Watermelon fruit salad

Fruit salads are just layering the  chopped fruits in a bowl and mixing with our favorite ingredients.There are various types of fruit salads prepared in different ways.Usually I Prepare custard fruit salad with variety of fruits.It tastes good  only when refrigerated.Coming to this simple fruit salad is very quick process to serve kids when they are very hungry.Especially my daughter who is  a picky eater keep asking me snacks every time.( skipping her main course).Luckily she loves fruits a lot.So I keep giving her variety of fruits in different ways.Today I'm posting watermelon salad in BM#65 under the theme Soups and salads.

Ingredients:

• water melon chunks 1 cup
• Blueberries 1/2 cup
• Apple 1/2 chopped into smalla chunks
• sugar 1 tspns
• Mint leaves 1 or 2
• Pepper powder 1/4 tspn
• chat masala a pinch

Procedure:

• Chop all fruits  except berries into small cubes.
• Mix all fruits nicely.Add a dash of pepper, little sugar and a pinch  of chat masala.
• Sprinkle few mint leaves on top.
• Enjoy the simple watermelon salad in this hot summer..
  

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Vegetable sweet corn soup

Sweet corn is a variety of maize with high sugar content.Sweet corn is a special maize variety genetically differ from field maize.It's kernels are tender,delicious and eaten as vegetable in many cuisines world wide.This soup is in my list for so long.When I signed for soups and salads, this soup is my first preference in list.My daughter loves corn,so she loved and enjoyed the soup.Adapted this soup from Sanjeev kapoor's kitchen.Today I'm posting vegetable sweet corn soup in BM#65 under the theme soups and salads.Here is my recipe.

Ingredients:

• Sweet corn kernals  1/2 cup
• vegetables chopped( carrot,beans,,cabbage)1 cup
• oil 1 tbspn
•  sweet Corn kernals blended  1 cup( blend into creamy kind of paste)
• vegetable stock 2 cups
• crushed pepper 1/2 tspn
• salt to taste
• spring onions few for garnishing
• corn starch or corn flour 2 tbspns
• water 1 cup
  

Procedure:

• Heat oil in a pan,add chopped vegetables and saute few mins on high heat.
• Now add blended sweet corn kernels,then add vegetable stock and water.
• Add pepper powder and salt to the pan and mix it well.Allow it to boil for 15 mins.
• Now add sweet corn kernels and wait until it boil  few more mins.Add corn flour mixed with 2 tbspns of water.cook till the soups just thickens.Garnish with spring onions,Serve hot and enjoy.
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Egg drop noodle soup

Soups are usually made by simmering flavorful ingredients such as meats,seafood,vegetables in water or in broth.Coming this simple egg drop noodle soup,is a very easy soup and a favorite soup to kids.Usually my kids love to have chicken soup  every time when we go out.I tried chicken soup at home already and thought to try this simple soup. Adapted this recipe from here. Am posting this recipe in BM#65 under the theme soups and salads.

Ingredients:

• Noodles 150 gms
• Tomatoes 2 medium
• oil 1 tbspn
• Egg 1
• onion1
• garlic 2 pods finely chopped
• ginger 1/2 inch finely chopped
• chicken stock or vegetable stock 2 cups
• Coriander leaves few
• Tomato ketchup 2 tbspns
• black pepper crushed 1 tspn
• corn startch 2 to 3 tspns
• vinegar 1 tspn
• salt to taste
• spring onions for garnishing.

Procedure:

• Cook noodles in a deep bowl,drain it and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan add chopped onions,saute few mins until onions turns translucent.Add chopped ginger,chopped tomatoes, chopped garlic,vegetable stock or chicken stock and mix it well.cook until everything well boiled( around 15 mins)
• Add tomato ketchup ,salt ,crushed pepper to the tomato mix and mix it well.
• In a bowl add 3 tspns of corn starch and little water,mix it well.Add  this corn starch mix to the above mix.
• crack egg in a bowl,whisk well and keep aside.
• slowly add this whisked egg to the above mix.Let it sit for 1 min then slowly mix it.
• Now add vinegar,coriander leaves,cook till the soup thickens.
• Take serving bowl,add  2 tbspn of cooked noodles, add egg drop tomato soup on top and garnish with fresh spring onion and serve hot.
  

