February 14, 2007

FROM MY HEART TO YOU!! Butter Chicken, Kaddu-Palak Malai Kofta

Saint Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day falls on February 14.The holiday is named after two men,both Christian martyrs named Valentine! The day became associated with romantic love in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.In the United States, the marketing of Valentine's Day has tagged it as a "Hallmark Holiday"!(Info:WIKI)

So my buddies, are you ready to do some frivolous spending on a nonsensical holiday like this one??!!;D I know,I am very cynical!!I am not into this V'day too much,just glad that Arvind comes straight home EVERYDAY to me but happy to cook something for bloggers' V'day events!! But you make sure to enjoy the day though and have fun! Here are some dishes I cooked last week and a cake baked for today.

To all my beautiful blog friends,Happy Valentine's Day!!:))


The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines". Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. The association estimates that women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.(WIKI)More info here!!

This week's Menu:
A Heart shaped Cake with Pink Frosting(for V'day!),two more from Aroma to choose,
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani),(made this last Sunday for lunch)
Kaddu-Aloo-Palak Malai Kofta(Butternut Squash-Potato-Spinach rounds in Cream Sauce)
(made this on the 9th for Arvind's 45th B'day!)

Butter chicken:Serves 4
(you will get 1tbsp butter each, so quit whining! :D)

This Butter Chicken is one of the favorite dishes of my kids and Arvind I have created after many trials to find the easiest and tastiest gravy.There are not many ingredients in this and tastes great after a day when you give all those spices and meat a chance to mingle and seep thru' overnight.Make sure you have 4 cups of gravy for both dishes.Cook some rice or Parathas or Pitas and salad, you are good to go or make it vegetarian by adding your fav. Koftas (Veg balls)!

To make it vegetarian,cook the gravy in advance.Make some Koftas and bake in the oven to make it lighter since gravy is rich some cream and some butter and add to the gravy just before serving! What a great idea, don't you think? Two in one recipe.YUM!!

You Need:

3 boneless,skinless Chicken Breasts,cubed to bite sized pieces and cooked, 2 big Onions sliced, 2" ginger,2 Garlic both chopped,1 1/2 tbsp Coriander seeds pd,1/2 tsp Chilli pd,1 tsp Paprika,1/2 cup Tomato sauce, 1 tsp Garam Masala,1/2 tsp Turmeric,1/2 tsp cardamom pd,Pinch of Nutmeg and a tsp of Fennel seeds pd,2 tbsp Cashews or Almonds, 1 tsp Tandoori masala if you have it,1/2 cup Fat-Free half and half or 2% milk,4 tbsp Butter and Cilantro minced.Lemon slices to serve.

How To:


Heat 1 tbsp oil,fry onion slices until soft and reddish on the edges.Add ginger and garlic and saute for a minute.Put them all into a blender.Now toast the coriander seeds,2 cardamoms peeled and seeded,cashews or Almonds, until you get an aroma.Add to the blender along with chilli pd,paprika,turmeric and Tandoori masala,tomato sauce,blend to a smooth paste.Take it out in to a bowl.Heat 1/2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp of Butter in a pan.



Add ground paste and fry until it leaves some oil on top.It will be quick since they are already fried.Add 1 cup water,boil and turn down the heat to low,add half and half or milk while stirring constantly until well mixed and simmering.Add cooked chicken,Garam Masala, Nutmeg ,Tandoori pd and Fennel pd.When you see oil specks on top,add last of butter and turn off the heat,and let the butter melt.Mix well,keep it in the fridge overnight.


To Serve:
Garnish with minced cilantro and dot with cream just before serving.Serve with Basmati rice,Pita or Parathas or Naans with a salad and crisps.
For vegetarian butter masala,heat the gravy next day and then add warm Koftas and serve as soon as possible.

Here is a plate of delicious Butter Chicken:

Malai Kofta:


Kaddu-Alu-Palak Koftas or Vegetable Balls:
Kaddu is Butternut squash or any gourd made in to balls with Spinach and Potatoes.

Butternut squash is sweet as you all know,so if don't want to taste too much sweetness in your Koftas,cut down the amount of Kaddu to 1/2 cup to mellow the sweetness.I used 1 cup,tasted good.

Here's how to make the Koftas!


Peel and grate or cube 1 cup Butternut squash and 2 cups of Potato.Add into the blender with 1/2 cup chopped Spinach,1 tsp cumin seeds powder,1 tbsp Coriander pd,1/4 tsp chilli pd, 1/2 tsp Garam masala,1/2 onion minced, 1/4 cup Besan (Gram flour(add more later if needed)) and 1 tbsp Corn starch,salt and blend to a very coarse paste without the water.





Adjust the seasoning and thickness to roll into a ball by adding as much as besan or corn flour needed depending on the softness of koftas and make about 8 balls.Chill in the fridge for half an hour.Take them out.Now either you can deep fry as I did or spray some oil on them and bake at 400F for 30 mins or until reddish on top.Cool.Add to the Malai(Cream) sauce just before serving.


Malai Masala: Same as Butter masala except cut down the butter to just 1tbsp and add 1 more cup of fat-free half and half mixed with 1 cup milk and water to thin it to 4 cups of gravy.Simmer on low and serve with Koftas and lemon ,onion slices.

A plate of Malai Kofta with rice,lemon slice and onion rings:


Enjoy the special occasion meal of either Butter Chicken or Malai Kofta and have a dessert on me!:))

Here is a beautiful cake for dessert I baked for us with lots of love and affection as main ingredients for V'day!:))

I know I didn't bake this cake from scratch but used a ready bake Devil's cake with some additional ingredients.But I did make it pink to make it special for Valentine's day!:))

You Need:
one package of Duncan Hines Devil's Food cake mix,3 eggs, 1/3rd cup Veg. oil,1 1/3cups water,1 tsp Vanilla Essence,1 Tub whipped Fluffy Vanilla Frosting,one drop of Red food color,Hershey candy coated Kissables and 2 9" heart shaped baking pan.

How To:



Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Spray the non-stick pan and keep it aside. Mix cake mixture,3 eggs,oil,Vanilla essence and water as directed on the package until well combined.Pour into both pans and tap it lightly on the counter to get the trapped bubbles out.



