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The Fedora Hat

So, you have an English-themed party in two days and you go buy one of the best outfits from a designer-clothes brand outlet. And with that you now have to plan and match your accessories. With jewelry, shoes and a bag in place, you feel good enough to go. We all know how important accessories are to accentuate or complete a look. They not only enhance physical appearance, they are also symbolic of ones’ confidence, character and mood.

The significance of accessories is also extended to cultural and social aspects. In the following article, we shall get to know one such accessory. You must have seen entertainment artists like actors, singers and dancers donning this piece of adornment in a large number of movies and music videos. What today adorns the heads of modern fashion lovers , was once a daily wear for the Orthodox Jews. The Fedora hat along with a smaller variant of the same style, called the Trilby are supposedly two of the most famous hats for men. These never went out of fashion and have been called timeless by people who love hats.

One can easily recognize a fedora as a felt hat with a wide brim and an indented or a pinched crown. Both Trilby and Fedora were originally made of beaver or rabbit felt. They can be found in both stiff and softer varieties. A fedora which is more popular among the masses is just a little different from the Trilby in the way it looks. It generally is also bounded by a hat band or a trim-ribbon around the rim of the crown. The fedora crown has its brim turned down in the front and is snapped up at the back , giving it a characteristic appearance and thus making it popular among all men.

The gutter dent or the crease running lengthwise through the crown and the side-dents give it a particular pinched appearance. Fedoras can also be creased with teardrop crease which gives the appearance of a teardrop from the top, or a diamond shaped crown, centre dents and many others. Although the positions of the pinches can also vary, the basic appearance stays the same. A typical fedora crown is upto 4.5 inches in height while the brim spans up to 6.4 centimeters or 2.5 inches wide. The brim may also be wider as per the rquirement. While the crease is a characteristic feature of the fedoras, some of them might also lack the crease and are called the ‘bucket fedoras’. Though fedoras can be found in a variety of colours and prints, but black, grey, dark brown and fawn are the most common colours. A Trilby looks very similar to a Fedora except for the fact that it has a shorter brim and also a slightly tighter upturn at the back.

The first time some one sported a fedora hat was in the year 1882 as a female accessory on the production of a stage play in Paris. It was a first production of the play titled ‘Fedora’ by the author Victorian Sardou. The actress Sarah Bernhardt who portrayed the role of Princess Fedora wore a hat with a wide brim and a pinched crown with an indented center. This was named after her character and has been popular ever since as the fedora hat. After Sarah Bernhardt wore the hat for her play, it became a popular fashion statement for women especially for women-rights activists. Besides them, the fedora hat found its’ many fans among newspaper reporters, Chicago gangsters, and tough guys in the movies. Rather, it became a basic accessory with a suit of clothes.

Any man who would wear a suit of clothes would top it off with a fedora. In 1924, Prince Edward of Britain started wearing fedoras on public appearances and social gatherings. Soon after this, fedora became a significant part of fashion for men and went on to replace caps, bowlers’ hats or even top hats. The classic black fedora was also worn traditionally by Orthodox Jews in the first few decades of the 20th century. They adopted the fedora as a part of their daily wear and a few of them still wear one. Though many cultures reportedly incorporated the fedora in their costumes significantly, the classic fedora was invented in the year 1891. On the other hand, what is known to be its’ younger brother, the Trilby was invented in the year 1894.

A fedora was typically worn in urban areas by men to protect them from the bad weather. It also has an aesthetic appeal that added to the many purposes of the hat. The structure of the hat makes it fashionable and hence lends to its’ popularity. Besides the appearance, they are also practical. The practicality lies in the fact that it has a relatively shorter brim that the other hats and hence they did not obstruct the view while driving a car. Since they are not so big, they could easily be worn on social outings and in public transports without any hassles. they could also be easily folded and stored or carried around without distorting the shape or posing any such problems. Besides utility, cultural and social importance, these hats have also made a significant place for themselves in the fashion industry and have been an important part of popular culture.

The media has played an important role in keeping the fedoras’ popularity intact even if it dipped at times. Hollywood actors and actresses like Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, football coaches such as Paul Bear Bryant, musicians like Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake and even writers of the sorts Terry Pratchett have all sported this statement of fashion and have contributed to keeping it in fashion.

Thus we see, the Fedora has a significant place in the glamour and fashion sector. It has always been noticed since it was invented. Even if it lost its’ popularity in the late 1950s owing to the fact that it was relatively a formal piece of clothing and people favoured informal clothing styles then, the significance was restored as and when important figures belonging to different fields wore it publicly. People have accepted the Fedora and all its variants in all the dimensions that it has to offer.

January 8, 2015
Kathi Roll: A History

The Kathi roll is perhaps the most famous street food item the city of Kolkata has produced. Referred to as the Kolkata wrap, it is a truly delicious item savored with much gusto. Essentially, it is a paratha prepared thicker than usual with a scrumptious filling consisting of paneer, chicken, egg or mutton. Offering wide variants to suit the taste buds of every individual, the Kathi roll is a perfect example of food customization at its best. What makes the Kathi roll truly special is the preparation that goes behind it. The kebabs are grilled over a sigri making the kebabs soft, moist and scrumptious.

The parathas are cooked with more oil than usual while the quantity of spices varies from place to place. Every Kathi roll connoisseur knows their preference of filling and instructs the cook accordingly. With a slight tinge of the charcoal aroma, the Kathi roll delights the senses and compels people to return for more despite the humid weather of Kolkata. Now there are many locations across the city where you can indulge in delicious rolls, but this article will attempt to make things easier for you by naming the best places that serve rolls. Like much in life, taste is individual and thus disagreements in where you get the best rolls may stem up, which is why it would be ideal for you to explore the city and find the magnificence that food can lend to a place. Besides the food, take in the experience of the city and make the most of your time here.

Having been given life within the renowned walls of the Nizam Restaurant in Kolkata, the Kathi Roll emerged as Kolkata’s favourite street food item. Having stiff competition with kebabs, parathas and other Mughlai delicacies, there is speculation regarding the origins of the Kathi Roll. Offering variations to suit the imaginations of a number of people, it is safe to say that at some point, someone came up with the idea of rolling up kebabs.

