last weekend one of the items on my to-do list was cleaning up of the pantry. So I ransacked the pantry pulled out stuff one by one and tried different ways to re-use them albeit a healthy, creative way. One among them was a packet of Tabouli wheat.

We have always loved Tabouli salad and this time I wanted to try something different. Since I did not know a whole lot about Tabouli wheat, I decided to consult my Know-It-All friend about Tabouli. Viola! I found that it is nothing but cracked Bulgur wheat and the first thing that popped into my head was cracked wheat kheer as this was one of my favorite desserts growing up. This Kheer is also called as Lapsi.

Ingredients

• ½ cup Tabouli wheat (Dalia/ Broken Wheat)
• 4 cups milk (1%)
• Jaggery/sugar as per taste
• 2 tsp ghee
• Cardamom powder ½ tsp
• Shredded coconut ½ cup
• 2 tsp poppy seeds
• 5-10 cashew pieces
• 10-15 raisins

Preparation:

• Soak the tabouli wheat in enough water for about 3 hours.
• Just before use, drain the water completely.
• Grind the coconut and poppy seeds together and make a fine paste.

Method:

• Heat the ghee in a pan over medium heat and fry cashews till golden brown, next add raisins and fry until they plump up. Keep them aside.
• Pour the milk in a heavy bottomed bottom pan and bring it to boil.
• Reduce the flame and then add soaked tabouli, jaggery, ground coconut paste and let this simmer for about 20 minutes or so until it thickens up a little. Stir this mixture in between, so that it does not settle at the bottom.
• Remove from flame and then add cardamom, cashews and raisins. Cool to room temperature. Note that after it is cooled the entire thing will thicken a lot.
• This can also be served cold by keeping it in the refrigerator.
  

Bottle Gourd Pudding/ Lauki Kheer/ Gardudde Paays

The weather here in our part of the woods has taken a major turn. From scorching heat 2-3 weeks ago, we are now experiencing rains through out the day. The weather has cooled down quite a bit now and the plants in our yard are getting their good share of water. The rains during the weekend and the gloomy outcast prompted us to stay back at home more than we usually do. No complaints about that as I got to do some experimenting in the kitchen with some new recipes and also got to watch the US Open.

Few days ago, dear friend Upsi got us some Bottle gourd right out of her garden. Now this is one vegetable that we do not use frequently in our kitchen, maybe occasionally in sambhar, but other than that I did not use it much in my cooking.

Thanks to the rains I had the bandwidth to try out new things. After much thought I decided to make this Bottle gourd Kheer/ Dudhi Kheer/ Gardudde Paays that my mom used to make often when we were kids. I used to like it much better than the Shevai Kheer and my mom used to make it as a treat for me.

Based on some information gathering over the internet, I found that Bottle gourd is called as gardudde(Konkani), lauki(Hindi).Sorekayi (Kannada). Growing up I used to have lots of confusion about different vegetables, beans and lentils. Not the regular or the frequently used ones, but the ones that were used occasionally like Bottle Gourd, Ridge Gourd etc. I would refer to some in Konkani, some in Marathi, some in Kannada and the rest in English. ? Now that I write a recipe blog, I hope I have the information right!

Note: The quantity of Chana Daal/Bengal gram can be increased as per taste. Some people like daal in their payasam while other’s do not. Make sure the chana daal is not over cooked. It needs to have a bite to it.
The Sabudana can be substituted with Roasted fine Rava/Sooji. It is added to give some thickness to the Kheer. Adding saffron strands is optional; the original Kheer that my mom used to make did not have kesar in it. I added it for some flavor and color. So please feel free to skip it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups grated bottle gourd/lauki
• ½ cup chana daal/ Bengal gram daal (soaked in water for 4-5 hours)
• ¼ cup sago/sabudana (soak for 1 hour)
• 5 cups milk (1% or 2%/ Whole milk is fine too)
• water (depends on how thick you prefer the kheer to be) I used 2 small cups of water.
• 3/4 cup sugar
• ½ cup shredded coconut (optional)
• 2 tsp ghee
• ½ tsp Cardamom powder
• 5-10 cashew pieces
• 10-15 raisins
• Kesar/saffron few strands (optional)

Preparation:

• Peel the bottle gourd and grate it. Pressure cook the grated gourd along with the soaked chana daal. Make sure the chana daal does not over cook.
• Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat and fry cashews till golden brown, next add raisins and fry until they plump up. Keep them aside.
• Make a fine paste of coconut along with little water. This is optional. Sabudana gives enough thickness to this kheer.

Method:

• Please read the Note above before you proceed.
• Take a heavy bottom pan, pour the milk, water in the pan and bring to boil.
• Reduce the flame and then add cooked chana daal, bottle gourd, soaked sabudana, sugar, saffron strands and fine coconut paste and let this simmer for about 20 minutes ( or until it thickens up a little).
• Stir this whole thing in between, so that it does not settle at the bottom.
• Remove from flame and then add cardamom, cashews and raisins. Cool to room temperature. Note that after it is cooled the entire thing will thicken a lot.
• This can also be served cold by keeping it in the refrigerator.

Indian Kheer ( Kadlebele Payasam/ Madgane)

I have had this post sitting in my draft for a long time now. I made this Kheer/Payasam a long time ago during Ugadi, but somehow never got around posting it.

We love this traditional kheer (dessert) at home. It is called as “Madgane” in Konkani and as “Kadlebele Payasa” in Kannada. This does not use any milk/dairy and is usually prepared during major festivals, weddings, New Year etc. Traditionally this is served on a banana leaf along with the other goodies. It is thicker than the usual Kheer and savored in small quantities. I don’t remember eating this in bowlfuls.

Here the Chana Daal is cooked either in a pressure cooker or on the stove top. The magic sets right in when coconut is mixed along with jaggery, cardamom powder and added to the cooked Chana Daal.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Bengal Gram Daal/ chana daal (soak it over night)
• 2 tsp rice
• ¾ cup shredded coconut or thick coconut milk
• About 1 cup Jaggery/Gur (crushed)
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• Ghee/oil
• Raisins and Cashew pieces

Method:

• Pressure cook/ or cook the Chana Daal on stove top in sufficient amount of water. Make sure that the lentil is cooked and has a bite left to it.
• Grind the shredded coconut along with the soaked rice, water and make a thin paste.
• In a vessel add little water and add the crushed jaggery, the cooked chana daal along with the water and allow to boil. Once it has mixed well, add the coconut paste and boil again until it thickens.
• Meanwhile heat some oil/ghee and lightly brown up raisins and cashew pieces.
• After the coconut chana daal paste cools a little bit, add the cardamom powder and then the roasted raisin, cashew pieces.