Bake them in the for 30-36 mins or until the knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.Take them out and invert on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet underneath to cool completely.To make the frosting:Take out the Vanilla frosting into a bowl,add a drop of Red food color,mix.Microwave it for 30 secs at a time until it's thin enough to spread easily,Do not heat until hot,it will curdle.

Making sure that cake is completely cool,pour warm frosting all over until it spreads itself on top and falls on the side.Do not try to spread yourself,you won't get smooth covering,if you do.Warm it again for 30mins if you want.Cover the whole cake with frosting,lift off of the cooling rack and onto a plate.Decorate with Kissables,chill in the fridge.Serve at room temperature.Enjoy!!

Pilsbury V'day cookies I made for Trisha's friends at school:


















Here are two more V'day desserts I made last week for you to enjoy:







Strawberry Shortcake
















Carrot-Beet Halwa(pudding)










Have fun! See you all next Wednesday with pure Kannadiga vegetarian Maha ShivaRatri(which is on Friday 16th) goodies!;)

145 comments:

Vini K said...

Hi Asha,looks like I am the first to comment today!woohooo!!!

The cake looks gorgeous,who cares it it was made from scratch or a cake mix..I don't,atleast..:)

The cookies are simply superb:D and don't even get me started on the Koftas!my mouth is watering right NOW!wish I could snatch a bite right away.:)Nice spread for Valentines indeed!Can't comment on the butter chicken though as I am a ovo-lacto-vegetarian..hee hee

Sia said...

butter chicken(errr..!!!) recipe is cool. next time i am gonna use same gravy for koftas.
ur list for this week's menu was going on and on... i didn't know which one to look first. ultimately settled for kofats:)
now u have made me all curious with ur next week's announcement... kanndiga food han? yipppyyyyyyyyyyyy... cant wait to see what u come up with.
btw, happy v-day to u and arvind ashakka:)
~hugs~

Pavani said...

Wish you a very Happy Valentines Day Asha.. Your spread looks awesome especially the kofta curry and cakes. Never tried using butternut squash in koftas. Do you think I think I can substitute frozen squash puree for grated squash. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Asha, a happy valentines day to you too. I loved your cake :). As usual, all dishes are fabulous. I never celebrated valentine's day before. I have made heart shaped cutlets for b'fast(how boring is that?).

Well...My studies have stopped after I got job. I am so busy in work that, I hardly get time to cook. (well, I spend almost all time at home to watch food network, hehe, don't tell my husband).

Praba Ram said...

hi asha -

happy valentine's day! Love the butter chicken gravy. I am a vegetarian so I will use it for kofta recipe or even paneer makhani...Thank you!

lots of love and V day wishes to your family!

praba

Prema Sundar said...

Hi Asha..Look at the recipes and wish I would come there to have some...Koftas are mouth watering. I always deep fry the koftas and ur baked ones look good too with less oil. Next time Iam going to try baking.
And look at the cake and cookies .. sure ur husband and daughter would be happy and proud of u.they look so wonderful and as usual great presentation.
Happy valentine's day

Anonymous said...

We are talking on the same lines (Check my latest post) :)
For us also, valentines day can be like any other day :)

The kofta's are my favourite!!!! I am gonna try that for sure!!!! And the pink cake looks like a beauty!!!! :)

www.mykhazanaofrecipes.wordpress.com

FH said...

Vini,YES!!! You made it here first!:)
OVO LACTO VEG!!Yeah!!I know about it!!NO!! I was just kidding.That's why whenever I make Non-veg,I always give one veg too.Enjoy the day and have fun,thanks!:)

Hi Sia,hope you got something for the good boss today!:D Butter masala is great with Koftas,they are all interchangable. Next week,for a south Indian,they may not be THAT special but will see what can I do on Friday.You too have a great day with hubby.Lots of love from me!:))

Hi Pavani,thank you sweetie.I think you can,probably need a little more Besan for binding,that's all.It does taste little sweet,so go easy on the Kaddu if you don't like sweet Koftas and you can add more spice to make it yummy.Hope you try and have a great day!:)

FH said...

Hi Shilpa,thanks girl.Great to hear that you are working now.You can go back to India lot faster now.I understand,you get so tired after work,you don't have the energy to cook.That's okay.Heart shaped cutlets sounds great!!Wish I had those today!:D Well,cook something sweet later and you are good to go.Have a great day!:))

Thank you Praba and yes,adding veg Koftas to butter masala is a great idea.Hope you try and have a great V'day with your hubby!:))

Hi Prema,thanks friend!:))
Oh! I eep fried the Koftas too,I was just saying there that you can bake them too but it doesn't look as good as the fried once though!You have to cook the besan well too,baking takes a long time.
You too have a great day today!:))

sra said...

liked both the gravies. waiting for next week already - kannadiga food?

Anonymous said...

Happy V-day Asha! Love kofta in any form. Never tried it with butternut squash though. Thanks for the idea. Cake looks just perfect and the cookies are too cute. Trisha must have proudly displayed her mom's talents to her friends.

I really wish you had'nt put in that pic of the operation:) Saw your warning, but that made me want to see what it was even more:)

TNL said...

Hi Ashaji!
Happy V day to you and family!! The Koftas really got my attention, I have about half an acorn squash left...and I think I will make it today for K!
Desserts are delightful! I can't wait to see you Shivratri post!

many hugs,trupti

FH said...

Coffee,thanks girl.I will check your blog today and hope you didn't come up with the recipes too!:D Happens sometimes with the like minded bloggers!Happy V'day!

sra,thank you.
UH OH!! I think I made everybody expect too much for next week!!:D They are just my(grandmother's) versions of K'taka food,not THAT special.I haven't started cooking yet,lot of work for me tomorrow!

Hema,hope I didn't make you sick to the stomach.I added it at the last minute,thought ppl should see the real one and get scared!HAHAHA!!!
Happy V'day!

Hi T!Hope you have a wonderful day today with K with sweet Koftas.You can also add them to Butter masala too.Thanks sweetheart and tomorrow is a busy day for me!:))

Sai said...

Cake and cookies look wonderful! Cool recipe for butter chicken.

