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Ingredients
- Milk: ¾ cup
- All-purpose flour:1 cup
- Baking powder: 1¼ tsp
- Baking soda: ½ tsp
- Powdered sugar: 2 tbsp
- Milk powder: 2 tbsp (optional)
- Butter: 3 tbsp
- Oil: 3 tbsp
- Tea leaves: 3 tbsp or 5 teabags
- Vanilla essence: ¼ tsp
- Condensed milk: ½ cup or
- Milk powder: ½ cup with ¼ cup milk
- Softened butter: ½ cup
- Fresh lemon juice: ¼ cup
- Lemon zest: 1–2 tsp
- Powdered sugar: 5 cups
- Food colour (optional)
Earl grey tea cake
Well, not sure whether to call this a story but here it goes! My son is extremely fond of Earl Grey…
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Ingredients
- Bananas (large): 2
- Eggs: 2
- Maida (refined flour): 2 cups
- Oil: 2 cups
- Baking soda: 1.5 tsp
- Granulated sugar: 1 cup
- Baking powder: ½ tsp
- Walnuts: 1 cup
- Lukewarm milk (if required to thin the batter)
Banana walnut bread
This is a recipe that I learnt from my local guardian when I was 21 and studying at LSR. I have…
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Ingredients
- Broken wheat: 1 cup (soaked for 30 min and drained)
- Water: 1½ cups for pressure cooking
- Jaggery: ½ cup
- Coconut milk: 200 ml
- Ghee (clarified butter): 1 tbsp
- Cardamom powder: ½ tsp
- Dry coconut (finely sliced or chopped): 3-4 tbsp
Godhuma payasam
Onam special from my Malayali friend!
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Ingredients
- Mixed vegetables (julienned): 2½ cups *
- Atta or maida (I use atta): ¾ cup
- Water: ¾ cup
- Oil: 2 tsp
- Salt: to taste
- Soya sauce: 2 tbsp
- Rice vinegar: 1 tbsp
- Chilli powder: 1 tsp
- Toasted sesame seeds: ½ tsp
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Ingredients
- Green or purple brinjals: 6
- Green onions: 3 sprigs
- Dhaniya (coriander) stalks (only stalks, no leaves): a handful
- Garlic: 1 clove
- Ginger: ½“,piece
- Soy sauce: 2 tbsp
- Rice vinegar: 1 tsp
- Tomato ketchup:1 tbsp (I use Maggi Hot and Sweet Tomato Chilli Sauce)
- Sugar:1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil (not Indian til oil) or peanut oil:1 tbsp
- Chilli (optional): to taste
Steamed eggplant with fusion Vietnamese dressing
I am sharing some recipes from parts of the world that most Indians don’t normally come across. Though the dishes, like…
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Ingredients
- Carrot: 1
- Potato: 1
- Beans: 12-15
- Corn: 1
- Greens (I used basale and nelabasale): a handful
- Fried onions: 2 tbsp
- Garlic cloves: 2-4
- Green chillies: 2-3
- Roasted peanuts: ½ cup
- Salt:1 tsp
- Cane sugar/powdered jaggery:1 tbsp
- Soy sauce:1 tbsp
- Rice vinegar: 1 tsp
Indonesian gado gado
I am sharing some recipes from parts of the world that most Indians don’t normally come across. Though the dishes, like…
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Ingredients
- mixed dal(Chana Dal, Toor Daal ,chilka moong dal, dhuli moong dal): 2.5 cup
- small grain rice (not basmati): 1.5 cup
- Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
- Salt as per taste
- Water :8 cups of water
- 1.5 tsp chopped green chilli
- Ghee: 2 Tbsp
- Whole Jeera: 1.5 tsp
- Hing(asafetida): 1/2 tsp
- Chopped coriander: 2-3 tbsp
- Round Brinjals: 2
- Potato: 3-4 in nos.
- Tomato: 4
- Green Chillies: 3-4
- Hing- Hing(asafetida): 1 tsp
- Chopped Coriander: Handful
- Raw mustard Oil: 2 Tablespoon
- Salt: As per taste
- Stuffed Red Chilli Pickle: 1 big chunk
Panchamel Khichdi with Aloo Baingan and Tamatar…
Khichdi is my all-time favourite comfort meal for any season. It is accommodating in nature by virtue of being cooked either…
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Ingredients
- Baby potatoes: 15
- Mustard oil: 1 and ½ tbsp
- Small rai (mustard): ½ tsp
- Curry leaves: 2 sprigs (washed and pat-dried)
- Dhaniya powder: ½ tsp
- Chhole masala: 1 tsp
- Chaat masala: 1 tsp (kaala chaat masala - Kedara/Roopak/any other brand you find)
- Salt: ½ tbsp + ¼ tsp
Chatpate Aloo Sarson Waale
What can be greater than the joy of sharing with family and friends! I’m sharing recipes that people have loved, time…
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Ingredients
- Finely chopped onion: 1
- Red ripe tomatoes: 4 big
- Green capsicum: 1 small
- Finely chopped coriander/ parsley: 1 tbsp
- Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp
- Green pickled jalapeños chopped fine: 1 tbsp or (1 green chilli)
- Ketchup or Hot n sweet (Maggi) sauce: 1 tbsp
- Chilli powder: ¾ tsp
- Salt to taste: about ¼ tsp
Sexy mexy chilled salsa
What can be a greater than the joy of sharing with family and friends! I am sharing recipes which people have…
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Ingredients
- Baby corn: 20
- Chaat masala:1 tbsp
- Oil (for frying)
- Maida: ½ cup
- Amul processed cheese (grated): 2 tbsp
- Melted butter: 1 tbsp
- Black pepper: ¼ tsp
- Salt to taste
- Chilli flakes (optional): ¼ tsp
- Maida/cornflour: 2 tbsp
- Water: 3 tbsp
Baby corn twisters
What can be greater than the joy of sharing with family and friends! I’m sharing recipes that people have loved, time…
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Ingredients
- Dabur Hommade coconut milk: 1 tetrapack (100 ml needed for the sauce)
- Real Thai red curry paste: 1 packet (½ tbsp for sauce)
- Peanut butter: (chunky or you can use smooth and then add crushed roasted peanuts later): 2 tbsp
- Salt: ½ tsp
- Pepper: ½ tsp
- Brown sugar: ½ tsp
- Sriracha sauce: ½ tsp
- Chilli flakes: ½ tsp
- Fresh lime juice: ½ tsp
- Dark soy sauce: ½ tsp
- Garlic, fresh: ½ tsp
Thai peanut dipping sauce
What can be greater than the joy of sharing with family and friends! I’m sharing recipes that people have loved, time…
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Ingredients
- Paneer/tofu (according to preference): 250 gm
- Medium-sized bell peppers (red yellow& green): 4
- Mushrooms (optional): 10-12
- Roasted peanuts (crushed): for garnishing
- Vegetable oil: 1tbsp (+1 tbsp for grilling later)
- Onion (small, finely chopped): 1
- Ginger (grated): 1”
- Garlic (crushed): 6 cloves
- Fresh red chillies (deseeded and thinly sliced): 2
- Peanut butter: 2 tbsp
- Brown sugar: ¾ tbsp
- Lemongrass stalk: 1
- Coconut milk (Dabur Hommade): 1 tetra pack
- Chilli powder: 1 tsp
- Lemon rind of 1 lemon
- Lemon juice: 1 tsp
- Salt: ½ tsp
- Dark soy: 1tsp
Thai peanut glazed satay
What can be greater than the joy of sharing with family and friends! I’m sharing recipes that people have loved, time…
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Ingredients
- Powdered oats: 2 cups
- Wholewheat flour: ½ cup
- Refined flour: ½ cup
- Warm water: 1¼ cup
- 2 tsp of sugar: 2 tsp
- 2 tsp of salt: 2 tsp
- Dry yeast: 1½ tsp
- Herbs of your choice
- Egg (optional): 1
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Ingredients
- Besan (gram flour): 1 cup.
