NAVRATAN KORMA (VEGETABLE KORMA)

Ever had potatoes so good you wanna eat all day? Ladies and gents, this vegetable korma will have your senses all up in flames of flavor town! Oh yeah HAPPY NEW MONTH my loves! Its December, the last month of the year, what? How has time flown by so fast? Where did it go? I know am not the only one who feels like there is so much that you still want to do yet so little time to do it. Did you make any new year resolutions? How many did you manage to keep? These are the questions I find myself asking. Takes breath, okay moving on to better things like food! It is no lie that I love Indian food and so I just had to add one more before this year ends. This Veggie Korma is packed with lots of delicious flavor and spiciness. Navratan korma is a vegetarian korma made with vegetables and either paneer (an Indian cheese) or nuts – or sometimes both."Navratan" means nine gems, and it is common for the recipe to include nine different vegetables. If you like it hotter, add the spices, if you like it mild reduce the spices, however you choose to go this is a great meal to share with family as you decide on the holiday plans for Christmas. Don't forget my one year anniversary giveaway is still ongoing, let Christmas come early for you! Cheers to this holiday season!

MUTTON KORMA

When I made chicken korma I knew I had to try out another korma recipe, thus came mutton. Korma is a dish originating in the Indian subcontinent, consisting of meat or vegetables braised with yogurt (dahi) or cream, water or stock, and spices to produce a thick sauce or glaze. The korma style is similar to all other braising techniques in that the meat or vegetable is first cooked briskly or seared using a high heat, traditionally using ghee, and then subjected to long, slow cooking using moist heat and a minimum of added liquid. Mutton curry is delicious served with plain rice, a salad, and Raita. If you thicken the gravy, it tastes just as good with hot, freshly made Chapati

CHOCOLATE BURFI

Love chocolate? Love Indian sweets? Well look no further then than these delicious chocolate burfi. There are so many types of burfi/ barfi that include, Kesri pedha: saffron, flattened yellow round. Kaju barfi or kaju katli: cashew, light tan diamond. Pista barfi: pistachio, forest green diamond. Cham cham: pink and white, shaped like sushi rice balls. Doodh peda: kewra oil and pistachio, flattened dark tan round. Badam pak: rose water and almond, brown diamond. Walnut barfi. Barfi fon or barfifon: fig, pink and yellow colored. Gajar barfi: carrot, square and orange colored. Coconut barfi: coconut, sugar, and milk, square and yellow colored. Sing barfi: peanuts, square and brown colored. Besan barfi: gram flour light yellow diamond and Dodha burfi: peanut. So far I have made condensed milk coconut burfi that was too delicious!

PINEAPPLE RAITA

Raita makes a perfectly easy cooling sauce to cover your delicious spicy Indian dishes and add a touch of creaminess to any meal. I made this simple cucumber mint raita that pared well with my chicken curry dish. Pineapple raita is the perfect condiment to any spicy Indian curry and tastes best when chilled. Other fruit raitas include, Banana raita,  Mango raita, Guava raita, Grape raita, and Pomegranate raita. For best results use thick yogurt since the pineapple is heavy and wet,it will easily dilute the yogurt making it wet and not too delicious. You want the pineapple raita to be creamy and thick to enjoy it even more. For my green onion flat bread I served with a delicious onion raita that blended so well with all the flavors of the flat bread. This pineapple raita is fresh, creamy,spicy yet sweet at the same time. You will not want to eat Indian cuisine any other way or without a raita dip to accompany it!

BEEF BIRYANI

Happy New Month my Lovelies! I am so looking foward to November since it is the second last month to the end of the year. Though I am a bit scared that the year is already ending with so much that I wanted to do but, its all good. Nothing inspires good food like people coming together to celebrate or even catch up like meal of biryani. This dish comes in a variety of different ingredients used to create. From chicken, beef, mutton to even eggs. Biryani is that dish that is perfect when you are craving an Indian meal that is both spicy yet delicious as well

WHOLEWHEAT AVOCADO NAAN

I always love Indian food and one of the most popular dishes is Naan or Indian flat bread that accompanies most curries especially chicken curry. And therefore today's recipe is Avocado Naan. Combining two of my favourite foods in the world. I love that Naan is usually soft buttery fluffy goodness that goes so well with sides and even main meals. Avocado makes these Naans so soft and delicious, you can skip the yoghurt when you use avocados since they lend that creaminess to your Naans. To make the Naans even more healthy I used wholewheat flour that is great for this recipe. 

