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Steamed Veggie and Chicken Salad
2007-07-19 13:58:00
Wow! This must be the longest unplanned break I have taken from blogging. Normally nothing would keep me away from my blog,absolutely nothing. But this long break has been caused by the fact that I have put myself on a diet and I am currently not cooking any fancy stuff that I normally do at least once a week . You might say "Oh ,but Anupama you could blog about so many delicious low-fat recipes!" But the truth is I have not tried out any such. And quite frankly I don't feel like. I mean the ordinary maharashtrian everyday food is so simple and low fat that I don't find the need to make any special diet recipes. So currently I am enjoying our normal Poli ,Bhaji, Aamti ,Koshimbir fare accompanied by loads of very thin taak (buttermilk) with the odd roasted papad thrown in for variety . But then yesterday when I opened my blog and saw those same old Suralchya Wadya on the front page I myself promptly shut off my blog and went on to see some other site. I mean they have been ...
More About: Salad , Chicken , Steam , Steamed

My Food-Stall (A Fantastic Experience)
2007-06-25 23:24:00
About 130 Surali Wadis that I made for the Event Since my school days I have had one belief firm in my mind and that is if you really really work hard at something it always pays . Be it an exam, a talent contest or a sports event if you pour your heart and soul into preparing for it ,it has to give you positive results and my belief was once again proved right this last weekend.It was a Family Picnic cum Cricket Match event organised by the Marathi Association in my city. One of the chief highlights of this event was the food stalls. Anyone interested could book themselves a food stall and sell some food items there. You had to make enough for about 50 to 60 people. The task was a bit daunting because I have never cooked on such a large scale and initially I was really not sure whether I wanted to get into it . But with a lot of encouragement and support from my husband I decided to go ahead and give it a try. Going ahead meant I was cooking food for two days and constantly worryin...
More About: Food , Experience , Peri , Erie

Polka-Dot Cake
2007-06-21 13:42:00
About 10 days ago I went for my fortnightly shop to Sainsbury's. Now when you enter Sainsbury's the first beautiful thing you see are the fresh cut flowers and the next item that is a treat to your eyes is the fresh fruit. On my last trip there I found these beautiful fresh cherries. They were all attractively packed in cute little transparent plastic bags and were just begging to be bought. Well atleast I convinced myself of that and picked myself a bag. Though the husband is not too fond of them, my son and I love them. But as it turns out my son was not in the MOOD for cherries this time. I admit they had competetion with the grapes in the fruit basket which he simply adores. So it was me who ended eating quite a lot of them. But how many cherries can one eat? I mean after a while even I got tired of them, so I put them in the fridge. But everytime I opened the fridge they sat there so pretty andI knew I had to do something interesting with them so that the son AND the husband ...
More About: Cake , Polka Dot

It is Kobichi Wadi !
2007-06-19 16:16:00
Nupur's guess was the first and it hit the nail on the head. It is Kobichi Wadi or Steamed Cabbage and chickpea cakes if I may call it that in english. Many of you did guess that it had something to do with besan or chickpea flour. I really enjoyed the game. For the recipe its almost the same as that of kothimbir wadi which I have already posted. But I'll share it with you again . Ingredients: 4 cups chopped fresh coriander, 1 cup besan (chickpea flour) 1/2 cup wholewheat flour , 1/2 cup semolina, 1.5 tspn chilli powder, 1 tspn salt , 1/2 tspn turmeric powder, 1 tspn sesame seeds, 1 tspn powdered fennel seeds (saunf) , 1/2 tspn sugar, 2 tblspn oil Procedure : Mix all the above ingredients and form a dough by adding very little water at a time , If you find the mixture too sticky just oil your palms well and then handle the dough,. You can divide the dough into 2 or 3 portions,. Shape them into elongated logs and place them in an oiled steel vessel . (Imp Tip: Just in case yo...
More About: Vegetarian , Snacks

A Delicious Summer Cooler
2007-06-14 00:21:00
Hey guys! I will post the recipe first thing tomorrow morning. I can hardly keep my eyes open right now. Till then feast your eyes on the pic.
More About: Summer , Delicious , Cooler , Deli

