Zesty Palette

Poritha Rasam

2012-02-22T11:00:00.001-07:00

Day 1 of the blogging marathon with theme 'Rasam". Rasam is common in South Indian meals and is usually the second course of a 3 course meal. Most households stick with one or two varieties of the same. My mom makes just one variety using the rasam powder that I recently posted. I picked this theme to explore various varieties and also because K and my son loves rasam. It was quite hard to come up with 7 different types given that I had already posted 3 varieties. :) Hope you will enjoy the rasam varieties as much as we did. Off to the recipe.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#13

Mocha-Chocolate Shortbread

2012-02-20T02:00:00.004-07:00

This shortbread was something that popped out all of a sudden this weekend. My son had his scouts awards program and we had to make dessert. This whole week K was brainstorming on what I could make and he suggested making a pie and some cookies. But for some reason pie seemed to be the most uninteresting thing for me this weekend and I wanted to make something that I had not baked before.

So the search continued and I narrowed it down to this shortbread since I had all the ingredients on hand and it is very very easy to make. I used half the amount of instant coffee and we all loved the shortbread. I made two batches one using the 9 inch pan and the other using the pie plate. I cut squares from one and diamonds from the other. Recipe slightly modified from MyRecipes.

Checkout this Cranberry-Pistachio shortbread that was posted during Christmas.

Homemade Rasam Powder

2012-02-18T21:00:00.002-07:00

Rasam powder is a staple in most Indian houses. Rasam can be made in minutes by having this powder on hand. This is my mom's version and I cannot believe this is the first time I am making it although I have been using it for 10 years :). I normally pack it from India when we visit. This is a simple powder with just 3 ingredients.

The key is to roast the ingredients until a nice aroma floats. Stay near the stove while roasting as it can turn black pretty quick. This powder can be used to make a variety of rasams like paruppu rasam, tomato rasam, garlic rasam, etc. Stay tuned for some interesting rasam recipes. Off to the rasam powder recipe.

Check out the rasams already posted.

Lemon Rasam

Mysore Rasam

Milagu-Jeeraga Rasam

Cheesy Vegetable Pasta with White Sauce

2012-02-16T21:00:00.003-07:00

One of my friends asked for this recipe a long time back and I finally got around to making it. I am more of a tomato sauce person and not too much into cheesy stuff and that was mainly because I have only tasted white sauce in restaurants and it was very rich. So finally when I decided to make it at home I went with a medium level sauce and adjusted the quantity of cheese to my liking. The pasta turned out excellent and I preferred this over the tomato sauce pasta that I made as a backup !!.

You could halve the butter and flour and make a thinner sauce the way I made for the potato au gratin and that is what I will be doing the next time I make it. I like adding vegetables to pasta and I did the same with this version as well. An additional step that is optional is the broiling part that browns the cheese on top. I did that for the kids to make it even more attractive :). I am sure they would have gobbled it up even without the extra cheese since the sauce was very tasty :). Add any vegetable of choice. Off to the recipe.

Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip)

2012-02-14T21:04:00.001-07:00

In my Pita Bread post I had mentioned my recent love for Mediterranean food. The next in the series is this yummy dip made with eggplant. While talking to my friend about Mediterranean recipes she excitedly shared the recipe of this dip as well. I have never used tahini before and I had a lot of questions about it. Living in a small town I was not sure if I would be able to find all the ingredients.

But the next day she surprised me by sending me a box of tahini paste, a box of tahini sauce and a bag of fava beans. I was taken back by her kind gesture and excitedly started to try out the recipes immediately. Thanks a bunch Lynn. Off to the recipe.

Masala Vadai (Healthy Version and Deep Fried Version) - Guest Post For Kavi @Edible Entertainment

2012-02-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post for Kavitha who blogs at Edible Entertainment. She recently started a new series "Cooking with Kin" and I am thrilled to be part of the same. Her blog features a wide variety of posts with detailed explanation and if I have to describe her in one word, it would be "bubbly". :). She always shows that excitement and enthusiasm in her comments and in her posts. She hosts a lot of events and also takes part in a lot. She does have a lot of energy :).

Marble Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

2012-02-09T17:25:00.002-07:00

Marble cake is made with 2 batters, white and the chocolate. The chocolate batter is added to the white batter and is swirled around giving you streaks of chocolate in the cake. I made this cake for my boy who turned 7 this January. Time sure flies fast. I had initially planned on making a red velvet cake, but then he decided he wanted a marble cake. I was surprised that he even knew what a marble cake was :). The cake was a super duper hit and even I sneaked in a piece since it was not too sweet and the whipped cream frosting is to die for.

I could not take pictures of the full cake since we did not want to cut it ahead. So I just took pictures of the few pieces that remained the next day. This was my first time making a marble cake and I was very happy with the result. I have a ton of pictures for the step-by-step and that is after me trying hard to eliminate a few !!. But the whole process is a breeze and well worth the result. I have made a 2 layer cake using two 9 inch cake pans. You could also use one 9 x 13 inch baking pan as mentioned in the original recipe and make a single layer cake. Thanks to K for helping with the decoration of the cake. We have a long way to go in that area, but the cake was delicious :). Cake recipe slightly adapted from bakingbites and frosting from joyofbaking.

Capsicum Curry (Mensakai)

2012-02-08T00:30:00.004-07:00

This is the14th edition of the Blog Hop Wednesday and this month I am paired with Shree of ShreeZ Kitchen. She has a variety of recipes and since my favorite veggie is capsicum I picked this dish. Glad to be part of the blog hop as it introduces me to a lot of bloggers.

From Shree's post, Menasaki is a sweet, spicy and tart dish and is an integral part of Udipi cuisine. This is my first Udipi dish and I was very excited to learn something new. I omitted the sweet part since I did not have jaggery on hand. This is a gravy dish and is a perfect side for rice or rotis. This capsicum curry is going to be on the menu quite often since it is not only easy to make, but also tasty. Off to the recipe. Recipe adapted from ShreeZ.

Idli Milagai Podi

2012-02-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

Podi means powder and there are tons of them. Most Indian houses have one or more of these podis on hand to whip up dinner or breakfast really quick. This condiment is a perfect pair for the south Indian idli. This podi is mixed with oil and is used as a dip for the idli. We can even smear the podi+oil mix over the idli.

Now do not limit its use to just idli as it goes perfect with dosai as well. Recently when I made idli upma I added a couple of spoons of this podi for added flavor. So the possibilities are endless. I initially had the issue where the podi did not have any color and adding extra chillies for color increased the heat a lot. Thanks to my mom who suggested that I remove half the seeds from each chilli and that gave the needed color to the podi and also kept the heat level tolerable. Off to the recipe.

New 'U" : Roundup

2012-02-04T23:59:00.001-07:00

Friends, I am so moved by the enthusiastic response from all of you for the 'New "U"' event. We have a total of 183 entries linked and they are colorful and healthy entries. We have rice, pasta, smoothies, kheer, bread, etc. Thanks for your participation friends and please enjoy the colorful roundup.

This month it is all about "Sweet Luv" at Zesty Palette. So do send in your sweet treats.

Enjoy!
Read more »

Healing Foods - Cauliflower : Roundup + Winners

2012-02-04T23:34:00.002-07:00

Thanks to everyone for their contribution to the Healing Foods event. We have a total of 57 entries and every entry looks fabulous. It is exciting to see the various ways cauliflower could be used. Thanks Siri for letting me host the event. Now on to the interesting part. Let us see who the lucky winners are.

Jaffa Cakes for "The Gourmet Seven"

2012-02-03T03:00:00.003-07:00

This is the first post for "The Gourmet Seven" and we have chosen the theme to be chocolate. It is apt as this month chocolate plays a good role :). Jaffa cake is basically a small cake with a jelly layer followed by a chocolate layer. I had a very good experience making this cake and like many other recipes I made this twice !!. The reason was that I could not click pictures the previous day since it became dark and by next day some of the cakes cracked a little and was not photogenic :). They were perfectly fine to eat though.

Making it twice helped me in understanding how to add the chocolate layer and I have added tips below. The first thing that attracted me towards this recipe was the jelly. I know this would be a surprise to a few, but I have not tasted jelly until now. So that made this recipe even more exciting. The soft cake and jelly paired with the hard chocolate was different and tasty. Sprinkles added some color to the cakes.

Getting the jelly out was another fun part. After trying out various methods to cut pieces out, I finally decided to just use a spoon to draw a circle and scoop it out. It does not need to be a perfect circle. You just need the jelly in the middle. Off to the recipe. Recipe adapted from BBC-Food Recipes.

Pita Bread

2012-02-02T02:00:00.003-07:00

During one of our outings last year, we visited a Mediterranean fast food place and it was there that I tasted my first pita bread. Needless to say I was immediately hooked. Loved the flavors and the healthy vegetables that were put into the pita pockets and I had to try it out at home.

So I spoke to one of my friends about it and asked her if she had the recipe for the yummy Mediterranean food. She very excitedly shared with me her mother-in-law's recipes and also pointed me out to the link for pita bread. The bread became a weekend project and to my shock not even one pita puffed up during the first attempt. Well, I could not give up totally and I made a second batch immediately and watched it with my fingers crossed. Voila, they puffed up beautifully and I was all smiles.

The main reason why the first batch did not puff up was because the dough did not have enough moisture. I did not use enough water and made it pretty tight like the poori dough. Use 1 cup of water and if you find the dough tight use the remaining 1/4 cup water. Depending on the flour you may need another 1/4 cup of water. For me 1.25 cups worked perfectly.

I don't see a whole bunch of difference between pita bread and plain naan except for the shape :).

Observations

1. Moisture in the dough is important.

2. Always keep the balls or rolled out circles covered.

3. After removing a batch of pita allow the oven to heat up to the required temperature again. Heat is important.

4. (Update) - Do not worry too much if they don't puff up. Some of mine in the first batch had big bubbles on one side and we just cut it open with the knife to create a pocket. Even otherwise you could just place the filling on it and have it like a taco.

Recipe from FreshLoaf.

Zesty Palette Series #4 - Sweet Luv : Event Announcement

2012-02-01T15:00:00.001-07:00

It is February and the first thing that hits my mind is "Valentine's Day". Love is sweet and the event this month is also sweet :). So friends for this event, I am inviting everyone to link up anything that is sweet. It can be any cuisine, any part of the meal, any mode of cooking, basically anything sweet. (Eggs are allowed in baking.)

The event runs from 1st - 29th February 2012 and the rules are as follows.

