Baked Rice Chakli 'n' An Amazing Vacation.....

Baked Rice Chakli

Rice Chakli...you know sometimes the most odd coincidences happen...for quite a while my Mom was talking about making chakli at home ( we used to do it together when we were both younger, me a teen and hence quite enthu about all new & interesting cooking )....but now doing it on my own just did not appeal and I kept putting it off...

And this is where the odd coincidence comes in...

I was on vacation in US - visiting my sister-in-law To and her husband A, had an amazing time with them ( have to thank them once again..had a lot of fun.. )...met up with most of our family there especially those on the East Coast, visited Boston...had a great time with our family who live there....attended a birthday party, awesome cake, birthday girl's current favorite...'Elsa', the princess from the Disney movie "Frozen"...

.... visited New York...shows and sightseeing...Bill Cosby show, the Radio City Rockettes...Central Park one of my favourite haunts, and also took in the new sights...the newly opened World Trade Centre...and the 9/11 memorial...

Central Park

World Trade Centre

9/11 Memorial

Atlantic City Caesars Casino

..visited New Jersey, our old home, our old haunts...with some friends who stay there...Outlet malls, Atlantic City...shopping & eating out...and visited the new Swaminarayan Temple at NJ...thanks guys A&L&kids....

Swaminarayan Temple in NJ

...met up with another old friend & her family...late night movie (Happy New Year), shopping, taking her dog to the park...Minnie...such a darling....had a great time thanks to G...& her family...

all in all an awesome month of pure relaxation & enjoyment.

Have posted some pictures of New York and some of the colors of fall...have taken so many it is difficult to decide on which to post....

Fall colors in Allentown, PA

I think the month I visited was the best season out there...I love the  fall season in the East Coast of US...the colors were fantastic...could not stop clicking...

Eggless Chocolate Cake - Vegan

This ( the search for the recipe ) started when we were to have some guests from US....one of T's cousin and her family...which included a granddaughter who was allergic to diary...

I had a couple of favourite cakes - one date, and the other chocolate - but both had milk, butter, or eggs or yogurt....so checked the net ...and found this one in all-recipes site...

It is such a simple recipe and yet it turns out into an amazingly delish cake - it is a little chewy sort of brownie type...really liked it...after which I have made it many times - even for regular ( i.e. non allergic ) folks...and everyone has loved it too...

There are some changes that I have made to the original recipe....one is to reduce the sugar...we like ours to be just sweet...not too sweet...sometimes I replace a quarter cup of sugar with brown sugar - that gives it a more caramelised taste...
I also like to reduce the oil - so my standard substitution for that is to skin and grate an apple ( small ) - and then micro it for about 4-5 minutes with a few drops of water till it becomes soft and pulpy...cool and use in the cake batter...this increases the taste, nutritional value besides making it more healthy by reducing the oil...and of course cannot do without some nuts, so chopped walnuts it is...( this is optional and can be omitted )

Mango Kulfi

Mango Kulfi

I have to tell you all that it is my birthday today....but that is not the main reason I made this today....I have a long story for this...as usual...  :-)....please do not say "not again"...just bear with me...I promise to cut it short...

I had been eyeing the kulfi molds in the shops time & again...but somehow did not get around to buying it for some reason or the other...was not too sure how much I would really use it...have loads of stuff that I purchase with the vague plan of using it "some day"...

Then once T & I had gone grocery shopping and they had the cutest kulfi molds on sale...so tempting - this time T himself picked it up...so I decided to get it... and since then it has been laying around my cupboards...(I know, I know...but see I have used it finally)

Nyways..so the plan was that I would make kulfi soon...but that has been quite a while ago....and now about say 3-4 mths or 6...who knows..it was still not inaugurated...

Decided to get down to business...and b'day being a good day for a new beginning...kulfi it was...and being mango season ...my first foray into this was with a mango kulfi....

But as I said in my first line...it was not made for my b'day cause I had already planned a chocolate cake ( by popular demand ...my Mom actually )...so this morning was very hectic with me making both the cake and the kulfi and attending to messages, calls, what's app...etc...and also getting ready to go out for lunch & some shopping with sister dearest...

Phew! somehow managed, took the cake to my parents place, all gathered there - cut it, ate it, left some crumbs for our respective spouses...sorry guys...was really melt in the mouth...( I think I make it for almost everyone's birthdays...this is what all seem to want )...and kept the kulfi in the freezer in my new molds...cannot wait to see hubby's face when I take it out... I am bound to hear an "At last"...

