A recent project involved a lot of reading and research of historical cuisines, including some dishes that originated form Pakistan and northern areas of the subcontinent. I came across mande roti – a sweet version of rumali roti, speckled with kesar, cardamom and nutmeg that’s eaten with a rich meat curry with aromatic spices and gravy.As my mouth watered reading about these dishes, I thought of something fusion – a rare occurrence for me – but pairing it with fresh mint, coriander and strong gruyere cheese would wonderfully balance against the sweet roti. I also had lots of fresh red sorrel leaves which I finely chopped and added to the cheese mix as well.So here is a simple and easy recipe to make mini parcels or lifafa-style stuffed pouches using the mande roti recipe.These work beautifully as starters / appetisers or as bitings with pre-dinner drinks! The Recipe Serves 16 rotis Ingredients 2 cups flour – whole wheat 1 tsp elaichi powder ½ tsp nutmeg powder 1 cup milk ½ tsp saffron strands pinch of salt 1 tbsp oil ghee for cooking Filling: ½ cup Gruyere cheese ½ cup cheddar cheese 1-2 finely diced green chilies handful finely chopped coriander handful of finely chopped mint handful of finely chopped red sorrel leaves Instructions Heat milk to lukewarm temperature and infuse saffron – allow to rest until milk is golden Make a dough with the remaining ingredients – soft dough, but a little sticky Rest the dough for 10 minutes under a damp cloth Knead one more time afterwards before rolling Then make small 3-5 cm diameter balls Roll out into thin rotis – adding dry flour as needed to avoid sticking Then place a handful of cheese in the center Wrap as one would a tortilla into a lifafa or parcel Place on a hot tawa and cook on all sides well For the second round of cooking apply some ghee to get a golden colour Serve piping hot

This may come as a surprise to you from me – a very healthy cookie, with no eggs, no flour, no butter and even no refined sugar! What’s the point, you ask me (and I did ask myself the same when I heard of it). Perhaps age does that to you – puts food and indulgence into perspective and while I am not entirely thrilled with idea of this, it’s just something I need to get my head around. This cookie works wonders as a sweet treat while trying to maintain your diet. And it’s even gluten free! Now, I must warn you, this cannot possibly compared to a real cookie, this is a small, slightly grainy in texture, and crumbles very easily. It is meant to curb your cookie craving while you are on a savage diet that tends to eliminate the ‘good stuff’; having said that, this is pretty darn good even when you’re not in such a severe situation. This tastes delicious with a cup of Indian masala tea, Kashmiri Kahwa tea and simply on it’s own too! I recommend making small shaped cookies to successfully bake without breaking into bits. Also it’s a fairly heavy bite, and you would not be able to eat a large cookie in this. This is great for the elderly as well as the kids! (And you!) Note: To make walnut paste, pulse down 1/3 cup of walnuts until you achieve a paste. Note 2: It is recommended to have each ingredient cold or refrigerated for at least 10 to 15 minutes prior. The Recipe Serves Serves: 16 cookies | Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 13 mins Ingredients 1 cup bajra flour (millet) 1/8 cup palm sugar 1/3 cup coconut oil, solidified in the fridge 1½ tsp cardamom powder 1 tbsp orange zest ¼ cup walnut paste Instructions Whisk the bajra flour, palm sugar, cardamom powder and orange zest together. Add the walnut paste and coconut oil and rub into the mixture with light hands, careful not transfer too much heat into the dough. Create small balls, less than 1 inch in diameter. Place on a baking sheet and press down slightly with the back of a fork, creating impressions. Place the tray in the fridge for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 160C. Place the cold cookies in the oven for around 10 to 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before removing from the tray.

Hello folks! I know it’s been a while – after a very, very long time I went missing from posting (the first big break in perhaps over a year!). The reasons are plenty, but justifications are not – I have been running around like a headless chicken! There are times when I am so organized and planned to the T, and there are a few odd days when I have no idea what I am doing! Time management and I have not been getting along well – but the feelings are at an all time high with so much good work going on, and so many layers of foundation are being laid right now for far bigger plans. I do feel like I’m racing against time and sometimes I have to force myself to put the laptop/batter away and get into bed – but I’ve been enjoying every minute of the ‘rat race’ and with a whole lotta cake around, I can’t really complain! In the recent months I’ve been inundated with mails and comments for eggless baking. At times you might think ‘she must be keeping chickens at home!’ but honestly I live in a house where we consume eggs by the dozen – perhaps we should be keeping chickens. Today I was strict with myself and trust me, it took every bit of strength to not reach out for that egg! These cookies are delightful. Chocolate and cardamom go brilliantly well together, and I’ve been kicking myself for not doing this earlier. These cookies are in between fudgy and crispy. They are soft in the venter, but crispy around the edges. It is essential to freeze the dough in this recipe. Baking the dough when the butter is soft allows the cookie to spread a lot more and burn easily. You also need to keep a stern eye on the oven to check for burning. This cookie dough is rolled in cardamom sugar for an added boost – there is less sugar within the dough, so the extra sprinkling is most definitely a welcome. This cookie will appeal to everyone! The Recipe Serves 15 Ingredients 1 cup butter, soft 1/2 cup caster sugar 1 tsp ground cardamom 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/3 cup cocoa powder 3/4 cup flour 1/3 cup caster sugar 1/2 tsp ground cardamom Instructions Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder together and set aside. Whisk the butter, sugar and cardamom until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Pour out the cookie dough into a cling wrap and wrap tightly and place in the freezer for at least an hour. Heat the oven to 170°C. Stir the caster sugar and cardamom together. Remove the dough from freezer and roll out small balls of 1 ½ inch diameter. Roll the balls in the sugar mixture and place on a lined baking tray. Keep each cookie ball at least 2 inches apart from each other. Bake for 7-8 minutes; the centre of the cookie will rise slightly while the edges will crisp up. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the tray for at least 15-20 minutes.