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Recipe: A Diwali Take On A Daily Treat – Gujarati Thaali

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The thaali as a concept is very common across Indian households. It is basically a meal with a variety of components, and the composition of each thaali varies depending on the region. It used to be a daily affair in many households, but in contemporary times more and more people have opted for lighter or more quickly prepared meals with fewer dishes involved. There is still a Gujarati thaali served in my home for lunch every day, but as my adult children set up their homes, I don’t see this happening. The thaali then becomes much more occasional and deliberate, and perhaps even festive. For that reason, I felt it would be ideal to share what goes into a Gujarati thaali with Diwali just a few days away.

A Gujarati thaali essentially contains roti, rice, a grain, a kachumber (which is a kind of salad), one or two vegetable dishes and a sweet. These are the basic elements. In my home, I do a rather non-traditional thing and eliminate the sweet dish more often than not. However, on special occasions like my mother-in-law’s birthday, a shrikhand will be included in the thaali. If I am doing trials ahead of sharing dessert recipes for this blog, those will show up there too. There’s an exception to this no-sweet tweak: when it’s mango season, aamras (sweet mango pulp), will be present on a daily basis. Of late, I am offering seva to Shrinathji at home, which means that there is prasadam once a week, and this goes into our thaalis too.

This brings in novelty now and then. The regular thaali can also be made more exciting with the addition of something like sabudana vada, paniyaram or yam chips, which can be prepared ahead of time and served again at tea-time as snacks. I tend to avoid fried goodies in my thaali, but these little things can make lunch more worth looking forward to now and then.

The regular thaali itself can be something really important. It is said that eating together itself holds families together, and I am a believer in this adage too. When it comes to something like a thaali, or any meal that is put together on a daily basis, it therefore becomes a part of the bonds that a family shares. My husband works nearby, so it is convenient for him to pop home for lunch on most days. My children are all far away, but when they come home, there is always a hot thaali available at lunch, and while they may have something else prepared if they prefer, the traditional option is always available.

I am so glad that my kids still honour a request we made when they first moved away, which is that they all return home for certain special occasions. They are made all the more special because of the effort taken. After all, that’s what family is about – taking that extra step to bond and to build love that holds for generations to come.

That brings us back to the festivities. Diwali happens to be one of those celebrations that we all gather together for, which is one of many reasons why it is one of my favourite festivals. I’m eagerly anticipating how in just a few days, over the dining table, there is going to be so much camaraderie, noise, chatter, shouting, fighting and affection – each in the right portions, exactly like a thaali should be presented too. Our Diwali lunches are one of the highlights of the year, and an elaborate thaali is always served. Having this experience, year after year, is something I wouldn’t trade for the world. This is the spread in the thaali this year: peas pulao, bottle gourd thepla, raita bhindi, mixed dal, simple salad, potato roast and of course the once-annual laapsi for dessert. I am happy to share this year’s thaali with you too. Most of these recipes have already been shared over the years, and are linked below along with two new ones for your enjoyment.

I would also like to take this auspicious moment to share something that I’ve been working on for a while. This year, this blog turned 8 years old, and it has really been a journey of growth, discovery and enjoyment. Over time, I have grown in my conviction about my own work, encouraged by well-wishers like you. I am happy to share that I will soon release a cookbook, featuring selected recipes from this blog along with an array of new ones. I want it to be a keepsake that can be passed from hand to hand and from kitchen to kitchen. First and foremost, it is so that my children will have something solid through which to reminisce about their growing years and their family, and to replicate some of their comfort foods and festive favourites. Beyond that, my book will also be for you – and for everyone who loves the experience of preparing a meal. I’ll share more about this project in the coming months. In the meanwhile, I wish you and yours a wonderful Diwali!

Gujarati Thaali

Bottle Gourd Thepla

Mixed Dal

Salad [make a simple one of your choice; for more elaborate ones, see the archive]

Roast Potatoes

Laapsi

Peas Pulao

1 cup cooked basmati rice
1-inch stick cinnamon
2 cloves
1 cardamom
1 star anise
Salt to taste
½ cup cooked/tender green peas
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon ghee

Heat a pan. Add the ghee and once it is hot, add cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add the cinnamon, star anise, cloves and cardamom.

Sauté and then add cooked green peas, cooked basmati rice and salt. Mix well and gently until it all comes together. Your peas pulao is ready.

Bhindi Raita

1 cup curd
¼ cup finely sliced bhindi (okra/lady’s finger)
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons coconut pieces
1 green chilli
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon oil
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
2-3 dry red chillies

In a blender jar, grind together the coconut, green chilli and cumin seeds until coarse. Set aside.

Heat a pan and add ½ teaspoon oil. To this, add the finely sliced bhindi. Allow to cook on a low flame until the vegetable is golden and slightly tender on both sides.

