Simplified Indian Cooking
Dosa is a crispy crepe made from fermented rice and urad daal (a type of split legume) which has been soaked and ground. It is a popular dish in Southern India and is served with a potato filling, sambar (a vegetable and daal soup), and an assortment of chutneys. You can find dosa and […]
Sev Burfi was my favorite burfi growing up in Lucknow, India. Traditionally it is made with khoa, which is milk that has been cooked down until thickened. I use ricotta instead, since khoa can be hard to find. The main ingredient of course is sev, which are very thin noodles made from chickpea flour. Some […]
Turnip is one of those vegetables that most people ignore at the grocery store. We just don’t know what to do with them besides roasting them. Since turnips do not have much flavor, the spices in a curry sauce really boost their taste. My mom would sometimes add them to a meat dish such as […]
Zucchini squash is one of the vegetables available throughout the year. I plant several varieties of squash in my California garden and usually have an abundant supply from March until October. I freeze some for winter, some in chunks for roasting and some grated to add to Daals and to make Kofta. This recipe makes […]
I love to grow eggplant in my garden and usually plant at least two varieties – the long Japanese variety which is great for stir-frying and the round globe one which is what I use for making Bharta. Eggplant is one of the easier annual vegetables to grow and has a long growing season in […]
On the fourth day of my Paleo diet, I knew I had to eat something different than eggs for breakfast. I was craving something sweet and it happened to be Valentines Day so I had to cook something special for my husband who was also getting tired of the same old eggs. I played around […]
Khichri is one of the most popular Indian comfort food. Made by cooking a combination of daal and rice, Khichri is one of the first foods fed to a baby. Since it is easy to digest, Khichri is popular with the elderly as well. Any combination of any daal with sticky or medium grain rice […]
Surprise guests, drop-in friends or hungry kids and nothing in the fridge? You can always put together Egg Curry, a great dish to fall back on. Egg Curry was quite popular when I was growing up. My mother made many versions, sometimes with sliced eggs or with whole eggs and with fresh-shelled peas added to […]
My family always kept vrat or fasting during the nine days of Navratri when I was growing up in India. As kids, we looked forward to it because the food was so different and delicious. I can recall my mom making tangy potatoes served with buckwheat puris fried in ghee. Buckwheat, called kuttu in Hindi, does […]
Phara is a boiled dumpling made with daal and rice flour or wheat flour, a very creative way to use protein rich daal in a lean, healthy dish. Phara can be served as a meal, snack or side dish. Indian vegetarian food is so innovative! Phara is not a common Indian dish, made only in […]