Badam Kesar Milk

 

Love the color isn't it?  Credit goes to vibrant saffron strands that goes into the making of this delicious drink. Kesar badam milk is perfect to serve to kids and adult be it on scorching summer or cold winter. It's rich,creamy and absolutely decadent. It's easy and simple to prepare. I just admire the thickness and beautiful color of the drink. Dandelions love the drink as much as i do and I made it countless time for them to enjoy. 

Ingredients 

2 cups + 5 tbsp fresh milk

18-20 strands saffron 

1/3 cup almonds

10-12 cashews

1/2 tsp cardamom powder 

3-4 tbsp sugar

Methods

Soak saffron strands in 2 tbsp fresh milk.

Soak the almonds in hot over and keep aside for 20-30 minutes. Peel off the skin. 

In a blender grind the almonds, 3 tbsp milk and cashews to a coarse paste. 

In a heavy bottom pan,  boil the remaining 2 cups milk.  Add the almond cashew paste and the soaked saffron.  Keep boiling for another 8-10 minutes over a medium heat and the milk reduce a little.

Add the cardamom powder and sugar. Stir till sugar dissolves and turn off the heat.

Pour into serving glasses and garnish with almond slivers and saffron strands. 

Kurkuri Bhindi

 

Kurkuri bhendi or crispy fried okra is my favorite side dish. A vegetarian dish that loved by many as sides for their vegetable meals. It goes really well with dhal and rice. Some make the batter solely with besan flour but, I like to combine few tablespoon of rice flour for extra crunch. I'm sure you can see from the serving itself how crispy and crunchy the fried okra. The most important part in preparing this delicious okra is by removing the moistness. Pat dry with kitchen towel to avoid the okra from getting mushy while frying. My karak muruk crunchy okra is super yummy you can have it on its own for snacking.

Ingredients 

1/2 kg okra

3 cups vegetable oil

1 tsp coriander powder 

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp dry mango powder

1 tsp chilly powder 

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp turmeric powder 

1/2 cup besan flour

3 tbsp rice flour

Salt to taste

Methods

Wash the okra. Remove the top and bottom. 

Pat dry the okra using kitchen towel to remove moisture. 

Cut the okra lengthwise and remove the seeds. Slice the okra into thin strips. 

In a large bowl add the okra, turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder,dry mango powder,garam masala powder, cumin, powder, onion powder, garlic powder and salt. Mix well.

Add the besan flour and rice flour. Mix well till all the spices and flour coat the okra. Cover with lid and rest for 5-10 minutes for the flavor to absorb.

Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the okra by batches till golden and crispy.

Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel to drain excess oil.

Serve hot.

Rice And Sago Kheer

Kheer is a favorite for many and as for me anything to do with desserts count me in. I have a sweet tooth but,  I'm trying to be moderate in my intake. I cooked rice kheer many times and thought of making some adjustment to the ordinary kheer by combining rice and sago which I had no regret as the outcome exceed my expectation. The fluffiness from. The rice and the chewiness of sago compliment the dish well and I just love the whole texture of the kheer. Kheer tend to thickened while cooling and with the added sago it will get thicker thus, adjust the consistency by adding little water to your preference. 

Perfect to serve as offering for God or to please your family and friends on special occasions. Kheer is one of India's most loved sweets thus, you can't go wrong with this decadent desert. The screwpine or thazampoo water is to enhance the flavour and it's fragrant enough to use in this delicious kheer but,  do caution with the amount of the screwpine water as it's quite strong. A dash of it goes a long way to enhance your kheer to the next level.

Ingredients

1 tsp ghee/clarified butter

10-12 almonds, chopped

10-12 raisins

1/2 cup Basmathi rice

1/3 cup sago

1 cup whole milk

4 pods cardamom,crushed

Pinch of saffron

Few dash of screwpine/thazampoo water

1/4 cup jaggery

Methods

Wash and soak the Basmathi rice for 30 minutes. 

Rinse the sago and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a pan on medium low heat. Fry the cashews and raisins till golden. Keep aside.

On the same pan boil the milk and add rice and sago. Stir and cook for 15 minutes by stirring occasionally to avoid the milk from burning. You may add little water if necessary.

