Indian Food Odyssey - Mega Marathon for 1 month with Each state on a day

I have always wanted to do the authentic dishes from each state in India.. I have learned so much from blogging for the cuisines of the other states.. But I did want to take it little more than just me trying it.. So I suggested to Valli sometime last year and she agreed.. Then started this idea of doing a month long marathon with all of us doing same state on each day..

We are going to be cooking recipes from 30 states for the next 30 days and they are in the alphabetical order of A-Z. Srivalli has put together a link up for each state where you would be able to look through what is everyone cooking for that particular state in one place.. Recipes by about 28 of us doing each state.. That is quite and exciting and thrilling.

I did suggest, but when it came to some states, it was so so tough, that I was so tensed and no so happy with my own suggestion. I could not lay my hands on vegetarian recipes and after so much search and research, I am quite happy that I made the suggestion and we all are going to travel to each state through its cuisine..

So much of Google and Wikipedia and also cookbooks have been looked and used for the research.. So as of now this minute, I have finished cooking and clicking 21 states.. Still stuck on 1 state.. Still researching it.. But I am confident that I will be able to finish this Marathon with all the support..

With the search and research (call it re search meaning search again), I have learned so much more about my Country and I am feeling so excited for that.. I have given the source for all the recipes...

Please support me and my friends who are doing this Mega Marathon with me with your valuable comments and likes!! You will surely enjoy this travel through the Indian states by its cuisine..

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 39

Eggless Melon Pan / Eggless Japanese Melon Pan

Melon Pan is a bread that has no Melon and No pan either!!! It is a double layer bread with bread layer topped with a cookie layer.. Pan is the Japanese word for Bread which is borrowed from Portuguese and there are quite a range of Pans in Japan. This bread is the choice by Aparna for this month’s We Knead to Bake and the recipe is adapted from here and have made few changes. You can take a look at this video which has an excellent tutorial on the Melon Pan. The bread layer in this pan is very soft and is quite addictive and it is covered with a layer of crunchy cookie layer. The Melon added to the pan to give the name Melon pan could be from the crosshatch design on the bread.  This recipe will give 8 - 10 burger sized melon pans... Melon Pans are best enjoyed on the day it is made.

Almond Truffles

Here is another easy recipe which takes resting time, but preparation time is so less and also so simple.. You need only 4 ingredients and this will be a great crowd pleaser.. You could use any nuts in place of almonds, but I love the combo of almonds and chocolate… Instead of adding the almonds to boiling water, you could also soak the almonds overnight and then peel them. There are so many versions of this on the net and this is my way..

 

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry

Some items are so easy, that you do not make note of the recipe, but you forget how easy they are and search for the recipe.. Same happened with me for the Chocolate Dipped Strawberry.. It was strawberry season and fresh strawberries were welcoming us into the grocery shops.. It would be almost a sin that you do not buy these beautiful fruit.. So tempted to buy these, I got a large quantity and made Jam (yes that is the first one I make when I have loads of fresh fruit) and now wanted to make something with the remaining fruits.. I remembered the chocolate dipped strawberry I made long ago and wanted to make it.. I remember it was so easy that it hardly took 10 minutes to make it.. But I did not have the recipe written, reason was - it was too simple.. Now I did it again, but this time, made sure that I am writing it on my blog for me to remember..
We can eat strawberry as is, but add chocolate and it looks even more inviting.. You could also make designs with this.. Sorry I was in a hurry and did not take the photos with the designs.. Next time.. So to the basic recipe now

Cocoa Cake / Chocolate Maida Cake–Indian Style

Yaay!!! My blog crossed 1000 Facebook likes!!! So excited and am so thankful to all who supported me.. Hope to receive the same love and support.. What can be a better way to celebrate the 1000 likes than with a sweet.. Sharing this simple and delicious sweet virtually!!Cocoa Cake is a quick and easy sweet. It is also called as Chocolate burfi.. This is one of the very popular burfi made in Indian homes during Festivals..  This does not require much preparation and can be made quite quickly.. I enjoyed this as a kid when my mom made these and my daughter also loves these… Surely a kid friendly sweet.. Make this for your family and you will be happy you did!!!!

Pidi Karunai Masiyal / Karunai Kizhangu Masiyal

A delicious masiyal made from karunai kizhangu.. This can be served with rice, great with rasam rice.. Also a great one with dosa or roti!!.. This is quite simple to make and can be made very quickly... Make sure to relish this hot or warm!!

Then Vadai / Sweet Medu Vadai

Vadai is my favorite deep fried item.. So perfect for tiffin or for breakfast. This is the sweet cousin of the Spicy Medu Vadai. This gets its taste and sweetness from the honey added. You could add more honey if desired. I saw this in a TV show and loved it.. It will be in darker color compared to its spicy cousin due to its sugar content..