A good change from the regular boondi raita, cucumber raita and the many forms of dahi or yoghurt that is an essential part of an Indian thali / meal. Plus it’s pink! And adds a vibrant colour to your meal! Dahi / curd / yoghurt is a good source of natural probiotics and many other essential nutrients. Add to that the iron rich, mineral rich, superfood beetroot and you have a winner of a raita! Most of you would know I like keeping the flavours in my recipes simple and the in

Wait, don’t write this recipe off on reading pineapple and chicken together… this Pineapple Chicken is nothing like pineapple on pizza! The sweet and spicy combo of flavours in Pineapple Chicken will set your taste buds tingling for sure! If you’re a fan of Orange Chicken, give this recipe of Pineapple Chicken a go. Or not, either way give Pineapple Chicken a chance to woo you! Also, if you’re a fan of fresh, juicy pineapple slices topped with salt and red chilli powder, this

Kairi / kaccha aam and pudina chutney This recipe of raw mango and mint chutney is simple and delicious or simply delicious. Blitz together a few fresh ingredients and it’s done! The fresh tang from the raw mangoes or kairi is what sets this chutney recipe apart. As with any chutney, the fresher your ingredients, the better and more robust the flavour. Now, a lot of people like adding onions to their mint chutney recipes; I don’t. If you like the flavour of onions in your raw

Or simply Reshmi Kabab… or Chicken Malai Kebab… or Murgh Malai Kebabs… they’re all the same! The colour, you ask? Is because I pan-grilled these chicken reshmi kebabs and added a teaspoon of malai (fresh cream) at the end of the cooking process to de-glaze the pan. The chicken kebabs were then rolled in to these pan juices and got coloured. The flavours were simple and delicate nonetheless. For the uninitiated, Chicken Reshmi Kebabs or Murgh Malai Kebabs are ideally lighter i

Looking for a refreshing, unconventional, not-toothachingly-sweet, summer cooler? Look no further than Hibiscus Tea, rather Lemonade. If you have a flowering hibiscus plant at home, this is the perfect recipe for you. You could also make Hibiscus Tea with dried hibiscus petals. Yes, just the petals are used for this hibiscus herbal tea / lemonade. Usually, Hibiscus tea is made using the petals of the Roselle variety of hibiscus. I have used the red Hibiscus flowers grown and

Breakfast, mains, appetiser, small plates… Kaleji (mutton liver) Fry finds a place in all meals. This recipe of Kaleji Fry is the simple, no-fuss kind. To get the ‘fried’ effect I recommend cooking the mutton liver in its own juices, avoid adding water or stock. Stir the mutton liver often while it’s cooking to avoid charring or burning it. Connect with me on social media for (errrmmmm) not-so-regular updates! Yes, I’m not going to be on your screen all day every day! WhiskMi

We’ve all made idli “dhokla” with leftover idlis using a tadka of curry leaves and haldi (turmeric powder). Looking for another way to upcycle leftover idli ? Or just a quick, easy snack ? Make this recipe of Schezwan Idli… spicy, crispy, melt-in-the-mouth… all at the same time! Time to take the humble idli to another level! This recipe of Schezwan Idli works best with leftover idli from the previous day or atleast ones that have been prepared a few hours earlier, say 3-4 hou

Coleslaw and Boiled Egg Sandwiches make for a healthy pre or post workout snack, quick breakfast on a busy day, part of the lazy Sunday brunch accompanied with other healthy breakfast recipes Poha, Besan ka Puda, or just another sandwich using Mint Chutney and fresh tomato slices. You could always use a slice of grilled paneer or cheese (or tofu) instead of the boiled eggs for vegan coleslaw sandwiches. If you do pack boiled eggs for your kids’ breakfast at school, this coles

This recipe was a first for me… as are many other recipes on the blog :) Chicken Terrine is a cheat’s / homemade version of salami (not cured or smoked though). Most of us have chicken salami stocked in the freezer for a lazy Sunday brunch, a quick weekday breakfast sandwich, a no-fuss chicken appetiser with cocktails, a delicious addition to an otherwise plain omelette… the ideas are endless, and Chicken Terrine is a great, quick and easy substitute. Chicken Terrine or homem

or Besan ka chilla or savoury gramflour pancakes Besan ka chilla or besan ka puda is a rustic, simple-flavoured Indian breakfast or chai time snack recipe, popular in Northern and Western India. A healthy one too, as long as you limit the quantity of ghee or cooking oil used to pan-fry. Like Thalipeeth, these savoury gramflour pancakes make for a gluten-free, low-carb, protein-rich replacement to wheat chapati / roti. Serve besan ka puda with any of these Indian sides recipes