In another bowl, add the curd with the ground coconut-green chilli-cumin mixture, along with salt. Mix well. Add the sautéed okra and mix gently. Refrigerate until serving.

In a heated pan, add the remaining oil, mustard seeds and red chilli. Temper and pour on top of the raita before serving.

Whether you make all the dishes at once and serve them on a thaali, or try them out one by one, I hope that you’ll find much delight in this year’s Gujarati-style Diwali thaali!

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Recipe: Perfect Possibilities – Pasta Salad

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The concept of pasta salads is pretty new to me. I had not imagined them as a possibility until I came across one while randomly scrolling online one day. I was intrigued, as I am always on the lookout for healthy recipes. The minimal pasta quotient used appealed to me, as it offered a way to get a tasty carb fix without making carbs the focus of the meal. In fact, portion sizes are what differentiate a pasta salad from a pasta with sides. A pasta salad will have a larger quantity of vegetables. Also, while pastas are ideally freshly prepared and served hot, a pasta salad works well at room temperature and even after a few hours or up to a day in the fridge.

So, inspired by the pasta salad as a concept, I set about putting together my own version. This one has mostly Mediterranean flavours, and brings together a delicious and nutritious combination of vegetables, nuts and carbs. It is a meal-in-a-bowl by itself, as the pasta makes it more filling than a standard salad might.

I used vegetables that were on hand in my kitchen, and chose ones that came together well. You could say the Mediterranean theme came after the vegetable selection, not beforehand. Apply this logic when you prepare your pasta salad too. You can mix and match and play around. By the way, the actual volume of pasta should probably be less than what you see in these photographs. Let’s just say it was a shoot day treat over here!

I decided to highlight the tomatoes while putting this dish together, which is why there are two kinds used: cherry tomatoes and sun-dried ones. Cherry tomatoes have lately become more popular in my local markets, and I was surprised to see them available in colourful varieties too. I have gone with the simple red ones, which pack a punch.

To me, the difference between a plain tomato and a tasty one is in the roasting. Whether you use regular-sized ones or the cherry kind, they simply burst with flavours upon roasting. Raw tomatoes just don’t impart the same deliciousness, at least not to me. This is true for a multitude of vegetables, of course, so keep that in mind whenever preparing this type of salad. So, these cherry tomatoes have been blistered in oil so that their taste is much enhanced. Meanwhile, the sun-dried tomatoes add a certain tanginess to the overall bowl.

The basil pesto in this dish was homemade, and I have shared the recipe for this earlier so that you can use the same. It’s easy to make, and I really feel that there is a big difference versus store-bought ones in terms of taste, freshness and quality. There’s nothing like knowing exactly what you’ve put into an ingredient, a dish or a meal. This is especially true for the health-conscious and for those who want to cut down on compromises in food quality for themselves and their loved ones. If you’re not a pesto fan, you could use a different sauce that is more to your liking. Or you could even skip the pasta sauce and just go with seasoning, or take the aglio olio route.

I have used a bow-shaped pasta, which is quite pretty, but you can use almost any other kind. Spaghetti will not work in a salad, but you can take your pick otherwise. I find that a nice grating of Parmesan cheese brings it all together beautifully. I love its nutty flavour, which is quite unlike, say, cheddar. For me, it’s Parmesan or no cheese at all in a salad like this. Your preferences may differ, of course! Adapt accordingly. That’s something I say over and over when it comes to most recipes (with the exception of baking, which is more scientific).

Pasta Salad

(Serves 2)

2 cups uncooked pasta

¼ cup olive oil

Salt to taste

A pinch of pepper

8-10 walnuts

A few basil leaves

2-3 cups cherry tomatoes

2-3 cloves garlic

A handful of sundried tomatoes

1½ tablespoons pesto

 

In a tray, add the cherry tomatoes and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt. Bake or grill in the oven until the tomatoes blister.

Cook the pasta according to instructions. Set aside.

In a bowl, add the pasta, pesto, sundried tomatoes and walnuts. Finally, add the blistered tomatoes.

Stir gently and top with slivers of Parmesan cheese and basil leaves.

Serve at room temperature or chill in the fridge to have later. You could even make a bigger bowl of this pasta salad to eat over a couple of days. In fact, the first time I prepared it at home, it was such a hit that I was requested to repeat it the following day. That may well happen in your home, too – in which case, you could save yourself some time and just make a larger quantity!

During hot days, I sometimes find that my body needs to eat lighter. So while one meal will invariably be my traditional thaali, the other will usually be something different, like this pasta salad. It works perfectly for me, and I hope it will for you too!

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Recipe: Keeping Cool And Colourful – Summer Buddha Bowl

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The summer heat is very strong right now where I live in India, so lighter meals are preferred and favoured. This often means fewer carbs, as they feel heavier at this time of year and just sit in the body. I find myself preparing Buddha bowls very often. While I’ve shared a number of different variations of them, this particular one is especially good for this season.

