Cuisines Of India

Watermelon Juice

Watermelon 

There is nothing better than a refreshing Watermelon drink to beat the summer heat. This recipe is easy to prepare too and everyone would love it.

Ingredients:-

1/4 watermelon

10 mint leaves

1 pinch pepper

Method of Preperation:-

Cut a thin slice of watermelon and keep aside. Scoop the rest of the watermelon flesh into a mixer and run it in the mixer along with mint leaves and pepper. Stain and allow to cool in the fridge. Remove the seeds from the watermelon kept aside and cut it into small pieces. Serve the chilled watermelon juice in a tall glass after adding the small pieces inside. Sugar need not be added as the fruit is sweet. If necessary one spoon of honey can be added.

THANDAI

Ingredients:

• 1 litre milk
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 30 almonds blanched
• 6 tsps whole pumpkin/sunflower seeds (unsalted)
• 1 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 3 tsps rose water (optional)
• Crushed ice
• Rose petals to garnish

Preparation:

• Grind the almonds, sunflower/pumpkin seeds, cardamom powder and rose water into a fine paste in a food processor.
• Add the milk, condensed milk and crushed ice to the paste and blend well.
• Strain the drink through a fine seive or muslin and serve in glasses, granished with rose petals.

Blender Cleaning Tips

Squirt a few drops of liquid soap into the blender, fill halfway with warm water, cover and blend, rinse and repeat as necessary.

Gujiya

GUJIA

Ingredients :

500 gms maida (flour)
1kg khoya
3tbsps kismish (raisins)
200 gms almonds (cut into thin strips)
6 tbsps cooking oil. ( keep some more aside for deep frying)
200 ml water.
500 gms sugar.

Method 

Mix six tablespoons of oil with maida. Using fingers, mix well so that the mixture takes the form of breadcrumbs and binds to a certain extent. Now add some water and knead lightly. Keep adding water as required and knead into a soft dough. Set aside and cover with a damp cloth. 
Put the khoya in a deep-frying pan and fry to a light brown colour. Add sugar into the khoya and mix well. Add almonds and kismis. Fry for a few minutes and remove from the fire. Let it cool.

Roll out the kneaded dough into a chapati, thicker and smaller than a normal chapati. Fill half the chapati with the khoya mixture, fold the chapati and seal the round, twisting the edges inwards. Take care that the filling does not ooze out. 

Deep fry these gujjias, a few at a time, till they are a deep golden brown. Fry on a slow fire. When done, take them out with a sieve type ladle, draining the oil completely. Let them drain further on a spread out newspaper, till all the grease is soaked up. 

Store in an airtight glass jar. 

Tip Of The Week

To prevent the growth of fungus in pickles, burn a small grain of asafoetida over a burning coal and invert the empty pickle jar for some time before putting pickles in the jar.

Mango Pickel

    

Raw Mango Panna

The hot summer makes you long for a cool satisfying drink. Instead of drinking some artificially flavored and sugar filled drink, try this raw mango drink - Kairi Panna that will not only quench your thirst but also make you feel cool in the hot summer. It is a great refreshing drink.

  

  Ingredients: (Serves 4-6)

1.     2 large raw mango

2.    1/2 cup sugar or as per your taste

3.    black salt/kala namak/rock salt

4.    1 teaspoons lightly roasted cumin seeds powder

5.     Crushed fresh mint leaves

Method:-

Roast the raw mangoes on direct fire or boil it. Cool it and peel off the skin.
Mash the roasted mangoes and make  pulp and mix sugar, black salt and cumin seeds powder according to taste.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaf and serve with crushed ice.

Tip Of The Week

To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag/basket with the potatoes.

Kitchen Gadgets

Gajar ki Kanji

Yummy Kanji

Ingredients-

• 4 Large  black Carrots.
• 1 Medium Beetroot.
• 3 tablespoons Salt.
• 1½ tablespoons Coarse red chilli powder.
• 4 tablespoons Coarse mustard seeds powder.

Method:

• Scrub carrots and beetroot and wash under running water. Peel and cut into 1 inch pieces.
• Take carrot and beetroot  in a bowl.
• Add salt, coarse red chilli powder, coarse mustard powder and mix.
• Add eighteen cups of water and stir.
• Cover the bowl with a muslin cloth and tie it round the rim.
  Let it stand in the sun for three to four days.
• When ready chill in the refrigerator and serve chilled.
• The kanji must not be used after 10 days and it should be consumed within ten days.

