Lebanese Mouhallabia – Milk Pudding | International Recipes

Middle east is famous for desserts because they need cool food to beat their hot climate. Now that summer has come, we also need lot of cool recipes. The good thing about this Lebanese Mouhallabia is that it needs only ingredients that are readily available in the  kitchen. Also, it takes hardly 5 mins to prepare.

Recipe Cuisine : International / Lebanon | Recipe Category: Dessert

Preparation Time: 2 mins  | Cooking Time: 10 mins | Yields: 2-3 cups

Ingredients:

Milk	1 ½ cup  + 2 tbsp ( 1 cup = 240 ml)
Corn Flour	1 tbsp
Sugar	3 tbsp
Rose Water	2 tsp
Chopped Nuts (badam, pista)	3 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Add milk and sugar in a wide thick bottom pan. Bring it to boil. Keep the flame at medium only.

2. Mix corn flour with 2 tbsp of milk without lumps.

3. Add this corn flour mixture with the boiling mil mixture. Mix them well and cook till the mixture becomes thick. Switch off the flame

4. Add rose water and mix them well.

5. Pour into serving bowl and allow it to cool down completely. Chill them until serve.

6. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the top of the pudding before serve.

            Tasty and easy 5 mins Labanese milk pudding ( Mouhallabia) is ready to serve.

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Vazhaipoo Poriyal / Banana Flower Stir Fry | Vazhaipoo Recipes

This is a regular recipe which everyone makes. This is my style of vazhaipoo porial.

Related Links:

1. Banana Flower Koftha

2. Banana Flower Bonda

3. How to clean and cut banana flower?

Click HERE to view 30+ Stirfry / Poriyal Recipes.

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Stir Fry / Poriyal

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Cooking Time: 20 mins | Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients:

Chopped Banana Flower	2 cups ( 1 cup = 240 ml)
Split Green Gram (moong dal / Pasiparuppu)	¼ cup
Turmeric Powder	½ tsp
Salt	As required
To Temper:
Oil	2 tsp
Mustard Seeds	½ tsp
Chana Dal / Kadalai Paruppu	1 tsp
Green Chilli	2
Curry Leaves	1 spring
Chopped Onion	½ cup
To Taste:
Grated Coconut	¼-1/2 cup

Procedure:

1. Pressure cook the chopped banana flower, turmeric power and split green gram with ¼ cup of water for 2 whistle in medium flame.  Allow it to cool down completely.

2. Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and wait for popping.

3. Add chana dal and fry for few seconds.

4. Add curry leaves and fry till they become crisp.

5. Add chopped green chillies and sauté for few seconds.

6. Add chopped onion and sauté till they become translucent.

7. Add cooked banana flower and dal mixture (from 1) and salt. Mix them well and cool till the water evaporates completely.

8. Finally add grated coconut; mix them gently and switch off the flame. Leave it for 2 mins in the pan itself.

    Healthy banana flower stir fry/ vazhai poo poriyal ready to serve with any type of rice recipes.

Note:

1. Addition of more onion reduces the bitterness of the banana flower.

2. Addition of coconut also reduces the bitterness.

3. Adjust the green chilli level according to your taste.

4. You can make stir fry without moong dal also.

5. If you clean the banana flower at once and store it, you can use it in batches whenever you want.

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Kovakkai Vathal Recipe / Ivy Gourd Fryums / Vathal Recipes

Most of us make vathal and vadams during summer. Kovakkai is a good ingredient for making vathals. It is especially good for diabetics. By making vathal with kovakkai, you can use it for long periods even after the kovakkai season has gone.

Related Links:

1. Bitter gourd Vathal

2. Cluster Beans Vathal

3. Ragi Vadam

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Vathal / Vadam

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Cooking Time: 10 mins | Drying Time: 3-4 days

Ingredients:

Ivy Gourd / Kovakkai	½ kg
Salt	1 tbsp
Water	As required

Procedure:

1. Wash the ivy gourds into small rounds as shown in the picture; keep it aside.

2. Heat 2 liters of water in a wide pan like idli vessel.

3. Add salt and wait for boiling the water.

4. Now add the ivy gourd (from 1). After few mins lot of bubbles comes out from the vessel.

5. Now switch off the flame and close the lid of the pan. Leave it for 15 – 30 mins.

6. Then drain the water completely and spread the beans on the plastic sheet or clean cloth. Keep it under sunlight for 3-4 days. It depend the size of the ivy gourd pieces.

7. If dried completely then store them in a air tight container for later use.

        Tasty and healthy vathal ready!

