EVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: SRI LANKAN RECIPES RECIPE: CASHEW CURRY | KAJU MALUWA Cashew Curry | Kaju Maluwa is a mild, vegan coconut based Sri Lankan curry where generous amount of cashew nuts are used to prepare this dish. Usually prepared for special occasions, it is served with plain rice. And it is both gluten free and vegan. In fact, this curry is very easy to make. I think for me the hardest part was to remember to the soak the cashew nuts overnight! Kept on forgetting for three consecutive days. Finally, left the cashew nut container out on the kitchen counter near my sink so I remember when I clear up after dinner. Though I added homemade Sri Lankan curry spice, the curry…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: CHETTINAD CUISINE RECIPE: CHETTINAD URULAI ROAST | POTATO ROAST Chettinad Urulai Roast | Potato Roast is simply baby potatoes roasted in a pan with freshly ground Chettinad Masala or Spice Mixture. It easily can be enjoyed as a starter dish, a snack or as a side dish which is usually served with rice or roti and a lentil curry. Hubby and I decided to enjoy it as a starter. Actually, it was more like a meal for us. Just recovering from Covid, Furthermore, I didn’t have the energy to cook meals that took too long. Made the masala and boiled the potatoes the previous day. Put away the potatoes in the fridge as I got tired and went to sleep.…
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Continue ReadingEvent: Sunday Funday Theme: Melon Recipe: Watermelon Soda Float Watermelon Soda Float is a delicious, chilled, refreshing summer time drink. With fresh watermelon juice, flavour of mint, chilled soda water and vanilla ice cream, this lightly creamy summer treat is a must have. My First Introduction To A Soda Float or Ice Cream Float I was in Ahmedabad staying for a few days with my guardians before I headed home for the winter vacation from school. The whole family and I went for a movie at the Drive In Cinema. One of the drinks that was ordered for the whole group was Soda Float. Had no idea what it was. Each of us was handed over a glass filled with Fanta like drink topped with…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: MANGO MANIA RECIPE: FAJETO | GUJARATI MANGO KADHI Fajeto | Gujarati Mango Kadhi or mango curry is a delicious, sweet, tangy and spicy mango and yogurt curry. In fact, Fajeto is often made along with aamras. Also, aamras or thick mango puree or pulp is often enjoyed as a part of a thali. Usually, Shaaks or sabjis, poori or rotli, a farsan/farsans, plain rice, a dry lentil preparation and kadhi are prepared to go with aamras. Instead of plain kadhi, fajeto is prepared. In regards to fajeto, I feel the recipe probably came about as a way of not wasting any bit of the tasty and sweet mango when in season. In fact, I remember after cutting the mangoes into…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: SPICE MIX RECIPE: DOODH MASALA | MASALA MILK POWDER Doodh Masala | Masala Milk Powder is an Indian Spice Mixture made using nuts,seeds and warming spices. This spice mixture, Doodh Masala or Milk Spice Mixture is usually added to hot or warm milk. It is a comforting and nutritious drink to have during the cold season. It also is a beneficial drink for pregnant and lactating mums. Enjoy Masala Doodh or Masala Milk as a healthy dessert, or to fill up your tummy during fasting. Have it in place of coffee or tea in the mornings. Add sugar or enjoy it without it. Sometimes ready made doodh masala are loaded with cheaper nut powders like peanuts or sugar. I don’t…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: FLATBREADS RECIPE: FOUGASSE Fougasse is a stunning French Flatbread with a crisp crust and a slightly chewy crumb. Easy to make it is pronounced as ‘foogaas’. This flatbread actually quite famous in the Provence region of France. However, it is believed that the it originates from the Rome. Panis focacius the Roman flatbread was cooked in the ashes of a wood burning hearth called focus. What is Fougasse? Fougasse is patted with the hands into a leaf shape and then cuts are made to resemble the veins of a leaf. The open areas actually help the flatbread to bake well to achieve that crispy crust. Intially, I thought that shaping the bread and the recipe must be difficult.. like most…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: HOMEMADE RESTAURANT STYLE FOOD RECIPE: KENYAN STYLE MASALA CHIPS Kenyan Style Masala Chips also known as chips masala, is a popular dish on most restaurant menus in Kenya. Easy to make, spicy and tasty. It is a must to try out these chips when in Kenya. Here, chips is what the North Americans call French Fries. Being a former British Colony, chips is the word used for french fries and the North American Chips is what we call crisps. How did this popular dish come about? No idea but all I know that the love for Masala Chips started from Exotica Restaurant in Nairobi. At that time the restaurant was very small, so majority of the people ordered food from…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: STICK TO SEEDS RECIPE: BEETROOT BUCKWHEAT RISOTTO Beetroot Buckwheat Risotto made in a healthy style, with buckwheat groat and roasted beetroot. Total comfort food which is creamy, full of flavours and easy to make. Have also added beetroot stem and leaves for added nutritional value. Beetroot enriches the risotto with iron and folate and buckwheat is a great source of protein and fibre. First Time I Had Risotto The first time I tasted a lovely creamy and cheesy risotto was at Hilton Dubai The Walk. My son was the manager at one of their dining area, the Pure Sky Lounge. We had dinner once and the vegetarian option was Mushroom Risotto. My son assured me that I would love it.…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: HEALTHY IDEAS RECIPE: CURRIED CHICKPEA STUFFED SWEET POTATOES Curried Chickpea Stuffed Sweet Potatoes is a healthy, delicious, filling and easy to make healthy, gluten free meal. Enjoy it for lunch or dinner and it is a perfect hot meal for the cold season. Basically, I prepare a thick chickpea curry and stuff baked sweet potato with it and serve with some plain thick yogurt. Actually, I love sweet potatoes whether they are the whitish oriental variety or the orange flesh ones. The Oriental variety is commonly available in Kenya and India. However, sometimes they are quite small and not really ideal to stuff them. Usually, those ones I bake or boil and enjoy with some salt, chilli powder and generous…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: DIWALI DHAMAKA RECIPE: KALAKAND, WITH COTTAGE CHEESE Kalakand, with cottage cheese turns out as good as the one with paneer. Moist, soft, delectable barfi, perfect for Diwali. And the sweet treat comes together within 20-25 minutes. It is allowed to set for 2-3 hours and it is ready to be enjoyed with friends and family. CAN I MAKE IT AHEAD? Yes you can. Make sure you store it in an airtight container and leave it in the fridge. I promise you it stays moist for over a week. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COTTAGE CHEESE AND PANEER? While in India we often call paneer as cottage cheese in English, it is not nearly the same. While paneer consistency can depend…
