Aachi Samayal

Oatmeal cookie is a very common and easy recipe. When i tried this very first time it didn't come out well because my baking soda was not that fresh i think. It started to become thin and fragile. I was wondering what went wrong, and one of my friend said to check the baking soda if it is fresh the cookie will not go wrong, if not this might happen. So every time when i buy baking soda, i immediately change the box and store it in a airtight container. And for the oats i used old fashioned rolled oats, you can get it in the local store. You can not do this recipe with Instant oats, that will not come out well.

The next important thing about baking is, if the recipe says room temperature butter or egg, it has to be done as such. If not the recipe will screw up. So if you are planning to make cookie or any baking and if the recipe tells you to have a room temperature butter, it is better we do so. Because the room temperature butter will be nice and soft but if you melt the butter it will be liquid and the consistency will change and the texture of the cookie will also change. So for this recipe i have used room temperature butter. And in this recipe they said only raisins, but i added a little of Chocochip too just to add little more fun in there. Kinds love chocolate in everything so just wanted them to enjoy the cookie, i added may be a handful of choco chip.

Ingredients :

Preparation:

• Take a large bowl and add old fashioned rolled oats to and with All purpose flour. Give it a nice stir so that the flour and the oats are mixed well. Now add salt and baking soda to it. Give it a nice stir to make sure everything is incorporated.
• Now it is time to add Raisin and the choco chip to the dry mix, because by adding this to the dry ingredient we are so sure the raisin and chocochip will not be accumulated in one place. It will be dusted with a the flour and be spread every where in the dough. That is the point to mix them in the dry ingredients. When you add them and mix the raisin will be spread everywhere and the each cookie will get adequate raisin and chocolate chip.
• Now it is time for the Wet ingredients, for this first we are going to take a bowl and ad room temperature butter. Mash it really well.
• Now to the butter add brown sugar and granulated sugar and give a nice mix with hand mixer or even wooden spoon will do the job. I used hand mixer to get a nice smooth paste kind of texture. 
• When they are nicely mixed add egg to it, and beat really well so it is mixed with the sugar mix. so now the wet ingredient is mixed well and ready, 
• It is time to add both dry and wet ingredient together to make the cookie dough.
• When they are mixed take a ice cream scoop to drop them in the cookie pan to bake in the oven. Place the cookie dough evenly in the cookie tray to bake them evenly.
• You can use a foil or a parchment paper to cover the cookie tray to avoid mess in the tray. 
• When they are nicely placed in the tray you can drop them in the oven.
• Preheat the oven for 350 deg F, and bake the cookie for 12 - 15 minutes. You can turn them and bake when they are half done.
• You can see the dark brown color on the side, that is the time you have to take them out.
• You cannot serve them as such, let them cool for like 20 - 25 mins and them it will be ready to serve 

I used to go every blog to try some new recipe and that is how i found this Parfait. When i saw the recipe i found it so exciting. Very simple but kids will love it and it will be so nice to present in a party or for a special dinner.  And the Parfait is filled with Rich ingredients. 

Parfait is actually a French Dessert. It is mainly prepared by Yogurt and some exciting factors. I chose to add some nuts, fruits and granola. All three are so good combo. My kid loves strawberries. You can all all kinds of fruits to it. And also a combination of fruits.  Yogurt goes really well with fruits. 

Initially, I was not a great fan of flavored Yogurt, but slowly i started liking the taste. Greek yogurt is a nice choice to add with this Parfait. This dessert should be served nice and cold. If you have a party or any get-together, you can prepare this in the exact moment when you want it. You can store the chopped fruits, yogurt in the fridge. Prepare the granola and keep it ready. So when it is dessert time you can just take it and layer it. Top it with Honey, that gives a added flavor to the parfait. 

When i made it, and everyone liked it and planning to make very often. It is so simple and Perfect for dessert. It is not an usually one so easy to prepare too. You can make the granola from scratch or buy it in the local store. Lets see how to make it....

