Announcing Serve It Series - Serve It - Blended

This month's theme for Serve It series is Serve It - Blended. This is the second event in the Serve It series based on a small kitchen appliance, after Pressure Cooked/Slow Cooked. Blender/Mixer grinder is a great addition to any kitchen and it makes our life so much easier. 
In olden days before the invention of these electrical appliances there used to be grinding stones in every home, Ammikal and Aatukal. It is believed to impart a natural flavor to the dishes compared to the modern gadgets. I can't deny it. We still have ammikal and aatukal in our home back in India. Though we do not use the Aatukal, the big grinding stone, we use the ammikal from time to time for grinding chutneys and spice mixes for curries.
This month's Serve It event is based on these gadgets. So whip up (I mean literally) your blended entries and send it over.

Here are the guidelines for the event:
1. You may send in any entry that is blended/crushed using a blender, food processor or a mortar and pestle. 
2. Chutneys, Spice powders, Pestos, Milkshakes, smoothies, icecreams literally any dish made with a blender is allowed. Basically the blended dish should be served as it is. However Tadka/seasoning is allowed.
3. Entries which are not qualified are dishes which use the blended ingredients to make something, like curry, idli, dosas etc.,. I think you got the idea.
4. The ingredients can be greens, vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy etc.,.
5. Please link back to this announcement page and also to Denny's page here.
6. New entries are appreciated, however if you are sending archived entries, please re-post as latest (with a date in July 2012) and update with both the links to the announcement page and logo.
7. Usage of links and logo is mandatory.
8. Last date for submission of your entries is July 31, 2012.
9. To submit your entries, just link your entries using the linky tool below. 
10. Non-bloggers also can send their entries with a picture to the below email-id.
11. If you have a problem in linking email us your problem to serveit[dot]series[at]gmail[dot]com. We will try to resolve it.
Note: If the entries are inappropriate to the theme, we would have to remove the entries from the linky sans notification. If there are other issues like link or logo missing we would definitely notify through email.
Linky for Blended entries:

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Shami Kabab

               Shami Kabab

Shami kabab is one thing that I try to keep them in my freezer for those  suddenly needs and its work great ,like serving them with tea, I serve in a big tray with French fries some salad and ketchup. And it’s also made a wonderful lunch make a burger out of it. Or just serve at your dinner as side dish . and these shami kabab are also work  when I have to take some thing for my very good mother-in-law she like these shami kabab which make me a very happy cook. enjoy.

Ingredients

 1 cup Channa Dal / Split Yellow grams -

3 cups boneless meat/beef or lamb/or chicken

3 tbsp rice

2 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 small onion diced

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp gram masala

1 tsp red chili powder

2 cups water

1 egg

Salt and pepper

Oil for frying

Method:

Soak dal and rice for 2 hours.

In a heavy base pan put all the ingredients, dal meat rice spices and 2 cups of water, and cook them on medium, low heat until the water get dry and meat get cooked, let it cool,

Put the mixture in Food Processor until it holds its shape.

Add egg and make 15 even sized cakes fry over medium heat on both sides until golden brown serve with salad and chatney.

Note.

These kababs freeze well, make a big batch first arrange them in oiled tray when they get hard, transfer them in to zip-lock bags fry when ever needed.

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Spaghetti with Mushrooms and Onions / Pasta in Mushroom sauce

It has been a while since I posted any pasta recipes. Not that I am not cooking pasta anymore, just that I didn't get a chance to click. I make pasta at least once every two weeks and DH loves the regular way I make it - pasta, veggies and pasta sauce. This time I made this mushroom pasta with onions and chicken stock. Garnished with some fresh herbs this dish is very flavorful and appetizing.

