A hearty, comforting and an Asian inspired Spicy Carrot Soup that will warm you up on those freezing days. It is made with a few ingredients such as Carrots, lemongrass, red chilli and soy sauce and topped with crunchy sesame seeds.
Little pillows of deliciousness Coconut and Cardamom Wholewheat Cookies are just to die for and comes with a caution' these are dangerously addictive! If you love cookies of all kinds, this recipe is a keeper. Hmm, yum, yum, yum! Crunch crunch crunch!
Officially Spring has arrived here, about time too with Easter only just around the corner. It looks like spring has only arrived on the calendar, as forecasters are predicting Return of the 'Beast from the East' we may have White Easter,! Well, we won't be able to do anything against mother nature, then do something that we humans can do, brew a pot of chai!! and enjoy these absolutely delicious and eggless cookies to see you through this cold snap.
A mouthwatering Middle Eastern inspired Lemon, Rose and Pistachio Semolina Bundt Cake!
It is soaked in fragrant sugar syrup and served with whipped clotted cream and yogurt on the side, this is a dessert worthy of any occasions. A super delicious cake that is very easy to prepare and is Eggless! Serve after a good meal with Coffee, definitely, it will add that extra oomph to a meal.
A blissful bowl of Tomato, Harissa and Orzo Soup, is bursting with amazing flavours! There is just so much comforting goodness in every spoon of this soup. It's vegan, hearty and spicy that keeps you full and warm. It's a perfect choice when you want to have a full meal yet light on the tummy.
Yet I am posting one more recipe for soup! While in the other parts of the world some of you guys are making pickles in scorching heat and holding chilled drinks in your hands to beat the heat.
we are far away from that kind of weather yet as a week ago we were badly battered by a snowstorm which left all of us in a very vulnerable condition.
In many places being sub-zero temperatures, and heavy downpour there were power cuts and the whole country faced transport chaos. Many had to face empty shelves in the supermarkets as delivery drivers could not deliver to the stores and the stores had to cancel thousands of home delivery services due to icy conditions and transport chaos.
It is all well to enjoy visually all these piles of snow like in Yash Raj films and getting by mesmerized by the white snow, Only looks so pretty in Bollywood movies, but becomes a huge problem in real life as it does cause so much havoc and chaos for all. But spring is around the corner!
Although the situation is under control now, snow is gone and temperatures are going slightly up. But while I'm drafting this post, just came to know that we may need to bring out our woolies again because freezing weather is coming again with more snow on the way this weekend!
As soon as temperatures drop my mind turns to the simple pleasure of stirring a big batch of soup. I was more than happy to prepare family's favourite Tomato, Harissa and Orzo Soup, that you want to make again and again. This frugal soup is loaded with the goodness of tomatoes, harissa paste and energy providing Orzo ( rice-shaped pasta) with full of taste and texture.
You can serve this soup any weeknight along with wholemeal or multigrain crusty bread and fresh salad for a hearty and filling meal or on its own for a light lunch on the next day.
Notes:- Adjust spice levels of this soup according to your taste. If you don't have Orzo pasta, add small macaroni pasta.
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Roasted Tomato, Harissa and Orzo Soup
by Jagruti March-14-2018
Enjoy this blissful bowl of tomato, harissa and orzo soup with crusty bread that is comforting and easy to prepare.
Pinch Freshly ground black pepper and red chilli flakes
Instructions
Heat oil in a saucepan and add onion, celery and garlic.Cook until translucent.Add harissa paste and fry for a few seconds.Then add fresh tomato, canned tomato and tomato paste.Mix all well then add vegetable stock and salt.Bring the soup to boil and simmer until tomatoes are done.Turn off the heat, then puree the soup with a hand blender, you can keep some tomato chunks intact.Then add orzo pasta, Italian herbs, and little water if the soup is too thick.Cook the pasta until well cooked.Add black pepper powder and red chilli flakes if using.Serve in a serving bowl, garnish it with the fresh parsley and enjoy hot with crusty bread. Enjoy!
