Baking

Figs and Nuts Gujjia/Sweet Samosa – Sugar free

October 16, 2022 By Asha Shivakumar

Gujjia, aka sweet samosa is such a delicious treat that’s crispy on the outside stuffed with sweet yummy filling. This is a sugar free fig and nuts gujia that is so addictive.

Sweet Samosa is what we call this at home. For as long as I was India, the only version I knew had dried coconut, sooji and nuts. The other with khoya dipped in sugar syrup. Once I ventured into a whole new world, learnt new recipes, I realized there’s so many more delicious fillings that work great for Gujia. Gujjia is a must make dish for Diwali at home. Mom made hundreds a week before Diwali and stored in large steel containers. They were addictive and you could never be satisfied with one.

Although I love the traditional kind my mom makes, I enjoy making a lighter version. There’s nothing healthy or light about deep fried crispy goodness, but hey, If you prefer, air fry it. I’ve done that and it works great too.

Today I share one of my new favorite ways to make gujiya. Filled with cashews and sugar free figs, I think you will love this fig gujiya. The stuffing is made out of cashews and almonds, ground together with figs. It makes for a delicious stuffing that is healthy and no sugar added since the figs add the texture and sweetness….

Dumroot/Ash Gourd Halwa/lWinter Melon Halwa

October 15, 2022 By Asha Shivakumar

Dumroot or Dumroot Halwa is a classic, rich, delicious halwa which is unique to the state of Karnataka, particularly Udupi cuisine.

Summer comes, mom and I enter the days of chats, chaat and Bhagatram sweets. Particularly gulab jamun and dumroot, a recipe that’s a pride and joy of Karnataka, Udupi cuisine. Walking down Commercial street decades ago was way different to what it is now. No glitz and glamor, it didn’t have parking, so it was meant only for people to stroll, shop and eat. To the left was the clothing stores that never caught our attention. We mainly came to eat a gulab jamun each and the famous Dumroot. We are a family obsessively in love with DUMROOT. My dad, cousins and now my hubby and boys….

Steamed artichoke with yogurt mayo dip & Garlic Sweet and spicy Chicken Stuffed buns

August 7, 2022 By Asha Shivakumar

Steamed artichoke with yogurt mayo dip & Garlic Sweet and spicy Chicken Stuffed buns. Tender artichoke with a creamy light dip fish and Garlic Sweet and spicy Chicken Stuffed buns, a delicious meal in one all in the BUYDEEM steamer. Thanks to buydeem for sponsoring this post.

Of all the conventional cooking methods, steaming is one of the most natural and healthful ways to cook the food you eat; it’s a simple technique that allows you to experience the unique flavors of the food itself. Let’s explore why this timeless moist-heat cooking method is worth using in today’s modern diet.

Steaming leaves the food with bright flavors and textures of the food intact. Unlike boiling and simmering, steaming doesn’t agitate food, so it’s a perfectly gentle way to cook delicate items like meats, seafood and shellfish. And perhaps best of all, steaming keeps all those valuable nutrients inside the food, instead of in the cooking liquid….

Mediterranean Fish with Olives

January 8, 2022 By Asha Shivakumar

This Baked Mediterranean fish with olives and capers is one of our absolute favorite baked white fish recipe. It’s cooked in a delicious tomato based sauce until tender and flaky. It’s a 30 minute dinner recipe you don’t want to miss! Serve with rice or a chunky sourdough bread to mop up the salty goodness.

On our recent trip, we were invited to have lunch at our family friend’s place in Cairo. The lady of the house was from Ronda, a small town in Spain and the husband is from Cairo. We got to taste a couple of Mediterranean dishes and traditional Egyptian dishes. How incredibly lucky are we?! The family was so kind to make vegetarian options for me and meat/fish dishes for the rest. Their hospitality was unmatched.

If there’s one thing I never miss during my travels, is, eating at local homes and this family being a family friend of ours worked out perfect. In a bit of delicious irony, the two of us ladies struck up a conversation when she was flavoring the fish. We quickly discovered a shared interest in cooking, world cuisine, and travel, and she graciously slowed down the process and shared exactly how to make her mom’s world famous baked fish. We swapped stories about how hard it was to find culturally authentic dining experiences when abroad.. She was enthusiastic about Indian food. All this with her husband being the mediator/translator. I did not feel sorry for him 🙂 . We got along fabulously.

“Sharing a meal is the best way for
people to get to know one another.
This is how we realize how similar we
are, despite being from different parts
of the world, different cultures.”…

Blueberry Walnut Poppy Seed Cake

September 29, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

This blueberry walnut poppy seed cake is laced with fresh blueberries, filled to the brim with nutty, crackly poppy seeds, and drizzled with a delicious caramel glaze. It’s the perfect “company cake.” This Blueberry Poppy Seed Cake is a must make.

If you’re looking for a fruity cake that’s perfect to take to parties or just a pick me up, this is for you, Blueberry Poppy Seed Cake or as I call it the Best Sour Cream Cake.

