The Writer's Blog

Zuchini Kofta Healthy Cuisine Recipe Source - http://food.krishna.com/recipe/zuchini-kofta MY RATING - 9/10 I found this on the Iskcon's website on food. Kofta ingredients: 4 cups zucchini grated 1/4 cup chickpea flour 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 inch piece ginger root grated 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1/8 teaspoon asafetida Handful of coriander leaves, minced Salt to taste Sauce ingredients: 3 cups tomato, blanched 1/4 cup grated coconut 1/4 cup yogurt, beaten 3 tablespoons ghee 1 green chili 1 inch piece ginger root 1 tablespoon poppy seeds Pinch asafetida 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder 1/2 teaspoon garam masala Handful coriander leaves Salt to taste Ghee for deep frying Method 1. Mix all kofta ingredients together until well distributed. Roll into 1 inch balls and deep fry in ghee until brown; drain. Set aside. 2. For sauce: Grind into paste

Vazhuthanengya(Brinjal) Thoran Kerala (malayali) Cuisine Recipe South Indian Cusine Recipe MY RATING - 8/10 This is an alternative to Fish fry Source - www.mallukitchen.com Ingredients   Brinjals - 2 Small onions chopped - 5 (or equivalent chopped big onion) Green chillies - 3 Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Chilli powder - 1 tsp Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp Garam masala - 1/2 tsp Garlic pods - 2 Grated coconut - 1/2 cup Curry leaves - 3 or 4 Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Salt as required Oil - 2 tbsp Method   Slice the brinjal into thin round or half round pieces. Marinate with turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Keep aside for 15 mins. Meanwhile, grind together grated coconut, garlic, garam masala, pepper powder, green chillies and salt and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and fry the brinjal pieces lightly until they change colour. (Important: dont overdo the frying). Remove from oil and keep aside. In the same oil used for frying splutter the mustard seeds. Add chopped on

Litti aur Chokha Bihari Cuisine Recipe MY RATING - 8/10 Source - Nutan Srivastava - http://www.biharandjharkhand.com/recipe/ranu_littichokha.htm Ingredients for Litti Aata (wheat flour) - 250 gm Besan (gram flour - made from chana daal) - 100 gm Sattu (baked gram flour) - 250 gm Ajwain - 5 gm Mangaraila - 5 gm Onion - 2 (finely chopped) Garlic - 1 (finely chopped) Dhaniya Patta - 50 gm (chopped) Lemon - 2 Green Chillies - 4 (finely chopped) Salt to Taste Method of Preparation 1. Mix aata and besan thoroughly. Add ajwain, mangaraila, salt and water. 2. Knead into a soft dough and keep aside. 3. Mix sattu with onion, garlic, lemon juice, dhaniya patta, green chilli and salt. 4. Divide dough into medium size loyias. Put a little sattu mixture inside and make balls. 5. Bake these balls/littis in tandoor or cow-dung (goytha) fire. Ingredients for Chokha Round Baigan (brinjal) - 500 gm Tomato - 250 gm Mustard Oil - 1 tbsp Green Chillies - 4 (finely chopped) Salt to Taste Method of Pre

Rice Pongal Tamil Cuisine Recipe MY RATING - 9.9/10 I explained Huggi, which is a Kannada variation of the North Indian Khichdi. Now, I give you the Tamilian variety which is very famously known as PONGAL .Perhaps the most important dish for the Tamilians, since they celebrate their harvest festival of Pongal with this very dish. Nutrional values go far above any other dish and is recommended for all ages and sexes! Source - http://www.pongalfestival.org/rice-pongal.html Ingredients » Raw Rice -300 gms » Moong Dal (yellow or green) 100 gms » Hing powder -Half tsp » Cummin Seeds- one or two tsp » Black pepper- 10 to 12 » Cashew nuts-10 no » Ginger- 1 inch piece » Turmeric powder- half tsp (optional, if you like the colour) » Clarified Butter or liquified Ghee- four tbsp » Curry Leaves- 10 no (optional) » Salt- to taste Method 1. Heat Kadai. Dry roast rice and moong dal till they turn hot to touch. 2. Transfer the rice and dal to a container and wash three times

