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Much needed trip to India.
2008-07-07 12:57:00
A big Hello to all my dear readers after a long time. But with the big Hello also comes a tiny Goodbye. Nooo !! I am not giving up blogging, I am only taking a small break from it as I am off to India for my annual trip. This trip was due in Jan but had to be postponed till July due to one reason after the other. But yesss !! Finally we are going. I can't wait to meet my parents and my sister and also very eager to see my in-laws again. I have spent these last few weeks shopping for myself and for gifts to take back home and have really enjoyed myself. It's that one occassion when hubby dear does not mind loosening the purse strings a bit. And you can bet I take full advantage of it.So I'll see all of you sometime in August. I am going to click loads of snaps of everything that my mom cooks and then when I am back again I'll share every delicious recipe with all of you. So it's bye from me for a few weeks. Try not to miss me too much!
More About: Trip

Fresh Mango Yellow (Click: Yellow for Bri)
2008-06-23 05:40:00
My entry to Click :June 2008 {Yellow for Bri} is this delicious fresh and very tantalising Alphonso Mango . I clicked it with my Sony DSC-P73. This is an appeal on behalf of a group of food bloggers who are friends of Briana Brownlow @ Figs With Bri.Bri was diagnosed with breast cancer two and half years ago. A mastectomy, chemotherapy and two years of relatively good health later, the cancer is back. It has metastasized to other parts of her body. At the age of 15, Bri lost her 41-year old mother to the disease. Now, she?s waging her own war against breast cancer. More about it here. She is going through intensive chemo and other treatments and needs to focus single-mindedly on healing and finding what treatment works best for her. Her health insurance, unfortunately, does not cover holistic alternatives which she would like to try. Bri and her husband Marc have enough on their plates right now in addition to worrying about her medical bills.The team organising the JUNE edition of ...
More About: Fresh

Delicious Summer Mango-Strawberry Trifle
2008-06-10 20:00:00
The Mango Mania in Maharashtra is something that words simply cannot describe . Alphonso or Haapus: The King of Mangoes is the one that grabs all the limelight and quite rightly so.There is a palpable excitement in the air at the arrival of the Alphonso which makes an appearance in the markets in small numbers at the start of the season (which is from end March to May) . On it's arrival it is quite expensive. But by the time the harvest peaks it is all over the place and can be bought in large quantities though I would say the price is never really as low as that of other other ordinary fruit like apples and bananas. It?s sweetness and flavour go way beyond the word ?delicious? and is truly a ?Slice of Heaven on Earth?.The Alphonso takes it?s name from Afonso De Albuquerque : a Portuguese sailor who brought this exquisite and expensive variety of mango to Goa. The locals took to calling it Aphoos in Konkani and in Maharashtra the pronunciation further changed to Hapoos.At my mom's...
More About: Summer , Strawberry , Desserts , Delicious

Do you have one of these?
2008-06-03 19:00:00
OK , guessing game over! When I posted this pic I knew with all the expert cooks that we have on the blogosphere that this one was too easy, but still I could not resist. So Srivalli ,the first one to comment was absolutely right. For those who would like to know what this is ,it's a Paneer Mold, or a Paneer Maker. I have one in India and now thanks to a friend who gave me her's when she permenantly moved to India from UK , I have one here too. I used to very often make my own paneer at home in India. Whenever I made it people always exclaimed over how soft , creamy and fresh it tasted than the store-bought variety. But here in the UK this gadget (if you can call it that) has been lying at the back of the cupboard for ages. I love paneer but somehow I could not be bothered to make it at home here in the UK till date. But then last week with a surplus of milk at home and no space in my tiny fridge to store it all was when this Paneer Maker came out and was finally used. After using...

