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.
Mattar Paneer is a North Indian vegetable dish made with green peas and paneer in a spiced tomato gravy. I had a delicious Mattar Paneer at my friend Pallavi’s home one evening, and asked her for the recipe.
Our family was invited to friends Pallavi and Parag’s home for dinner one weekend and what a feast we were treated to. I haven’t had a North Indian dinner like this in a very long time. So many varieties of vegetarian dishes all prepared at home by Pallavi and her Mom were a feast for the senses.
North Indian fare that is different from what I am used to cooking was a lovely change from my usual cuisine. Everything looked colourful and tasted amazing. We had over ten vegetarian dishes all prepared by Pallavi and her Mom, Sarla Aunty. Dinner was just scrumptious and a spread worthy of the Rajas (Kings) of India. Continue reading A North Indian Vegetarian Feast at Pallavi & Parag’s→
Raita, an Indian yogurt side dish is very popular in our house. If the family could have it every day with their meal they would. It’s basically yogurt with raw vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, cilantro and cucumbers along with some spices. In many Indian households raita is used to soothe the palate when the main Indian meal is too spicy, as the cool yogurt raita helps to neutralize the heat of chili.
Okra also called ladies fingers is an interesting vegetable. Growing up my Mom made okra quiet a lot, but I wasn’t always a big fan of this vegetable mainly because I didn’t like the texture of okra. It’s slimy when cut and that’s what turns many people off. But my Mom very often made an okra stir-fry in a well-seasoned old wok that got rid of the sliminess, and to get us kids to eat this very unusual vegetable she would tell us okra is good for the brain, that it makes us smarter, so we ate it slimy or not.
Okra provides about 22% of RDA per 100g of okra (which is about 3/4 cup of okra). RDA is short for Recommended Dietary Allowances that the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences puts out every few years. There is an RDA value attached to each food item. Think about it, 3/4 cup of okra has 22% of a person’s daily-recommended allowance of nutrients – that is pretty high! The many health benefits of okraContinue reading Roasted Pan Sautéed Okra→
Pakoras are deep fried Indian fritters made with chickpea flour and chopped veggies. I haven’t made pakoras in ages, mainly because I stopped deep frying foods at home years ago in an effort to eat healthier. But somehow a couple weekends ago I was craving homemade pakoras. I’ve had pakoras at Indian restaurants many times, but there is something about having homemade pakoras that is – well, let’s just say like anything homemade, it has a taste onto it’s own. Continue reading Cabbage and Onion Pakoras→
For a different take on the orient inspired ramen noodles try this Indian spiced noodles packed with vegetables and Indian spices. This recipe takes your regular fresh ramen or yaki-soba noodles that are available in the refrigerator section of the grocery store and spices it up with Indian seasonings.
There is nothing like the aroma of cooking vegetables, fish, chicken or meats in homemade ghee. Ghee, also known as clarified butter gives any food that you add ghee to an invigorating aroma that has a wonderful feel good effect on our senses. Ghee can be used to cook eggs, vegetables, meat, fish, or even just to add in a warm dish as a flavor enhancer. Sometimes I even toast bread on the pan with some ghee and it tastes amazing.
Health Benefits of Ghee:
Ghee has been used for thousands of years in India for it’s healthy virtues. Some of the many natural ways ghee can be used range from curing sores, to aid in preventing allergies, and to help decrease inflammation, just to name a few. Continue reading The Feel Good Essence of Homemade Ghee→
I was swimming in lemons a few weeks ago – over 275 lemons. I posted a recipe for lemonade syrup that used up almost all of them. Guess what? I got another 100 more lemons just last week! Of course I made more lemonade syrup, but I still have a bunch of lemons sitting in my basket.
So I thought let me make a lemon recipe that I grew up with – lemon rice. Mind you, this recipe doesn’t use a lot of lemon – just three in fact, but it’s a great way to make a lemon flavored main dish. Continue reading Lemon Rice→
Hitesh’s big birthday was back in end of February, and he didn’t want any celebration of any kind for this milestone birthday. Which meant that I had to celebrate it 😀 We had a surprise party for him and as a few of you may know, pulling off a surprise party is tough. But somehow we managed it with the help of our dear friends Swati and Tarak who hosted the birthday celebration at their home.
To make this party a very personal and heartfelt celebration for Hitesh, I asked all our friends (the ladies in the bunch) to bring their favorite dish that they knew he liked. Continue reading Saag Sabjee. Greens Curry→
