This post contains helpful notes and tips to help you make the perfect dish. However, if you are in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” link above or the “Jump to” links below to get to the section you want. Breakfast is an important meal of the day for me and I love something that is quick, easy, and filling at the same time. If there is one dish that comes close to this pancake and ticks all the boxes for me, it is vegan pumpkin banana bread with warming spices....

When I suggested a Frosé to my mom the other day, she gave me a blank look and said, “A what? … Sure!” My mom will pretty much try anything I suggest, even if she doesn’t know what it is. Thanks, mom, for being my enthusiastic guinea pig, er, taste tester. How long it takes: 5 minutes Equipment you’ll need: blender Servings: 4 Come to find out, she loves Frosé (I knew she would!...

Fun Fruity Pebbles Cookies While I’m not personally a big cereal person when it comes to breakfast (we prefer scrambled eggs or French toast around here), I do love adding them to my desserts! These Fruity Pebbles cookies are big, thick, gourmet-style cookies with tender, soft centers and pops of crunchy cereal. The glaze on top is made with cereal milk (like my Fruity Pebbles frosting!), and the final product is just so fun and colorful!...

Crispy, golden oven-roasted potatoes are lightly seasoned with garlic and paprika. Easy to make and versatile, they are a perfect side dish with any meal. I make these potatoes at least a couple times a month, and while it’s not a complicated recipe, it’s one I really wanted to share with you guys. Sometimes I’ll do these in a frying pan, sometimes in the toaster oven, and sometimes in the air fryer, but more often than not, this oven version is my go-to....

Cabbage is one of my favorite veggie. I love both the dry curry/poriyal and this kootu. When I found red/purple (I call it as purple cabbage, but it is also known as red cabbage) cabbage here, I bought them and tried it right away. So for the past five plus years both red and green cabbages are one among the staple vegetable in our household. Taste wise both red/purple and green cabbage are very similar....

Today’s kootu is my mom’s recipe. I’m not sure where she learnt it, but she has been making it for years now. Green beans can be substituted with cabbage, spring onions or other vegetables of choice. This kootu is thick and is the perfect combination of vegetables and lentils. It is great to serve with either rice or roti.

When you think of brunch, what immediately comes to mind? (Besides being the best thing ever.) How long it takes: 15 minutes to prep, 40 minutes in the oven Equipment you’ll need: baking sheet, sharp knife, mixing bowl Servings: 3 I think of quiche (bonus points if it has a cornmeal crust), egg casseroles, maybe pancakes, French toast, hashes (I love this air fryer sweet potato hash with candied bacon), and yeah, of course, bacon!...

In this busy and hectic world, we all opt for store bought curry powders and masalas. There is nothing wrong about it but at the same time we can’t deny the fact that the home made masalas carries a unique taste and you can blend the spices as per your family’s preference. Also we feel content and pleased when it is homemade. Today I am presenting you, my homemade chole masala or chenna masala blend, a simple and flavorful recipe that will definitely add aroma to your kitchen pantry....

Once you go to a homemade crouton, there’s no going back. They are a major game-changer and your salads, soups and stews will never be the same. In a very, very good way. Why you’ll love this recipe Easy: These are ready in less than 15 minutes, start to finish! Four Ingredients: That’s right, only four! And aside from the bread, I bet you have them all on hand! Irresistible: They’re crunchy....

Don’t you just love the all-you-can-eat salads at Olive Garden? Especially with those warm breadsticks and yummy Zuppa Toscana! I could easily make a meal with just salad and breadsticks. The salad is simple: lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, olives, croutons, and Parmesan cheese. Oh, I almost forgot the little pickled pepperoncini. Well, guess what? You can easily duplicate this salad at home with your own homemade Italian dressing! I even have a recipe for croutons that are the best, a hundred times better than store bought....

