YRTML IV - Vegetable Biryani & Mango Banana Smoothie

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Vegetable Biryani by Nags of Edible Garden (Click here for the recipe)

Who doesn't crave for a delicious biryani with a spicy paneer side dish as their dinner. Probably not every singe day, but think about those special occasions or those lazy sunday afternoons with a tiny little caveat - without spending much time in the kitchen. For all of those, Nags's Vegetable Biryani is the answer. The best part, it can be made in pressure cooker. And the spice paste is the absolute highlight. Sorry, the pic is not doing any justice to how good it tastes. :).

Mango- Banana Smoothie by DK of Chef In You (Click here for the recipe)

Summer is almost over and so is an end to our mango-fetish!. Let's say adieu to the beloved summer with a quicky yet delicious smoothie, Shall we?...all those ripened bananas over your stove top counter, blend them all with that last mango-bounty with a tiny hint of orange juice to enjoy this delectable smoothie. Top them with fancy chia seeds like she did or some raisins like I did, walk into that sunny balcony one last time, spread our your legs onto a comfortable chair, pick up a book and let yourself soaked in. :). Happy last few days of summer to all of you.


Click here to check out other recipes that were featured in YRTML segment.

until next time,
Siri

Back to Basics: Jazz Up your water & a blog-o-anniversary!

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Drinking enough water per day is important to maintain our bodies properly hydrated. But, isn't it always boring to bland-tasting water every time we are thirsty. And I definitely don't recommend the sugar-loaded drinks that we get for couple of cents in every supermarket.

My rule of thumb is - "if you see 'SUGAR' listed in the first 2-3 items in the ingredient list (at the back of any water-down-drink), it is best to avoid that."

Good news is that with a minimal effort, we can make *drinking water* exciting, naturally - by flavoring with frozen fruit/vegetable cubes.

Your recipes..through my lens III

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Ok, one recipe at-a-time for YRTML (Your recipes through my Lens) is not-working for me as I already have so many of them. It would take months to finish posting the ones I have. So, here you have - two delectable recipes which absolutely made my day.

Twice cooked tomato chutney (Click here for the recipe)

There are very few recipes when I see a shiny *glitter* in TH's eyes. He is a simple man. No fancy meals needed to make him happy. Since, I knew he loved chutneys, one day I made Sala's (with whom I had the pleasure to cook at Karma's Kitchen, DC) 'Twice cooked Tomato Chutney' & Yes folks, I did get to see his tiny blue eyes (ok, not exactly blue, black) sparkle with satisfaction. This chutney was just yummilicious.

Cabbage Upkari (Click here for the recipe)

Did I ever tell you that Cabbage is my most favorite vegetable. We both simply love it and am always in quest for different cabbage recipes, across cuisines. If you know any such dishes, please leave the URL as a comment (no fried foods please). I would love to check it out and give it a try. With some grated ginger and finely minced chillies, this Cabbage Upkari recipe is from DK's site, who is my best gal-pal and I will be for-ever thankful to blogging because of which I met such a beautiful person, in-person. :).

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

until next time,
Siri

Skillet Banana Bread

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My recent priced possession is an 8 inch cast iron skillet. It is versatile, easy to use, durable and can go from stove top into the oven within seconds. Remember, this is how our old grandmas used to cook and that's why their dishes used to taste so delicious. :) From dutch babies to souffles to breads to cakes - anything & everything can be made in this ultimate, magical gourmet tool and with such fantastic results with my first attempt, I am determined to make them all.

Below are some notes for YOU and for ME that are important to know.

Your recipes..through my lens II

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YRTML II : Hotel style Sambhar from Daily Musings (Indosungod).

Click here for the recipe

Sambar is like a staple food in our household and I always wondered why the taste differs from the ones that we get in hotels and restaurants. A little birdie told me that the magic is in a spice-paste. When freshly ground and added to our usual sambar, trust me when I say that it tastes exactly the same as the one served in hotels.

ISG's recipe is a keeper especially when you want to make a big batch for parties et al. though it takes a little extra time to grind the paste, the effort is well worth it. :)

I am sending this as an entry to Nupur's Blog Bites 6.

Siri

Presto Pasta Night 176 - roundup

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One week just flew by and here we are with 19 amazing dishes for Presto Pasta Night edition 176. It has been a pleasure hosting it and I thank Ruth for giving me the opportunity.

Let's jump into the lovely array of pasta dishes...shall we..:)

Your recipes..through my lens I

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In these almost 3 years blogging, I have learnt a lot from YOU bloggers out there. Can you believe if I say that I stepped into the kitchen when I was back in India only if my mom is sick or if she is out of town. Yes, I fall under the category of those daughters who are good-for-nothing when it comes to helping theirs mothers.

But, when I entered this alien country, for the first time in my life, I was all-alone. That's when I started experimenting with a variety of dishes , slowly baked my first home-made bread etc and rest is history!. :).

As a thank you to what I have learnt (am still learning) from my fellow-bloggers, from today on I am starting a new weekly feature called - Your recipes..through my lens (YRTML) where I would be showcasing one recipe and my experience(s) with it. I would post only a picture of it and any variations to the original dish. For the recipe details, you need to go the author's blog.

Let's kickstart with...

My Legume Love Affair 25 Roundup [Part 2] and the winner is...

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As promised, here I present to you Part 2 of the event My Legume Love Affair 25, which was hosted here at my blog all of last month.

Please note I have tried my best to include each and every entry I received, but in any case  if I have missed to include yours (due to sheer volume and my limited availability of time), please leave a comment with the URL, I will add it immediately .Thanks.

..and for the fun part - to know who the winner is , you need to reach the end of the post..:)

My Legume Love Affair 25 Roundup [Part 1]

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Its a Legume party where everybody was invited last month and you guys just R.O.C.K.E.D it! I have got around 100 entries, so the roundup will be a two-part series. Part 2 of the roundup and the winner will be posted tomorrow. Stay tuned. Thank you Susan for the opportunity to guest host such a wonderful event.

But for now, enjoy the first 42 of them which are equally delectable and innovative. Dig in....

Presto Pasta Night 176, an event announcement

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Not until today morning, when I received the first entry I realized that its my turn to host this week's Presto Pasta Night 176.

The rules are pretty simple -

1. Make a pasta dish and send an email (subject: 'Presto Pasta Night') with Name, Recipe details , URL and a picture to info[dot]siri[at]gmail[dot]com.

2. Link back to this event post and the Presto Pasta Night blog.

Note: For the first time, the roundup would include any kind of dish - meat and eggs are allowed.

Ok now fellas, lets cook P.A.S.T.A all-week-long!

Siri