Nisha and Nishanth's Culinary Debacles

I bought the Mehzban Aloo Paratha the other day. It tastes ok and does not give one the actual taste of aloo paratha. I prefer the ones i make. Further these parathas are made out of maida and not whole wheat flour.

Of late, with exams quizzes and projects keeping me busy, we are trying out more frozen food. We picked up Amma's masala dosa and Onion Uttapham from the Indian store. The masala dosa is manageable. There are 3 small dosas in one packet and it turns out to be enough for a meal if you are a hearty eater. Although, in no way comparable to fresh dosa but manageable once in a while. Nishanth found the Onion Uttapham ok. The nice part is the dosa's come with chutney

I was always very curious to try out the chicken at the super markets that was supposed to be made fresh and i did at last. I tried out Roast Chicken at Tom Thumb the other day and it was awesome. It lasted me three days with me having chicken for breakfast lunch and dinner, i made a chicken mayonaise sandwich with the same a couple of times. The chicken was fresh, juicy and very tender. Its definitely worth having once in a while! I am now eager to try out the 8 piece chicken that they offer out there.

We stopped here for lunch on our way back from Wichita National Wildlife Refuge. The food was absolutely delicious and i just loved the Mediterenean lemon chicken. I havent been able to find an I-Hop to match the food in the DFW area. Hopefully i will some day! The cons was there was just one person to serve so it took a long long time. The decor and ambience was very nice. They are located at: 580-223-0700 near 2520 Veterans Blvd, Ardmore, OK 73401

We stopped over at this I-hop for lunch the other day. I had mediterenan lemon chicken which i had tasted at another ihop and it didnt live up to my expectations. Maybe i just got spoilt. We also tried a mix platter that had cheese fries, onion rings. The down side is it very crowded. The service was pretty decent. They are located at: 1010 S. Central Expressway RICHARDSON, TX 75080-7303 972-231 8622

http://www.sonnybryans.com/restaurants_richardson.aspx Coit & Campbell 1251 W. Campbell Road, Suite 240 Richardson, TX 75080 Phone: 972-664-9494 Fax: 972-664-9968 Email:richardson@sonnybryans.com General Manager: JT Todd Open Daily: 11:00 am - 9:00 pm We tried this place out the other day. They have 1/2 lb and 3/4 lb plates wherein you can select your meat. I tried chicken and pulled chicken. Although, the meat was cooked really well the sauce was too sweet for my liking. The sides - coleslaw and fries were good and the quantity pretty decent. Worth a try for those who like the american style barbecue!

972-248-8789 7529 Campbell Road at Coit Road Dallas, Texas 75248 The other day we tried out Burger House at Coit Roit Road and really liked it. We had been to the one near SMU and this has a totally different look. I loved my grilled chicken sandwich, vanilla shake and fries. Worth a try!

A recipe i got from a forward which will surely be appreciated by those of us brought up in East Africa. it was kindly pointed out by saju that the posts were from the blog "chachiskitchen.blogspot.com". thank you for the same and apologies that it was wrongly posted - there are pictures available too http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/East%20African%20Influence Mogo (cassava) with Lamb in Creamy Coconut Sauce Ingredients 2 lb cassava (frozen can be used) 1 pack of coconut cream (a picture can be seen here) 1 lb lamb, cut into cubes 3-4 garlic cloves; minced 2 inch ginger; grated 3-4 chilies; minced 1/4 tspn turmeric 1/2 cup chopped coriander salt to taste 2 limes; juiced coriander leaves for garnishing. 1. Marinate the meat with garlic, ginger and sal t for at least 2 hours. 2. Peel the cassava, cut into large chunks and boil and drain. Cut into cubes. 3. Boil the meat, drain, add coconut cream to the meat stock, add the turmeric, chilies, coriander leaves and c...

