Masala Chaas Recipe – North Indian Masala Buttermilk Recipe

When we think about thirst quenchers for summer, the simple and the best coolant that strikes our mind is buttermilk. Its an awesome summer drink that provides lots of health benefits to our body. In South India, Tamil nadu we never fail to make neer mor during summer. Sendhil & Raksha likes to have spiced buttermilk instead of taking curd rice. But I love to eat creamy curd rice with raw mango or baby mango ( Vadu mangai) pickle. So I make South Indian neer mor almost everyday in summer just for them. 

Recently I tasted this North Indian style spiced buttermilk (“Chaas/Masala Chaas” or masala taak in Hindi ) in a restaurant lunch buffet. As it was kept in a mud pot and served chilled, I loved it very much and had 3 servings even after having a tummy full lunch. I wanted to try this simple and yummy chaas at home for a change. I browsed for the recipe and tried at home. Roasted cumin seeds powder( Bhuna jeera powder) and black salt are the star ingredients of this basic plain chaas recipe apart from fresh yogurt/curd. 

To make a spicy masala chaas, green chilli, ginger, coriander leaves can also be used along with cumin powder and black salt. For variations, mint leaves/Pudina, hing and even black pepper powder can be used. A pinch of chaat masala can also be added for that extra punch. Ok, lets see how to make this North Indian special summer drink, Masala chaas recipe with step by step photos !

Check out my Summer Recipes in THIS LINK !

Masala chaas Recipe - North Indian Chaas recipe

How to make North Indian special summer drink - Masala chaas/ Chaas recipe

Cuisine: North Indian

Category: Beverages

Serves: 2-3

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 2 Minutes

Total time: 7 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Fresh Curd / yogurt - 1 cup Small green chilli – 1 no Roasted cumin seeds powder/Bhuna Jeera powder - 1 tsp Black salt - 1 tsp OR Regular salt - as needed Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp + to garnish Sugar - a pinch Ice cubes - Few Ice water or plain water – 2 to 3 cups Optional ( to grind) Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Mint leaves - 1/2 tbsp

HOW TO MAKE MASALA CHAAS RECIPE - METHOD

In a mixie jar, take the green chilli, washed coriander leaves, roasted cumin powder, black salt and curd. If you wish, u can add 1/2 inch ginger piece, 1/2tbsp mint leaves while grinding. Grind it to a smooth paste. If you don’t have mixie, use a whisk and beat well. Transfer the ground paste to a bowl. Add 2.5 to 3 cups of ice cold water.Mix well. Check for taste and add more salt and cumin powder if needed. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and sprinkle a pinch of cumin powder. Serve immediately or refrigerate it till use and serve chilled. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of cumin powder and black salt as per taste. Adjust the quantity of water based on the consistency and taste. You can skip grinding coriander leaves ad use it just for garnishing For variations, you can grind a small piece of ginger too. You can also add a pinch of chaat masala at the end before serving. Always serve it chilled to enjoy its best taste.

Try this easy, North Indian style masala chaas at home and enjoy after a heavy meal. It helps in quick digestion !

Technorati Tags: Masala chaas recipe,chaas recipe,how to make masala chaas,masala buttermilk,North Indian buttermilk,North Indian spiced buttermilk,North Indian masala buttermilk recipe,how to make chaas at home,how to make masala chaas at home,masala taak recipe,spiced buttermilk recipe

Continue Reading...

Mamidikaya Pappu – Andhra Raw Mango Dal Recipe

I have heard about this Andhra Raw Mango Dal (Pachi Mamidikaya pappu in Telugu) from my friends. It is nothing but toor dal cooked with raw mango and seasoned with spices. Basically I am a big fan of raw mango recipes. So every year I wait for the mango season to explore new recipes with raw mango and ripe mango as well. This year, I wanted to start my mango recipes with this super easy and quick Andhra style raw mango dal recipe. I got this recipe from my Telugu Brahmin friend Sandhya in my apartment. She taught me this no onion no garlic Andhra style mango pappu. After getting the recipe from her, I browsed & found many recipes with variations. But I blindly followed Sandhya’s recipe as this is my first try. It came out really well. Dal is known to be the best comfort food for rice. This mango dal with a mild tangy and spicy taste is no exception. Sendhil & myself enjoyed this dal by mixing with plain rice adding ghee!  I am happy that I learnt an easy and delicious raw mango recipe. Thank u so much Sandhya . As Ugadi festival is fast approaching, most of you must be buying raw mangoes to make Ugadi pachadi. Do try this dal recipe too. You will love it. Ok, Now lets see how to make Andhra mango dal recipe with step by step photos. I will try to share a video recipe soon !

