Random

Sorry for the long hiatus folks , I miss writing here ....and wish I could maintain continuity. Unfortunately my finger got cut real bad in a blender and that too my right index finger and I could barely manage to do anything. After that there was travelling to Seattle and cruising to Alaska...which I am glad I got to do. Two most amazing places, I wouldn't have missed for anything !!!

Will come back soon with a recipe !!! Till then take care folks !!!

Mooli Raita (Radish with Yogurt)

" Yogurt is my favorite , give me yogurt and I can stay in any corner of the world. Me and DH go on long road trips every year and we first stop to buy yogurt. If my relatives know that I am visiting them, they make sure that there is enough yogurt. 

Indians make their yogurt at home. It tastes so drastically different in taste and texture from the store bought yogurt you find here in the US. When I landed here for the first time, I asked my hubby if he knows someone who prepares yogurt at home. Fortunately, he had some Gujarati friends who gave me my first starter for homemade yogurt.Yogurt is called Dahi ,curds in India. 

I can't stand the taste or smell of milk, but at the same time can't live without yogurt. Whenever I visit our farm back in India or my granny's house where there are lot of cows, I am super thrilled about having farm fresh curds, buttermilk the whole day.Reminds me, how much I miss those wonderful times. 

I come from a part of Karnataka(my state in India), where we make different types of yogurt dishes - called majjige huli, hasi, tambli etc.If you know Kannada you would understand it. We even make raita of hibiscus flower. 

Daikon can be smelly vegetable, and I hardly can tolerate the smell.But if you find baby bunch radishes

Carrot Pudding

" I am so happy to be back in the blog world ,after quite a long hiatus. I should tell you that this blog was born out of exam frustration and tension - I needed something that would relax and divert my attention away ,even though momentarily from all the stress.

Anyways, I had no idea what I would name this dessert, so it may seem a little vague and boring , I know, I know people, I need to improve my skills at naming my dishes.

This one's my mama's recipe. Always been one of my favorites,and for me a lifesaver. It is really easy to make and you can make ahead and refrigerate this. The orangey color , mousse like texture and the sublime melt-in your mouth taste.... make this a winner in my books.

I am so glad I found fresh carrots , I love carrot leaves - I add them to soups  and fried rice and they smell and taste like carrots.

I need to increase my repertoire of carrot sweet dishes - all that I know are gajar ka halwa, carrot cake and this one. And all three I love !!!

Lentil soup

" Don't we all love to settle down on our favorite couch to a hot, comforting bowl of soup? I don't feel any sense of guilt when I tell you folks that I am a soup junkie !!! The only excuse that I've been ever able to give is that they are healthy, nutrient-rich. Lot of veggies and proteins ...blah blah blah. You know how it is ,when it is something you love.


Anyways dals are a very important part of the Indian diet. Not a day goes by without these ubiquitous lentils. They go into sambar, dals, soups, desserts....almost everything. When I first came to US  , I had this three lentil soup at a cafe and it has haunted my palates ever since. I tried replicating it with different types of vegetables and lentils,but hardly ever came close to it. However, in the process this soup has remained a favorite. Plus, when you have something that is healthy,it is certainly a winner. Unfortunately, I don't remember the cookbook it is taken from." 

Mughlai Style Mushroom Biryani , Rice Casserole

" I was in one of those moods today - I had gotten tired of studying the whole day and was craving to eat something exotic, spicy but home-made. I had these pile of coffee table cookbooks lying around and had my eye on this recipe for quite some time but it had never materialized. Well, today was the day to try it. The recipe had called out for mushrooms and I drove to the neighborhood market to get them. Not a huge fan of mushrooms, I used to like them earlier but I don't know why - I just lost the taste for it overtime. 
Anyways it's an exciting spicy recipe, you might want to tone down the spiciness a little bit if you are spice- averse. It turned out to be a very fragrant Mughlai-esque biryani after baking, the mushrooms were such a complement to the dish.  Dig your forks !!! "