Sandhya's Kitchen

Sandhya’s Kitchen presents E-Curry | Almond Rosemary and Pepper Crackers

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:15:00 +0000

I know.. I know.. It has been more than a month.. I have been absconding from the blogosphere , Facebook and in fact every other social network… You just wont believe , I hardly checked on my lil pea online.. if ever she is doing fine … But I m glad she is fine and all up and running…

I have had a relapse of flu and then cold n cough since the beginning of this year.. Practically tired and hoping every other day passes getting better.. Alas… I m here writing this post… so this surely reassures I m slightly better… Not 100% well to be precise… I just wish , that day comes past me , I can vouch .. well I am as fit as a fiddle… and lets go shopping …

We had a wonderful blogger meet sometime earlier last month… with 2 wonderful bloggers , Nayna & Jagruti and we yapped yapped and yapped…. shared experiences about travelling to India , spoke about our culture…, about our fussy food eaters at home and how smart could we get in tackling them… All over the sharing Mexican platters… I cherish all the lovely time we had together…

Sandhya’s Kitchen ( that’s v much ME) has been a secret admirer of one Indian online journal ever since I got to blogosphere… Even before I knew the difference of a personal blog to a website.. I have been hopping n admiring n drooling ( off course !!!) Soo much down to earth .. and every recipe on her space has a memory linked to it….. Simplicity in her posts make me want to do them right away any time…. Bingo !! I m talking about E-Curry and the pretty writer –Soma behind the scene..

Her presentation with food , art of bringing together the props soo beautifully.. I love it.. Specially the dark background pictures… Trust me .. it comes with practice…… I struggle with shooting them.. And Soma always shoots them soo well…

Soma … please do post luchi and aloo sabji that people get for breakfast in Kolkata.. I have had them in Gupta’s and roadside.. never got that authentic flavour anywhere after that.. I m not convinced with any blog post yet ... Hope you are reading Soma…

I love her space.. So keep hoping over there…and show her how much you love tooo ..

This post was meant to be live here a couple of days back… Just that my health had been in a horrid state that I haven't been able to do much.. Can u believe I haven't picked the Camera for more than a month ??? Thank you for being soo patient and understanding me through this… Soma…

And finally…. lets read in Soma’s very own style…

Back in India, the late afternoon or evening tea break is like a ceremony (no, not the Japanese kind). I think it is just another fine excuse to be with friends and family or maybe even to overcome the hint of lazy after the big late lunch and the nap. Whatever the reason may be, the evening time for tea is an important part of the day for many, with a spread of food befitting a dinner.

Having both my parents in profession, we never enjoyed this luxury during the weekdays. The schedule would be more or less the same as we have now; the evenings filled with homework for me, cooking hot dinner and preparing for the next day for my ma, while my dad came back quite late. However the weekends were different. We would either have guests, or we would be in some one’s home or sometimes would be home, just by ourselves or with my dear grandparents enjoying the regional movies that was featured by the television every Saturday and Sunday about 5 o’ clock in the evening. It was also tea, snack and family o’clock.

One might dare compare the Indian tea affair with the English high tea in the extent of the spread of food; only we Indians tend to serve more savoury food than the delicate English cakes, pastries and scones.

A few months back, last year in October to be precise, I found an email from Sandhya, and I discovered her blog which she has built with love and dedication. She requested a guest post, and tied between so many different things as I was, it is only after so many months that I could do it for her. I really appreciate her patience! Sandhya is a warm friendly lady who hails from the southern regions, but brought up amidst the western coasts of India. Now she lives in London, keeping herself busy with her little one and her blog of course, cooking up food with “utmost affection” as she says, while infusing her roots and the diversity of her life in her kitchen delicacies too.

Among the other spread of lip smacking goodies, (sometimes some street food too, made at home of course), biscuits and crackers were the essentials; some to be dipped in the tea and some to accompany on the side. The one on the side would usually be the savoury kind. The general term used for it is “namkin”, which literally translates to anything savoury and spicy. Crackers or biscuits were not really made at home, unless they were those typical traditional kind or for an occasion; they were and still readily available in varieties of flavours at every store in the street corner or fresh in the bakeries. So if we needed them, we just had to walk, or at the most speed up on our bikes to get them.

This is one of the kind of spiced crackers I make at home, sometimes to re-live and to love those fun tea times, but mostly to keep a stack to snack on a couple of them once in a while. They stay fresh for a couple of weeks at room temperature, so they are really handy when you have to entertain on a quick notice. They also take very little time and effort to make.

Sandhya thank you so much for inviting me to you kitchen!

ALMOND ROSEMARY & PEPPER CRACKERS

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup (plus 1 tablespoon) or just enough to make a smooth dough half & half or heavy/double/ cream
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1.5 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed/powdered
2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper/pepper flakes , or to taste
more ground pepper/or red pepper flakes/or coarse salt to sprinkle on the top – optional
1/4 cup almonds

Method:

Process the almond with sugar until you get a coarse powder.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, black pepper, crushed pepper, rosemary and salt.
Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the 2/3 cup of half-and-half or cream (whatever you are using) until just moistened. Fold in the nuts.
On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently, 5 to 10 times or for a minute. Divide the dough in two parts and roll each into a log; each about 8 inches long.
Slice each of the logs in about 1/4 inch circles.
Place on a baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Brush the top of the crackers with remaining tablespoon of half & half/cream. Sprinkle some coarsely ground black pepper, or red pepper flakes or even some coarse salt if you want. Bake until light golden, about 12-15 minutes. You might need to adjust baking time depending on the size of the cookies. The smaller cookies will bake faster.
Let cool completely on a wire rack. Store at room temperature in an air tight container after they are completely cooled.

Ragda Patties–Street Food from Mumbai

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:26:00 +0000

This street food belongs to Mumbai and is very typically made . This has been one among my favourite street food.. and I cannot accept much alterations to the version served by the shop keeper where I have hogged for 10 years in my life. This post is very dear to me .. and I m bringing you the flavours straight from heart.

Flavours in this chat got to be very clear right from the patties(Potato cakes) to ragda ( dried white peas curry) to the green & red chutney. And from the garnishing.. Concoction together, make a perfect Ragda Patties.

PS: In this picture the ragda looks a bit dry. Its only for the shot.The content has to be flowy and hot.
Ingredients For Patties / Potato Cake :

Potato	1 kg
Salt	To Taste
Chilli Powder	1 .5 Tsp. You can increase to suit the spice
Corn flour	3-4 Tblspn
Water	1/2 Cup roughly
Oil	For shallow frying

Direction:

Pressure cook the potatoes . Once boiled well , peel the skin and mash them when hot. This will help us to get a smooth texture to the patties( cake) . Add in salt & chilli powder and give it a good mix.
If the potato variety seems a bit gooey , add some potato mash powder . This will help in binding the potatoes well.
Prepare a large non stick tava . Also prepare a corn flour mixture by mixing the corn flour with sufficient water to give a slightly running consistency.
Make round tikki’s by rolling the potato dough,then dip them in the corn flour mixture and place them immediately onto the hot tava. Drizzle few drops of oil around the tikki’s . Once they slightly turn brown on one side, turn them around . Drain them onto the kitchen towel to absorb all the oil.
Repeat this process with the rest of the tikki’s. I did them in a batch of four.
If you are looking for a variation in preparing your aloo tikki’s you can check the other two versions in my blog .

