Currently Reading .......

The book by Tom Harford is more on the lines of 'Freakonomics' - and since I have already read 'Freakonomics', I don't find anything new in the book. However,  I am thinking I will rather finish it before returning it just like that. Meanwhile, I finally got to watch Ramleela during the weekend - and I just didn't like the movie :(. I am wondering how it managed to do 100+ crore ka business because the story line was just soo predictable. Ranveer Singh as usual was at his loudest best and even though Deepika did look beautiful and graceful, the dialogues of the movie put me off. Also I personally felt that the violent backdrop just didn't go with Gujrat - I mean maybe if they would have set the movie in UP, Bihar or Haryana, it would have been more believable. I don't know, I found the way SLB had shot Gujrat in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam so beautiful - but this movie sort of really disappointed me.

Tips that make you a Star Baker

It's that time of the year again - when all you want to do is snuggle up in bed in your comfy pyjamas and enjoy a mug of hot chocolate with a muffin yummm... life seems perfect doesn't it :). I really love winters - especially December. The air feels nice and crisp, kids seem happier, oldies seem to enjoy themselves more, I get to hear Christmas carols all evenings long because of a church near my house, and suddenly every second person on the road seems to be wearing a Santa hat :). During these days, my microwave oven always seem to be working overtime - baking yummy plum cakes, muffins, chocolate cup cakes ummmmm. I am still new to baking and there are times when my cakes goes phhhuuuuusssss..... and you know that feeling - when you are expecting a lovely smooth chocolatey cake but when you take it out from the oven it just goes flat :( Hurts doesn't it? So while looking for tips to be a perfect baker, I came across this article on a blog - Sweetapolita.. I love how the name sounds :). You can go through the article by clicking on the link below - hopefully this will help me be a star baker! Happy Reading !

50 Tips for baking better cakes

Recipe - Banana Muffins

Delicious banana muffins - a recipe so simple that even your child can whip it up.

 Ingredients:

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 large mashed bananas

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup melted butter

• Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Line the muffin pans with butter paper or paper liner. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Set aside.
• Combine bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture & mix until smooth. Scoop into muffin pans.
• Bake in preheated oven. mini muffins are usually done in 10-15 minutes while large ones may take about 25 minutes to be completely done.

Recipe - Chicken Cacciatore Pasta

Easy to make, this simple pasta is delicious to eat.

Ingredients:

Boneless chicken - 200 gms

Pasta - 2 cups

Finely chopped garlic - 2tsp

Finely chopped onions - 1 cup

Tomato puree - 1/2 cup

Strained pasta water - 1/4 cup

Vinegar - 1 tsp

Bay leaf/ Tej patta - 1

Dried oregano - 2 tsp
Dried thyme - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp
Oil (preferably olive oil) - 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

Chopped parsley or coriander -1 tbsp

• Boil 8-10 cups of water in a large pan. Add some salt and 1 tbsp of oil. Drop pasta in boiling water. Boil till pasta turns soft but is still firm. Remove from flame. Strain, reserving the water. Refresh pasta in cold water and strain again. Sprinkle 1-2 tbsp olive oil in the pasta and toss well. Keep it aside.
• Heat some oil. Add the chicken pieces and cook on moderate heat till about 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken and keep it aside.
• To the same oil, add chopped garlic and fry till it starts to change color. Add chopped onions and cook till translucent.
• Add fresh tomato puree, strained pasta water, vinegar, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, sugar, pepper & salt. Boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 mins till sauce becomes thick. Keep it aside.
• While serving, heat the sauce, add chicken, boiled pasta and chopped parsley. Mix well. Sprinkle some crushed peppercorns and serve hot with bread.

Recipe - Soya Nuggets in Hot Garlic Sauce

A quick fix recipes those surprise guest visits!

