I am a total podcast junkie! I listen to them all day long. Most of my podcasts are NPR programs and one of my favorites is the Splendid Table podcast by Lynn Rosetto Kasper. I always learn a lot about food from her. A couple of weeks ago they had Indian cookbook author Raghavan Iyer on… Continue reading Eight Ways to Cook with Spices
A post on mung beans has been long overdue. Puja and I have been talking about doing a post on them ever since we first started this blog. Much like lentils, they can be used in so many different ways. Well, I’ve sort of been on this Sisyphus diet of losing a couple of pounds… Continue reading Sprouted Mung Beans and a Simple Saute
I am really looking forward to this weekend! We’re celebrating Steve’s birthday at a local brewery and I’ll be participating in this year’s San Diego Food Blogger Bake Sale to benefit Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign. There will be lots of other San Diego food bloggers at the bake sale. I haven’t had… Continue reading Steamed Artichokes with Curried Yogurt Dip
I’ve always had an uneasy relationship with asafoetida, or hing as we call it in Gujarati. Even though it is traditionally an extremely common ingredient in Indian cooking, I don’t often cook with it and when I do, I always use it in extremely tiny quantities (no more than a tiny pinch). Asafoetida is a… Continue reading Cabbage Saute with Mustard and Asafoetida (Sambharo)
My dad recently bought 38 pounds of honey tangerines. Yep, that’s right, 38 pounds! What does one do with that many tangerines? Give them away to family of course! So when we went to visit my parents, we came home with several pounds of the most deliciously sweet tangerines. I love to eat tangerines on… Continue reading Roasted Squash with Bay, Cumin, and Tangerine
Steve and I are not big fans of leftovers. Although, he’s not as picky an eater as me, we are both terrible at eating what’s in the fridge. When we’re hungry, we open the fridge, glance at the leftovers, ignore them, and cook something fresh instead. At our house, leftovers often end up in the… Continue reading Quinoa Fritters (Tikki), a simple recipe for leftover quinoa
Our friends, M and V, came over for a visit with their son and bull dog this weekend. Steve and I used to hang out with M all the time when we were in college but haven’t seem him and his wife much since. So when we heard they’d be visiting we were super excited.… Continue reading Healthy and Easy, Indian Spiced Quinoa
Although many people probably haven’t heard of it, Fenugreek (known as methi in Hindi) is a very common ingredient in Indian food. Fenugreek imparts a very characteristic savory flavor that is slightly bitter but very delicious. Fenugreek doesn’t really taste a lot like maple, but it is used by many companies to give artificial maple… Continue reading Sweet Potato Fenugreek Saute (Shakariya Methi nu Shaak)
Chai is one of those drinks that evokes strong memories of childhood for me. There is nothing quite like a cup of chai to help lift my spirits. But it must be good chai because badly made chai can do just the opposite! The secret to a great cup of chai is the masala, the… Continue reading The Best Homemade Chai Masala
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.
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 Kite Wars and Puffed Rice Brittle (Chikki) Recipe
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. Steve and I had some delicious apple jalebi for my birthday one year at Rasika in Washington DC. We also served jalebi at our Mehndi Party (a pre-wedding celebration where… Continue reading Celebrating the New Year with Rhubarb Jalebi in Cardamom Syrup
