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I got up this Sunday morning with a halwa craving, fondly remembering the sooji ka halwa my mom used to make on weekends. There was no sooji (semolina) in the pantry to recreate her recipe, so I turned internet-wards for recourse. The recipe for gur aur atte ka halwa (jaggery and whole wheat flour halwa) [...]The post Gur Atte Ka Halwa: Jaggery and Whole Wheat Flour Halwa appeared first on The Ste
As promised in the last post, here comes my recipe for eggplant tomato curry. I most often use the fat purple eggplant for bharta, but on long workdays the whole roasting process seems too labor-intensive and I want to make a curry that moves from kitchen to dinner table quickly. This no-onion-no-garlic recipe of eggplant [...]The post Eggplant Tomato Curry appeared first on The Steaming Pot
My first taste of kosambari was at a friend’s wedding in Karnataka. One spoonful and I was sold. That soaked moong dal could be eaten uncooked – and that it could be delicious – was a revelation. Since then I’ve been experimenting with salad made of split pulses and an assortment of vegetables. This raw [...]The post Raw Moong Dal Salad appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Most Indian curries involve a little extra cooking of the vegetables – we like to keep the crunch for salads; curries are soft to the bite. With capsicum tomato sauté I make a departure from that general rule – here the tomato slices retain their shape, the capsicum remains a bright green (or yellow/red, depending [...]The post Capsicum Tomato Saute appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Ginger lovers: this one is for you. A spicy sweet and sour chutney, with ginger as its star. You Need: Ginger – 1/3 cup (when grated) Jaggery powder – 1/2 cup Tamarind – lemon-sized ball Salt – 1/2 teaspoon Mustard-fenugreek powder* – 1 teaspoon Green chillies – 1 or 2 Turmeric powder – a pinch [...]The post Sweet and Sour Ginger Chutney appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Masoor dal – the salmon-pink, hulled lentil – is a quick-cooking dal that needs neither prior soaking nor laborious cooking. My masoor dal tadka recipe rides on the pliability of masoor and has the dish ready to serve in a matter of minutes. In case you’re wondering, tadka is the process of tempering spices in [...]The post Masoor Dal Tadka appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Potato and pesto sandwiches for a tasty, leisurely breakfast with a steaming cup of masala chai. Life doesn’t get better than this :-) I had these sandwiches this morning and loved them, they’re a sure addition to my pesto recipe ideas. You Need: [per sandwich] Brown bread – 2 slices Potato slices – 5 or [...]The post Potato Pesto Sandwiches appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Okra is one of the most versatile vegetables around, isn’t it? I cook it with onions or without, deck it with Indian spices or sometimes look westwards for inspiration. Despite the same core ingredient, each of these okra dishes tastes worlds apart from each other. Dahi bhindi – okra with yogurt – is another such [...]The post Dahi Bhindi: Okra with Ginger Pepper Yogurt appeared first on The
Came across this infographic that lists the top 100 food blogs to follow in 2013, and am thrilled to see The Steaming Pot in the list. Also found delightful new food blogs to follow; I’m sure you too will spot your favorites in there and discover new ones to add to your must-read bookmarks. Here [...]The post Top 100 Food Blogs To Follow In 2013 appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Green eggplant in mustard-fenugreek masala is for those who turn their noses up at nuts or sugar in their curries, who say no to recipes like bittersweet baingan. The spices in this one are heavier, headier, not for the faint-hearted. I made this dish with long green eggplant, which is the mildest-tasting variety of eggplant [...]The post Green Eggplant in Mustard-Fenugreek Masala appeared first o
A breakfast so healthy it'll give you a palpable halo around your head. Presenting staple morning-time food from Bihar – dahi chura.The post Dahi Chura, a Makar Sankranti Special appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Food name differences between Bihar-Hindi and regular Hindi. Yes, we call lauki "kaddu".The post Food Names In Bihar And What They Mean In Regular Hindi appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
