I use who coriander and cumin seeds, that I gently roast on a skillet and then powder in a spice grinder. There is nothing like freshly ground spices to make a hummus (or anything other dish) flavorful! But if you want a short cut, simple use ground coriander and ground cumin instead.

Cauliflower Hummus with Tahini Recipe

Serves 6 as a dip

Ingredients
1 lb cauliflower florets (about 1 small head of cauliflower)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon coriander seeds. Substitute with ground coriander.
1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Substitute with ground cumin.
1/4 cup tahini
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro or parsley

Method
1.Place the cauliflower florets in a steamer apparatus, cover and steam until the florets are very soft, about 15 minutes.
If you don’t have a steamer, place the cauliflower florets, along with 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer the cauliflower until it is very soft, about 10 minutes. If all the water evaporates before the cauliflower is soft, add 1/4 cup water at a time. If there is any water remaining in the pan at the end, remove the lid, crank up the heat to medium-high and let it boil away. Make sure the cauliflower is not water logged or too wet before proceeding

2.While the cauliflower is steaming, work on the spices. Place the coriander and cumin seeds in a small skillet. Toast on medium-low heat, shaking often until the spices are lightly golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let the spices cool a little, then powder them in a food processor or mortar and pestle. If you are using ground coriander and cumin, skip this step and go to step 3.

3. Place the steamed, cooled cauliflower, and all other ingredients except the cilantro or parsley in a food processor, and blend into a smooth puree. If the dip is too thick, add water a few tablespoons at a time until your desired consistency is reached. If you want the hummus more creamy add more tahini at this point. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley.

Masala Coated Corn Cobs

Serves 4-6 as an accompaniment

Ingredients
4 roma tomatoes
4 tablespoons oil
1 small red onion, minced
3/4 tablespoon ginger paste, or grated ginger
3/4 tablespoon garlic paste, or grated garlic
1/4 of a cinnamon stick, optional
1 small bay leaf, optional
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder or according to taste
3 corn cobs

Method
1. Core the tomatoes and puree them along with 1/2 cup water. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan. Add the minced onion and cook on medium heat until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Now add the ginger and garlic pastes, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3.Add the cinnamon stick, and bay leaf if using and cook for another minute.
4. Now sprinkle the garam masala, coriander powder and chili powder. Stir for 10 seconds. Pour in the pureed tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the husk and silk from the corn cobs. Trim off the top and bottom ends. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut each corn cob into 3 or 4 chunks.
6. Add the cut corn cobs, salt and 1/2 cup water into the sauce pan. Stir well. Let the corn cobs cook, stirring occasionally, until all the water boils away and the masala paste coats the corn cobs. Fish out the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Pinch off a corn kernel and test it for doneness. If it isn’t fully cooked, add a little more water and continue cooking until the corn kernel are cooke through.
Serve hot with rice or rotis.

I first discovered Butler soy curls about 6 years ago. Since then, this soy curl taco has been my favorite dish using soy curls. I take back a bag of soy curls for my parents when I visit India. They use it to make masala coated soy curls dish and love it! Soy curls absorb flavors easily and are meaty and satisfying – the best fake meat ever! Even the meat lovers will love this vegetarian, vegan recipe!

Rehydrating soy curls is easy. Just add hot water to them and soak for about 5 minutes. Then drain. When the soy curls are cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as you can. Your soy curls are now all reconstituted and ready to jump into the taco filling! For the filling I used peppers, onions, Mexican oregano and chili powder.

I prefer using corn tortillas over flour. But feel free to whatever kind of tortilla you like – corn, flour, whole wheat – its all good. Use whatever toppings you like for the tacos as well. I topped my soy curl tacos with salsa, shredded cheese and shredded lettuce.

