Simple Noodles

Quick and easy noodles with mild flavors that taste pleasing to the palette. A one-dish comfort food that is healthy, balanced and nutritious.

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I am a noodle person! I love noodles all the way.

Of course, my all time favorite is Maggi noodles! However, I do have a homemade favorite, mom’s noodles. Gosh, how much I love it.

Colorful vegetables stir fried on high flame and tossed with noodles and sauce. A one-dish meal with vegetables, starch, add in some tofu or chicken for protein, all in one bowl makes it a healthy, balanced and nutritious dish.

This is not a rich, sophisticated dish containing bold flavors. It is more towards light, simple, mild flavors and a soothing taste. It is such an unassuming dish but so pleasing to the palette. It will definitely catch you by surprise – something made with simple ingredients and plain flavors can taste so good.

Simple Noodles

Makes - 2 servings

Egg noodles/Soba noodles	– 1 pkt	Soy sauce	- 2 tbsp
Onion	- 1 chopped	Vinegar	- 2 tbsp
Capsicum	- 1/2 cup chopped	Sriracha/Chilli sauce	- 1 tbsp
Cabbage	- 1 cup chopped	Brown sugar	- 1 tsp
Carrot	- 1	Oil	- 3 tbsp
Green Beans	- 1/2 cup	Ajnimoto(Chinese salt)	- 1 tsp (Optional)
Ginger	- 1/2 tsp minced	Salt	- to taste

Boil noodles as per the instructions on the packet. Keep aside.

In a bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sriracha sauce. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan or wok, add minced ginger and stir till it flavors the oil.

Add the vegetables and stir-fry until they are tender and cooked but still crisp.

Add the cooked noodles to the pan and mix.

Add in the sauce, salt, and mix to coat the noodles and vegetables.

Stir on flame for 5 minutes to give the noodles some time to absorb the sauce.

Remove from stove and serve hot.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Looking for an easy,super fast and yummy starter? Cheesy garlic bread is crispy with garlicky buttery flavor and bubbly with melted cheese.

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It's holiday season and we were hosting a dinner party for our friends. I put together a fool proof menu but was undecided on the last appetizer. Keeping in mind the preping ,cutting , frying and cooking I already had in line I safely settled for the cheesy garlic bread. They are extremely easy, super fast to make and of course, very yummy!

I dabbed some butter on the french baguette, dusted a little garlic powder, sprinkled parmesan cheese and seasoning ,then generously topped with mozzarella cheese and baked'em ! Out of the oven came these bad boys crispy and bubbly with melted cheese.Each bite had just the right amount of crunch and cheesy, garlicky flavor.

These warm pieces of bread are very simple and unassuming but absolutely delicious. Garlicky, cheesy and buttery, this bread is off the charts in flavor and ease. As you bite into the bread piece, the hot cheese stretches into long strands and the garlic flavor really comes through. These are best when served warm with marinara sauce.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Makes - 10 - 12 Servings

French Baguette	- 1
Butter	- 4 tbsps
Parmesan Cheese	- 1 cup
Mozzarella Cheese	- 2 cups
Garlic Powder	- 2 tbsps
Italian Seasoning	- 2 tbsps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice bread in half lengthwise and place the two halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet.

Spread butter on cut surfaces.

Sprinkle garlic powder, seasoning and Parmesan Cheese.

Top with Mozzarella cheese and some more Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 10- 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cut the bread into 1 to 2-inch pieces, and serve warm with marinara sauce.

Creamy Spinach

A lusciously rich, softly spiced and mildly sweet dish. It is so creamy that it coats the palette leaving a taste that will linger around

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Many of us have this habit. We try to mimic a dish we had in a restaurant or at a party, right?

I love an Indo-Chinese restaurant and often visit it when I am in the neighborhood. I think I have pretty much tried everything on the menu! One item I specifically remember is ‘Creamy Spinach Masala’. I loved it so much that I tried to make it at home. As much as it is fun, it is also challenging to reconstruct a dish just from the taste. I can’t say if I was even close but definitely the creamy spinach I prepared was a tongue-tickler!

