Sour Mango Chutney; no garlic recipe. Meatless Monday

At our home, we love mango chutneys. We make raw mango chutney, ripe mango chutney. You name it, we make it. This particular one came along by accident. When I went to the grocery store the other day, I saw some yellow mangoes at an inexpensive price. I decided to get  some to eat. When I sliced it and sat down to eat, I was very disappointed! They were horribly sour! Not even salt could help! I decided to salvage them by making chutney out of it. Usually raw mango chutney is made with garlic. However, this one was ripe but sour. Therefore I decided to make it a no garlic recipe. I used asofoetida ( hing) instead, which made it perfect for the Navratri fasting. Here is the quick and easy recipe for a delicious chutney that can be devoured with dosa, idli, chapati or as a side dish with rice!

Servings: makes 2 cups of chutney

Ingredients:

Sour mango: 1 medium sized
Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Green chillies: 2-3 medium-sized
Asofoetida: a pinch if using powder, 1/2 tsp if using solution.
Salt: to taste
Water: 1/4 cup

Method:

Peel and slice the mango. Add the sliced mango pieces with all the above ingredients to the blender/ food processor. Blend until it is a smooth, fine paste.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve with dosa, idli, chapati, rice and even in sandwiches.

You can store it in the refrigerator for upto 7 days and for longer in the freezer.

Cooking made easy:

If you think you will not be using all of the chutney in the next few days, freeze half of the chutney in a freezer-safe container as soon as it is made.  To use frozen chutney, just remove it from the freezer and leave it on the counter-top for a few hours to bring it to room-temperature. Alternatively, you can take it from the freezer and keep it in the refrigerator section of your fridge, overnight.

You can alter the mango-coconut ratio to your liking. If you don't wish to use too much coconut, use half the amount of the mango slices that you have.

You can use dried red chillies or red chilli powder if you don't have green chillies.

Tip for healthy living:

Raw mangoes are rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber.

Food for thought:

A charming woman doesn't follow the crowd. She is herself. Loretta Young.

Funfetti Cupcakes, eggless: Meatless Monday

My daughter's birthday was earlier last month.Her school has a policy where all the birthdays of that particular month are celebrated on the last Friday of the month. In March, the last Friday was Good Friday, which was a holiday and the last week didn't  have a Friday in it. They then decided to celebrate it on the last Thursday! (Well, it took me this long to complete my post!) I had requested that it be celebrated the first Friday of the week of her birthday for the same above reason and specifically because her father would have been in town and would have attended the celebration. The Principal refused. My daughter however is very lucky as I was able to take a day off ( for other urgent reasons) and be there for her birthday.

I always bake for her class parties. I think that it is healthier when you make something at home as opposed to something that is purchased from a store!

I decided to  make a mix of chocolate and vanilla cupcakes as not all kids like chocolate cupcakes! As I was making the vanilla ones, I decided to make it more interesting and transformed them into funfetti cupcakes. They also happen to be eggless. The recipe for this is from an expert fellow blogger, Khushboo Kothari! You can find the original recipe here! For the chocolate cupcake recipe, click here. You will be able to make 2 dozen cupcakes with that recipe. Just use the muffin-pan, line them with liners and bake for 14-16 minutes.I baked and frosted a total of 3  dozen cupcakes.

Oh, the frosting. I was busy with a few other things and so didn't have time to make it from scratch. I always keep 1-2 containers of ready-to-use frosting handy for such occasions. These boxed frosting however cannot be used for piping as it is too thin and won't set. I whipped one cup of powdered sugar with one box of frosting and it was great for piping. Of course, there is no substitute to the taste and quality of buttercream made from scratch! You can find the recipe for that here.

Now, let me share with you the recipe for the most amazing, fluffy, eggless, funfetti cupcakes! Both adults and kids will love it alike!

Servings: makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 1 & 1/4 cups
Corn flour: 3 tbsp
Baking powder:1 tsp & a pinch
Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Granulated sugar: 3/4 cup
Olive oil: 1/2 cup ( any cooking oil can be used)
Greek Yogurt: 1 cup ( regular yogurt can also be used).
Vanilla essence: 1 tsp
Rainbow Sprinkles: 1/4 cup

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
Place the cupcake liners in the muffin pan and keep ready. If you are not using liners, grease the muffin pan and keep ready.

Beat together yogurt and sugar until it is creamy. To this mixture add the oil, vanilla essence and mix well.

Sift together the flour, cornflour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly using the beater on the lowest setting or using a hand-held whisk. Do not over mix.

Fold the sprinkles in. Since the batter is so thick, the sprinkles will not settle down.

Pour a tablespoon of batter into each of the cupcake liners.

Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 350deg F for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

Take the pan out and let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Quick Frosting:

To make a quick pipeable frosting ,whip together a can of store bought buttercream frosting with 1 cup sifted powdered sugar.

I used Wilton 2D tip to pipe the pink rosettes and IM for the cream-colored peaked frosting.

Enjoy!

I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday # 34, Fiesta Friday #115 and Saucy Saturdays # 40. Angies's co-hosts at the Fiesta this week are Julie @ Hostess At Heart and Ashley @ Too Zesty.

Cooking made easy:

You can make double-colored frosting by tinting the vanilla buttercream frosting with gel color streaks in the frosting bag.

Tip for healthy living:

Save the sugary treats for a really special occasion and not for daily existence!

Food for thought:

Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. John D. Rockefeller

Eggless Mango Mousse with fruits; Fiesta Friday Anniversary Special!!

I wanted to be here bright and early for the anniversary gala at Fiesta Friday, week 2!!  Judi, Mollie, Steffi, and Suzanne, have been working hard all week! It is also the NEW YEAR!! Happy New Year to all of you my dear blogger friends!This time I have brought you all a light and fluffy, melt-in-the-mouth, loaded with fruits dessert! I cannot make cream-art but tried to write a message for this event.

This dessert is the result of modification of my good friend Sarika's recipe. I loaded her recipe with tons of fresh fruits to make it relatively healthy and renamed it! You can find the original recipe here.

This is a dessert that would appeal to all age-groups, vegetarians and those who observe gluten-free diet or are allergic to nuts. Kids would love it! It is a great way to get kids to eat fresh fruits ! This is a very simple recipe that can be made the previous night of the party. It only has 4 main ingredients.Basically, I took equal quantities of whipping cream, mango pulp and fruits and half the quantity of powdered sugar.You whip the cream and the powdered sugar and then add the mango pulp and whip it. Lastly fold in the fruits of your choice! Voila!! A beautiful dessert is ready!!

Servings: 8-10 ( 1 cup per person)

Ingredients:

Mango pulp: 1 cup ( room temperature).
Whipping/heavy cream: 1 cup
Powdered sugar: 1/2 cup
Canned fruits in juice: one 8 oz can
Plum: 1, peeled and diced
Peach: 1, peeled and diced
Strawberries: 8-10, washed and sliced into 2.
Raspberries: 8-10
Blackberry: 1
Clementines/mandarins: 4-5, peeled and sections separated.

Method:

Chill the bowl and beaters into which you are going to whip the cream in the freezer for 15 mins .

Drain the canned fruits and keep aside.

Using a hand-blender, whip the cream until soft peaks start to appear, around 4-5 minutes.Do not over whip.

Now add the powdered sugar and mix on low.

Fold in the mango pulp.

Add in the drained fruits and fresh cut fruits.

Decorate using berries as you wish.

Serve chilled!

Enjoy! Happy New Year Everyone!! I am not only bringing this to Fiesta Friday but also to Throwback Thursdays.

Cooking made easy:

You can make this dish using all fresh fruits making it even more healthier!
You can use your choice of fruits based on availability and individual preference.

Tip for healthy living:

It is recommended to eat 4-5 servings of fruits per day. This provides with the much needed essential vitamins,  minerals and dietary fiber!!

Food for thought:

The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals. Melody Beattie

Buckwheat-mushroom Rice Ramen ; Lotus Foods; Meatless Monday

I am a proud Meatless Monday blogger and an avid supporter of the Meatless Monday movement. I believe in eating healthy and this can be mainly achieved through a predominantly vegetarian diet. I also avoid gluten. So, when people from the Meatless Monday campaign reached out to me to try these new Gluten-free organic rice products from Lotus Foods, I willingly agreed. 

Soon, I received a package from Lotus food that contained these three items and some literature regarding them:

1. Buckwheat Mushroom Rice Ramen
2. Jasmine organic brown Mekong flower Rice
3. Heirloom Forbidden Rice

I saved the instant rice for a rainy day when I will need cooked rice in a real hurry. I decided to make the noodles and the organic brown rice this weekend.

I have been eating rice noodles instead of wheat noodles for a while now. However, I haven't found the right one that would cook without turning into mush on me yet. I always have to be extra vigilant and make sure that I don't soak them for too long in the hot water. I have tried buckwheat noodles and didn't really care for the taste. These buckwheat-mushroom noodles were just perfect! I followed the instructions on the packet ( just like you would do when you make Ramen noodles) and made them. I didn't want it soup style, so I drained the water once the noodles were cooked. I like lots of vegetables in my meals, so I sautéed some vegetables and onions separately and mixed them with the drained noodles. I have added one chopped green chilli with the vegetables and used only the seasoning provided with the noodles. It was light, flavorful and delicious. I got two meals from one packet. The noodles remained al-dente. One could barely say that these are buckwheat-rice noodles! I would definitely make it again. This would be perfect for weeknight dinners when you don't want to slave in front of the stove. The whole dish was ready in 15 minutes.

