Banana Split Dessert

for 1 person as shown in the picture (Accordingly you can increase the quantity for more people)

Ingredients:
1) Banana - 1 ( peel and split into 2)
2) Strawberries - 3 ( peel and split into 4)
3) Chikoo - 1( peel and split into 4)
4) Roasted and crunchy nuts ( Ground nut, hazel nuts etc)
5) Chocolate Sauce ( pls email me if you need the recipe for chocolate sauce)
5) Vanila Ice Cream - 2 scoops
6) Pure white Cream - 2 spoons

Method: For plating

1) On a plate, place banana's ( split it into 2). Decorate with the rest of the fruits.
2) Put a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top and squeeze chocolate sauce and white cream.
3) Decorate with roasted nuts and serve.

Instant Mirchi Ka Acchar

Ingredients
1) Mirchi ( Chilli ) : 5-6 ( Depending upon your capacity to eat chillies, you can select them. I can not eat too spicy. So I select the big and light green chillies.
2) Lemon - 1 Big
3) Salt - To taste
4) Pure Ghee( Desi Ghee) - 1 Spoon - Garnishing

Method 
1) Wash Chillies. Split chillies with a knife.
2) Roast it on an open gas flame for the barbecue flavor. Do this for 1 and a half mins.
3) Garnish with Salt, Lemon and Pure Ghee. Make sure that salt , Lemon juice and the ghee goes inside the chillies.

Methi Aloo Ki Sabzi

This is one of my favorite sabzi. And I can eat it every third day. It goes well with Rotis and Rice preparations.

Ingredients

1. Methi Bunch - 1 ( Fenugreek Leaves) - Fine cut and wash. Keep aside.
2. Mustard Oil - 2 big spoons - for tampering
3. Garlic - 7-8 flakes - fine chopped
4. Salt - To taste and a pinch of hing (asofoetida)
5. Turmeric - 1/2 small spoon
6. Green Chillies - 4-5 ( Can add more if you like spicy)
7. Desi Ghee - 2 spoons ( for garnishing)
8. Potatoes - 2 big - peel and cut into medium size cubes

Method

1. In a large pan, put mustard oil and cook for about 3-4 mins.
2. Put hing, garlic,potatoes,salt and turmeric - one after the other. Cook for a min.
3. Add chopped fenugreek leaves and green chillies. Put salt.
4. Cook for 10-12 mins till the vegetable and potatoes are cooked.
5. When serving, garnish with pure desi ghee.

About Kavita

Hello :)

“There is no spectacle on earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves.” ― Thomas Wolfe 

I am a food enthusiast who loves to eat and cook for friends and family.My dream is to travel all over the world and explore their local delicacies.Cooking for me is like detoxification and it helps me to release stress. I enjoy going to the local market place to buy fruits and vegetables. Looking at fresh fruits and vegetables fills me with positivism and freshness.On this blog you will find recipes which I cook in my kitchen. Though I don't get to cook daily because of my work schedule but whenever I get time. I try and cook.

Always living, born and brought up in Mumbai. The commercial capital of India and the city that never sleeps. It's a place for all the dreams to come true. I love Amchi Mumbai for its beaches, street food and its truly cosmopolitan culture. For me its a big home for the people coming from different parts of the world to realize their dreams and living together.I am a wonderful daughter, sister and now a wife. My husbands name is Savyasachi ( love the name ) and he too is a wonderful cook and my daily dose of inspiration. My Mom and Savyasachi are my biggest critic.

Being in a cosmopolitan environment, since childhood, I was exposed to all different types of foods from India. Be it Punjabi, South Indian, Rajasthani, Gujarati or Maharashtrian food etc. After I got married to a Bihari babu, I was introduced to the most awesome Bihari delicacies.My mother is my inspiration always who cooks to the level of excellence. And then I learn from the elders, friends, colleagues and have tried to incorporate everything in my cooking with a twist.Today in the age of globalization, Google and social media coming into existence, to know the authentic recipes from around the world is no big deal. Thanks to Larry Page and Sergey Brin:)For Eg. Sitting in my room, I know what's the most eaten snack in Spain.I enjoy watching cookery shows on TV, reading health, food article online. One of my favorite channel is Fox Traveller. I am a big fan of Peter Kuruvita from " My Sri Lanka with Peter Kuruvita".

