Pohe / Seasoned Flattened Rice Snack

I come from a family of breakfast eaters...we always eat breakfast, no matter what time we wake up !! Traditionally though, the breakfasts that my mom prepared for us were usually savoury. It was only after I came to the US that I found out that people here preferred their breakfasts on the sweet side !
The recipe that I have today is one that we often had in the mornings before we went off to school. It is simple, quick to prepare and quite delicious ! Maharashtrians call it 'kanda Pohe' and in Kannada, it is called
'Oggarisida avalakki' . What it is , is a simple preparation of seasoned flattened rice, garnished with fresh coconut and cilantro leaves.



Ingredients:
1 C flattened rice (pohe, avalakki)
1 tbsp canola oil (or oil of choice)
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbsp peanuts
1 -2 green chiles
1/2 C finely chopped onion
1/4 C finely diced potatoes or green peas (optional)
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 tbsp fresh shredded coconut
2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
juice of half a lemon

Method:
1. Soak the flattened rice in plenty of water for a couple of minutes and then drain completely and set aside.
2. Add the salt and the sugar to the flattened rice, mix well.
3. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the urad dal, chana dal, peanuts and the mustard. When the dals brown slightly and the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the green chiles and the onion.
4. Saute for a few minutes on medium heat. The onion should retain a slight crunch.
5. Add the turmeric to the onion mixture and mix well.
6. If using potatoes or peas, add them to the pan now and cook until the veggies are tender.
7. Pour the lemon juice and mix.
8. Add the flattened rice and mix thoroughly. Be gentle, though, you dont want the avalakki flakes to get crushed !
9. Sprinkle the coconut and the cilantro on top and serve hot !

Enjoy a plateful of this simple dish as breakfast or as snack with a hot cup of coffee , tea or beverage of your choice  !

Side Notes :
1. I have had this dish where the cook used so much oil that there was a layer on the bottom of the plate..Although this might increase the flavor and give a crunchy fried mouth feel, it is neither healthy nor necessary to use so much. Just use your judgement and make the dish a healthy one!
2. You can buy flattened rice in big packs in Indian grocery stores. There are two types - thick and thin...This recipe needs the thick variety...the thin avalakki will not be able to stand up to the soaking.
3. Try flattened rice made out of brown rice, if available in your store.

Usher in the new year with something sweet !

I hope your new year is off to a great start ! I spent a quiet evening with my family at home....couldnt even keep my eyes open to see the ball drop ! I guess having a 10 month old whose nightly sleep patterns can best be described as sporadic, will do that to you !
Coming to the recipe, I guess its been around for a long time, judging by the number of variations on the internet and how long people have been making it and delighting others with it :)
I only made slight changes to account for available ingredients.
Without further ado, then - here is the recipe for my magic cookie bars with oats crust!

  

Ingredients:
1.5 cups toasted oats
5 tbsp butter (melted)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 can condensed milk
1 C shredded sweetened coconut
1 C mixed nuts of choice
1 C chocolate chips

Method:
1. The original recipe called for a crust made with crushed graham crackers. But since I didnt have any on hand, despite the grocery trip that I made the previous day, I had to come up with one made with oats.
I toasted 1.5 C of plain rolled oats on the stovetop and pulverized them in my mini food chopper after they cooled down.
2. Add the cardamom powder to the oats.
3. Melt the butter and mix with the oats mixture. I used a 1/2 cup of butter that the recipe called for, but I think a little less will do as well.
4. Press the mixture into a 9 X 9 or a 13 X 9 pan. The larger pan will give flatter bars and the smaller pan will give thicker ones.
5. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the crust.
6. Layer the nuts, coconut and chocolate chips evenly over the condensed milk.
7. With a spatula, press everything evenly so that the condensed milk seeps upwards into the other layers. Alternatively , some sites suggest that you could pour the condensed milk as the last layer over the other ingredients.
8. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, until the coconut browns a little and chocolate chips melt a tad.
9. Cool , slice and serve !
10. If for some reason, you have difficulty slicing, refrigerate overnight and then slice the next day.

Be aware that this is in no way a healthy recipe :D ...With the condensed milk, chocolate chips and the sweetened coconut flakes, this is pure sugar overload. So make tiny slices and enjoy moderately.
That said, the oats crust added a nice crunch and a contrast to the sweet filling. This is a decadent dessert and should be enjoyed sparingly. But do try it at least once and share it with family , friends and colleagues and see their love for you exponentially increase with each bite !

Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year ! May the new year herald the beginning of good tidings, an abundance of health and happiness and a celebration of everything that is dear to you !!

Yoplait Chocolate Banana Smoothie Review and Giveaway

Update : This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations Springbird ! You should receive your prize pack soon !  

I find that Smoothies are a very convenient way to get your nutrients - combine all your main ingredients , give them a whiz ,  add in any toppings or flavorings and you have a portable, delicious and nutritious meal in a glass (or a cup or however you choose to drink it!) They are customizable, enjoyed by all age groups and pretty easy to make at home.

