Vol-Au-Vents a la Crème Fraîche and a tag...

I was tagged by two wonderful bloggers…Divs and Varsha where I have to write 25 random things about myself…The first question I asked myself was whether there were 25 things about myself to even tell about! But as I started writing it was quite easy to make this list however uninteresting the facts are…So here goes that tag…


1. I am a movie buff…though am quite selective about it …I love Padmarajan and Sreenivasan movies…apart from that I love classics...and any movies of Benigni...Spielberg...Tarantino...or Polanski

2.I never enjoyed cooking when I was at home in Trivandrum…its was more of cooking due to forced circumstances….though had lots of fun with bro trying out things in the kitchen like putting kudampuli for the sambhar or spoiling the mixie 4-5 times in a month trying to make idli maavu…. my first food blogpost is quite silly..;-D



3. I find a lot of connect with many bloggers than people whom I know in daily life….sometimes I feel they think so much alike and are of similar wavelength making me comfortable communicating with them…many are almost like family for me.

4. I love cold weather or rather moderate weather by European standards...20-25 deg…I get irritated at plus 35…I don’t mind shivering in the cold but I hate to sweat in the sun…But I now appreciate the beauty of sun when it occasionally shows up in winter.

5. I love travelling...I have been to several countries in past 2-3 years and considering myself lucky for being able to do so... Norway is next in my wish list..:)

6. I don’t think I was proud of myself as a kid or as a college guy…but I somehow feel happy for myself that I managed to hold on to some principles inspite of temptations to break it after I finished studies. Integrity in action is a much under-appreciated value these days.

7. I love peach juice and I don’t like sugar in coffee.

8. I would like to copy a line here from yumworld...i am a Cancerian as well…infact most of my blogger friends are cancerians…

9. I envy people who can sing…that’s something I wish god gave me…and I do have an eclectic taste for music…

10. Some of the nicest people I know are not necessarily the richest or most well endowed physically or financially. I learned that there is goodness even in sections of society we disregard as second fiddle or unworthy of attention...

11. One of the proudest moments in my life was when I got my parents to Germany and later took them to Paris and Rome…and they send a mail after reaching home about how happy they were…I am highly uncomfortable expressing love or gratitude in person and they know it, it seems…

12. I am very instinctive in nature…at times I believe that I have psychic powers too. 4 years ago along with a friend while munching on a home delivered pizza, we were worried about roomies coming soon sharing the already small pizza we had..5 min after we finished the pizza we got a call..4 of them were stuck somewhere in the lift of our flat…;-D

13. My all-time favorite TV show is Frasier. I am so much a fan that I would love to visit Seattle if I ever go to USA…

14. I love being a travel guide. and I love doing the planning…and I do it in extreme detailing starting from when exactly should I wake up on the day of travel..;-P

15. I sometimes wish if I had a sister…just a weird wish...

16. You rarely would see me emotional in person…it’s a trait I got from dad which I know is not necessarily good...But I am my own “agony uncle” if there is any..;-P

17. I love doing pencil sketching, jigsaw puzzles and watching history related television programs…esp... if it has something to do with world war’s…and besides that I like car and bike shows. I also used to closely follow the Indian election scene when I was a kid. I remember when I was like in 8th or 9th standard and it was exam time and I was forcibly confined to the study room. But my mind was always in the pie chart showing the seats won by Congress, BJP and other parties...

18. I am late riser…Its hard for me to wake up without seeing the sun...

19. I don’t follow sports religiously…and cricket is not a religion for me….though am a fan of St.Pauli and Arsenal football club…

20. I hate liars, hypocrisy and pretentious people…And I love people who don’t have any air about themselves…If you have qualities that is adorable or causing envy in others, don’t allow arrogance to get over you…I have seen a flamboyant ex-banker having had to rely on food from charity...there could be a fall for anyone of us!!

21. I love wines…and though am not anyway a serious aficionado at it, I love trying different wines…and my colleagues here know it and that what they usually gift me when the occasion demands… :)

22. Three woman I consider as most beautiful are Princess Diana, Konkona Sen and Madhubala…

23. I like the money in my job, though I harbor a desire to do something creative at work place…and the farthest I can do now is colorful fonted mails to colleagues...

24. I love the smell of cake ovens.

25. Three of my favorite books are Curious incident of a Dog in the night time, Diary of Anne Frank and Catcher in the rye.

