~*~Foods that make Christmas special~*~

Festive time is always the time for a feast! From the cakes to wine, take a look at the food that makes the Christmas feasts always special.

What ever be the origins of Eggnog, it is one of those special concoctions which set the spirits alive during Christmas. It is a great drink to enjoy with friends and family and it sure will pep you up. In photo: A glass of Best Eggnog is seen. For a real taste of eggnog you need to try the Best Eggnog recipe that uses the traditional raw eggs as the main ingredient.

Cutout cookies are a treat you cannot do without. You can get imaginative about them when you bake them. Kids adore it and the funkier the shapes, the merrier the kids are. In photo: Decked Out Christmas Tree Cutout Cookies are seen. Have fun while decorating these cookies.

What is a Christmas without a cake? Making the cake is a tradition in itself. The dough is mixed with the entire family in assembly. It is easy to grab one at the bakers, but then, making one at home is always special. In photo: This is it, the 'perfect' vegan chocolate cake developed after painstaking testing in the test kitchens of Cook's.

From its humble origin as a ginger candy, the gingerbread evolved. And now, people spend time and meticulously design them and deck them up. In photo: Gingerbread houses are seen in the lobby of the Park Plaza Regency Lodge hotel in Omaha.

Vegans excuse! The traditional Christmas meal is not complete without the stuffed turkey. Dig in! In photo: Chef Todd English's holiday meal of southern fried turkey, beignet brussel sprouts, pumpkin gravy, bacon aoli, and honeyed cranberry cream at his restaurant, "Olives" in Charlestown, Mass.

The candy cane gives the meal a festive touch. The reds and whites of the candy cane goes perfectly well with those chocolate fudges or brownies! In photo: This Candy Cane Brownie is very fudgy with a delicious crispy top.

courtsey : yahoo news

~*~Manchurian Dosa~*~

Manchurian Dosa

  Ingredients: 150 gms urad dal (black gram)
500 gms rice
10 gms methi (fenugreek) seeds
50 gms chana dal (Bengal gram)
250 gms carrots
150 gms beans
100 gms green peas
5-6 green chilies, chopped
150 gms spring (green) onions, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
A small piece of ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp chili sauce
1/4tsp ajinomoto
2 tsp corn flour
Few coriander leaves, chopped
Salt to taste
50 gms oil
  Manchurian Dosa
  
  Method:  

  Soak urad dal, rice, methi seeds, chana dal in water for 1-2 hours. Drain the water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside for 6-8 hours until it gets fermented.  
  Cut the carrots, and beans into small pieces and boil until they are tender along with green peas. Drain the water and keep aside.  
  Heat oil in a pan and fry the chopped green chilies, ginger and garlic pieces. Also add boiled carrots, beans, green peas, soya sauce, ajinomoto, chili sauce, little water and cook for a while.  
  Mix little water to the corn flour and mix well. Add this to the above carrots mixture and mix well. Sprinkle green onions and coriander leaves and remove from heat. The manchurian curry is ready.  
  Heat non-stick dosa pan and rub the pan with wet cloth. Now make dosas from the above dosa batter. Add the curry on the top and spread throughout the dosa. Sprinkle little oil, roll the dosa and remove. Repeat for the remaining dosas.

Serves: 6-8

Preparation time: 30-40 minutes