Cuisine : FrenchPreparation time : 10 minsCooking time : 15 minsTotal time : 35 MinsCourse : DessertMain Ingredient : Yogurt

Vanilla Yogurt - 1 cup

Strawberry - 1 cup chopped

Granola - 1 cup

Honey - 2 tbsp

• If you have store bought granola you can use it or you can see the recipe for granola in my site.
• Layer it in a way it will look really good. So now i am gonna start with Yogurt in the bottom.
• Then add the granola next to the yogurt.
• Now add fruits which are chopped over the granola.
• Repeat the process till you reach the top
• Garnish with Honey in the top

I wanted to try granola bar and i saw so many stores selling granola. But still i wanted to try to make it from scratch and i was just looking around for the recipe and then i found the recipe for Granola. Granola is just nothing but Oats roasted with nuts and dry fruits. You have enormous variety of making granola. But here in this recipe i am just making a basic granola. 

I wanted to make granola with some nuts so i am adding Almonds in this recipe, you can add anything of your choice, like walnuts, pecans, cashews, any nut. And also you can add dry coconuts to it. Few add choco chip in it. Everything you add will give you a different taste. 

Flax seed can be added to to the granola, which has a rich in Omega 3. I used to add powdered flax seed in my Oatmeal. But today in this recipe me i am not adding any flax seed. But will try another day.  Then you add egg and oil to get those small crumbs in the granola. That will look like a mini bite, which tastes really good. Kids can eat it just like a snack. So roasting the Old Fashioned Oats with lots of nutrients fact is GRANOLA!!

Cuisine : American
Preperation time : 10 mins
Cooking time 20 mins
Total time : 35 mins
Course : Main
Main Ingredient : Oats

Old Fashioned Oats - 1 cup

Honey - 1/3 cup

Egg white - 1

Oil - 1/3 cup

Almonds - your choice (you can use any nut)

• In a bowl add one cup of Oats 

• To that you can add nuts of you choice.

• Then add Honey and mix really well, till it gets incorporated.

• Now add Egg white to the bowl. Mix really well so it is coated in every oats.

• Now add oil to combine the ingredients together.
• Then slowly transfer them in a baking pan with a foil on it. Because cleaning will be little easy when you place a foil or a parchment paper in the pan before baking. 

• Bake the Oats for 15 mins or till it turns nice and brown.
• Now you can cool it in a tray and use them when needed.

Serving per recipe : 2

Calories Per serving : 200 Approx 

ZUCCHINI CURRY

Zucchini is very easy to cook and so soft. I usually add zucchini only in the pasta. And it was so boring and i thought why not add them in Indian spices. Then tried it, it was really tasting very good and went well with Roti.  I even thought of adding them in sambhar. May be another recipe is getting ready :)

Cuisine : Indian

Preparation time : 10 mins

Cooking time : 20 mins

Course : Side dish

Main Ingredient : Zucchini

Ingredients :

Zucchini - chopped 2 cups

Cashew - 2 tbsp

Capsicum - cut 1 cup

Onion - cut 1 cup

Tomato - cut 1 cup

Green chilli - 4

Ginger garlic - chopped 1 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tbsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Malli powder - 1 tsp

Cilantro

Salt to taste

Preparation :

• Take an flat bottom pan or a wok and let it heat up a bit in the stove
• Once it starts to heat up add 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil or safflower oil
• Once the oil is hot add 1 teaspoon of cumin (Jeera)
• Now it is time to add finely chopped Ginger and Garlic
• Stir the mixture, then add finely chopped onion and green peppers (Chilli)
• The peppers give the spicy taste in the dish, so add according to your taste
• Add the tomatoes only after the onion changes the color to light pink
• Now after the tomatoes start giving out the juice and gets very soft it is time to add the main ingredients
• Now add the cubed or sliced Capsicum and Zucchini.
• Stir the mixture well
• If you need the curry to have more spice and aroma add the below 
• Half teaspoon of Turmeric powder
• Half teaspoon of Paprika powder (Chilli Powder)
• Half teaspoon of Coriander powder
• Stir the mixture well
• If you love some crunch in your dish , you can add lightly roasted peanut or lighly roasted cashew. (i am a fan of Trader Joe's lightly salted Cashews Yum!), Few of my friends like to add pecans!
• Make sure you add the lightly salted versions of the nuts because adding the fully salted nuts can make the dish salty inconsistently
• Now when the dish a still hot add 2 teaspoons (or what your taste is) of salt and stir the mixture
• A very healthy and fresh Zucchini curry is ready, which goes very well with most dishes like Roti, Flat bread, Pulao, Plain Rice

