Chocolate Torte in Twenty (Flourless Chocolate Cake)

I know I’m a day late, but Merry Christmas nevertheless! I had planned to put up a Christmassy recipe, but after seeing the blogosphere jam packed with everything plum pudding-y and fruit cake-y and mince meat pie-y, I decided otherwise. I’m no expert in this area anyway, so why bother trying?! With my friend coming down to town, my mom’s birthday and finally Christmas - the past week had so many things happening all at once, that I’ve had an overdose of going out and partying (No, Seriously!).

All I wanted to do today was withdraw into my cocoon (curl up into a ball under my quilt) and read a book. A nice chocolate something for company, would be a bonus. I had two bars of glorious dark chocolate with cocoa nibs stashed away for just such an occasion. Of course slaving over the stove (or oven in this case) and curling up under the quilt seem like two diametrically opposite goals. But the Chocolate Torte is hardly a culinary taskmaster! So twenty minutes later, I’m curled up on the couch with a book in one hand, the fantastic torte in the other and my two cat babies (Muesli and Blanco) nestled against me. They look up sleepily and I hear a contended purr…oh wait, that was me!

Chicken Chops Masala - Like Mumma makes

My horoscope this weekend prophesized that I would take a long drive and even have a picnic. Boy was I skeptical! I hardly get my a** out of bed earlier than noon on a Sunday, so I was pitting my practiced laziness against the schemes of the universe. We went out for a party on Saturday night and like with all parties came home in a more than happy daze and flopped into bed. I challenged the universe to beat the combo of my hangover + laziness!

I got a call at 9:00 AM in the morning… groan. I rolled over and half blinking looked at the screen. It was my sister. I picked up the call, knowing that leaving it unanswered would just lead to a barrage of calls until I wished the phone would self destruct. Would I please drop her to her exam center? – she had to take an MBA admission test. Since I was the one who goaded her to apply, I had to give in. I didn’t even have time to get breakfast in. Drove like a maniac and picked her and my mom up. Then we started the long drive to Electronic city. Wait…Did I just say long drive? Aaargh… part one of horoscope rebelling – fail!

Reached the spot and quickly wished her luck, while she ran in to write her exam. Mom and I decided to wait for her to finish, so we were loitering around and checking out the campus. My stomach was literally grumbling now. Mom smiled and said she had a surprise for me. She had packed some lunch because she knew I wouldn’t have time to eat at home! She unpacked a basket to reveal my favorite Chicken Curry, steamed rice, fruit and a plate, forks and water! I literally had a picnic in the park. The universe had won!

P.S. This recipe below is mom’s brilliant Karnataka Style Chicken Chops Masala which is best eaten with Ragi Balls or Mudde. I however love it with my white rice or Ghee Rice!

Asian Grill Festival @ Shiro (UB City, Bangalore)

UB City has become one of my favorite places to hang out. The open air cafés and restaurants, the dancing fountain, the easy relaxed pace in the evening under the stars – I always feel like I’m out of Bangalore. Sunday brunches at Shiro – the pan Asian restaurant, is an indulgence that I often dip into. The Zen like ambience with the giant statues and the serene Buddha never fail to get me into a happy and peaceful mood. So when Shiro invited me to their Asian Grill Festival, I was more than happy to pay them a visit. Bangalore winters have started, so we chose a table inside right next to the Buddha. I was feeling good already!

Cannellini Bean Dip

Featured in Tastespotting.com on 5th Dec 2012

Featured in Foodgawker.com on 5th Dec 2012

If you ever get bored of eating hummus (highly unlikely) this dip will easily fill the void. And ‘easily’ is the key word here. It takes all of 5 mins to whip this up and you can flaunt it around in your guest’s faces as some exotic dish. Unless of course, the guest happens to be my Mom. In that case, the story will differ. She will just take a whiff of it and declare with uber confidence that – ‘it’s just a form of Rajma… white in this case’ – chapter closed. All tales of how you bought it from GNB and paid 150 rupees for a 400gm can will vanish from memory because you don’t want to be cut down to size! The next debate will clearly be on why I eat such ‘processed’ food when I can just head down to the market in the morning and pick up some fresh organic stuff. And the final closing argument will be – No wonder this generation lacks energy to do anything and will all die young due to some lifestyle disease. Poof! Ok, leaving all elderly ranting (she will kill me) aside, this dip is easy to make, tastes great and is perfect for some crisps, pita or even vegetable crudités. Case closed.

Souza Lobo (Calangute Beach, North Goa)

Like every self respecting yuppie Indian, who was exposed to the wonderland that is Goa at a young age, I come to consider it my second home. A Goan may frown upon this notion or ignore it altogether, but for me the feeling of belonging in Goa is so complete that, I in turn frown upon the ‘other’ tourists. So leaving this merry-go-around of who the state belongs to, let me get down to business to talk about one of my favorite places to eat while I’m there.

