Tamarind chutney is a condiment that is the Indian version of sweet & sour. It is made from a combination of tamarind pulp with sugar. Tamarind chutney is used on almost all Indian snack foods, from bhel to samosas. The tamarind chutney I serve is almost always chutney that I have made myself. It isn’t… Continue reading Tamarind Chutney: India’s Sweet and Sour
What is an Indian Side Dish? “Side dish” is a term in Indian food, but when it comes down to it, different people have different ideas about what a side dish is. My definition of an Indian side dish is any small dish that isn’t meat, flatbread, appetizer, or sweet. In Western Cuisine, a meal… Continue reading 20 Indian Side Dishes for Your Next Meal
Beetroot raita must be the prettiest of all raitas. It will add amazing color to any plate. That’s just an added bonus because beet raita also tastes delicious. Beet raita is a yogurt side dish made by mixing shredded beets and a vaghar (tempered spices) with yogurt. Like other raitas, it provides a cooling counterbalance… Continue reading Beet Raita
Palak Paneer is a creamy spinach curry with paneer. It is a popular Indian dish and a great way to incorporate greens into your meal. Palak Paneer might also be called “Spinach Paneer” or “Saag Paneer,” although “saag paneer” is a little more generic and may use any kind of greens. “Saag” is Hindi for… Continue reading Palak Paneer (Spinach and cheese curry)
Dal Tadka is a rich, creamy dal made with a mix of lentils. It is very similar to Dal Fry. Both are made with a preparation of lentils and oil from a vaghar. In fact, the recipes are so similar with all of the different variations out there, it is hard to nail down what… Continue reading Dal Tadka
Do you want to ensure you’ll have a happy and prosperous year? In Indian culture, we start off all auspicious occasions with something sweet. And, seriously, what’s better than chocolate? Homemade chocolate truffles are so easy. They are a little bite of rich deliciousness that both impresses everyone and makes them happy. A few weeks… Continue reading Curry Caramel Truffles with Himalayan Pink Salt
My family always had pickled marchu (peppers) around. Lal Marcha nu Athanu was a condiment at every meal. My mom would pretty much automatically add two chilies from the jar to every plate she prepared. It’s not hard to understand why pickled marchu was so important. Can you imagine life without a refrigerator? Where do… Continue reading Lal Marcha nu Athanu (Chili Pickle)
Sabudana Khichdi is a khichdi-like dish made with tapioca pearls. Khichdi is a dish that is normally made with rice and dal, but in this case, the rice and dal are replaced by tapioca. “Subudana” means “tapioca” in English. It can also be called “sago” or “sagu” in different Asian and Southeast Asian countries. Sabudana… Continue reading Sabudana Khichdi (Tapioca Khichdi)
Savory Semolina Crepes with Potato Curry and Coconut Chutney Traditional dosa are made with a rice and lentil batter that needs to first be soaked overnight, then ground into a batter and then fermented overnight. Rava dosa is simpler because it doesn’t have to be fermented. I love the flavor and how easy they are… Continue reading Rava Masala Dosa
Goan Coconut Dal, Goan Varan, or simply Goan Dal, is a simple but flavorful dal from the tropical state of Goa. “Varan” is the word for dal in Marathi and Konkani, the language of Goa. Goan Coconut Dal is often part of the food cooked for Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganesh’s birthday celebration. During Ganesh Chaturthi, people… Continue reading Goan Coconut Dal
Karela is a melon that looks similar to a cucumber, but with a distinctive warty flesh (think of the warts on some gourds). Other names for karela are “bitter melon”, “bitter gourd” and “bitter apple.” One major characteristic of Indian food, especially Gujarati food, is that each dish tends to appeal to all five tastes.… Continue reading Karela nu shaak (Bitter Gourd Curry)
Tomato Dal, or “Tomato Pappu,” is a tangy comfort food dish from Andhra Pradesh. It gets its tanginess and depth from the mix of tomatoes and tamarind. This mix of tomatoes and tamarind is a classic combination in food from Andhra Pradesh. You will often find Tomato Dal served at weddings in Andhra Pradesh. The… Continue reading Tomato Dal (Tomato Pappu)
