Puli Poha

Another easy to throw together in 20 minutes breakfast recipe from the kitchen of my BFF Preeti... this is my way of making it... 

Ingredients

• 2 cups of Red Rice Thick Poha 
• 2 tablespoons of MTR Puliogare Powder
• 3 tablespoons of Tamarind paste 
• Salt, to taste 
• 10 tablespoons of water 
• 2 tablespoons of oil 
• 1 teaspoon of Mustard seeds 
• 1 teaspoon of Urd Dal 
• 1 teaspoon of Channa Dal 
• a large pinch of Asafoetida 
• 3 dry Red Chilies 
• 3 Green Chilies, slit 
• a few Curry Leaves 
• 1/2 a cup of grated coconut 

Method 

Mix the poha, puliogare powder, tamarind paste, and salt in a bowl. Add water a tablespoon at a time and mix well. Cover and leave it to soak for 15 minutes. 

In a kadai, heat the oil. Sputter mustard. Add the urd and channa dal, fry till they brown lightly. Add the asafoetida, chilies, and curry leaves; stir for 15-30 seconds. 

Add the poha mix and coconut to the kadai, cover and cook till done. 

Kakadi Poha

Yet another Cook-along with my soul sisters. This time we learnt to make Flattened Rice with Cucumber, which is a very popular dish from Maharashtra. This from the kitchen of Preeti. 

Ingredients

• Thick White Poha - 1 1/4 cup 
• Cucumber - 1 medium 
• Oil - 1 tablespoon 
• Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida, to taste 
• Chana Dal - 1/2 teaspoon
• Urd Dal - 1/2 teaspoon 
• Green Chilies - 3 or 5, slit 
• Ginger - 1/2 inch, finely chopped 
• Curry Leaves - 10 
• Coriander Leaves 1/4 cup, finely chopped  
• Salt, to taste 

Preparation 

• Grate the cucumber (with the peel) 
• Wash the flattened rice and drain. 
• Mix the flattened rice and cucumber, and leave it for 15-20 minutes.

Method

Heat the oil in a kadai. When the oil is hot, sputter the mustard, and add the asafoetida. Add the chana dal and urd dal, stir for about 15-30 seconds till the dals are a light brown. Add the ginger, green chilies, and curry leaves. Stir for 15-30 seconds. Add the flattened rice and cucumber mix, stir till it is mixed well with the tempering. Add the salt, and coriander leaves. Mix well, and switch off the heat. 

Serving suggestions: 

Serve with cucumber slices, and garnished with sev or bhujia for extra crunch. You may also sprinkle with lime juice for added tang. 

Birakaya Thoku Pachadi

Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney 

Ingredients 

1 tablespoon of Sesame oil 

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

1 tablespoon of Jeera

5 - 10 green chilies (depending on your spice tolerance) 

1 medium onion sliced

1 tablespoon of Garlic pods 

1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric powder

1.5 cups of Ridge Gourd Peel 

1 tablespoon of Tamarind 

Salt, to taste 

Method

Heat the oil in a kadai, and sputter the jeera in it. Add the chilies, onion, garlic, and turmeric. Fry till the onions are translucent. Add the ridge gourd peel and tamarind, and fry for 3 minutes on high heat. Lower the heat, cover the kadai, and cook till done. 

Once the mixture is completely cooled, grind with salt and a little water to achieve the desired consistency. 

Serving suggestion: 

This chutney is usually eaten mixed with rice and a little bit of sesame oil. We also eat it with dosa. 

Parippu Pradhaman

Parippu Pradhaman is made from Split Yellow Gram, Coconut Milk, and Jaggery. This recipe, as with most of my recipes from Kerala, came from the kitchen of my soul sister - Anupa. 

Ingredients 

Split Yellow Gram - 250 g 

Coconut Milk - 1 cup of thick milk (first extract) 

Coconut Milk - 4 cups of medium extract 

Jaggery - 500 g or less (as per taste) 

Ghee - 1 tablespoon 

Cashew nuts - 2 tablespoons (split) 

Raisins - 1 tablespoon (optional) 

Coconut pieces - 2 tablespoons 

Cardamom - 7 pods 

Preparation: 

• Dry fry the split yellow gram in a thick bottomed pan till it is golden brown. Then pressure cook with 1.5 cups of water (2 whistles). 
• If you are using fresh coconut milk, extract the coconut milk from the coconut. Do not mix the first extract with the rest. 
• Dissolve the jaggery in 1/2 a cup of water by boiling, so that it forms a liquid with the consistency of honey. 
• In the ghee, fry the cashew nuts, raisins, and coconut pieces (golden brown). 
• Remove the cardamom seeds and grind it to a fine powder. 

