Butter Croissants and Coffee

One of the most best aromas on a beautiful morning

Samosa Chaat

Snack a little

Seekh Kabab

Try something different!

Decadent Chocolate

Do not forget to indulge once in a while

Steamed goodness

Various cooking methods bring variety in your palette

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Quick Stir Fry Noodles

This is my own recipe. :)
I used to make this when I lived alone. Filling, tasty and super easy. Except the time spent on cutting the vegetables.

Ingredients:
Ching's Secret Vegetable/Egg Hakka Noodles
Carrot - 1
Capsicum - 1
French Beans - 4
Mushroom Soy Sauce - 2 tablespoon
Oregano - 2 tsp
Pepper - 1 tsp
Sweet chilli sauce - optional
Salt to taste
Oil
Method:

Wash all vegetables and peel carrots. Cut all vegetables in julienne size. The Julienne cut for dummies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julienning & http://www.ehow.com/how_13876_julienne-vegetables.html
Boil water in a saucepan and add the noodles to it. After about 2-3 mins, the noodles will be cooked. Drain and add a few drops of oil to it and mix, to prevent them from sticking to each other.
In a kadhai (indian wok), heat some oil and add all the vegetables into it. Stir fry them for about 5 minutes. Add pepper, oregano and mushroom soy sauce to it and mix. Add a little salt to this (do not add too much as the soy sauce already contains salt). Add the noodles little by little tossing in between. If all noodles do not catch the color of soy sauce after mixing them around, you may choose to add some more soy sauce, oregano and pepper. If you have sweet chilli sauce, you can add that to this and mix. After its tossed well, you can take it off the heat and serve. If you want to add ketchup, you may do that as well. Bon appetit!

Sausages with Onions and Capsicum - A Bachelor's Delight

Sausages with Onions and Capsicum

Now this is a very simple snack that we used to order whenever we visit a really cosy place in Indiranagar, called the Ant's Cafe. They make lovely French toasts and omelettes too, their Masala omelette is popular but I specially loved their Spinach Frittatas (should try making it at home someday). Another favourite from the cafe were chocolate pancakes which I have already tried at home :) Then of course there is this very simple Sausages with Onions & Capsicum. Such is its simplicity that any bachelor looking for a tasty quick snack that goes well with beer will be delighted. Its a rooftop cafe, very airy and just lovely to be there on a lazy Sunday morning.

Ingredients:

Sausages - 4-5
Onion - 1 medium sized, chopped
Capsicum - half, chopped
Pepper - as per taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

Slice the sausages in medium thickness. Heat oil in a pan, add the onions and fry them till they start changing color. Now add the capsicum and mix for another minute. Add the sausages. Toss them around so that the sausages change color on both sides. Sprinkle pepper over them and keep tossing it. Once you feel that your sausages are done, take them off the heat and serve. Goes well with chilled beer! Cheers!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Pavakka Fry - Fried Bitter Gourd

pavakka_fry

This is a recipe I found from somewhere but now can't find the source. Since I remember it, as it is so easy, I'm just writing it down here.

Ingredients:

1. Pavakka (Bitter-gourd) - 2
2. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
3. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Oil for frying

Method:

Wash bitter gourd well and cut them into medium thick slices. Put them in a bowl and add sprinkle salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder over them. Mix them by hand to coat all over the pavakka pieces. Leave it to marinate for about half an hour to 1 hour.
Heat oil in a pan and once the oil is hot, put in the pavakka pieces and saute until cooked to your taste. More you cook, lesser the bitterness, more the crispiness but lesser the nutrients. :)
Good accompaniment with rice.

Egg Rice

The credit of this recipe will go solely to my dad, who used to cook this on a hot afternoon in Riyadh after picking me and my sis from school, and when my mom is on duty. When the curries are few or very boring to me and my sis, this rice and some curd was more than enough. Some pickle or left over chicken curry also goes really well with it. Its so easy to make, it can be done in just 1 minute!

