Announcing MEC - Nuts

Friends, it is a great pleasure hosting events in Paajaka and here I'm proud to host this month's MEC - Nuts. MEC is Microwave easy cooking. The name tells it all. This event focuses only on the recipes that uses ONLY microwave for cooking. This wonderful idea of Microwave cooking event was initiated by Srivalli of Cooking for all seasons. Thank you so much Srivalli. I am glad to host this wonderful event.

The theme for this month in MEC is Nuts. Here goes the simple but mandatory rules of participation for this event.

1. Cook any dish starring NUTS (any nut) as the main ingredient in a Microwave and post it on your blog from now till the last date of April, 2009. Note: Posts on Safety, Tips and other things related to to the theme are also most welcome.

2. Feel free to use this logo:

3. Multiple recipes are permitted and recipes submitted to other events are also permitted.

4. Recipes from archives can be accepted ONLY if you create a new post and linking to your entries, this post as well as Srivalli's MEC post.

5. Non bloggers are welcome to send in their entries. Just mail me with recipe and picture and I will include in the roundup.

6. Links to this post as well as to Srivalli's MEC post are required.

7. The entire cooking needs to be done in Microwave. Of course, use food processor or others for grinding stuffs, but no stove top please. Only vegetarian entries will be accepted. No egg and no meat please.

8. Send in your entry to mythreyee at paajaka dot com with the following details on or before Apr 30th 2009.

Subject: MEC - Nuts

Your name in your blog:

Your blog's name:

Name of the dish that your are sending:

Perma link to the post:

Picture (jpg only) of the dish that you are sending.

I hope the rules are clear. Please mail me if you have any questions. Let's get started. Let's celebrate Nuts all april. Looking forward to all those delicious entries. The roundup will be posted within a week after last date.

Announcing JFI: Cauliflower

'Jihva for Ingredients' (JFI) is a monthly event that celebrates an ingredient every month and was initiated by Indira of Mahanandi. I am very happy and honored to host this esteemed event this month here in Paajaka recipes.

The ingredient I have chosen is Cauliflower. Everybody loves Cauliflower. It is such a versatile vegetable that can be be roasted, boiled, fried, steamed or eaten raw. When cooking, the outer leaves and thick stalks are removed, leaving only the florets. The leaves are also edible, but are most often discarded.

Cauliflowers are included in different vegetable gravies like kurma, gobi mutter etc., few rice delights like biryani, fried rice, pulao etc. and flat breads like gobi paratha. Every cuisine uses cauliflower, for example cauliflower augratin, gobi manchurian and cauliflower kababs to name a few.

Let's celebrate Cauliflower. Cook something in which cauliflower is or one of the main ingredients.

Send in as many entries as you can. Don't worry about sending the picture, I will get it from your blog.

The dish can be from any cuisine.

While you send in your entry, don't forget to mention your blog name and name of the dish. the link needs to be a permalink to that recipe and not the link to your homepage.

Please include a link to Indira's Mahanandi blog in your post and a link to this event announcement. Please feel free to use the logo.

If you are sending from archives, edit the post and include a link to this announcement and Indira's Mahanandhi.

The dish should be strictly vegetarian, I mean no eggs or meat. The dish can be appetizer, main course or even dessert. Anything and of course anything that's edible.

Please send in your entries to mythreyee at paajaka dot com on or before 1st of March, 2009.

Entries from non bloggers welcome. Please email your recipe with picture of the dish and I will post the recipe in my blog mentioning your name.

Img source

Below are some facts and information that I got from Here, Here and Here.

Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed.

Cauliflower lacks the green chlorophyll found in other members of the cruciferous family of vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and kale, because the leaves of the plant shield the florets from the sun as they grow. It has a compact head (called a "curd"), usually about six inches in diameter that is composed of undeveloped flower buds. The flowers are attached to a central stalk. Typically, only the head (the white curd) is eaten while the stalk and surrounding thick, green leaves are used in vegetable broth or discarded.

Nutrition

Cauliflower is low in fat, high in dietary fiber, folate, water and vitamin C, possessing a very high nutritional density. As a member of the brassica family, cauliflower shares with broccoli and cabbage several phytochemicals which are beneficial to human health, including sulforaphane, an anti-cancer compound released when cauliflower is chopped or chewed. In addition, the compound indole-3-carbinol, which appears to work as an anti-estrogen, appears to slow or prevent the growth of tumors of the breast and prostate. Cauliflower also contains other glucosinolates besides sulfurophane, substances which may improve the liver's ability to detoxify carcinogenic substances. A high intake of cauliflower has been found to reduce the risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

Health Benefits

Cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and kale, contain compounds that may help prevent cancer. These compounds appear to stop enzymes from activating cancer-causing agents in the body, and they increase the activity of enzymes that disable and eliminate carcinogens.

