Duchess Potatoes

Talk about interesting food names. You have heard these making you wonder why they are called so. Whoopie pies - a cross between a cake and a cookie - apparently leftover cake batter was used to make cakes (which were then baked in pie tins) and when they were baked farmers would exclaim 'whoopie! pies! Our own Gudbud Ice cream and a score other names of ice creams, some of which send the blood rushing to your face as you order. Strozzapreti pasta which literally translates to 'strangle the priest' (can gastronomic pleasure be this violent??!!)  Monkey bread - thankfully no real monkey in here - a very delicious bread you can monkey around with and still not mess it up - I am going to be trying this soon ! The cocktail Bloody Mary. Queen of Sheba Cake. Imambayildi - a Turkish dish of eggplant which which means the priest fainted.  Apparently the priest ate this dish and fainted, as it tasted so heavenly! Now, I wouldn't probably risk fainting if I ate something that good - I would try to be very much conscious - to hog on the dish and then blog about it!

Another interesting name here - Duchess Potatoes - The name's bound to get your attention the first it catches your eye.  This is boiled potatoes mashed and mixed with butter, seasoning and herbs, sometimes cheese, spooned into a piping bag and baked till golden & crispy on the outside and  creamy inside. Now  it would be an effort to not like it right? Now why are Duchess potatoes called so? After eating these delectable little things, I think these are called so as the humble potatoes are elevated to the status of a Duchess - the makeover an easy, simple, but remarkably sensational one.

 I remember watching Chef Sanjeev Kapoor baking a similar dish with mashed potatoes and cream . Looked really good and of course it can't not taste good as it has ingredients which can't really fail to please. I Googled for this recipe, and Duchess potatoes popped up tantalizingly on my screen. Finally took me to Nicole's Baking Bites. And I had to try these stat! As Nicole says, Duchess potatoes make a great accompaniment to any meal, will surely grab attention when you serve and leave your guests wanting more. You can add spices and herbs of your choice, cheese if feeling more indulgent and impress people with these elegant, pretty and delicious little things. So the next time you have a party, chuck the boring and predictable starters and try Duchess Potatoes - and you will become a fav hostess!

I started with the intention of halving Nicole's recipe and eventually ended up making 3/4 of it as I felt 1/2 would be a little less. Have to bake, taste and still have enough left for the pictures. You could make these with left over boiled potatoes (this happens quite often), but you would need to warm the potatoes before you add the rest of the ingredients. I would not add too much or too strong by way of flavorings, as the subtle flavor of the butter and herbs would then be lost. They taste great as is and if you have to serve them with a dip , I would keep it to a subtle creamy dip such as mayonnaise, sauce would drown the subtle flavors again.


You can find the recipe on Baking Bites here  .Here is what I did.

Ingredients

Potatoes - about 700 grams, 2 1/4 cup when mashed (original recipe uses 900 grams)
Butter - 6 tablespoons, plus additional for brushing (use salted or unsalted, adjust salt accordingly, 8 tbsps in the original)
Garlic powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Dried thyme - 1 teaspoon or to taste. If using fresh, you would need to use more.
Salt and pepper - to taste
Egg, whisked - 34 grams ( The original recipe calls for 1 large egg for 2 pounds, 900 grams of potatoes, I have whisked the egg, weighed and proportioned it, did not want to risk the potatoes becoming soggy)

Procedure :Preheat oven to 190 degrees C / 375 degree F. (Nicole bakes at 200 degrees C/ 400F for a shorter period). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and quarter potatoes and pressure cook for one whistle. Do not over cook .Alternatively, place them in a large pot of boiling water and cook until fork tender (time will vary by size of the potatoes). Drain and put them back in the cooker (no lid of course) on low heat for a couple of minutes to dry out any excessive moisture.

Add butter and seasonings and mash potatoes well. I used a flat wooden masher for this. The point is to mash them really well without any lumps. Allow mixture to cool for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are not hot to the touch, then mash in the egg until potatoes are smooth. The mixture will be quite firm. Adjusting seasoning and still mixing it in uniformly will be a little difficult due to this consistency.

Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe potatoes onto baking sheet to form swirling peaks,  about 2-inches across, but mine were shorter and not as gorgeous as Nicole's. Brush really gently with additional melted butter. A silicon brush is good here again. I tried using oil spray from the can, but the pressure was a bit too much for the dainty Duchess, some of them drooped! So be careful if attempting this.


Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot straight from the oven.

Making ahead : If you want make prior preparation for this, boil the potatoes and refrigerate. Warm them in the microwave and carry on with the rest of the procedure. I refrigerated some of the mixture for hubby (with everything added) it firmed up a lot in the fridge, making it difficult to pipe out. I warmed the mixture in the microwave and piped again, the swirls were not as stiff and drooped as they baked, but delicious still. So you could very safely try these out and you will love them whatever shape they take.

The above quantity will be enough for 6 people to eat delicately, 4 if you want to be ahem... greedy. Now I won't tell you which of these we did between me, hubby and the kids, a tiny bit sneaked out for my neighbor.

Have you baked these and has something worked really well for you? I would like to know as I very very certainly am going to be baking these again. Care to share any interesting or amusing food names?

Roasted Red Bell Pepper & Garlic Dip

 I am a real spoil-sport when it comes to my determination to not eat high-calorie and fat-laden food when I don't want to eat it. Well I would eat it 24/7 if I could afford to, but when I am trying to lose weight, which is every now and then, people around me have a hair- tearing time. My mother for instance when I visit her during holidays and she can't get me to 'eat-well'. Hubby and kids when they want to eat out and I insist on eating only at that Punjabi dhaba as the food is less oily and I still get to eat a good meal. I carry my apple or orange or salad in my voluminous bag as I don't to be tempted to grab that burger when the kids eat out. Exasperated hubby tries to sell the idea of eating a 'healthy' option on the menu and gets an earful about its nutrition quotient or lack of it. I shudder in mock-shock and he throws up his hands in real despair. I will bake, but not eat. I won't miss my early morning walks in icy December or during summer holidays when I can easily sleep in - I can be really obsessive here too! Am forced to as even as my dietitian gets ready to write me a note of commendation for my will power, I will be hiding under the table and writing her a sheepish note of my tragic story of the kilos regained...Sigh! I try to lose weight every year and I manage to do so, but also manage to spite the scales quite quickly.  A sad story familiar to my family and friends. I have a tendency to gain weight and a metabolism which is not exactly my pride and stands absolutely no chance of being anybody's envy. 

As if irking immediate family is not enough, I sometimes very firmly refuse to eat the wrong snacks when I visit friends and relatives.(One Aunt every time makes it a point to ask me 'Are you still on a diet?') On such visits I am fine with not eating anything at all or gladly sip on some coffee (anything to not be forced into eating that food!), but folks sometimes feel compelled to offer something I will eat? I was just wondering, what I could offer to such people (my kind, yikes!!!) if  I have to entertain. Hmmm...thank God, I do have some. And now can add one more to the list. A spicy, tangy, smoky dip with roasted red bell peppers and garlic. Served with our desi roasted or microwaved papad or crackers as a snack or as an appetizer...

From Deeba's PAB which she has adapted from Meeta's What's For Lunch Honey . Meeta's dip has red bell peppers, aubergines and garlic, roasted and mashed with other spices. Deeba's version which I have tried has tomatoes and no aubergines. You could roast the veggies in the oven or over an open flame or on a griddle and puree them or leave them chunky. The dip is quite easy to make, roasting and peeling the veggies the only time-consuming part. You could of course play with the spices and the veggies to suit your taste and preference. But I would surely suggest a generous addition of spices, fresh ground pepper and lemon juice and of course a good 2 table spoons of olive oil to get a flavorful dip.

The below recipe makes enough to serve 4-6 people, remember its spicy! Here is what I did.

