This recipe really needs no introduction. If you have ordered dal tadka in a restaurant, you would most likely be served toor dal tadka. Toor dal (arhar dal or yellow pigeon peas) is the lentil of choice for a restaurant style dal tadka, as it blends well while still holding shape, giving the lentil curry both; a mushy and grainy texture. A part of the toor / arhar dal disintegrates into the cooking water, making a thick curry and a lot of it stays solid, for that texture tha

Red kidney beans curry Let me start with a disclaimer. This is a one pot rajma masala recipe, not the authentic Punjabi recipe of rajma masala where the red kidney beans are boiled first and then added to an onion tomato masala. In this recipe of rajma masala, everything gets cooked together. For the most of it. This recipe of rajma masala is like an instant pot rajma masala, without an instant pot. Everything gets done at once, no multiple cooking processes and you don’t hav

Quick to cook, one pot meals coming up on the blog in the next few posts. Also, easy on the tummy, cooling recipes coz, Summer! And I’m sure no one wants to spend hours in the kitchen cooking up and eating heavy meals. Lauki… also known as bottle gourd, doodhi, ghiya and many other names. Not everyone’s favourite vegetable, even though it must be a regular in our diet thanks to its health benefits! Chana dal… Bengal gram lentils, split chickpeas… high in protein and dietary f

Soya nuggets or soya chunks… high protein vegetarian, vegan, plant-based alternative to animal protein. Soya chunks or nuggets come from soybeans which, like any other bean, are high in fibre, calcium, iron, omega 3 and more. Low fat too because soya chunks are made from soy flour that is left over after extracting oil from soybeans. Usually soya chunks have protein content similar to that of meat and take much lesser time to cook. The quick cooking time for this recipe of Ch

Winter! Winter! Winter! Sarson! Sarson! Sarson! …and other leafy greens ofcourse! My favourite season with my favourite food is here and I couldn’t be happier! In no particular order: Saron da saag te makki di roti (as any Punjabi would proudly say), Gajar ka Halwa, Gajar Gobi Shalgam ka Achaar, Pinni (yumm yumm), Palak Paneer, Moong Dal Halwa and many many more. It’s the season of warming, comfort foods that are a bear hug for your soul! For now, let’s start with this recipe

Commonly known as taro root or colocasia root. Arbi does not have a strong flavour of its own and is versatile much like potatoes. Taro root or arbi borrows flavour from the spices / masala that is added to it while cooking. Taro root is healthier than potatoes in many ways; higher in fibre, lesser in fat content, good source of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins (especially vitamins C & E, which makes it great for skin and hair health). So definitely look at including taro

Or green beans and potatoes cooked in Indian masala. This recipe of Beans Aloo is made with string beans or French beans as they’re known as in many parts of the world. Incase string beans are not available, you could try making Beans Aloo with any green beans that are easily available to you or as per seasonal availability. I have made this recipe with long beans (Lobia ki Phali) too. Punjabi style Beans Aloo tastes great made with any available green beans! Green beans do ‘

This recipe is that of a Punjabi style Lobia (black eyed peas) Curry. Or Rongi as we call it at home. The masala paste for this curry recipe is a basic one with onions and tomatoes which could be used for any Punjabi style whole beans recipe; think rajma, kale chane, chole masala and others. These recipes will be posted separately too with their distinct spice powder mix which differentiates the flavours. I usually soak and boil an extra cup of black eyed peas to make these L

Chickpeas Curry This Punjabi style Chole Masala is a curry based recipe, different from Pindi Chole which is a dry-ish chickpeas recipe. Chole Masala is a simple traditional recipe which is put together using easily available ingredients, in your kitchen or at the nearest supermarket. If you have boiled or canned chickpeas at hand, this recipe is ready in literally 20 minutes. Thanks to its high plant based protein content, Chickpeas Curry makes for the perfect vegan main dis

This is a basic moong dal tadka recipe, with a simple, flavourful tadka (tempering) for the ones new to cooking. I will follow this up with some more tadka dal recipes for variations. Dhuli moong dal (or petite yellow lentils) on its own is bland, so the use of ghee and aromatics is important here to add flavour. You could also add onions and tomatoes to the tadka, a recipe that I will share soon. Easy to digest, dhuli moong dal makes for a simple, satiating, everyday meal. P

The spiced, tangy, thin gravy that is usually served with Puran Poli. Katachi Amti is made using the water in which the chana dal (Bengal gram) is boiled, for making the puran of puran poli. This chana dal water is then cooked with a tempering of mainly grated coconut (dried or fresh), traditional Maharashtrian goda masala, along with tamarind and jaggery for a spicy, tangy, sweet thin gravy that perfectly complements the sweet, ghee-laden Puran Poli. While every home would h

Indian flatbread stuffed with a mix of Bengal gram (chana dal) and jaggery (gur). Traditional, festive Maharashtrian delicacy: Puran Poli with Katachi Amti! Puran is the mix of chana dal and jaggery flavoured with fragrant sweet spices. Poli is Marathi for flatbread. From asking the house-help to make Puran Poli, to bartering Punjabi food for Puran Poli and Kothimbir Vadi with my Maharashtrian colleagues… making it all by myself was super motivating and rewarding at the same

We call it Aloo Pyaaz Tamatar Chutney at home… this recipe is basically egg bhurji without eggs. Beat a couple of eggs (or more!) and cook quickly on high heat as the last step, for delicious egg bhurji. If you're wondering why I'm talking about making egg bhurji adding eggs to Aloo Bhurji, try this recipe and you'll never make or eat egg bhurji any other way! Aloo Bhurji (with or without egg) is a leisurely weekend brunch for our family, accompanied with fresh crusty brun (a

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

Healthy hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner… Paneer Bhurji works at all times. For when you need a quick fix yet wholesome start to the day… an easy to make meal at the end of a busy day… or a spicy side to go with simple dal tadka… Paneer Bhurji is sure a saviour. Paneer bhurji, aloo bhurji and egg bhurji are popular North Indian breakfast recipes accompanied with plain salted parathas or bread. Paneer Bhurji can also be used as a sandwich stuffing for grilled or toasted sandw

Yes! Kanji has been put to good use in my kitchen *grinning* Another recipe using Kanji, is the spicy and popular North Indian street food Kanji Vada. The ingredients for Kanji Pulao are the same as any regular pulao, with the addition of Kanji. Here, Kanji is used as a replacement for half the quantity of water. So, for 1 cup of long grain basmati rice you will need 1 cup of Kanji and 1 cup of water, instead of 2 cups of water. I prefer to limit the use of spices in Kanji pu

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. Makes: 15-18 moong dal vada Time taken* Soaking: 6-8 hours or overnight Cooking: 20-25 minutes *ass

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

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