Thandai Bundt Cake is a beautiful and fun fusion cake that highlights the traditional flavors of thandai in a moist and light cake. Thandai is a popular beverage to have during Shivratri and Holi. This cake is egg-free, easy to make, and absolutely delicious, making it perfect to have during the festival times!
Continue reading “Thandai Bundt Cake”
A fun twist on the traditional gujiya with the same flavors in each decadent bite. These Thandai Gujiya Pinwheels are made with the classic thandai powder used during Holi, the quintessential gujiya filling all rolled into puff pastry dough before they are baked.
Continue reading “Thandai Gujiya Pinwheels”
**Updated August 2021. Original blog posted Aug 2020** Continue reading “Chocolate Samosa”
Crunchy, creamy, spicy, tangy, with just a hint of sweet, these Guacamole Chaat Tostadas are the perfect marriage between Indian and Mexican cuisine!
Continue reading “Guacamole Chaat Tostadas”
A creamy, rich, aromatic custard with a beautiful caramelized crust that is unbelievably easy to make. This Thandai Infused Crème Brûlée is a twist on the classic French dessert by using coconut cream and coconut milk making it vegan and gluten-free.
Holi has always been one of my favorite Indian festivals. The colors, the food, the fun. What makes it even more special is that 8 years ago, my husband bent down on one knee in the middle of a very public festival (the organizers were in on it as were our siblings and friends) and everyone (about at least 100 people) stopped playing to watch him ask me to marry him. I will always treasure that moment.
So for this Holi, I decided to do a fun fusion in honor of my very special husband. His favorite dessert is crème brûlée. What better way than to infuse a Holi special drink of Thandai and combine my two favorite events together? Honestly, it tastes SO YUM that I had to stop myself from “tasting” the custard before it set.
WHAT DO I NEED FOR A VEGAN CREME BRULEE?
Full-fat Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream – this is important to give the custard it’s rich creamy texture.
Arrowroot Powder – this acts as a thickening agent.
Agave – for that hint of sweet
Thandai Masala – this is going to lend that brilliant aromatic and floral flavor to the custard
Saffron – for a beautiful golden color
Vanilla Extract
Almond Milk
Sugar
Rainbow Sprinkles – optional but I love how the colors brighten up the dessert
Salt
THREE IMPORTANT STEPS TO A PERFECT THANDAI INFUSED CREME BRULEE
1. Infusing the thandai masala. This is important to get that flavor in there. The longer you infuse, the better the end result will be.
2. Blending all of the ingredients. This is extremely important because the arrowroot powder can clump and that would ruin the whole dessert. When you blend it into a smooth liquid, you end up with a rich, silky dessert.
3. Once it’s blended, whisk the mixture on the stove constantly to prevent it clumping and/or burning until you get your custard consistency.
THE CHERRY SUGAR ON TOP
How can I possibly leave this part out? This is my favorite part. I used cane sugar to layer on top of the custard but for my Holi special, I used colored sugar and dusted the caramelized sugar to symbolize the fun of Holi. Take a blowtorch and carefully caramelize the sugar. If you don’t have a blowtorch – don’t worry! I’ve included directions in the recipe card to caramelize the sugar using a broiler. Reminder – the top won’t be as crunchy using the broiler setting but it will do the trick to caramelize your sugar.
This recipe is perfect for Holi, Diwali, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, or pretty much any occasion you want to celebrate. I might even make this again for our next date night. Feel free to add berries. I chose not to this time because I wanted the colors to shine.
I hope you enjoy this as much as we did! Feel free to follow and share comments on my Instagram and Facebook pages! I would love to hear your thoughts!
From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy this decadent THANDAI INFUSED RAINBOW CREME BRULEE!
**If you do not have a blowtorch, set your ramekins on the highest rack in the oven and broil on high for 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.
Here are the tools that I used for this recipe:
**Note: The ramekins I used are passed on to me from a family member but the ones I’ve featured in the tools list are the closest in size and shape to the ones that I used.
