Holi is around the corner and everyone in India are cooking some delicious food. The entire social media is flooded with pictures of food and recipes that people can prepare during Holi. I am sure you too might have searched for a wonderful recipe and might have created some sweet and savory dishes which you can serve your guests. But have you wondered how you are going to serve the food? This is exactly the same question which comes to my mind when I prepare something delicious for a special occasion.
According to me food should be appealing and people should feel like eating the served food. So if food looks good to eyes, naturally the stomach will like it. Hence it is important to display the food or serve the food properly. Whenever any special occasion comes up, I start hunting for new dinnerware and serveware. I love to display my cutlery too and that is the reason why, my guests love the food I cook.
Nowadays I have stopped visiting malls and stores around. Reason is that, it is time-consuming and I hate getting stuck in traffic. During festivals, all the malls run huge discounts and almost everyone runs to the malls. I hate visiting malls at this time due to the maddening and noisy crowd. I just sit at the comfort of my home and order whatever I want, that too by saving my time and fuel for my car. You are wondering how? Well, I recently did this when I was hunting for dinnerware online.
I came across a site - Homeshop18, where I got some nice discount coupons. I got upto 63% discount on Dining products while shopping at Homeshop18 from happycheckout.in. Yes! Believe me it was upto 63%. I ordered the Crystal 7 Pc Nonstick Cookware Set at Rs.1574/- when the MRP was Rs.5500/-.
Isn't that a huge saving?
My old dinnerware was worn out. It had turmeric stains and looked very shaggy. So I also ordered new dinnerware for Rs.2799/- only when the MRP was Rs.6000/-. I got more than 50% off. After ordering I waited for the products and within a week the products were home delivered. I liked the prompt delivery and the quality of the products was worth the price and discount offered by them couldn’t match that offered by the biggest of the malls too.
Now I am awaiting Holi. I have prepared some wonderful dishes for my special guests. My dinnerware and serveware is also ready. Just that I am waiting for the festival to show off my new dinnerware to my guests and to get some blessings and praises showered on me. :)
Steamed vegetable momos or steamed dumplings makes a perfect snack. Since it is filled with vegetables and steamed, it is very healthy compared to other fried snacks. You can even make these for breakfast or anytime when you have guests at home. Just that you need to keep the filling ready. Steaming the momos takes hardly 15 Min's. I even recommend adding it to your kid's snack box as being rich in vegetables you can ensure that your child eats healthy food.
I remember, I made chicken momos long back and when my kid was just born. Since then I never again made momos. So when Tupperware mailed me and said that they want me to review the Tupperware "Steam It" product, I immediately decided that I will make steamed momos. Steaming food eliminates/minimizes the need of oil and makes food healthier.It brings health and flavour together in a whole new revolutionary way.
Using Tupperware "Steam It", we can even steam vegetables, sprinkle some salt and pepper powder and eat those veges. Just remember to eat healthy and to be healthy. You can make any type of dish which requires steaming with "Steam It". Steaming is the healthiest way of cooking as it retains the natural taste, smell, form, juices, colour and also retains most of it's micro-nutrients, vitamins and fiber. Steaming is healthier option as it requires less cooking oil, resulting in low fat thus good for weight control and preventing lifestyle diseases.
"Steam It" is a unique revolutionary product with features for safe and hygienic cooking. It has two steam vents on the cover which uplift the steam away from the handle for safety. The lid is designed in such a way that the food does not become soggy. The ridge conceptualized circles minimizes the sticking of food to the surface. It has 2 layers, thus enabling you to steam different types of veges together.
You might be wondering how this Tupperware "Steam It" can be used. Check my video below and you will know how to use this product. Just remember to keep a big utensil with steaming water. The gas can/should be on and don't worry the product will not melt. You should not use a narrow or small utensil for steaming and remember, do not place the product on direct heat as the flames might damage the product.