And well a little quick fix for folks who are in a super hurry mode for dinner, I presenta “Vol-Au-Vents a la Crème Fraîche” …ok….that was just to pretend it was a cool French thing!! ;-D

Well this is simplest non-veg dish ever known to mankind…fish burji…



There is this ready-to-eat mackerel fillets preserved in olive oil which you can buy from shops here…Just grab a couple of onions, few green chilies’ , curry leaves and fry em in the preservative oil. Once it’s suitably sautéed, add 1 teaspoon pepper, half teaspoon chili powder and salt to taste. Now add the fish fillets (which are already cooked) and blend them along with sautéed onions. This dish has a pleasant favour and overwhelmingly tastes of the fish and sauted onions unlike usual Indian dish where the masala is usually more prominent...Just like the short recipe it takes just 10 min to cook this up!!


Update: I just found out how the germans use it..they use it as a filling between two bread slices just like jam for their breakfast..;-P

Bachelor chicken curry Returns!!

If you remember, in my last post I had mentioned the apparent breaking up and extra-marital relations which I was pursuing with Begum Mutton …It was a short lived romance leading to nowhere and I guess someone got hold of our personal lives and even made a movie out of it…‘The Curious Case Of Begumji Mutton’…. The paparazzi never…aah!!

I was guilt struck and ruing over my deplorable behaviour and to mend broken hearts I planned to meet chicken again . It was a conscious decision when I finally realized that, just like Laila was to Anarkali…Sheela was to Prem Nazir…. someone was for me…This time I carried a beautiful bouquet of curry leaves!!

But no one couldn’t predict what I was about to witness…Chicken now an alcoholic, emotionally broke and frozen in some obscure corner, almost like a vegetable..…The sight was heart rendering and as we looked at each other, I couldn’t bear it anymore .I held her wings in passionate embrace and held back the Budweiser which was almost finished by the way…And then we sat down to talk…

As we shared our past, chicken mentioned that the excessive drinking did take a toll on her and she did not have any liver left which was indeed true when I looked carefully after lifting the neck …Infact she did not have most vital organs left inside…Nevertheless I was ready to accept her .. Due to precarious emotional state, she was in I thought of checking her into rehab. But she seemed more in a mood for a trip to Kentucky or Schezwan …Well it was recession time and I couldn’t afford such a long trip and I requested her to modify plans.…cost cutting was inevitable.. I said.

”shall we go Hyderabad or Malabar…dance in the onion meadows…throw tomatoes at each other….and apply masala on each other...and spice things up…whatsay? ”

And she ‘gingerly’ smiled at me and said…

“Yes…wherever you take me, my dear!!”

And then there was magic…a magical aroma which marked the culmination of an universal love story ….beyond borders of the chicken farms…cutting across race and colors ..there was a tear in the eyes of every single naadan kozhi…every single broiler chicken...and every single Slumdog chicken…

* The End *

That was the climax of the much awaited movie as we saw the audience searching frantically for tissues unable to bear the emotional outpour which was building up within them….

”The sight of them patching up was so beautiful and I don’t remember seeing such scenes in Kozhiwood for a long long time…..” said one cine-goer who wish not to be named.

Well lets hear from the director himself in the segment ‘Director’s cut’

Filmfare : ‘Sir….Behind the universal appeal of the movie, there is an experienced director visualizing it…what lessons would you like to share with new budding directors ’
Kubrick Chekku: ‘Well...having decent experience with Asian as well as Caucasian chickens I would like to tell first time Hannibal Lecter’s to never attempt this passion on a frozen chicken. One of the finest piece of german engineering, my vettukathi broke in two when I attempted on a particular ‘Arnold Schwarzenegger chicken’ straight from the freezer!! Those were my rookie days…’
Filmfare : ‘How do you conceptualize a movie…do you have trademarks of your own!!’
Kubrick Chekku: ‘I normally start preparing myself emotionally by slicing 3 big onions, 3 green chilies and keeping it aside…Since there is lot of physical effort involved I wash and clean up the chicken and remove the bullet proof vest which comes as a package these days...and then its brutal creativity’
Filmfare : ‘Err…sir...Could you elaborate’
Kubrick Chekku: ‘This is when the director reaches a tantric level ,wields his weapon and cuts the chicken into pieces…and he doesn’t calm down until the pieces are marinated with 5 tbsp of chicken masala, 1 tsp of chilly powder, half teaspoon of turmeric, 1tsp salt, 2 tbsp of curd and 1 tbsp of lime juice….’