Method 

Mix the split yellow gram and 4 cups of coconut milk in a thick bottomed saucepan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or till the gram is soft without turning mushy, Then add the melted jaggery and cook on low till it reduces to a thick porridge-like consistency. Turn off the heat. Add the thick coconut milk, the fried cashew nuts, raisins, and coconut, and the cardamom powder - mix it well.

Serving Suggestion: 

This parippu pradhaman is traditionally eaten with a Yelaki Banana and Kerala Pappadam, which brings out the flavours of the dish. It can be eaten as is too. 

Biryani - Sunder Uncle's Recipe

Sunder Uncle is - my sister from another mother - Hema's Dad. He was one of the sweetest people I knew, and he always treated me like one of his own. He was a total foodie, and an amazing cook. 

From as long as I've known Hema's family, I've celebrated Christmas with them, and Sunder Uncle would usually make the yummiest biryani among other yummy dishes. I'd eat several helpings, and it is to me both comfort food and celebration food all rolled into one. 

This is his recipe, or as close to it as we can remember... when I cooked it today for the first time on a video cook-along with my soul sisters (that includes Hema), it was a load of fun, and an ode to Sunder Uncle and his cooking legacy. I missed him, and also felt so close to him. 

Ingredients 

Oil 1/2 cup or Ghee 1/4 cup + Oil 1/4 cup 

Bay leaves - 3

Star anise - 2

Cinnamon bark - 4 inch sticks

Cloves - 4 

Garlic Ginger paste - 3 tablespoons 

Green chilies - 12 or as per taste 

Onions - 3 sliced 

Basmati / Jeera rice* - 1/2 kg 

Water or Chicken stock - 1 1/2 times volume of rice 

Salt - to taste 

Lime juice - 1/2 

Curds - 2 tablespoons 

Mint leaves - 1/4 cup 

Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup 

Tomatoes - 3 medium sliced 

Chicken/Mutton/Beef* - 1/2 kilo or Vegetables 

*Preparation

• Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain the rice. Heat some oil in a kadai and 'fry' the rice in the hot oil till there is no water left and the rice is evenly coated with oil.  
• Cook the meat with salt and water. The mutton or beef will need to be cooked in a pressure cooker for 5 whistles. 

Method 

Take a cooker and add oil (and ghee). After heating add cinnamon,cloves, and star anise. Then add the ginger garlic paste and green chilies, stir. Add the sliced onions and fry it until the onions are golden yellow in color. (For the vegetable biryani, add the vegetables at this point and cook till half done.) 

Add the rice, water, bay leaves, and salt to the cooker. Add the lime juice, curds, and coriander and mint leaves; add the tomato. Now add the pre-cooked meat, close the cooker and cook for 2 whistles. 

Kozhi Varutharachathu

Ingredients for the Masala Paste

 1 cup of grated coconut 

10 shallots 

7 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons of black pepper

2 teaspoons of coriander seeds

3 dried red chilies 

5 Kanthari Mulaku 

1 stick of cinnamon

1 star anise

 3 cardamon pods 

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

10 curry leaves

2 tablespoons of coconut oil 

 Dry roast all the ingredients for the masala paste, except for the oil, till it turns a golden colour. Then add the coconut oil and continue roasting for 5 minutes. Cool completely, then make a thick paste with it in a mixie. 

 Ingredients for the Chicken Curry 

 1/2 kilo chicken 

2 tablespoons of coconut oil 

3 chopped onions 

3 chopped tomatoes 

5 green chilies 

2 tablespoons of ginger / garlic paste 

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder 

1 teaspoon of chili powder 

Salt, to taste 

 Method 

 In a kadai pour the coconut oil and saute the onions. Add the ginger and garlic paste, and green chilies, saute for a minute, then add the chopped tomatoes.Saute till tomatoes start leaving the oil. Add the masala paste along with turmeric powder, chili powder, and salt. Add the chicken to this. Mix well, making sure that the chicken is coated well with all of the masala and spices. You may pour a cup of water, then cover the pan to cook the chicken. Once cooked you can alter the thickness of the gravy as needed. Serve garnished with a few curry leaves. 

