CORN TRIANGLES

The name maize is derived from an Arawak-Carib word. 'mahiz'. The early American civilization were based on this crop, which. made settled life possible in Mexico and Central America. Within a comparatively short time of the discovery of America, maize spread widely throughout the World and became an important source of carbohydrate food for the poorer countries.

1 cup Maize flour

1 cup Plain flour

1 table spoon Ajwain/ Carom seeds

1 table spoon Pepper flakes

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Mix maize flour, plain flour, pepper flakes, ajwian and salt. Add water and make a dough.

Divide the dough into equal sized balls and roll out the dough. Take a knife ,cut into triangle shapes. Repeat this for the rest of the dough.

Heat oil on a deep pan on medium heat. Then fry them till they turn golden brown in color. Remove from the oil , allow to cool completely. Store tightly sealed to retain crispness.

Video Recipe of Peanut Toffee

Today I am going to bring in my childhood favorite sweet peanut toffee or chikki.

Usually we make these chikkies at home but those tastes are not like store bought one. But here I will show you exact taste of store bought chikki.

For all your convenience this time I am posting video.

Ingredients:

1 cup Peanuts

1 cup Jaggery

¾ cup Sugar

4 Cardamom pods (crushed or powder)

½ tsp Ghee/Oil



Preparation for peanut:

Dry roast the raw peanuts in a pan on low flame till lightly brown or until crunchy.

Let it cool down some time, after that remove the skin from peanuts.



For Candy Syrup:


Take two kadais

In one kadai add little bit of water and add jagery, stir this very often.

At the same time we have to prepare sugar syrup to make this take another kadai fry the sugar without any water, stir thoroughly until it turns into candy syrup. When sugar syrup comes one string consistency remove the kadai from the stove.

When jaggery syrup close to come candy stage add cardamom powder and stir continuously.

After jaggery syrup get two string consistency add the prepare sugar syrup and then remove from the stove. Then add peanuts and mix well until the peanuts are well coated with the syrup.

Now spread this mixture on aluminum foil and cut your desired shape. Wait for toffee to cool and then your mouth watering peanut toffee ready to eat.

White Zucchini

This original recipe demands Nethi Beerakaya, which comes from ridge gourd family. Because of that buttery texture and taste we are calling as ghee ridge gourd. These ridge gourds are very difficult find here. So I made this recipe with white zucchini, it’s worked very well every time.

Follow the recipe:

6 baby zucchini (or) 3 big White Zucchini

2 medium size Onions

2 medium size Tomatoes

1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste

5 Green Chilies

1 sp Coriander powder

¼ sp Turmeric powder

2 tbs Chopped Coriander leaves

10 Cashew nuts (make it paste)

¼ cup Milk

1/3 cup Water

2 tbs Oil

Salt to taste.

Wash and peel the zucchini and slit into plus shape.

If you have big size zucchini peel and chop into one-inch peaces.

Finely chop the onions, tomatoes and green chillies.

Heat the oil in a kadai, fry the chopped onions and green chilies until onions become transparent.

Add ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes off.

Add the chopped tomatoes, fry till soft.

Add turmeric and coriander powder and mix well.

Add cashew nut paste and fry for a while.

Add zucchini, chopped coriander mix it well carefully.

Pour 1/3 cup of water and salt, close the lid,(don’t add more water because

zucchini takes only few minutes to cook) cook until all water get evaporate.

Then add the milk and simmer for 3 minutes, remove from the stove.

Serve with the rice.

Watermelon Juice

Watermelon is an ideal health food because it doesn't contain any fat or cholesterol, and it is an excellent source of vitamins A, B6 and C.

No need to add any water to this juice because watermelon has 92% water itself. We can prepare this delicious juice within one minute.

Ingredients:

Watermelon (seedless one or seeds out of the watermelon)

Salt 1/2 tsp( or less then 1/2 tsp, its depends on your taste)

Pepper powder less then 1/4 tsp

Lemon juice- 1 spoon

Mint leaves - 3

Use a large sauce spoon and scoop out the one cup of red part from the

watermelon.

