Love and Calories!!

The thing I most miss in the UK is the sound of "Taka Tak" made by the street food vendors on their tava while making pav bhaji, aloo tikki, patties etc. Aah! Especially after living so many years in the hub of street food (Delhi & Mumbai), I seriously get disappointed when I am unable to go out after 6 pm. You have only two options, either go sit in a pub or have a proper dinner at some expensive restaurants. There is no in between thing. And I have started hating the American fast food joints like KFCs, McDs & pizza outlets. My stomach gets bloated and   I gain 2 kilos just by the look of it. That's when I miss my Indian Street food. Its not just about the food, its the whole idea behind it. Go with your family and friends, get your hands dirty, eat while standing and haggle with the vendor saying..."Bhayya ..Aur Theeka karo na", Bhayya, ek aur papdi"!! :)  Thanks to London, I have already discovered some Vada Pav shops & Chat restaurant...

Its already September and the evenings here are turning chillier & chillier. That's when you think of making a  Chicken Pie, the most comforting English food I have ever tasted.. When you crush those  golden crispy puffed pastry top  with your spoon  to get that delicious mouthful of piping  hot  creamy chicken on a chilly night, you know you are going to settle down in your couch for the next couple of hours.  Last Wednesday, I enjoyed my "Pie night" alone as Arun had a party to attend that night. I cooked up my pie in a jiffy, brought my throw from the bedroom, switched on the TV and relaxed on the couch until the door bell rang at 11. I really really enjoyed some "Me" time that night!! :) So you try making this chicken pie & see how comforting it is to sit back, relax and have a pot pie once in a while. And don't worry about the pastry, I used the frozen sheets to make my pie. You can cheat sometimes, you know!! Ingredients: 50 gm...

So I decided to bake something to check out how my new oven works. (Oh! Did I not mention that we shifted to  another location a month back??). Thanks to hubby dear's job, I get a new kitchen every couple of years. And to get used to the new location, new home and most importantly new kitchen, takes time. But am not complaining this time as I got my favourite gas burner (how I used to curse the hot plates before) to cook all my Indian stuff. :) I planned to bake a bread this time and  it took an entire half day to bake one. I struggled so hard with my yeast to foam up and later knew that the yeast had already gone dead. So I quickly decided to go to a superstore to buy some yeast before I changed my mind to not to "Bake a Bread". But patience paid off as soon as I saw the result (the pic below). And I can't even explain what it feels like when you bake something and it comes out just perfect!!  "Focaccia"  is an Italian flat bread which resembl...

I came up with the name "Phulka Pudine Ka" after wasting a lot of time thinking, than just calling it "Pudina Roti" or "Pudina Parantha". "Phulka Pudine ka" was so rhyming and funny at the same time that I thought let me name it the same. It is an easy peasy recipe if you regularly make rotis at home.  I just made it yesterday with a little sprinkle of mint-chat masala spice mix. It only gave the rotis that extra zing. For those who are unfamiliar with the word "Phulka", is nothing but rotis cooked on an open flame for it to puff up like a balloon with the help of steam. This method is the most healthiest way of making a roti/chapathi as it uses no oil, is perfectly light and brings that smoky flavour to the rotis.  In this recipe, the rotis won't puff up because there's mint leaves inside the dough which restricts the dough to swell, but the smokiness will release the flavour of the mint leaves inside each chapathi...

Not a very good looking fine dining dish this is, but it is an absolutely delicious grub if you are a seafood fan.  This typical British food is very filling, very creamy and has all the strong flavours going through it. You either love it or hate it but you can't ignore it. :) Ingredients: 200 gm ready cut fish pie mix from any super store (which includes cut pink salmon, cod & smoked haddock) or buy a fillet each of salmon, cod & smoked haddock separately from the fish monger.  5-6 pieces of prawns (optional) 1 egg (hard boiled) 3 large potatoes (I used 1 &1/2 jacket potatoes) 2 cups milk + 4 tbsp milk 1 tbsp plain flour (sifted) 1 bay leaf 1 tsp ground black pepper 50 gm butter + 2 tbsp butter grated cheddar cheese (optional) salt to season    Method: Heat 2 cups of milk in a saucepan & put the bay leaf in it. Also add the cut fish pieces along with the prawns and poach in milk for 4-5 minutes.  Remove the f...

First of all, a big "Thank you" to all of you,  for appreciating my efforts on baking the super duper "Brownie Cheesecake". I have never received these many raving reviews before compared to my other recipe posts. The Cheesecake truly kicked up a notch on my baking skills and  am now a bit more confident and comfortable with my oven. So after basking in the glory of my decadent cheesecake, I have come with yet another easy, simple but exciting dish for all of you. The vegetarians can be happy as I have modified the previously posted recipe of "Murgh Bhuna" to "Gobhi Bhuna"!! I tried this recipe for lunch today and it tasted yum with rotis. You can serve this dish with a simple dal and roti. Just a small tip before going on to the recipe - "Keep the florets chunky".... Ingredients:   1 medium cauliflower (cut into medium sized chunks) 2 tbsp natural set yoghurt 1/2 inch ginger (whole) + 1/2 inch ginger (minced) 2 bay ...

Saturday night 10.30 pm, the sun set was 15 minutes ago, it was pouring heavily outside the window (typical English weather) and suddenly it was all dark and silent at home. Arun said he was too tired for the day and snored away immediately. I was left alone in the living room, fully charged up only then. I wanted to engage myself immediately, do something, anything....so I thought why not I bake? Perfect time to be with yourself, and do what you love doing....COOK! I already had the plans of baking a cheesecake this weekend, so I had all the ingredients ready at home. So I baked away a nice "Brownie Crust Cheesecake" at Midnight...and What fun! :) There was a long time request by an ardent fan of my blog and a good friend Poornima, to share a good recipe of a Cheesecake. Since "Baking" is not my forte,  I delayed it too long, but after baking this one, I was feeling quite happy with myself. The Cheesecake not only tasted good, but it also looked perfect lik...