Banana Bread (Eggless)

 This is a recipe which my cousin Hema gave me long time back. As I am not a banana lover nor banana bread, I never attempted it. This time I really wanted to do something with those riped banana's and there goes my experiment. It turned to be good. Simple easy recipe from her.... here it goes:

Ingredients

1/2 cup oil or use 1/3rd cup applesauce ( I used oil)

1 cup white sugar 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 very ripe mashed bananas 

1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla

1/4th cup walnuts roasted

Method of preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a loaf pan.In a large bowl, cream the oil  and sugar and add vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt. Blend in the mashed bananas. Stir in the nuts and pour batter into prepared pan.(dust with butter and flour ). Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until it tests done with a toothpick.

Bhendi Tomato fry curry

Ingredients
Bhendi - I used one frozen packet
Tomato - 1 chopped finely
Red chilli powder
Salt to taste (I used 1 spoon)
Oil - 5 spoons
Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Jeera - 1/4 teaspoon

Method of preparation
This is a simple curry. Can be done by even bachelors also. Add oil to kadai and after the oil is heated then add mustard seeds and let  it splutter. Add jeera to it. Add bhendi and let it fry nicely. Add salt to it (around 1 tea spoon). Once the tangleness of bhendi goes, add the tomato and then red chilli powder also. Your curry is ready.

Note: Add some yogurt like 1 or 2 spoons to make the bhendi detangle fast.

Chinthakaya Pachadi

(Took lot of break for posting this ... but finally did)
I loved when one of my colleague actually got this for lunch. I loved it so much, that I had to ask for recipe and share with you all. Her version ( I do not know the name), was much spicy and yummy tooo but since I use less green chillies the taste came out to be a little different. Here goes the yummy pachadi recipe:

Ingredients
Chintakaya paste - 3-4 spoons (generally we get it from india - green chintakaya paste)
Garlic (few pods)
Red chillies
Green chillies
Peanuts
Sesame seeds
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds
Jeera(Cumin seeds)
Dhaniya powder/seeds
Asafoetida
Curd
Tamarind - little bit (soaked and get thick water of it)
Curry leaves

Method of preparation
Dry roast the peanuts, sesame seeds and red chillies.
Grind green chillies, garlic, sesame seeds, peanuts and red chillies.
Add the Chintakaya paste, curd, tamarind liquid and grind together. Add salt as needed and very little water for it to grind and mix thoroughly.

In a pan, add some oil. Add dhaniya, mustard seeds (let them splutter), jeera, and curry leaves. Take a small bowl with little water and add asafoetida to it. Mix it and then add it to the above and close the lid. After couple of minutes add the grinded paste from above. Cook for about 5 - 10 minutes until the oil leaves the sides of hte pan or floats on top. Enjoy it !!!!

Aloo Bajji's/ Potato Fritters

I am sure every kid will love it..... even  lot of elders too, except when they are watching their weight or trying to look for healthy stuff. I can be sure that once in a while it is ok to have some fun stuff. Especially food like bajjis. I remember that one of my husband's uncle make awesome potato bajji's. Although these are not that range.. but are definitely worth and try and easy and simple to use. When there's a party or somebody coming over for chai.... these are best company. So no more talking only reciping...... haha

Ingredients

Potato - Peeled and chopped into thin slices ( you can use a mandolin to do that, but I find it easier and thinner when done with hand and knife :) )

Besan (Chick pea flour)

Red chilli powder

Salt to taste

Ajwain/Jeera - little bit

Water  - to mix the batter

Oil to deep fry

Sooji (Semolina ) - 1-2 spoons (this brings the crispy nature of fritters)

Method of preparation

Mix besan, red chilli powder, salt and little jeera (I used jeera powder). Add water to it and mix it like a paste (the consistency should be little thin than the paste so that it sticks to the potato pieces when dipped but not too thick that it coats like a thick layer).

Dip the potato pieces in the besan mixture made above. make sure there is batter on both sides of the potato  and put it in the hot oil. 

Deep fry till it is lightly golden and drain it on a paper tissue. Serve hot with any sauce or ketchup. Enjoy !!!

