This is one of my first cooked food. im so glad it came out really really good even my kids loved it. Im a big fan of spring rolls. When ever we go out we always buy spring rolls, chicken wraps and curry chicken O’s from Old Chang kee which is a famous chain in Singapore.

So i thought why not try the spring rolls? The one thing i liked about the recipe is it is so easy to prepare and the ingredients you’ll always have in with you.. well almost all the time.

The ingredients : 1/2 cup each of onions, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms (i used canned ones), frozen peas.

salt and pepper pwdr to taste

Pastry sheets

olive oil for frying

Chop all veggies finely except peas or run through the food processor.

In a skillet heat olive oil and when its hot add all the ingredients till half cooked.

When the veggie mix is cooled, Add 1 tbsp to the pastry sheet and roll them as shown in the picture. Deep fry each roll. Its easy to prepare and good to eat!

This post goes to First Cooked Food Event

I got this idea from a magazine.. it really came out so good and for the kids i added little bit of strawberry syrup and topped with soy ice cream.. they loved it!

3 ounces firm silken tofu

1/4 cup each fat-free soy milk

1/2  cup each chopped banana and strawberries

1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate.

strawberry syrup – optional

soy ice cream optional

In a blender, mix tofu, soy milk, banana and strawberries, and orange juice concentrate. Blend until smooth.

This shake goes to the Light Meal event and Healthy Snacking event!

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

2 Kerala banana cut into thin slices

1 cup maida -plain flour

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp kalongi – karinjeerakam

1/4 tsp salt

water for mixing

oil for frying

Cut the banana into thin slices. Mix the rest of the ingredients into a thick paste. Dip the banana slices into the maida mixture and deep fry.

Another post which goes for the Ramadan Event.

Ramadan Day 6

Samosas are the most famous snack in Malabar. These are not large samosas like the veggie ones, Malabar meat samosas are small, petite kind of samosas. They look really cute and you’ll need to et atleast 5-6 to fill your tummy.

Samosas are nicked as Triangle Chicken by my daughter! For her even when i make cutlets i make in triangle shape otherwise she wont eat them! And they should be perfect for her!

I make the meat mix and freeze them in small bags. Just take one bag at a time and thaw. Meat samosas can be made of chicken or beef or mutton. I havn’t tried mutton samosas till today but one of my friend was raving about it.

Its easy to prepare and very tasty to eat!

THe recipe for the meat mix

Boneless Chicken or beef – 1 lb

red chili pwdr – 1 tbsp or add more or less according to your taste

turmeric pwdr – 1/2 tsp

oil – 3-4 tbsps

onions – 3 medium sized finely chopped

ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

corriander pwdr – 1.5 tbsp

curry leaves,corriander leaves, mint leaves – a small bunch chopped finely.

How to proceed :

Cook chicken, red chilli powder, turmeric and salt.

Shred the cooked chicken and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add onions. When the onions are brown add ginger garlic paste and green chillies to it. Fry for another 3-4 mts and ad the shredded chicken, corriander powder and chopped leaves to it.

FOr the wrapper:

All purpose flour is usually used in Malabar but i use wheat flour

salt to taste

knead just like you make the Roti Aata. Divide the aata into small lemon size balls.

Roll the balls into a roti. It should be thin and not so big. Because we are going to make petite samosas not big ones. Cut into 4 pieces. Take a piece and fold the rounded edge into a cone. Fill in the meat mixture. Close the samosa with the pointed edge.

Deep fry in oil and enjoy!!

My Samosas are going for the Ramadan Event!

Ramadan Day 5

I’m smiling as i type this because i was nicked as ‘Bonda’ during my childhood days! I used to be angry when my cousins call me that but now when i think back i cant help laughing because i really was fat and round! the gol gol type LOL! and i loved potatoes and i still do.

Potato is the Raja (king)of all veggies. I havent come across someone who doesn’t like potatoes. Fry ir or bake it or steam it of add to your stew it tastes so good.

Here is my simple recipe for bonda:

For the potato mixture–

1/2 tsp mustard and cumin seeds

3-4 tbsps of oil

4 large potatoes boiled and mashed

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

3 green chillies finely chopped

salt to taste

a handful of corriander leaves chopped finely.

Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard and cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add onions and fry till onions are light brown. Add ginger-garlic paste to it and fry for 2-3 mts. Add green chillies and salt and  mix well. Add the mashed potatoes mix well and then chopped corriander leaves at the end and set aside till it cools. Make lemon size balls after cooling.

For the batter–

1 cup plain flour

1 tsp ajwain

salt to taste

water to mix the batter

Mix everything to form a thick batter.

**The batter should not be watery otherwise i wont stick to the bondas. In my picture my batter was a bit of watery so it did not stick to the batter.

*** Variations of the batter

> 1/2 cup plain flour and rice flour (According to me this one is the best)

> 1 cup rice flour

> 1 cup besan flour

Dip the potato balls in the batter and deep fry.

My bondas go for the Ramadan Event hosted by Lubna

Ramadan Day 3

Day 3 i kept on thinking what should i cook because as my daughter was not fasting i didnt get any input form her! i just hate to think and think what to cook. At last i ended up on the banana as usual and some bread pakoras along with Malabar chicken curry and pathiris.

Sometimes i just wonder how people back in calicutat  dads and moms home used to cook so many things during Ramadan. All day they would be reading the Quran and by 3 pm everyone will be in this kitchen making something or the other. Well those are the joys of a joint family! Every time i go there its a totally different world and i find it very difficult to come out of it especially when we have lots of same age cousins and have a lot to catch up!

This is yet another Malabar speciality. During Ramadan there will be at least one banana snack item everyday. And I’m just used to having it here also so cant pass a day without a banana! Thank god we get the same banana here is Singapore other wise i would have been lost during Ramadan!

When i made this yesterday my hubby as usual was saying wow! i haven’t seen this since last Ramadan! (he says this when ever he sees any Malabar snack item!)

For this recipe you’ll need

2 ripe kerala bananas cut in small cubes

2 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

10 cashew nuts crushed

sugar to taste (i used around 3 tbsps)

2 tsp oil

Heat oil in a non stick sauce pan and add the bananas. Fry it till brown.

Beat eggs, milk, sugar, cashew nuts  together and pour in to the banana.

Mix well and close the sauce pan.

Make sure the bottom doesnt get burned. I use a very thin metal plate to keep on top of the stove and keep the pan on it so that the things inside wont get burned.

Cook for around 10mts open and see whether its done. Serve hot!

Ramadan Day 2

Day 1 was very eventful as our daughter fasted for the first time. masha allah! She had her lunch at 1pm played for some time and then took a nap. After waking up form her nap straight away went to the kitchen to drink some juice!! But then when she was reminded that shes fasting she just played for some time watched some TV and hubby kept her engaged till magrib. Masha allah im so proud that she kept away from food and all the sweet temptations!

Unnakaya or Vayakkada is one of the very famous snack in Malabar. My hubby and daughter loves this so i make this atleast once a month. Today when i asked my daughter what she wants for Iftaar she said samosa and vayakkada again!

For Vayakkada youll need kerala banana not so ripe and not so raw just in between. It should not be soft or hard when you press it. Boil it in a closed pan till the skin comes apart.

After its cooked run it in a food processor to mash and make it like a roti dough. Alternatively you can also mash it when its hot with a heavy spoon.

Make lemon sized balls and set aside.

For the filling scramble 2 eggs and add sugar to taste and some crushed cashew nuts and raisins.

Flatten the banana balls, fill in 1/2 a tsp of the egg mixture in it and close it and make it in to ball again.

Smoothen the top and bottom of the ball in to a cone with ur palm.

Deep fry the vayakkada. This snack can be served any time breakfast or after lunch or teatime!

Vayakkada goes to Lubna’s Ramadan Event!

Chaat chaat chaat… yummy yumm… my home town is not famous or we dont have any chaat items at all. I tried chaats for the first time when i came to Singapore. It is one of the yummiest snacks i have ever tasted.. be it papdi chaat or dahi bhale or gol gapa i love all the chaats!

• Line up the papdi in a plate.
• Top it with onions. tomatoes and potatoes.
• Add the chilli sauce and tamarind chutney to it.
• then add the powders to it according to ur taste. i added around a pinch in each papdi.
• At last top up with sev and coriander leaves generously.