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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How To Make Littis in a Paddu Maker

20 Nov

Littis in Paddu Maker

When a friend returned from Austin to Chennai, she brought back for her mother an ornate crockpot. Her mother unsurprisingly did not find much use for the contraption in her home cooking. For a while the crockpot was relegated to the far corner of her storage shelves. Till inspiration struck – and she converted the crockpot into a tulsi planter.

My story is not as drastic as that, but seeing my mother use her paddu maker for cooking littis raised a smile much like my friend’s story did. Paddus are not a staple food for us, so her paddu maker would mostly lie forlorn. One day my mother decided to give the equipment a "litti maker" makeover. The rounded fissures of the paddu griddle work perfectly as receptacles for litti balls. Slow cooking on the fire, with a turn or two in between, gives us littis close to the traditional fire-roasted ones.

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Baingan Mooli Patta Sabzi: Eggplant Radish Leaves Curry

12 Nov

Baingan Mooli Patta ki Sabzi

The onset of winter brings with it fresh white radish (mooli) topped with lush green leaves. Here’s a curry that puts those radish greens to excellent use: baingan mooli patta sabzi.

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Grape and Walnut Fried Rice

2 Nov

Grape Walnut Fried Rice

Grape and walnut fried rice – a treat to the senses! Revel in the flavors of tart-sweet grapes, toasted walnuts, caramelized onions studding fried rice.

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Pumpkin Za’atar with Butter Garlic Sauce

17 Oct

Pumpkin Za'atar with Butter Garlic Sauce

It’s pumpkin season! Time to bring out all the pumpkin recipes for your meals. Today’s main course – pumpkin za’atar with butter garlic sauce – came about by sheer serendipity. I had a pumpkin, I had some za’atar, and I realize this is starting to sound like PPAP so I will pause here to tackle first things first: “What’s za’atar?”

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Kaddu Poi: Pumpkin Basale Leaves Curry

13 Oct

Kaddu Poi

Kaddu poi (pumpkin basale leaves curry) is a Bengali/Oriya signature style of cooking these two nutrient-packed, vividly colored vegetables together: pumpkin (kaddu) and basale leaves (poi).

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Green Beans and Shredded Coconut

6 Oct

Green Beans and Shredded Coconut

Green beans and shredded coconut pair together wonderfully in this side dish inspired by Karnataka’s palya. This recipe is simpler than the standard palya and calls for fewer ingredients.

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