Oreo Milkshake | Summer Specials!

I was trying to post Summer Specials this week and I am ending with Oreo Milkshake. This is simple and easy, kids will surely love. Next  series will be pickles and lunch box.

Take 2 nos oreo biscuits any flavour and crush.
Blend with 1 cup chilled milk(Boiled and cooled) and 1 scoop of vanilla icecream in a mixie or blender.

Serve with ice and top  with 1tblspoon of icecream.

Oreo Milkshake is ready.

Notes - You can prepare this without vanilla icecream also.
Sugar is optional

This Milkshake along with my below entries are going to Summer Spunk by my dearest friend Anusha.

Iced Watermelon
Lemon | Lemonade Juice
Strawberry Milk Shake
Watermelon Juice
Mango Kulfi
Rose Milk

Iced Watermelon!

After the refreshing watermelon juice, I had leftover watermelon tried to prepare for my son. Actually wanted to prepare watermelon sorbet but came up with this.This is simple and easy ice cream.

Ingredients
Watermelon  juice - 1 tall glass
Condensed milk - 1 tspn
Cardamom/Elachi powder - a pinch
Sugar - optional

Preparation Method
Blend all the ingredients in a blender/mixie. Strain it.
Pour it in the icecube moulds and freeze for 1 hour or till its just set.

Serve immediately.

Iced Watermelon is ready.

This can be done with Mango too.

You can also add these cubes to the Watermelon juice.
Notes - If you dont have condensed milk you can just add sugar.

Lemon Juice | Summer Specials!

This is my favourite drink. In my office, the pantry guys used to make it perfectly, so always used to ask one more! I miss them all in Bangalore. Summer has started and this drink will be refreshing. I am sure this is the topper of all Fresh Juices.

Serves - 1 to 2 pax.

Ingredients
Lemon/lemonade/Nimbu/Elamichai - 1no
Chilled water - 1 glass
Sugar -  1 tablespoon
Salt - a pinch
Elachi/Cardamom powder - a pinch
Ice cubes as required

Preparation Method
In a vessel, squeeze the lemon, add water, sugar, salt and elachi powder. Mix well and strain it.

Serve with a slice of lemon and ice cubes.

Lemon Juice is ready to serve.

Watermelon Juice ! Summer Special!

Its been quite hot in the morning and noon. Heard in India also its very hot. But in Singapore the weather is unpredictable, its just raining so heavily. Check out the other Summer Specials here.

Serves - 2 pax

IngredientsWatermelon - 1/4 no of a whole fruit or 2 cups cubed.
Sugar or honey - 1 tspn
Ice cubes - few (optional)
Water as required
Can also add a pinch of Black salt or chaat masala.

Method
In a blender/mixie add watermelon, water, sugar and grind.
Take serving glass add ice cubes and add the juice. (I have dipped in sugar on the rim)
Add a pinch of black salt or chaat masala on the top.
A few pieces of the fruit too.

Such a refreshing juice.

Watermelon Juice is ready to serve.

Manga Sadam | Mamidikai Annam | Ugadi Special Recipe!

I wish you all my readers a very Happy n Prosperous Ugadi and Gudi Padwa!

ಯುಗಾದಿ ಹಬ್ಬದ ಶುಭಾಷಯಗಳು,  ఉగాది శుభాకాంక్షలు and  'गुढी पाडव्याच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा'.

Manga Sadam | Mamidikai Annam| Mavinakayi Chitranna |Mango Rice is very tangy and delicious rice. Its usually prepared on Ugadi. Click here for recipe for Ugadi Festivals.

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup
Raw Mango - 1 no(Kizhimukku)Grated

Groundnuts - Handful

Gingely Oil - 2 tablespoon

Mustard - 1 tspn

Channa Dal - 1 tspn

Dry Red chilli - 2nos(As per your taste)

Turmeric pwdr - 1/4 tspn
Hing - a pinch

Curry leaves

Salt

Preparation method:

Cook rice with 2.5 cups water for 3 to 4 whistles. Allow the rice to come to normal temperature.

In the mean while

Heat oil in a pan/wok, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add channa dal, groundnuts. Saute till channa dal turns light brown. Add curry leaves, red chillies and saute.
Add the grated mango and cook till its soft. Add little salt and turmeric powder.

