Egg-less Papaya-coconut pudding

Normally I eat the papaya that I cut, but sadly, yesterday, I didn't get time to eat my share of papaya. So, I kept it in the fridge and decided to make a dessert, as we stopped buying outside food due to pandemic.

INGREDIENTS

papaya cut 1 big cup

banana 1 big / 3 small ripe bananas

coconut fresh grated  1/4 cup

coconut oil 2 tbsp

milk 150 ml

sugar 3/4 cup or to taste

vanilla essence 1 tsp

baking pdr. 1 tsp

baking soda 1/2 tsp

all purpose flour 1 cup +

raisins 1 tbsp

nuts as desired and

METHOD

I smashed the bananas well with a vegetable masher, as they're over-ripe

Then in the same bowl, added few papaya pieces at a time and mashed well

I added sugar, oil, milk and coconut as they're all cold, left it on the counter to come to room temperature.

Then I added little salt to the fruit mixture, mixed well, added baking pdr & soda, mixed well

added the flour little at a time till it got mixed well with a spoon

as I was going to bake in my microwave, I kept the batter slightly thinner than what we do in the oven.

Then in micro+ grill combo kept for 8 minutes, checked, it was quite sticky

I kept for another 2 minutes, still sticky.

Then I kept in high microwave for another 3 minutes, let it rest in the microwave for another minute, left it out to cool. I'ld cut into pieces and serve. Hubby loves dishes with coconut, I also added raisins and nuts chopped to the batter. He loved it.

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Do’s and Don’ts of Coffee Storage

True coffee enthusiasts tend to have clear and strong preferences about how they take their coffee, from the best way to prepare it to the most efficient way to store it. It’s the latter we want to talk about today. The way you store your coffee matters a lot. Even the most high-quality bag of beans will end up tasting bitter and stale if the coffee was stored incorrectly. So what can you do to ensure a great-tasting cup of java?

In most cases, choose the cupboard over the freezer 

Ground coffee loses its freshness faster than whole beans because it has more surface area that’s exposed to oxygen. You may have heard that keeping ground coffee or whole beans in the freezer is the best way to preserve the flavor. However, that can actually do more harm than good. According to the National Coffee Association, the best way to store your coffee in an airtight container. Coffee grounds are often sold in tins that aren’t built for long-term storage, so it’s best to transfer the coffee into a canister with an air-tight lid.

What about whole beans? They, too, lose their freshness over time. In fact, the process starts almost as soon as the beans are done roasting, so they could benefit from proper storage as well. If you have a bag of beans, the best way to go would be to secure it and store it in a resealable plastic bag. 

To protect the coffee from light make sure your container is opaque, and store it in a cool spot, like a cupboard that isn’t too close to the stove. Avoid leaving it on a countertop spot that gets a lot of sunlight, because it may be too warm. As we already mentioned, the freezer should be avoided too, at least for the coffee you drink every day. The fluctuating temperatures create moisture in the bag or container, which can leave your morning cup tasting like cardboard. 

 

When to freeze? 

It’s fine to freeze whole beans for up to a month to keep them fresh for later use, provided you don’t take them out during that period. For a larger amount of coffee, first, divide it into smaller portions, then freeze then in airtight bags, as per the recommendation of Robert Nelson, president, and chief executive officer of the National Coffee Association. 

 

When you want to use the frozen beans, let them thaw on the shelf before grinding them. Brew within two weeks to get the most out of your coffee.

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Avil payasam/ kheer with mangoes

INGREDIENTS

avil 1/2 cup

milk 1/2 litre

water 200 ml

sugar 3 tbsp or to taste

mango chopped one

nuts & raisins 2 tbsp

ghee little to roast

METHOD

wash avil well, add water and part of the milk to boil on medium flame

keep stirring from time to time, once it gets thicker, add some more milk

let it simmer, once thick, add remaining milk, let it boil

as I used the thick avil, it tastes longer to get cooked, once cooked, add sugar to taste

let it boil, till the sugar has well dissolved and it is thick

I added the mangoes, let it boil for 2 minutes, switched off the gas

You can roast some nuts and raisins and add.

serve hot or cold, as it cools, it thickens.

NOTE- I added the mango,as it wasn't very sweet, thought it will taste good with the kheer.

Adding mango is optional, but to make kheer, you can follow rest of the procedure.

Since, the kheer was in demand, I'ld not take photo.

