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May 2, 2009

Onion Coriander Mini Muffins and some Gratitude



Food. It has never ceased to amaze me. The flavours, the combinations. The traditional, the fusion foods. Everything about it seems wonderful. I'd be lying if I said I was always interested in cooking. I have been doing it for a long time. I started out of sheer necessity. Baking was a different journey altogether. There was no "need" to bake. There was just a book lying on Amma's bookshelf that intrigued me. After years of sticking to recipes, I have finally started experimenting.

For the first party we threw in a long time, I was sure I didn't want to make any deep fried starters. I made some oven baked aloo tikkis, savoury cookies, and spicy crackers. Somehow, I got the feeling that these may not be enough. So, at the last minute, I decided to make some savoury muffins. I served with these with salsa. They were simply superb.


1/4 cup Oil
1/2 cup Wheat Flour
1 cup Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1/4 cup Coriander Leaves, chopped

1/2 tsp Green Chilli Paste
1 Onion, chopped
50g Cheese, diced




Preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F). Grease a 24 - mini muffin pan.


Sift the dry ingredients and keep aside. Whisk the eggs, milk and oil. Add the chilli paste, coriander, cheese and onion. Slowly add the dry ingredients and stir gently. Place a spoonful of batter in each cup.


Bake for 25 minutes. Serve warm with some salsa on the side. (I served it with Karen Anand's Mexican Salsa.) Wait for the compliments to pour in.



When I look back, I think of the many opportunities I missed. The many times I could have asked someone how they made a certain dish and written it down, but didn't. The many times I could have come back home and tried to recreate a dish I'd just tasted at a restaurant, only to have forgotten about it over time.






I don't know how many times I bought new notebooks and wrote "Cookbook" on the first page only to forget after the initial enthusiasm faded away. I've lost count of the photocopies I've taken of other peoples' recipe books, only to misplace them during shifting and then forget about them altogether. I've stopped collecting the envelopes on which I've quickly noted down Amma's recipes over long distance calls. I guess that's because I finally got organized when it came to keeping my recipes in tact. Through this blog.




That's all this blog was intended to be. My answer to all those forgotten notebooks, lost photocopies and envelopes thrown in the bin accidentally. My attempt to take down a recipe from Amma or my aunts just once and save them for posterity. It's funny how popular this blog actually turned out to be. I remember telling Nandita in my very first post that I didn't plan on uploading any pictures. Egged on by all the wonderful blogs and the even the more wonderful bloggers, I took pictures, learnt how to make them better, and above all else continually got the energy to keep this blog going. I don't know how to say thanks.





I was never lucky in any sort of "lucky draw". But through the food blogging experience, I won a lovely book from Sig last year. My last minute entry to the AFAM Cherry won me this wonderful handmade gift from Rachel. Thank you for the lovely kitchen set Rachel.







This past year, this blog, and through it, I, have featured in leading newspapers and magazines. The Hindu featured this blog in their Food Bytes section. The Telegraph ran this story in their Sunday edition. In March this year, Ritu interviewed me for this story in Live IT. A couple of glimpses:









A closer look:





You never know where an initiative can take you. From my first newspaper mention for this blog to my first sale of a banana nut loaf, this year has been eventful. Thank you to each and everyone of you for helping me reach 450 posts in 731 days. If it wasn't for each of you, I doubt I'd be saying, "Happy 2nd Birthday, The Singing Chef!"

32 comments:

Gita Jaishankar said...

Congrats on your achievements dear :) Nice savory muffins...looks yummy.

Anonymous said...

wow!! two already? congratulations and well done...this is a place i love to come to...the array of stuff you have here is awesome..thank god you ditched the envelopes for the blog....way to go babes!! here's wishing you many many more!!

Priya Sriram said...

Hearty Congratulations dear!! Wish you good luck in your future endeavours! :)

Deepthi Shankar said...

Congrats !!! I have never made savory muffins .. nice flavors there

Cham said...

