Raw Mango Sambar

About this Recipe...

Raw mango sambar is a very flavorful sambar recipe with tangy mangos. In summer when raw mangos are available in abundance I definitely make this sambar at home.

Sambar is a South Indian lentil based vegetable stew, it is slightly tangy in taste and tamarind juice is added to it for the tanginess. But here the raw mangos added the tanginess to this dish, a extremely flavorful sambar recipe goes very well with rice. In hot summer weather, when you want to have something light and refreshing meal for lunch and dinner, this raw mango sambar is a perfect meal with rice and some vegetable curry on side.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Toor daal or split pegion peas
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
• 1 Dried red chili broken into two parts
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
• 1 tsp Black gram lentil or Urad daal
• 1 Tbsp Chopped garlic
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 8-10 Curry leaves
• 1/4 Cup Onion cut into cubes
• 8-10 chopped drumsticks
• 1 Tomato chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Red chili powder
• 1 tsp Green chilli paste(optional)
• 2 Tbsp Sambar masala powder
• 1/2 Raw mango cut into medium cubes

Directions

1. Boil the toor dal in pressure cooker till 3-4 whistles, switch off the flame and allow it to cool down completely.
2. When the pressure of the cooker will go, mash the dal with a hand blender.
3. Now heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chili, asafoetida powder.
4. When it starts crackling, add urad dal and sauté it for one minute.
5. Now add chopped garlic and curry leaves to it. Fry it for 1-2 minutes.
6. Add turmeric powder and mix well with everything.
7. Next add the chopped onion and drumsticks to it. Fry it and cook it until they are semi cooked.
8. Now add chopped tomato, green chili paste, red chili powder and salt to taste. Mix well with everything and add water for the gravy.
9. When the gravy starts boiling add Sambar masala powder to it and mix well so no lumps can form.
10. Now add the boiled dal and the mango pieces to it and cook it.
11. Keep an eye on the curry because mangoes are cooked very quickly. As the mangoes are sour so I have not added tamarind juice to it.
12. When the mangoes are cooked and the gravy is also comes to a boiling point, switch off the flame and serve it hot with steamed rice and a vegetable curry.

Mango Vanilla Ice Cream

About this Recipe...

I scream, you scream, we all scream for one and only ice cream and that is also for mango vanilla ice cream. In summer all we need is some refreshing drink or a scoop full of ice cream. If the ice cream is made with the fruit of king Mango with some vanilla flavor and chunks of tiny mango pieces, then nothing could be better than this refreshing ice cream.

This mango vanilla ice cream is very easy to make at home, just few ingredients you required and the rich, creamy, eggless ice cream is ready to indulge in this hot weather. I always make my ice cream without ice cream maker, I set it in freezer and every time I get the perfect ice cream. I used the fresh mango pulp to make this ice cream, however you can use the canned pulp, if good quality mangos are not available in your region. But fresh mangos are giving the best result for this ice cream. Make it at home, serve it with some fresh mango slices and enjoy this heavenly delicious ice cream.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Heavy cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 1 Cup Mango pulp
• 1 Cup Whole milk
• 1/4 Cup Mango chopped into small pieces

Directions

1. Take the heavy cream in a mixing bowl, add sugar to it and with the help of a hand blender beat it till soft peaks are formed.
2. Now add the mango pulp, milk and vanilla extract to it and mix everything gently.
3. Next add the small pieces of mango into the mixture, mix it well and pour the mixture in a refrigerated safe container.
4. Cover the lid and keep it in the freezer for 6-8 hours.
5. After one hour check the ice cream and whisk it so the ice crystals won't form and you can get smooth ice cream.
6. Repeat the process for 1-2 times in every one hour interval.
7. After 8 hours, your ice cream will be ready, enjoy it with mango slices.
   

Virgin Mango Colada

About this Recipe...

This is my take on to a alcohol free colada drink recipe and its mango colada. Traditionally mango colada, piña colada is a kind of a cocktail drink which is made with rum. But I made this drink alcohol free so that kids can also enjoy it on this hot weather. The creaminess of coconut milk and fresh mango make this drink a refreshing cooler which can be enjoyed as a drink or a dessert, because the consistency of this drink is quite thick. You can also make mango piña colada by adding fresh pineapple but i love the flavor of fresh mangos and this is the season of mangos so no compromise with the taste of mango.

