Okra or Bhindi is a vegetable made in almost all parts of India. It is one of the vegetables which most kids love. Mine loves it too. I am certain that the lunch box from school will return empty on the days “Bhindi – Roti” is given. Masala bhindi is normally a spicy preparation , wherein the okra is slit horizontally and the mix of spices are filled in. It is a very time consuming process especially if one needs large quantities, so I prefer to cut the okra into half, and then cook with the spices. This recipe is…
coriander
Rajma – Kidney Bean Curry
For all my friends, who love the Rajma at my place, I had to post this recipe. Rajma or Kidney beans curry, is a popular dish in a Punjabi household. I have hardly come across anyone who does not like Rajma Chawal . My daughter loves it and when ever I make it , I make a little extra for her to eat the next day as well, as she is sure to ask! One of my friends who travels from Delhi for work to Bangalore every few months, and stays here for a week, requests for rajma rice on…
Radish and Raw Mango Salad
Salad is a must for Lunch and dinner for me. While lemon, salt and pepper are a regular dressing for my cucumber tomato salad, I make it a little interesting over the weekends. One salad that goes well with the Indian fare is grated radish salad ( or lachha , as it is called in Hindi). I gave a little twist to the traditional grated radish salad by adding grated raw mango, instead of lemon. Talking of Radish, are you aware about a place called Jaunpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. I have lived in Jaunpur for…
Dum Aloo
Potatoes are an integral part of every cuisine. One of our family friends used to say that in their family irrespective of how many dishes are made for a family get together, the culinary skills of the hostess will be assessed based on how well the potatoes are prepared. In all the states of India potatoes are cooked in various forms, dry and curry. Each family has it’s favorite potato preparation. There are various preparations of Dum Aloo- Kashmiri, Banarsi, Punjabi etc. My mother used to make this recipe of dum aloo whenever we had a vegetarian guest. It is…
Kanjako wale kaale chane
 Recipe for Kale chane / black gram made for Kanya Poojan during Navratri.
Chane ki Lauki wali Daal ( Bengal Gram with Bottle Gourd)
As I mentioned in my earlier post of Moong Daal Palak, would eat a different daal every day , and also prefer a variation of commonly made daals. During summers we make the Bengal gram with bottle gourd. It makes the daal lighter and also gives a nice flavor. Also, if you have kids in the family who do not eat bottle gourd as a vegetable, it is easier to sneak in it in the daal. This daal goes well with Chapati, sliced onions and mint chutney or mango pickle. I prefer a low salt diet so avoid pickles.
Aloo Pyaaz Ki Sabzi
 Like my previous post on toor daal side dish made from potato is a must for many house hold in India. Daal , Rice and Aloo ki sabzi is all that you need , especially in summers. We had a hectic week and weekend turned out to be even more stressful as dad in law was not well. So i decided to go for a simple meal . For some odd reason under stress you get a lot of comfort doing things that you did as a kid, or eating the simple home cooked food.
Chatpati Toor Daal
( Tangy Curry made with Pigeon Pea ) Toor Daal also known as Arhar ki daal or Tuvar Daal is a most common daal used in Indian Household. In many families it is cooked daily. Gujarati’s make it slightly sweeter, South Indian make it with Vegetables and spices and call it sambhar. In our family we are the first generation who ate toor daal. My grandparents were from Pakitsan and in northern states like Punjab and Himachal toor daal was not used. But since my grandfather came to India during independence, and settled in UP , we got introduced to…
Spicy Dry Chicken
Spicy dry chicken
Vegetarian Cutlets ( Cheese Cutlets without Cheese )
This is one of my fav snacks when i want to surprise guest and serve something different. And so far no one has been able to guess what goes into it…so here’s the recipe … go ahead and surrprise your guests on this Diwlai