I generally avoid the Calangute side of the beach like the plague because it is so packed with tourists at any time of the year. Hordes and hordes of buses will dump their beach hungry populace there and to cater to their needs the area has become a densely populated commercial hub. But I must trudge my way through the fat man in a baniyan and the lady with the wailing kid and the beggars who plead with interesting British accents and the Romeo’s basking in their ditty underwear to reach the sand covered steps of solace that is Souza Lobo.

Souza Lobo has been around since 1932. (The restaurant, not the lady – bless her soul). By the number of locals as well as tourists who eat here, they seem to live up to their USP of ‘Traditional recipes live here’. They are open from 11am in the morning and continue dishing out succulent seafood and Goan delicacies till midnight. And if you intend to come during rush hour – be prepared to wait in their patio till your number is called out. No, Seriously. In the ten years that I have been coming here, I have spent considerable time and consumed innumerable drinks in the patio, waiting for my turn to eat. No Regrets! 

Herby Chicken Salad on Multigrain Bread

I bought a lovely multigrain loaf from Bliss Chocolates. Yes, yes…they now bake loaves, pita, lavash, foccacia and a host of other yeasty delights. And their packaging is quite nice as well and you know I’m a sucker for such things anyway. After I polished off half a loaf with just olive oil and some balsamic vinegar, I was left thinking how wonderfully this bread would lend itself to my chicken salad. I know it’s winter and a Chicken Salad is more of a light summery meal. But in Bangalore, the sun still shines nice and bright and the skies are awash with my favorite shade of blue. It’s not fair is it? :P

This basic recipe has many tricks up it’s sleeve. a. You can make this ahead and keep it in the fridge, the flavors just get better. b. So needless to say, it’s a great picnic staple! c. Serve it on some cucumber roundels and you have a fancy cocktail snack at a party! d. I ate this for lunch, so yes it’s hearty enough. And finally e. even though it’s a salad, it dosen’t feel like punishment at all because it’s so yummy! If all this is not enough to make you try this right away … look at the pictures!

DELIZIOSO - Italian Food Festival @ Bene, Sheraton Bangalore

I was invited by the Sheraton for a preview of their Italian Food Festival – ‘Delizioso’ last Friday. Their signature Italian restaurant Bene, was playing host to celebrity Chef Enrico Fiorentini from 9^th -18^th Nov. (That’s the duration of the festival by the way!). Last year Bene did a Truffles festival, but this year because of the weather in Italy (No good rains), availability of good quality truffles was a dicey affair. Hence they decided to showcase ‘Lombardy’ cuisine. Now when we say Italian food, the two things that immediately spring to mind are Pasta and Pizza. But that’s not all Italian food, is about. (Same as Indian cuisine is not equal to Garlic Naan and Chicken Tikka Masala!).

Milan is the major city of the Lombard region and is bordered by Switzerland to the north. Lombardy cuisine primarily consists of hearty fare with rice being a foundation. (South Indians rejoice!). Apart from being famous for its fashion, gastronomically the region is associated with Risotto. Now does Risotto ‘Milan’ese, ring a bell?  Dairy products also rule the roost (close to Switzerland darlings) and you can find the best Gorgonzola cheese here as well.

I made a mental note to myself that the acid test of the festival would be whether Chef Enrico could turn out a perfect risotto. If the executive chef from the award winning Sheraton Milan can’t do it, then who could, right?

Quick Fried Rice - A Lifesaver, literally!

Chinese Cooking is an art (At least for me). So attempts of Chinese cuisine at home are few and far between. We do visit the fancy Chinese restaurant for a nice meal, but nothing beats ordering greasy Chinese food from the neighborhood restaurant and settling blissfully on the couch to watch reruns of ‘How I met your Mother’ (Or CSI Miami, if that’s your scene :P). At the end of the meal however there’s always a faint feeling of regret. And regret tastes like a swollen tongue because of the amount of MSG/ Ajinomoto that the local guys use, to kick up the taste of the food. Not nice… not nice at all!

When such derailing urges strike these days, thankfully I don’t need to call the Ajinomoto joint anymore. (No, I don’t have a Chinese chef at home.) But I recently found this brand called Blue Dragon, which makes some amazing stir fry sauces. All I need to do is cut up some chicken and veggies and stir fry them quickly and toss the sauce in to finish! It tastes brilliant :) and even though I know there is some MSG in it, the level is not as high as leaving my mouth feeling like a barren wasteland! The only problem with this situation is that I only have the main course bit covered. Now if I order the noodles or rice from Ajinomoto Joint (that’s not their real name!), it defeats the purpose. That’s when I came across this fantabulous (yes, it’s that satisfying) Quick Fried Rice recipe. It looks and tastes like the real deal and helps complete the meal! Win win! Feels as good as Superman saving the day… well almost!