Ingredients

150 gms soya nuggets soaked in hot salted water

1 large capsicum chunks

1 onion cut into squares

1tbsp soya sauce

1tsp vinegar

2 tbsp Maggi hot and sweet tomato ketchup

1 tsp crushed garlic

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions

1/4 tsp black pepper powder

1/4 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

                                                                                    

• Soak the soya nuggets in hot salted water for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze the water out, wash them in cold water and marinate in salt, soya sauce & vinegar for 20-25 minutes.
• Heat some oil in a pan. Add crushed garlic and fry till golden brown. Add grated ginger and finely chopped spring onions. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the marinated soya chunks and save the marination paste. Saute on a low flame for 3-4 minutes.
• Add capsicum, onion, salt and crushed pepper. Cook on a low flame for sometime.
• Add 1/4 tsp of cornflour to the marination paste and stir in such that lumps are not formed. Add this to the soya nuggets along with some soya sauce. Cook till the gravy thickens and serve hot.

Recipe - Bharwa Tamatar Bonde



www.banaraskakhana.com



Puneites would know how we were cought unaware by sudden thunder and showers this Tuesday evening. Rains always call for chai and pakodas - but this time I wanted to make something different. That's when I remembered this recipe that I had read on www.banaraskakhana.com. Thankyou Sangeeta for making our Tuesday evening so special :). Please read the complete recipe by clicking on the link below :

Bharwa Tamatar Bonde



Food News - Chef Vikas Khanna's new book - Young Chefs

After Masterchef India - I am dead sure that there is not a single girl/woman in this country who hasn't fallen for Chef Vikas Khanna. God damn he is soooo cute - and that dimpled smile, that soft voice - how can any woman resist him. Imagine a guy who looks cute, has a dimpled smile, is soft spoken and to top it all, he is a world renowned chef - girls what more do we need??? And to all you guys out there - we find it really sweet when you try your hand at the kitchen to impress us. So no matter how kali your chai turns out, or how uncooked your eggs are - we still LOVE IT!.

Ok, so coming back to the topic, Chef Vikas Khanna has written a new book titled 'Young Chefs' which has simple recipes that any child (and by that I mean 12+ years olds) can whip up. He has dedicated this book to all the contestants of Master Chef Junior. To read his complete interview, click on the link below.

Chef Vikas Khanna reveals recipes that are a child's play 

Paneer stuffed Moong Dal Chilla with Amla Chutney

This dish makes for a spicy tangy protein rich breakfast.

Ingredients

For the stuffing:
Paneer - 100 gms
Finely chopped onion - 1
Finely chopped capsicum - 1
Finely chopped green chillis - 2
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
 Oil


For the chillas:
 Moong dal soaked in water for 3-4 hrs - 1 cup
Besan - 2tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Finely chopped green chillis - 2
Finely chopped  fresh coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Amla Chutney:

For ingredients and recipe, please click HERE


Paneer Stuffing:

• Fry the onions in a pan until translucent. Add the chopped capsicum and green chillis and fry for another 3-4 mins till the capsicum is cooked.
• Crumble the paneer and add it to the onions & capsicum. Add the salt and rest of the dry spices. Saute for another 5 mins and keep it aside.

Chillas:

• Drain the dal and grind it to a fine paste. To this paste, add 2 tbsp of besan and mix thoroughly so that no lumps are formed.
• To this paste, add the salt, dry spices, green chillis and fresh coriander leaves. Adjust the batter consistency so that it is similar to that of a dosa batter.
• Heat a little bit of oil in a non stick tawa and spread a ladle of the batter. Cook on a low flame until both sides are brown and crispy.
• Stuff the chilla with paneer and serve hot with amla chutney.

Khandvi Ravioli - by Manish Mehrotra

Since both Khandvi & Ravioli fall in the list of my all time favorite foods, I tried recreating this magic in my kitchen but was unable to get perfect khandvi sheets. Manish Mehrotra is considered to be the face of modern Indian cuisine in  India and abroad. His restaurant - Indian Accent was ranked 41 in the list of Asia's Top 50 restaurants and has an Indian menu with experimental creations.

