Exploring Tastebuds

Well a few years ago it was just a vague idea, but i guess, just a little push by a friend can make you a lot more confident.Thanks to all my friends who have helped me with this. My whole reason behind Exploring Tastebuds is not just posting recipes or showing everybody the food I make, its about inspiring people who feel they can't cook. Exploring Tastebuds is more of a bakers zone but I do tend to make room for all kinds of courses and also reviews. From basic’s to complicated dishes, quick breakfasts to sharing of knowledge, not only YOU will be learning more about food but also enjoy the sheer pleasure of eating something that you made yourself. I am growing with this blog as a person who loves to cook food.I hope you all love the posts that I sare.

[dinimadaryani]

These are a few pictures from The Easter Celebration at Taj Mahal Mumbai last year. The biggest take away from this event for me was how to strategically manage my time when things do not go according to plan. So, if you have those qualities of a high conscientious person, then sometimes, it can be very hard for you to tame your perfectionist down. I was supposed to make a bumble bee easter egg that you might be able to see in the last couple of pictures. I took wayyyyy too much time trying to get it right. It was damn challenging to get the stripes in place. I wanted it to be perfect, I didn't want to back down from my plan either, I was stubborn AF. But well, sometimes you just want to make things happen! I finally did! With help from chef @aakash.rawal1989. But, I wasn't exactly happy about the result. I was super happy about what I learnt in the process(journey) of it all though :- 1. Life is ambiguous, things do not always work according to your plan. Always be open to a Plan B. I am not even saying have a plan b, i am just saying be open to it. 2. Be willing enough to take a detour and rethink your options in accordance to the time you have in hand and ASK FOR HELP! Tame your ego down. 3. Be aware. Be aware of what is happening around you at all times. Even if you have a task in hand, do not forget that you have so much more to learn from all the actions taking place in your surroundings. To Have or not have an ego is one such topic which is highly debatable. My take on the same is - 'Ego was the helper, Ego is the Bar' - Sri Aurobindo. #foodlessons #exploring #pastrychef #easter #learning #eggs (at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_h_Ckyp8A9/?igshid=11ndj3wyhw6v

[dinimadaryani]

This was the time when I for the first time felt how it was to work in a team. . . A team full of passionate people. Each one of them is unique, zealous about their art and creating an experience with their products. . . Well, with just a day or two in hand, we worked from early mornings to late evenings, in subgroups, just so that we can make an event for our loved ones memorable. We planned, from location, presentation, theme based menu, art & craft, tiny personalised elements of surprise to execution and setting up on the final day. So, yeah, Together Everyone definitely Achieved More. . . My learning from this experience was wide, but a very important skill that I picked up which is worth the mention, is of fondant work. And oh! a new found love for the art of pastillage. Thanks for teaching me @rheaattavar! You queen of fondant work ❤️ Well, I do not remember the names of all the dishes we made, but you can view the work. . . P.s. This is was Trial #3, from the HDP 2017-19 operation batch's graduation ceremony in April'19. . . #fondant #dessertbuffet #teamwork #creative #graduation #pastrychef #love #foodlessons (at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_VDXJpJERi/?igshid=zp6q4c3x13f5

[dinimadaryani]

Between the first two trials I was going through quite a lot of things on a personal and professional front. I would say they were one of the best times of my life as they were few of the most difficult days. . . Most of you know me as a person who always keeps changing, its mostly due to the amount of work I want to put into becoming a certain kind of human being. Also, it is sometimes to see what works best for me. Back at that time it was mostly escapism. I needed to be more conscious and cautious of my actions. . . I learnt that chasing after things is not the best way to achieve what you want in life. It is instead acceptance of what things are at that very time in your life and embracing them as it is. The same applies to accepting your own self. . . So, I started with making my room a beautiful space. Started painting, having a flower vase next to my bed, some habit tracking, reading quite a lot, positive affirmations. That is what made me come a step closer to my center. More positive and humble. . . During these days at my workspace I fell in love with Choux Pastry. The image at the end and second last one is from one of the most beautiful high teas I have ever seen. I'll put up more pictures of it in my stories. . . I visited a lot of great places in bombay during that time too. Some of them are : Café Madras, The Puppy Cuddles Dog Café, Kala Ghoda Festival, Koinonia Coffee Roasters, etc. . . The trial again was a sign for me to accept things just as they are. No matter what the outcome was, I knew it is from here that I have to start getting better. One bad day can be a game changer of a day! From there on I started building my story with a 100% control and ownership. . . Desserts from Trial #2: 1.Apple and Cinnamon Pithivier 2.Raspberry and Coconut Cream Cake 3.Red Velvet and Cream Cheese Brownie 4.Butterscotch Cake with Fruity Buttercream 5.Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting 6.Passionfruit Whoopie Pies 7.Baked Lemon Tarts 8.Rose and Pistachio Pound Cake #foodlessons #journey #learning #desserts #pastrychef #love #trials https://www.instagram.com/p/B_DFF0QJLio/?igshid=3tr6yczwmaoq

