The Making of Cafe Two's and Four's

Hello all you lovely people,

You have no idea how much i have missed this space!!! I just realized that my last post was exactly a year back. I have missed reading all the blogs i used to follow, i have missed trying out some of their recipes and most of all, i have missed clicking pictures especially for the blog. Past one year has been a tremendous journey of brainstorming, ideas, physical work, patience and most of all taking that leap of FAITH.

Today, i felt little restless. Today, i felt that itch to write. So, today, i am here taking you on mine and my husband's journey of starting our new venture : Cafe Two's and Four's . (All about two-leggeds and the four-leggeds) Yes, we wanted to combine two of our passions together - PETS AND FOOD. So, what better way than to start a pet-cafe or a cafe where pets are allowed. There is anyways a dearth of pet-friendly spaces around. A few of my blogger friends who are friends with me on Facebook already know about it as i have been regular with my posts on the page, but just to have it for keeps, i decided to pen down some points about our journey with some photographs that i have taken from my phone camera. So, excuse for the picture quality.

1. TAKE THAT STEP : Starting a new venture takes a lot out of you. It never really occurred that we could start a business, that too a cafe, and more so, in a different city. We always wanted to shift back from Delhi. But never really thought everything would fall in place so quick. On our last Diwali visit back home, i.e Mumbai, i decided to stay back and do some R n D about real estate to get an idea if we can even think about opening a venture anytime.The 2 months long stay-away from hubby was the first ever since our 3 years of marriage, but days went by in a jiffy as some sort of passion had taken over me completely.

2. R N D/MARKET SURVEY IS MUST :During that time, i also explored a lot of cafes and restaurants to get an idea about food, furniture,ambiance, comfort, crowd etc. And while doing all this, I got a chance to catch up with all my friends whom i had missed meeting when in Delhi. Also, all my experience of exploring and writing for Maneesh (http://mysticfoodiemantra.com/author/gauriblog/ ) was at the back of my mind.

The first glimpse of the place

3. CHOOSE LOCATION WISELY : Mumbai was always our first choice, but seeing the size of the shops and the prices, we were disheartened. All our figures were running haywire and opening some new business seemed impossible. Just about when i decided to go back to Delhi and continue life as it was, it dawned upon us to explore the city of PUNE, where my in-laws stay. A visit to Pune was immediately planned and thanks to internet, we found out some good properties listed for rent. Pune roads and areas were completely new to me. So, a couple of days went by exploring around with my father-in-law. And then, we saw this place!!!! The first property we saw in Baner area and we fell in love with it. Hubby dearest was updated with pictures and details only on phone and whatsapp. But the place looked do-able. It had a lot of positive vibes, sunshine, air and a feel-good factor.

4. NEVER COMPROMISE ON YOUR BASIC IDEA/THEME : The advantage of this place was the open lawn area which was our main requirement since we wanted the cafe to be pet-friendly. The previous places we saw were all compact and without an open space. We even had thoughts of changing our theme and opening a regular cafe, but as it's said, things will happen when they have to happen. We were meant to do this and it so happened :)

5. ALWAYS ASK FAMILY FIRST, THEN TURN TO FRIENDS : We ran through some figures and decided to take that step - with all the assurance that "We will do it". I don't remember a single time when me or hubby were scared or fearful, since we had a lot of support and backing from both of our parents. Hence so, I HAVE TO SAY THIS HERE : There is no greater happiness than the support of your family.

My constant companions - Mom and Father in law. MIL and Dad missing in the picture

6. "AIKAAVE JANAACHE KARAVE MANAACHE" (LISTEN TO ALL BUT DO WHAT YOU FEEL IS RIGHT) : We shifted to Pune on Jan 1 st 2016 and were still clueless as to, how to go about the idea. New city, new venture, new contacts...Some suggested somethings, others some other things. Some said east, others said west ( not that there were people too who suggested north and south ;)). We listened. We heard. We argued. We fought. We brainstormed. And, we came with solutions. Always. The solution was : Listen to your heart. 