What started off as merely an impossible wish of a deluded soul has finally been deemed COMPLETION. 10 days ago, running through RAC's and merely leftover seats to Tirupati and now here I am, back at the comforts of the sofa at my Gurgaon Apartment, wondering where did it all come from?  http://1.imimg.com/data/5/0/MY-84426/moti_boondi_laddu_250x250.jpg Anyway, something that I wanted to share, something delightful, related to Tirupati....... LADOO....The patented ladoos which are now termed as the best and the most unique in the world. So, Sorry, I can't share the recipe of the Ladoo...those who want to eat....Please visit the Lord of the Seven Hills at Tirumalai and earn yourselves the right to feast upon his blessings as well as the most delicious sweet in the world . I am going to share a few interesting facts about the famous Ladoo. I found this on a blog titled hindu-blog.com Around 150,000 laddus are made daily. One laddu is given free to each devotee; the number o

Sheera Marathi Cuisine Recipe MY RATING - 8/10 Source -  http://www.awesomecuisine.com/recipes/901/1/Sheera/Page1.html Ingredients: 1/4  cups  of rawa (sooji) 2 tbsp of ghee 4 tbsp of sugar (more or less to taste) 1/4 cups of milk 1 chopped banana 1 tbsp raisins, soaked in water for an hour 1/8 tsp cardamom powder Method: 1. Roast rawa in the ghee till its aroma is released 2. Bring the milk to a boil 3.Then reduce the heat and add the roasted rawa along  with sugar and the bananas. 3. Blend well  4.Add the raisins and cardamom and cook until thick.

Sandesh(सोंदेश/সন্দেশ) Bengali Cuisine Recipe MY RATING - 8.5/10 Source -  http://365daysveg.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/bengali-sandesh/ Ingredients:: 1/2 gallon whole milk (I use organic) 1 – 1 & 1/2 tbsp lemon/lime juice A few pistachios chopped Some saffron 1 tsp elaichi powder 3 – 4 tbsp fine sugar Method:: Bring milk to a boil.  Once it starts raising, add the lemon juice only in one spot.  This makes  the curdle to produce faster. The curdles are now called paneer or Indian cottage cheese. Gently mix with a spatula.  Once all the curdles have come, you can see the water being separated and is almost clear. If not, add more lemon juice.  Drain the water in a cheese cloth.  Tie the cheese cloth with the curdles and let the remaining water drain by itself, this will take about 10 minutes.  Do not squeeze the water with your hands.  Now add the sugar, elaichi powder and knead well. saffron is optional in mixing.  The more you knead, the more creamy the net result

Ghugni (Pea Curry from Odisha/Orissa) Oriya Cuisine Recipe MY RATING - 8/10 Source - http://oriyafood.blogspot.com/2007/05/ghugni.html Ingredients:  2 medium sized potatoes boiled, pealed and sliced into medium dices  2 cups of dried peas soaked overnight in water  3 small tomatoes sliced into small pieces  1 small red onion  1 tsp chopped ginger  1 tsp chopped garlic  2 cardamoms  1 tsp of cumin seeds  2 small pieces of cinnamon  3-4 cloves  1 tsp of cumin powder  1 tsp of coriander powder  Fresh coriander leaves  Red chilli powder to taste  2 Green Chilies  Turmeric powder  2-4 tsp cooking oil  Salt to taste Method: Make a ‘masala paste’ of onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves with a little water Boil the soaked peas with some salt till soft (You can pressure cook the peas) Put 2 tbs of oil in a frying pan and put the cumin seeds and let them splutter Add green chillies Add the masala paste prepared earlier Fry them till light brown Add turmeri