This authentic recipe came from the kitchens of my soul sister Anupa, who is an expert in Kerala Cuisine. 

Chocolate Coffee Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup of flour (125 g Maida)
1 cup of sugar (210 g)
1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder (30 g)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 egg
1/4 cup of strong brewed coffee*
1/2 cup of curds
1/4 cup of coconut water*
1/4 cup of butter (50 g)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method

In a bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add melted butter, coffee, coconut water, egg, curds, and vanilla. Mix till a thin batter is formed.

Grease the muffin pan and line with paper. This batter rises quite a lot, so do not fill more than 1/2 of each muffin cup.

Bake at 175 C for 15 - 20 minutes in an oven... Baking time may differ depending on the flour used, type of oven, and size of the muffins, so I rely on the toothpick test to check for completion.

Rest for 15 minutes when you take it out of the oven, then cool completely on a wire rack. Can be stored for 3 days outside in an airtight box, or 1 week in the fridge (microwave for 30 seconds before eating if you store it in the fridge)

*I use ID Filter Coffee Decoction, which is very strong. If you want the muffins to taste more like coffee, you can double the proportions of the coffee and not add the coconut water.

Serving suggestions: 

Tastes delicious with a glass of cold milk, or serve a warm muffin with a scoop of vanilla icecream. 

Sabudana Kichdi Recipe

our Book Club is more than a book club... we are soul sisters, a girl gang, each other's cheering squad... and this morning we also became a Cook-along club... with my Friend Ramya walking us through the steps on how to make the perfect Sabudana Kichidi... as always it was loads of fun... and we all got to eat a yummy breakfast after... totally worth setting up an alarm to wake up at 7:30 am for this... and what a lovely way to start the day...

Ingredients 

1 cup of sago

2-3 medium potatoes 

1/2 cup of peanuts

3-5 green chilies

coriander leaves

grated fresh coconut

lemon 

1 tablespoon of ghee

1 teaspoon of jeera 

a few curry leaves
salt, to taste

Preparation

6 - 12 hours in advance: 

- Take 1 cup of sago and rinse 3 - 4 times or under running water till the excess starch is washed away. Place the sago in a bowl and add water so that the water level is about 1 inch above the level of the sago. Let the sago soak for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes of soaking, drain the excess water from the sago, place the soaked sago in the bowl, cover and leave it for 6 - 12 hours. 
- Boil 2-3 medium potatoes. Once they have cooled to room temperature, refrigerate them for 6 - 12 hours. 

Just before cooking: 

 - Peel the potatoes,  and dice
 - Roast 1/2 a cup of peanuts, cool, and grind them coarsely. (Expert Tip: Do not grind the peanuts too much, that may release the oil from them and make it sticky.) 
 - Slit 3 - 5 Green Chilies 
 - Finely chop Coriander Leaves 
 - Grate 1 - 3 tablespoons of fresh Coconut
 - squeeze the juice of a small lemon 

Cooking method: 

- Add about 1 tablespoon of Ghee in a kadai. (Expert Tip: Adding a very small quantity of cooking oil to the ghee will prevent it from burning.) 
 - When it is hot, sputter about 1 teaspoon of Jeera in the hot ghee. 
 - Add the potatoes. (Expert Tip: Add a pinch of sugar so that the potatoes brown well.) Stir till golden brown. 
 - Add the Green Chilies, and Curry Leaves, then stir.
 - Add the peanut powder and stir. 
 - Add the sago and salt. Mix well, then cover the kadai and cook on low heat till the sago turns translucent. 
 - Add the Coconut, Coriander, and Lemon Juice. Turn off heat. 


Serve hot with a dash of coconut on the top, and a wedge of lime.

Pumpkin Muffins Recipe

Pumpkin Puree

Pressure cook pumpkin cut into chunks. Cool, scoop out pulp, blend with a fork or hand blender.