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Chili Maple Croutons

Now don’t be babies and skip this post because it’s got ‘kaddu/ kumbalkayi’ as the star ingredient. I know I ran a mile when my mom made pumpkin playa when I was a kid. There was so much drama about not eating it, that my mom finally relented and stopped making it for many years. But I guess I was always a hypocrite when it came to pumpkins. There’s a special halwa (sweet) called ‘Kashi Halwa’, that’s made out of pumpkins for our wedding ceremonies. I used to wait patiently furiously tapping my banana leaf for the waiter to serve us the halwa. I would quickly devour it before he finished serving the rest of the table and act like he missed serving me. The look on the waiter’s face was priceless!  But topping that look was mine, when my mom finally told me that the halwa was made out of pumpkin! Evil evil woman! After that I had to make my peace with the pumpkin. (If only to avoid the dichotomy while eating the halwa!)

Circa 2012, over a dinner in Graze at the Taj Vivaanta – I order Pumpkin Soup. The co-resident looks like he’s going to gag on his breadstick. I look at him smugly with a wait and watch approach. The soup is divine! Maybe because of the generous amount of truffle oil, but divine nonetheless. It also costs an arm and a leg. So I come back home and attempt to replicate it over the weekend. And the result is this gorgeous concoction. Yum yum yum… I kicked the recipe up a notch and served it with some Maple-paprika croutons. I now crown myself Queen of the Pumpkin Patch! :P

Mangrove - Restaurant.Cafe.Wine Tavern (Kalyan Nagar, Bangalore)

I live at a point where going to Indiranagar or Koramangala or MG Road is the same distance. I know, lucky me! With so many food options scattered at my doorstep, I hardly travel beyond these areas for a quick bite. But after a point it becomes same old same old and this weekend we decided to travel to the beyond. Ok, that’s Kalyan Nagar near H.R.B.R. layout for you. We took the Bypanahalli route because the GPS on the co-resident’s phone said it was the shortest and fastest route, but we din’t know it would lead us to a defunct railway crossing! After a few more adventures, we reached Mangrove. It’s a new American cuisine restaurant that’s opened its doors, to entice the sudden population burst towards Manyata Tech Park and ORR. There is a big sign painted on the entrance wall so that you don’t miss the restaurant on the quite road. J

We expected to find the restaurant under a Mango tree, but realized that the young couple who run the place came up with the name when they were scuba diving in the Andamas (which you know is also famous for its Mangroves). The lady also runs a bakery called Oven Treats and after being in the business for 8 years thought the time was right to step it up. The restaurant/café/wine tavern offers all day dining from 11am to 11pm, but you still have to wait for a while longer to have your meal with some wine. (The license is on its way). The space is split into two areas – the ground floor being more casual and café like, while the top floor acts as the more formal dining space. (The co-resident fell in love with the wooden chairs, but unfortunately it’s not something we can buy here. The restaurant had them tailormade and shipped from Pune L)

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

Featured in Foodgawker.com on 16th Oct 2012

Featured in Tastespotting.com on 21st Oct 2012

No matter how good my refrigerator is, I can’t store things forever. Especially fruits and vegetables. I don’t have the luxury of taking a lovely evening stroll to source my produce everyday, like the friendly aunty who lives across the street from me. I go to a hypermarket close by and bundle everything I can into the car and lug it home once a week. I know the hypermarket claims the produce is super fresh and challenges anyone to claim otherwise. But everyone knows that even the supposedly ‘fresh’ produce in supermarkets is already stashed in cold storage for weeks to help transport it intact. Now is this a rant on the troubles of city living or the hypocrisy of large corporations? No.

I just have a rule that once I buy something perishable from the market, I need to finish it within a week. In a perfect world, I would have planned the menu for the week in advance. I would have used up everything judiciously by the end of the week. I would have variety everyday and would eat healthy and balanced meals. Unfortunately we live in the real world. Sometimes we work late, sometimes we run out of gas, sometimes we go out for dinner and sometimes we just want to order in greasy Chinese. Towards the end of the week, when I open the fridge to grab some chocolate – the veggies are staring back at me. The guilt meter points to high. That’s when genius strikes and I rustle up something that can accommodate the weeks shopping list. Fortunately this time, they all lent themselves to a nice Roasted Vegetable sauce served with Pasta. Hallelujah! Because it looked and tasted so amazing, the co-resident thought I planned this, weeks in advance J

Chinese Food Festival at Feast, Sheraton Bangalore

Monday was an eventful day. I finally drove all the way to the other side of town to experience authentic Chinese delicacies. Now this would have never been done, if not for a blogger friend of mine who invited me to come along with him to Sheraton. He was invited as part of the Chef’s table and I was going to be his happy sidekick.