Recipe - Khandvi Ravioli

Shepherd Pie (includes spinach)

This dish is a favorite among my kids - especially during winters. To make it more healthy and interesting, I include spinach and sweet corn as a part of the recipe. The dish is a complete meal in itself and can be had alone or with toasted garlic bread.

Ingredients:

Boiled potatoes - 4
Blanched spinach leaves - 12-15
Boiled sweet corn - 3/4 cups
Macaroni or any other pasta of your choice - 300 gms
Minced chicken - 400 gms
Finely chopped onions - 2
Finely chopped green chillis - 2-3
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1/4 cup
Cheese or cottage cheese - 1/2 cup (grated)
Sliced tomatoes - 1
Black pepper powder
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

• Mash the boiled potatoes with some milk to make it moist. Sprinkle black pepper powder and add some salt. Mix well. Take a glass dish which is microwave safe and add a layer of this mixture.
• Mix the blanched spinach and sweet corn. Layer this on top of the mashed potato layer.
• Cook the macaroni/pasta as per the instructions given in the pack. Once cooked, drain the water completely and add a few drops of oil so that the pasta doesn't clump together. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Now add a layer of this pasta on top of the spinach & sweetcorn layer.
• Heat some oil in a cooking pan and add the onions and green chillies. Cook the onions till they turn brown. Transfer the onions to a pressure cooker.
• Wash the minced chicken and add it to the onions in a pressure cooker. Add the salt and rest of the dry spices along with 1/4 cup water. Cook it to one whistle. Once cooked, you can transfer the chicken to a cooking pan and continue cooking till the water evaporates.
• Spread this minced chicken on top of the pasta layer and add tomato slices. Garnish with either grated cheese or paneer. In this case, I have garnished it with grated paneer.
• Microwave it for 30-60 seconds till the cheese melts and serve hot.

6 Most Terrifying Foods in the World

This list is unbelievable - and definitely TERRIFYING!. Check it out for your self.

The 6 most terrifying foods in the world

Dal Wadi Kadhi

Ingredients :

Moong dal - 0.5 cups (soaked for 4-5 hours)
Green chillis - 2
Besan - 1 tbsp
Sour curd - 1 cup
Panch foran - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Few sprigs of spinach leaves
Curry leaves
Fenugreek leaves
Ginger - a small piece
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

• Drain the soaked dal and grind it into a paste along with green chillis and ginger paste.
• Add cumin powder, salt, red chilli powder and finely chopped fenugreek leaves.
• This is the wadi batter. Deep fry them in oil and keep it aside.

• In another pan, add 1 tbsp of oil. Add the panch foran and allow it to crackle.
• Mix the besan and sour curd together along with 1 cup of water.
• Pour this mixture in the panch foran along with 2 cups of water. Add finely chopped spinach leaves and dry spices.
• Bring it to boil and then let it simmer on a low flame for 10-15 minutes till the consistency thickens and the oil starts floating on top.
• Serve hot after adding the wadis.

Lasun ki Kheer!

Yes can you believe it ??Can anyone really make kheer of garlic? and will it taste good? Won't the dish smell of garlic? All these questions popped up in my mind as well. But when I came across this recipe on Chowder Singh's blog, I couldn't help but share this with you all. Am yet to try this at home but from the pictures, it does look tempting and not any different from the usual kheer.

What say guys - have anyone of you tried this before?

                                                            Lasun ki Kheer by Chowder Singh

Twisty Paneer Makhni

Soaring prices of onions and tomatoes made me wonder if I will have to give up my favorite dishes for the sake of monthly budget. I am a die hard fan of Paneer Makhni and started thinking if I could try making without using too many onions and tomatoes. And try I did - with all the modifications I could think up on with the end result much better than my expectations. The dish does have onions and tomatoes but instead of finishing your stock, you will use very little of these two vegetables And since I had to twist the recipe to make this dish, I decided to call it Twisty Paneer Makhni.

