tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4105672364705028442012-01-24T00:36:40.586-08:00A blog from someone who is in love with flavors. A journal of my love for cooking and eating!Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.comBlogger261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-73017150548664736202008-05-15T01:09:00.001-07:002008-05-15T13:20:38.106-07:00

I had prepared this dip for a Super Bowl Party. Imagine how long its been! My blogger self made sure someone takes pictures of this dip that was most certainly blog-worthy (its a different thing that these hurried pics at the party didn't come out that great!) When I read about A.W.E.D Mexico hosted at DK's Culinary Bazaar I figured this would be a good time to brush the dust off these pics!

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-84145567214722753752008-05-11T18:28:00.000-07:002008-06-03T15:18:44.931-07:00

There are many things in my ma's cooking that I crave for almost everyday. But there is something really special about her kadhi. There have been more than several incidents when I would be thinking of ma's kadhi at work, and when I would call her the next day and happen to ask what she cooked/plans to cook for lunch - her answer would be kadhi-chawal! Also there were innumerable times when I

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-21933272393882192392008-05-10T15:01:00.000-07:002008-05-10T20:05:21.518-07:00

It's high time I get back to my blog :) Initially I was actually occupied with worldly matters, but I don't think I have an excuse now! I've just been out of touch with my little blog world out here! Can't wait to get started again!I never knew the difference between Gujarati Khaman and Dhokla. To me there were yellow dhoklas and white dhoklas. I did discover in time that Khaman or my so called

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-22875112764826618762007-12-15T21:51:00.001-08:002007-12-15T22:15:44.288-08:00

For whatever reason, cheesy, creamy things never attract me! Stark opposite is my dear hubby :) He ensured there was a baked vegetable in white sauce kinda dish in our wedding feast. If you've had an Indian wedding you must be aware what eating at your own wedding is like! I could *see* how good the food was, but not a morsel went down my throat! But yes I did manage to taste that creamy baked

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-47477725578744013602007-12-07T10:19:00.001-08:002007-12-07T10:42:58.606-08:00

JFI which stands for Jihva For Ingredients celebrates an ingredient every month, it is the brainchild of very talented and thoughtful Indira of Mahanandi. This time around it is being hosted by sweet and generous Linda of Out of The Garden. Every time I look at her passionately cooked Indian food I have to remind myself that this energetic lady is not an Indian! Linda chose Toor daal as the theme

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-73803227941550288212007-11-30T10:50:00.000-08:002007-11-30T10:57:23.025-08:00

I always thought of dates as those yucky, sticky things young children were forced to eat in winter. I loved their dried version (known as chuara in Hindi) and my mom had to warn me against eating too many! I must've been weird! Somehow, packaged dates available in the US don't have that stickyness and I have learnt to love them :) I would have loved to make a date relish I used to love. Its

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-17957766922628851132007-11-15T21:59:00.001-08:002007-11-25T13:57:02.523-08:00

Updated on 11/25 for 'Think Spice - Think Ginger'Daal makhani, better known as Kaali daal (black lentils, literally) to me has always been a favorite. It features on the menus of almost all North Indian restaurants, I think it's a place well deserved :)This is a very simple and easy recipe for daal makhani. Does not require too many ingredients and is one of those things where you can taste every

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-86937229675482344432007-11-12T12:25:00.000-08:002007-11-12T12:37:19.525-08:00

Street food is an integral part of the quintessential Indian life. While the variety of food varies all over the country, there are certain things that find their way in some form or the other practically everywhere. Some of the street foods that I associate with certain regions are -- Vada pav, pav bhaji, misal pav, bhel poori, sandwiches in Maharashtra- Sabudane ki khichdi, dahi vade, bhutte ka

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-84236704639504332702007-11-01T10:29:00.000-07:002007-11-01T10:32:46.333-07:00

I feel my search will never end. I make chole in at least 5 different ways, I keep experimenting, adding or removing ingredients, tweaking the procedure one way or another to get the taste that you get in the not-home-made chole. But the search continues. If you have ever tasted 'Havmor' (in Ahmedabad)'s chana-poori, you will know what kind of chole I am talking about. Chole in a dark thick gravy

