Sabakki Sandige | Sabunada Papad | Tapioca Fritters

If you know anything about making papads, appalams or any type of sandige then you must be wondering how in the world I managed to make them when Bangalore just faced the wrath of Cyclone Nilam (Those of you in Chennai and surrounding areas, I hope you are fine after the havoc). 

Now, back to the crunchy side dish that will perk up every meal. One of my mother-in-law's friend was nice enough to lend us her expertise to make these for us. All we did was follow her instructions.

We made this  way back in Summer. I just did not find the time to post it. But hey, you have enough time to read and memorize this recipe until next summer. And, try it!! Just make sure you're up early in the morning so you're not working on your roof-top in the hot mid-day heat of Summer.

These fritters are more than just a side dish. They stay fresh in an air-tight container forever! All you need is to cook up a good South Indian meal (Think drumstick sambar, rice and a dry vegetable on the side) and deep fry these babies to perfection. Yum-O!

Ingredients

1.5 kg Sabudana/Sabakki/Tapioca pearls, soaked for about 6 hours
12-15 Green chillies, very very finely chopped (add more if you desire)
3-4 tbsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
2 small Onions, finely chopped (Optional)
A large sheet of plastic to dry the papads
And, some salt to taste!

Method

This is probably my first step-wise pictorial recipe description. So just go with the flow and drop me a line if you think I've missed something out.

Making this is no rocket science. Just needs a LOT of patience and an equal amount of sunshine!!

STEP 1 - Soak the sabudana for about 6 hours

STEP 2 - Place the soaked sabudana on a stove, over medium flame, continuously stirring, allowing the little pearls to cook.

STEP 3 - Add the chopped green chillies, jeera, onions and salt to the hot sabudana mix and stir to mix. Add more water if you find the mixture becoming too thick. Sabudana has a tendency to absorb water and thicken. Transfer it into a dish with a handle. Yup, we used a bucket!

STEP 4 - Haul your dish to your roof-top terrace. Don't forget a spoon. Lay a mat/bedspread on the floor. Place a large plastic sheet of paper over this and fastened on the ends with something heavy. The sabudana mixture has to be hot while you're at this step. DO NOT DELAY!

STEP 5 - Spoon little circles of the sabudana mixture onto the plastic sheet. Now, the waiting game begins! Allow the sun to do his job and let the papads-in-the-making get bone dry.

STEP 6 - As the papads dry, they tend to peel of become transparent, bubbly and fragile to touch. When they peel off easily from the plastic sheet (takes a whole day), pick up a cut of tea and a air-tight container and hit your terrace again.Sip tea as you peel away the papads and store them into your air-tight container.
Ensure that they are completely dry. If they're not, you might want to lay them out in the sun again the next day.

Once completely dry, the papads are ready to be deep-fried. Make that scrumptious meal and get chomping away. Now! 

Karanji | Sweetened Coconut Filled Deep Fried Crescents

We're landing head-on into Christmas, and here I am, still blogging about Diwali goodies. Call me lazy, but hey, goodies are goodies - no matter when they're eaten. So, perhaps, you could make these sweet treats for your family and friends for these holidays, after all!

Now that you bought my excuse I feel a little lighter and free of guilt for not having these up around Diwali. But they're here now and they're still as good. These beautiful, crunchy crescents stuffed with sugar, coconut, cardamom and couple other things will have you clean up the platter and lick the left-over crumbs.

You can store these for over a week in an air tight container. No better reason than to stash away some right on your counter-top!

Kodbale | Savory Rice Flour Rings

I've been missing in action, I know. No wonder they call it the holidays out here. Diwali followed by Thanksgiving, I've been doing nothing but cook, eat and repeat!

Do you have memories associated with food? I do. Especially with kodbales. I'm in awe of all those tiny shops in India that churn out these kind of fried snacks, pack them in cellophane bags and sell them. They put a tiny white placard with the name of their store in tiny-er letters, along with details like the price and weight - all the ink smudged and oh-so-soggy with oil after having been snugly wrapped in along with the fried goodies. These little things were'nt fancy like well packaged, loudly colored snack boxes we get today, but they certainly made many memories. As a part of a after-school snack, or just something to much along on holidays,movies or picnics, they were always a hit.

I've tried recreating kodbales at home and this recipe works like a charm always. I made these during Diwali, as a part of the festive spread offered to Goddess Lakshmi. Ever since we got to the US, this has indeed been a mandatory snack because of its easy, although slightly time consuming, preparation.