Do check out my other MANGO RECIPES too !

Andhra Raw Mango Dal Recipe

How to make Andhra style raw mango dal - Mamidikaya Pappu recipe with step by step photos !

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Side dish for rice

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 25 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Toor dal - 1/2 cup Raw Mango - 1 no ( medium sized ) Water - 2 cups ( to pressure cook dal) To temper Cooking oil + Ghee - 1 tbsp ( 1/2 tbsp each) Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp ( optional) Roasted Fenugreek seeds powder - 1/2 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Curry leaves - Few Red chillies - 2 nos ( Pinched) Green chillies - 2 nos ( Slit) Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp Salt & water – as needed

HOW TO MAKE ANDHRA MANGO DAL - METHOD

Dry roast 1 tbsp of methi seeds/Fenugreek seeds till it starts to splutter and turn light golden brown in color. Do not burn the seeds while roasting. Remove it when golden and let it cool. Powder it nicely. You can add 1/2 tsp of this powder in this mango dal. Store the remaining powder in a box and use it while making pickles, tamarind rice, vatha kuzhambu etc. My MIL adds a pinch of this powder while making filter coffee decoction. It lends a great flavor and mild bitterness to the coffee. In a pressure cooker base, take the toor dal and add 2 cups of water. Cook in low flame for 2 whistles.In the mean time, wash and peel the skin of raw mango. ( For variations, you can add chopped mango amd slit green chillies along with toor dal in pressure cooker).   Chop into small pieces and set aside.Discard the seed. In a kadai, heat oil + ghee and splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, pinched red chillies, slit green chillies.Saute for few seconds. Add hing and roasted fenugreek seeds powder. Mix well and add the chopped raw mango pieces. Saute the mango pieces for few minutes till it turns soft. Now add 1cup of water and add the required salt. Cover the kadai with a lid and cook for few minutes till mango pieces are completely cooked and mushy.Now take a masher and mash the mango pieces roughly. Remove the cooked toor dal and mash it with a whisk.Add this dal to the cooked mango mixture. Mix well and add 1/2 cup of water if its too thick. Add turmeric powder, required salt and 1/4 tsp chilli powder ( optional). Mix well and boil the dal for few minutes. This dal thickens when it cools down.So adjust its consistency accordingly. Transfer the dal to a bowl and serve hot with rice. Add a tsp of ghee while serving. Tastes yum !! Enjoy !

Note

Adding methi seeds powder gives a nice flavor to this dal. I have added more turmeric powder.So mine looked more yellow in color. Please reduce it for mild color.

Try this easy mango recipe in this season and enjoy with rice & roti !

Technorati Tags: mango dal recipe,mamidikaya pappu,raw mango dal recipe,pachi mamidikaya pappu,mamidikaya recipes,mango pappu recipe video,mango dal andhra style,toor dal with raw mango recipe,raw mango recipes andhra style,andhra mango dal recipe,andhra style raw mango dal,how to make andhra mango dal,how to make mamidikaya pappu,Andhra pappu recipe

Continue Reading...