The Kathi roll derives its name from the practice of using bamboo skewers, instead of the common iron skewers, to make kebabs. At first Nizam used iron skewers, like every other restaurant, but opted for bamboo skewers owing to its weight and availability. The Bengali word ‘Kati’ refers to stick and so the name stuck. In the present day, anything stuffing wrapped in a paratha can be considered a Kathi Roll. The Kathi Roll serves as a truly versatile street food item, offering a wide variety of stuffing to suit your taste buds. The variations however, are restricted to the stuffing and the wrap.

Known as Kathi Kebab roll in western India, Frankie roll in southern and eastern India and Roti Roll in Northern India, the Kathi roll has really cemented its position in the heart of food lovers across the country. The number of variations we come across in the Kathi roll is truly astounding. Chilli chicken and Paneer variants have become extremely popular.

Now Kolkata is no stranger to die hard foodies. Widely recognized as the cultural hub of the country, Kolkata does not disappoint when it comes to food. There is a food stall around every corner it seems with a wide array of delicacies to choose from. Food really is the center of all matters here, whether of the mind or the heart. When in Kolkata, it becomes necessary to taste the beauty of the Kathi Roll and thus to make things even simpler, here’s a list of places to visit for your street food fix.

Zeeshan at Park Circus offers perhaps the best Kathi Roll with a sense of old school Kolkata. The busy streets capture the essence of a city bustling with activity. It comes as no surprise that Zeeshan capitalized on this Kolkata wrap to attract more customers. People are always on the move and the Kathi roll serves as the best food item for people on-the-go. Walking on this busy street, I’ve often observed the delightful smiles of people totally immersed in their roll.

Park street comes to mind as another favored foodie destination. There are a number of outlets offering a quick roll. Perhaps the most famous of these outlets is Kusum to which all consumers rush to. Park street is an experience to witness the old world charm of Kolkata. Home to some of the oldest buildings in the city, it acts as a melting pot for the old and new. One can spot a number of people taking a break from their hectic lives to enjoy a quick snack. It is in such an atmosphere that encourages the triumph of the Kathi Roll as the king of Kolkata street food.

Located rather close to Park street, Saima’s Dhaba at Russell Street is another famous eating house offering rolls people could kill for. People throng to this location with much enthusiasm. Russell Street does not just offer rolls, people can indulge themselves with a variety of street food items to choose from.

The beauty of the Kathi roll really shines through due to its diversity. Even though people have their own preferences, each eatery offers a different experience. Being located near offices also helps with people looking for breaks, hungry for some sinful treats. Walking across these outlets, you will always find someone licking their fingers in bliss while clutching a Kathi roll. The Kathi roll though enjoyed with company, offers a truly individualistic experience. You can simply block out the world, as witnessed many times, and indulge your senses in, what has been considered since its inception, a fantastic display of tasteful bliss. The Kathi roll is Kolkata’s favourite street food item for a reason and has stood the test of time and changing tastes. Be sure to catch up on this experience when in the city and you will not be disappointed.

January 8, 2015
Meal for Meal-makers- Recipes to Relish !

Holidays are over and we have entered a new calender year. Lets keep the spirits high even after the party is over and keep learning and preparing good recipes just to sink in the feeling that though holidays are over good times are not over yet . I always love the month of January as we always make new year resolution and are charged up to fulfill the long lost targets that we set cautiously but do not meet the deadlines. We have loads of festivals, weddings , birthday parties to attend and we love the food and foggy weather. Not only that, we plan holidays with family generally during that time or may be its a time off from work to simply relax and have awesome home cooked food.We often put up our orders to Mums , wives, or the cook but why don’t we change the format a little a cook for those who always spare their time in kitchen busy to feed monsters like us and still not complaining.This article is dedicated to those few people who cook for us and feed us 365 days . We often neglect their space, their holidays and even their Sundays keeping ourselves too comfortable to come out of that comfort zone. Its totally not fair and we must show a little gesture by cooking for them and making them smile. So are you ready to be a good Samaritan ??? If yes, then note down the heavenly recipes and bring in a smile to someone’s face.

Orange Chicken with Steamed Rice !!!

Ingredients : 500 g boneless chicken cut into small pieces, 2 tablespoon corn starch , 2 eggs beaten well, 1 cup refined flour seasoned with black pepper , salt , red chilly powder, and garlic powder, 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped, 1/2 tablespoon ginger chopped, 1 cup diced bell peppers, 1 teaspoon chilly flakes, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 cup orange juice,1 tablespoon orange zest,1 teaspoon olive oil, salt to taste, Vegetable oil for shallow frying chicken pieces. 200 g soaked rice for steaming.

Servings : 4

Method : Firstly we need to season the chicken and coat it well . For that Take a large zip lock bag and add 1 tablespoon corn starch in it. Dry the chicken pieces by dabbing it against a cloth and put it in the zip lock bag. Shake it well it the chicken pieces get evenly coated with corn starch. Now dip each piece in beaten egg and again coat it well with refined flour seasoned mixture . Keep the chicken separately for 10- minutes and then shallow fry in a pan . Now heat a pan and add orange juice with a cup of water. Then add salt , brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, olive oil, dark soy sauce ,chilly flakes and orange zest. Bring to a boil and then add chicken pieces to it and cook for 5 more minutes. Make a solution of corn starch and pour it over the chicken gravy and stir it for another 2 minutes. Steam cook the rice and serve it with hot orange chicken . You will be a good Samaritan for the one you are cooking for.

Bean and pasta in red sauce :

Ingredients : 1 1/2 cups of uncooked macaroni, 1 can baked beans, 1/2 cup fresh corns or frozen sweet corn kernels, 1/2 large red bell pepper sliced, 1/2 large capsicum sliced, 1/2 yellow bell pepper sliced, 3 large tomatoes, 1 large onion sliced, 1 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder, 2 cubes of processed cheese grated, 1/2 cup tomato ketchup, few garlic cloves finely chopped, 2 table spoon mixed dry herbs, salt to taste, 3 tablespoon olive oil for cooking.

