I think it is impossibe for me to sum up in a post of what i thought was best as per entries...but i can definately tell the best thing about having this blog is getting to know so many like minded and talented individuals and also making a few friends on the way.
I started the blog as an outlet for my love of food. I think all of us have a need to communicate with people who share our ideas and sometimes even our obsession....and when you do not get anyone around you who thinks about food like u do and is willing to be a sacrificial goat for your nonstop blah- blah about it ...there comes a quest to find people on the same wave-length.I am obviously glad to have found that common bond here.
For the coming year..i really have no plans..but again i am an impulsive person..so for me to make plans would be a sort of a passport to break it..so all i can say is i will continue on this blogging journey and strenghten my friendships and build new ones....oh yeah! i will not bother about spellcheck in the coming year b'coz it does nothing for me..after the post is done i see so many of em!!...so be prepared guys ;)
Now Nupur will give me a kick on my ass if i go thru writing all this bull and not give my faves..so my top 5 picks for best entries would be:
1. Peanutty Noodles
2. Tomato Cheese Salad
3. Oolan
4. Oatmeal Pongal
5. Lauki ki sabzi
I chose these 5 coz i thought photos looked good with minimal effort...i really have no patience and all my photos are click..upload and post....and i assure you this will not change in future too :D..i shall continue to be lazy ;D
This is off to charming girl Nupur who blogs at the popular One Hot Stove and is hosting the Best Of 2007
Take care all you guys..and have a fantastic 2008.
Saturday
Monday
Cinnamon doodh gola
actually i wanted to make doodh peda..but that sweet has a mind of its own!! I am really nervous when i make any desert with milk..coz i am a lazy cook. i really do not like stirring something for a long time and when the sweet starts to come together i panic and invariably take it out before it is of the right consistency...lending it to be chewy..Then comes my part of trying every shortcut in the book and in the end i decide to shape these into mini balls.
After a few days of healthy eating i decided to postpone ;) the healthy eating saga for the new year and decided on making an indian sweet. Now as all of us know..cooking sort of revolves around events..i decided to make doodh pedas with cinnamon as the flavoring agent instead of saffron or cardamom which is usually my spice of choice for this.
I was happy with the cinnamon touch..but honestly i felt i could have added a little more..but you know how overpowering cinnamon can be and i was taking it easy. Here is the recipe....
Ingredients:
Sweetened Fat-free condensed milk - 1 can (14 oz)
Fat free milk - 1 cup
Unsalted butter - 1 tbls
Freshly grated cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp. (if you are using pre-ground..you can use more)
Greased plate
Method:
1. In a pan combine all the above and cook it on medium flame stirring at intervals. Do not stir too much..as u need the darn stamina towards the end!!
2. When the mixture starts to come together and thickens..keep stirring vigourously and keep stirring till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and is basically seperating from the pan. When it comes to this phase keep ur concentration of the pan and cook for a few minutes.
3. After stirring for a few minutes...pour the mixture to a greased pan and let it cool for 10 -15 mts and make slices.....if you have the mahaan kaam like me and taken out a little before the mixture is totally done..you can shape them in balls or you can put the mixture back in the pan...stir for a few more minutes till it is done.
Notes :
1. I personally think these tasted great ...but the completely finished goody is not chewy and has a fantastic texture..i will try to reach that mark next time....
2. I think 1/2 a tsp. of cinnamon would have rendered a more cinnamony taste....
Now this is off to Sunita who blogs at
Sunita's world and whose spice of the month is Cinnamon.
After a few days of healthy eating i decided to postpone ;) the healthy eating saga for the new year and decided on making an indian sweet. Now as all of us know..cooking sort of revolves around events..i decided to make doodh pedas with cinnamon as the flavoring agent instead of saffron or cardamom which is usually my spice of choice for this.
I was happy with the cinnamon touch..but honestly i felt i could have added a little more..but you know how overpowering cinnamon can be and i was taking it easy. Here is the recipe....
Ingredients:
Sweetened Fat-free condensed milk - 1 can (14 oz)
Fat free milk - 1 cup
Unsalted butter - 1 tbls
Freshly grated cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp. (if you are using pre-ground..you can use more)
Greased plate
Method:
1. In a pan combine all the above and cook it on medium flame stirring at intervals. Do not stir too much..as u need the darn stamina towards the end!!
2. When the mixture starts to come together and thickens..keep stirring vigourously and keep stirring till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and is basically seperating from the pan. When it comes to this phase keep ur concentration of the pan and cook for a few minutes.
3. After stirring for a few minutes...pour the mixture to a greased pan and let it cool for 10 -15 mts and make slices.....if you have the mahaan kaam like me and taken out a little before the mixture is totally done..you can shape them in balls or you can put the mixture back in the pan...stir for a few more minutes till it is done.
Notes :
1. I personally think these tasted great ...but the completely finished goody is not chewy and has a fantastic texture..i will try to reach that mark next time....
