Russian Salad (Modified)

I have heard of Russian salad, but it has never been top-of-mind. It always sat on the edges of my memory. As my experiments with salads continued, this salad popped up in my mind. What a happy happenstance – it was a delightful recipe. Of course, I modified it using vegetables that I had on…

Mati Mahor Dali (Assamese Style Split Black Gram Curry)

Dals are a feature of “North” India – and most of them taste fabulous! They are rich (though the WFPB versions need not be so) and filling. Other states in India have their own unique dal preparations too. Equally tasty, but not so rich or creamy. I like to experiment with dals from various states….

Vegan Mayonnaise

I have been extremely lazy to try out a WFPB mayonnaise. One of the reasons is that most WFPB recipes for mayonnaise contain cashews. Which results in me consuming more cashews in a day than is the permitted limit of 2 tbsp per day – the restriction that I follow. But one day, being in…

Basic Coleslaw

About three months ago, my doctor told me two important things.1. To make a salad the largest part of my lunch and dinner. In fact, she recommended that it should form about half my meal2. I should chew on my meals. Till then, I used to gobble up my food and any meal was over…

Ulli Theeyal (Shallots In A Tamarind Base)

Kuzhambu is very popular in the South Indian states, especially Thamizhnadu. While the term ‘kuzhambu’ is generic to many dishes that are mixed with rice, the term also means curries in a tamarind base. Kuzhambs are often spicy and thick. It is used sparingly with rice to make a thick mixture. In days of yore,…

Cucumber, Tomato & Peanut Salad In A Sweet And Sour Dressing

My journey with salads continues. I have tried so many, all with great success, that I have forgotten the recipes for most of them. Thank God that I am documenting them in this blog. Needless to say, salads are super healthy and needs to be a part of every meal. I suspect that many Indians…

Lebanese Salad

I have started including a huge salad as part of both, lunch and dinner. The salad forms half of my meal. This, along with a simple smoothie in the morning helps me keep my blood sugar under control. This necessarily means that my salads must be exciting. I am constantly on the lookout for new…

Dondakaya (Ivy Gourd) ‘Fry’

This is a recipe from the South Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telengana. In local parlance, ivy gourd is called dondakaya. This is a vegetable that I like and make a preparation of it once a week. But normally, it is a stir fry with a little coconut. This time, I was in the…

Achari Tori (Sponge Gourd In Pickle Sauce)

Ridge gourd is a vegetable that I buy regularly. It’s cousin, sponge gourd, is not one of my favourites. But I am never sure if this vegetable is called ridge or sponge gourd as various sources use these terms interchangeably. I therefore rarely buy the smooth one (referred to as Tori/Turai in North India). After…

Panchmel Dal (Mixture Of 5 Lentils)

How tastes change! I always liked the plain dals prepared in North India, but only with Indian flat breads. The thought of mixing a dal with rice was abhorrent to me. Not any more. I can now happily have dal-chawal (dal/rice). I have therefore been experimenting with different dals from the northern parts of India….