For my summer Buddha bowl, I have used quinoa as my grain base, adding proteins and vegetables. You can replace any of my choices with those of your own. A good Buddha bowl should feel personalised. Use ingredients that go with your mood of the day, but try and reach out for ones that are readily available and seasonal – both for convenience’s sake, as well as for the health benefits of eating according to Nature’s logic.

As I am getting older, I often feel the need to be more conscious of what I eat. Many recipes on this blog attest to this too, and I know that many of you feel the same way. Eating consciously isn’t about losing weight. You come to realise that beauty does not lie in how thin you are as much as how healthy you are. Eating right so that you stay fit at any size and making sure that your bloodwork is clean are better goals.

I recently watched a performance – the premiere of a show by Jyoti Dogra presented by Prakriti Foundation. It is call “Maas”, which translates to “meat” in Hindi. It is a must-see for all of us today, and the artist reminds us of exactly these musings: that beauty is not about weight and other expectations. Prakriti Foundation is travelling with the show to four cities; hopefully many of you will get to see it and be moved by it too.

Sometimes we need these reminders, even if they are about things we are already aware of. Feeling good about yourself is so important, and I believe that eating well goes a long way in bringing about this feeling. That brings us back to Buddha bowls. Another thing I love about them is that they let you get creative. You can play around with a variety of vegetables, grains and proteins. Don’t forget the use of colour too – one of the secrets to making a Buddha bowl work is to incorporate a few different hues. This one gets that vibrant pop from capsicum. How will you liven your bowl up?

Summer Buddha Bowl

(Yield: Serves 1)

¾ cup cooked chickpeas

1 cup sliced cucumber

½ sliced onion

1 cup cooled quinoa or any other grains

1 boiled egg or tofu / chicken / fish (optional)

½ cup colourful bell peppers

A few lettuce leaves of choice

 

Dressing

Salt to taste

Juice of 1½ lemons

½ teaspoon chilli powder

2 teaspoons olive oil + 1 teaspoon for chickpeas

 

In a pan, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sauté the cooked chickpeas. Add 2 teaspoons of the dressing. Sauté on a medium to high flame. Set aside.

Clean and cook the quinoa and strain.

Now, assemble all the ingredients in the bowl in any way you prefer or as in the images I’ve shared.

Pour the remaining dressing over the cut vegetables individually and plate, topping with the sliced boiled egg or other protein of your choice.

You can garnish the bowl as you wish.

Serve at room temperature or cold. Enjoy this light, nourishing dish that will replenish your body in this summer heat!

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Recipe: A Kind-Of Salad Condiment – Kanda Kairi

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Kanda kairi is a traditional Gujarati condiment, but it is eaten in such large quantities in my home that it almost qualifies as a sort of salad. It features only two basic ingredients, as its name attests: onion (or kanda) and raw mango (or kairi). So it is remarkably simple to put together, and tastes great by itself and as an accompaniment.

Across Gujarati homes, you’ll find some kanda kairi being served on any thaali at this time of year. Similar to how buttermilk is a staple in the summer, so is this dish. It’s quite interesting how the kanda kairi has a reputation for being a cooling condiment, given the ingredients involved. Yet somehow, the combination works for this purpose. I recall how when I was growing up, my mom would insist that my siblings and I have a tablespoon of it daily during the hot months. I used to make a face every time, but now I do the same thing, and I love it.

Aside from onion and raw mango, I like to elevate the flavour with a bit of jaggery (which you don’t need if the fruit you use has a hint of sweetness), as well as some chilli powder. In India, we love to add that spice to raw mangoes as well as to guavas, as it adds a delicious edge.

Kanda Kairi

(Yield: Serves 2-4)

1 cup raw mango (grated)

½ cup onions (finely sliced lengthwise)

2 tablespoons coriander leaves (finely cut)

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon powdered jaggery

½ – 1 teaspoon red chili paste

 

In a bowl, add the raw mango and onions and coriander leaves. When ready to serve, add the salt, jaggery and chili paste. Mix well and gently, using your hands.

Your kanda kairi is now ready. Enjoy it as a salad or condiment. To me, it’s a bit of both – and so easy to bring together!

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Recipe: All Things Tropical: Summer Simplicity – Tender Coconut Salad

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Last week, I shared the recipe for eggless rose-coconut mousse, and the coconut theme continues with this tender coconut salad. At home, generally, a good salad is the star of most of our meals. Slowly, the staples of rice and roti have moved aside and given way to a salad as the base, and bigger servings of the same. Also, all of us have experimented with intermittent fasting and so on at home, and breaking the fast with a bowl of salad is a sensible choice. This means that salads feature in most of our meals, which also means that I try to be as creative as possible to maintain novelty in what I serve. This recipe is one I came up with as I wanted to use up some of the abundance of coconuts in my backyard.

