A few weeks before, I shared a savory aval or flattened rice recipe, and I explained aval varieties and why aval is an essential pantry ingredient. Now I am back with a sweet recipe with aval, and this recipe will make it very clear that why we love aval and why I always carry it on my pantry. :-) Think flattened rice as Indian cereal. :-) Most of us, during our childhood, relished flattened rice soaked in milk and sugar....

Week 4: Kerala Cuisine Day 25: Z for Zucchini Thoran Zucchini being a water vegetable cooks in less than 10 minutes. Also it gets very mushy if overcooked, so better to cook it until just tender. So this is a quick and easy thoran that can be whipped up in no time. Tastes yummy when served with rice and dal. Recipe adapted from Kitchen Mishmash:

We go through literally about 4 to 5 bunches of bananas a week. At least. My son alone eats about three a day, and that’s only because I limit him to three a day. It was one of his first words, as a matter of fact. “Nah-nah!” He loves them. I can barely manage to save a few brown ones to bake with or use in smoothies. This list of recipes contains a little bit of everything, but as always, all the recipes are easy to make....

We have them all in one place for ready use in this 21 Fingerlicking Indian Recipes Diwali. Diwali (The festival of Lights) is one of the biggest festival celebrated by Indians in India and all over the world. It’s when the entire country (India) is dressed with shimmering, colorful lights, houses are adorned with flowers and beautiful rangoli (colorful tattoos made on floors) are seen in many houses. The celebrations actually start 4-5 days before the actual date of Diwali (Nov 11, 2015) with parties/get-together and lots of fun....

These Fudgy Nutella Brownies with Raspberries (5 Ingredients) are definitely my all-time favorite Valentine’s dessert recipe. There’s always something extra special about brownies and when you add Nutella and raspberries to it – It’s like Love All Over Again! True love is when there are ONLY two brownies left and he takes the smaller one !! : Well, in our case it’s definitely true 😉 Ingredients for Fudgy Nutella Brownies with Raspberries : 1 Cup Nutella – room temperature (check notes) 2 Large Eggs 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour 1 Tbsp Butter – room temperature 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder !...

How long it takes: 35 minutes (includes 15 minutes to marinate) Equipment you’ll need: air fryer Servings: 2 as a main dish, 4 as an appetizer I think steak bites might just be the ideal way to cook steak in the air fryer. Because the steak is cut into small bites, there’s more surface area for the air to circulate, which means the steak is cooked to perfection, and quickly!...

This month’s challenge fit right into our meal plan. While my in-laws were here we ate rotis at least 3~4 times a week, so these stuffed parathas fit right in. If it’s just us, I make rotis may be once a week, since my husband travels almost weekly. These parathas are very much like aloo paratha (potato stuffed bread), but the bread is kulcha dough made using baking soda and yogurt....

Baingan Bharta a.k.a Mashed Eggplant Baingan Bharta or mashed eggplant has a variation in many Turkish, Italian and Middle Eastern cuisines. But the famous eggplant dishes of modern Indian cooking date back to medieval times when eggplants or brinjals were roasted over coal and made into this delicious preparation or sabzi called Baingan Bharta. Some relate it to the Middle Eastern Lebanese dish Baba Ganoush. I’d say the idea is similar but the preparation differs....

This balekai palya was part of my Ugadi Thali platter. I wanted to post this recipe for quite some time but finally got a chance to post today. I learned this recipe from my MIL, and this palya is one of her signature recipes. Cooking Plantain: I have explained about the plantain cooking process in both my eriserry and varuval post. You can cut the edges, peel the skin (it will be bit sticky, so apply some gingelly oil on your palms before chopping) and chop them into cubes....

How long it takes: about a half hour Equipment you’ll need: small skillet, sheet pan, oven Servings: 8 (one slice each) This pizza is topped with lots of zesty barbecue sauce, chunks of savory chicken, crisp bacon, sweet red onions, and melty cheddar cheese on a golden brown crust. You may think pizza is too difficult to make. Actually, it’s really pretty easy if you start with a pre-made crust....