**Originally published Jun 2017, edited and updated Feb 2021.
Poblano What?! A burger with Pav Bhaji?! Yep you heard it right. A Pav Bhaji Burger….. with Poblano Peppers. Pav Bhaji is a very popular dish in India and among Indians everywhere in the world. Back in the 1800’s, workers would take leftover veggies and turn it into a curry. These workers usually could not afford much so they became creative. I piggy backed on that creativity and put my own spin to a classic Indian dish. Continue reading “Poblano Pav Bhaji Burger Yum “
The year 2020 has not been without its challenges though I feel stronger coming out of it and ready to start a new year. One thing I am very proud of myself for doing is relaunching my blog and getting more creative with my work. I’ve managed to publish quite a few recipes and many of them were pretty popular. I want to thank all of you for taking the time to visit my blog and trying my recipes.
I wish all of you a Happy New Year as you read the top 15 from this year based on reader reviews and responses. I hope to continue growing and sharing my love of cooking with you in 2021. Here are the top 15 recipes of 2020.
Sweet Potato and Beet Hash with Fried Eggs
A delicious, nutrient dense brunch dish that will become of one your favorites right away. Easy to make it vegan by omitting the egg, this recipe is also sustainable using the beet greens along with spinach for the base of the hash.
Butternut Squash and Lentil Salad
A warm lentil salad with a sweet butternut squash, the crunchy seeds, apples and pomegranates with feta crumbles adding a little creaminess is the perfect blend for this salad. Another nutrient dense dish that can fill you up for lunch or dinner.
Instant Pot Tortilla Soup
A quick and easy soup that is packed with flavors and perfect for a winter weeknight. Settle in with a bowl of this Instant Pot Tortilla Soup which takes only 4 minutes to cook!
Pineapple Fried Rice
A quick stir fry that takes only 20 minutes to make this Pineapple Fried Rice is filled with texture, flavor, and an exotic touch. Try it out for your next Thai night.
A staple in almost every Indian home, Aloo Parathas are perfect for brunch, a rainy day, or pretty much anytime!
Spiced Plum Crumble Bars
A delicious treat that can be eaten for snack, breakfast, or as a nibble with your afternoon tea.
Rangoli Ladoos
These sweet Ladoos (truffles) are a delicious and easy recipe that can be made any time of the year, but especially for festivals such as Diwali, Holi, and Navratri. Try them out and you will have your very own batch made in less than 15 minutes!
A delicious, light, and healthy appetizer, these are perfect for any type of party or dinner. Brighten up your table during the Holidays with these colorful Tinseltown Tostadas.
Tandoori Gobi (Cauliflower) Zucchini Boats
A quick and easy recipe that is packed with traditional Indian flavors, make these healthy Tandoori Gobi Zucchini Boats to bring some spice to your table.
Skinny Skillet Veggie Enchiladas
These are a great way to Enchiladas while cutting down the carbs significantly. The flavor is still there and packs a good punch! No wonder they are so popular.
A delicious salsa with the addition of mango makes for a yummy sweet and spicy bite. So versatile, you can eat this Mango Pico with practically anything!
A delicious Indian Fusion recipe, this Pear Halwa Cake is a great dessert to have at any holiday or birthday table! Make it for Easter, Mother’s Day, Birthdays and Anniversaries alike!
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
These light and fluffy pancakes have become a weekend staple in our home. Try them once and you’ll be addicted too!
Chocolate Samosa
A sweet twist on the traditional Samosas, these irresistible Chocolate Samosas are filled with Nutella. I promise it will be very hard to stop at Just one!
Adai Waffles / Lentil Waffles
Healthy Lentil Waffles that are packed with proteins, vitamins, and minerals. These are your one stop shop for a complete meal.
Thank you so much for making 2020 so special for me. I have enjoyed and embraced cooking for you. Which recipes have you tried? Feel free to leave comments below, or tag me with your pictures on Facebook or Instagram. See you in 2021!
Can I just say Oh.My.God! This Raita is probably the most delicious I’ve ever had and to be honest I don’t think I can go back to the usual raita (with cucumbers).
So I just posted my Tandoori Gobi Zucchini Boat recipe a couple of days ago and I paired this with the boats. I could have gone the traditional route with a cucumber raita but I wanted something different and also, I’m really in the holiday mood right now so most of my food reflects that.
If you know me, you know I like the visuals of color in my food in addition to the taste. Well, this season, I’ve been obsessed with pomegranates. So in my obsession for colors, I played around with how I wanted this Raita to shine. After all, it was the most important finish to the Tandoori Boats.
In addition to the mint and pomegranates (the obvious), I included some serrano peppers to enhance the color and a few spices and garlic to give the flavor profile a boost.