Servings : 4

Method : Heat one teaspoon oil in a pan and sauté the onions and bell peppers for 2 to 3 minutes. Divide this mix into 2 equal portions and keep it aside. Just boil the corn kernels for 4 to 5 minutes and set aside. Boil the pasta and tomatoes together in a separate pot and after few minutes just remove the tomatoes and cool it for sometime (its called blanching) . Let the macaroni cook . Once done drain the pasta add few drops of oil and set aside. Once the tomatoes are cool enough peel of the skin from the tomatoes and finely chop it for the pasta preparation. Preheat the oven at 180 degree centigrade for 8 to 10 minutes. Now heat 2 teaspoon of oil and sauté garlic for 1 minute and add one portion of onion and bell pepper mixture. Stir in red chilly powder and sauté for few seconds only. Add blanched and chopped tomatoes , salt to taste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the boiled corn and baked beans , cook for one minute .Mix the pasta , tomatoes and grated cheese, simmer it for couple of minutes. To get desired consistency add little bit of water and adjust the salt amount for perfect taste. Now place this cooked dish on a greased baking dish sprinkle remaining sautéed onion and bell pepper mixture and a bit of grated cheese bake it for 10 minutes till golden brown and serve it hot. A perfect winter recipe is ready .

Date Fudge :

A healthy and yet tasty dessert . It takes little time to prepare this dish but the innovation will win hearts as perfect meals do not complete without perfect desserts.

Ingredients : 100 g of dates de-seeded and sliced in long strips, 6 Marie biscuits crushed very finely with hands only, 3 tablespoon of dry coconut powder, 1 tablespoon butter.

Servings : 5 (serving size being 2)

Method : Heat the butter in a pan . Add the sliced dates into the pan and sauté it for 3 to 4 minutes in slow flame. Stir in 1 tablespoon coconut powder in it and sauté for another 10 to 12 seconds. Divide the mixture in 10 equal parts after mixing it with crushed Marie biscuits while its still hot.shape each part into a ball and then slightly press it to flatten it. Roll each piece on remaining coconut powder separately and refrigerate it for few minutes. Serve it on a bowl .

January 8, 2015
10 Pointers to keep in Mind for a First Date

We were all born into the Pop culture and we love it, don’t we? By definition, it means all the ideas, images and attitudes that were considered mainstream in the culture of the 20th and the early 21st century! ‘Pop’ actually is an abbreviated form of the word ‘popular’ and it was mainly used to refer to the genre of music called pop music from the late nineteen fifties. Well, it modernized the whole world, sweeping and dusting all the old traditions giving it a new, sparkling sheen.

Remember the pretty ladies in the beautiful gowns and men in high breeches waltzing their way into daylight in the movie Pride and Prejudice? Even better is drool-worthy Mr. Darcy with his alluring aristocratic courtship rituals. He is every girl’s dream guy – decent, gentlemanly, polished, respectful and what not! Times have changed and guys like that are, well, not so common to find nowadays. But hey, dating has never been more transparent and courtship is quite a different play now. The new pop culture has changed all the rules of the dating game which makes it very difficult for either of the sex to have a clear shot.

So, let’s look at some of the basic rules to have a decent, fun and impressive first date.

1. Pick up – It is important that you pick up your date and no, it doesn’t matter if you own a car or not. Picking her up on a bicycle would be more romantic even though some of the females may not feels so. The point is you need to show that you bothered to pick her up and even more important is that you be punctual.

Knocking at her door with an apology for being late on the very first date doesn’t paint a very good picture.

2. Clothing – First impressions are the best impressions. Clothes are what make a man, and a women too. Dressing speaks volumes about who you are. Apart from indicating your personality, it also shows that you cared enough to dress well for the date and that’s pretty good. Imagine someone who doesn’t bother to even dress well on the first date. Meh.

3. Language – A person’s class and standards are reflected in the kind of language he uses. We use the formal language with no traces of emotions for office use and in other formal occasions. Similarly, we need to use the right language on a date. You don’t want to sound all ‘hello madam, how do you do?’, do you?

Your language should be classy but not too formal and absolutely no swearing. Even if the date is OK with swearing, it is not much appreciated right on the first date.

4. Attitude – No matter how much a girl rants about feminism or male chauvinism, she will definitely not take offense if you pull out the chair for her or open the car door for her. It just shows that you are a gentleman. But don’t repeat it on every date with the same woman because it’s only a matter of time before the feminist in them kicks in!

Also a confident man is a win-win and arrogance, even a streak of it is a big no-no. Everybody hates an arrogant prick. Remember to never be bossy, pushy or domineering which means you don’t decide what she eats at say, a dinner date. That will have the lady running in no time.

5. Listen more, talk less – Girls dig guys who talk with eyes than mouth. You should remember to listen closely to everything she says and much later, ask her something regarding any specific thing that she had mentioned in the passing. She will be highly impressed that you had listened to everything, remembered it and bothered to ask about it!

And look into her eyes and most importantly, never check out a passing girl. You can save that for later.

6. Compliments – The fairer sex loves to hear compliments. In fact, all of us love being complimented! At the beginning, compliment her on her beautiful dress or her hair-do because girls spend a lot and I mean a LOT of time picking out the right dress. Not to mention the number of hours with the curlers and mascaras.

And later on, in the awkward pauses, compliment her on her beautiful smile or eyes. They make the best fillers. Just remember to sound genuine which you can get right by maintaining proper eye contact.

7. Cell phone off – Who would like to go on a date with the damn phone ringing or beeping away every 10 minutes! That is definitely off-limits.

So make sure to keep it on silent mode and answer only if it is really important. If there are less disturbances, then it would go smoothly.

8. Never argue – You might bump into a lot of girls who can get quite bossy. They may tend to take a different opinion on whatever you might say but don’t let it get to you. Don’t ever argue with her especially on sensitive issues because things can get quite nasty.

Even if she herself argues a lot, she won’t like it if you start doing the same!

9. A small token – No lady will say no to a pretty rose or an orchid corsage. That is a very sweet gesture and it will earn you the extra brownie points!

10. Pay – It is more like an expected thing that guys pay. The ladies may not mind splitting it but refuse the offer pleasantly. Take her to a small, cute bistro or cafe, that way you don’t have to cough up too many pennies.

Besides these points, if you want to make the date memorable, take her to a fair or something similar because giant wheels and other such rides will have her clutching onto your hand for dear life. And that’s romantic. Buy her popcorn or whatever she likes, romp around and finally maybe a little frolicking in the fountain or sprinklers. And most importantly, don’t forget to smile (genuinely) because a smile can be a real life saver. It will smooth out any creases or glitches along the way.

Important bonus tip : Make her laugh and keep it real.

You are ready, boys. Go and sweep them off their feet!