This year we have an extended spring and rainy season in the Bay Area. The weather is so sporadic. We are seeing the sun only from last week. Soon it will be summer break and the grilling and sizzling season will start. Before that, I wanted to post this mocktail recipe. Last year, I posted the green tea spritzer, and here comes the second one. I love herbal and fruit flavored teas....

Story about my relationship with Idlis (for those who care) A few months ago I visited a South Indian restaurant in Paris and saw a white family ordering idli and I remember beaming with pride! As a child though, I would HATE ordering idli at a restaurant. When my mum used to make idlis at home, she would have to cater to my very stubborn request that I NEED DOSA. Dosa is sexier, it glistens with oil, its golden brown and thin!...

Indian Methi Chicken – Murg Methi (Fenugreek Chicken) The mildly spiced, aromatic ‘Methi Chicken’ or ‘Kasuri Methi Chicken’ is a family favorite recipe for many generations. It can be made 1-2 days in advance and frozen for upto a week. More than being the favorite, the reason to make it that many times is plain and simple – It tastes absolutely Heavenly & is so simple to make. It takes about 30-40 minutes to make this recipe from scratch and the result is mind-blowing!...

In my quest to try different Indian cuisines, I have a traditional Gujarati mixed vegetable dish called Undhiyu or Oondhiya today. I ate it for the very first time at one of our Gujju friends and it was absolutely amazing. It is packed with flavor and veggies. They served it with puri and shrikhand for a wholesome meal. ‘Undhu’ in Gujarati means ‘upside down’. Traditionally undhiyu is cooked in earthen clay pots that are turned upside down onto the open fire....

Did everyone have a good weekend? We had a nice relaxing weekend — it felt good to not have a boatload of plans. On Saturday, I worked out, developed and photographed a bunch of recipes, took down the Christmas tree, and then had my in-laws over for dinner. Sunday was just as chill with church and lots of family time. I’m thankful for that dose of family time, because Ben has 4 late nights at work next week so we’ll barely see him at all....

This rasam podi is used for preparing kollu rasam quickly without roasting and pressure cooking the horse gram. This can be prepared in a large quantity and stored as it has a longer shelf life. Kollu or Kaanam is one of the staple lentils used in the rural parts of TN, but with its gaining popularity and its health benefits are penetrating everywhere. We are in the alphabet ‘H’ in this A-Z challenge....

Isn’t this salad beautiful? I could eat this every day. It is so tasty! Perfect meal or side dish. When I think lentils, my mind automatically goes to delicious health food. Lentils are a versatile powerhouse and so tasty. Did you know that there are different varieties of lentils? They’re usually classified by color and each variety has unique properties and taste quite different. I love using red lentils to make a smooth, comforting red lentil soup....

We are going to the Malaysia today. It is located in Southeast Asia. The country is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural. The population can be broadly divided into 3 ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese & Indian. Most of the Malaysian dishes have strong influences of all these countries. Difference between Indian & Malaysian curries is that the veggies are cooked till fork tender and never over-cooked in Malaysian curries. Also what I found was the tang factor missing, there are no tomatoes or tamarind in the curry....

After the vegan matcha popsicle, I am back with another popsicle, and this time it’s the mango raspberry popsicle. And I haven’t used any exotic ingredients and only made these popsicles with fruits. Ingredients required. You need only two main ingredients, the mangoes and raspberries, and an optional ingredient – any sweetener of your choice. Raspberries: Among the berries, raspberries are my favorite, and for this recipe, I went with 6oz of raspberries....

Marble Cake (AKA: The People Pleaser) Some people like chocolate cake, some people like vanilla cake–but everyone loves this marble cake! It’s a beautiful, swirled combination that’s perfectly chocolatey with just the right amount of vanilla. If you’ve tried and enjoyed my zebra cake, you’ll love this richer, more elegant take, minus the whipped egg whites and special ingredients. It’s simple, gorgeous, and designed to please! This recipe is a close cousin to my popular vanilla cake; it’s wonderfully soft, moist, and so flavorful....