A Weekly Serving of Cruciferous Vegetables Halves Advanced Prostate Cancer Risk

Spicing Your Cauliflower with Turmeric Could Help Promote Men's Health

Protection against Rheumatoid Arthritis

Cardiovascular Benefits

Cooking cauliflower

Cooking cauliflower in an aluminum pot will intensify its odor and turn its creamy white anthoxanthin pigments yellow; iron pots will turn anthoxanthins blue green or brown. Like red and blue anthocyanin pigments (see BEETS, BLACKBERRIES, BLUEBERRIES), anthoxanthins hold their color best in acids. To keep cauliflower white, add a tablespoon of lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar, or milk to the cooking water. Steaming or stir-frying cauliflower preserves the vitamin C that would be lost if the vegetable were cooked for a long time or in a lot of water.

Img source

So, let's get started. Cook something with one or combination white/purple/orange/green cauliflower and send in your entries. If you have any questions, please mail me or leave a comment. Thank you.

Announcing sweet series - rice / wheat sweets & Diabetic friendly sweets and Roundup of SS - Baked sweets

Dear friends, first of all, I apologise for the delay in posting the roundup. I had included chocolates and toffees in this roundup, but did not receive any entry. But I received different versions of cakes, cookies and cupcakes. Before I present to you the entries I received, I would like to announce the final event in the sweet series.

Sweet series - Rice/Wheat sweets & Diabetic friendly sweets

Please read the following points before sending in your entries.


1. Cook anything sweet that come under the category of this month - Rice/Wheat sweets & Diabetic friendly sweets and post the recipe with picture on your blog.


Rice/Wheat sweets include ANY sweet with rice or wheat as the main ingredient. example - sweet pongal or lapsi. Please include sugar free or low sugar sweets for Diabetic friendly sweets.

2. Multiple entries welcome. Your entries can be from your archives. All you need to do is edit that post and add a link to this announcement. But it will be really fun to create a new dish!

3. If you are sending from your archives, create a new post and add a link to your entries and this announcement. You do not have to rewrite the recipe. This is just to bring to the notice of your visitors, so they can send in their entries. - This is optional.

4. Feel free to use the logo.

5. Please send an e-mail to sweetseries at paajaka dot com with the following details on or before Feb 20, 2009.

(please copy the same format given below)

* Subject Line: Rice/wheat sweets & Diabetic friendly sweets
* Blog author:
* Blog name:
* Dish Name:
* URL to the post:

6. A picture of the dish (any size) - Please send only JPG files.

7. Non bloggers can e-mail me the recipe and the picture and I will include it in the round up.

8. The roundup of this event will be posted within one week after deadline. Thank you and looking forward to all your enthusiastic participation once again.

Here is the roundup up of sweet series - Baked sweets. Yet another wonderful, colorful sweets. Thank you friends, for sending in your entries and making this event a grand success. Please click on the picture to view it large.





1. Eggless orange cake tried by (non blogger) Ramya Jambunath

2. Almond cookies

3. Choco chip nutty cookies

4. Eggless butter cookies

5. Eggless chocolate cookie

6. Nankatai

7. Chocolate chunk cherry cake

8. Jam centered cookies

9. Naankhatai

10. Peanut butter sandwich cookies

11. Eggless orange muffin

12. Cupcake

13. Eggless vanilla cupcake

14. Vegan choco oats cookies

15. Vegan peanut butter chocolate raisin cookies

16. Christmas Fruits&Nuts Savarin Cake

17. Brownies cupcakes

18. Fig almond melting moments

19. Eggless banana nut muffin

20. Eggless saffron walnut eggless cake

21. Eggless butter cookies

22. Eggless tutti frutti cookies

23. Nankatai - Indian biscuit

24. Sweet puff - coconut filling

25. Christmas cake baked in pressure cooker



Previous Sweet series roundup


Puran poli / Sweet chapathi roti

Cool desserts

Chikki and Laddu

Deep fried and steam cooked sweets

Milk sweets - spongy texture

Halwa Kathli Burfi Peda



Please let me know if any of your entry is not included in this roundup. Thank you friends for pouring in your entries and looking forward for the same enthusiastic participation once again for this last and final event in the sweet series.

