Life revolves around food

Hiya. I am sitting in the bedroom after watching a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory Season 5. KC is sleeping and there is silence. It is cold but bearable. Last night's howling breeze is silent right now. Winter is saying goodbye and I couldn't be happier.

This week has been hectic and I have not been getting enough sleep. No, its not work... its never work. On Thursday, my colleague gave me a free pass for the movie 'Chronicle' playing at Vasant Kunj Mall. I invited D, AB and KC. AB couldn't make 'coz he had to "sleep early". KC was quite busy at work and we had to leave quite late. The traffic on Mehrauli road did not help and we reached half an hour after the movie started. Disappointed, we headed for a quick drink and dinner at Taman Gang. I had not heard about it but D had come for dinner with his family. He did mention that it is expensive but I did not realize then that our definitions differ. Anyway, since we were in a hurry D ordered for us. We did not even look at the menu. There was some chicken starter which was quite good. The chicken red Thai curry was yummy. The chicken was so so so soft. And rice was good. We had 4 drinks in all. The bill came to 5k. I was a little zapped. We have not done the whole get together with friends in a while and was not sure how much it is supposed to cost. Even then, it seemed on the expensive side. On checking the bill, I realized main course and starter cost 650 bucks each. KC and I do not have a budget but generally, anything above 350 bucks is expensive for us. I read the reviews on zomato.com and check the prices before going to a place. The prices are so high only in a 5 star. The food was good but quite expensive.

We then headed for The Descendants. I will write a review in my next post.

KC was working late on Friday night and we came home at 10.30 pm. I was in no mood to go out and we ordered in (with great difficulty since everything closes at 11 pm in Gurgaon).

Last night was great. We headed to Select Citywalk since KC wanted to shop. Dinner was at The Big Chill Cafe, as always. We visit it every month and love the food there. My only grouse is the waiting time. The first time we went there on a Sunday afternoon, we got a table at 3 pm (after more than an hour of waiting). At Khan Market, D had booked a table on phone an hour earlier. We were made to wait for another 45 mins. Last night was the same. 60 mins of wait and we finally got a table at 10 pm. Thankfully, the service was quick. Their Vanilla Oreo shake is to die for.

Last weekend was the workshop. I was happy to have no class on a Sunday and just wanted to stay in and do nothing. At 12 noon- after finishing all the chores, we were about to start watching TBBT when a friend R called. R and me live within 5 mins of each other and were together in engg college. Our friendship has lagged over the years and neither has made an effort to revive it. All my invitations to movies or dinner have mostly been turned down by him- for one reason or the other in the last few months. And I have basically given up. Anyway, he asked me to bring him some food since he is very ill and has nothing at home. I guessed he was in dire need of help to have called me. I packed some food and took it to him. He had been running a fever for 3-4 days and was surviving of D Cold and Crocin. His sister was away at a weeding out of town and parents had gone back to their home 2 days back. Basically, he was alone and there was nobody to look after him. After feeding him soup, I took him to the hospital. He had to be given a drip to bring down the fever. I brought him home, fed him lunch and returned home to a Sunday that was almost over. Sigh!!! I do not understand the reluctance of people to see a doctor. My father is a doc so advice is always available and I am quite used to it. For me it is very natural to see a doc when I am unwell. Most people wait and wait and wait till they are pushed by someone to see a doc. KC is like that. So, is R. Any symptom which lasts more than a week should be diagnosed by a doc; 2 days if it is fever.

And today I plan to do nothing. Just sit home and lounge around. I need to.

Food... food... food

I wanted to write about some restaurants we have visited in the last few weeks:

• Barbeque Nation: I have been to the Bandra and Thane outlets. Finding the outlet in Gurgaon was a major pain. It is located in a residential area so my GPRS could not locate it correctly. And asking for directions is not an option here since most people do not belong to Gurgaon. After searching for 45 mins, we found it and it was full. There was some private party and waiting was for atleast an hour. Starved and pissed, we turned back. But some other day. Btw, it is located 15 mins away from my house
• Crazy Noodles: I had seen the board at Galleria but never tried it. The place is quite different... it has a glass exterior. The walls are all glass and the view is quite good since it is located on the 1st floor. They have these funky glasses which stay tilted. For a place called "Crazy Noodles" there is very little variety in noodles. We had stir fried noodles and liked it. A place we will visit again 'coz it cost less than 500 bucks for 2 people
• Choko La: I have walked by this place many, many times 'coz I thought it sells chocolates. I entered it in Subhashnagar mall and ordered the tiny, expensive cup cake- cream, cheese and cherry cupcakes. It has a cherry stuffing and cream cheese topping. Lovely. Pricey at 90 bucks. This Sunday we went for their all day b'fast. Good part is that the b'fast is not till 11 am... but all day. We ordered omlette, scrambled eggs, toast, muffin, croissant, tea and juice. Omlette was great... scrambled eggs were served with a parmesan wafer on top and mushrooms on the side... masterchef quality. The muffin was nice and warm. We had a filling b'fast and it cost less than 500 bucks for 2 people. We will go there again... maybe, every month.
• Asia 7: This restaurant is located in Ambience Mall. The first time we went there, we had the buffet and it sucked. The problem with most buffets is that most items are mediocre and the menu has items which will appeal to most. In Gurgaon, we stay away from buffets after 2-3 bad experiences. This time we went a la carte, we had Thread chicken with cherry dip. It was masterchef quality... a really, soft juicy chicken was covered with threads of wheat batter. The dip was a good complement. For main course, we had Pad Thai noodles. It was genuine with the bean sprouts and peanuts. Please don't try the cocktails there- we didn't finish ours and wasting liquor hurt our pocket bad. Cost is 1700 for 2 people with liquor.

All in all, a good food experience in the last one month.

Love thyself

Hiya... I have been gone long... really long. No, I was not busy... atleast not last week. No, I was not out of town or stressed... atleast not last week. I don't know why I didn't post. I did have things to say but could not bring myself to type. I cannot even call it writer's block.

Anyway, I am back...

• Monday evening/night was great. I had the greatest time dancing. I have had a love hate relationship with dance. I was loved to dance as a kid... I would perform in school, at weddings, participate in competitions. The affair came to an end when a friend in school remarked that I don't look good when I dance. Don't ask me why. I was taken aback. I stopped dancing. Now when I think back it was not the remark but the fact that I was entering my teens and felt awkward in my body. I could only let go on the dance floor after a few drinks at B-school parties (never touched liqour before that). When I joined the Jazz class 3 years back I didn't enjoy it one bit but went anyway since it was some timepass on the weekend. I felt uncomfortable and didn't even stick around for 3 months. This time I had no intention of learning to dance. It was something extra to do... a hobby, also an activity to help me keep fit or even lose weight. Nothing more... For 3 months, I felt awkward. Our instructors always tell the new students that for 3 months we will look like chimpanzees and its ok. It is only in the 4th month that things change. So true. We were made to do exercises like- looking at our self in the mirror and saying "I love you". No kidding. It was so silly at first. Now I understand the importance. We were made to Jazz walk (something like Cat walk) in class. Now I can walk with confidence and look at myself in the mirror. I have come a long way. On Monday, the seniormost instructor- P had taken class... she is damn good. Our regular instructor- S was out of town. Before leaving, she told me that I performed really, really well. I am actually moving my body and should stand in front instead of middle. Everyone clapped for me. It is a long, long, long way for someone who did not want to learn dance and could not imagine enjoying it. I love the dance classes... I can let go... the music does amazing things to my body. I don't know why but my regular instructor- S has never appreciated me even once. Its kinda disappointing.
• Watched Dirty Picture... It was pathetic. There was no heart, the dialogues were just dialogues... Vidya has not acted.. she has just spoken dialogues... I didn't understand it... I don't understand the character... one moment, she was ok with her sexuality and flaunting and next moment she was craving society's acceptance. Only Nasseruddin Shah was tolerable... the others were horrible.
• Watched Puss in Boots... loved it. The 3D was superb. This is what it should be like. I hate it when the movie is 2D with 3D thrown in... I have to keep removing the glasses and putting them on. So bugging. KC didn't enjoy it too much but I liked it. Worth a watch.
• It is appraisals week and it makes me tense. I know whats done is done... but yet. I finished off my team's appraisals yesterday and I hope it has been fair. Now, I am waiting for mine. My career decisions for next year will depend on this appraisal. I am a little de-motivated right now. Last 2 days have been exhausting. Thank god, the week is almost over.
• KC has been unwell. It is weird living with an ill person.... it is quite frustrating when someone insists on going to work and refuses to go to the doctor when ill. Finally, he took the day off yesterday and we visited a doctor.
• Money problems are looming over our head this month... LIC is screwing with us... the long waits at the phone calls... stupid processes... so many demand notes... oof!!! Frustrating!! Dealing with all of this on the week days is tiring.
• I cooked schezwan fried rice and noodles on Sunday. Its quite simple... same cooking method has to be used for both. For schezwan I added the ready made sauce available in the market. It was quite good.