Turn the stove off. Add the rice and salt. Let it sit for a while so that the taste of mango is gets obsorbed into the rice .

Manga Sadam rice is ready to serve. This can be served with fried papads and vadams. I served with Mor Kolambu.

Notes - You can also cut mangoes into small pieces and grind coarsely in mixie.(Optional)

This recipe is going to Only South Indian event by Pari

Homemade Italian Basic Sauce!

I have been wanting to post this recipe from long time,  thought of posting this today as I prepared. I love Italian dishes.

I used to use store bought sauce and this is the first time I tried at home. It was perfect and yummy. This sauce can be used for Pizzas /Pastas /as a dip.

Ingredients
Tomatoes - 2 nos
Garlic - crushed /chopped 2 to 3 nos
Basil leaves - few
Tomato sauce - 1/2 tspn
Olive oil - 1 tspn

Preparation Method
Blanch the tomatoes(see notes below)
Heat wok/pan, add olive oil, add garlic just toss for few mins(it should not be brown)
Add the tomato puree, tomato sauce, chopped basil leaves and cook the gravy till raw smell goes. You will get a thick sauce.

Italian Basic Sauce is ready for use in your dishes.

Allow it to cool and store in air tight container.
Notes - Blanch - Boil enough water in a vessel, put the tomotoes and cover it for few mins. Then put in cold water, remove skin slowly. Cut into four pieces and deseed it. Put in a blender/mixie and grind to fine paste.

Pavakkai Pitla | Bittergourd Gravy - Type 1 | Diabetic Recipe!

Pavakkai Pitla is very tasty sambar, I never knew this pitla until my mother in law told and taught me when she was here. I will be posting the traditional one, but this one I have changed a bit. I don't do anything for the bitterness as I just love the bitter taste in this. I had packed this for lunch to my hubby to office and everyone loved it.

Ingredients
Pavakkai - 4 nos
Black Channa /Karuppu Kadale - 1 cup
Soya bean - 1/2 cup
Tamarind water - 1 cup
Tomato - 1no
Toor Dal - 1/2 cup

For grinding masala
Onion - 1 no
Whole Dhaniya seeds - 2 tablespoon
Channa Dal/Kadale paruppu - 1 tablespoon
Urad dal - 1 tspn
Dry red chili - 3 nos(As per your spice levels)
Few curry leaves

Seasoning
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves few

Preparation Method
Soak the dals overnite, pressure cook them with toor dal  separately upto 4 to 5 whistles.
Cut Pavakkai/Bittergourd into small pieces.
Heat a vessel, add bittergourd, tamarind water, tomato, a pinch of salt, turmeric and boil it.
In kadai, put 1/2 tspn oil, and fry all the ingredients under Masala grinding till slight brown.
Allow it to cool.
Grind to a fine paste with little water. Mash or whisk the toor dal with water.
Once the bittergourd is soft and cook, add the steamed dals, ground mixture, dal and allow it to boil well.

Season/Talipu with the above ingredients under seasoning.

Serve hot with steamed plain rice.

This recipe is going to Only South Indian event by Pari and Cooking with Love Granddad guest hosted by Shama started by Saraswathi Iyer.

Mixed Flour Dosai!

I make a lot of mixed flour dosas at home for Breakfast, tiffin or Dinner. Each time the mixture is different, now I am posting one of those recipes. I prepared for dinner, sorry about the photo.

Ingredients
Ragi/Millet flour - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1 cup
Rava/Semolina - 1/2 cup
Maida/APF - 1/2 cup
Wheat flour - 1 cup
Buttermilk -1 cup
Water as required
Jeera - 2 tablespoons
Green chilli - 1no(As per your spice level)
Crushed black pepper -1 tspn(As per your spice level)
Hing/Asafotida - 1/4 tspn
Curry leaves few
Salt

Preparation Method
Mix all the ingredients in a vessel to a semi watery consistency. Leave it  for 1 hour.
Heat a non stick tawa/skillet, slowly pour the batter from side, you may not be able to spread like normal dosa.
You can add 1 tspn, gingelly or olive oil and cook. Turnover and cook both sides.(You can cook without oil also)

Mixed flour dosa is ready to serve.

Serve hot with any choice of chutney.

BBB | Spinach Soya Bisibelebath and Oats Onion Pakoda - Ver 2!

