Friday, January 15, 2010

As Nutty As Ever




My first ever blog post was about breakfast which could double up as dessert. It was a mixture of several nuts and dry fruits. I was inspired by something I saw in a boutique that positions itself as selling healthy food. All for a very high price tag, of course. Apart from the vegetarian protein that it offered, there would be the odd creepy-crawly in the pack, which I did not care for; neither did I care for the odd wheat pop and jaggery that was added to it.

One fine day, I bought all the ingredients necessary for this and made my own breakfast mix. I dry-roasted everything I bought (including the fruit), put it in a tin and then in the fridge. There were toasted sesame seeds, walnuts, raisins, dates, almonds. It was a very satisfying breakfast and used to satisfy my need for a non-oily beginning to the day. I would even have this for dessert if I couldn't ignore the call of the sweet tooth. It left me feeling very virtuous, if not thin. (With all that concentrated sugar in the dry fruit, it's a wonder I didn't gain weight.) The sesame seed would add a nice, nutty feel and the curds the right amount of tang.

This post went ignored for a long, long time (about a week, actually) - My parents tried to comment on it but they couldn't get through, and my father said make sure the curds aren't sour. My first ever comment was on the second post. "Bring on more crazies," it said, and that's exactly what I've been doing these last few years.

Thanks to Jaya's repost event, I get a chance to resurrect that post, and redeem the picture with a better one. The breakfast (I had it for lunch, actually) in this picture is a many-layered affair of cashews, flaked almond and pistachio, raisins and a couple of apricots and curds. I haven't had this in a while, but thanks to this post, might make a batch again.

34 comments:

  1. I just went back and read your first two posts, Sra. Most of our first posts stay unread.....but thanks to this event, that's going to change. This pic is so much nicer than the first one :-))

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  2. I am 'nuts' about your blog and I am hoping I am the first one to comment on this repost.
    Love the nutty mix and it is somewhat similar to what I take to school for snack, sans the curds. They call it 'trail mix' in the stores, a fancy name for some good and some stale nuts thrown together. Like you, I prefer the home made version.
    And yeah, like Foodie Hope said, "Bring on more crazies." :)

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  3. Wow, thats a very interesting recipe! A no-cook recipe for the first post is really a good beginning but I can't say anything on the success and popularity of this blog! As it started nutty its been a hearty read here since then. Really interesting event though! And u know first post have to wait for a whole year to get commented!

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  4. * goes and gets cereal with nuts, yogurt and raisins *

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  5. nice interesting recipe..good thing is you could repost it,thanks to the event..

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  6. Jayashree, yeah, I must go back and read everyone's first posts now - it will be fun.
    Jaya, thank you. I know trail mix, there's some very strange, unnatural taste to it so I stopped eating it.
    Ni, one whole year? Wow, that's a lifetime in blog terms, isn't it?

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  7. I love this breakfast. Should try soon.

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  8. Hi Sra, thanks to the repost event, the hidden treasures are gonna come out. This looks so healthy and perfect for breakfast.
    BTW are u based in Delhi by any chance?

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  9. Sra,
    would you believe I have been making and eating this type of breakfast more often here , have one of it saved in my draft ..chalo good that at least I have a company now..and coming to first post,very few read them .Probably this would help readers explore more the old posts...
    hugs and smiles

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  10. I remember when i got a comment in a post after blogging few post i was so thrilled.
    For me this is like a dessert, serve this for me anytime of the day please.

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  11. This is a hidden old treasure ;) Sra. But I have a bone to pick, this is more dessert than breakfast but for some people who eat gulab jamuns and cakes for breakfast, this will be deemed health food. (It sounds so much better to talk in third person)

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  12. See Sra you were as "nutty" from the first post as now ;-)
    My first post was NO Food and incidentally it got a lot of comments, guess why ? Because it is in the About section ;-)

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  13. They say that you should never skip breakfast if you want to lose wt and that is so true. Whatever we have for breakfast sets the mood for whole day. I usually grab a slice of Cinnamon Raisin bread and juice and that's about it. Then I am starving by the time it is 11am!! Eggs are the best but who has the patience.

    Love the nutty breakfast, I assure you that it will not make you nutty but make you very sane until lunch time! :D

    A;lways a pleasure to read your post, like reading a magazine article. Great sense of humor, wish I could write like you.

    Have a great weekend. Go NUTS!!

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  14. You made me remember my first post as well. the recipe is a keeper, would definitely try it.

