Rabdi: No-Condensed Milk No-Microwave Version – Rabri, Indian Sweet

Rabdi is sweet, thick, and creamy dessert that is calorie-laden and simple but quite time-consuming to make.  And if I have said ‘nuff negatives, lemme add that each lick of a spoonful of an Almond-Pistachio Rabdi is worth all the effort.

This rabdi recipe serves about 6, does not use milk powder or condensed milk and is not the microwave version.  So if you are looking for a milk powder or condensed milk rabdi, or a microwave recipe of rabdi - you may want to hop on to Tarla Dalal’s page.

But if you are ready to tone your triceps while cooking and add on calories while eating, then go ahead & make this rabdi the traditional way.

almond and pistachio rabdi

Continue Reading »»»

Moong Dal Paratha (Indian Flatbread with Split Green Gram Stuffing)

There are times when I don’t do grocery and have very few vegetables at home to make any kind of stuffing for a stuffed paratha.

Or sometimes I don’t feel like eating the same old Aloo Paratha (since I never run out of potatoes!).  Does that happen with you?  What do you do?

At such times, I make a Moong Dal Stuffed Paratha.

Stuffed Moong Dal Paratha

Continue Reading »»»

Eggless / Vegan Chocolate - Almond Pudding Cake

Why do all the scrumptious desserts have egg in them?  Why do people who cook with eggs have all the fun?  What can us who cannot cook with eggs at home make?

We can make this delicious eggless chocolate pudding cake.

Let me summarize what this pudding cake is all about:  When the cake batter is topped with hot water and put in oven, while baking the water becomes saucy and floats to the bottom, whereas the batter bakes into a cake and comes on top. That's why it becomes a "pudding cake" and that's what makes a pudding-cake a 2-in-1 treat!  And that's why this pudding cake is also known as "self-saucing chocolate pudding".

Enticed yet?

eggless and vegan chocolate almond pudding cake

Continue Reading »»»

Crunch Munch with Eggless Chocolate Crunch Cookies

These eggless chocolate cookies are not the chewy kinds.  They are more of crunchy cookies, like chips.  Call these Chocolate Cookie Chips, instead of chocolate chip cookies.  But after the crunchy bite, they melt in your mouth.


These Chocolate Crunch Cookies from Shobha Indani's recipe don't require too many ingredients & are very quick and simple to make.  You can either roll the soft cookie dough out & then use a cookie cutter to cut into desired shape, or roll into balls & flatten like I did.

I hope I have made the procedure seem very easy - because making these eggless cookies really IS easy!

Eggless Chocolate Cookies - easy, crunchy, yummy

Continue Reading »»»

Strawberry-Ginger Lemonade Recipe

On the night of 1st January 2012, just when I returned to the hotel after an unbelievably, horribly unlucky night at the casino, I saw an e-mail from Siri in my inbox titled "Congratulations - You won the Joy of Cooking cookbook give away".

I instantly forgot all the $$$ lost and was joyfully dancing for the Joy of Cooking!

Continue Reading »»»

Dosa Disaster!

My mother makes really good South Indian food.  So does my mother-in-law.  My father also loves making and having South Indian cuisine every weekend.  Idli, dosa, various kinds of chutneys, pesarattu, vada, sambar, rassam, and I don't know a lot of other names.  It's his love for all of that after having lived in Hyderabad for 20 years.

Unfortunately, I didn't learn cooking some good South Indian food from any of them.  However, today I thought of surprising my husband with some dosa and sambar for lunch.  The sambar came out delicious, as per the recipe, but the dosa was a disaster for me.  I thought it would be as easy as making pancakes, but dosa-making, let me rephrase, perfect dosa-making is an art, people.
Continue Reading »»»

Gobhi-Methi Bharwan Paratha [Cauliflower-Fenugreek Leaves Stuffed Flatbread]

I've fallen in love with stuffed parathas.

It has become so easy to have a nutritious breakfast with a stuffed paratha & plain yogurt (sweet yogurt in my case!), if not raita.  Or to heat the paratha up real quick for lunch or dinner, serve with seasoned raita, some pickle or chutney, and salad on the side.  Or to munch on it while watching TV at home, or to roll it up with a pickle and give in husband’s lunchbox – stuffed parathas have made my life easier.

Here’s Gobhi-Methi Stuffed Paratha recipe from Shobha Indani.  Should make about 8-10 parathas, about ½ inch thick.

Gobi aur Methi ke Parathe

Continue Reading »»»

Recipe: Sabudana (Sago Pearl or Tapioca) Khichdi

A popular Maharashtrian comfort food and a typical dish made during fasting (vrat), sabudana khichdi is easy, quick and simple to make (quick, except the overnight part!).

I sometimes make sabudana khichdi as a one of the meals of the day even if I am not fasting, and even though it looks little - it does get quite filling.  Wiki says that is because of sago’s carbohydrate & peanuts’ protein & other contents that makes the sabudana khichadi filling, have high energy content, and a complete dish.

how to make sabudana khichdi at home - sabudana khichdi recipe

Continue Reading »»»

Basic Kitchen Items to Bring from India

“What all kitchen items should I bring from India?” my friend, who is getting married next month and moving from India to US, asked me.  I said everything ‘Indian’ is available in US, just twice or thrice the price, but while I gave her some options, I thought there may be more people having questions on what kitchen items to take from india to usa.

Especially those moving to a new place after marriage, especially those who weren’t bothered about kitchen before, especially those starting out fresh, and/or especially those having to go live independently.

After all, I was ALL of those once upon a time.

Continue Reading »»»