Dal Paratha Recipe (Indian Flat Bread)

Paratha is a whole wheat Indian flat  bread. This version of the chapati bread is fairly easy to form, and is also relatively healthy since it's made with fine milled durum wheat flour (atta). Paratha are often "stuffed", and I flavored this version with cooked spiced masoor dal (orange dal).

For extra flavor, I brushed the bread with a thin layer of melted ghee (clarified butter), making the paratha an incredibly tasty, crispy side dish packed with protein.

Sinh To Mit Recipe (Vietnamese Jackfruit Smoothie)

Sinh tố  trái cây are popular Vietnamese snack drinks. The phrase literally translates to "fruit vitamins", but you know them better as smoothies.

This particular smoothie is flavored with jackfruit (mít in Vietnamese). The secret ingredient though is the mung beans (đậu xanh), which provide a creamy and consistent texture. The fresh ripe fruit gives a natural sweetness to the smoothie, which is enhanced by the addition of condensed milk and ice cream.

Note: Glossary of relevant Vietnamese cooking terms.

Sinh tố = vitamins

Trái cây = fruit

Đậu xanh = green lentils

Mít = jackfruit

Cauliflower Fritters (Gobi Pakora)

I still had a lot of cauliflower left after making a healthy chou fleur vinaigrette, so I finished the remaining head of cauliflower in a slightly less healthy way. These Indian cauliflower  fritters take no time to prepare and no resting time is required.  The batter is made from besan (garbanzo flour) mixed with lots of Indian spices. The rest really comes down to what vegetables are available in the refrigerator. 

Pakora are my go-to snack food whenever we have last minute guests. Fried food is always a crowd pleaser in my house!

Poori Recipe (Indian Fried Bread)

Poori is an Indian fried bread that is often served for breakfast with Chai tea or as a snack paired with jeera ki aloo (potato curry). My husband's late grandmother Baji used to make the best poori and I would eat them by the dozen (no joke!). There are two versions I learned from her, today I'm sharing the somewhat more complex, less healthy version made with white flour, coarsely ground wheat and yogurt. 

The preparation is fairly easy. The delicate part is the frying step that can be a bit tricky. It took me a little practice to get soft, fluffy and less oily poori. As always, I haven't held back any secrets, so follow the instructions and you'll be enjoying delicious pooris in the comfort of your home!

Masoor Ki Daal Recipe

Among the Indian  lentil dishes I've learned from my husband's late grandmother, this "dry" daal dish, called "masoor ki daal", is by far the easiest and fastest to prepare for the family. No soaking is needed and it cooks in no time. The only trick to this dish is not to overcook the lentils because they will get mushy very quickly if you don't keep an eye on them.

The coral-colored, skinless lentils are sautéed with ginger garlic paste and chiles. Once masoor dal is cooked, the lentils turn a pretty yellow color. The last step is pairing the lentil dish with homemade roti (Indian flat bread) for a complete, nutritious meal.