Veg

Dill Daal Fry /Sabsige Soppu Dal

July 16, 2023 By Asha Shivakumar

The most flavorful vegan Dill Daal Fry aka Sabsige Soppu Daal recipe! This Karnataka recipe is fresh, flavorful and loaded with fresh dill. Perfect with Jollada roti or chapathi.

Eat your Greens, they are good for you.

The cuisine of Karnataka is known to be one of the oldest in the country comprising of flavors, different ingredients & unique techniques.

The food varies from region to region. From coconut based meat dishes of Mangalore, tangy dishes of Uttara Canara . South Karnataka is popular for the variety of rice, known as bhaath. North Karnataka food is much spicier in comparison to the other parts of Karnataka. Udupi rasam is world famous, to Navyath cuisine. Grains such as ragi, rice, jower, urad dal, semolina are some staples. Palm jaggery is also an important ingredient in Karnataka’s cuisine….

Gorkha Chutney (Nepalese Style Chutney)

April 15, 2023 By Asha Shivakumar

This Gorkha Chutney is spicy and delicious. THis is an inspired dish, that is a perfect side with rotis. This Nepalese style dish is called the Gorkha chutney. Vegan and SO GOOD!

I went through a stage couple of decades ago when I researched about various cuisines of India few countries too and wrote about them in my note book(which I still believe I’ll publish one day). I was so intrigued by local food of different countries. I tried speaking to friends from those regions, learnt how to make some authentic food(I tried). I could have a conversation about local cuisine to people and that felt good. Don’t know what happened to that book or that enthusiasm. I can go on and on about the various types of dishes I’ve learnt, but I’ll bore you’ll next time. Today it’s about the beautiful country, Nepal where Momos are a popular delicacy. And this dish I very recently came across. I’ts called the gorkha chutney.

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Leek and Sweet Potato Sabzi

February 25, 2023 By Asha Shivakumar

This Leek and Sweet Potato Sabzi/Poriyal is a delicious combo that is inspired by a South Indian dish. It’s hearty with coconut and peanuts, so good with Rotis or chapathis.

Many of you regular visitors of the blog come for your own reasons: some for recipes, many for the snippets of stories I share. Looks like we haven’t had much of a story telling on this page in a while. Wonder why?

I’ve definitely had a bit of a burnout, but I also wonder who has the time to read stories when reels, shorts and tik tok have taken over social media. I still believe there is an audience for stories and for long form content. What do you think? Sound off below.

An update about life. This and that……..

Plantain Tostada with Apple Chutney

November 8, 2022 By Asha Shivakumar

Quick and Tasty Plantain Tostada with Apple Chutney. Tostadas can be used as tortillas too. It’s gluten free, perfect for people with allergies. It’s fresh and delicious. Top it with beans, chicken, tofu, salsas, SO Good!

It’s just another day… and you’re just doing what you need to do.

You’re getting things done, and the day moves forward in this continuous sequence of checklists, actions, and respites.

But at various moments of your routine, you pause and take a good look at your surroundings.

The scenes of your everyday life. The blur of this all-too-familiar film.

And you can’t help but to wonder…

If there is more to it all.

For some reason — this country, this city, this neighborhood, this particular street — is the place you are living a majority of your life in.

And it is this thought that allows a daydream to seep in….

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?…

Egyptian Koshari Recipe

January 16, 2022 By Asha Shivakumar

Delicious Egyptian Koshari is the national dish of Egypt. This interesting combo of carbs on carbs on carbs with all the fixings is delicious and the most favorite dish we had in Cairo. It’s got spiced lentils, rice, vermicelli, pasta, chickpeas, topped with spicy tomato sauce and fried onions, SO GOOD!

Koshari (also spelled, Kushari) is both the street food and Egypt’s national dish, also known to be at least a thousand years old. This starch fest of a dish is made out of lentils, rice and has a spicy tangy kick. It came about when someone fell in love with the Indian dish, kichadi made with lentils and rice. You can find this at any street corner in Cairo.

“If you go to Cairo and not have Koshari, it’s like going to South India and not having Idli sambar”.

