Upma is one of my go-to Indian breakfast foods. It is a type of porridge made from rava, or semolina in English. Semolina has a texture similar to Cream of Wheat, and I often describe upma to people as “Indian Cream of Wheat.” Rava (“sooji” or “suji” in Hindi) is a type of wheat flour… Continue reading Upma: Savory Cream of Wheat with Onions and Peas
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)
When I opened our CSA box this month the first thing I saw was a huge bunch of green– carrot greens. I normally throw out carrot greens because you pretty much have to use them right away or they dry up and become useless, but with all of these greens I knew I couldn’t let… Continue reading Carrot Bhajias with Carrot Green Chutney (Carrot Fritters)
There was a lone white cloud in the sky ahead of us. We watched it struggle against the heat of the sun, as it transformed from one shape to another. “A bird,” “An elephant,” “A frisbee,” Puja and I called out the shapes we saw as we watched it change. Each transformation threatened to obliterate… Continue reading Death Valley Road Trip and Spicy Trail Mix
On our way to a brewery recently, I made a quick pit stop at a little produce market for some fresh fruits and veggies. I picked up a bunch of everyday produce that looked really good, like tomatoes, grapefruit and broccoli, and we browsed around for a while. I was excited to find bags of… Continue reading Indian Style Boiled Peanuts
Khandvi are a traditional Gujarati snack, or “farsan,” that are made with besan flour (garbanzo bean flour) and seasoned with sesame seeds, mustard seeds, chilies, and coconut. They are bite sized and easy to pick up with your fingers and pop into your mouth making them a great party appetizer. And best of all, they… Continue reading Khandvi Recipe: A Gujarati Rolled Snack
These spicy potato fritters are one of my go to recipes when I’m cooking for a crowd. I made them recently for my birthday party. They are an easy to eat finger food and taste great served warm or at room temperature. There are two ways I like to make them: Mumbai style with garlic… Continue reading Batata Vada (Spicy Potato Fritters)
Steve and I went to a bluegrass jam and barbecue last weekend at a friend’s house. Steve’s been playing bluegrass guitar for a few months now.He’s always practicing around the house. And now it’s as if we’ve always been surrounded by bluegrass music. I’ve learned a whole bunch of songs and can sing them start… Continue reading Mango Avocado and Corn Salsa
Khari Biscuits are simple puff pastry bites. They can also be made the way I like them, sprinkled with spices for extra flavor. They are perfect dippers for a cup of chai. My last two posts were about chai masala and chai, so I thought I’d round it off with a post on Khari biscuits.… Continue reading Khari Biscuits (Savory Puff Pastry Bites)
I have always loved the little vegetable patties known as tikki. Traditionally the most common ones are aloo tikki (potato patties). My mom is the tikki queen and makes many variations of them including some with paneer and greens. The other night I had a friend coming over for dinner and less than an hour… Continue reading Cauliflower Patties (Tikki) with Cilantro Pea Chutney
Growing up, my mom would often make pudla, savory gram flour pancakes, as a quick lunch or snack when we were in a rush. Pudla, or “besan chilla” in Hindi, are super quick because all you do is shred up pretty much any vegetable you have on hand like zucchini, carrots, beets, boiled potato, peas…trust me anything… Continue reading Pudla, Vegan Omelet with Cilantro Mint Chutney