A creamy blend of spinach, shallots, tomatoes and heavy cream, makes a rich and flavorful dish. This lusciously creamy dish has the earthy flavor of spinach and delicate sweetness of cream. It is softly spiced, mildly sweet, and so creamy that it coats the palette leaving a taste that will linger for a long time.

Creamy Spinach

Makes - 4 servings

Spinach	- 2 bunches	Garam Masala	- 2 tsps
Cream	- 3 cups	Pav Bhaji Masala	- 2 tsps
Green Peas	- 1/2 cup	Cloves	- 3
Onion	- 1 small	Cinnamon	- 1 inch stick
Tomato	- 1 medium	Salt	- to taste
Oil	- 2 tbsps

Heat oil in a pan. Add cloves, cinnamon, and fry for a minute.

Add chopped onions and cook until soft and translucent.

Add chopped tomato and cook until it becomes soft and mushy.

Now add chopped spinach, green peas and mix.

Close the lid and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure it does not burn.

Spinach gives out water as it cooks. If there is not enough water, you can add some.

Now add salt, masalas, and mix and cook for few more minutes.

Pour in the cream and cook for 5 more minutes till all the flavors blend.

You can add some green coloring to give the dish a nice bright color.

Turn off the heat and serve hot with rice or rotis.

Apple Crisp - Warm Fall Dessert

A simple dessert that combines fresh fruit with a topping. Warm baked apples coated with crunchy brown sugar oat streusel, a dessert that gives the feeling of fall and warmth for the season.

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The temperature has dropped down to 50’s, leaves have changed color and its dark by 6pm. Fall is here!

So what does this mean?

It’s time for sweaters, soups and warm comfort food. Also, it’s the season for abundance of apples!

Apple crisp is a dessert of warm baked apples topped with a tasty crust. It is a simple dessert that combines fresh fruit with a topping. Soft chunks of sweet-tart apple covered in a crisp and crunchy topping made with flour, sugar, butter, oats and nuts.

Warm from the oven with a dollop of ice cream, apple crisp is the ultimate comfort food dessert. Soft fruit coated with a crunchy brown sugar oat streusel gives the feeling of fall and the warmth for the season!

Apple Crisp

Makes - 6 - 8 Servings

For Topping		For Filing
Flour	– 1 1/3cup	Apples	– 6
Brown Sugar	– 1 1/3 cup	Sugar	– 1/2 cup
Oats	– 1/2 cup	Cinnamon Powder	– 1 - 2 tsps (optional)
Butter	– 8 tbsps or 1 stick
Pecans/Walnuts	– 1/4 cup (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of a baking dish.

For topping, mix the flour, brown sugar, oats and nuts (optional) in bowl.

Blend the butter into the mixture until it’s crumbly. Set aside.

Peel the apples and cut into 1 inch pieces.

I use two varieties of apple; Granny Smith and Gala. Granny smith is tart and Gala is sweet. I do this to give a combination of sweetness and tartness. You can use any sweet apple variety and if you like, add lemon juice for the tartness.

Add sugar and cinnamon powder (optional) to the apples and toss to coat well.

Place the apples in the greased baking dish and spread the topping evenly over the apples.

Bake for 40 – 50 minutes until apples are bubbly and, topping turn golden brown.

Remove from oven and let it cool a little.

Serve warm with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Caramel Custard

Have you wondered what ambrosia tastes like? Sure! It tastes like a piece of this dessert.A light, silky and luscious dessert with soft caramel on top.

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Have you wondered what ambrosia tastes like? Sure! It tastes like a piece of this dessert.

Caramel custard is a rich, light, silky and luscious dessert. It has an impressive shiny appeal, a golden color and a divine flavor.Sugar syrup cooked to caramel stage is poured into the mold and then filled with custard. It is cooked on a stovetop or in the oven and set in the refrigerator to chill. It is served inverted with the layer of soft caramel on top.

