Orangettes

My sweet craving since my last post seems to be continuing......
Orangettes are strips of candied orange peel dipped in dark chocolate.This is a great recipe and makes your house smells good too.They can be tedious to make but I can assure you that the hard work does pay off; in a very sweet and fruitful way.....

4 oranges
6tbs sugar
4 cups water for sugar syrup
250gms dark chocolate

Slice the ends off of the oranges, score the peel from one end to the other, and remove the peels off the oranges.Slice the peels into thin strips and trim the edges.

Using a medium size pot, place the peels in boiling water and blanch them for a few minutes. Rinse the peels, and repeat this process a second time (it's best to use cold water again for the second time to repeat the process). This is done to remove the bitterness of the peels.

Prepare the simple syrup by combining the water and sugar in a pot. Bring the syrup to a simmer, place the peels in the pot, and simmer for 20 mins. Once the peels have cooked, remove them from the pot, and place on a rack to cool and drain.

Melt dark chocolate over a double boiler or microwave. Just heat the chocolate in short intervals in the microwave, stirring and checking the temperature after each time. If you go over the max. temperature, just add small pieces of the original solid chocolate until it drops back down to the max. temperature.Dip the candied orange peels in the chocolate, remove them quickly, and let them cool on a piece of parchment paper. Allow it to rest for an hour.

Store and refrigerate orangettes in an airtight container or pack them up to gift  your loved ones. This recipe serves about 30-40 orangettes.
This recipe is adapted from here.

My tastebuds: I loved them! Even now I'm biting into one while writing this post.

This is my submission to Gulten-Free Holiday, hosted by Tasty Eats At Home, to Choco-Delite's Event, hosted by Taste Buds, to AWED - French, hosted by Priya's Easy n Tasty Recipes and Chefinyou and to The Chocolate Fest, hosted by Cook-curry nook.

Sweet Potato Halwa

What do you do when you have a sweet craving, do you give in?  I know eating  fruits is better than eating chocolates, cakes, muffins....but there are times when you really want more than a fruit to satisfy you.....I was reading an article on how not to give into sweet craving and one of the tip that it shared was to read the label on the packet, the label does make you realise the amount of sweet it contains and that can help you stay away from it....
Hmmmm makes me wonder whether it will really work; especially at a time when you have only sweet on your mind. I did go through this phase a few days back and I thought of making something home-made  and at the same time something healthy too...Sweet Potato Halwa is definitely lite and does satisfy your sweet tooth....well it did mine :)

4 cups grated sweet potato (cleaned, pealed and not cooked)
1/2 cup black jaggery (you can add more if you like yours sweeter)
2tbs ghee/coconut oil
1tbs raisins
2tbs cashews
1tbs cardamon powder
1tbs desiccated coconut for garnish

Heat oil/ghee in a pan and add the grated potato. Constantly keep stirring on medium flame, until they have turned golden brown. Add jaggery, raisins, cashews, cardamon and keep stirring on medium flame, until the halwa is cooked. Garnish it with desiccated coconut and serve hot or at room temperature. Serves 4.

My tastebuds: Jaggery gives a strong flavour and it's hard to say whether you are actually eating sweet potato.

This is my submission to this month's, SOS Kitchen Challenge, hosted by Diet, Dessert and Dogs and Affairs of Living.

Sweet Potato

Beet Puri

We have had all kinds of puris..haven't we? How about some beet ones...I tried these first from a lady, who was my daily tiffin provider for lunch; a common practice in Mumbai to carry home-cooked tiffin/lunch to work.Though I've never had this in my packed tiffin; I happen to get a taste of it from her kitchen. I really liked the idea of adding beet in puris and visually they look great. It's definitely an eye catcher on your dining table.

