mayurisjikoni

wholesome dal     Whole masoor, flat lentils or puy lentils as they are called are packed with proteins, dietary fibres and Vitamin B1. The colours of these legumes or lentils range from yellow to orange red  to green, brown and black. They are used in making curries, soups and even salads. Today I will share with you the recipe of spinach masoor dal. Serve it with hot rotis, bread or rice.     This lentil cooks well and quickly. I usually soak it for 30 minutes or so in warm water and then put it in the pressure cooker. 2-3 whistles and its done. You may even just boil it in enough water in a saucepan till done. updated on 28/09/2015 SPINACH MASOOR DAL 4 serving 1 cup whole masoor dal (flat lentils, puy) 2 cups of roughly chopped spinach ( if using frozen spinach then you may need about 6 pieces) (about a cup of spinach puree) 4 cups water of which 2 cups should be warm 1 big onion finely chopped 6 cloves of garlic finely chopped or 1 tbsp garlic paste 1 t...

an absolute healthy start to a meal     I love tomatoes. Its such a versatile fruit and an important ingredient for most dishes whether it be curries or salads. My all time favourite is tomato soup. Ready made tomato soup whether in restaurants or from packets is a bit tangy. So I made a few amendments to suit the taste buds of all in the family. Hope you like it too. Note that in this recipe I have not used oil or butter. No wonder its an excellent healthy start to a meal. A cup of soup before a meal helps you to cut down on meal portions. Soup, bread and salad make an excellent light meal option. I add different herbs, fresh or dried every time I make the soup. Carrots add natural sweetness to balance the tangy taste of tomatoes. For vegetarians its an alternate to chicken soup when you are down and low and need something warm. updated 26/01/2016 TOMATO CARROT SOUP for 2 4 tomatoes cut into chunks 2 carrots peeled and cut into chunks 1 medium onion peeled and cut into chunks...

five vegetables a day     Ten servings of fruits and vegetables a day is what is recommended as a part of an ideal meal plan. That gets one thinking that if I am suppose to eat all those veggies and fruits then when do I eat the rest? The rest I mean the yummy stuff like breads, rice, cakes, muffins etc. Its pretty simple, have a salad everyday and it will take care of your 5-6 servings of vegetables and fruits. Today this salad recipe does take care of at least five. My blog will feature a lot of salad recipes because that's a part of our meal everyday. I have included coriander leaves as a vegetable as one should not underestimate its health benefits. A cleansing agent, rich in iron, magnesium, an antioxidant, reduces flatulent are just some of the reasons why you should have coriander leaves. In some stores it is sold as cilantro. The spicy and tangy flavours all make this an interesting salad, one that you can have a meal on its own. Refreshing and healthy, go on try it. u...

just an indian sweet or a dessert? It seems Neel is missing home cooked food as he has been requesting me time and again to give him the exact recipe for shrikhand. Exact recipe, how is that possible?  I learnt how to make shrikhand from nunu, but I never bothered to ask her for the exact measurements. However, I just learnt how to make it as it was a very popular dish in our family. It is Nunu­­­´s favourite and the kids too love it. Well Neel, since I have started writing the blog, my jikoni is not just for cooking but also a place where I am measuring every ingredient I use for the recipes. Over the weekend, I actually made the shrikhand and measured all the ingredients just for you. Its very easy to make. In my opinion it is not just another indian sweet dish but could be served as a dessert if you are innovative. All those  who get greek yogurt in the shops can use that. Unfortunately, the shops here do not sell greek yogurt so I have to make the yogurt at home to make th...

First Ekadashi for the Year 2012    Ekadashi is the eleventh day of the lunar month in the hindu calendar.Therefore Ekadashi comes twice a month. It is considered a spiritual day by most Hindus and devotees fast on Ekadashi. The fasting varies for individuals, some fast the whole day without water and food, some just eat fruit and some take one meal.  My childhood memories are my grandmother fasting on Ekadashi. My mum would prepare sama or moriyo ni khichdi for her. That would be her lunch and a glass of milk at night. However, we were not allowed to even dip our little fingers in the khichdi to taste it.  After marriage, Ekadashi was a fast normally observed by all. So naturally I also got into the habit of fasting on Ekadashi. However, the fast was not so austere. My mother in law would allow us have fruits, nuts, milk, milk based desserts in the evening. It became a fun time for my kids (yes they too fasted) as that's the only time we would make chips or French f...

remembering my mum      My mum was a very good cook where traditional gujarati dishes were concerned. I can't remember her ever wanting to try out the new western dishes like pizza, tacos, burgers etc. I think she left that to my kaki and me to try out during the weekends. I will at a later stage include recipes that I learnt from my mum but for today I have to mention her most famous dish.... vaghareli rotli. My mum made the best vaghareli rotli. This  simple dish is a popular meal in our household. All of us have tried to make it like mum's but there is still something missing. I think its simply the love that she added. Everyone from us siblings to my cousins loved it when my mum made it. Vaghareli rotli can be a snack time meal tasting yummy when sprinkled with a bit of chevdo, bhusu or sev or it can be a wholesome but light dinner meal. The following recipe  is for 2 as a meal, for 4 as a snack and God save you if you have to share it with my brother, Nimes...

Sweet luscious mangoes   Its mango season in Kenya and most people just love to have them for breakfast,lunch and dessert. Its like anytime is mango time. Kenya grows some very good varieties of mangoes such as boribo, dodo, and apple mango to name a few. Most of these mangoes are grown in the coastal area. While boribo is generally lemony yellow in colour and a bit fibrous,it is good for salads, cooking and refreshing juice and a popular choice for most because its the cheapest. Unripe dodo is generally used for pickles, achar, cooking, eating with chilli while the ripe one is used for mango juice and aamras. The king of mangoes, the apple mango is sweet, orangey and not fibrous... the perfect choice to serve with ice cream, to have on its own or to use it for desserts. So I thought, why not make some mango muffins. I baked some this afternoon for the first time and they have turned out pretty good and are eggless. 22/05/2015 Updated  Since I  baked these muffins for the...