SECRET PHOTO FRAME

Hey everyone! Someone rightly said, “A new day comes with a new creativity”. And I think this saying completely applies for me. Honestly, I made this frame in the second half of July. So it’s been some time already. Blame it on my laziness or the hectic schedule I am following these days. I have got a lot of pending post to write now. Ah! Starting with the best one.

It was my bestie’s birthday and I was clueless about her gift. I knew she liked chocolates moreover she has been pestering me for handmade chocolates since quite some time. So thought of gifting her that. But just a packet of chocolates, I don’t think that was enough. I was scrolling through our school photos and you know what, school memories have the power of making you feel nostalgic. Still we all love looking back to those happy school daysJ I looked around my house to find some scraps that my maid would anyway have thrown in few days time. And a little thought gave me this idea of a not so typical photo frame.

As the name suggests, yes! It is a secret one. No one will ever be able to find your pretty secrets inside that box. Everyone thinks it’s just a normal photo frame. That’s how it looks. Doesn’t it? I made it specially for her because I know, she always has a tough time keeping her chocolates away from her siblings. (all those who have younger siblings will know what I am talking about :P). So this was an ideal gift for her. It’s easy to make and serves as an awesome gift. In this birthday season if are brainstorming about your besties birthday gift, try this out. I am sure she’ll love it too.

This is made out of complete scrap, as we say creating wealth out of waste. All you need :

·         A box (any size you want)

·         A hanging hook

·         Permanent glue

·         Cello tape (transparent)

·         3-4 newspapers

·         Transparent Cellophane paper

·         2 flower shaped bows(you can alternatively make them if you don’t have or use any other decoration you like in place of that)

·         Plastic gift wrap paper

·         A printed photo obviously.     

Know how

·         Take a empty box cover it with wraping paper, as you would normally cover a gift. Just be careful with the opening side of the box and cover it accordingly.

·         Attach a cellophane paper on one front side securing it with cello tapes.

·         Fix a hanging hook on the back side of it with some permanent glue.

·         Fold the newspapers tightly to form a long thick rod like form and secure them with cello tape or glue. Wrap silver plastic gift wrapping paper around it and cover it fully. (I have used the back side of a biscuit packet :P, typically reusing all the waste material I found in my place).

·         Adjust the size of these of rods according to the size of your box. You can clip off the ends to give it an even shape.

·         Place this rod on the four edges in the front side of your box on top of the cellophane paper. Fix it as shown in the image below with the help of cello tapes. (remember, to keep one side up and the other side down while fixing).

·         Decorate it with flower shaped bows on the two opposite edges. And insert a pretty photo of yours. And don’t forget to keep something secret inside the box. (as for me, I have kept handmade chocolates inside it)J

(I am still undecided which photo to insert in it)

MANGO TULSI ICECREAM

The season of mangoes is almost coming to an end. Summers without icecream are just incomplete. And I couldn’t wait for another 6 months to have these super easy homemade mango icecream. People who are regular readers of my blog must have figured out by now, my immense love for desserts and sweets. This is one thing I just cant skip in the season of mangoes. I make it almost on a daily basis. Its super easy, all you need to have is a handy blender. That’s it.

Yesterday, when I was planning to make it again for one last time, I saw a lot of tulsi plant growing in my backyard. I mostly use tulsi  to make tea and I quite like its taste. It has medical properties as well and is said to fight against cold and cough. Well, I am suffering from cold and cough but still had a craving for icecream’s. So thought of mixing the two, I thought tulsi will neutralize the effect of icecream and hence I can safely have it. (You know, I can give any lame excuse to have icecreams :P).

whenever I am trying something new, I make it in less quantities. Initially I tried this with only my cup of icecream. To my normal mango icecream, I just added some tulsi leaves to the last cup and froze it separately for me. It was nice creamy and fluffy. Also I liked the taste of tulsi in it. For my cold and cough, that excuse wasn’t that lame I feel, it has reduced to some extent. Try this out before the season of mangoes is over; the ingredients and method are written below.