Disclaimer: I am not being paid to do this review.

Buckwheat-Mushroom Rice Ramen with Vegetables

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Buckwheat-mushroom rice ramen ( from Lotus Foods) : 1 packet
Water: 2 cups
Onion: 1, small, sliced thin
Shredded carrot: 1/2cup
Shredded broccoli stems: 1/2 cup
Cauliflower florets: 1/4 cup
Green chilli: 1, chopped fine
Tender Green peas: 2 tbsp
Olive oil: 1 tsp
Salt: a pinch

Method:

In a frying pan, heat 1 tsp oil. Add chopped onions and sauté until it starts to sweat. Now add the green chilli bits, green peas and cauliflower florets. Cook it on low for 2 mins. Add in the shredded broccoli stem and shredded cabbage and sauté for a couple of mins. Add salt and mix.Do not add too much as the seasoning will have salt in it.

In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add the noodles in, simmer and cook for 4 minutes.

Drain the noodles and add it to a different bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning on the noodles and mix well.

Put the cooked vegetables on top of the noodles and serve it or mix it with the noodles and serve it.

Serve hot.

Enjoy.

I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday, Angie's Fiesta Friday & Saucy Saturdays. Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Petra @ Food Eat Love are co-hosting the Fiesta.

Cooking made easy:

For the noodles, I made use of the vegetables that I had in my refrigerator. Pretty much any combination of vegetables can be used for these dishes. You can add more or less veggies as you wish. There is no hard or fast rule.

Tip for healthy living:

Any carbohydrate rich dish can be made healthier by the addition of vegetables.

Food for thought:

Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Phillips brooks.

Date-coconut Balls ( Khajoor laddoos); Meatless Monday

Diwali is a festival where lot of sweet and savory dishes are made in people's homes and then shared with family and friends. As a rule, I don't make sweet dishes too often. On the occasion of Diwali, I wanted to make something for my kids, but something relatively healthy. I decided to make these quick date-coconut balls . Like the name suggests, these are literally  dates that have been shaped into little balls and rolled in dried coconut flakes. It has only 2 all natural ingredients, hardly takes any time to make and is a great source of iron. There is no cooking/baking involved. It is a great energy booster for 3 pm slump.The only downside is that I would not recommend it for diabetics as dates are a concentrated source of natural sugars which can spike their blood-sugar levels.But for my kids, this is perfect! I would rather them eat nutrient-dense treats and desserts than just sugar-rich ones!

Servings: 4 ( makes around 8 dime-sized balls)( serving size: 2 per person)

Ingredients:

Pitted Dates: 12 numbers
Dried coconut flakes: 1/4 cup ( may not need all)
A dab of olive oil: to grease the palms.

Method:

Chop the pitted dates and put them in a small microwave safe bowl.

Cook it in the microwave for 30 seconds so that the dates can soften. Do not do it for longer as it gets burnt very easily!! 

Let it cool down slightly, then blend it in a food processor until it is a homogeneous mass.

Take it out.Grease your palms using a dab of coconut oil. Pinch a little dough and make a nickel-sized ball. 

Do this to all the available dough.

Take the coconut flakes in a shallow bowl/plate. 

Roll each of the date laddoo in it.  

Your khajoor laddoos ( Date-coconut balls) are ready!

Store it in an airtight container at room temperature.Can be stored for months in this fashion.

I am linking this to Throwback Thursday, Angie's Fiesta Friday#94 & Saucy Saturday. Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju and Stef @ The Kiwi Fruit are co-hosting the Fiesta Friday this week!

Cooking made easy:

If you have no nut allergies, you can add powdered roasted nuts to these laddoos and make it even more protein-rich and nutritious. Check the recipe here.

Tip for health living:

Dates are a concentrated source of energy and much-needed minerals. They are usually found growing on palm trees in the deserts,  where nothing much grows. They form an instantaneous source of energy with 100 grams of Mejdool dates providing around 277 calories. This is the reason Muslims eat it after breaking the fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Dates are rich in dietary fibers which prevent constipation. They are also rich in tannins which are known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties. They also have other antioxidants like beta-carotene, Laurence and Zea-xanthin that protect the cells in the body thereby preventing cancer. Dates are a moderate source of vitamin A and B-complex.Dates are an excellent source of iron  and potassium, carrying 0.9 mg iron and 696 mg potassium /100 g of fruit. It is also rich in other minerals like calcium, manganese, copper and magnesium.

Food for thought:

We are no longer happy so soon as we wish to be happier. Walter Savage  Landor.

