Cool Blue (Cafe Coffee Day) Favorites #1

Cool Blue from cafe coffee day is my new favorite I love the citrus flavor and taste I  have this craving for citrus fruits lately unusual pick for this month I know but I loved it. that's because I've been doing a lot of shopping, cooking, festivals, relatives and friends ufffffff....so much to handle for the past couple months I'm engaged only in this activity and to top it we are house hunting all this work the only spot I found where I could relax and enjoy was at cafe coffee day...:)

Check out their web link http://www.cafecoffeeday.com/ to purchase all goodies and locate a store near you next time you visit cafe coffee day try their cakes, Hot or Cold Choco Lattes...Enjoy...:)


This review is not sponsored by cafe coffee day its solely done by me...:)

Cauliflower Soup

One of my friends gave me this recipe when I was in Delhi  this recipe is complete meal on a winter night or rainy season over the years I've done minor changes to the recipe making it with the ingredients available at home. the recipe calls for 1 cup of blanched almonds and cream if you have almonds at home you can add since i added full fat milk avoided cream and butter. instead of cream cheddar cheese can be added adding pepper powder is upto you i like the extra heat.

Please click here to see how to clean cauliflower follow that step to prepare any cauliflower based recipe yes its important to follow...

Ingredients:

250 Grams Cauliflower

3 Green Chillies

6-7 Pods Garlic

1 Large Onion

3-4 Cups Milk

1/4 Tsp Pepper Powder

10-20 Cashew nuts (soaked in warm water for 1 hour)

Salt to taste

Coriander to garnish

Method:

• Heat a heavy bottom pan add 1 cup water bring to boil add cauliflower, chilies, garlic, onion and milk. add very little salt cover and allow the cauliflower and other ingredients to cook till mushy consistency on a medium flame.

• Add milk if needed to cook the veg do not add water you will not get a creamy soup.
• Once cooked allow the cauliflower to cool.
• Add to a blender and blend to a smooth puree.

• Add the puree back to the pan or wok add water little by little to get the right consistency bring to boil. if you dont like bits and pieces of veg of nuts in the soup then strain it and boil.
• Add pepper powder and salt stir well garnish with cheese and coriander serve hot...Enjoy...:)

Do watch recipe demo video...:)

Murungai Keerai Muttai Poriyal

My fav side dish for rasam rice...there are so many interesting facts to talk about murungai tree other than health aspects there are many stories about murungai maram which are really famous and narrated over and over again one very ancient story is vikram aditya and vethalam.

I personally can never get tired of reading or listening to vikram aditya stories when i was a kid my house had a murrungai maram we used to enjoy the yield so much but at the same time my granny used to close the back door to the the kitchen garden and ask us not to go near that tree after 12 noon she used to tell lot about vethalam on murungai maram which used to fascinate me after reading all that stories but at the same time i used to be really curious and wanted to see if there was any vethalam on the tree.

One fine day in my summer holidays all the kids in my locality and my self had a plan some how to see the vethalam on the murungai maram when all of our parents and elders were fast taking a nap after lunch we some how sneaked out of the house and climbed the parapet wall to reach the back yard guess who was the pack leader meee...I was clueless that our malli/gardener  was cleaning the back yard all of us some how got into the garden and the very first sight was vethalam on the tree all of us screamed so hard and ran as fast as we could hearing us my granny and other neighbors came running outside all of us were crying when the elders asked us what happened everyone of us told the same thing we saw the vethalam on the murungai tree. elders were shocked and they rushed to the back yard to see what is it all about and to everyone's surprise it was our munniswamy(gardener) doing his job everyone burst into laughter...poor munniswamy did not know what really happened he was standing with a shy face...from that day we started calling him vethalam swamy...as kids we were so naughty and playful i miss those days...:(

Ingredients:
2 Cups Murungai Keerai
6 Eggs
1 Large Onion (finely chopped)
6 Green Chilies(finely chopped)
Fist full Coriander leafs(finely chopped)
Oil 2 Tbsp Ghee 1 Tbsp
Salt as per taste

Masala Paste:

5 to 6 Pods Garlic

1 Inch Ginger

1/4 Tsp Pepper corns

1/4 Tsp Fennel seeds

2 Pods Cardamom

• Add all these ingredient to a mixer-jar and prepare a coarse paste.

• When purchasing murungai keerai make sure its dark green in color.
• Pick all the steams and clean the yellow leafs.
• Rinse thrice before use.

