Spicy

Goan Style Hasselback Potatoes with Balchao Masala & Coconut Milk

November 11, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This Goan style Hasselback Potatoes Casserole is a twist on traditional fanned baked potatoes. The potatoes are baked in a spicy coconut milk sauce, creamy in the middle with irresistible crisp edges. An easy, impressive potato side dish recipe to make for a crowd!

Thanksgiving is two weeks away!!

A few days ago, as I was talking to the boys, I asked them what they were thankful for. The list went on. What struck me most is when they said that we treated them as equals. That made them feel special: when they could eat with the adults, sit at the same table, and participate in the same conversations and rituals.

Such a simple act of inclusion, a seat at the table. “An act of affirmation, really… You, yes you, young one, have a unique and important way of looking at the world. There is so much to be grateful for during the holidays, but a seat at the table has been a gift I have always been acutely aware of, and very much thankful for,” he said….

Indian inspired Spicy Carrot Soup with Walnut Crumble & Monday Musings

October 7, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This is super healthy soup that gives you all the fresh, warm fall flavors. The spicy carrot soup is easy on the ingredients and boast big flavors. Loaded with ginger and garlic, lime juice for punch, with some sesame seeds. It is tangy, nutty, very creamy and intensely flavored, Made with few ingredients and 30 minutes, this is an incredible easy and delicious meal any time of the year.

The endless cascade of nutritional information—about localism, vegetarianism, veganism, organic food, the environmental impact of eating meat, poultry, or fish, and more—makes the simple goal of a healthy, sustainable diet seem hopelessly complex.

Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.” That’s what the French lawyer Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, who happened to have a deep love of gastronomy, wrote in 1825. A century later, a diet-hawking American nutritionist named Victor Lindlahr rendered it as: “You are what you eat.” I propose revising it further: Tell me what you eat and I will tell you how you impact the planet.

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Spicy Tandoori Potatoes/Aloo

October 2, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

These crispy spicy and delicious tandoori potatoes makes for a great starter for the vegetarians or it’s a great side with naan and some sour cream-yogurt dip.

If you’ve never tried tandoori potatoes before, then you’ve got to try them! It’s a guarantee they’ll be making a regular appearance at house. Especially THESE, they are spicy and full of flavor. Smash them them and you have great smashed tandoori potatoes….

Shortcut Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

September 18, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This flavorful shortcut chicken tortilla soup is loaded with beans, corn, tomatoes, and chicken, and it comes together in under thirty minutes. To serve, garnish with your favorite tortilla chips or toasted corn tortillas cut into strips, along with avocado, cilantro, cheese, and onions.

A year ago when my teen expressed that he wants to pursue his studies in New York , it was bittersweet. I made up my mind that I’ll be giving him a small diary filled with 15-30 minute easy recipes. After a quick survey on Instagram, I had so many requests for easy healthy recipes, weeknight dinners, and bachelor recipes… Voila, it’s better to also blog those recipes, right?!…

Quick and Easy Miso Ramen with Spicy Tofu Scramble

September 5, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

Calling all ramen lovers! You will have to give this quick, delicious, homemade, easy miso ramen recipe a try! This ramen can be made fully vegan and topped with eggs, corn, bok choy, and amazing ramen noodles. This will satisfy your ramen craving in a mere thirty minutes.

Happy September!! We are into soup weather, cozy sweaters, and festivities.

I had to dive into my favorite season EVER with this beautiful and ambrosial ramen, which I love just as much.

I had ramen for the first time many years ago and wasn’t impressed. Three years ago, however, when I had it in Totto Ramen, I was converted. We enjoyed it so much that we had it a couple of times during that trip alone, which is quite uncommon for us. After we got back, I was determined to find a good ramen in San Francisco. Although I’ve found a few good places, it has never hit a spot like Totto. Then, it was time to try it at home. After making ramen many times, I still felt like something was missing. I was determined, however, so I kept on. So here it is, almost a year into trial and error, the easiest miso ramen which is the closest that I’ve come to New York ramen. SO GOOD!!…

South Indian Spicy Tomato Chicken Curry/Koduvai Chicken Varuval

August 4, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This family-style Indian chicken curry is loaded with heat and spices, and it’s authentic as it gets. The chili oil, the fresh spices, and the technique makes this is a very uniquely flavorful chicken curry. This South Indian Style Spicy Tomato Chicken, aka Koduvai Chicken Varuval, is a must make.