January 8, 2015
A Look into the Paleolithic Diet

We have all at certain times felt the need to adopt a healthier lifestyle. A healthier lifestyle helps us engage in daily activities with the enthusiasm to give our best. Fueling our mental and physical faculties, it influences our capacity to perform well in different spheres of life. The Paleolithic Diet is a simple idea morphed into a lifestyle. It is perhaps the healthiest way to nutrition, in sync with your body processes. The Paleolithic diet gains inspiration from how our ancestors must have approached nutrition, without the modern day trans-fats and sugar. Research claims that these trans-fats and sugar can contribute towards diseases like cancer, diabetes and obesity. Making it simpler, the Paleolithic diet advocates the benefits in ingesting non processed food sources rather than what is readily available in labeled packages. Thus fruits, vegetables, lean meats, seafood, nuts, and healthy fats make the cut while dairy products, processed foods, sugars and legumes are discouraged.

Now coming up with a customized food plan centering on Paleolithic principles may seem a daunting task but it is not necessary to be so. All that is required is basic knowledge of the different benefits of various food sources. Lean proteins serve a significant role in strengthening bone and muscle tissue. Grass fed animals are perhaps the best protein sources available. Proteins help in repairing muscle tissue and help you feel satiated for a long period of time. Being rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidant content, fruits and vegetables are essential components of a healthy diet. Vegetables are storehouses for carbohydrates which provide energy to the body. Even in a low carbohydrate diet, carbohydrates derived from ingesting green vegetables provide enough energy to power you through the day without compromising on performance levels. Fruits and vegetables are also preferred for their ability to combat the onset of illness.

Fats are essential components of our diet which have received a bad reputation of late. Fats are needed for bodily processes and even skin care. Nuts and seeds serve as great sources to stack up on healthy fats. Even fats ingested from animals contain optimum amounts of health fats. To ensure a sufficient level of healthy fats, dressing your salads with vinegar or even consuming moderate amounts of fish oil come across as great tweaks to take your diet to the next level. Fish oil is extremely rich in Omega 3 fats renowned for their role in speeding up metabolism.

What gives the Paleolithic diet the edge is its reliance on adopting an old fashioned approach to viewing nutrition. By simply removing self-destructive cravings for unhealthy food, we concentrate on eating what we need rather than what we want. The health benefits witnessed by adopting a Paleolithic diet are truly remarkable. Backed by science, the Paleolithic diet is testament to age old practice meeting modern acceptance. Perhaps the most sought after benefit amongst enthusiasts is the amount of fat you lose. Now it would be foolish to advocate the benefits of adopting a certain diet without stating the science behind it.

The Paleolithic diet derives much of its usefulness from its ability to do away with the inessentials we tend to consume in majorities today. Grains, legumes and dairy products are not as nutritious as we would like them to be, and removing them from our diet helps make way for the ingestion of more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants we so desperately need. In this article, we will identify the significant contributions made by the Paleolithic diet in warding off diseases. The symptoms of Diabetes for instance can be prevented by adopting a diet approach as healthy as the Paleolithic diet. In a study involving comparisons between the Paleolithic diet and the Mediterranean diet in insulin resistant individuals, the Paleolithic group displayed a reversal in the symptoms amongst individuals suffering from Type 2 Diabetes.

The Mediterranean group, on the other hand, displayed negligible results. There are absolutely no references to heart conditions or heart strokes among our common ancestors. When you wish to eradicate a certain disease, you tend to look into the lifestyles of societies in which the disease is virtually absent. Thus food habits influence our health more than we tend to think. Autoimmunity is a process which allows our body to fight a foreign entity be it bacteria, parasites or viruses. Sometimes our immune system misidentifies our own tissue as something foreign and attacks it. Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis are a few examples of autoimmune diseases. Much research is needed to identify the extent of how much a diet may influence autoimmunity, but the Paleolithic diet does hold some credit, in certain cases even reversing the symptoms of autoimmune diseases. Now all these diseases, seemingly unrelated, do share a common trait. They all attribute damage to the intestinal lining which allows undigested bits of food particles to gain access to the body.

The Paleolithic diet deserves all the credit it has received in the field of nutrition. In modern times, it is a new concept and naturally there are many questions in the minds of the people interested to embark on a journey towards better health. When it comes to diets, it ultimately boils down to customization to best suit individual needs. The important thing is to dive into the experience rather than spend valuable time preparing and overthinking where to focus your efforts. Experience, like all matters, is the greatest teacher and with time you will be able to make changes in your diet and make it optimal for yourself. As a healthy diet begins to take hold, it becomes a habit and soon you will be able to go about it as naturally as you brush your teeth. The Paleolithic diet is a must try for health enthusiasts and is a great way to achieve some long standing health goals. The results may surprise you.

January 8, 2015
The Sweeter Cravings

Have you ever given a thought to one elusive and relatively unimportant question? Don’t you think that Indian sweet dishes differ hugely and vastly from those around the world? While the entire world enjoys cheese cakes and apple tars and chocolate pastries; here at home we enjoy Moti choor ke Laddoos, Sooji ka Halwa, Kheer and Jalebis. I, for one have never seen any foreign sweet dishes similar to what magic our Indian sweets offer. They are crude in shapes and relatively uncreative as compared to their Indian counterparts. We have spiral shaped jalebis, spherical shaped Gulab Jamuns, diamond cut Kaju Katlis and the eternally loveable square shaped barfis. Even the shapes of our sweet dishes offer more varieties than the entire world’s sweets all together. So, let’s explore a few tonight.

Gulab Jamuns:

The epitome of sweetness and the harbinger of merry occasions, Gulab Jamuns is one of the most royal sweet dishes Indians offer. This is one dish which most often decorates the dessert counter sof Indian Marriages. Eaten warm, soft and dipped in slurpy sugar syrup, this sweet dish is enjoyed by kids and adults alike. To the uninitiated, Gulab jamuns are milk solids based spherical dumplings traditionally made with thickened or reduced milk and savored in rose flavored sugar syrup. Gulab Jamun is brownish red in color and it inherits the color because of the sugar content in the milk powder or khoya. When the dumplings are fried the sugar caramelization gives it its dark color. Traditionalists eat it when hot and in singular proportions while experimentalists usually add a dollop of ice cream atop of the gulab jamun which gives two solely different flavors to the dish and mingles the warmth and the coolness of both the ingredients.

Jalebi:

Again, a traditional fried sweet dish which enjoys the honor of being served in most of the marriage ceremonies. Jalebis are orange in color and are enjoyed best while warm. Jalebis have a chewy texture with a crystallized sugary exterior coating. This dish derives its roots from Iran where it is known as Zulbia and was traditionally given to the poor during Ramadan. It is made by deep frying white four in spiral shapes which are then soaked in sugar syrup. These are one of the highest selling sweet dishes in the local markets during chilly winters.