Trust me, many must have said this but i stamp and sign on it with my experience, that "Just listen to your instincts and do what feels right for you". There are always people to let you down, there are always people who will speak against you, there are always people who will confuse you but stand FIRM.

7. DIY IS ALWAYS CHEAPER AND MORE FUN : We decided to go DIY for the cafe. Of course, some ideas had to be re-thought after seeing the feasibility, costing and maintenance but in the end, we had fun doing it all. And in all this, my husband always asked me, "If someone asks you, why don't you pay the labour and get it all done, what would you reply?" and my answer was, "Then, there's no fun in it and the reason we decided to do this is for fun". Yes, the idea to start this venture was all about having fun!!! It doesn't mean, one shouldn't think business or do losses but the whole motive was not to earn money but to do what we love. And we were doing exactly that!!! We still are....:)

8. GOOD THINGS TAKE TIME, YOU EITHER WAIT OR SETTLE FOR LESS : There was a lot of testing of patience too, as labour here is a big problem and for some things, we had to depend on them. So, what we thought would be done in a month took 2 months and finally by March mid, the work was completed. In the meanwhile, there was a lot of exploring around in terms of checking and finding wholesale markets, working on the menu ( which is an ongoing process ), deciding on the pricing, getting tyres and crates for seatings, working out the lighting, fixtures, equipment for kitchens (some of them i had only seen on food shows), and of course all the cleaning, drilling and painting work. These were the times, we understood the meaning of "dead tired", both physically and mentally. 

A visit to Mandai :)

Experiments in the kitchen

9. BELIEVE - IN GOD, IN MOTHER NATURE, AND ABOVE ALL IN YOURSELF : When Dad came and performed pooja on the opening day, it all felt worth it. I really know the feeling of an artist now who creates an art, or a chef who designs and plates a dish, or someone climbing Mt.Everest. There is still a lot to achieve and it's an ongoing process, but just to make the place alive gives a lot of good feeling to both me and hubby dearest. 

I will share some current pictures of the cafe and some "Before-After" photos in my next post!!!

Thank you for reading through our journey and yes, i feel good today. Because i wrote. I guess the writer in me was bouncing inside to come out. Today was the day :)

And yes, Happy Cooking :)

Cabbage Cucumber soup

As i have mentioned before, cooking is an art learnt through observation, sharing and practicing. Once you learn the basics, the sky is the limit. There are times when a dish goes wrong - it turns out too salty, or too sweet or little too hard or little too bland. But there are always some additions or subtractions that can be done to make it right! Or altogether make it into a new dish :) But that's how one learns, isn't it?

Writing this blog is not only giving me immense happiness but has changed my eating habits too. The desire to make something new, or to keep on upgrading my cooking skills (Majorly to get that smile of a full satisfied tummy on hubby's face) has resulted in me starting to eat ingredients that i was not much fond of, a few years back! I don't know whether i have developed that taste, or my palate has changed, or its excitement of trying something different... but it surely is all happening for good and i am thoroughly enjoying this journey.

Just as i was not much fond of soups except the regular Tomato soup or Sweet corn soup, these days i enjoy gulping down a bowl of different varieties of them. And more so, to make and try them at home! I tried the spring onion soup recently, of which i haven't taken a pic, so i will make it again and post the recipe. This cabbage cucumber soup is one rich, creamy thick soup and has mild flavours. It is filling and goes absolutely great with a salad, noodles or a sandwich.

Ingredients:

Cabbage - 1 n half cups chopped

Cucumber - 1 medium chopped

Salt- to taste

Garlic - 6-7 chopped

Onion - 1 small chopped (optional)

Pepper - to taste

Cream - on top to garnish (I used homemade cream - just whisked it smooth)

Butter - 2 tbsp

Corriander powder - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 1

Cumin powder - to garnish

Water - about 2-3 cups (Add more if required)

Recipe:

Wash and chop the vegetables well.

In a pan/pot, add butter. Now add the bay leaf. 

Add the garlic and saute till they turn brown. Add in the onions (if adding) and saute till they are translucent.

Add cabbage and mix it all well. Cabbage will start leaving water slowly and cook it its own steam. Keep stirring, so it doesn't stick to the bottom and burn. If you find it happening so, add in a little water or vegetable stock. Let it cook for about 3-4 minutes.

