Stawberry - Banana Smoothie

I love smoothies at cold stone creamery and will never miss having it at least once a week :). I was surprised that I could make it at home with no compromise in taste. All I did is got a Blender which makes smoothies, but hey you can use any blender and try this recipe.


Ingredients:

Banana -1
Strawberries - 5
Milk - 1/2 cup
Ice Cream - (Strawberry/ vanilla/ banana)-1 scoop -- Optional/Occasional
Ice-1 cube -- optional


Procedure:

-Add cut strawberries and bananas, crushed ice, milk and ice cream and blend together.

This is one of the best ways you have all the fruits you always hated to have. You can add ice cream occasionally to it, especially when you want to make it special and rich in taste. You can also make an Oreo shake for that any shake/smoothie.

మైదా హల్వా

My grandmother taught me this dish. Shez a wonderful woman with modern views. There are two ways of doing the same dessert and this a quicky.... i learnt the most quickest one, reason being - once i feel like eating anything it should be there in front of me the very next moment Cant wait ;)

Ingredients:

Maida/ All purpose flour or Corn Flour - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Elachi - 4 cloves powdered

Procedure:

-Mix equal quantities of sugar, maida and milk (Check for consistency -- same as buttermilk).

- Heat a pan and pour this solution into the pan

-After a 5-10 minutes this will get viscous at this point add Ghee to the pan and eventually the it will cook and form a dough. (Check that its done: pierce a fork into it, it should come out nice and clean & Ghee will ooze out).

You can garnish it with as many dry fruits as you want, I don't relish the taste of raisins so you will hardly notice me use them.

Also called: Halwa / Maida halwa

Cilantro-Sandwich

About the sandwich: Very healthy, easy to make..Once you prepare the cilantro paste you can store this for a week (or more), in which case you might have to freeze this paste. Fill the cilantro paste in the ice tray and freeze it. You can microwave the cube when needed. I use for abhiz breakfast and he loves it as its very healthy and tasty..Cilantro is something which he loves. Variety is the spice of life you could also try the same with mint/spinach/methi and aloo..(will post the recipes for the rest soon).

I like to make my sandwiches colorful, green - cilantro / Mint , White - Cream Cheese, Red- Tomato Ketchup, and this makes it a lovely tri-colored sandwich. I wrap them up with Cling wrap and the sandwich is ready for a to-go pickup.


Ingredients:
-Bread- A few slices
-Cilantro- 1 bunch
-Cream Cheese- 2 tbsp spoons
-Cucumber- 1
-Tomato- 1
-Garlic- 3 cloves
-Dhanya-Jeera Powder - 1 tea spoon
-Green Chili- 3

-Tomato Ketchup


Procedure:
Preparations
-Cut each bread slices into two pieces
-Cut Cucumber and tomato's (preferably round and thin)

Making of the Cilantro paste:
-Add cut cilantro, green chili, dhanya-jeera powder and garlic into a blender and blend them to a very fine paste.

The spread for the bread is ready(rhyming huh)

Spread cream cheese on one of the bread slice and now add the cilantro spread on the bread, scatter the cut cucumber and tomato evenly all across, on the other bread slice add tomato ketchup and cover it up on the other slice. Your evening snack - Cilantro sandwich is ready to eat.

Chitti chitkalu (tips): [Blend with patience) Do not add water while blending cilantro..as it might be very difficult to spread it evenly on the bread, in simple the right amount of consistency wouldn't be obtained by adding water.

Also Called: Cilantro Sandwich/Bread sandwich.

Health facts Cilantro: There are no definitive studies on cilantro but many believe that it and the seeds (often called coriander), have been found to help control blood sugar, lower cholesterol and fight inflammation and free radicals. There is further speculations that cilantro may also have antimicrobial properties.

Desi estyle "Egg Pudding"

About the dessert:

One of the most fastest dishes that I've ever made. trust me its eassire than making Maggie..all it needs is to have the required ingredients, so make a note and shop for the required groceries to make this mouth watering yummy dish which pretty much tastes like junnu. For people who miss junnu... you have a substitute.

Abhi (My husband),doesn't have a sweet tooth at all, but he liked this alot..so guys you have to give it a try :)

Ingredients:

Evaporated Milk - 1 can
Brown Sugar - 3/4 Cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Elachi Powder + Black Pepper Powder
Eggs-2

Procedure:
1.Whisk the eggs until they are nice and foamy.
2. Add Evaporated milk to eggs and eyeball them.
3. Add sugar and brown sugar and mix them thoroughly until everything melts into the milk.
4.Pour this into a vessel and steam cook it (without a whistle like idly) and note the time.
5.Turn the stove off after 15 minutes (Check the consistency : Jelly like consistency)

Also Called: Milk pudding/Egg Pudding/Junnu