1. Send in any recipe that is sweet.
2. Only vegetarian or vegan recipes please. Eggs are allowed in baking only.
3. Usage of the logo is appreciated as it helps spread the word.
4. Recipes must be linked to this event announcement page. If sending an old entry, it needs to be re-published with the links.
5. You can send in any number of new entries and a maximum of 2 old entries.
6. Non bloggers can also send in their recipes to the email below.

Please link your entries using the linky tool attached to this post by 29th February 2012. If you have trouble linking, do let me know and I will add it for you.

Non bloggers - Email me your entry and I will post it in my member recipes blog and link it up here. My email id is vardhiniskitchen(at)gmail(dot)com.

I am looking forward to see all the wonderful creations by my blogger and non blogger friends.

Enjoy!

BERRIES - Strawberries : Event Announcement

2012-02-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

I am happy to be guest hosting Anu's Berries event for February 2012 with theme "Strawberry". Hard to believe but I tasted strawberry only after coming to the US and have totally fallen in love with it. They are pretty and tasty too :). So for this event, I am inviting everyone to send in any dish made using strawberry. Thanks Anu for letting me host this event.

The event runs from 1st - 29th February 2012 and the rules are as follows.

1. Send in any vegetarian dish using strawberry. Eggs are allowed in baking.
2. Usage of the logo is appreciated as it helps spread the word.
3. Recipes must be linked to this event announcement page and to Anu's page. If sending an old entry, it needs to be re-posted with the links.
4. Archived entries are accepted and you can send in any number of entries.
5. Non bloggers can also send in their recipes to the email below.

Please link your entries using the linky tool attached to this post by 29th February 2012. If you have trouble linking, do let me know and I will add it for you.

Non bloggers - Email me your entry and I will post it in my member recipes blog and link it up here. My email id is vardhiniskitchen(at)gmail(dot)com.

Looking forward to all the yummy entries.

Pongalam - Dosai with leftover idli batter

2012-01-31T22:50:00.000-07:00

This is of my childhood favorites. It is amazing to think how in olden days people lived with no refrigerators. I grew up without one for the most part and my grandma used to make this dosai with leftover idli batter that has become sour. Idli is one of the healthiest breakfast and is also easy to make during the busy mornings. But if the batter is not refrigerated it tends to get sour in a day or two.

That is when this dosai comes into play. The idli batter is given a makeover with onions, channa dal, cumin seeds and rava. This was also one of the few dishes I made when I started to blog last year. But then I thought it was too simple and postponed posting it. Added to that the pictures taken last year were taken in bright yellow light with flash :). So when I saw a bunch of "leftover" events this month I managed to squeeze in some new pictures. Off to the recipe.

Brinjal Garlic Rice

2012-01-29T22:50:00.000-07:00

After a tiring weekend, here I am with a simple one pot meal that is easy to make and tasty too. If you are running short of time and this happens more often during the weekdays for me, I always make one pot meals. Easy to make and less cleanup too. I normally make raita along with the one pot meal just to avoid potato chips. I have used the Indian brinjals for this rice, but you can also use the big eggplants and the one thing to keep in mind is that the big eggplants tend to get mushy.

K and I love brinjals, but the kids not so much. My son did not complain a lot, but he tried to eliminate as many brinjal pieces as possible and my picky 3 year old started handpicking the pieces. The good side to this is that my son loves spinach raita and I am happy with that :). Off to the recipe.

Fund Drive for Vaidehi Ashram (Hyderabad) - Organized by Siri

2012-01-27T05:57:00.002-07:00

When I read Siri's post about her visit to the Ashram of destitute girls, I was so moved. The pictures of the tots brought tears to my eyes and I decided to contribute a little something. She is doing a wonderful job organizing this fund drive and you can read about the raffle prizes offered here. For payment details and prize codes visit this link.

We have 40+ exciting raffle prizes being offered and this is how the fund drive works.

Each raffle ticket is $10 or Rs500. You can purchase any number of tickets and in the case of multiple tickets, you can use them all towards one raffle prize or use them for different raffle prizes. Once you make the payment, forward the payment confirmation email along with the code of the raffle prize you have picked to Siri (info(dot)siri(at)gmail(dot)com). You can find the prizes and codes here. The fund drive ends on Feb 25th and the winners will be announced on Feb 27th.

I am sponsoring the magic bullet 17 piece set for the fund drive and the code for that RU21. There are 40+ raffle prizes to check out. Do not forget to send the code to Siri after making a payment. She has a table in the post with the contributor list and if you wish to remain Anonymous, mention in the email.

Photo: Siri

Photo: By Siri

We have $991 raised so far. Do spread the word and let us join hands in helping out the girls in the Ashram.

Enjoy!

Green Cauliflower (Kuruma Style)

2012-01-25T23:23:00.001-07:00

Friends, a friendly reminder to send in your entries for "New U" and "Healing Foods - Cauliflower" by January 31st.

I hardly mess around with cauliflower. There is this one simple way that the whole family loves and it is always made that way. But then blogging brings about a lot of changes in the way of cooking and I wanted to try out something else. Hence, this green cauliflower was born.

A basic kuruma recipe was tweaked a little and the only thing to keep in mind is that cauliflower tends to get mushy. So steaming it just until it is cooked and not turning the vegetable around often while cooking are the key points to this recipe. It was tasty and my kiddo had extra helpings. He is a little picky and I will know if he really liked it or he was just hungry the next time I make it :). We enjoyed it and had it with dosai and the recipe of that will soon follow. Now off to the green cauliflower.

Yummy cauliflower.

Mullu Murukku - Guest Post For Anamika @ Taste Junction

2012-01-23T22:34:00.001-07:00

I got introduced to Anamika who blogs at TasteJunction when I was a newbie in the blogging world and was excited when she asked me to do a guest post for her. I have always loved her blog for her amazing pictures and she is also a wonderful writer. Coming to the recipe, I wanted to keep it Indian and I chose mullu murukku because it is a snack loved by everyone. My 3 year loved it the most and kept asking for it day and night :).

It is a crunchy and addictive snack and I could not stop with one piece. It is a perfect evening snack along with tea. Now to the pictures.

Coconut Sevai

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

I have recently become addicted to sevai/idiyappam and have been making big batches of the same and ended up with a ton of leftovers. One of the best ways to use up leftover rice or sevai is to make a variety rice like lemon rice or coconut rice with it. Coconut rice being K's favorite was on my list for a while and I decided to use this sevai instead of rice to make coconut sevai.

I can have the sevai as is with just a light sprinkle of sugar, but K likes the extra flavor of lemon or coconut. He loved it and surprisingly my little boy enjoyed it too. It is very easy to make if you already have the sevai on hand. Otherwise, just replace sevai with cooked and cooled rice. I have used dry coconut, but if you have fresh use it. Off to the recipe.

The Gourmet Seven - Let the fun begin

2012-01-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

When I started blogging a few months ago, little did I know that it was a whole new exciting world. Blogging has introduced me to a ton of people and I have gradually become close to some of them. It has also made me move away from my comfort zone in the kitchen. The next step naturally is to try out new and challenging stuff and it gets even better as a group. Thus, "The Gourmet Seven" was born when a group of like minded foodie friends decided to take their kitchen adventures to the next level.

The first week of every month we will present something gourmet and challenging from our kitchens based on a common theme, source, etc. and we invite you all to be part of our exciting journey .. "The foodies trail".

Presenting the like minded seven and to kick off we have something sweet on the menu for February.

Anusha – Tomato Blues
Kalyani – Sizzling Taste buds
Kaveri – Palakkad Chamayal
Radhika – Tickling Palates
Sangeetha – Spicy Treats
Vardhini – Zesty Palette
Veena – Veg Nation

Enjoy!

Cauliflower-Cabbage Paratha

2012-01-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

I had been wanting to make Gobi Paratha for quite sometime now. This month seemed to be perfect because of the cauliflower event. I included purple cabbage because of it pretty color and also because my son loves it. Purple cabbage and green cabbage taste the same for me, but there is something about that purple color that attracts my son a lot.

The purple cabbage dominated the dish because of its color, but we loved the combo. You can make it with just cauliflower or just cabbage. For this paratha it is very important that you remove as much moisture as possible from the veggies. I had an awful experience the first time I made it a few years ago. The best way would be to salt the veggies and then after half an hour or so squeeze out the moisture. Off to the recipe.

Banana-Carrot Loaf (Low Fat)

2012-01-17T21:10:00.000-07:00

Everybody probably has a version of banana bread and the main thing which drew me to this version is the addition of carrots. I loved the color it gave to the bread and it is also healthy. This banana bread is low fat since it contains no oil or butter. I even tried a version replacing eggs and have mentioned my results in the "variations" section below.

This bread can be served for breakfast or for an evening snack and is best when out of the oven. I found the bread to be slightly on the denser side. I modified the recipe a little and included some walnuts since I love the banana-walnut combo. My son's friend loved it and even asked for an extra slice. Recipe slightly adapted from "In the Kitchen - The Costco Way" magazine.

Festive Biriyani

2012-01-15T22:10:00.000-07:00

I love rice dishes and would gladly take rice over anything else. Only a few years ago I learnt about biriyani

where the vegetables and rice are layered. Before that, I used to call my one pot vegetable rice a biriyani :). Do not be alarmed at the ingredient list as they are the usual ingredients in most Indian houses.

However, I have to say that biriyani is a dish which involves multiple steps and is also rich depending on the amount of ghee used. The funny part is that I did not realize the steps involved while I was cooking because I was busy making sure I add all the ingredients and capture all steps :). So I was a bit taken back when I had 24 step by step pictures. But, do not let that stop you from making this dish because the end product is worth all the effort. Let it sit for a few hours and it tastes even better. I made this on Jan 1st and I am seriously thinking about making it again already :).

The only heat comes from the green chillies and the pepper powder in the yogurt mix. We found it to be less for our taste buds and I will add some chilly powder while cooking the vegetables next time. Off to the recipe. Recipe from "100 Rice Delights" - Mallika Badrinath book.

I have used the oven to finish the dish. You can use any method of "dhum" cooking.

I could still taste it :)

Brinjal Curry with Pepper Powder

2012-01-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

Indian brinjals are a delicacy for me since I do not get those often and whenever I get them I always try to make the dishes that I grew up with. This is one such dish and I made it a couple of months ago. You could also use eggplant, but if you can get the Indian variety, then go for it. Indian brinjals hold their shape better and not become mushy like the eggplant.

The first time I saw eggplant in the stores I was shocked to the core because they were huge and no way close to brinjals :). But then over the years I have started to like them. The highlight of this dish is the pepper powder and garlic. I have used only 3 garlic cloves, but you can add as many as you want. Onion and tomatoes add a touch of gravy and overall this is one of my favorite brinjal dishes. Off to the recipe.

