Food cravings are a funny thing. Some cravings are just sudden urges that come out of nowhere and if you don't give into it they will die out quickly. Then there are cravings that have you yearning for a particular food or dish that continues to consume you till you give into it. A month back I had one of those cravings for a coconut shrimp curry that I just couldn’t shake off. I searched the web for what seemed like hours for a coconut shrimp curry recipe that would satisfy my craving. My ...
chili powder
Deliciously Easy Chicken enchiladas
Last week on the blog, I shared a recipe for an authentic homemade red enchilada sauce. Today I will being sharing how to use that special sauce to make a deliciously easy chicken enchiladas. Over the years I have made many versions of enchiladas, each time tweaking and improving my technique. These easy chicken enchiladas are my best version ever and they are an absolute hit in my house. I was planning on sharing this recipe sooner, but I got busy with the holiday season. For the past two ...
Palak paneer (spinach with Indian cheese)
Palak paneer is the most popular vegetarian dish in North India. It consists of soft Indian cheese called paneer cooked in a smooth spinach (palak) curry. This dish is one of my all-time favorite Indian dishes. I love palak paneer so much that when I finally got the chance to return to India after eight long years, it was the first thing I requested my grandmother to make. Of course, my parents had made delicious palak paneer for me many times, but nothing beats the version made by my grandma ...
Grilled corn on the cob (Indian Street style)
AHH welcome to my version of Indian street style grilled corn on the cob. One of the perks of growing up in India was definitely the abundance of utterly delicious street food. My mom used to give us pocket money every week and I would spend it all on yummy street food. The type of food stalls would vary depending on the season. One on my all the time favorite seasons in India is and always will be the monsoon. The monsoon would create magic turning all trees a vivid vibrant green, ...
Simple garlicky Dal
Dal (lentil stew) to me is like a good bowl of chicken soup to others. It is just comfort in a bowl. To be honest I was not always a fan of it. While growing up my parents use to make lentils and rice at least once a week for dinner. On those days I would magically lose my appetite. I appreciated the goodness of lentils only when I got older. I like my parents make it at least once a week for dinner and it is seriously one of my favorite things to eat. There are many different types of lentils ...
Killer three pepper cashew dip
I have been on a cashew craze lately. I really can't get enough of them. I'm not quite sure what sparked my love for them, but my current obsession is truly nutty. The plus point of my addiction is that cashews are quite healthy for you. They are rich in vitamins such as E, K, B6, and also minerals. Apparently, they also help you lose weight but don't quote me on that. Cashews have a buttery, slightly sweet, and salty taste. In Indian cooking, raw cashews are ground up into a paste that forms ...
Za’atar chicken skewers with spicy tahini sauce
I live by simple rules in life, one of them is that weeknight meals should be hassle free and delicious. I love cooking, but I don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen especially on weeknights. If I am home alone then I usually don’t even bother cooking, I simply just eat leftovers. But when the husband is home I stick to making simple, nutritious and flavor packed meals. One of the husband’s favorite proteins to consume is chicken (especially chicken thighs), he could eat chicken every single ...
Cool cucumber and mint raita
Raita is a common side dish or a condiment in India. A simple yogurt dish mixed with either raw or cooked vegetables. In other instances it can be a plain raita consisting of some salt and chili powder. In India this dish is often eaten to cool down the palate while eating spicy curries. Each region of India has its own version of this yogurt dish. In South India where the food can be really spicy, they temper the yogurt with mustard seeds and curry leaves and then mix it with rice. They eat ...