Bisibelebath(Hot Dal Rice) is a healthy dish, its also very filling. My previous post on this recipe Ver 1 click here. I mostly prepare on every weekend or fornightly and for get togethers. This is a most popular recipe and food liked in my house. 

Ingredients

Rice - 2 cups

Tuvar Dal – 1 cup
Tomato - 1 no
Potato - 1 no

Soya Beans - 1/2 cup

Capsicum - 1 no
Carrot -  few pieces

Brinjal - 4 nos

Beans - 10 nos
Brocolli - few florets
Spinach/Palak - 1 cup chopped

Broad Beans/Avarekkai - 5 nos

Tamarind Water - 2 cups(from a LEMON SIZE)

Spices Cinamon/Pattai – 2 small pieces/ Cardamom/Elakka - 2nos/ Clove/Lavang - 2 nos

Bisibelebath powder - 4 tablespoons (Adjust accordingly)
Curry leaves few

Jaggery a small piece

Salt

Preparation Method
Wash and cut all vegetables.
Soak soya beans overnite in water.
Cook rice, soya bean and dal separately in a pressure cooker.
Steam the veggies for about 15 to 20 mins with little salt and turmeric or 1 whistle.

Heat a deep vessel or a pressure cooker, add 2 tablespoons oil, add a pinch of mustard, add hing, curry leaves, spices, dry red chillies, and saute for 2mins.
Add chopped tomatoes, spinach and saute for few mins.
Add tamarind water and allow it to boil for sometime.
Then add steamed vegetables, bisibelebath powder and allow it to boil.
When pressure is up, mash or whisk the dal, and add this.
Let it boil, slowly keep stirring without mashing the veggies.
Then mash the rice, and slowly add required rice and keep mixing.
Check on salt and add jaggery. Let it boil, keep stirring.
It should be little watery so by the time you eat, it will be just right and soft.
Off the stove.

Garnish with cashews - optional

Serve Hot Bisibelebath with any vegetable curry/Potato chips/Karaboondi or enjoy as it is.

I served it with Crispy Onion Oats Pakoda. Recipe below 

Notes - I usually make it without onion and if you wish please add.

Oats Onion Pakoda

Ingredients
Onion - 4 nos(Sliced lenghtwise)
Rolled Oats - 1/2 cup 
Kadalai Maav/Chickpea flour/Besan -  3 to 4 tablesppons
Rava/Semolina - 2 tablespoons
Red chlli powder -  1/4 tspn (As per your taste)
Curry leaves - few
Salt
Water to sprinkle
Oil for deep frying

Preparation Method
In a wide bowl, put onion, oats, salt and slight mix.
Add all other ingredients and sprinkle little water and mix well. It should be thick. Leave it for few mins.
Heat oil in a kadai/wok, when its hot. slowly spread and drop the batter in oil. Deep fry till brown both sides and take out on tissue to remove excess oil. Allow it to cool and store it in air tight container.

Enjoy it with Bisibelebath/Coffee/Tea time too.

Notes - Do not store, when its warm or hot it will become soggy.

I had previously posted Cabbage Oats Pakoda check here for recipe. This recipe is going to Fast Food not Fat Food by Priya and Uma.

Write to me if you have queries at simplysara07@gmail.com

Paneer Manchurian | Dry Version !

This has been in my drafts since long long time and thought of posting it now. This manchurian is very tasty and I love paneer. The first dish I order when we go to a restuarant is gobi manchurian or paneer machurian always.

Ingredients
Fried Paneer - Click here for recipe

For Manchurian
Onion - 1 no chopped
Capsicum - 1/2 no chopped
Green chilli - 1 no chopped
Ginger - 1/2 inch chopped
Garlic - 1 no chopped
Fresh coriander leaves (Cilantro) - Chopped 1 tspn
Spring onion - 1 no chopped
Dark Soya Sauce - 2 tspns
Tomato Sauce - 2 tspns
Chilli sauce - 1 tspn
Salt to taste
(Adjust all the sauces according to your taste)

Preparation Method
For Manchurian
In a pan/wok, add oil, add onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli, capsicum and fry till its transperant.
Then add chopped capsicum and saute.
Add all the sauces and mix. Add fried paneer and mix. Cook for 2 mins.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves or spring onions.