A recipe i got from a forward which will surely be appreciated by those of us brought up in East Africa. it was kindly pointed out by saju that the posts were from the blog "chachiskitchen.blogspot.com". thank you for the same and apologies that it was wrongly posted - there are pictures available too http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/East%20African%20Influence Mbaazi za Nazi - Pigeon Peas in Coconut Sauce This is also an East African dish. It is usually served with Mandazi (coconut bread). Nazi is Swahili for Coconut. The combination of the two is heavenly ! Try it for yourself. Ingredients 1 cup dried pigeon peas; soaked overnight, and boiled (in the pressure cooker) 1 400gm can of coconut milk 1 medium onion or 2 small; finely chopped 2 clove garlic; minced 1 inch ginger; grated 3 chilies; minced 1/4 tspn turmeric powder 1/2 cup coriander; chopped fine 1 tbspn vegetable oil salt to taste Method 1. Fry the onion in medium hot oil, when golden brown, add the bo...

A recipe i got from a forward which will surely be appreciated by those of us brought up in East Africa. it was kindly pointed out by saju that the posts were from the blog "chachiskitchen.blogspot.com". thank you for the same and apologies that it was wrongly posted - there are pictures available too http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/East%20African%20Influence Mandazi - Coconut Bread This East African coconut bread is slightly sweet and has often been likened to doughnuts. It is available everywhere in East Africa; it is typical street food, Mandazi is eaten at anytime, for breakfast with tea, for a snack or with bharazi(lentils) for lunch or dinner. Ingredients 2 1/2 cups plain flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon yeast 1 tablespoon freshly grated or dried coconut 1/2 cup coconut milk 1/2 teaspoon roughly ground cardamom warm water to bind Oil to deep fry Method 1. Mix all the dry ingredients, add the coconut milk and mix, add warm water for form a soft dough...

A recipe i got from a forward which will surely be appreciated by those of us brought up in East Africa. it was kindly pointed out by saju that the posts were from the blog "chachiskitchen.blogspot.com". thank you for the same and apologies that it was wrongly posted - there are pictures available too http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/East%20African%20Influence Matoke in a Groundnut Sauce or Green Bananas in a Peanut Sauce Matoke is a typical Ugandan dish, it is stuff that we grew up on. Groundnuts are used in many African countries as a base for a savory sauce for meat or vegetables 4 Matoke or green bananas; peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks 1/2 cup peanuts (I have used pink skinned, but any peanuts will do) 1 tbspoon of vegetable oil (not olive because that is rather strong tasting) 1 stem of coriander; chopped finely 1 medium onion; chopped finely 2 cloves garlic; minced 1 inch ginger; grated 3-4 chilies; minced 4 tomatoes; blanched, peeled and chopped f...

A recipe i got from a forward which will surely be appreciated by those of us brought up in East Africa. it was kindly pointed out by saju that the posts were from the blog "chachiskitchen.blogspot.com". thank you for the same and apologies that it was wrongly posted - there are pictures available too http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/East%20African%20Influence Pinto Beans Curry –or-Spicy Maharagwe - which is Swahili for Beans Having lived in East Africa, our preparations are peppered with Swahili and Gujarati. Ingredients 1 cup dried pinto; soaked overnight and boiled (I used the pressure cooker; about 10 mins) 2 Potatoes, peeled and cut in small cubes 3 Cloves garlic; peeled and minced 2 inch ginger; peeled and grated 3 large tomatoes; blanched, peeled and chopped 1/2 tspn cumin seeds 1 tspn mustard seeds 2 - 3 chilies slit through the centre 1/2 tspn turmeric powder 2 tspn coriander and cumin powders 2 tspn oil salt to taste 1. Heat the oil in a pan, add th...

A recipe i got from a forward which will surely be appreciated by those of us brought up in East Africa. it was kindly pointed out by saju that the posts were from the blog "chachiskitchen.blogspot.com". thank you for the same and apologies that it was wrongly posted - there are pictures available too http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/East%20African%20Influence 'Fried' Mogo – Fried Cassava Mogo is Cassava in Swahili This is a 'no fry', healthy recipe Ingredients 1 large tuber of cassava (or 1 pkt frozen cassava) Juice of 2 Limes 1/2 cup olive oil chili flakes salt Method 1. Cut the tuber into 3 pieces, peel 20 by slitting the skin on one side, the skin will peel of quite easily. 2. cut in large chips and boil with a little salt. (In the case of frozen mogo; boil with some salt) 3. Slice into thin (1/2 - 3/4 inch wide. 4. Mix the olive oil, lime juice, and chili flakes, add to the cassava, toss to ensure that all the pieces are evenly coated. 5. P...