I think this recipe is good enough, but somehow they did not turn up as crunchy as I intended them to be - Just about 95% there. Any suggestions are most welcome.

Microwave Dudh Peda

Let me start with a confession. This is no secret recipe. Google it and you will get umpteen links to the same one. But, here's why I made it. I wanted to try it, of course. And, it was Diwali. I heard it was a fool-proof, super-simple recipe so I got all gutsy and decided to make it anyway! 

Besides, who would want to stand next to the stove waiting for humongous amounts milk to reduce when you can just pop things in the microwave and being eating pedas instead?

I personally found that the final peda, although tasted exactly like the elaborate version one, was slightly sticky to bite into. Also, the butter was on the higher side as well. You can opt to reduce about 2 tablespoons.

This was the first of my Diwali line up of sweets and savory snacks. And to say it took less time to make than to roll out into sweets would be another confession. Just three main ingredients and a microwave is all you need. So, you know what you're making the next time you crave something sweet!

Ingredients
1/2 cup (8oz) Unsalted butter
1 Can (14oz) Condensed Milk
2 Cups Milk Powder
1 tsp powdered cardamom seeds

Other
Wide microwave-safe bowl

Method
- In the microwave safe bowl , toss in the butter and melt it in the microwave
- Add the rest of the ingredients and give a good stir to mix well (The bowl remains uncovered throughout the process)
- In 30 second intervals, microwave on medium, stirring frequently to bring the ingredients together into a soft dough-like consistency
- Once all ingredients come together, set aside for about a minute or two to allow to cool a tad bit
- Grease a plate with oil/butter, and using your hands make pedas out of the mixture. Go on, taste it and you will be lying if you said it did not taste delicious!
- Decorate with dried fruit and/or nuts

DO NOT allow the mixture to rest too long because it will dry up. Cover it as you make the pedas, lest you end up having cracked ones. Has anyone come up with a solution to this? My pedas cracked up on the outsides although they were staying together.

Makes about 30 to 35 one inch wide pedas

Creamy Mushroom Farfalle with Steamed Veggies

Ever come across a moment in life that changes the way you see a certain thing, person or sometimes even a situation? Among other larger such 'moments-of-change', to me is hidden this one moment that revolutionized the way I saw a little button of a thing - Mushroom. And, such was the theme for last month's Free-Spirit Bloggers. It was chosen by none other than Anupama of Love and Lentils. 

Anupama challenged us to pick out a food/ingredient that we steer clear of. Something we've never liked as a child or even as a grown up and cook with it. Not to forget she asked us to have fun doing so. Here's my story keeping in mind this wonderfully challenging theme.

It would seem normal for a pure vegetarian to state he or she did not like mushrooms because of its taste and texture. But for me, being a meat-eater did nothing towards how I saw mushrooms until very recently. I must thank my very close pal, V, for introducing me to this way of cooking mushrooms. V found this recipe in some cookbook, apparently. Now, there's almost nothing to hate and everything to love when I think of mushrooms.

I love pasta, but I never for once imagined it would gain a new dimension of taste when you throw is a dash (or more, ahem!) of cream and mushrooms. I was so in love with it the day I ate it and now, I make it for lunch at least once a week (cutting back on the cream of course!). I must add my son loves this as much as I do. So, all you moms looking for a fresh new perspective on pasta - This is IT!

What's even more awesome is that you can club this with a side of fresh steamed veggies and voila what do you have? Creamy Mushroom Farfalle with Steamed Veggies!!

Pasta leaves me stumped when it comes to showing off its ability to adapt and absorb any flavour you toss it in. And this recipe is a winner, hands down. In fact, if you love mushrooms, but not pasta you GOTTA TRY THIS. You will come back to me and thank me, telling me this was your 'moment-of-change'.

Diwali Greetings!

It's that time of the year again. Yes, its Diwali season. I now I am about a day late, but hey, Diwali is celebrated for a good 3 days, and beyond in some cases. So, better late than never!

Happy Diwali to all you readers and bloggers out there. May the festival of lights fill you heart with joy, home with warmth and life with prosperity!

So, what did you make for Diwali? Were you asked this? I was umpteen number of times. Well, so I decided why not post something in response. I know most of you would want the recipes of these items. They're on their way. But, for now, drool on!

