Never heard of Gobi Manchurian? Not surprising. Not sure why but it’s a well kept secret. Gobi is Hindi for cauliflower. Manchuria is a region in China. India meets China. You can’t go three hops on the internet without bumping into buffalo cauliflower wings. But no gobi manchurian. Time for that to change. This is unapologetically delicious stuff. Battered and deep fried. Not oven fried. No pretending. This is all about flavour....

This is not a traditional version. It’s not true to anyone’s roots. This is all the things I like about hu tieu. And none of things I don’t like. I love pork. So that works. And this is pork two ways even. I’m pretty happy about that. Asian broth soups? That always works for me. Noodles? Very much so. Quail eggs? Definitely. Pork liver? I can take it or leave it....

Never heard of Japadog? Not a huge shocker. It’s a guy in Vancouver with a street cart. A bunch of street carts in fact. Making all sorts of funky Japanese influenced hot dogs. Street food. Every city has it. Vancouver has the Japadog. But it’s not just Vancouver anymore. They have street carts in LA now. And Santa Monica. How long can it be before Japadog rules the world? 100 years I think....

Chickpeas are delicious in a multitude of recipes, including chana masala and chickpea curry. Another one of my favorite chickpea recipes is this smoky, vibrant, absolutely gorgeous Lebanese Chickpea Stew flavored with the warmth of za’atar. This is a weeknight stew, especially if you’re using canned chickpeas. There is a minimum of chopping required, lots of flavor added by the roasted red bell peppers, rich tomato paste, and the smoky, tangy, spicy, nutty za’atar, an herb and spice mix used across the Mediterranean....

I’m going to show you how to make the best lemon rice you’ll ever eat, and I’m going to show you how to do it in about 20 minutes. Lemon rice is a south Indian staple, and a food I became familiar–and fell in love–with when I married a Tamilian. This was one of the rice dishes (along with tomato rice, coconut rice and turmeric rice) that my mom-in-law always packed for long road trips (usually to temples) every time we visited family in Madras or Chennai, as it’s now called, because it’s easily made, easily packed, and easily eaten with no need for fussing around with curries and dals....

This is not the same thing as the Indo-Chinese version of chilli chicken. It is pure Indian. If that sounds good to you read on. Restaurant style chilli chicken This isn’t on any Indian restaurant menus that I know about. But it should be. It’s really tasty. A little different than the run of the mill classics. But every bit as good. Chilli chicken curry has all the goodness you expect from your favourite Indian restaurant....

The countdown to the Most Wonderful Time of the Year has begun, and to start the celebration, I have for you the most wonderful side ever: my Masala Smashed Potatoes. Smashed spuds are one of the easiest, and most delicious ways, to eat potatoes. And they can send the most die-hard carb-hater into raptures: they are creamy and soft on the inside and crackly and crisp on the outside. Top them with some garlicky, spicy goodness, and they are elevated to a whole new level of sublime....

This recipe has lots of room for improvisation. As written, it’s rich. Savory. Pork, cilantro and green chili are the dominant flavours. Classic Mexican. Add some pure chili powder and it moves towards red chili territory. Want it bright and assertive? Add lime juice and chipotle puree. Want it lighter? Leave out the pork. Want it vegetarian? Leave out the bacon too. No time to cook dry beans – use canned....

If you love a delicious vegetable biryani, you will adore this yummy mushroom biryani. It showcases beautifully just how well mushrooms go with Indian recipes (like this Railway Mushroom Curry and Chettinad Mushroom Masala, to name just two amazing Indian mushroom dishes). The mushroom biryani is spicy, yummy, and it makes a great one-dish meal. And the aroma around the house as it cooks is incredible! I use a quick-blended version of my homemade cashew yogurt in this recipe, and it’s quite, quite perfect....

It flips from vegan to not with two ingredients. Make it vegan or add the optional bacon and chicken stock and it will satisfy the most carnivorous palate. It isn’t even that much bacon. Just a hint really. Less than a slice per serving. Even with the bacon it’s pretty healthy. It’s gluten free too. Not by design mind you. It just worked out that way. It’s easy too. If you use canned beans you can get these savory navy beans on the table in about 40 minutes....

