The Mughal Empire, which ruled India from the early 16th to the mid-19th century, had a significant impact on Indian cuisine. They introduced Persian and Central Asian culinary traditions, including the concept of rich, fragrant gravies and the use of exotic spices like saffron. This influence can be seen in many curry dishes, which started to incorporate yogurt, cream, and nuts. Thus meat-based curries and vegetable curries were introduced to Indian cuisine....

For the second day of this week’s blogging marathon, I have a classic French dish but with a non-classic twist. These Vegan Wholewheat crepes are made without eggs but they are just as light and delicate as the traditional ones.The original French crepes have at least 2~3 eggs, but this recipe is a great alternate if you are vegan or have egg allergy. Recipe is from Vegan Brunch cookbook by Isa Chandra....

This no onion, no garlic vegetable pulao is great to make during festivals and to pack in lunchbox. Even without those two ingredients, this rice bath is absolutely scrumptious. You have to try it to believe it. About the Recipe You have got to ask a South Indian to come up with a rice dish. We can make a simple ven pongal or a scrumptious baby eggplant pulao or even make a lip smacking sweet paravannam aka rice pudding in no time....

I had quite a few biryanis/pulav recipes for alphabet ‘V,’ and I wasn’t sure which one to pick. While I was browsing through my recipe archive, I realized that my vegetable biryani recipe that I posted in 2011 needs some good pictures. (Yes, I am republishing my old post with new pictures and content) Content is always gold, and here I am refreshing the same and posting it for the alphabet “V....

Mornings are forever challenging and getting your kids to eat breakfast is another thing leave alone trying to feed them the daily veggies 🙂 But every parent agrees that a sumptuous breakfast filled with carbs + proteins is key to keep them active throughout the day. Ingredients for Veggie Cheese Dosa Roll-Ups Dosa Mix Seasonal Veggies Cheese Oil The roll-ups are bite-size and filled with colorful veggies (Yes, just sneak in all of them), cheese (mozzarella + paneer/cottage cheese) and drizzled with their favorite tomato ketchup....

This weekend was extremely hot and I literally must have had 5-6 of these Watermelon Mint Chia Popsicles. Come summertime and all I want to do is eat mostly cold food, drinks and lots of ice-creams. My favorite is fresh, fruity ice lollies or popsicles that are so easy to make at home and packed with health benefits. More than me, my friends and their kids love it…and yes, you read it right, the kids love it as they can only see ‘sprinkles’ in these cuties as the chia seeds are hidden deep within the bright red-orange color....

Kale. We can debate if it is a power food, a trend food or a food that is on its way out, but regardless of its category, I love the stuff. Any vegetable that can be anything from a chip to the base of a salad to a great participant in a hearty winter soup is A-okay by me. I almost always buy kale when I go to the store....

I always wanted to add steamed dishes to my repertoire. When Valli had this in the BM theme, I knew it would be a great chance to learn new dishes. So, thanks to my BM buddies, here are 21 delicious steamed dishes to add to your repertoire too. We covered breakfast, lunch/ dinner and dessert - so you have something to make for any time of the day. Harini: Foxtail Millet DhoklaLeftover Rice-Rava IdliThinai Kozhukattai...

Beets. People love ’em or hate ’em. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground with beets. They’re either described as “tasting like dirt” or “sweet and earthy” (in a good way). How long it takes: 5 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to air fry Equipment you’ll need: air fryer, mixing bowl Servings: 4 Air frying beets may be a game changer. Tossed in olive oil, seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper, and roasted in the the air fryer, beets become chewy little morsels that really pop with flavor....

If you love sweet potatoes, you’ll love these crispy sweet potato fries. In fact, even if you don’t love sweet potatoes, I bet you’ll love air fryer sweet potato fries. They’re veggie candy! Orange, sweet, crunchy bits of deliciousness — how can you resist them? How long it takes: 20 minutes to soak, 20 minutes to fry Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, bowl, air fryer Servings: 3 Sweet potato fries are great just plain but why not make them really special?...

Almond Kulfi Earlier I posted two healthy, diabetic friendly recipes under the holi recipes theme. Today I am going to post a sinfully sweet and delicious kulfi recipe. The ice-cream is the combination of blanched almonds, condensed milk, pistachios, kesar, milk, and cream. How can it go wrong? No way right? Here comes the gorgeous, kids friendly Almond Kulfi recipe. I took the base recipe from here and modified a bit to our preference....