Ingredients:
Serves - 2
Preparation time - 10 mins; Cooking time - 30 mins
Whole grain Spaghetti - 1/4th of a box
White Mushrooms (or any variety) - 8 oz approx 250 g - sliced
Onion - thinly sliced - 1/2 cup
Low sodium Vegetable broth / Chicken Stock - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - a few twigs (You can substitute Parsley, Mint, Basil or any fresh herb of your choice)
Olive oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp
Italian seasoning - 1/2 tsp
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:
Boil water in a wide pot with a tsp of salt. In a wide skillet add butter and 1 tsp of oil and layer the sliced mushrooms in a single layer. Allow it to brown for a couple of minutes and flip over to brown the other side. You can do this in batches if desired. When done remove the mushrooms to a plate. Add the remaining oil and saute the onions in high heat until they turn light brown. Sprinkle little salt and pepper and add the italian seasoning. Add the stock and allow it to reduce to half. Meanwhile drop the pasta in boiling water and cook for the time specified in the box. When it is cooked drain and transfer to the onion skillet with mushrooms and toss well. Check for seasoning and remove from heat. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Note: You could use any variety of pasta. Adding red pepper flakes for heat would give a different level of heat and taste.

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NASREEN BAJI, S MASHROOMS

   NASREEN BAJI, S MUSHROOMS 

Nasreen baji is my cousin, who is a very good cook I remember my early memories in the  village  were we always go for spending vacations.

Nasreen baji cook fresh mushrooms with meat and sometime without meat .her house was very beautiful ,the fragrant of white and yellow jasmine  always welcome us.

The guava trees and many other plants were my favorite.

  They always eat fresh food. I remember as a child she give me money and send me with another girl to buy fresh spinach and the man cut fresh spinach from his fields and give it to me,she cook it with garlic and chilies and topped it with freshly home made butter yummy.

So here is the way fresh mushrooms made in back home ,just like Nasreen baji.

INGREDIENTS

1 pack of fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup onion finely chopped

1 small tomato finely chopped

1/2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 clove garlic minced

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

 Salt and pepper

1/4-cup oil

2 chicken breast finely cubed or 1/2 cup minced meat

Method:

Heat 1/4-cup vegetable oil in non-stick wok; minced

meat and onion cook it for 2 minutes then  add sliced

mushrooms, and stir fry for 2minutes

adds all the spices and garlic and tomatoes and cook

for another

 5 minutes stir frequently until fully cooked.

Sprinkle salt and pepper, serve with naan bread

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A Blog Break with some Scheduled Posts!

Hello Readers,


I am taking a break from blogging for a short while. However I have scheduled some posts for the next couple of weeks. Will be back soon!!


-Krithi

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bottle gourd Pickle

bottle gourd Pickle

our family back home is a meat family they like meat even in their breakfasts. but in  hot summer  you need some thing to cool down the effect of your meat dishes ,and I remember we make this cooling and refreshing pickle more often. you can say it’s the perfect companion to our  spicy meat dishes. so here you go one perfect side dish /pickle just for you.

Ingredients:

  1 bottle gourd/opo squash/

2-cup plain yogurt

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chili powder

2 tbsp crushed garlic

Salt and pepper 

some fresh herbs for garnishing

Method: 

Peel and cut opo squash in slices and steam them or boil

them. Until soft but farm.

green opo squash

Remove the extra water, and sprinkle salt pepper mustard

seeds turmeric powder and  Chili powder.

Whisk yogurt and crush garlic and add opo squash mix.

Serve cold with any meat dished before serving sprinkle fresh herbs of your choice.

Use within 1 week.

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Fish And Rice

Serves 4                Fish And Rice

Ingredients:

2 skinless fillets of salmon or any other fish.

2 clove garlic minced

1tsp coriander seeds crush

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt and pepper freshly grounded

 1/4 tsp red chill paste

1/4 tsp white vinegar

 Method:

In a medium size bowl mix all the ingredients to make a sauce.

Wash and dry salmon fillets, and marinate the salmon in the peppered sauce for 25 minutes.

Heat the skillet or non-stick frying pan add 2tbsp oil and cook the salmon on both side 2 minutes on each side.

Rice with caramelized onions.

Ingredients:

1-cup basmati rice

1 tsp salt.

2-cup water

1 tbsp canola oil.

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 onion finally sliced

Method:

Wash and soak the rice for 15 minutes.

In a frying pan fry the onions until golden remove and keep aside.

Boil the rice in pot or rice cooker add salt cumin seeds and 1tbsp oil. Cook until water dries and rice become fluffy and cook serve hot with fish sprinkle fry onion serve with salad.