Soy Curls Taco Recipe

serves about 2-3

Ingredients
1 cup soy curls
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red or green pepper, sliced into strips
1 small red onion, sliced into half moons
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/2 teaspoon Ancho chili powder. Substitute with regular chili powder or paprika.
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Juice of half a lime
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Half a lime cut into wedges
6-8 small sized corn or flour tortillas

Toppings – pick what you like
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour cream
Grated cheese
Shredded lettuce

Method
1. First rehydrate the soy curls. Boil water in a kettle. Place soy curls in a bowl and pour enough boiling water over them to completely submerge the soy curls. Let the soy curls soak in the hot water for about 5 minutes or until they are soft. Then drain them in a colander. When the soy curls have cooled enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as you can and set aside.
2. Heat the oil on medium-high heat in a large wok or skillet. Add the sliced peppers and onions and sauté for about 2 minutes.
3. Then add the rehydrated soy curls, ground cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, lime juice and salt. Saute for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top.
4. Just before serving, wrap the tacos in a stack, in a kitchen towel and microwave them for about 20 seconds. Keep the tacos covered to prevent them from drying out.
5. To serve, fill a warm taco with the soy curl filling and top with your choice of toppings from the list above. Serve the lime wedges on the side.

I have an exciting new giveaway today. Naturipe Farms is giving away a KitchenAid food processor to one lucky Veggie Belly winner! Scroll to the bottom of this post to enter!

But wait, theres more! You can also win a $500 Williams Sonoma gift card on Naturipe’s site. Head over there and check out their grand prize giveaway!



This simple blackberry jalapeño chutney goes really well with the jerk spiced tofu. You can also use it as a condiment or as a sandwich spread.


Tips
- The onion flakes in the marinade tend to burn. So keep an eye on it. If it starts to burn, sprinkle a little water into the pan. Or use a spoon and remove the bits of the marinade that are browned (but not yet burned). Add the browned onion bits back to the tofu before serving.
-Pressed tofu makes it easier for the marinade to soak in. Pressing tofu is pretty straight forward – you wrap a block of tofu in a kitchen towel and put a weight on it, so that all the water is released. See this post on how to press tofu. If you don’t have time to press tofu, buy extra firm tofu, and gently pat the tofu with a kitchen towel to absorb the liquid. Then proceed with this recipe.
- Substitute allspice with ground cloves.
- The blackberry chutney is very customizable. Adjust the jalapeño, sugar and lime according to your taste.
- Most the heat in jalapeños lies in the seeds and white membrane. If you like it hot, keep the seeds. If you want it mild, remove the seeds and membrane.

Jamaican Jerk Tofu with Blackberry Jalapeño Chutney Recipe

 Serves 2-3

Ingredients
One 15 oz block of firm tofu (drained weight), pressed.
For the Marinade
1 tablespoon onion flakes or onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice. Substitute with 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice, optional
3 tablespoons olive oil

For the chutney
6 oz blackberries
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño*
2 cloves of garlic, optional
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon all spice
Juice of one lime
zest of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar

*This will make a medium-hot chutney. Use more or less jalapeños according to taste.

Method

1. Slice the block of tofu diagonally in half, so you have 2 triangles. Cut each tofu triangle lengthwise into 4 triangles, so that you have 8 tofu triangles in total.
2. Place all marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk well.
3. Place the tofu in single layer on a plate, container or baking sheet. Pour the marinade on top and spread it evenly to coat the tofu. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days, or cook the tofu immediately.
4. Heat a large non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the tofu slices on the skillet, without over lapping. Scrape the marinade and drizzle all over the tofu. Cook till both sides of the tofu are golden brown, flipping over once.
5. To make the chutney, place all ingredients, except sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer the chutney for about 8 minutes, or till it thickens. Stir in the sugar, mix well, and turn off heat. Chutney will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

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This curry is very easy to make. The curry powder and the lemongrass do the work for you, really. They make the curry wonderfully aromatic and tasty. A lot of Vietnamese curries have finely minced lemongrass in them. Sometimes lemongrass can be fibrous, so I prefer to leave it whole in the curry, and then fish it out before serving. Just make sure you give the lemongrass stalk a good smash, to break it open and release all its flavors.
 Vietnamese curry powder is easily available at Asian markets. Fubonn, the Asian store I frequent, has several brands of Vietnamese curry powder, and I’m spoiled for choice! Pick a Vietnamese “Madras” curry powder (Ca Ri Ni An Do) and you can’t go wrong.

You can also order Vietnamese curry powder online.