Vegetable Noodles (Chinese Style)

2012-01-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

This is Week 13 of blog hop and I am paired with Saraswathi this month. She has a wonderful blog and I was torn apart trying to decide because I wanted to make a ton of items. If there is one food item that is favored by all at my house, then it has to be pasta/noodles. There will be no grumbling or mumbling at the dining table and no running behind kids when it is pasta. Added to that I have recently become a huge fan of soya sauce and chilli sauce and that gave me an extra reason to try out this vegetable noodle for the blog hop.

You can use any vegetable of choice and for a change I have used sweet potatoes instead of carrots. The method is similar to the way I make fried rice except that I use green chilli sauce for it. I have used a mandolin slicer to get thin strips and there is no picking or setting aside some vegetable because the strips mingle perfectly with the noodles. Off to the recipe. Recipe adapted from sarasyummybites.

Another look.

Sakkarai Pongal (Sweet Pongal)

2012-01-08T23:30:00.006-07:00

Hope everyone is gearing up for the Pongal celebration. My son was born on Pongal and it makes the day even special. It is a 3 day festival and as a kid I enjoyed the Bhogi part the most. I used to tell my grandma to wake me up early in the morning before they light the bonfire for throwing away the old stuff and I used to enjoy watching it. Then, for Kaanum Pongal we used to go to Marina Beach that is a famous beach in Chennai. It is sometimes sad that my kids don't get to enjoy these little things :(.

I made Sakkarai Pongal over the weekend just so I don't have to deal with taking pictures on 14th. The recipe is from my mom. This time I did try with darkened jaggery, but it was still not dark enough :). Oh well, it tasted great and we loved it. The normal Pongal menu at my house would be Ven Pongal, Sakkarai Pongal, Payasam, Methu vadai, Pacchadi, Sambar, Potato Fry and Rasam.

Pongal thickens a lot on cooling and you can see that from my picture. I poured it when it was the right consistency, but by the time I got around to taking the pictures it hardened. No worries, taste is still the same. Just warm it up if needed and we are good to go. Off to the recipe.

LGSS - Stuffed Paratha : Roundup

2012-01-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

Friends,

This is the roundup of LGSS - Stuffed Paratha and I thank everyone for their participation. We have a total of 63 entries linked and this event gave me an opportunity to know more about various stuffed parathas and to also get to know new bloggers.

Thank you Vatsala for letting me guest host this event.

Enjoy!

Idiyappam/Sevai (Rice Noodles)

2012-01-06T02:00:00.004-07:00

Another one in the healthy series. Idiyappam/Sevai is basically made with rice flour dough using the murukku maker. It is healthy as it is steamed and there are various ways we could have it. I love mine plain and simple with few sprinkles of sugar and that surprises me because I do not have a sweet tooth. You can also jazz it up with some kurma.

I made this along with dosai for my friend who relocated to a different city recently. I had the menu planned and ran it by K for changes and he suggested idiyappam. I am not sure where it came from and I was initially skeptical to try it. So I called my mom and got the recipe and followed it to the T. I was surprised with the results and the sevai was soft and it was exactly the way my mom makes it :). It is very easy to make as we do not have any grinding to do and I simplified it even further by using store bought rice flour. You can cool the sevai and make varieties similar to mixed rice like lemon sevai, coconut sevai, etc. Overall a tasty authentic dish that is also healthy. Off to the recipe.

Sinful Delights : Roundup

2012-01-05T00:51:00.001-07:00

Sinful Delights was another successful event at ZestyPalette, thanks to all the participants who made it happen. We had a total of 162 colorful entries from various cuisines. I am overjoyed at the response and happy to have known a lot of you through these events. Oh and I thoroughly enjoyed the Sinful Delights last month :).

This month it is New "U" at Zesty Palette where it is all about healthy entries. Check it out and do send in your healthy entries friends.

Enjoy!

Black Bean and Pineapple Salad

2012-01-03T13:33:00.001-07:00

Healthy and nutritious, this salad seems to be a perfect post to kick start the new year. A couple of years back, the only salad I knew were the ones with lettuce in it with some dressing like the ranch for example. Through blogging I am exploring various salads and this is one of my favorites. Black beans and pineapple pair together along with lemon juice to create a healthy bowl.

I took some shortcuts and used canned beans and pineapple, saving K from the trouble of coring a fresh pineapple. I have made a few changes to the original recipe based on what I had on hand and this salad was a super hit. The original recipe used apricot preserve along with olive oil and lemon juice for the dressing. I skipped the preserve since I did not have any and increased the quantity of lemon juice. I also used tomato instead of roasted red bell pepper. Recipe adapted from Smart Cooking the Costco Way (Costco Thanksgiving Cookbook).

Zesty Palette Series #3 - New "U" : Event Announcement

2012-01-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

This is the second event happening at Zesty Palette this month and it is the opposite of "Sinful Delights" :). It is the new year and are you making changes in your food for a new "U"? So friends for this event, I am inviting everyone to link up anything you consider healthy. It can be sweet, savory, etc., any part of the meal, any cuisine, any mode of cooking, basically anything vegetarian. (Eggs are allowed in baking.)

The event runs from 1st - 31st January 2012 and the rules are as follows.
1. Send in any recipe which you consider healthy.
2. Only vegetarian or vegan recipes please. Eggs are allowed in baking only.
3. Usage of the logo is appreciated as it helps spread the word.
4. Recipes must be linked to this event announcement page. If sending an old entry, it needs to be re-published with the links.
5. You can send in any number of new entries and a maximum of 2 old entries.
6. Non bloggers can also send in their recipes to the email below.

Please link your entries using the linky tool attached to this post by 31st January 2012. If you have trouble linking, do let me know and I will add it for you.

Non bloggers - Email me your entry and I will post it in my member recipes blog and link it up here. My email id is vardhiniskitchen(at)gmail(dot)com.

I am looking forward to see all the wonderful creations by my blogger and non blogger friends.

Enjoy!

Snickerdoodles

2011-12-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want to wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2012. I am also happy to be writing my 250th post. Thanks friends for the constant support and encouragement that has been a big source of motivation for me.

My friend Tanis offered to make cookies with my kids one evening and I was more than happy to get a few hours to myself. The kids came home with tons of cookies and my son claimed that the snickerdoodle was the best cookie ever. Even K loved it and I had to call Tanis to get the recipe. That is how the snickerdoodle was born in my kitchen. Tanis came by with her Betty Crocker book and I made these on Christmas eve. I loved the cinnamon flavor in the cookies and I followed the recipe for the most part except for a couple of changes. I used egg whites instead of whole eggs because I find that the cookies have a more pronounced egg flavor when whole eggs are used. (I know that is probably just me .:)) I also do not buy shortening anymore and have used butter instead. This is the online link to the recipe. Recipe from Betty Crocker.

I halved the recipe and got about 2 dozen cookies.

Healing Foods - Cauliflower : Event Announcement

2011-12-31T15:08:00.001-07:00

I am happy to be guest hosting Siri's Healing Foods event for January 2012 with theme "Cauliflower". Growing up cauliflower was one of my favorite veggie and I loved to eat it in any form, even raw. There is a giveaway for this event. Check below for details.

From Wiki
Cauliflower is low in fat, low in carbs but high in dietary fiber, folate, water, and vitamin C. Cauliflower contains several phytochemicals, common in the cabbage family, that may be beneficial to human health.
Sulforaphane, a compound released when cauliflower is chopped or chewed, may protect against cancer.
Boiling reduces the levels of these compounds, with losses of 20–30% after five minutes, 40–50% after ten minutes, and 75% after thirty minutes.A high intake of cauliflower has been associated with reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

The event runs from 1st - 31st January 2012 and the rules are as follows.

1. Send in any vegetarian dish using cauliflower. Eggs are allowed in baking.
2. Usage of the logo is appreciated as it helps spread the word.
3. Recipes must be linked to this event announcement page and to Siri's page. If sending an old entry, it needs to be re-posted with the links.
4. Archived entries are accepted and you can send in any number of entries.
5. Non bloggers can also send in their recipes to the email below.

Please link your entries using the linky tool attached to this post by 31st January 2012. If you have trouble linking, do let me know and I will add it for you.

Non bloggers - Email me your entry and I will post it in my member recipes blog and link it up here. My email id is vardhiniskitchen(at)gmail(dot)com.

Giveaway details
2 lucky winners will win the following books as give-aways. These are great books and thanks to Siri for sponsoring the giveaways.

Cooking at home with Pedatha

Sukham Ayu - Easy and Healthy Recipes

Looking forward to all the yummy entries.

Rava(Sooji) Dhokla

2011-12-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

Last day of the blogging marathon and I thoroughly enjoyed posting my favorite dishes. As I was shortlisting the recipes for this marathon I came across the "Tiffin Ideas" book by Mallika Badrinath. I am sure this book has been lying in the cabinet for years and thanks to blogging, I am finally taking a look at the overflowing collection of cookbooks :). I had dhokla on my list and even bought the ENO fruit salt a few months ago. So I was pleasantly surprised to see this dhokla listed under 'Idli varieties". It is very easy to make and tasted great. It was spongy and we loved it. Recipe from Tiffin Ideas - Mallika Badrinath book.

Recipes posted for this marathon.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#11

Eggless Microwave Brownie (Coffee mug brownie)

2011-12-28T15:00:00.001-07:00

This is week 12 of blog hop started by Radhika and this week I am paired with Jyoti of Pages. I initially picked a cookie recipe from her amazing blog, but then changed at the last minute for 2 reasons. One, since blog hop clashes with blogging marathon this week I wanted to keep it simple. Another reason is that I wanted to make something for Kavi's microwave cooking event. I use the microwave only for reheating and prefer the stove top for cooking.

I am sure everyone would have come across tons of versions of this easy microwave brownie. I had it on my list so my sister could make it. There is no butter or egg and the brownie was moist out of the microwave. This tastes best when eaten hot out of the microwave as it tends to harden a bit on cooling. Enjoy as is or with a dollop of ice cream. Off to the recipe. Recipe from Pages.

Idli Stuffed with Vegetables

2011-12-27T21:55:00.002-07:00

Day 6 of the blogging marathon with theme 'Idlis". "Stuffed Idli" is another recipe which was on my list and I finally got around to making it, thanks to the blogging marathon. This is a nice twist to the regular idli where we get a taste of the stuffing in each bite. You can use any vegetable of choice and adjust the seasonings accordingly. Make sure you pour very little batter (few spoonfuls) first and then place the filling over it. Then, fill more batter to cover the filling. My son enjoyed the idli and from now on it is going to be on the menu pretty often. Off to the recipe.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#11

Idli Upma (Upma with Leftover Idlis)

2011-12-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

Friendly reminder to send in your entries for Sinful Delights and LGSS - Stuffed Paratha before December 31st.

