Healthy living

Mint-Cilantro chutney is one of my favorite chutneys! It is a go-to accompaniment for must appetizers, be it kebabs, pakoras or bhajias! It is also great with almost all kinds of dosas & idlis. It is a perfect amalgamation of the fragrance and flavors of both herbs. This chutney can be made with or without coconut.  I like to make it with coconut as it adds bulk to the chutney. When I make it with coconut, I usually do not use garlic or onion in it. I only use ginger and green chilies to spice it up. For the version without coconut, click here. Servings: 10 Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 0 Total time: 15 mins Ingredients: Cilantro: 1/2 bunch, leaves separated from the stems & cleaned, stems discarded. Mint: 1/2 bunch, leaves separated from the stems & cleaned, stems discarded. Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup Green chillies: 2-3 small, can be adjusted based on individual spice level. Fresh ginger: 1 inch, peeled. Tamarind: if dry marble sized. If using the pulp, 1/4 tsp. Sa...

When I was browsing my local newspaper the other day, I came across this salad recipe that had roasted beets cut into heart-shapes! I just fell in love with the look of it! I cook beets regularly in the form of stir-fry, salad, sauté etc. I have never roasted them! I roasted them this time and I wondered to myself: why didn't I ever think of roasting them before??? I like the roasted beets. The original salad recipe was using salad greens as the base. I didn't have salad greens handy and wanted to make something more filling and nutritious, hence decided to make it a quinoa-beet salad. I also tried this dressing which was so unlike any dressing I have made until now. I was fearful at the beginning, but in the end it was totally worthwhile! The original recipe calls for shallots to be sautéed and then ground with grape seed  oil, champagne vinegar & mustard .  I didn't have some of those ingredients, so I modified the recipe by substituting shallots with white onion and ...

How many of you remember your childhood buying freshly made puffs from your local bakery? I am always nostalgic when I think of the puffs: piping hot, crispy flaky puffs stuffed with vegetables/eggs/chicken/ meat. I used to love to bite into the crispy layers. Truthfully, I was never too crazy about the filling. It is the outer covering that would always tempt me. To this day, I enjoy the crispy flaky layers of the puff. I have always wanted to make it at home, but I never have that kind of time to make elaborate stuff. Then I came across these puff pastry squares in the freezer section at my local grocery store. I made vegetable and egg puffs using those squares and they took me back to my childhood.  Since then, I am hooked!! Now I have a constant supply of these puff pastry sheets in my freezer! They are super easy and quick to make!! My husband loved them! My neighbor loved the puffs and so did all my friends! These puffs are a perfect solution for unexpected guests and also fo...

Hello Everyone!! Happy Friday! I am super-excited as I am co-hosting Angie's Fiesta Friday this week! My other co-host is the very talented  Andrea @ Cooking with a Wallflower . Check out her blog for all the delicious recipes! Also, come join the Fiesta Friday and showcase your talent if you have not partied there before! It is one of my absolutely favorite things to do on Fridays! How many of you are familiar with Lasagna?? Almost all of you?? How many of you hate making it because of the amount of work it entails?? Well, I have to admit that I am one of them too.. Would it make you happy if I showed you something easier to make and serve that is absolutely delicious! Now how many of you have heard of Lasagna Roll-Ups?? Not too many of you? Well, this is a very easy dish to make that uses the same ingredients as lasagna. It can be prepped ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator or freezer and popped into the oven slightly before your guests arrive! This is a dish that can be ...