Mixed Bean Salad

With the new year setting in and an attempt to make our eating habits more healthy here is a recipe for a simple bean salad. Another reason to win over your taste buds is that the dressing brings out true Indian 'Khatta-Meeta' (tangy-sweet) flavors.

Ingredients
Garbanzo Beans/ Kabuli Chana: 1/2 can
Red Kidney Beans/Rajma: 1/2 can
Red Onions (chopped): 1/2 cup
Colored Bell peppers (green/red/yellow): 1/3 cup
Tomato (chopped): 1/3 cup
Cucumber (chopped): 1/3 cup
Green chilies (finely chopped): 2-3
Coriander leaves: Handful

Sauce/Dressing
Tamarind Pulp: 1/4 cup
Tomato Ketchup: 2 tablespoon
Lemon Juice: 1 teaspoon
Chili Powder: 1 teaspoon
Sugar: 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

* We used the canned beans for convenience sake as it comes pre-cooked. However if you are using raw beans, soak them overnight and pressure cook until they are soft. Make sure they don't get over cooked.
* Use firm tomato over the mushy ones as it tends to make salad soggy.

Open the cans and drain out the beans in a colander and rinse it thoroughly. Meanwhile chop the onions, tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers and green chili. Put it in a bowl add the drained beans and give gentle mix. Throw in a pinch of salt and some coriander leaves. You can make this ahead of time and keep it refrigerated.

To make the sauce grind all the ingredients listed under sauce/dressing and pour over the salad just before serving. Enjoi it as a meal itself or just another side.

Fairy Bread

Fairy bread, a popular Australian origin party snack is sure to impress your lil ones and the best part is that it hardly takes any time or ingredients. Great recipe to include your kids while making it.

Ingredients
White Bread: As needed
Butter: just enough to spread
Colorful Sprinkles: just a little
Sugar (Optional): a sprinkle

Spread the butter evenly on a slice of white bread. Sprinkle the colorful beads on it. You can cut them in any fancy shapes you like. For those who like it a lil sweeter, just sprinkle a pinch of sugar on it. Give it your kiddos and we bet they'll only want more....

Marble Cake

Marble cake gets its name because of the swirly effect created by the two colored batter. A very light delicious cake that takes hardly any time to make, can be a great accompaniment for teatime.

Ingredients
All purpose flour: 1 cup
Eggs: 2
Unsalted butter : 1/2 cup or 1 stick
Sugar: 1 cup
Vanilla essence: 1 teaspoon
Cocoa powder: 1 tablespoon
Baking powder: 1 teaspoon
Milk: 1/4 cup

Beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one by one and beat well until ivory. Add milk, vanilla essence and beat well. Meanwhile sieve the all purpose flour and baking powder well. Slowly add the flour in small portions and mix well into a very smooth batter. Butter a baking dish and pour 3/4 of the batter into this dish. Add cocoa powder to the remaining batter and mix well.

Now gently pour the cocoa batter and make swirls to give the marble effect.

Preheat the oven at 350° F and bake until center comes out clean. Slice after the cake is completely cooled down and serve these spongy bites.

Sending this recipe to Mahima's Cakes and Cookies event
To Cakes n Cookies Event hosted by Sara of Sara's Corner
To Dil Se for the event Show Me Your Cake

Njandu / Crab Roast

Hope the new year and the new decade has kick started and continues to bring in happy and fun-filled times for each one of you.

After a long realxed holiday season, we are back with our first entry for the new year with our favorite seafood delight-Crabs. The crab roast is so popular in Kerala that it is one entree that you would find on a menu card ranging from a star hotel to the local toddy shop.

Ingredients

Crab (Cut & cleaned): 4-5 medium ones marinated in turmeric, chilli, salt and pepper powder.
Onions (finely sliced): 1 cup
Tomatoes (pureed): 1/4 cup which is approx 1 tomato.
Green chillies (slit): 6-7
Ginger (finely sliced): 1 tablespoon
Garlic (finely sliced): 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves: handful and more
Chili powder: 2-3 teaspoons
Coriander powder: 1 1/2 teaspoons
Chicken masala: 2 teaspoons
Pepper powder: 1/2 teaspoon
5 spice powder: 1 teaspoon
Oil to fry

Heat some oil in deep pan. Add the finely sliced ginger, garlic, green chilies, curry leaves and saute. When ginger and garlic starts to cook, add the finely sliced onions. Sprinkle some salt as it helps to take off the moisture from the onions and quickens the frying. Keep sauteing till the onions get golden brown. Add all the dry spices (chili powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, chicken masala and 5 spice powder) and stir well. Make sure the masala doesn't get burned. Now add the tomato puree and mix well. Add the marinated crabs and saute well. Adjust the salt and spice level to your liking. You know the crabs are cooked when its meat turns into a whitish color. Take it off from heat and tear up a few curry leaves and serve hot. It goes superbly well with hot hot porottas.