Pickling mangoes in a market in Allepey, Kerela. March to May is mango season in India!

A teaspoon of: Death Cab for Cutie. Listening to: Some Boys.

Mother’s Day Brunch ~ Curried Carrot & Zucchini Savoury Muffins

I tried a new recipe and loved it ~ Curried Carrot & Zucchini Savoury Muffins.

Serve these flavourful yet mild savoury muffins for any brunch.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup soft whole wheat flour (chappati flour)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. Arvinda’s Curry Masala
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 cup cold butter
2 carrots, grated
1 zucchini, grated
3/4 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 1/4 cup milk

Method: Grease a muffin tin with oil or butter. Preheat oven to 375F.

In a large bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, Arvinda’s Curry Masala, salt and turmeric. Crumbled in butter and work into flour with fingers. Add carrots, zucchini, cheese and cilantro. Mix. Add milk to make a batter consistency.

Spoon into muffin tin and place in the centre of the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cooked inside and golden brown on the top.
Makes 12 large muffins. Enjoy and serve for brunch!
========================================================================================================================================

Mother’s Day Brunch table.

Any leftovers are nice for next day’s lunch!

What did you serve on Mother’s Day?

A teaspoon of: Iron & Wine. Listening to: Flightless Bird, American Mouth.

I visited an Indian snack food stall in New Delhi selling all sorts of spicy Indian “junk” food. All cultures love their snacks!

What is your favourite snack food?

A teaspoon of: Mac Miller. Listening to: Knock Knock. Too bad Philly!

Fresh turmeric is a rhizome. Use it the same way you would use ginger.

In Indian cooking we most often use turmeric in a powder form. It blends into our curries seamlessly and effortlessly and so perfectly, we wouldn’t use it any other way.

Turmeric is a rhizome and comes from the ginger family. Not as knobby as ginger you can see from the photo below, which I took on one of our recent Walking Tours of Little India. It’s tender, slender and bright orange in colour.

Look at the beautiful bright turmeric-orange colour!

Using turmeric fresh has its benefits because turmeric powder is very potent and does not match with every dish. Adding ‘too much of a good thing’ sometimes yields bitterness in a curry. Using it fresh however, allows us to enjoy it subtly, giving us many more ways to bring turmeric into our lives!

To use fresh, always scrub skin thoroughly or gently peel. I prefer to wash turmeric well so I don’t waste too much by peeling it.

Turmeric root is slender. It's best to scrub skin well or gently peel off skin before using.

Here are a few ideas how to use turmeric fresh:
- Add to Asian-inspired or Thai soups like Tom Yum Soup.
- Add to a pressed juice or smoothie (run it through a juicer). Try it in this Apple Ginger Chai Pressed Juice.
- Add grated fresh turmeric as a garnish on top of a curry or salad.
- Boil it in a tea. Try it in Masala Chai.

Please share your tips or recipes that use fresh turmeric!

A teaspoon of: Snow Patrol. Listening to: Weight Of Love.

In the cooking classes we teach, we recommend having a basic set of spices on hand that can be used for most Indian dishes. With these top basic Indian spices stocked in your pantry, you can be sure to make most dishes pretty well even if you’re missing the odd spice here or there.

Below are some of the spices you’ll need to stock your basic Indian pantry (or should I say Masala Dabba/Box?!):

Here are some of the basic spices you'll need to stock your Indian spice pantry.

Arvinda’s Curry Masala is a nice blend to replace many of these basic spices. Garam Masala is also an important finishing spice blend.

And if you don’t yet have a masala dabba (or box), you’re missing out on a wonderful kitchen gadget for storing your spices! It keeps your spices ultra fresh. You can purchase them here.

And don’t forget, turmeric can be put into more than just your curries! Try adding it to your breakfast Masala Chai, hot chocolate, pasta sauce, vinagrettes…and so on. As always, I go crazy for this!

A teaspoon of: The Weeknd. Listening to: High For This.

Saag Panner ~ Indian cheese with spinach also known as Palak Paneer.

So they say it takes 21 days to make a new habit (or break an old one!). With the arrival of spring comes a time of renewal, rejuvenation and restoration after the winter months of hibernation–and a perfect time to wake up and wash away some old habits that could be dragging us down!

As we’re into the month of April, this is also a time we can take positive actions to make our ‘environmental footprints’ smaller as Earth Day approaches. This year, Earth Day Canada is challenging Canadians to Take It Up. Take up a new challenge to do your part. In the end, it’s the challenges that are our greatest motivators for change and for pushing our boundaries further! They also keep life fun!

It’s simple–commit to ‘taking it up’ in one of the following categories and you can win some very cool prizes!

