Cabbage Stir Fry Recipe
This cabbage stir fry recipe is one of the best and simple side dishes you could whip up on a busy night! It's full of Indian flavors and you get a bite of freshness each time!
Need a little mid-week dinner inspiration?
Growing up, I used to hate cabbage! I mean seriously was there anything worse than coming home to your mom whipping up a plate of cabbage.... Nope. It was awful.Fast forward about 30 years and now it's one of my favorite Indian side dishes! If you need any convincing that this is indeed a delicious vegetarian side dish, MY KIDS ARE OBSESSED! They love having this to pair with KEEMA CURRY during the week. It adds a bit of crunch to the meal and lightens a dense meal.Still don't believe me? My super duper extra picky husband even likes it! Now, I don't think I will be converting my family to vegetarians anytime soon, but serve this with a tasty Indian main dish and you have one happy family! [amd-yrecipe-recipe:46]
A Quick And Easy Dinner- Chana Masala
People tend to have quite a few crazy ideas about Indian food. They think it all tastes the same and takes days to make to start off with... Well, this mom of 3 (about to be 4!!!) is all about quick and easy. I need recipes that make my life easier!Today, I'm showing you a simple vegetarian dish that will make your bellies thank me!All you need is a few ingredients and you're off! It hardly takes anytime at all! You can serve it alone with a chapati or serve up some Karahi Chicken with it! Guess what... It's even kid approved!Heat the butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted add in your onions and jalapeño.
When these have browned add in your ginger garlic paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in your coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Allow these to cook together for another 1-2 minutes.
Stir in your tomato and cook for five minutes.
Add in your potatoes, chickpeas, and water. Turn up the heat to medium/high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.
Sprinkle in the garam masala, salt, and squeeze in your lemon juice. Allow all of the ingredients to simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Serve with rice or next to another one of your favorite Indian main dishes.
[ If you like this, you'll love my Karahi Chicken Recipe ]
Authentic Tandoori Chicken
One of the things I've learned over the years in Indian culture is how important it is to spend quality time with your family. It could be around a camp fire at night, playing family board games for hours, or just about anything that brings everyone together. One of the favorite ways to get everyone together is around the dinner table. I have had more meaningful conversations with my hubby and his family around the table than anywhere else.There's something about breaking bread with the people you love.This is exactly why I've gone out of my way to learn how to make Indian food with my in laws. I've always wanted them to know how important their culture is to me and I even saw my own love for Indian culture grow as I became more invested.Now, my husband and I find ourselves in our own kitchen teaching all of our friends how to make Indian food and having the time of our lives in the process!
Grilling Adventures
The good weather means we take the party outside.Of course our family has to take it up a notch and we look for Indian dishes we can grill!Tandoori chicken is always a family fav in our house because Joel does it all on his own! Well, he tries until the kids all go out to help! They're all turning into little grill connoisseurs. I love it because it means I get to sit outside and enjoy the sun while the boys slave away at dinner!Tandoori chicken is delicious and so simple to make. It marinates overnight and then you can pop it on the grill with some fresh veggies. We love to serve it with raita and basmati rice.We've even gotten my family hooked on grilled tandoori chicken!
[amd-yrecipe-recipe:39]
Mango Lassi Chia Pudding Recipe
Food Is About More Than Just A Meal
I love seeing how many of my children's memories are associated with food. Food isn't just something to eat for them. It brings them back to the moment they first tried it, the people they were with, the feelings they had at the time, and it's all tied in to each bite.Mango Lassi is definitely one of those sweets for them. Every time we make it at home, they tell me how their Ammamma makes it for them every time they see her. Every sip brings them back to their visits to her house and the special moments they have had together.Food means so much more than I ever could have imagined in Indian families. It's more than food, it's all about the community around the meal. It's about the relationships forged over preparing and enjoying the dishes.I love that we're carrying this on with our boys. I think their bellies are happy too!
Magno Lassi Chia Seed Pudding
As the weather is starting to warm up in North Carolina, the boys and I decided it would be the perfect time to whip up a batch of Mango Lassis. While the boys enjoyed the traditional recipe, I decided to put a little spin on mine.My husband and I have been trying to eat better the last two weeks and incorporating more healthy options into our diet. Chia seeds have been a huge one for us. It has so many health benefits! Their rich with Omega-3, fiber, antioxidant and are great for your metabolism!We've been adding them into our smoothies, granola, cookies, and today we're even making chia pudding!When I told my husband what I was making, he got a little nervous. I could see it in his face.What are you trying to get me to eat now?All it took was one bite and he was hooked. It's so delicious and the added flavors of the mango lassi with it are amazing.
