Blog posts - Chocolates & Dreams

All blog posts from December 2010

The Year 2010

Posted December 30, 2010

The year 2010 has been an eventful year. There have been changes, both good and bad but it has still been an exciting year. I always prefer to remember all that was good and think of bad things as those nightmares you wake up from to find that all is well. Life is really too short to let it wane away in sadness. So here I am compiling a list of all the great and happy moments of the year that is soon to end.

All the excitement started around mid-year when we welcome into the world my little niece Koel on the 15th of June.

Then we celebrated my parent’s 40th marriage anniversary in July. It was an amazing trip back home and all the time spent with family and friends is never enough. Love you Mom N Dad.

My visit back home got me reconnected to two school friends one of whom I meet after almost 10 years. We built new bridges and this one will stay for life. One of them will soon be tying the knot and moving away but that friendship is for life.

And while all this was happening we were also in the process of shifting homes. We were moving form Delhi to Mumbai. The shifting was a tedious and difficult process. In the years I had been living in Delhi the city had kind of crept under my skin and it was difficult for me to let go.

Coming to Mumbai after 2005 was a great change. The best part about being here is that now I get to meet my sister often. Not every day even thought we live within the same compound but every week.

This Diwali we spent in Goa & well need I say more. There fun, relaxation and lots of quality time spent together.

Then as we were still settling into our new home the new of my cousins’ marriage came. He is just 2 years younger and we have had some really good time together. So I was all geared up for a wedding in November. And what added to all the fun and excitement was that I would be meeting my Mashi’s(aunts)after 4 years. Going back to my maternal grandparent’s house always reminds me of those carefree childhood summers we spent there. I spent an amazing 10 days enjoying myself and eating all the goodies that Kolkata has to offer from the delicious snacks to the amazing range of sweets. But the sad part is that I was so busy eating them I took no pictures. But I will next time, that’s a promise. We had a good wedding and welcome into our family a sweet & beautiful doll, Gargi.

I also celebrated my 4th marriage anniversary with family and a lot of fun. But those pictures I really can’t put up. :-)

The month of November also brought news of another birth. That, of a dear friend’s son. May God bless him with health and happiness.

Then we had a good yearend trip to Coorg, Yercaud & Ooty. Beautiful places to visit. I will put up a good detail in my travelogue but as for now here are a few amazing pictures.

Then, arrived our much awaited and anticipated Sony Alpha 33. I am still getting used to it but it does give a whole new perspective to photography.

The cheery on the pie was getting selected a one of “The 30 Best Recipes of 2010” on Chacko’s Kitchen. I really can’t thank Abraham & Susan from chackoskitchen.com, Thasneen from Thasneen.com; Alka from SindhiRasoi.com and Smitha from LittleFoodJunction.blogspot.com enough for having created, hosted and compiling a great list of recipes staring from starters, main course, snacks and desserts. This could be used as a ready guide to some very delicious dishes. This was a great event to participate in and it does make you want to do better and achieve more. Go check out the post http://chackoskitchen.com/2010/12/the-30-best-recipes-from-2010/

On this happy note wishing you all a Very Happy New Year, filled with lots of love, hope & prosperity.

P.S : I can already see a January filled with activity with a 2 wedding, one of a dear friend and the other of a sweet sister. And we are all eagerly awaiting two new additions to the family. So what about you? How was your year? Tell me and also what all are you looking forward too?

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Posted in Others

Cubed Salad in Hung Curd & Coriander Dip : -

Posted December 29, 2010

Salads may be served at any point during a meal. They may be:
• Appetizer salads, light salads to stimulate the appetite as the first course of the meal.
• Side salads, to accompany the entree as a side dish.
• Entrée salads, served as the main dish, usually containing a portion of protein, such as chicken breast or slices of beef.
• Palate-cleansing salads, to settle the stomach after the main course.
• Dessert salads, sweet versions usually containing gelatin and are topped with whipped cream.
Sources : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salad

I usually prefer serving salads as an appetizer. It is a good start to dinner and all the fiber and the crunch of raw vegetables is elating. Salads can have many kinds of dressings from mayonnaise to simple salt and pepper. But what I always try to do is make a healthy dressing. This salad is a simple cubed salad in a dressing of hung curd and fresh coriander. The taste of coriander is the best during winters and that does add that extra edge to the salad. What I did also realize is that the same can be used as a dip served with starters. So here we have a simple recipe that can be used in two ways and maybe more. So do tell me if you can think of any other ways.

