Varada's Kitchen and Garden

I have made these quesadilla for more than a decade now. They were a great weekday dinner when my daughter was little and my husband was traveling. It is one of my favorites. It is filled with nutritious ingredients and is also very filling. But most of all it tastes amazing. When I first posted this recipe my husband had tasted this quesadilla for the first time. He was not sure he wanted to try it. Cannelloni beans are not his favorite. After tasting it he was surprised how much he liked them. If your family likes the taste of vegetables then try this recipe. Today my daughter wanted Quesadilla for dinner so I made one of my favorite's. This quesadilla is healthy, filling and rich in protein. And it tastes great! I updated this recipe with new pictures on January 26th 2019. You will need 6 prepared poli or phulka for the base (recipe here , you can use store bought if you like) For the filling 1/2 onion, chopped 2 heaping cups of shredded spinach ( I mix in som

Upama is a standby snack recipe in my house. It does not take much time, is healthy and the ingredients are readily available in the pantry. You will need 1.5 cups semolina 1/2 onion, chopped 3/4 cup frozen peas 1 tsp. cumin seeds 4-5 curry leaves 1 serrano pepper, deseeded and minced salt to taste olive oil Roast semolina in a pan until you can run it through your fingers without sticking. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in the same pan and add cumin seeds to the hot oil. When the seeds sizzle add the curry leaves, serrano pepper and onion. Let it cook for a few minutes and then add the peas. Occasionally stir as the peas cook for about 10 minutes on low medium heat. Once done add salt to season not just the onion and peas but also the semolina that will be added to it. In a microwavable bowl bring just over 3 cups of water to a boil. If using store top to boil water make sure you put it on the stove top when you start roasting the semolina. To the pan add the semoli

White sauce is used as a base for a lot of recipes. It adds a creamy texture and provides a flavored base to build on. You will need 1 tbsp. butter 1 tbsp. flour 3/4 cup warm milk salt and pepper to taste In a sauce pan melt butter on medium heat. Add in the flour a half tbsp. at a time and whisk in. Cook the mixture for a couple minutes. Pour in warm milk whisking all the time to prevent lumps. Never add cold milk to the sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat. Used as called for in the recipe.

This is the second recipe from the Daring Cook's archives that I had tried. It looked easy enough to make but took a long time to prep. There are a lot of steps though each one of them is fairly simple. I had made a timeline for myself so I would have lunch on the table on time. One by one I saw my timed deadlines slipping away. Finally at noon I sent my husband and daughter to practice her parallel parking skills. She will need it if she is going to get her license next month. And I figured I would get everything done faster if I did not have them watching me and the time. I bought the ingredients for this recipe about 4 days back. Every day after that we seemed to go out in the morning. Since this recipe requires a lot of prep time I had to make something else for lunch instead. Today when I woke up I decided I would make the cabbage rolls. I had never used parsnips in my cooking before. I am not very fond of its taste. But this recipe called for it so I decided to use it. I

Dhirdi is a Maharastrian favorite. It can be made with a combination of any flour you have in the house. Today I used wheat flour with besan, semolina and rice flour. The dough can be flavored any way you like. You will need 2 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup rice flour 2 tbsp. besan 2 tbsp. semolina 1/2 onion, chopped a bunch cilantro, chopped 1 tsp. ginger garlic paste 1 tsp. turmeric powder 1 tsp. coriander and cumin powder 1 serrano pepper, deseeded and minced 5 curry leaves salt to taste In a mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Add about 2 cups of water and whisk together. The resultant batter should be thick but pouring consistency. Add more water if needed. Heat a griddle pan. Coat with oil an in a couple minutes wipe clean with moist paper towel. On the hot griddle put a ladle of the mixture. Cover and cook for about 4 minutes. Uncover, turn over and cook for another 4 minutes. Take off heat and serve hot with tomato chutney.

Chutneys and pickles have a special place in the Indian meal. They add a little tangy, spicy flavor to the food. Chutney is served with a meal or a snack. This chutney goes well with savory pancakes or dhirdi. Roasted peanut powder is added to a lot of Maharastrian dishes. The peanuts in this recipe give it a nutty texture and complete the medley of flavors. When I first posted this recipe I paired it with  wheat flour dhirdi for a quick lunch. I was very new to blogging then and I always felt the pictures did not do this recipe justice. Four years later I have updated this post with new pictures. I got a chance to make a very flavorful and easy chutney again. This time I paired it with poli/bhaji (Indian flatbread and vegetable side). You will need 3 medium sized salad tomato, chopped 1/2 onion, chopped 1 serrano pepper, deseeded and minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp. mustard seeds 1 tsp. asafetida 1 tsp. turmeric powder 3 curry leaves 1 tbsp. roasted peanut powd

Pithla is a Maharastrian preparation using besan as the main ingredient. This dish can be flavored with a variety of vegetables. Leafy greens like spinach or methi are popular as they blend in nicely. As a child I liked the pithla dry and chunky. I refused to eat it if it were even a little runny. Now I like it either way. Today I made chunky pithla. You will need 1.5 cups besan 1 bunch methi 1 onion, chopped 1 tbsp. yogurt 5 cups water 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. Madhava agave nectar (or 1 tsp. sugar) 1 tsp. mustard seeds 1 tsp. turmeric powder 1/2 asafetida olive oil Heat olive oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they crackle add the asafetida and turmeric powder. Then add onions and sauté. While the onions are cooking, wash the methi and separate the leaves from the stems. Wash the leaves again, drain and chop finely. Add to the onions and let it cook for another few minutes. When the methi is cooked it will shrink in size. In a bowl, add the besan, y

Whenever I find a shiny, fresh and firm eggplant I buy it to make eggplant chips. This is one of those recipes that can be included in a regular meal or can be eaten as a snack. I do not cook eggplant often. My daughter and husband love eggplant but I do not like it at all. Except for  bharli wangi (stuffed mini eggplant)  and this recipe I do not eat eggplant in any form. I like the taste but like most people, I have trouble with the soft cooked texture. If you or someone from your family does not eat eggplant because of texture issues then this is the recipe for them. Today is January 24th, 2019, I have added new pictures to the old post. The next time you find an eggplant that looks like this try making these chips You will need 1 eggplant 1 cup besan 1 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder salt to taste Sift the besan into a mixing bowl. Add chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and leave aide. Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices.

My mother made this recipe often. It is one of my favorite koshimbirs/salads. There are only four ingredients and two of them are salt and sugar. This brings out the taste of the beetroot. If you love beetroot this recipe is for you. It makes a great addition to the everyday meal of poli/Indian flatbread and sides. Koshimbir is usually a second side in the traditional meal. It is usually made with raw ingredients or ingredients in a form as close to raw as possible. Koshimbir is nutrient rich and allows you to add color and seasonal variety to the meal. It provides a different texture and is easy to prepare. I posted this recipe several years ago. The pictures were not really good and needed an update. Now, 4 years later I finally got round to it. You will need 2 medium sized beetroots 1/2 - 3/4 cup yogurt 1 tsp. sugar salt to taste Wash the beets and cut off the edges. Slice the beets in half and place in the pressure cooker cut side up. Add just enough water to keep