I love to have a stash of easy, quick, healthy side dishes that I can throw together that will accompany a showstopper of a main dish without stealing the stage. However, it can be hard to find such dishes in traditional Indian cooking. Most of the veggies have just as many spices and complex flavor…
I adore cilantro chutney – that green sauce that just about every Indian restaurant will serve with samosas or papad. And, I posted a recipe for how to make it last June – as simple as throwing a bunch of green stuff into a blender! It is the completely balanced combination of herbal and tangy…
Crisper weather is here and the season of comfort food is upon us. Growing up in an Indian vegetarian house has left its mark on me and my idea of comfort food is not the norm. For me this vividly yellow buttermilk curry is what I craved whenever I missed home. It is the dish…
We all have dishes that were special for birthdays. These chickpeas are what I requested for dinner on my sixteenth birthday. A couple of my girlfriends came over and my mother also made puffy, fried bread called batura that is the traditional accompaniment. I was in heaven. Half a world away my husband’s standard brunch…
I know the weekend feels far away but it is never too early to start thinking about what you’re going to make for brunch! Akuri is an unusual, Parsi egg dish that I had on my very first trip to Mumbai. The Parsis are originally from Iran. They follow the Zoarastrian faith and were persecuted…
Sadly, my mom’s visit drew to a close this week. She has been a tireless, patient grandmother, not only reveling in my son’s every action but also cooking all our favorite foods. Time to return the favor. I turned to one of my all time favorite, fairly quick and yet delicious Indian main courses –…
Typically, Indian lentils bring to mind something a little heavy, creamy and hearty. This dish is the absolute opposite of that – light, tangy and refreshing. Growing up dal was not my favorite (sacrilege considering I grew up in an Indian vegetarian home) but whenever my mother made moong dal chaat I would willingly gobble…
Growing up we always had a huge barrel of mint planted in our backyard just for this chutney. As far as I can remember I don’t recall my mother using the herb for anything else. It was my job to go cut the mint and bring it to my mother whenever she would get ready…
My father would request these crispy veggie fritters whenever the summer sky would grow dark with thunderclouds and the smell of rain would saturate the air. They are a quintessential monsoon treat – although you don’t need the excuse of rain to make them. My son, Shiv, first enjoyed pakoras (pu-KOE-raw) when we were in…
I first had these chops in Delhi made by Didu, my husband’s maternal grandmother. She was an absolutely fabulous cook, and incredibly particular about her cooking process and ingredients. That attention to detail really showed in the food she prepared. These chops I remember very distinctly. We were in Delhi at the end of December…