Announcing Sweet series - Baked sweets and Roundup of Sweet series - Halwa Kathli Burfi Peda

Hi friends, here is the awesome roundup of the delicious halwas, burfis and pedas. Before I present to you these awesome sweets, I would like to annouce the next event in the sweet series.

Sweet series - Baked sweets & chocolates

Please read the following before you send the entry.

1. Cook anything sweet that come under the category of this month - 'Baked sweets' and 'Chocolates' and post the recipe with picture on your blog. You can include cakes, pies, cookies, strudels etc and chocolates & toffees. Any sweet that is baked and I want to include CHOCOLATES and candies in the roundup as it is holiday season. EGGS ALLOWED.

2. Multiple entries welcome. Your entries can be from your archives. All you need to do is edit that post and add a link to this announcement. But it will be really fun to create a new dish!

3. If you are sending from your archives, create a new post and add a link to your entries and this announcement. You do not have to rewrite the recipe. This is just to bring to the notice of your visitors, so they can send in their entries. - This is optional.

4. Feel free to use the logo.

5. Eggs allowed for this event.

6. Please send an e-mail to sweetseries at paajaka dot com with the following details on or before Jan 10, 2009.

(please copy the same format given below)

* Subject Line: Baked sweets
* Blog author:
* Blog name:
* Dish Name:
* URL to the post:

* A picture of the dish (any size) - Please send only JPG files.

7. Non bloggers can e-mail me the recipe and the picture and I will include it in the round up.

8. The roundup of this event will be posted within one week after deadline. Thank you and looking forward to all your enthusiastic participation once again.

Without any delay, friends, I present to you the awesome roundup of the sweet series - Halwa, Burfi/kathli and Peda. Thank you friends, for sending in your entries and making this event a grand success. After I received the entries for this event, I realised halwa can be made with almost any ingredient in the pantry. Here goes the roundup. Please click on the picture to view it large.

Halwa

1. Dhoodhi halwa

2. Gajar halwa

3. Beet halwa

4. Lauki halwa

5. Microwave halwa

6. Kashi halwa

7. 10 easy Indian halwas

8. Potato halwa

9. Pumpkin almond halwa

10. Chayote (chow chow) halwa

11. Ashoka (wheat) halwa

12. Oats halwa

13. Oats halwa

14. Wheat ashoka halwa

15. Beetroot halwa

16. Rajasthani moong dal halwa

17. Maida halwa

18. Toasted marshmallows

19. Carrot halwa

20. Mango halwa

21. Badam halwa

22. Rava kesari

23. Microwave corn flour halwa

24. Carrot halwa

25. Hayagreeva muddy


Burfi / Kathli

1. 6 cup almond burfi

2. Mysore pak

3. Kalakand burfi

4. Badam saffron burfi

5. Tapioca coconut burfi

6. Kalakand (milk burfi)

7. Maida burfi

8. Choco coconut burfi

9. 2 color burfi

10. Badam burfi

11. Dry fruits pinni

12. Anjeer rolls

13. Coconut burfi

Peda

1. Dhoodh bopla peta

2. Microwave milk sweet doodh peda

3. Microwave doodh peda

4. Instant peda

5. Amrit peda

6. Pista rolls

7. Kaju pista badam roll

8. Kaju badam tacos

9. Sweet lamp for diwali

10. Microwave chocolate dhoodh peda


Previous Sweet series roundup:

Puran poli / Sweet chapathi roti
Cool desserts
Chikki and Laddu
Deep fried and steam cooked sweets
Milk sweets - spongy texture
Click here for sweet series categories

Please let me know if any of your entry is not included in this roundup. Thank you friends for pouring in your entries and looking forward for the same enthusiastic participation once again.

Announcing Sweet series - Deep fried or steam cooked sweets and round up of Sweet series - Chikki and laddu

Before I present to you the beautiful entries that I received for the sweet series chikki and laddu, I would like to announce the next roundup.

Sweet series - Deep fried or steam cooked sweets

Please read the following rules before sending your entries.

1. Cook anything sweet that come under the category of this month - 'Deep fried or steam cooked sweets' and post the recipe with picture on your blog. The sweet that you are sending must be either deep fried or steam cooked only. Example, boondhi laddu, jangri, jilabi etc for deep fried and kozhukattai, modhaka etc for steam cooked sweets.

