We’ve been served such amazing dishes – simple and scrumptious at the same time. Take the funniest dish so far – ‘egg in bed’ – which we were served every morning during our stay at a residential homestay in Thalassery (Tellicherry) in North Kerala.

I found out later this was simply a South Indian Appam, or thin rice flour pancake with an egg cracked into it and cooked just before serving. There was also the complex-flavored tamarind prawns, beet chutney, and spicy rassam. Simple dishes but delicious, wholesome, and oh so memorable. Easily duplicated only once you’ve actually seen them made.

The most fun on this trip was walking into the Executive Club of the Westin on our first morning in Mumbai and finding sambhar, idlee, coconut chutney, and tomato chutney on the food bar along with oatmeal, salmon, and toast. I made a beeline for the Indian eats and immediately had to ask for the recipe for tomato chutney – it was that good. I have tried making it before, and even have a recipe in my next book which I like a lot, but this had something special added to it, and I just had to know what. 

Chef Harvinder Matta immediately came to my table upon request and gave me his personal recipe. His trick, he says, is to temper the chutney twice.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
1 pinch turmeric
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated or chopped
1 – 2 green Thai chiles, chopped
1 teaspoon roasted split gram (chana dal) *
1/2 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
2 – 3 large tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
6-7 curry leaves
salt to taste

1. Heat the tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add asafoetida, turmeric, ginger, chiles, split gram, red chile, and tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes completely soften.
3. Take pan off the burner and cool.
4. Grind tomato mixture in a blender until smooth and transfer to a bowl.
5. In a shallow pan, heat teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat.
6. Add mustard seeds and cook until the seeds pop and start to become aromatic. (You might need the lid of the pan to prevent the seeds from popping out.)
7. Add curry leaves and cook until slightly browned.
8. Add salt (1 teaspoon or so) and add this tempering to the blended tomato chutney. Serve with toast, as a side to a typical South Indian meal of sambhar and idlee, or with some rice with an Indian meal.
*Typically, in India you can purchase split gram pre-roasted. In the states that’s tougher to do. Just purchase it from an Indian grocer and dry roast it for about a minute or two yourself, being careful not to burn it.

The beauty of this chutney is that it has a double tempering (infusion of hot oil with spices), which I never thought to do, but is a mainstay for Chef Matta, who used to work in Newcastle in England as a chef at the Spice Cube restaurant. He says he loves being a chef because he ‘learns something new everyday’. It’s fun to meet someone so talented yet so humble. 

I always talk about eating healthy – making your own food at home – enjoying the process and not just the get – teaching your kids how to eat healthier and all I feel like is a fake. The last week as I geared up to land in Mumbai (Wed. evening) for a full-fledged food tour of Kerala, I was so packed with teaching classes and getting deadlines met that all I did was stress. And that stress made me want to eat. Not fresh salads and green smoothies like I normally espouse and consume, but pizza and Chinese take out.

Anyone that knows me knows that’s a very unusual me. But, I wanted to come clean with all of my readers. There are days and weeks when you’ll slide seemingly backwards. So maybe I’m not really a full-fledged fraud, but instead a more or less human like everyone else. Sure, my resolution is to lose 5 pounds, but maybe it will just take a few weeks longer.

For now, I’m happy to type this confession cuddled up in my King-sized bed in a room at the Mumbai Westin in hopes that my food adventure that starts tomorrow in Calicut, Kerala, will also spark some life back into my taste buds. I’m excited to explore new dishes and ways of cooking Indian foods, and meet some of the leading chefs in the area. Not sure if it will happen, but we’re also slated to go lobster fishing at night.

As you battle your own daily food demons know that you’re not alone. I’m right there with you. And realized that sometimes healthy eating is just a meal away. Snap out of the downward spiral and make a healthy salad for yourself. Spend a little time enjoying that dal with the spicy tarka (tempering) over a simple bowl of basmati rice, or a quick Rajmah in the slow cooker (page 74 of my book). Sometimes it just take one little meal to pull you out of the boring routine.

Though I’m traveling, I’m determined to cut a few pounds. Not by saying no to everything, but eating it in moderation. My team of two photogs is also trying to cut the calories and pounds. So at O’Hare, instead of getting two large paninis we ordered one portabella and split it. Instead of chips, I had a side of beans. It was perfect. So try my little idea of the self-imposed 50 percent diet. Eat half of what you would normally eat at any given meal (safe the rest for later) and you’ll see a big, big difference. Try to make a majority of your meals vegetarian – don’t fall back to meat just because that’s your safety zone. If you love meat, sure eat it, but make sure the dish is worth having meat in it. Gregg, who is traveling with me, had never had portabella mushroom (that’s a topic of another blog post), but he said he loved it. AND for someone who typically goes for the meat selection, that was a huge first step in trying to cut back a tiny bit.

I hope I’ll have some amazing recipes to share with you once I start this trip, along with some spectacular video and pictures. Stay tuned and as always Facebook me.

p.s. one thing i’m completely proud of..I went to Trader Joe’s on Monday and did NOT – after a long stare down – buy any dark chocolate-covered peanut butter cups. Though plenty of you have facebooked me to tell me you’re enjoying them on my behalf. I’m living vicariously through all of you!

I grew up eating mostly Indian food.  Even our spaghetti usually had a hint of cumin.

This means my weeks were 99 percent filled with vegetarian meals of lentils, curried vegetables, and homemade rotis (not naan as everyone now mistakenly thinks). Meat made for that one percent. We did eat dairy in the form of paneer and drank milk.

In grad school back in the mid 1990′s I started to get sick. My immune system was shot, my stomach would cramp up randomly, and I just felt listless. A naturopath suggested I eliminate dairy, meat, and seafood for 6 months.

The meat and seafood was easy but the dairy – as it is for many Indians – was tough.

I have never felt better.

I just replaced cows milk with soy milk and went back to eating all those beans and lentils I grew up on. I also started eating more tofu, which was easy because I lived in Hawaii at the time and had also learned to appreciate it while living in Japan.

I am not encouraging anyone to go to extremes that seem out of your norm. I’m just encouraging everyone to start thinking a little outside the box and realize that there’s a whole world of plant-based foods out there that are delicious, wholesome, and fulfilling. AND you are what you eat – even if we’re all trying to brainwash ourselves from believing it. More veggies, fibre, and anti-oxidents can only help, not to mention all the heart-healthy spices Indian food has to offer.

Try it for a meal, a day, a month, a lifetime. The choice is yours and yours alone.

I was on WGN helping my publisher promote a new book, Vegan 101. It’s a compilation of vegan recipes from various cookbook authors at Agate Publishing and a great way to get you started. It takes you through soups, salads, main courses, and even desserts. My mustard greens recipe is in there. The tofu curry recipe below is one from my upcoming book, Vegan Indian. Thought I’d post the recipes for all of you to enjoy.

Mustard Greens with Spinach (Sarson ka Saag)
5-quart slow cooker, cook 6 hours on high, 1 hour on low (total 7)

1 pound mustard greens, trimmed and washed (8 packed cups chopped)
1 pound spinach, trimmed and washed (4 packed cups chopped)
1 large yellow or red onion, peeled and roughly chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
10 – 15 cloves garlic, peeled
6 – 8 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chiles, stems removed
1 tablespoon coriander powder
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
2 cups water
1 teaspoon garam masala

1. Put all ingredients except garam masala in your slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 6 hours.
3. Add garam masala and turn slow cooker to low and cook another hour.
4. Serve with roti, naan, corn rotis, rice, or over vegan cornbread.

Tofu Curry
We’ve all heard of chicken curry, but tofu? I wanted to try it, but had a very suspicious test subject – my husband. He is a carnivore and loves paneer, so I knew he’d be a tough sell. I managed to get this one past him by baking the tofu first. That’s the key to a successful dish that may just get the carnivore in your life eating tofu too.

