tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2479606158748226272011-11-27T20:59:44.805+05:30EVERYTHING CULINARY.Cooking my wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638333622325816663noreply@blogger.comBlogger251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-247960615874822627.post-69582608828750039432010-08-27T18:22:00.004+05:302010-09-01T19:28:19.619+05:30

This is one of the easiest desserts to put together and it never fails to impress! You don't need to confine yourself to apples only. I have used bananas, plums, peaches and pears with great success.                            The crumble Flour                    1 cupButter         (cold)          ½ cup, cut into piecesDemerara sugar    ½ cup The filling Apples                 4 nos,

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This filling is awesome to use in toasted sandwiches as well! I always like to blanch capsicum before filling. This way the oven time is reduced and the vegetable retains its shape.The quantities mentioned for the filling can be used to fill four large capsicum halves.  Capsicum                       3 largeCut these into half and remove all the pith and seeds taking care that you don’t damage

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Do you drool when you see all those delectable pies and tarts that are displayed in a pastry shop?  Then, drool no more! Roll up your sleeves and get rid of the mental block you have about making pastry at home. It is NOT difficult! Besides, once you get the hang of making pastry it is a gratifying cooking moment, believe me! You will never want to eat store bought pastry again. You will also be

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THIS POST WAS MEANT FOR THE MONTH OF MAY!  From my kitchen window. Down the road. Summer in Chennai! I have been away for so long. It feels like I had given up on my blog! I had family visiting and we had a wonderful time. Now if you are wondering who would be crazy enough to visit Chennai in May, well, you can put the blame on MANGOES! My son and family who normally visit in winter miss out on

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This is one of the tastiest of khar preparations and I am sure all true blue Asomias will back me up on that! Ideally, one would use the indigenous khar, a decoction prepared from the ashes of the Athiya banana tree, to impart its distinctive flavour to this dish. However, it may be substituted with baking soda with equally good results.In a typical Assamese meal Khar is served as the first

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Gobi Methi (Cauliflower with dried fenugreek leaves) This recipe I just had to post! It is a bit similar to my post of a few days ago and yet different. Curd to make it slightly tangy. Ginger and garlic for extra flavour.Cauliflower                              4 cups when separated into floretsOil                                           2 Tbls + 1Salt to tasteDried fenugreek leaves

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A good way to eat stewed guavas. Simple to make and full of flavour! Image by BeautifulFreePictures.com Guava cups Guavas                          4Water                            2 ½ cupsSugar                             1 ½ cups Custard powder             4 TblsMilk                               1 cup Seedless grapes and or dried fruit Method Wash and peel guavas. Cut each guava

Cooking my wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638333622325816663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-247960615874822627.post-24220254564618010942010-04-30T16:53:00.002+05:302010-07-05T13:35:52.908+05:30

This dish is everyday fare in a lot of  North Indian homes. It is simple to make and very flavourful. I have used dried fenugreek leaves which come in cartons all year round. But, if you do have access to the fresh variety you have to use that instead. It takes slightly longer but definitely well worth the effort!Aloo Methi (Potatoes cooked with dried fenugreek leaves)          Serves 4Oil

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These pages seem almost alien to me. No excuses! Just got caught up with everyday living kind of activities. Summer has set in with a vengeance. Temperatures are soaring and no AC seems cool enough. Food prices have hit the roof and to top it all , there is a water shortage. My biggest preoccupation these days seems to be lecturing my hundred year old mother about conserving water. I am fighting

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This dish is what I choose to make on days when I do not want to spend too much time in the kitchen.It is simple to make, wholesome and very satisfying. Definitely one of my comfort foods! Kerala stew with chicken and vegetables           Serves  4 – 6 Ghee                                        1TbsCoconut oil                              1 TbsOnions                                     1

Cooking my wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638333622325816663noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-247960615874822627.post-22387605861242762962010-03-26T18:41:00.000+05:302010-06-04T12:20:22.252+05:30

An essential ingredient in Assamese cuisine is khar. The literal meaning of khar is 'of alkaline nature' but this bit of information is for non Assamese readers only. I wouldn’t dream of referring to Chicken Adhkhoria as Chicken Alkali!! Basically, khar is an indigenous preparation and gives a different dimension to foods flavoured with it. It is prepared from a particular variety of the banana

Cooking my wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638333622325816663noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-247960615874822627.post-13342747532004446162010-03-26T16:05:00.001+05:302010-06-04T12:20:11.357+05:30

The banana flower is a large deep purple-red blossom which grows from the end of the banana bunch. It is treated as a vegetable in several Asian and tropical cuisines and is considered to be rich in vitamins A and C. In some cultures it is believed to be beneficial to lactating mothers. It is also believed to alleviate menstrual cramps. India being in the tropical belt has an abundance of

