Warm up with these dishes on a cold winter night!

Winter is here and so are a number of vegetables that we wait for all year round. Starting from sarson to red gajar, fresh peas to fresh greens, every single vegetable that comes around during this season creates absolutely delectable dishes that you cannot resist.

The winter season calls for meals that provide comfort and make you feel cosy while also being extremely flavorful. Every cuisine has a certain set of dishes, flavours, and aromas that are incredibly delectable and will surely make your mouth water till you eat a bite.

In order to make your winter season the best so far, I have created a list of recipes that will ensure your stomach is well fed and your palette is the happiest it’s ever been:

• Sarson Da Saag

Mustard (Sarson) is a winter delicacy that is grown in abundance during the winter season. Hailing from the fields of Punjab, this dish is more than relished across the nation. Sarson da Saag goes hand in hand with makki ki roti that is topped with butter/ghee.

• Undhiyo

Everyone across the globe is thankful to Gujarat for introducing this exquisite dish, Undhiyo, to the world. This is a wholesome dish that is prepared with a number of vegetables based on choice and is loved, relished, and savoured by people in every corner of the world.

• Mushroom Matar Masala

The earthy flavours of Mushrooms and the freshness of matar harvested in winter make for a wholesome and delicious dish. Prepared in an onion tomato gravy, this dish will definitely be the highlight of your dinner spread.

• Carrot Methi

Red carrots when prepared with methi, creates an aromatic dish that one cannot get enough of. The winter season calls for a dish prepared with red carrots that are available in the market only during this season. The sweetness of the carrot mixed with the slightly bitter and tangy taste of methi ensures that this dish will make your winter season a big hit!

• Mooli Paratha

Radish or Mooli can be consumed as a salad before lunch or cooked in a recipe for any meal of the day. Imagine- a cup of tea in the morning with a side of mooli paratha for breakfast- seems exciting, doesn’t it? This recipe is very simple to prepare and extremely delicious to consume on a cold winter day.

This winter season brings with it a whole lot of festivals and a lot more fun. This season, treat your palette to aromatic, wholesome, and delectable dishes that will make the end of your year the best.

So, now you know that during these winters, this recipe list will be your go to not just to fill your stomach but to relish every single meal.

A Santa Cake Or A Cracker Santa, Pick Your Favorite For This Christmas!

Christmas is the time to spread love and happiness like Santa. The first thing that comes to our mind when we think of Christmas is the cold winter night, decorated Christmas trees and lots of yummy treats!

We are sure that you all are as excited as we are. We all want to do something special for Christmas, don’t we? Especially for that Christmas party, when everyone’s Josh is high, we want to present not only delicious but also jaw-dropping recipes that will make the guests go “WOW!”

Children eagerly wait to find out if they’ve been ‘good’ enough to get some gifts from Santa or have they been on Santa’s ‘naughty list’. In fact, children and adults equally look forward to this merry time. If you are planning for a children’s special Christmas party, then we have an idea.

Every year, we adorn our homes with stunning decorations and simply bake a delicious cake, but imagine how nice it would be to decorate the cake to resemble a Santa or maybe a snowman? Sounds amazing, right? We are sure that your young guests will love it. So, unleash your creativity and win a million hearts as we bring to you a list of handpicked recipes that literally shout ‘Christmas’.

• Santa Cake

The first one on our list is everyone’s favourite, the Santa Cake. Welcome Santa, the jolly man dressed in all red, on the Christmas-Eve with a cake that resembles him, long white beard and the iconic red hat! The moist cake is visually appealing, but for that you need to up your icing game. Don’t worry though, we have got you covered. Watch on the recipe and become a pro!

https://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/Recipe/Santa-Cake—SK-Khazana.html

• Strawberry Santa

If you are looking for something cute, little and easy to welcome your guests, we suggest you should try out the Strawberry Santa. Red strawberries, magically turned into Santa! Voila, that’s every child’s dream. The colour of fresh strawberries is so uplifting in itself that the guests will feel welcome. Trust us, no one can resist eating them. Moreover, it is not at all time consuming. You can involve your children to make the recipe and enjoy.

• Cracker Santa

Now, you must be thinking of something crispy and salty, so how about crackers and cheese? A match made in heaven! This recipe is so easy to make that you’ll just love it. You can also get your kids to help you to make them as we guarantee, it’ll all finish up within minutes! Black olives as eyes, green olives as a cute moustache and nachos as a hat, all assembled together to make it look like a Santa Claus. These bite-sized cute Santa crackers are ‘thoda hatke’ than the rest of them, so it’ll immediately put a crown on your head.

https://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/Recipe/Christmas-Cracker-Santa.html

• Date Jingle Balls And Snowman

Next one is a snowman. We think, the centre of your meal spread should be something very healthy and attractive at the same time. Date Jingle Balls and Snowman is the perfect recipe which ticks both these boxes. Lovely dates, almonds, pistachios, and cream cheese yummy! Besides, it will also give you the wintery snow feel. Children are sure to love it, so get ready to make them.

