May 1 is celebrated in India as Maharashtra Day, the day when the Bombay Presidency became two states of Maharashtra & Gujarat in 1960,...

In 2022, I became a pottery student, learning to transform a ball of clay on the wheel into something useful - a small pinch plate, a...

About my newest cookbook, Masaleydaar

As this blog is about food, women and life - here is what I think of a show that threatens patriarchy as it centers around the narratives of

"The modern marvel is in its marketing, and not the product itself, for this turmeric elixir has been favored by Indian grandmothers and...

A nearly forgotten term, for young people the word Kashayam evokes the idea that someone is punishing them. But, that isn’t the case. A...

Aviyal not only makes my South Indian husband extremely happy; this recipe is very easy to make.

Many people discount okra from their vegetarian options because they fear it is a slimy vegetable. True. It can become slimier as it...

Couch (c) Nandita Godbole, 2019 A quaint twosome on a couch for two. Sat silently. Absorbing the hours. Doing absolutely nothing, except...

A farmers' market find yielded an easy show-stopping tart.

Paisa = money, vasul = value/worth Farmers’ markets in the summer hold a special place in my heart. In summers’ past when we have been...

A quick and easy recipe for a Guava raita. Trust me on this one.

For When You’ve Not Hosted In A While I’ve hosted a lot of dinner parties. But my favorite ones were my monthly ‘secret supper’ dinners....

A few days ago, we visited the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, to see their latest exhibit, "Dream Flora" by Patrick Shearn of Poetic...

(Many of you know that), that I have travelled with my daughter, solo, back and forth to India and across the US since she was 8 months old.

Hah! During some part of the editorial process for this recipe for Seven Pots of Tea, some information was accidentally missed. It...

We drove out to our local home improvement store looking for plants one Friday evening, and I returned with a hunkering for a baked...

We had visited the Ojai region, just north of LA a few years ago. This region is known for its abundant and fresh produce, including...

At our home, no Holi observance is complete without the preparation of my moms favorite, Puran Poli. This holiday favorite across most of...

I love desserts. This holiday season, I wanted to make something using some pre-cooked chestnuts that came in a gift-basket from...

With the amount of research going into tea, and the number of times I was making green-tea, there were plenty of extra tea leaves. We have m

..The past few months have given us more sadness than we thought possible. The needless deaths, the destruction of civil behavior, remorsefu

A versatile recipe for minced chicken for sandwiches, soups and more

Chainsoo, a classic dish from Uttarakhand region of India. This is such a ‘dense’ dish it can be heavy on the stomach, it is best served wit

"The guy was bewildered that I did not want the ‘better looking stuff’ - maybe some carrots or butternut squash? "

Some of you may already know, I have food allergies and intolerance's. {Annoying ones that make everyone go ‘huh?’ } But mine are geneti

I have no words for 2019. I have written more than I ever expected to, done more media than before. It kept us on our toes. Yesterday,...

A poem and a reflection.

People like me, with roots in India, have struggled through the Biryani Roll controversy, the Chickpea Tikka Masala drama, the...

A traditional Daal Makhani recipe

.. I let the bee balm bloom because the bees enjoyed them more – or I would have made a bee-balm tea. The purple basil sits tucked in with t

It is unlikely that you would believe me if I simply said that many drinks consumed at room temperature are actually better for you than chi

"And of the two children, Ana seemed happier there than Sameer. She would spend each morning reaching over to pick little tendli (ivy g

"My love-hate relationship with my hair has lasted nearly five decades. I think most Indian women suffer from this malady. Hair is cove

A short poem about the cycle of Karma.

".. I see all of this as my sweat equity, my investment in creating something that is so singularly unique that may be mimicked, never

"This woman shared her expert perspectives on how adults and young people see time and needs differently, how men and women respond to

It was a brisk cold February morning. I had tried washing a teal green silk salwar kameez in the bathtub earlier that week, laundromats...

Well, I'll talk about the Forbes piece one of these days. But the McDonalds story had a funny start. For a piece on cheese, a freelancer

Happy Friday!! On World Hindi Day, I wanted to share something about my fondness for writing verse in Hindi. I rummaged through old...

The second half of this famous dialog comes to mind today, uttered by Helena Ravenclaw, scripted by author J K Rowling (yes, Potter fans...

Although art can happen on any surface and in any medium, this post shares some wrap-able and practical gifts for the artist on your shoppin

This is part of a two-part post on gifting for the artist. This piece shares notes on the basics, the tools of the trade.

In my kitchen, my immediate go-to masala dabba contains many basic spices: black mustard seeds, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper powder,...

As part of the observances of Ganesh Chaturthi (this year, on Sept 12 in US, on Sept. 13 2018 in India), prayer offerings are most often sim

"The office parking lot was already full, so I parked on the side of the Golf-course parking, and walked in from the side entrance into

"During and after the movie, I reflected on many things – perception, truth-and-lies, family secrets, the power of media, gossip, ‘repr

Norman Rockwell – the classic American painter painted simple family life, picturesque settings, quaint little communities with happy...

...This quintessential staple from most eateries in India represents the carefree days of youth for many people, enjoyed with friends often

..."This past weekend, at a book reading, I threw together a lush watermelon cooler, reminiscent of the days of summer, when life was s