Recipe adapted from Nita Mehta's Taste Of Asia
Ingredients: Makes: 12 Momos, Prep. Time: 30 Min's For Dough:
3/4 cup all purpose flour(maida)
1/4 cup cornflour
1 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp salt
For Filling:
4 tbsp finely chopped onion
5 mushrooms finely chopped
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 green chilly finely chopped
2 1/2 cups finely chopped cabbage
1 tsp pepper powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp soya sauce
Oil for frying
Procedure:
Sift the 2 flour and add salt. Add oil and knead with enough water.
Make a stiff dough. The dough should be like that of pooris.
Cover with a cloth and keep aside for 30 Min's.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in kadai/wok/frying pan. Add the chopped onion. When onion turns pinkish, add mushrooms and cook for 5 Min's. Add green chilly, ginger garlic paste and mix well. Add cabbage and saute for 5 Min's.
Add pepper powder, salt and soya sauce and mix well.
Switch off the gas. Let the mixture cool.
Now take the dough and make small marble sized ball. Flatten them into small circles as thin as possible.
Put 1 tsp heaped of filling at the center of the flattened dough circles and fold them into semi-circle. Now using water, stick the edges together while pleating the edges together. Make any shape that you desire, but make them look like momos.
For steaming:
Add water to a big utensil. Let the water start steaming. Place the momos in the steamer and steam for 10-15 Min's.
Serve them hot with red chutney or sauce of your choice.
Note: Remember to chop the veges very finely. You can even add carrots or any veges of your choice.
For making non-veg momos, you can add chicken or prawns to the filling provided they are finely minced.
Please drop me a comment if you like my posts.
For more interesting posts of this type follow Raksha's Kitchen. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
I am writing today's post with lot of joy from my heart. Yes! I am one of the lucky bloggers from India who is selected to review the Hamilton Beach India products by Blogadda to #CreateFearlessly. I had applied for Party Planner which consisted of Hamilton Beach India Oven Toaster Grill and Hamilton Beach India Hand Blender. My heart was filled with joy when the products came home. Though I had a microwave with all 3 modes i.e. convection, micro and grill, I never felt like baking with the microwave's convection as the heat never got distributed uniformly. I loved baking and always longed to get an OTG. My hubby actually wanted to gift me an OTG and was doing research on which is the best OTG.
The 2 beautiful gifts with which I will #CreateFearlessly
I had used a similar Hamilton Beach OTG in The USA. I was on a leisure trip to California with my hubby. We were residing in Marriott Residence Inn. My room was equipped with different types of Hamilton Beach appliances and that was the first time that I fell in love with these products. I was in The USA for a very less time and hence could not experiment much with these products.
The Hamilton Beach India Large Oven - MODEL:31103-IN
The Hamilton Beach India Hand Blender With All Attachments - MODEL:59769-IN
When Blogadda sent me a mail that I will be getting the product which I selected, but it all depends on availability, I kept praying that I may get the OTG as I did not have one. It was a long wait actually and in spite of selecting the Party Planner (Large Oven and Hand blender) I was not sure which product I might receive. My heart was filled with joy when the large oven arrived home along with a cute and sleek hand blender. It was like a dream come true and a wish fulfilled by the angels. I can never ever forget that day now. Thanks a ton to BlogAdda and Hamilton Beach India, the baker in me got a new life. I love both the products and I am all set to #CreateFearlessly. I have started baking like as if I always longed to do so. I don't have to worry about the heat distribution as the oven takes care of baking everything evenly and perfectly.
See the texture of my biscuits, they are baked to perfection. Along with these biscuits, I also baked some potato wedges and vegetables like cauliflower and capsicum. I will share those in posts later. My hubby is also excited and he is planning to make tandoori rotis using my oven :)
The Hamilton Beach Large Oven is made of superior stainless steel body to ensure durability. It has 4 settings - convection, rotisserie, bake and broil. It has power rating of 1500 watts and is of 32 litre capacity. You can fit a 23cm x 33cm bake pan inside. The timer is of 120 minute. The external dimensions in cms are 31.8 x 52.7 x 43.2.
