Category: Main Dish Recipes

  • 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 […]

  • Charu Au Poix (French Inspired Rasam)

    This is a guest post written by Raj Bala, Nithya’s brother, who is incidentally also a hungry desi. The French settled a colony in India called Pondicherry in 1673 on the Southeast coast of India. Their influence on the city is still evident today even though they didn’t necessarily fare as well in terms of […]

  • 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! […]

  • 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 Marinara

    Recipes that can be transformed from one dish into another and that hold up well as leftovers are really appealing to my schedule.  I usually leave home early in the morning and don’t return until after dark, sometimes toting along more work.  So, recipes like these which make for a quick and easy weeknight meal […]

  • Dad’s French Style Green Beans

    My dad made french style green beans almost once a week growing up, usually as a side dish with rasam or sambar.  We accidentally discovered that we liked them just slightly blackened when he sauteed them a little too long once and more than a few got singed.  I think to this day my sister makes them […]

  • Sambar (Spicy Lentil Soup) and Akshaya Patra

    Daikon in Sambar Sambar is South Indian comfort food. It’s a mix of mashed nutty lentils, tomatoes and simple spices finished with the tanginess of tamarind. There are many different varieties and all families seem to have their own tricks.  Regardless, you follow the same essential steps no matter of the type of sambar.  Take […]