The Waldorf Salad was invented in New York’s famous Waldorf-Astoria hotel in the late 19th century. This crunchy, fruity, nutty salad will please even the most picky eaters. Salads are not that popular in India. So okay, we have our koshimbirs, kosambaris, kachumbars, raitas and what not, but they are condiments or side dishes at…
Soups, Salads and Sides
Vegetarian recipes for soups, salads and side dishes inspired by world cuisine.
Watermelon Gazpacho with GAIA Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Does the thought of chilled watermelon gazpacho, flavored with good extra virgin olive oil cool you down a bit? Then you are in the right place. The temperatures are going crazy here in Pune. The mercury is soaring above 40, even touching 44, they say. It’s like a kite which only goes so high most…
Pumpkin Sambar Recipe – Vegan Lentil Stew for Fall
Pumpkin Sambar recipe, a vegan stew with pigeon peas and pumpkin, spiced with turmeric, coriander and warm Indian spices, is a great way to welcome Fall. Sambar is a staple in South Indian cooking, with a signature flavor and taste that can be attributed to curry leaves, tamarind and spices. Sambar is eaten almost everyday…
Beetroot Hummus – Healthy Vegan Dip for Summer
Beetroot Hummus is on the menu today. Who can ever resist the vibrant pink beetroot? I can’t! I grew up eating this earthy vegetable and I love it both raw and cooked. And I love hummus. Combining the two seems so natural. I have a basic hummus recipe here on the blog – older, ‘rustic’…
Peanut Sundal – No Onion No Garlic Recipe [Vegan]
Peanut Sundal is an easy nutritious salad or snack that can be very addictive. And no, you don’t have to wait for any holy occasion to indulge in it. I recently blogged about the Bhog festival at the Four Points by Sheraton Pune. Navratri or Durga Pooja has spurred local restaurants and hotels to hold…
Gazpacho – Cold Spanish Tomato Soup Recipe
Some things are so simple that they fall off the radar. I have wanted to blog about this cold Spanish soup for years. But it always gets swept under the rug because ‘ Oh gazpacho! I can do that any time’. The scorching sun is really making me miserable this year. Actually, it does that…
The BIG SALAD – Summer time is salad time!
If you are a fan of Elaine Benis and Seinfeld, you obviously remember the ‘big salad’ episode. Could anyone but Julia Dreyfus have carried it off? I have been eating a salad almost every day for years. It is one of the things I miss most about my desk job – heading to the cafeteria…
Oven Baked Fries – Baked Curry Seasoned Fries
Baked Fries? Are you cringing at the concept? Well, if you love eating food fried in lard and dunked in salt, maybe you are. But if you are even a teeny bit health conscious, I am sure the concept of baked fries has sparked your interest. So OK, let me be the first to admit…
Eggless Coleslaw – Homemade Real Food Recipe
Coleslaw is a mainstay of American cuisine. Many times people ask me what constitutes American food. Is it just burgers and fries, the stuff you get at McDonald’s? Considering the vast United States with their own diversity as regards regions and people, it is hard to answer that question. We have the down home Southern…
Hummus – Middle Eastern Chickpea Dip
Hummus needs no introduction. Or does it? I just love this creamy, boldly flavored dip and can lap it up in any number of ways – with chips, in sandwiches, on salads, in wraps etc. There are many kinds of hummus – the smoky Baba Ghanouj, or roasted red pepper hummus or sun dried tomato…