Ingredients:

Paneer or cottage cheese - 200 gms

One finely chopped onion

Tomatoes - 3

Bottle gourd peeled and cut into small pieces - 100 gms

Yellow pumpkin  peeled and cut into small pieces - 100 gms

Poppy seeds soaked in water - 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 0.5 tsp

Pinch of hing

Turmeric powder - just to impart color

Red chilli powder - 0.5 tsp

Coriander powder - 0.5 tsp

Kasuri methi - 0.5 tsp

Cumin seeds

Oil

• Heat some oil, add the onions and fry till translucent.
• Add the pumkin. Fry for a few seconds and add bottle gourd and tomatoes.
• Fry for another 2 to 3 mins and then add 1/4 cup water and pressure cook it till one whistle.
• Allow the mixture to cool completely and then blend it in a mixer.
• Heat the remaining oil and add cumin seeds. When they start crackling,  add hing and then the ginger garlic paste. 
• Fry them till the raw smell goes. Now add the blended mixture along with the dry spices. Allow it to simmer till oil separates.Grind the poppy seeds and add to the mixture along with the paneer.
• Add ½ cup of water and simmer for 2-3 mins.Garnish with kasuri methi and serve hot.

Review - Clover Momos Stall

Settled in a tiny spot, banked by two wheelers on both sides, and drowned in the sea of over zealous hawkers selling everything from junk jewellery to magazines is Clover Momos stall on MG Road, Pune. The stall is opposite SGS Mall and near a boutique, Donna World. It can easily be missed because of two reasons - one, it is very tiny and thus would  normally miss anyone's eye. Two, the guy who runs the stall also has a sweet corn stall just 2-3 steps away from it. And since his sweet corn is more popular then the momos, you will most of the times find him there, leaving the momos stall unmanned.

Now I wouldn't say that Clover momos are amazing or the best momos I have ever had. But the point is that I never miss hogging on to these momos whenever I am in MG road no matter what. The guy sells 4 variants of momos - vegetable momos, cheese momos, chicken momos and cheese chicken momos. The veg momos are priced at 40/- for 6 momos and the non veg momos are priced at 50/-. I somehow don't enjoy his cheese momos and stick to vegetable and chicken momos depending on my mood - and ofcourse depending on what day of week it is :)

As mentioned earlier - the momos are not amazing - but they are not bad either. If you are someone who is a big momo fan just like me, you wouldn't mind spending 40-50 bucks to sink your teeth in these piping hot momos - especially during winters.  So next time you are in MG road, do give Clover momos a try. They might not match up to the dimsums you get at Mainland China or China Grill - but are surely worth their price and a treat during chilly evenings.

Review - Global Fusion, Bandra

After the disastrous experience with a stale chicken puff @ Cafe Sea Side, me and the boy headed to Global fusion, Bandra for lunch. There is just one one word for this place - AMAZING. Right from the decor to the food, this place has got everything right. The moment you enter the place it takes your breath away. And that's the reason why I wasn't able to click many pictures - because both of us were so much into the yummy food that we even forgot each other :P. However, you can read the complete review of this place by clicking on the link below.

                                         What Makes Life Tick - Global Fusion Review

The worst chicken puff of my life EVER!!

This weekend I was in Mumbai to meet my in-laws and hubby to be. My mother in law had made sindhi kokis and upma for me for breakfast. Now those of you who know me also know that I run miles away from upma. Somehow I have never been able to develop a liking for it even after staying in Bangalore for 6 long years of my life. So I took only a little bit just so that she doesn't feel bad. But surprise surprise ! One bite of that upma and I started wondering  why have I been running away from it for sooooo long. My mother in law makes the BEST UPMA in this entire WORLD and if she can make me develop a liking for it, no one in this world would be able to resist it.