Feast, which is the all-day dining restaurant at the Sheraton Hotel, Bangalore was playing host to visiting Chinese Master Chef Thi Gang. Chef Thi Gang is from their award winning restaurant Li Bai at the Sheraton Saigon, Vietnam and was here to showcase the rich and diverse culinary heritage of China. Like India, China is vast country with unique regional cuisines and showcasing all of it can be a gargantuan task. So the Chef had handpicked some interesting dishes to help us savour a taste of China, if you will. The chef is a tiny man with a big smile and speaks very little English but his mastery was evident as we tasted the food. Anyway, we had Executive Chef Bela Rieck who was happy to indulge us with some fun conversation and cuisine facts. 

Hassleback Potatoes with Garlic and Sour Cream

Featured in Tastespotting.com on 12th Oct 2012

I’ll admit the only reason I made this is because it looks so cool. Like an armadillo or a fat fan or an accordion. A restaurant in Stockholm invented these and hence they took on the moniker of the restaurant. (The restaurant was called Hasslebacken!). I like fancy looking food, but I don’t really have the patience to make it look fancy. That’s why I’m always envious of pastry chefs. How many hours of practice and restraint does rolling out a perfect sugared rose take?! When you look at a hassleback potato you’re thinking it involves a fair bit of work. Well, it involves some work, but nothing more than slicing and stuffing. On a day when the whole of Bangalore was cooped indoors because of the bandh – I figured I might as well give it a go. The final product is a potato that is crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. Almost like soft crisps. (Oxymoron, I know!). Also since it’s mostly served with Sour Cream, you’ll be safe no matter how it turns out!

P.S. Yes, I’m exactly like Monica Geller in this situation – I will be friends with the foreign student if it means I get to eat sour cream everyday! (The last line is for those fools who used the TV show friends as role model behavior for most of the 90’s and 00’s – that fool includes me!)

French Macarons and Amande Patisserie

There has been a flurry of activity around the Macaron in Bangalore. Suddenly home bakers have taken to trying their hand at churning these pretty treats out, Taj Vivanta has a Macaron festival, patisseries are selling them hot off the mint and  there has even been serious discussions on a popular food group around their spelling! Adding to this is Masterchef Australia – I don’t think there’s been one season where the contestants have not tried their hand at impressing the judges with a fancy macaron. I guess we’ve reached critical mass for the Macaron in Bangalore and Amande Patisserie has come in at the right moment!

Before you read any further, I have a few things to profess. When I first came across Amande, I was just a happy customer. Being a click crazy person, of course I had to take pretty pictures of the Macarons and cry out to all and sundry on Facebook on how much I loved them. Owing to this evangelist behavior Amande’s customer list included people from my friend list as well! Amande’s owner was tickled pink that a few pictures could get him a larger fan following. (They don’t have a retail outlet yet..only home delivery by ordering online.) So he asked me to click a couple of more pictures for his website – to showcase new flavors. I happily obliged (which food photography obsessed geek wouldn’t?). So now that Amande is a photography client, (P.S. As of now, none of my pics are updated on the website yet. Will let you'll know when they are) Would it be wrong of me to write about them?  I did think of this for a long time and finally decided – I love their macarons irrespective of shooting for them and it would be a great disservice to you guys if I didn’t talk about it here. Besides, if I’m telling you upfront about the circumstances, so I'm sure you guys would understand. (P.S. I got paid in kind in Macarons and wine, so that lessens the promotional angle :P)

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Was the chicken a jerk? I thought ‘jerk’ was reserved for the masculine gender, so shouldn’t the rooster be the jerk? On the other hand, why is the poor poultry being subjected to name calling in the first place? Ha ha ha … this recipe name always cracks me up. I know it’s juvenile to laugh at such things but my brain is wired in weird ways! So coming to the point…nobody is a jerk here (except maybe the gas connection guys – but that’s another story)!

Jerk is a style of Jamaican cooking where the meat is generally dry rubbed or wet marinated with a very hot spice mixture called Jamaican Jerk spice (courtesy: Wiki). The inspiration for this, was the fact that I had a bottle of All-spice and the rest of the ingredient list (including Demerara sugar) available in my pantry. I know! Sometimes I surprise myself! So I proceeded to make the mixture and marinated the chicken overnight. I cooked it for lunch this afternoon and maybe was a bit overenthusiastic in charring the chicken. (Well, the recipe said 45 mins and I was loitering around!) Of course I’ve tweaked the cooking time down to 30 mins for you guys – the martyr that I am, taking the hit so that you can have a good recipe! It’s a good change from the regular tandoori or grilled chicken recipes. Enjoy it with some beer on a hot afternoon J

Pretty in Pink - The Guava Mojito

Featured in Tastespotting.com on 21st Sep 2012

Featured in Tasteologie.notcot.org on 22nd Sep 2012

When I was a kid, it was stereotypical for the girls to dress in pink and the boys in blue. And because I was pretty much forced to wear pink most of the time, I developed a kind of love hate relationship with it. Love because I actually adored the colour and hate because I would be called a ‘girly girl’ whenever I wore it. And this was completely unacceptable to me, especially while playing tough games like police and robbers in the neighbourhood! I could not bear to have my game credentials questioned because of a colour! (Racism at the grassroot level!). So I avoided pink as I grew up, until one day my wardrobe had nothing that was pink. And then the revolution happened – the metrosexual male stepped over the line and wore the prettiest baby pink shirt! That was it… something snapped inside of me. The hypocrites! All the while belittling us women for being girly girls for wearing pink and now romping around town doing the same! I quickly did a 360° turn and embraced my long lost friend – pretty pretty pink. My Guava drink is a toast to you!

