Batasari

Saffron and Tarragon flavored Tortellini Soup: Weekend Herb blogging

2011-10-29T16:31:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time I posted a proper post. Been crazily busy, nevertheless, the things in the kitchen been interesting as ever although a bit efficient :-) All this cooking should improve something ;) We could feel Fall temperatures yesterday night and the time called for hearty soup. It was an impromptu recipe...actually started out making chicken tortellini soup, which I made before and

Pasta with favabeans

2011-08-06T14:51:00.002-05:00

Got some fava bean pods from local grocer. After searching for recipes briefly, settled on keeping it simple. Steps: Open 2 lbs of pods to get the beans, blanch them quickly in sales boiling water, shock them in cold water, peel outer layer, keep aside Cook 1 lb pasta per instructions on the package Meanwhile, heat 2Tbsp evoo, add about 15 - 20 cherry tomatoes and 5 cloves of garlic,

India Snapshot

2010-12-05T23:37:00.005-06:00

Pictures taken in India -AP Diwali lights decorated bull - helping owner to gain livelihood Fruit on-board slight rain made street almost deserted late afternoon traffic corner shoe repair shop street-side vendor - selling jackfruit jackfruit segments - yum! Sapota - sweet & juicy Sapota flesh Samosa - perfect snack with afternoon Chai

RCI - Andhra Festival Foods Round-up

2009-02-28T00:40:00.014-06:00

(after 7 month delay)First, apologies for all the bloggers who submitted their entries, waited patiently for couple of weeks, lost hope later. Thank you for your entries, patience and hope.Back to blogging....no, no, dusting off the blog first ;)Here is the delicious round-up on Andhra Festival Foods: I have sorted the entries by the festivals in the order they are celebrated in a year.Pongal/

Spectacular and nail-biting!

2008-07-07T11:19:00.005-05:00

Amazing...magnificent...I'm still very much drenched in happiness and awe at yesterday's Wimbledon men's final. It was long, better than any suspense-thriller. What a match! Every best tennis player known to history, from John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg to Boris Becker has quoted this match as "the best championship match ever seen". Both men fought hard for the golden cup, but at the end, the "King of

RCI: Andhra Festival Foods

2008-06-21T23:35:00.003-05:00

First and foremost, a big apology for starting this event so late. I have completely forgotten when June has started and its time for me to host until Asha has reminded me...Thanks Asha!RCI - Regional Cuisines of India is brainchild of Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine and this month's feature is Andhra Festival Foods, and I the lucky one got to host it :-)When I was a kid back home in India, I actually

Ugadi - New beginning

2008-04-07T14:15:00.001-05:00

Just few days back, I was debating whether upgrade some of the old pictures on this blog. From my very first picture/post, I've upgraded my camera, my photographic skills (not too much, but decent). Since I make some of the recipes here frequently, I can always take a new picture and replace the old one. As I was browsing through the blog, I became nostalgic and I felt like every picture spoke to

Eggs kobbari vepudu (eggs in coconut seasoning)

2008-03-10T07:56:00.000-05:00

Ingredients to make this dish: 6 boiled eggs (not very hard) 1 1/2 cups chopped onions 1 green chili, slit vertically 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1/2 - 1 teaspoon red chili powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 2 tablespoons freshly grated coconut meat 1 tablespoon coriander (cilantro), finely chopped For tadka/popu: 1 tablespoon cooking oil, 2 sprigs curry

Weekend in Houston

2008-03-09T14:52:00.016-05:00

Hidden in the middle of Houston's concrete jungle is this beautiful (green) jewel, maintained by Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. The Gardens are breathtaking. Simply beautiful, elegant and calming. We initially planned for an hour visit. Soon, we forgot hunger and wandered in the gardens for good 4 hours, yet thirsty for its beauty. Here are some pictures I've

Guthi Vankaaya (stuffed brinjal) in old-world way

2008-03-04T09:43:00.002-06:00

Many a time, a great meal need not to include extensive list of ingredients or a complicated procedure. This is the recipe that my great-grand-aunt has always made. Two words to describe it...simply superb. Her everyday meals were made with very few ingredients and in a relaxed manner. After a day's work with farming activities, no time toiling around the stove fueled by wood. The meals she

Eggneer Masala (Steamed egg cake masala)

2008-02-28T10:32:00.001-06:00

Eggs are extraordinary food. Nutritious, healthy, tasty and versatile. Can be eaten for breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner. This recipe, taught by my Amma uses steamed eggs. I call these steamed egg cubes eggneer (like Paneer) Once you have the eggs steamed, the options are endless. The steamed eggs can be -cut into cubes added to salads, -deep-fried, seasoned well with some salt and pepper or some

Weekend Herb Blogging Round-up: WHB # 115

2008-01-14T21:49:00.000-06:00

Wow...so many delicious dishes from all over the world...I'm so glad that I've requested Kalyn(the brain and a wonderful person behind Weekend Herb Blogging.) to be the host of WHB. I feel as if all these dishes were brought to my dining table, and I invite all of you to savour these lovely, delicious dishes sent by many cooks from all over the globe.... bon appétit!P.S: I've categorized all the

