Rajma or Red Kidney Beans
This is the most authentic Punjabi main dish, loved by everyone. Every Indian house makes kidney beans or Rajma at least once a week. Red kidney beans are a great source of protein for people on a vegetarian diet.
Sabudana Khichdi
Sabudana or Tapioca pearls are great source of energy and that is the reason it is mainly consumed by people in India when they are fasting.
Jal Jeera
This is mainly a summer drink and is also a part of a very popular street food –Pani Puri. Puris or golgappas are readily available in any Indian store. You make a little hole in the golgappas, fill it up with boiled and chopped potatoes and/or chickpeas optional, fill it up with this drink and …
Besan Ki Barfi
This is a famous sweet and very easy to make with only three main ingredients.
Langar ki Daal
The Sikh temples around the globe serve food, all seven days, to everyone who walks through those temple doors. It is a very humble gesture and the sevadars (workers at the temple) serve very lovingly. This dish is one of the many items that is made at the Gurudwaras. I have used the Green split …
Paneer Bhurji / Scrambled Paneer
Paneer is a very good source of protein for the vegetarian diet. I still have not met anyone who does not like paneer. You can make paneer at home with milk but if you do not want to be that adventurous you could buy at any grocery store.
Kadi With No Onion, Garlic or Ginger
This is a lighter version of the usual, thicker creamier version of the Punjabi kadi with no onion, garlic and ginger. This recipe is given to me by my elder sister, is a hassle free, quick recipe and really works for people who do not eat onions, ginger or garlic due to their preference or …
Traditional Indian Bread – Roti or Chappati
This is the staple bread, kind of like tortilla almost made everyday in a North Indian household. I love mine with some ghee on it, but it is entirely your choice. Do not worry if you cannot make it round as it tastes the same in every shape. Made out of whole wheat flour is …
Kathal Ki Biryani
Kathal or Jackfruit is getting very popular now. In American stores we do not get the fresh green jackfruit very easily but we can definitely find the cans of raw green jackfruit in brine. This recipe is handed over to me by my brother and it is a hit in his house. His kids love …
Aloo Methi / Fenugreek Leaves and Potato
Simplest and most aromatic vegetable. Fenugreek leaves have a lot of health benefits as well. It is not easily available at the American grocery stores but the Indian stores carry them all the time. The stores also carry dried fenugreek leaves, which are much stronger in flavor, you can use that also in this recipe …
Lamb Curry
I might have a very few selected non-vegetarian recipes but I promise I would bring you the best. When we were growing up Lamb curry was part of our Sunday menu, now our kids are specializing in these recipes. This is one of the recipes by my nephew who loves cooking and cooks this often …
Masoor Dal / Red Lentil
This recipe is my children’s favorite. Since it does not have too many spices added to it, the flavor of the lentil is enhanced. This is so easy to make because its a very simple recipe. I think it is the first recipe that my daughter tried when she left for college. We usually serve …
Besan Ka Chilla / Gram Flour Pancake
Besan or garbanzo bean flour is a great source of protein. It is somewhat in between pancake and crepe, so not as thin as a crepe and also not as fat as a pancake. It can be served as a breakfast item or an evening snack. The freshness of the cilantro and the green chili …
Kerala Curry
Amazing recipe and the easiest ever. When my sister in law, who is from Kerala introduced this recipe to me, I was very reluctant to try it. Me from North India, we believe in frying and cooking everything thoroughly so I was not sure if I would like it, but now this is my go …
Aloo Sabzi for Puri / Potato Curry
This is a very common meal and is enjoyed by almost all children. I have yet to meet someone who does not like this dish. I make it without onion and garlic, so it could be served at any religious occasion. I use panch phoran masala for this recipe, basically means a mix of five …
Pao Bhaji
Street food of Mumbai !! Yum Yum all I can say. The bhaji is made with all the vegetables that you have at home and it is eaten with Buns or pao. Yes,lots of butter gives it a delicious taste, but if you want to be conscious of your health, you could reduce the quantity …
Paan Kulfi / Indian Ice Cream
This is a our secret recipe of kulfi. It tastes so good that guests might think you took all day to make it. I should give the credit of paan flavored kulfi to my husband, as he is the one who invented it. He made it for our get together and it was a hit …
Chana Masala / Garbanzo Beans
Some how it has been a tradition at my in-laws house to make chana every Saturday. I have been keeping up with this tradition because it saves me the trouble of thinking what to cook. So after so many years I have experimented with different recipes of chana masala. This is the one I came …
Sambar (Split Pigeon Peas Lentil)
When I think of Sambar it gives me comfort. Literally it is a comfort food for me. There are about 100’s of recipes of Sambar out there but as you know by now, I like the simplicity and ease of recipes so here it is presenting one of the simplest recipes of Sambar. It is …
Instant Kesar Peda
Peda used to take hours to make, as the milk was reduced and thickened on slow heat for hours. Since I promised I am not get any difficult recipes here is an easy dessert for you. It is made with just three main ingredients. Peda is one of the mithais which is made on auspicious …