P.S. Now don’t let the prettiness of the drink fool you, it’s got enough vodka to knock a grown man into happy oblivion J

Red and Green Coconut Chutneys for Idlis or Dosa

Featured in Tastespotting.com on 18th Sep 2012

I was the kind of South Indian kid who always liked her Dosas more than her Idlis. The crispy buttery pancake always made my mouth water a lot more than the healthier alternative – The Idli. The only place I would crave an Idli was this little cart near Commercial Street. There are more than a dozen idli sellers with similar wares in and around the area but I always gravitated to this one. The reason was simple – the chutney’s! This man made the most awesome red and green chutney’s to go along with the idli’s. People would queue up in front of his cart from 7:00 pm upto 9:00 pm. His stock would never last beyond that! The whole exercise of ordering in this place is an art – of War! You jostle through the crowd to reach a point where he can actually see your face and hear you. Then you scream out your order (no dilly dallying) and squirm your way out of the crowd. Then you keep looking at the guy who plates the idli’s to confirm whether it’s your turn. He will look at you and the slightest nod in your direction would signify that you can come collect your wares. Of course many people will still attempt to move up the crowd and convince him that it’s their plate, so you need to elbow them out of the way and take what’s rightfully yours. I always go back for second (and third) helpings of the chutney. People around are definitely not tolerant of an Idli holding person moving up the order crowd again, but a girls got to do what a girls got to do! The Idli Plater grudgingly dishes out the smallest portion of the second round of chutney’s (after all Coconut’s don’t come cheap these days!) When you are finally done eating, you dispose of the banana leaf (your plate) and pay your bill and smile till your jaws ache!

Now, my version of the Red and Green Coconut Chutneys can never parallel his, but it will definitely add zing to your Idli or Dosa in the morning! J

Veggie Chic Menu at Caperberry, Bangalore

I like my chicken and my bacon and my pork and mutton and prawns and …you get the drift. So when I excitedly signed up for the Veggie Chic menu created by Chef Abhijit Saha of Caperberry, many eyebrows were raised. Is she turning vegetarian? Is she just coming there to mock us with terms like Ghas Phoos? And finally has she not read the menu? My answer to all the dear veggies – I just thought the Veggie menu looked exciting and why should I pass up an opportunity to be entertained by a culinary genius just because the menu didn’t have anything that walks, swims or clucks! Now that we have resolved the mystery of my presence at the dinner, let’s move on to important bits – the restaurant and the food!

Caperberry means provocation of desire in Hebrew. It’s also really a berry as well – green and tart… but the earlier definition is more in tune with what the restaurant wants to achieve. Caperberry is located at the Tanishq building on Dickenson Road. You have to literally search for the name board before you enter, but a restaurant of such repute hardly needs to shout out from the mountain top! The restaurant is know as much for its food (molecular gastronomy), if not more so for its celebrity chef Abhijit. After this experience, I think he deserves the adulation!

Okonomiyaki or "As you like" - Japanese Pizza

Featured in Foodgawker.com on 20th Nov 2012

Featured in Tasteologie.notcot.org on 20th Nov 12

Featured in BitchinKitchen's Twitter feed on 28th Nov 12

I must confess, I had never heard of this thing till my trip to Stuttgart this summer. I know Stuttgart and Japan are miles apart, but the story starts there. The co-resident’s friends, let’s call then D and E decided to make Okonomiyaki for dinner. Now E had travelled to Japan for her summer break and fell in love with this dish.

The dish being a savory omlette/ frittata/ pizza made out of flour, eggs, cabbage, veggies and pork and topped off with mayo, sweet sauce, fish flakes and seaweed. It’s so popular in Japan that there are more than 30,000 specialized Okonomiyaki restaurants. The restaurant provides you with ready okomomiyaki batter and you add in whatever your heart desires and proceed to grill it on the grill pan in front of you. Then you decorate it with the condiments of your choice and proceed to polish off your Japanese pizza! Unfortunately there are less than 100 restaurants outside Japan that serve this, so if you want to eat it, you’ve got to make it yourself!

So when E and D made this for me, I was intrigued but not entirely convinced of its merit. When I ate it though, I was hooked! Trust me the ingredient list might sound kooky but it tastes incredible! Now E is a converted vegetarian, so her version does not include pork or seafood but feel free to add it if you please. Literally, that’s what Okonomi means - “as you like” :)

P.S. A friend told me Harima in Bangalore serves a mean Okonomiyaki… must try it out!

