This is one of my favourite salad for a super sunday brunch! When you want to create that great salad with the freshest of ingredients smothered in your favourite italian dressing...this is something you can make instantly.

The ingredients are:-

Fresh chopped carrots,bell peppers,onions,lettuce leaves, cauliflower and any other veggies of your choice.

Cottage cheese and coriander leaves for garnishing.

For the Dressing:-

Combine vinegar, ground pepper, garlic powder,oregano,basil ,a pinch of sugar and salt to taste.

Blend in the dressing with the veggies and garnish with grated cottage cheese and chopped corainder. Savour your crunchy munchy zesty salad and smack your lips for more!!!

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Potatoes have always been my favourite vegetable not only because they taste terrific but because they go very well with almost all varieties of vegetables.

When there is dearth of time and yet you want to relish something really delicious...here is what you can opt for...Cajun Potatoes grilled in your microwave.

The Ingredients are:-

250 gms small potatoes

3 medium sized onions

bunch of coriander leaves

salad or sandwich dressing of any variety

A little thyme

2 green chillies

salt to taste

Method:-

Wash the potatoes but do not peel them. Prick them with a fork ,boil a little and grill them in the microwave for 10-15mins. Once they are done chop onions very fine alongwith coriander and green chillies. Keep aside. In a bowl blend sandwich spread (I used fun foods), add salt to taste and all the chopped items and alongwith thyme.Take out the grilled potatoes,put between your palms and press to flatten them. Pour the mix over it to enjoy your fresh grilled potatoes at any time of the day..be it as a snack or a whole meal!!!

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This is my own variation of dry fry chicken starter with oyster sauce. A fusion variety, it's one of the favourite of all my family members and friends. Quite easy and a quick recipe which can be cooked even when your guests have already arrived.

The ingredients are:-

Boneless Chicken- 250 gms
Bell Pepper- 2
Onions- 2
Oyster Sauce- 2tbsp
Soy Sauce- 1tbsp
Salt to taste
MSG-1tsp
Garlic and ginger chopped coarsely-1tbsp
Eggs-2
Cornflour-2tbsp

Method:-

Heat enough oil in a wok.Prepare a batter with cornflour,eggs,salt and a little water. Dip the boneless chicken pieces in the batter and deep fry.Drain and keep aside in an absorbent towel.

In the same wok after removing excess oil, add the chopped ginger-garlic and stir fry.Now add the sliced onion and bell pepper and stir fry for a minute.Notice that they don't become too soft.Add the deep fried chicken pieces and add the MSG, oyster sauce, soy sauce, a dash of sugar and salt and a little cornflour mixed with water.

Relish chicken in oyster sauce either as a starter or as a side dish with fried rice.

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Paratha, one of the most popular north Indian flat bread is a favourite among all ages. Check out wiki for more info:- (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paratha).

The ingredients required for this pea-cheese stuffed paratha are:-

2 cups wheat flour
salt to taste
4 tbsp refined oil
250 gms fresh green peas
200 gms cottage cheese grated
1 tsp cumin seeds
handful of coriander leaves
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1 green chili chopped
Enough clarified butter(ghee).

The method is as follows:-

Prepare a soft dough with the wheat flour,salt and refined oil. Heat a wok and saute some cumin seeds in oil. Add coarsely ground fresh green peas paste, cottage cheese (paneer), salt to taste, cumin and coriander powder and some chopped chillies and coriander leaves and cook the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Let it cool.

Make lemon sized balls of the dough and flatten on your palm. Put a little of the prepared stuffing inside and roll from all sides carefully so that the mixture doesn't fall out. Now flatten it with the help of a rolling pin into a round shape or just fold it into triangular shapes.

Heat a girdle and place the paratha on it. Add enough ghee on all sides and turn from time to time until it turns golden brown. Relish your fresh hot paratha with coriander or tomato dips,yogurt or some Indian pickles.

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The traditional British Christmas favourite, Fruit Cake, is now a popular dish for any occasion.Here is a simple and easy recipe of such a cake with loads of fruits from my friend Monika, a great cook from Hungary whose previous post of Mug Cake was a hit.

