A quick snack is quintessential in the pantry for feeding kids. We are always in search for healthy and filling snacks. Kids come home hungry after school and it is a good idea to feed them good quality and healthy snack instead of feeding them empty calories. My very good friend makes this delicious banana bread that my kids crave. This banana bread is made with whole wheat flour(that's what makes this bread healthier). Hopefully you will enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Ingredients 1 cup  Brown Sugar  1 stick (8 tbsp)  Unsalted Butter  3  Eggs  3  Ripe Banana  1 tbsp  Milk  1 tsp  Ground Cinnamon  1 tsp  Baking Powder  1 tsp  Baking Soda  1 tsp  Salt  1/3 cup  Walnuts  2 cups  Wheat Flour  ¼ cup  Chocolate Chips (optional) Method Preheat the oven to 325 F. Butter two bread pans and keep aside.  Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each  addition.  In a small bowl, mash

Indian spiced butter milk traditionally known as "Mattha" is a tangy yogurt drink flavored with ginger-green chili paste and fresh cilantro. With very few ingredients this cold beverage is quite refreshing especially in summer. There might be variety of versions to make mattha but this is a very traditional Maharashtrian recipe, just like my mom makes it. Ingredients 4 cups plain buttermilk 2 green chili's 1 inch ginger  2-3 tbs fresh chopped cilantro Salt as per taste 1 tsp sugar Method Method is quite simple. Mix yogurt and water together to make homemade buttermilk. It should be thin in consistency. To make mattha, add all the ingredients in a blender and blend it for few minutes until little bit frothy.  Pour in a glass and enjoy a refreshing drink!!

Salad is a great way to fulfill your daily requirement of veggies. And especially in summer eating nice cold salad is quite refreshing. On hot days simple salad is all but you need. Fattoush is a salad made with Pita bread and veggies and lots of fresh herbs and lemony dressing. It will be a perfect side salad for a barbecue party or a good to go salad for picnics, just pack the dressing and chips on side and combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Usually pita bread is toasted and crisped and then added to this salad but since I had pita chips on hand used those instead. Ingredients(Will serve 2-3 people) 2 tomatoes 1 cucumber 1 small red onion 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley(I prefer flat leaf Italian parsley to curly one) 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint 1/2 cup roughly crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup pita chips For Dressing 2 tbsp lemon juice 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pepper as per taste Salt as required(feta cheese is salty so salad will hardly need salt)

Appe is yet another South Indian dish commonly prepared with pulses/lentils and rice. But it needs soaking of lentils and grinding and everything. On the other hand these rava/semolina appe are very convenient to make. It doesn't need the hassle of soaking and grinding. My sis-in-law made these appe while she was visiting and I really liked them. By using fruit salt it doesn't need to be fermented. Eno fruit salt is easily available in any Indian grocery store. It comes in three different flavors. Use regular or lime flavor either is fine.  Ingredients( Serves 5-6) 3 cups fine rava/semolina 1/2 cup yogurt 3 cup water 1 small onion finely chopped 1 tomato chopped 3-4 green chilies 1 inch ginger grated Couple of tbsp chopped cilantro Oil to brush insides of appe mould 1 tbsp Eno fruit salt or as required Method Method is pretty simple, take a big mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients except eno together and let it sit covered for up to an hour or so. You wil

Rasam is a traditional South Indian spicy soup prepared with tamarind and tomato base liquid with added spices and dal. It is similar to sambar but it's consistency is more soup like, unlike sambar which is usually thicker. It can be served as a soup for first course or can be used for main course with idli, dosa, vada etc or can be simply served with rice. It tastes especially good on cold or rainy days. All the spiciness just kicks in and warms you up inside out. I served it with my Zucchini dosas  and tasted just perfect. Ingredients(Serves 2-3 people as soup) 1/4 cup red lentils 1 small tomato chopped  1 tbsp store bought rasam powder(I use MTR brand) 1/2 tsp tamarind paste 1 tbsp jaggery 3 cup water Chopped cilantro for garnish For Tempering 1 tsp ghee/clarified butter 1/4 tsp mustard seeds 1/4 tsp cumin seeds Few curry leaves Method Cook lentil with water and pinch of turmeric and asafoedita in a pressure cooker. Give 3-4 whistles and shut off t

