Carrot Cake Smoothie
Enkare Nyrobi - Cool Water
I've been spending some time in the capital city of Kenya, Nairobi. Nairobi gets its name from the Masai phrase Enkare Nyrobi which means cool water. It perhaps was names so as its got the Nairobi River flowing through it. However, the river is no longer what I remembered it as. Its polluted and the flow has reduced due modernization. I was born and brought up in Nairobi but have been living in Mombasa for the past 35 years. Usually when hubby and I are traveling abroad, we do not bother to come into the city and prefer to catch our connecting flight. The traffic in Nairobi is a nightmare in spite of all the new highways and numerous inner roads. The new roads are not able to cope with the ever increasing number of cars on on the road. During this stay in Nairobi, we've been visiting several malls and other places of interests and I must admit though I've grown up here and have in previous years driven myself around, I'd now get lost if I had to drive.
Nairobi over the years has grown by leaps and bounds. Whenever you choose to stay you will have access to a mega or a reasonably good sized mall. Chains like Carrefour have opened up in several malls, availability of goods, be it food, clothes, gifts, electronics, etc is stupendous. Locally crafted items have become better in quality and more artisans are ready to experiments and create new souvenirs and gift items. Eating scene in Nairobi has changed drastically with so many different kinds of cuisines available.
However all this makes my heart feel really sad. Its not that I'm not happy that the progress that Kenya is making, however what makes me feel jealous, yes jealous is the fact that the rest of Kenya has forgotten that Mombasa exists. Whereas Nairobi and the surrounding towns and areas are improving, Mombasa is on the downslide at a rapid pace. Roads, rubbish collection, availability of goods, business opportunities are practically non existent. But we can only hope and pray that some development will be diverted to the coast.
Coming to today's recipe, its after quite a while that I'm taking part in the Fantastical Food Fight. The theme for the month of March, chosen by Sarah is Carrot Cake. For this theme we could make carrot cake or use the carrot cake flavors to make something different. As I'm into smoothies for breakfast these days, I opted to prepare a smoothie. I make it a point to have some turmeric powder everyday either in my smoothie or in hot water with lemon and honey. I made the carrot cake and turmeric smoothie for the first time and loved the flavors. It tastes just like a carrot cake but without all the sugar. I added oatmeal to give it a cake like taste. I've added a bit more of ginger powder as I love the taste of it. Adjust the amount of spices according to your taste. What's missing in the smoothie are some raisins, which I totally forgot to add. This smoothie was definitely so different in taste from my usual smoothie of banana and any other fruit. It was really filling as I didn't need a snack during mid morning.
If Sarah would not have suggested this theme, I would not have bothered to prepare this smoothie as I usually don't associate carrots with breakfast. However, this is one smoothie that one can enjoy for lunch, as a tummy filler in between meals or even as a light dinner option.
CARROT CAKE TURMERIC SMOOTHIE
Serves 1
1 medium carrot
2 tbsp oatmeal
2 tbsp cottage cheese(paneer), grated
1 tbsp chia seeds
¾ cup milk (any of your choice)
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp ginger powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp nutmeg powder
1-2 tbsp honey
For topping:
1 tsp grated carrot
1 tsp desiccated or fresh coconut
I've been spending some time in the capital city of Kenya, Nairobi. Nairobi gets its name from the Masai phrase Enkare Nyrobi which means cool water. It perhaps was names so as its got the Nairobi River flowing through it. However, the river is no longer what I remembered it as. Its polluted and the flow has reduced due modernization. I was born and brought up in Nairobi but have been living in Mombasa for the past 35 years. Usually when hubby and I are traveling abroad, we do not bother to come into the city and prefer to catch our connecting flight. The traffic in Nairobi is a nightmare in spite of all the new highways and numerous inner roads. The new roads are not able to cope with the ever increasing number of cars on on the road. During this stay in Nairobi, we've been visiting several malls and other places of interests and I must admit though I've grown up here and have in previous years driven myself around, I'd now get lost if I had to drive.
