Spice Blend

Udupi Avvalaki/Aval Upma/Spiced Masala Poha

January 18, 2022 By Asha Shivakumar

Udupi Aval Upma is a tea time snack also eaten during breakfast. It’s spicy, nutty and crunchy. It’s got the flavors of coconut, sesame seeds and spices along with jaggery to sweeten it up.

Last week a group of friends and I were discussing about how important it is to love ourselves, to be content and how to be self aware. It’s not something that comes easily. It requires consistent practice and over time without your knowledge, you are there, you really do love yourself. Just like this dish, it might look easy, but it has a good balance of many ingredients to all come together. It is about balance, about understanding the different aspects to coming to the final destination that you want.

The act of self love is often times misconstrued as being selfish. Coming to think of it, is it really being selfish?

If you got past that last sentence, then you have mustered every ounce of courage to finally teach yourself the essence of self-love.

In a world where we’ve been raised to put others first, self-love can often feel selfish. Setting aside time for self-love causes feelings of guilt, and we struggle to maintain a dedicated self-love practice. It’s frustrating. We know we need self-love, yet we have difficulty giving ourselves permission to experience it. Ironic, isn’t it?…

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….

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….

Spicy Bhadang/Kaara Pori

November 12, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Traditional Maharashtrian spicy Bhadang or Kaara Pori is a quintessential snack with chai and for every occasion. It’s spicy, filled with goodness of peanuts, curry leaves, asafoetida and lot more. Few key steps and you get the perfect Bhadang or Kaara Pori.

It’s no secret that I love celebrations. Celebrations of all kinds.

August arrives, bringing along a long festive season for Indians. We have something every month until January. It’s DIWALI: where Goodness reins over evil.

I’ve always wondered why we celebrate festivals. Festivals are celebrated for many reasons by people. Of course, a huge reason for most is religious beliefs.

For me as an adult who’s seen life’s ups and downs on earth, Diwali means a lot more to me than food, clothes, parties and fun. It means: time to release the old and welcoming the new. Letting go of things, bad feelings, heartaches, judgemental attitude, disagreements, and welcoming peace, love and harmony. Festivals also provide a break from the routine, a festive atmosphere, camaraderie, a time when family gets together, reflections, relaxation. Sometimes, it breaks vicious cycles of negative emotions, stress, and helps bring the positive emotions back. Whatever the reason might be, how big or small the celebration might be, the fact that we take a step back from the routine to celebrate a special day is so important. It also reminds us of our heritage and culture. It’s almost like you press a reset button for whatever you want it to be. This is also the time to GIVE, give back to the society. Many are not fortunate as we are. I am an ardent believer in giving back. Let’s do our part, let’s make this world a better place to live in….

Authentic Garam Masala

October 6, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

The most popular Indian spice blend is the garam masala. This fresh, fragrant, authentic and simple recipe is made from slow roasting the whole spices and grinding them.

Garam Masala is a common Indian spice blend, that’s perfumed and pungent, a combination of warming spices used to season many Indian dishes. Every household in India has a different recipe for this masala spice powder. It varies greatly across India, depending on the region, household and personal preference. And that’s why Garam Masalais so special and nuanced.

Garam masala is darker in color, spicy and not hot, and nothing in comparison to the other blends. A completely different flavor profile.https://youtu.be/v8uESTv1SMw

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