Black And White Wednesdays Week 48

Hello everyone. And one more hello to those who walk hand in hand with their camera especially. I m back again guest hosting Black And White Wednesdays for the shutterbug talented Susan. So what does one do to participate in Black And White Wednesdays?

When In Love, Bake A Pie.

Baking Insights- From Regalia To Rubbing The Flour

A close friend.More like my best friend recently bought an Oven Toaster Griller on my recommendations.When she called me to ask which oven she should be considering, i was more than happy to share my wisdom on oven buying. And then, ever since she bought the oven, the phone has been ringing off the hook.She s made like God knows how many calls to ask me about baking, pans and all the regalia that she would be needing to become a good baker. I know i m not a fantastic baker or something. But i ve learnt aplenty

Baby Brinjals In Tangy Sauce -Ennai Kathirikai Kuzhambu

My better half detests brinjals like there s no tomorrow. That said and done, he loves this particular Kuzhambu to pieces. Why, this is my favorite too. Oh to pour that tangy sauce onto hot steaming rice and a ladle full of sesame oil and gulp it down is bliss that is beyond words. Well its not like i m making this the first time. I ve probably made this on so many sundays for lunch that i ve nicknamed it the sunday kuzhambu.

Maa Laadu

I am not an authentic south indian for no reasons. The fact that i was born and brought up in one of the most hospitable cities in Tamil Nadu apart, i love tamil food. Or should i say anything that has the tag South Indian. This is mainly because most of the recipes from South India are versatile. Most of them being add a little of this and a little of that. But mind you each dish is a challenge for to achieve perfection in each is a mighty task. I ve seen people cooking just eyeballing ingredients. Why only the other day i was watching Menu Rani Chellam Aunty making these yummy maa laadus. Even though she told us the precise measurement and everything, making a south indian dessert is so unlike baking.It does not call for standard cup sizes and spoons. Its more like make it as it suits your palette. I got inspired by her and the last week of The Avant Garde Cookies where we picked authentic tamil cuisine was the perfect excuse to make these super delicious loaded with protein laadus.They are easy to make. People will definitely think you are some Julia Child of the south or something when you make these and serve them. Oh! believe me will ya all?

Vegetable Fried Rice

Did you think i got over my chinese frenzy with yesterday s recipe? Oh boy you are wrong. Dont you want to know what we ate the manchurian sauce with? Vegetable fried rice of course. If there s something like the easiest dish, then i m sure veg fried rice will figure in this list. You have the rice. You chop the veggies and your fried rice is 80% done. And what s more, it s a fabulous way to use up leftover rice.

Vegetable Balls In Manchurian Sauce- An Indo Chinese Delicacy

If i were to choose a restaurant for a special day, then it s definitely chinese. Even though i know i can whip up chinese any time at home, eating it at an authentic chinese restaurant gives me a high. There was a time when my lunch menu almost every other day used to be steamed rice and hunan sauce. Take away of course fondly ordered by a close friend when i was in college and the luxury of eating home cooked meals were never an option.

Black And White Wednesdays Week 46

A phulka always takes me by surprise when it puffs up. 

This is off to this weeks Black And White Wednesdays happening at Susan s The Well Seasoned Cook this week. The event is the brainchild of Susan.

Tomato Rice- One Pot Meal

My father in law calls this kind of stuff kadale pori which when translated means puffed rice and groundnuts.And my husband follows suit. He never says it but i know its running at the back of his head. In the sense, he doesnt consider this a meal but ends up licking his fingers anyway. I think i ve done enough damage to Mr.P s repute here. And God forbid he reads this post.
Now i know i ve really jumped the gun.

Pav Bhaji

Have i told you about my love for pav bhaji yet? I am bananas over the famous street food served up in almost the whole country. I mean, how can someone not like pav and bhaji? I ve been such a fool to not share my version of pav bhaji with you all. I ve probably made this like a 50 times by now. No, no , just dont jump into conclusions that i dont cook anything much other than pav bhaji.