By the way I am off from work because of the weather so am planning to make undiyo and thepla. I found readymade sabji at the desi store therefore it would save me time. I made goat keema, chicken biryani and rice kheer over the weekend.

If you dont mind my asking...are you Lingayat Brahmin? I asked my parents to let me know when Shivratri was as I was planning to eat pure veggie and didn't want to accidentally eat meat.

Anonymous said...

Nah.... The recipe is different :)

Sri said...

Happy Valentines day Ashaji...Both butter chicken and malai kofta looks super. Wow!!! use the same gravy for both that's so good so next time i have guest, can have two dishes in a jiffy...:) Thanks for sharing it with us. Will be definitely making it and posting on my blog.
The cake looks scrumptious!!!!

Little Miss Muffet said...

wow..all the food looks yummy..i think i will defi try the butter chicken soon...u did an unexpected thing though, with the pic of the real heart :)no, i didn't lose my appetite..i simply scrolled up again :d

Rashmi said...

Happy V-day Asha and many more to come.
I enjoyed all your dishes but the heart really scared me.

Have fun.

Rashmi.

Manjula said...

Butter Chicken, Kofta Curry and a beautiful Valentines Cake, what more can you ask for? Surely not a picture of heart in reality :(
I was alarmed before reading it.

Anonymous said...

Hello Asha,

The koftas look so fabulous...though I am a non-veg turned vegeterian now , I always read Chicken recipes :-) and implement them in my mushroom recipes to get that flavour :-) . Well V'Day cookies looks fabulous..

Waiting eagerly for Sivratri recipes.

Happy Valentine Day
-Sushma

Kavitha said...

Hi Asha
Happy Valentine's day!!!
What an excellent spread. The cake looks so good. I love shortcuts and I think the final product is what counts, and if you have things that help you out you should use them. The cookies look so cute. I love these.... esp the ones during haloween.

Jaya M said...

dear Asha,
I was about sleep here ,then realized its wednesday morning in US and my fav friend must be ready with her new exciting post ...
so here I am wishing you too happy v-day ..
every dish looks so yummy ..
loved the cookies and I know Your daughter has enjoyed it too ...
Kaddo Kofta is new ,will try it soon ..
enjoy the day ..Live life and spread love as usual ...
I am too looking forward to shivaratri...
hugs and smiles
Jaya

bee said...

what a beautiful spread, asha. your enthusiasm is infectious.


bee

Anonymous said...

Happy v'day Asha.
Malai kofta is my all time fav.
Will try your version. :)
Cookies are looking beautiful.

starry said...

Asha..happy valentines day to you.The cake, the other dishes and cookies look scrumptious. A really nice dinner too.cannot wait for next weeks recipes." I liked the pic of the human heart"

Mishmash ! said...

Asha(ji) :) Its like I just finished browsing thru a restaurant menu!!Non Veg, Veg and so much to choose from the dessert section!! I'm going for those pretty cute cookies...how did u make them smile? just curious :)

Sangeeta said...

Hi Asha,

Happy Valentine's day to you and Arvind. May the love continue to bloom :)
All those goodies .... Mmmm Mmmm - can I drop in for lunch / dinner :D

Anonymous said...

wow!your blog looks beautiful asha:) & the butter chicken looks yummm:) but will definitely try out the kaddu koftas & let you know how they turned out:))
paati

So So Simple said...

Hi Asha
It's been a while since I have gotten onto to your blog. Nice toi catch up. I love the Kofta recipe my husband prefers not to eat meat and won't eat chicken so this is great butter chicken for me...kofta for him...one question please what is Kaddu?

I guess you will be enjoying Valentines Day now of course it hsa been and gone here.

Cheers

Seema Bhat said...

Wow Asha,
Loved all the recipe. Even the chicken one as supriya said I am gonna make it as base for koftha curry. Loved your koftha recipe very much . Man every one of those are just superb. Enella thinbeku gonthagtha illa. Paapa nan hotte gathi. The cookies look good too. Happy V'day to you and your family from both of us.
-
Hugs
Seema

Mythreyee said...

Many thanks and Happy Valentines day to you too. Yours is always a long post. The cake looks lovely. The cookies awesome and a very good presentation. Apart from the Love I see in the Pictures, I see your cooking Experience too. I wish I could have a bite of this delicious cake which is mouth watering.

Lakshmik said...

Hi Asha

I like the malai kofta recipe. I have so many versions now and will surely try out your recipe next time. Nice cake too.

Seema Bhat said...

Asha,
Oops what happened to my comment. I guess I lost it.
You made me hugry all over again gal. Loved all the dishes. Liked the dish in which you served butter chicken and I have to try out your koftha dish very soon.Yum yum. Those cookies look great too. Perfect little red hearts in them and the cake looks beautiful. Hingero recipes hakidre nan hotte paad enagatho hee hee.
Happy V'day to you and your family.
Hugs

Unknown said...

Asha..Cake is so perfect for V-day.
I love butter chicken, so again a perfect one.so as always the whole spread is awesome...i made some choco.brownies and going to make spicy mutton..:D

FH said...

Coffee,I saw Beet Halwa,yum!!:))

Sai,all that sounds great,you should stay home more ,cook and blog!!:))
Lingayats(Shaivas) are Shiva's followers,nothing to do with Bhrahminism at all.We are all about Shiva Purana,no Vedas or Upanishads!! We are supposed to be Vegetarians and I am not! Shivratri is on this Friday and yes,we are eating all veggies too.Have fun eating veggies on the 16th.

Hi Sri,both are similar with little diff, in using butter and cream.Have fun making it and I will visit you of course to take a peek!:))

Miss M! Did I scare you too?! ay be I should take that out,eh? Hope you have a wonderful day today!

Rashmi,sorry darling!!:) I just wanted you to see it,didn't mean to scare you.I am smiling here and can't stop it!:p Thank you.

Manjula,thank you and sorry I scared you.Hope you try and enjoy the dishes or you can chase around with broom in your hand!!:D

Lotus Reads said...

Happy Valentine's Day, Asha!

You have cooked all my favorite dishes! Butter chicken, Malai kofta, gajjar halwa, YUM!

