Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes | Eggless Recipe

With the arrival of summer and the long break ahead, weekdays and weekends tend to merge together! With the holiday mood it is imperative to try something new but also keep things easy and light. A favorite for these long days is the Pancake. There is so much you can do with this simple batter - add fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, jams, syrups, chocolate, and much much more. Today's recipe is simple, delicious and filling. It's also so easy to make that you can have your kids join you in the kitchen! Once they can handle the hot pan and a spatula, they'll be making these pancakes for you every weekend!!

Dundee Cake | Eggless Baking

A traditional Dundee Cake comes from the Scottish kitchens and is packed with a variety of dried fruit and wears a crown of almonds. It is a dense, delicious cake, with a very rich crumb, best enjoyed with a cup of fragrant tea. Many years ago when I taught myself to bake, Dundee Cake was my go to for special treats and the very cold winters of Delhi.

Meethi Mathri | Sweet Mathri Recipe

The day after I made my second batch of Mathris, I decided I must make some Meethi Mathris (Sweet Mathris) too this year! Deep fried dough soaked in fragrant sugar syrup. Whats not to like? These Mathris turned out to be perfectly crunchy, sweet, and delicious. We enjoyed them with steaming hot cups of tea!!

Mathri | Classic Mathri Recipe | Crispy Deep Fried Dough

Nothing says celebration in the North of India like Mathris. A staple of weddings, get-togethers, and festivals alike Mathris are a treat! In India, making Mathri was a bi-annual affair. Come Diwali or Holi, mounds of salty dough made with maida and ghee would be shaped into discs and deep fried to a crisp. For the kids, it meant enjoying hot crispy Mathris straight out of the fryer and then the cooled down flaky ones which would be stored in air sealed glass containers for days to come.

Easy Masala Peanuts | Spiced Peanuts | Microwave Recipe

Its that time of the year when Sunday nights are game nights. I have been following the games for several years now and always feel that excitement on Sunday afternoon when the match is about the start. With butterflies in my stomach, especially when my team is on the roster, I feel no mood or inclination to enter the kitchen. Game days inevitably call for quick and easy food that can be prepared in advance and enjoyed at leisure:)

Tamatar Chawal | Easy Seasoned Tomato Rice

Rice is the easiest of foods to prepare in a rush. Today's recipe involves cooked rice, so its the prefect recipe if you have some rice ready to use in your refrigerator! This Tomato Rice is a yummy treat for adults and kids alike. I like to serve it hot with chutney and plain yogurt. Alternatively, this is a great treat to carry in your lunch box or for a day out too.

Marble Cake

I have been baking lots of cakes lately. Sadly, time to blog has become quite limited and so I am unable to put thing online at a regular pace. Today I decided to steal a little tie out of my schedule to share a recipe for my favorite marble cake. I usually make an eggless version of this but I thought I'd like to share a recipe that uses eggs today.

Moong Dal Paratha | Mung Bean Flatbread

Stuffed Dal Parathas are a favorite winter treat. There are many types of dal parathas and many ways of making them. But Moong Dal Paratha seasoned with just turmeric, asafoetida, and fennel are truly the best. Hot off the pan they taste super with yogurt and pickle. Save them in the refrigerator for the next day, and enjoy them warmed with a dollop of ghee and your favorite salad.

Pithi | Peethi | Pitha | Lentil Filled Rice Flour Dumplings #Bihari Kitchen #Vegan

Its been ages since I made any steamed food. After our move, I had parked our steamer away in the back of my pantry. But with the coming of the festival season, we are all craving snacks! This year I decided to begin with making steamed snacks. I began with some Dhokla and the next on my list to make was Pithi | Peethi | Lentil Filled Rice Dumplings.

Hara Chana Sundal | Green Chickpea Salad

Back in the day when we lived in Mumbai, Sundals featured heavily on the Navratri menu. Delicious warm salads made with lentils or beans, seasoned with asafoetida, curry leaves, chilies, and freshly shredded coconut. After moving away from Mumbai, I pretty much forgot about these power packed protein rich salads. Then I came to know a great family that celebrated Navratri the traditional way complete with a new Sundal recipe each day!!

