Vegetable Pakora with a cup of masala chai is comforting food on a pleasant winter evening. A vegan recipe that makes for a great party finger food. The standard Vegetable Pakora recipe calls for the use of mixed vegetables, chick pea flour and carom seeds.

Our friends sent us loads of farm fresh tomatoes they harvested in their farm. Last week saw the making of a lot of tomato based recipes namely, tomato pickle, tomato rasam, tomato soup and Tamatar Pulao. Tomato Pulao is an extremely flavorful rice dish using ripe red tomatoes and rice.

Carrot Kheer is a crowd-pleaser Indian dessert that makes for a special festival food this Navratri. Warm and comforting flavors, visually appealing, rich and sweet, carrot kheer lends a striking dash of orange to the table. A decadent dessert to finish off a festive thali (meal).

Palak Pakoda is a monsoon snack that is super easy and quick to make. I found the freshest farm grown spinach at the Farmer’s Market (rythu bazaar) and decided on making a North Indian style snack Palak Pakoda.

Though I am not too fond of cabbage, I find myself enjoying a North Indian style cabbage dry saute that calls for the inclusion of potato. Its a fabulous combination and a drizzle of lemon juice gives it a flavor that is so satisfying. Its amazing how the simplest of recipes are the most flavorful.

I prepared Kulchas stuffed with paneer, cooked over stove top and served them with Channa Masala. Made for a hearty filling meal. Tastes best hot off the stove.

A large boiled potato was lingering about in the fridge along with some chapati dough. I decided to make Aloo Parathas for breakfast since it meant less preparation work. The stuffing I make is super simple. Whatever variations of the stuffing I prepare, coriander leaves and green chilies are a constant. And I always use desi ghee to roast them, the flavor is simply out-of-the-world.

Gajar ka Halwa – the famed, rich, indulgent, classic Indian dessert. Prepared this delicious Indian mithai a couple of days ago for a friend visiting me after many years. I used the regular orange carrots that are available in my local farmer’s market.

One of my favorite Punjabi dishes is Amritsari Chole – a high protein classic recipe with heady flavors. I love the texture and combination of spices that go into its making. The addition of one of my favorite flavors, anardana, adds a tangy punch to the nuttiness of chickpeas.

Among the many versions of Aloo Dum, today’s recipe is a favorite in our home. Cute round baby potatoes are slowly simmered in a yogurt based gravy this is subtly rich in flavor and spice but least bit heavy. Makes for a lip smacking side with rotis or flavored rice.