Sichuan-style Asparagus Stir-fry | Vegan Chinese Recipes

Asparagus is in season now and I am making full use of it. We always love the simple oven roasted asparagus with salt, pepper and olive oil. But this time I made a PF Changs replica, Sichuan style Asparagus. Spicy, Salty and with a little zing from the ginger, it is a perfect side for your Chinese themed party. I made this as a side for my Tofu and Bell pepper Fried rice.Ingredients:Serves - 2Asparagus - 1 bunchOnion - 1/2 of a big oneGinger paste - 1/2 tspSoy Sauce, Low sodium - 2 tbspRice wine vinegar - 1 tbspCorn starch - 1 tspBrown Sugar - 1/2 tspWater - 1/4 cupRed chilli sauce - 1 tsp (I used Sriracha)Sesame oil - 3 tspMethod:Wash and trim...

Read more »

Chettinadu Poondu Kuzhambu / Spicy Garlic Tamarind Curry | South Indian Curry Recipes

Chettinadu is a region in Tamilnadu, the Southern state of India. The recipes specializes in using freshly ground spices added to make tasty food. Most of the recipes are spicy and tangy with the liberal use of the flavorful spices and herbs native to India. Did you know that many south indian dishes taste better if pearl onions are used instead of the regular onions. Also no, we do not add curry leaves to every dish but there are certain dishes which just can't be made without the aroma of the curry leaves in it. This is one such kuzhambu which has simple ingredients but makes you want to go for another serving.Ingredients:In standard cup measurementsGarlic...

Read more »

Aloor Dum / Baby Potatoes in Tomato Curry | Bengali Recipes

There are some foods that lure you to make immediately. This was one such recipe. When I saw this in Sutapa's space, I thought "If only I had baby potatoes at hand right now..". But that didn't stop me from making this. I had DH get baby potatoes the very next day and I made this for dinner to go with my Spring Onion Paratha. Oh my, this was super tasty. You won't believe how a simple combination of spices would make something this tasty. Is it the baby potatoes or the onions in the spice paste or the ghee? Ghee, definitely had to be the ghee.. or.. ok well I am not able to come to a conclusion. Bottomline.. Super tasty curry..Ingredients:Serves...

Read more »

Broccoli Stir-fry with just 3 ingredients | Broccoli Recipes

Eating Broccoli can't get any easier or tastier than this. This broccoli stir-fry with just 3 ingredients (well, if you don't count the salt and oil) is a breeze to make. It won points with both my DH and DS, the picky-eaters. It is great as a snack with a dollop of yogurt or as a side with any rice dish or meat.Ingredients:Broccoli - florets from 2 headsDry Red chillies - 2Garlic powder - 1 tspSalt - to tasteOil - 1 tspMethod:Wash and separate broccoli florets to bite-size. Shake off excess water and microwave in a partially closed container for 4 minutes, tossing once in between. Alternatively you could steam the broccoli. Heat 1 tsp of oil...

Read more »

Kathirikai Thovayal / Brinjal Chutney | South Indian Chutney Recipes

A simple chutney with eggplant, and honestly eggplant can't get any tastier than this. When Nags posted her recipe, I made a mental note that I have to try that someday. Luckily I had got eggplant the same week, tried it and it tasted awesome. This has been a regular appearance at our lunch since then.Ingredients:Eggplant - 1 big - medium sized (or) 10 small Indian brinjalsDry Red chillies - 2 or 3Urad dhal - 1 tsp + 1/2 tspTamarind - size of a blueberryMustard seeds - 1/2 tspCurry leaves - a fewPearl onions - 10 - peeled and sliced thinCilantro / Coriander leaves - a fistfulOil - 4 tspMethod:Wash and chop the eggplant into 1 inch pieces....

Read more »

Orange Blueberry Loaf Cake | Eggless Cake Recipes

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! What are your plans? I hope to make something special on the day. Have a few ideas, but no plans yet. I made this Orange blueberry loaf cake last week in an impromptu I-need-to-bake-something rush. Blueberries are in season and fruits are best eaten in season. I bought this big box of blueberries from Costco. After making its frequent presence in my snack box, breakfast oatmeal and lemon blueberry pancakes the remaining went into this cake.Ingredients:Adapted from the recipe hereAll purpose flour / Maida - 2 cupsSalt - 1/2 tspBaking powder - 2 tspOrange zest - 1/2 tspSugar - 1 cupButter - 1/2 cupPlain Yogurt -...

