Nutty Carrot Pudding a.k.a Gajar Halwa, this ubiquitous dessert hardly needs any introduction to those who love Indian food! This rich, decadent and comforting sweet made with red carrots adorns the dinning table of  many households during the chilly winter nights. The juicy sweet red carrots which gives the distinct color and taste to the pudding are available only for a few month in a year and its presence also welcomes the beginning of winter days in India. Fresh carrot juice, pickled carrots in  jars, exotic carrot jam, colorful pilaf with tiny chunks of red carrots and just plain carrots is what I love to serve mine.

Naan – a popular flat bread from South Asia, always reminds me of my college days in Delhi. The time I traveled quite frequently to my home during weekends and used to eagerly wait for the bus to stop at those high way Dhabas (makeshift village side eateries) for some scrumptious meal. Charcoal smoked Naans hot from Tandoor (clay oven), generously smeared with fresh butter and served with whole creamy lentils, yogurt raita and sliced onions…Mmm. Although I often make Naan at home but nothing can beat that authentic taste of charcoal infused slightly charred stuffed Naan. If only I knew that a food blog is on the anvil…I would have asked him the recipe for sure

“No Pancakes, no Parathas, no Upma and no Sandwiches please…we want something different for breakfast tomorrow” my son made a demand last night. “We are ready to wait for a little extra time mom, so no excuses” my daughter informed with a blink. First half of the night was spent turning from one side of bed to other, thinking about that ‘something different’. Why not take one ingredient each from all the breakfast recipes and …Yes I got it, now sleep tight Zzzzz…

Wholewheat from parathas, semolina from Upma, yogurt from pancakes and veggies from sandwiches and here I am with this healthy yet ‘something different‘ on a lazy Sunday morning breakfast table…Tada! Big smile on their faces and I know that the effort of baking this delightful savory cake is really worth taking

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

‘Necessity is the mother of invention’ holds true for this Banana & carrot eggless bread which added one more foodie inventions in my recipe network. I never tried a cake or a bread in a pressure cooker, as there was always a smiling Microwave sitting pretty in my kitchen. But the sudden current cut made me do so. After assembling all the ingredients for the bread, mixing the batter and pouring the mix in the bread pan, the current went off and my microwave went silent!

h recipe tasting better than the other. Coriander rice, cabbage rice, lemon rice, pepper rice, tamarind rice, mint rice to name a few.

Rice used to be just an accompaniment to dal (pulses) & vegetables, as plain rice or pulav a few years back. But not any more! I am amazed by the versatility and varieties of dishes this humble grain creates, after coming to the land of rice.

You name an ingredient and there is a recipe for the same, and each recipe tasting better than the other. Coriander rice, cabbage rice, lemon rice, pepper rice, tamarind rice, mint rice to name a few.
Phew….
Carrot rice dons many avatars, with pepper, onion, clove and green chillies into the recipe. And with every version tasting unique and different.