Kushari was originally sold as street food before becoming the crown jewel of brick and mortar shops all over Egypt—in fact, the late Anthony Bourdain, always a champion of quirky culinary gems, once shot an episode in Egypt where he enjoyed kushari from one of the most famous restaurants in Cairo. We were lucky to be dining at a local favorite Abou Tarek, where the Koshari is famous. Sold for pennies, a it’s a hearty vegan meal made with lentil rice, pasta, chickpeas, vinegar tomato sauce, and topped with fried onions. Perhaps unsurprising once you see the ingredient list, three different countries each contributed a piece of the culinary puzzle: India is behind the rice, lentils, and chickpeas; Italians working in the restaurants of Egypt added pasta and tomato sauce and Egyptians themselves topped it all off with those crispy onions and a bright, vinegary sauce to tie it all together. “It’s three different cultures all together in one meal.” Perhaps that’s why I love it so much.

It’s a culture overload along with sensory overload.…

Eggplant chutney/Sutta Kathrikka Chutney

October 22, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

Eggplant Chutney is a popular recipe of Coimbatore. BURSTING with flavor, you’re going to love this versatile and wonderfully delicious chutney.

If you are a regular you know I am a huge fan of authentic regional recipes and this one is from my family in Coimbatore. The food of Coimbatore has a rustic appeal to it. I am married into a wonderful family of great cooks. My mum in law has that magic touch and so does her sister, Vasantha chitthi. As a young bride I was so inquisitive about the food they prepared and wanted to learn everything, well at least as much as I could in the short week I stayed there. They were equally happy to share their secrets with me, and Vasantha chitthi was a darling to guide me. One of the first things I learnt was onion chutney, that was so tasty and so simple. Then they taught me how to make chutneys with vegetables that I shared with my mom and cousins back home. The base being the same. This kongunaadu Sutta kathrikka chutney or eggplant chutney is a recipe that’s passed on from my aunt-in-laws. My recipe repertoire has been enhanced, thanks to them.

As always I love sharing what I’ve learnt and love, so here’s the recipe of the chutney for you.

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Masala Puri Bangalore Style

October 20, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

This Masala Puri is a Bangalore Style Chaat, a street food loved by all. This style of Masala Puri is watery, abundance of flavors, heat from the green chilies and so addictive.

One rainy evening, under a tiny umbrella, my cousin and I cozying up to each other walk carefully making sure not to step on a puddle of dirty water to a place we visit often. A walk through that lane often led to neighbors standing by the gate greeting us, you’d also stumble upon many stories and secrets. Bangalore screams of diverse residents, clusters of original inhabitants and a multi cultural feel and it has a colorful aura to it.

Both Viji and I could Hansel and Gretel through the suburb on a food trail. The smells that street food gives out is intoxicating in ways I can’t explain. We both make our way to the main street where there is a plethora of choices, each one screaming and calling at us. We both had big appetites for anything tasty and street food. We hop on to the first stall that serves up Masala Puri….

Rajasthani Rassewali Moth Curry with Ridgegourd

September 17, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

This Rajasthani Rassewali Moth Curry with Ridgegourd is a tomato-ey spicy homestyle recipe that is inspired by a potato dish from Rajasthan. This Moth Dal recipe makes the perfect plant-based Indian meal! Rich, fragrant, and packed with protein for a meal you can feel good about and it’s authentic tasting.

To make your decisions wisely, you should have a clear mind. For a clear mind, you need to focus on you and take breaks every once in a while.

We all have gone through our struggles in the last many months. The range varies. We have also come/coming out of it stronger and better than ever. For one what the pandemic has taught me is: what I missed and what I didn’t, what’s important and what is not….

Banana Chips or Banana and Parsnip Fries

May 30, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

The best Banana Chips EVER! Make your favorite fries at home with raw banana and parsnips. These are easy to make ahead of time and store for your evening chai or coffee, have it as a side for rice or top on fish, put it on everything basically.

Summer vacations back home was simple, sweet, lots of food(home made), naps and family time. As a working mom, my mother would always take off three months when I started my summer break, until I got married. She was dedicated and never once made me feel lonely(especially since I was the only child) or bored.

While we could buy the snacks from shops, mom always made sure to make fresh murrukku, sweets and chips to snack on. I thoroughly enjoyed my summer breaks. So many good memories, thanks to MOM.

Now, I try to make summer breaks as much as fun for my boys as it was for me. I take a break from work, social media and spend as much time together as possible. One thing I do find myself doing a lot is, grilling and cooking. The boys are always hungry(more hungrier) when they have nothing much to do.

So, I try to make snacks as much as I can at home, and this is one of my favorite treats, Banana Chips, a take on tapioca chips. I make large jars of this and we basically as a family finish it in a week or so. We top it on everything. It’s spicy and crunchy, and OH SO GOOD.

Happy Summer Break, Happy Snacking!!…