Puran Poli | Flatbread with Cardamom Infused Sweet Lentil Filling

The first time I heard of Puran Poli was as a kid visiting a friend's home in Bombay! It was coming up to Holi and we had just popped in after an afternoon of skating. The home was replete with the aroma of ghee and cardamom and there was much bustle in the kitchen. On the dining table were large plates piled high with what looked liked parathas. But these parathas were sweetly fragrant, incredibly soft, and oozing with butter fat!!

Lemon Oats Bhaat | Savoury Lemony Oats

After publishing the Oats Pohe recipe earlier this month, I got many requests from my readers for more Indian Style Oats Recipes. I use Oats in so many recipes that I was surprised to see only two Indian Oats recipes posted to this blog! So here goes another favourite at my home - Lemon Oats Bhaat | Savoury Lemony Oats. In this recipe, I substitute old fashioned oats for rice in the traditional South Indian recipe of Lemon Rice. The result is delicious.

Thattai | Crispy Rice Flour Crackers

The first time I tasted Thattai was at a South Indian grocery store in my city! Crispy, crunchy, and a tongue tickling blend of spices just made it my instant favourite. Every time I head out for groceries I had to buy myself a batch. Back home I'd make a cup of hot tea and we would crunch them until they finished. One day I asked the owner of the store what exactly they were made of and she very kindly gave me the recipe. Since then, I have always made Thattai at home. Not because I did not like the one from the store, but because once you munch one Thattai you cannot stop. I decide that if I really was craving them then I could make them. If not, no unnecessary munching of snacks just because of a visit to the store!!

Lemon Quinoa | Lemony Quinoa Pilaf

South Indian style lemon rice is probably one of my favourite rice dishes. It is a delight both to make and to eat - the fragrant tempering, the hot and sharp tastes, and the beautiful yellow colour are so inviting! Its also so easy to make that it can be ready in a snap. It is also great to make if you have left over rice from a party or get together. Lemon rice is one of the dishes I love to make when we are planning a road trip or a picnic. It travels so well, tastes delicious hot or cold, and you never have to worry about the accompaniments.

Chana Dal Takda | Tempered Bengal Gram Dal and a Round Up of Healthy Me and Healthy Us

Dal is a staple in Indian homes - prepared at least for one meal if not two. As I kid I remember enjoying dal for both lunch and dinner. Moong was our lunchtime favourite and for dinner Arhar or Toor Dal always won hands down. Other dals were always included in the diet and my Mum always alternated between making the wide variety of dals and beans that are available in India. Today I follow this tradition of cooking dal at home. Often I use the pressure cooker as it is perfect to get dals ready in a jiffy. But sometimes I like to soak dals for up to two hours before cooking and then slow cook them in a stock pot on the stove!

Panch Phoren Tarke Wali Chana Dal | Bengal Gram Lentils with Five Spices

The first time I came across Panch Phoren was in university. Invited for dinner at a Bengali friend's home, I enjoyed some delicious vegetables prepared with these spices. Of course, this was not the first time I had tasted this spice mix - but it was undoubtedly the first time my attention was drawn to it as a cook!! After dinner my friend showed me a bottle of this mix - a delightful combination of mustard seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and fenugreek seeds. A bit like a spice combination for a typical pickle from Uttar Pradesh!! No wonder I loved the flavours.

Til Chatni | Sesame Seeds Powder | Chutney Powder

Dry Chutney Powders are a perfect accompaniment to a simple dinner of dal, rice, and vegetable. I learnt about these powders when we moved to Mumbai and I began school there. The variety of dry powders and their delicious hot and spicy taste were a treat to my tongue. I loved to eat them with everything - yes pretty much everything! I included them in sandwiches, inhaled them with batata vadas and sago kichidi, and sprinkled them on dal and yogurt.

Mixed Dal Vada | Mixed Lentil Fritters

I have a soft spot for Dal Vadas | Lentil Fritters. I am always on the lookout for opportunities to make them. They are so good with tea or a glass of lemonade. They make a perfect snack - deliciously crunchy with a soft centre. Dal Vadas are a lunch box favourite and they travel well. Pack a box for your next holiday and enjoy with a glass of sweet milky tea. I promise you will not regret it:)

Katachi Amti | Chana Dal Amti | Spicy Split Bengal Gram Soup

Katachi Amti  is the famous spicy lentil accompaniment for Puran Poli. The combination is a festive treat and this year I had made both for Holi. And as today is the first day of the Navratris, Ugadi, and Gudi Padwa, Katachi Amti with Puran Poli would make the perfect meal. This version of Amti is a little different from those I have made previously. This time I chose to make the masala for the Amti with raw spices. I brought together the Khara | Saabot Masalas | Whole Spices and ground them without dry roasting them first. This lent a very fresh and mellow taste to the Amti. The aroma was also very delicate and went beautifully with the cardamom and sweetness of the Puran Poli.