Aloo Tikki – V2
Aloo Tikki

Ingredients for Ragda /Dried White Peas curry:

Dried White Peas	500gm
Onion	1.5 nos
Curry Leaves	A spring
Green chillies	3-4
Cinnamon Powder	1/2 tsp.
Mustard Seeds	1/2 tsp.
Cumin Seeds	1/2 tsp.
Turmeric	1 Tsp
Lemon Wedge	2 small pieces

Direction:

Soak the peas over night ,at least for 8 hours in sufficient water with turmeric powder and lemon wedges. Pressure cook until they are well cooked ( or slightly mushy). They shouldn't remain hard. .
Heat oil in a pan , drop in mustard seeds , cumin seeds . Once they splutter , add the finely chopped onions and curry leaves. Fry until they slightly discolour .Don't forget to add a pinch of salt at this stage .This will quicken the process.
Add the cooked ragda along with any stock remaining in it to the fried onions. Else add sufficient hot water and give them a good stir. Sprinkle cinnamon powder and desired salt .
When the ragda begins to thicken , add more water if required and let it be in slightly flowy consistency. Turn off the gas and garnish with chopped green chillies.

NOTES:

The ragda needs to be piping hot while preparing the platter. The “ ssss “ … “ ss “ sound is often heard because of the heat and a combination of chutney’s with heat..
For variations ,people often use ginger –garlic or just ginger , some potatoes to it . Its entirely one’s choice.
But on using G-G in ragda , they leave a strong flavour to it. Why potatoes again ? When Patties are Potato cakes.

Preparing the Ragda Patties Platter:
Ingredients:

Pattice ( Potato Cakes)	2 Nos
Ragda	2-3 Big Ladle
Imli Kajur Chutney	2 –3 Tsp
Green Chutney	2-3 Tsp
Cumin Powder	1 pinch
Red Chilli Powder	1 pinch
Puri’s( Pani Puri)	2-3
Coriander leaves	for garnishing

Directions:
Lay 2 patties on to a plate. Pour over hot ragda covering the patties .Drizzle alternate of sweet and green chutney. Place 2 crushed puri’s on the top , sprinkle the powders and finally some chopped coriander. Serve hot right away.

Palak ki Kachori - A guest post from Indian Simmer

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:43:00 +0000

One among my favourite Indian blogs online is Indian Simmer.. And there is no doubt about it …..Ever since I have had an encounter with her, I have fallen in love..with everything. And the face behind this lovely space is even more angelic and she always presents a brand new world in her writing and undoubtedly in her images. Believe me , the food comes alive on your screen. . Thank you for taking out time ,whilst having many irons on the fire…. I love your space and always end up drooling, gazing at the figures…After every visit, Indian Simmer ignites a spark in me and I end up learning a thing or two. Welcome Prerna to Sandhya’s Kitchen.

Over to Prerna , in her very own style !! And .. don't forget to hop over to Indian Simmer after this .

Sometime back while sipping on my morning chai, I get a chance to sit for a minute and check my emails. I see an email which after reading just a few lines I realized was from someone warm and very passionate about his/her work. After visiting her blog the thought was only confirmed and the posts just made me smile. If you have not guessed it already that email was from Sandhya and she very kindly invited me to come guest post for her. I had no doubt that I was going to do it. Thanks so much Sandhya for the having me share this beautiful space of yours and thanks for being patient with the frazzled me!

The recipe I am sharing today is of Palak ki Kachori. This used to be one of my favourite snacks growing up. I remember me and my brother grabbing multiples in hands and gulping them and my mom would yell from the kitchen, “chew…chew!”. Half of them would not even make it to the table but guess she did not mind us eating like hungry hogs because these were packed with spinachy goodness. It does not ask for a lot of time and attention and neither does it ask for a lots of ingredients. You will be amazed at how just a few simple ingredients can whip up something this addictive. On a normal busy day my mom would make them like the way I am sharing with you here other wise she would stuff the kachori’s with some kind of filling but that would only happen on special occasions (mummy I still remember and sulk about it!). You can stuff it with a spicy potato filling, a herbed paneer or even a minced meat mixture.

Ingredients:

½ lb spinach (either bunch or just leaves)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 inch grated ginger

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Thoroughly clean spinach in water and then blanch it in boiling water.Take it our from hot water and puree in a blender. Set aside.
Add all the dry ingredients in flour. Slowly add pureed spinach mixing it with your hand.
By the time you have added all your spinach puree the flour should start turning into a ball of dough.
Add a teaspoon of oil in the dough and trying kneading it thoroughly making a semi hard dough. Add a little water if you are having some difficulty kneading the dough but keep in mind a kachori dough is harder than a normal naan or roti dough. It needs some muscle to knead it! So you should not need a lot of water.
Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
Now divide the dough into 28-30 equal parts. Make a ball, press with your palm, brush the working station with some oil and roll out the dough into a disk shape. These are small a couple bite size breads and slightly thicker than a usual poori.
Heat oil in a deep fryer or Indian wok and deep fry the flatbread.
Strain extra oil in a paper towel and serve with your choice or chutney, dip or curry.

Pizza Tart

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:29:00 +0000

Wishing you a very Happy New Year!!! Nav varsh ki hardik shubh kamnaye !!
"With each passing year we grow and learn..
With each passing year we progress...
Yes there are defeats..yes there are regrets,
but we need to be strong and rational for years to come.
I wish all strength and prosperity in coming year ahead. Happy new year to all!"
Wishes quote adapted from here

My very first recipe for Twenty Twelve is an easy Pizza Tart , that can be cooked a fresh or from left overs .
INGREDIENTS:

Puff Pastry Block	200gm
Tomato Slices	8
Black Olives	Handful
Cheddar Cheese Grated/Sliced	2 slices
Tomato Salsa	2-3 Tblspn
Dried Basil	1 Tsp
Mint leaves	To Garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 180 C .Unroll the Pastry block and cut them into 3 equal rectangles.
Lay the pastry rectangles on the baking sheet and spread the centre with tomato salsa or tomato puree leaving 1/4th inch around the sides. Arrange the toppers – Cheese , thinly sliced tomatoes and black olives . Sprinkle a pinch of dried basil all over .
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until tart edges have risen and turned a little brown. Remove from the oven , allow it to cool for 5 minutes.. , garnish with mint springs and serve hot .

Chocolate Cake with Nutella Biscoff spread and frosted with shards

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:04:00 +0000

2011, yet another year has come to an end and we are eagerly awaiting the curtain raiser for 2012.. The countdown has begun in hours , minutes and seconds all over the world .Are we in agreement with the same zeal,eagerness and enthusiasm to welcome 2012 ?