Filmfare: ‘wow…I assume you take good care of the co-actors too…as you have mentioned in an earlier interview about the importance they play’
Kubrick Chekku (heh…heh…measured laugh): “You seem to have done quite some research on me…yes…I heat up the oil and add mustard to it once its warm...they are important for the comedy as they will start laughing after sometime…Then the movie slowly transits into serious mode when you put the sliced onions, curry leaves and green chilies along with 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste”
Kubrick Chekku : ‘Once the onions are sautéed and the raw smell goes, introduce the side actor tomato to the scene…He will gradually blend with the other characters paving way for the hero!! That’s when I introduce the marinated chicken pieces…I love this part of the movie…there is music...there is color…and there is aroma ’
Filmfare: ‘Sir…salute…salute…I am just eager to know the climax’
Kubrick Chekku : ‘After about 5-10 minutes all the characters in the movie must have blended well giving the hero a glorified status…But you must check occasionally if the characters do have shades of salt and add accordingly… Then you add a cup of water and close the lid…The inner turmoil within the khandaan would happen now….’
Kubrick Chekku : ‘And then after 10 min when the hero finally restores peace….you open the lid and take a good piece and taste it…If the director is smiling…you know for sure the movie is a hit!!’
Filmfare: ‘Thanks...for sparing your valuable time with us…and giving the movie buffs enough reason to skip your movies…”


Everyone underestimated the marvelous director ..but some years later...in every college…in every tea shop…there was a song everyone was humming…… ‘Aap jaise ‘Kozhi’ mere Zindagi Mein Aaye’..taantan....taaanttaaataan....................

adios... :-D

Mumtaz Mutton- Ek Prem kahani

For the last two years there was a song I kept close to my heart…a song that made my heart beat like “kokokoo...kokokoo…”

“Ho Ek Chicken Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga
Ek Chicken Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga
Jaise Kentucky Roast
Jaise Reshmi Ka Kabab
Jaise Ujli Kadai
Jaise Schezwan ki Raat
Jaise Tandoor Mein Ho Ek Jalta aag
Ho Ek Chicken Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga”

It was not just a song but a romance that had stood the test of time and it still does…But being the foodie casanova I am, I found someone new and it has caught my attention ever since…I told my spiritual guru about this dilemma… and he asked…

S.G: “What do you think?? How will chicken react to this news?”
Me: “I really donno guru… we have always been for each other and Chicki has never left me down…”
S.G: “When did you last meet?”
Me: “At Burger King…last Friday …and as always it was memorable, though it was kinda awkward when Ketchup was lurking us”
S.G: “hmm…a classic case of mid-life crisis. Have you tried something exciting like going out or doing something Tikka?”
Me: “Yeah...we did the Tikka recently and that’s when I saw Mumtaz Mutton at the nearby table…We just couldn’t take our eyes of each other”
S.G: “understandable…it has happened to me once as well”

Me:"And then"

S.G:"I was given the "Chicken soup for the soul"
Me: “But I wonder if all this sounds like being unfaithful?”
S.G: “No my son… don’t be chicken-hearted…mutton up man!!”

I knew that chicken would forgive me for this little dalliance I was having…

like they say “Mard ka dil sirf ek murghi ko samajtha hein”

So this is how the new crush entered my life …

*Cook the kheema (minced lamb 500gm) with a pinch of turmeric and salt in a pressure cooker...Also cook a couple of potatoes and keep em mashed..
*Meanwhile sauté thin sliced onions (4), green chilies (3-4) and ginger-garlic paste (2 tsp).
*Add the following to the sautéed mix:-
2 tsp pepper powder, half teaspoon turmeric, 2 tsp meat masala, half teaspoon chilli powder, half teaspoon garam masala and salt to taste.
*Once the raw smell of masala’s are gone add the cooked kheema and mix em well until you the masala’s are evenly coated.. Cook this mix for a few minutes until excess water is drained out.
*Add mashed potatoes and crushed coriander leaves and blend the whole mix again..

Now get the puff pastry or anything of that sort…I found this thing called Blatterteig ( rechristened as german roti) which tastes similar to puff pastries after a few flips on a heated pan …

Once one side of this roti is cooked spread a layer of the mutton filling which has already been made…Roll em along the short edge and seal it up…Allow it to remain for a few minutes until you get a golden glow on the outside..

