Often referred to as a G & T, a classic gin and tonic is a widely popular cocktail that is familiar to most people. There are lots of variations but today I’m going to talk about the classic G & T with simple ingredients: gin, tonic water, lime wedges, and ice. About this gin and tonic recipe: You may be wondering what type of gin to buy. Faced with a huge array of gin at the grocery store, making a choice can be a little overwhelming....

What do you like best about crab rangoons? The crispy crunch of the deep-fried wrapper? The creamy crab filling with little bits of green onion? The sweet/tart chili sauce? Maybe it’s just the total package: biting into a crab rangoon is rather wonderful, isn’t it? How long it takes: 50 minutes Equipment you’ll need: baking sheet, oven, baking dish, mixing bowl, measuring utensils Servings: 16 (1/4 cup each) This crab rangoon dip has it all and then some....

Christmas Cranberry Cake If you are looking for a Christmas cake without any peppermint or gingerbread, you’re going to want to check out this cranberry cake! It’s flavored with pops of tart cranberries and a splash of both almond and vanilla extract. It’s festive, but also fresh and so unique! This recipe is based off my sour cream pound cake, but it’s scaled down to fit in a 9×13 pan. It’s a denser cake that melts in your mouth with a tender, plush crumb....

Easy Heart Healthy Cooking Tips: an easy to follow cooking tips for cooking delicious and light heart-healthy food for the entire family. These tips also include everyday heart-healthy ingredient swaps that can be easily adjusted as per your need and Cooking Cardiologist recipe video. It was a 2:00 am drive to the emergency that changed our lived forever…..tensions were at peak and our heart was pounding louder for everyone to listen as we pushed my mom within the emergency room....

What is Pongal? “Pongal” in Tamil means to boil or bubble up and Ven means white. This dish is native to most South Asian regions like South India and Sri Lanka. Pongal goes by many names like Venn Pongal, Ven Pongal (Tamil) or Huggi (Karnataka), and can be savoury or sweet. Chakarai Pongal is sweet and is made during the Pongal festival (yes, we have a festival named Pongal too). During the Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Kerala, and Sankranthi festival in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Pongal is made as an important meal for all....

How long it takes: 30 minutes Equipment you’ll need: large skillet Servings: 4 (2 cup servings) I can’t believe how much I like this recipe! It’s become one of my go-to dinners especially when I’ve been on the run all day. A meal in a bowl is also really perfect for those evenings when Ben works late, as school superintendents often do. We all love egg rolls, don’t we? I know I sure do....

I love baking cookies because they are easy, perfectly portion controlled and delicious. Also sky’s the limit for the flavors. Some of my favorite eggless recipes are these Mexican wedding cookies, cut-out cookies and almond cacao nib cookies. Here is another delicious recipe that is flavorful, easy to make and eggless. The recipe comes together in a pinch and does not need any chilling time. The resulting lime sugar cookies are chewy and packed with citrus flavor....

It has been a busy weekend with an early Sankranthi celebrations at my cousin’s place. It was fun getting the kids dressed up and rounding them up for Bhogi pallu. Trying to keep the traditions alive. My son prefers cookies and cakes over Indian sweets, so I made this almost vegan Pistachio cake for today’s post. I had some pistachio paste leftover in the fridge after making these cookies that I wanted to use up....

Basic difference between a pickle and a chutney is the shelf life: pickles can be stored at room temperature for almost a year whereas chutneys are generally consumed within a day or two of making. Also pickles use raw veggies, more salt and oil for preservation purposes, while chutneys can be more “figure friendly”. Pickles generally need almost 3-4 days marination before tasting, chutneys can be eaten right away. There is another class in between pickle and chutney, also called pachadi for lack of another word....

Made with creamy Greek yogurt and shredded cucumbers, enhanced with fresh dill, garlic, and lemon, this classic condiment can be served in so many ways. It’s become a staple sauce recipe in my kitchen and I’m sure you’ll want to add it to yours! How long it takes: 20 minutes Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, sharp knife, grater Servings: Makes 3 cups Have you ever tried tzatziki? You’ll see it on the menus of restaurants featuring Greek food, or other Mediterranean and Middle East cuisines....

