Chocolates & Dreams

Good Taste meets Good Health –Washington Apple Commission

2012-05-31T16:21:00+05:30

Cooking Demo by Chef Vicky Ratnani

Health bytes by Nutritionist Geetu Amarnani

Well known Chef Vicky Ratnani demonstrated how Washington Apples along with being a great snack can also be used to add to our cooked food to add a punch of health.
The venue was the gorgeous Russian Culture Center, New Delhi and the demo was organized in association with the Sindhi Ladies Association. To a roomful of lovely ladies Chef Ratnani started his demo with a delicious Washington Apples and Pumpkin Bisque. A unique combination of Indian spices and exotic ingredients, this bisque can be served warm or cold and can be made in advance for a special dinner.
Then he made the Washington Apples and Jack-fruit Salad. A combination, of three different varieties of apples, jack-fruit and some intense Indian flavours, the salad was crunchy, delicious & wholesome.
And to finish off the Trilogy he made Granny Smith Apple Risotto with Hazelnuts. A combination of simple flavours made the risotto exquisite.
The session was interactive with Chef Vicky Ratnani giving out a lot of tips and opinions on the different ways in which he incorporates apples in his daily diet. In his own words, “Apples add a delicious flavor to a variety of dishes. You can use them in salads and soups, use them in baking for cookies and breads or add them to your favorite dessert.”
Nutritionist Geetu Amarnani told us that 3 apples a day and a good diet can help a person reduce weight. In her own words, “Apples provide a complete body health benefit. Apart from apples being brain healthy, they are a delicious source of dietary fiber, which helps aid digestion and weight loss.” To know more about her visit her blog A Slice Of Health.
And what better ways can one find to sneaking in those apples than through these delicious recipes.
Washington apples offer a range of varieties, each with its own unique taste and texture. To find out more about these apples visit Washington Apples.
Recipes to follow soon.
Enjoy ! ! !

Walnut White Chocolate Bites - SRC - The Spiffy Cookie

2012-05-28T21:20:00+05:30

It is time for this month’s Secret Recipe Club reveal. The SRC is a network of food bloggers that was started by Amanda from Amanda’s Cookin with the objective of bringing more traffic to her blog. A club which started with just 19 members has grown to a whooping 300+ members with a waiting list of foodies waiting to get in on all the fun. Want to know more? Go HERE.
This month I was assigned Erin’s blog The Spiffy Cookie. Currently pursuing her PhD in Biomedical Sciences, she created her blog to be able to share her love for food with family and friends. Her favorite colour is Purple. Her favorite food group is desserts and her blog has the most amazing collection of desserts recipes that you must check out. Erin has a cat named Brady and also loves to work out and shop. Spin, core and Pi-Yo (Pilates-Yoga) are the things she loves to do at her gym. And the UPS/FedEx guys know her by name. A beautiful lady with a delicious blog; all her posts are an extension of her personality and reflect her warmth and love for food. The number of Homemade Pizza recipes had me drooling all over the laptop but I could not get myself to try them in this killing heat. The few recipes that are on my immediate to do list are - Whole Wheat Thin crust Pizza Dough, “Don’t Judge Me” Mac & Cheese, Delche De Lech Brownies, Irish Car Bomb Mini Cheesecake Bites.
But, what I choose to make for the reveal are these super delicious and super simple Apricot White Chocolate Granola Bites. They get done in a jiffy and are full of energy and nutrients. The only suggestion I will make is go a little slow on these as they have the tendency of disappearing rather quickly. I did make a few small changes according to what I had on hand but these came out delicious and will be made often. Healthy, Sumptuous & Delicious is the way to go!
Walnut White Chocolate Granola Bites :
Adapted from : The Spiffy Cookie
Oats ¾ cup
Unsalted cashews ½ cup
Walnuts ½ cup
Dried Fig 3 circles ( 2 cut to small pieces & 1 cut into triangles for decoration)
White chocolate chips ¼ cup
Forest honey 1/8 cup
Vanilla essence ½ tsp
•Mix oats, walnuts and cashews in the mixer and grind to flour consistency. Add in the white chocolate and mix once.
•Remove mix from mixer bowl into a vessel and add in the dry figs, vanilla essence and honey.
•Mix till the dough comes together.
•Roll into round balls and decorate with white chocolate chips, dried figs and cashews and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours to cool.
•Delicious healthy oats and walnut bites are ready.
Makes : 30 small bites.
Enjoy ! ! !

Tzinga : The Cool New Energy Drink In Town

2012-05-23T20:24:00+05:30

The one thing I hate about Indian summers is the unbearable heat. With temperature touching 43ºC I have been in no mood of looking towards the kitchen. Plus work has been kind of busy and after staring at the computer for a good 6 – 7 hours I have no interest left in doing anything further. I know I am complain about stuff that is peanuts for many. I guess I am a bit lazy as well. I admit. I admit. But well, that should explain the dearth of posts. The second thing that I despise about summers is the fact that May is my birth month. All year long, I drool over delicious recipes and cake that I dream of making for myself and when the day arrives all I want to do is switch on the air conditioner and stay in my cool haven.
This year was different. I did actually bake myself a delicious cake. But, more on that later. And to add to the day was a glass of refreshing Tzinga in my hand. Tazinga is the cool new ENERGY drink in town. Available in three different flavours, not only is it prices quite reasonably as compared to the other products in the category but also does offer some distinct flavours for the palate.
I began my experiment with the known and understood – Lemon Mint. The flavour wasn’t a huge surprise, but what caught my attention was the fact that the drink actually gave me an energy kick. Seriously, I always thought that also those claims were a bunch of bull ****. I give them points for that.
Then, the common – Mango Strawberry. The flavours are well blended and the drink is refreshing. Recommended for the many who don’t likeexperiments. This is a safe and delicious choice.
Then, the unknown – Tropical Trip. Now this one was a tropical trip indeed. With juice from pear, pineapple, lemon, mandarin, apple and passion fruit, the taste is different. The flavours mingle beautiful and the outcome is exotic. This is something I would recommend to people who like to experiment.
All these drink come with three common facts :
Potent – Guarana.
Positive – Taurine.
Energy – Ginseng.
Plus the plastic cover is environment friendly. Surprised! So was I. Go find out the truth HERE.
Three delicious flavours with the goodness of some extra energy during these harsh summers, who can complain.
To know more about Tzinga go HERE.To follow them on Facebook go HERE.

Be Cool & Energized With A Tzinga !

Enjoy ! ! !

