A Newyear - 2014 - London

Happy New Year from LONDON -2014

Hope you all had a wonderful Holiday., mine truly was action packed . We welcomed the NewYear by watching the amazing display of Fireworks that London had to offer.

With the New year comes new resolutions and i did have a couple of things in mind like " i will string my wallet a lot tighter,exercise more yaada yaada yaada" and incidentally i happened to read this article 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/10539135/Five-New-Year-resolutions-you-really-shouldnt-make.html

Resolutions are passé huh?!!! Here is to exploring and experimenting with more flavors and enjoying life.

I love Thai Food and flavors. And i love the pretty orange discs - Red Lentils. Sometime ago, i had Thai Red Lentil Soup at my favorite Soup shop and wanted to replicate the same at home.This soup is a casual meal in a bowl, with layers of flavor,perfect as a low GI energy fix and is wallet friendly too.

Here is how i made it.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic chopped
1inch piece of Ginger grated
1 Onion - finely chopped
1 Carrot - finely chopped
1/2 a Red Bell Pepper - finely chopped
3 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste
250gms appox.Red Lentils
1 stock cube
200mls Coconut milk
Spring Onions or Corriander for Garnish
500mls Water
Juice of 1 lime or lemon

Method:

1.Fry the Garlic and Onions in 1 tbsp olive oil until soft.Then add the Carrots and Bell pepper to soften along with the grated Ginger. Stir in the red Thai curry paste,depending how hot you want it you could increase or decrease the quantity.

2.Add red lentils and mix to coat in the paste.Add Water the stock cube and simmer for about 20 mins until the lentils are tender or You could Pressure cook the lentils separate in a Pressure cooker until done and then add to the softened Veg.

3.Stir the coconut milk to the simmering lentil mix, bring it to a boil and Done.

Remember: the stock cube and the store bought Thai curry paste have salt in it add accordingly.

Garnish with Coriander or Spring Onions and dash of Lemon to the soup adds that nice zing.

A Baking Heist and Home made Granola

A snack that’s sweet and chewy and a healthy one who would say no to it .

I’ve been wanting to bake some granola bars for the longest time, My latest infatuation with Cranberry's helped me bring all the components together – for a sweet and tasty bite. 

These bars cover a whole range of  food groups,they fit in the grains and nuts and the added dried fruit. And I'll be honest with you, these granola bars are really on the line between healthy snack and dessert food and on that line I did eat one for breakfast this morning. :)


Here is what i did :

• 2 cups Rolled Oats
• 1/2 cup Wheat Bran 
• 1/2 cup sliced Almonds
• 1/2 cup shredded Coconut (I used unsweetened but sweetened is good too)
• 1/4 cup chopped Walnuts
• 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup of Raisins and Cranberry's
• 3 tablespoons Butter
• 1/4 cup Brown sugar
• 1/3 cup Honey 
• 1/3 Maple Syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

You can also add Dates, Apricots, Prunes

Method:

Preheat the Oven to 165°C.

Combine the Oats, Wheat Bran,Almonds, Walnuts,Coconut,Sesame. Lay them all flat on the Baking sheet and  Bake at 165°C for 8-10 minutes, just until toasty.

While that's getting done, In a pot over medium heat stir together the butter, sugar, honey,maple syrup and vanilla extract until the butter melts. Bring it to a boil then remove from the heat. In a bowl combine the dry granola mixture with the melted butter mixture so that all the granola gets coated. At this stage while the mix is till a little warm add the dried fruits.

Line a square pan with parchment paper. Press the granola mix into the pan. Press it down well so that it lies nice and flat and Bake at 150°C for 20-25 minutes.

Once done let them remain in the pan for a while until a little cool and then cut them into Bars.

Good for Groups

What's this?

Patani Sundal .... Thenga Manga Patani Sundal

Carrot Pickle

Carrot Pickle reminds me so much of my School Lunchbox which were lovingly packed by my Mum. I always preferred  a dry meal to be carried however the side had to be something interesting and the interesting side was something that made me glee with pride made me look forward to the lunch break.

It is absolutely quick and easy to make and it takes only a few ingredients and gets done in a Jiffy.