Tip Of The Week

Remove the stems of chillies while storing ,this will help them to stay fresh for longer duration.

Spiced Peanuts.

Ingredients:

Raw Peanuts 2 Cups
Besan 2 Tbsps
Rice Flour 1 Tbsp
Red Chili Powder 1/2 – 1 tsp
Cumin Powder a Pinch
Garam Masala a Pinch
Turmeric Powder a Pinch
Soda bi Carb a Small Pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for Deep Frying

Method of preparation:

In a mixing bowl, whisk together besan, rice flour, red chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, soda bi carb and salt into thick batter with little water.Pour the whisked besan batter on to the peanuts and mix well to coat the peanuts with the batter.

Heat oil in a deep pan on medium heat.

When oil gets hot, slowly drop the peanuts into oil.
Deep fry the peanuts till they turn golden brown in color on all sides.
Remove the peanuts onto absorbent paper.Once peanuts cool down, store them in a tight jar and they stay good for couple of weeks.
Serve spiced peanuts as a snack.

Variations: You can also add your choice of spices to the batter if you wish.

Tip Of The Week

To restore color and shine to an aluminum pan, boil some apple peels in it for a few minutes, then rinse and dry.

Til Mawa ladoo

Ingredients:

200 gms Roasted Sesame seeds (Til) (crushed) 200 gms Powdered Sugar (According to taste ) 200 gms mashed Khoya 50 gms  Almonds  (chopped)  50 gms Raisins

How to make Til-Khoya Laddoo:

• Take khoya, crushed sesame seeds (til),powdered sugar  and dry fruits mix well and shape the mixture into small balls. • Arrange the laddoos in a plate and garnish them with chopped almonds and raisins. • Til-Khoya Ladoo is ready to serve.

Activities

Tip Of The Week

Use Salt to: --- Make eggs or cream whip up faster and    higher. Add a pinch of salt before beating.
                  

Mixed Vegetable Pickle

Ingredients:

• 200 gm each :-cauliflower, carrots, radish and turnip (chopped) • 5 Green chilies, deseeded and cut lengthwise  • 100gm Salt • 50gm Chili powder • 50gm Turmeric powder • 100gm Mustard seed powder• 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds  • 1/4 Cup  Mustard oil

Method To Make Mixed Vegetable Pickle:

Mix all the veggies and add salt, green chilies, chili powder, turmeric powder keep aside. Mix mustard seed powder , fenugreek seeds and oil and mix well.keep in the sun for two days. Serve it with stuffed parathas or fried rice. Mixed Vegetable Pickle is ready.

Tip Of The Week

Vinegar is a strong preservative because its acetic acid
kills the microbes and bacteria that could cause food to spoil. It's also a good deodorizer - the acid neutralizes basic compounds, such as those found in degrading meat, that can be volatile and unpleasant.

  It removes coffee or tea stains from the bottom of a cup.
add 2 tablespoons of vinegar around in the cup, then wash as usual. 


 Treat oily hair. Vinegar is a good degreaser for oily
hair because it helps adjust pH levels. Shampoo your hair as usual, rinse,then pour 1/4 cup over it and rinse again.

 Wipe salt stains off boots. Dip a cloth or an old
T-shirt into vinegar, then wipe away the white residue. 

Gajar Ka Halwa (Carrot Dessert)

INGREDIENTS:-


Carrots - 1kg
Pure ghee – 3 tablespoons
Green cardamom powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Sugar - 1 cup – 1.5 Cup ( as per sweetness required)
Milk – 500 ml + 1 cup water.
Nuts – as per choice.
Khoya/mawa, grated - 150gms.
METHOD :
Wash, Peel and grate the carrots.
Now take a heavy bottom pan/kadai and heat the ghee. Put in the grated carrots and fry them for about 5-6 mins. Add cardamom powder.
Add milk to it and let it simmer on low heat till the whole milk dries up. This should take around 20-25mins. You should stir the halwa occasionally to prevent any sticking.
Add sugar and again cook for another 6-10mins or so. Now add mawa/khoya and mix it in properly.
Add the nuts as per choice and taste.
Decorate the halwa with dry fruits and serve.

Fun With Sandwich

Tip Of The Week

                       

Remove soft cheese or other sticky foods from a grater
rub both sides of the grater with the pulp side of a cut lemon. 

Tip Of The Week

How to remove smell of garlic/onions from your hands 

To remove the smell of garlic or onions from your hands rub a tablespoon of salt mixed with a little water and rub for a few seconds then rinse under cold water. 

