Lemon Tea Granita

Lemon Tea Granita 

The only 2 things which freshens me up after a long tiring day is either a combined workout of yoga pilate stretch or some granita and sometimes both. India might officially have 3 months of summer but the rainy season is equally bad. On days it rains in Calcutta the weather seems tolerable but there is this humid heat which though not quite as oppressive as it is during the peak of summers it still is quite uncomfortable. To be honest I personally enjoy these even during the winters when the temperature does not go down beyond 15 C or a maximum of 12 C. This is one of the reasons why we that is Guilt Free and I are conducting this event at the onset of the rainy season and are calling ti our Summer Time Love.

Anyway I love Lemon Iced tea . It is refreshing and delightful and so when I came across Larousse Gastronomique's recipe for  Tea Sorbet I knew I had to make it. To b fair since I do not own a sorbetiere and the recipe does not include sugar syrup (which prevents ice crystals from forming) I ended up with ice crystals in my sorbet and quickly turned it into a granita and it was loved by one and all. I added lemon because I love the flavour of lemon iced tea.

The best part is that anyone and absolutely anyone can make it unless they are young enough to not use the gas stove to boil water for the tea.

Makes 10 serving to 12 serving

Make 1 litre tea (The quality of the tea used affects the end product. Use a good quality leaf tea meant to make good black tea. I used Darjeeling leaf tea. Use a leaf tea of your choice)
200gm sugar (The original recipe asked for 300gm but I usually like the sweetness on the lower side so I reduced it quite a bit)
Juice and zest from 1 large lemon (Grate the zest and then squeeze out the juice)


The recipe is really simple. Make tea, dissolve the sugar in your hot tea making sure it dissolves completely. Add the lemon juice and let cool completely at room temperature. Fill an air tight container preferably rectangular with the prepared lemon tea, add the zest of lemon  and freeze. Try forking the granita once its half frozen. And keep forking every 1 hour.


Just before serving keep it at room temperature for 3 minutes to 4 minutes fork it up well . use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the flavourful granita and serve.

Chocolate Shake (Silky , smooth , chilled and gorgeous)

Chocolate Shake (Silky , smooth and gorgeous) 

 Most of the people I am close to know that I am not normally fond of chocolate shakes. I mean I usually prefer a cold brewed coffee which comes out amazing. Read about how I make it right at home without much hassle but a bit of time Click Here.

Anyway late one night I was suddenly craving some chocolate not just any chocolate but chilled mousse. Usually on any given day my refrigerator would definitely have eggs in them but on that night there were none. The moment I realized I could not have mousse my cravings became more strong. For a moment I thought I should temper some chocolates but then again in my head I wanted a creamy chilled chocolaty taste and I always listen to what I crave very carefully. In my case substituting the craving with something not only fails to take care of it in the end I end up gaining weight because I eat the substitute food and then ultimately satisfy my craving.

I immediately started scourging the refrigerator for other possible alternatives when I found the milk with reduced milk in it. By reduced I mean 3/4th of its original content. I always add reduced milk to my coffee for a rich taste since adding cream is not the healthiest option for a regular beverage.

Anyway I suddenly realized that I love hot chocolate not hot cocoa mind you. The difference is in the cocoa butter. Hot cocoa is basically cocoa powder, milk and sugar and maybe a bit of water . Hot chocolate on the other hand is creamy, silky decadent because you basically melt cooking chocolate and add it to milk for a creamy decadence.

And suddenly I knew what I had to do. I quickly took out a bit of milk and put the rest in the freezer. In the meantime I melted the chocolate and added a little bit of milk and stirred it to create a smooth consistency and slowly added the milk from the freezer and everything went in the blender with a bit of sugar and 1 minute later I was sipping on the best chocolate shake for me. It was completely chocolaty, silky , smooth and gorgeous but needed some improving on.

So the next time I developed it and after 2 tries voila I have my perfect chocolate shake for those rare days of indulgence.

Chilled silky chocolaty do I need to go on and on?

So here is what you need to serve one. And pair it with these gorgeous Double Chocolate Chip Cookies and its sheer indulgence. Usually when I have this I skip an entire meal.

