Wish you all a very Happy Gudi Padwa (Ugadi)!!

Wish you all a very Happy Gudi Padwa (Ugadi)!!

Wish you a very Happy New Year.

Yesterday my father asked me what I will be cooking today.

Frankly I was at loss as the traditional foods that Amma or my MIL, Kaku, used to cook are something that my family are not very happy about basically because, I cook them badly, so I decided to innovate by elimination.

Since kid No1 and I do not appreciate 'Shrikand' it was out. I decided to try Dhudhi Halwa.

Pooris out, as you see I have started looking like one now and besides I have to go to work so chapattis it is.

As I am low on vegetables instead of two vegetable we had one flower and potato.

Instead of raw mango and moong dal kosambri we had cabbage tomato salad.

Tomato Saar, of course, the all time favourite as curry.

Plain rice, which no one touched, I don't know why I bothered...

Synthetic Sharbat

There are times when I get irritated as all the cold drinks in the house are finished and nothing is left when we have unexpected guests. So I have decided I am going to make this squash this summer (after exams of course) which will be Apr 16^th this year as Eldest is answering her 10 Std.

1 kg Sugar

400 grams water

6 grams citric acid

Colour

¼ tsp Essence

1. Mix sugar and water bring to boil.
2. Add citric acid and boil. Keep testing the boiling mixture till a drop between you thumb and finger stretches to form a single strand.( 1 tari pak)
3. Cool add colour and essence of your choice.

Go easy on the colour, use a few drops mix well and add more if required.

Colour and essences in general

Yellow--- pineapple, mango, lemon

Orange – orange,

Red – strawberry, raspberry

Apple green—khus

Serve mixed with cold water, ice use salt if required.

I had made a batch for Holi today. I had used mango essence and yellow colour. For ¼ of the concentrate made above we got 1 ½ litres of sharbat.

Moong Khichadi

This has been one of the current favourites with my hubby and daughter. Every time I am hard pressed for time and I offer to make this, I find them nodding and smiling in anticipation. Both of them are not picky eaters, they eat almost everything I prepare, and don't complain!!!!!I know what u all must be thinking, Lucky gal!!Well, that's true. But when it come to this khichadi, they always do justice to the dish....by finishing it!!!So here goes the recipe...

1/2 cup rice, washed and drained

1/2 cup moong dal, washed and drained

1 big tomato

7-8 flakes of garlic, chopped fine

2 green chilles, chopped fine

2 tbsp ghee

Mustard seeds, jeera, hing, turmeric powder for tadka

Coriander leaves, chopped fine

Salt for taste

Combine the washed and drained rice and dal together and add the chopped tomato, a pinch of turmeric, hing and jeera and some salt and pressure cook. Note that you need to add some more water than the usual to this khichadi so that it gets a running consistency, after being cooked. Once the khichadi is done, it is time for the tadka.