So anyways after having patience to hear(read) me out...the least I can do is give you the recipe...here goes...sorry guys no pictures this time...was too busy this morning to get it..this mould has 8 kulfis - before the last one is over if I get the pictures taken I will update this post...

This turned out so great ...makes a good dessert or can be had just when the mood strikes...so cool and delish.

Ingredients:

2 and half cups milk - half a litre - 500 ml
1/4 cup milk powder
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 sugar to be added if required (depending on the mangoes)
1 cup of mango pulp (about 3-4 alphonso mangoes depending on size)
1 Tblspn of crushed almonds & walnuts ( can use any nuts )
a few sprigs of kesar (saffron )


Method :

1) Bring the milk to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer till it reduces to about half.
2) Add the rest of the ingredients except the mango pulp & sugar. Mix thoroughly.
3) Let it cool down completely - then add the mango pulp to the mixture. 
4) At this stage do the taste test...and add sugar if required as per your requirement. 
Since the milk powder I used had been sweetened, and the condensed milk is sweetened and the mangoes were sweet enough I did not require any additional sugar.
5) Pour the kulfis into moulds and keep in the freezer for 8 hrs or overnight.
6) To demould, run some water over the outside of the moulds, and gently twist the stick to remove it.

Enjoy !!!

They were so amazing...that I am very happy with my purchase...feel it was totally worth it, even if I do not make it again ( which will not be the case...as hubby was already making plans as to which flavour should be next...maybe badam pista kulfi )...this is a total paisa-vasool purchase...

I do urge you all to try out this delicious recipe...and you do not need the kulfi moulds ...it can be set in any dish...I had some leftover which I poured into a couple of other containers too...had to cut and serve them up...tasted just as good...yum !!!

So let me know how it turns out for you...
P.S.....as you have guessed from the pictures above that I did manage to take some before we finished it all off...and hence the update...

Ragi Bread (made with yeast)

Ragi Bread

I think we are all increasingly become a wired society...just this moment I connected my camera to the comp ...to upload the pictures of the bread I had made...there u go ...wires...then job done..rolled it up and put it in...
In the morning - more wires ...to charge up my laptop...wires of mobiles(in plural) ...for each of us...why(?!?)...who knows...being so connected to the world is not necessarily a very good idea...methinks. Soon with evolution we might start growing wires out of our own bodies ( theory being that - that which is not used disappears and that which is frequently used becomes stronger )....science fiction ?!? you say...well u never know...it just might be the future.

Nyways just random & stray thoughts...were we better off when lives were simpler...and access to all a little bit more restricted...when we were not so privy to every itty bitty detail of others lives & happenings(Facebook & What's app)....where they all are at any given time...what they ate, what they saw, did, enjoyed...who they met...
I guess every bit of development & progress has it's cons...and we have to live with that whilst enjoying it's benefits.

What has that to do with this recipe...nothing actually...sorry guys...to let you down this path...just thought I would let out a bit of my angst.

So coming back to this bread...I am on a bread discovery, new flours discovery, and more healthful alternatives to the original options...hoping to achieve food nirvana some day... :-).

This bread contains a mix of 3 flours, used ragi ( nachani ) my new favourite, whole wheat, and some all purpose to lighten the dough a bit...
Dates is my new sweetener...have written more about it below...
Fruits or veggies my all time favourite...try to always incorporate them in my baking..

It all worked out beautifully and came together in the form of this bread...which can be had for breakfast or evening tea, or even a midway snack...it is not sweet at all...so for those with a sweet tooth...the sugar or dates can be increased...otherwise it could be had as is...with butter or fruit preserves of choice.

And here goes, the recipe for an amazing bread is as given below....


Ingredients:

3/4 cup Ragi flour
3/4 cup Whole wheat flour
1/2 cup All purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
3/4 tsp active yeast
1 Tblspn sugar
8-10 dates, seeded and chopped**
1 Tblspn olive oil ( or any other oil )
1 large or 2 medium carrot(s) grated (optional)*
1/2 tsp salt


Topping (optional ):
1 tsp milk 
1/2 Tblspn sesame seeds

Method:

1) Warm the milk, add sugar and yeast and keep aside for 10 minutes, add the chopped dates to this mixture.
2) Mix all the flours in the bowl, add salt, oil, and mix thoroughly.
3) Add the grated carrots, and the yeast mixture, knead to form a smooth dough - you could add some water or flour if required, the dough is a bit sticky.
4) Oil the dough surface, and the bowl, keep covered with a moist cloth for 1 hour in a warm place. The dough rises to double it's size.
5) Beat the dough down and knead it lightly, shape in form of a loaf...put it in a baking dish - cover with cloth and keep again for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hrs to rise again.
6) After the second rising - pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C, brush the dough with milk, and sprinkle sesame seeds over it, press lightly so that it sticks to the dough.
7)Bake 180 for 35-40 minutes till done. Check with a toothpick to see if done.