Homemade Poptarts - SRC - Inside Bru Crew Life

2012-04-30T21:42:00+05:30

It is again time for the month’s Secret Recipe Club Reveal. A club that was started a year ago has grown for 19 members in the first month to 300+ members doing reveals every Monday of the month. To know more about this amazing group and join it go HERE.
I was pleasantly surprised and delighted to be assigned Jocelyn’s delicious blog Inside Bru Crew Life. She had been assigned my blog last month and the magic she created with my Strawberry Cheesecake had me drooling all over. A beautiful lady with three lovely children, Jocelyn is addicted to sugar (mainly chocolate) and she bakes and blog about all the yummy treats she makes. After going through her blog all month long it was a struggle to decide what to choose. The options ranged from Chocolate Mint Donuts, Chocolate Toffee Banana Cookies, Homemade Twix Bars. The choices were innumerable and delicious. Finally my search ended at pop tarts . My first reason being, that the post started with the word “nutella” and the second was that I have been reading about pop tarts for some time now and they sounded fascinating. A hybrid of a biscuit and a tart, these delicious looking pop tarts had me hypnotized. They came out delicious and flaky. The biscuit baked to perfection and the nutella filling and white chocolate topping completed a delicious picture. Here’s to delicious dreams …
Homemade Poptarts:
Notes:
•This recipe can easily be doubled. I halved the main recipe. But, I suggest you make the original quantity as these tarts disappear without warning.
•Don’t reduce the quantity of butter in the recipe. My natural instinct is to reduce the butter a recipe demands by ¾ to ½. In this recipe the first batch came out dry because of the reduced quantity of butter.
•The main recipe asks for an additional egg for the egg wash. I just set aside 2 tbsp of beaten egg and that served the purpose. Thus I have omitted the second egg in my recipe.
•Add the salt in if you are using unsalted butter. Otherwise the dough will become too salty.
All-purpose flour 1 cup
Sugar 1 tbsp
Salt ½ tsp
Unsalted Butter, cut into small squares 100 grams
Egg 1 large
Milk 1 tbsp
•Preheat oven at 175ºC and lightly grease a baking sheet.
•Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
•Work in the butter with your fingers till pea-sized lumps of butter are visible, and the mixture holds together when squeezed.
•Whisk the egg and remove 2 tbsp for egg wash. Add in the milk and stir the mix into the dough, mixing just until everything is cohesive and knead briefly on a well-floured counter to bring the dough together.
•Divide the dough in half. Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8″ thick.
•Cut each piece of dough to form 8 equal portions.
•On 4 pieces apply the egg wash. This will be the “inside” of the tart and the egg will help to glue the lid on.
•Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, keeping a bare 1/2-inch perimeter around it.
•Place the second rectangle of dough atop the first and using your fingertips press firmly around the pocket of filling, sealing the dough well on all sides.
•Press the tines of a fork all around the edge of the rectangle. Repeat with remaining tarts.
•Gently place the tarts on the lightly greased baking sheet.
•Prick the top of each tart with a fork so that steam can escape.
•Bake them for 10 to 15 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown.
•Cool in pan or rack till they come to room temperature and then decorate with desired toppings.
Fillings I used :
•Nutella.
•Butterscotch chips.
•Gulkand.
I finally decorated the tops with melted white chocolate and sprinkled some decoration. The Gulkand pop tarts I left undecorated.
Makes : 16 pop tarts.
Enjoy ! ! !

7 X 7 Award

2012-04-19T18:09:00+05:30

It is a great pleasure to be recognized by a fellow blogger. Awards in the blogosphere are as interesting and diverse as those in the real world. Blogging makes one very close to a fellow bloggers and the opportunity to meet them makes it even more interesting. Over the past 6 months I have had the pleasure of meeting a few but the one who had eluded me is Deboshree from Saddi Delhi. A true Delhite at heart I first came to know about her blog from a comment she had left on one of my posts. What had really made me take notice was the fact that the comment had come from ‘Deboshree who lived in Pune’. I had thought for a split second that a cousin I had been trying to coax for months to visit my blog had finally done the honours.
One click later, I was at Paneer, Pulao & Pune. A blog, by a young girl, living away from home. I could relate to her immediately. A few posts and comments later we were regulars at each other’s blogs. This is how virtual friendships are build.
I received the 7X7 Award from Deboshree recently. Thanks a lot D.
Now as almost all awards go, this one is also to be passed forward. But first, let’s get down to the rules.
1: Tell everyone something about yourself that nobody else knows.
I am a day dreamer. I dream all day, make mighty plans at night & the next day morning – poof goes the bubble.
2: Link to a post from my own blog that I think fits the following categories: The Most Beautiful Piece, Most Helpful Piece, Most Popular Piece, Most Controversial Piece, Most Surprisingly Successful Piece, Most Underrated Piece, Most Pride-worthy Piece.
Here is the list of posts that make me look back and smile:
1.   The Most Beautiful Piece:
This post makes me smile every time I go back to it. A bouquet of flowers meant for a newlywed who refused to accept it came my way from my sister. Those beautiful flowers were meant to be appreciated and loved rather than be cast away in a corner of a busy wedding celebration. They had made me smile for days. I hope they bring a smile to your face as well.
A Thing Of Beauty Is A Joy Forever
2.   Most Helpful Piece:
For some time, this category had me in a dilemma. But then I remembered my recent mails with a sweet reader – Gene Das. Married to a bong, she was once feed “magur mach er kalia” by her mother-in-law. She swore never to taste the dish again, but after trying my recipe she was convinced otherwise. Her sweet words made my day. This is one of the reasons I love blogging.
Indian Catfish Curry/Magur Mach er Kalia
3.   Most Popular Piece :
These delicious and gooey Chocolate Lava Muffins win this title hands down. I have never had so many comments coming my way in a single day. Delicious, sinful and chocolaty. Presenting : Choco-Lava Muffins
4.   Most Controversial Piece:
One would wonder what could cause a controversy on a food blog. Well apparently food is a controversial subject for the ones who take it seriously. My post on how I did not understand all the fussing about Radhuni & then discovered that it was just Ajwain, had a lot of people blow there fusses in real life and the blog world. I had touched and challenged a treasured Bengali ingredient and phew ….
Here is the controversy queen, and I still get some angry mails. How Radhuni lost its Novelty
5.   Most Surprisingly Successful Piece:
This again goes to Choco-Lava Muffins. I had known that there would be a few oohs n aahs about the post, but the kind of feedback I got was a pleasant surprise. Here is the queen of surprises : Choco-Lava Muffins
6.   Most Underrated Piece:
A delicious chocolate cake made healthy with olive oil completely slipped out of notice. I have always wondered how that had happened. Here is it’s time rise & shine.
Presenting : Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting.
7.   Most Pride-worthy Piece:
Being awarded the runner-up prize in the Master Chef India contest held on Indiblogger was a moment of pride and joy. What made the success sweeter is that this is my dad’s favorite sweet dish & maa makes it religiously on his birthday. Presenting : Chanar Payesh
3: Pass this on to 7 fellow bloggers.
The award goes to :
Purba Ray’s - A-musing. “A little sweet, a little tangy and very, very spicy”. No one could have described it better than the lady herself.
Geni’s - Sweet & Crumbly Her delicious chocolate desserts will make you want to lick them off the screen. Sloop alert!
Sandy’s – Confused Yuppie. After having successfully written & published a book, Sandy is looking for a plot in all the odd places. Go check out her adventures and experiences.
Sushmita’s – My Unfinished Life. From fashion to travel this is a diverse blog that covers all the aspects that are close to her heart. Enjoy the adventure.
Joshi Daniel’s – Joshi Daniel Photography. It is said that a picture speaks a thousand words, his speak a million. Go and get lost in the beauty and diversity at offer.
Srivalli’s – Spice Your Life. Delicious food and fun contests. This lady keeps her readers and followers on their toes.
Sujatha’s – Conversations. A treasure trove of the most diverse thoughts and expression.

