Recipes

100 Min

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Texas Caviar

Here I made a dryish masala with black-eyed peas and then added crunchy vegetables, raisins and lots of lime juice at the end. It is best enjoyed room temperature or cold with crackers, bread or chips.

50 Min

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Ghee Based Green Beans

In the spirit of starting new customs this year, I wanted to explore eating vegetables I tend to shy away from, and green beans is one of them. They need to be cooked long and slow to extract their best flavor so here they are braised with ghee and a little bit of water.

45 Min

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Japanese Turnip Soup

Turnip greens sometimes end up in my compost bucket but this time, I decided to add them to a soup and to my surprise, they turned out delicious, mellow and a gorgeous green with the roasted turnips. Please note I used the Hakurei Japanese turnips. Regular turnips greens may behave a little differently.

75 Min

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Gado Gado

A huge platter of simple raw and cooked vegetables accompanied by a peanut sauce. Sometimes, it includes boiled eggs, sprouts or tofu.

45 Min

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Coconut Braised Collard Greens

Braised in coconut oil and coconut milk gives them a touch of slight sweetness that balances the bitterness in the greens. Add a dash of lime for contrast and you have hearty plant-based greens that are rich and deeply flavorful.

35 Min

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Sesame Smoked Eggplant

The humble eggplant does not have a lot going for it. It’s in the nightshade family and compared to many other vegetables, it is low in nutrients and can be quite bitter. But it does have a tremendous capacity to absorb flavor and what it lacks in nutrients, it makes up in taste.

90 Min

Ginger Cake

This ginger cake is my love letter to ginger and has already become part of my home-cooking repertoire. I hope it becomes a part of yours too!

50 Min

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Roasted Napa Cabbage

Cabbage, despite its high nutritional content, often does not get the respect it deserves and can hold its own as a dramatic yet vegetable main course like say, an artichoke or a Romanesco.

40 Min

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Roasted Pumpkin Sabzi

Go ahead, surprise your family and serve this with your Thanksgiving meal – it might become a tradition! You may serve this warm or at room temperature or even tossed into a salad.

45 Min

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Stuffed Peppers

These peppers are stuffed with garbanzo beans, but you just as easily stuff them with hummus or a different bean. To create a layer of flavors, the peppers are topped with yogurt as well as a green herb sauce. If you have leftovers, the next day just chop everything up and add it to scrambled eggs, rice or pasta.

35 Min

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Roselle Lemonade

I’m slowly discovering the multiple uses of this plant. Lemonade is just one way to use the pods, however you could use them in a reduction for a sauce, put the slightly tart leaves in a salad or sauté, or pickle them like the South Indians do.

35 Min

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Coconut Mashed Potatoes

Here is a mashed potato recipe using the vibrant Japanese purple yam combined with the Idaho potatoes. The beauty of these potatoes is that they hold on to their brilliant purple color despite long cooking.

30 min

Shakshuka

Shakshuka is the signature egg dish of the Middle East, a wonderfully informal breakfast that is usually served in the pan it is cooked in.

80 Min

Fatayer

From the Persian sambusak, a crisp filled baked pastry and the precursor to the samosa, to the Lebanese sfeeha, open faced square meat pies, there exists a whole family of savory snacks worth getting to know. My current favorite is the fatayer, a triangular baked pastry usually stuffed with cheese, feta, spinach or meat that is easy and fun to make.

30 Min

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Mulukhiyah with Beans

Here is a simple recipe using beans and mulukhiyah inspired by how it is used in the Middle East. Use any kind of beans from small flageolets to the more common garbanzo. Eating vegetables is vital to our health.

65 Mins

Savory Vegetable Crumble

The heft of the vegetables and the lightness of the crumble topping makes it satisfying yet light. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

25 Min

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Baby Butter Saag

Today, I bring you saag in its purest and simplest form. In an attempt to feed greens to the newest member of our family, Lion, I’ve arrived at a recipe with just six ingredients. Yes, this saag will remind you of baby food but if only babies ate this well, our world may be a better place!

55 Min

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Beautyberry Quinoa Pilaf

The Callicarpa americana, commonly called the American beautyberry, with a stunning jewel-like quality that I remain in awe of is a native plant of Southern United States. Enjoy this simple quinoa salad topped with beautyberries.

60 Min

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Fig Spoon Cake

Figs are hands down the epitome of late summer glory. With mangoes on their way out and peaches on slim pickings, local figs this year are sweet as honey and filled with luscious flavor.

70 Min

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Mushroom Meatball Stew

As we start to anticipate and invite cooler temperatures, this may be the perfect stew to start off a new season.

30 Min

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Plum Tomato Salad

Last weekend, about to leave town for a long trip, I was staring down into my fridge, where lay 2 perfect tomatoes from Lightsey Farms and a few black plums I had picked up at the grocery store. Houston Dairymaids, the wonderful cheese shop out on the east side had sent us a big tub of Pure Luck chèvre, a bit of which was sitting in my refrigerator. I turned it all into a salad with a quick goat cheese and yogurt spread and there, a new dish was born!

35 Min

Summer Trifle

Build a trifle with any and all summer fruit you can get your hands on from peaches to cherries to mangoes, invite your neighbors over, sit on the porch and dig in!

15 Min

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Bitter Melon Salad

After eating this wonderful fresh salad, I’ll never think of bitter melon that same way again!

20 Min

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Papaya Chaat

I love the flavor of papaya and often add it to chopped salads or Indian street snacks, called chaats.

15 Min

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Chilled Squash Soup

With an abundance of local yellow and green squash, here is a chilled herby soup reminiscent of gazpacho but with varied flavors. Remember to leave the peels on, this is where the fiber rests and all our bodies could use more fiber.

35 Min

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Chips & Chutney

Go ahead and make the chutney, then invite your neighbors over to join you on the porch and enjoy with Octavio’s tortilla chips with a cool glass of white wine!

30 min

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Skillet New Potatoes & Eggs

Mashed, fried, roasted or curried, there is no wrong way to eat potatoes. Here is a recipe for pan roasted tiny potatoes cooked with ghee, onions and spices and topped with a gentle drop of whisked eggs. They are so good you won’t even need toast to go with it!

40 Min

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Grilled Eggplant with Tomato & Burrata

An easier way to cook eggplant is to rub it with salt and ground cardamom to mellow out the bitter flavors and add an aromatic finish, which is what we are doing in this recipe. The coriander seeds add a lemony finish to the tomatoes. Find the best farm grown eggplants and heirloom tomatoes to start with and you can treat them as minimally as you want with guaranteed good results!

30 min

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Chile Masala Shrimp

This recipe is a foray into Indo-Chinese cuisine, and I love the tofu version (see notes & variations section) just as much.

30 min

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Chicken Chaat Salad

Back in 2001, we opened Indika with this salad, and it was an instant success. To satisfy my chaat cravings, I ate it for lunch for three weeks straight. The sweet, spicy, tangy flavors paired with greens made it a satisfying, substantial salad. We served it at Pondicheri in New York City; our landlord would come in for it regularly and declared it the best chicken salad in the city.

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Black Channa Salad

10 Min

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Cumin Yogurt

When choosing yogurt, it’s best to pick a thick Greek yogurt with 4 to 5% milk fat. If using homemade yogurt, which tends to have more liquid, strain the yogurt through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth for a couple of hours to extract the whey. The resulting cumin yogurt should be thick and creamy but with a pourable consistency. Coconut yogurt can be used as a dairy-free option; however, it may need the juice of a lime or lemon to add tanginess.

35 Min

45 Lamb Burger

45 or nearly 50% of the mixture is vegetables and this not only makes the burger less ‘meaty’ and the vegetables add so much flavor. In this hot weather, outside grilling is the way to go so give it a try…you may never go back to making burgers without added vegetables!

90 Min

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Spice-steamed Artichokes

Here is a simple recipe that turns the artichoke aromatic using whole spices, after which you get to eat it with yogurt as a dipping sauce.

180 Min

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Minted Pea Puree

Frozen peas may be a year-round offering, but this beautiful spring weather calls for the fresh variety.

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Cucumber Pickle

Cucumber dill pickles may be widely popular here in the United States but the overall popularity of pickles in India is hard to match. Here is an instant cucumber pickle, inspired by the American dill pickle, that can be eaten as a salad or in between sandwiches or burgers.

100 Min

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Buttery Egg Curry

This curry is best served 2 to 3 hours after it is prepared and is even better the next day, when the spices have had some time to meld. Serve the curry with warm rice, flatbreads, or thick crusty bread.

40 Min

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Shrimp Snap Pea Stir Fry

The crunch of sugar snap peas is a good accompaniment to the sweetness of shrimp and here in this quasi curry/stir fry, you can get the best of both. With a sharp zing of fresh minced ginger, you can eat this stir-fry on its own, or over rice or noodles.

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Kale Pasta Salad

A perfect salad to take out on a picnic and eat at room temperature or even cold. Local kale is readily available at all the farmers markets so run, don’t walk, and get a few bunches!

70 Min

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Wild Venison Meatball Stew

Venison meat tends to be super lean and deeply flavorful. Adding vegetables to a meat stew of any kind is a wonderful way to add more vegetables into your diet – here we added local purple hull snap peas but anything from asparagus to green beans would make a good option.

30 Min

Kale Sandwich

Seeing the bounty of kale among almost all the farms around Houston and knowing that kale is much more nutrient and fiber dense than other greens, especially local kale, I decided to go on a journey to find new ways to eat kale. It’s a wonderful sandwich to take on a picnic or a park so do give it a try!

45 Min

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Roasted Brussel Sprout Salad

Local brussels sprouts season here in Texas is glorious but short lived. The cabbage-like buds, which are native to the Mediterranean region, resemble nothing like you’ve ever seen at a supermarket. And there are infinite ways to enjoy them. I found this little beauty last week at the market – sliced it right down the middle and roasted it in the oven long and slow with a sprinkling of salt, pepper, and a generous drizzle of olive oil.

60 Min

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Patra Fish

Fish wrapped in banana or other leaves and steamed is common through India’s fish-eating communities.

60 Min

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Red Beet Soup

This soup is satisfying on its own, topped with your favorite melting cheese, or even as a sauce for grilled fish.

30 min

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Roasted Asparagus with Yogurt & Tomato

In the spring, there is no wrong way to eat asparagus. Raw, shaved, steamed, or roasted, which happens to be our favorite. Here is a dressed-up recipe with yogurt tinged with ginger and a sweetish hot tomato chutney.

145 min

Chicken Korma

Here is a recipe for chicken korma that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It’s creamy and delicate yet packs a serious punch with aromatic spices.

25 Min

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Mushroom Salad

When I want something meatier for breakfast, I go for this mushroom salad. Satisfying and deeply flavorful yet light and nourishing.

25 Min

Payasam

Almost every old culture has embraced a tradition of a sweet milky pudding and India not only has several, but every state has their own. Payasam is said to have originated from the southern state of Kerala, thousands of years ago.

55 Min

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Broccolini with Orange & Sesame

Packed with nutrients, vital minerals, and plenty of dietary fiber, broccolini cooks quickly and lends itself well to Asian flavors. Rather than being overpowered by additional sugar, here is a recipe where fresh orange juice contributes to the natural sweetness of the dish.

75 Min

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Purple Cabbage Pilaf

The pilaf is a showstopper when made and can be served alongside grilled meats or vegetables or a simple stew. If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, there are a multitude of ways to enjoy it, if not just straight out of the refrigerator. It can go into a salad, a stir fry or just dumped into a warm stew or curry.

120 Min

Chocolate Chile Cookie

Some of the best recipes happen by accident. One morning while preparing for Sunday brunch service at Indika, our ingenious pastry chef Michael Michel, upon discovering that we were out of toasted walnuts for the chocolate oatmeal cookies, substituted the spiced walnuts we used to make for a dinner appetizer. These walnuts were coated in red chile powder, cinnamon, and salt. Our regular customers were so thrilled with these cookies that they demanded we never go back to the plain one.

75 Min

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Lobster Cream Curry

This lobster curry is rich and creamy, definitely one for a special occasion. The creamy tangy saffron sauce feels luxurious enough to match the lobster.

100 Min

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Tamarind Rice

This is an adaptation of a traditional South Indian rice that is so delicious it can be eaten just on its own. It is also good cold or at room temperature.

170 Min

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Persian Lentil Stew

Every winter usually during the colder weeks, I make this stew at least once or twice and enjoy it for a couple of days. It almost amplifies in flavor the next day.

50 Min

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Cumin Carrots

Studies in India have found that cumin, which possesses the unique compound cuminaldehyde, helps in reducing blood sugar and preventing osteoporosis. Cumin’s volatile and rich vitamin A and C content make it a potent antioxidant.

15 Min

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Nigella Steak

One day while poring over an old book on spices, I learned that nigella was a popular medieval spice in Roman culture. Knowing the Romans ate a lot of meat, I raced home, toasted a few seeds, and ground them. I added them to a marinade for meat, and their nutty, smoky flavor deepened to a state nothing short of miraculous.

30 Min

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Braised Baby Bok Choy

A little more substantial than spinach yet light enough to pass off as a green, bok choy can also be eaten raw in a salad, in a stir-fry or steamed.

45 Min

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Romanesco Pasta

All the vegetables in this pasta are just barely cooked, to help maintain the crispness and their nutrients.

115 Min

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Tandoori Spiced Whole Cauliflower Roast

This whole roasted cauliflower makes a beautiful centerpiece, but the leftovers are even more delicious the next day and using tandoori spices will fill your kitchen with wonderful aroma.

65 Mins

Texas Pecan Sandy

A sable is a crisp shortbread like French shortbread cookie that was created in the 1600s and at first, reserved for royalty. In English, sable translated to sand and it’s a cookie with a sandy breadcrumb like texture and a perfect bite with an afternoon chai or coffee.

150 Min

Bihari Ghugni Salad

Ghugni refers to a preparation with black chickpeas, as a snack or a curry. Here, as a salad, it makes a wonderful little starter or snack.

15 Min

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BBQ Masala Mushrooms

BBQ masala is more of a rub, and it is not only good on meats, but also wonderful on mushrooms. Here we used trumpet, but the masala is good on any variety of mushrooms. This masala is best added at the end of the cooking.

105 Min

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Marag

In Hyderabad, Yemenis are known to have brought an Arabic meat broth called Marag that the Indians evolved into a simple yet spicy and aromatic soup. On a recent trip, I tasted many versions, loved each one because of the complex aroma it exuded yet deliciously simple in flavor.

130 Min

Dum Chicken Pulao

Pulao, which usually refers to meat and rice cooked together in a pot can be even more delicious especially when made in the ‘dum’ (cooking under steam) style. It is a one-pot-wonder, aromatic yet not too spicy and the Chai masala, which is slow cooked with the chicken and rice, suffuses the rice with its heady aroma. This is a big recipe but do note that the pulao tastes even better the next day.

20 Min

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Masala Chai

Here is the recipe for the masala chai we have been making for over a dozen years at Pondicheri, using our hand-ground Chai Masala – it is hands down our most popular hot beverage and despite traipsing India several times every year, we’ve never tasted a better chai.

35 Min

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Chillka Roti

Chillka roti is an unfermented crepe style bread usually eaten with meals or as a snack with chutney or pickles.

115 Min

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Shikampuri Kebab

Usually made with lamb meat, these highly seasoned kebabs are usually fried in butter, however, in this recipe, they are baked in the oven and are just as delicious and not quite as heavy.

310 Min

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Wonderstock

It is easy to purchase chicken stock but once you make your own, you may never go back to boxed or canned stock. For homemade stock, one can use all the bones from chicken to oxtail to lamb. Your house will smell wonderful also!

95 Min

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Hyderabadi Khatti Dal

Khatti simply means sour, in this case with the addition of tamarind or lemon. Khatti dal is a preparation from the Hyderabad region of India and is usually made with toor or masoor lentils. It can be soupy to be eaten with rice, just as a soup or thick and stew like, to be eaten alongside kebabs or roti.

80 Min

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Warm Orange Glazed Hakurei Turnip Salad

These delicate little white Japanese turnips have become a fixture of farmer’s market from New York to California to here in Houston. I decided to slow roast them with spices and orange juice and found them to be so delicious, I had to stop myself from eating them all straight from the pan.

5 Min

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Green Masala

After playing around with different versions over the years, this green masala is a staple.

70 Min

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Caramelized Onions

If spices are the soul of Indian cooking, onions are the heart, especially in Northern Indian-style cooking. How you cut them, cook them, for how long, the color of the caramelization - all of this has an immense impact on the end result.

20 Min

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Starfruit Sprout Salad

I have now made this salad at home repeatedly, with different combinations. Just like mine, I hope this becomes a refrigerator fixture in your home.

75 Min

Rosemary Cauliflower Toast

Oven roasting a head of cauliflower is the easiest and the best way to cook it given that braising it often causes it to steam and/or break into smaller pieces. Rosemary adds an aromatic touch and a side of luxurious creamy cream cheese with a shot of blueberries to smear on a toast can make for a surprisingly simple and delicious bite.

140 Min

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Winter Chicken Soup

Crushing spices helps incorporate their flavor into the broth and black pepper and cloves have been a home remedy for sore throats for millennia in India. Dairy can often make congestion worse, so I used coconut milk instead – it’s also easier to digest. The soup has more vegetables than chicken, which makes it even more nourishing.

150 Min

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Purple Sweet Potato Roast

Accompanied with yogurt flecked with cumin and a flavor packed herb masala, these potatoes are bound to become your new favorite starch. Add these to your holiday table for a bright splash of color and flavor!

15 Min

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Bitter Winter Salad

In the winter particularly, I like to enjoy salads made with bitter greens like radicchio, or endive particularly when they are balanced with something sweet like maple syrup, oranges, or pomegranates. I add serrano to this salad because particularly during colder months, our bodies need foods that produce heat to maintain strong digestion.

180 Min

Lamb Shank Roghan Josh

The stew is aromatic, slightly hot and spicy – if wanting milder flavors, cut back on chili powder and warm spices at the end.

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Carrot Kanji

The process of fermentation is kicked off with the addition of ground mustard seeds and contributes to the sour tangy flavor of the brine. In keeping with Ayurvedic traditions, kanji is considered to incorporate the energy of the sun and the earth to aid digestive health during winter. It also provides warmth during the colder months and help empower immunity.

70 Min

Himalayan Noodle Soup

Every region of the world has its version of a chicken noodle soup, but this variation may be the best one I’ve tasted on a trip to Nepal a few years ago. Perfect to eat during colder weather, it’s infinitely adaptable, tastes even better the next day and can be made with or without meat.

90 Min

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Blueberry Banana Bread

There are few things as comforting as the smell of banana bread wafting out of the oven, especially one laced with aromatic spices like cardamom and cinnamon. The topping of blueberries adds a splash of color and a tang to the bread. If you have houseguests, it’s a great way to start off a holiday weekend, especially after a night of indulgences.

80 Min

GF

Tamarind Turkey Kebabs

You can make the turkey kebabs ahead of time and finish in the oven when ready to eat. Here is a tamarind glaze that will not only be delicious on grilled vegetables like butternut squash or zucchini but also on meats like chicken or lamb. The glaze will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

40 Min

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Fenugreek Potatoes

Potatoes cooked in fenugreek aka Aloo Methi, is a traditional North Indian preparation and can be eaten along anything from a steak to grilled fish. Or of course, enjoy it like an Indian with dal and roti. You won’t find fresh fenugreek in your usual grocery stores so take a trip to an Indian grocer to look for it and who knows, you may discover a whole new world to explore!

45 Min

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Millet Kale Pilaf

Here is a pilaf where the warm millet is combined with chopped kale and cabbage just enough to wilt them yet keep the bright color intact. The vegetables can swap out for any hardy greens like collard, mustard, or watercress. The pilaf is good warm or at room temperature.

110 Min

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Fresh Fava Stew

Here is a fresh fava curry that can be adapted to be eaten just as a soup, topped with yogurt, herbs, nuts and greens or with a side of rice or bread. Just like most stews or curries, it is best enjoyed at least a couple of hours after all the ingredients has had time to chill together and mellow out.

55 Min

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Saffron Scallop Stew

Here is an aromatic pumpkin and scallop stew tinged with saffron and cardamom. The cardamom stews slowly in the sauce and softens towards the end for a punch of flavor with every bite. Coconut oil is an acquired flavor so feel free to substitute with olive oil or ghee. Enjoy it for a first course over the holidays over rice or pasta or as a main course for a weekend meal.

60 Min

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Bengali Baby Eggplant Curry

Eggplants grown by a farmer from Congo in a curry made with poppy seeds native to Bengal, India comes together here in Houston, Texas. They are ready to be cooked in an African stew or a Bengali curry.

40 Min

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Stuffed Gypsy Peppers

Serve these peppers alongside a bright green salad or as a side dish with a bit of plain yogurt on the side.

60 Min

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Pumpkin Spice Crepes

Pumpkin spice, which is a flavoring that usually includes cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves has been associated with many drinks and sweets from lattes to cupcakes. However, when I think fall pumpkin, I think savory stews, pasta, soups, or curries. Here is a crepe made with buckwheat flour and filled with a savory pumpkin masala.

140 minutes

Plum Naan

Taking a page out of my own book, I adapted the royal naan recipe from Masala to give this bread a thick fluffier consistency yet kept the spirit of a naan intact. I added plums, onions, and seasonings on top. Serve it with yogurt tossed with cumin and black pepper, bean spreads, flavored oils, or ghee as a starter or to accompany a hearty stew.