The cake looks terrific and the cookies you made for Trisha's friends at school were a huge hit, I'm sure!

I cannot wait to see your menu for Maha Shivrathri!

Have a truly wonderful day, Asha, you are loved so much!

Latha said...

Oh God Ashu, the last picture took me by surprise!
I loved your recipes! Will try the butter chicken for my folks and the malai kofta for myself when I do get down to trying all the stuff on my to do list! :-)
Lovely Valentines cake! How do u do just the right thing at the right time :-)
I can never keep up with all these events and special days ...
I love your platter!
Cheers
Latha

brute said...

from heart to u!

Heart is very beautiful :P

hey I need ur address, i want to b an uninvited guest .... ;)

and Happy valentines day... :)

Seema Bhat said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Priya said...

Asha: No wonder how many guys are craving to meet you in the next birth with so much creativity.

Butter chicken is aweseome and love the style of decoration...

FH said...

Sushma,I am the opposite! But I do prefer veggies though but others here love non-veg!Once you make gravy seperately,you can freeze it and add anything later for a quick meal.Hope you try.

Hi spicelover,sometimes you just don't want go through all that flour and butter.My kids love Duncan Hines cake mix,so I did it.Thanks and have a great day.

Aw..!! Thanks Jaya.You are a darling and yes,whole box of cookies were gone in a jiffy.Teenagers!:D Have a great day too,hugs!:))

Hi Bee.Welcome and thank you.I try to do my best and enjoy it as well.Happy V'day to you!:)

Hi Jas,thanks girl!Hope you try my versions.Have a great day!

Thank GOD Lalitha.You are the only one who said you liked the real Heart.I was thinking of taking it out bcos it scared the heck out of some gals!:))I love it more since I saw that Human Body show.But it scary for some,I don't blame them!:))Enjoy the day sweetie.

Shah cooks said...

asha, i just finished making a butter chicken and sat down to browse.. and u had already made it.. happy valentine's day!!:)

FH said...

Hi shn,thanks girl.If there is a non-veg,I will make one veg too ,so my veg. buddies don't get uneasy!Pilsbury cookies come with the shapes like that,all we have to do is bake!:))

Sangeeta,thank you.Hope you give it try sometimes girl!:))Happy V'day.

Hi Paati,great to see you.Yeah,I changed the template and happy about it.I love your dishes too,just looking but no recipes!:)Try the Koftas.Thanks.

Hi SS! Good to see you back!:)) Kaddu(Hindi) is Butternut Squash!Hope you try both and enjoy.Yeah,it's still here but not that into V'day much though.Have fun!

Seema,thanks buddy!:)Make it Veg by all means,tastes great either way.That's I give you multiples so you can mix and match.My kids love Butter chicken,I often make it on Sundays.Enjoy.Ella madi thindre hotte yochanene iralla,alva?;D

Thanks Myth!I am done until next wednesday.I am not even started cooking for next week ie this Friday's Shivratri.Hope I will make by then.Have fun!:))

Anonymous said...

Hey Ashaji,

I was drooling over the post untill I reached the 'heart' pic. I know you warned, but I had to peek - and oh my god I can't look at the recipies now !

All the time, before reaching the end I was thinking that I would try the veg version of butter Chicken and absolutely love koftas. But next time - may be after a day or two ( it will take me atleast that long to recover from that heart pic - and my dad wanted me to become a doc ! )I will scroll reeeaaaaaaal slow to note down both the recipies - I dont wanna look at that heart again !!!

FH said...

I know LakshmiK,we all have almost the same recipes in our blogs.How much variation can one do?!:D Enjoy the day,you are a great cook!:))

Seema,I got all your comments.I had to take Tushar to dentist for his braces and just came back and started moderating these.Thanks again.

Mahesh,thank you.Muttondish!!I wish I could get my hands on some here.Arvind likes it.We do get lamb but not Mutton though.Enjoy the yummy lunch and post later!:))

Hi Lotus,you pretty thing!!I loved your picture,you are so cute.You don't eat much,do you?;D Eat all these,it will fatten you right up!Thank you for all your love and affection indeed,this is a great V'day for me.Have fun Lotus.Hugs!

Latha,thanks girl.You are so sweet.You know what,I made your Maddur Vada,loved it and posted it in Aroma.Take a look.Try these when you have time,don't get overworked.Have a great day today sweetie,lots of love from me!:))

FH said...

Hi Brute,you are a nice guy,why do you call yourself a BRUTE?! ;D I don't like uninvited guests either ,so you are invited!!Drop in NC and start looking for me!!HeHe!!Glad you liked the real heart too,you are the second one who said it.Happy V'day!:)

Seema, take a deeeep breath girl!:D I know it's my fault,late at moderating the comments.I gotchya!

Shaheen,congrats for your blog nom!!!I hope you post the Butter Chicken,I will be all over it!I like collecting all versions.Have a great day sweetie!:))

Priya,isn't that great that we come know so many in such a short time.Last July ,I didn't have a blog and now I have all of you!!Love it and thankful for it too.Have fun my buddy,thanks!:))

Oh Abha Abha Abha!!We give birth to children easily with all those thing entails and now you can't look at the beautiful real Heart!!Come on girl!!:p I know you want to kill me now!HEHe!!I will move the heart even further down,so you don't have to look at it again,I promise!!:))Hope you try Veg Koftas.Have fun.

By Deepa and Supriya said...

Happy Valentines Asha....we celebrate this time of the yr not particularly because it is Valentines but because we met each other for the first time on the 15th, 10 yrs ago..ofcourse we don't mind the whole world celebrating with us.

Looking forward to the kannadiga veggie food :)

brute said...

uh-huh! and even if i find u, how will u recognise me.... :P
so u tell how will u recognise me...gimme ur address and then a time ...koool naaa . :P

and abt brutey thing,....am jus the opposite... ;)

Beccy said...

Not sure about the heart but I love the rest of it. I made valentine heart meringues but unfortunately can not upload them to my computer for some reason!

indosungod said...

Asha I have not come across anyone that does not like butter chicken, delicious. I love the koftas and also like the fact that you are baking them(I am not averse to deep frying just lazy). Happy Valentine's dear friend.

