Alrite, This will be my last post for the year 2011 .. I don't know about the rest of you, But for me, this year went by so fast , that I cannot believe I am writing 2011's last post ..

If you are planning a house party to bring in the new year, I have a perfect starter recipe for you .. Baba Ghanoush - The very popular Smoked Eggplant & Tahini Dip from the middle east. What I love about Dips, is that they can be made way ahead of time & infact the longer it sits, more intense the flavour .. And, everybody loves Dips & it is a great fuss free addition to your party menu

NOTE: Mash the eggplant well .. A few large chunks are fine  but mash into a smooth texture with entirely pureeing it .. which is why I have't used a blender & I don't recommend it either

Baba Ghanoush Sandwich

Have a great time Partying on New Year's Eve .. See you in a bit .. In 2012 !!!

I can eat Nutella by the spoonfuls & finish an entire jar :-) So, before it would disappear just like that yet again, I made these beautiful truffles out of them.

Guess what I added?? Crushed Chocolate Chip Cookies & Cornflakes ..  And, they turned out super crunchy & was very light. They are super easy to make & hard to mess up :) So they make very nice gifts too

I made these on a whim & I was very happy with the results. So, this recipe is definitely a keeper .. They are so easy that even your 6 year olds can help you make these

Sia's Monsoon Spice has been around for a long long time, much before my blog came into existance. Monsoon Spice was one of the first blogs I was hooked to during my pre blogging days & I love her recipes. They are simple, full of yummy spices and they exude so much warmth.

And, I am thrilled to be doing a guest post on Sia's blog .. She has such a wide array of recipes that it took me a while to choose & I finally settled for some yummy Farfalle Pasta soaked in the goodness of Roasted Mushroom Sauce.

So Hop on to Monsoon Spice & have fun .. And, Thanks Sia for the opportunity

There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of Soup on a cold winter night. Throw in some pasta along with it & it makes a hearty meal. I had some leftover Penne Pasta from the previous day & it was made into this really delicious  soup with roasted bell peppers, tomatoes & basil .. 

For a South Indian, nothing beats the comfort of some home made piping hot Rasam .. All South Indian states have different ways of making the basic Tomato Rasam .. Being from Karnataka, the Rasam that we make at home is from the Mysore region & we call it Saaru but its better as Mysore Rasam all over the world ..

A true blue South Indian makes Rasam Powder at home, but if you live in the South, you will have the luxury of buying good quality Rasam powder from stores as well. There are small little shops in most South Indian cities, that sell very good Rasam Powder that tastes as good as home made ones, you can also use MTR (NOT any other brand ) Rasam powder to get good results.

My Ajji (maternal grandmother) & my Amma make the Rasam powder so much ease .. so with their help, I will do a post on Homemade Rasam Powder soon :-)

NOTE:

Chaat, in Hindi literally means 'To Lick'. Traditionally these roadside snacks were served on a leaf and it was so tongue-tickling that one could not resist licking the last morsels from the leaf before discarding it, thereby giving a descriptive name to the cuisine. And truly, Chaat tastes best when had on the roadside.

I & Shankar both love chaat. Our weekends are never complete without our regular visit to the local Chaat Wallah. The ChaatWallah across our street makes a lovely Chaat with Mung Sprouts. Its lip smackingly delicious & healthy as well .. I bought a packet of mixed sprouts from the supermarket & made a different version of out favorite Sprouts Chaat

I hope you guys had a cracker of a Diwali .. I wanted to do a post on Indian sweets much before Diwali but then I got really busy with shopping & preparations ..

And, 2 days before the festival, I grated my finger yet another time, & this time it was a pretty bad one. I meant that I couldn't do any major cooking on Diwali, but I managed to make a simple Vermicelli Kheer

I should have ideally posted this on Diwali but this time, I was so much into hand painted Diyas this time, that I didn't want to do a post .. I painted quite a few of them & I loved it ..

Have a look at my Diyas here  .. Lovely isnt't it??

Now the Vermicelli Kheer .. The simplest Indian Dessert .. 

You Will Need:

The kheer will thicken further once it cools down, so keep this in mind & adjust the consistency accordingly. Serve Hot or chilled .. Enjoi !!