25 Min

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Amaranth Grain Salad

Millet is very commonly eaten in India, whole in pilafs and stews or ground into rotis. A few weeks ago, I discovered a special variety called ‘Kodri’, very popular in Gujarat, the state in India where I grew up. It cooks fast, is easy to digest, high in protein and rich in phytochemicals. The Indians believe it helps control blood sugar and other related conditions. But the real reason to eat it is that it is so delicious, it may be good enough to replace white rice!

30 Min

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Black Mission Figs with Butter & Sesame

Here are figs dipped in melted butter and rolled in sesame seeds and nuts. The butter can be seasoned with salt, red chile or finely minced herbs of your choice. This recipe may be simple but biting into this luscious buttery sesame crusted fig is a luxurious experience.

30 Min

Masala Egg Toast

Almost like grilled cheese colliding with a French toast but leaving the sugar in its wake. It’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser and is quick to make from ingredients easy to find in your refrigerator.

Saffron Sangria

It’s light, deeply flavorful and the saffron cools the back of your throat as it goes down. If you prefer not to have alcohol, add lemon juice, and turn it into a lemonade!

115 Min

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Whole Stuffed Fish

A whole fish is a showstopper to serve at a dinner party, especially right at the table. It is also relatively easy to assemble than to cut fish in steaks or chunks. All the guests must let their guard down and get their hands dirty to really enjoy the fish. The juices of the fish seep into the rice filling, adding even more flavor. The fish can be marinated and assembled entirely and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. This filling has cooked rice but vegetables like roasted butternut squash combined with nuts or roasted potatoes with lemon also made a delicious filling. Served with a tangy green salad on the side, the whole stuffed fish makes for a memorable meal.

120 Min

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Beauty Berry Lemon Cake

Here is a recipe for a small lemon cake with cherries, topped off with whipped cream and beauty berries.

150 Min

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Mushroom Tamales

Twenty years ago, when I opened Indika, my team comprised of a diverse group of cooks from Americans to Indians to South and Central Americans. One such cook was a young man by the name of Juan Velasquez. This modern rendition of the traditional Guatemalan tamale is a tribute to Juan and the countless immigrants from Guatemala. Today, Guatemala is one of the largest growers of cardamom and turmeric, and I added those to the recipe. Did I make the tamales just like Juan did? Of course not. I switched out the lard and butter for olive oil, sesame and almond butter and meat for mushrooms. Knowing my passion for vegetables, I know Juan would expect no less from me.

175 Min

GF

Sindhi Lamb Biryani

Just like most foods in India, every community, region and family have their own interpretation for it. This is a style of biryani my mother preferred but since goat was the go-to red meat, we had goat biryani.

65 Mins

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Gujarati Val

Val, or the white beans of Gujarat are prepared simply and flavorfully in this easy curry. If buying the val from an Indian grocer, be careful not to buy the Surati val as they tend to have a bitter flavor. Alternately, use navy beans or Italian cannellini beans. Typical to most Gujarati foods, the curry has a slight sweet finish. The addition of chai masala at the beginning adds a aromatic haunting flavor to this curry. These beans can be enjoyed over rice or toast. As a starter, poured into small bowls and topped with good olive oil, herbs, minced tomato and/or crumbled cheese, they make quite a statement.

Curry Masala Beef

Curry masala, essentially curry powder, is best in long-stewing curries and beef, or any other dark meat works well with it.

60 Min

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Stuffed Hatch Peppers

What adds to the appeal of the Hatch chile is that they pack just the right amount of heat and are neither too spicy nor too mild. They can be added raw to salads, turned into salsas or fire smoked and stuffed with everything from cheese to vegetables to meat fillings.

55 Min

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Black Sesame Chicken

While the state of Assam is well known for its tea plantations, the cuisine of Assam has an interesting combination of many indigenous flavors. Black sesame seeds are used abundantly. When Pondicheri was in New York for a few years, a young Assamese chef, Daisy, came to work for us. One day, I asked her to make us something traditional from her home and she made us a wonderful black sesame chicken curry. I still remember the unusual flavor of that curry, mostly from the black sesame seeds – this curry is an ode to Daisy and a delicious departure from the usual curries.

Curry Masala Chicken

Here is a chicken curry with a lot of vegetables added for good measure. Feel free to leave them out or switch them out for other ones of your choice.

Coffee Masala Steak

Coffee Masala is simply wonderful in coffee – it illuminates the flavors of the coffee beans and adds a sweet aromatic whiff to the coffee. In food, particularly red meat, it kind of does the same thing. Rub coffee masala on a beef roast, a lamb leg and watch the spices come to life and temper the meat flavors.

120 Min

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Chaat Masala Beet Salad

Here, a simple roasted composed beet chaat gets the crowning glory of chaat masala however, most salads are good candidates for a sprinkle of chaat masala.

20 Min

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Zucchini with Ocean Masala

Ocean masala may have been created with seafood in mind, but it is good with so many other things including vegetables and poultry. Zucchini is the kind of bland everyday vegetable that absorbs flavor effortlessly and this masala is the perfect foil for it.

120 Min

Peach Cobbler

The biscuit crossed with a cake like topping is crunchy but soft and cakey inside. My favorite way to eat cobbler or any such warm fruity sweet is with a side of plain unsweetened cream.

90 Min

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Baby Butternut Roast

They are fresh, tiny, and tender, about the size of an apple and the knife slides right through them. For a larger butternut, I’d discard the seeds along with the stringy tissue around it but with these little beauties, I leave them in.

30 Min

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Melon Soup

Here is a melon soup that you can make in minutes and serve topped with another summer fruit like diced cherries or mango.

90 Min

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Gatta Curry with Spring Vegetables

Gatta is the famous traditional chickpea dumpling curry of Rajasthan. The dumplings are boiled in water to be cooked however, for a more decadent finish, you can pan sear them or deep fry them after they have been steamed. We add spring vegetables to the finished curry to give it a lighter flavor and finish.

45 Min

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Safed Maas

An ancient Rajasthani delicacy, safed maas is a white curry usually made with red meat. It is also the only curry that is traditionally mild in flavor with no chiles added. We have made this curry with dark meat chicken and a touch of rosemary, which complements the creamy rich sauce. And just like most curries, this one is best a few hours later or the next day.

50 Min

GF

Laal Maas

Laal maas simply means ‘red meat curry’ and can be made with beef, lamb, or goat.

30 Min

Potions

Fly Spray

Over years and after much tweaking, I have developed a non-toxic solution of edible camphor with essential oils to deter mosquitoes and I use it freely at home and at the restaurants. Spray it directly on yourself or leave a bowl out.

65 Minutes

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Fish Kofta Curry

One of the best ways to use up leftover roasted, baked, or grilled fish is to make fish cakes or fish koftas. Then pour an aromatic curry on top, cook some rice and you have dinner. Here is a curry inspired by the coastal flavors of Sri Lanka with lemongrass, kari leaves and coconut.

55 Min

Aloo Poshto

Aloo (which means potato) cooked in a poppy seed (poshto) sauce is a legendary dish from Bengal, enjoyed both in Bangladesh and in West Bengal, India. It’s rich, creamy, decadent, and delicious. Normally eaten with dal and/or grilled meats, along with the Bangla steak, it’s a Bengali meat and potatoes dish of sorts. While in most cases, it is a traditional dish where the potatoes are usually deep fried, we opted for this variation with the potatoes sauteed with the onions and a little addition of cream at the end.

15 Min

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Bangla-inspired Steak

For millennia, India had been a secular country that openly welcomed people of all religions. During the end of the British reign and the Partition of 1947 that followed, Bangladesh became the prominently Muslim country and the Hindu Bengalis remained in India. Therefore, beef is freely eaten in Bangladesh and this steak is inspired by the spices native to Bengal. Prepared with mustard oil and a smattering of spices and garlic, it can be cooked medium or medium rare – enjoy it with Aloo Poshto.

100 Min

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Kacchi Lamb Biryani

Even for biryani lovers, the kacchi (meaning raw) biryani of Bangladesh is a road less travelled. Biryanis in India are usually made by separately cooking the rice, meat masala, perhaps vegetables and bringing them all together at the end. In this style of biryani making, the Banglas cook the marinated meat and rice together and then finish it with fried onions. It infuses even more flavor into the rice. The pungent mustard oil is one of the most essential components of Bengali cuisine and here it shows up in the lamb marinade.

60 Min

Bangla Chicken Roast

With a tropical monsoon climate, the cuisine of Bangladesh has been shaped by its history and the river-line geography. Very similar to the cuisine of West Bengal, India, Bangladesh has rich, aromatic dishes with liberal uses of ghee and was also influenced by the Mughal occupation of India. This chicken roast recipe is inspired by a dish made by a lovely young intern by the name of Ayesha who spent a few months with us at Pondicheri. If you do not have the Indian apricots, use about half the quantity of regular dried apricots but make sure they are not sweetened. It is rich, aromatic and can be eaten just with a side of a pilaf, rotis or warm crusty bread.

20 Min

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Vambotu Pahi

Just like India, Sri Lanka has a plethora or pickles, sambals and preserves and they are what really make a meal special. This eggplant one is one of our favorites and has inspired an entire menu of pickles at our restaurant Pondicheri. Always sharply spiced and salted, they are meant to be eaten in small quantities alongside meals.

70 Min

Lamprais

Lamprais (pronounced lamp-rice), is to Sri Lanka what biryani is to India, a decadent meat and rice dish. The name is derived from lomprijst (meaning rice packet) and it is truly a feast of rice, curries, pickles and sambals and more wrapped up in a tidy banana leaf package. You can go as elaborate as you like.

25 Min

Kale Kottu

Usually eaten for breakfast or lunch, kottu may be one of the most brilliant inventions to emerge from Sri Lanka and its cultural influences. It is also one of the best ways to use up leftover rotis. It is like chilaquiles and the Sindhi sayel roti but arguably more delicious and a little healthier. Leftover roti or paratha strips or chunks are stir-fried with eggs, meat, potatoes or vegetables with ginger, fresh coconut, kari leaves and more. We make these with Pol roti but kottu gives you a lot of creative freedom. It can also be made with the Malabar paratha and your choice of greens like spinach, watercress, or other vegetables.

50 Min

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Turmeric Rice

A basic rice dish but like most dishes in Sri Lanka, it is made with a bit of coconut milk.

110 Min

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Ghee Bhat

This is a take on a traditional rice dish usually made with short grain rice and any kind of meat stock. We used brown basmati rice, which takes a while to cook but absorbs the flavor of the stock beautifully. The aromatic spices, onions and coconut add enough depth of flavor to the rice to be eaten on its own. This rice dish works well with Lamprais, the popular traditional Dutch-influenced dish from the colonial days.

10 Min

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Cucumber Borhani

Borhani can be made with whole milk or non-fat yogurt and is best with yogurt that is slightly aged and sour.

30 Min

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Chocolate Dipped Figs

Weather patterns due to climate change are evident in almost all spheres of life. While Houston has a vibrant cycle of summer fruits from peaches to blackberries, figs that used to appear late summer or fall have been at the farmers market much earlier this year. Fall fig sightings are usually followed by cool breezes but this time around, we have a long summer to contend with. But how wonderful that we get to enjoy figs for perhaps a longer harvest period? A fig is a delicate luscious, sweet fruit, however quick to spoil so usually, must be consumed within a few days of harvest. It is delicious just on its own, or sliced and tossed into salads or even slightly roasted but nothing preserves and enhances the flavor of figs like a coating of dark chocolate with a hint of aromatic spices. The chocolate dipped figs can be eaten whole or sliced and served over ice cream for a beautiful, elegant dessert. Buy the best quality chocolate you can as this will make all the difference.

15 Min

Pol Parsley Sambal

Parsley is not native to Sri Lanka but the flavors do really work well in this condiment.

25 Min

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Pol Roti

Rotis are ubiquitous to Indian cooking and the ones in Sri Lanka differ only slightly. This traditional pol roti has grated coconut, minced onion, and slight heat from serrano peppers.

55 Min

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Parippu

Dal, the quintessential lentil stew of Southeast Asia has umpteen versions scattered through the sub-continent. This dal is an adaptation of the popular parippu, a red lentil stew seasoned with coconut, garlic, onions. The addition of aromatic lemongrass is a bit of game changer! We added lots of spinach to it at the end to make it greener and healthier! For a more traditional version, add a teaspoon of dried chopped fish flakes or shrimp when preparing the masala.

60 Min

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Kukul Mas

Cultural influence on Sri Lanka ranges from Indians, Arabs, Malays, Moors, Portuguese, Dutch and the British. The new ingredients that they brought in like tomatoes, potatoes and chiles have been adapted to local preparations. The Sri-Lankans roast their spices to a much darker finish than the Indians do, which characterizes their food as different. This traditional spicy chicken curry of Sri Lanka that is most locals crave when they leave the country. It's rustic and best made with chicken legs on the bone.

55 Min

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Red Fish Curry

Known reverently as "Resplendent land" or the "The Land without Sorrow", Sri Lanka is a little jewel of an island sitting just below India. The Indian Ocean surrounding it is known for its fresh sea creatures that have been a part of the Sri Lankan diet for millennia. This fish curry is also called Sour fish curry and the sourness is inherently provided by a bright orange dry fruit called goraka however tamarind makes a good substitute. The curry is intense, rich, and delicious. Enjoy it with turmeric rice.

60 Min

GF

Saffron Lamb Kofta with Apricots

Kashmir, considered the most beautiful region of India, has a long history or conquerors and emperors, who shaped the cuisine. It is a place where luxury abounded and this shows in the abundance of meat dishes, nuts like walnuts that are native, delicious apricots and more. It is also where saffron is cultivated and used heavily in the cuisine. These delicate, creamy meatballs are inspired by the cuisine of Kashmir ~ the dried apricots used here are also called Alu Bukhara but feel free to substitute a different apricot.

120 Min

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Turmeric Butter

Here, we make a simple golden butter infused with fresh turmeric juice and some complimentary spices! Do give it a try…

120 Min

V

Naan

Naan, the fluffy bread usually made in a tandoor at most Indian restaurants, can also be made at home.

30 Min

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Green Masala Shrimp Kebabs

A bright verdant green masala is perfect for shrimp since they cook so quickly that the masala retains its color as well as flavor.

120 Min

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Chicken Biryani

Biryani is the decadent aromatic rice dish that was created during the Mughal era of India – it is a mashing of the Persian pilaf and khichri, a traditional Indian lentil and rice stew. In a biryani, all elements are cooked separately and then brought together, allowed to rest for about 30 minutes to an hour before serving. In this biryani, since we are using white meat which tends to dry out very quickly, the chicken is roasted in the oven separately and then added to the rice just at the end. The onion masala adds depth to the flavor of the biryani so caramelize the onions long and slow.

45 Min

GF

Vegetable Pakoras

You may never look at tempura the same way after you’ve tasted a pakora!

120 Min

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Peach Blackberry Pudding Cake

This mix, pour and bake pudding cake recipe is simple, quick, and given that it has 8 to 10 cups of fruit, a true celebration of the summer bounty. Enjoy it with just a drizzle of fresh unsweetened cream.

30 Min

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Fiddlehead Fern Pickle

These are not the brined mild pickles of the west but more of an intense, tart, salty, spicy oily pickle that is eaten alongside a meal for an intermittent small spicy bite. Enjoy this pickle on the side or put on toast and cream cheese or in pasta or a pilaf.

90 Min

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Heirloom Tomato Soup

A few small spoons of aromatic spices elevate the soup; the cardamom adds a sweet aroma and the coriander a lemony flavor to accentuate the tomato. Enjoy it warm or chilled.

180 Min

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Coastal Chicken Soup

Here is a soup inspired by the coast of Kerala using cardamom and black pepper native to that region.

60 Min

Blueberry Bran Muffins

They are super easy to make – whisk the wet ingredients, then add the dry, pour and bake. A sprinkle of sugar on top is a tiny indulgence but feel free to leave this out.

30 Min

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Peach Blueberry Lemonade

Here is a gently spiced lemonade to welcome a Texas spring, it’s only lightly sweetened, adjust and spike as needed.

25 Min

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Healing Ayurvedic Teas

Spice teas or brews with no caffeine are a wonderful way to heal from small illnesses like a throat ache or belly ache.

30 min

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Parsley Eggs

The recipe makes a little more than a cup of pesto, but it is so tasty, you will be putting it on everything from toast to tomatoes, I promise.

180 Min

Fennel Tart

In this savory decadent tart, the addition of mushrooms brings an earthy note. It is best to bake the tart a few hours or the day before serving it.

60 Min

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Galouti Kebabs

A noteworthy Nawab during late-seventeen hundreds was Asaf-ud-Daula, a man known for his generosity and a notorious obsession for royal edifices and rich cuisine, particularly kebabs. During his reign, Lucknow reached the epitome of architecture with beautiful palaces, roads, and gardens. He commissioned the building of his court, the Imambara with excruciating details, where the largest arched roof built from brick and limestone, without a single beam, still stands today. An entire team of cooks was commanded to create daily changing aromatic stews, breads, and kebabs. These are the decades when Persian and Indian cooks came together to create Mughlai cuisine, still beloved in India. Legend has it that due to his overindulgences, early in his forties, the Nawab lost almost all his teeth and the ability to chew food, yet his love for kebabs did not wane. Anxious to please their beloved leader, the cooks, using papaya to tenderize the meat, concocted a kebab so soft that it required no chewing and would literally melt in his mouth. The Galouti (means melt-in-your-mouth) kebab was born and has remained a popular kebab in India ever since. The Nawab led a short but glorious well-lived life and is buried in his beloved Imambara.

120 Min

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Garbanzo Chaat Salad

The garbanzo beans are seasoned to a spicy richness with cumin, black pepper, ginger and asafetida and then added to the salad.

20 Min

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Spring Farm Salad

The keys in making this salad is first, finding a shallow bowl that will fit the entire head of lettuce and next, to keep the shape of the lettuce head as intact as possible while making the salad.

45 Min

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Snap Pea Pasta

Here is a light and springy herb-forward pasta with snap peas using a lot of dill and parsley. In the spirit of spring cleansing, I decided to skip the cream or even coconut milk, instead studded the pasta with copious amounts of herbs.

15 Min

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Shrimp Stir Fry with Ocean Masala

Shrimp can be stir-fried with many different vegetables like asparagus, snap peas, green beans, or carrots. This masala becomes the crowning glory of the stir-fry. If you want to add heat the dish, add a teaspoon or two of red chile powder or slice a serrano pepper into the dish. The stir fry can be enjoyed on its own or with rice or noodles.

15 Min

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Ocean Masala Roasted Fish Fillet

The best part about the ocean masala is that you can directly slather it on fish with very little else and roast it in the oven.

50 Min

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Ocean Masala Roasted Cauliflower

Roasting cauliflower is one of best ways to cook a vegetable that can often get mushy when braising. The ocean masala adds a nice tart tone to the cauliflower.

45 Min

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Ocean Masala Roasted Potatoes

Ocean masala makes a wonderful tangy topping to roasted vegetables like regular or sweet potatoes, carrots, or parsnips.

15 Min

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Ocean Masala Roasted Oysters

These are best roasted in the oven and with this ocean masala on top, make for a tangy delicious appetizer with wine or a martini.

30 Min

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Curry Masala Potatoes

This makes a great side dish or serve fried eggs over it for breakfast.

70 Min

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Pop Masala Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Here simple mashed potatoes made with ghee and yogurt, as opposed to the more traditional butter and milk, are topped off with pop masala to not only add a crunch, but a burst of flavor.

45 Min

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Matar Paneer

Here is a decadent rendition of Matar Paneer, with cashews and raisins. Enjoy it with a warm roti or paratha or over plain rice.

120 Min

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Spring White Bean Asparagus Stew

This stew can be made with so many different root vegetables like potatoes, turnips, yellow beets and instead of asparagus, use fennel, kale, or spinach.

15 Min

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Pranch Dip (PE)

This is our spin on a plant-exclusive ranch dip, enjoy!

35 Min

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Roasted Squash

Squash is one of those plain canvas kinds of vegetables that can absorb any flavor you put on them.

30 Min

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Tindora Sabzi

Emerging wisdom is indicating that to maintain a healthy gut flora, diversity of diet is just as important as what we eat. The sheer variety of produce in an Asian grocery store from half a dozen varieties of Bok choi to other leafy greens or a whole jackfruit may seem daunting. But this is when trips to stores from other cultures can become an exciting adventure and keep in mind, it’s only food. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it again. In Indian grocery stores, aside from the umpteen aromatic spices and lentils you can peruse through, varieties of intriguing squashes can be found that resemble neither zucchini nor butternut squash. One such tender squash with a delicate burst of flavor is the tindora, or the ivy gourd. They are size of your finger, need a quick light braise, and are packed with fiber and phytonutrients. This sabzi (which simply means cooked vegetable) is inspired by the cuisine of Gujarat. Enjoy it with dal, a lentil stew, and rice. Here is to starting the new year off with a fruit or vegetable you have not tried before…

30 Min

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Masala Cream Cheese

Here is a recipe for first creating a spreadable slightly fluffy seasoned cream cheese and next, you can choose three options of masalas to prepare.

30 Min

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Cardamom Roasted Broccolini

More so than other vegetables, broccoli or broccolini needs to be cooked just right to be served at its best. For example, okra or green beans may not look pretty when overcooked but tastes just fine. Broccoli is better slightly undercooked than overcooked because the later can result in a soggy dish devoid of flavor, which is why roasting or grilling it guarantees good results. It took me a few tries to realize that it was the strong brassica smell of the broccoli that my taste buds subconsciously objected to. Now, I always cook broccoli with something fragrant, least of all garlic but usually an aromatic spice like cardamom, nutmeg, or mace. A quick little grating of nutmeg at the end, or the spears tossed with cardamom, black pepper and olive oil can transform broccoli. A squeeze of lemon or orange juice at the end can add even more fragrance and a smear of yogurt on the bottom can add a creamy luxurious finish.

