Indian As Apple Pie

     I HAD A TEN POUND BAG OF CARROTS. SO, I decided to take a shot at a delicious carrot soup. My first batch was good, but not great. For the next few batches, I added sweet notes from an overly-ripe pear and golden raisins. I also wanted some creaminess, but dairy-free. So, I went with cashew cream, which also lends some sweet notes. I could have also used coconut milk, but I'm just not a fan of the added taste profile in this kind of soup. I do like the addition of fresh turmeric. I feel like it...

RECIPE Instant Pot Masoor Dal with Jeera TardkaPressure Cooker Size: 6 quart or largerWarm-Up: 15 minutes. Cook: 5 minutes. Cool Down: 30 minutes TOTAL: 50 minutesYield: 9 cups 2 cups duhli masoor dal (dried, split, and skinned red lentils), picked over and washed (no need to soak)1 tablespoon oil or ghee1 pinch hing (asafoetida) (optional)1 teaspoon cumin seeds½ teaspoon turmeric powder1 small yellow or red onion, minced1 (2-inch) piece ginger, ground or minced2 cloves of garlic, ground or minced1-6 Thai, serrano, or cayenne chiles, stems removed and minced1 tablespoon garam masala1 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne pepper1 tablespoon salt6...

WHO DOESN'T LOVE A PAKORA? Fried fritters made with chickpea flour, spices, and veggies. An elevated, gluten-free version of onion rings is how I like to describe a pakora to my non-Indian friends. With chutney, they are simply a dream. But, I’m not a huge fan of the fried aspect of making pakoras. Why I wanted to try something different by baking them. Those of you who have my book Vegan Indian Cooking will know that on page 104, I do give you a pan-baked version. But, that's cut into squares. Delicious, but I wanted to create a pakora that looked like...

  The Indian Pressure Cooker Project is ON! Now I just need you to cook along with me as I recipe test full-flavored family-style Indian recipes in my pressure cooker. This one is for black chickpeas. If you are not Indian, you've probably never heard of them. They are smaller and meatier than their white chickpea counterparts. AND lower on the glycemic index. More on that later. First, the recipe.  RECIPE Instant Pot Black Chickpea CurryElectric Pressure Cooker Size: 6Q or largerWarm-Up: 20 minutes - Cook: 30 minutes - Cool Down: 33 minutesTOTAL: 1 hour 23 minutesMakes: 10 cups 2...

Many of you have heard of dosa by now - a fermented South Indian ground rice-lentil crepe that has become widely popular. But, do you know about the North Indian pooda (also spelled poora)? It's a wonderfully easy crepe to make - no fermenting needed, high in protein & fiber and gluten-free as well. I introduced them in my third cookbook, Vegan Indian Cooking, on page 79. What's different in this recipe? Just you wait ...  I've been juicing every morning and as I showcased my concoctions on my Facebook page, you've asked me what to do with the pulp? I decided to...

As the granddaughter of a prominent landowner and farmer from the heart of Punjab, India, please do not refer to Saag as Palak. My family spent our years living in America viciously stringing vacation days together to visit my grandparents in the haweli where my father grew up. To even get to his childhood village, you have to drive your way through fields and fields of bright green and yellow-topped mustard green fields. I've been on a tractor in those same fields and can still smell that freshly-cut aroma from the tender stems. When cooked down with spices and some key ingredients,...

Bonjour de Leysin ... Hello from Leysin, a small Alpine village in the heart of the Swiss Alps. It's a tiny alcove at the eastern end of Lake Geneva. It's my second summer here bringing my girls for summer camp. They just love it and this summer, I decided to say an emphatic 'Yes!' when my girls' summer school program asked me to teach a few cooking classes. I needed something to help me get back to what's important, and renting an Airbnb in the mountains, spending time here cooking, shooting pictures, swimming, and learning French daily - completely alone...

Minnesota .... Thank you for having me back! I am humbled.  This time, I'll be demoing my favorite Veggie burger at one of my favorite spots -- Eastside Food Co-op. They are one of the first places here to put my special spice blends on their shelf - and because of that, I'm committed to coming up here from Chicago to give them some spicy love back.  This week, I'm showcasing one of my favorite legumes - Black Chickpeas - or Kala Chana.  It's one of the four legumes we offer through Indian As Apple Pie because you cannot usually...

Get heart healthy this Valentine's Day and beyond with a recipe that has quickly become my morning routine. The oats immediately transport me to visits to my mother's childhood home and the city where I was born -- Chandigarh, India. Every breakfast included steaming bowls of chewy, delicious dalia.  All forms of oatmeal come from oat groats, the whole oat grain. This whole grain can be used in cooking, but typically must be soaked and remains chewy after cooking. These groats, when chopped up with steel blades into two to three pieces,  make steel-cut oats, also sometimes called Irish oats....

I'VE PERFECTED MY BLACK BEAN SOUP. The recipe is for the updated version of my first book, The Indian Slow Cooker, which will be released this fall from Agate Publishing. I know that's still a few months away. So, for now, enjoy! Black Bean Soup with Tomatillo, Roasted Corn and Jalapeno SLOW COOKER SIZE: 5-QUART COOKING TIME: 6 HOURS ON HIGH YIELD: 16 CUPS 3 cups dried black beans, picked over, washed, and soaked at least 2 hours2 tablespoons vegetable oil2 teaspoons cumin seeds1 teaspoon turmeric powder2 teaspoons ground black pepper5 cloves garlic, minced1 medium onion, minced2 carrots, diced2 tomatillos, husks removed and...