Almond Chicken Curry With Utha
Welcoming our first guests in our new home!
We've been in our new home for about a month now. It's been a crazy ride moving to North Carolina, but we're already loving it. This week we even had my sister in law and her husband come visit!Krystal and Will have been married for a little over a year now and also have an interracial marriage like my husband and I. It's been so much fun watching them navigate multiple cultures and seeing how eager and excited Will has been to dive into Indian culture.My kids have been counting down the days until Krystal-utha and Will-mama get here. They couldn't wait to show off their new house and spend time with some of their favorite people. The kids even planned out their whole time here!
Cooking With Utha
One of the things Liam was the most excited about was to help Krystal-utha make almond chicken curry!Trust me, it's as good as it sounds! If you've had Indian food before, chances are you've tried chicken curry. This dish has a little twist to traditional chicken curry because my sister in law adds a few unique ingredients.I love learning how to make different Indian dishes because the person making it always has a unique touch. My mother in law uses coconut in her chicken curry and my father in law uses tamarind. They're all delicious but you can always tell who makes it!
Liam is always my little chef in the kitchen.
He wants to know how to make everything and always asks to try it on his own. It makes me wonder if his passion for food will turn into something as he gets older.Although right now he's decided on becoming an astronaut!The whole time his Krystal-utha was making her almond chicken curry, he wanted to know why. Why are you adding the onions now? Why do you add so much chili powder?Why is it so hot?
Baby Luke couldn't help but join in on the fun.
He started asking what he could touch. He was dying to touch the chicken because it was the one thing Krystal-utha asked him not to! As you can tell, the temptation was just too much to handle!All in all it was a special bonding moment for all of them. Liam and Luke were able to learn a few things about cooking a traditional Indian dish, Utha got to spend quality time with her boys, and we were all blessed with a delicious dinner!
Celebrating Holi By Making It Colorful
This post is brought to you by Tea India. As always all opinions are my own.
How You Can Celebrate Holi
As spring is approaching, many Indian families around the world are getting excited. It means it's almost time for Holi, the Festival of Colors! This holiday has been making its way to the US as some colleges are even starting to celebrate it on their own!It's an opportunity for people to put down their differences and have some fun! During Holi week kids play pranks, colorful powder is thrown (or a color war if you're in our house!), and people are celebrating good over evil.As multicultural families, this holiday may look different to all of us. You may not know about the religious background to the holiday and that's ok. This is a great opportunity to teach your family about the world around them.As parents, we're raising global citizens. We have the opportunity to challenge hate and racism in the world by informing our kids. We can teach our kids about different holidays, customs, and ways of life. Holi is the perfect holiday to teach your kids about!It's all about love and celebration.
Colorful Activities
Another name for Holi is the Festival of Colors so as you can imagine, it's all about color! The time of year it's celebrated alone is all about flowers blooming and life starting fresh.There are so many ways you can teach your family about the Festival of Colors. Here are a few activities my kids love doing around this time of year.
Good Food
One of my family's traditions during Holi week is to prepare a delicious batch of Indian donuts. They're super fun and easy to make with the whole family! I swear my kids have a different sense just for Indian donuts because the second they smell them cooking they come running!
Celebrate Holi With Tea India
I've joined with Tea India today to see how we can help you #makeitcolorful! Whether this is your first time celebrating Holi or your family does every year, we want to see how you're celebrating!Be sure to share your traditions and don't forget to tag us!
Are you looking for a way to authentically experience Holi this year? Pick up Tea India's Chai moments! Their delicious, single serving drinks are the perfect way to experience Holi this year.I start most of my mornings off with a cup of their Chai Moments Milk Tea. They're so easy to make and even my husband loves how authentic every taste is!Learn more about Tea India's fresh and new products by following them today! You may even see us pop up on their feed!
Start Your Day With A Mango Lassi Smoothie!
Hectic Mornings And Mango Lassi!
Growing up, I never had the title of a Morning Person. I would sleep in as long as humanly possible, giving myself the exact amount of time I needed to get ready. Every minute of sleep counted and I did everything in my power to get as many as I could!Then it all changed the day I had my first son.As a mother, mornings are a whole different ball game. You don't just have to get yourself ready every morning, you have to get all the little people in your house ready! Not to mention help your husband find everything he can't seem to find on his own...In addition to getting them dressed, reminding them to keep their clothes on, you have to make breakfast!Most mornings in our house mean cereal. It's quick and easy. Not to mention my oldest can pour his own bowl! The day he learned to do that was a huge day in our family!The problem with quick breakfasts like cereal is that it's not always the most nutritious way to start of your kid's day. They need to have a rich breakfast that will help them get the energy they need at school or to get their day going at home.I started talking to my mother in law as well as my husband's Pinnis. I asked them what they give to their kids for good and nutritious breakfasts and their idea was just what we needed!They whip up simple mango lassis!Think mango smoothie, triple the taste, and that's what you get when you make a mango lassi. It's one of my favorite little pick me ups during the day and it's so good for you!
