As kids, I remember we often hosted dinner parties at home. It would either be dinner parties hosted at home or get-together at a company club house. Parties would be hosted by dad's bosses or colleagues or by us. These parties were quite common at our home.

They meant bouts of excitement and preparations, from discussions over menu to preparations and stocking of ingredients, from bringing out the best crockery sets to laying the table cloth, from circulating the drinks and snacks to arranging the buffet table, from serving food to ending with desserts, every bit of it would incite us. It meant chirpy laughs, giggles over talks, hearty jokes over home cooked food posed to liven up the evening.

This brings back my memories on how amma's food would be loved and appreciated in these gatherings for the care she took in cooking, dressing and decorating them and finally coax to eat beyond they could! One of her mastery was over Koftas and they were always a hit among all. I tried recreating that magic in my kitchen recently. They were simply too good! My hubby dislikes lauki and when I served him these koftas, he wasn't aware of what went into it's main ingredients ;) As he was indulging in these, he quaintly asked me what it was made of. When I replied that lauki went into it, he was zapped! He never expected that lauki could taste this good! I think I managed to change his resentment towards bottle-gourd since then.

Lauki ka kofta

INGREDIENTS

1 medium sized lauki/bottle-gourd
1/4 cup besan/chickpea flour
2 medium sized onions
2 tomatoes pureed
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp oil
2 tsp Kashmiri mirchi powder
2 tsp dhaniya/coriander powder
2 tsp jeera/cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 elaichi/cardamoms
2 laung/cloves
1 dalchini/cinnamon stick
2 green chillies
2 tsp of malai/cream
Salt to taste
Few almonds and cashews soaked in warm water for 15 mins
Coriander leaves to garnish

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the kofta:

Wash and clean the lauki/bottle-gourd. Grate it. Squeeze as much water as possible out of lauki. Save it aside as it can be added later in the gravy. Add the chickpea flour, little ginger garlic paste, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp of coriander cumin powder and salt. Mix well and shape into lemon sized balls. Flatten them if you like. Deep fry the koftas to golden brown over medium high flame. Keep the koftas aside so that it can be added to the gravy as required at the time of serving.

For the gravy:

Pulse the green chillies, onions, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, almonds and cashews in a mixer to a fine paste. In a pan, heat the oil. Add the ground paste and fry for few mins. Next add the tomato puree and fry for some more time till the oil floats. Add the dry masalas like the cumin coriander powder, garam masala, red chilli powder and fry for some more time. Add a cup of water and adjust the thickness of the gravy depending on you taste. Once the gravy comes to a boil, simmer it for about 5 mins and allow the flavors to blend well. Finally add in the fresh cream. At the time of serving, arrange the koftas in a serving dish and dress it with the prepared gravy on top of these koftas. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve it hot.

I served mine with hot parathas.

Another dessert to satisfy my sweet tooth! During our recent trip to Munnar, we picked up a good batch of homemade dark chocolates. We have almost finished most of it, but before it could get completely over, I wanted to save some for my favorites brownies. I recently picked up a pack of good walnut kernels from the nearby store and they were crisp, crunchy and absolutely fantastic. I have always loved dried fruits and nuts and they have been on my list of 'must-have' in kitchen. They add flavors to the dish and make it really rich.

My previous attempt at making Best cocoa brownies were a good success. They were gooey, fudgy and loved by all. However, they were made using cocoa and not dark chocolates. This time since I had dark chocolates at hand, I didn't want to miss an opportunity to make walnut brownies. I must admit that these brownies were more rich in flavors, fugdy and deep chocolatey. Walnut added a great crunch and complimented the chocolatey fudge very well. My only regret, I wish I had made a larger batch of these as they disappeared the day they came out of the oven! They went perfectly well with our evening tea.

Chocolate Walnut Brownies

INGREDIENTS

200 gm bittersweet dark chocolate
100 gm unsalted butter
225 gm cup sugar
A pinch of salt
2 large eggs
150g plain flour
½ tsp vanilla extract
A handful of chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

Melt chocolate with butter in a double boiler over barely simmering water until the chocolate melts and dissolves with butter. Stir frequently till it is smooth. Set aside for it to cool a little.

