Spicy Rice Kichadi

One pot meal and a comfort food, perfect for those lazy days. Kichadi is prepared using rice or semolina or even cracked wheat mixed with lentils and a variety of spices and vegetables. You can also add roasted peanuts or cashew nuts for a little crunch. This recipe can easily be doubled when you have company over. With just a few ingredients from your pantry and easy to cook vegetables, this kichadi will be perfect for lunch boxes too. Hope you will enjoy the dish just like i did. And here goes the recipe, 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Rice

1/4 cup Toor dal

! 1/2 cups Water

1/4 cup Peas

1/4 cup Carrot (chopped)

1/2 Onion (finely chopped)

2-3 Green Chili (Finely chopped)

1 1/2 tsp Garlic (minced)

1 1/2 tsp Ginger (minced)

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Chili powder

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Black peppercorns

1/2" Cinnamon stick

1 Clove

1 pinch Asafoetida

1 tbsp Oil

Salt

 How to:

• Wash the rice and toor dal together, pour the water and soak for 20 mins.

• In a pressure cooker, heat oil, add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, clove, peppercorns, asafoetida and turmeric powder.

• Add the onions, saute for a min. Then add the ginger, garlic and green chilies and saute for a couple of mins.

• Add the carrots, peas along with chili powder and salt.

• Now add the soaked rice and dal along with the water, check salt and pressure cook for 1 whistle.

• Switch off, fluff the rice gently and garnish with cilantro.

• Serve warm with potato fry or chips.

Rose Milk Popsicle

Popsicle is made by freezing any flavored liquid around a stick. With summer around the corner, this aromatic and exotic rose flavored popsicle will be perfect to cool you down. Rose milk is one of my childhood favorite and i can't have enough of it. You can find rose milk in a few Indian restaurants menu here in the US. Freezing the rose milk in the molds is a fun way to eat with your family. Hope you will have fun making'em and slurping'em. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

2 cups 2% Milk 

4 tbsp Rose syrup

1 tsp Rose water

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

2 tbsp Sugar or to taste

How to:

• Heat the milk and let it boil for 3-5 mins. Keep stirring to avoid the skin formation.

• Switch off and immediately add the cardamom powder, sugar syrup and sugar to taste. 

•  Add the rose water and let it come to room temperature.

• Now pour the rose milk into Popsicle molds and freeze them for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.

• To loosen and remove the popsicle out, slowly run warm water on the outside of the mold.

• Serve and enjoy it on a hot day.

Tips:

• If you like milky popsicle, boil the milk for few more mins until it thickens up before adding the syrup.
• You can also add finely chopped nuts or cooked vermicelli for more texture.

Brownie in a Mug

Within 2 mins and with very little effort, your late night sweet/chocolate cravings will be satisfied by this warm and decadent brownie. This totally-divine dessert is ready to devour with just a few staples from your pantry. Mix in a mug, microwave and serve it in the same mug. 

Btw, make sure you finish up the brownie when it is still warm, because once cooled it really hardens up and we don't want that. So, go ahead and enjoy your evening with a warm mug of coffee brownie. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1/4 cup All purpose flour/Maida

3 tbsp white Sugar or more to taste

2 tbsp Cocoa powder (unsweetened)

2 tbsp Canola Oil

3 tbsp Water

1 pinch Salt

How to:

• Mix together all the dry ingredients in a coffee mug; the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt.

• Pour the oil and water to the dry mixture and mix well.

• Microwave the mug for 1 min and 40 secs.(Every oven is different, so keep an eye and do not over cook.)

• Remove and serve warm with a scoop of your favorite ice-cream.

Amish White Bread Loaf

This is it!!! Once you taste this bread, you will never buy store bought white bread. The bread's crust is a bit chewy and the inside is very soft and airy. This bread is slightly sweet than your normal sandwich bread. But you can easily reduce the sugar and even replace half of white flour with whole wheat flour and make it a bit healthier. Those who are making breads at home surely knows how therapeutic and heavenly it is. It is a keeper for sure. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

3 cups All Purpose Flour (Maida) + more for dusting

1 cup Luke warm water

1/3 cup White Sugar

2 1/4tsp Active Dry Yeast

3/4tsp Salt

2tbsp Canola Oil

1 Egg white, for brushing

 How to:

• Grease a 9"x5" loaf pan and keep it aside.
• Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water and let sit for 10 mins or until foamy.

• In another bowl with flour, add salt, mix well and pour the oil.

• Now pour the yeast mixture into the flour and knead until the dough comes together.

• Transfer it on to a floured flat surface and knead with our palms for 8-10 mins or until dough is soft.

• Place the kneaded dough in an oiled bowl and let rest for an hour to rise in a warm place.

• Punch down the air and knead the dough few secs. Now place the dough inside the loaf pan and gently press to shapen into a rectangle to fit the pan.

• Let rest in a warm place for another 45 mins-1 hour or until the dough has risen 1 inch above the pan.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and brush the top of the risen dough with beaten egg white.

• Bake the bread for 30 mins, until golden brown on top.

• Cool it completely on a wire cooling rack before storing.

• Slice it warm, slather with butter or jam and serve for breakfast.