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Bread sticks

Bread sticks is an easy snack made with bread flour or all purpose flour.In the original recipe it was baked with All purpose flour,but I tried using bread flour.These are my favorite appetizers or sides any time I eat pizza.Kids love to have this soft buttery garlic flavored bread sticks.Bread sticks an easy recipe with just few ingredients.Summer holidays started for my kids from Monday.They want something  new snack every time..So thought to give a try these bread sticks..Adapted recipe from here My kids loved to the core.They just enjoyed eating like that without marinara sauce.Usually these are very tasty with marinara sauce.Here is yummy bread-sticks recipe.

Ingredients:

• Bread flour or all purpose flour( 1 1/2 cup,1 CUP PLUS 1/2 CUP)( 250 ml cup,I used bread flour here)
• yeast 1 tspn
• sugar 1 tspn
• salt 1/2 tspn
• warm water 1/2 cup( can add 1 or 2 tbspns more if  needed)
• olive oil 1 tspn
  

For coating

• Butter 3 tbspn
• grated garlic 2 tbspn
• dried oregano
• dried basil

Method:
Heat 3 tbspn of butter add grated garlic in the hot butter and fry few mins,until nice aroma comes (around 2 mins) .Don't burn the garlic or else it will ruin the bread.Add italian seasoing to the butter garlic mixture
.
For bread sticks

Procedure:

• Take sugar in a bowl, add warm water and yeast mix it well.Keep aside in warm weather until froth appears on top( around  5 to 6 mins)
• In another bowl mix flour ,salt and olive oil.
• Now add the yeast water to the flour and knead it until soft.( add extra water if necessary)
• Grease your plams with little olive oil and coat the dough.
• Cover the dough and set it side for an hour in warm place.
• After an hour knead it again for 3 to 4 mins and keep aside half an hour.
• Now once the dough is risen well ,dust the surface with flour and divide the dough into two rectangles.
• Shape each rectangle into 1 inch sticks as shown in the pics. Brush each stick with seasoning mixture above.
• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Spray the baking tray with little bit of olive oil.
• Arrange these sticks slowly in the baking tray..Keep them covered for 10 to 15 mins( just to risen little bit)Then,Bake 15 to 17 mins or until they turn little brown.
• Yummy breads sticks ready enjoy with marinara sauce or just like that.
  

Mamidikaya pulihora( raw mango rice)

Summer without mangoes I can't imagine!Especially I love to eat Banginpalli mangoes.I enjoyed eating different types of  mangoes in my  childhood during visit to my grandparents home.Recently I saw many good variety mangoes in Indian grocery..Purchased few raw mangoes this time as I planned to pickle few mangoes.After Iam done with mango pickle I left with one raw mango ,thought  doing mango rice.First I tasted this in my sister's home.It was so good.I enjoyed lot.Posting this recipe in BM#65 under the theme rice dishes.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice cooked
• mango grated 1 cup
• asofoetida a pinch
• ginger little grated
• green chillies 2
• red chillies 2
• peanuts 2 tbspns
• turmeric 1/4 tspn
• chana dal1 tbspn
• fenugreek seeds 1/4 tspn
• mustard seeds 1 tspn
•  urad dal 2 tspns
• curry leaves few
• oil 2tbspns(You may add 1 tbspn oil+1 tbspn ghee)
• salt to taste 

procedure

• Heat oil in a pan,when it is hot add mustard seeds along with redchillis ,curry leaves.Now add urad dal chana dal along with methi seeds
• Now add peanuts or (cashew nuts) fry few mins until they well roasted.
• Add turmeric, and salt.Then add grated mango,give a stir.
• Cook mango just for 2 mins until they just soft enough.
• Now add cooked rice,mix gently till everything well combined.
• Yummy mango rice is ready.

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Egg and prawn Dum biryani

Biryani is pretty popular dish in every region of India.I love to have Biryani any time especially prawn biryani. Prawn or shrimp biryani is one of our families favorite Biryani. Few months back inlaws visited us and they love to eat little spicy food.During that time my husband was little health concerned and avoided shrimp completely.To full fill his desire to eat dum biryani I supposed to add boiled eggs, atleast he would enjoy biryani.My mother in law and father in law loved to the core.Felt very happy as everyone liked it.Worth  the time and effort spent on this recipe.Posting this recipe in BM#65 under the theme Rice dishes in different forms.