It surely has been an eventful year with ups & downs , mentions on the web, guest posting on JODI365, loads of new blogging acquaintance and a new outlook for SK .

New Year's Eve is the ‘time’ to bid adieu to the year gone by and welcome the new year. It's the time to rock and roll with friends and family! What better way can it be welcome the new year than with this delectable Chocolate Cake ??? This luscious dessert will have you drooling.

Happy Birthday to you !!! Yes Yes!! This was a surprise birthday cake for an old lad… And he loved it… In fact the whole gathering adorned it… The little ones kept coming back for more.. Cloud 9 !! Indeed , I was on top of it .. explaining every other person in the cluster,how to make chocolate shards.. They tasted exactly like Mint Thins .

I always tussle when it comes to beautifying the confection.With my thinking hat on, I chose Chocolate Shards because the cake cant be dainty for a lad’s birthday with baskets, roses and butter cream .. I knew effort is minuscule and payoff is Huge .

INGREDIENTS:
Chocolate Cake:

Self Raising Flour	2 Cups
Baking Powder	1 Tsp
Baking Soda	2 Tsp
Plain Chocolate	75 Gm.
Unsweetened cocoa powder	0.5 Cup
Caster Sugar	1.5 Cup
Hot Coffee Decoration	1 Cup
Unsalted Butter	1 Cup
Milk	1 Cup
Eggs	4 Nos
Vanilla Essence	1 tsp..

Nutella Biscoff Ganache - Adapted from here
Ideally Biscoff spread is made from spiced cookies, like gingersnaps.

Dark Chocolate (70% cocoa)	150gm
milk chocolate (40% cocoa)	150gm
Nutella (Hazelnut Spread)	400gm Jar
Double Cream	300gm
Icing Sugar (Optional)	1/2 Cup

Chocolate Shards

Dark chocolate	150gm
Peppermint Essence – Oil Soluble	2 Drops
Demerara Sugar /Brown Sugar	3 Tblspn

DIRECTIONS:
CHOCOLATE CAKE:

Separate the white and yolk from the egg. Keep the butter out of the refrigerator a few hours before the making procedure, to have Butter at Room Temperature.
Prepare the hot Coffee Decoration by mixing 1.5 Tsp Bru or any Instant Coffee Powder with 1 Cup of Water. You could use any instant coffee powder of your choice.
Preheat the Fan Assisted Oven to 180 C. Cream together butter and sugar in a bowl. Whisk them until creamy and smooth. Its time to incorporate the yolk and whisk again.
In a separate mixing bowl ,Add the dry ingredients together - Self Raising Flour , Baking Powder , Baking soda & coco powder and give it a good stir. Add in the wet Ingredients - Hot Coffee decoration & Milk one by one with regular mixing after each incorporation.
Beat the White separately until a rising peak is achieved . Now add the chocolate pieces after melting them in the microwave for a minute to the Egg White Mixture. Mix Well. Add this White Mixture to the large mixing bowl containing the rest of the ingredients. Also include the butter – sugar mixture.
Using an hand blender , whisk the mix for about 1-2 minutes until all the lumps are gradually gone.
Grease 2 Sandwich Cake tins of 21cms with a lil butter and dust a bit of coco powder all around. Pour the cake mix in the sandwich tin up to 3/4th and place it in the preheated oven.
Bake for nearly 45 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted comes out neat. Let it rest in the wire rack for a while( about 30 minutes) until the cake cools.

BISCOFF SPREAD:

Break the chocolate pieces into small equal pieces and place them both in the top of a double boiler set over hot water and allow to melt, stirring often.
Remove from heat and whisk in the Nutella spread. Add the double cream and with the help of an electric mixer, whisk until soft peaks form. Be careful not to overbeat, as the frosting will become grainy.
Taste , if you feel the sweetness needs to be adjusted , add in 1/2 a cup of icing sugar and give it a good blend.

CHOCOLATE SHARDS:

Bring together the essence and sugar and give it good mix. At the same time , prepare a double boiler and melt the chocolate in them . Mix the essence into it .
Place the chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over hot water and allow to melt, stirring often. Place a 16-inch-long parchment paper on your work surface. Pour the melted chocolate onto the paper and using an offset spatula, spread it in a thin and even layer, about 1/3 of an inch off each edge. Place a second sheet of same-sized parchment paper on top and gently press to release the air bubbles. Starting with one short end, roll the parchment paper tightly into an-inch-wide tube. Place it seam side down on a rimmed baking tray and chill in the refrigerator until set, for at least 2 hours.
Have a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper ready and remove the tube from the refrigerator. Unroll the tube in one quick motion, which creates the chocolate shards. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper, and with the help of a large offset spatula go underneath the pieces, pick them up and transfer them to the lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Use the large shards for the sides and the broken small ones for the top.
I have adapted the process of making Shards from here.

CAKE ASSEMBLING:

Using a long serrated knife , chop of the top bumpy bits and make it uniform.. Keep them aside , believe me .. they will handy when you want to taste the cake .
Place one of the cake on cardboard carefully . Frost the cake,by spreading 1/3rd Ganache over the top . Place the second cake over the top of the frosted first half and frost the with top and sides with the remaining Ganache.
Carefully pull out the frozen shards .With the help of a tweezers , place the long pieces onto the sides and smaller ones on the top . Refrigerate the cake until the Shards set onto the Ganache and serve.

KITCHEN NOTES:

I haven’t used sandwich tins in this occasion , rather a regular heart shape cake pan . Baked the cake in 2 instincts. Alternatively you could also bake one large cake and slice them in to 2.
Chocolates begin to melt very easily with warm hands, hence use tweezers to place the shards.

EVENTS:
This delectable cake goes to

Bake Feast#2 , happening at Spicy Treat.
Cakes for Christmas at Ramya's Recipe.
Only Cookies and Cakes at Pari's Foodelicious

Lets Cook Event:Baked Goodies at Tickling Palates
Cooking Concepts # 5 -- Holiday Baking at Srav's Culinary Concepts

Homemade Chocolates - Solid / Moulded for Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:31:00 +0000

Its beginning to feel Christmas has finally arrived after a month long wait... Aaah !! But its still Christmas Eve today ! What better way can it be to rejoice with near & dear other than with Chocolate ???

Tis also the season for homemade goodies as people cook for family, friends, and colleagues and their ovens go on overdrive. I bet there is no other month that can boast of such an overload of cookies, candy, cakes and sweets as much as December can. The sweet aroma of baking, spices, and sugar wafts through the air and its a good time to make this no bake goody with your lil ones whilst the oven is engaged . It's extremely easy , indulgent and I bet, you just can't stop with one!

I take this lovely opportunity in wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas !!

