For the fork and the spoon!

The magic of Basmati!

2005-12-31T05:50:00.000-08:00

OR "Making Basmati - 101" :)

Many may have heard of the phrase, "Basmati - the queen of rice!" And all those who have had a perfect bowl of Basmati know what I'm talking about.

Basmati literally means, "Queen of fragrance" in hindi. And thats what is. Lovely long grained rice, with a beautiful fragrance and delectable flavour..... if cooked to perfection, it can be an awesome companion to any gravy, curry, soup and superb just by itself!

Today I share with you some well known and some *may be* not so well known tips and tricks to get your basmati the best!

Before Cooking

Basmati rice has a lot of starch stuck to the grains and so it needs to be cleaned thoroughly before cooking or you'll end up with sticky grains.
Try washing it 2-3 times with your hands rubbing the grains to get the starch off, till the water stops becoming milky/pearly and instead stays clear. And when you think you're done - wash it one more time!

Cooking Basmati

We all make rice in lots of ways. Four most common ways are -

In a pressure cooker.
In a rice cooker.
In a microwave.
In a deep covered pot.

Preparation tips =>

Add a teaspoon of ghee / butter / olive oil / vegetable oil while cooking to ensure that the grains don't stick.
If making rice for savouries (not sweets),

add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to the water and rice, that way the grains cook longer!
try adding a teaspoon of cumin seeds (raw) if making rice to accompany curries. Boiled/steamed cumin tastes yumm.
try adding inch long strips of ginger (raw) when making rice for Rajma/Chhole, if you're a ginger lover - the crunchy ginger will taste divine when cooked.

Always consider whether you're cooking just rice or adding vegetables as well, becuase that will increase the quantity of water and spices/garnish.

Some tips for each method of rice preparation =>

Pressure Cooker -

When measuring water for the rice, dip your finger till your finger tip just touches the rice and if the water just reaches over the first line on the finger (eg out of the three lines that we have on each finger! :P) - then thats enough.
Usually 2 whistles should be enough if rice has been pre-soaked the rice for an hour. Or 3-4 if not.

Rice Cooker/Microwave -

Usually equal quantities of rice and water are used. Please read the instructions from the manufacturer - incase the power of the instrument requires a different measurement.
Make sure to stir the rice half way through the cooking to ensure that the grains cook evenly.

Deep covered pot(The oldest way, and also one with many variations)-

Start with equal quantities of rice and water and you can add warm water as the cooking goes on if you think the rice have become too dry.
Stir occasionally to ensure rice dosen't stick to the sides. If it does and rice is still uncooked then that will indicate that more water is required.

For Savoury Rice Dishes -

Two choices -

Stir-fry/Add rice to the fried spices + vegetables after cooking rice separately.
Fry the spices + vegetables and then add them to the rice and water thats ready waiting to be cooked.

And both methods are just as good, the only deciding factor may be time (cooking together can be faster), and choice of taste (rice cooked seperately is less likely to turn sticky/over cook).

So the choice is upto you! =)

Try fried rice or yogurt rice. And hopefully I'll have more rice delicacies for you in the future!

Making Curries - 101

2005-12-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

The idea of this post is to share various techniques to get an Indian curry with the perfect consistency - Not too thin and *hopefully* not too Thick!

So lets get going right away.
I have seperated the ideas into two categories, the first ones are things we can do at the start of preparation while the rest can be done if the curry is almost ready and you realise that its too runny or watery and not how you'd like it to be.

At the Start of Preparation --

--> If you use canned tomatoes - Look for "crushed" tomatoes, as they make better gravy. *I always keep a can or two for emergency even though I buy tomatoes fresh!*
--> If making a curry with onions and tomato where these ingredients dont need to be seen in chunks - Chop both onions and tomatoes really really fine.
--> If making a curry where you'd like to see strings of onions floating around but also want a relatively thick gravy - Chop half of the onions in slices while the rest into really fine pieces.
--> If making Paneer curries (like Palak Paneer or Mattar Paneer or Butter Masala etc) - Use a food processor or grinder to turn the onions into a thick paste, this will provide a beautiful texture for the gravy!

For all the above ideas - when you start cooking them - follow the steps below:
1. Heat oil. Add the initial spices (usually asafoetida and cumin/mustard seeds). Let the seeds sputter a bit.
2. Add the onions (chopped or paste). Add the ginger/garlic paste (if needed). Cook till onions are slightly golden brown.
3. Add the flavor spices (usually Garam Masala, Chilli powder, Turmeric Powder, Rajmah Masala, Chhole Masala etc etc and Bay leaves or Curry Leaves etc - as needed). Cook the onions in these spices for a few minutes and let the flavour and aroma of the spices intensify.
4. Add the tomatoes (chopped or paste). Add half a cup of water and let this mixture cook till it starts bulbing and boiling and forms a reasonably thick paste.
5. Now you can add whatever vegetables/lentils/beans etc that you are cooking.

At the End of Preparation --

To fix thin/runny/watery gravy:
--> If your curry has lentils, beans or potatoes etc in it, you can -
* Use a wooden/steel potato masher - and press some of the ingredients against the bottom or the side of the vessel and mash them into a thick paste. Then stir and check if your gravy is thick enough. If not repeat till you get it the way you like.
OR
* Take almost a cup full of gravy with these beans and process in a food processor. Then pour them back into the vessel to get the thick consistency.

--> If you are a cheese lover - Add a few slices of cheese to your gravy and cook till it melts completely and thickens the gravy.

--> If you are a bread lover - Crush a few slices of bread with hands and add to the gravy and stir well and let it cook till the bread pieces are gone.

--> If your gravy is watery and you just want it thick but not change the taste at all - Add 2 table spoons of flour to the gravy and cook for about 5 minutes till the bubbles dissolve completely.

To fix a thick/chunky gravy:
--> If you are a cream lover - Add half a cup of cream into the gravy and let it simmer till it reaches the desired thickness.

--> If you just want to make it slightly thin - Add warm water to the gravy and let it boil till it reaches the desired thickness.

So as you can see.... its all in the preparation!
If you know exactly what you want - there are always more than one ways to get there......

:)

See you next time! ;)

Indian Cooking Basics

2005-12-15T21:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a mini series for all you food lovers - the idea being to share the obvious and the not so obvious cooking tips when preparing Indian meals.

