Lemon Vermicelli

Small black mustard seeds merrily bouncing in a pan- happy, carefree till they meet up with rough and hot green chilli pieces. A savory story unfolds in my kitchen with the main star as vermicelli (type of pasta, thinner than spaghetti) and carrot pieces, green peas, green beans acting in a supporting role. The story becomes vibrant with turmeric powder in a special role and of course one can't undermine the role of lemon juice which becomes the whole essence of our savory story. The story rocks the box office with every bit of vermicelli lapped up by the hungry audience :) -

Ingredients-

Vermicelli - 2cups

1/2 cup green beans

1/2 cup carrot (sliced)

1/2 cup peas

curry leaves (4-5 leaves)

mustard seeds 3/4 tsp

cumin seeds 1/4 tsp (omit if you want)

1 tbsp lemon juice

turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

grated ginger (1/4 tsp)

1/2 tsp gram dal (yellow lentils) 

green chillies (2 ) chopped

coriander leaves chopped for garnishing

**Generally this dish is made without the vegetables- but then my savory story had to be different! 

How did I make it?

Cook vermicelli in boiling water with a little bit of oil (so that it doesn't stick together). Once cooked, drain excess water and keep it aside. This removes the starch and makes it non sticky! Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds. As they begin to sputter, add gram dal (yellow lentils), ginger, curry leaves and green chilli pieces. Add turmeric powder and mix well. Toss in the vegetables and cook on a medium flame till the vegetables become soft and tender- sprinkle a bit of water to cook the vegetables. Once the vegetables are cooked, add lemon juice. Mix in the vermicelli and adjust salt according to taste. Garnish with coriander leaves!

Red quinoa & green beans medley!

I was late in joining the quinoa cult- though late, I am glad that I joined :)- The good thing is, working with quinoa is super easy and you can be really creative with it. It works great with Indian flavors and there isn't any spice I haven't tried with Quinoa. To be honest, when I purchased it for the first time I had no idea what to do with it. I kept staring at the packet for a long time...I cursed myself for the impulsive purchase and googled all the recipes that can be found on Quinoa. Finally, I decided to boil it and make it into a salad. I boiled it, mixed it with cucumber and tomatoes and made it into a salad- I will be lying if I wrote that I loved that damn dish. It was a disaster. Those were my initial days with Quinoa- Now, I can work magic with Quinoa and anyone who doesn't like quinoa will think twice if they tried it my way (with Indian spices).

Ingredients-

2 small cups red quinoa

1 cup green beans- 

1/2 cup carrots

1 medium sized onion (sliced)

1 tomato chopped finely

1 tsp cumin seeds

curry leaves- chopped

salt according to taste

asafoetida powder (dash of it will do- omit if you want)

chopped green chilli pieces (2 green chillies used)

2-3 tbsp grated coconut

1 tsp hot madras curry powder (alternatively, you can work with garam masala)

How did I make it?

Bring some water to boil and put your quinoa in it. Allow the quinoa to cook for 15 to 20 minutes (till it is soft and well cooked). Once your quinoa is cooked, keep it aside. In a separate wok, heat oil and add cumin seeds & dash of asafoetida powder. Allow the cumin seeds to sputter. Add onions and green chilli pieces, fry them till translucent. Toss in the tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes. Mix green beans, carrots and toss well. Allow the vegetables to cook and become tender. Add salt, grated coconut, curry powder and curry leaves. Mix it thoroughly by adding a bit of oil. Blend in the cooked quinoa to this mixture. Cook for five minutes on a medium flame. Garnish with coriander leaves!

Aloo Gobi!

I realised that one Indian dish which has become universal is Aloo gobi. I was talking to a swiss lady in the tram and she confessed that she loved Indian dishes. In her german accent, she said- I love aloo gobi! A very popular menu in Indian restaurants, it sure has caught the fascination of people- Cauliflower (gobi) florets & potatoes (aloo) sauteed with Indian spices!