What you need :-

10gm brown sugar
60gm to 70gm dark chocolate (50% or more. I used 70% dark)
500ml milk

Freeze 100ml milk in the ice cube tray. Reduce the rest of the milk to 1/2 of its original quantity.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Once completely melted add 50ml milk and create a smooth concoction and slowly add the rest of the milk bit by bit and the sugar and then put it all in a blender and blend away. Chill it extremely well.

Before serving the beverage blend it again with the frozen milk cubes and there you have silky smooth chilled chocolate in a tall glass.

P.S. If you want you can replace half the reduced milk with double dairy cream or single dairy cream.

Creamy Potato Dried Fig Salad

Creamy Potato Dried Fig Salad 

For me the best feeling in the world is breaking bread with friends and family over laughter at the dinner table. I would happily spend the entire day in the kitchen preparing dishes and if my guests like what they are served that does make me happy but at the same time it gives me equal pleasure to prepare a dish for myself alone.

As a freelancer who works from home I am not required to step out of my home unless for that trip to the market or a quick visit to the bank or courier service . Then there are times when I want to go out and enjoy a cup of coffee with a friend.

Anyway the point is I would put in the same amount of effort when I am cooking for myself as I would when I cook for 8 guests.

So on a mundane Wednesday afternoon with Lana Del Rey's songs to keep me company I made this salad for myself which includes some of my favourite ingredients. I somehow like a sharp tart taste more than anything else . Hence I used hung curd for this salad and its not just to make the salad healthy. Another favourite ingredient is the humble potato. The softness of the boiled potato alongside the crunch of iceberg lettuce and the sweet taste of dried figs with the creamy dressing made this mundane Wednesday a little less mundane. I do not like overcrowding my dishes with too many flavours hence I used one herb alone.

My father did take a  small serving and he liked it mostly for the yogurt which is quite cooling for this sultry weather.

Here is some absolute random thought from my end :-

"Just because I appear to be a blank page

Do not take the liberty to think that you may scribble all over it 

For I have written all over it with my invisible ink " 

Makes 2 servings :-

Cup used holds 210ml liquid

1.5 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
2 large boiled potatoes
6 to 8 dried figs

For the dressing :-

200gm curd which you make into hung curd by tying it in a cloth and letting the excess liquid drip away for 2 hours
1 tbsp finely minced fresh parsley
Salt as per taste
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil


Boil the potatoes but take care not to over boil the potatoes because if its over boiled it breaks easily and you would be unable to chop them up to a shape of your choice. Cube the potatoes. Chop the figs.

Shred the lettuce and chill the lettuce , figs and potato cubes.

Just before serving make your dressing by whisking the hung curd, EVOO, salt and finely chopped parsley and pour over your salad and enjoy a healthy meal.

Bacon Parmesan Rocket salad to Kick start my Salad Week

Bacon Parmesan Rocket salad 

to Kick start my Salad Week 

When it comes to  blogging I follow my heart more than anything else. While there are weeks when I might blog everyday of the week there might be days on the end when I would cook and even click photographs for documentation but not blog about it at all.

Just the other day I was talking with a friend and a blogger about how its our passion for cooking which is actually what keeps us going even on those days when we would just want to drop dead or are tired and then comes the blog for documentation.

Anyway when I met Pritha who blogs from Guilt-Free I remember exactly what had impressed me about her blog and firstly it was this coffee cake. I am a complete coffee lover not an addict though. Well I do need my one cup per day but that's only after waking up otherwise I am good. Anyway so a coffee flavoured cake immediately caught my attention and then when I took out time to read some of her earlier posts. I usually have this habit of going back to a blog's posts when it had taken its baby steps. Anyway the moment I did that what impressed me most was this discipline that she follows when it comes to her blog at times. Her blog itself started on a dessert a week note which impressed me to no end.

And then as the story goes like minds met over an event. We had a potluck . We talked and talked for hours. I went to Mumbai and yet we would talk endlessly about food and in-between she actually took a one month Bengali food marathon project and low and behold she stuck to her promise.

I for one do not have that kind of discipline . In fact when I joined her for her Christmas event I was the one who actually lagged behind. And she is the one who holds a full time job and there I was well working of course and as a freelancer I was swamped with work but still the point is I got inspired by my friend. Do take a look at her blog for possible exciting events this June and there is also a possibility of a joint venture Event by 2 insane girls who love to cook and eat and click .