Ingredients:
Red bell peppers - 2, medium sized.
Fresh, ripe and firm tomatoes - 2, medium sized, quartered
Garlic cloves, large, peeled - 7-8
Roasted cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice - 1 - 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste (go easy if serving with salty papad)
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tablespoons
Green chilli, chopped fine - 1
Salt and freshly ground pepper - to taste
Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
Red chilli flakes - 1 teaspoon or to taste

Procedure:  De-seed and roast the peppers and tomatoes on a greased griddle or on an open flame or grill in the oven. Roast till the skin is completely charred and blistered. Roast the garlic till lightly browned. Keep the peppers and tomato in a dish with a lid or in a zip-lock bag and seal. The steam will help loosen the skin for peeling. Cool and peel the skin.

You could mash the peppers and tomato with a fork or puree in a blender. Chop the veggies and garlic roughly. Keep aside 2-3 tablespoons of this. Run the rest of the veggies and garlic in the mixer for a few seconds, just enough to very roughly puree. Add the rest of the ingredients, the reserved chopped veggies and mix. Check and adjust seasoning.

You could store this in the refrigerator for up to a week. But I think, this tasted best the day I made it. Come to think of it, we do make chutney like this, we do eat creamy dips with crackers, but eating a chunky veggie dip with  papad or lavash crackers is a great idea. Thanks Deeba and Meeta!

And do tell me, how does your family take to it when you go on a diet? Would love to hear, just to know if I am completely insane :))

Eggfree Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes

      Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them - John Shirley

Weekends are times I like to get up late, hope that the kids wake up at least half an hour after I do. That sacrosanct half an hour gives me time to savor my morning cuppa in leisure. Yes, I really like to take my time over my huge mug of strong filter coffee. A hurried cup or drinking  my coffee with the kids hovering around, threatening to spill the hot liquid, really takes the fun out of it. My idea of an ideal weekend is waking up late, sip my coffee leisurely, go for a walk, come back home to the smell of freshly cooked hearty breakfast. Later during the day, pop a bake in the oven, curl up with a good book in my hand, some good music playing in the background, the kids hanging around but peacefully, they will not fight, do their assignments themselves. Sigh! This of course is wishful thinking...What's you idea of an ideal weekend?

Weekends make me extra lazy, more so when it comes to cooking breakfast. I wish fervently that somehow hubby suddenly beings to love cooking, offering and insisting that he cook the breakfast. But ouch, reality hurts! He can't cook anything other than instant noodles or rice and again its yours truly who has to don the apron. Did I earn some sympathy here? If you have a hubby who is a gourmet class cook or something like that, have a heart, don't tell me about it:-)

 Oh yes, we have Darshini's or the self service South Indian style hotels, one or two in every street and cross, no kidding, but no thanks, I would rather not eat a greasy masala dosa first thing in the morning. Come to think of it, I  don't even want to make an effort to get dressed to go out. So home-made breakfast it has to be. But then I should at least make an effort to not make something totally uninspiring either. Hubby will survive that (see how we take them for granted!) , but the kids? Aaaw, gotta make something indulgent for them, once in a while at least. If not all my other sterling qualities, they have surely (and thankfully!) inherited my sweet tooth. Pancakes on the griddle will surely have them seated on the table much before the pancakes go on the waiting plates. Honey and chocolate sauce will already be well on their way into the tummies with me playing spoilsport by whisking away these bottles.

Warm pancakes was the breakfast this weekend, the cloudy morning making the prospect of the sweet smell of vanilla and honey wafting in the air even more alluring...The recipe Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes is from Joy The Baker. Soft, slightly sweet  pancakes with plump raisins giving your palate a lovely surprise now and then. You could replace the raisins with chocolate chips and I bet you get a honey-sticky kiss on the cheek from your kids and win the Best Mom award...for that morning that is...:-)

Corn & Cottage Cheese Stuffed Chillies

Welcome showers are here, cooling the city, relief! The fans and ACs finally get some rest and I am actually enjoying my morning walk, with or without the music playing from the radio on my phone. With us getting an elliptical cross trainer very soon, I decided this morning, that a walk outdoors is a real pleasure, the trainer coming home would not make me stop doing this altogether.  Its a pleasure to watch the cloudy sky, even bigger a pleasure is the lingering smell of the wet earth after the showers.

