Beetroot and Beet Green Pulao Recipe | Simple Pulav or Pilaf Recipe

Learn how to make Beetroot and Beet Green Pulao ~ Vegan recipe for beetroot and beet greens pulao cooked with coconut milk and delicately flavoured with freshly ground homemade pulao masala powder 

I stand next to the window with a cup of coffee warming my unusually cold palms. The steam rises from the hot cuppa and fogs my thick black rimmed glasses perched on my nose threatening to fall on my nose tip any time. I rub the glasses with the maroon woollen shawl with delicate Kashmiri floral prints that I am wearing, a gift from my Doddappa on my wedding. 

Spicy Red Cabbage Slaw or Salad Recipe | Quick and Simple Salad Recipes

Learn how to make Spicy Red Cabbage Slaw or Salad recipe with salted boiled peanuts and spicy chilli and lime olive oil dressing

It’s that time of the year when the outside temperature drops to minus and I feel like a grizzly bear who just want to hibernate through the winter only to open its eyes when the spring season graces the mother earth! One can dream with closed eyes and in my case I can day dream anytime with both my eyes wide open! Not that I want to be grizzly bear, but I could so do with few good nights’ sleep though! Sigh...

Stuffed Capsicum Pakoda or Pakora Recipe | Spicy Potato Stuffed Bell Pepper Fritter

Learn how to make Stuffed Capsicum/Bell Pepper Pakoda or Pakora ~ Deep fried bell pepper rings stuffed with spiced potato mash and coated with spicy gram flour paste

Diwali was a very quiet affair at our home with just three of us spending time with one another. With the sudden drop in temperature from two digits to single digits on the lower side, Lil Dumpling caught a flu bug and he was seen coughing and sneezing for most part of the day. So we skipped the traditional oil bath and gorging on home cooked festival foods and found comfort in a bowl of spicy Rasam rice and soups.

Easy Gulab Jamun Recipe (With Milk Powder) | Simple Diwali Sweet Recipe

Learn how to make Gulab Jamun ~ An Indian confection of deep fried spongy milk balls soaked in rose scented and cardamom flavoured sugar syrup

It is almost that time of the year in India when winter begins. It is almost that time of the year when the dawn is lightly caressed by the frost. It is almost that time of the year when the golden rays of morning sun passes through the dew drops on the grass making them look like a precious diamonds sewn on the lush green carpets. It is almost that time of the year when the trees sway to the gentle morning breeze in the cool mist. It is almost that time of the year when the soft sun light appears from the distant hills and the birds tweet as they flutter through the dew laden sky! It is almost that time of the year when the summer’s blistering heat and the monsoon’s thundering rains give way to a season of crisp winter months. It is the golden season of Kartik, a season of cool air, chirping birds, dew drops laden fresh grass, the blossoming trees and the time when the entire Indian subcontinent adorns itself in the silky golden hued sunlight to greet the heavenly bodies into welcoming arms!

Vegan Spiced Beetroot Cutlets Recipe | Spicy Beetroot Patties

Learn how to make Vegan Spiced Beetroot Cutlets/Patties ~ Pan fried Indian styled spicy vegan beetroot patties with aromatic spices

“Motherhood is the hardest and toughest job” said one of my friends who had just become a mother for the first time few months back. We talked for over an hour about our respective kids and what they enjoy the most. I just smiled at that time and then we said our goodbyes on the phones promising to take some time to call one another in few weeks’ time. But what she said just stuck in my mind for a next few days.

Paneer Kalimirch Curry Recipe | Quick and Simple Paneer Curry Recipe

Learn how to make Paneer Kalimicrch ~ Indian cottage cheese cooked in a creamy white sauce spiced with black peppercorns

Last week, the entire Britain celebrated the 16th National Curry Week, a week dedicated to the country’s most favourite and popular cuisine from India. This country loves its curries! There is no doubt about it as every street in every corner of the country is dotted with curry houses selling the nation’s favourite hot curries.