Pumpkin Spice

 - 1 small Nutmeg
 - 2-3 inch long pieces of cinnamon
 - (Optional) 1 inch piece of dried ginger
Grind to a fine powder.

Dry Ingredients

1.5 Cups of Flour
1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon of Pumpkin Spice

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In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of sugar and 2 eggs
Add 1/4 cup of unsalted Butter, and 1.5 cups of Pumpkin Puree, mix

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and gently fold.

Bake at 175 C for 23 minutes in an oven... Baking time may differ depending on the flour used, type of oven, and size of the muffins, so I rely on the toothpick test to check for completion.

Rest for 15 minutes when you take it out of the oven, then cool completely on a wire rack. Can be stored for 3 days outside in an airtight box, or 1 week in the fridge (microwave for 30 seconds before eating if you store it in the fridge)

Bitter-gourd Stir-fry

Thoran (തോരൻ) is a coconut-based dry dish traditionally made of finely chopped stir fried vegetables in Kerala. I added raw mango, and tomatoes to this dish.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds
a large pinch of asafoetida
2 medium sized bitter-gourds, diced
a large piece of raw mango, diced
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced
3 green chilies, slit
salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder
3 tablespoons of fresh grated coconut

Method

Heat oil and add mustard to it. When the mustard starts sputtering, add the asafoetida.

Add the bitter-gourd and stir for about 2-3 minutes. Add the raw mango, the tomatoes, and the green chilies and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the salt, turmeric powder, and cumin powder. Close and cook low heat.

When the bitter-gourd is half cooked, add the coconut. Close and cook on low heat till done.

Physalis Salad

I’m not a salad person and will usually avoid salads as much as I can. On the rare occasion, I’ve been persuaded to eat a salad, and even rarer still have I enjoyed or even liked a salad. So while I enjoy experimenting making new stuff in my kitchen, I’ve literally never tried to make a salad before. But #Physalis... I’ve eaten it for years, made it into preserves for a couple of years; and my Human, he likes salads. So today I made a Salad at home and I enjoyed making it and I even liked eating it - it was refreshingly delicious! I’m as surprised as anyone else who knows me well is going to be!

Here's the recipe: 

100 g of Physalis cut into eighths
1 medium sized Cucumber diced
Kernels from 1 Cob of Corn steamed and salted lightly
3/4 Cup of Mint leaves

Salad Dressing: 

Juice of 1 small Lemon
Lemon Rind, to taste
1 tablespoon of Honey
1 tablespoon of Olive oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Mix the ingredients for the salad dressing in a bowl. Toss all the ingredients with the salad dressing till it is well combined. Eat!

Physalis Jam - a twist

Physalis or CapeGooseberry Jam was what was cooking in my kitchen a few days back. While this is not my first attempt at making jam, this is my first attempt at making jam from this fruit, mostly because I either was too lazy or had too little time to experiment with and make jam from it; the fruit also being very seasonal. The idea to make jam from it came from looking the fruit up on google; with it came many variations in recipes. I first discovered it in a local market a few years ago and picked it up out of curiosity. At that point in time I did not know what to do with it. I asked a friend and she wove me a nostalgic story about how she and her siblings would pick these fruit that would grow wild in their home town and just eat them. I ate quite a few of these fruit too. I like their sweet and tart taste.

I used 300 g of Physalis; 200 g of Demerara Sugar, and the juice of 1 1/2 limes to make the jam. I prepared the fruit by easing them with salt and water and cutting them into quarters.

Mix the sugar and lime juice in a cup of water and bring this mixture to boil in a thick bottomed pan on high heat. Once the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is bubbling, add the chopped physalis to the pan. Wait till the mixture comes to a boil again and then lower the heat so that the mixture in the pan is simmering.

I tested it to see if it was done after about 30 minutes.

How to test if a jam is done? 

• Place a few drops of the jam on a cold spoon and put the spoon in the fridge for a couple of minutes. 
• Take the spoon out and push at the jam with a finger; if it wrinkles, it is done. 

If not, continue to simmer till it is done; checking at 5 minute intervals. My jam was done in about 45 minutes.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

After years of talking about learning to bake, I was gifted my sister-in-law's oven when she got a new one for her new kitchen in their new home. So bake I started, and after some serious Pinterest and YouTube research, this is my Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe.