1 small red or yellow onion, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled and trimmed
1 medium tomato, quartered
2 – 3 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chile peppers, stem removed and chopped in half
1/2 cup plain, unsweetened soy yogurt (make sure it’s not sweetened)
1 heaping teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), lightly crushed to release flavor
1 teaspoon red chile powder
2 tablespoons oil (I use grapeseed)
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (hing – optional)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
2 green cardamom pods (slightly crushed)
2 whole cloves
1/2 cup water
14 oz. extra firm, organic tofu, baked and cubed *
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

1. In a food processor, grind onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, and chiles until you have a smooth, slightly watery paste. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add yogurt, salt, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, and red chile. Mix well.
3. In a deep, heavy pan,  heat oil over medium-high heat.
4. Add asafoetida, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Heat for 30 seconds until the seeds sizzle.
5. Add yogurt mixture and water. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down and simmer for 3 – 5 minutes until mixture thickens slightly. This step is key. The spices need to cook and blend evenly.
6. Add tofu. Simmer for another 4 – 5 minutes. Remove whole spices, garnish with cilantro and serve immediately over a bed of brown or white basmati rice.

* For baked tofu, slice one 14 oz. package of organic, extra firm tofu into strips. Lay on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and spray lightly with oil. Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes on each side.

But, before we discuss that, let’s first talk process. Simply put, the method in which you do something – anything. For me, it’s the hours, sometimes days it takes to perfect a recipe. Or, the months it takes to write a book – nights of giving up socializing with the other school moms, or lost play dates for my kids. Or, the struggle to lose my last 10 pounds, which seem to be stuck to my middle and holding on with dear life.

I’ve realized that to attain any goal you have to go through a process. It can be a lengthy one. It can be a short one. But there are steps and it’s never easy.

Like when I used to surf in Hawaii. Sure, it’s fun to say you surf (and dress the part) – but paddling through the waves to get to the one you finally stand up on is the process. And, it typically takes about 90 percent of your surfing session. So to say you love surfing is one thing – but to say you love paddling through the whitewash to get that wave is likely more accurate.

In the last year as I’ve struggled to finish my second book, Vegan Indian, I’ve realized that if you don’t enjoy the entire process – you’ll never truly enjoy the get. My book will be published – it will be on Amazon, and we hope it will be the success that the first one was. But, I feel like I’ve already succeeded. I’ve become a better recipe tester. I’ve learned to be more efficient in the kitchen testing recipes. And, I’ve become an even better writer. Truth-be-told I’ve become a better dishwasher too, but that’s not part of the process I can say I’ll ever truly enjoy.

As we all head into the New Year keep this in mind as you make your New Year’s resolutions. Mine – like many of yours – is to lose weight and eat even healthier than I already do. But that’s not going to happen overnight.

Here’s what will happen:

I will stop eating when I am not hungry.

I will drink more water.

I will continue to work out with bootcamp three times a week, a swim once, and yoga in between.

I will eat more Vegan meals, and I will eat out less.

I will also stop buying Trader Joe’s dark chocolate covered peanut butter cups. Yes, they are delicious, but I’m starting to believe they might have a little conspiracy going against my gut.

Most importantly, I will eat homemade food – mostly Indian – 90 percent of my meals. Why? Because when I eat healthy, homestyle Indian, I find that I actually feel better, healthier and lose weight. It’s some of the best food on the planet – I know it because I grew up on this type of eating (99 percent vegetarian – no cream – little oil and heart healthy spices). And now, many of you know it from using my first book. (The emails I still receive daily prove it.)

So, as you set your goals for the New Year – don’t just think about the get. Think about the day-to-day struggle. Embrace it for what it is. Know that it will make you a stronger person. And know that you may fail your battle one day only to win the war later. And..remember we’re in this together!

Now onto Chana Masala.

In Hindi, Chana means chickpeas. Masala means a mixture of spices. Put it together and you have the name of the spices used to spice the dish with the same name. Confusing? Maybe. But, it all begins to make sense eventually. And, it’s all delicious so that’s all that matters anyway.

For my next book Vegan Indian (to be released June 2012) I have been determined to take a step back from boxed mixed spices and canned beans (don’t even get me started on why you should NOT be eating canned foods), showing you how to make things from scratch. So, the process for chana masala (the dish) will be a three-step approach but don’t worry, it’s worth it.

Chana Masala (the spice):Granted, you can purchase this mixed spice blend from an Indian grocer store or from this website for that matter (I launched indian as apple pie spices in 2011), but it’s fun to make your own. When purchasing pre-made blends, keep in mind that they do sometimes add salts and other additives – definite red flags in my household – and something I avoid in my blends. The key to chana masala the spice is that it uses dried wild pomegranate seeds and some black salt for its extra tang. For both  you’ll need to head to an Indian grocer.

1/4 cup cumin seeds
1/4 cup coriander seeds
1/4 cup dried pomegranate seeds (anardana)
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
10 whole cloves
2 black cardamom pods
4 green cardamom pods
3 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorn
5 medium cassia leaves, broken into pieces (or bay leaves)
10 whole dried red chiles, broken into pieces
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
2 tablespoons dried mango powder (amchur)
1 tablespoon dried, ground ginger
1 tablespoon black salt (kala namak)

1. In a shallow, heavy pan, dry roast all ingredients except the powders (mango powder, ground ginger, and black salt) over medium heat. Stay close, and keep shaking the pan to prevent the spices from burning. They will become reddish brown and aromatic when done. After about 4 minutes of roasting, transfer to a plate and cool for 15 minutes.
2. Once cool, put ingredients in a coffee grinder reserved for spices or the dry jug of a Vita Mix blender. Add mango powder, ginger, and black salt and process into a fine powder. Sift for a finer blend. Store in an airtight container for up to six months. * Cassia leaves are often mistakenly called Indian bay leaves. They come from a different tree and are actually unrelated, though the two can be used interchangeably. Cassia leaves are larger, more brittle, and have a muskier taste than European bay leaves and are found in most Indian grocer stores. 

Cooked, Plain White Chickpeas
Slow cooker: 3 1/2-quart, cooking time: 4 hours on high, Yield: 7 cups

I know it’s so easy to run out and grab a few cans of chickpeas. But, canned beans typically taste mushy and often include added salt and other additives (Not to mention the BPA issues lately). I tend to opt to cook beans and whole lentils in a slow cooker with just water, and then keep them up to a week in the refrigerator or up to three months in the freezer. They can be used on salads, added to soups, or used for quick stovetop Indian curries. The possibilities are truly endless and so much more nutritious.

3 cups whole, dried white chickpeas, cleaned and washed
5 cups water

1. Put chickpeas and water in the slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 4 hours.
3. Rinse beans in a colander with cold water to stop the cooking process and drain any excess liquid.

To make in a five-quart slow cooker, double the ingredients and cook for four hours. A double recipe makes 14 cups. 

Chana Masala (the dish):
I love chana masala. It’s so easy to make, amazingly delicious, and with everything above prepped minutes away!

2 tablespoons oil (grapeseed, canola, vegetable)
1 heaping teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons chana masala
1 large yellow or red onion, peeled and diced (2 cups)
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated or minced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and grated or minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced (2 cups)
1 – 3 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chiles, stems removed, chopped
1 teaspoon red chile or cayenne
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 cup water
4 cups cooked chickpeas

1. In a deep, heavy pan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add cumin, turmeric, and chana masala and cook until the seeds sizzle, about 30 seconds.
3. Add onion and cook until softened, another minute.
4. Add ginger and garlic, cook another minute.
5. Add tomatoes, chiles, red chile, salt, and water.
6. Bring to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until all ingredients blend.
7. Add chickpeas and cook through. Serve over brown or white basmati rice or with roti or naan.

For all of you who are interested in starting the year off right with healthy, homestyle Indian, I’m offering a New Year’s special. Head to the ‘Spice Tiffin’ link on this page, and order one of my patent-pending Tiffins for your spices and I will send you the basic set of 6 Indian spices (cumin seeds, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chile, mustard seeds, and garam masala) on me. That’s actually a $40 value. Orders must be placed before January 17th – when I head to South India to start working on my cooking show! 

Good luck with all of your resolutions. Please post how you are doing – can’t wait to hear how you do!

Until one fateful summer day.

Our teacher handed out an unexpected math quiz. A one-page list of multiplication problems. We were instructed to go through the sheet as fast a possible and answer as many as we could. When the teacher called time, everyone put their pencils down with most of our sheets completed. I looked over to David. He was hunched over his paper, gripping his pencil tight and sweating. He was attempting to still put the final touches on his second line of sums. He only got that far because he’d spent so much time carefully crafting each numbered answer; looping his 2 carefully at the top, making sure that 5 had the perfect tail, and that his 3′s were to die for.

