Soups, salads, juices, and milk shakes comes to my rescue when im lazy to cook dinner or when we are having lazy weekends! Here is one of them!

I was really surprised when i had this form my friends place. I really couldnt believe that this is really beetroot! It doesnt have the beet taste at all.  Sometimes i put some whipped cream on top of it to make it attractive for the kids!!

one small beetroot – pressure cooked and blended without water into a fine paste

2 cups of chilled milk  - i use 0% fat

sugar to taste – can be substitued by honey

milkmaid (optional – use only if u have a sweet tooth)

nuts to garnish – cashew nuts, pista, badam, (Optional)

Blend together milk, 1 tbsp of beetroot paste and sugar.

You can freeze the rest of the beetroot paste and use only what you need.

This milk shake goes to Light Meal Event Sweet Series and Guilt free Snacks

This is my first entry for the Indian Cooking Challenge. I have been thinking to make this since Srivalli posted it but thanks to her last reminder! i just ran to my kitchen, grabbed all the ingredients and started making this after reading her mail.

I have tasted rava laddoo before but i can proudly say the ones i made today was the best LOL!  May be i was reluctant to make it because i thought it might not taste good or whatever.

Here is the recipe from Srivalli. I made minor changes to it and it really really came out yummy!

• Rava / Semolina – 1 cup
• Sugar – 1 cup (i added around 3/4th cup even that was too sweet for me!)
• Ghee – 25 gms
• Milk – 25 ml (i used around 30-40 ml)
• Cardamom powder – a pinch
• Cashew nuts – 10 whole nuts
• Raisins – 10 nos
• Grated fresh coconut – 25 gm
• I added a pinch of salt too.

Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a kadai. Once the ghee is hot enough, simmer the flame and roast cashew nuts and raisins. Once the raisins balloon up, remove. Then roast the grated coconut. Remove once done. Keep all these aside.

Add the remaining ghee and roast the Rava till its well roasted and aroma starts coming out.

In a bowl, take all the roasted Rava, Nuts, Coconut and add the Cardamom powder. Then add the sugar and salt . Mix well.

Then slowly add the warm milk into the bowl. Check if you are able to gather as balls. When you find that milk added is enough to get you laddos, transfer it back to the kadai and cook in sim for 2mins. Mix well and then cover it and let it rest for 2 mins. Then immediately make balls or laddoos.

It came out perfectly but sadly my kiddos were not impressed! They wanted the ‘orange’ laddoo! But my Dh was very happy with the surprise sweet!

This post goes to FIL – GHEE EVENT and SWEET SERIES

My hubby hated any type of okra recipe. Over these years i have been making different types of recipes but never got a green signal from him till now! When he used to call from office to ask whats for dinner? and if i say okra, he’ll say ok.. im coming late!! LOLs!!

Now i got the perfect bhindi recipe for him after almost 7 years!

25o grms okra thinly sliced

1/2 tsp jeera

1 medium sized onions thinly sliced

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 large tomato cut into cubes

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp corriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

salt to taste

extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp very sour curd/ yogurt/ dahi

curry leaves and corriander leaves to garnish

Heat extra virgin olive oil in a heavy bottom vessel. Add jeera to it. When the jeera splutters add okra to it and keep on stirring in a high heat for 5 mts. Then reduce the speed and add onions to it. Once the onipns are soft add ginger garlic paste and stir for 2 mts. Add tomatoes to it. When the tomatoes are soft add the dry spices, salt and mix well. Close and cook for some time. When the masalas and okra is well mixed turn off the stove and add the yogurt to it.  Serve hot with rotis.