Day 5 of the blogging marathon with theme 'Idlis". To make maximum use of the regular idli batter, this is another dish for this marathon. Quick and easy and tastes great.

Did you end up with a lot of leftover idlis? No worries, they transform into this yummy upma that is very easy to make. We love it so much that we make idli just to make this upma. You can also add vegetables to this upma. My sisters keep roasting the upma over a low flame until it crisps up a bit, but I don't have the patience for it :). K does not like idli, but is ok with upma and hence this dish is on the menu often. If using fresh idlis, allow to cool before crumbling. Off to the recipe.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#11

Rava (Sooji) Idli

2011-12-25T20:00:00.003-07:00

Day 4 of the blogging marathon with theme 'Idlis". This idli is very easy to make as it does not involve any grinding or fermenting. It is perfect for a light and quick weeknight dinner. Carrots and peas are optional and they add a nice color. It is also a good way to sneak in carrots into picky eaters. Another variation would be to add some spinach. I am loving this week of easy recipes and off to another easy recipe.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#11

Corn Idli

2011-12-24T20:00:00.003-07:00

Day 3 of the blogging marathon with theme 'Idlis". When I decided on the theme "idli" I also decided that I was not going to be making 7 different batters because getting it to ferment is a big process in winter. The method which finally worked for me is to keep the batter in the oven overnight with the oven light on. So I tried to make maximum use of the regular idli batter and this is one variation using the same.

This is another recipe from my mom. I am not a big fan of corn, but when added to the idlis I thought they looked very pretty and I did not mind having them. They tasted great too. A nice variation to the regular idli. My mom mentioned that the original recipe used corn and spinach and she asked me to use corn and coriander leaves with tadka. Off to the recipe.

Merry Christmas friends.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#11

Toor Dal Idli

2011-12-23T20:00:00.002-07:00

Day 2 of the blogging marathon with theme 'Idlis". I have never made idlis with toor dal and when I saw this recipe I thought it would be a perfect item for this blogging marathon. I made this batter the same day I made the regular batter because I knew it was going to be a whole week of idli related dishes.

Idlis are my favorite, but K can have it once in a while. So I decided to make idlis for me and dosai for him. The idlis were spongy and the toor dal was not overpowering. In fact, unless you are told it has toor dal you would not be able to find out. I found the dosai to be a cross between our regular dosai and adai. We liked both and will be making this idli/dosai when I want a break from the regular one. Off to the recipe. Recipe from "Tiffin Ideas" - Mallika Badrinath book.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#11

Idly Fry (Idli pieces deep fried)

2011-12-22T20:21:00.001-07:00

Time for another blogging marathon and for this week my theme is "Idli's". One reason for picking this theme is because I love idli and another one is that it is also easy to make. Even though my schedule has been hectic with the kids being out for holidays I could not pass up the blogging marathon :).

When Srivalli had "Idli" as one of the themes I was a little confused as to whether items using idli are allowed or just the idli's. So first I emailed her and confirmed that it was allowed. Next I started the shortlisting process since I have to make the items a week before the marathon starts given that it gets dark at 4pm itself and I cannot cook for the blog on the days I work. I was casually talking to my mom a week ago and mentioned her about the items I had in mind so far. She told me to try out the fried idli. In normal days I would have totally dismissed the idea of making my favorite healthy item pretty sinful, but then as I have mentioned in many posts this is the month where I have decided to be a bit sinful :).

So I decided to deep fry the pieces and let my kids enjoy it for the most part. My mom also suggested that I use a vessel instead of an idli plate so I get nice square pieces. Well, my mom does not know about my cutting skills yet and I ended up with pieces of different shapes some square, some rectangle and I even had triangle ones :). In the end all that matters is that they are delicious and sinful at the same time. Next time if at all I decide to deep fry, I am going to make mini idlis and deep fry them and then they would all be the same shape. The pretty bowl that I have used is from my friend Shy. Thanks a bunch and it looks very cute Shy.

Off to the recipe which is very simple.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#11

Broccoli - Channa Dal Paratha

2011-12-21T22:48:00.001-07:00

I had dal paratha on my list for quite sometime and finally made it. To make it healthy and to sneak in broccoli into my little one, I have also added broccoli to the filling. The parathas were flaky and the filling tasted great. I think I am finally getting the hang of stuffed parathas although I am still working on the perfect circle :).

You can have the paratha with just pickle and yogurt. My favorite tomato pickle went well with it and K preferred lemon pickle. Off to the recipe.

Flaky parathas.

Pani Puri

2011-12-20T00:24:00.000-07:00

This is a special post for our friend PJ who is expecting her second child soon. We were pretty excited to hear the news and wanted to celebrate the same. So the blogging marathon group decided to have a virtual baby shower for which we made a dish from her blog. Wishing PJ a safe delivery and to celebrate I chose to make pani puri that is a famous chaat. It is also known as Gol Gappe.

Since there were too many pictures I split the puri and the chutney into two posts. Make the tamarind and green chutney as shown here. For the pani puri, dilute the green chutney to get the spicy water.

Although pani puri is famous, I have not tasted it. I know that must come as a surprise to a few and that is one of the main reasons I wanted to try it out. The process was long, but I thoroughly enjoyed making it. I made the chutney and the filling first. Then, I started making the dough and used coarse sooji since that is what I had on hand. Well that was a big mistake because the dough did not bind and was crumbly. If I had not made the filling, I would have started on something else. Thankfully my friend Shy came to the rescue. I immediately rushed to her place and got some fine sooji and all went well. This was one of the moments I regretted not having an Indian store close by since the closest one is 3 hours away :(.

The next incident is a bit funny. I had the filling and the chutney piled up on the counter top. K looked at it and asked what I was making and I told him pani puri. He looked at me in a rather weird way and started asking me whether I knew that the puri should puff up for pani puri. I just kept listening :). He continued and asked in a serious tone whether I also knew that the puffed puris need to remain like that. I started laughing and all this is from someone who has not tasted it either. Most of the puris puffed up and my daughter enjoyed the ones which did not puff up right away. For this the puris need to be rolled out thin. As you can see mine is slightly on the thicker side since this was the first time I was making it. We enjoyed the new dish and the kids also had fun filling it up. Recipe from PJ. Off to the recipe.

Green Chutney and Tamarind Chutney

2011-12-20T00:08:00.001-07:00

I made the green chutney and the tamarind chutney for the first time along with pani puris. I have not tasted these before and it was a fun experience and I loved the tangy tamarind chutney. These also go well with samosa. The green chutney can be used as a spread on bread. Since there were too many pictures I split the chutney and pani puri into two posts. You can find the pani puri post here. Recipe from PJ. Off to the recipe.

Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread

2011-12-18T23:09:00.001-07:00

I recently landed in JoyOfBaking website and was amazed at the collection of recipes. I have bookmarked quite a few already. This shortbread caught my attention immediately because of the red and green color and I was looking for something to bake for Christmas. In fact, I was unable to decide between this and sugar cookies since I recently bought cookie cutters and my 3 yr old has been wanting to cut out cookies. Well I decided to go with this first and time permitting make the sugar cookies later.

This shortbread is easy to make and tastes great. Of course it is loaded with butter, but it is Christmas and also the month of Sinful Delights here !!. Plan ahead if you are going to bake these since the dough needs to rest for atleast 2 hours in the fridge. This is important as we need the dough to be firm when slicing.

Friends, have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy the treats. Off to the recipe. Recipe from JoyOfBaking. I halved the original recipe.

Tomato Pickle with Masala

2011-12-15T20:30:00.001-07:00

This is another version of tomato pickle that I do every year. You can find the first version here. For this version, you grind the pickle masala and that imparts a very nice flavor to the pickle. This pickle stores well in the refrigerator for few months if handled properly. Every fall when there is an abundance of tomatoes I make these pickles and we have it with idli, dosa, chapati, etc. It helps if you make this pickle when you are already in the kitchen doing something as you need to keep an eye on it off and on and it does take a lot of time to reduce down to the needed consistency.

I had bookmarked this recipe a few years ago. Those were the days before blogging and I used to write down the recipe in my diary. So I don't know for sure what the source is and I just searched based on the ingredients and found a pickle which follows the same method except for the seasoning finally. If anyone knows the source, do let me know and I will update the reference accordingly. Off to the recipe. Recipe from AayisRecipes.

Vendhaya Keerai Kuzhambu (Methi leaves in tamarind gravy)

2011-12-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

This is a very simple kuzhambu which goes well with rice. You can replace methi leaves with any vegetable like drumstick, boiled potatoes, brinjal, etc. You can even skip the vegetables and still have a tasty dish. Kuzhambu also serves as a nice side dish for idlis or dosa. I make this over the weekend and it stays good for the entire week in the fridge.

Methi leaves and garlic add a nice flavor to this gravy. I was initially in a dilemma whether to make kuzhambu with methi leaves, but my mom mentioned that it would be very flavorful and I went ahead. She was not wrong. :) Kuzhambu and kootu is the most favored combo in our house. Off to the recipe.

Green Poha(Aval) Upma (Using Coriander Paste)

2011-12-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

This is week 11 of blog hop started by Radhika and this week I am paired with Deeksha of Dee's Kitchen. She has a wonderful blog and I initially shortlisted few deep fried recipes, but since I have been making a lot of those recently I decided to switch over to this healthy upma.

It has been ages since I made poha/aval upma and the reason was that I was completely out of thick poha. I stocked up on the thin one, but kept forgetting this one. Thankfully last month I bought a big bag of thick poha and had the upma in my list since it is hubby's favorite. So I jumped on it immediately once I decided to go for something healthy rather than deep fried.

I followed the way we make poha upma using onions and potatoes. Addition of coriander paste is new and we loved it. It was a nice twist to the regular aval upma and it is also easy to make. Off to the recipe. Recipe adapted from Dee.

Moong Dal Sundal

2011-12-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Sundal can be considered a salad and I made this sundal for the blogging marathon - guilt free snacks theme last month, but did not post it since I had 7 items already. This is one of the sundals I learnt by watching my MIL make it. It is easy to make and very healthy. You can make this for Navaratri also in which case you can omit the onions if needed.

I kept postponing posting this since I was not happy with the pictures. I seem to forget the basic things sometimes and end up with shadows on one side and so on. A month has gone by and I did not make it again and I am busy making sinful delights :). So I finally decided to post this today.

You want the dal to retain its shape and not become mushy. So cooking in a pot is better than the pressure cooker. Onions are optional and ginger adds a nice flavor to the sundal. Off to the recipe.