Enjoy ! ! !

Cheena Pora - Indian Cooking Challenge - March 2012

2012-04-15T16:11:00+05:30

It has been a while since I have participated in the Indian Cooking Challenge. The last few months have flown by in an eye wink. The last month’s challenge got photographed and achieved but never saw the light of day. But this Challenge had me on my toes the minute I saw it. The whole concept was very new to me and what surprised me was it stark similarity to the New York Cheesecake. From the looks of the cake, to the simplicity of the ingredients, here was an Indian version of the New York Cheesecake.
The recipe is adapted from Shibani’s lovely blog Any One Can Cook.
The Chenna Poda turned out delicious and filling. And there was nothing ‘Poda’ i.e. burnt about this cake other than the delicious caramel on the top.
Chenna Poda :
Adapted from : Any One Can Cook.
Notes :
•   Make sure that the paneer is freshly made. It should be really soft to make the chenna poda.
•   This recipe can easily be doubled.
Chenna squeezed (freshly curdled) 250 grams
Suji / Semolina / Rava 1/8 cup
Sugar ¼ cup
Cardamom powder ¼ tsp
Raisins ¼ cup
Broken pieces of Cashew nuts (optional)
•   Make the paneer. Don’t squeeze it out completely. Just leave it in a strainer for 10 minutes and remove.
•   Preheat the oven at 180C.
•   Put it in a big bowl and mash it thoroughly.
•   Then add in the suji and sugar. Mix them well. The mix should turn very soft and crumbly. Now add the cardamom powder, nuts and raisins. Mix again.
•   For the caramelized, apply a tablespoon of ghee to the ramekins. Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar and turn up the heat in the oven to 220C. This will take some time, around 5-8 minutes but watch the sugar carefully as it will burn very quickly. The other option is to make the caramel in a bowl and spread it on the base of the ramekins.
•   Now, top the caramel with the chenna mix.
•   Then bake the ramekins for 15 minutes. When a toothpick comes out clean the cheena poda is done.
•   Cool for about ½ hour. Release the sides with the help of a sharp knife and invert to remove.
•   It will stay fresh for a week in the refrigerator.
Makes : 4 portions/ramekins.
Enjoy ! ! !

Britannia 50-50 Snackuits : Snacks bhi, Baked bhi

2012-04-12T19:17:00+05:30

The license to guilt free snacking & limitless enjoyment.

Britannia is launching it very own healthy snack. A healthy snack that is guilt-free!
Don’t we all love and crave for such a miracle. So suddenly one fine day, I get a mail and then voila a gift pack of the most delicious snacks. Who knew that tea time could be such fun? A hot cup of tea, a delicious bowl of Britannia 50-50 Snackuits and a phone call to a girl friend. Fun all over …..
Introducing the three different flavours:
Swiss Cheese Chilly : The taste of authentic Swiss Cheese.
Chinese Hot & Sweet : The zing of Chinese cuisine.
Italiano Pizza : Melt in the mouth delicious.
Britannia 50-50 Snackuits give every modern day homemaker the option of guilt-free snacking as it is baked & has cut back on cholesterol, MSG, Trans Fat and oil. It is available in two different packing - a take away pack and an air tight pack for in-home use.
Ms. Shalini Degan, Category Director- Delight and Lifestyle, Britannia Industries talking about Britannia 50-50 said “Britannia 50-50 has been synonymous with snacking for housewives for as long as it has existed. The brand celebrates the self assured, witty, unconventional side of housewives. 50-50 believes that housewives can be fun & have an easy & happy relationship with ‘life’ & not a serious or contentious one as they are often stereotyped to be.”
Talking about the 50-50 Snackuits campaign, R. Balki, Chairman and Chief Creative officer, Lowe Lintas added, “Who says housewives are boring? If only we could put a camera when they are with their friends.... Husbands will be shocked! It’s like adda baazi for their wives! It’s not just teens who hang around with snacks! 50-50 Snackuits is positioned as an accompaniment to the housewives adda! Just a way to make snacking interesting for all!”
Now a little about the company that makes delicious guilt-free gossip possible :
Britannia Industries is one of India’s leading Food companies and a leader in the Bakery and Dairy segments in the Indian marketplace. With revenues in excess of Rs. 4,500 crores (USD 1 billion) annually and a storehouse of power brands, Britannia is also India’s favorite Food Brand. Britannia caters to consumers in all demographic and socio-economic segments across urban and rural India. Britannia products are available across the country in over 35 lakh (3.5 million) retail outlets, at consumer-accessible price points starting at as little as Rs 2 (~ 4 US cents), and reach over 40% of Indian homes.
So enjoy the New Britannia 50-50 Snackuits over a cup of hot tea and lots of gossip.

First 4 photographs courtesy Britannia.

Chocolate Lava Muffins – Secret Recipe Club – Cyndi’s Recipes

2012-03-26T22:15:00+05:30

Another month of deliciousness! The Secret Recipe Club is back again. The SRC as we love to call it, is a group of blogger who come together every Monday of the month to reveal delicious mouth-watering delicacies they have been making in their kitchens. So, you wonder, isn’t that what food bloggers do? But this is the interesting part; the delicacies come from the blog we are assigned every month. Interesting! Go HERE to know all about it.
This month’s assignment was Cyndi’s Recipes. A delicious blog, with an amazing collection of mouth watering delicacies. After going throw her blog for days, and choosing a new recipe every day, I finally found a soul soother. I choose to make the delicious Chocolate Lava Muffins http://cyndisrecipes.blogspot.in/2006/01/chocolate-lava-muffins.html.
But first a little about Cyndi. In her own words, “So many places to see. So many pieces to stitch. So many foods to eat. Never enough time.” Could anyone have described their passions better? And her passions come out through 9 different blogs that she manages. Wow! Hats Off to you! Go visit all her blogs from HERE.
And now back to chocolaty gooey goodness ….
Chocolate Lava Muffins : -
Recipe from : Cyndi’s Recipes
Notes :
•My first batch of muffins set all the way. I had baked them for almost 13 minutes.
•In the second round I baked the muffins for 10 minutes. At this point just the center is not set. Turn on the heat. The center will set in the next 10 seconds. Quickly take out the muffin and serve.
•Another thing that I noticed was that as soon as the muffin comes out of the oven it sink with a minute. So be ready to jump right in.
•WARNING : Don’t put the muffin into your mouth immediately. That will burn you. Just cut the muffin and enjoy the gooey goodness spill all over the plate. You can lick it off later. What fulfillment ….
Dark Chocolate 1 cup
Butter (softened) 60 grams
Vanilla essence ½ tsp
Flour 1 ½ tbsp
Salt ¼ tsp
Brown Sugar ¼ cup
Eggs 2
•Preheat the oven at 190C for 10 minutes. Grease and line one 6 cup muffin tray.
•While the oven is preheating mix the dark chocolate, butter and vanilla essence in a microwave safe bowl and melt the mix. Just put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Take out and give it a mix. Put it back and heat another 30 seconds.
•Add in the sugar, flour and salt. Mix well.
•Now mix 1 egg at a time.
•Pour the mix equally amongst the 6 cups and bake for 10 – 13 minutes.
•What worked best for me was to bake the muffins for the first 10 minutes and then watch them rise. As soon as the top is set take them out.
Makes : 6.
Enjoy ! ! !