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice 4 cups( 200 ml cup)
• Prawns or shrimp 8 to 10 large
• Boiled Eggs4 to 5
• Tomatoes 2
• Ginger garlic paste 2 tbspn
• coconut milk 1/4cup
• Turmeric powder 1111/4 tspn
• cumin powder 1 tspn
• coriander powder1 tbspn
• Red chilli powder 2 tbspn
• store bought biryani masala 1 tspn( optional) I prefer shan biryani masala)
• Ghee 4 to 5 tbspns
• Green chilli 3
• lime juice 2 tbspns
• fried onions few or one big onion chopped.
• Mint leaves chopped 1/4 cup
• coriander leaves chopped 1/4 cup
• saffron strands soaked in hot milk( 3 tbspn of milk)

Garam masala (Spice powder)

• Cinnamon 2 small sticks
• cardamom 3 to 4
• cloves 4
• Bay leaf 2
• Biryani flower1
• Shahi jeera 1 tsnpn
• Mace 2
• Pepper corns1/2 tspn
• Blend all the above spices into fine powder in a blender.keep aside.

Marination:

Marinate prawns with spice powder mentioned above,chilli powder,gingergarlic paste, turmeric powder,salt coriander powder,cuminpowder,mint leaves,fried onions,green chillies,lime juice,little ghee.mix it well.Keep in a refrigerator for 30 mins or an hr outside.

Procedure:

• Heat 4 to 5 tbspn of ghee,when it is hot add chopped onions fry until little brown,take out few onions and keep aside.
  
• Add chopped tomatoes fry until oil oozes out of the tomatoes.Then add few chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves ( Keep few leaves to sprinkle while arranging dum)
  
• Now add marinated prawns to the pan and cook until prawns well cooked.
• When almost prawns fried in the masala add boiled eggs ,coconut milk ,cook few more mins.keep aside.(2 to 3 mins)
• Now take a deep vessel and cook rice until it is 80% done.
• Arrange oven tray,spread little bit ghee on the bottom layer add half the prawns egg gravy,then pour cooked rice on top of gravy.sprinkle fried onions,few mint and coriander leaves. little bit store bought biryani masala( for extra flavor)
• Next pour remaining gravy on top  followed by another layer of rice.
  
• Preheat oven400F.
• Bake 30 to 40 mins in the oven.After first 10 mins reduce the temperature to 375F and bake remaining mins.
• If you prefer on stove top arrange in same process and keep high for3 mins then slowly reduce to low flame for 15 to 20 mins.
  
• Yummy prawn shrimp dum biryani is ready.Enjoy any salad of your choice.
  

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Traditional pulav

Pulav is a dish in which rice is completely cooked with masalas.It can be cooked with meats and vegetables also.But,coming to this recipe which  is completely different as it is only cooked with few spices.This is my mom's signature dish.Though I cooked several times,still i keep calling mom everytime I cook,because I don't want to miss  actual taste.Today morning again I called my mom and spoke with her.As I mentioned mom that am going to post this today.She told me estimated measurements,but I put in exact measurements to publish in my blog.Usually we have it with mutton curry or chicken curry and side dish of vada also. I born brought up coastal side of Andhra pradesh. we used to have this full meal during festival of kanuma which comes after Makara sankranthi.Finally got opportunity  to post this recipe.Posting this recipe in BM#65 under the theme rice dishes.

INGREDIENTS:

• Rice 4 cups( 250 ml cup)
• onions 2 medium or 1 big
• Garlic&garlic paste 2 tbpns
• coconut paste 2 tbspn
• Poppy seeds 1 tbspn
• Daniya 2 tbspn 
• cinnamon 2
• cloves 2
• cardamom 2
• Ghee 2 tbspns
• Bay leaf 1
• cashew nuts 4 to 5
• salt to taste

Preparation: 

• Blend onions into fine paste keep aside. Take fresh or frozen coconut, make fine coconut paste.(blend separately coconut and onion pastes)keep aside.
• Next blend all masalas(poppy seeds,daniya,cinnamon,cloves,cardamom) keep aside.

• Procedure:
• For pulav
• Heat ghee in a pan,once it is hot add  cashewnuts fry until little brown.Take out, keep aside.
• Add bay leaf followed by onion paste fry well in medium flame until oil oozes out of the paste.Then add ginger garlic paste fry few more mins.
• Now add coconut paste fry a min,add garam masala which was blended.saute few more mins.
• Time to add rice( soaked in water for an hr, soaking not compulsory) fry rice for 2 more mins in medium flame in the masala paste.
• Add cashew nuts, and 6 to 7 cups of water.Shift this to a rice cooker and cook it.( select white rice option)Traditionally mom used to cook this in open container with lid on.( you may add 8 cups of water )
• Yummy pulav is ready.This is very good with non vegetarian dishes..Vegetarians can try with any spicy curry.

For Goat curry recipe here

NOTE: The key taste depends on how the way you fry each ingredients..Fry in medium flame carefully..Don't burn the spices or else pulav will be pungent.

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