- Rava/sooji (semolina): 1 cup
- Idli batter: 2 cups
- Curd to soften the rava: 1 cup
- Grated cabbage,: 1 cup
- grated coconut: optional: 1/4 cup
- Onion (medium, finely chopped): 1
- Green chillies (finely chopped): according to taste
- Salt to taste
- Oil for cooking: 1 tbsp
Okonomiyaki
A takeaway from the Gujarati dish handvo!
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Ingredients
- Bread slices: 8
- Paneer: 150 gm
- Salt to taste
- Red chilli powder to taste
- Chaat masala to taste
- Mint and coriander chutney: 4 tsp
- Onion: 1
- Cucumber: 1
- Green chilly: 1
- Fresh coriander
- Juice of half a lemon
- Butter as required
Ambala paneer sandwich
Me and my hubby were in Ambala for a few months. We discovered this small shop, Prakash Coffee House, in Sadar…
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Ingredients
- Carrot (grated): 1 cup
- Paneer (cottage cheese) (grated): 1 cup
- Slices of fresh regular bread: 6-8
- Butter (melted): 1½ tbsp
- Mustard paste: 1 tsp
- Green chilli (chopped very fine): 1
- Salt and pepper to taste
Carrot rolls
Tarla Dalal is my unquestioned guru. Her books helped my husband and me to survive a marriage and pluck up the…
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Ingredients
- Aambula (dried mango): 10-15 pieces
- Sour curd: 1 cup
- Mustard seeds: 100 gm
- Cumin seeds: 25 gm
- Garlic: 10-15 cloves, peeled
- Red chillies (without stem): 4-5 pieces
- Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
Kaasundi
What’s an Indian summer without mangoes? The golden, sweet, and juicy fruit is the undisputed king of fruits. But, even in…
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Ingredients
- Jamun: 100 gm
- Lemon: 1
- Black salt: 1 tsp (or to taste)
- Soda water: 10 ml
- Jeera (cumin) powder: 1 tsp
- Coriander leaves: a sprig
Jamun summer cooler
From my childhood days, I remember my grandma, my mother, and masi being great jamun-lovers. They used to put jamuns on…
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Ingredients
- Milk: 2 litres
- Sugar: ¼ cup
- Cardamom powder: ½ tbsp
- Water: ¼ cup with 1 tbsp vinegar
- Saffron and pista for garnish
Easy kalakand
I am a sucker for easy ways to cook! The pandemic gave rise to a lot of time being spent in…
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Ingredients
- Kairi (Raw mango, peeled and grated): 500 gm
- Ajwain (carom seeds): ½ tsp
- Jeera (cumin): ½ tsp
- Methi dana (fenugreek seeds): ½ tsp
- Kalonji (nigella seeds): ½ tsp
- Mustard seeds: ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder: ½ tsp
- Haldi (turmeric): ½ tsp
- Garam masala: 1 tsp
- Hing (asafoetida): a pinch
- Rock salt to taste
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Chaat masala: 1 tsp
- Sugar: 500gm or equal weight to mango (or to taste)
- Cloves: 2-3
- Black peppercorns: 5-6
- Black cardamom: 1
- Saunf (fennel seeds): 2½ tsp
- Cinnamon powder: ½ tsp
- Mustard oil: 1 tbsp
- Vinegar: 1 tbsp
- Water: 1 cup
- Seeds: melon a handful,* optional
Aam ka Laccha
Childhood memories of summers are inextricably linked to mangoes. In our childhood home in Kanpur, we had a large mango tree…
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Ingredients
- Lalbagh Sindhoora mangoes (ripe): 4
- Sugar: ⅔ cup
- Water: ⅓ cup
- Kesar (saffron): a few strands (optional)
- Elaichi (cardamom) powder: 3-4 pinches (optional)
Mango popsicles
An experiment that turned out to be my children’s favourite!
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Ingredients
- Raw mangoes: 3
- Mustard oil: 3 tsp
- Dry red chillies: 2-3
- Bay leaves: 2
- Panch phoran: 1 tsp *
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to taste
- Roasted ground cumin seeds: 1 tsp
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Ingredients
- Masoor dal (without chhilka): 1 cup
- Sour green mango: 1
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
- Methi (fenugreek) seeds: ¼ tsp
- Dry red chillies: 2
- Oil: 1 tsp
- Water: 3 cups (approximately)
Dal aam (dal with raw mango)
This simple delicately flavoured and delicious item was a summer favourite in my family. When the extended family met and we…
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Ingredients
- Raw mango (grated): 250 gm
- Ajwain (carom seeds): ⅓ tsp
- Mangrela (kalonji, onion seeds): ⅓ tsp
- Saunf (fennel seeds): ⅓ tsp
- Rai (black mustard Seeds): ⅓ tsp
- Methi dana (fenugreek seeds): a pinch
- Haldi (Turmeric): ⅓ tsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder: ⅓ tsp
- Mustard oil: 50 ml
- Salt to taste
- Green chillies or dried red chillies: as per taste.
