Yay for Kay!

Thanks to Kay and her tip my old, recipe-filled blog is working after I changed to a new template. So for now this is just a back-up blog but do you think I should continue posting on my old blog? I just feel a little bad since so many of you have changed your links at my request. Please leave your comments here for now and I will decide which to keep as my main blog. Thanks for all your support!

Moving to a new blog

I have encountered some unresolvable issues with my original blog. I tried to make some template changes and this lead to complications. I feel bad about not doing a backup before the changes. So here is the second edition to my blog. Please update my link in your blogroll.

Latest Kitchenware acquisition-Madeleine pan

I have been looking for a silicone madeleine pan for a while. But I was not desperate enough to order online because my past forays into online shopping have increased my credit card bills significantly. I always buy more than required and at least for now, space is a premium in our apartment. When I visited the Great mall at Milpitas today, I saw a Farberware store and went in search of a madeleine pan. That was the first thing I saw inside the store. I bought it (for $12.99, dunno if it a good bargain or not) and I came rushing home to try Malgieri's recipe for chocolate-orange madeleines from his 'Chocolate' book (the recipe is almost similar to this).




The baked madeleines are delightfully tender and cake-like. The aroma from the beurre noisette is amazing. Some recipes call for just melting the butter but this will not give it flavor as much as the browned butter. The orange zest is a great addition, according to my husband who does not like much of chocolate desserts, can you believe it? I also came across Julie's scented madeleines that had been submitted for Paper chef. It sounds delicious with the almond paste and all. So that will be the star of my next madeleine making event.

Potato and red pumpkin curry- A Rajasthani delight

I have posted a recipe for something Indian after a while. The subzi is something I tasted when I ordered a Rajasthani thali (meal) a year back in New Jersey. This was the curry of the day and seriously, I thought it was a bad combination of vegetables. I was even contemplating that it was just leftover vegetables but that was before I tasted it. It tasted good and very flavorful. I found the same recipe in Tarla Dalal's Rajasthani cookbook. I did more than recreate restaurant flavors. It was delicious even though there is no garlic or onion in this dish and the spice-combination is very unique.

Red pumpkin is a bright-orange squash that is sold in Indian and Asian markets. If you don't find it, acorn squash will work well.

Aloo-Pethe ka saag (translates to the above)

4 medium red potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cups of red pumpkin cubes (just peel and cut them into chunks)
2-3 T yogurt (since it involves a lot of cooking of the yogurt, it is better to use full-fat one)

spice bouquet:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp nigella or onion seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon bark
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves



1/4 tsp asafoetida
1 tomato, finely chopped
2 tsp coriander-cumin powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp amchur powder (dried mango powder)
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
salt to taste


1. Heat a tbsp of oil or ghee and fry the spice bouquet until the seeds crackle. Add asafoetida, yogurt, chili powder, coriander-cumin powder and turmeric and fry for 2-3 min.
2. Add potato and pumpkin and 1/2 cup water, cover and cook on medium-low flame until vegetables are almost but not fully done. Add the tomato and salt and cover and cook until tender.
3. Lastly add amchur and sugar.