Recipe of the month: Masala Vada

My parents were in town last month for a fleeting visit and so, I was preoccupied with them the whole time. As might be expected, I haven't had much time to devote to my blog. I didn't take time off work during their visit so every minute after I got back home in the evenings were extremely precious. I did take a day off and there was a public holiday for Hari Raya (Eid) and of course the weekends but you know how it is with time...it just flies when you are having a good time 😊

As with most mothers, my mom too fusses over what to cook for her kids when they are around. I have a list of favourite dishes that I always ask her to cook for me whether I'm back home in India or she is here in Singapore. This time was no different and I was rattling off different items that I wanted her to prepare each day of the week. 

Among my favourites, this Masala Vada was one of them. This recipe is actually from one of my close friends mom. Once, a long long time ago, when I had been to her house (which is only two streets away from my home in Mysore), her mom had made these vadas which I really took a liking to. I immediately asked my friend for the recipe and my mom has been making them for me ever since. 

There is something about deep-fried snacks that leaves you yearning for more. These vadas have great flavour which come from the onions, ginger, garlic, chillies and medley of fresh herbs. I just love the herb dill (sabsige soppu in kannada) so these vadas hold extra appeal for me. These vadas are pretty easy to make too. While the chana dal is soaking, you can get all the other prep work done. Grinding the dal without water can be a little cumbersome but if you have a good blender/grinder, it can be a cinch. 

Try this recipe and it may just become your new favourite snack.

To those who celebrate, wishing you a very happy Krishna Janmashtami

Staycation at Hotel Fort Canning, Singapore

What do you do when you are longing for a getaway but thanks to some reason or the other, your plans don't materialize? Well, you do the next best thing....you plan a staycation. 

A staycation, simply put, is a vacation in the place where you stay. It might sound like a consolation prize but trust me, a break is a break no matter where you go, passport or no passport. Just escaping from the monotony of a routine can be enough to get you recharged and rejuvenated. Apparently, staycations are very popular with Singaporeans and I think I'm beginning to understand why.

For National day, we had a holiday on a Monday making it a much anticipated long weekend. Having not made any other plans, we decided on the spur of the moment on a staycation in Singapore. Since it was very last minute, most places were already booked (including Resorts World Sentosa which would have been my first choice). For a couple who plans their vacations a great deal ahead of time and in painstaking detail, this was very unusual for us. After spending considerable time browsing Tripadvisor, we settled on Hotel Fort Canning for our sojourn. 

Hotel Fort Canning

Hotel Fort Canning is an iconic heritage hotel in Singapore nestled in the historical Fort Canning Park, a lovely and tranquil wedge of lush greenery located in the midst of the buzzing central business district. The history of this hotel dates back to the 20th century and is the result of the restoration of a former British Military Administration Building. The amazing location imparts an oasis of calm to this charming colonial style hotel. 

Baker's Corner: Cheesy Garlic Herb Whole Wheat Loaf

So I'm currently in a healthy eating phase (I go through these phases a few times a year). For me that means eating a lot more whole grains, low-fat dairy, greens, nuts, fresh vegetables and fruits. Normally, I shun the brown stuff in favour of the white (with the exception of brown rice which I really like). I'm not a huge fan of brown bread or brown pasta but nowadays I make it a point to preferably opt for multigrain or at least whole wheat products. I really hope this fad will become more of a permanent thing.

Bread is something that is found in my fridge 24x7, 365 days. For the past few months, I've been having breakfast at home which is unusual for me because usually I get myself a steamed vegetable pau and a portion of pink dragon fruit from the canteen at my workplace everyday. My breakfast has now become quite a standard affair comprising of a grilled cheese sandwich made with multigrain bread and low-fat organic sharp cheddar, a handful of fresh strawberries and a glass of low-fat skimmed milk. There is a local bakery near my place which makes really good multigrain bread which I really dig so I get the bread for my breakfast from there. I've resorted to eating my regular pau and fruit as a mid-day snack instead. It helps me considerably with portion control during lunch 😊

Anyway, I have been contemplating baking a loaf of bread at home for quite sometime but I never got around to doing it. I recently saw a version of Cheesy Garlic Herb Pull-Apart Bread on Foodgawker and I was tempted to try it out. I made a few modifications to the original recipe by substituting bread flour with 100% whole wheat flour and whole milk with skimmed milk. I also modified the technique to make it more like a regular loaf rather than a pull-apart bread. My intention was to be able to slice the loaf into uniform slices so I could use it for my grilled cheese sandwich. I've provided the description for both techniques so you could follow whichever you prefer. 

Here is the recipe. Go on....bake your own loaf of bread at home. I assure you it can be fun.

Recipe of the month: Mixed Vegetable Stew

There are recipes and then there are recipes that stick with you for life. My policy has always been to feature only those recipes on my blog that I deem worthy enough for sharing. There are of course recipes for dishes on my blog that I've made only once a few times despite them being fantastic recipes. This could be attributed to a laborious procedure, lack of availability of specific ingredients or sometimes even plain forgetfulness.

I do have a select few that are my go-to recipes, and these are recipes that I have depended on time and again to get me through dinner parties, potlucks or even routine meals at home. As and when I come across an awesome and fool-proof recipe, I prudently add it to my treasure trove of favorite recipes. One of my dear friends gifted me a lovely recipe journal last Christmas and I have just started filling it up. I have a very stringent selection criteria for which recipes go into it because my vision is to preserve this precious journal for posterity 😊

This mixed vegetable stew (also known as mixed vegetable kurma) is one recipe that will go into my journal for sure. This was a recipe that I had jotted down eons ago on a flimsy notepad, so I honestly don't know the source. I have made it several times over the years, and I can sincerely say that it works for me every time. I make it for appam, neer dosa, rava dosa, ragi dosa, set dosa, poori and even for chapati/roti. It does involve a little bit of prep work (considering it has quite a few veggies in it) but the outcome is worth all the effort. The aromatic whole spices perfume the stew, the addition of almonds imparts a nutty richness, and the coconut milk adds a lovely dash of sweetness. The vegetables aren't overpowered by the subtle gravy and they retain their natural flavor, remaining tender yet crisp in texture. The addition of turmeric gives that subtle yellow color but if you don't want to infuse color into the stew, you can skip the turmeric. 

I prepared this dish while I was at my in-laws' home in Bangalore during my last visit to India. I had made this dish for them while they were visiting me in Singapore last year and they had liked it. A few other people for whom I have made this dish had also been asking me for the recipe so I thought I would draft a post and keep it ready. My atthe (MIL) had made neer dosa for breakfast that morning and this subtly spiced stew made a perfect accompaniment to the dosa. I finished the cooking, photography, structuring the post and formatting within a record two hours. I find photographing for my blog so much easier in India. With an expansive garden and terrace, I don't find any issues with space or natural lighting like how I do in a cramped apartment setting while I am in Singapore. Oh well! 

Anyway, here is the recipe. Try it and I promise you that you will like it or I daresay even love it. I don't have the step-by-step photos for this recipe, but the steps are easy to follow so you won't be missing much.