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Easy Spinach and Pea Soup

January 28, 2023 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Spinach – Love or Hate?

I have always loved spinach and green peas in equal measure but when it comes to the hubster, well… let us just say that I have put in a lot of hard work to cultivate a growing love affair with spinach! This soup is great for fussy eaters and especially for those who do not enjoy the flavour of spinach. The gorgeous smoky bacon beautifully masks the taste of spinach by adding strong bursts of flavour. Adding oak-smoked garlic packs an additional punch and gives the soup a lovely layer of flavour.

This Spinach and Green pea soup with smoky bacon is not just healthy and wholesome, it’s really easy to make. It’s the kind that will leave those who are not spinach aficionados playing a guessing game with their taste buds!

I could almost imagine my husband in a cartoon strip with those little conversation bubbles over his head with each conversation bubble having a different ingredient scrawled inside, as all those wonderful flavours enveloped his palate one after the other!

Of all the meats out there, I really think pork is very succulent and has the capacity to really alter the taste of a dish and add a whole new dimension. I also firmly believe that simplicity is the key to creating something really tasty. Therefore, the use of everyday stuff like red onions and garlic to quickly make this soup appeals to my midweek lazy self as it can really fill you up. On the weekend though I would serve this soup with a generous portion of white fish, with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, chives and some dried herbs and a big squeeze of lime with a side of rocket dressed with olive oil and honey mustard dressing. Accompanied by a crisp white wine it is a complete meal and one that is not just quick and easy to put together but a great way to eat healthily and keep the guilt conscience at bay. Much needed after a period of indulgence I say, of course with no compromise on taste!

Spinach and Pea Soup

Hearty, flavourful soup loaded with all the good stuff from spinach, perfect to batch cook, great for cold nights in.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Fusion
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 1 Saucepan
  • 1 Knife
  • 1 Chopping Board
  • 1 Hand blender or food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 350 gm Spinach baby leaves washed cleaned and roughly chopped
  • 250 gm Fresh Green Peas
  • 3/4th Onion finely chopped
  • 5 Smoked Bacon medallions chopped roughly into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tbsp Chives – chopped roughly
  • 300 ml Chicken Stock
  • 400 ml Water
  • 2 tsp Oil
  • 3 cloves Smoked black garlic
  • Salt to taste
  • Few sprigs Spring onions chopped fine for  garnishing the soup 
  • Handful Herby Bread Croutons

Instructions
 

  • In a large saucepan sautee’ the finely chopped oak-smoked garlic till it begins to sweat. Then add the red onion finely chopped and cook till it turns pink and juicy.
  • Reduce the flame to a minimum and add the bite-sized pieces of smoked bacon medallions.
  • Stir now and then to ensure that the bacon doesn’t stick to the saucepan and become too crisp, it must cook to a nice chewy yummy consistency and not get too crisp. Cook without a lid at this stage.
  • When the bacon has cooked completely and is almost turning crisp, remove this mixture into a bowl as we will use the same saucepan for preparing the rest of the ingredients of the soup so as to retain the beautiful juicy goodness that is in the pan and that also ensures we don’t use anymore extra oil.
  • Wash the baby spinach leaves and the green peas and add them into the saucepan along with the finely chopped chives and chicken stock. In case you are using stock cubes, I would say use the reduced salt variety because the smoked bacon is very salty already.
  • Add 300ml water and cook with lid on a medium flame for 25 minutes.
  • Puree the soup with a hand blender and add a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper and some sea salt – I am stingy with the salt because I like to keep the salt to minimum when I am cooking anything withba bacon as an ingredient.
  • When the soup has been pureed, don’t fuss if a fewstray green peas escape the blender blades, it just makes the soup that muchmore wholesome and chewy while eating.
  • Now add in the garlic, red onion and bacon mixture and cook for another 7- 10 minutes.
  • Serve hot topped with a big spoon of chopped spring onion and herby croutons.
  • Perfect for an early supper with crusty bread and even better with a grilled white fish and white wine for a weekend meal.
Keyword Spinach Soup with Crispy Bacon
Spinach and Pea soup ingredients close-up

Make it Vegan!

Go ahead and make this recipe vegan!

  • Swap Smoked bacon with smoked tempeh or pan-fried chestnut mushrooms for an earthy flavour, and throw in some cooked chestnuts for good measure.
  • Swap chicken stock for vegetable stock

Recipe Notes

  • Smoked Garlic and smoked bacon add layers of flavour to this humble but earthy soup.
  • Make the soup as per the recipe, leaving out the part with the onions, garlic, and bacon, this part with the greens and stock can be cooked in a large batch and frozen in batches, neatly labelled.
  • For a milder flavour use white onion instead of red onions or Bombay Onions.
  • Need a fridge tray clear-out? All your greens going mangy can be used up – think broccoli, kale, coriander steams, cavolo nero, chard, celery sticks, a small piece of fennel, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, a small portion of cabbage leaves on their last legs – give all of these greens a new lease on life! I have even added in some boiled potatoes and half an egg yolk into my soups to use up ingredients, ummm they taste sooo fab in soup!
  • Tart green apples also work wonderfully well in this soup.

Easy Swaps

  • Swap fresh green peas for frozen or canned ones.
  • Swap smoked bacon medallions smoked for bacon lardons.
Spinach and Pea Soup

WHILE YOU ARE HERE, BROWSE THROUGH MY OTHER SOUP RECIPES

  • Clear Vegetable soup – Fusion recipe with an Indian twist
  • Red Lentil Soup
  • Tomato and Lentil soupy broth
  • Butternut Squash and lentil soup
  • Chinese chicken noodle soup
  • BBQ Pulled Pork and aromatic noodle soup

Filed Under: Food, Recipe Index, Soups

Grenada Chocolate Festival – Festive Giveaway

December 12, 2022 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Hello and welcome back to my happy space in the virtual world. I am so excited to share some festive excitement with all of you with a fabulous new festive Giveaway and a delicious chocolate-themed cocktail recipe too! Woohooo! But first, lets take a deep dive into all things Grenada and Chocolate!

Grenada Chocolate Festival 10th anniversary festive Giveaway

What is the Grenada Chocolate Festival all about?

The sunny Caribbean island of Grenada is home to cocoa plantations and many other spices. For years now the island has been supplying cocoa to chocolate factories across Europe and North America. It was back in 1999 that the first ever local modern tree-to-bar fine chocolate factory was founded in Grenada by the late Mott Green and partners.

During the Christmas of 2013 Magdalena Fielden, a local resort owner and the founder of the Grenada Chocolate festival invited Mott over to share his wealth of knowldege about all things chocolate with her guest and tourists. Mott had never before been invited to talk about his work and share his passion but the response shown by the guests to Mott’s story was very encouraging. After Mott’s passing later that year, Magdalena created the first ever chocolate festival to honour his extraordinary journey and to highlight the contribution and hardwork of the local farmers and producers .

The festival is now litreally a movement of social change and has only gone from strength to strength. Now a very well-attended event that attracts global attention , this has also given birth to a whole host enterpreneurs and businesses revolving around locally grown cocoa.

When is the Grenada Chocolate festival happening next?

Grenada Chocolate Fest will celebrate it’s 10th Anniversary next year from the 17th to the 21st of May 2023. The highlight of the 10th anniversary is a twin celebration of local chocolate and local rum.

In adddition to the annual events that include popular activities like being a cocoa farmer for a day and a chocolate medidation event, next years 10th anniversary special events include has exciting new activiries planned like the learning how to make ‘under the counter’ cocoa infused Grenadian rum and much more!

For details about the festival, the various events and more, check out their website here.

True Blue Bay Boutique Resort

Magdalena and her family own and manage the sustainability award-wining water-front True Blue Bay Boutique resort on the south coast of Grenada. The resort is the host hotel for the festival and guests will have free access to some of the exciting events happening next year. The festival is open to everyone and welcomes all tourists visiting Grenada.