2cups wheat flour
1cup beet purée (boiled & puréed in a blender)
2tbs roasted sesame seeds
salt to taste (optional)
any refined or groundnut oil for frying


Take  flour and mix beet purée make a soft dough. I opted out the option of adding salt as beet already contains sodium  and I prefer to use less salt in my cooking.Once you've got the dough to the right consistency, add 2 tbs of oil and continue to knead. The dough will become silky in texture. Cover with a damp cloth now and keep aside in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Remove from refrigerator and divide the dough into golf ball-sized portions.Roll round balls and roll it into a circle using a rolling pin (roll each ball into a 5" circle). For convenience, roll out as many Puris as you like, stacking them, ready to cook with a layer of cling film between each Puri.
Roll into a circle of desired thickness and take care not to make it too thin. Heat the oil for deep frying in a thick-bottomed flat pan on a medium flame.
Deep fry the Puris one at a time, pressing very gently on each side with a slotted spoon. This will help the Puri to puff up! Fry one the first side till golden then turn over and fry the same way on the other side. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
Serve them with any vegetarian curry or your favorite pickle. I served mine with Peas curry (will share the recipe soon). I got about 15 puris.

A handy tip: For foods like gujias, samosas or puris, that are made of or have an outer covering/wrap of flour-dough and need deep-frying, prepare in advance and chill them in the refrigerator. This way when you do fry them they will consume less oil and therefore have a lower fat content!

My tastebuds: I've always eaten beet fresh and never in any fried form. I liked the combination of the sesame seeds and beet. Few bites of the seeds, gives it a nice flavour.

This is my submission to this month's event, Food Palette - Red, hosted by Torview and to Complete My Thali, hosted by Torview and Joy of Cooking.

Sea Princess Hotel Restaurant – ‘Shagun’

The waves of Juhu beckon the wealthiest to the nonchalant strides of mumbaikars. One such wave that has been on the shores of Juhu is the Hotel Sea Princess. A sea facing hotel that stands on the affluent fare Juhu Tara Road of Mumbai.

The sea princess has an entrance that is covered in short steps rather than a horizon stretch lobby that comes with old world charm.

Shagun: Shagun means a good occasion in Sanskrit. That is what it was when we walked into the restaurant décors with a rich moghul feel encased in a combination of red and gold. I particularly liked the live ghazal music that was neither too loud nor too soft. The songs were enchanting and what was even better, it was LIVE!

While the multi-page menu makes it difficult to choose, the food is a perfect theme fit into the moghul décor. The soup comes in great quantity with just the right spice. ‘Tomato Pudina soup’ can warm a tummy to anything that comes its way.

The food is served in regular white cutlery and clean white waiter sleeves to ensure hygiene as a compliment to the affable staff. The starters in veg can be quite a miss on the taste buds. ‘kebab e gulzar’ keeps your taste buds confused on feeling the warmth of the kebab and nothing else, while the ‘murg malai paan’ is a saviour on the starter platter.

The main course had really nothing that caught my attention except for stretching my muscles on a piece of roganjosh, resulting in more josh less mutton. ‘Paneer Lababdar’ can only be pronounced while munching on the less than sufficient flavour of this paneer.
Take a ‘dal peshawari' for every bite of conversation as this is a great place for a family chat over a jal jeera or scotch. The scotch keeps you in the mood for ghazals and the inebriation will create a taste for less than spicy food.

If you would like to sweeten the ambience further try the 'moong dal badam' halwa that gives you a perfect blend of sweetness and satisfaction.

Passion Fruit & Couscous Trifle

Passion fruit juice has always been one of my favorite. I like the flavour and the sweet fragrance of the fruit. I recently visited my mother-in law and got to taste  her freshly grown passion fruit. Strangely, not many people know about the fruit as it is rarely found in any super markets in India; at least I've never seen anyone selling it here. I've always tasted them fresh from the garden. I came back home excited with a basket-full of passion fruit and an urge to try something totally different.
Passion fruit is rich in vitamins A and C and  a good source of potassium and iron. The seeds are high in fibre.I used to throw away the seeds,  thinking that they may be bitter, without even tasting them. Only recently, I discovered that the seeds are not bitter and also have a nice crunchy taste.
If using the pulp and seeds simply cut in half and spoon out the flesh. To extract the juice, scrape the pulp and seeds against a sieve with a wooden spoon (if you want to omit the seeds). A lot of fruit are needed for a little juice, but a little juice goes a long way.A syrup made by boiling down the diluted juice with a little sugar further intensifies the flavor and makes a wonderful fruit salad dressing or cocktail ingredient.
I was inspired to try this recipe in one of the websites, taste.com and liked the entire blend of flavours. I have made some changes in comparison to the original and the result turned out to be tasty and visually appealing.

