Jamun/Indian Blackberry Chia Jam#SundayFunday

Jamun/Indian Blackberry is summer fruit and love eating it. Wanted to make a jam so made this with chia seeds. A delicious jam. 

Jamun, or Indian blackberry, is highly regarded for its benefits to diabetics, stomach pain, arthritis, certain digestive issues, and diabetes. Improvement in the hemoglobin level of the blood. It contains compounds like jamboline and jambosine that help regulate blood sugar levels.
Ingredients2 Tablespoons Chia seeds
4 Tablespoons Water
1 Cup Water
1 Cup De Seeded Jamun
½ Cup Sugar

Method
Soak chia seeds in 4 tablespoons water and let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the chia seeds have swollen up.
In a large sauce pan, add the jamun pulp & water. Turn on the flame and let the pulp simmer until it thickens.
Add sugar and mix while it simmers. Use the stick blender and blend. Place it back on the low flame Then add the chia seeds and cook till it thickens. Let this cool.
It will thicken further as it cools. Once it reaches room temperature, pop it in the fridge and serve chilled on slices of bread. Enjoy!!
Labels: Jamun, Indian Blackberry, Java Plum, Jam, Chia seeds, Sugar, Preservatives free, Homemade, Sunday Funday

Semolina Cucumber Cake#SundayFunday

I have already posted a cucumber cake recipe, that is eggless and made with idly rava, this one is totally different and unique. This cucumber that I got is directly from the framers field again that is the big yellow cucumber if you see the early recipe you'll get the information about that cucumber.
This cucumber had hardly any seeds, was so cool and had a sweet taste. I grated 3/4 of the cucumber and the remaining we sliced and enjoyed.

Ingredients
3 Cups Packed Cucumber - see notes
2 Cups Jaggery
2 Cups Fine Semolina/Rawa
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Freshly Grated Coconut
3 Eggs
100 Grams Butter
3 Tablespoons heaped Ghee
1 Teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking soda
A few drops of Vanilla essence
Method
Wash and peel the cucumbers and cut them vertically, scoop out the pith (seeds). Grate the cucumber and then lightly squeeze out the juice.
In a big vessel add the semolina, jaggery, cucumber, coconut, and stir well till there are no lumps. Finally add the ghee and butter stir again till well incorporated and keep it for soaking minimum for an hour. 
Grease cake tin with ghee or butter.
Preheat oven at 180°C for about 15 minutes.
Sieve the flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix it properly. 
Beat the eggs and pour it into the batter and whisk it well then add the flour and and fold it into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin bake it for an hour.
Perfectly baked Semolina Cucumber Cake. 
My Notes
Taste the cucumber before you grate it, if it's bitter do not use it.
Do not squeeze the cucumber of all the juice then the semolina/rawa will not get enough moisture to soften.

Depending on the size of the tin, moisture in the cake batter and oven used the baking time may vary between 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes.
You can't unmold this cake, so cut the desired pieces in the pan itself and gently lift it.
If you want a brown surface you can change the oven settings to the 'Broil/Grill' mode for the last 3 minutes (I did it), brown crust adds to the taste.
Adjust the jaggery to your taste.
Labels: Cake, Cucumber, Healthy, Semolina, Coconut, Jaggery, Sunday Funday,

Homemade Cherry Pie Filling#FoodieHoliday

No store-bought pie filling because today we’re making cherry pie filling completely from scratch with fresh cherries and preservatives free. The flavor of the cherry pie filling with few drops of vanilla and almond extracts add richness and depth and a touch of lemon juice keeps the overall flavor fresh and bright. 
I used stevia to reduce the sugar in this pie filling and it taste so good. Homemade cherry pie filling that uses fresh or frozen tart red cherries is easy to make on the stovetop in 15 minutes with just 3 simple ingredients. My cherry pie filling recipe is the thick, juicy cherry pie filling. 

Ingredients
2 Cups Cherries - pitted & halved
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Stevia
1 Tablespoons Corn Flour
1 Tablespoon Lime juice
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
3 -4 Drops Almond extract
¼ Cup Water

Method
In a large sauce pan, add the cherries, sugar, water , lemon juice, together until thoroughly combined. Place this on medium low flame and let is cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cherries soften . Then add the cornstarch cook till the filling thickens. Switch off the flame add the vanilla, and almond extract and let it cool. Used the stick blender to make a slightly chunky pie filling. Cover filling and place in the refrigerator and use whenever you want. 
You can freeze this pie filling for 6 months too. It stay good in the freezer. 
Labels: Preservatives free, Foodie Holiday, Pie Filling, Cherries, Homemade, International Cuisine
This month we are sharing in Foodies Holiday Cherry Recipes 

  • Magical Ingredients: Black Forest Baked Oats
  • Art of Natural LIving: Homemade Cherry Shrub
  • Karen's Kitchen Stories: Cherry Chocolate Cookies
  • Hezzi-D's Recipe Box: Cherry Coffee Cake
  • Sneha's Recipe: Homemade Cherry Pie Filling
  • A Day in the Life on the Farm: Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Salsa
  • The Spiffy Cookie: Mini Cherry Lime Greek Yogurt Cheesecakes
  • Fresh Fig Cake With Walnuts Crumb Topping#SundayFunday