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice - as required
Eggs - 1 for each person
Butter - 1 - 1.5 tablespoon - if not very health conscious, add as per your liking.
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder (optional)

Method:

Heat a pan over medium heat and add butter to it. Break eggs into the pan and move it around to form a scramble. Once it just starts to thicken, add the rice and mix. Sprinkle some salt and if required, a pinch of red chilli powder. Mix well and serve. Bon Appetit!

Cheese Omelette

Credit: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-a-cheese-omelette

Ingredients:
Step 1: You will need:
•2 eggs , beaten
•50 g mixed cheese , grated
•4 tbsp clarified butter
•salt and pepper
•parsley , for garnish
•1 non-stick frying pan
•1 spatula
•1 brush
 Serves: 1
Preparation Time:
10 minutes
Cooking Time:
10 minutes

Method:
Step 2: Prepare the pan
Place a pan over a medium heat. Allow it to slightly warm through and brush the bottom with some of the melted butter.
Step 3: Cook the omelette
Pour the beaten eggs into the pan and gently stir continuously until they begin to set. Angle the pan so that the raw eggs run to the side and cook. Add the cheese into the middle of the omelette, in a line then gently fold it up in three rolls. Take the pan off the heat and slide the omelette onto a serving plate, the open side first.
Step 4: Garnish and serve
Just garnish with and little parsley! And serve it immediately. The melted cheese should ooze from the centre of the omelette when you make the first cut!
My note: Make sure the pan is over lower than medium heat or the underside of the omelette will burn before the top even cooks. Make small gashes in the omelette so that the uncooked egg goes below and cooks. Or u can bring the sides to the center so that the uncooked egg flows to the sides and cooks.
Serve it with some buttered toasts, fried cheese and onion chicken sausages and a tablespoon full of baked beans. :) Its just awesome!

French Toast

French Toast

No credits for this one as it is a universal recipe with tons of them floating around. I just make it using my own proportions.

Ingredients:

  1. 2 eggs
  2. 3 tablespoon sugar, optional
  3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  4. 1 cup milk
  5. 10 to 12 slices bread
  6. butter
  7. maple syrup or other syrup
Method:

Break eggs into a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate; beat lightly with a fork. Stir in sugar, salt, and milk. Over medium-low heat, heat griddle or skillet coated with a thin layer of butter or margarine. Not really required if using a non-stick pan. 
Place the bread slices, one at a time, into the bowl or plate, letting slices soak up egg mixture for a few seconds, then carefully turn to coat the other side. Soak/coat only as many slices as you will be cooking at one time.
Transfer bread slices to griddle or skillet, heating slowly until bottom is golden brown. Turn and brown the other side. Serve French toast hot with butter and syrup.

Shahi Paneer with Jeera Rice - Indian Cottage Cheese in a rich gravyserved with Cumin Rice

I made this on a day when I had to really hurry up as I had to leave early morning on a holiday for 4 days. I just had some peas and paneer in the house and this recipe was so amazing that instead of ending up with some quickly cooked simple food, we had a lovely shahi meal! Thoroughly enjoyed by the trio :)

Credit: US masala - now defunct (see this is why I decided to have my own blog where I can curate all the recipes I've tried. You never know when the original poster will take them down).

For Shahi Paneer- Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Paneer: 2 cups big cubes
Cashews: 1/2 cup
Milk: 1 cup
Garam masala: 1 tsp
Hing: a pinch
Sugar: 1/4 tsp
Turmeric: a pinch
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Ginger: 1 inch piece
Garlic: 2-3 fat cloves
Green chilli: 2 - 3 or to taste
Onion: 2 medium chopped
Oil: 1 tbsp
Cilantro: for garnishing
Raisins: a few (I left these out)

Method:

1. Soak the cashews in milk for 15 - 20 minutes and grind to a fine paste. Set aside.

2. In a microwave safe bowl, add the onion, green chilli, ginger and garlic with 1 cup of water and microwave on high for 4 - 5 minutes or till the onion gets tender. Let it cool slightly , drain and grind to a fine paste.
Note: Since I did not have microwave back in India, I just boiled water and cooked them for 5 mins.