I loved the taste of the kheer with the mango, hope you all too, as I'm sure everyone like mangoes. So, why not try it in a different way !

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The Science Behind the Good Taste of Leftovers

Not all leftovers were made equal. Sandwiches, for example, get soggy and salads can wilt, but other foods seem to only get better with time. Foods like soups and casseroles actually seem to have a richer flavor after sitting in the fridge for a day or two. If you happen to enjoy certain foods even more as leftovers, it’s not just in your head. There are a few scientific reasons why foods change their flavor over time. Read on to find out why it happens, and which foods taste even better when reheated.

Why do foods change their flavor over time? According to the Institute of Food Technologies, flavors can be enhanced overnight due to chemical reactions, which continue to take place after cooking and generate more, or new, flavor molecules in different ingredients. Oxidation, for example, occurs when foods come into contact with oxygen. Depending on the food and how it’s stored, oxidation could go both ways - it can turn the food mushy or rancid, like a sliced apple that turns brown, or it could alter the flavor for the better. Cooked onions, potatoes, and broccoli are a few examples of ingredients that will taste better after a night in the fridge. 

Refrigerating food slows down these natural chemical reactions, which is why we can still eat them safely the next day. Left at room temperature, the process would happen much faster, leading the food to spoil. It is generally recommended to avoid food that has been left at room temperature for more than two hours. If the food was left at a temperature over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius), the USDA suggests throwing it away after an hour. 

Which foods pass the leftover test? 

In general, time and oxidation aren’t kind to many foods, and a lot of it comes down to personal preferences too. However, there are a few varieties that are generally considered to age well. 

 

Cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, and allium vegetables, including onions, leeks, and garlic, are good examples. These vegetables, which can taste bitter and harsh when raw or cooked lightly, contain an abundance of sulfur compounds. These compounds oxidize easily, taming the flavors and making them more mellow. 

 

Starchy vegetables, like potatoes, may get a little sweeter over time too, because the starch slowly breaks down the sugars, or glucose, in them.

Another group that may taste better with time is protein-rich foods like fish, poultry, and lean meats. When proteins break down they release amino acids such as glutamate, which enhance savory flavor, or those known as umami. 

 

 If you don’t like your food very spicy, you might be happy to know that the flavor of peppers becomes more delicate over time. The oxidation reduces the amount of the compound capsaicin in the peppers, which makes them less spicy. Other spices like turmeric black pepper and coriander are also sensitive to air and may lose their intensity over time. 

What about reheating?  

When it comes to reheating, it all depends on how you do it. The reheating process can liberate some of the flavor molecules that may be trapped in fats or inside starch. “While it's the easiest, avoid the microwave," advises chef Nick Evans. "It's a killer to flavor,” he told Eat This Not That. The best way to reheat food is gently, either in a skillet or over low heat. 

 

Still, there are some dishes that do not react to reheating as well as others. Some of the big no-nos according to culinary experts are shellfish and hamburgers. For the latter, it’s largely about the texture. In a good burger, there is a contrast between the crisp exterior and the softer rarer interior. After being refrigerated, however, a burger tends to take on a pebbly gray consistency and color, which can’t be undone.

In general, the foods that will best stand reheating are liquid-based ones - soups, stews, and casseroles. The liquids prevent the dish from drying out and creates fewer textural changes. Moreover, the above-mentioned dishes tend to include ingredients like onions, garlic, and spices, which make them appetizing the next day. 

 

The bottom line is, don’t shy away from leftovers! Knowing the basics behind food aging can be really helpful when you want to meal-prep and try to decide on a dish that will last longer.

Other than these, among the South Indian foods, vathak kulambu tastes better next day. Especially, if you make thick onion vathak kulambu, it stays good even for a week, if handled with care. Idli, when soaked in milagai podi ( gun powder as some call it) and oil, tastes good even the next day, i.e. why people traveling prefer to take it as it lasts for 1-2 days.

 

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https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and health tips  
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Tomao-Foxnut ( Makhana) halwa

When I wanted some raw tight tomatoes only 1/2 kg, my maid bought 1 kg, over-ripe tomatoes, which were trying to get spoiled within 2 days. While when I buy tomatoes, I just keep it out and it lasts more than 2-3 weeks ! I hate food getting wasted, so boiled the tomatoes, made juice, thinking my dear hubby will drink tomato juice with salt and pepper, as they're supposed to be good to reduce muscle cramps. He just refused to drink it, I had one glass of juice, then there were almost 400 ml juice left. I kept it in the fridge, was debating how to make sweet from it. There, an idea stuck, as I had bought a packet of fox-nut, thought it was time to use them. So, I roasted a cup of fox-nut on slow flame, cooled and powdered it.