Ingredients:

3 medium carrots
A few slices of Ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon roasted mustard seeds coarsely ground 
1/2 teaspoon roasted Methi seeds coarsely ground
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Asafoetida a pinch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon olive oil

Method:
Peel the carrots and ginger and thinly slice them.
Ensure that the carrots and ginger have no moisture pat them dry to be sure.
Dry Roast the Mustard and Methi seeds until the seeds slightly change color and coarsely grind them.
Heat the Olive oil and add the coarsely ground Mustard seeds,Methi seeds,turmeric and asafoetida add it to the carrots and ginger with salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients together and add the lemon juice.
The Pickle is ready. You could choose to eat it immediately or after a couple of hours or it tastes best the next day.

This pickle is highly irresistible.You could also add sliced green chilis for added color.

Variation: Try adding this instant pickle to your salads the mustard give it a very distinctive taste along with the carrots giving it a great crunch.

Navarathri Nostalgia

...Written on the 17th of Oct 2012

They say the world in itself is a big city. It celebrates festivals of all hues. There are more than 10 billion souls cramped in here,but at this time of the year  I feel alone. Its a time of togetherness,bonding....and here in this metropolis all faces seem unfamiliar to me. With whom shall I share my excitement? To whom shall I narrate my loneliness?

Its that time of the year when Godess Durga embarks on her annual vacation, family,friends and pets in tow. A thousand miles away from home,in a land somewhat alien I cant smell the festivities in the air and the drumbeats reverberate in the nostalgic realm...
..Mahalaya, the day of invocation of goddess Durga in her Mahisasurmardini form.,the beginning of the ten days of festivity. Amma you used to wake me up the crack of dawn to listen to Birendra Krishna on All India Radio that was boradcasted in Bengal., saying that it was something that you did listen to growing up .. i made it a point to find it on youtube two days ago to continue with the tradition ( tho it wasnt 4am! )  it feels incomplete without listening to "ya devi sarva butheshu.." not for religious reasons but more for nostalgic ones.

I yearn for the doe-eyed beauties un and easy in crisp sarees and the many visits of Golu,Sundal,the list seems to be endless may be i should start with the padi building and the kalasam placement and the decor that goes with it and now My ears search for the strains of songs in the tongue I called my own.Lets not forget the Aarathi thats taken towards the end of the day.Ohh, the smell of fresh flowers, incense sticks, turmeric...
It is of course a religious occasion, but it's not the gods that I miss, it is the people and the atmosphere. They might celebrate it here, but I don't feel at home. Memories that I'll cherish forever.

Last year, I made myself a promise I'll be home when the drums start to beat. A promise broken, making another.

Good bye Belgium

..Written on 28/03/2013

Today I'm saying goodbye to my Home well almost... - Belgium & our Home here. It doesn't know if I'll ever see it again — it has no idea that this will be the last time I'll walk within its walls. It doesn't even recognize the sheer volume of memories it holds; how many tears and smiles and adventures it has seen, "Thank you for the Memories." 

It's time to move on; it's time for a new  start and a new life in the place we are so familiar with....LONDON

Feta and Chillies Tingle

There are days when we haven’t had much of a chance to come up with anything earth shattering.My channel changing escapades led me to watch 'Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers'.  Nigel cooked a simple recipe of chillies and feta, which initially I wasn't that excited by.  However when he lifted a piece of bread and stuffed it with chillies and the melty feta to his mouth,I immediately said 'I want to eat that!'

Perfect for a Monday evening,I think this is one of those dishes which will definitely hit the spot.

Ingredients

3 large chillies
2 large spring onions or 1 small red onion
a little olive oil
Some thyme, leaves only
A block of feta cheese
soft bread, to serve


Method

Slice the chillies  and  cut them into thin slices. Thinly slice the spring onions.
Warm the olive oil in a frying pan then add the chillies and spring onions. Let them sizzle briefly,you want them to be soft but not browned.
Add a little thyme to the pan then lower in the block of feta. 
Let the cheese soften slightly then serve with the chillies and some soft fresh bread.


The feta offers a salty, lip-tingling hit.Its  great as a starter or nibbles at a dinner party where you could try serving them as canapés.