I love smoothies and I make them at home all the time...so when I was sent the Yoplait Chocolate Banana smoothie to try and review, I was curious..to say the least..
The prize pack that I received contained the following:
* A VIP coupon for a sample of Yoplait Chocolate Banana Smoothie
* A neck pillow
* A Smoothie tumbler
* Lavender eye mask

Each smoothie pack contains enough frozen fruit and yogurt to make 2 8oz servings...You still need a blender to make the smoothie. I used the smoothie pack along with a cup of 2 % milk to make 2 servings of smoothie which I then gave to my husband and 5 year old son to try...Since anything with chocolate is met with no resistance at my home, I gathered that the taste was good enough! I could see that the smoothie was pretty thick and chocolate-y.
The smoothies have live and active cultures and provide 50% of the daily recommended calcium values. They are available in your grocer's freezer in several different flavors.

That said, I couldnt really see the value of this product. Anybody with a blender at home can easily whip up any kind of smoothie themselves at a lesser price and with the added satisfaction of using fresh ingredients.
The smoothie packs might be useful to have as backups in the freezer for those occasions when you are out of yogurt or fruits and have a hankering for a smoothie.

One of you can win the exact same prize pack that I reviewed and try the smoothie yourself !  All you have to do is leave a comment telling me what flavor of Yoplait Smoothie you would like to see in the markets next. The giveaway will be open until December 13 11.59 pm CST . Please include your email ids so that I can inform you if you win !
You can also download a coupon for the Yoplait Smoothie here

If you are interested in learning more about the product, check out the following links:
Yoplait Frozen Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie Website
Yoplait Smoothie's Facebook page
Yoplait Smoothie's Twitter Handle


Disclosure: The Yoplait VIP Coupon, information and the giveaway have been provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark. The opinions, however are all mine!

Vegan Mango Muffins from Holy Cow

As the temperature in North Dallas starts its downward journey, I was tempted to pay one last tribute to summer. I had seen this recipe a few months back and had planned to make them. I followed the recipe exactly as in the original recipe at Holy Cow. So I won't repeat it again here.
You can find the original recipe at Vaishali's Holy Cow, where she has an amazing collection of vegan recipes!

The only changes I made were to bake these in a mini muffin pan. The batter was enough for 24 mini muffins and a mini loaf. I also added some cardamom powder along with some nutmeg because I think mango and cardamom make such an enticing combination! I also added some chopped almonds.I had only sweetened mango pulp, so I added a little less sugar than the recipe suggested. You can adjust the sweetener according to the type of mango pulp you use and according to your own preference, of course :-)

These were the perfect size to put in my son's snack box for school and also the right portion for an anytime snack for me. The mango flavor really does shine through with every bite.
Do try these...I am sure you will not be disappointed !

Barley Vegetable Salad for World Vegan Day !

I am kind of in the middle of a pantry cleaning project. What I mean is, I haven't set myself any deadline to finish this project in, nor have I restricted myself from going to the grocery store, however, I am trying to use up the myriad things in my pantry that I have collected over my myriad trips to the grocery over the months - things that seemed new or interesting or just the ingredient for the awesome recipe that I read on the internet...you get the idea.
So, I had this packet of quick cooking barley on one of my shelves and I had lunch to make for myself - ingredients met need and my vegetable barley salad was born ! Its a pretty quick and forgiving recipe - while the barley is cooking, you could get all the other ingredients chopped and in 15 minutes you would find yourselves with a hearty dish that will satisfy your palate and your tummy !

Ingredients:
1/2 C quick cooking barley
3/4 C chopped raw vegetables (cucumber, red / green / yellow bell pepper, carrots)
1/4 C frozen peas or corn (thawed)
1 tsp lemon or lime juice (fresh preferred)
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne powder (optional)
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro leaves  
Additional toppings :
2 saltine crackers
1 tsp chopped peanuts
1 tsp dried cranberries or raisins  

Method:
1.Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a wide pan. Add quick cooking barley and cook for about 5 -8 mins until al dente (Follow directions on packet or until you get the desired texture for barley) Make sure its not overcooked, because you do not want mushy barley in your salad ! )
2.In the meantime, chop all vegetables, thaw out any frozen veggies, if using. Drain the cooked barley and rinse in cold water.
3.Combine with the vegetables. Add lemon juice, salt, black pepper, cayenne powder if using and mix well . 4.Let rest for about 10 minutes for the flavours to combine. Do a taste test and adjust accordingly.
5.Sprinkle cilantro leaves and any other toppings and dig in !

You wont be hungry , I promise !

Notes: You can use pearl barley here, just adjust the cooking times.
Barley is a major cereal grain and is considered quite nutritious. It is a low glycemic index food and will not cause your blood sugar to spike. It is a great source of fiber and is naturally cholesterol free and lowfat.
It also contains several vitamins and minerals necessary for good health. However, it does contain gluten, so cannot be consumed by people with wheat allergies.
(Information from http://www.barleyfoods.org/nutrition.html )



Have you tried barley before ? Do share your favourite vegetarian barley recipes !

Happy World Vegan Day !