A recipe i got from a forward which will surely be appreciated by those of us brought up in East Africa. it was kindly pointed out by saju that the posts were from the blog "chachiskitchen.blogspot.com". thank you for the same and apologies that it was wrongly posted - there are pictures available too http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/East%20African%20Influence Mayai Dungri’s shaak - or -Spicy Scrambled Eggs Mayai is eggs in Swahili, dungri is onions and shaak is curry in Gujarati, this is a traditional family recipe. We usually have it as a light supper or lunch. Not breakfast, but hey anything goes! Ingredients 1 medium potato; diced 1 medium onion; chopped finely 2 tomatoes; blanched, peeled and chopped finely 1/2 cup chopped chives 2 cloves garlic; minced 1 inch ginger; grated 2 chilies; chopped finely 1 tspn coriander / cumin powder 1/2 tspn turmeric 3 eggs; beaten 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves salt to taste 2 Tablespoon olive oil Method 1. Heat the oi...

A recipe i got from a forward which will surely be appreciated by those of us brought up in East Africa. it was kindly pointed out by saju that the posts were from the blog "chachiskitchen.blogspot.com". thank you for the same and apologies that it was wrongly posted - there are pictures available too http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/East%20African%20Influence Mutton Biryani - East African Style Ingredients Mutton Masala: 2 lb mutton on the bone cut into 2 inch pieces 1/2 cup yogurt 2 inches ginger; grated 6 cloves garlic; minced 5 chilies minced 1/2 tspn saffron 8 large tomatoes (blanched, peeled and liquidised) 12 small potatoes (extra oil to fry) 2 tablespn oil 2 sticks cinnamon 4 pods cardamom 5 cloves 1/2 spn cumin seeds 8 medium onions; minced fine in a food processor 2 tspn coriander/cumin powder 1/2 tspn turmeric 1 tspn garam masala salt to taste Rice: 3 cups basmati rice; was hed well; and soaked in water for 30 mins 1...

A recipe i got from a forward which will surely be appreciated by those of us brought up in East Africa. it was kindly pointed out by saju that the posts were from the blog "chachiskitchen.blogspot.com". thank you for the same and apologies that it was wrongly posted - there are pictures available too http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/East%20African%20Influence Tumbua Ndizi/Gonja or Sweet Plantain Fritters Tumbua Ndizi is a typical East African dish, Ndizi means bananas in Swahili. In East Africa we have 4 kinds of bananas Matoke: Green (raw) bananas which never ripen to yellow, the flesh is mainly carbohydrate, and although when ripe it is sweeter, it can not be eaten uncooked. When cooked the flesh become soft, it is a bit like potato. Gonja, are sweet cooking bananas, when cooked they do not become soggy and soft like ordinary bananas. When very ripe they are black on the outside. They can be cooked in coconut; just fried or fried in batter (tumbua) Ndizi w...

A recipe i got from a forward which will surely be appreciated by those of us brought up in East Africa. it was kindly pointed out by saju that the posts were from the blog "chachiskitchen.blogspot.com". thank you for the same and apologies that it was wrongly posted - there are pictures available too http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/East%20African%20Influence Vitumbua- is a Tanzanian dish, made from rice flour, coconut, yeast and cardamom. When made well it is fluffy and literally melts in your mouth. Ingredients 2 cups finely ground rice flour 2 tblspn plain white flour 2 tblspn fresh grated coconut (available frozen in most Asian stores) 1 400 gm tin coconut milk (half) cup hot water 1 tspn dry yeast (half) cup sugar (half) teaspoon roughly ground cardamom seeds oil Method 1.. Mix rice flour, grated coconut, and the coconut milk and hot water to form a thick paste. The temperature should be equivalent to body temperature. 2.. Add the sugar, cardamom and yea...

