Theme: Main Course Dish: Shahi Baingan with Bagara Rice Being a eggplant lover I thought this ‘Main Course’ theme for BM# 31 will be incomplete without an eggplant dish. So here I am with a very fancy Baingan/ Eggplant curry that goes well with plain or spiced rice or even rotis. I actually made this curry way back in April to go with the Pressure cooker Bagara rice and it is now time for this post to see the light (of your computer)....

Overnight oats, oatmeal, assorted toasts, waffles, pancakes, along idli and dosa are kiddo’s staple breakfast. In the coming days, I will share some quick and healthy breakfasts that I make for the kiddo, and I am starting with our favorite overnight oats, precisely chocolate overnight oats with peanut butter. PS – Both husband and I switched to porridge and breakfast smoothies for our breakfast. I add these overnight oats to our smoothie....

A Fun Fall Birthday Cake: Snickerdoodle Cake Spice cake always makes a cozy fall birthday cake, but if you want something a little lighter and more whimsical, try this snickerdoodle cake! Why you’ll adore this cake: Based on my well-loved yellow cake recipe, but made with the reverse creaming method for a melt-in-your mouth crumb. Pretty cinnamon sugar ripple adds snickerdoodle flavor without being overwhelming. The easy brown sugar cinnamon cream cheese frosting has that quintessential snickerdoodle tang, AND isn’t too sweet....

Once you’ve tried a fresh, warm, homemade sour cream donut you’ll never be able to enjoy one from a bakery the same way again! Like my popular donut hole recipe, these are great to make with no yeast or rising required! Recipe also includes a step-by-step video. Some mornings you just need a donut for breakfast. Maybe it’s not as ideal as, say, a homemade granola bar, but the weather today is at least 30 degrees cooler than it was last Monday, it’s grey outside, the wind is howling, and the baby pool in our backyard (Leia’s) that was empty on Friday is about to overflow with rain....

Holiday menus can be almost too heavy and rich sometimes, don’t you think? All that butter, meat, sugar, and starch. So good, but you need something zingy and fresh to provide a balance. Brunches can be the same way. I love all the French toast, egg casseroles, and muffins but whew! you need something light and fruity to go with it. How long it takes: 5 minutes Equipment you’ll need: pitcher, ice Servings: 4 (but it’s easy to double or triple the recipe) Sparkling pomegranate punch fits the bill perfectly....

So, What Exactly Are Spice Cookies? Well for starters, spice cookies are not the same thing as gingerbread men or gingersnap cookies. We won’t be adding any molasses to this recipe (besides what is in the brown sugar!), and the resulting cookies will have a softer, chewier texture. If you’ve ever had my spice cake (another fantastic fall recipe!) these cookies are very similar flavor-wise. They are so warm and cozy with plenty of spices and a sweet vanilla glaze on top....

Summer is the season of picnics/ BBQ’s / get-togethers and with every invite, your mind goes all over the place thinking about what dish to take. This happens to me most of the time and being a food blogger, it makes it even tougher. I definitely don’t want to repeat the dishes and would want to create something simple yet tasty. So this time when we got an invite, I was ready with my Spicy Sweet Potato and Chicken Roll Ups....

Strawberry Pop-Tarts Done Gourmet Cookie Style! When I shared my brown sugar cinnamon pop tart cookies a few months ago, they became an instant favorite, quickly going viral on Instagram and racking up millions of views. For something that was just a fun project that no one had asked for, I was pleasantly surprised, let me say! On that video, I received many, many requests for a strawberry pop tart version so I got right to work....

What is Saag? Saag is a traditional Indian dish made with leafy green vegetables. The term “saag” refers to a mix of greens, with spinach being the most commonly used option. Other greens that can be used for saag include mustard greens, collard greens, kale, beet leaves, and swiss chard. The greens are typically cooked down into a flavorful curry or stew, making saag a nutritious and delicious dish that can be enjoyed with rice or roti or naan....

Toasted pecans, lightly glazed with brown sugar and butter, and warmly spiced with cinnamon, cumin, cardamom and cayenne, are a pretty irresistible snack. For some reason, I always associate spiced nuts with the holidays, especially Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but you can enjoy spiced nuts any time of the year. How long it takes: 15 minutes, allow another 30 minutes for cooling Equipment you’ll need: skillet, large shallow pan or tray for cooling, parchment paper Servings: makes 4 cups, about 16 servings Pecans are not just a snack....