Catch you over the weekend!!!

Whats this Sunday about...

Well, I got a lot done and am not even feeling exhausted...

• Woke up 7.30 am and wanted to go to the gym but had to supervise the cleaning and cooking in case the maids turned up early... Relaxed with a book, newspaper, Nescafe Vanilla Latte, True Blood, face pack, hair pack
• Cleaning and cooking started at 9.30 am. The plan was to cook dal bhaati. My native pl
  ace is 3 hours from Rajasthan and I have grown up eating this dish at home... there are numerous dhabas also which serve it in Gujarat (close to Rajasthan). The bhaati is cooked on coals... in bhattis... at home we cooked in a special tandoor. I cooked it in a microwave today. For recipe scroll down
• Once KC woke up, we had b'fast and I headed to the gym. I do not understand the guy... how can someone complain of insomnia at night and sleep so much during the day.
  *Shaking head*
• The AC was not working in the gym... there were only 3 of us working out which was a change 'coz peak hours are packed with people on all instruments... there was 1 instructor
• only... I was sneaking out after an hour of cardio and he stopped me... I had the shame to do my leg work outs for another 15 mins
• After grocery shopping, lunch, a bath which ended with cold water (geyser does not work during power back up... my electricity woes are going to start)... I am now relaxing in the lounge type room. It is not cold but it is cool... I cannot sit on the bare cold floor without a mat... just finished reading latest part of Diary of a wimpy kid and will pick up part 2 of True Blood now.

I will begin with recipes for jam filled muffins which I have taken from Anita's blog

(http://sliceofmylyfe.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/muffin-monday-jam-filled-muffins/). Ok... not posting it here... you can hop onto the link for the recipe. Having some issues with the font color.

I baked around 4 muffins- 4 with jam and 3 without jam. The ones without jam taste less sweet... I guess you need to increase the sugar measurement if not using jam. Just stick to the jam.

And here is the recipe for dal bhati:

Bhati- nos 7 small ones

• Add 1.5 cups flour (regular one), lots of oil (triple the quantity you would use when making regular chapattis), some salt and little haldi. Knead the dough with little water. It has to be very, very hard... as hard as you can make it. Make flat oval shapes (you can even make round ones)
• Boil water in a big vessel. Put the bhatis in them. They will be done once they come on top. It takes around 10-15 mins. Ensure that the water completely covers the bhatis
• You can either cook them in a tandoor (available everywhere) for 10-15 mins. Heat a tandoor, put the bhattis on the grill, cook covered. Once the top becomes firm and brown, turn and cook the other side till they also become brown
• For microwave, mine has an automatic setting and cooked in 15 mins. For others, I guess the convention mode will have to be used. Put bhattis on a tava, place tava on high grill and cook on high for 7-8 mins. Turn the bhattis and cook for another 7-8 mins

Dal (serves 3-4 people)

• Boil 1/4 cup tuvar dal, 1/4 cup urad dal and 1/2 cup moong chilke wali dal. The idea is to use 3 types of dal in this ratio
• Crush the dal once boiled. Add the water leftover from boiling bhattis (why throw away nutrients?)
• Add 1 chopped tomato, salt, green chillies, salt. Boil
• In another pan, heat oil. Add jeera, hing, 1 small chopped onion, red chilli powder, haldi.
• Add the mixture to the dal and let it boil
• After 5 mins add nimbu/tamarind paste

Serve the bhattis with ghee.

Years ago, some guests were invited to our house for dinner. They brought their relatives along who had just come from Australia to visit. We were not aware extra people were coming (Indian culture!!!). Mom had cooked dal bhatti. There were 2 NRI kids who did not know how to eat it. They were dipping the bhattis in dal and having it. It was quite funny. We taught them to crush the bhatti, pour ghee over it, dunk dal on top, mix it well and then eat.

Yum!!!

Disclaimer- There are many, many recipes for bhatti and dal. I don't know how genuine this one... this is how my mom makes it and its good enough for me.

Rewind...

Hiya... this week has been slow... less hectic... more laidback... I gave myself sometime.