Ingredients-

1 medium sized cauliflower (seperate the florets from the stem)

4-5 potatoes - peeled and cut in small cubes

one medium sized onion (chopped finely)

garlic & ginger paste 1 tsp

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

cumin seeds - 1 tsp

red chilli powder- 3/4 tsp

garam masala- 1 tsp

coriander powder- 1tsp

salt according to taste

kasoori methi leaves (dry leaves crushed) 1 tsp (fenugreek leaves)

How did I make it?

If you are a bit careless, you will land up making this dish into one soggy yellow paste. The potatoes take a longer time to cook and cauliflowers cook pretty easily. First step is to heat oil and add cumin seeds. As the seeds start to sputter, add onions. Fry the onions for 3-5 minutes till they become translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for a couple of minutes. In a small bowl of water, mix coriander powder, garam masala, chilli powder and turmeric powder to a liquid paste. Add this paste to the onions that are getting sauteed and cook for a couple of seconds. Mix in the potatoes and cover the wok to cook. When potatoes are half done, add the florets and salt. Cover to cook. Open after a few minutes, add kasoori methi leaves and mix them thoroughly. Sprinkle a bit of water, if need be. Allow the cauliflower to cook with potatoes for 5-8 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy it hot!

Onion 'n' coriander Naan

Get the dough right, flatten it with stuffing inside and pop it in the oven- sounds simple, eh? Well, those are the steps for getting a good home baked naan! Traditionally, naan is prepared in a tandoor (a clay oven which uses charcoal/wood). With the help of yeast, baking soda and yoghurt you can get a good texture to your naan while baking at home. When served hot with a butter coating, it absolutely tastes divine.

What do we need for the dough?

2 cups all purpose flour

warm water

2 1/2 tbsp yoghurt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

pinch of baking soda

1 tsp yeast

Filling ingredients-

1 big onion chopped finely

a good bunch of coriander leaves (finely chopped)

3 big cloves of garlic (crushed and chopped)

chopped green chilli pieces (used 1 green chilli)

salt according to taste

How did I make it?

For the dough, we need to activate our yeast first by mixing warm water, sugar and yeast in a small cup. Allow the yeast to froth up and leave it for five minutes. In a large bowl, mix salt, baking soda and flour. Add yoghurt and start mixing the dough with the help of yeast water. You have to work on the dough for 5 to 10 minutes- Knead till it becomes a soft, smooth dough (use a bit of oil to get a glossy texture). Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover it with a cloth. Put it in a warm place and allow the dough to double in size (should take an hour and a half).

For the filling, mix all the above ingredients and toss them well with a bit of oil. You can saute the onions and garlic, if you want. I like to use them raw for the flavors to come out well in the naan.

Once you have the dough and filling ready, preheat your oven to 200 degree celsius. Equally divide the dough into medium sized balls. On a lightly floured surface, flatten your dough to a small circle. Place about a tbsp of filling in the middle and seal the ball into a pouch. Flatten this pouch on a lightly floured surface into a teardrop shape or oval shape. Brush it lightly with oil and put them in the oven for baking. Bake it till it becomes puffy and golden brown in color! Before serving, gently coat the naan with butter for a great taste...Enjoy!

carrots & potatoes cooked in a masala gravy

Nothing fancy about this dish- all I can describe is - hearty, comforting with simple flavors to go with roti or rice! I just made this dish and my whole house is smelling of a lovely coriander flavor with garam masala wafting through out the house. Should get that appetite up and running, shouldn't it?

What do we need?

2 cups chopped/cubed carrots
1 cup chopped/cubed potatoes
garlic/ginger paste - 1 tsp
cumin seeds
1 green chilli- chopped
garam masala 1/2 tsp
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 cup tomato puree
salt according to taste
1/4 tsp red chilli powder

How did I make it?