[amd-yrecipe-recipe:19]
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!
Lahori Fish Fry Recipe
It's that time of the month again, which can only mean one thing... A new recipe featuring delicious Shan Food spices! Our last two recipes have been Pav Bhaji and Karahi Chicken. Which one has been your favorite so far?
This post is sponsored by Shan Foods. As always all opinions are my own.
My Kids Have Been Waiting For Lahori Fish!
Growing up I was never a big fan of fish. The texture and the idea of it just freaked me out. Then it all changed while I was pregnant with my second son. I craved it all day long! I even went to an OB appointment demanding to know the type of fish I could have and exactly how much because I knew I'd eat every bit I could.I'm not as obsessed as I was while pregnant, but my love for fish was sparked. I realized it wasn't that I didn't like fish it was that I needed to have it made just right!This is why I was so excited when I saw that Shan Foods had a fish fry box! I picked it up right away and showed my boys, who then proceeded to beg me to make it for dinner!
Lahori Fish Recipe
[amd-yrecipe-recipe:6]
*All Shan Foods boxes can be found at your local Indian grocery store*
Pin For Later
Karahi Chicken: Indian Spiced Chicken Recipe
As promised, I'm back with more delicious Indian recipes from Shan Foods! Last month I shared their tasty Pav Bhaji recipe with you and it was a hit! I've had many of you tell me you tried it and loved it! I can't wait to hear what you think of Karahi Chicken!
This post is sponsored by Shan Foods. As always all opinions are my own.
I've developed such a deep love for Indian food over the years. I love all the spices that are infused with each bite.
The ability to learn about my husband's culture through food has been what fueled my love. I wanted to learn how to make Indian food so that my husband could share his memories of it growing up and start our own memories with our kids.
My kids are obsessed with Indian food and ask for it everyday! The hard thing is that traditional Indian food can take hours to prepare. With three kids and a traveling spouse, I rarely have the time.
This is why I love Shan Foods! They have made it so easy! Instead of hours it's done quickly! Not to mention it's so easy! They've done all the hard work and have given us traditional Indian dishes!
Whether you're new to Indian food or have been making it for years, Shan Foods can help!
[amd-yrecipe-recipe:7]
*All Shan Foods packets can be purchased from your local Indian grocery store*
Pin For Later
What's your favorite Indian dish?
Indian Donuts
Our little guy's birthday is here! We were racking our brains trying to decide what theme we should choose. The pictures taken at a child's birthday live on forever. You will show your children as they get older and if you're not careful you'll end up getting the look. You know what I'm talking about. The look that means, "You seriously chose that theme for my birthday. Wow, mom. Lame."I choose to live as the greatest mom ever and to never get that look from my kids. My husband tells me it's inevitable, but I disagree.One theme you can never go wrong with is Bollywood! We decided to have the kids dress up in their Indian clothes, made Indian food, and decorated everything with bright colors. It was perfect because my husband's family was in town and helped with everything!
Food For The Party
We ended up making Keema Curry, Naan, Samosas, Chutney, and Indian Donuts. Everything flew off the platters, but the thing everyone talked about all night were the Indian donuts. They were a hit!The recipe is thanks to my husband’s uncle, Cali-mama. A little special tidbit on family members names is that names are very meaningful. In our American families, we would call our aunts, Aunt so and so. In Indian families you use part of their name and then pinni, which means little mom. I am really only familiar with the mothers side because I’m around my husband’s mom’s side, mostly. Family members are extremely close in Indian families hence why aunts and uncles are called little moms and little dads. My husbands uncle’s name is Calvin so we call him Cali-mama.Let’s all say a special thanks to Cali-mama for this delicious recipe!
Indian Donuts
Ingredients:
4 cups flour1/2 cup plain yogurt2 cups powdered sugar2 eggs1 ½ tbs butter1 tbs vanilla¼ tsp saltoil for frying
Directions:
Beat the eggs. Add in your yogurt, salt, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Make sure all of your ingredients are mixed well. If you’re like me, you can add in some extra vanilla. I always figure everything’s better with an extra splash of vanilla.Start adding in your flour, a bit at a time, until your mixture becomes a dough. Add enough flour for your dough to not stick to the edges while mixing.Roll out your dough onto a floured surface to about an inch thick. I used a cup to cut out small circles, but feel free to use a cookie cutter or anything you have on hand.Heat your oil in a deep pan on medium high heat. You want your oil hot enough that it starts bubbling as soon as you drop your dough in. *If it’s too cool, your dough will soak up all the oil, but if it’s too hot your dough will burn.* Turn the donut when it’s a light golden brown. Place on a towel after it’s cooked to absorb the excess oil. You can serve them as is or add some yummy powdered sugar on top. Enjoy!
