tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27124679656058574612012-01-25T15:05:10.258-08:00marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.comBlogger1141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-52845190703531003812011-01-23T16:26:00.000-08:002011-02-23T15:39:00.279-08:00

Hi Everyone! It's Savithri back with another baking recipe. My mom is a teacher and can't eat peanut butter often because her school is a nut-free zone. Over the holidays I baked these tasty cookies to let my mom get her fill of the peanut-y goodness! These thin, crisp cookies are sweet and savoury at the same time and are a little chewy in the centre. I put a Smartie (candy-coated chocolate) in

Savithrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17374139630226358828noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-74601814249724379522011-01-05T18:39:00.000-08:002011-02-23T15:40:39.793-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a relaxing holiday. I'm excited to be guest-blogging the first post of 2011. I made these amazing cookies while visiting my sister Kanchana in Chicago over the break. I had one week off from work and made the most of it by spending time with the people I love and baking lots of yummy treats for them! The most popular item was definitely the eggless

Savithrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17374139630226358828noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-47586520849946382772010-05-21T16:26:00.000-07:002011-03-25T08:20:49.419-07:00

One of our favorite party time appetizers is to make grilled paneer and vegetables we reserve some of the marindate and serve it with the paneer as a chutney as well. Its surefire hit with your friends! Marinade1 bunch cilantro, 2 tbsp dhania jeera powder OR 1 tbsp dhania seeds and 1 tbsp jeera seeds, 1 onion, 1 large green chili, juice of 1 lemon, 2 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp anardhana, 1 tsp

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-15812185791825111522010-05-19T08:58:00.000-07:002011-03-25T08:20:32.563-07:00

My sister Savithri is another fabulous cook in our family in addition to being a baker extraordinaire. She loves salads and made this fresh and juicy greek summer salad for our 'sisters spa day'.  We spent a wonderful evening doing yoga, drinking refreshing hydrating teas, watched a couple of chick flicks, and eating this healthy salad.  The main ingredients for this salad are juicy tomatoes,

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-25261789792452382232010-05-10T17:35:00.000-07:002010-05-10T17:38:40.157-07:00

A couple of years ago Shankar made a delicious potato dish knowing that his wife loves potatoes in any shape or form.  He used a French method of baking potatoes in milk (often including cream) and cheese called 'dauphinoise'. The result was individual stacks of potatoes, sliced thinly, layered with a delicious mornay sauce, baked to perfect crispiness on top and oozing fromage inside.  Back

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-60834192989546541002010-02-01T05:09:00.000-08:002010-02-01T15:21:55.133-08:00

To continue Shankar's theme of fusion food, this is another delicious recipe from my friend Lavanya Krishnan. The pasta salad is kicked up a notch with the addition of garam masala, but it doesn't overpower the dish. I wasn't sure how this was going to taste, but it was lovely. The yogurt -- mildy flavored by the onions, masala, and cilantro -- mixed with the beans, peas, and red peppers, was

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-35925889033490631902010-01-16T15:02:00.000-08:002011-03-25T08:21:08.257-07:00

Greetings, readers! Kanchana is out of town, so I thought I'd do a bit of guest blogging. If memory serves, my last guest post detailed a particularly horrendous failure in the kitchen - so I'm glad to be back with a story of success. Ethnic cooks who attempt foods outside of their background are frequently accused of putting some of their ethnicity into their creations - even if they weren't

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-16739058187516197842010-01-15T21:16:00.000-08:002010-01-16T00:02:15.168-08:00

My brother in law makes a fantastic pasta, with a peppery tomato sauce. This is definitely a dish that is a great item for entertaining a few people. The garlicy sauce really packs a punch that will keep you coming back for more and more. Gopi's website is the culinary go to for the family, and he started blogging recipes much earlier than I did. In fact as I started learning to cook Indian

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-39144421948356873572010-01-07T06:53:00.000-08:002010-01-07T06:54:08.811-08:00

The healthy salads continue with this colorful vegetable, fruit, and paneer salad. You have read correctly that there are vegetebles and fruits and paneer in this salad! The picture was taken on a bright summer day, when the vegetables and fruits were at their best in season. The key to this salad is finely chopping up all the vegetables, and fruits in a uniform size. You can take out the paneer,

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-25261134181445645822010-01-01T15:19:00.000-08:002010-01-01T15:56:48.801-08:00

2010 has begun and maintaining a healthy lifestyle has bounced to the top of my priorities after having been badly sidelined for the larger part of 2009. I have found several recipes for delicious salads, but what I have trouble with is making time to prepare them. They are not overly time consuming, but they do take longer than nuking a frozen parata or burger. Eating healthy for me is about

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-7009811481045094042009-12-25T12:49:00.000-08:002009-12-27T09:22:00.141-08:00

The champagne toasts to ring in the New Year have not started but I've already started my New Year's Resolutions. This year I am determined to master slowing down, stopping to smell the roses, and most importantly getting off that express train of life to do the things I really WANT to do. The express train represents the obligations, the expectations, the commitments that I don't really want to

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-24875713177214035032009-08-15T14:20:00.001-07:002009-08-18T08:23:26.636-07:00

My aunt and uncle came to visit me the summer, and I took them one of Chicago's Mexican neighborhoods that boasts a 'SuperMall -- over 100 stores inside". This amounted to several stalls inside the warehouse, that resembled a Mexican Pondy Bazaar -- the real excitement for us began in the huge supermarket next door. They regularly sell pineapples at 2 dollars each, and red peppers for 79 cents a