Eat
Plant-based diets are better for the environment and a vegan diet has the smallest environmental impact of all. Eating veg has never been easier! Learn more »

Drink
You may know that drinking plenty of water is good for your health, but did you know that drinking tap water (and conserving water elsewhere) is crucial to the health of the planet? Learn more »

Care
If lipstick contains lead and common antiperspirants and shampoos contain chemicals linked to cancer, is it safe to be using them daily? Prevent adding these to your body and the environment! Learn more »

Move
Do you find it challenging to make time to exercise, choose active transportation, and unplug from your favourite activities? We’ve got some ideas! Learn more »

I decided to take the ‘Move’ challenge, to unplug and think about carpooling, public transport and sustainable ways to ‘move’.

For those of you thinking of the ‘Eat’ challenge, you can look at Indian cuisine as an easy and delicious way to incorporate lentils, beans and vegetables into the diet. I’ll leave you with this recipe for inspiration!
========================================================================================================================================
Saag Paneer – Indian cheese with spinach
Indian grocery stores carry paneer. If you can’t find paneer in the stores, try making your own at home. Here is my Paneer Making Workshop.

For a vegan substitute, try this recipe with tofu and almond milk.

Ingredients:
1 cup paneer, cubed
1 bunch spinach, finely chopped
1 tbsp. oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
¼ cup ground or crushed tomatoes, canned
1 ½ tbsp. Arvinda’s Curry Masala
1 tsp. sea salt OR salt to taste
1 tsp. sugar
½ cup light cream
¼ cup ground almonds or cashews (optional)
½ cup water
¼ cup. cilantro, finely chopped to garnish
½ tsp. Arvinda’s Garam Masala, to garnish

Method: In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil on medium high and fry onions until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add ground tomatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add Arvinda’s Curry Masala and mix.

Add sugar and mix. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Fold in paneer. Add cream and almonds. Add salt to taste. Stir. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Add water. Simmer for another few minutes. This dish should have a thick creamy sauce. Garnish with cilantro and Arvinda’s Garam Masala. Serve with Indian flatbreads and rice. Serves 2-4.

Download the recipe: Arvinda’s Saag Paneer ~ Indian Pressed Cheese with Spinach

========================================================================================================================================
Arvinda’s will be at the Green Living Show this weekend at booth #1818. Please come by and visit – we can get you started on your Indian cooking!

A teaspoon of: Snow Patrol. Listening to: In The End.

Greek yogurt makes this one of the easiest Indian desserts to prepare. I love it!

Greek yogurt has made life so easy! It’s my perfect little secret for making Creamy Chai Spiced Shrikhand–my one and only favourite Indian dessert which I make only once every year…on my birthday!

Many of my readers are asking for the recipe, so here it is. This is the super easy version, using a honey flavoured greek yogurt. Normally we strain the yogurt to get it all thick and full-bodied but with greek yogurt on hand, I skip this step altogether, making this one easy, no fuss classic Indian dessert–even perfect for a birthday.

Enjoy!
================================================================================================================================
Creamy Chai Spiced Shrikhand

Ingredients:
1 tub organic honey flavoured greek yogurt (500g)
2 tsp. Arvinda’s Chai Masala
8-10 saffron strands
1/4 cup mixed almonds and pistachios, sliced or ground

Method: In a bowl stir greek yogurt with a spatula. Mix in all ingredients with the exception of 1 tbsp. nuts. Spoon into dessert cups and sprinkle with nuts to garnish. Serves 4-6.
================================================================================================================================

So easy, creamy and decadent what's not to love about Shrikhand?

Wow, that was easy! Now onto having fun…

Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone!

P.S. also want to thank Tina from Whisks and Chopsticks for the Kreativ Blogger Award and Cloud of Lace for the Versatile Blogger Award! Shukriya!

A teaspoon of: Snow Patrol. Listening to: Perfect Little Secret.

Jaipur, Rajasthan: Tired camels after a hard day's work.

A teaspoon of: Snow Patrol. Listening to: Lifening.

Cilantro Mint Chutney is a fine pairing to any Indian spiced appetizer-try this for St. Patrick's Day! My pastry is a samosa filling of green peas in a puff pastry.

When we talk about St. Patrick’s Day flavours, the most obvious one is mint, which is so often paired with chocolate in desserts–a quite divine combination if I could say so!

Mint is also a tremendous flavour with a little chili heat too. Add some green to your lucky ‘savoury’ St. Paddy’s Day table with this fresh, savoury cilantro mint chutney. You can pair it with any Indian savoury snacks really and layer on some great flavour and heat!

