BANANA FLAVOURED SYRUP

Hey There. How have you been ? Here is the story behind today’s post “Banana Flavored Syrup”. So recently it so happened that I was to make pancakes for my little one’s tiffin. And I was out of stock of any sort of syrup or chocolate sauce. I said “Oh well, then let me make stuffed pancakes by adding my home made papaya jam as stuffing.” See mother’s are so handy and flexible to cook up a storm in minutes. But still I was not satisfied and wanted to give some kind of syrup of jam as sides. I again gave two minutes thought and came up with the idea to make a simple syrup. But the twist I introduced was to add some ripe chopped banana. I brought the whole thing to jammy consistency and it was just wow.

So when I added the pic in my Insta Story (btw if you are not already following me there you are missing on much), it got so many comments and questions. So decided lemme share this super simple recipe. Do try this Banana Flavored Syrup and let me know how it turned out for you.

Banana Flavored Syrup

Print Recipe
 BANANA FLAVOURED SYRUP
This is a very simple recipe. Kids would love it since its sugary and has bananas. Though personally I don't prefer it much due to the amount of sugar involved. But it is far better than store bought one, correct? At least we know what goes in.
Banana Flavored Syrup
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings
person
Ingredients
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings
person
Ingredients
Banana Flavored Syrup
Instructions
  1. In a pan take sugar and water.
    Banana Flavored Syrup
  2. Let it come to a boil.
  3. Add cardamom powder or vanilla essence.
  4. Keep stirring till it comes to 1 string consistency. Basically 1 string means if you lift up your spatula it should form a string.
  5. Add finely sliced banana pieces and mix.
    Banana Flavored Syrup
  6. When the bananas have softened slightly mash the bananas.
  7. If you want jam consistency then keep stirring a little more. Else switch off the flame.
    Banana Flavored Syrup
  8. Serve with pancakes or rotis.

QUICK BREAD UPMA WITH MOONG DAL / SPROUTS

Posted on by yeleena
Sprouts Bread Upma

Upma is a staple breakfast in India. The reason this breakfast is so loved is because it doesn’t need soaking, fermentation process and that it can be made with any leftover items. Add your choice of veggies and a power packed breakfast is ready. Usually when a packet of bread is bought there is always leftover. Use those leftover slices to make this quick, healthy and delicious Sprouts Bread Upma. This is also a perfect tiffin recipe. Now that the kids schools are about to re-open keep your tiffin recipes ready.

I have added cooked green gram or moong dal to add to the protein quotient. Do try it and let me know if it is a hit in your dining table.

Sprouts Bread UpmaINGREDIENTS:

Leftover bread slices – 4

Ghee – 2 tblspn

Mustard Seeds – ¼ tsp

Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp

Red chilli Powder – ½ tsp

Tomato – 1 big ripe

Tomato ketchup – 2 tblspn

Cooked moong dal – 2 tblspn

Chopped Coriander leaves – 2 tblspn

Onion – 1 medium

Oil – 2 tblspn

Curry leaves – 1 stem

Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Take leftover bread slices.
  2. In a pan toast the bread slices with ghee.
  3. Then cube the bread slices.
  4. In a kadai, heat oil.
  5. Once oil is hot splutter mustard seeds.
  6. Add chopped onion and saute till translucent.
  7. Drop in curry leaves.
  8. Put in chopped tomato.
  9. Cover and cook till the tomatoes have wilted or turned soft.
  10. Now mix in turmeric and chilly powder.
  11. Stir in ketchup.
  12. Add the cooked moong dal.
  13. Season with salt.
  14. Now mix in cubed bread pieces.
  15. Cover and cook for another minute. Let the water evaporate.
  16. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Your Sprouts Bread upma is ready.

NOTES:

  1. Use butter to toast the bread if desired.
  2. You also skip toasting the bread but toasting it gives it a crunch and added flavour.
  3. You can add sprouted moong as it is too without cooking for bring up the health quotient.
  4. Be careful about salt since bread and ketchup already contains salt.Sprouts Bread Upma

 

BEETROOT CARROT APPLE SANDWICH

Posted on by yeleena

Hello There. So most often I make sandwiches. And I like to experiment with the stuffing. I do not stick to same stuffing. And I try to include the most neglected but healthy ingredients.

