What is Till Chikki Till Chikki is one of the most popular treat prepared during Makar Sankranti. It is a healthy brittle that we make with white sesame seeds and jaggery or sugar. A famous North Indian winter treat. To celebrate the mark of the new beginning, Sankranti is celebrated in January. Makar Sankranti is also one of the most auspicious harvest festival and on that day a lot of sweets are prepared using new harvested rice, jaggery, sesame and nuts....

Belgian Waffles is different from American Waffles YES! There is a difference. Belgian waffle was initially prepared with yeast which would make it extremely airy and light. These days it is prepared with baking powder and soda, just how I did in my recipe. Also, Belgian Waffle has deep pockets which comes from the particular waffle maker. You can definitely use the same recipe to prepare regular American waffles too. It will still be crispy and airy....

What is Bhapa Ilish (Steamed Hilsa) Bhapa means steamed and Ilish is Hilsa fish. We always prepare this dish with the pungent mustard sauce. We add fresh green chili for flavor and heat, along with turmeric powder for the gorgeous yellow color. Hilsa fish or Ilish maach is an acquired taste, and it takes skill to enjoy a fish that is filled with so many tiny bones. Most of us Bengalies learn that skill at a very early age....

Today, let’s enjoy the Carrot Ginger Mini Bundt cake. It’s been pouring all-day long and the weatherman said that it would remain the same for the next few days. For some weird reason, I am actually enjoying the rain and the cozy feeling that it’s bringing along with it. I am also enjoying the smell of the cake and the simple flavors, which go so well with a cup of hot tea....

Chia Pudding is a healthy breakfast choice which is not only super easy to put together. It’s something that can be done in advance. Chia seeds doesn’t have any flavor but works as a great blank canvas to incorporate your choice of flavor. What is a GOOD RATIO for Chia Pudding? For a perfectly thick chia pudding consistency you would need 3 tablespoons chia pudding to 1cup milk. I personally don’t always like it too thick and so change it up based on how I want it....

My Mom is one of those very simple women who didn’t change much with time. I have never seen her wearing anything other than saree; her hair is always casually tied into a bun with a red bindi on her forehead and no make up whatsoever. Her fashion sense could be old fashioned but I adore how quickly she got herself accustomed to smart phones. For someone who never cared to have a mobile phone, she very proficiently chats with me on WhatsApp and even learnt video calling on Skype....

There was a time when weekends were about relaxing and taking it slow. Then, our baby boy grew up into a hyperactive toddler and weekends got packed! There are either errands to run, places to visit or things to do. Our little fella wants an agenda every day. I can’t even imagine how crazy it will get once all these activity classes start. It’s a good thing he shows interest in the kitchen because this is my kind of fun activity....

Kulfi is a very popular Indian dessert prepared with evaporated milk, flavored as per choice and then frozen in the molds. It took me a year to find these molds! And as expected, Arvind instantly requested for a classic kulfi that’s rich and velvety. It’s his all time favorite guilty pleasure. I will certainly share that traditional kulfi with you eventually. As for today, it’s a healthy version of kulfi....

As a kid, we used to eat a lot of momos (type of dumplings native to Himalayas of Tibet), noodles and Wonton Soup. I remember this restaurant where we friends used to visit more than often and spend a lot of time doing all the yap yap 🙂 . The restaurant used to serve amazing chinese food and my favorite was the wonton soup. It was just perfect for those cold winters....

Garlic Bread Garlic Bread is a perfect side dish to pair with soups, salad, stew or pasta. I am a sucker for garlic bread and can pretty much go overboard with carbs by munching a few slices on repeat. You can make a quick garlic bread by using even your sandwich bread slices. But it definitely tastes better when you use a baguette or any artisan bread. Have you tried my NO KNEAD EASY BREAD...

I have been preparing potato gnocchi for several years now and have learnt a lot over the period of time. In my blog I have just one potato gnocchi blog post. Most days I prepare it just before mealtime and because we love potato gnocchi so much, we find it hard to wait. You can make this a weekend family activity. That’s how we roll it all the time....

The unsuccessful experiment creates a disaster and mess in the kitchen that makes me really mad! But thankfully it makes me more curious and stubborn. Call it attitude if you may, but it helps me to finally nail the dish! Making Khandvi was not easy and it took multiple attempts to get it right. It’s definitely not one of the easiest snacks to prepare. It needs a lot of time and attention but at the end, you will certainly not regret the effort....

I am sure most of you can relate to the fact that our Mom has a magical way to figure out measurements while cooking. They like using their hand as measuring cups. They like to eyeball most of the time. Thankfully these fritters don’t really need a lot of elements and hence it was easy to recreate it successfully, right on the first time. The key to making these perfectly crispy is by not grinding the lentil to a paste consistency....

What is Soya Chaap? Soya Chaap is a protein-rich meat substitute made from soybean and wheat flour. Soya bean is soaked overnight and then blended, which is then mixed with wheat flour to make a dough. The dough is wrapped around wooden sticks, and then boiled to achieve a meat-like consistency. This versatile ingredient is commonly used in Delhi cuisine to create dishes that mimic traditional meat-based recipes, making it a favorite among vegetarians and vegans....

What is Masoor Palak Dal? Masoor is Red lentil and Palak is spinach, which makes this dal/lentil stew high in protein and a great healthy meal for any day! Red lentil barely takes any time to cook, and that makes it my preferred choice for weeknight dal. You can either boil it in a pressure cooker or in a pot. It barely takes 20 minutes and doesn’t even need prior soaking....

Mushroom Spinach Pinwheel for Kid’s Lunch Box I have been meaning to do a lunch box series for quite some time now, and finally started with this post. Avyan started 3rd Grade this year, and he doesn’t like too much food in his lunch box. And I prefer to give food that he can eat comfortably, and he can finish happily. He mostly prefers finger food and this Mushroom Spinach Pinwheel fits perfectly in that category....

What is Paneer ? Paneer is Fresh or Unripened Cheeses that doesn’t melt on heating. It is a very integral part of Indian cuisine, especially for vegetarian. You can very easily prepare homemade paneer It is high in protein, can be fried, cooked to make curries like the famous Paneer Butter Masala or Palak Paneer. Furthermore, it can also be used to prepare desserts like Kolkata famous Rosogolla or Ras Malai We eat paneer at least once a week and I try to make it various different ways....

Today, after a very long time, I sat with my laptop. I had an urge to blog. There is this super simple soba noodle recipe that has been sitting patiently in the draft state. I thought it’s time I share it. And since my boys were busy with their man-to-man talk today evening, I decided to use this opportunity. Chimichurri sauce is not something I prepare a lot. For people who are not familiar, it’s a green sauce typically served on grilled meat....

Instantly, I made a mental note to recreate the same flavor at home. That was more than two years back and since I am not much of an ice cream lover, that specific reminder faded away with time until few weeks back, when we purchased a shiny red ice cream machine. I have no space left in my tiny kitchen and here comes another appliance! In the past, several ice creams were whipped up in my kitchen without any distinct equipment but when I used the ice cream maker this time, I realized its importance....

And now, we like to follow the tradition. We like our evening to start with a hot cup of ginger tea and something to nibble along with that. I have always enjoyed making short bites. There are so many options to choose from.. patties, fritters, rolls, wraps! And then, there are healthy snacks like savory cookies or crackers that are baked. Given a choice, I will always stick to those deep-fried crispy crunchy bites but then....