By Reena Shimoga
Pasta is a staple Italian dish and an international favourite food. It is enjoyed by people all over the world. There are over hundreds of kinds of pastas in the world and there are many different ways for cooking pasta. …
This is an adapted version of the “Yakhni Pulao”, a popular dish from the state of Kashmir. “Yakhni ” stands for meat-broth or meat-stock. This is my simple method that can be made in under 30 minutes. I made this …
This is a spicy dish from Gujarat, made with eggplants or brinjals.
Here is a baked chicken recipe. It is an easy to make dish for a cold day with few ingredients from your pantry. Chicken and potatoes are a universal favourite too!
An egg curry made with a blend of spices and ground coconut. A paste is made by grinding all the spices with fried onions, dried or fresh coconut, poppy seeds and tomatoes. This dish is made without garlic or ginger.
This recipe also known as the Kottayam style fish curry is fiery red in color & is equally fiery (spicy) in taste. It is for only those who have like to enjoy spicy meals. But once you have acquired a …
“Pomfret Recheado” is a fish dish from the state of Goa. Recheado means stuffed in Portughese. This is a recipe shred by one of my Goan friend, Adele.
Cauliflower With Pomegranate is a semi-dry Indian curry dish made with cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes and a garnish of pomegranate seeds. This festive looking dish is a fresh take on the globally popular Indian ‘aloo-gobi’ recipe. Aloo stands for potatoes and …
Cherupayar (Mung Beans) Thoran is a coconut based Kerala recipe with simple seasonings. Moong (or Mung) Beans is one of the best sources of protein. On Good Friday, Syrian Christians from Kerala eat mung beans thoran and kanji (a porridge …
Khichdi served kadhi is a digestive food in India. There are many different variations of khichdi. It is a staple for old and young people during times of ailments. It is the vegetarian alternative of the East as chicken soup …
‘Nadan’ means desi or country. During my childhood visits to Kerala visiting grandparents, I had never eaten broiler chicken. All homes there had chicken along with other farm animals like cows and buffaloes. Now of course, times have changed and …
Chicken breasts are healthy as it is low in fat content and is a lean protein. But some people find it boring as it has a bland flavour. Here is a perfect recipe to spice up the taste. It is …
Shrimp with Green Mango Curry is a simple and easy seafood dish from Kerala.
Navratan Korma is a popular Mughlai dish from India. Mughals ruled the Indian sub continent from the 17th to early 20th centuries. This style of cooking developed in the royal kitchens became known as Mughlai cooking. Nav means nine in …
Anchovies are a small variety of fish found in the Atlantic, Pacific & Indian ocean. They are known as Netholi or Kozhuva in Malayalam. Fried anchovies are a popular dish in the state of Kerala. It is usually served with …
“Dhokli Nu Shaak” is a spicy dish from the Kathiawar region. While Gujarati recipes are often sweet & tangy, In Kathiawari cuisine, there is a generous dose of spice. Because of the dry weather, not many green vegetables grow in …
Some of the simplest recipes to make are the most delicious ones and coconut curried fish is one such. It takes only about 30 minutes to make make this dish but serve it over white or brown rice & a …
Baked zucchini is a simple low carb dish. Serve it as a main dish or as a side on occasions.
Malvan is a coastal region in Konkan as as the name suggests Malvani cuisine is from this region. Malvani food is popular in India. As it is a coastal region, most the dishes have coconut.
Jhinga Mattar is a delicious recipe from India using shrimp & shelled green peas. During season, you can substitute the green peas with snap peas or snow peas, add some coconut milk and you can enjoy a nice variation to …
This baked tilapia dish is a mainstay in our home and I make this at least once a week.
“Manchurian” is often served with rice and noodles. The spices used are Indian but the dish itself has Chinese origin. Here is a Manchurian dish made with fish fillets and broccoli.
“Cabbage Thoran” is a simple Kerala style stir fry dish.
“Achinga Payar Thoran” is a delicious dish from Kerala and is often served with rice. This is a long bean recipe (Chinese or yard long beans). This dish is easy to make but he only tricky part is cutting the …
Lemon Rice is a widely popular rice dish from South India. In the state of Karnataka, it is called Chitranna. It’s the turmeric powder which gives this rice the yellow colour. Traditionally in this recipe, they do not use onions …
Pesto is a paste which is made with leafy greens along with some nuts, garlic and spices. It originated in Northern Italy and is now popularly used in many European cuisine. Here Kale leaves and walnuts add a nutty flavour …
Aloo Gosht is a red meat (lamb, goat or beef) and potatoes dish. Here is a simple recipe for making aloo gosht.
Chicken Curry is a universally loved recipe among chicken lovers all over the world. Every family has their own version of curried chicken. Here is a recipe from our family kitchen. My mother makes a spicier version but the best …
Recently, our son decided to go vegetarian for a few weeks. Dal and lentils are an excellent source of protein. So this is a dish that my meat loving son loves. The secret to this dish is soaking the soya …
Pongal is a harvest festival in South India, celebrated around the second week of January. It often coincides with the festival of Makar Sankranti & Lohri festivals of the north. Pongal denotes prosperity & abundance and is celebrated by the …
Lasagna is a type of wide, flat pasta. This is an easy to bake lasagna with vegetables.
