One Day At A Time!

Hi everyone! How's life in your part of the world? I hope all is well. The Hindu holy month of Shravan is here. I fondly remember how my mom used to pan-fry vegetables with semolina. Rava Fry is a common dish in Saraswat and Marathi cooking, and I'd love to share a recipe I made, inspired by her, in my Dallas kitchen. Ingredients: Taro Root/ Arbi /Arvi /Maadi - 4 medium Kashmiri Lal Chili Powder - 1 tsp Turmeric / Haldi - 1/4 tsp Tamarind extract / Chinch - about 1/2 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Coarse Rava / Semolina - about 3/4 cup Oil or Cooking Spray How to Pan fry Taro or Arbi with Semolina: Peel the Taro Root and chop into thick slices. Add salt, Tamarind, turmeric and red chili powder. Toss and set it aside for 10 - 15 minutes. Let it sweat and release some water. Mix well to coat the taro slices with all the seasonings. Coat the taro slices with semolina. Heat a cast iron pan. Lower the heat to medium and pour oil or cooking spray. Cook both sides of  the Taro slices covered wit...

Hello everyone! I wanted to start the new year off right with an easy Konkani breakfast recipe. This is a common dish in the coastal regions of India, where coconut and rice are staples. Hope 2025 is treating you well. Where I am, the mornings are sweater weather, but the afternoons are warm enough to ditch the sweater! Ingredients: Flattened Rice/ Thin Poha/ Phovu - about 3 cups Fresh or Frozen Shredded Coconut - about 3/4 cup Mustard Seeds/ Sasam - 1/2 tsp Fresh Green Chilies - 4 Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Asafoetida/ Hing - 1/4 tsp Jaggery or Sugar - 1/4 tsp Oil - about 2 tsp Salt Mixture or Farsaan or Shev How to make Konkani Kaloun Pho: Thaw the frozen coconut. In a mixing bowl, add coconut and flattened rice.  In a small pan, heat the oil for phann or tadka or tempering. Add mustard seeds, medium chopped green chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida. Turn off the heat when mustard seeds start spluttering.  Pour this tadka in the mixing bowl. Add salt and sugar. Stir wi...

Hey everyone! Hope you all are doing well. My part of the world is blessed with perfect Goldilocks weather. Neither hot nor cold. I love cooking fried food on such cloudy days. Air frying is such a wonderful alternative these days. So, here I am with a Marathi style Bharleli Bhendi  cooked to crisp perfection in an air fryer. This desi Stuffed Okra recipe is ideal for vegans and also for festive Indian cooking with No Onion Garlic . Ingredients: Okra/Bhindi/Bhendi - 20 Roasted Peanut Powder - 3 tbsp White Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 tbsp Dry Desiccated Coconut - 1 tbsp Kashmiri Lal Mirch Powder - 1 tsp Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Cooking Spray or Oil How to cook Bharwa Bhindi in an airfryer: Pat the washed okra dry with a kitchen towel.  In a food processor, add peanut powder, sesame seeds, coconut, lal mirch powder, chat masala and salt. Pulse it until all the ingredients are mixed well. Taste this mix for salt and other seasonings.  Feel free to add ginger, garlic t...

Hi there! How is everyone doing? Texas weather is really hot these days. Fortunately, mornings are still  pleasant for a walk. After enjoying my walk, I am ready to take care of my first baby. My blog! My 9 year old is not too fond of my blog baby.  Today's recipe is a vegan , protein rich Marathi style Kulithachi Usal . Kulith is not so common in my kitchen. I cooked it after decades. Do give this a try if you like lentils. Ingredients: Kulith/Horse Gram/Hulga - 1/2 cup Boiled Potato - 1 small (optional) Red Onion - 1 big Tomato - 2 medium Garlic - 4 big cloves Green Chili - 1 Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/8 tsp Usal Masala - 1 tsp Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp Oil - 1 tbsp Salt How to cook Kulith Usal: Soak dry Kulith in plenty of water for about 2 hours. Wash soaked kulith well. Drain all the water and set it aside overnight or longer to sprout. Wash the sprouted Kulith well. Add 1 - 2 cups of water and cook it in a pressure cooker. Save the water used for co...