8) Cool over a wire rack - then slice and serve.
Enjoy !!!

Note:
*1) The carrots are optional - it is just to add some more flavour and to increase the nutritional quotient...you could add spinach or bottle gourd ( dudhi ) or zucchini...but in case of those you may need to remove some of the water esp. regards dudhi or zucchini...so as to not make the bread too moist.
Apple or banana also make a good addition...have used it in other recipes - turns out good.
You could also just go with plain ....

**2) The addition of dates is to increase the sweetness of the bread without increasing the sugar...
Dates provide a lot of health benefits - it is a rich source of iron, vitamins, minerals and also helps lower cholesterol...it is a natural form of sugar so I try to use it instead of sugar in most of my sweet dishes.

The previous time I had tried a whole wheat bread - it had become too dense - and since it was not too sweet either I did not have a lot of takers for it...so had to valiantly finish it off on my own...this time decided to try with smaller portions ...
So this was a half measure of an recipe with my modifications ....make one small loaf - the slices look big cause I cut it a bit diagonally...but you could go double it to get a regular sized big loaf...
Hope you try this ...I loved it...and do plan on making it again myself.
And regards my angst above...don't worry any communication from my readers is most welcome...please do let me know what you think..re. my recipes...or in general....life & the world... :-)

Cucumber Spinach Pancake

Cucumber and Spinach Pancake

In the good old days we used to have Sanjeev Kapoor on TV, Khana Khazana was the program which we could watch to see live cooking recipes...used to like to watch that....but many times would miss it ....whereas now we have two channels now showing us a lot of recipes full time - Food Food channel and the erstwhile Khana K....so when we are free we can browse those channels and watch some new, old, desi(local) or international recipe....

On one of those shows I came upon this one....it reminded me of one of my own rice chilla which I have already blogged...this was a simpler version and I thought let me give it a try...

It turned out pretty good and amazingly simple & quick...so guess it is something which will be part of my repertoire in future....works good for breakfast or a snack...or even if guests drop in and you would like to have something more substantial than biscuits & chai to serve them...

So without further ado...let me get on with the actual recipe..here goes...

Ingredients:

1 medium cucumber grated
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp red chili powder ( can add more if you like it spicier)
1/2 cup rice flour
2 Tblspns rava
2 Tblspns yogurt(curd)
water to make a batter
oil for frying


Method:

1) Grate a cucumber - squeeze out the water and keep aside. Chop spinach leaves and add to the cucumber along with salt and red chili powder.

2)Add the rice flour, rava, yogurt and mix - then add water to make a batter - first add the cucumber water - and if required add additional water. Do not make it too thin. Keep aside for about 10 minutes. 
The flours absorb the water and the batter becomes a little thicker.
Then add some more water if required so as to have a batter which is as thick as a dosa batter.

3) Put a few drops of oil onto a non-stick pan, then take a ladle full of batter and spread onto the pan. Cover with lid and let it cook till some brown spots appear. Flip the pancake and cook the other side too. Cook on medium heat so as to cook evenly and thoroughly.

4) Serve hot with ketchup or green chutney.

Enjoy !!!

For such a simple recipe the taste was pretty awesome...and the prep. time is so little...so ahead and try it out yourself...would love to hear from you, what you think about it...

Eggless Ragi Banana Cake

Eggless Ragi Banana Cake

Recently, I met up with one of my very close friends(D had a great time with you) who was visiting India ( she lives in Dallas US )...and we got to discussing the various grains and cereals and what is good and healthy...and can be used in a lot of our day to day cooking, baking etc...

One of those was amaranth...and while trying to get the Indian name for it we mistakenly referred to it as ragi...then later realised that it is not so...the actual name is rajagira...which is supposed to be very good, considered a superfood.

All this bought to fore my desire to move on to new methods and ingredients in my baking in my quest for a more healthy sweet or dessert...since we have tried unsuccessfully many a time to resist the sweet temptations.

