Strawberry Jam

Strawberry season is here, if you love strawberries, it’s the best time to pick your own strawberries.  Last week on a fine sunny day my family went for a strawberry picking …it was super fun. Picking your own strawberries is the best way to know that you are getting the freshest strawberries. Luckily there were more than few farms near my place but we chose a one which is little far off, heard they have the very tasty strawberries and sure they did. My kids loved exploring the strawberry field, my boy was busy looking out for big ripe ones and my girl was busy playing on the farm rather I would say destroying the plants. Most of the berries went into the basket but not before tasting few. Actually when we went there most of the strawberries have been picked but still we managed to pick two basket full of good ripe ones.

After eating the fruit and making juices and smoothies out of it, still lots of berries were left, so I ended up making the strawberry jam. For just three cups of mashed strawberries gave me seven 8oz jars of jam. To extend the jam’s shelf life, processing the jars is more important.


Ingredients
Strawberries cut and mashed – 3 Cups
Sugar – 5 cups
Pectin – 1 packet (1.7oz)
8oz Jar – 7

Method
1.Processing the bottles- clean the jars and lids and boil them separately for 10 mins. 
2.Rinse, hull and cut the strawberry and put in a bowl and mash them with a potato                          masher until no lumps. Mix 1 packet of pectin to the strawberry.
3.Bring the mixture to boil, stir in the sugar and continue boiling, stirring in between. Use a spoon to remove the foam from the surface.
3.Boil until the mixture thickens for about 20 to 30 mins in a medium heat.
4.To perform the gel test, take a half chilled steel spoon full of mix and bring it to room temperature on the spoon, if it thickens up to the consistency of your choice, the jam is done. If not add little more pectin and bring it to boil for a min.
5.Remove from heat and cool for 10 mins and remove the jars from the hot water without using your hand and pour the jam and seal it and enjoy it.
A scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with this jam at its best. 

“My 100th post” – Nothing special just Croutons Manchurian

At last this marks my "100th post", actually I targeted to complete 100 postings within a year of my blogging but it took more than a year for me to reach here. I wanted to post something sweet for my special 100th post and waited a week for me to prepare but till now I haven’t made anything special (lazy me) but I couldn’t wait any longer to mark this mini milestone in my blog so posting this croutons manchurian.
So, we reached the 100th post with this food blog, yes I say “we” because while I do all the cooking and writing my hubby helps me with the pictures so a little credit to him.
I have been blogging for a little over a year now and I have covered most of my family favorites recipes in my blog but my hubby complains that’s there is no healthy food recipes in my blog so I have decide to concentrate more on preparing healthy dishes with lots of vegetables and fruits and doing lots of variations to the regular dish I prepare to make it look healthier. I have to honestly accept that my hubby is not the only reason for me to go the healthier way of cooking; the other strong reason is my friend Viji. Yes I met her a few days back after her India vacation that is after 5 long months , oh my goodness that girl has lost a good amount of weight and what she said the reason is like eating healthy and lots of exercise. Me doing exercise is not possible so at least I want to try eating possibly healthier like more of fruits and vegetables..…hmmm from now on you can expect more of healthy food recipes in my blog. All the credit goes to Viji if I am still with this even after a month.
Today’s post is Croutons Manchurian, a quick and tasty recipe and to make sure this is not the "so called" healthier one. I used the store brought croutons and if can make one by yourself, that’s good and try out this recipe with it. When you buy from the store, make sure you buy the plain ones, I used the flavored one and I think plain one would have tasted better.

Ingredients
Croutons – 1 packet
Ginger chopped – 1 tbsp
Garlic chopped – 1tbsp
Onion chopped finely – 2 tsp
Green Chiles – 3 finely chopped
Chili garlic sauce – 1 tsp
Soy sauce – 1 tsp
Tomato ketchup – 2 tsp
Cilantro chopped
Oil – 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method
Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add onion, garlic, ginger and chilies and sauté for 5 mins. Then add chili garlic sauce and soy sauce and ketchup and add ½ a cup of water and let to boil. Now add the croutons and mix well. The croutons will absorb the sauce and will turn soft. Finish off with lots of cilantro and enjoy this quick and tasty Manchurian.

