tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344Wed, 28 Aug 2024 08:45:48 +0000VeganSoups/Stews/SaladsVegetarian Dry/GraviesHealthy RecipesSweets/DessertsCakes and BakesBreakfast/Dinner RecipesAppetizersHow-To/ Pantry BasicsRice VarietiesThaiBeveragesChineseBreadMexicanItalianChutney/DipsFrenchNon-Vegetarian Dry/Gravieshttp://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)Blogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-6987531323194980949Thu, 16 Jan 2014 22:00:00 +00002014-02-08T00:27:21.810-05:00Happy New Year to All!! Its a bit late, but better late than never. Hope this year brings on happiness, good luck and exciting things for everyone!! So, far mine hasn't been off to a great start, atleast health-wise. For starters, new year's eve, I was down with a viral fever and just started getting better. My little one had a bad case of stomach bug, just recovered and we were winding up with http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2014/01/happy-new-year-2014.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-4972269334230714668Fri, 22 Nov 2013 03:30:00 +00002013-11-21T23:32:07.540-05:00VeganVegetarian Dry/GraviesYa, I know, I have been under the radar for a while now!! Laziness has kicked in, these past few weeks, and all I wanted to do, was, to cuddle up in a cozy blanket and sip on some hot tea or a warm bowl of soup. Last week, I made this south-indian dish with drumstick in a coconut-based curry. It used to be one of my grandpa's favorites. My mom used to make it exclusively for him, although the http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/11/drumstick-kulambu.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-6193242154194396910Thu, 31 Oct 2013 02:30:00 +00002013-11-01T00:26:53.758-04:00Sweets/DessertsVeganIts funny how you come across something unexpected when you are actually looking at stuff that is not even remotely related to what you just discovered. Well, this is one such recipe!! Diwali, this year, is on Nov 3rd, and is, just a few days away. I try and make couple different sweets every year apart from the usuals. Of course, I choose to make stuff that is not very time consuming but tastes http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/10/choco-bread-burfi.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-5757297508153591918Mon, 21 Oct 2013 21:16:00 +00002013-10-21T17:16:40.413-04:00Sweets/DessertsVeganLife seems so pre-occupied with things adding up in my daily to-do list, sometimes, I wish a day was longer than 24 hours!! It has been a little over 2 months since my daughter started attending her new day care but she has fallen sick so many times. I suppose if you have a kid who attends day care/school, you can always expect a surprising home delivery of some sort of sickness that is so not http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/10/til-ladoo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-5850317183076109892Thu, 10 Oct 2013 02:45:00 +00002013-10-10T01:38:35.739-04:00Cakes and BakesVeganOctober officially marks the start of the holiday season with celebrations lined up one after the other....Diwali, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Its not just that, it's the best part of the year because it gives you more reasons to enjoy sweet treats (who needs one anyway, right??). Holiday season always reminds me of time spent with family. Every year during Thanksgiving or Christmas, http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/10/vegan-magic-bars.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-967067678484531617Tue, 01 Oct 2013 03:25:00 +00002013-09-30T23:43:34.049-04:00It is officially the last day of Vegan Mofo. It has been an interesting month making different soups although I would have definitely loved to add more recipes but unfortunately family duties took over and time got in the way. Anyway, here's a round up of the soups posted:  Minestrone Soup: Classic hearty italian soup with chunks of fresh veggies and pasta in a flavorful tomato and http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/09/vegan-mofo-round-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-939757028258633904Mon, 30 Sep 2013 20:02:00 +00002013-09-30T16:25:50.512-04:00Soups/Stews/SaladsVeganMiso is fermented beans, mostly soybeans. My Mofo Post 10, Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup made using 'dashi' stock. Dashi is a japanese soup base that is prepared by soaking kombu (kelp), niboshu (dried sardines), katsuobushi (dried bonita - fish flakes) or shiitake(dried shiitake mushrooms). The vegetarian version uses kombu and/or shiitake mushrooms. Miso paste comes in several http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/09/vegetable-miso-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-4543753485310988500Sat, 28 Sep 2013 17:17:00 +00002013-09-28T16:14:44.711-04:00Healthy RecipesSoups/Stews/SaladsVeganIts been a couple days since I posted anything on the blog. Things don't always happen as planned, especially, if there is a kid in the equation. My poor baby has been going through a bad case of the stomach bug. Apparently, it is a common illness if a kid attends daycare. I can't believe its so easy to catch on such stuff....it's her 2nd round in the past month and a half. It has her completely http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/09/cream-of-carrot-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-1258519574264284706Tue, 