So while browsing for recipes got a few using ragi ( nachani ) flour and was very impressed with a couple of them - one was a chocolate cupcake and the other a banana cake...
The latter won the toss mainly cause I had 3 bananas on verge of going to the bin if not used immediately...but I also wanted to try an eggless version and use sweetened condensed milk which was part of the first recipe....confusing right ....nyways the end result was a combination of parts of both.

Ragi is a cereal which is very nutritious, it is rich in  calcium, has a lot of dietary fibre, has a lot of iron, is a natural relaxant, and a host of other properties...

So after reading the above recipes I was quite keen to try it out - though I was unsure how it would be received by all at home, generally I do not have much takers for my "healthy attempts" ...but this one turned out so amazing - it was soft, delish (even with the reduced sweetness) and one could not make out that it was made without the regular flours...

Healthy Dates & Carrot Quick Breakfast Bread

Dates & Carrot Breakfast Bread

So now I am on a health trip - trying to find ways to reduce the sugar, all-purpose flour from my recipes...did a bit of experimentation with yeast...and then found my way back to the quicker variety with baking powder & soda...

Though right now I am still continuing with the carrots & dates & banana or apple pulps combinations, this particular bread recipe had agave ( for sweetness)  which I replaced with honey...the previous recipe was a whole wheat bread which was very dense - so decided to go a bit lighter this time with a combination of flours...and since this had oats(loads of goodness)...felt I could add in a bit of AP flour...the sweetness is due to the dates and honey - both of which just barely flavours the bread - and that is good for a breakfast bread..which is where I was going with this one...
However if you would like it more like a dessert you make add more honey or dates or even sugar to the mix.

The spices in this bread brings out the flavours of dates, the slight aroma of banana...and brings to mind the Christmas plum cake...making it absolutely yummy !!!

Mixed Vegetables in Gravy.....a trip to Pondicherry.....Fresh Homegrown Drumsticks

Ok a very long title, I know...but how do I cover all that I want to say in this post on a short tag...so never mind...let that remain...and we shall move on...

Drumsticks from Pondicherry

What is the connection u ask...well we went on a trip...you guessed it...:-) to Pondicherry ....what can I say - it was such an insightful trip...
Let me give you some background...before I continue....

I had never been to Pondicherry before I got married...but T (hubby) and his family had been there many times...they believe in Sri Aurobindo & Mother (a lady from France...whose original name is Mirra Alfassa) and so after my marriage I had made a few trips to Pondi, loved going there - it was a very serene, peaceful place.. and I also looked on it as a good break in our hectic lives full of work, home, and family....

Recently due to a whole lot of stuff happening - we had not visited for over 8-9 years...me longer as T had visited once in the interim period....and the past few years was stressful to say the least - esp. with regards to our families...parents, the inevitable happenings in the passage of life...leading to a lot of introspection, wondering about the what's why's and how's of life....

With all this going on...this trip happened (quite unexpectedly I should add )...and this time around things were very different for me at least...I focused more on the spirituality of the place, rather than viewing it as a holiday spot...and imbibed from the atmosphere and the feelings of all around me...felt that the change in my thoughts, feelings which had already begun... start to consolidate and am hopeful that this will affect my actions, attitude too gradually....

At home

For those who are not in the know - Pondicherry has an ashram which is the main spot for all to gather, people come there, meditate, pray, read books about the ashram's philosophy(we got a few too), there are a lot of ashramites who stay there, who have come from different places in India and abroad, from different walks of life, different professions, who have given up their original lives to make a new one here under the guidance of Sri Aurobindo and Mother...they work here, live here, excersise, meditate,  and follow the philosophies laid down.

Streets of Pondicherry

The few days we were there we too visited the ashram regularly, went to their meditation session, OM choir session, ate the very simple food that they prepare at their Dining hall  and generally tried to just live in that moment. It was a great experience.....

We met T's cousins there, and had another surprise of another cousin's daughter(L)  who was also visiting, met up with some of our old friends there(J&A, a very lovely couple...thank you for all your help, M&G we had a great time meeting up with you both too )...and on the return trip back had an opportunity to catch up with some more family in Chennai( and a delicious lunch, thanks S,and great meeting Ma & Sh there too) enroute to Mumbai...so all in all it was a very satisfying trip. 

Beach of Pondicherry

The beach at Pondi is so awesome...our evenings were spent sitting out there, taking walks, and generally soaking in the ambience...our ashram guest house was right on the beach road...

Tea in our balcony

so morning tea was on the 
balcony of our room with 
the ocean in front of us...
sigh...missing it already..