Now let me come to my simple ingredients for this halwa

INGREDIENTS

tomato juice 400 ml roughly

fox nut when powdered was 1/2 the quantity of the juice

corn flour same quantity of powdered fox nut

sugar same quantity of juice

salt a pinch

water 1 1/2 times the juice

ghee/ clarified butter 2 tbsp

cardamom pdr/ essence 1/2 tsp

METHOD

tomato juice made fresh at home, by boiling tomatoes, straining it.

In my non-stick pan, I added little juice, added little fox nut pdr, mixed well, added some more pdr and mixed well, added rest of the fox-nut pdr, mixed well adding little more tomato juice.

then I added corn flour little at a time, mixing well, adding more juice each time

once I finished mixing cornflour well with tomato juice, added sugar and 1 1/2 times the water, mixed well.

I kept the mixture on medium heat, kept stirring continuously, or else, having added corn flour, it will form lumps.

I kept stirring for about 10-2 minutes, stirring well, the mixture started thickening

I added 1 tbsp of ghee, mixed well stirring, till all the ghee was well absorbed

again kept stirring for another 2-3 minutes, added 1 tbsp ghee, mixed well

Once the mixture started leaving the sides of the pan, and when I touched the mixture, it wasn't sticking to my fingers, added cardamom pdr. mixed well

I switched off the gas, kept stirring for another minute

then I poured the mixture on a greased plate and allowed it to set for about 45 minutes

then I cut into pieces and was ready to gobble up for my dear hubby, who couldn't make out the tomato juice in it. ( he is not a fan of tomato like me !)

If I had kept it for some more time, it would have set well, as I had to wash the dishes, wanted to wash all at one go, so hurriedly sliced the halwa, the first ones didn't come as one piece, but later ones came out neatly.

Now due to pandemic and locked down, no maids, as food is eaten at home, I constantly have dishes to wash !

 

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This is the easiest ways to peel garlic

No more hassle with garlic cloves

For many, garlic is a favorite seasoning for savory dishes. It often happens that we add an extra clove or two to a dish. But before we do this, we have to peel the garlic, and that can sometimes be quite difficult. Fortunately, there is a way to make things easier for yourself.

The smell of garlic on your hands

Garlic is one of the most commonly used seasonings in the kitchen, so it is not uncommon for our fingers to have the penetrating smell of garlic after we’ve chopped it. Before we tell you how to easily peel garlic, here’s a tip to quickly get rid of that nasty garlic smell. It is very simple; all you need is coconut oil. After slicing garlic, rub coconut oil on your hands and between your fingers. Rinse with lukewarm water and your hands will smell fresh and clean again!

Fast cooking

Sometimes, you need a lot of garlic cloves for a particular dish. Peeling the cloves one by one takes time. Fortunately, there’s a fast way to do it, according to Nadiya in the recently released Netflix series, Nadiya’s Time to Eat. In this series, the TV chef gives tips on how to put the tastiest recipes on the table in as little time as possible. She also shares useful tricks, such as peeling garlic quickly.

Boiling hot water

For Nadiya’s trick, all you need is a bowl and hot water. Put the garlic cloves in the bowl and pour the hot water over them. Leave it for a minute and then you can easily peel the garlic. Just be careful when fishing the garlic out of the hot water.

Knife

Chefs also have another trick to easily peel garlic. They put the garlic clove on a cutting board, and then, using the wide side of a knife, they press down and crush the clove of garlic. You’ll usually hear a cracking sound, and then you can also easily peel the garlic.

2nd way is, separate the pearls, put it in a bottle, close the bottle, shake it well , you'll notice that peels have come out, empty on a plate, you can pick the garlic pearls to use as needed. In case, you don't want all that garlic in your day's cooking, store the rest in a glass bottle in the fridge !

3rd way is, separate the pearls of garlic, spread on the microwave glass in high power for 10-20 seconds, depending on the amount of garlic you need. Once you take out, the peel easily comes off ! it is ready to use as you need- either chop, grind, whatever it may be.

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https://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and health tips  
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement