Cream Cheese Mushroom

Time Required: 1 Hour
Servings: 2
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Ingredients:

• 12 whole fresh Mushrooms
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1 tbsp minced Garlic
• 2 tbsp Cream Cheese
• 1/4 cup Grated Cheese
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper or 1 minced Green Chilly

Method:

1. Preheat Oven to 400F.
2. Clean the whole Mushrooms, Remove the stem off carefully as shown and chop the stem finely.
   Note: I have chopped 2 extra mushrooms to increase the stuffing.
   
3. Heat Butter in a pan, add Garlic, Pepper and chopped Mushroom Stem, fry till the moisture from mushroom evaporates and garlic is golden brown. remove from the flame.
   
4. Now add Cream Cheese and mix well to get a thick mix.
   
5. Fill each Mushroom with this mix and garnish with Grated Cheese.
   
6. Now keep in Preheated oven for about 30 min more or less until cooked.
7. Serve it Hot!
   

Bread Dosa

Time Required: 30 Minutes
Servings: 3
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A quick dosa which needs no overnight fermentation and very few ingredients which can be readily bought and immediately made.

Ingredients:

• 8 slice White Bread
• 1/2 cup thin Rava (Semolina)
• 1/4 cup Yogurt
• Ginger finely chopped
• 5-6 Curry Leaves
• 1 tbsp Rice Flour
• 2 Green Chillies chopped
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Method:

1. Soak Bread in half cup water on a flat dish, so that it absorbs water and become soft.
2. Grind together- Rava, Yogurt, Ginger, Green Chillies, Curry Leaves, Rice Flour with little Water to get a smooth paste.
3. Now add Bread slices and grind to get a smooth batter. Add Water if required.
4. Add little Salt as required, since bread already has salt.
   
5. Now heat non stick pan, brush oil slightly and add batter to make dosa.
   
6. Bake both sides.
   
7. Bread Dosa is ready! You can serve it with Chutney or Tomato Ketchup!
   

Shrikhand

Time Required: 10 Minutes
Servings: 4
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Shrikhand is a very popular sweet dish. It can be served as dessert or as a side
dish for poori. Absolutely yum! You don’t find fresh Shrikhand everywhere. You may
find in some stores but they may not taste as good.

The place where I currently stay we don’t get this and hence tempted me to make this
to have along with poori. Very easy to make. So here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cup Yogurt / Curd
• 1 cup or as per taste Sugar
• 1/2 cup Almonds crushed
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
• Saffron few strands
• 2 tbsp warm Milk

Method:

1. Hang the Yogurt in muslin cloth overnight or for at least 6-8 hrs.
   
2. Take the hung Yogurt, in a bowl and beat it well along with Sugar.
   
3. Add Almonds and Cardamom Powder. Mix it well.
   
4. Now take Milk and soak Saffron for about 5 min and add.
   
5. Shrikhand is ready! Refrigerate to store. Serve it chilled!
   

Potato Bhaji

Time Required: 30 Minutes
Servings: 3
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Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1 large Onion chopped
• 1 tbsp grated Ginger
• 2 Green Chillies slit
• 2 Medium Potatoes (cooked, peeled and mashed)
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat Oil in a pan, add Onions and saute till transparent.
2. Add Ginger and Green Chillies, cook for 2 min.
   
3. Now add Potatoes, Salt and mix well. Close and cook for a min.
   
4. Garnish with Coriander Leaves. Serve it along with Poori or Chapati.
   

Poori

Time Required: 30 Minutes
Servings: 3
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Ingredients:

• 1 cup Water
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 1.5 tsp Salt
• Wheat Flour
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. In a bowl, take Water, Sugar and Salt. Stir till Sugar and Salt is dissolved.
2. Now add Wheat Flour little by little and knead a dough. Make the dough hard as shown.
   
3. Keep aside for 5 min.
4. Now make small balls and flatten to make a round disc as shown.
   
5. Heat Oil for deep frying. Put small piece of dough and it should come up immediately; this shows oil is hot enough for puris to be made.
6. Now slowly put each dough disc and cook both sides.
   
