A fine day during my B.Tech days, some 14 years back, I was watching a cooking show. It was an Indian show and the chef was cooking pasta. Till then, I had only known macaroni/penne/fusili as the only pasta shapes. But in that particular episode, the chef was showing a highly artisanal pasta crafted in…
My kitchen miracles -II – the unusual pasta
This story seemed like a disaster once, but the more I discovered about food, the more I got to understand that many a times, our perceptions about disasters are wrong, they can be miracles too if we do not engage in self-criticism too much. And listen to our mothers, in the area that they are…
My kitchen disasters V – the overloaded Teriyaki sauce noodles
The covid time unleashed the hidden demon (read cook) within us. And disasters such as Maggi pakodas, noodle ice-creams and the likes came to the fore. Since I understand food and know how to cook, I can vouch that I did not cook any such demonic delicacies. But, some dishes that I cooked cannot be…
My kitchen disasters – IV – The curious case of burnt rice
Rice cooking is an art. I can vouch for this statement after cooking rice for the past 10 months. The perfect plate of rice is not so easy to cook. The rice needs to be fluffy, every grain separated from the rest in a non-sticky manner (unless it is sticky rice) and no under or…
My kitchen disasters-III
“Ek to karela, upar se neem-chadha” This is a famous notion in Uttar Pradesh where the bitterness of bitter gourd is compared to the taste of neem. And when my dear mother started feeding me bitter gourd, I absolutely hated it! Hate is not a very strong word for the bitterness on my tongue, detest…
Arbi Recipe
Ingredients 500 gm arbi Mustard oil Pinch of hing 1/2 tsp ajwain 1/2 chopped onion Onion ginger garlic paste ( 2 onions, 4-5 medium garlic, 1/2 inch ginger) Pinch of turmeric powder Red chilli powder (as per taste) 1.5 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp garam masala Salt (as per taste) Steps1. Wash arbi and boil…
Karela/Bitter Gourd Recipe
Ingredients 250 gm karela/ bitter gourd Salt Mustard oil 1/4 tsp methi seeds 3 medium onions Steps Slice karela and add 1/2 tsp salt to it and mix Keep it aside for 30 mins After 30 mins, squeeze out the water from the karela, keep it in a separate plate, wash it twice and again…
Fara Recipe
Ingredients-1 cup chana dal4 chopped GarlicCumin seedsPinch of turmeric powder1/3 tsp Red chilli powderChopped green chillies (as per taste)Coriander leavesSalt1 cup rice flour1/2 cup lukewarm water For stuffing Soak chana dal for 4-5 hours. Drain water Grind this with garlic Put this in a bowl and add salt, cumin seeds, red chilli powder, turmeric powder,…
Rava Appe Recipe
Cooking Time: 20 mins ⏰ Ingredients 1 cup sooji 1/4 cup curd 1 pinch baking soda Salt 1 medium finely chopped carrot 🥕 4-5 finely chopped beans Oil Steps: Take sooji in a bowl and add curd Add some water to prepare a smooth mixture. Ensure that the mixture is of thick consistency only Leave…
Masala Kathal Recipe
Ingredients500 gm kathal Mustard oil Tez patta 3 onions 7-8 cloves of garlic 1 inch ginger Pinch of Turmeric powder 1 tsp red chilli powder 2 tsp Dhaniya powder 1 tsp Garam Masala Salt Steps: 1. Chop kathal and fry it in mustard oil. Add salt during frying and shallow fry till it becomes golden…
Bhindi Bharwa Recipe
Ingredients 10 Bhindi 1/5 tsp Dhaniya powder 1/5 tsp Sauff 1/5 tsp Jeera 1/5 tsp Kalonji 1/5 tsp Methi Seeds Salt Amchur Powder Red chilli powder Steps Dry roast sauff, jeera, kalonji, dhaniya and methi. Grind them in a mixie so that fine powder is obtained Add chopped onion and chopped garlic to oil. Saute…
Noodles in Black Pepper Sauce Recipe
We have thoroughly enjoyed our meats and sometimes our vegetables in the oozing hot black pepper sauce. That invisible hot air guzzling from your ears and nose clearly depicts the beauty of black pepper sauce. Ever thought of having noodles in them?Statutory warning: You need plenty of time, patience and a certain level of tolerance…
Masala Aloo Gobhi Recipe
A different style to cook aloo gobhi and this remains our favourite!Ingredients4 medium sized Potatoes250 gm CauliflowerOnion ginger garlic pasteSaltPinch of Turmeric powderRed chilli powder1 tsp dhaniya powder2 tomatoes1/2 tsp Garam masala Steps In a pan add oil and stir fry potatoes and cauliflower till they become golden brown. Add a little bit of salt…
Easy Chicken Biryani
Cooking Time: 30-45 minutes ⏰Ingredients500 gm chickenTez Patta2 chopped onionsGinger garlic pasteSaltPinch of Turmeric powderRed chilli powder1 tsp Dhaniya powder1 tsp Garam masalaRiceBlack pepper, green cardamom, star anise, cinnamon stick1/2 cup MilkLemon juice Steps In a pan add oil and tez Patta. Add chopped onions. Sauté till they become golden brown Add ginger garlic paste….