Add the chopped cucumber, salt, corriander powder and pepper. Mix it all well. Cover the pan with lid and cook for about 2 minutes.

Now add the vegetable stock or water and let it come to boil.

Cover and cook till the vegetables turn soft.

Let it cool. Remove the bay leaf.

Make a smooth paste of the cooked vegetables in a mixer-grinder or with a hand blender.

Put this creamy rich soup back in the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add more water if the soup is too thick. Check for seasoning.

Garnish with cumin powder and cream.

Happy Cooking :)

1st Blog-versary!!!!

It's already a year for my blog!!! Can't believe it! So, actually i have consistently been doing cooking for a year? wow... that was so not me a few years back!! :)
But all for good, i have loved my journey... 

From making my first "Sheera" at in-laws place after marriage (1 and half years back) :

... To standing next to a renowned Italian Chef Luca of Grand Hyatt Regency and attending a Masterclass:

Just to recall the first few lines from my first post :

I was wondering, there are soooooo many food blogs on the internet! You need to find a recipe? There is always one on google! I need not write a blog to make it stand out amongst rest. I  just want to contribute as much as my fellow home-maker chefs have done till now. I myself have borrowed recipes from Internet a lot of times and they have turned out super yummy. So my sincere Thanks to all those who take efforts to cook, click pictures and write about them, so it helps fellow cooks like us :) 

You can read it here : Cook... Click... Eat

There are a few times i read my old posts and feel i should edit them or sometimes feel silly at the way i have written things, but i want to keep it as it is, only to see myself years later of how i have grown and improved... not only in my cooking, but also in my writing.

And this ongoing journey wouldnt have been possible without mom and mom-in-law who keep giving helpful tips to me now and then.

Guess who's who? ;)

Also my best critic, my hubby who tries all the dishes i experiment, with immense patience and pats my back when they turn out good. A true-mate in all ways...

80 posts and 16700+ views....A big thank you to all of you readers, fellow bloggers, and friends who have given me all the support, read my posts, left comments and even tried some of the recipes...You make the whole purpose of starting this blog complete... A big heartfelt thank you...

Happy Blogging all of you!!!

Kojagiri day: Special menu

I had already posted about the kojagiri special Masala Milk in my last year's post (Masala Milk), so this is kind-of a repost walking down the memory lane since yesterday was Kojagiri Pournima too. As the tradition goes, we kept the milk in the balcony for sometime for the moon rays to fall on it and then consumed it.

So, my kitchen menu for dinner was some hot Batata Vadas and the masala milk. But i added a twist to both the dishes yesterday and hence wanted to write about my new additions.

My masala milk recipe was as follows:

I have purposely reduced the milk to half and added more of the dry fruits (You will know why in my next post, as i had some other plans in mind to try too ;) If the trial turns out well, i will post it in my next post!!!
So, this version turns out a bit thicker. This thick version is of drinking consistency, but if you want it more thinner, what you can do is, either add milk to the thick mixture later on (It doesn't change the taste) or else reduce the milk to only 3/4th (or more) and follow the rest of the procedure.

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 litre

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Nutmeg powder - 1 tbsp (I basically grated the nutmeg)

Almonds, cashews, pistachios - 1 1/4 cup

Saffron - few strands

Recipe:

Boil 1 litre milk and then reduce the milk to almost 1/2 of the original quantity stirring in between, scraping the cream from the sides of the vessel.

Keep the flame low throughout.

Dry roast the dry fruits. Now, grind them to a fine powder. Mix in saffron, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.

After the milk has reduced to 1/2, add sugar and let it boil till sugar dissolves completely. Adjust sugar according to taste.

Now mix in the dry fruit mixture and turn off the heat.

You can have it warm or cold.

I also did a new version of batata vada from my last post, for the mere fact that i didn't have a few ingredients at hand. :) 

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 4 boiled

Urad daal - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Curry leaves - a few (I had the dried ones and not fresh. You can add any)

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (I didn't have green chillies, so i added chilli powder. You can either add both or one of these according to taste)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

For the batter : 

Besan (Gram flour) - 1 cup

Water - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Baking soda - a pinch (I tried this for the first time, and i was happy that the vadas turned quite crispy from outside)

Recipe:

Mash the potatoes and keep aside.

