Indian Inspired Archives - THE BAKING SKILLET

Maple Pecan & Pistachio Cardamom Cookies

October 3, 2017 14 Comments

Bringing classic combinations from North America and India for these delightfully addictive, maple pecan & pistachio cardamom cookies. Its officially thanksgiving season in Canada! And it is Diwali season in India. Yayyyyyy… I love festive months. What’s better than chilly days, accompanied by tons of cozy food and no taboo on sweets and desserts? Oh, I know! Leaves turning orange, red, yellow, Halloween and Stranger Things Season 2. Clearly, there is a lot to be excited about. And if you haven’t watched Stranger Things yet, you still have 22 days to catch up! I scrapped my initial blog calendar for this month and decided to do only desserts. Cookies and cakes – rich, indulgent, special, everything with cream and frosting! I remember, in India, if you visited someone during Diwali, you could without fail expect to be served a plate (or plates) of store-bought sweets and homemade deep-fried treats. I am not sure if it is still the same, if people still celebrate with the same fervor. If sweets are shared with neighbors and if the ladies (mostly) toil away in the kitchen to create a variety of homemade treats. I would like to think they do. […]

Indian Inspired, Savory, Uncategorized

Stir Fried Beetroot Coconut in Spiced Yogurt

September 13, 2017 12 Comments

This simple stir fried beetroot coconut in spiced yogurt is a slight twist on a traditional Kerala dish without compromising the authentic flavors. It is easy to make and a great accompaniment to rice, veggie bowls or grilled meats. I am so excited about today’s post because I really want you guys to try this little part of Kerala cuisine and love it! In my sneak preview on Instagram, I mentioned about enjoying an entire Onam spread after years and my resolve to recreate some of the traditional Kerala dishes in my Canadian kitchen so I don’t have to wait till I go back home to India or seek out a really good Kerala restaurant. Ok some dishes are worth seeing out – such as dosas and appams because they are rather time consuming and a bit labor intensive to make at home. However, there are so many simple vegetarian and non-vegetarian stir-fry and gravies that I don’t attempt. When it comes to my own cuisine I kind of stick within my comfort zone and make the handful of curries over and over again. Time to change all that! Starting with this stir fried beetroot coconut in spiced yogurt which […]

Desserts, Indian Inspired

Mango Ginger Popsicles

June 28, 2017 22 Comments

Mango ginger popsicles for mango lovers! These are refined sugar free, dairy free and so so easy to make! I have highly sensitive teeth. I could never bite into anything that is sub-zero degrees even when my permanent teeth had newly popped and were probably at their strongest! As a kid, when we got to treat ourselves to kulfis i.e. the Indian street food ice-cream on a stick I’d slowly suck on it while half of it melted in streams down my hands, and invariably the last few bites would drop to the floor. All these years later, my teeth have obviously not become less sensitive; it’s a miracle they are still there after all the sugar attack they endure. As an adult, I stick to ice-creams in bowls (boring? Trying having sensitive teeth!) Watching others bite into popsicles gives me goosebumps! But its #popsicleweek and I had to participate, because we want to constantly be part of something, even if it is a virtual summer party exploding with happy, colorful ice-pops. Last summer when I started using Instagram seriously i.e. started using the explore feature and following a bunch of bloggers is when I first heard of popsicle week. […]

Indian Inspired, Savory

Lentil Spinach Masala

March 8, 2017 17 Comments

This lentil spinach masala is really a canvas on which you can try all sorts of variations. It is a delicious, nutritious meal for one person when you want to make the least effort but crave a warm cozy meal. I will be honest, sometimes I do miss my single days! When days looked like this – wake up, go to work, come back from work, whip up quick dinner, eat while watching endless re-runs of Sex and The City or How I Met Your Mother, or a soppy movie or some brainless comedy without fear of judgement, get late night shisha and drinks, or mint tea when feeling responsible, with my girlfriend, gossip/ bitch about work and boyfriends till the shisha embers have died, come back home, eat some chocolate, sleep with the TV on all night. Just because you are perfectly happy in one kind of life does not mean that sometimes you don’t miss the other, right? But one thing I really disliked when I lived by myself was eating all alone. I am the kind of person who is not a fan of only cooking for myself. When there is no one else to share a […]

