I have blogged several Lunch Box recipes and still there are many mornings when I am at loss as to what to pack for lunch. I prefer to make something that we all in the family can enjoy. Yesterday, I blogged about the Potato Masala Sandwich, that is one of our favorite. I use the same potato filling to make Aloo Paratha as well and so once I have the filling ready, depending on what my kids and husband wants, I can make either of them....

published Jan 10, 2022, updated Sep 03, 2024 You’re likely familiar with dishes like hummus, kawarma, or classic Mediterranean salads with soft, supple yellow chickpeas. But have you ever tried black chickpeas? Also known as kala chana, this is a criminally underused ingredient with a whole lot of flavor and potential — and the main player in this kala chana recipe. It’s a vegetarian curry with onions, tomatoes, and peppers....

Karamani sundal is made with cooked black-eyed peas, seasoning, and grated fresh coconut. That is all it needs to make this delicious sundal. We can serve this sundal as a snack or we eat it as a side with sambar and rasam rice. If you know me, you will realize that black-eyed peas are one of my favorite beans to work with. I just love the flavor of it! And I have a partner in crime, my younger son, who loves karamani as much as me (or even more than me)....

Livin’ that bowl life. ➡️➡️➡️ More specifically korean bbq bowls consisting of garlic scented rice, quick pickled cucumber and carrot salad that is a little tangy and a little sweet, with a half boiled egg, and a good dollop of spicy sriracha mayo to just hug it all and give the whole thing a little ???. Bowls were my jam this summer and that shouldn’t change just because the seasons do, right?...

This lassi Patiala is famous in Haryana, which is famous for its dairy. I love lassi and it is something that I drink often with lunch in summer. I make it with salt at times as this Masala Chaas, but mostly it is the sweet lassi that I prefer. My husband and my older son though would like the Mango Lassi anytime. So as a family we are divided as two when it comes to Lassi....

When it is time to decide what to make for dinner, my first thought is some kind of dal. We love dal with rice as well as roti and also drink it as a soup. Being vegetarians, we rely quite a bit on different dal recipes for our protein. Masoor dal also known as Red lentils or orange lentils is extremely nutritious and very flavorful. One of my favorite recipes to make with Masoor dal is the Middle Eastern Vegan Lentil Soup....

Toasty vermicelli! Honestly, I go a little overboard with the amount of vermicelli I add to my Lebanese rice. In fact, I should probably be calling this Arabic rice as it’s known across so many Middle Eastern countries with various names, like Masri rice etc. It’s one of my favorite rice dishes of all time right alongside mujadara. It starts with dry vermicelli pasta that we’ll toast in ghee to give it that beautiful golden brown color....

Just had this for dinner. Less than 5 minutes ago. And i’m probably going to have it again for lunch. I can’t stop. Must eat more. It’s soo good. Hello, hello world! It’s Wednesday and after 3 days of not being able to taste anything, i’m finally starting to feel like my normal self again. I can taste food! And it’s so gosh darn good. I’ve lost 3 whole days of being able to enjoy it....

Meet my golden brown hack for leftover mashed potatoes. Okay, so you can also use them on the famous Monica Geller Moist Maker sandwich the day after Thanksgiving. But honestly, the thought of mashed potatoes on a sandwich isn’t appealing to me. What is appealing is loading them up with more cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, chives, garlic, other spices, and giving them a quick dip in egg wash and panko breadcrumbs....

Starting the New Year and beginning the year full of festivals and celebrations. My theme for this week’s BM is Festival recipes and my first recipe under the theme is this Maharashtrian Style Puran Poli. Poli is an essential festival recipe for many festivals and especially for Pongal / Makar Sankranti. Pongal / Makar Sankranti is 3 days long celebration in almost all the states of India. In Tamil Nadu, the day before pongal is the Boghi festival....

