Apricot Curry and Cumin Rice

 I was at the local library, in the cook book aisle, while finally teen was rampaging through the mystery isle...searching for "that" book which is almost always checked out. "Go check in the teen section" was my instant response, meaning more time in the cook book section for me. Doesn't matter if it's a toddler or a teen, once their job is done, they are hungry or tired or falling apart and it becomes an immediate emergency that we leave the given place and drive to the next destination. So with the limited time window, my eyes fell on "50 great curries of India by Camellia Panjabi" and while browsing through it,  the page landed on "mixed dry fruit curry " I knew instantly my family is going to love this one.... the key word savory with a hint of sweet. We never need an excuse to eat spicy food!! The constant complaint is "it's not spicy enough", never "it's too spicy"... Not so much finally teen, but the other person in the house. Not naming any names here. :)  But, mind you, if the curry in question is rich n creamy with a mild sweet savory after taste... the spice nagging is thrown out of the window. Weird, but as they say, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Can't argue about that - spicy or not. My mother always says men are weird like that, they have contradictory likes....she does have a point here. Well the curry is NOT at all spicy and was LOVED by the family. Love is a mild acknowledgement of the emotion - "best thing I ever ate" was finally teen's response. The other half thought it was a "great recipe and well made", a big compliment from a person who is a perfectionist. I thought it was a great recipe too.  If you are having people over -  wow factor - this is it... not for a late dinner, though, it's rather heavy. Let's say a great lunch curry. It's very unique (in a good way) and extremely rich in flavors, not too much masala but very fragrant.  You can use the same curry base and add koftas or even paneer, I don't see why not. Any great curry recipes leave me the link - it's the next best thing after chocolate. I did alter the recipe, by reducing the amount of nuts, so I can eat more, guilt free.

The recipe is called - Mixed dried fruit curry or Dry fruit Korma. I thought apricot curry was a better name as, apricot is the real star in this recipe.

Coffee Panna Cotta

 Deepa of Aalayam requested me to do a guest post for them - she wanted me to create an 'easy holiday dessert'. Aalayam, is a lifestyle blog by Deepa and Supriya to quote them  "At Aalayam, we house our creative revelations in the vibrant world of multicultural design, decor and culinary diversity" A cute space with lot of visual inspiration. Am sure you will love their space. Panna cotta, for Aalayam, thanks for having me.  Also, I really wanted to make panna cotta for a while and there was really nothing that was holding me back. Well, two things happened and it did propel  me forward : first I saw the recipe on "Passionate about Baking" here  (  my recipe adapted from PAB) and second I saw these cute shot glasses at a store and there was no way I was not getting them...I had to, it was a cosmic signal. "make panna cotta in these cute shot glasses" It is dangerous to ignore or shld I say turn a deaf ear to cosmic signals and specially at a time  like this. ( you did know that the world is coming to an end right ! )  So, I did both and you can see the results right here. Impressive ! Well am in love with these and have indulged in these cute delicacies for some weeks now. Trust me when I say this : they are so easy to make that it is almost impossible for you to not fall in love with them.  Well, there is the calories part of the game - if you figure out how to go around it , let me know- there is no way any calorie threat is going to stop me from indulging in the holiday season this year.

Panna Cotta is a traditional Italian dessert and it has many variations, usually served with berries. I decide to serve it with some whipped cream and caramelized sugar thingies. This is my first time at weaving sugar, absolutely loved the experience and the taste is awesome.  The caramelized sugar went very well with the panna cotta and added the crunch to the dessert.

Remembering in Silence

 Sometimes there are no words to express....... praying and remembering in silence !

Recipe Review & A Cook Book

I did a recipe review for  'The Daily Meal'  : cook book, 'The food 52 Cookbook, Volume 2'. Thank you,  the daily meal and Rosen Ali for the opportunity. There were three recipes that were up for review. Roasted Cauliflower with Gremolata and Breadcrumbs, Short Rib Ragù, and Burnt Caramel Pudding. 

Cauliflower is not a favorite  in our household, and am always looking for new ways of cooking it. The reason - it has a long shelf life, ya ! you read that right,   don't get me wrong, I love going to the grocery store but not in the cold winter months and cauliflower is my standby, when am out of everything, well almost. Shockingly, the week I made this dish for the review and the following weeks, cauliflower has been elevated from a standby player in my kitchen to a star player. "Finally teen" with a frown and my other half - who has always had a dull look on his face when cauliflower is the main at a meal, have welcomed this with - "ah ! this is really nice" and "can we have it again" I have yet to try this at a potluck - it's so easy that it will be almost a sin if I don't.  Am sure it will soon be my go-to dish for potlucks. 

It has a nice crunch from the breadcrumbs and I love the flavor of garlic, serve it with your favorite soup and some homemade bread and you got a meal going. A bit of chili oil really kicks it to the next level. 

Being a vegetarian, ragu was not on my review list. But I'm kicking myself for not trying the burnt caramel pudding. Well for my review of the cauliflower and the reviews of the pudding and the ragu click here 

Thanks to Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, from food52, for picking three amazing recipes. Looking forward to more in the book. Hope you like the video, do let us know if you have any inputs or book you want to recommend for a review. 