The Beauty Of Imperfection

2012-03-01T16:50:00+05:30

Tusker Trails, Thekkadi, Kerala – A Simple Lesson on Dreams & Aspirations

2012-02-29T17:30:00+05:30

We were recently guests in God’s Own Country – Kerala. After spending a few amazing days surrounded by the beautiful Tea Gardens of Munnar (read about that experience in this post) we headed towards Thekkadi. The distance between these two places around a 100 kms but because of winding roads it takes almost 3 hrs to reach. Once we reached Kumily we bought tickets for the Kathakali show that evening and proceeded to the Tusker Trails, Club Mahindra.
The Periyar Tiger Reserve has a total of 62 tigers, 80 leopards, about 1000 elephants, nilgiri langurs and many other reptile species. There is a special trip that one has to take to go inside the tiger reserve. We opted for the Gavi Eco Tourism trip. It starts very early in the morning, around 5:30 a.m. Eraly mornings are the best times to spot animals. Once we started from our hotel we travelled almost 20 – 25 kms to get to the entrance of the forest reserve. After a cup of hot tea we proceeded into the forest.

Elephant & Baby

Within 5 minutes of entering we found a cluster of jeeps parked on the roads. Hurra ! We had already spotted our first group of wild elephants. It was a small group of around 5-6 elephants and we also spotted a baby in there midst. The forest is dense and green and Thomas our jeep driver and guide told us that he had see all animals that one could possibly see in the forest. There are certain areas within the forest that are occupied by the local tribes; he belonged to one of those. Ever since a child he had been out in the forests playing and picking fruits. Only after marriage and for his children’s education did he move to the city.
A little ahead we suddenly heard movement on our left, he stopped the vehicle and just a few meters ahead we saw a Tusker cross the road. Our excitement knew no bound. Then, Thomas narrated his wild encounter.
It was a usual day & he had been out with the tourists when a Tusker crossed the road right in front of them. Knowing the danger they were facing he asked everyone to sit quietly and switched of the jeep. The Tusker crossed the road and when in about 20 meters, then it suddenly turned around & charged at the jeep. Instinctively he started the vehicle & backed it up at full speed that is usually supposed to calm them. But, this Tusker was angry. He kept coming at them & ultimately they had to abandon the jeep & run into the forest. Fortunately the Tusker overturned the jeep & left. They were all unhurt but very shaken.
Wild Tuskers are considered the most dangerous animals. They are always alone and get angry very quickly. Animals also get agitated by the colour red. I was immediately asked to remove my red jacket & put it aside.
We saw many nilgiri langurs, sambar deer and wild gaurs on our way. We were lucky enough to see a wild gaur cross the road as well. Thomas was very happy as sighting so many animals was quite rare. At the end of the journey we reached the Gavi Eco Tourism Hotel inside the Periyar National Reserve. It is a beautiful hotel sponsored by the Kerala Forest Development Corporation Ltd. Overlooking it, is a beautiful artificial water reserve. Many animals can be spotted here in the early mornings. The lake also has a boating facility. Here we meet our next guide Viji. A young & enthusiastic man, it was a pleasure to meet him. After a sumptuous breakfast of idli’s, sambar, chutney, poached eggs, bread & butter, fruits and tea we headed out for a trek into the forest. A powerhouse of energy he had a lot to say and ask. Almost immediately after climbing a small hill we spotted a group of 16 wild gaurs deep down in the valleys. After trekking for some time and a lot of information about the fauna, flora & animals, we got back to the hotel to relax.

Elephant Footprints

Footprints Of A Tiger or Leopard

It was a nice & sunny winter day. A good rest on the soft grass, beside the lake had us ready for boating. Viji at the oars was again telling us about his life, a girl-friend in the close by city, his work as a guide at the hotel, there life in this beautiful forest. We were amazed to know that a few years back when he had just started working as a guide he knew only 2 words in English, ‘yes’ & ‘no’. His interaction with foreigners over the years had helped him learn to speak English and a few words in French and Spanish as well. A keen observer & learner he would ask us the meaning of every sentence we spoken in Bengali & had us teach him a few words and sentences. All this while he ensured that we saw the paw prints of tigers & elephants on the lake’s banks, spotted a kingfisher for us & ensured that we did not have a single dull moment.

The Lake

Fig Tree

Elephant Skull

Once back from the boating we relaxed near a huge fig tree. I was the first time that I had seen a fig tree. Once Viji realised my awe & excitement he pluck a few almost rip fruits & had us taste them. Then we headed off to see a collection of skeletons of elephants & wild gaurs that they had recovered from the forest. The elephant skull had chills running down my spine. The wonders of nature !
After a quick visit to a cardamom factory & a delicious lunch we headed back to our hotel in Thekkadi to unwind & relax.
The next day we spend lazing around the hotel & in the evening went for a show of Kalari. An ancient form of Martial art, it is beautiful to watch. The kind of control, dedication & devotion it requires is enormous & all the young men who demonstrated its different styles and forms had been initiated into its practice since childhood.
Thekkadi is famous for spices, especially cardamoms. A visit to this place is incomplete with the purchase of cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, dry fruits, kerala halwa & banana chips. The prices are almost 50% less than the market price in metros and the quality is far more superior. Another must buy is a kathakali mask, male and female face made of paper mash and wood are both available. Armed with spices and pleasant memories of our trip be headed back to the Kochi airport for your flight to Delhi.
My must do & to remember list & a few things I didn’t discuss above :
•Make friends with the locals. They are very pleasant & helpful.
•Never take anything RED to a wildlife centaury. My backpack & jacket were both red.
•Other than the trip to the Periyar National Reserve, there are many other interesting trips like the Night Watchman. 6 individuals along with a guide & an armed guard are taken into the forest at night. My hubby when for this, I am too much a coward to try such adventures. He had a very good experience.
•Visit the forest department office and find out about the many other interesting trips on offer.
•Carry some kind of wind cheater. The early morning was very clod & we froze to our bones.
•Don’t miss the Kathakali & Kalari shows.
•Eat the local food. The kerala fish fry, kerala partha, meen moili are a must. More about those soon.

I am subimtting this entry to the contest on Indiblogger. Expedia is spreading it wings in India, go check out there website. .

