Happy Holidays

I wish all my fellow bloggers, their friends and family, and everyone else a Very Merry christmas and a Splendid New Year. May peace and prosperity fill up your homes.

See you all in 2006!!

Warm Gooey Goodness...Hmmnn...

With the dreadfully cold weather and all the holiday humdrum going around, its no surprise that food has been on my mind, a lot!! There are times when I just want to cozy up on the couch with a good book and mug of warm Mochalate, and then, there are times like today, when I just crave for warm comfort food. After pondering in the fridge and the pantry, my eyes fell upon a lonely can of red kidney beans sitting all forgotten in a secluded corner. The rest was easy! A couple of minutes later, I had a big pot of Rajma simmering on the stove ready to served on a bed of warm Basmati rice. But I'll save that for a later post. With dinner all ready and a salad cooling in the fridge, I still craved for more. I wanted the works!! Yes, dessert too!! And there's nothing more comforting that a bowl of warm Sooji (Semolina) Halwa. Hubby dear is a big fan of halwas, and Sooji Halwa is one of his favourites. I must admit though, that it's one of my favourite desserts as well. And you won't even believe how simple it is to make! So without further ado, here's how to make one of easiest and most comforting desserts in the Indian cuisine! Sooji Halwa

Ingredients: 1 cup Sooji (Semolina) 2 cups water 1/2 cup sugar 7-8 green cardamom pods (seeds taken out and crushed) 2 tbsp raisins 2 tbsp chopped almonds 2 tbsp ghee Method: Heat water in a small pan to dissolve sugar completely. Set aside. In a non-stick deep pan, heat ghee and add sooji, stirring constantly on low heat till slightly golden. Add the water-sugar mixture, raisins, and cardamom, and continue to stir till water begins to evaporate and it forms a thick mass. Mix in almonds and serve warm after a hearty meal! Comfort food at its best!! Reminder: Don't forget to join in on the "From my Rasoi" event. Do feel free to download and post the banners on your site. Deadline - December 30, 2005!!

On the Menu - Welcoming the New Year with tasty bites!!

We have invited a few very close friends to join us in welcoming the New Year. On the menu, I have planned many delectable temptations. While shopping around the last weekend, we came accross a few party games that we thought were loads of fun. So we thought it'd be great for us all to come together over great food and some wicked laughter. Since we will be spending most of the evening sitting around the coffee table rolling dice, I wanted to have appertizers that were not just great finger-foods, but would also satisfy the hunger pangs till the late dinner. While I decided on going totally authentically Indian with the appertisers, I wanted a twist for dinner. And what better than having Indo-Chinese on the menu. I will serving many of the all-time favourites on this delicious scipy cuisine. So now that the menu has been planned, changed and planned anf finally finalized, I will be spending the next few days making batches of some of the food that I can freeze till the last moment. At the moment, I am working on the two deep-fried delicacies to be served at the bash - Potato Samosas and Vegetable Spring Rolls. These dishes are fun and great to make ahead of time. They can be stored easily and deep fried straight from the freezer! On my Party Menu: Appertizers: Chicken Seekh Kebabs Paneer Tikka Tandoori Grilled Vegetables Potato Samosas Dinner: Vegetable Spring Rolls Vegetable Fried Rice Egg Hakka Chow Mein Stir-fried Cabbage and Peppers Pepper Chicken Chilly Paneer Dessert: Chocolate-Walnut Brownie Mixed Fruit Tarts

We'll all be licking our fingers clean!!

I felt in in my fingers...as well as my toes!

It was cold today, no...I mean - COLD!!! Even with the heating on, I was chilly! And missing my morning cup of coffee definitely did not make things any better! By the time it was late afternoon, I was craving for warmth, and caffeine. But coffee was not on my mind. I wanted something much more richer. Something that would defrost my almost numb toes. Something, that tasted and gave me the comforting feel of chocolate. So what gives you the rich chocolatey warmth as well as a much needed caffeine kick? - Mochalate! I just love the taste of Mocha. And why wouldn't I! It combines my two all-time favourite flavours - Chocolate AND Coffee!! So I dragged my frozen feet, wrapped in thick socks and my cute pair of fuzzy slippers, into the kitchen and turned on the stove. I worked on intuition and poured the simmering beauty into a huge cup. One sip and I just knew I had done it again. This was going to be another regular winter drink for me, after my wonderful Peppermint Hot Chocolate!

