Holidays and Festivals

Here is a simple and delectable recipe for Garam Masala Baked Delicata Squash that will not only impress your guests but also add a unique touch to your festive spread. It combines the warmth of winter squash with the flavors of garam masala. About this Recipe This winter squash, known for its quick cooking time […]

Whole roasted tandoori cauliflower, slathered in a tandoori spiced yogurt marinade, makes for a unique combination of taste and presentation. This is a go-to dish for a vegetarian Thanksgiving or any feast where you want to make a bold statement with Indian flavors. About the Recipe A whole cauliflower, coated in a spiced yogurt blend, […]

About Diwali Diwali is a multi-day festival known as “the festival of lights” and celebrates the victory of good over evil, and of knowledge over ignorance. There are many traditions across India, celebrating the festival in many different ways. Even the length of the festival varies from place to place. My family’s tradition kicks off […]

This weekend I celebrated Holi in the US for the first time. You know how there are those things that you always want to do but somehow it just never works out? For years I’ve completely missed Holi, each time realizing days later that I had overlooked it yet again! This year, I was thrilled […]

To celebrate Diwali this year, I made these walnut squares. They are my version of Walnut Burfi. I had found these beautiful bright red walnuts at Whole Foods and didn’t know what I would do with them until Diwali came around. I created these walnut bars that are reminiscent of the texture of Mohanthal, a […]

Happy Raksha Bandhan! It’s Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi), a day to celebrate your siblings. Every Rakhi, I make a bracelet for my brother and tie it on his wrist. The bracelet is supposed to provide protection for a brother in battle. Rakhis were tied to the wrist of warriors when they would go off to battle. […]

January 14th is one of the most exciting days of the year in many parts of India, especially Gujarat. Growing up, my brother and I looked forward to it every year. It’s the day of the Kite Festival. The Kite Festival in India is not the peaceful event you may be picturing. In India, flying kites […]

Steve and I went to his parent’s house for an early Thanksgiving dinner last weekend. We had to work on Thanksgiving day and Steve’s parents were going out of town, so we celebrated early with that side of the family. We had a fantastic traditional meal with turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet […]

Ghughra (Gujiya, in Hindi) is an essential Diwali treat for Gujaratis, and Holi treat across North India. To celebrate this festival, my mom always went all out. She made various snack foods at home and ordered others from specialty sweet and snack shops. There were many different sweets and snacks, but Ghugras were the one […]

October is my favorite time of the year. Not only is it the month of my birthday and Halloween (who doesn’t love a holiday about costumes and candy?!) but it is also when I get to go dancing for nine nights in a row. Yes, I am talking about Navratri! I have always loved dancing […]

It’s Indian Independence day today. All day, I’ve been thinking about the difference between how August 15th is celebrated in India and how July 4th is celebrated here. My usual Independence Day routine while in India consisted of my mom waking us up extra early, even though it was a holiday, so that we could […]