Once the veggies are chopped, cooking the dish takes about 10-15 minutes. It is a gravy based dish and works well with rice dishes. Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds and allow them to sputter. Add green chilli pieces and chopped onions. Fry them for about 2 minutes till the onions become translucent. Mix the garlic/ginger paste and toss them for a second. Add the tomato puree and cook for a couple of seconds. Blend in the garam masala and red chilli powder. Add the carrots and potatoes to this mixture with a bit of water for them to cook. Adjust salt according to your taste. Cook on a medium flame till the vegetables are cooked. Bring in the magical coriander leaves for garnishing! Enjoy :)

Lentil dumplings in Yoghurt (Dahi vada)

Cricket has become a religion for India- There is a buzz in the air when you gotta match on weekends. Especially, when your home country is performing badly (the atmosphere is tense)- players are criticized for their techniques, captain takes the blame, there is disappointment written all over the faces of viewers...and then things start turning in your favor. Last few overs are thrilling when the match is evenly paced and you are not sure if your team is going to win... Food becomes critical for such crucial matches- I threw in some bruschetta and a south Indian lentil dumplings to go for the occasion. Of course, things turned out great with a win for India and my lentil dumplings in yoghurt was a hit! Simple to make, the dumplings taste awesome when soaked in yoghurt seasoned with mustard and coriander- a true match winner :)

Ingredients- (for dumplings)

Urad dal ( 1 cup)- white gram/lentils

2 tsp rice

chopped curry leaves

salt according to taste

black peppercorns (1/2 tsp)

1 green chilli

For yoghurt base-

Thick yoghurt

corriander leaves finely chopped

green chilli pieces (finely chopped)

salt according to taste

mustard (1/2 tsp)

broken red chilli pieces

oil to saute

Preparation-

Batter preparation is the tricky part. Soak urad dal (lentils) with rice in water for an hour. Drain the water completely after an hour and blend it in a mixer to a smooth dough by adding green chillies, pepper, salt. The batter should be firm and not watery. Avoid using water when blending in the mixer. Once batter is ready, add chopped curry leaves and blend it well. Heat oil in a wok. When the oil is hot, shape batter like a doughnut with hole in middle and fry it to golden brown on both sides.

Yoghurt base preparation-

Blend chopped coriander and green chilli pieces in yoghurt. Add a bit of water and whisk it to a smooth texture. Adjust salt according to your taste. 

Final preparation-

Soak the lentil dumplings in hot water for few minutes till it becomes soft. Squeeze water gently from the dumplings and drop them in yoghurt. Allow the dumplings to absorb the yoghurt. In a small frying pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, broken red chilli pieces with asafoetida powder. As the mustard begin to sputter, remove from fire and add them to yoghurt. Chill it for half an hour and serve!

Ven pongal- South Indian Festive rice!

One of the 28 states, Tamilnadu has historically been an agricultural state for India- It is also the leading producer of agricultural products in India (source- Wikipedia). Come January, the whole state gets ready to celebrate "Pongal" also known as harvest festival! The idea is to thank god for the bounty harvest and is celebrated at harvest time.

When you talk about Pongal festival, you definitely gotta talk about the food delicacies prepared- sakarai pongal and ven pongal! These are rice based dishes and come in sweet (sakarai pongal) and salty flavors (ven pongal). Ven pongal is not just prepared for the festivities- It is a popular dish in many south Indian homes and is often served as breakfast/tiffin. It is rich in flavor and takes minimal effort. Rice cooked with lentils and combined with pepper, cumin seeds and curry leaves provides the flavors. Highlight of this dish?cashewnuts sauteed in butter/ghee simply catapults this dish to a different height! Don't believe me? Check out-

Ingredients-

1 cup rice
1/2 cup moong dal (yellow lentils)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp whole black pepper seeds
1/2 tsp grated ginger
dash of asafoetida powder
chopped curry leaves (4 to 5)
2-3 tbsp ghee or butter (generally you work with ghee for this dish- but I had to substitute cooking butter)
Salt (according to taste)
oil to saute spices

Preparation-

Step 1 is to cook the rice with lentils- Wash the uncooked rice and keep it separate. Dry roast the lentils on a pan before mixing to your rice-Cook the rice with roasted lentils by adding 3-4 cups of water and salt according to your taste. Once cooked, keep it aside. Coarsely crush the peppercorns and cumin seeds. In a frying pan, add oil and saute ginger. Add the crushed pepper and cumin seeds with curry leaves. Mix in a dash of asafoetida powder and saute for a couple of seconds. Remove from heat and set it aside. In a separate pan, fry the cashew nuts in 1 tbsp of ghee/butter till they are crisp. Add the roasted spices and cashew nuts to you cooked rice and ensure that the spices have blended well. Mix in the remaining butter/ghee to your rice and serve!