A Bloggers Meet and Four Seasons Wine Tasting

What is a good way to spend a Sunday? Couple of friends sharing a good meal over some great wine by the poolside on a cheery afternoon - pretty much hits the spot! So that’s what I did, this Sunday. I was invited to a Bloggers Meet at the Royal Orchid which was hosted by Four Seasons Wine. The invite promised a live cooking demo, wine tasting and food pairing and a chance to catch up with fellow bloggers. What’s not to like?

Quick Hummus for Easy Entertaining...

Featured in Tastespotting.com on 26th Sep 12

While the quickest Hummus would be a store bought variety, it’s not essentially the tastiest. At the other end of the spectrum is the completely home made Hummus which is super yuumy but so time consuming (with the overnight soaking of the chickpea and then boiling blah blah blah), that it takes the joy out of entertaining. Ok, I’m exaggerating, but I’ve never been a fan of being a slave to the kitchen. Give me quick, easy and tasty any day! So I’ve found a happy median with this recipe. I use canned chickpea and tahini paste and blend the rest of the ingredients in! It’s super simple and tastes 100% better than the store bought one. And I also have the satisfaction that I churned it out myself. (At least MOST of it)! J

PanchPhoran Dal (Five Spice Lentils) - Comfort food at it's Best!

I know I’ve said many times that making regular dal and rice bores me. That dosen’t mean I don’t make it. No week is complete without Dal being made atleast twice. It’s what we grew up on and it’s what I crave when I come back from a long trip to unfamiliar places. Eating dal and rice with a veggie on the side and a smattering of pickle is nothing short of a homecoming! The fact that it’s such a commoner on the dinner table and gets made so often, I’ve actually never written down a recipe for dal. So this was my first attempt at documenting the precise quantities. I kept a little sheet of paper next to me and kept jotting down what I threw into the pan. Now I finally have a dal recipe that I can pass to the co-resident and ask him to attempt it when am too bored to move a muscle J We use mustard seeds and curry leaves to temper the dal. However, this one uses a five spice mix called Panchphoran that is unique to the eastern parts of India – West Bengal and Orissa. The mix is equal parts of brown mustard seeds, Nigella (kalonji/ onion) seeds, fenugreek (methi) seeds, cumin (jeera) seeds and fennel (saunf) seeds. This totally rocks the Dal into a different universe. I almost feel like I’m eating super sattvic temple food …God bless the humble Dal!

Ultimate Chocolate Banana Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Oh Man! There’s so much chocolate in this recipe and its soo moist and googey and yummy. I kid you not! It’s now my TOP chocolate cake. Ok, I know it says banana in the title, but don’t let that scare you away. All the banana does is make it unbelievably moist (just like a fantastic patisserie bought cake) and add a faint banana sweetness. I realized that banana in a chocolate cake is not such an odd combo. I ordered a slice of royal banana chocolate cake at the California Pizza Kitchen and was totally transported to heaven. So I looked high and low for a similar recipe and finally found a Joy of Baking one that looked and sounded delicious. The recipe is super rich and makes a huge cake for 12 people. This means not only do I have a fail safe recipe, but one that tastes un-freaking-believable, and feeds a lot of people at the same time…I am really in cake bliss! I balanced the sweetness of the cake with a dark chocolate ganache frosting. Again super easy to make, so don’t sweat it and don’t leave the frosting bit out. I’m telling you it totally elevates the cake. So I’m gonna beg you to make this cake… no really… I am... it’s that good!

Savoury Breakfast Muffins to wake you up!

It’s nice to have a good savory muffin in one’s repertoire. (Not that I would ever tire of cupcakes!). But some mornings need a nice wake-me-up-punch and if I load myself with sugary delights, I know I’m going to crash by midday! So this one’s a lovely cheddar and spinach muffin with the red chilli adding the right amount of spice. It feels really healthy because its got veggies and milk and just 3 gms of butter per muffin! (Almost felt like a subway advert there – less than 6 gms of fat!). It’s also really easy to make – just combine the wet and dry ingredients and bake! I would suggest eating these warm (not hot) so that you can still feel the gooey cheese. I like to throw on some Tabasco on top, because I’m crazy! Good Morning darlings… I’m sure going to have one!

Third times a Charm... Happy Birthday Food for Swaps!

Food for Swaps turned three on 24th of July. I had just gotten back from holiday and had massive withdrawal symptoms! That coupled with a lost wallet and pending work load of 20 days had me walking a tightrope! So you can see how the idea of putting pen down to paper (or rather finger to keyboard) was far from my mind. Actually it was like this invisible boulder on my shoulder (i'm rhyming!) that I chose to ignore for 3 days. But I can't any longer - my little blog has become such a comfortable part of my daily routine that turning three just seemed like the inevitable. And I owe it to my blog to say "HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOOD FOR SWAPS"! Thanks for making my days more enjoyable and my meal times more creative and my pictures more lustworthy ! And I thank you guys for hanging around and taking this food journey with me! Like they say "Third times a Charm" and "Three's a crowd" and a jolly good one we have right now!!