My First Awards Ever !!
2008-06-02 12:04:00
Last two weeks have seen some fantastic things happening on my blog. It started with the terrific response I got for my Sandwich Festival . When I decided to host it I had not anticipated the huge number of entries that would flood my mailbox. So something that was initiated by me very casually turned into a real grand festival and was I thrilled to bits about it. Thanks again to all those who participated. While I was still basking in all the limelight and the attention that was being showered on my blog I got two more lovely surprises. The first one was THE YUMMY BLOG AWARD given to me by Suma of Suma's Cuisine. Thank-you Suma for the Award and for thinking of me. As I told Suma this is the first award my blog has recieved till date and will always be cherished. As per the rules I have to mention 4 of my favourite sweets and they are:1. Rasmalai, 2. Jilebi, 3. Sutar Pheni, 4. Puran PoliThe rules also state that I have to pass on the award to 4 other bloggers who I think put up th...
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Spicy Chana Chaat {Click: Beans & Lentils}
2008-05-30 11:33:00
My Entry to Click :Beans & Lentils for the month of May is this lip-smacking and very moreish Spicy Chana Chaat. I could not decide whether to picture raw lentils and beans or something cooked. But this dish made the decision easier. It's a great side or starter with a casual evening meal with friends.Toss together cooked chana (chick peas), boiled and cubed potato, chaat masala, slices of raw mango, salt ,chilly powder, lemon juice and plenty of fresh chopped coriander. Serve it as a starter or a side and watch it disappear in minutes.I clicked this pic with my Sony DSC-P73
More About: Mango

The Sandwich Festival 2008 : Grand Round-Up
2008-05-26 11:09:00
A very big HELLO to all of you. Welcome to the Grand Round -up of The Sandwich Festival 2008. To say that the event was a success would be the ultimate understatement . We have 63 delicious sandwiches from Sandwich Lovers all over the world and you are going to be spoilt for choice. So now without any further delay let me take you on The Grand Sandwich Tour. {Note: I have listed the entries one by one according to the horizontal rows}1.Peameal Bacon Sandwich by Kevin of Closet Cooking2.All Grown Up: Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Bacon and Stramato by Lalaine of The Cook Mobile3.Veggie Toast by Hetal of Isha's Kitchen4. Veggie Garden Burger by Karuna of Foodie by Nature5. Vegetable Club Sandwich by Vandy of Vandy's Culinary Adventures6. Muffuletta Sandwich with Olive Salad by Asha of Aroma Hope7. Fish Sandwich by Homecooked8.Tempeh Club Sandwich by Pavani of Cook's Hideout9. Vegetable Frankie Wrap by Shubha of Chutki Bhar Pyar10. Vegetable Chutney Sandwich by Madhu of Ruchii11. Sand...
More About: Round Up

Reminder: The Sandwich Festival 2008
2008-05-24 14:14:00
Today is the last day for sending in your entries to The Sandwich Festival 2008 . A very Big Thank you to all those who have already taken great efforts to send in the most delicious varieties of sandwiches. I am completely overwhelmed by your response to the event. Just thought I would let you know that I'll be doing the Grand Round-up in a couple of days so do tune in. I'll see you all very soon.
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Golden Orange Cake (Delights of Blogging)
2008-05-17 18:20:00
Every now and then while surfing the blogosphere a recipe comes up that catches my fancy to such an extent that I cannot wait to try it out. I am very very impatient to try it out and feel good only after I have made it , tasted it and passed my verdict on it. In my rush to create the new dish I sometimes also oversee the fact that I do not have one or two of the ingredients mentioned in the original recipe. I convince myself that I can substitute something with something else that is available at home at that time. Well what happens is that sometimes my substitutes work and sometimes they are a real flop. But thankfully this time my efforts were rewarded beautifully. The recipe that caught my fancy this time was Orange Cake from Meeta's What for Lunch Honey. As usual Meeta's photograph of her cake was so enticing that I could practically taste the cake in my mouth just by looking at the pic and secondly the recipe was so simple that even a clumsy baker like me could not have gone...
More About: Baking , Blogging , Golden

