Indian

black eyed peas and eggplant curry

January 1, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

Black eyed peas curry with eggplant and spinach rotis, a healthy and tasty way to begin the New Year. Healthy, nutritious and extremely tasty. Happy 2018!!!

Happy New Year! Wishing you a Very Happy 2018! Hope you all have an enriched and fulfilling year ahead.

Black eyed peas is supposed to be a lucky dish to have on New Year’s. It’s a Southern tradition, and you can read the reasons behind it HERE. For us, we just love black eyed peas, and that’s reason enough to share and enjoy this dish.

And here we are, in 2018. A new year. Beginning of a New chapter.

Whatever it maybe,

Find What ignites worlds within you

Let your work, everything you create,

Be a direct extention of your heart space,

Now, more than ever,

The world needs more of our light

Go find what sparks it

And people that wholeheartedly believe in it,

And use to go out + change something.

Danielle Doby…

Spicy Chicken Fry – Andhra style

December 7, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

I’ve always found this Andhra style hot & spicy chicken fry to be very flavorful, and a cozy dish for winters. Known for its sizzling items, full of flavor, Andhra cuisine is like none other. It’s so good.

Some of the hottest and spiciest food from South India, they say, is from Andhra Pradesh. I personally haven’t had any spicy food that I can’t handle, but for most, this would be pretty spicy, but not quite unbearable. Chicken Fry is a staple in many homes, and everyone has their favorites. Mine has to be my mom’s style pepper chicken, which is my little one’s favorite too. This Spicy Chicken fry is inspired by the cuisine of Andhra, and quickly, our pepper chicken had some competition.

HOW TO GET YOUR KID TO ENJOY FOOD

Eating food has to be a lovely enjoyable experience, not a dreaded one….

Twice Baked Potato with Pepper Jack-Cauliflower-Peas Stuffing (Indian style)

November 14, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

A perfect snack, side or a light lunch. These twice baked potatoes are stuffed with a spicy cauliflower peas stir fry that’s mixed in with pepper jack and wild rice. It makes for an amazing Thanksgiving side, as well as a light, delicious lunch.

It’s okay to be an Idealist, I guess!!

Maybe you’ve been called a dreamer your whole life—by others and by yourself. Are you the person spending half your time envisioning what you’d love and want to do or be?

I see some of you nod in agreement. I also see my parents shake their head side to side and saying, “That’s not reality, step down my dear…”

Trying to bridge the two worlds, the practical and the reality, is a dreamer’s challenge….

Masala and Meatballs – Pre-order Time!!!

November 2, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

It’s finally ready!! We are so excited. Masala and Meatballs is ready for pre-order! The book releases January 2018!

HOW I FEEL AND WHAT THE BOOK IS TO ME

It’s time to celebrate. I finally feel the excitement!!

This book is my baby. It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for years. It’s my dream, that has been brewing in my mind, even before I knew how to make a cup of coffee. I don’t know which leg to stand on. It’s all too exciting, and a bit daunting. Soon, my little book will take on its own journey, across book stores and around the world. It’s been a very exciting, and wild, journey. I’ve learnt so much in the process, which has been very empowering for me.

“There are moments which mark your life. Moments when you realize nothing will ever be the same and time is divided into two parts, before this, and after this…” – Fallen (1998)…

Chicken Chickpea Cashew Curry

October 29, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

This creamy chicken chickpea cashew curry is a warm, easy dish that goes great with a bowl of hot piping steamed rice or with some flat bread.

The feeling of moving to a new country and adapting to it’s culture, the food, their uniqueness is strange and an interesting thing. It can be quite a lonely feeling in a room filled with people, it’s quite bittersweet at times too. You try to adapt, but you speak their language, it sounds different. You still inherit all the sounds, rhythm and feeling of the your own language, the pain and beauty of the language, too. Then you stop trying. Years later, find that you naturally have adapted. You search for your identity in the midst of all this diversity. You try to hold on to your roots like a baby that holds on her mom….

Thandai-Rose Kulfi with Coconut Milk (Sugar Free and Dairy Free)

October 15, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

Thandai-Rose Kulfi with Coconut Milk : A twist to the traditional kulfi with spices, layered and made with coconut milk.

I read somewhere that discovery is a process, not a goal.

October crept in quite quickly, bringing in a swarm of festivities. It’s one of our biggest festivals, the festival of lights, DIWALI.

This gentle breeze and the changing colors have me smiling. My favorite season has finally officially arrived this week! The fireplace is on, the candles are lit, and there are tiny lights all around the nooks at home. It’s been a glorious week of cooking, shopping, cleaning, to get our home and hearts ready for the weekend’s celebration….

Brown Butter Caramalized Banana Semolina Mini Cake with aka Sheera Cake

September 30, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

These mini brown butter banana semolina cakes are perfect for entertaining and for festivals. They taste like a popular Indian dessert called Sheera, but in cake form!

India can easily be called the “Land of Festivals.”

This whole month has been very religious for many. I always love sharing the festival food on social media. For me, it’s always such a wonderful time to spread love and food.

This festival, Ayudha/Saraswathi Pooja, is one which is particularly celebrated in Southern India. Ayudh means instruments, so this festival is all about giving due respect to the things that we use everyday. Cars, homes, etc. are cleaned in detail. Respecting the ordinary things which we would take for granted otherwise….

Cucumber Chutney/ Southekkai Chutney Mangalore style

September 18, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

This is a healthy and flavorful chutney from the region of Mangalore, Karnataka. This cucumber/southekkai chutney is tasty mixed with rice, with chapathi or dosa.

That night, after a long work day, Mom comes home tired and sits down for a cup of coffee. After a quick little chat, she goes to make dinner, which is ready in less than thirty minutes. She made this chutney and chapathis. We all sit down on our mats to eat our dinner while Doordarshan (the TV program) is running in the background. Mom and I look at each other, and she gives me a sneaky look. “It’s just coconut chutney with lots of coriander,” she says even without me asking anything….

Quinoa-Legumes Dosa aka Quinoa Masala Adai (Gluten Free/Vegan)

September 11, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

Soft and flavorful, healthy and nutritious. This quinoa dosa, aka adai with vegetables, is a quick and nutritious meal. For breakfast, brunch, or lunch, it is so good.

As the golden sun is setting, I hear a door bell. The mail guy just delivered a package, and I exactly know what’s in it….

Ever since I announced the book, I’ve got overwhelming support from all of you. It has been amazing, and I thank all of you.

…

Pineapple-Black-Chickpea Spinach Yogurt Curry aka Pineapple-Kadala Pulicherry/Morkozhumbu

September 5, 2017 By Asha Shivakumar

Fruit based curries/chutney are very popular in the Southern part of India. In particular, this pineapple black chickpea spinach yogurt curry/morkozhumbu is a very authentic dish of Kerala. It’s so good with some rice.

It’s no secret that I am in love with the cuisine of Kerala. It does rank high on my loves for various cuisines.

Kerala is a beautiful coastal place surrounded natural beauty. It’s a lush green emerald land, with the tall coconut trees, the flowing backwaters, the food, the tea estates, spices… everything deserves praise. It’s called “God’s own country” for a reason. What otherwise might seem like a smug statement is not at all inaccurate for the humble place and people; in fact, it is sincere and as precise as can be….