Why Would You Peel Tomatoes? Learning how to peel tomatoes is a quick and easy way to prepare them for recipes like roasted tomato sauce, creamy tomato soup, chili, roasted tomato salsa, and curries, where you might usually use canned peeled tomatoes. This technique is also essential for canning tomatoes for long-term storage. Why exactly? Unfortunately, tomato peel can become tough (and sometimes slightly bitter) when cooked and will float in your dish (or get stuck in your teeth!...

May 27, 2015, Updated Jan 02, 2018 Such a pretty color, isn’t it? I mean the color of this raita. I’m so in love with this pretty magenta! Raita is always an integral part of Indian meals, it has to do with the fact that our food is full of spices and so we do need a cooling raita to balance off the heat. Raita is nothing but a yogurt dip to which we add little seasoning....

My veggie muffins are a fun and delicious way to consume more vegetables. They are perfectly portioned, making them great for kids’ snacks, school lunches, and taking on the go for those with a busy lifestyle. Plus, they are a quick, easy, and healthy snack choice – there are only a few simple steps to get these savory treats ready to serve. Plus, they’re super easy to make and can be customized with your favorite veggies and cheese, topped with a yummy avocado frosting....

Jul 28, 2020, Updated Nov 06, 2020 These easier version of the traditional til ladoos are made with rolled oats, sesame seeds and sweetened with dates. The Indian festive season is fast approaching. Raksha Bandhan which is only a few days away marks the beginning of the festive season in India. It is one of my favorite festivals and one that I looked forward to all year long. From selecting beautiful rakhi for my brothers to receiving gifts from them, I have so many wonderful memories associated with this day....

By combining sweet, savory, salty, and tangy flavors, this celery salad manages to entice all your taste buds. It’s a perfect way to use up leftover celery. However, if you have a large quantity, consider making celery juice for a refreshing drink!(whoops). While a traditional Waldorf salad combines apples, celery, walnuts, and grapes in a mayonnaise dressing, this version uses a simple lime and olive oil dressing to cut back on the fat while retaining heaps of flavor....

Whether you’re new to eating quinoa or have just struggled to get perfect quinoa results when following package instructions, this post is for you. I will share with you my easy and fool-proof method for cooking quinoa, resulting in a light and fluffy, gluten-free, high-protein, and high-fiber dish—no more gritty or mushy texture! How to cook quinoa the right way Rinse the Quinoa: First, add the quinoa to a large bowl and cover with plenty of cold water....

Over this past year or so I’ve become absolutely turmeric obsessed. With a long list of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, there’s tons of reasons to add it to your diet now. This turmeric honey ‘paste’ is a super simple way to incorporate it into your lifestyle. I’ve already posted recipes for a golden spice mix, Turmeric paste, and golden milk. However, this Turmeric honey takes my turmeric DIYs to a whole new level of simplicity....

Sep 28, 2019, Updated Oct 21, 2019 Ghee, sugar and sooji are the three main ingredients required to make this easy dessert! I have realized that I haven’t shared some very basic Indian recipes on the blog. Like so far, I had not shared the recipe for Sooji Halwa (Suji Halwa)! I mean can there be any simpler (and easier) Indian dessert? Growing up, there were 2 desserts that mom made on a regular basis- one was halwa and the other was kheer....

Aug 01, 2015, Updated Jan 02, 2018 The weather has become so unpredictable. Few days back it had become grey and cold and I actually thought it is time to buy some pumpkin cans. No kidding, seriously the weather just gave me that kind of a vibe. And then this week things changed again, totally! The sun is shining bright and it’s hot and I say thank god for that....

It’s no secret that I have an ever so slight obsession with all things eggplant, especially when it comes to dips. I’ve already shared recipe for Moutabal egg plant dip, and now it’s the turn of this spicy roasted eggplant dip (aka baigan choka (Trini)/baigan bharta (Indi)). This chili eggplant dip recipe is inspired by the spicy Trini-Indian eggplant dip called ‘Baigan Choka’ and similar to Indian-style ‘Baigan Bharta’ but with a bit of a twist....

