Untruly Yours by Smita Shetty

Untruly Yours by Smita Shetty

"To some Natasha Iyer has it all - living the life of an affluent NRI, wife of a prominent psychologist and mother to a cheeky 11 years old. However, behind closed doors, cracks are beginning to appear in her seemingly comfortable relationship with her professionally consumed husband , Rakesh.

Although Rakesh seems content with his alpha neatness- fetish , melodramatic wife and bright son; Natasha yearns for romance, passion and excitement. Ironically, the psychologist husband fails to read between the lines and Natasha is left to her own devices to deal with her unresolved emotions.

An unexpected call from India takes her through a journey of self discovery with her devastatingly handsome work colleague, Steve. She uncovers in some aspects urban India has changed considerably but equally, deep rooted social issues still prevail in the so called modern, educated, changing society. A chance encounter with her blast from the past - Veer, adds to the emotional roller coaster ride. Her one-man - women status of many years has failed to equip her with vital tools to deal with the unanticipated surge of attention from Steve and Veer.

As she attempts to master the finer points of courtship, flirtation and seduction; her life spirals out of control. Natasha is compelled to make tough decisions about her love,friendship, marriage and parenthood."

Untruly Yours is the debut novel of the author - Smita Shetty. The story line is obvious from the blurb. In the 150 pages of this fast paced chic-lit novel, the author tells the story of Natasha who seems to feel that the spark in her relationship with her husband has vanished. She is restless and yearns for some excitement in her life. If you look a delve a little more deeply into the character of Natasha, you will discover that there is a bit of Natasha in most women. Sometimes, the zeal of life is lost in the daily mundane chores, one feels people takes you for granted and it brings a feeling of love-less-ness and loneliness. Many a times it is far from the truth and it is just a passing phase. The author has told the story of a woman passing through this phase of life and how she copes with it.

The strength of the novel are it's character - entirely believable and relatable. In particular the author's description of Natasha' s MIL as Godzilla of Godzilla as hilarious. The story is packed with a lot of drama and has a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. I thoroughly enjoyed turning pages after pages, only that there weren't too many of them. I think the author could have done with another 50 pages towards the end. I felt the ending was quickly wrapped up. A special mention for the cover of the book, I loved it. It is chic and stylish and catches your attention. At least, it was so in my case.

If you are looking for a quick, light read go for this book for sure. I am sure most of my female friends will be able to relate to at least something in the novel.

I received a free copy of the book from the author in exchange of an unbiased review.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

There are books you read, enjoy and forget, and there are books, whose stories stay with you long after you have read them. Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda falls in the latter category. The novel takes you through the lives of two women one in India and the other in America each of them linked by a girl child.

The story is such that it lingers in your mind long after you have read it. It made me realize for the umpteenth time that I am so lucky to be have been raised by parents who have always thought of my well being. This is a story I would recommend all my lady friends to read;well researched, well written, heart touching, absorbing and a compelling read.

Synopsis:

Somer's life is everything she imagined it would be--she's newly married and has started her career as a physician in San Francisco--until she makes the devastating discovery she never will be able to have children.

The same year in India, a poor mother makes the heartbreaking choice to save her newborn daughter's life by giving her away. It is a decision that will haunt Kavita for the rest of her life, and cause a ripple effect that travels across the world and back again.

Asha, adopted out of a Mumbai orphanage, is the child that binds the destinies of these two women. We follow both families, invisibly connected until Asha's journey of self-discovery leads her back to India.

Compulsively readable and deeply touching, "Secret Daughter" is a story of the unforeseen ways in which our choices and families affect our lives, and the indelible power of love in all its many forms.”

This novel was an emotional roller coaster ride. It got me hooked right from the beginning. The author has studied the problem of female infanticide in India deeply and thoroughly and that is evident from the way the problem is portrayed throughout the novel. Kavita’s first child is a girl. Before Kavita could comprehend what was happening, her daughter is brutally separated from her by her husband, Jasu. So, the second time Kavita gives birth to a girl child, she gives her away to an orphanage to save her daughter’s life. It is the fierce desire of a mother to save and protect her child that compels Kavita to take such a drastic step. In many rural poor families in India a girl child is still considered a burden, an extra mouth to feed which gives no returns- rather one who has to be sent away to another house one day with a handsome dowry.