7. Serve hot Pooris with Bhaji/ Shrikhand/ Aamras/ Milkmaid etc.
   

Beetroot Upkari

Time Required: 20 Minutes
Servings: 3
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Beetroot is a rich source of antioxidants and minerals, which is very important for cardiovascular health. So its important to include this in our diet. So here goes a simple recipe, so get cooking!

Ingredients:

• 2 large Beetroot peeled and cut into small cubes
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1/4th tsp Hing (Asafoetida)
• 1/2 tbsp Mustard Seeds
• 2 Green Chillies sliced
• 5 Curry Leaves
• 1/4th cup Grated Coconut
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat Oil in the cooker pan, add Hing, Mustard Seeds and allow it to splutter.
   
2. Now add Green Chillies and Curry Leaves. Mix well.
3. Now add Beetroot, Salt and Grated Coconut, mix and cook for a min.
4. Add little water and pressure cook (3 whistle).
   
5. Serve it as a side dish with Chapati or Rice!
   

StR Blog Visitor’s (Akshatha) suggestion: Add a twist to this recipe-by mixing finely chopped bitter gourd which goes very well with beetroot (as it is sweet)! Not to forget to squeeze out the bitterness from the bitter gourd.

Broccoli Chilli Garlic

Time Required: 20 Minutes
Servings: 2
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Ingredients:

• 1 large Broccoli crown
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
• 1/2 tbsp Red Chilly Powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat Oil in a pan, add Garlic and cook till golden brown.
2. Now add washed Broccoli florets and allow it to cook.
3. During the cooking process, add Red Chilly Powder and Salt and mix well. Add water if required.
   
4. Close and cook till done.
5. Serve it hot as an Healthy Starter!
   

Foodie Riddle

Join the Foodie fun, Guess these Foodie Riddles and answer them in the comment box below!

FR 1:

I belong 2 a vegetable group,
Miniature Tree is how i look.
My closest cousin is cauliflower,
Wait the clues are not yet over.
I am rich in Vitamin C,
Can u guess me?

FR 2:

I am there in most of the dish,
Served along with fried Fish.
Tit for tat is what i do,
If u chop me- you will cry too!

FR 3:

I am white and do stay cool,
I come in flavors that makes you drool.
You can use me to make sweet dish,
And with rice, you will never miss.
I am served with sugar or salt,
Can you guess me without any fault?

FR 4:

Guess Me: I am good on Toast, but bad on Roads!

FR 5:

Guess Me:
I am a color, I am a fruit;
You take me and paint or make a juice!

FR 6:

Which Oil has all the letters of Oil in it?

FR 7:

I am green, I am small;
I am finger little tall.
U could call me baby watermelon;
Instead of round, I am Oval.

FR 8:

I am square, I am Round
Baked with Garlic, I taste yum!
Toast with Butter and spread a Jam
Quick and fast breakfast I am.

FR 9:

What food (anti-stress) should you have when you are STRESSED?

Kashaya Powder (Konkani: Kashaya Pitto)

Time Required: 30 Minutes
Servings: 20
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Kashaya Powder is used to make Kashaya a healthy drink that can replace Tea and Coffee. This Powder can be stored in air tight container and can used as and when required.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Coriander Seeds
• 1/2 cup Cumin Seeds
• 2 tbsp Fennel Seeds
• 1 tbsp Methi Seeds

Method:

1. Dry roast all the ingredients slowly, one by one on medium flame.
2. Let it cool. Mix all and powder them in a blender.
3. Kashaya Powder is ready. Use this powder to make Kashaya!
   

Kashaya (Healthy Drink to replace Tea or Coffee)

Time Required: 10 Minutes
Servings: 3
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Kashaya is a healthy drink that replaces Tea and Coffee. It basically has a cooling effect on body because of the ingredients used in Kashaya Powder. This powder is easy to make at home and also available in shops.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Kashaya Pitto (powder)
• 6 tsp Sugar
• 1 cup Water
• 2 cup Milk

Method:

1. Take Water in a vessel and bring it to boil.
2. Add Kashaya Pitto and Sugar and let it boil for 2-3 min.
   
3. Now add Milk and bring it to boil.
   
4. Strain and Serve it Hot!
   
   Note: You can always vary the amount of milk and water based on how you like it. I like more of milk in it so have taken water and milk in 1:2 ratio.