One Day At A Time

Khandvi is a tasty Gujarati appetizer made of chickpea flour.  In Marathi these soft besan rolls are well known as Suralichya Wadya .  Vegans can substitute curd with lemon juice.  Calorie conscious foodies can use buttermilk/taak/chaas instead of curds.

Lettuce and Cucumbers with a fruity orange and apple cider dressing. Ingredients: Iceberg Lettuce - about 200 gms Romaine Lettuce - about 200 gms Cucumber - 1 medium Carrot - 1 medium Red Cabbage - about 1/2 cup Red Onion - about 2 tbsp Garlic - 1 big clove Orange Juice - 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar - 1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil - 1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Flakes/Powder - 1/4 tsp Salt Method: 1. Roughly chop iceberg and romaine lettuce.  Wash and let them drain in a strainer or salad spinner.  Finely chop red onions.  Dice carrot, cabbage into julienne thin slices and cucumber into round thin slices.  Finely chop/mince the peeled garlic clove. 2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small pan.  Add garlic and saute for a few minutes, so that the raw smell of garlic goes off.  Turn off the heat and let it cool. 3. In a mixing bowl, add the garlic and the oil too.  Now add apple cider vinegar, oran...

Lettuce is the most commonly used Salad vegetable here.  There are different types - Iceberg, Romaine, Chinese.  I have used Iceberg lettuce which looks similar to cabbage. I generally use dry Italian Herb Seasoning for salads, but this time I tried Cajun Seasoning.  Cajun Seasoning tastes great with grilled veggie pastas and salads.  You can substitute it with any of your favourite seasonings. You can use 'Iceberg and Romaine Blend' of Salads which also have carrots and red cabbage.  Along with lettuce, you can add few cucumber slices and diced tomatoes too. Ingredients: Iceberg Lettuce - 1 Red Onion - 1 small Jalapenos Peppers /Green Chillies - 1 Garlic - 1 big clove Bread Slices - 2 or 3 Black Pepper/Miri Powder - 1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp Cajun Seasoning - 1/2 tsp (optional) Honey - 1/4 tsp Olive Oil - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 tbsp Lemon or Lime Juice - 1 1/2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese/Parmigiano Reggiano (optional) Salt Method: 1. P...

Undhiyu or Oondhiyo is a Gujarati mixed vegetable curry. Fresh winter vegetables make this delicacy highly nutritious. Thanks to the frozen vegetables, Undhiyu can be relished all year round. Preparing Undhiyo involves three major steps - making Methi Muthiyas, chopping vegetables and making gravy/sauce. To save some time, you can use store bought Muthiyas and frozen chopped vegetables . Some Indian grocery stores have all mixed veggies with muthiyas together known as 'Surati Undhiyu Mix' . Ingredients: Fenugreek/Methi Leaves - about 1 cup Gram Flour/Chickpea Flour/Besan - about 1/2 cup Green Chillies (minced) - 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - about 1 cup Grated/Shredded Coconut - 1 cup Roasted Peanuts/Groundnuts - 1/4 cup Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds/Dhane/Dhania - 1 tbsp Ginger (minced) - 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp Jaggery or Sugar - 1 tsp Carom Seeds/Ajwain/Owa - 1/2 tsp Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp Garam Masala - 1...

There are times when you try out some new things with lots of excitement and a little anxiety.  For me, baking cakes was one of those things. Blogging has inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and Banana Walnut Cake was my first baking venture.   Here is my tried and tested Egg-less Banana bread recipe flavored with Green Cardamom (Elaichi).

Spicy, sweet oven roasted butternut squash fries. Ingredients: Butternut Squash - about 2 cups Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp Chat Masala - 1/4 tsp Green Chillies (minced) - 1/4 tsp Olive Oil - 2 tsp Salt Method: 1. Peel the butternut squash skin and dice it into julienne slices. 2. Mix about 2 tsp oil, garam masala, chat masala, salt and green chillies in a bowl.  Add diced squash and mix well to coat squash slices well. 3. Preheat the oven at 375 deg. F.  Spread the squash slices on a baking tray lined with aluminium foil.  Bake squash for 7 - 8 minutes.  Flip them once and bake for another 8 minutes or till squash is cooked. 4. Healthy, tasty squash fries are ready to binge. 

There are some Indian delicacies which I really miss in US. Finding a restaurant here serving Misal Pav is next to impossible. But this popular street food of Mumbai, can be made easily at home. For those whom Misal sounds new, it is a Marathi spicy sprouts curry recipe served with Pav (Indian Dinner Rolls). A variety of beans' sprouts used in this curry makes it highly nutritious and protein rich. Fenugreek seeds' sprouts are not traditionally used, but I made a few changes to enhance the nutrient value. Ingredients: Mung Beans/Mug - 2 tbsp Moth Beans/Matki/Motu - 2 tbsp Yellow Peas/Vatane - 2 tbsp Chickpeas/Kabuli Chana - 2 tbsp Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - 1 tbsp (optional) Onion - 1 big Tomatoes - 2 medium Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 1/2 tbsp Dessicated (Dry) Coconut - 2 tbsp Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Bay Leaf - 1 Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp Coriander Seeds/Dhane - 2 tsp Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 2 tsp Black Peppercorns/Miri - about 6 Cloves/Lavang - 4 Cinnamon...