No Oil Spicy Cut Mango Pickle Recipe | Step by Step Indian Mango Pickle Recipe

Learn how to make Spicy Cut Mango Pickle ~ No Oil Spicy Raw Mango Pickle Recipe

Family recipes, the recipes that have been cooked for decades and some even for centuries are the most treasured ones and close to my heart. Our taste, preference and choice change with time, but certain recipes withstand the test of time as they tie us to our roots and happy memories. Recipes like these need to be treasured, preserved and cherished for honoring the previous generations and for the new generations who are yet to sample the goodness of life!

Simple Tomato Salad | Summer Salad Recipes

Learn how to make Simple Tomato Salad ~ Basic tomato salad with basil and lime and pepper dressing

I am not going to bore you today with my rants and rambles. Although my mind is bursting with thoughts, the words have abandoned me today as they refuse to flow at my fingertips which otherwise enjoy tap dancing on the keyboard! The exhaustion has finally overtaken my desire to share one of my most favourite recipes from the treasure chest of secret family recipes!

Chattambade Recipe | Spicy Chana Dal Vada Recipe

Learn how to make Chattambade or Masala Dal Vada ~ Spicy split chickpeas/Bengal gram or chana dal fritters

When you do something for a very long time, it becomes part of your life. It no longer remains a separate entity, but it becomes a way of life. It integrates into your life, your thoughts and the very core of your being! It becomes a habit, a routine and ultimately, part of you! Well, it’s no wonder that something that I have been doing for the last seven years has becomes inseparable part of my very soul! And today Monsoon Spice is not just a food blog, but my little place that treasures little snippets of my life, my memories, my dreams, aspirations and above all a place where I have freedom to express myself!

Bhutta or Butta Recipe | Indian Styled Roasted Corn on the Cob

Learn how to make Bhutta or Butta ~ Indian styled roasted corn on the cob flavoured with lime, salt and chilli powder

It was the same spot he chose to park his push cart, the corner road that faced the school gate. His push cart was plain wooden one with its pale blue paint that once must have been a bright and happy shade of blue, now peeling at the edges and exposing the dark wood underneath. There was nothing fancy about his shop that earned his livelihood and there was no colourful board bearing his name or his humble shop’s name. It was a plain and boring looking little shop selling things that was far from being labelled boring things!

Vegetable Hakka Noodles Recipe | Indo-Chinese Veg Hakka Noodles Recipe

Learn how to make Vegetable Hakka Noodles ~ Indo-Chinese recipe of stir fried vegetable and noodles with assorted sauces

As my fingers tap danced on the laptop’s keyboard to shape my thoughts into words, my eyes wandered out of the window to admire the tall trees swaying at the cool evening breeze. They stood tall like a proud soldiers as the green leaves on branch ruffle and sway when caressed by the evening breeze. And then I noticed something...

Ammini Kozhukattai or Undrallu Guggillu Recipe | Ganesha Chaturthi Recipe

Learn how to make Ammini Kozhukattai or Undrallu Guggillu ~ Gluten free and vegan steam cooked savoury rice ball dumplings tossed in aromatic tempering

|| Mushikavaahana modaka hastha,

Chaamara karna vilambitha sutra,

Vaamana rupa maheshwara putra,

Vighna vinaayaka paada namasthe ||

Kodubale Recipe | Step by Step Recipe for Kodubale

Learn how to make Kodubale ~ Deep fried rice and roasted gram savoury rings from Karnataka

As I stand here in my kitchen mixing the ingredients, beating the dough, stirring the kadai full thick rice paste to make Kadubu that is surely going to give me sore arms after mixing for hours, I can’t help but slowly walk down the memory lane... Ganesha Habba is one big festival of my childhood and life that spells magic and inundates me with nostalgia...

Aloo Matar Recipe | Simple Vegan Potato and Peas Curry

Learn how to make Aloo Matar ~ Simple curry of potatoes and green peas cooked in spicy tomato gravy

She was sleeping soundly, smiling in her sleep while she dreamt of splashing water in the stream that gurgled next to her grandma’s house. Or was it the dream where she was chasing colourful butterflies in the garden or climbing the guava tree in the backyard that produced the sweetest guava with delicious red pulp inside! The ceiling fan spinning lazily above made the wild curly waves on her forehead tickle her cheeks, nose and eyes. When the persistent afternoon sun shone brightly on her face, little girl with pigtails sighed and snuggled back under the covers, blissfully embracing slumber.