For ages, I've been using the readymade Badam Milk powder & I've been quite happy with it .. Until, I had home made Badam Milk at a friend's house & I fell in love with its fresh taste ..  It is quite time consuming to grind almonds each time you may want to drink this, but do make this when your guests come home this Diwali .. They will love it ..

Shankar turned an year older last sunday &amp since it was a holiday; I wanted to bake him a cake with him . But our plans changed the last minute, & we ended up spending the entire day outdoors .. I finally found the time to bake a cake this morning ..  .. A few months ago, I brought a small Banana cake loaf from the local bakery & Shankar loved it as it wasn't overy sweet .. Although terribly late, Banana Walnut Loaf Cake was what I baked for the Birthday Boy ..

I got the recipe from here & it definitely is for keeps.

You Will Need:

Serve warm with some Coffee or serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream by the side & serve as a dessert .. Enjoi !!

Notes:

• The original recipe calls for chocolate chips, I replaced it with walnute instead.
• I also reduced the amount of cocoa powder from 1 tbsp to 1 tsp. We loved the very slight hint of  chocolate

Okay, so I finally made a Quinoa dish , almost 3 months after I bought a packet of Quinoa :)  I had this sudden urge to eat some healthy low calorie food, & Quinoa Upma is what I made for today's lunch

Hope, everyone is having a great time celebratind Dussera. We are having a lovely time, visiting temples, relatives & friends & looking all the lovely dolls on display, at theit homes .. I was wanting to go to Mysore to have the look at the world famous Dasara procession but sadly couldn't make it this year ..

We have been indulging in some lovely traditional home made food ever since the onset of Dasara & this yummy Payasam was made for Durgashtami.

This isn't exactly the traditional Kerala style coconut milk payasam. I love the flavor of coconut milk so it got added along with rice, milk & other ingredients ... I haven't used jaggery either, but it can be used instead of sugar if you wish to

If you are not from Karnataka, then Halbai is probably unheard of .. Halbai is a traditional sweet from the Bangalore/Mysore regions of Karnataka. For those who are unaware, it is quite difficult to explain what Halbai is, Probably the best way to put it is, its a cross between Halwa & Burfi ..  It is typically made with whole wheat grains, coconut & Jaggery. There are other versions of Halbai that are made using Rice, Ragi or even Poha .. Of all the versions, I love the one made with Wheat grains, the best

Preparing Halbai is quite a tedious process &  you need to practice hard to get the right consistency & texture. To be very honest, I am not very good in dishing out these beauties. My Dad makes this every year & is quite an expert. He made them a couple of days ago & insisited that I put this up on my blog. I was quite reluctant as Halbai is not a very photogenic dish. I tried to photograph them last year & the photos turned horribly bad. This is such a beautiful tasty dish & I didn't want anyone to be put off & not give it a try because of bad pictures :-)

This time, my Mom sent my a big box of Halbai all cut into uniform square pieces with a special mention that I had to do a post this time .. Special Thanks to Mom & Dad for sending these over ..

I have never been a huge fan of Palak Paneer honestly. Infact, I never ate much of paneer until a couple of years ago. I don't know how many of you agree, but a good Palak Paneer is hard to come by. Either the Paneer is not fresh, or the lush green palak turns into a brown gravy once cooked or it is laden with too much spices, tomatoes or fresh cream masking the true flavour of Palak Paneer ..

So, I set out to find the almost perfect Palak Paneer recipe, And, after reading dozens of recipes, looking at various food pics & asking a lot of people on Facebook as well, I arrived at My Recipe :-)  And, I was quite satisfied with the results. Perhaps, you may want to try this ...



Serve warm with Peas Pulao, Phulkas or Naan .. Enjoi !!!

Call me Popeye, for I love Spinach .. Yes, I absolutely love it. And, I can spinach everyday without even getting bored.

The curry that I have for you today has 2 of my favorite things, Spinach & Corn & the best part is that, this curry doesn't have too many spices in it. So, you can enjoy spinach & corn in their purest form. And a big plus, this is low on calories too .. YAY !!!