Disclaimer - Being a north Indian, my tips may and will seem full of north Indian cooking ideas. Though I do feel that the steps/tips of this series are not exclusive to just north Indian cooking - they can But worry not as I'll share my south Indian tips that I have picked up here and there and sprinkle them every once in a while as well.

OK...so you're ready?

Lets Dig in!!!
:)

Curry Worry - How to get the perfect curry!

Cherry Apricot Parfait

2005-12-05T22:32:00.000-08:00

Friends coming over after dinner? Looking for a quick and easy dessert thats absolutely delish and oh! so easy to make?!

I have the perfect solution for you.... This recipe from a mate here is Oz looks yummy and tastes really great too!!

Cherry Apricot Parfait

Ingredients --
A bottle of prepared Custard
A tub of Cherry yogurt
A can of Apricot halves
Almond biscuits OR fresh cherries for topping

Method --
1. Halve the apricot pieces and set them aside.
2. Fill 1/3 of a glass with custard, then layer apricot pieces over it.
3. Fill the next 1/3 with cherry yogurt and then another layer or apricots.
4. Top up with custard and an optional final layer of apricots.
5. Dress it up with crushed biscuits or fresh cherries!

Chill it for like 15mins and Enjoy.

Easy...No?!!
:)

Lentil Burgers

2005-12-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

Who said that we vegetarians dont have much choice when it comes to burgers?! Hungry Jacks here is Oz have the best Vegie burgers, Subway have a great Veggie Subs and even Mackers had a cool Chickpea patty - veg burger in their Salads plus menu just a few months ago!

Here's my version of the vegetarian burger - that's made of black lentils which will have you licking you fingers! :)

Lentil Burgers

Ingredients --

2 cups Brown Lentils - cooked
1 large onion - finely chopped
2 small carrots - grated
1 garlic clove - minced
1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs (just process fresh bread in a mixie/food processor)
1 large potato - boiled and mashed (optional)

1 teaspoon Cumin powder
1 teaspoon Coriander powder
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce (optional)
Ground Black Pepper to taste
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
Salt to taste

Method --

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes till the onions turn golden brown. Add spices, cumin and coriander powder and cook for a minute. Remove from heat and let it cool.
2. In a large bowl, put the onion mix, grated carrots, lentils, potato and bread crumbs. Mix well.
3. Add the soy sauce, black pepper, chilli flakes and salt. Mince the lentils so that they will bind with the rest of the mixture.
4. Form flat patties and put aside.

Cooking options -
--> 1. Heat very little bitof oil in a flat pan and then cook the patty on each side - till its crispy.
--> 2. Preheat oven. And place patties on a baking sheet and cook for about 30mins. depending on the heating capacity of the oven. Make sure to flip midway to cook the other side.

ENJOY!

To make burgers -

Ingredients --
1 small ripe avocado - mashed into paste.
few slices of tomato
few slices of beetroot
shredded lettuce or salad leaves
Burger buns

Method --
1. Apply avocado paste to bun base.
2. Top with salad leaves, then beetroot and tomato slices. Add the patty and complete with the bun lid.

Variations --
* You can add cheese slices.
* You can apply mayo to the bun lid.
* Basically... do all sorts of stuff that you'd do to make it "YOUR" fav burger! :D

The king of Dals - Dal Makhaani

2005-11-21T18:06:00.000-08:00

Lentils (or what we call Dal) have a strange association with Indian food. For thousands of years.... they have been tried and experimented and the taste has evolved from simple boiled soups to beautifully textured curries...... And still - depending on the mood and the vegetables that you're cooking - Dal till this date can blend beautifully and can be either the highlight of the spread or the silent accomplice.

So the long promised Maharajah of Lentil curries is here today.
Dal Makhaani, literally means 'Lentils in Cream'. And people have all sorts of ways of making their Dal creamy..... some add bucket loads while the curry is cooking while some others prefer to garnish the Dal with a large dollop right at the end. I do whatever I feel like depending on the mood! :)

Dal Makhaani

Ingredients --

1 cup - Black Lentils
1/2 cup - Kidney beans
1/2 cup - Bengal Gram *Chana dal*
1/4 cup - Yellow Lentils or Toor Dal *Arhar dal*

1 inch finger of ginger chopped coarsely
1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
1 large tomato (or two small ones) finely chopped
1 large onion finely chopped
2 green/red chillies finely chopped

1 tablespoon Coriander powder *dhania powder*
1 tablespoon Garam Masala
1/2 tablespoon Rajmah Masala
1 tiny pinch of asafoetida *heeng*
2 teaspoons of turmeric powder *haldi*
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds *jeera*
4 table spoon of oil/ghee
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
Salt to taste

And ofcourse Cream!

Method --

1. Mix the Black lentils, Kidney beans, Bengal gram lentils and Yellow lentil and wash thoroughly. Then soak these lentils in water (enough to cover the lentils and an inch above the level of the lentils) - for atleast 4-5 hours. You can simply leave them overnight if you want them all ready for your Saturday lunch!
2. Wash the lentil mix after soaking is complete and pressure cook them with ginger, turmeric powder and salt. Let it cook for upto 4 whistles.

*Basically the more you soak - the less whistles you need and vice versa! I have cheated at times and soaked the lentils for barely two hours and then given them upto 8 whistles!! And all just to make sure that the lentils and the kidney beans are cooked really well.*

3. In a large pan, heat the oil. Add the asafoetida and cumin seeds and cook slightly till they sputter. Add the chopped chillies and cook for a minute.
4. Add the onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes till the onions turn golden brown. Add spices - i.e. turmeric powder, chilli flakes, Coriander powder, Garam masala and Rajmah Masala. Mix well and let the spices blend with each other and layer the onions.
5. Add the tomatoes and cook the mixure for upto 3 minutes or till the whole mix turns into a saucy paste. Can add half a cup of water while cooking if the mix is too dry.
6. Add the boiled Lentils, mix the whole mixture really well and cook in low flame for about 10 minutes.

All done!

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with a dollop of cream in top. For cream lovers you can add the cream to the cooking Dal in the last minute and let it blend into a milky looking Dal.