What is ghee? Ghee is clarified butter and works great with the above dish- The nuts and ghee accentuates the flavor of pepper and cumin to make it a wonderful dish!

Happy Pongal to all! Sending this recipe to an event hosted by a fellow blogger- Pongal fest event

Calzone

Calzone is one of my favorite Italian dish. I never got around to make it till yesterday. I thought that it was going to be a messy job to prepare it from the scratch. Surprise, surprise, I not only found it easy to make but realized that you could practically fill any leftovers and pop it in the oven for a refreshing snack!

Ingredients for the dough-

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp salt
olive oil to brush on flour
warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp any Italian herb mix

Ingredients for the filling-

1 onion chopped
2 ripe tomatoes (crushed)
3 garlic cloves crushed and chopped
salt and pepper (according to taste)
1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
veggies- I used artichokes and bell peppers (you can practically fill up the calzone with anything)

Preparation-

First you gotta get the dough ready- Mix yeast in warm water with sugar and allow it to ferment a bit (it tends to become a bit frothy- takes few minutes). Mix the flour, salt, italian herb mix in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the dough and start adding yeast water to mix the dough. Knead the dough till it becomes soft. The test is, when you press your finger in the dough and leave it, dough should bounce back to normal shape (dough should be soft and elastic). Put the dough in a separate bowl and cover it with a clear film. Leave it for an hour till it has doubled in bulk.

Let's get our filling ready- In a pan saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Combine crushed tomatoes or tomato paste and allow it to get incorporated. Add any seasoning you fancy. Mix salt, pepper and allow it to simmer till it reaches sauce consistency.

After an hour, press the dough to release air and knead for 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into small balls. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a circle. On one half of the piece of dough, spread the sauce and veggies (artichoke, bell peppers). Make sure you leave the edge of the dough. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of your vegetable stuffing. Fold the other side of the dough completely over the filling and seal the exposed edges. With a fork or a spoon press the edges (this will make a good pattern and completely seal calzone). Dust the top of calzone with olive oil and bake till it is golden brown (12 to 15 minutes, 230 degree celsius). Enjoy!

Punjabi cholay

Cholay is a very popular chickpea dish in northern India. Cooked in a rich brown gravy with exotic spices this dish tastes heavenly with roti, rice or bhature. Chickpeas can be cooked in a simple normal gravy with spices but then if you ever had the chance to taste punjabi cholay you will never want to eat anything else! So, take a plunge and get cooking with something exotic and flavorful.

Ingredients

Chickpeas/garbanzo beans -1 cup

For the gravy

2 onions chopped
1 tomato chopped
Ginger - peeled and grated (about 1tsp)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp red chilli powder

Spices

Coriander seeds 2tsp
Seeds of wild pomegranate/anardhana (omit if not available)- 1/2tsp
1 piece cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 tsp black peppercorns
4 black cardamom
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 dry red chilli piece

Preparation

Soak the chickpeas overnight in water. It will double in size the next day. Rinse it thoroughly and pressure cook it with a tea bag. Yeah, yeah, you read it right- tea bag! Why tea bag? Punjabi cholay is known for it's rich brown color and when you cook it normally it turns out yellow in color. To give it a good brown color you always pressure cook it with a tea bag. The chickpeas should be cooked super soft and should melt in your mouth.

For the spices, roast all the above ingredients in a pan. Keep tossing them and do not allow them to get burnt. Once roasted, grind them to a fine powder.