Put this watermelon,salt,lemon juice,pepper powder,mint leaves in

the blender. Blend well until smooth ( it will take less then a minute).

Serve into juice glasses.

EASY VERMICELLI BIRIYANI

These days really I am getting bore with noodles and pasta. So this time I try to make my old fashioned recipes. In my college days, we are calling this as "Bambino Biriyani, there is a secret behind this name that we found this recipe on bambino vermicelli packs. Its remained me my college days. Later on its modified by us as easy version.

1 cup Vermicelli

1 cup Water

1 Onion(cut into slices)

3 Green Chillies(chopped)

2 tbsp Green Peas(I used frozen one)

1 sp Ginger Garlic past

1 Star Anise

5 Cloves

2 Cardamom pods

1/2" Cinnamon

1tsp Masala powder

1tbsp Cooking Oil

In a skillet add the oil and cardamom, cloves, Cinnamon, star anise and fry the spices until the nice aroma will come out from them.

Add the chilly, onion slices and peas, fry them till cooked well. Add ginger garlic past and fry again for few minutes.

Now add the vermicelli to this, stir well and pour 1 cup of warm water, when the vermicelli is changing color. Add salt and masala powder, mix it well. Close the lid and cook in low flame till the water gets absorbed. Remove from flame.

Serve with curd chutney and lemon.

Mirchi Ka Salan

I am back after a long break due to my trip to India. Yes this is my second visit in this year. Sorry for inconvenience and thanks for your valuable comments.

Today i am going to write the special recipe of Hyderabad, Mirchi ka Salan.

Step 1

1 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

2 tbsp Chilly powder

2 tbsp Yogurt

1 Lemon

Salt

Oil

Step 2

2 tbsp white Sesame seeds

2 tbsp Peanuts

Dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds and make it powder, set aside.

Step 3

4 tbsp fresh Coconut

Grind it to a paste. keep aside.

Step 4

1 cup chopped Banana chilly

1 cup Tamarind juice (from 1/2 lemon size tamarind)

In bowl soak the chopped banana chilly along with tamarind water.

Step 5

1 cup chopped Tomato

1/2 cup chopped Onion

1/2 " Ginger

3 big cloves of Garlic

Heat 1 Sp oil, first fry the chopped onions. And add the chopped ginger, garlic and tomato fry until they become soft. Grind all the fried ingredients into a smooth paste.

How to make:

Heat oil in a kadai and fry the onion, tomato past( From step 5) until raw smell will go.

Now add the sesame and ground nut powder(From step2), stir fry for a while.

Then add chilly, cumin, coriander powders and salt according to taste and saute for a minutes.

Add coconut paste(From step3) and simmer.

Add curd and mix well. (If you like, you can add 1/2 Sp sugar in this stage)

Pour the tamarind juice along with soaked chilly(From step4)

Cook over a low fire till the oil starts floating on top. Switch of the stove and mix the lemon juice.

ALMOND BURFI

Really, its such a great sweet. My son love this , in his words sweet means almond or kaju burfi. Probably all the Indians like almond burfi. You can have it this any time in parties, travelling and picnics. And also a bunch of roses along with delicious badam burfi will surely become a great gift idea.

1 cup Almonds

1 cup Sugar

1/4 Milk powder

2tbs Milk

2tbs Ghee

1 tsp Cardamom powder

silver Leaf (optional)

Soak almonds in water for 2 hours . Remove the skin and blend

the almonds to a fine paste, Use as little milk as possible when blending.

In heavy bottomed pan mix sugar and ground almond, cook in a medium flame, stirring continuously until thick consistency. Over low flame, add milk powder and cardamom powder to this and again keep stirring until this mixture does not stick to the pan and starts to leave sides forming like a ball, as shown in the picture below. While stirring add ghee little by little.

Spread mixture on a greased work surface. Roll lightly with a rolling pin, to a desired thickness. Cut into diamond or square shape using a knife, when it is still lukewarm. Apply the silver leaf for decoration. Cool completely, and keep it in refrigerator for half an hour. Store in a container.