Vegetable Quinoa Upma#SundayFunday

Vegetable Quinoa Upma is a very healthy, simple and wholesome dish made with a super nutritious grain and veggies. Quinoa upma is easy to dish out on busy mornings as breakfast or as lunchbox recipe. Quinoa is one of the healthiest wonder grains that has a good amount of fiber and folic acid and other vitamins too.  

Serve it along with chutney or pickle with a cup of chai and you have a complete and healthy breakfast. Vegan and gluten-free! This simple upma demands basic ingredients that we regularly use in rawa upma.

My tip is that make sure to rinse the quinoa under cold water for 2 to three time to remove the natural coating, called saponin to avoid any bitterness before making recipe.

Serves 2 -3
Ingredients

1 Cup Quinoa
1¼ Cup Water
1 Small Onion - finely chopped
1 Green chilly - finely chopped
½ Teaspoon Ginger - finely chopped
1 Small Carrot- chopped
2 Beans - chopped
¼ Cup Green Peas
½ Teaspoon Mustard seeds
1 Teaspoon Urad dal
A Sprig Curry leaves 
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Method 
Wash quinoa in water and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add urad dal when it turns golden brown add curry leaves, onion, green chilly and ginger. Sauté well. When onions are translucent add the chopped veggies and green peas. Sauté well so that the veggies are little roasted. Now add water and salt to veggies. Mix well.

Bring this to a rolling add washed quinoa and mix well. Cover and cook in medium low flame. It took around 20 minutes for the upma to get cooked in medium low flame.
So when quinoa and veggies look cooked (when quinoa has a small white tail it means quinoa is cooked) put off the flame and serve it hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Enjoy this with chutney or pickle and cup of hot chai! 

Labels: Quinoa, Upma, Breakfast, Brunch, Vegan, Gluten free, Healthy, Mixed Vegetable, Sunday Funday

For Sunday Funday our theme is "Quinoa Recipes". 

• Quinoa Chia Multiseed Bread from Cook with Renu
• Rustic Multigrain Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Vegetable Quinoa Upma from Sneha’s Recipe
• Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Copycat Trader Joe’s Lemon Chicken and Arugula Salad fromPalatable Pastime
• Quinoa Tangerine Salad from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Rainbow Quinoa Grain Bowl from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Murukulu Janthikalu#SundayFunday

Murukulu also known as Janthikulu is a savory snack of the Andhra cuisine. This Murukku is a mixture of urad dal flour and rice flour. Its easy to make and a addictive snack. We love the crispness and the buttery taste of this snack.

An ideal festival savory snack, these are vegan & gluten free, prefect for kid's tiffin. They stay crisp and fresh in your pantry shelf for a month or more if stored in an airtight container.

1 Cup Measurement = 200 Ml
Ingredients
4 Cups Rice Flour
1 Cup Urad Dal flour
2 Tablespoons White Butter or any
1 Cup Warm Water or as required
1 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
1 Teaspoon Red Chilly powder - optional
1 Teaspoon Each White & Black Sesame seeds
Oil for deep frying

Method
Take a pan dry roast urad dal flour lightly for a few minutes. See that it does not change color or burn. Keep aside to cool.

In a bowl add flours, sesame seeds, salt, butter, mix well till it represents bread crumbs. 

Then add warm water little by little as need to make a soft dough.

Take the murukulu press ( a disk with three holes)
add the dough into it and press on top into hot oil a make a 

Or this one, make a round murukku. 

Fry till light golden brown on medium flame, then remove. Keep it on an absorbent paper to remove the excess oil. When cooled store in an airtight container. 

This is a snack that can be made any time for children to have in the evening or to take as tiffin. My daughter use to take this as her tiffin to school.  

My Notes 

Grind 1 kg rice and 1/4 kg lightly roasted urad dal. Grind it in the flour mill. Make these any time in a jiffy.

Use white butter (this is homemade butter, which is used to make desi ghee) , it give a nice taste and make the murukulu more crispy.

You can add ajwain or coarsely ground cumin seeds.

