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

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

Looking for a refreshing, unconventional, not-toothachingly-sweet, summer cooler? Look no further than Hibiscus Tea, rather Lemonade. If you have a flowering hibiscus plant at home, this is the perfect recipe for you. You could also make Hibiscus Tea with dried hibiscus petals. Yes, just the petals are used for this hibiscus herbal tea / lemonade. Usually, Hibiscus tea is made using the petals of the Roselle variety of hibiscus. I have used the red Hibiscus flowers grown and

Breakfast, mains, appetiser, small plates… Kaleji (mutton liver) Fry finds a place in all meals. This recipe of Kaleji Fry is the simple, no-fuss kind. To get the ‘fried’ effect I recommend cooking the mutton liver in its own juices, avoid adding water or stock. Stir the mutton liver often while it’s cooking to avoid charring or burning it. Serves 4 Time taken: 20-25 minutes Ingredients to make Kaleji (Mutton Liver) Fry 250 gms kaleji (mutton liver) 2 tbsp ghee 1 bay leaf / t

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

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

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

This recipe of Keema Aloo or Kheema Aloo uses mutton keema (mince), you could use minced meat of choice, or soy mince – whichever works. I always add potatoes to my recipe of Keema Curry, which make for a great addition, as the potatoes soak in the flavours of the masala and Keema. That's why I call this recipe Keema Aloo Curry and not just Keema Curry. When available, I like to add a handful of fresh green peas to the Keema Aloo. I also always add a boiled egg to Keema Aloo

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

One word… refreshing! If only we savoured traditional Indian beverages, which taste great besides being nutritious, more than aerated colas with empty calories *sigh* Most traditional Indian beverages are seasonal, bringing with them the health benefits of consuming seasonal produce. Summers: lassi or chaas, aam panna, shikanji, jaljeera, kokum sharbat, sattu ka ghol, thandai, solkadhi… Monsoon: chai ;) and other herbal teas to fight seasonal allergies, warm soups with season

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

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

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! Makes: 12-14 corn cheese balls Time taken: Prep: 20 minutes Cooking: 5 minutes Ingredients to make Corn Cheese Balls 2 large-ish potatoes, boiled and mashed ½ cup corn kernels 2 tsp rice flou