This dipping sauce is actually a Thai recipe; but there is no reason it cannot be used with Indian food!  It is an easy way to add additional spice to your dishes.  In Thailand, it is traditionally served with chicken satay.

The recipe for this dipping sauce essentially involves quick-pickling cucumbers.  The pickling liquid becomes infused with the other ingredients in the recipe, and these flavors transfer to the pickled cucumbers.  The cucumbers retain a nice crunch because the dipping sauce is prepared right before serving!

When I was a child, my parents almost always made raita and served it with dinner.  "Raita" is a condiment made with yogurt, spices, and herbs.  My parents served it with dinner because it is a way to add more raw vegetables into a meal, and because it nicely balances a hot and spicy dish.

There are many varieties of raita--the yogurt may be mixed with vegetables, fruits, or other items.  If you are familiar with Greek food, raita is very similar to tzatziki sauce.  This is my recipe for a very simple vegetable raita; but feel free to try your own combinations and variations!

Patta Gobhi is one of my favorite bhaajis.  When I was younger, I was not a big fan; but as I've gotten older, I really appreciate that patta gobhi is light, low calorie, and--most importantly--has amazing flavor and a nice crunch.  When I go back home to see my parents, my mom makes it knowing it has become one of my favorites.  I could honestly eat it by itself in a bowl!

Patta gobhi is a great option on a busy weeknight.  It requires very few ingredients and cooks very quickly because you are essentially stir-frying everything.  Compared to other Indian dishes, this is a quick and easy fix.

"Patta gobhi" means cabbage.  "Chana dal" is the split inner kernel of a black chickpea.  These are the two main ingredients in the dish--so you can see why it's pretty low calorie!  You can buy chana dal at the Indian grocery store; or, Bob's Red Mill also sells it.

Bhindi bhaaji was a staple weeknight dish for my Mom.  It was always one of my favorite dishes because it was not very spicy and my Mom cooked it until it was slightly crispy and crunchy.  I love bhindi bhaaji so much that I made sure it was served at my wedding reception!

As a note, "bhaaji" is a Marathi word for a dish consisting of a cooked vegetable.  In Hindi it is known as a "sabzi"; in Gujarati it is known as a "shaak."  There is a different word in every language, but it is the same thing!

When I think of classic Maharastrian food, I immediately think of fodni che varan (also known as tadka daal).  Varan is essentially a lentil soup made of "toor daal," or yellow split pigeon peas.

Varan is very healthy and filling.  Traditionally, varan was made in a pressure cooker.  I don't own a pressure cooker, and as a working woman the slow cooker suits my lifestyle much better.

Fodni (known as chaunk, tadka, and vaghar in different languages) is a mixture of spices cooked in "ghee," or clarified butter.  This method of cooking the spices in the ghee releases the essential oils from the spices and enhances their flavor.  You do not have to add fodni to your varan if you do not want to, but it adds a lot of flavor!