I love Middle Eastern cuisine because of its resemblance to Indian cuisine but at the same time the dishes here are much more milder with just a slight hint of the different flavors. It is definitely very comforting food for me. Falafels are immensely popular in NewYork city and the first time I had […]
Main Course
Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells Pasta
When I first moved to the US (some 15 years ago now!) , I took an instant liking to Mexican food probably because it is hot and spicy and similar to Indian cuisine. It took me some time however to develop my palate for Italian cuisine. One of the problems I had was the lack […]
Black Bean soup (Vegetarian Chilli)
I have probably stated this before but I have to say it again – black beans are a favorite of mine. I always have a few cans of black beans around the house. They are so handy! I make black bean fajitas, black bean salad and add them to minestrone soup etc. ANd of course, […]
Lentils with spinach and coconut (Paalak Daal)
Mixing spinach (and other vegetables) into lentils (dal) is a good way of feeding vegetables to kids. This daal with spinach is a very mild and non spicy dish that kids will love. Coconut is ground into a paste and then mixed into the lentils and this gives a delicious and almost decadent twist […]
Green plantains with channa (Kadala and kaaya thoran)
Thoran is a generic name (in Malayalam) for all vegetable dry dishes which have freshly grated coconut. Kadala(black channa) and kaaya(green plantain) are both very ‘heavy’ ingredients and so this sabzi is really very filling (just like avail). However its a nice balance of carbs and proteins and so its like a meal in itself. […]
Puffy Steamed Rice and Lentil bread (Idlis )
Idli is another breakfast item from the South indian kitchen, which is a close cousin and a healthier version(since they are steamed) of the Dosas. The batter for the two are very similar with slight differences. In fact one can make idles or dosas interchangeably with the same batter too making slight modifications. You need […]
Dosa (Sour dough Rice and Lentil Crepes)
Dosas are a South Indian specialty food that is craved by all Indians, irrespective of which place in india they belong to. Traditionally, Dosas (and Idlis)are breakfast items from the South indian kitchen. However, they have slowly and steadily made their way and their mark as appetizers/snacks or even as main course meals. Dosas […]
Mixed vegetables in coconut sauce || Kerala ‘Avial’ (Vegan, Paleo, AIP)
Avial (pronounced as Aveeh-ial) is a delicious and sumptuous mixed vegetable dish that is essentially very simple to make (if you follow the directions carefully!) I would say the only complicated part of this dish is the use of many different vegetables and the different cooking times that they require. Avial is made […]
Curried Cauliflower and Potatoes (Aloo Gobhi)
Aloo Gobhi, literally means Potatoes and Cauliflower and is a quintessential Indian vegetable dish (sabzi). I am not sure exactly which part of India it originated in. But I am pretty sure that now it has become a staple in most Indian households. Although each family recipe will have their own variations, all of them […]
Easy Kerala Chicken Curry || Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe (Paleo)
This is a quick and easy way to make chicken curry. This was how my dad used to make chicken curry in his bachelorhood days and so every now and then while we were growing up, we used to request him to cook his ‘special chicken curry’. This is a ‘dump everything into a […]
Pad Thai Style Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp
This recipe will make 3-4 servings Ingredients: 1/2 pkg Rice noodles (14 oz) or any other noodles 1/4 pound of boneless chicken, cut into thin strips 10-12 medium size shrimp (de-shelled and de-veined) 1/2 cup shredded cabbage 1/4 cup french cut green beans 1/4 cup julienned carrot pieces 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms 1/4 cup broccoli […]
Moru Kootan || Yoghurt and coconut curry || Kerala Moru Curry
Moru kootan is a very typical Kerala dish which is a yoghurt coconut curry where usually a vegetable like green(raw) plantain or chembu (taro root) is cooked in a yoghurt /buttermilk (moru in malayalam) and coconut sauce. ‘Kootan’ means any ‘curry’ that can be had with rice. When I first started cooking kerala dishes in […]