POTATO QUICHE 

Cuisine : French

Preparation time : 10 mins

Cooking time : 17 mins

Course : Starter

Main Ingredients : Egg and vegetable

Ingredients :

Potato cubed and cooked - 1 cups

Onion chopped  - 1/2 cup

Garlic chopped- 1 tbsp

Washed and chopped spinach - 1 cup

Egg - 4

Shredded Cheese - 1 cup

Chili Flakes - 1 tsp

Italian herbs - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Preparation :

• Take a iron skillet, may be a medium size.Turn on the heat.
• When the pan is heating up, you can add oil. May be around 2 tbsp of oil. It can be EVOO, or any type of oil.
• Now when the oil is hot enough you can add finely chopped onion and garlic. You have to keep sauteing it. Till it turns slightly brown or translucent.
• When it is changing color you can add the finely chopped potato,Keep sauteing till everything is well incorporated.
• Add very little salt to it, for taste. If you add more then while adding salt to eggs you should be watchful.
• Keep those aside, till we are done with the egg.
• Now we are gonna prepare for the egg, Take a large bowl that will hold four eggs and all the add on.
• Then in the bowl break four eggs, if it is large four will do, if the eggs are really small then you should add two more, only then you can have 4 quiches.
• Now beat the egg really well till the eggs are nice and frothy.
• Now comes the magic to the recipe. We are gonna add some herbs and that is gonna enhance the taste of the recipe. (I love those Italian herbs) Add Italian herbs, chili flakes to the egg.
• Now for taste you can add required salt, if you have already added salt in the potato,better add salt only for the eggs.
• Adding chopped spinach is optional, if you dont want it, you can avoid it. 
• Then add the cooked potato onion garlic to the eggs and toss it really well, or while pouring in the ramekins the potatoes will be in the bottom and will not be equally spread in the quiche.
• Now everything is ready, take four ramekins spray oil to coat, so the quiche doesn't stick to the ramekins.
• Then add a tbsp cheese in the bottom to cheese it up!
• Now pour the egg mixture to it slowly and be sure your potatoes are getting into every ramekins.

• Again top it with cheese(you can add extra cheese if you like)
• Bake it 350 deg F for 17 mins.
• When you can see the top nice and hard, our Potato Quiche is ready.
• Very Healthy and Yummy Quiche can be served as Starter. 

TARO ROOT FRY

Chepakilangu/ Taro root fry is a very easy recipe. I never got this before because I know when my grandma makes it i have seen it sticky and slippery.  But after frying it will taste yummy. But this week I felt like eating it, just forgetting about the sticky part on it, i went to the near by store to find some nice Taro root and bought, Now it is time to make it,hope i mach my grandma's taste. She is such a wonderful cook, the best part is she will make nice authentic recipes and also feeds me, that's the best part what i like. 

