Mawa Stuffed Dates make an easy and refined-sugar free treat for Diwali and the festive season. The dates are filled with rose and cardamom flavored mawa, nuts, and desiccated coconut. These get done in less than 30 minutes and also make excellent edible gifts for friends and family.
I always have a box of dates in my house and I use them in so many ways. Apart from eating them as such, I also fill them with peanut butter and enjoy as a treat or use them in salads,...
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Easy eggless Paan Mousse is made with just a handful of ingredients. Made with paan leaves (betel leaves), gulkand (rose petal jam), fennel and flavored with rose water, this mousse is light, refreshing and makes a great dessert for Diwali or any other festivities.
Paan is such a refreshing flavor and so it’s no wonder that it always makes it to my Diwali dessert menu. Over the years I have created tons of desserts using paan (betel leaves) and gulkand (hello paan ladoo and...
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An easy to make dessert, these Badam Halwa Truffles are made with almond flour and dipped in white chocolate and decorated with toasted almonds and edible gold leaves for that festive touch. These also make an excellent edible gift for friends and family!
Almond flour is one of my favorite ingredients in the kitchen during the festive season. You can use it in so many ways to make quick mithais from burfi to ladoos. One of my favorite things to make with almond flour is...
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Festivities are incomplete without a refreshing drink and this spicy Mango Mocktail is a drink that can be enjoyed by everyone alike. Made with mango juice, coconut water, ginger and fresh mint the drink gets the kick from jalapeños. Serve plain or top with sparkling water!
I love making mocktails for my dinner parties especially during the festive time. Whether it’s Diwali, Thanksgiving or Christmas, the addition of a good mocktail...
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Spicy and full of veggies, Tawa Pulao is a popular street food from the city of Mumbai in India. It has rice cooked with vegetables, butter, pav bhaji masala and garnished with cilantro and fresh lemon juice. The addition of a chili-garlic paste made with Kashmiri red chilies gives it that bright color and also adds to flavor.
I have been to Mumbai a few times in my life and every time I go there, I feel like I am always eating. From vada pav, to pav...
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Creamy Restaurant style Paneer Butter Masala is easy to make at home. This creamy curry is made with onion, tomatoes, cashews, cream and butter (of course!). t has a mild sweet taste and pairs beautifully with garlic naan or jeera rice.
You can never have enough of paneer. Can you?
There are just so many ways to cook with it. You cook it with green peas you get matar...
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This easy Lauki Kofta curry is a simple vegan dish made with lauki (bottle gourd) koftas which are dunked in a tomato-onion based curry. The koftas are traditionally deep fried, but I like air frying them. This makes a simple and comforting meal which can be served with boiled rice or any bread of choice.
One of the ways I enjoyed lauki as a child (other than lauki kheer) was when mom made Lauki Kofta. In Indian cooking, we refer to koftas as small dumplings which are deep fried and...
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Seasonal fresh figs, spices, sugar and vinegar are combined together in this delightful fig chutney which is good on just about everything. It’s vegan, made in the Instant Pot and can be enjoyed with any bread or crackers of choice. It will also make a fantastic addition to your charcuterie board!
I love making chutneys with in season fruits like peaches, apples etc. These chutney go well with so many things and make a great accompaniment to Indian breads. With figs being...
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Karachi Halwa is a sweet made with cornstarch and has a characteristic chewy texture. It feels and stretches almost like rubber. Making it at home is definitely a labor of love but one bite into this delicious halwa, and the effort seems worth it.
Karachi Halwa was one of my favorite sweets while growing up (along with besan ladoo and rasmalai and motichoor ladoo). I remember I would beg mom to get me a few pieces of Karachi halwa from this one particular...
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Kalakand is an Indian sweet fudge made with milk and often flavored with cardamom. Plain kalakand is the most popular one but there are several other variations to it like mango kalakand, rose kalakand etc. This is an easy to make sweet for festivals like Diwali, Raksha Bandhan and more!
When I started making Indian sweet at home, it was probably because I missed home so much and making and eating the sweets, I grew up eating made me feel close to home (well, as...
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Easy vegan pesto comes together in 10 minutes and makes a great sauce for pasta, salads, sandwiches and more. I keep a bottle of this versatile sauce in my refrigerator at all times to make easy dinners!
Pesto is one of my favorite sauces. I didn’t know about it 10 years ago and got introduced to it only when I moved to the US. It quickly became my favorite sauce and I started using it over my pasta and salads...
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Make this easy and refreshing Iced Mocha on a hot summer day! It’s made with easily available ingredients and is the perfect way to cool down on a hot day. Add a scoop of ice cream to make it creamier.
Cold coffee is one of my favorite summer drinks. It’s easy to make and tastes great every time. When I used to live in India, I would make cold coffee and mango milkshake during summers all the time. They would be my evening treats as I didn’t like drinking hot chai in 115...
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