Aloo Methi is a delightful culinary creation that brings together the humble potato and the aromatic fenugreek leaves. Its simplicity, versatility, and incredible taste make it a must-try for anyone seeking a true taste of authentic Indian cuisine and a journey into the flavors of tradition and nostalgia. Continue reading “Aloo Methi ki Sabzi”
Growing up, my mom would make traditional Gujarati food for dinner most days. My brother and I loved eating a Gujarati thaali (not all the time) and one of my favorites was Bhinda Bataka nu Shaak. The crunchy exterior of the potato that’s just soft enough to melt on the inside and the crispy okra to finish off the dish is just the perfect reminder of home to me.
Yum
When I made this dish, I was so excited to share my love for it with kids. I’ll be honest though, they didn’t take to the okra which broke my heart. Sort of. They ate the potatoes though. But I’m going to keep trying to share my love of okra and hope one day they do like it as much as I do.
But okra is so slimy!
Trust me, I know! So my hack…. use frozen or pre-cut okra. And fresh squeezed lemon juice. Wait, what? Yep, lemon juice helps break down the slime without turning your veggies into mush.
Want to know something even more cool? The “slime” (known as mucilage) actually contains soluble fiber. Here are a few more benefits of eating okra:
So try this delicious sabzi for your next Gujarati thaali. It’s delicious and healthy and so easy to make. Try it out!
From my kitchen to yours, I hope this dish brings you the joy it brings me.
Crispy, garlicky, and full of flavor, these Garlic Herb Potato Stacks are an easy to make crowd pleaser! One of my new favorite ways to eat potatoes, you really can’t go wrong with them. Continue reading “Garlic Herb Potato Stacks”
Aloo parathas are a standard in any Indian household, especially for breakfast/brunch on the weekends. Traditionally a Punjabi dish, it is popular amongst everyone for its taste, and the nostalgic reminder of home. Continue reading “Aloo Paratha Yum “
A few years back, when I was sick, my husband brought home a veggie barley soup by Wolfgang Puck. I fell in love instantly and now, it’s the first one I want when I’m feeling a little under the weather or even in the mood for some comfort soup. There’s a heartiness about it without the fuss of heaviness to it. As much as I love Chef Puck’s soup, I wanted to create my version at home.
For a couple of winters, I tried several variations but was never satisfied with it because none of them measured up to Chef Puck’s soup. Well, how can anything really? Anyways, I kept at it and I think I’ve found a great version that works for me. I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I do.
I found all of the produce at the farmer’s market, making it more sustainable, organic, and healthy (c’mon, we all know there’s more sodium in a can of anything….no matter how delicious it tastes!).
I just love having fresh veggies, and for me, the more the better! Added benefit, when my daughter was cooking this with me, she said, “Mamma, we’re eating the rainbow!” Made me so proud as I’m trying to teach her to eat her colors to get a variety of nutrients. Score 1 for Mom!
If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll figure out that I’m a barley addict! But really, what’s not to love? It’s high in protein, high in fiber and has so much nutrition!
So… what are you waiting for?! Try out this delicious goodness and enjoy some comfort with rainbows and barley like me.
Ingredients:
½ c pearl barley
½ c green lentils
½ med onion, diced
1 med carrot, diced
3 ribs of celery, diced
½ zucchini, diced
½ yellow squash, diced
1 potato, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 bay leaf
1/3 c tomato sauce
4 c low sodium veggie broth
1 c water
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
pepper to taste
cilantro to garnish
Directions:
In a deep pot, heat olive oil and sauté onions until they are browned. Add in garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds to let the aroma bloom. Add in all the veggies and sauté for a few minutes until the veggies are tender. Mix in the spices and bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes. Add in the tomato sauce and mix well. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the barley, lentils, veggie broth, water, salt and pepper. Mix well and cook covered for 30 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve with a slice of garlic bread and enjoy!
If you’re an Indian, especially a Gujarati – you’ve grown up eating Sabudana Khichdi all your life. For those of you who are clueless about this particular savory dish, let me explain. Sabudana (or Tapioca seeds) are these tiny little white balls that look like bubbles. I always thought they were aptly named since Sabudana literally translates as Sabu = Soap and Dana = pieces/bits (though they had nothing else in common with soap thank goodness!).
Growing up, we always had this on Saturdays or specific religious days. It was this tradition that I always looked forward to every week – piling up my plate with sabudana khichdi and smothering it with Mom’s fresh, homemade yogurt. Mmmmmmmmmm!
Sabudana Khichdi is usually made with potatoes, peanuts, serrano peppers and some cumin. Making it into patties is a more recent trend versus the traditional cooking it up in a pot style. Here’s my version of the patties! Hope you enjoy it!
In a large bowl, measure out 1 1/2 cups of Sabudana.
Wash it out 3-4 times so all the white filmy residue is gone. Fill the bowl with water, cover and let it soak overnight.
The next morning, drain out the rest of the water from the sabudana and set aside.
Meanwhile, boil and mash the potatoes.
Add in the Sabudana, cumin, serrano peppers, ginger and salt.
Mix until it becomes a dough-like consistency. Everything should be sticking together.
Form 2″ disks
In a non-stick skillet, add some olive oil and let it heat up. Add the patties and let them cook and crisp up for 3-5 minutes on each side. Don’t flip it constantly as that will take longer to cook them and will probably break the patties. You can tell that it’s cooked through when the color of the sabudana changes from white to translucent.
You will get approximately 16 patties out of this. Serve hot with yogurt on the side. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c uncooked Sabudana
3 med sized potatoes
1-2 serrano peppers (depending on your spice level), minced
2″ knob of ginger, grated
1 tsp cumin
salt to taste
olive oil to pan fry
Directions:
Wash and soak sabudana overnight.
Boil and mash potatoes.
In a large bowl, mix together the mashed potatoes, drained sabudana, cumin, peppers, ginger, and salt. Mix well to form a dough. Make 16 2″ disks.
In a non-stick pan, heat the olive oil and add the patties to pan fry. Each side will take 3-5 minutes.
Serve with yogurt and enjoy!