Ingredients

• 1 Medium sized mango chopped
• 1/2 Cup Coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp Lime juice
• 2 Tbsp Sugar (optional)
• 1/2 Cup Crushed ice
• 1/2 Cup Cold water

Directions

1. In a blender, blend all the ingredients together until desired consistency is reached.
2. Your mango colada is ready, Pour the drink in a serving glass and serve it chilled.

Indian Style Macaroni

About this Recipe...

Macaroni is a kind of Italian pasta traditionally cooked with Béchamel sauce or marinara sauce. But we indians very often cook it with our indian way to suit our spicy taste bud and it tastes completely different and very tasty with our own basic spices which we use to cook our Indian dishes. So this macaroni got a new makeover with our Indian spices. The best part of this dish is you can make it very quickly and it is ideal for your any time meal and appropriate for kids lunch box or kids evening snacks. Just toss few ingredients and veggies together and your pasta is ready in no time.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Elbow macaroni pasta
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 Tbsp Chopped garlic
• 1/4 Cup Chopped onion
• 2 Green chilles finely chopped
• 1 Cup Tomato chopped
• 1/2 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
• Salt as per taste
• 1/2 tsp Chat masala powder
• 1 Tbsp Tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp Red chili sauce
• 1/4 Cup Bell pepper chopped
• Few broccoli florets
• 1/8 Cup Frozen green peas
• 1/8 Cup Frozen corn
• Finely chopped cilantro/coriander leaves for garnishing

Directions

1. At first boil the pasta as per package instruction till al dente. Season the water with salt and add 1 tsp of oil to it.
2. Drain the water when done and rinse the pasta with cold water.
3. Now heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds for tempering.
4. When the seeds start crackling, add chopped garlic to it and sauté it till it gets golden brown color.
5. Now add the chopped onion to it and fry it till it becomes translucent.
6. Next add the chopped tomato and green chilies to it and cook the tomato till it gets soft.
7. Next throw all the dry spices like coriander, black pepper and chaat masala powder, followed by salt to taste and mix everything very well.
8. Now add the tomato ketch up and red chili sauce to it and mix it well with spices.
9. Now add all the chopped vegetables to it and cook it for few minutes till everything gets well cooked.
10. Now add the boiled pasta to it, stir and mix it gently with rest of the ingredients and add chopped cilantro leaves to it.
11. Switch off the flame and your spicy indian style macaroni pasta is ready to serve.

Oats Spinach Idli

About this Recipe...

Oats or oatmeal is a very healthy cereal grain, grown from its seed. Oats has numerous uses in foods. You can make so many dishes with this oats. So I wanted to try the healthy oats Idli for a long time. Oats Idli has all the goodness of oats, rava, yogurt and veggies, a complete healthy breakfast or snacks for your family.

The best thing about this oats idli is its instant, so no prior preparation is required to make this idlis. I always make my idlis in microwave, so it's saves more of my time and the idlis are also getting ready very quickly. I wanted to make it more healthy so added spinach purée to the idli batter and my iron rich instant oats idlis are ready. Spinach gives a very nice green color to these idlis. Serve this beautiful idli with Sambar and your favorite chutney.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Plain old fashioned oats
• 1/2 Cup Semolina
• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 Tbsp Broken cashew nuts
• 1 Tbsp Bengal gram lentil or Chana Daal
• 1/8 tsp Asafoetida
• 1 tsp Black gram lentil or Urad daal
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
• 5-6 curry leaves chopped
• 1 tsp Finely chopped ginger
• 2 Green chilles finely chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 Cup Plain yogurt
• 1 Cup Spinach puree
• 1 tsp Eno fruit salt
• Oil for greasing the idli moulds

Directions

1. Dry roast the oats for 2-3 minutes. Now transfer it to a blender and make a fine powder out of it.
2. Now heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida for tempering.
3. Now add broken cashew nut, Bengal gram and black gram lentil and fry them till it changes the color lightly.
4. Now add chopped onion, ginger, green chilies and curry leaves to it and sauté them till it gets translucent.
5. Next add semolina and salt to it and mix it well with everything. Fry it for few minutes and switch off the flame.
6. Now transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and let it cool down.
7. Now add the oats powder, yogurt and spinach purée to it and mix it well to get a nice Idli batter. Give it a rest for 15-20 minutes before making Idli.
8. Now put 1 cup of water to the microwave safe idli maker and microwave it for 2 minutes.
9. Grease the idli moulds with oil. Now add 1 tsp of Eno fruit salt to the idli batter.
10. Immediately you will see some air bubbles are forming on the batter, gently mix the batter and pour it to the idl moulds.
11. Now keep the idli moulds in the idli maker and microwave it for 5-6 minutes.
12. Check the idli by inserting a fork, if it comes clean, it means the idli is cooked nicely.
13. Serve the hot idli with Sambar and coconut chutney.

