Aubergine Curry

Aubergine curry or Eggplant Curry or Brinjal curry a versatile curry that goes well with paratha (Indian breads) or Rice and lentils curry.

It is very simple to make and if you have all ingredients ready, it would take about 15-20 min to prepare.

Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice is another recipe that will break boredom with rice menu in your kitchen.
Like Pudina rice, it is simple to make in 10-12 min.

Pudina Rice (Mint Rice)

Rice is staple food from southern part of India. Just that sometimes boredom sets in they cam up with varieties of rice like Lemon Rice, Tamarind Rice, Tomato Rice and Pudina Rice (there are many more varieties).

This recipe is one of the simplest recipe you can make this in about 10 min if you have all the ingredients ready.

You can also opt for this recipe if you have some leftover rice. 

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji is one of the famous fast food from streets on India. The best Pav bhaji you get is near Juhu beach.

Late evening, cool breeze from the sea and Hot and steamy Pav Bhaji... WOW...!!!!

I love this because it has lot of flavors but also very healthy with a lot of fibrous vegetables.
The name comes from Pav (bread buns) and Bhaji meaning mashed vegetables.

As mentioned Bhaji is mashed vegetables, which means a lot of vegetables are to be cut. If you have lot of vegetables in small quantity, you can make Bhaji at your home :).

Ingredients:

Potatoes
Cauliflower
Carrots
Paprika (Bell peppers)
Green Peas
Beans
Onions
Tomatoes
Ginger
Green Chilly
Turmeric powder
Salt
Pav Bhaji Masala or Garam Masala

Method

 1. All the vegetables to be put in pressure cooker (or pot with lid) with some salt and turmeric. cook till the all vegetables become very soft and easy to mash.
Tip: if the water is excess at this stage remove and keep it aside, you can mash vegetables easily, lesser the water, better it is. You can add this water later depending on the consistency you want.

2. Once the vegetables are boiled, mash them roughly.
Tip: Do not grind/blend the vegetables.

3. Grind Tomatoes and onions (in 1:1 ration) with Ginger and chilly (depending on the spice level you want).

4. In hot oil add some cumin seeds and then the onion tomatoes paste, once you see oil around the paste (an indication that the gravy is cooked) add Pav bhaji masala or Garam masala. You get this is most of the Indian stores. I prefer Pav Bhaji masala of MDH brand. Cook this for 5 min. Add very little water (from bolied vegetables) only if required at this stage.
Tip: Pav Bhaji Masala or Garam Masala can make the food very Spicy (not hot) that might cause heart burn and ruin all your experience on this marvelous food. If you are using Pav Bhaji masala add 2 Spoons and 1 spoon, if you are using Garam masala.

5. To the gravy add mashed vegetables and stir it well with the gravy so that the gravy blends well with vegetables. Add vegetable stock, if required and cook for 5-7 min.

6. Just before you turn the flames down add some lime to give tangy taste with Butter
Tip : Lemon balances spices level. If you are Vegans or Diet conscious, you can avoid butter.

6. Garnish it with coriander leaves and chopped onions.

It is best to serve bhaji after 30-60 min. all the flavors of vegetables, and spices will get blended well.

Serving

This is always served hot with additional coriander and butter as garnish along with raw chopped onions.
You can serve this with Bread crisps (toasted in butter/oil). This can also be consumed with pancakes made of wheat flour or plain rice.

Enjoy cooking!

For any queries or information you can write me at atharad@gmail.com.

Punjabi Chole (ChickPea Curry)

Chole with Rice, Onion and Papad

Chole is traditional Indian Cuisine for the North western part of the country, Punjab. Chole made from Kabuli Chana (Chickpea) like other lentils is filled with proteins.

If you have all the ingredients ready cooking time for this is around 45 min.

Brussels Terrorists Attack - My Experience

When I look back at what happened last Tuesday (22nd March 2016), it feels almost like watching a movie, but during the event I was shaken to the core.

My wife Ashuwini and our little one Yukta were scheduled to travel to India on 22nd March 2016 from Brussels airport. Since we don’t live in Brussels itself, but about 60km away in Ghent, we had to leave early in the morning. We woke up at 4am to catch the first bus to Ghent St-Pieters station, where we hopped on the 6am train to the airport. We arrived there at about 7am.

Everything went smoothly. We checked in our luggage with Etihad and got our boarding passes. We were on our way to the security check, when Yukta decided she needed to pee J So we took care of her emergency and after some tantrums, we finally reached the security check. As I was saying farewell to my wife and daughter, a policeman with a dog was checking the dustbins close to us and found nothing suspicious. My wife and my daughter then walked off towards the security check and I looked at my phone to see when I could catch my train back to Ghent. That very moment a loud BOOM echoed around us. It was 8 in the morning.

Paneer bhurji

Paneer Bhurji (cottage cheese Scramble)

Paneer has become an important ingredient in Indian cooking. It blends well with amost any other vegetable or curry. Paneer Bhurji is the simplest form of using paneer in everyday cooking.

How to make Paneer (Cottage Cheese)

Paneer or Cottage chees

Paneer is one of the most exotic ingredient in vegetarian cooking. over the years its usage has increased considerably in India. Varieties of food items (with or without garvy) can be prepared with Paneer.

How I decided to become a cook in Belgium

“In my late teens, when I was deciding where to continue my education/which career to choose/to pursue, I wanted to pursue hotel management, but my parents did not support my choice. On the one hand, it was much too expensive and on the other, “boys don't cook” (at least not in the Marwadi community where I come from). Being so young, I didn't have much say in the decision and I choose business studies, mostly because I did not like science and this was the only other interesting option. After getting my degree I spent many years working for a large company as head of the HR department, before fate decided she wasn’t done with me and offered me another chance.The difference this time was that the decision was up to me. Nobody could make it for me … and I had decided: I’m taking this chance. I need to try and live my dream.

The Tipping point

I had enrolled in a entrepreneurs group here. I was visiting this group for three months and found this group interesting. I had enrolled for a Business Modeling Canvas, an ideation session. I was so disappointed that I didn't wanted to go for the session. But I bring Marwadi (a community in India) I decided to go for the session since I had paid for it.

The plan and the challenges

The plan and why it didn’t happen that way

Before leaving for Europe, we inquired about possibilities of work for me once there. Aasha would have her hands full with her work at the university, our daughter would go to school, and I didn’t plan on sitting at home doing nothing. But things didn’t turn out quite as we had planned.Although I was told that my dependent spouse visa would allow me to work in Belgium, the reality here was that my Master’s degree suddenly became my own little prison, limiting my options to work in my current career field. In addition, since a lot of HR companies in Belgium work across the country, most of job openings required fluent Dutch and French, which I didn’t have upon arrival.

My story

It all started with a wish to fulfil my wife’s dream. Ashuwini wanted to continue her research at a PhD level and I wanted her to achieve her dreams. But it certainly wasn’t an easy decision - leaving our comfortable life in India behind and heading into the unknown European adventure with a four-year old daughter.