This dessert is my family’s favorite and one of my mom’s classic desserts. Every time she made it, we would sit around the dining table and she would invert the big dish on to the plate to unmold the custard. As she gently lifts the dish, we would eagerly look at the slowly uncovering custard and the caramel running down from it. A moment worth waiting for is to see the creamy, smooth custard in entirety with the layer of caramel shinning on top. Every piece of the silky custard with caramel sauce over it is a real treat.

Caramel Custard

Makes - 6 Servings

For Custard		For Caramel
Milk	– 2 cups	Sugar	– 1 cup
Eggs	– 3
Sugar	– 1/3 cup
Vanilla Essence	– 2 tsp

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Heat the milk until very hot. Turn off and let it cool while you prepare rest of the ingredients.

I start with the milk first to give it sometime to cool before combining it with egg.

In a heavy saucepan, melt the sugar until you reach a nice golden color.

Be very careful! The caramel will continue to darken once removed from the heat and you can end up with a bitter caramel. I turn off the heat as soon as the sugar has caramelized and the color starts to turn amber.

Divide it among 4 ramekins. Let the caramel cool for about 5-10 minutes to harden.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until pale and well blended.

Slowly pour the milk over the eggs/sugar mixture little by little and whisk until well incorporated.

The key here is to add milk little by little as adding hot milk all at once will cook the eggs!

Now, beat in the vanilla essence and let the mixture cool for a bit.

You can run the mixture through a sieve/colander to remove any lumps that could have formed while combining hot milk and egg mixture.

Prepare the water bath for baking. Pour some hot water to about an inch deep in a deep baking pan.

Pour the egg custard mixture on top of the caramel filled ramekins.

Set your ramekins into the baking pan. Add more water if necessary; the water bath should come to about half way up the sides of the dishes.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes until the custards are just set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Carefully remove from the oven, remove the ramekins from the water bath, and let them cool to room temperature. Refrigerate and chill for about 4 hours before serving.

To serve, run a thin sharp knife along the side of the ramekin to loosen and invert onto dessert plates. Shake gently or slowly tap on base of the inverted ramekin to release onto the plates.

Tofu Masquerade!

Don't like tofu? Here is a trick to mask the taste of tofu from your palette, a flavorful dish, which by taste you cannot tell it has tofu!

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Yeah Yeah…I know tofu is healthy!

I have worked hard to get myself to like tofu! At every chance I have substituted tofu for Paneer but it never tasted the same! The farthest I could go with getting myself to eat tofu is pan-frying it in oil! Then talk about healthy?

With many unsuccessful attempts, I realized the only way out is to mask the taste of tofu from my palette! So, here’s the recipe to trick yourself into eating tofu with this great tasting dish. You can eat this healthy, warm and easy tofu egg scramble by the bowlful!

I felt it is easier to infuse flavors into tofu when scrambled than cubed pieces. I camouflage the bland taste of tofu by cooking it with onions and tomatoes flavored with medley of masalas. To enhance the taste and texture, I add egg and scramble it together. This creates a flavorful dish, which by the taste you cannot tell it has tofu!

Tofu Egg Scramble

Makes: 4 Servings

Tofu	- 1 block	Ginger Garlic paste	- 1 tsp
Eggs	- 4	Cinnamon	- 1 inch stick
Onion	- 1 large	Cloves	- 3
Tomato	- 2	Curry leaves	- 4-5
Chili Powder	- 1 tbsp	Cilantro	- a handful
Garam Masala	- 1 tbsp	Oil	- 3 tbsps
Pav Bhaji Masala	- 2 tbsps	Salt	- to taste

Heat oil in a pan; add cloves, cinnamon, and sauté until it flavors the oil

Add onions and sauté until translucent

Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute

Add tomatoes and cook until it is soft and mushy

Add all the spices, masalas, curry leaves and stir till it is all incorporated

You can add spices and masala of your choice.

Now, add crumbled tofu to the pan and mix well. Cook for about 8- 10 minutes or until done

Add salt and taste to adjust the masala and spices.

Now, add the eggs to the pan and mix until it combines. Keep stirring as you would for making scrambled eggs until the eggs are completely cooked.

Stir an additional 5 minutes on high heat after the eggs are cooked.

Turn off the heat, garnish with a bunch of cilantro and serve hot with rice or chapattis.