Now comes the gravy- Heat oil in a wok and add the chopped ginger. Add the onions and sauté them till translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook the mixture till the oil separates (takes around 8 to 10 minutes). Add the fresh ground spices and garam masala with chilli powder. Cook on a medium flame till the masala gets incorporated. Mix the cooked chickpeas and adjust salt according to taste. Add a little bit of water to cook the chickpeas. Allow it to cook on a medium flame for 20 minutes(keep stirring it consistently). Garnish with chopped onions, lemon wedges, split green chilli pieces or coriander leaves. Enjoy!

Bread stix with a cumin twist!

Come winter, you always want to cuddle up with a hot soup at night. I have experimented with so many soups and probably have tried all the ready made soup versions I could find in the super market. The problem with soup is you want something crunchy to go along- something to dip in the soup. Garlic bread is my favorite and of course bread sticks taste great with any kind of soup- I did a batch of bread sticks and it tasted heavenly with my potato leek soup- Here is a simple recipe for bread sticks, enjoy!

Ingredients-

2 cups all purpose flour
cumin seeds approx 1tsp
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
lukewarm water to mix the dough
1tsp yeast

Preparation-

Mix the flour, cumin and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast, then make a well in the center of the dough. Pour in the warm water and start mixing the dough. Add the olive oil and continue to mix till it becomes a soft dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes till it becomes soft and elastic. Put the dough in a separate bowl and cover it with clear film and leave for about 1 hour till it has doubled in bulk. After an hour, press the dough to release the air and knead for 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough into small balls and start rolling them into long sticks. Place well apart on a baking sheet and leave it aside for 15 minutes till they become puffed up. Bake for about 15 minutes till it becomes crisp and golden in a preheated oven (220 degree Celsius). Enjoy!

Masoor dal - red lentils

Cooking lentils is fun. You can mix and match different spices and give a new look to them. Tired and bored of cooking lentils in a simple manner I tried something different- check out!

Ingredients-


2 cups masoor dal (red lentils)
1 dry red chilli - broken to pieces
1 big onion chopped
1 tomato chopped and smashed
2 garlic pods - crushed & chopped
oil for cooking
red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
corriander leaves chopped for garnishing
mustard seeds -1/4 tsp
Salt according to taste

Spices-


2 tbsp corriander seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp white sesame seeds
2 cloves
cinnamon stick-1
bay leaf-1
black cardamom or badi elaichi- 1 (remove the skin and discard- just use the seeds)
black pepper seeds - 1 tsp
oil to roast the above spices

Preparation- spices

In a pan, heat oil and roast all the spices mentioned above till they turn dark brown. Just ensure that you don't burn the spices. Once roasted, remove it from fire and allow it to cool. Grind it to a fine powder-

Preparation- dal


Pressure cook the red lentils till they melt in mouth. In a pan, heat oil and add the mustard seeds along with the broken red chilli pieces. As the mustard seeds start popping saute garlic and onions on a medium flame for 5 minutes. Add the tomato. Cook for another five minutes till they are incorporated. Mix the above prepared spices and red chilli powder. Add dal (lentils) with a bit of water and allow it to cook well with the spices. Adjust salt according to taste and cook the dal for 5-8 minutes. Remove from flame and serve hot with chopped coriander leaves. Enjoy with rice/roti/naan!

Hearty pumpkin soup with herbs n garlic bread

Pumpkin is a versatile vegetable- You could do so much with pumpkin- it is used extensively in south Indian cooking. Of all things, I love it in the soup form! It's so easy to make and tastes really good. I combined my soup with sizzling garlic bread and had an amazing starter. So if you are tempted to grab a packet of ready to make soups at your super market- think again... All you need is pumpkin, onions and a good blender for this soup.

Pumpkin soup Ingredients-

1 medium sized pumpkin - peeled & cut in small chunks
1 medium onion chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
bay leaf - 1
cumin seeds
salt (according to taste)
1 cup vegetable broth (1 to 1.5 cups- enough to cover the pumpkins for boiling)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation-

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds with bay leaf. As the seeds start to sputter, saute onions and garlic over moderate heat for five minutes. Add the pumpkin chunks and pour vegetable broth to cover all the pumpkin in the pan. Add salt and pepper. Allow the pumpkins to soften and cook till they become tender. Remove from flame and allow it to cool a bit. Pick out the bay leaf and puree the soup with a hand blender.  Serve hot with chopped coriander on top.

