Tapioca Pudding

When you end up soaking too much tapioca and you are unable to consume it in the same recipe. :D

Ingredients:
Tapioca, milk (can use coconut milk for a twist; it is the Thai way), saffron, vanilla essence, sugar.
Mix and boil to the desired consistency.
Serve warm or chilled.

Tapioca for Breakfast?

A typical Indian meal eaten when one is supposed to be F(e)asting! ;)

Ingredients:
1. Tapioca (soaked in water for a couple of hours till it is soft)
2. Roasted Peanuts - powdered
3. Ghee (kinda butter), may use vegetable oil instead
4. Cumin seeds
5. Green chillies
6. Salt, Sugar, Red chili powder to taste

Toss up the tapioca with peanuts and salt, sugar and chili powder.
Warm the oil, add cumin seeds and green chilis. Add the tapioca, mix it well and cover it for 5-10 mins over low heat.

Serve hot with yogurt and salad.

Corn Soup

Ingredients:
1. Sweet corn
2. Onions
3. Milk
4. Instant consomme powder
5. Black pepper
6. Butter 1 teaspoon

Lightly cook the onions in butter . Add the corn, milk, consomme and bring to a boil. Blend, garnish with black pepper and corn and it is done! Healthy and tasty...   

Spaghetti with Salmon in White sauce

Today's Lunch :D

Ingredients:
1. Spaghetti
2. Corn, Carrots, Green Peas, Onions
3. Salmon shredded and lightly sauteed in butter
4. Garlic paste
5. Black pepper, salt
6. 1 Cheese cube
7. Milk
8. Olive oil

Add oil and garlic paste to the pan and saute the vegetables. Add milk, cheese, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add to the spaghetti and top it with the salmon. Garnish with parsley and eat.

Cold Pasta Salad

Quick recipe for a hot summer afternoon (or night; mine was night).

Ingredients:
1. Pasta of your choice (I love Fusilli)
2. Veggies chopped (raw and fresh); again personal choice.I have used lettuce, bell peppers (all colours I could find).
3. Mushrooms (it is not a vegetable :D) sauteed lightly in butter, salt and black pepper.
4. Dressing : Mayonnaise, Red chilli sauce, Olive oil and lemon juice (U can add zest for a tang if you like).

Toss it up and eat chilled.

Chilli Chicken

Mum's recipe. Quick to make, healthy and tasty to eat.

Ingredients:
1. Chicken (Boneless/With Bone, personal preference)
2. Fresh green chillies (the spicier the better)
3. Capsicum / Green Bell Pepper
4. Onions
5. Any oil
6. Salt, Light Soy Sauce, Green chilli sauce/ Spicy jalapeno sauce
7. Coriander / Cilantro (fresh, to garnish)

Marinade the chicken in soy sauce, chilli sauce and salt. 
Saute the green chilli, capsicum and onions. Add the chicken and let it cook (you can manipulate the taste by adding more soy and chilli sauce, and salt) till all the water in the pan has evaporated.  Top with coriander and serve.

Keep some beer handy on the side :D

Kurkuri Bhindi (Crispy Okra)

Despite my love for Okra, I had never known (no, I am not stupid, just a little unaware) it was called Okra until a couple of years back. We grew up eating Ladyfinger or Bhindi. 

If you are Japanese you would eat it raw in salads or with soy sauce, but if you want to cook it (probably the majority) then this is as simple as it gets.

Ingredients:
1. Okra / Ladyfinger / Bhindi
2. Oil to fry
3. Lemon juice
4. Chat masala (チャトマサラ, You can find it in Indian Stores near you)

Deep fry the Okra till slightly crisp, remove excess oil on a kitchen paper, sprinkle Chat masala and lemon juice and you are good to go.

My favourite Egg Rolls!

Hungry times call for desperate yet delicious measures. I don't know about you folks but I find myself hungry more often than not. Will keep the post as simple as the recipe itself.

This one here (Original recipe) is full of flavors and is stuffing at the same time.