Anyway so inspired by my friend I decided I should do an event one that is close to me and quite honestly I love salads. My point is salads can be beautiful. They are just not part of diet food projects, In fact a hearty salad can actually fill your stomach and emotions so that you actually do not end up eating a lot of unhealthy food.

So let's kick start my Salad Week with a Bacon Parmesan Rocket salad. The beauty of this dish is that the 3 ingredients used in the dish is all that you need for this beautiful salad. Personally speaking I don't use a dressing for the salad because otherwise the beauty is lost. Its the peppery taste of rocket leaves along with the crisp bacon a bit of crisp fatty portion and a hint of that glorious Parmesan cheese that makes it one of the best salads ever. In fact I don't even use salt since I get all the salt that I require from the bacon and I leave out freshly crushed pepper because the peppery taste of the rockets provides that superb bite to my salad.

Salad that serves 1 person

1 cup to 1.5 cups rocket leaves removed from the stem
100gm bacon cut into bite sized pieces
Parmesan shavings as much as you need


Here is an important tip to make sure your rocket leaves are absolutely crisp and fresh if they seem a bit wilted due to the heat. Plunge them in ice cold water with a few ice cubes and let it soak while you fry the bacon its on absolute low heat turning them once one side has become golden brown. In my experience if you start frying the bacon on low heat it becomes crisp without any burnt parts. Once the bacon is fried drain it well and then assemble the salad.

Simply drain the rocket leaves, arrange them in a salad bowl top it with bacon and Parmesan shavings and voila its that easy to whip up this gorgeous salad.

If you want you may drizzle the salad with a bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil  but I would steer clear of vinegar or any wet ingredients which would hamper the crisp characteristics of the bacon.

Spinach Oats Chicken

Spinach Oats Chicken 

Quite honestly I feel food tastes best when it is cooked in butter, clarified butter, bacon fat or duck fat or anything which is actually far from healthy but then on a daily basis after the last morsel of that ghee laden pilaf gets over after 2 days of revelry you have to go back to eating healthy. 

Now different diets work for different people and for me a low on carbohydrate high on protein diet works best but then there are those times when you feel you crave a bit of carbs and so here is one which is not only extremely tasty but is extremely healthy and filling.

For the dish a good pot of chicken stock is an absolute must though. So before you begin make sure you have chicken stock at home. The easiest way to make it is to save the chicken bones every time you buy chicken and then the day you make the stock just throw in the bones with water and along with a few cloves of garlic, an onion, bayleaf , salt and whole peppercorn and simmer for about 2 hours or so adding a bit of water from time to time making sure that it never comes to a boil .

Remove the scum which will form on your stock.

Coming back to the recipe this serves 2 or 1 depending on how hungry you are :-

1/2 cup of oats
250gm of spinach leaves
500ml of chicken stock
2 large cloves of garlic
1 ripe red chili or Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt as per taste
Half a chicken breast weighing 200gm

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer and blanch the spinach leaves in it for 3 minutes and then make a smooth paste of the spinach leaves with the garlic and chili and keep aside.

Make 2 to 3 pieces of the chicken breast and just simmer  the stock and chicken for 2 minutes and then cover and let the chicken rest in the stock for 7 minutes. This should yield the softest chicken ever. Shred this and keep aside.

Strain the stock and add 300ml of the stock to the oats with a bit of salt and simmer stirring frequently till it almost seems cooked and then add the spinach paste and simmer stirring continuously till it starts bubbling and splattering and just add the shredded chicken before serving and you have a bowl of goodness which is extremely filling.

Pan Seared Chicken

Pan Seared Chicken 

On a regular day I prefer having fish or chicken which is either steamed, boiled, poached or grilled . And I love grills but here in our temporary house in Bombay we have no oven which I personally feel is just sad but then again a girl needs to eat.

I was dillydallying when a lovely person whose food posts I admire posted this delightful picture of pan seared chicken legs. I immediately knew what I was having for lunch. The idea was enough and I didn't need a recipe to follow. Its pan seared and I suggest using a non-stick pan.

I am sharing my recipe but you can always alter the flavours as per your taste :-

Serves 2

2 chicken leg + thigh without the skin
4 tbsp finely chopped leek leaves
Spray of olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

For the marinate :-

1 tsp whole black pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce or any other vinegar
1 fat clove of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt as per taste

Make a smooth paste of the ingredients for the marinate and make gashes on the chicken and marinate and leave aside for 1 hour.