The ingredients are as follows:-

1. 18 dkg fine wheat flour
2. 18 dkg powdered sugar
3. ¾ packet of baking powder
4. 0,75 dl sunflower oil
5. 0,75 dl lukewarm water
6. 2 egg yolk
7. 2 egg white beaten up

Method:-

Pre heat Oven. Mix the ingredients in the above order.Butter and flour a round cake tin. Pour the mass in it,bake for 20mins and check when it is ready.

Take out the ready mass and let it cool down completely.

In the meantime,make the pudding according to instructions in the packet.When it is ready,pour it onto the cake and decorate with various fruits of your choice,like pineapples,kiwis,cherries,strawberry,etc.

Prepare jelly according to instructions on packet and pour it gently onto cake with the help of a table spoon.

Ambrosial fruit cake is ready.Enjoy it!!!

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This ambrosial Indian sweet called Sandesh in Hindi traces its origin to West Bengal(its place of birth), and also in Assam(my home town) where it is popularly known as Sondesh. Very easy to prepare,this sweet is readily available at every sweet meat stall in various types. Regular ones being prepared with curdled milk,white in colour,and Guror Sondesh which is prepared in winter with fresh date jaggery which brings out the brown colour in it.

The few ingredients that are required to prepare this jaggery sweet are:-

250 gms cottage cheese(paneer)

200 gms date jaggery

1/2 tsp cardamom essence or powder

a few raisins to garnish

Method:-

Mash ready made paneer(cottage cheese) or prepare paneer from milk at home by curdling it with acidic water or lime juice. Heat a pan, mix mashed paneer with date jaggery and stir continuously to make sure it doesn't get burned. When the gur (jaggery) has blended well,add cardamom powder or rose water. Bring it off the pan,let it cool and make lemon sized balls.Flatten a bit on palm and garnish with one raisin in the centre. Delicious Guror Sondesh is ready to serve.

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This luscious pomegranate dessert known as 'Kheer' in India is one of the most popular and traditional sweet dishes in India. Quite easy to make and a favourite among young and old alike ,the Kheer, derived from the Sanskrit word Ksheer(which means milk)can be made with several ingredients,however the most important ingredient being milk in all varieties.

The ingredients are:-

1 ltr Milk
50 ml pomegranate juice
1 medium sized pomegranate
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp rose water or essence.

Method:-

The only issue involved with the preparation of the yummiest kheer is that its is time consuming. Pour milk in a heavy bottomed pan and keep stirring until it is reduced to almost one fourth the amount. Now add sugar to the condensed milk and keep stirring further keeping note that it doesn't get burnt.Once the sugar dissolves,take it off the fire,add pomegranate juice and rose water.Garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve chilled.

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This green peas snack which can be both grilled and fried serves as a favourite accompaniment either with your evening tea or even as a starter before dinner,something which not only the adults but also the kids would relish.

The Ingredients are:-

500gms fresh green peas
1tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 green chili
1tbsp cornflour
2 cubes cheese grated
2 tbsp refined oil
salt to taste

Method:-

Peel the fresh green peas.If fresh peas are not available,you can opt for frozen ones too. Grind peas coarsely. Heat oil in a pan and add some ginger-garlic paste. Saute and add all the flavors and the peas mixture. Add salt to taste. When the peas mixture leaves the sides of the pan,bring off from fire and allow to cool down.

Now add some cornflour which acts as a binding agent. Make lemon sized balls of the peas mixture and flatten on palm.Roll from sides and fill with grated cheese,leaving the mouth open. Grill in microwave for 4-5 mins. If u prefer them fried,after filling in the cheese mixture,close from all sides and flatten like a cutlet. Roll over bread crumbs and deep fry them. Your savory pea-cheese baskets are ready to serve.

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My friend Maria from Italy who is an interpreter by profession finds cooking relaxing and salutary. In her website,consecrated to her place of birth,one can not only explore the pulchritude of the place but also discover scores of traditional Italian recipe.

Let's see what she has for us.......