But none of that perfection mattered in the race to finish and in time. His inner perfectionist held him back from completing the task at hand and more than likely that day he took home his first failing grade.

As a writer and a mother and a wife and a chauffeur, line cook, nurse, and everything else I do in my day I want my time to curl my 5′s and loop my 2′s just so. It ‘aint happening. So if I’m waiting for the perfect time to sit down and write that perfect blog post – you the reader will never get it. And if I wait to find the perfect amount of 15 minutes to sit and reply to all my emails likely my in-box will be jammed with the 1,968 unanswered emails that sit there to this day. And if I wait to put those shoes at the door away because the rest of the house is a crazy mess, the crazy mess will just keep piling and piling and piling up.

For most things in your day-to-day good enough IS just that. Good enough. Not because that’s all you have to give, but because rather than doing it absolutely perfectly you just got it done. No. Better yet – you just got it started. And THAT my friends is true, realistic perfection.

To this day, I still wonder whatever happened to David – Mr. Perfect. I have one thing to say to him:

“Eat your heart out. I may not be perfect, but at least I’m getting it done!”

I love cooking Indian food because there’s never a need to be a perfectionist. Whenever I teach classes and give lectures, I emphasize that Indian food is incredibly forgiving. No worries if you add a little extra ginger…garam masala…or chilies. There’s always a way to offset it (maybe with a little more water or by adding lemon juice). Unlike other cuisines you don’t have to be precise with your chopping and cuts. The less precision, in fact, the tastier. That’s what delicious homestyle Indian is all about.

Here’s a salad that will help you get it done without jumping through hoops. It’s so incredibly simple, easy, nutritious, and incredibly kid friendly. Neha and Aria actually love this salad in their lunch boxes. You can give it to them as is or serve over a bed of rice. The nice thing is that the lentils hold up really well until lunchtime.

(Photo by Brave New Pictures for Anupy’s upcoming book on Vegan Indian Cooking)

Indian salads are so easy to make and so much fun to eat because they are delicious. Cilantro and spices provide flavor rather than oil, making these salads some of the healthiest around. You can use any cooked beans or lentils, but one of my kids’ favorites is brown whole lentils (masoor dal). Feel free to sub any veggies as well. I love grating anything and everything in from beets to carrots to chopped cooked potatoes or even celery.

4 cups cooked beans or lentils (see recipe below for slow cooked)
1 medium red onion, peeled and diced (1 cup)
1 medium tomato, diced (1 cup)
1 small cucumber, diced (1/2 cup)
1 medium daikon, peeled and grated (1 cup)
1 – 2 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chilies, stems removed, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 large lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black salt (kala namak)
1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
1/2 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne
1 teaspoon fresh white turmeric, peeled and grated (optional)

1. Mix all ingredients together in a deep bowl. Serve immediately as a side salad, wrapped in a lettuce leaf or do as I do and serve with a side of warm brown basmati rice as a quick meal for the kids.
Note: It’s not easy to find fresh turmeric let alone white turmeric, but if you happen to come across it (it’s mostly found at Indian grocery stores), a little grated and sprinkled over the salad will provide an extra layer of taste as well as nutrition.

Making whole beans and lentils in your slow cooker is so easy it’s almost laughable that we go out and buy more expensive and less nutritious canned or frozen options. For the above recipe I used brown, whole Masoor Dal. That’s the lentil that when split and skinned looks salmon colored (though when you cook it turns yellow – go figure). You can find it at just about any grocer, Indian or otherwise. Just put 3 cups of the whole form of the lentil (cleaned and washed) into a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker. Add 5 cups water, cook on low for 3 hours. When finished, drain in a colander and use right away, put in fridge for up to 2 weeks and up to 3 months in the freezer.

I obliged and showed up at the Smithsonian wearing a black skirt, blue wool sweater, and heels. I waited patiently for the limo to pull up and the Congressman’s friend step out. He took one look at me – up, down, up again – and let out a whistle. My guard was up. A Smithsonian staffer gently said, “Mr. Gillespie, this is John Conyers’ aid.” All the stranger said was, “Woo Hee. That cat’s got good taste.” Everyone laughed. Including me.

It’s hard to stay mad at a personality like Dizzy Gillespie.

It was a year before he was to suddenly be taken away from us. (How were we to know?) And I had just written up legislation for him to be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor (it was never passed). I was there to meet him and John Hasse, the curator of the Jazz Department for the Smithsonian was there to show everyone around the Smithsonian’s acquisitions of various jazz greats including Duke Ellington.

What followed is a much longer story for another time, but one moment still sticks even after all these years. We were standing in an open area and people were starting to whisper all around us. Slowly, people started walking up to us, asking us slowly and meekly if it was indeed THE DIZ. He nodded and obliged with autographs. After the swarm slowed down, he turned to me, put one arm around my shoulders and whispered, “How do they know who I am?”

I stared silently for a moment – incredulous – thinking he was surely joking. Then I whispered in his ear with a slight smile, “Well, maybe because you have on a very colorful African-print jumpsuit with a name tag stitched on it that says, “Dizzy”. He laughed a huge, bellied laugh and gave me an even bigger hug.

That day I met a true celebrity. Someone who gives everything of himself not to become famous but to share with the world. Not to be recognized on every street corner but to be recognized for his notes. His cheeks and his songs. His vibe. His energy. And how it makes you feel when you hear those notes dance from his famous trumpet.

As I now navigate the world of food celebrity I am always brought back to that moment. There are the true heroes and celebrities who are on stage and TV to make a connection with the audience rather than a name for themselves. Chefs who just love taking questions, look you in the eye when they talk to you, the ones who talk to all the prep chefs in the back kitchen.  The ones who are as excited to meet you as you are them.

And then there are the others. Folks who loudly complain about the lack of equipment in a demo. The ones who criticize their sponsors for providing a stove that happened not to light that day of the demo. And other chefs who walk around with so much ‘support staff’ that even getting in a word in edgewise would require security clearance. Who are these people? And what has given them the right to be so inaccessible when their careers were determined by the very people who they are trying to now avoid? This past weekend I was disappointed to listen to a chef talk on stage into a microphone about Indian cuisine and another celebrity chef disparagingly. I won’t add to the negativity by naming names, but I have to say it was a huge learning lesson for me as everyone in the audience whispered their surprise at the omission.

Focus on the message. Forget the garbage. And love, love everyone. Dizzy did…

While he played..and played…and played.

That’s my new life motto. Every day, whether I am running on the track, driving to the grocery store, or putting the kids to bed I’m mentally chanting what is fast becoming my personal mantra. Harness my time. Don’t let it slip needlessly through my fingers.

It’s easy NOT to harness. Especially with kids I have no idea where my time goes. And I find myself angry, resentful, and frustrated that my to-do list awaits me while Aria throws one more temper tantrum about not wanting to brush her teeth in the morning. Even this blog post has taken me weeks to put out when it should have been days. WTF?

What I’m realizing is that I’ve been wasting too much time looking for something that’s no long at my disposal. I don’t have hours to sit down and focus on any one project any more. My life is increments of 15 minutes. And if I don’t take charge of those 15 minute moments then I’m doomed to a life filled with unachieved to-do lists and tasks.

My first move to clearly harness was last week before my bootcamp session. I get to the gym at 8:30 a.m. after dropping off the kids, and wait around for bootcamp to start an hour later. That’s one hour of work I could be doing. What I was doing was heading to the locker room and chatting … lounging … waiting. No longer. These are the moments that I am now arresting and using for this blog and writing. In just one extra hour a day and one week I’ve managed to put this blog post together and finally get it out. Often starting a task is all you need to do to finally cross it off that list.

I know it won’t work every time, but make it your mantra too. Stick that laundry basket in the kids room and fold a little here and there while the kids work on their homework. Chop those veggies and prep dinner in the few minutes before that run on a Saturday morning. Eliminate the excuses and start focussing on what you do have. The glass is half full and waiting to be filled again, and again and again…it may never be completely full but with kids that’s what you signed up for. So, do like I am trying – and start harnessing those increments of 15 minutes and see where it gets you! You just might be surprised!