Friendly Chocolatey Ghosts ; Halloween Special!

When you have little kids at home, it is rather hard to ignore Halloween. You have to participate in the spirit of it and have the kids dress up in some costume, go trick-or-treating and of course, make some scary treats!! Last year, I put together these " mummy dogs" which was a big hit.

This year, I thought of making something that would appeal to them , is easy to put together and would be relatively healthy. I came across these cute ghost snacks somewhere. For the life of me, I cannot remember where but the image has stuck in my head.I think it was an ad I came across by snack-pack pudding. I had to re-create it and the kids loved it.

In fact, they helped me make it! Do give it a try! Bet your kids would enjoy it too.. It is also a nice way to make your kid eat bananas.

Servings: 4 ( 1 cup per person)

Ingredients:

Snack-pack Chocolate pudding cups: 4

Bananas: 4 small or medium sized bananas
Chocolate chips: 12 numbers

Method:

Peel each banana and cut 6 inches from the top. Keep the cut portion of the banana on a plate.

Open the flap of each of the pudding cup. Insert one piece of the cut banana in each cup.

Take 3 chocolate chips per banana and insert it into the banana in such a manner that it looks like the eyes and mouth.

Voila!

 Your ghost is ready! Yes, it is as simple as that!! I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday,Fiesta Friday #92 and Saucy Saturdays.

Cooking made easy:

Make sure that the banana are firm ( just turning yellow) and not over-ripe.

Tip for healthy living:

If you have children who are fussy with fruits and vegetables, one of the ways to introduces healthy food to them is combining  or pairing them with the unhealthy food. This ways it does not look like a bad deal to the child and it is a win-win for both the parent and the child. Some examples would be combing fruits with chocolate by dipping the fruit lightly in it; serving rice and vegetables with chips or crackers. In fact, one of the favorite ways for my son eating his lunch is : one scoop of rice and vegetables with one piece of cracker( usually goldfish or cheese-its).

Food for thought:

A champion is a dreamer that refused to give-up. Unknown

Ragi Shevai / shemiyan( Finger millet vermicelli); Meatless Monday.

I personally avoid gluten as much as possible. I love vermicelli . We have a traditional home-made version of this where in we make vermicelli from rice, wheat and Ragi and is sun-dried. This can be stored for years!  Rice and wheat shevai/vermicelli are the more popular ones. Every time either when someone visits us from India or we visit India, I bring this for myself. During my recent trip to India, I was pleasantly surprised to find Ragi vermicelli so easily available. I am a big fan of Ragi ( finger millet) and use it a lot in my cooking. I regularly make Ragi Neer dosa, Ragi Phanna polo, Ragi masala dosa and even ragi porridge. When I made the vermicelli dish as a fasting recipe, I was pleasantly surprised. I couldn't stop eating! I ate a lot but my stomach felt light unlike other meals, which when we overeat we feel  bloated and uncomfortable. I  was eager to share this recipe with everyone. It is a super simple and easy recipe.

Servings: 2-3 ( 1-1 1/2 cup per person)

Ingredients:

Dried ragi shevai ( finger millet vermicelli): 4 cups
Water: 8 cups
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Urad dal( matpe bean lentil): 1 tsp
Green chilies: 2 small, slit lengthwise
Freshly grated coconut: 1/4 cup
Sugar: 1 tsp

Method:

Boil water with salt in a pot. When it boils, turn of the flame and add the dried ragi Shevai  to the pot in such a way that the Shevai is completely immersed in it.

Close the pot and keep aside for 5 mins or until all the Shevai have changed color slightly and look soft.

Drain and keep aside. Make sure that you don't soak the shevai for too long as then the whole dish will be mushy! The Shevai has to be al dente.

Upon draining, if it looks a little clumpy, separate it using your fingers.

Heat coconut oil in a sauté pan/ kadai on medium heat. Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add the curry leaves, urad dal and green chilies. Saute for a few seconds.

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 Now add the drained Shevai and mix well. Add sugar and more salt if needed. Add freshly grated coconut reserving a little for garnish.Turn off the gas.

Garnish with the remaining coconut. You can also sprinkle a little sugar on top, especially for little kids as it gives it a nice taste.

Serve hot .

For adults, it can be served with savory snacks like mixture or chips. Some like to eat it with a banana or even yogurt. I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday and Fiesta Friday.

Cooking made easy:

Make sure that the shevai is completely drained before adding it to the pan with the seasoning. Once the Shevai is drained, you can fluff it with a fork to ensure that it is not stuck to each other. You can also run the colander under cold water while draining so that it does not continue to cook.

Tip for healthy living:

You can add vegetables like peas, peas and carrots or mixed vegetables to this dish to make it even more healthier and balanced.

Food for thought:

Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction. E.O. Wilson