I make this cake to take to friend’s, for picnics, it travels well and the perfect snack time cake. We enjoy dense fruity poppy seed cake –from when I made this recipe decades ago-so I can definitely tell you that this is a recipe that stands the test of time….

Easy Strawberry Almond Cake

May 2, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

Simple from scratch delicious one bowl Strawberry Almond Cake with Cream cheese frosting. Tastes like a bakery cake and it’s studded with strawberries in the cake. The cake flowers are a perfect touch to celebrate every mom.

“Motherhood is an ultimately complex journey―breathtakingly beautiful and achingly difficult in a single moment.

Mom’s are judged all the time, I am guilty of that too. We are but, just human. We can be hammered into thinking we are just not doing enough: working moms don’t spend enough time with kids, we don’t like to cook, we are not feeding our kids well. You’ve gained weight after the baby, you look so tired, dammit, we’ve given birth to an 8 pound baby!!! The list goes on, the things we are judged for. Most talk about skills, but what about compassion and psychological development?

In the quest for perfectionism, some of us lose sight sometimes. Learning from those experiences helped me let go of my need for perfection so that I could be a happy, healthy mom to my boys. It’s so easy to let the need for perfection take control of your actions and forget to live in the present. Life with children is messy, literally and figuratively. Embracing the imperfection will help you enjoy your time together. You are enough for your kids, and your imperfections are what make you perfect to them!…

Jeera Hing Aloo Mattar Fry- Cumin spiced Potato and Peas

April 1, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

This Cumin spiced Potato and Peas is a take on potato roast from Southern part of India~ this is a spring version and packs a punch. It uses the tiniest new potatoes you can find, and fresh garden peas. A perfect spring salad or serve with rotis.

Perfecting Indian food is truly an Art.

Indian cuisine has an overwhelming array of spices. The country’s fiery curries, complex rubs, and addictive street foods owe their flavor to a long list of spices from all over the world. These are combined, blended, fried, and toasted in millions of kitchens all over the country. The spices are not just for a layering effect of flavors, but also for their nutritional/medicinal values which are rooted in Ayurveda.

Having said that, Indian recipes also doesn’t have to be complex with a gazillion ingredients and steps. Sometimes all you need is couple of spices to make a dish, and you can taste India through that dish….

Spicy Baked Dry Samosa

March 22, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

Baked dry samosa is such a delicious treat with a cup of coffee. Make them like these pretty flowers or like a traditional samosa, it’s delicious every way. Happy Spring!

Happy Spring!

To me festivals are a time to step away from the mundane life, to join your loved ones to celebrate, to look at the bright side of life filled with positivity. Friends, family and Fun. And of course food.

This year like last is no different, still being careful and distancing. But, there’ll be food baskets delivered:-). It’s been an entire year since all of our lives changed forever and through these times staying positive has been something we all have struggling with. Festivals have a new outlook: to me it’s always been about the deeper meaning, now more than ever. Yes, it connects us to our roots, culture and values, but also sharing the joy with the less fortunate is important too. Enjoying, relishing in the beauty, gloriousness of the moment that we are in and being thankful….

Tiramisu French Toast

January 29, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

This Tiramisu French toast is a twist to the classic treat. It’s so delicious and unbelievably easy. This Tiramisu French toast recipe is made with coffee, cocoa and liqueur soaked brioche, buttery and topped with creamy mascarpone , and cocoa powder dusted on top.

I’m a morning person. I drink my coffee, I love my sunrise runs, but, I don’t care for breakfast. And you are a morning person? you ask;-). Yup. I’m that annoying person who is stupidly cheerful first thing. I love the early morning light and the birds chirping and dewy grass and a cuppa coffee.

I wasn’t a no-breakfast person growing up. Mom had the most delicious south Indian breakfast ready for me by 8.00 a.m and I didn’t have to move a finger. It was downright comfort home cooking. Weekends were different though. Dad took out his apron and the only vintage beater we had. The one with two whips, a handle to turn the whip.. remember?…. Good quality bread was key. A classic french toast, one of my dad’s specialties. It was simple: eggs, milk, sugar and cardamom. “Whip till it froths, dip the bread for no more than ten seconds on each side”, he said. Ghee laden, crispy and the best french toast. I enjoyed it! Those mornings felt very hoity-toity, with forks and all, nothing like my usual….

Artichoke Spinach Dip

December 29, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Cheesy, rich and hot Artichoke Spinach Dip is delicious and addictive. An informal appetizer served with toasted bread, crackers and crudite.

It’s classic. It’s comforting. And it is a party favorite.

I can’t believe I haven’t shared a dip recipe on the blog as yet, although I do have a few spreads, but a warm cheesy dip that I make often, just makes an appearance on the blog.

Entertaining to me has always been about fuss free, few dishes(not overwhelming your guests) and of course something for everyone. Although, there won’t be any entertaining this year or in the near future, there’s always just the two of you, your kids or just you.

This is what I call a quick appetizer cum meal to maximize your valuable family time. …