The vast open Saffron fields in Jammu is worth a visit for any traveler in India. I was amazed to see these tiny plants with no prominent shoots and leaves, but just large bright violet flowers with crimson colored stigma or saffron as the main plant body. Acres of farm land could yield just a few grams of Saffron. No doubt the hard work that goes in cultivating Saffron makes this spice rare & pricey.

In India Saffron or Kesar as is called in Hindi, is extensively used in making milk based desserts and for cooking aromatic basmati rice Biryani. Though I don’t use saffron in my bakes, these popular Indian saffron cookies – Nankhatai are my favorite.

Never knew that an unplanned and totally unorganized trip could become one of the most memorable vacations for us, acknowledging the golden words  “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” ~ Lao Tzu. Just back from a rejuvenating five day trip to the unpolluted & off beat travel trails in the natural surroundings of Blue mountain range- Nilgiri. The breathless pristine beauty of nature, the majestic mountain peaks, innocent mountain people and the fresh air…my lungs worked at full capacity…Aahh, I could spend a lifetime there!
Baked a few granola …

Nutty Carrot Pudding a.k.a Gajar Halwa, this ubiquitous dessert hardly needs any introduction to those who love Indian food! This rich, decadent and comforting sweet made with red carrots adorns the dinning table of  many households during the chilly winter nights. The juicy sweet red carrots which gives the distinct color and taste to the pudding are available only for a few month in a year and its presence also welcomes the beginning of winter days in India. Fresh carrot juice, pickled carrots in  jars, exotic carrot jam, colorful pilaf with tiny chunks of red carrots and just plain carrots is what I love to serve mine.

“Pumpkin..what..don’t tell me it has pumpkin in it?” I baked this wholewheat pumpkin coconut bread for the 14th wedding anniversary of my friend and did not reveal the ingredients till the last piece was left. It was a delightful surprise for my anti-pumpkin friend, who never cooked this humble veggie in her kitchen and believes that a pumpkin is no good than scaring crows and keeping the evil at bay 🙂

In most of pumpkin bakes the veggie is first cooked or baked to get pumpkin puree and then added to the batter but I avoided that step…lazy…Hmm..sort of.

Certain food brings back the memories associated with it, the person who cooked it, the people we ate with, and the occasion it was cooked for. When Alicia Cowan of My Dish contacted me to write about food which makes me nostalgic, it took me a while to zero down to just one recipe! Oh yes..this Cottage cheese in exotic gravy mom prepared for almost all the parties we used to host at home is a nostalgic recipe. Though not for the flavors and the recipe itself but for the fun & frolic we had during those parties with friends. And mom was quite famous for this Paneer Jalfrzi with her hot Kulchas.Even now whenever (read rarely) I cook this recipe I make sure to call at least one childhood friend to talk about those wonderful childhood days of yesteryear.

‘Silence after the storm‘..the last few days of high decibel sound, screaming and running around the road to burst crackers has finally come to rest. Even the intermittent spell of rain did not dampen the spirit of festivity for my kids & hubby for whom my garage was the make shift center for bursting crackers. And no, I will not crib about the land, noise, water and air pollution which was left after the festival of lights was over. When I am not able to influence anyone in my home even after 16 years of marriage, against indulging in sugary sweets, oily savories and buying crackers at exorbitant prize (which could actually get me a dedicated server for God knows how many years) then who am I to complain…’to each his own’.

What Christmas is to any westerner Diwali is to all Indians. Fun, frolic and sweets galore is what Christmas & ‘festival of lights – Diwali‘ bring forth! A week’s time is what is left for Diwali and I could already smell the earthy aromas of melting jaggery, fragrance of cardamom and spices emanating from every direction of my house. Yes everyone in the neighborhood is busy preparing the traditional sweets and savories before time so that they can share the same with others on the festival day.

A slice of rich & dark Brownie is a delight for any chocolate lover, be it a gooey, chewy, fudgy or cakey brownie you just cannot stop with one. I like sticky and gooey brownies with loads of nuts in it, more better if it has some fruit or veggie hidden in it. Brownie is probably the easiest to make as against baking a cake, bread or any other goody. No waiting time needed for that intimidating yeast to work and flexing muscles for kneading the elastic dough, just mix it and bake it and you are in for a sinful treat. The treat is to celebrate Lite Bite being featured on Yummly today.

Celebrations never end in India, just when I thought that the hectic months of festivals are over, Diwali is round the corner. Time to indulge in sweets and savories again. I love to make sweets which are easy to prepare without compromising on good taste, my time & of course health. And I am planning to bake cookies or goodies which are light on sugar and oil instead of making those time consuming traditional Indian sweets this festive season.

“First there was a Fresh Corn Dessert a few days back and now there are two more desserts for the weekend..Hmm…do I smell some conspiracy” inquired the puzzled hubby. “Is all the sweet temptations for the digital SLR?” he smiled and replied to his own query after he noticed a sparkle in my eyes! The decision to buy this high-end digital camera has been put on hold for almost a year by the dear hubby. As he wanted to get completely convinced that I am really serious about my blog and will put the camera to good use before succumbing to my demands. And I saw my wish getting wings when he reached for his lap top to Google for digital cameras 🙂