This can be enjoyed with warm rotis or Naan or steamed Basmati rice!
:D

Carrot+Coconut Barfi

2005-10-31T18:51:00.000-08:00

Its Diwali today and I bring to you an "extremely" easy sweet-dish that my didi 'elder sis' told me to make 2 years ago... on my first Diwali here in Oz without her (when she got married :( )

I was sad n homesick .... n didnt feel like doing anything at all. And she called and asked what I was making for Diwali and I mumbled, "Nothing!" as I thought of the juicy gulaab jamun's that she used to make every year for the last three years she was in Oz with me. And she scolded me disprovingly and said, "No! Get up and make something. You can't NOT do anything on Diwali. I'll tell you something very easy that you'll make in 10 mins."

So, dear blogmates, here is what she told me to do -

Gaajar aur Naariyal Barfi ( Carrot+Coconut Barfi)

*I have scoured the web, but cant find the pic. So here's me cheating n posting something similar, but shall post my own pics one day when I get my own digi camera!* :)

Ingredients --
5 medium length carrots - peeled and grated
1 small cup grated or dessicated coconut. *you can use dry ones from the super market as I do, but I'm told that fresh ones taste good too!*
1 teaspoon cardamom powder *or 4 crushed cardamoms*
2 tablespoons of pure Ghee
few strings of saffron
sugar to taste

Method --
1. In a pan, heat the ghee for a minute, then add the grated carrots and cook for about 4 minutes.
2. Toss frequently so the carrots dont burn. Add the coconut, cardamom and sugar and mix well. Cook for another 2 minutes or till the mixture becomes thick and the ingredients start sticking to each other.
3. Sprinkle the saffron strings and mix and then put aside.
4. Take a flat plate and spread some ghee all over it with fingers. Then spread the carrot mix on the plate. Can have as thick as you like (but remember that its its too thick it'll fall into pieces when you pick them!)
5. Cover and leave in a cool place to set for a few hours or overnight if possible.

Garnish with silver or dryfruits if you like them and cut into bite size pieces.
And the yummy barfi is ready!! :D

My best wishes for you and your families on this festive season!
God Bless!!

ITCC: Oct II

2005-10-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

The first half of October has literally rushed by.....And the first ITCC keyword has made many creamy waves. :)

Below is a short summary of what you thought - when you thought 'creamy'!
* Creamy Pastries * 2
* Creamy Dal Makhni * 2
* Creamy Mushroom Soup
* Creamy Mango lassi
* Creamy Soy nugget bake
* Creamy Paneer Butter Masala
* Creamy Coffee
* Creamy 'Dark temptations' (chocolate cake + chocolate syrup + icecream + cream)
* Creamy Kheer
* Creamy Vanila milk shake with cream :) * 2
* Creamy Pasta (Ariabiatta in white sauce)
* Creamy Cakes with thick creamy icing * 2
* Creamy Malai kofta
* Creamy Cream of tomato soup
* Creamy Vindaloo
* Creamy Lemon pudding

*slurrrrp!* Drooling?! Yeah I was after reading each entry!

THAT - is a lot of creamy in just over a fortnight! :D And the best part being that you all did come up with beautiful stuff that was ranging all the way from sweet to spicy and frozen to hot!! Excellent effort indeed!

And I thank each and every one of you who came and replied. Now as I endevour to find the recipes for as many creamy goodies as I can, I leave you today with the next edition.

ITCC: Oct Part II, the mystery keyword is 'saucy'.

And remember guys - the challenge is "to think outside the skillet"! :) *outside the box* and come up with something as unique as possible.

For new comers the rules of ITCC can be found here. And rush your entries people, for this mystery keyword expires on 1st Nov 2005.

Soybean Goulash

2005-10-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

This recipe is the Vegetarian version of Hungarian Beef Goulash. Because we are using soybean, you can rest assured that its very nutritious and tastes just beautiful!

Before we begin a note - This recipe being a Hungarian recipe tastes great with 'red Hungarian paparika'. But if you dont have that, then normal hot chilli powder will do.

Soybean Goulash

Ingredients --
1 large bowl full of soybean nuggets (about 20-25 pieces) soaked in hot water for 1/2hour.
1 packet elbow macaroni Pasta
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 can of tomato puree
1 medium tomato diced
Hungarian Paparika or Red chilli powder
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
Crushed Black pepper
Salt to taste

Method --
1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions in the packet. Drain and put aside.
2. In a wide pan, heat the oil, then add garlic and onions and cook till the onions are translucent.
3. Squeeze the soybean chunks to get rid of excess water and add to the pan and season with paparika, black pepper and the chilli flakes so they get fried with the rest.
4. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. (make sure not to add any water) And then add the tomato puree and continue to cook.
5. Mix the pasta with the soybean mixture and season with salt and pepper.

Done!! :)

Tips --
* The authentic recipe also includes potatoes, so you can add diced potatoes in the beginning.
* If the soy chunks become huge after soaking - cut them into halves or quaters for bite size pieces.
* Can add corn kernels for a brighter look!
* Can add peas if you'd like a sweeter taste.

Food from thought!

2005-10-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

While I was playing with the template of this blog, I was thinking about the visual stimulation that we get when we see food. Personally I find that the presentation of food is like 40% of whether I'll taste it and like it or not. And I'm sure same is the case with a lot of us.

So.... I thought of starting a little quiz event here! Its called "If thoughts could cook!" :D

And all we have to do is....

every fortnight, I'll post a mystery keyword which can be anything ranging from the appearence of food, to texture of food, to smells of food all the way to the ingredients.
All you readers have to think of the first 'vegetarian' dish that comes to your mind. Now that can be entree, main or dessert. And can be bland, sweet or hot!!

Its all upto your imagination.....
Just leave a comment that looks like this --> 'Keyword blah' = 'Dish blah blah'

And you never know.... the recipe of your imaginary dish might appear on this blog very soon!! :)

So...
Are you guys ready for the first ever ITCC: 'If thoughts could cook' event?

The mystery keyword for Oct Part 1 is 'creamy'.

Tell me your thoughts......

Coconut Chutney and Yogurt Dip

2005-10-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

Third part in the South Indian range after the Part I and Part II.

An excellent way to enjoy your Semolina Uttapam or any south Indian dish is the age old Coconut chutney. Its ready in an instant and is an instant hit too! :)

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients --
1 small bowl of grated/dessicated coconut
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 green chillies finely chopped
2 table spoons of yellow lentil (chana dal) dry roasted
1 tiny pinch of asafoetida *heeng*
2 teaspoons of mustard seeds *rai*
a few curry leaves
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
Salt to taste

Method --
1. Grind the coconut, ginger, chillies, yellow lentil into a fine paste. Can add water to fix the consistency. Set aside.
2. In a small pan, heat oil, add asafoetida and mustard seeds. Wait a minute till the seeds begin to splutter. Add the curry leaves and chilli flakes.
3. Fry briefly then pour this mix over the chutney paste made above. Add salt to taste.