Ok so, you don’t have to pair this raita with just the Tandoori Boats. Here are a few more dishes you can add this delicious Minty-y Raita to:
Pomegranate Eggplant
Lamb Meatballs
Aloo Paratha Yum
Kathi Roll
Spinach Dal Paratha
From my kitchen to yours, I hope you love every drop of this Mint-y Pomegranate Raita!
Here are the tools I used to make this recipe:
I’ve made zucchini boats a few times so far. Each time has been to use up leftovers from our Skinny Skillet Enchilada the previous night. They turn out really good and Sanaya loves them but it’s the same flavor profile so as much as I love it, I still crave something a little different.
I knew I wanted to create a different filling and haven’t done much with Indian food lately so I played around with my options. I kept circling back to this one idea of Tandoori Gobi as the stuffing. I’m not sure where I thought of it but it wouldn’t go away so I decided, ok, let’s give it a try.
I have a great Tandoori marinade recipe that I have been using with chicken so I decided, to use the same for the cauliflower. I treated the cauliflower as the chicken substitute and marinated it overnight also.
The cooking part was a little tricky as I didn’t want a soggy Zucchini Boat and the marinade definitely looked like it would promise a lot of liquid. Simple trick, I baked them separately, then stuffed the zucchini with the cauliflower and broiled it on high for 5 minutes to get a good char. Can I just say, Oh so delicious!
Also, please don’t throw out the flesh of the zucchini when you scoop it out to create the cavity for the cauliflower. Let’s be sustainable here and make some Zucchini Bread out of it!
One more thing I love about this recipe is that it is totally a weeknight meal. So the time on the recipe card may be a little daunting, but it’s the ease of it. And most of the time you spend is waiting for the flavors to marinate. It really takes maybe 15 minutes to put the marinade together, then the next day, 5 minutes to shell out the Zucchini and the rest of the time, you are waiting for it to finish baking. Honestly, it can’t get any easier for a weeknight meal.
Serve this delicious boat with a cooling Mint-y Pomegranate Raita to finish it off.
From my kitchen to yours, we hope these Tandoori Gobi Zucchini Boats rock your world!
**Bake the cauliflower and zucchini boats in separate baking sheets if possible. When you stuff the boats and return the baking sheet to the oven to broil, the remnants of the tandoori paste will burn on the pan if you are using the same pan.
*This is an ad post.
All I can say is that things are getting crazier! My first born is starting Kindergarten tomorrow and though it’s going to be different because she’s going to be upstairs in her room instead of at a new school with new friends, I’m still an emotional wreck! I just can’t believe she’s grown so much! Where’s my baby that I brought home from the hospital? I have a 5 year old now!
Let’s talk food so I don’t have to think about that… for now. This dish actually does take 15 minutes to make. No joke. How? Because I use Taste Republic‘s gluten free, fresh fusili pasta. The more I try their fresh pastas, the more I’m loving them. So far, the cauliflower linguini, tortellini, and now the fusili have been on point! Even better, because it is fresh pasta, it takes 3 minutes to cook!
Once upon a time, the girls would eat nothing but red sauce with their pasta. Then it went to green (pesto). Then brown butter. We are now back to the red sauce which I am thankful for because this masala pasta uses marinara sauce combined with spices to give it an Indian twist.
Here are some ingredients that are key to this pasta:
Taste Republic Gluten Free Fusili – fresh pasta that is great with taste and time!
Frozen Mixed Vegetables – this is my first hack to make this dish in under 15 minutes.
Favorite Marinara Sauce – I use whatever jar I have opened in my fridge and it works perfect
Indian spices: cayenne pepper, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder – this give the pasta additional depth of flavor. Add just enough to give it a hint not take over the dish!
This fusion dish is amazing because of the mix of flavors and how quickly you can put it together. Try it out and bring a little of India and a little of Italy to your home.
From our kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy this 15 Minute Masala Pasta!
I’ve been making these chickpeas at home as a healthy snack option so I don’t turn to junk food and my girls have fallen in love with them too. I initially started them with a basic salt, pepper, olive oil and paprika seasoning. We love the basic and use them not only for snacking, but in salads, tacos, as a topping for soups (yup), and pretty much in anything I can add it to. Continue reading “Roasted Masala Chickpeas”
By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of my friend Janani. I’ve mentioned her in a few recipes, especially the Greek Inspired Crepes and Instant Pot Kali Dal. She and I met when we were both about 7 months pregnant with our first child at an Indian store where the owner introduced us. We have been pretty close friends since and shared many recipes during our play dates and this one is inspired by her.