Hi Moon,

This is a very traditional recipe from my country. I was born in a village named Pietrapaola (http://www.pietrapaola.it/site/index.php), in south-Italian region Calabria.. It is located in the mountains, but it is no far from sea, where we spend the summer time.

Our traditional recipes are very easy, like this one. The name is schipescia, and i suppose that the origin is from Balkan, Greek or Albanian. In fact, the name seems to me related to "shqip" which means "albanian"!

Ingredients:

Eggplant
oil
vinegar
salt
chillies, chopped
bay leaves
garlic, sliced

Peel the eggplant and cut first into slices, then in strips, which will be no more than half a centimeter thick. Arrange them in layers in a deep pot, salting each layer. At the end close the container putting a dish or something similar on the last layer and a weight (as a stone) on the dish.

In this way, the eggplant will be squashed on the bottom while the juice will be pushed upward.
After 24 hours, put in a bowl chili, garlic, bay leaves and salt to taste.
Then pour off the juice of the eggplant and wash the vegetables in cool water over time. The last time dry the eggplant well by wringing. Place them in a dish and mix with the aromas previously prepared in the bowl. Add salt, oil and vinegar to taste. Put it all in a jam jar, cover with a layer of oil and close. In this way the schipescia can be stored for more than a year.

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I'd have to agree that the most scrumptious cakes are the homemade ones by my mom. Baking is one of her favourite past times and relishing freshly baked cakes,straight from the oven with all the family members is one of my fondest memories.

Here is one such recipe which is easy and healthy at the same time. Nutritious because it has muesli which is rich in fibre and helps lessen cholesterol. The use of apple makes the cake moist, due to which less amount of oil or butter can be used.

The Ingredients are:-

1 cup all purpose flour
1 egg
1 apple ,peeled and grated
3 tbsp milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or refined oil
4 tbsp plain or flavored muesli
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla essence or cinnamon powder

Method:-

Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Whisk the egg and add it to the mixture. In a separate bowl, sift flour,baking powder,cocoa powder. Fold into the butter+sugar+ egg mixture and beat well.Add the milk and grated apple along with the essence and muesli.

Spray the baking pan or grease it lightly with butter and dust it with some flour. Pour the mixture into the tin. Garnish with muesli all over(I used the strawberry flavor) and bake for about an hour till the toothpick comes out unscratched. I microwaved it at high for 6 minutes.Let it cool down.

Your scrummy cake is ready to serve.Have enough stock as your guests are sure to keep asking for seconds.

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As mentioned in my earlier post of ' Try Thai the Indian Way ', my favourite Thai menu also comprised of a Cold Cucumber Salad and a Chicken-Coconut Soup.

A perfect harmony of savor and flavor ,this salad that can be served either as a main dish or as an accompaniment is nutritious and can be prepared in seconds.

The Ingredients are:-

2 medium sized Cucumbers chopped finely
Some fresh or canned pineapple chunks
roasted and crushed peanuts/walnuts/cashew nuts
handful of fresh coriander leaves chopped
few basil leaves 4 cloves of garlic chopped

For the Dressing:-

1 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 green chili
2 pods roasted and crushed garlic
2 tsp of pineapple juice

Method:-

Toss all the ingredients and dressing gently in a bowl and serve on a bed of lettuce or cabbage leaves garnished with coriander and basil leaves and your fresh,cold and crunchy salad is ready to serve.

The classic Chicken-Coconut Thai Soup which has intensive layers of flavor is another favourite pick of mine.

The Ingredients are:-

½-2 cups coconut milk
1½-2 cups chicken stock
Few thin slices of galangal, or fresh or dried ginger
1 bowl of fresh button mushrooms
1 bowl of boneless,boiled and shredded chicken chunks
2 stalks of lemon grass or lemon rind
2 tbsp of fish sauce or soy sauce
1 red chili split in between
Salt to taste
Few kafir lime leaves (if unavailable use spring onion and coriander leaves for garnish)

Method:-

Prepare chicken stock by boiling boneless chicken pieces. Mix the coconut milk. To speed up the process,you can use 2 packets of ready made coconut-ginger paste readily available at most hyper markets.Saute the cleaned mushrooms till tender. Add galangal or ginger and grated lemon rind or kafir lime leaves to the coconut- chicken mixture. Add the sauteed mushroom and chicken chunks.Also add the fish or soy sauce and salt and let it simmer for a while.Serve hot garnished with the split red chili and lime leaves or spring onion and chopped coriander leaves.