125ml mango juice
1 tbs caster sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds removed
100gms couscous
4 large passion fruit, pulped
2 bananas, peeled and chopped
1 cup sweet cream
Extra cinnamon for sprinkling

In a small saucepan, heat mango juice, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until simmering. Add couscous, cover and set aside. Stir with a fork to separate the grains.
Divide the couscous into 4 portions. Using 200ml glasses, place a layer of passion fruit and banana in the base of each glass followed by couscous then a layer of sweet cream. Repeat the layers finishing with a layer of sweet cream.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and allow it to set for 4-5 hours or overnight. Serve cold. Serves 4.

My tastebuds: Passion Fruit & Couscous trifle is a pleasant surprise. Every bite transforms you to a world of flavours.

This is my submission to this week's Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by A Food Lover's Journey.

Mixed Salad with Peanut Dressing

I'm not a big fan of peanut butter and this is not the famous Indonesian salad, Gado Gado. My visit to the Farmers Market on Sunday, motivated me to prepare a pest-free salad. I do give some credit to the lady selling salad at a food counter in the Farmers Market for cropping the peanut dressing idea......
I've used peanuts before in a dry powdered form; but never have I used it as a paste. Though I have tasted peanut chutney  and raita made of chutney, which is mostly coconut and mint based, common in South India; but never have I thought of using it in a salad.
There are no restrictions on what kind of veggies you would like to use...go ahead and use anything that you like or prefer.

2 cups of finely chopped Purple cabbage
1 cup of finely chopped red pepper
1 cup boiled of sweet potato, cut into pieces(optional)
1 cup boiled sweet corn
4-5 stems boiled asparagus, chopped into big pieces
1/2 fresh mint leaves

for the dressing
4tbs roasted peanuts (with or without skin)
1tbs soy sauce
1tbs tahini
1tbs honey
1tbs sesame oil
1tsp chilli flakes
1tbs red wine vinegar
salt to taste

Blend all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender into a fine paste. Take all the veggies in a bowl and mix with the prepared dressing. Keep some dressing aside to use while serving. Serve cold or at room temperature, topped with the remaining dressing. Serves 2.

My tastebuds: I liked the crunchiness and the nice saucy mixture to the salad. Although, a rare combination which was never tried or tasted by me.

This is my submission to this week's Souper Sundays hosted by Kahakai Kitchen and to Heart n Soul, hosted by Girlichef.

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Kebabs

Who does'nt like Kebabs!!! Everyone of us have eaten some kind of kebab, living in any part of the world.Kebabs have always been my favourite.
Kebabs first originated in Persia. Kebab comprises mostly of meat and vegetables, which are either grilled, roasted or deep fried. Kebabs can also be made in tandoor which tastes really good. The meat or veggies are usually marinated with spices and curds for hours and then placed in skewers and cooked.

After my successful attempt at the chickpea and sweet potato salad, I knew that I could try something different with the left overs (sweet potato from the salad). I took it up as an experiment  to create a vegetarian kebab out of sweet potato, which is not only gluten free but vegan too.

4 cups of boiled, mashed sweet potato
1 cup finely chopped onions
1tsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 cut fresh mint leaves
2tsp finely chopped green chillies
1tsp garam massala
2tbs chickpea flour
2tbs cashew pieces (cut in half)
2tbs raisons (optional)
4 tbs refined oil/olive oil/coconut oil/butter (I used olive oil)
salt to taste

Heat  1tbs of oil in a pan and add chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste and dry fruits. Let the onions turn soft. Turn off the stove and allow it to cool.
Take mashed potatoes in a bowl and mix all the dry ingredients along with the prepared onion mixture. Add green chillies and mint leaves.Mix them well and allow it to set it for an hour.
Take the mixture and shape them in any desired shape or size of your choice. Preheat the dish for 2minute in the microwave. Arrange the shaped kebabs in the heated dish and drizzle some oil (I used about 1.5 tbs of oil). Set the microwave option to grill mode for 15 minutes. After 15minutes, turn the kebabs on the other side and drizzle some oil. Set the microwave again on grill mode and microwave it for 15minutes. Once done, serve hot with mint chutney and some cut onions rings. I got about 10 pieces.