Sprouted Moong Bean Salad Recipe | Simple Indian Salad Recipe

Learn how to make Sprouted Moong Bean Salad ~ Indian styled sprouted moong bean salads with assorted vegetables and chilli-lime dressing

As far as I know, there is no concept of salads in Indian cooking. Thinly sliced pieces of cucumber, tomatoes and onion rings with lemon or lime wedge is mostly the kind of salads served with main meals. Sometimes few whole or chopped green chillies accompany these vegetables as we Indians really like real spice kick in our meals!

Strawberry Limeade Fizz Recipe | Simple Summer Fizzy Drink Recipe

Learn how to make Strawberry Limeade Fizz ~ Sweet strawberry and lime fizzy drink flavoured with cardamom

Its long weekend for us with the end of summer holiday marking official end to all summer fun and the fall will be upon us soon. This year the weather goddess has been quite generous with beautiful sunny days, clear blue skies and high temperature making us a happy bunch of people. So just the thought of actually all the fun and frolic coming to an end is making me a wee bit sad!

Beetroot and Potato Curry Recipe | Simple Beetroot and Potato Curry

Learn how to make Beetroot and Potato Curry ~ Beetroot and potato cooked in mildly spiced coconut gravy

There are different types of cooks. Some follow others’ recipes and some create their own recipes. Some draw inspirations from other sources and some cook from the recipes handed down through generations. Some are trained and professional cooks and some have just begun this adventurous food journey. Some like fusion cooking and some stick to the age old traditional recipes. But all have one thing in common and it is their love and passion to create delicious meals for their family and loved ones.

Tomato and Watermelon Salad Recipe | Simple Summer Salad Recipe

 Learn how to make Tomato and Watermelon Salad ~ Simple and refreshing summer salad recipe with lime and balsamic vinegar dressing

I believe in the age old food philosophy that ‘you are what you eat’. Couple of months back, in the beginning of spring season, our kitchen was a busy hub of sizzling deep fried goodies in a hot pot of oil. Although I am not really fond of deep fried food, I found myself binging on the not so healthy but absolutely delicious food days after another! It didn’t take very long for me to gain couple of pounds and add few inches around my waist!

Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino or Strawberry Frappe Recipe | How to Make Starbucks Styled Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino

Learn how to make Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino or Strawberry Frappe | Strarbucks styled Strawberries and Creme Frappucciono recipe

It’s 1:15 in the afternoon as I watch the little angelic face so close to my face as we share our pillow. His head is nestled safely in the crook of my arms while his legs are tucked close to my body. The only noise I hear is the whirring sound of pedestal fan that is over working to keep us cool in this hot summer day. The two windows in our bedroom are wide open bringing in warm breeze, making the light coloured curtains flutter and flow.

Mango Panna Cotta Recipe | How to Make Panna Cotta

How to make Mango Panna Cotta ~ Italian dessert of layered cream flavoured with vanilla and a Desi twist of mango flavoured with cardamoms 

She looked at pregnancy test kit in her hands again to make sure what she was seeing was true! There they were two pink lines as clear as they could be! 

She came running out of the bathroom screaming at top of her voice, “We really are pregnant! The nurse was right. We really are pregnant!” 

 “Of course she is right”, husband said with big smile on his face. 

“What are we going to do? We don’t know anything about babies!” wife said with worry lines etched on her face. 

“Well, we will figure out”, husband tried to reassure her. 

And figuring out is what we are still doing after 3 years!!! ;)

Watermelon-Mint Limeade Recipe | Simple and Easy Summer Drinks Recipe

How to make Watermelon-Mint Limeade ~ Refreshing simple and quick summer drink made using watermelon, fresh mint and lime juice

Do you believe in miracles?
Do you want to hear some shocking news?
Psst... We are expecting heat waves here in the United Kingdom!!! There... I said it! ;)

Summer Days...With Lil Dumpling!