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.

Tomato Chili Garlic Bread | Tamatar Mirch Lasun ki Dabal Roti | Whole Grain | Eggless

Its spring finally!! By that I mean we are getting consistent sunshine and little precipitation. This has allowed the mountains of snow outdoors to melt. Everywhere I look there are tiny rivulets of water snaking their way down to the nearest water body. Good news for the underground aquifers and the groundwater supplies!!

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.

MultiGrain Onion Capsicum Bread | Pyaz Shimla ki Dabal Roti

Earlier this summer I made my Zesty Onion Chile Bread and it was a big hit. Visiting India, I made a similar bread at my Mum's place (big thanks to her for the beautiful props, her super camera, and tonnes of natural light!!). I used a different mix of flours for the bread and thought I should share the recipe for this delicious loaf with my readers.

Kuttu aur Aloo ka Bonda | Deep Fried Buckwheat and Potato Patties: Fasting Foods

Here is another deep fried treat for those of my readers who are fasting this Navratri. I made some farali Aloo Bondas with sendha namak, cumin powder, and potatoes. I used kuttu ka atta (buckwheat flour) to make the outer covering of the bondas. As always the kuttu did not disappoint and they turned out delicious. So delicious that they disappeared almost as soon as they were fried.

Lachha Paratha | Flaky Pan Roasted Flatbread

I had wanted to make Lachha Parathas for ages. But I always put off the thought of making them thinking that the effort would be too much. I was sure that it would be cumbersome to get these parathas going, what with the rolling, re-rolling, and getting all those flaky bits right!! But I was wrong. It could not be simpler to make this incredibly festive, beautifully flaky flat breads together. I am so glad I tried these as they make a perfect substitute for puris or bhaturas.

My version here is a tad rich as I used milk to prepare the dough. I find that milk often makes for a softer dough for flat breads. But if you prefer warm water with a tablespoon of oil works just as well. We loved these with the Chana Masala | Spicy Chickpea Curry that I posted here last!

Ingredients:
3 cups atta (Chappati Flour)
1 cup + 2tbsp milk, warmed
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Oil, as needed

Method:

1. Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, sugar, and oil. Blend with a fork.
3. Pour this mix into the flour and salt mix.
4. Bring the ingredients together using a large wooden spoon.
5. When everything has come together, turn out onto the kitchen table and knead into a soft and pliable dough. Place this dough into a bowl, cover, and allow to rest for at least an hour.
6. Place a griddle on medium heat. Pour a couple of tablespoons of oil into a bowl and keep a pastry brush handy.
7. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Take one part, keeping the rest covered.
8. Pat with oil, roll into a ball, then using a rolling pin, Roll this out into a thin 8-10 inch circle.
9. Brush with oil. Using a sharp knife, cut the rolled dough into horizontal strips about 1/2 inch wide.
10. Stack the strips one on top of the other! Then roll tightly to form a circle. Seal the edges by pinching them together.
11. Flatten this dough with the palm of your hand, then roll out into a circle of about 6-7 inches diameter, using a rolling pin.
12. Repeat for the remaining dough. 
13. Place one paratha onto the griddle. Cook on one side. Turn over. Cook on the other side.
14. Brush both sides with oil. Remove onto a plate lined with wax paper.
15. Repeat for the remaining pieces of dough.

Enjoy warm with your favorite curry, or dal. Lachha Parathas can be stored in the refrigerator for upto a week. Wrap tightly in wax paper, cover in a tea towel, and they will stay soft. To eat, warm on the griddle or microwave.

Vegan Substitute: Replace the milk in this recipe with warm water.

Like this recipe. Tried it. Leave me a comment below :)

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Makkai ka Wada | Corn Vada | Sweet Corn Fritters

Its corn season out here and despite the heat, the markets are loaded with delicious fresh sweet corn. We get the very tasty tri-colour corn and I love to buy it to make all kinds of treats. Last week I got a batch of corn ears to make corn vadas. There are many recipes for corn vadas and they often involve grinding dals. I was not keen to make something quite as heavy so went for a lighter version of this deep fried treat!