24 Sep 2013 03:20:00 +00002013-09-24T20:13:26.617-04:00Soups/Stews/SaladsThaiVeganThai Cuisine has been a favorite in my household, especially, Pad Thai, Drunken noodles and such. Back in my vegetarian days, I always ordered pretty much same dishes, more so out of doubt as to what if the unwanted fish sauce was used in other dishes. I almost never resort to trying out soups in thai cuisine for the same reason, that most of them smell either fishy or way too salty (atleast the http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/09/tom-yum-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-4148511224890453169Wed, 18 Sep 2013 21:20:00 +00002013-09-19T21:54:38.559-04:00Soups/Stews/SaladsVeganMy Mofo Post 7 is Borscht (or Borsch), a popular dish found in Eastern Europe. Borscht is a soup made with beets, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, onions, garlic and dill. Borscht is a diverse recipe and there are several varieties of the soup in the Ukrainian cuisine. Borscht can be made either hot or cold. The most popular among the two being hot borscht that contains starchy vegetables like http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/09/ukrainian-borscht.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-7722846415052713215Tue, 17 Sep 2013 18:04:00 +00002013-09-17T14:04:08.876-04:00Soups/Stews/SaladsThaiVeganBlack Beans is high in protein and fiber, low fat and rich in essential vitamins and minerals. Black beans helps prevent heart disease and can also reduce cholesterol levels. It contains phytochemicals that can help fight cancer diseases. A cup of cooked black beans contains 15g of protein, 15g of fiber with no saturated fat. Now, that's something to consider?? It is a great meat substitute for http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/09/cuban-black-bean-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-4707517644086762748Sat, 14 Sep 2013 03:31:00 +00002013-09-13T23:35:00.830-04:00Soups/Stews/SaladsVeganGazpacho is a cold tomato-based vegetable soup that originated from the southern region of Andalucia. Gazpacho is popular in Spain and Portugal. My Mofo Post 5 is Spanish Gazpacho that is served cold during hot summer months and usually prepared using the fresh vegetables in season. Gazpacho recipes can vary by texture based on the ingredients being used. Nowadays, you can find interesting http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/09/gazpacho.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-287982409156199254Tue, 10 Sep 2013 03:52:00 +00002013-09-10T21:41:10.759-04:00Soups/Stews/SaladsVeganMulligatawny soup is of Anglo-Indian origin. Mulligatawny, when literally translated in tamil means "pepper water". My Mofo Post 4 is this classic spicy soup that was adapted by the British during their regime in India trying to mimic the 'rasam' (spicy broth made from spices, tomatoes and tamarind juice) that is quite popular in South India. Several variations can be found for this recipe. http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/09/mulligatawny-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-665052918608156009Thu, 05 Sep 2013 19:08:00 +00002013-09-05T15:16:59.401-04:00MexicanSoups/Stews/SaladsVeganHow about a piece of Mexico in a bowl???  That's exactly what you get with tortilla soup!! My Mofo Post 3 is this flavorful bowl of tortilla soup that is an apt representation of what mexican culture truly is. The history of tortilla soup is not clearly known although most of the traditional ingredients have been carried through generations.  The classic tortilla soup is a http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/09/tortilla-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-3083038892471578166Wed, 04 Sep 2013 03:30:00 +00002013-09-04T01:19:37.939-04:00Soups/Stews/SaladsVeganI know exactly what you are thinking....the last ingredient you could possibly think of, when making soups, is peanuts, right? When I was coming up with a list of soups to make this month, this soup came across as a total surprise. Of course, I was a bit hesitant about the idea of using peanuts/peanut butter in soups. Don't get me wrong, I love peanut butter, but it was just hard to imagine how http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/09/african-peanut-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-2937645132455157835Tue, 03 Sep 2013 00:29:00 +00002013-09-04T01:16:08.531-04:00ItalianSoups/Stews/SaladsVeganIt is that time of the year again...yep, Vegan MOFO kick started early this year. September is Vegan month of food. It is my first time participating in this event and I can't wait to see how this month unfolds with the recipes in my list. I have chosen to do Soups from around the globe along with some of the classic comfort soups.  My Vegan MOFO Post 1 is this hearty italian minestronehttp://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/09/minestrone-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-7381057230737139523Thu, 29 Aug 2013 03:00:00 +00002013-08-29T12:57:12.424-04:00VeganVegetarian Dry/GraviesI am excited that I finally signed up for Vegan MOFO after a long deliberation. It has been over a year since I turned vegan and participating in this event couldn't be more gratifying. I kept going back and forth about picking a theme. The first one I thought of was desserts but 20+ recipes of sweet treats...don't know if I can handle the sugar rush. Finally, after thinking about quite a few http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/08/soybean-curry.