Iam living in Singapore since 8 years and have been quite fascinated with the Singapore cuisine. One thing that I realized is that there are many similarities in various cuisines across Asia. Some recipes that are very similar to the ones made in India, the only variation being the flour used or the way it is eaten (I mean, the accompaniments). One such dish that I was fascinated with is the “Goreng Pisang” (“Pisang” means banana and “Goreng” means to fry), there is some controversy to the name though as the Malaysians and Indonesians call itPisang Goreng which means fried banana. Anyways controversies apartI would like to share with all of you’ll the recipe of Ripe Banana Bajji(which is the Goreng Pisang of India), Bajji made with Ripe Bananas. This is a hot favorite with my husband. It’s very important what kind of banana you choose. The bananas shouldn’t be over-ripe or semi-ripe, they should be just right to eat. It shouldn’t be cut too thin else it will literally melt into the batter while frying. It should be cut into 11/2 inch lengths before frying. The batter shouldn’t be too watery, it should be thick enough to cover the banana completely, if the batter is watery the banana will get directly fried in the oil and the result will be very oily.
Ingredients
Bananas – 2 ripe ones
Bengal gram flour / Besan flour – 1 cup
Rice flour – 1 tbsp
Soda bi-carb – a pinch (optional)
Red chilly powder - 2 tsps
Salt as per taste
Oil – for deep frying
Method
Peel the Bananas and cut into chunks. Keep aside. In a bowl, Add Besan flour, rice flour, a pinch of soda bi-carb, red chilly powder and salt as per taste. Add water and make a thick paste first, this ensures that the lumps get dissolved. Then add more water till it comes to the dosa better consistency. Keep aside. Now take a deep frying pan, Add oil for frying.
Take a chunk of banana and dip it into the batter, the banana should be coated well with the batter else it will come in direct contact with the oil and absorb too much oil. Drop the coated banana chunks into hot oil and deep fry until golden brown. Once you remove from oil place on kitchen towel to drain the excess oil. Serve hot. You can eat it just like that. Just bite into one and a riot of flavors explode into your mouth, ranging from hot, sweet, salty and crispy outside and the soft and gooey banana inside. Enjoy this delightful snack on a cold winter or rainy day.
GORENG PISANG
I would like to share with you’ll the recipe of Goreng Pisang, wherein Rice flour, salt, sugar are mixed with water to form a batter like consistency and then Bananas(not over ripe usually the “Pisang Raja” variety available in this part of the world ) are dipped into this batter and deep fried. Sometimes, glutinous rice flour is also added to the batter and sometimes a bit of ginger powder is added to give that extra flavor to the batter. Then the bananas are dipped in the batter and deep fried until golden brown and served hot with a dash of cinnamon powder and some fresh cream.
I saw a beautiful rainbow outside and I thought I must capture it in my camera. There is a pot
of gold at the end of the rainbow. I thought this signifies the recession we are going through and the optimistic th
ought that it will end and things will brighten up as I believe that there is light at the end of a tunnel and we will find that pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
I would like to send this wonderful dish to my blogger friend Purva for the “ Festive Food – Holi” event that she is hosting.
HOME REMEDIES FOR MOUTH ULCERS
Mouth Ulcers or Canker sores are small boils which appear in the inside of your mouth, on the tongue or inner lips. Sometimes they are so painful that the person cannot speak, eat or drink anything. Causes of Mouth Ulcers are: Lack of Vitamin B2 in the diet
Eating acidic or spicy food
Bad stomach
Eating antibiotics or other medications which cause heat in the body
Viral infections
Sometimes minor injuries can also cause it.
Home remedies for mouth ulcers
Avoid stress, Have a good sleep and eat a balanced diet
Avoid eating hot and spicy food, avoid drinking hot tea/coffee.
Have a diet of Rice mixed with cold yogurt and a pinch of salt till your mouth ulcers are gone.
Take B-Complex capsules (Becosules) twice a day, it is quite effective.
Keep rinsing the mouth with salt water. Take more salt, about 2 tsps in one cup of lukewarm water.
Make a solution of 1tsp salt and ½ tsp turmeric powder in lukewarm water and rinse 3-4 times a day.
Gargle alternately with hot and cold water.
Take 4-5 leaves of Tulsi ( Holy Basil) and chew them in the morning and evening with water. This can be done 5-6 times a day. This not only cures mouth ulcers but also prevents bad breath.
