Valentine's Day Special

Planning to spend your Valentine's day at home? Then try these quick and easy Valentine's day special recipes and make your Valentine extra special.

Coconut-Chocolate Truffles

 Look at these truffles, aren't they so inviting? These truffles are so addictive that they disappear the moment you serve them😁! Just 3 ingredients and you are done. These truffles are so easy, so quick and so simple to make. They are perfect for busy Christmas days! Serve them or eat them or gift them, you gonna love them!

These truffles have an amazing nutty flavour of coconut. They are sugar-free, dairy-free and glutenfree. The cool thing about these truffles is that you don't necessarily need to keep them in fridge to set. You can serve them right away. So try them and enjoy these guilt-free truffles!

Almond-Choco Cookies

Christmas without cookies 🍪 is incomplete, and freshly home baked cookies is what makes the home smells so festive. Whether baking them for the family or gifting them, home baked cookies bring so much joy and satisfaction. Diwali and Christmas are two of my favourite festivals that I love to celebrate to the fullest.Winters, Christmas, cakes, cookies, celebration, oh What a great time of the year!! Well with this recipe, I am starting my Christmas 🎅🎄 special series. Hope you like it. 

These cookies, as the name suggests, have the goodness and the richness of almonds . They add a beautiful sweetness and taste. And chocolate, who on Earth doesn't like chocolate cookies?! I have also used "cut out method" to shape the cookies (for a cleaner look) and with a slight difference, they came out perfect, a little crispier than the molded ones. You will also notice in the recipe that I have used cream instead of butter, Reason?- it makes softer cookies. Crispy outside and soft inside, these cookies make a great gift for your friends and family! So go-ahead and prepare these delicious cookies.  Happy holidays, enjoy the food to the fullest and for a while forget to cook the natural way 😉! hahaha!

Fig-Almond Milk

So, the Holi is just one day away. Many must have prepared the guest's list, set the menu or done with the shopping. Here is a quick recipe to enjoy this colourful festival a little more. It will be great to serve this drink to your guests as a welcome-drink to get them charged for the festival fun!!

This milk drink is just perfect for holi, I think, because it is quite heavy on stomach, so it means you will be getting enough energy to enjoy the festival easily. After all you have to run after each other to get them (or get yourself) colored....hehe! Honestly I don't like getting coloured, but once I get trapped, I fully enjoy the spirit of holi to the fullest. It is just the start that seems so difficult to me, what about you? :D

Well, this drink has the goodness of figs and almonds. The crunch of fig seeds what you get while sipping, is truly fun. The addition of HOMEMADE CONDENSED MILK gives it a nice rich depth. Well, not only for festivals, but also for your health in general this drink is very nutritious. Just skip the condensed milk and add honey instead to avoid refined sugar. So don't wait to try this awesome drink anytime and cook the natural way!!

HAPPY HOLI TO ALL OF YOU!!

APRICOT RICE PHIRNI | APRICOT RICE PUDDING

Hello everyone, I think Holi without kheer or phirni is incomplete. Holi is a festival of fun, frolic and of course food! Gujjia, malpuas, sweets and snacks all bring out the festive magic. Well, this phirni recipe has a brilliant touch of apricots. I love to cook this phirni on special occasions. It's a heavenly treat. This creamy delicious phirni will be a delish for your friends and family this holi. So don't forget to try this awesome phirni this holi and cook the natural way!

Sooji-Nariyal Ladoo | Semolina-Coconut Balls

Holi (the festival of colours in India) is round the corner and the food blog world is flooded with delicious and tempting sweets. And here is mine. Well, now when we have learnt to make HOMEMADE CONDENSED MILK, let's use it to make these delicious ladoos. I think when we add Coconut to any recipe, it creates a magic. The food tastes amazing. What do you think? In these ladoos (balls) also coconut is dominating. I have also added cashews that give these ladoos a very distinct taste. So, you can say, it is a combination of kaju katli (cashew fudge) and nariyal ladoo (coconut fudge). It is an easy and very popular sweet here. So try these ladoos (balls) this holi and cook the natural way! 