After a heavy breakfast of yummy sindhi kokis and upma, the boy and me decided that we would find ourselves a good place to sit without any waiters pestering us. Off we went to bandstand. Now thankfully Mumbai wasn't humid this weekend but it was very sunny. As we needed a shady place to sit, we ventured inside Cafe Sea Side. Those of you who live in Mumbai would know that Cafe Sea Side probably offers you the best view in town overlooking the sea. The place was practically empty and we found ourselves a comfortable spot to settle down. After some time when the waiters started hovering around us, I promtly ordered one chicken puff because it was the cheapest item on the menu. But the moment I saw the puff, I regretted my decision. When I took a bite, I regretted it all the more :(. I can safely announce that Cafe Sea Side sells probably the worst chicken puffs atleast in Mumbai. The puff looked and tasted stale and honestly I couldn't even taste chicken in the filling. The filling was white in color and when I tasted it alone, it didn't even have salt! The texture was such that it reminded me of over boiled mashed chicken :(. If you look at the picture closely, you will notice some white colored substance on the sides of the puff...that is the filling.

Moral of the story - go hungry but never order anything from Cafe Sea Side.







This is what the worst chicken puff of my life looked like



Sprouted Moong Dal Paratha

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 2 cups

Moong sprouts - 1 cup

Finely chopped onions - 0.5 cup

Finely chopped green chillis

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 0.5 tsp

Dry mango powder - 0.5 tsp

Salt to taste

• To make moong sprouts, wash the moong daal nicely & soak overnight in enough water. Drain out all the water and tie them in a muslin cloth. Sprinkle some water to keep the cloth damp. Leave it in a warm place for 10-12 hours
• Once the sprouts are ready, boil it with very little water in a pressure cooker. Ensure that the moong are not overcooked and retain their shape & color
• Add the chopped onions, green chillis, red chilli powder, dry mango powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well.
• Knead dough out of the wheat flour. Stuff it with the moong dal mixture and roll it to make parathas. Roast it nicely by applying ghee/oil. Serve hot with dahi/yoghurt, chutney and pickle

Burma - The new food destination??

www.cecilimages.photoshelter.com

I was reading the July issue of Bonappetit when an article titled 25 food trends for 2013 caught my attention. On number 7 was listed Burma and the title was Burma - Go Eat there NOW. It seems Burma has the best street food in the world and their roadside meal of thick cut noodles & dried fish can turn out to be the yummiest meal of your lifetime. What say guys - anyone been to Burma and tasted the street food?

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Ingredients

6 boneless chicken breasts halves
Lime juice - of 4 limes
2 tsp all spice powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp ginger paste
1.5 tsp black pepper powder
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions finely chopped
1.5 cups chopped green onions
6 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 red and yellow bell peppers
1 cup of water

• Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Cover with lime juice and water and keep it aside
• In a blender or food processor, place allspice, nutmeg, salt, brown sugar, thyme, ginger, black pepper & vegetable oil. Blend well, then mix in onions, green onions and garlic until almost smooth.
• Pour the above made marinade over the chicken reserving a small amount for cooking. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for atleast 3 hours
• After 3 hours, the chicken can be either grilled in an oven, microwave or you can even cooke it in a non stick pan over a low flame. Just ensure that the chicken pieces are brushed with oil and the remaining marinade mixture.
• Serve hot with corn cob, potatoes and cheese cooked in jackets and bell peppers.

Review - Bakers Basket Pune

It was my friend's birthday on Friday and all of us gathered to celebrate it @ the newly inaugurated Baker's Basket store on MG Road. Those of you who reside in Pune would know that Baker's Basket is a bakery that has stores all over the city. We had ordered Chocolate Temptation birthday cake for her and it turned out to be the best cake anyone of else had ever eaten before. The cake was a chocolate overload and had this moist texture. The taste was bitter sweet which made me think that maybe they would have added some rum to it. But when I asked the chef he denied adding any rum to the cake. The staff had also made these super cute guitar shaped white chocolates with my friend's name iced on top. We then tried their Chicken Submarine which basically was stuffed with shredded chicken tikka. It was very yummy and reasonably priced too. You can definitely check this place out for their wide array of cakes & pastries