NOTE: Please do not include deep fried sweets that have a spongy texture like gulab jamun. Though they are deep fried, I want to include them in a separate category in sweet series - sweets with spongy texture. Click here for sweet series categories.

2. Multiple entries welcome. Your entries can be from your archives. All you need to do is edit that post and add a link to this announcement. But it will be really fun to create a new dish!

3. If you are sending from your archives, create a new post and add a link to your entries and this announcement. You do not have to rewrite the recipe. This is just to bring to the notice of your visitors, so they can send in their entries. - This is optional.

4. Feel free to use the logo.

5. The sweet needs to be vegetarian (no egg no meat).

6. Please send an e-mail to sweetseries at paajaka dot com with the following details on or before Oct 10, 2008. Henceforth it will be 10th of every month and not month end to submit your entries.

(please copy the same format given below)

* Subject Line: Deep fried or steam cooked sweets
* Blog author:
* Blog name:
* Dish Name:
* URL to the post:

* A picture of the dish (250 pixel width).- Please send only JPG files.

7. Non bloggers can e-mail me the recipe and the picture and I will include it in the round up.

8. The roundup of sweet series - deep fried / steam cooked sweets (not spongy) will be posted within one week after deadline. Thank you and looking forward to all your enthusiastic participation once again.

Here is the round up of Sweet series - Chikki and Laddu (not deep fried)

A big thank you to all my friends who sent in their entries for the sweet series - chikki and laddu. The entries I received this time brought back my childhood memories. Thank you so much for sending in your lovely entries. Here is the roundup of the different chikki and laddus (not deep fried).

Please click the image to view in original size.

Chikki

1. Nut bars by Labna Karim of Yummy food

2. Cashewnut chikki by Sukanya Ramkumar of Hot n' sweet bowl

3. Gond burfi by Rupali jain of North ki rasoi se

4. Til Burfi chikki by Skribles of Food with a pinch of love

5. Sesame chikki by Jayasree of Experiements in Kailas kitchen

6. Ellu urundai by Padmajha of Seduce your tastebuds

7. Nutty surprise by Dershana of The Footloose Chef

8. Kamarkat by Srimathi of Few minute wonders

9. Peanut Chikki by Srimathi of Few minute wonders

Laddu

1. Urad laddu by Yasmeen of Healthnut - Are you eating nature's best?

2. Sunnundalu by Saroja of Kitchen kollections

3. Tambit ladoo by Sheetalof Sweety my kitchen

4. Moongdal laddu by EC of Simple Indian food

5. Wheat flour laddu by EC of Simple Indian food

6. Rava ladoo by Sireesha of Mom's recipies

7. Chigali unde by Lakshmi of Taste of Mysore

8. Siru ma laddu by Usha of Samaikalam vanga

9. Maledi undi by Sheetal of Sweety my kitchen

10. Rava Laddoo by Padmajha of Seduce your tastebuds

11. Sathu maavu urundai by Jayasree of Experiments in Kailas kitchen

12. Wheat flour laddu by Sireesha of Mom's recipies

13. maa laddu - pottu kadalai urundai by Nags of Edible garden

14. Wheat flour laddu by Archy of Archy's recipes

15. Kuler bajra laddoo by Meera of Enjoy Indian food

16. Coconut laddu by Bhawana of Tastes of India

17. Wheat flour laddu with ghee residue by Mythreyee of Paajaka recipes

18. Rava laddu by Pavani of Food lovers

19. Moong laddu by Uma of Essense of Andra

20. Rava laddu by Sujatha of Spicy Khazana

21. Dates Ladoo by Priti of Indian Khana

22. Wheat flower laddu by Maheswari of Beyond the usual

Previous Sweet series roundup:

Puran poli / Sweet chapathi roti

Cool desserts

Click here for sweet series categories

Please let me know if any of your entry is not included in this roundup. Thank you friends and looking forward for your enthusiastic participation once again for sweets that are deepfried or steam cooked.

Announcing Sweet series - Cool desserts and Roundup of Sweet series - Puran poli, sweet chapathi, roti

Calling all the sweet lovers once again, here is another sweet series event and the theme for this month is - Cool desserts. The various desserts that come under this category are:

Payasam
Milkshake
Sweet Lassi
Smoothie
Custard
Ice creams

Popsicles

kulfi

Kheer
Fruit juice
Fruit salad
or any combination of the above.

Please read the following rules before sending your entries.

1. Cook anything sweet that come under the category of this month - 'Cool desserts' and post the recipe with picture on your blog.