So,take your taste buds on an exotic Thai vacation and don't forget to come back for more of the undeniably delicious and flavourful Thai cuisine in my forthcoming posts.

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Did you ever try the sensational Thai recipes in your kitchen? Well,I did. Last weekend,my neighbours who are really fond of Thai Cuisines were invited for dinner. They also like travelling a lot and never miss an opportunity to taste the distinctive and unique flavoured Thai cuisine in every corner of the world.And since I am fond of cooking, I did not want to miss the chance of trying a few of my favourite Thai recipes...the ingredients for which can be substituted with those found in India or elsewhere with similar flavor and aroma.

The menu comprised of a tangy soup,non-veg pad Thai noodles,appetising spring rolls,a cooling salad,steamed rice with Thai green curry and a creme caramel pudding.However,today I shall be writing about my most preferent,Pad Thai Noodles with substitutes for an Indian kitchen. The Ingredients are:-

1 packet of thin rice sticks(available in most hypermarkets) A bunch of bok choy(can be substituted by Chinese cabbage or Indian cabbage)
A bunch of spring onion
4 pods of garlic chopped
1 small bowl of roasted and ground peanuts
chicken,mushroom and shrimps(as much as you like)
2 scrambled eggs
A handful of sprouted of green lentils(moong)

For the Sauce:-

2tbsp of tamarind paste
2tsp of fish sauce or soy sauce
1tbsp of brown sugar or ordinary sugar
Salt to Taste

Method:-

Boil the noodles until slightly tender.Drain,rinse with cold water and keep aside.You may apply a little oil so that they don't stick to each other.Prepare the scrambled eggs too and keep aside. For the sauce ,mix all the ingredients and stir on a gas stove for a while.Taste to check if the combination is that of sweet and sour.It should be more towards sweet.For slightly hotter taste, may add a little chili sauce to it.


Heat a wok(kadhai),,add chopped garlic,cabbage,spring onion,When they are tender,add the boiled and shredded chicken pieces.Also add the sauteed mushrooms and shrimps.Now add the boiled noodles,and the prepared tamarind sauce and saute. Garnish with spring onions,sprouted lentils and roasted and crushed peanuts and savour your Pad Thai Noodles.


The food succeeded in tickling the taste buds of my neighbours and they stuffed themselves to the brim.Now, a comment like 'awesome' coming from someone who have relished Thai cuisine in every nook and corner of the world,means quite close to the authentic one.So, get set and try this delicious recipe and tell me how it turned out to be.Remain hooked for my upcoming posts of more Thai recipes which too can be cooked in an Indian kitchen or elsewhere outside the land of thousand smiles-Thailand.

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Among the dozens of delicacies prepared by my mom during the Bihu festival,Narikol(Coconut) ladoo and Muri(puffed rice) ladoo were top most priority as they are my favourite. My mom's traditional recipes were simple and it was not hard for me to try them out faraway from home.

The ingredients for Narikol(Coconut) Ladoo(balls) are:-

2 medium sized coconut grated
2 cups sugar
camphor or cardamom essence (optional)

Method:-

Heat a heavy bottomed pan.Add the grated coconut and sugar.If you wish to add the essence add it just before taking the preparation off the fire.Keep stirring continuously as it easily gets burnt.As the sugar leaves the sides of the pan,it is an indication that the mixture is ready.Rub ghee(clarified butter) on both palms and make lemon sized balls of the coconut mixture while still hot but be careful not to burn your hands.Muri or puffed rice balls or ladoos can be easily prepared by any one and stored in an airtight container for several days.The ingredients are:-

100 gms (puffed rice or muri)
200 gms Jaggery
30 gms ghee(clarified butter)

Method:-

Prepare a syrup with jaggery and water and mix in the muri or puffed rice and ghee and stir till the mixture thickens and becomes sticky.Take off from the pan and make lime sized balls.Store them in an air tight container for several days and relish them even after Bihu is over and don't forget to share your experiences.