Cauliflower Soup

When nights are chilly and tootsies are cold, nothing is better than a warm bowl of soup.
Cauliflower isn't exactly the most exciting vegetable in the world. It’s colorless, it does have much of a smell, and if boiled or steamed it has a very bland flavor.When James Martin announced that he was going to make Cauliflower soup on Saturday Kitchen et voilà my solution to the large head of Cauliflower that was sitting on my Kitchen Counter.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of  milk

1 teaspoon butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 head of cauliflower made into florets or  roughly chopped

1 liter of vegetable stock or 2 Stock cubes

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp coriander cress or  garlic chives

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method :


Melt the butter and the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion,garlic and cook until nearly transparent. Add the cauliflower and roast a bit. Add the stock or a liter of water with stock cubes and bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are soft.

Puree the soup until smooth.I like to use my hand blender right in the pot. You can also puree the soup in batches in a regular blender. Return the mixture to the pot.

Stir in the milk and whisk over low heat until the soup is heated through. Do not let it boil  Add some freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.

Serve in warm bowls garnished with freshly snipped coriander cress or chives,  and  a drizzle Balsamic vinegar if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

And oh., Christmas is fast approaching and if you do not have an immersion blender, put one on your Christmas list. They work so much better than putting hot soup into a blender!

Melting Moments Biscuits

Rachel Allen is one of my favorite celebrity chefs known for her work on Television and as a writer.This recipe of her's i just love baking over and over again.Melting moments was a compelling try as an amateur baker.


Melting moments really do live up to their name: they melt in the mouth. The reason for their extra special crumbliness is the addition of cornflour.Here is how i went about Baking them:

Ingredients:
175g self raising flour
125g corn flour
50g icing sugar
225g butter, cut into pieces
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 160C.
2.Put all the ingredients into the food processor and blitz until just combined and forming a dough.
3.Make 40 small balls the size of a large marble and place onto baking trays.Line the trays. Flatten down each ball with a fork – only a little bit though.
4.Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until still very pale in colour but slightly firm.


5.Remove the biscuits from the tray carefully because they’re really fragile, and cool.



Tip: Use Fresh and the Best Butter available in the market as the flavor of the Butter comes through in these Melting Biscuits.

Caramelized Onions & Pumpkin Soup

Summer has almost come to an end and Pumpkins are finding their way to the Markets... -Good Bye Summer.. Hello Autumn/ Fall.

Here is something warm and hearty for the windy/chill evenings.

Ingredients

3 cups of Pumpkin

125g Butter or 3 table spoons Olive oil

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

1 Cinnamon stick

Freshly grated Nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground Black pepper

2 cups of Water or Vegetable stock

1 cup of Whole milk

3 table spoons of Cream

Preparation method

Cut the top off the pumpkin and Scoop out the seeds and fibres from the middle and discard.

Using a sharp knife and a spoon, carefully hollow out the pumpkin, removing the flesh and setting aside.

Roughly chop the scooped-out pumpkin flesh.

Melt the butter/olive oil in a large pan with a lid over a low heat and add the onions. Cook the onions gently for 10-15 minutes, until they are softened and golden-brown.

Add the pumpkin flesh, the cinnamon and nutmeg, and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Increase the heat to medium and cover with the lid. Cook for 40minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the base from burning, until the pumpkin is cooked through.

( or Pressure cook the Pumpkin with water and a little salt )

Add the water or stock and bring to the boil.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Transfer the soup to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Return the soup to the pan and bring to a low simmer and cook for a further half an hour with 1 cup of Whole milk and 1.5 table spoons of Cream.

Ladle into bowls and serve topping it off with some cream/olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper.

Mid Week Delights

Honey Mustard Dressing

Summer is here and Salad is the main attraction.Dressings that bind the salad give the salad a wonderful flavor.Here is a quick and easy dressing for any great salad.It incorporates Honey and Mustard.

Ingredients

• 1tbsp French Mustard
• 1tbsp Honey
• 2tsp lemon juice
• 6tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Start off by placing the mustard, honey and the lemon juice in a bowl and gently whisk. Continue whisking and pour in the Olive Oil until all well combined.Season with salt,pepper and drizzle over salad.

The sweetness of the honey combined with the sharp pungent mustard - a lovely Golden treat.

A Wordless Wednesday ...

..... a wordless Wednesday and my holy basil

Summer & Salads

Craving Cold food,Ice candy,Watermelons,Peaches,Salad - Summer is here.Summer and Salads there is something about them.

"Summer" it just begs you for something easy,light, cold & colorful.

Try this salad for your Picnic or Cookout.

A Quick and Easy Chilled Pasta Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Parsley,chopped
• 1 cup Fusilli or corkscrew pasta
• 10-12 grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup steamed or canned corn
• 1/4 cup steamed green peas
• 1/4 cup red onions or salad onions
• 1/4 cup button mushrooms,boiled
• 1/4 cup tofu
• 1/2tsp oregano,dried
• 2tsps Olive oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste

To start off with : Heat a large covered sauce pot of salted water and bring it to a boil on high.Add pasta to boiling water and cook as label directs.

Meanwhile,microwave the tofu for 1-2minutes at 500watts. Once done add in a teaspoon of Olive oil,Oregano and season with a little salt & pepper.Let them rest for a couple of minutes.

Next in a bowl,combine the red onions,cherry tomatoes,corn,peas,mushrooms and the marinated tofu.Drain pasta and and add it to the salad bowl with the rest and mix well by adding 1tsp of Olive oil, check for seasoning and garnish generously with Parsley.

Serve chilled.You could add any of these variations to your salad:

• Cucumber
• Bell Peppers
• Olives
• Capers
• or Greek Feta cheese

.... isn't it tempting ?? :)

"Eat your colors" you're always told and now is the perfect time & I love the summer colors and nothing more delightful than having a plate of the colors to enjoy the outdoors.

..Getting Started

It’s finally getting done! :D And i'm almost there... a BLOG. You mite want to know what it is about and *much,much* more. Who am I? What do I/ We do? And while you are waiting ………

Let's start at the very beginning
A very good place to start
When you read you begin with A-B-C
When you sing you begin with do-re-mi

And when you want some thing quick and easy you say S-O-U-P-Y :D

Go ahead and try this!

A hearty Bean soup.

I really, really,really love Soups. There I said it :D

There are numerous varieties of Soups available in todays market( now thats for one of those lazziiee days ). But then when we can make it better and fresher and so much more delectable at home why go and reach for the can?

With ingredients for this soup being available all year its easy, colorful,fresh,lively and has a lovely texture.A simple supper or a main course soup the beans in it gives an amazing depth.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 2tbsp-Olive oil
• 1/2tsp-Garlic powder
• 1/4tsp-Cumin powder
• 1/4tsp-Coriander powder
• 1/4tsp-Paprika
• 1/4tsp-Sugar
• 1bay leaf
• Salt to taste
• 2-Onion
• 2-Carrot
• 2-3-Tomatoes, medium sized
• 4-5 Chard leaves
• 750ml-Vegetable stock
• 1Can(appox.200gms) - Cannellini Beans / White Beans
• 3-4tsp of Parmigiano-Reggiano
• A small bunch of Coriander to garnish

Lets get started, here is how i make it :

• Begin by adding the Olive oil to the Pot over medium heat.
• Add the bay leaf,roughly chopped onions,carrots and stir them around until they are soft,but not brown.
• Next goes the tomatoes and the sugar.Bring the heat to a medium low stir occasionally for the next 5minutes until the tomatoes are soft.
• Once the tomatoes are soft add the Spices- garlic,cumin,coriander,paprika and give it a quick stir and pour the stock in ( or stock cubes if using them )
• When the stock comes to a boil add the beans,the chard leaves and salt to taste and let it simmer for 5 -7minutes. (If using canned beans rinse a couple of times or you can soak a cup of white beans over night in water.Next morning drain the water from the soaked white beans,rinse and add fresh water and place the beans with fresh water in a large bottomed pan and bring it to a boil, lower the heat and simmer on medium heat until cooked or to speed up the process use a pressure cooker)
• Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and garnish it with fresh Coriander leaves...YUM

To Serve: Generously ladle the Soup in a bowl crack some Black pepper and enjoy it with a ciabatta or a slice of fresh baguette with a couple of drops of Olive oil over it.