Baked, Spiced Chickpeas: Lately, chickpea poppers have been all the rage on various food blogging sites. I learned about them two years ago from a fellow mom at school. Chasity told me how she would bake spiced chickpeas for her boys – call them poppers – and they would eat them up – the perfect kiddie finger food. I was immediately fascinated.

Being Indian-American I had hundreds of ways to cook chickpeas, but we always cooked them with a curried base or masala. I’d never thought about taking them cooked and then baking them with garam masala. How cool, I thought. And apparently so did my girls. The first time I made them, Neha and Aria not only ate them up but actually insisted that I put them in their lunch boxes the next day.

I loved that idea even more – I’m always looking for high protein, vegetarian options for their lunches. Look no further. Once you make these, you’ll not only make them again and again, but likely you’ll also take my tip to heart that many other food bloggers have yet to get: don’t use canned chickpeas if you can avoid them. Start with dry beans and cook them in the slow cooker (crock pot). They’re not only more delicious, they also hold their texture much better. And, I’d argue, they’re much more nutritious for you – less salt and more nutrients.

So, your first step is to pull out your slow cooker. I use a 3 1/2 quart Cuisinart with a built-in timer. I like to make my batches of beans in a smaller slow cooker so that I’m not overwhelmed and get through them rather quickly.

Dry Chickpeas

Sookha Kabhuli Channa

LOW COOKER SIZE: 3 1/2-QUART, COOKING TIME: 4 HOURS ON HIGH                         Yield: 8 cups

3 cups dried chickpeas, cleaned and washed                                                                                   5 cups water

Put chickpeas and water in slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours. Once finished, drain in colander. Whatever you don’t use immediately, store in the freezer, where it can last up to three months. In the refrigerator cooked beans will last up to a week. Folks, try making chickpeas this way and stop using needlessly expensive canned varieties. They not only have additives, they are also mushy in texture. You just can’t beat eating a bean cooked from dried. Though, I always do keep a few canned beans on hand just in case I’m in a pinch.

Now…onto the good stuff.

Chickpea Poppers Yield: 4 cups                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   4 cups cooked chickpeas (cook in slow cooker or use 2 12 oz. cans)                                           1 tablespoon masala (garam, chaat, chana, or sambhar)                                                               2 teaspoons coarse sea salt                                                                                                                 2 tablespoons oil                                                                                                                                 1 teaspoon red chile pepper, cayenne, or paprika                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Adjust oven rack to the highest level in the oven closest to the burner and preheat oven     to 425 degrees. Place sheet of aluminum foil in baking tray for easy clean up.

Drain the chickpeas in a large colander for about 15 minutes to get rid of as much               moisture as possible. If using canned, rinse first.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together gently and then pour onto a baking sheet.

Cook for 15 minutes. Take tray out of oven carefully, mix gently so that the chickpeas cook evenly, and cook another 10           minutes.

Cool for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with red chile powder if you’re daring. Paprika works            great too!

Try This! Make an easy chaat with these poppers. With one cup of cooked chickpeas, add chopped onion, tomato, cilantro, lemon juice and a pinch of kala namak. Top it off with tamarind chutney. Serve it all on individual lettuce leaves for a fun variation on a salad.

It has the power to induce disdain. Nose-wrinkling. Repeated diatribes – especially from hard-core carnivores. Oprah is a famous one that comes to mind. I’ve never seen someone recoil physically as much as she does even at the mere mention of eating the stuff. Then the audience laughs knowingly. Everyone nods in agreement, and a sacred pact between carnivores is again silently affirmed: nothing – especially not tofu – will threaten the ability of anyone to eat and enjoy their meat. In my mind I liken the reaction to NRA members discussing gun control and Republicans discussing Democrats – a give-them-an-inch-and-they’ll-railroad-us-completely mentality.

It’s a funny thing when these same people actually take the time to stop talking and start tasting tofu that’s prepared well and cooked perfectly. Their entire demeanor changes. I’m a practicing vegetarian – mostly vegan – married to someone who eats like I do at home but has to order meat when we go out. He and his like-minded friends also have to throw in a dig or two when I’m trying my dishes out with tofu versus the ‘normal’ ingredients. But, invariably, they’ll want to try my dish or concoction and often concede that my choice in food was as good if not better than theirs.

Largely, because it was prepped well. I’ve traveled the world and lived in Japan and Hawaii, where eating tofu – essentially made from soybeans – is a way of life. It comes in so many shapes, sizes, and varieties, it’s hard not to love it. In those countries it’s not sold as a ‘hippie meat substitute’ but as part of the cuisine, as a fantastic source of plant-based protein that is just one part of a usually varied diet that does still include a little meat and lots of veggies.

The key to a delicious tofu dish is to prepare it with spices or marinate it well. To all you carnivores out there, I hate to break it to you, but this is the same for meat. When have you been satisfied with a piece of chicken raw, uncooked and marinade free?

So, give tofu a break. Try it before judging it. My Masala Tofu Scramble should be enough to convince you!

I like to start with extra firm tofu for this one. Here’s what I found works really well:

My recipe is a take on the Masala Omelette that my mom made for us growing up and that is often served on the streets in India and made in many households – served alongside a stuffed Indian bread or Parantha.

Masala Tofu Scramble, Makes 2 cups

1 14 oz. package extra firm, organic tofu, crumbled
1/2 small white or red onion minced (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 inch ginger, peeled and grated (1 Tablespoon)
1- 2 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chilies, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chile powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon kala namak (optional)
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon oil (canola/vegetable/coconut)

1. Crumble tofu with your hands, place in a colander set on a plate and allow to drain while you prep the remainder of your ingredients. With extra firm tofu there won’t be a lot of excess moisture, but every little bit helps.

2. Heat oil in heavy, flat pan over medium-high. Once hot, add cumin. After the seeds start to sizzle, add onion, ginger, green chilies, and turmeric. Continue to cook and brown for about 1 – 2 minutes, stirring to prevent mixing from sticking.

3. Add tofu and mix well to ensure the entire mixture turns yellow from the turmeric.

4. Add salt, kala namak (it will give you the egg-like smell and taste), and cilantro. Mix well. Serve with toast, a warm roti, or rolled in a wrap. The tastiest is eating this with a warm parantha.

Notes: Kala Namak can be found at any Indian grocery store. Kala means black and namak means salt. Mined from soft-stone quarries in central india, this salt is high in minerals and gives off a sulphureous smell and has a tangy tastes. Adding it to cold foods including street foods heightens flavor and give your snack foods more punch. Kala Namak is often used in Raita (savory yogurt) and on cold salads with lemon and white salt. The only mainstream store I’ve found it so far has been Treasure Island, but there it was incredibly expensive compared to the options at the Indian Grocer on Devon Ave. here in Chicago.

But, finding creative ways to get rid of all the food when you’re testing is often a bigger obstacle. Last year, writing a book on slow cooker Indian food had me swimming in dals, rajmah, and chicken curry. What to do?

After a few dishes went down the garbage disposal I turned to my community on Facebook and Twitter. Anyone that was interested could turn up on my doorstep with containers that I would fill with steaming and fragrant dishes. For free!

All they had to do was give me honest and balanced feedback on recipes. Feedback that proved invaluable. My buddy James took my mock keema and used it as a filler for his mushroom caps. That tip went into my book. My buddy Meg told me the spice levels were too low for her and her hubbie. It helped me up the spice levels on most dishes. And my friend Karen was just happy to eat anything and everything.

What came of the whole process was not only a place to send my food, but a way to develop more meaningful relationships with people that I might normally pass by with a quick nod or ‘hello’. My neighbor Karen and I are close to this day…James became a good friend to my girls…and I was offered everything from free babysitting to help with getting rid of a dead squirrel in the back of our house when my husband was traveling. The experience was priceless. Through the year I must have fed up to 300 Chicagoans.

Now that I am writing my next book, Vegan Indian, I want to resurrect the whole taste testing process. But, there are a few guidelines as my list of potential tasters grows.