The birthday cake

The super cute guitar chocolates :)

Fashion Plate - Concept by Smoke House Deli

I was browsing through this month's Vogue India when this happened to catch my eye - ' Vogue co hosted the first edition of Fashion Plate - an inventive evening with the best minds in design diverting their attention to the kitchen.' Fashion Plate concept has been introduced by Smoke House Deli, in Hauz Khas Village, Delhi. The concept will be offered as a 3 course meal that can be customized for 30-40 guests. In addition, the restaurant has also launched Deconstruct, a monthly project that collaborates with a single designer to develop a menu. The even was attended by the  crème de la crème of the fashion fraternity including Rohit Bal, Pernia Qureshi, Manish Arora, Harmeet Bajaj, Priya Tanna & many more. The menu boasted of delicacies like Bottega Veneta inspired stewed rice with toasted coconut, assorted grain & nut granola, Chanel inspired Oreo & milk, squid ink & black olive biscuits, faux milk, Manish Arora inspired dessert of peanut butter & chocolate ganache with assorted berry & fruit gels etc. 

On googling the concept I got to know that the West boasts of many food designers - and I didn't even know that there exists a profession like this !!! The job of these food designers is to concentrate on food presentation. Cool na?? I mean think about it - we have so many good cooks in every household in India and they loose out on so many opportunities only because they are unable to make a dish look as appetizing as it is. If we have professional food designers in India, the chefs can concentrate more on just cooking while making the dish look beautiful & appetizing can be someone else's job :)

Image Courtesy : www.estylista.com & Silver Monkey Communications

 

Home Style Macaroni & Cheese

The ultimate comfort food !

Ingredients:

400 gm macaroni

50 gm butter

2 tbsp refined floor

2 cups (500 ml) milk

250 gm grated cheese

Chopped parsley

• Cook the macaroni in a large pan of boiling water as per the instructions mentioned in the packet
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute over medium-low heat. 
• Gradually add the milk, stirring until smooth. Stir gently until the mixture comes just to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the grated cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
• Pour cheese sauce over the pasta and stir until well coated. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Serve immediately sprinkled with chopped parsley.
• Serve it with toasted garlic bread. In the above picture, I have also added a slice of grilled cottage cheese on top

Thursday Night Outing - Amul Ice cream parlour

Because I run a chocolate making business - there is always a box full of chocolates in my fridge. Due to this, both my son and daughter have now got used to having meetha after dinner.This year because of  an increase in orders during Diwali, I exhausted all chocolates and wasn't getting time to make new ones. But the n number of mithai ka dabbas that we got as gifts from family and friends, took care of our khane ke baad ka meetha.

The last kaju katli ka dabba got over yesterday and my son started complaining of missing the meetha. So all 3 of us - me, my son and my daughter convinced my husband to accompany us for ice cream at the nearby Amul ice cream parlour.  I ordered my kaju pista kulfi and my son & daughter hogged on to chocolate chips ice cream with chocolate sauce. All in all it was a well spent evening. With my kids spending almost 10 hours in office and just 3 months left for my daughter's wedding - we hadn't got a chance to spend time as a family and catch up on each other's lives. This evening out gave us an opportunity to do exactly that. We all were so engrossed in talking that all of us missed clicking pics of our ice creams. So all I have for you today is a pic of our empty ice cream cups :). Take care and happy reading :)

Review - mumbaicakeshop.com

It was my fiancé's birthday last month and I wanted to give him a surprise. Normally I would have planned a candle light dinner and showered him with gifts - but that's what we did just 3 weeks before his birthday when he packed his bags and moved to Mumbai from Pune.My friends told me start sending him weekly gifts until his birthday - so I logged on to Flipkart to see what I could do about it. After spending close to 2 hours on Flipkart, this is what I realised - firstly it is very very difficult to buy gifts for men.. Duhh..just how many times can you gift someone shirts, cufflinks & ties...and now my fiance has started complaining that he doesn't have place for so many things in his cupboard :( He better do something about it soon or else where will I keep my things post marriage.....The second thing I realised is that sending him gifts weekly would burn a BIG BIG hole in my pocket - and with just 3 months left for the wedding, I am trying to get into that wise, practical samajhdaar biwi wala mode :P. So basically I was looking for a sasta, sundar takao tareeka to surprise him on his birthday.

