Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Steamed Bao...

steamed bao video recipe

I enjoy different types of bread. Whether it's a fluffy soft, buttery bread or a crusty sourdough or may be a hot chapati, I relish them all. I try to recreate different types of bread from around the world in my kitchen. If you are familiar with my blog, you know how much I love baking and that I am fond of making bread. So here is another one on the list, Bao. Bao is a yeast-leavened steamed bread stuffed with meat or vegetables from Chinese cuisine. Bao can be of different types, like closed round dumplings or open buns. And for your better understanding this post includes a video of how to make bao.

Monday, December 21, 2020

Savoury star shaped bread...


I personally like savouries over sweets. But any festival calls for loads of sugary stuff and Christmas is no different. Cakes, cookies, pies, sweet breads everything is delicious but too much of sweetness is not something I prefer. So today I prepared a savoury bread and keeping the festive mood of the Christmas I have chosen a star shaped bread. So here is my Christmas savoury star shaped bread filled with roasted red bell pepper and tomato sauce and lots of cheese.

Friday, December 18, 2020

Rum raisin cake..

 

Rum raisin cake with orange glaze, photo, recipe

Are you feeling the festive vibe? I was really not in the mood for Christmas. For me Christmas is more than a religious festival, it's about having fun with your family and friends, cherishing the beautiful winter days and enjoying the decked up City of Joy. It's also about decorating the house, arranging parties, going out, buying gifts, planning to surprise my daughter and baking loads of delicious cakes and breads for my friends and family. Unfortunately with all these restrictions due to Covid19 the usual excitement is missing and I was feeling less enthusiastic. But when I saw all those images of Christmas cakes and cookies on my Instagram feed, I felt the happy festive vibe and decided to bake a cake, a boozy flavourful Rum Raisin cake with orange glaze.

Monday, December 14, 2020

Roasted Green Tomato Salsa...

 

green tomatoes, food photography

I always prefer dishes that can be done quickly yet taste delicious, especially for snacking. Who likes to spend hours preparing for an evening snack? I always keep few things handy to satisfy the little hunger pangs of my family members and it helps a lot when you have a teenager at home. Frankly speaking during this pandemic when the man and kids are at home and craving for snacks every now and then quick simple healthy snacks are bliss. Here is one such make ahead snack idea, roasted green tomato salsa.

Saturday, November 14, 2020

Simui-er Payesh...


An easy quick dessert that can be made in a jiffy is always my favorite. Simui-er payesh is one such dessert. A simple sweet dish that is very common in every Indian household. My Sejo-jethima (aunt) used to make the best simui-er payesh. I was and I'm still not fond of sweets. But the simui-er payesh prepared by my aunt was my favorite. She used to serve the payesh in a small bowl along with some perfectly puffed luchi or crispy triangle shaped parathas and a spicy curry. I remember how I used to dip the roti or paratha or luchi into some freshly made simui-er payesh by her. I miss her cooking so much.

Monday, October 5, 2020

Kumror bhorta...

Kumror bhorta, mashed pumpkin recipe, food photography, food styling



The recipes I share mostly come from seeing my grandmother, mother, and aunts cooking while growing up. Knowingly or unknowingly we absorb the techniques and processes of preparing everyday food watching our elders and with time recreate the familiar taste that we had grown up with. This process of learning never ends. We learn as an adult too. After my marriage I learnt a lot from my mother-in-law, who's an excellent cook. Then there are friends and neighbors, with whom we share food and recipes. Along with cookery shows, magazines, luring us with tempting food photos and recipes. And not to forget about the vast ocean of information available to us now-a-days , the internet. Where we can learn almost anything, if interested and willing to, be it cooking or film making. Being foodies we simply soak up everything about good food. 

Monday, September 28, 2020

Spicy stir fried prawn...

 

prawns, stir-fry, recipe, food photography, food styling

Who doesn't love a quick recipe? I always prefer a quick delicious dish for a weeknight dinner. And I choose fish or seafood for that, as the cooking time is much less compared to other proteins. Last week I tried this quick, easy, ready in a jiffy spicy stir fried prawns to go with some steamed rice. The spicy prawns were perfect to go with both stir fried noodles and plain rice.

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Homemade curd...

 


Having homemade curd (dahi or doi) with our meal is a common practice. I  set curd every alternate day, it's a routine in my household. I have seen my grandmother, mother, aunts doing it and I do it too. Use of curd in Indian cuisine stretches back to the ancient Vedic times. Our cuisine may be diverse but when it comes to curd or yogurt every single cuisine uses it, be it in making the gravy for the curry or a dessert or as a dip or serving at the end of the meal. The naturally fermented curd is so very healthy and good for the gut, so I insist that my family members have their share of this probiotic goodness everyday.

Saturday, August 8, 2020

Idli..


What's for breakfast? This is the first thing that comes to my mind when I open my eyes in the morning. Still not completely awake, wanting to spend a little more time curled up, my routine-following brain whispers to me telling me to leave the comfort of my bed while the lazy side of me wants to relax a little bit more to enjoy the warmth of the bed . Then finally the alarm beeps and I have no option but to get up. And again it strikes me, what's for breakfast?

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Sugar free date walnut cake



Hi, I'm back after a hiatus. I took quite a long break from blogging and social media. During this time I have cooked a lot new dishes, dug deep into bread making and even managed to raise my first batch of sourdough starter, yet somehow I lacked the energy and enthusiasm to share it on social media. But during this worldwide Covid-scare and lockdown restrictions I felt an urge to connect with others and share my thoughts.