Or serve any rice and salad with fish will work wonderful.

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Green beans, potatoes and minced meat curry. Chicken curry.

Green beans, potatoes and minced                                             

                        meat curry.

I always like green beans with minced meat ,but after I make them with goat meat it was hit for my family. Sometime I feel meat need vegetables and vegetables need meat and together they make a very yummy balanced dish such as this one . so next time wants some thing yummy try my green bean curry and you will be one happy person.  

Ingredients.

1 cup ground goat or cooked goat meat

2 cup green beans trimmed and cut

1 medium size red potato

1 small onion finely chopped

1 large tomato finely chopped

1/4-cup canola oil or olive oil

1 tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp ginger chopped

1 tsp garam masala

1 green chili

Salt and pepper

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp onion seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1/4-cup water

Method.

In a large saucepan add oil onion cook for 1 minute add

cumin seeds, and ground meat or cooked steam goat meat and stir  fry for 2 minutes add all the spices stir frequently, add potatoes and green beans, salt, whole green chili  mix and add 1/4 cup water cover and

cook for 5 minutes than remove the led and cook on high,

stir until the liquid has been absorbed and the potatoes get

cooked and tender.

Serve with white rice and salad.

Note. Used whole green chili if you like mild curry.

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Paal Vaazhakka ~ Banana in Coconut milk ~ Dessert from Kerala ! - Guest post by Dhyuthi of Mélange

The guest for this month's guest post is from Dhyuthi of Mélange. As the name says, her space is a mixture of different ingredients. One could find authentic Kerala recipes, All time favorite Indian curries to delicious Brioche buns. My favorite recipes from her site are Chemmeen Thoran and Koottu Curry. When I asked her to do a guest post for Krithi's Kitchen she was all excited and asked me what I would want her to make. My immediate reply was to have a native recipe from Kerala, her specialty and my favorite. Go ahead and check out what she made specially for me..

Before I go on thanking Krithi here,I may acknowledge this is an overdue. Krithi is a good old food blogger,a nice girl and friend who is there from the initial days of Melange.I would love to hug,a gesture of gratitude and friendship before going on to the recipe.
Krithi was particular about me doing something special from Kerala. That's completely logical. Isn't it? Melange being Keralite. But then I thought I will post something really really special here.A re-creation or re-invention from the past. A childhood favorite of mine,yet forgotten.

I was quite confused and anxious while waiting for my dessert Che Chuoi at a Vietnamese Restaurant. In a way more than expectation. Like many other Vietnam desserts, coconut milk was the main ingredient cooked along with banana and tapioca pearls. That was the description they had with it. Oh no,it struck me that I have tasted something like that somewhere in the past. I was trying to recollect where and when. Nothing occurred to me till delicious Che Chuoi made it's appearance. Relishing the first spoonful it was almost instinctive for me to go back. To the fever bed. The smell of fever. This was a special mild sweet prepared during my fever-struck days during childhood. Since I skip my steamed bananas (Nethrappazham as we call in Kerala) often,they were done with a complete make over in this dessert. Infused in coconut milk and cardamom,bananas virtually rock in this dessert. To convert it more healthy,I may suggest to add honey instead of sugar. On to the recipe now.

Ingredients:
2 medium sized bananas,cut into medium pieces. (Nenthrappazham is better since it offers you kind of sourness too)
2 cups of thin coconut milk
1 cup thick coconut milk
handful of sago/chavvari
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
sugar,as required
pinch of salt
few cashews & raisins to garnish (optional)
Method:
Boil thin coconut milk in a sauce pan.Stir in between.When it start boiling add sago and cook in low heat.After 5 minutes add the chopped banana and cook again till sago gets cooked completely and bananas done three fourth.Sprinkle cardamom powder.Pour thick coconut milk and cook in medium heat adding sugar and salt.When it start boiling switch off .You may garnish with cashews and raisins as well.(In Che Chuoi apparent difference is sesame.They garnish it with white sesame which gives it a unique flavour)

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Corn Muffins in a Jiffy

I can whip these up anytime with ingredients I have

 on hand and save a trip to the store.