Suralichi Wadi (As traditional as it gets)
2007-06-08 12:56:00
This one is completely dedicated to my mother. An hour back I had no idea how to prepare these wadis. One phone call back home and lo and behold my dish is prepared ,served and ready to eat. And its all thanks to that one superwoman ,my Aai. I had all kinds of apprehensions in my mind about this dish. I have eaten it umpteen times made by her at home but never dared to make it myself ,but today in a matter of minutes she had me convinced that I could make it and also gave me the perfect recipe there and then. She assured me again and again that it was not as difficult as it seems and I must give it a try. She had more confidence in my cooking skills that I had myself.So I tied my apron and started off with still some doubts at the back of my mind. I followed the steps meticulously and to my absolute delight I could do it. You are simply amazing Aai !! Had you not encouraged me I would never have made them.Now a little about the dish. Its a traditional maharashtrian snack which was i...
More About: Indian , Snacks , Traditional , Ural

Its An Absolute First For Me !!!! And Its For You Meeta.
2007-06-05 11:42:00
Yes guys this is the first time I have iced a cake at home. Believe me I was nervous. I mean I do not have the right kind of instruments needed (like a palette knife to smoothen the icing or even a proper icing bag) and secondly I had bought so many precious ingredients that I would have been devastated had something gone wrong. But thankfully what came out of it was a cake worth photographing. I am really enthusiastic to do another one now. This one is for you Meeta for your Big Birthday BangHave a Great Birthday!!!The cake is an eggless version and I followed the recipe for the cake and the vanilla butter icing from my favourite site www.tarladalal.com . If you guys have any good recipes for eggless cakes too I would love to have them.************************************ **********************************
More About: Cake , Absolut , Absolute

Is this one of your Favourite Movies?
2007-06-02 22:50:00
Hey friends I am taking a bit of a detour from the usual foodie stuff and sharing with you a very interesting bit of info that I know you all would love to read. So without too much chatter from me I'll let you read on.... Pic credits IMDb (Earths Biggest Movie Database)To commemorate her 69th birthday, actress/vocalist, Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan 's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP. One of the musical numbers she performed was "My Favorite Things" from the legendary movie "Sound Of Music."Here are the lyrics she used:Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,Bundles of magazines tied up in string,These are a few of my favorite things.Cadillacs and cataracts and hearing aids and glasses,Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,These are a few of my favorite things.When the pipes leak,When the bones creak,When the knees go bad,I simply...
More About: Movies

Wada Sambar (Just a Teaser)
2007-05-30 22:19:00
.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Wada Sambar, originally uploaded by Anupama 72.
More About: Teaser , Ease , Teas , Ambar

Cool Cabbage and Peanut Salad
2007-05-24 11:55:00
Hey guys, summer is now just around the corner for UK and boy is everyone waiting for it. It was a very wet month of May,but the clouds are now making way for a very very hot summer. I hear its going to be one of the hottest summers ever (don't we hear that every year). So the strappy vests and capris and shorts have come out of the closet and you can already see people sun-bathing on the green. The ice cream van has started its rounds , picnics are being planned and barbeques are getting a thorough cleaning. All in all its time to be outdoors.Now cooking and spending time in front of a hot hob is one thing I do not relish in the summer. So this is the time when good ,fresh and cool salads really come to the rescue. Nothing like a light and lemony salad to keep your mood upbeat. What I have this time is this delicious cabbage salad with a generous sprinkling of peanuts and moong dal.************************************* *********************************What you need:2 cups grated or...
More About: Peanut , Cool , Salad , Cabbage , Abba