INGREDIENTS:
-100gm Dark Chocolate ( 70% Cocoa)
-100gm Plain Chocolate
-2 Drops of Vanilla Essence /Any other essence of your choice
-12 squares of Chocolate Wrappers
-Chocolate Mould
-10-15 Nos of Darks/Milk Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS:
The process looks elaborate , but it is quite simple and just needs to be done carefully. It takes a little less than 30 minutes to pour the chocolates in the mould.
Method of melting chocolate

Prepare a double boiler , by placing a small sauce pan/ bowl over a pan of hot water.Fill the bottom pan with 1” of water and allow it to boil. Reduce to simmer.
Break the chocolate pieces into small equal pieces and add them to the small sauce pan that sits on the pan of water.
Once the chocolate begins to melt , stir gently with a silicon spatula. When the chocolate is nearly melted, turn of the gas and keep them aside.
Temper the chocolate by stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes until fully melted and glossy. Make sure there are no lumps or air trapped to distract the texture of the chocolate.

Preparing the Chocolate for Moulds

Carefully add in 2 drops of essence of choice .. I have used vanilla essence to one portion and butterscotch to the other. If you are looking to use nuts , keep them ready . I have used white and dark chocolate chips in them for the little ones to indulge further . Keep them aside too.
Put the melted chocolates in the chocolate trays to fill the moulds up to 3/4.Insert chocolate chip pieces and fill a little more of the chocolate. I had a multi shape mould in 1 that can accommodate 12 chocolates. Using a pallete knife ,scrape off any excess chocolate . Keep it in fridge for 30 minutes to set. Unmould by gently tapping from the back .
Wrap gently and keep refrigerated. Treat your little friends and family with this indulgence.

KITCHEN NOTES:
Use oil soluble essence in chocolates. DO NOT use our regular vanilla essence that goes in the bakes. We are looking to keep the moisture away with chocolates.
One can use just plain or just dark chocolate , its entirely personal choice.. Jazzing up with nuts / Choco chips is again a just a variation.

Sending it across to Lets Cook for Christmas - Red & Green , an event organised by Nayna of Simply Food.

Rajma Masala–A guest post for Ambika’s Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:07:00 +0000

My love for legumes have been intense and we faithfully have them every day in our square meals. ..I m always in look out to cook them the authentic way….Any number of cut & try endeavours..is fine with me , until I accomplish my precise one.This curry has been sewed up to my fool proof recipe after cooking it up twice . This time , Mr SK made a special request of making the Rajma Masala exactly like this always.. Isn't that kewl??

Rajma also popularly known as Kidney Bean in English evolved from Mexico , yet part of the staple food in North India.. It is simmered in Tomato Onion gravy & served along with flat bread or rice.

Punjabi’s have their own way of making this curry and I m sharing my version of this ever green recipe with you.. Our driver in India , hails from a Punjabi family and when he learnt my curiousness in knowing more about daily curries we have with flat breads , he shared his warm home cooking ,exactly how his better half prepares.Really appreciate him for this !! I have tweeted it to give me some more flavoursome goodness in lentils.

Few weeks ago,when Ambika from Ambika’s Kitchen mailed me with an offer to guest post her space , it was an instant yes!!! We are more like colleagues in blogging and seen our spaces growing together. Thank you for the wonderful opportunity dear !! Unlike many a times , when I struggle to figure out what to come up with, this time I knew I wanted to do a North Indian curry to share with her readers. Hope over to Ambika’s Kitchen for the rest of the recipe.

Boondi Raitha

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:39:00 +0000

Can you believe I haven’t recorded a dedicated post for raitha .. When its just made in a jiffy ..What do I say for this easy peesy lemon squeezy raitha… It doesn't take any more than 15 minutes. A great accompaniment for Paratha’s or Pulav.

INGREDIENTS :

Yogurt	2 Cups
Boondi	3/4th Cup
Salt	To Taste
Chilli Powder	3/4 Tsp
Chat Masala	1 Tsp
Black Salt ( Kala Namak)	A pinch
Roasted Cumin Powder	3/4 Tsp
Ginger Powder	3/4 Tsp
Coriander Leaves	1 Tsp

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk the yogurt well if you are using set yogurt. I have used stirred yogurt in this case.. If you find the consistency heavier, mix few tablespoons of water to obtain a desirable consistency. Drop in all the powders and give it good shake.Adjust salt according to taste. Add the boondi just before serving and garnish with coriander leaves. Adding the boondi in advance can lend a sunken / soft boondi.. Serve with Biryani ,Pulav or Paratha of your choice.

Utterly Delicious !!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Utterly TOOTHSOME !!! I can go on and on.. with this..leaving all the guilt behind ,while luxuriating. A full blown assent is consistently broken when it comes to Nutella.. Do you spoon straight to your mouth ?? Or plunge your index finger and love the first stroke…??

Here comes Susan to the 23rd edition of Black &White Wednesday.

Guest Post | Pizza Buns By Raks Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Feels quite elated , when my tot SK has had One Lakh Hits.... Little did I realise when I started this blog to catalogue my collected recipes.. I will have this day . On the joyous occasion of Diwali, the festival of lights , it was raining outside and just Halloween decorations everywhere..when I spent all day sitting on the couch literally doing nothing ,where I hoped to see some glitters , lights ,sparkles and cheer...
By the dusk, Mr SK was kind enough to get me out of the gloom by returning home early and arranging for a dinner with friends at a South Indian Restaurant... Aahh.. Wot relief!!! A little chit chat.. and trying to comfort each other ..On our return home , we presented Lil V his Diwali present in order to make up for the missing cheer that day.. I log in a few minutes to 12 in the blogger and discovered my blog having 100000 Hits.. Aaah ...what better way can it be to celebrate Diwali, giving me absolute bundle of joy.... Thank you all my lovely Visitors , Blog Mates ,Friends & Family who have contributed to each visit...

Hope you are enjoying the new facet of Sandhya’s Kitchen.I have spent sundry hours working on this template , to make it more user friendly,fascinating & practicable.. That's just not all ..

I m starting a Guest Blogger series where Its an absolute pleasure in showcasing my favourite bloggers with their recipes.Through this series, I want you to know, what SK loves to read, honours and enjoys. So why wait ???

Please welcome my first guest, Raje, the writer & photographer behind the ever popular Raks Kitchen. I have come to know Raje ever since I begun this blog, nearly two and half years ago and have always looked up to her space. At the same time, an honest and pleasant soul comes through her recipes, writing and photography...I know I just cannot wait to make her speciality Buns - The Pizza Buns for my family and relish a quickie composed pizza. Welcome Raje to SK !!

Please don't forget to hop onto her website after this .

I am so excited and happy to write my very first guest post to Sandhya and I thank you for giving me the opportunity! And I feel honoured to do a guest post for a wonderful,talented blogger like you,who has a great passion about it and have a great photography skill and lovely writing style!

And Coming to the recipe, this idea flashed,when I saw a pamphlet I got from 7 eleven introducing Pizza bites. I loved the idea and thought it would be easy to make at home. As I have been making pizza from the scratch for quite a while now and have tried several buns, I was pretty confident in try these and enjoyed making these. This could be an easy party snack idea, kids would be super excited to have it and sure we can also enjoy this. The stuffing is flexible so you can experiment it with your favourite topping,let it be simple like what I have used or add on your favourites like black olives,mushrooms…it’s your choice!