75 Min

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Chicken Chettinad Kebabs

Here is a simple oven roasted kebab recipe heavy in aromatic black pepper and other warm spices. The kebabs can be eaten as an appetizer or as a main course with a simple salad on the side or the more traditional pairing with rice and beans or a vegetable curry

60 Min

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Black Pepper Chicken Roast

Fresh from a recent trip to Kerala, India, the birthplace of black peppercorns where I got to enjoy them in their tender green state all the way to dried, black pepper is often used as a central flavor. This oven roasted chicken amplifies the sweetness as well as the pungency of black peppercorns.

30 Min

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Garlic Sandwich

While I love the traditional mayonnaise and cheese on sandwiches, with this garlicky spread, I missed neither. Do give it a try or at the very least, go buy the delicious Taha Toum at the farmers market or at Central Market, where it is now sold as well.

90 Min

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Squash Potato Bake

The large bright green Opa squash (also known as bottle gourd, calabash, white gourd or lauki) is one of the most common squash varieties in India. Mostly used in cooked preparations like a sabzi or added to a lentil stews like dal, the opa squash can also be eaten raw, like in a raita. Unusually rich in vitamins and in soluble and insoluble fiber, it’s gentle on the stomach and easy to digest. In my childhood days, I remember an older aunt daily drinking the juice of the squash to successfully help her lose weight. Ayurvedic physicians commonly recommend it to patients to balance liver function. Look for this squash in Indian or Asian grocery markets. Despite its health benefits, the squash does need a boost of added flavor and this simple bake is one way to enjoy it for breakfast or a light lunch with a salad. If you prefer not using cream cheese, replace it with a nut butter of your choice.

20 Min

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Pickled Shrimp

Pickled shrimp is popular among north Indian families.

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Millet Pancake

In an attempt to get more cultures to embrace millet, the United Nations has named 2023 as the year of the millet and they are hoping that within five years, its consumption overtakes that of other grains like maize or wheat.

60 Min

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Tamarind Soup

For most Sindhis, this tamarind fragrant soup, or Sindhi kadhi, as it is called, is synonymous with a lazy Sunday afternoon lunch. Usually eaten with steamed rice and sweet laddus, this was one of my favorite memories of growing up in a traditional Sindhi household.

30 Min

Moonlight Milk Chaat

Tucked deep within the belly of a famous street market in Delhi, is a legendary ethereal dessert that is often compared to eating a cloud. Served on carts over ice and only made during the coldest winter months, the delicate as dew Daulat ki chaat (translates as snack of abundance or bliss) is said to have traveled to India from Afghanistan where it was made using mare’s milk. During the early hours of the morning over moonlight, raw milk with cream and aromatics like cardamom and mace is churned with a mallet by hand. The foam is then carefully skimmed off the top and the process is repeated over and over. The early morning dew is supposed to make it light and frothy. Rose water, ground nuts or crumbled milk solids are slowly incorporated, and it’s topped with saffron cream. Just like every other street food in India, each street vendor his or her own iteration; some use almonds, some pistachios, some the essence of rose or vetiver and it is often finished marigold or rose petals and gold or silver leaf. One cold February morning, I finally got to enjoy it with a cup of chai, discussing its nuances with the enthusiastic vendor, whose family has been making this chaat for over 100 years. It is challenging to recreate the charm of street food in the comfort of our western homes however, I tried several iterations and landed on this simple recipe. I decided to turn a cake with whipped cream on its head and added tiny amounts of dry-soaked cake crumbs to whipped cream. Use old sponge or angel food cake and I suggest using a stand mixer for best results. Enjoy it on a moonlit evening over the holidays with your friends and family!

55 Min

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Carrot Quinoa Muffin

Great with your morning coffee or cup of chai!

90 Min

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Morning Scones

There are many baking trade secrets I learned during my time at Café Annie. One of the biggest ones was that frozen cookie dough made the best cookies. They kept their shape; the spread was just right, and they remained moist inside. Same with scone or biscuit dough.

75 Min

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Chai Truffles

Truffles are so easy to make at home, they just take a little practice. The key is not to over heat the chocolate so keep a close eye on it while tempering.

60 Min

Halwa Cookies

Halwa is a sweet often used as a divine offering in Indian temples. To my fellow Indians who attempt it, it will be reminiscent of trips to temples and gurudwaras.

15 Min

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V

Cucumber Bhel Poori

Bhel poori is a common Indian street food native to Mumbai and cities in Gujarat. Usually made with puffed rice (a very common snack in India) and varying mixes of seasonal vegetables, herbs, chutneys and crunch bits of chickpea flour or wheat flour. This is an instant ‘salad’ so put it together just before eating. The ‘bhel’ refers to puffed rice and ‘poori’ refers to bits of pooris (fried wheat puffs) crushed just before mixing. Here we are replacing the poori with sev, a crispy chickpea noodle found in most Indian grocery stores.

25 Min

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Winter Citrus Salad

A layered citrus salad in the winter, especially using nice oranges like Cara cara or blood oranges can be a great start to a meal. They can also be served after dinner posing as a salad cum dessert! Variations are limitless – it’s all in the art of the composition so have some fun with it.

30 Min

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Sunchoke Salad

Sunchokes, despite being starchy, are a high source of fiber and in particular inulin, which makes us feel full after eating.

20 Min

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Potato Salad

The first time I tasted potato salad was in the late ’80s at an engineer’s potluck dinner in a remote Canadian city. I was fascinated by the unabashed baby-foodlike consistency of the mayo and sour cream flavors. Not a fan of cold potatoes, over the years I made it a few times and eventually gave up. Last week, as my team at the restaurant urged me to come up with my own version of potato salad, I experimented with an entirely new idea, and it turned out almost good enough to be a main course. Roasted fingerling potatoes with a creamy yogurt, ginger and tahini sauce drizzle, a spice pop and fresh herbs on top. I love this version, look forward to making it again, and I hope you do, too.

30 Min

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Green Papaya Salad

A wonderful way to balance holiday indulgences and alleviate the guilt associated with it is to eat something cleansing after. Besides, why not start the year on a fresh healthy note? Green papaya salad, or Som Tum as it is known in Thai cuisine is believed to have originated in Laos. I have never tasted a version of this salad that I don’t love, and I often make a meal out of it. The fact that green papaya has innumerable health benefits like high fiber and vitamin content always helps. But it’s the endless possibilities with this salad that make it most exciting. On a basic level, fresh grated green papaya is tossed with chiles, dried shrimp, palm sugar and fresh garlic. Add grated carrots, cabbage, apple, green beans, cucumber, or mango. The shrimp is delicious but not essential to the flavor; instead throw in copious amounts of grated, finely minced, or julienned ginger. Slice in some tomatoes for the acid, peanuts for crunch with herbs like cilantro or basil for aroma and you have a wonderful salad. Instead of peanuts, add cashews, add sliced almonds, or pine nuts. Switch out sugar for something as wholesome as honey or maple syrup. If you have extra papaya left over, use it in meat marinades as a tenderizer.

40 Min

Cardamom Cake

To this day, it is one of my favorite food memories — and when I make cake at home in Houston, I like it small, buttery and fragrant with cardamom. This recipe goes a step further and is made with ghee, which gives it a nuttier aroma.

60 Min

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Skinny Dal Soup

The broth like soup will absorb and enhance any flavor you put into it – so use what you have and enjoy it as a light dinner or with some rice on the side.

45 Min

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Desi Macaroni

Pasta is one the most universally loved foods, however, not every culture eats it like the Italians do. A ‘baked’ pasta dish, usually macaroni cooked in a mildly spiced white cheese sauce will often appear on an Indian buffet table laden with curries, sabzi and pilafs. As a kid, I would search for those baked dishes and macaroni was one of my favorite foods to eat. My mother would cook it in a tomato masala, add all kinds of vegetables like peas, beans, or corn and strange as this may sound, we would eat it with flatbreads like roti or paratha. The pasta was always cooked with the masala, never on its own. Here is a macaroni just the way we Desis would like to eat it, in a tomato masala with copious amounts of ginger.

90 Min

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Cauliflower Paneer Paratha

Stuffed parathas are delicious for breakfast or lunch and make a great appetizer for dinner when cut into wedges. Top them with a chutney and a slaw. Stuffing can vary from simple mashed potato to grated daikon, keema (ground meat) to a sweet paratha stuffed with jaggery and nuts.

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Fish Mango Curry

This is a simple, rustic fish curry & almost any firm fish will work.

25 Min

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Pickle Pizza

Sometimes, the best ideas are born out of improvisation. Stuck indoors due to the pandemic and not a fresh tomato in sight, we used Indian pickles to spread onto cooked naan, topped it with local feta cheese and some gloriously fragrant herbs to make a delicious make shift pizza. We liked it so much that it went on the menu at Pondicheri. There are plenty of Indian pickles in grocery stores to play around with.

45 Min

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Saffron Mashed Potatoes

Thanksgiving has been my favorite American holiday for a very long time. Just like many other immigrant communities

30 Min

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Sesame Bok Choy

Being in the brassica family, Bok Choy is filled with phytonutrient and fiber that our bodies need.

30 Min

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Cranberry Chutney

Here is a tangy cranberry chutney you can make ahead of time and enjoy up until the day of the holiday. Cooked chutneys like this one can keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 weeks.

60 Min

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Persimmon Trifle

The common astringent persimmon varieties, such as Hachiya or Jiro, can be ripened to a point where the inside pulp becomes soft and can be squeezed out of the fruit. The pulp is a gorgeous, almost neon orange, lightly fragrant, incredibly sweet, creamy and flavorful.

90 Min

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Strawberry Saffron Scones

Local strawberries in Houston don’t come around very often. So when the smiling farmer at Sustainable Vegetable Gardens from Missouri City offered me a taste of his crop, I could not resist. Bursting with sweetness and rich flavor, the berries were smaller and slightly misshapen than the supermarket variety. They also have less water content so are easier to bake with. I bought some and hurried home, dreaming of ways to enjoy them. These strawberry scones are made with saffron infused yogurt and make a perfect accompaniment to a cup of steaming chai or coffee for breakfast.

60 Min

GF

Squash Blossom Pakoras

Fried in a light delicate pakora batter, squash blossoms were ethereally delicious, especially when the fried blossom pakora was stuffed inside a fresh blossom.

60 Min

GF

Pea Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers are in full bloom in Texas, filling farm table stands with their striking yellow, orange, red and purple hues. Mincing and tossing into scrambled eggs, a stew or in stir-fry, there are endless uses for peppers. Their skin is often discarded after roasting, as are their seeds and placenta; however, these are edible and can be incorporated into the cooking. The seeds can be bitter, but cooking mellows this out. At my restaurant, anywhere peppers are used, given their high vitamin C and fiber content, we use every part except the stem. These fresh green pea stuffed peppers are intensely flavored, which is balanced by the cooling saffron yogurt sauce. Make sure to soak the saffron threads in yogurt a day or two before; the flavor of saffron is best when it has had time to develop.

150 Min

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Autumn Khichri

The first whiff of cool weather carries with it a craving for khichri, the peasant rice and bean stew from India, another vehicle for all kinds of vegetables. There is no wrong way to make khichri — varieties of rice and beans and proportions can vary. The key is to cook the khichri long and slow to a soft creamy stew and then add vegetables of your choice. Toppings wise, anything goes — but given that pomegranates appear in the autumn, they make a delicious tart garnish. Fried eggs, minced vegetables, herbs, cheese, olive oil or butter are just a few other suggestions.

60 Min

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Shrimp Mango Soup

Here is a delicious South Indian inspired shrimp soup with mango, a fruit much more likely to show up in savory foods in India. Enjoy it on its own or with noodles or rice.

25 Min

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Mushroom Masala

Masalas do not have to be complex — they can be as simple as parsley, garlic, black pepper and olive oil. Having a masala in your kitchen cabinet or refrigerator is a great hack to whipping up a quick meal.

45 Min

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Chilled Kerala Noodles

Rice noodles, also called string hoppers, are sometimes sold in the streets tossed with vegetables, coconut and spices. This salad-like chilled noodle dish is inspired by the flavors of Kerala and, true to my cooking, comes with copious amounts of freshly minced ginger.

90 Min

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Almond Soup

Many years ago, I enjoyed a delicious chilled almond soup, ajoblanco, native to Spain, at a wonderful restaurant called Feast in Houston. The dish was garnished with a drizzle of good olive oil, sliced grapes and was delicious to the last spoonful. Ajoblanco is often called white gazpacho and predates its more popular tomato version, since tomatoes did not arrive in Spain until the time of Columbus. The classic version is made with slices of white bread pureed with almonds. Preferring my bread warm, grainy, toasted and slathered in butter, I use plain white rice as the thickener here. The quality of rice will not matter, as it will all get pureed in the end. The addition of aromatic cardamom to the base balanced the garlic, and a pop of mustard seeds and kari leaves was the final flourish. If you can find Spanish Marcona almonds, the soup will be even more delicious.

30 Min

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Black Bean Mango Salad

Over the years of experimenting with summer salads, this black bean mango salad settled as a favorite. It not only tastes better the next day, but it also keeps for days as the sharp taste of celery mellows and nestles in with the black beans and mango. The season for the small, skinny Atulfo mango variety is almost over, the next best is the larger rounded Kent or Hayden. Do make sure to let the mangoes ripen to a soft sweetness before making the salad.

30 Min

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Raw Squash Salad

Crisp, chilled, thinly sliced zucchini and cucumbers spread on a plate, topped with aromatic herbs, toasted walnuts, tiny chunks of aged cheese, and a simple vinaigrette.

15 Min

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Fruit Chaat

In New Delhi, for almost a decade, there resides a sweet fruit chaat vendor tucked away near the famous Janpath street market. Depending on the time of year, his choice of fruits and vegetables varies. He rides his bike every morning with a fresh load of fruits and vegetables, hands out fruit chaat all day until his stock is over. Mango, melons, cucumber, papaya, pineapple, apples, or bananas are cubed and laid out on a banana leaf plate and sprinkled with chaat masala. Sometimes, strawberries will show up in the mix. A squeeze of lime and he hands it to you with a smile. If it can be eaten raw, any vegetable or fruit is fair game for fruit chaat. Usually, chaat masala is a combination of toasted ground cumin, chile powder, amchur (dried mango), salt and more. Black salt, a sulfurous rock salt native to India, is a common but not essential component of chaat masala. It’s an explosion of flavors – give it a try this summer with the fruits and vegetables at hand!

45 Min

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Eggplant Sabzi

Eggplants are having a moment in Houston, just about every farmer’s table is bursting with varieties of these purple berries, from the large heirlooms to the tiny little green eggplants. Eggplant is one of the few vegetables which, when cooked right, can give me the satisfaction of meat. And when paired with the aromatic flavors of Bengal, the lush eastern state of India with dense coconut groves and fields bursting with greens and vegetables, eggplant can truly be a thing of beauty. Today, I bring you a humble eggplant sabzi (sabzi simply means cooked vegetable in Hindi). Cooked with pungent mustard oil, which is often considered Bengal’s olive oil and hints of cumin and jaggery, this sabzi can be enjoyed over rice, with rotis or other flatbreads or over toast.

30 Min

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Shikanji

Shikanji is simply a concoction of lime, cumin, ginger, and salt with variations like mint, basil, or saffron. It’s versatile, refreshing, hydrates the body by replenishing its minerals and vitamins, and helps with digestion.

45 Min

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Green Masala Mattar Paneer

Mattar paneer is a classic Punjabi dry dish, usually eaten with a roti or naan. Here, instead of the classic tomato masala, we do a green herb and yogurt masala to accompany to paneer and peas.

90 Min

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Ricotta & Pea Stuffed Karela

Once balanced and tempered with other seasonings, bitter melon transforms into a thing of beauty.

45 Min

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Yogurt Rice

A staple of South Indian cuisine, particularly during sweltering summers, yogurt rice or curd rice in its simplest form is steamed white rice tossed with plain whole-milk yogurt. It is usually eaten cold at the end of a meal to help aid in digestion and cool the palate after eating spicy, warming foods. In its most glorious form, the yogurt rice combination is tempered with ghee, mustard seeds, red chiles, fresh coconut, curry leaves, herbs, nuts, and dry fruits. There comes a time every summer when the Texas heat cries out for cooling foods like these — that time is now. This version is more like a rice yogurt salad, flavored with saffron, herbs, celery, and lots of tangy seasonings. Keep it tucked away in your refrigerator for 2 to 3 days; the flavors of saffron will only get more luscious and the yogurt rice will make a delicious snack or a side dish.

90 Min

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Purple Potato Chaat Salad

Chaat — a family of roadside salty, sweet, tangy and crunchy snacks in India — come in many sizes, shapes and flavors. After leaving India, this is the food I missed most and, over time, taught myself how to make versions of it. These days, I can pretty much turn anything into a chaat if I just have the right sauces, which usually comprise of a creamy yogurt sauce flecked with cumin, a bright herby cilantro chutney or just a handful of herbs and something sweet — perhaps diced mango or peaches, or just a dash of sugar. The crunch can come via crushed nuts, tortilla or potato chips. Top it off with a sprinkle of black salt and roasted crushed cumin seeds and there you have a chaat.

120 Min

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Chickpea Sundal Salad

India is a land of snacks — from crunchy, addictive, savory, nut-filled chevdas to tingly, glorious street foods such as chaats. Some of the snacks can be transformed into cold salads — and this summer, I am on a path of discovery. I ate a warm sundal, a traditional South Indian salad made with chickpeas, coconut and mild spices once in a restaurant in New Delhi, and the memory has haunted me ever since. Sundal can be served warm, cold or at room temperature, and it makes for the most satisfying midday or late-night snack. Staying true to my tradition of turning most foods into carriers for vegetables, here I threw in tiny local ‘Sun Gold’ tomatoes and purple cabbage — but feel free to add diced cherry or large heirloom tomatoes.

45 Min

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Stuffed Summer Squash

The mild flavor of squash takes on the aromatic flavor of spices well!

30 Min

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Watermelon Cooler

This simple watermelon drink is a great way to stay hydrated — the basil adds a haunting fragrance and the salt and chile balance the flavors.

60 Min

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Prawn Balchao

Part pickle, part curry, Prawn balchao is the classic shrimp dish from the tiny state of Goa, India.

20 Min

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Local Heirloom Tomato Berry Salad

Composed salads lend themselves to so many possibilities — they have become my go-to salad. For breakfast I’ll sauté mushrooms with a cumin seed pop, spread them on a plate, tuck in a few slices of tomato, throw some microgreens on top, sprinkle salt and red chile powder and a drizzle of olive oil and lime juice. In the evening, mustard seed roasted carrots plated with diced mango or peaches and mint leaves can be the start of a light dinner salad. Given how short the treasured local heirloom tomato season is here in Texas, I find many ways to enjoy them, from raw in a salad to cooked into a masala or a chutney. Here is a truly local salad made with heirloom tomatoes from a small farm in Alvin, local blackberries and blueberries and cashew butter dressing.

20 Min

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Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup

When heirloom tomatoes are in full bloom, this chilled raw soup is the delicious epitome of a hot summer. I’ve omitted the onion, switched out garlic for ginger; the soup takes minutes to make. The color of the tomatoes will deeply affect the color of the soup, so pick the reddest ripe tomatoes you can.

45 Min

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Chile Romanesco

Like broccoli, Romanesco begs for added flavor. And as I walked by these little beauties at the organic Animal Farm table stand this past Saturday, I began to salivate imagining them with a masala made with garlic, local cherry tomatoes, and a fragrant punch of Sichuan peppercorns. The Sichuan pepper, also known as prickly ash, belongs to the citrus family. It produces a unique but delicious numbing, tingling effect on the tongue and can overpower other flavors — so use with caution. While the Romanesco roasted in the oven, I made the masala on the stovetop; within 30 minutes, we had a delicious dish to eat on its own or as a side.

120 Min

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Biryani

Biryani usually starts with marinated meat, chicken, vegetables, or beans slow cooked with warm spices, onions, garlic, and ginger to make a base masala. Tomatoes, yogurt, or coconut can be added next. On the lighter side, one can forego the onion masala and make a vibrant fragrant green herb masala, like a salsa verde or pesto (minus the cheese) for quick cooking seafood or vegetable biryanis. Rice is usually prepared separately, and can be cooked in stock or just plain water – saffron and/or warm spices like a large stick of cinnamon, mace flowers, or bay leaves can be added to the rice. I usually cook the rice with oil rather than ghee or butter as the oil facilitates the flakiness of the rice and prevents it from getting sticky. It is best to make the rice last as freshly cooked hot rice is placed over the base masala topped with nuts and dry fruits, tightly sealed, and allowed to rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes for all the flavors to meld. Here is a recipe for a simple garbanzo and vegetable biryani that can be easily adapted to the addition of meat.

30 Min

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Spring Pilaf

Cabbage may be a humble brassica, but it is packed with plenty of essential phytonutrients and makes a great low-calorie addition to the pilaf

120 Min

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Haleem on Toast

Just like most dishes in India, there are dozens of variations on haleem, some are made with goat, some with beef, different kinds of lentils or grains but here is a recipe that reminds me of the haleem my two older brothers would sneak into the house at night for late night treats.

20 Min

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Shaved Brussels, Cucumber & Mango Salad

This is as simple as a salad goes but it will stay crunchy in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 hours.

20 Min

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Green Salad

Wilted kale, crunchy lettuce and the tasty bite of cumin seeds make this salad extra special

45 Min

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Radish Roti

Vegetables are our past, present and future — and incorporating them into doughs and batters has begun to define the way I cook.