20170628_071143 - CopyCheck out my other sandwich recipes – Caramelized apple cheesy sandwich, Beetroot carrot potato sandwich & potato peas sandwich

Today’s also I am posting a sandwich recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Beetroot – 1 small

Carrot – 1 large

Apple – 1 large

Butter – 2 tblspn

Sugar/ Palm Sugar – 1 tblspn (Optional)

Cardamom powder – a pinch

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Peel and cut carrot and beetroot into big pieces.
  2. Cook them in water.
  3. Grate them.
  4. Grate apple and keep aside.
  5. In a pan heat butter.
  6. Add the grated carrot and beet and mix well.
  7. Add the sugar if required and cardamom powder.
  8. Mix well till the mix has come together. It should be thick paste like consistency.
  9. Take it off the stove and mix grated apple in. (I didn’t add sugar since my apple was sweet enough).
  10. Take a bread piece. Apply butter on one slice of bread.
  11. Spoon the mix on one side of the bread and spread evenly.
  12. Close with another buttered slice of bread.
  13. Toast it in a sandwich maker.

Enjoy it hot or pack it for tiffin.20170628_072856 - Copy

 

IDIYAPPAM WITH MUTTA ROAST / RICE NOODLES WITH EGG ROAST

Posted on by yeleena

2Hello. So we had welcome showers today morning. The sky opened up and poured its heart out. On days like this I feel like sitting out in the balcony with hot cup of masala chai with old music playing in the background and a book in hand. Yep I am a reader. A bookaholic. But these days I have restricted my reading habit to online content. When I was a teenager I used to get 2-3 novels each week. If a book caught my fancy then I would find it difficult to put it down. The joy of reading a good book is the joy of travelling or cooking or even music. You travel when you read a book.

Moving on today’s recipe. This is a common breakfast in Kerala. Idiyappam or nool appam or nool puttu (yeah this I came to know today itself) is its common names. It can be paired with many side dishes like. Today’s recipe is with egg roast or as known in Malayalam – Mutta roast.

3Idiappam:

INGREDIENTS:

Rice Powder – 2 cups

Grated coconut  as required

Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Boil 3 cups of water.
  2. Take rice powder in a bowl and add salt and mix well.
  3. Now one small ladle at a time, add the boiling water in the rice powder.
  4. With a wooden spoon mix the dough.
  5. Add water little by little and keep mixing.
  6. When the dough is cool enough to handle use your hands to make a dough.
  7. Do not knead the dough. Just bring it all together.
  8. Close with a lid and keep it for 5 minutes.
  9. Keep water in idli steamer.
  10. Grease the lids of idli steamer with oil.
  11. Take idiappam maker (also known as kitchen press used for making bhujia, sev, etc.).
  12. Fill in with a portion of dough. Start pressing on the greased idili lids in circular shapes.
  13. Fill in some grated coconut.
  14. Again press some dough over the top.
  15. Close and steam the idiappam for 5 minutes on low heat. ( check a small piece of idiappam for rawness)
  16. Once done remove it to a casserole.

Mutta Roast:

INGREDIENTS:

Eggs – 3 hard boiled

Onions – 3 big

Tomatoes – 3 big ripe

Chilly powder – 2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Garam Masala – ½ tsp

Curry Leaves – 1 stem

Coriander leaves – 4 tblspn chopped

Mustard Seeds – ¼ tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Oil – 2 tbspn

Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Peel the boiled eggs and cut into desired number of pieces.
  2. In a pan heat oil.
  3. Splutter mustard seeds.
  4. Add chopped onion and saute till translucent.
  5. Add curry leaves.
  6. Add chopped tomatoes and mix well.
  7. Cover and cook till the tomatoes are cooked well.
  8. Mash the tomatoes.
  9. Make a gap at the centre of the pan and move the onion –tomato to the side of the pan. Add turmeric, chilly, coriander, garam masala and mix well.
  10. Now mix all the masalas with the onion-tomato and mix well.
  11. Add salt and mix.
  12. Add coriander leaves and mix well.

Serve with delicious idiyappams. Enjoy.1

 

TOMATO PEANUT CHUTNEY + CORIANDER COCONUT CHUTNEY

Posted on by yeleena

Happy Independence Day. Today, I won’t talk much but will leave you with two chutneys. Sometimes we all need more than one chutney with our dosa, don’t we?

