Saffron Trail

healthy vegetarian cooking

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  • Tiny bean babies! From the beans I got from Sikkim. Aren't they the cutest? Harvested a handful of tender beans, just enough to make a little portion of subzi for my kid :)
  • Looking for a filling breakfast idea which needs hardly any effort? Presenting this super delicious Egg Roll with protein, carb, veggies all in one bite! -1 leftover roti -masala omelette made using 1 egg, finely chopped onion, chilli, coriander -Some shredded carrot and onion -Leftover veg curry -Sprinkling of chaat masala Roll it all up and eat! So filling that I skipped lunch yday and used that time to hit the gym instead 💪🏽
  • I'm giggling away as I present today's post for you. Read till the end and you'll know why!My people usually wake up early and have tea or coffee. And then around 8.30/9 am is Kanji time - not quite breakfast but good enough to keep going until 11/11.30am which is lunch time. My grandma, aunts and mum have been making this mix at home forever. Grains and lentils are slow roasted and then given to the neighbourhood 'chakki' (flour mill) to be ground into a powder and stocked up for the whole month. One can also fortify this powder with almonds, peanuts, finger millets and so on. To prepare the porridge a tablespoon or two of this powder is mixed with some water and brought to a simmer with constant stirring until the flour is cooked. Boiled milk is added to this mixture, and a sweetener of choice, and the kanji is ready to be gulped down. Instead of milk, buttermilk and a pinch of salt can be added to make a savoury version (I don't quite like this one). I don't make kanji powder at home, but I get something that is quite close to what is made at home from our local grocery service, Towness. I prefer this for breakfast on days I am not keen on making anything for myself or I just want something light. Today I prepared the kanji in the usual way. 2 tbsp powder + 3/4 cup water, bringing it to a simmer, along with a dash of turmeric powder and some crushed organic jaggery. After the kanji thickened, I added a couple of splashes of milk and garnished the ‘kanji bowl’ with some powdered cardamom, sliced roasted almonds and coconut chips, with a drizzle of honey for a really filling, wholesome breakfast. Also, how cool it is to elevate an immensely humble thing like kanji to something gourmet. Now you know why I was giggling :) This Kanji powder is sold as ‘health mix’ by a few brands. You may be able to find it in your local supermarket.
  • I was introduced to Ghugni by my neighbour who once shared with me a bowlful of the Odia version. More recently, at our stay at the Cedar Inn hotel in Darjeeling, they had ghughni as a part of the breakfast buffet on one of the days. This hotel had exceptionally good food for both breakfast and dinner buffets. A limited spread, but each dish perfectly made, with a couple of local selections as well, and hot phulka rotis served on the table, even many 5 star hotels don't pay so much attention to their buffets. Coming back to the ghughni, I clicked a picture of this tray full of piping hot goodness garnished with yogurt and powdered roasted cumin. I decided to try this dish out when I came back to Bangalore, and try it I did. This is a super simple, tasty dish made out of dried white peas. I've adapted this recipe from The Calcutta Cook Book. Either have a bowlful of ghughni as it is, or make a chaat out of it, street food style! Get the recipe link in bio and from stories :) I promise, you will love it.
  • And I can't not share a close up of this plate of perfection - I have huge admiration for people and places that do simple things well. You may say it's just Idli Vada Chutney what's the big deal. But the kind of dedication and process that goes into getting these simple dishes out with the exact same flavour plate after plate is immense. This place in South Bangalore is a must visit for local tiffin dishes like Idli, Vada, Dose, Karabaath and filter coffee. Seating is just benches outside the place and under the trees, but with food so good, you won't care much for where you're sitting :)
  • 2 plates Idli Vada in a pool of super fresh and tasty coconut chutney that you can't have enough of -1 plate chow chow baath i.e.-Kara baath+ kesari baath with some thick chutney Taaza Thindi with its long queues for coupons and crowds spilling all over, is totally worth it because it makes simple food so so delicious. Vada perfectly crisp, idli soft and fluffy, chutney totally on point. I love this place!! 💓💓💓
  • A strong filter coffee like this makes Sunday mornings even better! This cup at Taza Thindi hit the spot :) We went all the way from Whitefield to Jaya Nagar to meet up some friends here this morning. The drive was totally worth it.
  • This post for all you tea lovers out there!Remembering the morning tea at Biksthang farm in West Sikkim. Temi is a large tea estate here. And being in Sikkim, it's all certified organic. Just headed back from a hearty breakfast at this hugely popular place in Jaya Nagar called Taza Thindi. If I lived anywhere close to this place, I wouldn't ever cook breakfast at home. SO GOOD! Can't want to share some of the pics with you :)

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