30 Min

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Celery Rosemary Pilaf

If you do not have celery leaves, use half a head of celery, thinly sliced.

30 Min

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Simple Cauliflower Sabzi

Sabzi simply means cooked vegetable – this cauliflower sabzi is punctuated with mustard seeds and amchur, a dry green mango powder that adds a deeply flavorful sour flavor.

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Buckeye Bean Stew

A bean native to the United States, the yellow buckeye bean is extremely creamy, more like a classic turtle bean than anything else. Thought to be originally from Montana, it’s dense without being too intense in flavor.

30 Min

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Black Bean Hummus

Hummus is central to many Mediterranean cuisines — but it does not need to be made with chickpeas. Medieval cookbooks mainly mention only two ingredients in hummus_ chickpeas and ground sesame, but today, we add garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Instead of chickpeas, one can use simple yellow or red lentils, red beans or black beans for a different flavor. This recipe uses micro-nutrient dense black beans combined with black sesame seeds, which I have resolved to eat more of due to their high calcium content.

60 Min

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Masala Pecans

Here is a simple way to coat a masala, spice blend, on the pecans for added flavor.

75 Min

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Sindhi Dal

Be it through taste, aroma or touch, food is one of the most visceral ways our brain stores happy memories. The mere smell of chickpea fritters frying in a big vat of oil reminds me of monsoons in India, when pakoras instantly become snack du jour. And despite not having much of a sweet tooth, chickpea flour roasting with ghee to make mithai, an Indian fudgelike sweet, makes me salivate. On a recent trip to India with my daughter, Ajna, we had one such experience that I will forever cherish. Late into the night after two long flights, we arrived in our hotel in New Delhi, hungry and tired. The only food available was limited room service. We ordered the staple, dal, and rice. Dal, being a lentil stew popular in virtually every home and restaurant across India, can be made a thousand different ways. That night, the dal was a simple yellow nourishing moong dal flecked with fresh tomatoes and cumin but with a sharp delicious bite of ginger in every spoonful. It was very similar to a dal my mother would make that is native to the province of Sindh, but the copious amount of ginger changed everything about it. Even for a seasoned cook like me, the dal made me tingle with excitement, and we happily licked every drop knowing that it was going to become a staple in my cooking when I returned to Texas. This dal is currently on my restaurant’s menu, and here is a recipe for it — I urge you to fearlessly put this much ginger.

30 Min

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Champion Oats

Oatmeal porridge may be one of the most popular ways to start the day in America, but I’ve never really been into sweet breakfast. So, years ago, I began experimenting with savory versions with the addition of vegetables and spices.

60 Min

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Cabbage Rolls

When I was working as a microbiologist in Canada many years ago, a Hungarian co-worker would often bring in cabbage rolls for lunch. Common to the cuisine of central, northern and eastern European countries, cabbage rolls are usually stuffed with meat and rice. While I developed a fondness for them at the time, they were largely forgotten until recently. In helpless and heartfelt solidarity with our Ukrainian brothers and sisters as we watch the havoc unfold, I find myself wanting to cook their cuisine, from borscht to holubtsi, the Ukrainian cabbage roll. These are a simple vegetarian version.

60 Min

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Seafood Stew

After many attempts, I landed on a seafood stew that had all the elements of a gumbo but used deeply flavorful chickpea flour for the roux instead of white flour. This stew quickly became a family favorite, and it can be enjoyed with rice, bread or even noodles.

30 Min

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Vegetable Poha

Originally from Maharashtra, a state in the western and central peninsula region of India, poha is now enjoyed across the country in different iterations. In southern India, it is often prepared with cashews and coconut. In Gujarat, the state I was born and raised in, poha is usually cooked with onions, ginger, peanuts and fresh herbs. A bowl of steaming fragrant poha with leftover vegetables made for many a memorable breakfast during my childhood. Even though poha is made from rice, somehow it has a lighter texture but deeper flavor than cooked rice. I always keep a jar of poha tucked away in my pantry to turn into a quick, delicious meal.

60 Min

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Berry Upside Down Cake

Now that my restaurant is almost entirely vegan on Mondays, plant-based cooking has become one of the most creative new forays into my cooking. A cake or cookie with no eggs and butter? No problem. Boiled mashed sweet potato makes an excellent substitute for eggs, but be careful not to use too much or it will add a gummy flavor. I have been pleasantly surprised to see how many recipes I’ve been able to substitute the green gold of olive oil for butter. Here is a simple olive oil cake that showcases fresh berries and can be enjoyed for breakfast or with tea in the afternoon.

15 Min

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Red Ranch Dip

Somewhere between a raita and a dip, I started making a homemade version years ago, followed by umpteen iterations. A golden ranch tinged with saffron or turmeric; a bright green one with mashed avocado and herbs. Here, I bring you a spicy hot ranch, tinged pink with beet juice.

60 Min

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Coconut Biscuits

What makes this coconut biscuit exciting is that the recipe is entirely plant based, using coconut oil in place of butter.

45 Min

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Roasted Radish Salad

Usually relegated to crudité plates or a salad add-on, radishes get little respect in the western cooking world. But one just has to look over at the vast and varied culture of Asia, where they first grew in the wild, to see the umpteen ways to enjoy these pungent cruciferous little globes. From quick pickles in a Vietnamese banh mi to brightening up a Thai cucumber salad to making the north Indian Punjabi “mooli” paratha, radishes are used all over Asia. Seeing the vast array of brightly colored radishes at the farmer’s markets these days makes me want to find more ways to enjoy them — particularly the large, purple heirloom Japanese radishes that appear perfect for roasting. Roasting radishes diminishes their pungent flavor and adds an interesting sweetness. The hardest part of this recipe may just be deciding how best to arrange the vegetables on the platter — it’s a visual feast.

60 Min

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Steak Romanesco

Move over, rib-eye. Biting into a thick, roasted, sizzling Romanesco slice with olive oil, spices and dotted with pistachio makes for a mouthwatering and satisfying main course. The tomato-based sauce is like a rich curry — drizzle it generously over the Romanesco. With its characteristic chartreuse color, cone-shaped florets and branched meristems making up a fractal spiral, Romanesco looks like an elaborate work of art. Tastewise, it’s somewhere between a broccoli and cauliflower, just more deeply flavorful. Nutritionally, it’s from the brassica family, rich in vitamins C and K and dietary fiber. Do give it a try — your body will thank you.

60 Min

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Ghee Mashed Potatoes

Butter from pasture-raised, grass-fed cows makes wonderful ghee. A visiting Indian guru even told me there is a new term going around — “veghan,” or vegan with ghee. Here is a recipe for lightly mashed potatoes inspired by South Indian cuisine — feel free to replace the ghee with coconut oil for a plant-based version.

30 Min

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Classic Bean Salad

A bean salad tucked away in the refrigerator has made for a wonderful late-night snack after busy nights at the restaurant, especially during the holiday season. Over the last few months, I’ve experimented with umpteen combinations, none of which I have stuck to. I always start with soaking one cup of beans overnight (this cuts the cooking time in half), cooking them to softness the next day and adding a changing assortment of vegetables, herbs, nuts, or dry fruits. I’ve embellished some with roasted carrots, others with steamed asparagus, peanuts, walnuts, cilantro, mint and much more. In the last few weeks, I finally arrived at a combination that I have made for three 3 weeks straight and one I am excited to share with you. Raw purple cabbage, celery and beans make the base of this salad, and one can go in so many directions with it. It makes a great light lunch on its own or pairs it with a sandwich or soup. The best part is that cabbage and celery taste better wilted and after they’ve marinated in the juices for an hour or two. The salad tastes delicious for up to three days so use it for a healthy late-night snack.

45 Min

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Fresh Fava & Spinach Dal

Nothing satisfies in cooler weather quite like dal, the quintessential aromatic spice-laden lentil stew of India.

35 Min

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Broccoli Soup

Here is a soup that elevates the vegetable to an elegant course, perfect when served with a holiday dinner.

60 Min

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Dum Aloo Roast

Dum Aloo, a slow-cooked potato curry, is a traditional staple of the Kashmiri Hindu cuisine. Dum means cooked under steam; aloo means potato.

30 Min

Persimmon Salad

Try this simple salad for a light respite from holiday indulgences.

70 Min

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Roasted Squash with Austrian Pumpkin Seed Oil

Emerald green, shiny, almost tarlike cold-pressed oil that tastes of smoky dark walnuts and pumpkin seeds, which pairs beautifully with roasted squash. I have also used it to top yogurt, chopped salads, roasted figs and to dip warm bread in.

60 Min

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Eggplant Pakoras

Pakora is the lesser-known cousin of tempura. Just like tempura, it’s a fritter made with vegetables such as onions, peppers, potatoes — but instead of a batter of white flour, the batter is made with chickpea flour.

Roasted Chicken Kebabs

55 Min

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Potato Cakes

Hot Potato cakes off the fryer, when made right, are one of the best appetizers ever. Called Aloo tikki in India, they can be stuffed with all kinds of fillings like ground meat, cheese, crushed peas, or other such fillings. This herb yogurt spice filling is an explosion of flavor in your mouth, well worth the work in making it. Turn the potato cake into a chaat by drizzling cumin yogurt, tamarind, and cilantro chutneys on top.

35 Min

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Shrimp Toast

This is a no-brainer crowd pleaser recipe.

120 Min

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Mushroom & Bean Stew

Try this stew using chestnut mushrooms and serve it with warm toasted sourdough bread. If you do not have garam masala — an aromatic finishing spice blend native to Indian cuisine — add a varying combination of ground cinnamon, cardamom, clove and nutmeg or mace.

15 Min

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Masala Popcorn

As you can probably guess, the popcorn at my house is neither microwave popcorn nor does it have only melted butter.

75 Min

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Garden Rolls

There are a variety of Asian-type rolls, most of which originate from China. However, my favorite are the fresh spring rolls native to Vietnam. I love that they are rice-paper wrapped and not fried, and as far as filling goes, pretty much anything works. Traditionally made with chicken, pork or shrimp and vermicelli, I love stuffing them with a mixture of raw and cooked vegetables with lots of herbs for fragrance and flavor. When picking vegetables, make sure they are cold when you are ready to make the rolls. It does take a bit of expertise to make them — at first, I was making lumpy, awkwardly shaped rolls with vegetables sticking out. They still tasted good, and my family happily ate them up. It took some time and practice to get them to look uniform — the key is not to overstuff them and pack the vegetables in tight when rolling.

55 Min

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Carrot Soup

This smooth and creamy soup is supremely simple to make as we drift into the autumn season. If you do not have asafetida, which is a natural spice that mimics the flavor of onions and garlic, slice a few cloves of garlic instead.

50 Min

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Green Bean Sabzi

In India, vegetarians do not make a meatless meal look or taste like meat. The meal should be triumphantly vegetarian; hearty, appetizing, nutritionally well balanced and satisfying, with a flair of its own. No processed, lab-grown meat or chunks made to taste and look like a chicken in sight. Enter sabzi, a cooked, dry vegetable of sorts. Sabzi, dal (cooked spiced lentils) and rice or roti is perhaps the most common everyday meal in India. There are dozens and dozens of sabzis in every region of India, from potato, cauliflower, sautéed greens, bean, squash sabzis and so on. Here is a satisfying green bean and potato sabzi — enjoy it with roti, simple whole-wheat flatbread, and a simple dal made with yellow moong.

90 Min

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Green Vegetable Curry

This curry is made entirely with vegetables, but feel free to add meats or seafood — in either case, be sure to cook everything in the curry before adding the green herb sauce. Just before serving, add the green herb sauce to keep the colors bright and the flavors vibrant.

15 Min

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Herb Salad

45 Min

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Saffron Pasta

The pasta is decadent, to say the least, and the saffron flavor takes time to build — so do soak the saffron in cream a day or two before for best results.

15 Min

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Roselle Cold Brew

Roselle pods, with their brilliant red color, have many applications. With summer’s end in sight, a cooling roselle brew infused with ginger, black peppercorns, and basil leaves can hit the spot.

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Roasted Peach and Pepper Cheesecake

Gather your neighbors for this showstopper dessert and do give it a try. It will keep for four to five days in the refrigerator and is best eaten the day after it is made.

35 Min

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Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is quite the exciting discovery in my kitchen, and I hope you give it a try.

40 Min

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Haak Saag

In this recipe, we call for a reduction of pomegranate juice to balance out the bitterness and a quick final stir of the greens to keep the bright green color intact.

75 Min

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Madras Chicken Wings

This recipe has been in slow development for almost 10 years and we are still tweaking it for perfection. There are two layers of masala for the marinade to get to well seasoned crispy wings!

50 Min

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Roasted Peach Shitake Salad

Here is a supremely simple truly local salad made with grilled or roasted peaches, shiitake mushrooms and cucumbers.

45 Min

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Tomato Pilaf

This pilaf can be a meal in itself, however, when paired with a creamy curry, it makes for a winning combination.

60 Min

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Saffron Shrimp Curry

The flavor of shrimp accentuates the creamy coconut and cream to make a fragrant curry. Instead of shrimp, use chunks of fish or other shellfish.

60 Min

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Sindhi Channa Dal

This Channa dal is usually eaten at breakfast with pakwan, a savory crunchy layered fried flat bread

25 Min

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Tomato Avocado Salad

This is the simplest salad ever, but it epitomizes the glory of summer vegetables.

70 Min

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Summer Vegetable Curry

Despite the high temperatures outside, a simple, fragrant curry filled with vegetables from the market has been my go-to meal this summer. The bounty of local farms has provided us with the most beautiful shades of peppers and eggplants and fingerling potatoes. If I don’t have potatoes, I substitute with beans, and my family and I will either eat it on its own as a soup or with rice or bread. A twist of lemon juice and a handful of herbs at the end makes for a delicious, deeply nutritious dinner. On a recent trip to New York, I made a similar vegetable curry at a friend’s dinner party for guests that happened to include Gaggan Anand — whose namesake Indian-inspired restaurant Gaggan in Bangkok earned the No. 4 place on the world’s-best-restaurants list in 2019. After more than half a dozen helpings, he declared that he had eaten more than half the pot of curry! I served it with simple rice pilaf with lots of chopped herbs, local celery, currants and pumpkin seeds. So give this curry a try — it also makes great leftovers for breakfast with a poached egg dropped into it with toast on the side.

55 Min

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Roasted Zucchini with Blossoms

Every summer I watch as zucchini flowers — or squash blossoms — appear at farmer’s markets. Despite the excitement they evoke and entire menus at some restaurants dedicated to this delicate flower, I often wonder what the fuss is all about. They are visually beautiful but, flavor-wise, for me it’s like biting into a wisp with mild zucchini flavor. When I do buy them, they get tossed into salads or used as a garnish for something related. A couple of weeks ago an old friend, Ben Berryhill, who now owns and operates the Red Drum Café in Charleston, S.C., texted me a photo of the dinner he had prepared for his family: roasted zucchini topped with squash blossoms. Ben was the executive chef at Café Annie back in the late ’90s, where I learned everything. Needless to say, he inspired me to pick up some beautiful, pungent, yellow and green zucchini with bright-yellow blossoms at Gundermann Farms that weekend and cook them in a way to incorporate the blossoms. I still could not taste any real flavor from the blossoms, but it made for a delicious and beautiful lunch, devoured by those around me. Blue Heron Farm’s wonderful goat chèvre adds a delicious creamy texture, but feel free to replace it with any cheese of your choice.

35 Min

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Boronia

Eat it over warm toast, stuffed into an omelet or with roti or pita. It’s good warm, room temperature and cold.

75 Min

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Rustic Okra Soup

Roasting okra in the oven at high heat preserves its integrity and flavor without turning it slimy. This yogurt soup is an adaptation of the classic Punjabi kadhi, usually eaten with rice — the chickpea flour is the binder that keeps the yogurt from “breaking,” and turns it viscous and creamy.

45 Min

Blackberry Breakfast Bars

Blackberries have always been a fond reminder of my summers in India when we would cherish the mulberries that would appear for a short time and eat them for sheer delight and taste. The mulberries, light purple to blue, resemble the wild blackberries or dewberries found here in Texas. I’ve noticed plenty of blackberry bramble or thickets when driving down rural Texas roads and have often been tempted to stop and pick the berries. They do appear on farmer’s tables at markets over the summer from time to time, but they are popular and go quickly. Morning bars loaded with sweet blackberries are one of my favorite breakfast indulgences. Even after hibernating in the refrigerator for a few days, five minutes in the oven brings the freshness right back.

120 Min

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Tomato Focaccia

Many years ago, a friend and an expert German baker in Houston gave me a lesson in breadmaking. Within a matter of a few hours, while trading food secrets and stories, I watched him transform flour, water, yeast and a few other ingredients into crispy, delicious focaccia.

25 Min

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Texas Summer Kale Salad

The virtues of kale are extensive. It is one of the most nutritionally dense plants and is packed with loads of antioxidants. One cup provides more than the daily recommended dose of vitamins A, C and K.

30 min

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Tomato Ricotta Toast

Eating cooling foods such as yogurt and watermelon in the summer and warming foods — think peppers and squashes — in the winter is one of the most fundamental tenets of Ayurveda. It’s what keeps our digestive fire under control. However, when warming foods such as gorgeous heirloom tomatoes appear in the summer, the best way to eat them is to combine them with cooling foods including yogurt, ricotta or fennel seeds. The season for tasty, sweet heirloom tomatoes is short — enjoy them while you can. Once summer gets hotter, and we know it will, local tomatoes will be gone. This tomato ricotta masala packs a bit of heat with the Calabrian chiles but will keep in your refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Smear it on a piece of toast or waffle for breakfast or place small dollops on cucumber slices for an appetizer.

30 Min

Parsley Pea Pasta

Given that fresh peas are still in season and available at local grocery stores, here is a masala of sorts made with fennel seeds, parsley, garlic, olive oil and peas.

35 Min

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Zucchini Kebabs

The humble zucchini is a vining herbaceous plant that is picked when immature. If the zucchini were allowed to grow and ripen, they could grow up to 1 meter in length with a hard shell. First bred in Milan, Italy, in the 19th century but now harvested around the world — including here in Texas — zucchini is the perfect vegetable to throw onto a grill this summer. Zucchini or pattypan squash can be cut into large chunks and is simple enough to absorb the aroma and flavor of herbs. Pair it with bell peppers and onions and with a slight smoky char on the edges, you have a delicious meal. Better still, make extra so the leftovers can be added to a stir-fry or a salad the next day.

60 Min

Peach Pecan Galette

Here is a peach galette with just a hint of sugar, lots of pecans and a kick of chili powder to wake up your taste buds. Enjoy a piece with your morning coffee or chai, share a piece or two with your neighbor and maybe take some time reflecting on the lessons learned in the past year.

35 Min

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Leek Loli

A lesser-known bread is the lowly loli — an onion- and spice-laden, twice-cooked flatbread native to the people of Sindh province. The dough resembles pie crust more than flatbread; has outrageous amounts of ghee or butter, and I indulge it in very rarely. However, on the rare occasion that I stay with my 82-year-old aunt in Mumbai, India, it goes without saying that breakfast will be a crisp loli with strawberry jam. And unless I protest loudly and clearly, a second one will land on my plate before the first is done.

25 Min

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Purple Bean Salad

Here is a salad that takes minutes to make that you can enjoy for days.

45 Min

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Carrot Paratha

Infusing vegetable peelings into doughs has become roti du jour for us!

45 Min

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Green Masala Carrots

Masala simply means a spice blend or a spice, seasoning and/or herb blend. If you can cook with it, it is a masala — however, sometimes a masala can double as a condiment and a marinade. For example, the traditional Italian pesto or Mexican salsa verde is technically a masala — you can eat it over a piece of toast or stir into warm pasta or spoon over grilled seafood. So is ras el hanout, the traditional heady aromatic Moroccan dry spice blend that you can add to your burger meat or to roasted vegetables. Green masala, a simple herb mix, usually cilantro, mint or basil and sometimes with spices, also falls in that category. Keeping masalas in your pantry and refrigerator is like always having a shortcut to a delicious meal. I keep several, from a fresh tomato masala to the traditional garam, the aromatic finishing spice blend from India. After playing around with different versions over the years, this green masala is a staple. I often add it to salad dressing or stir into plain rice or, like here, spoon over roasted carrots.

30 Min

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Roasted Spring Vegetables with Yogurt Sauce

Peppers, asparagus and sugar snap peas are the epitome of spring. By roasting them lightly in the oven, they can be served at room temperature, cold or warm.

30 Min

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Chicken Mince Kebabs

Making little sliders or kebabs from minced meats is one of the most delicious and easy ways to pull off a crowd pleaser.

30 Min

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Pickled Eggplant Masala

With eggplants just appearing this spring, this pickle masala makes for a spicy coating — refrigerate it for up to three weeks. Enjoy it in small portions alongside meals or on top of toast with eggs or cheese.

20 Min

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Asparagus Feta Pancakes

After reading Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and wanting to pursue a less exploitative path and be surrounded by nature, Christian and Lisa Seger traded their corporate lives for a goat farm just outside Houston in 2006 and haven’t looked back.

30 Min

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Asparagus Pilaf

Adding vegetables to rice is such a wonderful way to pump up flavor and nutrition that making plain rice seems almost boring in comparison. We’ve noticed children particularly like it and it’s one way to get them to eat more vegetables. A nice way to welcome spring is by mincing asparagus and adding it to the pilaf at the end of cooking. This cooks it slightly yet maintains the bright chlorophyll green color of the vegetable as it folds into the flavor of the rice beautifully. Try this rice pilaf on its own or with a curry of your choice.

50 Min

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Grilled Nopales

This summer, try grilling nopales on your backyard grill and topping them with this simple tomato masala.

