Indian As Apple Pie

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...

As many of you know, I have spent the last 3 years working on making Indian food easier to find for all of you. One goal has been to get our products on mainstream grocery shelves. While the Indian food section in most stores is pretty diverse, I will argue that many (not all) products lack in one of two areas: health and taste.  Many taste like someone non-Indian approved them. And, many load up on oils, creams and do include food dyes. No, not all. But, many fall into this category.  With my products, we are creating a #HealthyIndian...

It's bordering on Farmers' Market season. Sure, that means beautiful produce. But, if you are like me, it also means a few of those well-intentioned impulse purchases going to waste. Think of this amazing stew as a way to collect all the little veggies you meant to eat and putting them to good use.  Although I grew up eating North Indian food in my home, I also ate a ton of South Indian food made by friends from Tamil Nadu and other areas of South India. My absolute favorite was homemade Sambhar and a fermented rice-lentil crepe called dosa. Here's...

It’s a well known fact that I’m a single mother of two little girls during the week. My husband has traveled for our entire 13 years of marriage – often leaving on a Monday and returning on a Thursday, Friday, and even Saturday morning at times. When he returns, I hear the predictable, “What’s for dinner?” This question is often met with a simple, one-word answer: ‘Dal’. Despite the fancy dinners my husband gets to enjoy when on the road consulting and schmoozing clients – the only thing he truly craves is a deep, steaming bowl of freshly-made dal (also...

I’m not going to lie: I love, love, love New Year’s. Especially making resolutions. I’m a writer who covets my pens and pencils. Who keeps my best ones in a little, tan leather pen holder from Coach. Who actually has a collection of notebooks. I’ve never met one that I didn’t love. And on New Year’s I have the ability to purchase a new notebook, the blank pages a symbol of the opportunities ahead and the many amazing and beautiful lists to come. This New Year’s is no different. My resolutions include new and old ones: eat better (i.e. no...

I'm done. Exhausted. Pooped. I've been cooking since 7 a.m. Well, either cooking ... buying groceries to cook .... or playing with the kids to get them tired enough to go to bed sooo I can cook some more.Here's what I have so far:Simplest of Simple Yellow Dal (came out great - look at Sophie's review in last post) Cauliflower in Red Sauce (Really came out bad. The original recipe called for a can of diced/peeled tomatoes and I feel like the canned adds too much sweetness to Indian food - any thoughts? That's going in the trash as I...