Hot Mochalate Ingredients: 1 cup 2% milk 2 tbsp bitter-sweet chocolate chips 1 tsp brown sugar 1 tsp instant coffee Method: Heat everything in a small pan, stirring constantly till chocolate melts and milk is warmed through. Pour in a large cup and enjoy it warm.

Aaahh! The pleasure of feeling my toes again!

On a sunday evening...

After a long tiring week and an eventful chore-full Saturday, me and hubby dear just love to chill out at the cozy comforts of our home. Most of the time, we like to cook together, just to get that little extra "us" time. We've cooked together tons of times, with me ordering him on what and how to chop, and the poor thing crying over his onions! Yesterday was one such lovely day. After four crazy hours of christmas shopping, we went home and decided to make our most favourite meal. An hour later, we were comfortably settled in front of the TV, watching a funny movie and relishing a wonderfully fabulous team-work dinner! Matar Paneer (Cottage Cheese with Green Peas)

Ingredients: 400 gms of Paneer (cottage cheese), cut into 1-inch cubes and fried till lightly brown on all sides 2 cups onions, finely chopped 1 cup tomatoes, chopped 1 cup frozen green peas 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped 1 tbsp tomato paste 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp coriander powder 1/2 tsp garam masala tbsp cumin seeds salt, to taste 2 tbsp cooking oil 2 cups of water es, chopped for garnish 1/4 cup fresh coriander leav Method: Add cumin seeds to warm oil and let it begin to sizzle. Add in onions and fry till they turn slightly brown. Add green chillies and tomatoes and cook till all the juices dry up and it forms a thick consistency. Add ginger-garlic paste, tomato paste, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt and cook till fragrant and all spices blend in nicely. Add water and let it come to a boil. Throw in paneer pieces and peas, and cover cook for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle garam masala and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve warm with rotis or naan.

Plain ol' Puffy Goodness!

Patties, or puffs, are common tea-time snacks in India. These are mini puff pastries baked tilll crisp with tons of various kinds of stuffing, more savoury than sweet. I remember eating them a lot as a kid, and still love the melt-in-your-mouth delight. Its a great companion to both, tea and coffee and can be easily served as light or full dinner (dependin gon how many you can not resist to eat!). I've been trying out various different kinds of finger-foods for my upcoming New Years Eve get-together, and this was just one from the ever-growing list. I've made puff patties filled with sauteed potatoes a million times before, and everyone enjoys them. But this time, I wanted to try a hand at something different. I remember eating patties filled with spicy caramalized onions and eggs when I was in Bangalore, India; and I thought of trying it. It was an even bigger challenge when hubby dear confessed that he had never heard of an onion-egg filling! So I got to work, and as usual, he was left licking his fingers! Onion and Egg Patties

Ingredients: 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, cut into 8 equal pieces 2 egg, boiled and cut into quarters 1 large onion, sliced 1/4 tsp red chili powder 1/4 tsp curry powder 1/4 tsp cumin seeds 1/4 tsp coriander seeds 1 tbsp fresh corianader leaves, chopped salt, to taste 1/2 tbsp cooking oil Method: Heat oil in a frying pan and saute cumin seeds, coriander seeds and sliced onions till transparent and slightly browned. Add salt, curry powder and red chili powder, stirring constantly to blend in the spices well. Cook for another minute or two, sprinkle with coriander leaves, and set aside to cool. Take a piece of puff pastry and place a quarted of the hard-boiled egg in the centre. Top with cooled onion mixture and fold, sealing the ends of the pastry sheet. Continue for all eight pieces. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or till puff pastry starts to turn golden. Served hot with ketchup or chutney.