Along with them, the monsoons bring the urge to treat and tickle the taste buds with hot and spicy food. When it pours, you reach out for the coffee mugs. Along side the steaming cuppa, a hot savory treat not totally unwelcome...Crisp treats, bhajias, pakoras, roasted or steamed peanuts, warm and spicy corn on the cob...And of course a serving of warm dessert.

I love to eat spicy food but unfortunately hubby does not like his food very spicy. Sensitive tummy, thanks to years of eating out. Hence our everyday meals are quite low on spice and heat. I so look forward to eat the food my mother sends my way often as it really makes my taste buds come alive. Ahem.. hubby wants to forewarned when the food is coming in from my Mom's place as he can take an antacid before he eats. Or even when its Bisi Bele Bhaat for lunch. No exaggeration this! My mother makes special effort to go easy on spices when we are to eat at their place. I groan in protest, Mom wants to please the son-in-law more than the daughter! Predictably, the pickles at home are made and stored at home exclusively for me and of late my daughter, who has started to relish them hugely. Yaaayy!!

While eating out, I have the luxury of eating spicy food only when we order individual servings as in chaat, mine is extra spicy, hubby and kids opt for regular or less spicy. Sometimes, I prepare side dishes like Spicy Green Chilli Raitha which is only for yours truly to relish. And very rarely I go the whole hog and dish up really spicy snacks or main course which I fully know, only I will eat. I sound greedy don't I? Well, I am guilty of being greedy, for food pleasures!

On this rainy day, I was looking for an easy, non-deep fried spicy snack recipe. Search lead me to Sanjeev Kapoor's Low Calorie Vegetarian Book. Chillies stuffed with vegetables and spices and oven baked. Perfect!!! I had to try these out! The original recipe uses chopped mushrooms and grated processed cheese in the filling. I used crumbled cottage cheese and boiled sweet corn, threw in some chaat masala, some chopped green chillies and stepped up on the spices, roasted the stuffed chillies on a hot griddle... Fiery and tasty! Can probably stuff the chillies ahead and refrigerate them, cook when needed. Gawd! I really don't enjoy slaving and deep frying in batches when there is a crowd. How about you?

A simple and easy dish, tweak it to suit your taste. But be warned, this will not be for the faint-hearted!!

   

Crisp Spicy Flatbread - Crackers??

Now, now before you navigate away from this page as you may not find the picture above super appealing - wait!! What you see here is crispy flat bread which is quite easy to make and tastes very good...I will not say that these are low fat and healthy since they are not really that. Relatively low in fat, yes. High on taste. Will take you less than 10 minutes to get from no-plans-to-bake to have-dough-ready-to-bake. Roll them and transfer them on aluminum foils and bake them one by one while you get on with the rest of your kitchen chores. And you have a nice small stack of crispy flat bread. Or should we call them crackers? Well, as long you like the taste, you don't really care to get into the small technical details. Agree with me? Yes, so now that we agree on this very important thing, and I have hopefully sold you the idea of reading the rest of this post, let me tell you more about these.

Again one of those versatile things which will allow you to flavor them as you fancy - aaah, the magic and the best, best thing about home-baking! We can bake whatever we please and however we please. If you could see me now, I look - right - very smug:-). Khakra with Italian seasoning anyone? Yes, these crispy things tasted almost like that! And these can be made 2 days ahead and stored...locked away safely in a box and the keys thrown in..in..well, wherever you can't fish them out very easily.