It comes with multiple accessories like Rotisserie lift, Rotisserie forks and Rotisserie rod which can bake a 5lb. chicken, 2 grill racks, a small baking tray, a large coated baking tray, a broiler rack, removable drip tray and 2 skewers. You need to get an oven glove as the large oven gets too hot while cooking food and you have to be careful. I burnt my finger the first time I used it, but it was due to my excitement and negligence.
The Accessories That Came Along With My Oven
The hand blender is also very smart and sleek. I have mounted it on the wall in my kitchen and now my kitchen got a new look. The best thing about Hamilton Beach Appliances is that all the products are made of stainless steel body which are easy to clean. I will be writing a separate blog post with a new recipe using the Hamilton Beach Hand Blender as it deserves equal attention.
Check my oven video below right from unpacking. I know I have to improve on recording videos and I take it up as a new challenge from now on.
Recipe Source: Mesa Corrida Ingredients: Makes 18-20 Biscuits
1/2 cup olive oil
350g all purpose flour
125g powdered sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 medium eggs
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tablespoon chopped almonds
1 Egg yolk for brushing
A pinch of salt
Procedure:
Preheat the Hamilton Beach oven to 175º C for 10 Min's in convection mode.
In a bowl, add 2 eggs and beat the eggs using Hamilton Beach India's Hand blender with the whisk attachment for 2 Min's.
In another bowl, sift the flour and baking powder. Sift the powder sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add lemon zest.
Now slowly add the eggs to the flour mixture. Add oil,vanilla essence and combine all the ingredients. Add the chopped almonds to this and mix. Use your hand at this stage to gently mix into a round mold.
Spread parchment paper in baking tray. Sprinkle handful of flour all over the paper so that the cookies do not stick.
Mold the dough into small balls and slightly flatten them using your palms. Brush these mold's with the egg yolk.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. For this, gently turn the timer past 40 Min's and then to the desired time i.e. 20 Min's.
After the timer goes off, take out the baking tray by wearing thick cloth gloves as the oven will get super hot. Cool the biscuits on a wire-rack.
If you have more dough and want to bake them, just shape them and place on the baking tray. No need of again pre-heating the oven as it will already be at the right temperature.
This recipe makes 18-20 biscuits which you can store in air-tight container.
This post is part of the #CreateFearlessly activity in association with Hamilton Beach India and BlogAdda. For more interesting posts of this type follow Raksha's Kitchen on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Sol Kadi or Sol Kadhi is what we Goans have at the end of every meal regardless of whether the meal was vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Some people mix with rice and have it and some just love to drink as it is. Kokum is very good for digestion and no Goan meal is complete without kokum kadi. Just like how people in South India consume curds at the end of meal, we Goans love to have our kokum kadi. Even after we have a nice meal consisting of Fish Curry and fried fish, we end the meal with this kokum kadhi.
In Konkani, kokum is known as "Sol" which means peel. It is the peel of mangosteen fruit. Locally we also call it "bhinna" or "bhinn". This fruit grows in Goa and Konkan region during the summer and people preserve the peel by drying it. Then the peel is used throughout the year. Apart from being good for digestion, the kokum peel has numerous health benefits.
There are many ways to prepare this sol kadhi. Today I explained the recipe in which we add carom seeds or "vovo". Some people don't like carom seeds, they can refrain from adding this. Some also make it without adding garlic and some make it by adding just green chilies and garlic.
The sol kadhi should not be re-heated and should be consumed freshly after extraction. Since it can't be reheated, some people also give a nice tadka of coconut oil and mustard seeds to this kadi after it is ready. The tadka with hot coconut oil slightly heats the kadhi without actually heating it on the gas. Remember that the sol kadhi should never be heated on gas.
The other day, one of my friends Mom asked me how to prepare the Goan sol kadhi, so I have put up a step-by-step post just to explain the procedure. As you see, it is very simple. Addition of kokum gives a sour taste to the kadhi and black pepper corns, garlic and red chilly makes it slightly spicy.