Hey everyone! Hope you all are doing well. Cloudy weather in my part of the world. Such days call for comfort food. Soups, cheesy pasta or sandwiches work so well on lazy days.  I grew up eating  Dal Rice , my kinda comfort meal. Do tell me about your favorite comfort foods.  For today's menu, how about Gluten Free , Vegan crunchy munchy Spinach Fritters ! Ingredients: Spinach Leaves - about 3 cups Spring/Green Onions - 3 sprigs Bell Pepper - about 1 cup Besan/Chickpea Flour - about 1 cup Corn Starch - 1/2 cup White Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 tsp Carom Seeds/Ajwain/Owa - 1/2 tsp Coriander/Dhania Powder - 1/2 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper/ Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil for frying How to make Indian Palak Pakora: Chop spinach leaves, green onions and bell peppers. If you don't have green onions, add thinly sliced regular yellow, red or white onions. Sometimes I add thinly sliced potatoes as well. If y...

Hey everyone! Cooler weather has blessed us. Morning walks are so much fun these days. A song comes to my mind " Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down. Oh, so pretty!" My kiddo's favorite fall song!  Today's post is an Indian Vegetable Flatbread , popularly known as Gujarati Thepla . Instead of Fenugreek leaves, I sneak in multiple veggies for my child's everyday meal. Ingredients: Whole Wheat Flour/Atta - about 2 cups Besan/Chickpea Flour - 1/2 cup Grated Carrots - about 1/2 cup Grated Beetroot - about 1/2 cup Avocado - 1/2 Chopped Spinach - about 1/2 cup White Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 1/2 tsp Coriander/Dhania Powder - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp Salt How to cook Mixed Vegetables Thepla Paratha: Finely grate carrots and beets. Pat spinach leaves dry. In a food processor, add sesame seeds and spinach leaves. Blend until finely chopped. In a big mixing bowl, add grated carrots, beets...

Hello everyone! I have been quite busy with back to school routine. Packing a lunch box for my 7 year old is part of my weekday morning. For some reason, my kiddo likes beetroot. Today's kid friendly Airfried Beetroot Vegan Nuggets are packed with colorful root vegetables and greens. Its a family favorite now.. one that works well as a hot meal in my child's thermos. We grownups love these cutlets too.  Ingredients: Boiled Potato - 1 big (about 1 cup) Grated Beetroot - about 1/2 cup Grated Carrot - about 1/2 cup Frozen Green Peas - 1/4 cup Chopped Baby Spinach - about 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Bread Slices - 2 Garlic Powder - 1/2 tsp Onion Powder - 1/2 tsp Paprika - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Salt Cooking Spray or Oil How to Airfry Vegan Mixed Vegetable Nuggets: Blend the bread slices in a food processor to a fine powder. Microwave frozen peas for 40 - 50 seconds. Let the peas cool down. Finely chop spinach leaves. Finely grate beets and carrots. Make sure spinach leaves ...

Hello Foodies!  Hope all is well in your world.  How about something other than Indian Cuisine? Does Mediterranean Falafel sound good? Gluten Free Vegan Chickpea Falafel is part of our midweek menu. Deep fried, yet protein rich appetizer. Someday when I try an air-fried or baked version of falafel, I'll definitely update it here. Ingredients: Dry Chickpeas - 1 cup Green Onions/Spring Onions - 3 sprigs Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - about 1/2 cup Thai Green Chilies - 2 Chickpea Flour/Besan - about 2 tbsp Corn Starch - 1 tbsp White Sesame Seeds/Til - about 2 tsp Ground Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander/Dhane/Dhaniya - 1 tsp Ground Cumin/Jeera - 1 tsp Salt Oil for deep frying How to cook Vegan Falafel: Soak dry chickpeas in plenty of water overnight. After soaking, chickpeas will double to triple their size. Wash soaked chickpeas 3 - 4 times with water. Drain the water completely. In a food processor, add drained chickpeas, green onions (both whites and greens), green chilie...