    Fresh Fig Cake With Walnut Crumb Topping is so delicious and perfect for when fresh figs are in season. This cake is so light and delicate and combined with the crunchy walnut crumb topping, it’s just superb! It’s also great for tea time too!
    Ingredients
    3 Eggs
    1 Cup Vegetable oil
    ½ Cup Sugar
    ½ Cup light brown sugar
    ½ Cup Water
    1½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    2 Cups All Purpose Flour
    2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
    ¾ Teaspoon Salt
    1¼ Teaspoon Cardamom powder
    1/3 Cup Crystalized Ginger - diced
    8 Fresh Figs - sliced vertically 
    For The Crumble
    ½ Cup All Purpose Flour
    ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
    A Pinch Salt
    2 Tablespoons White Sugar
    2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
    ¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon powder
    71 Grams Butter - melted
    ½ Cup Chopped Walnuts

    Method 
    Preheat oven to 180°C.
    Grease a 9” cheesecake pan butter and set aside. If you use a smaller pan the top and bottom of the cake will burn, the time taken to bake will be longer.
    In a large bowl combine eggs, oil, sugars, water and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine and set aside.
    In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom. Whisk to combine.
    Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk slowly to combine. Stir in the candied ginger.
    Pour cake batter into pan, arrange figs cut side up, in a circle around the cake. Set aside.
    To Make The Crumble 
    Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugars and cinnamon until combined. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until a crumble forms. Then stir in the walnuts.
    Sprinkle crumble on top of figs and cake, evenly distributed.
    Bake cake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. If top starts to brown too quickly cover with foil until fully baked through. 
    Allow to cool and serve for tea time or for Sunday brunch.
    Labels: Cakes, Figs, International Cuisine, Walnuts, Sunday Funday

    Sunday Funday

    Figs

    Mfarakeh (Potatoes & Eggs) - Palestinian#EatTheWorld

    Mfarakeh is a Palestinian Dish which is just fried potatoes with scrambled eggs. Crispy potatoes, creamy eggs, and a dash of spices make this an easy breakfast or an easy lunch. It's good and filling and you can never go wrong with eggs.

    Serves 2 
    Ingredients
    2 Medium Potatoes- peeled & cut into small cubes
    3 Eggs
    Oil - as required for frying the potatoes
    Pinch Bezar Spice - Homemade
    Pinch Paprika
    Salt & Black pepper to taste

    Method
    Heat oil in a skillet then add potatoes, continue with occasional sautéing and until potatoes turn more golden brown. This will take up to 10 to 12 minutes. 
    Then remove most of the oil. Now add all the spices with salt and mix well.
    Lightly whisk the eggs and add over potatoes, stir and mix well integrating the potatoes with the eggs. Turn the heat off once eggs look fully cooked. 
    Sprinkle of chopped coriander on top of it and serve it.
    Labels: Brunch, Palestine, Middle Eastern, Eat The World, Potato, Eggs 

    Join us as we Eat the World!!!

    Check out all the wonderful Palestinian dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Find out how to join Eat the World here and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!
  • Whole Chickpea Hummus (Musabaha) by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
  • Deconstructed Sayadieh, the Power of Food, and Other Palestinian-Inspired Bite by Culinary Cam
  • Mfarakeh (Potatoes & Eggs) - Palestinian by Sneha’s Recipe
  • Mixed Flour Instant Bhatura#BreadBakers

    Bhatura is a leavened fried bread from the Indian cuisine and is served with Chickpeas gravy.  Bhatura or Bhature (plural) is one of the most popular Punjabi recipes. I have already posted a Yeasted Bhatura recipe. There is also another bhatura recipe that is made with yogurt. Will share that recipe too soon.

    Ingredients
    3 Cups All Purpose Flour
    ½ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
    2 Tablespoons Fine Rawa
    ¾ Teaspoon Salt
    2 Tablespoons Ghee
    ¾ Cup + - Club Soda  
    Method
    In a bowl take the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, fine rawa, salt and ghee, mix all the ingredients well. Now add the club soda little by little, knead it into a soft dough.
    Cover the dough and let is rest for at least 30 minutes.
    For Frying The Bhatura
    In the meantime as the dough is resting, place a deep frying pan/kadai with oil, let it heat on medium low flame.
    After 15 minutes take the dough, divide it into round ball according to size of the bhatura you would like. 
    Shape into round balls and roll them into 5 to 6-inch thick circle discs, I used a round cutter to make all the bhatura's same size.
    The same way as you would fry pooris, the oil has to be moderately hot. Use medium to medium-high flame while frying. 
    These will take a bit longer to fry than pooris, fry them till golden.
    Drain them on kitchen paper napkins to remove the excess oil.
    Continue to fry each bhature this way.
    Serve the bhatura hot with any of the below chickpea recipes.
    See here other Chickpea Recipes
    Chole
    Chole Sabzi
    Pindi Chole 
    White Kadala Curry 
    Labels: Instant Mixes, Bread, Bread Bakers, Fried Breads, Indian, Whole Wheat Flour, Fine Semolina
    #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.