Can’t get enough of peaches this season? Try our Polenta Cake with Fresh Peaches. The fact that it is also 100% gluten free is a bonus. If you happen to live in an area where delicious peaches are grown or sold, you are very lucky! It’s not the case for me but once in a while fortune smiles on me too. This was one of those times when I stumbled on a fruit stand with the sweetest peaches....

published Jun 19, 2023 Calling all feta fanatics! Today’s marinated feta cheese recipe takes deliciousness to a whole new level. It is fancy enough to wow any dinner guests while being simple enough to whip up on a weeknight. In fact, I’ve started making a batch of this insanely flavorful cheese to have around the house at all times. Marinated feta can make great gifts too! Simply choose a few decorative jars with tight-fitting lids and let nature do the rest!...

Not what you were expecting? Go to my Indian Kofta Curry (meatball curry) recipe. Exactly what you were hoping for? Then serve it Italian style with Homemade Fresh Pasta, or with Herb and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. What is Marsala sauce This age-old Don of a sauce is straight off the streets of Sicily. Marsala cream sauce is a classic characterised by a sweet injection of Marsala wine, a fortified wine from the region, garlic, mushrooms, herbs and, sometimes, thick velvety cream....

Looking for more quinoa recipes? Try my Healthy Mexican Quinoa and Turkey Stuffed Peppers! Mediterranean quinoa There is so much to love about quinoa. It has a nice, nutty flavor, it’s healthier than other grains like pasta or white rice, and it’s incredibly easy to make. I like to meal prep with quinoa and pair it with leftover chicken and veggies to enjoy throughout the week. This Mediterranean quinoa salad is one of my go-to quinoa recipes....

Soup is considered a meal by itself in out house. All we need is some bread on the side and we are happy. I started making this Lentil soup when my kids were still small and we ate it for the first time from the local Middle Eastern Restaurant back in NY. During one of our eatouts at the local Middle Eastern restaurant, the owner of the restaurant sent us home with a huge container of lentil soup....

published Jul 29, 2020, updated Dec 20, 2021 Couscous is a semolina cracked grain that resembles coarse cornmeal and is served alongside many different tagine dishes and roasted meats. It is also wonderful chilled and dressed with fresh, bright vegetables in a salad or with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the top. This particular Moroccan couscous recipe has a hint of curry plus some crunch from slivered almonds and pomegranate seeds....

Pistachio cardamom cookies! Alright people, tie those aprons on tight, grab your spatulas and whisks, we’re diving head first into another holiday. Wrapping paper, tinsel, ornaments, party dresses, scotch tape, and the perfect shade of Christmas red lipstick . That’s what life is going to be like for the next few weeks. It’s time to prepare little tokens of love to bring holiday cheer to everyone around. And nothing brings cheer like cookies....

I am starting this month’s Blogging marathon with the theme ‘Nashta Time’. Nashta in Hindi means breakfast whereas in the South we casually refer to the evening tiffin as Nashta. Being a South Indian, I am bringing a recipe that works great as a breakfast or for that quick evening tiffin. I recently borrowed a book from the library called The Oatrageous Oatmeal. This book has several recipes (sweet and savory) made with oatmeal and I was excited to find a few Indian recipes in this as well....

Growing up and to this day, Vendakkai / Okra is one of my favorite vegetables. My favorite has now transformed into a family favorite as my boys love okra more than any other vegetable. A lot of people shy away from this vegetable because of its slimy texture, but if we cook it right we can get rid of that texture and achieve a wonderful recipe. This Vendakkai Curry is a simple recipe that we all love....

Coming from a South Indian background, podi’s are a must-have in the kitchen. These are such a lifesaver when it comes to a busy weeknight dinner. The regular podi’s that are stocked in my pantry are Thengai podi (coconut podi), Paruppu Podi (lentil Podi), karuvepillai podi (curry leaves podi), and Poondu podi (garlic podi). When I saw this recipe of bitter gourd podi in Sowmya’s space and I really liked the idea....