Taco Pasta

It's mix n match this time. A dish made using Italian ingredients and Mexican flavor. This lively combination will send your taste buds to different countries at the same time!

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It’s about mix n match this time!

Cooking involves trial and error. Think of your kitchen as a research lab if you will! We have to take risks and dare to cook with different ingredients, flavors and try new combinations. Some of them can turn out disastrous but others can be lip smacking!

I am presenting here a dish made using Italian ingredients and Mexican flavor!

This is a mild pasta dish cooked in a Mexican flavored sauce. I use Taco seasoning combined with cream to make a rich creamy sauce. I toss the pasta in the taco sauce along with stir-fried veggies. Taco Seasoning has a hearty flavor that is not too spicy but warm enough to complement the vegetables and pasta.

This lively combination will send your taste buds to different countries at the same time!

Taco pasta

Makes - 3 Servings

Spaghetti	- 1/2 pound
Taco Seasoning	- 3 tbsps
Cream	- 1 cup
White Wine/ Marsala Wine/broth	- 1/2 cup
Onion	- 1 medium
Green bell pepper	- 1/2
Red bell pepper	- 1/2
Green peas	- 1/4 cup
Salt	- to taste
Oil	- 2 tbsps

Cook pasta according to the directions on the box.

Heat oil in a pan, add veggies and stir-fry for 1- 2 minutes.

You can add vegetables of your choice. Mushroom and chicken are great add-ons for extra flavor.

Sprinkle 1 tbsp taco seasoning on the veggies and continue stirring until they are cooked but still crisp.

Remove the vegetables from the pan on to a plate and set aside.

In the same pan, add wine or broth to deglaze the pan.

You can replace wine with vegetable/chicken broth or use both.

Then, add the cream and taco seasoning. Stir to make sure it does not form lumps.

Cook for a few minutes until the liquid thickens to form a sauce.

Taste the sauce, and add salt and seasoning as required.

Color of the sauce depends on the taco seasoning you use. I use cheesy taco seasoning.

Add the cooked pasta and vegetables and toss it around in the sauce.

Remove from heat and serve hot with red pepper flakes or freshly ground pepper.

Summer Simplicity – Melon Balls

Sweet watery fruit balls are a perfect thirst quencher on a summer day. Healthy, easy, colorful and perfect dessert for summertime entertaining. A dessert made with just one ingredient!

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Nothing speaks summer simplicity like the melons. The vibrant color, light and refreshing taste gives a comforting summery feeling. A big bowl of melon is a perfect thirst quencher on a summer day.

More than a recipe, this is a fun presentation. Melon balls are healthy, easy, colorful and perfect for summertime entertaining. A dessert made with just one ingredient, melon!

I mix up two varieties of melons to make it colorful- Cantaloupe and Watermelon. Cantaloupe is firm, light with medium sweetness and Watermelon is watery, almost airy and sweet. This combo doubles up the melon extravaganza.

This is a refreshing and fun way to get fruit into your daily diet. This presentation works great with kids, unlike the normal cubed pieces of fruit; these sweet watery fruit balls can attract any kid to grab a taste.

Mellon Balls

Makes: 4-5 Servings

Watermelon	- 1
Cantaloupe	- 2

Cut the melon in halve.

Using a melon baller, scoop small round balls from the melon.

Serve melon balls in a bowl.

Channa Curry

Channa Curry …Channa masala …is cooked in almost every Indian home. What amazes me the most is everybody makes it and everybody makes it differently!A simple dish that can have so many textures, consistencies, aroma and taste is definitely worth a spotlight here.

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Channa Curry …Channa masala …is cooked in almost every Indian home. What amazes me the most is everybody makes it and everybody makes it differently! Comparing every place I have ate Channa Curry, no two curries were similar! At home I make at least three variants of it and I call all of them Channa Curry :-)! A simple dish that can have so many textures, consistencies, aroma and taste is definitely worth a spotlight here.

Channa curry is a multi-spiced, high spirited, full masala dish but can be as mild or as hot as you like it! My spin on channa masala is I add lentils to the curry! Yes! Lentils give the curry a wholesome texture and earthiness.

