Elderberry Syrup

Preparation time: 10 minutes | Difficulty level: Easy 

Elderberries (Sambucus Nigra) are rich in nutrients and proven to be very effective in boosting immunity. Make this a part of your routine supplements, and protect yourself from allergies, common viruses (including influenza) and a lot of common illnesses. To see better results, make sure you consume it 5 days a week and then take a break for two days to give your body a chance to boost its own immunity. 

Kids' dose is 5ml (1 tsp) a day when healthy (twice a day if sick). Adulot dose is 1 tablespoon a day when healthy (twice a day if sick).

Everything assembled before cooking

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried elderberries (can be bought on Amazon or a local farmer's market)
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 fresh lemon juice + zest
• 1 inch piece of ginger, sliced
• 1/2 cup sweetener (agave nectar or local honey)
• Flavorings of your choice, optional. I added 1/2 stick of cinnamon, 1/2 fresh orange juice + zest, 1 vanilla bean broken into three

Instant Pot Method:

1. Add all ingredients except the sweetener your IP, close the lid and turn knob to sealing. 
2. Pressure cook on manual mode (high pressure) for 7 min. 
3. Quick release pressure and strain through a sieve, pressing out the liquid as much as possible. 
4. Once completely cooled, add the sweetener.
5. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.

Stove top Method:

1. Add all the ingredients, except the sweetener, and an extra cup of water to a pot. 
2. Bring everything to a rolling boil on medium-high heat.
3. Lower heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes. 
4. Strain and when completely cooled, add the sweetener.
5. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.

 Helpful Tips:

• To make a large batch, hold the sweetener. Once the syrup cools, pour it in an ice cube tray and freeze. Store frozen cubes in the freezer and thaw as needed and add sweetener to taste.

Masala Deviled Eggs

Preparation time: 25 minutes | Difficulty level: Easy | Makes 24 servings

This past weekend, we had to bring an appetizer and dessert to a neighborhood party. For dessert, I made the carrot halwa, and we thought of making deviled eggs for the appetizer. I wanted to make an appetizer that people were familiar with, but at the same time I didn't want to make something everyone had had before, so I decide to give these babies and Indian twist. And sure enough these eggs were a big hit!

Masala Deviled Eggs

Oxtail Stew

Cooking time: 45 minutes, Inactive: 10 hours | Difficulty level: Difficult

The mention of oxtail makes many people twitch their noses (I was one of those people!) but it is, in fact a really delicious and nutritious part of the ox. Since it is a continuation of the vertebral column, its marrow is rich in iron. Oxtails tend to be fatty but my recipe tells you how to get rid of most of the fat. Oxtail stew involves a lot of patience, but the efforts are rewarding. I thank my aunt, Suchitra Mami, for introducing me to this awesome dish!

Ginger-garlic paste

A lot of my recipes call for the use of ginger-garlic paste. Since ginger-garlic paste is an integral part of Indian cooking, I did not realize how much I was assuming people know about it till a few of my non-American friends asked me about it. So I decided to write a post about how to make the best ginger-garlic paste.

Karela Fry (Bitter gourd)

Cooking time: 30 minutes prep + 15 min cook | Difficulty level: Easy | Makes: 4 servings

Karela! The most hated vegetable. I remember when I was a kid and mom used to make karela for dinner, it was like the worst nightmare come true. But karela is packed with nutrients and is REALLY good for health. So my mom tried out various ways to cook it in order to make it palatable for us, yet preserve all the nutrients. Out of all the versions of this bitter vegetable, karela fry was my absolute favorite! So get excited folks, we are about to turn the most hated bitter gourd into a delightful snack!

Karela Fry

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Cooking time: 5 minutes | Difficulty level: Easy

We made this peppermint bark for coworkers and everyone loved it, wanting more. Eventually when I ran out of peppermint bark for everyone, I just decided to post a recipe because it is SO easy to make. Here you go... Happy Holidays!!

White chocolate peppermint bark

Baked Maple Gajar Halwa (Carrot Pudding)

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes | Difficulty level: Easy | Makes: 6 servings

Gajar Halwa or carrot pudding is a very popular North-Indian dessert and one of my favorite desserts of all time. Basically 'halwa' is anything that is cooked with milk, and this particular halwa is a very smart way to make your kids get their daily source of Vitamin A and fiber, disguised as yummy dessert! Recently we had a bake-off at work where the theme was "baked" and "fall." So I made some autumnal modifications to the contemporary gajar halwa by using maple sugar instead of regular sugar, and baking it in the oven.

Baked Maple-Carrot (Gajar) Halwa