Rasaswad

cut a small (I found a very cute small one) in half,  remove seeds. In a baking tray, put the squash, two red peppers, cut in half and seeds removed (cut side down), large pieces of 1 peeled carrot, a quarter of a red onion into big pieces, 2 tomatoes quartered, one whole garlic, sliced at the top (so you expose the cloves slightly and would be easy to squeeze out the roasted garlic later). Drizzles some olive oil and sprinkle some kosher salt and bake in a 375 oven for about half an hour to 45 mins or so, until veggies blister. Remove the butternut squash from the peel and squeeze the garlic, along with all the veggies into a blender. Add a bit more salt, pepper, a bit of olive oil and water and blend until super smooth. Enjoy with a nice piece of bread. 

In a pressure cooker, heat some oil, add a pinch of ajwain, whole red chilli, hing, adrak mirchi and garlic paste and 2-3 puréed tomatoes, along with some salt. Cook to reduce the tomatoes. Add a handful of fresh or frozen methi and frozen tuver na Dana (or Papdi lilva). Also add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and dhana jeeru. Add water and pressure cook for two whistles. In a bowl, mix jado lot (ladu no lot), fresh or frozen methi, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, a bit of dhana jeeru, sugar, some baking soda, lime juice and good amount of oil and water to make a medium soft dough. Make small round muthiyas, fry them and add them to the shaak. Boil everything for a few minutes, add cilantro and serve.    https://youtu.be/AojCRIdRHqw?is=7cv2mLzByM_Xi42o

 A cup of fine ricotta, blanched chopped spinach, 1 egg, a cup of grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, pinch of garlic powder, chilli flakes, about a cup of flour, make small flat balls and cook in boiling water. Heat butter, cook for a bit in that and serve with the sauce of choice. We did Rao’s lemon Parmesan to make a hearty meal.  https://smittenkitchen.com/2025/10/spinach-and-ricotta-gnudi/

Heat 1 tbsp ghee, add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 green chilli sliced, 1 whole red chilli and 1/4 tsp hing. Add 2 large bananas, slices, stir and add about 1 cup of chopped fresh methi. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dhana jeeru powder and salt to taste and stir for about a minute or two. Add a handful of chopped cilantro, stir and serve.  https://youtube.com/shorts/W_OT_tMG1sc?is=KqD89yP1Ob1bg6aT

2  Fresh ears of corn - remove the kernels. Add 3 tbs of besan and corn starch, 2 tbs rice flour, salt, regular chilli powder, turmeric, very little coriander powder, amchur, chopped green chilli, ginger, cilantro and 2 tbsp of warm oil. Mix everything and sprinkle some water to make a very firm batter. Make pakodas in hot oil.  https://youtube.com/shorts/frZX0bCZdWg?is=bc_8Sjz3lWjht9_5

 In a blender mix about 3/4 cup boiled potatoes, 1 cup rice flour, half cup yoghurt, water, salt, pepper and ginger green chilli. To the batter, add chopped onions, peppers, carrots and cilantro. Add eno and make uttapams. 

 Oilive oill + diced onion + celery + carrots+ garlic + salt + pepper + Bayleaf + pinch of dried rosemary, thyme and oregano. Saute for a few minutes. Add soaked brown lentil, saute for a minute, add water. Let it boil, cover and let the lentils cook. When the lentils are almost cooked, add chopped tomatoes and let them cook as well. Take the bay leaf out, add a pinch of paprika, zest from one lemon. With an immersion blender, blend some of the soup. Let it cook some more. Add fresh chopped herbs - parsley, basil, and dill. Also add some lemon juice. Serve with olive oil, permesan cheese, some pesto.  https://rainbowplantlife.com/lentil-soup/

 Base masala: oil+ jeera + minced onion (sauté until light brown)+ ginger + garlic (sauté for a few more minutes) + turmeric + red chilli powder + dhania jeera powder  + amchoor  (sauté for a few seconds) + tomato puree + salt and cook until tomato puree is cooked. Set aside (great base for many gravies)  Kadahi masala : on a skillet, roast some whole coriander seeds, cumin seeds, whole black pepper, fennel seeds and a couple of Kashmiri red chillies. Cool, grind coarsely and set aside.  Veggies: make cauliflower florets, cut small potatoes into wedges, slice a carrot, chop green beans, cut green peppers into large pieces, cut shallots into big pieces, thaw some green peas and corn. Also cut up some pieces of Paneer.  Heat oil + ghee in a pan, add the carrots and potatoes and let cook for a minute. Add rest of the veggies (except paneer), and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add half of the Kadahi masala and salt and sauté for a couple more minutes. Now add the base ...

