Lentil and Rice flour Snack

These crisp and spicy circles make a very interesting tea time snack. The crunchy whole pepper in every bite gives a fiery taste. Very common in South India, these are called Tattai in Tamil. Easy to make these snacks stay good for many days.

A Crispy Lentil Snack - Murukku

A crisp and scrumptious lentil snack - Murukku is a very common savory dish during festivals and special occasions in south India. Murukkus are traditionally made with hands and needs a lot of patience to constantly twist and turn the dough for that spiral look.

A Crispy & Easy Tea Time Snack - Veggie Fritters

Tea time snacks are the most awaited time during rainy days and on weekends. These Veggie Fitters aka Pakoras fit into the bill perfectly. Easy to make, crispy and delicious snack which can be transformed into many new varieties with different vegetables and flours in it.
This veggie fritter is the most common way to make these scrumptious snack. And using the same batter you can make fritters with any vegetable of your choice.

Egg less Orange Muffin Recipe

Muffins are great breakfast to start your weekends on a sweet note. These egg less Orange Muffins are soft and light, and can be packed in the snack box for your kids.  I think I am now done with oranges, with 3 baking recipes with oranges in a row :) 

Crispy and fluffy Savory - Khaja

Khaja is a crispy and very light snack popular in the North India. Care should be taken when you buy these snacks from the bakery or super market. As most of the times these are made with Trasfats, a kind of vegetable fat which is very dangerous to health but gives a light and flaky texture and more shelf life to such goodies.

Nutty Chandrakalas - a delicacy worth indulging

The sweet looks and taste as beautiful as its name - Chandrakala which might have got its name due to the crescent shape similar to moon (chandra). The shape and the stuffing may vary from one region to other region, but the sweet is surely a delicacy worth indulging in. Moreover these sweets can be prepared ahead of time and kept, saves loads of time during the hustle & bustle of festive seasons.
Normally Chandrakala has the stuffing of mawa or the condensed and thickened milk, I prefer the filling of nuts and honey.

A Sweet Indulgence - Imarti

The next few days are going to be sweet indulgence with festivals around the corner. The women folks are all geared up to plan for the variates they are going to prepare this Diwali. Sweets, sweets and more sweets!
Normally I avoid making sweets on festivals, but my hubby insists that I make a few sweets so that the kids get to know of our traditions and customs.
My mom always makes this traditional sweet Imarti on festivals, it looks similar to Jalebis but taste different and requires a little extra effort.

Sambhar Vada - A Regional Delicacy

Sambhar Vada is an authentic regional dish of South India. The humble dish has become very common and has made its presence in every part of the world. A recipe which makes a full meal in itself, and can be devoured at any time of the day.

Kids' Delight - Spicy and crispy Breakfast

Planning for a great breakfast which is accepted by the kids also is a daring job for all moms. These crispy and delicious looking small Indian bread or Pooris is one such treat my kids wait for any time of the day. I often make them on weekends and sometimes pack them in my kids lunchbox as well.

A Spicy Treat of Garlic Pickle

Pickles are an integral part of Indian meals. Whether it is the humble curd rice from the South India or just plain rice with dal in the North India, Pickles take a pride to be an important accompaniment. Though garlic is not a favorite for many due to ethical or personal reasons, I love this nutrient rich food for its healing properties.   

Cheese Fingers

Cheese fingers are a favorite for my kids and is a must for all the parties we host for our friends. A very handy and scrumptious snack, which can also be baked to reduce the fats in it.

A Simple Dessert of Semolina to Celebrate

This Simple dessert of Semolina to celebrate is for Tasty Bites, an interactive platform for readers and bloggers alike. As is a tradition in India, every good news accompanies a sweet, here is the easy and quick dessert for the same.

A Tangy Tomato Spread

Spreads and Dips saves a lot of time and resources in our daily cooking. A bottle of fresh coriander chutney or fresh cheese dip would come very handy when we are at loggerheads with time.
This fresh and Tangy Tomato Spread has a permanent place in my refrigerator. I use it as a spread for my breads, chapattis or as a chutney with Idlies and Dosas an Indian breakfast delicacy.