From a very young age, I was interested in cooking and used to try and experiment at home. My daddy sometimes, if the dish was not as per his liking, used to still praise me and used to say" Very Tasty Beta :)". That is how fathers are. You see!! Sometimes when my mom dad used to be out for some work, me and my sister used to cook together to surprise her.Trust me everyone in my family is an excellent cook and that has inspired me to start this blog and share what ever we all have been cooking.Am fascinated by all different kinds of foods, be it the food with very few masala's and takes no time to cook or the food which requires lots of ingredients and lots of patience to cook.I am a big big fan of street food and enjoys eating more at small joints, dhabba's. One of my favorite Indian fast food is pani puri. I just love it for its sweet tangy and savory flavors.

Since I have just started blogging and its my new found love, you will see the pictures on my blog taken from my mobile phone. I am sure with time , my blog will evolve and then I will buy a nice camera to click my recipes pics.You can email me for all the feed backs and comments and will try to reply to your query as soon as I can. 

More to come :)

Kavita 

Hummus and Falafel

This is the street food most popular in Middle east and i love it for its nutritional values and taste.Its most famous among vegetrians.

To Serve 4

1)    Hummus
a.    Ingredients :

• Chick Peas – 425 Grams - Boiled (also called garbanzo beans)
• Garlic – 10-12 flakes
• Lemon Juice – out of a Large one
• Salt to taste
• Red paprika – coarsely ground for Garnishing
• Water
• Olive oil for Garnishing

b.    Method:

• Grind everything in the food processor to make a coarse paste for about 1 minute.
• Garnish with olive oil and paprika
• Enjoy with fresh pita bread and Falafel
• Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate it up to one week.

2)    Falafel
a.    Ingredients:

•    Chick Peas – 425 Grams – soaked in water overnight  (also called garbanzo beans)
•    1 large onion, chopped
•    6 cloves of garlic, chopped
•    3 tablespoons of fresh parsley/coriander, chopped
•    1 teaspoon coriander ground
•    1 teaspoon cumin ground
•    2 tablespoons flour
•    Salt
•    Pepper/ or 4-5 Fresh green chilies
•    Oil for frying
•    Fine chopped cabbage
•    Fine chopped carrots

b.    Method:

• Combine all the ingredients and put it in a food processor to make a paste. It should be a thick paste out which you can make balls for frying. Size of a small ping pong balls.
• Deep Fry for about 4-7 minutes till golden brown.
• Serve hot with Hummus.
• You can put it as a filling in sandwiches and showarma’s.

3)    Carrot and Beetroot Salad
a.    Ingredients

• Carrots – 2 – Cut lengthwise
• Beet Root -1- Slightly boil for 2-3 mins – cut lengthwise
• White Vinegar – 4 spoons

b.    Method:

• Mix all the ingredients and serve

Labne bi Zayt (Yogurt balls dipped in Olive Oil)

This is an extension of my labne recipe.

Method : After many days labne is not very creamy, so you can make little balls with your hands, dust thyme and black pepper and dip it into the olive oil. Put this into a jar to preserve. You can refrigerate as well. (You can use your choice of herbs or garlic... can use sesame also)

This is awesome substitute of butter for sandwiches and very healthy as well.
I learnt this from my elder sister who had a roommate from Jordan. They use to eat labne bi Zeyt with white bread, at night, in the hostel, when hungry.

Labne or Yogurt Cheese

Labne is cream cheese made from Yogurt, very popular in Lebanon but it is part of the Middle Eastern tables. And I love it for its health benefits and I use it on sandwiches instead of butter. Eat with plain pita bread or with Mexican nachos. 

Ingredients: 

1.4 cup plain yogurt

2.1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

3.Black ground pepper (I use it, you can use your choice of chilies like Paprika, or white    pepper or green chillies)

4.Muslin cloth for hanging the curd

5.You can also put your choice of hubs to lebne like parsley, thyme, rose merry etc)

Method:

Mix yogurt gently with salt and pepper in a bowl.

Put and wrap it with muslin cloth

Suspend the bag (please don't refrigerate first day), let drain all time. After day one you can refrigerate it.