Friday, December 27, 2013
CHANA DAL
INGREDIENTS
- Chana Dal-200 grams
- Tomatoes puree form-2 small
- Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
- Asafoetida (Hing)-1 pinch
- Cumin seeds (jeera)-1/4 teaspoon
- Coriander powder (dhania powder)-1/2 teaspoon
- Red Chilli Powder-1/4 teaspoon
- Garam Masala Powder-1/4 teaspoon
- Salt to taste
- Oil-1 tablespoon
- Coriander Leaves to garnish
- Water-2 cups
- In a pressure cooker, add chana dal, water, salt & half of the turmeric powder & pressure cook for the time as required by the respective pressure cooker for the dal.
- Next, we prepare tadka for the dal.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add hing & as it starts to crackle add cumin seeds.
- As cumin seeds start to crackle, add tomatoes to it & then add rest of the turmeric powder.
- As the mixture starts leaving oil, add dhania powder, red chilli powder, & garam masala powder & mix well.
- As the mixture leaves oil, add dal to the pan & cook for another 10-15 minutes.
- When the dal appears cooked, switch off the flame & garnish with coriander leaves.
- Chana dal is ready to serve.

Thick Spicy Mixed Pea Curry
I do not always use creamed tomatoes in my curries so I thought it was about time I shared a spicy dish with a vegetable base.
for the vegetables
1 Tin Chickpeas
You should start to see the tomato skin peeling back, turn them over with a spoon so each side peels off. When you see it peeling you can take them out and discard the water.
(This will only take a minute or two.)
3. Lightly simmer your chickpeas to soften and put to the side for later.
You may get some scum floating in the pan.
Scoop it out with a ladle or spoon.
Once your carrots, swede and sweet potato are almost cooked add your tomatoes and broccoli - keep cooking for 6-10 minutes or until they all soften. (broccoli and tomatoes do not take very long)
When cooked drain off the water into a dish and keep to the side.
Now brown your onions in a new pan.
Add your mushrooms and water from the vegetables. Only add enough to loosen the curry a little remember you want it to be thick in texture.
Add your green peas and garam masala.
Add your chickpeas and stir well.
Simmer for a few minutes.
Serve with your favourite bread. Enjoy.
My interview with Kate Bracks Masterchef Australia winner at the Whitefield Baking Company Bengaluru Marriott
Ever smiling Kate Bracks |
The raspberry-chocolate-hazelnut muffins Kate made for us |
Marriott Bengaluru GM Matthew Cooper with Kate |

For entire set of pictures, check the album on Saffron Trail Facebook Page
![]() |
Never imagined Id be with Kate in one frame :) |
CougarTown



And so with full red lip, heavy black eyeliner, my red and white striped Stylemint tee, the leopard infinity scarf Jenna got me and a jaguar-faced cocktail ring, I was ready to bring all the boys to the yard. And then tell them they were smelly, making a mess, and pissing me right off. Because thats the reaction the boys young enough to be equivalent to my 27-year-old cougar would elicit from me.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Short Break

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Scones
![]() |
Gluten-free scones for tea time, brunch or breakfast. |
A story to eat scones by. A scone worthy story, in other words. One more glimpse into life on the side with our unreliable narrator.
Vijaya Venkats all natural lunch box ideas
I had had the good fortune of talking to her around 6 months ago, as part of an interview for a feature and I found her thoughts utterly simple yet completely inspiring. Just last week, it came to my knowing that even Bee had used Ms. Venkats tiffin service when she was working in Mumbai.
I was thrilled to bits when the Times of Indias Mumbai supplement Mumbai Mirror carried Vijaya Venkats recipes for lunch boxes for the whole week. I cannot help but share with you.
She believes that we must eat food as closest to its natural form as possible. Fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouts, spices are all considered first grade food and youll find steaming as the commonest cooking technique in all her recipes.
Day 1 and 2 - Cutlets, Veg salad with tadka, Three bean salad, Potato soup
Day 3, 4 & 5 - Tricoloured vegetable salad, Chilla, Bean sprout, Alu chat, Corn salad, Stuffed vegetables
So that takes care of Monday to Friday. Do make your substitutions to make many more such healthy meals.
I have a question for you. In most of the recipes like cutlets etc, she asks us to steam the potatoes and other starchy vegetables in recipes. How do we go about steaming a potato? I have never done it before, whole or sliced or is there any other tried method?
Also, I must share with you that I made my first cheesecake today using all Indian ingredients. No cream cheese and no springform pan and no baking either! In this weather, baking would kill! Thats besides the point though.
I have tasted it (read as eaten a large slice) and it tastes fantastic. The Swadeshi Strawberry Cheesecake will be up soon, may be tomorrow itself, so do keep a watch on this space!
Stew biryani