EASY LITTI CHOKHA RECIPE
Cooking Time: 1 hourIngredientsFor littiChane ka sattuChopped green chilliesChopped onionGingerGarlicAjwainKalonji (onion seeds)SaltJeeraMustard oilMirchi ka achaar For chokhaRoasted BrinjalRoasted tomatoBoiled potatoesChopped green chilliesGarlicSaltMustard oil Steps Mix all the ingredients for litti together Knead the dough using whole wheat flour. Add only a little bit of oil Roll into thin circles and stuff it with the sattu…
Palak Patta Chaat Recipe
Cooking Time: 30 minutes IngredientsBesanSaltRed chilli powderTurmeric powderPalak Patta (Spinach leaves)PomegranateCurdSevChopped green chilliesFor Imli chutneyImli pasteGingerJeeraSugarRed chilli powder Steps Take besan in a bowl and add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix well and add water. Dip spinach leaves in this mixture and fry them For Imli chutney In a pan add oil…
Sabudana Khichdi Recipe
Cooking Time: 45 minutes Ingredients 200 gm Sabudana50 gm Peanuts3-4 Chopped Green chillies1 PotatoJeera (Cumin Seeds)Ghee/ OilSalt Steps Soak sabudana in water for 3 hours. Do not add excess water, make sure that water is at the level of sabudana. In a pan add ghee, jeera and chopped green chillies. Add one chopped potato and…
Egg Curry Recipe
Cooking time: 30 minutesIngredients4 eggs2 medium Onions(0.5 for tadka, 1.5 for paste)4 cloves of GarlicGingerSaltRed chilli powderPinch of haldi1/2 tsp garam masala1 tsp Coriander powder (dhaniya powder)Coriander leaves Steps: Boil eggs, peal off the shell and fry it. In a pan add mustard oil and 1/2 chopped medium onion. Saute till it becomes golden brown…
Sabotaged by the menu – part II
The combination pandemic age and alcohol has a tendency to bring forth a host of interesting stories. Nope, my Covid-era sagas are not ending so soon. So in 2021, when we got vaccinated after the deadly second wave and started coming out of our shells to experience our normal lives, my mother and sister hatched…
My kitchen disaster XV – the bajra besan laddoo
As a food blogger, I am inclined to experiment with new recipes now and then, especially around the festive season. But this time, I did not wish to craft the usual sweets. I am always on the lookout for unconventional recipes that are a bit guilt-free. 😇 Before you unceremoniously term me as a health…
Sabotaged by the menu – Part 3
This post is going to be a short one because I posted a heavy reel on my exploration of Ellora caves while remembering the history from my civil services preparation days, fact checking, editing the clips while deciding what to keep and what to remove and drinking copious amounts of water while recording the voiceover. …
Sabotaged by the menu – part 2
Yesterday, I posted a meme reel on how a McPuff never breaks cleanly. The reel got the average engagement that I am getting on Instagram currently. But a few school and college friends reached out. McDonald’s pizza Mc Puff was a novelty for us 90s kids when the parcel-type dishes were unheard of. Before wraps…
My kitchen disasters XIV – the overcooked bucatini
I pride myself in not doing unholy deeds to the pasta I am cooking. But the Covid era brought a demon inside me and that demon led me to cook pasta in the most dreaded way 🙈🤣. I had never heard of bucatini before 2020 but when the over shopping for pasta began, I could…
My kitchen disasters XIII – the overcooked spaghetti arrabiata
Those of us who survived the Covid era have many stories to tell. Fortunately or unfortunately, my Covid era kitchen disasters are still not ending. 🤓 Back in 2020, while still exploring the different shapes and sauces of pasta, and the aesthetics of plating this dish, I decided to craft a unique presentation style of…
My Kitchen Miracles VII – the tedious mutton keema
Covid was in full swing and it was recently proven that the Covid virus only spread through air. This piece of news meant that we could have non-vegetarian food again without the fear of getting the virus. It ain’t swine-flu but still deadly. So I decided to try my hand at non-vegetarian food although I…
My kitchen disasters XII – how not to use guacamole
The perfect avocado never exists! And if they do, they are ripened in an artificial manner. Because the perfectly ripened avocado only exists in the time when you are not bothered about it! Or when you are in a parallel universe! 🤓 Come Covid-19, (Yes, we are still in that cooking disaster era) people were…
Sabotaged by the Menu – Part 1
I put on around 6 kgs during Covid work-from-home period. Then I got into IIMB and was happy that the intense curriculum and the ensuing hard work will help me in getting back to original svelte form. Oh, how wrong I was! And how much I underestimated the mess menu at IIM Bangalore! My father…
My kitchen miracles VI – Besan dhokla style Appe
Come Covid-19 and people, especially us food bloggers and recipe developers, began the trend of crafting dishes from any ingredient. And when I say any ingredient, I mean “any and every possible ingredient ever occurring naturally or man-made.” And then there were a slew of chocolate bon-bons prepared in appe pan, sponge cakes in appe…
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