But lemme talk I most comfy with... in bullet points:

• KC was gone for 2 nights... he was supposed to be back after 1 night but his stay got extended. I had a hard time falling asleep... thinking about Paranormal Activity part 1. When he left home at 4.30 am, I told myself "Now I am alone... if there is something, it will happen now". Nothing did. I should have been convinced but... I didn't find PR 2 as scary... PR 1 is what gives me nightmares
• I broke into my new Allen Solly red colored jeans. I bought it for 50% off on fashionandyou.com. Love the buy... so worth it. I have bought skinny jeans after a very long time. Thank god, it fit perfectly.
• My left foot had been aching for the last 2-3 days. Strangely, I didn't feel the pain in the gym or Jazz class. It was always in the morning. Yesterday, I could not even put my foot on the floor. I limped my way throughout the day. The thought of going to the doc crossed my mind but I remembered the last experience. I had a skin infection, the doc gave me 99% guarantee that it is incurable but she needs to do a biopsy. I was charged 2500 bucks after which she said that it is curable and I just need to apply ointment. Next time, I will go to a hospital in Gurgaon when I am on my death bed
• Lesson learned today- Do not wear heels when your left foot is aching. Fashion can kill
• We went for dinner to Ambience Mall. The soup and starters- dimsums were at restaurant 'Dimsum'... and main course and dinner was at Kobe Sizzlers. KC was about to pay without checking the bill but I always check the bill, just to know how much we have spent. I was shocked to be charged for 2 main courses. The waiter was called for and he rectified it. We would have overpaid by 300 bucks. Checking the bill specially at retail chains has become a habit. Twice I have been charged extra or charged for a 1+1 promo. Since my work involves dealing with chains, I know how screwed up they are. Once there was a 1+1 promo running at 50% off which means, on buying 1 unit of a product you get another free and are charged only 50% of the value.
• I baked muffins today- jam filled muffins. The recipe was taken from Anita's blog. I share the pics tomorrow. Finally... next I want to try cupcakes with cheese frosting. I had them at Choco La (priced at 95 bucks each) and sooooo yummy... Cheese frosting is not sweet or sour... it balances out the sweetness of cupcakes.

Thats about it... more updates on books read and movies watched.

Its been a good day... good, good day

It has been a good Sunday. The morning was a rush. I could not wake up early enough to go to the gym. The plan was to finish all chores in the morning and meet some friends for lunch at Khan Market. We rushed to Galleria to buy groceries, veggies/fruits and a b'days gift for the friend. We had to meet A and D. It was D's b'day yesterday and I wanted to get him a gift even thought A asked me not to. It is so difficult to buy something for someone who can afford

everything... what can you gift a guy? With KC, its different... I spend enough time to notice what he is drooling after and what he needs... but for friends, it becomes difficult... specially guys. I got a cologne from Body Shop. We rushed home... I got dressed while KC napped. After a very long time, I wore my heels. I am not comfy in heels and do not like it when my legs ache. Also, work involves travelling, walking and standing around... so I avoid heels. Today was the perfect day for it... since the only walking would be from my car to the restaurant.

Lunch was at Big Chill where we had to wait for 45 mins even though a table had been booked in advance. When I gave D the gift, he looked quite embarrassed and told me it was unnecessary since now he will have to remember my b'day and then buy a gift and finding a gift for females can be a drag. Wow!!! I never thought of it that way... I mean, I had to meet up with girlfriends a day before or after my b'day... a gift would be given to the b'day girl. No questions about it... its taken for granted. I guess, men are different... very different.

A complained that I not gifted him anything for his b'day. Well, when I called to wish him... he

had denied that it was his b'day and that facebook was lying. No kidding.

After the crazy lunch, we dropped in at L'Opera... A and D wanted to see what the big deal about the macaroons is... what is it that costs 130 bucks. They were unimpressed.

We headed home soon after. Rest of the day was spent lazing around.

Some pics of my fav heels... I don't remember when I bought them.... its been more than 2 years.

Time for Update...

What have I been doing??? Loads...

