Author Archives: SD

Iceland Ring Road Itinerary

Personally i think just doing the south coast is enough ( days 1-4) but with added hikes and activities ( whale watching, waterfall hikes, secret lagoons, land cruiser trips into the interiors, boat trips int he glacier, glacier hike, volcano hikes etc). Spend 2 days at each place and explore rather than rush the wholeContinue reading “Iceland Ring Road Itinerary”

Northern lights- the Holy grail of sky watching

I have been a sceptic about the actual brilliance of the Auroras but Ram, knowing how photo crazy I am 😃 insisted on the tour in Akureyri, Iceland… so as usual, i read, researched, chewed up everything online about it and soon realised that it all came down to fate, lady luck, kismat! If itContinue reading “Northern lights- the Holy grail of sky watching”

Chicago marathon 2022-The tale of 26.2 miles and 26.2 months

My 7th marathon! A shiny metal! The Mallu in me said that I could have had a real gold medal with the amount spent in these countless marathons! True and yet so far from the truth. So why do we, the human race, spend countless hours of time and energy in pursuit of pain andContinue reading “Chicago marathon 2022-The tale of 26.2 miles and 26.2 months”

Cyprus in 5 days

Cyprus is a labyrinth of unending beaches, modern towns catering to all cultures, dramatic mountains and sleepy hamlets. Yes, it is famous for its beaches so much so that most people end up in their resorts and miss exploring the mountains and hamlets of this beautiful country. We went towards late summer and the weatherContinue reading “Cyprus in 5 days”

Easy Pad Thai Sauce

Easy pad thai sauce –Everyone loves pad thai, who in the world doesn’t like pad thai… And if so, there is something wrong with you or you have not had proper pad Thai 😘😘😘This is my simple and very easy Pad Thai sauce recipe. Try it and you will be hooked, I swear 🙏Fish sauceContinue reading “Easy Pad Thai Sauce”

Coriander chicken

Happy Friday folks Hara bhara chicken ( or veg)! A lip smacking curry bursting with the fresh flavours of coriander and lemon juice. I know that this is a common curry in most houses, but Phir bhi, share karne mein kya jaata hai😋 Recipe –Grind to a paste – bunch of coriander leaves, 5-6 greenContinue reading “Coriander chicken”

Chicken chukka – Tharamel style!

Tharamel is our ancestral house in a sleepy town, Mavelikkara in Kerala. Of course, memories of that place are the best but I have no recollection of the taste of all the food that my grandma made other than it was heaven and I always ended up spending most afternoons totally overfed and dizzy withContinue reading “Chicken chukka – Tharamel style!”

Chettinad chicken curry

Chettinad chicken curry – On Sunday,  mum marched into the study where I was finishing some work and loudly proclaimed – main chettinad bana rahi hoon, video lena hai to abhi aana padega!! I said, maa, dhamki kyun se rahi hai, abhi se star jaise tevar Anyway, maa ne bulaya and I dutifully followed forContinue reading “Chettinad chicken curry”

Aditi’s Aai cha ambat varan – Mummy’s khatti meethi Daal

When you missing your mom, you try and make things which remind you of her. As much as she doesn’t like her dal , pappa and me love it.Today is Sunday, coincidentally pappa asked her to make the ambat varan and I called her to get her exact recipe as it’s different to my recipeSheContinue reading “Aditi’s Aai cha ambat varan – Mummy’s khatti meethi Daal”

Egg curry with black eye beans

Give me some egg fry, give me some plainGive me egg florentine, I wanna taste egg all again  – anda premi That’s me. Noone can beat an egg when it comes to versatility. You can have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks or with the drinks ( a pure Punjabi will always serve boiledContinue reading “Egg curry with black eye beans”

Moroccan chicken ( but with wine)!

This is a great soul food, easy midweek feast. Don’t get fooled by the name, you will have most of the ingredients in your pantry. A great explosion of lemon, honey, cinnamon and cumin with a smooth silky texture, what’s not to like 💃💃 I had always wanted to make Moroccan tagine chicken so checkedContinue reading “Moroccan chicken ( but with wine)!”

Buffalo chicken and teriyaki chicken

Crispy chicken in spicy buffalo sauceCrispy chicken in teriyaki sauce This is a super easy recipe!!!I know you will say that its what I always say but trust me, this is a child’s play! Varun made this yesterday and I don’t think I am ever going to order buffalo chicken from the takeaway ever again.NoContinue reading “Buffalo chicken and teriyaki chicken”

Shakshuka, yet another egg fan

Shakshuka- quick and refreshing – a very popular middle Eastern dish made of poached eggs in spicy tomato and sweet pepper sauce. Tried it once at a local restaurant and was hooked since. You can add olives, sun dried tomatoes, beans, feta cheese etc to it too. The key is to take it out ofContinue reading “Shakshuka, yet another egg fan”

