Kut Vada
Kut (pronounced as ‘cut’) means spicy thin gravy. It is very popular in Maharashtrian cuisine. It can be served with many main dishes. Any spicy gravy dish has a top watery spicy layer which can be removed and served separately. One can top up their main gravy with this kut as per their comfort of spice level.[...]
Ombré Style Pancakes
Pancakes is kids’ favourite weekend breakfast. Even adults can’t keep their hands off. Initially, I used to add eggs. But, personally, I don’t enjoy if any cooked foods have the smell of eggs. I am very fussy about it.
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Once, I had my in-laws visiting us and my father in law used to enjoy pancakes. He had stopped eating eggs so I tried making pancakes without eggs. Since then, I have always made eggless pancakes. They are very soft, spongy and fluffy.
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Every pancake day, I try to make different type of pancakes. This time I decided to make eggless ombré style pancakes with some Indian flavours.[...]
Batata Vada
In this recipe, vada is made from potatoes and called as ‘Batata vada’. Batata means potato and vada is a deep fried patty. Batata Vada is a deep fried patty made from potato dipped in gram flour batter.
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Batata vada is a very popular snack. It is served hot with green chutney / garlic chutney powder / tamarind chutney / tomato ketchup and also with fried green chillies.[...]
Bihari Kebab
Indian cuisine has wide range of kebabs. To name a few are Galauti, Tangari, Shami , Reshmi kebabs, dahi ke kababs etc. Bihari kebabs are one of the popular types of kebabs. Bihar is a state in Eastern part of India. Its cuisine is similar to Northern India but has influence of Eastern Indian cuisine.[...]
Prawn Curry
This Prawn curry recipe is a typical Maharashtrian curry, especially in the coastal areas. What makes it distinct is the Garam Masala used in the recipe. Every household has a family recipe, but, certain ingredients such as mace, star anise, fennel seeds etc. are common.[...]
Chicken Xacuti
Chicken Xacuti (pronounced as Sha-Koo-Ti) is a typical Goan chicken curry cooked in coconut paste. It is very a easy to prepare and delicious dish. Coconut and all the spices together give a unique flavour to this dish. The same ingredients and method can be used to make Prawns Xacuti. Only the cooking time will vary.[...]
Christmas Dumplings
Dumplings is everyone’s favourite food. It is a perfect warm starter or a snack during winter. Actually, it can enjoyed in any season. In India, its known as momo and serve with red chilli sauce.
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My rose shaped dumplings is a perfect dish for a festive season. Its stuffing has ingredients which are typical ingredients of a Christmas meal such as truly mince, chestnuts, red cabbage etc.[...]
Egg Masala
Egg Masala is an absolute delight and a quick dish to prepare. In India, egg curry is prepared using the most common home-style curry recipes of that region. It is very easy to make when unexpected guests arrive as well as providing an acceptable protein curry for children.[...]
Chicken Korma
Chicken / Lamb Korma are one of the most popular dishes in Western countries. It is very easy to prepare and delicious. Not too spicy, but lots of flavour. If you have ever wanted to try Indian food, this is a good one to start with. Coconut and yoghurt give unique taste to this dish.[...]
Pumpkin Ghaargé (Puri)
Pumpkin Puris or Bhoplayche Ghaargé is a Maharashtrian snack. It can me made ahead of time. It is very popular travel food due to its long shelf life. It has jaggary and ghee, which are essential ingredients of winter food.[...]
Pumpkin Baba Ganoush (Laal Bhoplyache Bharit)
Bharit or Bharta is a condiment / meze which is generally made from mashed aubergine or pumpkin.
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Mash is made from boiled or smoked flesh of vegetable being used. Aubergine is generally smoked / grilled whereas pumpkin is boiled to make it soft. There are various methods to make bharit. They can be made by stir frying the mash with sautéed onions, tomatoes and spices or by adding yogurt and tempering with spices. This recipe is a yogurt based and uses tempering.[...]
Chiroté (Indian Baklava)
Diwali is a time for celebration, family time. It calls for a special food to celebrate this special occasion. What can be more special than a crispy flaked pastry soaked in saffron and cardamom flavoured sugar syrup and sprinkled with nuts such as pistachios.[...]
Mathri
Mathri /Mathari is a savoury, dry snack. It has a biscuit like texture. It originates from Rajasthan but other regional variations are also available. It has a long shelf life hence it is a very popular snack to carry while travelling.[...]
Paatal Poha Chivda
Rice is a staple diet in large part of India. Rice has a wide range of recipes right from the snack to the desserts. Recipes use rice in various forms such as flattened rice, puffed rice, rice flour, parboiled (dried) rice. Recipes range from quick snack to some traditional delicacies.[...]
