Mango Ginger Cardamom Mini Bundt Cakes

It poured all day yesterday and not just your average rain but the kind that you hear loud and clear even when all locked up inside the house over the sound of the movie playing on TV. It is surely daunting at first, scary even with the occasional loud thunder but then you start to enjoy it. Hubs decided it was perfect weather for some backyard grilling. First we decided to grill some corn-on-the-cob followed by our favorite veggie pizza. When I went looking for my pizza stone in the drawer where I keep all my baking trays and pans, that is when I saw my mini bundt cake pan sitting idle stacked away and hidden under several other trays. If you noticed recently I have made a few mango based drinks from which I had some mango puree left over. That's when this dish was decided. The cakes turned out perfect with the exotic flavor of Alphonso mangoes and a hint of ginger to kick it up a notch.

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Mint Ginger Lemonade

ummer is almost here. It is the season that is welcomed in many parts of the world and dreaded in others. I happen to hail from the part that falls under the latter. Mere mention of summer makes me start thinking about anything cold or refreshing that helps cool you down in the sweltering heat. My foodie brain starts to visualize different kinds of drinks that I can make and enjoy. Guess you can say in some rather strange way summer also gets the creative juices flowing, no pun intended. Refreshing oftentimes to me means some combination of mint and what better to put it together in a drink that I have rarely seen anyone dislike, the lemonade. A simple recipe that done right can get you rave accolades.

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Saffron Mango Lassi

ow summer is not my most favorite season but for some reason I have a strange sense of longing now that it is almost over. This drink is an ode to summer saying goodbye and what better than to do that with with king of summer fruits ~ the Mango! The sound of 'Lassi' reminds me of hot summer afternoons, a tall glass filled with a chilled frothy yogurt drink. Summers in India are even harsher than here but they still used to be fun. Not just because we used to have long vacation away from school and we were allowed to just go out and play, visiting grandparents, all the pampering .. but also because the season would bring a lot of fun and cool food and fruits and berries - mangoes, jamun, lassi, a million varities of kulfi, soda pops, ice-chuski and the list goes on.

Lassi is a sweet chilled yogurt based drink is especially loved by all n very popular all over India especially in the northern and north-western parts of the Indian Subcontinent. Being made of yogurt it has a cooling effect so just the right thing to do to gulp own a tall glass before you head out in the scorching sun. 

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Kashmiri Dahi Baingan/Eggplant in Yogurt Fennel Gravy

 have seen quite a few eggplant haters and also few ardent lovers but no one even comes close to my dearest eggplantaholic hubby. Oh yes, he just LOVES eggplant and can't get enough. He can eat it every single day and in all its forms :) Before I got married to him I didn't detest this vegetable but it was definitely not my favorite. Later however the vegetable grew on me especially with the killer Baingan Bharta he makes (yes he can cook eggplant too, not just eat). His love for eggplant was so well known that I was advised to learn as many eggplant recipes I could by family and relatives alike... lol. I used to keep an eye out for eggplant recipes everywhere possible books, newspapers, magazines, cookery shows and used to jot down (something I still do) in my treasured little diary of recipes. This dish is one of them. If 'Khana-Khazana' rings a bell, you would know - yes this is inspired from a recipe from one my most favorite chefs Sanjeev Kapoor.
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Kashmiri Dum Aloo/Baby potatoes in yogurt gravy

on't you think potato is a very forgiving vegetable... no matter how you make it, what 
spices you put in it, it is almost always edible and satisfying. It is a staple in my home also, whenever I find myself staring at the refrigerator wondering what to cook, the humble potato always comes to the rescue. Also, it is very versatile and goes well with either rice or roti.
Of all the different kinds, baby potatoes are my favorite. I find them extremely cute (a big pain to peel but still love 'em). Of all the recipes I make from these cuties this aloo dum (the bihari version) is my hubby's most favorite thing in the world. Looking for a new dum aloo recipe I came across this recipe from our very own Vah Chef's cooking videos and bookmarked it. Made it a few days ago and now it is my hubby's second most fav aloo dish. How can you not like it when its baby potatoes simmered in creamy and an aromatic gravy made with yogurt, cashews flavored with traditional kashmiri spices like ginger and fennel powder.

Dum Aloo is named so because it is cooked under 'dum' or pressure. In this cooking method, the food is cooked under pressure in its own juices! 

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Ginger tea lemonade

t may sound a little unusual for an Indian household but we do not drink tea in our home. Neither me nor hubby really liked it ever. The concept of iced tea however always had our fancy but again we never liked the taste, funny eh! So this recipe met me one day while I was watching Giada's show (again). As I usually like lemon flavors in my drinks, be it lemon tea, lemon soda or lemonade (you get the idea), this recipe struck home with me as she was making it. I went ahead and tried making it as-is and it was fabulous. It has a feel of a sophisticated mock-tail with tea and lemon flavors and a hint of ginger. Something you would want to sit sipping on the beach on a hot summer afternoon (yes you can put an umbrella in your glass :)

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