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Sandhya's Kitchen

Food & Photography

14th March 2012

Sandhya’s Kitchen presents E-Curry | Almond Rosemary and Pepper Crackers

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I know.. I know.. It has been more than a month.. I have been absconding from the blogosphere , Facebook and in fact every other social network… You just wont believe , I hardly checked on my lil pea online.. if ever she is doing fine … But I m glad she is fine and all up and running…
I have had a relapse of flu and then cold n cough since the beginning of this year.. Practically tired and hoping every other day passes getting better.. Alas… I m here writing this post… so this surely reassures I m slightly better… Not 100% well to be precise… I just wish , that day comes past me , I can vouch .. well I am as fit as a fiddle… and lets go shopping …
We had a wonderful blogger meet sometime earlier last month… with 2 wonderful bloggers , Nayna & Jagruti   and we yapped yapped and yapped…. shared experiences about travelling to India , spoke about our culture…, about our fussy food eaters at home and how smart could we get in tackling them…  All over  the sharing Mexican platters…  I cherish all the lovely time we had together…

Sandhya’s Kitchen ( that’s v much ME) has been a secret admirer of one Indian online journal ever since I got to blogosphere… Even before I knew the difference of a  personal blog to a website.. I have been hopping n admiring n drooling  ( off course !!!)  Soo much down to earth .. and  every recipe on her space has a memory linked to it…..  Simplicity in her posts make me want to do them right away any time…. Bingo !! I m talking about E-Curry and the pretty writer –Soma behind the scene..

Her presentation with food , art of bringing together the props soo beautifully.. I love it.. Specially the dark background pictures… Trust me .. it comes with practice…… I struggle with shooting them.. And Soma always shoots them soo well…
Soma … please do post luchi and aloo sabji that people get for breakfast in Kolkata.. I have had them in Gupta’s and roadside.. never got that authentic flavour anywhere after that.. I m not convinced with any blog post yet … Hope you are reading Soma…  
I love her space.. So keep hoping over there…and show her how much you love tooo ..
This post was meant to be live here a couple of days back… Just that my health had been in a horrid state that I haven’t been able to do much.. Can u believe I haven’t picked the Camera for more than a month ???  Thank you for being soo patient and understanding me through this… Soma… 

And finally…. lets read in Soma’s very own style…
rosemary crackers 11

Back in India, the late afternoon or evening tea break is like a ceremony (no, not the Japanese kind). I think it is just another fine excuse to be with friends and family or maybe even to overcome the hint of lazy after the big late lunch and the nap. Whatever the reason may be, the evening time for tea is an important part of the day for many, with a spread of food befitting a dinner.

rosemary crackers 10

Having both my parents in profession, we never enjoyed this luxury during the weekdays. The schedule would be more or less the same as we have now; the evenings filled with homework for me, cooking hot dinner and preparing for the next day for my ma, while my dad came back quite late. However the weekends were different. We would either have guests, or we would be in some one’s home or sometimes would be home, just by ourselves or with my dear grandparents enjoying the regional movies that was featured by the television every Saturday and Sunday about 5 o’ clock in the evening. It was also tea, snack and family o’clock.
One might dare compare the Indian tea affair with the English high tea in the extent of the spread of food; only we Indians tend to serve more savoury food than the delicate English cakes, pastries and scones.

rosemary crackers 8
A few months back, last year in October to be precise, I found an email from Sandhya, and I discovered her blog which she has built with love and dedication. She requested a guest post, and tied between so many different things as I was, it is only after so many months that I could do it for her. I really appreciate her patience! Sandhya is a warm friendly lady who hails from the southern regions, but brought up amidst the western coasts of India. Now she lives in London, keeping herself busy with her little one and her blog of course, cooking up food with “utmost affection” as she says, while infusing her roots and the diversity of her life in her kitchen delicacies too.
Rosemary Crackers Collage1

Among the other spread of lip smacking goodies, (sometimes some street food too, made at home of course), biscuits and crackers were the essentials; some to be dipped in the tea and some to accompany on the side. The one on the side would usually be the savoury kind. The general term used for it is “namkin”, which literally translates to anything savoury and spicy. Crackers or biscuits were not really made at home, unless they were those typical traditional kind or for an occasion; they were and still readily available in varieties of flavours at every store in the street corner or fresh in the bakeries. So if we needed them, we just had to walk, or at the most speed up on our bikes to get them.

rosemary crackers 4

This is one of the kind of spiced crackers I make at home, sometimes to re-live and to love those fun tea times, but mostly to keep a stack to snack on a couple of them once in a while. They stay fresh for a couple of weeks at room temperature, so they are really handy when you have to entertain on a quick notice. They also take very little time and effort to make.

Sandhya thank you so much for inviting me to you kitchen!

