Carrot Lassi

Carrot Lassi /Butter milk helps to cool our body and take care during the summer season.
It is a good filling and energy providing drink. Carrot lassi helps to keep us fit during fasting /Maha Shivaratri Upavas and Ekadashi Upavas. It provides energy and good for people who are into diet.

Carrot Lassi is one of the healthy lassi which provides vitamin and minerals to our body.. I have used carrot, banana, honey and a tablespoon of curd. Curd helps to cool the body and adds taste .This Lasso helps the body to be cool and quench our thirst in all the seasons.

Ingredients :

Carrot : Medium size : 1
Banana : ( Small size ) : 1
Honey : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Milk : 1/2 Cup
Curd : 2 Tablespoons
Ice cubes : ( Optional).

Method :

1. Wash and scrape out the outer layer of carrot. Grate or cut into small pieces.

2. Grind the cut carrot in a mixi jar /Liquidizer with 1 glass of water. Let it churn nicely.

3. Remove the juice in a big bowl. Sieve it to another bowl.

4. Now add banana and 1/2 cup of milk and grind it again nicely. Add curd and honey and churn for 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Shift the Lassi  to serving bowl .

6.  Put Carrot Lassi to serving glasses and serve. Add ice cubes just before serving. ( Optional ).

Note : 

You can grate carrot or use a chopper to cut carrot into very small pieces. Grind it nicely with water. Adding jaggery or sugar is optional. I have added honey. 

Time : 10 Minutes.                   
                                                Watch the video to prepare carrot Lassi 

Serves : 2.

Tava Fried Pumpkin Flower Fritter.

Pumpkin Flower Fritter is an old and traditional dish that goes well with South Indian Meal.

We normally have  Papads, fried pakodas or bajji as one of the side munch while having our lunch or dinner. It is nice to have these crunchy bites. Here I have prepared fritters from Pumpkin flowers.
We have put pumpkin creeper in our garden. The plant is growing very nicely but not much of buds attached to flowers. These flowers dry up soon and fall off. The idea is to use the flowers when it blossoms and have the good nutrition from the flowers.
I have used rava, rasam powder, jeera/cumin seeds and salt. No tamarind or tamarind pulp is used here.
This is one of the easy and quick dish that goes  perfect with your rice and sambar or any curry. This is one of the Udupi dish and normally done with patrode batter.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things Needed :

Pumpkin flowers : 6 to 8
Rava/Semolina /Sooji : Medium sized : 1/2 Cup
Rasam /Sambar Powder : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Jeera/Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Turmeric Powder : A pinch
Cooking Oil : 2 Tablespoons.

Method :

1. Wash and clean Pumpkin Flowers.

2. Put 2 to 3 tablespoons of medium or chiroti rava, required salt, rasam powder, turmeric powder and jeera in a big bowl.

3. Add required water and prepare batter. ( Idli  batter consistency).

4. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a tablespoon of oil.
5. Dip flower pieces in rava batter and place them on the tava. Sprinkle some oil on the top and cover.

6. Cook on medium and low flame. Turn the other side and cook for a minute.

7. Pumpkin flower fritter is ready to serve.

Note :

Let the batter be bit thick, like idli batter. Adding more rasam powder/chilli powder/sambar powder is optional. Adding more oil while cooking is optional. I have used red pumpkin flowers. You can use Ash gourd flowers also.
Time : 10 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3.
Watch :

Almond Mysore Pak

Mysore pak - Yes Most of the sweet lovers love to have Mysore Pak.  It is delicious sweet, no doubt it has its fame and name. Preparing Mysore Pak one has to do it very slow and with lots of patience.

I do prepare yum yum yummy Mysore Pak and all my friends and relatives pour loads of love and appreciation, sweet words after eating Mysore Pak.
Here I have prepared Almonds Mysore Pak 

 Here I have tried " Almond Mysore Pak " and its super good I can say. You try and taste and You do agree my words.