2. I think 1/2 a tsp. of cinnamon would have rendered a more cinnamony taste....
Now this is off to Sunita who blogs at
Sunita's world and whose spice of the month is Cinnamon.
Friday
Fruit Nut oatmeal bar
As i had mentioned earlier..i am trying to eat healthier and all of us know when the mid-afternoon hunger strikes..many of us venture to places ( vending machines....coffee shops..kitchen) to fill up on food you feel like kicking ur behind for later ;)..i made this bar as i can carry a couple in my purse and eat it when i want. i have been eating this for breakfast too as i am always running late and need something to eat as i drive...if i may say so...in crazy speeds ;)
I got this recipe from 'the vegetarian times' but as usual they have used eggs and i do not eat eggs...so I pretty much did my own thing and added and subbed what i wanted and it turned out pretty good. My only bone of contention is the pic of the bar the magazine is lovely...tight neat bar with all the nuts and chocolates peeking out...mine looks hideous :D..tastes good tho :D
Ingredients:
Rolled Oats: 2 1/2 cups
Whole wheat flour: 1 cup
Baking Soda: 1 tsp.
Salt: 1/2 tsp.
Baking powder: 1/2 tsp.
Dried cherries: 1/2 cup
Dates: 1/2 cup
Dried Apricots: 1/2 cup
Walnuts: 1/2 cup
Brown sugar: 1 cup
Molasses: 1/2 cup
Oil: 1/4 cup
Soy milk: 1/2 cup
Flax meal: 2 tbls
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Whisk the flax meal and soy milk till frothy.
3. Mix all the other ingredients in a big bowl and add the above soy-flax mix well.
4. Take a 9*13 baking pan..line it with parchment paper and add the above batter.
5. bake for 30-35 mts till a toothpick when inserted comes out clean.
6. The bars are a little soft and chewy....i cut these into 24 pcs (6 columns and 4 rows) and wrapped each piece in cling-wrap so that they are portable.
Calories per bar is 165.
Notes:
1. You can use any combo of nuts..in hindsight i felt i should have added some almonds too...
2. Use of parchment paper ensure that the bars do not stick to the pan and you do not have to use any cooking oil...but if you do not have parchment paper..try alluminium foil...i think greasing the pan will still not ensure all hte bars coming our ;)
3. The original recipe called for maple syrup..i think that would have given the bars a lovely color..so use honey or maple syrup for a lighter colored bar and perhaps light brown sugar too.
This is off to the mom and daughter team who blog at the the 'yum' blog who are hosting the AFAM - dry fruits...
I got this recipe from 'the vegetarian times' but as usual they have used eggs and i do not eat eggs...so I pretty much did my own thing and added and subbed what i wanted and it turned out pretty good. My only bone of contention is the pic of the bar the magazine is lovely...tight neat bar with all the nuts and chocolates peeking out...mine looks hideous :D..tastes good tho :D
Ingredients:
Rolled Oats: 2 1/2 cups
Whole wheat flour: 1 cup
Baking Soda: 1 tsp.
Salt: 1/2 tsp.
Baking powder: 1/2 tsp.
Dried cherries: 1/2 cup
Dates: 1/2 cup
Dried Apricots: 1/2 cup
Walnuts: 1/2 cup
Brown sugar: 1 cup
Molasses: 1/2 cup
Oil: 1/4 cup
Soy milk: 1/2 cup
Flax meal: 2 tbls
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Whisk the flax meal and soy milk till frothy.
3. Mix all the other ingredients in a big bowl and add the above soy-flax mix well.
4. Take a 9*13 baking pan..line it with parchment paper and add the above batter.
5. bake for 30-35 mts till a toothpick when inserted comes out clean.
6. The bars are a little soft and chewy....i cut these into 24 pcs (6 columns and 4 rows) and wrapped each piece in cling-wrap so that they are portable.
Calories per bar is 165.
Notes:
1. You can use any combo of nuts..in hindsight i felt i should have added some almonds too...
2. Use of parchment paper ensure that the bars do not stick to the pan and you do not have to use any cooking oil...but if you do not have parchment paper..try alluminium foil...i think greasing the pan will still not ensure all hte bars coming our ;)
3. The original recipe called for maple syrup..i think that would have given the bars a lovely color..so use honey or maple syrup for a lighter colored bar and perhaps light brown sugar too.
This is off to the mom and daughter team who blog at the the 'yum' blog who are hosting the AFAM - dry fruits...
Wednesday
Mjadra
I love Middle-eastern food and its delicate but definite use of spices and the way the flavors all come together..flavorful but not too overpowering. We have a really good middle-eastern restaurant near our place and i used to eat there often...but no longer go there as the restaurant owner has been called for some really serious charges and i have no desire to support that cause with my money.
