Kalkandu Sadham / Misri Bhath

I was searching for some different rice recipe for the Microwave Easy Cooking Event..
My mom prepares this very well..This is one of my favorite which my mom prepares..
It is a quick to prepare and even more quicker in a microwave..I adopted the method from Mallika Badrinath's book..
Turned out super delicious..

          

Ingredients

Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Milk - 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar candy ( kalkandu in tamil ) - 1 cup
Saffron - few strands
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 2 pinches
Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Chopped cashews,almonds and raisins - 1 tablespoon
Ghee - 3 tablespoons

Directions

Wash rice and mix with the measured water and allow it to soak for 30 minutes.
Cook on micro High for 13 to 15 minutes in a closed bowl along with the milk until the rice gets cooked well.
Stir once and again micro High for 5 minutes.
Mix the rice along with the kalkandu, coconut, saffron, cardamom and one tablespoon ghee.
Again micro High for three minutes keeping the vessel opened.
In a plate mix the nuts, raisins and the remaining ghee and micro High for 3 minutes.
Add this to the rice and mix well.
Allow 3 minutes standing time..
You can also prepare this using sugar instead of the kalkandu..There is no much difference in the taste of the rice.
Delicious kalkandu sadham is ready.

This is my entry to Microwave Easy Cooking - Rice hosted by Srivalli and Rice Mela

Bittergourd Stir fry

I do not have much liking towards bittergourds...But my husband does..So I decided to cook it at least for the sake of participating in VOTW-Bittergourd hosted by Pooja..I was browsing through a number of recipes then decided to prepare this as my mom suggested..Here goes the recipe..

       

Ingredients

Bittergourd - 5 medium sized
Onion - 1 small sized
Tomato - 1 medium sized
Chili powder - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds -1 teaspoon
Urad dhall - 1 teaspoon
Jeera/cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Oil
Salt to taste

        

Directions

Wash the bittergourd and slice them into thin round slices..
In a vessel add the sliced bittergourd and some salt and pour water till they get covered completely..
Close the vessel with a lid and boil for about 5 minutes on medium heat..
Then drain the water..This will remove a little bitterness from the veggie.
In a pan add a little oil and splutter mustard,urad dhall and jeera.
Then add the diced onion and saute till it turns soft..
Then add sliced tomatoes and cook for a minute..
Finally add the boiled bittergourd slices and close the lid and cook for about five minutes..
Then add turmeric and chilli powder and mix well.
Adjust salt.Salt might not be needed now as we had added it initially during the boiling process..
Cook on low heat for about 15 minutes until the edges turn brown and crispy..
Serve with hot rice and any curry..

                 

This goes off to Vegetable Of the Week -Bittergourd hosted by Pooja..

Radish - Carrot Paratha

I dont like radish much because of its smell and taste..But when I had this radish paratha which my Mother-in-law prepared I fell in love with it and now I prepare this often at home..
It is nutritious too because I use whole wheat flour to make the parathas..Radish is a source of dietary fibre, antioxidants, and minerals.I also add carrot which is a good source of Beta-Carotene and Vitamin A..Hence I feel this is indeed a Balanced Breakfast..
Here goes the recipe..

         

Ingredients

Radish - 2 big ones (white variety )
Carrot - 2
Whole wheat flour - 4 cups or as per requirement
Chilli powder - 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste
Oil

Directions

Grate the radish and the carrots coarsely..Add 2 teaspoons of salt and mix well..Allow it to rest for about half an hour..This will ooze out the water from the radish..
Strain the excess water from the radish-carrot mixture..Add the chilli powder and mix well.
Now start adding the wheat flour and keep kneading with hand.
You will need wheat flour depending on the water content of the radish..So if you feel there is excess water in the radish squeeze the water out before adding the wheat flour..
Knead until you get an elastic soft dough similar to that of chapathis..
Leave it aside for half an hour.Make big balls with the dough..It should be bigger than that of chappatis..
Sprinkle some flour on the counter and dip the dough ball in some flour and roll it using a rolling pin to about 7 inches diameter..
In a non stick pan or iron skillet cook the parathas on one side..Add little oil and then flip it to the other side..You will need to cook about 2 to 3 minutes on each side..
Serve hot with pickle and yoghurt ..It even tastes delicious with tomato ketchup and yoghurt..