Ingredients:

Salt, Pepper, Lemon Juice, practically any veggies you have, eggs, mayo, sweet chilli sauce (any sauce of your personal choice) and tortillas.

I am assuming no further instructions are required.
You can try the same with some lettuce, ham and bread. Makes a lovely sandwich. :)

Quick Pumpkin Potage

I know it ain't Halloween but feel free to wait till then. As far as I am concerned I just had a pumpkin at home and an empty stomach!!

Don't judge the recipe (or me), it was my very first attempt. Will keep updating if I have more trials and no errors with more complicated recipes. :)

Ingredients:

1. Pumpkin (Used a Japanese Kabocha. Steamed and scooped out)

2. Stock cubes (Vegetable preferably)

3. Milk, Cream

4. Salt, Sugar, Black Pepper(for garnish)

5. Butter (can avoid to keep it healthy)

Mix and boil until cooked. Take off the flame, let it cool, and blend it for even consistency. Top it with butter and black pepper for a rich flavor and enjoy eating.

Simple wasn't it?

Baigan ka Bharta (eggplants)

Baigan ka Bharta (Smoked, sauteed eggplants?? Who knows.)
with Chapati/Fulka/Roti. (Yes they are Tortillas, don't judge me! Chapattis for self, total waste of time :D )

Preparation time - 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1. Eggplants (Roasted whole over direct flame and peeled)
2. Onions
3. Garlic
4. Tomatoes
5. Coriander /  Cilantro
6. Mustard Oil
7. Cumin, coriander and chilli powder
8. And obviously don't forget salt

Procedure follows
Caution: Visual Post

I forgot to take the picture, but please add the mashed eggplants at last :P 

Mix well over medium flame for a couple of minutes and add the cilantro.

.

.

.

And yeah, DO EAT! :)

Egg Salad (Inspiration: Kylie Kwong)

I believe in super quick recipes and modify them as per availability of ingredients. As is the case with this one too.

Originally a Kylie Kwong (for those of you who don't know, she is a famous Chinese chef; and I am a fan!) recipe. Slightly modified.

Ingredients:
1. Lettuce (Originally Ice berg Lettuce)
2. Tomatoes
3. Soft boiled eggs
4. Green chillies (missing, didn't have any :| )
5. Spring Onions (added, I like them.)

Dressing:
1. 3 teaspoons light soy
2. 2 teaspoons vinegar
3. 2 tablespoons jaggery (originally brown sugar)
4. 2 tablespoons water (hot, to dissolve the sugar/jaggery)

There you go. Preparation time 10-15 minutes.
Boil, chop, dress and eat :P

あげパンーパンパン！(笑)

Who here has heard of オギノパン (Ogi no pan)?? 

For those of us who live in Atsugi area or atleast "claim" to have lived there...Shame on us! 

Let me just state, I am not a Bread Lover. But if I can fall in love, so can you！<3 font="">

I was recently, as in really recently (last week :| after having lived in Atsugi 5 years back for over a year) was introduced to this place by a colleague of a friend. We were there to help him on his vegetable farm (Yeah, long story, different post). There I was bragging about how I once lived in the area and the next thing I knew was I had been bowled out by a single question, "So, you must have eaten 揚げパン?" (aagepan, literally meaning deep fried bread). You can guess what I did next. No? Obviously I begged him to take us there, since my friend and he wouldn't stop talking about how good it tastes and how everyone in high school is just ga-ga about it.

Finally, we got there. (Picture above :D )

Everyone has wondered, atleast once in their lives so far, what heaven would look like or feel like or blah blah blah. I have but one answer for you, to a question never before asked. What would heaven smell like? Enter this place to find out (may be an exaggeration :P but enter any bakery to find out; not an exaggeration :D ) 

Coming to what is 揚げパン. Basically, it is a bread, deep fried not baked, and rolled in powdered sugar. The bread itself is slightly salty. And they serve it to you steaming hot.