• I didn't feel like going to my dance class today. It was actually an extra class and since I missed class on Thursday it was sort of compulsory for me to attend. One part wanted me to just stay at home and laze around... the other part knew I would regret it and the guilt would eat me if I did not go. So, I went... I really needed the break. 1.5 hours of hectic moving has made me cheerful again
• I spilled milk on my blackberry phone. It started acting weird... switching off and on at will. The people at the service centre told me to give it for 6-7 days; after which it may or may not get repaired. I was horrified. Thank god, I had not spent my money on it. It was a gift from the company last year. I decided to buy a new one...my only priority was that it should be sturdy enough to withstand further spills. Its back to Nokia. This time with E6. The internet is not as convenient as a bb since it depends on gprs network but thats ok. I do not want to spend 10k for another phone every year.
• My brother (who is in grad college) recently changed his relationship status to "committed". I was curious... on checking the gf's profile on fb I could not find a link between her and my bro. They are definitely not from the same college and have different set of friends. I questioned my bro after one week of digging. He said they met 2 weeks back and "hit it off". I wasn't convinced. KC cheekily reminded of my age when I had my first relationship... I was not even 18... atleast he is 21. Old enough to make these decisions. Aah... first love... when we are stupid enough to believe 2 weeks is enough to dive into the relationship pool.
• I met my best friend this week... she came down for a day. I picked her from the airport and planned to drop her at the hotel in New Friends Colony after work. Big mistake. I was not carrying my GPS. The phone's GPS was hard to read... and we kept going round and round in circles. We reached after 2 hours... But it was so nice to meet her and talk. I didn't have to explain "how I feel"... she just knew. I miss that. Also, silences with friends are so comfy... they do not need to be filled with words...
• We finally, finally went to Big Chill which is a famous restaurant in Delhi. We reached at 3 pm for lunch on Sunday and it was packed. We had to wait for an hour to get a table by when we were not too hungry. We just ordered a pasta (cannelloni) with a red pesto sauce. It was delicious. Definitely worth another visit. Next I want to visit Kareem's.

Back from Mumbai

Hiya. I have not blogged since my return from Mumbai but there has been loads of work.

We headed to Mumbai on Friday night. After a restful sleep, I met up with my old colleagues on Saturday. The realization that I have moved on and not a part of this team hit me finally. Evening was spent with my bro in Marine Drive. The weather was awesome with mild showers and Marine Drive was teeming with youngsters. We watched Delhi Belly again in Eros and the tickets were so damn cheap.

Sunday was lazy... I visited Candies for the very first time. Getting the food was torture... the wait in the queue and self service... and they don't take cards. But the ambience is awesome. Who knew such a green place could exist in Mumbai? We also had our fav sausages at Pot Pourri.

Monday and Tuesday was the conference. I reached home at midnight on Tuesday and was back at work at 9 am the next day.

My life has become really busy... after work on weekdays there is always some housework... and there is Jazz or gym. Weekends also are busy with grocery shopping and other chores. And I am ok with it. I wouldn't want it any other way. As I see it, the 1 year in Mumbai was a waste.... I don't want to regret next year that I didn't do anything. I want to do more than just work and come back home. I want to read, blog, watch my fav serials (right now it is 90210), learn Jazz, go to the gym, cook... and anything else I can fit in.

Thats how I have always been.

This week I also realized that friendship does not end when your friends are not there for you. As long as they are there when you ask them to be there. Thats all that matters.

In today's busy schedule it is difficult to expect someone to keep in touch regularly... on phone or mail or in person. Priorities change... people change... but with good friends you can abashedly call and ask for help... even at 5 am.

A big revelation.

August should be fun... we are going to Leh/Ladakh for 7 days.

Hiya

Hey... Sorry for the long pause... loads has been happening and yet nothing has.

I have been a little stressed, tensed and troubled all week. Nothing major. There are major changes happening at work which may or may not affect me. The old stress of sales is back and I do not like it.

I have seen these organizational changes in my earlier company and they are not good... atleast not for people who want to work their way up on merit.

Even in my dreams I think about work. No kidding. When I am talking to myself (in my mind) it is about work. Don't ask me why. I don't have major responsibilities but tend to take un-necessary tension.

Also, there was the mid year review. I spoke my mind. I don't know how well it was taken but everyone has their own managerial style and with me, each member of the team should know where he stands.

Tomorrow we (KC and me) are off to Mumbai for the weekend. I have a conference on Monday and Tuesday and for once I am looking forward to it. It will be nice meeting my old colleagues.