A recipe i got from a forward which will surely be appreciated by those of us brought up in East Africa. Mogo (Cassava) Mogo is another East African food that we relish. It can be eaten just boiled; like the sort we used to get in the canteen at Schools, Tanzania with just some salt and red chilies, yum. It cost 10 cents, for 50 cents you could get it fried with tamarind chutney. We (the girls) also used to sneak out to Deejays on Sunday afternoons, via the kitchen at the back, we were not supposed to eat at Deejays. But every Sunday, we would go for 'a walk' armed with 50 cents from Uncle, straight to Deejays! When we got home Dad and Mom used to wonder why we were not as hungry as we normally were! Ahhhhhhh those were the days. This is a masala version - of mogo =0 A Ingredients 1 large tuber of cassava (or frozen cassava) 1 400gm can of tomatoes; crushed 1 large onion; chopped finely 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon mustard seed 2/3 cloves of garlic; minced 2/3 green chil...

A recipe i got from a forward which will surely be appreciated by those of us brought up in East Africa. it was kindly pointed out by saju that the posts were from the blog "chachiskitchen.blogspot.com". thank you for the same and apologies that it was wrongly posted - there are pictures available too http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/East%20African%20Influence Matoke with beans (green bananas with beans) Ingredients 4 - 5 matoke (green bananas from Uganda) 1 400g can red kidney beans 1 200g can peeled tomatoes 2 cloves garlic - minced 1 inc h ginger - grated 2 chilies - minced 1 table spn vegetable oil 1 tspn mustard seeds 1/2 tspn turmeric 2 teaspoons coriander/cumin mix salt to taste Method 1. Peel the green bananas and place in cold water, (otherwise they discolor). 2. Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, as soon as they start to splutter, add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger and the minced chilies, stir and fry for a few minutes. 3. Add the cumin, coriande...

A recipe i got from a forward which will surely be appreciated by those of us brought up in East Africa. it was kindly pointed out by saju that the posts were from the blog "chachiskitchen.blogspot.com". thank you for the same and apologies that it was wrongly posted - there are pictures available too http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/East%20African%20Influence Makate Mimina (coco nutty rice pancake) This is an East African Dish. Usually served with a hot coconut chicken curry (bit like Thai green curry). Ingredients 2 Cups Rice 1 pint milk 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 tspn yeast 1/2 packet creamed coconut or 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk 2 table spn butter or margarine 1/2 tspn cardamom seeds 1 1/2 cups water (makes 2) Method Wash the rice and Soak it for 3-4 hours or overnight. Add the yeast to a little water with 1 tspn sugar. Let it ferment. Dissolve the coconut cream in 1 1/2 cups of hot water. Drain the rice and add warm milk to it, liquidize until smooth. Add the coco...

We stopped here on the way to Whitesands National Monument. The food over here is just awesome. The tortilla chips and salsa they serve is good. I tried out a cheese, chicken and potatoes bouritto. They are located at: 1200 N White Sands Blvd Alamogordo NM 88310 575-437-0820

We stopped at Bamboo Garden Restaurant, Carlsbad for dinner. There was a chinese and american buffet with a lot of variety. If you are the kind who enjoys chinese food you would like this place. They are located at: 1511 S Canal St, Carlsbad, NM‎ - (575) 887-5145

We stopped by at Pizza Hut, Carlsbad for dinner and it was pretty decent. I had Chicken Alfredo Bake. The service was pretty slow with only one person to serve but it could be due to the fact that it was the labour day weekend. They are located at 1201 S Canal St Carlsbad, NM 88220 (575) 887-1922

We stopped by at Happy's for lunch before going to Carlsbad Caverns. They are a small place that is always crowded. It takes them at least 30 minutes to serve you food. My husband liked the chilli cheese dog, the burger according to him was just ok. I had chicken quesidallas and i didnt like it much. They are located at: 4103 Natl Pks, Carlsbad, NM 88220 Phone: 505 887 8489

This is a burger place. My husband enjoyed the burgers out here. Its worth a visit for those who love burgers. 2205 N Central Expy # 100, Plano, TX‎ - (972) 423-0267 Their website is located at: http://www.fuddruckers.com

This restaurant is located right outside Collin Creek Mall. We went there for the lunch buffet. There was quite a few varieties available and it was pretty decent. Its definitely worth a visit. 901 W Plano Pkwy Plano, TX 75075-8937 (972) 578-8887‎