Kachche aam ka koocha ( a grated…
My Dadi’s favourite. I can still feel her company when I have this koocha. The word ‘koocha’ means that which has…
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Ingredients
- Green mangoes: 1 kg
- Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Red chilli powder: to taste
- Coriander seeds: 4 tsp
- Saunf (fennel) seeds: 4 (2+2) tsp
- Jeera (cumin): 3 tsp
- Sarson (mustard seeds): 1 tsp
- Mustard oil: 1½ cup
Mrs. Shanti Lal’s aam achaar
I’m making mango pickle, my mil’s recipe after 35 years! The recipe is on an old inland letter which, for safekeeping,…
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Ingredients
- Raw mango: 1 kg
- Salt (mix of white/sendha/kaala}: 2-3 tbsp (or as per taste)
- Red chilli powder: 3-4 tbsp (or as per taste)
- Hing (asafoetida): 2 tsp (depending on its potency)
- Sugar/powdered jaggery: 350-400 gm (adjust to taste)
Hing wala aam achaar (mango pickle with…
In Kanpur, we shifted into an apartment in 1993 and our neighbours there had a hing (asafoetida) factory. We first ate…
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Ingredients
- Tequila: 60 ml
- Triple sec: 15 ml
- Creme de menthe: 15 ml
- Sugar syrup: 30 ml
- Lime juice: 30 ml
- Black salt: ½ tsp
- Tabasco (optional): a dash
The Wicked Elsa
Story for a cocktail? None needed! It’s a heck of a story by itself with the subtle nudges and tickles of…
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Ingredients
- Vodka\ agave\gin\tequila: 45 ml
- Mango juice: 60-80 ml
- Lime juice: 15 ml
- Basil, mint or jalapeno for flavour
- Crushed ice: 7-8 cubes
- Bitters: optional
- Cocktail shaker
Aam Sutra
Here’s one for the love of mangoes! For all those (comme moi) who cant get enough of those curvaceous, voluptuous, and…
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Ingredients
- Cranberry juice: 200 ml
- Fresh mint leaves: 10-12
- Crushed ice: 6-7 ice cubes
- Tabasco (or any red pepper sauce): ½ tsp
- Salt: ½ tbsp
- Lemon: 1
Spiced virgin cranberry margarita
This drink was part of the cookout I had done for ElsaTable in Mar 2021. It was concocted by my daughter…
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Ingredients
- Coarsely ground black whole urad dal: 1 cup
- Ghee (vegan alternative: coconut oil): 2-3 tbsp
- Hing (asafoetida): ½ tsp
- Jeera (cumin seeds): 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Haldi (turmeric): ½ tsp
- Coriander powder: 1 tsp
- Red chilly powder: 1 tsp
- Garlic cloves: - 3-4
- Green chilly: 1
- Coriander leaves: for garnish
- Lemon juice (optional): for garnish
Phanoo/ Phani
This dish, along with Bhatt ki Chutney and Gahat ke Kebab, was part of the Live cookout for ElsaTable in Feb…
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Ingredients
- Red lobia: ½ cup
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Green chilly: 1
- Coriander leaves (optional)
- Salt or kala namak to taste
- Lemon juice to taste
Bhatt ki chutney
This dish, along with Gahat ke Kebab and Phanoo/Phani, was part of the Live cookout for ElsaTable in Feb 2021. The…
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Ingredients
- Gahat/kulath/horsegram dal: 1½ cups
- Green chillies (finely chopped): 2-3 (can increase based on spice tolerance)
- Coriander leaves: a bunch
- Garlic cloves (finely chopped): 6-7
- Salt to taste
- Finely chopped onions (optional): 2 tbsp
- Ghee/butter (vegan alternative: coconut oil): for pan-frying
Gahat ke kebab
This dish, along with Bhatt ki Chutney and Phanoo/Phani, was part of the Live cookout for ElsaTable in Feb 2021. The…
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Ingredients
- Carrots (gajar) peeled: 2 kg
- Turnip (shalgam) peeled: 1 kg
- Cauliflower (gobhi) cut into florets: ½ kg
- Jaggery (powdered or finely chopped): 300 gm
- Mustard oil: 150 ml
- Salt to taste
- Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
- Garam masala: 1 tsp
- Black pepper powder: ½ tsp
- Ginger paste: 40 gm
- Garlic paste: 40 gm
- Onion paste: 40 gm
- Rai (small mustard seeds)(coarsely ground): 40 gm
- White vinegar: 150 ml
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Ingredients
- Parwal: 500 gm (12-14)
- Oil: 2 tbsp
- Asafoetida: 1 pinch
- Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
- Green chilly (finely chopped): 1-2
- Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
- Coriander powder: 1 tsp
- Fennel powder: 2 tsp
- Red chilly powder: ¼ tsp
- Mango powder: ½ tsp (or juice of half a lemon)
- Garam masala: ¼ tsp
- Besan (gram flour): 1 tsp
- Coriander (finely chopped): 1 tbsp
- Salt: as per taste
Stuffed parwal
Inspired by a recipe on nishamadhulika.com
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Ingredients
- Garlic cloves (peeled): 15
- Dry red chillies (destalked): 15
- Jeera (cumin): 1 tsp
- Ginger (roughly chopped): ½ “
- Oil: 2 tsp
- Seedless tamarind: a small ball (little larger than a marble)
- Jaggery: a small ball same size as tamarind
- Salt to taste
Garlic and chilli chatni
This popped up on social media one fine day and disappeared soon after. So, it’s a re-creation of what I imagined…
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Ingredients
- Medium-sized kamrakh (carambola/star fruit): 4
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Jeera (cumin): ½ tsp
- Methi (fenugreek) seeds: ½ tsp
- Saunf (fennel seeds): 1 tsp
- Hing (asafoetida) powder: 1 pinch
- Haldi (turmeric) powder: ¼ tsp
- Dhania (coriander) powder: 1 tsp (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Sugar: about 3 tbsp or to taste (maybe more depending on the sourness of the kamrakh)
- Red chilli powder: ¼ tsp
- Garam masala powder: ¼ tsp
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Ingredients
- Large juicy tomatoes (roughly chopped): 5-6
- Onion (small, finely chopped): 1
- White vinegar: 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Red chilli powder: ½ tsp
- Freshly crushed black pepper powder: ½ tsp
- Sugar: 100 gm
- Oil: 1 tsp
- Jeera (cumin): ½ tsp
Sweet tomato chutney (our desi version of…
When we had desi tomatoes growing in the kitchen garden during the winter season, this chutney was everyone’s breakfast favourite that…
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Ingredients
- White sesame (roasted): ½ cup
- Coconut (grated): ½ cup
- Dry red chillies: 2
- Tamarind pulp: 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Curry leaves: 1 sprig
- Mustard seeds: ¼ tsp
- Oil: 1 tbsp
Coorg yellu chutney (white sesame)
Cuisine from Coorg uses coconut in plenty. Our chutneys are no exception. We make chutney with coriander, raw mango, mango ginger,…
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Ingredients
- Coriander leaves (finely chopped): 2 tbsp
- Green chilli (finely chopped): 1 tsp
- Powdered sugar: 1½ tsp
- Vinegar: 1 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Sesame seeds (white): ½ tsp
- Roasted peanuts (without skin): ⅓ cup
- Red chillies (chopped): 2
- Garlic pods (chopped): 2
- Sugar: 1 tsp
- Vinegar: 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Warm water (for blending): 3-4 tbsp
- Light soya sauce: 2 tbsp
- Water: 1 tsp
- Ginger (finely chopped): ¾ tsp
- Sesame seeds (white): ½ tsp
Dipping sauces
Ready in a jiffy. Try it.
