MANGO JAM (JELLY)

MANGO JAM (Jelly)

In India mango is called “falo ka raja” which means the king of all fruits. I did some research on Google and came to know that this fruit is largely grown in south east Asia, and almost half of the world's mangoes are cultivated in India alone. After reading that I felt good and proud for India, partly being an Indian origin person and partly being a mango lover. Though India is the largest producer of mangoes surprisingly we Indians consume all its production, and not much is exported. I assume not only because of the country's large population but because of the taste of mango and variety available in India. And off-course people like me who really love mangoes.

In India different varieties have different names like alphonso, totapuri, safeda, langra and many more. My favourite is dashehri, which is famous from the city of Lucknow. Lucknow is the closest city to Kanpur. We were getting a lot of this variety in Kanpur, where I lived for many years in my youth, when I was at school and college.

In this mango jam I did not use any colour or preservative (pectin), it can be kept in the fridge and can last for two months. The natural colour of mango is so nice, there is no need to add any colour. In jams some fruits like mango gives so nice flavour and aroma that you are tempted to really eat big dollops of it on your toast!

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 500 grams chopped mangoes
• 400 grams sugar

METHOD

• Make a puree in the blender with chopped mangoes.
• Mix mango puree and sugar together.
• In a fry pan or heavy bottomed wok cook the puree with sugar on a low flame.
• Keep on stirring, it will take 15-20 minutes to get the consistency of thick jam.
• Leave it to cool.
• If you are using cooking thermometer, check the temperature, when it is showing 90 degrees C, it means jam is ready to its real consistency
• When cold, keep in a sterilize glass jar or bottle and keep it in the fridge. Mango jam is ready to eat.

I am sending this recipe as my blog entry for What'd you do this weekend, and with Cook Blog share., and with Tasty Tuesday party, and with Creative spark link party, and my two favorite things on thrusday party, and Friday Frenzy party, and with Meat less monday, and with Foodie Friday party, and with Hearth and Soul hop, and with Thank goodness it is thrusday, and with Funtastic Friday, and with Healthy, happy and green.

LENTIL STUFFED BELL PEPPER

    LENTIL STUFFED BELL PEPPER

After my retirement when I was leaving Botswana in 2011 for good, I stayed in a hotel for 3 days. The hotel was very good, a 4 star one, but I was not sure whether I will get vegetarian food or not for my three day stay. I have experienced, in my long stay in Africa, that to get vegetarian food was always a problem.

So I made a request at the reception, to see the head chef of their main restaurant. We both, me and my husband, were thinking that we will request the head chef to prepare some vegetarian food for us in those three days.  After meeting the chef, I realized that he was my old student to whom I taught few years ago! He assured us that he will prepare nice vegetarian dishes for us, which was a big relief.

We both were totally amazed and impressed with his cooking in those three days. He prepared a variety of vegetarian dishes for us. This stuffed bell pepper was one of his best preparations. When he brought this dish to the table I could not believe that this is a vegetarian dish. The taste was awesome. Most of the filling was of lentils with some potatoes and onion with spices.   

Later I tried this dish in my kitchen basing on the taste of that day, it came out remarkably good. Thanks to that chef for offering me the dish. Now it is regularly made in my kitchen.

                    

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 8 red/orange or green bell pepper of medium size
• 1 cup whole brown Lentil
• 200 grams potatoes (2 medium sizes)
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 tablespoon oil for coating the bell pepper
• 200 grams grated mozzarella cheese

   METHOD

• Rinse, remove the stem of the pepper, cut half way through, and put it aside.
• Wash and rinse the lentils 3-4 times in water. Put in a pressure cooker with 1 and ½ cup of water, add salt and boil for 5-7 minutes after the whistle on a medium flame. Leave it to cool.
• Boil the potatoes, and after cooling them chop finely.
• In a big bowl, add potatoes and boiled lentils, salt, black pepper, dry coriander powder and mix thoroughly. The filling is ready.
• Take all the bell peppers and coat the outer skin with oil or spray them with oil. Stuff this filling in all the peppers. Heat the oven to 200 degrees C.
• Arrange the peppers standing in a tray. Bake the pepper for 20 -25 minutes till the pepper is tender from outside.
• Individually on each pepper sprinkle the cheese on top leave it for another 5 minutes in the oven so that cheese can melt and brown a little on the outside.

Serve hot as soon as it is out of the oven. This is a full meal, can be served with toasted bread or dinner bun, with any drink of your choice. This can be served to 6-8 people.

I am sending this recipe as my blog entry for Weekend Recipe linkup party, and Bake of the week  party, and with Food Year linkup March, and with My Legume Love Affair , and with bake fest party,and with Credit crunch munch under pressure cooker cooking, and with real food Friday

And with Cook blog share,and for First blog Anniversary, and for Meatless Monday, and with What'd you do this weekend.





























I am also sending this recipe as my blog entry for Tasty Tuesday event at creative kids, and with Tasty Tuesday at HonestMum.com., and with Hearth and Soul Hop event, and Friday Free For All February, and with Thursday link party, and Recipe of the week.

COCONUT STRAWBERRY PINWHEEL

COCONUT STRAWBERRY PINWHEEL

#Edited: This post was feature as best post of the week at Foodie Friday weekly party on 27th February 2015.

Happy Valentines day to every one...

“ If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love” Maya Angelou.

Such a nice quote on love by Maya Angelou.

People say that in February, love is in the air because of Valentine day. But I think love is as important as our soul for survival, it should be there, everyday in our life. The day we are born to the day we die, love should always be there in our life to survive, so I think love should always be there in the air.

I would like to share a short story here, which I read few years ago on the internet..... One old man of 70 years old, went to see a doctor at 9 A.M. During the process of his treatment that man was looking very impatient and was checking time again and again on his wrist watch. Then doctor asked him, “Are you in a hurry or do you have to go some where?” It was already 9.30, then the man replied “I have to go and see my wife in the hospital, where she is getting treatment of Alzheimer disease from last five years. I go every day at 10 A.M. and have breakfast with her”. Then the doctor replied “that is very good, but does she recognize you?” The man took a deep breath and said no....... but I know she is my wife.” I really liked this short story, and we can really understand the meaning of love through this story.

Coming to the recipe, this is a very simple recipe in which I used only three ingredients, and it does not take a long time to make but still looks great and tastes nice. For the pink colour I have used strawberries because I do not use any artificial colour in my cooking.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups coconut powder
• 1 tin sweetened condensed milk(300ml)
• 100 grams strawberry

Method

• Make puree of the strawberry and cook for 5-10 minutes on low flame in a fry pan.
• Add one cup coconut powder and half tin condensed milk, cook for another five minutes. Leave it aside to cool.
• Mix remaining one cup of coconut powder and ½ tin condensed milk, cook on medium flame for 5 minutes.
• Take a cling wrap around 15 inches long, spread it on a table.
• First take the pink mixture and spread thinly like a flat sheet with fingers or rolling pin, in a big oval shape.
• Now spread the white mixture on top of it, and
  thinly roll it, keep it in the fridge for four hours.
• Cut small slices and serve.

I am sending this recipe as my blog entry for Foodie Friday event., and for Recipe of the Week event, and with Tasty Tuesday, and What'd do you do this Weekend, and Friday Frenzy party, and with Cook Blog share, and for .First Blog Aniversary, and for Creative spark link Party, and with Funtastic Friday, and with Friday free for all, and with Treat petite, and with Meatless Monday,and with Fiesta Friday with co host Carolines cooking and co host La Petite.