1. I must know all tasters in some personal way. Whether it’s through a Facebook connection that I feel comfortable with..a phone conversation…or we’ve met in some way in the past. You’re coming to my home to pick up food so I just need to feel comfortable. If you’re testing for me, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t pass along my personal information without clearing it with me first. Sounds obvious, but you’ll have to live in Chicago to benefit!

2.  Please come prepared. You’ll need to bring your own containers. I only use glass in my home and if I start giving my containers often I don’t get them back in time and am scrambling to put food away after a day of testing.

3. Don’t feel that you need to stay. My favorite testers were those who picked up food, chatted for a few moments, and then left. Testing is a crazy, busy process!

4. If you want to come in…I don’t mind, but I hope you don’t mind taking off your shoes. We don’t wear shoes in our home. It’s cultural. We’re Indian-American and I’ve lived in Japan and Hawaii.

5. Review the food within a week on this blog – in the comment section of the most current post. Part of the testing process is to put information out on the blog. This helps with that process. If you don’t review the food in a timely manner, I just have to put you at the bottom of the tasting list. Sorry!:) You can also feel free to Tweet or Facebook about your experience.

6. Don’t feel you have to write a lengthy review. I just want some general feedback. An ideal comment would list the dish tested and some thoughts on how you liked it or ate it. Was there something you did differently with it? One friend used my mango chutney over rice as a quick, low-cal dessert.

7. If you have food allergies or a dislike of Indian Food…this is the not the project for you!:)

8. Food is Fresh: I only offer my taste testers food that’s been cooked either that day or day before. After that, I don’t offer it up to anyone except my family.

9. Have FUN. The point of this is to have fun and spread the word about good food, indian AS apple pie, and my upcoming book. I hope once you try all these recipes you’ll start to believe in the concept of the next book and share it with the people in your lives.

10. How do I sign up? Send me an email at anupysingla@indianasapplepie.com. It might take me a little time to get to you, but be patient and don’t worry. There’s a ton of food to be eaten!

OKAY…BACK TO COOKING. SEE YOU SOON!

It was off to the side under the kitchen window, along the house itself and purposely planted in a barren dirt patch.

This small spot of green would swell by the minute in the spring and summer – after, mind you, surviving the onslaught of winter. Nothing can kill mint. If you’ve ever grown the stuff, you know that it’s as aggressive as a weed and impossible to control.

That is, until I was sent by my mother to tackle it.

Armed with an oversized stainless steel bowl and a pair of kitchen shears, I was always instructed to enter the ‘mint zone’ just hours before any big weekend party. In those days (the 70s and 80s and before catering became a fad) mom cooked almost everything from scratch for our some 30 guests — Indian friends in the area that were even closer at times than the blood relatives thousands of miles away in India. It was a group  that took turns at the time throwing weekend get-togethers on a regular rotation.

I would carefully clip the stems to the bottom in bunches, throw them in the bowl, and strip each stem naked with fingers that turned green by the end of it. All the leaves would then be carefully washed and primed for a quick crush in the blender. Some lemon juice, onion, ginger, garlic, a green chile pepper, salt, and red chile powder was all it took to make a deeply fragrant mint chutney.

The word chutney, derived from Sanskrit, means so many things to so many people. It can be sweet. It can be savory. It depends on which region of Indian you are from and how you’ll be using it. It’s traditionally used as a garnish for a meal or as a condiment on sandwiches and crackers.  Our leftover mint chutney was slathered on bread along with butter for a chutney sandwich which the thought of,  to this day, still makes my mouth water.

Some chutneys are made completely from fresh ingredients, relying on a simple splash of lemon juice for acid. Others have you pour a light tempering of heated oil and spices over your fresh ingredients. And still others have you cook all ingredients together with sugar and vinegar to create a jelly-like result. Mango chutney is the best example of this last one. The possibilities, frankly, are endless.

This summer, after having access to fresh, local strawberries in my Irv and Shelly’s Fresh Picks shipment, I decided to give Strawberry Chutney a try. The result was an amazingly easy, delicious treat. I hope you’ll try it out yourself.

All your ingredients...

Strawberry Chutney Yield: 1 cup

1 pound strawberries, hulled and chopped (about 3 cups)                                                         2 tablespoons (30 mL) distilled white vinegar                                                                         1/3 cup light brown sugar (slightly more if you like it sweeter)                                               1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and grated                                                                             2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated                                                                                                   3 whole cloves                                                                                                                           1 green cardamom pod, lightly crushed                                                                                         1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick 1 pinch garam masala                                                                           1 pinch red chile powder or cayenne                                                                                               1 pinch salt

1. Put all ingredients except salt in heavy, deep pan on medium-high heat. Stir to ensure the sugar dissolves.

put everything in but the salt...

2. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat to medium and allow it to continue to simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

3. Add the salt, remove whole spices, and cool for about 20 minutes before serving. You  can refrigerate for about two weeks. Eat as a snack with crackers, use a dollop in your yogurt parfait, use as a filler for muffins and crepes, try it on pancakes and waffles…the possibilities are endless.

positively yummy!

Note: If the strawberries are the small, locally-grown variety, I like to keep them whole. But, if they are the conventionally store-bought size, I prefer to chop them up to make it easier to use the chutney as a spread.

Try This! Use the mixture as a spread with butter or Nutella on your favorite bread.

I was standing in the heart of Waikiki with my 9-foot long board leaning against my side. Vikram Seth – world famous Indian poet and novelist, and author of A Suitable Boy stood next to me dripping in his slightly too-long-to-be-cool orange shorts. As we waited for our ride – Kristin – to pull up her makeshift surf mobile – I asked him about process.

At the time, I was supposed to be writing my thesis on Japanese foreign investment in India. Instead, I was immersed in one of his most accomplished works.

I’d met Vikram over an extra glass of water (inside joke) at a conference and asked him if he wanted me to teach him how to surf. I never expected him to say yes.

He did.

In the week I got to briefly know him, I also became mildly obsessed with what I deem as one of his most creative and beautiful pieces of work, A Suitable Boy – 1,349 pages, and one of the longest novels ever published in a single volume in the English language. There was something about his poetry and how he weaved it into his writing that pulled me in. Truth-be-told I was less impressed with his surfing – but that’s a story for another blog post. 

As he stood there, he stared down at a funny little Hawaiian bird pecking away at a corner of the hot sidewalk contemplating life – his next book – meeting me? Who knew? I asked him how he found the creativity to write. How he managed to put so much into his work. His answer was focus. That’s all he was striving to do. He wasn’t planning marches, leading literary expeditions…organizing people to learn more about what he deemed important on any given day. Back in 1994 he certainly wasn’t on Facebook or Tweeting. He was writing books. He was traveling reading his works, and then he was getting back to his home and hopefully writing some more.

For someone like myself who lives on the constant edge of being creative, but also needing to lead – administrate/organize – rally friends around causes I think are important, this complete investment in one aspect of your art really struck me. The focus and dedication and lack of deviation was so impressive to me, a person who can always be swayed from my writing task at hand to do whatever else seems appealing at the moment – start up a random conversation with a stranger at a coffee shop or organize my sock drawer.

You can’t administrate to create is what I heard him saying.

So much of my last six months have been spent administrating. Traveling, publicizing, and pitching my first cookbook. I went from Baltimore to Manhattan, Minneapolis – Philadelphia – Indiana – Long Grove, Illinois for book signings, cooking events and on-camera appearances. I had a booth at the Chicago Housewares Show in March to showcase my new product, The Spice Tiffin (We sold it to Williams-Sonoma).

I taught classes at Whole Foods and Sur la Table. I taught for the City of Chicago’s cooking school, World Kitchen. I appeared at Printers Row Lit Fest and Chicago’s Family Fun Tent in Millennium Park. We’ve sold more copies of my book The Indian Slow Cooker than we ever expected – it’s still the No. 1 Indian cookbook on Amazon since its release last October despite the release of two other Indian cookbooks by acclaimed Indian chefs.

But. But. But. There was little time to write. To create. To type these words in between. Maybe some of this was a lack of self discipline. So much of it was life taking care of two little girls – having a husband who travels for work – and a household to run on top of all the other stuff.