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-37439651973123244342009-05-20T15:49:00.000-07:002009-05-22T06:40:01.341-07:00

Celebrating Festivals for our family is all about food. Each holiday has a specific food associated with it. But there is one universal food that you can never go wrong with, Parupu Vadai. Deep fried, crunchy lentil fritters. Now for festivals you would generally make the 'madi' version of this without onion. But for a party, you can add chopped onion to the batter and this recipe will transform

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-17342699543412569102009-05-15T13:47:00.000-07:002009-05-18T09:56:30.617-07:00

The first time I had corn chaat was at my friend Vidya's house. She is definitely a friend whom I would call a superwoman (she has three daughters including a set of twins.) Vidya is a dear childhood friend of mine who moved away when we were in junior high from Toronto to India. Now she lives in Baltimore, and I was lucky enough to go visit her there a little while ago. Keeping in touch with

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-30662154766910305202007-10-10T09:19:00.000-07:002009-05-03T14:51:47.142-07:00

A little over a year ago our friends Karthik and Lavanya came to visit us in Ann Arbor with high expectations for us to fill their stomachs with some of the delicious food they kept seeing on Married to a Desi. After much thought, Shankar suggested making a rich lasagna, one thing led to another and a full Italian Meal was planned.Lavanya decided if the food was made then the pictures must be

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-8767579095049425502007-10-05T07:51:00.001-07:002007-10-14T21:45:02.998-07:00

The month of October brings me the pleasure of hosting Weekend Breakfast Blogging. This event has been created by the lovely Dr.Nandita Iyer of Saffrron Trail. Weekend Breakfast Blogging #16 will feature Omelette's. I figured since all you bloggers will be CLICKing away at Eggs this month, there will certainly be some left for making omelette's.My entry for this event will be Bread Omelette! I

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-52526198991317638932007-09-29T13:37:00.000-07:002007-09-30T07:07:17.248-07:00

Nags is hosting her very first event called "Show me your Cookbook". As soon as I saw her post I knew I wanted to participate, but a good cookbook did not jump out at me right away. I rarely follow cookbook recipes, relying heavily on recipes from my Mom, Mother-in-law, and all the great Indian blogs I follow. Whenever I have a craving to cook something and need a recipe, I head straight to the

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-17220312469892280302007-09-24T22:25:00.000-07:002007-10-15T12:25:26.843-07:00

The other day I put together this healthy working lunch. A few nights before I had made a baby spinach salad with fennel, and orange with a citrus dressing. I served it with a roasted vegetable pasta with feta cheese. With the left over cup of pasta, and salad I threw together this quick working lunch.Pasta with Fennel and Spinach1 cup of cooked penne pasta, 1 cup of baby spinach leaves, 1/2 cup

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-91025947058169322952007-09-20T22:21:00.000-07:002010-01-05T11:51:39.279-08:00

This is a subzi that was taught to me by my mother-in-law. Delicious bottlegourd that is cooked in a simple sauce of jeera, onions and tomato. The gravy that is used in this subzi can be used with any vegetable, but the soft bottlegourd creates a comforting subzi that is healthy and tasty. My husband is not a huge fan of sorrakkai but I love it.Shankar and I are pretty similar and we enjoy doing

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-63789091981265771012007-09-19T10:14:00.000-07:002010-01-05T11:48:15.032-08:00

I learned to make Badham Kheer from my mother. Its an easy sweet drink to make that works for many occasions. Life has been so busy lately, my father in law is visiting me and Shankar and Gopi are in the thick of school already. Appa has taken a major demotion from senior executive to taxi driver, ferrying his sons back and forth from school!I always have the most interesting conversations with

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-37163042433936331722007-09-10T10:17:00.000-07:002010-01-05T11:49:44.203-08:00

I'm trying to eat healthy these days, which is hard given my favorite food group is potato chip. Maintaining a steady weight has been a lifelong battle for me. Despite all the swimming, skating, and dance lessons, as a child I was always a little chubby. At the age of 14 I became very involved with performing Bharatha Natyam, and in a phase of intense dancing, exercise, and strict eating I

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-23225165585961891282007-08-31T23:03:00.000-07:002009-05-04T09:20:07.595-07:00

I tasted my first Kothu Parotta this week. Before I go on about whether I liked it or not, let me give you a little background. Growing up in Canada, I never really had much of a chance to taste Indian street food. Though Toronto is one of the most multicultural places in the world today, the social climate 30 years ago was drastically different. It was in the small suburban, town of Oakville

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-25074877635207979362007-08-28T23:13:00.000-07:002009-05-04T09:18:05.048-07:00

Of course, as soon as I start my new diet Shankar has to go and make these delicious Eggplant Pakodas. The chefmate threw these together as an afternoon snack the other day for Gopi and myself. I swear I only ate two, alright three. As we sat and munched on the pakodas we discussed the virtues of Indian pub fare, and how unfortunate it was for us that we were stuck in a world of fries, wings, and

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-7348760116811364972007-08-22T09:43:00.000-07:002010-01-05T11:18:48.567-08:00

Our friends Deepak and Aparna came to visit us this weekend, so of course Shankar and I had to have some sort of feast to honor them. I had asked Shankar if he would make jalapeno corn bread, this way he could make it a day earlier and it would be perfect to heat up in the oven for the brunch we were planning. So off to the grocery store we went to pick up creamed style corn, jalapenos, and sharp