Ingredients
- Mutton ½ kg boiled
- Onion 2 large sliced
- Oil ¾ cup
- Ginger 2 tbsp julienne
- Garlic 8 cloves finely sliced
- Cloves 6
- Black pepper 6
- Black cardamom 2
- Cinnamon stick 2
- Salt 1 tsp heaped
- Yogurt 1 cup
- Green chilies 6 whole
- Button red chilies 8 broken
- White cumin 1 tsp whole
- Rice ½ kg boiled
- Salt 2 tsp
- Bay leaf 2
- Black cumin ½ tsp
- Mixed whole spices 1 tsp
- Button red chilies 8
- Yellow color ¼ tsp
- Kewra water 1 tsp
- Brown onion fried 2 tbsp
- Heat oil add sliced onion fry till light golden add chopped ginger garlic, cumin seeds, whole spices mix, salt, chopped red chilies and boiled mutton, fry well add yogurt, cover and cook till mutton tender, leave it on dum.
- Put half boiled rice in a pan top with mutton mixture, top with remaining rice, yellow color and Kewra mixture, fried onion, leave it on dum for 15 minutes add ¼ cup oil on top.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
B L T Pasta – I’ll Have the Bacon Lettuce and Tomato…Hold the Sandwich
grated Parmesan
View the complete recipe
Tomato Pasta
- Cook Pasta in boiling water with some salt in it.
- After pasta gets soft remove from heat and strain the water completely.
- Now in cooking vessel heat olive oil in a vessel add chopped shallots and for 2 mins.
- Add tomato puree and cook for 5mins
- Now add basil powder, paprika, pepper, salt and mix well
- Now add cooked pasta and mix well.
- Garnish with fresh chopped spring onions and sliced cherry tomatoes.
Kheeray Ki Chutney

Ingredients
- Cucumber chopped 2
- Cumin seeds 1 tsp
- Coriander seeds crushed 1 tsp
- Dry red chilies 3 – 4
- Fresh coconut ground 50 gm
- Water 1 cup
- Salt to taste
- Lemon juice 1 ½ tbsp
- Onion chopped 1 medium
- Sugar 4 tbsp
- Raisin 25 gm
- Tamarind paste 2 tbsp
- Oil 2 tbsp
- Peel each cucumber and cut into 4 pieces lengthwise. Then remove seeds and cut into tiny cubes.Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp crushed coriander seeds and 3 – 4 red chilies. Cook for 2 minutes.Then add in chopped cucumber, 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice, 4 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp tamarind paste, 1 chopped onion and salt to taste. Fry well for 2 minutes.Add 1 cup water, mix well. Cover and cook for 6 – 8 minutes. Then remove lid and fry well on high flame till water dries. Dish it out and serve with paratha.
Greek Grape Leaf Wreath Festive and Filling!

When you add the tangy feta, and consider the very holiday-ish design, this would be a fantastic item to bring to that Holiday party. Imagine the look on everyones face when you walk in carrying this! Suddenly their cheese ball doesnt look so hot.
If you decide to attempt this fairly easy ring of rice, you can find jarred grape leaves in any Greek market, or high-end store. Nancy suggests using the dried leaves if you can find them - these are boiled to soften and are larger and easier to use. But, the brand you see in the video in the larger jars worked fine. Enjoy!
* Please help support free video recipes, and visit my new sponsor, MOZO Shoes. Find out why chefs (like me) are buzzing about their great shoes!
Click here for ingredients and recipe transcript.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Recipes you do know food about Polish food recipes
I want to write to another culinary article (Im really interested in this topic and I like about food, cooking and other aspects of this topic to write). I want to write that I come from Poland and I like our traditional food recipes. There are many opinions about it. In this article I want about food recipes to write reviews about it and maybe Ill give you some examples of traditional Polish meals. Read this article to the end and maybe find some interesting information in it.
In this part of the article, I want some information about food recipes. It is difficult to find "pure" Polish meals.Many countries and cultures influenced our food (such as countries like Germany France Italy, Oriental countries etc.).Typical Polish food associated with Slavic countries.
I want some information about history of the Polish food recipes provide. Our food is spicy, with lots of meat and grain sizes. A lot of war cry used meals during these times such as pepper, nutmeg and other types of war cry. There were very popular types of food and ingredients such as honey, turnip and peas many years ago. People drank beer, honey and wine imported from Silesia and Hungary.Queen bona Sforza had a large influence on Polish food brought Poland Rezepte.Sie Italian chefs. Polish food have changed much recipes.
I think that these are the most important facts about Polish food recipes and their history. I want some examples of traditional Polish meals. First, it is the Easter cake (Lady) who came from Belarus and Lithuania Poland.The next typical Polish court is red Borscht (came from Lithuania) and dont know Borschtsch.vergessen you about Gallimaufry. Many people think that it was invented by Poland but this dish came Poland from Lithuania. Typical dishes from Poland came kipjatitsja vegetables with butter, Polish Zander and boiled potatoes and front shaft.
Now we have the single can Polish cooking, talk, because different habits in different parts of Poland there (it is called regional cuisine).Regional Polish food recipes are becoming very popular in Europe.I hope, popular around the world soon will be.
Thats all I wanted to write about Polish cooking.I think that examples of traditional Polish dishes and information about its history interesting waren.Ich hope you have enjoyed read more culinary articles to write these Text.Ich will in the future.
View thousands of recipes .login you are and access your special cookbook collection, cooking tips and Rezepte.Kostenlose recipes toolbar for healthy recipes, cake recipes, chicken recipes, easy recipes, food recipes and other recipes.
My Paleo Superbowl Party Menu


A Fishwifes Tale



It was hard not to get the New England clam chowder, which looked great at the next table, but geography won the day.

The perfectly cooked broccoli florets, dressing with a simple vinaigrette, topped with diced tomato and onion, have me planning a video recipe attempt very soon.
It was a very nice meal, and extremely reasonable for the location. Im headed to Spanish Bay in the morning, so stay tuned!