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

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

Looking for a low calorie mid meal snack option? Look no further than this recipe of cucumber raita. Cucumber or kheera (as it is commonly known in India) is known for its cooling properties. Not just super hydrating, owing to their naturally high content of water (over 90%), cucumbers are low in calories, carbohydrates and fat too. Make this refreshing cucumber raita within minutes as a condiment to be served as part of an Indian meal. Cucumber raita complements a veggie pul

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

Carrot and green chilli pickle is usually served in Northern India with Chole Masala or Pindi Chole, though it goes well with any Indian meal. There are various recipes and methods of preparing carrot pickle; this one’s an instant recipe, ready in 5 minutes. This instant carrot pickle stores well for a week to ten days in the refrigerator and tastes even better once the flavours develop in a couple of days. Don’t worry about storing this recipe of carrot pickle for even a cou

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,

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

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

A flavourful, spiced twist to regular raita – any of your choice: cucumber, bottle gourd, pineapple, burhani, kachumber, boondi… A tadka or tempering enhances the flavours of any raita really. Tadke wala raita makes for a quick, filling snack in between meals, as much as it complements any Indian meal beautifully. Pair it with lachha parathas and you have a full meal! If you're new to Indian cooking, here are a couple of raita recipes to get you started. Burhani Raita Cucumbe

Thecha: a rustic Maharashtrian “chutney”; super versatile and can be added to anything from bhel to mutton or chicken curry to bagara baingan to kothimbir vadi dough for an extra kick of flavour... thecha makes a flavourful accompaniment to the simple Maharashtrian breakfast Thalipeeth, or just as a condiment to fire up up a basic dal chawal. Psst... I eat thecha with potato chips even! *ahem* A couple of other Indian condiments that easily double up as chip dip: Burani Raita