Avial:: This is a semi-dry preparation which is a mixture of all sorts of vegetables. Kerala Recipe MY RATING - 8.5/10 Ingredients:  (Serves 10) Yam sliced thinly into 11/2" length pieces 1cup Cucumber sliced lengthy into 11/2" thick pieces 1cup Snake gourd sliced into 11/2" length pieces 1cup Carrot sliced into into 11/2" length pieces 1/4cup Long runner-beans sliced into 11/2" length pieces 1/2cup Drumstick cut into 2" length pieces 2nos Raw bananas sliced into 11/2" length pieces 1no Mango pieces for sour Turmeric powder 1/2tsp Salt to taste Grated coconut 1/2quantity Green chillies 5nos Cumin seeds 1/2tsp Curry leaves 2sprigs Coconut oil 3tbs Method: Coarsely grind the coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds. Keep it aside. Clean the vegetables. Heat 2tbs coconut oil in a thick bottom vessel.  Add the vegetables and cook in a low flame.  Do not add water. When it is done, add turmeric powder, salt and mix it well.  R

Indori Puri Palak Ki  (Madhya Pradesh Recipe) MY RATING - 8.1/10 Source - http://www.indianfoodsco.com/RecipesRegionalIndian/MadhyaPradeshRecipes.htm Ingredients:   http://bp3.blogger.com/ 2 cups plain flour 2 tbsp.. ghee 1 cup fresh spinach chopped 1 tsp.. ginger 5 green chillis 1/2 tsp.. cumin seeds crushed coarsely 2 tsp. plain yogurt Salt to taste Ghee for deep frying   Method :   Wash and boil spinach in very little water. Grind ginger into a paste. Blend spinach with its water and mix till smooth. Sieve flour with salt. Make well in centre. Add all other ingredients in well except ghee for frying. Knead into a slightly stiff but pliable dough. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Knead again till smooth. Divide into small portions. Roll into 4" diameter rounds. Heat ghee, then add two puris at a time. Puff by pressing gently with back of flat slotted spoon. Flip and fry other side.

Chana Madra Himachali Cuisine Recipe MY RATING - 8/10 Source - http://www.surfindia.com/recipes/channa-madra.html Ingredients 500 gm: Yogurt 250 gm: Kabuli chana-boiled 3 tsp: Raisins 4: Cardamoms 5-6: Cloves 1/3 tsp: Black cardamom-powder 1/3 tsp: Clove-powdered 1/2 tsp: Turmeric 3/4 tsp: Cumin powder 1/2 tsp: Salt 250 gm: Ghee Method Heat the ghee in a pan. Add cardamoms, cloves, black cardamom, clove powder, turmeric, cumin and kabuli channas and mix well. Then add the salt, raisins and yogurt and cook on low flame for 20 minutes. Serve hot with rotis.

Kashmiri Dum Aalo MY RATING - 8.6/10 Source - http://www.surfindia.com/recipes/kashmiri-dum-aloo.html Ingredients 500 gm : Potatoes (small) 1½ cup : Yogurt (Dahi) ½ tbsp : Gramflour (Besan) 4 no : Green cardamom (Chhoti Elaichi) ½ tsp : Dry ginger powder (Soonth) ¾ tsp : Fennel seed powder (Saunf) 5 no : Cloves (Laung) 2 no : Cinnamon sticks chutney (Daalchini) 1 ½ tsp : Chilli Powder Sarson (mustard) oil for frying Method Grind together - bari elaichi, laung and daalchini. Put aside until further use. Boil potatoes until half cooked. Peel while still warm. Pierce each potato 2-3 time with thin wooden toothpick. Heat oil in a kadhai, fry potatoes on medium heat until floating on top and golden brown in color. Drain excess oil and keep aside. To the dahi, add salt, besan and 1 cup water. Whisk well, until smooth and lump-free. Reheat 4tbsp of the same oil in another pan. Add red chillies and chhoti elaichi and fry for a minute. Remove from flame, allow to

