Amba Khatta| Raw Mango Relish From Orissa

The recipe I present to you today, Amba Khatta, comes from Orissa, the land of Lord Jagannath. It is a beautiful sweet-and-sour relish made with raw mango, mildly spiced and flavoured with panch phoron.

Amba Khatta is the Odia version of the South Indian Maangaai Pachadi, if I may put it that way, quite similar to the Aam Ki Launji from Rajasthan too. It is a completely plant-based, vegan dish that makes for a great accompaniment to rotis and/or steamed rice and can also be served as part of a thali or a big meal, including papad, salad and curries. This recipe can easily be made gluten-free dish as well.

Check out the recipe, just in on my other blog!

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Hilton Turns 100, Celebrates With A Big Bash

I had the pleasure of being part of a very special birthday bash, last weekend, and am here to tell you all about it!

Hilton Hotels & Resorts has always been known for its hospitality and excellent service. The chain completed 100 years this May, an event that was celebrated with a grand bash last weekend at DoubleTree Suites by Hilton, Sarjapur, Bangalore. I thoroughly enjoyed the celebrations, along with some other bloggers from the city.

Read all about my experience at the brunch, just in on my other blog!

Godhumai Rava Upma Kozhukattai| Wheat Dalia Pidi Kozhukattai

Pidi Kozhukattai or Upma Kozhukattai is an all-time favourite breakfast or snack option at our place, with everyone in the family loving it. This Tamil Nadu special is quite simple to make, after all, and a steamed snack that needs very minimal oil. Traditionally made using rice and a lentil (either chana daal, moong daal or toor daal), Pidi Kozhukattai makes for a healthy, wholesome and hearty snack. Today, I present to you the recipe for Wheat Dalia Pidi Kozhukattai, a healthier version of the traditional dish made using broken wheat.

The use of broken wheat renders the Pidi Kozhukattai all the more healthier, yet delicious and wholesome as always. This Wheat Dalia Pidi Kozhukattai is the perfect snack for diabetics and weight watchers and, generally, for those who want to eat healthier. Do try them out, and let me know how you liked them!

Check out the recipe, just in on my photo blog.

Easy Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

Paneer Butter Masala is, perhaps, one of the best known dishes from the Indian cuisine. Justly so, too, considering how scrumptious the dish is when made right. Melt-in-the-mouth cottage cheese cubes in a decadent, creamy gravy that is a little sour, a little sweet, a little spicy – what’s to not love? It is a dish we most often order while eating out with the extended family.

 

That said, it is quite simple to make creamy, delicious, restaurant-style Paneer Butter Masala at home. Today, I share with you my Easy Paneer Butter Masala Recipe, one that I have been using for years now, arrived at after several trials and tribulations. I make the curry without any heavy cream in it, trying to keep it as healthy as I can, and it still turns out absolutely fantastic.

 

Check out the recipe, just in on my blog!

 

 

 

Amtekayi Uppinkayi| Instant Indian Hog Plum Pickle

Have you had the pleasure of biting into an Indian hog plum? If you haven’t, I would suggest you try to get your hands on some as soon as you can. It is a wonderful thing, this hog plum – it will make your mouth pucker with its sourness and refresh your taste buds like very few other foods will. No wonder it lends itself beautifully to things like pickles, gojju or the South Indian version of a relish, chutney and the likes. Today, I am going to present to you the recipe for a very delicious pickle using Indian hog plums.

Check out my recipe for Amtekayi Uppinkayi or Instant Indian Hog Plum Pickle, just in on my other blog!

Oki All Set To Tantalise Tastebuds With Its New Menu

One of these days, you must surely visit Kammanahalli and lunch at Oki. The long trek across the city, braving the heat and the traffic, will be totally worth it, I can tell you that. Now, you have all the more reason to trek across the city to this eatery (if you don’t live in that neck of the woods, that is) – Oki has come up with a fantastic new menu, which is all set to launch on May 20!

I had the privilege of sampling Oki’s new menu recently, expertly curated by Chef Surajit Ghara, along with a few other food bloggers from the city.

Read all about my experience trying out the new menu at Oki, just in on my photo blog!

Sattu Ka Ghol| Savoury Sattu Drink

My first brush with Sattu Ka Ghol was in Calcutta, a few years back, while on a holiday there. I was enchanted by the pale brown drink that a lot of locals seemed to be relishing, off street-side carts. It looked quite interesting, with finely chopped green chillies, onion and coriander in it.. it was only much later that I learnt that the drink was called Sattu Ka Ghol, a savoury sherbet made using roasted black chickpea flour aka sattu or chane ka sattu.

I tried making the Sattu Ka Ghol at home recently, and was super thrilled with the outcome. It turned out simply beautiful – delicious, very refreshing, just the thing you need on a hot summer’s day. And, it took me not more than 5 minutes to put together!

Sattu Ka Ghol is a supremely easy (not to forget delish!) way of getting in the several health benefits that sattu possesses. Check out the recipe, just in on my blog!

Nungu Sherbet| Ice Apple Lemonade With Rose

Today, I present to you the recipe for a summer speciality from Tamil Nadu – Nungu Sherbet, a delectable juice made using the  flesh of the ice apple. Ice apples by themselves are a great thirst quencher, and they are utterly lovely when used in this drink. The combined forces of ice apples, rose and lemon used here make this juice an ultimately refreshing one, simply perfect for the hot days of summer.

Check out the super easy recipe, just in on my photo blog!

 

Experience Flavours From The Streets Of India, Now At Bombay Brasserie

The bustling 12th Main in Indiranagar is home to several restaurants, serving a variety of cuisines. Bombay Brasserie, one of the eateries on this road, has managed to create a loyal clientele for itself, in the two or so years of its inception. The place is almost always packed, especially so on the weekends. There is a Street Food Festival running at Bombay Brasserie now, and I was recently invited over to sample the special festival menu. I ended up having a lovely experience!

 

Read all about my experience at Bombay Brasserie’s Street Food Festival, just in on my blog.

 

 

Sugarsnap Peas Stir-Fry, Indian Style

Sugarsnap peas are mostly talked about in connection with dishes like pasta, salad and Oriental-style stir-fries. Did you know that these peas lend themselves beautifully to Indian cooking too?

 

Here’s presenting to you the Indian-style stir-fry I recently made using sugarsnap peas, which rank a bit higher than the regular Indian green peas, nutritionally. It was a delight to cook, this stir-fry – it came together within minutes! It tasted simply lovely – sweet and spicy and slightly tangy – and made for a gorgeous, different-from-the-usual accompaniment to the phulkas I served them with.

 

Check out the recipe, just in on my blog!