Raw Mango Chutney - Ambuli Chutney

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 5/22/2013 3:20:00 AM

'The only silver lining in this excruciating Chennai summer I would say is,the arrival of mangoes.The king of fruits can make the harshest of summers bearable with its mere name.So as I sat awaiting kilos after kilos of fresh,juicy mangoes,I got a huge bag of raw mangoes from a friends' farm.Now I was confused.I love to eat raw mangoes as is,smeared with some red chilly powder,salt and coconut oil.I ate it too,till my teeth started shivering at the mere mention of raw mangoes.Then I (...)'

Read full article

Cinnamon Rolls

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 5/20/2013 3:10:00 AM

'How many times have you postponed making something you really wanted to try,fearing it may not work well or it may not rise to your expectations?I have and I regret postponing cinnamon-rolls-project for so long.because it is just so delicious and I wonder why I feared it so much.Cinnamon is one of my most favorite spices.I add it to my cookies,cakes,muffins,breads,milkshakes and even to my regular cup of tea.The fragrance of the spice is just so warm and earthy!I have shook my (...)'

Read full article

Mini Caramel Fudge Tarts

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 5/16/2013 3:35:00 AM

'I miss having Cone ice-creams.Not the waffle cone and definitely not the Cornetto ones but the simple cone ice cream with even simple(but delicious)ice-creams.There was a place in Adyar where we went specifically to buy the plain cone filled with rich,delicious chocolate ice-cream.I'd be lying if I say I wasn't devastated when once I ordered,the owner gave me a Kwality brochure to choose from since they stopped the cone ice-cream altogether for lack of customers.Same case with baker(...)'

Read full article

Shahi Gobhi Masala - North Indian Style Cauliflower Curry

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 5/14/2013 10:05:00 AM

'There are a few vegetables with which I usually do not play around.Cauliflower is one such.Mostly Manchurian or Kurma is made with Cauliflower and I once even tried making a Biryani out of it!So when I had a big Cauliflower peeping at me every time I opened the fridge,I decided to cook something with it after all.Many ideas popped up and then I made this.Shahi gravy is a quite popular one when it comes to North Indian curries.Thickened with either a nut-paste or cream,these gravies (...)'

Read full article

Peanut Butter-Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 5/10/2013 10:05:00 AM

'I have a love-hate relationship with Peanut butter.I might eat it like's there's no tomorrow at times and then get sick of it and wouldn't touch it for a few months.Yeah,that problem.I remember the first time I ate Peanut butter,it was so bad tasting that I swore I'd never touch it even with a barge pole.Then slowly I started liking it(courtesy Sundrop Peanut Butter).No crunchy peanut butter for me,I am from the smooth Pb gang.It's been a long long time since I baked a batch of Bana(...)'

Read full article

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 5/8/2013 3:24:00 AM

'Even though it is way past New Year and resolutions,I think I am sticking to one even now.Well,not exactly a resolution,but one of my food-goals this year was to cook something which I never thought I'd cook/bake fearing it wouldn't come out well,either because of the ingredients used or the method of cooking.Baking Croissants from scratch was never-ever in the list even,but thanks to WKtB,that was successfully accomplished.Using Egg yolks or making a custard with yolks was one in t(...)'

Read full article

Ginger-Cardamom Tea | Adrak-Elaichi Chai

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 5/3/2013 12:10:00 PM

'I've been a tea-drinker ever since I can remember.Of course,at home it shuffled between Coffee and tea since I believe amma makes out of this world Bru coffee,I always want a cup of tea for a real pep-me-up when I am tired or sleepy.Ajay being a true-blue tea lover meant it was the given choice of beverage in our house,any time.I am not particular when it comes to the kind of tea I love.Amma makes a milky tea whereas my friend makes an awesome watery tea with just a dash of milk.I t(...)'

Read full article

Eggless Dates Bread | Easy & Simple Bread Recipes

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 5/1/2013 5:05:00 AM

'I have always dreamed of a scenario where,when the loaf of bread is empty I pull up my socks and bake a batch of my own bread loaf.Yes,I've dreamed of a similar scenario which featured cake before,but I guess I have mastered a bit in that area.After the series of bread we baked for WKtB,I think the confidence levels have upped a bit.I'd bookmarked this recipe for Dates bread for a while now.Something about the recipe called out to me.At the back of my mind,I am always looking out fo(...)'

Read full article

Coffee Cupcakes | Easy Baking Recipes

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 4/26/2013 2:30:00 AM

'It's been a while since I posted any sweet-bake on the blog.I haven't been baking much too,just few breads and cookies,that's all.Main reason being the dreaded one-d.i.e.t.Now that I am posting a sweet bake does not mean that I am off the diet,of course;).Inspiration to bake these cookies came from my amma who saw a similar cupcake recipe on Vanitha and urged me to try it.When I went through the recipe(Lakshmi Nair's look & cook series on Vanitha),it looked strikingly similar to(...)'

Read full article

Torcettini di Saint Vincent ~Sugar Crusted Twisted Cookies from the Valle d’Aosta | We Knead to Bake # 4

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 4/24/2013 2:30:00 AM

'I was a bit amused and happy when I saw this month's bake at 'We knead to bake!'.It was not a bread but a cookie which involved the same process of baking a bread-yeasted dough,rising and prooving but a cookie,not a bread.As always,this almost seems like a pattern now,I was among the last ones to try it in the group.I don't know why I kept delaying,this is one easy recipe and a delicious one at that too.Torcettini are smaller versions of Torcetti (meaning small twists), and these pe(...)'

