Mango Rice Pudding Recipe

Today, there were no eggs, fresh fruit or flour in the kitchen. I was able to find sugar, a can of Alphonso mango purée, sweet Asian rice and a few cups of milk. Rice pudding is my go-to dessert whenever my pantry is running on empty, and I found just the right set of ingredients to make a batch to satisfy my sweet tooth.

First, I boiled the rice in water, drained it and slowly cooked it in milk until tender. Once the rice was cooked, I sweetened and flavored it with the delicious mango purée. I couldn't stop there, so I finished the rice pudding with a little crème fraîche for extra creaminess and created a sugar crust, crème brûlée-style. All I can say is, yum!

Indian Sabzi Recipe: Spicy Butternut Squash

Spicy butternut squash sabzi is an Indian vegetable dish made with cumin seeds, fennel seeds, ground coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, sweet and sour ingredients (mango powder, lemon juice and sugar), butternut squash and its skin. I know what you're wondering. Yes, butternut squash skin is edible; it's just a matter of taste. I discovered this while learning to cook Indian food with Baji, my husband Lulu's late grandmother. If the skin is cooked long enough with a generous amount of water, it becomes soft and tender. The skin also helps prevent the squash from falling apart and turning all mushy.

Butternut squash sabzi is traditionally served with puri (fried flat bread). Baji tried teaching me how to make puri and all sorts of Indian flat bread, which I always failed at miserably. I find kneading and folding the dough very tricky, so usually I ask Lulu's aunt, Sheerin Auntie to make them for us. She was over recently so we got to enjoy a nice meal of puri and sabzi. Everyone should have their own Sheerin Auntie!

Mirchi Ka Salan Recipe

I just learned how to make a variant of mirchi ka salan by Sheerin Auntie, who came to visit us during winter break week. This version is made with only white sesame seeds and originated from the region of Lucknow (Lakhnau) where Abbi, my husband Lulu's late grandfather was born. The previous version was taught by Baji (Lulu's late grandmother); they lived in Hyderabad where mirchi ka salan is made with peanut, fresh coconut and sesame.

The sesame seed variant is quite a bit milder. The sesame seeds are blended into a thick paste (tahini), then added to cumin-flavored oil (baghar). Whole chile peppers are cooked in the sesame mixture until softened. A drizzle of lemon juice finishes the dish. It's as simple as that. Prior to cooking the mirchi ("chiles" in Urdu), I had to be brave and estimate the level of spiciness of the peppers. If the heat is too fiery, you could cut a longitudinal slit and remove the seeds and more of the sesame sauce will enter in the cavity of the chiles for a milder taste.

Lentil Pasta Soup Recipe

My father-in-law, like my husband Lulu, is a vegetarian. One of his favorite meals is kali dal. Because of this, we often have leftover cooked black lentils. As usual, we still had some left last night, so I decided that this time it would not go to waste.

Lentils are packed with protein, so today I created a complete meal by adding pastina pasta and a few vegetables. For more contrast in color, you could add some greens such as spinach. I stuck to carrots, celery and leeks. The result is a delicious, spicy lentil pasta soup.

Yardlong Beans in Coconut Milk

Yardlong beans are also known as Chinese long beans, long-podded cowpeas, asparagus beans or even snake beans. They are more tender (with a hint of sweetness) than regular green beans and are 4 times longer. 

I've come up with a coconut milk yardlong bean recipe inspired by an Indian bean dish Baji (Lulu's grandmother) taught me, called  gawar ki phalli. Instead of the traditional cluster beans, I cut long beans into small pieces and cooked them in coconut sauce (instead of sesame sauce) until tender. I think the coconut milk makes the dish a lot more decadent. It's become a favorite in my house; the girls especially love this dish.