Fusilli in Pink sauce

Fusilli in Pink sauce

Fusilli in Pink sauce

I had to write about this immediately. I made this pasta for the first time today. For lunch. It was just amazing. The dish is so flavoursome and the best things about this recipe are that one has all the ingredients at home and takes just a few minutes to assemble once the white sauce is ready!

The pink sauce is actually made by stirring together white sauce and tomato sauce. Its flavours come from the liberal use of all mixed herbs. The taste is absolutely restaurant-style.

This vegetarian dish is so good, that when I told my hubby (a hardcore non-vegetarian) that I had enough of all ingredients to make this again, he actually said that we should have this for dinner again tomorrow.

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Holi Lunch – finger foods and Chocolate Mousse

Holi the festival of colours is great fun with friends.

This year for Holi, I had friends over for lunch. It was also the day of the Cricket World Cup match – India v/s West Indies. Perfect day to enjoy a holiday. Friends, food and TV

: )

I made finger foods as it goes well while watching television. I started the meal with red wine and fried peanuts. Served a curd dip with carrots n cucumber and wafers.

curd dip with carrot n cucumber sticks and wafers

curd dip with carrot n cucumber sticks and wafers

This was followed by Nachos. I served these with refried beans and cheese.

nachos with refried beans and cheese sauce

nachos with refried beans and cheese sauce

Two helpings later, palak (spinach) rolls with cheese stuffing.

spinach rolls stuffed with cheese

spinach rolls stuffed with cheese

Then followed Chicken fry and potato pattice. The chicken fry was a take-away from a restaurant close-by and the pattice were courtesy a friend. I forgot to take pictures of these as I was much to busy eating the pattice.

All this food was enjoyed by India playing very well and seeming to win the match and good conversation.

We then ordered pizzas from Domino’s.

All of us were really satiated but wanting the dessert.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE!

I had only made this once before about 2-3 years ago. I was a bit apprehensive on how it would turn out but I must say – it was perfect. Yippee…

chocolate mousse

chocolate mousse

It was a great day well spent.. India won the match. Everyone enjoyed the food. I think everyone went home early evening and slept.

Dal tikki

My cook made these at home one day. I told him I wanted something as a healthy snack and he suggested these. These dal tikkis have a filling of spiced up chana dal and are stuffed inside a ball of mashed potato and bread crumbs. To make it a healthier meal, instead of deep fry, I lightly pan-fried them.

dal tikkis

dal tikkis

They were really good. Since then, I have learnt the recipe from my cook and have made them on a couple of occasions.

Spinach n Paneer rolls and Spinach n Cheese rolls

From the past 2 months I am totally into rolls. Rolls are also known as pattice, patty, tikki or croquettes, depending on the geographic location you are situated at or the shape you give the mixture. Usually if its round, then its pattice, patty or tikki. If its cigar-shaped, then its called a roll or croquette.

Its amazing what one can do when making a patty – anything goes. The beauty is that mix together any 2-3 ingredients and fry them, the pattice always turn out great.

I have been experimenting with potatoes, paneer and cheese mainly. My cook deserves a mention here as he taught me many a great recipes. Here’s the first one he made for me. The brief I gave him was that I wanted a snack that I could just about shallow-fry, anytime hunger struck. I gave him a bunch of spinach leaves and paneer (cottage cheese) as his basic ingredients. He worked his magic and made me this –

Spinach n Paneer croquettes

Spinach n Paneer croquettes

Lightly flavoured spinach with stuffed paneer. Yummm…. My family and I really enjoyed this snack. It was so well seasoned that I would expect this dish to be served to me at a 5-starred restaurant! Kudos to my cook. I made this again within a week.

Since I enjoyed it so much, he suggested I try these rolls stuffed with cheese instead of paneer. So some days later, we made the same spinach rolls but stuffed it with cheese.

Ah…soft spinach with a small burst of spiced, liquid cheese in every bite. Life is beautiful – I thought at that moment.