Jaljeera Recipe With Video –Jaljira – How To Make Jal Jeera At Home

Jal Jeera / Jaljira is a healthy summer drink that is most popular in North India. In Hindi, Jal means water and Jeera means cumin seeds. This drink is prepared with special spice mix masala powder that is mixed with water or soda. Jal jeera spice powder is made of roasted cumin, pepper, mint leaves, black salt, ginger, amchoor powder and lemon juice. So it has lots of health benefits. Basically it helps to improve digestion and aids for weight loss too. I have tasted this jaljira several times in “The Village” restaurant and in some other hotels as well. Mostly it is served as an appetizer in restaurants whereas I like to have this drink after a heavy meal. I love this drink very much and I don’t mind drinking at any time or any season of the year. So I bought a packet of jaljeera powder from the shop and prepared this drink at home for the first time. We loved it very much. Then I started serving this to my guests as a welcome drink. Everybody liked it so much and asked me the recipe too. Even though I make it with store bought powder, I used to tell the ingredients roughly and ask them to buy this jal jeera powder from the market. Yesterday I was thinking to start summer recipes in my blog. The most refreshing summer drink jaljeera flashed in my mind. I tried it this morning by watching Sanjeev Kapoor’s YouTube video and made it from scratch. I altered the recipe slightly by looking at the ingredients list of store bought jaljira packet. It came out very well and tasty. Traditionally tamarind is used in jaljeera but have used lemon juice instead. So lets check how to make this refreshing, fresh, yummy, healthy, easy Indian drink for this summer – Jal jeera recipe with step by step pictures and a video. Do try it and enjoy !
Check out my other summer recipes in THIS LINK

Jal jeera Recipe - Jaljira - How to make Jal jeera at home

Jal jeera Recipe - Jaljira - How to make Jal jeera at home

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Summer Drink

Serves: Serves 3-4

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 5 Minutes

Total time: 10 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 250ml Mint leaves - 1/2 cup Coriander leaves – 1/4 cup Ginger - 1/2 inch piece Pepper corns – 1/2 tsp Roasted cumin seeds – 1/2 tbsp / 1.5 tsp  ( Dry roast) Black salt - 1 tsp Powdered white salt – 1/2 tsp  ( Regular salt) Sugar or grated jaggery -  1 to 2 tsp ( adjust) Chat masala powder Or Amchoor powder - 1 tsp Lemon – 1 no Cold Water -  3 cups To Serve Ice cubes – Few Kara Boondhi – To garnish ( as needed)

METHOD

Dry roast cumin seeds in a hot kadai for one minute. Do not burn the jeera. It tastes bitter and spoils the taste of jaljeera. Take all the ingredients given in the list in a mixie jar. Add the roasted cumin seeds. Grind to a smooth paste adding required water. I used 1/2 cup water to grind it. Transfer the ground paste to a bowl and wash the mixie jar with one cup of water. Add the washed water to the paste.  Place another bowl, keep a metal strainer and filter the drink. Press it with a spoon to filter well and discard the residue. Add 1.5 - 2 cups more water and mix well. Check for taste and add more salt, sugar or lemon juice if needed. If you need more cumin flavor, add 1/2 tsp readymade cumin powder if u have in hand. To serve : Take a tall glass, add some crushed ice or ice cubes, top it with 2 tsp of kara boondhi and pour the jaljeera till the rim. sprinkle a pinch of cumin powder if u wish. Serve immediately. Refrigerate the remaining drink for later use. Stays fresh for 2-3 days in refrigerator. Enjoy !

Note

You can add more black salt, amchoor powder , sugar and lemon juice at anytime after making the drink. Adjust them based on your taste.  Jaljeera tastes the best when its served chilled. So always use ice cold water for preparation or refrigerate it  / add ice cubes while serving ! Never try this recipe without black salt and chat masala or amchoor powder.It adds a unique taste to this drink.

Try this easy drink at home and have it after or before a heavy meal. It helps to improve digestion and increases appetite !

Technorati Tags: jaljeera,Jaljeera recipe,jal jeera recipe,jaljira,jaljira recipe,how to make jal jeera,how to make jal jeera at home,summer drinks recipes,summer drinks,Indian drinks recipes,recipes,drinks,beverages,Indian beverages,appetiser

Continue Reading...

Mango Lassi Recipe - Easy Mango Recipes

I am trying varieties of Mango recipes in my kitchen in this mango season.Recently my friend Shalini gave me a big tin of mango pulp and few mangoes.I tried Ripe mango pickle, Mango Kesari, Mango lassi and mango kulfi with it. I am yet to post Mango kulfi and ripe mango pickle. Lassi is my family favorite recipe. We love to have lassi in different flavors. So I tried Mango lassi at home for Sendhil & Raksha. Its so easy to make and it came out creamy, thick with the yummy flavor of mango.Both loved it very much. For vegan version, you can replace curd & milk with almond milk. Lets see how to make easy, Indian style sweet mango lassi using mango pulp.