In a pan, heat oil, and add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add asafoetida and cumin seeds. Then add the curry leaves and turmeric powder. Next add in the ginger garlic paste and saute for 15-20 seconds. Next, add the urad daal and saute till the daal becomes reddish.

Now add in the mashed potatoes and salt. Mix it all well and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Let the mixture cool and then make equal portions round balls.

Meanwhile, make the batter using all the ingredients mentioned. Add water little by little as the batter should not become too thin.

Dip the potato balls in the batter and deep fry in hot oil.

Crispy Batata vadas are ready :))) They were super delicious, with the addition of urad daal.

If your batter is left, after frying the vadas, don't throw it away. Add sliced onions to it, and make kanda bhajis :))

Happy Cooking!!! :)

Koshimbir special

Maharashtrian cuisine is full of flavours and spices, and a thali (a meal for the day) includes all the nutrients in a balanced way. Since childhood, having koshimbir on the side was always a part of meal. Though served in limited quantity, this was what i loved, especially the kakdichi koshimbir. Kakdi is cucumber and koshimbir is salad. But it's not just about cutting or chopping fresh vegetables, but they are always topped with green chillies, corriander leaves, peanut powder and sometimes with curd and at times with Phodni (Known as tadka). The one made with curd is popularly known as raita. But you can do variations by adjusting the amount of curd and see the magic!! The taste changes dramatically and what you get is different flavours each time.

Salads are always healthy, as they are fresh, raw and light. But at times, they would get boring. So, my mother usually makes tons of varieties, sometimes by adding sprouts, sometimes by mixing two vegetables, sometimes grating them or at times chopping them. And every time the taste is different.

So here i am presenting two different types of koshimbir. Both are made with Phodni (Tadka), but you can skip adding the tadka and add curd instead. Or add tadka and add little amount of curd. Choice is yours.

Kakdichi Koshimbir: (Cucumber salad)

Ingredients:

Cucumbers - 2

Peanut powder - 3 tsp (If you don't have this, you can even add crushed roasted peanuts for a cruncy effect)

Green chillies - 2
Onions - 1 small (optional) 
Oil - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Kadipatta (Curry leaves) - a few (Optional)
Lemon juice - about 1/2 lemon

Recipe:

Wash and slice the cucumbers. Now you can either chop them into small pieces or grate them. Either way tastes great and different i would say. Leave them aside for 15 minutes or so, so that they leave water. 

Squeeze out all the water from the cucumber and take them in a fresh bowl.

Chop the onions and green chillies and add them to the cucumber.

Add the peanut powder. Mix well.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add asafoetida and cumin seeds. After about 10 seconds, add in the curry leaves and take off heat.

Add this to the cucumber mixture. Mix well. Add salt and lemon juice at the time of serving as it would make the salad watery (Cucumber leaves a lot of water).

Healthy koshimbir is ready :)

If you want to add curd, just add a spoonful for a different taste.

Tomato Carrot Salad (Tomato chi koshimbir) :

 

Ingredients:

Tomato - 2 medium

Carrot - 1

Rest all the ingredients are the same :

Oil - 1 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - a few

Peanut powder - 1-2 tbsp (optional)

Salt - to taste

Recipe:

Wash the carrots and tomatoes.

Chop the tomato. Peel the carrot and grate it. 

Take the tomatoes and carrot together in a bowl.

Now heat oil in a pan. Make Phodni by adding mustard seeds, asafoetida, cumin seeds and curry leaves.

If adding the peanut powder, add now.

Add this to the carrot and tomato. Mix it well. Add salt according to taste.

Isn't this easy?

You can change the taste and flavours by adding lime juice, or sometimes curd, sometimes not adding fodni and adding only curd or at times, just adding salt, pepper and lime juice. 