Warming up to the cold... a Winter treat "From my Rasoi"

The dreaded snowstorm has finally hit. It's predicted to snow atleast 25 inches today, so lets see. With nothing much else left to do, I decided to hit my lovely kitchen and enjoy myself. Cooking has always been a relaxing activity for me to do and I especially love the smile that erupts on sweet hubby's face when he comes home and sees a bunch of treats ready for him! With the dreadful cold we are having today, I'm craving for something warm and fulfilling. And what better than stuffed parathas, especially stuffed with potatoes - yes, Alu Parathas! Mom always made Alu Parathas for brunch, more so during the winter season. Even though winters in Delhi might not be as gruesome, it still gets pretty cold out there. These delicious stuffed beauties are just right to satisfy that winter hunger. Eaten with mango pickle or just by itself with cup of masala chai defintely makes this a crowd pleaser for the cold winter weather, and a contender for the Winter theme! Alu Parathas

Ingredients: 2 cups whole wheat flour (atta) 2 medium-sized potatoes, boiled and mashed 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 tsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped 1 tsp green chillies, finely chopped 1/4 tsp red chili powder 1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain) salt, to taste 3 tbsp ghee water as needed Method: Mix mashed potatoes with salt, onions. coriander leaves, red chili powder, and green chillies and set aside. Mix flour (atta) with salt, carom seeds (ajwain) and one tbsp of ghee and form into a smooth dough with water. Separate dough into golf-sized balls and set aside. For each dough ball, roll out the dough into a small circle and put around one tbsp of potato mixture in the centre. Bring the ends of the circle together and form into a ball. Seal the edges completely so that the stuffing does not come out. Roll out these dough balls and into a 6 inch circle. Fry on a heated pan adding a bit of ghee around the edges to crisp it up. Serve hot.

A cup of Chai...

I'm a coffee person, and if I can say so myself, kind of a coffee addict. I've never like tea and that has always shocked people around me. You see, tea is sort of the national drink in India. A hot cup of tea is always served to guest right as they enter the door. I've got many a wierd look when I kindly refuse to take the steaming cup and ask for coffee instead. But that's just the way it is. I don't know how or why, but I became a coffee lover - much to the amazement of my parents! Hubby dear on the other hand, is a true blue Indian tea lover. Nothing can soothe and calm his senses any more than my special cup og masala chai, that I must honestly confess, he taught me how to make! But after all this time of brewing the perfect cuppa for him, he admits that I make it much better than he ever did. Masala Chai (Indian Spiced Tea)

Ingredients: 2 cups water 2 tsp tea powder 1/2 cup milk 5-6 cloves 5-6 green cardamom pods a pinch of crushed black pepper sugar, to taste Method: Boil water in a small pan and add tea and spices. Add in milk, lower the heat and allow it to come to a boil. Pour into cups through a strainer and add sugar according to taste. Serve hot and feel your nerves begin to relax. Tastes great with any sort for fried Indian snacks - like the Onion and Egg Patties seen in the pic!

Speeding things up!

I have always preferred rice over rotis, and always tend to make a little extra just so I have leftovers for the next day. I like it when I take a peek into my fridge and find a box of leftover plain rice. It drives my imagination wild, since there is so much you can create out of plain boiled rice. I have tried so many rice dishes over time but fried rice has always been a favoutite. There is so much you can do to alter the taste and so many ways you can use to make a big bowl of fried rice. I often use whatever veggies or meats i have at hand, throw in a variety of flavours, and I have a great wholesome meal ready to be served. This is another easy breezy recipe that hardly takes anytime at all and can be put together in minutes. I can't even remember how many times I've cooked this up at the end of a long tiring day. And it never fails to please me! Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients: 2 cups cooked plain rice 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, beans, celery, cabbage...go wild! Frozen vegetables would also be a great option) 1 medium onion, chopped 1 tbsp soya sauce 1 chicken buillion cube (even a vegetable buillion cube can be used) 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste 1/4 tsp red chili powder 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper salt, to taste 2 tbsp cooking oil chopped spring onion for garnish Method: Heat oil in a non-stick pan and fry onions till transparent. Add vegetables, bullion cube, salt, pepper and chili powder and fry till all the water from the vegetables evaporate. Add rice and mix well. Splash soya sauce and stir-fry rice till everything is mixed well. Garnish with spring onions and serve warm. A great side to spicy Pepper Chicken!