The simplest of all items I made - Shankarpali

Another easy to pull off sweet-dish. I wonder who ever thought about this one. It will seem like you slogged for hours, but only takes a few minutes - Microwave Dudh Peda

This one is a traditionally made item during Diwali - Karanjia

And, finally, the famous spicy snack - Kodbale

As a custom, we offer these items (called 'Faraal'), fresh fruit and a platter of all items cooked as a part of the days meal, first to God (called 'Naivedhya'). This is done as a part of the 'Puja' or prayers before we eat the same. I took a couple pictures to share with you all, and here they are.

Naivedhya

Faraal

Will share the recipes to all the Diwali snacks and sweets I've put up here, shortly. So, stay tuned and enjoy the celebrations while they last! 

Masala Vada

The last few months of every year come strung with festivals knit together one after another. I made these masala vadas for Dussera and we're already well into Diwali! We're all surrounded with lots of good food and festivities. Crunchy munchies and sweet delicacies adorn the counter-top of ever kitchen in an Indian household around this time of the year.

Sorry about the sad quality of the pictures here, it was raining outside and clouds barely allowed any light indoors.

These are not only made during festivals. Think about the number of times you would've stopped by the corner shop to pick up a newspaper cone filled with fresh, hot masala vadas. Yum! This one is an ode to all the delicious street food we have in India.

I have explained making these vadas using a mixer/blender. Traditionally they are stone ground and the resultant texture is simply mouthwatering. This method yields something to that effect.

Make these this Diwali along with your festive spread and watch them disappear. (Psst...Instead, keep a couple of them in the kitchen and away from the grabbing hands. Don't complain if you have nothing left for yourself in the end!)

Homemade Caramel Sauce

Hot chocolate fudge, rainbow sprinkles, chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup, peanut butter, nuts,  fruit and the like - Please step aside. Welcome the queen of all dessert toppings - Caramel syrup. Golden and royal from head to toe, need she do anything to woo you? Svelte like velvet and sweet as sugar, you'd be lying if you said you were not in love with her - Again!

I'd be lying if I said this was my own concoction. But, yes, I did mix up two recipes to make this wonderful sauce. One from one of my favorite Food Network Chefs, Ina Garten (Recipe here) and another from yet another Food Network Chef, Anne Burrell (Recipe video here). 

I know you're wondering what the waffles are doing with the syrup. Shouldn't it be ice cream there? Boy oh boy, you're right. But, I could not wait to eat the syrup and paired them with whatever I had on hand.

Chef Garten has not added butter in her recipe, but I opted to have it in for extra creamy texture. Chef Burrell added lemon juice and corn syrup both of which I opted not to add. The end result was good. So, its up here for grabs!

Now, before you come to a conclusion that this recipe is made by chefs and it's something not in your capacity. Think twice. Or even thrice! I mean, you're going to have a whole jar of caramel sauce at your disposal, and here's the best part - ONLY FOUR INGREDIENTS!! Just as Chef Anne Burrell says in all her shows "You certainly don't have to be a restaurant chef to cook like one".

Baked Coconut Bites - Modak Makeover (Egg-less)

To say Lord Ganeshji is the most adaptable would be an understatement. He's been disguised into so many avatars by us humans every year when Ganesh Chaturti comes along. Ambedkar Ganapati, Cycle Ganapati, Computer Ganapati... I mean seriously?! God really has patience with us humans for all the antics we show him.

With all that said, every year, we all serve him with the one thing that's considered his favourite food - Modak. I personally love modaks, too. I made them for Ganesh Chaturti (and forgot to click pics to post it here, but will make it for you all again soon!) and they were over in the blink of an eye even with a minor glitch in them.

But here's what happened. I ended up having extra Modak filling. Plus, like I mentioned earlier about the slight mistake I'd done - I had used shredded dry coconut instead of grated dry coconut and my filling turned out to be very dry. Still, I'd say the modaks tasted good because the jaggery/gud melted when the modaks were steamed.

So, what do you do when you have left-over Modak filling? Of course, eating it up as is can be one idea. But, how about transforming it into something else? Like these crunchy baked coconut bites?

Now, we're talking. And, you agree don't ya? These coconut-y bites are so easy to make you could even use your gooey modak filling for the same as well. Just add more flour to aid in binding. I know Ganesh Chaturti was over two weeks ago. But hey, won't you just make that filling again to eat these crunchy munchies??

Hurricane Cupcakes | Egg-less Mocha Cream Chocolate Cupcakes

Did you know a woman named her child Tsunami because he was born when the natural disaster occurred? Well, I know its personal taste, but, really?! I thought it was bordering on absurd. I mean tsunamis are dangerous, to say the least. 

