Arbi Chi Bhaaji (Indian style taro root)

This week is turning out to be all about revisiting my childhood favorites. I got my okra fix earlier and today I'm going to share with you another beloved vegetarian dish - arbi (taro root) - but this time, with a bit of twist. 

Bhendi Chi Bhaaji (Marathi style okra)

I'm super excited to share today's recipe with you because it is my number 1, hands down, definite, complete, utter favorite vegetable dish ever. It is also ridiculously simple, quick, and easy. Even as a vegetable-abhorring child I would inhale this dish by the spoonful, and I still find myself going back for more. In fact, I don't think I've ever made it and not finished it in one sitting.

Ta da! Bhendi chi bhaaji - okra, cooked Marathi style.

Apple Guava Chaat

What's sweet and spicy and crunchy and mushy and seasonal and delicious?

When you've had enough of stewing and baking and cooking your apples and you're looking for something with a little bit of a savory crunch to it, take some inspiration from delicious Indian street food and pop your apples into a nice ol' chaat.

Indian Curried Green Tomatoes Bhaaji

This is it. This is the one, the only, the whole and sole green tomato recipe you need. Throw away all those fried green tomato recipes. Only ever curry green tomatoes from now on!

KIDDING totally kidding - fried green tomatoes are amazing and if one has 2 green tomatoes one must always fry at least one of them. I'm just saying, curry the other, and you will make yourself doubly happy and you'll get flavors that you would never have thought of with regular ol' frying. In fact, I fried some up too, and I'm going to post that recipe next week!

But no, seriously, don't go frying up all your green tomatoes. If you're looking for a perfect sweet and tart and savory and succulent vegetarian dish, this, friends, is it.

Molasses Roasted Carrots

As a kid I hated carrots. Or at least, deeply despised them. Perhaps it was because everyone constantly said "carrots are good for your eyes" and nodded knowingly. Ugh - to someone who doesn't really remember life without glasses, this was a) meaningless and b) kind of a smack in the face. Like, what, if I had consistently been fed only carrots until the age of five I would never have had to wear glasses? Yea right. Although perhaps I can blame my parents for this - actually that doesn't sound like a bad idea! Blaming parents for all your problems is wonderful! Should'a force fed me carrots, guys - then I wouldn't be contemplating lasik surgery (speaking of - anyone who has had lasik done, please do your best to convince me that it is safe, not deathly terrifying, and won't result in immediate horror and/or reduced night vision).

Minted Spiced Roasted Baby Potatoes

Sometimes dinners are quite involved around these parts. There's something wonderfully calming about making sure to follow each step in a complicated recipe, especially if you have time on hand and either good conversation, good music, or good silence for company. 

Eggplant, Bok Choy, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms Stir Fry

Mushrooms add such a delicious substantiality to any dish. They can be quite delicate though, so the quick cooking times of stir fries are particularly great for these delicious fungi. Pair them with eggplant, and even the most dedicated meat eaters won't find anything missing in this vegetarian dish.



For this dish I used Hen of the Woods (or Maitake) which don't require (and nor can they really withstand) much cooking. If you used a sturdier mushroom, like a cremini or a portabello, you would need a slightly longer cooking time.

Heirloom Tomato Fennel Salad with Fennel Tahini Dressing

Usually when salads get dressed at casa M in the World, they're dressed in vinaigrettes, light and airy, sometimes spicy, sometimes honeyed. But here we are at the very tail end of summer, and although some delicious heirloom tomatoes are still peeking out of the corner of stalls at local farmer's markets, the air is crisp, the wind has a bite to it, and it just seems like everything, including salads, needs to be a little sturdier, a little more substantial.