Simplify Your Mornings With BelVita Biscuits
We started whipping these up every morning and serve it with BelVita biscuits. It's great because they give our kids everything they need to start off their mornings! My favorite part... it's as quick as cereal and way better for you!I've had Mango Lassi smoothies in the past, but I always assumed they would be way too hard to make at home. If only I would have known how easy they were! My kids are obsessed with them! They used to associate them with their Umamma's house and now they think I'm the greatest mom for learning how to make them!Two mom points for me!
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What is your favorite BelVita Biscuit flavor?
Traditional Butter Chicken Recipe
Are you looking for a delicious chicken dish to warm you up over the holidays? If so I have the perfect meal for you! Butter chicken!
This post is sponsored by Shan Foods. As always all opinions are my own.
Winter Friendly Dishes To Warm You Up
Over the last few weeks, we have received about ten inches of snow! This means it's going to be a white Christmas! I've always loved this season. Probably because cold weather brings about some of my favorite things. I love cozying up in front of the fireplace, scarves, boots, and above all yummy dishes that warm you up from the inside out.
My family has loved all the tasty dishes we've been cooking up. A few of the dishes we've been cooking up are Pav Bhaji, Karahi Chicken, and Lahori Fish.
Last night we whipped up Butter Chicken! I can always tell when my family likes something I make based on what they do after their first plate is finished. If they struggle to eat the first plate I know the dish wasn't a success. However, if they ask for seconds I start doing a little happy dance!
My whole family was begging for seconds last night!
I love this dish because it only took me 45 minutes to make! Shan Foods designs their spice packs for busy families! Anyone can whip up traditional Indian dishes using their mixes. Whether you're in college trying to make something simple or you're just plain busy and need something quick to make Shan Foods is perfect for you!
This month they even have a killer deal perfect for every family! You can buy 3 Shan Food's Packets and get 1 free!
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See The Video Tutorial Here
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Be sure to follow Shan to stay updated on their new recipes and great deals!
Family Fridays #7 Raita
Yesterday, I shared about a new find of mine. I found an amazing company called Bhumroo Kids. They sell products to teach children about the world. They were kind enough to send us a box this month. It was full of goodies that taught my boys about India. Obviously, my boys loved it. They were able to see how far our family is that live in Hyderabad, listen to fun Bollywood music, do some crafts, and make a new recipe!Today, I want to share their delicious raita recipe. Raita is a mixture of yogurt and a few ingredients to make it even better. It's perfect to cool the spicy flavors of different Indian dishes. 
Ingredients:1 large cucumber2 cups of whole milk yogurt1.4 cup of chopped mint1 tsp ground cumin1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper or chili powder1 pinch of saltDirections:Wash the cucumber. Grate the cucumber and cut it into small pieces. Mix together the cut cucumber, yogurt, cumin, cayenne or chili powder, and salt. Add the mint to the top. Keep refrigerated until you're ready to serve. This is great with keema, meat curry, chicken tikka, and pretty much any Indian dish. Yum!To find our more about Bhumroo Kids, check out their website!
Emergency Curry
One of my favorite things about my husband's family is how close they are. They would do anything for each other. I was able to see this first hand after we had my first son, Liam. My in laws knew we would need help after the baby, so they sent my father in law to stay with us for a few months. It was great because I was able to sit and relax with Liam while my father in law cooked for us. Maybe this is why Liam loves Indian food! We ate Indian food for every meal and it was delicious. The morning after he got to our house, he went to go and make us lunch. Our fridge and pantry were pretty bare because my husband and I hadn't been grocery shopping. I'm pretty sure we were delirious in the first few weeks of newborn exhaustion, so remembering to go grocery shopping wasn't likely. He smiled and said, that's ok. I'll make curry. He made us a delicious omelet and served it with chapatis. As he gave it to us, he told us it was his emergency curry. I think the name was perfect. It's so simple, but so good. You can have it for breakfast, a quick lunch, or next to a dish like keema curry. 
Ingredients:4 eggs1/4 tsp salt1 tbs curry powder1 tbs ginger garlic paste1/4 of a small diced onion*Optional 1/2 green chili chopped2-4 chapatisOlive oil or ghee for pan**optional add ins** spinich, peppers, mushrooms, ham, turkey, bacon, sausage.Directions:Heat your pan to medium/ low heat. Add oil or ghee to your pan. Then add your onions and green chilies. Allow them to brown for about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine your eggs, ginger garlic paste, curry powder, salt, and your cooked onions. Mix well. Add more butter or ghee to your pan and pour in half of your egg mixture.Place a lid on your pan and allow it to cook for about 3-5 minutes until most of the egg mixture is cooked and it is easy to fold in half. Cook for 1 more minute or until the egg in the middle is cooked. Serve with a chapati and enjoy!
What is your go to "emergency meal?"