Punjabi Cuisine always twists my tongue and the notorious secretions shamelessly roll down my mouth and into the floor below! Since today's Lohri, I thought of sharing a very important punjabi dish- PUNJABI KADHI... Few days ago, I had posted about gujarati kadhi and the one's analogously existing in Southern India. But this one's a winner all the way! Happy Lohri and I thank http://funnfud.blogspot.com/ for sharing this wonderful recipe Ingredients For Pakora : 1 cup Besan (gram flour) Pinch of cumin seeds 2 tspn onions - chopped finely 1 green chillies - chopped 1/2th tspn grated ginger pinch of turmeric powder 1/4th tspn garam masala red chillie powder (to taste) 1/2 tspn ajwain (optional) water (to make a smooth batter) Salt to taste Oil for frying For Kadhi: 2 spoons Vegetable Oil 1 cup besan 1 huge onion - sliced in long pieces 1 tomato - chopped 1 tspn ginger paste 2-3 tspn minced garlic 4-5 Dry Red chillies 7-8 Curry leaves 2 tspn

So, finally I am done with my examinations for this semester. I reach back home and that's when My dear old daddy dear tells me that he has registered for a naukri.com and that he was going to pay around 2100 rupees for a membership that runs for 6 months long and straight. Now what has that got to do with my post??? Well...There is a wee bit of a relation... ;) otherwise why would I put you through this??? :P Since Dad had committed a electronic remittance of 2100 bucks, a vague idea that had creeped into my mind 2 weeks ago while going through the custom blog feature provided by BLOGGER, cramped back. The idea of acquiring a custom domain for my blog - REFLECTIONS. And hitherto, I didn't make an about turn..kept on moving..and after storming my head for about 4 hours, I came up with a simple name REFLECTONS OF INDIA, since it's the Indian Culture (both authentic as well as Westernized Modern Indian Culture) that I will be sharing on this little place that now belongs to

Papaya Khar Assamese Recipe MY RATING - 9/10 Source - http://assamfoodie.wordpress.com/khar/ Reflections from Assamfoodie.wordpress.com "A traditional meal in Assam begins with a bowl of khar , a class of dishes named after the main ingredient, also called khar which is made by filtering water through the ashes of dried banana peels. Khar dishes can be made of pulpy vegetables such as gourds,papaya and cucumber, pulses ,greens etc There are many versions of Khar and these are just a few." Ingredients 2 cups peeled,cubed green papaya 1 tsp of plantain khar(kolakhar ) 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp grated ginger 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp mustard oil 1/2 cup water salt to taste 1/2 cup gram lentils,washed Method Heat the oil and add mustard seeds and ginger Stir-fry for a minute. Add the papaya cubes (and lentils)and stir well. Add the khar or the baking soda and salt. Add a little water and simmer it till the gravy is thick. Garnish with some extra

Mumbai Chiwda Marathi Cuisine MY RATING - 9/10 Source - http://www.indianfoodforever.com/maharashtrian/bombay-chiwda.html Ingredients: 1/3rd cup halves Peanuts (Moong Phali) 1/3rd cup halves Cashew (Kaju) 1/4th cup whole Almond (Badam) 1/4 cup blanched Pistachio (Pista) 1/4th cup Pumpkin seeds 1/4th cup Pine Nuts 2-3 sliced crosswise into thin rounds hot Green chilli (Hari Mirch) 1 tblsp Fennel seeds (Saunf) 15 Curry Leaves (Kari Patta) 3 tblsp fresh Coriander Leaves (Dhania Patta) 2/3 rd cup thick pounded Flat Rice (Poha) 1/4th cup Raisins (Kishmish) 1/4th cup Currants (Kishmish) 1/4th cup chopped Dates (Khajoor) 1/2 tsp Salt (Namak) 2 tblsp Maple or Date Sugar 1/3 cup Moong Dal 1cup deep fried Sev Noodles Vegetable Oil or Ghee for deep-frying Method Heat oil or ghee in a kadhai or deep-frying pan over a moderate heat. Place the peanuts in a wire-mesh sieve and lower it into the oil. Fry until golden brown, lift out the sieve, and transfer the nuts to p