Genghis Grill is one of Nishanth's favourite places. You choose the ingredients and the cooks just mix it up and grill it. Nishanth loves the fact that he can his dishes come out different every time. I am not too enthusiastic about it because i dont end up choosing the right quantities and portions. They are located at: 921 N. Central Expy, Plano, TX‎ - (972) 422-4745‎ We have also tried out the location on Greenville Avenue and thats also good. 5500 Greenville Ave., Ste. 402 Dallas, TX; 75206

This is one of Nishanth's favourite Thai Restaurants. I find the food too sweet but that may just be a personal taste. They are located at: (972) 497-9542 708 West Spring Valley Rd Richardson, TX 75080

We went to this restaurant and found it completely americanized! The price is quite high and the food has absolutely no taste due to lack of spice. Its definitely something people who cant handle spice would want to start with but definitely not something most indians would like. Just across the road from clay pit is Flavors which is just awesome food. Clay pit is quite pricey, has good service and if it weren't for the blandness of the food (the meat and rice is perfectly cooked) it would be a good choice. They are located at: 4460 Belt Line Rd, Addison - (972) 233-0111

We came here just before Nishanth left for Finland. The food was pretty decent. Unfortunately for me, i was down with an extreme toothache and could not enjoy the food as much. They serve roasted papad with chutney and i tried out vegetable samosa, tandoori assorted plate and a few other dishes They are located at: India Palace • 12817 Preston Road #105 • Dallas, TX 75230 • 972-392-0190

We went to this place once and its pretty decent. Worth a visit 11830 N Central Expy, Dallas, TX‎ - (214) 575-8506‎

This place has food available from KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell and was one of our favourite hangouts. 8001 Forest Ln, Dallas, TX‎ - (972) 479-9900‎

I didnt like this place as much especially the fries. However, its worth a try. They are located at: 11880 N Central Expy Dallas, TX 75243-3712 (972) 231-0475

We tried out Sonic during the initial days i was in Dallas. The salad and the burgers were very nice. They are located at: 8045 Forest Ln Dallas, TX 75243

This restaurant is located near the Dallas Public Library and we have been here a number of times. The food is ok, not as good as Gourmet China but eatable. They are located at: 8989 Forest Ln # 136, Dallas, TX‎ - (972) 671-6090

This used to be a favourite hangout a few years back for us. Nishanth used to like the Beef Fried Rice and i would go for the Chicken Fried Rice. After the management changed a couple of years back, the food quality has reduced. I havent had food at this place since i move to Richardson two years back 9025 Forest Ln # 102 Dallas, TX 75243-4157 (972) 699-0603‎

This is one of Nishanth's favourite places. Its good for those who love beef 12101 Greenville Ave # 107 Dallas, TX 75243-9329 (214) 575-5950‎

This restaurant is very nice. I used to love having pizza's here. They are located at: 12101 Greenville Ave # 800, Dallas, TX‎ - (972) 235-0888‎

I will always remember this place as the first restaurant i went to in Dallas. The food was very good and i loved the pasta there. At that time i thought the ambience was quite formal but maybe i was just new to the USA They are located at: 9191 Forest Ln # A2, Dallas, TX‎ - (972) 234-6800‎

We have been to this restaurant a couple of times and i love the pasta here. Its definitely worth a visit. My husband took me here for our 4th Wedding Anniversary. They are located at: 9079 Vantage Point Dr, Dallas, TX‎ - (972) 234-3292‎

La Libela is an interesting restaurant to go to. The food is pretty decent and worth a try. The injera is good and so are the stews. 9191 Forest Ln # 2 Dallas, TX 75243-8933 (972) 792-8442‎

This was the first mexican restaurant i went to when i came down to Dallas. The food is pretty good and i remember thinking at that time that there was just too much food to eat! They are located at: 12255 Greenville Ave # 130 Dallas, TX 75243-3586 (972) 792-9930

We went to this restuarant in Down town Dallas and i had chicken quesadillas and it was pretty decent. Worth a visit. (214) 744-2936 Downtown Dallas 1714 N Market St Dallas, TX 75202

