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

Yes, the raita that I mentioned in my Lauki Chana Dal recipe! Eggplant Raita, Eggplant Yoghurt Dip, Brinjal Raita… this scrumptious baingan ka raita has a crisp bite from the fried eggplant and a creamy smooth texture of yoghurt or dahi. This recipe of Baingan ka Raita uses just fried eggplant, yoghurt and spices. A tadka too! While a Baingan ka Raita is not as quick to put together as let's say a cucumber raita or boondi raita, it is delectable and a must have on your Indian

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

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

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

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

Another year is coming to an end… on a rather sweet note :) What do you make, besides salads, when you have black rice in the kitchen pantry ? Hmmm… grind it to a coarse black rice flour or black rice paste and make Black Rice Phirni ! Only recently, much after I made this Black Rice Phirni recipe, I learnt that this recipe has been traditionally made in the North-Eastern states of India; known as Chak Hao Amubi (black rice and milk kheer / pudding)! That’s why: keep learning

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

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

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

I’m sure many of us have grown up eating custard; warm or chilled, with or without jelly, served as dessert ever so often. Custard cookies make breakfast, mid-meal, snack time flavourful in a fun, nostalgic way. Crunchy, chewy yet soft to the bite, custard powder gives these cookies a melt-in-the-mouth feel. With the addition of tutti frutti and cashewnuts, these eggless custard cookies are very similar to (or the same as?) the famous Karachi Biscuits from Hyderabad. As much

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,

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

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)

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