Once boil, add crushed cardamom pods and saffron. Stir. Cook till the rice soft and fluffy and the sago turns translucent. 

Add jaggery and stir. Add fried cashews and raisins. Cook till sugar dissolved and add few dash of thazampoo water before switch off the heat.

Serve warm or cold.

Kacang Phool

 

I first tasted this delicious dish during our family vacation to the South corner of the country two years ago. This particular food stall recommended by many locals in the area and true to the word it was an amazing foodie experience. The owner is a friendly and humble Malay uncle who operates the stall with his family. Beside this drooling kacang phool, they do serves varieties of other breakfast dishes but the crowd puller is their kacang phool. Serve with chopped red onion,cilantro,lime wedges,sliced chilly and a perfectly fried sunny side egg is an ideal breakfast for family. Dunk the toasted bread into the thick and creamy gravy and enjoy every bite of it. 

You may replace the mutton with chicken or beef and follow the same preparation method for variations. Infused with aromatic spices the gravy is a must try at least once for an awesome breakfast treat. 

Ingredients 

1 can baked beans

100g minced chicken 

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste 

1 medium red onion,chopped

1 tbsp vegetable oil 

1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter

1 tsp chilly powder 

1 tsp coriander powder 

1 tsp curry powder 

1 tsp fennel powder

1 tsp cumin powder 

Pinch of black pepper powder 

Salt to taste 

For Serving 

Wedges of lime 

1 tbsp chopped red onion

1 red chilly, sliced

1 sunny side fried egg

Chopped cilantro

Toasted bread

Methods

Drain the baked beans and rinse with water to discard the canned tomato sauce. In a blender add little water and the rinsed baked beans. Puree the beans and keep aside. 

Blend the onion and keep aside.

In a pan, heat oil and ghee. Sautee the onion with ginger garlic paste till fragrant.

Add the coriander powder ,cumin powder,fennel powder,curry powder and chilly powder. Fry till the raw smell leaves.

Add the minced mutton and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the pureed baked beans and cook for 12-15 minutes. 

Season with salt and pepper. Stir and remove from heat.

Serve with toasted bread, lemon wedges, chopped onion, cilantro,red chilly slices and fried egg.

French Onion Rice

 

The staple in my Asian household, rice is the must have in ours too. The day not complete without having rice for at least on one meal a day. It's filling, nutrious,easy to cook and simply decadent to resist. In Malaysia there's tons of varities of rice easily available in the market and the choice is yours to make.  From Basmathi to parboiled you name it we have it 😁. In our house,  Basmathi and parboiled is the choice for our everyday meal and I'm sticking to those two. 

Rice can cook into variations such as Briyani,Puloa,Pilaf,ghee rice,coconut rice, tamarind rice, lemon rice and etc. Today,  I'm sharing the simplest and flavourful rice with you...onion rice. I made this rice for our Sunday lunch to serve alongside a chicken masala and cucumber raita. Love the fragrance of caramelised onion and the flavor was truly delicious. Caramelising the onion in a medium-low heat is very important to prevent the onion from burning which will be a disaster in this recipe thus, take your time and go slow with the onion. Once you get the onion right the cooking of the rice is an easy peasy prices though. Have fun in the kitchen dishing out my onion rice.

Ingredients 

For The Onion

3 large Holland Onion, sliced

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp butter

Pinch of salt

For The Rice 

2 cups Basmathi rice

2 cups water

2 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp butter

Salt to season 

1 pandan leaves

1 minced garlic

8-10 almonds, sliced 

Methods 

In a rice cooker, heat butter and olive oil. 

Add the sliced onions and salt. Saute till caramelised for 15-20 minutes over a medium-low heat. 

Transfer to a plate and keep aside. 

To the same cooker, fry the sliced almonds till golden. Keep aside.

To the same cooker, add butter and pandan leaves. Saute minced garlic. 

Add the rice and stir for a few seconds. Add water, vegetable broth,salt and rice. Stir and add the caramelised onion (reserve some onion for garnishing). 

Cover with lid and cook till the rice is fluffy and tender. 

Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with reserved fried onions and sliced almonds. 

Serve with gravy or sides of your preference.