Isn't that easy peasy! :D

And below is my yogurt version of the coconut chutney which I call the 'coconut dip' to avoid any confusion! :P

Coconut Dip

Ingredients --
1 small bowl of grated/dessicate coconut
1 large bowl of natural yogurt, whipped with a spoon.
2 teaspoons of mustard seeds *rai*
a few curry leaves
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
Salt to taste

Method --
1. Mix the yogurt and the coconut in a large bowl. Can add half a cup of water is the consistency is too thick. Set aside.
2. In a small pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds. Wait a minute till the seeds begin to splutter. Add the curry leaves and chilli flakes.
3. Fry briefly then pour this mix over the yogurt paste. Add salt to taste.

ENJOY!!!

South Indian - Part 2

2005-09-30T00:10:00.000-07:00

After the initial hurdle of "Sambhar" out of the way, the next filling delicacy on the line is Uttapam. And it can be made of rice or daal or semolina *rava or suji*. And personally rava Uttapam is my favourite as its the fastest one to make.

So without further ado.... here we go!

Rava Uttapam or Semolina Uttapam

Ingredients --
2 cups of Semolina
1 tomato finely chopped
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 green/red chillies finely chopped
1/2 green capsicum finely chopped
1 cup of natural yogurt
1 spoon of Eno *yes the bubbly thing for upset stomach!* :)
Chilli flakes
Salt to taste

Method --
*There are two ways to do this -
a] You mix all the above ingredients and geta thick paste and will be spread on a flat girdle *tava* and cooked.
b] You mix everything except the vegetables. Then spread the mixture on the flat girdle and sprinkle the vegetables on top and press them so they bury in the mixture.

Both work just as well!! Depending if what is easier for you to flip over.

1. Mix your ingredients chosing one of the options above. Add the yogurt to other slowly... ensuring that the paste does not get too runny and it may not stay together!
(Insure that if you are chosing Option B - to have a thicker paste as all your veggies on the top will make the thing heavy on one side.)
2. Heat a flat girdle and spread some oil.
3. Take a large spoonful and spread the mixture as around over the girdle. Sprinkle oil at the edges of the uttapam.
4. Can check the bottom by lifting slightly from the sides. When cooked medium brown, flip to the other side and let it cook.

READY!! You can enjoy this with Sambhar or Coconut Chutney or my Yogurt Coconut Dip coming up next!
:D

South Indian.....made easy! - Part 1

2005-09-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

Before I even begin - lemme tell you - I absolutely love South Indian food and the recipes below are my version of my favourite south Indian delicacies. The output will be a very very very similar *insome cases exactly same!* taste to the authentic original feast you remember eating last at your favourite Southie food joint.

And so.... all north Indians and non-Indians reading this, please note - This is the closest *I reckon* one can get without doing all the hours of hard work and get the best tasting Southie food.

And all South Indians - all your tips, tricks and suggestions are highly regarded. Make sure you comment here and tell me what can be improved.

CHEERS!
*phew* OK!!

Sambhar - South Indian Lentil & Vegetable curry

Believe me when I say this is easy - you boil - you cook and its ready!! All the steps just follow one another and its the fastest thing I can make if I have the veggies and the masalas.

Ingredients --

For boiling mix -
1 cup Yellow Lentil or Toor Dal *arhar dal*
2 medium onions chopped into long slices.
1/4 pumpkin peeled and cut roughly into 2cm cubes
2 tomatoes chopped
1 caroot peeled and sliced into wheels
1 cup frozen green beans (that are already cut into 1 inch pieces)
OR can use fresh if you have 'em.

For Tadka -
2 tablespoons of MTR Sambhar Masala <-- This is the super ingredient!! Thank God for MTR that they have taken all the hard work of creating the awesome sambhar masala from people like us and given us this excellent ingredient!

1 tiny pinch of asafoetida *heeng*
2 teaspoons of turmeric powder *haldi*
2 teaspoons of mustard seeds *rai*
a few curry leaves
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
Salt to taste

For the zing! -
Tamarind juice or Tamarind pulp.
If using tamarind pulp - soak one large table spoon in a small bowl of water and put aside. When everything else is done - return to this mixture and mash the pulp with fingers. Can get rid of the chunky tamarind pieces/seeds - if there are any.

Method --

Boiling Mix -
1. Wash the toor dal thouroughly in a large bowl and put aside.
2. Take a large pressure cooker. And add the toor dal and all the vegetables.
3. Add water for boiling - enough that ingredients are totally covered and bit more.
4. Add salt and turmeric powder. And let is cook till 3-4 whistles *or till most of the vegetables become totally cooked to the point of falling apart.
5. Put aside.

Tadka -
1. In a large pan, heat oil, add asafoetida and mustard seeds. Wait a minute till the seeds begin to splutter.
2. Add the curry leaves, turmeric powder, chilli flakes and MTR Sambhar Masala.
3. Add the boiled lentil and vegetable mix to the pan. If the mixture is too thick, add half a cup of water in the cooker and swirl to get the remaining veg/lentils and then add that to the pan as well.
4. Let the whole thing boil for 8-10 mins.
5. Add the tamarind pulp to the boiling mix. Add salt to taste. And cook for another 5 mins.

All done!! Enjoy with steamed rice OR Idlis (if you have 'em!) :)

TIP:
* You can add more MTR sambhar masala after adding the tamarind pulp if you think its not tasting *that* taste yet - just cook for another 3-4 mins.
* You can add other vegetables if you like. These ones above I reckon boil and cook really easily and really well with the sambhar and they taste great too. But you can add okra *ladies finger*, eggplant *brinjal* and others if you into all those veggies.

Coming next is - easy Uttapam!! :)
Happy Eatin'

Chinese - for beginners.

2005-08-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

Veg. Noodles, Fried Rice with Veg. Manchurian and chilli vinegar.

Chinese food is all about preparation. If you have all veggies chopped up. Noodles boiled and rice steamed - then Chinese is the fastest way to chase your hunger away!