• Yule Log

Yes, besides the pretty looking dishes, you want to have something traditional, so the Yule Log is just perfect. We mean the cake of course! The spongy, moist cake will melt in your mouth and immediately melt your hearts too! Your creativity plus your determination will make this cake tastier. Happy baking.

• Ginger man Cookies

Finally, no Christmas is complete without ginger man cookies. We are sure you have made them before, but this year, it is going to add value to your party with all the other decorations in place. So instead of making usual cookies, try out this edible Gingerbread Wreath. Wreath on a plate is definitely not something you’ve had before, so it is a game changer. Surprise your guests and show-off your skills.

Wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

With love, from Indore!

One of India’s greatest treasures is its culinary diversity. Every state and city has its own mix and variation of flavours which is just as legendary as the others. And we all know Indian street food – no matter which state it is from is a foodie’s delight. Now imagine a city, with a culinary palate that is a combination of flavours, cooking traditions and an amalgamation of the food styles of various Indian cities. The result is another city which is a culinary gem – Indore. When here, one can experience flavours of cuisines of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab. That’s something stellar in its own!

Let me be very honest, when I first came here, I had no idea of how creative Indoris were about their food. But after that, I just knew I would keep coming back to this colourful city. People here are remarkably rich epicures. They are passionate about food and it shows in their cooking styles too. Not to forget, Indore has always been very graciously hospitable too. Since then, all my visits here have involved food, work and food again. So, to sum it up, Indore has never failed to charm me with its own little culinary world which is ever-evolving.

This time was nothing less and this city was as fabulous with its food, as it had been earlier. When Alyona and I were told we have to attend the ITA Awards in Indore, we were super excited! Because we knew that along with all the entertainment, there’ll be food – loads of it! She suggested we a little earlier so that we get time for a food trail, once again and enjoy a stroll around the city. This, I thought was an amazing plan, I was tempted!

As soon as we landed, I thought of calling up a friend to find some new places, besides the ones that we always visit for gorging on all the lovely things with our hearts out! We called up a close friend Dr Bharat Agarwal – he is a complete foodie and knows all the delectable nooks and corners of Indore. We were luck, he happened to be in town that day and offered to host us on our much-awaited food journey through the city!

But doctor sahab also had some rules. The rule was, we don’t eat much and just taste everything, so that we can try each and every offering that this beautiful city has.

Come, let me take you on a food-filled ride to Indore:

Poha Jalebi at Chappan Dukan

The name signifies a time when there were 56 ‘chappan’ shops here. It is famous for its poha jalebi, an essential part of Indori breakfast, amidst other popular eats.

Khasta Kachori

The khasta kachoris in Indore are made with a moong dal filling, which makes the taste and aroma enticing, and I can absolutely vouch for this!  The aroma was so magnetic, that we had to stop and try these before we could make it to other shops for trying other drool-worthy stuff!  Don’t miss out on this one on your trip to Indore.

Khasta Kachori

Hing Kachori

We took a pit stop at ‘Suresh Namkeen and Sweets’ for a kachori again, this one, flavoured with ‘hing’ (asafoetida). These were just as lovely as their counterpart and a must try again. And this store definitely sells the yummiest ones.

Not to forget our time at the famous Sarafa Bazar. Do you know what’s unique about this place? Here, you will be at one of the markets in India which is a heaven for jewellery in the day time and becomes a bustling street-food place in the night. So, summing up with some of the delicacies that I got to try here:  

Butte ki Kees

A dish with its origin in Indore – this is nothing but mashed corn cooked in milk, with ghee and spices, finished with a generous topping of fresh coconut and coriander – a true speciality. 

Nariyal Patties

These patties are not your regular ones, but crisp, round ones. Spiced potatoes are stuffed with coconut and fried till golden brown. Best had with green chutney.

Bafla

One of the highlights of our food trail in Sarafa was our halt at ‘Hotel Rajhans,’ known for its ‘bafla’ – the Indori cousin of the famous Rajasthani ‘dal bati.’ A dal, churma, coriander-mint chutney and mango pickle are the typical accompaniments served with this. Yum!

Dr Agarwal later invited us to his home, where we had authentic Indori poha, paani puri and chips with chutney. Our food run couldn’t have a better end! All in all, Indore was a delicious experience, as always. We were contended and how, and I think that I will never miss a chance to travel again to this clean city, in the future too. Indore is definitely a heaven for foodies!