Divine Taste

Basil & Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Anushruti — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:01:13 +0000

On 23rd January, we celebrated the birthday of one of the most beautiful people I know! She is not just a pretty face but also has a delightful mind and intellect. Her deep penetrating insights into life often amuse me and I feel fortunate and blessed that she is my sister.

I was lucky to have her with me on this special day and I wanted to make the most out of it by doing what I do best and as she loves bread I decided to make some fresh bread with oven roasted vegetables, hummus, grilled eggplant dip, a very flavourful tomato and cheese pasta with the piece de… Continue Reading

Dahi Wada/Lentil Dumplings In Yogurt

Anushruti — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:29:58 +0000

Welcome to the first deep fried recipe post on DivineTaste! After all this time, I havent posted a single recipe which is deep fried simply because I hardly deep fry at home. Maybe once or twice a year, that’s about it! And this does not mean that I’m averse to deep fried goodness.

I respect this art of cooking and believe that certain textures and tastes can be obtained only with deep frying. Unfortunately my constitution does not permit me to fry as inhaling the fumes from the oil (despite all the precautions and following rules of deep frying) can send me into a serious bout of allergy! This… Continue Reading

Eggless Strawberry Cream Shortcake

Anushruti — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:59:06 +0000

I decided to welcome the new year with this luscious strawberry cream shortcake. The cake was done and the scene was set for my perfect shot of the cake. And just as I disappeared into my study to bring in a lens, I came back in time to see my little mischief monger at work! Deeply scrutinizing and slaughtering my perfect slice with the fork and spoon as if it were play dough.

And out went my plans for that “dreamy” shoot as half the cake was devoured by the adults no sooner than it was done. I managed to take the main shot just before the entire cake… Continue Reading

Spicy Vegetarian Chili

Anushruti — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:47:21 +0000

Just like the changing seasons in a year, life is never in one constant phase and is interspersed with happiness and sadness, joy and grief, tears and laughter! I was not exactly in high spirits due to certain events in my life when the fall happened!

My precious toddler hurt himself when he accidentally fell off his tricycle, a toy around which he was generally very safe. The cut was quite deep and the doctor had to suture his wound. For us as parents who visited the doctor only for routine vaccinations, curing minor maladies with home remedies, it was a nightmare to go through the whole process. Welcome… Continue Reading

Roasted Foxnuts Or Makhana (A Savoury Snack)

Anushruti — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:30:51 +0000

I love to snack in the evenings and at times between breakfast and lunch. Many a time it is something rich and indulgent but most of the times it is fruit and dried fruits and nuts. I almost always make sure that there are savoury Indian snacks like spiced puffed (murmura) and flat (poha) rice as much as there are cookies in my jars.

The latest addition to my list of snacks is this savoury roasted wonder which I almost can’t do without these days. Hari loves it too so its a great, healthy snack for kids and grownups alike. I call it the Indian version of … Continue Reading

Palak Paneer/Seasoned Spinach With Paneer Cheese

Anushruti — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:49:05 +0000

Ever since I was a child, palak paneer secures a prominent position in the list of my most favourite foods. Hari loves it as much as I do or probably more. The first meal that he finished by himself was a roti with “palak paneen”! So this dish also figures in one of my lanmark moments shared with my son.

Home made palak paneer has a special touch. Rightly spiced and made with just the required amount of oil (no extra oil floating here) this is not just nutritious but highly prized in terms of taste and comfort value in comparison to restaurant style version of the same dish. This… Continue Reading

Hot Carob Drink

Anushruti — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:43:53 +0000

You know what has made life relatively easier for me as a mother? Yes, you can find the answer in the title of this post. Carob powder! Hari always had an aversion to cow milk and I’m one of those parents who believe that a glass of milk in a day is a must for a child. Literally, we were at war each day, he trying to refuse what I was trying to feed and me trying to coax him into drinking it, showing him rhymes on youtube, knowing that it may not be the right thing to do, enacting stories and the like.

Like most other kids, Hari loves… Continue Reading

Ash Gourd (White Pumpkin) Halva

Anushruti — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:44:49 +0000

We celebrated our father’s 60th birthday this month. There was a vedic ceremony to commemorate the occasion, shashtabdi poorthi (completion of 60 years) in the holy town of Shringeri, followed by a traditional lunch party in our hometown.

A team of four cooks, cooked thirty two traditional South Indian Brahmin dishes for five hundred people in three hours. I love the energy in these ceremonial kitchens where cooks create dishes of mammoth proportions with amazing accuracy, no trial and error and no in between tasting sessions as the food prepared is to be offered to the lord before it is served to the others.

I was in… Continue Reading

Baked Chakli/ Gluten-free Rice Flour Spirals With Sesame Seeds

Anushruti — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:08:42 +0000

Chaklis have always been one of my most favourite snacks! I really loved them as a child and my ammamma (paternal grandmother) once fondly recalled me putting the chaklis made by her over my thumb, wearing them as an ornament and trying to eat them.

Chaklis were also something that I craved during my pregnancy and were a definite part of the parcels that arrived at my doorstep! In my opinion, my grand aunt makes the best chaklis that I have ever tasted and my mother duly requested her to make them for me during that special time of my life.

If I had my way, I… Continue Reading

Dry Fruit Burfi (Sugarfree)/Dry Fruit Fudge

Anushruti — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:49:35 +0000

Recently I came across an article in the newspapers which talked about the vivid changes that have occurred in the way festivals are celebrated. Households have become units of consumption as opposed to units of production like how it was in the good old days!

These thoughts kept me wondering and took me back down memory lane, rewinding my life to many years ago when I was still a little girl. I saw my grandmothers prepare tins and tins of snacks and sweets for festivals, prepared with love and affection for family, friends and those who came visiting during the celebrations. Most of the houses I visited or came… Continue Reading