 Chop red onion, green and red pepper in a chopper. Drain out excess water. Lightly mash a can of black beans, add the veggies, cilantro, salt, roasted cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and panko break crumbs. Make burgers, more breadcrumbs and shallow fry. 

 Mix 1 cup sattu powder, half cup each of besan and sooji. Add salt, pepper, roasted cumin powder and a pinch of ajwain. Also add 1 cup yoghurt and some water and let it soak for 10-15 mins. Optionally can add beet or spinach purée.  Crumble some paneer, add chopped onion, peppers, green chilli, cilantro, salt, pepper and chat masala.  Make an uttapam from the batter and add paneer filling and cook on both sides with a bit of oil.  https://youtube.com/shorts/1n5kLKNyi9M?si=s02rX-aIMhrH1lOC

Heat oil in a cast iron pan.Wash, wring and slice the the lions mane mushroom, and add to the pan. Press lightly with something on top, and let it brown on both sides. In the middle of the pan, add a bit more oil, add chopped garlic, spring onion, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil and. a pinch of sugar and saute. I also added some sugar snap peas. Serve with rice.   https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YknPQUlMc6Y

 Cut red onion, red and green peppers, mushrooms and a tomato into large pieces. Heat oil, add about tbsp of panch phoran. Add all veggies except tomatoes and sauté. Add an glug of mustard oil. Add some prepared onion-tomato-ginger-garlic paste. Sauté. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dhania powder and amchoor. Add tomatoes and cook for another minute. Add paneer pieces, mix and cook. Add a tsp of ketchup and cilantro and serve hot. 

 This one is a Holi special.  For Karachi Halwa:  Chop a handful of almonds, cashews and pistachios and mix with some melon seeds. Heat a tbsp ghee in a pan,  toast the nuts lightly and set aside.  In a bowl, mix 1 cup cornstarch with 11/3 cups water.  Heat 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water in a pan and heat until the sugar melts. Add crushed cardamom and few drops of red+yellow food color. Add cornstarch slurry to the sugar syrup and cook until it comes together. Add 6 tsp ghee slowly, mix and cook for a few more minutes. Add nuts and transfer to an 8X8 pan, lined with parchment paper. Cool for a couple of hours, chop into bite sized pieces and serve.  https://youtu.be/JTow_deXEqo For Daal filling: Soak 1 cup Chana daal for 4-6 hours. Wash. Add 1 cup water, salt and turmeric and cook until the daal is soft and no more water remains. Initially I cooked without covering, removed foam, and then later on I covered it for a bit. The daal should have a bite. On...

  Sindhi Kadhi Vegetables Carrots, tomatoes, Doodhi, Bhee, Kachalu (arbi), Suran, potatoes, Seeng, Bhindi, white peas, Guar. Method Chop and wash all the vegetables (keep potato skins on, do not peel peas). Cut bhee slanting so as to reduce fibre. In a large pot, heat oil. Add methi and jeera (1:2). Once it crackles (methi should not become dark). Add besan and roast till dark pink. When it is about to finish roasting, add curry leaves and heeng. Then add water and stir. Add haldi and boil for a while. Now start adding vegetables in the following order: Suran, bhee, guar, finely chopped ginger, tomatoes, big pieces of green chillies, carrots, large pieces of potatoes (give small cuts in potatoes so that the spices go in). Remove the tips of green peas. Kachalu, doodhi, green peas, seeng. Add salt, kokum. Let it boil till most of the vegetables are cooked. Now add tamarind water, red chilli powder. Finally add bhindi and fresh coriander, cover and let it cook for a few more mins on ...

