When I was in India, there never came a time when I had to cook. At home it was mom and at work it was either office food, swiggy/zomato or our house help. Also, good vegetarian food was always readily available and cheap. But all that changed when I came to Canada. The food was expensive and vegetarian options very limited. I had to adapt. Myself and the lives of my three roommates depended on it :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:.

At first it was a bit daunting and confusing. There were too many things to manage: onions getting burnt, oil splattering everywhere. Plus I soon realised that my North Indian roomates could not take the heat. So there was this balance of flavour I had to maintain. Oof! Thats a lot!

I started with the basics - cooking rice. It was not perfect but honest work. The sight of the final product very pleasing and satisfying. Below is the photo of the “first” rice!

Rice cooked for the first time :sob:.

And then it was time for the next essential food - the dreaded roti! It is dreaded because the whole process was so tedious and the roti’s I made - 12 of them - got eaten so fast :cry:

Roti (soo gol) made from scratch :heart:.

Things continued and I stated cooking new things - rajma chawal, chole chawal, biryani, aloo palak, soya manchurian. Slowly I began enjoying cooking. A task which at one point was tedious and exhausting became pleasant and relaxing. It was like therapy amidst the academic and social pressure. I found peace in my thoughts and the comforting aromas around me.

Cooking has given me a sense of comfort that if AI takes over my job (I feel like that will soon happen), I can start food business in Montreal - a city with a lot of demand for vegetarian indian food :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:! Also, this has inculcated in me a deep sense of respect for my mom who used to cook for me :heart:

Let me not bore you with more details. In this post I will be adding the food I cook and a few moments we had along the way. I might group them and make this more interesting in the future.

First biryani (not pulao okay)! That was very very tasty and it looked amazing also.

Cooking biryani the first time was a memorable moment and my roomate captured our reactions!

I might have been a little too excited :satisfied:.
Aloo da paratha! I was surprised that it came out this great since this was my first time making this. Made me wonder if I had a gift!.
The fundamentals - Dal and jeera rice.
Bisi bele bath straight from Karnataka. We did not have chana dal and ended up using whatever dal we had.
Going global! Mac and cheese and, noodles. Mac and cheese is so simple yet soo tasty.
Going to a whole new level with paneer butter masala!
Rajma chawal. My co-worker used to cook this for me in Hyderabad and I fell in love with this.
Some carbohydrates. Aloo ki sabji and aloo palak with roti on the side.
Anushka cooks the best pizza's in the world :heart_eyes:. Look at that cheese!! Damn! I was just eating here to be honest :stuck_out_tongue:
Wanted to make corriander paratha but ended up buying something that was definitely not corriander. Anyways it turned out great and tasty.
Simple and tasty baingan currey (aubergine for more gourmet-ness). Needed some more variety in life XD.
Good old bhindi (We did not make those methi rotis)

It’s almost the end of 2024, and it’s been a while since I last updated this blog. Over time, my cooking skills have definitely improved. Cooking has evolved from just a necessity to something much deeper—a kind of spiritual activity. It brings me peace, relaxation, and takes me away from my worries. These days, I find myself spending more time in the kitchen, and the results speak for themselves: the more time and love I put into it, the better the food turns out.

First attempt at making stuffed bhindi. It turned out good (a little dry!)
Idli and coconut chutney—something I've been making a lot since I got an idli steamer. It's a favorite for many, and my go-to dish for potlucks. 😄
Simple but extremely tasty curd rice. This can be made much better but we did not have ingredients that day.
I tried this just as an experiment. onions, capsicums, tomato, kidney beans slowly cooked with select spices and and then boiled with soaked rice. Believe me this turned out to be too good. Sweet and spicy at the same time!!
I can't quite remember the occasion, but I knew we needed something sweet (some gujarati day). So, I made biryani and payasam. It was supposed to be for everyone, but... well, I ended up eating it all myself. 😄
One of the most amamzing morning breakfasts - kanda-poha!
Dal Makhni by me (left) and by Ekta (right). I tried to mimic her exactly because what she made was heavenly. We were all left licking our plates and fingers—yes, even Megh! 😄 She just threw in a bunch of random spices effortlessly, without even tasting it until the end. I did my best to do the same, but as you can see, mine didn't turn out quite as good, though it was still tasty. I’ll get there eventually! Need to see her cook a few more times ;)
Dum Aloo! It took me an hour and a half to make this dish, but it was worth every minute. I watched a video that stressed the importance of cooking slowly on a low flame, letting all the flavors blend together. And let me tell you, this dish had everything blended so well! The gravy was a work of art! This was when I understood the magic of patience in cooking—good things take time. And that is what I generally follow now.
After the success of my Dum Aloo, I decided to apply the same slow-cooking technique to paneer dishes. Ever since then, my paneer dishes have definitely gone up a notch!
Paneer Hariyali made with mint and corriander base—absolute perfection.
Another quick, easy and tasty paneer dish. Onions, capcisum and standard indian spices. Sometimes, simplicity says it all.
Qian invited me to a hot pot at her place during the Lunar Festival, and ever since, it’s become one of my favorite things to eat. I even tried making it at home! You’ll notice only veggies here—we’re all vegetarian. Who knew vegetables could be this good?