Pancake cereal

Cereal is a quick and fast way to serve breakfast on a busy weekdays or lazy weekend. Serving packed cereals everyday considerate as boring way to have breakfast and I'm not into all this cereals. One fine Saturday I decided to take cereals to the next level by making this cute little pancake for our breakfast. Cereal pancake is love by kids and adults alike. Drizzle with honey as sweetener,fill with a bowlful of milk and top with berries it's a perfect and complete breakfast. Pancake is Dandelions favourite thus,  this is definitely made their day. It's fluffy and spongy and an ideal breakfast to enjoy by whole family. 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp granulated white sugar

4 tbsp butter

1 1/4 cups whole milk

Methods

In a large bowl, add flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Whisk to combine.

In another bowl, whisk milk and egg.  

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk till no lumps. 

Heat butter in a girdle, scoop 3/4 tablespoon batter and cook till the edges dry up and tiny bubbles appeared.

Gently flip and cook on the other side.  Repeat with the remaining batter. 

Drizzle with honey, serve with milk and your favorite toppings of fruits/berries.

Stir Fry Chapati

 I had leftover chapati from my previous dinner and was looking for a way to turn it into something. I'm not someone who waste my food,  will somehow find a way to comeup with new dishes. That's how I turn our leftover chapati into stir fry noodles. Simply shred the chapati and stir fry with some vegetables and sauces and tadaa you have a new dish for your family. It's easy and simple to prepare with minimal ingredients which doesn't compromise on taste. Works well for light dinner and even for children lunchbox. I made it for our breakfast and Dandelions love it 😍.

Ingredients 

4 leftovers chapati,shredded

1/2 cup shredded cabbage

1/4 cup julienned carrots

1 red chilly, chopped 

1 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic,minced

1"inch ginger

1 tbsp vegetable oil 

Salt to season 

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp Szechwan sauce

1 egg, whisked

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves 

Methods

In a pan, heat oil and scramble the egg. Transfer to a plate and keep aside. In the same pan, sautee onion till translucent. Add the minced garlic and ginger, sauteed till fragrant.

Add the sky sauce and Szechwan sauce and cook for few seconds. Add the shredded chapati and stir well to coat the sauces well. 

Add the shredded cabbage,chilly and carrot. Stir. 

Add the scrambled egg,chopped coriander leaves and season with salt.

Stir well and cook for a 2-3 minutes. 

Transfer to a serving plate. 

Samyang Roll

Samsung roll one could have guessed it by the name itself. You got it right, Korean Samyang spicy noodles roll with vegetables in clear film spring roll skin. This special spring roll skin is the Vietnamese roll which can be bought in Asian groceries. Just dip the skin roll for a few seconds in water and it's ready to fill and roll.  The beauty of roll is it's too fragile and handle with extreme care to avoid any tear of the skin roll and wastage. 

The spicy Samyang noodle which is springy and flavourful stuff alongside crunch julienned cucumber and crispy butterhead salad leaves will definitely boost your craving wanting for more. Do take note on the spiciness of the noodles flavouring powder if you're not into spicy stuff adjust the flavor powder according to your preference. I added a strip of cheddar cheese to enhance the taste and as requested by Dandelions. It was delicious with cheese of course 😊.

Ingredients

For The Noodles 

1 packet of Samyang Noodles 

6-8 pcs butterhead salad leaves,tear into pieces 

6-8 pcs cheddar cheese strips

6-8 pcs Vietnamese spring roll skin 

For The Dipping 

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp chopped green chilly

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp fish sauce

1/4 tsp palm sugar

5-6 tbsp water

Methods

For The Dipping

Add all the ingredients listed under "For Dipping" in a bowl and stir till the palm sugar dissolves. Keep aside. 

For The Roll

Cook the Samyang noodles as per instructions on the packet. Keep aside. 

Gently dip the spring roll skin into water till soften. 

Place the spring roll skin on the chopping board, add a piece of salad leaves. Place the julienne looked cucumber on the side of the salad leaf and scoop a spoonful of noodles on the top of the salad. Top with cheese strip and start roll the spring roll skin from the end facing you by tucking the sides. Roll and tuck neatly.  Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.

Serve with prepared dipping. 