Serves- 4

Ingredients:

Whipped cream – 2 cup

mango puree- 1 cup
tulsi leaves – 10-15
sugar- 1 cup (according to the sweetness of your mangoes)
salt- a pinch

optional:

nuts(finely chopped)- 4-5

cherry-2-3

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Method

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1.     Whip cream and sugar in a blender till fluffy. Add mango puree, tulsi leaves, and nuts to it. Finally add a pinch of salt and blend all the ingredients well.

2.     Pour it a container, and freeze it.  When it is half frozen, take it out and blend again. Repeat this step twice till you right consistency and enough fluffiness. At last freeze it completely and its ready to serve.

3.     Garnish it with chopped cherries, and tulsi leaves.

mango icecream

mango tulsi icecream

masala mango chaas (buttermilk)

I am back again with a new experiment. Though this was something that even I was scared before trying, but fortunately it turned out well and may be that’s why I am sharing it here. I just had to find a solution to the same old chaas (buttermilk) that my mom prepares usually. We prefer using home made butter and ghee and as you know the left over liquid or chaas is a by-product that we have to drink (or more appropriately forced to drink :P). I have used this by-product but you can alternatively replace it with curd and water (that will be more of a lassi, I suppose), whatever is easier for you. It is considered one of the best natural appetizer and very good for health.  also a perfect beverage in hot summer. But I was bored with the traditional masala or pudina flavouring, so thought of trying mangoes this time. The combo of traditional masala tanginess with the sweetness of mango blends well. Just remember one thing if you are making it during fast (vart) replace the common salt with sendha namak and don’t add chat masala.

Cooking time- 5 mins

Serves- 2

Ingredients:

Buttermilk– 250 ml (2 glass)

mango pulp - 1 cup
Black salt –  2 teaspoon
pepper powder- 1 teaspoon

Chaat masala – 2 teaspoon

mint leaves(optional) – few to garnish

Sugar (optional) to taste

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Method

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    Put all the ingredients in a blender expect mint leaves. Blend for around few minutes until everything mixes well. Now add crushed ice and mint leaves. Serve chilled.

note- For fancy serving, put little water on the rim of the glass. In a small plate, take few spoons of salt. dip the glass into salt, to get the decorated rim. Pour the chaas into glass, and sprinkle chaat masala add mint leaves, a slice of lemon and a straw to garnish. Serve chilled.

Try other simple mango recipes,

Mango tulsi icecream

Mango milkshake

Mango lassi

Sweet Khoya Paan #festive special

The name sounds interesting. Isn’t it? yup! you read it right, I am going to stuff the khoya mixture in a paan leaf. Paan actually enhances the taste of khoya. (well, I just discovered that). And it’s also good for health. Try this out, you’re going to love it. And paan leaves are easily available everywhere. A good alternative to those unhealthy masala paan’s. happy sweets to you.

  

Ingredients:

·         Paan leaves(betel leaf)- 10 leaves

·         Khoya- 2 cups

·         Sugar- 1 cups

·         cardamom powder- 1/2 teaspoon

·         chopped almond- 10

·         Milk powder- 2 tsp

·         Salt- a pinch

Method

1.       grate and roast the khoya on medium heat till it becomes soft.

2.      Add one cup sugar and milk powder to it and mix well. Then add cardamom powder to it.

3.      Take it off the heat and add chopped nuts and mix. Cool and keep aside.

4.     Fold the paan leaves in the form of a cone and secure it.

5.      Stuff it with the khoya mixture.

6.   Sprinkle dry fruits to garnish. Your sweet khoya paan is ready.

Parwal Ki Mithai

I made it last week, but just today while having it, I thought to writing this on my blog. Although this sweet is popularly available in sweet shops throughout kolkata, I don't know why I wasn’t able to find it, therefore thought of making it myself. And honestly it tasted better than the outside ones. just one thing I would like to mention please don’t through away the seeds of parwal, you can use it as an ingredient for a different recipe. I made sweet and sour veg tarts out of it. You can try it too (here's the link: https://simplyritu.blogspot.in/2016/07/sweet-and-sour-veg-tarts.html ). enjoy your self made delicacy. I garnished it with some flowers i found in my backyard. looks good isnt it? 