Lightly spray a non-stick pan with olive oil and add the finely chopped leek and add the thyme and palce the chicken and seal its juices on high heat for 2 minutes on either side and then cover, lower heat to minimum and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on both sides, till its thoroughly cooked. Remove cover and cook for a few seconds on high heat so that it becomes dry and then let it rest for 1 minute and  serve it with your favourite side dish. I served mine with some crisp salad.

Aglio Olio Peperoncino

Aglio Olio Peperoncino 

The truth about some Italian pasta dishes is that it is so simple that many people cannot but put in some additional ingredients but the other truth is that nothing beats the amazing taste when the pasta is cooked in its original simple format. It takes a total of 8 minutes to prepare and is so comforting that it can easily become a pasta lover's comfort food. The famous Aglio Olio Peperoncino which literally transaltes to garlic oil chili pepper pasta.

I personally love this pasta because of the amazingly short time it takes and the ease with which it can be prepared. It has come to my aid many a times when I have approaching deadlines but quite honestly I love cooking this even when I have ample time on my hands for the amazing flavours and because of the few ingredients you get to enjoy each and every flavour individually .

Serves 1

What you need is :-

100gm spaghetti
1 gigantic clove of garlic
1 ripe red pepper chili
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt as per taste

Cook the pasta as per instructions on the packet. Drain and then Mince the garlic as finely as possible, heat the olive oil and add the garlic but do not brown it , when the aroma spreads throughout your kitchen add the minced red pepper chili and then add salt and add the cooked pasta. Toss well and serve. Its delicious

Cheddar Bread

Cheddar Bread 

There are certain pleasures of life which makes you feel that life can be beautiful and my recent venture into the bread-making arena has left me feeling that life is sweet. Alright I have to confess that the perfect outcome of my first ever bread has left me a little more joyous than ever. You see first-time successes are nothing to feel great over because if you really do your research well and know what to do and what not to do then chances are you will not fail.

Now there are plenty of recipes out there in the virtual world but choosing the right one is your key trick. For me I like the lengthy ones which explain every bit of the process and after my immense first time success with Dan lepard's Dundee Cake I decided he was my man for my first White bread as well. Now even with a good recipe I was terrified and here is why. You see the first time I had followed Mary Berry's recipe my cake had a mildly zinc like taste which I later found out was due to the amount of baking powder. I learnt a valuable lesson that the strength and usage of baking powder can geographically vary. So a reduced amount of baking powder later I have since made perfect Victorian sponge cakes and so I was a bit scared about using yeast since I felt the geography could come between me and my perfect loaf but then I closed my eyes read his recipe and compared it with another well known one and finalized on his well explained one. This one is just how I liek my bread to be rustic in its look and feel and taste and soft and cheesy inside.

So bread-making is the easiest of all culinary projects. Here are a few tips I have gathered from Mr.Lepard :-

1. Take your time and work a bit , so he suggests letting the yeast salt, flour and wet ingredients work for 10 minutes and then giving it a light kneading with buttered or oiled hands leaving ti for 10 more minutes and repeating it twice more. 
2. He suggests using yogurt for half the amount of water specified in a recipe for softer bread without a milky taste. So if a recipe asks for 300ml water you use 150ml water and 150gm yogurt which has been whipped.
3. Always place a tray of water beneath your rack which is baking the bread since that helps in keeping it moist. 

So I bravely added cheddar to my first bread and its  success overwhelmed me and so here I present my very own Cheddar bread since Mr.Lepard's recipe was only for a white bread :P 

Serves 4 to 5 

400gm all purpose flour 

1 tsp instant yeast 

1 tsp salt 

150ml lukewarm water 

150gm yogurt which has been whisked 

100gm Cheddar cheese cubed into very tiny cubes 

Kitchen towel 

Butter for kneading 

Extra flour for kneading 

Mixing the ingredients with the wooden spatula 

Start by placing your flour in a bowl. Add the yeast on one side of the flour and the salt on the other side . If you mix the salt and yeast it apparently hampers the yeast in its work. Slowly add the curd and mix with a wooden spoon. Then add the water bit but bit and mix well with the wooden spoon. You shall have a sticky consistency and wrap it in your kitchen towel and leave it for 10 minutes. 