Kairicha Panha (Raw Mango Juice Drink)
2008-05-12 15:05:00
I am currently experiencing a Mango Mania. I think ,talk ,eat ,breathe Mangoes. And this is the case inspite of the fact that I am in UK not in India. So you can imagine the level of my Mania when I am in India. Why only me , I think everybody in India and particularly from Maharashtra (that's the state I come from) is happily in the clutches of this Mango Mania in the months of April and May. The Alphonso Mango or Haapus Aamba ,which is rightfully called the King of Mangoes makes a very royal entry in the markets at this time of the year and it is THE fruit to be enjoyed. Forget the bananas,apples and all other ordinary fruit. Enjoy Haapus while it is available in tonnes. It is the Pride of Maharashtra. It's this Haapus that makes even the hottest of summer days bearable.In my parents house and at my in-laws too Haapus is always bought in huge boxes. This box is called a Peti and one peti contains approx 5 dozen mangoes . One peti is followed by the next in quick succession and t...
More About: Drink , Juice

Masalyacha Dabaa (Indian Spice Box)
2008-05-06 18:16:00
{Starting from top and going clockwise you have: Turmeric, Goda Masala, Ground Coriander Powder,Red Chilly Powder, Whole Cumin and Asafoetida and Whole Black Mustard seeds in the centre .}As much as I love to participate in Food events where actual cooking is involved I am always delighted when there are events where you get to show off stuff from your kitchen and get to see interesting stuff from other kitchens all over the world as well. so when I read about Gabi's event Show us your.... Spice Collection I was game. I just hesitated for a moment thinking whether I wanted to put my Rasmalai post which is still quite new down on the list so soon. But this was too good to miss and as the deadline is for tomorrow I had to put up my post today.So here's what I have to offer Gabi. "Gabi this is a typical Spice box from India. You will see this in each and every household from North to South and East to West. Of course the spices might change a bit but the box is a must. It's extremel...
More About: Indian

Kesar Rasmalai (Bollywood Cooking)
2008-05-04 22:29:00
Blogging has changed my outlook towards cooking. Cooking for me is no more just something that I do to fill our stomachs but it has acquired a completely different facet. I go to extreme lengths now to make the food look as good as it tastes. And when there is a blog event that challenges me to bring out the best in me I am definitely game. That's exactly what Meeta's Monthly Mingle has done. The theme she has presented us (or rather challenged us with) this month is Bollywood Cooking. It's a fabulous theme with a wide variety of dishes to explore. Glamorous as Bollywood is , I thought my dish had to be equally glamorous . And my Kesar Rasmalai is just that. It's elegant, sophisticated, and has just the right balance sweetness and creaminess. I also wanted to try out something from a different culture than mine.The other reason why I chose to make a Bengali sweet like Rasmalai is to celebrate all the beautiful Bengali actresses in Bollywood. Right from the beautiful Suchitra Sen...
More About: Milk , Indian Sweets , Paneer

Fresh Sweetcorn (Sunshine on a plate)
2008-04-28 23:26:00
Sweetcorn, Makai, Kanees, Bhutta ! Steam it ,boil it, or roast it! Call it by any name eat it in anyway ,it is just as delicious. Who doesn't like it? Most of us have childhood memories of having eaten Bhutta or Kanees on a rainy day at a hill station roasted over charcoal fires. The smoky flavour of the charcoal that lingers on the roasted corn is so earthy that it cannot be achieved by any other means of cooking.I clicked this pic of corn today morning during the mad rush of packing lunch boxes. I had just placed the corn on the counter and was filling up a saucepan with water to boil these when all of a sudden the thick cover of cloud in the sky broke and sunshine poured in from the kitchen window drenching the corn in dazzling golden rays. They looked so amazing that I had to rush for my camera and go clicking. I clicked it in natural sunlight with my Sony DSC-P73.This is therefore my entry to Bee and Jai's event Click ; an event devoted whole and sole to photography. The them...
More About: Sunshine , Fresh