Family Fridays #12 Apple Crisp
Kylee is joining us today for our 12th family Fridays! She is the voice behind Byky, a brilliant lifestyle blog documenting her and her husband's life. Be sure to check out her blog!
I lived in the best neighborhood growing up. Our neighborhood had so many families that all had kids around my age. We would have all types of get-togethers through the year from Memorial Day cookouts to Super bowl parties. My family always held the neighborhood New Year’s Eve party. The party was always pot-luck style so everyone would bring a dish of their choosing. Though there were many amazingly delicious dishes at this party there was one that was definitely a crowd favorite – Apple Crisp. Apple crisp, always brought by Sandy Rowe, became a staple of the party and of the neighborhood.It has come to the point where all the kids in the neighborhood are almost in the 20s or older now and some are getting married. I, myself, just got married a few months ago. At my shower, which all the neighborhood families attended, I began opening my gift from the Rowe family. There were multiple parts to this gift but I quickly realized what I was opening. The Rowe family gave my fiancé and I all the tools to make the Apple crisp – the apple corer and peeler, the pampered chef stone, Macintosh apples, yellow cake mix, sugar, brown sugar, and of course the written recipe. I was thrilled – and so was my fiancé Brandon. Ever since he attended his first Kolesar New Year’s Eve party and had a bite of Mrs. Rowe’s famous apple crisp he was hooked. I thought this was such an amazing gift because Apple Crisp is so much more to me than a warm yummy dessert. For me, the preparation reminds of prepping for the annual New Year’s Eve party, the warm melt in your mouth taste reminds me of the neighborhood bonfires we would have in the fall, and the way it disappears so quickly once it’s served reminds of the competitive games we’d play in the cul-de-sac. Apple crisp reminds me of how lucky I am to be able to call all of my neighbors, my extended family.Apple crisp is one of my favorite family recipes. I’ll never forget the first time I tried it or the first time I made it on my own. I’d like to share this recipe with all of you today! Hopefully, you all will enjoy it as much as I do.
Ingredients6 Mactinosh Apples – peeled + cored + sliced½ cup sugar1 heeping tsp cinnamon1 Jiffy cake mix (yellow or white)1 stick of butterDirections:Place sliced apples in a deep dish baker. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the apples. Pour dry cake mix over the cinnamon and sugar. Melt butter and pour over the top.Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
Hear more from Kylee by following her on twitter.
If you would like to take part in the Family Friday's Series, here is some more information.
Family Fridays #11 Cabbage Subzi
Share a bit about the recipe and why it’s special to your family or your spouse/partner’s family.
This recipe is not special, but it's quintessential in the Mehta household. My husband adores cabbage and we make it every week for lunch. I can make it with my eyes are closed.
The days I make this subzi, my husband messages me with, "Yummy" or "Good Food."
Tell us a bit about your family and what makes them unique.
If you would like to hear more from Ketaki, check out her blog.
Culture Clash Wednesday #8 Taste Buds
Last week, I offered three more entries into my Ultimate Spice Giveaway by taking a survey (only a few more days to enter!). This survey helps me see what all of you have enjoyed on my blog and what you want to see more of. There was a HUGE consensus.... You all love culture clash Wednesdays!! I'm so glad you are all enjoying because it has been such a fun series!This week were talking about taste buds. I think many of you will be able to relate to this one.. Food is one of the biggest passions in our house. This could be because we have an almost Indian family or because it's full of boys. I've always heard the way to a boys heart is through his stomach and I can tell you it's the same for Indians! We're always experimenting and trying new dishes! However, a problem always comes up... Can you guess what it is?? My husband and I can never agree if it's too spicy or too bland! Usually, I will love a dish and he says it's a little bland and needs more heat. On the other hand, he will have a dish and love it. All while I'm sweating bullets because it's so freaking spicy! Now, our kids are joining in on the fight. Liam thinks pepper is too spicy and Levi can handle his spicy food. This is probably why my husband loves visiting his family. It's typically a weekend full of spicy Indian food. My first few years in the family, I would get teased because I'd always have a glass of milk with dinner! I'd get the biggest glass possible because I knew how ridiculously spicy everything was going to be! It's been six years now and I never pour a glass of milk with dinner. Is this because I'm almost Indian and can handle my Indian food or is it because my pride kicked in and I won't ever let them know how badly my mouth is on fire? The world will never know... For the most part, we all love spicy food. It's just the level of heat we don't agree on. We've learned a few tricks over the years to make sure we're all in love with dinner. We've all trained our taste buds to handle some heat. We serve dinner and all sit down at the dinner table. If you look at our table, we will always have multiple kinds of hot sauce. We have hot sauce for every type of food we make too! We have hot pickled vegetables for Indian food, Cholula for Mexican food, and Sriracha for Asian food. This way we can all add the right amount of spice and I don't die from it!