FH said...

Orchod,that's so nice!!:)) It's like having your B'day on Jan 1st,whole world celebrates it.Good for you,enjoy the day.
I don't mind if a couple want to make it a special day just for this day too.We are just two old coots who don't do anything for any holiday!;D

Brute,all you have to say is "I am Brute!!" Who else besides you,calls themselves Brute,right?:p Hope you have a girlfriend now to celebrate today!

Hi Beccy,I understand!I scared lot of girls here showing that too!:D Try loading from Picasa directly to your blog,worked for me before I switched to Beta.I would love to look at Meringues!Have fun with your mum!:)

Hi Indo,you are right,who doesn't!!We love it too.Shaheen has made same too today,probably post it too,can't wait! Hope you try these. Have a great time today buddy,love ya!:))

brute said...

nah....no one approached me.. :(

hogi koyi somewhere on the earth...
basically am very optimistic soul... :P

Dr. Soumya Bhat said...

Hi Asha,
Once again a super entry.How come you do all these things so nicely and the mere look satisfys my hunger i feel.?Very nice presentation and a perfect photography..hmm HAppy valentine's day

Anonymous said...

Happy Valentine's day Asha.

What a wonderful spread!Will surely try your version of butter chicken & get back to u.

Love,
Kate.

Keshi said...

Happy V-day Asha HUGGGGGGGGGGGGGZ!

Wow what a lovely V-day menu here. YUMMMMMMMMMY! Ur man is so lucky to have u in his life.

So wut did u do yday?

that real heart freaked me out LOL!

Keshi.

J said...

Hi Asha! I waited all of y'day to see your recipes! By the time you posted it, I was in zzzz land!! Time diff you see...

The butter chicken melted my heart!!! Hugs to you for that recipe. I really love butter chicken, but haven't tried my hand at it.

I've never made a combo kofta, its either aaloo and paneer or kaddu koftas, never the 2 together! Again, my mouth was watering!
And the array of desserts! Your family would have loved you for that!!
Wish you and your family a beautiful Valentine Day!!

Anonymous said...

Thats a good piece of advice Asha to freeze the gravy. It can make sometimes life so simple..

Also, was checking your other posts and really loved the pictures of Gin drinks you made for Meeta's Monthly Mingle last year....

-Cheers
Sushma

Li'l Lite said...

Hi Asha,

Lovely dishes once again.I am a cake freak :P :)

Please do visit my blog.I am not a great writer but just felt like maintaining a online journal :)

and yeah, belated Valentine Day wishes!

-DR

Anonymous said...

Happy Valentines Day to you too. Love cakes and pretty much anything sweet. If you are going to cook such delights, makes me want to ask you.. will you be my valentine :)

Cyberkitty said...

happy valentines day ! great dishes especially the heart cookies...ooh that heart looks scary but u warned me ! Women sending 85% cards, yes i suppose that's true !

Beccy said...

I was having a bit of a blonde moment! Not all the wires were plugged it to the camera, duh! Picture up now.

FH said...

Good for you Brute!You know,some times it happens when you are not looking for someone,they will come to you.Fate,believe it or not.Hang in there buddy!:))

Hi Sowmya,you do better than me girl!!:))Thank you,I just cook and love serving in nice looking dishes,that's all.Not everyday though,my kids always say "why can't we eat like this everyday!":D

Thank you Kate,let me know how did you like it.You could some Cardamom pd to enhance the flavor.Hopr you do!:))

Hi Keshi,thanks as always sweet girl.Not much but ate some cake and did some shopping for ShivRatri cooking!Arvind got lot chocolates from the patients,I am sending all of them to kids' schools!:D Hope you had fun and didn't send any 'mocking' cards to the ex!;D

Hi J!On Tuesday,few were asking where is my post and I had to tell them that it's still Tuesday here,I will post tomorrow!;p That's okay,you can take a look whenever you can,you have got a whole week.Hope you try some of them.Hope you had a great day too!:))

karmic said...

Happy V-day and the food rocks as always.

FH said...

Hi Sushma,thanks about the Cocktails.We do enjoy some occasionally!:))Freezing works for me specially when we come back from vacation and desperate for some Indian food!:D Enjoy.

Hi dr,I tried to visit you by clicking on dr before but didn't get through.I will try on this 'light' today!:))Thanks and enjoy making them if you can.

HI DNA,I already told I would love to do the last idea you suggested!!;D Of course,I will be your Valentine and feed you sweets until you puke,okay!!HAHAHA!!!

Thanks Cyber Kitty.I adjusted the heart picture way down yesterday after it scared some of them!:))85% yup!we women are emotional wrecks,aren't we? Men should be doing that!!Hope you had a great day yesterday!

Beccy,happens sometimes, blonde or not!!;D I will take a look today!Hope you had a great time yesterday!

FH said...

Linda said:

Butter chicken could be a big hit with my kids if I call it that! And malai kofta looks wonderful, don't know why I never thought of that fat-free half and half. I could make that more often. Would like to try koftas with the butternut squash!

BTW that open heart surgery pic nearly scared me half to death!!! :)) Never was one for anything remotely medical till daughter got dx'd -- now I can give a needle anyway. Thanks for the yummy dishes and cake to brighten up a snowy day!

FH said...

Sandeepa said:

I simply love Maddur Vada and used to have it a lot when we were in B'lore. In fact our office had a choice of snacks and I would always have these. Thanks Asha now I can try

I am still not able to comment on your main post but I loved the Butter Chicken, another one on my try list. Only we are trying to cut down so much on this butter shutter that have to wait for at least a worthy cause to make it

Belated Happy Birth Day to the birthday Boy A :)

FH said...

Thanks Linda,sorry you can't get in here at FH.Hope you try Butter chicken,it's yummy!! Real heart!LOL! I moved it faraway from the warning so you don't have to but most pple get curious!:))

Hi Sandeepa,sorry you can't access here!:)) Thanks ,I will pass on the wishes.You can skip the butter and make it,you don't really have to add it at all.

Thanks Sanjay!Hope you had a great V'day too, not just showel the ice and snow!!:D

Shionge said...