My tastebuds: The tingly sweet taste of a typical sweet potato doesn't disappoint you. I however felt that I could have used a little bit of chilli powder to add that little spice.
This is my submission to this month's SOS Challenge - sweet potato, hosted by Diet, Dessert & Dogs and Affairs of Living, to this month's destination - Afghanisthan, hosted by My Kitchen, My world  and to Thanksgiving dishes hosted by gluten free easily. Sweet Potato

Farmers Market - Mumbai

This sunday was not a lazy sunday for me....I got up early than the usual, got ready and carried two cloth bags and went striaght to Bandra, National College Square. Why you may ask was the necessity for me to take up such a task on a sunday morning....I couldn't resist the offer to visit a place, selling only organic products under one roof and directly from the farmers.

Kick start your buying with this nice hand-made paper hats

No question about it

Lovely Red pepper

Gorgeous Purple Cabbage

Fresh Mint

Asparagus - so rare to find fresh ones

Preparation table at one of the stalls

Indonesian Salad with peanut dressing - Gado Gado

There was a food stall serving Indonesian salad, Gado Gado. It is a mixed veggie salad with peanut sauce dressing. The base is mainly peanut butter.The best part about the salad what I noticed around was that,  even the kids enjoyed the veggies....looks like  peanut butter really worked with them.

For me it was a well spent sunday, sourcing out veggies like, cilantro, mint leaves, asparagus, purple cabbage, beetroot, red pepper. I also picked sonamasuri brown rice, sesame oil from Naturally Yours -they are based in Chembur and they deliver free of cost anywhere in Mumbai.

Farmers market is one of a kind in Mumbai, and started first by Kavita Mukhi, an entrepreneur and eco-nutritionist who founded the organic brand Concious Foods. Farmers market is scheduled every sundays from 10am to 4-5pm and updates can be found on their facebook profile. Don't forget to carry your own bags this sunday. Have a great week.

Cinnamon Spiced Chickpea & Sweet Potato Salad

Cooking for me has always been rejuvenating and especially when I'm mixing and trying something completely new and different. Kitchen is a space where I get lost into different flavours. I started cooking at an age of 11 and even till today I've always enjoyed every bit of it. I'm sure everyone of us have that private space to rejuvenate :)
Indian salads are very limited and I guess we  tend to concentrate more on the mains.Chopping of some cucumbers and onions is the last minute thingy, just to include some greens in the diet.
I've always enjoyed making salads and that's why  I try to mix and match different flavours and these healthy experiments are worth a try to include in your daily diet.

2 cups chickpeas, boiled or canned
2 cups  sweet potato, cut into cubes
1 tomato, cut into thin slices
7-8 basil leaves
2tbs olive oil

for dressing
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp wasabi paste
1tsp red wine vinegar
1tbs olive oil
2tbs tahini (home-made)
salt to taste

Grill the tomato pieces in oven, griller or pan. I grilled the tomatoes in a pan with 1tbs of olive oil. Grill on both sides and set aside to cool.
For the sweet potato, place the sweet potato cubes into a pan of boiling salted water and cook for five minutes. Drain and dry well. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the potato cubes and sauté on all sides until golden-brown. Allow it to cool.
Take a bowl and mix all the ingredients for the dressing. Mix chickpea, sweet potato and basil  with the prepared dressing. Allow the salad to set for half an hour before serving.
Decorate the salad with grilled tomatoes and serve cold or at room temperature. Serves 2 as a meal.

My Taste buds: My favourite combination of tahini and cinnamon makes it a combo again. Although wasabi seems to be lost in the mingle and you feel that you did taste it. Overall a successful experiment.