Whenever I would pass through the traffic in Jayanagar 3rd block, I would always notice this cosy cafe at the Cloud 9 hospital & would make a mental note to visit it in leisure. For some reason the visit never happened & maybe I would have put it off for a few more days, if I wouldn't have received an invite to visit Au Bon Pain's brand new outlet in Koramangala. SO, On a cloudy saturday afternoon, I set out to lunch @ Au Bon Pain along with my husband, Shankar

(Image Source: Various)

The menu includes everything from Sandwiches to soups to salads, to desserts & delicious bakery products. We started off with a vegetarian soup & a couscous salad. The soup was spicy & was perfect for the Bangalore weather. I picked a Jalapeno & corn panini which was delicious while Shankar chose a panini with mediterreanean Hummus & olives which wasn't that impressive. Alongwith these, we alose had some Veg Puffs, Cinnamon Rolls & Croissants which were just perfect.

We ended our meal with a fruit bowl & some chocolate mousse. Apart from these, Au Bon Pain also serves yummy Bagles, Muffins, Brownies, Cakes & Guess what?? Dal, Biryani & curry too to satiate your Indian taste buds,

And yes, I couldn't stop drinking  their Cappuccino. It was Fab & I ordered a 'To Go' as well  .. I took home a crusty Baguette which was very good. So those of you looking for good French bread Au Bon Pain is the place to go

Au Bon Pain is definitely a place to visit especially if you are looking for something quick, light & healthy. None of the dishes I oredered were heavy & greasy & I definiteky was very happy about it. I only wished the place was roomy enough to accomodate more people as it can get quite crowded in the afternoons .. Nevertheless, the food is the main highlight ..  And, it was ... Awesome

Kodubale or Kodbale was my first ever post in the South Indies series. I thought this post & the pictures needed a bit of  revamping, And, my Ajji made these yummy Kodubales for Ganesh Chaturthi this time, so here it is ..



I wanted to kickstart this series from a snack from a very own state, A snack that's a HOT favorite in Karnataka .. Yes, our very own 'Kodubale' . . . I really dont know how this name came about, but the literal translation from Kannada to English would be, Bangles made out of horns. Weird isn't it??

Method:

Enjoi !!! Goes really really good with some good ol' Filter Coffee

Just as little Krishna loves fried snacks, Ganesha loves good food too :) which is why a whole lot of sweets & savouries are made for Ganesh Chaturthi. 

My MIL made a huge batch of Chaklis this morning & I took a few pictures before they are stored away so that no one can eat them before it is offered to the Lord. So these yummy Chaklis are for Lord Ganesha.

There are tons of recipes for making Chaklis. A few use Maida or All purpose flour, whereas a few use  besan & rice flour, The one that I've made uses Rice flour & Urad dal in a proportion of 4:1. The rice flour along with melted butter lends a crisp texture to the chaklis while the urad dal adds a very yummy taste.

How To:

Enjoi them with a hot cup of Coffee ...

Hope you guys have a great time celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi ..

This goes to Anjali's place for the event for Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration

How many of you make it a point to eat salads everyday?? Well, atleast I am not one of those. While, I do appreciate  a well made salad, I am plain lazy to whip up a salad on a everyday basis & I am happy eating Rice:-)

The other day, I made this simple Pomegranate & sweet corn salad with a dash of bell pepper in it. The sweet taste of pomegranate & sweet corn blended so well with bell peppers & the vinaigrette. I hope you guys love it as well

When Cheryl from Cheryl Duncan & co. asked me if I would like to review Hari Nayak's latest cookbook,  I readily agreed. And, Stephanie from TUTTLE PUBLISHING was gracious enough to send me  a complimentary copy of Hari Nayak's latest 'My Indian Kitchen', I was thrilled for I heart cookbooks. As a food blogger, I have more than one reason to fall in love with cookbooks.

Those of you, who do not know, Hari Nayak is an Indian celebrity chef who lives in New Jersey. He is also an author who has several books to his credit. Nayak hails from Udipi, a small town close to Mangalore. So all those who love South Indian food, you can look forward to some lovely South Indian recipes here.