2COCONUT CORIANDER CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS:

Grated coconut – 1 cup

Coriander – 1 cup

Green chilly – 1

Ginger – 1/2 inch piece

Sugar – 1 tsp

Lemon Juice – 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp

Urad Dal – 1/4 tsp

Curry Leaves – 1 stem

Asafoetida – a pinch

Oil – 1 tblspn

Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Blend together coriander, coconut, ginger, sugar, green chilly, lemon juice and salt with little water and blend to a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl.
  2. Take a tadka pan and heat oil.
  3. Add urad dal.
  4. Add mustard seeds.
  5. Add curry leaves and asafoetida.
  6. Transfer this on the chutney and mix well.

1TOMATO PEANUT CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS:

Chopped Tomato – 1 cup

Roasted Peanuts – 1 cup

Garlic – 2-3 cloves

Green chilly – 2-3

Cumin – 1 tsp

Chilly powder – 1 tsp (optional)

Oil – 2 tblspn

Mustard – 1/4 tsp

Urad Dal – 1/4 tsp

Curry Leaves – 1 stem

Asafoetida – a pinch

Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Heat oil in a pan.
  2. Splutter cumin and add chopped cloves.
  3. Add green chillies and tomatoes and salt.
  4. Cook till the tomatoes have softened.
  5. Take it in a blender along with roasted peanuts and blend well.
  6. Transfer it to a bowl.
  7. In a pan heat oil.
  8. Add urad dal.
  9. Splutter mustard seeds.
  10. Add curry leaves and asafoetida.
  11. Transfer it to the peanut-tomato chutney and mix well.

 

Enjoy with dosa/idli/ uthappam, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHERRY COMPOTE

Posted on by yeleena

3If you are are regular to my blog you may know my love for pancakes. I have variety of pancakes that I make at regular intervals. Basic, Mango, Beetroot, Choco chip wheat eggless , banana and mulberry pancakes. I usually use honey or chocolate syrup or home made jams and sauces to go along with it. This time when we got fresh cherries I thought why not make this yummilicious cherry compote and store it for pancakes.

Do try it and you will not regret it. Make it before the cherry season ends.

INGREDIENTS:

Cherry – 1 cup (Pitted/De- seeded)

Orange juice – 1/4 cup

Sugar – 1/4 cup (or as desired)

2INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Take cherry, orange juice and sugar in a thick bottom pan and let it it boil.
  2. Simmer and let it boil for 10- 15 minutes.
  3. Keep mixing in between with a slotted spoon.
  4. Remove from flame when the compote is thick enough to coat the back of the slotted spoon.

Simple isn’t it. Look at that glossy, syrupy and delicious syrup. I am sure your kids will love it with pancakes. But don’t limit them to pancakes alone. Pair it as you like. 1

EGG KASURI METHI CURRY

Posted on by yeleena

2So you know how it goes right? When there is nothing in fridge you run to grab some eggs.When you want something easy you grab some eggs. When you want something tried and tested you grab some eggs. When you want a spicy curry you grab an egg.

So I like to keep a handful of egg recipes handy. Egg is one of the most versatile ingredients. So why not try as many recipes as possible.

INGREDIENTS:

Eggs (of course) – 2-3 hard boiled

Onions – 2 medium

Tomatoes – 2 medium

Poppy/khus-khus Seeds – 1/4 tsp

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Ginger – 1/2 inch piece

Coriander Powder – 1 tsp

Chilly Powder – 1 tsp

Fennel Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp

Milk – 1/4 cup (optional)

Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) – a pinch

Oil – 2 tblspn

Salt to taste

1INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Hard boil eggs and keep aside.
  2. In a blender take chopped onion, tomatoes, ginger, poppy, cinnamon, fennel and blend well. It should form a smooth paste.
  3. Heat oil in a pan.
  4. Add the paste and saute well. Saute till the paste starts leaving oil from the sides. It will take time. Roast it on low flame.
  5. Once the paste starts leaving oil from the sides add coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder and mix well.
  6. Add 1/4 cup water and let it come to boil.
  7. Add milk and mix well.
  8. Once nicely boiled (around 5 minutes) take it off the flame and add boiled eggs and garnish with kasuri methi.

Serve with phulkas or rice.

 

 

Caramelized Apple Cheesy sandwich

Posted on by yeleena

Hi. If you are regular on my blog you will know my love for sandwiches. Not the regular tomato- onion sandwich but variations of sandwiches. I keep trying new combos. Today’s sandwich is one such variety sandwich. It was born out of my aim to finish the leftover apples. So off you go straight to the recipe.