Cubed Salad in Hung Curd & Coriander Dip : -

Cucumber 1
Tomato 1
Carrot 1
Lettuce a few leaves
Green capsicum 1
Yellow capsicum 1
Red capsicum 1
Onion 1
Curd 4-5 tbsp
Coriander leaves a big bunch
Salt, pepper & paprika to taste

• Wash the bunch of coriander under running water to remove all dirt. Chop the coriander very fine.
• In a separate bowl put the curd in a sieve or a thin cloth and let drain for 1-2 hours.
• Cut all the vegetables into cubes and mix in a bowl.
• Now mix the hung curd and finely chopped coriander leaves and add salt, pepper and paprika to taste.
• Chill for 20-30 minutes and serve as a starter salad or as a side salad.

Enjoy !!!

Cubed Salad In Hung Curd & Coriander Salad

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Posted in Soups & Salads

Tagged as coriander, cubed, curd, dip, and salad

Palak Paneer : -

Posted December 27, 2010

As winter creeps in on us the market racks are full of greens and the craving for something warm takes over. Spinach is one of the most commonly found greens in the market and there are quite a few varieties in which it can be made. But one of my favorites and the simplest of them all is Palak Paneer. There are quite a few different ways in which they are made but with spinach you don’t really want to many flavours to overpower the original taste. My recipe is simple to cook and require very few ingredients but it is exquisite none the less.

Palak Paneer : -

Spinach/Palak 1 big bunch
Green chilis 2
Cumin seeds/Jeera 1 tsp
Paneer(cottage cheese)/Tofu 100grams
Chili powder ½ tsp
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee/Clarified butter 2 tsps
Cream for garnish

• Wash the leaves along with the stem well to get rid of all the dirt. The best way of doing this is to soak them in water and then change the water every 5 minutes till the water is clean. This may have to be done 4 to 5 times to clean the leaves well.
• Now cut the leaves roughly and steam it in the microwave for 5 minutes or boil water in a vessel and soak for 10 minutes. Before putting the spinach leaves in the water switch off the gas. Once the spinach is blanched immediately put under running water to stop the cooking process and retail the colour of the leaves. If you let them to still cook they will turn a deep green.
• Now put the leaves in your mixer and grin to a paste. Add water for easy grinding.
• Now heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan on high, once hot reduce the gas to minimum. Add the cumin/jeera seeds and green chilies, the seeds will splatter and the chill and seeds will release a deep aroma.
• Add in the spinach paste and steer so that it doesn’t burn. Now add the red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt.
• Reduce heat and let boil for 5 minutes and stir at intervals.
• Cut the paneer/tofu to pieces and add to the mix. Let cook for another 5 minutes. If you feel that the gravy is getting to think add warm water and adjust the salt and chili.
• Serve hot garnish with cream.
• It tastes best with lacha parathas.

Enjoy !!!
Paalak Paneer

2 comments

Posted in Vegertarian Dishes

Tagged as cottage cheese, palak, palak paneer, paneer, and spinach

Akshaya Patra – The Inexhaustible Vessel.

Posted December 20, 2010

Today, when I write about food I am thinking of all the underprivileged children in our country who give up education just to secure there next meal.
Every minute we fuss to pick and choose from all the choices of food that we have there is a child who is dropping out of school just to secure his next meal. We are all busy and engrossed in leading our own lives and securing a better future for ourselves and our families. As the Christmas weekend nears plans for a weekend trip or the latest movie to be watched are drawn up. A Christmas party is also thought about to celebrate all that we have been given and to thank God for all his blessings.

This is also the times to stop and think about the deeper meaning of our existence, what is the real purpose of our being blessed with a good life and all the comforts that we have, a loving family, a good education, a society that still believe in respecting it elders and protecting and loving it’s children, one where we still do care for our neighbor and help a person in need.
We have been given this gift so that we can help and nurture the weak and the ones in need, where selfless service must be a part of all our lives.
The basic means of survival are food, clothing and housing, i.e. roti,kapra aur makan. In the list of necessities food is at the top of the hierarchy. It is the basic means of survival. Only once that means has been secured that a person thinks of the other two or for that matter any related thing.
Poverty is deep rooted in India. The only means of overcoming the difference is through education. But to encourage a child to study his basic need for food has to be fulfilled. The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an organization which feed children from the underprivileged sector of the society there mid day meals so that they don’t have to quit school to earn their meal. To ease their craving for food is one of the surest ways of keeping them in school and education is also one of the surest means of ensuring a better life and future for generations to come.
So please show your support to this organization by any means that you can and help them achieve their mission of reaching 5 million children by 2020.

There website is : www.akshayapatra.org

Only by education the young of today can we secure a better future for the young of tomorrow. So come and show your support by whatever means possible and make the life one child brighter.