After the third kneading with butter 

Oil your palms very well and the work board you shall work upon and knead the bread gently and put it back in the bowl and repeat this process twice more with a 10 minute interval where you wrap the dough in the kitchen towel. After the last kneading in which you make sure every side is covered with butter leave the dough to rise for 45 minutes (that is exactly the time I required) to 50 minutes and in the meantime cube the cheddar , wash and pat dry your work-board and flour it well, use plenty of flour on your hands and then knead the dough and do it fast so that the dough does not stick to your hands. 

After the last kneading with butter and letting the dough rise for 45 minutes 

Cheddar being added 

Add the cheddar in the middle and cover it with the dough from all sides and pinch it to make sure nothing is sticking out. Leave it with the kitchen towel wrapped around it for another 45 minutes to 50 minutes and then preheat oven to 220 C. Make a pattern on your bread with a knife before baking if you want to. 

Before the patterns 

Final dough ready to be baked 

Bake your bread with the tray of water beneath the rack for 45 minutes to 50 minutes if using convection oven or 35 minutes to 40 minutes for regular ovens. 

Enjoy this hearty bread with some soup, all by itself or with some cold cuts or make a hearty sandwich the choice is all yours 

Cheddar Pork Chops

There was a time when the idea of blogging was far-fetched but the Kitchen has always been my haven and with friends who were determined to keep a souvenir of the day I even have my hands on an image from the memorable day.

Now my best of friends loves Pork. I mean she can devour on Pork all day long. I personally wouldn't mind the chop once in a while but I am more of a ham sausage kind of girl but well when you have friends whose primary interest in life revolves around gastronomy you have plenty to rejoice about for you can whip, chop, sear , fry and they shall wait with eager anticipation. The other good thing about having such friends is that due to their love for food they wouldn't lie to you if there was some deficiency in your dish and so you always end up with improving yourself in case the dish needs a bit of changing etc. I still remember that cold day from January last year when I was hosting a dinner party and was cooking this Kashmiri mutton and even after 2.5 hours it wasn't soft enough and my friend didn't hesitate one bit to let me know that. I immediately let it simmer away for another hour and my lovely guests enjoyed it to the last bit and among the guests one aunt still talks about the dish whenever she meets me

Now food is a matter of choice. What one would love the other wouldn't. So you cannot always satisfy everyone. For instance lets take these pork chops. Some like theirs just cooked , some might want it a bit crispy, my friend likes it in all forms. This one is a bit on the crispy side , tender and juicy inside and wonderfully cheesy yet crisp outside.

Basically 1 pork chop would serve 1 person

So I am writing down my recipe per pork chop which serves 1

You need

1 Pork Chop (Fat trimmed with a little bit of fat left for the pork to be rendered in)
4 tbsp of freshly shredded cheddar
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp finely chopped fresh herb of your choice I used parsley
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Season your pork and press it down on the meat with your hands. make three incisions in the fatty section so that the chops do not curl up in your pan. Whisk the Olive oil and vinegar together and then add the herb salt and pepper and keep whisking and slowly add the cheddar and whisk to make a sauce. Now the cheddar wouldn't melt and that is alright.

Preheat oven to 180 C . Simply brush the a pan with butter and put it on high heat and then slowly add the chops and cook for 1.5 minutes on each side. Let it rest for 3 minutes and then grease your baking dish with butter and add the chops and use a generous amount of the fresh cheese sauce on both sides. Keep aside 2 tsp  cheese sauce aside. Bake for 20 minutes to 30 minutes using the butter on the pork chops after 5 minutes  and basting the meat with the juices twice during the length of baking. Let the chops rest for 5 to 7 minutes before serving. Serve it with cheese stuffed tomatoes , mashed potato and a few steamed greens . Take a tomato and hollow out the middle , stuff with the cheese sauce and grill it till the cheese melts and it sizzles.

Placki Ziemniaczane (Polish Potato pancakes)

Santa paid a visit to my home in the middle of the night. My Ping Pong came back. I was sadly sleeping with Ting Ting when at 4 in the morning I heard a maeow which got my heart racing. I shot away to the kitchen to find my mother feeding a dirty , half his original sized Ping Pong.