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-29754269247922467762007-08-16T20:35:00.001-07:002007-08-17T12:50:59.996-07:00

Well it looks like I'm really craving pasta with capers. A few weeks ago while browsing our favorite Food Blog Desam I came across a new blog with a delicious recipe for pasta with artichokes by Poonam of Cooking Adventures. It inspired me to come up with this lovely dish which I've been meaning to make for a while now. One pasta dish leads to another and so today I whipped this up in no time at

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-71093448570787377442007-08-06T19:52:00.000-07:002010-01-05T11:35:02.828-08:00

As the blog title would indicate, I did not have an Italian wedding rather I married a Desi. No ordinary desi, one who not only cooks Desi food but who also cooks delicious Italian food.In my humble opinion food fit for an Italian wedding. Last night we were joined for dinner by my brother-in-law Gopi, also the latest inductee into the Ross Business School Hall of Fame. (He'll be starting his MBA

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-84359315450446313482007-07-30T19:49:00.000-07:002009-05-04T08:25:54.985-07:00

Savithri's Spot is my sister's blog with great posts on cake decorating, travel and restaurants. Go check it out!One of my favorite blogs to read is Jugalbandi. This creative site is the child of Jai&Bee. Bee's writing is hilarious, and her anecdotes and impressions of the 'blogosphere' never fail to crack me up. Their most impressive series to date is definitely 'In Season', a look at Jai's

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-78225980523186811722007-07-30T07:57:00.001-07:002007-07-31T19:37:18.119-07:00

Growing up in a Tamil Brahmin home, eating the likes of idly and dosai's a few times a week was standard operating procedure for us. As children we would have ghee with our idlies, and ghee mixed with sugar, or yogurt mixed with sugar for our dosai. As our palates matured the condiment of choice fast became idly milagai podi, or dosai milagai podi (milagai means chili in Thamizh). This hot

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-65144982722021605992007-07-25T16:03:00.000-07:002010-01-05T11:26:38.644-08:00

Ok I'll admit I did buy one non-produce related item the other day on my trip which I claimed was purely healthy grocery shopping. Meijer Organics Blue Corn Tortilla Chips which to my defense look very interesting. These chips are really different from your regular corn chip as they are filled with sesame seeds. Its a unique addition and gives the chip a very good flavor. I also picked up some

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-54228217151699051402007-07-24T11:21:00.001-07:002010-01-05T11:20:46.597-08:00

Summer is here, and along with it has come my taste for refreshingly crisp summer salads. I'm impressed with myself these days, heading out to the grocery store and staying within the realms of the produce section and not venturing over to the aisles laden with dangerous goods (mostly chips, ok sometimes cheese and maybe crackers). As Shankar and I hit the year and a half mark on our marriage

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-13863876401183606442007-07-19T08:53:00.000-07:002009-05-04T07:47:10.478-07:00

It looks like our potluck has now officially become a monthly event. The ladies regrouped for another night of socializing, this time hosted by the lovely Akanksha. We were joined by two new additions to the club, Radhika and Aparna. The evening was filled with a lot of talk about pregnancy since both Akanksha and Radhika are expecting to deliver babies in September. Aparna is also a new mother

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-80941209826936470612007-07-09T08:32:00.000-07:002007-08-30T22:09:51.339-07:00

Mushroom Biriyani is another creation of Chef Shankar. Served together with the Cabbage Kofta, this vegetarian meal would satisfy even the hungriest carnivore. Several varieties of mushrooms were used including Shiitake, Crimini, and White Button Mushrooms which when combined give the dish a nice satisfying texture and bite. The rice is flavored with biriyani pulav masala which can be bought in

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-19367850666476846342007-07-04T22:59:00.000-07:002010-01-05T11:41:31.074-08:00

Cabbage Kofta is my husband Shankar's signature dish. The finely minced cabbage with a hint of carrot is mixed with besan flour and deep fried. The cabbage balls are nicely textured and hold together firmly under the layer of gravy while still remaining light and fluffy. My husband concocts his own complex blend of spices which are freshly ground together to aromatize and flavor the dish. Shankar

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-51134705399038299372007-07-04T19:06:00.000-07:002009-05-04T07:47:38.937-07:00

The follow up to the first potluck post is here! After many requests for Pooja's Masala Macaroni, I've finally found the time to put up the delicious secrets from my friends. If you haven't been to a potluck with your girlfriends, I seriously recommend organizing one right away!Pooja's Masala Macaroni2 cups macaroni, 1 tbsp garlic paste, small pieces of cabbage and capsicum - finely chopped,

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-24605104317580292322007-07-04T11:43:00.000-07:002007-07-04T16:36:52.843-07:00

On Saturday June 2, 2007 the stage at Toronto's Premiere Dance Theatre came alive with the ecstasy of one woman named Nalin Bisnath. 250 invitees were privileged with the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the true bliss of Nalin, in the form of dance. She took us on a journey that has been taken only by the devadasi's of another age where dancers surrendered themselves to their Lord by dance.