This goes of to WBB#20 - Balanced Breakfast hosted by Mansi..
Also sending these to Srivallis Roti Mela

                       

Puliparuppu and Ridgegourd / Peerkangai kootu

Puliparuppu was introduced to me by my Grandma..I have nt had this earlier at any other place..She had given me the recipe and it came out really well..I prepared it along with peerkangai kootu and it goes well along with potato fry too..

  
          

Ingredients

Toor dhall - 1 cup
Onion - 1/2 small sized
Tamarind - about the size of a lemon
Red chillies - 3 or 4 according to your spice level
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dhall - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Directions

Pressure cook the dhall along with enough water and a pinch of turmeric in a pressure cooker until you get two whistles..
Meanwhile, soak the tamarind in half a cup of warm water for ten minutes and strain to get the liquid.
Once the dhall gets cooked, mash it well with a ladle and add salt.
Also add the tamarind juice obtained.
In a vessel do the seasoning with the mustard,urad dhall and red chillies..Then add the chopped onions and saute till they turn translucent.
Add the seasoning to the dhall and cook it for two minutes..
Serve hot with rice..

Ridgegourd / Peerkangai kootu

          

Ridgegourd - 2
Moong dhall - 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dhall - 1 teaspoon
Red chillies - 1

To grind
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Cumin / Jeera seeds - 2 teaspoons
Green chillies - 2

Directions

Peel the ridgegourd and cut the pulp into small pieces..
Half cook the moong dhall along with water.
Then add the cut ridgegourd pieces and cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Do not add water for cooking as the vegetable already contains water.
Grind the coconut, jeera seeds and green chillies into a smooth paste and add to the cooked ridgegourd and mix well..cook for one more minute.
Season it with mustard,urad dhall and red chillies..
Serve with rice or chapathis.

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen

              
  

Pear Walnut cake

I found a lot of pears in the grocery store and I picked up a few of them..They were really very ripe and I decided to prepare some dessert with it..Searching for recipes, I came across this fabulously sweet pear cake..I made a few changes in the oringinal recipe..It turned out moist and nice..I did not do any frosting to the cake and it was good..Guess some frosting would add more flavour..
Here is how I prepared this cake..

           

Ingredients

Pears - 2 ripe ones..I used the yellow ones
White sugar -1/2 cup
Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
All purpose flour - 2 cups
Chopped walnuts - 1/2 cup 
Vegetable oil - 1/4 cup 
Egg - 1 
Vanilla extract - 1/2 teaspoon
Baking soda - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1 pinch
 
Directions

Slice the pears finely and mix them with the white and brown sugar..Also stir in half of the chopped walnuts..
Allow it to sit for about an hour..
Then puree the above mixture in the blender finely..
To this mixture stir in the flour, salt,baking soda and remaining walnuts..
Mix well to remove any lumps.
Seperately mix the liquid ingredients oil,eggs and vanilla extract.. 
Mix it to the other ingredients and combine everything together.
Preheat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C).
Meanwhile grease and flour a cake pan and pour the cake mixture evenly.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until you get a nice dark brown crust..The time for baking depends on your oven too..
Enjoy!

         

This dessert is my entry to AFAM-Pears hosted by The Singing Chef:Raaga and MM-Spring Fruit Sensations hosted by Abby.

       

Sending this to AWED American hosted by Dhivya

My First baked Bread

We usually have bread for breakfast..I decided to try making bread for the first time..I had no idea of blogging it..But it turned out so well that I decided to share it here..

         

It was a normal beginner's recipe to bake a bread..I was really happy to have succeeded in baking one..
Here is the recipe I used to prepare the bread..

         

Tangy Panaka for MBP...

I know I am rushing in to send in my entry for the MBP - Mixed Drinks hosted by Sig this month..
I did not have any idea of sending one because I thought it was too late..When I saw that Sig has extended the deadline for the event I decided to send one..I came across the recipe of this sweet and tangy Panaka in Asha's Aroma I wanted to try it..It is getting hotter here in California and we prefer to have drinks like these rather than having tea and coffee..