Yum
When Aishani was a few months old, I remember Janani came over for a play date with her eldest. She brought over this batter and asked if I had veggies she could use. I was extremely curious as Sanaya was in a picky phase (honestly, I feel both my kids have always been in a picky phase!).
She explained what Adai is and I was instantly fascinated. Basically, it is a batter made out of 4 different lentils and a little bit of rice, soaked, ground, and cooked over the stove with veggies similar to a dosa or crepe fashion. So with one meal, I’m getting protein, fiber, non-dairy calcium, folic acid, and plenty of vitamins and minerals from the veggies. Seriously, major mom win! My kids love it and eat it with yogurt and it’s a family hit.
The basic batter recipe is Janani’s. I’ve never tried to change it because it’s perfect and it works. I did play around with it and turned the Adai crepes into waffles. It’s something fun for the kids; they get a kick out of eating waffles for lunch or dinner and I know it’s one of the healthiest waffles around! The texture keeps well and tastes so soft and fluffy. It’s really delicious.
For the girls, I served this with yogurt as that’s their favorite way of eating Adai. For the hubby and I, we had a topping of masala salsa on top which tasted amazing and completed this dish for us!
From our kitchen to yours, we hope you love these Adai Waffles!
A savory lentil waffle filled with veggies that is healthy and delicious.
Notes:
1. The ratio of all the lentils and rice is always 1:1. Whether you want to make a lesser amount or more, the ratio before soaking will remain the same.
2. It is important to soak these lentils at least 4 hours. Soaking lentils helps remove the phytic acid which impairs the absorption of nutrients such iron, zinc and calcium.
3. If you make extra, and want to keep it for future use, you can store in the freezer. Just be sure to keep the batter plain without adding any of the ingredients as it will ruin when you thaw it out. Stores well up to 3 months in the freezer. Stores well up to 3 days in the fridge.
4. Parboiled or Idli rice works great for this recipe. If you don’t have it, regular jasmine rice works, but just be aware that when it is ground, you will get a bit of a grainy texture.
5. It is important to shred the veggies to help them and the lentils cook through properly. If the veggies are chopped and chunky, the lentils may not cook through completely (I speak from experience).
6. Use any veggies you have in your fridge. I’ve listed our favorites below.
Ingredients:
For the batter:
½ c urad dal
½ c chana dal
½ c red masoor dal
½ c idli rice / parboiled rice
For the Waffles:
1 zucchini, shredded
1 large carrot, shredded
½ c broccoli, shredded
1″ ginger knob, shredded
1 tsp hing (asafoetida)
1 tsp salt
For the Masala Salsa:
½ c onions, chopped finely
1 tomato, chopped finely
1 serrano pepper, chopped finely (for a less spicy option, take out the seeds and ribs)
¼ c cilantro, chopped finely
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chaat masala
Directions:
For the Masala Salsa:
1. Mix all of the ingredients tog⁸ether in a bowl and set aside to use for topping.
For the Adai Batter:
1. Soak each of the lentils and rice separately in water at least for 4 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Once they are soaked, add rice (drained of water) and red chilies to a blender with 3 Tbsp water. Blend to a thick batter.
3. Transfer to a bowl and repeat process with the lentils. If you want to combine them and blend them, that works also. Add water a little at a time so the batter is not too thin.
4. Mix this batter with the rice batter.
This batter is your base. You can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer and use as needed.
For the Waffles:
1. In a bowl, add 1½ c Adai batter, hing and salt. Mix well.
2. Fold in the shredded veggies. If the batter is too thick, add in water, 1 Tbsp at a time, but don’t make the batter too thin and runny.
3. Heat the waffle maker on high and spray both sides with cooking spray.
4. Using a ladle, pour the batter into the waffle maker and spread across. Close the waffle maker and seal or flip and let it cook as a regular waffle.
5. Remove the waffle and repeat the process for the remaining batter.
6. To serve, spoon some of the masala salsa on top of the waffles and serve hot!
Serve with masala salsa, yogurt, mango pickle or all 3!
Enjoy!