Easy Vanilla Muffins

Muffins are a good snack option for kids in school. I normally use wholewheat flour or other whole grains to make Muffins. But my kids often love the bakery muffins which use refined flour and comes out to be fluffy and light in texture. This recipe use refined flour and makes the same.

Snack Time - Potato Patties

Tea -time can be made more scrumptious with crispy and tasty Potato patties. Quick and easy to prepare,  these delicacies are a delight for any weekend party or to relish at any normal day.
There are numerous variate to make these patties with different fillings and ways of cooking, this one require deep frying and taste absolutely delicious.

A Quick and Crispy Bread Snack

This quick and crispy bread snack is a favorite for my kids and they demand the same on every weekend. Easy to make with very few ingredients to assemble I oblige them with this tasty and crispy snack often. These cute little triangles also add up as a good tea-time snack, a picnic add on and as a great travel food.

A Light and Fluffy Pancake for Kids

Pancakes are one of the favorite weekend breakfast menus for my kids.I try to include different ingredients and make variation every time I make them. If it is wholewheat with oats in the batter on one Sunday, then fruit puree and wheat flour pancakes go to the dinning table the next Sunday.
Pancakes made using only wholewheat flour comes out to be a bit dense, while refined flour or maida gives the light and fluffy pancakes.
This one has cottage cheese added in the batter.

A Crispy Tea Time Snack - Samosa

A crispy tea time snack - Samosa, is a commonly available Indian delicacy in most of the tea shops and restaurants. Samosa serves as a great starter for any kind of party and small gatherings. A Birthday party is incomplete without these delicacies.

Thanks Giving With a Sweet Note

This post is dedicated to all those beautiful people who believed and connected with me & my work. This simple and delicious sweet is my dedication to all of them.
This Vermicelli Kheer is a famous & instant sweet prepared down South of India by many at all occasions.Be it a birthday, a function or any festival, the first thing that my mother-in-law prepares is this sweet concoction.

Cottage Cheese Stuffed Indian Bread

Kulcha an Indian bread delicacy, is very famous in road side eateries and sophisticated restaurants as well. It is quite tedious to prepare at home and for the same reason I avoid making it at home. If not for the guests, whose only demand was a typical Rajasthani spread with some unusual stuff, this recipe would not have seen the light of the day!.
Kulcha was the first thing that came to me, other than the normal chapattis, pooris and stuffed parathas. And the recipe goes like this;

Uttaranchal II - A Road Less Travelled

A hot cup of tea, misty morning and a picturesque Himalayas in front, mornings could never be better than this.A good night sleep did cast its magic on us. It is lovely to see morning hours with a different view.

“Blessed are those who are close to nature” The serene and unpolluted environment fills the people of mountain with exuberance and a life time gift of sparkle & innocence on their faces.Their expectations and needs are very limited which in turn makes them content & cheerful.

Lentil Crispy Snack

Lentil Crispy Snack is a delicious any-time snack. This snack is normally made with one kind of dal or pulse, but I try to include little bit of each pulse to make this snack.
Lentil Crispy Snacks are very crisp from outside and soft inside. It makes a scrumptious starter for any party, and is a good comfort food on a rainy day.

Tangy Coconut Spreads

One of the most discussed natural foods among health buffs and the laboratories worldwide for its dubious role in the food chart is Coconut. 
Where tender coconut is the healthiest natural drink available to us, ripe coconut goes under the sharp blades of modern research. The saturated fats present in the coconut are the point of content. 
I normally do not use much of coconut in my cooking, as it is not a very popular food ingredient used in our Rajasthani cuisine. But I often make coconut chutneys and add numerous variations to add variety to the recipe.

A Tasty Sweet Treat - Puran Poli

People with sweet tooth do not wait for any occasion to indulge in sweets. Puran Poli is one such sweet which I often make in excess and store in refrigerator to sink my teeth in whenever I crave for sweets.
Again there are many ways to make these Indian delicacies, some use sugar as a filling while others make jaggary Puran polis. If coconut is the main stuffing down South of India, Channa Dal or Bengal gram dal are boiled to make tasty Puran polis in Northen parts. To each his taste.