Peppered to Perfection...

I remember going out with a group of friends to this tiny restaurant near our hostel, and partying out on spicy Chinese food. This place was a great hangout for many of us hostellers and was often packed. Weekends would always call for atleast a half an hour wait. But wait we did, since there was no where else nearby where we could get tons of deliciously spicy Chinese food for such low prices. No wonder we celebrated many a birthdays and get-togethers at this tiny joint. One of my must-have dishes in this restaurant, was a spicy chicken stir-fry called Pepper Chicken. Try as I might, I never found a dish anywhere else that even came close to this beauty! Now for those of you who are wondering why you've never seen is dish on the menu at your favourite Chinese hang-out, let me tell you why! Like I've said many times before, here and here, Chinese food in India has its own appeal. This cuisine has developed to the likes of the Indian palate, adding ingredients that are familiar and ever so loved by the masses. Along the way, many such dishes were born. When I stepped into my kitchen this morning, I had chicken on my mind. What to do with it, I still had no idea. I am and have been in the process of trying out various recipes lately, in my quest for deciding on a menu for the New Year Party. I have been playing around with the idea of having an Indo-Chinese feast for the last few days. While I thought about it once more, the idea came to life. I had never made this dish before, and knew no one who did. The internet did help me some, but there wasn't any particular recipe that I wanted to follow step-by-step. so I went ahead and did what I did best, added my own personal touch. And voila! Hubby dear finalized this dish as one of the contenders for our little New Year Bash! Pepper Chicken

Ingredients: 6 boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 large onion, sliced 1 green bell pepper, sliced 7-8 curry leaves 3 green chillies, sliced diagonally 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste 1 tsp freshly crushed black pepper 1 tsp soya sauce salt, to taste 2 tbsp cooking oil 2 tbsp chopped spring onions for garnish For the Marinade: 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1/4 tsp freshly crushed black pepper 1/4 tsp red chili powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp soya sauce salt, to taste Method: Mix chicken pieces with the marinade ingredients and let it sit for atleast an hour. Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan and fry the marinated pieces of chicken. Let it brown on all sides, cooking through. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the remaining oil in the same pan and add curry leaves and green chillies. Fry for about a minute and then add in sliced onions. When onions start to turn transparent, add green peppers and fry for another minute or two. Add ginger-garlic paste, salt, black pepper and saute for a few minutes till spices blend well. Add fried chicken pieces and soya sauce and let cook for 3-4 minutes. Garnish with chopped spring onion and serve hot with fried rice.

On one of those days...

Sometimes, you just want to get away from the hoohaas and settle down with something simple and wholesome. With all the festivities and holiday humdrum going around, food has taken the centrestage. Recently our meals have comprised of anything and everything from being fancy to exotic. But today, I just felt like taking things easy. With the thick blanket of snow outside, i just want to cuddle on my couch, watch a good movie and have a simple and satisfying lunch. And there's nothing simpler I can think of than a big bowl of rice, drowned in Dal (Indian lentils). As I have said many times before, Dal is cooked in many ways all over India. I, myself, make atleast ten or more variations of it. A few of those can be seen here, here and even here. This recipe is one that me and hubby crave for after every couple of days. It hardly takes any time and effort, but yet still feels like a meal fit for a King. Afterall, are we no less? Tadka Dal (Lentils with a Spicy Tempering)

Ingredients: 1 cup red lentils (lal masoor) 2 cups water 1 small onion sliced 2-3 green chillies, chopped 1 medium-sized tomato, chopped 2 cloved of garlic, sliced salt, to taste 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp red chili powder 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf) a pinch of asafoetida powder (hing) 1 tbsp ghee Method: Boil lentils with onions, tomato, green chillies, garlic and turmeric powder till lentils soften and pulp. Add salt and stir well. In a small frying pan, make tempering by heating ghee and frying cumin seeds, fennel seeds, red chili powder and asafoetida powder till it all starts to sizzle. Add tempering into dal and stir well. Serve warm over rice.