Whichever way you make it, it tastes great :)

Happy Cooking :)

Kaala Masala

The Maratha Touch : Indian recipes are incomplete without spices. I remember, when my friend from San Francisco visited me, she was impressed to see how we stack all out spices and especially the "Masala box" which consists of the basic everyday essentials of Rai ( Mustard seeds), Jeera ( cumin seeds ), Corriander powder, red chilli powder, Garam masala, Turmeric and hing (Asafoetida ). For everyday curries, the Garam Masala suffices, but if you are making something special or regional, then adding that "Secret ingredient" is a must! Whenever i visit Mumbai, or my mother visits me, a bag full of local spices is always packed along! The same way, my husband being a Maratha, my Mother-in-law always gets me the Kaala Masala or the Khandeshi Masala which is traditional masala made in Vidarba ( Their home-town).

Kaala Masala has a distinct flavour and aroma, and is best used for non-vegetarian cooking or dishes-to-be-made spicy! The spicy-affair is not as you feel when you taste red chilli powder, but this one actually lingers on your tongue/throat-like an after-taste effect!
Kaala Masala, as the name suggests is dark brown in colour. It gets it's colour with the roast of dry coconut and the spices such as cinnamon, cardamon, black peppers etc. I tasted this the first time after marraige when hubby's aunt had prepared Baingan Masala, and it tasted so heavenly that i got some masala home from her :)
Since then, it is a must-have in my kitchen !!! You can make this in bulk and store in air-tight container... it lasts for more than a year!!!

Ingredients :

Dry coconut - 100 gms

Turmeric powder - 7 tbsp ( I find it difficult to grind whole turmeric in mixer, grinding them in a flour mill is the best option. But if you want to try , you can use about 50 gms of whole turmeric )

Cinnamon - 25 gms

Cloves - 25 gms

Green cardamom - 10 gms

Badi Elaichi ( Brown Cardamom) - 25 gms

Corriander seeds - 250 gms ( This is the most essential ingredient )

Dry red Chillies - 100 gms

Black Pepper - 25 gms

Shahi Jeera ( Caraway seeds ) - 25 gms 
Jeera ( Normal ) - 25 gms

Asafoetida - Around 4 tsp ( Again i find grinding asafoetida in mixer difficult, so i best use the powder form )

Dagad phool - 50 gms

Nutmeg - 1 tbsp ( powdered )

Bay leaf - 50 gms

Javitri ( Mace ) - 25 gms

Sunth ( Dry Ginger ) - 25 gms ( powdered )

Oil - a little 

Recipe :

1. Dry roast the red chillies ( without stems ) for about 7-8 mins and grind it to a powder. Keep aside.

2. Grate the dry coconut and roast it in a pan till it starts leaving aroma and becomes brown in colour. Let it cool. Set aside

3. Put a little oil ( Shouldn't be sticky and oily, just enough to roast the spices ) in pan each time and dry roast all the dry spices separately and set them aside to cool ( except the powder forms, just the whole spices )

4. When cool, grind all the ingredients together to make a smooth powder. Now add the turmeric powder and asafoetida. Grind again.

5. Now add the red chilli powder grinded before. Give a spin again.

6. Now slowly add the roasted dry coconut little by little, grinding in between, to make a smooth powder. Make sure to mix it well occassinally, so the down portion doesn't become a sticky paste. It should be a smooth fine powder.

7. Let it stand for a minute. Remove from the grinder and let it cool.

Ahhh... The Aroma is Divine !!! isn't it? Now make some yummyliscious curries with this Masala and let us know how it tasted :))

Happy Cooking :)

Tilgul : Sesame jaggery ladoos

"Tilgul Ghya Goad Goad bola " : In my last post of GulPoli, i had mentioned about the Tilgul. These are also made on account of Makar Sankranti and are given to each other saying the phrase "Tilgul ghya goad goad bola" Meaning " Take this Til-gud ( The ladoo), and speak sweet". I don't know where this tradition of speaking such a phrase arrived from... If anyone knows, please let me know. As kids, saying the phrase and taking blessings from elders was just a formality...The eyes were glued to the ladoo in the other's hand..:)