          

Here goes the recipe for this wonderful drink..
I prepared exactly the same way..I loved the idea of adding brown sugar or jaggery which gave the sweet taste to this ginger sherbet..
I had only dark brown sugar in hand and this gave a dark colour to the drink..
It indeed looked like some cola drink..

Method

Take about 4 tablespoons of jaggery/brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom, and about an inch of crushed ginger in a vessel..Add half cup of water to this and crush the ingredients with your hand until you get a smooth paste..
Add two cups of water and lemon juice from one large lemon..You can adjust the sweetness according to your taste..
Serve chilled with a slice of ginger and lemon..
Thanks Asha for this great recipe..

                                   

Idli-Dosa Chutney

With a lot of Dosa recipes raining in the blog world I thought it was the right time for me to post this chutney..It tastes great with idlies and dosas and can be had with rice too..Very quick to prepare and does not need much ingredients..



Ingredients

Tomato - 1 medium sized
Onion - 2 medium sized1/2 tsp Urad dal(ulundhu)
Red chillies - 3 (if you need it hot you can add 4 )
Channa Dhall (kadala paruppu) - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dhall - 1 teaspoon
Asofoetida - 1 pinch
curry leaves - 1 sprig
Tamarind paste - 1 teaspoon (optional )
Cilantro

Directions

Chop the onions and tomato roughly.
Season with mustard seeds, urad dhall,channa dhall and asafoetida.
Add the onions and saute for a while..They need not become very soft and translucent..Just saute them until the raw smell disappears..
Then add the red chillies and tomatoes and saute again.
Add curry leaves and cilantro and saute again and allow the mixture to cool.
Once cooled blend the above mixture along with tamarind and a little salt in a mixie.
Serve with hot idlies and dosas..

This is my entry to Spicy Fiery Chutney event..

My Click for CLICK - METAL

This entry goes off to CLICK - Metal hosted by jugalbandi..

         
                       CLICK - METAL

The picture is that of Pestle and Mortar made up of brass..
I am not an expert in clicking photographs..But I wanted to participate in this event and here goes my Click!
I am indeed astonished seeing at the various entries in this event..They are excellent!

                           

Palak Tofu

This tastes very similar to Palak Paneer and is a healthy and protein rich dish..I love the fresh green colour of the dish..
Can be relished along with rice,chappathis,naan and even with pasta..Here goes the recipe..

          

Ingredients

Fresh Spinach - 1 bunch
Tofu - about 20 cubes
Onion - 1 medium sized
Tomato - 2
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Green chillies - 6
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 spoons
Cashews - 8 (optional)

Directions

Chop the spinach leaves coarsely..
In a wide bottomed vessel, heat some oil and add the finely diced onions..Once they turn translucent add the green chillies,tomatoes, ginger garlic paste and saute well until they turn soft..Remove them from the vessel..
Again add some oil and the spinach leaves and saute them for about 2 minutes until the leaves get well coated with the oil..Remove the leaves from the vessel and allow them to cool..
When they get completely cooled transfer the tomato-onion mixture and the spinach leaves into a mixie and puree them well along with some salt.
Powder the cashews seperately..
In a skillet heat some oil and splutter the cumin seeds..Add the puree to the oil and saute well..Add garam masala,cashew powder and turmeric powder..Add one cup of water to obtain the required consistency..Adjust salt..
Finally add the tofu cubes and simmer for about ten minutes so that the tofu absorbs the spinach sauce..
Serve hot..
This goes to WHB hosted this week by Ramona of The Houndstooth Gourmet

Aama vadai / Split chickpea fritters

This is a snack which I always enjoy with tea..I learnt this recipe from my grandma..In olden days people prepare this using ural..Nowadays it is prepared quickly using the mixie/blender..It contains channa dhall and hence rich in proteins too..Here is how I prepared this fritter..

