Avial/Aviyal

Being a foodie I love to prepare different regional cuisines of India often. Recently I tried Avial/Aviyal for the first time, a signature Keralite mixed veggie medley and it turned out delicious. I think this is the easiest curry I had ever made. No sauteing required. It's just boiled veggies, then spiced coconut mixture mixed with yogurt and tempered whole spices in coconut oil stirred in the curry. Nothing can't be more easier that this one! 

Chicken Yahkni Pulao

Yakhni Pulao is a very easy amazingly delicious rice and meat dish that I make for special weekend meal sometimes. This Kashmiri specialty rice dish originated in the Middle East and brought by Mughal rulers. Yakhni in Persian language means stock of meat with aromatic spices where meat is semi cooked first, drained and sauteed with spices then rice and meat are cooked in the favored stock over low heat. Yakhni adds a depth of flavor that gives the richness to the Pulao. This one dish rice meal is so irresistible that we don't mind having the leftovers the next day.

Healthy Bhel Puri

Bhel Puri is a pretty addictive yet simple Indian street snack or beach snack of Mumbai beaches. It's a type of chat containing crispy puffed rice, spiced fried lentils-peanuts-chickpea flour noodles mixture along with some veggies, seasonings and some sweet n sour condiments. Everything is well mixed to serve immediately. Bhel Puri has a crunchy-creamy texture with the perfect balance of sweet, tangy and spicy condiments that is hard to resist. There are many styles of Bhel Puri and it can be made with just a few things on hand as per personal preference. No need to buy the the pre-packaged Bhel Mix. It's super easy to make at home with staple pantry ingredients. 

Bengali Style Poached Trout with Mustard Sauce

Trout, poached in a spicy Bengali style mustard sauce served with steamed rice is one of the easiest fish curries in a hurry. This  cooking method is not that common in Bengali households because fish is normally lightly seared, then added to the sauce/gravy. In this recipe the raw fish pieces smeared with turmeric and salt, are added directly in the simmering mustard sauce resulting in a tender and juicy perfectly sublime fish curry inspired by the classic Bengali steamed fish with mustard paste. This is my go-to trout recipe.

Stir Fried Moringa Leaves

Moringa or drumstick tree is native to the Indian subcontinent, a super food with lots of health benefits and nutrients. Recently moringa got its popularity all over the world. Moringa powder is sold in health food stores but cooking fresh moringa is a delicacy. Fresh moringa leaves and flowers have a subtle flavor and slightly bitter taste and it can be used in so many tasty Bengali recipes.

Kerala Chicken Roast

Kerala Chicken Roast is a great treat for spicy chicken lovers. This rustic style also known as Nadan in Kerala cuisine. Unlike traditional oven roast, Kerala style Chicken roast is slow cooked on the stove top in coconut oil along with flavorful spices in its own juice making it a finger licking delicious dry curry. The coconut, coconut oil, curry leaves and warming spices are wonderful blend of flavors and its slow cooking method nicely coats chicken pieces with spices. This dish insanely delicious!

Kung Pao Chicken

This spicy chicken dish is very popular in the United States originted from the Sichuan Province of China, named after Ding Baozhen, the Qing dynasty official in Sichuan called Kung Pao Chicken or Gongbao Jiding. There are a few versions of this dish with different types of chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. The original Sichuan version uses Shaoxing wine, hot chili peppers, roasted peanuts, soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar and Sichuan peppercorns. Guizhou province of southeast of Sichuan uses fermented chili paste mainly along with ginger, garlic, other seasonings with the same cooking method. Western version uses easy to find ingredients and some vegetables. They leave out Sichuan peppercorn on purpose I guess because I never tasted this spice in Kung Pao Chicken in  restaurants at all.