Rabbit Recipes: Dhokla Muffins

Dhokla is a Gujarati steamed fluffy savoury cake made with gram flour and topped with mustard seeds, desiccated coconut and coriander. As they're steamed and made from protein-rich chick pea flour, they're one of the few relatively healthy Gujarati snack foods and are very, very popular with Bartimaeus, my mum, and most folks who try them. There's a lot of different kinds, and different levels of difficulty in making them. It's possible to just buy a Gits packet and add water but having tried this recipe, I really don't see the point and it's much cheaper this way. In place of "curd" I used greek yoghurt and used 2 tsp baking powder instead of "eno fruit salt", but I think using probiotic yoghurt would work to help the batter rise too. I also omitted the ground green chillies and put a pinch of red chilli in there instead.

Pre-topping

I can't really take any credit for this recipe, because it's not mine. However, what I can take credit for the presentation/method. Previously, I've used my mother in law's steaming technique of pouring the batter into a foil lined steamer and hoping for the best. This is pretty disastrous - it's a wet batter, and most of it leaks, you have to stab holes in the foil which don't really work and there isn't enough air then circulating for the dhokla to rise nicely. You end up with a sad, flat, wet yellow pancake and no fluffiness at all.

But when thinking up recipes as I drifted off to sleep one day (as I am wont to do) I realised silicone muffin cups would solve all this - and result in cute little individual dhoklas. I would recommend greasing the liners with a little oil/ghee (especially in the edges/nooks as that's where the most sticking happens) and leaving to cool before turning out. Each set of 8 muffins took me about 6-8minutes to steam and the recipe I've linked to made over 30 of the lovely little things.

With the topping

The traditional way to eat them is with Gujarati green chutney but I didn't have any (!) so I served them with sweet chilli-mango sauce (a hybrid of sweet chilli sauce and mango chutney. it is so much awesomeness!) and chilli ketchup.

Whilst they're technically a snack, they're breadlike and I think can be used in the place of blander carbohydrates quite easily. We had them with my Indian spiced scrambled eggs (which I will post about another day) for a tasty twist on brunch. I like the idea of dunking them in soups - lentil, carrot and coriander, chilli bean. And I want to experiment with fillings - particularly a chilli paneer centre, but I think I'd need to make full sized muffins to get enough structure to hold it (watch this space). They're definitely going to be a staple in the Rabbit-Bartimaeus household!

Best Things in Life are Free

Ah Janet and Luther, you're righter than I have ever known. For many reasons, I'm going on a complete non-essential no-spend. I need to reconfigure my life and what makes me happy - it's not things, but people, experiences, memories that do that, in the most long-lasting and joyful of ways. So here's a list of things that are free/non-"stuff" based that I can and should enjoy more.

1. Listening to music - on the radio, on Spotify, from my substantial CD collection. Music takes me away from things in a way buying stuff never could, to good places.

2. Reading, especially utilising my local libraries and bolstering my knowledge of the classics, which are more often than not, free on Kindle.

3. Writing/drawing/making/sewing - why do I spend so many hours idly browsing online shops when I could be DOING something that stimulates my brain and makes me feel more positive about myself?

4. Spending time with/talking to friends - I hide away and get lost in my own world, forgetting others need me, and that I need them too.

5. Exercise/cooking - I need to lose some weight, my immune system has hit rock bottom, I'm exhausted all the time and I need to get myself fit and strong again because WINTER IS COMING. And I never feel as buzzy as when I've exercised, which I will need when the days get shorter and I get sleepier. I also want to experiment with healthy versions of Indian classics. I have so many recipe ideas in my head that never make it to the plate - paneer filled steamed dhokla muffins, for one. 

6. Enjoying/contributing to my community. Little makes me feel happier than knowing I belong somewhere, that it's home. I should really celebrate that more and contribute to it. Because that's how you really feel part of something. And our city has so many things I haven't explored, writing groups, galleries, museums - I need to go out and explore all it has to offer, and give something back.

7. Gardening - my little garden is not looking so happy right now. But the little time I've spent in it (mostly pruning the weeds - or de-gardening as we have termed it) has been some of the most relaxing, rewarding and physically demanding work I've done. I'd love my garden to be a little purple floral oasis this time next year, a space we can relax in and enjoy. I'd love to grow plants from seeds and see them bloom. How smileworthy will that be?