Pumpkin and fenugreek flatbread/Paratha with pomegranate in yogurt raita

Parathas always take me back in time, when I lived in Delhi. Anyone who has ever lived or visited Delhi will know about the famous 'Gali paranthe Wali' or ' Parathe Wali Gali' in Chandni  chowk. The world's best place for stuffed Indian flat bread...hands down! I don't think there is any other place that can be a close contender.  I do not recommend you to peak into the kitchen...lol don't ask why ! But you got to eat there with your eyes focusing on just the food, not the kitchen....and yes if you do have a sensitive digestive system....let's say your palette will thank you but I don't guarantee anything else. I have never had issues eating there, but you make your call.  Most of the stores only serve vegetarian parathas not even onion and garlic. Big history for a small narrow gali (lane) . Chandni chowk dates back to Shah Jahan era (1670), the first paratha shop in the gali was opened in 1870. Till date the parathas are shallow fried in pure ghee. Some of the recipes dates back to a century - that is what I have been told. You will find all kinds of filling - from cashew n almonds to the more common potatoes. I do recollect Anthony Bourdain feasting on some of the parathas @ CC, then again am not sure, maybe it was Rajasthan. Anyway Paratha gali is surely a haven for paratha lovers with some history .....

While this one is an original from my kitchen, I could not help but think about the paratha gali and different exotic parathas they serve there. Flaky, juicy and full of flavors.  The sweetness and mushiness of pumkin with the mild bitterness and crunchiness of fenugreek leaves and the spices makes this a perfect combination.  I went a little easy on the ghee, but if you don't believe in the philosophy of less is more....go for it!!It's worth the extra calorie :)) 

Mulled Wine

Warm spices bubbling in wine....the landscape outside drenched in white..... Christmas carols somewhat faint ....maybe am imaging it or is it real? Well It does seem like an extract from a fiction, but that is what winter is all about. Do you guys think am beginning to love winter....? I don't know but it does seem romantic and does warm up my heart. Maybe as I get older wiser am learning to appreciate the beauty  that surrounds me. 

Now going back to the warm spices bubbling in wine. Mulled wine  dates back to the Romans....! It means heated and spiced. Medieval times it was called Hipocris named after the famous physician Hyppocrates. It helped people keep healthy during the cold winter months. The spices certainly give a kick start to your immune system. Don't be restricted to just red wine, a lot of drinks can be mulled including non- alcoholic beverages. I did two version of mulled drink - one pomegranate grape juice and the other red wine. 

Most chefs recommend the highest quality of wine even for cooking ....not really !! Am glad I read the post by David Labovitz ( u guys know am a big fan) and to quote him "For those folks who say that you should “always use the best wine you can afford, even for cooking”, I’m here to tell you that I can’t imagine anyone in France making vin chaud with anything but inexpensive or leftover wine. Years ago a famous French chef gave me his recipe for vin de pêche (peach leaf wine), and when I asked him which wine he recommended, he said, “Non, non…use the cheapest wine you can find.” :)) I told you, even the experts say this, so you really have no excuse to not try this....!! Go to your regular grocery store, buy the cheapest wine....!!

German Lebkuchen : Holiday Cookies - DBC November, 2012

Lebkuchen, reminds me of our trip to Germany last year in December. We took a cruise along the Rhine river and I think it was the most romantic and scenic cruise, we have ever taken. Breathtaking medieval castles, fortresses and palaces ! Among all the stories of the fortresses and castles, what stayed on my mind was the story of a woman named Lorelei date back several centuries. Her statue is on top of a hill, in the midst of the Rhine river. There are many stories legends behind this statue. According to one, She would lure sailors by her beauty and voice, causing ship wrecks. Another legend states that her lover was unfaithful to her, so she threw herself in the water to meet her end. Her song of lament caused many a ship wrecks. Whatever the legend, the mythical charm of Lorelei and the breath taking scenery of the Rhine river, makes the whole trip feel like a dream. 

 After the cruise, our next stop was the  local Christmas market. I was like a kid in a candy store, the festivity, people, music, food and oh yes the mulled wine ( not exactly a beverage for a kid :)). I was hooked - mulled wine and some stollen and lebkuchen - too much excitement  for one day ! Well I really cannot recreate the mood at the Christmas markets but the lebkuchen did bring back sweet memories of a trip that I will cherish for a long long time. Thanks Peta from Peta Eats for hosting the DBC - Daring Baker's challenge for the holiday season. 

The Lebkuchen has  a bit of history under its belt.  The history of the Lebkuchen begins with the Honigkuchen (Honey Cake). The Egyptians, (dated around1500 BC) baked these cakes to be placed in the graves of kings as the egyptians believed that honey was a gift for the Gods and they regarded their kings as Gods.. The lebkuchen of today finds its origin in Belgium. The cookies were introduced to the city of Ulm in 1296. Enough  nerd facts for one post... any more and you guys will un-follow me :))) Isn't it exciting to bake something that was also baked centuries ago - so much would have changed in the recipe and the treatment of the ingredients. Am sure it would have tasted better then, pure unrefined and unprocessed ingredients.