Ingredient: salt

A glass of chilled Masala Chaas… Ahaaa, so Refreshing!!! Perfect cold beverage in hot summer. Keeps your tummy cool and happy. Originally, buttermilk referred to the liquid left over from churning butter from cultured or fermented cream. Traditionally, before cream could be skimmed from whole milk, the milk was left to sit for a period of time to allow the cream and milk to separate. On the Indian subcontinent, the term “buttermilk” refers to the liquid left over after extracting butter from churned yogurt. Today, this is called traditional buttermilk. Traditional buttermilk is still common in many Nepalese, Indian and…

‘Chefs Across Boundaries’ is a group of Chefs who set up challenges every month to encourage the participants to innovate, think out of the box and explore the culinary world. It is an initiative started by a handful of food bloggers and food enthusiasts who have taken up the challenge to explore unique and traditional recipes with a motive to expand culinary knowledge as well as to promote the hidden gems which are yet to make an impact in the culinary world. The monthly challenge at ‘Chefs Across Boundaries’ this month is the cuisine of beautiful Kashmir. The challenge was…

Lassi is a proper traditional yoghurt based drink. It is a blend of yoghurt, water, spices, dry fruits and sometimes tropical fruits. In summers the most frequently made drink at my place is Mango Lassi. Another yoghurt based thin savory drink commonly made in India is Chaas. Lassi is a sweeter and a thicker version which can be relished by adding various flavors to it. Sweet Lassi is one of the drinks me and my family relish not only in summer but always. It is so much satisfying to have it after a light meal. A nicely blended heavy dry…

Dul Alu specifically belongs to Kashmiri Cuisine … The potatoes, usually smaller ones, are first deep fried, then cooked slowly at low flame in a gravy with spices. It is a popular recipe cooked in all parts of India but the most popular recipes that made a place in every house were Kashmiri Dum Alu, Punjabi Dum Alu and Bengali Dum Alu also known as “Aloor Dom” made in mustard oil. The Kashmiri Dum Alu has a specific taste and aroma of fennel and is made in a spicy gravy, whereas the Punjabi Dun Aloo has subtle taste with mild…

Naan also known as Khamiri is Indian flat bread that is usually oven baked. Commonly found teamed up with the cuisines of West, Central and South Asia. Naan in other parts of South Asia usually refers to a specific kind of thick flatbread (another well-known kind of flatbread is chapati). Generally, it resembles pita and, like pita bread, is usually leavened with yeast or with bread starter. Typically, it is served hot and brushed with ghee or butter. It can be used to scoop other foods, or served stuffed with a filling: for example, keema naan is stuffed with a…

Vazhakkai meaning Plantain or Raw Banana is something i have grown up eating. Since childhood i always had a privilege to be surrounded by South Indian neighbors. They often use to cook their delicacies and send us too in a bowl to relish. Since then i developed a strong liking towards South Indian Cuisines. The use of coconut and spices in the dishes is simply awesome which certainly makes it stand out from the other regional cuisines. I still remember the aroma that use to fume out from my neighbors kitchen making me salivate…lol The neighbors were kind enough to…

Sholeh Zard is a Persian Saffron Rice Pudding which consists and amazing aroma of rose water and cinnamon with the goodness of Almonds and richness of Saffron. Among the few authentic Persian desserts, Sholeh Zard is the classic! The name Sholeh Zard literally means ‘Yellow wobbly’ Made with long grain basmati rice, the dessert is undoubtedly a sinful indulgence. Truly aromatic and gives a royal taste to your palate. There are several types of sweetened rice desserts made all over the world but Sholeh Zard has to be one’s favorite. The color, texture and the aromatic flavor makes it different…

I scream, you scream, we all scream for… ice cream! Remember this? Well yes, i do! With the arrival of summer, arrives ice creams which i bet is loved by all. Though in my case i don’t need to wait for summers to have an ice cream… i can have it anywhere and anytime. As a child i grew up seeing my mom making delicious ice creams at home. Me and my sister use to have a huge variety of home made ice creams through out our summer vacations. One of mine, my sister’s and now my son’s favorite flavor…

Dahi vada (also known as Dahi Bhalla in Punjabi , Thayir Vadai in Tamil, Thayir Vada in Malayalam, Perugu Vada in Telugu, Mosaru Vade in Kannada, Dahi Bara in Oriya and Doi Bora in Bengali) is an Indian chaat, prepared by soaking vadas in thick dahi (yogurt) The Marwaris use Moong Dal instead of Urad dal in making the vadas. It can be eaten both as a snack and a meal. When ever i cook in a bulk, i prefer making the vadas a day before. Refrigerate it in a zip pouch and then next day soak in hot water…

Hyderabadi cuisine has evolved over centuries from foreign and native influences. The cuisine began to form during the medieval times and was reached to extend during modern period through the work of skilled chefs serving the Deccan nobility. The city of Hyderabad being the seat of former rulers was the center of many innovative techniques led by royal chefs (known as Khansamas) that eventually gave form to modern Hyderabadi cuisine. One amongst the many Hyderabadi delicacies is the Baghare Baigan or Hyderabadi Baigan. It is a popular Indian eggplant curry of Hyderabad in India. This dish is also very popular…

Vada Pav is the most famous Mumbai roadside snack. The vada is made of a spicy potato filling deep fried in a gram flour batter. It is the common man’s food in mumbai and is a popular street food snack. Vada Pav has iconic status in India. It used to be “poor man’s food”, but these days even the richest man enjoys it.Vada Pav now shares a place in the menu of many Star Hotels. According to Wikipedia , Vada Pav is believed to have been devised by Ashok Vaidya who sold street food from a stall beside Dadar railway…

I have always been fond of Gujrati cuisines, specially the snacks they serve has a wide range of variety. One of their many amazing snacks is “Khatta Dhokla”. It is fermented and steam savory cake made from rice, urad dal along with yogurt. Though i have tried khatta dhokla couple of times and it was a hit in my family as well. But recently i came across a recipe of my co-blogger friend Radha Natrajan S and that is when i immediately decided to lay my hands on them. . The recipe is adapted from Radha Natarjan’s blog http://youreverydaycookradha.blogspot.in/