8. Remixing and customising my clothes. I'm going through a grungy phase at the moment. So my instinct would usually be to rush out and buy that pricey velvet dress I featured, new makeup, new jewellery. Except I can so easily do grunge with my existing wardrobe anyway. I have heaps of dark, vampy nail colours. I have a black maxi dress I have layer up for winter. I have dark, moody scarves and long snuggly cardigans. I HAVE LONG BLACK HAIR. So I'm not rushing out to buy it after all.

9. Learning more about my faith. I've been on a journey back to Islam this year. It's not something I speak much about either here or to my friends and family. But it has immeasurably enriched my life and helped me through many difficulties this year. So I want to give it the attention and time it deserves from me.

10. Writing my blog - you'd think with all the shopping, I'd be updating the blog all the time. Er no. Ironically, I don't even really like "OMG LOOK AT ALL THIS NEW STUFFS I HAVE BROUGHT OMG" posts (especially not when they commit that heinous spelling crime of crimes) but my favourite bloggers are the resourceful, creative remixers who also let you into their full and rich and multidimensional lives. I love seeing a dress twice or three times on a blog - resurfacing like an old friend. I love trying out a blogger's personally crafted recipe. I love seeing nail art and creative layering combinations of talented nail bloggers. I love to read book reviews - perversely, even of books I'd never read. So all this - this is what I want for my little corner of the internets.

I should be dreading this no-spend. But actually, I'm really excited about it.

Red (or, Orange or Plum) Riding Hood

Yes, it's just August and we're in the middle of a heat wave. But my mind is firmly in "autumnal mode" now. Plus I've gone several years without being able to find a decent new winter coat so I have to keep an eagle eye out for the new stuff hitting the shops, in case I miss the perfect one. So far the following have caught my eye. I'd like to keep my Comptoir de Cotonniers purple tulip coat that I wear every winter for smarter occasions, I think, as it is just so perfect in fit and the wool is such good quality. But I do need a hooded coat for Southampton - which often has coastal, blustery weather (RIP several cute Primark umbrellas).

Three coats for living on the coast by nazneen372 featuring a duffle coat

From left to right:

1. Topshop, £98

I'm not sure the swingyness will do me any favours whatsoever, but the colour is lovely and it really does make me think of a gothic Red Riding Hood.

2. Very/Isme, £55

I do rather like this in theory, slightly flared/nipped in shape (a full flared skirt doesn't work on little stumpy me, I've found). But I'm not sure what the quality will be like.

3. H&M, £35

I'm a bit annoyed that I didn't buy this coat last year in the red, which was so perfectly Red Riding Hood. But the orange actually looks rather nice I think, at least here - it very much depends on what it looks like in real life. I don't want to glow in the dark!

Skincare Heroes and Skincare Zeroes

I have quite a few staple products when it comes to skincare and have myself quite a routine, and thought I'd mini review them and mention a couple that didn't work out. I've got dry (sometimes very dry) sensitive skin, and a lot of face washes and wipes etc. strip my skin too much and leave it flaky, raw and red. Because it's so dry, I don't get breakouts per se but like everyone I do get spots. I have to use gentle products and rich moisturisers but also have to cleanse thoroughly (but not excessively). I've found if I switch my routine around too much, my skin just isn't happy, and becomes dull, dry and sore. Whilst there are a lot of posts out there reviewing products are good for oily skin, there's not so many for skin like mine.

So here are my heroes, some of which have been part of my routine now for over 10 years!

Face Wash

Dr Nick Lowe Purifying Foam Cleanser

This is pricey at £10.16 but it lasts and lasts. In fact, I bought my first bottle perhaps 3 years ago using a £5 off Boots voucher, and then replaced it when the £5 voucher came around again (and the Nick Lowe ones don't come around often, so it must have been a year afterwards, at least?) I use it pretty much every day, morning and night, so that should give you some idea of its incredible longevity. I've just bought a similar type of foaming face wash for sensitive skin to keep at my mum's, a cheap Boots version - and the difference between the two is amazing. The NL one never leaves my skin feeling tight or dry, and definitely reduces the number of spots I get (and those annoying tiny bumps). It leaves it looking bright and feeling soft. Rave! It has a slight medicated kind of smell, but nothing overly offensive.

Day cream

Olay Complete Care Multiradiance

My mum has amazing skin, and she puts it down to using Oil of Ulay (ULAY) all her life. I swear, they should get her on a billboard - she's in her 50s and doesn't have a single line. I have more (I've been less loyal, that should teach me)! She uses the original Beauty Fluid, but it's not rich enough for me. I love the Multiradiance creams though (I use the fluid version in the summer, cream in winter) - it has SP15, is wonderfully hydrating and softening, and the shimmer in it is absolutely finer than fine (no glitter here!) working to just lift my skin tone very subtly. In winter in particular, my skin looks dull but this really makes it look its best, even without makeup. I've used this for over 10 years now!

