Perfect fluffy Pancakes

Pancakes are most delicious when they are fluffy and has a little more sugar content in it. I hate salty pancakes. If you are going to try it for the first time, then this page is for you.Then I am sure that your loved ones would gobble one pancake in one stretch.There are loads of pancake recipes in blogosphere. But this recipe came out to be entirely good and awesome. I got it from the blog  http://www.chocolatesandchai.com/fluffy-fluffy-pancakes/. I like it with honey more than anything. Have a glimpse of these snaps and expect loads of different pancake posts soon .

Ingredients :

All-Purpose Flour, sifted - 1 cup 

Baking Powder - 2 tsp 

Salt - A pinch 

White Sugar - 2 tbsp 

Milk - 3/4 cup 

Egg - 1 Large 

Melted Unsalted Butter - 2 tbsp 

Pure Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp 

Oil - For cooking

Method :

1. Combine all the dry ingredients such as flour, salt, sugar, baking powder in a bowl.

2. Combine all the wet ingredients (Egg,vanilla extract,butter and milk)  in yet another separate bowl.

3. Now mix the wet ingredients with the dry ones. Leave it for 10 minutes.(Just mix them so that no lumps of flour is formed. Dont beat them much ).

4. Take a dosa pan or a heavy bottomed pan.Drizzle cooking oil over it.

5. When the pan is hot, pour 1/4 th cup of batter and cook in medium flame.

6.When bubbles are formed on top , just flip it only once and cook the other side.

7. Remove from stove and serve with maple syrup/honey/whipped cream with strawberry.

Nutritious Veg soup with penne rigate

This soup is a twist in the old fashioned veg soup. Kiddos are sure to love this soup as it includes the magic ingredient "Pasta". Once I tasted a chicken noodle soup at Panera bread co and I wanted to try it at home without chicken and with a different pasta than spaghetti. This came out to be more or less same in taste.Hope you would love and try this recipe.

Ingredients :

1. Baby Carrot(sliced) - 1
2. Beans(chopped) - 1/2 cup(1 cup= 250 ml)
3. Cauliflower - 1/2 cup
4. Penne rigatta - 1 cup
5. Garlic(finely chopped) - 6 cloves
6. Onion                 - 1/2 cup
7. Capsicum         - 1/2 cup
8. Spring onion - To garnish
9. Butter         - 2 Tbsp
10. Salt & pepper     -   As required.

Method :

1. Take a pan and add butter to it. Add finely chopped garlic to it.
2. Then add onion and all the veggies into it.
3. Let them fry for 5-7 minutes in medium flame.
4. Meanwhile boil a pot of water separately and add salt to it.
5. Add the pasta to the boiling water.Leave it to cook .Check with a fork.When it is done, strain away the water and keep the pasta separately.
6. To the veggies in the pan, add atleast 3 cups of water.
7. Allow it to boil untilt the water is reduced to 3/4 th.
8. Add salt and pepper. Then add pasta before youcould switch off the flame.
9.Garnish with spring onion. 

Twists and tricks :

1. You can add veggies as per your choice.(Broccoli is healthy too..but as long as you are ready to sacrifice the good smell..can go ahead :) ).
2. Never add tomatoes and coriander to this soup as it will change the taste and aroma.
3. Never forget to add garlic as it would give nice flavour to the soup.

Baby carrot popsicle

Whenever I try a new popsicle , I could hear a magic mind voice  telling me"This is the best popsicle U ever made". The homemade popsicles are much healthier than its store bought counter parts as we never mix artificial colour or preservatives in it. The nice orange colour gives a brilliant appealing look and it is an easy way to make kids have carrots as well.

Ingredients :

1. Baby carrots - 7
  or
2.Normal carrots - 2
3. Sugar - 1/4 cup(1 cup = 250 ml)
4. Water - 1/2 cup

Method :

1. Wash baby carrots and blend  them in a blender along with sugar and little water.
2. Blend for a minute.
3. Transfer it to a separate bowl and add water.
4. Pour this into popsicle moulds and freeze for atleast 4-6 hours without disturbing them.

Twists & Tricks :

1. Can mix little milk along with it to make it rich (but oops.u wont get bright orange popsicles.)

2. Carrot & kiwi (layered) popsicle would give best combo and a feast for eyes too.

Mango sambar1

Mango Sambar has become one among  my list of favourites in recent times. The raw mango when added to dhal and tamarind paste gives a nice sweet and tangy taste. However the taste of sambar highly depends on the type of raw mango that one uses. Had been trying sambar with almost all veggies and this post is one among them. Letz straightaway jump into the post.