2. Multiple entries welcome. Your entries can be from your archives. All you need to do is edit that post and add a link to this announcement. But it will be really fun to create a new dish!

3. If you are sending from your archives, create a new post and add a link to your entries and this announcement. You do not have to rewrite the recipe. This is just to bring to the notice of your visitors, so they can send in their entries. - This is optional.

4. Feel free to use the logo.

5. The sweet needs to be vegetarian (no egg no meat). Only for the 'ice cream' in the above listed desserts, egg is allowed.

6. Please send an e-mail to sweetseries at paajaka dot com with the following info on or before July 31,2008.

* Subject Line: cool desserts

* Blogger name:
* Blog name:
* Dish Name:
* URL to the post:
* A picture of the dish (250 pixel width).

Also, specify under which aforesaid desserts, your entry comes. (for example: Fruit juice)

7. Non bloggers can e-mail me the recipe and the picture and I will include it in the round up.

8. The roundup of sweet series - cool desserts will be posted within one week after deadline.

NOTE: The theme might be named 'cool desserts'. The entries can be hot/cold. Few payasams will taste good only when it warm or at room temperature.

Thank you and looking forward to all your enthusiastic participation once again. Here goes the roundup for puran polis.

ROUNDUP:

I have always sent my entries to the various events and this is the first time I am hosting an event and posting a roundup and I want to say that I am extremely happy hosting. I have 38 sweet entries for puran poli sweet chapathi/roti roundup. Thank you so much to you all for the beautiful, colorful entries that you have sent me for this event. A few bloggers have sent 1+ or even 2+ entries. Many thanks to each and everyone for your enthusiastic participation.

The puran poli theme has really made you all so creative and also for few bloggers, this event has inspired them to attempt the traditional, authentic puran polis. In this roundup, there are traditional puran polis, sweet parathas, sugary rotis and much more. Without any delay, dear sweet lovers, I present to you the sweet series roundup - 1 for Puran poli and sweet chapathi/roti roundup. Thank you.





I have sorted in the order I received. Please click on the image for recipe.


Puran Poli Obbatti Boli from Dhivya of Easy Cooking



Puran Poli from Skribles of Food with a pinch of love



Saanjori from Meera of Enjoy Indian Food



Greengram dal and jaggery filling puran poli from EC of Simple Indian Food



Coconut and jaggery filling obattu from EC of Simple Indian Food



Groundnut puran poli from EC of Simple Indian Food



Gajar poli from Sheetal of My kitchen



Puran poli from Sheetal of My kitchen



Paratha with Ricotta-Black Raspberry preserve and Walnuts from Asha of Aroma



Hoornada Holige from Lively of It's a beautiful life



Sindhi Lola from Mythreyee of Paajaka recipes



Kallebele thenginkai obbattu from Mythreyee of Paajaka recipes



Sweet coconut paratha from Sowmya of Creative saga



Kobri obattu from Vanamala of Nalapaka



Roti kesari poli from Foodyguru(Srimathi) of Few minute wonders



Sugar Phulka from Medhaa of Cook with love



Puran poli from Vandana of Cooking up something nice



Sweet potato puran poli from Priya of Live to cook



Coconut paratha from K of khichdi



Dates almond paratha from Aditi of Kitchen stories



Puran Poli from Radhika of Tickling Palates



Saatori from Meera of Enjoy Indian food



Coconut pancakes from JZ of Tasty treats



Bobbatlu from Sireesha of Mom's recipies



Puran poli from Trupti of Trupti's food corner



Ratalyachi Ghari (Sweet Potato Roti) from Trupti of Trupti's food corner



Gur Poli from Trupti of Trupti's food corner



Sojjappalu from Asha of Foodie's hope



Sweet potato and coconut paratha from Kalva of Curry in kadai



Puran poli from Jai and Bee of Jugalbandhi




Poli from Shankari of Stream of consciousness



Puran poli from Kamala of Mom's recipes - Nandhu's corner



Apple puran poli from Madhuram of Eggless cooking



Puran Poli from Sailaja Prakash of Aroma from my kitchen



Sajjappalu from Rekha of Plantain leaf Andhra recipes



Wheat sweet pancake from Archy of Archy's recipe book



Sweet roti from Cham of Spice club



Sesame sweet roti from Usha of Veg inspirations

Thank you so much to all the bloggers for sending the entries and for making this roundup a grand success. Expecting your support for the upcoming sweet series events too. Thank you.