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A very Happy Onam to all. Indeed the festival is a feast of colors and flavors. The traditional fare for ONAM called ONASADYA is a lavish, vegetarian treat of multiple (more than 20) delicious preparations served on the most humble banana leaf. Below is a glimpse of the ONASADYA and my friend Sajani Kochunny helped me understand what these delicacies were. 
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 I continue to mention time and again that I love eggs for breakfast. Nothing gives more contentment than a hearty egg dish for breakfast.Today, I am talking about scrambled eggs. I love them how my Parsi friends prepare it.
The Parsi scrambled egg version is called Akuri. So, how does it vary from the usual scrambled eggs?  Monsoon and its accompanying munching sessions are the most sought after moments by any individual let alone foodies like me. The lovely weather just beckons you to pamper your taste buds to delicious snacks. But, this year I have decided to have an offbeat kind of monsoon snacking. I am making my monsoon munching a gourmet affair not only for me but my loved ones through premium, chic, scrumptious offerings from the L'Exclusif range from Nature's Basket.
Curated by culinary specialists, the L'Exclusif brand umbrella has products like chips, cookies, ice creams, chocolates, dips, jams, conserves, coated nuts, jujubes etc. The range boasts of ice creams utilizing fruits in their natural form and no presence of any kind of preservatives or stabilizers, fruit conserves that are developed without any kind of artificial food flavors or colors, pure coverture chocolates and much more. So, here is a look at my gluttony with some of the products of L'Exclusif brand:  India through its rich cultural diversity is a treasure trove of gastronomic delights. The importance and enigma of these culinary masterpieces rests in the fact that their secret, authentic recipes have been handed down through multiple generations in a family many a times by mere word of mouth. Therefore, http://secretindianrecipe.com has taken the onus of disseminating knowledge to a larger audience regarding such revered recipes and kitchen secrets known only to select home cooks.
One such home cook who is an encyclopedia of South Indian recipes is Geetha Sridhar, who has been a popular face on a renowned reality cooking show. Through the Secret Indian Recipe initiative Geetha Sridhar showcased her lip smacking recipe of Kothamalli Sadam or coriander rice last Sunday, 15th May 2016 to numerous guests at the Lake View Cafe in Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel.  I have a gigantic proclivity for various packaged snacks especially the fried ones that are available across retail stores. Although I enjoy consuming the aforesaid products, I often end up with a feeling of guilt rather than contentment. I am sure many people face this situation on a daily basis.
However, the decision to amend our lifestyle and our eating habits rests with us solely. We have to take an initiative in this direction, if we wish to keep ourselves fit and healthy. This does not mean we give up on eating something we love. But, we have to be judicious with its consumption and search for healthier alternatives. In my search for these healthy snacks, I have recently stumbled upon those that involve use of kale and quinoa. I had my doubts whether snacks made of these two superfoods would be appetizing enough. But, my apprehensions were not to stay for long. A trial of Kale Chips and Quinoa Puffs made by The Green Snack Co. proved that healthy snacks could be delicious and addictive too. Here is a glimpse of these snacks from The Green Snack Co.: Baklava is the renowned sweet delicacy from the Middle East region of the world.
Many of us have have relished this sweet dish that consists of super thin sheets of filo pastry (unleavened dough) piled one on top of the other with a brushing of butter between each layer. Flavors are introduced into these layers by fillings of various kinds of nuts, which are commonly pistachios or casewnuts. Sugar or honey are the sweetening agents. Additional flavoring is introduced using various kinds of essences.  The mention of the word Kachori in India and one instantly starts thinking of chaat items available in North India. However, the glutton that I am, I love this preparation even as breakfast. And, when you have a dear friend, who is sweet enough to carry yummy Khasta Kachoris from Kaleva Bikaner Wale Ka in Delhi all the way to Mumbai, you know you are going to be in food heaven.
Khasta Kachori is a more crumbly version (hence known as “khasta” in the local language) of regular Kachori. As you eat it, you can feel the flaky texture come alive in your mouth. So, what is this delicious marvel made up of?  Mumbai is a melting pot of various cultures. One such community that adds its touch to Mumbai are the Sindhis.
I love their staple food preparation right from koki to Sindhi kadhi to tosha to saibhaji and many more as they are hearty and delicious. But, my favorite dish is DAL PAKWAN.  If you want to get a taste of the English summers in India especially , the fresh bloom of Elder Flowers then try to grab a bottle of Belvoir Fruitfarms Elder Flower Presse at your nearest super store.
Well, Belvoir Fruitfarms Elder Flower Presse is not your usual bottled beverage found on super market shelves in India. It is a very special, non- alcoholic, clear drink owing its uniqueness to the mild fragrance and flavor of fresh Elder Flowers.  I am sure many of us feel our stomach rumbling for food within few hours of breakfast or lunch. So, here I am with a snacking solution for you. This can easily come to your rescue for those mid-night hunger pangs as well.
Don't be worried it’s a healthy solution too. Makhana or Fox Nut are seeds of the plant Euryale Fox. They are generally toasted or fried for consumption.. |
Author- Regional Indian Food & Travel enthusiast Archives
March 2018
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