'Jab we went' to the iconic Khan Chacha, Khan Market

What do a group of senior corporate executives, 5 college students, 4 ladies out for the day and a couple doing up their home interiors have in common? Quite simply, 'Khan Chacha', the famous little food joint at Khan Market, New Delhi.It was a full house with all the above mentioned people ( and many more) when we dropped-in for a quick bite a few days back.We were hot, tired and hungry- we had been looking for lights and other misc fittings for our home at the adjoing Lok Nayak Bhavan and it had been a long morning.Happily , I can tell you that as a 'first' the entire experience was was a very pleasant one.With rugged interiors, the delicious aroma of great kebabs cooking, followed by a satisfying, well priced meal in just over Rs 500, it was exactly the kind of visit that leaves one wanting more.

Unmistakably 'Khan Chacha' A little background check and I learnt that Khan Market which was established in 1951 and named in honour of Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan (brother of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan), has been ranked as the costliest retail location in India. In 2010, it was rated as the world's 21st most expensive retail high street by real estate firm Cushman and Wakefield and is consistently ranked as one of the costliest high-end streets.So one might actually wonder if all the restaurants here were priced steeply. Happily, the inimitable Khan Chacha wasn't.

The revamped eatery now has rough hewn tables, chairs and a glass encased open kitchen and can accomodate up to 40 people at a time. But considering the long queues that this eatery has seen in the past, a second floor is now being planned.As far as two key ingredients-taste and value for money go, it puts in a huge effort.With a recently introduced 'Aloo roll', the vegetarians get an interesting option adding to the number of customers already coming in by the scores.In the non-vegetarian section, two new entries, the 'fish tikka roll' and 'shaami kebab' make the overall choices that much more delightful. The procedure for getting your hands on your meal at this very popular self service restaurant is fairly simple.You go up and place your order at a window and an order number appears on a screen above the kitchen hatch when it is ready. Simply collect and tuck right in!

The quick, efficient and hardworking team The comprehensive and economical menu

Spoilt for choice Our Chicken Haryali Rolls- A meal for two in just over Rs 500 With well known personalities from all walks of life walking in randomly, this little restaurant has received an unbelievable amount of media coverage. One look at the walls and one sees it- bright, beautiful and very informative. The very visible media splash

Standing at the most recognisable location Goes without saying, I had to have a keepsake of my first visit here so this is it.

'Luquaimat' and Tea. A traditional Omani sweet at Muscat Festival , Oman

Luqaimat is a well-known Arab dessert and a 'must have' in Arab homes for Iftar. Also known as a crunchy sweet dumpling, it varies from country to country and I had a wonderful opportunity to see it being made 'up close and personal' at Muscat Festival some time back

Halfway through my visit to the very popular Muscat Festival, I found myself feeling slightly peckish and the need for a cup of tea was very strong. Heading towards the food stalls, I was wondering exactly what I should have when I heard someone calling out to me. It turned out to be the heroine of today's story, Fathiya, a 43 year old from Rustaq who showed me exactly how it was made, patiently answered all my queries and best of all, allowed me to photograph her at each stage. What I learnt from Fathiya however was that the dumpling itself was not sweet but the syrup that is poured over it is what gives it that sweet taste.

Moving to the sit down area, I sat and enjoyed my teatime treats and moved on...refreshed and thoroughly rejuvenated! For those of you who might be interested in trying it out, I have located a variation of the basic recipe that uses condensed milk at the last stage. In my opinion that really makes it even more delicious. Ingredients 1 cup all purpose flour 1 tbsp corn flour 1 tsp instant yeast 1 tsp of sugar 3/4 – 1 cup of water Condensed milk Oil to taste Method Mix the all purpose flour, corn flour, yeast and sugar in a bowl. Gradually add the water and keep on mixing until you get a smooth batter. It should be in dripping consistency( not too watery or too thick) Cover the batter for 1 or 2 hours until the batter has doubled. The batter now should have bubbles and look somewhat bouncy. Heat oil in a wok. Scoop a small amount of batter with your fingers and drop them into the hot oil Fry till they turn golden brown. Remove from oil, and place them on kitchen paper. Pour condensed milk or your favorite syrup on top. Sit back with friends and enjoy with a hot cup of tea, coffee or better still, on their own. NB- this post has been shared again on popular demand

Choco Orange Christmas Fruitcake and an early Christmas tea

An anonymous writer once famously said, "Until one feels the spirit of Christmas, there is no Christmas. All else is outward display-so much tinsel and decorations. For it isn't the holly, it isn't the snow. It isn't the tree not the firelight's glow. It's the warmth that comes to the hearts of men when the Christmas spirit returns again." I couldn't agree more and this is exactly why we chose to celebrate an early Christmas yesterday, Saturday, the 21st. At the outset, I must confess that my recipe for the Chocolate Orange Christmas Fruitcake is not entirely original but a combination of a few recipes I'd seen in cookery books. A couple of months ago, I had tried out a recipe for a chocolate orange cake and my husband Avi had told me that it reminded him of a Christmas cake. So that really was the starting point for this cake and all I did was tweak that recipe a bit, added some rum, lots of fruit and there it was- my version of a Chocolate Orange Christmas Fruitcake which can easily keep in a closed box for two to three weeks.

Ingredients 600 grams mixed dried fruit 175 grams unsalted butter 250 grams dark brown sugar 500 ml dark rum juice and zest of 3 oranges salt - a pinch 3 large eggs (beaten) 250 grams plain flour ½ teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cloves Method Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F. Grease and flour the sides and bottom of a deep 20cm / 8-inch round cake tin, ensuring that no space is left un coated. Put the dried fruit, butter, sugar, range juice and zests into a large wide saucepan and bring to the boil gently, stirring asthe butter melts. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, then take it off the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Now, add the beaten eggs, flour, baking powder and spices and stir to combine. Gently pour the fruit cake mixture into the prepared cake tin. Place in the oven and bake for at least 1 hour. You will know if its ready when there is a beautiful citrusy, boozy aroma all over the house and the top of the cake should be firm, dry and have cracked somewhat. To ensure its cooked, insert a cake tester into the middle of the cake and it may come out a little sticky.No problem - that really tells you that it is perfectly soft and moist from the inside Put the cake on a cooling rack and leave it to cool for a couple of hours.Once it has cooled completely, un-mould it from the tin and wrap the cake well in a layer of grease proof paper till you want to decorate it. Decorating the cake Top with some beautiful edible fruits, add to it some little decorative silver and pink edible balls, freshly grated orange zest and the cake was decorated in about 5 minutes. For your own take on decorations, use your imagination- you can use icing sugar, marzipan, chocolate etc but do it in the way that suits you the best.Always remember that half the fun lies in experimenting and that is exactly what will also set you apart from the rest. Now that the Christmas cake has been tackled, its time to start thinking of something else. Cookies, mince pies, rum balls........my thinking cap is well and truly on. In the meantime, here's wishing all of you a Merry Christsmas !