50 Min

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Rhubarb Honey Soda

With its gorgeous hue and strong acidic taste, rhubarb can transform into a chutney, pie filling or syrup — especially when paired with aromatics such as ginger and rose water.

55 Min

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Banana Upside Down Cake

The banana originated in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific islands. Its name is derived from the Arabic word “banan,” which means finger. One of the first plants to be cultivated, the banana bears the scientific name musa sapientum, which means “fruit of the wise men.” There are plenty of flavorful varieties all over the world, including the little sweet bananas, redolent of honey, that I grew up eating in India. The Cavendish banana, named after the seventh Duke of Devonshire, is the most popular grocery-store variety in America. Many parts of the United States are conducive to banana trees including Florida, California and Texas. It is not uncommon to see clusters of bananas hanging down from trees in backyards. Being partial to the tiny red or yellow varieties that appear occasionally in grocery stores, I was thrilled to pick up an entire cluster of tiny bananas from a young grower at the farmer’s market a couple of weeks ago. Sweeter and more intense in flavor, it made for a delicious base for an upside-down cake.

30 min

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Breakfast Salad

There are many ways to enjoy fresh cucumber and avocado in the mornings, but when fruits like mango begin to appear in the spring, it is particularly glorious and becomes a celebration of the season. Incorporate your favorite raw vegetables into the salad along with fresh tomatoes when in season. This salad also makes a delicious light lunch or small first-course for dinner.

45 Min

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Morning Herb Biscuits

The addition of fresh herbs and spices makes these light and airy biscuits good with tea or coffee and good with a meal. Moringa is one of the most nutritionally dense plants on the planet, and I love the idea of starting my morning with it. My favorite way to eat them is drizzled with ghee and accompanied by a salad or scrambled eggs.

30 Min

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Skillet Masala Eggs

At Pondicheri, the egg masala is a saute of minced red onions, celery and red bell pepper with ginger, mustard and ajwain seeds. Ajwain is a celery seed like spice that helps with digestion.

60 Min

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Cleansing Khichri

Plain white rice with mung or masoor, the orange and yellow lentils, is the simplest combination in a khichri and the gentlest on the belly.

25 Min

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Mango Avocado Sandwich

Chutneys are to India what salsa is to Mexico and then some. India’s love affair with mangoes goes back millennia. One of the main tenets of Ayurveda is to always eat fruits alone; however, they make an inexplicable exception with mango. You can line a sandwich with mango chutney, eat it on the side with eggs and toast or top grilled fish or chicken with it. My favorite way to eat it is for breakfast with a slice of avocado and toast. Here is a sandwich version.

45 Min

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Swiss Chard Pilaf

High in antioxidants and dietary fiber, one cup of braised chard provides more than the recommended daily dose of vitamin A. Enjoy this pilaf with soup or dal, curried lentils.

30 Min

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Asparagus Breakfast Eggs

Fresh leeks and spring asparagus spiked with cumin seeds, ajwain and garlic add just the right touch of flavor to eggs. Ajwain, a cousin of celery seeds with strong notes of thyme, complements the earthy asparagus.

60 Min

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Roasted Spring Vegetables

In this recipe, the cooking happens in 2 stages. The first roast for the root vegetables like turnips, sweet potatoes, radishes, and small local potatoes, happens slow and long, or until they are cooked to a golden-brown color and soft inside. The ajwain and the fenugreek leaves add a slightly bitter depth of flavor to the sweetness of the vegetables. Once they are done, we add light vegetables like asparagus or sugar snap peas and roast additionally just until they are cooked. Topped off with tangy amchur (dried green mango powder) and garnished with pomegranate seeds, these vegetables can take center stage with a crusty bread and a dipping sauce or can be a delicious side dish.

45 Min

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Turmeric Soup

This is a healing and nourishing soup that can be enjoyed as a first course, or in accompaniment with khichri.

60 Min

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Spring Khichri

This is the khichri to eat when wanting to get rid of cold winter blues or with light stomach upsets.

35 Min

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Sunchoke Shiitake Stir-Fry

Sunchokes are rich in vitamin C, potassium and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, considered good for gut health. Since they can be eaten raw, I found one of the best ways to retain their delicious crunch is to stir-fry them paired with earthy shiitake mushrooms and leeks.

50 Min

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Sesame Roasted Carrots

Serve these carrots warm with a drizzle of honey. Don’t discard the carrot greens; they make a great addition to a salad or stir-fry.

90 Min

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Roasted Romanesco

Supporting local farmers is not only important to our economy, it’s just as vital to our health. For the next few weeks, brassicas including cabbages, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower with high doses of vitamins A and C, carotenoids and antioxidants will fill the market stands. If you want to get in on them, take my advice and get there early.

30 Min

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Mango Chutney

This mango chutney is a cross between a Gujarati mango ‘chundo’ and a Sindhi pickle. It has all the sweet and spicy pleasures of a chutney, the aroma from the cardamom with a sharp after flavor from the mustard oil and kalonji seeds. Use it to dip snacks, alongside grilled meats or as a sandwich spread.

90 Min

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Potato Fenugreek Samosas

Seldom made at home, samosas are popular on street side corners or carts bubbling away on large vats of hot oil.

45 Min

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Asparagus Soup

Best made in spring when asparagus and fennel are in season, this soup is creamy with the simple addition of sesame seeds.

10 Min

Ruby Sour

The only work here is in making the pomegranate syrup. Once you’ve made the syrup, the rest of the drink is easy.

10 Min

Lush Lassi

The lush lassi, essentially a coconut milk based mango lassi spiked with rum is one of my personal favorite drinks at Pondicheri.

60 Min

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Pomegranate Syrup

This syrup also known as sherbat in India, will keep in your refrigerator for months.

5 Min

Coconut Mango Lassi

This lassi is more of a dessert than a drink with a meal, the ground cardamom really enhances the sweetness of the mango.

5 Min

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Ginger Puree

Ginger is ground zero for most of my cooking: I use it in most preparations from savories to sweets.

95 Min

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Malabar Mushroom Stew

This stew is a cross between a vindaloo and a xacuti (pronounced “shakuti”), both of which are fiery meat stews traditionally made with pork.

120 Min

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Sai Bhaji

Sai bhaji, which simply means green vegetable, is an age-old staple from the province of my vanished homeland, Sindh. After the India-Pakistan partition in 1947, like many others, my parents migrated to India dearly holding onto food customs as tender memories of their exiled community. Not the most attractive of dishes but delicious when made right, sai bhaji is popular with Sindhis because it’s easy to prepare. It is also highly nutritious with an abundance of vegetables, can be prepared with a minimum of fat and is commonly eaten during winter. As with most Indian stews, every family has its own version, but for the most part, it consists of channa dal slow-cooked with root vegetables, leafy greens, herbs and aromatic spices. I have mixed memories of sai bhaji as a child. Depending on the vegetables at hand and time allowed, my mother would fuss over it all day and lay out a luscious stew with notes of fennel, cardamom and ghee for dinner. Other times it was rushed into a pressure cooker and tasted more like vegetable gruel. I had abandoned cooking it for years, but lately I have been finding ways to bring back the magic of sai bhaji using local seasonal vegetables. Late winter and early spring is definitely the best time to make it when fresh fennel and fenugreek, which I consider integral to this dish, are in season.

30 Min

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Rose Halwa

Halwa may seem traditional to many of us from South Asia, but like so many other foods, it probably came to us via the Persians and Ottoman Turks. Halwa, halvah or halva, is a confection that has many iterations depending on the provenance, yet the common theme remains that it is a sweet hash made of roasted or fried flour, usually semolina, sweetened with honey, dates or sugar and flavored with aromatic spices such as saffron, cardamom and rose water. If you are using saffron, giving it a day to soak in milk will bring out its flavors even more. Sometimes, instead of flour, halwa is made from sesame seeds or nuts. I’ve always suspected that cream of wheat, a popular American breakfast, has roots in halwa — if you like cream of wheat, you will love halwa. The best part is that it is quick and easy to make and tastes delicious warm, at room temperature or cold straight out of the fridge. I added a touch of beet juice to give it a bright-pink color. If you are looking for a sweet start or a finish for Valentine’s Day, give this a shot.

90 Min

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Homestyle Chicken Curry

This is one of the simplest curries to make at home. While it is good the day you make it, it is even tastier the next day.

30 Min

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Cauliflower Lentil Pilaf

The hot rice will wilt the greens and also add tremendous flavor and nutrition to the pilaf.

90 Min

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Homestyle Butter Chicken

The word “tikka” has its origins in Persian and simply means bits or pieces. Chicken tikka refers to spiced and roasted boneless chunks of chicken. Masala, which technically means a spice or herb blend, refers to the fenugreek-laden, aromatic thick creamy sauce that accompanies the tikkas.

10 Min

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Cilantro Mango Chutney

There are many versions of cilantro chutney, some cooked some raw but this one is sweet and filled with fresh herb. Cilantro can be replaced with basil, mint or a combination of all three. It is best eaten the day it is made.

30 Min

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Punjabi Cauliflower Sabzi

I grew up eating tender braised cauliflower sabzis, usually mildly flavored with a pinch of turmeric, ginger and chili. If tomatoes were in season, they went in and if not, maybe some minced onion went in at the start. In southern India, cauliflower sabzi is often finished with freshly grated coconut. Most places of worship in India serve “langar” (a free meal at the end of pooja, a religious service), and cauliflower sabzi is a popular addition. Cauliflower farmers in India finely mince and braise the “jackets,” or the greens holding the head of the cauliflower, where most of the nutrients lie. Cauliflower season has started in Texas, and beautiful small, purplish tight white heads with green stalks have started appearing at farmers markets. These are in stark contrast to mass-produced massive cauliflower heads you often find in supermarkets and are well worth a trip to the market. But get there early; the good vegetables go first. Here is a preparation resembling the sabzis I grew up eating in India.

45 Min

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Butter Chicken

Every curry house sells their own version. It’s a combination of tandoori or oven baked spiced chicken in a creamy tomato sauce.

90 Min

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Homestyle Butter Paneer

Not for the faint-hearted, this recipe is decadent and rich. It is the paneer version of butter chicken, just as tasty, creamy and delicious.

45 Min

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Sindhi Moong Dal

This is a traditional simple flavorful Sindhi preparation. Moong lentils are the smallest of lentils, cook extremely quickly and are easy to digest.

60 Min

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Cauliflower Kale Pilaf

The cauliflower gets soft and buttery while it boils with the rice and the kale adds a slightly bitter hearty touch at the end.

75 Min

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Winter Vegetable Curry

Brassicas blossom in winter-time and make a delicious addition to a curry, especially when roasted.

30 Min

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Lentil Pilaf

Can be eaten as is with a curry or can be embellished with roasted vegetables, herbs or nuts and dry fruit.

60 Min

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Golden Beet Soup

Given the cold weather, I decided to make a warming soup with the golden beets and, on a hunch, instead of the perfunctory turmeric, added saffron threads and sesame seeds to the broth, with delicious results.

25 Min

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Black Truffle Pilaf

In this pilaf, the saffron and mace add a sweet note to the earthy truffle.

60 Min

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Purple Carrot Salad

In Texas, purple carrots come into season for no longer than two to three months. So when in season, I look for many ways to enjoy them! This salad is kept best at room temperature for up to 2-3 hours.

40 Min

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Ghee Roasted Hakurei Turnips

The turnips make a great side or a main dish served over polenta or a pilaf.

75 Min

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Black Eyed Pea Soup

Drizzled on this good-luck black-eyed pea soup, a single-origin olive oil with strong notes of fruitiness, bitterness and pungency beautifully complements the sweetness of the cardamom, cinnamon, and carrots.

75 Min

Orange Mulled Wine

My personal favorite is pairing red wine with sliced local Satsuma oranges, ginger, cardamom and rosemary. Sometimes I will throw in black pepper or cinnamon.

75 Min

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Lamb Roghan Josh

75 Min

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Jackfruit Roghan Josh

Roghan Josh is one of the more celebrated dishes of the artful cuisine from the northern province of Kashmiri on the border of Pakistan – often served during a ‘wazwan’ (an elaborate wedding ceremony) when lots of rich stews and roasts are served simultaneously. The use of dried coxcomb flowers adds a lovely pink color. The stew is aromatic, slightly hot and spicy – if wanting milder flavors, cut back on chili powder and warm spices at the end. Jackfruit is one the few vegetables that will actually fool you into believing you are eating meat.

45 Min

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Dum Roasted Vegetables

This is an alternate to the usual curried ‘dum’ (which means cooking under pressure) vegetables – we are using potatoes, radishes and beets instead of all potatoes. The dish is overall lighter in taste and yogurt being served alongside makes for a delicious texture to go with the decadent Lamb Roghan Josh.

30 Min

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Dal Spread

India has officially recorded 500 regional preparations of dal, the lentil stew, yet I can promise you that none of them is served cold. This may be in part because based on Ayurvedic principles, beans are easier to digest warm. However, I decided to do some experimenting and started with the simplest kind of lentil, the humble yellow moong dal. It just needs a 20-minute soak and cooks in another 15-20 minutes. Instead of sesame seeds, I used toasted peanut butter and instead of lemon, I topped the spread off with amchur, the green mango powder and lemony coriander seeds. And in place of garlic, I used ginger, which is typically used when preparing dal to mitigate the bloating often associated with beans. The results were absolutely delicious and worth a try. I know I will be experimenting with new combinations for some time to come.

60 Min

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Chocolate Ganache Cake

I am not a fan of chocolate cakes per se but this one has stolen my heart. I love the crumbly almond flour inside and the savory flavors of the olive oil comes creeping through in the taste.

60 Min

Apple Cranberry Crumble

Making a pie can be laborious and time consuming – I prefer crumbles and my favorite time to eat them is for breakfast with a cup of chai. This is a simple one using all-purpose flour but feel free to experiment using alternate flours. It is best baked in an 8-9 inch skillet.

30 Min

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Baked Masala Cashews

These make the most delicious snacks to go with cocktails or a martini. They are rich, so eat sparingly!

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Mushroom Minestrone

In many versions of this soup, the beans are what create the magic in the minestrone, however, do use this recipe as a guide when making your own. Given the enormous popularity of new mushrooms on the market, try using your choice of mushrooms.

60 Min

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Spiced Truffles

Chocolate truffles are simply chocolates that have been flavored with different things or combined with nuts.

60 Min

Indian Wedding Cookies

Food historians believe that a lot of cookies have their origin in Arab regions of the world. They have a long tradition of rich pastries using butter, sugar, nuts and spices. The spices and flavors of this cookie give it the glorious Indian touch.

180 Min

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Venetian Lasagna

It’s rich, decadent — and vegetarian.

90 Min

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Green Bean Casserole

Always striving for fresh and local, I retraced some of the steps of this classic with fresh braised onions and mushrooms peppered with cumin seeds, garlic and kari (curry) leaves and a creamy coconut and almond sauce.

90 Min

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Cauliflower Bread

This bread is inspired by one of the savory baked breads of Gujarat called the handvo.

30 Min

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Quinoa Cabbage Pilaf

Pilafs such as this can become a meal entirely on their own. It can be served at room temperature as a salad with the addition of more vegetables.

45 Min

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Cauliflower Soup

This soup is creamy enough to pass off as a luxurious indulgent soup even though it is entirely plant based. Use roasted carrots instead of butternut or keep it really simple and top it off with pomegranate seeds. Instead of almonds, use cashews or hazelnuts – it’s delicious either way.

240 Min

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Roasted Wild Venison

Marinate it in a medieval spice — kalonji — that adds a subtly smoky flavor to roasted meats. Kalonji pairs beautifully with warm aromatic spices such as cinnamon and cardamom, which in turn create a delicious marinade for slow-cooked meats.

90 Min

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Autumn Dal

This soup, more like a soupy dal, has so many possibilities. Use the vegetables you have at hand however the butternut squash is a wonderful balance of sweet with the savory lentils.

120 Min

Paneer Pot Pie

I spent my childhood in Gujarat, India, and Diwali was one of my favorite holidays. The fanfare began days earlier when boxes of sweets would begin to arrive from friends or my father’s co-workers. To celebrate love and generosity and invoke good luck and fortune into our home, we’d make rangoli designs on the floor just inside the front door — rangoli being a range of traditional handmade folk designs usually with colored powders, rice or lentils. Our parents would surprise us with new outfits to be worn on Diwali day. Two to three nights before, we’d start playing with firecrackers and lighting “diyas,” small terra-cotta lamps in which cotton wicks flicker in warm ghee. My mother would order fresh flowers and garlands, and an intoxicating perfume of marigold, tube roses and fragrant jasmine would envelop our home. Even today, when I go into a temple, the aroma of those flowers transports me to childhood joys of Diwali. Diwali morning we’d eat a light lunch in anticipation of an elaborate dinner that would follow the Laxmi pooja (a prayer ceremony), a common practice in Gujarat. My brothers and I would sit through the pooja with stomachs gurgling, anxiously awaiting the customary dinner of a seven-vegetable stew, pooris (puffy balloon bread) and halwa, a sweet pudding made with whole-wheat flour scented with cardamom. Living in America many decades later, I don’t follow many of those customs at home, but it’s still a time for reminiscing, joy and celebration. Depending on whether my now-adult children are with me, we celebrate accordingly. This year, we will make a delicious pot pie filled with paneer with a simple salad of local greens.

30 Min

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Refrigerator Salad

In my book, what all salads must possess is varying qualities of fresh, warm, crunchy, sweet, creamy, tart and spicy, and then they can pass off as a lazy but satisfying dinner. Use this as a guide to create your own.

40 Min

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Persimmon Tapioca Pudding

The common American persimmon grows wild across the South and as far west as the Colorado River in Texas. Pondicheri chef Anita Jaisinghani says it took her some time to understand how to enjoy the strange yet delicious orange fruit, and she discovered that the astringent varieties need to ripen and soften before eating. In this recipe, combined with coconut and cardamom, she says, the tapioca pearls pick up the flavor of persimmon, making for a simple, sweet aromatic finish. The pudding can be enjoyed warm or cold.

45 Min

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Uppma

The first time I tasted the creamy deliciousness of Southern corn grits in a nondescript suburban American hotel, my mind flashed with visions of how much more flavor a pop of mustard seeds, a crackle of fried kari leaf and a drizzle of jaggery and lemon would have added to my breakfast.

60 Min

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Pumpkin Spiced Muffin & Seed Crumble

This pumpkin spiced muffin has a lovely texture with buckwheat and rice flour topped with a tasty crunchy crumble.

30 Min

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Vegetable Harvest Curry

This is a classic curry recipe – use any combination of root vegetables.

30 Min

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Citrus Pilaf

Adding zests of orange, lemon or lime to a pilaf can magically transform it to new heights.

45 Min

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Chicken Harvest Curry

This is a classic curry recipe – we always prefer using chicken on the bone for best results but can be substituted for boneless meat. To make a richer curry, replace the yogurt with heavy cream or coconut milk.

30 Min

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Braised Brussels Sprouts

Brassicas like cauliflower and brussels sprouts are essential to our diet to get natural doses of disease fighting vitamins, minerals and phtyochemicals. These are some of the most nutritionally dense vegetables and adding spices like ajwain, amchur or ginger can offset the bloating and stomach pain that can often accompany their delicious flavors.

45 Min

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Zucchini Semolina Bread

Another snack inspired by the Indian state of Gujarat, this semolina bread bears close resemblance to the “handvo,” a savory hearty vegetable bar usually eaten with a cup of chai.

45 Min

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Autumn Stew

Here is a simple stew in which the sweetness of the yams balances nicely with the smokiness of coriander seeds and bitter fragrance of fenugreek leaves. It can either be enjoyed with rice or bread or on its own as a soup. Either way, it’s a heartwarming way to welcome autumn.

45 Min

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Seed Crackers

Here is a delicious savory cracker with a touch of sweet using mostly calcium-rich sesame seeds, magnesium-rich pumpkin seeds, fragrant spices and maple syrup.

30 Min

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Coconut Masala Cauliflower

Delicious & easy to make cauliflower using our coconut masala.

15 Min

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Coconut Masala

The coconut masala loosely resembles the south Indian ‘podi’ of which there are umpteen versions. Try to use fresh coconut but the recipe can be prepared using frozen grated coconut.

40 Min

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Kabocha Curry with Onion Masala

Kambocha squash appears during autumn and is delicious roasted or in a curry.

25 Min

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Onion Masala

Caramelized onions are at the heart of north Indian cuisine. Whether cooked in ghee or oil, when combined with spices the masala can make for a shortcut to a quick meal whether it’s a curry or scrambled eggs

60 Min

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Stuffed Roasted Karela

A common staple in my kitchen — and one I have been trying to bring attention to for years — is the incredible bitter melon, aka karela. For the most part, folks hear the word “bitter” and shy away. I understand. For years as a kid, I did, too. In fact, I have memories of sitting at the dinner table trying to eat it with tears streaming down my eyes as my parents lectured me on why it was a necessary part of our diet. As an adult, I have come to love it, not just for its tremendous capacity to cleanse our blood sugar and keeping our skin glowing but also for its flavor. Karela holds up well to spices and pairs beautifully with naturally sweet vegetables such as butternut squash, sweet potato or corn. However, cooking it can be tricky if the bitterness is not balanced with a brine or a marinade. Don’t be afraid to use a generous amount of olive oil or another fat to bring out the flavor of this stuffed karela.

40 Min

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BeautyBerry Panna Cotta

Beautyberries are all over Texas, on roadsides, in forests — their stunning pungent purple berries forming brilliant large clusters. Native Americans use these berries, their roots and stems for many medicinal purposes from mosquito repellents to stomach ailments.

