Healthy living

Oatmeal is not something that was traditionally a part of the Indian cuisine. From what I remember of my childhood, only certain catholic families made it, that too for their sick family members. I once tasted it and didn't like it at all!! The way it was made is by cooking it in water with a pinch of salt! How bland is that?? But now,  oatmeal with fruits and nuts  is what my husband & I have for breakfast on weekdays! How ironic! It has found it's presence in the Indian market too. People have it many different ways but the most common is the savory version of it. Saffola a brand markets pre- packaged savory oats, known as Masala Oats, which can be ready in just 3 minutes. During my last visit to India, I had picked up a pack out of curiosity. It was lying around in my pantry. One day, I made it for my husband for breakfast out of desperation. I didn't have anything else to give him! The funny part, he loved it!! He wanted me to make it more often! I tasted it and fou...

Hey everyone!! As you can see Jhuls has been the one making all the noise for the past one week.I hope you enjoyed her Roasted Eggplant Fan . I have been running around like a headless chicken!! I am busy this weekend as well with guests at home!! Don't despair!! I have another young, multitalented & dynamic blogger here for you this weekend! Meet Prasanna Hede from Savory Bites Recipes !! She hails from a small town in Goa who migrated to various locations due to her software engineering work , but now is a home-maker and mother who loves sharing her culinary experiments through her blog. Her blog very aptly showcases her talent! When I first met her, I thought she was a little girl!! Looks are deceptive indeed! Today she brings us dessert!! My favorite rava laddoos!! She has an easy and yummy recipe for Carrot Rava Ladoo. See, there is a vegetable in it too.. then that is a great treat for kids.As for us, a small portion of dessert is allowed every now and then! Check out ...

Guys, I am back with a guest post for you this week!! Yay!! I am so happy to have this amazing blogger as my guest this week. In this ruthless world of blogging, there are those handful few who are "nice"  & "kind" to others! Those who actually think of others and want to do good for others. One such person is Jhuls from "The Not So Creative Cook" . I am proud to say that Jhuls is my friend. In my journey of blogging for the past 3 years, she is one of those who supported my stumbling steps from the begining and nurtured my growth with her constant encouragement. In fact, her blog has a section where every week she introduces new bloggers to the rest of the world. When I reached out to Jhuls a few weeks ago, she was taking a break from blogging and she promised me a guest post as soon as she was back in circulation.  It is interesting that  she reached out to me earlier this week when I was feeling low as I had just lost my very healthy aunt in a ...

I believe that our traditional Konkani cuisine is very simple without much pomp. It is also very healthy and easy on the gastrointestinal system. The reason for this is that there is very little oil used for cooking the food, there are not many spices and the procedure itself is very simple, yet the result is a delicious dish that could relished by kids and adults alike and with rice or roti.  Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 15-20 mins Total time: 30-35 mins Servings: 3-4 Ingredients: Green beans : 250 gms or 1/2 lb Potatoes: 2 medium sized. Coconut oil: 1 tsp Mustard seeds: 1 tsp Dried red chillies: 1-2 medium sized, broken into two pieces. Salt: as per taste Water: 1/4 cup Freshly grated coconut: 1 tbsp ( for garnishing)( optional). Method: Peel the potatoes. Wash them and dice them medium. Wash the green beans  thoroughly. Chop/snap the tips off at both ends of the string beans. Repeat this with all the string beans. Chop the string beans into 1 cms wide pieces. In a saute pa...

Chicken Tikka Masala is ubiquitous in Indian restaurants, worldwide. Most people around the world who like Indian food are familiar with this dish. They would have tasted/ eaten this dish with naan or rice at least once! Making it at home might seem like a far-fetched idea, but in reality it is not that difficult. I have a good friend from school, Sandhya, who is chef, par excellence. Everything she makes is delicious!! She is a North Indian and this dish is part of their cuisine. You see, I am a South Indian and chicken tikka masala is definitely not a part of my everyday cuisine ( traditionally). Coming back to my friend, she taught me this super-easy recipe for Chicken Tikka masala, and I would never go back to making it any other way!! You have to check this super-easy recipe out! Prep time: 15 mins + 30 mins plus for marinating. Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Servings: 3-4 Ingredients : Boneless chicken thighs : 1 lb ( 450) gms, cut into bite-sized pieces Cooking oil: 1 tb...

Have you ever noticed that when we are stressed/rushed/hurried, we gravitate towards comfort food. What is comfort food?? Different people may have different definitions for it. For me, comfort food is food that you grew up with; food that is familiar to you. Food that makes you nostalgic; food that you can cook with your eyes closed; without any thought! That to me is comfort food!! What is comfort food for you?  When I am in a rush, I like to cook things that are familiar and that which I can cook without any conscious thought! This for me is with our traditional Konkani food that is really easy to put together. There is not much prep time or cook time involved. They are very simple recipes without a long list of spices in them. The ingredients are very few and involve only 3-4 ingredients apart from the main vegetables that are being used. These usually are: cooking oil, mustard seeds and red chilli peppers. The level of hotness can be easily modified based on individual prefere...