Make these little beauties ahead of time for Diwali, or any time throughout the holiday season! Rasmalai is my hubby’s favorite Indian dessert. I make it regularly using this easy rasmalai recipe. Lately, I’ve been trying different fusion desserts with it for holidays and special celebrations. In this recipe, I gave this festive dessert a tiramisu spin, and created rasmalai tiramisu! These rasmalai cake jars are rich, decadent and the perfect make-ahead dessert that comes in sweet, little individualized portions....

Meet my all-time favorite mac and cheese recipe! This recipe has been in the works for over one year, no exaggeration. It has taken me that long to find my go-to mac and cheese method. I wanted a classic stovetop recipe, like the blue box mac and cheese I grew up enjoying. But, I wanted to make my stovetop mac and cheese with real ingredients. I wanted it to be creamy and deliciously cheesy—but not oozing with so much cheese that I had to take a nap afterward....

My tryst with Red Chilli Pickle Just like every other Indian, summers for me too are synonymous with making different types of pickles, preserves or sun-drying vegetables/fruits and homemade papads. My go-to summer pick has always been the Mango Pickle, followed by this luscious Red Chili Pickle. It was during our trip to Kashi a.k.a Banaras or Varanasi that we got to taste the lovely Lal Mirch Ka Achar there. One bite, and I was mesmerized by this spicy, very rustic pickle that oozed tradition in all ways....

This butternut risotto recipe is comforting, yet redeeming, and absolutely delicious. It features tender, caramelized cubes of butternut squash throughout. Unlike most risottos, this one calls for brown short-grain rice instead of white. This yields a super creamy risotto full of whole grain goodness. The lightly nutty brown rice makes this risotto recipe remarkably flavorful, in the best of ways. The only downside is that brown rice requires more cooking time than white, so I’ve switched from the traditional stovetop method to the oven....

Just when I thought I couldn’t come up with another recipe, my wonderful hair stylist said, “Tacos.” So here we are, two grocery stores later, with tacos that are as tasty as they are colorful. You need some color to brighten up drab winter days, you know? For these tacos, I drew inspiration from my sweet potato tacos and roasted up some cubed butternut squash instead (sweet potatoes would be awesome here, too!...

The smoked salmon and avocado grilled cheese is similar to your traditional grilled cheese sandwich but fancified. With rich, smoked salmon, avocado and mozzarella cheese stuffed between two crispy pieces of bread, you’ll never want a regular grilled cheese again! If you’ve tried our smoked salmon and avocado pizza and our salmon and avocado caesar salad, you’ll probably agree that salmon and avocado is a criminally underrated pairing! The rich, creaminess of the avocado and the smokiness of the salmon pair perfectly....

Busy busy busy busy bzzzzz. That’s how I’ve been feeling lately. Juggling work deadlines and freelance projects, yoga class and happy hour, dinners with friends and family. Feeling busy can be overwhelming at times, but I feel unusually energized by my full calendar. I’d guess that the spring in my step comes from connecting with a few more friends in this new city. It’s nice to feel more connected with the community at large....

Basil Pesto- A Classic Italian Recipe Pesto really is a classic. And Italians know how to make it right. A homemade pesto recipe is far superior to any jarred or store-bought variety. The flavors are simply cleaner, fresher and more herbaceous, especially during the summer months when basil is in its peak season. These days, we’re able to enjoy fresh basil pretty mush the whole year-round. Plus, it’s just another way I can incorporate some greens into our diets....

How about breakfast for dinner tonight? I’m so excited to share these simple breakfast quesadillas with you, finally! They’re way more fresh than standard diner fare, but just as satisfying. These breakfast quesadillas are stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs, melt-in-your-mouth pinto beans, fresh herbs and gooey cheddar cheese, all of which contrasts so nicely with the crisp, golden exterior. These delicious high-protein quesadillas come together in about 25 minutes....