Aiyayayay Asha :D Trust you to 'knock' me out of my seat with those yummy looking food .....then the last pix 'knocked me out big time'......hahaah..

Thank you for sharing and hope you had a good V-Day :D

Anonymous said...

Wow! lady you've given me a beautiful visual treat with all your goodies.happy belated valentines day to you!!

Nee said...

Hey sweetheart!

Belated Valentine's day wishes! The Boy and I had to work late, so no celebrations for us this time. Oh well, we just got back from a long weekend anyway.

I lurrrrrrrrrrrve Malai Kofta. And yet again I wish I lived within walking distance of your home! Sigh...

Nee

FH said...

Hi Shionge,thank GOD you are alright after that last pic!!:D What a anti-climax for a V'day ,eh?! RReality check,HeHe!! Enjoy the recipes and have a great weekend.

Hi Lera,it's nothing you don't know already right!! Oh you teaser lady,one of these I am going to get you with my own whole post of teasers!:D Have fun.

Hi Nee,you have had a great weekend off to yourselves,that's good V'day celebration!!Good for you.Glad to hear you are okay and doing well.Now can you start cooking for the poor Boy!!;D
Great to see you here,take care and have a great weekend Nee!:))
We have ShivRatri tomorrow!Busy bee, myself!:)

swapna susarla said...

Hi ashaji
I think i am late this time..thse days i am getting busy in some other things..sorry for being late here..
i loved the rice plate with malai kofta..mmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i have stopped there for 5 minutes and just like in a movie i have made my hungry calm...thanku..
GREAT CAKE.perfect frosting..
i can't comment on chicken as i am an egg(only) eating vegetarian..:-))
last but not least u are frightened me almost..at the last of ur post..:-(

Joyce said...

I'm a day late and probably a dollar short—but just want to wish you a belated happy v day and thansk for all your explicit instructions. You'll make great cooks out of us yet! All the images are stunning, too.

FH said...

Hi Swapna,no you are not late at all.It will here until next Tuesday so you can visit anytime.Better late than never!:))Hope you had a great day yesterday.You can skip the chicken and add the Eggs or Koftas with the same sauce!:)) Hope you try.

Joyce,hello!:)) V'day?Nyah, not that interested in celebrating that but hope you had a good day yesterday.Thank you for saying all that ,I appreciate it!You are not bad either lady!!:D Have a great weekend.

Lisa Johnson said...

Yikes Asha! You surprised me at the end! I'm a little squeamish. I know you warned me, but I had to look. ; )

All the food looks really good!! And the cake is so pretty! I hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day!

FH said...

HAHAHA!! Anali,I think I have scared most of you off of this post!;D
Thank you.Nyah! It's like any other day yesterday,just a cake.It's a working day as usual!:) Hope you a had great day too.

Anonymous said...

I already told I would love to do the last idea you suggested!!;D
LOL. Words never sounded sweeter :) But why such kindness on this soul?

and feed you sweets until you puke,
I might puke but that doesn't necessarily make me stop eating sweets, especially when they are made by an expert cook like you!

deepsat said...

the cake looks beautiful!!! the real heart is not so beautiful though LOL!!

i will be tasting that butter chicken soon!!!

thanks asha!!

;-))

Anonymous said...

I love the entire weeks worth of food, must try that chicken!

mommyof2 said...

I thought that pic was ur hubby's contriution.. You know, real heart for sweet Asha;-), until I saw the source;-) j/k

Both recipes are my favourite:-)

Happy V-day. What did u get?

Shilpa said...

Hi Asha, what a coincidence, my hubby's birthday was also on the 9th! :) Anyway those malai koftas look obscenely good! I can imagine breaking them up and letting the pieces absorb all that sauce! Unfortunately, after the sight of a real heart, I can't say I'm hungry now.. ;-)

Gattina Cheung said...

Asha, you're just witty ;p I went right straight to the end, hehee... good (bad actually) thing about TV here, after all that extreme make-over or Dr 90210, we're fearless to see anything :D
Your deveil food cake pre-mix is one of my favorite! In fact, I even don't bother make it from scratch as this brand is simply good enough! Dark brown and pink frosting, so romantic! *hug*

FH said...

Hi Twisted guy,you are too much fun this V'day!:D I didn't know you like sweets THAT much!I for one am making sweets since Xmas and today is ShivRatri!I am little tired of sweets but got to make one more today K'taka style!Enjoy the weekend D!:))

Hi Deepsat,great!You are trying the Butter chicken!:) Hope you got the Tea right.Glad real heart didn't scare you!:D

Kristen,you are always sweet and thank you.Hope you give it try.Have a great weekend.Hugs.

Hi M! Nothing this year but some candies!Last year,I got tiny diamond heart earrings.He had a meeting this Wed.,didn't come home until 9pm anyway!:D

Thank you and sorry Shilpa!;D Hey! I warned you not to scroll down,didn't I? It's all your fault!HeHe! Anyway,don't let stop you from trying Koftas though!:)

I know right, Gattina?!I love that operation shows and birthing shows,they are gory but real life.I don't get queezy at all, and I wish I was a Medical Doctor actually!;D
Thanks girl,hope you had a romantic one unlike me!;p Hugs to you too.

Anonymous said...

That's such a cheery post. Always can use more sweet potato options.

Anonymous said...

Pardon me, must have been a subconscious request. I was thinking butternut squash and saying sweet potato.

FH said...

Hi Pearl,good to see you here! Sweet Potato works with Koftas too.It is as sweet as Butternut Squash anyway!:)) Thanks and hope you had a great V'day!

Mrs. K said...

Belated valentine's day wishes, dear asha. I too wonder about the relation between heart and love. You are right. It happens in the brain! Can't imagine having valentine's day cards with brain pictures on it...and how about brain shaped pendants? They should invent some brain shaped cake pans too... :)

FH said...

HAHAHA!! Rp,you are witty girl.You are right,got to give them some idea of brain shaped Pendants.I would like to buy that!:D Thank you rp,V'day is not such a big deal for us.Hey,but it's ShivRatri today,I am happy for that!:))

FH said...

