EVENT: FOODIES_ REDOING OLD POSTS #46 RECIPE: THANDAI What is Thandai? In general, Thandai is a refreshing traditional milk based Indian Drink that is quite popular during the Holi Festival. Made from spices, nuts, seeds and rose petals its not only a cooler but also a nutritious drink. With the beginning of the hot days during Holi festival and also Shivratri, it’s ideal to serve this cooling drink to the guests. Actually, when one says thandai, it refers to the powder or syrup used to make the drink and also to the drink itself. As a matter of fact, in Hindi it means cooling. There are two forms: The powdered form – where nuts, poppy seeds, pepper, fennel seeds, cardamom, dried rose petals, saffron,…
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Continue ReadingIdli Sambar Idli Sambar is a fluffy soft, melt in the mouth fermented and steamed breakfast, served with a delicious, piping hot lentil stew and topped with fresh coconut chutney. Not only is idli sambar a healthy breakfast, but also the fermentation process increases the bioavailability of proteins, and enriches the idli with vitamin B. Low in fat, sometimes its served with a dollop of ghee which is beneficial for healthy joints. What is Idli? Idli or Idly is a popular South Indian savory steamed cake which is usually made from rice and black lentils(urad dal). The batter is allowed to ferment overnight without yeast or other raising agents. Next day its steamed in a idli stand or in small bowls. A popular breakfast dish, its…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: FOODIES_ REDOING OLD POSTS #27 Updated on 12/06/2020 For this event, Foodies_Redoing Old Posts my 27th re done recipe is my kind of salad – Roasted Potato and Avocado Salad. What is the group Foodies _Redoing Old Posts all about? Before we get into how to make this filling and tasty salad, let me explain a bit about this group. Updating posts with better photos or better write up or both is what the group Foodies_Redoing Old Posts started by Renu allows us to do. The advantage of rewriting the post in a better manner makes it more SEO friendly and good photos is what attracts your fans to check out the recipe. This group allows me to stay focused on updating old posts…
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Continue ReadingRecipe: Banana Cucumber Raita Banana Cucumber Raita is a flavourful and cooling side dish which is a little sweetish and tangy too. Enjoy it with biryani or on its own as a salad. What is a Raita? Raita is a yogurt based dish which is usually served as an accompaniment to a main dish. Usually, raitas are made using vegetables like bottle gourd, radish, cucumber, beetroot and fruits like banana, pomegranate, grapes, pineapple, etc. However, that does not mean a raita is limited to those ingredients. These days there are so many different types of raita that are prepared. In fact, the most common raita you will find served with biryanis and pulao is a boondi raita or onion raita. Boondi is fried little pearl…
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Continue ReadingEvent: Father’s Day Recipe: Vatidar Na Bhajia/ Dal Bhajia What is Vatidar Na Bhajia/ Dal Bhajia? Well, first of all vatidar means ground dal or dar. Dal is the Hindi word for pulses and dar is the Gujarati word. Bhajia are fritters, deep fried in oil. Vatidar na Bhajia is basically bhajia or fritters made from coarsely ground dals or pulses. Vatidar Na Bhajia/ Dal Bhajia is a Coastal Speciality A visit to Mombasa is not complete if you have not had the famous vatidar na bhajia. Every coffee shop, fast food restaurant will serve these famous bhajias. In the evenings, women sit at corners or near their home preparing these hot snacks for hungry passersby. During our visit to Mombasa, a visit to the…
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Continue ReadingRecipe: Vegetarian Mushroom Soup Vegetarian Mushroom Soup is wholesome, healthy, creamy and so delicious. Makes a perfect meal during the cold season. I enjoy homemade soups accompanied with some salad and bread as a light meal. Many restaurants serve mushroom soup that has been made in a non vegetarian stock. Packet soups contain too much cornstarch, artificial flavours and additives. Therefore I prefer to make my favourite soup at home. Memories Mushroom soup is one of my favourite soups. Every time I make it, I remember the mushroom soup that was served at Driftwood in Malindi. While my family were having their choice of fish or chicken, I was not left with much of a choice. It was either vegetable curry or soups. So…
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Continue ReadingWhat is Mexican Rice? As such traditional Mexican Cuisine didn’t feature rice on their menu. Corn was the staple at that time till the Spanish Colonizers introduced rice in Mexico around the 1520s. It was prepared in a similar way to the Spanish Rice but instead of saffron, cumin and red chili was used. Thus the main difference in the rice is the colour, while Spanish rice is yellow, Mexican rice is orange reddish. These days Mexican rice is served as a side dish with tacos, enchiladas, quesadilla, chili con carne, as stuffing for burritos, etc. Main ingredients for a Mexican rice are onion, garlic and tomatoes. Memories….. So when was the first time I ever tasted Mexican Rice? Well, when I was around 16…
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Continue ReadingA Very Simple Vegetable Soup Mum’s Vegetable Soup is an easy to make soup without any oil, dried herbs, or spices besides pepper powder. Its one of the healthiest, nutritious and comforting soups that I enjoy. All you need are fresh vegetables like peas, potato, cauliflower, carrot, tomato, French beans and fresh corn if available. Why is it called Mum’s Vegetable Soup My mum didn’t know how to cook any other cuisine bedsides the Gujarati one. However some of her simple attempts at something different were definitely her own style like her pasta dish or her peas and egg pulao. One such preparation was the simple vegetable soup. The Nairobi Agricultural Show was a big event for our family. We would have a stall at the…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: FOODIES_ REDOING OLD POSTS #14 RECIPE: CARROT GINGER SOUP Carrot Ginger Soup is an easy to make, delicious, warm, comforting, creamy soup to sip on to ward off the cold. Fresh ginger helps to boost your immunity against flu and also adds warmth to your body. Add turmeric powder if you wish to increase the immunity factor. THE GROUP – FOODIES_REDOING OLD POSTS Carrot Ginger Soup is what I had the opportunity recently to update as the weather is getting cold in Bangalore. Evenings call for something comforting and nutritious. Contributing this recipe for the Group called Foodies_Redoing Old Posts which is Renu’s baby. This group encourages food bloggers to visit their old forgotten posts and breathe a new life into them either by…
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Continue ReadingWhat is Dahi Vada? Dahi Vada is a popular chaat originating from the Indian Sub Continent. Chaat is a savory snack that is usually enjoyed as a snack. Most chaat dishes have become popular as street food in the Indian Sub Continent which is enjoyed both by young and the old in the evenings. Dahi means yogurt and vada is basically a fritter. Therefore, it means fritters in yogurt. A bit more Dahi Vada Also known as Dahi Vade, Dahi Bhalla, Thayir Vadai, Perugu Vada, Doi Bora, the recipes will vary a bit from region to region. The Vadas are made from soaked lentils which is ground into a coarse paste and deep fried. The proportion and types of lentils will vary from family to…
