mayurisjikoni

naturally red  Yesterday was our 31st wedding anniversary and since both of us like sweet things, I decided to make red velvet muffins. I have had this recipe for nearly 2 years in the 'to try list'. Yes, that list is not getting shorter as so many food bloggers come up with wonderful recipes. I came across this recipe on My Diverse Kitchen  2 years ago. I too had never heard of a red velvet cake or muffins till I came across her recipe. After that, I have come across so many recipes but most use artificial red colouring which was a big put off. During my visit to Bangalore, I finally tasted a red velvet muffin and liked it. Initially the thought always was that how would a red cake taste or one with beetroots in it. Well, let me tell you the beetroot makes the cake softer but in no way hampers the taste. I made a cream cheese topping to go with it and it was a perfect balance of sweetness and a bit of tanginess.   31 years of marriage has had its shares of ups and downs ...

After a long time     I usually don't get a chance to make chole bhatura as my hubby dear is allergic to chana. When I invite guests over, the idea of making chole bhatura never appears to my mind. However, during my very short stay in Bangalore with my daughter, I made chole bhatura. I came across the kabuli chana (white grams) in her kitchen drawer and soaked them immediately. I love chole bhatura but not the overly spicy type.  I made the dish after eons. When the kids were at home, I use to make chole bhatura often. I love to have left over bhaturas the next day with a nice cup of masala tea. Yes actually dunking it in the tea....yum. Hope you enjoy this recipe. updated: During our visit to India in Dec 2015, hubby dear broke out into a rash. So he got the full allergy test done. Amazingly it showed that he is not allergic to chickpeas. On returning back home, I first made khadi with chickpea flour and asked my Dermatologist hubby to bring some anti histamine just in ...

made in a jiffy   Usually, making lunch is not a problem as I stick to dal, sabzi, roti 4 times a week with something different twice a week and Sunday lunch is usually out. So the whole week is sorted out but dinners can become a bit of a problem when I am not making soup and salad. Recently I landed up with loads of spinach (went mad at the veggie market last Tuesday) and so it was a week of spinach with practically everything. I had made crustless quiche when I was in Montreal. Made it again several times, but this time instead of baking it in a big dish, I made individual portions by using muffin cups and my, they turned out cute. I found that unlike the one baked in a big dish, where sometimes the middle is slightly soggy, these little beauties baked well all around. Just out of the oven, they make a perfect light meal with salad or as perfect party food or to carry away for picnics or even for breakfast. I like to make the quiche without the crust. If you like, you can use sh...

Finally had to use an icing bag!       Our Sweet Fantasy Club #4 challenge for the dessert was churros. When I read the word, I thought, gosh never heard of churros.Research began on the internet. I asked my daughter if she had ever tasted them and she just went yummy and asked "when are you making them?" However, I didn't get the time to make them in Bangalore. I made them yesterday (totally am losing track of time). The first challenge was handling the icing bag. My son bought it for me from Dubai but I have never bothered to ice cakes or muffins with it. I prefer using an icing tube. My churros is the basic recipe provided by Preeti of Simply Tadka and the initiator of The Sweet Fantasy Club. To make it a bit different I added coffee powder and cinnamon powder to the dough. When I started squeezing the dough out of the bag with the star nozzle, the task was taking forever and the oil beneath was getting hotter and hotter. Turned off the gas and piped them on ...

Uttarayan - a colourful festival The Sweet Fantasy Club's number 4 challenge (started by Preeti of simply tadka ) was til ladoos and churros. Til laddoos, very easy I thought. However, for Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan as Gujaratis call it, I usually make the mixture and let it set in a tray. So easy, as you just cut the mixture into squares or diamond shapes. However, making these laddoos was a challenge. Rolling the hot mixture was no joke. I made it a bit difficult because I wanted small laddoos. Well I did manage the task and my hubby has asked me to make them again! I used my own recipe of tal sankari  but made slight changes to the recipe. I added more of mixed nuts and the end result was delicious and more healthy. I wanted to add some black sesame seeds(til, tal) but I couldn't find them. So had to do with the normal sesame seeds. TAL AND MIXED NUTS LADDOOS Makes about 24 ½ cup roasted sesame seeds (til, tal) ¼ cup whole almonds ¼ cup whole cashew nuts ¼ cup whole walnu...

a huge bunch of flat parsley!    There are loads of recipes all tried and tasted but need to be blogged. I got really busy with shopping, wedding preparations, Lionism and recuperating. 3 more months to go for the wedding day. I have loads of things to do and very little time.    During our visit to Montreal, one fine day, I got really busy in the kitchen and Ajay my hubby dear volunteered to help with the shopping. So I handed in the list and continued with my work. I was eagerly waiting for fresh coriander or cilantro as its called in that part of the world and he comes smiling into the house with a huge bunch of some leafy greens and tells me how fresh the dhania are in the supermarkets in Montreal. I remove the leafy bunch from the bag and it turns out that its not exactly coriander but the cousin, flat parsley! Flat parsley with normal Indian vegetables ummmm.... not really as it does have a strong taste. So the bunch goes into the fridge for later use.   ...