Saffron Trail

healthy vegetarian cooking

Blogging

The Move: From Blogger to Cucumbertown

When I started my blog Saffron Trail in 2006, Blogger was the obvious choice. While I was aware of Wordpress, I found the former interface much simpler, easier to customize and I started blogging there. I’m a creature of habit, and I happily plonked myself on Blogger platform for 9+ years. Some 3 mo

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Blogging, Travel

Bloggers’ ConClay at Club Mahindra Kanatal

The view from our room in Club Mahindra – Kanatal Many of you might have spotted my tweets on #ConClay and #kanatal last month, and I was asked by quite a few as to what that was about. Here’s the story- Early in October, when Club Mahindra approached me if I would like to be a part of the Blogger

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AS FEATURED IN

AS FEATURED IN
  • The days are getting hotter and the only thoughts that give me comfort are late evenings in the pool and eating plates of chilled fruits, both not at the same time, of course 😁 . Also, I've been going through my old Ayurveda books which I've read over the last 15 years, out of pure fascination for this science and way of life. Did you know that bitter gourd is excellent for your summer diet for reducing the aggravated pitta. What's even better that it is a summer season vegetable. Talk about how nature helps us take care of ourselves. I've got this bitter gourd and mango Ayurvedic curry on my blog from 2005 or so and I want to reshoot a photo of that one to share with you this season :) . For more such stay cool in summer tips, follow @saffrontrail #saffrontrail
  • slow Saturday morning
  • If eggs for breakfast are not your happy thing (previous post on feed), then flowers surely are. This was Saturday's #sosflowerbox and how glorious do these yellow carnations and yellow lilies look! This weekly flower box is the best investment towards my happiness!
  • Just polished off this breakfast a few minutes ago. Homemade sourdough with a good helping of buckwheat flour and seed mix in it, sauteed spinach topped with my current fav way to eat eggs- a 3-4 minute steamed egg, topped with basil microgreens from @livingfood.co . Steamed Egg my way -- . This is faster than boiling the egg, no peeling involved and way easier than poaching an egg. Carefully break an egg into a lightly greased (small) cup. Bring some water to boil in a saucepan with a lid keeping some sort of stand (small cooker ring works) inside so the water does not enter the egg. Place the egg cup inside the saucepan when water is boiling. Cover and keep a timer for 3 minutes. Check if the white and yolk is set to your liking. Mine is when the white is set and yolk is very slightly jammy and not fully runny. Takes 3.5 minutes in my set up. Try this method of steamed eggs and let me know how you like it. You can also use a bigger saucepan for multiple egg cups. The idli stand would also work very well for this. . For more such breakfast ideas, follow @saffrontrail
  • #saffrontrailXsourdough . If you remember from my stories, I had made a beet raisin sourdough some 3 weeks ago. Being the first time, I wasn't sure how much beetroot powder to add. The result was a very light pink - brown bread. This time, I added 30 grams of beet powder + 50 grams whole wheat flour + 170 grams all purpose flour to 50 grams Levain and the colour turned out more beautiful. There wasn't any residual beet flavour in the bread so I can up it by 10 grams next time.
  • GIVEAWAY: Here's what you have to do. 🥬Think of this as a MasterChef Australia mystery box challenge. What will you cook from the vegetables and fruits I have bought? Use two or more of the items and come up with a dish and tell me about it in the comments below. . 🥬Follow @starbazaarindia on Instagram. . Two of the most creative answers will win a gift voucher of Rs.1000 each to shop at Star Bazaar . Giveaway closes at 6PM 20 Feb 2019. Open to people in Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad only because the stores are in these locations. In these cities, you can also shop from Star Bazaar online on starquik.com - you can tag your friends in these cities to take part if you cannot! . It was the first time I came across this tuber called Pidikarunai (right bottom corner)- kind of a cross between arbi and tapioca. Made a stir fry using this with lots of garlic and sesame seeds and it turned out delicious. . #ad
  • Provenance is a big deal when it comes to food, i.e knowing where the food was grown and how it is has been treated until it reaches the supermarket shelves. The people at @starbazaarindia were happy and proud to share the details behind sourcing of fresh produce. 🥬80% of the vegetables arrive here direct from farmers in the Hoskote, Chikballapur and Malur areas, within 16-18 hours of harvesting. 🥬Some of the seasonal fruits however are sourced from places like Anatapur (melons), Mahabaleshwar (strawberries), Tasgaon (grapes). Fruits like bananas reach the stores’ warehouse directly from the farmers and they allowed to ripen in a room, with strictly no artificial ripening agents used. Same process is followed with the mangoes in the mango season. 🥬It is always a good thing when you have this kind of assurance from a supermarket. . Stay tuned for a giveaway I'll be announcing tomorrow morning (IST) in partnership with @starbazaarindia 🌺🍃🌺🍃 . Follow @saffrontrail and turn on notifications so you don't miss it 🌺 #ad
  • A few days ago, I was at the opening of the revamped @starbazaarindia at Koramangala. For those of you who have been following me on social media for a while, you'll know that I'm always eager to find new places to shop fresh produce. The Star Bazaar near my place is one of my favourite supermarkets for the seasonal produce that is literally showcased in heaps just like you would see in your local markets. . This is just a small section of the produce in which there are over a dozen greens piled up. I share with you some of my favourite dishes as I take you through this section. Although I did miss one - Kothimbir Vadi made using tons of fresh coriander. What is your favourite green leafy vegetable and the dish you love to make with it? . I have a giveaway coming up this week sponsored by Star Bazaar so stay tuned :) . Pardon the background buzz and noise, opening day and the place was full of excited shoppers eager to get back to their fav neighbourhood supermarket. #ad

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