Beetroot Raita / Yogurt
I just learned that this is pretty casual to make in Kerala. Beetroot is filled with health benefits. It is packed with essential nutrients and great source of fiber, iron and vitamin C. Beetroot juice is said to help in lowering blood pressure. Well, I just like the taste of this and I decided I …
Kadai Paneer
This is one of those recipes that when served, seems you took great effort in making this but on the contrary it is so easy to make with hardly any effort. I have cut down on deep frying and the heavy cream to make a healthier version of this dish but I promise there is …
Punjabi Kadi
A typical Punjabi household, probably eats this at least once a week for lunch on Sundays or holidays. I do not like a lot of spices as I feel the flavors should come from the base ingredients and the spices should not takeover. So I have not used a lot of spices but as always …
Saag Paneer
The most popular dish among my non Indian friends is Saag Paneer. Saag is very popular North Indian cuisine. Power packed with nutrition and taste. Actually it is one of my kids favorite dish as well. I find it very easy to make. I usually make large batches of boiled saag and leave it in …
Spicy Japanese Eggplant
There are so many different kinds of eggplants available in the market. I try to make them very simply so the taste of the vegetable stays intact. I am using the long eggplant for this recipe with potatoes. Another easy side dish that can be added to the menu, with any lentil dish and can …
Bhindi Masala / Okra Masala
Okra or bhindi is one such vegetable that is liked by everyone. I still have to come across some one who does not like okra. In addition to the popularity this vegetable is also one of the easiest to cook. I personally do not like to use too many ingredients in the vegetables, I believe …
Garhwal Curry
Another recipe that I inherited from my mother in law. She would make this on our request when the whole family got together. I learnt it from her but still it does not taste as good as when she made it, but it is definitely one of my favorite lentil dish. It is a complete …
Aloo Parantha / Stuffed Potato Parantha
Wow one more use of potatoes loved by every one. In fact my one year grand child asks for this all the time. This is a universal favorite for all age groups from one year onward. Obviously, you might want to skip the Serrano peppers and the chili powder if you are going to make …
Chatpati Gobhi / Spicy Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of the most common vegetable in Indian cuisine, which makes it popular as well. Usually it is used with potatoes but I prefer it without potatoes, but you are welcome to use potatoes in this recipe. Cauliflower is a very low calorie food and it is also high in Vitamin C. I …
Ginger and Tamarind Rasam
Rasam is a kind of soup usually accompanied with sambhar. Just like sambhar, rasam has also a lot of different recipes. Rasam for vegetarians is like chicken soup for non vegetarians comfort food. Every region and every household in southern India have their own recipe for Rasam. Me being a Punjabi, have my own version. …
Aloo Frankie / Potato Frankie
Potato Frankie is a street food. This can be eaten as a snack to curb the hunger pangs in between meals or I usually eat it for dinner or lunch, when I get tired of the usual food. This is a welcome change. The good thing about this is its flexibility of the ingredients. There …
Paneer Kathi Roll
This is a high protein roll with paneer or if you want to add chicken strips instead of paneer that works too. This is a street food originated in Kolkata. Over the years it has seen a lot of variations, so the bottom-line is there is no hard and fast rule what should be filled …
Tamarind Rice
Tamarind comes from a fruit bearing tree. The pod looks like a pea pod. Tamarind has a lot of antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties. It is available in a lot of different forms, you can get a concentrated tamarind paste or its raw form. Usually when I have left over rice I make this dish, …
Poha (Flattened Rice Breakfast)
There are a lot of recipes to make Poha, every region has its own way to make Poha. As you know by now, I believe in the simplicity of the recipe and of course, a recipe that can be made in a hurry, this is a good one. I usually don’t like to start cooking …
Tomato Chutney
Tomato chutney is usually an accompaniment with the Toor Dal (Yellow pigeon pea split) and rice. In our house, it is a Sunday special light food. Since it is a very easy meal to make, it is a perfect lunch to make on a lazy Sunday. You can adjust the spices according to your taste.
Gulab Jamun
No Indian meal is complete without a dessert. When we talk about dessert Gulab Jamun is number one on the list. Although there are different stories on the origin of this sumptuous dessert, some stories say it is an accidental creation by the Mughul Emperor Shah Jahan’s personal chef and some people believe it is …
Tinda Subzi (Baby pumpkin)
Tinda or baby pumpkin is the member of the squash family. It is considered a very boring vegetable, but people like my sister loves it. She can eat this any time of the day. It is similar to zucchini and is about 5-8 cm in diameter. Very popular in Indian and Pakistani cuisine and is …
Easy Egg Masala Curry
When you have guests over who would only eat non-vegetarian food and you are a vegetarian or you really do not know how to cook anything nonvegetarian, then this recipe is perfect. It is easy and quick. I love it because of its taste and also of course does not take any extra effort. Try …