[dinimadaryani]

The trail of posts that I will be putting out in the coming days are from last year. All are a display of my learning curve eversince. I have reached a place where I know I have so much more to learn ahead and very little to look back upon in comparison. This little has taught me so much that I can't even begin to imagine what the future looks like for me. Nonetheless, as I reflect while posting this, I have come to realize that it is the present that holds true value. The hard work I put in those very moments or the work I am doing right now is what will bring me times of fruition in the near future. Alongside all of these actions, I am acting not to reap the fruit but to sow a seed which has really strong roots at all times. So, just do what you gotta do to reach your goals. Plan, organise, prioritize, execute. If you do not know the what, why and how's of it all, seek for guidance. The boundaries between all of us are much thinner than they seem. And you never know, it might just accelerate your growth or give you an edge? Hoping you utilise this time to absorb what you just read and decipher it in the best of ways possible (for yourself). 😇 The pictures above are of the desserts I made for my 1st patisserie trial at Taj Mahal Mumbai during my Management Training days: 1. Hazelnut, Coffee and Chocolate Cake 2. Banana Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream 3. Chocolate Indulgence Tart 4. Fresh Fruit Cake 5. Granny's Vinegar Cake with Orange Buttercream 6. Bergamot Madeleines 7. Pavlova with fresh strawberries and raspberry sauce 8. Lemon, Thyme and Ginger Cookies #trials #desserts #foodlessons #exploring #learning #pastrychef #love (at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_AXqNPpT2U/?igshid=n5qf30ruyi06

[dinimadaryani]

Manju ka Tila introduced me to Laping Rolls/Noodles. The first glimpse of the dish in a bowl and I was like, "Mummy ye toh Khandvi hai?". But I wasn't surprised after reading up about it or eating it, that how far apart it is from our Gujrati or Maharastrian Khandvi. Laping is from Tibet and also a super popular street food in Nepal. It isnt made with gram flour and turmeric but with All purpose flour and food coloring. The process in brief is as follows: One needs to first work on taking out the starch from the Flour - A dough is made with water and flour for the same and excess water is used to take out the starch from the dough. After straining the water + starch mix, the left over product is called gluten - this is what is steamed and used to make the stuffing for the rolls. The starch + water mixture is left untouched in a bowl for a couple of hours so that they get separated. The water is then thrown out and the starch is colored with yellow food color - this mixture is used to make the roti in a steamer. You can consume this Tibetan dish just like a roll with a chilly oil spread cut into chunks or consume it with a sauce like noodles. This sauce is a chilly oil based sauce which can be flavoured with garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soy, vinegar and sesame seeds. The procedure of making it not so easy as it looks in the pictures. You must've figured after the brief I gave. To understand it all better, there is a youtube video link in my bio! I would not say that this dish is so tasty that I highly recommend it. But you can see how it is rolled and served. You can also observe how different customers at the stall consume this in various ways! So yes, definitely worth the experience! P.s. The diversity in religions, castes, regions and cultures is what makes the dishes/food from all corners of the world truly unique. It is also the basic ingredients, methods, flavour profiles, just like the basic values which are inculcated in all of us, that lead to the acceptance of such dishes/cuisines worldwide. THIS is what actually makes the experience worthwhile. #unityindiversity #foodunites #tibetan #regionalcuisine #cuisine #exploring #foodlessons (at Majnu-ka-tilla) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-9LBHzp_RC/?igshid=9r7air45ihva

[dinimadaryani]