On trying new things...

For the last one month, especially since Diwali, I have been on a cooking spree. I try to make new dishes, using different recipes and different ingredients. I've tried my hand at making things that I've never made before and thankfully, most of them have turned out great, leaving hubby dear asking for more! On out last trip to the Indian grocery store, I saw a vegetable that neither me, nor hubby has ever been fond of. Its called the Round Grourd, Indian Squash, or simply as we know it in hindi, Tinda. Recalling my childhood years, mom would make this vegetable in the only two ways that she knew, as a curry and as an addition to a Dal. But I didn't like either and would always try to scurry for something else to eat. But I wanted to try this vegetable now, not as the way I knew it, but as I would like to. So I bought about four of these little babies leaving hubby dear with a frown on his face. Today, while I was cleaning up the fridge, making space for next week's groceries, I saw them lying in a corner of the crisper, almost forgotten. I accepted the challenge and got to work. I stared at it for a while and then it struck me - a great new way to eat it! Can't wait for hubby to get home and try it, I know I love it, and am guessing it'll put a smile on his face as well!! Tinda Fry (Sauteed Round Gourd)

Ingredients: 4 tindas (round gourd), peeled and cut into wedges 1/2 tbsp cooking oil 1/4 tsp red chili powder 1/4 tsp garam masala 1/4 tsp turmeric powder a pinch of amchur (dried mango powder, available at the local Indian grocery store) salt, to taste Method: Heat oil in a pan and fry the tinda wedges till they start to brown. Add salt and spices and fry for another minute or two. Serve warm with rotis and Dal.

Cheese, cheese, you wonderful cheese!

Me and sweet hubby, both LOVE Paneer (cottage cheese), and can have it for every meal, everyday! Its no wonder then that I cook paneer atleast once a week at home. Be it in the form of appertizers, parathas, as curries, or even with an oriental touch, paneer is always welcome with a growling stomach and salivating mouth! Paneer is sort of like the vegetarian meat dish in Indian cuisine. At most vegetarian buffets, paneer dishes are always the star, as would the meat dishes be for non-vegetarian buffets. I serve paneer at almost all my dinner parties, and have designed and created tons of recipes and various versions to cook it, so as not to bore my guests! Infact, I think I can write a book of all the different recipes that I have around it. This dish came to me when I was tired of eating peas, and wanted a dish that would have a little more zing to it. Adding green bell peppers to it was a great idea and it really bumped up the flavour. Do try it out, its a nice change fom the usual and delicious to the end! Paneer Shimla Mirch (Cottage Cheese with Peppers)

Ingredients: 400 gms of Paneer (cottage cheese), cut into 1-inch cubes 1 large green bell pepper, chopped 1 large onion, sliced 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 tbsp tomato paste 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp chopped green chillies 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander powder 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp cumin powder salt, to taste 1 cup water 1 tbsp cooking oil fresh chopped coriander leaves for garnish Method: In a non-stick pan, heat oil and add cumn seeds. Once it starts to sizzle, add chopped green chillies and sliced onions. Fry till onions start to brown and then add ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes. Cook till tomatoes tenderize and start to pulp, and add in coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Cook for a minute or two till spices blend in. Add tomato paste and salt and cook for a few minutes till sauce thickens. Add water and let it come to a boil. Add paneer chunks and bell pepper and cover cook for 6-7 minutes till paneer is done. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot over rice or rotis.

Cozying up with a large pot of soup...