Kokum Sherbet is another recipe which we love to drink during the summer days. It is not just refreshing but it is a good health drink too.
Ingredients:Prep. Time: 10 Min's, Serves: 2
7 tablespoons freshly grated coconut
3 garlic pods
1 dry red chilly
4 black peppercorns
1/2 tsp ajwain/vovo/carom seeds(I did not use this)
4 kokum petals
Salt to taste
Procedure:
Soak the kokum petals in 4 tablespoon water with 1/4 tsp salt added to it for 20 Min's.
In a mixer, add all the ingredients except the kokum which is soaked in water.
Grind these ingredients with 1 cup water. If the Mixture becomes too dry, add 1/4 cup more water.
Now strain the mixture and extract coconut milk. Discard the solid grated coconut. While extracting coconut milk, add 1/4 cup water to make the kadi slightly of thinner consistency. The consistency of the sol kadi or kokum kadi should be like the normal milk.
Now add the soaked kokum petals along with the water.
Adjust the salt taste.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice.
Note: Never reheat the kokum kadi as the fat from coconut milk will separate and it will not taste good.
If needs to be heated, then give a tadka with coconut oil and mustard seeds. Just heat 1 tsp coconut oil and 1 tsp mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start fluttering, add this to the freshly extracted kadhi. Do not keep this on gas.
#MyAsusZenFone had been a darling companion all these days. Apart from using it for making and receiving calls and browsing the internet, I loved it because of its great camera. I can click great pictures on the fly. Not just that, I also used it to make some great videos. There is an unique in-built ASUS Zenfone app named movie maker with which one can create videos either by using photos or recorded videos. One can name the movie and append videos or pictures in the movie maker project. Not just this, we can add music to the video and directly upload to YouTube via wifi or mobile data and share with our friends on social media.
See the below video which I made using #MyAsusZenFone movie maker. Since this is the first video from Raksha's Kitchen, I preferred to "KISS" it :) No no, not the real kiss but KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid :) I did not add any background music or voice note to this as I wanted to keep it really simple. I decided to record a video on peeling and deveining prawns or shrimps because there were a lot of requests from my friends and blog followers regarding this. They kept asking me the instructions and it was difficult to explain this over phone or on chat or email. Now it is simple, I can just share this link with them. Yup, I am going to create several videos. Thanks to #MyAsusZenFone for giving me this confidence.
Tomorrow i.e. on the 19th of Feb, my blog will complete 5 years. It is my blog's 5th anniversary and I am moving one step ahead by starting to create some " How to" videos. So watch out my space for a lot more.
Apart from clicking pictures and sharing it on social media, I love to download ebooks from the Android PlayStore on #MyAsusZenFone to read during my leisure. I download them and read them when I don't have Internet access. For eg. when I am travelling by flight, I use my phone in the airplane mode to read these eBooks.
Download eBooks and read during leisure
Browse Some Nice Recipe Apps
Found A Nice eBook With Great Recipes
I love to check food related videos on YouTube too. I do this specially when I use my phone on the wifi network. I actually almost stopped viewing my TV as I keep watching cookery related videos on YouTube and get lot of knowledge from other foodies and food related channels. We are all in learning stage and there is no limit to learning.
Viewing Cookery Videos On YouTube
I also love to browse pinterest. I love to see how other food bloggers style their food and click great images. Food blogging is like an ocean. It is not just cooking food and writing recipes, but a lot lot more and in order to be a successful food blogger we should keep improving our self. I have a dream that one day I too will click great quality pictures and become a food stylist.
Browing Food Photography On Pinterest
Friends do read my other two posts on #MyAsusZenFone. First post tells how I used my new phone to click step-by-step pictures of a recipe while cooking it and the second post actually speaks about how this phone is a food bloggers companion. Believe me this is one of the best budget phone which a food blogger can own.