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Very often, I find myself drawing parallels between Assam (the state I come from) and Kerala. Set apart geographically, on opposite sides of the subcontinent, Assam being in the Northeast and Kerala in the Southwest, it is amazing to see the similarity in food, customs and dress. Maybe there was an intermingling of cultures at some point in time.Was there a migration of sorts I wonder? Can

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There are two ways of making Rogan Josh – Kashmiri  and Moghlai. The Kashmiri way uses asafoetida (hing), fennel and dried ginger powder. I must say that I have never been able to get the right blend of spices to produce a memorable dish. I have tried several recipes without much success. Maybe, it is the use of asafoetida in combination with meat that doesn’t sit well with my palate, or perhaps

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This dish can be made either with a whole chicken trussed up for roasting or with a jointed one. Either way will produce good results. People familiar with flavours of Raj cooking will go all nostalgic over this one! The intermingling of flavours in this pot-roast conjure up images of the British memsahib introducing her bawarchi (native cook) to the nuances of 'refined' tastes and the tug of war

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Assam is home to a host of diverse ethnic groups, each one having a traditional cultural heritage. Pre- independent India saw Assam as one in the group of seven states, in the northeastern part of the country, which came to be known as the Seven Sisters.  Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura formed the rest of the group. Linked to one another geographically,

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There is such an abundance of green leafy vegetables here in India and many ways of cooking them! Packed with nutrients, a great source of vitamins A, C and K, folate, iron and calcium, leafy greens should ideally be included in one’s everyday diet. Leafy greens are high in fat-soluble vitamins, which indicate that in order to absorb them all, one needs to add a small amount of dietary fat

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Have you ever heard of a Bavarian Cream without Crème Anglaise as one of the main ingredients? Well you have now because I have tried to demystify this classic!The idea was born when I was trying to get together recipes for egg less desserts. I chanced upon this old cookbook where I found a recipe that hinted at something that might have tasted like a cross between a blancmange and a soufflé.

Cooking my wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638333622325816663noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-247960615874822627.post-38020799317476520252010-02-08T15:41:00.001+05:302010-06-04T12:23:22.467+05:30

I was around 12 years old when I ate my first  moulded salad. My family and I had been invited for lunch at the Madras Race Club.The cook at the club who must have trained under a British memsahib used to conjure up the most amazing fare! The first course was crab baked in its shell accompanied by this wonderful cold moulded seafood salad. All I can say is that I was sold for life!! You can

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 I conjure up a kaleidoscope of images when I think of Assam, which is in the North Eastern part of India and my childhood home. Lush green valleys through which the mighty Brahmaputra flows, miles and miles of paddy fields, a wealth of flora and fauna peculiar to the region and the home of the one horned rhino are some images, to name a few. The soil is fertile and growth of vegetation abundant.

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   Moghlai Dhal served with Naan and pickle.                                                                                                        Soak the lentil overnight.                    Prepare the ingredients.                                           Serves 6The black gram and the kidney bean curry is referred to as Dhal. Whole black gram [urad sabut]           1 cupRed kidney

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 Try out this recipe. It is delicious and has never failed to impress people ! Serve it with a fresh salad and stir fried vegetables.                            Indian seafood a la creme                          Fish fillets ¾ kg Marinade Oil                                  1 TbsSalt to taste          Pepper                          1 tspLime juice                     1½ - 2 Tbs Flour

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I am always looking for a tasty butter substitute not just to spread on my morning toast but something that I can snack on anytime during the day without feeling guilty!Flavoured hung curd / yogurt is my answer!   You can use your imagination when it comes to flavouring hung curd for dips or spreads! The sky is the limit.You can use finely minced vegetables, fresh herbs, dried

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Palak Paneer ( Indian cottage cheese cooked with spinach) I have kept the use of spices minimal in this recipe because I think that one needs to be able to taste the spinach and the paneer in the dish. What I have suggested here will just enhance the natural flavours and not smother them. Palak (spinach)                        2 bunchesPaneer                                     200

Cooking my wayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638333622325816663noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-247960615874822627.post-17606224865932913972009-12-25T13:02:00.108+05:302010-06-04T12:24:07.269+05:30

Hi folks ! I have started this blog with the idea of sharing with all you foodies out there my experiences in the culinary world. My maternal aunt played a large role in my upbringing. Having been an excellent cook herself she decided that my cousin and I who were living with her during breaks from school had to be proficient in the kitchen. The few times that we ventured into the kitchen with

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