So without further ado - Lets dig in!

Veg. Fried Rice

Ingredients --
2 bowls of boiled Rice, preferably Basmati as that tastes n smells nice! Left overs will be fine!
1 medium sized onion diced into 1cm squares.
1 carrot carrot diced into 1cm squares.
1/2 capsicum diced into 1cm squares
handful of french beans finely chopped
1 small bowl peas (boiled) *optional - only if u r a pea-a-holic*
1 chopped chilli
2-3 table spoons of oil
2-3 table spoons of dark soy sauce
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
Black pepper (Cracked/powder)
Salt to taste

Method --
1. Add oil in a hot pan.
2. Add onions and cook for a minute.
3. Add the capsicum, carrot, beans and peas. Let the vegetables cook for about 4 minutes. Keep tossing so they mix well.
4. Add the boiled rice to the pan. Pour the soy sauce, add black pepper and salt to taste. Now mix the rice and the veggies. (if you mix the rice - then season - then mix again - you'll break the rice too much!)
5. Cook for a minute.

Done!!

TIP:
* Sprinkle white vinegar before serving.
* Sprinkle long bean sprouts over the rice before serving.
* Can add more veggies like snow peas, beans, cabbage and brocolli.

Basic Veg. Fried Noodles

Ingredients --
2 bowls of plain boiled Noodles
1 large sized onion chopped into long strings
1 carrot chopped julianne
1 capsicum chopped julianne
1/4 cabbage chopped julianne
handful of french beans chopped diagnally *optional*
2-3 table spoons of oil
2-3 table spoons of dark soy sauce
Black pepper (Cracked/powder)
Salt to taste

Method --
1. Add oil in a hot pan.
2. Add onions and cook for a minute.
3. Add the capsicum, carrot, beans and cabbage. Let the vegetables cook. Keep tossing.
4. Add the boiled noodles to the pan. Pour the soy sauce, add black pepper and salt to taste. Now mix the noodles and the veggies.
5. Cook for a minute.

Same TIPS as for the fried rice above.
*Shall put up recipes for Hookien Noodles with Thai curry in future posts.*

Veg. Manchurian

Ingredients --
Gravy -
1 large sized onion chopped
1/2 cup spring onions chopped
1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger finely chopped
2 tablespoons corn flour dissolved in 1 small bowl of water
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste

Manchurian Balls -
1 carrot boiled n chopped into small pieces
handful of french beans boiled n chopped into small pieces
1/4 cabbage chopped finely
1/2 cup corn flour
2-3 table spoons of dark soy sauce
Black pepper (Cracked/powder)
Salt to taste

Method --
Gravy -
1. Add oil in a hot pan.
2. Add onions and cook till the onionc turn slightly golden.
3. Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for a minute. Add soy sauce to the mix, then add 2 cups water and let the whole mix come to a boil.
4. Add the corn flour and water paste to the boiling mix in the pan and cook till the gravy thickens.
5. Add black pepper, sugar and salt to taste. Garnish with spring onions n put aside.

Manchurian Balls -
1. Mix the chopped carrots, cabbage and beans in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add corn flour, soy sauce, black pepper and salt. Now add water 1/4 cup at a time till you get a thick mix that can be easily rolled into balls.
3. Fry the balls in hot oil.
4. Once all balls are ready, mix them with the gravy and enjoy with noodles and rice!!

TIP:
* Can also dip cauliflower florets in the paste made with just Step 2 of manchurian balls above and fry the cauliflower florets to make 'Cauliflower Manchurian'.

Finally!!!
The simple and tasty garnish for all Chinese dishes - Chilli Vinegar.

Ingredients --
Handful of fresh green/red chillies
1/2 bowl of white vinegar

Method --
Before you start cooking all your Chinese dishes - just chop the chillies into little rings and put them in white vinegar and leave to the side.

Garnish the mix over your rice/noodles and see the *zing* it adds to your Chinese!! :D

*PHEW* - Longest recipe post me thinks.....

Paneer Butter Masala

2005-08-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

Paneer - which is the Indian word for Cottage cheese or Fresh Ricotta Cheese.

This is one easy dish that tastes awesome and looks absolutely delicious. Be it a party at home or just a big lunch/dinner you want to make to pamper yourself on the weekend....Paneer - is the best!

I should tell you in advance that I use a masala that I import from India from my mum's kitchen to make all Paneer and Pulao things. We (mummy, didi and I) call it the "Maharaj Masala"!
And unfortunately I don't know the exact ingredients for it and I keep forgetting to ask Mom everytime I call her - thats why it's been days since I'm finally posting the recipe...without that masala.
But I promise to post the Maharaj Masala ingredients as soon as I get them . In the mean time - we can use the Kitchen King Masala assisted with a bit if Kasoori Methi as Google tells me that they taste just as good.

Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients --
(for 4 people)
1/2kg Paneer or Fresh Ricotta Cheese or Fried Paneer cubes (for those in North America)
1 200-300ml tub of Thickened cream (can use full cream milk too, but will need to boil the mixture much longer!)
10-12 Cashewnuts
2 large onions
2 large tomatoes
4 tablespoons ginger and garlic paste
2 teaspoons of turmeric powder *haldi*
5 crushed cloves *laung*
5 crushed cardamom *elaichi*
Kitchen King masala + Kasoori Methi powder OR "Maharaj Masala" (That I shall post soon)
Chilli flakes (upto you how hot u'd like)
Salt to taste

Method --

Preparation -
1. Soak the cashwes with water in a small bowl and put aside.
2. Paneer Prep - For those using fresh Paneer/Ricotta - cut it into small cubes and fry them in oil will the pieces are slightly golden. Remove paneer from oil and put aside.
3. Onion Mix - In a vegetable chopper/mixie put the two peeled onions cut into large pieces. Add the ginger-garlic paste, add the cloves and cardamom. Make a fine paste and put aside.
4. Tomato puree - My mom told me to boil the tomatoes and then remove the skin and puree them. And well...I am too lazy to do that - so my cheat trick => Simply cut the tomatoes into large pieces and puree them in the chopper/mixie and put aside.
5. Cashew Paste - Puree the cashews with the water they were soaked in the chopper/mixie (Can add more water if the mix is too dry!). Make rough paste and put side.