Announcing The Sandwich Festival 2008
2008-04-25 15:38:00
Yes I am finally ready to host my second food event . The last food event I hosted Fun in the Sun was a great hit and I had many of you ask me when I would host the next one. Well it's taken me almost a year to announce the next one but I am very happy to say that it's going to be a celebration of a food item that I love the most. Yes it's The Sandwich . I love bread and am constantly looking for ideas to make different kinds of sandwich creations. They are great in lunch boxes and perfect food when you are on the go. They are also a healthy option when you are too tired to cook and whatsmore a sandwich is something that even husbands can make on their own without grumbling too much. So would you all like to share your sandwich ideas with me? Use any kind of bread of your choice (white, wholemeal, granary, oatmeal, best of both, farmhouse, wholemeal baps, soft white rolls, subway rolls ,hotdog rolls or any kind of wraps). All breads are welcome. Let your imagination run wild with...
More About: Festival , 2008

Anjeer (Dry Fig) Milkshake
2008-04-23 13:51:00
Whenever we go to the foodstore we have to stop at Whole Foods section. Hubby being a great fan of pumpkin and sunflower seeds ,it is neccessary to top up the supply of seeds in the pantry every 2 weeks at least. I am not much of a seed eater (read: I can't stand them) but I do occassionally like to eat dried berries and nuts in a combo. So while buying those a few weeks back I don't know why I picked up a packet of organic dry figs. I really don't know why I bought them because I never ever liked the stuff . I enjoy fresh figs but dried figs are a completely different story. It is as if it's a totally different fruit. But they were beautifully packed and the word "Organic" probably lured me into buying them.Well after that they just lay in the pantry cupboard being moved this way and that way whenever I wanted to get something else from the cupboard. I put some in my son's lunch box but they came back half nibbled. I guess he takes after me where dry figs are concerned. Every ...
More About: Fruit , Milk

What's kept me busy last couple of months?
2008-04-18 15:42:00
In my last couple of posts I have written about this cultural showcase of Maharashtra a group of us have been creating for our local library. The project which we undertook for the Marathi Mandal in MK has been a great success and we have got excellent reviews about it from many people visiting the library.It gives me great pleasure to give all my readers a glimpse of this colourful project. But firstly my heartfelt thanks to all those bloggers and photographers who let me use there photos on this project . Photos without which this showcase would not have been possible. Thank you all once again! We divided the display into 3 sections of which the central section was alloted to Maharashtrian culinary delights********************************* ************************************ The second section was devoted to painters and paintings of Maharashtra in which the Warli folk art played an important role************************************* ******************************* We were given 3 ...
More About: Couple , Months , Busy

Black Grape Lassi (Delights of blogging)
2008-04-15 10:17:00
Although England is still in the grips of cold spring weather people back home in India are probably already in the depths of a hot summer. Pune my hometown used to be a city with moderate summers till about 10 to 12 years back but no more. Summers of Pune are something to reckon with these days . The sun starts blazing down on you practically from eight in the morning and relief in the form of a cool breeze can be experienced only late in evening after sunset. So how to do you make your summer tolerable ?Easy! Concentrate on the delicious produce that summer has to offer. The item that is and always will be at the top of the list is Haapus Aamba or Alphonso Mango, then comes Neera which is my favourite drink which I used to drink in gallons when I was in Pune. Have you tried it? Do give it a try. It's awesome! Then of course is Usacha Ras or Sugarcane juice . I love it so much that I can never ever walk past a sugarcane juice stall or Gurhaal (as we call it in marathi) without hav...
More About: Fruit , Blogging , Black

Happy Gudi Padwa 2008
2008-04-06 16:00:00
Wish you all a very very happy and prosperous New Year!! Gudi Padwa is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month, and is celebrated as New Year's Day by Maharashtrians .This is also first day of Marathi Calendar. This festival is supposed to mark the beginning of Vasant (spring). According to the Gregorian calendar this would fall sometime at the end of March and the beginning of April. According to the Brahma Purana, this is the day on which Brahma created the world after the deluge and time began to tick from this day forth. This is one of the 3 and a half days in the Indian Lunar calendar, whose every moment is considered auspicious?While the people of Maharashtra use the term Gudhi Padwa for this festival and the Konkanis use Sanvsar Padvo (sanvsar derived from samvatsar meaning year) the people of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka term the same festival, observed on the same day, Ugadi. The Sindhi festival of Cheti Chand is celebrated same day? Gudhi Padwa is especially dedi...
More About: Happy , 2008