Labels: Indian, Savory Snacks, Festival Sweets, Deep Fried, Rice flour, Urad Dal flour, Andhra Pradesh, Chakli, Murukulu, Vegan, Gluten free, Sunday Funday

For Sunday Funday our theme is "Picnic Recipes"     

• Bacon Broccoli Mac from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Cucumber Mozzarella Salad from Palatable Pastime
• Spicy Avocado Mango Bean Salad from Cook with Renu
• Mango Pico De Gallo from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Cowboy Beans from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Murukulu Janthikalu from Sneha’s Recipe
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Cream Style Corn Tomato Chatpata Soup#SoupSwappers

This vegan and dairy-free soup is a quick and easy meal after a hard day's work.  The cream-style corn is a thickener and makes this a hearty soup without needing milk or cream. This soup is so delicious.

Serves 2
Ingredients  
¼ Cup Finely Chopped Onions
½ Cup Diced Carrots
½ cup Chopped celery
1 Clove Garlic - minced
½ Teaspoon Salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 Teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 Cups Vegetable Stock
1 Cup Heaped Homemade Cream Style Corn
2 Tablespoon Sweet Corn Kernels
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
2 Packets Chatpata Tomato Soup - Each Is One Cup Packet

Method 

In a deep soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat, then add onions, carrots and potato Sweat until onions are translucent.     

Add the chatpata tomato soup and stock and whisk until is combined. Add corn, cream-style corn. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add more cracked pepper to taste and serve with multigrain seeded bread toasted with butter and cheese.  

Labels: Soup, Soup Swappers, Tomato, Corn, Healthy

For Soup Swappers event this month we are sharing Corn Soup recipes.

Chicken and Corn Soup by Karen's Kitchen Stories

Thai Style Roasted Corn soup by Magical Ingredients

Cream Style Corn Tomato Chatpata soup by Sneha's recipe

Corn Jalapeno Soup by Zesty South Indian Kitchen

5 can Vegetable Soup by A day in the life on the farm

Pudina/Minty Shrimp Skewers#FishFriday

Looking for a quick and tasty shrimp recipe? Try Pudina/Mint Shrimp Skewers. With a few ingredients, you can impress your family and friends with this flavorful small bite appetizer.
   
Ingredients  
15 Large Shrimp (Prawns) – cleaned with tail on
A Handful Mint Leaves 
2 Large Cloves Garlic
1" Piece Ginger –
2 Green Chilies or to taste
½ Tablespoons Oil
½ Tablespoon Lime Juice 
1 Tablespoon Yogurt - whisked  
½ Teaspoon Black Pepper  
½ Teaspoon Salt or to taste  
For Frying  
1½ Tablespoon Sesame Oil  
For Garnishing  
Orange Slice

Lime slices 

Salad

Method

Soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes
Wash, devein and pat dry shrimps.
Add remaining ingredients into a blender or spice grinder and grind to a smooth paste. Coat Shrimp with ground mixture and marinate for minimum of 15 minutes in the refrigerator.   

Thread them in small skewers on each. Heat a skillet with oil and fry them 2- 3 minutes on each side or till done. 

Squeeze fresh lime juice before serving. Serve hot.

Labels: Mint, Shrimps, One Bite, Appetizer, Seafood/Fish, Fish Friday  

Are you a food blogger who would you like to join Fish Friday Foodies? We post and share new seafood/fish recipes on the third Friday of the month. To join our group please email Wendy at wendyklik1517 (at) gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page and Pinterest page for more wonderful fish and seafood recipe ideas.    

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Smoked Salmon Rolls
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Marbled Smoked Salmon-Topped Deviled Eggs
  
• Food Lust People Love: Baked Crawfish Rangoon
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Shrimp Cocktail Cucumber Cups
• Of Goats and Greens: Steamed Scallop Wontons
• Palatable Pastime: Kung Pao Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
  
• Sneha’s Recipe: Pudina/Minty Shrimp Skewers

Eggless Blueberry Preserve Bundt Muffins

Easy, 15 minutes jam/preserve muffins which are 100% eggless and perfect breakfast recipe. My hubby as usual tells me in morning that today afternoon my music group is meeting for tea, bake me a cake. These muffins were baked just in time for his departure, there were so hot that I could not unmold them. Sent this to my husband's friends get together. Made remaining in a muffin pan since I do not have that many bundt molds. 

