T&T - Jugalbandi (Round-up)

Dear All,

Glad to hear that holidays are over for most of you (not that I would not wish you a few days off-work). I was just really happy to see your entries literally flooding in. This month, T&T was a huge success. Millions of lovely words about this month´s bloggers Jai & Bee and.... ehm... humble moi (blush), it was a real chicken soup to read all of them :-)

Now come and have a look with me:

Number of participants: 39
Number of tried recipes: 59
Number of entries: 48

Out of these, the total winners are....

1. Urad Dal Puri & Potato Bhaji - a super-popular Indian street food, a simple watery-potato stir-fry served with heavenly soft and crunchy puffed-up puris - a never ending quest for the very best. Where you cannot go too healthy, go organic. Jai & Bee even give you tips on how to grow your own potatoes in a cardboard box! All of our three gals looooved this one - Jayashree of Luv Good Food, PG of My Kitchen Stories and Emma of Indian Earth.

2. Mirchi Ka Salan - a fantastic super spicy rich curry from Hyderabadi region made with stuffed chili peppers. Hm... Luvly :-) A&N of Delectably Yours suggests leaving the seeds in chilies to make the dish even spicier, and as Yasmeen of Health Nut re-assures: "Must-try recipe for the chili lovers". Are they talking to meeee?

3. Chocolate Pots - a decadent dark chocolate mousse tweaked with candied orange peel and Cointreau, hm...While Shibani of Anyone Can Cook praised originators´creativity and writing style, Jeanne of Cook Sister! focuses on their fabulous dessert: " It's grown up, sophisticated, sweet... and a little bit naughty. Just like Jai and Bee ;-)"

... followed by the rest.

* Spices & Condiments *

4. Kashmiri Garam Masala - soft, aromatic masala made of 12 different roasted spices is Jai & Bee´s absolute favorite. This inspired Shibani of Anyone Can Cook, who presented all the beautiful spices in her gorgeous colorful picture.

*Appetizers & Snacks *

5. Savory Granola - yes, a simple baked oatmeal combo seasoned with chili and salt. Don't knit your eyebrows like that, re-tried by Sweatha of Curry Leaf, she suggests savory parfait with yogurt or milk.

6. Minty Caleslaw & Vegan Mayo - a true international fusion. Thai spiced creamy Tofu blend mixed into shredded cabbage, topped with cranberries and nuts.... and mint. A very interesting combination and I was completely sold on that one - see my recreation here, at Zlamushka´s Spicy Kitchen.

7. Patty Pan Pizza - healthy and delicious recipe with countless variations. Bharti of Veggie Foodist went for a classic - pasta sauce topped with cheese.

8. Olive Hummus - a traditional Middle-Eastern spread refreshed by blended black olives. Absolutely fantastic, a total keeper. Read more here, at Zlamushka´s Spicy Kitchen.

9. Black Bean Chipotle Salsa - Hola Mexico! Wonderful, super fresh bean salsa makes you want to dip anyhting in it. It is so alive in flavor and taste, Sangeeth of Art of Cooking Indian Food says, this dish was "dancing its way" to my event.

10. Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Muffins - the title alone makes me want to nibble on my screen right now. While Arundathi of My Food Blog stayed true to the recipe, with addition of olives, sun-dried tomatoes and cayenne pepper, Lisa of Lisa´s Kitchen sums up: "The result was a deliciously moist, slightly spicy, savory muffin that deserves to be appreciated all by itself, though it is a good choice if you are looking for a side bread option to serve up with dinner. "

11. Arvi Patties - Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside - wonderful well-flavored patties made of Arvi (= taro or colocasia). Traditionally dunk in a spiced ragda sauce, Aparna of Three Mangoes went for unusual Blazing Inferno Sauce from Barbados. Love the fusion :-)

12. Parippu Vada - Crispy tiny golden dal fritters spiced up with curry leaves rolling around one´s plate. Pavani of Cook´s Hideout loved these with a simple tomato chutney.

13. Muhammara - a very tasty Middle-Eastern Spread made of roasted walnuts and bell peppers enriched with pomegranate molasses and spiced with cumin and chilies. The only change I made, here at Zlamushka´s Spicy Kitchen, was to serve Muhammara spread on sliced zuchini. It was a perfect rich and creamy appetizer.