One of the Ashram guest houses

So where does the drumstick come in and mixed vegetables in a gravy ??? well let me start with the second...the menu in the dining hall in the afternoons used to be, rice, curd, bread, mixed veggies in gravy, and sometimes a banana...and at night there used to be a variation with a slightly sweetened dalia. It is surprising how we used to relish such a simple menu every day.

Ginger Cookie....

Ginger Cookies

There was a loud noise...like a gunshot...no worries...we do not have a gun at home...but it did startle us all...me and my cook were trying to open a bottle of nolen gur...I had not heard of this jaggery before...it is a speciality of Bengal...available during the winter months...this is got by collecting palm saps...
My sister picked up one bottle for herself ( she used this while making some kheer )...and had asked me if I would like to try it out too...I am ever game...so said yes...not sure how I would use it...
It had been laying around in my fridge for the past month or so...and finally when I took up this recipe for ginger cookie...which had an ingredient as molasses - decided to try this gur(jaggery) which was in in a liquid form as a substitute.
The sealed bottle was giving us a tough time - and finally it came open with such a bang...the top flew out the kitchen ( had to hunt it down)...the second seal somewhere closer to us...guess this gur(jaggery) generates some gases if stored too long...
Nyways...that was something...be still my racing heart...and calm the cook down(letting her get back to our lunch preparations) and me getting back to my cookie....

This cookie project was a long time in the making...first in idea, then in thought, then in planning....

It all started...{if I may repeat myself ( as I have already written some of this before)}....with one of our get togethers...and I had made some cinnamon cookies which were a big hit...
The idea germinated at that gathering...that I could perhaps make some ginger cookie to take for some friends(who love ginger cookies) and who stay in Pondicherry where we were all visiting later...our cousins B, R, A were going on earlier, we would be meeting up there...looking forward to that...(sorry here I go meandering again).

Then the thought process started - I needed ginger powder - so set about making that ( check out my blog for help on that )....and then the planning...gathering of the rest of the ingredients...did not stop at only making ginger powder - got more enthused and made some cinnamon and cloves powder too...as those were required as well...and the most important part of the process...organising time for it...

Well finally got it all together...and so here we are...with it all done...phew !!! it was a bit tedious, the dough turned out quite sticky..so added some extra flour, and then kept it in the fridge for an hour to harden ...that really helped - it made it easier to work with...

The first lot I took out as per the time mentioned, it was too soft, so kept it a bit longer...by the time the second lot came out, I was a pro...and the next couple of batches were a breeze...it looks amazing...the taste of ginger, along with a touch of cloves & cinnamon...the chewiness and softness of the cookie...it was all too yummy...so to get to the actual cookie, you need to get first to the recipe and then try it out for yourself...so here goes...

Apple & Strawberry Quick Bread

Apple Strawberry Bread

Omg ....I have to write about this, have baked banana bread so many times - love it...and muffins with apples & applesauce..amazing....but they are all totally different in taste and texture from this - once you start eating this, you cannot stop with just one piece. 

Have to confess that this actually was a recipe for applesauce bread - but I had this jam on hand a combi of strawberries and apples - decided to use that instead of the applesauce...and oh wow !!! ....

This has a mix of all purpose flour(maida) and whole wheat flour(atta), hint of cinnamon, sweetness of the fruits(strawberry & apple - though you could use just the apples), goodness of yogurt, nourishment from egg & nuts, reduced fat with oil instead of butter, brown sugar and that too just 1/2 cup...with all those healthy options...the taste is just awesome...definitely gotta try this one out. And it is one of the most easiest things to put together - just 2 bowls - one for dry, one for wet ingredients - mix the two...and voila...there you have it..one of the most fantastic, moist, flavorful, healthy snacks, breakfast, dessert, sweet...call it as you like it.

Methi puri...a great snack

Methi Puris

My sister in law T makes amazing khari puris, have tried making it myself ...but have not been too successful...it was not that bad..but you know ...I was not too happy with the result....did not try after a couple of times...

Nyways had dropped the thought of making my own until I saw this on TV - some cooking show had methi puris on - and boy it was so simple the way they did it (at least that's how it appeared)...so I got charged up...and put it on my list of stuff to try out...not the exact same thing as a khari puri...but close enuff...and I love methi...so nothing holding me back...except maybe  'time'...?!?