The resort hosts some amazing local food and drink experiences including a True Blue Farm-to-fork experience, Chocolate and Rum experiences, Grenadian cultural experience and more.

To Book your stay at True Blue Boutique resort check out availability here

Festive Chocolate Goody Bag Instagram Giveaway

Now that you know the amazing story behind the wonderful Grenada Chocolate festival and how it was created, you are ready to truly appreciate and enjoy a whole host of fine tree to bar chocolates all the way from Grenada and some great quality cocoa products – all for free (for one lucky winner) in the comfort of your own home! How? Well read on for details of participating in my Instagram giveaway!

Festive Giveaway – Chocolate Goody Bag from Grenada Chocolate Festival – image courtesy Grenada Chocolate Fest

Win a fabulous cloth goody bag stuffed with chocolatey goodies courtesy Grenada Chocolate Festival

How to enter my festive Instagram Giveaway courtesy Grenada Chocolate Fest:

  • Head to my Instagram Account and check out my giveaway post.
  • To enter, follow my account on Instagram and follow Grenada Chocolate Fest on Instagram, then like my Instagram giveaway post and add a comment while tagging any two friends. Each Tag counts as an entry. This step is mandatory.
  • To increase your chances of winning, all participants can comment and share my post to their stories by tagging my Instagram account and Grenada Chocolate Fest, this can be done daily until the giveaway ends to increase your chances of winning. This daily step is optional. Sharing to story is a bonus entry
  • I retain the right to DISQUALIFY any entrant who does not complete all the mandatory steps mentioned above.
  • Accounts that follow me on Instagram just for the festive giveaway and unfollow me later will be banned from participating in any future giveaways – it is simply bad form to do this – kindly avoid, please? 🙂
  • One lucky winner will be picked at random at the end of the giveaway period.
  • The winner will be announced by me, the day after the giveaway ends – I will share the name and tag the winner on my Instagram story.
  • The winner has to ensure they check their messages on Instagram for a message from me congratulating them on winning.
  • The winner agrees to share their email with me so that it can be shared with Grenada Chocolate Fest who will arrange for the Goody Bag to be sent to the winner.
Chocolate treats come with this beautiful cotton Bag courtesy Grenada Chocolate Festival – – image courtesy Grenada Chocolate Fest

Please have a read through the Terms and Conditions below:

  • One lucky reader who enters my Instagram Festive Giveaway and follows all the rules will win a goody bag with Chocolate courtesy of the Grenada Chocolate Festival. (This festive giveaway is hosted by me on my Instagram account and Instagram is in no way associated with this giveaway. I have made no monetary or other gains in kind by way of associating with this giveaway whatsoever)
  • One lucky winner will be picked at random at the end of the giveaway period.
  • My Instagram festive giveaway will run from 12th Dec 2022 Monday until midnight GMT on 25th of Dec’2022 Sunday.
  • Entry is open only to residents of the U.K, except Scotland and Ireland.
  • All entrants must be 18 years old and above.
  • The winner agrees to share their email id with me and allows me to share it with the Grenada Chocolate festival who will then send them the goody bag directly. This means they will have to share their address with the festival.
  • The giveaway prize comes packed in a complimentary beautiful sturdy re-usable eco-friendly cloth bag.
  • The contents of the goody bag include Two Crayfish Bay Organic Chocolate 75%, Two Crayfish Bay Organic Coconut Cream, a Selection of individual squares of Crayfish Bay Organic Chocolate 75%, two traditional Grenadian cocoa balls, a Pack of roasted cocoa beans and a Pack of cocoa nibs.
  • The prize is as stated: it is non-transferable, and cash alternatives or any other alternatives are NOT available.
  • The winner will be notified on the 23rd Dec 2022 Friday via my Instagram account and here on my blog post too.
  • If the winner fails to respond within 7 days after their name has been announced, then another winner will be chosen at Random. Please allow for 15 days after this process for the goody bag to reach you.

This is what one lucky winner will WIN!

Grenada Chocolate Festival 10th anniversary festive Giveaway – image courtesy Grenada Chocolate Fest

Tips to enjoy your treats from Grenada Chocolate Festival like a Pro!

  • The selection of individual squares of Crayfish Bay Organic Chocolate 75% are the perfect after-dinner treat.
  • Grenadian cocoa balls are made from cocoa beans that have been pot-roasted, ground with a pestle and mortar, blended with various locally grown spices, and hand-rolled into balls.  They are perfect for making traditional Grenadian cocoa tea, hot chocolate, or grated over a cappuccino.
  • The roasted cocoa beans will have a bitter taste and are a healthy snack as they are said to benefit heart health.  The beans have been hand-harvested, sweated, sun-dried, and pot-roasted on the sunny Caribbean island of Grenada. To use remove the shell and eat or add to breakfast cereal or yoghurt.  
  •  Cocoa nibs are broken pieces of cocoa beans and are perfect as a snack or added to cakes or other dishes for added crunch and a chocolatey flavour.  

You are welcome to add your own creative touch and enjoy your treats in any way you like!

Chocolate Martini Recipe

As promised earlier in my post, here is some bonus festive content.

No celebration is complete without an element of chocolate. And what better way to celebrate the spirit of the festive season and the Caribbean than with a Caribbean-themed cocktail?

This Chocolate Martini recipe is very easy to put together and a real celebration of all the things that the island is famous for – fresh spices, delicious chocolate made using local cocoa beans, and all things fun.

Decorate with grated nutmeg and ginger on top and as you sip on this fab cocktail, imagine how much fun it would be to enjoy this cocktail and so much more on the island of Grenada while sitting on a lovely soft sand beach with the warm sea breeze for company and the soft lapping of waves in the background …..sighhh…sounds positively heavenly to me!

Grenada – Chocolate Martini – image courtesy Grenada Chocolate Fest

Chocolate Martini

Fun chocolatey recipe with fresh spices from Grenada
Print Recipe
Course Drinks
Cuisine Caribbean

Equipment

  • 1 Cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp Cocoa powder
  • 5 tsp Ground cardamom
  • 175 ml AMAZ-IN chocolate liqueur plus extra for decorating
  • 100 ml Blue Light vodka
  • 75 ml Single cream
  • Ice cubes

Instructions
 

  • Decorate the glass, first. Mix the cocoa powder and ground cardamom on a plate then por in a little AMAZ-IN in to a separate saucer.Gently dip the rim of each Martini glass in the liqueur and then into the cocoaand spice mix to coat. Set aside.
  • Add AMAZ-IN, Blue Light vodka and single cream to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for 20 seconds. Pour into the decorated glasses andraise a toast to the Caribbean!

*Feel free to swap up the ingredients with what you have on hand.

Dreaming of all things Chocolate? Why not browse through my chocolate-themed recipes below?

  • Festive hot chocolate Vodka Martini with chilli-chocolate
  • Chocolate coconut cake with coconut flavoured icing
  • Basic chocolate cake with frosting
  • Choco-chip cookies

*With thanks to Grenada Chocolate festival for providing such a fabulous Goody bag for my Instagram giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own. Image Copyright: all images with my watermark are styled and clicked by me, any other images in the post are courtesy the Grenada Chocolate Festival.

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Miscellaneous

Royal British Legion Centenary Cookbook – Cooking with Heroes

November 22, 2021 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Cooking with Heroes Cookbook

Cooking with Heros, published in partnership with St James House, is a fitting tribute to the Royal British Legions centenary year.

This is not just a cookbook but an ode to the 100 regions that the legion has been active in over the past century including the commonwealth and beyond. This hardbound beauty is jam-packed with deliciousness and will keep keen home cooks coming back for more. From finding inspiration for your weekday dinners to cooking to impress your guests, this cookbook will not disappoint.

