North Indian cuisine is very popular all over the world. Punjabi cuisine is very rich and flavorful.   Amritsar is a city in Northern part of India in the state of Punjab. I guess this dal originated here and hence the name Amritsari dal. But it is also called as Langarwali dal. This dal is usually cooked and served in Gurudwaras for langar.  Doesn't matter what you call, it tastes delicious.  Authentically this dal is made with whole urad dal(same dal used to make dal makhani or maa ki dal) and chana dal but I made it with chilkewali urad dal and chana dal. Recipe is quite simple and it is made in Insta Pot so it's even quicker! Ingredients 1/2 cup chilkewali urad dal(aslo known as urad dal with skin) 1/4 cup chana dal 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste   1 small onion chopped 1 small tomato chopped 2 tsp coriander powder 1/4 tsp garam masala Salt and chili powder as per taste 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp amchur powder 1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter 1/2 tsp cumin...

 Raita is a very traditional condiment in any Indian meal. Typical Indian meal consists of a vegetable curry, dal, roti, rice and raita. Raita is typically made with yogurt and some kind of raw or cooked vegetable like cucumber, carrot, cabbage, spinach, beets and many more, possibilites are endless 😃.  There was some spinach left over in fridge and thought I should use it up before it goes bad so made this raita. It actually tasted pretty good, hope you all will like it! Ingredients 2 cup tightly packed chopped spinach 1 cup Yogurt 1/2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp red chili powder 1/4 tsp cumin powder Salt as per taste 1 tsp oil For Tempering 1 tsp oil 1/4 tsp mustard seeds 1/4 tsp cumin Pinch of asafoetida 1 red dried chili Method Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add chopped spinach and saute just until wilted,  keep aside and let it cool. Whisk yogurt until smooth and add sauteed spinach. Add all the spices, red chili powder, cumin powder, sugar and salt. Mix and keep aside....

 Saag Paneer is a traditional Punjabi delicacy that is eaten in winter. The reason behind eating sarson ka saag in winter is very simple, it helps keep our body warm plus it is packed with micronutrients and antioxidants. Traditionally it is made with mixture of sarson(which is called as mustard greens), spinach and bathua(another winter leafy vegetable) but living in the US it is hard to find bathua, at least I have never seen it in the store where I shop. So adjustments had to made to enjoy this beautiful delicacy by using whatever greens I can find.  Greens that are used in today's recipe is mustard greens(the star ingredient), methi leaves and spinach. But I think you can also add any greens that is available like green swiss chard, collard greens. Let's get started! Ingredients 1 bunch mustard greens 1 small bunch spinach or 5 oz prewashed baby spinach 1/2 bunch methi leaves or a handful of methi 1 green chili 5 garlic cloves roughly chopped 1 inch ginger roughly chopped ...

 As the name suggests it's a panini with classic ingredients like basil, tomato and mozzarella. These three items are like match made in heaven! They taste oh so good together. Crispy panini with ooey gooey mozzarella and fresh basil is a quick fix lunch or dinner option.  Ingredients(Makes 4) 4 ciabatta rolls 1 tomato sliced 1 small red onion sliced Basil leaves as required 4 tbsp basil pesto(store bought or homemade ) 4 tsp hot and sweet Pepper Jelly(I got it from Trader Joe's)  Balsamic Vinegrette (Recipe below) 8 oz Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Crushed red pepper flakes as required(optional) Balsamic Vinaigrette 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp dijon mustard 1 tsp honey Salt and Pepper for seasoning  Mix all the ingredients for vinaigrette and it's ready.  Method Drizzle ciabatta rolls with olive oil and lightly toast them on both sides on panini maker. Arrange lightly toasted ciabatta rolls on  a cutting board for assembling the s...

I was totally and  completely against buying a Insapot before, then my friends persuaded me to get one and now I have actually started liking it. Why? because it's convenient, less utensils to wash, easier to make one pot meals.   I did try making lot of rice varieties in IP, pulao and biryanis, plain rice. Today's recipe is Peas Paneer Pulao. Veggies in my fridge were depleting and had to make something for lunch so this was how today's recipe was born :)  Ingredients 2.5 Cup Basmati Rice 4.25 cup water 2 medium onion sliced 1 tomato chopped 1 tbsp ginger+garlic paste 3/4 cup frozen peas 1 cup cubed Paneer 5/6 cashews broken in halves 1/4 cup chopped cilantro  2 tsp Chhole Masala(I used Everest) 1 tsp Chicken Curry Masala(you can also substitute any other masala like pav bhaji or kitchen king masala) 1/2 tsp garam masala 1 tbsp dried mint crushed between your palm(fresh would also work) 1/4 tsp chili powder Salt as per taste 1tsp ghee/clarified butter(optional)...