My Weekend Kitchen

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (Porridge)

November 21, 2018 Leave a Comment

We had our first snow this Monday. I woke up to a blanket of white outside and just couldn’t get myself to out of my blanket from bed 🙂

I needed something warm, something wholesome, nourishing, and delicious and this warm bowl of apple oatmeal really did the trick in not just warming me from inside out but also filling me up with energy to face the snow!

Apple and cinnamon is a delicious winter combination. Warm, sweet, and spicy; it just invites one to indulge in its beautiful aroma and taste. I wish you warm cozy mornings with this bowl of healthy apple cinnamon oats porridge!

Happy Cooking. Happy Eating.

Spicy Roast Pumpkin Soup

This spicy roast pumpkin soup recipe is all about easy winter dinners. Sweet roasted pumpkin with warm winter spices, it is truly a comfort in the bowl.

This is my easiest and by far the best roast pumpkin soup recipe. Believe me when I say the easiest because I made it on a sick day. Some of you know that last whole week I was fighting a cold. I made this deliciously thick and creamy roast pumpkin soup for Tuesday dinner. And the best thing was to have the leftover for lunch on Wednesday! 🙂

The beautiful thing about pumpkin is that it lends a thick creamy texture to the soup without needing to add any cream or butter. Warm winter spices like cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and peppers add to the flavors of this simple roasted pumpkin soup.

I wish you warm comforting evenings with a bowl of this beautiful soup!

Happy Cooking Happy Eating.

Coconut Banana Bread with Pecans

“The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.” — Thomas Moore

I love this quote and how it truly brings out the extraordinariness or everyday cooking just like simple and delicious coconut banana bread! I always marvel at bread making! How do such simple, wholesome ingredients, come together in a beautiful loaf! Actually, 2 loaves as this recipe makes one for you to enjoy at home and one for you to gift to a loved one 🙂

While I don’t know how to bake many different kinds of bread at home, banana bread is definitely my thing. I love how it wishes everyone Good Morning with its delicious aroma! I hope you do try this recipe.

Happy Baking. Happy Eating.

Makhana Kheer | Lotus seeds pudding

phool makhana kheer, makhane ki kheer banane ki vidhi

Happy Diwali to everybody!

Thank you for being such a support in my journey of bringing simple home cooking back (in homes).

This year, I am welcoming the Diwali festival with bowls of this delicious Makhane ki kheer. This traditional Indian dessert pudding is made with makhanas slightly roasted in ghee and then cooked in milk with coconut and cardamom.

Makhanas are a nutrition powerhouse and have been used in traditional Indian medicine since ages. Makhanas are actually very popular in Eastern and Central Indian cuisine. Most commonly they are eaten as roasted snacks (just like popcorns) but they make a delicious savory curry and an equally delicious dessert pudding like this one! I first had makhana kheer during the Navratri season and I loved it sooo much that I making them again during the Diwali celebrations!

What desserts are you planning over these 5 deliciously festive days? 🙂 Also, do check out my post on 4 very easy to put together Diwali dinner menu ideas! How about a chaat party? or a Rajasthani themed Diwali dinner? I’ve got menus for different food preferences with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options.

Wishing everyone a happy and Joyous Diwali!

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

This Blueberry Banana smoothie is a nourishing, feel-good breakfast smoothie. Filled with antioxidants and immunity boosters, this healthy blueberry Banana smoothie is just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes from start to finish.

During summer I froze 2 big bags of blueberries and they don’t seem to be lasting for long :-). Blueberry has become my favorite breakfast fruit. It is healthy and delicious and I wouldn’t mind adding some blueberries in just about every breakfast plate! If you haven’t already, check out my frozen blueberry syrup for oatmeal and also the vegan blueberry banana bread. After this smoothie, next up I will be making blueberry pancakes in the coming weekend!

I like to slowly sip in its rich thickness with my morning paper but if you are on the run, it easily goes in a bottle for to-go!

Happy Cooking. Happy Drinking.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

It’s November already! Can you feel the chill in the air? We have nice warm afternoons and from 6 pm onwards the temperatures start to drop. It is the perfect season to bring back soup dinners!

And what better vegetable to start the soup season with than butternut squash. The recipe is super simple, just roast, stew, and blend. My special “secret” to his soup is a twig of fresh rosemary. It adds such an intense flavor and aroma. I love it and I hope you like it too! I would love to know :-).

Butternut Squash is my favorite autumn vegetable. Don’t get me wrong, I love carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. You know I do… I cook so much with them! But I have a sweet spot for butternut squash. I think it goes back to the time when I first discovered them and then went from wondering how to even cut them to cooking all sorts of things with them. Did you check my latest video on how to easily cut and roast Butternut Squash?

Happy Cooking. Happy Eating.

Indori Poha | Steamed red rice poha

Indori poha recipe, Indian breakfast recipe gluten-free

Light and fluffy, Indori poha recipe is a signature breakfast dish from Madhya Pradesh (MP).

I fell in love with MP cuisine two years ago when my sister used to live in Indore. Every morning we used to go for a walk and then eat a plateful of poha from the roadside vendor. Sometimes we would pack it and eat it later in the day. What was surprising for me was how that poha stayed soft and fluffy even after several hours.

The secret of the softness of Indori poha is that it is steamed on a water bath and not by sautéed in oil like it’s done in other regions. It is amazing how different States in India cook the same flattened rice in different ways. Indian cuisine really is special in that sense.

In this simple recipe, I share step by step photos to show how to make steamed poha with very little oil and light seasoning. We do add a lot fo crunchy toppings on top of it! You can try adding these toppings to regular stir-fry recipes too. It will add a nice twist to them. What are some of your favorite toppings for stir-frys?

I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Happy Cooking. Happy Eating.