If there’s one thing my hubby often craves, it’s puri (boori) chicken. He is from Tiruppur, and his mom’s family lived in a small place called Koduvai. Till date, when he visits Coimbatore (where his parents live now), he makes sure to visit his mom’s old town. I see a sense of pleasure as he describes the village. Old roads, thatched roofs, verandas, kolam (a design drawn out of rice) in front of every home. He visited his grandmum’s home where he went on vacations, got pampered by his aunts, fed endlessly by his grandmum and rode the cow to his heart’s content. He’s the favorite grandson and nephew to all, I can see why….

Sweet and spicy Curried Mango chicken salad

July 10, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This is fun and tasty spin on chicken salad. This spicy curried mango chicken salad has diced grilled chicken, cashews and a creamy curry sauce. It’s addictive and makes for a nice wrap or like lettuce wraps. Perfect for Picnics or light lunch.

Summer comes and mangoes are everywhere. Although we don’t get that many varieties sweet ones,as we get in India, we are lucky to get some sweet ones here.

When mango arrives, everyone’s enjoying them to the core. Smoothies, Popsicles, kulfi, ice-cream, salads, sauces, you name it, people make it. I am not the biggest fan of mango as is, I know I know, weird, but true. In salad form, I could eat the whole bowl….

Spicy Yogurt Chicken with Cucumber Mint Chutney

June 28, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This Simple Grilled Spicy Yogurt Chicken Recipe has a few ingredients in the marinade that makes it juicy, flavorful and absolutely delicious. It’s the best grilled chicken I’ve made. You’ll make this recipe again and again!

And just like that summer is here. Summers in Cali can be really harsh, but the evenings are like a dream.

People who are not from here love to talk about Mark Twain’s quote that goes “the coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco.” As September and October roll around, while they get trapped in their homes due to polar vortexes and hurricanes we’re sitting in cotton shorts and T-shirts, hiking and going to the city in a thin sweater. And that right there, that pretty much sums up why Indian summers* in SF are better than all other summers….

Beetroot Vegetable Biryani

June 6, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This easy and delicious beetroot vegetable biryani is my go-to on days when I feel like having a healthy biryani. A one-pot meal of rice, vegetables, and aromatic spices, it’s rich in flavor and elaborate enough to take center stage at parties or just for the family. Each bite is suffused with spice, veggies, or caramelized onions—deep and layered in flavor.

Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive. – Barry Lopez.

When I decided to start my blog many years ago, my goal was to share food, the love of food, and the love of the stories behind the food. One of the very first blogs I followed and enjoyed reading was INDIAN SIMMER. Prerna’s penchant for Indian food is strong, and her stories were beautifully articulated. Her chicken curry post has to be my favorite, I’ve read it a few times and every time I read it, a string tugs at my heart. And it was no surprise when she won the SAVEUR blog award….

20 Minute Tomato Garlic Peppery Shrimp with Lemon Pilaf

May 27, 2018 By Asha Shivakumar

This juicy, tangy, spicy, and sweet 20 minute tomato garlic peppery shrimp is so easy and delicious. It’s perfect for entertaining, or for a weeknight meal.

Here’s how parties I threw looked like years ago. Plan. Plan for it for weeks. Write a list down, and shop. Make two to three desserts a day ahead, and have an array of dishes. Then came dressing up the room, flowers, and making sure everything is flawless. The morning of: you see your husband put his feet up on the coffee table to relax. You look at him, like “really, please can you help around..?” I turn on the music and start cooking, and start getting excited for the evening. I was on constant edge if I saw the kids mess the countertop, or left their shoes on my polished floors. Two hours before everyone arrives, the home looks like a model home, no smell of cooked meals, everything is neatly stored, flowers are smiling brightly. I light up my candles, put in some drops of orange essential oil in my aromatherapy diffuser, and sit down with a glass of wine, happily….