Recipe for carrot milkshake

Recipe for carrot milkshake

There are few drinks which I make for my kids in the morning before school or as a mid day drink when they are at home. Carrot milkshake is one among it.

Ingredients

Medium sized carrot ( peeled and roughly chopped ) - 2

Milk - 2 cups

For sweetening - sugar or  yellow palm sugar 

Method

Take a small size pressure cooker and throw in the chopped carrot and 3/4 cup of milk and cook for 1-2 whistles.

Once the pressure releases blend the mixture well and add the rest of the milk to it.

For sweetening add sugar or any other sweetener. 

(I add yellow palm sugar/candy which is the crystallized form of palm sugar and has its own medicinal values specially when its the season of cough and cold. )

Once it is blend well its ready to serve.

TIP: Your can blend some soaked almonds/walnuts to make it healthier and  is helpful for the kids when they are out in school for long hours. 
For blending you can either use a stick blender or a mixer. I use Braun chopper, yes it blends really well :)

Thanks
Chaithanya :)

Carrot and hazelnut milk shake

One of those days when I dint have any fruits or any other things which I usually give for kids during their snacks time.. I checked my fridge to find carrots and then thought of making a milk shake. For a twist I added some hazelnuts. Easy to make, healthy and nutritious too..

Ingredients

Milk - 2 cups

Carrots - 2 med sizes

Hazelnuts - a handful

Sugar ( I used organic sugar) or honey

Method

Chop the carrots and throw it in the pressure cooker along with the hazelnuts. Pressure cook until it gets cooked. Once it is gets cooked blend it with milk and sugar and serve. 

Easy and enjoy!

Sweet and spicy tomato carrot jam

This is a great way to celebrate the tomato and red carrot season of the year. All you need is a kg of tomato and half kg of carrots. This jam/preserve can be used for sandwiches, chappathis and even dosas. It has that sweet and spiced tangy taste. I would say the tangy taste is very subtle in this jam. Easy to make and easy to taste.

Following is the recipe for the same
Ingredients 
Tomatoes - 1 kg ( remove the skin and puree - would come up to 4 cups)
Red carrots - 1/2 kg ( peel and finely chopped - would come upto 2 cups)
Sugar - 3 cups
Spices- cloves, cardamon, cinnamon , pepper corns, star anise.


Method
Mix the tomato puree/paste and the finely diced carrots( I used food processor) in a wide thick bottom pan. Sprinkle the sugar and mix well. Keep it on flame and keep stirring it. Be very careful as it releases a lots of water, hence bubbles up a lot. Add in the spices, to your level of taste, and you have the option to omit if you don't like any of all of the spices. But adding spices gives it a distinct taste, flavor and aroma.
Keep stirring until the jam thickens and store in sterilized jar while it is still hot. Close the jar once the content is cooled.

Your jam is ready!!!!

Carrot jam using jaggery

Few weeks back made carrot halwa using red carrots in season,  this time I bought one kg of red carrots again, but dint feel like making the heavy creamy sweet carrot halwa again, and hence thought of experimenting with it, something healthy and which can be stored for a couple of days.

This jam is very simple to make, delicious and of course healthy, also has shelf life for few days. This is how I made it.

Ingredients
Red carrots - 1 kg
Jaggery syrup - 1 cup (take one cup jaggery syrup when you melt 500 gms jaggery with 1 cup of water)
Cardamom powder - a pinch

Method
Wash, peel and finely chop the carrots in a food processor  or in the mixie jar ( make sure you dont make a juice of it  :)  ).
Keep a big thick bottomed vessel on the stove, put the chopped carrots and sprinkle some water and cook the carrots, once half cooked pour in the jaggery syrup and keep stirring until the mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the pan. Sprinkle some cardamom powder and mix well.
Remove from heat and transfer into sterilized glass jars. Enjoy with dosas, rotis or enjoy it as it is :)

Pickled carrots

That was a weekend when my refrigerator was empty leaving behind few carrots and was thinking of making something quick and low calorie.. Of course carrot halwa went through my mind but they say it tastes better with orange carrots. Hence thought of pickling it and it hardly took anytime. And it harldy took time to see my jar being emptied too. But would recommend to let it sit for few hours/days for the flavor to get into those carrots. The recipe is as follows

Ingredients
Carrots ( I used the thin ones) - about 1 kg
Water - 1 cup
Vinegar - 1/3 cup ( if you want more sourness you can increase the measurement)
Salt and sugar -as required.
Green chillies, ginger and garlic - optional and as required.
Sugar - a few tspns (optional)

Method
Wash the carrots well and if you are used to peeling carrots, I know few people who wash it thoroughly and not peeling it , its up-to you :) Chopthe carrots into strips, may be one carrot should yield about 6-8 depending on the thickness of the carrots.
Once the carrots are chopped steam in a steamer for about 5-7 minutes, make sure you don't cook it, you just have to make it slightly tender or if you choose to skip this step, please feel free to do so too.
I steamed for 5-7 mins and then dipped those carrots in cold water to avoid further cooking.
Once your carrots are ready, put it in a clean glass jar.
Pour the water and vinegar and add all the other ingredients and please leave it untouched for atleast 12 hours ( preferably)
If you feel you need more sourness you can add more vinegar too
If you have taken more carrots and if you feel you need to add more water and adjust the other ingredients feel free to do so 
You can also add crushed peppercorns, powdered jeera, options are endless. I am for sure going to try this with few other vegetables too.
Try pickling a no fuss carrot pickle and enjoy!! 

Couscous with steamed vegetables

 This is specially for weigh watchers and is very very simple to make, assemble and fill your tummy for a quick dinner .. Here goes the recipe for the same

Ingredients
Couscous - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Salt - as required
A mix of vegs like carrot, mushroom , baby corn  or any of your choice in number and variety
For seasoning 
Extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbspn
Pepper powder - a pinch or as required
Fresh thyme - 2 - 3 tspns
Juice of one lime

Method
Boil the water, switch off the stove and add in the couscous and  a teaspoon of olive oil  and close it with lid for 10 mins.  Open and with a fork to check whether the couscous have absorbed all the water and become soft and fluffy  Add in the vegetables to this and also do the seasoning , mix well and enjoy!!

Steel cut oats with spicy butter milk

My recent discovery is about steel cut oats, yes a very good friend mentioned about this to me, she has been sourcing from abroad but now since everything is very much available in India, I could procure it easily with no difficulties.

Personally speaking I dont prefer the bland nature of oats and hence I resort making dosas/pancakes/crepes with it with different combinations otherwise a porridge using milk and sugar. Once can always substitute sugar with natural sweeteners like fresh fruits or dry fruits but when I planned on using this oats I had loads of buttermilk in my kitchen, hence tried this way. Recipe follows

Ingredients

Steel cut oats - 1/2 cup

Water- 1 1/2 cup

Buttermilk - 2 cups

Cucumber - 2 

Carrots - 2 

Bird eye chillies - 3- 5 

Basil leaves

Salt and pepper

Method

Place the water in a sauce pan and let it boil and add the oats into the boiling water. Keep stirring and cook the oats for around 5-7 minutes and remove from fire. Pour in the buttermilk , chop in the carrots and cucumber and slightly mashed or well mashed chillies and also tear in the basil leaves into it . Add salt and pepper to your taste. If you wish you may avoid pepper and its done!

And I vouch its tasty for your tongue and easy on your tummy 

Enjoy!