Indian As Apple Pie

Many of you have heard of dosa by now - a fermented South Indian ground rice-lentil crepe that has become widely popular. But, do you know about the North Indian pooda (also spelled poora)? It's a wonderfully easy crepe to make - no fermenting needed, high in protein & fiber and gluten-free as well. I introduced them in my third cookbook, Vegan Indian Cooking, on page 79. What's different in this recipe? Just you wait ...  I've been juicing every morning and as I showcased my concoctions on my Facebook page, you've asked me what to do with the pulp? I decided to...

As the granddaughter of a prominent landowner and farmer from the heart of Punjab, India, please do not refer to Saag as Palak. My family spent our years living in America viciously stringing vacation days together to visit my grandparents in the haweli where my father grew up. To even get to his childhood village, you have to drive your way through fields and fields of bright green and yellow-topped mustard green fields. I've been on a tractor in those same fields and can still smell that freshly-cut aroma from the tender stems. When cooked down with spices and some key ingredients,...

Bonjour de Leysin ... Hello from Leysin, a small Alpine village in the heart of the Swiss Alps. It's a tiny alcove at the eastern end of Lake Geneva. It's my second summer here bringing my girls for summer camp. They just love it and this summer, I decided to say an emphatic 'Yes!' when my girls' summer school program asked me to teach a few cooking classes. I needed something to help me get back to what's important, and renting an Airbnb in the mountains, spending time here cooking, shooting pictures, swimming, and learning French daily - completely alone...

Minnesota .... Thank you for having me back! I am humbled.  This time, I'll be demoing my favorite Veggie burger at one of my favorite spots -- Eastside Food Co-op. They are one of the first places here to put my special spice blends on their shelf - and because of that, I'm committed to coming up here from Chicago to give them some spicy love back.  This week, I'm showcasing one of my favorite legumes - Black Chickpeas - or Kala Chana.  It's one of the four legumes we offer through Indian As Apple Pie because you cannot usually...

I make dinner just about every night, and I have yet to find a recipe that I could actually eat every day, until this soup. It's at once light and flavorful - an addictive combination. It also tastes better after a day or so in the fridge as the beans continue to break down and absorb flavor.  First, tips on saving time & boosting flavor in your pressure cooker and beyond:  Use dried beans. They are cheaper, more nutritious, and absorb more flavor than canned. In this recipe, the 2 cups of dried cannellini beans cost about $2.50 from the...

Get heart healthy this Valentine's Day and beyond with a recipe that has quickly become my morning routine. The oats immediately transport me to visits to my mother's childhood home and the city where I was born -- Chandigarh, India. Every breakfast included steaming bowls of chewy, delicious dalia.  All forms of oatmeal come from oat groats, the whole oat grain. This whole grain can be used in cooking, but typically must be soaked and remains chewy after cooking. These groats, when chopped up with steel blades into two to three pieces,  make steel-cut oats, also sometimes called Irish oats....

I'VE PERFECTED MY BLACK BEAN SOUP. The recipe is for the updated version of my first book, The Indian Slow Cooker, which will be released this fall from Agate Publishing. I know that's still a few months away. So, for now, enjoy! Black Bean Soup with Tomatillo, Roasted Corn and Jalapeno SLOW COOKER SIZE: 5-QUART COOKING TIME: 6 HOURS ON HIGH YIELD: 16 CUPS 3 cups dried black beans, picked over, washed, and soaked at least 2 hours2 tablespoons vegetable oil2 teaspoons cumin seeds1 teaspoon turmeric powder2 teaspoons ground black pepper5 cloves garlic, minced1 medium onion, minced2 carrots, diced2 tomatillos, husks removed and...

The Indian Slow Cooker is getting better! My first cookbook released in 2010 through Evanston-based Agate Publishing. When my publisher suggested updating it, I had to say yes. After all, it's the book the started the #HealthyIndian revolution. It's largely based on my working immigrant mother's recipes. The very ones she raised our family on as she struggled to balance dinner and work daily without help in the house and in a foreign country.  There are several new recipes in the book. One is for Dal Makhani. I know you love eating it out, but how about making it at home...

FOR ME, HEALTHY ISN'T ENOUGH - IT HAS TO BE DELICIOUS, TOO! My preteen actually made this recipe herself just to get more of it. It truly is that yummy. I used the healing spice, turmeric in here, which you know you should eat, but some of you may still not quite know how to get it into your days more regularly.  The key with this healthy anti-inflammatory of a spice? Mix it with a fat and black pepper. The fat can be obtained through dairy (i.e. the recent rage of turmeric milk), it can be through oil or through ghee (clarified...

I'M FEELING FEVERISH .... No, it's not because of the chilly Chicago weather. I always get like this when I'm writing a cookbook. Why my entire family collectively groaned when I told them I'm updating my first book, The Indian Slow Cooker, for release this fall. All of you, however, should be smiling. Why? Because I will be sharing some recipes right here on my website. Some are new. Some are improvements on the old. All are ones you'll want to try.  This week's recipe is Rasam. I originally showcased a recipe for it on page 90 of my second book, Vegan...