Ah the joys of having my darling return back to us. (A Bengali would say "ghorer Chele ghore phireche" The boy has returned back to his family where he belongs). I actually had a motive for waking up that early. I did have the little bit of work from a Project left and somehow I always find that I produce my best work after a good night's rest early in the morning when the silence is your only companion and then comes the chirping of the little winged friends.

I knew that the day would start off with celebrations and what better way to start a day than try the one recipe I had been eyeing for a pretty long time. You see this one comes straight from Poland. Someone's Nanna (grandmother) passed on her recipe and her sweet grandchild was kind enough to share the recipe. So Placki Ziemniaczane it was today morning. Delicious hearty potato pancakes served with sour cream. I did replace sour cream with my homemade Chili Garlic dip . Of course somehow Poland always makes me think of sausages, juicy tender, delicious sausages though I have never been to Poland or tasted its famous sausages and of course Warsaw and in turn the second movement of Moonlight Sonata , that one is all on Roman Polanski.

I have this habit of trying to simply know more about a recipe and a quick search made me realize how the world is connected with this one recipe. There are variants of the recipe across Eastern Europe and even one from one of the land of Kebabs, Iran. It can be served as a savoury dish topped with meat sauce with a side of sour cream or even served sweet with apple sauce.

Of course some recipes with their ingredients scream success right from the beginning. with Polish Nanna's recipe in hand I happily grated the potatoes, onions mixed by batter, shallow fried them and we had a beautiful family breakfast. Everyone declared it a raging success. And why wouldn't it be delicious it has potatoes, eggs, flour . I know not of any person who dislikes potatoes. I am not saying there isn't that odd man in an ocean of potato lovers but no I haven't seen it. Serve this for breakfast for your kids and see them gulp down this delicious pancake.

P.S. The glowing happiness of my grandmother on hearing her "Ping- oo" is back is a moment I shall carry with me forever. Unfortunately her allergy of eggs exempted her from the family fun but I have something planned for her for later during the day. Today I shall celebrate till the sun  waves goodbye and the stars shine brightly and beyond as well.

This recipe is as easy as a recipe can get

You need:
3 large potatoes
1 large sized egg
1/4th and a little bit extra all purpose flour
1 small to medium sized onion
Salt and pepper as per taste
Oil for shallow frying

Sour cream for serving

Start by grating the potato and onion and squeezing out every last drop of its juices. I not only squeezed them with by hands. I left them on a big mesh strainer for 20 minutes after squeezing them . There will of course be the starch at the bottom of the pan on which you place the strainer which you would have to discard  . Now simply beat an egg and add a bit of flour and a bit of potatoes and make a smooth batter with salt and pepper . Take a girdle and use 1 to 2 tablespoonful of oil per cake , shape them with wet hands (wet hands help in shaping them easily) into flat circular patterns and shallow fry on both sides till golden brown on low to medium heat. Once you put the batter on the girdle spread out a bit with the back of your spatula to make thinner cakes if you desire so but after flipping them do press them for quicker cooking. Simply serve this with sour cream or a garlicky dip. i cannot wait to get my hands on some fresh sausages and next time eat it with meaty sauce on top. Ah the joys of life. :)

Mixed grilled chicken

So my original plan was to make some Cajun spice but as we all know when freelancers do not get work they have all the time in the world and once they are loaded with work it is as if they have not even 1 minute to spare. So I have been a bad girl and have not made my Cajun spice but then I wanted spicy jazzy herb grilled chicken.

So there I was marinating my chicken with dried oregano, thyme, dill , chili flakes, salt and oliv eoil when it hit me that I could jazz it up with some of my special homemade garlic dip. 1 hour of marination and grilling later I was a woman who was happy.

What I used

300 to 350gm chicken pieces
1 tsp dried oregano
Half  tsp dried dill
1 tsp dried thyme
Half a tsp red chili flakes
Salt as per taste
Olive oil
1 heaped tsp of Creamy garlic

Just mix everything together and let it get marinated for 1 hour to 2 hour sand grill away. team with a nice salad and you have a lovely healthy lunch. I suggest the beautiful Healthy Okra with its caramelized flavour to cut down on the spiciness. 