Cook -
1. With the remaining oil in the pan after frying the paneer (if you did fry it!) add the onion mix and fry till golden brown.
2. Add the Kitchen king masala, Kasoori methi, turmeric powder and chilli flakes - fry the mix a few more minutes.
3. Add the tomatoo puree to the frying onion mix and continue to cook for another 10 mins. Stir randomly so the mix dosent settle to the bottom.
4. Add cashew paste and cream to the frying onion/tomato paste and continue to cook for another 5-10 mins. Add salt to taste.
5. Add the fried paneer cubes and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve hot with Parathas or Naan or just steamed rice! :D

*Yummm!!*

Kheer - the simplest and the best!

2005-07-27T01:37:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves Rice Pudding or what we call "Kheer" in India. And the best thing is that it takes delicious when warm in cold winter nights and absolutely yummy in hot summer evenings!!

My absolute fav-delish!! So I reckon it is the best one to start the string of sweet dishes on this kit*chen* blog. Lets dig in.....

Rice Pudding Or Kheer

Ingredients --
4 cups Full cream milk *can use Half n Half in North America!*
3/4 cup Basmati rice
10 Almonds (plain, unsalted)
10 Cashew nuts (plain, unsalted)
10 Pistachios (plain, unsalted)
few strings of Saffron *Kesar*
Sugar to taste

Method --
1. Boil the milk in a large saucepan.
2. Add sugar and stir. Let the milk continuously simmer.
3. Add washed rice. Let the rice cook in the milk.
4. Crush the almonds, cashews and pistachios in a morter and pestle to get uneven powdery mix. Can leave a few bigger pieces. Add these crushed dry fruits to the simmering milk.
5. Drop the saffron strings in the milk and let it simmer for 20 mins (or till the mixture becomes thick and creamy!)

TIP:
* Can add sultanas if you like 'em!
* Can add Everest Kesari Milk Masala to the milk while boiling to get a great taste! But I mostly make my kheer just with the simple ingredients above and it tastes wonderful!!

Serve hot or chilled with a garnish of saffron! :D

Chivda Poha

2005-07-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

It was hard to find a picture of Poha on google. That is why I have been planning to post this recipe for a week now and haven't been able to. I'm surprised that a picture of a dish as easy and tasty as this isn't there on the net at all!!
This pic I found below has cashews in it which I never use but if you love cashews then you are more than welcome to try them in it - I usually use peanuts.

So without further ado -here we go.

Chivda Poha -- Poha with flattened rice

Ingredients --
2 cups of chivda/poha (flattened rice)
1 medium sized potato diced into small cubes
1 medium sized onion chopped
1/2 capsicum finely chopped
1 chopped chilli
2-3 table spoons of oil
2 teaspoons of turmeric powder *haldi*
1 teaspoon of mustard seeds *rai*
5 crushed cloves *laung* (optional, but they add a great smell to it!)
a few curry leaves
handful of peanuts (optional)
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
4 tablespoons of Lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt to taste

Topping TIP -- a packet of Haldiram's plain Bhujiya (optional, but its too good with poha!)

Method --

Preparation -
1. Wash the chivda with water and drain completely. Add some water (+ milk if you like!) and leave the mixture aside to soak.
2. Mix lemon juice and sugar in a small bowl and mix so that the sugar may dissolve.

Cook -
1. Add oil in a hot pan.
2. Fry the peanuts in oil and put aside.
3. Fry the potato cubes in oil and put aside.
4. Add mustard seeds to the heated oil and leave for a minute till they begin to splutter.
3. Add the chopped chilli, turmeric powder, curry leaves, crushed cloves and chilli flakes.
4. Add onions and cook till they are golden.
5. Add capsicum and fried potatoes.
6. Seperate the soaked chivda with a spoon or by hand and then add to the frying pan with other ingredients.
7. Add salt and juice mix.
8. Enjoy with Bhujiya topping!! :)

Garlic and Mushroom cream Pasta

2005-07-06T00:42:00.000-07:00

After a somewhat long break, I'm back to tingle your tastebuds with another one of my all time favourite recipes. Actually to be very honest, I am not much of mushroom person myself. But because of 'him' I have started eating them...because he is crazy about mushrooms. *I can see my future!! ;)*
Till today I can only have small button varieties in my pasta or pizza..no more!

But 'he' absolutely loves this one whenever I make it...so here we go.

Garlic and Mushroom cream Pasta

Ingredients --

1 packet Penne Pasta
1 200-300ml tub of Thickened cream (can use lite one too!)
2-3 cloves of garlic cut in small pieces
A handful (or as much as you like) white button mushrooms halved/thinly sliced
a few table spoons of olive oil(preferable)/cooking oil
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
Crushed Black pepper
Salt to taste
a few Basil leaves for dressing

Method --
1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions in the packet. Drain and put aside.
2. In a wide pan, heat the oil, then add garlic and mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pepper and the chilli flakes so they get fried a bit with the garlic n mushroom.
3. Add the cream and bring the mixture to a steady simmer. Do not overcook because the cream may start getting watery.
4. Add the boiled pasta and season it with salt *and pepper if you need more* and mix well.
5. Pour in a bowl and dress it with parmesan cheese and basil leaves.

Its that easy and truly ummylicious!
This is so quick to make that you wont believe!!

No not an icecream recipe!

2005-07-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

You Are Coffee Ice Cream

Energetic and lively, you are always on the go.
You're doing a million things at once and doing them well.
You tend to motivate others and raise spirits.
You are most compatible with chocolate ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?

Foody Categories!

2005-07-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

Looking for more?
Then satisfy your appetite....

Chinese -

Fried Rice + Noodles + Manchurian

Hungarian -

Soybean Goulash

Indian -

Entree -

Chapatti/Parathas -

Spinach Paratha

Main curries -

Desserts -

South Indian -

Italian -

Continental -

Lentil Burgers

And lots more is coming soon.
ENJOY!!

Kad-hi -- for the lazy and the not so lazy!

2005-06-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Kad-hi!
One of those curries that I loved so much, that I was scared to try my hand at making, because I thought I'd hate myself if I spoiled it or make it horribly wrong!!

But after seeing a distant family friend here in Melbourne make it infront of me - I thought, I should try this, this is easy! And there are 3 kinds that you can make, the 2 very easy ones - and the 3rd just as easy one...but they all just taste so beautiful that you have to try them all atleast once!! :D

Kad-hi

Ingredients --

For 'pakora-kadhi'
Please check out the Pakoras post for the recipe in detail.
Add finely chopped onions to the plain batter and prepare the pakoras.

