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

Literally nothing spells winter in Punjab more than sarson ka saag with makki ki roti, gajar ka halwa, gobi gajar achaar... and Gajar ki Kanji; a fermented, mustard seeds based tangy beverage. Kanji is prepared usually during winters in Punjab, under the not-so-harsh winter sun, preferably with purple carrots (kali gajar). As purple carrots aren’t easily available, Gajar ki Kanji is also made using red carrots (the ones used for gajar ka halwa, not the cold storage orange one

The first vegetable (sabji) I learned to cook… besides potatoes. Potatoes and cauliflower florets cooked in Indian masalas. Yes... everyone has their own version of an Aloo Gobi recipe and this is mine. Some recipes are simpler, with a tempering of just jeera and green chillies. I like Aloo Gobi with a bit of onion and tomato masala though. So, here goes. PS: Any leftover Aloo Gobi can be upcycled the next morning - mash the leftover aloo gobi, add finely chopped onions, gree

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

No, it’s not chole pulao :) Chole / Chana biryani is made using methods similar to that of dum biryani… birista (fried onions), adding yoghurt to semi-cooked chole masala for flavour, semi-cooked rice, layering and finally cooking on dum. To reduce the cooking time of this recipe of chole biryani, you could fry the onions and make the tadka for chole while pressure cooking the chickpeas… a little multitasking goes a long way here. Or you could simply upcycle leftover chole ma

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

Packed with nutrition and antioxidants, whole moong or mung beans are a good source of plant based protein for those following a vegetarian / vegan diet. While most recipes of mung beans are similar to a dal recipe, I like to cook mung beans this way; sukha moong - a dry-ish curry. This recipe of sukha moong or dry whole green moong dal or dry mung beans could be served as a side with an Indian curry, Punjabi kadhi pakoda... For me, it makes for a great meal served on its own

A wholesome breakfast, a quick high protein mid meal or an accompaniment for curries and bhaaji, Thalipeeth is a traditional Maharashtrian multigrain, gluten-free roti / flatbread / savoury pancake. Traditionally, Thalipeeth is made using a mix of various millet and roasted dal (pulses / lentils) flour, which makes it naturally gluten-free. This millet and lentil flour mix is usually referred to as bhajanee. The dough for thalipeeth is ideally prepared fresh and is formed in

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

Sarson, palak, methi, bathua are all available fresh and in abundance during the winters. As much as I love all forms of Saag, this recipe of Palak Paneer is a winner. Palak Paneer is usually served with naan or chapati. Though it also tastes great paired with makke ki roti or thalipeeth with a large-ish dollop of fresh homemade white butter... super delicious! I like to serve palak paneer with jeera rice or this veggie pulao recipe too! To make a vegan version of this recipe

Unusual name… when I heard of this recipe for the first time, I googled the name to check if it actually exists! It does. Chicken changezi seems to be a popular Mughlai recipe from old Delhi. Varied spices yet such mild flavours in a rich curry… of course, I had to try it out. It’s a lengthy recipe to read, yes, but the process of making chicken changezi is not as complicated or time consuming as it reads. Connect with me on social media for (errrmmmm) not-so-regular updates!

A quick simple starter or side, this recipe of Lemon Garlic Prawns takes literally no time to prepare. Be sure to marinate the prawns for a maximum of 30 minutes else the garlic may overpower the delicate flavour of the prawns. Looking for more quick, fuss free small plates recipes? Try these. Herbed Chicken Terrine (or homemade chicken salami) Pineapple Chicken Junglee Murgh Chicken Reshmi Kebab Kaleji (mutton liver) fry And this delicious Hibiscus Tea / Lemonade to wash it

Burhani raita or burani raita... or simply put, a yoghurt and garlic dip. Chilled burani raita perfectly complements these chicken reshmi kebabs, lobia ki shami kebabs, chicken dum biryani, chole (chickpeas) biryani or any Indian Sides or Indian Curry recipe really. This recipe of burhani raita or garlic yoghurt dip equally effortlessly complements chips, veggie sticks, veggie crisps! You could even add some to a shawarma. Use this flavoursome garlic yoghurt dip / burani rait

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 WhiskMixStir on Pinterest Makes: 12 chocolate chip / chunk muffins Time taken Prep: 15 minutes Bake: 15 - 18 minutes Ingredients to make Chocolate Chip / Chunk Muffins 2 eggs 1 cup castor sugar 1 cup milk ½ cup unsalted butter / olive oil 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour / maida 1 ½

This traditional north Indian dessert is reduced to being served at weddings now (which is a good thing!), even though Phirni is really simple and not-so-time-consuming to make. Everyone should try making phirni at least once (won't stop at that for sure). A rice pudding of sorts, flavour-wise rice phirni is a lot like rice kheer. The textures of the two recipes however, are different. Where the recipe of rice kheer calls for the use of rice grains, the recipe of rice phirni

Or chicken tangdi kabab The perfect low-cook time recipe to put together on a hot summer day – BBQ it, grill it in the oven or simply on a pan… super easy and great taste! Marinate the chicken drumsticks for at least 4 – 6 hours, preferably overnight. 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 WhiskMixStir on Pinterest Serves: 4 Time taken

With summer setting in, there’s no better Indian dessert than delicious, luscious, creamy homemade kulfi. Yes, it will take a couple of hours but it’s totally worth the effort! ALWAYS use full fat milk for this homemade kulfi recipe, coz there’s no such thing as low fat kulfi! Choose to flavour your homemade kulfi recipe as per your preference – with natural extracts (pista, almond…), add rose syrup at the end to make rose kulfi, mango pulp or reduced orange juice to make man