    Mixed Flour Instant Bhatura from Sneha's Recipe
    Trini Fry Bake from Food Lust People Love
    Tangzhong Doughnuts from Karen's Kitchen Stories
    Banh Tieu from Magical Ingredients

    Keto Microwave Blueberry Muffin#SundayFunday

    This Keto Blueberry Muffin fits perfectly into that sweet spot for a sweet craving. It makes a perfect muffin for quick breakfast or dessert.This muffin is moist, topped it with whipped cream and you have a delicious dessert.
    It’s no dissimilar to a mug cake (it is, in fact, a mug cake) and you can make this in your oven or microwave.

    Serves 1
    Ingredients

    30 grams Almond Flour
    ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
    1 Egg
    15 Grams Butter - melted
    2 Teaspoons Keto Sweetener
    ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    ¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon powder
    8 Blueberries
    Method 
    In a bowl, add in the melted butter (or microwave for 15 seconds to melt it), your Keto sweetener , vanilla extract, egg and give it all a good mix till well combined.

    Now add your dry ingredients to the bowl - the almond flour, baking powder and cinnamon powder and mix well.

    Add in the blueberries and gently fold through the mixture.
    Grease an oven-proof ramekin with butter and pour in the batter.   Microwave on high for 90 seconds. If a toothpick poked through the center comes out with a few crumbs, or clean, your muffin is done.

    Serve warm or chilled, depending on your preference with a few blueberries for garnishing.  
    Enjoy!!

    Nutrition Info (Per serving)Calories: 368
    Net Carbs: 3g
    Total Carbs: 6g
    Fiber: 3g
    Labels: Single Serving, Keto, Low Carb, Microwave, Muffins, Blueberry, Healthy, Sugar Free, Diabetic Friendly, Almond Flour, Sunday Funday, Gluten Free, International Cuisine
    For Sunday Funday we are celebrating National Blueberry Month, see some of the recipes below.  

    Navratan Chivda#Alphabet Challenge

    A combination of dried nuts blended with murmura, beaten rice, nylon sabudana and makhana, tasty and crunchy chivda.  A perfect accompaniment for tea and coffee or as an healthy and nutritious evening snack.

    1 Cup = 250 Ml
    Makes 1900 Grams
    Ingredients
    1 Cup (250 Grams) Nylon Sabudana
    2½ Cups (200 Grams) Chivda Cornflakes
    4 Cups Makhana / Foxnuts
    2 Cups Poha
    6 Cups Murmura / Puffed Rice
    ½ Cup Sliced Dried Coconut
    ¾ Cup Golden Raisins
    ¾ Cup Almonds
    ¾ Cup Cashewnuts
    ¾ Cup Dalia / Chutney Chana
    1½ Cups Raw Peanuts
    1 Cup Packed Curry Leaves
    For The Tadka
    4 Green Chillies - chopped
    4 Dried Red chillies - deseeded & chopped
    1 Teaspoons Pink Himalayan Salt
    1 Teaspoon Kala Namak
    2 Teaspoons Granulated Sugar
    2 Teaspoons Sugar - powdered
    2 Teaspoons Turmeric Powder
    2 Teaspoons Red Chilly Powder
    3 Tablespoons Oil

    Method
    In a large pan in batches dry roast the murmura /puffed rice till they are hot to touch. Keep aside in a large bowl.
    In a same pan heat 2 tablespoon oil and fry the makhana/foxnuts on medium low flame till they are lightly toasted. Remove this in the bowl to the puffed rice.
    Now in deep frying pan heat oil on medium high flame , when hot first fry the curry leaves till they are crispy. Remove and keep aside in an absorbent tissue paper.
    Then add ¼ of the nylon sabudana in the oil and on high flame fry till they puffed (I fried each item in 4 batches ) remove them with a strainer and keep them on a kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil. In the same way fry the poha, cornflakes, keep all these on absorbent paper towels.
    Then fry each nut separately, raisins, chutney chana, raw peanuts etc.
    Crush the curry leaves and mix it well with the puffed rice.
    Now mix all ingredients well. Since I did not have a big / super big bowl I divided theses in 4 parts and keep them in four bowls.

    For The Tadka
    In a small bowl mix all the salt, sugar and dry spices. 
    I made the above quantity tadka 4 times. Each time added the same quantity of oil and spices, salt etc.
    Heat oil in pan add the mustard seeds when they splutter add the green chillies and saute till they turn cripsy, then add in chopped dried red chillies and saute for a minute. Switch off the flame add in the dry spice mix and mix it well. Add this to one bowl of the navratan chivda and mix well taste for salt and sugar adjust according to your taste. Like wise I made 3 more times the tadka and mixed it with the other bowls of navratan chivda. 
    Store in an airtight container this will remain good for 2 months, Enjoy!!
    Labels: Chivda, Alphabet Challenge, Festival Sweets, Healthy snacks, Indian
    Check here other Chivda recipes
    Bhajke Pohe Chivda
    Bhadang (Puffed Rice Chivda