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-113245937245347522007-05-31T20:08:00.000-07:002009-05-04T07:47:55.096-07:00

The summer internships have started and since all our husbands have finally gone off to work, the wives decided to get together and have a potluck dinner. Three of my dear friends, who are married to Shankar's classmates, and I shared a fantastic meal last night. We got together, discussed life, Akanksha's pregnancy, what our plans are post graduation, and compared where each of us will be

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-81260601541622904002007-05-18T10:55:00.001-07:002007-09-25T06:58:05.043-07:00

Pickles are an important part of the South Indian meal, best eaten as an accompaniment to the last course of yogurt rice. Pickles in India are very different from the European varieties in that they are preserved in oil rather than vinegar. The acidic element of lemon or lime juice that is added prevents the pickle from going bad (bacterial growth), while the oil acts as a preservative. My

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-56443987135717876842007-05-10T17:16:00.000-07:002010-01-05T11:43:22.514-08:00

I think I'm really liking this work scene, where I come home to a special creation by Shankar. Today's menu featured a delicious radish, potato, and homemade paneer tikka in a savory peas and tomato sauce. The tikka's were large enough to be an entire meal on its own, and were just perfect smothered in the sauce with crisp minced red onion, fresh cilantro, and chaat masala powder. The following

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-18789527029436171582007-05-03T16:55:00.000-07:002007-05-07T15:26:37.546-07:00

Shankar got this recipe from one of our aunts, A amma as she is fondly referred to. It is the ultimate refreshing cool drink on a hot summer day. Just make up a batch of it, leave it in the fridge and enjoy. This makes about 4 cups. We use non fat yogurt, or homemade yogurt with fat free milk. You can see a similar recipe for this on Nandita's Saffron Trail.Flavored Buttermilk1 cup buttermilk, 1

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-50286079725609433642007-05-03T16:43:00.000-07:002007-05-05T06:27:01.275-07:00

This is such a great recipe to use up bread at the end of the week, as well as being super fast to prepare. Its also a great idea for Saturday morning breakfasts, when you have the time to make something hot. Shankar threw this together for me as an after work snack. I've seen a few recipes on other blogs, but this method we got from my MIL.Bread Uppuma10 slices of bread, 1 tomato diced, 1 small

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-58556992891925544042007-05-03T15:52:00.000-07:002007-08-30T22:12:57.323-07:00

The tables have been turned on my husband as I headed back into the corporate jungle last week. This week he's at home making dinner for me (putting that expensive education to good use)! My alpha cook is enjoying the kitchen all to himself these days, and I am reaping the benefits. The other day I came home from work and was treated to an amazing tomato sandwich made with fresh homemade onion

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-14299592638262345692007-05-02T17:59:00.000-07:002007-05-03T06:20:59.742-07:00

Another classic combination from the realms of Tamil Nadu courtesy of my dear MIL. My own mother used to make venpongal all the time, but I only really got hooked on it when I tasted my MIL's eggplant gotsu. My own mom will attest that the eggplant gotsu is very good as she got the recipe from my MIL even before I did! I digress, lets get back to venpongal. So I have done a post on venpongal

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-11857995886359896942007-05-02T17:31:00.000-07:002007-08-30T22:13:08.171-07:00

This weekend in Michigan we had the most gorgeous weather. For a change, it was HOT. And enjoy it we did, with a huge barbeque right in our townhouse complex. All of Shankar's friends in the Business School who hadn't left for the summer came out in full force. For the bbq, Shankar contributed his famous Paneer Kabobs. He made them before in the oven with the regular wooden sticks soaked in water

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-66844171296955377292007-04-24T19:26:00.000-07:002007-04-25T06:03:01.590-07:00

This is a classic that my mom prepared for us as children. We loved the podimas in so many different roopams - forms; tucked into toasted sandwiches, sealed in a filo pastry, or just as an accompaniment to thayir sadham - yogurt rice. This recipe is a low fat, yet tasty method of preparing potatoes. I liken this to South Indian Mashed potatoes. Ok alright I admit it, potatoes are my favorite food

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-70870267575008822912007-04-21T15:05:00.000-07:002007-05-11T10:06:34.060-07:00

Another great recipe from the Queen of South Indian cuisine, my MIL. Pitlai. Its kind of a cross between sambar and kootu. So we're talking vegetables stewed in tamarind juice and a freshly ground spice mixture, with a bit of cooked toor dal added at the end. Sounds like sambar right? Pitlai does not have any fenugreek though, and the consistency is thick like kootu. I made it today, and all i

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-6617757167222598692007-04-20T12:07:00.000-07:002007-08-30T22:12:57.323-07:00

This afternoon I was too lazy to make lunch, and invoked my powerful mantra to get the husband to cook for me. Today he made a delicious minestrone soup. Spring is in the air in Michigan along with fresh vegetables that have arrived in the markets, all in bright greens, reds, and yellows. Somehow the colors seem much more vibrant in the spring and summer. I picked up a fridge full of broccoli,

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-50841909148391109072007-04-17T15:23:00.000-07:002009-05-04T13:38:57.941-07:00

My new favorite recipe is this Aloo ki Ras Bhaji that I found here on a Mad Tea Party. It is a very simple recipe, but the taste is so good. I have a lot of appreciation for simple fresh dishes. I do love junk food, but after eating out a few times my body craves fresh home cooked food. The meal was rounded out with a few cauliflower methi parata's and a simple yogurt flavored with garam masala,

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-38242804857282463662007-04-11T09:35:00.000-07:002007-04-23T19:07:26.616-07:00

I love bisibelabath, or bis-b as it is fondly referred to in our home. I always ate it and thought it must be such a difficult recipe to make. I asked my M-in-law to teach me her bis-b recipe when she came over, and as with all her recipes this one is easy and turns out amazing every time. The vegetables with a sour tamarind taste all cooked in the spice blend flavoured with krambu (cloves),

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-30368774825229858472007-04-06T08:21:00.000-07:002007-04-06T08:59:05.372-07:00