Vietnamese Potato and Green Bean Curry

Serves about 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
1 small onion, diced
1 lemon grass stalk
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Vietnamese curry powder (Ca Ri Ni An Do or Madras Curry Powder). Available at Asian markets or online.
12 oz yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
5 oz green beans (about 1 heaping cup when chopped). Substitute with 1 heaping cup of broccoli florets
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon sugar, optional
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish

Method
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook on medium heat till slightly browned. While the onion is cooking, prepare the lemongrass – slice off the top and bottom of the lemongrass stalk, cut it into 2 pieces, and using a mallet, smash the two lemongrass sticks in order to release flavor. Set aside.
2. When the onion is golden brown, add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute.
3. Add the smashed lemongrass and curry powder and stir for 30 seconds.
4. Throw in the chopped potatoes, salt, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer covered till the potatoes are cooked but still holding their shape.
5. Now add the beans or broccoli, coconut milk and sugar. Cook on medium heat till the beans/broccoli are tender. If the curry is too thick, add up to 1 cup water.
7. Fish out and discard the lemongrass pieces before serving.
6. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with rice, noodles or baguette.

The dipping sauce for this recipe is simple. If you want it spicier add some sriracha or wasabi. For a creamier dipping sauce add a spoon or two of peanut butter to the recipe below.

You can easily make the tofu mushroom filling ahead of time and re-heat it when you are ready to eat. Cut the tofu and the mushrooms the same size so it looks pretty!

Tips
- Make sure you get the freshest romaine lettuce hearts you can find. (A romaine heart is the entire lettuce, with the leaves attached to the core). Keep in mind, the inner leaves are usually more fresh and crisp compared to the outer ones. If your romaine heart is looking a little limp on the outside, peel away the outer leaves and chances are, you will find the inner leaves are still fresh.
- I like using dried, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms for this recipe. If you don’t have dried shiitakes, use button mushrooms instead. But they will tend to release liquid while cooking. If button mushrooms release liquid while cooking, increase heat to high and let the liquid evaporate.
- If you are using shiitakes, you can soak and squeeze them ahead of time and store the rehydrated mushrooms in the fridge.
- I like thin, light dipping sauces for lettuce wraps. But if you like yours thicker or richer, add 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter to my dipping sauce recipe below.

8 Ingredient Tofu Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

serves 3-4 as an appetizer
Ingredients
8 dried Shiitake mushrooms. Substitute with 12 button mushrooms
1 lb drained extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons Soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 tablespoon lime juice or vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Sriracha, or according to taste
zest of half a lime, optional
12 crisp Romaine leaves

For the dipping sauce
4 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon lime juice or vinegar
2 tablespoon water
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar

Method
1. Drain the tofu and pat it dry. Cut the tofu length wise into 4. Then carefully turn the block over on its side and cut into 4 again. You will now have 16 strips. Cut the strips into 1/4th inch cubes.

2. If using dried mushrooms, rehydrate them according to package directions. When the mushrooms are soft, drain them (save the liquid for soups!), squeeze the excess liquid, and chop them about the same size as the tofu cubes. If using button mushrooms, chop them the same size as the tofu cubes.

3. In a cup, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, sriracha and lime juice or vinegar. Set aside.

3. Heat oil in a large wok or large skillet. Throw in the tofu cubes. Try to keep them in a single layer. If all the tofu doesn’t fit in a single layer, cook them in batches. If the tofu cubes are too crowded they will stew instead of browning.

4. Cook the tofu undisturbed on medium-high heat till the bottom side is golden brown. Carefully flip the tofu cubes over using a spatula, and cook undisturbed till the other side is golden brown.

5. When all the tofu is browned, add the onion and mushrooms to the skillet. Saute on high heat till the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. If you are using button mushrooms and they let out liquid, just keep cooking on high heat till all the liquid evaporates.

6. Pour in the soy sauce mixture. Cook till all the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle lime zest, if using, on top.

8. To make the dipping sauce, whisk all ingredients together till the sugar dissolves.

9. To serve, cut each romaine leaf into half. Place one half on top of the other to form a cup. Repeat with all lettuce leaves. Serve the tofu mushroom saute in a bowl, along with the dipping sauce.