Palak Paneer Parathas
2008-03-21 23:38:00
I am a very erratic blogger these days. And it's all thanks to this certain project that I have undertaken. I might have mentioned it before but let me tell you a little about it. The Marathi Mandal in my city had been offered the chance to create and display a cultural showcase exhibiting all different aspects of Maharashtrian culture. This will be displayed at the local library for the entire month of April. I am leading one group and the topics we have been allocated are Marathi Food, Marathi Painters, and Sculptures in Maharashtra. The food part is the easiest one obviously but the painters and sculptures needed a bit of research. Needless to say that there are a thousand other things pertaining to the project that are taking up all my time. But believe me I am enjoying every bit of it. But that's put a strain on my blog. I am typing so much for the project that I just can't find the energy to type some more for my dear blog. But it's Easter weekend now and I am feeling a bi...
More About: Spinach , Paneer

Mango Sheera (Sheer Indulgence)
2008-03-07 23:57:00
Mango Sheer a (or Sweet Semolina flavoured with Alphonso Mango ) is a firm favourite in our house. Now Sheera which is traditionally flavoured with bananas tastes awesome and I have savoured it loads of times since childhood .But about 10 years back I tasted this modern variation with Alphonso Mango pulp and that too the fresh kind for the first time at my sister's and loved it. Surprisingly though I never made it myself till last year when I hosted a food stall.At the stall the initial reaction of most people when they read my menu was that of intrigue . Just as I had expected people were drawn to it as anything that has mango in it and particularly Alphonso mango is simply impossible to resist to any Maharashtrian. After savouring the first spoonful most of them were completely bowled over by the combination of the delicious flavours of mango and cardammom and ghee and soon I had people asking me for the recipe. Needless to say I had sold out all the Sheera in about 2 hours or so....
More About: Mango , Indian Sweets , Indulgence

The delights of blogging: Funke/Waffole
2008-02-15 16:55:00
From the day I became a blogger I have seen so many different varieties of foods from all over the globe. I have even tried out a few and loved them. But for a few weeks now I have been Googling away on the Internet like never before for something not global but very close to home. The reason behind it is this very interesting project that I am doing with a group of friends. The project is to create an attractive display of Maharashtrian Culinary Delights (in pictures of course) for our local library. Everyday as we are prepare for this I realise what a vast variety of Maharashtrian recipes there is to choose from and it is mind boggling having to choose which ones will go up on the display and which ones won't. And this is the case inspite of the fact that we are dealing with only one state of India. God knows we would probably have gone crazy had it been a project about Indian Cuisine in general. Now Maharashtra being a large state (as the name itself denotes) boasts of a cuisine...
More About: Blogging

Friday Vegetable Curry
2008-02-07 13:53:00
I am sure all of you are wondering why you haven't heard of a curry by this name before. That's because I just made up this name last Friday . I call it the Friday Vegetable Curry because it's the perfect thing to make on Friday when my fridge is practically empty as Saturday is the weekly shopping day. Last Friday I had one carrot , 2 tomatoes and a small bunch of coriander in the fridge and 3 potatoes and 1 lonely onion in the potato-onion basket. A few frozen veggies like sweet corn, green beans and peas came to the rescue and I made this very easy, but lip-smacking (if I may praise my own food) veg curry.All I needed was :3 potatoes cut into small cubes2 carrots roughly chopped,1/2 cup each of frozen peas, sweetcorn and french beans,2 tomatoes coarsely pureed + one tspn of readymade concentrated tomato puree,1 large onion,4 cloves garlic crushed,2 tspn cumin-coriander powder,1 tspn powdered kasoori methi,1 tspn chilly powder,1/2 cup milk (yes!!!! Milk)3 tblspns oilsalt to tast...
More About: Vegetarian