You might also like this south Indian chickpea curry with coconut milk, chana bhatura, and instant chana masala made with tomato onion masala sauce. Our weekends tend to be, perhaps not unlike yours, the busiest days of the week. Saturday mornings start with Jay’s Saturday School, walking Opie, running errands, then home for lunch. By the time we get home it’s well past noon and I scramble to fix something real quick....

You might also like these recipes for vegan fried green tomatoes and green tomato stew. This incredibly delicious South Indian Green Tomato Dal, which goes by the name of Thakkali Masiyal in Tamil Nadu where it springs from, is quite easily one of my favorite recipes to make each summer. Partly because that’s the only time of year I can actually get green, unripe tomatoes – in my backyard. Here in the northeastern United States, where I live, I have never actually seen anyone selling green tomatoes, although it could be different in the south where green tomatoes are consumed....

on Oct 09, 2023, Updated Nov 17, 2023 Chana masala is one of those authentic Indian curries that spell comfort and joy every time you have it. Made with chhole, potatoes, aromatics and spices, this curry is rich in flavour and texture. I have made this curry in an Instant Pot, but you can easily make it in a pressure cooker as well as on the stove. In fact, this chana masala recipe is a close cousin of the stovetop chana aloo masala that I’ve shared earlier....

I love pork. I love pork ribs. Low and slow BBQ ribs are a wonderful thing. But they aren’t the only thing. That’s what I don’t get. Thai ribs are a great way to mix things up Why limit yourself? Do you know more than one way to cook chicken? Is there only one way to prepare fish? And yet when you think about ribs you only go to one place?...

You might also like vegan gulab jamun, vegan badam katli and vegan kaju katli. I’d call a barfi a fudge-like sweet, but that wouldn’t do this delightful Indian treat any justice. While a fudge is spectacularly one-dimensional (sugar, anyone?), a barfi has a certain complexity to it, an ineffable deliciousness that makes it a food fit to sweeten the most special celebrations, from weddings to birthdays to the couple of dozen Indian festivals that dot the calendar each year....

With the holidays approaching, you’re surely wondering what to feed those hordes of hungry people who are certain to descend on your little universe. So here’s a recipe you should file away to give them – and yourself – a bright start to those fun but stress-filled days. Or, better still, try it this weekend. Vegan Cranberry Breakfast Bread. This is a seriously delicious loaf, with a sweet, tender crumb and tart, juicy cranberries that pop in your mouth....

On a dark Halloween nightA mummy dog roamsHungry for naughty little souls A quick post today for an easy Halloween treat: these cute little vegan mummy hot dogs that take just minutes and almost no effort to put together. And you can enlist your little ones to help you make them. I used vegan hot dogs for these, which I usually have around because Jay loves them. They are processed, of course, but try explaining that to a teen....

It’s the weekend after Thanksgiving, the elaborate feast you made for your family and friends has been polished off, and you don’t want to see a pie again as long as you live. But you do need to eat. On days like these, when I find myself craving something healthy and warm and satisfying, I turn to my favorite vegan soups and stews. This Mushroom and Wild Rice Bisque is usually at the top of that list (right alongside my other favorite, this vegan cream of mushroom soup) because it just hits the spot....

Here’s a dish that would look pretty on any Thanksgiving dinner table and leave your guests licking their forks and spoons: Vegan Mushroom Pot Pie. And here’s a little secret: that golden, puffy, flaky pastry crust you see atop that bubbling mushroom-pea-carrot filling is 100 percent whole wheat, which will make those guests think you are a freaking genius. Nothing says holidays like a pot pie, and I have many favorite pot pie recipes on the blog, including this delicious vegan pot pie, these individual vegan “chicken tikka masala” pot pies and a bean and potato pot pie....

The jelly here is a fruit compote made of tasty, healthy berries, and the peanut butter is a creamy concoction that gets poured on and seeps into every nook and cranny, making this pudding gooey and warm and delicious beyond words. The custard that smothers it all is flavored with vanilla and so insanely good that you might have a hard time stopping yourself from licking the spoon…again and again....