The snowfall here as increased tremendously covering the entire place with a thick white blanket. This kind of cold harsh weather definitely calls for a large pot of soup simmering on the stove. With hubby away at work, and me stuck alone at home with the TV on, I decided to put on a big pot of comfort and bask in its steaming aroma! When I came across VK's Spicy Tomato Chicken Soup, it reminded me of Mom's simple tomato soup that she would often make. Our favourite combo, was to eat it with plain boiled rice and fried chicken. That gave me an idea! Spicing things up my way, I came up with this soul-soothing recipe. Perfect for a cold winter day! I always make sure I have a good stack of chicken broth lying around, especially in winters, no matter if its home-made or store bought. Store-bought broths are not all that bad! I always get mine low-fat and with less sodium content, and spice it up to my liking. This recipe was a delight to make as awell as slurp. Serve it over soft-boiled flat rice noodles or vermicelli and feel it warm your soul! Hot and Sour Tomato-Chicken Soup Ingredients: 4 cups chicken broth 1 large chicken breast 2 stalks lemon grass, sliced diagonally into 2-inch sized pieces 1 2-inch chunk of ginger 3-4 large cloves of garlic 2-3 large red chillies, sliced in 1-inch pieces 1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced 2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped 1/4 tsp red chili powder 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp coriander powder salt, to taste 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper fresh chopped cilantro leaves for garnish 1 tbsp cooking oil Method: Marinate the chicken breast in turmeric, chili powder, lemon juice, salt and black pepper for about half an hour. Fry the marinated chicken in a little bit of oil in a thick bottomed pan, till brown on both sides. Cut chicken into thin pieces and set aside. In the same pan, add the remaining oil and fry sliced onions till transparent. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till tomatoes pulp and form a thick consistency. Add chicken broth, ginger, garlic, lemon grass, red chillies, salt and pepper and let it come to a boil. Add chicken pieces and let soup simmer for 10-15 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro leaves and enjoy over soft-cooked noodles!

Weekends call for a good Brunch!!

Every saturday we spend almost half of the day carrying out with our usual weekend chores like cleaning and grocery shopping. By the time we are done, its evening and time for dinner soon! Most of the time we are either eating on our way or don't eat at all. A tiring and fully booked weekend definitely calls for a fulfilling meal. When we were kids, sunday was always the day for a heavy and satisfying brunch! We would make up half-way through the day and be greeted with the delicious aroma of Parathas, Puris and other mouth-watering treats that Mom would be cooking up. I always looked forward to these meals eagerly and cherished every bite. I woke up this morning and was in a mood for some of Mom's magic! That's when I realized we had some left-over paratha dough waiting for me in the fridge. That gave me the craving for piping hot parathas and a bowlful of delicious scarmbled egg, Indian style!! Indian Scrambled Eggs Ingredients: 3 eggs, beaten in a bowl 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped 1 large tomato, chopped 2-3 green chillies, chopped fresh chopped coriander leaves for garnish 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1/4 tsp garam masala salt, to taste 2 tbsp cooking oil Method: Heat oil in a non-stick pan and fry onions and green chillies till transparent and tender. Add tomatoes and cook till they soften. Add salt and chili powder, and cook for a minute. Add beaten eggs and continue to stir, scrambling eggs and mixing it with the spices till cooked. Sprinkle garam masala and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with warm parathas!

Plain and simple...always the Best!!

Parathas are simply delicious eaten with almost anything! There are as many different kinds of parathas as there are dishes in the Indian cuisine. I especially love the stuffed ones, with all the wonderful varied fillings; but sometimes you just want something plain and simple. Afterall, simplicity is often the best form of beauty! Here these delightful bites can be seen served with a spoonful of Keema Matar. Plain Parathas

Ingredients: 2 cups whole wheat flour (atta) 1/2 tsp salt 3 tbsp cooking oil water, as required

Method: Add salt and 1 tbsp of oil to flour and knead into a smooth dough, using as much water as needed. Separate dough into golf-sized balls and roll each one into thin circles. Cookon a non-stick pan, adding oil a little at a time to form a crispy texture. Serve warm.