Indian Lamb Keema Curry – Keema Curry This Indian Lamb Keema Curry or as everyone at home calls it Best Indian Lamb Keema Curry is what our weekend brunches are all about!!! It’s spicy, the meat is perfectly cooked to an almost ‘Melt in your mouth’ texture and the curry is light…almost resembling a texture of warm stew. We say it’s Perfect for such Fall/Winter season, but don’t take our word, Try It Yourself and let me know 🙂...

Your New Favorite Blueberry Pie Recipe Hello, perfect, classic, beautiful blueberry pie. With its juicy, plump, fresh (or frozen) blueberry filling and flaky, buttery, foolproof pie crust, this is a recipe you’re going to make all summer long! Sure, blueberry pie is a bit more involved than a blueberry cobbler or blueberry crumb bars, but it’s still surprisingly simple, especially with a crust that comes together in the food processor. Blueberry pie filling is incredibly easy to make too; with just five ingredients and no chopping, peeling, or coring, it doesn’t get much simpler than that!...

Today we are going to northeast of Argentina, to the largest country in both South America and Latin American region, Brazil. Brazil is one of the countries that my husband frequently visits. It remained a Portuguese colony until 1808 and is now the largest Portuguese speaking country in the world.

This week just seemed so long with endless work that I’m really looking forward to a lazy and much more relaxed weekend. And the weather is sunny and beautiful. it’s just another excuse for us to hit the beach. Isn’t there something about the initial spring weekends, the lingering nip in the air and beautiful sunshine outside, just makes me feel lazy but at the same time….or maybe it’s just me....

The Best Frosting Recipe. Ever. Allow me to introduce you to your new favorite frosting. Sister to my popular cream cheese frosting, this recipe takes things to new heights with the toasty flavor of browned butter. See those beautiful brown flecks throughout the frosting? Flavor goldmines. You’re going to love this one… Why You’ll Love This Recipe: You’ll love my brown butter frosting because it: Is so flavorful! Possibly my new favorite frosting recipe on the blog, the browned butter, cream cheese, vanilla and sugar play perfectly together....

It’s not too early to start thinking about Thanksgiving, is it? Because I am. These carrots are insanely delicious any time of the year but I tend to go vegetable heavy on my Thanksgiving menu and these definitely secured a spot. When I’m planning a Thanksgiving menu or any type of entertaining, I try to think about what I can prep ahead. You can prep these carrots by peeling and slicing them, storing them in an airtight container in your fridge, and then when you’re ready to cook them, they’re done in 20 minutes or less!...

Cake Pops From Scratch Nearly everyone has made or enjoyed cake pops using a boxed cake mix and icing, but have you ever made them from-scratch? Years ago (before I had the blog), when I first wanted to try out this sweeping internet sensation I was a little frustrated that all of the versions that I could find required store-bought cake mix and icing. It was many years before I finally decided to experiment with a from-scratch version of this popular recipe, and let me just say that it’s been a total game....

How long it takes: 20 minutes Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl Servings: 4 burgers My California burger is a traditional ground beef burger, topped with Monterey Jack, crispy bacon, and all the fixings. A zippy combination of Dijon and mayo adds a flavor punch but it’s the avocado that really makes a California burger song-worthy. (Love avocado? Try my black bean and avocado salad and avocado chicken salad, too!)...

Back home, lunch and dinner are complete only with yogurt rice /curd rice. Yes, we enjoy plain rice mixed with plain yogurt/curd in South India. While it helps to balance spices and spicy food, it also gives the needed probiotics to our bodies. As we try to reduce our rice consumption, I rely on salted lassi and buttermilk (chaas) for our probiotics. Once in a while, we treat ourselves to sweet lassi like dates and gulkand lassi or mango lassi, or this chikoo chocolate lassi....

How long it takes: 10 minutes Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, mini food processor Servings: 8 How do you eat chimichurri? By the spoonful! Just kidding, but it’s so good you may want to do just that. Often chimichurri is served as a condiment with grilled meats such as steak or chicken, potatoes, or grilled vegetables. Cauliflower steaks are especially good slathered with chimichurri. Keep reading for lots more ways to enjoy chimichurri....