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Ingredients
- Fresh sarson (mustard) leaves along with soft stems: 1 bunch
- Palak (spinach) leaves: 250 gm
- Methi (fenugreek) leaves: 100 gm
- Bathua leaves: 150 gm
- Shalgam/ turnip (diced): 1 (small)
- Green chillies (finely chopped): 2
- Garlic cloves (finely chopped): 8-9
- Ginger (finely chopped): ½"
- Onion (finely chopped): 1 (small)
- Desi ghee: 4-5 tsp
- Cornmeal (makki ka atta): 2 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Pinch of heeng (asafoetida)
- Dollop of white butter/ any butter
Sarson ka saag
Every season has a story. Winters in North India have a large variety of vegetables, greens, revari, til, gur, and ladoos.…
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Ingredients
- Red bell peppers (halved and seeded): 3
- Extra virgin olive oil: 2 tsp
- Onion (chopped): 1 (small)
- Garlic (minced): 4-5 tsp
- Red pepper flakes: 1 tsp
- Paprika: 1 tsp
- Sun-dried tomatoes: 20 gm
- Tomato paste: 2 tbsp
- Milk powder: 1 tbsp
- Extra-virgin olive oil: ¼ cup
- Fresh basil (chopped): ½ cup
- Whole-milk ricotta cheese*: 1 cup
- Cream cheese: 2 tsp (heaped)
- Parmigiana regiana /Parmesan cheese (grated): 100 gm
- Red wine vinegar: 2 tbsp
- Pine nuts: 50 gm
- Salt to taste
- Sugar: 2 tsp
Pesto ala calaberese
For years I was buying Barilla Pesto, but then the supply suddenly dried up. Pasta being the best way I could…
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Ingredients
- Rice (soaked overnight): 4 cups
- Salt to taste
- Oil for greasing the pan
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Ingredients
- Mustard seeds (sorisha): 2 tsp
- Cumin seeds:1 tsp
- Poppy seeds (khuskhus/postodaana): ½ tsp
- Garlic: 6-7 cloves
- Dry red chilies: 2 (or as per taste)
- Prawns: 250 gms
- Malabar spinach (poi saago): 500 gm
- Potato: 50 gm
- Pumpkin: 50 gm
- Colocasia (saaru): 50 gm
- Oil: 3-4 tsp
- Salt: to taste
- Turmeric powder: a pinch
- Water: 1 cup
Poi chungudi
The poi (English name Malabar Spinach) is a humble, glossy green, fleshy-leafed creeper that grows profusely in India’s eastern states like…
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Ingredients
- Besan (Gramflour): 1½ cup
- Curd: 3½ tbsp
- Fennel (coarsely powdered): 1 tsp
- Coriander powder: 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
- Garam masala (mixed spice): ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder: ¼ - ½ tsp
- Hing (asafoetida): ¼ tsp
- Salt: ¾ tsp or to taste
- Ghee (clarified butter): 1 tbsp
- Beaten curd: 1½ cup
- Besan: 1 tbsp
- Tomatoes (pureed and reduced): 4 (medium)
- Coriander powder:1 tsp
- Green chilli (slit):1
- Turmeric powder: ¾ tsp
- Garam masala: ½ tsp
- Peppercorns: 8
- Cloves: 4
- Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
- Ghee: 1 tbsp
Gatte ki sabzi
Born to parents rooted in Punjab, it wasn’t until I got married in a Marwari family that I laid my eyes…
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Ingredients
- Spinach (blanched and pureed): 1 big bunch
- Paneer (grated): 70 gm
- Green chillies (finely chopped): 2
- Garlic cloves (finely chopped): 8-10
- Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
- Besan: 4-5 tsp
- Cashew powder(dry grind in a blender): 4-5 tsp
- Cornflour: 2-3 tsp
- Jeera (cumin): 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Oil for frying (vegetable or pomace oil)
- Tomatoes (roughly chopped): 10-12
- Broken cashewnuts: 10-12
- Fresh cream: 2-3 tsp
- Butter: 2 tsp
- Oil: 2-3 tsp
- Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves): 2-3 tsp
- Onions (roughly chopped): 2
- Whole red chillies: 2
- Honey: 3 tsp
- Garlic cloves (chopped): 7-8
- Ginger (chopped): 1 tsp
- Green cardamom: 5-6
- Salt to taste
- Deggi mirch powder: 2 tsp
- Dhania (coriander) powder: 2 tsp
- Black cardamom: 1
- Jeera (cumin): 1 tsp
- Mace: ½ blade
- Cloves: 2
Green kofta curry (palak paneer koftas)
This dish was part of the cookout I held for ELSATable in Jan 2021.
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Ingredients
- Soya nugget chunks: 150 gm
- Chana dal: 1 cup
- Ginger: ½"
- Garlic: 15-20 cloves
- Jeera: 1 tsp
- Cinnamon: 1 small stick
- Black cardamom: 2
- Green cardamom: 2
- Bay leaves: 2
- Black peppercorns: 5-6
- Cloves: 4
- Dry red chillies: 2
- Onion (finely chopped): 1 medium
- Mint leaves (freshly chopped): 3 tsp
- Green chillies (chopped): 2
- Red chilli powder: ½ tsp (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Freshly chopped green coriander
- Oil for shallow frying (vegetable or pomace olive oil)
Soya shami kababs
This dish was part of the cookout I held for ELSATable in Jan 2021.
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Ingredients
- Urad dal (split): 100 gm
- Moong dal (split): 100 gm
- Ginger: ½"
- Salt: ½ tsp + ½ tsp
- Green chilli: 1
- Eno sachet: 1
- Heeng (asafoetida): 2 pinches
- Vegetable oil for greasing idli mould
- Lukewarm water for soaking
- Fresh green coriander
- Dry coconut
- Raisins
- Ginger
- Cashewnuts
- Chironji
- Tamarind sweet and sour chutney
- Fresh coriander and mint chutney
- Roasted/bhuna cumin/jeera powder*
- Besan sev
- Pomegranate arils
- Red chilli powder
- Chilled beaten curd/dahi (sugar can be added to the curd).
Steamed dahi bhalla
This dish was part of the cookout I held for ELSATable in Jan 2021. The recipe for the tamarind chutney used…
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Ingredients
- Coriander leaves: 2 cups
- Mint leaves: 1 cup
- Ginger: ½"
- Garlic: 4 cloves
- Green chillies
- Lemon juice: 2-3 tsp
- Jeera (cumin): 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
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Ingredients
- Seedless tamarind: 1 cup
- Water: 4 cups
- Jaggery( broken into small pieces): 1½ cup
- Bhuna jeera (roasted cumin): 2 tsp
- Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
- Heeng (asafoetida): ½ tsp
- Black salt: 2 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Raisins: 4 tsp
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Ingredients
- Peanuts (boiled with the skin and then shelled): ½ cup
- Carrot (diced in squares, the size of the peanuts): ½ cup
- Green capsicum (chopped the same size as the carrot): ½ cup
- Raw mango (peeled and chopped in the same size as the other vegetables): ½ cup
- Sugar: 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
Sambandhi salad
Sometimes the simplest of recipes turn out to be the tastiest. The Sambandhi salad is one such, named so because the…
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Ingredients
- Button mushrooms (sliced):1 cup
- Iceberg lettuce (coarsely chopped): 1 cup
- Capsicum (sliced): ½ cup
- Cucumbers (sliced): 1 cup
- Cherry tomatoes (halved): ½ cup
- Green chilli (sliced): 1
- Honey: 2 tbsp
- English mustard: ½ tsp
- Garlic (minced): ½ tsp
- Juice of lemon: 1
- Salt to taste
- Ground pepper as per taste
Mushroom salad with honey mustard dressing
I fondly recall how my parents encouraged us to have a lot of fresh vegetables, at times semi-cooked or raw. These…
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Ingredients
- Raw mango: 100 gm
- Peanuts: 50 gm
- Medium onion (thinly sliced): ½
- Soy sauce: 1 tsp
- Powdered sugar: 1 tsp
- Mint: a few sprigs
- Salt to taste
- Red chili powder/chilli flakes: ¼ tsp
Mango peanut salad