Masala Tamatar Bhaat | Spicy Tomato Rice

Whenever I want to make tomato rice, I hunt around for the tangy yet sweet pink tomato!! Piled high at green grocers in the big vegetable markets of New Delhi, these tomatoes were firm yet wonderfully juicy. No winter salad would be complete without them. Tomato purees and tomato paste was not widely available in those days and my Mum and Grandma made do with the fresh version for all those wonderful winter recipes.

Dal aur Til Tarka Wali Patta Gobhi | Lentil and Sesame Tempered Cabbage

Things have been so hectic in the last few months we have not had time to catch a breath. With packed schedules, it is easy to be tempted with take-out or making do with some snacking. Both being seriously unhealthy as meal substitutes, I try to do some quick cooking everyday. Usually a vegetable and a lentils is a must with chappati and or rice. We love yogurt/curd and I always keep some handy in the refrigerator. Off late I have begun making the simplest of recipes, which are packed with flavour, but not time consuming in the effort to keep meals healthy.

Chana Dal Sookhi | Punjabi Style Bengal Gram Lentils

Dals or lentils are a staple of the Indian Kitchen. They are prepared in a variety of ways that can often be identified as regional. Dals from the Punjab are often hearty and made with a combination of big flavours!! Chana Dal Sookhi is a fragrant combination of lentils, spices, fenugreek leaves, onions, and garlic.

Sabudana-Chana Dal Kheer | Payasam | Sago-Lentil Milk Pudding

Diwali or the Festival of Lights is celebrated every winter across the Indian Subcontinent. Endless varieties of sweets and special savoury foods are prepared in homes, offered as Prasad or Neivedyam in prayers and then shared with family, friends, and neighbours!! One such sweet is Kheer or Payasam.

Chana Dal Dudhi | Chana Dal Lauki | Bottle Gourd with Bengal Gram Lentils

It is raining cats and dogs again - its as if the rain just does not want to leave our area! I am almost beginning to feel as though I am stuck in the middle of the monsoons here, albeit a monsoon of a rather chilly and windy variety!! Our rather optimistic weatherman assures us everyday that there is some sunshine out there - waiting to pop right out of the clouds - umm... say.... day after tomorrow :)

Phool Gobi Matar ki Sabzi | Gobhi Matar | Cauliflower Peas Stir Fry

Cauliflower or phool gobi is available in abundance at our farmer's co-operative throughout the year. Being such a versatile vegetable, I tend to buy at least 1 head of flower every week and keep it handy in the refrigerator. From gobi parathas to Thai curries to cauliflower cheese, cauliflower adds its own distinct flavour to each and every dish, while absorbing spices and sauces it is cooked in to perfection. Sweet green peas or matar are my personal favourite. I remember my childhood when we would rush off to Sarojini Nagar Sabzi (vegetable) market every saturday morning to buy fresh produce. Both phool gobi and matar would be plenty in during the winter months!! That first peas of the season would be sweet, freshly shelled, and seasoned with nothing more than butter and salt!! And the cauliflower so creamy that it would melt in minutes once seasoned!! Mmmm....

Saibhaji | Dilled Mixed Vegetables and Lentils

I picked up a bunch of Dill on my weekly grocery trip with the intention of making Saibhaji. Pressed for time, I ended up ignoring the refrigerator for most of the week. On Thursday, however, I could not stop myself - the urge to whip up something quick yet delicious was overwhelming. What else, but the simple but very special Saibhaji could satisfy the taste buds!!

Masala Chana Dal Vadas | Spicy Lentil Fritters

This year I decided to make some typical and traditional treats for Diwali. Apart from the sakarparas and namakparas, I thought it might be a good idea to have some nice food from the South for Choti Diwali and something from Delhi for Diwali. So I made tamarind rice, masala vadas, and sambar on the 27th! And while I often make tamarind rice from scratch at home, I usually make my sambar using MTR sambar masala. I always plan to make the sambar masala at home but just never get round to it. So this time I decided I just had to make the masala at home and I did. And I have to confess - the sambar was the best I have ever tasted. Well, enough said about my adventures with masalas and onto the Masala Vadas!! (And of course, you might well ask: what did you make for Diwali? Keep tuned for some delicious Delhi Chaat!!)