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For me,the usual fanfare associated with any festival is seamless until and unless my kitchen is stuffed with loads of food for feasting.And,Bihu(especially Magh or Bhogali Bihu),a festival celebrated by the Assamese community of the north eastern state of India,to mark the end of the harvesting season,when granaries are full,is the perfect time to indulge in gastronomic delights.

The very word 'Bhogali' relates to eating and feasting and Magh is a winter month in the Assamese calendar.The festival is my favourite as it brings back nostalgic memories when I lent a helping hand to my mom as she prepared several typical Assamese delicacies from days before the festival.

This time,I tried out a few of such cakes(called Pitha in Assamese) and they really turned out well.So,I decided to post the recipes on my site along with a few pictures of my preparation so that you can relish these homemade sweets the next time you celebrate any festival.

The Ingredients for Til(sesame seeds) Pitha are:-

100 gms black sesame seeds-cleaned,roasted and pounded.
150 gms jaggery or sugar
3 cups of glutinous/sticky/botan/waxy/mochi rice-soaked and pounded
Enough water

Method:-
For the stuffing,wash,clean and dry the sesame seeds.Then roast them for a while and pound them in a grinder.Heat a wok or pan,mix jaggery or sugar to the sesame seeds and stir them for a while till the sugar leaves the sides of the pan.

Soak rice overnight in water.Drain and grind in a grinder.Add enough water to make a batter.Heat a girdle or non-stick pan and pour a ladle of batter to make a pancake.As it roasts from below,place some prepared sesame stuffing on the pancake and carefully roll from sides.Let it cool to become firm.Relish your til pitha during Magh Bihu or anytime of the year.

The recipe of Til Ladoo is the most simplest of any sweet made ever.The Ingredients are 250 gms black sesame seeds-cleaned,roasted and pounded coarsely.500 gms jaggery or sugar.

Method:-

Heat a wok.Melt jaggery or prepare a sugar syrup by mixing equal quantities of water and sugar.Add the coarsely pounded sesame seeds and keep stirring till the jaggery or sugar leaves the sides of the pan.Take off from fire. Rub ghee(clarified butter) on both palms and try to make balls while still hot.Be careful,not to burn your hands.Your Til ladoo is ready to store or serve.50 gms of roasted and coarsely pounded peanuts can be optionally added to the sesame mixture.

So get going...Bihu is round the corner....stack up your kitchen shelves with loads of delicacies and enjoy them with your friends and relatives.And don't forget to tell me how do they like it.Come back to savor some Muri(puffed rice) Ladoo and Narikol(Coconut) Ladoo recipes in my forthcoming posts.

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Cattis is my netpal from Sweden, whom I have never met, but we talk about almost anything and everything in life.Cooking has been her passion and she has a blog (http://www.botatonscattis.blogspot.com/) devoted to the gourmet lovers of the world.

I am one among those fortunate ones to whom she had dedicated an Autumn Salad, a very simple yet delicious and nutritious salad which can be in fact tried out at any time of the year as the ingredients are easily available.I tried her Autumn Salad in Winter and it turned out to be luscious.

The ingredients are as following:-
1 or 2 fresh beet roots(peeled and grated coarsely)
1 apple(her favourite is a Swedish winter fruit that is sweet and has a firm consistency)( peeled and grated coarsely)
handful of sunflower seeds (roasted)
1/4 tsp of cumin seeds(roasted)
some olive oil,white wine vinegar or lime juice
herbal salt to taste
pepper to taste(optional)

The method is the most simple I have ever tried for any salad as you just have to toss everything in a bowl and Cattis's fresh and crunchy salad is ready to serve.Thanks to my friend, because of whom I have the recipe of an appetising and quick salad which I can serve whenever I have guests at quick notice in my home.

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Every part of the banana tree has been used in some form or the other in the traditional Indian kitchen and the assamese kitchen is no exception.My third favourite assamese cuisine is Posola( known as the banana stem in english).A delectable dish prepared from the stem of the banana tree which is readily available in most Indian home's campuses and hypermarkets of metros.