This recipe makes 6 corn muffins just like a box of

 Jiffy. 

 Whisk together; flour, cornmeal, sugar, BP,

and salt in a large bowl.

 In another medium bowl whisk the egg, milk 

and oil. Add to the dry ingredients and

 stir just until combined.

 Fill 6 sprayed muffin cups.

 Bake @400 for 12-15 minutes, until golden.

 Serve while still warm

 with butter or, my favorite way

with butter and raspberry jam. 

Nice with breakfast.

Corn Muffins in a Jiffy

1/2 C flour

1/2 C yellow corn meal

3 T sugar

1 T baking powder

1/4 t salt

Whisk together in a large bowl

1 egg

1/3 C milk

2 T vegetable oil

Whisk together then add to the dry 

ingredients and stir just until combined. 

Fill 6 sprayed muffin cups and bake 

@400 for 12-15 minutes, until golden.

Enjoy!

Links: My Romantic Home,
Design By Gollum,
Between Naps On The Porch

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Bisi Bele Bhath with Quinoa / Quinoa Lentil Vegetables Stew | Indian Quinoa Recipes

Here I am again talking about Quinoa - the super grain. Quinoa has become an important part of my kitchen and I love cooking with the guilt free ingredient. I have made it a habit to use this in my cooking atleast twice a week. If it is not in a dish which substitutes rice like Bisi Bele Bath or Pumpkin Pulao, it finds its place in my Veg Clear soup, Adai or Pancakes. I was quite skeptical when I substituted this for rice in DH's favorite Bisi Bele Bath. Bisi Bele Bath (kannada) translates as Hot Lentil dish. There are certain recipes which he wouldn't allow me to tweak and this was on of them. When I first made this dish with quinoa, it took some time for him to notice the change. When he finished he was a happy man and he didn't miss the rice in this one.

Ingredients:
Quinoa - 3/4 cup
Toor Dhal - 3/4 cup
Tomato - 1 - chopped finely
Mixed vegetables - 3 cups - I used a mix of carrots, beans, cauliflower, peas and whole shallots
Bisi Bele Bath Masala Powder - 2 tbsp or to taste
Tamarind extract - 1/4 cup - juice from big gooseberry sized tamarind
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Tempering/Tadka:
Ghee - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Cashew nuts - 5 (optional)

Method:
Wash and soak the quinoa and toor dhal together for 15 mins. Drain and pressure cook with tomato, turmeric powder and salt for 3 whistles. When pressure is released mash with the back of a ladle and add the vegetables. Cook for another whistle and allow the pressure to release. Add the bisi bele bath masala powder, tamarind extract and cook in low flame for 10 minutes until the flavours meld. In a small kadai, heat ghee and splutter the mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and cashew nuts and saute until light brown. Pour the tempering over the quinoa-dhal mixture. Serve hot as the name says with any side dish of your preference. I served with Cucumber Raita.

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Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins

The thing I love about muffins is that you can mix 

them up and bake them in under 30 minutes.

Try these anytime you want something yummy 

and home baked to enjoy with your coffee.

You probably have  all the ingredients in the house.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave.

 Add the sour cream, egg and vanilla to the butter.

 Whisk until well blended.

Add to the dry ingredients and gently stir until just
combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Divide the mixture among paper lined muffin pan.

 Bake until golden, about 16 minutes.

Remove from pan. I like them still warm.

Loaded with mini chocolate chips.

Homemade muffins....one dozen to share.

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins

 1-1/2 C flour

2/3 C sugar

3/4 t baking powder

3/4 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

5 T butter, melted

1 C sour cream

1 egg

1 t vanilla

Melt the butter in a medium bowl. 

Add sour cream, egg and vanilla.

Whisk until well blended. Add to the

dry ingredients and stir with a rubber 

spatula until just combined. Do not beat.

Gently stir in

1 C mini chocolate chips

Evenly divide batter among a 

paper-lined 12 cup muffin pan.

Bake @350 for 16-18 minutes.

12 muffins

Enjoy!

Links: Designs By Gollum,
At The Picket Fence, Common Ground
French Country Cottage, The Charm of Home,
My Romantic Home, Stone Gable

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