3. Heat oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat. Add in the hing and ground onion paste along with turmeric and salt and cook while stirring till oil starts separating from the mixture. Be careful as it may splutter.

4. Add the coriander powder, mix and add the cashew paste. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes while stirring. Add paneer and cook for 2 minutes. Add about 3/4 cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the garam masala and sugar and raisins(if using). Cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

For Cumin rice -
JeeraRice1

Ingredients:

Cooked rice: 2 cups cooled to room temperature
Cumin seeds: 1 1/2 tsp
Ghee or oil: 2 tbsp
Onion: 1 small sliced thin
Cilantro: 1 tbsp chopped for garnishing
Green chilli: 1-2 slit
Cashew: 8 - 10
Fried onion: 1/4 cup (optional)

Method:

1. In a large non stick pan heat the ghee or oil on medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add the onion and green chilli along with cashews and stir till the onions soften.

2. Add in the cooked rice along with the fried onion (if using). Mix and cover. Lower the heat and let it cook for 5 - 7 minutes stirring once in between.

3. Garnish with cilantro and serve along with Shahi Paneer. ENJOY!

JeeraRiceCloseup1

Pancakes

Credit: http://southernfood.about.com/od/pancakesandwaffles/r/bl30320v.htm

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred or sifted before measuring
2 teaspoons baking powder
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Method

Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of milk; add to flour mixture, stirring only until smooth. Blend in melted butter. If the batter seems too thick to pour, add a little more milk. Cook on a hot, greased griddle, using about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbly, a little dry around the edges, and lightly browned on the bottom; turn and brown the other side. Recipe for pancakes serves 4.

My note: Make sure that the batter is consistent like that of dosa batter. Not too runny and not too thick to pour. Also if there are a few lumps in the batter, its alright. I melted the butter by adding some thick butter from the fridge into a stainless steep cup, and holding it above the stove flame with the help of a stainless steel deep frying spoon. Some small improvisations to make melted butter in a kitchen without a microwave oven :)
Also I find its better to pur the liquids into the flour mixture than the other way round because this avoids too much lump formation in the batter. And this is the traditional way of making these pancakes. Enjoy!

Mutta Roast - South Indian Egg Roast

Credit:  http://www.zonkerala.com/recipes/non-veg-recipes/mutta-roast.htm

Ingredients:

Egg boiled - 2
Big Onion Sliced lengthwise - 3
Ginger chopped fine - 1 tsp
Garlic - 1 tsp
Chilly Powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilly - 3
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 stem
Oil - as required
Water - as required
Salt - as to taste
 
Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add ginger, garlic, green chilly, and big onion. Saute for a while.

Add turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilly powder, pepper powder and saute for some more time.

Add water and salt. Mix well.

Add the boiled eggs and boil until gravy thickens.
Mutta Roast (Egg Roast) is a very tasty preparation which will go with Appam, Chappathi or Porotta. This recipe is taken from an edition of Vanitha Pachakam. This Egg Roast is a recipe from Kalpakavadi Inn, Thottappally near Alappuzha in Kerala.

My note: I come from a place called Cheppad near Alappuzha which is also near Thottappally. So this taste is quite similar to all the mutta roasts I have eaten in my life :)

Chembu roast - Taro fry

Another very easy recipe for those lazy cooks. So few ingredients and the only one that has to be chopped is the chembu itself (or cheppankezhangu as some call it) Those nights when I want to hit the sacks as soon as possible, I make these lovely things that go well with dal and rice.

Credit: http://the-menucard.blogspot.com/2009/09/cheppankezhangu-roast.html

Ingredients:

Cheppan kezhangu/chembu/arbi/Taro/Colocasia - 6
Oil -1 tbsp
Chilli powder-1 tsp
Salt for taste
Asafoetida for taste
For tempering:
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Mustard-1/2 tsp
Urad dal-1/2 tsp

Method:

My note:
I did not pressure cook the chembu as being asked in this recipe. I tried it once but it got really mushy, but tried it again with just one whistle which was fine. I usually take the chembu and wash them first to take off as much soil as possible. Then I boil them in an open pot for a while and check it in between with a fork or knife to see if it has been cooked just enough so that the peel comes off easily. Once cooked, allow it to cool down or just add cold water to it. Peel off the chembu with a small knife and cut them into bite size pieces. Now use them in the recipe.