Sometimes things just come together! “A li’l bit of this , a li’l bit of that … what shall we put…
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Ingredients
- Oil (preferably mustard): ½ cup
- Raw green papaya (medium): 1
- Potatoes (medium): 2
- Tomatoes (medium): 2
- Green chillies: 2-3
- Ginger (grated): 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Sugar (to taste): 1 tsp
- Tej patta (bayleaf): 1
- Jeera whole (cumin seeds): ½ tsp
- Haldi (turmeric) powder: ½ tsp
- Jeera (cumin) powder: ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder: ½ tsp
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Ingredients
- Dried white peas (soaked overnight): 200 gm/1 cup
- Dried coconut: 8-10 strips
- Medium onions (sliced): 2
- Whole jeera (cumin): 1 tsp
- Bay leaves: 2
- Green chillies (chopped): 2
- Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsp
- Fresh tomato puree: 1 cup
- Jeera powder: 1 tsp,
- Dhaniya (coriander) powder: 1 tsp
- Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
- Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
- Haldi (turmeric) powder: ½ tsp
- Oil: 2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Green chillies (chopped): 2
- Medium onion (cut small): 1
- Coriander leaves (chopped): 2 tbsp
- Chaat masala to taste
- Imli chutney/sweet tamarind sauce: 2 tbsp
Ghugni
This is a very commonly available street food in Kolkata. Delicious and high in protein, this is the version cooked in…
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Ingredients
- Ginger: 1" piece
- Coriander seeds: 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
- Khuskhus/posto/poppy seeds: 1 tsp
- Fennel seeds: 1 tsp
- Bitter gourd: 2-3
- Drumsticks: 2
- Raw banana: ½
- Ridge gourd/ prawn:1
- Sweet potato:1
- Radish: 1
- Brinjal (large): ½
- Oil: 20 ml
- Ghee: 20 ml
- Bayleaves: 2
- Fenugreek seeds: ½ tsp
- Mustard seeds: ½ tsp
- Milk: 1 cup
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to taste
- Roasted and coarsely ground panch phoran*: 1 tsp
Shukto
Shukto is a Bengali delicacy which has its origins in Portuguese cuisine. During the Portuguese rule in India, there was a…
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Ingredients
- Karonda: 250 gm
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to taste
- Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
- Red chilli powder: ½ tsp
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Kalaunji (nigella seeds): 1 tsp
- Methi (fenugreek) seeds: I tsp
- Saunf (fennel seeds): ½ tsp
- Heeng (asafoetida): a pinch
- Water: ½ cup
Karonda ki khatti meethi chutney
Here are some interesting tidbits about karonda (a kind of berry), a fruit that normally flourishes well in regions with high…
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Ingredients
- Ripe red tomatoes: 250 gm
- Onion (finely chopped): 1 medium
- Chopped fresh green coriander (including the stems): 1 cup (250 gm)
- Fresh ginger (finely chopped): 2 tsp
- Strong vinegar or lime juice: 1 tsp
- Mustard powder (Weikfield) or prepared mustard to taste: 1 tsp
- Sugar: ½ to 1 tsp
- Salt: 1 tsp (or to taste)
- Finely chopped green chilli (optional):to taste.
Timatar Chutney
We always eat this with yakhni pulao. It’s another one of those family things, and a favourite. Feel free to modify…
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Ingredients
- Water: 2 litres
- Sugar: 1 kg
- Ginger: 300 gm
- Dried red chillies: 15
- Cloves: 2 tsp
- Cinnamon: 2 tsp
- Cardamom: 36
- Citric acid or tartaric acid: 1 tbsp
OT (ginger wine)
This wine is the creation of Mrs Rachel Chacko, my mother, and is included in the book she published 6 years…
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Ingredients
- Apples (medium): 3
- Powdered sugar: ¾ cup + 2 tbsp
- Oil: ¾ cup
- Milk: ½ cup
- All-purpose flour: 1 cup
- Wheat flour: ¾ cup
- Vanilla essence: 1 tsp
- Baking powder: 2 tsp
- Cinnamon powder: 1 tsp + 1 tsp
Rustic apple cinnamon cake
Simple and quick to make. Delicious and loaded with apples, this is a cake that will vanish in no time. Learnt…
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Ingredients
- Wholewheat flour: 1 cup
- Chana dal: 1 cup (soaked for 6-7 hours)
- Garlic (peeled): 6-7 cloves
- Fresh or dry chillies (optional): 2
- Water for kneading the flour
- Salt as per taste
- Water: 1 litre
- Mustard oil: 1 tsp
- Mustard or any oil of preference: 1 tbsp
- Rai or black mustard seeds: ½ tsp
- Slit green chillies as per preference
- Finely chopped coriander leaves: 2 tbsp
Chana dal peetha
In Bihar, naashta (as morning and evening snacks are called) is seasonal. There’s a main dish that is accompanied by a…
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Ingredients
- Tomatoes (medium size): 4
- Onion (finely chopped): 4 tbsp
- Garlic (finely chopped): ½ tsp
- Ginger (finely chopped): ½ tsp
- Coriander leaves and stem (finely chopped): 2 tbsp
- Lemon juice:1 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Mustard oil: 1 tbsp
- Dry red chillies: 2
- Fresh peas: ⅓ cup (not the frozen ones)
- Water for skinning the tomatoes: 500 ml
Tamatar ka chokha / bharta
In Bihar, naashta (as morning and evening snacks are called) is seasonal. There’s a main dish that is accompanied by a…
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Ingredients
- Teesi (flax seeds): ½ cup
- Peanuts: ¼ cup
- Gud or jaggery powder: about ½ cup
- Salt: a pinch
- Water: 2-3 tbsp
- Ghee: 1 tsp
- Desiccated coconut (optional): 2 tbsp
- Nuts and seeds (chopped) (optional): 2 tbsp
Gud teesi patti
In the lip-smacking list of Bihari naashta (both morning and evening snacks are termed ‘naashta’), a warm teesi gud gulgulla holds…
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Ingredients
- Poha (flat rice) (sifted to remove fine powder): 1 cup
- Green peas (frozen or fresh): 1 cup
- Ginger (chopped fine): 1 tsp
- Green chilli (chopped fine): 1
- Green chillies (slit long, for frying): 2
- Coriander chopped for garnish: 1 tbsp
- Jeera (cumin): ½ tsp
- Salt to taste
- Oil for deep frying: 2 cups
- Asafoetida: a pinch
- Lemons (quartered): 2
Chura mattar (flat rice with green peas)
A fairly common breakfast dish in Uttar Pradesh, it is usually made in the winter months when green peas are in…
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Ingredients
- Maanh saabat dal (whole black urad dal): 250 gm
- 3 tbsp of chana dal (yellow split peas): 3 tbsp
- Ginger (chopped fine): 1” piece
- Ghee: 4 tbsp
- Dry red chilli (torn into pieces): 1
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric (optional): ¼ tsp
- Beaten curd: 100 gm
- Tomatoes (medium, chopped): 2
- Ginger (chopped): ½” piece
- Butter: 1 tbsp
- Garam masala powder:1 tsp
- Fresh cream (optional): 1 tbsp
- Fresh coriander (chopped): for garnish
Raj Kapoor’s makhani dal
I came across this in a magazine many years ago. It was an interview with the Showman Raj Kapoor. He was…
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Ingredients
- Raw mangoes (I prefer Kalappad or Totapuri in Bengaluru): 250 gm
- Mustard oil: 75 ml
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
- Chilli powder: ½ tsp
- A few dry or fresh chillies: 4-5 (according to taste)
- Pachphoran (mix of five spices)*
Aam ka achaar (mango pickle)
Recipe from my nani (maternal grandmother) Mrs. Premlata Sinha.