Method:

• Heat oil and ghee in a wok add ginger and garlic paste fry till raw flavor is gone.
• Add onion and chilies and fry onions till transparent.
• Add the greens to the onion and add 1/4 cup water stir and place a cover allow the green to cook on medium flame.
• Once the greens have cooked allow the moisture to evaporate and oil to surface.
• Add salt as per taste.
• Add the eggs and scramble till cooked and oil surfaces on the sides garnish with coriander and serve with hot rice and rasam...Enjoy..:) 

Do watch the recipe demo...:)

                         

Murungai Keerai Rasam

Moringa Oleifera : The Miracle Tree  is found through out India its really famous in southern India we prepare lot of recipes using drumstick & leafs. this rasam recipe is good for gastric & diabetic patients and kids over all its really good for everybody its packed with vitamin A & C its also packed with iron. murrungai keerai rasam is my favorite. there are few favorite recipes using these greens which i will be blogging very soon...:)

Click Here to view tomato rasam recipe.

Ingredients:
2 Large Ripe Tomatoes
1 Tbsp Tamarind Paste (if your using whole tamarind take a small lime size ball of tamarind)
4 Garlic Pods
1 Cup Murungai keerai (its very important to wash the greens thoroughly we normally wash the green thrice)
Fist Full Coriander leafs and stems
2 Sprigs Curry leafs
1/4 Tsp Cooking Soda

1 Tbsp Rasam Powder Click Here for rasam podi recipe
1 Tbsp Oil
Salt as per taste

For Tempering:
1/4 Tsp Mustard Seeds
1/4 Tsp Cumin Seeds
2 Dry Red Chilies
1 Pinch Asafoetida

1st Step:

• In a heavy bottom pan or wok boil 1 cup water add cooking soda and the greens allow the green to cook thoroughly and reserve in a bowl.

2nd Step:

• Boil another cup of water in the same wok and add the tomatoes to cook till well done.

• Once the tomatoes have cooked to a mushy consistency remove from flame add the tamarind paste and extract the pulp from the tomato.
• Add salt mix well and check for sour content.

3rd Step:

• Add the cooked greens to the tomato puree along with the garlic, coriander and curry leafs.

• Bring to a rapid boil and add the rasam podi mix and allow to boil once and remove from flame.

4th Step:

• Heat a fry pan with 1 tbsp oil  add mustard and cumin seeds allow to splutter.
• Add dried red chilies and asafoetida and temper the rasam. serve hot with rice and Enjoy...:) 

Video Recipe in English...Enjoy....:)

VIDYARTHI BHAVAN

VIDYARTHI BHAVAN located in Gandhi Bazaar Main Rd., Gandhi Bazar Road, Basavanagudi Bengaluru, Karnataka is famous for crispy masala dosa and coffee the hotel is located in very busy street of gandhi bazaar at first we were unable to locate the hotel the street flower vendors had blocked the entire path we could not even see the name board but i did not regret a bit the flowers were so inviting it was divine...it was like the hotel had a grand entrance love it...:)

The hotel is there since 1943 for past 4 generations nothing much has changed its always filled with crowd you will have to find a seat and take it...

There are numerous celebrities, politicians and great poets who have constantly visited vidyarthi bhavan just to savor masala dosa and coffee its very well recognized and must visit @ Bangalore dont miss it...

I had no plans or clue that my dad will all of a sudden take me to this place really surprised when he took me there i loved it and enjoyed every bit of suspense and to my luck i carried my cam and captured every bit...the place was packed when we were there but every one were so friendly the mixed crowd of young and old were so nice...♥

The ambiance is very cool with pencil sketches of all the politician and  celebrities on the wall who have visited till date...how ever its bit cramped but we will have to let go of certain comforts to savor the best...:)

Rates are reasonable and the place is clean and well maintained... 

Dad ordered for masala dosa, kesari bath and coffee we loved every bit...♥♥♥ 

Do visit vidyarthi bhavan if your in the area...No one has given sponsorship for me to do a review on VIDYARTHI BHAVAN its on my own interest and will...thank you for visiting my post...:)

Mutton Liver Fry/Eeral Varal (South Indian Style)

This recipe can be altered and served in 2 different variations when we combine the masala with the liver it can be reduced a bit and served as a gravy or allow the moisture content to dry out totally and serve as dry fry. At home we like it semi dry...