Makhane-Khajoor Ladoo | Foxnut-dates Energy Balls (Vegan)

Well you don't need any occasion to enjoy these Ladoos (balls). They are so delicious and healthy too. Why healthy? They are refined sugar-free, give you energy and have the goodness of dates and foxnut (makhane). When I was a kid, I used to relate foxnut with popcorns....hehe! Well foxnuts (makhane) are actually lotus flowers seeds which are puffed. They are very nutritious and has medicinal properties too!They are low in calories and high on vitamins and minerals. Foxnuts are a good source of antioxidants, protein, magnesium and fibre. They can be eaten raw or roasted or can be blended with other ingredients. It has almost a nude taste, but distinctive, so they blend well with many ingredients. And they are gluten-free as well. I used them in powdered form to make these dates energy balls (khajoor ladoo) even healthier. These ladoos (balls) has a very nice sour and sweet taste. The addition of lemon brings out a fun element in these ladoos (balls). And they are vegan and gluten-free too! So try them this festive season and cook the natural way!!

Homemade Condensed Milk

Celebrations are on it's way, so let's get ready with the festive recipes! First thing first, make condensed milk and get yourself well equipped, as many Indian sweets get their amazing mood lifting taste from it! Condensed Milk is really easy to make at home, although it needs a little time and effort, but it is worth doing so. Why?? Well,

1. It costs lesser.
2. You can adjust the amount of sugar or butter according to your preference.
3. Canned condensed may contain added synthetic stabilizers to increase the shelf-life, you can avoid them!
4. Lastly and importanly, it is really satisfying!!

You can use condensed milk in almost any dessert to get an amazing taste and texture! Even a generous layer of condensed milk on a toast is a dessert for me :) !! So get ready and let's cook the natural way!!

Valentine's Day Special Recipes

 Let's celebrate valentines's day with these easy and quick recipes!

Oat-Cardamom Parfait

In french parfait means perfect and this dessert is indeed a perfect dessert for me! It is sugar-free, gluten-free, can-be-vegan, full of fruits and above all satisfies the sweet cravings the healthy way! Parfait is usually made using cream or yogurt but I like it with oats. It gives additional health benefits too! The cardamom flavour gives this parfait depth and lemon perks-up it's taste.
The first month of 2016 is about to end and you all must be working hard towards a healthy-you. Having  a healthy dessert is an award for all the diligent efforts you have made so far. So make this dessert and have a treat from my side :P and always cook the natural way!!

Spicy Dried-Fig Jam

When it comes to desserts, I don't think too much but only the portion-size. A small piece of sinful dessert means heaven to me. But then there are some healthy desserts too. They serve the purpose without making us being thoughtful about the portion-size. Well, this is not a dessert recipe , but this sugar-free jam can be used in many desserts, I mean healthy desserts!! Dried Figs are one of the best dried fruits that one can eat. These sweet chewy dried fruit with crunchy seeds are a very delicious contributor to your health and wellness. They are a very good source of fibre, minerals (like potassium, calcium, zinc and magnesium), vitamins (like A,E and K) and antioxidants. This jam can be a healthy sugar-substitute. I eat them in breakfast as in these banana sandwiches below, trust me I don't miss the peanut butter at all :) Just spread the jam on the bread slice, place sliced bananas, top  with another slice of bread and just grill, voila!! your breakfast is ready in a jiffy!!

The spicy kick of cinnamon and pepper, the tanginess of lemon make this jam interesting and fun!! I have added sugar, just for my kiddo, but you can skip adding it. So buy some dried figs and try this jam and make your desserts healthier. And never forget to cook the natural way!!

Best of 2015

Hi everyone, hope you are having a great start of 2016!! Ok, here are some of my best recipes of 2015. Hope you like them all and get inspired to cook the natural way!!

Clink on the TITLES for the recipes.

Pomegranate-Apple Relish

Fruits are delicious on their own, they don't need a recipe but still we foodies can't resist the temptation to create something out of them. And sometimes it does work, like in this recipe. This relish is not only delicious but also healthy. The pomegranate syrup has a very dominating flavour here. I added a little sugar as I find pomegranate juice's taste a little odd. But If you don't have any problem with that, you can skip the sugar altogether. You can also cook this relish but I like it this way better. The mushy-juicy apples, the tanginess of orange-lemon juice and the juicy bites of pomegranate makes this relish a delish!! How about serving this relish to your guests this festive time or giving this away to them in a beautiful jar or something! So try this healthy tasty relish and cook the natural way!!