Ingredients 

• 1 Cup of Unsalted Butter
• 1 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup of Powdered White Sugar
• 2 Eggs 
• 2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
• 3 Cups of All Purpose Flour
• 1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda 
• 1/2 a Teaspoon of Salt
• 1 1/2 Cups of Chocolate Chunks

Mixing 

1. Microwave the cup of unsalted butter for 30 seconds - 1 minute. Pour it into a mixing bowl. 
2. Add the cups of brown and powdered white sugar to the mixing bowl. Stir till it is evenly incorporated into the butter. 
3. Add one egg to the mixing bowl and mix till the mixture in the bowl is of even consistency. Repeat with the second egg. 
4. Add the teaspoons of vanilla extract to the mixture in the bowl and stir in. 
5. Place the sieve above another mixing bowl. Sieve in the cups of all purpose flour, the teaspoons of baking soda and salt. 
6. Now add the dry ingredients in the second mixing bowl to the mixture in the first mixing bowl a little by little. Stir in till the flour mixture is completely and evenly incorporated making a stiff dough. 
7. Add the Chocolate Chunks to the dough and mix till evenly incorporated. 

Baking 

Preheat the oven at 175 C for 10 minutes. 

To make cookies that are approximately about 65 grams each, spoon 2 tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 175 C for 11 minutes.

Remove the cookies and let it cool for about 2-3 minutes before you transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storing

Store the cookies in an air-tight jar for up to 10 days with a slice of bread to keep the cookies moist and fresh.

Date and Mango Chutney

Ingredients

1 teaspoon of cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of minced ginger
3 green chillies
1/2 cup of raw green mango, minced
a lemon sized ball of seedless dates
10 mint leaves
salt, to taste
water (optional)

Instructions

Heat the oil in a kadai and add the cumin seeds to it. Once the cumin seeds start to sputter, add the ginger, green chillies, raw mango, and dates to the kadai. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium heat.

Let the mixture cool for 10-15 minutes, then grind it with the mint leaves. Add salt to taste, and water for the desired consistency.

Mushroom Fry

Ingredients 

1 tablespoon of cooking oil

1/4 teaspoon of mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon of fresh chopped ginger

200 g of sliced mushroom

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black peppercorns

1 small onion, sliced and fried till brown

1/2 teaspoon of masala powder

salt, to taste

2 tablespoons of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Instructions

Heat the oil in a kadai on medium heat and add the mustard seeds to it. Once the mustard seeds start sputtering, add the ginger and stir for 30 seconds. Then add the mushroom and cook covered for 2-3 minutes till the oil starts to separate. 

Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, and freshly ground pepper. stir on high heat for 30 seconds. 

Add the browned onions, masala powder, and salt to taste. Cover and cook for about 1-2 minutes, then serve garnished with fresh, chopped coriander leaves. 

Pasta with Seared Cherry Tomatoes

Out grocery shopping a few days ago, I came across very fresh Cherry Tomatoes. 

On a whim I bought them, and then started the Google/Pinterest hunt for suitable recipes. Found a load of recipes for Pasta. Here's what I made.

Ingredients 

100 g of Spaghetti (this recipe will work with most types of pasta), cooked in lightly salted water and a teaspoon of olive oil. Reserve half a cup of this water for the sauce.

1 cup of Cherry Tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 tablespoon of minced Garlic

1/2 tablespoon of Red Chilli Flakes

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh Basil

1/2 tablespoon of finely chopped Parsley

1/2 a cup of grated Cheese

Salt, to taste

Instructions 

Heat a large skillet over high heat, Saute the tomatoes for about a minute, till they are lightly seared. remove from the skillet and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and pour the Olive Oil in the skillet. Saute the Garlic in it for about 30 seconds.

Add the Red Chilli Flakes and finely chopped Basil, and stir to combine. Add the Pasta and reserved pasta water.

Mix in the seared tomatoes once the sauce starts boiling, and switch off the heat when the sauce is almost absorbed.

