Frozen Bananas Chocolate Ice Cream

Try as you might, you always end up having over ripe bananas. They are great in smoothies or banana bread. I started freezing them whole with the skin and all to be used up for a banana bread 2 months later. I can thaw them and remove the skin and then use it in the bread. For use in ice creams though, it is better to peel and slice and then freeze. It comes in handy in the summer months when you crave for frozen treats but want to skip the store bought ice cream with all its additives and heavy cream.

This is absolutely a 3-4 ingredient recipe. I made my own condensed milk by reducing the milk and adding only the required amount of sugar or you can skip the sugar and add none at all as the ripe bananas are pretty sweet by themselves.

Recipe in pictures below. Very quick and easy, you can use store bought condensed milk for even faster results. Replace with almond milk for a vegan version

In a sauce pan, boil the milk till it thickens, once thickened add the cocoa powder, sugar and mix it well and turn off the heat.
Pour in a container and set in the fridge to chill. Take the frozen bananas in a blender and blend to smooth.
Add the chilled condensed milk and mix it well in the blender.
Pour the banana - milk mixture into a freezing tray and let it freeze for 2-4 hours and then serve.

A guilt free treat when you feel like it.

Frozen Bananas Chocolate Ice Cream
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Condensed Milk Cooking Time:30-45 minutes
Ingredients

1. 4 frozen bananas
2. 1 cup of whole milk reduced to 1/3 or (1/3 cup of store bought condensed milk)
3. For Vegan: Use 1/3 cup of almond milk or any milk of choice
4. 1 tbsp cocoa powder
5. 2 tbsp of sugar (skip the sugar if using store bought condensed milk)

Method

1. If making your own condensed milk, take the whole milk and keep cooking till it reduces to a third, keep stirring so it does not stick.
2. Add the cocoa powder to the thickened milk. Mix the cocoa in some hot milk prevents lumps. Remove and chill.
3. Take the frozen banana in a blender and blend to smooth, now add the cocoa condensed milk and mix it into the banana puree.
4. Pour into a tray and freeze for 3-4 hours and then serve.

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Mutton Chukka - Mutton Varuval - Dry mutton curry

We all make the assumption that cooking techniques, spices the way of cooking - all make a dish taste good. IMHO these are all just secondary reasons. The first and foremost is the quality of the ingredients. If you source good ingredients, that should pretty much take care of the taste mostly. Everything else you do is just icing on the cake :)

If you don't do anything specific for the earth and sustainability but decide that you are going to be particular about where you source your meat and don't eat meat or chicken from factory farms, that should make big enough a difference and will be your greatest contribution.

The quality of meat from small farms is always much better than something that is shipped from overseas or bought from huge grocery chains. If the quality of the meat is high just a few spices and cooking technique should bring about the great taste. Like this recipe with very few ingredients and the cooking method is very simple but the taste is huge.

As for this recipe, cooking the meat on a slow flame till it is nice and dry brings out the taste of the spices and also of the mutton. I chanced on this recipe on YouTube and used it as guide to make this recipe with a few slight modifications. Recipe Source

Recipe in pictures,

Wash and clean the mutton pieces. In a pressure cooker heat oil and add grated garlic and ginger, saute, add turmeric and chili powders and add the mutton pieces.
Add 1/2 cup of water and add onion and let it cook for 3 whistles.
In a saute pan, roast the spices - coriander seeds, cumin seeds, pepper corns and red chilies. Cool and powder.
Let cool and set it aside. In a wide mouthed mud pot, add oil and when hot add the seasonings - cumin and curry leaves.
Now add the onions and saute till translucent.
Add in the chopped tomatoes and let it get mushy. Add in the mutton pieces and let it cook for a few minutes. Add the coriander leaves.
Add the powdered spices and saute till it becomes nice and dry.