But when hurricane Irene decided to spend the weekend with us not too long ago, I was thinking of things more than dangerous. With hurricane warnings all over town, packed grocery stores, no bottled/packaged water and no flashlights available anywhere, Ms. Irene sure had pressed the run-for-your-life button in all of us along the East Coast.

Now, where was I? Yes, the woman who named her child Tsunami. Well, I did something sorta similar. But, before you get ideas and think I renamed my son 'Irene' and categorize me as a maniac...listen up!

I decided to celebrate that we survived Irene. No power outage, no flooding, no evacuation orders, no broken homes around our area and to top the list we were still alive! Oh yes, go ahead and call me a chicken all you want, but, I was freaked out.

But, we really lucked it out don't you think? And, yes, the oven was still working. So why not bake? I mean you could not go out, no traffic allowed on roads, trees ripped apart, heavy winds, flood warnings and you certainly don't want to see more of the graphic hurricane representation but you do want to eat good food. That's when I whipped up these egg-less mocha cream chocolate cuppies with my friend, DS. We had a great time baking, frosting and eating 'em up.

Need more inspiration than a hurricane to bake these? Try these cupcakes and top them off with Chocolate Ganache (Recipe here), fresh cut strawberries and mint.

Before I proceed to the recipe, I'd like to let you know that this recipe originally belongs to my friend Madhuri Kumar. It's an egg-less, butterless 5 minute chocolate cake made in the microwave. I have lost count of the number of times I've made it.  Need I say more to have you enter your kitchen?

Paneer Butter Masala

Siri Pulipaka decided this months theme for us, Free-Spirit Bloggers. To say she took us down memory lane is one thing, but here's what she did. She left us there to wander about all those memories and the restaurants we'd visit as children. And, the most important thing she made us do: Re-live the moments in that restaurant eating the one dish that always made its way to the waiter's order note-pad. 

For me it's always been Paneer Butter Masala. The moment we'd grab our seats in any restaurant, the one thing we knew we were going to order was this. Everything else did not even matter. I still remember us driving up to the Karnataka State Billiards Association (KSBA) on weekends for Bingo Nights. I was very young to understand the game. So I'd sit there munching on appetizers, trying to understand the game, telling Dad and Mom  I see the number on their sheets, knowing well what followed for dinner.

While I spent all of my childhood and teenage years, gorging down this North Indian delicacy, things changed after I stepped into wed-lock. Once I learnt the basics around the kitchen, I wanted to, for certain, learn to make this favourite. I still remember the very first time I made it (a pretty home-y version sans cashews and cream) and was super excited. Almost as if I had created a new being or something. Then on, I explored various ways of making paneer butter masala - From recipe books, magazines and the internet. I've come down to one recipe, a combination of a little bit of everything I've read. And, this one works every time and gets me the results I'm looking for.

Mildly spiced, creamy cashew sauce with succulent paneer cubes. What wouldn't go with it? Roti - Yes! Naan - Yes! Kulcha - Yes! Plain white/brown bread - Yes! Rice - Yes. In fact, I could down bowls of Paneer Butter Masala all by itself!!

Rava Dosa with Pudina Chutney | Savory Semolina Pancakes with Mint Chutney

Let's talk about the best days of the week. Yes, you guessed it right! Weekends are always about relaxing. And, heralding every weekend is a hearty breakfast that follows a late night of Friday fun with friends and family or all by yourself watching a flick - Your pick! But, wait a minute! Did I just hear you say - "What do I make for breakfast?". And, you dare not answer yourself with something as mundane as cereal with milk, or worse a store-bought slice of bread or a bagel thrown under a dollop of self-proclaimed low-fat, imitation butter. 

Of course, all these are quick fix breakfast solutions for on-the-run weekdays. In fact, I  myself gorge these down as if the world is coming to a close every morning. But, what if one day the cereal and bread aisles in the supermarket vanished. Zap!

Ok, let's not make it sound that bad. But here's what - I always make sure I make something elaborate for breakfast on weekends imagining there's no bread. Oh and yes, no frozen breakfasts, too! That way you are not only satisfying your taste-buds with some fresh, home-made food but can also go light on lunch and dinner. Isn't that just what more researchers say? See, I wasn't wrong anyway. Ok, ok. So much for my justification. But, here's my point - Make Rava dosa with pudina chutney. I can see you salivating. Go grab the ingredients. Even if its not the weekend, just go!