Vegetable Rangoli

Rejuvenating Spice

Heeng - Asafoetida - Regularly used food item in India ...
1. It is used in food daily....it is the best medicine for    digestion.
2. It also helps to control fits.
3. It kills the bacteria  in the cough.
4. It regularizes the periods in women.
5. It smoothens the hard stomach.
6. It should not be used for Pregnant Women.
7. It can even control bronchitis.
8. Using heeng can keep the eyes healthy

__._,_.___

Creative Food Art

USES OF OLIVE OIL

"Olive oil is a good lubricant because its molecules easily slide past one another, thereby helping solid objects to overcome friction," says Wolke. "Its film also fills up microscopic rough spots in surfaces, making them look polished and shiny." 

                  Use Olive Oil to: 
                  1. Shave. Olive oil can provide a closer shave when used in place of shaving cream. 

                  2. Shine stainless steel. Many cleaning standbys, such as ammonia, can dull and even corrode chrome and stainless steel. Olive oil,however, is a safe and effective shining agent. 

                  3. Remove eye makeup. Dab a little under the eyes and rinse off with a washcloth. 

                  4. Prevent wax from sticking to a candle holder. Rub a thin coat on the base of the holder before inserting a candle. Dripped wax should peel away easily. 

                  5. Care for your pet. Add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon to your cat’s food to help prevent hair balls. 

                  6. Moisturize cuticles. Apply a small amount of olive oil to the nail beds. 

                  7. Treat dry skin. Rub a thin layer over the skin after a shower or a waxing. 

                  8. Unstick a zipper. Using a Q-tip, apply a drop to lubricate the teeth. (Avoid touching the fabric.) The zipper should move up and down freely. 

                  9. Dust wooden furniture. Apply a bit of oil to a cloth and wipe. 

                  10. Silence squeaky doors. Lubricate hinges by applying a small dab to a cloth, then wiping the top of the hinges so that the oil runs down the sides

Healthy Food Substitute

Olive oil vs. margarine

Olive oil like margarine is fattening. The difference lies in olive oil's antioxidant properties. These properties reduce the risk of heart diseases by lowering LDL cholesterol levels and increasing HDL cholesterol levels. Margarine on the other hand increases HDL levels thereby increasing the risk of heart disease.

 

 

CULINARY CLUB

Motto of Culinary Club: “Eat Healthy Live Healthy”

There goes a famous saying by “Virgil” which truly indicates the value of inculcating good eating habits which in turn provides good health.

The greatest wealth is health.  ~Virgil

So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health, in spite of spending wealth no one can gain health.

Here comes the culinary club which guides our young budding chefs, how to remain in good health with healthy eating habits.

Learning to cook helps kids to learn about nutrition and healthy eating. They are growing up with fast food and junk food at their fingertips, which is part of the reason why child obesity is on the rise! We provide them the recipes and tips, how to supplement junk food with nutrition. Cooking activities are a great way for kids to express themselves and enjoy their innovative creations and creative food art. Cooking is a valuable life skill that helps kids to develop their independency and aesthetic sense. Kids always love to do things that are interesting and challenging. As they succeed in visible finished product and receive praise for that product instant, it can affect entire view of life and it will help to see the world with positive outlook and it will definitely boost kids' confidence. These activities also increase their vocabulary. For eg: delicious, appetizing, palatable, starters, beverages, finger-licking, bland, rotten, scrumptious, blanch, bast, shallow fry, roast e.t.c., are such words which are used while doing cooking activities.

In Culinary Club students not only learn how to cook but also gain knowledge of other aspects which makes these activities rather interesting. For instance:

As young kids are also in our club, we can teach the kids the basic concept of the role nutrients play in the body by explaining the way traffic signal works. Green-light foods, or "go" foods, are foods that "you can go ahead and eat all you want," such as milk, fruits and vegetables, nuts, chicken, whole grains, and eggs. Yellow-light foods are foods "you can eat sometimes, but they won't keep you feeling great the way green-light foods do." These foods include cookies, butter, nachos, candy, popcorn, and hamburgers. Then, there are red-light foods that "don't do anything to help your body," such as chips, aerated drinks e.t.c.

So, I would like to conclude by saying that when a child gets involved in the culinary skills they learn more than just making a meal .They learn Maths, Science, Language, Gross and Fine Motor Skills and above all they build self-confidence.