Jacket Potato with Chicken Tikka Masala
2007-05-18 12:34:00
Thank you all for sharing my joy by leaving such warm and heartfelt comments on my previous post . I really enjoyed reading all of them . But as much as I would like to keep that post on I do have some fantastic posts with delicious food waiting in the wings to make an appearance. So moving on, here is one lip-smacking dish which I tried for the first time yesterday and was thrilled with the way it turned out.Now when I say Chicken Tikka Masala ,what is it that first comes to your mind? Most people would instantly think it is the same as the Chicken Tikka that we have on restaurant menus in India. Well that's not the case. This Chicken Tikka Masala is something that is totally english. Yes ,you heard right. It's a complete english creation. In a survey conducted in the UK about the TOP 10 FAVOURITE FOODS this dish stands at no 3. People here just love it. And one good way to eat it is as a topping on a hot baked jacket potato.And that's what I am sharing with you today. So here g...
More About: Jacket , Potato

My First Venture on TV
2007-05-13 09:24:00
That's Anthony Worall Thompson and yes the other person is me.Hi everyone !!! I was off on a short holiday but I am back now and boy am I ready to blog. Blog about something amazing. OK OK I admit I have not kept you all updated about what's been happening these last couple of months ,but believe me I had a tough time holding back all the fantastic news I could share with all my foodie bloggo-buddies. Well I think the time has come to reveal all that has happened .In the month of February you might have read a post on my blog about a recipe entry I sent to UKTV Food for the People's Cookbook. Well if you did'nt then take a look here. What happened after that is that my recipe of Sweet Semolina with a touch of Saffron was selected by UKTV FOOD.I first got a mail from them a month later saying so. When I called their office I was asked if I was ready for a day and a half of shooting. The half day shoot was at home and the next shoot would be at the studios for one whole day. I sai...
More About: Venture , First , Vent

Kothimbir Wadi (Steamed Coriander Cakes)
2007-05-04 16:20:00
This is again one of those recipes which I have blogged about before but feel like reviving because they are so delicious and absolutely deserve an second round of applause. So here's presenting Maharashtra's traditional favourite Kothimbir WadiIngredients:4 cups chopped fresh coriander,1 cup besan (chickpea flour)1/2 cup wholewheat flour ,1/2 cup semolina,1.5 tspn chilli powder,1 tspn salt ,1/2 tspn turmeric powder,1 tspn sesame seeds,1 tspn powdered fennel seeds (saunf) ,1/2 tspn sugar,2 tblspn oilProcedure :Mix all the above ingredients and form a dough by adding very little water at a time (do not add too much water or the whole thing will turn soggy and you will start hating me).If you find the mixture too sticky just oil your palms well and then handle the dough.You can divide the dough into 2 or 3 portions. Shape them into elongated logs.Now oil a steel vessel (one which you can place inside your pressure cooker) and put all the portions of the dough in it.Pressure cook thi...
More About: Cakes , Coriander , Steam , Steamed

Stir-fried Sweet Potatoes (Delicious Fast Food)
2007-04-29 23:37:00
Now fasting is something I have tried to do umpteen times. I have friends who religiously fast atleast once a week. The reason behind the fast may be religious or a self-imposed dietery restriction but they never fail. Taking inspiration from one such friend I have tried fasting on several occasions . What normally happens on the day I decide to fast is this:I wake up that day full of conviction that today I will not succumb to my hunger and will successfully complete my fast by having only liquids throughout the day. Well , I do manage to survive on liquids (plain water,milk, juice and butter-milk) ,but only till 2 p.m. I drink something or the other on an hourly basis. After 2 o'clock my body and mind start their protests. The mind is already into overdrive and torturing me by conjuring up all possible images of delicious foods. Then the body starts protesting with the onset of a headache. And headaches are something I just cannot handle. I tolerate the headache for about 1/2 an ...
More About: Food , Fast Food , Sweet , Sweet potatoes , Potatoes

Methi Theplaa
2007-04-25 13:29:00
A very big Hi !!!! after a very long time to all my friends out there. I am sure by now you guys think that I have stopped blogging for good and also wondering why . But that's not the case the dears. I am very much still into blogging but its only the fact that I have had no broadband connection now for almost a month and a half that has stopped me. Other wise wild horses couldn't keep me away from my blog. I would also like to thank-you all for the wonderful comments you left on my photograph that got published in the newspaper. Well here I am back on my blog and feeling great about it. A couple of weeks ago we went on a picnic . It was a group of 5 families and we had a ball. We all took loads of stuff to eat and the kids really enjoyed the day out. The weather is certainly smiling on England these days and we did make the most of one such glorious Saturday. My contribution to the picnic was this simple to make but all-time favourite snack of Methi Theplas.--------------------...

