As we are approaching one of the famous festival from Bengal which is the “Dussehra”, many of us are eager to search for the authentic recipes that are prepared during the festival. Here we come to you with a collection of all the authentic dishes prepared in the form of a Bengali Thali (Bhojana) and can be relished during the auspicious Dussehra festival with your loved ones. The Bengali delicacies during Dussehra include various snacks, sweet recipes, many types of vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes as well.

Navratri is a major festival celebrated across India among the Hindus. It has lots of customs and rituals associated with it and one among them is eating specific dishes and food items on particular days. To make your fasting days smoothly we have a wonderful collection of fasting recipes that you can make during Navratri.

Navratri in the south part of India is a feast for the eyes as well as there are an array of dishes being prepared. Navratri is celebrated in three different states of south India which is Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. In each state the concept remains the same but the customs and tradition varies.

Womb is the best place for the vital growth of the baby. Mother’s womb is a place of planning for the rest of the baby’s life. This is since the required antibodies and thereby the base for immunity against many ailments is built within the pregnancy period. Not only does the baby get benefitted, it is a time of storing the vital nutrients for the mother’s body, which are to be used to rebuild the immunity of the mother after baby’s birth.

What better than a night in, binge watching your favourite movies with your favourite people? Binge watching with binge eating we say! 

Rice, vegetables, coconut, seafood, are major ingredients in Goan cuisine. The Goan cuisine is greatly influenced by Portugal and Mughal cuisines. The blend of local ingredients with the exotic ones bring in the zesty taste that is needed for one to fall in love with the Goan food. Fish is an inseparable part of Goan meals. Many times, rice is replaced with soft bread. Goan food is often accompanied with the most popular regional alcoholic beverage “fenny” along with other cocktails.

Pregnancy is the most important period of nourishment for the baby. Eating right supplies all the essential nutrients in the right amounts to the baby to achieve its birth weight. Apart from birth weight, food and nutrition that the mother receives also determines the strength of immunity that the baby would be blessed with. Also, the quality of mother’s breast milk after delivery depends on the food had during the gestation period (pregnancy). 2-4 serving of fruits in fresh, juiced, preserved or cooked forms enhance the mother’s immunity and supplies the essential elements for baby’s health.

One important issue in nutrition that vegetarians face daily is their fulfillment of required proteins. 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight is required per day according to RDA. But much of the staple diet that the vegetarians use include corn, rice, wheat, millets, vegetables, and fruits which are comparatively low in the protein content to that of meat and seafood. If one explores deeper, vegetarian foods like tofu, paneer, soy and other pulses have higher protein content.

There are days when we just want to pack one lunch box and we have a solution for you. Packing a roll or wrap in your lunch box  is easy, healthy and filling too. They are a perfect one dish meal which can be packed and carried easily, or even enjoyed on the go while you are in the car or planning a picnic. The best part about a roll or wrap is that you can fill the stuffing of your choice with your preferred herbs and sauces.

Its just the starting of festivals that are celebrated in India on a large scale and one of them, Bakra Eid is just around the corner. In addition as you might know it as ‘Eid-ul-Adha’, this magnificent and religious festival is celebrated by Muslims all over the world as per the Hijri calendar.

Onam/Thiruvonam is the festival of harvest and prosperity in Kerala, India which is celebrated in the beginning of Chingam month. Onam carnival with folk dance, songs, snake boat race (vallamkali in Pampa river), display of artistically decorated elephants, traditional music, combat game of kayyankali, colourful flowers and elaborate festive meals marks the momentous 10 days of Onam. In Kerala, it is believed that the spirit of prosperous and just ruler Mahabali visits land on Thiruvonam. Flowers are artistically laid out to make mats on floor to invite the spirit of the king Mahabali.

In this competitive world sometimes, all we need is food packed with energy that could be grabbed on the go. Health food bars and energy balls can be had for a quick breakfast or snack. Be it work, school or a sporty trek, health food bars serve best as small bundle of energy to keep you going. When the granola bars have the right amount of carbs, proteins, minerals, and vitamins and which come with a right balance of taste and palatability, homemade energy bars can be a bliss.

