Cleansing Broth/Clear soup

A recipe with excellent aroma and taste, I just loved it!!!! You can just have it hot or you can top it with diced veggies like carrot, cauliflower, corn, celery, zucchini, tofu, etc. Got this one from http://www.wholeliving.com/216560/cleansing-broth
Here is the recipe:
* Chop celery, onion, sweet potato, carrots....medium sized...one bowl each or so
* Add lots of water to a pot and boil it and then add veggies.
* Place it in mid flame and cover with lid and leave it for 20mins.
* Then add spinach, parsley(I forgot to get it), salt and crushed black pepper.
* Cook for few mins and then turn off
* After like 10mins or so, just filter and trash the veggies.
* Broth tastes yummy by itself, you can save it in fridge in tight container for few days.
* You can use the broth and top some more veggies and cook for few mins and serve hot.
More pictures..Cleansing Broth

Mango Pie

Jan 23rd is National Pie Day, so @ work there was a pie contest and last minute decision to do this recipe and won the contest too!!! So was happy. Personally, this recipe is not my fav, but would love to try this with fresh ripe sweet mangoes in few months down the lane. Here we go...easy and quick recipe...but need to collect stuff from Safeway or Any american store and Mango Pulp from Indian store.
Ingredients:
* 2 - Ten inch Graham Cracker Crust (baking aisle) or 3- 8 or 9" crusts
* Knox unflavored Gelatin 1 pack - has 4 tiny packs in it (baking aisle) - use only 3 packs
* One 8 Oz Lite whipped Cream (frozen/fridge)
* One 8 Oz Philadelphia Reduced fat Cream Cheese (fridge)
* One Mango Pulp Tin from Indian store (or 3 cups mango puree)
* 1 cup sugar (can reduce if Mango is really sweet)

Recipe: (please use 1/3rd of all ingredients if trying only one 8" pie)
* Add 1.5cups cold water to 3 tiny packs of Gelatin, stir well and let it stay for 2 mins.
* Add 3/4th cup boiling hot water to the above and stir well and let it cool.
* In a big bowl, add all the ingredients and beat well using manual or electric whisk.
* Pour it into the crust and let it sit in Fridge for 3 to 4 hrs.
   (Close using the plastic lid that is part of the crust.)
* Top with any fruits or serve plain slices.

I missed to picture the slices, will do when I make it with fresh mangoes next time. If there is remaining liquid, pour it in small bowls and set them in fridge.
Detailed pictures...Mango Pie

Keerai Kadasal (Spinach gravy)

An interesting spinach recipe, some of you might be making it already. It goes well with rice, idli, dosas. I liked it fresh and hot.
* Dry fry very little dhania, jeera and one red chilli
* Add oil to tava, add half onion chopped and half tomato chopped, fry for few mins
* Add one small pack spinach (just wash and add it without chopping) and little salt.
* Cook for few minutes and let it cool down.
* Cook toor dhaal, like quarter cup or less with one garlic piece and turmeric in pressure cooker.
* Finally grind all in the blender.
* Boil the ground paste for just a minute or two and serve hot.
More pictures...Keerai Kadasal

Homemade Curd (Yoghurt)

This post is for people who live in US...

Since I see some of my friends struggling to make curd at home, I just wanted to write up on this one. Here is how I get curd done and I can bet I haven't seen any curd matching to this...
* Take 3 tablespoons or bigger spoon yogurt (store bought- I use TJ Organic plain non-fat yoghurt) and stir in a small cup and leave it out.
* Boil milk in stove..I do boil to the full raising level....like 3 to 4 glasses of milk (8oz glass).
I use 1% TJ Organic milk. Even you use fat free milk, it will set really well in this method, leaving the water on top.
* Turn off stove and leave it on the countertop with timer on for 35mins or half hot.
* Pour it into a container that will fit in your hotpack.
* Stir in the yoghurt into milk and stir well.
* Place it with a lid inside the hotpack and close it well.
* Let it sit for 3hrs and then you open it will be well set curd. Summer or winter doesn't matter.

Tip: Just make sure you mix the yoghurt to milk when it is half hot itself.