I picked my top recipes of the past year for you guys. Now these are my personal favorites, the ones that, if I had a recipe book I would put a big gold star on! Hope you have fun! Love Always ... Food for Swaps.

In no particular order.....

We're all going on a Summer Holiday....

Away in Barcelona... Catch up with you soon!

P.S. This place is a foodie delight!!

Singapore Black Pepper Prawns

Singapore’s most famous dish is undoubtedly the Chili Crab and the Black Pepper Prawns. When you walk down Clark Quay or Boat Quay you will find innumerable restaurants and street café’s serving up these super fiery dishes. The Chili crab is generally made with huge Sri Lankan crabs. If you put both your palms together, the crab will probably be larger than that! I’ve spent quite a bit of money on many many nights in Singapore digging into these critters! Another one of my favorites is the Black Pepper Prawns – buttery, peppery, hot awesomeness! They generally use Tiger Prawns for this with the tails (and sometimes the head on.) You yank the head off and start slurping down the sauce and the prawn meat, then finish by digging out whatever else in left in the tail. At the end of the night you have steam coming out of your ears and are sticking your tongue out and downing litres of beer but you can’t stop smiling, because it was so awesome! So here’s my little imitation black pepper prawns. I used medium prawns with the head and tail off. I cooked them skewered on a bamboo stick. This way it makes for an excellent appetizer or cocktail snack. Don’t expect your guests to behave themselves and eat just one skewer… they are irresistible!

Mango Lassi and Opportunism

Mango season is almost getting over and I am downing mangoes by the dozens! There’s a frantic need for me to consume as much as I can before I walk out one day and realize the mangoes are gone (for this year at least!). Now Frooti (it’s the largest selling mango drink in India) will have you believe that you can have fresh mango juice throughout the year… but we all know anything that’s stretched to make it live out of season is, well… bullshit. Opportunism is defined as the practice of taking advantage of circumstances with little regard for consequences. So my need to hoard in season, is justified I think! However, this drive to consume more mangoes than I possibly should, has some very visible repercussions – a couple of extra kilos! (Luckily a flowy summer top will hide most of the abnormalities :P). I digress as usual, but the point of this whole post was to tell you eat as many mangoes as you can before it’s too late!

Article on Food Bloggers in Bangalore mentions Food for Swaps!

http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/view/4274-bengalurus-food-blog-trail

Bengaluru’s food blog trail

Mediterranean cuisine did you say? Or do you want a quick recipe on mango based dessert this summer? A peek into some of Bengaluru based food bloggers.

By Maitreyi Ananth

20 Jun 2012, Citizen Matters

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Food blogging is growing in India, and a lot of food enthusiasts are sharing their wonderful recipes online. Each of them have their unique stories, experiences, and of course, their food recipes. Here are three food bloggers who live in Bengaluru doing what they love doing, and a peek at their journeys.

Blog beginnings

Archana Doshi, on her food blog , calls herself a “chef, blogger, author, food writer” and more. She is a software engineer by profession but when she became a mother, she had to leave her career behind. At this time she decided to blog about parenting, and a little later, she began blogging about the recipes that she invented in her own kitchen.

Archana's 'Pavlova with Strawberry Compote'. Pic: Archana Doshi

“I developed a flair and love for cooking during my childhood when I worked with my mother in the kitchen helping her with various chores,” says Archana. “Over time my traffic kept increasing, the growth provided the drive to cook, write and photograph food,” she says.

Another food lover, Chinmayie Bhat’s cooking days began when she was in college. “When I moved to Bangalore for college into my own little house at the age of 17, I started cooking all three meals a day.”

Though her food was a hit, Chinmayie says she could never remember the exact recipe. “Every time somebody tried something special I had made, they would ask me for the recipe and I would be blank. I never remember my recipes. Cooking to me is very natural and spontaneous,” she says.

After a while she began to post her recipes and photographs on her Facebook page. As time went by, more people began asking her for her recipes. That’s when she decided to start her own blog.

For Swapna Venkatesh who started her own food blog in 2009, food was a major part since she was nine. “We always helped around home, especially whenever there was something different being cooked; I was not interested in the usual dhal and chaaval.”

What’s special?

All these food lovers began with by loving one thing, but now over time, they’ve become masters in their own fields and have unique areas of interest in cooking.

Cooking with local ingredients and what’s available in her kitchen is what Chimayie does. Despite being a full-time mother, Chinmayie’s blog is always flowing with new recipes as the seasons change.

“I am thankful that I have access to gorgeous seasonal fruits and vegetables throughout the year and I am going to make complete use of it. Eating seasonal and local is healthier and more sustainable than eating imported gourmet food from the other parts of the world,” she says.