In December, I had the opportunity to work with a few international spanish chefs at a spanish festival at my work place. I worked with Chef Maria Valera. You can see the pictures of the food I got to cook with her. I have listed below the names of all the scrumptious dishes from her in the extravaganza's menu. 1.Oranges with honey, cinnamon, extra virgin olive oil and gordal olives juice. 2. Escalibada with tomato, spanish sherry vinaigrette and manchego cheese. 3. Malaga white garlic and truffle with green apple and pickled cauliflower. 4. Spiced escabche chicken with marinated onions. 5. Catalan tender spinach with curd and toasted pumpkin. 6. Galician king scallops au naturel with a classic prawn and wild mushroom sofrito. 7. Andalucian smoked lamb with aubergine. The following was my take away for the event: 1. Having fun and resting well is just as important at your work place as planning, implementation and managing is. 2. Language is of the utmost importance when it comes to communication although when it comes to food and it being your passion, you can work with people who do not know your language and have a gala time. You might as well learn a new language because of such events. Translation from english to spanish, spanish to english taught me so much. 3. Love have no cross country border barriers. You can adore and love the person you work with even if you do not know how to communicate with them or share the same origin. 4. An efficient team work requires a lot of patience and empathy for each member. You can be great at your skill, but if you got no patience or empathy working can be super difficult in a team. 5. Chef Alvaro and Chef Maria taught me the most. How to sing at the top of your lungs, lovingly understand each others problems and support each other. I am so so so grateful towards my organisation and the chefs I worked with for all the learning I received. It so made me want to travel across borders, make connections and keep up with them. Missing you and sending you love from India always. #learninhs #food #cheflife #spain #spanish https://www.instagram.com/p/B0wSeXnJLIG/?igshid=1pkh3joaxokm0

[dinimadaryani]

There was one of these days by the end of Nov'18 where for the first time I tried to garnish a cake by myself. One of my guides at work helped me by: a. Telling me not to seek for feedback/ reassurance from anyone else, instead simply believing in myself. b. By teaching me that there is always a better way to execute a creative idea. c. There is always a quick fix available for any problem, so do not fear. d. How to make the most of out a product/waste management. And then there were also these days amidst all the learning at work where I cooked a meal at home on my off day, met someone new, admired the sunset and simply enjoyed my own company. All of it taught me various lessons with each respective holiday, meeting and time spent with nature. Its all a blessing in disguise, each day. Look within and then beyond to perceive and receive with a lot more ease and understanding. #food #learning #worklifebalance #daysoff #cake #sunset #bythesea #newpeople #meetings #homefood #cooking #love #gratitude #blessing https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz_E6F9l-CJ/?igshid=ab5gwpzc03ic

[dinimadaryani]

This a picture from the month of Nov'18. We were asked to make 5 fondant pieces for a cake order at work. This was the first time that I officially worked with fondant to create something on my own. Oh! That 🐻 that you see is what I made! Learnings: 1. Acceptance about your inability to execute a task. 2. Ask for help if you need it.It is not going to make you an inferior professional. 3. Willingness to learn can help you achieve great heights. 4. You can learn from anyone. Age or years of experience are just numbers. 5. Comparisons and envy at workplace are a no no! Try to consciously work on your intentions every single day. Thankyou @underthefondant for teaching me how to make this and guiding me always. It is super inspiring to see you do the work that you do with utmost patience and perfection every single time. You have a crazy eye for detail and skill for fondant work. xoxo #fondant #firsttime #learning #pastry #pastrychef #skill #bear #ageisjustanumber #animals https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz3XkEuFdaX/?igshid=124ji3vmbobj8

[dinimadaryani]

I have quite a few pictures since the last time I put an update on this page. Been super occupied with trying to learn how to maintain a balance between practicing my hands on skill at work and attaining some focus on my personal growth. At this point of time in life I am super dooper content with where I am. At peace with the flow of life. So, I thought its time to get back writing publicly and showcasing the development I have made in terms of my skill. This post has images from Nov'18. I simply wanted to treat myself and go out to rejuvenate. I went walking down from Colaba causeway to Fort down south of Mumbai. Explored a variety of tea at Sencha Tea Boutique and ended up buying this calming tea that I am very fond of because of its subtlety. Its a silver needle rose tea (a white tea). Next I sat down to have a brunch at Kala Ghoda Cafe and ended up falling in love with their Desi Waffles. Just to mention a few grains used to make it - amaranth, millet and rice flour. On my way back, I took a stroll down the sidewalk of The National Gallery of Mordern Art just to admire the sight of art pieces by various local artists. My appreciation and respect for creative expression increases forever more. #mumbai #longtimenosee #food #art #creative #tea #waffles #healthy #brunch #yum #shopping #interest #stroll #walk #rejuvinate #rose #exploring https://www.instagram.com/p/BzyCO8iFQv9/?igshid=y2gdhif7bd09

