I had dinner with Rob, my old engineering colleague, and his wife, Remone, when visiting Holland earlier this year. Amongst other things, Remone is an amazing cook. She kindly gifted me with a jar of her homemade Sambal and included a printout of the recipe. I was thrilled! I love Indonesian cuisine for its variety […]
Last year my kids came home raving about the Korean fried chicken they had at a restaurant. That being the case, I did some research to make it at home. It seemed pretty easy to make but there were variations in the dredging flour, the pieces of chicken used, and the sauce in the recipes […]
I should make this stew more often because it’s one of the few foods that all three of my kids like. It’s delicious, fast, and easy too. Inexplicably, I make it only for religious feasts alongside Puris, Kale Chole, and Sooji Ka Halwa. Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Yield: 8 servings INSTRUCTIONS […]
Hindu and Sikh temples give out free food to all visitors on a daily basis, regardless of their religious affiliation. In Hindu temples or Mandirs, ‘Prasad’ comes in the form of this sweet porridge and/or an Indian dessert or fruit and nuts. In Sikh temples or Gurdwaras, you get ‘Kada’, a whole wheat-based sweet porridge […]
Roti or Chapatis are staples of North Indian cuisine. My mother makes them twice daily for both lunch and dinner. They are made of pure white wheat flour. However, as I can’t find white wheat flour in Brazil, I mix both whole wheat and all-purpose flour to make my Rotis. See Atta to get the […]
There are many different kinds of bread in India. Some are made from whole wheat flour, while others are made using all-purpose flour, yet others are made from grains like corn or chickpea or millet. Puri is traditionally made using white wheat flour and water. However, when I can’t find white wheat flour or Chapati […]
At the end of Navratri, the nine nights and 10-day religious festival, I prepare a traditional meal that is vegetarian and contains no onions or garlic. There are four components in this meal: Puri (fried, unleavened wheat bread), Sooji Ka Halwa (sweet farina porridge), Kale Chole (savory black chickpeas), and Aloo (potato stew). This delicious […]
I made some Dal the other day. It was a hit, but like me, my family doesn’t care for leftovers after the next day. Therefore, I decided to disguise the leftover Dal as a Paratha. There are several ways to make Dal Ka Paratha: Cook Channa Dal (pigeon peas) with very little water so that […]
This is my Father’s favorite Paratha. He is my role model and I have tried to emulate him since I was young. Thus, this is also one of my favorite Parathas, second only to the white radish Paratha. It is really easy to make as it requires no prep other than making the dough – […]
There are many choices for Paratha fillings: some include meat, most of them are vegetarian. I vary the dough depending on whether the moisture in the filling will tear the Paratha. I use a wheat/white flour blend in either a 1:1 ratio or a 3:1 ratio (3 parts wheat, one part white flour) for the […]
Many different kinds of bread are made in India. Almost all of them originate in the North as it is the wheat belt of India. I love bread in all forms and will explain how to make those most commonly made at home. Here are two recipes for unleavened flatbread dough. The first, pure wheat […]
The Hindu religious festival of Navratri (9 nights and 10 days) began this past Sunday and will end the following Tuesday. It celebrates the feminine nature of the Supreme Divine. It is celebrated twice a year in North India and occurs when the seasons change from cold to hot or vice versa. In practice, Hindus […]
My Dad gave me soaked almonds for breakfast for as long as I can remember. He told me they were good “Brain Food”. I carried on the tradition with my children. Now, when writing this blog, it begs the question: “Is it true?” Answer: Who cares! They’re delicious, nutritious and filling. It is a fact […]
I have never owned a rice cooker. I make rice in either a pot or a pressure cooker. Both methods work well, however, the pot takes 15 minutes to cook rice with a 5 minute rest period whereas the pressure cooker takes only 5 minutes. It makes sense as pressure cookers need only a third […]
Carol, my Malaysian friend, and a professional chef taught me how to make this dish. It is so aromatic and flavorful and the meat just melts in your mouth. Heaven! It is served with either plain steamed rice or coconut rice (where half the water has been replaced by coconut milk). The differences between an […]
I had this dish decades ago while visiting family friends. They were both practicing physicians with young children and very little spare time. This was the appetizer that “Auntie” whipped up. Aside: If you don’t have access to the spices listed below, just use regular salt and pepper and some ground cumin. No worries. Prep […]
1.Keep a fire extinguisher handy and in the kitchen and know how to use it. PASS rule: Pull the pin located on the handle (like a hand grenade); Aim the hose at the BASE of the fire, not the top where the flames are leaping; While holding the hose, Squeeze the handle of the extinguisher; […]
Our family always orders this dish when we go out to a Korean restaurant. It makes for a fantastic shared appetizer or a main course. The pancake is crispy and flavorful and the dipping sauce adds savory, sweet and sour notes to the dish. Although, it is quick and easy to make at home. I […]
I learned how to make this dish from my Dominican classmate in college. It is made using sweet and green plantains that are boiled and mashed and sandwiched around a ground meat preparation similar to Picadillo (a Mexican sweet-and-sour ground meat main course) covered with cheese and baked. Think of it as a Carribean lasagne. […]
Achiote (Annatto) seeds have been used in Mexico, the Carribean, and the Philipines to impart a deep orange-yellow color and fruity mildly peppery flavor to food. I make a cup of this oil and use it for recipes from these regions. Prep time: 3 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes Yield: 1 cup INSTRUCTIONS Add both […]
I found this recipe in a magazine from the local organic supermarket in Solon, Ohio. What a great idea for a healthy version of chips. They crisp up beautifully and can be made either savory or sweet depending on your choice of topping. They took minutes to make and turned out so pretty that I […]
I keep this sugar in my pantry to add a punch of flavor over baked goods like sweet-tasting bread or muffins. I have used it over fresh berries and as a chip seasoning. It’s easy to make and keeps well in a glass jar. Hands-on time: 3 minutes Yield: 4 ounces INSTRUCTIONS Add both ingredients […]
I dedicate this recipe in loving memory of, Gisela Spier, my landlady/adopted mom in Germany who treated me daily to coffee and cake. She used to make everything, including apple strudel, from scratch. I followed the outlines of the recipe on the lilvienna.com site, but, I doubled the recipe and used my technique to stretch […]
I feel very guilty whenever I serve and eat fried foods. For this reason, I have looked into investing in an air-fryer and have sought out recipes that bake instead of fry. Having said that, some recipes just can’t be made without deep frying. Sometimes you have to live a little. Here are some tips […]