* Main Course *

14. Asparagus Patoli - Hm.. yummy spiced up white asparagus stir-fry. How did I miss that one? Funny when I write these posts, a few I am just surprised about. Where was I when Jai and Bee posted that? Anyhow, glad to have Meera of Enjoy Indian Food on board to remind us - less detailed-oriented.

15. Brussel Sprouts in Lemon-Mustard Sauce - a wonderful well-flavored veggie stir-fry combining sweetness of Brussel sprouts and sharpness of mustard, a must-try says Arfi of Home MadeS, who loved its simplicity that eased up her aching back time spent in the kitchen. I hope you are better now, Arfi :-)

16. Chokha Pesto, Bihari Style - a simple spinach stir-fry blended together into a smooth "paste". Divya of Dil Se... compares saying: "It is very much the same Keerai Masiyal without the seasoning.."

17. Matar Paneer - a filling colorful traditional dish made with peas and cubed cottage cheese cooked in rich and spicy tomato sauce. Nags of Edible Garden made a truly great job. THe picture is drool-worthy.

18. Roasted Asparagus, Carrots, Zuchini and Herbs - a simple flavored baked vegetable platter, where one can experiment and not go wrong. Bhagyashri of Taste Buds added broccoli and garnished with blended cilantro, basil and mint.

19. Sag Gonglu - Kitchen influences, I love them. Alexa of Artsy-foodie says it all: "their Sag Gongly, a turnip and green saute that is sure to become a regular meal in our house."

20. Penaeng Curry - a creamy rich Thai curry made of tons of chillies, fresh spices and peanuts. Disolved in coconut milk, one can add any veggies of his/her liking. Pavani of Cook´s Hideout made hers with tofu and bell peppers.

21. Green Thai Curry - my favorite. Made a huge batch, just as Jai & Bee suggested and enjoyed all kinds of veggies with (in) it. My addition was a nice bowl of Prik Nam Pla to spice the dish up. View my re-creation here at Zlamushka´s Spicy Kitchen.

22. African Kale Stew - ...with pinapple and peanuts, turning this wonderful crunchy combo into a smooth creamy flavorful stew. Bharti of Veggie Foodist was pleased that even her "cynical about greens" family ate it with good appetite.

23. Okra - a simple okra stir-fry with plenty of unusual spices like fennel, kalonji, mango powder, ...etc. Manasi of Cook At Heart makes this dish even more exotic with adding rice flour.

24. Kadala Curry - lovely rich and creamy coconut-based curry made with black chickpeas, the very first time ever for Medhaa of Cook With Love, who followed the recipe step-by-step and was particulalry impressed by the smell of caramelised onions.

25. Olan - a coconut based stew with black-eyed beans and cucumber from Kerala - no further explanation needed to this one from Sia of Monsoon Spice (our September Blog Of The Month, everyone). Well, of course, except for the absolutely gorgeous picture.

26. Dal Makhani - a traditional Punjab dish made of black lentils, famous for its creamy, rich taste. Re-introduced by Yasmeen of Health Nut and Deeba of Passionate About Baking, she also walks us through the fascinating history of the dish.

27. Basil Infused Potatoes And Peas Curry - a delicious fusion of Indian spices and Thai herbs. Meeta of What´s For Lunch Honey? concluded: "I love the gravy for this dish. It was deliciously rich and full of aromatic flavors. I sacrificed the last of my lovely organic basil for this, not regretting one leaf. The nutty, roasted, chopped cashews add fantastic texture and harmonize so well with the entire dish."

28. Xacuti - a famous Goan curry, re-created to be enjoyed by vegetarians, too, putting stress on the spice combo, so the actual veggie combo is totally of your choice. Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen says it tasted like the ones served at some of the better restaurants.

29. Pineapple Rasam - a simple sour and spicy soup with big pineapple chunks, wildly enjoyed by Medhaa of Cook With Love.

* Side Dish *

30. Thakkali Sadam - a famous tomato and tamarind flavored side dish from Tamil Nadu, yet great simply on its own or, as Srivalli of Cooking 4 All Seasons mentioned, a good candidate for a lunch box dish.

