My mother-in-law makes this chutney. In marathi we call chickpea flour as डाळीचे पीठ or बेसन. As I had said before, chutney can be dry or wet, this chickpea flour chutney has a yogurt base . My husband loves this chutney and finally after making it for few times, got the recipe perfect. It goes great with your everyday lunch of  Roti, Sabzi, Dal and Rice. Ingredients 1 Cup Yogurt 1/4 Cup Chickpea Flour Sugar and salt as per taste 1 1/2 tsp Chili powder For tempering 1 1/2 tbsp Canola oil 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp turmeric Pinch of Asafoetida Method Beat yogurt in a bowl add sugar and salt, mix well. Sprinkle chickpea flour evenly over yogurt. Now sprinkle chili powder evenly over chickpea flour(most importantly, do not mix this mixture). For tempering heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add turmeric and asafoetida. Pour this tempering over the above chutney mixture evenly. Now cover the bowl with a plate and keep aside for around 45 min

Pasta is an all time favorite food for kids of all ages. Adding finely diced vegetables makes this Pasta healthier. Children enjoy fun shapes of Pasta, so in this recipe I have used zoo animals Pasta. Ingredients 1 cup Pasta 1/2 cup Pasta Sauce(I use Ragu but any of your favorite brand is fine) 1/4 cup vegetables finely diced(like carrots,broccoli,zucchini) 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese For White Sauce 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour 1/2 tbsp butter 1/2 cup Milk salt and pepper as per taste Method Boil water for Pasta with lid on. Once boiled add salt and little bit of olive oil and then Pasta, stir. When Pasta is almost done add veggies and let it boil, until pasta is cooked and veggies are tender. Drain and keep aside. Method for White Sauce  Meanwhile melt butter in a sauce pan on medium heat and add flour. Stir with whisk until butter and flour are well combined and mixture is bubbled. Pour milk and stir until it thickens. Add more milk depending on the desired consistency. This

My mom makes this instant and delicious dadpe pohe. The word "Dadpe"  means keeping it covered. There are so many different preparations of pohe from Maharashtra and Dadpe Pohe is one of them. I call it instant Dadpe Pohe because unlike traditional recipe, these pohe can be prepared withing minutes. This recipe is quick and delicious. Perfect for snack or dinner. These Dadpe Pohe are great for weeknight meals when you want something quick and filling. Ingredients 2 1/2 Cup Thin Poha toasted in preheated oven of 370 F for about  10-12 minutes or until lightly toasted and crisp 2 Tbsp Raw Peanuts 1 Small onion chopped finely 1 tomato finely chopped 2-3 green chili's finely chopped Salt as per taste 1 tsp Sugar or as per taste 1 tbsp Lime juice Chopped cilantro for garnishing For tempering 1-2  Tbsp Canola oil 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds Pinch of Asafoetida 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder Method In a large bowl combine all the ingredients except for tempering. Juices f

Sandwich is one of my favorite meal and especially this grilled veggie one. Colorful veggies are grilled perfectly and arranged on bread with pesto and cheese. These sandwiches tastes out of this world. They are so mouthwatering, you will want to pick one when you see them. I love Basil. We have a beautiful basil plant in our garden and I always find a way to use basil in different dishes cause it's so refreshing and colorful. And Pesto is a good way to use up that basil. Basil Pesto used for this sandwich can be store bought or you can make at home, I will be sharing the recipe for pesto as well. You can make pesto, freeze it and use it when required. Bread that I use for this particular sandwich is Pain de Campagne Round Bread from Wegmans(which is a grocery store chain). If you want, check out this link. The best part is they will slice the bread for you :-)   http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=655434&storeId=10052&langId=-1 But y

Pickle is a great condiment on any Indian dinner table. It is usually super spicy,sour and salty. Pickle also know as लोणचं in Marathi and Achar in Hindi is nothing but a mixture of vegetables and/or fruits combined with a spices. Pickling is just a process of preserving food by marinating in some sort of brine. Indian Pickles are marinated in lime juice, oil and salt along with spices.  Green Mango pickle is quite popular in India. Green Mango is a summer fruit, so my mom makes green mango pickle in summer. One of my friend shared this mix vegetable pickle recipe with me. I have used pickle masala, which is nothing but a blend of aromatic spices. It is easily available in any Indian store. Ingredients 2 Cup Cauliflower washed and  finely chopped 1 Carrot peeled,washed and finely chopped 10-12 Green Beans washed and finely chopped 1 Cup frozen peas 15-20 Green chili's washed and finely chopped 1 tbsp Salt or as per taste 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp Pickle Masala 2 1/2 Tbsp Mustard Seeds

North Indian Cuisine is famous for it's rich and tasty gravies. And Shahi Paneer is one of them. The word "Shahi" means rich and royal. Shahi Paneer is made with cream, tomatoes, spices and of course "Paneer". North Indian style "Meat" gravies are also quite popular. But  Paneer is a good alternative for Vegetarian people. You can either make paneer at home or you can get it from Indian store. This recipe will serve 4-5 people. Ingredients 1 1/3 Cup cubed paneer ( Home made paneer recipe ) 2 Medium onion quartered 2 Big red tomatoes pureed 1 tsp tomato paste 2 inch ginger diced 4 Garlic cloves smashed 3 Tbsp + 1 tsp canola oil Salt as per taste 1 tsp Garam Masala(A blend of Indian spices) 1/2 Cup Light cream or half and half 1 tsp Kasoori Methi (Dry Fenugreek) 1 Tbsp Sugar 1 1/4 Cup water Method Heat 1 tsp oil into a large skillet and saute quartered onion, ginger and garlic until soft. Once cooled puree it in a blender and keep aside