Makes 16
Ingredients
1½ Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1½ Teaspoon Baking powder
150 Grams Salted Butter
¼ Cup Water
⅓ Cup Milk
¾ Cup Caster Sugar
½ - ¾ Cup Blueberry Preserve Or Jam - I used Preserve

Method 

Preheat oven at 180˚C. 
In a bowl and sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda.
In a another bowl, cream butter and sugar till fluffy and creamy. Now, fold in add flour mixture in batches alternating with water and milk and blueberry preserve. Mix it well.
Scoop the mixture into bundt molds. Fill each 2/3 the way up.
Bake it at 180˚C for 12 to 15 minutes. 

Check with toothpick, if it comes out clean, muffins are ready.
Serve warm.

These were super delicious!!
Labels: Blueberry, Muffins, Hi Tea, Bundt, Bundt Bakers, Jam, Eggless 

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.
Let's take a look at the different Bundts that everyone baked up with us today  

• Eggless Blueberry Preserve Bundt Muffins from Sneha's Recipe
• Jelly Donut Bundt Cake from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Jijona Cream Bundt Cake from Patyco Candybar
• Orange Marmalade Carrot Cake from Food Lust People Love
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Bundt Cake from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Tennessee Jam Bundt from Palatable Pastime

Eggless Jam Shortcake Swirls#SundayFunday

These shortcakes are so delicious and buttery. To make these I used aluminum muffin mold, would suggest that you use a silicon muffin/cupcake molds to make these. While un molding these tend to break. Felt sorry for not using my silicon cupcake molds to make these delicious shortcakes, no doubt the broken ones my hubby enjoyed. The good ones I took for our Hi Tea Party with friends.

Makes 13 -14 Shortcake Swirls
Ingredients
200 Grams Butter - I used salted butter
75 Grams Icing Sugar
220 Grams All Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Jam or as required
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
Icing sugar as required for dusting - optional

Method

Grease silicon cupcake molds and place them in the muffin tray (do not use liners).  

Beat butter and icing sugar well until creamy, stir in the flour, mix gently. Refrigerate this batter for at least 20 minutes. In the meantime preheat the oven to 180°C.   

Pour the mixture into a large piping bag with a large piping nozzle. Pipe swirls of mixture into the molds. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes ( depending on how many swirls you make into the molds).    

Once the they are golden, take them out of the oven and keep them on a wire rack to cool.

Un mold each shortcake gently, sprinkle with icing sugar, put a small spoon drop of jam into center of each.   

Serve with tea or coffee. These got over in one go for our party. 

Labels: Biscuits & Cookies, Shortcakes, Jam, Eggless, Hi Tea, Party pleasers, Kids delight, Sunday Funday, Baked 

For Sunday Funday our theme is "Shortcake"

• Buttermilk Shortcakes with Macerated Berries from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes from Palatable Pastime
• Eggless Jam Shortcake Swirls from Sneha's Recipe
• Leftover Lemon Loaf Mixed Berry Shortcake from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mini Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Strawberry Lemon Shortcake from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Strawberry Shortcake with Sweet Biscuits from Amy's Cooking Adventures

Spinach And Corn Quesadilla#Improv

A wholesome brunch or even an main course that you can make for your family, that is packed with flavor and taste. The quesadilla is filled with sautéed spinach and corn which are rich source of Iron and proteins.   

These are a my quick and all time favorite meal to make.

Ingredients
Homemade Tortillas - as required 
For The Filling
1 Cup Chopped Spinach/Palak
½ Cup Sweet Corn - I used frozen
1 Jalapeno - finely chopped
1 Onion - finely chopped
½ Teaspoon Garlic powder
½ Teaspoon Steak Seasoning
Salt to taste
1 Teaspoon Butter
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1 Cup Homemade Béchamel Sauce
Shredded Cheddar Cheese - as required

Shredded Cheeza Cheese  - as required

Method
For The Filling

Heat the butter and olive oil in a pan. Add in onion and sauté for a minute or two. Now add in the chopped jalapeno, spinach and corn along with seasonings and sauté on medium high flame till the spinach has wilted. Once the spinach has wilted, add the cheese béchamel sauce mix well till it starts to thicken. Switch off the flame add in cheese and mix till melt. Let this cool completely.