Deep Fried Bread

 

Freshly baked bread is the everyone looking for but have you heard about deep fried bread? Traditional fried bread is what we are talking here. Bread dough deep fried in hot oil and magically transform into soft and puffy bread. It's soft, spongy and absolutely delicious. You may have it on its own or simply dunk into coffee or tea. It makes a perfect tea time treat and kids will love it. 

This recepi is the best alternative if you don't own an oven yet,  still craving for homemade bread. My Dandelions love this pillowy bread with peanut butter and raspberry jam toppings. Sprinkling them with cinnamon sugar is another great idea to enjoy this delicious fried bread. The tiny air pockets the moment you tore into the bread is a beautiful sight to devour just like doughnuts it's super yummy.

Yes, that's me dunking the fried bread in the coffee in the above picture. It absorbs well the liquid and fill your mouth with every bit of heaven. It's easy to make with simple ingredients available in our pantry. 

Ingredients 

3 cups all purpose flour 

1 tbsp baking powder 

1 tbsp milk powder 

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup warm water

Oil for deep frying 

Methods

In a large bowl whisk in flour, baking powder, salt and milk powder. 

Add water and start kneading.

Knead for 15-17 minutes to form a soft and smooth dough. Cover with clean damp kitchen towel and rest it for 30 minutes. 

Dust a clean working surface with flour and using a rolling pin, roll out into 2 inches diameter thick.  

Cut using a doughnut cutter and place in a tray dusted with flour. 

Heat oil in a pan and fry on medium flame till golden on both sides.

Transfer to a tray lined with kitchen towel to drain excess oil.

Serve hot with tea or coffee. 

Cucumber Raita

 

Raita doesn't need any lengthy introduction as, this humble side dish garnered more than enough audience worldwide. Wherever you may locate an Indian restaurant raita will find the way into their menu. Comes in thousands variation the most popular one being the delicious cucumber raita. Commonly serve as sides for Briyani,roti,or any flavored rice for a complete satisfying meal. Varieties of raita found in Indian menu like cucumber,tomato,onion,beetroot,mango & etc. 

Cucumber raita can be made into varieties by adding onion, cilantro or tomato for colours & flavour as well. Today,  I'm sharing the basic cucumber raita which is flavorful,creamy and definitely addictive. Do use hung curd or plain Greek yogurt for the thick and rich raita. It's cooling effect from yogurt and cucumber goes really well to serve alongside any spicy dishes to mellow down the heat.

I made this yummy cucumber raita for our Sunday lunch to serve with Briyani and that's no Briyani without raita isn't it? You may grate the cucumber to make this raita but,  I opted to thinly slice to go with my Briyani. Choice is your according your preference.

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

2 cucumbers,sliced

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves 

1/4 tsp chaat masala

1/4 tsp toasted cumin powder 

Pinch of chilly powder 

Salt to taste 

Methods 

In a large bowl whisk the yogurt till smooth and add chaat masala and cumin powder. Stir.

Add the sliced cucumber,coriander leaves and salt. Stir to combine.

Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with chilly powder.

Serve as a dipping or sides for briyani or pilaf. 

Black Rice Pongal

 

I made this black rice pongal or kavuni rice sweet rice to try variations to an ordinary pineal rice.  I love the texture of gummines and stickiness of the pongal. Love the beautiful purple hue of the pongal and trust me black rice indeed made an ideal dessert. Soaking the rice is very important to make the cooking process quick and easy. I use dry ginger powder instead of pachai karpooram but,  you may use it instead. 

It's thick, fragrant and fulfilling dessert to dish out during festival season for something out of ordinary to impress your family and friends. I served this delicious black rice pongal as neiveidhyam or an offering to deities. Black rice can be made as payasam  as well and including black rice in daily diets is extremely healthy. Do try make this black rice pongal at home and enjoy. 

Ingredients 

3/4 cups black glutinous rice

1/2 cup freshly grated coconut 

10-12 cashews, broken 

6-8 almonds, chopped

3 cardamom pods, crushed

4 tbsp ghee

4 cups water

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp dry ginger powder

For Jaggery Syrup

3/4 cup jaggery powder

3/4 cup water

3 cardamom pods

Methods

Wash and soak the black rice overnight.