Because it’s summer and the memories are just waiting to happen.
~ Unknown

So it's 10th day of my year long sabbatical and to tell you frankly, I have never been busier than this before! Few told me that they will expect me to post more recipes as I will have more time on hand to cook, photograph and blog the recipes! I just smiled and looked at my lil one who was sleeping in my arms, the only quiet in our home :) Once he is up, there is no way I get to do things I please ;)

Now after all these days, there is not a moment I can call my own. But I am not complaining! I feel blessed to wake up every morning and not worry about meeting project deadlines at work and other hundred things that revolves around work. I wake up with a smile on my face and look forward to spending many happy hours with Lil Dumpling. We colour, draw, learn our numbers and letters, talk non-stop about bugs, dinosaurs, go for long walks, play hide and seek, laugh more, sing songs, read stories, make our own stories, dance silly, cook together, talk a lot, make bubbles, splash water and create many happy memories! I am eternally thankful to get this chance to relive my childhood through Lil Dumpling.

Nawabi Paneer Curry Recipe | Simple Paneer and Peas Curry Recipe with Swiss Diamond Product Review and A Giveaway!

Learn how to make Nawabi Paneer Curry ~ Shallow fried Indian cottage cheese and green peas cooked in rich, creamy coconut and cashew nut gravy

So it’s just couple of days before I hang my office wear and see myself sporting jeans and comfy t-shirts.

It’s just couple of days before my stilettos are replaced with bare feet/trainers/sneakers.

It’s just couple of days before my office files are replaced with story books.

It’s just couple of days before my MS office calendar is wiped clean of meetings, seminars, trainings, project deadlines to colouring, learing, visits to the park, play groups, and other kid related activities.

It’s just couple of days before my jovial, friendly, caring and loving boss (ahem, my hubby is my boss at office) is replaced by the most demanding, clingy, attention seeking, bossy and loving boss who will make me work 24X7 without pay, holidays and other perks!

Goodbye Terrible Twos and Welcome Troublesome Threes! Happy 3rd Birthday to My Darling Lil Dumpling....

My dearest, darling, little menace Lil Dumpling,

You are going to be THREE this Sunday! Let’s get over with the cliché first, “How time flies!” Holy macaroni, when did you turn 3?! Seriously!!! ~sigh~

As you leave behind the year of Terrible Twos and enter the year of Troublesome Threes, your parents can’t help but feel proud for the little feisty fighter they are blessed with! As we see you, our little brave boy, hopping around the room dancing to the music playing in his mind, we feel the love for this little brat gushing from our hearts and threatening to flood our eyes! A wise person once told me that when your heart filled to the brim with love for someone, it is quite natural for it to overflow in the form of pearly tears! That wise person is now in different time zone, thousands of miles away eagerly waiting to cuddle you, her very first grandchild. You, our Lil dumpling, have shown us the true meaning of our hearts beating outside our bodies!

Sprouted Peas Dal Recipe | Kid Friendly Dal Recipes

Learn how to make Sprouted Peas Dal ~ Sprouted green and yellow peas cooked in sweet and sour split pigeon peas lentil gravy

It was a dull day yesterday. What looked a promising week full of sunshine and high temperature; it was dull, grey, cheerless and just blah! I didn’t sleep on previous night and the light headache that I woke up to gave me company through out the day and became a really-big-headache kind of headache by the time we reached home! And the fact that I missed 2 successive days of my exercise regime to get in shape and beat hubby at bike race just added more guilt and bruises to my pride.

Sweet and Spicy Peas Curry Recipe | Simple Peas Curry Recipe

Learn how to make Sweet and Spicy Peas Curry ~ Dried green and yellow peas cooked in sweet, sour and spicy tomato and tamarind gravy

It is summer…finally and at last we are getting the much needed vitamin D! With temperature shooting up and the sunshine spreading its warmth and smile around, we are spending more time outdoors and making the most of very few brilliant days of sunshine. Finally we can go out without swaddling ourselves in thick layers of cloths and even the thin jackets and sweaters are left behind hanging in the coat hangers :) Oh yes… Yes, yes, yes! Sun sure makes me happy!

One Sunny Weekend...

Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.

~ Henry James

Bombay Potatoes or Bombay Bataka Recipe | No Onion-No Garlic Potato Curry Recipe

Learn how to make Bombay Potato/Bombay Bataka ~ Potatoes cooked in a hot, sweet and sour tomato and tamarind gravy (No onion-no garlic recipe)

So we had another episode of Lil Dumpling falling sick and then were rushed to children’s ward in an ambulance after distressed emergency call to 999! It, unfortunately, was our 3rd time being admitted to hospital in this year, not counting every month’s visit to the doctor’s clinic with very sick Lil Dumpling suffering with wide varieties of viral and bacterial infections. I am starting to think that 2013 is not really a year of good health.

Mango Lassi Recipe | How to Make Punjabi Mango Lassi

Learn how to make Mango Lassi ~ Thick, sweet and creamy mango and yogurt drink flavoured with aromatic cardamom, a refreshing Indian summer drink

It was hot summer day when the sun scorched every object that came in direct contact under his blazing rays. On that particular day the temperature shot up by another few degrees making already miserable hot day even more difficult to bear! People looked up at the sky eagerly looking for the sign of rain to bring the temperature down to bearable degrees, but all they could see by squinting eyes was the sun god shining bright with his full glory, blissfully unaware of the complaints that were thrown at him from one part of the world below him! Amidst all the complaining people, the girl wearing white salwar kameez breezed through the crowd. There was only one thing that was going in her teenage mind as she quickly walked through the street lined with shops and complaining people. She knew where she wanted to go, away from curious glances and gossiping tongues, to meet her beloved who was waiting for her with bated breath.

Creamy Tofu and Pepper Curry Recipe | Vegan Tofu and Capsicum Curry

Learn how to make Creamy Tofu and Pepper Curry ~ Vegan curry of capsicums/bell peppers cooked in a mildly spiced creamy tofu and tomato gravy

"I do not claim that I can tell a story as it ought to be told. I only claim to know how a story ought to be told."
~ Mark Twain

I have a story to tell… This is a story of little boy and the moon. This is a story of their friendship that is growing stronger and deeper with every passing day. This is a story about smiling lips, twinkling eyes, dimpled cheeks, excited shrieks and infectious giggles. This is also a story of trembling lips, teary eyes, fiery tantrums, disappointed sighs and hopeful tomorrows. This is a story of little heartbreaks and break ups, and at the same time this is also a story of life long friend ships and make ups! Yes, I have a story to tell…a very special story to tell…

Spring on Our Doorstep

“What a strange thing!
to be alive
beneath cherry blossoms.”
― Kobayashi Issa

Spring is in full bloom and I had to share few snapshots of the season to celebrate the new beginning… Beautiful weather, vibrant colours and bees and people buzzing alike makes this season rather special…. So here are few photographs of the season from our doorsteps that brought so much joy to my heart!

Aloo-Kala Chana Chaat Recipe | Warm Potato and Black Chickpeas Salad

Learn how to make Aloo-Kala Chana Chaat ~ Warm black chickpeas and potato salad with spiced tamarind dressing

It was a cold winter Sunday morning when a teenager was woken from her sleep with a gentle touch of her mother’s hand caressing her hair.

“Open your eyes love. It’s time you learn to make a decent cup of tea!’” said her mother.

“5 more minutes Amma”, the sleepy voice begged.

But her mother knew that these 5 minutes will drag on and it will be 15 minutes or 30 minutes or 1 hour before her daughter finally opened her eyes!

“Oh no! You don’t get 5 minutes!” mother said while literally dragging her first born into the kitchen to prepare 2 cups of Indian Masala tea.

Potato and Peas Kurma Recipe | How to Make Vegetable Kurma

Learn how to make Potato and Peas Kurma ~ Potato and green peas cooked in creamy and mildly spiced coconut gravy

For the first 6 years of my life I never tasted north Indian food! My mom although is a wonderful cook, her knowledge was limited to south Indian cuisine at that time. One reason could be that we lived in a small town and grew up in a close knit community. Till I turned 6 years old, we lived in a joint family and the simplest food to cook was a south Indian food which she grew up eating and cooking for 30+ members of the family with steady flow of guests every single day. Our regional food of Udupi-Mangalore is something that everyone enjoyed in our family.