Toss with the finely chopped Parsley and grated Cheese. Add salt if required.

linguine ai funghi crudi - Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

225 gram(s) chestnut mushroom(s)
80 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon(s) maldon salt (or 1½ teaspoons table salt)
1 clove(s) garlic (crushed)
1 lemon(s) (juice & zest)
1 teaspoon(s) thyme (leaves)
500 gram(s) linguine
1 bunch(es) parsley (chopped)
3 tablespoon(s) parmesan cheese (grated to taste)
1 pinch of black pepper (freshly ground)

Method

Slice the mushrooms finely, and put in a large bowl with the oil, salt, crushed garlic, lemon juice and zest, and marvellously scented thyme leaves.
Cook the pasta according to packet instructions and drain loosely, retaining some water. Quickly put the drained pasta into the bowl with the mushroom mixture.
Toss everything together well, then add the chopped parsley, grated cheese and pepper to taste, before tossing again, and eat with joy in your heart.

Additional information - for vegetarians replace the Parmesan with vegetarian alternative.

Avial

I love Avial because it's yummy, and is made from a lot of vegetables... so much fibre. There are loads of recipes for Avial. This is my way of making it, with ginger.

Ingredients

Vegetables

1 cup of Carrot
1 cup of Cucumber
1 cup of Snake Gourd
1 cup of Raw Plantain

Other vegetables that may be used are Beans, Drumstick, edible Gourds (including Bitter Gourd), Potatoes, Pumpkins, and Yam.

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder
salt to taste
6-7 shallots
2-3 green chilies
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger
1 tablespoon of grated Raw Mango
2 tablespoons of grated coconut
1 cup of sour curds
a few curry leaves

Instructions

Chop all the vegetables into 2' pieces. Boil the vegetables with the turmeric, chili,  cumin and salt in about 2 glasses of water.

Rough grind the green chilies and shallots.

Warm the coconut oil, add the ginger and saute for about 30 seconds. Then add the shallot / green chili paste and saute for about a minute. Add the boiled vegetables and the raw mango, mix well on low heat. Then add the grated coconut and sour curds. Turn off the heat and mix well. Garnish with curry leaves.

Serve with hot steamed rice.

Orange Marmalade

I love fruit, and Oranges are one of my favorites. So needless to say, I love Orange season. Up until now, Orange season meant that I bought heaps of Oranges and ate quantities everyday. This year however, is different.

Pinterest opened my eyes to a hoard of recipes and sparked an interest that mere browsing would not have achieved. I created my Food & Favorite Recipes board among many others and started pinning avidly. One pin lead to another board to follow, and soon I had more recipes than time to experiment. 

January 2013 is the month of my experiments with Oranges. I ate many Oranges and soaked the Orange Peel in Vinegar to make Orange Vinegar (that smells delicious and cleans like a charm). Then one day I came across a recipe to make Orange Marmalade. I googled to learn more, and decided to give it a shot. 

I followed that recipe more or less, but it's different from the original recipe in a few aspects. I took the photos with my iPhone, the original recipe has lovely photos. Here's what I did:

I bought 2.5 pounds of Kinnow Oranges and 1 Lemon

I used 2 pounds of Sugar and 1 pound of Demerara Sugar

I added 1/4 teaspoon of salt 

I washed the fruit in salt and water. The placed the fruit in a thick bottomed saucepan and added 1.5 quarts of water. I brought the fruit to a boil on high heat. Then let it simmer after covering it for 1.5 - 2 hours. Then I had to be patient and let it stand overnight. This was the hard part for me.

The next morning, I cut the fruit into quarters.  Then scraped the pulp and fruit into the water. I squished the fruit pulp and the lemon, and brought it to a boil leaving it to bubble for 10 minutes on high heat.

In the meantime I chopped up the peel and set it aside.

After 10 minutes, I strained the liquid into a bowl and squeezed the pulp in the strainer to get all the liquid out. Then I put the liquid back in the saucepan with the chopped peel and brought it to a boil.
 

Once the contents in the saucepan were boiling, I added the sugar and stirred till the sugar was completely dissolved. Then I let it boil for 35 minutes and tested it to see if it was done.

Quoting the original blogger: "put a teaspoonful of hot marmalade on a cold plate and place it in the freezer to chill for a couple of minutes. Take the plate out of the freezer, and push at the jam with your finger. If it wrinkles, it’s done. If it doesn't wrinkle, let the marmalade cook for another 10 minutes and test it again, and repeat the process until it’s done."

