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.
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.
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→
On warm summer days tacos piled high with fresh vegetables and packed with well-seasoned kidney beans is a positively satisfying meal for lunch or dinner. This is the easiest recipe to pull together with the most stupendously delicious results. These tacos are packed with good for you legumes such as kidney beans, chock full of leafy greens, fresh tomatoes, delicious salsa, sour cream, and a dash of shredded cheese.
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→
There is something about eating hot-steamed idlis for brunch or lunch that just brings a smile to adults and kids alike in our family. Idlis are a staple in every South Indian home and made very often. The most common idlis are made by soaking lentils and rice together and blended into a batter, then fermented over night, and steamed into dumplings. These are called rice idlis.
There are easier versions of idlis to make in an instant however. My favorite idlis are rava idlis or semolina idlis. These idlis are made with roasted cream of wheat or semolina soaked in yogurt to form a thick batter, and then steamed.
I had this black bean soup for the first time at my friend Rose’s place a while back. I was expecting something thick and heavy when I heard she was making Black Bean Soup, but this soup is surprisingly light and thin. With some chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream, this variation of black bean soup was outstanding. Continue reading Black Bean Soup→
Rajma is a North Indian kidney-bean curry that is usually eaten with white rice. Rajma is one of those dishes I make when I’ve run out of fresh veggies or don’t feel like cutting a bunch of veggies. It’s quick and easy yet nutritious and delicious all at the same time. If you are like me and always have a few non-perishable goods on hand like a selection of canned beans and tomato sauce, rajma will become one of those go-to meals to make in an instant. Continue reading Rajma. North Indian Spiced Kidney Beans→
Chole, which is a North Indian chickpea dish from the Punjab region made of chickpeas cooked with onions, garlic and spices is one of the most popular dishes among Indians. Most if not all Indian restaurants have chole on their menu, it’s a staple dish in any Indian restaurant here in America. Most commonly chole is served with a side of batura (deep fried fermented flour tortillas) and a side condiment of raw onions which are put on top of chole and eaten together. When I make chole it is always a treat at our home. Here is a recipe for one version of chole the way I usually make it.
