CURRY

Everyday Chicken Curry

August 5, 2023 By Asha Shivakumar

This Everyday Chicken Curry is flavorful, from scratch with the spice powder, tastes like you’ve been cooking for hours. It’s got the bold flavors with not much effort. You’ll be surprised.

Every non vegetarian household in India has the special Sunday chicken curry , the everyday chicken curry and the Chicken curry we make for parties. The difference in my opinion is the time it takes to cook the curry and the richness factor. What is common between all is the fresh ingredients used.

Chicken Curry

Whether it be Sunday Spicy Chicken Curry or Weeknight Chicken Curry, what we Indians are proud of is the spices we use are freshly ground for the most part and no shortcuts.

Then you might ask, why is this called the Everyday Chicken Curry? To me an everyday / weeknight chicken curry has to be quick and simple, which is exactly this recipe. It’s simple. What makes it flavorful is the spice powder. I make small batches of the powder and use it anytime I make chicken curry during weeknights….

Dill Daal Fry /Sabsige Soppu Dal

July 16, 2023 By Asha Shivakumar

The most flavorful vegan Dill Daal Fry aka Sabsige Soppu Daal recipe! This Karnataka recipe is fresh, flavorful and loaded with fresh dill. Perfect with Jollada roti or chapathi.

Eat your Greens, they are good for you.

The cuisine of Karnataka is known to be one of the oldest in the country comprising of flavors, different ingredients & unique techniques.

The food varies from region to region. From coconut based meat dishes of Mangalore, tangy dishes of Uttara Canara . South Karnataka is popular for the variety of rice, known as bhaath. North Karnataka food is much spicier in comparison to the other parts of Karnataka. Udupi rasam is world famous, to Navyath cuisine. Grains such as ragi, rice, jower, urad dal, semolina are some staples. Palm jaggery is also an important ingredient in Karnataka’s cuisine….

Gorkha Chutney (Nepalese Style Chutney)

April 15, 2023 By Asha Shivakumar

This Gorkha Chutney is spicy and delicious. THis is an inspired dish, that is a perfect side with rotis. This Nepalese style dish is called the Gorkha chutney. Vegan and SO GOOD!

I went through a stage couple of decades ago when I researched about various cuisines of India few countries too and wrote about them in my note book(which I still believe I’ll publish one day). I was so intrigued by local food of different countries. I tried speaking to friends from those regions, learnt how to make some authentic food(I tried). I could have a conversation about local cuisine to people and that felt good. Don’t know what happened to that book or that enthusiasm. I can go on and on about the various types of dishes I’ve learnt, but I’ll bore you’ll next time. Today it’s about the beautiful country, Nepal where Momos are a popular delicacy. And this dish I very recently came across. I’ts called the gorkha chutney.

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Leek and Sweet Potato Sabzi

February 25, 2023 By Asha Shivakumar

This Leek and Sweet Potato Sabzi/Poriyal is a delicious combo that is inspired by a South Indian dish. It’s hearty with coconut and peanuts, so good with Rotis or chapathis.

Many of you regular visitors of the blog come for your own reasons: some for recipes, many for the snippets of stories I share. Looks like we haven’t had much of a story telling on this page in a while. Wonder why?

I’ve definitely had a bit of a burnout, but I also wonder who has the time to read stories when reels, shorts and tik tok have taken over social media. I still believe there is an audience for stories and for long form content. What do you think? Sound off below.

An update about life. This and that……..

Nawabi Daal Kheema/Chicken Mince with Legumes

November 26, 2022 By Asha Shivakumar

Daal Kheema or chicken mince with legumes is a Nawabi rich dish which combines two unusual ingredients that work so well with each other. It’s delicious, perfect to entertain and will transport you to a Delhi Nawabi kitchen.

For hundreds of years, the Indian city of Lucknow has been famous for its opulent cuisine traditions, which are still practiced by a few chefs. Until the British arrived on the scene, Lucknow and the surrounding area were controlled by Nawabs. Incredibly wealthy, each Nawabi ruler had a team of chefs, who competed to create the most sumptuous meals. Theirs was a luxurious style of cooking — heavy on cream and oil, marinated meat and innumerable spices.

Thankfully a handful of recipes remain and the chefs have left some traditional and well loved recipes. When the Mughal empire crumbled the chefs and cooks were left to fend for themselves, they set up shop in the open market areas of Old Delhi and a love affair was sealed.

The Nawabi food is exotic. It had to be unexpected. Nawabi cuisine were riddle dishes. At one 19th-century feast, cooks used sugar, honey and other sweets to create an entire riddle meal. Desserts masqueraded as entrees like kebabs, curries and even whole fish. Even a simple, everyday dish would use, shall we say, instead of three or four spices, every day, it would change and would include 30 odd spices, condiments with flavoring agents. But what would always be essential there is an aromatic spice, which is dominant. … It is, again, like music.