1INGREDIENTS:

Brown Bread/Multigrain Bread – 4 slices

Butter – 2-4 tblspn

Apple – 1 peeled and cubed into small pieces

Jaggery – 4-5 tblspn

Cinnamon – 1 tsp

Cheese – as needed

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. In a pan add butter and let it melt on low heat.
  2. Add jiggery and cinnamon and mix well.
  3. Add apples and mix well.
  4. Let it cook for some time. (I didn’t cook it completely since I wanted it to be little crunchy). Let it cool down.
  5. Butter the slices of bread.
  6. Place some apple filling on the bread and spread evenly.
  7. Grate some cheese over it.
  8. Close with another piece of bread.
  9. Make the sandwich in sandwich maker. Don’t worry if you don’t have sandwich maker. You could use a grill pan or a tawa too.
  10. Once nicely brown and crispy remove and cut into pieces and serve.

Enjoy.2

JEERAKAM KOZHUKATTA/ SAVORY RICE DUMPLINGS

Posted on by yeleena

2Hello. You know we humans face so many emotions. One such emotion is the emotion to denial. When something changes, we all fall in denial mode. And that’s because we are so much used to being in our comfort zone that our mind refuses to accept any changes. We really need to train our mind to handle the change. For instance a traveler never goes out thinking he/she will have a smooth planned day. There are bound to be unseen circumstances, risks, surprises and sometimes challenges.

There is another kind of denial. Denial for things that you may not have liked earlier. A kid may not like bitter gourd when he/she was a kid but as they grow up they may take a liking towards it. But without trying how will he/she every know ? Hence it is important to test your denials.

Today’s recipe surprised me. We usually try to bring home made food for our lunch and snacks. So my colleague had got this for her evening snack. But she opened it around noon and we all finished it within 5 minutes. I had never tasted this dish before. Also, I don’t like kozhukatta (basic version is made as steamed rice dumplings with coconut+sugar+cardamom stuffing). But this dish was an exception. What stood out with this recipe was the chilly chutney. The chutney is the most basis, flavorsome and simple.

Do try this recipe and let me know how it turned out. Ohh and it is super healthy since it is just steamed.

INGREDIENTS:

For Kozhukatta:

  1. Rice Powder – 1 cup
  2. Cumin/Jeerakam – 1 tsp
  3. Salt to taste

For chilly chutney:

  1. Chilly powder – 1 tblspn
  2. Salt to taste
  3. Coconut oil – 2-3 drops to combine

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Boil 2 cups water.
  2. In a bowl take rice powder, jeerakam and salt.
  3. Add hot boiling water little by little on the rice powder and mix with a wooden spoon.
  4. Continue mixing till it comes together. Remember to add water little by little.
  5. Once the dough is cool enough to handle use your hands to make a small dough.
  6. Pull out small balls out of the dough.
  7. Steam these balls till cooked.
  8. For the chutney mix together chilly, salt and coconut oil till it comes together.

Serve them both or take them for your evening snack. Remember the chutney is just to add a taste. Do not take a large helping of the chutney or your tongue with burn with the chilly.1

 

 

AKKI ROTI/ RICE FLATBREAD

Posted on by yeleena

3Hey there. So this time I wanted to try something different. I was so bored of paratha’s and dosas and wanted to try something not attempted till now. That’s when I saw this post from a lovely blog known as Food Fashion Party. This is a rice pancake sort of dish from Karnataka. The spices and herbs used are simple and makes for a great breakfast.

Have you ever wondered on an average how much time a wife or mom spends on just thinking about “What to cook the next day? ” She has to consider everyone’s choice and then bring up a menu that’s suitable for all. Still I feel its a thankless job. Not that we need anyone thanking us but on those days that we burn our finger, on those days that get a cut or on those days that we leave kitchen drenching in sweat and tiredness seeps in our body, we expect people to “like”, “enjoy” and even “compliment” our cooking. It only humanly to expect this don’t you think ?

Moving on to today’s recipe, it is a must try at least when you want a change in your diet. Now the original recipe is a bit different from mine. I have adapted the recipe based on the ingredients I could find here. Do let me know if you liked them.

