Spinach and Paneer Samosas are a variation of traditional Samosas, which are generally deep-fried. These Baked Spinach Phyllo Samosas are a healthier option and are very easy to make. I have always wanted to make samosas, the crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, fried and filled delicacy that is very famous in North India. This is the most famous evening snack that is served with steaming hot tea....

Subzi Diwani Handi is a Mixed Vegetable Curry in Spinach Gravy. You can use any vegetables that are leftover and make this delicious and quick gravy. This week I am doing Gourmet gravies and Subzi Diwani Handi is the second recipe I chose for the theme. The gourmet gravies are very creamy and rich, but this one strikes a bit differently from the others. The base for this mixed vegetable curry is spinach....

Navarathri and Sundal goes hand in hand and the festival is incomplete without sundal. Every evening, after we light the lamps, any one kind of sundal is offered as neivedhiyam. There are days when I get bored of making sundal and I end up making some sweet for neivedhiyam. But since I have learned couple of sweet sundal recipes, I have religiously been making only sundals for offering. Sundal has become a routine preparation at home these days because of its health benefits....

Umm Ali is a bread pudding with just milk mixture and dry fruits and absolutely no eggs. We can use Phyllo pastry sheets, puff pastry sheets, croissants, palmiers or just stale bread to make this Egyptian Dessert. Umm Ali, the name of the dish was very different and that made me venture deeper into it. When I saw that it was an Egyptian dessert, I immediately decided that we would like it....

Aloo Tikki Chole Chaat is one of the most popular street foods from northern India. This is a very tasty street food made with potatoes, chickpeas, and spices. Potato is made into a patty with cooked channa and chutneys, making it a delicious dish. Chaat is something that we all love to eat, but unfortunately, there are no Indian chaat places near where we live. To satisfy our cravings, I have to make these at home....

This spicy Apple Thokku also called the Grated Apple pickle is the best use of all the excess apple that we pick during the fall season. Apple pickle works great for tart and/or sour apples. When we miss the sour green mangoes to make mango thokku , apples comes in very handy to ease the craving. Granny Smith or Green apple gives the closest taste and flavor as raw mango....

This Lobia Subzi or Black Eyed Peas Curry is something that I make a lot, as it is very flavorful and also quick to make. It does not necessarily need the overnight soaking of the beans like the other beans do. Lobia or karamani is my newfound favorite among the many legumes we use. A couple of years back, I used karamani, also known as cowpeas or black-eyed peas, for making the Karadayan Nombu adai or the sweet karamani sundal ....

Dhal palak is a very simple traditional side dish that makes an excellent side dish. It has spinach cooked in lentil curry. It is a typical comfort food for busy days, which can also be had as is as a soup. This is yet another recipe that is filled with protein. If you are trying to get greens into your diet, this is the Recipe to go for. This dhal has mild flavors and is perfect for weeknight dinners to serve with rice or rotis!...

If you have never baked with semolina before, look no further. This Semolina cake drizzled with honey syrup has a melt-in-the-mouth texture. When deciding the dishes for the alphabet for the month-long marathon. I somehow missed the alphabet H. I did later come up with a few recipes to make, but never got around to making it. This Honey Drizzled Semolina Cake was so simple to make with very minimal ingredients....

Kothamalli Thuvayal ( Coriander Leaves Thogayal ) is a spicy and flavorful chutney that works well as a side to Idli or Dosa. Cilantro Chutney can also be used as a main dish by mixing them directly with hot rice. After the overload of sweets and snacks for Deepavali, this week all we wanted to eat was some simple food. I had made this Kothamalli Thuvayalfor dinner from Meenakshi Ammal’s Cook and See book....

This Mullangi Vendhaya Sambhar has a stronger hand on fenugreek seeds and it was very different from the regular sambhar. If you are like me looking out for different varieties of sambhar recipes to add to your routine, try out this radish fenugreek sambhar. What’s for lunch? This is one question that I absolutely hate to hear. As much as I love to cook, I hate to decide the menu for the day....

I am part of this wonderful group called South North Challenge, started by Divya Pramil of “You Too Can Cook”. I belong to the Southern team, and each month we have to complete the challenge set by the Northern team. This month’s truly challenging recipe was given to us by Manjula of “Desi Fiesta”. She had made a beautiful Rajasthani Thali, which inspired us to create one of our own. She was very helpful throughout the process, answering all our doubts, and hence it was possible for us to make this awesome platter....

Rava Urundai or Rava Ladoo is a quick and easy traditional sweet that is loved by all. Made with roasted Rava / semolina, ghee, and nuts, this delicious treat can be made in under 30 minutes. Diwali / Deepavali is around the corner and it is time to indulge in delicious sweets and snacks. My theme for this week’s BM is very apt for the season and for the next 3 days I will be posting Diwali sweets and savories....

Shir Sewain was a very heavy dessert with milk and khoya. I had made it like a thick kheer, but it ended up becoming a solid dessert upon cooling. Meghalaya is a state in North East India. The meaning of the state means ’the abode of clouds’. The capital of the state is Shillong which is also known as the ‘Scotland of the East’. This is a very popular tourist place and there are several falls in and around Shillong....

Sweet potato has been one of my recent favorites. I have been using this vegetable in a lot of dishes that require potatoes, and my family absolutely loves it. This spiced sweet potato curry with coconut is a variation of the regular sweet potato curry When I made my curry with sweet potatoes (the first version), my very good friend Janhavi gave me another version of the sweet potato curry recipe....

Spinach Rice is an excellent choice for a meal for busy nights when one wants something quick and not too complicated. Palak Rice pairs well with just plain yogurt or raita on the side and making it in the Instant Pot makes it very convenient. I just love making one-pot meals on weeknights. I like including different vegetables in the rice and it is easy to feed the kids everything in one bite....

Walnut Biscotti is an Italian classic baked treat that are twice baked for its crispiness and long shelf life. These are perfect to dip into a cup of coffee or take on a trip to snack along. Biscotti’s are Italian Cookies that are part baked, sliced to reveal a feast of mixed nuts and then baked again until crisp and golden. These light and crunchy cookies have walnuts in them and are flavored with orange and coriander seeds....

Diwali / Deepavali is around the corner and the festival is not complete without making traditional Burfis and Pedas. Check out the recipes for 10 burfis and pedas to make for Diwali with step by step pictures. Diwali / Deepavali, is around the corner and it is time to start preparing the list for the sweets and snacks that we are going to make this year. I have a collection of 10 Burfis and Pedas To Make for Diwali, that I have made over the years....

Chakka Varatti is one of the very traditional deserts from Kerala that is made with ripe jackfruits. This Jackfruit Halwa can be stored in a fridge for a while and for months in a freezer. Jackfruit, the name is enough to bring back pleasant memories from my childhood and I consider this the king of the fruits. Jackfruit is a tropical fruit with rough exterior and sweeter than the sweetest flavor any fruit could have....

End of the summer abundance of basil and cherry tomatoes from the backyard garden is put to good use with this delicious recipe. This baked pesto pasta is perfect for lunch or dinner and is loved by all. This is the 4th week of the blogging Mega Marathon, and I have chosen to do Entrees all this week. The recipes I chose are something we like to eat as a family....