Chinmayie's 'Aloor Dum'. Pic: Chinmayie Bhat

Growing up in the town of Puttur, Chinmayie ate simple seasonal food. For a while she moved away from these traditional foods trying different cuisines and dishes. “But I am back to basics again with a lot of respect and love for eating simple,” she says.

Having stayed in many countries, Archana cooks a variety of dishes of different cuisines. Archana’s recipes are all healthy and the ingredients used are fresh, not packaged or processed. Archana began to make her own baby food for her two sons when they were small. “I used to grind baby cereal at home, make fresh pureed food every day and never bought ready to eat packaged baby food,” she says.

Swapna enjoys cooking Italian and Mediterranean foods the most. She kept a book in which she would record her recipes. Soon she saw others who were blogging about their own food, and she too thought it was time to put her own recipes online. At this time, she had also started becoming interested in photography, so everything fit.

Flavourful journey

Archana started her food blog in 2007, and today, has over a million visitors on her blog and 7500 fans on Facebook. Archana also conducts cooking classes in the city. Details are available on her site.

Chinmayie’s posts of various foods and drinks all have a story to tell, which makes reading them interesting. She shares her thoughts, how she came about making the dish, and what the process was like.

“I’m pretty happy as I get about 2000-3000 views per month,” Swapna says. Though she could increase the number of views on her site, Swapna prefers to keep her site ad-free.

Managing blogs and balancing their other interests is a task for these food bloggers, but yet, they have found what they’re passionate about, cooking and food. What more, they’re enjoying it, and thousands are benefitting from it!⊕

 

Maitreyi Ananth

20 Jun 2012

Maitreyi is a student of Communications at Mt.Carmel College and is a summer intern at Citizen Matters

Bruschetta a la Italia - Red, White and Green

This appetizer is so packed with flavor and color and taste, that it’s always a hit at a party. It doesn’t even need any cooking! So if you want to impress with minimal effort and maximum style – this is the one for you. I call it ‘a la Italia’ because once I assembled it, I realized that it had Red, White and Green. I was giggling away to myself very bemused, that an Italian dish must encompass the colors of the Italian flag – hence the christening.

Bruschetta (bru-sket-ta) is a very popular starter to an Italian meal. Though many people assume that bruschetta is bread topped with tomato and Basil and olive oil (that’s a popular topping), it is actually just roasted/ toasted bread rubbed with garlic and some olive oil. You can top this up with interesting combinations and have a fun start to a meal. I always have Pesto and Sun Dried tomatoes at home, so this combo was a no breezer for me. I also picked up some lovely bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls) to top it all off. So without further adieu, I give you Bruschetta a la Italia.

Bruschetta with Pesto, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Prep time: 10 mins

Serves 6

What you need:

1 French Baguette/ Ciabatta, sliced horizontally (about 12 slices)

4 Tbsp Pesto

4 Sun dried tomatoes, sliced

6 Bocconcini Balls, sliced

¼ cup Olive Oil

4 cloves Garlic

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

What to do:

Slice the baguette and toast till a light golden brown. Rub with a clove of garlic and drizzle some olive oil on top. Now spread some pesto on it. Top with sun dried tomato slices and bocconcini. Season with Salt and Pepper. Serve with aplomb!

Flame Grapes and Green Apple Salad

Yes I’m trying to show off and no the grapes are not on fire. That’s just a name for a variety of grapes that are both white and red in colour. Quite pretty really. They are also seedless and firm. Perfect for use in a salad. The tang of the green apple superbly complements the sweetness of the grapes and we bring it all together with some lovely lemon herb mayonnaise dressing.

Now I, (like most people) was not a very big fan of salads in the younger days of yore. We even called it Ghas Phoos. (Those who know, will know!). But now that’s I’ve grown older wiser, I gladly fill up my plate with the goodies. I’ve even been known to order just salad for lunch! (Ha ha ha … really got you on that one din’t I??) Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is … some salads do taste awesome! And though you probably won’t bypass a meal to eat just one, it won’t hurt to pile some on your plate. Besides this is almost a cheat salad – it has more fruit than the leafy stuff!

  

Flame Grapes and Green Apple Salad

Prep time: 10 mins

Serves 2

What you need:

1 cup of seedless Grapes (flame/ globe)

1 Green Apple, cut into wedges

1 big bunch of Mixed Lettuce Leaves

2 Tbsp Mayonnaise

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

½ tsp of mixed dried herbs (oregano, rosemary, thyme)

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

What to Do:

Wash and dry lettuce leaves. (I have a salad spinner *smug*). Now combine the mayo, lemon juice and herbs in a small glass bottle. Shake well (with the lid on) to combine. You can also substitute sour cream for mayo. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Note: Always add the dressing on just before serving a salad. This will ensure the leaves are not limp and soggy but fresh and crunchy.