In a glass mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar. Beat well till it turns pale yellow. Add the vanilla and a pinch of salt. Fold again. Next, stir in the chocolate butter mixture. The batter will look thick and shiny now. Then add the flour and blend everything well. Add in the nuts finally. Line the baking tin with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spread evenly on a baking tin.

Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Test with a toothpick. The top would look like a cake, center may be moist. That's how we want it to be. Do not over-bake the brownie. Remove and cool completely. Cut into squares or rectangles. Serve warm as is or as brownie fudge with hot chocolate sauce and ice-cream.

Firstly, let me wish all a Happy Diwali and a prosperous new year. May this Diwali brings loads of love and happiness in every home. Welcome Diwali and it is time for all Hindus to buy new clothes, gold, vehicles, etc. Diwali preparations begin a month ahead of the festival and the joy in doing things together binds most families with love and happiness that they share during this festival season.

Most of the shops are filled with people flocking to buy stuffs for Diwali. Streets are lined with people selling diyas, flowers and crackers for the festival. Homes are cleaned, diyas and kandeels brought out, are cleaned and hung, sweets and savories are stocked for guests who visit, crackers are collected for the day, sms messages and phone calls with wishes are sent to everyone. Evenings are spent in lighting diyas and busting crackers. No doubts from kids to adults, from old to young this is one festival which all look forward to.

I love making Diwali a special occasion every year... after all it comes just once a year! This year I had plans to make Chiroti, but I just couldn't make it due to time constraint. However, I did make Sabudana Kheer or Sabakki Payasa as we call in Kannada. It was the first time I tried this one and I admit I was skeptical about it turning out right. Sago needs to be handled with care else it will turn out mushy and can ruin the entire dish. Luckily for me it came out just right.

Sabudana Kheer/Sago Pudding

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sago, washed and soaked for 15 mins
2 cups water
1/2 lt milk (approx 2 cups)
1 cup sugar
A pinch of cardamom powder
1/4 cup chopped nuts (cashews/almonds/raisins)
A pinch of saffron

DIRECTIONS

Wash and soak sago in minimal water for 15 mins. Bring 2 cups of water to boil and add the sago to it. Boil till the sago just begins to swell. Switch off the flame. It should be partially cooked so that we can cook it further in milk. Bring milk to a boil and add sugar. Adjust sugar according to taste. Then add the par cooked sago to it. Cook further for 10 minutes. It may look thick, don't worry. You can adjust with milk later.

Rub a few strands of saffron in warm milk. Saffron gives a nice flavor to the dessert. Add them to the kheer. Add cardamom powder and chopped nuts and serve warm.

Enjoy this kheer with your family and friends. Once again, wishing you all a Happy and a safe Diwali!

I am just back from a short holiday and it was so much relaxing to take this leave as we desperately needed a break from work. We needed this break badly as it's been a year since we hadn't taken any. I am back to work in high spirits!

As a continuation to my previous post for Khaman Dhokla, I am posting the recipe for Khatti Meethi Chutney with tamarind and dates. Amma makes this often at home and I am inspired to learn from her. This is one of the simplest and the easiest methods to make and can be used in many other savories, like chats and dips. It calls for no fuss, no cook recipe and can be done in minutes.

I prefer the use of dates due to it's natural sweetness instead of sugar. Dates have a great taste and sweetness that can be easily substituted for sugar. Apart from that, it's also to derive the health benefits from it as it is rich in iron content. This fruit is affluent in natural fibers, sugar, proteins as well as many essential vitamins. So here it goes.

Khatti Meethi Chutney

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup of dates
1/4 cup thick tamarind pulp
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chilly powder
Salt to taste
A little water

For tempering:

1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
Few broken red chillies
A sprig of curry leaves

DIRECTIONS

Just put all the ingredients to a mixer and pulse them till they become a thick paste. Add water to adjust the consistency. It's good enough to consume this way, but tempering would enhance the flavors further. So heat some oil in a pan, add mustard, cumin seeds, broken red chillies and curry leaves. Fry them for a min and then add to the prepared chutney/dip. It's ready to serve!