For 'aloo-kadhi'
3-4 boiled potatoes cut into 1.5cm wide cubes.

For 'paapad-kadhi'
5-6 pappadums folded into quarters
*I use peppered Lijjat papad from the Indian store*
You can use them raw or heat them on flame and fold into quarters.

For the kadhi gravy --
1 large cup Yogurt
1/4 cup Besan (Gram flour)
2 teaspoons of turmeric powder *haldi*
1 teaspoon of mustard seeds *rai*
1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds *saunf* (optional!)
1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida powder *heeng*
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
a few curry leaves
few tablespoons of oil
Salt to taste

Method --
1. Mix the yogurt and gram flour in a large bowl. Add salt, turmeric powder and some chilli flakes. Beat it well to make sure there aren't any lumps. Can add upto 1/2 cup water to keep it fairly liquidy! *whatever that it! :D*
2. Heat oil in a large pan and add asafoetida powder, mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric powder and chilli flakes and heat till it splutters.
3. Only for 'aloo-kadhi' - add the boiled potato cubes and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the yogurt mix to the pan and heat for 10-15 minutes.
5. For 'pakora-kadhi' add the pakoras and for 'paapad-kadhi' add the paapad, to the boiling yogurt mix and cook for another 5 minutes.

Eat with hot steamed rice!!!

*Still here?? Arrey go, make urself some!!*

Pakoras - the building blocks for 'kad-hi'!

2005-05-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hey people!
Thanks so much to all of you who have tried the parathas with chutney, yogurt rice and pasta. I loved your feedback!
Its great to know that this is working - for someone out there!!!
I'll try and post simple stuff with as much variety as possible so you all can try and enjoy these recipes! And I am still taking suggestions and better ways to make these dishes so lets have those comments pouring in.

I love kad-hi (you are thinking why I have a - in between, I just think that helps pronounce the name better, don't you think?!) :) And I love kad-hi with pakoras in it so I thought before I can post the very easy kad-hi recipe, I should post - yes, you guessed it - PAKORAS!
And I'm sure anyone and everyone who has had Indian food has definately had some kind of pakora for sure. There is an amazing range of stuff you can make - if - you just get the batter right!

So without much ado -

Pakoras

Ingredients (for batter)---
1 cup Besan (Gram Flour)
1 chopped green chilli
2 teaspoons of turmeric powder *haldi*
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds *jeera*
2 tablespoons of ginger/garlic paste
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
Salt to taste

TIP: Add 2 tablespoons of Pakora Masala - I use Mangal's (i think) and it makes my pakoras just awesome!

Method ---
1. Put all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
2. Add water, small serve at a time and mix the contents. Keep adding water till the mixture is fairly thick and fluffy....*tip* thick enough to easily coat the spoon. (Don't add too much water or the oil is going to spatter a lot!)

Done!

Now you can use -
Onion rings for Onion pakora
Potato slices for Aloo pakora
Eggplant slices for Baigan pakora
Cheese fingers for Paneer pakora
Pumpkin slices for Pumpkin pakora
Capsicum rings for Capsicum pakoras
Cauliflower florets for Gobhi pakoras
Can even add chopped spinach or cabbage to the batter - Go crazy with your imagination!!

Just dip the vegetables in the batter and deep fry them in hot oil till they are golden brown- they taste awesome with chutney.

I want to hear "your" version of pakoras - till next time......... with kad-hi!

Pasta - for beginners!

2005-05-08T23:11:00.000-07:00

Right....
Now I'm sure even before my saying it, you all very well know that there are about a million and one ways of making pasta. So, I'll let you in, on all the kinds that I know how - one by one.

This post - we'll start at the basics to bring those completely inexperienced folks upto speed with making a simple pasta.

Vegetable Pasta in Tomato sauce

Ingredients --

1 packet Penne Pasta
1 jar of Tomato Pasta sauce
-- OR you may just use Tomato puree
-- OR just finely chopped tomatoes - we'll work on it!
1 onion cut in small pieces
1/2 green capsicum cut in small pieces
a few white button mushrooms halved/thinly sliced
a few table spoons of olive oil(preferable)/cooking oil
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
Powdered Black pepper
Salt to taste
a few Basil leaves for dressing

Method --
1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions in the packet. Drain and put aside.
2. In a wide pan, heat the oil, then add onions to it. Cook till the onions are golden brown.
3. Add capsicum and mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the Pasta sauce and bring the mixture to a steady simmer.

-- Here the ones using the tomato puree or chopped tomato with add that - then cook till the tomatoes turn to paste (Can add a bit of hot water) Also add a very small teaspoon garlic paste *if you like*. If the contents don't seem saucy enough - add some tomato ketchup!! *if you want to cheat! :P*
And bring the whole mixture to a steady simmer.

5. Add the boiled pasta and season with black pepper powder, chilli flakes *yes! I know I love my chilli flakes!!* and salt.
6. Pour in a bowl and dress it with parmesan cheese and basil leaves.

ENJOY!!

Please Note
- If you don't have/use parmesan cheese then feel free to use mozarella or whatever you have at home - just add that to pasta right before the salt n pepper etc. when it is in the pan and let it cook and blend in.
- The tomato pasta sauce is not essential - which means it should not stop you from trying this recipe. I make my pasta 99% of the time using puree or chopped tomatoes and get the best tasting pasta ever!!

So go...... make urself some.

Curd Rice - well not really!

2005-05-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

This recipe is..... I don't know where this one came from. The origins are a bit unclear, coz one day I went into the kitchen, saw some left over boiled rice and yogurt in the fridge and I came out of the kitchen with this! - but I'm sure there are many versions of this recipe known to many of you. So any suggestions or tips will be most welcome!!

I call them "Dahi ke chawal" = Curd Rice or Yogurt Rice.
And I know that there is a different south-indian rice dish called 'Curd Rice' as well, that one has tamarind juice/lemon juice in it. So, if thats the one that you know, then this isn't the same.
May be I'll call it Yogurt Rice to keep the two different. This is a much much simpler version I think and oh so easy to make!

OK.
Dahi ke Chawal OR Yogurt Rice

My favourite snack/meal in a rush!