How wonderful is the feeling when the expectant parents notice the second pink line on the pregnancy test kit! Dreams about the unborn kick start within like the flutters of butterfly. Before you even know, the couple start being protective about the baby in the womb and think about ways of safe delivery and healthy baby. The essential nurturing of the conceived baby lies in the food that the expectant mother takes. Type of food, quality, quantity, and time of intake decide how well the nutrition is supplied to the expanding womb and the delicate life within.

Evening hunger pangs are the most counted meal of the day for active kids. The morning snack box and the lunch box foods would have long disappeared by the time the kids come back home. Kids look forward to food that is inviting evening snack and gives them a dose of energy boost that is required to carry on with playtime and studies. Plain milk, biscuits or ready foods from market might fail to satiate the nutritional demand of the hour. Talking about long-term health, it is always best if homemade snacks are given to kids that are miles away from junk food.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival celebrated nationwide with a prominent and glorious celebration in Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Gujarat. Ganesh Chaturthi is an occasion which was made popular during the Maratha Peshwa rule in Maharashtra. During Chatrapati Shivaji’s regime and later by freedom fighter Balagangadhar Tilak, Ganesh Chaturthi was used in disguise to focus Indians towards “Swaraj”.

Everyone has experienced the taste of dhabas, especially who loves to travel by road, as these dhabas are one of the highlights of a road trip. Mostly these dhabas are found in North Indian highways, who prepare their dishes in traditional style and usually with the local and homemade spices.

Indian flatbreads and puffed breads are usually tawa cooked, tandoori made, baked or deep fried. Various breads of India are popular all around the world. Roti, naan, kulcha, chapati, poori are its major types and the country has umpteen varieties in each of its type. These flatbreads are divided based on the flour of the dough, the other ingredients the dough contains, filling of stuffing that goes in, or the way they are made.

Many of us have a best friend who might not have had a chance to spend good time since long time, lost in family or career. Sometimes we wonder where that mindless chit-chat and discussions on random topics disappeared among best friends. Plan to call that special friend of yours who has been skipping get together or functions. Fix a date which is convenient to both of you and plan to cook lunch with your friend. What’s best to bring busy friends together than a weekend? You cook while you chat and chat while you cook.

Varamahalakshmi or Varalakshmi festival is a much-awaited festival after the month of Ashada or Aadi Masam in South India. Most of the South Indian households celebrate the first big festival of Shraavana by performing Pooja to the idol made with husked or dehusked coconut, or with precious metals like silver and gold. Varamahalakshmi festival symbolizes worship for wealth, similar to Diwali in North India. This festival is celebrated by married women (sumangalis) for the well being of their family.

Raita is one of those dishes which plays an important role in any Indian meal. It can be accompanied with any type of meal whether its with roti and dal, biryani or paratha. This makes the entire meal look complete and also helps to digest the heavy Indian meals.

Looking for an innovative weekend plan where you can call the closest of your relatives or friends home? Late evening weekend party with grilled recipes on its menu is a great idea to spend quality time with all. Chop the required veggies, fruits and greens to make it easy during the late evening party. Involve the guests in grilling and make the party even more memorable.

Fruits provide essential nutrients to our body. They are natural sources of vitamins and minerals that are very important for our body’s function. The fibre in fruits improves our digestive system and keeps them active. It also prevents our body as well as cures diseases like cancer, heart attack, cholesterol and other health concerns. Fruits just don’t cure you of disease they also change your mood; you tend to see the difference in your mood. On consumption of fruits on a daily basis, a person feels happy and they become positive.

Food Accompaniments like Indian Breads, Rice etc are an important part of our meal. An Indian Meal is not complete without these tasty and healthy accompaniments. With different types of regional cuisines in India, we have a large variety of accompaniments that can be served along with Dal, Kadhi, Dry and Gravy vegetable dishes.

Weekends are special, as we get some quality time to spend with our friends and family and get a break from the day-to-day hectic life.These are the days when we want to eat something delicious, but not want to take pain to prepare a three course meal. We always get short of ideas on what to cook at our comfort level which is enjoyed by everyone in the family. Therefore, it is always good to cook a single combo which is tasty, unique and is loved by everyone.