The appam turn out spongy and fluffy. Perfect South Indian breakfast to serve with a spicy curry. Do try this easy recipe, I am sure you will love these. About the Recipe Appam are soft and lacy crepes/ pancakes made widely in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Traditional recipe requires soaking and grinding rice and then fermenting the batter. It needs lot of time and tiny bit of patience to make perfect appam....

A quick and delicious side dish that needs just a few minutes of hands-on time. Serve with roti or rice and dal for a wholesome meal. About the recipe Aloo and gobhi aka potato and cauliflower is a classic combination. It got international recognition with the movie ‘Bend it like Beckham’. It shows how important it is to learn to make Alooo gooBHIII in Punjabi families. There are many different ways of making this potato cauliflower curry....

I always look for mealtime sides that I can serve along with both rice and roti. And here is one such recipe. Brussels Sprouts Brussels sprouts belong to the cabbage family, and they look like miniature cabbages. These leafy green vegetables are rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin K. During the brussels sprouts season, I buy them regularly and try to include in our everyday cooking. I have already shared roasted brussels sprouts and brussels sprouts paratha....

Vegetable Kurma Most of the vegetarian restaurants in Tamil Nadu serve chapati and parotta along with veg kurma, and this veg kuruma is entirely different from the Navratna kuruma or any other kurma varieties that you get from the other parts of India. Fennel seeds and coconut play a significant role along with other spices. That fresh ground coconut masala, as always adds a unique flavor which makes this kuruma lip-smackingly good....

Today I have a pretty Jelly Roll Cake for letter J. It is also known as Swiss roll or cream roll. It is a type of sponge cake rolled and filled with jam and whipped cream. The origins of this cake is unclear, it is believed to have originated somewhere in Central America, likely in Austria. Jelly roll cake is a very tender sponge and needs some patience and a light hand in making....

Today’s rice dish is a new combination for me. I’ve never made a rice dish with bittergourd before. I saw the recipe on a Telugu Cooking show and the combination of bittergourd, sesame seeds and rice sounded very interesting. I was pleasantly pleased how good the dish turned out to be and was even more happy when the husband really really liked it.

Yeah you read the title right. Its not kanchipuram Idli but its kanchipuram style idly. The original kanchipuram Idli is foot long and you use toor dhals while grinding the batter. I am looking out for the traditional recipe. But meanwhile thought of posting this pseudo kanchipuram Idli. If you got bored of regular Idli, this would be a nice variation. :-) Just do the tadka and include your favorite veggies and add it to the batter and steam it in your favorite shaped vessel....

How long it takes: 15 minutes of prep, plus 4 hours of chilling Equipment you’ll need: pie plate, hand mixer Yield: 1 pie (6 slices) The pie starts with a graham cracker crust, which is filled with a fluffy, fruity mixture of cream cheese, Cool Whip, condensed milk, and a Kool-Aid packet. That’s it! Reasons To Love Kool-Aid Pie Fun and nostalgic. Kool-Aid pie has those fun retro vibes going for it, especially for those of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s and always had a pitcher of brightly colored Kool-Aid in the fridge....

Kothalere Rondha Matidail in Instant Pot We are halfway through this mega blogging marathon, and today I am going to share Kothalere Rondha Matidail. Tongue twister name huh? Ok, let me translate it. It’s the Assamese special sweet and spicy dal prepared with the unique blend of black gram, jackfruit, and raw papaya. Sounds interesting right? Especially the addition of jackfruit intrigued me a lot. Check out the interesting findings of the Assamese cuisine and also the recipe....

I use the Instant pot to make this dish and the recipe comes together in no time. This is an easy dum aloo recipe. Instructions for stove top method is also included. Do try this spicy potato curry recipe, I am sure you will love it. About the Recipe My family loves potatoes. My son can eat them for 3 meals a day, every single day. Potatoes are not native to India....