Chilly Biscuits/ Spicy Crackers / Masala Cookies

For all those here in the US, hope you had a good break and relaxed Thanks Giving weekend. We had a relaxing time as well away from the regular grind, did little bit of shopping but stayed mostly indoors. I prepared these easy to make Chilly Biscuits/ Spicy crackers at home. I got this recipe from my Mom’s diary. She used to conduct her own cookery classes when we were younger and I am glad that I have those recipes and tried these at home myself. All her recipe measurements are in grams and I converted them into cups as…

Mango Peda

We love mangoes at home; both the raw and the ripe fruity ones. We prefer eating fresh mangoes, but during mango off-season we succumb to temptation and buy those big Mango pulp cans from the Indian store. I tried Mango ice-cream with the pulp and after that a good bit of mango pulp was left over. I usually store the left over in the refrigerator; however I do not like storing it for a long time and so think of ways of using it quickly. Now the other day while I was in the process of making Kalakand, it suddenly stuck…

Kalakand Recipe

  Kalakand is a popular sweet made out of solidified, sweetened milk called Khoya and Paneer (cottage cheese). Growing up in Bangalore this used to be one of our favorite sweets. It has a rich, decadent and melt-in-your moth taste. Traditionally made, it is a very long process in which the Khoya and Paneer are made from scratch. After that they are mixed together along with sugar until thickened. They are then cut into squares and garnished with pistachios. Indira has posted a detailed recipe here. Whenever I look at the post, I marvel at the description, pictures, and the…

Instant Mango Pickle / Aam Ka Achar

So many factors like food, people, places, special days etc invoke memories in us, but I personally feel that food is the strong catalyst of all. Food is a part of our daily lives; there are so many varieties, different people associated with that food and so it is bound to bring back memories one time or the other. In my case, the reminder of raw mango pickle brought back flood gate of memories. At the Indian store, we invariably pick up one raw mango each time. I usually use it to make Mango Daal or Udid Methi or raw…

Easy Mixed Vegetable Rice/ Pulao without pressure cooker

During the production release week at work, everything becomes chaotic and extremely busy. New features and last-minute changes are often added to the release at the eleventh hour, which means more work must be completed before the deadline. Consequently, I end up bringing work home to finish the tasks. This impacts dinner time, so I try to prepare something that’s a one-pot meal, quick, and healthy. While take-out works for a day or two, we start craving something hearty and homemade, even if it’s simple Daal-chawal (Rice and Daal). During such times, this easy mixed Vegetable Rice recipe becomes my…

Mango Ice Cream Recipe

I had bookmarked this recipe Vegan Ice Cream: Coconut, Cherry & Almond by Soma long time ago and had been meaning to try it ever since.  The appealing factor for me (apart from those captivating pictures) was the usage of coconut milk instead of full fat milk, heavy cream for making the ice-cream. And not to mention the creamy and thick texture of the ice-cream giving it a feeling of regular ice-cream more than that of a Sorbet. Last week I had all ingredients on hand for making the ice-cream and decided to give it a try. I used her…

Puliyogare /Tamarind Rice

  Puliyogare/Tamrind Rice is a South Indian rice preparation usually eaten as a snack/breakfast. Puli means sour taste and Ogara means rice in Halegannada (old Kannada), thus Puliyogare translates as sour tasting rice.  (Source). The rice is usually one of the items prepared during major festivals in South India and is offered as Prasadam in the temples. This is also referred to as Puliogare, Puliyodarai, Pulihora or simply tamarind rice. This rice has a sweet, tangy and spicy combination and the flavor is enhanced by the addition of crunchy peanuts. This rice does not involve addition of any vegetables similar to Lemon…