 Sindhi Kadhi Vegetables Carrots, tomatoes, Doodhi, Bhee, Kachalu (arbi), Suran, potatoes, Seeng, Bhindi, white peas, Guar. Method Chop and wash all the vegetables (keep potato skins on, do not peel peas). Cut bhee slanting so as to reduce fibre. In a large pot, heat oil. Add methi & jeera (1:2). Once it crackles (methi should not become dark). Add besan and roast till dark pink. When it’s about to finish roasting, add curry leaves and heeng. Then add water and stir. Add haldi and boil for a while. Now start adding vegetables in the following order: Suran, bhee, guar, finely chopped ginger, tomatoes, big pieces of green chillies, carrots, large pieces of potatoes (give small cuts in potatoes so that the spices go in). Remove the tips of green peas. Kachalu, doodhi, green peas, seeng. Add salt, kokum. Let it boil till most of the vegetables are cooked. Now add tamarind water, red chilli powder. Finally add bhindi and fresh coriander, cover and let it cook for a few more mins on ...

Preheat the oven to 350. Cut open the baguette and cut two or three pieces - about 6-8". Remove some of the core of the baguette. Whisk egg, add salt, pepper, shallots, garlic, peppers, parsley and cheese. Fill the baguette cavities and bake for about 20-25 mins. Serve warm.  https://cookingformysoul.com/baked-egg-baguette/

Prep a 15X10 tray (usual small cookie tray) by laying a parchment paper and spray with a butter spray. Preheat oven to 350.   Sponge: Beat 4 eggs with a whisk attachment in the stand mixer. Add 3/4 cup sugar, one tbsp at a time and beat until ribbon stage. Meanwhile, mix 2 tbsp milk, 3 tbsp oil, 1 tsp vinegar and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix the wet ingredients into the eggs and mix just a bit. Add a 1/4 tsp salt and mix. Now sift 1 cup AP flour + 1/4 tsp baking powder on the eggs and fold with a spatula. Add the batter to the baking tray and bake for 10-12 mins. Once it cools a bit, sprinkle some icing sugar on it, add another piece of parchment and invert on a cooling tray. Now roll with the top parchment in the roll from the short side and let it cool completely.  Filling: whipping cream + sugar + vanilla and a couple tbsp of milk powder. Whip until stiff.  Once the cake cools, unroll it, spread strawberry jam, and then the cream mixture and roll it again. Cover with parchm...

 Heat olive oil , add diced shallot s, sauté for a few minutes, add crushed garlic and saute for another minutes or two. Zest a lemon and keep the zest aside. Add crushed red pepper, lemon juice, pasta water, cream, capers, salt and pepper and let it cook for a few. Add the pasta (we used a lemony pasta from TJs), more cream, chopped parsley, lemon zest, and a knob of butter. Also add more pasta water. Cook everything for another minutes few seconds and serve with Parmesan.  https://alwaysfromscratch.com/creamy-lemon-sauce/#recipe

 Cook half a cup of short grain rice with 1 cup water, pinch of salt and a splash of oil for 3-4 whistles and let cool. Prep the pineapple into large cubes. Dice half a red onion, 2-3 cloves of garlic, some ginger. Dice half of a extra firm tofu into small cubes. Also chop some red pepper, mushrooms and green beans. Heat oil, add chili oil to it (I used Trader Joes' along with the chilli flakes), add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and saute a bit more. Add the veggies and tofu, a pinch of salt and saute. Add the rice and pineapple, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, curry powder (I just added a small pinch each of turmeric, red chilli powder and dhania jeera powder). Mix everything and add some chopped cilantro. Serve with some roasted peanuts on top. Super comforting!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mkgb8Fxr_o

Boil pasta as per the instructions. Blanch spinach and add it to a blender jar. Add cannelloni beans, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, parsley, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper, and blend until smooth. Add it to the pasta and serve.  https://youtube.com/shorts/D2J8TQiKyZ8?si=RrWdbPQFrCHfZJ0r