Never Roasted…is it?

Reality is nothing but a collective hunch.
~Lily Tomlin

I thought I might never have to write about this incident. But looks like when one mad party keeps talking about it, claiming it to be the truth, the readers are lead to believe it as the truth.

Few weeks back a blogger who was supposed to be a good friend, accused me of plagiarizing a recipe from another blogger. I immediately wrote back to her saying that the said recipe was taken from a cookbook and not from this other blogger. Unfortunately the cookbook which came along with an old pressure cooker is no longer with us. Even before this incident, we have been searching for it but we couldn't find it.

I wrote back saying, when I have credited a cookbook, why would I hesitate to credit a person if I was inspired so. It wasn't like I was basking in the glory of having created the Authentic recipe right? I was already citing a source and I have never claimed in the post of being the inventor of this recipe.

The main reason for them to accuse me is the fact that Badi Elaichi is never roasted. This was supported by their friend who claims to be an expert in Elaichi.  He said badi elaichi IS NOT EVER DRY-ROASTED by the Punjabi people!!! They think that they have developed the recipe. What a joke!

The bloggers and their friend who accused me should know that “Half the punjabi women roast their badi elaichi and the other half don’t. It just depends on the family style”

I got this confirmed with my Punjabi Blogger friend, who got it verified from her Mom. Since I don’t want her dragged into this mess, if any of you have a doubt can mail me for her email id, she will be willing to reply to your queries.

In support of this, I researched on the net and found sources that say for authentic punjabi garam masala all the spices are roasted and ground. Check this site for details: http://forumhub.com/southfood/16092.18.30.48.html

Logically I can’t understand few things:

When I have cooked so many dishes from other bloggers and have always credited them, why would I not do in this case?

In the said recipe I don't claim anywhere that I created the recipe, I have credited the cookbook. Just because I no longer have that book doesn't make it any less the truth.

If I was worried about losing out readers by linking others as how some said, then I won't be linking to the many bloggers who send their entries but sometime forget to link back.
 
To all those other bloggers who took stand on this against me, I can only wish they exercised their judgment better.

This whole incident looks like one person claiming to have the authentic recipe for Sambar in Tamil Nadu! Many people make the sambar the same way, just like Punjabi Chhole in the whole of Punjab. If I will be accused on the base that the ingredients and steps are same, I wonder if there is a different way of making Sambar!

Tried & Tasted Event Round up ~ My Diverse Kitchen

When I choose Aparna's My Diverse Kitchen for Tried & Tasted, all I thought were those beautiful pictures she puts up for each dish of hers. Seriously I never looked beyond those pictures as they were very tempting on themselves. I will drool drool, thinking I should get back checking on the recipe soon to make. But that time never came.

So I grabbed the first chance I got and wanted to try from her diverse collection of recipes. Can you actually believe excepting couple of them, all entries were different! And needless to say her baked list topped the chart!

Not only was I happy knowing I was right in selecting her blog, from far and wide everybody conveyed they were happy trying from her blog. Wow, I was sure so elated over that.

I would like to thank Lakshmi for this wonderful opportunity, and Zlamushka for having thought of this lovely event to celebrate the oneness of being in a community!

More than anything else, I would like to thank Aparna for having created such an excellent space for so many people to learn and admire. Your work is truly commendable, and the feeling that many expressed while writing about each one they tried can only be felt by reading each of them again. I strongly recommend each entry to be read in leisure, for each one share a story, of joy that comes from cooking to please their dear ones.

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Before I get on with other entries, I want to mention one special person who made this round up very special. I feel very happy saying not only is she a wonderful blogger, a lovely person whom I had the fortune to meet and know more personally. It was a pleasure knowing her family too. More than anything else I envy their gardener and driver who get to partake all the yummy food she dishes out..:) And she is a god sent in helping me for ICC. Almost every other month I turn to her for trying out a recipe before I announce for the members. So Lataji, thank you very much for being the person you are!