Kaju Katli:

Well, kaju literally means cashew nut and this sweet dish is based on these nuts. The batter or barfi is made by thickening milk with sugar and dry fruits. It is then spread in a flat, shallow dish and cut into desired sizes and shapes. Kaju Katli is often seen as diamond shaped quadrilaterals and comes in expensive at Rs. 500 a Kg. This sweet dish is generally given to friends and family members during Diwali celebrations as a mark of celebration. This dish has what the English call, gravitas. The thickened milk attributes to the dish by giving it a melting base. Melting, because as the barfi slides along the contour of your tongue, it starts melting and bursting into flavors. But the barfi’s card of aces is the cashew ingredient which makes it different from all the other barfis in town.

Rasgulla:

Many kids and uninitiated people muddle Gulab Jamun and Rasgulla with one another. This because Rasgullais the light shaded, spongier cousin of the gulab jamun. Rasgulla is similar in shape to Gulab Jamun and is cooked in sugar syrup, just like the latter. West Bengal on the other hand gave the world a newer sweet dish (similar to rasgulla) called Roshogulla which is lighter than the original and is dipped in lighter sugar syrup. Rasgulla is made up of ball shaped dumplings of Chenna( Indian cottage cheese) and semolina dough. Rasgulla is eaten cold and is refreshing and has an unbridling effect on its consumers. That is, its consumers will never be satisfied with just one. The Rasgulla originated in the present day Odisha as Khirmohana. Traditionally it is offered as a special offering to Goddess Lakshmi a day after the famous Rath Yatra at Jagannath Temple at Puri. The most popular variety of the Rasgulla is the lighter, spongy white variety. Roshogulla is a less perishable item and can often be found in canned tetra boxes. This availability of the canned variety led to this sweet dish’s popularity outside of Kolkata where it was born. A quirky fact about Roshogullas fame is that the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is developing dehydrated roshogullas for Indian astronauts in its planned mission in 2016.

Laddoo:

Laddoo also brings in delightful memories with itself as there is seldom a person in this country who was not treated laddoos to, while in his/her childhood. Laddoo again are ball-shaped sweets popular in India. These are made of flour, minced dough and loads of sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe. They are often served at festive or religious occasions. There are a variety of laddoos available in India and all of them use a different flours like Besan ke Laddoos use chickpea flour as the base and coconut as the garnish. These are combined with sugar and ghee and molded in ball shapes. These delicacies are often decorated with silver foil and almond chips. Laddoo is often given at temples as a Prasad especially at Tirupati Venkateshwar Temple, Andhra Pradesh. Quirky fact: A Laddoo weighing 6,300 kg was made for the Indian God Ganesh in Andhra Pradesh in September 2012.

Thus these were quite a few of the exemplary unique dessert’s that India as a cultural hub enjoys. While the list is never ending these are the ones which are the most famous or the most loved.

January 8, 2015
Southernmost Tip of India: Kanyakumari

Quite literally I mean it, a place of wonders, a place where the three oceans meet, the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, where the Arabian sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean converge. a perfect place to make all the tables turns. It’s a place with all the mysteries of nature, the insane quality of sea breeze, torture of sea splattering the rocks, the fisherman making his living, and lots and lots more.

Welcome to a place where the temples are pampered for its beauty and palpable masonry on them. I would just like to tell the first reaction on reaching there, and to a place to perfect living destination. A picture perfect memories are to be made there. There are many memories that kind of cheers you up even when you think about it, there is a natural smile that lifts you up, you feel a bit nostalgic when you think of some memories. That is exactly how I feel whenever I go down to my hometown Kanyakumari because it is the only place after the tight schedules and hefty work where the blissful atmosphere kisses you and says, just relax kid! From the green lands and atmosphere to its food culture, every perfect corner is filled with its own history and story.

The name itself suggests a story on its own. Kanyakumari, as the folklore goes, that Devi Kanya an incarnation of Parvati was to marry Lord Shiva, which didn’t happen hence, the name Kanya Kumari is dedicated to this place. According to the legend, Banasura a demon, was leading chaos among Devas and the gods went to Lord Vishnu for help, who told them that only Parashakti can help them to demolish the demon. Where while both the Lord Shiva and Devi fell in love and decided to marry at the auspicious time at midnight. But distressed that this marriage will not get defeat of Banasura, as it was pre-ordinated he can only be killed by a virgin, Narada muni turns to a cock and crowed and hence, signaling the breaking of dawn. By hearing this, Lord Shiva thinks that the auspicious hour has passed so he returns all the way back without marrying. This enraged Devi Kanya and she vows to never marry anyone. Banasura then heard about the goddess of immense beauty and wanted to marry her and went to ask for her hand, when she refused, he uses force which enrages the goddess who then kills him. That quite a story, right?

You’ll know when you’ve reached Kanyakumari, with its mere smell of the wind which is pleasurably sweet filled with the coconut essence and banana greens. You know you’ve reached this paradise when the greenery begins to engross you. Well, starting with the sea itself, it’s one of a kind to impress you unintentionally with its beauty. A spellbound place to be as the scene it gives during the sunset and sunrise, it feels like that the sun is just waiting in front of you to flaunt its flawlessness. Situated at a walk distance is a temple, Kanyakumari Bhagavathi amman temple which is dedicated to the goddess Parvathi as a virgin. The sculptures, the intricate artwork inside the temple is very beautiful, no words can describe it especially when you go there surrounded by people praying, there comes a sense of happiness just within yourself.

If that inner peace is not enough, visiting Vivekananda Rock might cheer you up. A very peaceful place to be in. Even the journey in the boat to the Vivekananda memorial is pleasant. Sitting on boat being hit by the moving waves gives you a pleasant solitude and moving merrily with the syncing waves. Sweet salty smell of the sea and after few minutes of journey there you enter the Vivekananda rock. It is said, that rock is the place where Vivekananda got enlightenment. The main entrance is the Vivekananda mandapam, and adjoining this main hall is the Dhayana mandapam where people sit and meditate. This place is very quiet and calm and people sit there serenely to self introspect, a very hushed ambience surrounded. A very sound scene that I notices while hanging there were few crabs there sunbathing on the edge of the rock, this might not be significant but definitely my first experience of watching live crabs ever. Next thing you’ll notice is the Thiruvalluvar memorial, quite recently built standing proudly next to the Vivekananda rock. Thiruvalluvar was the very famous poet and philosopher of Tamil Nadu. One of his most famous and revered work is ‘Thirukkural’. Thirukkural is nothing but elegantly written book on a virtue of a man, how to lead an honorable and worthy life and ethics as being born a human being. It is a very respectable form of poetry and almost every individual in Tamil Nadu knows about it, it is even taught in schools to inculcate discipline in life and to give right directions.