31. French Fries (Baked) - a total guilt-free heaven. Even at midnight, after a few beers, as part of a real junk treat. Spiced up with different masalas, one can never get tired of these funny sticks. Me, myself and I at Zlamushka´s Spicy Kitchen looooved it :-)

32. Lime Rice - a festive side dish flavored with cuminn and mustard seeds, coconut, dal and asafoetida - aperfect accompaniment to any curry or stir-fry. Re-created by Srimathi of Few Minute Wonders really proved it was "... great in flavor and taste."

33. Veggi-mole Parathas - A fantastic warm soft parathas filled with spicy avocado mix, a super easy pick for Yasmeen of Health Nut. How could I have missed that one?

34. Whole Wheat Pita Bread - now that is something. Home-made pita AND healthy. No wonder Meera of DinDin Tonight loved them. She suggested a lovely steak stir-fry as filling,... YUM!

35. Methi Malai Buns - a lovely bread with big green pieces of methi leaves. Doesn´t that just make you want to have a bite? Thanks, Deepika of Recipe for Dee-saster for re-introducing this lovely bread.

36. Spring Onion Pancakes - a fantastic all-time favorite Chinese side dish, tasted just as well as breakfast; served with coconut chutney and powdered jaggery, as Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen writes.

37. Pav Buns - wonderful soft buns made especially for potato bhajii street dish. Bhagyashri of Taste Buds confessed that it was her very first time ever baking with yeast. Fantastic job, B!

38. Oatmeal Seeded Rolls - made from whole wheat flour, oats and seeds, a complete guilt-free breakfast treat. Suganya of Tasty Palettes was so impressed by Jai & Bee that she started baking her own sour dough bread. Oh, how I love my event, bringing people new pleasant experience every day... :-)

* Desserts *

39. Carrot (Gajar) Halwa - a simple caramelised carrot dessert with cashew nuts and raisins, mouth-watering and delicious, praised by PJ of Seduce Your Tastebuds.

40. Thai Black Sticky Rice With Mango Sauce - a lovely traditional Thai dessert very innovatively re-created by Snjezana of 101 Dalmantian Cats. She used "Forbidden Rice" (???) and passion fruit instead of mango.

41. Raspberry Almond Cupcake - now this one was a bit of a disaster. No Jai, nothing wrong with the recipe, just as few of my own mistakes, here at Zlamushka´s Spicy Kitchen. Firstly, I had no baking powder, secondly, I used frozen raspberries and didnt "dry them"... Next time I ll be wiser.

42 . Fruit And Nut War Cake - a wonderful round vegan cake, perfect nutritious tea breaks. Cham of The Spice-Club praised the addition of Rum and softness of the cake and complained only once stating: "One month is not enough to try all their recipes. You did two and they were both fantastic!

43. Brownies - a fantastic chocolate-filled brownie cake, purely vegan. Tofu and applesauce? How healthier can you go in a dessert? Miri of Peppermill sums up: "The pictures screamed gooey delectable squares of heaven." and Priya of Akshayapaatram gave the recipe originators 100 Brownie points :-)

44. Date Tamarind Nut Treats - wonderful healthy sweet round treats rolling straight to your mouth... just say "Aaaaah" :-) Yasmeen of Health Nut definitely enjoyed these.

45. Barley with Spiced Yoghurt - a great morning porridge-like breakie or a simple light dessert. Cooked barley pearls hidden in yoghurt mixed with fresh fruits... enjoyed by Cham of The Spice-Club.

* Drinks *

46. Strawberry Banana Sorbet - Experimenting with different fruit ingredients, this has turned the original recipe into a sorbet heaven. Check them all out here - from Bharti of Veggie Foodist, Sweatha of Curry Leaf.

47. Lemon Barley Water - an amazingly refreshing summer drink that brought KC of Kitschow straight to her growing-up in Hong Kong memories. Does that really help with fighting morning coffee addiction? Hm... Nice that I have the recipe around...

48. Carrot Pear Ginger Mocktail - a simple refreshing, healthy and filling drink, as Uma of Essence of Andhra writes. I personally love the storm of flavors and the ever bright orange color.


Jai & Bee - you guys are amazing. On behalf of us all, please keep posting all your wonderful thoughts, recipes and ideas and keep us posted :-) Here is a stamp of approval from T&T Team: