Kakarakaya with Onion Besan base

IngredientsKakarakaya (Bitter melon) - Scraped little bit and Chopped into big chunksOnionsBesanOil for deep fry as well as for tadkaJeera (Cumin seeds)Tamarind pasteRed chilli powderSalt to tasteMethod of preparation1. Take a vessel for deep/shallow fry. Add oil to it. Let it heat and then fry bitter melon's until they turn their color to golden brown. Take them out on a plate with paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed.2. Fry onions with a spoon of oil and grind them to a paste. To this paste add besan salt, red chilli powder and a little tamarind paste. Mix them all to make it a nice thick paste.3. Add a teaspoon or two of oil and after...

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Indian Sandesh

Spring is here. These cherry blossoms were blooming right outside of the building where my lab is.And in another part of town (aka my kitchen) something else was blooming (sort of). Ok, so they may not be as pretty as those cherry blossoms but they sure taste better.These little blossoms are called sandesh, a really simple Indian dessert made from paneer. Paneer is an Indian cheese that's made by boiling milk, adding lemon juice, and then straining the curds that are produced. I made these desserts with homemade paneer, which is actually really simple to make. No paneer tutorial this time, but I promise there will be one here soon.I sprinkled...

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Thakkali thokku - a spicy 'n tangy tomato pickle

The trimurtis (three presiding deities) of my kitchen are onions, potatoes and tomatoes. Without these three ingredients, I'd be lost.....not knowing what to cook.Like the original holy trinity of Indian mythology, these ingredients too are involved in Srishti (creation of exciting new dishes), and Sthithi (maintenance of our health). Luckily, there has been no Samharam (casualty/death) so far. Let's keep our fingers crossed, shall we???The price of tomatoes in my part of the world has touched rock bottom at rupees 4. Not a small drop, considering that a few months back it was being sold for close to Rs 30. So, with a price drop like that, I...

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NYT CCC

Since the title of this blog is Chocolate Chip Trips, I think it's only fitting to have a Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. So, here it is.This is the chocolate chip cookie recipe published in the New York Times last July (2008). I have been meaning to try it for the longest time, but something else always got in the way -- that something else being brownies, blondies, muffins, and the like.The recipe is not particularly difficult to make (actually the BF made this batch, so that means it can't be hard, don't tell him I said that), but it does require some ingredients that I don't normally have off hand. Cake flour, bread flour, and chocolate disks.Before...

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Sandwich with Ginger Tea

I was hungry in the afternoon and was looking for something tasty and healthy. Found bread, so though of making some sandwich with garma garam ginger tea. Here is how I prepared.Sandwich PreparationIngredientsBreadOnionsTomatoesCucumberCapsicumCilantroOil - 1 tea spoon Salt to tasteBlack pepperYou can use the sandwich maker or if you don't have one then you can use Tawa to heat the sandwich until it is toasted correctly to your taste.Method of Preparation1. Take small pan and add oil to it. after it is heated, add the chopped vegetables. for a minute or two until they are partly done. 2. Add salt and black pepper powder to it. Your stuffing is...

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Not-So-Far Away Travels

The last blog was about chips (chocolate that is), so this one will be about trips. aahh..things are making sense now, no? See...I didn't just choose this blog title because it rhymes and sounds good, unlike many of my actions, this one actually had a point. So, here goes a trip. It wasn't very far -- just a few blocks from my place.Actually, I've ran past many of these parts on countless morning runs, and never really thought twice about taking a picture. I'm glad I did though. Maybe it was the cloudiness, or the rain from the night before that left things a bit greener than usual, or maybe because I finally stopped sucking at taking pictures...

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Muddakura

I love the taste of this simple yet tasty, quick and easy to do item. This can be considered as dal or as a curry. Best combination for this is rice and pachi charu/chintapandu charu.Try it and let me know;IngredientsChana Dal, Toor Dal - 1:1 ratioMoong dal - just a pistful of it(optional)Palak/Thotakura (Amaranth leaves)/Chaama kura(Taro leaves) - ChoppedTurmericGreen chilliesRed chilliesSalt to tasteBesan/SenagapindiTamarind juiceOilmustard seedsCumin seeds (Jeera)AsafoetidaUrad dalCurry leavesCoriander leavesMethod of preparation1. Cook all the three dals until they are just done but not totally mushy or total soft. For example: if you are...

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Chocolate Chip Banana Crumb Muffins

I like to make these muffins when I am craving a wholesome dessert, as opposed to the brownies, cupcakes, and chocolate chip cookies, which, although very satisfying taste-wise, often leave my belly grumbling for some more. These muffins are pretty wholesome and filling -- made with bananas, a bit of applesauce, whole wheat (pastry) flour, and walnuts. Of course, I add chocolate chips (did you see the title of this blog?) to make sure no cravings are left unsatisfied.The original recipe is actually the most popular recipe on allrecipes. Here is my wholesome, chocolate-craving satisfying rendition:UPDATE: I initially forgot to list one of the...

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