In keeping with the centenary theme, Cooking with Heroes features 100 profiles of military heroines and heroes specific to each region. To honour each local hero or heroine, recipes have been created by a team of highly skilled military chefs who have delved deep into the profiles of the heroes and the regions they represent. Not only this, many celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver, Cyrus Todiwala, James Martin, Melissa Hemsley, The Hairy Bikers, Ainsley Harriot, Rick Stein, and Phil Daniels have also contributed their recipes to this amazing cookbook.

The Royal British Legion is the nation’s largest armed forces charity and worked since 1921 to support the armed forces and their families. A portion of the sale from every copy of Cooking with Heroes will help raise funds to ensure that the legion continues doing the amazing work they have been doing successfully for the past century.

Official Book Launch Party

Cooking with Heroes Cookbook’s official launch was hosted over an afternoon tea at Claridge’s in London in October. The event was well attended by military officials as well as members of the media. I was honoured to be invited to this launch event and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon tea at the beautiful Claridge’s in Mayfair, London.

Image Credit to my lovely pal Niru

I sampled a selection of artisan food and drink brands at the launch party, do check out the details coming soon in my Christmas 2021 Gift Guide here on my blog!


Author Profile and Q&A

I had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with the Author Squadron Leader Jon Pullen (retired). Get to know the Author via some interesting answers he has for my interview questions to him.

Q) How did the idea of ‘Cooking with Heroes’ take root?

A) Cooking with Heroes started with a discussion with Richard Freed of St James’s House (SJH) who asked me whether I wanted to do another book to raise money for the Royal British Legion (RBL).  I’d authored 2 previous books, ‘Food for Heroes’ that raised £50-80k for Help for Heroes and with Richard, the RAF100 Cookbook which raised around £145k for the RAF100 Appeal that raised funds for the RAF Centenary. 

The idea for the book was really a play on the RBL’s Centenary and what this charity that has supported the Military Family for 100 years means to me. So it started with a plan to write 100 entries, one for every year of the Centenary, with a focus surrounding the charity’s qualities… ideas like remembrance, tradition, integrity, strength, valour, courage, and support.  If you turned these ideas into the food they would be home-cooked honest, authentic, traditional food but brought into the 21st Century.  In terms of valour and courage, we worked with the RBL around the UK and Commonwealth to nominate someone who has made a great contribution to Defence to represent them, a ‘Local Hero’. And that’s what we have, 100 Regions across the UK & Commonwealth with a story of valour, endeavour, and often sacrifice alongside traditional, old and forgotten foods from that region. A unique idea that I believe properly captures the spirit of the RBL

Q) Inspirational stories are a great way of holding the attention of the reader what is your experience and how did you go about selecting them?

A) I pulled together a team from the Military Family to engage with the RBL across the UK & Commonwealth… this was a Tri-Service Team of serving, veterans, reserves, friends, families and youth services. These became known as our RBL Ambassadors, a role that saw them engage with the RBL Membership in their region and to work with them to select a local hero or heroine who had ‘made a great contribution to UK Defence’ and that the RBL local Membership wanted to celebrate and represent them.  The list is astonishing and whilst there are many well-known VC and MC winners in the Book, there are others much less well known like Captain John Perkins RN who was born a slave in Jamaica in the 18th Century and rose to Captain a 32 Gun Naval Frigate; Sergeant Alfred Holmes from Gibraltar who looked after the Barbary Apes for 38 years; Sybil Kathagasu from Malaysia who gave her life standing up to the Japanese invaders during WW2 by supporting British SOE Agents and so many more amazing and courageous individuals who have been chosen as outstanding by the members of the UK’s largest Military Charity, so many of whom are veterans themselves… a wonderful mark of respect that I hope does their memory justice.

Q) Food discussions are common ways of coming together to discuss other issues too. So how was this possible to get so many people to tell their stories? How did you reach out to them?

A) We sent members of today’s Military Family to engage with the RBL Membership.  When I started the Project, these were supposed to be sit-down meetings in an RBL club, sharing stories of our service face to face with the Membership and as we say in the Armed Forces, ‘pull up a sandbag and swing a lantern’.  The reality was sadly less engaging and fun with the majority of the engagements being over Zoom or old-fashioned telephones.  Our team then took the chosen candidate and researched the individual before presenting the article to the editorial team.

I’m particularly proud of one region and that was ‘Tyne & Wear’ where we set up a competition with the County Air Training Corps Squadrons to tell a panel, chaired by me but representing the RBL, the Publisher, and the County, who should be in the Book representing their County. I spent the most wonderful evening watching and listening to presentations from young Cadets passionate about their chosen candidate before having the unenviable task of choosing one:  Kate Adie. A superlative choice of a Journalist who spent her career supporting and representing the Armed Forces, always reporting the stories as they really were and never refusing to go anywhere where British Troops were deployed.  A truly inspirational choice.

Q) In your travels which cuisine have you most enjoyed discovering and why?

A) I’m that person who leaves the group to find a back street restaurant and ask the waiter what he or she is having for tea… on occasions, this has been a truly bad idea but mostly it gives an insight into the real food culture of the region. There’s no way I can choose a favourite as there’s no experience like trying a new taste for the first time but if I had to choose one it would be the Proustian moment brought on by Cypriot food.  Having grown up in Cyprus, the memories that the fusion of Greek and Cypriot Food brings back to me is unsurpassed:  Even just a smell of Sheftalia, Dolmades, Stifado, and of course Kleftiko turns me into a sun-tanned 8-year old bare footboy with grazed knees, a voracious appetite and probably guzzling a glass of Kokinelli and Lemonade. Heaven.

Q) In your opinion, what is the single most versatile ingredient?

A) Probably Eggs, I haven’t much to add to the world’s knowledge of the million and one uses of eggs other than to say, even with all of the sweet and savoury uses of Eggs that are out there, nothing beats a properly prepared poached Egg.

Q) What is your signature dish?

A) I think that would be my favourite recipe from the RAF100 Cookbook… the Italian North African (Ethiopia today) Dora Wat. So seldom do we encounter entirely different flavours but that is why the Dora Wat is so amazing.  It starts with slowly melting 1.5Kg of Red Onions (that’s a Bag and a half that need thinly slicing so make sure you have plenty of tissues around… it’s going to get emotional) in a pot (that’s the Wat in the title).  Once they have melted to a gloop, you reconstitute them with Chicken Stock and the beautiful Berebere spice mix (available in the posh supermarkets but we published the recipe anyway) before adding Chicken and finally boiled eggs… it’s an utterly delicious fiery and sweet red chicken stew and like nothing you’ve ever tasted before… unless your Ethiopian!

Q) Breaking bread together is a great way of bonding; can you share any traditions that you have experienced while you served in the armed forces, that you will always hold close to your heart?

A) As Napoleon observed, an Army Marches on its stomach and this is never so true as after an operation when it is often the opportunity to stop and eat that provides that first chance to relax.  The same is when we used to Exercise when I was much younger where the enemy was always an un-named Eastern-Block aggressor and each 3-day scenario became astonishingly similar as the directing staff went through their scripts to check that we were operating as we should.  This was just as true with the exercise food where you could tell how well we were doing by the food that arrived. By the time we received the ‘Egg Banjos’ we knew we were on the home straight, that we could remove our respirators (gas masks), that our fictional foes were finally in retreat (again), and that we could perhaps, for a moment, get warm, dry and eat.  The Egg Banjo is a humble treat being no more than a runny fried egg between 2 pieces of thick(ish) ham held between 2 pieces of bread.  These were brought to us en-masse in hotlocks which were neither hot nor locked, but nonetheless, to this day these eggy treats still brings pangs of nostalgia as perhaps the ultimate comfort food.

But, I hear you ask, why are they called Egg Banjos… in truth it was many years before I worked out why they were so named. I was sat opposite a colleague at the end of one of these exercises, dressed in his NBC suit with dirt and camo across his face as he bit into his Egg Banjo… which subsequently exploded egg-yolk across the front of his jacket. Exasperated but not beaten, he immediately took the Banjo in his left hand, drawing it away from his body so it would drip no more before and with a flourish that any stringed instrument player would recognise as a strum, vigorously wiped the egg off the front of his jacket, looking exactly like an Air-Banjo player. Needless to say, I immediately understood why they are referred to as Egg Banjos.