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Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: 250 gm (little less than 2 cups)
- Warm water: 150 gm (little more than ½ cup)
- Instant dry yeast: ½ tsp
- Salt: 1 tsp + ½ tsp
- Sugar: 1 tsp
- Olive oil: 2 tsp (while kneading) + 2 tsp (while flattening)
- Red/yellow capsicum (thinly sliced): ½ cup
- Coriander stems: a few
- Sundried/ cherry tomatoes: ¼ cup
- Olives: ⅛ cup
- Any other vegetable/edible flowers of your choice
- Fresh herbs/Italian seasoning: 1 tbsp/1 tsp
Focaccia
Story? Well, not really. Just following the trend. The quarantine brought out my creativity and desperation in equal parts. And I…
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Ingredients
- Purple brinjal: 1 large (the bottle-shaped variety)
- Besan (gram flour): 1 cup
- Kalonji (nigella seeds): 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Mustard oil: a few drops
- Oil for deep frying
- Water
Beguni
Adds a little jaan to all meals.
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Ingredients
- Baby potatoes: 500 gm
- Onion (chopped fine): 500 gm
- Ginger paste: 1 tbsp
- Garlic paste: 1 tbsp
- Green chillies (slit lengthwise): to taste
- Tomato (optional): 1 large
- Red chilli powder: ½ tsp
- Haldi (turmeric) powder: ¼ tsp
- Jeera (cumin) powder:1 tsp
- Bengali garam masala: ¼ tsp
- Vegetable oil: 3 tbsp
Aloo dum
This is a Bengali version of Aloo Dum.
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Ingredients
- Green cardamom: 1 tbsp
- Cloves:1 tbsp
- Cinnamon: 1 tbsp or equivalent
- White rice (Govindbhog or any other): 1 cup
- Moong dal (lightly roasted): 1 cup
- Jeera (cumin seeds): ½ tsp
- Roasted jeera (cumin) powder 1 tsp
- Bengali garam masala: 1 tsp
- Tej patta (bayleaf): 1
- Turmeric: ½ tsp
- Ginger paste: 2 tsp
- Green chillies (slit lengthwise): 4
- Sugar: 2 tbsp
- Potato (cubed): 1
- Frozen peas: ¼ cup
- Cauliflower (small florets): ½ cup
- Vegetable oil (clear oil): 4 tbsp
- Ghee: 2 tbsp
- Sugar: 2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
Bengali khichudi
I am not a particularly devout Hindu. Quite unaware of rituals, my relationship with Durga Pujo has been more cultural than…
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Ingredients
- Tomato ripe (chopped): 500 gm
- Sugar: 1½ cup
- Ginger (julienned): 1 tbsp
- Ginger paste: 1 tbsp
- Dates or raisins: a handful
- Dry red chillies (broken in bits): 2
- Panch phoron: 1 tsp (see under Special Care)
- Lemon: juice of one half
- Bhuna jeera (roasted cumin seeds): 1 tsp
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Salt: 2 tsp
Plastic tomato chutney
A versatile Bengali chutney and a must for bhog. The sugar in the chutney gives it the plastic sheen and hence…
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Ingredients
- Vegetables (roughly cubed): 500 gm* (see in Special Care below)
- Urad dal vadi: a handful (optional)
- Mustard oil: 5 tbsp
- Mustard paste: 1 tbsp
- Dry red chilly: 1
- Panch phoron: 1 tbsp
- Bhuna jeera/Bengali garam masala: 1 tsp/ ½ tsp
- Mustard seeds (large): 2 tbsp
- Green chilli: 1
- A pinch of salt
- A little water for blending
- Nigella seeds ( kalonji) 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds 1 tbsp
- Jeera (cumin): 1 tbsp
- Fennel (saunf) 1 tbsp
- Methi (fenugreek) seeds: ¾ tbsp
Labda (Bengali mixed vegetables)
I am not a particularly devout Hindu. Quite unaware of rituals, my relationship with Durga Pujo has been more cultural than…
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Ingredients
- Kabuli chana (chickpeas): ½ cup
- Sooran (yam): 200 gm (cubed)
- Coconut (grated): 2 tbsp + 4 tbsp
- Black peppercorns: ½ tsp
- Green chilli: ½
- Chilli powder: ¼ tsp
- Gur (jaggery): 1–2 tsp
- Haldi (turmeric): 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Mustard seeds: ½ tsp
- Curry leaves: a few
- Oil: 1 tbsp
Kootu curry
Kottu curry and pulinji were a must for all sadhyas when I was little. My mother single-handedly prepared all the dishes,…
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Ingredients
- Sorisha (mustard seeds): 2 tsp
- Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
- Poppy seeds: ½ tsp
- Garlic: 6–7 cloves
- Dry red chillies: 2 (or as per taste)
- Rohu or bhakura (Bengali cut): 300 gm
- Potato: 150 gm
- Pumpkin: 50 gm
- Raw papaya: 400 gm
- Raw banana: 100 gm
- Saaru or arbi (colocasia): 200gm
- Tomato:150 gm
- Radish: 150 gm
- Brinjal: 200 gm
- Salt: to taste
- Turmeric powder: a pinch
- Water: 3 cups
- Vadi: 10–12 small, coin-sized pieces
- Oil: 5 tbsp
- Onion (sliced): 1 (medium)
- Phutan (panch phoran):1 tsp
- Turmeric: ¼ tsp
- Aambula (dried mango whole): 2–3 medium-sized pieces (only required if using fish)
- Coriander leaves for garnishing
Besara
All the cookbooks and Masterchef episodes in the world cannot beat one particular source – mom’s recipe. Inevitably, mothers share that…
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Ingredients
- Mixed sprouts (moong, matki, masoor): 2 cups
- Onion (chopped): 1 (small)
- Tomatoes (chopped): 2
- English cucumber (chopped with skin): 1 (small)
- Raw mango (chopped): 2 tbsp
- Ripe pomegranate: ½ cup
- Fresh mint and coriander (chopped): ½ cup
- Green chillies (chopped finely): 2
- Peanuts (roasted): ½ cup
- Tamarind chutney: 3 tbsp
- Juice of 1 lime
- Chaat masala to taste
Crunchy munchy mazaa
A couple of years ago I was making salads on order for friends and neighbours in our community. I had a…
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Ingredients
- Potatoes (boiled and peeled): 4 (medium)
- Jeera powder: 1½ tsp
- Chaat masala: 1 tsp
- Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
- Amchur powder: ½ tsp
- Rock salt: ½ tsp
- Salt: ½ tsp
- Lime juice: 1½ tsp
- Sweet tamarind chutney: 2 tbsp
- Onion sliced (small) (optional): 1
- Dhania leaves: a few sprigs
- Ghee for shallow frying: 3–4 tbsp
Dilli ki alu chaat
We had it each time we went saree shopping in Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. It brings back memories of saree…
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Ingredients
- Beetroot: 250 gm
- Mustard seeds: 1 tbsp
- Curry leaves: a few
- Onion(chopped): 1
- Tomato (chopped): 1
- Chana dal: 1 tbsp
- Urad dal: 1 tbsp
- Haldi powder: 1/4 tsp,
- Chilli powder: 1/4 tsp
- Coriander powder: 1/4 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Oil: 2 tbsp
Beetroot sabzi
I’m not a fan of cooking (especially all the cleaning, peeling, and chopping that’s required)! The lockdown, however, made me realise…
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Ingredients
- Wheat flour: 1 cup
- Ghee: 4 tbsp
- Sugar (powdered): ½ cup
- Raisins: 10–15
- Cashews:10
- Almonds:10
Panjiri
Synonymous with festivals, this is made very frequently as prasad ( an offering to the deities).