Now, as I type at 3:33 in the morning on a Saturday I realize it’s my time to sit down and write. Create and give you recipes once again. Thank you to all of you for your patience. And thank you to Vikram for reminding me that you can’t be everything to everyone all the time. I’m still waiting for you to include me and a surfing scene in your next book. I was right there when you caught your first wave in Waikiki. I saw your mouth open wide and the look in your eye that only someone who successfully rides a wave in – however small – feels.

But, as I wait for your next piece of great, I will write. Cook. And write again. Because at the end of the day I’m only fulfilled if I’m creating with words and in the kitchen.

I hope you’ll stay tuned for my next blog post: Strawberry Chutney. In one word – utterly addictive. And, I hope you’ll write me on how your managing to successfully block out the noise as you continue to create in your own worlds.

Aloha.

Megan Pringle of WMAR-TV Baltimore interviews me about The Indian Slow Cooker this morning. Megan even tried her hand at spicing the chicken curry with The Spice Tiffin. From the taste testing afterwards — it looks like she got it just right!

I got to show Stacey Baca, anchor and reporter with the ABC news affiliate here in Chicago not only how easy it is to make lamb biryani in the slow cooker, but also how incredibly easy I’ve made it to throw your spices in with my Spice Tiffin. While I prepped and mixed, I let her measure and spice. The key to my biryani is mint leaves, cilantro, garam masala, turmeric and a few other key spices. Remember, if you don’t care for lamb, it’s incredibly easy to swap that out for chicken breast, turkey, paneer or even tofu. When I use paneer or tofu, however, I like to sautee the onions with some chopped tomatoes before putting into the slow cooker for added taste and moisture.

Stacey I know from early morning reporting. We used to be a handful of reporters out on the first story of the day – and I wondered if she’d remember me, as we never officially met. It was a competitive shift and we didn’t always sit and chat with one another even though our live trucks were all lined up together and usually on the same top story of the day. When she walked on set the first thing she said was, “I know you!”

I just remember watching her in action working a story at 4:30 a.m. I learned a lot from her, Kim Vatis (NBC) and Marcella Raymond (WGN). I was the new kid on the block working for a scrappy station with limited resources in the newsroom and out in the field. My background was business/international news and when I was thrust onto the local news scene I had to scramble to learn what questions to ask, who to go to for the best information, and which reporters would be helpful and which ones would just treat you like chewed gum on the bottom of their shoe.

It wasn’t an easy shift – but it was so much fun because you always had to be on and you never wanted to get scooped. I’m just glad I get to cook now instead of scramble for the best soundbite, the newest tidbit, and the latest video.

The lamb biryani is on page 120 of my book, The Indian Slow Cooker. If you’ve tried it and loved it, post some feedback!

The Spice Tiffin that I developed and designed myself (patent pending) is just about ready to hit the market. I thought the best place to debut it would be right here in Chicago at the annual International Home and Housewares Show and that’s exactly what we’ll be doing this weekend. Our booth will be in Gourmet – S2274. I’ll be signing books and cooking as well. There’s more to come, but I wanted all my blog readers to get the first look at my new take on the traditional Indian masala dabba.

Thanks for all of the initial feedback. I’ll have a link soon on just how you can purchase this box. It will be available through this blog at first. Sure, we’ve  been approached by all kinds of retailers – but I’d rather sell to all of you directly at first. Just be patient…another 2 weeks and we should have all the details up.

Thank you to everyone who has purchased a copy of my first book, The Indian Slow Cooker. It’s you who have helped it sell out consistently. And, it’s partially because of you that we are now heading into our fifth printing in about four months in the midst of fantastic press. While I continue to recipe test and write, I am also shooting a cooking show with a team of former co-workers in the news business who believe as much as I do that there needs to be an Indian cooking show out there that’s for the everyday person — just like us — struggling to get good food on the table quickly and effectively. I’m not exotic. I’m not gourmet. I’m certainly no goddess. I grew up in a blue-collar community outside of Philadelphia and just happened to have a foot in the States – with another foot in my country of birth, India. I want you to all realize that learning how to make wonderfully nutritious Indian food is incredibly simple. Adding simple Indian spices to your everyday foods will make them pop with flavor without too much fuss. If I can do it – you can do it. This video clip is part of a 30-minute show that we are editing in the hopes it will be picked up by a station one of these days. In the meantime – enjoy. This is my gift to all of you!

Recently, my book has gotten some great press. The February issue of Clean Eating magazine features The Indian Slow Cooker as part of their Book Club on page 26. Thank you to the editorial team there for recognizing that Indian cuisine is – at its core – incredibly healthy AND delicious. Many non-Indians are just realizing this, while many Indians and Indian-Americans, I argue, have actually forgotten as we’ve deviated from the cuisine we grew up on. It’s comfort food at its best, explained beautifully by New York-based journalist Lavina Melwani on her really fun blog lassiwithlavina.com, where she graciously reviewed my book. The Indian Slow Cooker continues to rank #1 Indian cookbook on Amazon and is listed in the triple digits in terms of ranking. In the Quick and Easy and Healthy categories it’s also one of the top. Amazing. Sure that might change, but I’m going to take a second to savor the moment with you.

Ahhh, with the moment of savoring out of the way, let’s head to questions:

Salt: Before cooking up my recipes, check out page 31 and my paragraph on white salt.  In all of my recipes I used Kosher or sea salt, which has crystals that are larger than the more-commonly found table salt. If you are using table salt, reduce the amount of salt in my recipes. So, if it calls for 2 tablespoons of salt, use 1 tablespoon or 1 1/2. Also remember that all of my measurements are LEVEL measurements except where I call for heaping. My recipes were written so that you can dole them over rice, sit down at the table and eat without sprinkling more spices or salt over them. This is how I eat at home..but that doesn’t mean I presume to know how you eat in yours. To be safe..always start with a little less salt you can add more later and tweak your recipes as needed. Some garam masala blends, I’m hearing, also come with added salt. When purchasing this spice take an extra look at the ingredient list and if it does include salt, adjust the recipes so that it works for you. If a recipe ever feels like it is heavy on the salt…just balance it out by adding a little more water and allowing it to boil, cook a bit more or by adding some milk, cream, or yogurt to lighten up the taste.

Cooking Times: One of the most frequent questions I get is about cooking times. For some, their food cooks faster than what I’ve indicated. Neither of us is right or wrong. There just simply is no gold standard in slow cookers. You should use my times as general guidelines and know you might end up going a little longer or shorter depending on the type of slow cooker and how old it is. I did have one user say that her beans did not soften after the appropriate amount of time. After some emails back and forth, I realized that likely it was because she has a slow cooker with only an on and off switch. To sucessfully cook raw beans you should have a high setting in order to really get them to soften and break down.

Can I Shorten Cooking Times?: You absolutely can, especially with the lentils and bean recipes. One way is to immerse them in water and soak them overnight. If you do this, discard the water the next day and reduce the amount of water used in your recipes by 2 – 3 cups. You’ll have to be the judge of how much you reduce the water. Just be sure to jot it down so you remember for the next time. Another little trick if you are short on time and don’t have time to soak your beans or lentils, is to use boiling water in your slow cooker. You can reduce the cooking time by a few hours with this little trick. Again, you’ll have to play with it to get it just right.

When I halve the recipe from a 5-quart to a 3 1/2-quart, what is the cooking time? The cooking time is the same. That’s why it was not changed or indicated in the subtext.

Can I substitute other beans and lentils in your recipes?: Sure, why not? I had one friend make the Rajmah recipe on Page 74 out of large, white beans instead of kidney beans. These recipes are simply guidlines and once you become more comfortable working inside the box, you’ll become a master at cooking outside the proverbial box.  

Why are there so many damn chickpea recipes in this book? I want more meat! Yes, there are some of you who have been alarmed that indeed there are so so so many lentil and bean recipes in this book. There are a variety of reasons for this. First…that’s what many South Asians on a regular day-to-day basis eat. Those dishes that are more familiar to some like chicken vindaloo…chicken tikka masala…butter chicken…are items that are found on most Indians menus outside of India. But, this book is familiarizing folks with homestyle Indian. It’s giving you a true window into one aspect of the Indian world. Indian food is one of the few cuisines that truly takes legumes to a whole new level. They are incredibly tasty made this way, and why not try and fit them into your diet if you can. With this book you now have a reason to want to do so.

