Mendu Vadas with Chilli, Apple and Mint Chutney

Whilst I was in India last year I sampled some outstanding food. Moreish snacks are my favourite Indian food and every region in India has their specialities. 

Despite travelling in mainly Northern/ middle India, it was probably Southern Indian food that I ate the most. Who can resist a hot crispy dosa? Definitely not I!

But it's not only dosa the South Indian cuisine is famed for. If you haven't tried mendu vadas yet, this is your chance! It is as simple a dish as dosa but much easier to make as home. (If you have ever tried to make a dosa as thin and crispy as you can get in restaurants, then you'll know that making dosa at home is never as satisfying as eating it out!)

Roasted Tomatoes

The sun has most definitely had his hat on these past few days. And so has everyone else it seems! Chirpy, smiley faces are most welcome after the abysmal wet weather in February. 

Eating al fresco, stopping for a quick drink and going for walks in the park. It's all been happening this week. 

As a result my recipe this week has got summer written all over it: Roasted Tomatoes.

Panko Halloumi Sticks with Caramelised Oranges and Mint

I am a see-it-want-to-eat-it kind of gal.

I am 100% guilty of spotting someone eating a packet of Thai green curry flavoured rice crackers as they stroll out of M&S and consequentially taking an impromptu detour to M&S - immediately.

True story (and there are many more where that came from!). How can you not be intrigued by green coloured crackers?

This see-it-want-to-eat-it attitude is not the healthiest when combined with Instagram. I’m surprised I haven’t drooled all over my phone yet.

Instagram is ridiculous. Gawking at well presented, tasty looking food is one thing. But gawking at well presented, tasty looking food through a filtered lens is torture. Pure torture!

Search “#food” and you’ll see what I mean.

Having said that. I am guilty of adding to this torture.

My entire Instagram is littered with “#food”.

Hasselback Potatoes with Pesto

I love potatoes. It's no secret. I have loved them my whole life. It started from childhood, and chips. (My childhood involved a lot of chips - written about here - and waffles, and mash and jackets). Oh, it was the life! 

Choosing my next victim!

Japanese Patties with Ponzu Sauce

So, my last post was a long, long time ago. I did mention I would be away for a while; however it would be a lie to say I have been in India this entire time. My excuse is valid, I would argue, because health related issues always are aren’t they?! And let me tell you, I don’t think I know a single person who goes to India and does not suffer even the slightest of ailments. That’s just the charm of India – chaotic, unclean and polluted (hence those ailments) crossed with vibrant, beautiful and unbelievably tasty!

Just a selection of some of the amazing food I ate in India!

Pumpkin and Chickpea Coconut curry

This post is born out of pity. Pity for all those poor pumpkins left abandoned on supermarket shelves (now that Halloween is a distant memory). That, and the fact that I've been desperate to cook with coconut milk, an unknown ingredient to me as a cook. It has worked out perfectly because I have somehow evoked flavours reminiscent of my favourite katsu curry in that infamous chain Wagamamas!

Mexican Wedding Biscuits

This post is a made in dedication to my new catering venture: Benos' Kitchen.

Random name you might say, given that my name is Sita (“Sita’s Simply Delicious” – duh!). But, this name makes perfect sense. ‘Benos’ means sisters in Gujarati. My business partner (a.k.a my partner in crime) is my dear cousin sister, Nivika. And we’re both of Gujarati heritage.  

Obviously this the perfect time for me to advertise to you all - my lovely blog readers, so let me just get that out of the way first.

We really, really want to cook for you all. Really we do. Cooking is our passion. People tell us they like our food. We don’t pay them to say that. That’s just what they say. It’s party food that we do. Finger food. Bite sized. Bursting with flavour.To sum up our food in four words, we make fusion food made simple.

Here’s an excerpt from our menu so you can get a taste of the food we do.

Courgette Cups – courgette cups stuffed with a delicate blend of rosemary, thyme and garlic topped with crispy, golden breadcrumbs.

Mini Focaccia Bites – handmade authentic focaccia bread, smothered in our secret marinara sauce and melted mild, creamy cheddar cheese.

Crispy polenta bites – crispy polenta rounds topped with smooth goat’s cheese mousse and caramelised fig and red onion relish.

If you like sound of what you read and want to find out more, email us at benoskitchen@gmail.com . We even have a fancy newsletter to keep you all up to date. Send us an email and we’ll add you to our mailing list because we’re nice like that.

You can find us on twitter, and instagram, here and here, too – we basically just post food porn for you all to ogle at.

Okay, advertisement over.

This week’s recipe is for these super cute, really simple yet unbelievably delicious biscuits.

 I came across these when I was researching vegan recipes for an event Nivika and I attended. In my experience vegan food can sometimes feel lacking; Lacking flavour, lacking substance. But these vegan biscuits are just delicious. They literally melt in your mouth. And the use of maple syrup (common in a vegan recipes – as I have come to learn) is genius.

If anyone is celebrating Diwali next week – give these biscuits a go along side your usual sweets. Trust me, everyone will love them.

Mexican Wedding Biscuits (makes approx 25)

290g plain flour
30g ground almonds
85g icing sugar
225g margarine
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

(You may notice those fair hands in the video are not my own. They actually belong to my partner in crime Nivika. I'm behind the camera this week!)


1) Sift flour, almonds and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl. Beat margarine, maple syrup and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Get your hands in and bind the dough together.

2) Leave in the fridge to cool for at least 10 minutes. Thereafter, mould into teaspoon sized balls. Pat down and add roasted almond flake on top. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 175ºc for 11-13 minutes. Until the edges are golden.

 
3) Let the biscuits cool and dust with plenty of icing sugar. 

// Click here to PRINT RECIPE //


Until next time...

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