Beautiful Evening Sky
2007-03-28 10:06:00
Beautiful Evening Sky, originally uploaded by Anupama 72.Hey Buddies,I am taking a bit of a diversion from the usual food blogging today and posting a photograph taken by me which was published in my local newspaper. This is the first time that a photo taken by me has been acknowledged by a newspaper and I was thrilled to see my name below it .Just thought of sharing my joy with you all.
More About: Beautiful , Beau

Sweet Potato Soup with Corn and Red Pepper
2007-03-23 11:31:00
Now sweet potato is something that I have always thought of as food eaten when you are fasting. I mean back home in India in the city where I come from, people buy and eat sweet potatoes in all its different forms mostly on days when they are fasting. So Sweet potatoes with corn and peppers ..... unheard of. But living in a foreign land means you get to experience different tastes and and cook different combination of foods which is so good. Much as I love India and indian food (thanks to my mother, mother-in-law and Tarla Dalal) , being in England and cooking here from different cook books authored by english chefs is so enriching. This recipe is one such new experience for me. I followed this recipe from Sally Mansfield's Cookbook "Potato es: more than mashed. Do make it and let me know how you liked it: Serves 3 to 4 The ingredients are: 1 tblspn oil, (the recipe suggests olive oil but I used vegetable oil and that was fine too)1/2 onion chopped,1/2 a medium sized ...
More About: Corn , Soup , Pepper

Wish You all a Very Happy Gudi Padwa and Ugadi
2007-03-19 13:59:00
Picture Credits : www.123Greetings.comMay this New Year bring you lots of Happiness and Prosperity. May you be inspired to cook many more interesting and delicious dishes.
More About: Happy , Wish

A Very Eye-Catching Breakfast
2007-03-16 13:15:00
Healthy Brea kfast , originally uploaded by Anupama 72.Is that a breakfast fit for a king or what !!! Well I really don't know what kings have for breakfast, but this is definitely a breakfast fit for me. Moresoever because I have put myself on a diet.Yes from today I am really going to treat myself to the healthiest of foods and who knows maybe in a couple of months time I'll show you my before and after photographs. Having said that I realise what a big challenge I am taking up. But I am sure it will be worth it.So wish me all the best people. I need it.
More About: Fast , Catch , Eye Catching

Sweet and Sour Mango Pickle
2007-03-08 19:55:00
Though the weather is nowhere near warm in England, I know that summer has crept upon all my asian bloggo-buddies full blast. And what makes summer bearable? Its the mangoes of course. Mango es, the one thing that I miss most here. I do eat mangoes in the UK ,not that I don't but somehow its not the same as eating mangoes in India. Calling the Alphonso Mango a fruit would be the understatement of a lifetime. Its not eaten its practically worshipped at breakfast ,lunch ,teatime and supper and then again as dessert after the meals. I think the Indian summer adds to the charm. I still associate the hot summer days with school vacations and hot afternoons spent lazying in front of the telly with plates full of luscious mango slices which have been cut for you by your mom. Equally irresistible is the raw green mango. I remember eating pieces of raw mango coated heavily with chilli powder salt and pickle masala while my mom and grandmother prepared this yearly pickle. And by eating I mean...
More About: Sweet , Pick , Pickle