No one can eat just one !!! : Its such a tempting ladoo, that you pop it in your mouth and you want to have more and more.... Its healthy during winters, ( because of sesame ), and jaggery adds to it...Much better than sugar!!! Our Mom used to hide the stacked Dabba from us, as we used to munch it throughout the day :)

Kutaache ladoo : This is my Mother's speciality. Normally, people make ladoos with whole sesame. But Mom makes this grinding the sesame to a fine powder and then adding jaggery and other ingredients. This one tastes toooo yummmy..And they are sooo simple to make...This is how she makes it :

Ingredients :

( Makes 30-35 ladoos )

Sesame powder : 4 cups ( Dry roast the sesame seeds and make it into a fine powder in mixer grinder )

Peanut powder - 3/4 cup ( Dry roast the peanuts, remove the skin and then grind it to a powder in mixer grinder )

Dry coconut powder - 1/2 cup ( Grate dry-coconut, dry roast it and make it into a fine powder in mixer grinder ) 

Jaggery - 1 n half cup ( Adjust according to taste how sweet you want it )

Ghee - 1/4 cup

Recipe :

Mix all the above mentioned ingredients well and make into small ladoos. Make sure the jaggery is fine and there are no chunks in it. You can even powder it or use ready-made powdered jaggery.

And these are the commonly made ladoos in every household. They are crunchy and have a very different taste than the "Kutaache ladoo"

Ingredients :

Chikki Jaggery ( This is another form of jaggery which is more sticky ) - 250 gms

Ghee - 1 tsp

Sesame seeds ( Til ) - 250 gms

Dry coconut ( Grated ) - 1/2 cup

Peanuts - 1/4 cup ( Dry roasted )

Recipe :

Heat 1 tsp ghee in a Kadhai. Add the jaggery and keep stirring it till it becomes of thinner consistency. Make all the procedure on low heat.

Now add the grated dry coconut and the peanuts ( skin removed )

Now slowly add the til ( sesame seeds ) while stirring in between. Adjust the til quantity according to how much fits into the jaggery. It shouldn't get too sticky, niether remain too dry. 

Mix everything well.

Now make the ladoos when the mixture is warm/hot. Apply ghee on your palm while making the ladoos ( This helps the jaggery not to stick to your palm and prevent it from burning )

If the mixture becomes cold, then warm the mixture again on the stove and again make the ladoos when hot. ( Yessss, Its tough to make this when hot, but trust me it's all worth it when you pop one in your mouth !!! :)))

Your yumyliscious Tilgul is ready.

Homemade Tea Masala : Ek Garam Chai Ki Pyali Ho...

Being a non tea drinker, the only thing that that tea (or chai as it is commonly known as worldwide now) reminds me of, is watching the Bollywood actor Salman Khan slurping a cup of tea and then dancing showing off his muscular body, along with a bunch of girls wearing beachwear on some remote beach!!! I used to enjoy this song " Ek garam chai ki pyali ho" as a child, but never really understood the connection between a beach and tea..Maybe what they wanted to convey was " hotness" and that's why they had those hot girls dancing in beachwear!!! Nevertheless, Salman Khan songs and movies are always a stress-buster and full of entertainment, one need not scratch the brains finding a "meaning" behind it all. 

Chocolate tea, kid? : Coming from a family of tea-drinkers at literally any time of the day... yes, there is no "morning" tea funda in our home. All my family members, including my extended family and relatives, love tea and i was always the odd one out ! I have never tasted tea... i always had milk as a child and then slowly, i developed the taste for coffee. I remember, when once our family, a group of almost 28 people, had gone for a holiday to Ooty, it was winter time! Everyone relished the different types of flavoured teas available there ( there was clove, fennel seeds, ginger, cinnamom, bay leaves.. the list went on ). Knowing i was the only one not liking tea, the shopkeeper had proposed to offer me "chocolate tea" ( i was a kid back then, so he thought i would of course love chocolate flavour ). I was adamant till the end and didn't taste even a sip of it !!!