The book arrived on rainy afternoon here, I immediately sat down with a cuppa Masala Chai, & as I flipped through the pages, I was already in love with this book. The pictures are by Jack Turkel are such a visual treat. Along with a few of his popular dishes, this book includes some of his family recipes as & a few tips & tricks which makes cooking easier.

The book starts with an introduction to Indian Cuisine & what I loved was a note on Pairing Wines with Indian food. Now we all know, which wine to pick with that spicy curry.

The book then gets divided into 9 delicious chapters beginning with recipes for Indian Spice mixes, the quitessential Indian Chutneys, Appetizers, Soups & dal, Vegetable & cheese dishes. There is a separate section for sea food & another one for meat & poultry. There is another chapter dedicated to Indian faltbreads & Rice varieties, in which he also teaches how to cook the perfect Basmati Rice. There is a Desserts & drinks section at the end, which features some delectable desserts. I personally loved the Pistachio & Mango Ice Cream.

A few other unique recipes that caught my fancy were the Avocado & roasted cumin Raita, Potato & Onion Fritters, & Zucchini with lentils & roasted garlic. These recipes are a perfect way of giving western vegbetables an Indian touch.

If you are a vegetarian who hates buying cookbooks because of the Non Vegetarian recipes in them, you need not worry, for this book has ample Vegetraian recipes. I am a vegetarian myself & I was not dissappointed with the veggie collection here.

However, if you are trying your hand at Indian cooking for the first time, this book is perfect to make a beginning & it lives up to its tagline, 'Preparing delicious Indian meals without fear or fuss'. For a novice, the pictures are such boon because you will know what the end result should look like. Most of the recipes are very easy & with simple narration, anybody can get a hang of what Indian cusine is all about.

In case you already own this gorgeous book, some of my favorite recipes in this book that you may want to try are

There are a lot more other fabuluous recipes from this book, which I will be doing in my upcoming posts .. Do watch out

Verdict

Nayak's effort is sincere which reflects in his recipes. The narration is simple, precise & well written. Nayak clearly suceeds in his motive to make Indian cooking less intimidating.

It is a solid cookbook which covers a wide array of the vast Indian cuisine. As the author rightly puts, 'It is for all who love the value of a home cooked family meal' .. Those who love collecting cookbooks,this book definitely deserves a place in your book shelf. It also makes for a great gift to cooking enthusiasts .. Go for it ..

If you wish to know more about Hari Nayak, visit his website at http://www.harinayak.com/.

Also, log on to http://www.myindiankitchen.com/ , to have a look at the recipe gallery.

We get this wonderful variety of green mangoes called Gini Mooti Mavinkayi which literally translates to Parrot Faced Mangoes :-) I don't know, what it is called in other languages though. Please to let me know, if you are aware of it.

These mangoes aren't extactly sour. The skin is not to be peeled off, as it lends a sweet taste to the mangoes.

We love eating these mango slices with some salt & chilli powder rubbed on them. But sometimes I also love to temper them with some mustard seeds, chilli & coriander powder .. YUMM

Enjoi !!! But do not over indulge as you may end up with some bad cough ..

I was looking for something that I can make with potatoes & I fumbled upon this recipe. The moment I read this , I knew I would be making it soon ..

It took about 15 minutes for me to make this & the end result was just yummy

While I was making this, I didn't really expect it to be any different from the dry potato curry that we all make, But it was way different that that .. I would call it a cross between our Desi Pottao Fry & Potato Wedges from McDonalds ... But you will love it for sure ..

My Dad is the official Khichdi maker at home & he makes the best Khichdi ever (Infact much better than my Mom)  He doesn't use many spices which is why its so simple & lovely & comforting. I actually make several versions of Khichdi  but nothing beats my Dad's Moong Dal ki Khichdi

There is nothing like digging into a hot bowl of kichdi on a monsoon evening. Serve it with some kadhi on the side & you'll be in heaven.

The weather here right now is perfect for a hot bowl of Tomato Soup & if it is spiked with some fresh Rosemary, can it get better than that??

It was very cold & gloomy this afternoon & it was a perfect excuse to dig into some piping hot soup .. I ate mine with some toasted Baguette and Aaah Bliss !!