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 6-8 servings
Kenyan style Chevdo or Kenya Chevdo / Chevro is sweet, spicy and incredibly tasty and you must shove a handful in your mouth at least once in a lifetime. I guarantee that you'll never give up on it. This savoury snack is crunchy and definitely full of flavours. It's a delicious blend of deep fried potato crisps, beaten rice, fried beans, lentils, nuts and some basic spices.
It's a cliche that Mother in Laws and daughter in Laws relationships are mostly tenuous one, but this has been proved wrong about my relationship with my Mother in Law. When I met her, I knew we will get on so well, although I did not spend much time with her as she passed away after some months since I met her, but the short time that I spent with her are full of good memories. She knew that for a young girl like me it was very hard to settle in a foreign country, she supported me in every way, e.g. my thoughts and ambitions.
We really had a great time cooking our favourite dishes together, and I really enjoyed her style of cooking which was very different to my mum's cooking and had many African influences. My favourites being Kasoli and Jugu nu Saak ( Sweet Corn and Peanut Curry) , Mogo ni Bhaji ( Cassava stir-fry) and Matoke nu Saak ( Ugandan Raw Banana Curry).
It was my first Diwali in the UK with my husband's family and I was terribly missing India, I clearly remember me and my MIL were talking about Diwali and how I celebrate Diwali in India, I mentioned about my mum's Poha Chevdo to her, and her words were' Let's go to the kitchen and prepare 'Kenya No Chevdo'. We got all the ingredients together to make this chevdo and she said to me that she had made plans to make that recipe for Diwali and wanted to show me how it's made as I always took interest in cooking new dishes :)
I was so delighted and for a few hours I totally forgot about India and engrossed into it and at the same time I jotted down the recipe. Would you believe I still have that same piece of paper where I scribbled the recipe in Gujarati more than 26 years ago :)
In just a couple of hours, we prepared a big batch of Kenyan Chevdo, and let me tell you that it turned out absolutely delicious and has become an all-time favourite as much as my mum's Fried Poha Chevdo'.
Kenya Chevdo or Chevro, is one of the most popular snack items amongst all the British Asians, especially who grew up in East Africa and migrated in late 60's or early 70's to the UK. It's a favourite item of my husband, he can't get enough of it. It is widely available in the Indian sweet shops but also many older generation of British Asians make this at home and some families supply this unique Kenyan Chevdo to their customers as it is made in a special way.
Since I learned to make Kenya Chevdo from my MIL, I prepared it once almost two decades ago, then I misplaced that piece of paper which had the recipe scribbled down. We were so disheartened and missed this actual recipe. Our cravings for this led us to the sweetmarts but disappointingly it was no way near the homemade one. I also asked Google (Maharaj) for a decent Kenyan Chevdo recipe but none of the results that came up were even worth considering to waste my ingredients.
Some weeks back British Gas came to replace all the meters, and guess what! The engineer handed me, my beloved piece of paper with the missing recipe. Happy days! It was stuck behind the meter all those years in the cupboard under the stairs.
'Once bitten twice shy' because I didn't want to lose this recipe again, I prepared this Kenyan Chevdo as soon as I had time and now I am more than happy to give it a special place on 'Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey'
Husband was so delighted to see this chevdo being made, his words were: this sight and smell takes me back to East Africa and reminds me of my mum. The taste, colour and the aroma of chevdo is exactly the same how my mum used to make and he showed his appreciation.
Today by making and posting this recipe, we pay a tribute to my Mother in Law and for our next generation, so no piece of paper is needed :)
Notes:- If you are pressed for time, you can use ready made potato sticks (Batata Katri julienne style), masala Channa Daal and Moong Beans and still you can prepare this recipe.
You can adjust the spices and sugar in this recipe according to your taste.
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Kenyan Style Chevdo / Chevro
by Jagruti March-6-2018
Kenyan or Kenya Chevdo is a delicious mix that is a very popular snack amongst all the British Asians. It's Vegan and a tasty snack prepared with various mixture of dried and spicy ingredients such as lentils, nuts, beaten rice and spices.