Cooking Procedure:

8. Heat oil in a pan, add dried ivy gourd and fry. Then remove from the oil and keep it on the paper towel to remove the excess oil.

          Serve this Kovakkai vathal / Ivy Gourd Fryums with curd rice, pearl millet kool etc.,

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Muskmelon Banana Smoothie Recipe | Smoothie Recipes

Smoothie is a nice way to beat summer. I prepare a lot of smoothies using seasonal fruits. Muskmelon will be available in abundant and cheap (kg Rs.20) during summers.  Add Muskmelon banana smoothie to your summer recipe book.

Related Links:

1. Fig Smoothie

2. Strawberry Smoothie

3. Kiwi Palak Smoothie

4. Orange Yogurt Smoothie

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Beverages / Smoothie

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Yields: 2-3 cups

Ingredients:

Muskmelon / Cantaloupe	1
Boiled cold Milk	1 cup
Honey	1 tbsp
Banana	1

Procedure:

1. Wash and remove the skin and seeds of the muskmelon.

2. Then cut them into small pieces.

3. Remove the skin of the banana and cut it into small pieces.

3. Blend the muskmelon (from 2), banana (from 3), milk and honey into a smooth paste using the blender or mixie jar.

          Healthy and tasty smoothie is ready! Serve it immediately.

Note:

1. Honey is optional.

2. Use any type of bananas. But use ripe banana only.

3. Use chilled milk also. Otherwise make smoothie and refrigerate for an hour, then serve.

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Lebanese Cucumber Yogurt Cold Soup Recipe | International Recipes

We eat cucumber mostly as it is. I came across this recipe and immediately tried it. This soup enhances the taste of cucumber significantly. My family gobbled them up quickly. Lebanese cucumber cold soup is nice refreshment for the summer.

Recipe Cuisine : International / Lebanon | Recipe Category: Soup

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Yields: 3 cups | Source: thelemonbowl

Ingredients:

Cucumber	1
Curd / Yogurt	1 cup
Water	1 cup
Garlic Pods	2
Mint Leaves	10
Salt	To taste
Lemon Juice	1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Peel the skin of the cucumber using the peeler.

2. Grate the cucumber using the grater.

3. Wash and chop the mint leaves into small pieces.

4. Remove the skin of the garlic pods and grate them using the fine grater.

5. Take lemon juice from 1 lemon without it seeds.

6. In a wide bowl, add grated cucumber (from 2), curd, water, garlic (from 4), mint leaves (from 3), salt and lemon juice (from 5).

7. Mix them well with wire whisk till they combined very well.

8. Keep this mixture in the refrigerator for 2 hours and then serve.

Note:

1. Adjust the salt level according to your taste.

2. You can serve at room temperature also.

3. If you can use chilled cucumber and chilled curd, then no need to refrigerate.

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Banana Flower ( Vazhaipoo) Bonda Recipe | Vazhaipoo Recipes

We prepare only poriyal, vadai and usili with vazhaipoo. I tried making bonda with vazhaipoo well. There was no bitterness in the bonda and even kids loved it. Serve with a little sauce for better taste.

Click HERE to view Vazhaipoo Kola Urundai Recipe.

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Snacks

Preparation Time: 15 | Cooking Time: 15 mins |  Yields: 20 nos.

Ingredients:

Chopped banana flower	1 cup
Gram Flour / Kadalai Maavu / Besan Flour	1 cup
Rice Flour	¼ cup
Red Chilli Powder ( Recipe HERE)	1 tbsp
Asafoetida / Hing	¼ tsp
Salt	As required
Finely Chopped Curry Leaves	1 tbsp
Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves	1 tbsp
Finely Chopped Onion	½ cup
Oil	For frying

*Click HERE to check “how to clean the banana flower / vazhaipoo?”

Procedure:

1. In a wide bowl, add chopped banana flower, chopped onion, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Mix them well with your fingers or spoon.

2. Add gram flour, rice flour, red chilli powder, hing and salt. Mix them well with your fingers.

3. Add water little by little and knead it into a soft dough.  

4. Heat the enough oil in pan to fry the bonda. Add a pinch of the dough and put it in the oil. Suppose the small part comes up immediately, this is the correct heat for frying bonda.

5. Make gooseberry size balls from the dough and fry them in a medium flame till they become crispy and golden in color.

6. Take them out from the oil and keep it on the tissue paper to absorb the excess oil.

      Serve it immediately with the coconut chutney or sauce and Tea/Coffee.

Note:

1. Make the bonda immediately after adding onion; because the onion releases water, so that the bonda absorbs more oil.

2. Suppose the dough is too tight add little bit water.

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