Butter cookies

I love experimenting with cookie recipes, but eventually I fall back on my old faithful recipes. This is my mother's butter cookies recipe, made even more special because for the first time ever, I used cooking butter. 

Kapi

The best way to spend a lazy Sunday is with a davara tumbler of filter kapi, and a good book (or magazine). Bliss!!!!

Ganesh Chaturti Festivals

I don't normally go so overboard during festivals, but since I did make three different kinds of sweets for Ganesh Chaturti, the least I could do after it was to take a good picture of it all!

Starring- kozakottai, fried modak and coconut ladoos, Ganesha will be pleased I'm sure.

Appam and Istew, with sweetened coconut milk

Here is a picture of the complete meal, and one I was quite satisfied with.

Appams

Istew

Sweetened coconut milk- mix grated jaggery with coconut milk till completely dissolved and add cardamom powder for flavouring.

Celebrations....

After three weeks of virtually living in the office. Two weekends, where we got to meet him for less than a couple of hours. The day after my older one commented that he'd not even seen his father since Wednesday. After all that, the deal the hubby was working on, finally came through. And it was time for celebrations.

An eggless chocolate-orange cake, with Nutella icing, and a bunting festooned between two ice cream sticks. Happy times!

Patti's meal

My Patti was an excellent cook, but what made her really great was the fact that she cooked not to satisfy her vanity, but to make people happy. She knew the favourite dishes of all the people she was close to, and she always made it for them whenever she could.

This was "my" lunch- vengaya sambar, podimas, cucumber pachadi, rice and ghee- all cooked with love, and served with joy.

This is the first time I have cooked this combination for myself, and I know I will do so again soon.

Pongal spread

One of the advantages of a mixed marriage is that at festival time you can choose what you want to do. If you are in a mood, you can go all out to celebrate, and if you are not in a mood, you can just pretend the festival doesn't exist.
This year, I couldn't decide how I wanted to treat Pongal, so kept putting off making a decision. It was pretty late in the morning by the time I finally decided to make Shakarai Pongal and Korumbu, but they both came out really well, and that's all I really care about. So what if I ended up eating nothing else for the rest of the week- it was a pleasure.

Alphabet soup

I loved alphabet soup as a child, and my kids love it just as much as I did. I make it pretty often, because the recipe is so easy.
This time, for no particular reason, I felt like taking a photograph of the much loved dish. Why not, this blog is not just for new recipes, is it?
Original recipe here.

Gajar ka halwa- Xmas is here

The first gajar ka halwa of the season. Photograph banta hai!!!!

I bought the carrots intending to make halwa, but it languished in the fridge for two days, because I was too lazy to actually make it. I had a really long run today (one kilometer short of 25 miles), and decided we were having Mc Donalds because I was too tired to cook. And then, at 7 pm, I started grating the carrots, and gave my arm muscles a great workout. After dinner, in a fit of madness, I started on the gajar halwa, and it was done by about 11:30.  After all that, don't you think it deserves a picture at least?

Recipe here

Chocolate fudge

I've made fudge using my mother's recipe, but it had never come out as well as the ones she makes. S when she made them this time, I just had to take a picture for posterity.

Falafel

This is the second time I made falafels, and the first time I made it with pita bread, and since the bread came out really well this time, I thought a separate post was in order!

First dinner

Shifting to a new home is always stressful, doubly so when the workmen are still milling around, and the unexpected heavy rains are paralysing the city. The last thing in my mind has been food, but at some stage, I could take it no longer, and prepared lunch. 

Just paniyarams (made with store bought batter) and coconut chutney, but eating food cooked by you in your own house is a pleasure like few others.