Watermelon and Honeydew Melon Smoothie

  Melons aren't just a cool, juicy and colorful summer fruit—they're packed with nutrients, too. Watermelon, Honey dew melon, cantaloupes are synonymous of Summer. Melon fruit contains a lot of water (about 95% of the fruit) and also rich in vitamins and minerals, so it has many benefits for our health. As they contain lots of water, melons gives sense of cool and soothing effect to our body, so it can relieve heartburn and cleanse the kidneys. Melons help protect your heart, Cantaloupe reduces blood pressure as it contains lots of Potassium, watermelon builds your immunity. So what more reason you need to add these fruits to your Summer diet?

  I prepared this smoothie combining two melons - Watermelons and Honeydew melons with milk and served this during breakfast to my kids. A healthy and filling drinks for kids and perfect for picky fruits eaters. Smoothies either you can whip up with milk or with yogurt, that's your choice. You can also add little vanilla Ice cream, too to get a creamy texture. Add your choice of fruits and blend in a blender till smooth. Serve on a tall glass and a glass full of goodness is ready in a jiffy.

You Need :
Watermelon : 1 cup, cubed
Honey Dew Melon : 1 cup, cubed
Milk : 2 cups
Sugar : 2 tblsp. or honey : 1 tblsp.
Ice cubes : optional

How To :

• Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth. 
• Serve on a glass and add ice cubes. Done......

Sending This to my ongoing event, "Spotlight : Summer Fruits", hosted by me this month

 

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Eggless Low Fat Mango Cupcakes and announcement of Spotlight : May theme

It's again that time of the year when juicy, yummy mangoes are abundantly available in the market and I have to admit, Mango is my favorite fruit. Summer is the time when all my favorite fruits are available---Honeydew melon, Watermelon, Mangoes, Litchies, Guavas, Ripe Payayas, Palm fruits, berries, cherries, plums, peaches and what no, all sorts of exotic fruits are in season. That's why in summer I feel like eating fruits only. So many yummy things you can make with these fruits like, Smoothies, Lassis, drinks, punches, fruit salad, dessert or can use them in a bake.
  I made these exotic looking Cupcakes with this season's first fresh mangoes...Cupcakes taste awesome with fresh mango flavour. I made these cupcakes with no egg and with very less fat. Super easy and guilt free bake.....

You Need :
All-purpose flour : 2/3 cup
Whole wheat flour : 2/3 cup
Baking Powder : 1 tsp.
Baking Soda : 1 tsp.
Butter : 1/2 cup(~50 gm.), in room temperature
Vegetable oil : 1/2 cup
Condensed milk : 1 can(~350 ml.), use more or less according to your taste

Mango Puree : 1 cup(I used 2 big mangoes)[Store-bought mango pulps are equally good]
Mango essence : 1 tsp.(optional)
Yellow food color : 4-5 drops(optional), gives vibrant yellow color

How To :

• Pre-heat oven to 175 degreeC or 350 degreeF. Grease with a little butter your muffin/cupcake tray or any other baking pan you are using.
• Take all dry ingredients, i.e., two types of flours, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl and mix well.
• In another mixing bowl, beat butter, oil and condensed milk together. 
• Peel the mangoes and blend in a mixer until well blended. Add this to mixing bowl and whisk till well blended with others. Also add mango essence and food color if using.
• Now slowly add dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and blend until whole dry ingredients are used. Blend until you have a creamy batter, do not over blend the batter.
• Pour into your prepared baking pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. it takes approx. 30-45 minutes.

Announcement of Spotlight : May-June

In this post, I'm announcing the theme of "SPOTLIGHT" of this month. As you see I'm going crazy over summer fruits, I want to know How you eat your summer fruits.

So, the theme is "Summer Fruits"  

Rules of the event :
1. Prepare any kind of dish using Summer fruits, like drinks, smoothies, lassi, punch, cocktail, dessert anything, even use it in your baking..Share with us how you eat your summer fruits. Eggs are allowed.

2. Post it in your blog from May 15th to June 15th,'13 and link it to this announcement page.  You can send multiple entries.

3. Archived  entries rae allowed if reposted with this announcement link. 

4. The use of logo is mandatory as it helps to spread the word.

5. Non-bloggers can send their entries to the email address mentioned below.

6. Use the linky tools to link your entries...if you are having any problem linking your entries, send them to my email adress, (riappyayan@gmail.com) with subject line "Spotlight : Summer Fruits" in below format

Name :
Blog name :
Recipe Name :
Recipe URL :
Image no larger than 300 pixel...............