Apr 07, 2015, Updated Jan 02, 2018 I have realized that people assume that as food bloggers we are making fancy and lavish dinners at home everyday. Umm No. I mean of course I love to cook and I also cook everyday but those fancy dinners are usually reserved for the weekend. Don’t we all want something quick and easy for the weekdays? Something which could be made with minimal prep work and still taste delicious?...

If you’ve tried or enjoyed recipes such as stuffed grape leaves and stuffed rainbow chard, let these cabbage rolls step into the spotlight. They are baked to perfection in a bed of delicious homemade tomato sauce. Plus this recipe is so simple, requiring just a handful of common pantry staples. Whether as a low-cost appetizer, satisfying entrée, or delicious main course, these budget-friendly stuffed rolls will be everyone’s favorite. And if you’re a fan of cabbage dishes, you’ll absolutely love the cabbage soup—it’s a comforting favorite for any winter table....

Jul 29, 2016, Updated Jan 02, 2018 See I was not kidding when I said I am going crazy with all the summer fruits. Looks like I only post fruit-y recipes these days but I really can’t help it. I end up buying way too many fruits over the weekend and then spend the whole week adding them to recipes. Now this summer fruit salad is the result of an overloaded refrigerator!...

Christmas staples are staples for a reason – but for vegans and vegetarians, the holiday can be decidedly meat-orientated. That’s where my Christmas Wellington comes in. Packed with delicious mushroomy flavors and plenty of other seasonal delights, all wrapped in a crisp shortcrust pastry shell, this vegan- and vegetarian-friendly take on the classic beef Wellington makes for an impressive centerpiece as part of your holiday table. What’s mushroom Wellington made of Vegan shortcrust pastry: You can make your own, but I find it a lot easier to buy it pre-made!...

Jan 30, 2015, Updated May 07, 2023 Welcome back to Cook With Manali Valentine’s Day series and we are on recipe #3 already! 😀 I was telling my husband yesterday that I need to cut down on my baking spree. That’s nothing unusual though, I tell him that once every 2 days and so he has got so used to it that now he just looks at me and says “fine” ....

Fresh watermelon juice is one of my all-time favorite drinks for those warmer days – it’s sweet, refreshing, and super easy to make. In fact, within this post, I’ll take you through four separate methods to juice a watermelon including a watermelon juicer method, blender, immersion blender, and even handheld. As a bonus, I’ve included a method for making a watermelon keg – a unique way to serve up your watermelon recipe!...

Sep 14, 2015, Updated Jan 02, 2018 So the days are getting colder and day light is getting shorter by the day. In fact yesterday I got up at 5:30 am and it was really dark outside. Just few months back when my parents were here, my dad used to go for his morning walk at the same time and it used to be nice and bright. Oh well, it’s going to get worse and as a food blogger I really dread the grey skies and lack of sun....

Oct 22, 2013, Updated Apr 13, 2019 Diwali is around the corner and we are all busy chalking out our Diwali menu, isn’t it? The festival of light is all about joy, happiness and a lot of sweets. I bet it is only time of the year when people in India eat so many sweets together at once. And India has such a huge variety of sweets, there’s gulab jamun, ladoos, kheer, halwa and the list goes on....

What is Bhel Puri? Bhel Puri (or Bhel Poori) is a popular Indian savory snack made by tossing crispy puffed rice, vegetables like onion, potatoes, crushed papdis (crunchy savory wafers), roasted peanuts, sweet, spicy, and tangy chutneys, and a few Indian spices and finally garnished with coriander leaves and sev. This is a Mumbai-style bhel recipe. Bhel Puri Chaat is very addictive and loved by all age groups. It is very easy to prepare snack at home....

Apr 13, 2016, Updated Jan 02, 2018 Are you feeling the heat? Well maybe not here in US, but back in India, temperatures are already 100 F degrees + and trust me it’s just the beginning. Everyone has started going crazy with the heat and the sad thing is that it only get worse. When I was in school, there were no air conditioners and all and we used to go to school and sit in that heat everyday....