Cooking with Heroes – The perfect Christmas Gift for all foodies

Why not add this amazing cookbook to your Christmas shopping list? This is bound to make for a fabulous gift for your friends and family alike. A high-quality hardcover book filled with fabulous easy-to-follow recipes and interesting stories of military heroes and heroines with a sprinkling of celebrity spice, what’s not to love?!

Cooking with Heroes is available in all major bookstores including Blackwells, Waterstones, and WH Smith, to purchase RRP £19.95 – with all profits (£5 per sale) going to support The Royal British Legion.

* With thanks to the PR agency and St Jame’s House for the invite and a complimentary copy of the cookbook. With thanks to Author Jon Pullen for taking the time to patiently respond to my questions. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No monetary compensation was offered. Images credit E Jacobs Photography unless stated otherwise

Filed Under: Events, Food

The Instagram Foodie Bag – Must have for all Food Photographers

August 2, 2021 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Let me introduce you to my latest find The Instagram #Foodie Bag. I also have a super exciting Giveaway for this fabulous piece of kit on my Instagram.

The Instagram Foodie Bag – Must have for all Food Photographers

Are you passionate about food photography?

Do you collect food photography props?

Are you an avid food blogger, food writer, Instagram foodie?

Then the Instagram Foodie Bag from Paper Bag Co is just the thing you need to add to your photography kit!

*Disclaimer: I was sent an Instagram Bag for review

A mobile food photography kit for all foodies

As a food writer, blogger, and freelance Marketing and PR manager, I am often at events where I need to carry my DSLR camera and photograph food. This bag is just perfect for carrying not just my camera bag but also a few essentials that will help me take better photographs. Basically, the #FoodieBag is your mobile fully equipped photography studio

So what does the #FoodieBag contain?

The Instagram Bag comes filled with the following Food Photography essentials:

  • A limited-edition, stylish and very large (12 oz i.e. 340 grams, ) cloth bag – with zip closure. The bag has a handy internal pocket and a mesh closure.
  • 4 beautiful photography backgrounds by Black Velvet Styling, they are portable as they come rolled-up in a sturdy carboard case – very handy!
  • 5 in 1 pop-up reflector and diffuser in a portable zip closure case
  • A set of beautiful postcards with stunning food photos and top tips by phone photographer Matt Inwood to inspire even the most seasoned photographers

The #FoodieBag

This bag is a great piece of kit for all food bloggers and foodies. What I like most about this bag is that it looks trendy and is perfect for carrying all the things one could need for clicking really good photo photos. It is an eco-friendly cotton bag in a very large size. You can easily carry a light laptop in its case and a compact camera case in this spacious bag, along with the portable diffuser. The inner zip pocket is perfect to store valuables like your travel tickets, bank card, a small hand sanitiser, and a face mask ( essential everyday items in a post-pandemic world)

If you need inspiration then the 8 postcards that come included have some stunning food photos by renowned phone photographer Matt Inwood and some handy tips too.

The 4 photographic backgrounds are just the right size for food photographs and are designed by stylist Sophie who set up the now popular company Black Velvet Styling.

I am most impressed with the compact, portable reflector and diffuser that comes in a smart zip closure carry case. It is so handy and can be used to adjust the lighting for your food photos.

Instagram Giveaway of The #FoodieBag

I was sent this beautiful limited edition bag to review and now two lucky winners can get their hands on this limited edition kit! Head to my Instagram now and find out how you could be one of the two lucky winners who can win this fantastic piece of kit worth £39.95 for free.

Win The #FoodieBag!

Head to my Instagram account now! My #FoodieBag was shipped out very promptly so the two lucky winners will not have to wait long once my giveaway ends and the lucky winners are announced on my Instagram feed.

*With thanks to Paper Bag Co for sending me a review sample product. All my reviews are always unbiased based on my personal experience.

Filed Under: Food, Product Reviews

Restaurant quality meat – Swaledale Online Butchers – a review

June 30, 2021 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Grass-fed, free-range, heritage breed meat from the Yorkshire Dales – home delivered

Looking for exceptional tasting, restaurant-quality British meat? Let me introduce you to Swaledale Online Butchers. Swaledale Butchers have built their business on the foundation of working only with native rare breed livestock, farmed sustainably and ethically. Their experience of working with some of the leading chefs in the country will ensure that the meat you purchase is not just restaurant quality but premium.

Exciting meat boxes specially for the BBQ season

Swaledale Online Butchers offers a large selection of meat and chicken. For the BBQ season, I would highly recommend their Spring BBQ box. This box will give you a good range of wholesome cuts from their heritage breeds. You can get creative and serve up a meat fiesta to please a crowd!

All you need to do is fire up the BBQ and get cooking!

What is inside the Swaledale Online Butchers BBQ Box?

  • 2 x 180g Denver Steaks
  • 4 x 135g Free Range Herb-fed Chicken Drumsticks
  • 4 x 120g Lamb Chops
  • 2 x 220g Pork Ribeye Steaks
  • 1 x 495g pack of 6 Yorkshire Breakfast Chipolatas
  • 1 x 480g pack of 6 Lamb Merguez Sausages

Priced at £44 this is a tempting deal for premium quality heritage breed meat.

Keep Calm and get your BBQ on!

Summer, sunshine, great weather, BBQ parties, and cocktails – that for me is the essence of these glorious few months. I have just the recipe for you to create a fabulous meal with less fuss and a few ingredients. I used the Swaledale Online Butchers Yorkshire breakfast Chipotlas from their Spring BBQ box for this recipe.

Grilled Masala Sausages served on a bed of puy lentils and enjoyed with a side of greens

So far, I have used the following cuts of meat from my meat box delivery from Swaledale Online Butchers to cook up the following dishes:

  • Free Range Herb-fed Chicken Drumsticks – Juicy Lemon Chicken traybake. Ross chicken, that hand-fed a rich diet of ten varieties of fresh herbs, it was a joy to work with these drumsticks
  • Diced Mutton – Traditional family recipe for a mutton curry – deep, intense flavours that work so well with the beautifully aged mutton. The ewes graze on a variety of wildflowers, herbs and grasses in the Yorkshire Dales. The older age of the animal – 2 years plus – gives it a complex flavour that reflects the diet of the ewes
  • Free-range herb-fed whole chicken – Traditional Sunday Roast dinner – the diet of these slow-grown free-range chickens gives a depth of flavour that is noticeable. The hens enjoy a locally milled, additive-free, cereal-based diet in addition to a mix of at least ten herbs that also come from a local farm. I noticed that meat is darker and takes up more of the flavour from a marinade in a much shorter marination period.
  • Merguez sausage Meat – I cooked up an easy One-pot Merguez sausage casserole using this very flavourful sausagemeat and the flavours were dancing on my palate, so so so good!

Rare, traditional breeds

Based in the stunning Yorkshire dales, Swaledale partners with the local farming community to bring the ultimate and most delicious ingredients directly to your kitchen.

How are they able to do this? By only working with farmers who rear traditional breeds.

Breeds like the Belted Galloway or Highland cow, which graze on the local landscape all year round and the result is beautifully marbled beef. Ross chicken, that are hand-fed a rich diet of ten varieties of fresh herbs – Imagine how this impacts the flavour of your herb-fed whole chicken roast! Delicious pork with a high-fat content that comes from the local Yorkshire bred Middle white pigs

Swaledale Butchers believe that everyone should be able to trace the exact provenance of their meat. As a consumer, to me, this means a lot because I know for a fact that important things like animal welfare, support of the local farming community, and a return of traditional heritage rare breed animals are assured.