Finally managed to get the time, get the ingredients...so here's the way I went about making this...by the way I checked the net..and there are so many different proportions of the flours and even the flours themselves...they have mix of all purpose, whole wheat, rava(semolina), besan ( chick pea flour)...with any or all of them and as I said the ratio also differing...
I went with the one I felt sounded right...and it actually turned out pretty good...used a tip from the TV show...roasted the jeera before adding it..

Homemade Pasta Sauce

Pasta Sauce

I like pasta - always have...T on the other hand had phases of like and not exactly dislike - but something of that sort...more of a disinclination for it...

Our first foray into US had me making pasta at least once a week for a meal, either lunch or dinner...our second stay there - uhuh...not so much...I think this was because this time around T had a lot of travelling to do - and most of his meals out were pastas or sandwiches or pizzas...since as a vegetarian he used to have limited options...so when he was at home I would generally cook Indian meals...this was also the period of my life in which I started learning and experimenting with a lot of new dishes, recipes, ideas...looking to the Internet, friends, family for help.

Nyways after our return back to our homeland we both hankered for a occasional Italian meal { for us that translates to pasta and garlic bread...:-) } and thus began my experimenting into the making of pasta sauce (in US the easy availability and wide range of sauces led me to use the store bought ones), but here I prefer to make my own.

I generally prepare it in a larger quantity and freeze - and find it very convenient to use when required for making pastas as well as pizza ( have also made pizzas at home with ready pizza bread, my next experimentation will be with homemade pizza bread).

Home made Ginger Powder

Ginger Powder

I had baked some cinnamon cookies and taken to a get together we had at T's cousin's place to meet some visiting family...it was a big hit..everyone loved it.
T's cousins B,R & A...were planning to go to Pondicherry for a visit and so were we after a month, and they asked me whether I could bake some ginger cookies, cause a dear friend who stays in Pondi loves them.

Now ginger cookies require ginger powder - some time back I had bought some from the store, but did not like them - I could not get any flavour of ginger from it - neither did it smell like it nor taste much like it...not sure how old the product was...I had read that it is best to use it freshly made.

So that was the reason for me getting some fresh ginger from the market, washing, peeling, chopping in thin slices or pieces, and spreading it out on the plate for drying under the sun. 
It takes about a couple of days normally, but we had cold days, cloudy skies, and so it took a bit longer.

Dried Ginger Slices / Pieces

Put the dried ginger pieces in a dry grinder or coffee grinder or your regular mortar & pestle...and dry into a fine powder. If you want it very fine, sieve it and run it thru once more.

In the grinder

Take small quantities of ginger so that you can make it fresh again when you need it next.

This can be stored in a bottle in a cool dark place or the fridge for a couple of months at least. 

I have my ginger powder ready...have to go to the next step of making the cookies...am hoping I will be able to find the time for that before my trip...and will be able to surprise them with yummy ginger cookies.

Sabudana khichdi in a Microwave

Sabudana Khichdi

Microwave is one of the most marvellous inventions of the last century....and I am sure many would agree with me....though there are a few naysayers...and they may have a valid point with regards to the rays of that machine....but boy it does make life soooo much easier...

Take the above mentioned dish...I used to prepare sabudana khichdi on the stove top - but had it turn to mush many a times...and then I discovered this recipe...and thought..duh!?! ...how could I have missed this...this dish is meant for the micro - where every pearl needs to be separate...and yet thoroughly cooked...what better method is available...

I had my own recipe for cooking this dish - but when I read the microwave version on  One stove top's site...I found it so perfect...that I appropriated that for my own and now that is my standard recipe with a minor changes. I find it a bit dry - so add a couple of tablespoons of water while cooking it. I have also reduced the peanuts...though these are just to my taste...you may add more peanuts, chillies, coconut, dhania(cilantro), salt & sugar as per your taste.

The past few days the weather has been kind of chilly, so one feels the need to relish a nice hot breakfast...and T has been out of town the whole week...(missing you sweetie)....so decided that I could make this and share it with my Mom who also loves having something different for her breakfast / mid morning snack.

Homemade Buns with Filling - Sweet / Savoury

Savoury Buns

Maine pehne party shoes...
Gonna let my body loose....
Karli hai.-----------------.....
There's party on my mind....

This song from the movie Race 2 ...which translates as follows "I have worn my party shoes,  and am all carefree...etc etc...with partying on my mind...." comes to my mind, as I get ready to greet the next batch of visitors from overseas who plan to drop in to see us....

If you have been following/reading my earlier posts - you would know that we had quite a few guests recently...and it truly was like one party after another....good fun to meet and spend time with our near & dear ones...also gave me an opportunity to try out my culinary skills...ahem.