Let us see what all I used and how did I do this Yummy, delicious Sweet " Almond Mysore Pak".
All I used is Almonds, besan/channa flour, ghee, sugar and little cardamom.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Ingredients :

Besan / Channa flour : 2 Cups
Sugar : 1 3/4 or 2 Cups
Ghee : 1 Cup
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Almonds : 1 Cup
Water : 1/2 Cup

Method :

1. Dry roast besan till the raw smell disappear.

2. Powder almonds and keep it aside.

3. Remove the seeds from cardamom pods and powder.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and put sugar and half cup of water.

5. Let sugar dissolve in water completely. Add a tsp spoon of ghee.
6. It starts to bubble. Let it boil for 2 minutes. See that it gets one string consistency.

7. Add roasted besan /channa flour and powdered almonds. ( Let the flame be very low)..

8. Stir nicely and see that there are no lumps. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of ghee and stir.
9. The ghee you pour mixes well with besan and sugar mixture. Continue stirring and adding ghee in between. 5 to 6 minutes or little more.

10. Slowly the colour changes  in to slight golden brown.  Leave the mixture for 10 seconds and stir again slowly but do not allow the mixture  to burn at the bottom.
11. Let the mixture slowly come up slightly. Stir again. Do this process at least 4 to 5 times. ( Strictly on low flame ). Add powdered cardamom and mix it again. It starts to leave the edges.

12. Allow the mixture to slowly come up again and pour this mixture to a ghee spread tray or plate.

13. Spread it nicely and leave it to cool.  Cut Almond Mysore Pak once it is completely cooled.

14. Serve or enjoy eating these delicious Almond Mysore Pak pieces. Store it in a airtight box.

Note :
The sugar should melt completely before it gets in to syrup consistency. One should prepare this Almond Mysore Pak on low flame. Adding more ghee is optional. Almond Mysore Pak should be cut in to pieces only when it cools completely.
Time : 30 Minutes.
25 to 30 pieces can be made : According to size and shape.

Watch the process : 

Wheat - Millet - Urid Dosa

Wheat - Millet /Jola - Urid Dosa is a healthy breakfast or snack food. It is simple and quick. It is diet, diabetic friendly Dosa and every one can enjoy having this dosa.

I have used urid dal, Wheat flour and Millet flour.
I have done in this way. Soak Urid dal and grind. In a bowl mix Millet and wheat flour with little water and grind it with required water. Now mix urid dal batter and mixed flour batter. Add required salt. Leave it for 5 minutes. Healthy Wheat - Millet - Urid dal dosa batter is ready to prepare dosa. The batter can be used as soon as you grind  or it can be fermented for 5 to 6 hours and then prepare dosa. The fresh batter turns dosa soft and the fermented batter helps the dosa to be crispy.
Diabetic Friendly, diet friendly, Millet Dosa / Dose is good for breakfast / snack or even dinner.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Urid dal : 1/2 Cup
Wheat flour : 1 Cup
Millet flour : 1 Cup
Salt : As required
Water : As required
OIl /Ghee : As required

Method :

1. Wash and soak Urid dal for 2 to 3 hours and grind it. Use required water. Keep it aside.

2. Take a bowl, add wheat and millet flour. Mix it with little water and grind it together.

3. Take a big bowl, add ground urid dal and millet flour mix. Add required salt. Mix it well. Leave
the batter for 5 minutes. Dosa batter is ready to prepare dosa.

4. Keep a dosa pan on the fire and heat. Sprinkle some oil on it. Clean it with a clean kitchen tissue.
5. Take a ladle of wheat millet urid dosa batter and spread it on the tava. Let the fire on medium flame.

6. Add little oil on the top. Cover and cook for a minute. Turn the other side and cook for 30 seconds.
7. Wheat - Millet - Urid Dosa is ready to serve.

8. Serve with a side dish you have prepared. Add little ghee/butter on the top and serve.

9. Prepare dosas with remaining dosa batter.

Note :

Dosa batter consistency should be bit loose. So that it spreads easily and dosa turns crisp.
Adding ghee or butter while preparing dosa is optional. As I said earlier you can ferment the batter and prepare nice dosas. (It turns crisp and nice).
Time : Urid dal soaking time 2 to 3 hours + grinding 5 to 10 minutes + preparing dosa 20 minutes.
If fermenting another 5 to 6 hours.
Serves : 3 to 4.