She completely floored not only me, but Aparna too by trying not one, but 12 dishes and dedicating a day for cooking from breakfast to dinner all from Aparna's blog! 

Her rendezvous in Aparna's Kitches ended up with her making Vellayaappam & Mixed Vegetable Stew for Breakfast.

Then for lunch a thali that has Keerai MulagootalTomato Rasam, Varatharaitcha Vendakkai Sambhar & Vendakkai Vathakkinathu

For evening tea, a delicious looking Vanilla yo yo Biscuits. Followed by a dinner of Laadi Pav with Bhaji


With these not enough she takes on a tour from goa to ghana to try some lipsmacking Pear and Raisin Chutney & Spicy Tomato Jam


Finally with a sweet note Lataji ends this by making Parippu Pradhaman from Aparna! Phew!

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Aparna Mallya had many reasons not to miss trying something from Aparna's MDK. Not only they share a name, she gets many tips and tricks on baking from Aparna. Though she had many in mind, she finally settled to bake this beautiful Whole Wheat Garlic Rosemary Crescent

When Danny saw the beautiful Baked Namakpare at Aparna, she was all for it. And she got the perfect amount just for her and her husband.

Another baking lover I know personally is of course Divya Kudua, she sends not one, but three

lovely bakes from Aparna - a Shortbread Cookies Bundt Cake last but not the least an Onion and Paneer Calzone

Which by the way caught another fancy, this time Jayasri who makes Onion and Paneer Calzone from Aparna's

I loved what Jayasri had to say, "Another day another recipe from her kitchen to mine", wow that is really inspiring to read that her kids simply loved the dishes she made from Aparna, including this

Savoury Spring Onion Paneer Rolls that she made from this creation

Usha Nandini says she has three reasons to love this Eggless Condensed Milk Cake after trying from Aparna, I am sure when you read you will say the same too!

Then we have Priya Srinivasan rushing in excited that she finally made it to the round by maing a Eggless Chocolate Chips and Banana Squares from Aparna's Eggless Chocolate Chips and Banana Squares

Another blogger to whom I am eternally thankful is Priya Suresh. The energy this lady has is unbelivable! She sends in a Anza Biscuits, a No knead Bread, finally a Potato Focaccia from Aparna's Anza Biscuits , No knead yeasted Banana Cardamom Bread & Potato Focaccia Pugliese

Browsing through Aparna's site, motivates Sangeetha to bake something right away. So it is no wonder she ended up baking this simple yet rich mava cake!

Satya has bookmarked many wonderful recipes from Aparna. So this event gave her the perfect chance to try some. This Jumbo Pistachio Cookies were just too awesome! and those tempting Laadi pav to name some!

I had fun reading what Suma says about "see now and try next moment", that is - to be precise before her lil one gets back home! So she was excited trying from Aparna whose blog Suma simply loves..So these Confetti Cupcakes are perfect example of how sweet things turn out!

Then we have a simple Baked Apple chips from Swapna who got hooked to it seeing it on Aparna's place!

It was heart rendering reading how things change for each of us over years. And Sweatha so sweetly mentions each of them who had motivated her in the path of baking and what not! I am sure if she had time, she would have sent many more. On the whole I immensely enjoyed reading through her Shortbread Squares, those Hearty Banoffee Cupcakes and finally beautiful ButterFlaps And Aparna's each of them make you drool too! Check out her Banoffee Cupcakes, Coffee Chocolate Shortbread Squares and finally her beautiful ButterFlaps. I was so hooked to this that I even went back to the original post and read Cynthia's story!

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Then we have to wonderful dips one from Jayasri a Marinara Sauce that she made along with the Calzone.

Then PJ sends in the Kothamalli Podi that she tried from Aparna . Checking her site, PJ was stumped in deciding which one to make, But as she was in a hurry she had to settle to this south indian special!

