by Aishwarya on November 16, 2008
Pani poori, as you all know, is one of the most loved chaat varities here in India. Hanging out with friends at a chaat shop and gorging on paani poori (one entire poori in you mouth 
is the lightest and joyful moment anyone can ask for!!
There are loads of chaat shops here in bangalore wher each shop specializes in a particular chaat. I usually prefer street vendors as they make the tastiest and spiciest pani poories. There is one vendor at Girinagar who makes wonderful pani poories and has gathered a whole lot of loyal customers (I am one among them!! 
But my best pani poori moment was at my brother’s marriage where there was a seperate section for “Chaats” where in everything from pani poori to pav bhaji was served. A guy- Kumar, working for “Karnataka Bhel” in Chamrajpet was given the contract. The marriage ceremont was a blast and around 1500+ guests attended the wedding. But the problem was… the entire pani poori stand ran out of stock in a short time and we were left with not even a single poori!! But to our surprise, one of my cousins had smiggled an entire tray of poories (about 100-125) with all the stuffing and the pani and had hid it in a safe place.
And wow!! It was 12.30 in the morning and its was around 12 of us including the bride and the groom, and the pani poori party began… we all sat around the tray as if sitting around a campfire and Kumar started stuffing the pooris, dipeed it and distributed it among we hungry folks!! Each one of us literally gobbled the pooris like hungry rats eating a pile of cheese!! [click to continue…]
by Aishwarya on November 15, 2008
Tamarind chutney is used as major ingredient in almost all chaats. It adds the tangy flavor to chaats and makes them taste even better. So, here is the recipe for the Tamarind Chutney. [click to continue…]
by Aishwarya on November 14, 2008
Dosas are a brilliant blend of flavours, colors, seasonong, nutritional balance, fragrance, taste and great visula appeal and also boast off an innovative variety of fillings. So, I have brought to you some really tasty dosa recipies. Lets get started with the famous Masala dosa recipe …
Masala Dosa is a very well known dish all over India. Its simple and equally tastier. Bangalore boasts off some of the best dosa joints in the country. One of them is the Vidhyarthi Bhavan which is one of the oldest hotels in the city. They are famous for special masala dosa recipes and prepare them with perfection. The hotel structure belongs to the 1960′s and this is also one of the reasons why most of the senior citizens are regular customers here.
They come here and eat the dosas with all the past memories buzzing in their heads. The dosas here are quite small compared to the routine ones. But they are thick and are smeared with loads and loads of ghee.
The fragrance that comes out of this dosa is so enchanting that anyone will be smitten by it. Mmmmmmm… Mouth-watering… Totally!! This description has made me go there right away and grab a plate of hot hot Masala Dosa. Masala Dosa goes very well with coconut chutney and I recommend that you taste this dish atleast once. [click to continue…]
by Aishwarya on November 1, 2008
I had a get-together at home last week with my friends. When we were deciding on the menu, we couldn’t find anything interesting for a tea-time snack. One of my friend suggested that we go to a shop called “Poonam’s” located at BDA Complex in Banashankari. So, we just went to have a look and test the food there.
Its a small eating outlet and is owned by some North-Indian people. I decided to taste the samosa and if it was good, thought of filling it in the place for a good evening snack.
I asked the guy for a samosa and he gave me a good hot samosa with some green chutney and tamarind syrup. It looked rather delicious but I was not very sure about the taste. I reluctantly took a bite and believe me, it tasted like heaven…!! I cant find a better word to describe the taste. I instantly became a fan of the cook. He was a young guy in his early 20′s though
The Samosa was perfectly shaped, perfectly fried and the stuffing also tasted great. The crust was so crispy that even after dipping it into the tamarind syrup, this property was not lost. I was totally impressed with this dish so much so that I decided to make this a compulsory item in all parties that I host!! Everything tasted divine… right from the crust to the filling to the green chutney to the tamarind syrup, soooooooo tasty!! [click to continue…]
by Aishwarya on October 31, 2008
Its Diwali and its the ideal time to prepare some Sweets!! I thought for a long time about the dish that best suits the occasion and finally came up with Basundi Recipe. Basundi is a gala sweet and so, use it to pamper your guests, your family members, and of course your own taste buds!!
And Basundi is more special to me since it was my Dad who taught me how to prepare this sweet Actually, my dad prepares it better than anyone in my family and I guess he is the best Basundi cook in the whole world! The look of Basundi, with all the dry fruits, the yellow coloring, itself attracts people towards it.
Then comes the taste… So mesmerizing, so smooth and so tasty, that you just say Mmmmmmmmmm… and ask for more!! You can experience the wholesome taste of milk, saffron and the dry fruits when the dish is served chilled.
Try out this wonderful dessert and delight your family. I am starting off with the recipe of Basundi, one of the most loved milk sweets. Take off…. [click to continue…]
by Aishwarya on October 31, 2008
The other day, I went to have lunch at a posh hotel in Bangalore in the noon as I was really feeling very hungry and had the least bit of patience to cook. I happened to order the Vegetable Biryani so that it fills my stomach right and I can have a hearty nap once I get back home.
The order was taken and I was really very eager to gorge on the Vegetable Biryani…. Yummy yummy…!!! The idea of my vegetable biryani is that of an aromatic, spicy, steaming hot and an out ‘n’ out mouth-watering dish. But once the dish was placed on my table, I began to wonder what this dish which lay in front of my eyes actually was!!
It neither had the rich aroma nor the spicy zings a biryani is supposed to have and my mouth actually went dry at the sight of it!! It was just hot… steaming hot and nothing else… I got up, paid the bill and told them to change the recipe as soon as possible.
So, I just thought that I can post this recipe so that people who think and eat some colored rice as Vegetable Biryani can actually get to know what this dish is all about… Here goes the preparation method of this classic Indian Rice dish… [click to continue…]
by Aishwarya on October 30, 2008
Coconut chutney makes a perfect companion for Rava Idli. This side dish is also used for dosas and normal idlis. Here goes the making of Coconut Chutney, the better half of Rava Idli.
[click to continue…]
by Aishwarya on October 30, 2008
Rava Idli is the best breakfast dish that I learnt from my mother. I first tasted rava idli when I was 10 and I am still not able to forget that moment. Thats when I strongly decided to learn cooking. My mother used to prepare this every sunday as i could enjoy it well without having the tension of getting late for school!!
There are many instant mixes available in the market. But trust me, nothing gives you the satisfaction of preparing this dish entirely in your kitchen. The taste differs so much that you will start hating the instant ones. Right then, lets concentrate on the lesson now without wasting more time… Rava Idly tastes best with Coconut chutney so make sure you read Coconut Chutney Recipe aswell. Just make a note of what goes into making this wonderful mouth-watering dish: [click to continue…]
by Aishwarya on October 30, 2008
Palak Paneer (gravy) has always been a favourite among all the paneer lovers, not only for the great taste it holds, but also for the nutritional components present in it. Palak Paneer is an entirely “Green” dish, as its contains a whole lot of Palak (green leafy vegetable) which is highly recommended for a good health. It then contains the famous “Paneer” which is loved by most people.
My first encounter with Palak Paneer Recipe was at a restaurant in Bangalore. I never like Palak or rather, hated all green leafy vegetables from my childhood. But when I first tasted Palak Paneer, the ‘hate’ component just evaporated. I couldn’t help but fall in love with it. The Roti + Palak Paneer combo was a great treat. The gravy when touches your tongue, you can feel the richness of Palak and the soft, smooth, savouring taste of the Paneer. Now lets get set to make this lovely dish and give ourselves in for a treat. [click to continue…]