Homemade Bagels – Secret Recipe Club – Anne Jesica’s Healthy Pursuits

2012-02-27T18:30:00+05:30

What excitement ! The very first post for Secret Recipe Club this year. Time seems to be flying by, it seems like yesterday when we were all headed into the holiday season with Christmas & New Year upon us. We were all preparing to make new resolutions and think of all the things we would certainly be doing this year.
And, then suddenly it’s the end of February ! ! In the one month break SRC has come of age. The forum that was born from a need to get more exposure to an individual blog has become a phenomenon in the food blogging community. SRC began with 19 members in the first month and has grown to 300+ participating blogger who are now divided into 4 groups and a long waiting list of many who would love to be part of all the fun. Do you want to know more? Go HERE to know all about Secret Recipe Club.
This month I was assigned the blog Anne Jesica’s Healthy Pursuits. A beautiful lady with two adorable little sons she creates wonders in her kitchen. All her recipes are tweaked to be delicious, wholesome & healthy at the same time. What you must visit is her list of desserts, they are mouthwatering delicious. She has also had her very own Home Baking Business for over 2 years, and this lady is not one to keep her secrets to success hidden. Go check out all her wonderful tips on how to start a Home Baking Business. The tips are well detailed and compiled. She is sharing all her love, go give some back.
So after reading about all the bread, bagels, muffins, cookies, whoopee pies, Christmas bake trays and cinnamon rolls that she sells, I choose to make bagels. It is something that I have been meaning to make for a long time now.
Bagels, the very sound of this word makes me go all fuzzy in the brain. I start dreaming, a sun washed balcony looking onto this vast green pasture, a small stream flowing by, the birds chirping in the trees and this tray full of bagels with different preserves and butter and cheese on the table and a mug of the most delicious caramelly hot chocolate ……
I think you know where this is headed. So here are some delicious home-made bagels for your dreams.
Homemade Bagels
Notes :
•What works best for me is to warm the water in the microwave oven till it is just warm to touch, then adding in the sugar and yeast and giving it a good stir and putting the vessel back in the microwave oven. The warmth inside the oven helps the yeast to grow.
Warm water 1 1/2 cups
Yeast 2 tbsp
Sugar 3 tbsp
Salt 1 tbsp
Wheat flour 2 cups
White flour 2 cups
Egg white, lightly beaten 1
Water 1 tbsp
•In a small bowl, mix yeast, sugar and warm water together and let stand in a warm place till the top is foamy.
•Add salt and 2 cups flour. Stir until combined and slowly mix in the rest of the flour.
•Knead dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes, adding additional flour if necessary. Dough should be fairly smooth and somewhat firm.
•Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until double.
•Punch it down. Divide and shape into 12 balls and let rise.
•Make a hole in each ball of dough and pull open about 2 inches, making a bagel shape. Place the shaped dough onto a cookie sheet and cover for 10 minutes or until risen again.
•Fill a deep bottomed pan with water. Bring the water to a rolling boil and drop 2 or 3 bagels for about 45 seconds, turning and cook for the same duration.
•Drain bagels on a wire rack.
•Mix egg white and water; brush tops with egg white mixture and top with toppings of your choice. I topped half my bagels with grated cheese and the other half with sesame seeds.
• Place bagels on greased baking sheets. Bake at 175ºC for 35 minutes, rotating them once half-way through baking.
•Bagels when done will be lightly browned and shiny. My second batch got a little to brown, but it was equally delicious.
Makes : 12 bagels.
Enjoy ! ! !

Quick Bread – Daring Bakers Challenge – February 2012

2012-02-27T17:59:00+05:30

It is that time of the month again. The Daring Bakers’ Reveal for February 2012 is here. This month we have a very special host amongst us. Lisa from La Mia Cucina is one of the ladies who keep the Daring Bakers & Cooks in pristine shape & time. She is the co-founder of this wonderful forum and is always there to help us in need and just for fun. Thanks a lot Lisa!
Lisa stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavor profiles. To see all the amazing creations and to download the instruction manual with some amazing tips & researches from Lisa & Audax go HERE.
What I finally decided to make were popovers. I have been reading about them, seeing their photographs and drooling all over my lappy for a long time. All the things he puts up with!
After going through quite a few recipes, I settled with these delicious Orange Popovers. The recipe is a Contribution by Grace Parisi at the Food & Wine website. I halved the recipe and it still gave me 12 popovers. Delicious and fluffy, they are perfect to enjoy with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
Orange Popovers :
Large eggs, room temperature 1
Sugar 1 tbsp
Finely grated orange zest 1tsp
Milk ¾ cup
Butter, melted 2 tbsp
All-purpose flour ¾ cup
Baking powder ¼ tsp
Salt ¼ tsp
•Preheat the oven at 210°.
•In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with sugar and orange zest. Add in the milk and 1 ½ tbsp of butter.
•In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.
•Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until only small lumps remain.
•Brush the muffin tin with the remaining ½ tbsp of melted butter and heat the muffin tin in the oven for 5 minutes; the butter will turn a nutty brown.
•Carefully fill the muffin cups halfway with the popover batter. The batter will sizzle when you pour it in.
•Bake the popovers for about 15 minutes or until they are risen and browned.
•Turn them out onto a serving platter and serve immediately.
Makes : 12 popovers.
Enjoy ! ! !

Into The Valley Of Tea - Munnar, Kerala

2012-02-08T22:00:00+05:30

Munnar Lake

Munnar is situated in the Western Ghats and is a famous hill station in Kerala. It gets its name from the Malayalam words Munu (three) and aaru (river) as it is located at the confluence of three rivers - Madhurapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly. Munnar, famous for its tea gardens and is home to around 30 tea estates out of which 27 are owned by Tata Tea. It is also the highest tea plantation in India. The hills are full of tea gardens as far as the eyes can see. The beautiful greenery is breath-taking and the serene atmosphere is perfect for a relaxed vacation. The cheery on the pie is, the hide-n-seek mobile network play in these valleys, suddenly all ringers obnoxious or melodious, fall silent and peace prevails in God’s Own Country.

Mattupetty Hydral Power Dam - Speed Boating

Other than the breathtaking Tea Plantations that cover Munnar like a green blanket, it is also home to the Mattupetty Hydral Power Dam which is a huge source of energy generation. The dam has speed boat rides that are very famous and the experience is mesmerizing.

Echo Point

Around 4 – 5 Kms beyond the dam is the Echo Point that is famous for its scenic beauty and row-boat & paddle boat rides.

Lockhart Tea Estate, Munnar

On the way to the Mattupetty Dam falls the Lockhart Tea Estate with its manicured gardens and its beauty is breathtaking.

Flower Garden

The small flower garden in Munnar is a treasure trove of beautiful flowers and greens and the spice gardens with almost all kinds of spice trees are a one of a kind experience.

Munnar Lake

The Munnar Lake which is situated in Chinnakanal, about 18 kms from the Munnar town is a breathtaking view from the Club Mahindra Resort we were staying in. The lake is a source of drinking water in the region and is surrounded by tea gardens on all sides.
It was an amazing three day spent In God’s Own Country, in The Valley of Tea, Munnar.