On one hand, Kavita bears the separation from her daughter; there is Somer in America who is anguished and suffering as she cannot have a baby of her own. Both women are different in every aspect, but are linked by destiny because of Asha. The author has sketched the characters of both of them very intricately. The beauty of the novel is as you read the novel; you could feel their emotional turbulence, their sorrow and their joy. The novel is not all negative, amidst all details of female infanticide, dowry problems, poverty and illiteracy; you could see a ray of hope. India is a land of contradiction and that is beautifully described through the eyes of Asha when she makes her first India visit. From opulent marriages, bright colours, gorgeous dresses, family bonding, Indian festivals to life in Dharvi, the largest urban in South Asia, Asha’s visit to India takes her through all and with her, the readers witnesses the startling contradictions in the Indian society. But that is not what the story is about. These things are in the backdrop while the main plot of the story is about Kavita, Somer and Asha.

Interweaving the stories of Kavita, Somer, and the Asha that binds both of their destinies, "Secret Daughter" poignantly explores the emotional terrain of motherhood, loss, identity, and love, as witnessed through the lives of two families--one Indian, one American--and the child that indelibly connects them.

Highly recommended!

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Egg less Red Velvet Cake

Past few days in India has been hectic. I had been hoping to be able to blog from here, but was caught up with so many different things that, in the end blogging took a back seat. Today, I decided to give my blog a visit and found there are a few drafts which could be posted with a little effort. Of course, I do not want you guys to forget me while I am away from this space.

While I know I am posting two decadent sweets one after another, I really cant help it. The cake I am sharing today is the one I baked for my DH's birthday last month. I was hoping I would be able to post it sooner, but couldn't. I decided to post it on my birthday which was a couple of days back but, couldn't.really manage to do even that. So, today to break my long absence from blogging, I want to virtually treat you all with this Red Velvet Cake!

Birthdays are special. So, I like to bake something special. This Egg less Red Velvet Cake is also a result of such efforts. The cake was not as red as I would have like and I later felt I could another table spoon of the red colour. But, after it was iced and cut, the red looked reasonably good in contrast with the white icing. I actually forget to take a picture of a slice, so pardon me for that.

This article on wiki gives a synopsis of the history of this special cake. Since this cake is egg less I have deviated a lot from the way that cake is traditionally make. But for an egg less cake, the results were pretty good. Lets see how I made it.

Ingredients:

11/2 cup + 2tbsp plain flour +1tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1tin condensed milk
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup yogurt + 1/2 cup water
2 tbsp red colour (add another tbsp for a brighter red colour)
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp apple cider vinegar

Process:

1. Preheat the oven at 160 C. Line a 9" round tin. Please note that baking time may vary if you choose a smaller or larger tin. So, adjust accordingly.

2. Shift the flour, baking powder and baking soda twice. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl whip the condensed milk and butter till the mixture is creamy. Add the red food colour and whisk again.

4. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture in 2-3 parts. Keep stirring while adding flour mixture. Add butter milk, vinegar and whisk for another 2 minutes. The batter will have a pouring consistency. Don't over do it

5. Pour the batter in the prepared tin and bake it in the preheated oven for 30 minutes at 160 C. Then lower the temperature to 150 C and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

6. The cake is done when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for at least 15 minutes before turning the cake out of the tin.Cool completely before icing the cake.

Mascarpone Cream Icing:

280 gm mascarpone cream
225 gm whipping cream
3/4 cup icing sugar

Pour all the ingredients in a large bowl and whip it till it is creamy and has a soft peak consistency. Chill it in the fridge for half an hour.

Assembling the cake:

Slice the cake in 3 layers. In a cake plate place the top most layer and spread the prepared icing in an even layer. Top it with the second and third layer in the same way and cover the whole cake with rest of the icing. Get creative with decorating the cake. I used piped border, glace cherries and chocolate hearts. You can do it the way you fancy!