Mango Lassi Recipe

How to make creamy mango lassi at home

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Dessert

Serves: Serves 1-2

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 5 Minutes

Total time: 10 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250ml Ripe mango - 1/2 no Or Mango pulp - 1/2 cup Boiled & cooled milk - 1/4 cup Thick,fresh curd - 1 cup Sugar – 1-2 tbsp (Adjust based on the sweetness of mango) Cardamom powder or vanilla essence - 1/4 tsp Chopped nuts & mint leaves - to garnish

METHOD

Wash and peel the skin of ripe mango. Chop into cubes and grind them in a mixie jar adding a tbsp of water. Measure 1/2 cup of pulp from it. Take the measured mango pulp in a big mixie jar. To this, add sugar, milk, curd, vanilla essence or cardamom powder.Milk should be at room temperature. Grind everything to a thick,creamy paste. Add more milk or curd to adjust its consistency as you wish. Transfer it to a tall glass and serve immediately with chopped nuts and fresh mint leaf on top. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of sugar based on your taste. You can use readymade store bought mango pulp too. But taste it before you use to check its sweetness. If the pulp is too sour, do not use it for making lassi. Make sure you do not use hot milk. Lassi will look curdled. You can use either cardamom powder or vanilla essence for flavor OR you can avoid both.

Enjoy this creamy, yummy mango lassi at home !! It tastes D-licious !!

Technorati Tags: mango lassi with mango pulp,easy mango lassi,mango lassi with kesar mango pulp,best mango lassi recipe,mango lassi recipe,mango lassi recipe indian style,mango lassi recipe indian,sweet mango lassi recipe

Very good recipes Tags: mango lassi with mango pulp, easy mango lassi, mango lassi with kesar mango pulp, best mango lassi recipe, mango lassi recipe, mango lassi recipe indian style, mango lassi recipe indian, sweet mango lassi recipe

Continue Reading...

Rose Milk Popsicle Recipe - Easy Popsicle Recipes

This is my first post on popsicle recipes. So I wanted to share a very simple and quick popsicle recipe. What else it could be other than rose milk popsicle. Rose milk is loved by adults and kids as well. Its a best summer drink and a healthy choice for kids. Some kids don’t like to drink it as milk. Instead serving it as a popsicle will sure attract them. My daughter Raksha, who never drink Rose Milk tasted this popsicle and gave poses for my pics too. Do try this homemade easy popsicle recipe during this summer vacation for yourself & your kids and enjoy !! Lets see how to make rose milk popsicle at home.

Rose Milk Popsicle Recipe

Easy popsicle recipe with rose milk

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Popsicle recipes

Serves: Serves 3

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Cook time: 60 Minutes

Total time: 65 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 200ml Boiled milk - 1 cup Rose essence - few drops Sugar - 1.5 tbsp Popsicle mould - 3 nos Popsicle sticks – 3nos

METHOD

Boil milk and take 1 cup of it. Add sugar and few drops of rose essence as per the color you need. Mix well and let the milk cool down. Check for sweetness. Actually rose milk tastes sweeter than the frozen popsicle. So you should add more sugar than the usual quantity.Keep this in mind. Pour the milk into popsicle mould till 3/4 th. Cover it with a plastic sheet or zipwrap.Freeze it for 30 minutes.Open it once in the middle and insert the popsicle stick in the mould.Again freeze it for 30 minutes to 1 hour till its set completely. Take out and show the mould under running water for less than a minute.Remove the popsicle carefully and consume it immediately.Enjoy !

Note

Add more or less sugar based on your taste. Actually rose milk popsicle tastes less sweeter than the rose milk. So you should add more sugar than the usual quantity.

Try this easy popsicle at home and attract your kids . See who is enjoying it ??

Technorati Tags: Rose milk popsicle,Rose milk popsicle recipe,healthy popsicle recipes,popsicle recipes for kids,homemade popsicle recipes,how do you make homemade popsicles,homemade popsicles for kids,what to make popsicles out of

Very good recipes Tags: Rose milk popsicle, Rose milk popsicle recipe, healthy popsicle recipes, popsicle recipes for kids, homemade popsicle recipes, how do you make homemade popsicles, homemade popsicles for kids, what to make popsicles out of

Continue Reading...