Spinach n Cheese Croquettes

Spinach n Cheese Croquettes

Aloo Paneer Rolls

This is the second time I’ve made these at home. The first time was almost 2 years ago. I’d totally forgotten about this recipe, till I found myself wanting to eat tikkis, wherein the potatoes were no longer the main ingredient.

Aloo paneer rolls

Aloo paneer rolls

I got this recipe from a tabloid years ago. I had it filed and kept away. Big Mistake, ‘cuz they are yummy… Serve with green chutney and enjoy. My family really relished these.

 

 

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Caramel Pudding

My homemade caramel pudding

Caramel pudding

Caramel pudding

I’m a chocolate person, but hubby is an absolute vanilla and caramel pudding guy – we cannot be more different when it comes to food! White and brown ; )

He is an absolute caramel pudding enthusiast. I’ve eaten the pudding a few times but was never really inspired enough to make it at home, till recently.

OMG – it turned out fantastic – yay !!! It tastes just like the ones you get outside. If hubby takes three helpings I know I’ve got him hooked-on to my cooking

Diwali food at HOME – Dal Pakwan, Chana Bhatura and Besan Laddoos

Ah. Diwali and the New Year celebrations are just over but the hangover remains – with lots of mithais, dry fruits and gifts yet to consume! Had a great Diwali. Decorated the house with rangoli, toran and diyas.

For breakfast, we had a Sindhi dish called Dal Pakwan. It is well spiced chana dal served with deep fried maida crispy puris. Its absolutely delicious and sinful at the same time.

dal pakwan

dal pakwan

Lunch was Punjabi meal of Chana Bhatura, served with thickly sliced onions and green chilies – an outright deadly combination – we love it!

Chana bhatura

Chana bhatura

Well, we were unconditionally full, but a day like Diwali cannot be let go without something sweet. So, I made and served besan laddoos.

besan ka laddoos

besan ka laddoos

After such a lunch, we could do nothing more than nap away for an hour. The first half of the meals were so filling that the pani-puri I made for the evening snack had to be eaten the next day. We stuck to a light dinner as the following day was our New Year and we were going visiting to friends and family’s’ houses to wish all a good year ahead.

Apple Pie

I learnt how to make apple pie on Tuesday. A 7″ pie oozing with sweet apple sauce. I made it in the afternoon and by night it was over.

Decided to make it again the next day, yesterday. Another 7″ temptation. Today I have only 2 pieces remaining. Over the past two days, two 7″ apple pies, devoured  by 8 people.

my apple pie

my apple pie

a piece of the apple pie

a piece of the apple pie

Apple pie served with vanilla ice-cream

Apple pie served with vanilla ice-cream

Che Mato Pasta

Che Mato Pasta

Che Mato Pasta

I love this pasta. So does hubby and the entire family. Well, it’s also enjoyed by hubby’s office colleagues. What can I say – everyone loves this pasta – everyone has to! Its a pasta rich in tomato flavour and mounds of cheese…slurp….

Its the easiest tomato-based pasta to be made and so its surprising that restaurants don’t serve this! Is it because it is not authentic pasta (do we Indians really eat authentic Chinese food?) or because it has no elaborate technique to make it? So its not on menus because it is simply too simple to make?

Had it for dinner tonight and a hot mug of Mocha coffee. Bliss. All set for a good night sleep.

 

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Shakshouka

Shakshouka is a Tunisian / Arabic dish of poached eggs in a spiced sauce of tomatoes and onions. My hubby loves this. I usually make it for dinner for him and a bit extra for a one time breakfast. See the picture below and I know you would be salivating.

shakshouka

shakshouka

The dish is very easy to prepare. The only time to be careful is in getting the egg whites cooked completely and at the same time, the yolk should be firm but running when you break into it. Have it with any bread. I usually served it with garlic bread. This time it was a sliced herb-ed footlong.

shakshouka with sliced herbed footlong

shakshouka with sliced herbed footlong