As I rushed to enter the lobby of my condo this morning after a short trip to the convenience store, it suddenly dawned on me how cold it’s been lately. Just yesterday I could swear that we had to crank up the air-conditioning in order to get a good night’s sleep. And today, BAM! Summer’s disappeared and we are wrapped in warm clothes piercing the cold winds.

It’s no surprise that when it’s cold out, you want to come home to warmth and comfort. And what better way to get cozy that with a big pot of curry simmering on the stove. Personally, I love the season of Fall. The warm colours, endless cups of warm frothy coffee, fresh baked pies, and curries. Yes curries!

In my home, it’s a known fact that throughout the months of September and October, you will always find a big pot of rich creamy goodness perched up on my stove-top. Friends know that when they drop by, they will undoubtedly be served rice topped with ladlels of curry glory. Indeed, there is something very soothing about digging into a bowl of rich, spicy gooeyness.

I love playing with the many flavours available and sometimes even surprise myself by trying out something so unconventional that ends up tasting as one of my best creations ever. This dish was one with similar tale to tell. And as I go in for a second helping, I wonder how come I didn’t think of it before.

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Even great cooks don’t eat it all, sometimes! I am a very picky eater. Yes, strange as it may seem to you, it’s true. Up until a while ago, I wasn’t even adventurous with my palate. I would stick to flavours I understood and forgo the rest. Part of my reasoning on whether or not I would enjoy a dish, came from how it looked.

Being born and bred in the Arabian Gulf, everyone simply assumes I am the Guru when it comes to Mid-Eastern fare. But, in fact, I’ve only had hummus (and can now gulp down bowls of it!) for about 2-3 years now. In Canada. Yes, strange again, I know, but also true! You see, when we were growing up, hummus was almost a weekly guest at our table. My parents and siblings loved it, and relished every mouthful. I, on the other hand, thought it to be gooey (my husband would scorn with gooey not being a word!), and hence, never dared to give it a try.

But since being with Hubby Dear, the adventurous soul that he is, I’ve begun to mellow down a lot. It was with him that I took my first scoop of hummus, and decided, that though being gooey, I quite liked it. In fact, now it very easily makes it”s way into my kitchen every week!

Ever since I’ve started this blog, I’ve begun cooking things that I normally wouldn’t. I now see my weekly grocery trips as a chance for me to explore and learn. I pick up veggies that I would run away from and try and create new ways of enjoying it.

When we were growing up, spinach was one such vegetable that I would often hide from. I would cry and cry until my Mom got tired enough to allow me to leave it aside. Then I moved to India and was introduced to a dish I can swear by. Till today, it’s one of the few ways I would eat spinach without a gun on my head.

So today, as I was scanning my fridge, thinking of what to make for dinner, my eyes set upon the lonely bunch of spinach lying there, bought only a few days ago. I decided to tackle it head on. And what do you know, the rest as they say, is history!

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We cramped the whole of summer into the past long weekend. After a cancellation of our camping plans, due to the bad weather that poured on us, we decided to make the most of whatever enthusiasm was left. We took to the city and visited the sights, slept in and went out for a lavish brunch, walked by the lake, read a book in a cafe and took pleasant afternoon naps. And as Tuesday sprung, trying hard to get back into the weekly groove, it suddenly dawned on me that the weekend marked the end of summer.

As a child, the first day of school always marked a drastic end to a wonderfully joyous summer. Suddenly, our trips to the park were cut short because of pending homework that was to be done. Barbeque parties came to an abrupt end since most parents had to shuffle their kids between weekend extra-curricular activities. And the first of all, we had to get yo bed early on Sunday nights and wake up at the break of dawn on Monday mornings.

But as the sun slowly hide behind heavy clouds and the rains became more frequent, I always looked forward to something even better. Rainy day food. Comfort food. Food I can come home to from the cold, wet outdoors, that would instantly bring out the warmth in me and perk me up. Tpday, lounging on my favourite chair with a great book and bowl of warm melt-in-your-mouth goodness, I look out the window and bid a sad farewell to summer. Only to follow it with a warm welcome to my most favourite season of all. The Fall.

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Beat the Heat

Just when I was done sulking about the rains that swept my weekend picnic plans away, out comes the Sun and makes me run to the nearest shelter!