Onions and tomatoes cooked together to make gravy. Sugars in both the tomatoes and the onions caramelize giving a sweet but also a tart tinge. Combining warm cooked lentils to the gravy gives the dish a homey and hearty touch. Channa slowly simmered in this gravy along with fragrant spices and masala is just nose tickling and mouth watering!

To me this is a wonderful comfort food– eaten with rice, chapatis, pooris or poured on top of a samosa to make a spicy chaat.

Channa Curry

Makes: 4 Servings

Channa	- 2 cup cooked	Ginger Garlic Paste	- 1 tsp
Toor Dal	-1/2 cup	Channa Masala	- 3-4 tbsps
Onions	- 1 chopped	Garam Masala	- 1 tbsp
Tomato	- 3 chopped	Chili Powder	- 1 tbsp
Clove	- 4	Turmeric powder	- 1 tsp
Cinnamon	- 1 inch stick	Salt	- to taste
Curry Leaves	- 4	Oil	- 3-4 tbsp

Cook dal in a pot of water or in a pressure cooker until just done. Do not make it mushy.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cloves, cinnamon, curry leaves and stir till it flavors the oil.

Add onions and cook until soft and translucent.

Add tomatoes and cook till it becomes mushy and combines with the onions to make gravy.

At this time, add the cooked lentils and all the powders ,masalas and salt. Cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in a cup of water if the curry starts to thicken.

Add the cooked channa to the curry, cover lid and cook for about 5 -10 minutes till the channa absorbs the taste of the curry.

When you feel right about the taste and consistency, turn off the stove.

Garnish with some cilantro and serve hot.

Carrot Halwa

Carrot Halwa, a popular Indian dessert, carrots slowly cooked in milk with cardamom and sugar until dry, then garnished with nuts roasted in ghee.Every spoonful of halwa has the taste of soft carrot blend with hint of cardamom and flavor of roasted nuts and warm ghee.

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Carrot Halwa, a popular Indian dessert, carrots slowly cooked in milk with cardamom and sugar until dry, then garnished with nuts roasted in ghee. Rich sensuous deep orange color, smell and warmth of ghee and cardamom, the contrasting texture of soft carrot and crunchy nuts and the intense sweetness make it totally irresistible!

Slowly simmer grated carrots in milk and cardamom allowing the natural sugars from the carrot to combine with milk. Add some sugar to intensify the sweetness and to bring out the bright orange color. The aroma exuded from roasting nuts in warm ghee is very tempting. Every spoonful of halwa has the taste of soft carrot blend with hint of cardamom and flavor of roasted nuts and warm ghee.

Carrot Halwa is one of the first desserts I attempted during the early days of my culinary adventure! In grad school finding time to cook a three course meal was close to impossible and dessert was totally not on the menu! The first time I made it, I used just 3 carrots! Yes, just 3!

Carrot Halwa

Makes- 2 servings

Carrots	- 5
Sugar	- 1 cup
Milk	- 1 1/2 cup
Cardamom	- 3-4 pods
Vanilla Essence	- 1 - 2 tbsps(optional)
Nuts	- a handful
Ghee	- 2 tbsp

Peel and grate carrots.

Heat milk in a heavy-bottomed pan, when bubbles start to form on the surface, add grated carrots and cardamom pods and bring to a boil.

Then, reduce the heat to low, stirring every few minutes until the milk has almost evaporated.

Now, add sugar and stir every few minutes until it soaks up all the sugar to give a bright reddish orange color.

At this point, heat ghee in another pan, add nuts of your choice (cashews, pistachios, almonds) and slightly roast them until they exude a warm aroma.

Add the ghee and nuts to the carrot halwa.Also, add the vanilla essence and stir to combine them together.

Remove from heat, and serve warm. Add a dollop of ice cream to make this experience merrier!

Egg Salad Sandwich

A quick, easy and tasty meal. Egg salad whipped with boiled eggs and mayo spread between two slices of bread to make a sandwich!