[dinimadaryani]

Attempt #1 at replicating a dish from the menu of an Italian Speciality Restaurant. Its a roasted breast & thigh of chicken with chicken jus, turnip puree & barley risotto. #chicken #foodie #italian #juicy #food52 #foodgram #foodshare #rossted #plating #photoofday https://www.instagram.com/p/BpCzQ9CHJ-Y/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=9soq3ho7dbb4

[dinimadaryani]

50 years and older, Uttam's Halwai shop at City Market in Auranganad makes the best Imarti in Town. Imarti is a Jalebi like sweet but made with Urad Lentil batter and fried in Ghee. They are soaked in sugar syrup which may or may not be flavoured. These are strikingly orange in color due infusion of saffron or food color at some places. The usual imarti that you might have are super sweet, soft and dense. The one at Uttam's are light, slightly low on sugar & soft. They pipe the batter in two turns to get a thicker piece of jalebi like shape. The ghee doesnt need to be as hot for making Imarti unlike in a Jalebi preparation. #yum #sweet #indian #love #orange #piping #dessert #travel #aurangabad #citymarket #foodtalkindia #foodofindia #lentil #orange #fried #cooking #delicious #sugar #sweetooth #foodie #foodstagram #instagram #imarti (at Aurangabad, Maharashtra)

[dinimadaryani]

So this is a small little outlet/shop with no name in Buddi Lane, Aurangabad. 4 people run the outlet changing shifts from 8/9am to 10pm. They run all days of the week making Mawa jalebi and Plain Jalebi both. A Jalebi is an Indian batter fried dessert. The batter is made with Flour (some recipes add little gram flour too) little curd, water and orange food color if preferred and Cardamom powder. This batter is put in a cloth piping bag and piped in a wok with hot oil and deep fried. Immediately after they get the desired color on both sides they are soaked in a sugar syrup for a few seconds and served hot. For Mawa Jalebi at this exclusive shop, they use Milk to make fresh Mawa or Khoa (diary product made by drying whole milk) separately. They mix the Mawa, some Rabri (made by thickening milk with sugar) and flour with little curd together. Piping and deep frying the same and thereafter soaking them in some sugar syrup. It has been running since the last 50 years and to this day keeps busy and leaves customers craving for more without fail! @theflyingwinemaker This is for you and all other food lovers and readers. :) Repost if you like. ❤️ #fortheloveofood #wine #desserts #indian #india #foodlove (at Aurangabad, Maharashtra)

[dinimadaryani]

Result of Rabri Gola recreation - Melted rabri icecream, gel-a-tone rose jelly, fine candied & dried rose petals, not so pistachio crumble, one pistchio jaconde sponge less. BUT tastes delicious and makes me want to show it to the world. Why? Because imperfections & failures help us become better human beings. These are what make us strive towards a one fine day of perfection. . I am so going to work on this plate of hope. 🌹 . P.s. Except for the icream, all other elemets are made in microwave. #roses #firstattempt #learningforlife #plateofhope #dessert #recreating #rabrigola #ice #icecream #kulfi #pistachio #crumble #candied #dried #microwave #cooking #pink #jelly #pinkfood #foodie #tobechef #love #dream #travelholic

[dinimadaryani]

Result of Rabri Gola recreation - Melted rabri icecream, gel-a-tone rose jelly, fine candied & dried rose petals, not so pistachio crumble, one pistchio jaconde sponge less. BUT tastes delicious and makes me want to show it to the world. Why? Because imperfections & failures help us become better human beings. These are what make us strive towards a one fine day of perfection. . I am so going to work on this plate of hope. 🌹 . P.s. Except for the icream, all other elemets are made in microwave. #roses #firstattempt #learningforlife #plateofhope #dessert #recreating #rabrigola #ice #icecream #kulfi #pistachio #crumble #candied #dried #microwave #cooking #pink #jelly #pinkfood #foodie #tobechef #love #dream #travelholic

[dinimadaryani]

Fudgy and dense! Just how I like my brownies to be. How do you like yours!?

[dinimadaryani]

Japanese prawn cocktail! One of the most expensive but worth it meals I have ever had! @areveriegoa is a must on your go to list in goa for a fancy dinner night out! 😍❤️ (at A Reverie, Goa)

[dinimadaryani]

Guess what? #clues #ingredient #red #sour #goan #foodie #travel #food #yum #tangy #yummy #fav #fresh #trek