When concocting a salad, I just eyeball the recipe more often than not. I put in whatever I feel will work. The ingredients that are in my kitchen, their seasonal availability and my own mood also determine what gets prepared. Those who help me in the kitchen are also aware of this, so we all pretty much just put into our salads whatever we feel like. It turns out tasty every time, and there is a reason for this.

The reason is that there is a pattern when it comes to salads, even when it appears to just be a bunch of ingredients thrown together. It is as follows. First, you add some kind of lettuce leaf. Then, some kind of protein. I tend to use lots of nuts and seeds, and if you’re a meat eater then roast chicken slices or such will work great. Raw vegetables come next. I also like to add something sweet like raisins, sliced apples or orange segments; these lift up the salad, in a very healthy way. Occasionally, to turn the salad into a complete meal in a bowl, I add a grain like quinoa, barley or millet. While I don’t do this too often, a bit of crispiness, such as crushed chips, can also add texture. The trick is that the proportions of each should be appropriate, and the combinations should be complementary.

As for the dressing, it’s usually based on whatever is there when I open the fridge: juice of lime, juice of half an orange, a dollop of almond butter… There are so many options.

To me, a salad never fails to please. Today, I’ve made coconut the hero – perfect for the summer. It’s important that the coconut is very tender, as the soft flesh is much better in this preparation than the hard pieces.

Tender Coconut Salad

(Yield: Serves 3-4)

 

1 cup tender coconut meat

¼ cup raw mango

½ cup red cabbage

½ cup spring onions with the greens

½ cup grated carrot

A few healthy lettuce leaves

½ cup edamame (or any other beans)

A few caramelized walnuts

1 small apple, sliced

½ cup long slices of cucumber

 

Dressing

1 teaspoon olive oil or coconut oil

Salt to taste

2 pinches of pepper

1 teaspoon honey

Juice of 1 lemon

½ teaspoon sriracha

 

Add all the raw ingredients to a bowl.

Separately, mix all the dressing ingredients and stir. When I make it during raw mango season, I like to add a bit of that too – to give a boost of Vitamin C and a nice tang, as well as increasing the tropical feel.

Before serving, pour the dressing over the raw ingredients and mix gently until all of them are well coated.

Your tender coconut salad is ready: as simple as that! I hope you’ll enjoy it. Don’t forget to explore more of my salad recipes too.

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Recipe: Crunchy, Cool, Creative – Asian Cucumber Salad

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Confession: I have a dislike for cucumber. This has been a problem for me because for Indian salads, or at least the one I grew up having to eat, cucumber is a basic ingredient. At some point, I decided that I had better make friends with the vegetable. Not only is it present at so many meals, but it also happens to be very healthy, full of antioxidants and very hydrating. I knew that being innovative about the preparation, as well as making it attractive in its presentation, were the keys. That is how this Asian cucumber salad came to be.

The particular salad I grew up with was the Indian kachumber. It contains onions, tomatoes and cucumbers – all sliced and served raw, and seasoned with salt and chilli powder. My childhood impressions of it certainly did make me averse to cucumber, but in hindsight I recognise that it was the way it was presented that was as unappealing as the taste. Children’s palates veer away from vegetables. I eventually learned to love many of them, as you may have noticed from so many recipes and memories I’ve shared. But the way I saw cucumber changed only when I changed, well, the way I saw it.

As you can see, I have used a pretty platter to serve the dish. That is a vital component in making any dish look more attractive. When making this salad, here are a few more tips that will increase its visual appeal. Ensure that the cucumber is sliced just before serving, so that it doesn’t look wilted at all. I feel that round slices work better in terms of the look, but if you prefer long ones, go ahead. There are plenty of fancy slicers available too, to play around with shapes and cuts. They could especially increase the fun quotient for kids.

We eat first, but we also make things in our mind before we consume them. For instance, have you ever wondered why red wine is served in a certain glass or white wine in another? A plate, a cup, a serving spoon… It became the standard because someone began using it, and others followed suit. Make your own style, break out. It makes the whole culinary experience more interesting.

But it isn’t just the way the salad looks when well-plated that matters, but the dressing does as well. I found that an Asian-style dressing completely transformed the vegetable and perked it up beautifully. This really is the element that makes this whole dish what it is.

I’m very interested in Asian cooking and really enjoy the sauces used therein, along with certain techniques. For instance, vegetables are not always fully cooked. They are stir-fried in a variety of sauces that greatly increase their flavour and make you want to eat them in that semi-raw state. Being semi-raw, those vegetables are healthier and add more texture to the dish too. You may want to check out some recipes I’ve shared like this rice stir-fry and last week’s udon noodles to see what I mean.

My daughter happens to be quite talented at Asian cooking, and I love discovering dishes with her. We recently made kimchi together, which I shared on my Instagram. It was delicious, and also happens to be very good for gut health. When we get together, we explore this cuisine, and always make our regulars: burnt garlic rice and dim sums. If you happen to visit me when she’s in town, there’s bound to be something Asian on the menu. A really simple way to start trying out that range of cuisines is through a salad like this one.