Hash Browns ( My Entry to Jhiva for Ingredients)
2007-03-01 12:26:00
Oh God ! I have probably missed this event. But Vaishali being the kind soul that she is will consider my late entry and let me be part of this event. I even got a book from the library which has 100 recipes only with potato as the main ingredient. I have had it now for 3 weeks but I managed to open it only today . There are some really scrumptious recipes in there, but the one which appealed to me is this simple one of Hash Browns which I just love to eat. Till now I had eaten only the store bought variety which are good no doubt , but today I made them at home for the first time and they were delicious. Do try them out and have them as part of a typical english breakfast or just as a tea-time snack . Anyway you eat it they are yummy. Now without any further delay I'll get down to the recipe. I used:2 large potatoes (peeled, par-boiled and grated)3 tblspns oil,1 small onion finely chopped,salt and pepper to season,dried parsley or fresh chopped chives to garnish.What I did with al...
More About: Ingredients , Ingredient , Entry

Token of Appreciation from UKTV Food
2007-02-27 15:15:00
Hi Friends! Are you wondering why I have posted a pic of a shopping bag here? Well let me explain. Its no big deal but its something that has given me a nice feeling in my heart and I do wish to share it with all of you. UKTV Food (my Favourite TV Channel) is currently hosting a show called THE PEOPLE'S COOKBOOK for which they have asked people to send in recipes . These will ofcourse be short-listed and and some will be selected. The selected participants will then be invited to the studios on the show ,where the celebrity chefs Anthony Worall Thompson and Paul Rankin will cook these recipes with a little guidance from the participants themselves . A panel of 5 judges taste the dishes there and then and give their verdict. Those recipes selected make a grand entry into the THE PEOPLE'S COOKBOOK. The selection will be complete by the end of March. I sent them a couple of recipes (which have not yet been selected) and as a token of appreciation from them I recieved this jute shoppi...
More About: Appreciation , Reci , Token

Aaloo Methi Fry (Giving an Old Post a New Look)
2007-02-25 12:35:00
This is the first time I have repeated a post on my blog. The first time I posted this was sometime last year when my blog was still in its infancy stage and I did not have many readers. I did not even have a decent photo to go with it. So when I recently cooked it I took some shots. This dish definitely deserves to have more accolades than it previously did. I am sure you will agree with me when you try it out. When one of my friends cooked this for the first time after taking the recipe from me, the compliment she recieved from her husband was, "I feel as if I am having a meal in a very fine indian restaurant." This dish has the much liked punjabi flavour to it without going over the top with the spices. So do give it a try and let me know what you think.Ingredients: 8 Baby Potatoes 2 tblspns Kasoori Methi 1 large tomato pureed 1 onion chopped 2 tspn cumin seeds (jeera)2tspn Dhana jeera powder (cumin and coriander powders) 1/2 tspn garam masala 3-4 tblspns oil Procedure: 1.Peel t...
More About: Vegetarian , Indian , Post , Giving

Simple ,Beautiful and Healthy Too (Soft Boiled Egg with Toasted Soldiers)
2007-02-20 12:28:00
I have spent the last few weeks thinking hard about what would be the next dish that I would blog about. I kept thinking of all kinds of complex dishes that I could make. But thinking is as far as I got. I just could not gather the enthusiasm to cook any single one of them. I have been desperate to blog and the response and encouragement I have got from you guys and also from some of my friends here has been overwhelming, but I just kept drawing a blank. But then it hit me. I mean it was right there staring me in the face and I had not seen it. Its food at its simplest and yet tastiest definitely worth blogging about. I made this soft boil egg and toast combo a few days back and it was fun to eat ordinary egg and toast in this way. The simple act of dipping the toasted soldier in the soft gooey yellow of the egg is fun. Its a fun breakfast when you have the time and you can really take linger at the breakfast table.Now for how to do it: There is actually nothing to it as we al...
More About: Beautiful , Soldi , Soft , Simple , Toast

Finally I am blogging again.
2007-02-01 21:00:00
Yeah! I have finally managed to get myself into the mood for blogging. After my 3 week break I was feeling a bit lazy and to accompany that I fell ill as soon as I got back to UK. Nothing serious just that the cold weather came as a shock after the mild temperatures in Pune. Well I am OK now and almost feel human again. It was very sweet of all of you to enquire about my health and thanks for all the " Get Well Soons" that I recieved. I think it has also intrigued some of you when I mentioned that my holiday turned out to be Medical Tourism. Well let me quickly explain why I said that. I won't go into too much detail as we do have so many other pleasant things to talk about ,don't we?Well here goes. When I went to India I had a fair enough idea about what I needed to get done on a high priority basis and that was a small surgery that my son needed . It was something similar to removal of tonsils. So as soon as we got there we started the rounds of ENT specialists. Then came the x-...
More About: Blogging , Final , Again , Finally , Blogg