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Ingredients
- Milk: 1 litre
- Lemon for curdling milk: 1
- Patali gur: ½ cup
- Maida (refined flour): 1 cup
- Cold milk: 1 cup
- Unsweetened khova (thickened milk): 200 gm
- Patali gur: ¼ cup
- Milk: ¼ cup
- Ghee (clarified butter): 2 tbsp
Glory of gur
Mishti (sweet) is an integral part of Bengal. You cannot be a Bengali and not love patali gur (jaggery) which is…
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Ingredients
- Small-sized bitter gourds/karela: 10
- Salt: 4-5 tsp
- Fennel/ saunf powder: 2-3 tsp
- Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
- Dhania (coriander) powder: 2 tsp
- Amchoor (mango powder): 2 tsp
- Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
- Onion paste: 2 (small)
- Onions (thinly sliced): 4
- Tomatoes: 2 (small)
- Mustard oil
- Thread to tie (colour of the thread should always be white)
Bharwan Karela ( stuffed bitter gourd)
If karela is not one of your favourite dishes, this recipe may just make you change your mind about this vegetable.
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Ingredients
- Pineapple (diced): 1 cup
- Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
- Chilli powder: ½ tsp
- Salt to taste
- Curd/yogurt: 1¼ cup
- Coconut (grated): ⅓ cup
- Green chillies: 2-3
- Cumin seeds: ¾ tsp
- Coconut oil: 2 tsp
- Mustard seeds: ¾ tsp
- Fenugreek seeds: ¼ tsp
- Red chillies: 2
- Curry leaves: a few
Pineapple pulissery
Onam Sadhya at Bharat Tourist Home in Kochi was something we never missed every year. It was like attending a Parsi…
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Ingredients
- Pumpkin (cubed): 350 gm
- Onion (chopped): 1 small
- Garlic cloves (chopped): 2
- Ginger paste:1 tsp
- Coriander: 1 small bunch
- Lemongrass (finely chopped): 1 stalk
- Or
- Juice of one lemon
- Olive oil: 1 tsp
- Salt: to taste
- Pepper: ½ tsp
- Chilli flakes: ½ tsp
- Coconut milk: 100 ml
- Vegetable stock: 400 ml
- Coconut shavings: 2 tsp
Pumpkin coconut soup
A hearty filling soup that doesn’t take long to make and can be a meal by itself. Goes down well even…
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Ingredients
- Wholewheat flour: 2 cups.
- Sugar (can be replaced with powdered jaggery or gud): ⅔ cup
- Ghee (clarified butter): ⅔ cup
- Ghee (can be replaced with sunflower oil): for deep frying the thekua
- Fennel seeds: 1 tbsp
- Cardamom powder: 1 tbsp
- A little water for kneading the dough
- Refined flour: 2 cups
- Ghee: ½ cup
- A little water for kneading the dough
- Khoya (mawa, thickened milk): 200 gm
- Sooji (rawa, semolina): 1 cup
- Ghee (for sautéing the filling): 4 tbsp
- Sugar or gud (as per preference): 1 cup
- Assorted nuts (chopped): ½ cup
- Desiccated coconut: ½ cup
- Cardamom powder: 1 tbsp
- A little water for sealing the pedakiyas
Thekua and pedakiya
Traditionally, both these form the main prasad for the Hartalika Teej pooja. Hartalika Teej has been marked as a day when…
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Ingredients
- Spinach: 200 gm
- Whole-wheat flour: 100 gm
- Ghee: 1 tbsp
- Green chilly: 2 (minced) (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Paneer: 100 gm
- Whole-wheat flour: 100 gm
- Ghee: 1 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Beetroot: 1 large
- Whole-wheat flour: 125 gm
- Ghee: 1 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Chilli powder to taste
- Oil for deep-frying
Tirangi poori
This recipe was created to get those veggies in the stomachs of picky tots! Many parents face the issue of getting…
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Ingredients
- Olive oil: 2 tbsp
- Onion (chopped): 1 cup
- Ground lamb/chicken (keema): 500 gm
- Or
- Dry soya granules: 1.5 cups
- Dried rosemary leaves (optional): 1 tsp
- Salt: ½ tsp
- Ground black pepper: ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder: ½ tsp
- Cinnamon powder: ½ tsp
- Garam masala (mixed spice) powder: ¼ tsp
- Garlic cloves (minced): 4
- Tomato paste (I used the Hommade brand): 2 tbsp
- Beetroot & carrots (diced): 1 cup
- Zucchini (diced) (optional): 1 medium
- Potatoes: ¾ kg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter: 2 tbsp
- Milk: ½ cup
- Salt: ½ tsp
- Ground black pepper: ¼ tsp
- Oregano (optional): ½ tsp
- Parmesan cheese (optional): ¼ cup
Shepherd’s pie
Shepherd’s pie is basically a casserole with a layer of cooked meat and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes, and baked in…
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Ingredients
- Mango pulp: 1 kg
- Condensed milk: 1 tin of 400 gm
- Cream: 400 gm
- Garnishing: A fresh sprig of mint leaves
Three-ingredient mango icecream
A really easy to make dessert during the mango season , and with the tinned pulp, when not available fresh.