I had lunch at Planet Hollywood Restaurant when i went to New York in the summer. I loved the food there (I had Roasted Half Chicken) and interestingly the price was comparable to that of Dallas. If you buy the new york city pass, you get a further discount off. 1540 Broadway # 2 New York, NY 10036-4081 (212) 333-7827‎

We stopped by at this place in Waco for dinner on the way back from Padre Island and it was pretty decent food. This restaurant is located near I 35 and is worth a visit if you pass by Waco! They are located at: 2111 S Valley Mills Dr Waco, TX 76706-3379 (254) 662-2750

I tried this out yesterday and turned out well. The key was the thinly sliced potatoes that are shallow fried to give a crisp taste. Ingredients: 4 boiled eggs quartered 2 large potatoes thinly sliced 1 onion thinly sliced 1 tomato chopped fine 2 tbsp oil 1 tsp jeera 1 tsp garlic paste 1 tsp ginger paste 4 curry leaves 1/2 tsp chilli powder or to taste 1 tsp corriander powder Chopped corriander for garnishing 1 tsp Salt or to taste Method: Heat oil up and fry the potato slices until three fourth done. Add the curry leaves and jeera into the oil and stir Add the onions and fry until the onions turn white Add the tomatoes and fry until done Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for about a minute Add the salt, chiili powder and corriander powder and stir until the masalas are fried well Add the eggs and cover and cook on low. Stir occassionally until the potatoes are cooked well. Garnish with corriander leaves

Ulli Sambhar is Nishanth's favourite and i had a packet of pearl onions in the refrigerator. I tried out the following recipe and it came out pretty well. http://luvgoodfood.blogspot.com/2006/07/fmr-comfort-foods-ulli-sambar-sunday.html

We tried this place out yesterday and according to Nishanh the double cheese burger and chilli cheese dog was good. i had chicken tenders and fries and it was good. The decor reminded us of our college days where one would hang out in the canteen. They are locate at: 8501 Hillcrest Ave, Dallas TX 75225 Tel: (214) 361-0370

We tried Noodle Wave Thai Restaurant a couple of weeks back and the food was pretty decent. We had Thai Fried Rice, Chicken Satay and Yellow Curry. The price is also good. It seems to be a popular place. Worth a try. They are located at: (972) 690-3637 1490 West Spring Valley Richardson, TX 75080

We went to California Pizza Kitchen at the Stonebriar Mall. I tried out Roasted Garlic Chicken Pizza, Nishanth tried out Spaghetti Bologonaise and soup and it was pretty decent. The mocktails here were pretty decent. California Pizza Kitchen Stonebriar Centre 2601 Preston Road Frisco, TX 75034 Upper Level, Outside Entrance, Next to Barnes and Noble I have also been to the California Pizza Kitchen at the following location and the food over there is also good: 8411 Preston Rd. Dallas, TX 75225 Preston at Northwest Highway

I used to love the schezwan noodles back in India. Therefore, when i saw the noodle pack in the Indian Grocery Store i was intrigued. You can take a look at it here: http://www.ishopindian.com/chings-secret-schezwan-noodles-pr-24089.html The noodles were absolutely horrible and it looked like one had just taken plain noodles and added unadulterated red hot chilli powder and served it to you. I wouldnt recommend it to anyone.

The other day the oil bottle fell onto the carpet in our dining room while we were asleep and we woke up to see a huge oil stain with half the oil seeped into the carpet. I tried using the resolve carpet cleaner intially and at the end of it, there was oil still present on the carpet after using more than 20 paper towels to blot it up and 5 cleaning cycles. I decided to go to the internet to seek help and came up with these links: http://www.ehow.com/how_2000900_remove-oil-carpet.html I also came across a video whose link i cannot find right now that suggested sprinkling flour/corn starch onto the carpet to soak the oil up, leave for at least 6 hours and thereafter vaccuming the same. Well, i spent at least a kg of whole wheat flour. I would sprinkle liberally (around an inch layer) and at the end of 6 hours the flour would be seeped with oil. I thereafter vaccumed it and repeated this procedure thrice. Since there was so much oil, the stain was still visible. We went to Kroger and bou...