I have made these twice, once with jeera, turmeric and kasuri methi, they tasted yumm, but did not look very good. So no pictures for the blog. Then on a insane urge, I baked these again, late in the night (I really don't know why!). The flat bread turned out tasty and decent looking too. But I had no suitable box to save them in their 'full' unbroken glory, so took pics in poor nightlight. Well, can't wait till I bake these yet again, take better pics and post them right? But when I make these next, I will take pics again and sneak-replace them;-)

You could make these for a tea time snack, for your home party to go with a nice dip... Suitably seasoned, these can go well with Mint Chutney, Hummus, Creamy Dips or just seasoned hung curd. I seasoned these crackers with mixed Italian seasoning, garlic powder and chilli flakes. And did not really bother with the dip..

I seriously, seriously love Deb's humor, love her recipes. Hers is one of those blogs which I LOVE to visit every now and then. So presenting, Crisp Spicy Flat Bread from Smitten Kitchen.

Microwave Cinnamon Crisps

If you conduct a poll among Indian mothers at this time of the year for the most frequently heard phrases at home, I bet these will be among the top 5.

Number 1 - I am hungry, give me something to eat - NOW!!!.
Number 2 - Can I watch TV for some(more)time...Ple..asee?
Number 3 - You have watched too much TV, switch it off - THIS MINUTE!!(This from Mom of course!)
Number 4 - Lower the volume!!!!(Mom again)
Number 5 - I am soooo...bored!!(kids of course, ONE long minute after the TV is switched off)

Other Mom phrases would be 'Please stop yelling and fighting with each other'', "You are both going into one bathroom each for the next 15 minutes''(this never works I tell u!) "I wish school never closed even on Sundays''.  Other kid phrases "AMMA...he changed the channel...''(followed by screaming lungs out), "You are a very bad Amma, wait till Appa comes home'', ''Let me tell your Mom what you are doing to me (my daughter threatening me if I don't give in).

Well... what do you do when you have to face this on a daily basis for 60 plus days? Let me tell you what I do. I chant the Alcoholics Anonymous prayer - " God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can't change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference'' And sigh...life goes on...Well, one of the things I certainly can change is a hungry tummy to a  full one...temporarily at least. One of my favorite quick snacks for times like this - Cinnamon Crisps. Nothing really fancy, but certainly tasty and quick. Butter, sugar and cinnamon applied on bread slices and microwaved to get crispy, buttery cinnamon flavored bites. If you do not like cinnamon, try cardamom. Or even a savory version sans the sugar and suitable spices...

Crispy Cottage Cheese Fingers - Uber Yumm!!

Kids can sometimes embarrass you like anything! A familiar, not-so-pleasant-situation for most parents. They say the most innocuous things at the most inappropriate of times. Innocent words which will have all the 5 liters of blood rushing to your face at that instant and in retrospect send you into peals of laughter. A mother of two, I have had many many such moments. Once, we were at a friend's place for lunch and the meal included pooris. My then 3-year-old son had asked me ''Amma, what is this?'' I sheepishly told my amused friend that deep-frying is something I rarely do. . I had once made pooris at home, my parents had called and hubby gleefully told them the highlight of the day. My Mom was shocked, brother wanted to know if the pooris were ahem, actually 'real' pooris or microwaved or baked ones. Oh yes, they had fun at my expense! My daughter had once wanted to know if Gulab Jamoons can also really be made at home!

Seriously - I really have a reputation for not making deep fried stuff. And no, am not proud of it.  Not that I don't use fat or I would not be writing a baking blog. I have a huge mind block against deep frying. Even now. I like to eat deep fried things, but not enough to make them now and then at home. They do not figure first on my can't-do-without food and I won't crave for them if I don't eat them for months, err..lets make that a month. Yes, desserts are my can't live without food. Put me off desserts for a week and they will start multi-starring in the blockbusters of my dreams. I am a complete die-hard dessert person.