So...here i was craving the food but i did not like the mjadra at any other restaurant..so my quest for a good recipe started from the internet. I mainly looked for this recipe from a middle-eastern person..as my thought process is usually the natives know the best..thought there are exceptions we know :)
I mentioned about mjadra to my friend and she got me this recipe from her lebanese co-worker..i was told to use burgal or basmati rice...but i used brown rice coz it is chewier and reminds me more of the recipe that is served at that restaurant..and can i say i liked what i made ;)
Ingredients:
Brown lentils - 1/2 cup
Brown Rice - 1/2 cup
Onions - 1 large
Garlic- 3 pods - crushed or grated
Olive oil - 1 tbls + 1 tsp.
Brown Sugar - 1 tsp
Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp. - freshly grated
Pepper - 1/2 tsp.
Cumin - 1 tsp.
Salt - to taste
Method:
1. Soak the brown rice and the lentils seperately for 3-4 hours. This ensures they cook faster. You can omit this step if you want.
2. Slice the onions and crush the garlic and keep aside.
3. In a large pan, heat 1 tbls of olive oil and add the onions and garlic with the brown sugar and cook it on a low flame to caramelise. When the onions are caramelized add some salt,pepper and the grated nutmeg powder to it and keep aside.
4.Meanwhile cook the rice and lentils separately in lots of water with salt and cook till they are done but not mushy. Drain the excess water and spread the lentils and rice on separate plates so that the grains do not stick together.
5. Finally before you eat......add 1 tsp. of oil in the pan..add in jeera and 1/4 of the onion mixture (Step. 3). Now add the rice, the lentils and salt (if reqd.) and mix it well on high flame for a couple of minutes.
6. Serve the rice on individual plates and top it with the remaining of the caramelized onions and eat it with cold cucumber raita....yum :)
Notes:
1. In restaurants the onions are deep-fried..but i think the caramelized onions are not lacking in flavor either...
2. It would be great to top the mjadra with finely chopped parsley.
3. I think brown basmati would be really yummy..i did not have any so subbed with long-grain...
Date Walnut Tangerine Flavored Granola
I get mad when i buy granola from outside coz i feel i get cheated..there seems to be more of the oats and less of the fruit and nut..tho it is very generously named as cranberry-pecan granola or blueberry-walnut granola.. i really do not get more than a piece in a 2 tbls helping....When the announcement for the AFAM-dates was postponed..i resolved to join in the fun and make granola which i have never made but always wanted to. I did a search via google and came upon this
site which has an easy recipe and would be easy to modify.
I usually eat granola topped over yogurt or in a fruit parfait. I even have it on top of low fat frozen yogurt..it tastes absolutely great. It is healthy but a lil steep on calories esp. when you eat without measuring it ;) I did measure and weigh everything i put in...and have the calories stated at the end of the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1 tbls brown sugar
1 tbls honey
1 tbls mollases
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbls sunflower oil (use any flavorless oil)
1 tbls water
Other:
50 gms walnuts
50 gms dates (chop them up in bite sized pcs.)
1 tbls tangerine zest
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 275 F.
2. In a bowl mix all the ingredients except the ones listed under 'other'.
3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and spread the mixture on it and bake for 30 mts.
4. When 30 mts are done, stir in the remaining ingredients listed under 'other' and bake for 10 more minutes.
5. Let this cool and store it in a dry glass jar...coz it looks pretty ;)
I am trying to eat healthy so the calories per tbls (12gms) is 50 cal.
Notes:
1. Sub any fruit nut combo..but do not go crazy over it, as the calories are pretty high on the dried variety ones :)
2. Make sure the granola is cooled before you transfer it to a jar.
3. Parchment paper ensures the granola does not stick and you do not have to oil the pan. you can also use silpat, which is a great alternative.
This is off to Chandrika who blogs at Akshayapatra and is hosting AFAM - Dates.
site which has an easy recipe and would be easy to modify.
I usually eat granola topped over yogurt or in a fruit parfait. I even have it on top of low fat frozen yogurt..it tastes absolutely great. It is healthy but a lil steep on calories esp. when you eat without measuring it ;) I did measure and weigh everything i put in...and have the calories stated at the end of the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1 tbls brown sugar
1 tbls honey
1 tbls mollases
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbls sunflower oil (use any flavorless oil)
1 tbls water
Other:
50 gms walnuts
50 gms dates (chop them up in bite sized pcs.)
1 tbls tangerine zest
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 275 F.
2. In a bowl mix all the ingredients except the ones listed under 'other'.
3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment and spread the mixture on it and bake for 30 mts.
4. When 30 mts are done, stir in the remaining ingredients listed under 'other' and bake for 10 more minutes.
5. Let this cool and store it in a dry glass jar...coz it looks pretty ;)
I am trying to eat healthy so the calories per tbls (12gms) is 50 cal.
Notes:
1. Sub any fruit nut combo..but do not go crazy over it, as the calories are pretty high on the dried variety ones :)
2. Make sure the granola is cooled before you transfer it to a jar.
3. Parchment paper ensures the granola does not stick and you do not have to oil the pan. you can also use silpat, which is a great alternative.
This is off to Chandrika who blogs at Akshayapatra and is hosting AFAM - Dates.
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