Apricot-Orange Cake

Every food-blogger is in love with their blog. For them, each and every recipe they cook, click, share and post is like their baby!! So it is for me as well, I love all the efforts I put in here. Although all our recipes are special to us but still there are some recipes which are our favourite. They have helped us to understand cooking and thus enhancing our cooking skills. This recipe is one such! I am a self-taught baker, baking still makes me nervous but when I get the desired results, it is so satisfying. So a successful baking attempt means a lot to me and makes me so happy. Well, this cake is just perfect in every sense. I can eat this all, without sharing!!. I often bake this cake before our evening tea times. I love it's texture and flavors. Apricots with orange, believe me, tastes great!! And in this festive time, this cake can be a big hit! So try this awesome cake and let the Christmas Celebrations continue......

Chocolate Coins (Egg-less)

I think I have never met anybody who doesn't like chocolate cookies!! The moment you bake them, they are gone! The whole home smells like heaven, isn't it? These icebox chocolate cookies are so delicious, so chocolaty, so soft and so easy that it can be an ideal treat or even an ideal giveaway this festive season. You can make the log ahead and bake them later or how about simply gifting your busy friends and family a frozen log (don't forget the baking instructions too)!! Well, I called these cookies chocolate coins for their shape and size. They are so quick to make that you can prepare them minutes before serving. They are egg-less too, so if you want them vegan, just use coconut butter instead (this will add extra flavour too). So bake them and enjoy them with a cup of milk or coffee or tea or simply enjoy them with nothing!!

Butter Cake (The melt-in-mouth cake)

When I was a child, Christmas time was one of the most loved time for me

 1) because of the cake treats 

2) because of the gifts 

3) because of the vacation time 

4) and; the winter time, my favourite season.

 Even now it is still the most loved time, but only the reasons have changed. Now I love Christmas 

1) for the cakes and cookies I bake for my girl 

2) for the gift(s) she smartly gets from us 

3) for that extra hour sleep cause of vacation time....hehehe 

4) and; for the cosy evenings we all spend together!!

This cake recipe is just a start to this festive mood. What I like about this cake is that it is so soft and delicious, it literally melts in your mouth!! So try this cake and enjoy the Christmas time!!

Papaya Halwa

I know we all are really "happily" busy today, after all, it's Diwali Time!!! So here is a quick post. This papaya halwa that I prepared for my family and friends, tastes soooo good. It is more or less tastes like gajar ka halwa (halwa) but a little different and easier to make. So go fast and impress your guests and celebrate cooking the natural way!!

                                           A VERY HAPPY DIWALI TO YOU ALL!!!

Banana Halwa

Wow, it's Diwali time! I just love this festival, it is full of positive vibes. Lights, guests, party, get togethers and of course, SWEETS......yumm!! Oh come on, this is the time to say yes to sugar!!
This Diwali, being a little busy, I am trying to take out time for my HOMEMADE DELICIOUS SWEETS and this halwa is a start!! I have made sooji halwa many times before but with bananas it is a big super-duper hit. I bet you can't stop at just a spoonful. So try this halwa on Diwali and cook the natural way!!!

The Chocolate Cake

Ok it's MY BIRTHDAY today!!! Despite being busy these days, I don't want to spend my birthday without you guyz!! So today I am here with one of my favourite cake recipe!! Hope you like it, bake it and remember me while enjoying it. If you try this cake I am sure you gonna love me more....hahaha....it is so tasty!! And it could be a perfect cake for DIWALI  as well!!!! I just wanna thanks you all for being here today and I love you all for you have always cook the natural way with me!!!

Mango-Oats Ice-cream

How can we forget mango ice-cream!! I think it's a must-have, when trying mango recipes.Mangoes
 are super delicious and mango ice-cream is"heaven". To top it up, I made this ice-cream healthier and low-fat, so that all can enjoy it without any guilt!!! This recipe has all natural ingredients and no chemicals at all. It is the delicious way to add goodness of oats and you need to churn it just once!! So enjoy this mango ice-cream and cook the natural way! Hope you like it!!!