A friend of mine had got some special paneer from Amritsar for me. I was wondering what I must do with it. A wicked idea, a sinful treat, a recipe I have been drooling over since aa...ges. Cottage Cheese Fingers! Throw caution to the winds. Make it double sinful. Full fat super soft paneer (nothing less from Amritsar!), marinated in tomato and chilli sauce, encased in crispy, crispy covering. Mind-blowing! It was so so good, I could not stop eating at a couple of pieces, kids loved them to the hilt, hubby ate them with his eyes closed. No exaggeration this! I made these again as I wanted to put these on the blog;-) called son's cycling friends to help finish them, and they were a very happy bunch!

Well, all I want to tell you is - please, please do try this out! And don't blame me if you get very seriously addicted!

Low Fat Microwave Potato Wafers

A serious foodie on a serious diet is good news to the rest of the weight-watching foodie clan. Now tell me you don't agree with me!! At the cost of being repetitive, we foodies gotta eat good grub, even on a diet. I for one can never remember a time when I have felt like not eating, save just a couple of times(thankfully!!) when I was carrying my son. I want to shamelessly tell you that my appetite remains normal even when I am angry or sad. Or unwell.  Really!! As a kid I remember asking my Mom to prepare Pudina Raitha, Huli Nucchu( a kind of porridge) etc whenever I was unwell. But eat well, I surely would:-). I dread times when I fall sick when I am not in my kingdom, my home. People tend to automatically assume that since I am not well, I may not have a normal appetite. When the truth is I feel like eating more than I would normally eat - raised BMR due to higher body temperature or something. Sad situation now, isn't it?? 

When I was a kid, if my Dad sensed I was angry, he would first ask me if I had eaten. If the answer was negative, he would insist that I first eat and then we talk about whatever was my grouse. Now hubby follows suit and it works. Well, most of the times:-)). Point to be noted, a hungry me - not a pleasant person to live with. Me on a pleasantly full tummy- hey can take on the world!! 

I have knocked off about 6 kgs recently and have another 4-5 kgs to go before I end the last weight-loss programme in my life ever. (Hope I don't ever say this in another post anytime in the future). If you have been on a diet, you would know, its quite difficult to sustain the motivation to resist eating junk for prolonged periods. And low fat /zero fat versions like these Low Fat Microwave Potato Wafers can be real saviors when the craving for potato chips hits!!

Healthy Whole Wheat,Oats and Sesame Crackers

 

Hot, frothy, filter coffee and crunchy, savory crackers on a rainy day evening. Sounds like bliss right?? Right!!! And if they are low fat, loaded with the goodness of whole wheat and oats, its a dieter's wish as well.

I am always wary of 'low-fat' or 'oil-free' or 'baked, not fried' category of snacks and desserts. Very few of these are truly fat- free or low calorie. They are usually, just relatively lower in fat or calories. So I try not to go overboard with the quantities of the low fat stuff, as the total calorie count would probably be more than the calories I would have consumed if the same snack was a regular, fat-laden snack. We then tend to restrict ourselves to a small quantity.   

Undoubtedly, low fat versions of any snack, most of the times are not on par in taste with the deep-fried versions. Its an acquired taste. And again it depends on how much you can compromise on a wee bit of taste for good health in the long run. Before you think I am turning a dietitian, lemme move on..:-))

I saw these crackers on Sharmilee's blog and instantly craved for them. Don't go by the very ordinary picture above, Sharmilee's crackers look super tempting. You can find the recipe on her blog here. Love her super recipes and drool worthy pics. I made these crackers and they turned out quite tasty. The flavor of garlic and the nuttiness of sesame seeds was a great combo and made the perfect accompaniment to my coffee.

Here comes the recipe

Ingredients :

• Wheat flour (Atta) - 1 cup
• Oats - ½ cup powdered coarsely( I used Quaker)
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Butter - 1 Tbsp (add more if you prefer crispy crackers)
• Sesame seeds - ¼ cup
• Garlic paste - 3 tsp
• Salt per taste
• Baking Powder - ½ tsp
• Water - as required to knead the dough

Method:

1. ln a bowl add the wheat flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Add garlic paste, sesame seeds. Combine well.