Ingredients
2 Big Potatoes
50g Mag (Green Moong Beans)
50g Chana Daal (Split chickpeas)
100g Jada Poha / pava ( Thick Beaten Rice)
200g Mixed Nuts ( Peanuts, Almonds and cashew)
Oil to deep fry
Salt to taste
4-5 Tbsp. Powdered sugar ( NOT ICING SUGAR)
1 -2 Tbsp. Red chilli Powder + Pinch Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
1/2 Tbsp. Turmeric Powder
2 Cinnamon bark
8-10 Cloves
2-3 Green Chillies cut
12-15 Curry Leaves
small pinch Amchoor powder (optional)
Instructions
On a previous night soak moong beans and chana daal separately in clean and cold water. In the morning discard the water and pat dry moong beans and chana daal with the kitchen towel, leave it aside. Now peel the potatoes, and grate and wash them in running water to discard the starch from the potatoes. ( I used my food processor )Dry the potato sticks with kitchen towel and leave it on a new kitchen towel. Heat the oil over medium heat and fry cinnamon and cloves, then fry green chillies and curry leaves and put it separately aside on a plate. Then fry the potato sticks until crunchy and crispy. ( It should not burn ) After potato sticks are done, fry chana daal and moong beans until nice and crispy. Now fry the nuts, followed by beaten rice. Keep everything in a big bowl or a plate. Now gently start mixing everything, and first add turmeric powder and mix well. Then add red chilli powder and salt. Again keep mixing gently and then add sugar and amchoor powder. Mix everything so well and then add green chillies and curry leaves. Mix again and let it cool completely. Once cooled completely store in an airtight container.Enjoy!
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 10-12 servings
One of the most popular and delicious savoury snack, FriedPoha Chevdo / Chivda is super tasty and tongue tickling and not so complicated to prepare. This crunchy and aromatic chevdo is prepared with thick flattened or beaten rice (Poha), assorted nuts and tossed in basic spices. Generally, chevdo is prepared during the festivals such as Diwali or Holi, many consume throughout the year too.
Mother's is day approaching very fast for us Brits, it's on 11th of March. It is the day of the year when we all want to try our best to make our mum feel special, we all want to find a perfect gift for our mothers to express our love and appreciation. It's natural for one to get emotional around this time of the year whose mother is no more in this world, what can we do? I and my husband have lost our mothers a few years back, and their departures left a vacuum in our lives, pain still lingers and since then our lives have never been the same but they always stay alive in our hearts and in our memories.
When a child is unhappy about something, he goes to his Mum. But in my case the story was little different, we were hesitant to approach our Mum with any problem as she seemed a strict teacher and was known as 'Iron Lady' by friends and neighbours rather than a humble mum.
My mum was the strongest pillar of our family. I was raised by a mother who was hardworking, strong and powerful, she always carried herself with a strong attitude. she was outspoken, fearless and stubborn at the same time. But with all these strong points there were some weaknesses as well she was short-tempered and took many decisions on impulse and because of her thoughts and opinions she suffered some losses along the way. She believed in working hard, she refused to take rest throughout her life. For her 24 hours in a day were not enough because I knew she always wished for and given the best to us and there are many examples I can share but then the post will go longer and longer, so today being a food blogger, my memories that I will cherish about my mum are through the food medium.
So now you are thinking that My mum was a great cook? and maybe that is why I inherited her cooking skills? Nope, although mum was strong and modern thinking, she was so simple, and definitely wasn't a great cook. She never cooked anything fancy but only simple everyday dishes. Whatever she cooked, always healthy with minimal exotic spices, oil, ghee or sugar. Only these ingredients were used liberally on the occasion of Diwali, Holi or on our Birthdays. I always loved whatever she cooked, but Poha Chevdo / Chivda is my favourite all time of dish of hers.
She cooked Poha Chivdo only once in a year, on Diwali. Many times on a previous night of Diwali she would work till 2am and prepare Diwali delicacies. Nothing special is added in this Poha Chevdo of hers, not any rich or expensive nuts or spices yet that poha chevdo tasted amazing, everything was so well balanced in there, just the right spiciness, right sweetness and right sourness. I always tried making a chevdo, just like hers. In the beginning I just could not do it but after so many trials and errors I achieved that result and that was just a few years back, so I thought of giving this recipe a warm place on my blog here :) and take a great pride because I have never inherited her 'Iron Lady' image but at least I have made Poha Chivda exactly like my mum.
