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I am not sure how to describe this dish- it’s the epitome of everything I find delicious and nostalgic. Just thinking about it makes me happy. So when my Mom came to visit us, this was one of the things she cooked. It brings me back to childhood- the creamy savory rice with a burst of sweet raisins- and the meat- oh, the meat is out of this world!

I have made this rice dish in the past but with chicken. It really tastes different with goat though- which is really my favorite. I love the flavor and the texture- it’s very much like lamb. 

The goat meat is cooked with lots of whole spices, onion, garlic and chicken broth. The pieces are then taken out, cooled and sauteed in oil and cumin seeds. The rich and flavorful broth is used to cook the goat and the rice. The flavor is unbelievable- some people really like biryani- which is a dish of rice layered with a meat curry and then the whole thing is baked. This is better because the rice is cooked in the rich broth full of spices- a lot better!

Definitely try this dish- it is a bit labor intensive but so worth the extra work. I would recommend it for the weekend or even a Sunday dinner. You will end up creating the same memories I have of this delicious dish!
Click here for the recipe… »

My daughter was having a sleepover and she was extremely excited to have her friend sleep in her new full sized bed. She wanted me to make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.

I started thinking how to make them since I wanted to do something different with them. 

I went to Whole Foods to look for some dark meat turkey meat and maybe some pork as well. I found the turkey meat but couldn’t get the pork- so I decided to just use the turkey. I also saw lots of zucchini and squash piled up everywhere. I decided to add some grated zucchini to the meatballs.

I came home and mixed the meat with the usual meatball ingredients- eggs, breadcrumbs, salt and my secret ingredient- pesto. I love using pesto in everything- it is an instant flavor booster. It already has the garlic, basil, cheese and the pine nuts. I also added the grated zucchini in there and crossed my fingers. I formed the meatballs and added them gently into the bubbling tomato sauce. I like cooking my meatballs in the sauce- the meat flavor gets into the sauce and makes it delicious. The meatballs had perfect texture- soft on the inside, firm on the outside. They were delicious but there was some evidence of the green stuff- I thought the kids will look at them and say, “what did you put in them”??

Well, I was asked no such question- they loved it. They ate up everything I gave them and asked for seconds. I was thrilled- definitely make this for you kids- they won’t know what is lurking in the delicious meatballs…

• 1 pound ground dark meat turkey
• 1/3 cup prepared pesto
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons salt

• 3 cups homemade or store bought tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ pound whole-wheat spaghetti, al dente

In a large mixing bowl, add the turkey meat, pesto, zucchini, eggs, breadcrumbs and salt. Mix well with fingertips and keep aside for an hour.

In the meantime, in a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for a couple of minutes and add the tomato sauce. Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes and turn it down to a simmer.
Form medium sized meatballs and begin adding to the simmering sauce. Once all the meatballs are formed, cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.

Serve on top of al dente spaghetti.

This is a quintessential Indian dish served at all the North Indian restaurants. It is definitely one of my favorite lentil dishes. A lot of people think it is very difficult to make at home but it really isn’t.

Every Indian household has a very different way of cooking dal makhani. In my family most dishes are made by adding all the ingredients in one pot and letting them cook in their own juices instead of sauteing and frying- so it’s a lot easier and healthier.

This one is cooked the same way- in a pressure cooker though or even a slow cooker. The black lentils are cooked with a bit of kidney beans and gram lentils which add extra creaminess. Tomatoes, onions, ginger and garlic are added to create a delicious dish. I add a bit of butter or ghee and finish it off with some half and half.

In the restaurants this dal is full of lots of butter and cream. It does taste really good but it is definitely not good for you. I prefer the home made version- it’s easy to make; delicious and not full of fat. My daughter loves it with rice or roti. 

I usually serve this dish for a party. The great thing about making Indian food is that most of the dishes taste more delicious the next day. I make this in advance and just heat it in the oven the day of the party and it is always a big hit. It freezes really well too- so it’s definitely worth getting all the ingredients together and making a big batch- especially for this time of year!
Click here for the recipe… »

We made this dish for a cooking class I just taught last night. It was a birthday celebration and the ladies wanted to learn some South Indian style dishes. We cooked the coconut chicken curry and the potatoes and green beans. 

I am from North India and anything cooked in mustard seeds and curry leaves reminds me of a South Indian dish- so when I was trying to come up with a menu I thought of the potatoes and green beans simply cooked in mustard seeds and curry leaves. The dominant flavors come from these spices and the lemon juice enhanced it even more.

The dish took all of half an hour to make and results were wonderful. Everyone enjoyed the dinner. This vegetable dish complemented the chicken really well. They both have similar flavors but yet tasted very different. 

This dish is perfect to cook with a roast chicken or even for Thanksgiving. It’s that time of year and the big feast is already on my mind. This would be ideal for the big dinner, especially since it is so easy to make. It is very versatile and will go with any kind of cuisine. Definitely a keeper.

Well, I think the ladies really enjoyed all the dishes including the carrot pudding… it was a successful class and a fun evening.

• 2 cups green beans, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 3 large red potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch squares
• 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
• 7-8 curry leaves
• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ cayenne pepper
• Juice of half a lemon
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

In a wide frying pan, add the olive oil. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute on medium high heat till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the green beans and potatoes- mix well and sauté high heat. Add the coriander powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Mix well and lower the heat and cover with the lid. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes or till the potatoes are tender. Take the lid off and check for seasonings. Add the lemon juice and cilantro, mix well and serve.

I love, love this dish. I am sure some of you out there are probably thinking, “she says that about everything she posts”. I can’t help myself, I love food so much- especially good food that is spiced well and made out of fantastic ingredients and is healthy. You can’t have a better combination as far as I am concerned.

So, my daughter devours this dish every time I make it. She usually reminds me to make it for her- I am usually so busy putting new recipes together that I forget to make the basic things in my repertoire. This one is quite simple to make and is a one pot meal- well, kind of. I serve it with some homemade rotis and there you have it. It has a healthy protein and lots of spinach. I am very happy and satisfied when I feed this dish to my family.

The flavor is out of this world. Something about the spinach cooked in lots of cumin seeds- it’s an amazing combination. The chicken takes on a delicious savory flavor amongst all the spices, onion, ginger and garlic. Even though it is not cooked for a very long time, the dish has a very slow cooked, soul food feel to it. In my mind it’s simply perfection- every time I eat it, I remember how much I love it.

This concoction is usually not available at restaurants. Palak paneer is usually served instead, which is similar to this but has paneer instead of chicken. My maternal grandma used to make. My Mom has made it for us as long as I can remember and I plan to pass it on to my daughter.
Click here for the recipe… »