Margie said:

Happy Belated Valentine's Day to you....your post was wonderful at Foddie's hope...I still cannot comment there.
The picture of the heart did not bother me.
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!
This one looks really good too!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend,
I have been away from posting for a little while ...hope to be back on Sunday....thanks for your last visit!
Take good care!

FH said...

samuru999 said...

Hi Asha
Happy Belated Valentine's Day to you....your post was wonderful at Foddie's hope...I still cannot comment there.
The picture of the heart did not bother me.
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!
This one looks really good too!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend,
I have been away from posting for a little while ...hope to be back on Sunday....thanks for your last visit!
Take good care!

FH said...

Hi Margie,good to see you!I asked Keshi about you too.Last time was in Jan. I think I visited.Glad you are back.Sorry that you still can't access but atleast you can take a look!:)) I will paste this comment there at FH Margie , thank you.

Freya said...

All the food looks so delicious, particularly the Koftas! Hope you had a wonderful day!

FH said...

Hi Freya,we did ,thank you.Enjoy the recipes and have a great weekend!:))

Joyce said...

Thanks for your comment. Check out the great varieties of organic rice from Lundberg Farms:
www.lundberg.com

FH said...

Thanks for the link Joyce.I will check it out!:))

Mahek said...

hi
thanks for visiting my blog
i am replying here as i do not know your email
offcourse you can use my photo, as long as you mention me haahahh...
looking forward to reading your post
This is a great post on valentine goodies

FH said...

Thank you Mahek!:))
Of course I will put link to you girl!It is understood always to respect the author first.Thanks for taking those great photos.I will snatch just one!;D
Have great weekend sweetie.

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha ! naanu arathi from Sharjah ,checked ur blog, cool site with lot of yummy dishes.i tried ur avarekaalu gojju. ( here v get only dried ones) tumba chennagittu! ( i became little nostalgic about green fresh avarakaalu in b,lore!!)i really like ur way of presenting all the dishes, keep up the goodwork bye!!

Anonymous said...

Asha, that's an awesome spread and gorgeous pictures. I just love those cookies- so cute.

FH said...

Hi Aarthi,good to see you!:))

Naanu onagida avarekalanne use madide palyakke.Nanagu fresh sigodilla illi.Dry kaalu channagirutte madokke.
Batani Saagu madinodamma next time.Recipe Indexge hodre sigutte recipe.Mysoredu recipe ,tumba ruchiyagutte Poori jote!:))
Come back and visit me again and thanks.

Thank you Sailu, as usual you are very sweet!I appreciate it!:)
I am busy cooking for Shiv Ratri food today,hopefully I can type and make it all to my next post!:D Have a great weekend.

g said...

Whoa! Awesome post......particularly the hear pic!

Thanks for visiting and glad you liked the garlic chutney.

FH said...

Thanks G! Glad you liked it all,specially the Heart!!;D
Loved the garlic chutney,I will try.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I tried it and got it the first time! YEeaaahhh! :)

Happy (belated) V-day and Shivarathri! It must've been pretty big for you, na? Looking forward to that post! :) My mil was fasting the whole day (and night) and I cooked that night after ages! Made rava bhath, kosambari and rasayana. That was a LOT for me! :)

A surprise in the end, Ash! Giving us all a dose of reality, huh?! :) Koftas and butter chicken look good.

Viji said...

Hi Asha, Very nice write up and presentation as usual. The Koftas are really good. When i see the spread I forget my diet. Came back from vacation but yet to post as there is some problem in my blog. Will wait for some time. Tks for sharing. Viji

Neer said...

heyy Asha!! Thank You so much.... and how i envy your culinary skills!!

FH said...

Hi Vani!YAY from me too!:D
Don't worry if you can't comment on the first day itself,it doesn't matter.Take it easy and take a look when you can.
ShivRatri was good,actullay I am cooking the feast today so we can all have lunch together.No fasting for us!Your menu sounds great,wait for mine next week.It is THE festival for me and Diwali next.That's it,I don't do anything else really.It's exhausting since I have to cook alone without any help, but I do it somehow.Enjoy and have a great weekend!:))

Hi Viji,good to see you and hope you had great trip and came back relaxed.Thank you and blog when you can,don't worry.Have fun!:))

Neers,hello.And how I envy your poetic talent and your sensitivity!! Me, I am a hard core non-emotional person,I don't know whether it's good or bad!:p Thank you and have a great weekend!:))

Margie said...

Hi Asha
Just popping in to wish you a beautiful Sunday.....
I can now get here, as my sweet hubby hooked me up to Opera browser.
Thanks so much for visiting me today and reading my poem....
It is a poem that gives me joy and peace too!

Margie

FH said...

Hurray!! Margie,I am so glad you could log in here now!:)) Thanks to your hubby.I loved your poem,can't wait for Spring either!It's sooo windy here today.Have a great rest of the weekend.Hugs!:)

Harmonia said...

Thanks for posting the veg alternatives and ideas...hope your weekend is going well!

Anonymous said...

Kaddu-Alu-Palak Koftas or Vegetable Balls***reminded me the college days, this was the only edible thing available in our canteen, rest of the snacks available there cud kill even a pig...lol

FH said...

You are welcome Harmonia!:)) I always give a veg dish too with a non-veg dish.I do have lot of vegetarians friends here.My weekend was hectic,spent most of the time cooking for the festival and some time eating!;D

Inji Pennu said...

Good Lord! Butter chicken and then a heart pic!!!! Grrrr...

:)

FH said...

Hi SouthPaw,hope you are doing well there,soldier.These Koftas tastes great ,don't they?Hope KCS tries it,since she is a vegetarian!:))
I heard about the train bombing today near Dilli,it made me sad...sigh..

Inji Pennu,you are right! Goes straight there!:D
No,we need to have some fat in our food everyday to keep our skin supple and elastic to prevent wrinkles!As long as we don't overdo the butter,we will be fine!:)

sallywrites said...

Great inormation about Valentines day!!!

Thanks Asha!

FH said...

You are welcome Sally!Hope you enjoyed your V'day!:))

Inji Pennu said...

Hi Asha

The idea is to have the posts and links so searches for yahoo should give results about this content theft. If you are unable to do a post on March 5th, thats alright. No problem! But please do spread the word.