Everyday Mixed Vegetable Curry Recipe

serves about 4
Ingredients
2 large ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 green chili, slit, optional
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 heaping teaspoon ground coriander
1/8th teaspoon chili powder, or more according to taste
1/2 cup diced carrot (small cubes)*
1/2 cup chopped green beans*
1 cup chopped cauliflower florets*
Salt
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

*Chop all the vegetables small, and keep them the same size so they cook evenly

Method
1. Core the tomatoes and puree them in a blender, using as little water as possible. Blend into a very smooth puree and set aide.
2. Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the green chili and cook for 10 seconds. Turn the heat down to low.
3. Sprinkle the turmeric, cumin, coriander and chili powder on the oil. Immediately pour in the pureed tomatoes plus 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat enough to maintain a lively simmer. Cook till the sauce thickens just a little, and gets glossy, about 7 minutes.
4. Now throw in the vegetables and salt and cook covered till vegetables are soft.
5. If the sauce is too thick, add up to one cup of water to thin it down and boil for another minute. This is not a thick curry, it should be a little thin.
6. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rotis.

Golden Buddha at Dambulla

My recent trip to Sri Lanka was a dream come true. My grandfather as well as my husband’s grandfather had business ties in Sri Lanka. When he was a young man, my grandfather worked in Colombo. I grew up hearing stories about this beautiful island – stories of colonial bungalows, lush tea estates, Hindu temples, and train rides. I am so excited that I finally was able to make the trip to the spice island and experience its magic for myself.

Vegetarian food in Sri Lanka was easy to find. I found plenty of delicious vegetarian local dishes. Food in Sri Lanka was comfortingly familiar. Rice and coconut feature heavily in Sri Lankan cuisine, just like in South India. But unlike India, they use pandan leaves in cooking, and treat it just like curry leaves.

If you are a vegetarian traveling to Sri Lanka, here are some must-eats..

Vegetarian lunch - Red rice, chili pickle, snake gourd with coconut milk, water spinach, beetroot curry, dal curry and papadam

A Vegetarian’s Guide to Sri Lanka

Rice and Curry – This is a staple in Sri Lanka and you will find plenty of vegetarian options. During my trip, I had dal curry, jackfruit curry, snake gourd curry, potato curry, coconut milk curry scented with pandan, pumpkin curry, beetroot curry and cashew curry. If you are a vegetarian and you like rice and curry, you will never be hungry in Sri Lanka!

Sambal – Sambal is a spicy condiment made of crushed red chillies and is ubiquitous on the island at meal time. There are many kinds of Sambal. Lunu miris sambal is made with red chillies, onion, lemon and salt. Pol sambal is made with fresh shredded coconut and red chillies. Katta sambal contains caramelized onions and chillies.

Hoppers – I could eat Sri Lankan hoppers every meal of every day. These bowl shaped rice and coconut milk crepes (Appa) are an iconic breakfast item. Hoppers come in many kinds. I tried honey hoppers sweetened with local honey, egg hoppers, curry leaf hoppers, beet hoppers and spinach hoppers. String hoppers (Idiappa) are steamed rice noodles nests and a Sri Lankan breakfast favorite.

Stuffed Roti – Flatbread stuffed and folded with spicy fillings (vegetarian easily available) are a common street food. Roti is cheap, filling and a great snack.

Kotthu Roti – This street food was my all time favorite. Kotthu roti means “chopped” roti. Shredded rotis are mixed with vegetables and spices and stir fried. Watching street side kotthu roti makers is fun – they throw vegetables and shredded rotis on a griddle and chop them using special flat knives, making rhythmic sounds.

Sri Lankan Chinese – Yes, such a thing exists! Chinese dishes like fried rice, soups and spring rolls are common items on restaurant menus. Chinese food in Sri Lanka is adapted to suit local tastes and to use local ingredients like chillies. I particularly loved Sri Lankan Chinese chili paste – a sweet and hot paste made by sauteing crushed chillies, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and sugar. Its like a Chinese sambal! Some of these pastes contain shrimp, so ask first.

Tea – Sri Lanka is blessed with abundant rainfall and humidity that are conducive to tea growing. Not surprisingly, this tiny country is one of the world’s largest exporters of tea. In Sri Lanka, you will find regular black tea, cardamom tea, ginger tea, and tea sweetened with condensed milk.

Spices – There is an abundance of spices in Sri Lanka. The country’s cooking uses numerous spices like cinnamon, black mustard, cardamom, coriander, cumin, etc. Sri Lankan cinnamon is especially fragrant and tasty, so make sure you bring back a packet or two when you are visiting.