Dal is an important part of any Indian meal. No matter which part of India, dal is one staple food in any household. Dal is a good source of protein for Vegetarian people. Indian meal is not complete without dal. There are variety of dal/lentils available in market and each of them has its own taste. Dal's can be made in variety of ways but basic preparation starts with boiling dals with turmeric and asafoetida(also known as hing) and add tadka/tempering on cooked dal. Now, variation can be made by adding onions, tomato, ginger, garlic or any leafy green vegetables.  Moong dal tadka is a very simple yet scrumptious recipe that will surely make your meal complete. Ingredients(Serves 2) 1/3 cup yellow moong dal 1/4 tsp turmeric powder Pinch of asafoetida Chopped cilantro for garnishing For Takda 1 tbs ghee 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1 dried red chili cut in half 1/4 tsp red chili powder Salt as per taste 2-3 garlic cloves sliced Method Cook moong dal with turmeric and asa

My favorite type of meal is Sandwich. I love all kind of Vegetarian sandwiches. Though you don't get much veggie options in sandwich shops outside, I try and make variety of them at home and every time they come out nice. This sandwich was really made at the spur of the moment. I had leftover chutney and didn't want to make just plain old chutney sandwich. So added grilled veggies, well they are not actually grilled but sauteed in a a pan until slightly browned but crunchy. I have kept cheese optional but cheese makes this sandwich extraordinary. Ingredients 10 bread slices white or wheat 1/2 cup diced green pepper 1/2 cup diced onion 1/2 cup corn 1 small cucumber sliced 1 potato boiled, peeled and sliced 1 medium tomato sliced 5 tbs green chutney(cilantro+mint) Butter as required Chat Masala for sprinkling  1/2 Cup shredded Mozzarella  Cheese(optional) Method Melt butter in a pan and saute all the veggies. Veggies should still be crunchy, just saute

A spicy stew made with variety of peppers, tomatoes, beans and meat(either beef or chicken) but since this is a vegetarian recipe I am omitting the meat. This is a typical dish made in cook-offs and tailgates. Steaming hot bowl of chili is sure to warm your body and soul as well. Cold weather especially calls for a flavorful bowl of spicy chili. It can either be paired up with corn bread or cheesy nachos  or whatever you think that can to go with it. Since I had all the ingredients for nachos today I went ahead and made that.  In ingredients I have used 1/2 red and green peppers because mine were gigantically huge, if your peppers are normal size go ahead and use whole.  Ingredients 1 medium onion chopped 1/2 green pepper chopped 1/2 red pepper chopped 1 Jalapeno chopped 4 garlic cloves crushed 2 tbsp olive oil or canola oil 1 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp chili powder 1 tbs hot sauce of your choice 1 14.5 oz can vegetarian vegetable broth 1 15 oz can tomatoes chili style or c

Bharli Vangi a very much traditional Indian curry which can be made in variety of ways. Different regions from India have their own versions of making this curry. Being a Maharashtrian myself we have our own versions :) Actually this recipe is different from that my mom makes. The recipe that I am sharing today is my husband's aunt's. It tastes oh so good(these were the words that came out of my mouth when I had it for first time :)) and I hope you will like this as much as I do. I served it traditionally, with bhakri(made with Jowar flour) Ingredients 6 small eggplants(ideal for stuffing) 1 medium onion 2 garlic cloves 1/4 cup dry shredded coconut 1/4 cup crushed peanuts 1 tsp chili powder 2 tsp goda/kala masala(this is a staple masala in every maharashtrian household) 2 tbsp jaggery Salt as per taste Chopped cilantro for garnish For tempering 2 tbsp oil 1/2 tsp mustard seeds Pinch of asafoetida Pinch of turmeric Method Slit eggplants in middle without

Spring is still few weeks away, until then let us treat ourselves with hot soups while we can. Tortilla soup is a perfect soul soothing soup for cold winter. It is hot and spicy, though you can adjust the spiciness according to your taste. This soup tastes even better with all the toppings. I made this soup for dinner yesterday and everyone liked it, I paired it with Mexican style pizza. Ingredients 1/2 cup diced white onion 1/3 cup diced green pepper 1/3 cup red pepper 1 Jalapeno diced(deseeded if you don't want spicy) 2 garlic cloves minced 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels 3/4 cup canned black beans(1/2 mashed) 3/4 cup canned diced tomato chili style 1 tsp canola oil 1 tsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp oregano  Few dashes hot sauce 3 14.5 oz can vegetarian vegetable broth Salt as per taste Toppings Cilantro chopped Diced Avocado Corn/Multigrain Chips Sour Cream(optional) Method Heat oil in a pot, add diced onion and garlic. Saute until transluce