A few weekends ago the hubby had gone off to India on a school project, and I decided to make a trip to Toronto. I love going back home, and getting spoiled rotten with delicious food by my mom and dad. This trip my mom decided she hadn't made anything 'good' (meaning deep fried) in a while, so she whipped up her amazing thayir vadai's (fried lentil doughnuts soaked in yogurt topped with coconut

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-2677795247593950402007-04-04T07:13:00.000-07:002007-04-04T07:54:01.010-07:00

This was one of the first dishes I asked my M-in-law to teach me. Its such a standard South Indian dish, and so easy to put together anytime. I always keep my dad's famous avvakai pickle in the fridge and serve it next to the Uppuma. Rava is a key ingredient in my pantry, and I always keep various frozen vegetables in the freezer. I find that the key is to make sure you don't skimp on the

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-82324579911827506172007-03-30T18:01:00.000-07:002007-03-31T15:23:25.615-07:00

Rajma is one of my favourite comfort foods. Its a great dish that gets better over a few days too!I made this dinner of rajma, daal, rice, raitha, and roti's (I am determined to conquer rotis, right now they are no good). And here are the leftovers that I enjoyed later on. The toor daal is one of my favourites as I invariably have frozen toor daal kept for sambar and rasam, it can be whipped up

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-43288422761169556912007-03-27T18:15:00.000-07:002007-03-27T18:30:22.472-07:00

I was watching Paula Deen, Queen of fattening food, on FoodTV the other day while I was at the gym. I have this sickening habit of watching FoodTV while I'm on the elliptical or the treadmill. Its sick I know, but I still do it. Mainly because I do not have cable at home, and thus must fill the craving for watching my shows. My dad canceled the channel at home in Toronto and my sister was so

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-28531357847735658822007-03-24T09:14:00.000-07:002007-03-25T08:46:45.514-07:00

TorontoBrothers.com launched!March 1, 2007My friends Ashwin and Rohin Iyer are talented Carnatic Musicians. They have awesome stage personalities, and really move an audience. They are very cute too (and single ladies!). I happen to know these two from back in my days of undergrad at UofToronto Engineering where we tried to escape doing as much schoolwork as possible. Shankar and I were very

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-5168292464302163112007-03-21T20:03:00.000-07:002007-03-21T21:23:19.516-07:00

I love this salad.Mexican Salad1 black bean veggie burger, 1/2 can of low-fat vegetarian refried beans, shredded romaine lettuce (1/2 large heart), 1 handful chopped cilantro, 1/2 jalapeno pepper sliced or diced, 1 tomato diced, 1/4 small red onion diced, 1 green onion chopped, shredded mexican blend cheese1. Microwave the frozen burger for 30 sec to a minute depending on your microwave. Grill

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-44855533179395693152007-03-21T06:30:00.001-07:002007-03-21T07:14:25.482-07:00

I was recently watching some show on FoodTV where all the food is 'semi-homemade' (At least she admits it, I have to give her that!). It seems to be the new trend of that channel. I actually really enjoyed watching chefs who prepared food with skill, and who used cooking techniques. Regardless of whether I prepare their dishes or not, I certainly do incorporate a lot of the techniques I learned

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-70725875499282289302007-03-17T08:48:00.000-07:002007-03-20T18:49:21.060-07:00

Karadaiyan Nombu is a festival celebrated by South Indian married women in Tamil Nadu. North Indian women have a similar festival called Karva Chauth. The premise is that married women pray to never be separated from their husbands. The story of Savithri's devotion to her husband Sathyavan is remembered that day, you can read about it here. I have a younger sister named Savithri, so we were quite

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-51180991449716096452007-03-16T18:59:00.000-07:002007-03-17T07:35:20.314-07:00

As you all have read last weekend my f-in-law came over from India and I was busy making tiffin dabbas and the likes trying to impress him. Well, any inroads I made with the vatral kuzhambu were completely destroyed with my idlies the next day. Following my Dad's recipe I soaked the rice and urad, unfortunately I did not have parboiled rice. I ground them separately, mixed and let it rise, but I

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-63263524887446283232007-03-13T18:43:00.000-07:002007-03-13T18:48:50.529-07:00

It's been a busy weekend, but still full of cooking. When I get a few moments, I will be writing all about my latest idly fiasco. In the mean time, if you get a chance you can check out some of my writing on The Well Fed Network, under their 'Cook Smarter' Section.The website is www.cooksmarter.net, and my first article is titled Down South...India.I will be posting some of MarriedtoaDesi's

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-13816992275215703372007-03-09T17:42:00.000-08:002007-04-23T19:10:00.201-07:00

UPDATE: This is my entry for The Daily Tiffin's Show me your LunchboxThe other night I got a phone call from my in-laws about my F-in-law's trip to the US from Madras this weekend. He planned to stop in Detroit en route to California to drop off some stuff with us. I did get the instructions from my M-in-law to take some food for him as he would be just getting off an 18 hr flight, and having to

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-78946255935810184742007-03-07T19:10:00.000-08:002010-01-05T10:54:59.450-08:00

The final item at our little dinner party was a delicious apple fritter topped with a fruit sauce. It was pretty easy to do, and sinfully rich so people ended up sharing plates of it. Well, I think that was also because everyone wanted to try it right away so as soon as Shankar finished plating one up, we would all fall upon it and devour it. If you like butter and apples, you'll like this. I

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-17266160007577913402007-03-03T16:19:00.000-08:002009-11-06T10:51:27.033-08:00