Dinner and Movie...with comfort food

Today was like any other day, when I got the intense desire to cook up some wholesome, easy comfort food. It's been snowing all day and luckily for me, the weekend's here. That only means one thing, me and sweet huuby have time for togetherness! With a couple of movies that we've been dying to watch for quite some time waiting for us, I decided to make warm delicious food that we could enjoy on the couch watching them. That's when I thought of pasta. We don't usually have pasta that often. But when we do, I do the works, with bread sticks or garlic bread and all! I decided on making the Arabiatta sauce, a tomato-based spicy pasta sauce. This sauce usually calls for a pinch or two of chilli flakes to spice it up, but I decided to use the trusted old red chili powder to bring on the heat. The main reason being that I don't think chili flakes are hot enough, at least not the ones in my kitchen! We will have this pasta with deliciously warm Pizza Rolls and enjoy the comforting feel. Penne Arabiatta (Pasta with a Spicy Sauce)

Ingredients: 2 cups penne pasta 1 medioum-sized onion chopped 2-3 cloved of garlic, minced 1 cup chopped tomatoes 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1 tsp tomato paste salt, to taste Method: Boil penne pasta with some salt and set aside. Heat olive oil in a pan and add minced garlic. Saute for a few seconds till frangrant and add chopped onions. Cook for a few minutes on medium-low heat till onions become tender and transparent, and then add parsley, salt, chili powder and oregano. Cook for a minute or two and add in tomatoes and tomato paste. Cover cook till tomatoes pulp and start to form a sauce. Simmer on low heat for 7-8 minutes and toss in pasta. Serve warm with a spinkle to fresh parsley and grated cheese.

One dough...Two delights! - Part 2

Continuing with the previous post on ready-made store-bough dough, I used the second half of my dough to make easy Foccacia bread. I love Focciacia, especially in panini sandwiches. This recipes makes a bread that is simply delicious eaten pail dipped in olive oil, or in sandwiches grilled to perfection! Easy Foccacia Bread Ingredients: Pizza dough olive oil dried oregano Method: Roll out pizza dough to form a rectangle and spred out on a baking sheet. Spread olive oil and sprinkle dried oregano evenly all over the dough and bake till dough is cooked through and turns slightly brown on top.

One dough...Two delights! - Part 1

Say whatever you want about freshly baked breads and cakes, but I feel that time saved in baking from scratch, can be well utilized cooking good food! Those of you who are elegant bakers at heart will surely disagree with me. But I'm forgiven since baking is not something I get my hands into. It never has been something that trickled my energy levels and imagination. I'm more into plain old cooking - just the stove-top and my pots and pans! This gives me the liberty to use and enjoy readymade doughs and mixes to come up with delectable treats in minutes that fill my home with almost the same aroma as freshly baked bread that was created from step one. I love the way I can wake up lazily on Saunday mornings and aromatize my home with fresh baked cinnamon rolls right out of a can, that too in a matter of minutes! To accompany the wonderfully comforting pasta dish, i decided to make pizza rolls. I remember buying these rolls from my favourite baker when I was in Bangalore, India. It was best when fresh from the oven, with the portion size just right enough to fill you up but not stuff you with that super-cheesy feeling. So I took the roll of store-bought pizza dough waiting eagerly in my fridge and got to work. The dough was big enough to make 6-8 large-sized pizza rolls, which was too many for just the two of us. So I did the next best thing - diveide the dough into two! With one half, I made these delicious pizza rolls. You can make them real big to serve as part of a meal; or make tiny ones that would look just as delightful to be served as appertizers. Personally, I like a big bite of it! Pizza Rolls Ingredients: Pizza dough (I use store-bought ones to make 6 large rolls; use as much as use one depending on the size and number of rolls you want to make) 4 tbsp pizza sauce 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 grated mozzarella cheese Method: Spread out the pizza dough to form a rectangular shape. Mix pizza sauce with diced bell peppers and spread evenly on the dough. Tightly roll up the dough and cut into 1-inch thick pieces. Lay down each piece flat on a baking sheet, and sprinkle dried oregano and mozzarella cheese on top. Bake till dough is cooked through and cheese starts to brown.