Coconut Okra Curry

This is one of my mom’s okra (lady’s finger) dish that she makes retaining the structure of the vegetable. There is no slime, and is overall a mild dish with heat from the… Read More →

The Kitchen Garden

The nature of our visit to India did not give us the opportunity to spend time in Kerala. But when my Dad told me that my grandmother was not doing well, we took… Read More →

Mom’s Cooking – Fish

My mother has been cooking pretty much her whole life, and is the biggest influence in my cooking. Her mastery over spices and heat (temperature) is exemplary.  Over the years I have kind… Read More →

Mutton Dopiaza

I am not even sure why I am calling this dish “Mutton Dopiaza”. I don’t know anything about the dish – its origin or what it really stands for. I am depending on… Read More →

Cashewnut Chicken Curry

When I returned from India, I brought some unsalted roasted cashew nuts. Last week when I fried some of those and added to a chicken dish my friend liked it a lot. So… Read More →

My India Trip – Spices

Spices are synonymous with Kerala. Every household with little bit of land will have some sort of spice cultivation – black pepper, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, nutmeg, etc. My family is no different. Earlier… Read More →

My India Trip – Festival Food

This trip to India was also when I spent Christmas with my parents, I guess in eight years?. ..maybe even longer.  We have always been a family of travelers, living at multiple locations… Read More →

My India Trip – Local Cuisine

It’s been over two months since I posted anything on my blog, and I didn’t realize that time flew so fast. I did get couple of queries from my friends – “what happened?”,… Read More →

Puttu and Kadala Curry

I was going through the pantry this afternoon and I found the puttu maker that I had bought three years back when moving to the U.S. I had completely forgotten about it. The… Read More →

Coconut Drumstick Curry

Last week we went to try out IndAroma – a Indo-French cafe in Alexandria, VA. It turned out to be a nice cozy place with an eclectic mix of food – appetizers, entrees… Read More →

Steamed Tapioca With Relish

Tapioca (yuca/cassava) is a staple food in Kerala. Referred as the “poor man’s food”, it is grown in the backyard of most houses in the state, and also extensively in farms. The root… Read More →

Beef Plantain Roast

Work and some photo commitments took me off the kitchen for couple of days. While at the grocery store today, I spotted some plantains and decided to make the beef plantain roast, a… Read More →