Akki Kadlebele Paayasa | Rice Lentil Pudding - Vegan Dessert

This paysam is a speciality of Karntaka a southern state in India . Akki meaning Rice and Kadlebele means Gram Dhall and Paayasa is kheer  .
Akki Kadlebele Paayasa is an easy as well as a very healthy payasam to make .
Why do I call it healthy is because, it doesn't make use of white sugar , milk or ghee like the normal kheer or paysam that we make . For those following Vegan diet , this is an apt dessert for functions or get togethers because we are going to use coconut milk in the preparation.

Preparation Time - 20 mins
Cooking Time - 40 mins
Serves - 3 -4
Complexity - medium

Tomato Rava Dosa | Tomato Suji Dosa

is a very popular variant of the regular Dosas but comparatively easy to make as this doesn't require soaking of lentils or rice and there is no headache of grinding and fermenting the batter too.
Rava dosa can be whipped up pretty much instantly with just 3 ingredients from the pantry and a few spices for the added taste and flavor .  The basic plain and simple rava dosa recipe is already shared on my blog, you can have a look at the recipe here .
Today's variant of rava dosa is infusing some tomato flavor into the batter with the right amount of spices and flavoring.  Let us check the recipe now .

Preparation Time - 30 mins
Cooking Time - 2 -3 mins per dosa
Makes -  8-9 dosas
Complexity  - medium

Sakkaravalli kizhangu Pachadi | Sweet Potato Raita

Sweet potatoes are highly nutritious tubers and are a great source of dietary fiber and has immense anti oxidant properties.
Popularly known as sakkarkandi or rathaloo in the north, in Tamil nadu it is called as sakakra Velli kizhangu ("sakkara" meaning sweet and "kizhangu" meaning tuber ).
Maharashtrians consume this vegetable during the times they observe fast just like how potatoes are consumed during a fast.
These are mildly sweet and also a rich source of beta carotene ,which is why if given to growing children they would be free from Vit A related ailments or diseases.
In India , sweet potatoes are either boiled and eaten or are directly cooked over charcoal and are enjoyed like a barbecue product .
Today's recipe is very simple but flavorful and healthy and can be consumed without any guilt . I like to eat just cup full of this raita as is and it is almost like a whole meal , filling and nutritious.

Preparation Time - 15 mins
Cooking Time - 20 mins
Serves - 2-3
Complexity  - Simple

Dal Fry | Dhall Fry

Dal fry practically needs no introduction as it is one of the simplest ,yet tastiest preparation that can be made in one's kitchen without much fuss and very minimal ingredients readily available in our pantry.
Well,having said that ,all of you must be wondering why is there a need to blog this recipe if it is so simple and staple?
Well, the answer is - this recipe is very close to my heart as it is one of those preparations by my mom which I have fallen in love with ever since my childhood and coincidentally this has been the only recipe which I actually learnt step by step from my mom. As I was making this today , I realised that a very important recipe has not been blogged in my page ,so without further delay and also as a tribute to the recent event of Mother's Day, I am recording it here .

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 20 mins
Complexity- simple
Serves - 2 -3

Chikoo Milkshake | Sapota Milkshake - with Icecream

Chikoo is a very sweet fruit which is grown in plenty in India, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia and also in Central America and Caribbean. Infact , chikoo is a fruit that is native to South Mexico and Carribeans and is known by the name Zapota or Sapodilla which has now become " Sapota" - a term commonly used in India by many vendors.

Chikoo is a powerhouse of nutrients and is a very good antioxidant and has anti viral properties too.As it is rich in Vit A,C,E and also power packed with flavanoids it is good for skin and helps prevent ear;y ageing and wrinkles.

This fruit can be washed and eaten as it is by cutting them or make a chilled and creamy healthy milkshake and beat the summer heat . For children it can be served with a scoop of vanilla icecream to enhance their liking towards this health drink.

Preparation Time : 5 mins
Cooking Time : Nil
Serves : 2-3 glasses
Complexity : Simple

Ingredients
3-4 medium sized ripe chikoos/ sapota
500 ml chilled milk
4-5 scoops of vanilla icecream (optional)
sugar as needed (optional)

Method

• Wash and cut the chikoos in 2 halves and de seed them.
• Using a spoon scoop out the pulp , put it in a blender and discard the skin.
• Add milk, sugar if needed and blend it well until it is smooth and creamy. I use boiled and chilled milk .
• Pour it in tall glasses, top it with ice cream scoops and serve chilled immediately.

Masala Doodh | Flavored Milk

Summer holidays in childhood were synonymous to outings and of course occasional indulgence into some cold drinks or chilled beverages.  I ,as a child would look forward to such trips so that I can also enjoy the privilege of my favorite beverages. Mom was very strict to not allow drinking any aerated drinks, so it used to be either fruit juice or  the yummy and tasty chilled Masala Doodh which was aptly called as "Energee" by Aarey Diary ( the govt recognized dairy of Maharashtra).
There used to be Elaichi flavor, Pista flavor which were always the top choices for most kids and we would love to sip the chilled milk with straws from the cute glass bottles. Those days , there were no take  away plastic bottles, so we had to stand at the stall, drink and give the shopkeeper the bottle back . Wow..such lovely memories of childhood.
Well, today to beat the extreme heat, I made my own version of Masala Doodh with the richness of dry fruits and some mild spices and enjoyed the chilled Milk .

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Complexity: simple
Serves- 3

Achaari Pulao | Pickle flavored pulao - No onion garlic version

Hi friends,those of you who follow my blog regularly by now must be familiar that I love to experiment and cook varieties of pulao or flavored rice . In my opinion these one pot flavored rice is very healthy , filling and nutritious as it is loaded with veggies and a easy way to sneak in veggies that kids or adults don't like.
Varieties of pulao are easy to prepare and also can be carried in lunch box for office or school .Pair them with some chilled raitha or thick curd and you dont even have to bother about any side dish or gravy.

There is already another version of Achari Pulao on my blog which makes use of Onion and garlic in the method of preparation.
Today's version is sans O n G and can be easily made during any pooja, satsang or divine get togethers.

Preparation Time - 20 mins
Cooking Time - 20 mins
Serves - 3
Complexity- medium