Mutton Chukka
Preparation Time:20 minutes
Cooking Time:25 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1 lbs of Mutton
2. 1/2 cup of shallots (or red onion) finely chopped
3. 2 tbsp of garlic finely chopped
4. 1/2 tbsp of finely grated ginger
5. 2 medium sized tomatoes chopped (optional)
6. seasonings: cumin seeds and curry leave
7. salt to taste
8. 2 tbsp oil
9. 2 tsp chili powder
10. 2 tsp turmeric powder
11. 2 tsp of garam masala
To Powder
12. 1 tbsp of coriander seeds
13. 1 tsp of cumin seeds
14. 6 red chilies
15. 1 tsp of black peppercorns

Method

1. In a pressure cooker add a tsp of oil and add in half the ginger and garlic and saute.
2. Add in the mutton pieces and saute for a minute or two. Add 1/2 cup of water, some chopped onion, turmeric powder and chili powder and close the lid. Let it cook for a the desired amount of time about 2 whistles for it to be 3/4th cooked. I left it for 3 whistles.
3. In the meantime in a saute pan add all the spices and saute till they turn brown. Cool and powder.
4. In a wide mouthed pan (I used a clay pot) add the rest of the oil and when hot add the seasonings, followed by the chopped shallots/onions. Saute till it turns translucent. Add in the tomatoes and let it cook till it is completely mushy and then saute some more to remove most of the moisture.
5. Open the pressure cooker and give the mutton a good mix and it to the tomato mixture. Add the chopped coriander leaves. Mix it well, put a lid and cook for about 5-6 minutes.
6. Add in the powdered spice and salt, mix it and saute till the moisture completely evaporates and the spices coat nicely on the meat pieces.

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Lime Pickle Recipe எலுமிச்சை ஊறுகாய் Lemon Pickle 2

Good Lime or lemon pickle reminds me of two people - my grandmother and my mother-in-law. I don't remember my grandmother's pickle making all that much but it had green chilies, garlic and sometimes even green (black) peppers. Whereas my MIL's without fail packed us lemon pickles every year. Without the slightest taste of sourness or bitterness but nice and smooth, these were some of the best no fuss lemon pickles I have ever tasted. We lost her this year but with covid and not travelling for the last 2 years, I learned to make the pickles because we had made it once under her tutelage when she was here. It might not have the finesse of her pickles and the aroma of pickles made in her kitchen, we make do with these :) They come tantalizingly close to the original.

We got the recipe from MIL but like most recipes we know from our relatives, hers gives everything in handfuls and I have done my best to translate them to cups and spoons.

Here in the US, the lemons have a fairly thick skin, while you can still make with these lemons I prefer using limes for the pickle. The limes that we get here are typically green harvested before they have become ripe, and used for the kind of recipes that requires a more sour tasting juice than what it would be if it were ripe.

For the purposes of this recipe the green or the yellow ones with thin skin work perfectly. For a better tasting pickle it is necessary to use thin skinned limes/lemon than the thicker skinned ones. I am not saying the thicker skinned citruses cannot be pickled. They absolutely can be.

Sun drying or sun marinating the cut limes are what gives this pickle the taste. So plan to do them that way if you can. Having said that, it does not mean the pickles have to be made only in the summer. I usually run out of the lime pickles I make in the summer and crave for some during winter. The lime pieces take a bit longer to marinate but they absolutely can be made in the winter. I place the marinating limes on a sunny window sill for about 3-4 weeks. During the summer I let it sit in the sun outside.

No sunny window? Not a problem. Let it sit in its own juices for 3-4 weeks and that should be sufficient. I used to think that making lemon/lime pickles is kind of hard. I am blown away by how easy this is compared to some of the other pickles I make.

Recipe in pictures.

Cut the lime into small pieces, about 8 pieces per lime and add them to a glass or ceramic jar and add about 1/3 cup of salt and let it marinate for 3-4 weeks. In a small pan roast mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Cool and powder.
Heat oil in a wide mouthed pan, season with mustard and fenugreek seeds. When mustard pops add asfoetida followed by the marinated lime pieces and let it come to a boil.
Add chili powder and salt and mix well.
Add the mustard and fenugreek powder, check for salt and turn off the heat.