Biting on to small pieces of coconut, chew until the coconut milk starts to flow, swish the coconut milk in your mouth, this is one home remedy suggested by my grandmother which is quite effective.
Apply Coconut milk mixed with honey 3-4 times a day on the ulcers for relief.
Mix one teaspoon of turmeric powder to one teaspoon of glycerine and apply this solution on the ulcers
For bad mouth ulcers take raw coconut break it into pieces and chew it with little sugar. Do this 4-5 times a day.
Application of Peppermint oil to the mouth ulcers gives relief from pain and irritation.
Make a paste of Amla (Indian Gooseberry) and apply to the ulcers, this also works effectively.
Have Mint leaves (Pudina), 2-3 in the morning and chew onto it. You can do this 2-3 times a day. Mint is very cooling for the system.
Remove the gel from aloe vera and put it in a blender with some distilled water. Keep this solution in a bottle and regularly, swish it round your mouth, holding and swishing for a few minutes then just swallow it, if you also have a sore throat gargle before swallowing. Aloe vera can also be used on other ulcers.
Boil one teaspoon of coriander seeds in a cup of water. When this is warm, gargle with it 3-4 times a day.
Baking soda and lemon juice is very effective in ulcers of the oral cavity relieving pain as well as the severity of the sores.
Gargle a solution of 1 teaspoon of apple vinegar with half a cup of water three times a day.
Bicarbonate of Soda dabbed on the ulcer will clear it up quickly. Dip finger in powder and apply to ulcer, leave for as long as possible. It will sting at first but will give relief soon after.
For mouth ulcers, use alum. Take a cotton swab and place alum on infected area.
DISCLAIMER : "HOME REMEDIES ARE JUST SUPPLEMENTARY APPROACHES. ALWAYS SEEK A QUALIFIED PHYSICIAN'S ADVICE FOR ANY ILLNESSES."
We were used to snacking in the evenings and every evening Amma used to rustle up some tiffin for us, but sometimes we used to get bored with the usual fare and then amma used to make Pori (Click on the link to know more about Pori )Uppuma for us, which is not only nutritious but tasty and kids love the softness and guess what a lot of vegetables used to go in along with it and the dish is so colorful so kids completely adore it. I kind of forgot about this dish, but, one day after I was married and moved into Singapore, while I was pondering over what to make for nashta (evening snack or tiffin as it is called), I remembered the Pori Uppuma, so I made it. I served it to my husband(who happens to be a Maharashtrian, by the way) with a dash of lime and he told me they make it too and it’s called “Sushila” I kind of felt weird about the name, sounds like the name of a girl….Its called Pori Uppuma down south….what the heck, call the dish by any name it still tastes the same, there is some variation from one state to another, but I still call it my Amma’s signature dish. So here’s a low fat and nutritious dish that you can rustle up for your loved ones.
Ingredients
Puffed Rice(Pori/ Kurmura) - 400 gms (2 Packet)
Peanuts – 2-3 tbsps
Onion-1(finely chopped)
Potato – 1 (peeled and chopped into cubes)
Tomato – 1 (chopped into cubes)
Green Chillies-2 -3
Grated ginger – 2 tsps
Mustard Seeds -1 tbsp
Bengal gram (Chana dal) l-1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Salt as per taste
Oil – 2 tbsps
Curry leaves – A sprig
Coriander leaves for garnish
Lemon – ½ a lemon
Method
In a wok, heat 2 tbsps of oil, Fry the peanuts until u see them cracking and slightly brown, keep aside. In the same oil put in the mustard seeds and chana dal and when the mustard seeds start to splutter, add in the green chillies, ginger paste and curry leaves and fry for a minute. Now add Onion and fry until transparent, then add in the tomatoes and potatoes, add salt as per taste, turmeric and a pinch of asafetida. Add in the fried peanuts.
Wash the puffed rice (pori) in a colander and soak for about 5 minutes, you can do this while the vegetables are getting cooked. Once, the potatoes are soft and cooked. Add in the soaked puffed rice. Mix well and cook covered for 5 minutes, then switch off the flame and keep it covered for another 5 minutes. Squeeze lime, mix well and serve hot.