I will definitely try to blog more often. I have read a few books and I will post the reviews soon. Stay tuned.
Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

The Ultimate Eggless Chocolate Fudge Brownies | Best Eggless Chocolate Fudge Brownies Recipe | Brownie Recipes

The Ultimate Eggless Chocolate Fudge Brownies #Recipe

This is by far the best eggless chocolate fudge recipe. A simple recipe, no fancy ingredients, yet awesome results. If you are looking for that ultimate chocolate fudge brownies, this is the one for you.

If you have been a regular reader of my blog, you must know I have a weakness for Brownies. I have already posted a couple of brownie recipes here: Chocolate Brownies, Nutella Brownies, One Bowl Eggless Brownies. My all-time favourite of all these recipes is the first one. However, it is a cake-like brownie. I was looking for a nice fudge brownie recipe and looks like I have got a great recipe. If you love brownies you have to try this.

Also, check the notes below the recipe to get the best results.

Adapted from 100 best Vegan Baking Recipes by Kris Holcheck.

Eggless Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Ingredients:

1 cup AP Flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter minus 2 tbsp, soft or melted at room temperature.
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup +2 tbsp yoghurt
About 3/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped chocolate or choco chips, I used milk chocolate.
1 tsp vanilla extract

Process:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C and line a 9x9inch brownie pan with parchment paper. Brush it with a little butter.

2. Sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt together.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk butter, yoghurt and vanilla together until well blended.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in batches and stir. Add water in batches till you get a condensed milk-like consistency. Stir in the chopped chocolates.

5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared tin and bake it for 35 minutes. A skewer inserted in the middle of the brownie will come out clean.

6. Let it cool down at least for 2 hours before slicing. You will get neat slices then.

7. Enjoy it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce.

Notes:

- I have made this brownie a couple of times. First time I sliced it in just half an hour of cooling. The brownies didn't come out in neat slices. So, I make a point to bake it a day ahead for best results. Ideally, bake it in the evening, let it rest the whole night and have it next day.

- Do not skip adding chopped chocolates or choco chips, the melted chocolate adds another layer of taste and the gooey chocolate taste is awesome.

Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!

Maakhanya Lassi ~ Buttery Lassi

There are many dishes that one can associate with some special memories. Some can be associated with childhood - food prepared by mom. It can make you nostalgic and flood your mind with sweet anecdotes. Some dishes can be related to events - a special sweet dish or a cake that was meant for special occasion. And some are linked with a particular place - 'nukad ka chaat wala' (road side vendor) who makes the best Papdi Chat or a particular place known for their mouthwatering kulfi.

One such dish for me is this Maakhanya Lassi,  maakhanya literally means buttery.

I brings back to me the memories of visiting Jodhpur, Rajasthan. There is a snack shop (unfortunately I don't remember the name. I will update this if I remember) which is famous for this Lassi. All day long people throng to this place to enjoy a glass or two of this cold Lassi. In summer it sells like hot cakes! 2-3 years back when I had been to Jodhpur, my FIL had taken us to this shop. One sip of the Lassi and I was in heaven. One will be tempted to buy a second glass, but let me tell you, it is very filling. Two glass of this Lassi and you can forget about lunch!

When I had prepared this butter, this Lassi was the first thing I thought of making. I tried to replicate the taste from memory, so, I am not sure if it tastes exactly same, but it is definitely near.

You will need:

2 tbsp of fresh butter at room temperature. You can also use store bought unsalted butter
1 cup yogurt
1/4 cup water or more
1cardamom, pounded
4-5 saffron strands
2 tbsp sugar, more of less, adjust to taste
4-5 ice cubes

Process:
1. Rub the saffron with a few drops of water to bring out the colour.
2. In a blender jar, add yogurt, water, saffron, cardamom, sugar, ice cubes and half of the butter.
3. Blend it for a few seconds. Pour it into a tall glass. Top it with the remaining butter and serve immediately!

Notes:

1. The butter which is added while blending will be in bits and will float on top. So, you will have a buttery, creamy top layer. You can add more butter to have a thicker creamy layer if you like.
2. Add more water if you like thinner Lassi.

It tastes best when served cold.

Enjoy! Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!