Nadia bara jhol /Coconut and lentil dumplings in a thick gravy

Hi everyone .After coming back from vacation I am lagging behind to blog.Its not that I am not cooking or not clicking ,cooking started from the very next day itself.I have oodles of drafts in laptop some dating back to as long as 3 months.Please stop !!!now before you start judging me on any parameters let me submit my explanation ,for example this Mango cake was the latest one but needed immediate publish as this was the mango season.Like this I can give you so many examples but I don't want to waste your time...):p

You can call me lazy or to be more sophisticated I am a looser when it comes to time management. If I am cooking I am spending hours in the kitchen or if I am browsing the Internet then stay glued to I pad for hours behind a recipe or a photography tutorial.Later on I lament that I don't get enough time to blog.Seriously??? When I retrospect my schedule for the day gone by I feel tremendously guilty that I had wasted my time .And question to my self was it necessary?Was that the need of the hour ?I should have spent my time more creatively. But calm down by saying to myself that "I had learnt so many things today".I was "happy" I enjoyed the "Me time".What else does any one want at the end of the day?-One happy soul.I must admit that If it wasn't for blogging I wouldn't have dared to explore so much whether in terms of cooking, photography or social media.Every day I get to learn new things and some hard truths.

Mughlai bhindi (okra)

A warm welcome to all the new members of the blog .As I was on my vacations ,blogging had taken a back seat .Now that I am back ,Insha Allah will be in touch through my recipes .  Bhindi or okra is an all time favourite of mine .I can have it in any form for three meals a day .....yes!,can't get ever bored of it .Usually i make just a stir fry of it or they find their place in a gravy with mutton .This time being bored of the regular paneer dishes as veg alternative. Recreated my badami murg with some additional spices to satisfy folks at my house .here is the easy way to a gourmet dish .


Mughlai cuisine dates back to the era of mughal rule in india .It usually refers to the recipes that were a part of the royal kitchen.The distinct aroma and taste from various spices , dry fruits and nuts used  in cooking give the feeling of a royalty. Mughlai bhindi is the vegeterian version of the rich and diverse mughlai cuisine.This recipe calls for no fancy ingredients and easy enough for a novice cook to start .Try and use the fresh spices for good results. It is best served with tandoori naan or butter naan.

lets start cooking ......

Kofta curry /kofta salan

"Kofta" is basically minced meat balls blended with spices and onions .Unlike Italian meat balls which we generally love to have it with our spaghetti, Indian meat balls are blended with spices and half cooked with onions . 

This is a traditional recipe of my family you can call it our " khandaani recipe" .Koftas ,kebabs are generally mughlai dishes which were introduced to Indian cuisine with the invasion of mughals in India .An another mughlai dish shaami kebab that I have already shared with you is also worth giving a try .

As a child I used to hate koftas !!.The day koftas were made I used to have loads of tears in my eyes and finish my  plate with gulps of water .(they aren't that bad, yes , i know a childish behaviour)Pitying at the plight of me my grand mother(dadi)used to direct my mother to prepare some other dish for me for dinner :).My dadi was really sweet isnt it?

I carried my unusual unliking for koftas althrough..... after marriage too .My in laws used to ask me "you don't like koftas ,but why"?...The answer to this why was really very difficult !!!!!,actually I myself don't know the reason why ?????

Fortunately my kids have not inherited my genes in this particular matter(at least).During  one  of our trips to India I had seen them enjoying the koftas with their grand mother(dadi),and asking me "mom you don't make these balls ,they are quite yummy ,you should make them !(mummy woes).

So started making these balls for my kids ,and gradually started liking it (may be as we grow up our likes and dislikes change)  .I think I must stop my ramblings here ,"don't you think so "?

Lets start cooking : 

Bottle guard - tomato curry

Bottle guard is the most humblest and lightest of the vegetables .In India it is called lauki or doodhi in Hindi and sorakaaya in Telugu .Bottle guard is an integral part of Indian cooking .Its preferred for its light on stomach and wallet too!!!!.

I have already made the sweet version of it in kaddu ki kheer and here comes the savoury version of it .Bottle guard on its own is bland in taste but when cooked with proper spices and technique gives a stiff competition to any non veg dish .You can look at the enormous nutritional benefits of bottle guard here .

lets start cooking