Asian Cucumber Salad

(Yield: Serves 2)

 

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

3 cucumbers (medium-sized)

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

10-12 cashews (split and roasted)

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

 

Toast the cashew and set aside.

In a bowl, prepare the dressing. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and chili flakes. Mix well.

When you are ready to serve the salad, slice the cucumbers into rings, as thinly as possible. As I said before, this is my preferred method, but you should do yours. Arrange the slices on a plate of your choice.

Pour the dressing over the sliced cucumber. Sprinkle the toasted cashew. Serve immediately. Enjoy the burst of flavours as they mingle with the texture and coolness of the fresh vegetable. See what a big difference a good dressing and a pretty plate can make?

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Recipe: Staying Fresh In The Summer – Sprouted Salad

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Summers in India are usually a time when many people prefer to eat lighter meals, but a heatwave like we are experiencing now makes this all the more important. You may find yourself automatically desiring light meals when the climate is hot, and there’s a science to this. Heavy food affects the metabolism, taking longer to digest, and this process increases the heat in the body. The lighter the meal, the lower the amount of internal heat generated during the digestion process. For some, a light meal may be some cooling yogurt and rice, or may even constitute simply of a tall and refreshing glass of buttermilk. As a lover of salads, I find that they are ideal for this season, and can pack many nutrients into a simple (and yes, light) dish. This sprouted salad, using homegrown sprouts and an assortment of fresh veggies, is one I’ve been making very often, and I’m glad to share it with you too.

At the start of this year, I shared the method for growing sprouts at home. You can use any legume of your choice, including fenugreek, beans and more. I love my green mung sprouts, as you may recall from that post, along with brown chana sprouts. Brown chana, also known as black chickpea, is believed to be high in iron due to its colour. As a darker legume, it’s usually eaten in the winters (as it’s heavier on the digestion than the lighter looking ones). Nature has a wonderful logic to it, which we can attune our appetites to, so as to make the most of seasonal produce. For me, I have found that the health quotient of brown chana makes it appropriate even for summer consumption, and it has made its way into this dish. It is rich not only in iron but also in protein, vitamins, calcium, phytochemicals and magnesium, and has benefits for the heart and brain functions and regularising cholesterol and blood sugar.

I’ve had my share of carb binges, partying, exotic meals in exotic destinations and culinary indulgences of all sorts. As I’ve said before, moderation is key. For me, eating right is a conscious choice, especially as I get older, and I’ve found that one of the key elements to this is ensuring that I get adequate protein in every meal. From experience, I can tell you that there is no scarcity of choice for vegetarians. This sprouted salad is an excellent example. Adding sautéed pieces of tofu or paneer will also increase the protein component of the dish.

Now, there may be something familiar about this recipe to long-term friends of re:store. That’s because re:store was one of the first entrepreneurships in Chennai to open up salad subscriptions. Back when I started the company in 2015, salads were a major component of the menu, though I’ve since honed my focus on baked goods. This one was among the bestselling items, and if you’ve eaten it before and had a craving for it anytime since, here you go – this is the recipe I used then and still do, shared with love.

That also reminds me: that was around the time when complimentary food stopped being served on many flights, so I began to pack a small container of this sprouted salad as my mid-air snack on many occasions. I still do this, in fact. This healthy salad is my preferred travel companion for short flights. It ensures that I’m feeling nourished and energised by a protein boost when I land and head into my appointments at my destination. It has the same effect on tired minds and bodies in need of rejuvenation in the summer heat.

Sprouted Salad

(Serves 2)

 

Fresh Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons spring onions

¼ cup capsicum

¼ cup raw mango (grated)

a handful of cherry tomatoes

½ cup steamed sprouts

1 tablespoon jalapenos (finely chopped)

a handful of coriander leaves (finely chopped)

¼ cup cucumber

 

Dressing ingredients

Salt to taste

1 pinch pepper

1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

Juice of ½ a lemon

1 teaspoon pomegranate balsamic (optional)

 

Pumpkin seeds

Chopped almonds

 

In a bowl, add all the fresh ingredients. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Just before serving, add all the ingredients for the dressing and mix well.

When ready to serve, assemble all the ingredients, including the seeds and nuts, the dressing and the fresh ingredients. Mix well and gently. That’s all there is to it. Enjoy this delicious, nutritious salad and let it bring its refreshing qualities to your heat-busting methods.

You may have noticed the use of raw mango in this dish. I know some of you may be wondering whether my long-standing tradition of sharing ripe mango recipes and desserts, since the fruit is in season, will continue this year. However, given the heatwave, I thought I’d do something different and focus on replenishing and energy-boosting recipes. Don’t forget to drink lots of water, and you can always keep hydration interesting with a hearty lassi. On the subject of mangoes and indulgences, the recipe archive is right here for you to explore!

