Tuesday, December 13, 2016

CHRISTMAS GOODIES - CHOCOLATE FUDGE



The thing about Chocolate is that it appeals to all ages and one can never have enough of it !

Today, my 6 year old was totally in the mood of helping me in the kitchen for my Christmas goodies preparations. So, I decided to treat him to homemade Chocolate Fudge.

This recipe requires just 2 ingredients which are easily available in any household with kids and specially with Kids who have a sweet tooth ! The best part about this recipe is that the kids can do it almost 90% by themselves with a bit of our supervision and guidance.

Saturday, December 10, 2016

CHRISTMAS GOODIES - TRICOLOUR GOAN BAATH CAKE



The Goan Baath Cake is another one of my favorite holiday treats. The Baath cake is a deliciously rich and moist coconutty flavored cake that is normally made during the Christmas season, but can also be enjoyed all year round! It is mainly made with coconut and semolina with a hint of spice.

This is fairly simple cake recipe. However, you need to bear in mind that the cake batter needs to be kept aside for 6-8 hours, preferably overnight, (depending on the quantity of the cake batter) to enable the semolina to absorb the liquid from the batter and swell up. The cake thus becomes much more moist and tastier. This cake can be served warm or cold or at room temperature. My family enjoys this cake with hot ginger tea on a cool winter’s evening.

Ahhh!!!... Simply heavenly!


Thursday, December 1, 2016

CHRISTMAS GOODIES - KULKULS

 



CHRISTMAS ……. Ahhh!! T’is the season to be jolly!
When we are surrounded by such lovely Christmas goodies, how can one NOT be jolly !!

Christmas holds very fond memories of my childhood. Growing up in a Parsi household, I was blessed to have very good and sweet Catholic neighbours,who,without fail, used to send Christmas sweets and delicacies to us.  As a kid, I recall making a grab for the Marzipans, perad (guava cheese), doce, baath cake (semolina and coconut cake) and of course the KULKULS !! They are, by far ,my favorite treat in the entire Christmas platter.

Kulkuls are small bites of sweet goodness made during Christmas.


Thursday, November 24, 2016

CHRISTMAS GOODIES - TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE - Soaking the Dry Fruits in Rum

   
Chopped Dry Fruits
Soaking the Dry fruits in Rum


Step 1 - Soaked Dry Fruits for the Traditional Christmas Fruit Cake
Mulled wine and warm cider. Soups and breads. Christmas. Baking fruit cakes and Christmas pudding. Christmas tree and nativity decoration. Ornaments and lights. Candy canes and chocolates. Hymns and carols. Santa and his elves.  A brand new year and few carried over un-kept resolutions. These are a few of my favorite things. … (sing it the ‘Julie Andrews’ way of ‘Sound of Music’ ) J J 

Traditional Christmas Fruitcake is a type of fruitcake served at Christmas time in many countries. No Christmas celebration is complete without a traditional fruitcake.


Friday, September 30, 2016

GOAN MUTTON CURRY

What’s Goan Food without Coconut Curry??!  A staple diet in most Goan houses, is Curry (either veg, fish, chicken or meat) with Rice.  My holidays in Goa always leave with a few extra pounds than I fathom for!

Today, I have made a Goan Mutton Curry.  This Mutton curry in a coconut spiced gravy can be enjoyed over a lunch, brunch or dinner affair.

A bowl of this curry, some well-cooked basmati rice served with a pot of yogurt and some salad on the side would make some souls happy for sure!






Monday, September 26, 2016

BAKED TOFU CASSEROLE

Your diet could use more protein, but let's face it — it can do without the added saturated fat and cholesterol. I have one word for you: Tofu!

Tofu, made from soybean curds, is naturally gluten-free and low calorie, contains no cholesterol and is an excellent source of protein, iron, and calcium.
It is an important source of protein especially for vegans, vegetarians and those looking to move toward a more plant-based diet.






Yes, this versatile vegetarian food is just the thing to fill you up and sustain your energy to help you defeat hunger and drop pounds. My friends keep asking advice on how to cook tofu so that it's not squishy and gross! Well, here's a simple step-by-step guide on how to make a super easy - peasy baked Tofu casserole.

This was 1 of those days, where we entered the kitchen to prepare dinner with only around an hour to go! 


Thursday, September 15, 2016

SPICY LADYFINGER FRY ~ OKRA FRY

You either love Ladyfinger or you hate it. Your affection or lack thereof can be decided on how it was prepared. If you were unfortunate enough to try a slimy version, you probably don’t like Ladyfinger very much unless you like slimy things.