Travel with me to The Lakes...

My initial plan was to post my Amma’s signature dish today, but my heart is not really into sharing fond memories of my childhood for some personal reasons. Instead I am sharing few photographs I clicked during our recent visit to one of the most beautiful and scenic holiday destination in the UK during first week of this month. I am hoping that revisiting this natural, untouched beauty of Mother Nature will bring much needed calmness and peace to my troubled heart and soul.

Plum Chutney/Relish Recipe | How to Make Plum Chutney or Relish

Learn how to make Plum Chutney/Relish ~ Sweet, spicy and tart yellow plum chutney/relish made using jaggery, unrefined sugar

First time I tasted plums were when I did my under graduation course in Dharwad, a beautiful city in north Karnataka. I was instantly drawn to these ruby red plump fruits the moment I my eyes spotted them piled high in a wooden carts and bamboo baskets. The old lady selling this fruit offered me one as soon as she spotted me walking towards her cart and gave me bright smile with red Paan stained teeth. I looked at the round, plump fruit sitting on my palm and took out the clean tissue from my colourful cotton sling bag hanging loosely from my shoulder and cleaned the plum. The ruby red plum looked glossier with all that rubbing with tissue paper and I just couldn’t resist it anymore. My teeth sunk deep into the glossy red plum and bit into the tiny brownish seed in the centre. The sweet nectar with a hint of tartness from the juicy flesh along with the crunch from the firm peel with every bite made me fall in love with this divine fruit and from then onwards Plums became one of my most favourite fruits to snack on whenever my stomach refused eat the hostel food, especially in late monsoon months.

Mangalore Buns Recipe | Deep Fried Banana and Whole Wheat Poori From Udupi-Mangalore

Learn how to make Mangalore Buns ~ Mildly sweet deep fried whole wheat banana poori from Udupi-Mangalore

I am 80’s Indian child and feel extremely blessed and fortunate to have one of the best and memorable childhoods! My younger sister was my best friend and my partner in crime and we grew up with bunch of same aged children in the neighbourhood whose only mantra was fultu masti! While leafing through old photographs on weekend, I saw myself going back in time and walking down the memory lane… All that fun, adventure, mischief, break ups, make ups, bonding, arguing, laughter, tears, in brief my childhood flashed before my eyes in a techni colour film…

The Winners of Prashad Cookbook Are...

Kaushy Patel's Prashad

Hello All,

Thank you all for participating in a cookbook giveaway. After counting out the duplicate comments and leaving out my own comments, here are the two winners selected using random number generator.

The Winners of Mrs. Kaushy Patel’s cookbook Prashad are commenter #15 Manasi and #58 Naveen. Congratulations guys :) Please email me your shipping address to siakrishna(at)gmail(dot)com so that you can cook delicious meals from Prashad as soon as possible! If I don’t hear from you in week’s time I will randomly choose another winner(s) on 17th of April, 2013.

Warm Regards
Sia

Toor Dal Kichidi Recipe | How to Make Simple Kichidi

Learn how to make Toor Dal Kichidi ~ Mildly spiced split pigeon peas or tuvar/toor dal and mixed vegetable rice porridge, traditional dish from Gujarat

It feels like a long time since I got a chance to sit down in my favourite spot in our home to write a blog post. After a week long break at one of the most scenic places in the UK, the Lake District, we are back to the daily grind and routine. After waking up to songs of birds twittering in the morning breeze and sun shining brightly on clear blue skies for whole of a week, we found ourselves waking to the shrilling noise of alarm clock and tumbling down the bed still trying to rubbing away the slumber weighing heavy on our eyelids! For the little fella whose day started with jumping on the bed and ending with running around the holiday cottage in merry, Lil Dumpling cried when he realised that the merry days of doing what he pleased at what ever times he pleased were over! Ah… why do holidays have to come to an end?!