So friends, share your exotic Summer fruit dishes with us and make this event successful like always....:))



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Narkel diye Chichingey chhenchki( Snake gourd dry curry with coconut in bengali style)

Like any other cuisine, Bengali cuisine has also different styles of cooking with different names, like dalna, charchari, chhenchki, Ghanto, jhol, jhal, kalia, Dam amd many many more. I have explained them also in my different posts. If you follow my posts, then you know it.

Today's dish is cooked in Chhenchki style, which means one or more varieties of vegetables are chopped and seasoned with either Panch-phoron or mustard seed or Black cumin seed and just salt and turmeric powder are added to taste. The result, spiceless, less-oil, helathy vegetable dish to relish with piping hot rice. The same way you can make this dish with radish to make bengali Mulo Chhenchki. I have prepared it with Snake gourd or Chichingey, as we call it in 'bengali". I ahve added freshly grated coconut to add-in some extra flavour. This vegetable tastes awesome with coconut, but you can make this dish even without the coconut.

Do you know the health benefits of this wonderful Vegetable? Consume this now, during summer season, as  it is very much beneficial for this season.

• Snake gourd is very high in water satisfied and has a cooling effect on the body, hence this summer vegetable that nature provides in such a timely behavior helps in handling the summer heat. 
• Because of its high water substance, snake gourd is low in calories, fat-free but filling, and great to restrain in weight-loss menus.
• Snake gourd also contains a lot of fiber which can help maintain your digestive region healthy. The fiber is also helpful for those with diabetes.
• Snake gourd is a good resource of minerals like magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus. 
• Snake gourd helps inspire the production of body fluids, relieving dryness. 
• Snakegourd-leaf juice has also been found to be useful in treating palpitations (irregular heartbeat).

You Need : 
Snake gourd/Chicingey : 1 or 2(chopped)
Black Mustard seed : 1/2 tsp.(for seasoning) + 2 tsp. (for paste)

Green Chilli : 1 to 2(as per your tol. level)
Freshly grated coconut : 1/2 cup or more
Oil : 1 tblsp.
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Sugar : a pinch

How To :

• First scrape the skin of snake gourd lightly with the back side of a knife. Cut and remove the seeds, then chop finely. Keep aside.
• Make a fine paste of 2 tsp. mustard seed and green chillies. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, season with mustard seed, then seeds crackle, add chopped vegetable. Season with salt and turmeric powder. Stir for about 2 minutes. Snake gourd will release some water at this moment. Cover with a lid and in low flame let it cook, if needed, add very little water to cook the vegetable. 
• When veges are almost cooked, add mustard paste and freshly grated coconut into the vegetable. Mix well everything and in low flame lt it cook some more. Add a pinch of sugar lastly to adjust the taste. Seson with salt as per your taste. 
• Snack gourd or Chichingey chhenchki is ready to serve with piping hot white rice.

 Cooking Tips

• Pick snakegourd that looks fresh, green, and feels soft but firm when pressed.
• Cook snake gourd with the peel. Tender snake gourds don't have any seeds, but slightly mature ones do; remove the seeds for a better taste. Check for bitterness if the snakegourd is mature.
  

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Chivda/Rice Flakes Mixture ~ A healthy Munch-on

Chivda is the most famous Indian snack. This snack is prepared mostly during Diwali festival and  is popularly known as Chivda in Maharashtra. Its made from thin beaten rice flakes(Poha) or even with puffed rice (churmura/muri). 

This rice flakes mixture is super healthy, as it needs very less oil to make it crispy and I loaded it with raisins, cashew nuts and peanuts. This is super easy-to-make and the good thing is you can store it in an air-tight container for a whole month and munch whenever you feel like. Believe me, I am munching on while writing this post. So addictive, I must say and for me it's guilt-free, as it is home-made and almost oil-free.

I prepared this mixture and packed for my husband to munch with tea who lives in some other city for work. Actually he loves this mixture, but I never prepared it at home. So when he is away from me, I prepared and packed with him, as I am missing him a lot.

You Need :
Poha/Chire/Rice flakes : 250-300 gm.
Raisins : a handful
Cashew nuts : 50 gms or more
Peanuts : 50 gms. or more
Chana dal : 1/3 cup
Dried Red Chilli(whole) : 2-3
Mustard seed : 1 tblsp.
Curry leaves : a handful
Red chilli powder : adjust accr. to taste(~ 1tsp.)
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil : 2 tblsp.