Puffed Rice Uppuma, has got Tomato as one of the ingredients and I believe that tomato adds zest and color to this dish, therefore this dish goes to Sanghiof "Sanghi's Tasty Bites" for her blog's new event
Since Pori Uppuma has so many vegetables and peanuts and is nutritious to eat and kids would love to eat it because its soft, colorful and got potatoes which most kids love, I would love to send this to Deepa of "Simple Home cooking" for the event "Cooking for kids-P
I would also like to send Pori Uppuma to Purva of "Purva's Dawat" for "Festive Food-Holi" event, as it is so colorful and festive looking.
I would also love to send Pori Uppuma to Srivalli’s Monthly Mingle 31 – Kid’s lunches originally started by Meeta as kids simply enjoy the color and softness of this dish and it is healthy and nutritious
I would also like to send this to PJ’s Tasty Bites for Toddlers event.This can be fed to ages 3 and up.
RAVA KESARI (SOJJI) (CREAM OF WHEAT INDIAN DESSERT)
Sojji is a simple, easy to make and very enjoyable sweet. Easy to make is an under statement, as if the proportion of the ingredients is not correct the Kesari will come out either too pasty or too dry. If the flame is too strong the sojji wont come out well. So, here’s the recipe for a perfect kesari (sojji)if followed exactly as it is here. I had earlier blogged in the recipe of Strawberry kesari /sheera in my blog (Click on the link to check it out.) Here I would like to mention the Sheera made by the Maharashtrian Brahmins for Prasad for the Satyanarayan Pooja ceremony. It will always be so perfect wherever you go, whichever Satyanarayana Pooja you go to, not so pasty, separate and rich and exotic with loads of ghee. When we had the Satyanarayana pooja at home, I asked the Brahmin who made it how we does and he said that we take 1 ¼ cup of Semolina, ghee and sugar. I did want to try it but when it came to pouring the ghee I didn’t have the heart to pour so much, thinking of the calories and how many kilometers I will have to walk to burn it. So I sacrificed on the ghee and the result was a disaster.
Since my daughter is a huge Sojji / Kesari / Sheera fan, I searched and searched for the perfect recipe that would make my daughter compliment me and tell me that I make the best Kesari. She always compliments my downstairs neighbor’s Kesari and come what may she says I can’t match up to it. I asked Anita(my downstairs neighbor) for the recipe, even got it done from her, she makes fantastic Kesari, but, the same problem, oodles of ghee (Fat!!!! Calories!!! Weight!!!!) and my knees would turn to jelly. Every person I asked said, “Kesari wouldn’t be Kesari if there is no ghee”. But this recipe doesn’t have as much ghee and still tastes good. Here is a no-fail recipe, if followed properly as per the measurements given here and the procedure followed here. Make this Kesari and enjoy the compliments.
Ingredients Cream of wheat (rava/ semolina) - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 - 1.5 cups
Golden Raisins (kismis) - 8-10 Orange food color (kesari) -1tsp
Method: Add 1 tbsp ghee in a wok with a thick bottom, when its hot add the raisins and de-skinned and crushed cardamoms, once the raisins become plump, Add the semolina and roast in the ghee along with the raisins and cardamom till the rava gets a faint pink color. Keep aside. Now in the same wok, add 3 cups of water, add the color and let it boil. When it comes to boiling point, add the semolina slowly, constantly stirring, and mix well. Allow the semolina to be cooked at medium heat. The trick is that the semolina has to cook well. Keep covered and cook for a while. When it is fully cooked, add the sugar and stir well. The sugar makes it watery, so stir well. When the sugar is fully dissolved, add the remaining ghee. Keep stirring until the semolina starts leaving the sides of the pan. Your Kesari/Sheera/Sojji is ready. Check the close up snap of the Kesari, it shows how moist and well cooked it is. Serve warm, dunk in with a spoon and enjoy it.
I would like to send my Aparna’s FIC Orange Event which was initially started by Sunshinemom
I would also like to send this toAlka's Sindhi Rasoi and since it is Valentines Day today and this is a Valentine event, this goes out to my 5 year old who loves this dish very much.
Sojji also goes to Priyanka of Asankhana who is hosting the event Cooking with luv for luv
Here is yet another offering from my kitchen. Golden crispy Potato fritters. My parents are here with me and my father and my daughter love these fritters(bajji), so I decided to indulge in this yummy delight on a rainy weekend, which sets me in the mood to usually serve these kind of deep fried delights at home.
Ingredients
Potatoes-2
Besan flour – 2 cups
Rice flour – 1 tbsp
Soda bi-carb – a pinch (optional)
Green chillies paste – 1 tsp
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 2 tsps
Ajwain seeds(Bishop’s weed) – 1 tsp
Asafetida – 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Oil – for deep frying
Method
Wash the potatoes well. Slice them into think roundels. Keep the slices soaked in cold water. Putting the slices in cold water makes the slices crisp and separate and ensures that they don’t become black. Keep aside.
In a bowl, Add Besan flour, rice flour, a pinch of soda bi-carb, green chillies paste, ginger paste, red chilly powder, ajwain seeds, asafetida and salt as per taste. Add water and make a thick paste first, this ensures that the lumps get dissolved. Then add more water till it comes to the dosa better consistency. Keep aside. Let the batter marinate with the spices for about 15- 20 minutes.
Now take a deep frying pan, Add oil for frying. In the meanwhile add some more water and make the batter a bit thinner (not too thin or watery though). Mix well, when you dip the potato slices the batter should stick well to the slices.
Once the oil is hot, dip the potato slices into the batter and deep fry until golden brown. Once you remove from oil place on kitchen towel to drain the excess oil. Serve hot with Tomato ketchup and Coriander chutney.
Dunk them into the ketchup and coriander chutney and enjoy the crispy potato bhajjis.
Tips : Potatoes and gram flour together can be gassy. So I always add in ginger paste, asafetida and ajwain seeds, which helps in aiding digestion. This is a tip from one of the popular street vendors in Mumbai who sells these fritters.
One day some cowherds brought dry firewood and stacked it in front of the kitchen of Ma Yashoda because her stock of firewood was exhausted. By chance a small white squirrel had got trapped in the dry boughs and thus arrived at the kitchen courtyard of Chief Nanda. Afraid of her new surroundings, she ran nervously first to one side, then to another.
Suddenly Krishna came and stood before her. He bent down on his knees and gently spread out his hand towards the lovely visitor and said, "Come, little squirrel, sweet squirrel come to me."
On hearing that mellifluous voice the squirrel looked up and saw Krishna's enchanting face haloed in curls, on which rested a golden circlet with a peacock feather. She was no longer afraid but felt joyfully happy. As if in a trance the squirrel climbed on Krishna's spread out palm. Krishna caressed and petted her and then took his new little friend inside the house to show to Yashoda Ma, Nanda Baba, and to his many friends.
In Gokul nobody had ever seen such a beautiful squirrel before. Everyone said, "She is not of the forest of Vrinda. Surely she has come from the Himalayas -- that is why she is snow-white and has such a fluffy tail."
And so she was called Hima, named after the Himalaya which means `The Home of Snow'.
Slowly Krishna and Hima became inseparable companions. Krishna loved her and Hima simply adored Krishna. Wheresoever Krishna went, Hima followed. Sometimes she climbed on to his shoulders, sometimes onto his curly locks, to perch upon the headband of Krishna and to peep through the peacock feather. Sometimes she slid down inside Krishna's shirt and nestled against his heart, or sometimes she just ran after him. She used to look at Krishna with such interest that she even forgot to eat nuts. She would eat only when Krishna fed her himself. All the young cowherds brought the choicest nuts and fruits for Hima but she refused to feed from anybody else's hand. Only if Krishna asked her to go and take something from a friend would she go and take it.
This little Hima was very, very intelligent. She had one curious habit: she began to steal dry fruits from the homes of the milkmaids of Gokul and heap them in Krishna's room. The milkmaids eventually became fed up with this nuisance. By and by they learned to carefully hide the dry fruits out of Hima's reach. But Hima was not to be easily defeated. Her nose was so sharp that in a flash she could discover the new hiding place. She continued to steal away the choice almonds of Kabul and the sweet raisins of Kandhar. The milkmaids of Vrindavan became more and more cautious but to no avail. Invariably Hima triumphed.
Once two of the milkmaids Gori and Madhu had an argument. Madhu said that Hima could not possibly be an ordinary squirrel, that surely some goddess had taken her form. Gori scoffed at this idea. Madhu asked,"Then why is it that not a single one of us, trying our best, has been able to hide the dry fruits in a place which is safe from Hima?" Gori took up the challenge.
She went home and made a tiny bundle of dry fruits and then hid that bundle inside a pillow, sure that it would be safe. Thus reassured and quite happy at this precaution she went to milk the cows. But for Hima it was only a work of seconds to locate the scent of the treasure. She nibbled very fast and when Gori returned she found not only the fruits gone but the pillow spoiled as well. When the other milkmaids saw the scattered cotton of the pillow they laughed and laughed at Gori.
