‘With a few flowers in my garden, half a dozen pictures and some books, I live without envy’  ~ Lope De Vega.  And now with my garden not in good shape I no longer live without envying my friend who has a sprawling garden to boast.
Some days back when she presented me a few bundles of fresh green fenugreek and a couple of veggies from her farm this is what I cooked. Just as the Khichdi recipe in the previous post there is nothing spectacular in this recipe also, it has the least ingredients and cooks quickly.

Sometimes a simple and easy recipe with a tongue twisting name can make you a winner. And when I was confused as to what to take for my weekend pot luck party, this scrumptious & cheesy Quesadilla did it for me. I used the normal cornflour (very fine variety) for the recipe here and am able to bring the taste and texture of an authentic Quesadilla to a certain extent.

If you have never used cornmeal or cornflour before I suggest you make the Tortillas with wheat flour first, as there is no gluten in cornflour which makes it difficult to handle and roll out into thin circles.. Keep reducing the quantity of wheat flour and increasing the cornflour in the recipe as you get more confident dealing with the not so friendly cornflour dough

Certain food brings back the memories associated with it, the person who cooked it, the people we ate with, and the occasion it was cooked for. When Alicia Cowan of My Dish contacted me to write about food which makes me nostalgic, it took me a while to zero down to just one recipe! Oh yes..this Cottage cheese in exotic gravy mom prepared for almost all the parties we used to host at home is a nostalgic recipe. Though not for the flavors and the recipe itself but for the fun & frolic we had during those parties with friends. And mom was quite famous for this Paneer Jalfrzi with her hot Kulchas.Even now whenever (read rarely) I cook this recipe I make sure to call at least one childhood friend to talk about those wonderful childhood days of yesteryear.

A recent visit by a friend from a near by hill station, made me rich with piles of farm fresh mountain vegetables, yes these tender, young and juicy organic veggies are no less than a treasure. I could not control myself but to munch upon the crunchy carrots, cucumber and the lovely green pods filled with sweet little peas. One of my favorite snacks of all time I could spend hours together with a bucketful of fresh peas..press..open..pluck..plop..and repeat But alas, these veggies are a far cry in big cities, all I get here is lifeless, limp and tasteless vegetables.

Oh yes..you read it right..these are healthy pickle recipes infused with flavorful spices, less oil and packed with the goodness of green chili peppers! Rich in vitamin A & C, high in anti oxidants, low in fats & cholesterol the green chillies boast of many minerals as well.

What…not interested..Hmm..then these two pickle recipes will surely make you crave for green chili pepper! Very common in most parts of Rajasthan in India, these pickles are a savior recipe for many (including me) to serve those unexpected hungry guests So at any point of time you could find these two things in my refrigerator, a fresh coriander leaf chutney and this green chilly pickle.

A wonder grain and a super food - Quinoa is finding its place in the most modern kitchens of many health enthusiast again. Quinoa is actually a seed and is related to Spinach family. When cooked this becomes light & fluffy and gives a nutty taste of grain. Close to one of the most complete foods in nature, Quinoa is a great substitute for many grains which are hard to digest and to some lentils which lack certain chemicals which are present in Quinoa.

With the summer vacation coming to an end and the children gearing up for the school, the days are going to be more hectic and short. Gone are the days of late night outings and no wake up calls in the mornings. Hitler rule prevails again Need a good revision of lunch box recipes to be packed to school for the kids.

Okra and potatoes being the two most favorite veggies for my kids are often packed with Indian flat breads along with a fruit or fruit juice. The one recipe which wins hands down for my son’s lunchbox is this Peanut butter stuffed Okra.

Never knew the worth of mom’s cooking until I started to cook myself. All of a sudden the spices did not impart the same flavors, veggies did not taste as fresh as they did when she cooked with them and there was always something missing in the final recipe. Could not figure out the reason for quite a long time, till I discovered the secret ingredient in all her recipes and that is ‘The love‘ which she pours every time in it when she cooks.

We do differ in many aspects of life and cooking, which include her love for oil and chilly and her ways of parenting. But then such differences are what makes life more spicy and worth living And yes I do love you Mom!

A Zucchini Sunday! Yes the weekend was dedicated to this summer squash and its delicacies. Baked a Zucchini bread, a brownie and savory pancakes with my Zucchini. These Zucchini pancakes are quite easy and quick to make and can be a delightful breakfast.

When I think of a street food which is healthy too, Pav Bhaji wins hands down! Yes, with loads of veggies sitting pretty on the plates of my kids with a smile on their faces, is what gets the crown for this humble dish called Pav Bhaji. This surely is a great recipe to sneak in all those veggies into your kids menu which are abundant from their science dictionary. And I don’t forget to add pumpkin in my Pav Bhaji recipe..shh they are out to play