healthy

Urad Daal Halwa/Ulundu Urandai

March 11, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

Urad Dal Halwa or Ulundu Urandai is a sweet treat that’s very healthy, protein rich and a traditional recipe passed on by grandmothers.

My paternal grandmother was anything but traditional and conventional. She wanted all her grandkids to call her “Amma”(mom). She was progressive in many ways. I was 18 when she left us. I wasn’t matured enough to really ask her about her beliefs, her likes. Interestingly though, I didn’t need to interview her to know she was a lady after her own will. She danced to her own tunes.

She was not one to tell me: you need to learn to cook. All her boys were great cooks and helped her around. She most definitely didn’t scare me or her children into living a life like everyone did. She let me believe in me, gave me the strength to think for myself and supported me in ways no one did. She went against all norms. She had a big personality….

Tofu Kimchi Salad and 10 years of blogging

March 6, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

Kimchi Salad. Crispy marinated spicy tofu, crunchy napa cabbage, sweet carrots, fresh cucumbers with peanuts, all tossed in a spicy dressing. A salad you will love and make often. HEALTHY and Tasty!

It has happened so quickly, seemingly days apart. Events, life changing ones. TEN YEARS!! Of blogging and Life. And what a delicious journey it has been!

The growth

We have a new member in our family, our love, Waffles.

My then seventh grader who jump started the blog, is in third year of college.

You’ve read why I call my little boy, ‘baby bear”. From running around a five year old skinny little boy to seeing him get his licence, my readers have seen it all.

Hubby has published a book, writing another one…but, the biggest change in him: he has been living and promoting a sustainable lifestyle.

If gray hair is also known as wisdom highlights, I am wiser for sure. 😉 A cookbook and a blog that turned into a business, not too shabby eh?!

Gained some meaningful relationships.

Went through very dark moments with events that made me broody about mortality and humans and life.

Part of me really feels that the love of food, the love of family and the support from readers has kept me going through these 10 years….

EASY Spicy Fish Fry

February 28, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

This Spicy Fish Fry is flaky and great with paruppu/daal and rice. This effortless South Indian style Fish Fry has few ingredients, marinated and pan fried. Perfect as an appetizer too.

Amma(my paternal grandmother) had the midas touch when it came to seafood: spicy fish fry, fish kozhumbu, shrimp and meat dishes.

It’s mid morning, the chaos of our home has settled down leaving my amma and me taking in the sun rays coming through the balcony. His screams reach us from a kilometer, the fish monger pushing his wooden cart with a huge cane basket filled with ice, to keep the fish fresh comes our way. His visit was a little later than normal. I see the eager look in Amma’s face. He waves at us, shouting in tamil that he has Amma’s favorite fish, Vanjaram(king mackerel). Holding her pallu (corner of her saree/dress), I tag along with her. And her bargaining starts, in the end, both coming halfway and happy. She gets her Vanjaram for fish fry and another for curry….

Hotel Style Vegetable Kurma

February 11, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

This Hotel Style Vegetable Kurma is tasty, authentic and perfect with idli, dosa or appam. It’s made with plenty of veggies, including potatoes and cauliflower that have simmered in a spice-paste.

Some recipes are born out of necessity and this is definitely one of them.

I have a hankering for authentic meals quite often. At times being in US, with below average restaurant food makes me miss the traditional curries that we get in India even more. This mixed vegetable curry comes with dosa or idli in many restaurants and it’s so special, simple and so comforting.

My Vegetable Curry recipe has been in the works for a few months now and while you’ll need bit of fresh produce, the bulk of this recipe relies on pantry staples — spices. Then, with the fresh produce required, most of it is shelf stable for quite a long time — the onions, ginger, garlic, and potatoes….

Ultimate Top 10 Spicy Appetizers – Super bowl Recipes

February 4, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

A roundup of Spicy Super Bowl recipes for one of the biggest sporting events of the year is coming up on Sunday. It’s going to be just us this year, but here are some fabulous Indian inspired appetizers to help you celebrate.

A roundup of Spicy Super Bowl recipes for appetizers worthy of a touchdown. I love spicy appetizers for every party. It works great for game night parties.

All of the Super Bowl food recipes below are ones I’ve made multiple times. These are pretty much the only recipes I make for super bowl parties. Of course this year, it’s going to be just us, but I will be make a couple of these spicy appetizers.

