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!

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

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

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.

Upma, the savory breakfast porridge that originated in southern India is usually made with semolina or crushed rice. A deeply satisfying porridge that lends itself to plenty of interpretation, upma can be amplified with the addition of vegetables, like this version with corn grits and fire-roasted summer corn.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

It’s rich, decadent — and vegetarian.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

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