Author: nithya

  • From the Spice Box: Tamarind Candy

    As a kid, I used to sneak into the pantry when my parents weren’t around and tear off a little corner from the block of dried tamarind that was guaranteed to be aplenty in our house.  I would pop the hard knob of tamarind into my mouth, looking like a baseball player with dip wedged […]

  • Masala Stuffed Okra Boats

    Okra gets a bad wrap.  I grew up in Irmo, South Carolina, home of the Okra Strut, so perhaps I have a soft spot for the little green guys.  The most common complaint seems to be that okra is slimy.  I know of two recipes and one prep work tip that eliminate the possibility of […]

  • Shaved Rose Water Ice

    What is it about the smell of roses that’s so relaxing?  Stick your nose into the center of a rose flower and inhale.   You’re greeted with a heavenly scent followed by a calm that comes over you.  For me, there’s also a regatta of sneezes that follows thanks to my allergies.   Shaved Rose […]

  • Swiss Chard and Spinach with Shitake and Peas

    Farmers markets really get me excited.  Rajat thinks it’s because they remind me of vegetable markets in India.  I think it’s because I associate farmers markets with warm weather and fresh, green vegetables that require sunshine and warmth (two things New York has been sadly lacking until the last few days).  An even more plausible […]

  • Cracked Wheat Can Taste Good (Really)

    Cracked.  Wheat.  Porridge.  Nothing about that sounds good to me.  Cracked wheat porridge with vegetables.  Melt in your mouth potatoes.  Sweet peas and carrots.  And spices.  And creamy yogurt.  Served piping hot.  It starts to sound better, no?  Cracked wheat is made by cracking whole raw wheat berries.  This means that it’s high in fiber and […]

  • 15 Minute Indian Chinese Noodles

    Quick is high on my list of redeemable recipe qualities.  Although, it’s right up there with tasty and healthy.  This sometimes makes for a challenging recipe hunt.  I picked up a few packs of MTR vermicelli noodles a few weeks back for experimenting with vermicelli style upma, or semiya upma.  As I started making the […]

  • Potatoes in Coconut Curry with Mint and Cilantro

    It’s been a little over 2 weeks since I’ve blogged!  I was a poor planner and didn’t have any posts in reserve for sharing with you while I was away tending to our move.  But now that we’re moved and semi-settled in with only a few more boxes to go, I’m free to cook again! […]

  • Aloo Chaat Style (Breakfast) Potatoes

    Yesterday on Everyday Food Radio, host Sandy Gluck was talking about sweet versus savoury french toast.  I shared with her listeners a recipe for Rajat’s Desi Style French Toast, a spicy, savoury french toast served with ketchup and chutney (no syrup here folks).  Of course, I was a bit of a bad wife because I entirely […]

  • A Side of Roasted Cauliflower – Dinner Party Worthy?

    Growing up in an all vegetarian household, we ate a lot of vegetables.  Afternoons snacks sometimes were bowls of freshly boiled peas, lima beans or brussel sprouts topped with butter and showered with salt and pepper.  Cabbage, broccoli, beans – you name it, we ate it.  And we enjoyed the pure vegetable taste of it. […]

  • Spicy Pesto 3 Ways – Basil-Mint Pesto Tofu Scramble

    For my third and final Spicy Basil-Mint Pesto dish, I only had about 2 tablespoons of pesto left.  I got a little creative, borrowed some elements from Rajat’s tofu scramble and came up with a hearty breakfast of spicy pesto mixed with scrambled tofu, potatoes, onions and tomatoes topped off with chipotle flavored tostada shells. […]