The Jugalbandits need no introduction in the blogging world. They dare to be different in every aspect , give their best shot in everything they do and most of all wonderful human beings. Their blog is a repository of knowledge . Recipes with clear cut instructions , alternate methods and what not to do in most cases. Sometimes when I visit their blog , I can hear bee giving me instructions step by step and clearing my doubts if any before I ask. Same goes with their photography essays. Do read them , it will definitely bring a change in your style of photography , they brought a change in mine.

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Last week, everyday I forgot to get my wife what she asked for. I would come home empty handed to Dee who would open the door, expecting a bunch of mint…and there I would stand my laptop case in hand, and sorry about my amnesia. So sunday afternoon both of us went hunting for mint. Not in the Asian Market..couldnt find it in Safeway or the walmart neighbourhood….looked for it in every aisle in fry’s. I was about to give up, but Dee, determined as she is, got the lady in the produce section to find out a small box of it.

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We love to buy books , for us there are no bad books , there was a time when one had to gingerly step into our room without stepping on stacks of books ( the book shelf wasn’t enough in our small 2 bedroom apartment in Bangalore) . I cried the day I had to leave my books some at my mom’s place and some at my parents-in-laws place. My husband’s making up to me is very simple , buy a book ! Of late with my hobby of blogging becoming a full time obsession and somewhat nightmarish to him , my interests lie in cookbooks . Having 2 library cards each( that makes four) , knowing a thrift book store owner who calls me when he finds the book I want , apart from having innumerable books on hand isn’t enough , I still crave for this or that book. So , on a lone trip to Costco and as a part of the never ending birthday list ( hoping that it will go on until the next year!) , my dear one got me a book. The book of course has fabulous pictures and surprisingly had a lot of Indian appetizers and dishes like the samosa, bonda , bhel puri and the ubiquitous Idlis ! I loved the simplicity of the pictures and the recipes, which most of them could be made in a jiffy!. So here is a Beetroot Hummus which i tweaked to our palate and going to dear siri who is hosting this month’s A.W.E.D - Middle Eastern Cuisine. We adored the pink color for a while , before we dipped the Pita chips into it!

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I think it the most famous Indian appetizer in the world. The variations for the stuffing in the pastry are endless , traditionally potatoes and peas, sometimes paneer , spinach , onion or even kheema. I have always associated the samosa with a hot cuppa Irani Chai . I vividly remember going to Blue Sea , one of the most famous Irani cafe ( read Kafe) in hyderabad anytime of the day and being served an oily small onion samosa and enjoyed eating it thoroughly as if there is no tomorrow. Looking back I wonder how could I eat such an oily substance and have a sense of fulfillment and most of all not worry about my weight!

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Potatoes are a rarity in my home , except when there is an audience other than me or K . when lovely sia of monsoon spice had announced her event “ode to potato”, I couldn’t resist participating . This dish is a regular when we have parties as the size of the appetizer is small and I can make large batches without panicking and is very crispy and tasty to eat !

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