Heralekai Chitranna | Citron Flavoured Rice | Narthangai Saadam | Gluten Free Recipe

 

Hi all!!

As much as I want to post here regularly, I’m unable to. It’s not that I do not cook regularly but some how it’s just not happening. And with exams round the corner, my head is focussing more on the kid who still needs to mature up and show responsibility towards his scores, leaving me a worried Mom. Please do pray for him, a sincere prayer has the strength to move a mountain too.

Last month was Pongal, which is one of the biggest festivals in TamilNadu. Four days of celebrations and most of the people and workers travel back to their native to celebrate the festival with their family. Many new buses and trains are run during this period, keeping the travel rush in mind. It’s believed that 35% population travels back to their native. My maid was no different, she had told me a month in advance that she would be taking leave for 5days.

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Mango and Dark Chocolate Trifle | Quick Dessert Ideas | Party Dessert

Hi All!

Last week the kid turned 14 and he had a wish list of food items that he wanted me to cook. Topping in the list was a cake baked and frosted by me. In addition to that he wanted daal makhani and momos. I requested him that I would bake him a cake after the summers but he didn’t budge.

So I baked him an eggless dark chocolate cake with a dark chocolate Ganache filling and frosted with whipped cream. Finally I topped the cake with chocolate curls and fresh cherries. For the cake I used my eggless sponge cake with home made cream recipe. I removed 3tbsp of flour from theoriginal recipe and replaced it with 3tbsp of dark cocoa powder and also reduced the sugar in the cake, as the cake had a ganache filling and frosting too.

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Baked Couscous and Cottage Cheese Rolls

 

Wishing all my readers and friends a Very Happy New Year. I pray the God almighty to help all fulfil their dreams and wishes. I also hope and pray that the year brings in more peace and harmony through out the world.

I’ve just returned back after visiting my parents and the temperature and weather change is trying to show it’s effect on my body and I’m trying hard to push it. I know I’ve not been able to acknowledge a few entries sent for ‘Only’ Cakes and Cookies, have patience, I’ll make it to your blogs in a day or two. I could not do it as my dad’s computer was not functioning properly.

I am overwhelmed by the response my first cookbook review received. Do understand the word ‘response’ should not be identified with the number of comments, in those terms my blog is amongst the back benchers, LOL,… ‘response’ clearly means the page views the post received and the many mails I received congratulating me on my effort. I’m motivated to make more attempts in this field. I also want to thank all my blogger friends and others who stopped by to leave a note for me for the review post, I’m touched and your encouragement means a lot to me.

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Roti-Potato-Mint Cutlets.. the melt in mouth experience

Hi Everyone!!

I am resettling back into a normal routine now that the schools have reopened, blogging has taken a back seat for the time being till I settle down again in this schedule, give me some time friends I will be more regular at your space in a few days.

With the school functioning again comes a big responsibility of providing a healthy and wholesome lunch box which the kids will enjoy. My elder one gets lunch in his school so carries only breakfast but the younger one has to carry a lunch box for a mid time break. He would avoid eating roti-subzi so I have to constantly concoct new things which are interesting and tasty but at the same time provides him the essential nutrients important for his growth.

In my endeavor to provide a balanced diet I concocted this very easy cutlet which not only helps me utilise my left over rotis(Indian Bread) but also to use them in a very interesting and unusual way. I have earlier posted Rice and Roti Cutlet which was liked by many of the blogger friends and my readers, following the same line I used roti again to make the cutlets but not with rice this time.

It so happened that I had a badly managed kitchen last week as I was not keeping too well. S was trying hard to manage things at home but you can understand no matter how much he tried I am a better homemaker, I am sure all my women blogger friends will agree to that. I was left with a packet of rotis to finish in the refrigerator….now one might wonder rotis in fridge..here the temperature being too high the roti gets spoilt easily so if rotis are left, I pack them in zip lock and keep them in refrigerator and then use them later, S followed the same trend and asked me to finish them.

The end product in S’s words was the BEST FLAVOURED AND EXTREMELY TASTY THING THAT HE HAD IN LAST SO MANY DAYS. Now, I caught your attention right, I really thought it was a sweet exaggeration by S but when I tasted it personally, was bowled over by the taste, it was too good. It was extremely soft and succulent and simply melted in mouth, the flavour of mint just mesmerized me and one can not believe that there’s roti in it. Read the ingredients and procedure to believe it..do not go by my clicks I do not think they are doing a good justice here.

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Crispy Rice Fritters

Hi.

As I have mentioned earlier also several times that I am a weirdo in a sense that I always cook better when I cook in anger (this is S’s theory) but another theory that I am coming up for myself is  that the best of the recipes that I concoct are always in a hurry and that too with few ingredients. A good example that comes first to my mind, just to prove you guys about my theory is the Instant Bread Dosa.

The school has advanced the school timings, it starts early and gets over by noon. So my kid has to leave by 6:30 in the morning and for that I have to get up by 5:30 am and finish cooking by 6:15 am. So one can see I must wake up with a good planning. Normally I decide at night what I want to make in the morning and finish a bit of chopping so that I have a hassle free morning.

But yesterday I slept clueless what I would make in the morning, so when I entered the kitchen I was a bit worried as I woke up a little late and I was clueless what to make. My quick savior at such times are the cheese slices and bread but today I did not have them. Sleepily I opened the fridge and checked what was available. I had some rice left over from the night meal and I had some chopped onions and grated cabbage. Instantly I had a fairly good idea what I wanted to make….Do read the recipe as it surely is a tasty savior when in hurry and good way to finish the left over rice as I finished cooking them in 15 minutes. So I can call this the Quick Best Out of Waste Fritters. One can also try the Rice and Roti Cutlet which I have posted earlier in case they also have rotis in hand.

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Rice and Roti Cutlet

Hi!

I must say I am a bad planner sometimes when it comes to food in a sense that I really try hard not to waste food but some times it does happen that I have left over food which I need to finish. The challenge always is to concoct a preparation which helps me finish the food in a tasty manner so that the family enjoys eating it without making fuss.

There are definitely days when I have some Roti and Rice left over, based on how my mood is I may indulge myself in making savories out of these two. I find it a good way to consume the left over and at the same time making it more nutritious by adding veggies to it. I prefer using very low oil for frying it  or rather roasting it.

The end result is a soft cutlet with a crunchy crust which has all the health benefits of rice and roti plus the veggies. These make an excellent lunch box item and can be served for breakfast along with bread and butter or even as an evening snack item. A green chutney or tomato sauce can be an accompaniment.

I am giving an approx quantity of ingredients and giving a basic guideline for how to go about it. One is free to add their own set of ingredients and flavours.

Ingredients

Left over rotis 7-8

rice about 1-1/2 cups

5-6 chopped green chilies

3 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 tbsp chopped mint

1 small carrot chopped

1 onion chopped

hand full of peas

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp butter

oil for shallow frying

salt to taste

Spices

a tsp of cumin pwd

2 tsp coriander pwd

a tsp of amchoor pwd

1/4 tsp garam masala

Method

In a food processor first put the roti and run it to make it fine and then add the rice and let the two ingredients mix properly.

Heat about 2 tsp of oil in a pan and first saute the onions and green chilies followed by peas and carrots. Add the spices and mix this in the roti-rice mix.

Add the chopped cilantro, mint, butter and salt. Adding the butter makes the cutlet soft inside. The mix should not be too hard or too soft.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and then shape them into small cutlets and shallow fry.

Serve them hot with sauce or chutney.