           

Ingredients

Channa dhall/ split chickpea - 1 cup
Small sized onion - 1 finely chopped
Green chillies - 5 finely chopped
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander leaves
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon stick - 1/ inch
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Directions

Soak the channa dhall in water for at least three hours..Drain the water well and sperate 2 tablespoons of channa dhall and grind the remaining dhall coarsely in a mixie along with the cumin seeds and cinnamon..
To this mixture add the finely chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves and the seperated 2 tablespoons of channa dhall and mix well..Also add salt to taste..
Now take a spoon of this batter in your palm and press them slightly so that they form discs of about 2 inches in diameter..Deep fry them in oil on both sides until they turn golden brown..
Drain them in paper towels and serve them hot..

This is my entry for Waiter, there's something in my pulses hosted by Jeanne..

Aval Payasam and Cashew topped oatmeal cookies for the arusuvai food chain

I was pondering what to prepare with my favourite cashews and the aromatic cardamoms Dhivya had mailed me for the arusuvai food chain...We stay closeby and Dhivya came home this week..Wanted to prepare these dishes the day she came home..But could'nt make it...
I add both these exotic spices in almost any variety rice and sweet I prepare because they add extra flavor and richness..But I wanted to prepare something different..I love sweets and decided to make these two quick recipes..they came out really well..

          

This Aval Payasam is an excellent dessert after any heavy lunch..We had these cookies along with Cardamom Tea and they were really good..

Aval Payasam

          

Ingredients

Aval/Beaten Rice - 3/4 cup
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Sugar -1/2 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Cashews - 8
Cardamom powder - 1 teaspoon
Raisins - 6
Ghee/butter - 2 teaspoons

Directions

Add 1 teaspoon of ghee and fry the cashews and raisins until you get a nice aroma..Keep them aside seperately..
In the same vessel add 1 teaspoon of ghee and the aval and roast it until they turn to a nice golden colour..The aval absorbs the ghee and this adds more flavour..Remove the aval from the vessel and keep it aside..
Now add the water to the vessel and bring it to a boil..Add the aval to the water and keep stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes..the aval gets cooked and becomes soft..Now add the sugar and mix until it has combined well with the aval..
Then add boiled milk and simmer until you get a thick consistency..During this process keep stirring occasionally as it might form a layer on the top..
Finally, add the roasted cashews and raisins and the cardamom powder and mix well..
Serve hot or cold..

         

Sending this to Think-Spice:Cardamom hosted this month by Easycrafts


Cashew topped oatmeal cookies

After much of googling I decided to make these chewy,spicy oatmeal cookies sprinkled with cashews..They made my kitchen smell wonderful while they were baking..Here is how I prepared these cookies..

          

Ingredients
Makes 10 cookies

Butter/Ghee - 1/2 cup
Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
White sugar - 2 tablespoons
Egg - 1
Vanilla extract - 1/4 teaspoon
Maida/All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Ground cinnamon - 1/4 teaspoon
Ground cloves - 1/4 teaspoon
Baking soda - 1 pinch
Salt - 1 pinch
Oats - 1/2 cup
Cashews - 3 or 4 powdered coarsely

Directions

In a large vessel mix together 
softened butter,brown sugar,white sugar,egg and vanilla extract until they form a smooth mixture..
Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt..
Stir these dry ingredients into the sugar mixture.. Stir in the oats...
Take this mixture and drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets...

         

Sprinkle the coarsely ground cashews over these cookies..
Preheat oven to 350 degrees..
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until they turn into a light and golden colour..Do not overbake them..
Let them cool for 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cool completely. Store in an airtight container..

        

I also made refreshing cardamom tea with the cardamoms sent by Dhivya..
Thanks a lot Dhivya..It was indeed great fun participating in this arusuvai chain..

Gobi Manchurian

I prepared this along with Fried rice for lunch..Gobi Manchurian is my favourite and I always order this in restaurants..I decided to make it at home and it turned out really well..Here is how I prepared it..

