Mango Saffron Srikand - Mango Saffron Yogurt

Mango Saffron Srikand - Mango Saffron Yogurt

I am so glad to be blogging again, it's been a long hiatus ,who am I kidding I have missed blogging very much, did not realize but blogging has become a part of my entity and place to jot down my thoughts and of course my recipes. Past weeks have been hectic but for a good reason, the kind of reason you would want. This weekend we have company shutdown on Friday and Monday being a national holiday I get to enjoy a long weekend.So looking forward spending with friends and family.

It's Mango season in India, my mouth salivates when I think of all those ripe Mangoes, my personal and local to coastal AP favorities are Banginappali, Cheruku rasam, Suvarna rekha and last but not the least Alphonso. Summers growing up were spent at maternal grandmothers home where Mangoes were brought in huge baskets and there was a special room which was laid with hay to ripen the mangoes. I still remember the fragrance that room would emit and we as kids would go choose the ripest mango to eat. Seriously I think I can never get tired of Mangoes the king of fruit as they say.

Mangoes and yogurt are like match made in heaven be in the form of lassi or today's recipe Mango Yogurt or Srikand as they call it.

Recipe requires a little prep time but trust me you just can't stop eating once its done.

Ingredients
about 4 cups of yogurt ( used homemade yogurt made from 2% milk)
about 2 cups of Mango pulp (store brought mango pulp, substitute with fresh ripe mangoes if you are lucky)
3-4 tbsp powdered sugar
about 1 tbsp of saffron /kesar.

Step1.

Tie yogurt in a cheesecloth and allow for the water to drain.

Step 2.

Let the yogurt stand in the cheesecloth till all the water is drained out, I let it sit for about 5-6 hrs. After 6 hours yogurt has consistency like cream cheese.

Step 3.

Warm 2 tbsp of milk in a microwave for 10 seconds, add saffron and allow it to rest for about an hr or so. For really thicker color and stronger flavor I would do this the same time as setting yogurt. Few hours of into soaking milk saffron gives out a beautiful orangish yellow color.

Step 4.

Take 2 cups of mango pulp, my favorite brand in Kesar usually priced at about $2.99 and can be found in any Indian groceries . Trust me this is the closest feel I get of summer . Now add sugar, mango pulp and saffron and whisk till all the ingredients are well incorporated.


Step 5. Spoon or pipe into ramekins and chill until served. My five year old decided he would want to pipe into the bowl and the end result super sweet and cute.

A perfect cooler for the summer and a must try. Mangoes can be substituted with pineapple or your choice of fruit pulp.

Hope to be regular at blogging and wishing everyone a happy summer and stay cool and safe.

Mango recipes I blogger earlier

Mango Cheesecake

Love,

Sreelu

MIA

Last week has been one of the most hectic week. All during the week I think I went through every emotion possible a minute I was excited and the next minute I was as scared as a little girl. I am really exicted about new challeges and oppurtunities that lie ahead which I am sure I would be able to handle.That said I really did not feel like blogging whole of last week.Hopefully this is a phase and it will pass soon.

Till then take care.
Sreelu

A Magical Blog

This week has been super hectic for me, but the best part loving every bit of it.
Its during days like these a visit to Georgianna Lane's blog sooths and transports you into a magical world of flowers and beautiful photo's, beautiful here is very understated, her photos are truly artistic and I love every bit of it.

Click here to be transported into a beautiful world of photos and flowers.

Dill Sambar

Hope everyone had a good weekend, my weekend could not have been better. Mothers day was celebrated a day early with a surprise lunch organized by dads which was uber sweet and when you have good company and good food it cannot get any better.
Sunday was special since kids made every effort to make me feel special .Loved all the cute presents,cards and letter saying I am the best mom ever,I really hope they feel this way forever. Looking forward to the week ahead.