Kashaya or Kashayam Recipe | A Herbal or Ayurvedic Drink from South India

Learn how to make Kashaya or Kashayam ~ Sweet and spicy herbal drink made using selected aromatic spices based on the ancient Indian health science of Ayurveda

I grew up in a joint family for the first 6 years of my life. When I was born, my first cousin was in his mid twenties while the youngest one was in his late teens. So it was not difficult for a chubby baby girl with jet black hair and cheeks that resembled a generous sized Idli to make every other person in our family to dance just by shaking my little fingers. I was pampered and a spoilt brat who had many people falling on my chubby feet for the first 22 months of my life. And then my exclusive control on everyone’s attention and being centre of everyone’s universe came to sudden halt!

Vegan Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup Recipe | How to Make Simple Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

Learn how to make Vegan Creamy Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup ~ Quick and easy roasted bell pepper and tomato soup with caramelised onions and garlic

The temperature outside continues to drop in spite of we officially stepping into spring since last week! This weekend we will set our clocks 1 hour forward across the European countries to mark the spring daylight saving so that evenings have more daylight. In less than a month’s time the sun will rise before 6 am only to set after 7 pm! And in two months time we will have the difficulty to convince Lil Dumpling to go to bed at 7 pm as he will be left wondering why one needs to go to bed when the sun is still shining bright till 10 at night only to wake up at 4 in the morning to find sunrays streaming through the curtains!

Spicy Corn Chaat/Salad Recipe | How to Make Healthy Sweet Corn Chaat

Learn how to make Spicy Corn Chaat or Spicy Corn Salad ~ Quick and simple healthy snack of sweet corn in a lime and chaat masala dressing and topped with spicy gram flour noodles

After what feels like a long time, a very long time, I am back at work desk today. I have not recovered completely but the sorry chapter of coughing my lungs out seems to be over which only means I will not be spreading the nasty infection around. Having left on my own for the last two days bored to me to death and just when I was about to explode into tiny pieces, DH decided it will be best thing to step outside and meet some ‘real’ people in person than the imaginary ones I was talking to for the last couple of days.

Kehra Na Reveya/Green Banana Satay Recipe with Kaushy Patel's Prashad Cookbook Review and A Giveaway

Learn how to make Kehra Na Reveya ~ Raw Green Banana Satay (with spicy peanut paste stuffing)

Apart from family and friends, what one misses the most when they move from their home country? Someone asked me in this question in the first month when I moved from India to UK and I didn’t even blink before saying it’s the Food which I miss the most! Yes, it was the delicious and aromatic food from my vibrant country that I missed a lot; from my mother’s comfort meals to tantalising Indian street foods, from quick breakfasts at Darshini hotels to elaborate north and south Indian Thali meals, from very casual Punjabi Dhaba foods to sophisticated high end restaurants and many more like that!

Onion-Coconut Chutney Recipe | How to Make Simple and Quick Coconut Chutney

Learn how to make Onion-Coconut Chutney ~ Simple and quick raw onion and coconut based chutney for Idli and Dosa

Nestled between swaying coconut and areca nut tress was a large two story art deco styled mansion with red Mangalore tiled sloped ceiling on an attic that ran through the house. There were some 20 odd smooth black granite steps leading down to the narrow canal flowing right next to the house with crystal clear water coming right up to your knees. The clear water on summer days in this canal with smooth black and grey pebbles would turn roaring muddy red and orange with white foams when monsoon rains unleashed from the sky, and at night it looked like a black serpent moving swiftly and hissing rather loudly breaking the songs of the crickets and the silence of the night!

Spicy Tomato and Garlic Thokku Recipe | How to Make Spicy Tomato and Garlic Chutney/Relish

Learn how to make Tomato and Garlic Thokku ~ Spicy tomato and garlic chutney/relish for Dosa and Idli

One thing I never thought of becoming when I donned motherhood hat among other very colourful and interesting hats I wear day to day life was getting absent minded and forgetful! Someone who could remember couple of dozens of 10-12 digit phone numbers or every family and friends’ birthdays or anniversary dates was starting to find it difficult to even remember her own cell phone number.