ALMOND ROSEMARY & PEPPER CRACKERS

Ingredients:

  1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
  2. 1 teaspoon sugar
  3. 1 tablespoon baking powder
  4. 1 teaspoon salt
  5. 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  6. 2/3 cup (plus 1 tablespoon) or just enough to make a smooth dough  half & half or heavy/double/ cream
  7. 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  8. 1.5 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed/powdered
  9. 2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper/pepper flakes , or to taste
  10. more ground pepper/or red pepper flakes/or coarse salt to sprinkle on the top – optional
  11. 1/4 cup almonds


Method:

  • Process the almond with sugar until you get a coarse powder.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, black pepper, crushed pepper, rosemary and salt.
  • Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the 2/3 cup of half-and-half or cream (whatever you are using) until just moistened. Fold in the nuts.
  • On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently, 5 to 10 times or for a minute. Divide the dough in two parts and roll each into a log; each about 8 inches long.
  • Slice each of the logs in about 1/4 inch circles.
  • Place on a baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Brush the top of the crackers with remaining tablespoon of half & half/cream.  Sprinkle some coarsely ground black pepper, or red pepper flakes or even some coarse salt if you want. Bake until light golden, about 12-15 minutes. You might need to adjust baking time depending on the size of the cookies. The smaller cookies will bake faster.
  • Let cool completely on a wire rack. Store at room temperature in an air tight container after they are completely cooled.

rosemary crackers 2

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Filed Under: GUEST POST, Savory Bakes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Soma says

    14th March 2012 at 10:35 pm

    Sandhya thank you so much for thinking about me and also for your patience for so many months.

    Now I need to find out what Aloo Subzi you want 😉

    Hugs
    Soma

    Reply
  2. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    14th March 2012 at 10:42 pm

    A wonderful guest post and recipe!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  3. Shri says

    14th March 2012 at 10:43 pm

    Miss those savoury treats… I liked the addition of rosemary.

    Reply
  4. Ambika says

    14th March 2012 at 11:51 pm

    Hey Sandhya! Its so good to see you back in action! This is such a gorgeous post by Soma, love it!

    Reply
  5. Julie says

    15th March 2012 at 12:24 am

    Perfect crunchy n lovely bites..Nice clicks,Sandhya!!

    Cook in any recipe with "Cilantro /Cumin & Just link in EP Series-Cilantro /Cumin Event

    Erivum Puliyum

    Reply
  6. Sowmya says

    15th March 2012 at 12:49 am

    crackers looks so tempting…awesome photography dear!

    Reply
  7. notyet100 says

    15th March 2012 at 3:19 am

    Cookies look so good,..:)

    Reply
  8. Spandana says

    15th March 2012 at 6:27 am

    You have a beautiful space!! And the post by Soma is very good… love the pics!

    Reply
  9. Anu says

    15th March 2012 at 7:00 am

    They looks so perfect and yummy…

    Reply
  10. Dayeeta Roy says

    15th March 2012 at 7:52 am

    Lovely crackers!! Am going to make some tea immediately …
    😉

    Dayeeta

    Reply
  11. Aarthi says

    15th March 2012 at 12:05 pm

    This is such a wonderful recipe..Thanks for posting it..Bookmarked..

    Aarthi
    http://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/

    Reply
  12. Amina Khaleel says

    16th March 2012 at 12:48 am

    fabulous recipe… and stunning pics!

    Reply
  13. zareena says

    16th March 2012 at 7:46 am

    Lovely post and amazing clicks. Glad that you are back.

    Reply
  14. lata raja says

    16th March 2012 at 10:22 am

    Hey Sandhya, hope all is fine now. I too am a silent admirer of Soma's e-curry. I am so much more in love with her beautiful pictures…just cannot resist going over them many times.
    Beautifully written intro and guest post!

    Reply
  15. vineetha says

    21st March 2012 at 9:39 pm

    Hi Sandhya,Oh poor u..hope u r all better now.U know what i have the same story to tell..i was on and off on and off having cold and flu since november.Finally when I got rid of it last month i thought thats the end of it,but I m down again with a nasty cold. The seasonal virus is clinging on and not ready to leave 🙁
    Lovely guest post and beautiful pictures..

    Reply
  16. Namitha says

    24th March 2012 at 5:54 pm

    Sandhya, hope you are doing better now,take care..Great post Soma !Beautiful pictures Soma,love love love them and the crackers look too good

    Reply
  17. Camp Stove says

    9th April 2012 at 11:56 am

    This is such a wonderful recipe..Thanks for posting it..

    Reply
  18. A. R. says

    19th April 2012 at 10:53 pm

    Gorgeous photos of those crackers – enticing enough for me to want to try, though the addition of rosemary is very interesting. You're right – perfect companion to afternoon tea.