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-7024285721581720797Wed, 21 Aug 2013 21:30:00 +00002013-08-29T15:36:17.724-04:00Breakfast/Dinner RecipesVeganPoha (flattened/beaten rice) is rice that flattened into dry flakes. These flakes are soaked in water and swell up as they absorb all the liquid. In Indian cooking, poha has been used in sweet and savory dishes. There are several versions to the savory poha...you can add veggies or skip them, either way they taste good. One of my favorites is the savory poha that mom makes frequently. Mom makes http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/08/poha-upma.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-2131718789521239473Fri, 16 Aug 2013 03:58:00 +00002013-08-28T23:06:16.101-04:00Cakes and BakesVeganFunfetti cake is popular among kids and adults. Funfetti cake is a simple vanilla cake with sprinkles that melt and make the cake colorful. I can't even keep track of how many funfetti cakes I would have baked over the years. Of course, things are a lot different now, especially, after becoming a vegan and also trying to make healthy choices. Ever since, I turned vegan, I stopped using cake box http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/08/vegan-funfetti-cake.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-6311338353026636717Fri, 09 Aug 2013 01:30:00 +00002013-08-13T02:06:09.958-04:00Breakfast/Dinner RecipesVeganAdai (mixed dal/pulses) is a variety of dosa (crepe prepared from fermented batter made using rice and broken black gram) found in Southern India. It comprises of various pulses which makes it protein packed and satisfying breakfast/dinner. Every once in a while, I make them especially when I run out of the idli/dosa batter and grow a bit tired of eating the usuals. The use of asafoetida and http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/08/adai-with-peanut-chutney.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-3646912242883208725Wed, 24 Jul 2013 21:00:00 +00002013-08-01T15:28:03.991-04:00BeveragesVeganFor the past couple weeks, the weather has been a bit unpredictable in the East coast. Sometimes, it gets crazy hot and super sunny which has you thirsty throughout the day. After debating whether to use the strawberries (that I had lying in my refrigerator for a while) in desserts or not, my mind kept leaning towards beverage of some sort. Mostly, I make fruit smoothie with berries and banana http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/07/strawberry-lemonade.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-3000614734619545717Wed, 10 Jul 2013 19:30:00 +00002013-08-14T17:08:51.433-04:00VeganVegetarian Dry/GraviesMushrooms are used in various cuisines as it tends to give a meaty texture to the dish and are generally considered a low-calorie food. Personally, I prefer using portobello mushrooms (great for stuffing or grilling) and button mushrooms (works for cooking, frying or baking). Mushrooms are good in gravies and add its own flavor to the dish. Bell peppers, also known as sweet pepper/capsicum are http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/07/mushroom-peas-bell-pepper-curry.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-6561549037578261587Mon, 01 Jul 2013 00:30:00 +00002013-08-28T02:09:25.889-04:00VeganVegetarian Dry/GraviesDuring my weekly shopping at the asian market, I wanted to pick some good beets, mainly for my daughter to try it out (especially after her Dr. told me about her low haemoglobin level). I don't normally buy beets in a bunch, but decided to do so this time. For a long time, I was debating about whether the beet leaves were edible or not. After googling a bit, I found out that they were perfectly http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/06/spaghetti-w-beet-leaves-artichokes-red.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-4253926036670739480Sat, 29 Jun 2013 01:30:00 +00002013-07-21T01:51:42.438-04:00VeganVegetarian Dry/GraviesOn second thoughts, I should probably rename it as "no fuss peas curry".  Every now and then, my lazy bones start acting up and I have moments when I want to eat something quick, healthy and tasty but don't really want to go through the trouble of chopping any veggies (well, maybe just for garnishing or sometimes, I wind up gently twisting them and pinch some off to use...yep, that's how http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/06/quick-easy-peas-curry.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866984416906801344.post-5204942756282752460Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:00:00 +00002013-07-17T00:09:00.728-04:00How-To/ Pantry BasicsVeganGinger-garlic paste is an essential ingredient in indian cooking. It is probably one ingredient that can be found in every indian household as a part of their pantry. For a long time now, I have been making homemade ginger-garlic paste as I don't like the store bought paste because it is way too vinegary, has a whole bunch of preservatives and wasn't doing much for the dishes when using them. By http://spicecuisine.blogspot.com/2013/06/homemade-ginger-garlic-paste.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Nithiya)0