Ingredient: pepper

A true foodie is one who is open to eat anything and almost everything edible. One such foodie is my sister. Since childhood me and my sister has been the biggest food hogger in our family. Living in a metro for years often allows one to eat and explore new cuisines which is normally not so common at home. One of them is Gratin, which is a widespread culinary technique in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. Gratin originated in French cuisine and is usually prepared in a shallow…

Mornings are happy when breakfast is my favorite Idli with Sambhar. Idli is a traditional breakfast in Indian households. Idli is a savory cake that is popular in South and now throughout India . The cakes are usually two to three inches in diameter and are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils (de-husked) and rice. The fermentation process breaks down the starches so that they are more readily metabolized by the body. To make idli, two parts uncooked rice to one part split black lentil (urad dal) are soaked separately for at least four hours. Optionally…

Pilaf, also known as pilav, pilau, pulao, palaw, plov, polov, polo, and polu, is a dish in which rice is cooked in a seasoned broth. In some cases, the rice may also attain its brown color by being stirred with pieces of cooked onion, as well as a mix of spices. Depending on the local cuisine, it may also contain meat, fish, vegetables, and (dried) fruits. Pilaf and similar dishes are common to Balkan, Middle Eastern, Caucasian, Central and South Asian, East African, Indian, Latin American and Caribbean cuisines. It is a staple food and a national dish in Afghan,…

Healthy morning starts with a healthy breakfast that keeps our tummy light and our body energized. We have grown up eating Cheela in breakfast. My mom use to make varieties of cheela. It’s not just instant but can be made with almost anything and everything. Besan, Suji, Atta etc are common flours for making a cheela. When made in a non-stick pan the cheela becomes crisp and oil free. Yesterday while shopping for vegetables i got lots of spring onions. Thought to utilize the leaves to its fullest. In Chattisgarh spring onions is used for making lot of things. It…

Biryani is something i simply can’t get over it. This is the only dish which i can relish daily. After having tried Awadhi Biryani, Hyderabadi Biryani, Kerela Biryani it was now turn to lay my hands on Bombay Biryani. I had this during my stay in Mumbai somewhere near Lokhandwala. The taste was little mild as compared to North India’s Dum biryani. Luckily i had a packet of ready made Bombay Biryani masala which i had received a few days back from one of my good friend Anisa Arif also the owner of Zaika. Apart from whole spices i did…

Makhni gravy is something to die for. Anything cooked in a makhni gravy makes it rich and delicious. After cooking, paneer makhni, aloo maknhi, gobhi makhni…it was now time for some kathal to go with the creamy gravy. Had lots of kabab mix left in my fridge box which i had made yesterday. So thought to go for some kathal ke koftas in makhni curry. The delicate koftas simply melt in mouth and gives a marvelous taste when combined with a creamy and silky makhi gravy with a mild aroma of kasuri methi. I teamed up this awesome dish with…

Kathal ke Kebabs are the vegetarian version of Shami Kebabs. The fibrous fruit make is look almost like a mutton kebab. As jackfruits are flooding the market these days, i had a small one at home too. Had already made curry and koftas of kathal few days back, so thought to use the remaining pieces for making tikkis or kebabs. They can be consumed as an awesome evening snack or as a side dish with the meal. Jackfruit comes from mulberry family. It has thorny projections outside and soft flesh. Jackfruit’s flesh is very high in fiber content. The taste…

‘Chefs Across Boundaries’ is a group of Chefs who set up challenges every month to encourage the participants to innovate, think out of the box and explore the culinary world. This month, one of the Members Hetal Kamdar (http://hetalkamdar.blog.co.uk/) hosted the challenge and her theme was Pondicherry cuisine. The Union Territory of Pondicherry boasts of a sumptuous cuisine that shows strong French and Tamil influences. Puducherry formerly known as Pondicherry is a small charming Union Territory on the east coast of India consisting of four small regions namely Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. Whereas Pondicherry and Karaikal is in Tamilnadu,…

A croquette is a small bread crumbed fried food roll containing, usually as main ingredients, mashed potatoes and/or ground meat, shellfish, fish, cheese or vegetables. The croquette is usually shaped into a cylinder, disk, ball or oval shape, and then deep-fried. The croquette (from the French croquer, “to crunch”) gained worldwide popularity, both as a delicacy and as a fast food.

Highway on my plate tonight!!!! Who doesn’t gets fascinated by Dhaba foods… No matter where we go and eat, a 5star or a 7star, nothing can beat the rustic flavor that a dhaba provides our palate. I am not much of an aristocratic person…i loved to stick to my roots, the roots of India that defines my taste, my culture and my food. The Dhaba moves wherever a highway goes.” The first Dhaba was probably established soon after the linking of the cities of India by highways (national, state and village roads). Food served in Dhabas is wholesome and full…

I have always been wondering why do left overs taste more delicious than the fresh ones…lol Whether it’s Biryani, Kheer or any other food. Left overs are something that has always tingled my taste buds. I have kept myself into a practice of recycling the food left in the fridge, next day. I use the veggies to stuff in parathas or make sandwiches. The dal is often dried n stuffed in parathas. In short i love to re use the left food rather than throwing it into the dustbin (which is actually not good). One of my favorite breakfast is…

I have always been fascinated by the richness of Mughlai food. The use of milk, cream, dry fruits is just so perfect to enhance the taste of any cuisine.. even if it is a humble Aloo / Potato. The word Nawaabi itself defines royalty and richness. And if its a Nawaabi Aloo then one can easily imagine how royal the dish must be…with hell lot of ingredients …. right? Well the dish i made today is indeed rich but i tried to keep is as simple as i can. The ingredients used are easily available at home and the blend…