Category Archives: Breakfast

Since the world doesn’t seem like it’s ending today, and since the in-laws are at work and the husband is at the dentist, I figured its the best time to sit on the computer and post something on the blog that has been neglected for far too long now. Its been almost two weeks since my last blog post, but with my current schedule of traveling, socializing and erratic net connections, I just haven’t been able to find enough time to devote to the blog.

Today, too, its going to be a quick post. Kind of befitting the recipe that I plan to share. I have, in the past, shared a recipe for homemade puff pastry. And also made mille feuilles and aloo puffs with homemade puff pastry. But, sometimes certain situations arise where your mom invites some guests over and swears there’s store bought puff pastry in the refrigerator and asks you to make the mushroom tarts you constantly rave about, only to see that the puff pastry she so confidently had said sits in the refrigerater is actually a packet of phyllo dough. The phyllo dough is then used to make some channa dal cocktail samosas by one of the three cooks in the house leaving you, the blogger (who your mom has, of course, bragged about to the guests), to think of an alternative way to shine. True story.

Its situations like these that this rough puff pastry comes to your rescue. And you will be pleasantly surprised by the flakiness you can achieve in just a matter of few hours, as opposed to the waiting and turning and folding of actual puff pastry that takes two days to get the desired result. Of course if you want to be all professional about it, the real deal puff pastry is the way to go. But if you are short on time this rough puff pastry recipe is the ticket.

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There will always be people who will try to divert you from your dream. They will try to make your talents or your abilities feel inadequate. These people might be absolute strangers or they might be really close relatives/friends, who in their own respect, have your best interests in mind. Instead of getting angry at them or getting discouraged by them feel lucky because it is the negativity of these people that will help fuel the passion you have in your dream. Its their pessimism that will help build your belief in yourself. Its their attitude towards your dreams that will strengthen your resolve to prove them wrong.

If you give up when they say its not your cup of tea, you basically let them win and stay as someone who could never cross the finish line. Instead smile at them when they lecture you on how ludicrous your dream seems, and wish them the best in their life’s endeavours. And when they aren’t looking, work on your dream and cross that finish line. When you have accomplished what you had set out for and when your ideas start taking shape, send the people who discouraged you a thank you card. Because if it wasn’t for your will to prove these people wrong you would have probably given up eons ago.

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I survived another coffee get together today. Every Friday, a group of us ladies meet at someone’s place for coffee and treats and general chit chat. Being raw or even gluten free/sugar free means that I can not have any of the goodies my friends make. Today the host had served an apple pie, a pumpkin pie, and a pumpkin bread. None of which I could taste, but from what I heard my friends saying, they were absolutely delicious. I just consoled myself by repeating 3 more days to go every now and then someone took a bite of pie from their plate. And continued chewing on my strawberries and apple. It did help when my friends noticed that going raw/gluten free was suiting me. I do have kind friends and that gave me the nudge I needed!

It’s not all that bad either. Not since I made these bars to treat myself.

These are raw, vegan, gluten free, sugar free, butter or oil free energy bars!  And they are pretty good. Well at least the “raw me” who has been deprived of all things indulgent thinks they are pretty good! If you are into raw energy bars maybe you should try these.

They are super healthy too with chia seeds, sunflower seeds and dates instead of sugar for the sweetness.

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If anyone is wondering what’s happening to my past post recipes and they look a little incomplete- you might be right in thinking so.

There is some problem with the easy recipe plugin I have and some of the text and all the pictures under the recipe part of my posts are somehow not showing on the site. The recipe are complete in my drafts, but on the site they do not appear complete.

Take the last post, for example. Spicy Buffalo Chicken Pizza. The recipe is incomplete. It’s there in my drafts- complete with all the instructions but it doesn’t show on the site. I am working with the plugin guys and hopefully this problem should be resolved soon. But in the meanwhile if you are planning to make anything from the blog and feel it is not complete, do let me know and I will mail you the recipe till all this gets sorted out!

Amidst all this confusion, I really wasn’t going to post today. But my friend has been bugging me to share this recipe I made over the weekend. A cherry tomato gratin.

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For some time now, I have been craving Jalebis- a popular Indian sweet that is made by deep-frying a flour batter in kind of a pretzel or circular spiral shape, which is then soaked in sugar syrup.

Growing up there was this ad for cooking oil that used to come on Indian television. The ad starts with this little boy who decides to leave his house because everyone shouts at him all the time. Somebody known to the family finds the small boy sitting at the station and the boy tells him that he doesn’t plan to go back home. To get the boy back home, the old guy tells him that his mom has just made hot, out of the oil Jalebis.