This is my submission to My Legume Love Affair, hosted by Lisa's Kitchen and The Well-Seasoned Cook, to SOS Challenge - sweet potato, hosted by Diet, Dessert and Dogs and Affairs of Living, to Souper Sundays hosted by Kahakai Kitchen and to Thanksgiving dishes hosted by gluten free easily. Sweet Potato

Raw Papaya Paratha

I wanted to make this Diwali a gluten free festival and I made stuffed paratha for lunch instead of deep fried puri. I've always enjoyed stuffed paratha of any kind. The best parathas are made in the dhabas of Northen India...though you can see the fat smeared all over and you are stuffed with eating one. In that case; raw papaya parathas are lite and you will be able to eat more than just one :)

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups grated raw papaya (without skin)
1tsp ajwain
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam massala
salt to taste
Oil or ghee for roasting


Take 1 1/2 cup of flour and mix water to make a soft dough. Set aside for about an hour. Keep 1/2 cup of flour to use it later.
Heat 1tsp of oil in a pan and add ajwain, grated papaya and all the dry massala. Let it cook for about a minute on medium flame. Keep aside and allow it to cool.
Make round balls of the dough and roll it into a circle using a rolling pin, the circle should be big enough to hold about a spoon of prepared stuffing.Seal the edges and flatten them in the dry flour. Roll into a circle of desired thickness, take care not to make it too thin.
Heat a non-stick pan and add oil or ghee (I use about  2tsp of oil) and place the paratha. Roast them for 1-2 minutes on medium flame.Roast them until you get brown spots on both the sides.

They are best eaten with some chutney or pickle and curds.I served mine with tomato & onion chutney (recipe will be posted soon).

This is my submission to this week's Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Susan from The Well-Seasoned Cook.

Sweet Potato n Peas Sabzi

I've always enjoyed sweet potato in any form...I can even eat them just plain boiled.
An easy to make recipe with a blend of spices and veggies.They can  be used as a stuffing to make any kind of rolls. I've added cherry tomatoes instead of normal ones; as they not only add colour to the dish but also gives it a good flavour.
Before I share the recipe.....some handy information: sweet potato should be stored in a cool, dark and well-ventilated place, where they will keep fresh for up to ten days.They should not be stored in a refrigerator and it is a big no no to store them in plastic bags.

250gms sweet potato (boiled and cut into pieces)
1 cup fresh or frozen peas (I used frozen ones)
1 cup cherry tomatoes (cut into halves)
1 cup capsicum, diced
2 tbs cooking oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam massala
salt to taste


Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Let it turn light brown, take care not to burn it (burnt cumin seeds can really give a bad flavour). Add cherry tomatoes, turmeric, coriander, chilli powder, salt and 1tbs of water. Allow it to cook for about 2 minutes.Add peas, sweet potato and garam massala.Simmer the gas and cook for about five minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with tortillas.

I want to Thank Ricki from Diet, Dessert & Dogs and  Kim from Affairs of Living for selecting me as one of the Winner (out of ten) for last month's SOS Challenge - sesame. I will be receiving  a bag of sesame seeds from iHerb very soon :)
This month's SOS Challenge is sweet potato and as always I'm excited to submit my entry to this month's challenge.

Happy Diwali with Tri-Flavoured Kheer

  (Image Source: Livetoeat!!!)

Everyone I know is busy cleaning their house and shopping for new artifacts. Wondering  how you are going to celebrate this Diwali.......here are some simple suggestions without being heavy on your pockets.
I like the simplest things of using just clay or ceramic diyas; they light up the house beautifully and dramatically or welcome your guests with  simple rangoli and a diya at the entrance.

 (Image Source: Livetoeat!!!)

 (Image Source: Internet)

I also used some lights (mirchi lights) from the previous Diwali and managed to create a romantic atmosphere in my living room (I made used of the throw-away wine bottle). These lights are commonly seen in Mumbai for decorating balconies. One more item commonly seen are the colourful lanterns used outside everybody's balconies. There are all kinds of Indian and Chinese lanterns widely available during this season.

(Image Source: Nature's Basket)

It is also the time when you gift your special ones. One best thing would be to gift some really good gift hampers - an assortment of various products. Nature's Basket has some really cool gift hampers this Diwali. You might want to check them out and get some ideas. You can also go to Crawford Market and buy your own assorted products and create you own basket. That sounds like really good fun and it's a  personalised way of gifting.