Anyway, my vanity issues aside, most of you know Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT have made noisy, if not earth-shattering, entrances onto the internet. Some people think AI will take over the world and end humanity, others worry it will put them out of work. Both are probably valid concerns, but personally I’m just worried it’s going to be putting out super crummy recipes. One of the reasons I started this blog is because I personally was pretty sick of crummy recipes....

Oven-roasted potatoes are quite popular here, and I love them as well, especially with rosemary. As much as I love eggless cakes and cookies baking, I love vegetable baking as well. Recently I shared baked bharwa bhindi/stuffed and baked okra and also cauliflower roast. And now it’s time for the Indian style baked potatoes more like our South Indian potato kara kari. (Karam means spicy and kari is curry) I have always tried this baked potato with red potatoes or the yellow/golden potatoes....

How long it takes: 5 minutes Equipment you’ll need: a small jar, or bowl and whisk Servings: 6 (makes ¾ cup) While some salad dressings are decidedly either sweet or savory, balsamic vinaigrette straddles both, with a subtle sweetness that’s not cloying, and savory flavor from the garlic. There’s also a little zip from the Dijon mustard (which also helps emulsify the vinaigrette) and, of course, tanginess from the vinegar—but not quite as much as other vinegars since balsamic tends to be pretty sweet....

Berry Cherry Protein Chia Pudding is my go to breakfast these days (post BBQ parties…read total gluttony) and makes me fall in love with summer over and over again! It what I call a ‘SHOW Stopper OR A 10/10 Recipe’ – divinely delicious, extremely easy to make, absolutely stunning (have wowed almost all my friends/family) And super-duper nutritious… what more can we ask in a recipe! I literally love smoothies and chia puddings for that delicious+nutricious combo and I’m always trying to come up with recipes that not only taste yummy but makes our heart smile with joy 🙂 and this one goes a step further and makes your soul dance....

I’m a blondie fan. No, I’m not talking about Blondie, the popular American rock band. Blondie brownies! How long it takes: 10 minutes to prep, 25 minutes to bake Equipment you’ll need: 8-inch square pan, mixing bowl, oven Servings: 12 Today’s blondie recipe is a classic. Today I’m bringing you the purist version: straight up blondies. I know you’re going to love them, no frills, perfect just the way they are....

How long it takes: 30 minutes Equipment you’ll need: microwave oven, food processor, oven, baking sheet. Servings: x Black Bean Burgers Healthier and more economical than store-bought burgers. Tired of the same old frozen black bean patties? So am I! I find that most prepared black bean burgers are quite high in sodium. When you make your own, you add flavor with herbs, spices, and chopped veggies instead of adding a ton of salt....

” This Brown Butter Sauteed Brussel Sprouts is my favorite brussels sprout recipe ever” Ingredients for Brown Butter Sauteed Brussel Sprouts Brussels Sprout Brown Butter (click for recipe) Sage Leaves (optional) Red Wine Salt + Pepper Water – to steam the brussels sprout for few minutes Don’t worry, I was there too and gradually developed a liking to these cute little Brussels sprouts. I mean you do see it almost everywhere and many times you would think – What is this tiny looking miniature cabbage sorta veggie....

Carrot Cake Cupcakes will forever be my favorite way to get my daily serving of vegetables. Give me a cupcake and a zucchini muffin for each hand and I’ve got the bottom of the food pyramid covered. Alright, maybe carrot cake cupcakes aren’t the best way to get your daily vegetables, but it’s definitely the tastiest, especially when topped off with a very generous swirl of cream cheese frosting. They’re soft, moist, and cheerfully fluffy, these cupcakes taste like springtime and sunny weather (which I could really, really use right now!...

How long it takes: just 15 minutes of prep, plus a little over an hour of cooking time Equipment you’ll need: a pot for boiling, a food processor, and an ​​8 x 8-inch baking dish Servings: 6 About This Carrot Soufflé Recipe Flavorful. This carrot soufflé is carrots like you’ve never eaten them before. This recipe is rich, vibrant, flavorful, and fluffy, like a cross between a carrot cake and a sweet potato casserole or pumpkin pie....