You should hear the excitement and the greed in the boy’s voice when he says “Jalebi”. The boy then thinks its a better idea to just go back home and there to greet him are these warm, orange colored spiral shapes, more popularly known as Jalebis. Because of the really cute boy who was the real star of the advertisement, the ad was one of the most popular advertisements of that time. But the ad also told the love Indians have for the very popular sweet Jalebi.

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Starting this month, the Recipe Swap will be posting on the first Monday of the month, instead of the first Sunday as we did in the past. Which in turn means a clash with Group A’s Secret Recipe Club’s posting date- which is also the first Monday of the month. So I knew I had a problem. Either I did two posts in one day or see if there was something from my assigned blog that I could fit with the Recipe Swap’s chosen recipe. And the latter is what I chose. Mainly because I am lazy, but also because a lot was happening. And also because of a little mailing error I got to know of the Recipe swap recipe quite late. Not that that made a difference because I’m such a procrastinator, but I am also a Capricorn and I love to shift blame from myself wherever I can. :)

For SRC, my secret blog was Fake Ginger. I have seen other SRC members having her as their assigned blog for past reveals and always coming up with great recipes from her repertoire. SO I was very excited to have Amanda’s blog for this month. And I somehow found a recipe that fit in the Recipe swap framework, and also something I knew I would really like.

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(This is Post 3 in the series Cooking with the Books.)

I started the “Cooking with the books” series to reacquaint myself with the hoards of cookbooks I have on my bookshelf. And I am so happy that I did.

All the cookbooks that I have bought (new or second hand) have been bought after thoroughly going through their reviews on amazon or other sites. So I knew I have a good collection of cookbooks. But I never took too much advantage of it- always trying recipes on other people’s blogs ( I blame pinterest!) or recipes that I have come up with after eating something I like or one of my mom’s recipes. The cookbooks, as a result, always ended up eating dust.

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Pull apart breads. Don’t you just love them.

They could be sweet. Like Joy the baker’s cinnamon pull apart bread. Or, Kitchen Corner’s blueberry one. Or like the pumpkin one I made.

Or they could be savory.

And the flavor combinations for each are plenty.

Since I have already tried my hand at the sweet version, I thought of going the other way this time.

I tried making a whole wheat herbed garlic and sundried tomato pull-apart bread.

And well, it was AWE-SOME!

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A parantha/paratha is one of the most popular unleavened flat-breads in Indian Cuisine.

Crispy yet soft.

Stuffed or plain. Or maybe just with a little salt in between.

Topped with homemade (white) butter. Or even store bought (yellow) butter.

With some pickle. Or without.

Dipped in yogurt, plain or raita. Or just on its own.

Whatever way you take it, it is always loved.

They are the perfect way to start the day.

Being from Punjab, these were a staple on the Sunday breakfast table growing up.

And never was there a complain. Even when I was conscious of my weight, Sunday was the day to just let go. Of course I would skimp on the butter, but paranthas were always relished.

As many ways there are of eating your parantha, there are even more varieties of paranthas.

In the past, I have shared recipes for aloo parantha (unleavened flatbread stuffed with a spicy potato filling), and mooli parantha ( parantha stuffed with a radish filling).

Since I am always left with a cup of leftover cooked lentils (not enough to carry over to the next meal), I quite often make another unleavened flatbread by mixing the leftover lentils (like V’s crockpot lentil recipe)with whole wheat flour and cooking the resultant dough rolled on a skillet. We, in our household, call them Dal ka parantha. 

These paranthas serve as a great breakfast or as the perfect on-the-go meal when rolled up . Nutritious and tasty,  these paranthas are quick to make and are the perfect use of leftover cooked lentils/ lentil soup and even small leftover servings of cooked vegetables.

Today, I guest post for Priya of Bon Appetit and am sharing the recipe for my version of Dal ka Paranthas.

Priya is a wonderful lady with a blog centering on varied vegetarian recipes. Check out her recipe box and I am sure you will find plenty of things to make. I am definitely intrigued by her spiked up 7-up pulao and oats lassi

Priya also blogs at Straight from my heart which has her travel footprints and other interesting musings.

Head over to priya’s blog for today’s Garam Masala Tuesday recipe and do check out her mouthwatering recipes while you are there.

Trains.

While growing up, that’s the mode we used when traveling long distances on vacation or postings with parents. Or when going on college trips with friends.

As we grew older and air travel became more economically viable, train journeys became obsolete.

But I miss them. Sometimes. Well some parts of it atleast.

Going to the toilets was always a problem. So, I don’t miss that. Indian Railways’ toilets are awful and something that should NEVER be discussed on a food blog. So I will just end that topic here.

I also don’t miss the oggling, desperate and mostly frustrated men that would travel in trains, staring at girls traveling alone. That was scary and one reason why I hated traveling alone besides the fact that I could never get sleep at night as I had to be extra cautious about my luggage.

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