Aam Panna

About this Recipe...

Aam Panna is a Indian summer cooler, famous for its heat resistant properties. It is made with raw green mango, mint leaves and few spices and it is lightly green in color. This tangy drink is considered as a very healthy and tasty drink and it can fight against the intensive heat strokes.

The consistency of this drink is quite watery and there is no particular measurement of sugar, salt and spices. You can definitely adjust water and spices as per your preference. It has the perfect balance of sweetness and sourness.

This is the season of mango and raw mangoes are easily available in indian grocery stores here in USA. Though the weather is not that much hot here but by seeing plenty of mangoes in stores, I got the perfect excuse to make this drink at home. You can make this drink and store in in refrigerator for at least upto 1 week. So whenever you feel like drinking some cooler, just open your refrigerator and have it.

Ingredients

• 1 Medium size Raw mango
• 1/4 Cup Mint leaves
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black salt
• 1/4 tsp Roasted cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper powder
• 3 Tbsp Sugar
• 4 Cups Cold water

Directions

1. Wash the mango and put it into a pressure cooker with sufficient amount of water.
2. Cook it for 3-4 whistles and switch off the flame.
3. Let it cool down and then peel the skin of the mango and get the pulp with the help of a spoon.
4. Now transfer the mango pulp in a blender along with rest of the ingredients and water and blend everything nicely.
5. Your refreshing Aam panna is ready, pour it in a serving glass and serve it with iced cubes.
6. Sometime, I make Aam Panna w/o mint leaves also, it also tastes equally good.
   

Notes:

1. Instead of boiling the mango in pressure cooker, you can roast it in stove top or oven. It will give a nice smoky taste. 
2. If the mango is too fibrous, then stain it before making the panna.
3. You can replace jaggery with sugar.
4. The measurement of spices depends upon your taste, you can increase or decrease it.

Bengali Style Tomato Chutney

About this Recipe...

Bengali style tomato chutney is a combination of sweetness and little tanginess and it has all the goodness of tomato, dates, raisins and freshly grated coconut. It can be served as a condiment or as a relish.

Every Bengali meal is incomplete without this tomato chutney. It is very commonly prepared in every Bengali household and served it at the end of the meal. Be it a religious functions, marriage party or any get together, this chutney is a requisite for a satisfying Bengali meal. In my mothers home and in laws home it is a must have everyday item in lunch menu. Though sometime they did some variations with the chutney and uses some other seasonal fruits or veggies to make it. My MIL makes very good chutney with pineapple, carrot, sweet potato and pumpkin and those are also equally very tempting.

Traditionally this chutney is made with Panch phoron, which is a blend of five spices, that is cumin seeds, mustard seeds, nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds. But today I am using only mustard seeds and fennel seeds for tempering with one broken red chili. This chutney is everyone's favorite including me and I love to have it with at the end of my meal and also with roti as a sides. So whenever I make it, I cooked some extra amount, so on the next day I can have it with roti. This chutney is best served as chilled.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Fennel seeds
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 Dried red chili break into two parts
• 4-5 tomato chopped
• 1/2 Cup Sugar or jaggery or as per taste
• 8-10 Seedless dates
• 10-15 Raisins
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Grated ginger
• 2 Tbsp Freshly grated coconut

Directions

1. Heat up oil in a pan, add dried red chili, fennel seeds and mustard seeds for tempering.
2. Let them splutter in oil and then add grated ginger and chopped tomato to it.
3. Mix it well, cover the pan and cook it for few minutes.
4. When the tomatoes gets soft and releases water that time add pinch of salt and sugar or jaggery and cook it nicely so that everything will incorporate with each other.
5. Now add dates, raisins and grated coconut, mix everything well, cook it for another 2-3 minutes and your sweet tomato chutney is ready.