Benefits of eating grass-fed, organic, traditional meat

  • Purely grass-fed, free-roaming traditional livestock is bound to produce superior quality meat. Taste that reflects the natural environment where the animals have grazed. So essentially what you cook and plate up has beautiful natural flavours that stand out on their own even when combined with vibrant spices
  • Ethical farming practices that benefit the local farming community means a sustainable system that benefits everyone in the chain
  • Pesticide-free grass and animals that are not pumped up on antibiotics. A perfect example is that Swaledale cattle take 4-6 years to mature whereas commercial animals take up to 14 months or less, I shall leave you to do the math for yoursef!
  • Grass-fed meat is higher in antioxidants, has a higher number of healthy fats, is packed with vitamins, and is, therefore, better for you.
  • Cows, pigs, sheep, and poultry heritage breeds that are suited to survive outdoors and feed on the grass produce the best tasting meat.

Online ordering FAQ’s for Swaledale Online Butchers

  • All the meat comes to you fresh and not frozen. It is suitable for home freezing and needs to be unpacked immediately. Everything reached me in pristine condition.
  • The packaging is recyclable and designed to provide thermal insulation.
Summary

Swaledale Online Butchers have a strong ethos towards traditional rare breeds and their selection is a great example of the perfect field-to-fork experience. Expert butchery, 100% grass-fed, traceable provenance, and ethical practices are the hallmarks of their business. They work with top chefs and highly respected restaurants in London and across the U.K

I have sampled a large variety of their meats and will not hesitate to recommend them. As always my reviews are honest and based on my personal experience. This means that you can go ahead and buy with confidence.

*With thanks to Swaledale Online Butchers. I pride myself on providing unbiased reviews based on my personal experience.

Filed Under: Food, Product Reviews, Uncategorized

Vinegar Roast Chicken

June 23, 2020 by manjirichitnis 18 Comments

This Vinegar Roast Chicken recipe is a Keto-friendly, Low- Carb, delicious, protein-packed meal. Requires minimal prep too.

Who doesn’t love an easy chicken recipe that hardly takes any prep and results in a flavor-packed meal, right? Vinegar Roast Chicken is that recipe which everyone should add to their repertoire. Even a novice will be able to re-create this easy dish and feel a sense of pride and achievement.

Vinegar Roast Chicken by Manjiri of www.travelsfortaste.com

Easy Vinegar Roast Chicken in a Dark, rich and delicious sauce

I love creating recipes that require less prep and where I end up with a dish that really explodes with flavour

Season, place into the oven, sit back and relax

Yes!This recipe really is that easy. You will want to make this over and over again. Take it for pot-luck parties and everyone will be asking you for the recipe – don’t forget to share my blog link with them 🙂

Vinegar is the Star ingredient here, especially if you use fruit flavoured one like I have. I love my cranberry flavoured vinegar. I also have tried this recipe with a coffee flavoured vinegar, balsamic vinegar and truffle flavoured vinegar. I would urge you to invest in really good vinegar, you will thank me later for investing in this wonderfully versatile ingredient

The pomegranate molasses add deep and rich undertones into the stock as it cooks.

Vinegar Roasted Chicken

Manjiri Chitnis
Bursting with flavour, this oven-roast chicken dish is a must-have in everyone's arsenal of recipes. Prefect for when you want a quick but delicious meal – an anytime recipe
5 from 8 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 45 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Fusion
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Oven tray

Ingredients
  

  • 6 chicken legs without skin
  • 2 tbsp fruit flavoured vinegar
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 450 ml Chicken stock – homemade or use 1.5 chicken stock cubes crumbled into hot water
  • 2 cloves of black garlic with skin
  • 1 small red onion finely chopped
  • 2 tsp chilli flakes
  • Pinch of smoked sea salt
  • 1 tsp olive oil spray
  • Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Wash the chicken legs and remove the skin
  • Using a knife make deep cuts on the chicken
  • Roughly chop one medium sized red onion
  • Pre-heat oven to 250°C
  • In a baking tray, lined with foil, place the chicken legs
  • Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, vinegar and pomegranate molasses onto the chicken
  • Rub the vinegar, molasses, and seasoning onto the chicken to coat them thoroughly
  • I always use my homemade chicken stock but if you are using stock cubes then dissolve them into freshly boiled water from the kettle and make a mixture
  • Scatter the chopped onion and garlic around the chicken
  • If using black garlic, squeeze them partly out from their skins so they almost melt into the stock while cooking
  • Pour the chicken stock around the seasoned chicken legs
  • Sprinkle some chilli flakes on top
  • Cover with foil and cook for 45 minutes
  • Once the 45-minute mark is done, remove the tray, oven the foil and using tongs turn the legs
  • Cover and cook for another 15-20 minutes
  • Then remove the top foil and cook at 200-220 °C until the little skin around the bones turns a nice brown
  • Serve with a side salad
  • During summer I like to serve my Vinegar roast chicken with a rainbow salad and a refreshing fresh salad dressing, recipe to follow on my blog soon. Stay Tuned!
Keyword Vinegar roast chicken

Notes

  • The oven time can vary based on how big the chicken pieces are, what cut you plan to use, and the type of oven you have.
  • If using frozen chicken legs, I advise cooking at a low temperature of about 150 deg Celsius in a pre-heated oven for over an hour. The oven dish should be covered with a foil, tightly fitted around the edges.

Looking for more chicken recipes? Have a look at some of my easy to create delicious recipes below:

  • Spicy chicken curry
  • One-pot chicken and noodle recipe
  • Jerk Chicken
  • Pomegranate chicken curry
  • Spicy Mexican Chicken wings
  • Spicy grilled chicken
  • Chicken and red lentil stew ( Recipe can be adapted to a vegetarian version)
  • Chicken Frankie roll
  • Kadhai Chicken Masala
  • Moroccan Chicken one-pot recipe
  • Chicken Tikka Masala – Air-fryer recipe
  • Flu-fighting chicken noodle soup
  • Butter Chicken

Who doesn’t love a good homemade chutney? You will love Heidi’s recipe for Blackberry Chutney – promise not to faint after seeing photos of me in her post 😉

Filed Under: Food, Meat, Recipe Index

Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai’s fabulous Street Food Market – Ramadan Special

May 24, 2020 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

Streets in Mumbai are empty and Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai’s usually busy Ramadan festive street food market is shut during the lockdown

Ramadan (Ramzan) this year was a very different experience for the millions worldwide observing the almost month-long fast and so will Eid. And for all the fans of the festive street food of Mohammed Ali Road, this year has been a major disappointment. For the first time in the history of its existence, this bustling street lies silent and bare during Ramadan.

Mumbai’s Mohammed Ali Road, with its burgeoning street food market that is at its best during the holy month of Ramadan, is well-known for its brilliant food and desserts. Myriad food stalls serving hundreds of mouth-watering meat dishes, biryanis and a mind-boggling variety of desserts operate out of this small street every year.

Tempting desserts on display at the  Street Food market at Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai during Ramadan
Desserts at a street food stall – Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai during Ramadan

This market which originated decades ago with just a handful of stalls dotting the periphery of Minara Masjid is now a popular tourist attraction. During Ramadan, it attracts a huge crowd, all eager to feast on the delicacies. Irrespective of religion, caste, or creed, this massive vibrant market embraces everyone with its offerings. Though I do not belong to the Muslim community, I have been a regular visitor at this market for the past many years and have always celebrated Eid with some of my close friends. My college buddy M and his pal A, never miss a chance to eat the special festive food during Ramadan at Mohammad Ali Road and it was with them that I went on a very enjoyable guided tour of sorts, a few years ago. The experience had me become a tourist in my own city, camera phone in hand, takes notes, reliving old memories.

Vibrant, colourful and bustling - Street Food market at Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai during Ramadan

Scores of people from neighbouring cities and eager tourists throng this street, queuing up to enjoy the food. For some tourists this is also a time for doing some celeb-spotting as many of Mumbai’s famous Bollywood stars are a huge fan of the food too.

