mayurisjikoni

Recipe Swap 3     Food Bloggers Recipe Swap is a group of food bloggers who prepare a dish from a blogger's blog. The group initiator Amber pairs up the participants. We then decide what we want to make from our partner's blog. Usually we add a slight twist of our own or cook it the way we like but the main ingredients remain the same. At the end of the month we share our recipe link on the FB page.    For the month of March, I was paired with a new member Sapana. Though she is new to the group, I've known Sapana for a couple of years through another blogging group. Since I've been following her blog for a couple of  years, I have several of her recipes on my 'to do list'. However, till date haven't made any of them. But as the saying goes better late than never. Before  I go into the recipe that I chose to make from her blog let me introduce to you this lady who is super talented. I simply love her photography skills and how she can make a regular recipe ...

Rice Bowl of India    For the month of January the Shhh Cooking Secretly group (started by Priya of Priya's Versatile Recipes ) had to make cuisine from the state of Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh literally means 36 Forts. This central eastern state was formed by separating the Chhattisgarhi speaking southeastern part of Madhya Pradesh in the year 2000. The north and south part of the state are hilly and the central part is  covered by plains.    It is believed that Lord Rama along with his wife Sita and brother Laxman spent 10 years of their 14 year exile in the regions of Chhattisgarh. Its also in this state that Lord Rama was offered half eaten berries by the old blind lady Shabari. Shabari was a devout follower of Lord Rama. She waited patiently in the ashram for Him to arrive so that she could seek his darshan. As an offering to the Lord she had picked berries from the nearby forest. She tasted each one of them and left the sweet ones for Lord Rama. For her pu...

Team Love     For the past few days the weather has completely changed in Bangalore...its chilly cold and rainy. It could be due to the cyclone Ockhi that hit Kerala.Unlike homes in the western world, there is no central heating system so one has to wrap up pretty warm. I hate wearing a sweater as I find them too itchy so come evening and I wrapped myself in a shawl and topped with a thick bed sheet. After that didn't want to budge even a millimeter. Hot water and hot milk becomes one's best friend. It also meant that I didn't want to have my usual smoothie for breakfast. I wanted something hot that would warm up the body. What better breakfast treat is there than hot parathas and masala tea.      The #121st theme for FoodieMonday/Bloghop is Pushpita's recipes. Who is Pushpita? She is one of the members of the FoodieMonday group. In all we are 15 members. We usually take turns to decide on the theme. The 121st theme was to be decided by Pushpita. However, she h...

Delicious Dumplings    A visit to Phoenix Mall, Bangalore is like a dazzling visit to Fairyland. Only thing is that nothing is free, you need oodles of money to buy whatever you want. I remember when I was studying in India in the 70s, nothing much was available and relatives and friends would have a long list of things they'd want us to bring for them from Kenya. Tables have turned, everything is available in India right from Rin soap to Audis. For a girl who comes from the supposedly second biggest city in Kenya, the malls are like paradise for me. Visiting Foodland is a foodie's dream but unfortunately everything from lettuce to wheat pasta is overpriced. Eating healthy is an expensive habit. Wonder why?? Healthy foods should be pocket friendly. Anyway we can argue about food prices world wide endlessly and get nowhere. Lets face it food is expensive.    Daughter and I were at the mall to catch a movie. Have you seen what PVR charges for popcorns??? For a handful ...

So comforting    On 4th Nov 918 kg of khichdi sets Guinness World Record. 125kg rice, 45kg moong dal, 6.5kg salt, and several kgs of millet and barley was used to make this khichdi at the World Food Event in New Delhi cooked by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor with the help of a 50 member team. Check details here.    Khichdi very much originates from the Indian Sub Continent. Its basically a mixture of rice and lentils cooked in water with salt and turmeric powder. That's the basic khichdi that most households cook whether they are poor or rich. Its considered one of the most healthiest food, filling, comforting and nutritious. Depending on the regions khichdi is made with a mixture of different kinds of lentils, rice and other grains like millet, amaranth, barley etc.    If one is sick, a gruel like khichdi is given. Light and yet filling. Old people who have denture problems are given khichdi, babies are given khichdi. Any time is khichdi time, be it for breakfast, lu...

Include Millet In Your Diet Theme: Cookies For Your Sweet Tooth BM#81 Week 2 Day 3    Today has been such a horrible day for me. I wait till 9a.m. for the maid to turn up. I had planned so many Diwali cooking and baking items but didn't get even one done. She turns up after 9 and goes and sits down. I was a bit annoyed so didn't say anything. After a few minutes I hear long sighs... what a brilliant way to attract attention. I go to her and she tells me she is sick. So I tell her to go back home and rest and come back when she is well. She continues to sit there. The softie me asks her if she needs a cup of tea. She says yes. So I make some tea for her. She sips on the tea and then asks for money as she needs to go to the doctor. I really was mood spoilt by now... its not the end of the month and already she owes me quite a bit of money. She leaves.     I start tackling the housework. By mid morning I am so annoyed and lit...