FH said...

Thanks for understanding Inji!:))

Take a look at the sidebar,I have already posted and linked your post so ppl who are interested can go to your post and know more about it.My two cents!

Harmonia said...

Thanks for commenting on the Eggplant dish! It's the first time I tried that recipe! I would love to hear about more of your vegan Indian dishes...I have a bunch of coconut milk I need to use...hint, hint. lol

FH said...

You are welcome Harmonia.Check out the recipes in my 'Aroma'(sidear) blog for dishes with coconut.Meanwhile,if you have too much coconut left ,you always freeze them and use it later.

Inji Pennu said...

Hi Asha,

Saw your question on indosungod's post. If you wont mind me answering it, If thats the case, then there would be a million law suits from Microsoft against Open source supportive bloggers if you just read what the bloggers write about Microsoft. :-). They also cannot file a 'law suit' like that against anyone. Freedom of speech, first amendment also comes into play here.

Dont worry. We are protesting against a vioaltion they have done and they are fully aware of that. They are the ones who should be worried, not us!

Seema said...

Waaaaaaw...that was a fantastic menu...butter chicken am gonna surely try this one !
Deserts set me droolinggggggg as always...the strawberries there yummyyyyyyyyyy !
The cookies were so cute looking..surely they must have been great tasting too !

Lucky Arvind n the kiddies !

You take care...n thanx for this feast for the eyes...i am gonna have a feast for the mouth with the butter chicken over the weekend!

Keshi said...

check mah blog ;-)

Keshi.

FH said...

Hi Inji,thanks for clearing my mind about that question,I do feel lot better now!:) I also think that we should include Web Duniya who are the real lifters of bloggers material to send them to Yahoo!You have to get to the source as well.

rp,I don't remember which blog or which MeMe but I will check all of my MeMe's and let you know.I hope you didn't get confused with somebody's else's MeMe!:)It's probably Twisted DNA's blog?

Hi Keshi,will check it out!:)

Mrs. K said...

yay! it sounds like that's the one asha.. Thanks.

FH said...

You are welcome rp.Glad I could help,he is very good blogger!:))

Kajal said...

Hi Asha,
Good enjoy V'day.
I like your Kofta very much. I can't wait for eat. I love it.:))

FH said...

You are welcome Kajal.Enjoy the recipes!:))

Melting Wok said...

ooo, I always wandered bout Buttered chicken when I went to the punjab store..that looked wickedly delicious and easy to make, hm..pantry check, I think I've e'thing except nutmeg, can I not put that ? Also, I prefer cumin to fennel seeds, is it ok to use cumin instead ? Thx for sharing, Asha, cheers !:)

FH said...

Hi Shirley,yes you can use nutmeg but in moderation because it does have a strong flavor,may be 1/8 tsp or less.
Yes,fennels can be substituted with cumin seed pd, which gives it different taste but not bad at all.Hope you try and like it.

Me said...

Words couldn't do your desserts enough justice. An incredibly amazing effort!

FH said...

Thank you Orhan!:)) That's a nice thing to say.I appreciate,makes it all worth while friend!

Anonymous said...

Asha,

After ur hit BBB, nenne Butter chicken try madide. Restaurant Butter chicken gintha chennagi banthu. I am so glad I found u...(ur site)..Keep up the good work.

Aruna.

FH said...

Hi Aruna,happy to know that I you guys loved it.You are third one who tried and liked it this week!:)) Makes me happy,glad you find me as weel.Guess what?! Another Murgh dish coming your way!:))

Anonymous said...

Hi Asha,

Are you a professional in cooking as well as web design ? The site is fantastic !! And of course you have got the talent to present the recipies in a mouth watering style. Appreciate it !! Many a times when i try to search for some Indian recipes, either they would not have provided a snap of the dish or the snap would not be attractive. I believe, apprearance is one of the major factor that makes the food tasty. Many Thanks !!

Cynthia said...

I wanted to send you a get-well card but since I have no email address for you, I'll just have to leave my well-wishes here and hope you have a speedy recovery. Know that you are loved and thought of fondly.

Hugs, dear one.

Cynthia

FH said...

Thank you Geethi!:)) I try my best to utilize whatever the blogger allows me to do and yes,I love cooing and taking pics of them!
Thanks for the Adobo dish suggestion. (I think you are the who told me about it).I made it and my family loved it!:))

Thank you Cynthia.I am doing well. I did have have e mail address listed but spammed so badly that I took it out. You can e mail me foodieshope@hotmail.com I check one or twice a week:))

Anonymous said...

Hi Ashaji, I love all your recipes in your blog... I been a silent reader for a while now and i made your butter chicken yesterday and it came out very well... thanks to you...

FH said...

Hi Rami, so glad you tried and liked it.It's my fave recipe for Butter chicken too, easy and delcious. Enjoy and thanks for the feedback. Hope to see you back again!:))

Finla said...

The toamto sauce you mentioned in the butter chicken, is it tomato sauce from a box or do you mean ketchup.

FH said...

Hi F, I never used Ketchup in any dish so far, there is a recipe with it I might try later.
As for this recipe, yes, tomato sauce from the cans or jars. Here in US, we get Tomato sauce (just plain tomatoes pureed) in cans, I use that a lot. Not the tomato soup which comes in cartons or cans you use for lunch etc.
You can also grind few tomatoes to make sauce as well, cans are easier! :))

Finla said...

Thgankyou for the info.
I too use can tomatoes, especially in winter as the fresh ones don't have nay taste at all.

Finla said...

Hey Asha My sister made your butter chicken after seeing in my place, she made for 8 kilos in two batches as they had a big get together and each family had to take somethin and she , her family and friends loved it, she told me the big bowls in which the butter chicken wes served were all empty.
She had one of her friends to help for cooking so much chicken.

FH said...

8 kilos! WOW! She is brave. I am so happy party was a success and butter chicken was all gone!:)

Thanks for the feedback F, it's our fave dish too here, kids love it.

UjjU said...

Thanks Asha for the link. Next time sure will try the Kofta recipe from your blog. I din't search in your blog yesterday. :(

FH said...

That's okay Ujju, every recipe is different, so try next time!:)