Pressure Cooker Masoor Rice
2008-01-30 12:03:00
Masoor Rice or Masoor Biryani ? I am not sure what to call it. Ideally I would love to call it Masoor Biryani because it sounds so exotic ,but then a Biryani is no ordinary dish. It requires a good amount of organised preparation with multiple ingredients and the cooking also is a specialised. Contrary to that my rice is a very humble dish prepared with absolutely no particular recipe in mind. It took birth on a Sunday evening when the hubby wanted to have a spicy one dish meal, but definitely not moong dal khichadi (I do tend to make that quite often). So I came up with this . When I told him what I was making he was not convinced that it was what he wanted, but when he saw the finished product he just had to change his mind. I used:1 cup basmati rice,3/4 cup whole masoor (red lentils) soaked in hot water for 1/2 an hour1 onion thinly sliced,5 cloves of garlic crushed1 inch ginger pureed,2 tomatoes coarsely pureed,1 cup of chopped mixed vegetables of your choice (I used frozen pea...

Spicy Bhindi Fry {Stir-fried Okra}
2008-01-27 14:42:00
As much as I love to taste food from different cuisines there are times when I crave the simplicity of roz-ka-khana or simple day to day home cooked food. All through this week I cooked a variety of foods like couscous with veggies and chicken, pasta and garlic bread, pita bread pizza etc etc etc . These are all my favourites and very filling .But the satisfaction that my family and I get when we eat a typical simple Maharshtrian meal is something that cannot really be explained. Today was one such day when I needed my dose of a complete Maharshtrian lunch which included1. Poli, (Chapati)2. Bhendichi bhaji,(the one you see above)3. Aamti,(a spiced up Dal)4. Koshimbir,(Maharshtrian salad)5. Limbacha loncha,(Sweet and sour lemon pickle)6. Taak,(buttermilk)7. Varan Bhaat (Rice and Dal)8. Rawyacha Ladoo (A sweet treat ,recipe here)I wish I had photographed the entire plate served but I guess photography was the last thing on my mind then. So what I have for you today is the bhindi fry w...
More About: Okra , Spicy , Fried

A short and sweet Meme.
2008-01-24 19:12:00
I have been tagged for this meme ages ago but just did not get round to doing it. But right now its the perfect thing for me as I am between recipes. So here goes:A)Four Places I've Lived: The places I have set up home in till date are:Pune :(My favourite as it is my hometown)Thane : (Special too because I moved to this city as a newly-wed ,but I never adapted to the hot and humid weather ),Ipswich: (I liked the small town aura that this town has),Milton Keynes: (I have kind of neutral feelings about this place, but it's a nice place to be in as I have made some great friends here) .B:Four Jobs I've Had:Job No 1: German Language Teacher in Pune Job No 2: Employed in a Travel AgencyJob no 3: Onsite German teacher for different company executivesJob No 4: The most important one till date as here I am indispensible : Home maker and mother C)Favorite Places I've Holidayed:Think of holidays and and the first holiday destination that comes to mind is :Mahableshwar: (This one will alwa...
More About: Meme , Sweet , Short

Celebrating Makar Sakranti (Tilgul Ghya Goad Bola)
2008-01-14 21:40:00
Finally my blog has come out of hibernation and here I am with a brand new festive post. What better way to start blogging again than about something festive , something sweet . It is Makar Sakranti tomorrow and I spent most of my day making Tilgul. So much so that at the end of the day I was so tired that I had no strength left to cook and we ended up ordering Pizza for dinner. Of course that was after the Husband and the Son had gobbled a few pieces of Tilgul each.So coming back to the festival: Makar Sakranti is that day of the year when the sun begins its Northward Journey (the Uttarayan) and enters the Zodiac sign Makar or Capricorn. Sakranti is celebrated in different parts of India in different ways. Though not a very very big festival like Diwali, it is celebrated on a fairly large scale in Maharashtra. Sweets are prepared using Til (Sesame Seeds) and Gul or Gur (Jaggery or palm sugar). Like with most Indian Festivals the food prepared is closely associated with the climate ...
More About: Bola

