Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Strawberry Ice Cream

Icecream6
I am still a kid by heart. I crave for ice-creams and would not mind living on it. :) (My dentist hates this wish of mine :( )

I am sure lot of you would say "Same pinch". I guess Ice cream is one of the dish that is available in every country and is liked by all ages.

When it is so much interesting, would it not be all the more interesting to make it at home by yourself?!!!!!

Here you go for the easiest method of making a lovely delight. :)

Icecream5
Ingredients:

Milk - 1/2 liter
Strawberry flavored custard powder - 1 pack(20 gms)
Sugar - 3/4 cup

Icecream1
Method:

Take the custard powder in a small cup and add 2 tsp of milk to it and mix it into a smooth paste. Keep this aside.

Now boil the remaining milk in a heavy bottomed vessel till it thickens to half its quantity. simmer the stove and add the sugar as well as the custard paste to the milk and mix well. Keep stirring for just two mins and switch off the stove. Transfer it to a bowl and let it cool for a while. Now leave it in the freezer for an hour or so. By this time the custard would have set and come to the right consistency.

Now take out the custard and blend it in mixie to a smooth paste again. Now transfer it back to a bowl and place it in the freezer for two hours. Once again take it out and blend it in the mixie and freeze it again. Repeat this process three time minimum. This would make the ice cream really creamy and smooth. :) Finally transfer it to the serving bowls and freeze it.

Decorate it with some strawberries and serve. :) Enjoy eating the chill delight. :)

Note: You can make loads of flavors in ice creams. Custard powder is available in store in more than ten flavors. So just make your choice and enjoy.

If you don't find your flavor ready at store, just use the plain custard powder along with food color and the respective essence to custom make it.

There is one more healthier choice. Just use plain custard powder along with a cup of the natural fruit pulp and make the ice cream. I am sure it would taste much more yummy this way. :)

Icecream2

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Iced Sugar Cookies - Valentine's day special


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Wish you all a very Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!!!!!! :)


Though there is nothing much for me to do with this day, I really cant let my blog starve on a happy day when there is a lot of celebration around. So I am celebrating the love for my blog and the love spread all around me.

Love you mom and dad. Love you all my friends. :)

Sugar Cookies2
The A and P are my Sis and Bil :)


I was badly looking to bake something and was also wanting to make some heats. So was googling for a while and found this simple yet interesting cookies in Deeba's lovely blog. If you have not visited her blog before, do it right now. She is just too amazing in everything that she does.

I dint make much of changes in the recipe but would still post it here.


Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

Butter - 3/4 cup
Castor sugar - 1 cup
Egg - 1
All purpose flour(Maida) - 2 1/2 cups
Salt - a pinch(avoid this if your butter is salty)
Almond essence - 1 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Method:

Beat the butter and sugar till fluffy and light. Now add the salt, vanilla essence almond essence and beat for 30 seconds. With a spatula mix in the beaten egg. Finally put in all the flour in one go, and gather together to make a firm dough. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in wrap.

Roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness and cut with assorted cookie cutters. Preheat the oven to 190deg C. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 10-12 minutes, watching closely so that they don’t get too brown.

Remove from oven and let the cookies lay on the sheet for a minute. Let the cookies cool on the grill for a while.

This recipe makes approximately 8 dozen 1 ½” small cookies.

For the icing - I simply used icing sugar mixed with just enough water to make it thick and flowing. Add the required food color and drizzle on the cookies as you like. Be creative and have fun.. :)

Iced sugar cookies is ready to eat.. Its yummm and absolutely attractive for kids. :)

Note: You can dip the cookies in melted chocolate and make it taste and look interesting too. :)

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This is a cute card that my brother-in-law gifted to my sis today. :) Was happy to see a cute valentine couple at home. :)


Vday


My festive mood is always reflected by my Kolam design in the entrance. So here is my valentine's day kolam. :)


Vday



I am happy to send this to Priya's "Heart's for St. Valentine's day" event



Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Badam Halwa



Badam Halwa4


Badam Halwa!!! Your mouth would start watering by just saying the word isn't it!

Yes its one of the most delicious, rich, expensive and drool worthy Indian sweet. You can easily flatter your guest by serving them home made badam halwa. :)

Me and mom had made 2 kgs of this halwa and packed it with us to native. All our relatives gave one common expression.. and it was ummmmmmmmmmmm... :):):):)

All smiles!!!


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Ingredients:


Badam(Almond) - 1 cup
Ghee - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 cups
Milk - 3 cups
Food color- yellow - a pinch
Saffron strands - few


Badam Halwa2

Method:

Soak badam in warm water for 2- 3 hours. Now peal the skin and grind it in mixie into a paste(not so smooth) by adding little milk to it.

Take the ground paste, the remaining milk and sugar in a heavy bottomed vessel or a nonstick pan. Keep stirring it in medium flame till it becomes slight thick. Once it reaches dosa batter consistency, add the food color and ghee and stir for just two mins till it all blends. Now switch off the flame and let it cool. Don't panic if the consistency is lose, it would automatically become thick once it cools down. Top it with saffron strands. :)

Yummy home made badam halwa is ready to eat. :)

Enjoy eating the truly Indian delicacy. :)


Badam Halwa3


Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com


Friday, February 19, 2010

Spring Onion Capsicum Noodles Soup


Spring onion capsicum noodle soup5
Decoration: Carved the capsicum top out to make a flower vase. Made an arrangement using spring onion tops with buds and a paper flower that I made.


I am back from my vacation and badly down with cold and cough. Yup it happens! When the climate, water and surroundings change drastically, its hard to maintain fitness. All you can do is get back and take rest for a week with a hot soup everyday. I am sure one can be back with josh as I am now. :):):)


Spring onion and capsicum are really healthy green vegetables and say what about noodles.. :) its universal favorite of all. So combined them all to make a very exciting soup.


Spring onion capsicum noodle soup6


Ingredients:


Diced capsicum - 1/4 cup
Finely chopped spring onion / onion - 1/4 cup
Chopped spring onion tops - 1/4 cup
Aji-n0-moto - a pinch(It enhances the taste. But health conscious ppl can avoid it. May be next time I too will avoid it :) )
Butter - 2 tsp
Cooked noodles - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Corn flour - 1 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - for taste
Grated cheese - for topping(optional)
Salt - for taste


Spring onion capsicum noodles soup

Method:

Heat the butter in a pressure pan and fry chopped spring onion and capsicum. Add aji-no-moto and little sugar to it and fry for few minutes. Add 3/4 th of the spring onion tops. Now sprinkle some corn flour and pour enough water or stock and pressure cook for one whistle. Let this cool for a while. Now puree the cooked mixture in mixie and strain well. (don't strain if you like your soup chunky)

Crush noodles to small pieces and cook till it becomes soft in just enough water and keep it aside.

Now add milk and cooked noodles along with enough salt to the pureed mixture and reheat in reduced flame.

Spring onion capsicum noodles soup is ready to eat.

Serve it hot topped with grated cheese, pepper and rest of the finely chopped spring onion tops. :)

Happy making. :)


Spring onion capsicum noodles soup3

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com