mayurisjikoni

Kemcho? Avo maare gher. ( How are you? Welcome to my home)    March was when the Shhh Cooking Secretly group (started by Priya of Priya's Versatile Recipes ) ventured out to cook some Gujju (Gujarati) food. The general misconception is that Gujarati food is sweet. Yes we do use sugar and jaggery but it has to be a balance of both sweet and sour. Modern times with much health awareness, many Gujarati homes do not use sugar or jaggery in their daily cooking.     The land of Lions and Legends has countless varieties of dishes. As a Gujarati I can make out from which region the food has originated. For example kadhi made by Patel Community maybe so different in taste and texture from the one made by a Shah. Besides the slight variations, Gujaratis are so proud of their ever popular snacks. Some snacks prepared are steamed like dhokra , muthias , arvi na paan, khichdi to name a few. Khandvi batter is cooked with no oil. Oil is used to smear on the surface to spread ...

The Holiday State    February is when Shhh Cooking Secretly group (started by Priya of Priya's Versatile Recipes ) had a virtual tour of Goa. Its been over 30 years since I've visited Goa. I remember when we were passing the town centre, there was a huge crowd of people. We asked the taxi driver what was going on and he replied "koi naya actor ki shooting chal rahi hai, aap ko dekhna hai?" he asked. We asked if he knew the actor and he said no so we didn't stop to watch. Who was the new actor? None other than Shakrukh Khan shooting for the movie Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa!    I remember we were staying at some hotel in town and would go to the Taj Holiday Resort to get onto the beach. Back then there were not many hotels. I remember getting to the beach and for miles there would hardly be anyone. There use to be a fish shack near Taj and hubby, my brother and my cousin would enjoy fresh fish and I'd get only French fries (fishy ones)!    Goa is  the smallest...

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...

Happy New Year A simple healthy Indian style parfait    For the month of December, the Shhh Cooking Secretly group (initiated by Priya of Priya's Versatile Recipes ) is visiting the state of Bihar. Bihar is in the East of India bordering Nepal. The Ganges flows through this state roughly dividing it into two parts, the east and the west. The three main districts of Bihar are Mithila, Magadh and Bhojpur. Famous for Bhojpuri films, birth place of Goddess Sita (Mithila), Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment in the famous Bodh Gaya and the birth place of the Mahavir and Vasupujya Tirthankaras of Jainism.    Bihari Cuisine is mainly divided into 3 - Bhojpuri, Maithil and Magahi Cuisine. Traditionally a predominantly vegetarian cuisine because of Hindu, Jainism and Buddhist influence. However, meat dishes are common in the Mithila region.Though present day cuisine is influenced by the neighboring states, Bihar is well known for its sattu . Its used to make cool drinks in ...

Assam - The Red River State    November is when the Shhh Cooking Secretly Group visited Assam. Assam is a state in the North East of India. Its strategic location makes it the 'Gateway to the Seven Sister States of North East India'. Assam's history goes way back to the ancient times, having been mentioned in the Mahabharata, was known as Asham during Aurangzeb's time and the British developed the tea estates  during the British Rule. Assam is well known for its flora and fauna and the famous tea estates. Assam itself has nearly 500 varieties of orchids. Its also known as the state of the  Red River due to the presence of the Brahmaputra. Its a state rich in culture and traditions. Coming to the Assamese Cuisine, Assamese are by and large non vegetarians. The staple food is rice. Their food is not too spicy or oily but is still rich in taste. They make use of naturally growing herbs and vegetables which is used in making fish and meat dishes. Most of the dishes prep...