Easy Milk Barfi in InstaPot

After the first-try-success(which rarely happens in my case) of badam Katli in InstaPot, I braved to try another similar recipe from the same blog - Milk barfi.

Since this is the first time I am eating this barfi, I have no clue how it should taste. I was expecting it to taste more like doodh peda, but it tasted more raw, in the sense one can easily tell there is milk powder in it. But it was tasty nevertheless. A generous pinch of cardamom powder will definitely enhance the flavor. One cool thing about this barfi is that the texture changes drastically as the barfi cools down. So this is not exactly make-and-eat-directly kind of sweet, you need to give this a good resting time.

I have seen a similar recipe on YouTube which was made on stovetop, which looks very easy, but one cannot beat the convenience of IP in making sugar syrup. 

Overall a very easy and tasty recipe. Do try this for Deepavali and enjoy!   

Spinach-Onion Pakoda

 With dipping temperatures, what better to have than hot pakoda with some hot filter coffee.. 

Pakodas are always hit and miss with me. Either they turn out PERFECT or they become rubbery/ elastic after cooling down.. I have no idea why..  

But over the years, after many many experiments, I seem to have gotten some grip over this. Please check below for more details.. 

Enjoy! 

Mooli Fried Rice

 One major change that happened in our household in the last two years is the increased consumption of root vegetables. It all started during lockdown when I started sending my husband for grocery shopping instead of going myself, instructing him to buy vegetables with longer shelf life. And ever since it has only been beetroots, radishes, potatoes and onions in our house. How much of only these can one have. He doesn’t like carrots, so I’m spared there. Even after telling him again and again to get some variety, he somehow manages to bring only these.. if this is his way of getting away from doing chores, it’s working!! I tag along these days and make sure he is not even around vegetables when I’m shopping. 

Coming to the recipe, I was intrigued when I saw this recipe for Mooli fried rice in another one of my fav blogs. And since I always have lots of mooli in the house(thanks to hubby), I gave it a try. The taste was very unique and moolangi complimented the Indo Chinese taste soo well! And one cannot guess there is moolangi in this dish. Perfect for sneaking in vegetable for picky eaters. 

Do try! 

KadleKaaLu(kaala chana) Usli

 Happy Ganesha Chaturthi! 

Usli is a popular “prasada” at temples and made during festivals. It is basically cooked beans/legumes + spiced oggarane(tadka). I personally love them all, the one made with kadle(brown chickpeas) is my favorite. 

This also makes for a great after school snack. Do try! 

 

Poha Chivda

 Both my husband and my daughter love poha chivda. Many buy it from grocery stores, without realizing how easy it is to make this at home. This recipe is as complicated as making tadka :) 

Chivda has a pretty good shelf life too, making it ideal for after school snacks, or evening snacks with coffee/tea. 

Do try! 

Happy Janmashtami!! 

OraLu Chitranna/ green kaayi saasive chitranna

 We also make kayi sasive chitranna, but differently. This masala uses green chilies and the ingredients are roasted before grinding. I really loved the flavors and the convenience of making this. You can keep the gojju(masala paste) ready beforehand and mix it with rice (just like puliyogare gojju) whenever needed. This is ideal for festivals. Enjoy! 

Spinach TambLi

 This is one of my favorite tambLis. I love the flavor and color of this particular tambli. To recap (for people who don’t know what tambLi is) - tambli is a buttermilk based south indian dish, which is both cooling and medicinal. You can find other tambLi recipes here. 

Curry leaf tambLi

Pomegranate rind tambLi 

Enjoy spinach tambLi in these hot summer days to beat the heat.