Paneer Tawa Masala

2011-12-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

It has been ages since I made any dish with paneer. I had this at my friend's place and decided to make it for "Sinful Delight" and for "Dish it Out - Cheese and Tomato". The gravy uses a lot of butter and cream. I reduced it to half, but still it is rich. If I make it again, I will probably just add a hint of butter and may be fat free half and half or just milk. Of course with all the rich ingredients, the dish had that restaurant taste and we enjoyed it.

This dish has a strong ajwain flavor, but you can adjust the quantity to taste. I halved the quantity since hubby does not like ajwain flavor, but I love it. The dish although easy requires some pre-planning. It helps if the gravy is made the previous day itself since it takes a lot of time to simmer to the required consistency. With the gravy on hand, putting the tawa masala together is very easy. Off to the recipe of this sinful delight. Recipe from Shy.

Dish it Out - Soy and Tomatoes : Roundup

2011-12-10T23:33:00.000-07:00

Here comes the roundup of "Dish it Out - Soy and Tomatoes". I was amazed at the various ways my favorite ingredient can be used. There was a total of 32 entries linked using soya chunks, tofu, edamame, etc. Thanks friends for the participation and I totally loved all the entries.

This month "Dish it Out" is hosted by Anamika of TasteJunction. The ingredients are cheese and tomatoes. Do send in your entries to her.
Read more »

Bake Fest #1 : Roundup

2011-12-09T23:00:00.001-07:00

I was in a dilemma the past few days as to whether I should re-publish the roundup of links that are part of the announcement. When I was talking to my friend Priya today, she asked me about the roundup and also mentioned that she was waiting to look at the links when I post the roundup. Well, that solved my dilemma and here I am posting the roundup. Sorry for the delay friends.

Bake Fest #1 was a huge success, thanks to everyone who participated. A total of 154 entries were linked and we have an array of entries ranging from cookies, cakes, etc. to savory stuff like stuffed buns, chips and so on. Enjoy the roundup friends.

This month Bake Fest #2 is hosted by my dear Sangee. So do send in your baking entries to her.
Read more »

Batura - Deep Fried Indian Bread

2011-12-08T22:56:00.000-07:00

Sinful delights continues with batura. I hardly deep fry at home and pooris are something which happens once or twice a year. My kids love poori and any time we visit my friend, she makes it for them. It had become a routine that even if we casually visit her, my son used to ask for poori. Embarassing :). Long story short, I then decided that I at least do it for the kids.

After mastering poori, I wanted to make batura and hence this post. I made it for the first time on Diwali and we loved it. It was a hectic day and I could not take pictures. So I made these again recently. The baturas puffed up nicely and went perfect with chole/channa masala. Off to the recipe.

Vella(Jaggery) Kuzhi Paniyaram (Karthigai Deepam)

2011-12-07T23:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Karthigai Deepam friends. I was supposed to make this dish for "Dish it out - Wheat and Jaggery", but did not get around to making it. The thing which finally drove me to make it was an overripe banana lying on the counter top. So I called my mom and verified the measurements and made it. The next day I called her again and asked her about the dish to be made for Karthigai Deepam apart from Pori Urundai. She said "appam" and described this same recipe. I was happy since I had already made the dish and I had something to post on the deepam day.

I would describe the taste of these paniyarams to be like banana muffins since the whole wheat flour made them very dense. The paniyarams were not too sweet and jaggery added a nice flavor. Overall we loved it and I am glad to be using the kuzhi paniyaram pan often. Off to the recipe.

Tangy Colocasia (Seppankizhangu / Arbi) Fry

2011-12-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

Indian store trip (3 hours drive) is something I look forward to in spite of the hectic travel just so I get a taste of the vegetables I grew up with. In one of our recent trips I bought these colocasia (arbi) also known as seppankizhangu in tamil. Normally I would make these like potato using some pepper powder, but on talking to my mom she suggested I try this tangy dish instead. It was very easy to put together and it was totally different from the normal fry.

Tomato added a lot of tanginess and shallow frying added some crispiness. This reminded me of the way my mom roasts elephant yam except that she used only chilly powder and salt to marinate the pieces. Enjoy the tangy dish friends. Off to the recipe.

Mint Chaas (Spiced Buttermilk)

2011-12-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

This is a refreshing and healthy drink after the sinful delight yesterday :). I had this a few months ago at my friend's place and loved it. It brought back some fond memories of what my grandma used to make. She used to beat the yogurt, add water, ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves and green chillies. A tadka of mustard seeds was also done at times. During the hot summer months we were given the healthy buttermilk to drink and to also mix with rice and eat.

Adding mint and blending with ice was something totally new. So when I got my hands on fresh mint leaves, I had to try it out. I called my friend, got the ingredients and went about making it. We loved it and is perfect for the hot summers. Even my husband who is not a fan of yogurt liked it. Just be careful on the amount of chilly as I added just one tiny chilly and it was way too hot for us. Off to the recipe.

Molten Lava Cake

2011-12-04T22:47:00.002-07:00

I am happy and excited that this little space of mine has crossed 100,000 views over the weekend. This is a small milestone and thanks friends for the support.

This is the month of Sinful Delights and this cake fits in perfectly :). It is loaded with butter, chocolate and eggs. I made this for my friend's birthday last week and everyone loved it. The warm cake with the cold ice cream was a super duper hit. Hubby loved it so much that he wanted me to make it again and I assume he ignored the part where I explained the "sinful" ingredients in this dish. :)

This cake tastes terrific when eaten just out of the oven with cold ice cream. It takes only 10 -14 minutes to cook and you can pop it in the oven before dinner. I baked it a little longer than mentioned in the recipe because I did not want the center to run out, but just remain gooey. Surprisingly my son who hates chocolate desserts loved this one although he did not want the ice cream on top. Off to the recipe.

Recipe bookmarked from ShowMeTheCurry.

Potato Fry with Curry Leaves and Ginger + 200th Post Giveaway Winner

2011-12-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

My memories of this dish go way back to my childhood because this is the fry that my mom makes for every festival and I have no idea why :). The other things which are normally made along with this dish are sambar, ulundhu vadai and ven pongal. So this has been on my mind forever, but since I rarely get fresh curry leaves I could not make it.

So this time when I found fresh curry leaves I finally got around to making this. Just the smell of freshly ground ginger and curry leaves made me nostalgic. This is a simple fry which goes well with rice or rotis. Adjust the quantity of ginger based on your need. I love ginger flavor and I add a lot normally. Off to the recipe.

LGSS - Stuffed Paratha - Event Announcement

2011-12-01T14:00:00.006-07:00

This is the second event happening at my space this month. I am guest hosting "LGSS - Lets Get Stuffed Series" started by Vatsala. Parathas were not something which was made at home on a frequent basis when I was growing up, but thanks to my friend Shy I am a lot more into North Indian cooking although South Indian tops the list for the most part :).

So for this event, you can link in any paratha which has been stuffed. To be more clear, the filling should be made separate like paneer paratha, aloo paratha, etc. ~~or the ones where you add stuff to the dough itself like spinach puree paratha, methi paratha, onion paratha, etc.~~
Thanks Vatsala for letting me host this fun event.

The event runs from 1st - 31st December 2011 and the rules are as follows.

1. Send in any paratha which has been stuffed with a filling.
2. Only vegetarian or vegan recipes please.
3. Usage of the logo is appreciated as it helps spread the word.
4. Recipes must be linked to this event announcement page and to Vatsala's page. If sending an old entry, it needs to be re-published with the links.
5. Archived entries are accepted and you can send in any number of entries.
6. Non bloggers can also send in their recipes to the email below.

Please link your entries using the linky tool attached to this post by 31st December 2011. If you have trouble linking, do let me know and I will add it for you.

Non bloggers - Email me your entry and I will post it in my member recipes blog and link it up here. My email id is vardhiniskitchen(at)gmail(dot)com.

Looking forward to your entries friends.

Enjoy!

Zesty Palette Series #2 - Sinful Delights : Event Announcement

2011-12-01T00:41:00.000-07:00

Before I make the announcement, I have to thank everyone for making "Bake Fest #1" a big success. I have a total of 154 entries linked and I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one who participated. Thanks for the support friends.

Now off to the event at "Zesty Palette" this month. As you read it is all about "Sinful Delights". I know it is the opposite of me to indulge in sinful delights, but I also strongly believe in the fact that moderation is the key. Added to that it is the month of Christmas and I see Christmas similar to what Diwali is to us in India. So I am inviting everyone to link in their sinful delights and make this event a success.

So the event accepts any entry be it sweet or savory which you consider to be a "Sinful Delight". There is no restriction on the mode of cooking. Some examples of acceptable entries would be mysore pak, rasamalai, vadai, rich side dishes loaded with cream, butter cookies, pizza, etc.

Also a quick mention on Food Blog Diary that is a collection of food events, and if you are hosting an event you can get it listed there.

The event runs from 1st - 31st December 2011 and the rules are as follows.

1. Send in any recipe which you consider to be a sinful delight.
2. Only vegetarian or vegan recipes please. Eggs are allowed in baking only.
3. Usage of the logo is appreciated as it helps spread the word.
4. Recipes must be linked to this event announcement page. If sending an old entry, it needs to be re-published with the links.
5. You can send in any number of new entries and a maximum of 2 old entries.
6. Non bloggers can also send in their recipes to the email below.

Please link your entries using the linky tool attached to this post by 31st December 2011. If you have trouble linking, do let me know and I will add it for you.

Non bloggers - Email me your entry and I will post it in my member recipes blog and link it up here. My email id is vardhiniskitchen(at)gmail(dot)com.

I am looking forward to see all the wonderful creations by my blogger and non blogger friends.

Enjoy!

Carrot Almond Honey Milkshake

2011-11-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

This is week 10 of blog hop started by Radhika and this week I am paired with my buddy Anu of AnuzHealthyKitchen. She has a wonderful blog with a lot of unique recipes and I love the use of whole grains in most of her recipes. For this blog hop, I decided to keep it simple and healthy and went with my all the time favorite carrot milk shake. I have made this before with almonds, but used sugar. This time I tried it with honey as mentioned in the recipe and loved it. Anu has used almond powder, but I blended soaked almonds along with carrots. The almonds take a while to grind and it is better to grind it first into a paste and then add the carrots.

Interesting incident while taking pictures. I was outside with my daughter and there was this kitten which kept running under the table and between my legs and I had to wait so it does not topple up anything on the table. The kitten seemed to be more amused with my daughter and kept coming back and I finally had to get my daughter inside the house to get some decent shots :). Now off to the simple recipe. Recipe adapted from Anu.