Paneer Manchurian is ready to serve.You can serve dry manchurian as starter.

Serve hot with tomato sauce or fried rice.

Notes - I didnot know about light and dark soya sauce, came to know when I reached Singapore. So check before buying.

Rava Oats Upma with Moong Dal | Diabetic Recipe!

I love Rava Upma, and mostly make once a week for breakfast or dinner. This time tried to make healthy version for cholestrol and diabetic people. I usally buy quick cook oats, this time wanted to try rolled oats.

Ingredients

Rava(Semolina/Sooji) - 2 cups
Rolled Oats - 1 cup
Pasiparuppu/Siru paruppu/Moong dal/Split green gram - 1/2 cup
Water - 5 to 6 cups

Onion - 1 no (thinly sliced)
Capsicum - 1 med(thinly sliced)
Cabbage - 1/2 no((thinly sliced)/shredded)
Olive Oil - 4 tspns

Ghee - 1 tspn

Green chilli - 2 nos(As per taste)

Mustard - 1/2 tspn

Urad/Channa dal mixed - 1 tspn

Asafotida(hing) - 2 pinches

Curry leaves - few

Turmeric - 1/2 tspn

Salt to taste
Corainder for garnishing.

Preparation Method
Wash and soak moong dal in warm water or normal water in a vessel.

Heat a kadai, roast the rava slightly till it becomes brown and gets nice aroma. Transfer it to a plate.
In the same kadai, dry roast rolled oats till slight brown. Transfer it to a plate.

In a vessel boil water and keep aside.

In a same kadai, add 3 tspns olive oil and mustard wait till it splutters. Now add dal and asafotida. Saute till its brown.

Add onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli, curry leaves and saute till onion is slightly brown.
Add capsicum, cabbage, a pinch of turmeric and saute for few mins. Add soaked  moong dal and mix.

Add boiled water, 1 tspn oil allow it to boil. Once its boiled reduce the heat. Check whether moong dal is cooked. Then add salt and curry leaves.

Slowly add the rava and mix well immediately without allowing it to form lumps. Add water if required. Close with a lid till rava cooks.
After 2 mins add roasted oats and mix well.

Slowly stir until no water is left. Check whether rava is nicely cooked otherwise sprinkle water mix and close the lid. Keep in low flame.

Off the stove. Garnish with coriander/cilantro.

Rava Oats Upma is ready to serve. You can eat with sambar.

Do send in your entries to my Women's Day Event and Giveaway!

Crispy Paneer | Women's Day Event Announcement and a Giveaway!

This has been in my drafts since long long time and thought of posting it now. I prepared this to my MIL who eats non spicy food and for my son.

Happy Holi to all my celebrating the colourful festival!

Ingredients
Paneer cubes - 1 pkt
Kadalai Maav (Besan/Chickpea Flour) - 1 tspn
Chola Maav (Corn Flour) - 2 tspns
Arasi Maav (Rice Flour) - 4 tspns
Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
Kesari/orange colour a pinch - Optional I have not used.
Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

Preparation Method
Thaw the paneer and put in hot water for few mins. Remove water and keep paneer.
In a bowl make watery batter with Arasi, Chola and Kadalai maav and whisk well without forming a lumps. Add chilli powder and salt.
Add the paneer, coat it drop in oil and deep fry till brown.

Serve Crispy Paneer with Tomato Sauce.

Notes - You can deep fry directly also.
You can add ginger garlic paste to the batter.

Event Announcement

Image courtery - Google search

Tomorrow 8th March is International Women's Day, its time to think of all women in your life and say thank you.

Post any vegetarian recipe dedicated to women in your life and link it here. This event is from 7th March to 31st March 2012. Multiple entries allowed. Only fresh entries and no archived posts please.

Add of logo and this event annoucement is mandatory. Hope you see your entries.

Now coming to the giveaway

Electrolux a great resource for home applicances and product accessories. They have a wide range of kitchen, laundry support and many more. Please visit their website here to view the products.

The giveaway is a $35 gift coupon and you can shop online for Electrolux Accessories Product. No geographic restrictions. This giveaway is open worldwide. Thank you Electrolux for the giveaway.

Extra chances for the giveaway
1. Follow my blog via google connect.
2. Join Sara's Corner on Facebook.
3. Subscribe in reader or email.