The sweltering heat and the unwelcome humidity has led us wanting to shed skin and drown in a cold pool somewhere. but horror of horrors, neither am I an amphibian, nor am I able to grow new epidermal layers! So the only choice we have is to fight it, fight it with that we have. And what is it I have, that you ask? I’m glad you did! It’s none other than the star of every show around here. Yes dears, it’s spicy, and it’s a definite killer of the heat waves!

I really have no idea why, but just as it gets real hot outside, I begin to crave more and more heat in my food as well. They say, heat kills heat, and I’m a firm believer of that!

Making something spicy enough was the easy task. Deciding what it was that was going to take on the avatar, was the test. I picked up a batch of lovely fresh mushrooms over the weekend, and was pondering on what I could do with t. I’ve always loved mushrooms. But getting Hubby Dear to enjoy it even half as much as I do, always challenged me. We are one of those couple who go out for pizza and say, ‘mushrooms on one half, NO mushrooms on the other’! So even though I somehow accepted that Hubby Dear might not be thrilled with the idea of coming home to a plate of mushrooms for dinner, I was determined to make him beg for more!

Long story short, we can now both enjoy mushrooms over glasses of chilled water! I guess sharing a mushroom pizza would have to wait a while!

SPICY PEPPER MUSHROOMS

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Prep time: 10 min, Cooking time: 10 min | Serves: 2      

2 cups mushrooms, sliced 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped 1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped 1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped 2 tbsp green onion, chopped

2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp black pepper salt, to taste 1 tbsp light cooking oil 1 tsp pur sesame oil 2 tbsp cooking oil

HEAT oils in a non-stick pan and saute chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic till fragrant. Add chopped onions and fry till lightly brown.

ADD mushrooms, and stir-fry till they begin to cook and lose moisture.

ADD salt, pepper, and soya sauce and cook for a minute.

GARNISH with chopped green onions and serve along-side fried rice or noodles.

A Culinary Journey to West Bengal, India

During my college years, when I was in Bangalore, I spent sometime living with a very close friend of mine. She, being a Bengali, and being how Bengalis are about their culture, food and language, taught me a lot of what I know today about the state of West Bengal. Needless to say, one of the first few words I learnt from her in Bengali, could easily see me through any uninvited mishaps. Yes, like most of us, when asked to learn a language, I too wanted to know the big “bad” words.

Besides its language, West Bengal is widely known for its league of extra-ordinary artists. From admirable writers like Rabindranath Tagore, to talented movie-makers like Satyajit Ray, Bengalis have dominated every field from music, dance, cinema, and not to mention, sports.

With an abundance of culture in its offering, Bengal is not one to be left behind in its food. From their humbly delicious vegetables, to their mouth watering fish dishes, and their sweet tasting desserts, Bengal hosts a treat for any adventurous palate.

As I continue on my Culinary Journey to the whole of the Indian sub-continent, let me take a break in this wonderfully diverse state, to bring to you one of my personal favourites. A melt-in-your-mouth dish of eggplant slices smeared with spicy tangy spices, to tantalize the taste buds.

FRIED EGGPLANT

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Prep time: 10 min, Cooking time: 30 min | Serves: 4 

2-3 medium-sized eggplants 2-3 tbsp light cooking oil 1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala 1/4 tsp amchoor powder salt, to taste

CUT eggplant into slices and let soak in cold water for 15-20 minutes. Pat dry and set aside.

MIX all dry spices, including salt, to form a spice mix.

HEAT oil in a pan and place eggplant slices without overlapping with each other.

LET eggplant fry on one side for 3-4 minutes on medium-high heat. Flip once, sprinkle each slice with spice mix, and let it cook on the other side.

FLIP slices once more, sprinkle spice mix and remove onto a plate.

Serve with steamed rice over Dal, with a side of Tomato Chutney, to relish a simple, yet wholesome Bengali meal.

Perfectly Simple

Most days, by the time I get home in the evenings, I am strved and craving for warm home-cooked meal. And most often than not, I am too tired to dish out something wholesome.

Since hubby dear has been out of town since the past two weeks, I’ve found myself spending much less time in my kitchen. The reason being when I’m alone, I couldn’t care much about how, when and even if I eat. I can be just as happy opening up a pack of instant noodles or having a grilled cheese sandwich.

But last night, after many days of eating left-over and processed foods, I was craving for a good home-cooked meal. Something wholesome, fulfilling and delicious. And not to mention, quick! Oh yes, it just had to be quick. I was tired and hungry. And no one messes with me when either the one. Not even Mr. Time!