Ingredients:

·         Parwals- 500 grams

·         Khoya- 2 cups

·         Sugar- 2 cups

·         cardamom powder- 1/2 teaspoon

·         chopped almond- 10-15

·         Milk powder- 4 tsp

·         Salt- a pinch

Method

1.       Peel the parwal’s, slit and remove the seeds from inside. (don’t throw away the seeds. You can use it for a different tasty recipe link given above.)

2.      In another pan boil 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water to make a thin sugar syrup.

3.      Heat water in a different pan, add a pinch of salt and the parwals and boil for 1-2 minutes.

4.     Drain and put them in the sugar syrup and cook till they soften.

5.      grate and roast the khoya on medium heat till it becomes soft. Add one cup sugar and milk powder and mix well. Then add cardamom powder.

6.     Take it off the heat and add chopped nuts and mix. Cool and keep aside.

7.     Stuff the parwals with the khoya mixture.

8.   Sprinkle dry fruits to garnish. Your khoya parwal mithai is ready.

shahi coffee tukra #eid special

Its Eid, one of the prominent festivals of India. And festivals are so incomplete without sweets, don’t you think? So I thought of making some sweets. What better than shahi tukre to start with. Also it goes perfectively with the festival. Honestly I don’t have any clue, how shahi tukra’s are originally made. its just my version of a shahi tukra. I love the flavor of coffee so I fused in that as well. I  loved it. Hope you love it too.

Ingredients required:

·       Coffee- 2 tsp

·       Milk-1 cup

·       Condensed milk- ½ cup

·       Khoya- 100 gm

·       Sugar-  2 tsp

·       Bread-  4-5 slices

·       Oil- ¼ cup

·       Green cardamom-2

·       Butter- ¼ cup

·       Cherry and nuts(optional)

Method:

1.       Fry bread slices in hot oil till crisp. Soak them in milk for 5 mins. Cut each slice into 4 pieces. Cool them and keep aside

2.     In a frying pan, put butter, let it melt and then add khoya, add sugar to taste.

3.      Mix coffee and milk together. Put it into the khoya mixture. Mix all the ingredients well. Then add green cardamom powder and mix again till the mixture reduces to a fine paste.

4.     Coat the bread slices in milkmaid and pipe out this mixture on each piece.  Decorate with nuts and cherries. Your shahi coffee tukra is ready to serve.

Sweet and Sour Veg Tarts

This is pretty simple to make and its healthy too. I tried it out as a evening snack, its one of the tasty and healthy alternative to all the junk foods. Tarts can usually be stored for around 2-3 weeks. i had some left over tarts from before so all i had to do is shallow fry some sprouts as a filling for my tarts. i had used olive oil to make even more healthier but you alternatively use refine oil/butter. So the next time you feel like having some junk food, try this healthier alternative.

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Ingredients required:

for tarts:

·        plain flour(maida)- 1 1/2 cups

·        salt- a pinch

·        butter- 1/2 cup

for filling-

·        olive oil/refine oil- 1/2 cup

·        sweetcorn- 1/4 cup

·        sprouted pulse (moong dal)- 1/4 cup

·        sprouted chickpeas(kala chana)- 1/4 cup

·        curd- 1/2 cup

·        chaat masala- 2 tbsp

·        tamarind(imli)- 1

·        green chilli-2-3

·        onion-1 medium

·        tomatoes- 2 medium

Method:

for tarts:

1.       Sieve the flour and salt together.

2.      mix butter into the flour mixture. slowly add cold water and knead it into a stiff dough. cool for at least 10 mins.

3.      Knead the dough again, divide it into 10 equal portions.

4.     Roll out a portion of the dough into a circle. Place the circle into a tart case and press the circle gently around the sides of the tart case. Prick all over the tarts with the help of a fork.

5.      bake it in a pre-heated oven at 200ºc for approx. 10 to 15 minutes.

for filling:

1.       heat oil in a frying pan, then add chopped tomatoes, chillies and onion. Add salt to it and shallow fry till onion change its colour to pinkish brown.

2.      Add pulses, kala chana and sweetcorn to it and swallow fry it again for few mins.

3.      Finally add chatmasala and tamarind paste to it and mix all the ingredients well.

4.     Fill the mixture in baked tarts and garnish it with ½ tsp of curd on each tart.

5.      Your sweet and sour tarts is ready to dig intoJ