Black-eyed Bean Kebabs So! This was a recipe trial, which turned out well. We’ve all heard of the traditional mutton Shami Kebabs… and then the vegetarian versions of them; rajma ki shami, kale chane ke shami kebab, masoor ke shami kebab (this one’s coming up soon!) and so on. So why leave the humble Lobia or Black-eyed beans out? Yes, it’s not everyone’s favourite bean given the mild flavour, but besides its meaty texture and nutty taste, lobia or black-eyed beans add great

Pani Puri, Golgappe, Puchka, Batashe... what's in a name? A good Pani Puri experience is more about the flavourful spicy, sweet, tangy Pani Puri water. Yes, the other elements are important too… crisp puris, sweet tamarind chutney or saunth chutney, al dente white peas or masala aloo, crisp boondi… but, it all comes down to how flavourful the Pani Puri water is. Why make your own Pani Puri water? With all the negative media around the quality of water used by street vendors,

One word… refreshing! If only we savoured traditional Indian beverages, which taste great besides being nutritious, more than aerated colas with empty calories *sigh* Most traditional Indian beverages are seasonal, bringing with them the health benefits of consuming seasonal produce. Summers: lassi or chaas, aam panna, shikanji, jaljeera, kokum sharbat, sattu ka ghol, thandai, solkadhi… Monsoon: chai ;) and other herbal teas to fight seasonal allergies, warm soups with season

Spicy moong dal vadas dipped in tangy Kanji… The Kanji recipe traditionally used for this combination i.e. Kanji Vada, is a simple beverage of mustard seeds, red chilli powder and salt. I, however, used the Punjabi Kanji recipe. Kanji vada is a popular street food around Rajasthan, parts of Punjab and Delhi (old Delhi specially). An innovative recipe using Kanji is Kanji Pulao. Connect with me on social media for (errrmmmm) not-so-regular updates! Yes, I’m not going to be on

Or corn cheese nuggets / bites. Makes for a quick make-ahead snack - you could prepare cheese corn balls and freeze in air tight bags for a couple of weeks – simply fry when serving. Why buy packed and frozen corn cheese balls when you can make your own? Pros: chemical preservative free! Connect with me on social media for (errrmmmm) not-so-regular updates! Yes, I’m not going to be on your screen all day every day! WhiskMixStir on Instagram WhiskMixStir on Facebook WhiskMixSt

When life gives you coriander… make kothimbir vadi! :) haha (sorry about that one) Not until you actually make something, do you realise how simple it is. I have always been under the impression that making the traditional Maharashtrian snack kothimbir vadi would be a complex process… the ratio of coriander to besan and besan to spices, the steaming process (knowing when its cooked just right)… this was surprisingly easy to make. Connect with me on social media for (errrmmmm)

Mint Chutney or Pudina Chutney: a versatile multi-use Indian condiment that goes with everything and perks up the flavour of literally every snack or meal. This recipe of mint chutney makes delicious chutney sandwiches, by itself or layered with tomato and cucumber slices. Serve this spicy mint chutney with samosa, kothimbir vadi, dhokla, urad dal kachori, bhajjis or pakoras, besan ka puda… or simply as chip dip! When you want to substitute the regular pickles in your Indian

A popular Indian-Chinese small plates / appetiser recipe. Fresh, hot, mildly sweet, crispy, juicy chicken… Schezwan chicken ticks all the boxes for not just a quick and easy party snack but also an effortless meal by itself, when served with steamed rice. This is a simple no-fuss recipe of Schezwan Chicken using readily available ingredients and can be prepared literally within 15-20 minutes. The Schezwan sauce that is used in this recipe of Schezwan chicken already has most

Junglee maas (mutton) to junglee murgh! Absolutely love the simplicity of this recipe… few ingredients yet such complex flavours from the ghee, garlic and dried whole red chilies. Yes, these are the only ingredients! Besides mutton or chicken ofcourse. And salt. The original / authentic Rajasthani recipe ‘Junglee Maas’ calls for mutton and there’s no real reason to use chicken, except that it makes for a quick appetiser or small plates recipe, which is ready in literally no t

There's more to mushrooms than soups and curries. Here is a simple, quick and easy to cook small plates / appetiser recipe - batter-fried stuffed mushrooms. Button mushrooms work best for this recipe of batter-fried stuffed mushrooms. The whole button mushroom gets used in this recipe. I have used finely chopped button mushroom stalks and paneer for the stuffing, which can be easily substituted with ingredients of your choice - think cheese!, finely chopped veggies, another v