At Chuti, a street side kotthu roti shop in Sigiriya. The owner is making my lunch.

Curd and treacle (coconut molasses)

Pots of wood apple tea and black tea brewing at a street side shack

Coconut rotis (recipe below) and king coconuts

Exploring Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle

Woman in Sri Lankan sari worshiping at Polonnaruwa

Monk at Anuradhapura Maha Bodhi Temple

Entrance to Dambulla cave temples

Dambulla cave temples

Polonnaruwa ruins

Coconut Roti (Pol Roti) Recipe

I had coconut roti or pol roti in Sri Lanka almost everyday for breakfast. It is the easiest flat bread you can ever make. And its vegetarian, vegan and gluten free too!

I recommend using fresh shredded coconut. There are so few ingredients in this dish, and the coconut is the highlight, so use the freshest coconuts possible. Good quality fresh frozen shredded coconut is a second option. Also remember to salt the rotis well. The salt will really enhance the coconut taste in these pol rotis.

Flatten coconut roti dough on banana leaves or foil

The pol rotis I saw in Sri Lanka mostly had all purpose flour in them. But I prefer using rice flour, its lighter and tastier in my opinion.

Coconut Roti Recipe
makes about 20 small (3 inch) rotis

Ingredients
1 cup rice flour. Substitute with all purpose flour
3/4 cup fresh shredded coconut
salt
oil

Method
1. Place all ingredients a large bowl. Using water, bind the flour and coconut into a slightly firm dough. When the dough is done, it should not be sticky, and have a consistency that is like chappati dough.
2. Form the dough into lemon sized balls. Take a piece of foil, a zip lock bag or a piece of fresh banana leaf. Spread it with a drop of oil. Oil your palm and fingers with a few drops of oil as well. Put a dough ball on the oiled foil/ziplock/banana leaf. Gently pat it and flatten it into a 0.3cm thick disc (see picture above).
3. Put the flattened roti on a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Put as many rotis as will fit on the skillet. Drizzle a few drops oil around the rotis. Cook, flipping a few times till both sides form brown spots. Remove from skillet and repeat for all the dough balls.
4. Serve with chutney, pickle or sambal.

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Enter for a chance to win a Sri Lankan Spice and Tea Hamper!

India shipping only!

I’ve bought back a ton of goodies from my trip to Sri Lanka and have put together a hamper for you!

One lucky winner will receive this gift hamper containing:

1. Red rice string hopper flour – so you can enjoy this Sri Lankan specialty at home
2. Unroasted curry powder – use it to make a curry for your hoppers
3. Roasted curry powder – perfect for Sri Lankan curries
4. Sri Lankan cinnamon – fat sticks of fragrant cinnamon from the island. A little goes a long way
5. Deviled cashew nuts – careful, they are hot!
6. Hand made paper bowl
7. Balisur Tea Book – Authentic Sri Lankan tea in a tin shaped like a book. You get your choice of black tea or Ceylon green tea with bergamot
8. “Rice & Curry ” a Sri Lankan cookbook by acclaimed writer, S.H.Fernando  – so you can put your goodies to good use

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If the Rafflecopter is not working, simply leave a comment below and you are entered!

My paternal grandmother passed away a year ago this month. My grandmother raised me, and taught me a great deal. In her memory, I will be posting a series of her favorite recipes. The first in the series is this tomato stew with coconut milk. My grandmother relished this dish, often eating it with steaming hot idlis for dinner.

I’ve already written a little about my grandmother and what an accomplished woman she was in this post. In this series, I will share more memories of her through her favorite recipes. My grandmother was far ahead of her times. She pursued higher education, a career and a public life – something very few Indian women did during her time. She was a PhD in philosophy and literature, a public speaker, author of many books and an educationalist. And she spent a life time championing womens’ education in India.

Not only was she a career woman, she also enjoyed hosting and entertaining guests in her home..

Tomato stew with coconut milk - one of my grandmother's favorites.

My grandmother playing with my iPhone on Pongal day 2013. This was the last picture taken of her.