Carrot beet soup

My love for various soups started with various packaged soups available from Knorr in the mid 90s and then of course there were delicious soups we would have on a weekly basis from those lovely little Chinese joints of Calcutta. Of course there was a weekly chicken stew made by the old man who was quite young back then. Whether they came from a package or not it served the purpose of giving exquisite pleasure. You see when you are immersed in Russian folktales, Enid Blyton etc where all those characters have various kinds of delicious soups. Ah those descriptions how can you settle for a plate of rice and pulse and fish.

My Mamma was fine with it as long as she did not have to  work too hard. Time spent in the kitchen was complete wastage in her eyes. So there I was growing up on Knorr soups half the week and then even without realizing I grew up, discarded any packaged item like the plague when there was a healthy alternative at home and so the love affair continues and of course I tease my mother to no end.

Soups are always warm comforting and healthy, many an article says that a bowl of soup before a meal curbs appetite and you end up eating less yet getting all the nutrition from the soup itself.

Ah Winter my love, the riot of colours everywhere is a pleasure alright and I craved love, I craved any shade of red and so carrot and beet soup it was on a gloomy Sunday evening. The weather has been gloomy right from the start of the day and this soup just added that much required splash of colour or I had 3 carrots and 2 beet roots which needed immediate cooking. :D

I did talk about the immense power of a simple chicken stock and this is the perfect example of how it can jazz up a simple soup. Feeding vegetables to your children will never be a problem again.

What went in

3 medium sized carrots
2 small beetroots
700ml to 800ml Chicken stock (from an earlier post)
Salt as per taste
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp (fresh)  finely chopped dill leaves
Pepper as per the hotness you can handle. (use freshly ground pepper for superior taste)
4 to 5 medium sized pressed garlic
1 small - medium sized onion

Dice the carrots , onion and beet , press the garlic. Saute the garlic in olive oil till that intoxicating beautiful aroma hits your nostril. Add the onions and saute a bit and then add the carrots and beet and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add half of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer covered till vegetables are cooked thoroughly. Drain the vegetables and let ti cool and then blend away with a little bit of chicken stock to make a smooth paste. It has to be smooth. One useful tip for making it smooth is to use a small blender and blend it bit by bit. transfer everything to a big pot , add all the chicken stock and then bring to a slow boil and add salt and pepper . remember that the chicken stock will already have salt content so add carefully.  Simmer till desired consistency is reached. Since the vegetable has already been pureed it does not take much time and then you have a lovely bowl of thick delicious colorfulness waiting for you to slurp away.

Eierpfannkuchen (Egg Pancakes)

Now there are many a that I scribble down but when its good it goes straight to my "fair copy" , but to be fair this had straightaway gone to the fair copy . This one is a star recipe . My dear virtual friend Claudia had shared her beautiful recipe for pancakes. You see,  I used to foolishly think that pancakes automatically means it would have baking powder in it but with a lovely discussion and reading up of as many articles as possible it seems there is a whole world of pancakes out there. Explore them people, it will amaze you and would want you to try all of them. This one is , what word am I thinking of?Oh yes stupendous , amazing, "perfekt" . Thin, thin as it can be , milk based with an egg of course this one is sure to put you in the best possible mood. This was one long due. I had planned to make this some weeks ago but you know what happens , nevertheless better late than never. Besides I made way too much mousse the previous day and with the mousse as filling this one is a culinary beauty. Try this one. It is just a piece of heaven.

I have been a "Difficult daughter" in the past and with today I prove that I am not a "Desirable daughter" either. Her recipe yielded three thin delights and I gobbled them all up or I am just too much in love with Manju kapoor and Bharati Mukherjee's novels. :)

Serves 1:

1 egg
150ml of milk (I used toned milk)
70gm of all purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
Filling of your choice (Chocolate sauce, Nutella, honey, Creme Chantilly or anything that you like)
1 dessertspoon of butter to just butter the pan.

Whip the egg, add a bit of milk and bit of sifted flour and sugar. I did sift them. Whisk real well. Just brush the girdle with butter.

Brush it with butter and pour the batter and use the back of a ladle to spread it out to make  those beautiful thin pancakes. Be careful and work fast else you risk the chance of tearing the pancake. Once golden browned on each side, transfer them on a workable surface, add the filling fold and enjoy.

Use your filling and let your morning start with perfection.