A bonus with this chutney–switch it up by mixing in some yogurt and you have an easy Raita-like dip. I layer this dip on curried chick peas, on top of falafel and eat it on the side to lentils and beans. It’s so versatile!

Here’s a great tip: Make the chutney in a large batch. Freeze in an ice-cube tray. Thaw and mix in with yogurt. Easy-peasy and always on hand when you need a quick dip or chutney to take your meal to another level of flavour!
================================================================================================================================
Cilantro Mint Chutney
Pair this chutney with Indian snacks like samosas or Indian-inspired savouries like this Indian-spiced St. Paddy’s Day pastry.

Ingredients:
1 small apple, cored, peeled and cubed
1 cup cilantro
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 small green chili
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 – 1/2 cup water (add accordingly for desired consistency)

Method: Combine ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth. Makes 1 cup.

Bulk up your batch, freeze into ice-cube tray and pull out when you need some flavour. Stir into yogurt for an easy Raita-like dip.

================================================================================================================================
St. Patrick’s Day is a day when we can cast out our wishes into the universe and hope some ‘lady luck’ is on our side. Isn’t it?

Over the course of the last few months, my thoughts on the concept of “luck” has shifted–and dramatically too. I’m not so sure about wishing and luck. My thoughts resonate with the quote below by Tennessee Williams, “Luck is believing you’re lucky.“

Aren’t we lucky to be alive? And lucky to be blessed with such a sacred thing called life? On the course of our daily treadmills we so often forget this!

Luck to me is about having gratitude. It’s the half cup full versus the cup half empty. If we believe we’re already lucky then everything seems so much brighter and we can realize the luck we own within us to make our visions a reality. I hope I’m not sounding like a self-help book–I think I’m watching WAY too much Oprah’s Lifeclass!

So with that, St. Patrick’s Day is about being grateful and embracing the luck within ourselves. A very Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you and enjoy life!

How do you define luck?

A teaspoon of: U2. Listening to: Sunday Bloody Sunday.
OF COURSE my soundtrack today comes from my favourite Irish band. Gotta love young Bono’s rant in this 1988 Rattle And Hum’s ‘rockumentary’ version.

I wanted to share this with you as it made me realize my blogging experience is an instrument to help me grow, learn and connect.

I’m recollecting some of my favourite posts and recipes…but first a little bit more about this award.

The rules for receiving the award:
1. Thank the person who gave it to you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Share seven of your worthy posts under the following headers: Most Beautiful Piece, Most Helpful, Most Popular, Most Controversial, Most Surprisingly Successful, Most Underrated and Most Pride Worthy.
4. Nominate seven other bloggers and notify them.
================================================================================================================================
1. A note of sincere gratitude to Steph Rice of Basmati Taco for nominating me for the award. Shukriya! Love the Indian-style taco idea.

2. Seven Random Facts: I mentioned these already here before.

3. My favourite posts:

• Most Beautiful – Creamy Chai Spiced Shrikhand, an elegant Indian dessert for a birthday. Was featured on FoodPress!

• Most Helpful – It’s time for turmeric: Ayurvedic Turmeric Milk

• Most Popular – Turned onto tempeh: Tandoori Marinated Tempeh This post gained the most traffic on my blog when it reached FoodBuzz’s Top 9. And Masala Kale Chips too!

• Most Controversial – Tonight Crosby VS Ovechkin: Indian bites for the big game. Depends on which team you support!

• Most Surprisingly Successful – Feel Alive: 5 reasons to add greens to ALL your recipes. This post won first place in the Cookin’ Greens contest-wasn’t expecting that!

• Most Underrated – Help colds and flus vanish with this rustic Indian dish: Khichri

• Most Pride Worthy – Indian Spiced Hot Chocolate

This Indian sweet--Shrikhand--hails from Gujarat, central western India where it is eaten with a deep-fried bread, Puri. A beautiful dessert and my favourite sweet for a birthday!

4. And I’m passing this award to these seven fabulous peeps and their very cool blogs:

• Bam’s Kitchen Unique International Dishes Even Teenagers Will Enjoy

• Curry And Comfort Exotic Foods From Around The World & Comfort Foods To Make You Feel At Home

• Life After Bagels Where Hungry Girl Meets Healthy Girl

• Masala Art A blend of recipes from different cultures mixed in with fashion, Meenakshi’s baby and more!

• Masala Mommas An Online Magazine For Today’s Moms With A South Asian Connection

• Naughty Curry A Food And Travel Blog

• Revel In The Life You’re Creating

================================================================================================================================
A teaspoon of: Said The Whale. Listening to: Heavy Ceiling.