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Do I call it a breakfast sandwich or lunch or a dinner sandwich? Eh Well, it is good to have it at any meal, so why bother!

Egg salad sandwich is an easy to make, nutritious and tasty sandwich. Egg salad made with boiled eggs and mayo spread between two slices of bread to make a sandwich! If you are the spicy kind you might find this a little bland, as it has no spice factor.

I usually avoid having these at Café or Deli because they contain high amounts of fat, as the major component of the salad is Mayo. You can make a healthier yet tasty version at home by substituting light mayo and whole grain bread. You can also use just boiled egg whites for the salad but trust me it tastes better with the yolks!.

Look through your pantry for these ingredients to put together a quick sandwich.

Egg Salad Sandwich

Makes: 2 servings

Bread	- 4 slices
Eggs	- 3 – 4 Eggs
Mayo	- 3 - 4 tbsps
Salt	- to taste
Pepper	- to taste
Chives	- 1 tbsp chopped (Optional)
Celery	- 1 tbsp finely chopped (Optional)

Boil eggs in water for about 15 minutes. When done, cool it and peel the shell.

Place the peeled eggs in a bowl. Mash the eggs with a fork. Do not make a paste! It has to be little lumpy.

Add mayo, chives, celery, salt and pepper to the mashed eggs and mix well to make the salad. If the egg salad is too thick, you can add a little extra mayo to loosen it up. Taste it to make sure salt and pepper are correct.

A few ingredients you can add to the egg salad for a different flavor are mustard, parsley, bacon or any thing of your choice.

Chill the salad in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes.

Divide the mixture into two portions to make two sandwiches. Spread each portion between two slices of bread and bite!!!!!

Masala Macaroni

Pasta does not always have to be paired with cheese sauce or tomato sauce. Our desi masala and spices work great. With this macaroni, your taste buds will experience a completely new flavor for pasta.

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Pasta does not always have to be paired with cheese sauce or tomato sauce. Our desi masala and spices work great !

Though I love pasta, sometimes I am bored of eating cheesy pasta or pasta marinara. That is when my mom’s macaroni comes handy! At home, back in those days we never had variety of cheeses or pasta sauces available in the market. So my mom would add her desi spin to the dish, be it pasta or pizza!

Macaroni tossed with stir-fried veggies along with medley of masala and spices gives this dish a desi flavor. My special spin on this is cumin with soy sauce! Surprising haaan? Yes! I never thought these two ingredients blend so perfectly on heat to give a smokey masala flavor. I cannot stress enough on this combination; they just take the dish to the next level. With this macaroni, your taste buds will experience a completely new flavor for pasta

Masala Macaroni

Makes: 2 Servings

Elbow Pasta	- 2 cup uncooked		Ginger Garlic Paste	- 1 tsp
Onions	- 1 Medium		Cumin Powder	- 1 tbsp
Green Bell Pepper	- 1/2 cup chopped		Turmeric powder	- 2 tsps
Red Bell Pepper	- 1/2 cup chopped		Coriander powder	- 1 tbsp
Carrot	- 1/2 cup diced		Cinnamon	- 1/2 inch stick
Green Peas	- 1/2 cup		Cloves	- 3
Tomato sauce/paste	- 3 tbsps		Cilantro	- a handful
Soy Sauce	- 1 -2 tbsps		Curry Leaves	- 4-5
Hot n sweet Maggi Ketchup	- 2 tbsps		Oil	- 4 -5 tbsps
Garam Masala	- 1 tbsp(optional)		Salt	- to taste

Cook pasta in boiling water until al dante. Drain the water and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add cloves, cinnamon, ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute till it flavors the oil.

Add onions, bell peppers, carrots, green peas and fry till they are cooked but still crisp.

Now, add cumin and soy sauce and fry for a couple of minutes, you will get a smokey masala aroma.

Add pasta to the veggies and combine them together.

Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, tomato sauce/paste and tomato ketchup, salt and stir for few minutes till all of the pasta is well coated with the masala and sauce.

Add few curry leaves and some cilantro and give a quick stir to spread the fragrance throughout the dish.

Turn off the stove and serve hot!