1.Pressure cook the roots until 2 whistles. Peel of the skin and cut into small cubes.
2.Temper the rest of the ingredients in a tbsp of oil, add all the powders and cooked cheppankezhangu.
3.Roast for 5 mins. Serve.

Egg Curry

Egg-Curry

This is one curry I make when I am in no mood to cook but very hungry. Its fast, easy and oh so delicious. I usually have it with brown bread roasted on a pan with a little butter. Sometimes I have it with rice too.

Credit: http://www.vazhayila.com/2009/05/egg-curry.html

view original source ! Vazhayila !: Egg curry http://www.vazhayila.com/2009/05/egg-curry.html#ixzz1AMGqTm00

Ingredients:
Egg (hard boiled) - 3
Onions chopped - 2
Tomato chopped - 1
Ginger and Garlic crushed - 1.5 tsp
Green chili - 3(optional)
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1  tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
OR Crushed Star anise and Cardamom - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Dried Bay Leaves - 1
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 1 tbsp

My Note:
At the time of adding coconut milk in this recipe, I use the thick first pressed milk. So while adding this coconut milk to our recipe, I first take a quarter cup of the milk into a cup and the rest with water to lighten it. I then add this light coconut milk to the frying pan of masala as I have had a few bad experiences while adding thick coconut milk into it. It burnt the milk coz of the heat of the pan and gave the curry an overall bitter taste which was horrible! I did not face this problem when using canned coconut milk in the US. Or you can even add just plain water first to the masala. And then add the coconut milk into this mixture, which can also prevent the milk from burning.

Method:
Heat oil in a pan ,add ginger ,garlic and green chillies, bay leaves and curry leaves and sauté it for a minute
Add chopped onions and sauté till they are translucent and then add chopped tomatoes and sauté it till the oil separate. Add all the powders, salt and stir for a minute.
Mix coconut milk with it and allow it to boil on a medium flame.
Finally add the hard boiled eggs cut lengthwise and simmer for 2- 3 minutes.
Serve with rice or chapati...

Cheers!!!!

Beans-carrot thoran

This is also another thoran from vazhayila. This one does not have the easy mixing of ingredients first in a bowl but I think you can do that like it was done for carrot thoran. Anyway I followed this one to the T.

Credit: http://www.vazhayila.com/2010/01/beans-carrot-thoran.html

view original source ! Vazhayila !: Beans-carrot thoran http://www.vazhayila.com/2010/01/beans-carrot-thoran.html#ixzz1AMF9kaUX

Ingredients:


Beans chopped - 1 cup
Carrot grated - 1/2 cup
Grated coconut - 4 tsp
Small onion chopped - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Green chilies chopped - 2 -3
Ginger chopped - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 
Curry leaves 
Oil

Method:


Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.When they pop up add chopped small onions, green chiles, ginger and curry leaves . Saute well till they are soft.
Add turmeric powder and mix it well. Stir in the chopped carrots and green beans and toss it well.Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of water and simmer it covered for 7-9 minutes , until they are cooked and the raw smell disappears, stirring occassionally so that it wont stick to the bottom.Stir in the grated coconut and cook it uncovered for another 5 minutes .
Serve warm.

My note:
Thank you Sarah! My mom's name is also Sarah :)

Carrot Thoran - Another one from Vazhayila

Credit: http://www.vazhayila.com/2010/03/carrot-thoran-stir-fry.html


Carrot Thoran

Ingredients:

Grated carrot  - 2 cup or 4-5 carrots
Onion chopped - 1 
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Ginger chopped - 1/2 tsp
Green chiles chopped - 3
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds
Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:

In a bowl combine grated carrots , Grated coocnut, chopped ginger, green chiles , turmeric powder
and salt and mix well with your hands.Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when they pop up
 add curry leaves and chopped small onion.Saute for 3-4 minutes and add the carrot-coconut mixture
 and combine it well. Get everything to the centre of the pan and cook it covered on a low flame for
5-6  minutes.Uncover and saute for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.Serve warm
In Microwave: (need not follow this method)
Combine all ingredients and mix well with hands in a microwave safe bowl.You can add oil if you
are using it . Microwave in high power for 4 minutes, open it,, stir well and again cook for a minute.
Let it stand for 2 minutes and remove.
My Note: This is very easy to make with few ingredients. Only effort here is the grating of coconut and carrot. I love the fact that we just have to mix most of these ingredients in a bowl and then saute it. I have not used the microwaving recipe yet!