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo Goat Liver (I've washed the liver twice and then cut into cubes)

(try to purchase fresh liver for this recipe if your purchasing liver from super market check at the packaging date if its a day old its still stale tends to be bit on the rubbery side once cooked.)

1/4 Tsp Chilly Powder

1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder

1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

1 Large Onion (finely chopped)

5-6 Pods Garlic Crushed

3 Cloves

3 Pods Cardamom

1 Inch Stick Cinnamon

1 1/2 Tbsp Coriander Powder

3 Tbsp Oil

1 Tsp Ghee

Salt to taste.

Masala Paste:

1 Tbsp Onion

1 Tbsp Coconut

1 Inch Ginger

10 Pods Garlic

6 Green Chilies

1/2 Tbsp Black Pepper Corns

1/4 Tsp Fennel Seeds

2 Cloves

2 Cardamom

1 Inch Cinnamon

First Step:

• To Prepare masala paste heat a fry pan with 2 tsp oil add onion and pepper corns fry a bit then add all the ingredients ginger, garlic, fennel, cardamom, cinnamon , cloves and chilies fry all the ingredients to light pink in color remove from flame and allow to cool before adding to a mixer jar.
• Grind the fried ingredients to a smooth paste.

Second Step:

• Heat a pressure cooker with1 tbsp oil add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and chilly powder fry a bit add the liver and fry add 2 cups of water and 1/4 tsp salt and bring to a boil.
• Cover and allow the liver to cook for 4 to 5 whistles till well done.

Its best to cook the liver prior this not only saves time but also helps to eliminate any funny smell.

Third Step:

• Heat a heavy bottom pan or kadai add 1 tbsp oil and 1tbsp ghee add  the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves to the hot oil and fry add the crushed garlic a fry till light pink.
• Add the onion and coriander powderto the garlic and fry till transparent.
• Add the prepared masala paste to the onion and fry a bit add the cooked liver check for salt and add salt if needed stir and cover.
• Allow the moisture content to reduce keep stirring till the oil separates to the sides squeeze in 1/2 lime juice and garnish with coriander and mint...serve hot with rice...Enjoy..:)

Demo Video in English do watch ...Enjoy...:)

Cabbage/Kosu Kootu

I received so many mails requesting me to prepare cabbage kootu past couple months i have received about 20 different mails right from europe to dubai  finally posting moms version of cabbage kootu and also dedicating this recipe to babu from europe sheikh from cannada leela & kumar from south africa shakthi velu from dubai surabhi gupta from usa and imran, joshi, krithika & abhi from India thank you for following my videos and blogs regularly wishing you all the best of luck...♥♥♥

Ingredients:

250 Grams Cabbage/kosu (finely chopped)

1 Large Onion (finely chopped)

3-4 Green Chilies

2 Sprigs Curry Leafs (finely chopped)

1 Coffee Cup Channa Dhal/Split Chickpea 

1 1/2 Tbsp Coriander Powder

1/4 Tsp Chilly Powder

1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder

1/3 Cup Fresh Grated Coconut

Salt as per taste

For the seasoning:

2 Dried Red Chilies

1 Tsp Cumin

1/4 Tsp Mustard Seeds

1 Tsp Split Black Gram 

2 Sprigs Curry leafs

1/4 Tsp Asafoetida

2 Tbsp Oil or Ghee

Method:

• Wash the dhal twice or thrice add to a pressure cooker add 1/4 tsp turmeric and 3 cups water and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles until well done.
• Reserve the cooked dhal water to cook the vegetable.
• In a heavy bottom pot or wok add the cabbage, onion, curryleafs and chillies. 
• Add the chilly powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder to the cabbage. add salt as per taste
• Add the dhal water and extra water to cook the vegetable cover and place the vegetable on medium flame allow the vegetable to cook till well done.
• In 10 to 15 minutes the vegetable should be done add the cooked dhal coconut and water if needed add salt if needed bring to a boil and remove from flame.
• Heat a fry pan add oil or ghee add all the ingredients shown in the seasoning fry a bit add to the kootu and serve hot with steamed rice...Enjoy...:)

Demo video in English..:)

Before chopping the cabbage make sure to rinse twice in salt water this will eliminate all the pesticides eat cabbage atleast twice or thrice in a week its packed with Vitamin C prepare cabbage wraps its really healthy and good for health.