Man this book is hot – and I don’t just mean how fast it’s selling: Yep. The dishes are spicy. They are meant to be. That’s how we eat this food in our homes. Now, my mother is from a home in India where food is less spicy. In my father’s village food is made spicy the way I’ve indicated in the book. I’ve eaten in some South Indian’s friends’  homes where I could not mange to eat the food it was that spicy. So, there are ranges. Again, I gave you a window into my world with my spice levels. But, you know your palatte. Don’t go there if you truly can’t handle heat. Work up to it. I’m not judging you. The point is that you should love the food. The food should be delicious to you. Keep in mind as well, that as the dishes sit, the immediate heat of the chili also subsides a bit. If you make a dish and it’s a little too much, just add a little milk, cream, or yogurt to it to balance it out. A good example would be to do this for my palak paneer (spinach and cheese) recipe.

Why is my chicken not RED?? Before you go and post a one-star review on Amazon as a result of this, I want you to note that in a normal world chicken is never red. That’s right, folks. Not even Indian chickens. You’ve only been brainwashed to think so (and I was the same until I started to cook myself) because the Tandoori paste in which chicken and other meats are marinated in most Indian restaurants is infused with good old basic red food dye. This chicken is often grilled and served dry. Or, it can be cut up and put into a chicken tikka masala sauce. The chicken tikka masala recipe in my book gets a little bit of redness from paprika. That’s it. And, the chicken curry dish on page 108 should be brown in color from the masalas that are added. If you are looking for red chicken curry in South East Asia – that’s likely a blend of Indian and SE Asian spices. Often that is served in countries like Malaysia and Thailand. If you want to eat healthier kick the red dye habit to the curb. It’s gross and it might even lead to negative behavioral issues in young children. It’s totally not worth it. And for the guy in Thailand that just can’t understand why he ended up with a greasy mess (ironically that’s after 1/4 cup of oil in a 5-quart slow cooker and three pounds of chicken), you are welcome to email me. I’d love to buy my book back from you. This was such a labor of love, I’d rather not have you even be bothered to keep the book a minute longer than you’d want to…My email? anupysingla@indianasapplepie.com.

I’m Indian…and the recipes in this book don’t seem authentic: This one I’m a little over the top on. If you are Indian than you realize the country and culture AND cuisine is so vast there is no authentic. I never claimed that this book represents an entire country. We stated in the beginning that it’s a Punjabi’s take on Indian food. Keep in mind, my husband and I both come from Punjabi families and we still have vastly different tastes in everything from rajmah to kardhi. So, don’t review this as ‘not authentic’. You might say it’s different from what you are used to if you’re from another state outside of Punjab..and if you want the recipes to taste closer to home then just make your modifications and notes right in the book. There are many Indian cookbooks out there that I use as a reference but have yet to find one that really rings true to the way I grew up eating – well, except for mine – because I was the one to write this one. I don’t criticize other Indian chefs or authors. I just love that they have a different way to speak the same culinary language. Why not mix it up — and as Indians why not all rejoice in the celebration of all of our points of views? Because there is no one way to cook Indian food.

Simplest of Simple Yellow Lentils (page 55): Cook this one 7 hours on low. I’ve also clarified that this is the moong dal: dried split, and skinned yellow moong dal.

Simple Spinach and Lentil Soup (page 56): Cook this one 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Same thing as above, this is moong dal.

Simple Split Chickpea Curry (page 65): Yes, folks. You are right. You SHOULD NOT use 33 cups of chana dal. It should be 3 cups, which can be figured out by taking a look at the 603 g measurement. Thank you to the folks who helped catch this typo early – we fixed it after the first print.

Chicken Tikka Masala (page 109): Kudos to the reader who realized that red chile pepper was listed twice – eliminate the first reference and use 1 tsp – 1 tablespoon. Thank you for pointing that out and I appreciate that it did not dissuade you from trying out the recipe and others in the book. Hugs!

Chicken Vindaloo (page 114): The correct cooking time is 7 hours on high.

Rice Pudding (page 127): The correct cooking time is 3 hours on high. Some folks have asked if you can make this one with brown rice. For some reason, using brown has not worked for me in the past, but if you have tried it sucessfully please, please add your comments and maybe we can include that as part of the recipe at a later time.

Where do you shop?  I am currently compiling a list of grocery stores and online vendors where folks can purchase spices and goods. Please share your favorite spots – names, addresses and even phone numbers if and when possible. These are places that you’ve tried and trust. I will try and put a post out soon with your findings. In the meantime, I want to let everyone know I’m on my way to offering my own spice blends, which will be available shortly. You’ll be able to purchase a starter kit of spices through this blog.

Again, thanks to all the rest of you. Please continue to check back as I will be adding to this post as the questions continue to filter in.

Don’t worry, this is still a blog about Indian food. But, homemade Indian is a way I’ll be reaching my weightloss goals…so I see the tie in. You all helped me finish my first book, so I’m hoping you’ll also help me with this.

Here’s how my second week into this project is coming along:

Day 1 (January 1, 2011): Woke up determined I would jump out of bed ready for a new year, but just wanted to sleep more. I actually slept 9 hours (what is wrong with me?) but still didn’t want to head to the gym and workout. BUT…I did. Three miles and 50 pushups later I feel great and very proud of the fact that I pushed past my initial resistence. Although I felt good, I was struggling after the initial 8 laps around the track. But, I thought of all of you reading this post and I determined to finish the next 4. What’s your goal today. Did you meet it? If not, when do  you plan to start? Get going, folks. If I can do this, so can you!

Day 2 (01/02/11): Woke up with a plan to swim and then just couldn’t stick to it. That’s fine – I think making a resolution is about taking it a day at a time, sometimes even minute-by-minute and dealing with things as best you can as they’re thrown at you. Today ended up being devoted to the kids and running errands. But, I’ve got to say. I feel really healthy. Just a tiny bit more in control and leaner. Today’s win was saying no to a muffin with my coffee (that’s our usual Sunday splurge). I was also pretty good with portion control through out the day: small bowl of oatmeal with flax and berries, 1/2 veggie bagel sandwich, bowl of soup with side of rice chips, and homemade pizza. I did OD on the pizza. But at least it was all healthy ingredients. Tomorrow will be an even better day. I’m determined. Oh, and I did go for the waterbottle consistently. How are you all doing?

Day 3 (01/03/11): Why is it that I always start the day on a good note but end it a failure? A friend heard this sentiment on Oprah’s network this week and I couldn’t agree with it more. So, today, I determined I would not feel like a failure. No late-night binges or splurges. I am determined to stay strong all day…and I did. The started strong with a 45-minute workout with Will and ended with a cup of warm, ginger-infused chai and a small piece of dark chocolate. Along the way? A banana with peanut butter, a bowl of kitchari (dal and rice), 2 small slices of homemade pizza, and a homemade burrito with my kids’ famous guac. Lots of water and not cheating with the pizza and onion rings the kids had for lunch. Now off to drink some water…

OKAY. I ADMIT IT. I FELL OFF THE WAGON A BIT. I got majorly sick (the last 2 times I’ve actually gotten the flu have been right after doing yoga at the gym…hmmmm). No working out for the last seven days for me. But tomorrow I’m back to it..and back to writing. Habits take at least 3 weeks to really cement, right folks?

It was the last time I’d stuff five chocolate chip cookies into my mouth. Granted, they were homemade. AND I don’t normally eat a ton of sugary desserts. But, I had just vowed this morning that I’d focus on losing my last little bit of weight. But, I had just put the girls to bed after a grueling day of the little one screaming her head off in the car for an hour and I was tired and those little buggers looked tempting sitting on that cookie tray. The edges browned, slightly curling up. The moist, chocolate chips ready to burst. The white chocolate chips the kids threw in there for fun.

It was either eat them or do the dishes. I opted to eat them and leave the dishes for tomorrow.

As some of you know, I’ve been struggling with my weight for some time. No…I don’t need to be on a reality show. Because no one is making a reality show for someone like me. Someone who is fit..trim…works out regularly…eats extremely well…but just has to shave 5 – 10 pounds. It’s just not as sexy I guess as watching folks that need to lose five times that weight.