Parathas are thick home cooked bread made from whole wheat flour. The wheat flour is kneaded into a smooth dough.Whole wheat breads are a staple food in North India. You can find popular types of paratha across the world. For …
Stir Fry is an all time family favourite Asian recipe. You get to relish all the nutrients in vegetables without letting it to overcook. The only thing to keep in mind while making a stir fry is to keep all …
Sweet Potatoes are high is vitamin C, beta carotene and carbs. This is a variation from the classic dish using sweet instead of regular potatoes. Instead of cream/milk, I have used coconut milk in this recipe.
The word tandoori is actually a form of cooking and is an adjective meaning, “pertaining to tandoor”. So what is ‘tandoor’? – let us explore more – a tandoor is a kind of a clay oven & is cylindrical in …
This is a dish that my mom made at least once a week. It goes very well with roti, paratha or nan. One can make this dish with any leftover uncooked vegetables in the fridge. You can adjust the spice …
“Gobhi Masala” is a delicious curry dish popular among vegetarians.
Kerala style egg roast is a popular dish that is served with traditional dishes such as appams and puttu. It also makes a great side dish for rotis, parathas, bread and dinner rolls. This is a mildly spicy dish.
Korma is a mild curry that originated in the Middle East. It is also called Kurma, Khorma or Qurma. This dish was introduced into the Indian sub continent by the Mughals.
Ringan Methi is a dish made with eggplants and fenugreek leaves. Eggplant is a good source of Vitamin C, clacium and potassium, while fenugreek leaves are rich in vitamins too.
Chicken with fenugreek popularly known as methi murg is a popular Indian dish. This dish can be made with fresh methi leaves during winter months when fresh fenugreek leaves are in season. But it tastes really good with dried methi …
“Shepherd’s Pie” is an easy to bake comfort food with ground meat, mashed potatoes, onions, green peas and carrots. It is also called cottage pie in some parts of the world. This dish is supposed to have originated in UK …
The Kerala stew looks bland but it more than makes up for as it packs a powerful punch of spices. The state of Keral has always been the spice capital of the world. This stew is a great accompaniment with …
“Aloo Paneer” is one of my son’s favourite dishes. It is an easy recipe and tastes good with rotis, parathas and naan.
Roasted potatoes is a easy side dish to make for meats, chicken or fish entree. Here is a roast with baby potatoes. I like roasting them with their skin on, but feel free to peel before baking.
Palak Paneer is a popular Indian vegetarian dish made with spinach and Indian cottage cheese. Palak is Spinach and Paneer stands for cottage cheese. This spinach dish paired with cottage cheese or paneer is a popular dish in India. Spinach …
“Bharwa Baingan” is a popular eggplant dish using small rounded eggplants. Here in this recipe, I have added potatoes too.
Nadan Kozhi literally means country chicken or desi chicken in Malayalam language. During my childhood, on our annual visits to Kerala to visit grandparents and relatives, I have never heard of anyone going to buy broiler chickens. Chicken was something …
Rotini in Italian stands for “small wheels”. These twisty pasta hold the sauces well and is therefore a good choice for baked pasta dishes.
Chicken Jalfrezi is a popular chicken dish and it has its origin tied to eastern state in India. The word “jhal” comes from Bengali language and it means spicy. The word “frezi” (Parhezi) comes from Urdu language and it means …
Here is a Chicken Stew recipe from my home state of Kerala. This delicious stew is often served with Kerala style pal appams.
Tandoor is a type of clay oven. Tandoori dishes are quite popular in the Indian sub continent. The trick for a tandoori dish lies in it’s marinade. Cooking cauliflower in an oven is more prevalent these days in the absence …
“Dum Aloo” is a popular potato dish from Kashmir. . It is made using a slow-cook method called “dum” or “dumpukht” which is similar to the modern day crock pot or slow cooker recipes. The Mughals brought this technique to …
Naan is a type of bread which originated in the South Asian subcontinent but which has gained immense popularity in the west over the past few decades. Traditionally naan is made using a clay oven called “tandoor”. It is made …
Pav Bhaji is the quintessential street food of Mumbai and across India and now a famous one dish meal of Indians across the globe. The name pav bhaji literally means bread and vegetables. Pav or pao is the word for …
Here is a recipe for Indian Gujarati Style Okra with Potatoes. This is a family favourite and we make it in our place at least once a week. It goes very well with Indian whole wheat breads like phulkas and …
Rogan josh is a red curry dish from the state of Kashmir in India. However, it is now a signature feature in most Indian restaurants and cuisines under the lamb category. This dish originated in Persia (present day Iran). Eventually, …
Any vegetarian feast (called sadhya in Malayalam) in Kerala is incomplete without Avial on the menu. It is a pure vegetarian dish. You can prepare this dish by using vegetables that cook slowly (for example; plantains, yam, green bananas, green …
Cauliflower is a popular vegetable among veggie lovers. This spicy baked version is easy to make and very delicious too.
