Avocado Paratha
Avocado Paratha, these days I’m spending a lot of time at home, so I decided to experiment in the kitchen. I had one extra avocado left after making some guacamole dip. Avocados seem to be very popular these days most often served as “Avocado Toast”. I decided to put an Indian twist and use the extra avocado in delicious flavorful parathas. It actually turned out great and I enjoyed, but I think it needed a few tweaks. I added some extra spices and it turned out even better.
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Basil Pesto Sauce
Lately pesto has become one of my favorite condiments to keep. Basil Pesto is an Italian delicacy. It is super easy to make, and you can use it in so many ways, making variations of dishes. My grandkids enjoy pesto pasta, my son’s favorite is making pesto sandwiches, and I like salad and roasted vegetables with pesto. Pesto has a vibrant color and brightens up any dish you make. Basil is a very aromatic herb. I have basil plants in my backyard. Because basil is the main ingredient for this recipe, I am always prepared. This is also vegan and gluten free recipe.
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Crispy Vegetable Pakoras
Crispy Vegetable Pakoras are probably my all-time favorite and satisfying appetizer. They are perfect for any occasion, not to mention they are a favorite with all –young or old! These bite-sized snacks are fried to crispy golden-brown perfection. I serve pakoras with tamarind or cilantro chutney. When cooked right they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. These pakoras also have the added benefits of being vegan and gluten-free.
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Healthy Chickpea And Tofu Salad
Chickpea and tofu salad is a new favorite in our family. It is both heart healthy and delicious. It’s packed with plant protein and fiber and is also a great option for those who are vegan and gluten free. These days everyone in my family is eating clean and will usually ask me to make a salad bowl. This colorful and delicious salad has become part of my salad recipes. There’s nothing like a fresh salad. Salads are of course healthy and contrary to popular belief they can be quite filling and satisfying! This particular salad is a combination of greens, cucumber, tomatoes, and some fruit which gives it a fresh taste. Add in some chickpeas and tofu with my special homemade dressing and you have a great meal! It’s unbelievably tasty and nutritious too! I love eating leftovers all week long. This super delicious salad is full of flavor and textures and is really easy to prepare.
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Khasta Kachori Besan
Khasta kachori is a delicacy from north India. Khasta kachori is a spicy puffed pastry. Kachories are made with a variety of different filling, and I have many recipes for Khasta Kachori. They are my favorite over samosa. Maybe one of the reasons is I can prepare them even a few days before and can be served at room temperature and served many different ways, even serving as chaat. Traditionally kachori is sold at HALWAI (a sweet and snack shop). Today, I am using spicy besan filling. These mouthwatering Kachories can be served as a snack, chaat or part of the main meal, making the meal exotic.
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Palak Pakora (Crispy Spinach Fritters)
Palak Pakoras are a crispy and flavorful snack, and quite possibly the tastiest compliment for your afternoon tea.
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Paneer Petha Ka Ladoo
Many sweets are made using paneer, which is freshly made homemade Indian cheese. Paneer Pethe Ka Ladoo is delicious and easy to make. This recipe was suggested by my friend Usha, who lives in Jaipur. I must say I really enjoy paneer-based sweets, which include Rasgullas, Ras Malai, Sandesh and many more! I decided I would give a paneer-based dessert a try, Paneer Petha Ladoo. Paneer desserts are considered very classy and for a sophisticated palate. They also are typically very refreshing, delicious, and easy to make. Another reason I like to make paneer sweets is because it is very difficult to mess up the recipe! You can start with one recipe for a paneer dessert and then if it doesn’t turn out right, it is very easy to fix and come up with a new recipe! Another favorite dessert of mine is Petha, which is a famous sweet from Agra (India). Petha is made from white pumpkin and sugar.
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Pithla (Besan Curry)
Pithla is a variation of Kadhi. Kadhi is made in many ways. In North India, Kadhi is made like a thick soup with pakoras dumplings. Another popular variation is Gujarati Kadhi, which is sweet and sour and made watery with a soup-like consistency. When first time I had gujrati Kadhi, I thought it was yogurt hot and spicy drink, and enjoyed very much, still my perception has not changed. Pithla, however, is thick in consistency. Sometimes I call this is Besan Ki Sabji. This is a quick and easy recipe to make. Pithla is made with few ingredients. It’s also gluten-free and vegan. Traditionally Pithla is served garnished with hot ghee (clarified butter). Pithla is a complete and satisfying meal.