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Clap Clap Clap guys for we have a first timer! Not only is this blogger passionate about blogs, she fantasises about reading them! My, this is a serious sign of evolving as an addited blogger. Well I don't have to talk about dianogsis to this Doc. But she sure is hilarious in writing how she assumed her last TEN days were enough to make exortic dishes from Aparna, finally on the last minute forced to make a Ribboned Finger Sandwiches! Which also proved to be rough and tough for her, but she managed it beautifully! Char, wish you will participate in many more events..:))

For Divya Kudua it was a case of memories flooding at her when she saw this Pesarattu and knew she had to recreate it at home. Her picture perfect is a proof she enjoyed it all the way!

Mujadara, what? Well thats exactly what I asked when I checked in Jay's entry and agreed it sounded very exotic

Then we have Jayasri making another Fusilli With Roasted Red Pepper And Tomato Sauce from Aparna, I am sure her kids enjoyed this one pot meal!

Another wholesome meal comes from Pavani who makes these delicious Misi Roti

Finally comes a Curried Pasta from Priya Mitharwal. She was only sad she couldn't attempt at all the other bookmarked recipes from a diverse kitchen!

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Finally some specials from Aparna's South Indian spread!

Bhagyashri sums everything so neatly when she talks about the diversity she found in Aparna's blog. She feels that Aparna ensured she made sure the blog name lived upto expectation by dishing out such a variety! The Parippu Vadai she tried from Aparna, sure goes a long way to the traditional palakkad iyer recipe!

Then comes a Erisseri from Usha Nandini, who says she loves visiting Aparna.

I was ROFL when I read Nive's statement that she has bookmarked the entire blog itself for baking! What a fantastic feedback. Nive saw fasinating and inspiring ideas for baking but she is still taking baby steps in that arena. So for now she settles down for a Spicy Baby Potatoes with Sesame, then ended up making a Chickpea and Cabbage dry Sabji from Aparna knowing she never tried a cabbage with chickpea!

Then finally I tried Beans Mulagootal with Parippu Thogayal from Aparna, I even wanted to capture the Beans Mulagootal in that exact angle, but it wasn't as near pretty as the original. Now when the taste was great, why should I worry about my picture!

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I remembered the time when Aparna posted this Cabbage Payasam, so I wasn't surprised when Shobana says she was literally off the chair reading it! Being an ardent fan of this blog, she knew she had to send in at least one! Well I would have been happy in getting many too..:) But yeah she said no unsuspecting person would ever guess what it is made from, for the delicious taste it rendered!

Now this was one dish I surely wanted to make for a long time, I am sure I will make one of these days. But I was so glad that it made it to the roundup! Vidhya Arvind made these Neiyappam for tiffin and enjoyed.

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Update:

Not only was Jayasri in a hurry to cook so many from Aparna's, I was in a hurry that I completely failed to check out the entries again. So sorry Jayasri, how can I not accept your entries when you took so much efforts!

Seeing that Aparna has a lovely pickle and a korma made with Green Tomato, Jayasri had to make them. And it becomes easy as she has her own garden. How lovely!

The Green Tomato Pickle and Green Tomato Khorma looks so delicious, I am sure these are hard to miss! She made a pickle, and when she found some excess, she had to make that kurma too!

Eggless Red Velvet Cupcakes that she adapted from Aparna, talks of a cake that can stop traffic. Read on the story to know what it means!

Thank you Jayasri for taking time even in your busy schedule to cook so many wonderful dishes from your favorite blogger..:)..means a lot!

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I had absolutely great time reading through all the entries and again reading through Aparna's. Thank you everybody for sending across such lovely dishes. Now I am seriously planning to bake those bookmarked ones for sure. If I have missed out any entry, please accept my apologies and let me know. I will update it right away!

Want to know about the next edition? Well Ria is hot on a Sindhi Rasoi, yep my dear friend Alka takes the hot seat, I am sure everybody is going to enjoy a Sindhi feast at home!