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-52450725038782178672007-10-13T20:20:00.001-07:002007-10-16T10:10:58.040-07:00

Daal-baati is a staple food item in Rajasthani cuisine. You can also find it featuring in various restaurants and homes in the 'Malwa' region of Madhya Pradesh.Baatis are small balls of wonder soaked in enormous amount of ghee (clarified butter). If you don't like ghee, baati is not for you! Baati is largely made of wheat flour with addition of another flour in a smaller amount. I have seen them

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-80934187686575847522007-10-05T22:05:00.000-07:002007-11-01T12:01:28.691-07:00

I am pleased with the title of this post, both 'kaddu' and 'barbati' are words that I don't get to hear very often nowadays :) Just another wave of nostalgia I guess! :)I have been eyeing pretty looking Banana Squash at the grocery store for quite a while now but never tried cooking it. The other day I suddenly remembered the 'methi wala kaddu' (Indian Pumpkin seasoned with fenugreek seeds. Where

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-77791140056139996282007-09-30T08:51:00.000-07:002007-11-01T12:01:49.008-07:00

Parthiv loves paneer. He makes awesome paneer tikkas and the likes, so when he says he is going to dish out something with paneer, I never think twice and assist him happily :)The other day, we wanted to make something easy and simple. I thought of kadhai paneer (a little on the dry side with chopped onions/tomatoes etc). But he was more in the mood for the matar-paneer kind (made with onion/

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-39634354064833551532007-09-29T09:21:00.001-07:002007-11-01T12:07:47.155-07:00

Our breakfast during the week is normally cereal or oatmeal (for me occasionally). But during the weekend we like to start the day with a brunch that keeps us going till dinner. I like to keep trying different things as it's so easy to get bored! The two staple Indian breakfast items poha or upma don't show up in my kitchen that often. For the simple fact that hubby dear is not fond of pohe and

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-10159680806009639762007-09-27T15:30:00.000-07:002007-10-14T10:00:20.926-07:00

I tried this recipe from Bawarchi Contributions once at Parthiv's birthday party and people loved it. Thanks to the contributor Mansi! I make it every once in while just for a change of taste from good 'ol alu-gobhi made Punjabi style or flower-vatana nu shaak made gujarati style.Ingredients: 1. 1 medium cauliflower cut into medium size florets2. 2 small potatoes diced (optional)3. 1 small onion,

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-24409853684046937272007-09-25T16:43:00.000-07:002007-10-14T09:57:23.007-07:00

Like a true Hindustani, I have my share of cravings for 'Indian-Chinese' food. It is amazing how Indianized (read un-Chinese) our Chinese food is :) Well, that's not true... we use soy sauce like the Chinese, we stir-fry like the Chinese... so what if our version is spicier with a kick in each bite and so what if Chinese food in Indore has a distinct taste of Marwari cuisine? :)So this one day I

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-24393834020946825082007-09-22T12:16:00.000-07:002007-11-01T12:08:16.749-07:00

I was blessed with two kannadiga room-mates for a while, thats when I understood the subtleties of varieties of rasam and those flavor-explosions called gojjus. So when I read about RCI karnataka, the first thing that came to my mind was gojju!As students in Texas, we did not get a chance to visit Indian grocery stores very often and thus typical Indian vegetables did not make it to the table

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-689428325896599172007-09-17T13:10:00.001-07:002007-10-14T09:47:28.508-07:00

I am very fond of this chutney. Parthiv loves coconut chutney as an accompaniment to idlis and dosas. But this chutney now happily finds its way to his plate :) Its extremely easy to make and is really delicious. Here's the recipe.Ingredients -1. 2 large tomatoes, washed and cut in large chunks.2. 0.5 tsp mustard seeds3. 2 tsp split black gram (dhuli urad daal)4. 2 tsp daaliya/bhuni chana daal/

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-56963469257297293212007-09-10T10:10:00.000-07:002007-10-14T10:01:12.148-07:00