Update: Trupti's Winter Food Blogging turned into Spring Fling 2007, and Shankar's Entry Won!! Thanks for the great prizes Trupti!The second course for our impromptu dinner party last night was a delicious Thai Green Curry, served with rice. This is by far one of the best dishes that my husband makes. It is SO good. I want some more now. Thai Green Curry1/2 cup thai basil, 1/2 cup cilantro, 3-4

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-6415653830982556372007-03-03T15:39:00.000-08:002007-08-30T22:12:57.324-07:00

Yesterday night we ended up having an impromptu dinner party. Our original plans to go to Toronto dashed due to this miserable Michigan weather, we had a few people drop by and Shankar decided to redeem himself from the Mexican fiasco with an Asian feast. And an impeccable feast it was. We started off with spring rolls, followed up with a thai green curry with rice, and ended up with a yummy

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-33164349153067414782007-03-02T11:45:00.000-08:002010-01-05T11:46:33.880-08:00

Poritha Kozhambu & Puli-Itta KeeraiWhen I visited my husbands place for the first time (before marriage), my in laws treated me with an lunch that was a cornucopia of South Indian traditional dishes. Upon complimenting my M-in-law after the lunch, she casually mentioned to me that not only does she cook mostly traditional South Indian food, but in traditional combinations. I was really impressed

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-75208653113392002912007-03-01T12:17:00.000-08:002007-08-30T22:13:59.056-07:00

Howdy folks! Just to spice things up a little bit, I thought I would post instead of Kanchana today. Lest you think that Kanchana's husband can actually cook well, here is a sample of one of my most spectacular failures. I told Kanchana that I would make soup today and I did... It was unpalatable and the most generous term that can be used to describe it is "disgusting".We managed to it look good

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-82123209111829438902007-02-28T10:28:00.000-08:002007-02-28T10:53:05.884-08:00

A few things from my home....hope you enjoy them as much as I do!Below: Kanchana meets Shankar.I fell in love with this Shiva Parvathi when I was in Madras, so my Dad bought if for me.These are all over the place now, but I still like this Ganesha welcoming everyone into my home. The silver lamps and bowls were all gifts from our family friends at our wedding in Madras.This lovely Ganesh is a

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-52777941854378936072007-02-23T09:28:00.000-08:002007-03-02T14:48:53.203-08:00

I love the anjaraipetti (box with 5 spaces) that my mom gave me. It's a really useful item in my kitchen set up. A lot of my friends look at the recipes that I post and say they look good but seem very complicated. The key to easy cooking is having a well stocked kitchen. Cooking is no fun if you have nothing at home and you have to start by making a long trip to multiple stores. If you really

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-17043774013206791132007-02-22T19:01:00.000-08:002010-01-05T11:05:42.734-08:00

I get lazy a lot when it comes to cooking, and there are some busy days when all you have time and energy for is to assemble a quick lunch out of the refrigerator. The other day's lunch was one of these moments - Grilled cheese and vegetable soup. C'mon you foodies, even you can admit to one of these lazy thrown together affairs. I like to jazz up my grilled cheese a bit with herbs I have on

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-12185078178933398472007-02-20T11:56:00.000-08:002007-08-30T22:13:59.057-07:00

Today my husband decided to make us a soup for lunch. Asian soups have been some of his best creations in the kitchen. As he was 'randomly' throwing things into the soup, he decided to call it Kaat Soup, which apparently alludes to something that has everything in it(sarcastically). Well his soup was really good, and I recommend you try it out! I hope we still have this much fun when both of us

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-29599207088433462482007-02-19T10:22:00.000-08:002007-03-31T22:45:24.298-07:00

My friend Lakshmi is a woman of many talents; she paints, she dances, she sings, she is a mother of two, and a full time homemaker. Plus she has a degree in Gerontology. As I said, MANY talents. Her latest endeavor is a new fine arts based company called Azen Arts, where she creates custom art pieces incorporating Asian styles of Meena Kari, Sand Painting, and Clay Molding.Her stunning large

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-80984772122448026902007-02-18T11:34:00.000-08:002007-02-19T08:34:02.769-08:00

Not wanting to be outdone by my father, my mother made us an amazing lunch today. We decided to take pictures of it as it would traditionally be served in South India on a banana leaf. Luckily my mother is not only an amazing cook, but she also has a green thumb being a Masters in Botany! So her home is filled with beautiful plants that remind her of her childhood in Madras. It'll be -20C outside

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-22730273441658247822007-02-15T20:00:00.000-08:002007-02-16T17:15:18.800-08:00

Hello all,Some new work going on with my website, most recently my own domain name! Welcome to "marriedtoadesi.com". Please bear with me as I will be updating this site and the links.(www.kanchspot.blogspot.com will still forward to this site, but if you can please update your bookmarks!)Also feel free to give me feedback on the name...so far both positive and negative, but hey I'm interested to

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-90423076095064878142007-02-15T10:28:00.000-08:002007-02-16T17:15:41.474-08:00

To counteract the freezing cold fluffy white snow outside my Dad made hot fluffy snow white idlies today! My Dad's idlies are really soft and perfect. We relished them with yennai milagai podi and sambar. There are a few things I really look forward to when visiting my parents in Toronto, and one of them is my Dad's oorakai (hot mango pickle), and another is his idly. Anyways, father and

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-58042298167065500842007-02-14T11:02:00.000-08:002007-02-16T08:09:20.329-08:00

