As a whole, Indian desserts rely primarily on two ingredients: milk and butter (and sugar, but that’s a given, right?). In most cases, it’s easy to find a suitable replacement for both of these (coconut oil, anyone?), but not all desi desserts are created equal. Ras malai, a rich concoction ...

Because five's been done way too many times. 1. Serve it with some coconut-mango ice cream (recipe follows). Buttercup squash dippers with an Indian-spice stew 2. Cut it into fun shapes, sprinkle it with cardamom, roast it and serve it with some Indian dip. Like this! Want the recipe for the dip? ...

Ah, halwa (halva?) - so many varieties and all so tasty. I have to admit, though, this isn't one you'll see on any menu or in any shop -- it's completely invented. Desperate for a healthier halwa and finding myself without my usual favorite halwa base, besan (chickpea flour), I ...

Before I get to the recipe, I want a take a second to mention my favorite holiday is coming up next week: Earth Day is next Monday, April 22nd, and I'll be celebrating with a week of tips, tricks and suggestions to make your home (and your food, of course) ...

I came up with this technique early last year (before I was vegan) and, after much experimentation, I realized that the best "liquid" to use was yogurt (probably some acid/base thing). Unfortunately, using vegan yogurt for every batch was a little tough (price, acidity, flavor options, etc). So, what's a vegan ...

My favorite part about spring is the brightness of the colors: the intense greens and the super-blue blues. It’s as if everything looks more vibrant in the strong light. And I can’t think of a better way to do celebrate spring than with this bright green mint chutney. The mint's digestive ...

The recent heat wave has me dreading turning on the oven, which means I've had to replace my former breakfast of cookies with one that's not cooked. Enter the blender. This smoothie not only tastes great, but it also has some secret nutrition from the hidden veggies. For extra fun, try ...

This used to be one of my favorite breakfasts before I went vegan. It's quick, it's simple and it involves almost no thinking whatsoever. Plus it gives me an excuse to eat more fruit! (Not that I ever need such an excuse). Since spring seems to have (sort of) sprung (or ...

This is one of the simplest (yet most complicated) Indian dishes. At its most basic, it's lentils, rice, a few spices...maybe a veggie or two. But that's only the beginning: You can add tomatoes, prepared sabzis (vegetable curries), nuts or even hot sauce. O.K., maybe not hot sauce. At least ...

I'm not the type of person that cooks with a plan. In fact, I'm quite the opposite. Most of my best creations have come out of a full fridge and an empty stomach. I stand in front of the open door, the fridge's itsy bitsy light barely illuminating its contents. ...