Nairobi over the years has grown by leaps and bounds. Whenever you choose to stay you will have access to a mega or a reasonably good sized mall. Chains like Carrefour have opened up in several malls, availability of goods, be it food, clothes, gifts, electronics, etc is stupendous. Locally crafted items have become better in quality and more artisans are ready to experiments and create new souvenirs and gift items. Eating scene in Nairobi has changed drastically with so many different kinds of cuisines available.
However all this makes my heart feel really sad. Its not that I'm not happy that the progress that Kenya is making, however what makes me feel jealous, yes jealous is the fact that the rest of Kenya has forgotten that Mombasa exists. Whereas Nairobi and the surrounding towns and areas are improving, Mombasa is on the downslide at a rapid pace. Roads, rubbish collection, availability of goods, business opportunities are practically non existent. But we can only hope and pray that some development will be diverted to the coast.
Coming to today's recipe, its after quite a while that I'm taking part in the Fantastical Food Fight. The theme for the month of March, chosen by Sarah is Carrot Cake. For this theme we could make carrot cake or use the carrot cake flavors to make something different. As I'm into smoothies for breakfast these days, I opted to prepare a smoothie. I make it a point to have some turmeric powder everyday either in my smoothie or in hot water with lemon and honey. I made the carrot cake and turmeric smoothie for the first time and loved the flavors. It tastes just like a carrot cake but without all the sugar. I added oatmeal to give it a cake like taste. I've added a bit more of ginger powder as I love the taste of it. Adjust the amount of spices according to your taste. What's missing in the smoothie are some raisins, which I totally forgot to add. This smoothie was definitely so different in taste from my usual smoothie of banana and any other fruit. It was really filling as I didn't need a snack during mid morning.
If Sarah would not have suggested this theme, I would not have bothered to prepare this smoothie as I usually don't associate carrots with breakfast. However, this is one smoothie that one can enjoy for lunch, as a tummy filler in between meals or even as a light dinner option.
CARROT CAKE TURMERIC SMOOTHIE
Serves 1
1 medium carrot
2 tbsp oatmeal
2 tbsp cottage cheese(paneer), grated
1 tbsp chia seeds
¾ cup milk (any of your choice)
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp ginger powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp nutmeg powder
1-2 tbsp honey
For topping:
1 tsp grated carrot
1 tsp desiccated or fresh coconut
- Peel and cut the carrot into slices or cubes. Steam it till it becomes soft.
- Add all the ingredients for the smoothie, including the steamed carrot into a blender and process it till its smooth.
- Pour into a serving glass and leave it in the fridge to chill for 20-25 minutes.
- Sprinkle some grated carrot and coconut on top and enjoy.
Tips:
- Next time I'd probably add more carrots.
- I added ½ tsp ginger powder as I love the taste of ginger. You can reduce the amount.
- I added turmeric powder to get the colour and also as I try and include turmeric in my smoothies or lemon water every morning.
- I added only 1 tbsp honey, but feel free to add any sweetener of your choice.
- Add greek yogurt or cream cheese instead of cottage cheese.
You may want to check out the following carrot recipes:
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| carrot and apple nut bread |
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| orange and saffron carrot halwa |
Sending this recipe to the following event:
Mayuri, it’s something new and different.. looks really yummy..
ReplyDeleteCarrot cake smoothie with turmeric and ginger sounds so interesting di..lovely variation to usual fruit smoothies
ReplyDeleteThis sounds quite nice - I like trying to find ways to get the turmeric in! I'm sorry that the Nairobi of your memory is getting lost. That seems to be happening everywhere, and I'm not always sure that 'modernization' is worth what's lost.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun take on carrot cake! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis looks delicious and nutritious. Thanks for sharing what's going on in Kenya too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to make a carrot cake smoothie!
ReplyDeleteLove the addition of turmeric to this. Smoothie was a great choice for today's theme. Thanks
ReplyDeleteIt is always the case that cities with political clout get all the attention and thrive, at least initially. But things do change slowly, as I have seen in India. The very development that is celebrated now will also be the cause of the downfall. Bangalore being a case in point.