As I set a pot of my favourite Dal to cook alongside some steaming rice, I thought of making a real quick side. No guesses as to what it would be made of. I walked into my pantry and found them - a nice big bowl of red baby potatoes!

Potatoes are one of the staples of the classic Indian meal. It is also the most versatile and beautiful vegetables I know. I let a batch of them boil just till tender and the stage was then set for a wonderfully delicious and fulfilling dinners!

SUKHE ALU
SAUTEED POTATOES

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Prep time: 20 min, Cooking time: 10 min | Serves: 2  

8-10 red baby potatoes, boiled and peeled 2-3 dried red chillies 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp aniseeds

1/2 tsp red chili powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder salt, to taste 1 tbsp light cooking oil

CUT boiled potatoes into quarters and set aside.

HEAT oil in a pan and add dried red chillies, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and aniseeds, and fry till they start to sizzle.

ADD in red chili powder and potatoes, and stri-fry till spices mix well with potatoes.

ADD salt and cover cook for five minutes.

SERVE warm as a side with Dal, and rice or Rotis.

I had planned on taking a Culinary Journey throughout the Indian sub-continent in alphebetical order. But I’m sure, with my modd swings and many food cravings, I will be bouncing about the country from end to end. Nonetheless, I will begin my journey in Andhra Pradesh, or most importantly Hyderabad.

When one talks of Hyderabad, the first image that comes to mind for most is the Nawabi culture and its influence on the city’s architecture. But talk to a foodie like me, and all we can picture is the succelent Biryani that Hyderabad is so famous for.

Biryani is a one pot meal of rice, traditionally cooked with either Chicken, Lamb or a mix of vegetables blended and marinated in an array of various spices. The distinct aroma of the dish is set by the sprinkle of Saffron in the cooking process. While Biryani is cooked in as many ways as possible, the best flavour is derived from the authentic slow-cooking process.

Today, on our first stop in this deliciously mouth-watering adventure, I bring to you this finger-lickin’ dish. But let me warn you, once tried, this will remain a favourite in your recipe files.

Paneer Biryani

Ingredients:

2 cups Basmati rice 500 gms of Paneer (cottage cheese), cut into 1-inch cubes and fried till lightly brown on all sides 2 cups finely chopped onions 2 cups diced ripe tomatoes 1 tsp chopped green chillies 1 tbsp chopped ginger 1 tbsp chopped garlic 1 tsp red chili powder 1 tbsp coriander powder 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp garam masala

salt, to taste a pinch of saffron, mixed in 2 tbsp warm water 7-8 black peppercorns 7-8 cloves 2-3 bay leaves 1 cinnamon stick 1 tsp cumin seeds Fresh coriander leaves for garnish Sliced hard-boiled eggs for garnish (optional)

Method: 

1. Par-boil rice and set aside. (You can use about 2-3 cups of water to cook 2 cups of rice. Just make sure the rice is not fully cooked through, or else the Biryani will turn out mushy.)
2. Heat oil and add cumin seeds. Add onions, garlic, ginger and green chillies, and fry on medium-low heat till they start to brown a bit. Add cinnamon, bay leaves, pepper corns and cloves, and cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, salt, chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala and cumin powder. Continue to cook on medium heat till it begins to dry up and starts to give out oil. Add paneer pieces and cook for 5-6 minutes till it forms a thick, rich and dry gravy base.
4. In a non-stick deep pan, put a layer of the paneer gravy, without the paneer. Now add a layer of rice, topped with a layer of paneer. Alternate layers of gravy, rice and paneer till everything is used up. Make sure that the top most layer is rice.
5. Crush a pinch of saffron into 2 tablespoons of water and mix with your finger till the water catches colour. Pour the saffron water over the top layer of rice.
6. Cover cook for 15 minutes on a low flame, without stirring. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and hard-boiled eggs (optional).

Serve warm with Raita and Mint-Coriander Chutney.

This is my contribution to Paz’s FMR, “For the Love of Rice”.

Its been raining all through the past week. The weekend was predicted to be no better. So when we woke up bright and early on Saturday, we knew we had to make the most of the perfectly sunny day. The air was crisp and tulips bloomed all over. It was perfect - just perfect for a day outdoors!

