Left over blend with Strawberry & Banana

I had some frozen strawberries left over after the Fresh Fraisier episode. I froze the strawberries so that it does not get spoiled very soon. Somehow both Briji and myself does not like to have the strawberries as fruit. We would not mind having it in cakes, ice creams or even drinks. So I had to do something with these.  I also had some ripe bananas and fresh honey from a nearby farm. So here is my creative recipe.

Ingredients:

Strawberries - 1 cup
Banana - 1
Honey - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Heavy cream - 1/2 cup (optional)

Method:

- In a mixer, blend the strawberries, banana and milk together until smooth. You may add more milk if you need it really liquid. This proportion will give you a thick drink.
- To this add the honey and blend it until mixed well. You can also add more honey depending how sweet you want the drink to be.
-In a separate bowl, take the heavy cream and with a hand mixer blend it until stiff peaks are formed.
- Pour the drink in the serving glass, fill it 3/4th. Take the whipped cream in pipping bag and pipe it over this drink. (this step is optional, you may just serve the drink without the whipped cream).

This recipe makes about 4 medium glass. I used less banana so that it does not over power the strawberry flavor.

I could not name this drink, so contributions are welcome and I will rename this post if we have any suggestions from the readers.

Enjoy and will be back soon with more....

Kadala Pradaman, an Onam affair...

Onam is the largest festival of Kerala, the southern state of India, which is celebrated by every Malayalee regardless of religion, caste or culture. It marks the homecoming of the mythical King Mahabali who ruled Kerala a long time ago. Onam falls in the Malayalam month of Chingam (Aug/Sept). During this festive day, the ladies drape themselves in settu mundu/saree and gents in kasavu mundu. The celebrations starts with laying down the pookalam (floral carpet) followed by lavish feast sadhya with almost 20 different dishes which is served on the plantain leaf. Celebrating Onam also includes many games. This is also a time when all the family get-together and celebrate.

Its been a long time since I celebrated Onam with my family. Being away from Kerala, this is something you miss out. But the celebration is no less here in US. I think its celebrated in much larger scale than back home. Every year we have many Onam celebrations, with our relatives and friends. This year we have 4 different Onam celebrations, 2 are done and 2 more to go.

One of the celebrations was organized by NJ Malayalees. This is a group formed by few close friends and every year they come together to celebrate Onam. We were also invited to this celebration. The programs included pookalam, sadhya, tiruvathira (traditional dance), songs, skit and games. The sadhya was potluck, each member had to choose a dish. Sadhya was excellent and each dish was delicious. My share in the sadhya was the dessert, Kadala Pradaman (chana dal pudding / payasam). Here is the recipe.

Kadala Pradaman

Making a pradaman in US is much easier when compared to back home. My mom is a payasam specialist and she uses the fresh coconut milk to prepare. The tedious part would be grating the coconuts and squeezing the milk out. But here I use the ready made coconut milk, which makes it much easier. If you are looking forward to try this recipe, my advice is to use the canned coconut milk rather than the powder.

This recipe will serve about 25 nos. I made double this count.

Ingredients:

Chana Dal -  2.5 cups
Jaggery - 500 grams (approx 1 pack)
Coconut milk - 3 cans
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 4 - 5 nos
Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
Raisins - 1/2 cup
Coconuts cut into small pieces - 1/2 cup

- Pressure cook the chana dal with enough water. Cook it till just 1 whistle and keep it until the pressure is all gone. It should be just cooked well to the right consistency, do not smash it. If there is excess water, drain all the water and keep it aside.
- In a vessel take the jaggery and fill it 3/4th water. Keep the vessel in heat and let the jaggery melt. Don't let the syrup boil, take it off the heat once the jaggery has melted completely. Strain the syrup into another bowl and keep it aside.
- In a pan add 2 tbspn ghee and fry the cashew nuts, raisins and coconut pieces separately. Keep it aside.
-Heat 4 tbspn ghee in a heavy bottom pan/pot. Add the cooked chana dal and stir it until its dry and has mixed well with the ghee.
- To this add the jaggery syrup, 1/2 cup at a time. Each time the syrup is added keep stirring continuously. Keep the heat in medium so that the chana is not burnt. This should become a thick consistency. You can limit the syrup depending on how sweet you need the pradaman to be.
- Mix one and half can of coconut milk with equal amount of water. Add this to the chana-jaggery mixture still on heat. Keep stirring.
- Crush the cardamoms and add this to the mixture. Add fried cashew nuts and raisins.
- Once it boils, lower the heat and add the remaining thick coconut milk. Make sure that no water is added at this time. Mix well. Leave it on heat for 2-3 mins.