What I loved was the addition of Rosemary. It adds an interesting twist but it isn't very overpowering. Next time, try adding Rosemary to any of your soups .. You will love it

Serve with some crusty toasted bread .. Enjoi !!!

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I guess, most of you reading this would know that it was my Birthday a couple of days ago .. Well, Shankar, surprised me with this Pulao for the Birthday lunch .. Hence, the name of this dish :-)

I was actually quite thrilled with the idea that He'd be cooking something. Since he is a novice, I wanted to give him instructions  lend a helping hand  But I was shooed away from the kitchen The only thing I did was, measure Basmati rice & soak it in water. I really don't know where he got this recipe from, but it was just fabulous ..

You Will Need:

For the Paste:

How To:

Serve with any Raita of your choice .. Enjoi !!!

While, Shankar was at it, I was quite unhappy about the fact the he was frying up all the ingredients to make a paste. I told him, it wasn't necessary because the paste will anyways be sauteed before adding rice. Because of this, we actually had a mini fight in between :-)  But the end result was very good .. Frying up the spices before grinding does lend a unique taste .. Do not skip it, if you are going to be trying this ..

Anyways, I did have a Fab Birthday .. All of you, who stopped by to wish me, Thanks so much .. It really made my day :-)

Here's another sweet post from me because, Yours Truly celebrates her Birthday today .. So here is one of my favorite desserts but with a slight twist. Yes, its Rasmalai with a hint of Mango ..

I made these using store bought Rasgullas, but if you have time, you can make Rasgullas from scratch. If you are hosting someone at a very short notice, & you want you add your own touch,  then this is a perfect dessert.

The addition of Mango pulp gives it a lovely flavor, but do not over do with it. You do not want the Rasmalai to be tasting like Mango Kheer.  If you are using about 500ml milk, then pulp from half a mango is sufficient.

You Will Need:

As a South Indian, I love Rice & there are no two ways about it. But, there was a time when I was watching my weight, & I stayed away from rice as much as possible, limiting its consumption to about twice a week. Did I miss eating rice?? Yes, BIG time ..

And this Broken Wheat Pongal was my closest substitute to rice .. Not in terms of taste, but cooked moong dal & broken wheat did create that mushy texture, somewhat similar to traditional Pongal .. So this was what my Lunch/Dinner would be, whenever I missed rice ..

Transfer to a serving bowl & top with a tsp of ghee before serving .. Serve HOT .. Enjoi !!!

Cream Cheese wasn't that commonly available in India until a few years ago. Frankly, I didn't even care that much because I really wasn't into different kinds of cuisine & I wasn't really into cooking. The other day, I finally brought home a pack of Britannia cream cheese & it was converted into a herbed spread ... Just perfect for crackers & sandwiches ..

Serve with your evening tea .. Enjoi !!!

I wanted to do this post a couple of days ago, for my parents anniversary. But my laziness got the better of me. Anyways, better late than never :-) My mum & dad completed 30 years of wedded bliss & few days ago, so here's a sweet post for the sweet couple .. Mango Burfi it is !!

Before I head to the recipe, let me tell you that I acually suck at recipes which need to be cooked till a particular consistency :-) so this one was obviously made under my mom's supervision.

Makes 10-12 Burfis

How To:

Store in an air tight container .. can be stored outside for about 2 days. If you wish to preserve longer, store in the refrigerator. Enjoi !!

After an overdose of all things mango, I made this over the weekend ...  A simple Pulao with spinach & chickpeas ..

This is very simple to make, you don't even have to add chickpeas, I did because I had some leftover cooked chickpeas on hand & I didn't have any green peas in the pantry. But I loved the addition of chickpeas anyways .. And, I love the fresh green color that spinach lends ... Take a look

You Will Need:

How To:

Transfer to a serving bowl .. Serve with raita .. Enjoi !!!

NOTE: I am obsessed with making rice first & then mixing it with the prepared gravy .. But you can go ahead and add uncooked rice, water & pressure cook until  done :) Its a lot more easier, I just don't know, why I can't get myself to do it ...