Diwali, 2002

Getting ready for bedtime, 1982

My grandmother’s dinner parties were legendary and her hospitality impeccable. Although she never took an interest in cooking, she had a keen palate and a great love of hosting and feeding people. She would give her cook, Mariappan detailed instructions before the dinner parties. She would have the coconut trees in her lawn decorated with strings of light bulbs. She took care of every detail – the decoration, neatly folded napkins, extra large sized silver plates, polished cutlery, and a lovingly curated menu.

A typical menu made by the talented cook Mariappan would include tomato rasam and rice wafers for dipping, green pea rice scented with cumin, plump vegetable cutlets coated with golden bread crumbs, fried puris, fragrant garlicky cauliflower masala and delicate sweet polis made with lentils, cardamom and drenched in ghee. As a child, I looked forward to those balmy evenings when my grandmother would regale her guests, laughing, quoting poetry, and coaxing them to eat more. Nobody ever went home hungry after visiting my grandmothers house!

Even in her passing she found an opportunity to entertain people. Let me explain. Where I come from in India, it is customary to host a lunch in the honor of the deceased a few days after the funeral. My grandmother must have known intuitively that her death was near. So one week before her passing she wrote out the menu for the post funeral lunch, along with detailed instructions on how it should be served. Thats right, my grandmother made the menu and gave instructions for her own funeral lunch!

As per my grandmother’s wishes, my family organized a multi course lunch, with four desserts (she had quite the sweet tooth!) served on the largest, freshest banana leaves on the very same lawn where she had regally presided over dinner parties for fifty years. It was the best send off we could have given to a woman who was so passionate about food, people and life.

It is an honor to have been raised by a woman who was so intelligent, beautiful and exuberant. Her life was grand and her love was abundant. This post is the first in a series of recipes I will be posting as a tribute to my grandmother. These recipes have all been tried and tested over decades. Every single recipe I will be posting was a favorite of my grandmother’s. Each one brings back a flood of memories.

In creating these posts, I am filled with tremendous pride to have been part of this incredible woman’s life, and at the same time I am filled with great grief that she is no more.

Tomato Coconut Stew

serves about 4 as an accompaniment/curry

Ingredients
1 lb ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon oil
1/4th teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4th teaspoon urad dal
1 small onion, minced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
6 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Method
1. Bring plenty of water to boil in a saucepan. Drop the tomatoes into the water. Let them boil till their skins blister, about 2 minutes. Then drain.
2. When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skins. Then puree the tomatoes without any water. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add the urad dal, and mustard seeds.
4. When the mustard seeds pop, add the onion, garlic, curry leaves and cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Pour in the tomato puree, chili and turmeric powders, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil.
6. Then reduce heat, and cook on medium-low heat, uncovered, till the sauce becomes thick. About 15 minutes.
7. Add the coconut milk, stir, and turn off heat.
8. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with roti, idlis, dosa, or neer dosa.

I’ve taken the classic South Indian upma – a breakfast dish made with semolina – and quinoa-fied it! The traditional upma uses semolina, onions, ginger and vegetables. I’ve pretty much kept everything the same, except the addition of quinoa. This is a quick, satisfying, one pot meal. Serve it along with my twice cooked tomato chutney.

I’m always thinking of new and different quinoa recipes and putting an Indian twist to this quinoa dish really works. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ve already seen my hugely popular mango blueberry quinoa salad, a version of which I demoed on TV. I also have a spicy quinoa, black bean and asparagus bowl recipe and a more summery quinoa recipe with balsamic grilled vegetables. If you’ve tried lots of quinoa recipes and looking for something completely different, this quinoa upma is for you!

Quinoa Upma Recipe

 Serves about 6

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter or oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-3 green chili, slit
1 small onion, thinly sliced
one inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into 3 pieces
a few curry leaves, optional
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup shelled green peas
2 cups quinoa
Salt
Chopped cilantro for garnish

Method
1. In a large saucepan with a lid, heat the butter or oil and add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the green chili, onions, ginger and curry leaf. Stir on medium heat till the onion is soft and transcluscent.

2. Now add the turmeric, carrots, and peas. Cook stirring for about a minute.

3. Add the quinoa to the saucepan and stir gently for a few seconds. Then pour in 4 cups water, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer covered till all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes.

4. Serve hot, garnished with chopped cilantro. If desired, fish out and discard the ginger chunks before serving.