Microwave Mixed Fruits Halwa | Indian Microwave Recipes | Step By Step Recipes

With the quarterly exams going on for Konda, it's only talks of what questions were asked and not that is currently hot at home. Add to that fact with the boys also having their exams, you can imagine the scene. Please don't assume that they are seriously sitting down to study, far from it, they quote that very conveniently when required. Rest of the time is either spent playing or watching TV. This also mean that they get back home much early.

Most times the boys play together well but you never know which triggers the fight and they end up fighting. It will take a sumo wrestler to separate them on those times, really! Those times gets me blow my top and yell at the top of my voice, asking what the matter was. This is when Konda will play the ace card and teach my own lesson to me. That is handling kids with soft voice and utter sweetness. This is what I tell her when she yells at them. So she remembers those lectures very well and immediately applies on me.

 Microwave Mixed Fruit Halwa

She will pull both of them aside, with the voice that can't be much more sweeter, asking them who did what. One will say the other pulled his hair, while other claims he was pinched. Well it will continue for few more minutes with Konda saying they should promptly reach the next elder around (in this case herself) and tell the problem, rather than handling it themselves. By then the boys would've got vexed with the whole drama and being silent for 5 mins, they retreat back to their games. Within minutes, they both will be thick pals hatching new games. Sundays are spent mostly this way.

Yesterday was no different, hubby dear says we will soon become Panchayat Presidents with the number of cases these kids bring as disputes for us to solve. Breakfast was the usual affair, while lunch was to be a non veg one. Which was good because I was able to re-shoot one menu, which is very classic Rayalaseema special. Ragi Sangati with Andhra Mutton Pulusu and Mutton Roast. This is the updated picture. Check the post for details.

Knowing that days are running and I don't have any entry for MEC: Fruits, I knew I had to make that Mixed fruits Halwa that was shared by the MW Chef. The recipe was an approximation with 1 fruit each, I knew it was going to end up more. So eyeballed and added it.

But the fact that it came out very well and hubby dear liked it, made me think I should have made more.


Microwave Mixed Fruit Halwa ~ Step by Step

Take all the fruits you have on hand, cut them into small bits.

Make a puree of them together, mostly without water. Since I used very small quantity, I had to add 1/2 glass of water, which proved very expensive!

In a microwave safe bowl, take the puree, add 1 tsp of ghee/ clarified butter. Micro for 5 mins.

This is the condensed milk I used

After 5 mins, remove and stir well.

Ok stirring happens for 2 mins!

Then add 2 tsp of sugar, 2 tsp of Condensed milk.

Micro again for 5 mins.

Since I added water, it took about another 5 mins to get solidified like this. But if you don't add water, it should only take you about 7 mins. Add another tsp of ghee

If it requires micro for another 2 mins to get all the moisture off.

The recipe calls for 1 of each fruit, but I added only half or handful of them.

Ingredients Needed:

Apple - 1/2
Guava - 1/2
Pomegranate - 2 -3 tbsp
Banana - 1/2
Sapota / Chikoo - 1
Sugar - 2 tsp
Condensed Milk - 2 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp

Method to prepare:

Wash, cut and puree all fruits together in a mixer.
In a microwave safe bowl, add the puree with 1 tsp ghee for 5 mins.
Then remove and stir well. Add sugar, condensed milk, mix well and again micro for 5 mins.

Remove and stir it again. If it is still watery, micro for another 2 mins after adding the remaining ghee. Else you can just remove and serve.

Sending this to Nivedita who is hosting the Microwave Easy Cooking Event, themed on Fruits,

Pidi Kolukattai Recipe - Sweet | Pidi Kozhukattai | Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes | Step By Step Recipes

After the Uppu Pidi Kolukattai that I made, I was so delighted seeing Amma planned to prepare the sweet version of Pidi Kozhukattai. I finished my preparation and pooja and hurried to help Amma as she was doing everything on her own. Of course Konda was all prepared to help her in making Kudumulu. She was so excited in making this along with us.