Now comes the star- Herbs n garlic bread!

Ingredients-

Butter at room temperature
Garlic powder
Italian herbs/seasoning
dash of chilli flakes
salt (if you are using unsalted butter)
Bread slices

Preparation-

Mix garlic powder, herbs, chilli flakes and salt to the butter. Quote liberal dose of this butter on your bread slices and toast it in a frying pan till the bread absorbs the butter and becomes golden brown. Enjoy!

Tomato & paneer aromatic rice

I love basmati rice. The aroma of basmati rice is simply irresistible. Use bay leaves and cardamom to bring out the best from basmati. It is not necessary that you have to go the extra mile of making it exotic- a simple combination of the right spices is all it takes to win you accolades on your cooking. Even if you don't have many ingredients just cook your basmati rice with bay leaves and cardamom to enhance it's aroma!

Ingredients

2 onions sliced
2 tomatoes chopped
2 green cardamom pods crushed
Kasoori methi leaves (I used dry crushed leaves- also known as fenugreek leaves)
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
3/4 tsp garam masala powder
Cumin seeds
Garlic & ginger paste
1 Bay leaf
1 small cup chopped cottage cheese
Coriander leaves for garnishing
2 cups uncooked basmati rice
Salt according to taste
Dry red chilli (broken)

Preparation

First step is to cook rice with two cups of water over medium flame on a non-stick pan. Allow the rice to cook on its own and do not stir in between otherwise the long grain of basmati tends to break. Once the rice is cooked just give it a slight toss and keep it aside. In a separate wok heat a liberal dose of oil- add cumin seeds and bay leaf. As the cumin seeds begin to sputter add broken dry red chilli and onions. Fry them till they are translucent. Add garlic-ginger paste and cook them over a medium flame for 5 minutes. Toss in the chopped tomatoes and cook till it is incorporated. Add the cottage cheese and cook for a couple of minutes. Now comes our spices- red chilli powder, garam masala powder, crushed cardamom, kasoori methi leaves. Add a bit of oil and mix the spices. The aroma should get your audience up on their feet literally begging you to serve the food immediately! Adjust the salt and blend this mixture to you cooked rice.

Add coriander leaves and a bit of melted butter to make it more silky. Serve hot and watch the rice vanish with the aroma lingering to make it a memorable meal!

You can really do much more with this rice- add different vegetables to make it look colorful or add cloves/cinnamon to give extra aroma. If you are not fond of cottage cheese/paneer just skip it or fry it befor you use if you don't like the raw taste of paneer.

Spicy spinach strudel

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, and since we have no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! I made some spicy spinach strudel and with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand I sat by my window to enjoy the snowy Christmas. It is a tasty tea time snack and you can get super creative with the dish!

Ingredients for filling


1 onion (chopped finely)
3 garlic cloves (crushed &chopped)
1 tomato (chopped finely)
1/2 tsp garam masala
Cumin seeds
Coriander leaves
Salt(according to taste)
1 big cup frozen spinach thawed
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp butter

For the base-

4 frozen phyllo sheets thawed
Melted butter for brushing

Preparation-

In a wok add cooking oil and add the cumin seeds. As the cumin seeds begin to sputter sauté garlic and onions till translucent. Mix the tomatoes and fry them for a couple of minutes. Add thawed spinach and cook it till it blends well with the onion tomato mixture. Add garam masala, chilli powder and salt. Cook them for 5 minutes. Before removing from fire add butter and mix it well for a minute. Garnish with coriander leaves. Our stuffing is ready!