With a few sliced onions and a glass of wine I guess it’s not hard to fall in love…

P.S. i ll be back Chicken..dont worry!!

saare saare sambhar ee!!

In 2007 December during a trip to Spain, me and my friend checked in at an authentic spanish restaurant in Seville... We ordered a full fledged lunch which was on offer…The menu said ...wine…soup…starter…main course and dessert , the description though were written in spanish.

After making ourselves comfortable and with excellent wine to help, we were enjoying the ambience and looking forward to the siesta which we badly wanted after the long tourist walks. In a few minutes the waiter served us the soup which looked dark orangish in color. One sip and glancing at each other we knew what we were gonna say….

“dei...ithu nammalude sambhar alle”

The waiter was bewildered how both of us told exactly the same comment in the same tone on the so called exotic Spanish soup which he served with so much élan.…Well the Spanish sambhar was our naadan sambhar , a lil less spicy though…Later when the waiter had gone back to get us the main course, it did cross our mind that the Spanish amigo who ran the restaurant probably might be a malayalee who branded the sambhar along famous names like the Paella. So strikingly same was it that we even tried to figure out any resemblance the waiter had with Columbus or Vasco da Gama…

Well we actually enjoyed “drinking” the sambhar as a soup and infact under circumstances (that heavenly wine ;-P) we did not find it odd at all.



Sambhar is an easy quick fix curry for anyone and it will go with practically anything from rice, idli, dosa and even chapatti.(seriously its awesome).. Since my old roommate was a Tamilian I learned their style of cooking sambhar... The recipe has been written based on how I do it which means it may not be the easiest way coz in the kitchen am more a perfectionist planner. Anyways the ingredients would be:-


1 cup dal
3-4 cups of vegetables (I normally use potato, cauliflower carrot, beans and Brinjal)
1 big onion
2 small tomatoes
Curry leaves
2 red chilies
3 green chilies
Jeeera and mustard
Sambhar powder (2.5 tbsp)
Chilly powder
Salt to taste
Tamarind paste (1 tbsp)


1) Pressure cook the dal with sufficient water for 3-4 whistles.
2) Meanwhile peel and slice potatoes, rest of the veggies and cook em(60%) in a microwave with sufficient water.(6-8 min)
3) Slice onions, green chilies, tomatoes and keep em aside.

Once they are ready.

1) Sauté the onions and green chilies in oil until they are transparent, following which add sliced tomatoes.
2) After 3-4 minutes add the sambhar powder along with half teaspoon red chili powder and mix them in low flame.
3) Meanwhile transfer the partially cooked veggies and cook this mix in little water with sufficient salt.
4) Once the raw smell of masala goes, add the cooked dal and water if necessary and allow it to cook.
5) After 2-3 minutes add the tamarind water and mix well.
6) In a separate pan sauté the mustard...Jeera...red chilies and curry leaves and transfer the content to the sambhar.
7) Serve it with rice or idlis.

And guys offer it to Salma Hayek or any Spanish beauty around...]
She might actually like the “soup”. ;-P

HAPPY MEAL INITIATIVE

As a kid I have never had to go hungry at home…because my parents ensured that we had three square meals everyday …Not every one is lucky like you and me…

This post is a bit different from the usual posts I have written in this blog…There are no recipe’s (which I fondly call as catastrophes) in this post.. ;-P

In the colorful and appetizing world of food blogs I have come across hundreds of dishes from across the world…I started following the blogs initially out of passion for trying something different from the usual fare and then I actually began to enjoy the cooking….

As we all know food taste’s the best when...

1) The food is served with love...It could be your life partner...your mom. or any favorite people in your life…
2) You are really hungry…and I mean dead hungry….

We all put lot of devotion to prepare food for the people who fall in the first category…We prepare the spice mix days in advance if you are planning a special dinner or if you are calling friends over home…and there is so much passion involved in creating that perfect carte for our loved ones…We do all this because we genuinely like the people for whom we are serving the food?

Though am hardly someone to be called a food blogger, I have seen so many online food festivals and other initiatives in the network of food blogs where recipes and little cooking tips are shared…There so much of knowledge which I get from reading these posts…and I see so much of effort being put to spread this…And I was wondering at the power vested in the deft hands of all food bloggers and the possibility to make a change…So this post is about making a little change for someone else..

Most of us haven’t had to experience that feeling in our lives…Most of us as adults could always afford to buy food whenever we needed…and splurge too…But unfortunately there are millions who cant….
I am requesting for a small help….Just take time out in a weekend…Instead of cooking for our friends or guests…Think about cooking for someone else if you are willing to..