Coming to the very good part. I joined Jazz dance classes. Jazz is a street form of ballet and focuses more on technique than on movement. I mean, its not like usual latka jhatkas. I did learn a bit of it 3 years back at 'Danceworkz' and joined it again. The weekday batches are on Monday and Thursday from 7-8.15 pm... but they begin at 6.30 pm (basic revision of previous class) and go on till 8.45 pm. 1 hour is spent on exercises and technique and rest 45 mins on routine. It is so exhausting. I reach home at 9 pm, take a shower, have dinner and am dead. But it is 4 hours in the week when I am not thinking or worrying. Its a nice feeling and its been a long time since I felt that way.... when I can cut off from everything and focus on one thing. My gym has suffered in the process but thats ok.

Coming to the hilarious part... On Saturday I went to the gym early morning. I was very energised and actually running at a speed above 7... then, my hand towel fell down and I didn't want to break the rhythm (I just used spell check to write this word... I am ashamed) and decided to bend a little and pick it up. Of course, I lost my balance and fell off the treadmill... for the very first time (I know...I know... nobody even has a first time). The instructor was very, very concerned. He banned me from listening to the ipod 'coz he thought I lost concentration. What an embarrassment. Now I totally seem like a country bumpkin who cannot even run on a treadmill.

Coming to food, we bought a toaster cum grill cum waffle maker last week. B'fast on Sunday was sandwiches and waffles... yum while lunch was risotto and pizza. The risotto was sort of bland and I will look up better recipes. I didn't want to add too much cheese. One thing I am grateful about in Gurgaon... all the imported ingredients are available. Arborio rice (used in Risotto) is not there even in Hypercity in Mumbai but I found it here in Spencers.

For another amusing incident you can read this link.

Good night... catch you next week.

White and Dark chocolate cheesecake

I have come across many recipes of cheesecakes and decided to try my hand at it.

I first came across the recipe of white chocolate cheesecake. KC does not like white chocolate so I decided to make white one with half the mixture and dark chocolate with the other half.

It looked good BUT was quite sweet. I don't know why. I used the exact quantities and it didn't taste so sweet while making it.

Next time I will add half the quantity of sugar or avoid it altogether.

Base ingredients:

Oreo crumbs... they are available in India now. But I didn't like the taste so much... maybe neutral tasting Marie biscuits would have been better. Your call. Crush the biscuits with hand or in a mixer.... the smaller the crumbs the better it is. I won't specify the quantity. It should be enough to cover the base of your baking tin

2 Tbsp butter melted

1 tbsp sugar (avoidable)

Cheesecake Ingredients:

1 packet cream cheese (Kraft's Philadelphia... costs 430 bucks)

1/4 cup sugar (avoidable if the chocolate is very sweet)

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 egg

65 gm white/dark chocolate... I used Belgian white and Bournville dark

Preheat oven to 325 degrees C. Line muffin tins/baking tin with butter paper. I didn't have any and only greased the tins. Mix biscuit crumbs, butter and sugar. Put 1 tsp in each tin and press to cover base.

Beat cream cheese for 30 secs, add sugar and beat for 30 secs. Add egg and mix. At this stage I divided the mixture into 2 parts and added white chocolate and vanilla to one part and dark chocolate and vanilla to another part. Mix well.

Put it over the base in the tins and bake for 12-15 mins at 180 degrees C. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

http://ruchisimplyfood.blogspot.com/

New Recipe

I will copy paste the recipe from Anita's blog with minor variations:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour + a little more when you roll out to make the crust
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• dash salt
• 6 tablespoons butter( or substitute 3 Tbsp of shortening)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Filling

• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese ( I added less than a cup... you can add more. It will add to the taste)
• 1/2 cups frozen peas and diced carrots, beans cooked and well-drained. I used all cooked veggies- beans, peas, carrots, baby corn. Next time I will add sausages also.
• 1/2 cup frozen paneer... I was reluctant to use this but liking it now
• 3 tablespoons flour... maida
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder(optional)... I didn't have any so used garlic paste
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 4 eggs, beaten.. Used 3 and still had some leftover. I think 2 would have been ideal for the smaller size I made.

Preparation:

• Combine flour, 1/4 teaspoon oregano.
• Cut in 3 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons shortening (or all butter like I did) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Sprinkle with the milk, one tablespoon at a time, mixing until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape dough into a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to form a circle 12-inches in diameter. This is the difficult part. Mine didn't reach the upper edges of the container. Thats why I had to use less eggs. I guess, the egg mixture should not be more than the height of the pastry.
• Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; turn under edges and flute, forming a rather high rim.

