Simple and Delicious Gobi Sabzi: Indian Spiced Cauliflower

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There are certain foods that have the fascinating ability to transport me to another place and time. Sometimes it’s the taste of a fragrant, freshly baked slice of bread. One bite and I’m nine years old, back in my grandmother’s farm kitchen giggling with my cousins. Oh how I miss my cousins…

Other times it’s one sip of a cheap keg beer at a friend’s wedding causing me to remember my college days and all the (embarrassingly fun) moments with long-lost friends whom I’ll probably never cross paths with again (even you, crazy Toby!).

And then there is is this. Continue reading →

Easy Lemon Cheesecake with Blackberry and Ginger Spiced Topping

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There are few desserts as rich and delicious as cheesecake. Personally, I prefer cookies, but Piyush–who swears he does not like sweets!–is definitely a “cheesecake man.”

In fact, he likes it so much that it’s all he wanted for Christmas. No presents, just cheesecake. Heck, that’s easy enough!

I first made this particular cheesecake during the last season of Master Chef. There was a pressure test where the contestants had to bake a cheesecake in an hour. I was stunned! At that point I had never actually baked a homemade cheesecake before, but I knew it had to take longer than an hour! Continue reading →

Blackberry and Ginger Spiced Jam

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Lately I’ve been making some recipes that require many different steps or “recipes” within the recipe. To make it easier on me (and probably for you, too!), I’ve decided to split these recipes up into a few different posts.

Because I want to share this stellar Lemon Cheesecake with Blackberry and Ginger Spiced Topping (jam) with you guys:

I’ve got to first tell you how I made the topping.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE CHEESECAKE RECIPE

Because the jam can take quite a while to thicken (around 45 minutes from start to finish), I use this time to make the cheesecake crust and filling (recipe coming soon!). If you choose not to make the cheesecake and just want the jam…that’s awesome, too! Just know that it takes a little time to make.

But trust me, this jam is so fabulous, it’s definitely worth the time spent on it. You will not be disappointed! Continue reading →

Indian Food Basics: Homemade Garam Masala

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Hello Readers! It’s been quite some time since my last post–too long, actually. Since returning from India I’ve found myself incredibly swamped. Between unpacking from our trip and entertaining for the holidays, I simply haven’t had the time to sit down and blog. I also haven’t had time to moderate comments/emails, so please bear with me. I’m getting there!

Tonight I am going to show you how to make my version of Garam Masala–arguably India’s most popular spice mix.

If you’ve never heard of garam masala before, no worries! Many people I’ve met have no idea what it is or what it’s used for. Instead, they think that all Indian curries are made with a singular, yellow spice called “Curry Powder.” Interestingly enough, this mysterious “Curry Powder” doesn’t actually exist in most Indian kitchens.

In it’s place is the extremely fragrant and warm spice mix known as garam masala.

The name garam masala literally means “hot spice mixture,” but don’t be confused. The “hot” refers to the intensity and warmth of the spices and not it’s chili content–so even those with the most sensitive of taste-buds can enjoy dishes made with this spice mixture (eh hmmm…mom!). Continue reading →

Enjoying India

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Sorry for the lack of posts. Piyush and I are still enjoying our time in India and we’ll be here only 5 more days, so we’ve been ultra-busy. I’m sad that our trip is coming to an end, but I’m also excited to share some of our adventures with you all!

We’ve traveled throughout Kerala, survived (barely!) the crazy roads leading to Manali, and celebrated many festivals while we’ve been here.

Durga Puja: very important festival in West Bengal

Happy Diwali!

We’ve introduced our family to both French omelettes and crepes (with nutella and bananas!)

Simple French Omelette

And we’ve enjoyed more chai than you could possibly imagine:

I’ve been lucky enough to learn many wonderful, new recipes…and I’m excited to try and recreate them here for you to try as well!

Until next time…

Anda Curry (Egg Curry)…My way!

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Anda Curry is one of Piyush’s favorite dinners. It’s inexpensive, incredibly quick to throw together and is super simple to make! In fact, it’s so easy that Piyush is usually the one who makes this dish for himself–although his recipe is completely different than mine. He likes his curries “watery” and I prefer mine thick. Tomato, Tuhmahto.

The hardest part to this curry is cooking the eggs, and even that is easy if you know a few tricks. Continue reading →

Gajar Halwa: Indian Sweet Carrot “Pudding”

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This post has been a long time coming. I’ve started writing it (what seems like) a million times, but no matter how hard I’ve tried to finish…it just wasn’t happening.

The phone would ring. A time sensitive email would show up in my inbox. Piyush would want the laptop to practice Chess–he’s a competitive player, don’t ‘cha know? Dinner would need to be made. Excuses, Excuses, Excuses!

Yes, that is a room full of chess players. Very serious stuff, I tell you.

I also wanted to apologize to any one and every one of my dear readers who have left me a comment or sent me an email or personal note–and I haven’t responded. I’m extremely grateful for all the kind words and comments I’ve received lately. I’m also so, so very sorry for my slow responses. We’re leaving for India soon and I’ve had so many things to tie up before we leave, I promise It’s on my agenda. 😀

Anyway, tonight (it’s around 12:30am and I recently got home from work) I’m finally going to share with you one of my favorite Indian sweets!

Gajar Halwa!!!