The place in itself endorses the charm. While travelling there, I personally prefer local transports you can find hanging around there numerous small water bodies, ponds, etc with the coconut trees dancing around them. I mean it, literally, with just a small breeze the trees dance as if moving and singing along in trance. The best view are the ponds with lotuses of all types, big and small, just sticking out playfully bragging its prettiness. The place Kanyakumari comes geographically under the parts of Western Ghats which gives us with the mountains. Even when you travel in train you could actually see mountains in these parts touching the clouds. There’s a place Maruthuva Malai (Malai in Tamil is a mountain) known for the medicinal herbs found in this region, is a splendid place. As the legend goes that when Lord Hanuman was taking Sanjeevani mountain with him to Sri Lanka to cure Lakhshman, a part of it fell here and like I said, various therapeutic herbs are found in this mountain.

Now, that’s long said about the place, the most important thing that is hidden in every beaches, every sea, every coast in heaven are fishes. The most tasty, delicious sea food that you can get. Fish curry of south India is one of the famous dishes found there. Mixed with coconut, tamarind and my relatives living there knows what more. Talking about tamarind, yeah there are many tamarind trees in my backyard, well apart from that, banana trees fill up most of the area and the most delicious of its kind, the red bananas. They are little stout red in colour with great heath benefits. Variety of tress can be seen grown around people’s backyards which may include many full grown teak trees, rubber trees, jackfruit, seasonal mango, obviously coconut, and much more I couldn’t remember right now. Local snacks are very delicious at this point, where you can get banana chips and jackfruit chips at any local store. One more local thing I would love to share is the sweet syrup like thing you get from Palm trees which is damn sweet and truly yum, well not many today’s generation have tasted it.

Apart from those snacks, actually there are many jackfruit trees that are found there and if you somewhere get time, just take time to take the sweet fruit. That is nastiest beauty you’ll ever have. Ever try the pleasant coconut rice, it is worth tasting and maybe someday I’ll give you the recipe too to try it. The taste of fresh coconut in the rice, lord knows what is heaven! Apart from every common dish that almost everyone knows, idli, sambhar, dosa, there are cooking of iddiappam, puttu, appam which is no doubt made of rice, served with coconut chutney or any other curry like one of the famous potato curry again made with coconut. Yes coconut, the favorite comrade of almost every dish. Actually there’s a lot more to talk about, I can go ages and ages spending on describing this dreamland but yeah maybe some other time, and keep travelling.

January 8, 2015
A Reason to Eat Guilt Free !!!

I am running 2 km a day , going to gym and exercising for two hours daily, literally eating bland food and still find my self fat in the mirror . Am I self obsessed ? Am I suffering from depression ? Am I loosing out faith in God ?, Am I a obese ?

Do you get worried too with such questions in your mind? Its useless worrying about this situation it will worsen the matter. So gear up , take a deep breath , stop sulking (A mental note to myself ), and hurry towards your kitchen. Hunger is a basic necessity and you cant afford to starve for a long time so eat full heartedly and wear your smile back on your face. There are few magic recipes which can reduce your weight and you don’t even feel like dieting ….practically you are dieting though .

A Guilt-free-Hakka Noodle :

Ingredients : 2 cup boiled egg noodles, 1 cup sliced onions, 1 tablespoon celery chopped. 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped, 1 tablespoon ginger finely chopped, 1 cup boiled and chopped soya nuggets, 1/2 cup spring onions, 1/2 cup cabbage finely sliced, 1 teaspoon green chilly chopped, 1 cup red and green bell peppers sliced, 1/2 cup boiled and sliced baby corns , 1 cup diagonally sliced carrots and French beans ., 1 teaspoon pepper freshly crushed, pinch of turmeric, 3 tablespoon hot and sweet tomato ketchup, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 2 boiled eggs without egg yolk and roughly diced, salt to taste and oil for cooking.

Servings : 4

Method : Heat a pan add a bit of oil to it on a high flame and add garlic, celery, ginger , green chilly chopped and onion slices. Sauté it for 2 to 3 minutes until its light brown then add beans , carrots, bell peppers, soya nuggets, spring onions cabbage, baby corns, salt , pepper and pinch of turmeric powder. Sauté it for another 3 to 4 minutes and them add soy sauce ,vinegar, hot and sweet tomato ketchup and stir it evenly through all the sautéed veggies. Finally add boiled noodles a bit of salt and stir fry on high flame for 5 minutes . While serving garnish it with spring onion greens and roughly diced boiled egg .

Sautéed Veggies :

Ingredients : 1 large yellow bell pepper cut into cubes, 1 large red bell pepper cut into cubes, 1 small broccoli cut into separate kernels, 12 baby corns sliced from middle , 2 cups of mushrooms , 2 large onions cut into cubes, 250 g of fat free paneer, 2 tablespoon ready made salsa dip easily available in market , 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly crushed, 1 tablespoon butter, Salt to taste.

Servings : 4

Method : Firstly we need to strain the mushrooms in hot water so that all its impurities are drained out and we get exact freshness of the veggie, Now rinse all the cut and cubed veggies in Luke warm water so that impurities are drained out. Heat butter , Sauté the Mushrooms, baby corn and broccoli with salt seasoning for about 4 to 5 minutes, add bell peppers and onions with pinch of salt and sauté it for another 4 to 5 minutes, Add low fat paneer,pepper powder, salsa sauce and oregano stir it for another 2 to 3 minutes Serve it Hot. You can also team it with steamed rice or simply eat it solo.

Sev Puri Look-Alike :

Ingredients : 20 thick slices of cucumber slices, 1 cup boiled green moong sprouts, 1/2 cup , finely chopped Onions, 1/2 cup de-seeded and finely chopped tomatoes, 1 cup of fresh yoghurt made of toned milk, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder, 1 teaspoon black salt, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder,1 teaspoon green chilly (optional ), 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander,1 tablespoon tamarind Chutney available ready made in market .