20 Min

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Peach Tomato Salad

Peaches may be the glory of Texas summers, but they originated in northwest China, along the Yangtze River over 6,000 years ago. Of specific importance were peach blossoms, which were believed to fend off evil spirits and bring vitality. Each new year in China began with peach blossoms hung on front doors to start the year off right. Today, in the sweltering Texas summer, biting into a chilled ripe peach can provide respite — especially when paired with tangy tomatoes and a nutty almond butter dressing.

90 Min

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Spinach Yogurt Soup

A classic idea rooted in Indian techniques, the chickpea flour acts as a binder for the yogurt and also prevents it from ‘breaking’. The pureed spinach adds an herby and fresh flavor to the soup.

90 Min

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Baked Saffron Paneer

Paneer is as simple as fresh cheese gets - a simple curdling of milk usually done by vinegar or lemon juice to obtain clumps. Best made with whole milk, the better the quality of the milk the better the paneer.

90 Min

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Ghee Drippings Pilaf

With a nutty complex aroma, ghee is the golden healing elixir of Indian cooking, touted in Ayurvedic lore to be anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer and for enhancing the flavor of spices. As with most ingredients, the better the butter the more flavorful the ghee. When making ghee the milk solids reduce and concentrate and are usually discarded. However, these milk solids are filled with tremendous flavor so they can be easily used to cook rice with or added to stews and bread doughs.

20 Min

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Watermelon Avocado Salad

No recipe needed, just follow your senses. I hope you get the picture.

45 Min

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Corn Mint Chaat

As we said our final goodbye to Indika, the restaurant I opened in 2001, this past week, I was reminiscing about Corn Mint Chaat, a popular summer salad. Renditions of street food from India, with magical combinations of fresh vegetables and aromatic herb-infused sweet, spicy and savory chutneys with crunchy tidbits in almost any form — and sometimes turned on its head into a salad — bring on tastes that make most of us transplants from India swoon. One of the unusual flavors common to chaat is black salt, a sulfurous salt native to India. It smells funky (imagine boiled egg aroma), appears pink but turns blackish when it hits food or water and is absolutely delicious on chaats. Over the years, I have experimented with dozens of chaat combinations — from using potato or tortilla chips for crunch to grilled kale and basil leaves for herbs — but making one is no easy task. However, here is a take on the corn mint chaat that may be relatively easy to execute at home.

20 Min

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Grilled Moringa Drumsticks

Nicknamed the “tree of life” for its nutritional density, the moringa drumstick tree is native to tropical regions of Asia and India. The drumstick pods, an essential part of Ayurvedic regimens, are an incredible source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin C and antioxidants.

20 Min

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Cherry Mushroom Chaat

Chaats are beloved savory snacks that originated in India and are usually available at roadside stalls or food carts. At the core, they are salty, sweet, spicy, crunchy snacks usually involving vegetables, lentils and herbs with drizzles of chutneys and yogurt. It’s the food from India most of us transplants miss the most. Over the years, I have tried dozens of variations from corn mint chaat to the quintessential pani poori and loved them all. Here is a salad loosely based on the idea of a chaat. The yogurt provides the creamy touch, mushroom the meaty, cherry the sweet and tarragon the herbaceous finish.

45 Min

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Moringa Mango Lentil Soup

This soup uses moringa in the traditional Indian way, stewed in a soup. The mango adds a nice contrast of sweetness to the savory soup.

30 Min

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Stuffed Heirloom Peppers

According to Ayurveda, peppers — like garlic and onions — are heating vegetables, which warm and stimulate the body. This helps prepare us for fighting off infections, which is all the more reason to eat them.

GF

Hoja Santa Chutney

These leaves are native to Mexico and grow wild in Texas. They are also called the ‘root beer plant’ and the leaves can be used in many ways from wrapping a piece of fish or ground into a sauce or a salsa. Here is a traditional Indian green chutney made with the aromatic hoja santa leaves.

25 Min

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Garbanzo Stuffed Paratha

Stuffed parathas are the stuff of breakfast dreams for North Indians – Punjabis love the cauliflower and daikon stuffing, the Sindhis love the potato and lentil.

25 Min

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Smoked Eggplant with Fig Masala

Smoking over a gas stove or an outdoor grill is the easiest and fastest way to cook eggplant – especially a heirloom variety with beautiful white pulp and minimal seeds.

45 Min

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Heirloom Tomato Dal

When tomato season arrives in the summer, we try to find every way to showcase them. While they make a great addition to a salad, cooking them ever so lightly in a delicate lentil stew results in a delicious dal. Be sure to use ripe heirloom tomatoes.

45 Min

Fig Bars

Fresh figs, which grow wild along the Texas Gulf Coast, have a short yet glorious season in the our summer. This bar does justice to the sweetness of ripe summer figs since they are the only source of sugar.

30 Min

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Pepper Paneer Roast

Roast the peppers with paneer and mango to make for a light but satisfying dish.

30 Min

Goat Cheese, Beet & Sage Salad

Warm goat cheese is delicious enough on it’s own but when mixed with spices and seasonings it’s even better!

45 Min

GF

Hoja Santa Wraps

Commonly used in Mexican cuisine, hoja santa are an essential ingredient in the green mole from Oaxaca and often used in soups or stews.

15 Min

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Blistered Tomatoes & Okra Masala

So here is a recipe inspired by a salsa that leans toward wanting to be a masala. It will keep in the refrigerator for many days and taste good warm or cold.

60 Min

V

Peanut Noodles

This is as simple as cooking in my world goes. During my children’s teenage years, we ate a different version of these noodles at lest once a week - I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine does.

15 Min

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Pranch Dip

This is far from a classic ranch — I decided to ditch the eggs as in my testing I did not think they contributed in flavor enough to include and instead of oil, decided to use ghee as an added flavor depth.

30 Min

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Hot & Sweet Chicken

‘Hot and Sweet’ ketchup is one of my favorite condiments and one that always lives in my fridge.

30 Min

GF

Hot & Sweet Cauliflower

In all my years of cooking at Pondicheri, never have I seen my kitchen crew more excited when I made this dish. I was a little surprised and amused at their “where did you get this sauce” look…

30 Min

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Shrimp Stir Fry

My son Virag ate a version of this dish almost every day during his teenage years. It uses my favorite Indonesian chili sauce Sambhal Olek, which is just pure ground chilis and a rich thick caramel like sweet soy sauce, also Indonesian called Ketcup Manis.

20 Min

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Masala Grilled Avocado Toast

A few years ago, I discovered the Chinese condiment Chili crisp or fried chili in oil in jars at my favorite oriental market and instantly fell in love with the piquant bright hot flavors.

20 Min

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Masala Grilled Cheese

I love adding chili crips to simple foods such as a grilled cheese, a universal crowd pleaser. The mango chutney on the other side adds a sweet tangy balance.

60 Min

GF

Punjabi Kadhi With Vegetables

This is a traditional soup like curry eaten in Northern India during the summer time.

GF

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Yogurt Braised Fish

This fish will take less than 10 minutes to cook and may be prepared with red snapper, halibut or any other seasonal fish.

30 Min

GF

Braised Karela

Bitter melons, whether using the Chinese or the Indian variety are an acquired taste. But when tempered with the right seasonings and spices, they can be absolutely delicious in flavor!

30 Min

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Eggplant Pickle

One way to capture the delicious flavors is to make preserves, pickles, or masalas — all of which are secret weapons to deploy for making a meal in a pinch or to just enjoy on warm toast. Cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds are popular pickling spices and will add a lingering flavor.

30 Min

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Beet Quinoa Pilaf

White quinoa is a delicious and healthier alternate for rice ~ it absorbs the flavors of vegetables and spices beautifully and complements curries very well.

45 Min

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South Indian Vegetable Stew

Every home in South India has its own version of a vegetable coconut stew. Here is one using the bounty of spring vegetables but feel free to substitute different vegetables to suit the season.

45 Min

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Green Pea Lentil Cutlets

These cutlets are best made in the spring, when fresh peas are available.

60 Min

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Yellow Beet Soup

My favorite way to cook beets is to combine them with a small amount of lentils, which helps balance the flavors. This soup also works well as a sauce for grilled portobello mushrooms or fish.

45 Min

Aloo Seviyan

Also called ‘sayun patata’, this is one of the most popular breakfast dishes of the Sindhi culture ~ seviyan (or seyun) are simply toasted vermicelli, usually made from whole wheat flour.

60 Min

NF

Date Oatmeal Cookie

These date cookies make for a quick snack and are even great for breakfast with coffee or chai. They satisfy the sweet craving without a heavy sugar dose.

120 Min

Seasonal Savory Galette

For an inexperienced baker, galettes are easy to make and very forgiving with mistakes.

45 Min

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Crawfish Curry

Although there are many explanations of the word “curry,” it was most likely derived from Southern Indian languages where “kari” or “karil” denotes a spiced dish of sautéed vegetables and meat.

30 Min

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Shrimp Peanut Pilaf

A pilaf is a one-pot dish and whether you are using shrimp, chicken or vegetables, any flavor they exude goes right back into the rice while it’s cooking.

DF

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Asparagus Fish Curry

This fish curry is as simple as one can get.

15 Min

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Malabar Crab Salad

Fresh jumbo crab combined with yogurt gives it a delicious tang, the sweet mango on top balances the savory flavors of the crab and yogurt and the avocado adds even more creaminess.

60 Min

NF

Dewberry Galette

While we are all familiar with raspberries and blackberries, there is a wild and delicious Texas cousin that grows along thickets and pastures meet the dewberry.

45 Min

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Garbanzo Vegetable Stew

Given how delicious they are, there are dozens of ways to cook garbanzo beans ~ this is a simple yet delicious recipe and the leftovers will taste even better.

45 Min

GF

Saffron Chocolate Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is usually a rich finish to a meal but using only milk instead of cream brings a lightness to the pudding. The pudding is also delicious cold the next day.

20 Min

NF

Malabar Paratha

This is a simple take on a classic South Indian paratha (also called Kerala parotta). The flatbread is made entirely with white flour and is pan-fried to a glorious golden crisp.

GF

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Green Masala Chicken Kebabs

Chicken pairs beautifully with the flavors of bright green herbs — so as to maintain the deep green color be careful not overcook the chicken. Leftover are great in a salad or sandwich.

30 Min

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Sesame Brussel Sprouts

Brussels sprouts, the tiny cabbages that originated in Belgium have become an American favorite and pan roasting them is one the best ways to cook them quickly.

30 Min

GF

Peanut Poha

Poha, which simply means flattened rice, is a quintessential Indian breakfast particularly popular in Gujarat. It is easy and quick to make and is usually prepared with potatoes. The peanuts add a delicious crunch. But eating starch with starch can get heavy and substituting other vegetables like asparagus or roasted yellow beets instead makes for a more interesting, healthy and delicious version.

120 Min

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Chicken Mulligatawny

Legend has it that one time an Englishman asked his South Indian cook to prepare a soup as a starter — and soups being unfamiliar to his Indian cuisine, the ingenious cook created the Mulligatawny (“molo tunny” in Tamil means “pepper water”) by combining rasam, a traditional peppery lentil broth with vegetables.

30 Min

GF

Curry Masala Vegetable Pilaf

Use leftover rice to make this pilaf – even dried up old rice works. It’s lovely for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

20 Min

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Beet Mushroom Salad

Salads with an element of something warm and freshly cooked are so much more exciting than cold salads.

45 Min

V

Coriander Spinach Pasta

This is my take on a classic Italian since I truly believe that spices can add magic to any dish.

45 Min

Roasted Local Cauliflower

Last weekend on a tiny table at the farmers market, I noticed three unusual heads of cauliflower and the farmer beaming at me with anticipation. The heads were not fluffy white like the supermarket cauliflower, but a beautiful creamy tan with tight skinny florets and greenish-purple stalks. I could sense he had grown them himself and that they would be packed with flavor. At a time when cauliflower has been processed into rice or pizza crusts, it’s wonderful to encounter one with deep original unspoiled flavors. So next time you see a scrawny-looking cauliflower, look again. It may be the best one you will ever eat.

30 Min

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Golden Rice

Fragrant cinnamon and saffron balance the pungency of the fresh turmeric.

45 Min

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Crab Potato Curry

Crab meat is luxurious and can be pricey so when combined with the humble potato, it stretches into a curry that feeds six to eight people

90 Min

GF

Roasted Eggplant with Goat Cheese & Yogurt

It’s almost the end of the local eggplant season in Texas, and I have been flush with hundreds of pounds to play with at the restaurant, courtesy of nearby Knopp Branch Farm. My favorite way to cook them is to smoke, mash and turn them into a pickle, masala or a spread. However, when cooking eggplants at home, I resort to simpler ideas, such as searing them on a skillet and finishing them in the oven. There are ample choices of what to top the eggplants with — cheese, herbs, chopped nuts, nut butter, yogurt, spices and more. I have tried them and love them all. When cooked perfectly, cutting into an eggplant almost feels like cutting into a good piece of meat.

30 Min

GF

Turnip Cashew Curry

The cashews in this curry provide the sweet creamy balance to the pungent turnips. It is delicious with a rice pilaf or quinoa.

30 min

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Roasted Flounder

Whole roasted fish may seem intimidating to make and messy to eat but leaving the bones in preserves most of the flavor beautifully.

120 Min

GF

Roasted Turnip Salad

When Harukei turnips are in season during spring-time we try to find many ways to eat them however one of the best way to coax flavor out of them is to roast them.

30 Min

Asparagus Goat Cheese Cakes with Mango

We are always looking for ways to incorporate vegetables into our food and in this recipe, the goat cheese works like a binder and adds flavor to the asparagus.

70 Min

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V

Golden Lemonade

Use it as a base for a cocktail by adding your favorite spirit.

30 Min

GF

Apple Oat Crumble

This crumble showcases the natural sweetness of a good apple and is best eaten for breakfast or with an afternoon chair or coffee.

60 Min

GF

NF

Lentil Kofta Curry

What makes this recipe special is how little meat is used to create maximum flavor. Just a few ounces of meat tossed with cooked lentils, spices and seasonings make the flavor of the meat stretch.

10 Min

GF

Yogurt Raisin Dip

Inspired by the cuisine of Gujarat, where finishing plain yogurt off with spiced oils is the norm, this yogurt can be eaten alongside grilled meats or as dip for raw vegetables.

20 Min

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Lettuce Fried Rice

Eating vegetables and fruits grown by local farmers with stellar practices is one of the best ways to build immunity in our bodies. Whether it’s by visiting neighborhood farmers markets or getting a farm share, there is no time like the present to support our farmers and ranchers — they need our business. Always looking for ways to incorporate more vegetables into our meals, at the recommendation of a friend, I tossed fried rice with torn lettuce, and it made for a delicious light lunch. The lettuce wilted every so slightly but tasted really good — and who doesn’t love a flavorful, light fried rice?

90 Min

NF

Herb Mushroom Mac & Cheese

I played around with many variations of this American classic, from learning how to make a good béchamel to figuring out which spices paired well with cheese.

60 Min

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Lentil Parsley Salad

This salad is inspired by the multitude of dal recipes from India; however, it can be eaten cold or at room temperature.

90 Min

GF

Simple Dal

At its core, dal is a simple lentil stew with seasonings. Dal chawal (lentils and rice) is a hearty comfort meal eaten in all homes in India, from palaces to the slums. Given that there are dozens of varieties of lentils from split pea to channa to mung, there are also hundreds of variations of dal, based on regions, seasonality and of course personal preferences. In the winter times, when fresh tomatoes are not flavorful, one can resort to sun dried tomatoes to provide a contrasting acidic note for dal.

20 Min

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Cactus Curry

I have never quite loved the taste of nopales until I put them in this curry. Somehow the tomato masala around them makes the sliminess diminish considerably. Mayo Clinic extolls their virtues and comes short of calling them a super food. Nopales aka cactus are anti-viral and anti-inflammatory, very high in fiber and used to treat diabetes. The slimy texture of the cactus may also be reduced by washing away the surface residue after boiling them. This curry tastes surprisingly good and is wonderful with simple boiled white rice or rice tossed with seasonal greens.

70 Min

Golden Mule

Moscow Mule with turmeric and home made ginger soda.

20 Min

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Jicama Salad

Jicama is delicious raw and lends itself well to Indian chaat style street preparations.

50 Min

NF

V

Simple Roti

Never to be eaten with a fork or a knife, most Indians use rotis as a delicious vehicle to scoop up a sabzi (cooked vegetable), dal (cooked lentils) or a curry with their hands.

15 Min

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Mushroom Pine Nut Salad

This is a simple ‘anti-pasti’ style salad that can be eaten by itself, on toast for breakfast or added to an omelet.

40 Min

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Simple Roasted Carrots

While cumin is very common to Indian cooking, I first experienced the combination of carrots and cumin in a Moroccan cold carrot salad and subsequently began adopting that combination with many carrot dishes.

90 Min

NF

Banana Olive Oil Cake

This cake takes less than 10 minutes to put together and is best eaten within 1 to 2 days and best stored at room temperature.

90 Min

GF

NF

Kitchen Soup

Every restaurant — and perhaps every home — should have a “kitchen soup” recipe that allows lots of flexibility, creativity and, of course, bold flavors. So skip the preservative-filled bouillon or canned stock and make a simple from-scratch soup like ours.

70 Min

Pomtini Cocktail

Pomegranate martini - ruby rich and delicious!

10 Min

Purana Cocktail

Smoky Mezcal Negroni — a spin on a classic!

10 Min

Violet Cocktail

A floral gin sour that is not only refreshing, but incredibly simple to make at home!

120 Min

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Garlic Garbanzo Soup

When we are preparing for a possible onslaught on our immune system, a small cup of garlic soup a day may be just what we need.

120 MIN

GF

Persian Rice Ring

This Persian rice ring is a showstopper, and though the recipe is complicated and lengthy, it’s not hard to make.

30 Min

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Golden Tea

At times of uncertainty, I believe in arming myself with immune-boosting foods such as turmeric, saffron, ginger, garlic, black pepper, and cinnamon. These spices, along with herbs including rosemary and oregano, strengthen the body’s resolve to fight infections and can easily be included in daily cooking.

20 Min

GF

NF

Baked White Asparagus With Egg

This asparagus could easily be eaten with warm toast or rotis for any meal of the day.

90 Min

NF

Goat Noodle Stew

The best part about goat is that the flavor is so rich a little goes a long way.

240 Min

GF

Sweet Potato Savory Cake with Herb Yogurt

Always wanting to balance sweet with savory and spicy, try this sweet potato cake recipe — it makes a delicious breakfast with lots of herbed yogurt, poached egg on side.

30 Min

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Roasted Wild Salmon with Kalonji

Kalonji, aka nigella sativa seed, is a spice commonly used in India for topping rotis or naans. It transforms into a whole new flavor - hauntingly smoky, deeply savory and just delicious.

60 Min

NF

Miracle Parsley Cake

Moringa is called a miracle tree in India due to its nutritional properties. This cake, which involves moringa powder, is as delicious as it is attractive. You could eat it for breakfast or an afternoon chai. It can also be toasted and served for dessert with whipped cream and blueberries. Oil-based cakes are more moist than butter based cakes and this one keeps for about 3 to 4 days at room temperature, with its flavors only improving over time.

30 Min

NF

Wild Mushroom Toast

Cooking the stems and roasting the tops bring out a wonderful textural contrast with the toast.

30 Min

GF

Vegetable Pilaf

This pilaf tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld together.

45 Min

GF

Cream Chaat

This dessert is inspired by a street sweet of India called ‘Daulat ki chaat’ (daulat means rich). It is rich but incredibly light and essentially just a whipped cream but the incremental addition of sugar and saffron makes all the difference.

20 Min

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NF

Sesame Crusted Lamb Leg with Artichoke Fenugreek Sauce

Be sure to get a good cut of the lamb leg or else it may end up tough. And make sure the pieces are cut against the grain.

20 Min

DF

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V

Drunken Fig Salad

In the winter dried figs soaked in rum or bourbon make for a great addition to a salad.

60 Min

GF

NF

Simple Baked Oysters

After trying a dozen different ways to bake oysters, I concluded that they are at their brightest sprinkled with just a few key spices to enhance their naturally briny flavor, topped off with ghee and lightly baked.

20 Min

GF

Saffron Pistachio Panna Cotta

While panna cotta may be known as an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin, every culture has its own version. In India, this is called ‘China Grass’.

20 Min

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Coconut Braised Endive

These days, my cooking has evolved to a place of simplicity - and braising endive with something seasonal such as tomatoes, coconut or pomegranate juice makes for a delicious meal.

90 Min

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Black Pepper Chicken Curry

Hundreds of years ago black pepper was worth its weight in gold, inspiring hundreds of seamen, including Christopher Columbus, to risk their lives looking for India, the land of spices. Over time, black pepper’s magic has been forgotten and it has been relegated to a table or sprinkling spice. But when used singularly in copious amounts, black pepper has a gentle bite with a sweet fragrance. I don’t use cream very often in my curries but this one rounds off the sharp bite of the black pepper and makes for an aromatic rich dish. Like most curries, this one tastes even better the next day when the flavors have mellowed.

20 Min

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Green Garbanzo Bean Salad

In season through the spring, fresh green garbanzo beans are tender, bright green, cook in minutes and shockingly delicious.

Quick Radish Tips

Various tips for preparing the ever so versatile radish.

25 Min

GF

NF

Herb Roti

Rotis, the national bread of India, are almost like tortillas except they are more pliable and always made with finely ground whole-wheat flour.

60 Min

GF

Satsuma Paneer Salad

Enjoy it as a light lunch or serve it as a last course in lieu of dessert.