What do you do when you peel a papaya and find that a lot of it is hard and green? Try out my papaya rescue recipe – khatta-meetha papeeta, a light and flavorful accompaniment for an Indian meal. You could make khatta-meetha papeeta using green papaya or parts of a semi-ripe papaya. You Need: Green [...]The post Khatta Meetha Papeeta: Sweet and Sour Green Papaya appeared first on The Steamin
Corn on the cob is so good boiled, I mostly have it without taking it through any elaborate "treatment" routine. A little salt, a little chilli powder, a dash of lime juice – rub it on and bite directly off the cob – that’s my usual mode of having boiled corn. Then again, there is [...]The post Corn with Spinach and Cheese appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Did you know that the cucumber originated in India? It is only fitting that this gourd gets used to add the “cool" factor to Indian cuisine. Here’s to the pitta-placating, palate-cleansing cucumber raita (yogurt dip). Cucumber raita works well as an accompaniment with any Indian meal of rice/chapatis, vegetables and dal. You Need: [Serves 4] [...]The post Cucumber Raita appeared first on The S
Confession time: I had to Google "nenua in English" for this post. I learnt that the vegetable is called "sponge gourd": the name comes from the fact that the fibrous core of the gourd is dried and used as a sponge/loofah. Not surprisingly, the Latin name of sponge gourd is Luffa cylindra. Be that as [...]The post Nenua Chana: Sponge Gourd with Chana Dal appeared first on The Steam
Sem is Hindi for broad beans, a variety of beans with a distinct robust flavor. This recipe for aloo sem – i.e. potato and broad beans curry – is the typical way the curry is made in a "pure" vegetarian (no onion or garlic) household in Bihar. Plenty of photos – one for each step [...]The post Aloo Sem: Potato and Broad Beans Curry appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
This eggplant fry recipe makes a great side dish, especially when the rest of your meal is low on spices. It’s often on my menu for a quick weekday dinner, with boiled rice, raita and simple pressure-cooked yellow dal. Which is not to say that it does not work well with a lavish party meal [...]The post Masala-Coated Eggplant Fry appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
A crunchy, nutty, leafy side dish for an Indian meal – cabbage and peanuts stir fry. This is just right for the day after gorging on pooja delicacies, when your tummy says "no more" to pooris and dum aloo. I had today cabbage and peanuts stir fry with a simple meal of tomato toor dal, [...]The post Cabbage and Peanuts Stir Fry appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Creamy mushroom soup made at home – this is so much tastier, so much healthier than canned stuff. Simple ingredients, no fuss, very easy to make. I prepared a pot of mushroom soup for a small house party last weekend, expecting leftovers to last another couple of meals. Well, everyone took second helpings of the [...]The post Homemade Mushroom Soup appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
It is one thing to know how to cook individual Indian dishes, quite another to combine the dishes harmoniously into an appetizing meal. Rajma masala and chhole masala are fantastic house party food, but would you serve them together? Not if you have a modest number of items on the menu. You love pooris as [...]The post 7 Indian Menu Ideas for Vegetarians appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Learn how to make this north Indian favorite - fenugreek and onion dumplings fried and dunked in spiced yogurt sauce.The post Methi Pakora Kadhi appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
15th August is just round the corner. To celebrate India’s Independence day, let the tricolor inspire our food. Here’s an idea in saffron, white and green – a patriotic raita. You Need: Plain yogurt – 2 cups Carrots – 2, medium Coriander – 1/2 bunch Green chilly – 1 (optional) Raisins – 1 tablespoon (optional) [...]The post Patriotic Raita for Indian Independence Day appeared first on