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Marinated Greek style Gigantes

January 12, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

Greek style Gigantes has few ingredients with bold flavors. This easy Greek style Marinated Gigantes is so moreish and makes for a perfect appetizer or a light lunch.

“Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.

Just keep going.

No feeling is final.”

~Rainer Maria ~

I think of happiness as being something that we’re always chasing — the right person, the right job — external things. To me, joy is quieter, more internal, and we often find it in simple moments along the way. Like i read somewhere: the author writes about her mother, who experienced so much disappointment and loneliness in her life, yet finds solace in the little things….

Fatteh – Pita topped with chickepeas,eggplant,potatoes in yogurt sauce

December 16, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

This Fatteh is a delicious combo of flavors made with tahini yogurt sauce, spiced chickpeas, smashed peppery potatoes, paprika eggplant, poms and crispy pita bread!

It’s only normal for me to love this Lebanese Vegetarian Fatteh that feels like Indian chaat, but so different too.

I’ve learnt a few dishes from my neighbor: shish barak and this Lebanese fatteh, my top favorites. A generous lady with five kids, always made it a point to share special dishes, and this was one that I gobbled up. The holidays makes me miss her more, it was lively with kids playing in the yard, the screams, lights and action. After they moved, I kept in touch with them for few years, then life happened. Her food and warm personality will always be close to my heart….

Easy Homemade Crackers and Sweetest (&Savory) Holiday Gift Basket idea

December 2, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Crispy, quick and easy homemade crackers under 20 minutes! It is as easy as that. This whole wheat healthy cracker recipe, made with pepper, 3 ingredients comes together in few minutes. Perfect on a cheese board or for gifts. Thanks to Sante for sponsoring this post. Crafted in small batches, Santé‘s lightly-candied pecans are distinctively crunchy for the perfect, plant-based snack.

I don’t think I’m alone in falling back on cliché to express what has, for the most part, felt inexpressible. The unprecedented. The thing to do, I guess, is parse what I really mean when I fall back on the clichés that have come to define this very strange time.

What’s not strange is the love of home made food that has grown hundred fold. People have started making sourdough, yogurt, spiced crackers and more.

These spiced easy crackers have been made quite a lot of times at home. They are healthy and you can make it your own by adding any flavorings. What I love during the holidays is to make a cheese board gift box or basket with crackers, Santé Candied Pecans, and cheese.…

pumpkin roti

October 27, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Pumpkin roti. Three ingredients, few important steps, and you have the easiest and softest roti there is. This pumpkin roti stays soft for two days if wrapped well and you can skip the pumpkin and make the most perfect delicious plain rotis/ Phulkas.

My love for pumpkin just gets stronger by every passing year. I have a plethora of PUMPKIN recipes on my blog and I can’t believe I didn’t share this one, it’s something I’ve been making for years.

The minute I posted my quick gluten free roti recipe, I started getting requests for the wheat fail-proof phulka or roti. For some reason it has taken this long to share. Every time I share rotis or phulkas on instagram, I have had a sea of requests for a foolproof roti recipe that stays soft for a long time. It’s the season, and why not pumpkin roti?…

Banana Blossom Poriyal – Vazhaipoo Poriyal

October 22, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Vazhaipoo Poriyal/Banana Blossom Sabzi or Banana Flower Stir fry is a very tasty side that goes perfect with a simple dal rice or perfect with chapathis. Made with potatoes and coconut, this is a vegetable which is very special and extremely healthy.

Vaazhai poo or Banana blossom/flower is widely used in Asian cooking. Known for it’s health benefits, this is also extremely tasty and rarely found in the markets.

Cleaning the banana blossom is quite a tedious task. It involves removing the outer purplish layer(bracts or petals), peeling the florets and meticulously removing the stigma and the plastic cover(perianth). It is so worth it!!

I learnt how to clean and cook this Vazhaipoo or Banana flower from my mom in law and her sister. They make it often and they have patience to clean a bunch of them. Late afternoons, they sit on the large dining table, oiling their hands and ready to take on the task of cleaning four to five banana flowers. They make amazing Vazhaipoo Vada, a fritter made out of the banana flower, which is so tasty. But, I love this poriyal that they make….