Post my marraige, i learnt that, at my in-laws' place, they always had tea with freshly grated ginger. I also remember my mother adding ginger, or sometimes elaichi ( cardamom ) to the tea to add flavour. My mother-in-law gave me a homemade tea masala and also its recipe when i was coming to Delhi. She mentioned, it tastes great even with coffee. Though i have never tasted it with coffee, my husband ( he loves drinking tea 2-3 times a day when he's home) loves this masala. I have had this once with warm milk when i was feeling "under the weather". And i truly vouch for this one! So this one is dedicated to my "Mother- in -law" :)

Me, The "Chaiwaali " : I made this masala chai for one of my husband's friend who visited us one morning and he loved it so much, that he has placed an order to make it in bulk and give him !!!!

I think i should seriously think of it as a business idea and market myself as the "Chaiwaali"...:)

Ingredients :

You can either mix all the powders ( readily available in market ) or use the whole spices and grind them yourself in a grinder. I prefer grinding it myself.

Dried ginger powder - 5 tbsp ( Its easy if you buy this in powder form )

Cardamom seeds - 2 tbsp ( you can even add the few shell covers for taste,i did )

Nutmeg - 1 tsp grated ( Nutmeg loses its aroma very fast when its ground, so always grind the whole nutmeg when needed instead of buying the powder form )

Cloves - 1 tsp

Whole black pepper - 3 tbsp ( This really gives a kick to the tea, so adjust the spice according to taste)

Cinnamon - 3 tsp
Saffron - a few strands 

Recipe :

Grind the whole black pepper, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom seeds to a fine powder. Make sure the powder is really fine.

Then add the dried ginger powder, saffron strands and nutmeg powder and mix it well together.

Winters are here...and what better way to start your day with a hot cup of aromatic chai with this spicy masala served as bed tea when you are still tucked in the blanket :) You can experiment adding honey or jaggery instead of sugar if u like, or just add a teaspoonful to the boiling tea or when the tea is ready. It is in powdered form, so it mixes well with the tea. Also making your masala at home ensures quality, and morever you get a "chai latte" or "masala chai" at the most reasonable price than all the coffee shops :)
Happy Cooking :)

Eerie Salad : Halloween Special !!!

Halloween is a very popular festival in west. It was not-so-popular in India until a couple of years back. Infact, just last year and this present year, i am seeing a lot of buzz in India about Halloween. Halloween theme parties, Halloween special costumes, Halloween celebrations with decorating home with fake cob webs and jack-o-lanterns, accessories... we have it all here in India now!!! In simple terms, Halloween is an occasion to remember the spirits.... Sounds eerie, sounds scary, doesn't it? Still people prefer watching horror movies, dressing in all sorts of "Scare-to-Death" costumes and wearing masks to get the thrill of it all ! For me, all i have seen about Halloween is in Hollywood movies and read about it in newspaper. 

This year Halloween and Diwali ( the biggest festival celebrated in India) fall together. So a long weekend and people have all the more reasons to party ! Halloween party calls for all sorts of dishes decorated or garnished, going by the theme. So i made this "Eerie" salad specially for this day! The main ingredient behind making it look "eerie" is "Beet-root"; yes, the red colour signifying "Blood".

This can be served as a starter-salad or along with main course or even serves as one complete meal, as it contains all the nutrients to give you a balanced meal. And it can even be eaten chilled. So, make it, refrigerate it, and serve when its needed !!And did i forgot to mention? Its very easy to make. You can add different types of dressings according to your likes. I made this from what i had in the kitchen and kept it simple.

Salads are a very healthy diet. I was not much of a fan of Salads, until now when i have started experimenting with food and making salads according to my taste and choice. The basic ingredients are always fresh fruits and vegetables but you can always make additions of corn, sprouts, mushrooms, mashed potatoes or whatever you can think of ! Salads really give an exercise to your brain of how innovative you can make it look and taste ! And every time the result is always something new :) Salads give us fiber, helps lower cholesterol level and also prevents constipation. The foremost - Salads help us lose weight !!! Yes, a healthy way to lose weight is by eating salads or adding salads to your meal everyday. Just a plain Green Salad also serves the purpose. So all-in-one advise " EAT SALADS !!!!"