Now Gori was truly annoyed. The next month she tied a new supply of special nuts tightly inside a piece of cloth. Then she put this packet in a small earthen pot. This pot she put into an even bigger pot and then she hung the whole thing on a long rope, hanging from the ceiling. Somehow Hima sensed the challenge. When she came to visit Gori she saw a big pot hanging on the rope to the ceiling. Her nose told her that there were special nuts inside, nuts which she wanted to take for her Krishna. She climbed the wall, reached the ceiling and then, clinging to the rope, she slithered and slid to the pot. The covering was too heavy for her tiny paws to move. But Hima was not to be easily put off. She started to nibble at the strands of rope. In a few minutes the rope was cut and that big pot crashed with a very great noise. Both the pots were broken and when Gori came running in she was just in time to see the fluffy white tail of Hima as she escaped with
a few nuts. Gori at last accepted defeat and started to store her nuts in a tin box.
Each morning when Ma Yashoda came to wake up her darling Krishna she beheld a strange sight. All around her sleeping Krishna would be spread heaps of nuts and flowers. These were the morning offerings of Hima to her dear adorable Krishna. The jasmine, hibiscus and roses around his face made it look as if someone had worshipped a sleeping god. Hima woke up early and gaily ran to the garden and collected the most beautiful flowers from the plants and placed them round her Krishna - a great task for her tiny paws, but she never tired. If she saw some special flower in the Pooja room - the room of worship of the family gods and goddesses - she just took it off the deity and also put it near her Krishna.
Sometimes Ma Yashoda was upset about this. She didn't feel it was proper to take away flowers that had been offered to gods, but she didn't know how to punish this naughty Hima. On her side Hima felt all the beautiful and best things of the world were made for her Krishna.
One day Krishna went to Vrindavan with his friends to graze his cows. Hima was proudly perched on the peacock headband of Krishna. All the friends were laughing and playing pranks. Suddenly there was a swooshing noise in the air above and, before the children could think, a terrible bird from the sky swooped on Krishna. The noise of the wind against the bird's wings had alerted Krishna and just in time he ducked down, at the same time shouting to his friends, "Fall flat on the ground!"
All the children dived and lay face down on the ground. Because of Krishna's sudden ducking, the bird could not capture him. His aim fell a little short and only Hima came into his claws.
This flying creature was a demon of King Kamsa disguised as a bird. For a long time he had been hovering in the sky, looking for an opportune moment to pounce upon Krishna and kill him. He had to be very careful. He knew that if he were to come within reach of Krishna's hands nothing would save him, for Krishna had killed many demons.
Now by a split second his claws missed Krishna's neck and instead he held Hima and rose higher and higher. By the time Krishna and his friends stood up he was soaring high in the sky. Poor Hima was crying. She was saying in her squirrel language, "Krishna, save me! Krishna, save me!" But soon her piteous cries became too faint to be heard.
For a moment Krishna was undecided. What should he do? How could he save his beloved Hima? Except for the sticks and lassoes for herding the cows, the children had no arms.
The demon bird was flying farther and farther away. He was now like a black dot in the blue sky. Krishna was truly and terribly angry. "Oh! That brute! He has taken my Hima. I must punish him."
Then he sat upon a large rock. In a moment he became quiet. His anger left him. There was only a fierce determination in his heart to save Hima.
At last he took out his flute and started to play a sweet tune on it, the Raga of Sleep -- a strange tune which made the world feel drowsy. Krishna's friends, the cows, the trees and plants all started dozing. Even the wind stopped its whispering. The heads of the birds dropped onto their breasts and the beasts crawled under bushes to sleep.
The tune started spreading in the atmosphere. Its pure and clear notes were carried higher and higher. At last the demon bird heard the magic melody. Suddenly, as if for no reason at all, the demon bird started feeling lazy and sleepy. His wings beat slower and slower till he dozed and started falling towards earth. He tried his best but the notes of the flute as if enmeshed him in sleep. Falling like a stone he finally crashed just at the feet of Krishna, flattening many bushes by his fall. Hima was still clutched in his claws. Now those terrible talons opened and in a trice Krishna picked up Hima, trembling with fear, and placed her inside his kurta where she thankfully nestled against his heart.