Carrot-Potato Mezhukkupuratti : The love of Vazhayila!

One of the best blogs that I have found for the traditional Syrian Christian Kerala recipes are from vazhayila.blogspot.com This one is almost like a cooking bible for me. Most of the recipes are the simple foods that my mom used to cook everyday in our kitchen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. My sister and I took them for granted and complained about eating such boring food when I could try something continental or north indian or mughlai or italian or mexican.... And then those horrible hostel days while studying engineering where most of us would complain at the spiciness or the tasteless food.
But now looking back at those days, I remember that despite all those complaints, we used to eat to our content and some of those staple foods actually did taste quite good, not to forget was healthy too. So now on my journey back to my roots, here are some of my favourite recipes from vazhayila.com

Credit: http://www.vazhayila.com/2010/03/carrot-potato-mezhukkupuratti.html

view original source ! Vazhayila !: Carrot - Potato Mezhukkupuratti http://www.vazhayila.com/2010/03/carrot-potato-mezhukkupuratti.html#ixzz1AM7woeLi

Ingredients:

Potato - 3 nos.
Carrot - 2 nos.
Onions chopped - 1 small
Garlic - 2 cloves
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves 
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:

Crush Onions and garlic in a mortar and pestle.Clean and Slice the carrots lengthwise and put it in water, if not it may cause potatoes to change color.Heat oil in a pan and  curry leaves, crushed onions and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add chili powder , turmeric powder and Garam masala and toss it well for a minute.Add drained potato , carrots , salt and 1/4 cup water. Cover it with a lid and cook for 7-10 minutes or until its is cooked and dry. Uncover and sautee for another 3-4 minutes , stirring frequently. Serve warm
Cheers!!!
My notes:
1. As I do not have a mortar and pestle, I would just slice the onions finely and add them. Garlic, I would crush them by taking the flat part of a chef's knife and apply pressure to the garlic clove. So the clove gets crushed and its easier to peel its cover away. Now add them to the recipe.
A photographic guide for dummies: http://www.garlic-central.com/garlic-crushing.html
2. I added the potatoes in water as I was more concerned about those off white little cute cubes to turn light brown.
3. You can also add some bell peppers (capsicum) - I always have some leftover and need to use them before they go bad. So I use them and it adds a wonderful flavor to this recipe.
4. The technique used here to cook potatoes is actually a very good one. Some people would also make this mezhukkupuratti by boiling the potatoes first. But boiling them first and then frying them does add the risk of overcooking them and potato will end up being very mushy and would absorb a lot of oil. So if you use this technique of sauteing the veggies first and then adding enough water to cover them in the frying pan, and allowing it to cook, you get a texture that has a slight bite but is cooked well. Serve with steamed rice and dal. Bon appetit!

South Indian Toor Dal Palak - A staple curry in my house

Dal Palak

Credit: https://www.ifood.tv/recipe/toordal_palak_curry

Ingredients:

Dal (lentil) of your choice (you can use Toor Dal or Masoor Dal or Moon dal or a mixture of them) - 1cup
Palak (spinach or baby spinach leaves) -1 1/2cups (or even a handful) finely chopped
Tomatoes-2 finely chopped
Fresh grated coconut-2tablespoon
Green chillies-6small or 2 large
Tamarind juice-1tablespoon
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder-1/4 teaspoon
Sambar powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder-1/2 teaspoon
Oil-2 table spoon
 
