Theme: Methi Dishes Dish: Methi Matar Masala Curry We are starting our second week of blogging marathon today and my theme for this week is ‘Methi dishes’. I like methi quite a bit – what I don’t like about it is that it takes (almost) forever to take the leaves out, especially the store bought bunches which have tougher stems. I grow my own methi in summer and try to pluck them out when they are still young, so the whole plant can be used in cooking....

We are starting 3rd week of Cooking Carnival today and I chose another very broad category, Vegetables, as my theme. To make it a little more interesting, I’m going to post Snacks that are made with vegetables or that include vegetables under this theme. First up are these ponganalu/ paniyaram with vegetables. Paniyaram/ Ponganalu: These little pillowy lentil balls are typically made with either dosa or idli batter. They are low fat alternative to deep fried pakoras because they are made in a special pan called paniyaram/ aebleskiver pan....

I love baking with my kids, especially during the holiday season. My daughter loves to read the recipe and helps me with the mixing and stirring. Which is why I always look forward to holiday baking. My kids love cookies in all shapes and forms. They also love chocolate in all shapes and forms. So, I like making these healthy-ish whole wheat chocolate chip cookies or these easy chocolate drop cookies or these amazing world peace cookies....

The best part was when we met, we started talking to each other as if we knew for years. I know we were chatting and whatsapping for past 6 months but still… People who saw us chatting and laughing wouldn’t have believed if we told them that we are virtual friends and meeting for the first time. Malar came to my place and we drove together and met Vidya. It was total fun....

Disclosure: This is not a paid post. I received this product for review from Zimplistic, but the opinions and thoughts expressed here are my own. Before getting into the review, let me share some scenarios. Scenario 1: After a long tiring day, you come home, and your child is inviting you to play with him/her, or you need to help them with the homework. You realize you have to knead the dough for roti and prepare....

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. This hearty dish, like aloo palak and bhindi masala, represents rustic, home-cooked food that people serve with warmth and love. Creamy cubes of paneer - Indian cottage cheese - delicately simmer in an aromatic, mildly-spiced, gorgeous-green spinach gravy....

Growing up, during the weekend, especially on the oil-bath days, mom always used to make jeera-milagu rasam or poondu rasam. Sometimes she adds neem flower rice or vepampoo sadam also to the menu. Initially, I was planning to share that menu, but then as I was browsing through my archives, I realized I didn’t add any exclusive postpartum thali, so I decided to make that instead. Pathiya Samayal- As mentioned on my ridgegourd kootu post, pathiyam means “restricted” samayal means “cooking....

How long it takes: 15 minutes to prep, 45 to 60 minutes baking time Equipment you’ll need: 9 x 13 inch baking dish, mixing bowl Servings: 8 I imagine peach blueberry crisp would be good at breakfast time, too, with a spoonful of vanilla yogurt on top of it, but I’m just imagining that. I’ve certainly never eaten it for breakfast. Not more than 25 times, at least. About This Peach Blueberry Crisp Works with fresh, frozen, or canned fruit....

A Peanut Butter Twist on the Classic These delicious, not-too-sweet, peanut butter rice krispie treats are a perfectly chewy, bordering on gooey (without being messy), and satisfying salty-sweet snack. They have a rich candied peanut butter flavor and just the right amount of saltiness. If you enjoyed my fluffernutter cookies, you’ll love this new peanut butter and marshmallow creation! This recipe is simple, but it wasn’t so simple to create. I thought that adding peanut butter to my classic rice krispie treats recipe would work, but it wasn’t that easy....

Today’s baked treat, Pecan Chocolate Blondies, are the last of the edible gifts that I made for this week’s Bake-a-thon. This year I made fruit & nut cookies, chocolate chip Mandelbrot and these blondies to give as edible gifts. I gave them to our neighbors and I think these treats have helped me make a couple of new friends 🙂Recipe for these pecan chocolate blondies is from Dorie Greenspan’s ‘Dories Cookies’ cookbook via the Kitchn site....

I picked the alphabet ‘P’ and country ‘Persia’ for the final day of this week’s blogging marathon. Technically Persia is not a country anymore and it is used interchangeably with Iran but I took the liberty to use it anyway. The Persian dish I have today is very simple and is practically no-cook. There are just a handful of recipes required to make this colorful dip/ appetizer. Quick and Easy Yogurt Beet Dip: This beets and yogurt dip is so inviting and colorful....

How long it takes: 20 minutes to prep, 30 minutes to bake, plus time to chill Equipment you’ll need: 9 x 13 inch baking pan, electric mixer, grater, skewer or chopstick Servings: 12 Pumpkins are so plentiful right now, although I can’t say the same for canned pumpkin puree! With all the fall baking going on, there’s a shortage at the grocery stores lately. No worries, buy a fresh pumpkin, shred it, and bake up this pumpkin cake....

Queso dip is hands-down one of my biggest weaknesses. I mean, who can resist melty cheese on a salty chip? This white queso is irresistible, just like my Mexican Spinach Dip or the beautifully colored healthy queso dip with butternut squash. The subtly sweet flavor of that one is to die for…have you guys tried it yet? About this queso blanco Perfect for any occasion: From Cinco de Mayo to game day, this queso blanco fits the bill for any occasion....

Okay, who’s ready for a 5 Minutes Snack? Something that’s easy to make healthy and super yum…presenting Quick and Hearty Almond – Ricotta Snack Bites which is all these things and much more. They are so easy to make that you’d think WHY didn’t you try them before and they are definitely the answer to those in-between meal cravings …think about that 3-4pm hunger pangs. Welcome to my everyday life snack situation....

If I say ‘I love eating eggplants‘, many of you would look at me with concerned eyes. I know but I cannot get enough of this Quick Smoky Eggplant Dip. It’s a creamy dip with a smoky-minty flavor that just melts in your mouth. I’ve been having it for gosh…..so many years and I never realized that I had not shared this simple recipe. It’s one of that easy and healthy dish that’s pretty multifaceted....

Rocky Road Inspired Cookies Here’s something new to add to your recipe book: rocky road cookies! These chocolatey, soft, and chewy cookies are packed full of texture and flavor. Inspired by the classic ice cream, this recipe is similar to my rocky road brownies, but in cookie form. 4 things to love about this recipe: Comes together so easily with no chilling or mixer needed. For those days when you don’t have the patience to wait for such things....

Saag Paneer is a popular Punjabi recipe that is usually prepared during winter as the saag or mustard greens are widely available during that time. I combined mustard greens, regular spinach, and cabbage and cooked this gravy. Last week when I found these greens in the local farmers market, I was elated and got a bunch right away. I got this saag paneer recipe from my friend P who in turn got it from her nanny....

Sarson ka Saag, popularly known as Sarson da Saag is an extremely delicious and popular Indian vegetable in winter. It’s creamy, rich in flavors (butter+spices) and served with “Makki di Roti’ Winter’s in India is the perfect time when you see a variety of fresh fruits n vegetables in the market and there are certain vegetables like Sarson (mustard), Spinach (Palak), Methi (Watercress), which are particularly available in winters....

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. This bhindi masala and aloo palak are some other restaurant favorites that I love making at home. Is there a favorite dish that you love having at Indian restaurants and that you love to recreate at home?...

How long it takes: 15 minutes to prep, 4 hours on HIgh or 7 hours on Low Equipment you’ll need: slow cooker (crockpot) Servings: 10 Easy to make. Crockpot chicken kale soup is a snap to make. Simply put everything in the slow cooker, turn it on, and forget about it. It’ll be ready when dinner time rolls around. Round out the meal. This kale and chicken soup is delicious with warm bread or muffins....