I’m 5 foot 2…3 on a good day. And, I’m 135 pounds. There, I said it. But, remember, a lot of that is muscle. I have trained with weights since high school. I also do yoga…swim…run. BUT…I can’t shake this weight. And, it bugs me because as my book starts heating up I need to be on-air again for appearances. It doesn’t help to look at pictures of yourself after and cringe just a little bit. And, I’m being totally honest here because I think there are more of us in the world than folks that need to lose 20..30…40…50…hundreds of pounds.

So…here it is..I’m putting it out there. I’m challenging myself and I’m not waiting until the first of the year. I am wholeheartedly starting now.

Here’s what I’m proposing: I will continue to eat right – and mostly wholesome Indian food that I cook at home, I’ll drink tons of water, stay away from sweets the next 2 weeks, eliminate even that one drink a week for the next 14 days, and boost the workouts.

I’ll post again soon…and in the meantime I want to hear from all of you. Because it’s hearing from you that keeps me going and motivated.

Day 1: Today started off and actually ended well. I have my two commentors to thank in part. So…thank you! Ran 3 miles this morning and took the advice of my trainer…I ran in sweats rather than shorts and a tank. I sweat a lot more than usual and felt better after the run. Ate a homemade lentil soup for lunch..yep..lentils are a vegetarian’s dream. Packed with fiber and protein without the meat. That’s the big reason I believe I’ve been held back from really getting on a routine that works. Every diet book I pick up says the same thing: eat small meals (6 daily) and most it should be lean meats. Folks..I don’t like the taste of meat. I tried it a few weeks ago..opting for a tuna sandwich after getting off a plane at O’Hare rather than the portabello mushroom fix I wanted and I nearly threw up after. This is not in any way condeming folks who eat meat. Some of my best friends are carnivores..including my husband. I just can’t stand the taste myself and am tired of trying to fit it into my day-to-day ‘diet’ routine. If any of you have breakfast recommendations that don’t involve meat (eggs) I’d love them. I’d also love to get some recommendations on non-dairy sources protein for breakfast. This morning I popped a few soaked almonds. And if you haven’t tried it yet, it’s a good one – something they do in India all the time. Just soak a fistful of almonds overnight. Eat in the morning. It’s a delicious way to get all the nutrients of the almonds, while making them more digestable. My girls love peeling and eating them on the way to school. On to day 2…

Days 2 and 3….so far so good. Went to a family event last night and actually got through it w/out a sip of alcohol (I’m staying away for 14 days) despite my husband begging me to try his ‘amazing’ wine. And…when the dessert came (apple pie hot out of the oven) I was so stuffed from salad that I didn’t even consider it. I wasn’t a saint – I had a serving of the very overly cheesy lasagna (um…we were in Wisconsin) and we ordered Chinese this weekend. But, the win is that the portions were small and I had a ton of salads. Sure…there were pancakes for breakfast but I made them myself and stuffed them with fresh blueberries. Tomorrow I’ll be onto the workout with my trainer. Thanks for all of the terrific feedback, folks. I hope these adds encourage you all to meet your own goals.

Day 4: He said I’d throw up. I almost did. I’ve never wanted to throw up in the middle of a workout but this morning was the exception. My trainer: Will Rogers at the East Bank Club is one of the best I’ve had. He pushes you…he doesn’t mince words…and he doesn’t let you get away with anything – especially wasting good training time. Both of us are now on a mission to get me at my best. This morning Will actually jumped on my back. Seriously, folks! All 210 pounds of him jumped on my back and made me walk the length of the basketball court – twice. We jumped rope – three minutes at a time – did bear crawls – stairs – push ups and a few other choice exercises. The key folks – I wore sweats the whole time. It helped warm me up and kept me sweating. What are your goals? Are you getting out there and getting it done? If not..what are you waiting for? Join me!

Day 5: We’re almost at the first week’s end, and day 5 was a little challenging because of lack of sleep. I was up till 2 a.m. on a mission to get this house organized…my wins were that even though my stomach was growling at the nth hour I only ate a grapefruit. AND that I still got in about 20 minutes of cardio in my day – swimming 15 laps. We took the kids to go see Yogi Bear and we even stayed away from the fat-laden, addictive popcorn.  I actually feel lighter after just cutting back on the splurges that typically add up in my days. The only reason I have been a little hesitant to continue eating oatmeal for breakfast (some of you have mentioned it below) is that a friend consulted a nutritionist who told her that some body types are slowed down by eating heavier foods like oatmeal rather than proteins. It made me stay away from it but I think I’m going to go back. I like oats in the morning…and love filling my bowl with berries, a half banana, chopped nuts and flax seed. That can’t be bad, can it? And, it keeps me full throughout my day. One thing I want to share about my mission to lose my last bit of weight is that it’s driven by how I FEEL and not how I perceive other people SEE me. I know that generally I feel strong and healthy (no, I’ll never be rail thin nor would I want to be) but I don’t feel completely comfortable. Even a small amount of weight can make you feel off – and that’s the balance I’m looking to regain. I have always been very steady in the weight category. Yep, 108 in high school and about 115 in college – no freshman 15 nor did I gain weight after school primarily because I think I always ate pretty healthy and never drank that much. Kids changed the equation and that’s when I started to struggle to really get back to a comfortable zone in my 120s. No, weight isn’t everything. A lot of my pounds are more muscle than fat BUT I do see it beneficial to lose my gut. There, I said it. That’s my only real problem spot and I just can’t seem to get rid of it. Trying…trying…trying…

Day 6: The focus in my workout today besides sweating and almost heaving again, was for Will to set me straight on weight. I truly get it, but it was good to hear again…that muscle weighs more than fat, and that even if the scale is not going down the way I want it to..if I am feeling good in my clothes and feeling fit I’m likely replacing my fat with muscle. Yes. I get it. But man wouldn’t it be nice to see that needle go down just a tad? I was really dying for a dessert today – I mean really dying. Guess what did it for me? I had leftover homeade pancake batter from the weekend (whole grains) with blueberries and I not only made one before dinner but I smothered it in real maple syrup and some soy butter…oh, and half a banana and a dash of chopped walnuts. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. Today I also bought a few other grocery items: nutritional yeast (hoping to mix it into my lentils to add some protein), a vegan soy powder, and tempeh. I’ll let you know how it all goes. Heading to bed early and on a mission to run a five miler tomorrow. Anyone joining me??? C’mon…even a mile would do! Oh, another thing that has helped me a lot with my workouts – my trainer recommended leaving the treadmill behind and running on a track or outside. He believes running on the treadmill is essentially giving your body a lazy workout (my word – not his) and not really burning as many calories as you could otherwise – it’s a false sense of a calorie burn. Since I’ve taken to the track for the past year my running has improved dramatically. Yes, I’m still slow (according to one observer that I’ve run with in the past and won’t run with again.) BUT I can push past the three to four mile mark without getting overly tired now as I did about 6 months ago. If you have access to a track, give it a try and see if it helps. If you have no choice of course the treadmill is your friend and saviour…Oh, and thought I’d add in my meals today in case anyone really cares: nothing prior to my workout – nothing right after (that was wrong)..cup of coffee…bowl of steel cut oats with nuts and 1/2 banana and some Agave, Whole Wheat pita with avacado (I’m addicted), cucumber, onion, tomato, Veganaise, and a side of Azuki rice chips, my lovely pancake, and for dinner Indian Khardi (yogurt soup basically with cauliflower, spinach, and other veggies) over Basmati rice and pan fried potato fritters (pakoras). Yum. And I know I know…I need some more protein in there right?

This video was shot and edited by the very talented Chicago-based photographers Mike Adams and Donte Williams. It was produced by the illustrious Aline Wessel. Special thanks to the folks at Patel Brothers.

Now…you all have to come to the next event there…it’s a 10:30 a.m. (FREE) how-to on Indian spices on Tuesday, December 7. Let me know if you’re coming and I’ll reserve your spot. I’ll be doing some research on where to buy what locally and will  have a list of great information for you!

All pics were shot by Gregg Lowe with Brave New Pictures. Their team shot the pictures for my cookbook and do some absolutely amazing work.