Read more »

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I had boneless chicken breasts that needed inspiration. I also had deli ham and Swiss cheese in the fridge. That's when I remembered a recipe I hadn't made in years.Chicken Cordon Bleu. I don't know why it's been so long because this recipe is very easy. Plus, you can make them ahead of time and even freeze them in individual bundles to have a nice dinner anytime. Flatten the chicken and lay on a slice of ham and cheese to cover. Roll into bundles.(I cut the breasts in half after flattening) Melt butter on a dinner plate and coat chicken.  Combine...

Read more »

Kodhel / Mangalore Style Sambar | South Indian Curry Recipes

Kodhel is a type of sambar native to the Udupi region of Karnataka state in India. It is traditionally served in Hindu temples in Karnataka during annadanam. I remember tasting this sambar in a temple during our trip to Karnataka temples. The unique taste comes from the roasted spices used to make this. Interestingly this sambar does not use any dhal, unlike the regular sambar. I have used a combo of brinjal and drumstick in here. White Pumpkin and any other vegetables of your choice can also be used.Ingredients:Recipe Source - Mallika BadrinathDrumstick - 2Brinjal - 3 - sliced thinTamarind - lemon sizedOil - 1 tspMustard seeds - 1/4 tspCurry...

Read more »

10 Tips For Fluffy Buttermilk PANCAKES!

Pancakes are just right for a lazy weekend morning. It's a nice time to sit down and enjoy an unhurried breakfast. Homemade pancakes are so much better than pancakes from a mix. It's better than going out too, because you can eat them in your pajamas! I'm sure you have all the ingredients on hand and they take only 20 minutes from making to enjoying. Here are my 10 tips for light and fluffy buttermilk pancakes.1. After combining the dry and wet ingredients separately, stir them together gently just until dry ingredients are moistened. A few lumps are OK. Overmixing will result in tough, rubbery pancakes.2. Let the batter rest for at least 5-10...

Read more »

Parsley Chutney | Side dish for Idli Dosa

A simple coconut chutney is a go-to side dish for dosa in most South-Indian homes. But parsley is not something commonly used in India. Its cousin Coriander leaves, aka Cilantro is the ruler there. But having access to parsley I had always wanted to try in my cooking for its health benefits. Did you know that Parsley is rich in antioxidants, Vitamin K, Vitamin A and also a great diuretic. I would recommend to try it in salad, throw it in some pasta or better yet make a chutney like this or try in a recipe for a chapathi side.Ingredients:Inspired from here Fresh Parsley - 1/2 bunch - washed and leaves pickedGrated Coconut - 1/2 cupGram dhal...

Read more »

Spinach Dhal Rice for Toddlers | Infant & Toddler Food Ideas

Like any new mom when it came to start solids for my little one I had millions of questions. Though most of those questions I had were silly I couldn't brush them off as silly at that stage. I used to ask friends and family "Can I give that?", "How much of that?", "Really, Can I give that?". But then I got a hang of it after two months into solids. In South India, a baby's first solid food would generally be Ragi Kanji (finger millet porridge). The millet is soaked overnight, ground in a wet grinder and the milk extracted is then boiled to make porridge. After the Ragi Kanji, the next food introduced is Paruppu Sadham (Rice and Split peas).When...

Read more »

Thalicha Sadham / Instant Tamarind Rice | Indian Rice Recipes

This is one of the simplest recipes for using up leftover rice. If you are ever wondering what to do with your leftover rice, don't fret. Mom used to make this rice whenever we have leftover rice and Dad loves this for breakfast. When we have rice leftover from dinner, she marinates it with turmeric and tamarind juice and prepares this for breakfast the next day. With a little planning, this Instant Tamarind Rice can be a great idea. Ingredients:Serves - 2Cooked Rice - 2 cupsThick Tamarind Extract - 2 tbspSalt - 1/4 tsp or more as neededTurmeric powder - 1/4 tspPearl onions - 1/2 cup - about 15 - peeled and halvedGreen Chilli - 1Oil - 1...

Read more »