Better Late Than Never – Scones – Daring Bakers Challenge – January 2012

2012-02-02T15:47:00+05:30

It was just a few days back when we were all celebrating Christmas and waiting eagerly to welcome a New Year. Suddenly a month of that New Year has passed us by. How time flies. And, with its flight it has left me a little in disarray. With a lot of travelling and other things that have occupied most of the month I had almost let this month’s Daring Bakers Challenge pass. But, how could I let pass an opportunity to bake Scones, especially those that had been remade 16 times and were at a point of complete perfection.
This month’s Daring Bakers Challenge was hosted by Audax from Audax Artifex. A beautiful blogger and a lady who so particular in her quest for perfection that she had 288 recipes of scones bookmarked and made them 16 times till she was happy enough to hand over the recipe to us. Who can say no to such an easy task? A simple recipe; simpler steps, and the output, a delicious, ‘flaky or moist’ scones.
Scones :
Notes :
1. Triple sift the dry ingredients –It is recommended to sift the dry ingredients thrice from a height as it help incorporate air into the mix leading to lightness of the scones and equal distribution of the leavening agents.
2. Rubbing in the fat – When the fat is rubbed in to form a fine grain the dough is tender. On the other hand, the larger the fat pieces the flakier the scones. But, what is most important is to rub in the frozen fat as quickly as possible.
3. Moistening and bringing the dough together - Add all the liquid at once to the rubbed-in dry ingredients. When mixing the dough, stir vigorously from bottom to top and mix just until the dough is well-moistened and begins to come together. It should be wet & sticky.
4. Handling the dough – It is important not to overwork the dough but under-working is also a common mistake. Overworking leads to tough, dry and heavy scones while under-working leads to crumbly ones.
5. Kneading or folding/turning the dough – This is where you decide whether your scones has distinct layers or not. When the dough is simply kneaded by 1) only kneading the dough will create an even tender crumb while only turning and folding the dough will be flaky and have a layered effect.
6. Pat or roll out the dough –It is best to use your fingers to gently pat out the dough once it has been kneaded or folded and turned. Use a very light touch with little pressure and forming the dough into a rectangle to be cut into rounds for the scones.
7. Cutting out your scones – Use a well-floured cutter. You can use a sharp knife to cut out shapes. The knife should be floured before each cut.
8. Baking your scones – Always preheat the oven.
9. Extra comments about resting the dough – In her researches Audax found that resting the dough in various stages in the recipe had different effects on the scones. If you rested the mixed dough (in the fridge) for 20 minutes there is a huge improvement in the dough's handling qualities and the final scones height, lightness and crumb are outstanding. Also she found that if the patted dough was rested, covered in plastic for 10 minutes in the fridge that the rounds were easier to stamp out and the baked goods raise higher and have a better crumb.
All purpose flour 1 cup
Fresh baking powder 2 tsp
Salt ¼ tsp Frozen grated butter 2 tbsp
Cold milk ½ cup Milk 1 tbsp, for glazing the tops of the scones
•Preheat oven at 240°C for 10 minutes.
•Triple sieve the dry ingredients in a large bowl. (If your room temperature is very hot refrigerate the ingredients until cold.)
•Rub the frozen grated butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles very coarse bread crumbs with some pea-sized pieces if you want flaky scones or until it resembles coarse beach sand if you want tender scones.
•Add all the liquid at once into the rubbed-in flour/fat mixture and mix until it just forms a sticky dough. The wetter the dough the lighter the scones (biscuits) will be.
•Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, lightly flour the top of the dough. To achieve an even homogeneous crumb to your scones knead very gently about 4 or 5 times (do not press too firmly) the dough until it is smooth.
•To achieve a layered effect in your scones knead very gently once (do not press too firmly) then fold and turn the kneaded dough about 3 or 4 times until the dough has formed a smooth texture.
•Pat or roll out the dough into a 6” by 4”rectangle by about ¾” thick. Using a well-floured scone cutter, stamp out without twisting the scones or just cut squares or wedges.
•Place the rounds just touching on a baking dish if you wish to have soft-sided scones or place the rounds spaced widely apart on the baking dish if you wish to have crisp-sided scones. Glaze the tops with milk if you want a golden colour on your scones or lightly flour if you want a more traditional look to your scones.
•Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until the scones are well risen and are lightly coloured on the tops. The scones are ready when the sides are set.
•Immediately place onto cooling rack to stop the cooking process, serve while still warm.
Serves: 8, 2” scones or 5, 3” scones or 8 squares and wedges.Delicious with Black Current Preserve or Orange Marmalade.

Enjoy ! ! !

To see all the other amazing scones go HERE.

Singapore Takeout comes to New Delhi – ITC Maurya

2012-01-20T13:00:00+05:30

This year has begun on an amazing note. With all the different things that I have been doing in the last two months I knew that this year would be different. What I did not anticipate was that it would begin with attending amazing food events and meeting a few of my favourite bloggers. The invitation to attend The Singapore Takeout, Delhi at the ITC Maurya was a pleasant surprise and the event was everything I had expected and even more. An amazing interactive session with Chef Benjamin Seck from TrueBlue Cuisine, Singapore, Chef Rajkamal Chopra from Welcomhotel Sheraton and Chef Manisha Bhasin from ITC Maurya and a special luncheon made by them inside a travelling pop-up kitchen was completely spell binding and delicious.
The Singapore Takeout & Chef Exchange Program is an initiative by SPICE, Singapore International Culinary Exchange, in collaboration with International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and SPRING Singapore. Its mission is to establish Singapore as a global innovative culinary capital and a must-visit food destination. This event will reach nine strategic markets through it journey, namely London, Paris, Moscow, New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Delhi, Dubai and Sydney.

The Kitchen Slowly opened to reveal all the Chefs & A photograph from the Better Photography Contest

The event began with a video of the journey of the Singapore Takeout this far and the kitchen was declared open by Mr. Randall TAN Chin Boon, Regional Director, South Asia Middle East & Africa of Singapore Tourism Board. Then the kitchen slow started unwinding and out came the three chefs and there assistants.

Chef Benjamin Beck taught us how to make Roti Jalal

Chef Rajkamal Chopra discussed his inspiration and use of the Laksa Leaf in his Pulao.

The first recipe on the Menu was Nyonya Prawn Curry with Roti Jalal (Lacy Pancakes) and Chef Benjamin Seck taught us how to make the Roti Jalal to perfection. Once we had drooled enough on the heady aroma of the prawn curry and the soft and delicious roti jalal, Chef Rajkamal Chopra took over the kitchen to teach us his take on the Singapore Laksa, Laksa Pulao.

While this session was underway the Popiah Goreng (Fried Spring Rolls) with a filling of cabbage and carrots was served as the first course. The accompanying sauce with the spring roll was delicious and tangy being the perfect combination of vinegar, red chillies and just the right amount of sugar.