CONDENSED MILK COCONUT BURFI

Burfi/Barfi is a dense milk based sweet from the Indian subcontinent. The name barfi was derived from the Persian word "barf" which means snow. The main ingredients are usually sugar and condensed milk which is cooked until the mixture solidifies. Burfi flavour is usually enhanced with fruits like coconut or mango; nuts like pistachios, peanuts or cashew nuts and spices like cardamom or rose water. The sweets are usually cut into round, diamond or square shapes and are mostly served in India all year round but mostly  consumed during religious festivals, wedding ceremonies or holiday season like Diwali. Barfis come in different varieties that include sing barfi made with peanuts, besan barfi made with gram flour, pista barfi made with pistachios and kaaju barfi made from cashews. I must confess I am a sweet tooth so I wanted to give Indian sweets a go. These yummy coconut bars are just the perfect treat for a midday snack or even for the kids back to school treat. Had such a fun time making these I will definitely be giving other barfi flavours a try!

ONION RAITA

In India raita is usually used to cool the palate especially since most Indian cuisine has a lot of spicy elements. I made my first raita and from then I have been hooked and wanted to try other flavour combinations. Raita is mainly a dip that can traditionally be served as a side dish with biryani, pilaf/pilau seek kabab or even paratha. In today's modern world raita is served as a sauce that goes well with salmon, tacos and even grilled chicken. It has also found its way as a dressing in pasta salads, budhaa bowls and even some salads. Since most of India is vegetarian you will find vegetable raitas like spring onion raita, tomato onion raita, carrot raita, pumpkin raita, potato raita, spinach raita, mint and peanut raita, beetroot raita, boondi raita among others. I had this onion raita with a delicious green onion flat bread that was just perfection in every way. I am looking forward to trying all other raita recipe as I try to eat my way through lovely Indian cuisines!

ALOO BEANS KI SABZI

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY. As you celebrate mothers around the world, all mother figures, mothers already, mothers to be, grieving mothers, may we find it in our hearts to appriciate and thank them for the huge part they have always played in our lives. Celebrate her. I would have loved to bake a cake today but I was craving something Indian. And so was born today's mothers' day recipe. Aloo beans ki sabzi is a Punjab Styled Indian dish of stir fried french beans and potatoes (aloo). I love Indian food because of th aromatic, sweet and flavourful spices that are used throughout. This dish is no different. You get spicy earthy flavours from the spices and the health benefits of potatoes and french beans. 

HOMEMADE BUTTER NAAN

Nothing says warmth, comfort and satisfying like homemade Naan. Naan is just simply an Indian Flat bread that is usually a side dish for Butter Chicken, Chicken Curry or Chicken Marasala. It is so easy to make that I have no idea why I never made it before. I promise you once you make your first batch you will want to make Naan all the time! I made ChickenCurry before and now I regret why I did not think of making Naan to go with it. But no worries, I will soon make that beautiful combo soon. Naan is so delicious and if you have ever had it at a restaurant - unless it is an authentic Indian restaurant - you will never want to eat bought Naan again. Homemade Naan is way better than the store bought that you do not know how long it has stayed.Freshly made Naan will go so fast you will probably not have any left overs. Served warm with your favorite curry, you will have none left for the next day!

PULKHA (INDIAN FLAT BREAD)

My dabling into Indian cuisine continues with today's Recipe. I made Pulkha or Roti which is also known as (chapati). Pulkha is a flatbread originating from the Indian subcontinent, made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as Atta. This flat bread is consumed in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Maldives, Malaysia, Bangladesh and even parts of Africa. It is unleavened bread that has variations like chapati, Makki di roti, Tandoori roti, or Roti canai. Various types of Pulkha/Roti are integral to South Asian cuisine. Pulkha is cooked on a stove top on open flame without oil. Though you can add oil while kneading. This is a tricky flat bread to make though not so complicated. The secret lies in kneading the dough perfectly so that it is not too hard or too sticky.The other important aspect for getting the perfect Pulkha is rolling out the dough. It should be even all round, no lumps, and not thick or too thin. As much as you need to be careful on the kneading and rolling, it is so fun and satisfying when you see the Pulkha puff up infront of your eyes. It's like magic, or just something cool. I am looking forward to more variations of this Indian Flat bread. So let's start the cooking...

