Oh the humble zucchini. Poor veggie gets little respect. It’s mostly relegated to an after thought, or as a filler vegetable. We use them in cakes for moisture, add them in veggie dishes to add some heft, but rarely do we say “Oh I add zucchini for its flavor.” We mostly see zucchini as a flavorless vegetable. Because let’s face it, most times zucchini IS flavorless especially when bought at the grocery stores. Imagine my surprise then to get zucchini straight from the farm that actually has flavor, so flavorful in fact that I created a recipe around the humble zucchini. These tacos do just that – show off the well-deserved zucchini vegetable by giving it star status, not just as a filler vegetable but as a veggie deserving of being highlighted. These tacos are all about the veggies folks. When you have delicious veggies you get delicious food! Continue reading Zucchini Pepper Tacos
Tag Archives: spices
Sayur Lodeh. Javanese Vegetable Curry
Good Monday to you all. How was your weekend? Hopefully you had a more peaceful weekend than the weekend before. We are still aware of the pandemic that is prevalent around us and I am still in support of the peaceful protests that have invigorated our nation. As we continue to be mindful and aware of racial inequalities and injustices that happen on a daily basis in this country, I humbly admit that I was grateful for a more peaceful weekend. After a week of heart wrenching stories surrounding the reasons for the protests combined with the sweltering heat that we had in the Bay Area, both the news and our temperatures cooled down by Friday. Our weather was spectacular by Friday and by the weekend our temperatures were back in the cool 60s and 70s, perfect for gardening. I planted more veggie seedlings that I picked up from my friend Veena. Veena has an amazing garden here in my neighborhood and I’ve featured her beautiful garden multiple times on my blog. Among the veggie seedlings I got from her this time were green beans, pumpkin seedlings, watermelon, and squash plants. I can’t wait to see how these plants do up in my veggie patch. Continue reading Sayur Lodeh. Javanese Vegetable Curry
Araicha Kootu. South Indian Squash Stew with Coconut Paste
Kootu is a type of vegetable stew that is made often in South Indian homes and is a great way to combine lentils and vegetables in a one pot dish. Kootu is made with vegetables, lentils and fresh coconut that are all delicately flavored with spices and is served over steaming white rice. With this combination of ingredients one doesn’t need anything else – protein, starch and vegetables are all taken care of in one delicious meal. Continue reading Araicha Kootu. South Indian Squash Stew with Coconut Paste
Chili Mint Paneer
Today I would like to share a recipe from a lunch I hosted a while back – months before our Shelter in Place took place. Let’s call this a Throwback Thursday type of post.
I had friends Shalini and Rose over for a casual lunch a while back and I can honestly say that when the three of us get together time just flies. Shalini and Rose are two of my very dear friends, not only can we spend hours together chatting, both these ladies are amazing cooks. Rose is a baker aficionado, and my friend Shalini is a fabulous Indian cook. In addition to being awesome cooks, they are both health conscious and their foods are mindfully made. Naturally, when these ladies come over I have to up my game, especially my culinary skills. Continue reading Chili Mint Paneer
Potato Pea Curry
This simple and easy potato and green pea curry is a classic Indian dish and very popular in many Indian homes. Usually served with chapatis or puris (fried whole wheat chapatis) this veggie curry makes for a deliciously comforting meal. The curry is saucy and mildly spiced so if you want it can even be had as a warm bowl of stew. The sauce is made up of fresh tomatoes that get cooked with onions and spices, then the potatoes and green peas are added and cooked together. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end adds some tang and then it’s topped with plenty of fresh cilantro. On days when you want a mildly spiced Indian dish that will warm the body and the psyche, this is the one make. Continue reading Potato Pea Curry
Yellow Daal. Daal Tadka
Yellow daal or what is also known as daal tadka- meaning lentils cooked and tempered with spiced oil is a very popular dish at Indian restaurants and a favorite daal in our home. My daughter Rani especially loves this daal. Anytime she sees me making lentils, she’ll ask, “Is that yellow daal your making?” With aromatic spices, ginger garlic and onions all shallow fried in ghee, and served over white rice, this daal is comfort food for sure. Continue reading Yellow Daal. Daal Tadka
Simple Savory Oatmeal with Ghee, Mustard Seeds and Caraway Seeds
My Mom-in-law used to make this savory oatmeal in the mornings when she visited me here in California a while back and I remember looking at it with such curiosity. It was a very simple dish really – creamy oatmeal with a touch of spices and a pinch of salt. Mom-in-law did add a piece of green chili for some heat but it added just a hint. Her oatmeal was oatmeal in color with minimal spices such as mustard seeds and caraway seeds. It was meant to be a simple and quick savory oatmeal. Continue reading Simple Savory Oatmeal with Ghee, Mustard Seeds and Caraway Seeds
Stuffed Chile Relleno with Kale, Sweet Potato and Squash
Packed with nutrients, delicious and decadent, a baked chili relleno from our favorite Mexican restaurant Zona Rosa is what I tried to replicate in this recipe. Just look at the photo of their vegetarian chile relleno!! Doesn’t it look amazing!! In an effort to make something similar to Zona Rosa’s I stuffed my poblano peppers with a similar variety of veggies that included kale, sweet potatoes and squash. I then added quinoa and cheese, and baked the peppers on a bed of black beans. Continue reading Stuffed Chile Relleno with Kale, Sweet Potato and Squash
Kootu. White Pumpkin and Daikon Lentil Stew
This South Indian style stew called kootu is commonly made with squash, soft lentils, spices and fresh coconut, and is served over white rice. With a few mild spices such as asafetida, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and turmeric and with lots of veggies and lentils, kootu is delicious and wholesome. Continue reading Kootu. White Pumpkin and Daikon Lentil Stew
Garam Masala Fennel Cauliflower
There are so many recipes of our favorite Indian cauliflower curry with each one having its own unique twist, that I like to keep adding new ones to my repertoire, especially when they are from friends and family. This is one such recipe. Continue reading Garam Masala Fennel Cauliflower
