EVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: TELANGANA CUISINE A bit about the group: October took Shhh Cooking Secretly group to Telangana, where I got the opportunity to make Attu Tunukala/Tunaka Koora. This group is where members get together to cook a dish on the decided theme. We are paired up and give each other two secret ingredients to cook with. This group was started by Priya of Priya’s Versatile Recipes. Other members have to then guess the two secret ingredients till we share the recipe link. Its a fun group and along the way have made some good friends. A bit about Telangana Telangana is the 29th state of India, formed after separating from Andhra Pradesh in 2014. Hyderabad still remains the capital for both states. Situated on…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP THEME: #218 DIWALI DHAMAKA RECIPE: MAGAS/ CHICKPEA FLOUR FUDGE What is Magas/ Chickpea Flour Fudge? Magas/ Chickpea Flour Fudge is a famous sweet dish or mithai in the Gujarati Cuisine. Its a popular sweet fudge that is enjoyed by both adults and children. Some kids refer to it as ‘bavo’. Any Patel wedding you attend, or go to their homes during Diwali you will definitely find Magas. During weddings, huge quantities are made by the bride’s family and sent to the groom’s family and also shared with all those who attend the wedding. Made from chickpea flour, ghee, sugar and cardamom, its not a difficult mithai or sweet to make at all. After roasting the flour in ghee, sugar is added and then…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP THEME: #217 KHAALI FRIDGE Does the theme title sound absolutely weird? It does but its one that Renu who blogs at Cook With Renu, decided that we should put on our thinking caps. As for me as soon as the theme was chosen, I knew that Pithlu or besan ka sabji is what I’m going to make. So what is the theme all about? Well, Renu wanted us to presume that we have no vegetables in the fridge or pantry and still are suppose to put a simple and yet filling meal on the table. In reality, getting or ordering take away is a much better option. Before I tell you more about the dish I prepared, my friend Renu has a wonderful…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP THEME: #213 RASAM RAAGA I had initially informed my Foodiemonday group friends that I would not be participating for this theme. However, rains and more rains forced me to go into my sister in law’s kitchen as I felt like having something hot to sip on. Hubby suggested soup. I thought let me take this opportunity to make something for the theme and that is rasam. Priya who blogs at The World Through My Eyes, suggested that we try our hands at different kinds of rasam. The only rasam I know is the one made from tuvar dal. I’ve made Mysuru Saaru,which my hubby loves so much. Priya on the other hand such interesting versions of rasams like Long Pepper Rasam (Thippili Rasam),…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: SIKKIMESE CUISINE About this Group: As most of my regular readers may have noticed that through the Shhh Cooking Secretly Group we are taking each state of India every month and preparing a dish pertaining to that state’s cuisine. August was when the participating members cooked different dishes from the state of Sikkim. Get to know Sikkim Sikkim, one of the seven sister states of North East India is situated in the lap of the Himalayas. The third highest peak of the Himalayas, Kanchenjunga can be seen from Sikkim. Sikkim was annexed to India in 1975. 11 languages are spoken in this tiny mountain state, English being the official language.Its the home to the second highest suspension bridge in Asia, Singshore…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: RAJASTHANI CUISINE Rajasthan, The Land of The Kings, is dear to me as I’ve spent 4 years studying at a convent school in Mt. Abu. I’ve not seen the whole of Rajasthan but have been to Jaipur, Udaipur and Nathdwara. Aravalli hills is where with my friends I’ve climbed many rocks and seen fabulous sunsets. Its where we’ve walked around Nakki Lake, filled our school blazers with chana chor garam, ridden on horses till our thighs ached. It is where we always warned each other about tigers in the hills which might come up to the terrace when we slept outdoors during the hot summers. Whether that was true or not who knows. But I know that any strange noise…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: PUNJABI CUISINE Land of the Golden Temple, land of lassi, land of golden wheat, the land of the five rivers that is Punjab. Its the area where first civilization flourished around 2500BC, The Indus Civilization. Punjab is named after the five rivers, “Punj” means five and “aab” means water in Persian. The five rivers are Beas, Ravi, Chenab, Sutlej and Jehlum. Sikhism was founded in Punjab. Guru Nanak Dev laid the foundation of Sikhism in the late 15th Century. Did you know that Punjab and Haryana share the same capital city, Chandigarh? I didn’t till I read up a bit about Punjab. A state of colorful festivals and dances, then food from that place has to be awesome. Punjabi Cuisine…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: FOODIEMONDAY/BLOGHOP THEME: #201 JAMVA CHALO JI RECIPE: KANSAR – PATEL STYLE Kansar – Patel Style is an important, simple and yet very delicious sweet dish that is prepared during important ceremonies and festivals. It just needs four basic ingredients, semolina or coarse wheat flour, ghee, jaggery and powdered sugar. Importance Of Kansar Any religious or happy occasion like Diwali, weddings, birth of babies, etc begins with kansar in a typical Gujarati home. This dish preparation varies from region to region in Gujarat. As we begin Diwali celebrations kansar is made and offered to the deities. It is also offered to Ganeshji on the day of pre-wedding ceremonies. For many communities in Gujarat kansar is what is offered to the bride and groom to…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: ODIA CUISINE May is when participants of Shhhh Cooking Secretly had to find an apt dish from the Odia Cuisine with the ingredients given by their partners.Orissa as it was known before and now known as Odisha, is a state that I’d love to visit one day. When one talks of Odisha then Bhubaneswar and Puri , the land of Jagannath Temple comes to mind. Other reasons to visit the state is for the art and craft, the beaches, the wildlife and Kalinga Architecture, home to both the white and Bengal tigers, to watch Odissi dances and to enjoy the cuisine. Odisha borders four states, Jharkhand in the north, West Bengal in northeast, Andhra Pradesh in the southwest and Chhattisgarh…
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Continue ReadingEVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY THEME: NAGALAND CUISINE Nagaland, one of the seven sister state is mountainous state bordering Myanmar in the east, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam to the north, Assam to the west and Manipur to the south. Home to diverse indigenous tribes, their markets and festivals celebrate diverse cultures. I had no idea that the capital city of the state, Kohima, suffered heavy fighting during World War 2. Nagaland is one of the smallest states of India, but by no means backward. Literacy rate is 79.55% and the official language is English. Though the 16 different tribes may have different cultures, ethnic dresses and different languages, the official language unifies them as one. Majority of the people from Nagaland are Christians by faith. 20%…