Call up the nearest charity/ old-age home/ orphanage at your locality and request the caretaker if you could cook a dish for the lunch on a weekend …

A little note for folks who are currently abroad in the West…I know many of us put in our little share by donating money to such organizations…But this a request for a little more..
If you wonder, there are quite a lot of people in the west who cant afford a meal too…There are hundred’s of people in Europe/ US who survive on the food served at these charities…So the geographical location of where you are doesn’t matter because there are poor people in every nook and corner of this world.

How can I cook for so many people?
You don’t have to cook an elaborate meal for 100 people…Just a simple dish…or just cookies…or cakes…would do… It is actually very light on your pockets too but gives a satisfaction beyond that… You can buy 100 chicken legs for just 25$ …:-) I have seen a Korean Woman’s association out here doing that, ordinary housewives who cook and donate homemade food to charities …

Why the charity needs food…they already get it from somewhere?
Yes…they get food from mostly shops which donate the unsold stock of bread or veggies or poultry which are close to expiry date…or restaurant’s with surplus food which they are anyways planning to throw away at end of the day…I feel sad when I realize that we still don’t have the courtesy to give good stuff for people who cant afford it…So if you manage to make a little change in the daily palate of almost outdated bread, salads or sausages it will make a lot of change….taste wise and otherwise..


I don’t know what to promise you for doing this…Most of the charities can’t afford anything spectacular food wise...they usual survive on ready made food and quick fix meals...A tasty home made food from your wonder hands will go a lot to bring satisfaction to people who are used to this regular fare..

I can guarantee you 100% free happiness and broad smile on your face. If you still don’t believe it, check yourself in your mirror after doing it!!:-)

I would be glad if you let me know if you have done anything as part of this initiative. Please drop a comment telling:-

1) Where you are from
2) What did you serve and for how many people
3) To which organization did the food go

This is a little initiative where I will be very happy even if its just one person who has something to eat from your kitchen’s after reading this post…

Thank you..

A pudding love story.

When I was a kid I always looked forward to visit my native place and especially one place called Chootuvelli where my aunt lived. Apart from the excitement of meeting my cousins there was another reason why I was so eager about it always... To relish the delicacies made by my favourite aunt…Daisy aunty…

If there was one person who could easily fit the tag of people who made food with love, it had to be her. Biriyani, meat rolls, chicken fry, mango milk shake from Daisy aunty’s kitchen were legendary, but what held a special place for me was the pudding she prepared.

So while I called her up yesterday I was tempted to ask the secret of her pudding. Well I know that I ll never be able to match her tonnes of experience, so I was glad when she explained to me a little innovation of her to make an ordinary pudding look exotic. I love puddings and given a choice between ice cream and pudding, I would sure yeah to pudding any day! If asked specifically why I love puddings its coz they have a mild sensuous pleasure which an ice cream doesn’t have.Its like a porsche versus Hummer, both are poles apart.

Pudding powder mix is easily available in the market and I don’t have to explain how to make a pudding. It’s easy to figure out how to make a pudding and you don’t need Mensa level intelligence for that. So how to make the pudding extra special?

*Powder a packet of ordinary biscuits (I used walnut biscuits though) to a coarse form.(Don’t make it too fine)
*Heat 3-4 teaspoon of butter in a pan and once it has melt add the biscuit powder.
*On a low flame keep blending this mix until you get a nice aroma of butter+biscuit.
*Transfer this content to the frame where you want the pudding to be served.
*Make a nice bed of this mix on it which would act as the base for the pudding.

Now go ahead and make the pudding.

*Just boil the milk and add sugar depending on the content of the pudding powder.(Sometimes sugar is part of it).
*Keep stirring it until its quite thick.(like in thick curd).
*Be careful not allow any lumps to be formed while heating and make sure an even consistency is maintained. It is preferable to use a whipper if you have one.
*Pour the mix over the biscuit base evenly and allow it to settle.
*After a few minutes when the heat is gone, keep the frame in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
*Serve it after a heavy non-veg meal..;-P

olympic omlette

As the olympics comes to close...today we had a olympic special omlette in honour of the ocassion..

Lets hope that we offer citizenship to Michael Phelps for the next olympics..rechristian him as Michael Pillai...

And annex Jamaica.....and we would be fourth in the olympics tally at London!!

adios...