Honey Roasted Sweet Peppers And Mango With Ricotta Ice Cream

Yes. We raised the bar. The Free-Spirit Bloggers just decided to take things to a completely different level along with a little bit of a gambling, too. How is that for a little summer-time fun?

This time Lata Raja choose the theme. We were all to make sweet-dishes or desserts using just about any mode of cooking we liked. So? You ask, 'What's so great about that?'. But, hold on. Here is the twist. She asked us to choose numbers between 1 and 12. To each of these numbers she had put down the most unusual combination of ingredients that one would make a sweet dish out of, on a spreadsheet that she had not shared with us.

So (virtually)  blindfolded, each FSB member picked her choice of number(s). Once all of us were 'numbered', we got to see the list. When the ingredients were revealed, I was more than a little baffled. Then, left in amusement and awe. Then in deep thought. Lastly, action followed and here is what I made using what I had chosen - Sweet Peppers along-side fruit and nuts. 

Here's a peek at what other choices Lataji had on her list:

1. Bottle gourd/ Marrow/ Zucchini (Cinnamon/Cardamom flavouring)
2. Tapioca/ Arrowroot starch (Zest of lemon or Orange/Juice) 
3. Tomatoes (Vanilla)
4. Barley (Coffee/ fruit)
5. Quinoa (Raisins, Fruit juice) 
6. Noodles/ Pasta (Dark chocolate)
7. Buckwheat (Cheese/ Paneer)
8. Sweet peppers (Nuts and dry fruits) 
9. Sweet corn (Cream) 
10. Corn meal/ Polenta (Coffee/ Orange) 
11. Black currants/ Pomegranates (Caramel/ White Chocolate)
12. Chick peas or mung beans (Saffron/ Pistachios)

Oh yea, I did away with the nuts because there was already so much going on here. Besides, it was optional. Well, well if you really want to add nuts, just throw in some slivered almonds on top! 

I knew my toughest enemy to make a sweet treat out of this would be dealing with the bold flavor of the sweet-peppers. I had to do something different to make the peppers show me their 'sweet' side, quite literally! Pacing through my mind were various ways I could do this. Saute the peppers and make a halwa? Grind to a puree with cream and sugar and make a popsicle? And just then, like a brainwave I remembered this wonderful recipe I had watched on Food Network. Chef Claire Robinson had made Roasted Figs with Fresh Ricotta on her popular show Five Ingredient Fix. I drew inspiration from this recipe and created what I would like to call Honey Roasted Sweet Peppers and Mango with (not just Ricotta, but...) Ricotta Ice Cream!

Fizzy Raspberry Lemon Cooler

When God gives you lemons, don't just make lemonade. Get on your feet and go hunting for raspberries. Oh and yes, on your way back make a pit-stop at the grocery store and pick up a bottle of lemon-y soda/Seltzer water. What next? Oh come on, make yourself this fizzy raspberry lemon cooler, kick up your feet and chill on your patio.

Would you believe where I got the inspiration to make this drink? The radio! Hum Desi radio, a popular radio station that caters to Indians in the US has show where they give out recipes. How cool is that? I happened to listen to a portion of this recipe just before I pulled up at the parking lot to pick up my son after his school. I just built upon whatever I heard and came up with this super cool beverage. You just gotta try it!

Grilled Veggie Seekh Kabab

Summer's here. Almost synonymous with blazin' hot grills, chilled soda, sun-hats, flip-flops and most certainly a whole lot of fun. The mention of the grill would've probably had you thinking of charcoal burning and meat sizzling away on the heat. But, no. This summer, how about going green? All of us could do with an extra serving of veggies. And, what better way to get them in than make vegetarian versions of popular non-vegetarian dishes? That's what we Free-Spirit Bloggers have in store for you this month. 

All of us have in store veggie versions of recipes that normally are made using meat, poultry and/or seafood - all of which also look non-veggie, too. Hmm! Now, that's reason enough to skim through all our blogs, eh? I'll give you just the place where you can get all of this, so you can take a look at what the other Free-Spirit Bloggers are upto, but before that take a peek at what I have in store for you. I decided to take this month's theme a notch further and do away with much of the oil/grease that normally accompanies non-vegetarian dishes. So, the gill was the answer! Whatcha waitin' for? Better not be Christmas - It's way too far to have your mouth drooling the way it is! Go and turn on your grill and gorge on some grilled veggie seekh kababs.

