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Happy weekend! I hope you all are soaking up this glorious fall weather. Long walks and picnics at the park are just my speed, and it’s the perfect time of year for them. If you’re in the mood for a fall baking project, however, I have a fun one for you. I hope it doesn’t look too intimidating—trust me, if I can do it, you can, too. Making standard pie crusts with butter at just the right temperature is not my idea of a good time, so I’m excited to be sharing this tart crust recipe with you....

Readers have been asking me to remake my Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms into different flavour combinations, and these Grilled Bruschetta Portobello Mushrooms are perfect for your weekend brunching! Either grilling or baking, these filled portobellos will become your new favourite way to eat a ‘shroom! For those of us TRYING to start or stick to a lower carb-ish type of life style, these portobellos are a saviour when looking for a bread free alternative....

It’s apple muffin time! You all really seem to love my banana muffins, pumpkin muffins and carrot muffins and the blueberry muffins in my cookbook. Today, apple muffins are joining the club. Like the others in the bunch, these muffins are made with 100 percent whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with maple syrup or honey. They are nice and fluffy, with just enough sweetness to be irresistible. Granted, I already have an apple oatmeal muffin recipe on the blog from four years ago, but I have significantly upped my muffin game since then....

The sweet and savoury flavour combination of honey mustard chicken makes this one of my favourite recipes to date! This recipe was born from a craving for honey mustard and a spare tray of chicken thighs. After throwing some things together and continuing to add ingredients – voila! The perfect honey mustard chicken recipe was born. HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN MARINADE While I’ve made great chicken dishes in the past, like our Crispy Lemon Chicken and our Creamy Dijon Chicken, this recipe seems to rise above the rest for one specific reason – the sauce!...

About Curd or Dahi Curd or dahi, as it is known in Hindi, is a fermented milk product having its origins in the Indian subcontinent. The word ‘dahi’ is probably derived from the Sanskrit word ‘dadhi’ which means sour milk. It is made by mixing a friendly bacterial yogurt starter with warm milk, which is then allowed to ferment for some hours. Once the fermentation stage is completed, what you get is a thick, wobbly and pudding-like textured product, which the flowing milk transforms itself into....

As much as I love my South Indian snack dishes, especially idli, I also really love Chinese food once in a while. And what’s better is the fact that here is a dish that combines both and makes for this rockstar Idli Manchurian, a popular dish from the Indo-Chinese food repertoire. It is a fact that we Indians don’t believe in wasting food, as it is an emotion for us and sacred too....

Learn how to make pillowy soft idli in the Instant Pot from homemade or store-ready idli dosa batter, in 30-minutes! Soft, fluffy and delectable, idli-Sambar was one of my favorite Sunday brunches growing up. It wasn’t that frequently made, which made it even more special for me. I would wake up to the smell of piping hot sambar and it was my job to make Idlis 15 minutes before serving 🙂...

About Kachori Recipe Kachori is a very popular snack that is enjoyed throughout India. The crispy little hand-pie-like circles have an amazing amount of flavor packed in, and are just the right size for eating on the go. It’s no wonder why these are so loved! Like many street foods, you are sure to find different varieties of snacks depending on which region you are in. This Khasta Kachori recipe is commonly found in North India, and is made with a moong dal stuffing....

About Kaju Pulao Cashew Pulao is the simplest, yet flavorful pulaos that you can ever think of. It is also like being fancy with a rice dish, but not fancy too. Nice long fragrant basmati rice, onions, ginger-garlic paste, cashews and some whole spices in a pressure cooker and voila! A thing of beauty is done in just 2 to 3 whistles. The flavor of the cashews coming through in this pulao makes every bite of this Kaju Pulao heavenly....

My grandmother Mimi was known for her homemade shortbread. Unfortunately, I can’t remember ever tasting her shortbread. She was 70 years old when I was born and, naturally, her cooking aspirations declined with age. By the time I was old enough to help in the kitchen, she wasn’t doing much cooking. We made old-fashioned fudge together, I remember that. She always served me bacon and Welch’s grape fruit for breakfast because it was just what I wanted....