Chettinad Lamb Curry

This is yet another chettinad delicacy from my kitchen. All my friends and family knew that I am very obsessed with chettinad recipes so this time my sister who took the privilege of passing on this recipe to me, I was not interested to know how she got it so I am not sure on its authenticity but I can assure you, "it’s very delicious". Anyway why bother about other stuff when it tastes excellent. Generally I adapt recipes to my taste, this is one kind of recipes I did follow faithfully and I have the taste and texture nailed down in this recipe and I doubt me trying another mutton curry recipe after tasting this one. This recipe is not too complicated and once if you try this, you’ll never go back to your own mutton curry recipe (like me). This curry is an excellent combination with idli. A plate of steaming hot idlis with mutton curry ….hmmm…. nothing can taste better than this..sorry vegetarian guys.

Ingredients
Lamb – 1 lb
Pearl onions – 15
Garlic Cloves – 10
Tomato – 1 medium
Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
Sambar Powder – 1 tsp
Paprika powder – 1 tsp (optional)
Chili Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
Oil – 3 tsp
Cilantro
Curry leaves
Salt to taste

To Grind
Coconut – ¼ cup
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Cardamom – 2

For Seasoning
Cloves – 5
Cinnamon – 1”
Cardamom – 3

Method
Chop the onions if you its too big. Heat oil in the pressure cooker and add cloves, cinnamon and cardamom and when its aromatic add onions and garlic and sauté well and add the ginger garlic paste and now add the tomato and sauté until the tomato is mushy. Next add mutton/lamb and fry in slow flame for 10 mins. Add all dry powders one by one and mix well and add sufficient water and pressure-cook for 10 mins. When its done look for the consistency and add more water if needed and now add the grinded coconut paste and curry leaves and when its starts to boil turn off the flame and add cilantro generously. Enjoy!!

Puliyodhari/Puliyogere/ Tamarind Rice

Its been ages since I made the tamarind rice- in an authentic way and to be honest I haven’t done it this way and the main reason is I hate this dish. At last I decided to make it as my hubby loves this and I don’t want to find an excuse for not making just because I don’t like it. Every one says this dish is so tasty and I don’t know why my taste buds always rejects this rice.
Everyone knows this is a very popular temple prasadam allover south India and many people visits temple regularly just for this but visit for sweet pongal they give at temple and sometimes they would give both and I always trade my puliyogere for pongal with whoever I go. This rice is also very popular for picnic in India but not in the trip I am organizing or at least I make sure curd rice is also there or else no picnic:-)

Ingredients for pulikachal/gravy
Tamarind – A golf ball size
Gingelly oil - ¼ Cup
Channa dhal – 2 tbsp
Roasted Peanut – 3 tbsp
Red Chilies – 3
Mustard – 1tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Asafetida
Salt to taste

For the Powder
Sesame seeds – 2 tbsp
Coriander seed – 2 tsp
Fenugreek seed – ¼ tsp
Red Chilies – 2


Method
Add enough water to soak the tamarind and microwave for 2 mins and extract the juice and discard any lumps and do no add more water.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the asafetida and mustard seed and when they splutter add channa dhal and peanuts and add turmeric powder and when the channa dhal turns red add red chili and add the tamarind juice and add half of salt and remaining salt can be added while mixing with rice. Reduce the heat and cook until it becomes thick and oil floats on top. Cool and store in the refrigerator in a bottle and this will stay fresh for a month.
For the powder, just roast all the ingredients and grind to a coarse powder and store in a separate container.

For making tamarind rice
Cool the rice after cooking and rice should be separate.
Add little pulikachal with rice and mix it and sprinkle little of the powder and mix. Add salt to your taste and Enjoy with papad.

