Posted in Quick n Healthy, Snacks, Spring - Summer Special, Superfoods

Kale Chips

We all know we should eat green leafy vegetables. And I am sure you have come across Kale Chips too. Are they easy to make? Yes and No. They are easy to make for the most part, but can easily be messed up. When I first made Kale chips, I had no idea how Kale tastes. Its slight bitter taste does call for Indian touch like chaat masala or your favorite seasoning. If “green” and “leafy” do not strike a bell in your mind, here is why Kale is a clear winner when in comes to nutrition. Type of Green Calories…

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Posted in Continental, Desserts, Entertaining, Happy Moments

Coconut Macaroons

It was a cold winter day and we were driving pass Santa Cruz mountains. I was craving for cappuccino while S wanted an oven fresh pizza. Before I could realize he had parked in front of Domino’s. Since pizza doesn’t really fit into my ‘fat-friendly’ list, I started exploring other options. I saw this small bakery shop which looked very inviting. The smell of fresh bread was very tempting. While I was still deciding the owner brought out a tray full of coconut macaroons just out of oven. He dipped one macaroon in chocolate and insisted me to try. That…

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Posted in Breakfast, Desserts, Snacks

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Two years and two months, I had successfully put off the urge of making chocolate chip cookies at home. Finally I gave in and decided to make S happy by making his two favorite dishes – Sabudana Khichadi and Chocolate Chip Cookies. The debate still continues whether firm and thin or soft and chewy is the perfect texture but we both agree that fresh, warm, just-out-of-oven cookies with a glass of cold milk is a pure bliss! It would have been a lot easier if there were one master recipe for each classic dish. After going through numerous websites I…

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Posted in Jams & Pickels, Spring - Summer Special

Fresh Strawberry Jam

It was one o’ clock and I had almost finished my shopping at the farmer’s market. I stopped at a stall which had only two big boxes of fresh organic strawberries and the seller was happily offering them at half the price. I instantly grabbed one box and started thinking of how to preserve these summer treats. There wouldn’t be a better way than fresh homemade strawberry jam! I returned home with the big box in my hands and a big smile 🙂   [purerecipe]  

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liebster blog award
Posted in Happy Moments

MyHomeMantra receives two Liebster awards :)

This was truly a special week for MyHomeMantra. My Tiramisu picture received a compliment from Serena Palumbo, born and raised in Italy, she was a contestant in Next Food Network Star season 6. I was very happy to see an Italian chef liking my Tiramisu. It was as good as winning an award. On a very next day to my surprise, I did win a very precious blogging award – the Liebster award. I am proud to receive the award twice by two lovely  bloggers – Preeti and Janani whom I really admire for their wonderful blogs and amazing recipes. Thank you ladies! Liebster…

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ulunthan kali
Posted in Desserts, Quick n Healthy, South Indian

Ulunthan Kali

This was my first time participating in Indian Cooking Challenge and I was very excited about it. Srivalli had asked us to prepare a traditional sweet from Tamilnadu. I had never heard the name before and surprisingly none of my Tamil friends were familiar with its name – “Ulunthan Kali”. As Srivalli explained, its known by various other names such as  Kummayam or Adi Kummayam or more popularly Thiruvadhirai Kali. The recipe was given by Padma. The most impressive thing about this dish is its ingredients.; urad dal, rice, jaggery and sesame oil; all combined together to make a deliciously…

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BalGopal
Posted in Festival Special, Maharashtrian, Quick n Healthy

गोपाळ काला / Gopal Kala for Krishna Janmashtami

Krishna Janmashtami कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी, the birthday of Lord Krishna is celebrated all over India. In Maharashtra its popularly known as Gokulashtmi and it’s celebrated along with “Dahi Handi” with enormous zeal and enthusiasm. People make a human pyramid by standing on each other and the top most person tries to reach the “handi”, a clay pot filled with curd and aims to break it with his hand. This depicts Lord Krishna’s childhood and his love towards butter. We worship bal gopal (बाल गोपाळ ) and we prepare his favorite dishes which include sweets and savory dishes. Then on the midnight of…

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Posted in Breakfast, Continental, Desserts, Snacks

Banana Walnut Bread

Even though I think about calories, fat, saturated fat and of course, the price I end up buying banana walnut bread at Starbucks. The cakey delight is so hard to resist. Today I decided to try it myself at home using whole wheat flour instead of maida (all purpose flour) to make it a little healthier. My husband could not tell the difference 🙂 [purerecipe] Food For Thought Walnuts are often referred to as “brain food”, not only because of brain-like appearance of their lobes but because of their high concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids. They also promote bone health…

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Watermelon Cooler
Posted in Quick n Healthy, Salad, Smoothie

Celebrating National Watermelon Day!

Watermelon is a wonderful wonderful summer treat. Nothing beats the sweet, sugary, red juicy watermelon bites. Very low in calories and rich in Vitamin A & Vitamin C, it’s also a great source of potassium. Today watermelons get their made up holiday, 3rd August is celebrated as ‘National Watermelon Day’ in America. Hence, I am sharing some of my favorite watermelon treats. Personally watermelon juice is my favorite. Squeeze a few drops of lime juice and sprinkle a pinch of chaat masala and you will have a refreshing cooler in no time! Watermelon Quinoa Salad is a popular recipe and…

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