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. Connect with me on social media for (errrmmmm) not-so-regular updates! Yes, I’m not going to be on

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

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

These are bottle gourd (lauki) koftas in a light curry recipe and could be easily substituted with paneer, mutton / chicken kheema (mince) for a quick dinner… The curry in this recipe of lauki kofta curry is a basic, no-fuss Indian curry. The curry of malai kofta or Nargisi kofta is richer with subtle flavours. If you're a fan of Indian curries, you may want to try these curry recipes too! Kairi Murgh Lobia Curry Palak Chicken Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda Here's another delectable La

Tempered Potatoes Also known as Jeera Aloo (this one is with an addition of coarsely crushed peanuts) This recipe of tadka aloo or jeera aloo is an ideal meal for when you're fasting (vrat). Boil potatoes, peel and leave them to cool. When ready to cook, chop the potatoes roughly in to bite size pieces. Next, a quick, simple tadka of jeera, green chillies and curry leaves that adds subtle flavours to the potatoes and is not heavy on the palate. This recipe of Tadka Aloo or Je

This recipe of Vegetarian / Vegan Fried Rice is the simplest quick fix recipe one can make using easily available ingredients. If you don't have an ingredient or two from the ones listed in this recipe, don't worry... your vegetarian / vegan fried rice will still turn out great! All you need is rice, some veggies and then some more garlic & ginger. The sauces play an important role yes, but if you don't have them handy... no fuss. Yes, this really is a no fuss recipe. And a v

Traditional / authentic pindi chole are made using anardana (dried pomegranate seeds), for a bit of tang & flavour – no tomatoes. I twisted the recipe a little and added a couple of tablespoons of yoghurt, cooked down completely to add texture – something I picked from the Madra Rajma recipe of Chamba (Himachal Pradesh). **Even though this may be a lengthy recipe to read, it IS a simple one to work with :) To make a vegan version of this recipe of Pindi Chole, add vegan yogh

These Indian style Hakka Noodles really need no introduction. Definitely better than store bought instant noodles, this recipe of Hakka Noodles is ready in pretty much the same time that the "instant" noodles would take - we all know they don't take just two minutes ;) Besides, you get to choose what you add in your recipe of Hakka Noodles. Skip the sauces completely or as per availability / choice and add a teaspoon of black pepper powder and these Indian style Hakka Noodles

Our very own savoury doughnut! The traditional South-Indian breakfast, meal or snack - Medu Vada or Urad Dal Vada. This recipe of Medu Vada can be easily doubled / proportionately increased for larger quantities. You could fry a larger batch of Medu Vadas and store them in a refrigerator for a few days. Leave them on the counter for a couple of hours before serving allowing the Medu Vadas to reach ambient temperature and then dunk in hot sambar. Ofcourse, the Medu Vadas won't