A Plate of Good Food

My adventures in the kitchen and other things

Cauliflower, Squash & Greens in a Curry

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I’m kicking off the new year on my blog on the lighter side with, dare I say it, a healthier than usual recipe for vegetables simmered in Indian spices. This has got nothing to do with new year’s resolutions (I don’t believe in those) or a sudden change in diet. We were at the farmers’ market last Sunday and while there were plenty of winter root vegetables around, what caught my eye was a stand with really cute looking miniature squash called honey nut squash. I’d read about in my latest Saveur edition. So, naturally, I was curious and brought some home.

squash curry

 

easy curry recipe

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Five Days, Five Easy Meals: One Pot Rice & Lentils (Khichdi)

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Festive season is in full swing in India at the moment with today being Diwali – the festival of lights. It’s a day when neighbours exchange sweet treats and snacks and kids gather together to light diyas and enjoy some firecrackers.

The one thing I remember about any festival is that it was a day when no meat, eggs or fish was consumed. All meals of the day would be strictly vegetarian. With that in mind and with the idea of a light lunch, I made this simple dish this afternoon – rice and red lentils cooked together with just a tiny amount of spice. This is my version of ‘khichdi’ or what the English know as ‘kedgeree’ – a popular comfort food.

easy khichdi

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Aubergine & Paneer with Indian Spices

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Aubergine (eggplant for my American friends) has always been one of my favourite vegetables. It’s the perfect ingredient to add to any sauce from pasta to curry and works especially well with Indian spices. In fact, a simple side dish of aubergines were always a staple in my home.

eggplant with indian spices

eggplant paneer curry

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Plantain & Coconut Fritters

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Plantain fritters definitely fall in my category of comfort foods. It brings back memories of those far and few train journeys of my childhood from our hometown on the Southeastern coast of India to my father’s village in Kerala, on the Southwestern coast. The monotony of the more than 30-hour train journey was broken as soon as we entered the lush green coastal landscape of Palghat – the first stop in Kerala. This is where you would hear cries of ‘pazham pori, pazham pori’ from vendors selling steaming hot plantain fritters wrapped in plaintain leaves. My father who otherwise was strict about not feeding us kids anything that was not home made, would give in to our sullen looks and we would all look on in anticipation as he purchased a few of those golden nuggets. Big chunks of plantain fritters and greasy palms were the one saving grace of that otherwise never ending journey!

plaintain and coconut fritters

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Chicken & Yoghurt Curry

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If you’re looking for a mild curry to satisfy your curry cravings then you should try this one. I made this simple dish to accompany the fiery beef stew the other day so that everybody at the table had something to their taste. It went down a treat and so, I thought I’d share it here.

indian chicken curry

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