Strawberries and Cream Popsicles

100 posts and 2 years. And, as if that wasn't reason enough to celebrate, I bought myself a Popsicle maker. Pretty obviously, I had to inaugurate it. And, I did. 

May 2010 was when SSTT entered her third year of life. Woot! I never believed I'd come this far with my blog. But, yes I have. Within two years, I've gained a lot more experience in blogging, many more co-blogger friends and certainly learnt so much more in the kitchen. At this moment, I was seriously considering deleting some of my initial posts (my first post being a simple version of Bhel Puri) because they all look so pathetic. Later, it struck me that I'd rather not. It is only when I have those old, badly written, terribly structured and picturized posts (not that I'm very good at pictures even now, but, I'm learning!) that I realize how far I've come in this culinary journey. Of course, thanks to all you readers out there and most certainly to all those of you who go ahead and try the recipes I share with you on SSTT.

Definitely, a little something to celebrate ought to be sweet. With temperatures soaring, all I could think of was a frozen treat. My little sonny enjoyed it to the hilt; I just had to take pictures of him gorging down these strawberries and cream popsicles.

You can even see the little orange bowl in which he loves to keep his munch-ables, whilst eating anything.

Home-style Vegetable Biryani

It always leaves me amused, how my son would gorge down an entire plate of peas pulao at a restaurant buffet and make faces when I make the same thing at home. How can something that's gone cold and was probably made many hours before it made its way to his mouth taste better than the same thing made fresh and served piping hot at home?

Isn't it pretty wild how the same dish prepared by two families, or even two different people in the same household, can taste entirely different. Sometimes, even when the recipe followed is the same. On par with this thought, I put forth my version of the famous one-pot meal, Vegetable Biryani.

Biryanis are so versatile and each person tends have their own ways of making it. Some make it from scratch and some by purchasing store-bought biryani mixes. It is made either with meat, chicken, seafood or vegetables. No matter in what way it is prepared, this will always be a delicious part of any meal...or better yet, make a meal in itself!

While in most cases we prepare non-vegetarian biryani from scratch at home, every once in a way I give my vegetables a chance to treat themselves to this delicacy. So, one Sunday I dished up Vegetable Biryani and Chicken Chettinad as an accompaniment. Who can ask for a better weekend luncheon?

Baby Corn Pepper Fry

The Free-Spirit Bloggers are back again this month, and you can only 'begin' thinking of what we've got in store for you. Appetizers, starters, hors d'oeuvres or if you really care less about terminology...ahem, snacks. Call it by whatever name you want,  they're all are served with a purpose. They keep you occupied and get people conversing with each other until the main course arrives. 

Why are we all so partial to potatoes and oil when it comes to party starters? Sometimes, it is simply nice to swing things in a totally different direction. Try this - Baby Corn Pepper Fry. This one's very close to my heart, from my childhood days really, and I'd like to serve this up for this month's Free-Spirit Blogger's theme. This peppery, crunchy, tickle-your-tongue starter was a regular item on our table every time our family visited the Billiards Club in Bangalore. You'd be surprised to know this  was the first time I tried making it at home myself. No great shakes, this recipe...but great flavor, is in here!

Broccoli And Egg Stir-fry Noodles

I am a sucker for routines. My husband will swear by this. He, for one, is the complete opposite. Laid back and 'let-things-happen' kinda person. But, I need to have a fixed time for everything. So, after a good eight years of being married we've slowly but gradually found some sort of an equilibrium. I flex my rules and he, his. Still with all this flexing and bending, there's almost no time on weekdays to prepare laborious meals for us. Preparing lunch comes on the close quarters to running a marathon as I juggle all my chores. Yet, I want to give my little son and myself something worth sitting down to eat together. Enter Stir-fries!!

I do not normally use eggs in my stir-fry noodles. But, who cannot do with some extra protein, huh?

Desi Style Savory Whole Wheat Onion Cheddar Muffins

Another one of my original baking experiments that turned out great and ....I can already see the faces light up! I know I've bored you savory food lovers enough with all my cakes and sweet muffins. So, this time I've given you mirch-masala people something to drool about - and, that too, from the oven! Literally killed two birds in one shot here.

To make things better, I've added Indian spices to give these muffins a desi feel without losing out on the wonderful combination of onion and cheddar cheese.

Do you need more reason to try this one? Ok, here's one. Having this bake in your oven makes your home smell like you've made freshly baked bread. Not heard of anyone who loathes this one, eh?