Those who are already following just leave me a comment and linking your entry for the event. Others also leave me a comment after doing any of the above by linking your entry.

Winner will be chosen on 2nd April.


Happy Women's Day and I am happy to be a women.

Got this in mail on Women from a friend so sharing
Can u bleed for a week & survive???
Can u squeeze a 14 inch baby from a 10 cm hole???
Can u carry a 7 pound baby in ur stomach for 9 months??
Can u tk care of d child, cook, clean & talk on d phone @ one tym???
Can u carry a 108 lb shopping bag???
Can u go a week eating only salads???
Can u face heart-break???
Can u watch d love of ur lyf b wid someone else???
Can u burn ur forehead wid a curling iron n not complain???
Can u walk all day in a 5 inch heels???
Can u cry all night & wake up next morning like everythings ok???
I REALLY DONT THINK SO!!!!!!!!
CHEERS TO US
HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY my dear friends.

Do mail me if any questions to simplysara07@gmail.com

Cheers.
Saraswathi Iyer

Vengaya Sambar | Arachuvitta Sambar | Tamil Brahmin Style!

Vengaya/Small Onion Sambar is very tasty sambar, this is very popular in South India. Remembring back at my home in India, they used not use onion often and garlic no entry in my house. After marriage am knowing the benefits of onion and garlic so started using them in my cooking. Occasionally they used to prepare this only with Ragi Mudde/Millet balls and it would be very tasty. I have previously posted a different version of Vengaya Masala Sambar, here.

Ingredients

Small Onions/Shallots - 20nos
Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Oil - 5 tspns

Tamarind - 1 lemon size

Jaggery - 1 small piece(optional)
Salt

For masala(grinding)

Coriander seeds (daniya) - 4 tablespoon

Dry red chilli - 4-6 nos (As per your taste)

Venthayam(Methi seeds) - 1/2 tspn

Fresh Grated coconut - 1 cup
Curry leaves - few
Onion - 4 nos

Preparation Method
Soak tamarind in hot water for few mins and squeeze the water.
Wash and remove skin of onion and edges of onions.Wash it again.
In a Kadai, add 2 tspns oil and fry the above masala ingredients without coconut till dal is brown. Transfer and Allow it to cool.In the same kadai, add 2 tspns of oil add onion and saute till soft. Add little salt.
Add coconut and few onions while grinding in mixie and grind it to a fine paste with little water.
Cook the toor dal, mash/whisk with water and keep ready.
Keep a vessel on stove and add tamarind water. Now add onion to this and allow it to boil and cook. Add salt and turmeric.
Add the grounded masala to it and boil.
Add few curry leaves.
Add dal mix well and allow it to boil. Add water if necessary.
Add salt.
Add jaggery for taste. Stir well and boil.(If you dont want you can skip jaggery part)

Seasoning
Heat oil and ghee in a kadai, add mustard, allow it to pop then add curry leaves.

Vengaya Sambar is ready to serve. It can be served with idlis, dosai or rice.

Notes - Since this is Arachuvitta it will become thick when it cools, so adjust water accordingly.

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take a picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page. Do follow me on Instagram id - saraswathiyer for more food stories and recipe ideas.Thank you. 

Pavakkai Fry | Bittergourd Fry!

I love Pavakkai/Bittergourd, mostly I prepare Curry or Pitala with it, I had posted previously Pavakkai Urulai Curry. Then I remembered when I was working in ITC Office, they used to do this fry in the canteen, its so crispy and just perfect for Rasam or curd rice.

Ingredients
Pavakkai/Karela/Hagalkayi/Bittergourd - 4nos
Rice flour -2 tablespoons
Corn flour - 1 tablespoon
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tablespoon
Peringayam/Hing/Asafotida - 1/4 tspn
Salt


Oil for shallow fry or deep fry.


Preparation Method
Wash and slice pavakkai (refer other names above) into circles, remove seeds or you can keep it.
Sprinkly rice flour, corn flour, red chilli powder, hing and salt. Sprinkle little water and  leave it for 10 mins.
Heat oil in a wok/Kadai, when its hot, drop them and deep fry till crispy golden brown.
Remove on a tissue paper and store in air tight container when its cool.
 Enjoy Pavakkai Fry with Samabar/Rasam or Curd Rice. You can also just munch with Coffee/Tea.