What is Lemon Rice This is one of the most popular and commonly made rice recipes from the South Indian cuisine. I have had lemon rice in many restaurants and even in a few South Indian temples. Easy to make, my lemon rice recipe includes a mixture of fried mustard seeds, urad dal (black gram), chilies (hot green peppers), herbs and spices. This fried tempering mixture is then poured over steamed rice....

About Malabar Biryani My family loves rice-based dishes, and it’s a no-brainer that biryani tops the list. Though, it does take some time and effort to make a beautifully fragrant Malabar Biryani too, the beauty of it is that I don’t have to cook anything else with it. It’s a complete meal in itself. Just a simple salad or raita works great with it. This Malabar Biryani recipe is adapted from Neeta Dutta’s ‘1000 Great Indian Recipes: The Ultimate Book of Indian Cuisine,’ which is a great cookbook covering Indian cuisine vastly....

Perfect as a light lunch, a refreshing side dish, or even as a centerpiece for summer gatherings, this yummy salad will leave your guests craving more. Today, we’re diving into the world of tropical delights with a sensational Avocado Mango Salad! Bursting with vibrant colors, refreshing textures, and a harmonious balance of sweet and tangy flavors, this salad with mango is a true celebration of summer. Ad the best part is how easy it is to make it....

The Bengali Chutney Obsession As much as you would associate a Bengali with fish, the same is true when it comes to chutneys or ‘chatni’ as it is lovingly called in Bengali language. When it comes to this particular community, chutneys are usually savored as a pre dessert dish at the end of a meal, and not in the beginning. The two most prominent chutneys in the Bengali culinary repertoire are this Mango Chutney, also called as ‘Aam’er Chatni’ and the very divine Tomato Khejur Chutney made with plump tomatoes and dates....

About Masoor Dal Masoor Dal is Hindi for ‘orange lentils’, ‘red lentils’ or ‘pink lentils’. Basically these are the same lentils with different names. But note that these are not the same as Puy lentils, which are a green French lentil. The Masoor Dal lentils can be split or whole, and both types are used in Indian cuisine. The split and husked red lentils are called Dhuli Masoor Dal in Hindi....

In Indian vegetarian cuisine we combine various greens with lentils. They can be made into a sauteed dry dish or like a lentil curry. E.g. Dal Palak or Shepu Bhaji. This is one such recipe of combining the goodness of fenugreek leaves and lentils. Dal is a staple at home thus I make various unique dishes with them so that the family does not get bored with lentils. In this recipe, I have used tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentils), but you can also make this dal methi with moong lentils, masoor dal and chana dal (bengal gram/split chickpea)....

These cookies. THESE COOKIES are the death of me! Here I am writing to you from my 8 years seriously delayed ‘honeymoon’ and I haven’t been able to relax in my beach front apartment from excitement to share these with you. NOW. Sorry husband. These cookies took 4 trials. FOUR. Before getting them right. I wanted Greek yogurt in my cookies. I wanted healthier cookies. I wanted to transform that Nutella Stuffed Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie into miniatures that would fit our diets without stretching our pants....

“What are monster cookies, though?” I asked recently, with vague recollections of cookies with M&M’s in them. “Peanut butter, chocolate, and oat cookies.” “Well, I’m sold.” This monster cookie recipe took me about eight tries (nine?) to get right, but they are just right. I almost gave up on them, to tell you the truth. My fella took a batch to work and overheard his coworker say, “This is the best cookie I’ve ever had,” so I knew I was close....

Carrots are stealing the show this week. This recipe features the same flavors as morning glory muffins—shredded carrots, raisins, orange zest, coconut and walnuts—in oatmeal form. I came across it in Megan Gordon’s new cookbook, Whole-Grain Mornings. In the headnote, Megan calls the oatmeal “porridge,” which always brings Goldilocks and her three bears to mind. I prefer to call it oatmeal, which sounds ever-so-slightly more sexy than porridge, but it’s still just fancied up peasant food....

My Tryst With Mushroom Pepper Fry A few years back, while touring in some parts of ‘God’s own country,’ Kerala in South India, I came across so much of food that was vegetarian as well as vegan, and supremely delicious. I mean people might know of this state for its rich non-vegetarian food. But trust me, the food here that is completely plant-based is also a 10/10. This Mushroom Pepper Fry was one such dish that I relished during our stay at the Taj Hotel there....