DivineTaste

Cheesy Baked Jacket Potatoes

Anushruti — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:56:07 +0000

Potatoes are so impressionable, pure and plain in character that I become a little picky and particular about the way they are cooked. These tubers are so mouldable that they can be easily led to take on the disposition that you want, based on the manner you treat them. And that is the reason the spices used and the manner of cooking them gets deeply embedded into their personality!

Take these jacket potatoes with cheese for instance. They are cooked in a very simple manner with very few ingredients yet they look and taste exquisite! These baked potatoes are crispy outside and soft and tender inside. Stuffed … Continue Reading

Spicy Tomato Pickle

Anushruti — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:31:49 +0000

Family recipes, recipes that have been cooked for eons are very close to my heart. These recipes acquire a certain character and repute after being cherished by generations. Tastes, preferences and choices change as time moves further and as the plethora of choices increase, but such recipes withstand the test of time. They bring back memories, refresh long forgotten associations and evoke emotions within us.

Tomato pickle has been an important part of my childhood holidays. With two of my aunts making it (they have different recipes), I remember scooping up the bright coloured spicy sour pickle with crispy dosas and savouring it with good old plain curd rice. As … Continue Reading

Eggless Chocolate Birthday Party Cake

Anushruti — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:11:09 +0000

As I write this, I’m still getting used to the silence at home. Silence from the absence of the pitter patter of little feet moving about everywhere, the chitter chatter coming from the little mouth which is the best music I have ever heard and the clitter clatter of toys and musical instruments in the play room.

It’s been nearly seven months since Hari started playschool and put his tiny footsteps into the real world, a world outside his cocooned home. It was also my first step in learning to let go and allow my baby to thrive and develop his own identity and individuality and realize that as much … Continue Reading

Basil & Rosemary Focaccia Bread

Anushruti — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:01:13 +0000

On 23rd January, we celebrated the birthday of one of the most beautiful people I know! She is not just a pretty face but also has a delightful mind and intellect. Her deep penetrating insights into life often amuse me and I feel fortunate and blessed that she is my sister.

I was lucky to have her with me on this special day and I wanted to make the most out of it by doing what I do best and as she loves bread I decided to make some fresh bread with oven roasted vegetables, hummus, grilled eggplant dip, a very flavourful tomato and cheese pasta with the piece de … Continue Reading

Dahi Wada/Lentil Dumplings In Yogurt

Anushruti — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:29:58 +0000

Welcome to the first deep fried recipe post on DivineTaste! After all this time, I havent posted a single recipe which is deep fried simply because I hardly deep fry at home. Maybe once or twice a year, that’s about it! And this does not mean that I’m averse to deep fried goodness.

I respect this art of cooking and believe that certain textures and tastes can be obtained only with deep frying. Unfortunately my constitution does not permit me to fry as inhaling the fumes from the oil (despite all the precautions and following rules of deep frying) can send me into a serious bout of allergy! This also … Continue Reading

Eggless Strawberry Cream Shortcake

Anushruti — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:59:06 +0000

I decided to welcome the new year with this luscious strawberry cream shortcake. The cake was done and the scene was set for my perfect shot of the cake. And just as I disappeared into my study to bring in a lens, I came back in time to see my little mischief monger at work! Deeply scrutinizing and slaughtering my perfect slice with the fork and spoon as if it were play dough.

And out went my plans for that “dreamy” shoot as half the cake was devoured by the adults no sooner than it was done. I managed to take the main shot just before the entire cake was … Continue Reading

Spicy Vegetarian Chili

Anushruti — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:47:21 +0000

Just like the changing seasons in a year, life is never in one constant phase and is interspersed with happiness and sadness, joy and grief, tears and laughter! I was not exactly in high spirits due to certain events in my life when the fall happened!

My precious toddler hurt himself when he accidentally fell off his tricycle, a toy around which he was generally very safe. The cut was quite deep and the doctor had to suture his wound. For us as parents who visited the doctor only for routine vaccinations, curing minor maladies with home remedies, it was a nightmare to go through the whole process. Welcome to … Continue Reading

Roasted Foxnuts Or Makhana (A Savoury Snack)

Anushruti — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:30:51 +0000

I love to snack in the evenings and at times between breakfast and lunch. Many a time it is something rich and indulgent but most of the times it is fruit and dried fruits and nuts. I almost always make sure that there are savoury Indian snacks like spiced puffed (murmura) and flat (poha) rice as much as there are cookies in my jars.

The latest addition to my list of snacks is this savoury roasted wonder which I almost can’t do without these days. Hari loves it too so its a great, healthy snack for kids and grownups alike. I call it the Indian version of pop corn.

Palak Paneer/Seasoned Spinach With Paneer Cheese

Anushruti — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:49:05 +0000

Ever since I was a child, palak paneer secures a prominent position in the list of my most favourite foods. Hari loves it as much as I do or probably more. The first meal that he finished by himself was a roti with “palak paneen”! So this dish also figures in one of my lanmark moments shared with my son.

Home made palak paneer has a special touch. Rightly spiced and made with just the required amount of oil (no extra oil floating here) this is not just nutritious but highly prized in terms of taste and comfort value in comparison to restaurant style version of the same dish. This was … Continue Reading

Hot Carob Drink

Anushruti — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:43:53 +0000

You know what has made life relatively easier for me as a mother? Yes, you can find the answer in the title of this post. Carob powder! Hari always had an aversion to cow milk and I’m one of those parents who believe that a glass of milk in a day is a must for a child. Literally, we were at war each day, he trying to refuse what I was trying to feed and me trying to coax him into drinking it, showing him rhymes on youtube, knowing that it may not be the right thing to do, enacting stories and the like.

Like most other kids, Hari loves … Continue Reading