For filling,

• Combine cheese, vegetables, flour, salt, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper; gently toss.
• Place cheese mixture in bottom of pie crust.
• Melt butter in a skillet; saute onion until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle onion over cheese mixture.
• Combine milk and eggs; pour over cheese mixture.
• Add the paneer pieces
• Bake at 350° 45 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. I baked for 20 mins since size was smaller
• Let vegetable Quiche stand 10 to 12 minutes before serving.

This is a simple dish but healthy (if you avoid the cheese) and can be eaten as light dinner or a heavy snack. I was not sure if eggs need to be beaten by a beater. I didn't... maybe I should have.

Try it.

Lots of cooking

Hiya. We didn't go for a movie on Friday since there was a damn IPL match. I am sooooo glad its over and I can actually watch TV without guilt. On Saturday we headed to Noida for house hunt after which we caught Kung Fu Panda 2. I was very exhausted and too keen on the movie but went ahead anyway. I mean.. I liked Kung Fu Panda 1 but was not crazy about it... atleast not like KC who can mouth every dialogue. How different could part 2 be... there is Kung Fu and there is a panda. It was definitely better than watching a boring Bollywood flick.

We also fought like any married couple on Saturday... me, complaining about the lack of involvement in household chores and him, about me wanting to go out too often.

Sunday was relaxation time... we just went mango and chicken shopping during the day and spent all day indoors.

I tried my hand at Tandoori Chicken. Somehow I have been unable to cook good chicken till now and almost given up. All the food blogs I read these days gave me hope. If a normal housewife can do it, why can't I? I purchased good chicken drumsticks from Le Marche at Galleria. It is a heaven for non-veg shopping.

Here is the recipe:

3 tbsp hung curd. I do not have a muslin cloth and don't know where to purchase one... so, I use a colander (used for sieving milk) and leave the curd on it for 15 mins. I did not leave it long enough due to which it was slightly watery. Please ensure it is kept for atleast 30 mins

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tbsp tandoori powder... more if you want it really spicy

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp red color (I didn't have any)

1 tsp red chilli powder (to give it color)

1 tsp garam masala

salt

oil/butter (I used butter)

1 tsp chat masala (I didn't have any)

Mix all above. Make incisions on the chicken... this is the most imp step if you want flavours to enter inside. Add chicken to the marinade and keep in the fridge for an hour.

Now, my microwave has automatic settings for tandoori chicken but recipes suggest microwaving in a greased tava for 10 mins. Brush with oil and butter and grill for 15-20 mins. Flip pieces in between. Please ensure excess water is removed else marinade can burn and cause fire. My microwave almost caught fire.

I don't have pics 'coz we were too hungry and didn't have patience for pics.

Tonight I am trying out Paneer and Veg quiche from Anita's blog: http://sliceofmylyfe.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/a-vegetable-and-paneer-quiche-from-scraps/

Will post the pic after tasting it.

This is really nice... it feels good when something turns out well. Next on my list is mango cake. I find it easier to follow recipes from blogs instead of books.

Brb...

Pasta with sausages

Hey... I have been meaning to try cooking pasta for quite sometime. Tonight was perfect... KC ain't home. Experimentation is much easier when he is not around. He is quite fussy when it comes to food and if the experiment is not to his liking he will not eat it... which will make me feel bad. It means either he has to stay hungry or 2 meals have to be cooked. Yeah... its kinda complicated.

I purchased sausages over the weekend and looked for recipes of pasta and sausages. I found one on Kalyan's blog (in sidebar). It turned out to be quite good.

Ingredients:

• Pasta- I used spaghetti... anything can be used
• Sausages cut into small pieces... chicken or pork. Available in all hypermarkets
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 2 mugs milk
• 1-2 cheese cubes
• Tomato puree
• Tomato ketchup
• Basil....
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Garlic
• Chilli flakes (I didn't have any)

Boil the pasta till almost done. Drain. Wash in cold water and keep aside. Heat olive oil, add garlic. Add tomato puree (half pack) once garlic becomes red. Sprinkle a little tomato ketchup. Add the sausages and cheese. Mix till cheese completely coats the sausages and starts sticking a little. Mix cornflour in 1 mug of milk and add to sausages. Add 1 more mug of milk and boil. Reduce flame, cover the vessel and let it thicken. Add the pasta and salt. After 2 mins add basil, chilli flakes and pepper. Do not add too much salt since sausages do have salt. Cover and cook for a few mins.

Serve immediately.

http://finelychopped-k.blogspot.com/2010/03/oxymorons-rule-light-sausage-pasta-in.html