Strawberry,Mango,Pineapple and Banana Smoothie-Mixed Fruit Smoothie is a better name I think ;)

This recipe came along with the frozen fruit bag.And,it has become not only my favorite smoothie,even my DH started enjoying it,who use to hate even the word SMOOTHIE ;)



Ingredients
1 cup fresh/frozen fruits chopped(Strawberry,Pineapple,Mango)
1/4 cup chopped banana
1 cup orange juice( I used Tropicana)
1 cup Cold Milk.
2 to 3 tbsp plain yogurt.
Sugar(as per taste)

Method
1.Combine all the fruits in a blender.
2.Add all the other ingredients and blend together until smooth,no lumps.
3.You can add few ice cubes and crush at the end,which is optional.

This recipe is off to Anu's Refreshing Drink-RD for Summer Event and 15 Minute Cooking hosted by Mahimaa.Actually very happy to send this recipe to their events, as they both are very good friends ,whom I found in this blogosphere.Happy Hosting Ladies :)

Read the entire recipe here

Mango Mirror Cheesecake

It was my son's 3rd Birthday last week and I planned to make two cakes.One was this mango cheesecake and another, he wanted a Spongebob cake for the party.But,before I could bake the cake for the party,I burnt all my fingers :(,while making the gelatin mixture for this cheesecake.Though angry with myself for carelessness,was happy atleast with the way the cheesecake turned out :)
I was actually in search of a good No bake cheesecake recipe for a long time,and cannot give the credit to a single website.Thanks to GOOGLE :)

Lets get into the recipe now

Ingredients
For the crust
200gms Digestive biscuits(I used Marie).
1/4 cup sugar.
1 1/2 stick melted butter(3/4 cup).

For the Cheesecake filling
8 oz cream cheese
3 oz un flavored gelatin
4 oz cool whip(softened)
3 tbsp water.
1/4 cup or lesss sugar.
1 mango(cut into cubes)
20 oz Mango pulp

For the Mirror2 oz gelatin
3 tbsp water
10 oz Mango pulp

9 inch springform pan

It's him ;)The Birthday boy



Method
1.Powder the digestives using a food processor or with a roller into a coarse or fine powder.
2.Blend it with sugar and melted butter.
3.Make a base with wax or parchment paper in the springform pan and apply non stick cooking spray.
4.Add the crust mixture by pressing it hard over the sheet to form a even base.
5.Refrigerate until its set.
6.For the filling,beat all the ingredients except water and gelatin.Heat the water and add the gelatin in the boiling water stir continuously.Add this mixture to the filling ingredients and beat well.Now,add this mixture on top of the crust and refrigerate again,until its set.
7.For the mirror,add the gelatin to the boiling water and stir continuously.Add it to the mango pulp and stir well.Add it to the top of the filling and refrigerate again until its all set.
8.Once everything is set,unlock the pan and move the base upwards.
9.Just before serving top it with ur favorite fruits.I topped it with the fondant flowers which I made before hand.

This recipe is off to My favorite things-Frozen dessert,a wonderful event conceived by Bindhiya and guest hosted by Aquadaze.

Last but not the least,blogger friends Sharmilee,Sanghi,Dhanya,Phanitha, have passed on the I love this blog award.Thank you so much friends.Really honoured and feel happy :).

Read the entire recipe here

Kuskha(Plain Biriyani) and Spicy Egg Kurma

Kushka is a meatless Biriyani,which is very popular in Tamilnadu.The taste is equally good to any meat biriyani.And,I remember my mom making this biriyani only with Jeeraga Samba rice.I have a similar recipe with Basmathi as Coconut Milk Pulao ;).Adding the Jeeraga samba rice,adds so much flavor to the Biriyani.Really ,one should try the very same recipe with these two rice varieties to find the difference.Here,normally Jeeraga Samba is not found in Indian stores.Have treasured a small bag of Jeeraga Samba,with which I made the Kushka and served it with this spicy egg kurma.

Read about Seeraga Samba rice here.

Ingredients
2 cups Jeeraga(Seeraga) samba rice
2 bay leaves
1 medium sized onion very finely chopped.
1 1/4 cup coconut milk.
1/4 cup ghee + oil combined.
Salt(as per taste)
To Grind
a piece of ginger
2 to 3 garlic cloves
1 cup of chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves combined
4 green chillies
3 green cardamom
2 cloves
a small piece of cinammon
1 tsp poppy seed

Method
1.Wash the rice and soak it in water for half an hour.
2.Grind all the ingredients asked to grind.
3.Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add bay leaves,next throw in the onion.Saute the onion until it turns tranclucent.
4.Add the ground paste and saute until the raw smell fades.
5.Now drain the water from the rice and add it to the mixture.Reduce the heat from medium to low.
6.Add the coconut milk,salt and 2 3/4 cup water to the rice.Close with the lid and cook at the low heat until the rice gets cooked.The rice gets cooked quite fatser than other rice varieties. Never stir the rice in the middle of the process to make sure that the rice doesn't break.And also,the rice should not be over cooked.
7.Serve it hot with Veg/Non Veg kurma.

Spicy Egg Kurma

Ingredients
4 hard boiled eggs.
1 finely chopped medium sized Onion.
1 big tomato finely chopped.
2 bay leaves.

1 tbsp freshly ground ginger garlic paste.
1/4 cup thick coconut milk
1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
finely chopped coriander leaves.
To Roast and Grind(Spice Powder)2 to 3 Dry Red Chillies.
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 inch cinammon.
1 green cardamom.
1 tsp Jeera
1 tsp Saunf.
1 tsp whole black pepper.

Method
1.Make slits in the eggs and keep it aside.Dry roast the ingredients asked to grind and make a fine powder out of it.
2.Heat a pan and add oil.Once its hot,add the bay leaves,onion and turmeric powder.Saute continuously until the onions turns soft. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell fades.
3.Now add the tomato and fry until the they turn mushy.
4.Add add a 1 to 1 1/2 tsp of the ground spice mixture(reserve the remaing powder(if any)for future use),coconut milk,salt and enough water.
5.Add the eggs and cook closed for few minutes or until your preferred consistency is reached.
6.Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
7.Serve it hot.

Read the entire recipe here

Ada Pradhaman- A kerala Delicacy

In India,I was grown up in a place surrounded by Malayalam speaking friends.So,naturally I have a love for Kerala Food :).Recently,I brought the Rice Ada from a Kerala grocery store and prepared Pal Pradhaman for the first time and then this Ada Pradhaman.I followed the recipe which came along with the ada.

Ingredients
1 cup Rice ada
3/4 cup Coconut milk(I used the canned one)
1 cup Jaggery
2 tbsp ghee
Few broken cashews.
1 tsp ground green cardamom.

Method
1.Cook rice ada with enough water.Make sure the ada is not over cooked.
2.Simultaneously,make jaggery syrup with enough water needed.
3.Add the jaggery syrup,coconut milk to the cooked ada.Stir for few minutes.
4.Heat a small pan,and add ghee to it.Once its hot, add the cashews and fry until golden brown.

PS
The aunthentic Ada Pradhaman preparation is very elaborate.The recipe here is just a modified shortest version ;).

Read the entire recipe here