Now, the Nawabi lifestyle is no more.

Our good friends mom comes from a royal family in Delhi. Their khandani Bawarchi(family chef) would make authentic nawabi food. She is passionate cook and a treasure cove of stories. Whenever she comes to visit her son in US, we are lucky to be invited to her place for dinner. I am very grateful to have eaten the amazing food. Even more thankful to have some recipes that she’s shared with me. This is the simplest of dishes I’ve learnt from her. Although, this recipe is a toned down version, easy ingredients, it does not lack in flavor. While it might not stand up to the chef or my aunt, it is extremely delicious.

Do try it out!! So good!

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Steamed Cashew Chicken Curry and Steamed Yogurt Pudding

June 13, 2022 By Asha Shivakumar

Steamed Cashew Chicken Curry and Steamed Yogurt Pudding. Tender chicken breast in a smooth cashew sauce and steamed yogurt pudding, 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….

Chicken Tagine with Chickpeas and Blueberries

February 8, 2022 By Asha Shivakumar

This Chicken Tagine with Potatoes and Chickpeas right here is the BEST Moroccan Chicken recipe you will find! Succulent , tender chicken stew w/ warm Moroccan spices, cilantro, lemon & dried blueberries. No ordinary chicken dinner, this easy one-pot wonder will surprise your taste buds in the best way possible.

There probably hundred chicken meals in the blog and it keeps on coming. This chicken tagine with vegetables and blueberries is a new favorite. Tagines are definitely flavor-dense but are not necessarily spicy or hot. The use of fruits such as apricots or dates and almonds are common, but blueberries are a unique touch that we love more than any dried fruit. Sometimes honey often adds a slight sweetness to an otherwise savory dish. The word “tagine” also refers to the traditional clay and ceramic pots in which the tagines are prepared. The tagines are perfect for people who like tender and juicy food since it seals in the moisture for even cooking. The best part is that the tagine can be used as the serving pot, so straight out of the stove to the dining table.…

Stuffed Meatballs in White Curry aka Christmas Kofta Curry

December 20, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

Stuffed Meatballs in White Curry aka as Kofta Curry is full bodied and flavorful. Try beef, lamb, chicken or turkey meatballs smothered in this amazingly silky sauce.

As the story of 2021 comes to an end, I see the lessons it brought me.

Surrender: No matter what big plans I make for my life, the plans of the Universe will always trump my own and they will always be better for me.

Daily practice is critical: maintaining my practices in the good times allowed them to show up for me in the tough times. Short and simple habits have been lifesavers.

Resetting myself to neutral through breathwork, reframing the negative narratives by looking for the growth opportunity instead of being stuck in victimhood and blame….

Kollu Obbat Rasam/Saaru

October 27, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

Kollu Obbat Rasam or Udupi Saaru is a traditional dish from Karnataka. The rasam is thicker, spicy with a touch of sweetness. If you love obbat rasam, you might enjoy this one.

Udupi food, the food of Karnataka boasts of many types of saaru or rasam. Saaru is thicker than traditional Chennai style rasam. It’s made with ground up masala and has a notes of sweetness to it.

We were regular visitors to Dharmastala, a temple in Karnataka. Whenever I think of that temple, I remember the food. What is very special about that temple is the free food for all that the temple provided. The most important to note was, it didn’t matter if you were poor or rich, everyone had to go to this one big hall, sit down on the floor, together and eat the meal in a banana leaf. That’s impressive, isn’t it?! To serves thousands of people free food(anna daana), and see no difference in any one, that’s how the world should be.

The food and that concept astounded and impressed me then and it does now….

Masala Puri Bangalore Style

October 20, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

This Masala Puri is a Bangalore Style Chaat, a street food loved by all. This style of Masala Puri is watery, abundance of flavors, heat from the green chilies and so addictive.

One rainy evening, under a tiny umbrella, my cousin and I cozying up to each other walk carefully making sure not to step on a puddle of dirty water to a place we visit often. A walk through that lane often led to neighbors standing by the gate greeting us, you’d also stumble upon many stories and secrets. Bangalore screams of diverse residents, clusters of original inhabitants and a multi cultural feel and it has a colorful aura to it.

Both Viji and I could Hansel and Gretel through the suburb on a food trail. The smells that street food gives out is intoxicating in ways I can’t explain. We both make our way to the main street where there is a plethora of choices, each one screaming and calling at us. We both had big appetites for anything tasty and street food. We hop on to the first stall that serves up Masala Puri….