Panfusine

 As I slowly cobble up my thanksgiving menu, The natural curiosity in me seems to have allowed me to go haywire with whatever fall produce is available. I had plenty of leftover puree from my cheesecake that I did not want to toss away so decided to incorporate it for a savory recipe, So just added it to some spinach to make a savory Saag curry paired with piping hot Naans. To make this a vegan version, use olive or vegetable oil. I diced some Delicata squash,  and added them both as a complementary textural ingredient (sauteed) as well as a garnish (Pan fried). If access to  delicata squashes is restricted, feel free to substitute with any other squash. Saag Delicata You need: 2 bunches fresh spinach 1 delicata squash , Peeled, cored and diced 1 cup shallots or red onions, sliced thin 1 teaspoon garam masala 2 + 3 (total 5) tablespoons Ghee or Oil (if you prefer a vegan option) 1 tablespoon cumin 1-2 blades mace 2 small sticks cassia cinnamon...

  Time flies when you're having fun - so goes the saying. I never realized how relevant it would be to something so very different as this baking project that we started way back in January. Aparna Balasubramanian, the author of the blog 'My diverse kitchen' has led us through a fabulous journey through sweet and savory yeast  confections. It started out with the pull apart bread and wended its way through classic breads like Croissants to unusual cookies such as Torcettini de St. Vincent . This years penultimate bread is the classic Swedish cinnamon bun, (yep, from the same set of those addictive treats you look forward to on a trip to Ikea). These buns are traditionally made on Oct. 4th to celebrate 'The day of the cinnamon bun' but then these are so addictive that they're available all year round in Swedish bakeries. The Swedish version is a lot less sticky and sweet compared to the American version. I tried both the traditional swirled version a...

I had no idea of what I would be blogging about, or even if I was going to post today. Yes, there are a couple of posts sitting in my drafts column, that I was to publish in the next couple of day, but it was never going to be plain Idlies.  So, back to basics? What are Idlies ? Answer: they're basically spongy steamed cakes made with a fermented rice and Urad lentil batter. The perfect healthy blend of protein & carbs,  The fermentation confers a depth of Umami and one of the best things is that you can pair the cakes with just about anything, Sugar, ketchup, Sriracha, and the usual chutneys, the milaga podi, Sambar & yes, Fresh home made yogurt. The purpose of this post is not about sharing a recipe for idli. Its a classic national dish and there are countless sites you could get it from. Its about discussing the myriad ways that one could shape them. I've been making unconventional Idlies  way, way before I even knew that there was such a thing a...

  As if to compensate for the dreary daylight saving change of time, the short day's and the brown scattered leaves fluttering about in the cold breeze, Nature gives you glimpses of some pretty spectacular colors that are best appreciated in autumn, like this gorgeous sunset a couple of days ago  I'm gracefully resigning my self to the crisp cold sunny  days of Fall, and beginning to look forward to the seasonal bounty that the season brings along, The bright colored winter squashes & pumpkins, the gemstone colored cranberries, Persimmons, pomegranates..and the list goes on. The recipe for this post ironically uses none of these, relying instead on a canned ingredient. Yep, I'm referring to the good ol' canned pumpkin that makes its appearance around now. Its convenience lies in the fact that the texture and flavor is consistent and pleasantly enough it wasn't too sweet, which meant that I could use the contents from the same can in a...

  Of all the breads baked this year, I must say October's challenge that Aparna Balasubramanian from My Diverse kitchen picked out  really gave me a run for the effort and conferred a whole new respect  for the simple sandwich bread. As easy as it is to pick up a bag of brown bread from the supermarket (which unfortunately just turns out to be caramel colored white bread most of the time), It was quite a surprise to discover the completely different taste and texture of the real thing. Whole wheat flour needs a lot of coaxing to create a good looking loaf, and one of the reasons it took  me some time to get around to this post was that the sandwich bread exercise was a tough lesson to master. I could make it right the first time, but it took 2 more loaves to really get the hang of it. This particular recipe is the brainchild of  Peter Reinhart , and makes use of an autolysing technique with 2 components a 'soaker' and a 'sponge'. Just take your time t...