Aloo Paratha and Paneer Burji Dinner

2008-01-11T22:33:00.000-06:00

(Potato Stuffed Indian Flat-Bread with Crumbled Indian Cheese Curry) Today, I wanted to have a hearty dinner...something that not only fills my stomach but also feeds my senses and spirituality. Yes, spirituality. Making Parathas is, for me, like meditation. Making this exquisite thing out of flour, water, potatoes is simply amazing. Making the dough and filling, rolling out the bread, and

Cilantro crusted Salmon with Spinach-Cheese Ravioli

2008-01-07T23:38:00.000-06:00

This weeknight dinner is made under 30 minutes and is delicious, healthy. (Added bonus, the picture came out nice for a novice photographer like me :-) ) What we need to make this: 2 servings Salmon (I asked the fish monger to cut me two one-serving pieces) 4 teaspoons dry cilantro Salt and fresh ground pepper to coat the fish 2 tsp turmeric powder (optional) Extra-Virgin olive oil 1 package

Few pictures from my not-so-recent India trip

2008-01-07T21:40:00.000-06:00

Here the very few pictures I have taken during my India trip late last year. Finally after 3 long months... First and foremost, Andhra 'Junnu'. Junnu is cooked colostrum (a.k.a thick milk) from Water Buffalo. It tastes like custard. For many Andhrites, Junnu is the original custard and the one made with eggs and milk is the imitation custard, which is popular with mainly city-dwellers, for whom

Chapati (Indian layered flat bread)

2007-11-26T21:09:00.000-06:00

Recipe to follow...

Homemade Paneer (Indian Cottage cheese)

2007-11-25T22:20:00.000-06:00

Until I made Paneer at home, I had couple of horrible experiences with the store bought one, that morphed into rubbery pieces when cooked. After I learnt how to make it at home, there is no looking back. Making Paneer at home may sound industrious, but, it is not so. Try once and you will never buy one from the store. Also, you have the control over how much fat gets into it. What you need to

Persimmon and Pomegranate Yogurt

2007-11-25T20:59:00.000-06:00

Of late, I find myself making this yummy, healthy yogurt very frequently. The beauty of this is, it can be made within no time. I have always eaten yogurt and yogurt rice (curd rice) with pomegranate seeds. But, the addition of Persimmon really enhances the taste. This even got the taste approval from my 1 year old one. (For her, I've mashed the Pomegranate seeds, extracted the liquid and mixed

Stir-fried Shrimp with Sugar snap peas

2007-11-21T21:54:00.000-06:00

Shallots have this sweet delicate flavor that reminds me of the onions that we get back in India. Until very recently, I used to think, like many, that shallots are a variety of onions. But shallots grow in clusters like garlic versus single bulb like in onions. Shallots are very commonly used in South Asian cooking. Although these are little pricey compared to onions here in US, its worth

Dosakaya Koora (Yellow cucumber curry - Guntur style)

2007-11-20T20:47:00.000-06:00

This is one of those dishes that reminds me of Amma and my childhood memories. Memories of me and my siblings sitting on the veranda while Amma gives us rice mixed with curry and ghee, mixed to perfection. We would gulp down morsel after morsel, without realizing how full we are. After all, the food came from Amma's hand... What you need to make this koora: 1 large Dosakaya (Indian yellow

Kung Pao Tofu

2007-11-10T16:53:00.001-06:00

Cold winters call for warm meals. Few days back, I was craving something spicy, filling, healthy, all the good things one can ask in a meal. Oh, of course, it has to be easy and quick to make :-) Once you make this, you'll agree with me that it is not impossible to dish out something like that. After I tasted this, salty-greasy sauce laden kung-pao dishes in restaurants have failed to interest

Kung Pao Sauce

2007-11-10T16:00:00.000-06:00

Many weeks back, I watched Chef Ming Tsai stirring up this wonderful Kung Pao sauce. I got this immense urge to try the sauce immediately and made this Kung Pao Tofu. Ever since, I might have made different Kung Pao dishes many times. The sauce is "Simply" magical!What you need to make this tasty sauce:1 tablespoon canola oil1 inch ginger, minced well,2 tablespoons sambal oelek8 medium sized

Namaste from India

2007-09-16T08:46:00.000-05:00

I've come to India after two years for a visit. So far, enjoying my time here. Will post as time permits.Love,Vani

World's hottest Pepper

2007-08-01T16:12:00.001-05:00

This came in today's Houston Chronicle. Looks like India's "Bhut jolokia" (means ghost chilli, literally) is now the World's hottest pepper.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/5016882.htmlAccording to the article, "The smallest morsels can flavor a sauce so intensely it's barely edible. Eating a raw sliver causes watering eyes and a runny nose. An entire chile is an all-out assault on the

Cilantro and red chilies pickle - Kothimeera, pandu mirapa paCHAdi

2007-08-01T00:39:00.000-05:00

Chilies in many forms, from colorful fresh ones to dried ones to various kinds of chili powders have become an integral part of Indian cooking (though these guys are not native to the subcontinent.) Newbies to Indian grocery stores often are awed at dedicated aisle for pickles. A peek into any South Indian pantry would reveal jars of various pickles that look inviting. The aroma of well made