ReplyDeleteComing to your Carrot Cake Smoothie, it is a great way to enjoy the flavours of the carror cake without the calories. It is the same reason I like Carrot Payasam; it is Gajar ka Halwa without the calories. :D
A drinkable piece of my favorite cake!! Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteModernization changes a lot of things, isn't it Mayuriji? Life isn't the same, true, there's so much luxury, but now missing the simple things in life... The carrot cake smoothie is such a brilliant idea, such a filler of a breakfast...
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious,filled with flavors
ReplyDeleteThe smoothie looks absolutely stunning! I am always intrigued to hear stories from other countries and really enjoyed your bit on Kenya in this post. Modernization definitely has its pros and cons (the pollution and traffic but availability of goods). It's always a bit of a culture shock for me when I visit home in Minnesota because it's all farmland and very small towns, whereas I live in a large city in East Tennessee now. For example, I have 4 or 5 McDonald's within a 5 mile radius, but in Minnesota, it was 1 and it was 20 miles away. We didn't have a mall where I grew up, but there are two large ones in my current city and tons of mini shopping malls. But where I grew up, it was relatively safe and peaceful - definitely less polluted and populated. Here in my city, the diversity of ethnicities and culture is widespread and incredible.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the smoothie must be nice and filling too. Perfect one for kids.
ReplyDeleteNever thought of making smoothie with carrot cake, seriously very interesting to finish leftover cakes as smoothie, my kids will definitely love this smoothie.
ReplyDeleteSmoothie and carrot cake both together? Now I can have my cake and eat it too :) Such a lovely creation of yours mayuri. Sounds so yummy.
ReplyDeleteThis is really such a healthy smoothie..Carrot cake with turmeric and ginger sounds so interesting !!
ReplyDeleteCarrot cake smoothie with the addition of turmeric..wow..this is one healthy smoothie that i am surely gonna try soon
ReplyDeleteWow carrot cake in a smoothie, never tried something like this, the smoothie looks so yum , have to try the recipe soon
ReplyDeleteCarrot cake smoothie sounds delicious and different. I will try this smoothie as I am going to start having only smoothies for breakfast.
ReplyDeleteI love how these themes bring out the best in our creativity. Else, we are stuck doing the usual, isn't it? Such things shake us up and the end result is fascinating, just like this smoothie. Great flavours, good dose of health and each sip makes you realise you are gorging on a carrot cake!
ReplyDeleteWith all the ingredients of a carrot cake I am sure this smoothie tasted great
ReplyDeleteStunning smoothie. This is completely new to me.. Sounds interesting and yummy !
ReplyDeleteSuperb. Very much new to try. Wonderful recipe.
ReplyDeleteOh yum!It would be lovely to sip my carrot cake from a glass. I love how you have created a similar flavour profile using cottage cheese, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg.
ReplyDeleteFilling smoothie for a quick breakfast.. Very interesting recipe for a hot day to quit cooking for a long in front of fire..
ReplyDeleteI have seen this smoothie on so many blogs but never tried it. It looks so filling and very inviting too.
ReplyDeleteWow Sommothie with cake.. Sounds yumm.. It is perfect for breakfast ..
ReplyDeleteThis quite interesting smoothie. I never had a smoothie with oats and cheese. Looks simple and delicious.
ReplyDeleteMayuri, Such a fabulous rendering to the place you have loved and super cool recipe. Have to try this as soon as i get back my blender.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the smoothie must be tasting superb with all those ingredients in it. Love that colour of it.
ReplyDeleteThe name of the smoothie itself is interesting...I'm sure it would tastes great...kids will love this for sure
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful smoothie !! love the addition of turmeric here :)
ReplyDeleteWow that is a delicious innovation. Love the idea of the smoothie with the carrot cake ingredients.
ReplyDeleteSmoothie looks rich and intense. Carrots are definitely the hero. Lovely share👍 But I find it so difficult to survive on smoothie for my breakfast 😗
ReplyDelete