Christmas menu 2020

Merry Christmas, dear cooks forum friends. So impressed and thrilled with all the cooking and sharing. Each and every post has been a virtual treat. At ours, the story was totally different. Yes, we did have a feast but didn’t hands much time to plan something elaborate. Also, somehow the madness took over and mostContinue reading “Christmas menu 2020”

Creamy red wine sauce with prawns and ravioli/any pasta –

Christmas leftover cooking continues. Last night, after ages, added some red wine and tastes amazing. So give it a try for that ‘hattke’ taste. Tastes better than it looks.You will need – butter, onion, garlic, prawns, red wine, cream, pasta Saute chopped onions and garlic in butter till translucent. Add prawns, sprinkle piri piri pd,Continue reading “Creamy red wine sauce with prawns and ravioli/any pasta –”

Mango Badam Pedha

Desserts, my weakness. Mangoes, my weakness. So here is one of my favourite recipes, a 15 min jhatpat one which combines both of them into an irresistible, fool proof delicacy which will have your family and friends permanently wanting more…. Recipe – 2 cups mango pulp good quality 2 cups milk powder 2 cups almondContinue reading “Mango Badam Pedha”

#4 Sweet potato, chick peas and red lentil soup

My brood has a soft spot for sweet potatoes. It fades a bit when it comes to chick peas and it disappears completely for red lentils. Since years, I have had to find to ways to mask lentils in their food. This wholesome heart warming dish does exactly that and is a hit with them,Continue reading “#4 Sweet potato, chick peas and red lentil soup”

The Humble Aloo- Mathura waale

One of my most memorable trips was to the land of Braj, Mathura, a couple of decades ago. I was wonderstruck by the dusty lanes, byzantine bylanes, the innumerable visions of Krishna and equally devout pilgrims. There were shrines around every corner with monkeys and kids playing with gay abandon as were the odd glimpseContinue reading “The Humble Aloo- Mathura waale”

Hot and Sour Chicken Soup

One of my fondest memories of med school life were the carefree evenings, zipping around on our two wheelers, hair carelessly flying in the wind in gay abandon. The thrill of unlimited freedom for those few hours still remains unmatched. A regular stop used to be the Indo-Chinese street cart and sharing a bowl ofContinue reading “Hot and Sour Chicken Soup”

Apple and carrot soup

Apple and carrot soup –The average time for any gadget to reach its resting place in the dark recesses of our garage is 4 weeks. So it has been only 2 weeks that the soup maker has entered the house, too early to pack it away .Hence today was apple and carrot soup day. ThisContinue reading “Apple and carrot soup”

Easy apple chutney

So, I finally got some apples from my neighbour…. No, not stolen, in fact, he actually delivered it to the front door, in the rain. So made apple chutney and my neighbour  loved it. In fact, as I write this, I can see him on the ladder trying to pluck some more apples from hisContinue reading “Easy apple chutney”

Green tomato sabji and chutney

Since life is returning to nearly normal, gardening in my world is reaching its autumn too…. I accidentally stumbled upon a huge crop of green tomatoes, unloved and forgotten, in the corner of our garden. The label on the pot had promised red beef tomatoes and I realised that it was not to be. NeverContinue reading “Green tomato sabji and chutney”

Karela stir fry with coconut

Karela stir fry-This is yet one of those green monsters that has plagued me and given me countless nightmares in my childhood!  Eventually came across some really nice ways of cooking and masking the bitter taste. This combined the flavour of karela with fresh coconut, sourness of  tamarind and sweetness of jaggery, a win winContinue reading “Karela stir fry with coconut”

Hyderabad Mirch ka Salan

Hyderabadi mirch ka salan-This is a peanut based curry and tastes amazing. Important tip is to make a very very smooth paste first! Don’t rush on that step.Rest all is just adding the ingredients! Recipe –Fry deseeded chillies in oil and keep aside.Roast sesame seeds 3 tbsp, peanuts 5 tbsp, poppy seeds 1 tbsp, 1/4Continue reading “Hyderabad Mirch ka Salan”

Masala bhaath

Masala bhaat (traditional maharashtrian style)Accompaniments- kadhi, shengdana koshambir, coconut chutney, beans sabji, sheera. Aai was very proud and particular about her cooking, and why not, she made some utterly delicious dishes. She always insisted on spending time in cooking it on sim (which is now fashionable as the show cooker method 😁) and never allowedContinue reading “Masala bhaath”

Mini puddles of joy

Cheesecake is like marmite, you either love them or hate them….. And we are split down the middle in our home. However since my princess loves it, it is but natural, the piece de resistance of the house! I have made cheesecakes in the past but always get annoyed with the multitude of ingredients. ButContinue reading “Mini puddles of joy”

Just look around you…

Dear kids, I always have happy dreams, well most of the time. As a result of which, a routine day starts with me jumping out of bed, super excited at the prospects that loom in front of me. Within minutes, I am bounding down the stairs, shrill cooing sound which is oh so inappropriate thatContinue reading “Just look around you…”