15th August is just round the corner. To celebrate India’s Independence day, let the tricolor inspire our food. Here’s an idea in saffron, white and green – a patriotic raita. You Need: Plain yogurt – 2 cups Carrots – 2, medium Coriander – 1/2 bunch Green chilly – 1 Raisins – 1 tablespoon Salt – [...]The post Patriotic Raita for Indian Independence Day appeared first on The Steaming Po
Spinach paratha (palak paratha) kneaded with dal and spices, toasted in butter. A gourmet's delight.The post Palak Parathas appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Learn the art of shaping your layered parathas into squares. The most space-efficient shape for your square lunchbox!The post Dabba Chaukore Aur Paratha Gol? Bahut Nainsafi Hai! appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Aromatic fresh curry leaves and nutty peanuts ground together with other spices. This chutney will get the nod from the Ayurvedist as well as the epicure.The post Curry Leaves and Peanut Chutney appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Till a month back, I had had sundried tomatoes only in the bottled, preserved form. Much as I liked it, I was cautious of its salt and preservative content and would use it sparingly. I never knew how delightfully simple and light sundried tomatoes could be till I got myself a pack of Ladakhi sundried [...]The post Pan-Fried Baby Potatoes with Sundried Tomato Dressing appeared first on The Steamin
Chana dal (Bengal gram) cooked with raisins, cumin, cinnamon and cloves, drizzled with ghee.The post Chana Dal with Raisins appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
Simple and tasty tinda masala - apple gourd cooked with onions and tomatoes and Indian spices.The post Tinda Masala (Apple Gourd Curry) appeared first on The Steaming Pot.
A Gujarati dal preparation using mung bean stock with a tadka of curry leaves, ginger, khada garam masala and more.
You’d expect the last mangoes of the season to be ripe yellow, robustly sweet and oozing juice, but nature has a way of subverting expectations. I cut open a fat Banganapalli this Sunday to have mango cubes as a post-lunch dessert. The mango’s insides turned out to be half-white and tending towards sour. My first [...]
Quick and easy dinner idea with zucchini and cheese.
Toor dal (yellow lentils) cooked with gooseberries, seasoned with garlic and curry leaves.
Roasted poppy seed & tamarind sauce jazzes up baby eggplants in this Andhra-inspired dish.
Cabbage and peas stir fry with honey soy dressing, topped with toasted sesame seeds.
Making pasta sauce with tomatoes is the easiest thing in the world. This recipe will show you how.
Rce kheer (pudding) that gets its sweetness from jaggery and dried figs, with a hint of saffron.
Today is the 200th birth anniversary of Edward Lear (12 May 1812 – 29 January 1888), a British author and poet renowned for popularising the limerick form of poetry. Twitter is agog with wishes of Happy Limerick Day. I’m adding my little bit with verse in limerick form. Hope you enjoy it :) Can’t cook [...]
Want a change from your same old daily yellow dal? Try sabut moong (greem gram) dal.
Sarson wale aloo - a traditional recipe from Bihar/Bengal that revels in the heady potency of mustard.
The Liebster Blog Award, my very first blog award! My 5 picks to forward the award.
How to make banana chocolate milkshake.
A lightly cooked mango chutney sweetened and spiced - my favorite way of using the first yellow mangoes of summer.
Today’s post is about a much-loved breakfast dish in India – besan ka cheela. For the uninitiated, besan is flour made from Bengal gram (chana dal), used in Indian cuisine in a variety of dishes such as kadhi, jhunka and pakoras. In cheela, batter is made out of besan and other ingredients, shallow-fried like pancakes [...]
Doesn’t food acquire an exotic sheen when described in language alien to its roots? Mangodi sounds like something grandmas from my native place would add to curries simmering in earthen pots. Sundried lentil dumplings? That’s like stuff my hostel-residing cousins in Bangalore would cook on a rare Sunday, as they do pasta and bruschetta. But [...]
Palak raita or spinach-yogurt dip. A light, cool side dish for Indian meals.
A colorful, vegetable-laden poha (flattened rice) dish for breakfast - a superhealthy kickstart to the day.
Fresh fenugreek leaves and chickpeas come together beautifully in this flavorful curry.