GUJARATI KADHI Gujarati Recipe (West Indian Cuisine) MY RATING - 9.1/10 Source - http://www.indianfoodforever.com/gujarati/gujarati-kadhi.html Reflections - One of the most delightful of Indian cuisines is Kadhi, which is prepared in a different form in every part of India, ranging from the Spicy version from Punjab to Gujarat's soulful one and the coconutty version from Kerala called Kaallan. This is perhaps the healthiest among all curries since it is prepared from boiled Curd. Ingredients: 2 Cups Sour Curd 4 tsp Besan 1/2 inch Ginger, chopped 2 Green chillies, chopped Salt To Taste Handful Corainder leaves 2 tsp Oil 1 Pinch Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder Seasonings: 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds Few Curry leaves 1 Pinch Asafoetida Preparation: * Beat the curd and add two cups of water. Add the besan, salt, turmeric powder and mix well. * Make a paste of ginger, chillies, cinnamon and corainder leaves. * Boil the curd mixtur

Goan Drumstick Cutlet Goan Recipe (South Western Indian/Coastal Cuisine) My RATING - 8.9/10  Source - http://www.indianfoodforever.com/goan/drumsticks-flower-cutlets.html   Ingredients 1/2 tsp red chilli powder 2 tblsp bengal gram flour (besan) 1/2 tsp coriander seed roasted and powdered oil for frying 1 cup coconut scraped 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 2 tblsp rice flour 2 medium onions salt to taste 3 cup drumstick flowers 1/2 tsp tamarind pulp Method How to make drumsticks flower cutlets : Wash the flowers. Cut the onions fine and mix all the ingredients well except oil and rice flour. Mix, applying slight pressure and separate into 10 portions. Make round balls and flatten them. They should be approximately 1 cm thickness. Roll in rice flour on both sides. Heat up frying pot and put 2 teaspoons of oil on it. Then assemble cutlets on the frying pot and pour out 4 to 5 teaspoons of oil all round. Fry over low heat up till brown. Then turn on the

Masala Karela is a Punjabi (North Indian) delicacy in which Karela or Bitter Gourd is stuffed with onion/mashed Potato stuffings. Makes up for spicy dinner meal with you and your loved ones. Careful...it's healthy and great on taste too! Ingredients: Coriander powder :- 2 tsp Red chilli powder :- 1 tsp Turmeric powder :-1tsp Oil to fry Bitter gourd :- 5-6 Salt to taste Onions :- 2 (medium) Dry mango powder :- 1 tsp Mashed Potato Method of Preparation: 1. The scrapings of the karelas should be taken off and reserved. 2. Making a slit on one side of the karelas, the seeds should be removed. 3. The karelas should be cut into thin slices. 4. Two spoons of salt should be rubbed over the karelas and its scrapings. 5. It should be kept aside for about 3-4 hours. 6. They should be washed again and dried totally. 7. Oil should be heated in a pan and the karelas should be deep fried till they become crisp and brown. 8. Onions sh

Huggi (हुग्गी / ഹുഗ്ഗി)  Time Taken : 15-30 mins   MY RATING : 9/10 REFLECTIONS Huggi is a sweet flavored Mung rice (Moong dal and Chaawal). It is a very important recipe hailing from the South western Indian state of Karnataka. Huggi is one of the healthiest and wholesome dishes of the world. Though different in taste and flow from it's north Indian counterpart, Khichdi and Tamilian cousin, PONGAL...Huggi definitely deserves to be on the top. Easy to prepare..try it today! DELICIOUS HUGGI - http://www.itslife.in/wp-content/gallery/receipe-rice/recipe-rice-huggi.jpg INGREDIENTS 1 cup - yellow moong dal 1 cup - white rice 1-2 tbsp - dry/desiccated coconut, grated/powdered (Kobbari/copra) 1.5- 2 cups - sugar OR jaggery (OR as per taste) 1/2 tsp - cardamom powder 1/2 tsp - black peppercorns, coarsely crushed (optional) 2 cups - milk (optional) 1 tbsp - cashews and raisins 1-2 tbsp Ghee/clarified butter A pinch of turmeric RECIPE 1. Dry roast yellow moong dal for a cou