Mansson breakfast

Chicken-fried bacon with creamy ranch dipping sauce

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

16 ounces sour cream

8 ounces mayonnaise

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup minced red onion

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chopped chives

2 tablespoons chopped dill

2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated or chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise until very smooth. Whisk in the garlic, onion, parsley, chives, dill, tarragon, lemon zest, vinegar, salt and chipotle pepper. Season to taste with additional salt, vinegar and black pepper. Cover and chill until needed. The dip tastes best if the flavors are allowed to develop 2 to 3 hours before serving, and will keep for up to 3 days, refrigerated.More

Monsoon travel point

Monsoon travel point in India

Sutlej in Himachal Pradesh.

How to make Chicken Soup in Mansoon

I like to make my broth by using the carcass of a roasted chicken. I find this very convenient you can buy the chicken the day before, have that for one meal, and then use the leftovers and bones to make soup the next day.


Begin by picking off whatever meat is left on the chicken. You will need a stockpot large enough to hold the entire carcass. Place the bird in the pot and cover it with water.

Now we are going to place this on the stove and bring it to a boil. It will take a little while for this to boil, since we have a lot of water, so while we are waiting, let's chop our vegetables. Even though we will not add them for a long time, it is nice to chop the vegetables now because we can use parts of them in the stock.

Monsoon Magic Paneer Pudina Pakoda

I have been resisting the temptation to make these Pakodas for a long time now.

How to Make Monsoon Magic Paneer Pudina Pakoda

2-3 tbsp whisked curd,(yoghurt)

½ tsp Red chilli powder

1 tsp Tandoori masala.(I am a strict eggetarian but I keep this Masala in my pantry. It goes well with Tikkas and some curries. You can add Chaat Masala if you don’t have the Tandoori Masala.)

Pinch of salt.

½ cup Pudina leaves, destemmed and washed

¼ cup fresh coriander leaves, destemmed and washed

2-3 Green chillies, chopped

½ tsp lemon juice.

Pinch of salt.

For the batter:

~ ¾ cup besan (Gram Flour)

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chilli powder

Salt as per taste

Oil for frying

Cut the Paneer into small pieces (~ ½“ x 2”).If you don’t have the patience or the time you can make bigger pieces.

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and put the paneer pieces in it. Mix delicately, taking care not to break the pieces.

Coat all the pieces with the marinade and keep aside for about 20 mins.

Blend together all the ingredients for the Pudina Filling.Do not add water. It is ok if the mixture gets coarsely ground, but don’t add water.

Mix all the ingredients for the batter except oil.

Add 1 tbsp of hot oil to the mixture

Add water to this till it forms a smooth,thick batter.

Take 2 pieces of the marinated paneer.

Add as much Pudina filling as you can between the two pieces like a sandwich.

Ridge Gourd Bhajji

The Monsoon is back on track and so is the Friday Monsoon Magic recipe

How to Make Ridge Gourd Bhajji

~ ¾ cup besan (Gram Flour)

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chilli powder

Salt as per taste

Oil for frying Heat

Heat Oil for frying in a kadai/wok.

Mix all the ingredients for the batter except oil.

Add 1 tbsp of hot oil to the mixture

Add water to this till it forms a smooth, thick batter.

Dip each ridge gourd slice in the batter so as to coat on all sides.

Drop each batter coated ridge gourd slice in the hot oil and fry till red-golden brown.

Drain on a paper towel.

Serve hot with ketchup or chutney of your choice