APPLE BIRD (Carving)

1. Take an apple and cut out 2 pieces on the sides.



2. Carefully cut out 3 pieces from each, to make wings and secure them with pins as shown in the picture.



3. Make a neck from a small spring onion bulb.
4. Cut out a tip of the red chilli to make a beak and use mustard seeds for the eyes.



5. Fix wings and neck with a toothpick.
6. Place it in a plate and arrange salad around it.

MY GUEST POST - 1 ( NITHU'S KITCHEN)

Thank you Nithu for inviting me as a guest at your lovely space .
It was indeed a great pleasure and honour for me.
To read click HERE
Friends, Nithu has a lovely blog. Keeping health in mind she always makes her recipes simple and easy to make.
Do visit - NITHU'S KITCHEN

CHAI KA MASALA

Nothing like using home made masalas and I have made this Chai ka Masala using ginger skins/peels for the event organised by Nithu Bala - BEST OUT OF WASTE.

Usually we end up throwing the peels when we grind ginger paste.

Ingredients:

Green cardamoms ...... handful

Cloves .................. 3-4

Cinnamon stick .... 1 small piece

Black pepper corns... 10-12

Aniseed/fennelseed/saunf... 1 tbsp.

Ginger peels ....... 1/2 cup

Tulsi leaves ........ 10-15.

Method:

1. Wash and wipe the ginger well before peeling. Peel out the skins, spread them on a paper towel and dry them in the microwave for 1 minute first. Open and mix them and repeat doing this 3-4 times until they are crisp.(If the peels are thick then crush them in a pestle and mortar before drying them)

2. Repeat the same process with Tulsi leaves.But Tulsi takes lesser time.

3. Put all the other dry spices in a bowl and microwave for half a second.

4. Grind everything together and store in an air-tight container.

SAMBAR

Sambar is a spicy lentil soup from the Southern Indian states. It is an important part of the meal and is cooked every day with a variation of some vegetable added to it. Sambar is served with breakfast items like dosas, idlis and wadas and also with plain rice for lunch along with other accompaniments.

Ingredients:
Toor dal ..... 1 cup
Tamarind juice .... 2-3 tbsps.
Jaggery ....... a small piece.
Tomato ................. 1
Onion ................... 1 ( or small onions)
Green chillies .... 1-2
Turmeric powder ... 1/4 tsp.
Red chilli powder ... 1/2 tsp.
Salt ................. to taste.
Coriander leaves ... handful.

For tempering :
Mustard seeds ..... 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds ........ 1 tsp.
Asafoetida ............ a pinch
Dry red chillies .... 2-3
Garlic ............. 2-3 cloves
Curry leaves ......... a sprig
Oil

To make Sambar Powder:
Dry roast:
Coriander seeds ... 1 tsp
Cumin seeds ........ 1 tsp.
Methi seeds ........ 1/4 tsp
Dry red chillies .... 2
Chana dal ............. 1 tsp.
Dessicated coconut ... 1 tbsp.
Cloves ................... 2
Cinnamon ... a small piece.

Method:
1. Soak the toor dal for 2-3 hours. Cook it in the pressure cooker( 2-3 whistles)
2. Dry roast and grind the sambar powder and keep it aside.
3. In a pan heat a little oil. Add the tempering ingredients. when the seeds crackle, add the onions and stir fry for 1 minute.Now add the crushed garlic, tomato and the dry spice powders and mix well.Add the salt, jaggery, tamarind juice and dal. Bring to boil adding sufficient water. Simmer until you get the desired consistency.

PANEER BHURJI

This is a very easy dish cooked with crumbled paneer along with onion, tomatoes and spices. It hardly takes any time to cook and is perfect when you are short of time. Goes well with rotis / puris..

Ingredients:
Paneer ..... 1 cup
Onion .......... 1 small (finely chopped)
Garlic paste ... 1 tsp.
Ginger paste ... 1 tsp.
Tomato .. 1 small
Turmeric powder .. 1/8 tsp.
Coriander powder .. 1 tsp.
Cumin powder ....... 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder ... 1/2 tsp.
Salt ......................... to taste
Kasoori methi ....... 1 tsp.
Coriander leaves .... for garnishing.
Oil.

Method:
Method:
1. Heat a little oil in a pan and stir fry the onions.
2. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for half a minute and add the  tomato. Sprinkle a little water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until it is done.
3. Crumble the paneer and mix it with the onion masala. Add the salt and all the spice powders.. Simmer for a minute.
4. Sprinkle the dry roasted and crushed kasoori methi.
 Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with rotis or nans.