   

 

As I was chewing on my 3rd bread (.......) we went deeper into the conversation about how it is a speciality in Atsugi and is not available anywhere but in this particular shop. Even the couple of other branches of Ogi no Pan don't sell it hot. 

Now you know what you got to do the next time you are in or around Atsugi (if nothing else). Let me know what you think. Till then...

The day Starbucks made me hit a new low!

I have a confession to make. I AM A STARBUCKS ADDICT. There you go I said it. 

I am not one to buy snacks at a Cafe (being a true coffee lover), yet I have never found a Cinnamon Roll better than the one at Starbucks (only Japan!!). Oh! but that is supposed to be a separate post, I almost forgot.

So coming back to this picture you see here, it is the Double Chocolate Chip Biscuit (ダブルチョコチップビスケット).  

It was one of those really fine days, blue skies, birds chirping and colours everywhere. Right then due to some wicked twist of fate the Starbucks Lady (as I am going to call her) says, "Why don't you try the chocolate biscuit? I assure you it is great and will suit your taste." But no it's not her fault, I was the fool to have played along and ordered one of these. I had it warmed and took a bite. No No No it did not taste awful. Rather it was one of those blissful heavenly tastes I had not tasted in quite a while. The sweet richness of the butter melting with the dark chocolate chips in my mouth, need I say more? The perfect soft and brittle centre with the flaky crispy edges...Oooooo yummm!

I see, then why do I say I am a fool, right?

For those who are regular Starbucks customers, they are already aware of the whole Limited Time Products at Starbucks. Be it the Coffee Jelly Frappuccino or the Baked Cheese cake frappuccino or yet again THE CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCUIT! I think you get an idea where I am going with this.

Comes next morning! Here I am walking towards Starbucks while dreaming about that taste again. And guess what, yeah right! not there! Just like that it was gone never to be seen again! The most depressed I have been in a long time! :(

Caution: ORDER AT YOUR OWN RISK! (after multiple confirmations lest u get ditched like I was.)

We Are The Farm

Lately everyone seems to be going Organic...so what makes you think I was left out? Since here we are caught up in the organic food trend, I would like to introduce this amazing restaurant I went to in Ebisu (10 minutes walk from Ebisu station on the Yamanote Line).

As the picture reads (can pictures read? or do they show? Eh!), it is called WE ARE THE FARM. I am not sure why but they chose to write their Fs in red. 

I know their webpage has pretty much no information as of now, but I assure you that the place itself won't be a disappointment. They have an amazing menu, organic drinks and everything; with even their desserts being all veggies and organic. I have a goldfish memory to recollect the menu items, but I am sure you folks don't mind clicking a few additional links. They operate out of 2 locations presently: 

Yoyogi Uehara and Ebisu

I have a couple of pictures of desserts to share, but the rest you will have to find out for yourself.

Tomato ice-cream and Sweet Potato Pie

Carrot cake with some fresh cream

I know you are tempted...so make sure to grab a bite.

PS: Even their cutlery resembles tiny farm tools :) And the decor adds to the whole experience.

Featuring TheLadyBug in The Land Of The Rising Sun

Starting afresh with a brief self introduction. 

I am no blogger. Just another being trying to share experiences of my day to day life and travels in this beautiful country. I love food, all kinds. Love to make spontaneous as well as planned travel plans. Clicking pictures is a hobby; one of the simplest ways to make people see what you see. I take pleasure in cooking, and have fun experimenting with the ingredients I have. I am an all time Dog lover. Music, reading (mostly fiction), driving, cars are just a few of my other interests.

So what can you expect of this blog? Anything and everything.
Food Blogs, Restaurant Posts, Home Cooking, Travel journals, Exceptional experiences, Photography posts, and if the worst comes true then some random scribbling.

Hope to write as frequently as time (rather memory) permits.

こんにちは！出来る限り日本語でも書きたいと思います。
日本に来てから2年です。日本語はまだこれからなんですが、がんばります。
どうぞ宜しくお願いします。