The famous Bade Miya also has a pop-up stall at Mohammed Ali Road during Ramadan.

Khansamas especially travel from places across India, especially Lucknow and Madhya Pradesh to Mumbai – Muhammad Ali Road for this month to create their magical dishes for the hungry crowds.

Malpua and huge kadhai's for frying set up specially for the Ramadan Street Food market at Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai
Malpua – a dessert – at a street food stall – Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai during Ramadan

MUST-HAVE IFTAAR DISHES AT MOHAMMED ALI ROAD, MUMBAI

Biryani, Tandoori meat and tandoor naans, kebabs, soft rumali rotis, shawarmas, mutton and chicken curries are just some of the tempting delicacies that are on offer to satisfy any and every craving. Slow-cooked nalli nihari with a soft roomali roti is an unbeatable combination. For many of my friends, Haleem is the ultimate comfort-food meets meaty delight dish and what better way to enjoy this than at the end of a long day of fasting?

Massive Biryani Handi at a street food stall – Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai during Ramadan

And though it might seem surprising to some, there are some fantastic offal dishes on offer. I for one would highly recommend Zaban soup, Zaban fry, kaleji Tawa fry, and the piece de resistance – Bheja Fry. Other melt-in-your-mouth offal dishes include the ‘mutton Khiri kebab’ and the ‘mutton kaleji. The sooty aroma of meat skewered on hot charcoal and Rotis slapped onto massive tandoors lingers heavy in the air, tempting your senses to keep indulging.

Delicious fiery Zaban Soup – Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai during Ramadan

When I moved to the U.K, I was quite surprised by how unpopular offal was amongst the common people. Over the years, though I have seen it rise in popularity, especially as celebrity chefs flaunt their fancy creations on television cookery shows and social media. When I started writing my food and travel blog back in 2012 (I began blogging in 2006 with a lifestyle blog) I had no idea I would be embarking on such an exciting journey. Through the course of my blogging and then freelance content creation, I embarked on a journey as a freelance Marketing, PR and social media professional. I have been blessed with some amazing friendships that have truly blossomed over the years. I have cooked alongside Michelin star chefs. Celebrity chefs, in five-star kitchens and been on the set of the Saturday Kitchen Live. I have sampled some brilliant food and been to some fabulous cookery demonstrations. Even while travelling I have been invited to sample great food and wine, enjoyed some beautifully curated food walks in exotic locales and met some deeply knowledgeable and talented chefs and travel writers. But I digress so now back to reminiscing about Mohammed Ali Road and the fabulous food enjoyed during Ramadan.

Bheja Fry – Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai during Ramadan

There are some incredibly special delicacies that are only sold during this period which you will not see on restaurant or street food stall menus otherwise. Breaking the evening fast by eating the food here is a great way to enjoy iftar.

Dessert choices include the famous malpua – deep-fried golden goodness to devour after a meat fiesta. But one must not miss out on the dark and delightful Burhanpur ki mawa jalebi. This dark jalebi-like dessert is made from deep-fried khoya and then dunked into a sugary syrup.

If you are after something milder then pick from one of the many tempting flavours of phirni set in small earthen pots, topped with dry fruits. The iconic Suleman Usman Mithaiwala is just below the Minara Masjid and is a hugely popular sweet shop, frequented by people all year round. Personally, I always start the dessert feasting with the sandal, the appearance of steamed idli, and the taste of a milky coconut sweet and then head onto a thick coconut cream milkshake loaded with a thick layer of dry fruits.

As a young adult, growing up in Mumbai, I was always surrounded by friends and family who are equally passionate about food. During any Indian festival, waves of nostalgia transport me back to Mumbai, when many an evening was spent listening to them share memories and experiences about the rich traditions surrounding food.

Friends regaled us with takes about the grand celebrations during Eid and the holy month of Ramadan. Such epic tales of food and celebrations, from their families, of generations past, are inter-woven into the tapestry of my soul for life.

I am writing this today after browsing through old photo albums on my laptop dating back several years. This has brought back so many memories, of enjoying the most brilliant food with my friends for epic Iftar parties, of foodie gifts shared by neighbours and friends with us over the years and of my many trips to Mohammed Ali Road to relish amazing food during Ramadan.

The flavours and aromas wafting through the area are something that I can never forget. I just close my eyes and pretend am back there with my friends, feasting and just being a part of this beautiful tradition.

To all my Muslim friends, and everyone celebrating, I wish you a safe and happy Eid. It cannot be the same this year due to the pandemic that has brought the world to its knees. But this does not dampen the spirit of celebration and the auspicious traditions of Eid.

Our entire Human race together shall get through this. We will emerge on the other side of this lockdown.

We will again someday soon greet each other with warm hugs.

We shall share our favourite food cooked with love and joy.

Together – we will defeat this invisible enemy.

Eid Mubarak to one and all.

Markets, Bazaars, Khau-Gallis, street food – Vibrant and bustling and full of colour and local flavours. I have always been fascinated by them and make sure that whenever I travel back to India, I go and refresh my memories. I also make it a point to visit local markets whenever I travel.

Take a virtual tour of some of my favourite markets:

  • Borough Market, London
  • Portobello Market, Notting Hill, London
  • London Bridge and the surrounding area
  • Food walking tour, New York

Filed Under: India, Travel

Butter chicken

May 18, 2020 by manjirichitnis 2 Comments

Incredibly easy Butter Chicken recipe

The very mention of the name of this dish conjures up images of a creamy and buttery gravy with delicious tandoor cooked chunks of chicken just begging to be scooped up with warm buttery naan

Butter Chicken – Travelsfortaste blog

Delicious chicken in a creamy and flavourful yet mild gravy sauce

This version is sort of a cheat’s version, meaning you can be create this much quicker if you follow my handy tips and tricks given below. There are also several adjustments I have made here which allow for alternate ingredients, especially swapping fresh cream for thick Greek yoghurt. Believe me it tastes just as good but it so much lighter on your tummy and your conscience!

Hugely popular North Indian chicken dish

This recipe adapts well to those using an Instant Pot or slow cooker too and is a great way to celebrate a BBQ. It is a very user-friendly recipe so if you do not have an oven you can still crack the code with some smart hacks. Yes, yes, I call my own smart, what can I say, am very humble like that 😉

Usually, I am a very happy bunny creating traditional Maharashtrian curries and especially from my home cuisine – CKP. But because I have lived in Bombay ne Mumbai most of my life in India , I have a palate that appreciates and loves a whole host of varied regional cuisine. And Butter Chicken sits right up there among those much-loved dishes. I don’t make this often enough is the only complaint I hear from the OH!

