Daal Baati Churma- An Ode to Rajastani cuisine

With every region, we find changes in taste, cuisines, ingredients, specialties and history of food. When it comes to Rajasthan, which is also known as the land of the kings, diverse geography and agricultural economy, food holds its own unique past. Rajasthani cuisine has evolved, under the influence of factors like state climate, early war conditions, inadequate water and lack of green vegetables. Yet, they are admired with similar enthusiasm throughout the world. Synonymous to Rajasthan, this rustic globe of baked deliciousness is famous as much for its simplicity as for its unforgettable taste. And yet when it comes to…

Pumpkin Hummus

There’s nothing like good, healthy, homemade hummus, and there isn’t really a reason for you not to try making it yourself.Hummus or Houmous is traditional food dip from eastern Mediterranean now gaining popularity all around the globe. Hummus is a fairly ancient staple of the Middle East, particularly Lebanon, and has been around for at least 1500 years. The word itself is just Arabic for “chickpea”, so what we call hummus is known in the Middle East as “hummus bi tahina”, or “chickpeas with tahini”. Traditionally, hummus is made in a pestle. It is served as an accompaniment with Falafel…

Penne Pasta with assorted vegetables

Its was getting cold and rainy and what better way to beat this than a Pasta dinner. This is a rich and warm Pasta dish for such cozy and warmer moments of life. I wanted to make our pasta dinner healthy and I ended up with this version of Pasta dish which was so yummilicious . This recipe is all about bringing in the various textures and aromatics. Meaty mushrooms and sausage add a rich and hearty taste to this dish. I wasn’t sure this pasta was blog-worthy until I tried my reheated leftovers. They were amazing. This is a…

Red Kidney Beans dumpling in Rich Tomato gravy

Rajma-Chawal is a combination ‘to-die-for’…the best Rajma (Kidney Beans) and Chawal (Rice) can be had at any of the dhabbas alongside the highways all over North India. That is where the truck drivers eat and trust me…it taste divine. My love affair with this typical Punjabi Rajma Curry had started when I had the chance to visit the holy Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in kashmir some years back. I must admit the rajma served in jammu kashmir region of India are also very delicious and famous. If you get a chance to go to Jammu , then don’t forget to…

Falafel Wraps

Falafel is a traditionally Arab food. These fried vegetarian fritters are often served along with hummus, and tahini sauce .They’re also great served with toum a Middle Eastern garlic sauce. According to The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food by Gil Marks, “The first known appearance of legume fritters (aka falafel) in the Middle East appears to be in Egypt, where they were made from dried white fava beans and called tamiya/ta-amia (from the Arabic for ‘nourishment’); these fritters were a light green color inside. When falafel is made the traditional way, is indeed a vegan food; it’s a great source of…