Recipe in pictures,

Lime Pickle Recipe
Marination Time:3-4 weeks
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cooking Time:20 minutes
Ingredients

1. 8-10 lemons (makes about 3-4 cups of cut fresh lime pieces)
2. 1/3 cup red chili powder
3. 1/3 cup of rock salt (if using table salt use less
4. 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
5. 2 tsp fenugreek seeds
6. 1/2 tsp asfoetida powder
7. 1/2 - 1 cup sesame oil (I use slightly more to keep it fresh longer)
8. seasonings: 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds, 2 pinches of asfoetida powder

Method

1. Few weeks before making the pickle, wash the limes and let them dry. Cut each lime into 8 pieces, cut vertically and then cut each into 4 pieces.
2. Put the cut lime into a glass (or ceramic) jar with salt. Cover the opening with a cheese cloth and then it in the sun for 2-3 weeks or if indoor for 3-4 weeks.
3. In a wide mouthed pan (I used a mud pot) add the seasonings - mustard, fenugreek seeds and asfoetida, when the mustard seeds start to pop add the cut and marinated lime pieces.
4. While this heats up in a small pan add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and asfoetida and let it brown. Cool and powder.
5. Let the lime pieces come to a boil, add red chili powder and mix it in. **
6. Add the powdered mustard, asfoetida and fenugreek powder, mix it in and turn off the heat.
**if you the pickle a bit more pulpy, heat a 1/4 cup of water to a boil and add to the lime/lemon pieces.

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Kadalai Chutney - Peanut Chutney - 2

Working with the soil and nature is akin to meditation methinks. Spending time working outside among greenery is restorative to the soul. While physical activity is better than no activity at all when done outdoors is the best way to feel a sense of peace with entertainment being provided by the birds and insects.

To be able to see nature in all its glory is a gift that is not available to everyone and that is a sad thing. Those of us who have the privilege of access to these green spaces shouldn't take it for granted and be mindful of preserving those spaces.

Have you seen a cauliflower seed? It is little more than a mustard in size but thats grows into a tasty cauliflower. How many ever times you see this miracle, it is impossible to not wonder about the possibilities. The power and restorative properties that nature provides is nothing short of miraculous. The funny thing is miracles like this happens all around.

While being outside and working with the soil is meditative for some people, quite a few people I know consider cooking to be a meditative process as well. So whichever camp you fall in, this recipe is bound to please you.

Everyone needs a quick chutney for morning breakfast, for us it is mostlt on weekends. If you had a late start in the morning or are making plans for an elaborate lunch and want something quick, this peanut chutney is just what is needed. I found this recipe on YouTube.
Recipe in pictures,

Get the ingreidents ready for the chuntey - peanuts, green chilies, garlic followed by the cumin seeds and the roasted channa dal (pottukadalai).
In a pan add a tsp of oil saute the green chilies, garlic and when the garlic turns slightly brown add the roasted channa dal and saute till it gets brown a bit. Add salt.
Add in the peanuts and give it mix. Add salt. Cool and transfer to a blender and blend to a smooth paste with addition of just enough water to let the blades turn.
Transfer to a container. Prepare seasoning in a small pan and pour over the chutney.

Peanut Chutney - 2
Preparation Time:10 minutes
Cooking Time:15 minutes
Ingredients

2 cups of peanuts

6-8 galric cloves

3 green chilies

1/2 cup of roasted channa dal (pottukadalai)

1 tsp of cumin seeds

salt to taste

seasonings - mustard seeds, split urad dal, cumin seeds and curry leaves

2 tsp of oil

Method

In a saute pan add 1/2 tsp of oil,saute the garlic and green chilies, once the garlic starts to turn brown, add the cumin seeds followed by the roasted channa dal.

Add in the peanuts and salt. Let cool.

Transfer the contents to a blender and with the addition of some water blend to a smooth paste. Rinse out the blender and add the water to the chutney and thin the chutney to the required consistency.

In a small pan add oil, add the mustard seeds, cumin, urad dal and let it change color. Add in the curry leaves and pour over the chutney.

Serve with idli, dosai or paniyaram or any of the breakfast items.
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