Krishna replaced his flute in his waistband. With his left hand he patted Hima and with his right he caught hold of the unconscious demon-bird. Then he placed his foot on the back of the demon and bent its terrible neck backwards until the demon's body lay limp and lifeless. This demon would never cause trouble again.
Now Krishna went to another large rock a little farther away and sitting upon it he started to play a new tune -- the music of dawn, of new life, of awakening. Trees and plants, birds and beasts, and all the cowherds woke up as if from a sweet dream.
Hima was her usual happy self once again. She came out to perch on Krishna's headband. She was swaying to the tune of the flute as the children continued on their merry way.
Not every time can you think of healthy and diet conscious foods, there are times when your heart craves to binge on comfort foods which make you happy, like when it’s raining and you crave to eat something fried. I really don’t know what could be the connection between rains and the cravings for hot fried foods, but there is and when I go blog hopping I see that it’s a universal syndrome. So here is a dish that’s nutritious in a way as its got vegetables but Peas potato cutlet is that kind of crispy delight that no one can resist dunking into.
Ingredients
Potatoes – 3 big size
Green Peas – 1 cup
Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
Green chillies - 2-3
Ginger – ½ an inch
Cumin powder – 1tsp
Garam Masala – 1 tbsp
Asafetida – 1 tsp
2 slices bread
Coriander leaves – 1cup
Rice flour - 2-3 tbsps
Semolina (Rava) – 2 tbsps
Bread crumbs – 1 cup
Salt as per taste
Oil
Method
Boil the potatoes and green peas separately in a pressure cooker upto 3 whistles. Peel and mash the potatoes. Just lightly mash the potatoes (don’t mash into a paste).Drain the water from the boiled peas. Now, in a wok, take one tablespoon cooking oil, add the cumin seeds, when they are getting fried, add the ginger chilly paste and fry, then add the garam masala, asafetida, cumin powder and fry for a minute. Now add the green peas and fry, when u see that it is getting light in color, add in the mashed potatoes and salt as per taste mix well. The masala and salt must mix well with the potatoes and peas mixture. Now add finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
Now soak 2 bread slices in water. Squeeze the water out completely and mash into a paste and mix it with the Potato-peas mixture. This helps the mixture to bind better. If you find the mixture soggy, you can add some bread crumbs to it. This will make it bind better and also the cutlets will be crispy.
Make heart shapes or give the cutlets a circular or cylindrical shape as per your preference.
Now make a watery paste of rice flour and salt. Dip the heart shaped cutlets into the this rice flour paste and then roll over the roasted semolina and then roll over the bread crumbs until the bread crumbs coat the cutlet. Now deep fry until Golden brown and crisp.
Once you remove from oil place on kitchen towel to drain the excess oil.
Serve hot with Tomato ketchup and Coriander chutney.
Christmas is round the corner and its but natural for one to get into the mood of cookies and cakes, but since I don’t have a conventional oven to bake my goodies in, I have to search for other options and yet fulfill my desire of baking those perfect cookies for my little ones. I wanted to bake something nutritious and tasty at the same time. I had a big bottle of peanut butter waiting for me in the refrigerator, so I thought why not make good use of it. Since I am off eggs, here is a nutritious eggless cookie which doesn’t need baking, just blend the ingredients together, so you can involve your little ones in this project too.
Ingredients
Quick cooking oatmeal – 3 cups
Coconut or peanut butter - 1 cup
Cocoa – 1/2 cup
Sugar - 2 cups Milk – 3/4 cup
Butter - 1/4 lb/ 450 gms/ 1 stick
Method
In a bowl mix oatmeal and/or coconut and/or peanut butter. You can use both coconut and peanut butter or one of the two ingredients. If you are using both then use half cup coconut and half cup peanut butter. Now I had the chunky version of peanut butter at home, this actually enhanced the flavor of the cookies as it gave that nutty crunch to it. Once you mix these ingredients keep it aside.
Cut the butter into pieces.
In 2-quart casserole, combine sugar and cocoa. Stir in milk, then add butter, cut into pieces. Cook on high for 3 minutes, uncovered, or until boiling. Stir, then cook 3 minutes on high, stirring every minute. Add oatmeal and coconut (or peanut butter or enough of both to measure 1 cup). Cook on high for a minute. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper to harden. If you 're in a hurry, they may need to be refrigerated to harden.