Thalippu Vengaya Vadagam Recipe – Kari Vadagam

I am a big fan of Vengaya Vadagam/ Small onion vadagam since my childhood.This younger generation people may not be aware of this traditional recipe and slowly its forgotton by our people :( When I was young, my dad used to buy a packet of thalippu vengaya vadagam from an Iyer mess every year during summer. My mom adds it in Thuvaram paruppu sadam, Kootan choru and we love to have it as a side dish for curd rice too. . After marriage, I was amazed to see my MIL making Kari vadagam/Vengaya vadam on her own. She says its a very simple recipe preparation and can be easily made at home. Our job is to just mix and make balls. Sun will do the remaining part, she says funnily. Since Sendhil is not fond of vadagam, she stopped making it for some years. This year, I requested her to make this yummy onion vadagam for me. Last week we prepared it in Bangalore. I felt the chopping part and sun drying part takes more time. But the end result will be worth the wait. It came out great with wonderful aroma while frying. Iam enjoying it by making vadagam chutney/thogayal and use it for tempering Vatha kuzhambu and Kootu varieties. Nowadays my lunch smells divine because of this vadagam. You too give a try and feel proud to make your own homemade vengaya vadagam recipe. Lets see how to make this easy and yummy Thalippu Vadagam/ Kari vadam at home.
Check out my Koozh Vadam, Killu vadam and Javvarisi vadam too.

Vengaya vadagam recipe

How to make thalippu vengaya vadagam recipe

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Homemade

Serves: 15 balls

Prep time: 30 Minutes

Cook time: 10 days

Total time: 10days30Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup - 200ml Small onion/Shallots - 1.5 cups ( chopped) Garlic cloves - 1/2 cup ( Chopped) Chopped curry leaves - 2 tbsp White urad dal - 1/4 cup ( soak in water for 30 minutes) Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp Toor dal - 1 tbsp Cumin seeds - 1.5 tbsp Methi seeds -3/4 tbsp Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp Turmeric powder - 1 tsp Salt - as needed Castor oil - 2 tsp Cooking oil - to deep fry vadam after drying

METHOD

Wash and soak the white urad dal for 30 minutes.Wash and peel the small onion and curry leaves.Chop it finely. Peel and chop garlic cloves. Measure them in a cup. Take everything in a wide bowl. Mix well. To this add, mustard seeds, methi seeds, toor dal, cumin seeds, salt, red chilli powder. Mix well using your hands. Drain the water from the soaked urad dal and grind it coarsely without adding water. Dal should be coarse. Now mix the dal with onion mixture tightly and make balls of small lemon size. Let it dry under the Sun for a day.Coarse Urad dal paste acts as a binding agent here. So do not skip this step, If you wish, you can spread the mixture as it is without making balls and sun dry them. In that case, take the required amount of dried vadagam, keep in a separate bottle and use it. Reserve the remaining vadagam without touching often because there are chances of getting worms quickly.  On the same day night, take the partially dried balls. Break into crumbs and add castor oil to it. Mix well and make tight balls again. Let it dry over night under the fan. The next day, sun dry the balls.As the balls dry, it will loosen. So roll it tight everyday. Repeat the same process until the balls dry completely and becomes black in color. It will take nearly one week to 10 days to for the balls to dry depending on the weather/heat. For me, it took nearly 10 days. My MIL says it takes a week in Salem. After the balls are dried well, store in an air tight box. For adding this gravy, take one ball, break into small pieces and fry in oil until it emits a nice aroma. Add to vatha kuzhambu, Kootu and poricha kuzhambu recipes. Enjoy !

Try these yummy, flavorful vadagam at home and enjoy your lunch !

Technorati Tags: indian vengaya vadagam,vengaya vadagam recipe,vengaya vadagam preparation,make vengaya vadagam,onion vadam,how to make vadagam,onion vadagam,onion vadam recipe,onion vadam preparation,venkaya vadam

Very good recipes Tags: indian vengaya vadagam, vengaya vadagam recipe, vengaya vadagam preparation, make vengaya vadagam, onion vadam, how to make vadagam, onion vadagam, onion vadam recipe, onion vadam preparation, venkaya vadam

Continue Reading...