Serving : 4

Method : Mix all the ingredients except cucumber and tamarind chutney in a bowl and set aside. Now top this mixture on each of cucumber slices ( Papri substituted for cucumber slices), sprinkle coriander powder, a bit of chaat masala and tamarind chutney . Serve it and feel the street food in your mouth guilt free.

Paav Bhaji – A Healthier Version :

Ingredients : 1 1/2 cup green moong sprouts , 2 medium Potatoes, 1 cup green peas, 1 cup cauliflower chopped roughly, 1 cup French beans chopped very finely, 1/2 cup carrots chopped finely, 4 medium finely chopped tomatoes, 2 Medium Capsicum finely chopped, dozen of large garlic cloves, 2 to 3 kashmiri dried red chillies, 1 teaspoon sugar, 4 teaspoon paav bhaji masala, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, Salt to taste.

Servings : 5 to 6

Method : Soak the kashmiri red chillies in hot water for three to four hours and later drain the water off. Pressure cook the potatoes, peel and roughly mash it, Pressure moong sprouts and peas till they are hard but cooked and then coarsely mash them, pressure cook french beans, carrots and cauliflowers and mash them coarsely. Take a blender and grind Garlic , a bit of onion chopped, salt , drained off Kashmiri red chillies and 1/2 cup of water .Make a fine paste out of it.Heat the oil , sauté remaining onions for 3 to 4 minutes , add capsicum and sauté for another 5 minutes.Stir in the freshly grounded chilly garlic and onion paste sauté till the mixture separates oil in the pan.Add tomatoes , paav bhaji masala, salt, Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the boiled and mashed potatoes, french beans , carrots, cauliflower, peas in the pan along with 2 cups of water and cook for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and a teaspoon of red chilly powder. The paav bhaji’s healthy bhaji is ready now instead of regular paav eat it with dry toasted whole wheat brown bread and enjoy the goodness of health and taste together.

Its so simple to sulk and weep on petty issues like weight gain , pimples, double chin. But to come out of all this undesired self beings you just need to think wisely adapt a healthy lifestyle and keep eating non-stop but in limited portions. You will never loose hope in life and you can be a Shilpa shetty or Madonna or Hrithik Roshan too. To look like them you have to behave like them and eat like them.

January 8, 2015
Hostel Bites !!!

Do you remember the old Bollywood number “Ande ka Funda“ ? the song shows us the true value of a egg. Those who have stayed in hostels or PG’s you will definitely agree with me. Without Egg and Maggie we cannot survive hostel days. They are the only source of maternal love we get outside our homes. To cook Egg Bhurji on a slow flame electric heater without hostel wardens permission is super duper fun.Gone are those days of anticipation, friendship, fun, notorious activities, late night addas, smoking for the first time with roomies, having a pajama party organised to tease the boys , going on dates and getting decked up for fresher party in college. We all miss those fun reckless carefree days where we could achieve world in a snap. Today there is Old boring meetings, Hitting deadlines, Getting KRA’s listed, appraisals, promotions, pink slips, recession …..every evil on this planet. Are we done with life ? Are we done with all those carefree fun reckless days spend in hostels ? Are we done with the bunking? Are we too old to fool around with friends ? For me answer is NO!

Yes we can dress up like teens , full around , date, go out on midnight binge on , Can plan a late night bike ride with friends .We can do that its just the way we plan stuff. If you feel like 40 you will behave like 50. So stop cribbing about today and missing old days ….we can create memories today as well. Go and make those tasty recipes which you guys use to make with your hostel mates and invite them and grab a bite in memory of those days to re create that magic again and make fresh super fun memories again.

Anda Bhurji With Paav :

Ingredients : 10 eggs , 2 large onions finely chopped, 2 to 3 green chillies finely chopped, 2 to 3 tomatoes finely chopped, 2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon paav bhaji masala, 1 /2 cup chopped coriander, 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, Oil for cooking, 10 Paav’s cut into two halves, 1 Tablespoon butter for grilling the paav.

Serving : 5

Method : Its the easiest recipe in the world ….the only reason of being popular in hostels.Heat a pan after adding oil and once the oil heats up add Cumin seeds,green chillies, onions, Sauté it for 2 minutes and then add tomatoes and all the dry spices along with salt. Cook it for good odd 5 minutes .Once the tomatoes separate oil add ketchup and chopped coriander and Bhurji is ready. Now take a neat shallow pan, heat it and grease all the Paav’s and grill it on the heated pan. Eat generously and carefree.

Sabji Wali Masala maggie:

Ingredients : 5 packs of Maggie instant noodle, 2 Large onions roughly chopped, 3 to 4 green chillies , `two large tomatoes chopped finely, 1 cup boiled green peas, 1 cup French beans roughly chopped, 1/2 cup capsicum finely chopped, Oil to cook, Salt to taste, a pinch of turmeric powder,1 teaspoon of red chilly powder, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns freshly crushed.

Servings : 5

Method : Heat a deep pan and add oil in it. Once the oil gets hot stir in green chillies, onions and French beans, sauté it for 2 minutes, Now tomatoes, salt dry spices green peas, capsicum, and Maggie masala (all the five pouches). Cook it till tomatoes separate oil and add all the Maggie noodles simply by breaking into two halves. Add 5 cups of water and cook it till maggie soaks up all the water and becomes dry. Sprinkle crushed black peppercorns and tomato ketchup and eat it before someone else comes ….:).

Kheera Sandwich :

I survived bad hostel lunch days all because of kheera sandwich made by my roomie. I hope many relate to me as they must have compromised some day without a good food day in hostel and someone came as a saviour and brought you out of the suffering.

Ingredients : 2 large cucumbers cut into thin slices, ten pieces of brown /white breads (Whichever you prefer but host-elites use to get plain white bread only), two tablespoon butter, 5 Cheese slices, 1 teaspoon black salt, two tablespoon tomato ketchup.

Servings : 5

Method : Spread butter on five slices and spread ketchup in rest of the five. Now place cucumber/ kheera slices on the breads having butter, sprinkle a pinch of black salt on each slice of butter and kheera and then top it up with cheese slice. Sandwich it with the ketchup slice ,cut the edges of the bread from all the four corners and diagonally make two pieces out of each sandwich. You are ready to eat heavenly food.