I LOVE South Indian food. Only rajma-chawal (kidney beans and rice) come close to my love for masala dosa. I love sambhar, fluffy idlis, crispy vadas, slurpy rasams, the wide variety of rice preparations - lime rice, curd rice, tamarind rice, bisi-bele bhaat, that great variety of chutneys and pickles - just love it all!!We normally eat south Indian food every two weeks at least. I soak a big

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-82310775785550365972007-09-08T13:55:00.001-07:002007-10-14T09:45:46.543-07:00

My husband is a picky eater when it comes to eating veggies. Think about it, a vegetarian, picky about veggies... doesn't add up :D But wrap and roll the veggies in sandwiches, mash them in a bhaji, stuff them in parathas, simmer them in tomatoey gravies, blend them in a soup, hide them in a quesedilla and he won't complain! You get the picture right? So, this recipe of quesedilla works very well

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-67478263468292836942007-09-05T23:48:00.001-07:002007-10-14T09:57:05.498-07:00

This tortilla soup I that have been making for quite some time now is inspired by this great recipe on Nupur's OneHot Stove. Every time I make tortilla soup, I twist the recipe some way or another. We have had it totally blended, partially blended and last night - un-blended. Here's how I made it last night.Ingredients:1 Cup frozen corn0.5 Cup chopped tomatoes0.5 Cup chopped onions1 pepper (

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-2150647676825346382007-09-03T13:50:00.000-07:002007-11-01T12:08:31.815-07:00

I have not always loved khichdi. In fact, when I was younger khichdi always made me think of being sick. What my little head didn't know at that time was that khichdi is the epitome of comfort food, something that would bring relief to your sick tummy and your depressed soul :) So, slowly and steadily I learnt to love it. My relationship with khichdi once again turned sour when I moved to a

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-29640407042694438112007-08-30T12:10:00.000-07:002007-10-14T09:57:56.885-07:00

I haven't seen the movie yet! I kept thinking Ratatouille was the name of the cute rat and then I saw Nandita's (of Saffron Trail) Ratatouille with Cochiglie rigate and I thought "That sounds like a dinner with the movie, but how did they bring their dinner in the theatre (coz the movie is not on DVD yet)?". I am glad I read ahead and found what Ratatouille actually was :) So, I did try the yummy

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-49239799805349489182007-08-27T11:21:00.000-07:002007-10-14T09:43:32.565-07:00

Anita's call to make poori-bhaji is how I got in the craving mode for pooris! I saw her invitation, and then these golden wonders started puffing up all over the blogosphere. I knew I had to make them!The taste of poori soaked in tari-wale (tari = rassa = gravy) aloo always takes me back to my grandma's dining table. When we would visit her, the days would start at 8 am on the breakfast table

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-84092846487404295912007-08-21T16:17:00.000-07:002007-10-14T09:43:04.381-07:00

I have never stopped complaining how much I miss Indian oranges. Some varieties of tangerines I have had in the US come close to the fruit I love the most, but tangerines are not always available and they are not the 'same'. I think that could be a reason why I have never embraced Tropicana as real orange juice. I like the taste but its not 'orange' juice for me :)I normally buy a pack of

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-222486131534630712007-08-20T12:37:00.000-07:002007-11-01T12:08:52.326-07:00

First time I made malai koftas was on a special demand from our dear friend R's mom (who we lovingly call Masi). Masi thought that being a Punjabi kudi I would know how to make malai koftas. Sadly enough, I didn't! Malai koftas may sound very Punjabi but I doubt they are cooked commonly in Punjabi homes (not in my home at least!). But I couldn't let her know right (specially when I was just

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-410567236470502844.post-81969846132876431622007-08-17T17:15:00.000-07:002007-10-14T09:41:28.756-07:00

Welcome to my blog :)I have been a silent spectator of this magical world of food blogging for quite a while now. It's just like the wizarding world, visible only to those who look for it! (Forgive my obsession with Harry Potter). I love cooking and I love FOOD more than I love cooking.The very first food blog I came across was Nupur's OneHotStove and I have to give her a great amount of credit

Shwetahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17511798993446093798noreply@blogger.com2