But if you had the good fortune of trying Ladyfinger in its crispy charred glory or a fast flavorful spicy fry like the one I am about to share today, you will love it !



PARSI DHANSAK DAL (VEGETARIAN AND MUTTON DHANSAK)

Dhansak is of Parsi origin and is a healthy sweet, sour and hot stew. The name comes from dhan meaning grain and sak, a Gujarati word for stewed vegetables.

Dhansak has elements of Persian and Indian cuisine. The sweetness is obtained from some kind of pumpkin, gourd or squash, and tomatoes. The sourness can come from lime, lemon or tamarind. Traditionally this would be quite a hot dish but I prefer this one about medium.  It’s a flavorful, healthy and delicious curry contributed by the Parsi community.

PARSI DHANSAK DAL


*PARSI MUTTON DHANSAK DAL


There are hundreds of recipes for Dhansak and they are all different, every time I make it I do it slightly differently.  It has quite a list of ingredients and does take a little while to make - it is a traditional Sunday dish in many Parsi homes - but it is totally worth it !

This is the vegetarian version of the Dhansak recipe. I have included the non-vegetarian (MUTTON) recipe as well.  (**The recipe for the Dhansak Masala is given below.**)

**Lamb or mutton is the traditional meat for Dhansak and other meat is rarely used, but this dish is nothing if not versatile and you can use chicken or even no meat to make a vegetarian dish.**

Saturday, September 10, 2016

SPICY CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES NOODLE SOUP

This soup is easy, ready in 30-minutes, and has all the comforting qualities you want in classic chicken noodle soup.

Egg noodles are my favorite but any other pasta may be substituted and make sure to salt your soup to taste.
My family loves the homey, classic flavors in the soup and I love that it it's ready in a flash.


Wednesday, September 7, 2016

PARSI KHICHRI-SAUCE NI MACHCHI (FISH)

It is said that the best food is simple and tasty …. Khichri - Sauce ni Machchi is one such dish which will tickle your taste buds and leave you asking for more …. definitely a must try in your home soon!

This delightful dish is often served at Parsi weddings and special events, the Khichri -  Sauce ni Machchi is also a popular home-cooked meal, generally accompanied by Basmati rice Khichri  (recipe for Parsi Khichri is give below) However, the Fish Sauce is just as amazing served with plain steamed Basmati rice or pav (bread)


Sunday, July 24, 2016

HONEY MUSTARD GRILLED CHICKEN WITH HERBS AND VEGGIES

Baking is simple.... I used to think otherwise !!

I wanted to try a simple baked chicken since quite some time now... so last night, I put my fears of baking to rest.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken wings... !! And surprise ohh surprise... It turned out fab ! Lip smackingly good.. And the best part is that its really very simple ! Doesn't need much effort and neither constant supervision.




Sunday, June 5, 2016

ASIAN CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SOUP

This is an extremely easy soup recipe to wipe up and is enjoyed by the whole family!

Soup is an important dish of every meal. Just like salad, having a bowl of soup has a lot of health benefits as you get to eat more veggies packed with nutrients.



Monday, May 30, 2016

HEALTHY BEETROOT FRITTERS

I cannot stress enough on the health benefits of eating beetroot….. be it in a classic soup or an energy drink. Beetroot is low in fat, full of vitamins and minerals and packed with powerful antioxidants - a health-food titan !

This is an easy to make recipe with undivided focus on beets!



Thursday, April 28, 2016

GOAN PRAWNS PUMPKIN CURRY

Have you ever had those days when you want to cook something tasty, but in a jiffy as well, without too much effort !

I had one of those days and thought of making a one-pot meal which satisfied my taste buds and did not take up too much of my time as well ! ( much required in the horrid summers of Delhi!! )

This Goan Prawns Pumpkin Curry literally took less than an hour to prep and cook!

Enjoy the delicious coconutty delight!

GOAN PRAWNS PUMPKIN CURRY

Thursday, April 7, 2016

FUSILLI ALFREDO WITH VEG STIR-FRY, PAN-GRILLED CHICKEN AND GARLIC BREAD

This was another 1 of those days when the whole family was cooking together .. as the saying goes….. families that cook together… have fun together .. 

So, it was hubby and myself on the pasta, the chicken and the salad and my 6 year old on the garlic bread ! 

FUSILLI ALFREDO WITH VEG STIR-FRY, PAN-GRILLED CHICKEN AND GARLIC BREAD