For a dish that has “butter” in its name, one would think paneer makhani needs a generous amount of butter to achieve glossy, creamy perfection. One would be wrong. A little pat added towards the end seems to be enough. Of course, you can cook the whole thing in butter, but sometimes I feel that…
Chilli Mushroom (Dry)
There are some days you just don’t feel like preparing an elaborate meal. Or you get bored by the usual stuff. What? No?! It’s just me, then? I.do.not.believe.that. I was running errands one day, reached home by noon and just could not bring myself to cook the usual stuff. At our house, it is mostly…
Garbanzo Beans / Chickpeas / Kabuli Channa Vegetarian Chili
Growing up in India, we had this unfortunate notion that most western food is 1). Bland and/or 2). Requires almost no prep work. I am being delightfully enlightened over the past couple of years, to say the least. One wonderful dish I discovered in Texas is chili con carne or chili with meat. Traditionally made…
Ennai Kathirikkai – Spiced Baby Brinjal/Eggplant In Tangy Gravy
Brinjal, eggplant, aubergine or whatever you want to call it, is very popular in Indian cuisine. Owing to its versatile nature and high nutrition value, it is often called the “king of vegetables”. I distinctly remember a cartoon in my childhood (in the state-owned Doordarshan, of course) that showed a stout brinjal with a crown on…
Quick & Healthy Brussels Sprouts & Mushroom Stir Fry With Black Pepper
Brussels sprouts are like the cute baby cousins of the hearty cabbage. They are extremely easy and fuss-free to cook.I make them into a stir fry along with button or bella mushrooms, seasoned with a touch of salt and cracked black pepper. This ensures that their nutritional value is intact, which is otherwise lost if…
Comforting Butternut Squash Soup
Now that the weather is getting cooler, it is time to think of warm, robust and comforting foods. And what better way to start other than with soup? There are countless varieties available in cans, packets, and what not. But, soup just might be the easiest thing to put together. Most people like soup. I…
End Of Summer Bounty And Some Quick Recipes
We used to visit a Farmer’s Market this summer. It was a fun place, with lots of fresh produce, lively music and livelier people! Once we came home with quite a lot of vegetables, mainly, red okra, brinjal/eggplant and button mushrooms. I had planned to blog about it, but it somehow got lost in my Drafts…
Mushroom Peas Masala
I love mushrooms and always find ways to incorporate them in our meals. Be it in egg burji (spicy Indian scrambled eggs), curries, stir fries, pasta or even in vegetable biryani. They have such a unique and hearty, sort of meaty, flavor. And mushrooms are so easy to cook too. Mushroom peas masala is an easy weeknight…
Easy Meal – Vegetable Pulao And Stir Fry With Edamame
This meal was put together to please the guys in the house. A mild, colorful vegetable pulao for little Boy and a Chinese style stir fry for the hubby. It is easy and the only hands-on time needed is for chopping all those veggies. I am a big fan of edamame beans right now and…
Coconut-Mint Chutney
India is the land to umpteen chutneys and pickles. Here is a simple recipe for a popular coconut-mint chutney. Chutney is usually made by grinding fresh herbs and coconut, but I have sauteed them first. So this chutney can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. You will need: Oil – 1 tbsp Mint leaves…
Dum Aloo / Slow-Cooked Spicy Potatoes
Dum Aloo or slow-steam-cooked potatoes (baby potatoes are best) is originally a Kashmiri dish, made by deep-frying the baby potatoes and slowly simmering them in a yogurt based spice mixture. As always, there are many variations of dum aloo. This is one of those dishes that is as much delicious served dry or with gravy. I…
Vegetable Stew With Coconut Milk
This is a simple and mild vegetable curry prepared in Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu, where coconuts are found in abundance and form an integral part of everyday diet. In parts of Kerala where I grew up, this is known as “ishtoo” in the local dialect, ishtoo being a play on the English word “stew”. It…