Coming to today's recipe , Dill I think a herb is not something that you like instantly atleast for me it took a while to get used to taste, but once you start liking the taste you have a world of ways that Dill can be used. Dill and potatoes is one of my favorite, dill is used in many dips but today made Sambar courtesy a good friends recipe. Loved the taste and this recipe is a keeper for sure.



Ingredients
2 cups of tamrind water
1 bunch of fresh Dill
1 onion cut into small pieces
1 tomato
salt
haldi/tumeric
2 tbsp Samabar powder ( My favorite MTR)
1 tbsp brown sugar/Jaggery
2 cups toor dal paste ( toor dal pressure cooked and made into a fine paste)
For thadka
1 tbsp jeera
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp urad dal
pinch of hing
3-4 red chilies
1/2 tsp methi seeds
8-10 curry leaves
Process
1. in an pan add tamrind water ,chopped Dill, Tomatoes, and Onion and salt and haldi and allow to boil for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender
2. Now add toor dal paste and mix well
3. Add sambar powder and jaggery, check for salt and adjust accordingly
4. In a seperate pan add oil and all the ingredients for thadka and when mustard starts to splutter add this to boiling sambar
5. Mix well and allow to boil for about 5 minutes, garnish with coriander






Sambar will have a very strong Dill flavor and it tastes delicious with rice or roti's.

A Moms Job Never Ends

Happy mothers day all, I for one am thankful for my mom and values she instilled, though I don't say this often to her, I love her and value her opinion a lot and I hope I can atleast be half good as her. I feel truly blessed to have my mom who is my best friend.

Love you Amma !!

Amar Chitra Katha - Online

I am sure Amar Chitra Katha has been a companion to all the kids in India growing up, Be it stories about mythology or witty Birbal or the morals of panchatanta , these stories had a profound impact . Every trip to India I usually pick up few Amar Chitra Katha books for my kids especially about Hanuman or Krishna or Rama for some reason my kids really love these books. Off late we have been buying e-comics and have been enjoying reading on line from Amar Chitra Katha
They also have a weekly free comic. I relive my childhood days reading ACK's with my kids again.

It's almost weekend and looking forward to it.

Amar Chitra Katha can be found online at http://www.amarchitrakatha.com/

Laptop is back

Finally after a week got my laptop back, so glad to access all my pictures only to realize I have tons of software to be installed, so looks like it will take me this weekend to get my laptop back to where it was.

Now want to introduce one of my favorite blogger Neo who writes about his confessions as a newly returned Indian , loved his take on
A foreigner’s guide to traditional Indian dining etiquette, click here to read

Kakarakaya fry - Bittergourd fry

I know bitter gourd is on the not so favorite list of many people including me , but since last few years have learnt to cook it the right way and ever since bitter gourd is regulary cooked at home, now with kids its another ball game. They just plain do not eat hey I can't blame them I was just like them at their age hehe .

Ingredients
1/2 lb bitter gourd
1 big red onion chopped finely
about a tbsp of ginger finely chopped
1/2 cup tamarind juice
1/2 tbsp red chili powder
3 tbsp jaggery/brown sugar/regular sugar
salt according to taste
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp jeera/cumin seeds
1 tbsp urad dal
pinch of hing
about 1/3 cup oil.

Process
1.cut bittergourd into thin slices, this is key finer you slice easier and quicker to cook.
2. Heat a pan add oil and when hot add urad dal, jeera, mustard , ginger and hing and saute till mustard pops.
3. Add finely chopped onions and saute till they turn brown
4. Now add bitter gourd ,salt and red chili powder and try for about 8- 10 minutes till bitter gourd turns brown.
5. Now add tamarind water and brown sugar and cook till the water evaporates takes about 5 minutes or so.
6. Check for salt and adjust accordingly.