The ones that are commonly used in chats or in street foods are made by heating tamarind pulp with sugar and spices till it comes to a slightly thick consistency. It stays for a longer duration. However, as I mentioned this is a quicker and healthier version, this one has a shorter life span and needs to be consumed in a day or two. It will also require refrigeration if it is not consumed in a day.

I am inspired a lot by my amma's cooking. I think most of us are. Somehow or the other our cooking is influenced by the way our mums' cook. The tastes, the ingredients, particularly the spices, all in a way do have an effect. I think we are all brought up in a significant manner and lifestyle which varies from one household to the other. Our food and taste buds are accustomed to particular spices.

Back home, amma is a little low on spices. She makes sure that the food is tasty, healthy, appealing to taste buds, not overly hot or spicy and happily eaten by all... from kids to elders. It is always a mélange of spices, sweet, salt and tang. After marriage, I was greeted into a family who loved spice and oil. I think my mother in law consumes a litre of oil in one week, which would otherwise last a month at amma's place! Though I love spice, I take pleasure in indulging in it once a while, but despise eating everyday. I like it light and easy on the tummy.

My cooking is a mix of both cultures. These days, my husband understands the health benefits of medium spice and appreciates it well. I make sure it's just rightly spiced and low in oil, so that it can cater to health benefits.

Over this weekend, I made this Khaman Dhokla. I have made this one couple of times earlier and was loved by my hubby and his parents as well. It is mildly sweet which caters to my nibbles, has enough spices that caters to their likings well. Khaman Dhokla dressed well with tadka and served with accompaniments like Khatti Meethi Chutney and Pudina Chutney can leave your mouth tangling and craving for some more.

Khaman Dhokla

INGREDIENTS

For Dhokla:

1 cup Besan / Chickpea flour
2 tbsp Rava/ Semolina
1 sachet Eno fruit salt
1 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
A pinch of Hing/Asafeotida
A pinch of turmeric
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup water / buttermilk

DIRECTIONS

Make a dry mix of all the ingredients in the list from 1 to 7. Finally add in the oil and the buttermilk and mix well to avoid the lumps. Next transfer to a clean greased plate (1 1/2 inch in height) and place it in cooker. Ensure enough space is let in the vessel for the dhokla to rise in height during the cooking process. Cook without weights on medium-low for 15-20 mins till done. Insert a fork to test. It should come out clean, else cook for some more time. Once done, allow to cool a little so that the dhokla can be removed easily.

Next give a good tadka to the prepared Dhokla. For the Tadka here's what we need:

1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
A sprig of curry leaves
2 chopped chillies in rounds
1 tbsp water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp lime juice

For the tadka, heat the oil in a tempering pan. As the oil heats, add mustard. Next add curry leaves and green chillies. As they splutted add sugar and water. Finally add lime juice and turn off the gas immediately. Allow the dhokla to cool a little. Then add this tadka on top of the dhokla. Dhoklas are soft and fluffy and will absorb the water. This gives a nice moistness to it. Cut into sqaures and serve. Serve this with Khatti Meethi Chutney and Pudina Chutney. This also serves a great snack at a high tea!

Since our childhood days, one of the most common tea time snack back home was always a bowl of Chiwda. And amma always made sure that she would promptly prepare a big batch of chiwda once the old batch was almost getting over. Even today she makes this one without fail. She enjoys this a lot and is a must for her evening bites over a cup of tea. Off late I had been missing this a lot. One morning, I set out to make my batch of Chiwda. I made it similar to my amma's way. However, amma makes it less spicier than I do. I just loved this one so much that I made another batch of these again, but instead of puffed rice, I made them with the paper rice. They were just fantastic. A pass time snack that one can munch on any day at anytime.

My perfect way of relaxing and unwind on a weekend evening is to lazy on the couch... listen to my favourite numbers on my ipod... sipping a hot cup of tea with a big bowl of chiwda. That's my get-away...

Chiwda

INGREDIENTS

250 gm of puffed rice
100 gm roasted peanuts
5-6 green chillies, chopped in rounds
1 tbsp mustard seeds
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp turmeric powder
5 sprigs of curry leaves
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste

DIRECTION

Roast puffed rice till crisp. Keep aside. Heat the oil. Add mustard. Let it splutter. Next add curry leaves, chopped chillies, peanuts and fry them well. Add turmeric, salt and sugar and immediately turn off the gas. Add the puffed rice and mix well till all the spices are mixed. Allow to cool completely and store in an air-tight container. This stays well for a long time. In case the puffed rice lose their crisp, toss them to micro and reheat them or roast them to remove the absorbed moisture and become crisp again.