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Recipe: Sweetness Meets Nutrition – Mexican-Style Pineapple Salad

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With the fruit being in season, a wonderful meal of Thai-style pineapple rice led to an equally delicious pineapple curry, as you may have enjoyed recently too. I’m delighted to conclude this recipe series with a Mexican-style pineapple salad that I hope you’ll be just as excited by! As I had mentioned in one of the previous posts, I often grill pineapple for dessert. If you already have cut pineapple on hand, as I do with the abundance of it on the market right now, it’s so easy to do. As I was preparing some the other day, it occurred to me that grilled pineapple could make a perfect salad ingredient. In the magical way that food does, the idea transported me back to travels in South America, and I knew just how to prepare the dish.

I feel like I mention this in pretty much every blog post, but it’s true: I’ve been consuming a low-carbs menu for some months now, and am on a constant quest to diversify it. Salads are a reliable way to do so, and I’m always looking for new methods of preparing dishes in this category. You can turn this salad into a more complete meal by adding black or brown rice to it, which will fill you up while also being more nourishing than white rice. As an aside, if you’re a fan of black rice, be sure to try out this sticky rice and mango pudding from my archives. Also, while we’re on the subject of Mexican-inspired dishes, do try my peach salsa and Mexican-influenced Buddha Bowl recipes out too!

Despite my carbs-free diet, which I abide by as much as I can, I have also been trying to be kinder to myself about slipping off the bandwagon. Attempting to inculcate a mindset of judging my own food choices less is a work in progress, but it’s also a matter of practice. I know many of us struggle with this, which is why I’m sharing my own efforts to strike a balance. So nowadays, instead of chastising myself because a certain item or an extra helping may impact my health negatively, I am telling myself: “This will nourish me and give me joy”. Rather than eat something rich while feeling miserable and guilty about its sugar or carb quotient, which reduces my pleasure in the food or beverage itself, I am making it a point to mindfully enjoy it. This is a better attitude than self-criticism. It also helps you moderate your diet when you look at all parts of it the same way, rather than only the parts of it that you consider indulgent. Moderation in greens, moderation in goodies, and so on. It’s perfectly okay to eat what you’d like to eat – just eat it in the portions that are best for you.

This salad, as nutritious as it is, began with just such a spark of choosing joy over judgment. Of course I could have eaten the pineapple raw, but grilling it brought out flavours to the fruit that it wouldn’t have gotten to experience otherwise. Then, warm memories of a trip to Mexico embellished the rest of the recipe in my head: corn, jalapeños, kidney beans and chipotle sauce found their way into it. The result? Delicious, craving-satisfying and loaded with nutritional value even while it also packs a punch in the taste department.

One of the things I love about this dish is that while it’s internationally-inspired, the ingredients are locally grown or easily available. This gave me the idea of not just grilling the pineapple, but also giving the corn the Indian street food treatment. I wanted to bring the flavour of the wonderful roasted corn that we get at beaches all over India into the dish too, so I added some lemon and chilli powder and prepared that separately.

With the five year anniversary of this blog approaching (do follow me on Instagram for some celebratory fun soon!), I’ve been thinking about the broad range of recipes covered here, and I noticed that one of the things that many recipes have in common is that you can cook them no matter where you are. The ingredients used are largely simple and widely available, and the substitutes you can use to make them local or seasonal for you should be pretty intuitive. For instance, for this recipe, I found and ordered chipotle online, to add a bit of authentically Mexican flavour. If you’re unable to source it yourself, using paprika – which incidentally also originated in Mexico but which is widely available in supermarkets in India and abroad – will easily create the ideal dressing alternative. As I say often: good cooks always innovate, with what’s in reach!

 

Mexican-Style Pineapple Salad

(Yield: Serves 2)

 

1 medium-sized pineapple

⅓ cup finely chopped spring onion

2 tablespoons chopped jalapeños

½ cup kidney beans (rajma)

1 roasted whole corn

¼ cup coriander leaves

¼ cup finely diced bell peppers

 

Dressing

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

1 teaspoon chipotle chilli (substitute: paprika)

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon olive oil

 

Slice the clean pineapple into circles. Grill approximately 2 cups of chopped slices in the oven or on a pan until charred. Allow to cool, then cut into small pieces and add to the bowl. Then, add the remaining vegetables.

Mix the dressing ingredients in a cup and pour over the assembled salad. Serve with some crunched-up nacho chips. If you have some fresh avocado, or some guacamole, these will also make a perfect accompaniment.

The nacho chips that I sprinkled over the salad evoked the texture of the maida-based tostada bowls that I’ve enjoyed similar Mexican salads in while travelling in the United States. Scrumptious and crispy, the bowl is a treat to eat along with the salad and the guacamole that is customarily served. While I know how it’s made, I don’t have a mould to make them with, and I’m wondering how to improvise. Would you have any suggestions? I’d love to scoop some of my Mexican-style pineapple salad into a homemade tostada bowl next time, and enjoy that crunchiness too!