Oven Baked Breaded Okra

2011-11-28T23:05:00.000-07:00

Final day of the 10th edition of blogging marathon and my theme is "Guilt Free Snacks". This has been my favorite theme and I absolutely enjoyed making dishes for this marathon. An interesting conversation between my friend and me. She normally asks me what I was making for the blog any time she sees me. Same question the other day and I was explaining about my "Guilt Free Snack" theme and how I was lining up dishes for it. She replied "what is new? Isn't that what you normally do?". Well, I think that is probably why I enjoyed this series more as it fits well with my routine.

Okra (Vendakka) is our favorite vegetable and I have until now made only the usual fry, sambar and kuzhambu with it. Breaded okra crossed my mind all of a sudden this past week and I recollected seeing them in the frozen aisle. I was skeptical initially to try out something new with our favorite veggie, but still decided to go ahead. Glad I did because we loved the crunchy breaded okra. Recipe adapted from VegetarianTimes. Off to the recipe.

Low Fat Thayir Vadai / Dahi Vada (Urad dal Fritters soaked in Yogurt)

2011-11-27T19:04:00.003-07:00

Friends, a friendly reminder to send in your entries for Bake Fest and Dish it Out by Nov 30th.

Also the 200th post giveaway ends Nov 30th.

Day 6 of the 10th edition of blogging marathon and my theme is "Guilt Free Snacks". Thayir vadai or Dahi Vada is basically urad dal fritters which are soaked in yogurt/curd. Thayir vadai is one of my favorite vadais and because of deep frying I rarely prepare them. A few years ago I came across the use of kuzhi paniyaram pan in RedChillies for preparing these vadais and totally loved the idea.

So after buying the pan this was one of the few things I tried out and was very happy with the outcome. These vadais paved the way for making bondas, masala vadais, etc. in the pan. I have already blogged about the deep fried version of making ulundhu vadai. You can prepare vadais using that method also and then soak in yogurt as shown here. Or you can enjoy this snack guilt free by making them in the kuzhi paniyaram pan.

Since the vadais made in the pan take the shape of the kuzhi paniyaram (they will be more like a dome and thick in the middle) it is important that you flatten it before dropping in yogurt. I once made the mistake of adding them directly and they did not soak up the yogurt and it was a mess. Off to the recipe.

Baked Potato Chips

2011-11-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

Day 5 of the 10th edition of blogging marathon and my theme is "Guilt Free Snacks". Everybody loves potato chips right? How about making it healthy to enjoy it guilt free? My memory of potato chips go way back to childhood where we used to watch with excitement when my mom made potato chips at home. The mildly salted crunchy chips was always a winner.

After coming to the US, I did not have to fry them at home due to the easy availability of chips in huge bags :). Although we mainly used the chips as a side dish I wanted to try out healthier alternatives. That is how the baking of potato slices started. This is totally guilt free with no compromise in taste. You can slice the potatoes thin or thick and vary the baking time accordingly. I sliced it very thin and they baked pretty fast. Off to the recipe.

How to Make Popcorn at Home

2011-11-25T22:00:00.003-07:00

Day 4 of the 10th edition of blogging marathon and my theme is "Guilt Free Snacks". Today is a snack that is loved by most people. We started making popcorn from kernels only in the past couple of years and I liked the fact that we can control the salt and butter when we make it at home. Another advantage is that we could add Indian spices to flavor it.

For the most part we use only oil and flavor it with sambar powder or pepper powder along with salt. This time I wanted to keep it white and used only salt. Who would say no, to a healthy snack that is made within a matter of minutes? Off to the recipe.

Kuzhi Paniyaram (Savory Version)

2011-11-24T21:00:00.005-07:00

Day 3 of the blogging marathon and my theme is "Guilt Free Snacks". This paniyaram is made with leftover idli or dosa batter, but any time I have leftover batter I always end up making a dosa called "Pongalam". So I made these with fresh batter just so I don't keep missing it.

These paniyarams are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and are a perfect evening snack. You can eat them as is or with any chutney. This is another versatile recipe where you can add your choice of ingredients to the batter. I have added sooji/rava for that slight crispiness which it gives. This was a hit that evening and my kids loved it too. Off to the recipe.

Roasted Chickpeas(Garbanzo)

2011-11-23T21:39:00.003-07:00

Day 2 of the 10th edition of blogging marathon and my theme is "Guilt Free Snacks". Using the oven instead of deep frying makes a lot of snacks healthy. I have been raving about garbanzo also known as chickpeas or channa in most of my posts and it should be no surprise that this is on the list this week. Added to that I have been constantly looking out for what I could bake for the Bake Fest and my poor oven is screaming for some rest :).

This snack is very easy to make and if you are using canned beans, it is a breeze. Even otherwise it is not that bad since soaking and pressure cooking beans is something which a lot of people do frequently. The spices for this recipe can be varied based on availability and desired flavor. I went with the flavors I like namely cumin and chat masala. Feel free to experiment with spices of choice. Now off to the step-by-step recipe.

Oatmeal Granola Bars

2011-11-22T23:24:00.002-07:00

Day 1 of the blogging marathon and my theme for this week is "Guilt free snacks". After all the deep frying and buttery desserts, I certainly needed these guilt free snacks on the menu. Granola is something which has been on my to-do list for a long time. I have seen recipes which are just mixes and some which are bars. This particular recipe caught my attention because it was plain simple with no added sweet and looked very healthy and guilt free. It is also very easy to make.

I modified it slightly based on the dry fruits I had on hand. I have also added honey and some chocolate chips and found the sweetness to be right. These bars are chewy and can be refrigerated for few days. K had been taking a couple of these to work this past week. He microwaves them for few seconds as suggested in the original recipe. Feel free to use any combination of nuts and any combination of dry fruits. Off to the pictorial. Recipe adapted from Katheats.

Avocado Chapati

2011-11-21T23:24:00.000-07:00

Avocados are very healthy and I am always on the lookout for new things to try with it. Initially the only thing which I used to make with avocado was guacamole. So when I first came across this chapati I had to immediately try it out. This was a few years ago and I was very pleased with the results. The chapatis were soft and buttery thanks to the avocado. Since then these chapatis have been playing an important role in our dinner menu. Even leftover refrigerated chapatis were soft when reheated the next day.

This is a neat way to disguise avocado for the avocado haters. Except for the few green streaks here and there, no one could say that there is avocado in the chapati.

Check out my other avocado recipes.

Simple Avocado Salad

Crunchy Avocado Salad

Soya Chunks Curry

2011-11-21T00:58:00.005-07:00

This is a dish that I specifically made for my Dish-it-Out after a chit chat with my mom. While I was talking to her about the items I have chosen to blog for the guilt free snacks theme next week the conversation moved on to soya chunks. I asked her if she does anything different with them apart from rice. She immediately mentioned this curry and since it also had tomatoes, it became a perfect entry for the event.

This is a simple curry with just the basic spices. I paired it with avocado chapatis and it was a hit. My day seems to be packed these days with dinner immediately following lunch preparation since I am always racing against the clock to get the pictures done before the sun sets. Added to that, standing outside with a winter coat and gloves trying to click pictures is not fun :). But the sense of satisfaction on publishing the post and reading the comments of my buddies makes all the effort worthwhile. Off to the recipe.

Stuffed Brinjal

2011-11-19T23:37:00.002-07:00

I learnt this dish from my MIL and it is our favorite. Now this is a delicacy for us since we only get the giant eggplant in my place and not these small brinjals. So any time we go to the Indian store, which is once in 2 or 3 months we buy these and this is the dish I make with them. The masala used to stuff the brinjals is pretty versatile and can be used to stuff okra or can just be sprinkled on dry curries.

I have seen some people steam the brinjals slightly and then roast them so as to use less oil. But if you close the pan, the steam will help the brinjals to cook and we don't have to use a lot of oil. Off to the recipe.

Drumstick-Garbanzo Kurma (Drumstick-Garbanzo in coconut gravy)

2011-11-17T23:14:00.001-07:00

I had posted drumstick curry with peanuts sometime back. I made this kurma with the remaining drumsticks. Fresh ones are a rarity and this was the first time I was seeing it and wanted to make the most of it. So I called my mom to check if there was any special dish I could do. She suggested I make this kurma and the selling point was the addition of garbanzo/chickpeas.

I always have a bag of cooked garbanzo in the freezer and I throw it in a lot of dishes starting from upma to any stir fry. The kurma was delicious and it was a perfect side to rice. Kurma also goes well with rotis, dosa or idli. She said that we could add channa dal or garbanzo and I of course picked garbanzo. Off to the recipe.

Kothavarangai Puli Kootu (Cluster beans and lentils in tamarind gravy)

2011-11-16T23:42:00.000-07:00

Browsing through my drafts which contains a miniscule number of drafts now, I found this which I made 3 months ago. I guess it did not fit in any event and just stayed behind :). This post is another post which is dear to me because this was the first one where I started experimenting with natural light. Having taken pictures with the flash until then, it was very hard to find the right spot and direction in the house. I pretty much stuck myself to the tv and was standing at awkward angles trying to take this picture.

And this was the picture where I saw what natural light could do to your pictures and I have never gone back to the flash. Now that is also a main reason for my miniscule drafts because it gets dark pretty soon around 5 pm these days. I know many of you are facing the same issue and I am already waiting for the next time change where there is light until 8 pm :).

Kootu is basically a mix of lentils and any vegetable. It can be simple or you can add a ground masala for more flavor. Here I have also added tamarind juice and we loved the tanginess. So if you are looking for a change, this is the recipe to try out. Off to the recipe.

Ginger Chutney (Inji Thogayal)

2011-11-15T22:58:00.000-07:00

This is week 9 of blog hop started by Radhika and this week I am paired with Dhivya. She has an amazing blog and I enjoyed her collection of recipes. I had almost made up my mind to bake something eggless from her blog when I noticed this chutney. Since we were having Pesarattu for dinner and also because I love ginger, I had to make it. Pesarattu and ginger chutney is a well known combo. For this blog hop, I followed her recipe exactly and found that the jaggery added a tinge of sweetness to the otherwise hot chutney. I normally do not add jaggery to this chutney and it was a welcome change. The chutney was lip smacking good and we all enjoyed it. Off to the recipe.

Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-11-15T00:59:00.000-07:00

This cookie holds a special place because I began baking with these cookies almost 9 years ago. Having had no prior experience with the hand mixer nor with baking I was truly overwhelmed to start off with. A new country and a new kitchen with unknown kitchen appliances added to my fear. Thankfully I had my friend and her sister help me out with these cookies the first time. I was watching patiently as they made the dough and I was seriously surprised to see how the cookies flattened out after baking :). Yeah, so much was my knowledge at that time.