I have come across many bachelors and friends who crave eating a simple home cooked meal. Dal-Chawal, anna-saaru, they say. I have been through similar moments during the time I lived single. Every time I came back home from college, tired and torn by the day's activities, one thing that I would look forward to was fulfilling my hungry tummy. Those were the days when I was staying alone by myself. Just a morsel of good home cooked food was what I craved for. The thought of going to the kitchen and cooking a meal for myself was good on mind, but was lethargic too. Or I guess, it was the boredom to eat all alone. But of course, I would make them at home on weekends... that meant treating myself.

Every time, I went home for vacation, it meant feasting myself on amma's food. Amma's food is just unbeatable. Just the thought would make me yearn to go back home, sit on the table and relish the hot food that comes out of the kitchen to the table, lovingly cooked and fed by amma. A simple home food can not only be healthy, but more satisfying and fulfilling. Today, I appreciate the care and efforts that she took to feed us lovingly every single day without any qualms. I know what it means to cook a full meal, to be careful that it is healthy, tasty, filling and lovingly fed.

I am sharing with you my plate of lunch made over the weekend. A full meal, the Havyaka way with Hesaru KaLu Kai HuLi, Bendekai palya, Eerulli gojju served with rice and homemade amTekai uppinakai. Uddin happala and curd may be missing in this pic, but is definitely a part of this meal! And to end with a sweet note, nothing can be better than Shavige payasa.

I love the use of garlic in roasted form. They are so intense and can impart such great flavors to a recipe. Garlic may not compliment all dishes, considering it is pungent. Not everyone would even savor it's taste. But to me, I just love it! Considering it is good for heart, it gives me more excuse to use them often!

Amma's Hesaru KaLu Kai HuLi is one of my favorite Havyaka dish which tastes heavenly when tempered well. There are few ingredients that can make or take flavors away in a South Indian cooking. The secret behind a great tasting South Indian food is in it's tempering. And many of the gravy dishes do call for a good tempering... tempering in the right way. Another go get ingredient is the use of compounded hing/asafeotida. This is very different from the powdered stuff that we get. I find the powdered hing that we get is nothing but a dry powder which has no taste or flavours. This works good for recipes that don't require the hing flavors, but for an authentic Manglorean HuLi recipe or gassi, the compounded one is a must. Try them yourself both the ways, you bet you'll know the difference.

Hesaru KaLu Kai HuLi

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sprouted green gram/hesaru kalu
A little more than 1/4 cup grated fresh coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
2 tbsps coriander seeds/dhania
1/4th tsp fenugreek seeds/methi seeds
4-5 red chillies (I used Byadgi chillies)
1 small lemon sized tamarind (soaked in warm water)
1 tsp powdered jaggery
A little compounded hing/asafoetida

For tempering:

1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
3-4 curry leaves
5 cloves of garlic, crushed in a motar & pestle

DIRECTIONS

Pressure cook the sprouted moong dal with salt and turmeric until they are soft. Dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, methi seeds and red chillies till they are just browned. Grind the cooled dry roasted ingredients along with coconut and tamarind to make a smooth paste. Add this masala paste to the cooked moong dal. Add little water if required and bring this to a boil. Adjust salt, add jaggery and allow this to come to a boil. Mix the compounded hing in a little warm water or probably remove a little curry out into a cup and mix in the compounded hing. Add this to the boiling curry. I always use compounded hing/asafoetida for these kind of recipes as the flavor it imparts to the dishes is just out of the world. I don't think this curry would be even closer to what it should be without this!

Next the temper. In a small pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add curry leaves and chopped/crushed garlic. Add this tempering to the above prepared curry and cover immediately. Mix well and serve. Goes very well with hot ric

e.

Tiramisu is one of the most popular Italian deserts. Although it doesn't require any introduction, for the uninitiated Tiramisu is a creamy, melt in mouth cake primarily made up of lady finger biscuits dipped in espresso or strong coffee decoction, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks, mascarpone, and sugar, and topped with cocoa. Ref: Tiramisu.

