A couple months ago, I had a Cardamom-Rose truffle at Eclipse Chocolat, a local chocolate shop. I was in love! I had never had chocolate cardamom and rose together but somehow it felt very familiar, very Indian. The candied rose petals on the truffle were so yummy. A crunchy sugar-y taste of rose that’s not… Continue reading Chocolate Cardamom Shortbread Cookies with Candied Rose Petals
Pistachio and saffron (known as kesar pista) is a classic Indian combination. The buttery flavor of pistachio goes superbly with the metallic notes of the saffron. You will find all sweets from cookies to ice creams to traditional desserts made with this delicious flavor combination. I have been making pistachio tuiles for years. I make… Continue reading Pistachio and Saffron (Kesar Pista) Tuiles
Some time ago I told a friend I would make her cupcakes for her birthday. She and her husband are big Indiaphiles. She said she wanted caramel and she was having her birthday at a wine bar so I thought of a red wine caramel sauce I made for a pear tart a few months… Continue reading Saffron Cupcakes with Red Wine Caramel Sauce
This chili caramel popcorn is a tasty little goodie I made on a whim years ago. It tastes so good, that I’ve taken it to numerous food swaps and bake sales. It has never failed to be a huge success. I’m going to a food swap today! A food swap is an event where people… Continue reading Chili Caramel Popcorn
There is a little shop called Mapro near where I went to boarding school in the Western Ghat mountains. They make their own syrups, jams, jellies and candies with fresh fruits and juices. They are famed for their strawberry jam. My favorite thing from their shop has always been their rose syrup. It tastes amazing.… Continue reading Rose Creme Brulee
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… Continue reading Mamra Chikki (Puffed Rice Brittle) – A Kite Wars Tradition
For me, jalebi is one sweet that instantly triggers deep feelings of nostalgia. I grew up always eating them to celebrate our parents wedding anniversary. This jalebi recipe has rhubarb, one of my favorite ingredients. The rhubarb adds a tartness to balance the sweetness of the cardamom syrup, similar to the more typical sour-apple flavor.… Continue reading Rhubarb Jalebi in Cardamom Syrup
I can’t believe we’re already half way through December. This year’s gone by way too fast. And it’s about to get even busier. Our niece is about to be born (any day now!) and of course the Holidays are coming up. So much excitement. I love it! Yesterday was a cold and rainy day here… Continue reading Ginger Cupcakes with Chai Cream filling for the Holidays
One of my favorite Indian desserts is Malpuda with Rabri and it is perfect for the big Diwali dinner. When I was a kid living in India, I always wanted to bake cakes for desserts. That was a challenge because we didn’t have an oven. My mom used to borrow an old-fashioned baking contraption from… Continue reading Ricotta Pancakes with Condensed Milk (Malpuda and Rabri)
Ghughras (Gujia or Karanji in Hindi) are an essential Diwali treat for Gujus. To celebrate this festival, my mom always went all out. She made a variety of different 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 treat… Continue reading Ghughras: A Diwali Sweet (Gujia)
A savory semolina crepe, better known as a “rava dosa” is one of my standard quick-fix meals. I experimented with this sweet rava dosa and it was fantastic. It’s like the standard crepe but a little chewier but tastes great Rava dosa are the instant version of the South Indian classic dosa. The classic dosa… Continue reading Sweet Rava Dosa: Semolina Crepes with Caramel Sauce
Cardamom is the vanilla of Indian. We use it in pretty much any sweet dish ranging from rice pudding to nut fudge to masala chai. I love the flavor so much, I chew on cardamom pods in place of mints. I have a method. I pop a whole pod into my mouth and enjoy the… Continue reading Cardamom Semolina Shortbread Cookies