So back to the thought processes, shopping for groceries, planning the menu...you would think I am planning a huge dinner or lunch with four courses, salad & dessert...nope...not really...just tea & snacks...what ?!?  :-) ...I know ....but still whether the party is small or big - it is fun planning it out.

Our guests were to join us for tea and snacks - and I thought these buns with savoury filling of cheese, garlic, and cilantro (coriander leaves / dhania patta ) would be just the thing to prepare...
I had tried it out before ...and it had turned out amazing...it was so lightweight, and the taste of the filling - cheese, garlic, with cilantro is a very good combination. I got this recipe from Divya's easycooking...her easy and simple style and pictures makes it very convenient to follow and adapt.

Does this ever happen to any of you - that you try out a new recipe and make something amazing, and at first shot the results are so outstanding that it even surprises you...and then you decide to replicate that success with guests...and guess what - not that great....
Well that has happened a few times to me...so I was a bit wary of trying this one out for our visitors...but the results was so good, maybe even better ( with a few minor changes from the first time around ) that I had to put it down for all of you.

You could try making these plain or with any other stuffing you like - including onion, or even add some veggies mashed - like potatoes, peas etc...

These can be made with a sweet filling of sugar, coconut, chopped dates, chopped nuts etc. too....the main difference between the two with regards to the dough is the amount of sugar and salt you add to it.

Strawberry / Strawberry Apple Jam

Strawberry Apple Jam

While we were in US - our friends there had a share in an organic farm - and during the season would get fresh fruits and vegetables from the farm. I had visited the farm along with them during the peak berry season and we would have fun picking strawberries, blueberries, blackberries...

I think more of it went into my stomach than the basket...:-) and boy was it delish...so yummy, fresh, ripe, sweet...it's so difficult to put into words the pleasure you get while standing under the hot sun in a field amidst the beautiful greenery...and ripe trees...the smell of it all in the air...and the carefree feeling you get when with good friends...and relishing the goodness of fresh fruit...sigh.....miss you guys, A&L ......we had fun...

Nyways enuff with the meandering down memory lane...getting back to the making of strawberry jam....how did the idea come to me...well winter is strawberry season and we got a small box of it from our local fruit vendor...unfortunately they were not too sweet - in fact - you could say they were tart...making it difficult for us to really enjoy it...
So I remembered my friend L ( of the above farm ) - when she would have a surplus of the fruit she would make jam - and get those some jars to can it and store it...she had even passed on some of it to us...

And thus came the idea of using this up by making a jam...if making in large quantities and planning to store for a long time - it requires a proper process and also the canning jars - and pectin which helps in preserving it.

Since I was just making with a small quantity and also for immediate use at home - decided to go the short and easy route...

Cinnamon Cookies & the misadventures in the making...

I guess the title tells it all....but here goes the whole long tale...

Cinnamon Cookies

There was a story which we had heard when we were young, do not remember it properly - but it goes like this - a monkey ( or maybe a kid  who knows ) was given a banana - and asked to split it equally and give it to two children. 
He peeled it and broke it in half - the halves were not equal - so to make it equal - he took a bite from the bigger half...and then he saw that the other half was a bit bigger - so then he bit from that one...and so on...
You can guess how this one ends...lol !!!

My misadventures was sort of like that story - I did follow the recipe as mentioned...but somehow found that my dough was a little dry ...to counter that I added some ghee (Indian clarified butter) - and that made it too soft and moist...so added some maida ( all purpose flour) - and then felt the sweetness was less, so the final batch was rolled in some sugar/cinnamom powder. (Now I am not sure if my story matches the one above...it just somehow bought that one to my mind)

Nyways...I made a batch with every alteration - so have some 5 different varities of the cookies...with just the one dough. :-). 
See below pictures...                                                                                                                                                                                                     

All 5 varities

Different textures of the cookies

Kansar - Sheera with Fada - Broken Wheat pudding - Daliya Sweet Dish

Kansar or Fada Sheera

This month was very hectic - in terms of the no. of visitors we had - generally our home could be likened to a very sleepy village or town - but the past few weeks you could compare it to a bustling metropolis....

I guess, visitors from the fair climes prefer to come when it is a bit cool here for them (winter for us here in Mumbai) - it makes their stay more comfortable - but this year it seemed that everyone we knew - friends & relatives had come at the very same time...