Now follow this recipe and bitter gourd will not taste that bitter after all :)

Anapakaya /Sorakaya Pachadi - Bottle Gourd Chutney

Anapakaya Pachadi - Bottle Gourd Chutney

On my last call with my mom she mentioned about Mangoes and how she is looking to get good variety of raw mangoes to make typical South Indian pickle in Delhi, ahh the memories of making pickle go way back for me , more than making of the pickle it is the memories of summer season where the whole family gathered for vacations. Grandparents, aunty's , and the entire cousin clan. Every one was given a chore and we had such fun doing it. As kids all we had to do was to take a piece of cloth and wipe the raw mangoes dry, it was fun to sit with everyone and listen to their tales and stories etc . Anyways I seriously don't know how to make those elaborate pickles nor do I posses that much patience however that said today's pickle is a kind of fresh pickle that's to be eaten in a day or two.

Ingredients
1 medium sized bottle gourd/anapakaya/sorakaya
6-8 green chilies (adjust accordingly)
2 garlic
tbsp of tamarind paste
1/2 cup of toasted peanuts

for seasoning
tbsp urad dal
2 tbsp jeera
3-4 red chilies
pinch of hing
1 tspn tumeric/haldi
salt according to taste
6-7 curry leaves
1 tbsp of oil

Process
1. Heat tbsp of oil in a pan, when oil get hot add urad dal,jeera , red chilies, hing and curry leaves.
2. After few seconds add red chilies and green chilies and saute.
3. Add peeled bottle gourd cut into cubes about an inch
4. Add salt and tumeric and mix well.
5. Cook covered for about 3-4 minutes till bottle gourd seems tender and cooked.
6. Now add all the above and garlic, peanuts and tamarind paste and grind till it turns into a paste.
7. Check for salt and adjust accordingly.



Measurement of chilies in this recipe is on the spicy side, reduce if you like it milder. Enjoy with steaming hot rice.

Poori Bhaji - The easy way

Poori Bhaji Sunday Breakfast



We have a certain routine at home, usually weekdays breakfast for kids is made up cereals, waffles ,pancakes or fresh toast, but come sunday I try to give them some Indian/desi breakfast . Of all the breakfast my kids love Poori's, well no surprise here, pooris are my favorite too. However making them is another issue, seriously I feel it's quite painful to make dough, roll it and fry it and not to mention the clean up. I am always in for processes or food that can be semi made and easy and ones that I don't need to sweat in the kitchen.

And to my rescue comes Rotiland roti's. Rotiland roti's are premade roti that are uncooked. You get them at wholesalers like Costco and you may also find it in freezer sections in Indian stores. Just take a uncooked roti, use a cookie cutter to cut them into shapes of your choice, I always ask my kids to pick their shapes and cut them out, they pick footballs, aeroplanes and what not, all I have to do is deep fry , its that EASY. Made simple potato sabji to go with roti's today.



Ingredients
Uncooked Rotiland roti
2 cups of oil for shallow fry.

For Potato/Aloo Bhaji

3- 4 potatoes medium size
2-3 green chiles adjust accordingly
ginger about a tbsp finely chopped
1 red onion finely diced
8-10 curry leaves
tbsp of tumeric/haldi
2 tbsp oil
tbsp jeera/cumin
tbsp mustard seeds
pinch of Amchur(dry mango powder)
salt according to taste.

Process
1. Microwave potaotoes for about 3 minutes on high.
2. Heat a pan add 2 tbsp oil and when hot add mustard,cumin, green chilies, ginger and curry leaves and saute till mustard starts to pop.
3. Add sliced onions and saute till onions turns translucent.
4. Now add peeled and microwaved potatoes, use a potato masher and mash them into small chucks.
5. Add salt and amchur and about 1/2 glass water and mix well.
6. Remove from heat and serve.

For Pooris
1. Heat 2 cups of oil in a shallow pan.
2. When oil is hot add uncooked roti cut in shape and shallow fry , turn and fry on the other side takes few seconds,
3. remove from oil and place on tissue to absord any extra oil.



Serve hot pooris with sabji, easy and delicious sunday morning breakfast without sweating and not to mention perfectly round :)