Oven Roasted Potatoes are a good thing. We were in a lazy mood for lunch the other day, neither my husband nor I felt much like cooking anything. I always keep veggie burgers in the freezer, and all kinds of flavours like regular and black bean too. So I figured we'd jazz up the meal with some oven roasted 'fries'. It was somewhat of an experiment as I had never made these before.The cooking

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-16160188129921414502007-02-14T06:11:00.000-08:002007-03-01T09:14:02.360-08:00

This morning I read an article in the New York Times entitled "He Cooks. She Stews. It’s Love." that rung very true to me. It's about the recent phenomenon of 'alpha cooks'. I'm always endlessly fascinated with human psychology and the different ways that the genders interact with each other. The article talks about women in the kitchen who have become intimidated to cook by their alpha cook

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-45769930598597131322007-02-13T10:33:00.000-08:002007-08-30T22:13:59.058-07:00

My husband makes great soups, and the secret to them is in the stock. He makes a batch of stock every now and then, so when we feel like it we pull it out of the freezer and make quick and delicious soups. Stocks are fairly easy things to make, its a question of remembering to pick up those ingredients at the grocery store. Last night we made up some stock, and then Shankar made another

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-81971199954674973712007-02-12T15:51:00.000-08:002010-01-05T11:31:20.400-08:00

I love browsing the net in search of recipes. I rarely buy cookbooks since there is such a plethora of information about cooking on the internet. Besides, I love looking at two or three recipes and adopting my own based on what's in my pantry. The other day I found a delicious sounding recipe for Vegetable Cutlets on Mumbai Masala. As per one of my tips, I did have a boiled diced potato waiting

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-80408929442852336432007-02-11T11:35:00.000-08:002007-02-16T08:39:24.249-08:00

I don't think I would eat that much broccoli or okra if I didn't know these South Indian recipes. Incorporating vegetables into a regular meal plan is so much easier with the South Indian Meal formula:2 vegetable curry (eg. spinach, broccoli, okra, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, vazhakkai, potato)1 salad (eg. carrot, cucumber, tomato, radish, celery, lettuce, fruit)1 lentil stew dish (e.g. rasam,

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-79946963164699331302007-02-11T09:08:00.000-08:002010-01-05T11:00:44.321-08:00

Yesterday morning I had a hankering for garden vegetable cream cheese on my bagel. Of course I only had plain cream cheese, so I made my own (and I think its better than the store bought version!) Veggie Garden Cream Cheeseplain cream cheese, minced carrot, diced tomato, diced cucumber, sliced green onion, chopped parsely, salt and pepper to taste. Mix all the ingredients together, and enjoy!

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-1867435130918432742007-02-09T11:40:00.000-08:002007-02-09T16:39:24.171-08:00

Lunch is such a wonderful meal when one is unemployed and staying home. Last night we went to the MBA Happy Hour and had a great time with our friends. Thursday evenings are a highlight in my week. Anyways it was filled with lots of yummy junk food that we ate outside like steak fries (no mom, there is no steak in it, they are just thick cut fries), battered and fried mozzarella sticks, and

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-64358360012552508242007-02-09T06:37:00.000-08:002007-02-22T07:47:58.286-08:00

Asma and I met while we were on the board for Toronto's Masala!Mehndi!Masti! Festival. I noticed her because well, she is strikingly beautiful with an outgoing elegant personality to compliment her looks. We got along very well, and have traipsed all over the city together organizing events for MMM, which gave us ample time to really get to know each other. The thing that strikes me the most

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-19452234726254676782007-02-07T11:30:00.000-08:002009-05-04T13:53:36.462-07:00

After making all kinds of cheese dosai and masala dosai, today I decided to make uthappam for lunch. Some days I just don't feel like making anything for myself (especially if it's only me at home for lunch), and I'll just warm up soup and eat endless amounts of toast and cheese. And of course let's not forget my personal obsession with potato chips. But I digress. This post has been aptly named

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-28843512767689377202007-02-05T06:42:00.000-08:002007-02-16T06:45:12.962-08:00

We had an amazing time at the 2007 Michigan Winter Formal. This year's party was sponsored by Deloitte, and was held at the Henry Ford Museum. The venue was certainly one of the most interesting of all parties that I have been to. To be honest I wasn't really expecting anything spectacular in Detroit given all that I had heard about the city, but it was worth every penny to go see it. The whole

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-12762709582374759402007-02-04T20:12:00.000-08:002007-02-05T06:51:52.128-08:00

South indian meal; sambar, two vegetable curries, salad, and a pickle!Well as I said my brother in law is in town so of course I had to make him something decent to eat. He is a very good cook as are many people in my husband's family which makes cooking an intimidating task for me. I'm guessing I passed the test from the seconds that both he and my husband had. Or else they were really hungry...

marriedtoadesi.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04860464698454474847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2712467965605857461.post-67068851504214257412007-02-04T19:51:00.000-08:002007-02-05T06:21:42.773-08:00

Cheese PlatterOur friend Radhika gave my husband and I a really cool cheese platter for Christmas and ever since I laid eyes on it I've been wanting to have une dégustation fromages & vins. This weekend we were visited by my brother-in-law Gopi, and our friends Radhika, Priya, and Steve which made it a perfect opportunity to go cheese crazy. The menu for our little get together started and ended

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Daal Makhni & Peas PulavI've had a hankering for Daal Makhni lately, and my mom had given me a whole bunch of lentils. My pantry is stocked to say the least. Daal Makhni has a nice creamy texture, and it tastes amazing in restaurants, I'm guessing they put a lot of cream and butter into it. Something that makes it so rich. I don't have the heart to cook with so much fat at home. Making Daals or