Ingredients (Makes around 8 buns)

For the Dough

All purpose flour	1 & 1/2 cup
Milk	1/2 cup
olive oil	1/8 cup
Salt	1 tsp
Sugar	1 & 1/2 tsp
Active dry yeast	1 tblsp

For the filling

Capsicum,chopped	1
Onion	1
Tomato(optional)	1
Grated mozzarella cheese	1/2 cup
Pizza sauce or any tomato based sauce	2 tsp
Italian herb of ur choice	1 tsp
Red chilli flakes	1 tsp
Salt	2 pinches
oil	2 tsp

Method

Heat milk until lukewarm,dissolve sugar and yeast. Let it rest for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes the mixture would have been raised to frothy, proving that the yeast is active. If not,your yeast is not active and use active yeast.
Meanwhile, take flour in a large bow and make a dent in the middle. Add salt, oil and the yeast mixture in the dent and make a smooth pliable dough. If sticky sprinkle little more flour,if too dry sprinkle some water. The dough should be smooth and pliable.
Let it rest for 1 hour, wrap the bowl with cling wrap. After an hour the dough should have been raised. Punch it down and knead to make it smooth.
Make equal sized balls and arrange in a greased baking tray.Meanwhile prepare the filling. Heat a pan with oil and fry capsicums,tomato and onion for just a minute. Cool down and add sauce, cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and chilli flakes . Mix well.
Flatten the prepared dough balls and keep a small lemon sized ball of the filling.
Pinch the edges towards centre to cover the filling as shown in the picture. Arrange in the baking tray with the sealed side down. Make sure you have sealed properly,otherwise, the cheese will ooze out.
Pre heat the oven to 190^o C and till then brush the buns with milk little and bake it for 18-20 minutes or until the buns start becoming golden brown on the top. Brush generously with butter after done.

Serve hot with tomato ketchup or chilly sauce! Enjoy it with your favourite drink!

Notes

While sealing the buns, you can use water if you find it difficult to do so.
Adjust the baking time accordingly. Keep an eye on the buns after 15 minutes.
You can sprinkle white sesame seeds or even chilli flakes on the top before baking the buns.

#BWW– Lotus flower cracker

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Trust Me !! I m loving it .. Snapping my camera in the Monochrome mode, instead of editing them in post production.. Colourless ! yet a lot more alluring, uncovering a distinct sphere !

Thank you Susan for introducing me to this new cosmos.Coming right away to Black & White Gallery edition #22.

Guest Post on Yummy Food– Photography Post on Background & Props

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:44:00 +0000

Hello December !!! You are officially here !!! How quick this year has fleet that we are at the fag end of the year .. Another 25 days to Christmas , countdown begins. Christmassy fever has hit the streets since Halloween … High street is already flooded with the shoppers working on their A grade wish list of presents ..Time to bring up the Christmas tree , decorations , time to work on the party list and get together… My lil one is already practicing to sing at the performance from his nursery .. Also has come up with a list of 50 friends for Christmas cards… I need to plan to make a goody bag for his scintillating key workers who have a major part in his learning every day..

With thanksgiving ending in US , frenzy sale slowly starts to begin in UK and it continues all until mid Jan.. How can anyone resist ??? Well I m … trying not to indulge in any deals at least until Boxing Day and saving from being in traps of ever tempting offers on apparels and footwear !!!! Before I get any further ,I will leave you to explore the deals in UK…

Lubna from Yummy Food invited me over for a guest post and I rapidly accepted it ,but with a delay for few months..A long holiday was lined up then. A few seconds later, when I read Photography guest post.. and I was stupefied… thinking , would I be in a position to formulate one ?? Appreciate Lubna for her patience and all the more for giving me an opportunity to rant my experience.

I don't think,my space needs any introduction on growth and scale. It has matured from a personal chart out space to being Sandhya’s Kitchen. It has all happened with time, routine and regular visits from my fellow bloggers .

PRACTICE !!! PRACTICE & PRACTICE !!! is my motto… Make every possible effort to use up the occasion …

I m a novice photographer & food blogger .. and have made a noble attempt in transforming my learning's into a post. I wish to attend a professional photography course one day and then rant about it in my space . All my hands on learning with this gawky gadget , has given me a new outlook to photography and I m positively loving it.

Backgrounds create a dramatic effect to the images … whereas the props can make or break an image. Need to be careful while selecting the props and setting up the background. We need not have a full table spread to showcase the deliciously tasting aloo methi curry ( dry potato fenugreek curry) . Just the curry with the right garnish ,served in an appropriate bucket with a co ordinate liner/napkins and silverware will do the needful .

Mm… Are you enchanted by my easy peesy Aloo Methi curry ?

Do take whatever applies right for you and leave the rest .Feel free in sharing your training with me and trust me , I will take every bit of it. On this very note , I leave you to read the rest of the post at Lubna’s space .

#BWW-Caramelised Peanuts

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Technorati Tags: Black-White

Peanut Seller on the Tower Bridge

On cold ,frosty days , these hot ,caramelised peanuts just make the perfect environment for munch !!! They are luscious… Bet you cant stop with one !!!

Susan , I clicked this one for the BWW edition only. Am soo much exhilarated when the peanut seller was kind in letting my click one.

Tomato Rice with Anjum Anand

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:35:00 +0000

A bantam chunk of contentment did arise after having a Library card issued in my name... Do u think I m kidding ??? Not at all …I was pepped up all day , letting the world around me know about it…I m not a book reader at all ,but a web reader. My be gossip magazines ,Bollywood , styling - A green signal. Prey in the category who would have droopy head on reading a book... But trust me..I have just realised, Cookbooks , Photography books are just like hot coffee that can pep me up anytime… I m picking gastronomy books ,for the first time ever and take intrinsic pride for it.

If I take you for walk into my past , H would merely run away with the very mention of Tomato Rice.. in fact any one pot meal containing tomato as the primary vegetable…A saga is associated along with it. Hence, for me to cook this rice platter and recreate a positive attitude in him, about it was quite critical.. Anjum Anand’s Tomato Rice just did the right thing ,threw in some twist from the regular tomato rice casserole and the boys wagon did pass on an affirmative response.

Its a great dish that be eaten on its own or with some yogurt… A moist and flavour packed south Indian rice.

Largely adapted from Anjum’s New Indian

INGREDIENTS:

Sunflower Oil	3-4 Tblspn
Mustard Seeds	1/2 Tsp
Cloves	4
Cinnamon Stick	2” long
Black Cardamom Pod	2
Small Onion	Peeled and sliced
Garlic	2 Cloves , peeled and chopped
Red Chillies	2 Nos
Turmeric	1/2 Tsp
Garam masala	1/4 Tsp
Fennel Seeds	1 Tsp powdered
Salt	To Taste
Medium Tomatoes	3 Nos chopped
Basmati Rice	200 gm.
Grated Coconut	3 Tblspn

DIRECTIONS:

Wash the rice under running tap water ,until clear and soak them until we cook the masala.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan. Add the whole spices,chillies and, once the mustard seeds splutter, add the onion and cook over a moderate heat until golden.Stir in the garlic,cook until the raw smell gets eliminated. Add the powdered spices and salt; cook for another half a minute. Stir it up, add the tomatoes and turn the heat up. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened.
Add the drained rice and stir-fry for 2 minutes along with the masala.Pour in 430 ml water and the coconut, give it a good stir and taste.Adjust the salt at this stage.
Bring to boil, then cover with a tight lid, turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 8 minutes or until the rice is tender. Turn off the heat, remove the cover and let any excess moisture evaporate.