Teekhe Murmure / Jhal Muri :

Ingredients : One large bowl full of puffed Rice/ Murmure/ Muri, 1 large onion finely chopped, 2 to 3 green chillies, 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder, 1 teaspoon black salt, 1 tespoon red chilly powder, 1 cup bhujia , 1 cup Green moong Sprouts, a bit of mustard oil, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, 1 large cucumber very finely chopped, 1 tablespoon chopped coriander.

Servings : 4

Method : Mix all the ingredients very evenly and check the amount of chaat masala and salt and adjust the taste accordingly. Make a paper cone can serve it immediately.

Masala Papad:

Ingredients : 5 papads, 1 cup finely chopped cucumber, 1/2 cup finely chopped onions, 1 cup coriander chopped, 1/2 cup tomatoes de-seeded and chopped finely, 1 teaspoon green chilly powder, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, 1 taespoon black salt, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 1 Fresh lemon .

Servings : 5

Method : Deep fry the papad(optional) or you can simply roast the papad. Spread evenly onions , green chillies, coriander, cucumber and tomatoes. Then sprinkle chaat masala, black salt and squeeze in few drops of lemon juice on it. Dont keep it for long as it might soggy the roasted papad.

A sheer dedication to my four Roomies whom I have lived happy two years outside home. They were my friends , my sisters my only source of entertainment. We were the famous five in our Hostel.

January 8, 2015
Chickpea Bonanza !!!

Vegetarian dishes are always under rated . People believe we do not have variety in vegetarian cuisine. Which is so not true as a single kind of pulse or lentil can be prepared in 100 different ways and all taste different. Are you surprised ? Don’t be its a the fact by changing few combination of ingredients and spices we can create variety in vegetarian dished. The Plain Jane Potato can be eaten in different forms and all very different from each other in taste. India is a country for vegetarian cuisine. The variety of veg food we get here is in no comparison with other parts of world . Each state ion India has its variety of vegetarian food and all are so different in look, taste , texture , colour and surprisingly the key ingredients remain the same. We truly are land of diversity not only in language , costumes but also in food. Today I will discuss a very popular key ingredient pulse which can be recreated in different varieties and all taste just yum . That key ingredient is none other than our very dear Chole / Chickpea. Chole sounds like a north Indian dish and it is a very popular dish in North India but widely eaten in all parts on India . You will get Chole in all forms , curry, salad, fried balls, falafel, in sandwiches, etc etc.

To raise your craving a bit more lets have some awesome popular Chickpeas recipe.

Kadai Chole :

Ingredients : 2 cups of chickpeas soaked overnight, 2 tea bags , 1 cup of onion paste freshly blended, 1 tablespoon of ginger and garlic paste, few ginger juliennes,1 cup of tomato puree, 1 tablespoon Chole masala, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon green cardamom, 1 stick of cinnamon, 2 teaspoon red chilly powder, 2 to 3 red dried chillies, 1 tablespoon Ghee, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, few sprigs of coriander leaves finely chopped.

Servings : 4

Method : Firstly we need to pressure cook chickpeas by adding two teabags (You may make a muslin pouch of 2 teaspoon tea), cinnamon stick and few green cardamom, salt to taste. Once the the chickpea is boiled you will get blackish tinge in chickpeas not throw away the cardamom, tea bags , and cinnamon stick as they have done their job . Do not throw the boiled water in the pressure cooker. We will need that to make a bit of gravy as it has all the protein of the chickpeas intact. Now its time to heat a pan with a lid add ghee , cumin seeds wait fr few seconds till it splutter then add dry red chillies , onion paste, ginger and garlic paste with a bit of salt. Sauté it till the onion looses out its poacity and becomes transparent . Now add ginger juliennes, Tomato purée, and chole masala . Cook this mixture until tomato separates oil. Now add boiled chickpeas , boiled water that we kept aside, red chilly powder. Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes. Now higher the flame make dry up a bit of gravy. Serve it hot with coriander garnish on top. Its teamed with Indian flat breads, or simply eat it with steamed rice or Pulao.

Chickpeas Falafel Patties :

Ingredients: 2 cups of chickpeas soaked overnight , 1 cup of finely chopped onions, 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves, 1 teaspoon of dry mango powder, 1 teaspoon of green chilly chopped, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of red chilly powder, 1 tablespoon of refined flour, 1 teaspoon of black pepper powder, 1/2 cup of water of required, Salt to taste, Oil for deep frying.

Servings : 4

Method : Firstly blend soaked and dried chickpeas along with onion, green chillies. Now add into the blended mixture , chopped coriander leaves,dry mango powder, cumin powder, coriander powder,red chilly powder,black pepper,Salt,refined flour and make into a smooth dry dough . Now oil your palms and make equal size balls out of the dough and flatten it in the center to give it a patty shape. Dab these patties on refined flour and deep fry them until golden brown, Now take burger buns spread a bit of ketchup and stuff in the falafel patties on each bun and eat it as a burger or simply eat them with your favourite dip.

Chickpeas in spinach Gravy :

Ingredients : 500 g of spinach leaves cleaned thoroughly and dried, 1 cup uncooked chickpeas (soaked overnight and then dried, 2 large tomatoes, cut roughly into quarters, Two large onions chopped finely, Garlic cloves chopped finely approx 5 to 6 , green chillies approx 3 to 4, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 2 teaspoon cumin powder, Salt to taste, Oil for cooking.

Servings : 5

Method : Pressure cook chickpeas by adding salt to it. Discard the spinach stems and chop the spinach coarsely. Now comes the real trick , place the spinach , tomatoes a bit of salt in a pan cover the lid and cook for 10 minutes without adding water.Once cooked separate spinach and tomatoes after cooling and grind tomatoes and green chillies in a blender.Making a smooth paste. Grind spinach leaves too but coarsely. Heat oil in a pan , sauté chopped garlic cloves, add onions and cook until light browned. Add the tomato paste and cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in cumin powder and red chilly powder. Cook until tomato paste separates oil in the pan , add spinach purée and cook for few more minutes .Do not cook more than 2 to 3 minutes as it will discolour the spinach and spoil its texture. Add the boiled chickpeas stir well and slow the flame cook for 1 minutes and switch of the flame immediately. Serve it hot with steamed Rice or plain parathas. They are a delight to have in winter season and very nutritious too.

So, here is a bag full of vegetarian recipes breaking the myth that variety is not found in veg cuisine. Why don’t you surprise the meat lovers with these recipes and click tee expressions once they enjoy eating these yummy dishes and want a second serving.

January 8, 2015