The one I am sharing here is my mom’s recipe and is made with basic ingredients. It is not too spicy nor hot and is just made with very little ghee (clarified butter) which brings out the flavors of spice powders and mutton. However if you are not going to serve it right away, then it is good to make it with any cooking oil. This mutton fry can be served as a appetizer or as a side with rice, chapathi/ roti/ paratha....
Down in the South, especially in Andhra cuisine we cook a lot of lentils with different kinds of veggies. These dishes are not only simple to make, taste delicious & are healthy as all the good things – lentils, lots of veggies and a moderate amount of spices and fats go into these. Dal cooked with some veggies is a comfort food and we use many kinds of veggies like tomatoes, ridge gourd (lufa), bottle gourd, snake gourd, drumsticks, eggplants, bhindi (okra), mango and many more....
About Shahi Tukda Shahi tukda is a Mughlai dessert made with ghee fried bread, thickened sweetened milk, saffron and nuts. Shahi is a Persian word meaning Royal and tukda or tukra is a hindi & urdu term meaning a piece. Shahi tukda literally translates to a royal piece of dessert. This delicious dessert is the star at most iftar gatherings, parties & celebrations. It is served as an after meal dessert....
Strawberry Milkshake Strawberry milkshake is a delicious drink made with strawberries, milk, ice cream and flavoring ingredients like vanilla extract or strawberry syrup. Optionally topped with whipped cream, strawberry syrup and the options are endless, it can be easily dressed to a dessert drink! Milkshakes are a blend of ice cream, milk, and flavorings or sweeteners (unless you’re in New England, then it’s called a frappe). While the original versions from the late 1800s had eggs and whiskey, by the early 1900s they became drinks made with flavored syrups; the modern version of milkshakes, with ice cream, milk, and flavorings didn’t appear until the 1920s....
These Instant sweet appam are best prepared with fresh coconut and cooked in ghee. I made these a few months ago during one of the festival days for the evening Naivedyam. These also make a quick evening snack for the kids after their school and also go well in the school box. These turn out to be a bit dense without the addition of soda, if not making for offering then do use soda....
It is minimally spiced and flavored so it is kids’ friendly too. Here are my tips and substitutes for the recipe. Tips to make Zucchini: Choose firm zucchini and avoid soft ones. Soft zucchini have soft pulp inside which is inedible. Onions: Onion can be substituted with spring onions. You can also skip them completely. Vegetables: I have used bell peppers here as we like their flavor with zucchini. You may skip them or add any other veggies like mushrooms, carrots or pumpkin....
I have also included a few sample baby food recipes in the recipe card. All the recipes are tried and tested and have been served for both my babies. If your pediatrician has suggested you to start, then You can start with a single fruit, single veggie and then single grain. For more details please check this post on How to introduce solids to baby. I highly recommend reading every line of the baby food posts on this blog as they can guide you extensively....
Hyderabadi cuisine is immensely popular for its rich cultural foods like hyderabadi biryani, Haleem, Double ka meetha, Kababs, Salan, Dalcha & many more. Hyderabadi bagara rice is known as Bagara khana or bagara annam in the local languages. It is mostly eaten with a good vegetarian or meat based curry. Vegetarians can serve this with bagara baingan, mirchi ka salan or even with a good dal. If you do not have time to make an elaborate meal just serve it with a raita....
It is often used to make halwa, khichdi, upma, pulihora, puliyogare and other dishes. The most common preparation in North India is to prepare dalia with just vegetables to a semi solid consistency. In some states it is also used to make dalia khichdi with moong dal and veggies. This recipe is just another variation of south Indian upma but made using broken wheat or dalia. You can also make this to a porridge like consistency....
This simple, quick and delightful dish makes weekend meals satisfying and special. What is Saag? Saag is literally any curry dish that has cooked greens as the star ingredient. This could be any leafy green from spinach and mustard leaves to fenugreek leaves (methi) and beet greens. If you’re familiar with Punjabi food, you’ve probably heard of a particular food synonymous with the Punjabi culture – saarson da saag and makki di roti (mustard leaves and corn rotis)....