INDIAN CHICKEN CURRY (MURGH KARI)

A curry is a thick creamy sauce, add to that Chicken and lots of spices, and you are in food ecstasy. Lately I have had a love affair with Chicken Curry. I can't see to stop eating this delicious Indian Cuisine. Not long ago I made this simple Chicken Curry and it's been on my mind to make it again. There are so many variations to making Chicken Curry so I started searching for the best. I settled on this one and it's my favorite, unless another one beats it. The mix of spices gives the Chicken Curry that authentic Indian flavor and taste. It's hot yet tantalizing at the same time.If you want it less hot - which I would not recommend, keep it original - measure less of the spices. Left overs are even better the next day. This curry will give you a comforting warm satisfaction that will have you cooking every now and then. Serve it over a bowl of white plain Rice or go authentic and add Naan with a side of Raita.

CUCUMBER MINT RAITA

I'm making more dips and today it's Raita. Raita is a condiment from the Indian subcontinent, made with dahi (yogurt, often referred to as curd) together with raw or cooked vegetables. The main ingredients are Yogurt, buttermilk, cucumber, and mint. Raita has a cooling effect to contrast with spicy curries and kebabs that are the main fare of some Asian cuisines. In Indian cuisine, some type of flatbread may be eaten together with raita, chutneys and pickles.The yogurt may be seasoned with coriander, roasted cumin seeds; mint, cayenne pepper, chaat masala and other herbs and spices. So you can make your Raita as spicy as you want or plain. Dips are great for snacks like Chips/Crisps, Fresh Vegetables and even Indian flat bread. This minty sauce with a creamy yogurt base is a classic Indian side. Cumin and black mustard are fried. This tempering is then mixed with minced, raw vegetables or fruits (such as cucumber, onion, carrot, pineapple, papaya) and yogurt.  Raw ginger and garlic paste, green chili paste, and sometimes mustard paste are used to enrich flavor. Raitas can be prepared with three main base ingredients: vegetables, pulses and fruits. These are mixed with yogurt and flavoured with a variety of seasonings to make different types of raita. There are various variations to the Raita. Vegetable Raitas are: Tomato onion raita, Cucumber raita, Carrot raita, Pumpkin raita, Potato raita, Mint and peanut raita, Spinach raita, Horned melon raita, Beetroot raita, Calabash raita (Bottle Gourd raita), Brinjal raita. There are also Pulse raitas which are: Sprouted green gram raita, Boondi raita, Bhujia sev raita. Finally Fruit Raitas: Banana raita, Mango raita, Guava raita, Grape raita, Pineapple raita, and Pomegranate raita. Raita is served as a side dish to be eaten with main course dishes. Some of the dishes that you can have with Raita are Biryani, Pulav (pilaf), Seekh kabab and Paratha- Indian dishes. Raita can even be enjoyed as a Sauce or dressing though it is not the original traditional way of having it. Serve this minty goodness with some Ugali Fries. Yum!

WEEKEND CHICKEN CURRY

Don't you just love the weekend? And what better way to enjoy it than with some warm, comforting Curry, Chicken Curry to be precise. The original Indian Curry includes Turmeric and Coconut Milk. My Chicken Curry did not include those but it still had all that delicious heat that goes with Curries. Hot and spicy, yet delicious and smooth. Chicken Curry can be made in various ways, as long as you have the spices and Yogurt or Coconut Milk to make it thick and creamy. I love Chicken and I would have it any way it was prepared, fried, steamed, stewed, I love me my Chicken! I can have it with wholewheat Chapati, Rice or even Ugali.This Curry turned out better than I expected as it filled that need for spice yet was not overwhelmingly hot! Most Chicken Curries that I found used Chicken Thighs, I had Chicken Breasts which worked well too. A hearty healthy Chicken meal to indulge in this weekend. You can even have this Chicken Curry with this Pasta, delicious!

SOFT CHAPATI RECIPE

Chapati, also known as Roti, Shabaati, Safati, or Roshi in the Maldives, is a versatile unleavened flatbread enjoyed across Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. This traditional Indian flatbread can be made in various ways, including Paneer Chapati, Radish or Mullandi Chapati, and Vegetable Stuffed Chapati. Despite its popularity, many people find making Chapati intimidating. However, I'm here to assure you that making Chapati is as easy as any other culinary endeavor. In this article, I'll walk you through the process of making the perfect, soft, and delicious Chapati that you can enjoy with tea or pair with your favorite vegetables or meats.