Cooking and Me

That’s really all I need to say about this awesome recipe but I will talk a bit more because, you know, I love to talk! So yes, this cookie thing in a cup is fabulous you guys. Remember the 5-minute chocolate mug cake recipe? Well, this is even better. The texture is that of a soft cookie and it’s really hard to mess it up so great results are guaranteed....

I love cheesecake and this mango cheesecake recipe is probably my favourite dessert to make for friends and guests. I love adding a twist to the traditional cheesecake recipes and making variations and this blueberry cheesecake ice-cream is a good result of that sort of thinking. I also love my baked goodies but I want them quick and I want them good. So that explains why I made these delicious truffles which are basically cheesecake bites coated in chocolate....

Cauliflower and green peas are quite a match and this simple South Indian style curry with coconut really hits the spot, especially if you are a cauliflower lover. The recipe is not particularly ‘authentic’ or anything, just something I made up as I went but the result surely suggests it’s a keeper! Cauliflower is one of TH’s favourite vegetables and on days he goes to pick up vegetables and I don’t give a list saying what exactly to get, you can be sure I’ll be staring at a large head of cauliflower when he gets back....

Other chana recipes I have cooked and shared: Kerala kadala curry, Punjabi chole masala. Table of Contents More about chana masala Jump to recipe Step by step chana masala recipe Tips and variations More about Chana Masala Also check out this Kerala kadala curry recipe. Step by Step Chana Masala Recipe Prepare the chana or chickpeas as per steps above in the recipe Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add 1 cup chopped onions along with 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp grated ginger and mix well....

I love coconut so making coconut ladoo has been high on my things-to-cook list. This coconut laddu recipe has only 2 key ingredients and takes not more than 15 mins to come together, so it’s perfect for those looking for quick and easy sweet recipes for Diwali. I had bought some desiccated coconut for rolling the date nut ladoos in and it seemed like a good idea to use them up to make some coconut ladoos for Diwali....

I have said this many times in the past but I am going to say it again since it’s the new year and all. My mom, she’s quite something, especially in the kitchen. Any time we go on holidays to Kottayam, she would have “invented” a few new recipes which she’s so eager to share with us. My sister has spoken about this too and it’s so true! We are a family quite big on breakfast, or food in general, and she would start preparing for it from around 7 in the morning, which means we have to report in the kitchen, cameras ready, around that time....

This mango cheesecake is a great recipe to try during the summer mango season, fresh mangoes always work best but I have used canned mango pulp here for ease. I also suggest taking a look at my Eggless Oreo Cheesecake Recipe that uses no setting agents. Or maybe something like this Eggless Strawberry Mousse is more your type of dessert? Check out this very easy to make and delicious butter pudding recipe on the blog too....

It was absolutely jam-packed and, I am not exaggerating when I say everyone except us either had kid(s), dog(s), or both in tow. I even saw a funny foursquare ‘tip’ that you need to have one of those to fit in. Not that we minded just being us. So yes, we stepped right into the crowd milling around the different stalls. First things first. It was Saturday morning and we went with the intention of getting breakfast so some freshly squeezed juice was the first purchase....

Grilled Guacamole Cheese Sandwiches Recipe Makes 4 sandwiches Ingredients: 1 ripe avocado 2 shallots 2-3 green chillies (or jalapenos) Some freshly squeezed lime juice Salt of to taste To assemble the sandwiches: 8 slices of any bread of your choice 2 tbsp salted butter 4 slices of cheddar cheese (or a mix of cheddar and mozzarella works too) How to Make Guacamole Cheese Sandwiches Mix and pound all the ingredients for the guacamole in a pestle and mortar or a blender/food processor....

This is the first picture I took, without bothering with a background sweep or anything. I was super eager to see the results. Remember, this was taken in the night, at around 8:00pm. Taken with one light – SOOC. Pin Another macro shot, taken with one light – SOOC. The first food shot, taken with one overhead lamp – SOOC except for watermark and straightening. I didn’t have the other two lights set up when I took this so I had to depend on editing to make it look better....

Jeera (Cumin) Moong Dal | Basic Dal Recipes Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes Serves 2-3 Adapted from: 660 Curries Ingredients: 1/2 cup of moong dal / split green gram A pinch of turmeric powder 2″ piece of of ginger, chopped 3-4 dry red chillies, torn into halves 1 tbsp of ghee or oil 1 tsp of jeera / cumin seeds 1/4 tsp of asafoetida / hing Salt to taste Coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish (optional)...

In any case, I don’t claim any authenticity to this recipe so if you are a staunch Bengali food lover, please don’t yell. Ingredients: 1.5 cups of maida or plain flour 2 tbsp of rava or semolina 3 tbsp of curd or plain yogurt (optional) 1/2 tsp of salt 1 tsp of oil, for the dough 2-3 cups of oil, for deep frying How to Make Maida Puri: Mix all the ingredients together except the oils....

Pin Anyway, on this particular Sunday that I made the peas pulao, I was too lazy to make a side-dish with the paneer I had so I added it to the pulao! The light was just too perfect for me to pass on taking food pics. No harm done and so much time saved, right? Well, TH would have still preferred Palak Paneer to go with the peas pulao but when one’s wife is lazy occasionally, one can’t complain too much, right?...

Eons ago, I shared the recipe for how to make poori at home. It’s actually quite simple and hard to get wrong since anything deep fried like poori generally tastes good. During my last trip home, I realised amma makes the potato masala for poori a bit differently than I do and her potato masala tastes immensely better. The single reason for that seemed to be the equal amount of potatoes and onions she used in the potato masala....

During the COVID lockdown period, I found a few different projects for my 3 year old and I. She loves kneading bread dough, understandably, and we made quite a few loaves of various shapes. The basic dough in this bread recipe is highly flexible – you can use pretty much any white bread recipe you have in hand or use mine below which I have adapted from this garlic pull-apart rolls recipe....

Spicy Roasted Baby Potatoes Recipe Serves 2 Ingredients: Baby potatoes / new potatoes – 15 nos Onions – 2 medium sized ones, chopped Garlic paste – 1 tsp (or 4 pods, minced) Sambar powder – 2 tbsp (or 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp jeera, 1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds, 2 tsp red chilli powder) Wash the potatoes. Pressure cook for 3 whistles (or put in a heavy-bottomed pan with sufficient water and let cook on a medium fire)....

In Singapore we gets two kinds of celery – one is the Chinese celery which is leaner and smaller and the other is the American celery which has thick stalks, usually used to snack on or make smoothies with. In India I have mostly seen the Chinese celery since that’s what we use to make vegetable fried rice but if you live in a place where you get both, choose the smaller kind for the best flavour....

Is it Friday yet? I’m SO ready for the long weekend. After a whirlwind 2 days in Toronto this week promoting the book, I’m ready to relax, sleep in, and of course eat some yummy food! If you’re hosting (or heading to) a picnic or BBQ this weekend – here are some very favorite Memorial Day veggie ideas: Pictured above: Portobello Tacos with Creamy Jalapeño Sauce First things first, get your guests a cocktail!...