…Swirl Cheesecake. We all know that fresh blueberries are not available in India and I have not yet seen fresh ones in Pune. If you do, please let me know. I have used dry blueberries and blueberry crush for this cheesecake. It turned out really well and made it a celebratory cake for my 5th Blog Anniversary. It is a pleasure to share all the lovely food that excites me; especially all the Goan food that we relish each day and with enthusiasm look…
…e, I did want to post her other favorites especially her all-time favorite Indian sweets (mithai and candy) which she never got tired of! On second thoughts, I now realize that the mithai and candy she loved so much was never prepared at home! They were always store bought ones. I did get an opportunity to observe the process of mithai making in open kitchens set up during weddings and pujas and made them but not the Agra Petha. A few years ago, I…
Butter Cake Tarts which are popularly known as “Vati Cake”in India was one of my childhood favorites. I particularly liked this shortcrust pastry lined cake which would be packed in my school short break tiffin and many a time enjoyed at tea time too. Simple plain vatis(bowls) made of aluminium were used to mould these cute little tea cakes into tarts. I am not fond of tutti frutti but loved to admire these colorful bits in the simple vanilla fl…
…rieties and colors of beetroot but the red beetroot is easily available in India. Beetroot along with its leaves are edible and you can use your creativity to prepare a wide range of attractive savory and sweets with it. Today’s recipe is the popular Beetroot Barfi / Burfi. I actually made this barfi for Valentine’s day a long time ago and it remained in the drafts until now. I have been irregular with my postings as priority has been my health. W…
…oothes you. The khichdi prepared in rural households & the villages of India is the most soul satisfying. The people are so pure in heart, ignorant, unaware & untouched by modern urban living. The village folk use fresh produce from their fields, homemade dairy products, cook over wooden fire or tandoors and above all have rustic methods of cooking passed down over the years by their ancestors which truly makes it extremely wholesome and n…
Carrots are the most popular root vegetable all over the world. In India, they are known as Gajar. Most of us are familiar and love orange carrots but they are also cultivated and sold in beautiful colors viz. red, purple, white and yellow. Carrots are used in cooking, baking, roasting, grilling, in salads, etc. Many do not love carrots in savouries but prefer them in sweets and cakes. If you like salad and savouries then you could try my popula…
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in Maharashtra, Goa and in some parts of India. In Goa, Ganesh festival is celebrated in a grand way. Schools and colleges have about 10 to 12 days of holidays; beginning from the day the idol of Lord Ganesh is installed and until the final farewell (visarjan) which is after nine days of celebration. Throughout the nine day extravaganza, worship (Pooja) and celebratory pomp and splendour many sweets and savouries a…
…h is Eeril in Konkannim and popularly known as Whole Chowli Green Beans in India. The Goan Foogath may sound boring and monotonous but it is a welcome relief to our classic and traditional curries. Cooking in coconut oil and addition of freshly grated coconut imparts the natural flavor of nature’s pure gift. Coconut has cooling properties and it provides the much needed goodness to mankind. The tropical climate in the coastal regions with soaring…
…ll pepper is easily available in the local markets and in super markets in India. Red and orange bell peppers are the sweetest. They are rich in Vitamin C, antioxidants and carotene. The red bell peppers have more nutrients and vitamins, carotene and lycopene. We consume a lot of bell peppers in our diet. I use them in my bakes, in stir fries, grills or simply stuff them. I also use them in my pulao, and in salads too. With the onset of summer, wh…
…s Adrak in Hindi and Ale in Marathi. It is used as a spice and medicine in India since the Vedic period. Ginger contains vitamin A, small amounts of vitamin B complex and vitamin C. It also has minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron and amino acids. It has natural benefits and is of great culinary value. Ginger is extensively used in home remedies; especially in treating cold and cough. When I was a little girl I would look forward to this ginger…