After that I have been baking off and on, but since I consider these cookies to be a sinful delight I hardly made them. It made its entry now because I had a request for this from a friend and I also found out that my son loves these cookies. He thoroughly enjoyed them to a point that he claims he is bored with it now and I am not sure how true that is !!.

I made a couple of modifications to the original recipe which my friend gave. I have used butter instead of shortening and 2 egg whites instead of one whole egg. The cookies were extremely delicious and it flew out in a couple of days. Off to the recipe.

Pesarattu (Whole Green Gram Dal Dosai)

2011-11-13T22:51:00.000-07:00

Pesarattu is a very healthy and protein-packed dish that is also easy to prepare. It is a famous dish in Andhra cuisine. I have to admit that this was not my favorite dosa when I was a kid. But due to its immense health benefits I make it and have begun to like it too. This is normally made with soaked moong dal, but I have used sprouted moong. The best accompaniment to this dosa is ginger chutney and the combo was awesome. Including whole grains in our diet is important and this is one way to do so. Checkout moong sprouts sundal which I have already blogged about. Now off to the recipe.

Halloween Fiesta : Roundup

2011-11-11T23:52:00.001-07:00

The roundup of Halloween Fiesta is finally here. We have a wide range of entries from spooky decorations and pumpkin carvings to yummy food. Thanks a bunch friends for sending in your entries and for making this event a success. I thoroughly enjoyed hosting this event and looking at your creations which ranged from desserts to sambar to breads and so on. Thanks again friends for linking your special Halloween moments to the event. Onto the roundup now.

Read more »

Tomato - Soya Chunks Pulao

2011-11-10T23:21:00.001-07:00

The first dish which comes to my mind when I think of soya chunks is this rice and I make it pretty often. Soya chunks reminds me of the childhood days when my mom used to add it to biriyani. It was called meal maker. Soya is a very good source of protein and the bonus in my house is that my kids like it too. This rice is a slight variation of the Tomato Potato Channa Pulao which I had posted earlier. This is a one pot meal making it ideal for those week nights. Any raita or chips go perfectly with this rice and the recipe is pretty simple too. I have added only peas, but you can add any vegetable of choice.

This dish goes to my Dish it Out event featuring Soy chunks and Tomatoes. Off to the simple recipe.

Rasmalai - Paneer Delicacy (Indian dessert)

2011-11-10T00:19:00.001-07:00

Since I had already posted rasagulla months back, I was always on the fence as to whether I should post rasmalai too. The difference between the two is that rasagulla is in sugar water whereas rasmalai is in milk. The hard part is the rasagulla and since that was done I finally decided to blog about rasmalai. Surprisingly my boy who is not too much into sweets also wanted it. So the project began and I made a huge quantity.

The first photo shoot did not go well as the saffron did not lend much color and all I saw was bland white objects. So there was a retake session and I was a little satisfied with the outcome. Walking in and out with all the items and the camera and also wearing a jacket is not fun :). But I guess I have to deal with this for the next few months until it is bright and sunny again.

So this is of course a rich sweet and we enjoyed it. The rasmalais were soft and spongy and it was absolutely delicious.

The making of rasmalai involves few steps.
First is the making of paneer.
Then, you make rasagullas.
Finally, you prepare the ras to soak the rasagullas in.

Since this is a multi-step process, it would help if paneer is made the previous day itself and stored in fridge. Off to the recipe.

Chunky Tomato Salsa

2011-11-08T23:09:00.002-07:00

This is by far the best salsa I have tasted, thanks to my friend Tanis for the recipe. She has also been kind enough to let us tag along each year when they made this salsa for canning. We do have a stash in the basement from last year and I made this batch just for taking pictures. Salsa in general is pretty easy to make and this recipe involves some cooking time. Still it is simple as we don't have to monitor anything. We made 25 to 30 batches of this last year and canned them. That explains the stash this year. :) So, if I have not mentioned it enough, yes this recipe is suitable for canning.

This is also a perfect way to use up those abundant tomatoes removed from plants due to the onset of freezing conditions in many parts of the country. We normally have salsa with chips of course, but also have it over burritos and enchiladas. Is there any different way you use salsa? I would love to hear it. Now off to the recipe.

200th Post Giveaway - $30 LocknLock Voucher

2011-11-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

Friends,

I just crossed my 200th post and to thank everyone for the support and encouragement, I am having a giveaway. For this giveaway I have chosen a $30 LocknLock voucher. LocknLock has awesome deals and their containers are my favorite. Apart from the airtight containers they also have cookware, ceramic containers, cleaning supplies, etc. They have awesome deals all the time that I keep posting in my musings blog. Giveaway ends on November 30th.

Since LocknLock ships only within the US, you must be able to provide a valid US address for LocknLock to ship products to you.

Read on to find out how you can participate in this giveaway.

Like Zesty Palette in facebook and leave a comment in this post as to what you like about Zesty Palette and/or suggestions if any. If you are already a fan of Zesty Palette, please mention in the comment.

To become a fan click the "Like" button.

You can also go to Zesty Palette facebook page and press the Like button.

I will select one lucky winner from the comments at the beginning of December. If your profile does not have your email address, please make sure to leave it in the comment.

Thanks again friends.

Celebrating 200th post with Apple Upside-Down Cake

2011-11-06T21:28:00.001-07:00

It all started 7 months ago as a time pass and it has grown into something that is a part of me now. Yes, I am talking about blogging :). So, here I am writing my 200th post and enjoying the journey thus far. I have to thank all of you for the support, encouragement, comments and suggestions without which I would not have come so far. Blogging has introduced me to a lot of new friends and has also made me read more about photography. It is in fact taking up so much of my time that I had to set some ground rules and the first one being 6 hours of sleep is a minimum :). Yes, there were days when I have had only 4 hours of sleep because I chose to blog instead.

A special thanks goes to K who has been tolerating my non-stop talk about every new thing I hear or come across related to blogging or photography. I have come a long way in photography and have an even longer way to go. I am learning something new and coming across new people with each post I publish. I am extremely happy to be part of this huge blogger world :).

So presenting the apple upside-down cake specifically made for the 200th post. I made only a couple of minor changes and kept everything else the same. I made this cake the same day I did the spooky fingers and it felt like I was swimming in butter :). But, when it is an occasion to celebrate we should not look into calories right !!?!!. The cake was moist and the apples were nicely caramelized and tasted awesome. My first attempt at an upside-down cake and I was extremely happy with the outcome. Now off to the recipe.

Minty Potatoes

2011-11-05T00:06:00.002-06:00

Before I start off with the recipe, I would like to mention that I have added a linky tool to the Bake Fest event announcement to link in the entries.

This is a very simple dry curry which has been sitting in my drafts. The interesting story behind this was that I prepared it for the "Dish it Out" event which was guest hosted by Priya with "Leafy Greens and Potatoes" as the ingredients. Why did I happily assume that mint was a leafy green? I have no clue. So I made it and when I was about to post, it suddenly struck me that mint is a herb. I even emailed Priya to verify and confirmed that it was not a valid entry and this did not make it to the event obviously.

Another interesting thing was that K and I were experimenting with the wireless flash feature in the camera for this picture. It did turn out OK, but not to my expectation :). I am posting it anyway since I am not going to get mint leaves any time soon. This simple curry goes well with rice or with rotis. Off to the recipe.

Spooky Witch Fingers for Halloween (Buttery and Sweet)

2011-11-03T23:03:00.003-06:00

Yep, I am a little late in posting this. I was totally caught up with Diwali and other events that this one slipped my mind. Finally, I made it today and thoroughly enjoyed it. Even my 3 yr old was giggling looking at these and she made teeny tiny ones. Next time I make it I will probably add some food coloring to make the nails look more real and of course make the cookies thinner as they seem to expand a lot. Oh well, let us just assume that my witch has fat fingers for now :).

As always, I was racing against time to get these done before darkness sets in and I was only partially successful, thanks to the fact that it gets dark by 5:30pm. So the final pictures were taken with very low lighting. These cookies are buttery and sweet and I am sure kids would love them. They look quite real and perfect for Halloween. Now off to the recipe.

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

2011-11-02T22:20:00.001-06:00

Hope everybody had a fun filled Halloween. I had been wanting to post this the whole of last week, but could not get to it. This is the first year I am roasting pumpkin seeds. Last year when we carved pumpkins, my son wanted me to roast them and I cleaned the seeds, but did not get to baking it. This year I started cleaning the seeds as soon as we finished carving pumpkins. The dry seeds were sitting on the counter top for 2 days and my kids kept asking whether they were done and I finally got around to baking them. It is pretty simple, but I kept postponing since I needed a quiet time to take pictures. Well that is a rarity with 2 kids :). The whole process is very simple and just needs some monitoring.

The roasted seeds were crunchy and tasted good. This is a healthy snack to munch while watching TV. Off to the easy recipe.

Baked Potato Nest (Edible Potato Baskets)

2011-11-02T00:10:00.014-06:00

Wow .. time sure flies fast. We are now in the second edition of blog hop started by Radhika of TickingPalates. For this week that is the 8th week of blog hop, I am paired with Veena of Veg Junction. She has such an amazing blog and I shortlisted several recipes to try out. But after all the deep frying and festival food last week, I decided to take it light and settled for these potato baskets which I baked in a muffin pan.

These baskets/nests took me way down the memory lane. This was one of the snacks that I had made immediately after my college days and the change being I deep fried it then. I had completely forgotten about it and thanks to Veena, it is going to be back in the menu. I had fun making it and my kids had fun deciding what goes in the basket.

You can fill it with any item of your choice and this would be a fun thing to serve at parties too. Off to the healthy and tasty baskets.

Nice stack of the baskets.

Bake Fest #1 - NEW Event Announcement

2011-10-31T20:00:00.014-06:00

You'll read it right, I am hosting 2 events this month and this is a NEW event starting from this month.

Inspired by the various monthly events, I am announcing a new monthly event "Bake Fest" which is all about baking as the title implies. Although I have baked stuff on and off, only recently I have started to bake with a lot of passion. I have also been trying to convert deep fried stuff into healthier alternatives through baking. So friends, let us put on our baking hats and have fun. The event will run from 1st to the end of each month and the roundup posted by 10th of the following month.

This event is open for guest hosting and if anybody is interested in hosting this event, do drop in a line at vardhiniskitchen(at)gmail(dot)com.

You can find the hosting schedule for this event here.

To start off there are no themes, but down the lane I might introduce theme based baking.