Konda was restless to start it, so I got her into making this also before starting on the Modek.

This sweet Pidi Kozhukattai is very easy to make and comes out quite well too!

Not only is this easy to make on a hurried festival day, you can plan for this on other days as snacks for kids.

Pidi Kolukattai Recipe - Sweet in Steps


Soak and shade the boiled rice for 30 - 45 mins. Then grind the boiled rice to a coarse powder.

Steam the rice flour for 15 mins.

Add roasted sesame seeds to the flour.

Add the melted jaggary to the flour.

Then goes the roasted Urad dal.

Mix well together.

Then add more jaggary depending on the fact if it is holding shape

When you press it should retain your finger shape like this.

Grease an Idli plate and stream it for 15 mins

This is how it looks after streaming.

Pidi Kolukattai - Sweet Recipe

Boiled Rice - 1 cup
Jaggary - 1/2 cup
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp


Wash and soak boiled rice for 45 mins.

Drain and shade dry the rice till it is dry but still slightly damp.

Grind it to a coarse powder.

Meanwhile melt the jaggary in water, remove impurities and bring to boil. You need not get any thread consistency for this.

Dry roast both sesame seeds and Urad Dal. Keep it aside.

Take an Idli steamer, add a cup of water to the vessel, cover the opening with a muslin cloth, add the flour on the top of the cloth, close with lid and steam for 10 - 15 mines.

Once done, remove to a bowl, allow it to cool. When it is still warm but you can handle the heat, add the sesame seeds, Urad dal and grated coconut.

Mix well. Then pour the melted jaggary and mix well. The amount of jaggary used can vary depending on the variety you use.

Crumble to see if the Kolukkatis hold their shape. If not add little more of the melted jaggary.

Once you are done with all of them, grease the Idli plates, place the kollukattai on the plate, stream for 10 mins.

Transfer to a bowl once they are cooled.

This is one of the mandatory neivedyam for Ganesh Chaturthi.

Notes: Remember to ensure the rice flour is not a fine powder unlike we normally use.
Take a bit more than required jaggary as it depends on its quality on how much we require.

I found this to be an apt activity to get your kids involved. Konda was so excited to help me in making these.

Pidi Kozhukattai | Pidi Kolukattai Recipe - Salt | Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes

For Vinayaka Chaturthi this year I was planing to make something new apart from the usual dishes. Since about four days I have been asking what I should make. Amma replied that she has to really check what other things she can make. While Athamma said she normally makes the regular dishes on this day.

But things will have it, till the last moment I never got around checking on news. I had a clipping that elaborates on different Ganesh Chaturthi dishes. Every year I take that paper with hopes of trying from it but again return it back. This year on the day of festival I took out and saw it had fried Modek. I really tempted to make them.

Sometime back a colleague had got something that looked very much like a Pidi Kolukattai but I guess she called it differently. Having enjoyed quite a few over lunch I was keen on trying it at home. So had got the procedure to make it myself. But I never got around doing it. When I checked it called for rice being soaked overnight. Well thinking I can have a work around on it, knowing that Amma had ground fresh Rice Flour for the Modakam or Streamed Modeks, I thought of making it with approximately.

Surprise was seeing that Amma was making a sweet pidi kolukattai, which will come next.


Pidi Kozhukattai | Pidi Kolukattai Recipe - Salt

Rice Flour - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Water as required

For Seasoning

Mustard, Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - 5 -6
Red Chili, long - 3-4
Oil - 2 tsp

Idli Streamer for streaming

Method to prepare:

Make Rice Flour and keep it ready

Take the measured quantity and add water, mix to get a lump less loose batter. It can be really thin batter too. Add Salt.