Do you experience this in your house? Are you the one that likes heat?
Meal Plan #1
We all have little things we do that make our weeks go just a bit smoother.For the longest time this was sticky notes for me. I would have sticky notes spread all over my room. They would have little reminders, ideas, bible verses, inspirational quotes, etc. It helped to put all of my ideas on paper. When I met my husband, my technology obsessed husband, he helped me transition from sticky notes to a computer. Little does he know, I found an application on my computer that allows me to have little sticky notes on my desktop. After I had kids, I realized sticky notes wouldn't be enough to organize the daily chaos in my life. I needed something else, so I started meal planning. It was perfect. I could look at my plan and see what prep work it required and how soon I needed to start the prep. Before I started meal planning, I wouldn't decide on what to make for dinner until four and then it wouldn't be ready until six or seven. This was difficult because my kids go to bed at seven. It created a lot less stress in our evening routine to have dinner ready and prepped at a good time. Do you want to try a meal plan? Here is one just for you.Monday: Chicken Keema Curry and riceTuesday: Simple Meat Curry and rice Wednesday: Pappu, Sharline's coconut green beans, and naanThursday: Chicken Curry and riceFriday: Keema Curry, rice, and a fried eggSaturday: Chicken Tikka Masala and rice Sunday: Left oversHere is a Meal Plan #1 Grocery List just for you.
Family Fridays #3 Junnu
I'm very excited about this week's Family Fridays edition! I was able to get a recipe for my brand new pressure cooker! I've never used one, but everyone here assures me it makes life much easier! Instead of an Indian dish taking a full day to cook, it only takes 30-45 minutes! This week's recipe is brought to us by Padma. She is going to teach us how to make Junnu. Her and her husband have two beautiful children and she wants to share a bit about her family with us. 
What makes this dish special to you?My three siblings and I grew up eating Junnu. I missed it after moving to the US, but didn't know how to make it. One day, a friend of mine brought it to my Telugu fellowship. She shared the recipe with me and now I can make it whenever I want! JunnuIngredients:3 eggs1 cup sweetened condensed milk1 1/2 cups half and half milk Few peppers1 tsp of cardamom Directions:Beat 3 eggs in a big bowl and add condensed milk. Mix. Add half and half and combine. Add in crushed peppers and cardamom on top of it and put the lid on. Pour some water in your pressure cooker. Put the bowl inside the pressure cooker and close the it. Let it cook for 40 to 45 minutes over low flame.Do you want to share a family recipe? If so click here. Did you like this post? If so don't leave before you sign up for my weekly newsletter!
Family Fridays #2 Drumstick Sambhar
(To hear more from Alexandra, check out her blog!)This sambhar is my husband's favorite and one of the classic comfort-food recipes for any Indian wife. It has a perfect amount of vegetable, protein from the dal, and spice. There is no chilli powder and not much oil in it, which makes it a versatile dish. It is very popular in South India and you can get it at any restaurant, or as Indians say "hotel"! Plus, it's a sure way to any South Indian man's heart!
Family Fridays
In starting this blog, I had the intention of finding like minded people. I wanted to share what I've learned in my marriage and parenting biracial children. I've been surprised by what I found. I didn't just find a few people that wanted to hear my story. Instead I found a huge community of people in similar positions, a little family. I love talking to people in intercultural relationships! My definition of an intercultural relationship even changed. I thought it was two people from two completely different cultures coming together. I realized it doesn't necessarily mean two different countries. We've all been raised in different cultures and starting a relationship means blending the two. This blog is about family. It's about sharing experiences and a little something that can help you in your own life. I love being able to share my family with all of you. Now, it's your turn. I'm starting a new project called, Family Fridays. It's an opportunity for all of you to share your family with us. What better way than over a good meal!? Family Fridays will be a chance for you to showcase a family recipe and share a bit about your family. If you're interested in taking part in Family Fridays, email me at almostindianwife(at)gmail(dot)com. Let me know a little about you and what recipe you'd like to share. Then I will email you back details. Check out our first guest post here!
Weddings and Comfort Food
This week has been full of wedding planning for our family. My cousin got married yesterday which meant a lot of our family got together. I love big events like this because family trickles in from everywhere. We have a pretty big family and we don't live as close together as we'd all like. 