The second course was the Laksa Pulao that had just been demonstrated by Chef Rajkamal Chopra. The Laksha Pulao is the chef’s take of Laksa, a popular Singapore street food which is a combination of rice noodles in a spicy, coconut soup. The Pulao was served with raita to add the final Indian touch to the Singapore dish and the marriage of flavours was complete.
The third course was the Nyonya Prawn Curry with Roti Jalal (Lacy Pancakes) by Chef Benjamin Seck. The coconut milk and the added spices in the prawn curry were mouth watering delicious and the lacy pancake took our breaths away.
The fourth course was Chef Manisha Bhasin’s take of Singapore cuisine, a Duet of Asian Inspired Antipasti, a dish featuring Scampi and Lemongrass Ceviche presented in a traditional methi dhania papdi shell drizzled with galangal(blue ginger) and tamarind sauce. This was accompanied by ITC Maurya’s famous Chicken Tikka marinated in Laksa paste and finished with a side of sweet basil naan.
The sweet ending to this delicious meal was a dessert made by Chef Benjamin Seck. Hun Kwee Jagong (Coconut Corn Jelly) is a chilled coconut, corn jelly dessert made from green bean flour wrapped in banana leaf and a favourite of the chef’s as it reminds him of his grandmother making them for afternoon tea.

The gang of bloggers at the event.

This event was made even better by the great company of other bloggers and members of the organising committee and especially Mr. Randall with who we had a long conversation on food Indian & Singaporean. Delicious food, interesting conversations, interactions with the Chefs made the afternoon a complete success. To know more or the journey of Singapore Takeout join them on Facebook or visit www.yoursingapore.com/spice.

Happy New Year

2012-01-12T17:07:00+05:30

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR ! ! !

Here I am, after one of my disappearing acts, AGAIN. I am really good at this, disappearing I mean. A girl has to do this for her sanity sometimes & other times when she has no option. This time around I had no option. My fingers itched to write about all that was happening around me, all that I was doing & experiencing but with the whirlwind of activity that was afoot I had no time to write. I cook & baked but never got to photograph anything. The plum cake that turned out far to rummy to be called a plum cake was named rum cake & disappeared in our tummies without any pictures. The Gajar Halwa disappeared twice without trace , this time I will post about it.

The year ended with a visit from my aunt, uncle & sister on the 31st of December. It also brought along with it the blossoming of the lone rose in our garden.

The year began with the 1st Birthday Celebration of a friend’s daughter & an afternoon spent catching up with friends & delicious food.The evening was spent watching “Key Tumi” a play based on the writing of Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore. Beautiful Bengali recitation by the evergreen Sharmila Tagore & Shoumitra Chatterjee & Rabindra Sangeet by Lopamudra Mitra & Paramita Chatterjee filled our evening with complete bliss & satisfaction.

Santa came a little late this season wearing a postman’s uniform with an amazing & much anticipated gift pack from Mortimer Snodgrass that I won in a giveaway from Evelyne Budkewitsch beautiful blog Cheap Ethinic Eatz. What an amazing array of gift came my way. A table saw that can cut cakes & lettuce with equal ease, Joyce Green is an all natural citrus reamer made from a combination of wood & plastic, a sprout making kit, a pepper grinder with three different pepper settings, and some sexy hot chili pepper to cool my drinks without making them watery. I hope I have more surprises coming my way this year.

Then my friend Tashi came to meet me with her son Zino. We meet after 5 years. The last meeting had been my wedding reception. I have no recollection of what we talked about but had been mighty pleased she could come. Now she has a 2.5 year old son who is a handful & a bundle of joy. I sometimes wonder how time flies …

December & January have also been a busy time for my Dreams …
Chocolates & Dreams was started with a desire to share all that I make in my kitchen, experiments, tried & tested recipes, failures, improvements everything. It was my way into the world of food & happiness. I am happiest when I am whipping up a cake or rolling out dough on the kitchen counter with music in the back ground & a house to myself. The Dream was to always start of a little bistro of my own, a small place where pancakes, waffles, muffins, French toast would be served with a dose of music, discussion & all things fun. What it would also sell would be home made soft filled chocolates for the chocoholics craving soul. The dream has partially taken flight. With order of chocolates going out steadily I have been a little tied down & away from the blog. But, I promise to be regular between all that will go on because this blog is my lifeline.

Chocolates are now available on order in the Delhi & NCR region. So just send me a mail to chocolatesanddreams@gmail.com if you would like to order.

Buttermilk Pancakes & Nutella Hot Chocolate – Secret Recipe Club - Shockingly Delicious By Dorothy

2011-12-26T18:30:00+05:30

This month’s Secret Recipe Club had another amazing surprise for me. The amazing blog Shockingly Delicious by Dorothy Reinhold has a wide and diverse collection of recipes to choose from. Dorothy has over 25 years of experience in food writing and recipe development and that is clearly evident from her beautiful blog. Shocking Delicious is something that tastes beyond wonderful and anything she makes has to satisfy that criteria.
          A few recipes that I thought looked Super Duper Shockingly Delicious are : Meryl Streep’s favorite Eggplant Soufflé, Cilantro Pesto, Honeyed Carrots. The Cookie Dough Truffles are any Valentine’s dreams come true and the Nutella Fudge Brownie’s had my tummy growl like a greedy bear.
          But, what really caught my attention was the simple Nutella Hot Chocolate that was so delicious that it has become a regular at the breakfast table and the delicious Buttermilk Pancakes that I just can’t have enough off. With the cold wave engulfing Delhi and the temperature dropping suddenly, a cup of piping hot chocolate and a plate full of fluffy, sweet and soft pancakes give a different meaning to life.
          What had me really excited was how happy Santa would be to find a warm plate of pancakes & a piping hot cup of chocolate awaiting him in the wee hours of the morning while he was dropping by presents. Brownie points for me I hope. Christmas and New Year always has me in the best of spirits. Wishing everyone a Happy & Delicious & Merry Christmas…
To know more about this fabulous group & be a part of it, go HERE.
Nutella Hot Chocolate :-
Piping Hot Milk 1 cup
Nutella 1 – 2 tbsp
•Mix the piping hot milk and nutella till they are well combined. Enjoy with a plate of shockingly delicious buttermilk pancakes and the morning newspaper in the soft morning sun.
Buttermilk Pancakes :-
Notes :-
•The batter is thin and spread quite a lot, that is why I have used a 1/8 cup measure. You can also use a ¼ cup measure if you want large pancakes.
•Use a flat thin spoon to flip the pancake over. Even when the bottom is cooked the pancake is very soft and if not flipped properly will lose shape.
•I don’t usually like maple syrup or honey so I increase the amount of sugar to compensate. You can reduce the sugar to 1 tbsp & then top the pancakes with a sweetener of your choice.
•This recipe can easily be doubles. I have halved the original. See the original recipe HERE.
Flour ½ cup
Buttermilk ½ cup
Baking Powder ½ tsp
Baking Soda ½ tsp
Sugar 3 tbsp
Vegetable Oil 1 tbsp
Egg 1
Vanilla essence ½ tsp
•Mix all the ingredients other than the flour in a bowl.
•Now add in the flour and mix till relatively smooth. Don’t over mix.
•Heat a non-stick pan till steaming and then reduce temperature to low. Pour 1/8 cup of batter and cook for 1 – 2 minutes or till the surface bubbles and the side let go of the pan.
•Flip the pancake with a thin flat spatula, a steel spatula works best.
•Let cook for 1 minute and take off and cook the rest of the batter. If you have a big pan you can make 2 – 3 pancakes simultaneously.
•Serve warm with fresh fruits, maple syrup and a cup of shockingly delicious Nutella Hot Chocolate.
Serves : 2.
Makes : 8 – 10 medium pancakes.
Enjoy ! ! !

