Rice Balls

Rice Balls

This was to be my day 1 recipe. I had thought since starters are first this is day 1. However my laptop is under repairs and not delivered on the promised date. Yes fool that I was I believed him... So this is the last in the series Kids Delight.

Rice Balls was my kid’s choice, they watch some cartoon/ serial and apparently there is one person who makes delicious rice balls. This was okay as first try but bland.   Next time...

Rice Balls

Recipe Source: Adapted from here.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice cooked with extra water (I used sona masuri) 
• Salt
•  Pepper
• ½ cup grated Parmesan (I used regular processed Amul Cheese)
• 2 tblspn extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½  capsicum each or red and yellow , diced fine
• ¼ cup cabbage
• 5  basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tblspn tomato sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup  bread crumbs
• 1  cup oil ( as needed)

Rice Balls

Method:

• Take the cooked rice in a large bowl.
• Add salt and pepper and cheese.
• Mash well kneading it to a smooth dough.
• Keep covered in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. The rice must be chilled.
• In a large kadhai/wok over heat 1 tblspn oil.
• Sauté onions and the chopped garlic for 2 minutes.
• Add in basil, tomato sauce take off heat add the cabbage and capsicum mix well.
• Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool.
• Lightly grease your palms take 2 tblspn of the rice mixture in the hand and form a small cup.
• Place 1/2 tsp of the filling mixture to centre of the rice cup. Close the opening and shape in a proper ball.
•  Roll the rice ball in the into the bread crumbs.
• You can either deep fry or like me use the appe/paniyaram pan and shallow fry the rice balls till deep brown.
• Transfer on a paper towel lined plate or dish.
• Serve with chilli sauce.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 45

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

 

Guasacaca - Venezuelan Avocado Salsa

Guasacaca - Venezuelan Avocado Salsa

In Venezuela the cuisine you will find influences especially from Italy, Spain and France. If that is not enough you will find indigenous as well as African influence.

Being a large and diverse country, each region in Venezuela has its own distinctive regional cooking.

On the coast enjoy fish, shellfish, crayfish, and fish soups as well as fish stews.  Coconut is also part of some dishes. In the Andean region the food is quite different. Here the "arepa" is not made of cornmeal but wheat. Cured meats and sausages are a delicacy and are sold in many villages.

 In the Amazon region besides yucca, corn, beans and bananas you can also enjoy turtles, tapirs, monkeys birds and deep fried ants. Squeamish you could also live on Casabe, bread made out of yucca.

When in the market, for my weekly Sunday marketing I started looking at avocados hubby was all too happy! He was expecting a shake. When I came home I immediately started attending to it (normally it’s lying around, he gets irritated and attends to it) was he thrilled!!!

Then he saw me mixing it up for a salad he just walked away….poor man!!!

At lunch (he came late) he had heard me admonishing the girls “keep some for Papa” he got curious and Apeksha served him a miniscule portion just to harass him, “taste it Papa. You may not like it” was what she told him!!

He came back not just for seconds but for fourths also. The entire bowl was over in one sitting. But the best part was FIL too liked it!!

There are some substitutions here; I replaced seeded jalapeno peppers with chillies and hot pepper sauce with chilli sauce, white wine vinegar with red wine vinegar.

Guasacaca - Venezuelan Avocado Salsa

Guasacaca - Venezuelan Avocado Salsa

Recipe Source:Food.com

Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 cups onions, finely chopped 
• ¾ cup red capsicum, finely chopped  
• 3 tblspn green chillies, finely chopped
• 3 tblspn extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tblspn red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp US mustard
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¼   tsp black pepper, fresh ground
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 ½ cups avocado, chopped and peeled 
• 1 ½ cups tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tblspn dhania/ coriander leaves, chopped 
• ¼ tsp red chilli sauce

Method:

• Mix the onions, red capsicum, green chillies, olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic in a large bowl.
• Toss mixture gently.
• Cover and refrigerate 3 hours.
• Stir in avocado and tomatoes and red chilli sauce just before serving.

 

Guasacaca - Venezuelan Avocado Salsa

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44

An InLinkz Link-up

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

Chilled Gazpacho for Spain

Chilled Gazpacho

Most of my international recipes are from what I have read in Mills n Boon! How I still adore those books … now I have slightly “upgraded” myself and I read Percy Jackson and his antics! Maybe when the kiddo starts reading M&B I will do the same again!

There was such book where the heroine is served delicious “gazpacho’ soup! The author went on describing the soup and I was surprised that there is chilled soup! Soup to my mind is to be served hot! Before the meal and generally it fills me up so much that I want hardly any dinner! Boooooooo! What a punishment for a foodie !

But exceptions prove the rule “Gazpacho" is cool, refreshing and flavourful start to a meal on a hot summer day. Gazpacho can be had from a soup bowl, or drink it from a glass.

This soup originates in the southern part of Spain called Andalusia. It is tasty, refreshing and very healthy, since it is made from nothing but fresh vegetables and a bit of oil and vinegar.

So this summer I am going to do what Spaniards do - Make a batch of /gazpacho/ and keep it in a glass pitcher in the refrigerator for whenever you need a cool drink.

So today in the Mega marathon which we call as “ Around the World in 30 Days” lets visit Spain.

Gazpacho

Recipe Source: Adapted from here and here

 Ingredients:

• 1.5 kgs/10-12 ripe tomatoes
• 2 slices of white bread, crust removed
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 green capsicum, washed, de seeded, coarsely chopped
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt to taste

Garnish: 

• 3-4 croutons (optional)

Method:

• Make a cross cut on the tomatoes near the stalk.
• Boil 3 litres of water, switch off the gas. Drop the tomatoes in the water. There should be enough water for the tomatoes to soak. Let them stand for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes drain and peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds and drop them in the blender.
• Meanwhile soak the bread in a little water.
• Add the softened bread to the tomatoes.
• Add the capsicum, cucumber garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper to the blender jar.
• Make a smooth paste. In case all the ingredients do not fit in the  blender jar make the paste in batches.
• Mix well. The gazpacho should have a creamy texture and should not be too thick or watery.
• Chill the gazpzcho in the fridge for a couple of hours.
• Just before serving spoon in glasses top with spring onion and crotons.

Chilled Gazpacho

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44

An InLinkz Link-up

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!