Heat a non stick pan, add oil, then mustard, urad dal, curry leaves and broken red chilies. When the mustard starts crackling, pour the rice batter and whisk quickly.

Cook in low flame, while you keep stirring well. This takes about 5 - 7 mins. When it is well cooked it comes together as a thick mass.

Allow it to cool, when it still lukewarm knead the dough again. If required add 1 tsp of oil again.

Get the streamer ready, the grease the plates.

Remove the chilies, take a fist full of dough and press between your palm. You will see the shape of your fingers on the kolukattai.

This is really a fun thing to get your kid involved.

When you are done with all of them, place them on the plate and steam for 10 - 15 mins.

Remove when done.

Have a great week ahead, will be back with other recipes.

Vinayaka Chavithi Subhakanshalu | Ganesh Chaturthi Greetings | Festival Dishes for Ganesh Chaturthi

"Vinayaka Chaturthi Subhakanshalu to all my readers!"

This year with kids grown up, we had fun with them asking us every other moment when God Ganesh is going to come home. With their father telling them that they should get dressed up soon to welcome the God, they were ready in no time. 

So it was with difficulty that we dodged them to leave for the market. I went along with hubby dear to the market to get the Ganesh Idol. I made sure I took the camera to click few market pictures. Konda was upset that she wasn't called. But with two Idols we knew we can't manage her too. We got for Amma also.

Our Idol this year decorated with flowers and offered with fruits, his favorite sugar cane, Fresh Bajra

Please check out our previous years celebrations:
Vinayaka Chaturthi Pooja 2007
Vinayaka Chaturthi Pooja 2008
Vinayaka Chaturthi Pooja 2009

Neivedyam for Lord Ganesha! ~ From Left Front to Right Poli, Purnam Kudalu, Pidi Kolukattai (Salt), Sundal, Sesame Laddos, Puffed Rice with Jaggary & Fried Gram.

This is what Amma made, Konda and I helped her in making these Kudumulu, Nugul untallu ~Sesame Laddoo, Sweet Pidi Kolukattai


A scene on the market front..

Lots of Idols ready on the display..

Ganesh Idols in different sizes..

Grass, other flower garland for the Lord.

Busy Market scene..

Locals looking at different things to be bought..

You can see kids selling the flowers and Umbrellas for the God.

A young boy carrying the Idol to home..

Neivedyam prepared by Amma.

Our neighbor got a big Idol, such pretty one!

Will be back with recipes tomorrow..

Do share how you celebrated.

Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes | Vinayaka Chavithi Recipes | Vinayaka Chaturthi Recipes

With Ganesh Chaturthi / Vinayaka Chaturthi falling on September 11th, I thought I might as well compile a list for easy access.

Vinayaka Chaturthi is celebrated with much enthusiasm at home. Check out our celebrations that I have been sharing the last three years

Vinayaka Chaturthi Pooja 2007
Vinayaka Chaturthi Pooja 2008
Vinayaka Chaturthi Pooja 2009

Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival Dishes

Sundal
Kudumulu
Nugul untallu ~Sesame Laddoo

Biyam Undrallu Groundnut Laddos Check out other Indian Sweets for more ideas

Microwave Easy Cooking Potluck Party Round Up

Anniversaries kind of remind you the days that have passed and make you pause for a moment to think back on those wonderful days that slipped out without even you knowing. Well August month sure makes me feel nostalgic for many reasons.

On personal front, I have quite few and blog front, of course I have my favorite event Microwave Easy Cooking Event's Anniversary coming up. On this topic I also find it quite strange that while each year I celebrate this with a party with bloggers bringing on their favorite dish, I also pause every year to think back to how it all started!

There are always so many readers who write to me, who over many email exchange become pretty close. Then all of a sudden the communication just stops. I feel so dejected over such incidents. I really wonder what would have happened to those lovely folks who touched life in a different way. I really wish things are fine their end, they are just too busy to write back. Most times I almost think, almost ok that I am writing to myself. It's when I get these personal emails I get the feel that real people read this blog and I may end up being very opinionated. Well that's what makes this blogging more wonderful.