Here is a spicy roast chicken made with ground spices – perfect for a thanksgiving meal or a family dinner.
This roti is a kind of unleavened flatbread. The basic recipe uses whole wheat flour, salt, oil & water. Here the use of fresh spinach adds a whole new variation to the plain roti -nutritious & delicious! You can even …
Potatoes are a staple food in most parts of the world. Mashed potatoes is a dish made by mashing boiled potatoes and adding butter/cream, milk, salt and pepper. It is also commonly known as mash and is often served for …
Aloo Gobi is a quintessential Indian vegetarian dish. Aloo stands for potatoes and gobi means cauliflower. This dish goes very well with Indian breads such as roti, parathas or naan. There are many methods of cooking this dish. Here I …
One of the most popular Indian dishes is the butter chicken. It finds a place in most Indian restaurants all over the world. Here is my version of this popular dish. I cook the onions, cashew nuts and tomatoes in …
Phulka is a type of Indian flat bread. It is usually served with curries or vegetables. It is are called phulka because as you fry them, they puff up into a spherical shape. (Phulka means blooming or puffed up in …
Jowar Bhakri is a kind of Indian bread made from jowar (white millet). It is also called Jolada Rotti. Bhakri is a kind of flat bread popular in the western states of India (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Karnataka). Bhakri is …
“Baingan Bharta” is a an egg plant dish made by grilling the vegetable on charcoal and then mashing it. This gives it a smoked flavour. The best baingan bhartas I have had has been on the roadside “dhabas” that line …
This is a tindora dish from Gujarat and goes well with rotis.
Meatballs is made with some kind of ground meat like beef, veal, lamb or chicken. Here is a vegan meatball recipe made with ground chickpeas and couscous. It tastes really amazing served over some spaghetti.
This is a meat recipe made in the instant pot. Mutton cooked in a rich gravy of onions. tomatoes and spices.
Gardener’s pie is the vegetarian version of the Shepherd’s pie.
Baingan Masala is a popular recipe from Northern India. It is made with baby eggplants or brinjals. There are many versions of this recipe and the eggplants are usually made with a stuffing of the spices. As tender baby eggplants …
Here is a vegetarian favourite recipe using cauliflower steaks. Cauliflower steaks, quinoa rice and a drizzle of coriander and mint sauce.
This is a Kerala cuisine. Jackfruits are these delicious fruits grown in tropical regions. This curry is made from the seeds of jackfruits.
This is one of the easiest curry recipes which goes really well with Indian flat breads or rice. I first saw this recipe online on Food Network and ever since then, this is a dish I make often. It is …
Nadan Mutta Curry is an easy and tasty egg curry from the state of Kerala. Nadan means native and mutta stands for eggs in Malayalam language. So as the name suggests this egg curry is made in traditional Kerala …
This recipe was inspired by the sole meunière recipe. Sole fillets are seasoned with salt, pepper and some garlic powder. The fillets are coated with plain flour before panfrying them in clarified butter or ghee. Sole fillets don’t take much …
This curried minced lamb/mutton is an all time favourite. Here is an easy way to cook keema in the instant pot.
Here is an easy recipe made with purple cauliflowers. The purple cauliflower is packed with more nutrients and antioxidents than the regular white ones. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, fibre, potassium and B vitamins. When it bakes, …
There are certain days when you are short on time but crave not for a take-out meal but a simple home cooked meal. This Delicious Coconut Fish Curry is the answer for those days! It is a pretty uncomplicated recipe …
Smoky Halloumi with Bulgur Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern salad made with halloumi cheese and bulgur (cracked wheat). I first came across a Halloumi recipe on Hello Fresh Canada https://www.hellofresh.ca/recipes/smoky-pan-fried-halloumi-58c97ded2310a86a5c7846d2 Since Halloumi is a Middle Eastern cheese, I was inspired …
Matar Paneer is a popular vegetarian recipe made with green peas and Indian cottage cheese and a rich tomato based sauce. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mattar_paneer Paneer has a mild flavour and because it does not melt easily is commonly used in many Indian …
Szechuan Eggplant is made with Japanese long brinjals or eggplants. This is a takeoff on the Kam Heong stir fry eggplant and tofu recipe that was posted on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/p/B1bIuMup82d/?igshid=1lbj6uejusjow&hl=en Eggplants also called aubergines in UK and brinjals in …
Stuffed Bell Peppers (Capsicums) is a popular dish to make. Stuffed vegetables is fun and delicious lunch or dinner to make. Capsicums or bell peppers are easy to stuff because of it’s shape. In India, bell peppers are commonly stuffed …
Potato and Spinach Gratin is a decadent layered dish made with potatoes, spinach and cheese. Scalloped potatoes is a simpler version made with potatoes and a cream sauce. But a gratin is made with layers of thinly sliced potatoes, buttery …
Vegan Butter Chicken is a dish made with no butter or chicken. But it tastes as delectable and delicious as any home style butter chicken! This dish has Tofu instead of chicken and is made with coconut cream instead of …