While it was fun to meet up with all - and we had rollicking parties every second day [as much as our creaking bones would allow :-)] - the biggest question was what do I prepare for each one of our visitors...what are their preferences ...likes, dislikes....

Yesterday T's b-i-l was to arrive in Mumbai...so some of his favourite veggies, dhebra, etc were planned ...and for dessert, I decided to make a sheera  from fada - that is broken wheat - or daliya as it is called, the actual name for this dish is Kansar -  pronounced like kasar...I think the 'n' sound is silent...but anyways when I looked up the net - I saw it was spelled as kansar...so that is what I have put up on my title...though I prefer to think of it as fada sheera.

Ok - so coming back to this dish - I have seen while it was being made in A'bad, by our very talented cook B...and read a few different recipes for the same - but I made it slightly differently...and I think it turned out pretty good (so did T's bil ), so I decided to post the recipe.

Eggless Low-fat Chocolate Brownie....or cake...or something in middle

Now this is a sort of repeat of one of my earlier posts, but had to put it down - could have done a update - but decided that it needed it's own space :-)

How it all started...

End of last year I had discovered a low-fat brownie recipe which I liked a lot - and as I mentioned in that post - it was not a proper brownie recipe -which is supposed to have a high proportion of fat to flour ...whereas that one was more cake like - and the term low-fat brownie is sort of an oxymoron...but as I said since it was such an amazing recipe - and I added a chocolate drink powder on top to give it an icing look - and turn it into a yummy desert...I had been thrilled with the end product and with myself... :-)

Anyways so yesterday we were invited to a sort of snack fest by one of our cousins - and I was to bring brownies with me to the do...now many in my hubby's family are non egg eaters...hence the search last night for an egg less brownie...
Turned up quite a few - but none as quick and easy as the earlier mentioned "low-fat brownie recipe"....so decided to innovate and turn that into a egg less recipe...

And again am so thrilled with the recipe and the end product and myself too... that I had to put it down in a post of it's own - to celebrate the success...

Onion Bread

Onion Bread

Well, this was not the first bread that I had baked - and some of them have turned out pretty good - and some not that great ....some with yeast and some quick bread (of which banana bread is my all time fav.).

But somehow I was quite impressed with this bread that I had experimented with this morning...am not quite sure how I got around to doing this today - had not really planned it so...but sometimes I find myself just working on a new recipe without realising it...it just happens...and those are sometimes the best dishes.

This is one of them...I had earlier backed some buns with coriander, garlic & cheese stuffed in them - it was pretty good...and T and discussed that onion would be a good stuffing too...while reading up some recipes, I got this one which is not exactly a stuffing but the onions are fried ( browned ) and then mixed with the dough - so you get the flecks of it all thru - not just in the centre...
As usual I made some changes - added some garlic too (one of our favourite ingredients) - and also brushed the top with some milk and put some sesame seeds onto it...gave it a more professional look and feel.

Sabudana Kheer / Sago Pudding

Sabudana Kheer

Normally on the 1st of Jan - as a sort of celebration (New Year Day ! )  I make something sweet - or at least have been doing so for past some years now.

During a chat about what we had the previous year, and what we should make for this year, Mom came up with kheer ( which is like a sort of pudding - but without the egg )....and I got to thinking. Years ago, one of Mom's favourite kheer was the sabudana kheer...which like so many of her regular dishes was sort of forgotten as we discovered & adopted new recipes from others around. So thought let me surprise her with this kheer this year.

So as always trolling the net ( get a lot of ideas from there ) - and having some idea of how Mom used to prepare it - and having  had a fair bit of idea myself from all the different kheers that I have since prepared ...and thus armed with all the gathered intel...went about making it...
It was an eye opener - I had totally forgotten how amazing this kheer turns out - so smooth - so melt in the mouth...it can be had hot or cold ( though I prefer it cold, it becomes better the longer you keep it - say the next day... ) - the starch in the sago (sabudana) makes it yummy - that you just cannot stop at one bowl. It is like a comfort food...like a good soup...or chocolate - you get a long and lasting pleasure when you have it...

Nyways - so back to present day...why did I go down memory lane...cause we were expecting my hubby's friend to come over for lunch - and while planning the menu, and since he has a sweet tooth - decided to make this kheer (since it had been bought back to our notice this year)....
So within a span of a month I was back to boiling and reducing the milk, soaking the sabudana, frying the cashew & raisins, crushing the cardamoms....and this time managed to get a few pictures taken...so that this blog could be complete...with text & the pictorials..