The pradaman is ready to be served. It tastes great when served on the plantain leaf with banana. I did have mine in the same way. Now the secret to a better tasting pradaman depends on how long you stir the jaggery- chana mixture. I did mine for almost an hour and that definitely made my pradaman yummy. Back home my mom's assistant is my dad for stirring the pradaman since that is the most tedious job.

I hope you guys try this one. Be back soon with more cakes and recipes...

ENJOY!!!

****Diwali Special****

Diwali popularly is one of the most famous festival of our country India. Known as the festival of lights it depicts the driving away of darkness and imbibing the light of knowledge. On this day houses are lighted with diyas welcoming Goddess Lakshmi.

I remember celebrating Diwali back home with fire crackers, lighting our house with diyas and having lots of sweets. This Diwali was special to us since it was first one after we bought our little nest this year. I was so particular that we light the lamps in our house. Even though it was little, we lighted about 15 lamps. Our little nest looked beautiful.

For my blog I wanted to try out some sweets for Diwali which I have never made. Laid my hands on Milk Peda. Who wouldn't like pedas. Had this notion that it was time consuming to make them, but I got this recipe where in 30 minutes you have pedas ready. This recipe was adapted from Hetal and Anuja.

Here you go with the recipe :

Ingredients: (Makes about 20 Milk Pedas)
Milk Powder - 2 cups
Unsalted Butted - 1 stick (about 8 tablespoons)
Condensed Milk - 1 small can

Method:
-- Melt the unsalted butter in microwave in a large glass bowl. Make sure you don't over heat the butter. It      just need to be melted.
-- Measure 2 cups of milk powder and mix it with the melted butter.
-- To the mixture add the condensed milk and mix well.
-- Microwave this mixture for 3 minutes. After each minute stir the mixture well and continue to microwave. This is to cook the mixture.
-- Keep the mixture aside to cool for 10 minutes. Once cooled, grease your hands to make the balls.
-- Flatten the balls a little so that it gets the same of the Peda.
-- Grease the serving dish, so that the peda doesn't stick to it until set.
-- Decorate the peda with nuts, badam or pista. I had made impressions on top of the pedas with flower cutters.

Let the peda set for sometime and refrigerate it. when serving bring it to room temperature.

Enjoy the tasty treat!!!

*****LOLLIPOP CAKES*****

Fascinated by the variety of tasty treats out there, I was in big confusion on which one to be chosen as my first posting. Searched many blogs, recipes all over the place, flipped through food magazines, did loads of research and finally something did catch my attention.

Children are very dear to me. Love to be around them. This sweet treat is dedicated to all those little ones who hold a very special place in mine and Briji's life.

Now to the recipe, Lollipop cakes recipe source was from a Dessert magazine. Trust me, this is one of the easiest recipe that any mom can use to make her kids day very special. And presentation wise you could really amaze your friends.

 Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
2. 1 Teaspoon Cocoa Powder
3. 2 Tablespoon packed Light Brown Sugar
4. 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
5. 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
6. 1 Teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
7. 2 Tablespoon Water
8. 2 Teaspoon Milk
9. 1 Tablespoon Chocolate Chip
10. 3-4 Tablespoon Milk
11. 4 Lollipop Sticks
12. 1/2 Cup Chocolate Semi-sweet Chips (melted)

Method:

- Preheat the oven at 350 degree. Prepare the mini muffin pan by spraying.
- Combine all the dry ingredients (1-4) and mix well.
- To this mix add olive oil, vinegar, water and milk (5-8) and combine well. Fold in the chocolate chip.
- Pour this batter to the prepared mini muffin. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick is inserted it        comes out clean.
-  Allow the cake to cool. Once cooled break it into small pieces in a bowl and add milk until it becomes sticky.
- Form 1 inch diameter balls and carefully slide a lollipop stick into each of these cake balls.
- Freeze it until the cake hardens (about 20 minutes).
- Now dip the cake in melted chocolate and make sure the whole ball is covered with chocolate. And immediately decorate with sprinkles.
- Allow it to cool on a parchment paper until set.

Enjoy the treats Friends!!!!.

PS: There is a slight variation from the original recipe.