Hello everyone! Weather is getting warmer in my part of the world. Hope you all are blessed with pleasant weather too. We all have our favorite vegetables and fruits. And multiple ways to enjoy them.. some raw, some grilled, some fried, veggie stew... and so on. Air fried vegetables .. our newest family favorite. I am sharing a few veggies which are regularly air fried in my kitchen. Ingredients: Small Purple Eggplant - 4 Sweet Potato - 1 big Zucchini - 1 medium Black Pepper Powder - 1-2 tsp Cayenne Pepper - 1/4 tsp Kashmiri Lal Chili Powder - 1 tsp Salt  Oil - 3 tsp How to cook your favorite vegetables in an Airfryer? Wipe the washed veggies dry. Dice the veggies slightly thick.  In a mixing bowl, add the veggie slices. Add salt, spice powders of your choice and oil. Mix well and set it aside for 5 minutes.  Kashmiri Lal is a mild chili powder, but adds a nice red color. Spanish Paprika is a good substitute for Kashmiri Lal. I use Cayenne for a little bit of heat. Garlic...

Hey everyone! It is 10:00 am in my part of the world. Hope you all are doing well. These days I cook a lot at home, even on weekends. Eating out at a restaurant or getting home delivery is no longer convenient. This weekend I ended up cooking  White Rice Noodles with loads of veggies . I haven't found healthier brown rice noodles made entirely of brown rice yet.  If noodles are your favorite too, do try this.  Feel free to tweak the ingredients. Ingredients: Rice Noodles - 8 oz (225 g) Bell Peppers - about 1/2 cup Sliced Carrots - about 1/2 cup Sliced Cabbage - about 1 cup Red Onions - about 1/4 cup Green Onions - 8 sprigs Baby Spinach - about 1/2 cup Peanut Butter - 2 tbsp Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp Sriracha Sauce - 1 tbsp Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp Oil - 1 tbsp How to cook Veggie Rice Noodles with Peanut Butter: Slice all the veggies of your choice. Save some greens of the green onions for garnish. In a mixing bowl, add peanut butter, soy sauce and Sriracha sauce. Mix well and set i...

Hello everyone! My first post in 2021. Wish you all a happy and blessed 2021!  Recently, I blogged about an air fryer recipe. Some of my vegetarian friends asked if I could share a vegetarian dish cooked in an air fryer. One of my favorites is Sabudana Wada (Sago Cutlets) . Hope you all enjoy this healthier, low fat recipe. Ingredients: Sago/Sabudana - 1 cup Potatoes - 2 medium Peanuts/Groundnuts - 1/2 cup Green Chilies - 4 Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1 tsp Sugar - 1/2 tsp Salt Cooking Spray or Oil How to make Sabudana Wade: Wash Sago twice and drain the water. Add water just enough to form a thin layer on sago. Keep it covered for 5 - 6 hours or overnight. Overnight works well for me. Boil the potatoes and dry roast the peanuts.  After cooling, grind the peanuts to a coarse powder. Sago must turn almost double in size and soft to touch. If not, sprinkle some more water. Mix sago, boiled potatoes, roasted peanut powder, cumin seeds, chopped ...

Hello there! How is everyone? I am enjoying a perfect fall day with pleasant weather.... not too hot, not too cold. Last couple months I hardly cooked anything. Its been takeout, eating out or frozen dinners. My child does not like me spending any time in the kitchen.

Its been ages I cooked Roti Sabji in my kitchen. Its either no fuss pastas or one pot meals. Well, today I made an easy Aloo Baingan Masala to go with soft phulkas. A simple and homey no onion garlic meal with very few ingredients. Ingredients: Potatoes - 2 big Brinjal/Eggplant/Baingan - 6 small Tomatoes - 2 medium Cilantro/Coriander/Dhania Leaves - few sprigs Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp Oil - 2 tbsp Salt How to cook No Onion Garlic Aloo Baingan: Peel the potatoes and dice it into bite size cubes. Place them in a bowl of water. Next, discard the stems of the eggplants and chop them into bite size pieces. Add the eggplants too in another bowl of water. Heat oil in a pan. Add the potatoes and sauté for about a minute. Next, add eggplants and saute for about 2 minutes. Now add 2 cups of water and cook it covered until both veggies are cooked. Meanwhile, dice the tomatoes into bite size pieces. If you are not a fan of toma...

Long weekend was fun. I am back to the humdrum of life, cooking and stuff. After days of eating out, we were craving for some home cooked roti sabzi. Here is a simple Gobi Matar with aromatic Kasuri Methi.  

Rice delicacies are probably the most convenient for me to cook. South Indian traditional recipes like Chitranna, Bisibele Bhaath, Puliyogare are always a hit at my place. How about the Karnataka special Mavinkayi (Raw Green Mango) Chitranna? This fruity rice with crunchy peanuts and cashews is one of my go to meals on a busy weekday. Hope you all like it.