For Seasoning:-
Ghee-1 tablespoon
Onion-1 finely chopped
Red dry chillies- 2 broken into pieces
Garlic cloves - 3 sliced or crushed
Urad dal-1 teaspoon
Hing-a pinch
Cilantro (coriander leaves) - a small handful, chopped
Method:

My note:
1. To make tamarind juice (if not having tamarind paste)
Mix a small quantity of tamarind (about the size of a rupee coin or a US quarter) in a small bowl with some hot water. Mash the tamarind to make the tamarind juice. Strain before using.
2. I left out grated coconut on several occasions, coz I was too lazy to break a coconut and grate it.
3. I bought Sambar paste once instead of Sambar powder. The paste already contains tamarind too, so do not use additional tamarind paste if using sambar paste.

How to make Toor Dal Palak Curry
Pressure cook dal with 1 cup of water, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon oil, cool and mash well, and keep aside. If you don't have a pressure cooker, cook it in an open saucepan until its turned very soft and mushy.
Heat oil in a large pot. Add green chillies, tomato, chopped spinach and fry well till the palak has wilted and tomato has mashed a little (about 2 minutes).
Add chilli powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and 1/4 cup of water, cook the palak well.(about 5 minutes)
Add mashed dal with 1/4 cup dal water, salt, tamarind juice and sambar powder. Cook till it becomes thick.(another 2-3 mins)
Sprinkle cilantro and coconut. Allow dal to simmer on low heat. Meanwhile, heat ghee, add seasoning ingredients fry well pour on dal and mix well.
Serve with Rice or Chapattis.

Midnight Masala!


 Hi everybody! This will be my cooking blog which is something I'd like to keep for easy access of all the recipes that I have tried so far in my teenie meenie kitchen in Bangalore. Update: In April 2012, I have moved to Budd Lake, New Jersey. Its also for men who are learning to cook like my husband or even new spinsters starting to cook on their own, like my sister.
My taste in food is not set to a particular cuisine. Although I'm an Indian, I lived my entire childhood in Saudi Arabia, so my tastes are a mix of Indian, Middle-Eastern, Lebanese, Mediterranean, European and American. I also like Mexican and Chinese food. I just love trying something new and different.
So disclaimers first. Most of  the recipes are not my own. I get them through nerve racking research on the internet in quest of the most wonderful tastes that can also be cooked easily in my kitchen. So wherever possible, I will try to add credit to those wonderful cooks out there who keep me alive as I dont go hungry during the day because of them. :) I dont want to get into the nasty mess of recipe plagiarism which is very common these days some of which end in expensive lawsuits! Also I don't simply copy paste recipes from those sites and just make a duplicate. If  I post a recipe here, its because I have tried and tested it in my kitchen. I would add my own notes to it or make slight changes.
In some recipes I may add a twist of my own and in some, I may omit an ingredient either for the lack of it in my kitchen or my dislike for its flavour (which is rarely the case :P) These I would add as an extra note (My Note :))
Some of course are either mine or my mom's which I would usually mention in the recipe.
So why did I choose a name like latenightcook for my blog??
Well thats because I literally am a late night cook thanks to my unusual shift at work for which I leave home at 12.30pm and come back at 11.30pm. After a bit of rest, a long chat much to the annoyance of my hungry boyfriend (Update: now husband), I finally start cooking at... no prizes for guessing.. midnight!! So this is a name coined by my boyfriend as the smell of strong indian spices being fried in oil leaves us both coughing, and he coined this phrase during one of those moments. It used to be a very spicy show on sun tv (a tamil channel) that used to run late at night that has been banned now for songs from b grade movies.. lol! So when I wanted to start this blog, I had initially thought of naming it midnight masala but I had rightfully guessed that the name would have already been taken by some sick pervert to promote his voyeuristic pleasures.
Now I bet all you naughty people out there did take a peek at that disgusting blog after my mentioning it. Grrrr... So Late Night Cook it is!!
Now lets start this lip smacking delectable blog going!
Update: I am no longer a midnight cook. After I have moved to the United States, I am finally leading a normal life with a 9 to 5 job. That means, I can cook in the evenings, and have dinner (and all 3 meals) at a normal time just like the rest of the world. :)