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Sesame seeds (til in Hindi) have a nutty flavor, and are popularly used in Indian curries and desserts. These seeds come in a range of colors with variations in their flavor. Light (white/cream) sesame seeds are mild to taste, dark (brown/black) sesame seeds slightly bitter.

Stuffed Ridge Gourd Cylinders

26 Dec

Ridge Gourd Cylinders Stuffed

Ridge gourd served up in special style: shallow-fried cylinders of the gourd stuffed with a peanut-sesame-coriander spice.

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Lachha Gobhi Paratha: Flaky Cauliflower Flatbread

3 May

Flaky Cauliflower Paratha

Not all experiments pass muster the first time. A few go through rounds of trials before they reach publicly sharable shape. A few are embarrassments best shelved forever (I’m thinking of you, curdled strawberry yogurt). Lachha gobhi paratha, I’m delighted to report, was a stupendous success from the word go.

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Sem Til ki Sabzi: Broad Beans in Black Sesame Sauce

15 Feb

Tender broad beans / fava beans (sem in Hindi) are cooked with an unusually colored, delicious black sesame sauce in this recipe. The dark, nutty flavor of the sauce brings out the earthiness of the broad beans.

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Tilwale Shimla Mirch: Sesame Bell Pepper

2 Dec

Sesame Bell Pepper - Tilwale Shimla Mirch

When the sharp juiciness of shimla mirch (green bell pepper/capsicum) is coupled with the delicate nuttiness of til (sesame seeds), something magical happens! Try tilwale shimla mirch (sesame bell pepper) to witness it yourself.

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Peanut Sesame Rice: 3-Ingredient Podi Rice

16 Aug

Peanut Sesame Rice

The southern states of India excel in the art of making various types of podi: literally ‘powder’, the word is used to describe ground dry spice blends. One really smart use of podi is as a ready-to-eat mix for plain boiled rice. Within seconds, a swirl of podi transforms plain boiled rice  into a fancy one-pot meal. The traditional podis I’m familiar with use a legume such as toor dal or chana dal as the base; this very simple 3-ingredient podi uses peanuts instead.  On days when there’s no time to cook a set meal of rice-dal-curry, this podi-based peanut sesame rice is a lifesaver.

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Homemade Peanut Butter, Indian Style

30 Jun

Homemade Peanut Butter

Among the many advantages of making peanut butter at home is the advantage of adaptability. Texture, fluidity, add-on ingredients – all in your hands.

In this Indian-style homemade peanut butter, we make the most of this advantage. With spices and tamarind, and the flavor of sesame, the classic peanut butter gets an unusual styling.

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Bharwan Bhindi: Okra Stuffed with Peanut Spice

18 Nov

Bharwan bhindi (okra stuffed with peanut spice) is a beautiful dish to make on leisurely days when you have tender, small-sized fresh okras on hand. The stuffing that goes into the okra can vary – this peanut spice is among my best-loved okra fillings.

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