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Beetroot Veggie Kofta Korma – Pita Wraps

May 31, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

Healthy and a delicious spin on the traditional kofta korma. This beetroot kofta korma is a south Indian style korma with tons of veggies and goes perfectly stuffed in Pita, or with rice or roti.

Spring is the perfect season to practice the art of noticing all the beauty and wisdom the world has to offer us. The winds are shifting, the flowers are blooming, and the markets are bursting with fresh and invigorating vegetables that help keep a lightness about our days. The delicate bounties in our CSA box inspired a spring dish, a little twist from the traditional. Cooking with nature’s color is one of the most pleasant and so fulfilling. There’s a connection between the ingredients, the process, and the finished meal that completely transcends the traditional kitchen….

Spicy Amaranth Chicken Curry/ Thotakura Chicken

March 27, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

Amaranth Chicken Curry is popular throughout the state of Andra Pradesh. Their cuisine is known for their spicy food and hearty distinctive taste. Amaranth leaves come in shades of red, purple and simple green. They are easily available in Asian grocers and widely popular in Indian cooking. They are robust in flavor eaten raw, but when cooked they turn mellow and add an extra layer of flavor to any dish.

Midweek rush.

Have you packed your bags? Print everything you want for school now, nothing in the morning. I’ll wake you up at 6. am., if you want to finish your homework.

After making sure things are a bit organized, I send the little one off to bed, kissing him on his cheek and squeezing his chin. I come down to finish the chores, prep for tomorrow’s lunch, and stare at the dishes for a while before tackling them. Once I find myself standing in a clean kitchen, I am pleased with myself. I put on a kettle, pour some boiling water in my mug and sit down with my green tea on the sofa, taking a deep breath. My phone is in my hand.…

Shrimp Curry with Potatoes and Peas – 30 Minute Curry

March 28, 2016 By Asha Shivakumar

Low and slow, is the mantra for a good Curry.

Curry comes in a variety of colors. Cooking is an art, curries are the colors.

Indian Curries are pretty time consuming, especially with the ones that involve meat. The pan or pot that a curry is made in also adds to its complexity. Everything must be slow cooked and sauteed without burning, and the meat almost always is cooked for long periods of time left unattended. For example, a good fish curry would always take a while to make. If it sat overnight before serving, the dish became exquisite the next day. A lamb/goat meat dish prep would start a few hours before lunch time and it was almost on Sundays. Cookers or slow cookers were never used. It cooked long hours leading to a ‘fall of the bone’ tender, flavorful and juicy meat. All these different curries really required a lot of time and love, but were so worth the wait.

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Best Authentic Vegetarian Vegetarian Khow Suey – Lightly Spiced Coconut Milk Curry with Noodles and Condiments

October 6, 2015 By Asha Shivakumar

It’s October, it’s Autumn. To me, it’s the start of a lot of baking, cooking, festivities and entertaining. I hope everyone’s as excited for Fall, Pumpkins, Warm Spices, and Soups.

All of that can get overwhelming at times.

But, sometimes, even too much of a good thing is really good, like this soup!

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2 Vegetarian Healthy Weeknight Curries

April 16, 2015 By Asha Shivakumar

Growing up, I always saw Mom making these dishes during weekdays. It was served with rotis/tortillas all the time. There wasn’t a particular pattern, but I knew what was coming some of the days. The very interesting thing was, they tasted the same every time she made them. Now, it makes me wonder how she did it. No recipe, just add this and add that. Our lunches were full course meals, most of the time. Weekday dinners were usually a simple roti with a vegetarian side.

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3 Bean Carrot-Spinach Soup (Spicy Indian Style)

January 22, 2015 By Asha Shivakumar

While in many places it’s snowing and freezing, late winter brings bright sunny weather in Northern California. I had to remind myself that it is winter as I drove around in 65 degree weather today. The excitement of winter is only when we drive up for a few hours to see the snow. After a few rash rains, the doldrums of January bring foggy mornings and warm yet cozy afternoons. The sun stays awake for as long as it can, as the fog gives us the perfect picturesque view on early morning walks. Living in the Bay Area sure has its beautiful moments….

ACHARI CHICKEN – Chicken Curry simmered in pickling spices

November 7, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

And the Celebration continues….
It is a special week.

A simple man with simple needs. He loves gadgets, teaches the boys ‘Raspberry Pi'(I thought that was such a funny name for a computer). He smiles when I get mad at him. I don’t remember him getting mad with either of us, the boys or me. He is so good at surprises.

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OPA SQUASH DUMPLINGS IN SPICY CURRY-Kofta Curry

October 10, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

When things are in a rush, every body’s got lots to do and you feel the need for extra couple of hours in a day….then comes the spicy yummy meal craving. That’s when one pot meals come in handy.

Don’t you love one pot meals?
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PANEER TIKKA with YOGURT MINT SAUCE

September 20, 2013 By Asha Shivakumar

I happen to love paneer (non melting, unaged, farmer’s cheese).

Growing up, I don’t remember mom cooking much paneer (cheese). It was something that we ate at restaurants.

As a South Indian our diet mostly consisted of rice, lentils, vegetables, and chicken. Paneer/cheese was considered ‘North Indian food’. So when we wanted to eat, we would go out to a restaurant for a treat, and what a nice treat it was.

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