I AM BACK PEOPLE...... BUT NOT QUITE.
2007-01-26 11:19:00
Hi to all my bloggo-buddies. I am back from my holiday in India. It was more like medical tourism that anything else. And I am still a little under the weather. I will probably start active blogging from next week. Did you miss me? Well let me know.
More About: People , Back , Quit

Ghaarge (A Delicious Travel Snack)
2006-12-29 13:32:00
OK People I am leaving on Sunday morning for India and will not be blogging for 3 whole weeks. There are a thousand things I need to do before I leave but it seems as if I just cannot let go of my blog. I am still cooking as I need to finish quite a lot of stuff in my kitchen cupboards and fridge. So when I saw this big piece of red pumpkin in the fridge I knew I had to use it, and use it in such a way that everybody in the house would finish it up before we left . I do not want any leftovers at this moment. Then I had an idea. You see my little one does not take too well to airline food and just barely manages to nibble on a piece of bread or roll or whatever the airline people have deemed as suitable to serve the economy class passengers. So its always a good idea to carry some easy to carry food alond with me just for him. So when I saw the pumpkin these Ghaarge were the first and the best thing that came to mind. They are easy to make, easy to carry,easy for a child to eat while...
More About: Travel , Snack , Delicious , Deli

Coconut Cream Barfi (Jihva for Ingredients: Coconut)
2006-12-27 14:55:00
It was my idea that my posts during Christmas would be my last ones before leaving for India on my holiday, but Ashwini's event with Coco nut as the chief ingredient was too good to miss. So I had to do it. This recipe has been on my mind since I saw Coconut Burfi-Fudge made by Saffronhut. Her photos were so tempting that I knew I had to make them. When I made these I did not follow her recipe but just used whatever was available at home and in whatever quantities . The result was not as picturesque as hers but taste gorgeous.What I used:2 cups grated frozen coconut,1.5 cups sugar,1/2 cup double cream,1 tspn cardammom powder,1 generous pinch saffronProcedure:Heat a heavy bottom panMix the first 3 ingredients in the pan and cook on a gentle flame till the mixture begins to get dry at the edges. This takes about 25 mins,After the mixture starts moving along with the spatula switch off the heat and add the cardammom powder and the saffron strands mixed in a small amount of warm milk.St...
More About: Indian Sweets , Barfi , Ingredients

Wish you all A Fantastic Christmas!!!!
2006-12-23 10:15:00
Here's wishing all my dear dear bloggo-buddies A Very Very Happy and Grand Chris t mas from all my family and these two guys here!!!! Happy Holidays Santa is just around the corner.
More About: Wish

Corn and Mushrooms on Toast for Breakfast
2006-12-22 11:22:00
Corn and Mushroom s on Toast , originally uploaded by Anupama 72. Weekend mornings you would normally see some kind of bready-eggy preparation on my breakfast table. Anything with eggs is fast to make, nutritious and well liked by all of us. In fact when I see the amount of eggs my family eats I sometimes feel it would be a good idea to open a poultry farm. So when I saw that I was out of eggs last week I knew I had to come up with something really interesting for breakfast. So instead of scrambled eggs I made scrambled mushrooms (if you can call it that) on toast. I tried it for the first time and fortunately it was a well recieved by the husband and the son. Its the simplest thing in the world to make and very very tasty. What you need: 10 to 12 mushrooms (wiped or washed clean and chopped )1 medium onion,3/4 cup sweet corn,1 green chilly deseeded and chopped fine,1/4 cup finely chopped spring onion,oil for cooking,a few drops of lemon juice,1/2 tspn pav bhaji masalasalt ...
More About: Breakfast , Corn