Serve hot for dinner or pack it up for your lunch box…

KITCHEN NOTES:

The recipe called for Green Chillies , I have altered them with red. Its your choice to use whatever you like. Accordingly increase the spice content.

#BWW– Street Food

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Street Food are absolutely incredible … They are distinguished by their local flavours and authenticity trails . Are you geared up for some Street Food ( Chaat ) ???
Chaat is typically sold by the road side vendors and is a relish delight …. Though they are served in polished silverware inside 4 walls .., do you reckon having the same infallible savour?

Caught this by a Street Vendor in Jaipur … !! Care for some ??
I do... and this visual treat goes to Susan's Black & White Wednesday , a culinary picture event.

Tomato Onion Chutney

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:56:00 +0000

This chutney post is quite dear to me .. In the first place ,this is for my own reference. Secondly.. I have managed to get the fitting taste I have been looking for… Voilà!! South Indian Chutney’s are not in my comfort zone cooking at all… I need to practically search any bits and bobs that I have pen down from home... One among those kind is this chutney. My dear sis – in – law is quite an expert at this.. and I tweeted her recipe and prepared to suit my palate… They are a great side for Dosa’s ( Lentil Pancake) & Idly’s( Lentil Doughnuts)

We , predominantly end up having Lentil Pancakes for dinner and hence the concomitant has to be elaborate like Chutneys, Sambar & Dosa Milagapodi ( Gun Powder). I earnestly take pride when my chutney’s are spot on…. Hardly do I toil like this to make a raitha or chaat chutney.. I can just have fun with the available elements.

Anyways.. here comes my fool proof recipe for Tomato Chutney …

INGREDIENTS:

Onions	2 Nos
Tomatoes	4 Nos
Garlic	2 Cloves
Tamarind	Small Piece
Dried Red Chilly	2 Nos
Curry Leaves	4-5 Nos
Turmeric	A pinch
Salt	To Taste
Oil	2 Tblspn
Jaggery crushed	1 Tsp

For Tempering:

Oil	1 Tsp
Mustard Seeds	3/4 Tsp
Urd Dal	1/2 Tsp
Curry Leaves	5-6 Nos
Dried Red Chilly	1 Nos

DIRECTIONS:

Chop onions and tomatoes into small chunks. Crush the garlic ..
Heat oil in a kadai and drop in crushed garlic . Sauté until it gets light brown.
Throw in curry leaves , red chilly followed by chopped red onions along with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add tamarind and sauté along with the onions. Else soak the tamarind in 2-3 tbsp. of water and squeeze out all the pulp. Add them along with chopped tomatoes.
Fry until onions turn slightly brown . Pop in chopped tomatoes and turmeric.. Fry until the tomatoes get quite soft. Allow all of the ingredients to cool and then blend them along with jaggery in the blender to obtain a smooth paste. Adjust Salt to suit the taste.
Transfer the chutney into the serving bowl . Prepare the kadai for tempering by heating one tea spoon of oil. Drop all the ingredients under the tempering table , allow the mustard seeds to crackle. Turn off the gas and season the chutney with the tempering.
Serve them as an accompaniment for Dosa’s just like I did..

KITCHEN NOTES:

Dried Red Chilly can be increased or decreased to suit the required chilliness
Jaggery can be omitted if you don't like the hint of sweetness..
If you like , you can introduce ginger into the chutney.

Black & White Wednesday–Peel IT!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Life is like an onion: you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep - Carl Sandburg

Quite a versatile essential in every kitchen , arguably the most widely used ingredient. SO in mine !!!!
Susan , here comes my entry to this week’s Black and White Wednesday edition.

Featured on the Web & Vendakkai Thaiyir Pachadi | Fried Okra Yogurt Pachadi

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:20:00 +0000

Its a Surprise !!! This dotted space of mine is featured on this week’s Best of the Web . That's not done yet… I get an award too ..A creative chef’s award. How cool is that ?

Be@Home

Thank you Michael, the editor of Become.com for being gracious and having me over.. Above all , for considering my space worthwhile – with the good or the best effort I have put in.
Do hope over to read a more on this – Best of Web #48
Saying this , There is a lot of rising expectation from my tiny tot and its not really exposed to many of its regional food… A lot bakes and cakes and all the goodness of butter ,north Indian ,Italian and more.. .. Quite deficit in its south indies number ,with a background of a Palakkad Iyer…. How could I ??? Full stop is all I said to my self … Instead of being hesitant ,slowly stepped out from coyness & fear and begun to work on Palakkad cuisine … I still flip pages of my handwritten notes or call the expertise ladies of the family for any doubt.

Pachadi’s are to be eaten fresh . Typically Yogurt (Thaiyir) based are made with a vegetable chopped or fried along with coconut , green chillies or red chillies and with a tempering of mustard seeds , curry leaves or coriander leaves. They pair heaven with Molagutal – be it the vegetable kind or with the spinach kind. I did pair my Thaiyir Pachadi with Keerai Molagutal . Aaah Let me translate.. I m sure this sounds Greek n Latin . Its Spinach in a Lentil Coconut Gravy…. Sigh !!!

Serves : 4
INGREDIENTS:

Okra ( Vendakkai)	15 Nos
Oil	3-4 Tblspn
Grated Coconut	3 Tblspn
Green Chilly	1
Low Fat Stirred Yogurt	2 Cups
Salt	To Taste

For Tempering:

Oil	1 Tsp.
Mustard Seeds	1 Tsp.
Urd Dal (White Lentils)	1 Tsp.
Curry Leaves	10-15 No's

DIRECTIONS:

Wash the Okra/Ladies Finger /Vendakkai under running tap water and pat dry. Cut them into thin rounds.
Heat oil for shallow frying . Once heated , pop in the okra’s, sprinkle a pinch of salt and fry in medium flame until brown in color… Drain them onto the kitchen towel to absorb all the extra oil.
Grind the coconut and green chillies in the blender until fine. Increase the green chilly number to suit your chilliness.
Onto a larger bowl , pop in the yogurt . Since its an already stirred yogurt ,I haven't done any addition stirring. Instead just added 2 tbsp. of water and stirred to suit the consistency. If you are using a set yogurt , beat the yogurt until smooth.
Bring together the coconut chilly mix , fried okra , salt to taste and give it it good stir in the yogurt .
Prepare the pan for tempering by heating a tsp. of oil . When ready, pop in mustard seeds , urd dal . Once the mustard begins to crackle , drop the curry leaves in and stir for a moment. Pour the tempering onto the yogurt.
Okra Yogurt Pachadi is ready to be served with Rice and any Molagutal .