If any of you have thrown a big family event, you know it's busy, busy, busy. Everyone was running around the day of the wedding, while the boys and I stayed home. Liam was in the wedding and we decided to keep them home and tried to stick to their routine as much as possible. 
Realizing it could be a stressful morning, I tried to think of something comforting I could do for everyone. So, what did I do? I made chicken curry and coconut green beans! It's by far my families favorite meal and it was perfect. Here are a few of our other favorite dishes. Here is our favorite rice dish, beef dish, lentil dish, snack, and dessert.
What's your favorite, comforting meal? Share it in the comment section or tweet it using #almostindianwife
Chicken Keema
I think all of the pregnant mothers should come together and protest against pregnancies going past 37 weeks. The last few weeks of pregnancy drag on forever! All you want is to be done being pregnant and meet your newest little addition! Add in constant contractions that never do anything and the waiting can drive you crazy! Liam is getting impatient too! Every morning he asks me, "Mama, when is baby Lucas coming out and your belly getting small?"Isn't it crazy that my three year old understands my pregnancy that much!? Levi just yells, "Baby" and hits my stomach, proceeded by an, "I'm sorry baby," with a kiss. I'm pretty sure that is a look into the future of their relationships together. Liam will be the big brother always trying to help with the baby and Levi will have a love/hate relationship with him.I've heard the third baby is always more scrappy than the others. I guess it makes sense!We're trying to fill our time with fun things. This week it's been making Indian food and dealing with a clogged sink. Dirtying up more dishes is probably the last thing I should be doing with a clogged sink, but how can a family live without Indian food? Much less a pregnant woman CRAVING Indian food!Are you dying to know what we made? I know you are! We made chicken keema, Sharline's famous coconut green beans, and roti. YUM.Liam even taught grandma how to eat with her hands! He was so proud to share what he's learned!
Ingredients:1 tbs ginger garlic paste2 tsp salt2 lb ground chicken1 handful of roughly chopped cilantro1/2 a diced onion2 tbs butter1 jalapeño, halved1 tsp turmeric1 heaping tbs coriander1 heaping tbs cuminDirections:Heat your pan on medium heat. Add in your butter, jalapeño, and onions. Allow your onions to brown. Drop in your ginger garlic, salt, turmeric, coriander, and cumin. Cook down your spices for 2-3 minutes. Crumble in your ground chicken. Let your chicken cook 2/3 of the way and then add in your cilantro. Turn your heat down to medium/low and simmer until your meat is done. How easy is that!? Serve it with Sharline's famous green beans and some roti and your life will be complete!
Chapatis
Sharline's Famous Coconut Green Beans
We all have that one person in our lives. That person who's known for one recipe. One amazing dish. Joel's family has Sharline or Chinnapinni as we call her. She makes this dish every time she has people come over. It's famous with all of her Indian and white friends! The true test is that Joel hates vegetables and this is one of his favorite sides! What is it you ask? Coconut green beans. While we were on vacation, I begged her to teach me how to make them. I've tried to make them before with no success. They were missing a key ingredient, the coconut! As soon as you try these bad boys, they'll be a staple in your house. There is just one rule that comes with these green beans. Tell everyone they are Sharline's Green Beans!!
Ingredients:
![[amd-yrecipe-recipe:43]](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fea2dd6de457746601e8e8e/5fef6c0b3ff7fc00174d9bb3/5fef708e3ff7fc00174e315f/1609527438006/IMG_2489.jpg?format=original){kind=link}
1 pound of frozen green beans2 tbs oil2 tbs ginger garlic paste2 tsp turmeric1 tsp Indian chili powder1-2 tsp salt1 1/2 tbs coconut powder **I got my coconut "powder" from the Indian store. It looks more like coconut flakes.**
Directions:
Heat your pan to medium heat. Add in your oil. When the oil is hot add your onion and brown. Drop in your turmeric, ginger garlic paste, salt, and chili powder. Cook down for 2 minutes. Add your green beans.**You can use fresh or frozen green beans. If you decide on using fresh, add in 1/8 cup of water.**Put a lid on your green beans and cook until tender. I like to cook mine and leave a bite to it. At the very end, add in your coconut and cook for another minute or so.Serve and enjoy!
Must Haves For Cooking Indian Food
As our little family has been cooking Indian food more often, I’ve realized there are a few things I’ve needed to make it easier. Or that I’ve had to go out and buy because I refused to hand cut lamb one more time. If you’re planning on making Indian food, here are a few things you should have. Although, I’m sure these things are great tools when cooking anything and you’re probably all going to laugh and tell me you’ve had these things since you moved out on your own.