Thalipeeth

Healthy, tasty soft yet crisp savoury jowar rotis
05/03/2016 10:32:12 PM vindhyadesai

A very popular dish from Maharashtra and North Karnataka. In Kannada, it is also called as ‘thaalipettu/thaaliputtu’. It is a soft and savoury roti fully flavoured with spices like jeera and red chilli powder and it has onions (optional), green chillies along with other ingredients which are in the recipe. These rotis can be made for dinner and are best eaten with butter, curd/yogurt along with chutney pudi (chutney powder). ... “Thalipeeth”

Tamatar Kaju Paneer

Lightly toasted paneer pieces in a thick creamy tomato cashew gravy
05/01/2016 12:34:59 PM vindhyadesai

A thick and creamy gravy made from tomatoes with lightly toasted soft paneer pieces to accompany rotis or naans. Tomatoes form a base for most gravies and generally never get highlighted. Thick, red, tangy and juicy, tomatoes add body and volume to any gravy. Here I have exclusively used tomatoes for the paneer pieces to float in and absorb all the flavour and tanginess. ... “Tamatar Kaju Paneer”

Benne Biscuit

Iyengar bakery style, smooth & soft like benne or butter biscuits
04/30/2016 5:06:58 PM vindhyadesai

Benne biscuits are one of those snacks which most of us remember from our childhood. Also called as benne biskuttu (butter like biscuits), these Iyengar bakery style soft and buttery biscuits along with the khara biscuit (spicy and salty version) used to be a special treat for most kids. Butter is not used anywhere in the recipe. I have adapted the recipe I had read a few months back on a blog called sumscuisine. Bake these aromatic soft buttery melt-in-the-mouth biscuits and store them in an airtight jar. Enjoy them one or many at tea-time. ... “Benne Biscuit”

Gorikayi Chutney | Chavli Chutney | Cluster Bean Chutney

Spicy chutney made with cluster beans, a side dish for rotis, dosas
04/29/2016 11:26:49 PM vindhyadesai

I generally like to make chutneys using some kind of vegetable in it. Adding a vegetable gives the chutney so much more flavour and texture. It will also save you time scraping a lot of fresh coconut. Here I have made use of cluster beans or gorikayi. These beans have a bitter sweet taste and when cooked lightly they taste really good. ... “Gorikayi Chutney | Chavli Chutney | Cluster Bean Chutney”

Steamed Akki Roti | Ukkarisida Akki Roti

Light and soft, melt in the mouth rotis made from rice flour
04/29/2016 10:29:20 PM vindhyadesai

Wondering what to make for breakfast on a weekend? Try making these soft steamed akki rotis. Soft melt in the mouth rotis made from rice flour with very less or no oil are a perfect start to a day. They are extremely light, can be served with any chutney of your choice or even leftover sabji. I served them this time with cluster bean/gorikayi chutney. ... “Steamed Akki Roti | Ukkarisida Akki Roti”

Red Grape Apple Smoothie

Easy to whip up, red grape, apple, banana smoothie, thick and smooth
04/28/2016 05:49:38 AM vindhyadesai

If you are in a hurry and you are looking for a quick breakfast light yet filling then a smoothie is the answer. Loaded with fibre and packed with nutrients, fruit smoothies require no added sugar and are absolutely delicious. Here I have used vanilla yogurt icecream and milk. You can substitute them with a non-dairy icecream and almond milk and skip honey to make it vegan. I have also added weetabix which is a high fibre high protein biscuit. Whip them all up till smooth and you will be set for a busy morning. ... “Red Grape Apple Smoothie”

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Avocado Grilled Cheese

Red bell pepper & avocado grilled cheese with caramelized onions & honey mustard sauce
04/27/2016 6:30:00 AM vindhyadesai

Sandwiches are a very popular snack liked by both kids and adults. The ways to make a sandwich are endless. Let me share a little anecdote with you all about the origin of sandwiches. I read this little story in a supermarket cafe near my home. Sandwich was apparently invented when a snack was demanded by an Earl from his chef. The Earl wanted a snack for which he would not have had to use a fork and knife to cut his food. The chef thought about serving bread and vegetables in this unique way and thus the ‘sandwich’ came into being. 
For this sandwich I have used roasted sweet red bell pepper, healthy and tasty avocado, creamy honey mustard sauce and cheese sandwiched between toasted slices of multi grain-seed bread. ... “Roasted Red Bell Pepper Avocado Grilled Cheese”

Peach and Blueberry Crumble

Juicy fruits baked with a crumbly top served with vanilla icecream
04/24/2016 8:23:08 PM vindhyadesai

Crumble is a famous English dessert made from juicy fruits like peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, blueberries mixed with sugar. On top of these fruits a crumble topping made of flour, sugar and butter is added and baked off in an oven till crisp and golden. ‘Crisp’ is another variation of a crumble which generally has oats on top which crisp up when baking. This one is a delectable dessert and I am sure everyone will love it especially if it is served with vanilla icecream. Here I have used peaches and blueberries. Peaches are best in summer, flavourful and juicy. Peaches are like almond fruits, cherry fruit or plums. I love the crumble recipes from Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa. ... “Peach and Blueberry Crumble”

Carrot Paratha

Soft and bright orange coloured parathas with subtle spices
04/23/2016 8:18:51 PM vindhyadesai

When you are bored of eating rotis or chapathis a nice change would be to make parathas. The parathas that require filling like aloo paratha or gobhi paratha can be time consuming to prepare. Mixing some spices into a dough can enhance the flavour and one can probably get away with making only one side dish or just a raitha or chutney. Adding some grated vegetables like carrot or mooli(radish) makes rotis softer and tastier. I make carrot parathas quite regularly as carrots are rich in dietary fibre. It is important to mix the dough well and allow it to rest for a while before making them. Here’s the recipe with stepwise pictures. ... “Carrot Paratha”

Spinach and Peas Risotto

Creamy comforting risotto for a cold winter night
04/22/2016 9:27:57 PM vindhyadesai

Risotto is a creamy rice dish from Italy. Wine, butter are generally added to traditional risotto dishes. Here, I do not use any wine. It can be made with different kinds of vegetables, stocks. The rice grains used in a risotto are round short variety like Arborio rice. These days you will find them labelled as ‘Risotto Rice’ available in cartons in supermarkets. Risotto is a very comforting dish, it is easy to make but getting the right consistency is very important. Cooking on low flame and adding the broth/stock little by little are the keys to a perfect creamy risotto with rice cooked al-dente (to the tooth) ... “Spinach and Peas Risotto”