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Ingredients
- Amul Mithai Mate condensed milk: 1 (400 gm)
- Set curd: 400 gm
- Milk: 400 ml
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Ingredients
- Rice noodle-like fine long vermicelli: 250 gm
- Carrot, beans, capsicum, broccoli, spring onion (cut fine): 250 gm
- Dark soya sauce: 3 tsp
- Garlic (finely chopped): 1 tsp (optional)
- Green onions (chopped): 3 stalks
- Sesame oil: 2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Red chilli (chopped) (optional)
BIHUN /PANCIT
We moved to Manila (Philippines) in 1983 with our baby Akshai less than a year and a half! Sanjiv (my husband)…
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Ingredients
- Maida (refined flour): 3 tbsp
- Brown sugar: 3 tbsp
- Chocolate Powder: 3 tbsp (ideally Hershey’s rather than drinking chocolate powder)
- Oil: 3 tbsp
- Water: 3 tbsp
- Vanilla extract: ½ tsp
- Chocolate chips: 2 tsp
- Salt: a pinch
One-minute microwave brownie
This is the quick go-to when the family is craving a special treat and there’s nothing inspiring in the house. The…
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Ingredients
- Besan (gram flour): 1 cup (soak ⅓ cup in a large bowl of water)
- Tomatoes (grated or finely chopped after removing the skin) : 4 (medium)
- Green chillies: a few to taste
- Green coriander leaves (finely chopped): As per taste
- Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Sugar: one tsp (optional)
- Red chilli powder: To taste
- Curry leaves: a few
- Jeera (cumin seeds): 2 tsp
- Methi (fenugreek) seeds: 2 tsp
- Garlic: 2–3 cloves
- Tamarind: a small round piece size of a lemon. (Soak and squeeze out thick juice)
- Potatoes: 2 (medium, each cut into 4 pieces)
- Carrots: 2 (medium, cut a bit thick)
- French beans: a few
- Gavar (cluster beans): a few
- Drumsticks: 2
- Cauliflower: 1 medium size, cut into florets
Sindhi kadhi
Sindhi kadhi is a delicacy among Sindhis and this recipe is from my maternal grandmother that has been passed down to…
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Ingredients
- Ripe mango pieces: 1 cup
- Apple: ½
- Coriander leaves for garnishing
- White pepper: a pinch
- Salt to taste
- Virgin olive oil: 1 tbsp
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Ingredients
- Water: 2 inches in the pan
- Salt: a pinch
- Maize flour: ¾ cup
- Onions (finely sliced): 2
- Carrot (finely sliced): 1
- Tomato (sliced): 1 large
- Kale or spinach (finely chopped): 400 gm
- Minced meat (optional): 200 gm
- Peanuts (pounded) (optional): 2 tbsp
- Dried oregano: 1 tsp
- Garlic to taste
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
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Ingredients
- Chickpeas: 1 cup (soaked overnight or 8 to 10 hours)
- Bay leaf: 1
- Parsley (optional): 2 sprigs
- Peeled garlic: 5-6 cloves
- Extra virgin olive oil (I used Bertolli which has a slightly strong taste that I like): 2-3 tbsp
- Roasted sesame seeds: 1 tbsp or 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil: 1 tbsp (optional)
- Dry red chilli (crushed): 1 tbsp
- Salt to taste
The simple hummus
My husband and I have been keeping our dinners light during this lockdown. It typically comprises of soups, sandwiches, and salads.…
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Ingredients
- Whole wheat flour: 1½ cups
- Jaggery powder (sifted): 100-120 gm
- Oil: ½ cup
- Dahi (yoghurt) (whisked): ½ cup
- Milk: 150 ml
- Walnuts or pecans: 50-75 gm
- Baking powder: ½ tsp
- Baking soda: ½ tsp
- Cinnamon powder: ½ tsp
- Vanilla essence: 1 tsp
Eggless tea cake
This recipe came about for a dear friend’s bedridden mother-in-law. I used to feel terribly guilty as whenever I went to…
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Ingredients
- Ripe pushnikai (yellow pumpkin): 200 gm
- Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
- Green chilies: 2, or as per taste
- Grated coconut: ½ cup
- Fresh yogurt: 2 cups
- Sugar: ½ tsp
- Oil: 1 tsp
- Salt: to taste
Pushnikai pachadi (pumpkin in curd)
This is a family favourite! Passed on to Amma (my mother-in-law) from her mother (Nallamma), we all relish this yummy raita.…
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Ingredients
- Onion (finely chopped): ½
- Pomegranate arils: 3 tbsp
- Cooked corn: 3 tbsp
- Roasted peanuts: 2 tbsp
- Green chilly (deseeded and chopped): ½
- Lemon juice: 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
Nutty Zest
The salad recipes are conceived and put together by my husband, Gopi, whose creative abilities in the kitchen are profound.
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Ingredients
- Sponge fingers: 24-26. (I use Vincenzovo)
- Mascarpone cheese: 400 gm (must be room temperature at the time of making)
- Egg yolks: 2 (I substitute this with 100 gm cream since I don’t eat eggs)
- Lemon rind (finely grated): ½ tsp
- Coffee decoction: 200 ml (I use normal South Indian filter coffee)
- Sugar: 6 tsp (dissolve in the decocotion)
- Tia Maria: 5 tbsp (mix it into the cooled coffee decoction)
- Cocoa powder: 3 tbsp
Tiramisu
Other than the fact that everyone I have served it to has liked this very much, no story really.
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Ingredients
- Tamarind (soaked in hot water): Indian lemon size
- Asafoetida: ½ tsp
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
- Ghee (clarified butter): 1 tsp
- Kandathipilli (long pepper, also called pipli): 5-6
- Arisithipilli: 7-8
- Coriander seeds: 2 tsp
- Split yellow arhar dal (pigeon pea): 3 tsp
- Whole dried chiili: 1-2
- Whole black pepper: ¼ tsp
- Curry leaves: 10
- Jeera (cumin seeds): 2 tsp
- Ghee (clarified butter): 1 tsp
- Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
- Curry leaves: 5
- Whole red dry chilli: 1
Kandathipilli rasam (Indian long pepper rasam, a…
Rasam is comfort food. My maternal grandmother was from Tanjore, TN. And like all Tamil brahmins hailing from Tanjore, she was…
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Ingredients
- Brinjal: 1 large
- Curd: 1½ cup
- Garlic paste: 1 tsp
- Haldi (turmeric) powder: 1 tsp
- Salt: to taste
- Dry red chilli: 2
- Jeera (cumin seeds): ½ tsp
- Oil: 2 tbsp
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Ingredients
- Besan (chickpea flour): 1 cup
- Water: 3 cups
- Haldi (turmeric): a pinch
- Salt: a pinch
- Soy sauce: ½ cup
- Roasted peanuts: 2-3 tbsp
- Garlic: 1 pod
- Green or dried red chilli: 1-2
- Honey/sugar: ½ tsp
- Toasted sesame seeds: 3 tbsp
Shan tofu
I am sharing some recipes from parts of the world that most Indians don’t normally come across. Though the dishes, like…
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Ingredients
- Kothavarangai (cluster beans): 300 gm
- Toor dal (split pigeon peas): ¾ cup
- Bengal gram: ¼ cup
- Dry red chillies: 2
- Green chillies: 2
- Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
- Hing (asafoetida): a pinch
- Oil: 2 tbs
- Oil: 2 tsp
- Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
- Split urad dal: 1 tsp
- Curry leaves: Few
Kothavarangai (cluster beans) paruppu usili
Paruppu usili is generally considered a ‘festival’ dish among Tam Brahms and is usually served during weddings. For me, it is…
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Ingredients
- Basmati rice :1 cup
- Dhuli masoor dal (red lentils without skin): ½ cup
- Coriander leaves (chopped fine): ½ cup
- Mint leaves (chopped fine): ½ cup
- Onions (sliced thin): 2
- Green chillies (sliced long): 4-5
- Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tbsp
- Shahjeera (caraway seeds): 1 tsp
- Ghee (clarified butter): 3-4 tbsp
- Cloves: 4
- Green cardamom: 2-3
- Bay leaf: 1
- Cinnamon: 2” piece
- Water*: 5 cups
- Salt to taste*
Hyderabadi Khichdi
A summer spent in Kodaikanal in the company of awesome cooks and golfers led to an exchange of many recipes. My…
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Ingredients
- Cut raw mango pieces: ½ cup
- Cut coconut pieces: ½ cup
- Sesame oil: 1 tbsp
- Split urad dal: 1 tsp
- Small black mustard seeds: 1 tsp
- Asafoetida: a pinch
- Red chillies: 4 (nipped at the tip)
- Green chillies: 2 (chopped)
- Coriander: 1 tbsp (chopped)
- Curry leaves: a few
- Salt: to taste
Mango coconut pachchadi
This is a simple chutney to be enjoyed as an accompaniment with idlis, vadas, dosas, or with rice. It brings back…