In a pan, add all the ingredients listed under For Jaggery Syrup . Cook till the jaggery dissolve. Remove from heat and strain to discard impurities. Keep it aside.

Add the black rice and water in a pressure cooker and cook over medium heat for 5 whistles.

Add the grated coconut,dry ginger powder and prepared jaggery syrup to the cooked rice and stir.

Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashews and almonds till golden. 

Add the ghee and cashews to the rice.  mixture and stir. Cook for another 3-4 minutes and off the heat. 

Transfer to serving plate and enjoy.

Tandoori Roti

This tandoori roti is my little Dandelion's craze whenever we dine out in a restaurant. Along with a thick veg or non-veg gravy she's good to go. No tandoor clay oven at home?  Worry not now you can make your own tandoori roti without the help of traditional clay pot oven. Just cook it over on tawa & flip it over heat to create the tandoor effect. Easy is it not? 

Eventhough, rice is a staple food here roti has found its way into our plates in many forms and tandoori rotisserie is one of them. It's soft, spongy and what's more it's one of my daughter's favorite roti. Making it at home is definitely hassle free and seeing the excitement on her face is a jackpot. 

What i love about tandoori roti is the crispy edges and soft texture in the center. The bread absorb well in whatever gravy you dip in and render a bursting symphony of flavors on each bite. Next time when you done in do look for tandoori roti in your menu or simply make it at home with below given recipe.

Ingredients 

2 cups whole wheat flour/atta flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp granulated white sugar 

2 tbsp vegetables oil

Warm water as needed

Ghee for brushing

Methods

In a large bowl add flour, sugar, baking powder,baking soda, salt and oil. Whisk to combine. 

Add water as needed and start kneading to form a firm dough. 

Cover with a damp clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest for half an hour.

 Knead the dough for another 1-2 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equally sized balls. 

Dust a clean working surface with flour, flatten one ball of the dough and using a rolling pin, roll into 3 inches round. 

Heat a pan over a medium-high flame. Apply water on the surface of the rolled dough and place the water side down on the pan.

Cook for a minute or till the dough puffs up and bubbles appears on the dough.

Flip the pan over the flame and cook for a minute till golden. 

Remove the tandoori roti from the pan and brush with ghee. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Serve with gravy of your choice.

Kadai Paneer

I have ordered kadai paneer many times in Indian restaurants whenever we dine out. I just love to pair it with Indian flat bread or Naan. The Naan dipped in the thick gravy are absolutely delicious. That's how I decided to make my own in my little hut. I made my paneer or Indian cottage cheese at home. It's very easy and simple to make your own paneer at home. Even store bought paneer works well in this recepi. 

Infused with aromatic Indian spices this kadai paneer gravy goes well with flavoured rice or white rice. I paired it with Tandoori roti for our Saturday lunch. The whole household love the combination of the lip smacking gravy & Naan. Frying paneer before adding to the gravy lends a good crust which enhance the taste and avoid the paneer from crumbling in the gravy. 

Ingredients 

250g Paneer, cubed 

2 red onions, finely chopped 

2 tomatoes,chopped

1 capsicum, chunked

1 tsp fennel seeds 

1 tbsp ghee

1 tap coriander powder 

1/2 tsp red chilly powder 

1 tbsp ginger-garlic pasre

Salt to taste

1 tsp oil

For The Masala

1 tsp black peppercorns 

1 tsp fennel seeds 

1 tbsp coriander seeds 

3 cloves

3 green cardamom pods

1"inch cinnamon stick 

6 pcs dry red chillies

Methods

In a pan over low-medium heat dry roast all the ingredients listed under "For The Masala". Let it cool completely and grind into fine powder. Keep aside.

Add ghee in the pan,  add the paneer and fry till turn slightly golden on both sides. Keep aside. 

In the same pan fry the fennel seeds for 30 seconds and add the onion,ginger-garlic paste and capsicum. Fry till the onion turns translucent.

Add the chopped tomatoes,coriander powder, ground masala powder and red chilly powder. 

Sautee for 2 minutes. Add a little water and season with salt. 

Add the fried paneer and gently stir to combine.

Cook for 2-3 minutes and turn off heat.

Transfer to serving plate.