Cuisine : South Indian

Preparation time : 10 mins

Cooking time : 10 mins

Course : Side dish

Main Ingredients : Chepakilangu/Taro root

Ingredients :

Taro root (Cooked) - sliced 2 cups

Chilli powder - 1 tbsp

Seasoning - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Preparation :

• To cook the taro root, we have to pressure cook for atleast 10 mins. If you dont have a pressure cooker its fine. Boil some water in a pan and when it is nice and hot drop the taro root to the water and close it with a lid and cook for like ten minutes and till a knife goes smooth inside the taro root.
• When it is nicely done, take another pan and add oil.
• In between while the oil is getting hot, we can remove the skin of the Taro root and start slicing it in a round shape.
• When the oil is hot enough you can start adding sliced taro root to it , slowly one by one so it has enough space to cook in the pan. 
• When one side is done do the other side,use a tong to flip it and Roast well.
• You can also close with a lid, to cook evenly.
• When you are done with roasting the Taro root, take it in a large bowl to add spice and toss it.
• Now it is time to add up some spice, add chilli powder and salt to taste, Now you can toss it really well. This has to be done when the Taro root is hot, only then the salt and chili powder will stick to the Taro root.

Cuisine : South Indian

Preparation time : 10 mins

Cooking time : 10 mins

Course : Side dish

Main Ingredients : Beets

Ingredients :

Shredded Beetroot - 2 cups

Shredded coconut - 1 tbsp

Seasoning (Mustard and urud dal) - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Kayam a pinch

Green Chilli - 1 Chopped

Salt to taste

Curry leaves few

Preparation :

• Wash the beets really well ad then start peeling, After don't peeling you can use your food processor to shred or just by your hand. I use my food processor because it shreds in just minutes. Take them in a bowl.
• Now heat the pan, add oil to it. 
• When the oil is really hot, Add mustard and urad dal to it, the mustard should crackle really well. It is not good to eat the mustard when it is not done.
• Then now you can add the curry leaves with kayam to it.
• Then after it is done, add chili saute well.
• Now it is time to add Shredded beets to the pan and mix well, close it with a lid to cook.
• As the beets is shredded it take like very few minutes to cook, after the beets is cooked really well, add salt.
• Now you can turn off the heat and transfer it to a bowl, add shredded coconut to it and garnish. The coconut adds taste to the beets. If you don't want to add, its fine.

Sambar Podi

Sambhar or Sambar is a medium thick lentil soup, that is very famous as a lunch and tiffin side in all of south India. This is a savory soup which people fall in love once they taste it. It can be had just as a soup or as a sauce for rice or as a dip sauce for tiffin items like Dosa and Idly(South Indian steamed rice cake made with fermented dough), sometimes it is also served with mini idlies which my kids love to have. Sometimes many people order this idli sambhar as a snack. Sambhar is so versatile that many different dishes like sambhar vadai, sambhar idly are always available fresh in the restaurants. My grandma(Aachi) makes super yum and tasty sambar twice a week in a meal and i still remember the aroma and taste while i cook. 

Ingredients :

Malli/Coriander seed - 1 cup

Red chilli - 1 cup

Channa dal - 1 cup

Vendhayam/Fenugreek  - 2 tbsp

Kayam - 1 tsp

Kathrikai Capsicum Sambhar

Cuisine : Indian

Preparation time : 10 mins

Cooking time : 20 mins

Course : Main

Main ingredients : Kathrikai and capsicum

Ingredients:

Kathrikai/Eggplant  - 1 cup cut

Thuvar dhal - 1/2 cup

Sambhar podi - 2 tbsp

Turmeric - 1 tbsp

Kayam a pinch

Coconut shredded - 2 tbsp

Curry leaves few

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Vendhayam / Fenugreek - 1 tsp

Seasoning - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Preparation :

• In a pan, add oil. Add vendhayam and then the Egg plant and capsicum chopped.
• Saute well, and then add water to the pan with tamarind paste. Let it boil till egg plant and capsicum is cooked.
• Now you can add Sambhar podi and turmeric.
• Before you start, you have to pressure cook thuvar dhal with turmeric and a drop or oil. Till soft.
• Now to the pan you can add the cooked dhal, mix well. Add salt.
• Seasoning to be added.Grind some coconut with water and add to sambhar, will enhance the taste. 
• Garnish with Cilantro.

PARUPPU

It is an Indian Dish, usually served with meals. With rice you can mix and eat, adding some ghee.