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Punjabi Samosa
Samosas are probably the most popular Indian snack, and street food. Samosas when paired with cilantro chutney are simply out of this world. I think they are universally loved and hard to resist. I have made variations and minor changes to my samosa recipe over the years. Check out my new and improved recipe for this family favorite!
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Ras Malai Cake
Ras Malai Cake is a twist on a very popular Bengali dessert “Ras Malai”. Ras Malai is made with homemade cheese known as “paneer” or “chana”. It consists of soft paneer balls immersed in chilled creamy milk. Ras Malai has been always my favorite dessert for as long as I can remember. Back when I came to the U.S. many years ago, Indian cooking was a challenge as there were very few Indian ingredients available. Indian groceries weren’t as plentiful back then. To top that off, I was also a new cook. I remember my friends and I would always experiment with different recipes for Indian food using whatever ingredients we could find. We knew we had to make do with what we had by being creative and learning to cook using the ingredients were available. One thing we discovered is using ricotta cheese as a substitute for paneer as it was the closest in consistency to paneer. We started using ricotta cheese to make many milk-based Indian desserts. It was then that I learned how to make Ras Malai. While it certainly was not the same as the “real thing”, it was super simple to make and very tasty! Most importantly, I got to enjoy a little taste of home with my favorite Indian dessert! I have done one more recipe using Ricotta cheese Microwave Milk Cake. Enjoy!
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Spicy Corn, Corn Salad, (Tasty Snack)
Spicy Corn is a very enjoyable snack and not only that, but this is a quick and easy recipe to make. Make it as spicy or as mild as your heart desires. Best of all, you can also serve this as a side dish. Enjoy the spicy corn for a beautiful picnic or outdoor get together. You can also serve this over crisp slices of bread.
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Sweet and Sour Guava Curry
Guavas, or “amrood” in Hindi, are simply delicious and probably one of my favorite fruits! This year I have an abundance of guavas growing in my backyard. I like to sprinkle chaat masala on guavas. The spiciness really brings out its flavor. Since I have so many delicious guavas, I decided it was time for me to make Guava Sweet and Sour Curry (Amrood Ki khati Methi Sabji).
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Sweet and Sour Spicy Karela (Bitter Melon )
Karela, also known as bitter melon. Sweet and Sour Karela has a very unique taste. This dish is a combination of all the flavor in one, it is spicy, sweet, sour, and bitterness of the Karela. That is what make this recipe very unique. Karela, (Bitter melon) also is a healthy vegetable with many health benefits. This was one of my favorite side dish specially for school lunch box, Karela rolled up with left over Puri or Paratha from previous day, tasted delicious. We also enjoyed this sweet and sour karela as a side dish with Toor Dal and Rice. This is multi flavor healthy side dish this can also be serve as a condiment. Enjoy!
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Sweet Potato Chaat (Shakarkandi)
I have been wanting to make a sweet potato chaat (Shakarkandi Chaat) for some time now. It’s a savory and flavorful chaat, which also happens to be a very popular Delhi street food. I have tried to make this recipe many times but never quite perfected it! Last weekend I had the honor of being a guest judge for a cooking contest which was conducted virtually over Zoom! The contest was for the best air fryer recipe. The winner of this contest, Rashmi Sabjur, happened to make an eggplant chaat. While she was discussing her creative recipe, I got the idea of making a sweet potato chaat in the air fryer. Many people ask me how I am inspired to come up with new recipes…well the answer is people like Rashmi, and of course you all, my viewers! Traditionally, sweet potatoes are cooked over coal, cut into small pieces, and drizzled with lemon juice and spices to make it delicious and flavorful. This spicy chaat is also had a nice crunch. Try this recipe out soon! A special thank you to Rashmi for inspiring me to perfect sweet potato chaat!
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Vegan Rice Kheer (Payasam)
Kheer is a very traditional Indian dessert and is enjoyed by people of all ages. Kheer is made in many different ways using rice, different nuts, and vegetables but milk is the main ingredient to make kheer. I have been wanting to make rice kheer for my son who happens to be vegan and loves kheer. This is my version of vegan kheer: instead of milk, I used almond and coconut milk. After trying many different dairy free milk, this was the best combination I enjoyed. This recipe is also quick and easy to make and is delicious. You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy this kheer.
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