Chocolate Loaf Cake - Vegan

Today is chocolate cake day. For so many reasons. But the first is because i was supposed to have made something with chocolate and yeast but the weather guy is being very difficult here. With the mercury falling and rising like a charging bull, its very difficult to proof the dough. I failed four times in a row. That did little to inspire me but then, the better half soothingly suggested that i let it be and make something else with cocoa. After all, do we need a reason to gorge on chocolate or for that matter, any thing loaded with cocoa?
Ok now for the second part of the story. Why did i even want to make something with chocolate and yeast when i knew the weather guy was not in his friendly best. Well, its the hush hush week. Wondering what that is?? Let me tell y'all. The Avant Garde Cookies set each other a secret ingredient. At the end of the first week, we are supposed to make a dish featuring the ingredients. This time, i got paired with the vivacious Kavi and she did turn out to be a lil naughty gal. She gave me chocolate and yeast. Well, the rest of the story, i ve already told you all.

Rava Pongal- A Very Delayed Avant Garde Cookie Post

This is a very very delayed post. I was supposed to have done this last week. But then the skies opened up. The trees went into a trance that lasted forever and all connection with the world came to a standstill. No phones. No internet. No blogging. And i had more crippled than ever. Not that i was jobless otherwise. Between rehearsing for a play,teaching kids on a five hour basis every day and the maid not coming in for a couple of days, i was all but breathless. But then the pleasures of blogging. The vicious pleasures of clicking away food. And the thrill of creating something new to munch in the kitchen is something that i can hardly contain. And when i m denied all that, i know that i can feel almost sickly.

Bharwa Bhavnagari Mirch

When i was a little kid, Daddy used to take me to a small eatery where the man used to make crunchy chili fritters. I never used to eat them then because as a kid, i never used to eat them for fear of them being spicy. But as i grew up and my choice
of palette widened, i started taking a liking towards those fritters.And i never knew of any other use for those chilies until i married. Neither did i know that these chilies are from Bhavnagar.

Dal Tadka

This is probably my first decent dal recipe on my blog. In Mr.P s opinion, while i ve conquered many a battle in the kitchen, my strife with the dal is still a long way to go. No matter what i do, i dont make dal decent enough to measure upto Mr.P s standards.So, i dont make dal much. But when amma was visiting me this time, she told me like ever the wise one she is that not doing something is not going to help me win the struggle. Its only going to make it worse. So, i braved it this time, fished out my copy of Tarla Dalal s Dals and found this recipe of Dal Tadka.

Palak Kichdi- Comfort Food To Toast Friends

I am not a days person. Personally, i dont believe in dedicating a particular day for a special relationship. That s why i dont believe in Valentines day. But friendship day s special. From the times when i ve made colorful friendship bands ignoring my assignments to the time when a group of us friends have met up and chilled out eating like pigs, friendship day has always been close to my heart. Now, two years after a wedding, a husband and a relocation, i am not in touch with my closest of chums. I feel
guilty as i write this but then practically, i think that s what happens to all those friendships that were made in college and school. But those days that are spent hanging out in canteens and  those hushed conversations that go in the library under the nose of the very nosy librarian are something that are cherished by all. For me, those times when i ve shared a chocolate bar stealthily with a close friend when an algebra class is in full swing is more than a memory. Those days when we ve memorized four page long statutes and confusing latin legal terms in the college canteen with my gang of friends still bring tears to my eyes when i reminisce about those times. A wedding has definitely made me wiser. Today i realise that its not the fun that i miss. Its not those times of aimless loitering that i crave for. But its the comfort that i ve always enjoyed when i ve been around my friends that i sorely miss. That secure feeling that i felt even though we were strangers before and had grown as thick as thieves over bags of potato chips and long hours of cell phone chats.

Dish It Out With Potatoes And Bell Peppers

Hey ya everyone!!! This month, i m guest hosting Dish It Out for Vardhini of Cooks Joy. The event is the brainchild of Vardhini and is a monthly event. The theme this month is Potatoes, Cauliflowers and Bell Peppers.
So how do you participate in this month s Dish It Out?