Detoxing this spring with neem begun (margosa with eggplant)

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 4/25/2013 11:00:00 PM

'If you had told me that one day I will be posting neem begun recipe, I wouldn't have believed you. I wasn't a big fan of this recipe. I still vividly remember the big neem tree in front of our house growing up. Every spring, my mom would ask someone to cut some tender leaves of neem (margosa, Azadirachta indica) and saute them with eggplants.We would try to get out of eating them. My mother would insist that we try some. "It is antibacterial and antifungal." Or "You wouldn't get chi(...)'

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Lobia salad (Black-eyed peas salad)

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 4/12/2013 11:30:00 PM

'Why is it that I have never blogged a black eyed peas recipe before, I scratch my head thinking and yet I can come up with no answer. It's not that I don't make it. I make it often, almost every week sometimes. And somehow I have never photographed it or written down the recipe. Has it ever happened to you dear friends that you have a go-to recipe and you have never shared it before?Today, along with this familiar recipe I want to share the book I am reading. Wave by Sonali Deraniya(...)'

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Baked masala mushroom frittata

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 4/5/2013 11:30:00 PM

'Aswin makes a mean frittata. He found the recipe about a year ago and has been tweaking it since then. He has experimented with veggies, spices and even how long the frittata should cook. We've had it over weekends, taken it for brunches with friends and finally it has been given the green light to be posted.Now let me tell you how luxurious this frittata feels when you've had a chance to sleep for an extra 45 minutes without any kid demanding your attention. No constant "Mommy, wak(...)'

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Khejur gurer payesh for Holi

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 3/27/2013 11:30:00 PM

'It's Holi today and I am dry, going about my daily routine. But in my mind, I am thinking about Holi I celebrated a couple of years ago at home. I was home for Holi after many years, and it was Lil A's first trip to India so it was extra special.The evening before Holi, I was sure that we would do dry colors, just a little bit here and there and we will be done. The next morning we woke up, ate breakfast, applied oil and changed into holi clothes and then we were all ready.Then the (...)'

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Tarkari diye Moong Dal (in pressure cooker)

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 3/12/2013 12:53:00 AM

'A few days back a friend posted on her Facebook that work life balance is a myth. With two little kids and a full-time job, a sentence like this gets my attention. I agree it's hard to find even a day when I have it in balance. For me, the weight shifts every week, make it everyday, depending on what I have going. Depending on what time of day you ask me, I may be trying hard to get one or the other in order.What I do find, however, are moments when things are working in harmony and(...)'

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Biryani stuffed squash for Valentine's Day

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 2/14/2013 12:30:00 AM

'While everyone else is posting sweet stuff for Valentine's Day, I have something savory and aromatic for you. Go ahead! Woo your sweetheart with this delicious vegetable biryani stuffed squash. The recipe may take a little bit of prep time, but the result is so worth it. We first made this for our Thanksgiving dinner last year. Needless to say, everyone enjoyed it quite a bit.The presentation is beautiful, and the mild sweetness of the squash mixed with the heady aroma of the vegeta(...)'

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Sweet potato cutlets

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 2/6/2013 1:30:00 AM

'Evenings in our house is busy. Both the kids are demanding our attention, we are prepping for dinner and also catching up on our day. And if I get a chance, sipping on some tea as well. So most of the evening dinners are quick and easy to prep and easy to put together during the week. Lil A also eats what we are eating, so that means we are eating different kinds of pasta at least a couple of times a week.If I can throw in some lentils or vegetables in that mix, all the better. Thes(...)'

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Vanilla cupcakes

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 1/24/2013 2:12:00 AM

'Lil A turned 3 this month! Not so little anymore. Before I realized, he is a little boy with opinions, tastes, moods and pranks. He likes interacting with Tiny M and squishing him. It's us who keep saying "gentle, gentle". Tiny M, on the other hand, is excited to see his big brother. He shows it by waving his hands, kicking his legs and now smiling.Coming back to the birthday cake, the first two year's cakes were my choice - banana and chocolate and strawberry cake.  This year (...)'

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Tanjore Marathi recipe - Thona Thona

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 1/4/2013 2:42:00 AM

'Happy new 2013 to all of you my dear friends, bloggers and readers! I am looking forward to a brand new year waiting to be filled with new recipes, adventures and other delicious memories. I haven't made any new resolutions for this year, other than being mindful of everything around me and knowing that life can't always be planned, but to take it with all that it has to offer. The last month was busy with the little ones. But over the break we traveled to get away from it all.(...)'

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Quick & easy spicy pita chips

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 12/20/2012 2:26:00 AM

'NOTE: I wrote this post a while back and didn't have the time to finish it. Then the two tragedies (one in the US and one in India) happened, that have saddened and angered me in many ways. It has been hard for me to find the right words and coherently write about it. I pray that we all have the strength to work through these horrific incidents. And over the next year, I hope to see significant changes in everyday social and cultural terrains -- beyond legal and policy decision -- (...)'

