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Spinach is an edible flowering plant. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant, which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions. Spinach is thought to have originated in ancient Persia. Arab traders carried spinach into India. It has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of a lot of vitamins and minerals and is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids. So overall a great vegetable to be introduved as a part of our diet. But a lot of people don't enjoy it because of its taste. There are so many Indian dishes that add a lot of flavor to this pretty bland veggie, like palak paratha, aloo palak, palak paneer, palak pakoda and many more. Aloo Palak is a famous Panjabi dish, is yummy and spicy and goes great with both rice and parathas. Ingredients: Palak (Spinach): 10 oz Potatoes: 1 large or 2 medium cut i

Methi chicken is a north Indian chicken dish. I keep trying different varieties of chicken dishes and some how I keep coming back to this one. Its yummy, good to look at and real simple. And the best part you don't have to go shopping for fresh methi leaves, as I used kasoori methi instead. Ingredients:  for marinade Chicken: 2 pounds (I used chicken quarters as I had them in the fridge but you can use any pieces) Curd: 1 cup Ginger: 1 inch Garlic: 5-6 cloves Green Chilli: 3-4 (adjust as per taste) Salt : as per taste Red chilli powder: 1 tsp (adjust as per taste) for gravy Onion: 1 large finely chopped Tomato : 1 large finely chopped Green chilli: 2 finely chopped Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp Red chilli Powder: 1tsp Coriander Powder: 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp Salt, black pepper: to taste Kasoori Methi: 2 tsp Oil: 2 tsp Procedure: Make a fine paste of ginger garlic and green chills. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade. Add the chicken

The zucchini (also courgette) is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. It is a hybrid of the cucumber. Zucchini can be dark or light green. A related hybrid, the golden zucchini is a deep yellow or orange color. In a culinary context, the zucchini is treated as a vegetable , which means it is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment.  Its not used that often in Indian cooking so I was not sure when Tanmaya suggested we try some. So here is what I made. Ingredients: Zucchini : 2 cups grated Fresh Mint: handful Chopped  Green Onions: 2 chopped Feta: 1/4 cup Egg: 1 Wheat Flour: 1/2 cup Salt : as per taste Pepper: as per taste Olive oil: 2 tbsp Oil : for frying Procedure:  Mix the zucchini, mint, green onion, feta, flour, egg, salt, olive oil and pepper in a bowl. Heat the oil in a pan. Spoon the zucchini mixture into the pan and cook until golde

Greek cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine, sharing characteristics with the cuisines of Italy, the Balkans, Turkey, and the Levant . Contemporary Greek cookery makes wide use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs, grains and bread, wine, Fish, and various meats, including poultry, rabbit, and pork. Also important are olives, cheese, eggplant, courgette and yogurt. Greek desserts are characterized by the dominant use of nuts and honey. Some dishes use filo pastry. For some time now I have been looking for some nice Greek recipes. Tzatziki is a greek cucumber salad. It serves a great dip for parties.  Ingredients: Greek Yogurt: 1 cup Cucumber: 1/2 cup grated Garlic: 2 cloves minced Fresh mint leaves : 1 tsp chopped Olive oil: 2 tbsp Lime juice: 2 tbsp Freshly Ground pepper: 1 tsp Salt: as per taste Procedure: Mix all the ingredients together and let it chill in the fridge for an hour or so to let the flavors infuse. Enjoy with different types of chips and

Kakra Pitha is a very famous Oriya dish prepared during festivals and is also offered to Lord Jaganath. It can be prepared plain or stuffed, with Wheat flour or Suji ( Semolina ). Its completely up to you. I like the stuffed ones for special occasions but the plain ones are a real good idea for nice and easy weekend breakfast with your family. Ingredients: Suji : 1 1/2 cup Water: 1 cup Sugar: 1/2cup Salt: a pinch Oil : for deep frying and rolling  Procedure: In a deep bottom pan bring the water to a boil. Add salt and sugar to the water give it a stir and slowly add the Suji mixing continuously to avoid any lumps. As the Suji soaks all the water turn of the heat cover the pot and let it rest for 4-5mins.  Once the dough cools down to room temperature knead it into a soft dough. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts and roll it into a 5" round bread. With a cookie cutter or mouth of a glass cut small kakra's out of the rolled dough. Make

This valentines day I wanted to do something really special for Tanmaya but between my classes and project I couldn't plan a lot so decided to stick to a nice home cooked meal. The menu had salad, bread, wine, meatless shepherd's pie and banana split, by the candlelight. I got the recipe of shepherd's pie from Rachel Ray's episode on Food Network, adjusted a little and had a great meal. You can follow the complete recipe by her  or make few changes like I did. The changes were in the mashed potato, so I am just mentioning that. Ingredients: Mashed Potato Potato: 4 medium Milk: 3/4 cup Chives: 3-4 Tbsp  Black Pepper: Ground as per taste White Cheddar Cheese: 1 1/2 cups Salt : as per taste Procedure: Put the potatoes  a medium pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, over high heat, then salt the water and cook until the potatoes are tender, 15 minutes or so.  Drain and return the potatoes to the hot pot. Add the , milk, chives, salt and pep

Mung Dal is Tanmaya's favorite kind of dal. So I keep looking for different recipes for the same. I have found this yummy rajasthani dal recipe. Which I would love to share with all my readers. Ingredients: Mung Dal : 1 cup Water: 1 1/2 cup Onion: 1 medium finely chopped Tomato: 1 medium finely chopped Garlic : 2-3 cloves Salt: as per taste Turmeric Powder:  1 tsp Zeera: 1 tsp Mustard Seed: 1tsp Whole Red Chilli: 2 Asafetida Pwd: 1/2tsp Red Chilli Pwd: 1tsp Garam Masala: 1tsp Coriander Pwd: 1tsp Oil: 2 tsp Procedure: Wash and soak the mung dal for 30 mins. In a heavy bottom pan add water, dal, salt and turmeric powder and cook till the dal is 80% done. Add the finely chopped tomatoes. Chrush the garlic an cumin seeds together and add it to the boiling dal. Cook till the dal is done and remove from the heat. In a pan heat oil and add mustard seeds and whole red chilli. As the mustard seeds stop spluttering add asafetida powder and

Sabudana vada are crunchy yummy tea time snacks that will fill you up and leave you craving for more. Ingredients: Sabu : 1/2 cup Potato: 2 medium Grated Onion: 1 small finely chopped Green Chilli: 2 finely chopped Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped Red Chilli Powder: 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds: 2tsp Lemon Juice: 1tbsp Salt: as per taste Oil for frying. Rice Flour: 2-3 tbsp Procedure: Soak the sabudana for 2-3 hours. Squeeze the grated potato to remove any water.  Combine the sabu, grated potatoes, coriander leaves, cumin seeds, lemon juice, chopped onion, green chilli, salt to taste, chill powder and rice flour. Mix it well into a soft dough consistency. Make small ball of the batter and flatten them. Deep fry the vadas in hot oil till golden brown and crispy. Serve it hot with chutney. Enjoy with a great cup of tea. Till Then Happy Blogging Rakhee