Congrats on ur achievements and many more years of Happy Blogging! So many sweet and delicious posts! Like the savory muffins!

Anonymous said...

congratulations and happy 2nd b'day to The Singing Chef!

Ramya Vijaykumar said...

Congrats on your achievement...good healthy muffins they are looking crisp and puffy...

luckysanjana said...

Happy birthday sweetie................wow you sure have some accomplishments there....................great...................

Rachel said...

Congrats on the 2 years....

Sig said...

Congrats darling! You've had a great ride, wishing you many many more feathers in your cap!

BTW it's only been two years??? Feels like I've known you forever!

sra said...

Congratulations, here's to many more anniversaries.

Srivalli said...

Happy birthday Raaga..wishes for many more and congrats on your achievements..

Alka said...

Hey Congratulations For Two Years of successful blogging...Kudos !

Parita said...

Congratulations dear..muffins look great

Meeta K. Wolff said...

well done of the 2 years. wishing you many more to come! all my fondest wishes raaga! love these muffins just the perfect!

~~louise~~ said...

Happy Anniversary Raaga, WOW, I'm fairly new to your blog. You sure have done some amazing things. Wishing you so many more...Those muffins look oh so good too!!!

Uj said...

Congratulations dear Raaga... Hope many more to come.. blogging has given us all a new identity and helped us meet like minded people.. :) muffins look yummy

Divya Kudua said...

Congrats Raaga..May Singing Chef celebrate many more birthdays!!Loved reading through the post!!

Arundathi said...

Happy Birthday Raaga!! Those muffins look great and the entire menu sounded so good! :-)

Unknown said...

Congrats Raaga...You deserve all the goodies for all the hardwork and the inspiration that you have provided through this blog...Happy Birthday Chef At Work!!!

Red Chillies said...

What a milestone indeed. 2 yers, 450 post that is just amazing. Great job and best wishes Raaga.

Unknown said...

Congrats on the milestone Raaga! An muffins look yummy! Perfect snack..

jayasree said...

Muffins looks yummy. Yet to try a savoury one.
Wishing you many more years of happy blogging and congrats on the well deserved achievements.

Purnima said...

Indeed yes..a journey from blogging into a different world, not only are you keeping your recipes intact, its reaching out to many of the readers who recreate it! HAPPY 2nd to TSC, n wishing you manyyyyyy manyyyy more! :) Hugs.Raaga..thats what I address you (though u r Arundhati in real world!) And yes..proud to see your names in print media, which gives more coverage to a foodie cyber world.
Tks for sharing your own creations which are simple n awesome!

Bhavna Bhatnagar said...

Happy B'day to The Singing Chef! :)

Your blog is incredible Arundhati! Reading through your recipes has motivated a non-cook like me to get my hands dirty in the kitchen :)

Very glad I stumbled here via Linkedin

Bhavna Bhatnagar said...

Happy B'day to The Singing Chef! :)

Your blog is incredible Arundhati! Reading through your recipes has motivated a non-cook like me to get my hands dirty in the kitchen :)

Very glad I stumbled here via Linkedin

Miri said...

Congratulations! :)

The savoury muffins look tempting...

Swapna said...

Wow...am happy for u... CONGRATS!!

Ashwini said...

Arundhati -

I regularly visit your blog and being a Konkani in US sometimes its challenging finding the right inspiration to keep you going.

You are doing a wonderful job as a blogger. Your blogs are simple, to the point and easy to follow.

Keep blogging!!!

Cheerz
Ashwini.

Anonymous said...

Gosh, those muffins have me drooling, for an instant I thought they were Mysore Bondas! Congratulations on the achievement.

Mamatha

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

I'm very late here, but better late than never? ;)
A very, very happy 2nd blog anniversary and wishing many more with lots more fame.

CurryLeaf said...

BELATED B'DAY WISHES,SINGING CHEF.I know I am late,but from now on will be a regular.Cheers. WISHING YOU MANY MANY MORE YEARS OF WONDERFUL COOKING & BLOGGING