1INGREDIENTS:

Rice Flour – 3 cups

Carrot – 1 peeled and grated finely

Coriander Leaves – 1/2 cup finely chopped

Chilly powder – 1 tsp

Roasted peanuts – 2 tblspn coarsely grounded

Roasted Cumin Powder – 2 tsp (coarsely grounded will be good)

Oil – 2 tblspn

Salt to taste

Oil – to cook the roti
Instructions
  1. Keep 2 cups of water to boil.
  2. In mixing bowl, add the rice flour, carrots,coriander leaves, roasted peanuts, cumin powder, salt and mix everything well before adding the water.
  3. Add 2 tbsp of oil.
  4. Using a ladle add water little by little and keep mixing the using a wooden spoon.
  5. Mix everything properly. It will be a little sticky but will come together as a dough.
  6. Cover and let it sit till ready to make rotis.
  7. Heat up a tawa.
  8. Take cotton cloth and wet it well.
  9. Take a small ball of the dough and place it on the wet cloth.
  10. Using your hand pat it slowly spreading it across to make thin rotis as possible.
  11. Once the tawa is hot, slow using the edges of the wet cloth carry the cloth to the tawa and place the rotis on the tawa.

 

  1. Add ½ cup of water at a time. If the water is very hot to handle, use a wooden spoon to mix the dough. Mix everything well until the dough comes together. The dough will be sticky to the touch. It should all come together and not be dry. Make sure not to use all the water at once, you might not need all the water. Just use as much as you need to bring the batter together. Cover and let sit until ready to make it.
  2. Keep a griddle on medium heat. Let it get hot.
  3. Take a cotton cloth and wet it well. Sprinkle some water on the cloth, take a tennis ball size dough and pat it out with your fingers. You can make it as thin as possible, as you want.
  4. Using the edges of the cloth, carefully carry it over the griddle and slowly lower it on the griddle. Now, lift the cloth off the rotti. It will come off easily as you’ve used water. You could even use oil for flattening the dough out.
  5. Cook with a teaspoon of oil on both sides. It will cook in 2-3 minutes as we’ve used hot water to make the dough.
  6. Serve it immediately with some sugar (for kids) or chutney of your choice.

I served it with butter and honey.

2

 

BEETROOT CARROT POTATO SANDWICH

Posted on by yeleena

Hey There. So how have you been ? When I watch food shows and they show a whole variety of sandwiches but I wonder if our taste buds would love those sandwiches with bacon, meat, different kind of cheese and veggies.

I try to include veggies in my sandwiches. So the veggies that are usually ignored I try to include them in pastas and sandwiches. Do try out this recipe and let me know if you liked it.

1INGREDIENTS:

Bread Slices – 8

Boiled mashed potato – 1/2 cup

Cooked grated carrot – 1/2 cup

Cooked grated beetroot – 1/2 cup

Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp

Pepper powder – 1/4 tsp

Black salt – as per taste

Grated cheese – as per taste

Butter – for greasing

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Mix mashed potato, beetroot and carrot in a bowl.
  2. Add cumin, pepper and salt.
  3. Take bread slices and spread a little butter on each slice
  4. Place the stuffing in between two slices.
  5. Add grated cheese.
  6. Cover with second slice of bread.
  7. Place it in sandwich maker and grill till nice, crispy and golden.

Serve hot with some ketchup. 2

 

JAMUN FLAVORED OVERNIGHT OATS

Posted on by yeleena

2Hello. Hope you had a great start to the weekend. Few days back when I went to grocery shopping in the fruits section I found this violet colored fruit that immediately transformed me to my childhood days. Jamun or black plum is a fruit we as kids would enjoy it during summer holidays. It used to stain our clothes and we used to get scolded by our parents. 😛 We used to have this fruit and rush to look at our tongues in the mirror. Hence I immediately picked up a packet and used them in two recipes that I will share today.

This recipe is for overnight oats. Overnight oats is an acquired taste. I am slowly starting to like it. And it is one of the healthiest recipes today that people of every age can enjoy.

3INGREDIENTS:

Jamun – 1/2 cup pitted

Slim Yogurt – 1/4 cup

Slim milk – 1/4 cup

Honey – 4 tblspn

Chia Seeds – 2 tblspn

Cut Fruits –  Banana, Jamun, Pomegranate

Sunflower seeds – 1 tblspn (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Take yogurt, jamun, milk and honey in a blender and blend.
  2. Take this a bowl and add oats and mix well.
  3. Add chia seeds and mix well.
  4. Close and keep it in fridge overnight.
  5. Before serving add sunflower seeds and chopped fruits.

You can add more milk if you need to make it of thin consistency. I carried it to my office. You can have your choice of fruits and nuts. Enjoy.

1