We tried this place out last week and my husband found the burgers ok. I didnt like the fries or the homemade potato chips but then its my personal opinion. I have heard from friends that their milkshakes are really good. They are located at 4721 W Park Blvd # 101, Plano - (469) 467-7786

In our quest to try some place new, we went to Thai Grill Asian Fusion Restaurant on Campbell Road and was pleasantly surprised. We had Chicken Satay which was perfect and Thai Southern Fried Rice. There was a hint of sweet in the rice but it was still manageable. Worth a visit You can look at their website: http://www.thaigrillofdallas.com/ They are located at 6090 Campbell Rd. Suite 124, Dallas, TX 75248 PHone: (972) 818-8188 Fax: (972) 818-8102

I tried this recipe out for a friend's birthday party and it came out awesome! http://www.indianchild.com/batata_vada_recipe.htm

Heres an egg curry i tried out inspired by the Egg Curry recipe from Rasheeda: Ingredients: 1 large onion 4 medium tomatoes 1 cup tinned coconut milk 2 tsp ghee 6 eggs boiled and quartered Corriander leaves for garnishing 3 tsp kitchen king masala 1 tsp red chilli powder Salt to taste Method: Grind the tomato and onions to a smooth paste. Heat up the ghee and fry the paste until the oil separates Add the coconut milk and heat for around 5 minutes Add the kitchen king masala, red chilli powder and salt and cook for another 5 minutes. Add water to gravy if too thick. Add the eggs and cook until you get a nice creamy gravy. Garnish with corriander leaves

I tried this one out recently (i had seen my mom and aunt make puddings and decided to try out something based on what i remembered) and it came out really well. Its the perfect desert for the hot summer. Ingredients: 500 ml milk (2%) 3 tbsps custard powder 12 tsps sugar 2 eggs Method: 1. Make custard as per the instructions on the packet. Heat up 500 ml milk with 9 tsps of sugar (Add 3 tbsp custard powder separately to 1/4 cup cold milk and dissolve the custard powder). Once the milk comes to boil, remove from heat and add the custard powder dissolved in milk stir. Put the mixture back on the stove and stir continously for another 2 minutes and let it heat up. 2. In an alliminium baking pan (i just used an alliminium pot), heat the 3 tsps of sugar until it is caramelized (dark brown and it thickens up). In case, you like more caramel use more sugar. 3. Once the custard has cooled, add 2 eggs to the mixture and beat it up. 4. Add water to the pressure cooker (up to 3/4 the level of you...

Heres another egg curry recipe i got from my cousin Rasheeda. It came out really well Ingredients: 1 medium onion 1 medium tomato 2 cloves garlic 2 kashmiri mirch (dried red chillis) 2 tsp oil 1 cup coconut milk 1 capsicum sliced into thin slices and fried 1 1/2 tsp corriander-cumin powder 4 eggs boiled and cut into 4 (or as per taste) tomato ketchup (optional) Method: 1.Grind onion, tomato, garlic and kashmiri mirch to a paste 2.Heat oil and fry the ground mixture for 10 mins on slow to medium heat 3. Add coconut milk , and thereafter blend it 4. Add cumin-corriander powder 1 tsp or else 1 tsp dhaniya powder and 1/2 tsp cumin powder to the mixutre. 5. Add ketchup to taste (optional) 6. Heat on low for 10 minutes 7. Fry capsicum and add to curry 8. Fry the eggs and add to the curry (Frying is optional) 9. Garnish with corriander leaves. 10.Garnish with ghee (Heat 1 tsp ghee and pour over egg curry) (optional)

Nishanth decided to try out Coconut Crunch Mini Donuts at Walmart the other day. Its pretty decent and in fact tasted like many of the indian sweets that we have back home laced in coconut. Worth a try

This weekend we decided to be adventurous and bought the Tai Pei Chicken Fried Rice and Tai Pei Shrimp Fried Rice from Walmart. We didnt like it at all. It was barely eatable. Both these rice contain oyster sauce and perhaps that could be one reason i didnt like it. The reviews on these rice is not good either. Before, you decide to buy it, make sure you take a look at the reviews out there on the web.