Mushroom and Pepper's Sandwich

This is a very simple and delicious sandwich. This sandwich was prepared  for my hubby to take to work for lunch and I had to hurry as it was getting late and you can see that in my picture, did not wait for it to even focus. This is very filling, healthy and easy to carry in a lunch box as well. Mushroom and peppers are the terrific combination I could think of for a vegan sandwich and the whole sandwich comes together very well and the taste you will really relish.

Ingredients
Bread – 4 slices
Button Mushroom – 5 chopped
Red and yellow peppers Chopped – 1 Cup
Cheese Singles – 2 (use any kind of your choice, I used provolone)
Oil – 1 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Mayonnaise and Dijon mustard to spread

Method

Heat oil in a pan and fry peppers till half cooked and add mushrooms and fry for couple of mins by adding salt and pepper.
Meanwhile spread the mayo and Dijon mustard on one bread slice and place the fried mushroom and peppers and top it with the cheese and close it with another bread slice.
Put the sandwich in a skillet and evenly brown over medium heat on both sides...ENJOY!!

Creamy Broccoli and Cheese Soup

This is a flavorful creamy, cheesy and tasty broccoli soup. When I was looking online for a good broccoli soup most of the recipe was like blending all the ingredients together and making a soup of it but I wanted real broccoli chucks in my soup to enjoy the broccoli in every spoon of soup I take and this recipe I prepared the way I wanted and it tasted really good and also it is a very simple broccoli soup recipe. This is not too creamy but really very yummy. It is a very delightful appetizer one would have. This was a huge hit in my house and my hubby gobbled it down and my kids, who are not a big soup fan, enjoyed it.
I used chicken broth and if you want vegan version use vegetable broth.

Ingredients
Butter – 1tbsp
Large Broccoli head – 1 Cut to small florets
Onion – 1 finely chopped
Chicken Broth – 2 Cups
Water – 1 Cup
All Purpose flour – ¼ Cup
Cheddar Cheese – ½ Cup
Milk – 1 cup (Use any milk I used half and half)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Over a medium heat, melt butter in a large pot. Add onions and sauté till they are tender.
Add broccoli florets, chicken broth and water to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil for about 10 mins or until broccoli is tender.
Add salt and pepper.
In a small bowl mix flour with water and add to the boiling broccoli mixture.
Add the cheese and cook for another 4 to 5 mins in a reduced heat.
Add the milk and when it starts to boil turn off the heat.
While serving add little cheese on top and serve with crackers of your choice and Enjoy!!!!

Spicy Egg Masala

Sometimes its becomes difficult for me to think what to cook with egg as egg being such an versatile and tastes very good however way its being cooked and goes fabulous with almost anything. At last I settled with this spicy egg masala which is easy to cook and the best. Each time I prepare I try to use different seasoning and all the time the taste is always wonderful. This recipe is very good side dish for any bland rice but I like it for biryani and its tastes even great for roti or chapati.

Ingredients
Egg – 5
Onion – 1 finely chopped
Tomato – 2 medium size finely chopped
Green Chiles – 2 finely chopped
Clove – 2
Cinnamon – ¼”
Cardamom – 1
Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Chili Powder – ½ tsp
Pepper Powder – ½ tsp
Cilantro to garnish
Oil – 3 tsp
Salt to taste

Method
Boil the egg and remove the shell and cut the eggs into two haves and keep aside.
In a pan, heat oil and add the fennel seed, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. When its aromatic add the onion and sauté until it turns brown.
Add the ginger garlic paste and mix and add the tomato and cook until the tomato turns mushy and if needed sprinkle water in between.
Now add all the dry masala powders other than the pepper powder and cook in a reduced flame until the raw smell is gone and add little water in between to avoid burning the masala. Last add the pepper powder.
Now add the egg and mix carefully to coat the gravy with the egg and take care not to separate the yolk and white
Add cilantro and enjoy with anything you like.