The store-bought rose syrup mostly has an overpowering flavor and I am not the one who can take those strong aromas. While making the syrup at home, I can take completely control. I can create it the way I like it, mild and not overly sweet. I have used dried rose petals only because I had a packet lying around to be used. But, the next batch will definitely be with the fresh ones from the garden....

Deep fried cooking doesn’t happen a lot often at our home. We both love it but we avoid it as much possible. My Mom always says, never give up any kind of food that you like. If it’s not healthy, eat less and savor the moment. And so we did! The first attempt was a disaster. I almost burnt my finger, the kernels were getting separated in the oil, it got overcooked and the first few fritters went straight from the wok to the bin....

The dark shade is what makes it special, like dhaba style chole masale. With a laccha onion on the side, I often eat more than I should. What is Amritsari Chole Masale? Chole is referred to one of the most popular North Indian side dish. We prepare it with dried garbanzo beans that are kept soaked overnight. There are various different versions of making chole. I often make the quick version of chana masala with chickpea/garbanzo beans....

Puff pastry tarts are simply the best. I always stock up a sheet in the freezer to whip up a quick meal on busy days like this Artichoke and Tomato Salad Tarts. Yes, it is an indulgence with all that layers or butter hidden in the pastry sheet, but occasionally it’s fine! The addition of artichoke hearts with cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and peas gives a lovely refreshing bite. You can choose to slice the puff pastry much smaller into bite size appetizers or use an entire sheet and turn it into a meal....

The original recipe has been sourced from Simply Recipes. EASY ONE BOWL BANANA NUT BREAD Making this banana bread is easy and quick. What makes this recipe super cool is that it’s a one-bowl bread recipe. You don’t even need to mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. Just mash the banana using a fork and keep adding everything to the same bowl. I didn’t even bother to whisk. I used the same fork to mix everything into a batter....

Bengali Begun Bhaja (2 ways) You can prepare Begun Bhaja in two different ways. You can either coat it in a thick batter and deep fry. Or you could dust it lightly with some dry rice flour and fry it on the skillet with very little oil. Most days I go for the skillet version without any batter but somedays I like to indulge, so I go the battered deep-fried version....

List of the different components added in this Chicken Burrito Bowl Shredded Chicken – I love shredded chicken in burrito bowl and my recipe of shredded chicken is so easy, and it comes out perfect effortlessly. Packed with flavors, you can use this shredded chicken for other recipes too. Pinto Beans – My husband needs his share of beans in the Burrito Bowl. I use dried beans that I soak overnight, which makes it faster to cook in an electric cooker....

Chicken in Brown Butter: I always prefer chicken with bones on it and even if I go for boneless, I tend to pick the boneless thigh. That’s only because these pieces retain juice and don’t get dry from a tad bit of over cooking. With chicken breast, you can go wrong within a few seconds. A little bit of too long on the hot skillet and it loses its moisture, turning into this rubbery bleh!...

Yesterday, just before dinner, I whipped this insanely easy chocolate mousse with a hint of coffee flavor in it. My husband was surprised when he watched me suddenly jump out of the couch and go straight to the kitchen, like I left the stove on by mistake. I am still working on fixing that bad habit! That was clearly not the reason why I rushed to the kitchen. Like I said before, craving hits hard at times....

I don’t know about the strength but it sure does add a lot of satisfaction to my taste bud 😛 Since I moved to US, I have tried different varieties of mushroom. Some of them became my favorites, like the portobello mushroom. And some of them not so favorite, like the abalone mushroom. In India, I didn’t have access to so many varieties of mushroom. We only had white button mushroom that were available throughout the year....

Egg salad is one of my favorite and like everyone, I too love it with mayo. This once time, I didn’t have mayo but was craving the salad. I had sour cream, and so I gave it a go and instead of sliced cucumber, I grated the cucumber. The sandwich was a hit. I had casually shared it in Instagram and so many recreated the dish. Finally, after making 3 times in 2 weeks, this summer I decided to record it here....

Figs are one of my fav fruit, and someday I will plant a fig tree for sure. Until then, I am taking advance of all the figs that my friends give me from their garden, and I enjoy them in several different ways. In this fig chutney you can make it heavy on the spice by adding chili flakes or keep it mild like how I normally prefer. You can pair this fig chutney with aloo paratha or paneer paratha or any variety of paratha....

It is an Indian spice blend that is very commonly used in Indian cooking. All the warm spices get toasted and then cooled down before you grind it. It brings a warm flavor to your dish and is said to also increase metabolism. Is there one variety of Garam Masala? NO! Most household will prepare garam masala at home and oven it gets their own twist based on what whole spices they have or like to use....

What is Paan Thandai ? Paan is made from betal leaves, and it is a very popular mouth freshener, often enjoyed after a heavy meal. It is a symbol of hospitality and there are several Paan shops in India who are known for their skills in making a perfect paan. You will find one paan shop in almost every other lane. Thandai is a very popular Holi drink which you prepare with nuts, aromatic spices, rose petal and milk....

What is Pui Shaak ? Pui Shaak is Malabar Spinach. It’s a tropical plant and loves warm summer days. These days I am seeing such lush green Malabar Spinach in the market that I had to make this Pui Shaak. I grew up eating this green stir fry dish a lot! Pui Shaak cooks very fast and cooks down to a small quantity, just like regular spinach. It is great on its own, but pairs beautifully with vegetables and fish too!...

This Santra Badam Barfi (Orange Almond Fudge) is inspired by Nagpur’s famous sweet treat Santa Barfi. Nagpur Santra Barfi: The city of Nagpur is known for their large produce of oranges, which probably lead to the creation of the fudgy treat Santra Barfi. Typically, the dish calls for all-purpose flour but I wanted to use almond flour instead. As a result, the taste of the fudge became super rich....

Watch the VIDEO to understand all the tips and tricks! I grew up eating Nimki or Namakpara, shaped in various different ways. Another favorite festive snacks. Mishti Nimki is not something my Mom made a lot. But I might have to make it on repeat because Avyan loves these. Shakarpara can be prepared two ways There are two different ways you can prepare shakarpara. FIRST: You could mix the sugar while preparing the dough followed by roll, cut and fry....

I like a simple fish fry that’s just seasoned with salt and pepper but occasionally, I like to explore and make a spice rub. This particular one turned out wonderfully fragrant. There is earthy cumin, citrusy coriander along with the anise aroma of fennel seeds. Some hotness from dry red chili and a sharp tang from dry mango powder. All blended together with the pungent carom seeds. I left the texture of spice mixture coarse, which gives that depth and adds a lovely crunch as well....

What is confit (pronounced con-fee) Confit is a traditional French cooking method that involves slow-cooking food in fat at a low temperature. While it’s commonly associated with meats like duck, the technique works beautifully with vegetables too. In this case, we’re using olive oil to gently cook tomatoes and garlic until they’re tender and infused with incredible flavor. Try this garlic confit recipe and use it in tuna avocado toast! I made a small batch with my first batch of summer tomatoes from my tiny backyard garden....

We had a wonderful time 🙂 Over the weekend, we took a short trip to Reno and Tahoe. The 4 hour drive to Reno actually took almost 6 hrs to reach. It was little tiring but couldn’t really blame the traffic, after all it was a long weekend . Everybody deserved a getaway. We reached the hotel in Reno and after a quick shower, we both got charged up to see ‘The Biggest Little City In The World’...