Read full article

Mint Chutney Sandwich with Cheese and Cucumber | Easy Bread Recipes

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 4/19/2013 10:30:00 AM

'Mint was never really a favorite herb of mine.Part of the reason why i disliked it was because I had tasted more of mint flavored products than the real deal.So whenever the mention of mint came,I started getting a toothpaste/mouthwash smell,gross right.But all it took to change that was the small herb garden in our balcony.Something like,fruit of your labour?I started liking mint and thought of ways to introduce it in our menu.Ajay has been reminiscing a lot about the mint sandwich(...)'

Read full article

Good ol' Cold Coffee!

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 4/17/2013 2:30:00 AM

'Remember my summer adventures with my brother in this post,where we used to whip up glasses of Tomato juice on our own?Well,I am adding this one to the list as well,as something which started out as a flop but as time flew by,we mastered the technique of making the best ever cold coffee[according to us,at least!]To put it plain,cold coffee is just that- chilled milk+sugar+coffee+lots of ice.But many things can go wrong even when the recipe is as simple,well I am speaking from experi(...)'

Read full article

Malli Chammanthi ~ Roasted Coriander Chutney with Coconut | A guest post by Nags of Edible Garden

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 4/15/2013 3:45:00 AM

'Nagalakshmi or Nags,as she is popularly known as,who blogs at Edible Garden is not stranger to the blogging community.In fact,when I started out,hers was one of the blogs I looked up to(still do!)and get inspired.So when she offered to do a guest post for this humble space of mine,I was doubly delighted.Without further ado,here's the recipe in her own words.Malli Chammanthi - Roasted Coriander ChutneyFirst of all, a huge thanks to Divya for giving me this opportunity to share a gues(...)'

Read full article

5 Payasam Recipes for Ugadi / Vishu

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 4/10/2013 5:55:00 AM

'Hope everyone is gearing up for the dual celebrations of Ugadi,Vishu/Tamil New Year.Check out some easy Payasam recipes for adding a sweet something to your festivities.An easy recipe for Paalada PayasamGova Kanya Paysu/Cracked Wheat PayasamNo Ugadi is complete without Madganey/Moong Dal Payasam/PradhamanSo is this lip-smacking Kadala Parippu Pradhaman for Vishu!Last but not the least - Semiya Payasam,quick,easy and delicious!Wishing everyone who celebrate a Happy Ugadi/Vishu/Tamil (...)'

Read full article

Aah Chocolate - Sanjeev Kapoor | Cookbook Review & Chocolate Shrewsbury Biscuits Recipe

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 4/8/2013 4:30:00 AM

'Many kids from our generation grew up seeing Sanjeev Kapoor and Tarla Dalal's cooking shows on TV,now there are many shows and too many chefs to count.Khana Khazana,one of the most popular shows on Zee TV was a much awaited show for us.Even though,then we didn't know the basics of cooking,it was a pleasure watching this 'homely' looking chef who kept talking and smiling as he cooked.My recipe diary has at least 30-40 recipes of his,all scribbled down while watching his shows.So when(...)'

Read full article

Hokkaido Milk Bread with Tangzhong ~ We Knead to Bake # 3

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 4/4/2013 3:00:00 AM

'This post is for all of you who mailed in and asked me why I still haven't baked the WKtB post of the month.I couldn't do it on time but better late than never,eh?After the laborious Croissants last time,when Aparna mentioned we were doing a easier bread this time,I was quite relieved.But when I heard the name,I was amused.Hokkaido?Tangzhong?Apparently,it is a very popular bread in South Asian bakeries across the world.It is also known as Asian Sweet Bread and Hong Kong Pai Bo.The H(...)'

Read full article

Apple Milkshake{with Almonds&Cinnamon} | Easy Milkshake Recipes

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 3/29/2013 2:00:00 AM

'Of late,I am following a new routine of menu planning.Yes,I've tried it before but planning the menu for a whole week didn't work for me.Availability of ingredients at the given day and our moods(yes,we do eat according to our moods once in a while!)played havoc and after 2-3 days,I gave up.Now that we do our vegetables and provisions once in a week,menu planning comes a lot handy for me.Only thing,I need to work a bit hard to make it work,resisting the urge to order in or eat out.A(...)'

Read full article

Nutella Birthday Cake

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 3/26/2013 8:07:00 AM

'Ajay turned a year older today.As much as I'd have loved to bake him a special cake,he wanted none of it.He wanted a Brownie and didn't want a cake cutting ceremony(hardly a ceremony with two of us!)but what is a birthday without a cake,right?I pestered him for another choice and he said 'ok,bake me "that" Nutella cake'.Oh boy,how could I have forgotten,it is one of his favorite cakes ever.So Nutella cake it was.Simple,delicious and so-birthday like!I couldn't leave it plain so driz(...)'

Read full article

Kananga Phodi ~ Tawa-fried Sweet Potatoes | Konkani Recipes

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 3/22/2013 7:25:00 AM

'I am a sweet potato addict.Yes,after ignoring this root vegetable for a long time,I am falling in love with it and actually obsessing over it to be honest.Thanks to my sister-in-law who introduced this simple recipe to me,which finds its way into our lunch menu at least once in week(sometimes more!).Crisp on the outside and soft and buttery inside,ah this makes for a good starter too and a no-fry one at that,how cool!I remember,once while we were in Bangalore,ma-in-law prepared a sw(...)'

Read full article

Restaurant-Style Vegetable Kurma

Author : Divya Kudua      Blog : Easycooking      Date : 3/19/2013 5:20:00 AM

'A while back,when my brother-in-law and family were here,one of the restaurants he wanted to visit was Saravana Bhavan.While there,he ordered Idiyappam and Kurma and after his first mouthful,he just could not believe how they could maintain the same taste even after 20 years,that's when he had tasted the combo last.That got us thinking,barring the North Indian delicacies,which taste different in each restaurant,there are some standard dishes which taste similar,any place you order i(...)'

Read full article