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Cheese Dosai & Masala DosaiYou read that correctly. It's a cross between a quesadilla and a dosai, and its really good. I usually make dosa dough every other week. It's a nice thing to have around when you don't want to cook something from scratch, but you want a hot meal. I also like to always keep boiled potatoes in my fridge, whenever I make something with potatoes I boil a few extra and keep

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This morning I decided I wanted an indian meal that wasn't sambar or rasam, but not quite the opposite with the masala laden food. So I settled to make something I think is a good compromise, alu poha with moong daal and cucumber raita. It ended up being a great combination, and super easy to make. Luckily for me when I had made venpongal last week, I pressure cooked extra paasi parupu (moong

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Apple CakeThe other day my friend Krisha came over and brought the most delicious apple cake from a local Ann Arbor bakery next to her house. For the last few days I've been craving this cake, but it's been snowing and it's so cold outside that I was too lazy and cheap to go buy it from the bakery. Anyways, to make a long story short I decided to look up a random recipe on the net and bake my

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ParisMaybe I'm partial to the French because I'm Canadian, but it really is a beautiful place full of so much history. I find the language so beautiful to listen to. My friends Geetanjali, Monica and I made a trip to the Fashion Capitals of the World; NY, London, Paris, and Milan. Geeta and I made the trip to Paris ourselves from London via the Eurostar. We reached Paris and immediately began

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I decided to make rava idly today. It's an easy way to make idly on the spot, as the regular version requires two days of soaking and fermenting. My mom gave me this recipe, and I love it. I found out today (after making the idly of course) that my South Indian food loving husband apparently 'hates' rava idly. But he claims he'll still eat it since he loves the green pepper sambar that is

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Atlanta, GAI went to Atlanta a few years ago when my friend Monica was working for Home Depot there. She was really sweet and invited our friend Geeta as well. The weekend was rounded out by her roomate Susmita's friend Iana visiting from NY. Atlanta was so much fun, a great friendly WARM place to visit. I felt that Atlanta had a really nice restaurant scene, and a lot of great shopping. Plus we

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Introducing my good friend Lopa Sarkar, dancer extraordinaire. I remember meeting this beautiful Toronto Bengali girl in dance class when we were just kids. Those were some fun times. Now she's all grown up with an MBA, lived in London for a few years, and if she hasn't already done it all now she's got her own company. Bollywood Grooves, a Toronto based dance company that specializes in classes,

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Bruschetta ToastsThese snacks look and taste so gourmet, but they are the simplest thing to make. The key is good ingredients. They should be eaten right away, and the toasts should be fresh and crisp. I make them every now and then, especially for parties.topping: tomato diced, a little red onion minced, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and fresh OR dried basil.rest: bagel OR melba

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Feel like takeout?My antidote to the expensive habit of ordering takeout once a week is to stock my freezer with delectable goodies that fill the craving for that high fat takeout. My latest find is California Pizza Kitchen's frozen pizza. The pizza's are thin crust so they cook very nicely in the oven. We were surprised at how good they were. Its comparable to ordering pizza in many restaurants

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The yummiest potato curryMy mother makes this all the time. I have to say it is one of my favourite comfort foods! So good with anything, we'd make potato curry sandwiches out of this with bread and butter, or just enjoy it with yogurt rice.3 potatoes, peeled, diced, and cooked.2 tsp turmeric2 tsp red chilli powder1 tbsp mustard seedsoil, generous.a pinch of asafoetida3 tablespoons of chickpea

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In honour of our newlywed friend, this first post will be about Monica's wedding! Below is Mon's letter to us about her wedding and it sounded so good! Read on...Hey Guys!The wedding and the hall and everything was really nice, it was a very typical Marathi wedding but apparently more upscale than is typically expected by our community there.The hotel itself was a 3 star but because it was really

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Austin, TXTransportation:SouthwestRestaurants:FreebirdsChuy'sMalaga Tapas BarThe GingerManLive Music:The Elephant RoomThe Saxon PubMovies:The Alamo DrafthouseAhhhh Austin. Live Music Capital of America. I like Austin a lot, I visited my husband a few times when he lived there. I dont' recommend it in July (WARNING: HOT) when the evenings are beautiful but stay indoors during the day! My favourite

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Montreal Transportation: VIA RailAccomodations: The Fairmont Queen ElizabethRestaurants:Crepe SuzetteL'Academie: 4051, rue Saint-Denis Montreal, QCH2W 2M7 (514) 849-2249Queue de ChevalMuseums:Montreal Museum of Fine ArtMaps:The Underground City & MetroI've always enjoyed sharing

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During the final day, Kaanum Pongal — the word kaanum means 'to view' — people, especially storekeepers, visit beaches and theme parks. During the Pongal season, people also chew sugar cane and decorate the houses with kolam. (Taken from Wikipedia.) For Kannu, my m-in-law told me to make mixed rices, roll them into balls to offer to the birds.The key ingredients for the following recipes are for

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Pongal (Tamil: பொங்கல்) is a Hindu festival to give thanks for the harvest. Pongal in Tamil means 'boiling over'. Traditionally celebrated at harvest time, it is a celebration of the prosperity associated with the event. (Taken from Wikipedia.) I got my 'Happy Pongal' phonecall the other day from my dear m-in-law, along with the prerequisite recipes that I was to prepare for celebrating Pongal

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