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Recipe: Stars Of The Summer – Seasonal Sweet Potato & Mango Salad

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The summer is here, and so are the sweet potatoes – and the mangoes! I couldn’t resist slicing some of these wonderful seasonal harvests up and putting them to delicious use in my kitchen. As you may know, we eat a lot of salads at home, and I’m always on a quest to add more variety and novelty to mine. The secret is in hitting on the right balance of flavours or textures, and pairing the dish with a dressing that uplifts it. I think I have a star in this one, and it’s delightful to me that it features one of the vegetables I have always enjoyed, alongside a fruit you just can’t go wrong with during an Indian summer.

I’ve spoken about mangoes plenty of times on this blog, so let me share my love for sweet potatoes as well.

The first way in which I enjoyed sweet potatoes was in a thick kheer or payasam that I used to have as a child. When they were in season and therefore plentiful, my mother would boil them, mash them and add milk. This would make for a very healthy dessert that required no further sweetening. She was an expert at such exquisitely simple milk-based desserts, and inspired me to create some of my own.

Certain memories come up when one contemplates any kind of familiar food. For me, the other important personal and cultural association that sweet potatoes evoke is that they are one of the ingredients that are permissible during the Faraali fasting that takes place in the month of Shravan, observed by Vaishnav Gujaratis. My mother maintained these fasts while we were growing up, and during those times she ate sweet potatoes frequently, and so did we.

Faraali is a relatively lenient type of fasting: it is not that consumption is not allowed, but that certain types of harvest are not permissible. Grains are taboo during this time, whereas tubers like sweet potatoes and yams form the bulk of the fasting menu.

Years later, through my Macrobiotics studies and my constant inquisitiveness about culinary science, I am able to understand and admire the beautiful logic of all fasting traditions, from Lent to Ramadan to Paryushan. I realise that Faraali must originally have been all about honouring the cycles of nature, avoiding certain types of harvest so as to allow the soil and the plants to replenish themselves during the rainy month of Shravan. It would also be the right time for the human body to purify itself with vegetables and fruits, as the weather would mean that people stepped out less and would also not be able to work in the fields. Fewer carbohydrates would be required, as less energy was required, so grains need not to be a part of the diet during that time. This is my perspective on the reasons behind this religious practice, and I often feel that when we think deeply about rituals, many of them will have a practical function behind them. Our ancestors were far more in sync with nature than we are, and had the wisdom to develop daily and seasonal routines that respected and kept this balance.

So for us today, as modern human beings with eclectic palates, one way to stay in sync is to accept that heavy lunches in the summer time make us more lethargic, and can diminish our productivity over the rest of the day. Salads cut out the heavy carb load of rice and grains, while also being filling, delicious, nourishing – and visually vibrant, which improves the mood and whets the appetite. If you’re a fan of this food category, be sure to explore my archives, where I’ve shared many of the tried-and-true salads that are super hits at home: this one where the passion fruit dressing is the star, another season-suitable mango salad, a nutritious millet salad, and a few dishes you may not have thought of as salads but really are, like peach salsa, sundal and green moong bhel. Another health-boosting eating habit is to regard a salad not as an appetiser or an accompaniment, but as a meal-in-a-bowl. It’s really just about portions.

Coming specifically to this summery sweet potato and mango salad, I am often a bit suspicious of the unusual sweetness of the sweet potato chips that many restaurants serve, and I prefer making them myself. The technique is very easy, as you’ll see below. You can substitute the sweet potatoes for yams, and use the same thin-sliced technique to fry them. These crispy sweet potatoes are what I use in this salad. If you prefer not to fry them at all, you can have them steamed and sliced. It all depends on the textures you’re building the salad with, and any health or taste preferences that you may have.

 

Seasonal Sweet Potato And Mango Salad

(Yield: 1 bowl)

 

½ cup sliced sweet potato

½ cup sliced ripe sweet mango

2 cups lettuce

½ onion

2 tablespoons coriander leaves

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

 

Dressing:

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons pomegranate juice

A pinch of black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

 

In a bowl, add all the dressing ingredients together. Store this in the fridge.

Heat a pan and add the oil. Once the oil has heated, add the sliced sweet potato. Make sure the sweet potato is sliced thin so that it can cook faster. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for a few minutes on a low flame.

Then, remove the lid and increase the flame to medium. Allow the slices to turn crisp. Flip them to ensure that both sides are well done. Once they are fried, set them aside.

Prepare the salad by putting the sliced onion and torn lettuce into a bowl. Add the fried sweet potato crisps and the fresh mango slices on top. Add the dressing, garnish with coriander leaves, and mix gently. Allow to cool for some time, and serve.

