Adai is a pancake made with rice, lentils and vegetables all cooked on the stove just like you make pancakes. It is a very common dish in many South Indian Tamil homes and is typically eaten with some jaggeri (unrefined sugar) or coconut chutney.
Tag Archives: Indian food
Purple Potato, Pepper & Baby Turnips Curry
My friend Pallavi made this outstanding Indian curry with purple potatoes, peppers and baby turnips when we went to her and her husband Parag’s place for dinner one Saturday evening. This combination of vegetables was very unusual for me, but as I found out it wasn’t a veggie combination that Pallavi makes often either. Pallavi explained that she had just picked up these vegetables from the Farmer’s Market and decided to use this rather unusual combination of veggies as the inspiration for her very delicious North Indian spiced curry. Here is the recipe. Continue reading Purple Potato, Pepper & Baby Turnips Curry
A Fresh and Light Birthday Lunch – A Menu Worth Replicating
My dear friend Rose came over for lunch to celebrate my birthday back in July and since my birthday is during the summer break that meant at least one child was home from school. On this afternoon it was Anjali who joined us for our super light, fresh, and healthy lunch soiree. Here is a look at our birthday lunch menu.
Fresh and Light Birthday Lunch
Fresh Herbs Salad with Radish, Cucumbers, and Pickled Onions
Indian Scrambled Eggs
Savory Scones
Fresh Fruit
Black Tea – Harney & Sons Paris Blend
Try this deliciously healthy and nutritious lunch menu for any occasion. It’s a menu worth replicating.
Haricot Verts with Cumin Seeds, Asafoetida and Turmeric
This is my all time favorite way to have haricot vert beans – lightly seasoned and cooked to perfection. If you are looking for a unique way to serve green beans, this is the recipe to try.
Haricot vert beans also known as French green beans tend to be skinnier than the regular green beans, and because of this, they cook faster and taste fresh even after being lightly sautéed with spices. Hericot vert green beans are so tender that they taste amazing when they are cut into tiny pieces allowing the delicate flavors from the interior of the green beans to come through. Continue reading Haricot Verts with Cumin Seeds, Asafoetida and Turmeric
Toor Daal. Pigeon Peas Cooked in Spices
Toor daal comes in many variations in India, as varied as the country itself, and they all taste great. Creamy yellow lentils cooked so tender they fall apart, all seasoned with spices and served over white rice has a taste that is just heaven. Most Indian restaurants have toor daal on their menu – sometimes they may just call it yellow lentil soup.
Here is a recipe for toor daal my Mom taught me over three decades ago after returning from a visit to Ahmedabad, India. Continue reading Toor Daal. Pigeon Peas Cooked in Spices
Green Chili and Cilantro Rice with Cauliflower & Peas
My friend Veena is the Rice Queen. I’ve known Veena for over twenty years now and over the years I have had the most amazing South Indian Tamil foods prepared by her. Anything and everything she cooks is outstanding. One of her specialties is making the most creative rice dishes I have ever had. Her rice dishes are always flavored to perfection and positively delicious.
Continue reading Green Chili and Cilantro Rice with Cauliflower & Peas
Indian Scrambled Eggs with Green Chili, Ginger, Onions & Turmeric
Here is a recipe for Indian style eggs that is packed full of flavor with good for you ginger and turmeric. In India scrambled or fried eggs are typically made with chopped onions, cilantro, green chilies, and finely grated ginger, and sometimes spiced with a pinch of turmeric. Once in a while I love making Indian scrambled eggs for a change from my usual omelet.
Continue reading Indian Scrambled Eggs with Green Chili, Ginger, Onions & Turmeric
Geetha Masi’s Vegetable Biryani
Biryani, which is a very popular rice dish in all parts of India packed with vegetables and exotic spices comes in many variations. Each biryani recipe can be as unique as the families that make them. All biryanis are cooked with rice, spices and vegetables. Some may have meats as well. Depending on what region of India one is from and their own family traditions biryani can be made with coconut milk, shredded coconut, paneer, combination of meats, and a wide variety of unique spice blends.
This recipe is for one variation of biryani that I learnt how to make from Geetha Masi (Masi meaning respectfully Aunty). Geetha Masi was visiting us from Mumbai, India and offered to cook a dish that I wanted to learn – biryani was the dish I chose. Continue reading Geetha Masi’s Vegetable Biryani
Zucchini Curry with Mushrooms & Paneer
I made this zucchini curry with mushrooms and paneer with a third of a giant zucchini I received from my friend Karen. This zucchini was huge and I had to come up with some creative ways to use this crudités.
My first dish was an Indian curry. I was having some friends over for dinner and a fresh zucchini curry with mushrooms and paneer seemed like a perfect dish to make for the occasion.
Saffron Pistachio Ice Cream
When one has an ice cream maker at home it is so much fun to get creative with ice cream flavors. The best part of having an easy to use ice cream maker is that we can make small-batch ice creams – just enough for one evening. This also means that we can experiment with different flavors in small quantities. The twins and I love trying out new and creative ice cream flavors over the hot summer months.
Saffron pistachio ice cream is a classic ice cream flavor in India called Kesar Pista, which translates to Saffron Pistachio. Used to be I could only find this flavor at Indian grocery stores or at Indian restaurants and ice cream parlors. But now with my easy to use ice cream maker, making Saffron Pistachio Ice Cream at home has become a breeze. Here is the recipe.