TIPS:
Don't stir in Fried Okra until ready to dine. Else the Okra can be a bit soggy to taste. Just add them just before the meal and enjoy the crispy okra’s in the pachadi.

Black & White Wednesday–Chickpeas rolling off the mud pot

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:48:00 +0000

My first ever entry to Susan’s Black and White Wednesdays

Stove Top Paneer Tikka

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:56:00 +0000

Fancy Making Paneer Tikka’s and worried about not having an oven… Guess this is it… I love the healthier version but we definitely deserve indulgence occasionally… Flavours from pan made are a little more rejuvenating … But if you are looking for a smoky effect in Tikka’s ,hop in check my Paneer Tikka post to try the oven way.
Believe in your self and you will be rocking with this starter treating your family…

INGREDIENTS:

Paneer	250 gm. cubed to 20 pieces
Green Pepper	2 No's chopped to 1” squares
Red Onions	1 No's shaped to 1” squares
Oil	Shallow Frying

For Marinade:

Low Fat Yogurt	1/2 Cup
Ginger –Garlic Paste	1 Tblspn
Kashmiri Lal chilli Powder	1- 1.5 Tsp.
Turmeric Powder	1/2 Tsp.
Garam masala	1/2 Tsp.
Lemon	Squeeze
Salt	To Taste
Chat Powder	To sprinkle before you serve

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare a marinade by bringing together all the ingredients under Marinade leaving aside the chat masala. Taste and adjust the ingredients accordingly.
Dip the paneer pieces in the marinade and set aside for at least 30 minutes or for 2 hours….
Heat the pan with oil for shallow frying . Drop the paneer pieces in a batch of 8 , turn and fry until paneer coats brown on all sides. Repeat the process for the rest of the paneer.Drain them on to a kitchen towel.
In the remaining batter , quickly dip all the onions and green peppers together and add them on the pan . The flavours from the marinade coats these two vegetables giving tikka an absolute blend.
Using a spatula turn them after a minute on the pan making sure the veggies stay crunchy.Drain them onto a separate bowl coated with kitchen towel.
Thread the skewer in alternates of paneer , onion and green peppers to suit your palate.. Sprinkle some chat masala and serve hot.

KITCHEN NOTES:
If you feel the the tikka has gone cold , place the thread skewer on the tava and give them a good rest and turn on all sides .
You could also use Tandoori Masala for the marinade if you have…
Kashmiri Lal Powder throws such lovely color to the paneer… I m in love with it..

Source: Sanjeev Kapoor

Pound Cake with a Lemon Glaze

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:33:00 +0000

Little did I realise , I will be writing this post with a pound cake recipe.. I made this Cake to impress my little one & H , who wanted me buy them a second pound cake slice from Starbucks over the weekend.. I turned down their request and told them they will get one from my kitchen the next day…

Crayon Promise V !! is all I told him… Don't you laugh reading crayon promise.. I have been trying to teach lil V to keep up ones words… That’s how.. the crayon promise took form . Like a Good Mummy , I decided to make one straight away… and I knew I have a recipe that is already posted in my space before – Pound Cake. Made healthy substitutions to suit the available ingredients in my store.

INGREDIENTS:

Plain Flour	1 1/3 cups
Baking powder	3/4th Tsp.
Caster Sugar	1/2 Cup
Sunflower Oil	3/4th Cup
Vanilla Extract	1 Tsp.
Low Fat Condensed Milk	1/2 Cup
Large Eggs	2 No's
Low Fat Yogurt	1/4th Cup

Lemon Glaze:

Icing Sugar	2/3 Cup
Lemon Juice	2 Tblspn

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the fan assisted oven 180C. Lightly oil a large bundt tin and 2 min bundt tins set aside.
Sift together dry ingredients –Flour , Baking Powder and Sugar .
In a medium sized bowl ,add in oil ,vanilla extract , yogurt and give it a good whisk.
Now incorporate one egg at a time and blend well again. Add all the condensed milk at a stretch and pulse the hand blender few times.
Add the sifted dry ingredients and pulse until no traces of flour remain, about 10 times. Make sure the dry ingredients are incorporated well and a smooth batter is obtained.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Bake until the top is dark golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 40-45 mins. In case it does not come out clean , bake for some more time.
Cool on a wire rack for a few minutes and then unmould.

Prepare a lemon glaze by mixing icing sugar and lemon juice together. Make sure to mix well without any lumps. Pipe all the mixture into a zip lock bag and hold it tight .
Snip off the edge to make a little hole . Pipe even lines over the cake and let it sit aside to set.
Cut and serve with Tea or just like that …… However you like

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:24:00 +0000

Nearly an age old epic misconception , stating the cupcake and the muffin are the same… I was under the same delusion … until I went on to understand , if they are same then why two different names?
Reading further, wiki-ing ,finally concluded the debate to my own-self stating
Cupcakes are mini versions of cakes. Frosted and Adorned. They are unremittingly sweet and are served during special occasions.
Muffins are a smaller portions of bread ( essentially quick bread) . They can be sweet or of the savoury type ,by and large eaten for breakfast or as an accompaniment for tea time.
If you threw a cupcake against the wall, you would hear something of a "poof!" If you threw a muffin, you would hear a "thud!" A commenter writes on the English Forum
Time for my judgement ??? Off course the cupcake.. They are beautified with the lovely icing and that's the icing on the cake.

Quite surprised , I have never posted a frosted cupcake recipe ever in my blog.. Well ,I go to admit ..I have tried it just once … Remembered my antic… My cup cake was baked just right.. I went on and did my icing straight away without cooling them… And… all the icing went sway…. Cant get any better …..
This is the second instant , I m on it… No room for errors… Made my cupcake the previous day and did the frosting the day after…
I chanced upon Baking Mad website , and made up mind to try their easy peesy cupcake recipe . Think ..!! Think … !! And ultimately settled to do their frosted Chocolate cupcake beauties. Tweeted the recipe with the available ingredients at home. Replaced Creme Fraiche for Double cream .Omitted the chocolate chips.

Recipe Adapted from Baking Mad
INGREDIENTS:

Sef Raising Flour	200gm
Brown Sugar	200gm
Cocoa Powder	6Tblspn
Sunflower Oil	150 ml
DOuble Cream	100mll
Eggs	2

For Icing:

Icing Sugar	200gm
Softened Butter	100gm
Vanilla Essence	1 Tsp
Milk	1 Tsp
Pink Color	A drop ( optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Pre heat oven 170 C, fan oven 150 C, 325 F, Gas Mark 3.
Line the muffin tray with the liners.
In a large mixing bowl , place the dry ingredients – Flour, Sugar & cocoa powder together. Give them a good stir. Top it up with wet ingredients one by one – OIl , cream & eggs. Whisk them together until smooth and slightly fudgy.
Spoon the mixture into the cases until 3/4th .Bake for 20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Cool on a rack before decorating.
For Vanilla Butter cream icing : Beat the butter using an electric whisk or a wooden spoon until soft. Gradually include the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add one teaspoon of the milk and vanilla extract and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Beat in a lil more milk, if necessary, to loosen the mixture. Stir in food color to make your icing attractive.
Spoon the icing on top of your cooled cupcake or pipe the icing on the cupcakes to make them attractive.