Pine-Berries Smoothie

This was not my idea of making juice..... but once I tasted a lady doing at Whole foods... and yummy without sugar in it (fresh juice), I was amazed. Since it was healthy and yummy I had to do it at home and make my kids get used to it slowly. So that they get all good things from fruits. The recipe is simple and nothing much to do with it. Here goes my recipe for making this Pine Berries juice.

Ingredients

Ice 

Strawberries - 1 cup

Blueberries - 1 and 1/2 cup

Pineapple - 1 cup (if ripe then it is very good)

Orange juice - 1/2 cup (I had orange carrot juice so I used it, its good it you have no pulp). This is to just give it little liquid instead of adding water or milk and a good taste too.

              

 Yummy Yummy ingredients picture in blender with ice.

Method of preparation
Add cubes to the blender first and use the ice button to crush it. Now after the ice is little crushed, add all the fresh cleaned fruits from above and blend it. Your juice is ready once they are crushed and ready like juice/smoothie. I wanted to use the blackberries also, but could not find them at the aisles where I went for shopping. So next time may be I will use them also. But this smoothie is full of anti-oxidents and healthy stuff. Try it and let me know...... oh .... make sure your pine apple do not have any of the thorns of sharp stuff on them because we do not need to filter it also. Enjoy !!!!.....

 Our breakfast juice ready for today.... one for me and one for my husband along with two small cups for my kids. for you.... a visual feast  :).

Poori with Aloo kurma

The moment you hear the combination, it at least reminds me of the back home breakfast. When you are outside, especially in a hill station or somewhere ..... having poori and aloo kura at outside hotel ... hmmmm very yummy. Yesterday, my husband asked me to do it in general way and not my way. So I started looking for recipes of the Aloo kurma just to see... what else I see different. Since I have to do it Nut Free (to give it as lunch to my preschooler son- his preschool is nut free facility), I was checking multiple recipes. Found out that the base ingredients that reminds me or anybody else when you say Kurma is Poppy seeds and coconut (gasagasalu & kobbari). So sorry my dear husband, he has to go in my way only except I added yogurt and tomato for a little sour flavor of it. Tasted good and was finished too. Am happy about that, and my kids loved it too. Nothing is more satisfying than... to realize that you made something and it got finished after everybody ate it. So no more gossip and here goes my recipe for Poori and aloo kurma.
oh ... btw I am going to add a new tag as Nut free recipes, so that people who are allergic to nuts can use it to make it. shh..... go and read more on the recipe now.

Poori

Ingredients
Roti floor(Wheat floor)
Water
Oil for deep frying

Method of preparation
This is the picture of poori presser I used. you can use the poori presser or do the regular one with belan.

Press the poori's just as you would do for a roti but do it with a little oil and very smaller round. Once they are done, deep fy them by putting them in hot oil and lightly pressing them until they are like a blow into round globe.Turn the poori gently on the other side and after couple of seconds remove it and drain it on a paper towel. You poori is ready to serve.


Aloo kurma

Ingredients
Potato's - 5
Onions - 1 big - chopped finely
Oil - 4 spoons (my table spoons are the regular spoons with which we eat)
Tomato - 1 big - chopped finely (Optional)
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
Yogurt - 1/4 cup or 3 spoons (modify according to your taste)
Red chilli powder - 1 tea spoon
Garam masala - 1 tea spoon
Coriander powder - 1 tea spoon
(Adjust the masala's according to your taste)
Grind to paste
Gasagasalu (Poppy seeds) - 1/2 tea spoon
Coconut (grated - I used frozen version) - 1/2 cup
Water (enough to make paste)
Add very little water initially so that the poppy seeds give out a foamy flavor of water, then add more if required and run the blender again.

Method of preparation
Add oil to a kadai and after it is hot enough add the cumin seeds, then immediately onions. Now add the ginger garlic paste and let the raw smell of all go away. Add the potatos, pinch of turmeric and tomatos too. Let them get cooked. Now add the poppy seeds and coconut paste. If needed add a little water and rest of the ingredients including salt. Let me cook covered for couple of minutes and your curry is ready to go with the Poori. Garnish with fresh Coriander for nice look and taste. Enjoy !!!