Cuisine : Indian

Preparation time : 10 mins

Cooking time : 10 mins

Course : Main

Main Ingredients : Tuvar dal

Ingredients :

Tuvar dal - 1 cup

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard and urud dal - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves - few

Salt to taste

Preparation :

• Pressure cook thuvar dal with turmeric and a drop of oil.
• Then add seasoning and curry leaves.
• Add salt. 

Serve it with rice.

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE

This is one of the recipe i was thinking to make for so long. I wanted to try the taste and the strawberry flavor in the lemonade. I was not very sure how it will blend together and how will it taste. But today i got a chance to make it as i had lots of strawberry and lemons to make this Strawberry Lemonade. The color it self will be so attractive to drink.

Lemonade is one of the favorite juice from my childhood. In my place they used to make this very often if there is any guest in the house, that too in India it will be so sunny mostly the whole year so everyone ill be thirsty in the day time. So v used to have lemon tree at house and when needed we just pick a lemon and make juice. The juice is prepared with some sugar and a pinch of salt, the salt will enhance the flavor in the Juice. Or you can replace sugar with Honey, it is always good if you use honey. Honey will taste better too. And also you can just make without sugar, and yet it will taste good.

So if i am at my mom's place and she used to make very quick lemonade for us with few ice cubes on it, the cold and the taste will be so relaxing for the summer. You can also replace cherry with strawberries, that will be a cherry lemonade!! In the juice you can add strawberry slices too, it is optional. They make cocktail out of this lemonade too,by adding any alcohol of your choice.

Cuisine : American

Preparation time : 10 mins

Cooking time : 10 mins

Course : Beverages

Main Ingredient : Strawberry and lemon

Ingredients :

Strawberry Cleaned and chopped - 3 

Lemon juice - 4 to 5 Tbsp

Water - 2 cups

Sugar - 3 tbsp

Salt a pinch

Preparation :

• In a grinder you can grind Strawberry with little water to a fine paste.
• You can strain the strawberry juice to make it smooth water, and pour it in a pitcher.
• In a large pitcher, where you have the strawberry juice, add water
• Now squeeze the lemon to make the lemon juice, pour the lemon juice to the pitcher as well.
• Now it is time to add the sugar or honey of your choice.
• Then comes the enhancer, salt just a pinch will do.
• Cool it for few hours or you can add ice cubes and serve immediately. 

BEETROOT SOUP

It is a very simple and yummy recipe.

• Pressure cook with Beetroot ,tomato green chili and Moong dal.
• Then keep it aside to cool down and then grind it.
• In a pan add some butter and then the crushed garlic and pour the mix to it.
• Now add pepper and salt

Preparation time : 30 mins

Cooking time : 9 mins

Main Ingredient : All purpose flour/ Maida

Ingredients :

All purpose flour - 3 cups

Baking powder - 3/4 tsp

Salt - 1/ tsp

Sugar - 1 cup

Unsalted Butter - 1 cup / 1 stick

Egg / Egg substitute - 1 beaten

Milk - 1 tbsp

Powdered sugar for rolling - 1/2 cup

Preparation :

• Sift Baking powder, flour and salt. Keep it aside.
• Beat the butter and sugar with electric stand mixer.

• Add egg and milk, then beat to combine.

• Put the mixer in low speed and add the flour gradually.
• Keep mixing, it will pull away from the sides, Then divide d dough into six small parts and one big part.
• Then add color to it and roll it into balls

• Then wrap it with a foil and refrigerate for 1 hours to set.

• Then take the dough, sprinkle the surface with powdered sugar and roll the dough to sheets and refrigerate separately for 15 mins 
• Then stack it in order with egg wash in-between and cut the edges.
• Then measure it with a cutter and stack it. Then cover with the base cookie dough around it.  

• Make it kind of a log and then cut it into cookies.
• Place it in the cookie pan.

• Preheat the oven to 375 degree.
• Keep the baking try ready, by placing a foil or silicone sheet in it.
• Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 mins or till the edges become brown.