2. Add oil. Melt the butter and add at this stage. Add water little by little to form a thick chapathi like dough. Keep aside undisturbed for 30mins.


3. Divide the dough into half. Roll each half thin and cut into squares or sticks. Combine the scrapings and repeat the same with the other half too.


4. Preheat oven to 180C for 10 minutes. Place the squares on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until the crackers are crisp. The baking time depends on the thickness of the squares and the oven settings

Store in a air tight container. It can be stored upto a week.I  strongly recommend adding atl east 1tbsp butter.

Hubby who usually doesn't ask for seconds of the baked variety of snacks actually wanted to know I still had any more of the crackers left. A friend of mine, again not so enthusiastic about low fat versions loved the snack.  I think these will also taste good with ajwain in place of the sesame seeds or hing, green chili -ginger paste. You bet I would be making these again!!


This is also my entry to Champa's weekly Bake Off.

Microwave Low Fat Masala Peanuts

One of my fondest childhood memories is of my father taking us all to a nearby canteen to buy us Masala Peanuts. Those were the crispy, spicy, gram flour coated deep fried ones. We used to enjoy eating them out of small paper cones. 

I was delighted to find this recipe for the masala peanuts in Tarla Dalal's Microwave Cooking book. These taste so good and you can make a cupful of these with just one tablespoon of oil. Isn't that great! It takes time and effort to make these, but hey you get this lovely snack with relatively so few calories and fat(from oil) to go with your evening coffee. Makes approximately one cup.

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, unskinned
1/2 cup gram flour
2 teaspoons chilli powder
A pinch of Ajwain seeds( you could use fennel seeds or hing here)
1 tablespoon oil
2-3 tablespoons water
Salt to taste

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the water and oil. Be careful not to add more water. Avoid eyeballing measures for this recipe. I have tried eye-balling and the results were not so good. Ensure the batter coats the peanuts evenly.

Drop the peanuts one by one or in clusters of 2-3 peanuts max on wax paper. These would need to be arranged in a circle near the outer edge of the paper, no circles within the outer circle, no peanuts in the middle. (I know I may be sounding ambiguous,hope you get what I mean to say)  You could also drop on the peanuts on the microwave plate, but using wax paper is quicker and less mess later to clean up. Microwave on HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from the wax paper, cool and store in an air tight container. Enjoy with your coffee!!

Please Note: As goes with a lot of microwave recipes, even a few seconds extra can cause the peanuts to harden too much or burn.

Do not reuse the same wax paper more than twice as it may burn.

Easy Dhokla Chaat

I bet if you can show me somebody who does not love tongue-tickling chaats. My mouth waters at the thought of chaat and can have it anytime of the day, any day. And  I particularly love the 'dahi' varieties with cool curd topped on the chaat during summers. And its bliss to drown it all with a cold  badam-milk... Yumm!! Its just the thought of all those excessive calories and fat which goes into these delicious snacks that stops me from running to the nearest chaat center and binging on it.

I tried making a relatively low fat and healthier version the 'Dhokla Chaat'. This one is really quick and easy if you have Mint Chutney stored in your fridge. Honestly, I have never made an attempt to make the sweet chutney at home, as I hardly use a few teaspoons of the stuff at a time.  I have used  ready-made Fun Foods Khatti-Meethi Imli chutney, which I find is real good VFM:-)

Surely there are no hard and fast rules for making a chaat.  Most things you fancy can go into the dish, in varying proportions, reasonably of course! Forgive me for not specifying the exact quantities of ingredients except the dhokla mix I used here as I just kept taking and putting the stuff from their bottles as and when my family kept coming in. So please go by your taste when you make this.

Nutty Vanilla Popcorn

Do you know anybody who can resist popcorn?? Neither do I!! And few people can resist the irresistible, delicious smell of vanilla and butter cooking together. Be it in a cake or pancake or pudding or with popcorn.  Hmmm...Just opening my bottle of vanilla is enough to make me switch on my oven and start baking a cake. Of course I don't do that (much as I would love to)as my family is er.. a lil alarmed seeing the way I am obsessing with food in the recent past.