40 Min

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Roasted Hakurei Turnips

Crisp, delicious and a touch pungent when raw, they transform into small balls of flavorful sweetness when roasted with spices and good olive oil.

55 Min

GF

Pistachio Coconut Laddus

This fresh coconut and pistachio laddus makes a decedent ending to a meal or can be a snack between meals!

45 Min

GF

NF

Masala Chai Pudding

Masala chai is the spice-forward aromatic iconic hot drink of India, to be had in homes, train stations, streets and markets.

60 Min

NF

Fenugreek Biscuits

Having one of these biscuits is a glorious way to start the morning, especially warm with a generous dab of turmeric cream cheese and a cup of chai.

60 Min

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts on the Stalk with Mint Chutney

Roasted Brussels sprouts on the stalk make for a delicious and dramatic splash on the dinner table. Originating in Brussels, Belgium, these tiny cruciferous wild cabbages have gained tremendous popularity in the United States. I have prepared them a dozen different ways and continue playing with new ideas. Though standard restaurant fare is to deep-fry the sprouts and douse them with a spicy sweet sauce, roasting them with aromatic spices such as cumin or coriander and herbs such as mint or oregano is far easier and tastier.

60 Min

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NF

Garlic Masala Ghee

Here, the garlic and shallots slow roast with warm spices like cardamom and black pepper. The best part about this recipe is that the ghee slowly forms on its own as it cooks with the fragrant spices, garlic and shallots.

30 Min

GF

Maple Mesquite Madeleines

Madeleines are sublime, shell-shaped, puffy little cloud cakes. Created in the mid-1700s in northern France by a lady named Madeleine, they were beloved among the royals at first then conquered the rest of the country in no time.

GF

Coconut Jaggery Pancakes

These pancakes have been on the menu since day one and remains one the most requested recipes at Pondicheri.

15 Min

DF

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Rye Poha

Poha is a standard breakfast from Gujarat region of India and is usually made from sauteing potatoes with onions and flattened rice flakes.

60 Min

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Shrimp Chettinad

Chettinad, a centuries-old spice-trading community of South India, is famous for its uncommonly subtle and heady aromatic combinations of spices. Here, toasted sesame oil lends a smoky depth of flavor to the curry while the star anise and fennel add aroma.

45 Min

Cranberry Cake

Made entirely with maple syrup, a touch of turmeric, the cake can eaten for breakfast or for an afternoon tea break.

40 Min

GF

Mashed Sweet Potato Puree

This sweet potato mash can make a great companion to grilled meats, vegetables, and seafood.

120 Min

GF

Roasted Beets with Yogurt & Herbs

Most of us have had our share of hating beets at some point in our lives. If you are still a beet hater, give this recipe a try.

60 Min

GF

NF

Garlic Masala

This garlic masala is more of a dip but can be eventually used as a masala.

120 Min

GF

NF

Turkey Leg Roast

Roasting turkey legs with onions and yogurt long and slow infuses the flavor of ginger and rosemary down to the bone.

20 Min

GF

Simple Smoked Eggplant

Eggplants are wonderful and versatile ~ they satisfy the meaty urge, taste good cold and can be seared, broiled, braised or smoked. During my years as the chef-owner of Indika restaurant in Montrose in Houston, I was forced to rein in an eggplant obsession when a cook pointed out that we had eggplant nine different ways on the menu - from pakora to pickle to raita. When it is eggplant season, there are plenty of varieties on farm-stand tables at local farmer’s markets. So, ignore the nightshade naysayers and cook this supremely simple smoked eggplant. Eat it with steamed rice or a roti. Or spread it on a warm toast the next morning and enjoy it for breakfast!

DF

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Amchur Fish Roast

Time and again, I come back to one spice_ amchur, which can create magic with so many foods. The sun-dried green mango powder works best as a finishing spice — so add it to foods that cook quickly or at the end of cooking.

120 Min

GF

Paneer Mushroom Pie

The mushrooms cook with the paneer and the chickpea flour, another good source of protein, is there to hold the paneer together. Serve it with a mint chutney and a hearty green salad on the side.

20 Min

GF

Pomegranate Pilaf

Pomegranate juice adds a slightly sweet and sour flavor to the rice however to get it to this stunning color, slice the beets thinly.

20 Min

GF

Caramel Bananas with Saffron Cream

This simple dessert, a crowd pleaser and sure to make kids happy highlights the glory of saffron.

20 Min

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V

Zucchini Moong Fritters

Inspired by the lentil cakes of Maharashtra, these are lighter and fluffier because of the addition of zucchini.

30 Min

GF

NF

Zucchini Shrimp

Zucchini is a great canvas for all kinds of flavors. It absorbs the juices from the shrimp in this recipe and makes for a delicious and healthy bite.

60 Min

GF

NF

Garbanzo Mushroom Meat Curry

The curry takes the flavors of meat be it lamb, beef, chicken or turkey and multiplies it with the rest of the ingredients. Use it to spoon over toast, tortillas, rotis or over rice.

20 Min

GF

NF

Date Yogurt Dip

This dip is delicious for breakfast (spread the yogurt and date mix over warm toast and top with fresh herbs) or as a party dip with crudités, chips or crackers.

20 Min

GF

Cauliflower Ghee Roast

This is an indulgent preparation but the ghee makes the cauliflower magical! Eat it with chilled lettuce leaves or just on its own.

30 Min

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V

Grapefruit Chili Chutney

My favorite way to eat this fresh tangy chutney is with a piece of grilled fish, sliced cold chicken or over warm toast and cheese.

240 Min

GF

NF

Bone Marrow Roast

Marrow, be it goat, lamb or beef not only has tremendous flavor but it also imparts flavor on everything it touches. In this recipe, the onions, garlic cloves, potatoes and peppers take on fragrant meaty flavors with bits and pieces of marrow scented with cardamom and cinnamon.

45 Min

DF

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V

Karela Sweet Potato Sabzi

Bitter melon in particular is best eaten in small portions with caramelized onions, sweet potato or sweet corn to offset its bitterness.

120 Min

GF

Essence of Chicken Pilaf

Persian reign over India lasted several hundred years. In the course of time, Indian and Persian cooking techniques merged, and one of the many dishes created in the kitchens of the royal emperors was the pilaf (or pulao, as they call it in India).

75 Min

GF

NF

Sayel Goat Chops

Sayel is a Sindhi word meaning rustic, usually a one pot dish using chopped onions with meats or vegetables or both. Even though we start with a lot of onions, they dissolve with the juices of the goat chops and end up a delicious sauce to spoon over rice or scoop up with bread.

20 Min

GF

NF

Caramel Pilaf

This technique originates from the Sindh province, where using a touch of caramel to flavor rice with spices and seasonings is fairly common. There is some use of sugar (or jaggery) in the recipe but the final product is not sweet, just a rich and nutty flavor.

40 Min

NF

Bheja Masala on Toast

Organ meats have much more flavor than the muscle that most of us are used to eating. The best part about brains is that they have no odor and almost taste like a tremendously flavorful scrambled egg.

DF

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Overnight

Goat Paya Stew

In Pakistani cuisine, ‘paya’ (goat or beef feet) are used in a soupy curry that is scooped up with a naan or a roti. There are endless variations to this so here is more of a rough guide on how to use the paya.

120 Min

GF

Watercress and Fennel Khichdi

Khichdi, the humble yet wholesome peasant stew of India, is now a favorite food of urban yogis — and according to Ayurveda, highly recommended as a cleansing meal.

60 Min

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Roasted Carrots with Black Bean Lamb Masala

Like these carrots roasted with sesame seeds — they are nice on their own but delicious with black beans cooked with a bit of lamb and spices.

30 Min

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Roasted Zucchini

The mildly flavored zucchini, which grows voraciously in Texas’ humidity, may be pedestrian in pedigree but is a great canvas for flavor.

20 Min

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Pan Roasted Chickpea Salad

In my kitchen, there is no wrong way to cook chickpeas. What I love about this preparation is that it can be made ahead of time and tastes good at room temperature or cold.

95 Min

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Tomato Fig Masala

Fresh masalas like this one are wealth in my refrigerator. Enjoy it cold on a piece of warm toast or toss it into freshly steamed rice or pasta with chopped fresh herbs. Or, keep it simple and eat the masala on sliced cucumbers.

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Seared Tuna on Roasted Vegetables

Climate change has threatened a lot of our favorite foods, tuna being near the top of that list. We still like to eat tuna every once in a while, but like a precious treat.

20 Min

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Cheese Toast

India’s version of grilled cheese, a popular sandwich worldwide, is filled with masala and spices and is referred to commonly as cheese toast

10 Min

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Indian Summer Corn

In the summer, corn can be found on street carts all over India. And the seasoning could not be simpler: salt & chili powder with a squeeze of lemon juice.

30 Min

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Garbanzo Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps are essentially a delicious and nutritious vessel for fillings and are far more satisfying than salads - especially in the summer, when the heat in our bodies helps us digest raw foods.

15 Min

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Watermelon Arugula Corn Salad

During the middle of hot Texas summers it is time for cooling salads, fragrant dressings and chilled watermelon.

10 Min

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Roasted Oyster Mushrooms with Corn Raita

There are many good reasons to eat mushrooms - they’re low in calories, naturally anti-inflammatory, high in vitamins and antioxidants and burst with flavor. Oyster mushrooms in particular contain ergothioneine, a unique antioxidant that promotes cell growth in our bodies. In traditional Chinese medicine, they have been used as a tonic for the immune system for thousands of years. The white mushrooms resemble oysters, have a sweet earth fragrance and can be found growing in the wild on dead or fallen trees. I have experimented with dozens of ways to cook them, but at home, oven roasting is the way to go. They will cook through and hold their shape beautifully and, if over- cooked slightly, may collapse - but fear not, they will still taste delicious. Cardamom here gives oyster mushrooms a fragrant finish to offset the earthy notes, and the grilled corn raita supplies a fitting creamy finish. The mushrooms may be served warm or at room temperature.

20 Min

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Pop Masala Rice

We added the zest of two oranges to the rice, but you could either leave this out or replace it with lemon or lime zest.

20 Min

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Almond Milk Chai

Chai can be made with any sort of milk, from cow’s milk to almond or oat. It’s all based on your preference.

5 Min

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Pan-Seared Shishito Peppers

Houston markets are filled with many varieties of peppers, the shishito being one of my favorites. This east Asian pepper is small, about 3 inches long, thin-walled and usually mild in heat. The recipe takes less than 5 minutes to make, the shishitos can be cooked stems and all, and they make a great light lunch - or snack with a martini.

120 Min

Heirloom Tomato Bread Pudding

No matter what part of the world you live in, local heirloom tomatoes are in season for no more than 2 to 3 months. They truly tell the story of the local soil and air.

60 Min

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Roasted Summer Squash with Avocado Raita

This is a quick and easy recipe to extract the best flavor out of summer squashes.

10 Min

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Cooling Mint Lassi

Lassi is a traditional spiced yogurt drink from India prepared in homes and sold in street stalls. The most basic ones are the sweet lassi with sugar and ground cardamom and the salty lassi with cumin and salt.

20 Min

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Clove Masala Pilaf

Cloves are a fragrant spice with magical powers.

75 Min

Peach Almond Galette

Peaches originated in Persia (modern-day Iran) and made their way to the United States via Europe. In ancient times, they were considered an auspicious source of vitality and longevity.

20 Min

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Cherry Cherry Tomato Salad

Cumin seeds and oregano add a savory, spicy contrast to the cherries in this salad.

25 Min

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Bitter Melon Roti

My sister in law Gita, an amazing and creative cook, made these rotis for me one morning. I could not believe how good bitter melon peel, which essentially was waste in the past, tasted in the roti.

30 Min

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Roasted Squash Curry

This curry is inspired by the stews of South India and can be prepared with other root vegetables also.

30 Min

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Fennel Pea Pilaf

This pilaf is very good for stimulating digestion.

60 Min

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Rustic Masoor Dal

This masoor dal preparation, mostly native to Sindhi households, is simple, hearty and delicious and best eaten with rice.

40 Min

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Fruit Custard

With the bounty of summer fruit arriving, especially berries, mangoes and peaches, a fragrant homemade custard is one of the best ways to complement it.

45 Min

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White Quinoa Pilaf

This pilaf is inspired by the beloved South Indian morning hash uppma.

90 Min

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Lamb Kofta with Green Beans

Like in most ancient cultures, eating meat was rare, celebratory and considered a delicacy. These meatballs are so delicious that you will not even realize that half the meat has been replaced with mushrooms.

30 Min

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Garbanzo Kale Pilaf

This pilaf can make a great meal on its own with just some plain yogurt on the side and also tasted great the next day.

30 Min

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Chicken Pakora with Mint Chutney

Pakoras are the quintessential fritters of India, and after a long day of fasting make for a substantial and delicious starter.

5 Min

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Papaya Smoothie

Inspired by the Mexican papaya con leche, and swapping out sugar for maple syrup, it’s barely sweet with a very smooth finish and allows the flavors of the papaya to come through.

Carrot Patra

20 Min

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Spring Pea Pilaf

A pea pilaf is as common in India as mashed potatoes in the United States. We eat it with a simple dal for dinner or on its own with plain yogurt.

20 Min

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Asparagus with Navy Beans

This dish is a nutritional powerhouse, packed with dietary fiber and many essential vitamins.

25 Min

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Spring Healing Teas

Starting the day right is paramount to balancing the daily cycle — that means a tea that lights a warm, cleansing sensation. Making teas with a combination of herbs, roots and spices opens up a world of possibilities.

50 Min

GF

Texas Pecan Ganache Tart

I had never seen a pecan tree until I moved to Houston; then I noticed the tall, beautiful trees everywhere. Curious, I began to explore uses for pecans, particularly the regional inspired fare such as pecan pie and spiced pecans.

30 Min

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Holi Pakoras

The days of Holi are, hands down, some of the best memories of my childhood in India. Based on the lunar calendar, festivities begin the day after the full moon, usually in March, when there are neighborhood bonfires with people singing and dancing around them. The bonfire signifies the end of sorrows, grievances and the healing of old wounds. The morning after, street parties begin! My two brothers and I would wake up, put on old throwaway clothes and hit the streets, our pockets overflowing with colored powders. We would stalk the neighborhood, visiting friends and family, throwing powders on everyone and each other, then continue to frolic all day long. My parents, on the other hand, would stay home most of the day and join family or friends for decadent late-night soirees with card games, flowing whiskey, samosas, pakoras and occasional sips of bhang, a popular cannabis-infused elixir. Unrecognizable, our bodies covered in layers and layers of colored powders and exhausted from the excitement, my brothers and I would end the day eating street foods — pani poori, chaats, biryanis and pakoras — then head home to wash up. Pakoras are delicious vegetable fritters with a deeply flavorful chickpea batter — and though I am not a big proponent of deep-frying at home, some occasions warrant it. You can even make these in a skillet filled with oil, then strain the oil and use it for cooking later.

35 Min

Cumin Carbonara

Pasta is eaten more in India than you’d think, and it’s always embellished with a ton of spices and herbs.

120 Min

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Roasted Butternut Squash with Pumpkin Seed Masala

One day, I had a large chunk of butternut squash left over, here is the recipe that followed...

20 Min

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Scallop Watercress Salad

Native to Asia and rich in vitamins, watercress is one of the oldest greens known for consumption by mankind

120 Min

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Black Turtle Bean Curry with Butternut Squash

These turtle beans are not typically seen in India, however like most other beans they are delicious with spices. The butternut sqush adds a sweet, creamy flavor and makes for strikingly beautiful presentation.

120 Min

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Black Bean Egg Toast

Bean spreads - or more like cold “dal” spreads - make great additions to breakfast, or are wonderful just as a snack.

60 Min

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Fennel Soup

Fennel fronds (the skinny stems with tiny leaves on top of the bulbs) can often be toothsome and chewy if eaten raw. In this soup, we cook them down to a soft, deeply flavorful finish and garnish the bowl with finely chopped fronds.

20 Min

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Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are essentially tiny cabbages. To me in many ways brussels sprouts are the perfect vegetable.

45 Min

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Calcutta Cauliflower

Today Chinese-Indian cuisine is an integral part of the food scene in India, from the restaurants to street vendors, and the relationship gives locals and diners a reminder of the rich history between two ancient cuisines. Be prepared to fall in love with the peanut sauce in this recipe — it’s good on almost everything!

20 Min

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Date Laddus

If there were an equivalent to a cookie in India, it would be the laddu — spherical sweet treats loved by all, kids and adults, rich or poor.

120 Min

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Sai Bhaji Stew

I am excited to introduce you to one of the most iconic yet humble dishes from my homeland. Sai Bhaji, which literally translates to green vegetable, is an age-old Sindhi lentil and vegetable stew. Sindh is a little-known province now in Pakistan where my parents grew up pre-partition. I have fond childhood memories of eating sai bhaji with rice for dinner when my mother had challenging days, or when we came back from a long road trip. Like most vegetable dishes in India, it was cooked for hours on end with the fragrance of cumin and fennel wafting through our home, until the lentils and vegetables came together. Sai bhaji is popular because of its ease of preparation — it’s a one-pot dish — in addition to its nutritional value because of the various green vegetables. During the summer, it can be made with tomatoes; in the winter, with lots of root vegetables. If using tomatoes, make sure to add them at the end or the acid in the tomatoes will slow down the lentils from cooking. Add the greens at very the end for maximum color and vitality.

30 Min

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Skillet Pear & Dandelion Salad

This salad is the perfect showcase for the aromatic magic of popping coriander seeds and is best-eaten warm, served immediately off the skillet.

30 Min

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Kerala Green Beans

Be it string beans, Chinese long beans or French haricot verts, the humble green bean is one winter vegetable that is universal throughout the world and prepared dozens of different ways.

30 Min

Orange Amaranth Salad

If you are lucky enough to snag the incredible feta cheese from Blue Heron farms, you will have yourself an amazing salad!

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Curried Black-Eyed Peas & Eggs on Toast

Make the beans a day or two ahead — curries are best when the flavors have had a chance to mellow and marry. In place of black-eyed peas, use fresh purple hull peas.

60 Min

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Roasted Potatoes with Cranberry Chutney

Aside from their gorgeous color, purple potatoes have four times more antioxidants than regular potatoes.

DF

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Salmon Cakes

Salmon cakes are one of the most delicious ways to use up leftover roasted salmon. Or you could roast a piece of salmon just to make these cakes.

60 Min

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Drunken Chai & Masala Cashews

Masala chai is the quintessential fragrant milky brew of India; I wake up with it every morning. Cashews coated in spices with mint and pomegranate seeds are a simple yet luxurious rendition of chaats, the beloved street foods of India. All in all, it’s a delicious pairing.

90 Min

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Baked Fenugreek Sweet Potatoes

Growing up in India, I had tasted only one kind of sweet potato, the morning glory that is now believed to have originated in eastern India. Fenugreek, the fragrant, slightly bitter herb pairs beautifully with the sweet potato; both are power-packed with flavor and nutrients. The coriander seeds give the fenugreek masala a unique lemony flavor.

30 Min

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Parsi Eggs

Parsis are well known for their love of eggs, and this recipe is an adaptation of one of their basic breakfast egg-and-potato treats.

120 Min

Cauliflower Bread Pudding

It’s decadent, deeply satisfying and well worth the time it takes to prepare.

120 Min

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Carrot Khichdi

Unofficially designated as the national dish of India, khichdi, also known as khichri, is a simple peasant stew. It can be fed to babies first eating solid food; to normal folks with upset stomachs (it’s great for a hangover!); or to older people with delicate digestive systems.

60 Min

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Diwali Vegetable Stew

Diwali is the time for indulgence and this stew with a rich base of ghee and chickpea flour provides just that.

60 Min

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Persimmon Rice Pudding

Persimmon, when ripe is fruit from the heavens! It reminds us of the custard apples of India. When the fruit is ripe and soft, the pulp is the best part to use.

50 Min

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Herbed Pooris

Deep fried balloon breads popular all over India, adding herbs to poori dough just gives it a little more interest and fragrance.

30 Min

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Masala Stuffed Roasted Okra

This okra stuffed with a potato masala makes a delicious side or main dish.

60 Min

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Kerala Stew

The fragrant coconut stews of Kerala are especially transporting and legendary — and we can create the same flavors in Houston with seasonal local vegetables.

90 Min

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Butternut Squash Soup

This soup, with a spice infusion and a pop thrown in for good measure, is soul satisfying in the middle of a cold winter!

60 Min

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Smoked Eggplant Masala

This recipe is inspired by the Punjabi “baingan bhartha,” which essentially translates into spiced eggplant hash.

60 Min

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Tomato Masala

60 Min

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Squid Ink Pilaf

Squid ink is a gorgeous addition to rice or curries to create a briny ocean flavor.

30 Min

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Seared Soft Shell Crabs

Soft shells from the Pacific or Atlantic coast are delicious when fried or pan seared. The final sprinkle of amchur adds an unexpected tang at the end. Goes wonderfully with our banana raita!

45 Min

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Bengali Shrimp

The Bengalis are known for their pungent fish dishes, wide use of mustard and a penchant for adding a touch of jaggery at the end. Mustard oil is widely used in curries and fish stews

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Roasted Wild Snapper with Raita

The star of this recipe is amchur, a spice native to India. Amchur, a light brown in color sun dried mango powder is absolutely delicious on roasted fish. The lemon notes of the crushed coriander seeds accentuate the flavor of the amchur.

20 Min

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Purslane Orange Salad

Purslane is an edible weed that while native to India and Iran, has been eaten for millennia from Europe to Africa.

20 Min

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Purslane Tomato Omelet

Purslane is an edible weed that while native to India and Iran, has been eaten for millennia from Europe to Africa. Known as ‘kulfa’ in Hindi, purslane, a succulent has a mucilaginous (aka slimy) texture and may be eaten as a salad or cooked.

