Xpressions

Don't ask me why it is called Jalfrezi .. I'm myself confused with the name .. :) But the recipe is super simple so here it .. Paneer cubed Capsicum chopped Onions chopped Tomatoes - pureed Ginger and garlic - finely chopped Green Peas - good if they are boiled. Malai - optional, but that's where the taste comes from .. :) Garam masala - easily available.  coriander - finely chopped for garnishing Take some oil in a kadhai. I always skip the step of frying the paneer pieces and use them directly instead.  Add copped ginger and garlic followed by chopped onions and chopped capsicums and let it cook till tender Add salt to taste, garam masala, chilli powder and turmeric powder and let it cook for a few mins Add tomato puree and more water for consistency. Again let it cook for few mins Now add some malai. It gives a great consistency to the gravy and amazing taste.Specially to counter balance the sour taste from tomato puree.  Fin...

Been busy for a while and haven't been able to take a break. That's when you remember earlier breaks and trips you had made and the best times you have had. For me best times have been all my trips to konkan. I Love everything about konkan. The wonderfully fresh sea food, the serene beaches, the greenery and the ghats and rivers. Just awesome ... all of it. Sharing few of my pics from my favorite konkan trips ... day dreaming of being there already .. :)

My favorite time of the year is here ... :) It's Ganesh Utsav and most housing complexes and several Ganesh mandals all over the city are decked up to welcome Ganapati Bappa. This 10 day festival starts with installing the Ganesh idol and daily poojas and aartis. Most mandals organize different social events, blood donation camps,charity events as well as entertainment events like talent shows and music shows. At our house too we install the Ganesh idol and invite friends and relatives over for aarti and prasad. This year we went for a completely Eco-friendly Ganesha. We got the idol from a local vendor and it was made out of 'shadu maati'. They had used natural dyes and colors made out of turmeric and kumkum for painting the idol. It really looked very beautiful and serene. For the decorations, it was a simple lotus made out of pink card sheet paper. No thermocol or plastic decorations this year .. :). With a blue cloth for background and green colored handmade pape...

Subz Dum Biryani - I agree it's just a fancier name to a relatively simple recipe .. :) Cut vegetables like cauliflower, beans, carrots. Boil the cut vegetables along with peas and corn until they are soft and tender Separately, cook the Basmati Rice Make 2 portions of the cooked rice - for one portion use some food color to make it a little colorful Saute some onions, green chilies, coriander, Pudina leaves, ginger-garlic along with some 'biryani masala'. You could also add some tomatoes to this. If 'Biryani masala' is not available use spices like - pepper, clove, Tej patta and cardamom Grind the above sauteed mixture in a grinder to make a fine paste Add the boiled vegetables to this masala paste. Now layer the masala paste and the colorful rice successively in a large kadai. Close it with a firm lid. Place some heavy object on top of the lid - this is our home made 'Dum' .. :) Alternatively, some people also seal the l...

Dudhi halwa - one of my favorite since it's easy to make and healthier as well.  Below is my simple recipe: Grate the dudhi by peeling it with slicer and making small manageable pieces. Heat some home made ghee in a 'kadhai' and add the grated dudhi into it Saute the Dudhi till it changes the color slightly Add some 'malai' and a little bit of milk and sugar as per taste Let it cook for about 10mins on low flame Finally add some shavings of almonds/cashews/pistachios as per requirement And for some fun ... :) Take a little amount of 'kesar' and mix it well in the milk. Add this to a small amount of 'halwa' to give it an orange hue Alternatively, you could also use orange food color to give it a better color. Arrange the 'Halwa' in 2 layers to represent the Indian flag - Orange and Green In the center sprinkle some coconut to give it a white color look. Using food color, these colors and decoration can be changed as per the ...

This is a snap of the river Godavari in Nasik. This snap was taken just a few days after the monsoons started this year. The waters look so calm and serene. Sitting on the banks and eating 'peru' and 'bhutta' is a wonderful experience.

Mumbai .. the maximum city as it is known is a truly inspiring place .. I've always loved visiting Mumbai and it always leave me awestruck ... :) Sharing a few snaps from one of my recent trips to this amazing city ... We traveled from Pune by the 'Deccan Queen' express which has been running on this route for 82 years now ... what a legacy... Loved everything from the people and their spirit around to the pantry car and it's delicacies ... :) The route goes via the beautiful lonavla-khandala ghats which were in full glory during this monsoon season. The wada-pav at karjat and the coffee from PC is a must have while enjoying the monsoon sights of the ghats. We reach the CST - Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai which is a very impressive edifice. It also houses the Railway offices. We walk from there to the flora fountain or fort area. The entire area is sprinkled with lots of impressive looking old and new buildings of great importance. So beautifu...