My Culinary Saga

This mango cake is bursting with fresh mango flavour! Made with simple ingredients, it is a show stopper and truly tastes as good as it looks. Since mango is the real star of this cake so make sure to pick some good, sweet ripe ones. Mangos add a beautiful pop of colour, incredible flavour, and a healthy boost of nutrients to the cake. We just love mangos in our family and are thankful to get a…

EGGLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE I realised I didn’t have a page for one of my most popular chocolate recipes. You would never guess this moist Eggless Chocolate Cake is dairy-free and vegan friendly. Made without eggs, butter or milk, its rich flavour and tender texture rivals any regular chocolate cake. So, here is an easy-to-make moist Eggless chocolate cake recipe that yields deliciously moist and…

Mango Mastani, Is it a drink or dessert?   Pune’s most famous Mango Mastani is a mango lover’s pure indulgent summer delight. Mango Mastani is a rich and thick mango milkshake topped with either mango or vanilla ice cream, chopped nuts, and candied fruit. This lavish and decadent glass of Mango Mastani is Pune’s very unique innovation. It is believed that this drink is named after Peshwa…

Mango Iced Tea To celebrate the arrival of summer, I’m presenting to you this light, a refreshing and chilled recipe of Mango Iced Tea. Nothing tastes sweeter on a hot summer day than a glass of Mango Iced Tea.  This recipe for mango iced tea is light and that only takes 5 minutes to make. Perfect sweet way to use fresh mangoes this mango season. Serves 4   INGREDIENTS 4 cups of water 4 black…

Neer Mor recipe is a popular summer drink in Coorg. Directly translated it means ‘water – yogurt’ which is basically buttermilk, spiced with green chillies, and anointed with a tempering of curry leaves and mustard seeds. The spice adds the perfect kick to this refreshing and cooling digestive. Neer Mor is indigenous to the southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Other popular…

Kesar Badam Doodh / Saffron Almond Milk

Homemade Kesar Badam Doodh / Saffron Almond Milk is a rich, creamy recipe flavoured with cardamom. It is light, cooling and extremely refreshing. Perfect to beat the summer heat. It is also a very popular drink served during weddings and festivals. This is different from the almond milk available in supermarkets these days. Traditionally in India, badam milk means whole milk flavoured with…

Choute Pachadi / Coorg Cucumber Chutney Being far from native land is tough. I try to dig deeper into Coorg’s culinary secrets and recreate Mom’s recipes from time to time. That’s as close to Coorg I can get at the moment. Coorg cuisine definitely tops one the best in South Indian menus. It is authentic and the platter circumscribes the staple food rice. The recipes are developed by the locals…

This flavoured and healthy Mexican rice recipe is prepared with tomatoes and vegetable stock. Also, it is loaded with dietary fibre and healthy proteins. A popular dish in Mexico and Spain. I do not claim this recipe is totally authentic more a spinoff of the original recipe. I make mine less mushy and with less tomato, but nonetheless tastes great. I suggest playing around with it to make it…

Tell me if this Rainbow Veggie Sandwich doesn’t make you happy?  Rainbow Veggie Sandwich-this healthy and delicious hummus sandwich is layered with colourful veggies! I like all vegetables, just like I like all colours, so I decided to layer lots and lots of colourful veggies to create the ultimate veggie sandwich. Recipe for Hummus: CLICK HERE  “Eating a rainbow” is a lovely way of improving…

Aloo Tikki Recipe Indian street food like Aloo Tikki is every chaat lover’s delight and the perfect evening snack. Aloo Tikki is very popular mainly in North India. It is made using boiled potatoes and various aromatic spices and herbs. Crispy on the outside and soft inside topped with Sev & served with green chutney, tamarind chutney and yoghurt. It is a delight to look at and delicious to eat.…

I wonder why I haven’t featured this Classic Pannacotta with Strawberry Sauce before on the blog. Ever wondered how an exotic looking dessert can take only 10 mins to put together. If I have to list why this is such a perfect dessert for any occasion, I could write pages. To sum it up simply, this Italian dessert is: Light, refreshing and fruity flavourful, elegant and presentable quick and easy…

Pistachio Rose Cake The best word I can use to describe this Pistachio Rose cake is enchanting!  It is so a vibrant and indulgent cake. This Moroccan inspired recipe has been on my list to bake forever and have waited a long time to get good quality pistachios. If you like to bake with nuts, this is a must-try recipe. Recipe credit to my good friend Hajar whose recent bake inspired me to finally…

Indo Chinese cuisine or Desi Chinese is one of the most distinguished culinary styles which combines aspects of both Indian and Chinese foods and flavours. I believe also the most popular ones. Triple Schezwan Fried Rice is one of our favourites and the best Indo Chinese dishes ever made. It is a complete meal with a combination of fried rice, Hakka noodles and fried noodles and served with spicy…

  Gulkand Pannacotta with Paan shots I am honestly am a passionate cook. At least I feel so. And on my crazy days, I love fusing interesting or novel ingredients from all over the world. Fusion food as a concept is an ever-growing, constantly adapting food trend. Let me tell you, of course, sometimes I think it is farfetched and could be a major fail. Fortunately, my experiments so far have…

Alle Belle or Goan Coconut Pancakes is a traditional tea time pancake stuffed with Coconut and Jaggery. These absolutely delicate, delicious and melt in the mouth. I have seen variations of these pancakes in the south of India where coconut is in abundance.  If you haven’t noticed already, I am adding colour and flavour to my dishes with beetroot lately and how could I miss it here. These…

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t feature a red velvet recipe this season. And with Lent celebrations kicking off, Pancakes had to feature on my blog today. So, I got to share with you how I make Red velvet pancakes. Pancakes are basically associated with Shrove Tuesday, the day preceding Lent because they are a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of…

Halwa is a ubiquitous dessert in India, found across the country with local variations. Yet, this super-common Indian dish is actually an import — brought in from Turkey many centuries ago. The Indian halwa can be either grain-based, nut-based or even vegetable-based as we know it today is a richer version, most drenched with ghee/clarified butter. It is basically an easy dessert using 3 main…