I can't mention enough number of times how hard we are trying to keep our food healthy. Losing the ''few'' extra pounds after Ariana was born wasn't as difficult, but the last few, are turning out to be more adamant than I expected. And it's just not fair to do it with giving up food, anyways through a pregnancy and after, you have to watch what you eat, its madness to have to follow that even after you have all the freedom to eat whatever you want. Dieting is madness. Dieting has always driven me crazy and made me crave for more fatty things. Instead, I prefer substituting all the fatty things with a healthier alternative and still feasting on whatever is for a meal.
At times I really feel like m living with a lil monkey! The signs of terrible twos and the rebellious behavior with it have already started showing. :) Peeled bananas, half eaten bananas, or lets-see-what-happens-when-I squash-a-banana, are all the possible types of bananas found in our house right now.
Its amazing how much you have to think to out-smart these tiny kids already! If Ariana refuses to eat a banana without being a monkey about it, I have to find ways to not waste them, and make them into something she likes. And BANANA BREAD it is! It used to look like a very tedious job, whenever I have seen my mom or nani make shrikhand. I honestly have no idea why they chose to make their lives so difficult by getting chakka / चक्का and then grinding it for hours to pass it through the special machine, and then making the rest of the dessert. I really think I should find out why!
It is so so much easier when you make fresh chakka / चक्का at home itself, and avoid wasting time with the special machine. This is one of the simplest and tastiest Indian desserts. Beautifully creamy and rich, with amazing combinations of flavors ; cardamom, saffron, mango, mango pulp, dry fruits etc. Since I have decided to make all steamed dishes / snacks this week, I have been looking for interesting recipes in every possible book I have and even asking my mum-in-aw for her opinion. She always cuts out interesting recipe articles from newspapers for me to try them out as and when.
One of those cut outs had this recipe, and trust me, more than finding it interesting, I found the name so amusing that I had to try making it! And to my surprise, it turned out ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! I have never had this before and now I think it is going to be a permanently stocked up dish in my fridge. A new addition to my all time favorites. And it definitely couldn’t get healthier than this! I always thought that Khaman and Dhokla were the same, infact that they were called yellow dhokla and white! Till my mum-in-law actually made both of them for me to TASTE the difference.
But after tasting the regular dhokla, I am more than happy to announce my new found love for it, THAN khaman! The white dhokla tastes absolutely gorgeous! Almost similar to idlis but with an awesome punch from ginger – green chillies and the sprinkled pepper. The taste of steamed pepper on this dhokla is so divine! Hands down, an all time favourite Guajarati snack! Especially, with a nice big mug of chai and this for a snack, I think I can make dinner of out this! Since I finally decided to make all '''Steamed'' dishes this week, how could I not start with Khaman! One of the easiest, quickest and definitely TASTIEST Indian snacks ever.
Being a Maharashtrian, all these years I have always thought that khaman and dhokla are the same thing, but no, they definitely are not! I have been corrected by very reliable sources (my mum in law!) This was one of the very first recipes that I tried out before starting the blog, and trust me, I have made it about 20 times since. It is such a hot favorite at home and at Mitul's office, that every week I have to make sure that I have enough over ripe bananas to quickly fix a banana bread if the emergency request comes in!
ABSOLUTELY gorgeous blend of flavors. Sweet caramelized bananas and brown sugar give this cake its unique flavor. It is a very simple recipe and a quick fix too. Tastes stunning with a big scoop of vanilla and a slice of warm banana bread. Its not just a must-try, but I insist you bake it whenever you plan to taking up your next kitchen project. I guess my guilt and then sincerity took over me for this one.
I remember, during our 3rd or 4th semester in college, we used to have bakery practicals and I had missed out on making this recipe. Somehow, while surfing through our food production journals the other day, I remember blindly copying this down for submission, but not making it. So what better reason than that to make up for lost credit in the practicals! And this time I can prove it with a picture that I did make the cake and follow the recipe to the T! Even though the recipe says no fat/oil/butter/margarine, but the number of eggs definitely make up for the calorie balance! So even if you try making this, be careful with how much you eat in a day. Inspire of no fat added, this turned out to be an amazingly soft and moist cake. Just for the adventure of it, a definite must-try. |
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