50 Min

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Fresh Fig Ice Cream

This recipe can be made with any sweet ripe figs like the black mission or green figs.

120 Min

Roasted Karela

Karela, or the Indian bitter melon, is an acquired taste but once tempered with sweet flavors like sweet potato, jaggery, corn or paneer, that same bitterness becomes just another delicious layer of flavor added.

150 Min

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Tomato Red Bean Khichri

There are many ways to amp up khichri and create a whole meal out of one. This recipe highlights the fresh cherry tomatoes of summer.

120 Min

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Channa Fry

These make a great snack just on their own, warm or cold.

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Sesame Chicken

Tastes good warm, room temperature or served cold. It’s lovely sliced in a salad or on a sandwich.

120 Min

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Tamarind Chutney

Tamarind Chutney is an essential player in the glorious street foods of India called chaat that encompass sweet, salty, and spicy snacks.

45 Min

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Patra

This is is one of the most iconic and utterly delicious snack foods from the state of Gujarat.

45 Min

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Bengali Indian Eggplants

These eggplants are native to India but can be found at Asian or Indian supermarkets in most major cities.

120 Min

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Chole

Chole has many regional variations but is usually prepared with white garbanzos. Here is our rendition from the northern state of Punjab, using iron rich garbanzo beans!

120 Min

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Khichri

Khichri is the ultimate Indian comfort food. Every region and possibly home boasts its own traditions using different combinations of grains and beans — it may be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

GF

Mango Ice Cream

This recipe can be made with any sweet ripe mangoes like Atulfo or Kent but works incredibly well with the fragrant Alphonso mangoes, a top variety from India that only comes to the US for about 2 weeks in the summer.

120 Min

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Chicken Bean Stew

Curried beans with meat or chicken makes one of the most satisfying comfort dishes…perfect with rice or good crusty bread and some plain yogurt on the side.

15 Min

GF

Cherry Tomato Mango Salad

Summer is the season for tomatoes and mangos. Careful to not use too many mangos in this salad or it becomes overly sweet.

20 Min

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Broccoli Orange Salad

A simple & quick broccoli preparation with a unique presentation.

120 Min

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Moth Dal

The moth lentils, mostly native to preparations in Gujarat, are small but hearty and delicious.

30 Min

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Sayel Bhindi

This is a classical Sindhi preparation for okra.

150 Min

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Healing Khichri

Khichri is a simple peasant stew made with rice and lentils and usually topped with ghee. There are umpteen variations of it, this one being arguably the simplest of the lot.

150 Min

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Green Dal

Greens lentils are the inside of the dried green beans called ‘vatana’ in India. They have a deliciously distinct earthy flavor that goes well with leafy green vegetables.

20 Min

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Braised Ivy Gourd

It is a delicate yet versatile vegetable, could be used in curries, braises and roasts. Here is a simple preparation inspired by the cuisine of Calcutta.

5 Min

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Garlic Mince

In India, garlic is considered sweet, pungent, and warming and is as much a medicine as it is a flavoring ingredient.

60 Min

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Buttermilk Soup

This soup is eaten more like a curry with rice. There are umpteen variations: some made with tomato, tamarind, coconut milk or buttermilk. It is usually eaten during summer months for lunch.

60 Min

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Lamb Bean Stew

This curry is like an Indian chili…use almost any bean in this recipe.

60 Min

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Chicken Chettinad

There are many iterations of this curry. It highlights black peppercorns, a signature spice of the region, which have originated from the south of India.

30 Min

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Syrian Beef Stir Fry

The Syrian Christian population in South India is known for its fiery beef and pork dishes using fresh coconut and lots of peppers.

10 Min

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Cilantro Chutney

A universal condiment. This chutney is good with nearly anything. Try it on toast, rice, samosas, salads, etc.

45 Min

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Chicken Dalcha

Dalcha is a north Indian stew with lentils and meats - the variations are endless.

45 Min

Love Cakes

These yummy little cakes, native to Sri Lanka and the state of Goa in India can be eaten on their own or with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Best slightly warm.

25 Min

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Simple Basmati Rice

Basmati rice, a long grain rice grown in Northern India, is aged for 2 to 3 years to develop flavor. We like to serve this rice with an intense fragrant curry like the Kerala vegetable stew or a hearty meat stew.

120 Min

NF

Chicken Paratha Pie

A potpie is a crowd pleaser kind of food, especially for children. And while most of the time the crust is made with pie dough, this recipe calls for a paratha, a popular laminated bread from India.

45 Min

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Lamb Kofta Curry

Kofta refers to a multitude of ground lamb preparations with fragrant, savory coconut milk based sauce. There are also vegetarian varieties of kofta that are made from potatoes, paneer, or banana.

30 Min

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Paneer Bake

Paneer is the only cheese India can lay claim to – it is a simple, un-ripened farmers cheese, except that it has no rennet (an enzyme that curdles casein in milk), only vinegar.

30 Min

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Squash Spinach Curry

Spinach cooked with vegetables or meat is a common combination - however, here we are being careful to barely cook the spinach so it remains bright and flavorful.

120 Min

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NF

Lamb Garbanzo Stew

This is a perfect make ahead stew — tastes even better the next day! Lamb may be replaced with beef or venison. It is delicious when served with rice or crusty warm slices of bread.

30 Min

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Green Masala Chicken

Usually a combination of cilantro, mint, fenugreek, ginger, scallions and serrano chile, green masala curries are fragrant and bright in color and flavor. Here we add chunks of carrot and ground cloves to offset the savory notes and add a touch of sweetness.

25 Min

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Kerala Beef Stir Fry

The Syrian Christian population in South India is known for its fiery beef and pork dishes using fresh coconut and lots of peppers.

Poha

15 Min

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Pea & Potato Sabzi

A whole new meal can be created from extra chopped vegetables from another recipe. Throw them in a pan with some spices & lunch is served.

30 Min

GF

Chocolate Chai Affogato

Inspired by Sri Rao’s unique, clever and delicious cook book Bollywood Kitchen. A simple & stunning dessert for guests or an evening in watching Bollywood films.

45 Min

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Spiced Walnuts

These sweet, spicy and tart nuts are a big hit at Pondicheri Bake Lab + Shop. Flavors that will satisfy all of your tastebud’s desires.

15 Min

Mulled Wine

This will make your house smell like Christmas. Enjoy a warm, boozy and aromatic addition to this holiday.

10 Min

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Saffron Yogurt

A simple way to honor the Queen of Spices! Enjoy the earthy note and color that a few saffron threads bring to yogurt.

40 Min

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Smoked Eggplant with Kalonji

Eggplant charred on a gas stove top develops a smoky flavor and a perfect texture for a spread or a dip.

10 Min

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Mint Walnut Chutney

Chutneys are a versatile condiment to use wherever you want added flavor. Mint, coconut and toasted walnuts make a fantastic combination. The mint in this chutney causes it to oxidize rather quickly. To make sure it holds its green color we added some acid (lemon juice).

10 Min

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Cranberry Relish

A bright and simple last minute condiment. No crockpot required.

40 Min

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Stuffed Squash

Pattypan squash is small & shallow with scalloped edges. This squash is easy to handle because its skin isn’t too thick & cooks relatively quickly.

60 Min

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Farmer's Pie

This is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. It’s hearty, vegetable-filled and a delicious comfort food to warm up a cold day.

40 Min

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes

During testing, everyone at the Bake Lab in Houston was clamoring to get this recipe. Sweet potatoes are so naturally sweet that the addition of savory fenugreek leaves, chili, & mustard balance this side dish.

10 Min

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Black Pepper Marinade

For the flavor of pepper to really stand out it has to be fresh. Buy whole peppercorns and grind them in a spice grinder or blender on high speed.

20 Min

GF

Saffron Crème Anglaise

This is a classic creme angaise laced with cooling saffron notes and the fragrance of cardamom. It is best served with a crisp pie or fruit galette.

45 Min

Fig Raspberry Galette

Galettes are the simpler and, we think, the tastier little sister of pies. They are free form, you can stuff them with whatever you like and do not require much expertise.

10 Min

Holiday Punch

Punch is a Sanskrit word meaning ”five”, for five ingredients. Originally a punch consisted of alcohol, sugar, lemon, water, tea or spices. The drink made its way to England from India by employees of the British East India Company at the beginning of the 17th century.

45 Min

GF

Purple Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are not so common in India but a universal favorite here in the US. These get a kick from the fenugreek and the cumin seed pop.

30 Min

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Fenugreek Fish

Fenugreek is an incredible herb/spice that smells and tastes like nothing when dry but releases fragrance & a depth of flavor when cooked. If too much is added, it can make food bitter. When just right it is transformative.

25 Min

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Smoked Eggplant Dip

This dip is inspired by the traditional Baingan Bhartha, a Punjabi favorite smoked eggplant sabzi (aka, roasted vegetable dish).

25 Min

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Beet Roti

Not as hard to make as one might think!

25 Min

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Carrot Roti

A soft roti dough makes for a moist, satisfying roti.

25 Min

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Spinach Roti

Try this Spinach based iteration!

10 Min

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Turmeric Smoothie

“Tastes like fall in a cup”, a direct quote from our staff and friends at Pondicheri who were here during this smoothie's testing! The fresh turmeric is an anti-inflammatory while the soaked almonds are easier to digest than raw almonds (and makes it easier to peel the skins off!).

60 Min

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Keema with Spinach

Keema, in Hindi, means ground meat cooked with spices. Could be a dry or saucy dish. Keema is not considered a lesser cut of beef in India since most butchers grind the meat to order.

50 Min

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Calcutta Dal

This dal is prepared with the hallmarks of Bengali cooking. Mustard oil for the slight horseradish like flavor, jaggery to add a touch of sweetness and all the spices that make up panch phoran, or the 5-Spice mix that is typically added to many of the dishes from Bengal. Add a handful of chopped cilantro at the end and a squeeze of lime.

70 Min

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7 Vegetable Stew

Every region eats different treats for Diwali from decadent meat curries, kebabs, & pilafs to sweet laddus, mithai and dried fruits. The Sindhis from the province of Sindh typically eat a 7 vegetable stew with pooris (fried balloon bread) and halwa.

10 Min

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Moringa Smoothie

Moringa is our favorite superfood. It’s a little tough to find fresh leaves, but you can replace the leaves with 1 tsp of powdered moringa.

15 Min

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Moringa Pancakes

Moringa has been used for millennia in Ayurvedic medicine in India & actually tastes good!

50 Min

Cherry Upside Down Cake

A simple tea cake. Many of these ingredients are always lying around and can be spruced up with seasonal fruits and seeds!

50 Min

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Goa Pork Stew

Goan Catholic cuisine has a distinct Portuguese flavor because of the addition of chilis, which the Portuguese introduced to India.

35 Min

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Aviyal

Aviyal, a rustic, coconut-based stew from the Kerala region of India usually prepared with seasonal vegetables.

60 Min

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Ginger Cookie

This is our version of ginger bread, sweet, slightly chewy and filled with flavor and texture (contains no milk, eggs, or butter). The key to getting this cookie right is to not over bake it.

60 Min

Mawa Cake

A buttery teacake infused with cardamom, the vanilla of India. We drizzle them with heavy cream after they come out of the oven and let it slowly seep into the cake.

5 Min

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Adrak

A spice infusion. Get creative with spices, fruits, roots, and more to make a tisane (because there are actually no tea leaves in here!) of your own creation.

GF

Kulfi

Indian ice cream. Need we say more? Kulfi isn’t whipped so it’s much denser and thicker than regular ice cream.

55 Min

GF

Besan Mithai

A melt in your mouth chickpea fudge pronounced bay-sin mit-tai. Besan is a type of gram flour made from ground chickpeas & mithai is a general name for asian sweets.

60 Min

GF

Saffron Tapioca Pudding

It can be easy to overdue tapioca pudding. Once it is somewhat thick and the tapioca pearls are clear, take it off the stove and let it thicken some more.

60 Min

GF

Carrot Halwa

This halwa has a slightly sweet, caramel flavor from the carrots. Halwas involves some patience and attention, but it’s worth it.

40 Min

DF

GF

V

Roasted Butternut Squash

When you see a beautiful local butternut squash, buy it!

GF

NF

Jaggery Glazed Salmon

Farmed salmon is an unmitigated disaster both from an environmental perspective and health perspective. Go for the wild stuff.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Kerala Vegetable Stew

This vegetable stew is colorful and satisfying. It can be eaten on its own or with rice.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Green Bean Salad

This spicy and bright green bean salad is delicious hot or cold.

10 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Carrot Pickle

After you have these pickles, you won't want a dill again. They add so much flavor to a dish. Only a little bit is needed with at least one meal a day for flavor and beneficial bacteria.

15 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Fresh Blackberry Chutney

This super simple condiment can be enjoyed anywhere for fresh, sweet flavor. It will keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

55 Min

GF

NF

Cardamom Chicken

This preparation is inspired by the classic Sindhi sayel chicken, which is a one-pot rustic stew with roughly chopped onions.

120 Min

GF

V

Butternut Squash Khichri

Khichri in Hindi means a “hash” of rice and legumes. It is easily digested and perfect comfort food.

120 Min

GF

Black Bean Chicken Pilaf

We love meals that involve one pot and letting the heat do the rest. The aroma will have everyone wondering what’s cooking.

20 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Corn & Onion Chickpea Chilla

These are a house favorite for us! These are way easier and just as delicious as a breakfast dosa.

10 Min

GF

NF

Lassi

Lassi originated in the Punjab region of India some 3,000 years ago. This cooling yogurt drink endures as a spring and summer staple — a familiar sound in the warm streets of Delhi is the rhythmic juggling of liquid and ice from one lota (spherical vessel) to another!

20 Min

DF

GF

V

Cucumber Radish Salad

Fresh cucumbers, spicy serrano, and nutty peanuts make this a spicy and refreshing salad.

5 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Turmeric Tea

This is a simple spice infusion — one that we hope inspires you to create many more of your own!

Pickled Shrimp Salad

30 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Pickled Red Onions

These onions can stay in the refrigerator for up to 3 months - the beets are in the brine to add bright color. The onions are good for topping off sandwiches and salads.

30 Min

DF

GF

Masala Boiled Egg Salad

This recipe circumvents the boiled egg taste and gives it a fragrant ginger flavor.

10 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Instant Mango Chutney

A simple, sweet, and spicy chutney. Great on salads and especially delicious on a millet pancake!

5 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Kahwa

Kahwa or qahwa, is a green tea native to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Enjoy it chilled then steep, strain, refrigerate and serve over ice. Honey works well as a sweetener.

20 Min

DF

GF

V

Peanut Chutney

Peanut chutney can be a time consuming process. Thank goodness for this instant peanut chutney. The nutty texture will add a satisfying, crunchy dimension to any dish.

GF

NF

V

Heirloom Tomato Mango Chutney

This is a fresh chutney and will taste best the day it’s made.

5 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Honey Lime Soda

On a plane in India this is the first thing the airline crew will offer you. Indians love their ‘sweet lime soda’ as it is typically referred to.

5 Min

GF

NF

Daily Morning Chai

This is our idea of a simple home chai. No brewing or cooking, just straight out of a kettle.

90 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Coconut Clove Pilaf

Cloves make this a delicious and unique pilaf. Can be eaten as a meal (yes, it’s that good) or as a side.

90 Min

GF

Beet Yogurt Salad

The earthiness of the beets pairs well with the creaminess of the yogurt and cheese.

30 Min

GF

Smoked Eggplant Raita

Smoked eggplant pairs deliciously with yogurt. Add this raita to rice, toast, serve as a side, or enjoy a dollop on its own. Be sure to get a good char on the eggplant. There should be no firm or raw pieces.

25 Min

DF

GF

V

Zucchini Sabzi

The key to this sabzi is getting a good brown on the zucchini, that is when it’s flavor truly shines.

90 Min

GF

Beet Cashew Raita

This beet raita is stunning in appearance and tasty on its own. It also makes a great accompaniment to grilled fish.

15 Min

DF

GF

Mustard Scallop Salad

We love ceviche in all forms. This recipe is inspired by our love for scallops and how well they pair with mustard oil and mango.

40 Min

DF

GF

V

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Enjoy one of our favorite market salads. The nuttiness of the cauliflower compliments the kale and sweet currants.

DF

GF

NF

Salmon Tikka

A deliciously quick way to enjoy salmon. This is perfect to marinate the night before and stick in the oven when you get home for dinner.

55 Min

GF

NF

Roasted Eggplant with Cherries

This is a show-stopper. The eggplant is rich and savory from the ajwain and fennel while the cherries add a sweet, fresh brightness.

25 Min

DF

GF

NF

Amchur Chicken

Amchur, a little-known spice, is simply sun-dried green mango powder and makes a great sprinkling spice.

15 Min

GF

NF

Cucumber Raita

A classic raita. This is recipe shows how simple a raita can be. Red onion and a vegetable is all it takes. Feel free to make some additions with whatever is in the fridge.

20 Min

GF

NF

Tomato Mint Raita

Raita is an essential Indian condiment, a yogurt and vegetable salad that’s usually eaten with meals to cool off the burn of spices. This raita is tart and refreshing and would make a great accompaniment to roasted chicken or fish.

Coconut Rice

30 Min

GF

NF

Chickpea Chilla

The chilla, a savory pancake made with chickpea flour, is my all-time favorite go-to breakfasts. There are two ways to make it. The longer version involves fermenting the batter for a few hours or overnight. And then it can stay in your refrigerator for a few weeks to use as you please. The instant one takes minutes to make and will keep for up to 24 hours. Either way, the chilla is deeply flavorful and can be made with dozens of variations. I don’t think I’ve ever made the same one twice. Chickpea flour is a protein-rich flour that packs a flavor punch. This recipe is my at-home version — you can top it with peanut butter, mashed avocado, fried eggs, almost any kinds of vegetables, even Indian pickles, and yogurt.

10 Min

DF

GF

V

Heirloom Tomato Salad

This salad is good on its own and also makes an awesome side dish for grilled or roasted meats.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Stuffed Mushrooms

These baked caps can be served as an appetizer, side or a small lunch with a salad.

15 Min

DF

GF

V

Mint Coconut Chutney

Chutneys are usually meant to be eaten as accompaniments with snacks or meals. We love them on toast, with rice, on top of meats or veggies, and especially with stuffed mushrooms. They are delicious with nearly anything.

30 Min

DF

GF

NF

V

Peach Chutney

This recipe works with fresh apricots as well (or half peaches, half apricots) - use firm but sweet peaches at the prime of summer.

30 Min

GF

NF

Stuffed Baby Peppers

There are umpteen ways to stuff peppers - this recipe will work for 4 large peppers as well.

30 Min

DF

GF

V

Sayel Okra

In Sindhi, sayel means a rustic onion-based preparation.

35 Min

GF

Mushroom Walnut Pilaf

This pilaf can stand on its own or can be used as a phenomenal side dish for grilled or roasted meats. Replacing water with stock gives the pilaf a lovely meatiness.

15 Min

DF

GF

V

Jain Cabbage Salad

Jains are the ultimate vegans of India. Their cuisine is filled with vegetables and grains, yet it is exciting in its simplicity.

15 Min

GF

Fig Yogurt Salad

This salad makes a great first course. The burn of the mustard oil plays beautifully with the cool creaminess of the saffron yogurt and the rich, sweet figs.

10 Min

DF

GF

V

Cumin Wilted Greens

This is probably the simplest recipe in our collection but we hope it becomes one of your mainstays.

10 Min

GF

Banana Raita

The banana and yogurt combination breaks every rule in Ayurveda but this raita tastes SO good! It makes a great addition to breakfast and is also good as a side with shrimp or fish. The ginger and the serrano add a surprising, but lovely punch to the raita.

15 Min

Saffron Cream of Wheat

Saffron adds incredible depth and richness to this simple breakfast. Ghee is optional but highly recommended at the finish.

20 Min

NF

Bhurji & Toast

Scrambled eggs (bhurji) is one of the most common ways to prepare eggs.

10 Min

NF

Kejriwal Egg Bun

Eggs Kejriwal is named after Mr. Devi Prasad Kejriwal, a Jain Indian man. During colonial times he would come to his favorite country club in Bombay and order this egg and cheese sandwich without his family’s knowledge.

DF

GF

NF

Green Eggs

Knowing nutrient and fiber filled leafy greens are crucial to our health, why not start the day with them?

10 Min

GF

NF

Cardamom Chai

This is an afternoon tea staple in India. Nothing can make a kitchen smell warm and delicious like fresh pot of chai can.

Drinks

Drinks

Hot Drinks

Cold Drinks

Cocktails

Condiments

Condiments

Raita

Chutneys

Pickles

Masala

Grains

Grains

Buckwheat

Khichri

Millet

Noodles

Quinoa

Rice

Whole Grains

Dough

Dough

Roti

Paratha

Naan

Bread

Crackers

Pizza

Batter

Batter

Dosas

Pancakes

Crepes

Savory Baked

Savory Baked

Biscuits

Bread Pudding

Soups

Soups

Light Soup

Creamy Soup

Dal Soup

Stews

Cold Soup

Snacks

Snacks

Chaat

Spreads

Fried Snacks

Nosh

Legumes

Legumes

Dal

Beans

Salads

Salads

Veg Salads

Non-Veg Salads

Land & Sea

Land & Sea

Eggs

Birds

Meat

Fish

Shellfish

Paneer

Paneer

Paneer

Vegetables

Vegetables

Sabzi

Potatoes

Mushrooms

Eggplants

Cauliflower

Squashes

Root Vegetables

Vegetable Curries

Green Vegetables

Okra