There’s always something exotic or should I say romantic about chocolate cookies. They bring with them smiles and happiness no matter how small they are. The first bite is bliss, the second, heaven and by the third, you’re dancing with angels.
If weather reports are to be believed the next three days are going to hotter than ever before.You’re not going to want to step out of the house, eat anything that’s full of spice and temper’s are going to be flying high. Need a quick cool down recipe…here’s one.
“Baked donuts!” Exclaimed my husband! Yes, why not..If everything can be made diet friendly why not donuts! Everyone’s making them these days and I’m going to try make them not just sugar-free but also with barley and oats flour!
This dish has been one of the hottest selling entrees in both my restaurants. The name has appeal, the simplistic recipe allows you to enjoy the vegetables, it’s healthy so works with the crazy gym-addicts, and me, and it’s a looker!
Aubergine or brinjal is technically a fruit…and you can’t keep me away from fruits for too long. Full of vital vitamins, minerals, fibre and with the ability to lower cholesterol and help manage weight, brinjals have always been a hot favourite in my kitchen. And what’s even more interesting is the ease with which it can be used in any cuisine. Like, tonight, I’m trying a Sweet-Sour-Spicy Aubergine with Sichuan chilli, if I get my hands on it, and am going to serve it with brown rice noodles and a quick 5 veggie stir fry. But coming back to the brinjal, you’ve got to cook it right to prevent it from becoming a soggy mess.
There are few things in life that can be deterred to a later date. Baking is one of them. Just last night I watched two sisters, create an amazing flourless sugarless warm chocolate pudding with figs…yeah, it was a gooey mess, and i mean that in a very, very good way. The recipe by Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley on Hemsley & Hemsley had to be replicated in my own style.
Holi does call for delicacies and desserts! Given my penchant for no-sugar added cooking and doing something out of the box, I gave the traditional gujiya a twist! Gujiyas are nothing but sweet dumplings made of maida and filled with a delightful khoya and dry fruits mixture that are popularly made in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh during the festive season. Sadly, they are deep-fried in ghee and dipped in a sugary syrup! Not something I would cook in my kitchen and yet one has to keep up with tradition! I trapped my dry fruits mix in phyllo pastry and baked it! The sweetness came from the dry fruits and the crispy crackle of the pastry, just added to the delight!
Crackers are fairly simple to make and it’s rather surprising that I don’t make them as often as I should. On our trips to Europe we often stock up on these knäckebröd and bring enough home to last a few months. It’s when they run out that the quest for ready-made Indian varieties start and sadly I haven’t come across a single good gluten-free sugar-free variant as yet.
The wonderful thing about these crackers is that you can flavour it as you choose. Even the basic recipe is delicious, but when your kitchen is a store house of flavours from across the world, why would you let your imagination dry up? What I also enjoy about making these crackers is that its relatively stress free. Most Indian women are used to kneading dough, you just do it instinctively, yes I had to remind myself to measure the quantity of water I used when I developed this recipe. And the crackers get done in a flat 45 minutes, you need no yeast, no waiting for the dough to rise, no getting the temperature right..nothing. It’s as simple as knead, roll, cut and bake. And the end product is only 20 minutes away.
I’ve decided in the year 2017 my blog is going to see at least one post every week and a lot of them are going to be vegetarian. The one complaint I often hear is the lack of vegetarian recipes, so that’s going to change. And yes it is going to be healthy, though this one sits on the edge. As always this recipe too is super easy and perfect for the wintery evenings, where you crave for something warm with your cup of tea. I made this hot creamy dip twice in a row–my X’mas Dinner night and for my New Year party! It’s festive in a way! With all its amazingly cheesy and fragrant aromas. What’s more it can be dressed with a lot more aplomb if you wish.
Last Saturday saw me pulling out food for 30 people, over two different meals! One was a birthday dinner for a friend’s 45 birthday, that’s where this cake was baked, and the other was just a meal for friends. And believe you me this 1 and a half kg cake wasn’t enough to feed 15 not-so-hungry mouths!
It was a dear friend’s 45 birthday and somehow i always end up baking the cake and bringing along at least 3-4 main course dishes and an equal number of starters 🙂 This time was no different, not that I am complaining…I think cooking for people you care about only shows your love for them!
I’ve decided to add a travel section to my blog! I’ve realised If I didn’t need to worry about paying bills, I would be the hippie I was born to be 🙂 A healthy hippie, that serves healthy low cal food in a bed and breakfast that’s tucked somewhere deep in the forests where the aromas of pine sap run through the air! You get the picture, right ;)?