Ingredients --
3 bowls of boiled Rice, preferably Basmati as that tastes n smells nice! And yes, left overs will do!
1 cup yogurt, beaten to a smooth paste with a spoon. Can add 1/4 cup water to the yogurt if its very thick.
1 chopped chilli
2-3 table spoons of oil
2 teaspoons of turmeric powder *haldi*
1 teaspoon of mustard seeds *rai*
a few curry leaves
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
Salt to taste

Method --
1. Add oil in a hot pan.
2. Add mustard seeds and leave for a minute till they begin to splutter.
3. Add the chopped chilli, turmeric powder, curry leaves and chilli flakes.
4. Add the boiled rice to the pan and mix well.
5. Add the beaten yogurt to the rice in the pan and salt to taste. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
6. ENJOY - with or without pickles!!

Spinach Paratha and Coriander Chutney

2005-05-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

Ok.... finally! *you say!* ;)

Right, after quite a few weeks of disappearence from the scene since the launch of my "Kit*chen*blog" I'm here to share my first recipe with you today. By way of explanation for the delay, I wanted to post real pics of the food and what it looks like when I make it. This is because for me Good Food = 30% Taste + 30% Smell + 30% the Look and 10% the chef!! ;)

And so I really wanted to publish my pics too. But then I misplaced the CD to load the mobile manager software and later cable to connect my mobile to the laptop.. ! :( *I'm soo careless!!*

Anyways.... cutting the long story short, I have decided to post the recipes with pics from google. I'll do my best to give you as tempting a pic as possible but please bear with me till I find a way to post my own pics.

-----------------------------------------
Please note, that having tried the recipes soo many times, I have stopped measuring any thing, I just pop it in using my 'intuition'. That could also mean that some measurements may not be entirely accurate.
So, those who are regulars visiters to their kitchen *and actually cook* please use your discretion too, and others - God knows!! :D

-----------------------------------------

Right...

Spinach Paratha or Palak Paratha.

(No - Gals n guys who don't like green veggies - don't make faces. You can take it from me *who hated anything green - yeah I wonder how I survived being a veggie n hating greens!* that this paratha is addictive, so easy to make too that you'll make it any chance you get.

Ingredients--
100 -150 gms of frozen chopped spinach (thats like half the box)
OR Fresh spinach (but thats just too hard for me, to pick the leaves, then wash a zillion times, then chop etc..)
2 cups of Wheat Flour
1 finely chopped green chilli (optional)
1 finely chopped onion (optional)
2 teaspoons of turmeric powder *haldi*
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds *jeera*
1 spoon of Ginger + Garlic paste (aah! What would I do with out my ginger n garlic paste? I have a huge jar full of it and it runs out in no time)
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
Salt to taste

Method --
1. Put the box of frozen spinach in the microwave for a minute or till it thaws so the ice has nearly melted.
2. In a big bowl add flour, green chilli, chopped onion, turmeric powder, cumin seeds, ginger+garlic paste, chilli flakes and salt.
3. Add the thawed spinach to the bowl of dry ingredients. And water to the whole mixture and make the dough. Let it sit for an hour *if you can wait*
4. Make small balls and roll into parathas and cook on a hot tava with oil or butter.
5. Serve hot with pickles, yogurt and/or coriander chutney.

Coriander Chutney or Dhaniya Chutney

This is quick if you have it all ready to go.

Ingredients --
A bunch of fresh corinader leaves
1 spoon of dried mint flakes OR a few mint leaves
2 to 3 green chillies
Chilli flakes (optional or how hot u'd like)
Salt to taste

Method --
1. Add all the ingredients in a chopper/blender/food processor. Add some water if the mix is too dry, to get a thick chutney like consistency. Pour the paste in a bowl.
2. Heat 3-4 spoons of oil in a little pan and add this to the bowl of chutney. *I didn't know this trick, learnt from a friend here - this makes the chutney more... saucy!*
3. Enjoy with hot parathas, rotis or anything Indian.

I hope you guys get a chance to try this dish. Let me know how you go.
Take care!

Mise en Place

2005-04-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

From a Cooking website - What makes the cooking process on those cooking shows and restaurant kitchens seem so effortless? Successful cooks and chefs all over the world apply a concept known as Mise en Place (MEEZ-ahn-plahs). The French definition means “everything in its place,” and it is a culinary term that refers to preparing and pre-measuring ingredients ahead of time. However, Mise en Place is more than just a term; it is a concept or a state-of-mind that when applied to any kitchen, will result in a smooth-flowing, time saving cooking process.

And that is what I 'try' to do most of the time. So before we even dig our hands in batter and smother our aprons in curry lets just go through the stuff that I reckon is my best mate in the kitchen, things that I simply couldn't do without!

A good hand blender + chopper. My Braun works wonders for me, if you have a food processor that would be excellent, but for many students/teens a simple chopper will do.
A salad spinner + dryer. You must have seen lovely leafy greens turn wet and soggy just when you want to use them. This spinner allows you to wash the salad in it and then drain the water and spin it dry!
A proper 'tava' or a non-stick round griddle. You cannot expect to get the best of parathas, dosas or uttapams if you don't find yourself a nice 'tava' to cook them on.
Ummm.. thats all I can think of right now, I'm sure there will be more added to this list as we go.

Ofcourse I don't expect you to go and buy any of the above mentioned items right now.... but just keep in mind that they sure come in handy!

~~~~~~~~~~

I have found the CD of my mobile software but jave misplaced the USB cord! I am soo careless. And I want to post pictures with the food recipes....

I would love to get hands on recipes too girls and guys! Please feel free to share them - you can mail me on
nupur.forblogs@gmail.com

Yes... after months of 'No Thanks!' I have finally accepetd a gmail invitation this morning. Lets see what the whole huff-n-puff was about.

Rukaawat ke liye...

2005-04-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

Apologies people for the loooooooooooong delay.
Almost lost my way while going to the kitchen, but worry you not, coz my silly recipes don't want to stay in their box for too long.

Will be here any day now!
*don't want to be responsible for anybuddy's .......* ;)

Hang on...

2005-04-04T22:58:00.000-07:00

Hello!
You here to see what's cooking?
Wait up... I'll quickly go grap my apron and my chopping board and then let's rock n roll!!

:D

PLZ NOTE: This site is for VEGETARIANS only!
Why? Coz, thats what I am and thats what I can cook.

Still here.... ok.
Be right back.