After 55 minutes, it was done!!! I stirred in the salt, let it stand for 20 minutes, then transferred the Orange Marmalade in to the jars and sealed them.

Krispy Kreme in Bangalore

Krispy Kreme opened their first outlet in India yesterday, on Church Street in Bangalore. This is great news, because I am a huge fan of Krispy Kreme donuts. I 'liked' their Facebook page days in advance, and watched in mild horror as they used a 'Black Friday' gimmick to draw a crowd to the opening.

The first person to buy a dozen donuts got a year's supply of free donuts, once each week; the second person got a six month supply, the third person got a 3 month supply; the fourth - hundredth persons got a one month supply; and the hundred and first - two hundredth persons got a dozen donuts free.

I stayed away. If not for the crowd that I am sure that gimmick drew, I 'd like to believe that I'd have been at the opening.


Today my brother B, sister-in-law D, and nephew Sidd came over to my home for lunch. Post lunch we sat around chatting and the opening of Krispy Kreme came up. So we decided to head out there and check out the scene.

The Hot Light was lit. It was packed and noisy. The staff looked friendly. I noticed a couple of them posing for pictures with or taking pictures of customers.  People had lined up to buy the donuts. I joined the queue and was a tad disappointed when the fella distributing sample Original Glazed donuts ran out of them just one person before me. It was fun to watch the donuts moving along the conveyor belt.

I reached the counter to select donuts in a few minutes. I decided to buy a dozen Original Glazed and a dozed assorted donuts. The fella that boxed my donuts was friendly and patient. He boxed 3 Original Glazed and 3 assorted donuts each in 4 boxes meant for half a dozen donuts, then informed me that I'd get the Double Dozen (a dozen Original Glazed and a dozen assorted donuts) deal for the lot.

The fella and felle that billed my double dozen however were rude, argumentative, and stupid. First they charge me for 2 dozen assorted donuts. Then, when I pointed out that I was eligible for the Double Dozen deal, they opened each box and counted the number of Original Glazed and assorted donuts. Next they argued that because I'd asked for my donuts to be split into 4 boxes of half a dozen donuts each, and not in  2 boxes of a dozen each I was not eligible for the Double Dozen deal. (Complaining? Definitely.)

So I get charged a 120 bucks more because I chose to have my donuts boxed in 4 smaller boxes rather than 2 larger boxes? Reluctantly they voided that bill and rang up another one, after I threatened never to return there again. (Luckily they didn't know me, else they would have known what a fib that was.) After a minor mishap involving the rude felle who input wrong information into the card machine and said that my debit card had been declined; and the transaction going through the second time after I pointed out to her what options to choose; I was in possession of 2 dozens of Krispy Kreme donuts. (Yay!!!)

We opened 2 of the boxes and wolfed down an Original Glazed donut each. The Original Glazed donuts were authentic. B and D liked them too. The assorted donuts I'd picked up were: Glazed Chocolate Cake, Glazed Vanilla Cake, Cinnamon Apple filled, Chocolate Iced Custard filled, Powdered Blueberry filled, and Powdered Strawberry filled. We started nibbling on the assorted donuts, and I have no complaints about the Shells. But the Cakes were different, moister and softer than the ones that I've eaten in California.(Still not complaining about the donuts.)

Sidd, the new Krispy Kreme fan in the Family. 

I was happy and high on sugar. I took some pictures and decided to upload them on Facebook. So I asked a passing staff fella for the WiFi password. He comes back and refuses to share the password with me because the WiFi is not for the use of a mere mobile phone. My iPhone was suitable offended. Apple are you hearing this? (More complaining.) I love Krispy Kreme donuts, but crowded or not, the behavior of some of the staff was very off-putting. Krispy Kreme are you hearing this?

And while I'm on the topic, where are the Maple Glazed donuts? Where I say? Where? Some of my favorites from the ones I've eaten in California are not available here. (Not quite complaining. Merely pointing out so that Krispy Kreme can fix this situation.) I also saw a Mango & Kreme Krunch. Total cliche, but will reserve my opinion till I try it.