         

Ingredients

Cauliflower - one medium sized flower cut into florets
Onion - 1 small sized
Bell Pepper(red/green) - 1/2 cup
Maida / All purpose flour - 3 tablespoons
Cornflour - 3 tablespoons
Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Tomato sauce - 3 tablespoons
Soyasauce - 1 teaspoon
Chilli sauce - 1 teaspoon
Soda - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Curry leaves - 1 small sprig
Oil for deep frying
Salt to taste

Directions

Wash the cauliflower florets thoroughly in warm salty water in order to remove all germs present and drain them..
Mix the corn flour and maida together and make a thick batter adding 1 tablespoon water..Then add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste,half teaspoon red chilli powder,soda and salt...
Now coat the cauliflower florets with this batter and deep fry them in oil..The oil should not be too hot otherwise the cauliflower will not cook properly on the inside...
Drain the fried florets in paper towels..

In another vessel, take some oil and add the onions and fry till they turn translucent..Add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and bell pepper and saute for a few seconds..Then add the red chilli powder,salt and curry leaves..
Add the soy sauce,chilli sauce and tomato sauce..be careful while adding the sauces..
If added in excess it might spoil the taste of the manchurian..
Mix 1 tablespoon of corn flour in about half a cup of water or depending on the consistency required and add it to the cooked mixture..
Finally add the deep fried florets and stir once..
Garnish with chopped spring onions and cilantro and serve hot..
Goes well with fried rice and naans..

This is my entry for WHB hosted by Katie..

Also sending this to AWED: Chinese by Dhivya

Arusuvai.. Knocking my Door!!

Finally, Arusuvai has landed in my place too..Thanks a lot Dhivya!
The Arusuvai friendship chain has been going on for quite sometime now in India. It was started here, in the US, recently by The Yum Blog, Bhags & Bharathy.
I was waiting eagerly to receive the parcel from Dhivya..Expected to receive it in a day or two as we stay closeby..But it took nearly 10 days because of some problem in the mail service in our apartment..I used to check twice or thrice a day if I had received it..

           

When I received the mail I could'nt wait to open it..Was surprised to see the cute little pink Bunny peeping out of the parcel..Along with it I had also received a card with 'A Note of Cheer'..Thanks a lot Dhivi..I had asked Dhivya to send me an easy Ingredient as I am new to this cooking world..And she had sent me my favourite Cashews and Cardamom..

            
           
Immediately started thinking of what to prepare with the ingredients..Will come up with my preparation soon as possible..

If anyone is interesed in participating in the Arusuvai Food chain please do mail me and I can send the secret Ingredient to you..It was indeed great fun participating in this event..

Taro root Fry

This was the first time I tried my hand on Taro Root..I got this from the grocery store and was wondering what to cook with it..Then decided to prepare something crispy and hot..I prepared this and served it with dhall..it was a very good combination..It can also be had as a snack..Here are some Wiki facts about Taro Root..
         
           

Ingredients

Taro root - 5 to 6 depending on their size
Chilli powder - 2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

                    

Directions

Wash the taro roots well to remove the soil and dirt..Boil them with enough water for about ten minutes..Do not over boil them for it will turn mushy..
Allow them to cool and remove the skin..I used the peeler to remove the skin..
Then slice them into round pieces of about 1 cm thick..If it is too thin again it might turn mushy..
Take one or two teaspoons of oil in a plate and mix salt,chilli and turmeric powder together..Then coat the sliced taro roots with this mixture on both sides..
Then in a skillet take some oil and fry them for about 5 minutes until they turn crispy and golden..Serve hot..

                   

This is my entry for this weeks' Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Green Olive tree..

Lemon Rice

This is a quick lunch to prepare...My mom used to prepare this and pack for lunch to school often..We used to enjoy this with Potato fry and pickle..It is also a way to use up leftover rice..

      

Ingredients

Rice (Sona Masoori/Basmati) - 1 cup
Lemon Juice - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Oil -2 spoons
Mustard seeds,Urad dhall,Channa dhall - 1 teaspoon each
Cashews and peanuts - a few roasted in oil
Ginger - 1/2 inch finely chopped
Red chillies - 3
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Hing/Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Salt to taste

Directions

Cook the rice with two cups of water and allow it to cool..Mix 1 teaspoon of oil and the lemon juice with it and keep it aside..
In a pan take two spoons of oila nd splutter the mustard seeds,urad dhall and channa dhall one by one..Once they get roasted,add the turmeric powder,hing,chillies,chopped ginger and curry leaves..
Then add the roasted cashews and peanuts..
Mix this with the cooked rice..Add salt to taste..
You can also adjust the amount of lemon juice if you want it more soury..
Mix thoroughly without any rice lumps..
This goes well with any chutney,pickle or vegetable dishes of your choice..