About This Sweet Corn Soup I have fond memories of this soup as I have been making it since I was a teenager. My family would often request my special sweet corn soup whenever they craved an Indo-Chinese recipe. This is a unique recipe created by me and I have been using it for years. I have not tweaked it or modified it at all. I like to use minimal flavorings in this soup so that the taste of the sweet corn comes through and is not overpowered....

About Sweet Paratha As the name suggests these are sweet tasting parathas. They are also known as ‘Meetha Paratha’. The word “meetha” in Hindi translates to sweet or sweetened. Paratha is a layered flat bread. I knew about sugar puri which my mother used to make for us when we were kids. But I never heard of sugar paratha until I met my mother-in-law who is a fabulous cook and makes awesome Punjabi food....

About Tutti Frutti Ice Cream Tutti Frutti Ice cream is a soft and fluffy treat that has chewy and sweet bites of tutti frutti in it. Tutti frutti are basically candied fruits. In India, tutti frutti is candied papaya bits made from the raw unripe fruit. However globally, it can also be made with pineapple, cherries, currants, watermelon rind, apricots and various berries too. This basic 2-ingredient Tutti Frutti Ice Cream recipe uses only whipping cream and condensed milk....

It’s been two days since I published my gift guide and I’ve made no progress on my holiday shopping list. I have, however, consumed lots and lots of this simple, maple-sweetened caramel corn. I can’t help myself! This is the one time of year that I wish I worked at an office, just for the homemade, powdered sugar-dusted cookies and chocolate peanut butter buckeyes. I’ve managed to appease my holiday cravings with my own homemade treats....

The taste is very different from the North Indian version of Cucumber raita and goes extremely well as a side dish with sambar-rice or parippu-rice. Kichadi and pachadi recipes are made for the onam sadya. Veggies and fruits are used to make kichadi or pachadi. I usually make cucumber raita as a side dish to go with the meals at times, but preparing cucumber pachadi had a surprise element as far as the taste is concerned....

What is Vendhaya Dosai ‘Vendhaya or vendhayam’ is the Tamil word for fenugreek seeds and ‘dosai’ is a dosa (a South Indian savory crepe). Thus, when put together, Vendhaya Dosai simply means a wholesome version of a dosa that has fenugreek seeds – and traditionally from the cuisine of Tamil Nadu in South India. These are spongy and soft dosas made with a fermented batter of rice, lentils and fenugreek (methi) seeds....

This weekend, I was overwhelmed by the variety of gorgeous fresh produce at the farmers’ market. I couldn’t resist a basket of peaches, bright green cucumbers, and this beautiful 12 pound watermelon. I lugged it around in my arms like a big baby. Watermelon, a classic summer treat, is delicious in juicy slices, but I took it to a whole new level with this frozen watermelon, mint and lime sorbet....

Updated Dec 04, 2017 When you’re on the road for as long as I’ve been (3 months and counting), staying active becomes a necessity. And while some days are way more “let’s do this!” than others, exercise is still a priority. It has to be. ‘Cause if you haven’t seen my Instagram, I literally eat my way around whatever city I’m currently calling home. Travel provides a constant stream of “new-ness” – which is one of the reasons I adore it....

A steaming stack of pancakes just as beautiful on the inside as the outside. At 89 calories per pancake, they’re fluffy and cake-like and will be on your menu every Sunday.I don’t know about you, but seeing these strips through every bite of pancake that tastes like cake excited me. I know, it really doesn’t take much these days to get me excited over food. But look at that! ↓...

Updated Jan 11, 2024 With only four more days left in 2015, I thought it would be fun to recap the most popular recipes of the year (based on the highest number of pageviews). Now mind you, these recipes are ones posted from May through December 2015 – as I was still traveling through Australia, Thailand, Cambodia and Bali until late April. And I didn’t do much recipe development while I was traveling....

Mother’s Day snuck up on me this year! I’ve rounded up my favorite spring-y recipes for the last-minute people like me. Let’s celebrate our loving mamas with home-cooked meals all weekend long. If you’re looking for a way to connect virtually this weekend, I have an idea for you. Maybe you could schedule a virtual baking session together? My muffin recipes, for example, are simple enough to make while you’re chatting....