Shankarpali
Shankarpali is strongly associated with Diwali. Just the name Shankarpali comes with all the paraphernalia, of Diwali snacks such as Chivda, Laddoo, Karanji, Chakali. Generally, Shankarpali is one of the first Diwali snacks that will be prepared ahead of time. As kids, we used to drop few pieces in the cup of hot milk and eat them with a spoon. As we grew up the drink changed from milk to masala tea. But, even today we all enjoy eating Shankarpali dipped in tea. But what is Shankarpali?
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Savoury Tapioca with Buttermilk
Tapioca preparations are some of the favourites among fasting food dishes. It is a very versatile product. Tapioca goes well in sweet as well as savoury dishes. To name a few are sweet tapioca pudding, sabudana khichadi, sabudana wada etc.
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This recipe is quick to make with pre-soaked tapioca. This is my mother's recipe and it's a family favourite.[...]
Pakoda Platter
Pakodas or bhajiya especially onion bhaji has gained international fame. Outside India, any meal in an Indian restaurant is incomplete without pakodas. It's a favourite dish of potluck gatherings.
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Pakodas can be served as a snack or even during the meal. Best served hot with masala chai or other condiments such as mint and coriander chutney or some may fancy tangy tamarind sauce[...]
Falooda (Wimbledon Themed)
Wimbledon has a very special place in my heart. Since my childhood / teenage years I have been fan of Wimbledon. There was no satellite T.V. in those days so it was telecast on National Television. Watching the Men’s and Women’s final used to be a family affair. Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Martina Navratilova were the heroes of that time. That love for Wimbledon has grown over the years. I thoroughly enjoy watching the games of some great champions as well as some new talents who are champions in making.[...]
Raw Mango Panna Sorbet
This week, I am sharing a very delicious and refreshing drink made from Raw mango. It's called Kairi (raw mango) panna or 'panhe' in my language. It's a sweet and sour drink, flavoured with cardamom and saffron. It is very easy to prepare. You can make the concentrate and store it in a refrigerator for a minimum of 10-15 days. Just take the required quantity of concentrate and mix with water and its ready to serve[...]
Masala Lemonade Granita
Lemonade is a very popular drink across the world and has loads of variations. This lemon juice with sugar and salt is a very refreshing energy drink for summer. Lemon is inexpensive and readily available and has huge health benefits so no wonder its the basis for an array of beverages.[...]
Lamb Bhuna
Bhuna is a curry with thick gravy. This is a very popular mutton preparation across India. It is typically called as Bhuna Gosht. Gosht means meat. In India, this dish is generally prepared using Goat meat. Bhuna means fried so Bhuna Gosht literally means curry made by frying meat and spices[...]
Peanut Salad Verrine
Peanut salad is a very popular starter in my family and among our family friends. It's the most demanded item whenever we have a party at our place. I am serving this as a verrine.
As per Wikipedia a verrine is a small, thick-walled glass container with no base, whose purpose is to hold a solid or liquid dish (starter, main course or dessert)[...]
Hawaiian Grilled Club Sandwich
This is a very old recipe that I learnt from a friend more than a decade ago. It is a very easy to make recipe and perfect for a Sunday breakfast or brunch. This recipe brings various tropical ingredients together with cheese to give a unique taste to this delicious sandwich[...]
Kairichi Dal
Kairichi dal is a very easy to make and tasty recipe. Kairichi means made from raw mango and soaked dal(lentil). We use Bengal gram dal for this recipe.
This can be eaten on its own. It is similar to hummus so can be served as a dip with crackers or toasted pita wedges. It makes a great dip for the Crudités platter.[...]
Kiwiburger (Lamb and Lentil versions)
As per Wikipedia, the Kiwiburger is a hamburger sold at McDonald’s. Bryan Old, who came up with the burger as a nostalgic take on the typical New Zealand hamburger prior to the introduction of McDonald's to the New Zealand market. It had some specialty items such as beetroot, griddle egg. It was discontinued as it was unprofitable but keeps on making appearance on special occasions like Rugby World Cup. The 1997 TV advertisement of the Kiwiburger had a well-known song listing the 46 famous Kiwiana items..[...]
Pan Seared Scallops with Mint and Coriander Chutney and Burnt Garlic
Scallops are always associated with fine dining hence people do have some reservations about cooking them at home. They are actually very easy to cook if cooked carefully. Scallops are very delicate with soft flesh and a mild sweetness.[...]
Shrikhand Puri With Mango Coulis
Shrikhand is a Maharashtrian as well as Gujarathi delicacy. Shrikhand is one of the very popular yogurt based summer desserts. As yogurt and sugar is a very popular combination it is a ritual of serving this mixture when a person is going for any important work such as exam, competition, interview etc[...]