gluten-free Archives

Lauki Kofta (Air Fryer & Stove-top)

lauki kofta curry served in a copper dish with one kofta cut to show the inside

August 27, 2022

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...

Instant Pot Fig Chutney

fig chutney served in a small bowl with crackers and almonds on the side

August 25, 2022

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...

Karachi Halwa

August 10, 2022

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...

Kalakand

August 7, 2022

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...

Easy Vegan Pesto

bowl of pesto garnished with a fresh basil leaf

July 28, 2022

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...

Iced Mocha

July 26, 2022

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...

Mango Milkshake

July 13, 2022

Sweet and creamy Mango Milkshake is a great way to enjoy the sweet mangoes in season. Made with just few ingredients, you can enjoy this milkshake for breakfast or evening snack. Make it plain or jazz it up by adding some vanilla ice cream to it.

As soon as summer kicks in and the mango season arrives, I make mango milkshake pretty much everyday in my kitchen (along with Mango Lassi). Sarvesh is a huge mango fan (I have mentioned that several times on the blog) and his favorite way to...

Fresh Corn, Kale & Quinoa Salad with Tahini Dressing

bowl of salad with kale, corn, cherry tomatoes

June 28, 2022

This Fresh Corn Salad with Kale, Quinoa is filling, wholesome and great for summer picnics and potlucks. Drizzled with a tahini-lemon dressing, the salad is also vegan and gluten-free. Toasted walnuts add a nice crunch to the salad.

I love biting into sweet juicy corn this time of the year. Every weekend we go to the farmer’s market and come home with these sweet corn during summer. Our most favorite way to eat is the Indian way- by roasting it directly on heat and...

Mint Chutney

green color chutney served in a copper bowl with mint leaves, cilantro scattered in the background

June 8, 2022

This quick and easy Mint Chutney is easy to make at home and makes a great dip for a variety of Indian snacks like samosa, pakora etc. It’s also great as a spread for sandwiches, wraps. You only need 15 minutes to make this chutney which is also vegan!

I have often talked about how important chutneys are in Indian cuisine. I grew up with having some sort of chutney on our lunch table everyday. The kind of chutney that was there on our table varied from season to season. There was raw...

Nimbu Pani | Shikanji

glass of lemonade topped with mint leaves and lemon

June 4, 2022

This Nimbu Pani aka Indian style lemonade makes the perfect cooling summer drink. I grew up drinking nimbu pani during brutal summers in Delhi. It is easy to make with few ingredients and is seriously refreshing.

Summers in India (most parts of India) get brutal. I grew up in north India where temperatures constantly stayed above 100 F through summer. We made a lot of homemade drinks to get through those days (like lassi) and nimbu pani was always a top...

Mango Kalakand

May 25, 2022

Use fresh summer mangoes to make Mango Kalakand, an Indian mithai (sweet) made with whole milk, mangoes, and sweetened condensed milk. Milk is curdled to make fresh chena which is then cooked with mango puree and flavored with a whiff of cardamom.

Kalakand is a popular Indian sweet that is made with milk. A lot of popular Indian sweets are milk-based, since that was the most commonly available ingredient back then it made sense for so many mithais to be made from...

Mango Mint Raita

raita served in a white bowl topped with mango and garnished with mint

May 22, 2022

This Mango Mint Raita is the perfect accompaniment to Indian meals. Use sweet mangoes in the season to make this refreshing raita that goes so well with your favorite pulao or biryani!

Raitas are always an integral part of Indian meals. Growing up, mom always made raita for our lunches, especially during summers. Either it was boondi raita, or cucumber raita , or onion & tomato raita but it...