Ingredients :

Apple - 1/2 chopped 

Orange - 1/2 ( chop the slices... each slice into 2 or 3 parts depending on the size of orange)

Green capsicum - 1/2 chopped ( i purposely didn't add red or yellow capsicum as i wanted the beetroot colour to come out prominently... Remember our theme is "Halloween" )

Beetroot - 1/2 (wash, peel the skin and grate )

Cucumber - 1/2 chopped

Oregano - to sprinkle

Pepper and Salt - to sprinkle according to taste ( preferably use black salt )

Red chilli flakes - sprinkle according to taste

Lemon zest and Orange zest - a few strands for tangy flavour ( optional)

Recipe  :

Mix everything together ( all the fruits and vegetables ) in a bowl. Sprinkle oregano, salt, pepper and chilli flakes. If you like tangy flavours, then only add the zest or else the salad tastes juicy and yummy otherwise too.

Zest is the outer hard cover of citrus fruits like lemon, lime, orange, sweet lime etc. Make sure when you grate it, don't use the white part ( the inside skin of the zest)... Grate it carefully, so that only the upper portion is grated. The white portion is normally bitter.

Happy Halloween and Happy Cooking :)

Cook...Click...Eat...

I was wondering, there are soooooo many food blogs on the internet! You need to find a recipe? There is always one on google! I need not write a blog to make it stand out amongst rest. I  just want to contribute as much as my fellow home-maker chefs have done till now. I myself have borrowed recipes from Internet a lot of times and they have turned out super yummy. So my sincere Thanks to all those who take efforts to cook, click pictures and write about them, so it helps fellow cooks like us :)

Kitchen... Not me!!!

I was not at all a kitchen person until i got married recently in Feb 2013. Taking Home Science in college, baking a few cakes at home ( after taking cooking classes ) and helping my mother in the kitchen with making raitas or cutting vegetables is all that i was good at.

My husband loves to eat but i didnt know how to cook apart from the basic chapati-sabzi-daal ! I had a lot of time at hand and hence i started experimenting with food. Finding recipes, getting the ingredients and making something new became an everyday affair! I started enjoying cooking...

And then the phone calls started going to mom and sisters for new recipes, recipes made from leftovers and some real desi( local) ones. During the course, i started adding "my" twist to regular recipes and to my surprise, it worked!! Friends started asking for recipes, loved my photographs and that triggered me to start a blog.

I am sure there are a lot of you newlyweds like me who have been pampered like a princess at their homes and think cooking and kitchen work as a burden... But trust me, 8 months gone by and i must say - Its all worth it ! Infact i feel bad now that i didnt take interest in cooking earlier... I would have been a Masterchef by now :))

Dedicated to my Mother...

I have grown up watching my mother trying different recipes always. Her Dabba( Tiffin ) recipes are to die for, as she had to cook something new everyday for me and my brother. And i remember her packing a 5 dabba tiffin for my father every single day with a pickle/chutney and a sweet. I used to wonder where she gets all the ideas and energy from. There was no internet back then and no one to help her too! Now when i stay nuclear with my husband, and i have to pack dabbas for him, she inspires me :) This blog is truly a dedication to her....

Hubby Dearest...

And whenever i make a new recipe, all the eating experiments are on my husband :) Till date, whenever i make something new, he doesn't stop to praise me for it and yes, is my best critic too...As i am still mastering the skill, he has to bear with all the combinations of less salt - more lemon - very spicy - bittery....But he is always encouraging and we are a team ! He loves to eat, i love to cook :) What more can one ask for :)

And yes, we both love to "Click...Click"....So that's one exciting task we do when a dish is made.

I want to quote a dialogue here from one of my favourite movies ( Must watch for all food loving persons - those who love to cook and those who love to eat ) "Julie and Julia".

Julia never lost her temper because something boiled over, or collapsed in the oven. She was never horrible to her husband. Julia Child began learning to cook because she loved her husband, and she loved food and she didn't know what else to do with herself and in the process she found joy! I didn't understand this for a long time, but i do now.

Hope you enjoy my writings, recipes and the photographs ! Would appreciate your comments/ suggestions always.

Thank you,

Gauri.