These days there are different versions of Tiramisu. Some made with Rum or Marsala wine or Coffee liquor, some made with raw eggs only, while some have Zabaglione in them. Although traditionally it has mascarpone in it, cream cheese or whipped cottage/ricotta cheese is also used as a low fat version. We first had our bite of Tiramisu (imported from Belgium) at Bliss and paid a whopping price of Rs. 150 bucks for a fairly small bite of cake (We finished the cake in just 2-3 bites!). It was heavenly!

I set out to try them at home. I went through a few hazzles while making them. Firstly, the Mascarpone cheese was almost impossible to get in India. I have made ample searches, saw cheddar, mozzerella, gouda, cottage, processed cheese, etc, but absolutely no Mascarpone! Mascarpone cheese is very high in fat and since not easily available in India, I settled to use the low fat version, Cottage cheese which is easily available everywhere.

Initially, I thought of making lady fingers at home. Internet searches gave ample of recipes to make lady finger cakes at home, but the thought of making everything from scratch seemed really tedious and I settled to use sponge cakes instead. It is a bit time consuming as I made cottage cheese fresh at home. However in the end, the cake turned out fantastic.

Tiramisu

Prepare the Zabaglione:

6 egg yolks
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract/essence
A hint of salt

Zabaglione generally is made of eggs alone. But we are not very fond of the sole egg-y flavor. So to reduce it's intensity, I made it the custard way. Omit milk in the above recipe if you like the egg-y flavor. Beat the eggs well with sugar. Heat the milk till its hot, but not boiling. Temper the milk into the eggs slowly and carefully so that the eggs don't split or scramble. Transfer to a double boiler and heat through till the custard is thick and coats the back of the spatula. Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla essence. Allow to cool in the refrigerator.

Prepare the Cream cheese:

1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup whipped cream

Run the cheese along with sugar in a mixer till it is smooth and creamy. Add the heavy whipped cream with the above prepare zabaglione. Gently fold everything. Refrigerate so that it sets well.

You can either purchase store bought cottage cheese, else prepare at home. I made mine at home.

Prepare the Cottage cheese:

1 litre milk
1 tsp lime juice

Heat the milk. Once it comes to a boil, add lime juice. The whey and curdled milk should separate now. The curdled milk will float on top. Allow to cool a bit and strain the whey through a cheese cloth. Allow the mixture to drain for an hour, then take the ends of the cheesecloth and twist to drain any remaining whey. Homemade cottage cheese is ready!

Prepare the coffee mixture:

Either use expresso or make strong coffee decoction at home. Add a 1 tbsp of rum to it.

Assembling the cake:

Keep the cake, coffee mixture, and cream filling at hand. Dip the cake in the coffee and line the bottom of the serving dish. Place the cake side by side till the bottom is fully covered. Next, scoop a big dollop of cream cheese mix and spread well to cover the cake. Lay another layer of cake and cream mix and top it with cocoa powder. Refrigerate overnight and serve the next day for the flavors to blend well. Slice and serve.

For the times when we had heavy lunch or dinners, the following dinner or next afternoon's lunch would always be light. This was was the care mama took of our tummies. She strongly believed that after a heavy, greasy and creamy hotel food, it's best to settle for simple home cooked par-boiled veggies which gave the stomach mechanism some break... after all it requires some rest too! And the Simple Sautéed Cabbage was one of those simple delicacies that purely brought out the flavor of cabbage. This simply spiced par-cooked cabbage would be such a rescue and I thoroughly enjoy this as a side dish or even as salad. Here it goes, the mum's way...

Here's what we need:

1/2 cabbage, finely shredded
1 tsp Oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
A sprig of curry leaves
1-2 green chillies, slitted
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a kadai/wok. Add mustard, cumin and allow them to splutter. Add turmeric and slitted green chillies and fry another minute. Then add the cabbage and salt and sauté for few minutes. Sauté till the cabbage is par-cooked. Turn off the flame and cover. The heat is sufficient for it to cook a little further. This way the cabbage is not over cooked and it does not loose it's crunch. We love cabbage done this way. Serve hot with rice or roti as a side dish.