And that's when I discovered Mumbai Cake Shop - these guys let you order birthday cakes online and have an option of midnight delivery. they have an amazing range of cakes and  you can also request for flowers, chocolates & even wine to be delivered to someone for their birthday. I placed an order for 1/2 kg Birdys Cake shop chocolate truffle cake (It seems Birdy's cake shop is a famous cake shop in Mumbai). The cake in itself cost me 950 bucks and I paid 200 extra for midnight delivery. The cake was delivered exactly at 12:00 midnight and thank God for that - you see I am one of those who can't keep my eyes open post 11:00 pm. So I had set an alarm in phone to wake up at midnight and wish him. But as usual, when the alarm buzzed,I dismissed it and went off to sleep. However, my fiancé was so suprised and touched at the gesture that he himself gave me call :) And even at that moment, instead of wishing him I said - please cake ki photo kheech lena for my blog :) - a sweetheart that he is..that's what he did.. So here's what the cake looked like - I must say I am pretty proud of myself for coming up with such great ideas :) 

Amla Chutney (Gooseberry Chutney)

"Sniff, sniff", that's what I have been doing all day long. It's strange how I don't get affected by cold when I am in North India - seriously guys I have stayed in UP for 8 years, spent considerable time in Delhi, Gurgaon, visited Amritsar in January where the fog refuses to go before 1:00 PM, and venturing out without a head scarf, socks and gloves is close to suicidal. However Pune winters -  I simply fail to understand. In my 2 years in this city, every time the temperature dips, bang strikes the flu, cold & cough. Each time to combat the cold, my mother has fed me with amla chutney instead of medicines to get me better. So the recipe that I am going to share with you all today is of the same chutney that my mother ensures I take with every meal during winters. Not only is it tangy and tasty - being a rich source of Vit C, it also boosts immunity.

Ingredients :

Amla - 200 gms (cleaned and finely chopped)

Jaggery or Gur - 100 gms

Garlic - 10-12 pods

Finely chopped ginger - 1.5 inch

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Panch foran - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1tsp

Salt to taste

Clean and finely chop the amla into small pieces. Add the jaggery, ginger, garlic & pressure cook for 1 whistle. Allow the mixture to cool. Blend it in a mixer or with a hand blender. Not heat the oil in a small non stick kadai and add the panch foran powder. When it begins to crackle, add the blended mixture along with the salt and red chilli powder. Cook it till the oil starts separating. Store it in an air tight jar.

Potato Chips dipped in chocolate

I was browsing the net for some new recipes and came across this one - Frito Lays has launched limited edition Wavy's Lay's potato chips dipped in milk chocolate !! The chipmaker says that the salty sweet combo is tailor made for young women who apparently can't get enough of the stuff. And I was like - Really ??????? I made my brother read the article and his reaction was - "Ofcourse. Look at you - it is made for girls like you who even add chocolate sauce to their lassi."

And that set me thinking. I went to the nearby Reliance Mart only to pick up a big packet of salted Lays Chips - you know the ones that come in the yellow packet.
I tried making my own version of potato chips dipped in chocolate and this is how they turned out to be. I must say that they taste really yummmmm.

They are now available in the product list of Chocoholic You can order them by visiting www.chocoholic.co.in or  calling us at +91 9673331423

Saw Dust Dessert

I bumped upon this recipe in a very old issue of Good Housekeeping. It is a famous pudding in Macau where it is known as Serradura or 'saw dust'.
The recipe requires very simple ingredients which are readily available and hardly takes 20 minutes to whip up.