Chicken Frankie (Dadar Shivaji Park style)
2007-12-12 14:14:00
All those who have eaten a Chicken Frankie at the Tibbs outlet at Shivaji Park Dadar in Mumbai will agree with me when I say that the frankie you get there is surpassed by none. It's spicy ,hot ,tangy and the outer roll is filled with the most delicious and tender spicy chicken. If you have just spent a whole morning shopping in Dadar, and are looking for some great tasting food to replenish your energy conserves so that you can shop some more later then this is the place to head for. After reading this you might be under the impression that I am a regular there, but the fact is that I have frequented that place only twice in my life, but the taste was so awesome that every time I think of Frankies that's the only place I remember.So some days back when I made these at home I tried my level best to replicate the taste and must say I did succeed to some extent. After all some things always taste best when eaten at the road side. I am sure you all agree.But here's how I went about ...
More About: Snacks , Style

Date and Walnut Cake (Getting into the Christmas Spirit)
2007-12-04 13:38:00
Ok Ok I know the last recipe I posted was 3 weeks back and could have posted at least 3 more recipes in these last 3 weeks but I did not. Why Not? I don't know. Call it a Blogger's Block (which sounds so much better than calling it simply Laziness, doesn't it?). Well thankfully I have managed to overcome this block or whatever it was that was keeping me from blogging and here for you is this scrummy yummy Date and Walnut Cake .Now most of us have read about the Daring Bakers on the Blogosphere. Every time I see there latest beautiful and delicious creation I have this great urge to be one of them, but to tell you the truth I don't think I am up to it, because the title that would really suit me more is Trial and Error Baker. Yes that is what I am . Because all my baking is done on this one principle. In fact in my case it is less Trial and more Error. The maximum errors I make in my kitchen are during my baking sessions. My husband and son have on so many occasions bravely eaten...
More About: Christmas , Spirit

Mix Vegetable Pickle (A must-make in winter)
2007-11-17 17:06:00
I call this a must-make (a word I just conjured up) because it used to be a winter must-make in my Aai's (mom's) kitchen all through my school and teen years. She still makes it ,though probably in smaller quantities as my sister and I are not there anymore to hog it with every meal.This is a winter specialty as the vegetables are always so much fresher and appealing then ,than in the hot summers in India.So I am continuing the tradition even in England where funnily enough it is cold for almost three quarters of the year if not more. The cold weather somewhat demands that I make this hot and spicy pickle .It's terribly easy to make and can be made even as a last minute addition to spice up a meal. Infact it's so easy that I had second (and even third) thoughts about posting it as a recipe on my blog, but something so delicious has to be shared. Right? So here goes:You need:2 carrots finely diced,1 cup small cauliflower florets,juice of one lemon,6 green chillies cut into small ...
More About: Vegetarian , Winter , Vegetable , Make , Pickle

Paneer Jalfrezi (A spicy end to a very sweet Diwali)
2007-11-13 10:40:00
After a very sweet Diwali I thought a spicy Jalfrezi was a good recipe to post . This is a firm favourite in my house. Actually anything with paneer is always welcome in my family, that's particularly because I adore paneer. My husband teases me by saying that my face glows with happiness when I cook ,eat or even buy paneer. I don't believe him and know he exaggerates. But I can't deny the fact that I love it. I don't know what the word Jalfrezi means but I have always associated the word Jal with fire and therefore make this dish a little more fiery than normal.So here's my very simple recipe for a spicy and mouth-watering Paneer Jalfrezi:Ingredients:200 gms Paneer cubes,1 large onion chopped (chop them into small square shapes if possible),3/4 cloves garlic crushed,1/2 inch piece ginger grated or 1 tspn ginger paste,2 large tomatoes coarsely pureed,1 tspn concentrated tomato puree (optional),1 large green capsicum cut into small square shapes,4 baby corn (each one cut into 2 ...
More About: Sweet , Spicy