How To :

• Heat oil in a wide heavy-bottomed pan, fry cashewnut and peanuts and when nuts are done, add raisins, stir fry for another 1 or 2 minutes and keep aside.
• In the same oil, add chana dal first, when they turn light brown, add dry red chillies, curry leaves. Fry curry leaves for a minute, then add mustard seed. When mustrad seed start to crackle, add turmeric, red chilli powder and salt. 
• Stir for few seconds, then add beaten rice flakes or poha in there. From now on, you have to stir it continuously in high flame, otherwise rice flakes can burn.
• Add in fried cashew nuts, peanuts and raisins. Mix well. Stir it for at lest 5-7 minutes or until rice flakes feel crispy.
• Remove from heat and cool in room temperature and store in an air-tight container to keeo it more crispier for a long time and much whenever you feel like. You can surprise your guests with this lovely snack..............................

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Dhokar Dalna (Lentil Cakes in a spicy gravy) ~A Bengali Delight

  I will share another favorite dish of Bengalis today, i.e. Dhokar Dalna. Dhoka is a shallow fried cake made from two types of lentils(dal) and then cooked in a curry with potato and very little spices is called Dhokar Dalna. Dalna, is a cooking term that means any vegetables or eggs cooked in a medium thick gravy seasoned with ground spices, specially with Garam masala and a touch of ghee.   
     You all must be wondering why this dish is called "Dhokar Dalna". Dhoka means "cheat" in hindi. I am not sure the reason behind it. But I have a theory. I think, from outside you won't realize how awesome this dish tastes. When you will taste, you will be surprised, in a good way, of course. When you are bored with your regular cooking, try this out. It's a mouth watering dish you ever had...may be I am little overboard....bec' I love this dish.
      This is one of the niramish(veg) dish of bengalis. For bengalis, niramish or totally veg. means not only no meat, no fish, no egg, but also no onion. Specially, in fasting days or on some puja days, there will be no onion cooking at homes. This is one of the recipe which are cooked on those puja days. In Bengali Cuisine, most of the veg. dishes are without onions and with very less oil and less spices to make vegetable more nutritious.

You Need :  
For making Dhoka/Lentil Cake :
Cholar dal (chana dal/bengal gram) : 1/2 cup
Matar dal (yellow split pea) : 1/2 cup (if you don't have matar dal, only cholar dal also works fine-then take 1 cup of it)
Ginger Paste
Green chillies
Salt to taste
Sugar : 1 tsp.

Roasted cumin seed  powder : 2 tsp.(take 1 tsp. cumin seeds and roast
them on a tawa until light brown and grind them into powder)
For the curry :
Potato : 1 or 2(medium-cubed)
Tomato : 1 (medium-blanched)
Ginger : 11/2" (grated)
Green chillies : 2
Turmeric powder :1 tsp.
Chilli powder : 2 tsp.
Cumin powder : 2 tsp.
Coriander powder : 1tsp.
Seasoning :
Bay leaf :1
Cardamom :2/3
Cinnamon stick :1 (1")
Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala : 2 tsp. (powder mixture of cardamom, cinnamon & cloves)
Ghee/clarified butter : 1 tsp.
Oil : 3-4 tblsp.

How To :

• Wash and soak two types of lentils overnight. Drain water and grind the dals with 1 green chillies to a paste with very little water (as needed) in a mixer.
• In the mixture, add 1 tsp. ginger paste, season with salt, little sugar, if you like add little chilli powder (optional), cumin powder and roasted cumin seed powder. Mix all of them well.
• Now heat a pan, pour 1 tblsp. oil, pour the dal mixture over it and in low flame stir it until all the moisture evaporates and dal mixture becomes sticky but not completely dry.
• Grease a wide plate with little oil. Pour the dal mixture evenly on the plate with almost one inch depth. Press lightly with your spoon so that it sets properly. Cool and cut into square or diamond shapes. this sets in about 30-45 minutes.
•  
  
  

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• Heat 2 tblsp. of oil and fry the dhokas in medium flame to light brown on both sides. Do not over-fry them, then the curry won't go inside the dhokas and don't fry so little then dhokas will break easily in the curry. Remove and keep aside. Fry the potatoes in the same oil with little salt to light brown and keep aside.
 

 

• To make the gravy, heat a pan with 1 tblsp. oil, add bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and cumin seeds. when all the whole spices turn little brown, add rest of the ginger paste and tomatoes together. Stir till tomatoes turn soft.
• Add turmeric, chilli, cumin and coriander powder and mix well with tomatoes. when masala is cooked and oil seperates the spices, add potatoes. Then add about two small cups of water and salt. When the potatoes are half-cooked, then add the dhokas and simmer for 4-5 minutes. (Note : do not stir so often and vigorously, dhokas will break)
• When the potatoes are done and dhokas start to soak up some of the gravy and the curry thickens to medium thick gravy, sprinkle garam masala powder and little ghee over it. Cook for another minute or two and take it off the heat. Dhokar dalna is ready to serve. Serve with plain rice or chapati or puri.

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