A Crispy Tea-Time Snack

A Crispy Tea Time Snack

This Crispy Tea-Time Snack is a delicacy which does not call for any occasion.. Seen in most of the tea shops all around the South of India, it needs no introduction. Masala 'Vadai' or simply called 'dal vade' has many fans reaching out for it overlooking the place and the way it's been prepared in many small shabby shops. All that they want is just to grab one and crrrunch...!! Its heavenly, believe me.
Try this recipe for a simple vade made with Channa dal (Chickpeas).

Uttaranchal - A Road Less travelled

A vacation always mean searching and booking for well-known tourist places and asking the opinions of friends and acquaintances who visited those places.
For most of the tourist spots are well connected with logistics and have a good network of boarding facilities, it is less painstaking going to such places.
But a trip to Uttaranchal last year changed my perception of traveling altogether.

A Delicious Indian Kulfi

Indian Kulfi a delicious dessert, is very popular sweet from the olden days. Many fancy ice-cream parlours have sprung up with irresistible menu and varieties galore in every nook and corner of my city. But nothing to beat the traditional Kulfi which is rich, creamy and most important made from all natural products.
When the supply of milk in my refrigerator surpass the demand, the end results are always Kulfi with different flavors.
This one is the simplest and easiest one I often make, with very few ingredients to go in the recipe.

A Crispy Potato Snack

This crispy potato snack is a regular feature in my home on Sunday evenings and on rainy days as well. In fact potato tikias as is called in Hindi is a filling and delicious snack any time of the year. I sometimes pack this in my kids lunchbox with tomato sauce, and they just love to eat it in school. At times I have to pack 20 or more tikias on my kids demand for the whole class to share...

Any Time Treat Carrot Halwa

Carrot halwa, is normally made during winter season in North of India. I suppose it helps give boost to the calorie requirement and provide extra energy to the people of colder regions when the temperature dips below normal. But for me carrot halwa is any time treat. And I don't wait for any reasons to devour carrot halwa. Moreover it sounds good to start my postings on a sweet note.

One easy and quick way to make this recipe is to use condensed milk instead of the regular milk. But I prefer the traditional method of making carrot halwa, which gives the dish an extra richness ...

Welcome Drink

     

Hello and welcome to Different Strokes! What better way than to start my postings with a refreshing welcome drink. This minty-lemony drink was a huge hit in one of the parties we arranged for my husbands’ colleagues. Most of whom who were used to colas got little hesitant to try out the green color welcome drink. But after the first sip no one could just stop with one, and the huge piles of empty cups in my backyard were telling the success story. 

Minty lemony drink is a permanent feature in my refrigerator during the hot summer months. My kids love to take this in a small bottle along with their lunch bag to school.
The recipe below is for making a concentrate of the drink and store in the refrigerator. Mix with water and top it with crushed ice to and enjoy this refreshing drink the whole year.
Set the scene for smiles and get the party rolling, with minty-lemony drink ...

Easy Vegetable Manchurian

 

A regular weekend treat for my kids, vegetable manchurian is healthy and filling at the same time. Though a bit time consuming and laborious, but for sure is worth an effort. The vegetable balls can also be steamed and added to the gravy to avoid excess oil, the real taste is in the fried version. As the site is for those recipes for which taste scores higher than the nutrients, I will go with the second option ...

When Silence is Golden

Speech is one of the greatest gifts to human beings which set them apart and make them superior to other living things on Earth. Every parent would wait eagerly to listen to the first few golden words uttered by their kids. No wonder many don’t hesitate to switch to “Can you please keep quiet for a second” very soon.



Teach them young: I sit with my 6 years old daughter everyday to listen to all the happenings of the day after the school hours. But for my 10 years old son “School was OK” summaries the school affair...

All Set To Go !!

All of whom who have traveled, would be unanimous that nothing can be more enduring and satisfactory than being one with the nature. The chirping of birds, songs of river and the rustic aroma of hill side villages are a sure shot remedy for relaxation from the hectic and stressful ways of modern life.

Why Travel Trails: Travel Trails is to capture and freeze those nostalgic travel experiences into words which are etched in mind but might fade away with time. Writing a blog on these can be a perfect way to store them forever and to re-live those moments when physical condition might be a hindrance to traveling. Moreover this blog can be a useful tool for future travelers to know about a particular place and to get  first hand travel information.>>> more