The rules for the "Bake Fest" are:
1. Send in any recipe which has been baked / broiled.
2. Only vegetarian or vegan recipes please. I normally accept eggs in baking and hence eggs are allowed.
3. Usage of the logo is appreciated as it helps spread the word.
4. Recipes must be linked to this event announcement page. If sending an old entry, it needs to be re-published with the links.
5. You can send in any number of new entries and a maximum of 2 old entries.
6. Non bloggers can also send in their recipes to the email below.

Please link your entries using the linky tool attached to this post by 30th November 2011. If you have trouble linking, do let me know and I will add it for you.

Non bloggers - Email me your entry and I will post it in my member recipes blog and link it up here. My email id is vardhiniskitchen(at)gmail(dot)com.

~~Please send in your entries with the subject "Bake Fest" by 30th November 2011 to vardhiniskitchen(at)gmail(dot)com with the following info.~~
~~Your Name:~~
~~Blog Name:~~
~~Recipe Name:~~
~~Recipe URL:~~
~~Recipe Photo (Please limit to max 400 pixels)~~

Looking forward to all the lovely entries from all my blogger and non-blogger friends.

Enjoy!

Dish it Out - Soy and Tomatoes - Event Announcement

2011-10-31T19:00:00.002-06:00

"Dish it Out" comes home this month :). I am hosting it with "Soy and Tomatoes" as the ingredients. We know the health benefits of soy and it is a good source of protein. Soy in any form is accepted for eg. soy milk, soy flour, soy beans, soy chunks, etc. I am a big fan of soy chunks particularly and tomatoes are in abundance this month. So those became the ingredients for this month.

Also a quick mention on Food Blog Diary that is a collection of food events, and if you are hosting an event you can get it listed there.

The ingredients for the month (November 2011) are "Soy" and "Tomatoes" and the event runs from 1st - 30th November 2011. Any form of soy can be used.

The rules for the "Dish it Out" are:
1. All the ingredients mentioned must be used in one dish. Ingredients not on the list can also be used, but we should be able to taste the mentioned ingredients.
2. Only vegetarian or vegan recipes please. Eggs are allowed in baking.
3. Usage of the logo is appreciated. (Use any one)
4. Recipes must be linked to this event announcement page. If sending an old entry, it needs to be re-published with the link.
5. You can send in any number of entries.
6. Non bloggers can also send in their recipes to the email below.

~~Please send in your entries with the subject "Dish it Out - Soy and Tomatoes" by 30th November 2011 to vardhiniskitchen(at)gmail(dot)com with the following info.~~

~~Your Name:~~
~~Blog Name:~~
~~Recipe Name:~~
~~Recipe URL:~~
~~Recipe Photo (Please limit to max 400 pixels)~~

Please link your entries using the linky tool attached to this post by 30th November 2011. If you have trouble linking, do let me know and I will add it for you.

Non bloggers - Email me your entry and I will post it in my member recipes blog and link it up here. My email id is vardhiniskitchen(at)gmail(dot)com.

Looking forward to all the lovely entries from all my blogger and non-blogger friends.

Enjoy!

Eggless Wheat Cake with Jaggery

2011-10-30T21:00:00.002-06:00

Friends, a friendly reminder to send in your entries for Halloween Fiesta by Nov 5th.

This month "Dish it Out" has some interesting ingredients and was challenging for me. Wheat and jaggery are the chosen ingredients and I have used jaggery only for a handful of recipes until now. My mom suggested a recipe, but before I could get to it I noticed this during my random browsing. I was caught by how moist the cake looked in spite of being eggless. I went about making it and loved it because it was moist and the sweetness was just right. I have used my muffin pan to make mini cakes. This recipe is a keeper. Off to the recipe.

How to make Croutons

2011-10-30T00:01:00.000-06:00

This is a ridiculously easy recipe and I make these croutons any time I make soup obviously :). Since these are baked in the oven, they are healthy and they also serve as mini snacks which my kids love. French bread would be best for this, but I have used regular sandwich bread because it was waiting to be used.

Croutons would be a perfect accompaniment to any soup or salad. Check out Carrot Lentil Soup and Tomato Soup. Off to the recipe.

Minestrone Soup

2011-10-28T21:00:00.002-06:00

Final day of the blogging marathon and what a journey it was this time :). With Diwali and Halloween this week, I was doing 2 posts on some days to cover up the festivals. Yeah it was tedious, but it was a nice challenge. So my last one for this series is going to be the minestrone soup. By now all of you must know that I love pasta and beans and this soup has it all. I first tasted minestrone soup in Olive Garden years ago and those were the naive years when I had no idea these things can be made at home :). This soup is very easy to make and you can add any vegetable on hand. I have used Italian seasoning, but feel free to experiment with seasonings of your choice.

Since the soup has pasta, I heard no complaints from my kids either. Off to the healthy and tasty soup.

Other recipes posted for this blogging marathon.

Broccoli Salad

Carrot Lentil Soup

Waldorf Salad

Crunchy Avocado Salad

Garlic, Chickpea and Spinach Soup

Oven Roasted Tomato Soup

Check out what other BM Marathoners are cooking.

Oven Roasted Tomato Soup (Low fat)

2011-10-27T21:00:00.003-06:00

Day 6 of the blogging marathon with theme 'Soups and Salads'. Tomato soup is my all time favorite soup and I never knew it could be this simple. This time around to kick it up a notch I roasted the tomatoes to bring out even more flavor. Result was a delicious and creamy soup which we all enjoyed with some homemade croutons. I am also glad that soups don't intimidate me anymore :). Phew, it has been a week of soups and luckily K did not complain and my mission has been accomplished.

Check out other soups posted.

Carrot Lentil Soup

Garlic, Chickpea and Spinach Soup

Vegetarian 15 bean Soup

Sweet Corn Soup

Check out what other BM Marathoners are cooking.

Crunchy Avocado Salad

2011-10-26T22:00:00.003-06:00

Day 5 of the blogging marathon and today is an easy salad which has interesting and healthy ingredients. Only recently I have started including avocado in the diet after reading its health benefits. Until now the only thing I made with it was chapati and when I came across this salad I had to make it. I love all the ingredients in the salad and the kids loved it too. I am a big fan of garbanzo and needless to say this salad is a winner.

Crumbled tortilla chips added crunchiness and it was a perfect evening snack after the fun filled pumpkin carving session. There is no cooking involved and we just mix together all the ingredients. Isn't that pretty simple? Let's start on the salad.

Carrot Lentil Soup

2011-10-25T22:03:00.000-06:00

Day 4 of blogging marathon and I am loving the soups and salads. They are easy to put together and healthy too. The lentils in the soup added the needed volume and the tomato gave it some tanginess. I did not add cream or milk, but the soup was rich thanks to the lentils. The quantities of ginger and garlic can be varied to taste. Perfect for the days you are craving for something quick and light.

Carrots are rich in vitamin A and this is an easy way to include it in the diet. We had the soup with some homemade bread croutons which I will post soon. Happy Diwali friends. Off to the recipe.

Kalakand (Diwali Recipes - Indian Milk Sweet)

2011-10-25T07:05:00.001-06:00

Friends, wishing you all a fun filled Diwali. Stay safe and enjoy the goodies :). This week has been pretty crazy with Diwali, Halloween and Blogging marathon all happening at the same time. Here, I am doing multiple posts for the same. I have made paal kova basically by reducing milk, but adding paneer to make kalakand was new to me. I tasted this sweet first at my friend's place and loved it. Although I am a savory person, I have a small weakness for milk based sweets and I had been wanting to make this ever-since.

Finally the D day came and I was all set. Made it for the first time and I had turned off the stove a bit early and the mix was slightly wet. It did not affect the taste, but the kalakand was very brittle. Made it again immediately and was much more confident and waited until the mix dried out. I had the timer set and was stirring the milk every 7 minutes. My 3 yr old was amused by this and wondered why mom was running up and down every 7 minutes :). Anyway, after the long process voila, tasty kalakand was ready and we absolutely loved it. Making it 2 times back-to-back was tedious and I would not have done it if not for blogging :). Yeah, blogging changes you in many ways right? Off to the recipe.

Healthy Broccoli Salad

2011-10-24T23:09:00.000-06:00

Day 3 of blogging marathon with theme 'Soups and Salads'. I know most people frown to have broccoli, but this is one tasty and easy way to include broccoli. We first tasted broccoli salad in a burger place and K loved it. I tried to make it at home using mayo, etc. and it was pretty close to what we had. This was a few years ago when I bought mayo just for this salad. Fast forward to today, I am a huge Greek yogurt fan and tried to recreate the salad using Greek yogurt instead of mayo and we did not miss the mayo :). This is a healthy and tasty salad, which is also light.

It is more nutritious to eat raw broccoli, but K cannot stand it and so I have blanched it. Another salad to the menu and I am loving these simple recipes. Are you ready to assemble the salad?

Halloween: How to Carve a Pumpkin

2011-10-24T13:31:00.002-06:00

Before I start on the post, a friendly reminder to send in your entries for Halloween Fiesta by Nov 5th.

It is quite interesting to look back and see how Halloween celebrations have been changing over the years in my house. Before the kids, it was only about distributing candy for kids. When the kids were born, it was all about dressing them up and taking them for trick or treat. Now that my boy is old enough to carve, it has been all about carving pumpkins and dressing up. We did our first pumpkin carving last year. This year it was a mini party with 6 pumpkins being carved. We had few friends who had their kids over for carving as well. It was quite a sight to see the kids running around and the stages of carving.

I have to mention that the only role played by me in this carving process was the role of the photographer. How can I get my hands dirty and also take photos right? (Truth is I cannot stay still and make something since I am so used to multitasking !! ). In fact, I was actually running around from one kid to another capturing their carvings and was also running indoors preparing a salad for the blogging marathon.

Overall it was a fun experience and thanks to K who supervised the whole carving session and also assisted the little ones with their carvings.

So what are you carving this halloween?

Garlic, Chickpea and Spinach Soup

2011-10-23T22:13:00.001-06:00

Day 2 of blogging marathon with theme "Soups and Salads". Today we are going to see a filling and healthy soup. When we visited our friend recently, I saw the book "My Indian Kitchen" by Hari Nayak. I borrowed it to mainly look at the soups section and this particular soup caught my attention instantly. It had my favorite ingredients like chickpeas and spinach and it was also easy to put together.

I made my variations to the soup based on the ingredients on hand and found the soup to be thin even with corn starch. So I decided to puree the soup partially and skip the corn starch the next time I made it. It was very tasty and filling and is going to be on the menu often. Also, the soup uses vegetable stock which I did not have and I used water instead. Obviously stock will add additional flavor to the soup, so use it if you have it on hand. Off to the recipe.