    Reply
  19. Kitchen Dinnerware says

    26th April 2012 at 6:17 am

    What a blast! Besides having a great grasp of perspective, what a great…grasp of perspective…such artists have to pour so much heart into something so ephemeral.

    Cheers!

    Reply
  20. Subhie Arun says

    12th June 2012 at 2:03 pm

    lov d addition of rosemary…grt click too!

    http://subhieskitchen.blogspot.co.uk

    Reply
  21. Roshni says

    14th June 2012 at 6:34 pm

    Hey Sandhya, how are you doing? Are you ok? Have not seen any updates in ages..

    Reply
  22. Sonia says

    23rd June 2012 at 7:44 pm

    Wonderful crackers, just want to garb some for my evening tea !

    Reply
  23. iridiscent petals says

    28th June 2012 at 3:13 pm

    Very nice pictures and looks very yummy

    Reply
  24. bathroom lights says

    9th July 2012 at 11:32 am

    Hey People,
    Home run! Thanks for creating something worth reading!

    Reply
  25. kraft kitchen cabinets says

    12th July 2012 at 8:37 am

    Hey
    This is a kind of just an exceedingly nicely structured posting. A lot of gratitude is forwarded to the writer!

    Reply
  26. frank lucas says

    31st July 2012 at 3:46 pm

    It looks so so tempting, I am making it this weekend 😀
    Auction House Manchester

    Reply
  27. copper sink says

    9th August 2012 at 8:39 am

    Yes these are cool pics you shared.

    Reply
  28. copper sink says

    16th August 2012 at 10:33 am

    Yes really nice collection you have of good kitchen pics.

    Reply
  29. John says

    19th August 2012 at 10:37 am

    All of these look absolutely wonderful, thanks for sharing it!

    Kitchen Makeovers || Melbourne Kitchen Renovations

    Reply
  30. Pinky says

    14th September 2012 at 3:45 pm

    Cookies looks crunchy… Nice blog.Following you Dear…

    Reply
  31. Kitchen Models says

    28th September 2012 at 11:59 am

    What a blast! Besides having a great grasp of perspective, what a great…grasp of perspective…such artists have to pour so much heart into something so ephemeral.

    Cheers!

    Reply
  32. Paola Bertolli says

    9th October 2012 at 8:37 pm

    mmm interesting resipe.. I'll try to make it! congrats for your blog!!
    kisses from Italy 😀
    Paola

    Reply
  33. Nupur says

    25th November 2012 at 9:38 am

    Who does not know her and love her Sandhya.. She is a major Pillar in Food Blogging Community:)

    Its a nice Gues Post and wondrful recipe indeed. I am surprised why was I not following yoyr Blog before although you are added in my facebook.

    anyhow, glad to follow you now, wish you come back soon from your break and start posting again

    Love
    Nupur
    UK Rasoi

    Reply
  34. Maha Gadde says

    8th January 2013 at 3:04 am

    Delicious …
    NIce blog vth cool cliks n tasty recipes…This is maha

    Reply
  35. Srikitchen says

    11th February 2013 at 6:09 am

    looks yummy!
    regards,
    srilekha
    http://www.srishkitchen.com/

    Reply
  36. Alankar says

    2nd August 2013 at 6:33 am

    Nice!

    Reply
  37. Alankar says

    2nd August 2013 at 6:34 am

    Nice!

    Reply
  38. vouchers for london says

    3rd October 2013 at 10:06 am

    Looks interesting, I'll try this recipe soon 🙂

    Reply
  39. Kitchen Renovations says

    15th December 2013 at 3:08 pm

    Thats better i am really so inspired here keep continue sharing.
    Thanks

    Reply
  40. dev smith says

    16th December 2013 at 10:31 am

    really this is a new disk this disk will be good at morning time with tea. i will try to make this one.
    kitchen toowoomba

    Reply
  41. Home appliances company says

    14th February 2014 at 1:14 pm

    Really very informative and great post to read.

    Reply
  42. ventair says

    24th February 2014 at 5:54 am

    I appreciate your lovely post because it is very pleasant to read and full of Indian culture.

    Reply
  43. chimney for modular kitchen says

    24th February 2014 at 5:58 am

    Thanx for writing such a nice blog on popular Indian delicacies

    Reply
  44. chimney for modular kitchen says

    24th February 2014 at 6:51 am

    This is awesome

    Reply
  45. mango dash says

    20th March 2014 at 11:36 am

    Hey, very nice site. I came across this on Google, and I am stoked that I did. I will definitely be coming back here more often. Wish I could add to the conversation and bring a bit more to the table,but am just taking in as much info as I can at the moment. Thanks for sharing.

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