Butter Chicken

Manjiri Chitnis
Incredibly easy Butter Chicken recipe for a delicious chicken in a creamy and flavourful yet mild gravy sauce
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Marination and resting time 8 hrs
Total Time 8 hrs 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2 People

Equipment

  • Mixer / Blender
  • Heavy Bottomed Pan
  • Griddle pan/oven and skewers

Ingredients
  

Round one of margination -Overnight margination of chicken/ or six hours before cooking

  • 450 grams Boneless chicken – personally, I prefer chicken thighs

  • 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (check notes below – I make mine fresh)
  • 2 tbsp Freshly ground ginger & garlic paste
  • 1 heaped tbsp Garam masala
  • 1.5 tbsp Freshly squeezed tbsp lime juice
  • Salt as per taste

Mix for round two of marination

  • 2 tbsp Cooking oil – ideally mustard oil

  • 4 heaped tbsp Hung curd (check notes below) – approx 1 cup
  • 1.5 tbsp Lime juice

Ingredients for the curry

  • 2 tbsp Unsalted butter

  • 1 tsp Oil
  • 350 grams Chopped tinned tomato– or 3 to 3.5 medium fresh ripe tomatoes
  • 1 medium-sized Red onion
  • 1 – 2 Green chillies
  • 1-2 Bay leaves
  • 1/2 thumb-sized Stick of Cinnamon (ideally cassia bark)
  • 1/2 thumb-sized Piece of Fresh ginger
  • 6 – 7 Cloves of Garlic with skin on
  • 2 Peppercorns
  • 4 Cloves
  • 1 Badi Elaichi /Black cardamom
  • 4 Elaichi/green cardamoms
  • 6 Cashew nuts
  • 6 Almonds without skin
  • 1 tsp Kasuri Methi
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • Water as required
  • Salt to taste
  • 1.5 tsp Fresh cream or Thick Greek yoghurt
  • Handful Fresh Coriander leaves finely chopped to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Wash the chicken pieces and set aside in a bowl
  • Make small cuts in the chicken to allow the marinade to penetrate thoroughly
  • I prefer an overnight margination for the first stage as it makes the flavours shine through, you can do it about 6 hours before cooking as there are two stages to marination
  • Mix all the ingredients from the overnight margination list above and coat the chicken pieces thoroughly, place in the refrigerator overnight
  • The reason hung curd is used is to as to ensure that no extra water gets into the gravy and the gravy has a beautifully creamy consistency
  • Use a muslin cloth to hand the curd for about 2 hours
  • Place the dahi /curd/ Indian set yoghurt in a fine muslin cloth and twist the ends to close the muslin and made a big potli/ parcel
  • Once all the water from the yoghurt collects in the vessel below, it isokay to remove it from the muslin *Check notes
  • Beat the hung yoghurt with a fork and then pour onto the chicken, add the lime juice and mix well, then add the oil
  • Now put the chicken back into the refrigerator for at least four hours
  • About 4 hours before making the chicken remove from the refrigerator and let is sit outside for about 45 minutes (during winter, during summer – depending upon the room temperature let it sit out for at least 20 minutes)
  • Let the chicken rest outside at room temperature while you make the gravy
  • Soak the almonds in lukewarm water for 10 minutes, the skin will come off easily
  • In a heavy bottomed pan heat the oil and then add the butter , follow this up with the green chillies, crushed ginger , crushed garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, black cardamom, green cardamom pods opened
  • Sauté well till all the whole spices are lightly fried , releasing all their gorgeous aromatic flavours
  • Now add in the whole cashews and whole almonds, stir and sauté
  • Then add the finely chopped onion and cook until they turn a light brown colour
  • Follow this up with the chopped tomato from a tin or concentrated tomato puree. Dilute the concentrated paste before adding. Read my notes below for tips.
  • Let this simmer for under 2 minutes, then transfer to a ceramic bowl and cool
  • String the chicken pieces through a skewer, spray some oil and cook them in a pre-heated oven at 200 degree Celsius until almost done. Turn the pieces so both sides get grilled equally
  • Alternatively, use a heavy bottom griddle pan and cook on either side till you see juices releasing
  • The best way to cook the chicken is over hot coal on a BBQ, which imparts a beautiful smoky flavour note to the chicken
  • Remove the chicken from the skewers and using a scissor cut them down to smaller chunks
  • Now blend the gravy using a blender – blend until you get a smooth consistency. Read my pro-tipbelow for this step – it can make or break your dish
  • In the same pan used to sauté the gravy, add the smooth gravy from the blender, if you want you can add an additional dollop of butter before adding the gravy
  • Now stir in the chicken pieces and mix well
  • Then add in the kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves, sugar and salt as per taste and cook on a very low heat setting until done. Cover and cook
  • When the chicken has cooked through transfer to a serving bowl
  • Garnish with fresh cream, some chopped coriander leaves, some kasuri methi/ dried fenugreek leaves and serve hot
  • Serve with a side of buttery garlic naans, or plain tandoor roti’s or steamed basmati rice or simply plain naan
  • Whatever you choose to pair it with remember to add a blob of butter on top for that added decadence
Keyword Butter Chicken

Smart Swaps:

  • Unsalted butter over regular salted
  • Few soaked dry fenugreek seeds can be used if you cannot find Kasuri methi. Dried fenugreek leaves
  • Thick Greek yoghurt over fresh cream
Butter Chicken – Recipe by www.travelsfortaste.com

Tips:

  • Chopped tomates in a tin and concentrated tomato puree in a tube are store cupboard essentials, also they have the right kind of acidity that you need. Fresh tomatoes tend to be sweet which may change the balance of flavours we are after here
  • Before blending the gravy sauce, you may want to remove the bay leaves and the badi elaichi. I do this both my husband and I believe that the sauce tastes better without blending this. Later just add these back with the chicken pieces.
  • Frozen onion and tomato gravy is very handy
  • Frozen ginger garlic paste is another time saver
  • Pressed for time? Skip the overnight marination and go for only one marination for 4 hours
  • Making a large batch of Butter Chicken? You will need more hung curd. I hang the muslin cloth from my kitchen sink tap so the excess water simply drips into a bowl waiting in the sink. Do not throw this water away! It is loaded with flavour and nutrients. It is great for mixing into chapati/Indian flatbread dough and a base for salad dressings (Yes!)
  • Batch cook – this curry freezes very well; I make 4 times the amount and stash my freezer when I have a packed schedule. It is amazing to come home late from work to this beautiful curry (I cheat and get store-bought naan when am unable to make any fresh!)
  • Skip the green chillies entirely if you cannot handle the pungent undertones

Notes:

  • Kashmiri dry red chillies are easily available in most Indian grocery stores/ Online as is the bright red ready to use powder. The powder is what gives this recipe it is trademark bright red colour. Do not fret if you can’t find the powder, just blitz a handful of the dried Kashmiri chillies in a spice grinder – dry blitz and make your own powder! If you want, you could also add water and all the other ingredients of round one of margination and make a paste. Saves time too!
  • Using an Instant pot? I will be sharing a version of this recipe in the coming days – will update a link here

Did you follow my recipe? Please let me know in comments, I love reading your comments and feedback

Snap a picture of your creations and use the hashtag #travelsfortasteblogrecipe and share it to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and I will re-post it.

Butter Chicken – Recipe by www.travelsfortaste.com

Filed Under: Curry - Meat, Seafood, Food, Indian, Recipe Index

Quick Red Lentil curry

May 9, 2020 by manjirichitnis 2 Comments

Easy basic Indian daal recipe

Dried Lentils – versatile, flavourful, and absolutely brilliant to cook with not to mention pocket-friendly, are an omnipresent part of my kitchen pantry. Every region of India has its own versions of lentil curries or daal’s as we refer to even the cooked version.

Made using storecupboard essentials

The skinless masoor daal or the split red lentil cooks very quickly and is a great choice for a quick dish that can be rustled up in next to no time. Perfect for busy evenings, steamed rice will cook alongside this curry and you will have a hearty and delicious meal all ready under 20 minutes.

Traditional Roots

My recipe is something I have been making for a while now and even Aai approves – which is high praise indeed. Ideally, Aai would have me cooked akkhe masoor or the whole masoor – brown with skin and whole. The recipe involves using some of our trademark ingredients like tamarind and freshly grated coconut and the result is a creamy, delicious and moreish daal that warms my soul.

Basic Indian Curry recipe for beginners

My recipe is a perfect for those getting familiar with Indian cuisine . This is one daal recipe you want in your repertoire. Adaptable and highly versatile, you can bulk up this recipe with veggies if you are cooking for fussy little ones. Everything about this recipe is user-friendly. This curry freezes well, make in batches and freeze for busy days.