This homemade Chinese takeout dish is called Fu pei guen. It is made with bean curd sheet or yuba and bok choy. So what is tofu skin? It is basically the skin that forms when fresh soy milk is boiled. It is similar to the skin/ cream that forms on boiling dairy milk. The name doesn’t really sound very exciting or appetizing. It even tastes bland when rehydrated. But once it’s cooked with some soy sauce and sesame oil, it tastes amazing....

Each and every household will have their sambar recipe. The highlight of sambar is that just by changing a couple of ingredients or by varying a couple of steps you can get altogether different sambar with a unique taste. Here is one such recipe, Thakkali Sambar. I got this recipe from M’s aunt. We hosted M’s aunt and uncle last Sep, and she was there during the Mangala Gowri pooja....

Happy Weekend Everyone and here’s a quick ‘ Date Night Recipes – Truffle Pizza and Homemade Pie ‘ that I wanted to share with you. A few days back I received this really sweet request from one of our frequent readers and she wanted a quick date night recipe ideas. So, I did forward her a couple of our recipes that I felt would make excellent date night meal options like these: Spicy Masala Egg Roast with Harissa Quick Thai String Bean & Chicken Recipe Easy Shrimp and Sausage Paella Recipe Passionfruit and Mint Sangria Zarda – Indian Sweet Rice Pilaf with Saffron and Nuts Quick Baileys Chocolate Mint Brownies But then, I also decided to create a meal just for two using my new Chicago Metallic pans....

The warmth of flavors from these Turmeric-Rose Chai Tea Latte and an evening with my loved ones is how I welcomed the month of September. So, all I can say is ‘Move over PSL as these warm, creamy and aromatic Turmeric Chai Tea Latte or Turmeric Chai Latte is here to Stay’!!! The season of Autumn/Fall is all about warm food and drinks and this season, I’m mixing ‘our favorite flavors’ and creating this 2-in-1 drink....

Why You’ll Love This Recipe Fast and perfect as a weeknight dinner! It takes just 30 minutes to make from start to finish. Sneaks in some veggies (like peppers, tomatoes, and spinach) without feeling too veggie-forward for picky eaters. Serve over noodles with a side of crusty artisan bread for a complete, hearty meal. Protein-rich and full of flavor with minimal effort. This is such an easy and satisfying recipe!...

How long it takes: 10 minutes to prep, 45 minutes to heat (depending on which method you choose). Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, large baking dish Servings: 8 Thanks, vanilla beans! They are responsible for the beautiful sweetness of these mashed sweet potatoes. Well, vanilla bean paste, that is, plus a little brown sugar. This sweet potato casserole is perfect for your Thanksgiving table. You’re not alone if you’re not into the usual marshmallow situation with syrupy canned sweet potatoes....

Why You’ll Love This High Protein Vegan Date Strawberry Smoothie If you are looking for a delicious, nutritious way to start your day or refuel after a workout, then you are at the right place. This vegan strawberry protein smoothie is perfect for you, AND it doesn’t contain any protein powder, packing in 20-22 g of protein per serving! Packed with protein-rich ingredients like chia seeds, almond butter, soy milk, and soy yogurt, this smoothie is a healthy and plant-based option to help you meet your protein needs....

Letter “X” Marathon Recipe Here we are, with the difficult alphabet ‘X’. I am posting an ice-cream recipe today with Xanthan Gum and also some additional information about the same. This is a vegan homemade ice-cream prepared with coconut milk, alphonso mango pulp and almond milk without Ice-cream maker. Xanthan Gum is used here to obtain the creamy texture. Half a teaspoon is more than enough for this ice-cream. For the alphabet X, I didn’t plan anything and thought of using the wildcard option and I was planning to post the kollu rasam recipe using the kollu rasam powder that I prepared....

Sometimes lunch is my least favorite meal of the day. Often I’m rushing around and making lunch seems like so much of a chore. How long it takes: 10 minutes Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife Servings: 1 (or as many as you want) When my kids were younger, after returning home from errands, play dates, or outings, we’d all be tired, hungry, and maybe even cranky. Waiting a half hour for lunch to be ready was really too long, and it’s still true today even though my kids are older....

Saag, typically made with mustard greens or spinach, can be adapted to include a variety of leafy greens, making it a versatile and accessible dish for anyone, anywhere. In this version, we use Swiss chard and white beans to create a hearty, protein-packed meal that’s both satisfying and easy to prepare. Why White Bean Swiss Chard Saag? In many parts of the world, greens like Swiss chard and kale are more commonly available than traditional Indian greens....