The process of readying this authentic Assamese cuisine is better followed the traditional way,that is to soak the banana stem in turmeric water for some time so that it does not turn black and to rub a little oil on both palms to avoid getting black stains in your palms while chopping it.

The banana stem should be chopped very fine.If you are not an expert in that it is better to use your grinder to do the job.However,note that the grinder does not overdo its work.The ingredients and method of cooking is very simple and easily available anywhere.

Ingredients:-
1 small part of the banana stem chopped very fine
2 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste
salt and turmeric powder to taste
a handful of red lentils(optional)
soda bicarbonate
2 tbsp oil(preferably mustard oil)

Method:-
Heat oil in a wok or kadhai.Add ginger-garlic paste and stir for a while.Soak the red lentils in water for sometime.Fry the chopped banana stem alongwith the ginger-garlic paste and to it add salt and turmeric to taste.Now add the lentils,soda and a little water and cover cook.When the lentils are cooked it is a clear indication that your Posola is ready.Serve hot as a side dish with steamed rice.

The dish may not appear appetising but its a very good source of iron and contains a lot of fibre too and is an ethnic delight.I am sure you would like trying this unusual preparation and if the healthy and simple assamese cuisines serve as gourmet's delight to you,do come back to my page for more of assamese recipes and let me know what would you like to cook next.

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A painless and quick dish is how I would like to label it as.Yes, Omitar Khar,another favourite assamese cuisine of mine is something that can be cooked in any kitchen with the least effort involved and the most simple ingredients.

Omita means papaya in english and khar is a traditional liquid ingredient obtained by filtering water through banana peel ashes that can be substituted by edible soda,that's soda bicarbonate.Omita is my favourite but its not necessary for you to cook this dish with papaya too.It can be substituted by cabbage leaves or cucumber as well.

The method of cooking goes like this.Chopped raw papaya is stirred in a wok or kadhai with a very little amount of any oil(preferably mustard oil).Once they are tender,a dash of salt followed by 1/2tsp of khar or soda bicarbonate is added and cover cooked to get this energy efficient and cost effective yet delicious dish.

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The north eastern state of Assam in India which has a rich legacy and civilization is also the home to certain simple,easily prepared yet tasty delicacies.A few of my favourite Assamese dishes are Masor Tenga ,Posola and Omitar khar.

Fish has been an important part of Assamese cuisine.'Maas' means fish in Assamese and 'tenga' means sour taste.Hence,Masor tenga means a tangy fish curry.Any sized fish may be used for this preparation.The fish pieces are first cleaned and smeared with salt and turmeric and then deep fried in mustard oil.You may opt for any other oil if mustard oil is not easily available.

The vegetarians can replace the fish pieces with some lentil balls that can be prepared by grinding red lentils and deep frying them to make small balls.The process of cooking this mouth watering dish is as follows:-

Ingredients:-
1 medium sized rohu or any other fish
a few mustard seeds and mixed spices(a mixture of general and black cumin,fenugreek,carom,fennel seeds)
1 chopped potato or half of green gourd.
handful of red lentils(optional)
2 ripe tomatoes
1 whole green chilli
2 strips of Garcinia species( called thekera in Assamese which may be substituted by kokum found in other states of India or lime juice available anywhere in the world)
Salt and turmeric powder to taste
handful of chopped coriander leaves

Method:-
Heat mustard oil in a wok or kadhai. Add a few mustard seeds and some mixed spices.Let them splutter.Add the green chilli,chopped potatoes,gourd,tomatoes and lentils(soaked in water for a while).Stir them for a while.Add salt and turmeric and pour 2 glasses of water.Now add the fish pieces or lentil balls and let them simmer for a while. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.

Your tangy and delicious fish curry is ready.Serve hot with steamed rice.So get going...try this amazingly simple and nutritious recipe loaded with unusual flavours and tell me how it turned out to be. And do come back for my next posts of Omitar Khar and Posola, yet more simple and economical selections from the Assamese kitchen.

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