Ingredients:

Marie or Digestive Biscuits - 2 packets
Cream - 4 cups
Vanilla essence (you can also use strawberry, butter scotch etc as per your liking)
Condensed milk - 1 tin

Transfer the biscuits to a zip lock bag and crush them finely with a rolling pin. You can also crush them in a mixer if you like.
Spread the crushed biscuits in a glass dish. Whip the cream till it peaks. Add a few drops of the essence and condensed milk.
Suggest you add 1/2 of the condensed milk first, taste, and then add more if needed. Continue whipping the cream to stiff peaks.

Add a layer of this whipped cream on top of the crushed biscuits. Add alternate layers of whipped cream and crushed biscuits, with the top layer being that of biscuits. Refrigerate overnight and serve chilled the next day

Date Gujiyas (sugar free)

Gujiya is a sweet dumpling made of suji or maida flour and stuffed with khoya (thickened milk). It is very popular in North India and is made in almost every North Indian household during Diwali & Holi. It's outer covering is like that of a samosa, however the stuffing is of roasted dry fruits, grated coconut, khoya and a it of suji to give it a grainy texture.

Sugar Free Date Gujiyas:

Ingredients

For the outer covering :
Maida - 4 cups
Ghee - 8 tbsp
Sail - 1 tsp

For the filling : 
Seedless dates finely chopped - 2 cups
Dried anjeer/figs finely chopped - 2 cups
Finely chopped nuts (almonds, cashews & pistachios) - 1cup
Raisins - around 25 to 30
Green cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 6 tbsp
Melted ghee - 4 tbsp

For preparing the covering, sift refined flour and rub in the ghee and salt. Add cold water and knead into a stiff dough. Cover it with a damp cloth and set aside. 

For preparing the stuffing, mix the dates and anjeer in a bowl. Add the dry fruits, raisins, cardamom powder and the milk. Mash lightly with your fingers and adjust the consistency.

Roll out the dough peda and place it on the karanji mould. Full it with a small portion of the stuffing and seal the edges with a bit of water. Deep fry the gujiyas on a low flame.

Tip : You can replace the chopped dates with date puree ( for recipe click HERE)
        You can also add dessicated coconut to the stuffing

These gujiyas were especially made on order for one of our customers on Diwali for gifting. If you are based put of Pune, please visit our store www.chocoholic.co.in to know more about our products

Date Puree

Most of us have become very health conscious these days. The weight watchers and diabetics have a hard time resisting the tempting sweets which are suddenly found in every nook and corner of the house during the festive season. I myself have one big kaju katli ka dabba lying in the fridge which seems to be getting more and more irrestible day by day :P

While the market is flooded with artificial sweetners for the weight watchers and diabetics, studies have shown that if taken for a long peiod of time, they can prove to be carcinogenic or cancer causing. And lets admit it - mithais and halwa somehow don't have the same flavors when made with Equal or Sugarfree.

Date puree is something that I came across a few years back at a gourmet store. The guy at the counter told me that it can be used as a sugar substitute to make mithais and is completely natural. I didn't pick it up at that time because it seemed to be a bit expensive. However that very week my sister in law gifted us a box full of dates which she had got from Dubai. Since no one in my family is really fond of dates, they kept lying in the fridge until one day it struck me that I could try making puree out of it. Not only did the puree come out well but I was also able to make sugar free gujiyas out of it. It is a perfectly simple recipe and hardly takes 15 minutes

Ingredients :

1 cup seedless dates

1 cup hot water

Add the dates to the hot water and microwave for 2 minutes to soften. Add more hot water if needed and blend it in the blender. You can change the consistency by adjusting the amount of water. I usually prefer it to be a bit on the thicker side so that it seems more like a paste. You can transfer this to an air tight container and store it in the refrigerator for further use. It has a pretty long shelf life

Image source : http://www.kaiwhenua-ancestralfoods.com