TIPS:
Place the butter onto your kitchen counter atleast 30 minutes prior to start.
If its taken out from the freezer , keep it out a couple of hours and let me get to room temperature.
How do we determine if the butter is at room temperature? When u push your finger onto the butter , it should leave an intend .. and we know its ready for use.. The butter should be soft.. neither warm nor melty..
Sources:
BakingMad,Cakespy.com,Wikepedia,Instructables

Apple Tomato Chutney

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 20:31:00 +0000

Can I say my wish came true gazing at an apple tree…
My neighbour across the fence grows the best British cooking apples - Bramley apples.. Shear Green apples ..We have seen them grown and been plucked too.. Wished we could hit a stone and grab one…
Looks like we had a lucky charm that day …

Our neighbours… buzzed saying.. “ Excuse Me .. We are plucking the apple from the tree and will be selling over the weekend at the church “.

One eyebrow raised , I said in a low tone .. “ Oh ok… “

Neighbours – “ Am not asking you to buy them… . Would you mind having some of them ?? “

Alll excited and eagerly … said “ Oh sure… I wud love too.. Thanks a ton ..”

My joy knew no bound.. I kept wondering what shall I cook with them.. . My next door British neighbour came to my rescue.. and suggested making apple crumble.. Started with my process of apple crumble.Had stewed the apples with sugar and water .. and then realised I don't have any butter left for the crumble ..( I did manage to make my crumble much later though )
Didnt know what to do ??? Tasted the stewed apples and found they werent sweet , quite sour.. Only tomatoes could gel well with them.. There goes with the invention of my Apple Tomato Chutney.

INGREDIENTS:

Bramley Apples	2 large nos ,Peeled , Cored & sliced
Chopped Tomatoes	1 Can of 400gm
Dried Red Chillies	5 Nos chopped into 2
Sugar	2 Tblspn
Cinnamon Powder	1 Tsp
Ginger Powder	1 Tsp
Salt	To Taste
Chilli Flakes	1/2 tsp

DIRECTIONS:

Place the apples, sugar along with water just enough to cover them in a saucepan. Bring them to boil , simmer and cook until tender .
Add in chopped tomatoes along with cinnamon powder , ginger powder and dried red chillies to the stewed apple. Top it up with required amount of salt. Reduce heat, simmer & cook , stirring occasionally until the chutney thickens.
Let the chutney cool , and transfer them into a sterilised container.Drizzle the chilli flakes onto the top. Enjoy them as an accompaniment with thepla’s ( methi roti’s ) or paratha’s .

Sweet Rice Pudding - The Phirni

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:38:00 +0000

I m soo delighted that I have made this lovely pudding and this brings me back to blogging There should be an icebreaker ,when you want to make a comeback and this dessert did the same thing.
My understanding of this dessert was that it would taste similar to Pal Paysam ( another milk rice pudding made in the traditional south Indian style) . But after compiling this dessert , my notion was proved wrong… This rice pudding is served as Prasad( a token after the prayer) in North India .

INGREDIENTS:

Whole Milk	1.25 l
Cinnamon Stick	2 *1” long
Rice	3/4th Cup
Sugar	3/4th –1 Cup
Walnuts	For Garnishing
Almonds – peeled & sliced	For Garnishing

DIRECTIONS:

Soak the rice in water for at least 2 hours . Drain the water and powder the rice until coarse.
In a steel saucepan , bring the milk to boil with the cinnamon stick .
Add the ground rice and stir at regular intervals. If you feel there is a lump formation happening , run ur hand blender through the mixture on the stove and give it a good whizz a few times..This process with help the lumps to vanish.
When the rice is completely cooked , include the sugar ,stirring occasionally. Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved .
Cook on low flame for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let the phirni cool down completely and allow it to chill for minimum 2-3 hours .
To serve ,Pour the phirni in individual matka’s , garnish with sliced almonds & walnuts.

Sending this lovely dessert to 100 Yummy Diwali Sweets Recipes - Ebook By Indus Ladies.

A trip back home and return to blogging !!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandhya Hariharan) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:18:00 +0000

India Gate

Sight & the smell of my Home land .. Loved everything about it .. From day one we landed at Delhi with utmost excitement until the day we returned with pleasant memories of my trip , I cherish every moment....

The paperwala

The Mango vendor ( who happily possed looking at my DSLR)

the painters

they are all related to us in our lives and bring back memories….

Whilst I still unpack , fond memories of the trip and every little bit associated with it come fresh onto my mind... Be a a little steel laddle or a kadai or a new pair of salwar kameez or anything...... A smile strikes my face with all the wonderful moments spent at home with parents and inlaws... A festival makes it a bonus celebration. Divinity & the rituals around…

Maavaluku

Catching up with almost everyone in my friends & relatives list... Eating anything and everything I CUD...

My picture tour of the powerhouse city of India and to Jaipur were the 2 highlights of my India trip. For the first time ever , rather than posing , I went on to be a real photographer…

This picture is around the Rastrapathi Bhavan

Loved Night photography… Put in all my learnings from blogging to this….

Hawa Mahal – Jaipur

Aaah.. not to forget , the n number of Golgappa's I have gobbled every time I have stepped outside the house... And the thali at Rajdhani – largest meal ever… for quite a nominal price…!!! We got a chance to make it as a family on my birthday !!

My lil V , very coy , English , organised started learning the Indian ways... Prankishness from his uncles , From an english lad to a tamil speaking boy at home - Kudos to his grandma , Extra devotion from his grand parents , Eating icecream after every meal - from his grandpa , Naughtiness from the kids in the neighbourhood .. something he has never seen until we had our India trip... Kids just barging in each others house... playing , screaming ,bullying & many more... Apart from all this , he learnt to be a bit more independent . Went on to explore every opportunity he got.. Be it climbing a terrace at my granny’s place or messing his clothes with mud around… Best of the trip is that Ved relates himself with everyone .. associates every learning , every present with people way back home !!!!

Every Trip home makes you nostalgic with the mere thought of it... I have slowly started making a list of things I want to do for next year... and I keep adding on to it ...... This trip turned out much more exciting and eventful than we had planned...

Learnt quite a lot of lovely authentic delicacies.. .. and you are sure to see them coming up over a period of time..

Its hardly a few days I returned , am still buzy getting things to settle .. Making this house into a home again ... :) While stocking up my fridge , little did I realise a whole bottle of milk is to expire day after...

Cant let it go off the drain ..... What shall I do ?? After heavy brainstorming , boiled down to this lovely pudding - Firni . My first hand effort at it and I totally deserve a pat on my back for this successful attempt :)

Recipe coming up in my next post !!!!!