Notes:-
Poha Chevdo / Chivda can be made with two types of Poha, thick or thin, for deep fried Chevdo you must use thick Poha, my mum always used thick poha.
In my mum's recipe, she never added any fancy ingredients such as cashew, almonds, raisins, cinnamon or cloves, but I have put a cinnamon stick, raisins and a few almonds for the photographic purpose only.
This recipe can be changed a little according to your taste, you can increase or decrease spiciness of this dish or add any other nuts too.
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Poha Chevdo/Chivda
by Jagruti March-3-2018
Poha Chevdo is a popular savoury snack that is prepared with beaten rice, nuts, and basic spices.
Ingredients
1 kg Thick Poha ( Beaten Rice)
Oil to deep fry
300g Raw peanuts
3-4 Green chillies round cut
2 sprig Curry leaves
2 Tbsp. Red Chilli Powder (Lal Mirch)
1 Tbsp. Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 Tbsp. Turmeric Powder ( haldi)
Salt to taste
4 Tbsp. Powdered sugar ( Not icing sugar)
Big Pinch Citric acid powder ( Limbu na Phool )
2 Whole Dry red chillies
Instructions
First clean the poha properly. In a one bowl mix both red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder, sugar and citric powder and keep it aside.Heat oil in a kadai on medium heat and fry poha using a big sieve. Don't add all the poha at once.Remove the fried poha in a big plate.Now fry peanuts, then lower the heat and fry green chillies and curry leaves.Mix everything in a big plate and add the spice mix little by little into the fried poha mix while the mixture is still warm.Once you achieved the right taste and colour of the chevdo, stop adding the spice mixture.Gently keep mixing the poha chevdo for a while so all the flavours reaches through fried poha. Let the poha chevdo cool completely. Once it cooled store in an airtight container.Serve with a cup of masala chai, juices or on its own.Enjoy!
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 10-12 servings of 100g
Gift giving is a great feeling. Seeing the recipients face light up when they unwrap their gift is one of the main reasons we give them in the first place. But what do you give someone that already seems to have everything they already want? With so many special days and occasions dotted throughout the year, the pressure goes up to find a great gift.
During special occasions, shopping centers can become packed with people trying to find the perfect present. It makes sense, then, to stay in the comfort of your own home and buy personalised gifts online where you have the time to try think through what you want rather than give a generic shop bought gift.
Personalised gifts show you have put thought into your gift and you've really thought about the recipient. Generally, personalised gifts are treasured and will remind people of the time they were given the gift and they will remember that day for it. Personalising a gift will be special for whoever you've got it for and unique because it is something that no one else can give them.
A few weeks ago I was contacted by Personlizedcart from the USA, and they kindly offered me to choose one of their products and review it. They have personalised and handmade gifts for all occasions and every budget no matter what is the occasion - birthdays, Father's day, Mother's day, wedding anniversary, Christmas or even for gifts for best friends too. So many meaningful gifts ideas that anyone would adore.
I was so delighted whilst I was browsing the site, it was very hard for me to choose a gift, from personlised jewelry to personalised puzzles and brass compass gifts, custom front door mat to personalised pocket knife or watch. Hundreds of products for any occasion and the engraving is done free for you. Every few seconds I was changing my mind as to what I wanted. In the end I had to tell my mind that being a food blogger, I should choose a Personalised Cutting Board, after all for me a good cutting board will be my best friend in the kitchen and for my photography, I can use as a backdrop :)
I chose a large size black walnut wood cutting board and chose a pattern H. For engraving I chose my blogs name ' Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey' As soon as I ordered my personalised cutting board, I did not have to do anything else. In less than a week I received my cutting board all the way from USA in mint condition. They took great care in sending their products to their customers, cutting board was well wrapped with appropriate packaging materials.
I was so thrilled to open my package and it did not disappoint at all. It looked so sleek and such good quality wood cutting board. I have given this cutting board a special place in my heart and kitchen as this is personalised. It's nice to think a little more than just giving your loved ones chocolate, flowers or cakes.