Ingredients :

1. Mango                     -        1
2. Toor dhal                -        1/2 cup(1 cup = 250 ml )
3. Tamarind               -        1 small lemon size
4. Mustard                 -        1 tsp
5. Red chilli                -        2(deseeded)
6. White ural dhal      -        1 tsp
7. Curry leaves           -        1 sprig
8. Small onion            -        4
9. Sambar Powder      -       1-2 tsp
10.Turmeric powder   -       1 tsp
11. Red chilli powder     -       1 tsp
12. Salt                             -       As required
13. Coriander leaves    -   To garnish

Method :

1. Pressure cook toor dhal with 2 cloves of garlic and 1tsp of gingerly oil and minimum water.
2. Cut mango into slightly bigger pieces.
3. Take a pan and pour 1 Tbsp of oil to it.
4. Then add mustard seeds. When it sputters, add red chilli, ural dhal, onion and curry leaves to it.




5. Then add the chopped mango and fry for a while.
6. Add the water from cooked toor dhal and then add turmeric, sambar and chilli powders along with salt.


7. Mango gets cooked faster. So when it is done add the toor dhal to it and allow it to cook for 5 minutes.
8. Meanwhile extract tamarind paste. And then add this to the pan.


9. Allow it to cook for 7 more minutes. Then switch off and garnish with coriander leaves.
10. It goes very well with rice/idli/dosa.

　

Grape Popsicle

Everyday  has got something new to explore and adventure. And that is really true when you are having a kid at home. When I got the popsicle mould for the first time,I never knew that this would be put to use(to this extent!!!)..I was amazed to see my kiddo make ice pops out of just water with her little hands and really she never got tired in reaching to it (every 10 minutes!!!)to check whether it is done. I was equally thrilled to explore all the possible twists in making different ice pops .

Lemonade &mint popsicle came out to be outstanding and that too in the first attempt. Next one is this recipe which is as follows...

Ingredients :

1. Grapes         - 10

2. Sugar         - 5 Tbsp

3. Ice pop moulds

Method :

1. Add grapes along with sugar and little water in a blender.

2. Blend well and strain it  in a strainer to remove the skin.

3. Add 2 1/2 cups of water to it and mix well.

4. Cut (few grapes)each one  into two pieces.

5.Line the popsicle mould with these grape chunks and then pour the juice into each mould.

6. Refrigerate them for atleast 6 hrs and serve.

Tips & Tricks :

• More the grape concentrate, more time it would take to freeze and become a popsicle :)
• More the grape chunks, more yummy would be the popsicle(though there is a limit for it as all chunks get clustered at the bottom!!)

Kaara Paniyaram

Had been longing for these little pieces of heaven for almost a year as I didnt bring the paniyaram pan with me when we moved abroad. We can make paniyaram with idli batter too. But this way of making separate batter for paniyaram gives best results. As we are adding raw rice,the paniyaram comes out to be lightning white inside and soft, spongy due to poha.

Ingredients :

For Batter :

Idly rice         - 2 cups
Raw rice/Pacharisi - 1/2 cup
Poha - 1/2 cup
whole ural - 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp

For Tempering :

1. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
2. Ural dhal - 1 tsp
3. Bengal gram - 1 tsp
4. Small Onion - 5
5. Green chilli - 2
6. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
7. Carrot         - 1 small

Method :

1. Soak idly rice and raw rice for 3 hrs. Soak whole ural dhal and fenugreek for 1 hour.
2. Wash and soak poha in little water for 2 minutes.
3. Grind everything together. Preferably grinder gives best results. 
4. Add salt finally and leave the batter for 12 hrs.
5. while the batter is ready for preparation,take a pan and pour 2 tsp of oil.
6. Then add all the ingredients  given under "For tempering"  without changing the order.
7. Fry for a while until the onion turns translucent , and leave it to cool down.
8. Now add the tempering to the batter. 
9. Drop spoonful of a batter on to the paniyaram pan and cook( in medium flame only).
10 . Turn the paniyarams slowly and let it to cook on both sides.
11. Serve with coconut chutney/Idly milagai podi.(yup..they are the best combo!!!).