Ananas Sasam/Pineapple Sasve Recipe | Pineapple in Coconut-Mustard Curry

Learn how to make Ananas Sasam/Pineapple Sasve ~ Pineapple cooked in a sweet, sour, hot and pungent coconut and mustard curry

After spending one week at home, I am back at work today. Last Friday I found myself a target for one of the worst cases of migraine in the last couple of years and all I could do was just lie down on bed after popping few painkillers. The idiot box was quiet on and the book I was reading was left untouched on the coffee table. The heavy curtains were drawn close to stop the brilliant sunrays entering the room as I tried very hard to sleep in the dark bedroom.

Microwave Masala Peanuts/Masale Kadle Recipe | How to Make Masala Peanuts in a Microwave

Learn how to make Microwave Masala Peanuts/Masale Kadle ~Simple and quick recipe for crunchy and spicy gram flour coated roasted peanuts cooked in a microwave in less than 15 minutes

Love to me is something that is very different from the stories told in romantic movies and the types of ‘happily ever afters’ in fairy tales and mills and boon novels. Love is not a dozen of red roses, a box of Belgian chocolates or heart shaped balloons. Love is not a gift of expensive bottles of perfumes or an exquisite diamond ring. Love to me is not romantic candle light dinners or a holiday in a romantic city! The very definition of ‘Love’ has changed over the years and now it means a whole new world of things to me…

Palak-Methi Pulao Recipe | How to Make Simple Veg Pulao/Pulav/Pilaf

Learn how to make Palak-Methi Pulao/Pulav/Pilaf ~ Basmati rice cooked with spinach, fresh fenugreek leaves, green peas, coconut milk and flavoured with whole spices and fresh herbs

I know it is bit late to talk about New Year’s resolution. I made one but never talked about with anyone as most of my New Year resolutions becomes things of past within a week’s time! So I kept quiet all this while thinking this year’s resolution too will vanish in thin air! It’s now almost a month and half since we welcomed 2013 and I felt I can share it with you all as I have successfully managed to stick to it and also enjoying it.

Stuffed Bread Pakoda/Pakora Recipe | How to Make Bread Pakoda/Pakora

Lean to make Stuffed Bread Pakoda/Pakora ~ Deep fried savoury bread slices stuffed with spicy mashed potato and coated with spicy chickpea flour batter

Every night after patting Lil Dumpling to sleep I stand next to the window, looking out at the night sky. Some days I see the full moon, round and bright, shining down on us with little twinkling starts against deep blue background! Some other days the same moon peeks out of dark grey clouds heavy with unshed rain. Most days I watch little drops of rain falling gently from the sky and kissing the earth, pitter pattering in a small puddle formed by one missing brick from the pathways right under the street light. On some other days, the rain is accompanied by gushing wind, howling in the dark night like a lonely wolf parted from its family and looking desperately for them. And then there are nights when torrential rain falls angrily on ground, tearing the sky like Monsoon rains in my home land!

Afghani Borani Kadoo or Kadu Bouranee Recipe | Afghani Sweet & Savoury Pumpkin/Butternut Squash

Learn how to make Afghani Borani Kadoo or Kadu Bouranee or Kadu Borani ~
Pumpkin or butternut squash cooked in sweet tomato and onion gravy with a hint of spice, a traditional Afghan recipe

For one month we watched my 3 and half months old Lil Dumpling, lying on his soft blanket chewing his chubby fingers or a teether, rolling from his back to tummy and tummy to back, cooing, gurgling and giving me that oh-so-adorable gummy, toothless smiles which made my heart flip over and happier, and watching his drool wet the colourful blanket underneath him. And then suddenly from the day he turned 4 months old he showed more interest in the food we were eating, watching us closely as we placed every morsel of delicious food cooked by my Amma in our mouth. He started noticing the way our mouth moved, chewing the aromatic and flavourful food. All of a sudden his otherwise favourite meal, milk, looked pale to him in comparison to the colourful food on our plates. For a baby who enjoyed banging spoons and his toys on the tray attached to his high chair, he began noticing the food spread out in our dining table and soon his coos and gurgles were replaced by high pitched demanding cries with his mouth imitating chewing action whenever we all sat down at meal time!