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Disclaimer- I would like to thank PersonalizedCart for sending me a beautiful personlised engraved cutting board. I was sent this product for an unbiased review not told or paid to write a positive review. All the opinions are my own.
Try this healthy and tasty Green peas, Chickpea and Popcorn Bhel/Chaat or spice mix. It is a unique snack that is nutritious and colourful. This crispy and crunchy healthy mix can be done in a few tics and definitely satisfy your hunger pangs whenever you feel like having a snack.
(Update - while I was drafting this recipe, things were different but currently, whole UK is battered with snow)
Although recently temperatures have dropped very low, the bitter cold wind have blown in from the east, making everyone go numb! But, clearly spring signs are everywhere, and it feels like spring is just around the corner. Past few days the sun is rising early, while I go for my walks early in the morning, I watch a sunrise, sometimes I take out my phone and click pictures of it.
Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey
Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey
People say sunrise is a magnificent time of the day, when you witness the sunrise it feels it's a new beginning and fills your hearts, mind, and body with joy, happiness, and energy. It recharges you for an entire day. Also, it is a nice surprise to see a burst bright and sunshine in the fields and people's front gardens with fresh spring blooming flowers such as daffodils in February.
The spectacular and energising sunrise, fresh and yellow flowers remind me of the Indian Spring festival Holi and seem like it even mother nature wants to play herself with bright colours, so why can't we humans!
I have not played Holi past 3 decades, and tell you the truth I'm not missing it either. I've always enjoyed watching others play it rather than join in myself. To get into the Holi spirit, I much prefer making different Holi foods and enjoying eating them!
In Gujarat where I spent my childhood, I have seen so many recipes of using popcorn or puffed sorghum. I guess if popcorn was left over, then many different snacks and recipes could be made from it. DHULETI - on this day these snacks can be made with little cooking.
One such recipe is POPCORN BHEL or CHAAT. In all honesty, there is hardly any recipe here, just preparing the ingredients and mixing together and enjoy with friends and family. This snack can be made ahead once you are ready to serve just put all the ingredients together and enjoy.
Recently British company from sunny Devon Portlebay Popcorn sent me their range of popcorn which is hand popped in Devon. Flavours including Chilli and Lime, Cinnamon, sea salted and sweet and salty, Wasaabi and Sweet Ginger and Sweet Thai Sriracha. Enjoyed all the flavours and now it is very hard to choose a favourite!
This chaat turned out so well and delicious, no one even mentioned needing any tangy, sweet or spicy chutney for this chaat whilst we ate it. Without that chutney, the chaat was still full of all of those flavours!
Notes:-
I have used black chickpeas here, but you can use white chickpeas too.
Chaat masala is available in any Indian store. If you can not find chaat Masala use lemon juice.
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Popcorn Bhel / Chaat
by Jagruti March-1-2018
This nutritious, colourful and delicious Popcorn Chaat that is quick and easy and healthy!
Ingredients
50g Salted Popcorn
100g Boiled black chickpeas ( you can use white too )
100g Green Peas steamed or frozen
1 tsp. Oil
1/2 tsp. Cumin and mustard seeds
2 Tbsp. Tomato finely chopped
2 tbsp. Red onion finely chopped
2 Tbsp. Red, orange and green capsicum finely chopped
2 Tbsp. Freshly chopped coriander
2 Tbsp. Pomegranate seeds
1 Finely chopped green chilli (optional)
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp. Red Chilli Powder
Pinch Garam masala
1 tsp. Cumin and Coriander Powder
1 tsp. Chaat Masala
Instructions
Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard and cumin seeds.Add frozen peas and cook for a couple of minutes.Now add boiled chickpeas (without any water) and mix it with green peas.Add a pinch of salt and turn off the heat.Once it's little cool down add green chillies, capsicum, and all the masala.Mix well and leave it aside or if you want to serve warm chaat add onion and tomato. Mix well, then add popcorn and mix well.Serve immediately in a serving bowl and garnish it with freshly chopped coriander and pomegranate seeds.Enjoy!
Disclaimer:- Thank you Portalbay Popcorn for sending us these products. I was sent these for an unbiased review and not told or paid to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