Night Cream

Olay Complete Care Night Enriched Cream

This is a beautiful night cream, it has the Olay/Ulay scent which makes it wonderfully nostalgic for me, and it feels very soothing, healing and nourishing. When staying at my mum's I switched to a Superdrug Vitamin E night cream and my skin started looking duller in days. Not switching again!

Exfoliator

Olay Regenerist Daily Thermal Skin Polisher

Yes, yes, this is getting to be a bit of an Olay ad. But this is a great facial exfoliant - a chemical rather than physical one, so not too harsh for sensitive skin (though I still only use it once a week at most, I wouldn't recommend using it everyday) which leaves the skin feeling so soft and smooth. I love the warming effect and it smells of apple pie! I always restock when the Boots £5 skincare vouchers come around.

Makeup remover/deep cleanser

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

I think pretty much all that needs to be said about this product already has been, but my it certainly lives up to the hype. It really does melt off makeup and leaves the skin so soft and not at all dry. However, I tend to use this only when I've been wearing makeup (surprising, that's not every day!) as using a muslin cloth on my skin every day tends to upset it a bit (it's such a diva!).

Skincare Zeroes

Good Things Creamy Cleanser

Wow did this break me out like a mofo. I'm a bit slow sometimes, in that if I get a whole bunch of spots I'll think it's because my skin is changing from being dry to oily, or because I've eaten badly, but I don't always immediately associate it with changing one of my products. Which is what happened with this, and I have a row of spot scars on one of my cheeks to show for it. I picked this because it didn't have SLS and was one of the few high street face cleansers not to, and I figured all the natural credentials and it being targeted to a youth market would make it quite gentle. I was wrong! I can't imagine what this is like on oilier skin than mine if it broke me out. But, I guess all skin is different so it might work for some. On the upside, it smells lovely, like a fruit yoghurt!

Balance Me Eye Cream

I'm sad to write this as I love the Balance Me body wash range (well what I've sampled of it through magazine freebies). I want to hug any brand that doesn't use SLS, SLES or ALS. But it's ironically the natural credentials themselves that make this not work for me. The eye cream smells lovely as it contains essential oils, but as essential oils can be irritants, this just hasn't worked out for me (my eyes are as sensitive as my skin). I thought I had an eye infection for the couple of days I used this, my eyes were so red, dry and painful. It's fine because the eye cream was a freebie, but I'm still searching for a staple eye cream (currently Boots Sensitive but I'm not keen that it doesn't have SPF).

What are your skincare heroes, and which proved to be zeroes?

Take one maroon cardigan...

As berry shades are a big thing this autumn, I thought I'd show just how versatile just one maroon cardigan can be. It can go sugar-sweet, cute and indie, bookish and preppy or grungey and goth. It's definitely going to be a staple in my autumn winter wardrobe!

One cardigan four ways by nazneen372 featuring a peter pan dress

The Truth Is Out There

The Truth Is Out There by nazneen372 featuring knitted scarves

So I'm officially about a year late to the party, but this autumn I'm really hankering after a bit of 1990s grunge in my wardrobe. I think I've overdosed a bit on the supersweet and the ultra-retro, and I just want to channel my old grumpy, grungey teen self a bit. Though I've heard goth is supposed to be making another appearance this winter, it hasn't as yet made an major appearance in the autumn/winter stuff coming on the high street, except in the form of this dress which I'm fast developing an obsession with. It's the perfect tribute to my teendom as a grungey, geeky sci fi nerd completely obsessed with My So-Called Life, Reality Bites, X Files, Dark Skies, and Millennium. (I didn't go out much as a teen, my life was pretty much homework, music and tv).

But boy do I love this dress! (Though that seems inappropriately bouncy and enthusiastic - I should be more like "yeah, it's ok, I guess"). It's so cool and it makes me want to dig out The Bends and listen to it on repeat like I used ta. Ah the good old days, back when I was so very miserable...

I love berries. I love to eat them (blackberries and raspberries especially). I love berry lip colours. And I'm very excited that berry tones seem to be a colour trend for this autumn/winter. I know, I know, we haven't even had a real chance to wear summer stuffs yet! But I'm always drawn to the richer colour palettes of autumn and wear jewel colours throughout the year.

Here's my favourite berry things of the moment:

Berry Crush by nazneen372 featuring zoya nail polish