Cooking Learning 04

One of the popular sweet for Diwali; Badam Puri is super addictive and amazing to try at home!  In a wink Diwali will be here! The festivities have begun and we are ready to celebrate. This festival of lights is celebrated in a great way back in India. We try our best to do everything similar here in US. From fireworks and rangoli to diya and sweets; we have it all!  While a lot of sweets that we enjoyed back there are available here; there are a few that I have not eaten for YEARS! Badam Puri is one of them. For those who know the sweet, they would have connected to it instantly. For the others; these are rounds made from almond, stacked and packed in yellow cellophane paper.  Available generally during Diwali in all stores; this sweet is addictive. Full of almond powder/meal, these sometimes come studded with almonds and cardamom seeds. I have missed these the MOST for Diwali each year.  So this year I decided to make some at home. After a couple of fails; I manage...

A delicious mix of rice and lentils, this Ven Pongal is made so well in the Instant Pot! Laced with ghee and served topped with cashews and tadka, this one is a keeper! Reprinted with permission from The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook, copyright © 2018 by Archana Mundhe. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Winter is around the corner and all I crave is bowls full of warm delicious breakfast recipes and one pot dinners. While there are a lot of options like khichdi and soups that make an appearance on the dinner menu; Ven Pongal is something I have added recently to the menu!  In South India, this satisfying tiffin dish is eaten for breakfast, but it can also be enjoyed as part of lunch or dinner. The rice and lentils are generously seasoned with curry leaves, cumin seeds, black pepper, and hing.  Served piping hot with freshly made coconut chutney or Sambar, this ghee-laced dish makes a delightful lazy weekend brunch.  I have been ...

An easy to make yet addictive Indian dessert; Sooji Halwa is a MUST-HAVE sweet for festivals and celebrations! Super quick yet addictive!  I cannot believe we are ready to celebrate Diwali! The days are flying and I am trying to catch up on cooking, decorating, planning and posting! In no time we will be celebrating the festival of lights. A festival enjoyed with diyas, lights, sweets, rangoli and firecrackers, Diwali is my favorite Indian festival without a doubt!  Every year we make a LOT of sweets for the celebration. I have been adding these recipes to the blog regularly and it is wonderful to see the number of Indian sweets there are on the blog already. If you have a sweet tooth and looking for easy but yummy sweets, check these out. Plus see this post with a collection of some SUPER AWESOME sweet and savory recipes for Diwali . Corn Flour Halva | Karachi Halwa Instant Microwave Kesar Peda Bombay Ice Halva Kaju Katli This year I started preparing for Diwali with one of o...

Velvety smooth Butternut Squash Soup made in the Instant Pot. With Thai flavors infused in the soup, this one is definitely a KEEPER through Fall and beyond!  We are racing through Fall and currently we are gorging on YUMMY soups atleast 3-4 times a week. From creamy soups and stews to broth based soups; we are enjoying them all. Vegetables, lentil, pasta and dals are making an appearance in a soupy form on the dinner table! All year round I keep waiting for Fall and the delicious squashes the season brings with it. From pumpkin and butternut to acorn and spaghetti squash, we LOVE them all. Every year I enjoy all of them through the season but BUTTERNUT is by far my favorite squash.  The yummy taste, smooth silky texture and bright orange color always make me want to have it pretty often. Plus a versatile vegetable that is great in curries, soup and other recipes; this squash features on our menu very often. If you are a fan of Butternut squash like me, check out these recipes...

Fried flaky melt-in-the-mouth Indian snack, Sweet Shakarpara is a Diwali MUST-HAVE recipe. Made from simple pantry essentials, this is a NO-FAIL recipe for everyone to try! I cannot believe we are at stone's throw from Diwali; the KING of Indian festivals. Celebrated across India in different ways, the festival is loved by one and all.  For those not familiar with the celebration, we celebrate Diwali each year in October-November depending on the Hindu calendar. The celebration starts with cleaning the house, decorating with lamps, lanterns, rangoli and flowers. We make a TON of Indian sweets and snacks and burst a lot of fireworks too. Plus, families dress up in traditional clothes and meet and greet. It is a great time for everyone to take a break, celebrate and come together.  Every year I try to make a few traditional recipes for the blog. Collecting all the recipes in one place, here is a post that has some amazing recipes to try: Sweet and Savory Diwali Recipes . He...

A simple recipe with just a few ingredients, this no-fail IDLI recipe ferments the batter and steams the idlis in the Instant Pot! Easy to follow recipe and PERFECT results each time!  The days are getting cooler. A bowl full of sambar with idlis dunked in it is something I crave on windy cold evenings. Making idlis at home is one of my favorite things to do. Plus, piping hot sambar and delicious colorful chutneys make the perfect accompaniment.  As the days get colder, it becomes difficult to ferment the batter at room temperature. While it is often warm on the West Coast during the day, it does get pretty cool through the night. Fermenting idli or dosa batter becomes a challenge for months.  I started using Instant Pot to ferment the batter and there has been no looking back. Starting now through winter I shall make the batter using the Instant Pot for sure. The confidence that when I open the pot I shall have a container full of well fermented batter is so good! I can ...