So we got dressed in our comfortable shoes, and armed with a camera and the excitement of a child, we set out on our little adventure! The destination - a very well-known, very large farmer’s market.

Spending a warm day surrounded by the freshest of produce can perk up any foodie’s droopy mood. And that’s exactly what it did to me! Three fabulous shopping hours later, I had a fridge full of beautiful veggies waiting to become a piece of art. But while I still had to plan out and decide how I would go about celebrating my week’s menu, I already knew what desert was going to be.

We had picked up a basket of the freshest, reddest and plumpiest strawberries I had ever laid my eyes own. The best thing to do would have been to just enjoy these drops of heaven in the purest form, but a little chocolate on the side never hurt anyone. And I was not to be left behind!

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Ingredients:

A bunch of fresh strawberries, washed and thoroughly wiped dry 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup cream 1 tsp instant coffee powder 1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method:

1. Heat cream till it is warm enough to melt the chocolate chips. Do not let it come to a boil.
2. Add chocolate chips, sugar, coffee powder and vanilla extract, and stir continuously till the chocolate starts to melt.
3. Remove the mixture from heat and keep stirring till chocolate melts nicely and forms a thick paste. Set aside to cool for 15-20 minutes.
4. Once the chocolate has cooled completely, dip each strawberry half-way into the chocolate and aet on a sheet of parchment paper.
5. Allow to cool till choclate firms up around the strawberries.

It’s mid-week. Which just means that energy levels of us regular 9-5 folk are slowly dying out. It’s also raining heavily out side, which means that a warm comfort meal ranks high on the wish-list! The simple solution - a one pot meal warming enough to drive away those heebee-jeebees…

One pot meals are a great way on saving time when it’s called for. Sometimes all you want and need to do is put everything but the kitchen sink into one big pot and hope that it forms into something delectable. One pot meals are also a great way fo rme to clean up my fridge of leftovers. Many a times, I’ve added any vegetable within arms reach into a thick hearty stew.

But not today. I wasn’t in the mood for soup or stew. True, it’s droopy and cold out, but that just makes me crave for a huge helping of warm flavoured rice. A can of mixed beans, some left-over rice and a bag of cherry tomatoes struck a cord in my head. And then… everything was good again!

Mixed Bean Tomato Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked white Basmati rice 1 can of mixed beans (kidney beans, chick peas, lima beans, and anything else you like) 1 medium onion sliced thinly 8-10 chery tomatoes, sliced in half or 1 whole tomato, chopped 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1-2 green chillies, finely chopped

salt, to taste 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp red chili powder 1/2 tsp mustard seeds a couple of dried curry leaves 2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander 2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large pot and add curry leaves and mustard seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add garlic, green chillies and sliced onions.Saute till lightly browned.
2. Add tomatoes and cook for a few minutes till they begin to pulp. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder and allow spices to blend well.
3. Add mixed beans and let cook for 5-6 minutes.
4. Mix in cooked rice and stir-fry till each grain is well coated with all the spices. Add chopped coriander leaves and serve warm.

Enjoy with a side of Mango Pickle and cool Cucumber Raita.

I have been neglecting my dear blog for a long time now. Neglected, not out of choice but lack of enough hours during the day. As I looked at my last post, I realized its been three weeks since I posted. Three weeks!!! That’s an extremely long time for a food blog addict who loves updating her space very regulalry (sometimes, even twice a day!!). 

But let’s let bygones be bygones! I’m back to the spin of things and that’s all that matters. Well, to me at least. It nice to be back to the normal pace of life ones gets comfortably settled into. And what better way to get into the groove than with a bite of decadence… Ummm Hmn!

Mint Chocolate Tartlets

Ingredients:

1 cup cream 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 tsp instant coffee powder 8-10 drops of Peppermint extract

2 tbsp sugar 12 mini tart shells ( I use the frozen ones and prepare them according to the packaged instructions)

Method:

1. Heat cream till it is warm enough to melt the chocolate chips. Do not let it come to a boil.
2. Add chocolate chips, sugar and coffee powder, and stir till the chocolate starts to melt.
3. Remove the mixture from heat and keep stirring till chocolate melts nicely and forms a thick paste.
4. Add in peppermint extract, and set aside to cool for 15-20 minutes.
5. Fill each tart shell with the melted chocolate and decorate with a mint leaf.
6. Serve warm or chilled!