Baghare Baingan
Been long that posted anything on my lovely blog. Don’t know where all the motivation has gone. Not that I’ve stopped cooking, …
Dhuska
It’s the festive season when I miss India the most. There is something special about each festival there. The smell of the air, the crowd in the market, the decorations, the social gatherings, and above all food. It is absolutely unbeatable. But, I am so so far from there. Can’t smell anything in the air, there is no festivity around. All I can do to get the feel is to make some traditional food and connect with the roots. And, so I did.
Chaman Qaliya
Sometimes you need a small push to get back on track. This post is a result of the push that I got from a group of talented bloggers, who have come together to try new cuisines. So, this is the post of the month where I take the Spatula Force monthly challenge given by my very talented friend Anshu, who blogs at The Secret Ingredient. The theme of this month is Kashmiri and if you know me, you know how I love paneer. I have been meaning to put some paneer dishes on the blog since a long time now. So, this gives me a chance to take care of both the things. Smart, eh? 😉
Gobhi Mussallam
It’s not thanksgiving yet, but I have a center piece for my table. I am not a thanksgiving doer, but I do like thanking people for the good round me. So, here it is for all of you.
I had never tasted Gobhi Mussallam until I made it for one of my friend couple who came over for Dinner. They are special so I had to made something special. I started searching on Internet on what can be possibly so good to make them feel special. And, I discussed the menu with my all time foodie and bestie and here is the result of that discussion. I decided that Gobhi Mussallam will be the crown of the table.
Paneer in Coconut Gravy
All my friends and relatives know that I am a paneer lover. A die hard fan. It is one thing that never fails me. But, strange enough that I haven’t posted any of paneer recipe’s on the blog. May be I take it for granted. Well, that is the first sign of how much I love it. The sign of it being an integral part of my life.
The trigger for this recipe, however, is the regular complaints from the love of my life. He has been complaining that the food at our home is getting boring day by day. Well, the real reason is that he has not been given the chance to be my guinea pig since a few weeks. So, it is obvious that things would look dull and boring, won’t they? 🙂
Kohlrabi or Ganth Gobhi Sabji – a new entry in my kitchen
Every weekend when I go to the supermarket, I stop by the aisle where I see some different vegetables. I am always tempted to buy Kohlrabi and fennel. But, most of the times they are without leaves and I wanted to try recipes that could use the leaves too. Alas!
A few days ago, I was chit chatting with one my friends Shivani and she said she made kohlrabi or ganth gobhi today. She mentioned that the supermarket had Kohlrabi with leaves. And, bang! I knew I need to pick it this time and try it out. And finally here it is, ofcourse after some tips from Shivani. Thanks gal! 🙂
Oh yes, I didn’t use onion and garlic so it is navratra friendly. Don’t confuse it with navratra fast food though.
Chhole Bhature – Pure Indulgence
I grew up having Chhole Bhature from an famous shop in my hometown. It used be our Sunday brunch at least once a month. Every time Dad and I went to the shop to buy Chhole Bhature, Pinki uncle (the shopkeeper) would give us gulab jamuns while we wait for his assistants to make fresh bhaturas and pack for us. Those memories are still afresh in my mind and the taste alive on my tongue. I don’t think I will ever be able to replicate that taste, for it was not just the magic of special hands and masalas, but also the pleasant smile of Pinki uncle and the drive to the shop with Dad. Well, some things needn’t be replicated, they are only meant to be cherished as memories. Nevertheless, I tried my hands on chhole bhature. Here is what I did:
Jhol Wale Aloo
Simple, quick, desi, lip smacking, delicious, etc, etc. I can add as many adjectives to this humble dish. It was never on my hit list until I made it once for Abhishek. And, voila he loved it. And, this is my brahamstra to please him. He is angry? Make aloo poori. He is depressed? make aloo poori, he is busy and not listening, make aloo poori…ha ha..the list is endless. And, the best part is he never gets bored of it and I can make it in a jiffy.
Beetroot Halwa
I and Abhishek love Gajar ka Halwa, we can literally have it any day. But, good carrots are not available all the year round. So what! Beetroots are 🙂 What started as a mere experiment, became our all time favorite. You won’t believe, my sweet jawed husband likes it even more than the gajar ka halwa now.
Baked Litti Chokha
Have you ever tried a dish with raw mustard oil and garlic? I never did before I got married. It was after i got married that I started my experiments with different cuisines, both to satisfy my taste buds and to impress my husband. He, being from the eastern side of the country, enjoys the local food much more than any exotic dish. Would you believe that even though we had known each other for 6 years before marriage and were quite comfortable with each other, he never demanded any special dish. I had to coax him to tell me what he wants to eat; something different, something special. And, he is such a simple person that he asked (very politely with least expectations; or may be he was doubtful of my culinary skills ;)) for the desi food he had back in his home town. And, so I began searching for recipes online, tweaked them to what he told me from his best food memories and came up with my own version of Litti Chokha. The low fat, baked littis with the rustic chokha.