Breakfast Treats, Indian Inspired, Savory

Curry Leaf Scones with Tomato Coconut Chutney

January 30, 2017 17 Comments

Curry Leaf Savory Scones with Tomato Coconut Chutney

If you love chutney, these South Indian spiced, savory Curry Leaf Scones act as excellent vessels to scoop up the goop. Made with coconut oil and lightly spiced with curry leaves, mustard seeds and pepper, these savory scones are a delicious break from sweet breakfast and brunch options. I know this blog is full of recipes that cater to the sweet tooth. Heck! I even say in my side bar About Me “This blog is for anyone who has ever skipped dinner just to have an extra portion of dessert” It is true. It is firstly a dessert / cake / cookies blog. But that doesn’t mean I should throttle my creative juices and not try something savory if the inspiration strikes. By some stroke of luck if it actually tastes good, I can’t not share just because I subtly proclaimed that this is a dessert lovers blog. Sharing is good. Sharing encourages all sorts of good and bad exchange of ideas. When we share, we contribute to the collective consciousness of this world. I feel blessed and inspired to be part of a time when sharing knowledge, creativity, ideas is a click of a button away. I open my […]

Desserts, Indian Inspired

Gajar Halwa Cookie Cups

November 1, 2016 2 Comments

Many Indians get nostalgic at the thought of Gajar ka Halwa I suppose. It is a common dessert made at home and served at restaurants. I am not sure if the same goes for ‘nankhatai’ though – a kind of crumbly, melt in your mouth eggless cookie aromatic with ghee and cardamom. I am Trick or Treating right now and trying to write about Diwali. This is bizarre, I can’t wrap my brain around it. The two worlds are so far from each other. To me, this seems unusually quiet for a celebration that involves morbid costumes, dark house decoration and sugar highs – and it is busy on our street – I have handed out candies to atleast 100 kids and expecting a hundred more. Back in India, wherever you are in the city, you can hear fireworks going off. The sound of celebration in the air. Homes are decorated with strings of light, colourful lanterns and diyas. Those who celebrate Diwali, are dressed up in silks and chiffons, sequins and gold embroideries, the beautiful saris, vibrant lehengas and elegant kurtas. Of course, there is the sugar rush and food coma, mainly due to several fried foods, ghee laden […]

Desserts, Indian Inspired, Pies & Tarts

Phirni – Indian Rice and Coconut Pudding Tart with Granola Almond Crust

October 20, 2016 2 Comments

Coconut Phirni recipe Rice Coconut pudding

It is Diwali season in India – the festival of lights and crackers and sweets and gifts and pretty clothes. A rich, creamy rice pudding or Phirni is one of the popular desserts back home. This version is a take on the classic, served in a granola tart base. My head has been full of Halloween, just like the blogging world is full of Halloween desserts. Then the other day I was Skyping with my mom and she mentioned Diwali holidays coming up soon and I realized that it is indeed Diwali season back home. And just like there is thanksgiving and Halloween and pumpkin talk everywhere in this end of the world, plans for Diwali – shopping for clothes, crackers, lighting, home décor, sweets making, invitations – are being laid out in India. It is easy to forget when you are away from home, busy immersing yourself in a new culture, learning its ways and discovering new things; it is fun, but it is also equally fun to celebrate your own culture in small ways in a different country. To share the spirit from back home with new family and friends here. And although the two celebrations are as […]

Desserts, Indian Inspired

A Canadian Whisky Caramel Sauce and an Indian Carrot Pudding

June 22, 2016 No Comments

carrot pudding with whiskey caramel sauce

We are sweating over summer plans. Did I mention that ever since we moved to Canada in January this year, we have been living a vagabond life between BnBs and service apartments? With most of our belongings from our previous life in Dubai tucked away in a self-storage somewhere in Toronto, we are lugging around a few suitcases and cartons around the city till we buy and move into our own home. I will save the rant about finding a house in Toronto for another day, another post. For the past two months, we have been growing roots at a service apartment downtown, but they are kicking us out next month to accommodate the influx of international summer tourists! I have kind of gotten attached to this place. It is where I started my blog, I have become comfortable with this kitchen and the oven. It is not amazing, but it is functional, clean and spacious. I am dreading moving into another BnB that looks great in pictures and then you find that basic pots and pans are missing or there is way too much clutter from the owner or the bed creaks precariously everytime you move! Since we are […]