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Pear Crisp for Holiday season

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 12/4/2012 2:58:00 AM

'Since we couldn't travel, we hosted the Thanksgiving's dinner for family and friend this year.  I made a couple of things, but most of the menu planning and cooking for done by Aswin. It was a lovely evening spent with good food and good company in between nursing the 3-week-old. Running behind the toddler, I had forgotten, how tiny, soft and fragile little babies are and delicious they smell :)When I was nursing the last time, my MIL had brought over some special laddoos from (...)'

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Mixed berry cake with whipped cream

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 11/19/2012 4:12:00 PM

'It was Aswin's birthday last week and this time we made a mixed berry cake with whipped cream topping. Lil A is not so fond of cakes, but he does like to lick all the cream off the cake or cupcakes. So when he demanded a blue or green cream topping, I knew he was serious.I chose a simple mixed berry cake from Smitten Kitchen and then tweaked it. Whole wheat flour to replace all purpose flour, no lemon zest and glaze either, instead sinful whipped cream that Lil A helped stir and dec(...)'

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Our Diwali is brighter this year...

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 11/9/2012 7:39:00 PM

'with the addition of a new member - Manan. Unlike Lil A, Tiny M is loud. When we went to the pediatrician, she commented "he has to be heard over his brother, so he's already practicing."  My MIL is here helping us as we all realign ourselves. As for this blog space, it's an important part of my life and I don't intend to neglect it completely. I will be posting as and when I get a chance.Hope your Diwali is full of joy and happiness too. I very grateful for the love and good(...)'

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Shubho Bijoya with Kalakand from scratch

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 10/24/2012 1:59:00 AM

'My pregnancy brain has taken over, I'm sure! I'm told that in the last month or so, "nesting" kicks in. And here I am, instead of getting stuff ready for the new arrival in my "nesting" phase, I am standing near a stove, stirring and making kalakand from scratch at night after Lil A went to bed. What else would you call it?The only advantage of the late night cooking session was I had all the time to stir and take pictures without being interrupted and so I have a nice pictorial for(...)'

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Durga Pujo te mochar ghonto (banana blossom stirfry)

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 10/18/2012 1:57:00 AM

'I was so excited when I saw mocha or banana flower in the Indian store recently. (Mocha is pronounced as Mo cha as in chair). It's been many years since I had one and in my mind the process of cleaning is complicated, one I have never attempted. I do remember my mother sitting with a boti and a newspaper in the kitchen, patiently rubbing her hands with oil and cleaning the flower and chopping it for ghonto.My mother-in-law is visiting, and I was confident that between the two of us (...)'

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Holding on to summer with Corn Chaat

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 10/1/2012 2:48:00 AM

'I look at corn with new found eyes since this summer. That's because Lil A discovered corn and I found corn chaat. In one go, it satisfied both of us. Lil A likes his with lemon juice, salt and pepper. When we don't have time to grill the corn, I simply boil it and serve it with butter and salt to Lil A and he happily munches on it.I on the other hand, douse my corn with cucumber, tomatoes, onions and pepper, liberally spice it and enjoy it in a bowl.  I have been tweaking this(...)'

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Making the most of Fall and some news...

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 9/24/2012 10:30:00 PM

'Fall is here for sure. Moderate temperatures, sunny days, blue skies, tempting us to spend time outside. And to do that, we combined spending time outside with cooking outside too. :)You've already heard me talk about the new grill we got over the summer. It came with a side gas burner and we decided to make inaugurate that by deep frying some Luchis or Puris.  Luchis or Puris stir up strong memories of weekends at home when we would have them with kumror chakka or alur tarkari(...)'

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Sage garlic potatoes with tandoori grilled chicken

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 9/11/2012 11:00:00 PM

'We finally got ourselves a grill this summer and since then have been grilling quite a bit over the last few months. But, I never get around to taking pictures of the food we have grilled so far, some delicious, juicy mushrooms, paneer, tofu, corn, and even some salmon. The salmon was a big hit with Lil A who had it right after we took it off the grill. But this time I did, and it deserves a post.Before I write down the recipe for the tandoori grilled chicken, I want to talk about t(...)'

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Mulor tarkari (Radish with Bengali five-spice)

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 8/27/2012 9:28:00 PM

'The Farmer's Market in Ann Arbor is in full swing. All kinds of vegetables, flowers, plants, fruits are available now. If you go to the market Saturday morning, it is packed with people and kids. Little kids on feet, in strollers, babies with their eyes wide open in wonderment looking at the crowd and the colorful display.Lil A loves going to the market as well. He refuses to sit in his stroller nowadays and walks around looking at each vendor. His favorite is the blueberries stall (...)'

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Moong Dal Laddoo

Author : Mandira      Blog : Ahaar      Date : 8/20/2012 11:00:00 PM

' It inevitably happens when my parents come and go or when my MIL is visiting us, the blog reflects that shift with the recipes that are posted. After all this is a place to record our home cooked food. Sometimes I go back in history to browse (doesn't happen that frequently now what with the little one) and it's so interesting to see what was cooking in the kitchen the same month in different years and so on.This Moong Dal Laddoo is a traditional offering in my Mother-in-Law's(...)'

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