Bombay Karachi Halwa is a chewy and glossy halwa made with cornstarch. A simple halwa that is quick and easy to make and is a crowd-pleaser. Halwa making can be very intimidating for many, and I was one of them. It took me quite a while to get over my fear and start making halwa. I have to thank my husband for motivating me to make this Bombay Karachi Halwa....

A flavorful Vegan Cauliflower Kurma made with Cauliflower florets and simple Indian spices. The aroma of this cauliflower curry will make you come back for more. It pairs really well with rice or Indian flatbread. Kurma is to South Indian cuisine as Subzi is to North Indian Cuisine. The spices and ingredients used in the kurma are slightly different and most of the kurma recipes have coconut in them. Coming to this Cauliflower curry recipe is more of a South Indian kind of side dish that goes well with roti as well as rice....

The best way to enjoy homemade cinnamon rolls in less than 30 minutes is by baking them as muffins. These cinnamon roll muffins bring the same great flavor of a freshly baked cinnamon roll but without the fuss of making the yeasted dough. Cinnamon roll muffins are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack. These muffins are a fun and creative twist on traditional cinnamon rolls, with sweet and spicy cinnamon filling layered between the soft and tender muffin batter....

French Macarons, a recipe that tested my patience and skills as a cook and a baker, and one of the most delicate pastries that I have ever made and will ever make. Read the entire post for detailed and every bit of information you need to make the perfect Macarons. This month’s baking partner’s challenge was to make French macarons. The recipe was suggested by Swathi @ Zesty South Indian Kitchen & Vidhya @ A Portion to Share....

Nimbu Dal is an excellent comfort food if paired with hot rice. These Lemon Lentils can also be paired with Rotis along with a subzi on the side for a sumptuous meal. Dal-chawal is my comfort food and I look forward to cold winter nights to eat a bowl of steaming hot rice and lentils with some desi ghee in it. For the third and last day of cooking with lemons, I chose this classic tangy Nimbu Dal....

Pulao is an excellent one-pot meal on busy days. This vegetable quinoa pulao is a healthy alternative that substitutes rice with quinoa without compromising on the taste. This vegetable quinoa pulav is mess-free and one of the simplest one-pot meals that are ready in under 30 minutes. We can make this on the stovetop as well as in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot like how I made it today....

Thayir Pachadi is one of the traditional sides in any south Indian wedding or a function. These Plain Raita can also be used as a side for Rotis or Parathas for a north Indian meal. This is a quick thayir pachadi/ plain raita that is made without any vegetable. I have often eaten this pachadi in the weddings and love it with sambhar rice and rasam rice. Also I like to dip my vadai into this pachadi....

Uyghur Flatbread or Nángbĭng is a flatbread made in the Xinjiang region of China. This flatbread is made with flour that is naturally lower in gluten resulting in very soft bread. We are almost to the end of my A to Z International flatbread series and as we get closer to the end, the alphabet becomes hard. I had a little hard time finding a recipe for U and was so glad to find this Uyghur Flatbread, from the Western regions of China....

Tamil Nadu, the state to which I belong, literally means ‘The Land of Tamils’. I was born and part bought up in this state. The capital of the state is Chennai, formerly known as Madras. Tamil Nadu is in the Southern most part of the Indian peninsula and is bordered by Puducherry, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Tamil is the official language of the state. Tamil Nadu is one of the ancient civilizations in India....

7 cup Cake or Burfi is the perfect beginner burfi recipe to make during the festival season. It is a very quick to make recipe and does not require any special skills to make. And the best part is it is ready in under 30 minutes. Festivals are not complete without a traditional dessert. Indian festivals revolve around food and sweets / desserts are an very important part of the celebration....

Anjaneyar Vadai is a special vadai made as an offering to Lord Hanuman as a Vada Maalai. This Milagu vadai tastes very different and is made with just urad dal and Milagu/pepper. Offering vada maalai to lord Hanuman / Anjaneyar is a very common practice. I remember going to Nanganallur Anjaneyar Kovil in Chennai and have seen humongous vada maalai being offered to the god. This Milagu vadai is very different from the other Urad dal Medhu vadai and stays fresh for an extended period of time....

I love the tortilla chips with nacho cheese sauce in street fairs and festivals. I always top it off with extra jalapenos and enjoy the warm cheesy tortilla chips. My boys reach for the crispy chips whereas I go for the soggy ones. This recipes is an excellent appetizer that can be made in under 30 minutes. We usually buy the cheese sauce from stores, but often do not finish the whole thing and it just sits in the refrigerator to be forgotten....

Chinese almond cookies also known as Almond cakes or Almond crisp are a popular cookie that is made around the Chinese New Year. This Almond cookie is one of the simplest cookies to make. Chinese almond cookies, also known as Almond cakes or Almond crisps, are popular cookies made around the Chinese New Year to distribute to friends and family. This Almond cookie is one of the simplest cookies that I have made and it is considered a sign of good luck....

When looking for a quick and crispy snack, this Button Thattai is the best ever! This mini kara kara button thattai is perfect for carrying as an ‘on-the-go snack’ and kids or adults love it equally. Summer vacation is in full swing and so is the constant demand for snacks. My older son is having a quiet summer before he leaves for college in the fall. On the other side, my younger one has a lot of tennis and music in his schedule....

The holiday season means baking a loaf or two of this delicious Fruit Cake. This eggless fruit cake is so moist and flavorful. It is a perfect recipe to bake to give to friends and family. For the second day of travel-friendly dishes, I made this fruit cake. We usually travel quite a bit with our boys and most of the trips are weekend trips. I like to carry snacks for the kids as well for us when traveling since that is when we are most hungry....

Koat Pitha is a deep-fried rice flour fritter with a banana that is quite famous in the North Eastern regions of India like Tripura. This has to be eaten a bit cold and is very soft on the inside because of the banana. We are almost coming to the end of our Mega regional marathon and I can’t believe how fast the month flew by. Tripura is the last of the North East states in India and it was absolutely hard to find a vegetarian dish for this state....

This Lauki Subzi or Dhoodhi subzi is a good side dish for roti or paratha. It takes about 45 minutes to make this bottle gourd subzi. It stays well when refrigerated and can be made ahead of time for the busy days. This also pairs well with plain rice or pulao. So, this subzi can be a good recipe for weekday lunch or dinner. Bottle gourd is one of the vegetables that we grow in our backyard....

A delicious and quick-to-make chickpeas soup with Middle Eastern flavors. The best part is this chickpeas soup is made with canned garbanzo beans. My family loves Lentil Soup . So thinking along the same lines, I wanted to make something different and that is how I landed on this Middle Eastern Chick Peas Soup. The flavors are very simple and can be made in less than 30 minutes (if using canned beans)....

Paal Payasam is one of the very traditional desserts that is served at south Indian weddings and for special occasions. This Milk Kheer is a variation of the regular version and uses caramelized sugar which brings out a very different flavor. I love Paal Payasam. The other day, one of my very good friends, Ramya back from my college had put a picture of her paal payasam and it looked delicious....

Schezwan Fried rice or Szechuan Fried rice is a very popular fried rice from Indo-Chinese cuisine. This spicy fried rice is unique and different because of the freshly made Schezwan sauce that is used. Schezwan or Szechuan sauce can be easily found in the stores but the flavor of freshly made sauce is much more delicious. I have made a quick and easy sauce here to make along with a mix of vegetables and rice....