Aloo Baingan - A match made in heaven?

One of my favorite vegetables is eggplant. And then there is Mr. Spuds. I love him. Whatever be his form, I delight in it. Potatoes and me have an unbreakable bond. So the combination of two of my favorite vegetables brings unspeakable satisfaction to my taste buds. This is a simple curry and a good variation from the regular eggplant recipes.

Aloo Baingan

Dal - So simple yet so tasty

I was going through my pantry and noticed that I was almost out of moong dal (split yellow lentils). Since dal is staple in my house, I quickly scanned my shelves and noticed that I had some green gram dal. So I decided to combine the two. I was not sure what to expect but the result was a tasty combination and the dal made everyone at the table lick their fingers. Since I have been away from the blog for so long, I felt this was a worthy recipe to share after so my hiatus.

Dal

Chicken Biryani

In response to the request that I received from my friend Katja, I would like to post my Chicken Biryani recipe. It is based on a family friend's recipe. Every Id (Muslim festival of Id-ul-Fitr) our friend Hamza would come over to our house and make his special biryani. This was such a special treat. Recently I went back to India and my parents and I visited Hamsa. He still has the same smile and warmth. His wife and daughter cooked amazing food for us. My friend Giulio loves this recipe. Whenever I see him, which is not too often, I prepare this recipe. Now Katja wants the recipe for her husband Nelson who tasted my biryani once and now wants it made at home. So here goes.

Chicken Biryani

Easy Shrimp dish

I went home and shared with my kids the news of my blog. I looked into their shiny eyes and saw myself reflected as a superhero. I feel the weight of that responsibility and carry it carefully everyday. I felt that familiar burden when I presented them with my big news. They looked at me as though I was the next food network queen. I am a huge fan of the food network channel. I do not compare myself to any of the stars but there are days when I will throw my spices into the pan with an Emeril "BAM" or saunter like Bobby between the counter and stove with a crooked smile or smack my lips like Paula or improvise like Rachel. I have pretended to be in their shoes and it is fun.

As I look out of my office window and see the bright sun, I find it hard to believe that we are going to be pounded by snow tomorrow. I already know what I want to make tomorrow. A snowy cold day demands a warm, heartfelt dish. Tomorrow night we feast on Khichidi and fried eggplant. Um mm. So good. Khichidi is a comfort food made in India and I used to like it a lot during rainy days. It is a rice and lentil preparation that is so easy to make but so wholesome and tasty.But that is tomorrow

Today it is going to be shrimp. I have this really simple shrimp recipe that takes minutes to prepare and is so delicious.

Spicy Shrimp 

Chicken Vindaloo - a gem from Goa

Now that I started this blog, I feel compelled to write something. Do I try to be funny, philosophical, serious, informative or will I be annoying if I am any or all of the above? How do I know? I've never done this before. One thing I do know is that it has gotten me thinking. What prompted me to start this? Why do I want strangers or friends knowing what I'm thing or cooking? Is there a part of me that is an exhibitionist? Its not like I am blogging about books or movies or something along the same vein. I am blogging about how I feel and what I cook. Both pretty personal things in my opinion. I need to examine this a bit more. Maybe I have turned the curve and am completely comfortable in my own thoughts and opinionated enough to not care much of what others think of me. Or I am just vain and want to force my views on others. Either way I am putting myself out there without considering the consequences.

Now to the meat of this blog. What do I feel like cooking today? I look out and there is enough sun for it to be bright in spite of the cloudy sky. I shared my thoughts on starting a blog with one of my colleagues. She recently married someone of Indian origin - back from the exciting land of Goa. So I feel the desire to eat some really spicy Chicken Vindaloo. I do not cook my Vindaloo with potatoes in it. I feel it is a betrayal to the original dish to add potatoes to the recipe. A lot of restaurants serve it with potatoes. It also dilutes the spiciness of the curry according to me.

I like to use boneless breasts as they cook so much faster. Also since I am a working mom, I use shortcuts and use spices that are already ground and available in stores. Why would I go that extra step when I can avoid it? Kudos to those who do it but its not for me. So I have detailed my recipe and the ingredients that I use for it. I do not follow recipes strictly. My cooking is based on my taste. What is below is what should be used but you should do what tastes right to you.

Chicken Vindaloo

The start of something new

This is new. I am anxious. Am I doing the right thing? Will I be able to sustain this? Juxtaposed with this anxiety is a sense of exhilaration, of assumption that this will be great. This remains to be seen. As with all I do, there is no limit. I jump in head first, feet first, completely immersed.

I love to cook. Over time, I have noticed that my cooking is influenced by the day, by the weather, by who I am cooking for and largely by what I am feeling currently. This blog will feature things that I have cooked for my family and friends and my thoughts which lead to the dishes being created. I do not guarantee that you will love my dishes nor do I guarantee that they will be original. But I do guarantee that some of you may feel like I do and hence may consider some of the dishes.

This is a journey that I do not know the destination for and I would like to believe that it will not be a short one.

So here we go...