And of course a time to eat and share some good food. Every festival is celebrated with sweets and what a better way to start Diwali with Kheer.Kheer is everybody's favourite and easy to make. It is a rice pudding which requires the right consistency. Kheer is not complete without cardamom and Kesar again is optional. Tri-flavoured kheer has a vanilla twist to it. Thats right..a vanilla, cardamom and kesar flavoured kheer. A beautiful blend of these flavours keeps you guessing on every bite, whether it's vanilla or kesar or cardamon.....Enjoy the fun- filled flavours and Happy Diwali!!!


The Recipe:

1 litre milk
1/2 cup Basamti rice
2tsp vanilla extract
2stp cardamon powder
2tsp kesar soaked in warm milk
1cup sugar ( you can add more for your liking)
Almonds for decoration

Wash and soak the rice for about an hour. Heat milk in a pot. Add vanilla extract before the milk comes to a boil and enjoy the vanilla fragrance taking over your kitchen. Add soaked rice (without any water) to the boiling milk. Let the milk and the rice cook on medium flame for about 20minutes. Add sugar and let it cook for 15minutes.You will see that the whole grain rice would have become half it's size. It kheer is almost done and you will also notice the thick consistency. Add cardamon and turn off the gas.
Let it cool. Serve cold or at room temperature, garnished with kesar and chopped almonds.

This is my submission to this month's event Celebrate Sweets - Kheer, hosted by Taste of Pearl City and Nivedita's Kitchen, to Virtual Party Snacks hosted by Ruchika Cooks and From My Home Kitchen and to this week's Blogadda Diwali Moments. 

Go to http://www.myntra.com/ and check out Myntra Diwali Offer. Shop for Rs 500 and get Rs 500 off on your travel with Cleartrip! Also visit the largest community of Indian Bloggers at BlogAdda.com

Pan-Fried Eggplant

A very easy to make dish and best eaten as a side-dish. My mom used to make this often  for lunch as a side-dish accompanied with dal and rice. You can also eat it just plain with any sauce you like. The best part is that it's not deep-fried and tastes really good, when pan-fried. The thin layer of besan enhances the taste of the eggplant and tastes best when roasted a little bit more; giving it a nice crunchy taste.
Eggplant is the  king of vegetables and has not only  gorgeous colour but also is rich in nutrients.Some tips on how to choose and store eggplant:

• Choose eggplants that are firm and heavy for their size. Their skin should be smooth and shiny, and their color, whether it be purple, white or green, should be vivid. They should be free of discoloration, scars, and bruises, which usually indicate that the flesh beneath has become damaged and possibly decayed.
• The stem and cap, on either end of the eggplant, should be bright green in color. As you would with other fruits and vegetables, avoid purchasing eggplant that has been waxed. To test for the ripeness of an eggplant, gently press the skin with the pad of your thumb. If it springs back, the eggplant is ripe, while if an indentation remains, it is not.
• Place uncut and unwashed eggplant in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator crisper where it will keep for a few days. If it is too large for the crisper, do not try to force it in; this will damage the skin and cause the eggplant to spoil and decay. Instead, place it on a shelf within the refrigerator.
• If you purchase eggplant that is wrapped in plastic film, remove it as soon as possible since it will inhibit the eggplant from breathing and degrade its freshness.

(Source: WH food)

1 medium sized eggplant

1/2 cup oil

for batter

1 cup besan (chickpea flour)

1tsp ajwain

1/2tsp turmeric powder

1/2tsp chilli powder

water for mixing

salt to taste

Clean and cut thin slices of eggplant and soak in salt water for 10 minutes (soaking helps not to discolour).
Mix all the ingredients for the batter.

Heat oil in a pan and pan-fry the slices dipped in batter. Roast on medium flame until golden brown. Add oil whenever necessary for easy browning/cooking. Serve hot. You get about 12 pieces.

This is my submission to this month's event Virtual Party Snacks hosted by Ruchika Cooks and From My Home Kitchen to A Gluten Free Holiday, hosted by Diet, Dessert and Dogs.