With Resolve

I gave up on making resolutions a long time ago, but I did decide this year to try a few new things. One of the these was to learn to cook Indian food with one new recipe a month. My experience consuming it is minimal, so I have little knowledge of spices used and popular dishes. My experience cooking it? Even less.

Conquered so far:
Samosas with a sweet and sour dipping sauce- pastry pockets with peas, mushrooms and potatoes.

Tofu Vindaloo- a thick, spicy stew served on rice and the running favorite

Vindal- ew? Not a chance!

Vegetable Biryani with Mango Chutney and Naan Bread- A vegetable and rice mixture with a chunky mango sauce

Indian Spiced Stuffed Peppers- a veggie take on the traditional


Freestyle Poona Pancakes-basmati and lentil based batter, fried and served with fresh sauces and vegetables.


Enjoying a pancake dinner.

I was going to run the whole 12 months/12 recipes committed to following the directions, not substituting (except veggies for meat), not repeating and establishing a knowledge base before getting jiggy with Bombay's cuisine. That lasted 3 recipes. Sorry. I got antsy. And the Mango Chutney was so delicious!


CD prepares the chutney.

I am loving the balance between the warm spices (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves) and savory/spicy (garlic, cilantro, serrano peppers) along with learning how to use fruits in dinner (raisins, mango). The sheer anticipation of what is going to end up on the plate is exciting and nervewracking. I know what Fusilli with Basil and Grape Tomatoes is going to taste like; Mulligatawny Stew on the other hand...

Wish me luck! I have at least 8 more recipes to discover and more cardamom to purchase!