Quick Split Red Lentil Curry

Manjiri Chinis
Delicious Red lentil curry, easy to prepare, vegan friendly recipe
Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Red lentil washed
  • 1.5 tbsp Sunflower Oil
  • 1 small pinch Hing/Asafoetida
  • 2-3 Kadipatta/Curry leaves
  •  ½ Hirvi Mirchi/ Green Chilli
  • ½ tsp Mohri/ Black Mustard seeds
  •  ½ tsp Jeere/ cumin
  • 2 cloves Lasun / Garlic with skin on
  • A small piece of fresh ginger washed and roughlysliced  – keep mortar pestel handy
  • ½ Laal Kanda/ Large Red Onion chopped fine
  •  2 tsp Garam Masala
  • ½ tsp Halad/ Turmeric Powder
  • 1 heaped tsp Laal Mirchi/ Red Chilli Powder
  • 1 heaped tsp Dhane/Coriander Powder
  • 1 small tomato chopped fine or ½ heaped tbsp canned chopped tomatoes
  • Salt as per taste
  • Water as per the quantity of lentils used
  • Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Wash the red lentils, drain and set aside
  • Finely chop the red onion
  • Heat oil in a pan
  • Leave the skin on the garlic cloves and smash the cloves using a pestle, remove the skin from the ginger and use a mortar pestle to crush it to release all the juices.
  • When the oil is hot add a pinch of asafoetida, mustard seeds and cumin, once the mustard seeds and cumin begin to pop and crackle, add the garlic, green chilli, curry leaves and the ginger. Remember to use a spoon to scoop all the juice from the crushed ginger into the pan, you don't want to waste all that goregous juicy flavour
  • Tip in the chopped onion, add the corinader powder, garam masala and saute until the onion turns a soft brown colour, keep stirring to ensure the onion does not burn
  • Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well, then reduce the flame and add the washed red lentil
  • Add enough water, cover and cook until done
  • Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves just before turning off the gas
  • Serve with steamed pressure cooked rice, always top with a nice blop of puree ghee, a nice cucumber raita will complete the meal

Learn how to make Indian food from scratch with my easy to follow recipes

  • Fresh dill and yellow moong daal recipe
  • Goda sheera/ sooji ka halwa/ Indian dessert
  • CKP Surmai curry
  • Pompfret fry
  • Konbichi khichadi – Prawn khichadi
  • Vaangayche Bharit/ Smoked stuffed Aubergine ( Eggplant/Brinjal) in a thick gravy/ Baingan ka bharta
  • Valache Birdhe – (वालाचे बिरडे) – MADE IN A TYPICAL C.K.P WAY
  • Kairi Panhe/ Aam ka panha – Raw mango summer drink
  • Cauliflower- vatana bhaji – cauliflower and green peas vegetarian side dish
  • Podhnichi khichadi
  • Akkha masoor aamti CKP style / Whole red lentils with skin curry recipe
  • Achari Mutton curry
  • Spicy Chicken curry
  • Egg curry
  • Kadhi – fusion of Punjabi and Gujrati kadhi recipes with vadi’s
  • Upma
  • Gujrati Kadhi
  • Shahi Khichadi
  • Sweetcorn and paneer bhaji/sabzi (vegetable side dish)
  • Tomato and coconut chutney
  • Steamed Idli batter
  • Ragi (Finger Millet) and blueberry pancakes
  • Masala egg omlette
  • Chicken tikka masala
  • Tikka masala curry paste
  • Tawa chicken Frankie roll
  • Chai concentrate
  • Grated carrot salad
  • Strawberry flavoured shrikhand

As part of our #LockdownRecipes, I cooked this live on Instagram and have it saved on my IGTV – do go and have a look, please let me know in comments if you enjoyed watching my very first IGTV video!

My friend and fellow food-blogger Heidi cooked along with me on live from her home kitchen in St.Albans and I was so happy that some of my followers cooked along too. Check out my album Lockdown recipes in my Instagram highlights to see photos of their creations.

And if you do cook to my recipe do snap a picture of your creations and use the hashtag #travelsfortasteblogrecipe and share it to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and I will re-post it.

Filed Under: Curry - Vegetarian, Food, Indian, Recipe Index

Dill and yellow moong daal recipe

April 14, 2020 by manjirichitnis 12 Comments

Shepu ani moogachi chi Bhaji

My very first memory of eating this dish goes back to when I was in primary school. Back home from a busy day at school , I barely used to manage to wash my hands before running into the kitchen demanding a snack. Aai had cooked up this then strange looking green leafy vegetable with an aroma that was new to me, but it was served with a freshly made Jowar Bhakri, which I absolutely love. I guess it was love at first bite.

Simple, homely, delicious

This bhaji (Marathi for sabzi) is a very traditional dish, part of the Maharashtrian cuisine. Shepu (Marathi for Dill) leaves are known for the string flavour and certain foods, this leafy vegetable can evoke strong emotions. I belong to the camp of people that love this dish.

Traditional cuisine from Maharashtra

Dill and Yellow Moong Dal bhaji – (Shepu ani moogachi Bhaji)

Traditional Maharashtrain recipe using fresh Dill leaves and Yellow Moong daal, tastes great with a Bhakri
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 I bunch Shepu / Dill leaves
  • 3/4 cup Split Yellow Moong daal without skin
  • 1 tbsp Sunflower Oil
  • 1 small pinch Hing/Asafoetida)
  • ½ tsp Mohri/Mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp Jeere/ Cumin
  • 3 – 4 Kadipatta/ Curry leaves
  • 3 cloves Lasun / Garlic with skin on
  • 1 Thumb sized piece Fresh Ale/ Ginger – smashed with a khalbatta – Mortar Pestle
  • ½ Kanda/Red onion finely chopped
  • 2 tsp Hirvi Mirchi/ Green Chilli and Kothimbi/ Coriander leaves paste
  • 1 tsp Laal Tikhat/ Red Chilli Powder
  • ½ tsp Halad/ Turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp Goda Masala
  • 1.5 heaped tsp freshly grated khobra /Coconut

Instructions
 

  • Wash the moong daal and soak it in hot water for a while – until you find the daal begins to soften , ensure it doesn’t totally get soft
  • Meanwhile wash and roughly chop the shepu/Dill leaves and tender stalks – and drain onto a tea towel
  • In a pan gently roast half the chopped onion and the grated coconut, do not allow the mix to to burn – remove from pan and set aside on a ceramic plate to cool
  • In the same pan heat the oil and prepare the phodni/tadka – when the oil heats add the mustard seeds and cumin, when they start to sputter add the garlic cloves and ginger , stir till the garlic begins caramelise
  • Meanwhile remove the daal from the water , drain the water through a colander and pat dry
  • Then add the remaining onion and the moong daal, allow the daal to almost fry but not quite
  • Add the goda masala and cook for about a minute , allowing the goda masala to coat the onion and daal thoroughly
  • Add the green masala, red chilli powder, turmeric, then add the shepu and stir for a while
  • Add the roasted onion and grated coconut mixture, and allow to cook on a low flame.
  • The shepu shouldn’t totally go soft and limp, that means it has overcooked. The daal should be cooked like pasta – al-dente – that means you have got the texture just right. Serve hot with a freshly made Jowar or Bajra Bhakri and some chopped onion.
Keyword Dill, Moong, Shepu

Memories of going to small villages in the interior of Maharashtra years ago, enjoying a hot bhakri made over a stove with a spicy bhaji like this in dim lighting and really enjoying everything that the place has to offer. These and other memories come rushing back to me when I make such recipes. After all, what is cooking traditional dishes, if not a journey to some part of our life, even if it may seem like a whole lifetime away?

Explore more recipes from Maharashtra, India:

  • CKP King Fish curry – सुरमाई चे कालवण 
  • Valache Birdhe – C.K.P style recipe -वालाचे बिरडे
  • Konkani Pompfret Fish Curry पापलेटचं कलवण
  • Prawn Khichadi – कोळंबीची खिचडी

Have you tried any of my recipes? Do let me know in comments, share your photos on social media with me with the hashtag:

I love reading your comments and seeing your photos! Stay Safe and Stay home during this lockdown.

Filed Under: C.K.P recipes, Food, Indian

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