One Day At A Time

I am sure you all are busy preparing Diwali special sweets and snacks for your loved ones. This festive season, I tried a new Bengali sweet - Kesar Sandesh also known as Sondesh . Generally, Sandesh is made of fresh Paneer .  As you know me, I look for ways to cut down cooking time. So, here is my easy microwave recipe of Bengali Sondesh using store bought Ricotta Cheese. Ingredients: Ricotta Cheese - 15 oz (425 gm) Sugar - 3 tbsp Green Cardamom / Elaichi - 3 pods Saffron / Kesar - few strands Milk - 1 tbsp Ghee / Clarified Butter - 1 tsp Pistachios or any other nuts - 5 How to cook Easy Ricotta Cheese Kesar Sandesh in a microwave: Crush cardamom seeds in a mortar pestle to a fine powder. Finely chop nuts of your choice. Microwave milk in a small bowl for 20 seconds. Add saffron to the warm milk and set it aside for 5 minutes. Grease a dry microwave safe bowl with ghee. Add ricotta cheese and saffron milk to the bowl. Mix it well.  Microwave...

Cold weather has arrived with the beautiful fall colors in my part of the world. Every season demands special delicacies. For this winter, I made Dry Fruits Ladoo with edible gum.  Call it Antina Unde or Kardantu  (in Kannada) or Dinkache Laadu  (in Marathi) or Gond ke Ladoo (in Hindi), this sweet is like a homemade nutrition bar made of a healthy sweetener - jaggery. Ingredients: Jaggery / Gul / Gud (grated) - 1 1/2 cups Desiccated (Dry) Coconut (grated) - 3/4 cup Edible Gum / Antu / Dink / Gond - 1/4 cup Whole Almonds / Badam - 1/4 cup Whole Cashews / Kaju - 1/4 cup Dry Dates / Khajur / Kharik - 1/4 cup Dry Cranberries - 1/4 cup Poppy Seeds / Khuskhus - 1 1/2 tbsp Ghee / Clarified Butter - 5 tbsp Green Cardamom / Elaichi - 4 pods Nutmeg / Jaiphal (grated) - 1/8 tsp How to make Dinkache Ladoo or Kardantu: Crush cardamom seeds in a mortar pestle to a fine powder. Finely chop almonds, cashews, dates and cranberries, using a knife or a food processor...

As you all know, South Indian Idli Dosa are quite common at our place for breakfast.  Now, some might find these idli dosa recipes time consuming. For them, today's Mung Cheela is perfect, which does not require any fermentation. These protein rich savory pancakes with Potato Sabji is a good way to start your day. Ingredients: Mung Dal/Split Green Gram - 1/2 cup Green Chilies - 2 Ginger - half inch piece Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp Salt Oil How to make Mung Dal Cheela: Soak mung dal in plenty of water for about 4 hours or overnight. Wash the soaked dal well. Grind washed mung dal, green chilies, ginger, cumin and salt to a smooth, thick batter. Heat a flat cast iron pan for making cheela. Lightly grease the pan with cooking spray or oil. You can use butter or ghee as well. Pour a ladle full of batter on the hot pan and spread it in a circular motion to form a round dosa. Drizzle some more oil if required.  Roast both ...

Last few days have been slightly hectic. But now, I am back with another easy menu - Vegetarian Pinto Bean Quesadillas. It is wholesome and delicious with soft beans, crunchy vegetables and a cheesy goodness. Serve these quesadillas with sour cream and guacamole and everyone will be happy.

Its been ages I cooked a North Indian style curry in my kitchen. But today is kind of special. My college friend is visiting us, who loves home cooked Indian food, something like Roti Sabji. A restaurant style creamy, saucy curry with soft Phulka is perfect for her.  Green peas are always lying in my freezer. With the basic ingredients in my pantry, I cooked a fairly simple, yet delicious entrée for my dear friend. Hope you all like it too.

Spinach Bean Soup Cooking for your loved ones is more fun and easier as compared to cooking just for yourself.  That's how I feel.  Most of my solitary meals are soups and salads.  When I make a soup or a salad, I try to include all nutrients - carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins.  Today's spinach and white bean soup flavored with Thai Sriracha sauce is one of my light yet wholesome lunches. Ingredients: Spinach/Palak - about 3 cups Dry White Beans - 1/3 cup Red Onion - 1 medium Garlic - 2 big cloves Ginger (grated) - 1 tsp Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp Sriracha Sauce - 1 tbsp Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp How to cook Sriracha flavored Spinach and Bean Soup: Soak white beans in plenty of water overnight.  Wash the soaked beans well.  Heat about 5 cups water in a big pot.  Add the soaked beans and cook them until soft.  Add more water if required.  Alternatively, you can also cook the beans in a pressure cooker. Use any other beans of...

Brussel sprouts, which look like mini cabbages taste great when roasted in an oven. That's one way we relish this veggie. Let me tell you about another way, a coleslaw. Generally, coleslaw is made with shredded raw cabbage and a mayonnaise dressing. I prefer cooking the brussel sprouts and a lighter green lime vinaigrette. Hope you all like it too. Ingredients: Brussel Sprouts - 1 pound Red Onions (thinly sliced) - about 1/2 cup Lime Zest - 1 tsp Lime Juice - 3 tbsp Olive Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard - 1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Black Olives - 4 Salt How to make Green Lime Brussel Sprouts Slaw: Blanch the Brussel Sprouts: Wash the Brussel sprouts well. Discard the woody hard parts of the Brussel sprouts.  Set aside a bowl of ice water to add the cooked Brussel sprouts. Heat 6 - 8 cups water in a big pot. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and Brussel sprouts. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, ad...