I would want to thank all those nameless readers and some, including my wonderful blogger friends who made this event step forward. On blogger friends, I met a lovely blogger this afternoon. Rebecca mailed me few weeks back saying she was in town and would like to meet. Though we weren't sure if we would actually get down to meet, as she was on a tight schedule, I was so glad that we could meet. She has a lovely blog more of a global appeal, Chow and Chatter and her lil angel was so adorable. It felt as if I have always known her.

Coming to the round up, since this is a party, let me list out the menu!

PJ wanted to make the best when she found the tomatoes more in abundance. And nothing is more healing than a hot Tomato Soup and whats more convenient when she gets it done in just 10 minutes!

Being just back from a vacation Priya was feeling lazy to cook, which I don't really believe..:)..but I am glad that she got back to full swing with this easy breezy Tandoori Tofu done in Microwave 

As Smitha was wondering what to make for the MEC party, she thought these cute little Mexican party scoops will be the best option. She says these are so easy to make that even when you have an unexpected guest calling on you, you can have this ready within minutes.

Lataji had a grand rendezvous with Aparna's Diverse Kitchen. She cooked not a meal but an entire day's cooking from Aparna's lovely blog. Keerai Mulagootal was the one that took her least attention as it was so conveniently cooked in microwave!

Who doesn't like Paneer? So it is only naturally that Nive loves it and tries another version of a curry with Paneer and makes it sans onions and garlic. Now when you are on a fast, you surely know where to head on right!

It was wonderful knowing that PJ planned to send me a full course meal. Drumbstick sambar is my all time favorite, so it was way too good that she should make this in microwave!

As a combo to the sambar, PJ makes the best of the Okra by making a pepper saute in the microwave. This not only removes the sliminess but makes it much more crunchy! Way to go PJ!

Then a low calorie dish, I made this Paneer Butter Masala. Nobody believed that I didn't add even a tiny bit of butter in it!

When you think something is hard, Priya makes it and makes you aware it is infact very simple. That's what she goes to prove by dishing out a great looking pulao all in a microwave!

Aparna was inspired to make a kheer with apple as her son loves apples. I am sure we will love it too!

Indrani show how quickly one can make Peda at home using Microwave. She talks about how tedious this process was before but with microwave one can get to do this much more easily. And you can enjoy the Kaju Peda without much hassle!

Lataji sends in a tempting Aval Kesari made in microwave as a way to celebrate her mom's birthday. What better way to celebrate than with a payasam. 

Pedas are childhood love for Nivedita! And she confesses it continues to be so too. But she was always apprehensive making these at home. When she found an unused complan bottle, what else will her mind say to her! Lo a Complan Peda  and if you crave for more, you can try out Chocolate Horlicks or Boost too!

PJ rightly says there is no celebrations without sweets and for the occasion she made a halwa with Beetroot.

Whats more wonderful than to celebrate a birthday? Priya makes a eggless version of a tempting cake! to celebrate her son's birthday and it was done in 5 mins!

When you think about over 1000 recipes, do you think it was possible in about 24 months? Priya made it possible and celebrates her beautiful blog birthday with a Badam Peda

Satyasree makes this Rabri from her favorite book that her hubby gifted her. No wonder it looks so tempting!

Another simple to make dish comes from Smitha Pineapple Kaju Burfi is not something you will say no that easily, and if it looks as tempting as it is in the picture surely no no..

Another simple yet easy to make was this gulabi phirni that I made in microwave!

Vidya makes a payasam with Mango and nuts and it only took her 10 mins to get it done!


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Thank you for joining us for the party! Hope you all enjoyed the dishes. I hope I added all the entries but do let me know if I missed any..


Next edition of MEC is hosted by Nivedita themed on Fruits. See you all next month.