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  15. you know what..i just love to have shrikhand..and it will just blend with any fruits and dryfruits which i add..

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  16. A repost event, that sounds like a great idea! I don't even remember what my first food post was, but I am pretty sure Asha was the first one to comment on my blog too :)

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  17. Ya most of my earliest posts remain unread, and the same can be said about many later ones....blame my irregularity in blogging! Now come and read my latest ...I finally posted something!

    I love the way you write, nutty or witty and the picture is oh-so-good!

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  18. Yup, this home made desert is perfect. As much as don't like yogurt and sweet, i still eat this every once in a while, especially with chopped bananas and dates thrown in. And a mighty good dinner, if i may add.

    Love the nutty, crazy flavors on this blog!

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  19. It is evening here and I want some of this for dinner... is that wrong? :)

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  20. what a great idea for b'fast! looks so simple, healthy and yummy!! HAPPY PONGAL :)

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  21. cute event... i recently got such a health mix and it had stale soy nuts in it and every time i end up biting into one of them, i promise myself to make the mix at home.

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  22. Ahh, that wonderful thing called re-posting ... I love it, so! I never took to the trail mix either ... but this sounds like such a wonderful way to start the day, no cooking either ... perfect for a lazy and healthy breakfast/brunch!

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  23. Vidya, tell me about your version. Notyet, It really is!
    Pari, No, not Delhi, why did you think so? :)
    Jaya, yeah, even I'm waiting to see all the posts.
    Happy, thank you, I will thank you in the other post also!
    Indo, aargh! I HAVE had sweets for breakfast, but only v rarely, not v nice. Unless it's a Danish.
    Bong Mom, ah, the About section is nothing much in my blog but I've been revealed on other fora ;)
    Asha, I love Cinnamon Raisin bread, wish we got it here too! I have that for dessert, of course! Thanks for the nice words.
    Sayantani, I'm off to check your first post, couldn't have been too long ago, could it?
    SE, I only had Amul Shrikhand and I didn't take to it, but sometimes I let the milk reduce by a fourth or a half and then set curds, it has a natural sweetness.


    1/15/2010 8:36 PM
    Sig, it IS a good idea, hope to see a repost about your first post.
    Jyothsna, thank you thank you
    Musical, Curds with bananas is a great favourite back home in AP. I like it too. Many people even eat it with curd rice, nicely squishing and squashing it into the rice - this version puts me off. Thanks.
    Cynthia, no it isn't, it's very virtuous, in fact.
    Uma, thank you, wish you the same!
    Mallugirl, Oh, home is best, I've had those mixes in the US, funny taste to them!

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  24. Nags, so did you get it?
    Sowmya, yes, it was the perfect excuse to bring it back and eat it again!

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  25. Lovely bfast. Bfast is the most imp.diet of the day. To begin the day with such a lovely nutty mix, it is awesome. Pic looks fab :):)

    Chitchat
    http://chitchatcrossroads.blogspot.com/

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  26. Sra, I was thinking how wonderful that picture looks thinking it was the one on your first post..:))..You know for many months rather years until few months I was thinking how my first post was left without any comment. Until a dear reader let me know that she wasn't able to find the comment space...hahah..loved reading this and your first posts again..

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  27. aha..what a diff from the 1st you have taken & now :)

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  28. I'm so glad that you tried the mallum. When I cook it, I usually toss it 2 - 3 times to prevent the sticking to the bottom and when I do that, it doesen't.

    Will email you soon about the vegan/vegetarian blog/journal.

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  29. Valli, :))Hah! I had to work hard even on this.
    Shankari, I know, I was inspired
    Cynthia, will keep that in mind, thanks.

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  30. Read your first 2! Love the nutty mix! and I could do it without the yogurt too. I really like the sesame seeds. wouldn't have have it myself to add it to a breakfast mix - i guess we do not use it as much in Bengal. But i can imagine it is going to be really nice and nutty.

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  31. I want to do this repost thing as well...this recipe looks swell!

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  32. This sounds like a fun event - hope I can participate.

    Your vitrine presentation looks very appetizing with all those careful layers. I like these kinds of breakfast parfaits, but do find them potentially calorie laden, not only for the dried fruits, but the nuts - delicious as they are. : )

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  33. Soma, we don't use much sesame seed, either, but it's something I've grown to like because of my experimentation.
    S, thanks!
    Susan, oh, you must. And of course, it's v filling, can even get heavy!

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