As a kid, I was a picky eater. Even as a teenager I had strong likes and dislikes about the veggies I ate. Radish or Moola was not on my favorites list. But these days, Moolachi Bhaji with crunchy peanuts is my go recipe for a weekday lunch.  This veggie side dish is ideal for foodies who don't like spicy food. Ingredients: Radish/Moola/Moolangi - about 4 cups Roasted Peanuts/Groundnuts - 1/2 cup Curry Leaves/Kadipata - 6 or 8 Green Chilies - 2 or 3 Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/8 tsp (optional) Jaggery/Good/Gool - 1 tsp Oil - 1 tbsp Salt How to cook Moolachi Bhaji with Peanuts: Peel the radish and chop it lengthwise into 4 parts. Thinly slice each quarter and place them in a bowl of water. Pat the curry leaves dry. Slit the chilies lengthwise. Finely chop cilantro. Grind the roasted peanuts to a coarse powder. You could make a fine powder if you like. Heat oil in a pan for making the...

These days I get 20 - 30 minutes to cook our lunch. That's my baby's morning nap time when I try to finish my household work. Today's weather demanded something comforting and I managed to fix up a creamy bowl of cauliflower soup for us. When my baby is playing around, I do the photography and blogging part. Now comes the time to relax. All set for a walk in the park with my baby. You guys have a great day and I'll see you soon with my next post. Ingredients: Cauliflower/Gobi Florets - about 4 cups Coconut Cream - 200 ml Onion - 1 medium Green Onions - 6 Garlic - 2 big cloves Coriander/Dhania Powder - 1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder - 1 tsp Black Pepper - 1 tsp Aamchur/Dry Mango Powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Olive Oil - 2 tbsp Croutons  Salt How to cook Creamy Cauliflower Coconut Soup: Finely chop onions and garlic. Chop the pale green and white parts of green onions finely.  Heat oil in a big pan. You can use butter as well. Add onions and g...

There are some must-haves in my kitchen. One of them is frozen hash browns. This is probably one of the upsides of staying in US. Cooking the Marathi style Batatyacha Kees with hash browns is a complete breeze. Traditionally, this delicacy is made for Upavas (Hindu religious fast). You can make it for breakfast or brunch. Its my favorite as an evening snack. This combination of potatoes and peanuts is a sure hit with kids as well. Ingredients: Grated Potatoes/Hash Browns - 3 cups Roasted Peanuts - about 1/2 cup Green Chilies - 2 or 3 Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig (optional) Oil or Ghee/Clarified Butter - 2 tbsp Sugar - 1/2 tsp (optional) Salt How to cook Marathi Batatyacha Kees: Add the grated potatoes to a big bowl of water to avoid blackening. I saved some time with store bought frozen Hash Browns. Grind the roasted peanuts to a coarse powder. Slit the green chilies lengthwise and finely chop cilan...

The other day I was talking to Mom and she told me about Pachadi. Its a vegan salad with coconut, raw mango and protein rich chana dal. And now mangoes are available. So, here I am with a traditional Konkani side dish.

Some days I plan a whole week's meals ahead and shop accordingly. Well.. plans don't always work. Other days, I keep staring at the pantry and refrigerator to come up with some delicious menu. Turns out, South Indian Puliyogare is my plan of action for today. Puliyogare is a simple, yet tasty rice with a tangy tamarind flavor. Ingredients: Basmati Rice - 1 cup Raw Peanuts/Shenga - 1/4 cup Whole Cashews/Kaju - 2 tbsp (optional) Desiccated (dry) Coconut/Kopra - 1 1/2 tbsp Coriander Seeds/Dhane - 2 tsp Chana Dal/Split Chickpeas - 2 tsp Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 1/2 tsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1 tsp Methi/Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp Dry Red Chilies - 5 Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1 tsp Curry Leaves/Kadhipata - a sprig Jaggery/Gur - 1 tbsp Tamarind/Imli - a big lemon sized ball Oil - 2 1/2 tbsp Salt How to cook South Indian Puliyogare Rice: In a small bowl, add about 1 cup water. Add tamarind to the bowl and microwave it for 20 - 25 seconds. Let the ...