Heat a non stick on medium low flame, grease it with butter, place a tortilla on it aside. Spread the spinach and corn mixture on one tortilla and spread the cheeza cheese on top of the mixture. Cover it with another tortilla.     

Once browned below then flip till this side is browned. Place this in a serving plate, cut them into wedges.

Enjoy!!
Labels: Mexican, Corn, Béchamel Sauce, Jalapenos, Tortilla, Spinach, Brunch, Main course, International Cuisine, Improv Cooking Challenge, Vegetarian

 Improv Cooking Challenge

Jalapenos & Tortillas

• Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Paratha by Magical Ingredients 
• Chiles Toreados by Pandemonium Noshery
• Korean Steak Tacos by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Spinach and Corn Quesadillas by Sneha's Recipes 

A Rustic Homemade No Knead Bread#BreadBakers

This is an easy Homemade No Knead Bread which is rustic and flavorful! It’s a no knead Dutch oven bread that tastes like a loaf of artisan bread made from a high end bakery. The bread is super delicious it can be enjoyed slathered butter or with soups or stews. 

I made this in my mud style Dutch Oven and it turned so beautiful with a crispy top.

Makes One Loaf
Ingredients
350 Grams All Purpose Flour
280 Ml Water
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Teaspoon Instant Yeast
Method

Into a bowl, add in the lukewarm water, add in the honey, salt and yeast. Mix until the ingredients get dissolved in water.

Now tip in the flour. Combine everything together with a back of a wooden spoon to form a shaggy mass of dough,  

making sure there are no dry patches.

Our bread dough is ready. Cover the bowl with a cling film and let the dough sit and proof for an hour.
The Next Step
To transform this dough into a well structured dough.  

After one hour of proofing , dip your finger in water and shake your hands to remove any excess water. Place your hands lightly underneath the dough and lift it up like a light stretch and fold the dough on to it self, rotate the bowl and from all the sides , do the same. Again rest the dough for half an hour covered .
After half and hour do the same stretch and fold method. Rest the dough again for half an hour. Again stretch and fold the dough. Total stretch and folds are done 4 times after every half an hour.

Dust a parchment paper with a mix of rice and whole wheat flour well and place it in a round bowl. If you have Benetton basket then dust that with the flour mix.
After the half an hour of the last fold. Transfer this dough
onto another bowl lined with parchment paper. Just lightly wet your hands and place one hand on the dough and the other under the bowl and lightly transfer this on the bowl lined with the parchment paper.  

Cover the bowl with a plastic film and let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
As the bread is kept to rise, let's preheat the oven with the Dutch oven at 225°C. After 30 minutes , your Dutch oven is pretty hot and the oven. So take the Dutch oven out carefully with gloves on.  

Place the risen dough along with the parchment paper into the hot Dutch oven. With a blade slash it on top. 

Close the pot with lid and place it in the oven. Bake bread for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes remove the lid and reduce the temperature to 180°C and bake for another 10 minutes.

The more you bake at this point, the more crispy the crust become.  
This extra baking will give that outer crust of the bread to get a more crisp and caramelized golden brown color and a nutty flavor.   

When baking these last few minutes, heat is directly acting only on the surface of the bread. 

So reducing the temperature will help not to over burn the crust and at the same time will make it more crunchy.

Cool this dough on a wire rack for at least an hour before you slice it.

Labels: No Knead Bread, Homemade, Breads, Bread Bakers, Eggless 

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
The Badge:  

Sneha Recipes is hosting this month's event and asked the others to join me in sharing No Knead Breads    

A Rustic Homemade No Knead Bread From Sneha’s Recipe
Chocolate Chestnut Bread From A Messy Kitchen
Easy No Knead German Crusty Rolls From Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Mixed Grain Sourdough Soda Bread From Food Lust People Love
No Knead Knead Marbled Brioche From Passion Kneaded
Pide Ekmek (Turkish Flatbread) From A Day in the Life on the Farm
Vegan No Knead Tomato Basil Bread Form Magical Ingredients