And with my son's final exams going on, I keep reminding myself to get a grip on my urges to cook, cook and cook even more. Boy! Am I looking forward to summer vacations just for the reason that I can cook and bake to my heart's content without having to worry about homework and assessments. Just for a week more, it will have to be quick and easy recipes to keep me and my kids happy. Like this easy and delicious Nutty Vanilla Popcorn.

Southekayi Avalakki (Cucumber Flavored Rice Flakes)

True! Even I had never heard of such a recipe too earlier, before I saw this on Madhuri's blog. But it sounded so, so good and easy. I made this quick dish for breakfast (with a little modifications)on a hectic weekday morning and we all loved eating it. Thank you for sharing this recipe Madhuri! The taste of the cucumber in the poha is so very refreshing, specially in summer. This is now one of the regulars on our breakfast 'menu'. Try this out and you are sure to see yourself making this often.

Spicy No-Cook Rice Flakes

As a kid,one of my not-so-awaited days was Ekadashi. The day when no rice would be cooked and we would need to survive on chapatis, upma and the kind. A very sad state for me indeed. Being a true South Indian, it is still very difficult for me to imagine surviving a whole 24 hours without rice. One of the things I would however look forward to was, the 'Toysida Avalakki' (meaning soaked rice flakes in Kannada) which my Mom would eat as she wouldn't eat anything cooked. We would of course eat the chapatis, curry etc and come back to eat this with Mom. A light after meal snack you know. My mother, in anticipation, would have made extra for us, put them in small cups for us to eat.

A lazy foodie's delight, it can be put together in 10 minutes flat, with the ingredients available very commonly at home.  I usually have a box of grated coconut and a bottle of Lemoneez in my fridge, and of course the rice flakes all the time. Try this spicy, tongue tickling dish and you are sure to lick your fingers clean, make this again and again. Let me warn you though, this is for those who can take the fire of the green chillies and not for the faint hearted. The bite of the chillies and the generous addition of coconut is a must for this dish.

French Toast With An Orange Twist

I keep trying to find ways and means to satiate my sweet tooth sans the calories. I came across this recipe in Good Housekeeping some time back and it has been on my list of healthy, low fat, lip smacking sweet treats ever since. This citrussy indulgence is also a complete balanced meal in itself as it has the best quality egg protein and the goodness of whole wheat fiber in it. Add the abundance of vitamins from the oranges and you will please the fitness fanatic too. This is great as breakfast or as an after school snack or even dessert!!!  If there ever was a quick, guilt free way to have an anytime sweet treat for both kids and adults, this is one. Try out for your self and you will know...

 Ingredients:
4 Slices whole wheat bread
3 eggs, whites only
3 teaspoons powdered sugar (add more if desired)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest (add more for a more intense orange flavor)
1 teaspoon fresh orange juice.
2 tablespoons finely chopped orange segments
1 tablespoon low fat fresh hung curd or low fat set curd
2 teaspoons vegetable oil.
2 teaspoons honey (optional)
1 teaspoon low fat butter

Procedure: Trim the crust from the bread slices. Slice diagonally into 2 parts. Keep aside. Take the egg whites in a shallow bowl; add 2 tea spoons sugar, orange rind and orange juice. Whisk lightly, mix well.

Mix the orange segments and 1 teaspoon sugar into the hung curd. Apply half teaspoon  hung curd on one diagonal slice of bread and sandwich with another diagonal slice of bread. Repeat with the rest of the bread. Soak these sandwiched slices in the egg white mixture for a few seconds. Take care not to soak too much as the bread will become soggy and tear.

Heat a non stick skillet and grease lightly with oil. Shallow fry the French toast on medium heat till golden brown. Brush very lightly with butter. Drizzle honey on top. Serve hot.

This recipe is also my entry to Srivalli's Kid's Delight - Wholesome Breakfast event.
This also goes to Archana's Breakfast -30