We generally experiment with different vegetables by buying the frozen version first! Vadilal's quick treat Tuver Lilva is one of those http://www.vadilalgroup.com/pfd/images/vegetables/tuver-lilva.jpg It tastes good when made as per the recipe on the pack. The other day a friend decided to add Brocoli to it with a south indian tadka and it did come out well. Ingredients 1 pack tuver dal lilva defrosted 1 brocolli cut into florets 2 tbsps oil 4 red chillies 3 pinches aesofetida 1/2 tsp mustard seeds salt to taste Method: 1. Heat the oil 2. Add the mustard seeds and wait till they splutter 3. Break the dried red chillis and fry them in the oil 4. Add the aesofetida and stir 5. Add the tuver lilva and fry for a minute. Add half glass of water and cook for around 5 minutes 6. Add the brocoli and stir. 7. Cook on medium heat stirring occassionally until done

A friend came over and prepared rasam using the sakthi masala powder. She soaked some tamarind and squeezed out the juice from it, coarsely chopped tomatoes and slit green chillies and boiled these ingredients in water along with rasam powder for around 10 minutes. Thereafter she added boiled toor dal and added a tadka of mustard seeds and aesofetida powder in hot ghee. The way she prepared the rasam was similiar to the directions for the MTR Rasam powder. The sakthi pack does not instruct one to add toor dal. http://www.mtrfoods.com/masalapowders/rasampowder.htm The link to the sakthi rasam powder is: http://www.ishopindian.com/shop/sakthi-rasam-powder-pr-23694.html

The other day a friend came over and made vadas using the MTR vada mix and it came out pretty good. In general, i am not a fan of mixes and always prefer to make the actual food items. Its worth keeping it in the kitchen for those days when you dont want to soak the urad dal and grind it. To the vada mix, she added chopped green chillies and curry leaves and fried them in hot oil until they were golden. They came out pretty crisp. She also poured curd over some of them and let the vadas soak in the curd for some time and there was dahi vada. In case, you are interested you can check out the vada mix at this link. https://www.ishopindian.com/shop/mtr-vada-mix-pr-21653.html

Chipotle - Allen 103 Central Expressway North Allen, TX 75013 972-747-1731 (phone) 972-747-1734 (fax) The other day we went to Stacy's while looking for a recliner and dropped into Chipotle. I liked the decor and the food was good too. Worth visiting.

I tried this out recently and it turned out pretty decent Ingredients: 6 boiled eggs 1/2 cup coconut milk 2 big onions sliced 4 big tomatoes chopped 1 tsp ginger paste 1 tsp garlic paste 4 curry leaves 1 tsp garam masala 1/2 tsp red chilli powder 1 tsp corriander powder 1/2 tsp tumeric powder 3 tbsp oil corriander leaves for garnishing 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp mustard seeds salt to taste Method: 1. Heat oil. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add cumin seeds and curry leaves and stir 2. Add onions and fry until golden 3, Add ginger garlic paste and tomatoes and fry until its a paste. 4. Add turmeric powder, corriander powder, red chilli powder and garam masala and stir 5. Make cuts on the eggs and add them 6. Add coconut milk and salt to taste. Stir and let it cook on medium for 5 minutes 7. Garnish with corriander leaves

I tried out the Paneer Makhmali recipe present in Nita Mehta's "The best of chicken and paneer" and it turned out pretty good. Its a tomato based gravy with coconut milk, lemon juice and paneer tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. For those, who have her book i would definitely recommend trying the recipe out !

The other day we stopped by Bed, Bath and Beyond and picked up "Sanyo HPS-SG3 200-Square-Inch Electric Indoor Barbeque Grill, Black" , http://www.amazon.com/Sanyo-HPS-SG3-200-Square-Inch-Electric-Barbeque/dp/B00011HH22/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1231866998&sr=8-1 My husband was determined to grill his burgers and since we live in an apartment we cannot use the outdoor barbecue that we have. We were quite happy with the buy. It is very light weight, easy to use, easy to clean and also smoke free. The smoke alarm was activated once but thats because the grill was kept right below the smoke alarm and as the burger got done it was activated. Nishanth tried out grilling steak and chicken. The chicken came out perfect. The steak, well it curled up and theres some learning to be done on that side. This time Nishanth didnt place the grill right under the smoke alarm and it didnt go off! Nishanth grilled burgers and franks on the grill and it came out...