Moong Gram & Coconut Milk Soup

2011-12-22T21:02:00+05:30

What does one do when the winters setting in with full assault? The days begin with deep fog that on days give the sun no space to shine, and then the winds blow away the fog and the sun and cold fight for superiority. It is amazing to see the different elements trying to overpower and then co-existing with each other with such ease and comfort. But, as they try to build a co-existence the poor humans have to bow to there might. Be it fog, wind or the sun the climate gets colder and the sweaters, shawls, coats, blankets and mufflers are out of the closets. What else can one do to keep warm? Food for the body and soul! Food that warms the body and gives it comfort. During winters, that food is soup.
With fresh coconut milk on hand, what could I do? Suddenly, like the strike of lightening, it strikes, moong gram & coconut milk soup. I play with the idea a bit, think about all the wild combinations and then decide to keep it simple and the product is delicious food art. The soup incorporates all the flavours beautifully. It is healthy, sumptuous, filling and warming to the core.
This is a soup that you will treasure and share for years to come.
Moong Gram & Coconut Milk Soup :-
Notes:
•In the winters soak the moong gram in hot water for faster germination.
•I like the shoots long and it takes two days for the shoots to reach the size in the photographs.
•Coconut milk should be extracted fresh so pre-plan the soup and extract the milk on the day you make the soup.
Moong Gram 200 grams
Coconut milk 1st extract 1 cup
Coconut milk 2nd extract 1 cup
Coconut milk 3rd extract 1 cup
Cinnamon stick 2”
Bay leaf 2
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Onion (thinly sliced) 1
Ginger (thinly sliced) 1”
Salt to taste
•Wash and soak the moong gram overnight. In the morning wash thoroughly and tie in a wet muslin cloth and let sprout till the evening.
•Heat olive oil and sauté the onions till translucent. Add in the sprouted moong gram, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, ginger, coconut milk and add salt to taste.
•Cover and let cook on low heat for 15 – 20 minutes, till the moong gram is soft and the coconut milk has turned a beautiful opaque white.
•Serve hot.
Serves : 4 - 5.

Enjoy ! ! !

Homemade Coconut Milk

2011-12-21T16:40:00+05:30

Coconuts are a staple ingredient in every Bengali household. West Bengal is a coastal region that has an abundance of coconut trees. Almost every house has its own trees or at least one tree that is a constant source of coconut supplies. As children, when we went to spend our summer vacations with my maternal grandparents one of the most exciting event was when a man was hired to climb the three coconut trees to pluck coconuts. A wiry, dark man with just a loin cloth around his waist would first bargain the rate for climbing, once that was finalized he would inspect the trees and another conversation would start about the number of ripe coconuts that can be plucked. Finally the grand show, when he would climb up the tree like a spider and pluck those coconuts.
While coconut were never abundantly used in our household, they were used to make sweets and certain fish delicacies. Coconut milk was never used. Then coconut milk packets suddenly started appearing on grocery shop counters and I started wondering where it came from. In my initial derivations I miss took it for coconut water. Then a little research and colleagues from Kerala revealed its secret to me. I slowly started incorporating it into different dishes I made and then I decided to make it at home. A little asking and a few internet searches had me wondering if it was as simple as it seemed. Now having made it once, I wonder what took me so long. It takes 5 minutes, costs 4 times lesser than what canned coconut milk costs and is fresh and free from preservatives.
So here is my proposition, give it a try, I promise you will never touch store bought coconut milk ever again. If you let it pass, you will at sometime wonder what took you so long, but then, better late than never.
Homemade Coconut Milk :-
Notes:-
•Make sure that the water is hot and not boiling. When pressing the coconut with your hand, first test how hot the coconut is to ensure that you don’t burn yourself.
•You can take out more extract from the coconut. But usually 3 extracts have the maximum flavour.
Fresh grated coconut 1 cup
Hot water 3 cups
•Heat 1 cup water and add to the grated coconut. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
•Pour the coconut and water mix through a thin sieve into another vessel. Press out the remaining water from the coconut with your hands.
•This is the first extract and is also called coconut cream. The liquid is dense and forms a foamy layer on top.
•Now heat the second cup of water and pour into the coconut. Repeat the procedure as above. This will yield the second extract.
•Repeat the same procedure with the third cup of water. It will give the third extract.
Yields : 1 cup – Coconut Cream(first extract)
1 cup – Coconut Milk (second extract)
1 cup – Coconut Milk (third extract)

Enjoy ! ! !

Whole Green Chilies in Curd & Mustard Sauce

2011-12-09T17:00:00+05:30

I am very fascinated by green chilies. I would not even in my most courageous moments pick one up and take a bit but something about that shiny deep green skin has me completely mesmerized. Every time I go shopping for vegetables I just stand in front of the pile of chilies and look at them with sheer admiration. I am sure most people who look at me at that moment think that either I am a great chili lover or just off my rocker.
The maximum use of a green chili in my kitchen till a few days back was to be used for flavouring vegetables or being chopped and put into sundry stuff like an omelet or sprouts or if I am feeling daring enough a bowl of salad for that extra zing. But all that completely changed when I saw Whole Chili in Zingy Mustard Sauce by Sanjana of KO Rasoi. Sanjana creates some delicious marvels in her kitchen but these babies are amongst the best of the lot. They get made in a jiffy & can be stored in the refrigerator for weeks, but, I doubt they would survive that long. KO Rasoi is a treasure trove of Gujarati dishes and it has some really quirky takes on traditional stuff like the Paan Ice Cream & Shrikhand Spice Lamingtons. Go check out her blog and share some love.
Now back to those delicious chilies. Make these and leave them for a day or two if your ears go red & start emitting steam on the first bite of chilies or if you’re feeling really greedy take the first bite but, I can guarantee one thing, it won’t be your last. So let those tears roll & ears steam because these chilies will make you a very hot & satisfied person.
Whole Green Chilies in Zingy Mustard Sauce :-
Source : KO Rasoi.
Notes :
•The kind of chilies that you use is totally up to you. The thin dark green one’s are very hot while the thick light green one’s are more flavourful than hot.
•I would recommend that you use store bought yogurt or curd for this recipe. If using homemade curd tie it in a muslin cloth and let the water separate till it is nice and thick, 2 – 3 hours minimum.
•When you remove the stem of the chilies ensure that you do not expose the insides. The juices it will emit will spoil the sauce quickly.
Fresh Green Chilies 1 cup (Stems removed, washed & dried)
Fresh Thick Yogurt/Curd 1 cup
Yellow Mustard Powder 2 tbsp
Black Mustard Seeds 1 tsp
Hot Water ¼ cup
Salt to Taste
Lemon Juice 1 tbsp
•Soak the black mustard seeds in hot water for 5 minutes, remove and rub dry.
•Now mix all the ingredients except the green chilies and make a smooth paste.
•Taste and adjust the salt.
•Add in the chilies and coat well.
•Transfer to a clean air-tight glass utensil and store in the refrigerator.
Enjoy ! ! !