On a clean working surface lay one phyllo sheet and brush it completely with butter. Place another sheet on top of it and brush it again with butter. Repeat till you have a stack of four sheets. With the help of a spoon spread the spinach mixture. Fold and tuck the bottom edges over the mixture. Nicely roll it up with the filling inside so that it forms a log. With a knife make slits on top and brush it lightly with butter.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a oven (200 degree celsius)or till they become golden brown. Serve hot with garlic chilli sauce!

Chocolate covered Shortbread cookies

There is something special in air during Christmas- You can feel it...People buying gifts, houses decorated, cakes, cookies, beautifully decorated christmas trees and the list goes on. You cannot help but get into the holiday spirit and spread some cheer around! Here I am with my Chocolate covered shortbread cookies to please Santa- Hope he enjoys...

Ingredients-

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar (icing)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
180 grams semi sweet chocolate finely chopped

Preparation-

In a bowl mix the salt with the flour thoroughly and set aside. With a hand blender beat the butter till it is smooth and creamy. Blend in the sugar and mix it till it is smooth. Add the vanilla extract. Now blend in the flour and roll it to a smooth dough. Keep the dough in fridge for an hour. After an hour take out the dough and roll it into a thick circle on a lightly floured surface. Using cookie cutter cut the dough into different shapes. Bake for 8-10 minutes in a preheated oven (180 degrees Celsius). Once the cookies are lightly browned take them out and cool them.

For chocolate covering- Melt the chocolate till it is smooth and glossy (put the chocolate in a bowl and place it over a saucepan of simmering water). Once the cookies are cooled, dip one end of each cookie in the melted chocolate and place it on a tray covered with baking sheet. Place the tray in the fridge for 10 minutes till the chocolate has hardened.

Merry Christmas to all! Enjoy your holiday season with family and friend :)

for

Tagged!

Ok, I was tagged by Priya from Bon Appetit with the following questions-

1. Who or what inspired your Food Blogging Journey ?
2. What was the very first dish you cooked for your spouse/loved one ? What was the reaction?
3. What is your idea of a romantic meal ?
4. Name any major disaster in kitchen ?
5. What are your favourite dishes?
6. One favourite restaurant and why ?
7. Do you have a New Year's resolution- and will you be sticking to it ?

Here are my answers for you Priya-

Who or what inspired your Food Blogging Journey ?

I love cooking- experimenting with different spices and flavors...My husband simply adores my cooking and I wanted to keep a journal of my culinary experiments- What a better way than to write a blog? 

What was the very first dish you cooked for your spouse/loved one ? What was the reaction?

Gosh, the first dish I cooked for my husband was a simple potato curry. Those were my initial days of cooking and I merrily added a good dose of red chilli powder to get a good spicy taste. My husband being a perfect gentleman did not complain and managed to eat the dish! Poor thing had to drink about a liter of water to cool down...

What is your idea of a romantic meal ?

My idea of a romantic meal is simple home cooked food- Sit and relish the food with your loved one and talk away till wee hours of night ;)

Name any major disaster in kitchen ?

I am still new to baking. But when the first time I baked a cake it was a complete disaster. It was my husband's birthday and I was super ambitious and wanted to bake a chocolate frosting cake. Well, I would have been successful - I put so much effort in getting things and did everything the recipe asked me to. The only wrong thing I did was to misread the degrees for baking- The recipe required me to bake the cake in 250 degree Fahrenheit. I mistook that as degree Celsius and baked my cake at a high temperature. I had a burnt cake and my husband was back early from office and I had not got him a gift-  The rest is history! You learn from your mistakes...

What are your favourite dishes?

I can eat pizza anytime and even on a full stomach- I love all junk food ;)

One favourite restaurant and why ?

There are some dishes in life that you remember for its exquisite taste- I have eaten at various restaurants in Luzern, Switzerland (the place I work). However, I will remember one of the restaurants called pfistern. Nothing special or exotic about this restaurant. It is a typical small swiss restaurant and I love this one because of the ravioli - the best pumpkin stuffed ravioli I have ever eaten so far! 

My New Year resolution-

Take things lightly, do good, be good, remember almighty and go with the flow

Have a wonderful Christmas and a fabulous New Year.