I hope you’ll enjoy the mix of crispiness and sweetness in this simple yet satisfying sweet potato and mango salad. It’s just perfect for this hot weather, and keeps you light on your feet after the meal. Speaking of the summer, since we are in mango season here in South India, you can expect next weekend’s post to celebrate the fruit. In the meanwhile, maybe you’ll want to check out the many ways the mango has starred in my recipes over the years?

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Recipe: Topped With A Tang – Salad With Passion Fruit Dressing

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I hope you enjoyed my previous post, in which I gave away the recipe for one of re:store’s bestsellers. As mentioned then, I was on a stop motion video kick and was determined to produce at least a couple of those cute videos, with Anushka’s help to bring everything all together, of course. The chocolate cupcakes were the first star, and I must admit they were the more difficult to shoot of the two dishes I had zeroed in on for this experiment. The second one (the recipe for which I am sharing today) was much easier to shoot, perhaps because the composition was within a single bowl and the overall motion was more stable, and I love the result.

Before we go any further, here it is: the stop motion video for this recipe, a delicious salad with passion fruit dressing.

As you can see, with the shoot for this video, I wanted the dark and moody theme that I usually use in my photography to be reflected too. I also wanted to showcase what a stop motion video looks like when the recipe is simpler, as opposed to the more complex chocolate cupcakes one. As for whether or not I was looking for a contrast between tastes, health quotient and so on – honestly, not really. In this experiment, it was my aesthetic side that took over and determined my choices more than my culinary side.

At the moment, we are enjoying a bounty of hydroponically-grown varieties of greens in Chennai. This form of small-scale agriculture seems to be all the rage in the city, and as we grow some of our own produce ourselves, and as I personally always have an eye on natural and nourishing ingredients, we couldn’t be more pleased by this trend. These organic vegetables grow without soil, and so suffer less from worms and other issues. We have so much at home at the moment that I’ve been making lots of green smoothies and salads. For this recipe, you can use any kind of lettuce that you have available.

When it comes to salad dressings, those of us who opt for healthier dressings tend to stay with the simple staples like lemon, salt or pepper, but I’ve found a way to retain the health aspect while increasing the flavour of the dressing. This is where the passion fruit comes in.

Whenever a fruit or vegetable retains its foreign name on the market, and doesn’t have a commonly used local Tamil or other Indian name, I know that it’s something that has only in the recent past been cultivated here. So it is with passion fruit, and this post by a fellow food blogger has lots of information about the supply we get here in India, which is grown in the hilly regions.

Long before I began to enjoy this taste, there used to be a passion fruit shrub at our house in Kotagiri. Not having learned yet how much I love it, I would simply give away its yield to our neighbours. The plant is long gone now, but how I wish I had eaten that bounty while I could! I feel this now all the more because passion fruit has a very short growing season here in India. Just in case you happen to try this recipe at a time when it’s scarce on the market, rest assured that you can use a store-bought syrup instead of fresh pulp too. While it may contain added sugars or other ingredients I prefer to avoid, the taste will be the same. It’s the fruit’s unique flavour that really elevates this salad. Passion fruit has a slightly sour flavour and a high citric content, and it goes very well with crunchy apples. The two fruits complement each other, with their mix of textures and tastes. They have a beautiful contrast when put together here.

Passion fruit is a hardy fruit, not very pretty in appearance, but slice it open and you’ll find just the opposite. Its soft pulp looks just lovely speckled with black seeds. My husband loves having some for breakfast whenever it’s in season, slicing it in half, sprinkling some sugar on top, and scooping the flesh out with a spoon. As for me, I enjoy the juice very much and even make it daily when I can. It’s a healthy ingredient, one that’s great to start the day with, and we make ample use of it whenever we get our hands on some. Luckily, I had enough left over during the last passion fruit spree to make it the star of this salad…

 

Salad With Passion Fruit Dressing

(Yield: 1 bowl)

 

Dressing

½ cup passion fruit pulp

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt to taste

 

Salad

2 cups lettuce

¼ cup finely cut spring onions

½ apple (core and sliced)

2 tablespoons chopped dates

2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds

 

Simply put the salad ingredients together in a bowl and set them aside. Then, whisk the ingredients of the dressing until they are blended well. Pour this over the salad before you serve it. Enjoy!

Sometimes, there really is nothing else easier to prepare than a salad. I’m a huge fan of the food format itself, as you may know, and here are several you may also enjoy: mango salad, millet salad and sundal.

Salads are a great way to increase your vegetable intake, and they give you a boost especially as a mid-day meal that keeps you light on your feet but sated. Do try this one out and let me know what you think? Before I forget, here’s another look at the stop motion video that started off the idea for this post! In case you missed it, do check out my cupcakes recipe too, and the stop motion video that accompanied it. If you use the app, I’m looking forward to connecting on Instagram too.

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