pillow case/cushion covers

Pillow covers

Look at the above square pillow!!( cushion). Isn't it very colourful? By now you can make out that this pillow case is stitched using bits of fabrics.

I have made a new year resolution to take up a new project each month and complete it and also to work with bits of fabric that have been lying filled up in a small plastic drum. As  a best out of waste project and to use the scraps this project pillow case was taken up in the month of January.

February was all baking as my convection microwave was servised and I could use the convention mode which had not been able to do for some reasons.

 I made 4 such colourful pillow cases which have become my daughter's favourite :)what do you think!?? 

March is all study.... n kids exam time ;)

coconut chutny type#2

Coconut chutny type#2

I have posted the simple yet tasty version of coconut chutny earlier. This is the second version of the different varieties of coconut chutnies I make.

This particular chutny is sweet,tangy and hot and goes well with idlis.I should make a point here in advance that this is bit sweet in taste ,every chat lover might like the taste as this chutny too has most of the flavours in chat, viz. Sweet,tangy,hot.However may not be for hot chutny lovers.

The required ingredients for making idli chutny are:

1.  Freshly grated coconut 1 cup
2. Roasted channa dal/ phutane/ hurigadale 1/4 cup
3. Green chilies 2-3 
4. Cleaned coriander about 1/4 cup
5. Tamarind 2 tsp  or 1 tbsp
6. Jaggery1-2 tbsp
7. Salt to taste
8. Water as required for grinding

For tempering/tadka:

1. 1 tbsp cooking oil
2. 1 tsp mustard seeds
3. 1/2 tsp cumin/ jeera
4. 1 tsp black gram/ udad dal
5. 1/2 tsp turmeric
6.  1/4 tsp asafetida/ hing

Method of making idli chutny:

• Put all the ingredients of list 1 to a mixer jar.First churn a bit without water until phutana is ground coarsely. Then grind to make fine chutny adding required amount of water.
• Take the ground chutny to a vessel.
• For tempering,heat a tadka pan,add oil,then add black gram.when black gram turns light golden add mustard seeds and jeera.when they crackle,switch off the flame.
• Add turmeric and asafetida.

 Pour the tempering over the ground chutny and mix well.

Serve with hot idlis.The kids sure will love this taste!!
You can always increase or decrease the quantity of ingredients to suit to the taste of your family.This recipe gives just an idea.

eggless sweet milk bread

eggless sweet milk bread

This is going to be my first recipe among the baking catogery.And I am very much excited to post my eggless sweet milk bread recipe under this category!

So far I have baked bread thrice ,thank the recipe source which is here white bread.

My first bread following the exact recipe from the source turned out to be good in texture,less sweeter and very Yeats smelling one.

So second time I made my own changes to the recipe and baked my second loaf using All purpose Flour and wheat flour.It turned out to be good,while kneading the dough I felt that adding wheat flour is going to make a dense bread and it requires more liquid than maida.Still I used 3/4 cup milk only and baked.The bread was good and the texture was just perfect to make bruschetta , which I eventually made for dinner.

I posted the picture of 2nd loaf in the social networking website group and friends put requests for the recipe.As such today baked 3rd loaf making the improvements and this one turned out to be excellent one!

In the above pictures, you can see the bread in the picture on the left side is very soft and spongy, whereas the one in the pic. on the right side is bit hard, it takes longer time to rise as the amount of milk used is less.

you can choose to make either of the breads,both taste awsome!

The ingredients for making egg less sweet milk bread are:

1. 1 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour(APF)
2. 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3. 1 tsp salt
4. 3/4 cup luke warm milk(1 cup for softer texture)
5. 3 tbsp sugar
6. 1 tsp active dry yeast
7. 2 tbsp oil or softened butter
8. 1-2 tbsp flax seeds to sprinkle on the loaf(optional)

some extra flour for dusting and some extra oil while kneading and greasing the loaf pan.

The process of making egg less sweet milk bread:

• dissolve sugar in the lukewarm milk,add 1 tsp of yeast(ADY)
• keep it for 10 mins.to proof or froth.meanwhile,
• add oil,salt to the flours.mix well.
• add the frothy milk to the flour and begin to knead.At this point the dough will be sticky or tight depending on milk used.(3/4 cup for dense texture and 1 cup milk for very soft texture)
• keep on kneading for 10 -12 minutes.
• keep the kneaded dough in a lightly greased vessel and cover with a damp cloth.let this rise double in volume which takes around 2 hours.
• take the risen dough, punch with your fist couple of times,take out of the vessel,knead a few more times and shape it into a rectangle to fit the size of a loaf pan.
• Fold the rectangle and pinch the dough to make a seam.Do the same on either ends and let the loaf sit in the greased pan.
• AT this point of second rising,depending on the amount of milk used let the dough rise.It takes about 1 1/2 hrs for 1 cup milk used and nearly 4 hrs for 3/4 cup milk used. the point is to see the dough rises double in the volume and then start baking
• when the dough has doubled in the pan,brush the top with milk and sprinkle flax seeds and very gently press them to stick to the dough.
• heat the oven 190 degree C (original recipe says 180 degree C) and bake for 30 -32 minutes.In my oven to get the proper colour I preferred 190 degree C.
• Take out the baked loaf from the pan immediately to stop the bottom of it getting soggy and let it cool on the wire rack for about 30.mins
• slice and serve.

Step by step pictures of making egg less sweet bread

left slice of bread using 3/4 cup milk smaller in size ,right side bread slice ,using 1 cup milk ,bigger and very soft

hayagreeva

Hayagreeva

Wishing all a very happy and colourful Holy!!

I know I am posting this a bit late,but better to be late than never!!By the way holy is celebrated till Ranga panchami day,As such I guess I am not posting too late on the occasion!!

On holi purnima day,(which fell on 5th of this month) usually puran poli(bele obbattu/hooraNada hoLige) is prepared.But me being occupied with some other things,was not able to do puran poli this time. :(

Usually it is either of puran poli or karigadabu at my home on most of the festivals,and whenever its not possibel to do either, the alternative is always HAYAGREEVA/MADDI/KADLE BELE PAYASA.

Being in hurry I prepared Hayagreeva today on the occasion of Holi purnima.Hayagreeva is one of the Pancha pakvannas, or the traditional,great 5  sweets.
This is easy to prepare.
The ingredients for Hayagreeva are:

1. chana dal (bengal gram)1/2 cup
2. grated jaggery less than 1/2 cup
3. ghee 1 tbsp
4. grated dry coconut 2-3 tbsp
5. dry fruits as required
6. cardamom powder 1/4 tsp
7. poppy seeds/gasagase 1 tbsp
8. rice flour 2 tbsp. 

Method of preparing Hayagreeva:

• wash the dal.Put in a cooker container.Pour water  just enough to cover the dal.
• cook upto 3 whistels.Let the pressure go down. mean while,
• heat a khadai,add ghee,roast dry fruits(dry grapes,cashew,almonds) and keep aside.
• In the same ghee put grated coconut and roast a bit,add poppy seeds and roast then add the rice flour and roast till the nice aroma is released.
• To this add slightly mashed chana dal.let it boil for some time.
• Add grated jaggery,cardamom powder and cook for a few minutes.switch off the stove and roasted dry fruits.
• Serve garnished with grated dry coconut.

Some times even edible camphor and diamond sugar is also added to this traditional sweet dish.

The rice flour added here will give a nice thick consistency and better flavour.

Hope you will like this.

HAPPY HOLY AGAIN!!