What is fish tikka masala? Fish tikka masala is an Indian dish made by simmering grilled fish in a spicy masala. It is a variation of the most popular chicken tikka masala. How is it made? It is made by first marinating the fish in a yogurt marinade and then grilled to perfection. In restaurants the fish is grilled in clay ovens. However you can grill them on the pan. I have included the instructions in the recipe card below....
What is a Ginger Shot? Ginger Shot is a small concentrated, intensely flavored drink that is based largely on the juice of ginger root combined with lemon juice. It is further heightened with black pepper and sweetened with honey. In this homemade version we strike a balance of spicy, sweet and tangy tastes. While it is certainly flavorful and delicious, some may find the flavor rather intense with a pretty strong kick of heat....
These crispy crepes are quite addictive and delicious. No one wants to stop with one and this says how delicious they taste! Masala Dosa Masala dosa is a popular South Indian breakfast where a crispy crepe made of fermented rice and lentil batter is served with flavorful spiced potato curry. It is a wholesome meal in itself as it is served with potato masala, Coconut chutney and Sambar. It is believed that Masala dosa originated in the Tuluva Mangalorean cuisine, from Karnataka (source: Wiki)....
Pav bhaji, Vada pav, misal pav and masala pav are some of the foods made with Indian dinner rolls. Each of one of these are so much flavorful, delicious and easy to make at home. For hygiene reasons, these are best prepared at home. I prefer to make all of these at home as my kids keep asking. Making masala pav is the easiest of all these and just takes about 20 to 25 mins....
When you want to eat and drink healthy, homemade fresh foods are the way to go. This homemade pear juice is so much better in taste and flavour than the store bought bottled juices. Plus it’s pure with no additives and fillers. About Pear Juice Did you know that pear juice is one of the best drink to beat sun stroke & dehydration? Though not all pears work the same way, most of them work great in hydrating the body....
The festival is celebrated for 9 days and the first day marks the birthday of God Ganesha. Various kinds of modaks are made in households to offer during the Pooja. While the traditional modak are made with rice flour, the fancy ones can be made with mawa, milk powder, dry fruits, flour and even with semolina. Rava Modak Rava modak are sweet dumplings where the outer covering is made with semolina and the stuffing is made with coconut, jaggery and cardamom powder....
The ready made tamarind paste had stones, sand or mud with a rusty, oily smell. Few years ago I started to make my own, by just soaking little tamarind in boiling water, cool it and then bottle it along with water and pulp, refrigerate it. The pulp absorbs water and becomes soft. Whenever needed I just dilute it with more clean water, squeeze and then filter to the dish directly while cooking....
As with all egg or cheese recipes, this sandwich too has to be consumed within 2 hours of preparing it if not refrigerated. So it is not safe to pack this in the tiffin or lunch box unless it is refrigerated. Tips for bread omelette Preparation for bread omelet Beat the eggs in a bowl until frothy. Add chopped onions, chilies, bell peppers, salt & coriander leaves. Beat well until the veggies are incorporated....
Kurma also known as korma is an aromatic gravy or saucy dish popular in Central Asia, most importantly in India. It is made in numerous ways so you will get to see so many kinds of kurmas made using various ingredients like nuts, yogurt, seeds, coconut or a mix of all these. About this recipe This recipe will give you a South Indian cauliflower kurma that has lovely complex flavors from various spices, nuts, coconut and herbs....
I have grown up eating many kinds of Indian chicken curries from various regions as my mom is a food enthusiast. We would get to eat them during the weekends with rice & jowar roti. So making a good chicken curry is something I learnt from my mom. I have shared lot of chicken curry recipes on the blog which I make for my family. But this post on a basic chicken curry was something I thought will be helpful for the newbies....