                          

This goes off to the event organised for International Women s Day by Kochtopf..

Peanut/Groundnut Chutney

This is the first time I made peanut chutney at home..It can be served with dosas,idli,adai and also with rice..When served with rice it should have a thick consistency and a bit dilute for idlies and dosas



Ingredients

Peanuts - 1 cup
Red chilies - 4
Onion (small sized) - diced
Garlic - 2 pods
Tamarind paste - 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds,Cumin seeds,Urad dhall - 1 teaspoon each
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt to taste

Directions

In a pan roast the peanuts for about 5 minutes in low flame until you get the smell of the peanuts..They should be roasted well..Allow them to cool and remove the skin from the peanuts..
Add a little oil in a vessel and saute the onion,garlic and red chillies for a minute..
Allow the mixture to cool..It should come to room temperature..
Take the peanuts,cooled onions,garlic,chillies,tamarind paste,salt in a blender..Add one cup of water and grind to a smooth paste..
Do the tempering with the mustard,urad dhall,cumin seeds and curry leaves and add it to the ground paste..
Chutney is ready!

Sending this to Spicy Fiery Chutney event!

Mixed Bean Vadai

I made this vadai as a tea time snack last evening..I made it with different type of legumes available..They were very delicious and are healthy too..Because legumes contain both protein and fiber..It can be prepared with different type of legumes depending on your choice and availability..
This is my version..

        

Ingredients I used

1/2 cup each of the following
Channa/Chickpea dhall
Garbanzo beans/kondakadalai
Black-eyed beans
Masoor dhall(split)
Green gram
Moong dhall (split)

Green chillies - 3 chopped finely
Onions - 1/2 chopped finely
Hing/Asafoetida - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

        

Directions

Soak all the legumes together for at least one hour..
Then grind the legumes to a coarse consistency..
Do not add water..The legumes absorb some water when soaked..
Then mix the ground mixture along with the chillies,onions,asafoetida and salt..
With the help of a small ladle or spoon take a little of the mixture and pour into piping hot oil..
When the mixture rises to the surface of the oil pour the second one..If the second one is poured immediately it might stick to the first one..Do this in batches of five or six..
After it gets cooked on one side flip it onto the other side and allow it to get cooked..
Keep the flame in medium otherwise it will not get cooked till the inside..
When it turns golden brown remove it from the oil and drain on paper towels..
Can be eaten as such or with a sauce/ketchup of your choice..

This goes off to Weekend Herb Blogging hosted this week by Morsels & Musings..

                         

Yippeee...My First Award !!!

This award came as a pleasant surprise to me this morning from Uma..I do not know if I am worth to receive this award when I see many beautiful blogs around..Thanks a lot Uma..You made me feel special and encourages me to blog more..I also extend my thanks to my fellow bloggers who have extended their support by their valuable comments..
 
                                  
I would like to pass on this Excellent Blog award to my friends who were a source of Inspiration to me in blogging..

Asha of Foodies Hope
Dhivya of Dhivya's Cuisine
Ashwini of Food for thought
Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen
Coco of Ambrosia

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin

This is the first time I tried my Hand in making muffins..I always enjoyed the cup cakes back in India and wanted to try them at home..They turned out really good..To the banana muffins I added a few chocolate chips I had recently got from trader Joes..I like to munch the chocolate chips as a snack too..They are really tempting..Here is how I made the muffins..

                  

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl...
In another bowl, combine all the liquid ingredients..the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla..
Stir the liquid ingredients into dry ingredients just until moistened...
Fold in the mashed bananas and chocolate chips.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full...

                  

Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean...
Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks...

                  

You can add your own choice of dried fruits and chopped nuts like badam,cashews,raisins apricots etc..

                  

This is my entry to Snack Shots #2 Muffins..

Sending this to AWED American hosted by Dhivya