Milk toast

   
  Milk Toast


Reliving your school days can bring in immense joy which can't be explained. The golden period of everyone where by our lunch boxes carry many treasured moments. Of which milk toast is my favourite lunch box recipe thats still close to my heart and my little boy too! So now let me share this special recipe with you. Simple pleasures dont cost you much just like this toast!


Ingredients:
sliced whited : 4-6 slices
milk          : 1/2 cup
sugar         : 1 tbsp
ghee/ butter  : 1 tbsp ( unsalted)


Method:

on a heated non stick pan or cast iron girdle, spoon 1 tsp of butter and let it sizzle slowly. Once the butter is melted, place the slice of bread gently over the butter and just swirl it through so the bread soaks up the butter. like wise flip the bread and gently toast the other side too. Now 1 tsp of sugar on one side and flip it over and sprinkle it over the other side too. 

Do not fret as the sugar crystal keep falling off the bread and it may not sweeten it. After a generous shower of sugar, ladle 1 tbsp of milk over the caramelising bread and let it sizzle through the bread slice.Pour enough milk just for the bread and sugar to soak through. cook until the sugar caramelises. Serve up the piping hot toast with a dollop of fresh cream, a bowl of strawberry compote or plain 'ol honey! Enjoy the buttery goodness!

Devi

Chatpat Paneer Cubes

Chatpat Paneer cubes

 Its just those days isn't it?? Oh I wish something, crispy,tasty and interesting comes out of my kitchen or the fridge or any foodie compartments in your house. Well all of us do have such days. The list is endless, but this one for now is a simple recipe for a quick getaway!

Ingredients:

Paneer (indian cottage cheese) 250gms/ 16-18 small bit sized cubes

 (soaked in warm salt water for 10 mins and drained on a paper towel)

spice mix:

gramflour         2 tbsp

chilly powder     1/2 tsp

asafoetida/hing   1/4 tsp

salt              1/4 tsp

pepper powder     1/4 tsp

turmeric powder   1/4 tsp

garam masala      1/4 tsp

dhania powder     1/4 tsp

oil               3/4 tsp

Curry Leaves      4-6 leaves

 Method:

In  a wide bowl, toss in all the spice powders except the oil,mix well and then add the drained paneer. Toss everything well, so that the cheese cubes are coated evenly. Now sprinkle or rather spray just a little bit of water and toss it again so that the spice mix  gets coated well.Let it rest for 15 mins.

Heat a wok/kadai and add the oil .let it heat up. Once its heated. Gently slide in the spice coated paneer and let it fry on each side for 3 mins. Once a golden crust forms on the paneer. Drain it on to a plate and serve it hot with ketchup or mint chutney!

Enjoy!

Devi

Vermicelli Payasa

Vermicelli Payasam

Sometimes, I always wonder what our world would be without sweet lovers. Cant really fathom about it. This is a simple dish that is cooked with milk, vermicelli and sugar that can tickle the tastebuds of any age group. Although its served warm on most of the occasions, but I personally prefer it a tad cold since it enhances the creaminess of the milk that been boiled to perfection with the vermicelli. So without further ado, here is the recipe to the creamy treasure.

Ingredients:

Roasted vermicelli-1 cup or 400 gms (not mistaken for the pasta variety)

* If you have only got the unroasted one, then just need to toast it a bit in a heated pan, with a dash of clarified butter (ghee), until they get a tinge of golden brown shade!

Whole Milk- 1 litre 

Sugar 1/2 cup , then keep increasing by 1/4 cup until it suits your taste

cardamom 2-3 pods roughly crushed( just scoop out the seeds of the shell  )

evaporated milk 1/2 cup

cashews -split and toasted with a teaspoon of ghee.

raisins-toasted ( optional )

Method:

In a wide sauce pan or aluminium vessel, pour in the milk. Add the sugar and cardamom. Stir well.Now let it boil. Once it starts boiling, gently add in the toasted vermicelli and mix with utmost care so that we don't want the vermicelli to be broken or it to settle down as a huge lump at the bottom of the vessel. Keep stirring it every 2 to 3 mins or so. Once you see the milk has reached a rolling boil and the vermicelli cooked well. Turn off the flame and add the evaporated milk along. Mix well and garnish it with the toasted cashews. If you crave for more sweetness then toss in some toasted raisins too. Mine dont !

So you may choose to have a piping hot payasam or a chilled kheer, whatever your heart desires!

Devi

Instant rasam...sluurrrpp

Instant Rasam..slurrp
Every one usually crave for something that warms up their soul on a rainy day or cold wintery night!! Well I'm one among them..
This is a recipe which I learned pretty much during my 'newly married' days! This rasam accompanied by rice and a hot omelette was an instant hit For the two of us! So here comes the recipe with lots of warm love...

Ingredients:

A small handful of tamarind ( size of a lime or pingpong ball)soaked and the pulp strained finely.
Tomato- 1 big or 2 medium sized ones diced into small piece , pulsed

To grind:SPICES (in dry mixy)
2-3cloves of garlic with the skin
1 dried red chillies
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp peppercorns( whole black pepper)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds/ jeera
Tomatoes 1 big diced into small piece , pulse them in the end seperately

Tempering:
Oil-1/2 tbsp
Mustard- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves 4/5 leaves

Garnishing:
2 sprigs-Coriander leaves destalked and chopped finely.

PREP:
In a wide bowl, add the tamarind pulp, mix in the grinded mixture of spices. Add salt,asafoetida and turmeric powder and mix well. Then add in the tomato pulp and add 1/2 of water more.Now set aside.
Method:
In a sauce pan or wide kadai, heat some oil and add the mustard curry leaves and let them crackle, until the aroma fills in the air. Turn off the flame,then pour in the mixture that we prepped up before tempering.At times the sizzling effect may spread the flame onto the surrounding which is why we need to turn off the flame.
Turn it back on, then let it simmer for a 2-3 min, until you see an off white or light yellow ring forming near the rim of the vessel. Then turn off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves. 

Serve with hot rice and pappad/pappadam.
This is a simple remedy for a common cold or a quickfix for a rainy day soup. 

So do drop in a mail inacase you have some question and I shall be happy to get back to you. Oh Im just getting to know my new partner in this venture CANON 600D, so I shall post the pictures as soon as possible



Devi