Kesar Kisses

Kesar Kisses Always curious, always learning.

01/09/2026

The Ultimate "Too Sick to Cook" Recipe | Lazy Snake Gourd

As I mentioned in my update video last night, our household has been absolutely wiped out by sickness lately. First, it was two weeks of the flu (which is when I actually filmed this video!), followed immediately by a brutal case of post-viral strep throat that completely kicked our butts. I am finally back to editing, so here is the easy meal that got me through the worst of it.

If you are utterly exhausted, out of energy, or recovering from being sick, give this simple snake gourd recipe a try. It requires very little effort, cooks quickly, and is incredibly comforting.

Ingredients You'll Need:

2.5 cups snake gourd (peeled, deseeded, and chopped)

2 tsp oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 sprig of curry leaves

1 medium onion (chopped)

1 inch ginger (chopped)

½ tsp turmeric

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp salt

¼ cup water

¼ cup fresh grated coconut

A squeeze of fresh lime juice

How to Make It:

Heat the oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves.

Sauté the chopped onion and ginger until soft.

Stir in the turmeric and coriander powder.

Add the chopped snake gourd and sauté everything together for 3 minutes.

Add the 1 tsp of salt, fresh grated coconut, and ¼ cup of water.

Cover the pan and let it cook for another 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and serve!

Eat it warm, rest up, and take care of yourself! Thank you all so much for your patience and sweet messages while we've been recovering. More pre-filmed videos are on the way soon!

31/08/2026

Update - Sick Leave

We've been very sick at my house thanks to the Indian Monsoon season. First both my husband and I had the flu for about two weeks. Then just when we started to feel a little better we got a post viral secondary bacterial infection. Why strep throat likes to sneak up on people like that, I don't know. 😉

Anyways we are now on the mend. The next couple of videos I'll be posting were shot previously and I just didn't have the energy to edit them before now. No worries I'll be back soon....

In the mean time stay healthy.

12/08/2026

I Had No Plan For These Beets... Then Auto-Cook Kicked In!

Beetroot Chilka Moong Dal Fry paired with Jeera Wada
Kolam Rice.

Staring at a bunch of forgotten beets in my fridge, I did what any home cook does—I pressure-cooked them first and figured out the plan later! 🧠💨

While they cooked, my kitchen instincts took over. I whipped up some split green chilka moong dal, pulled out my brand new kadai for its inaugural run, and decided to create a "one-dish super hit": Moong Dal with Beets.

Outside, a heavy monsoon downpour is absolutely slamming down. Inside, the kitchen is humid, I’ve worked up a massive sweat, and I am starving!

There is nothing better than watching a hot meal come together on a rainy day.The verdict? The rustic heartiness of the chilka moong skin beautifully cuts through the natural sweetness and earthiness of the beets. Poured over hot, fluffy Jeera Wada Kolam rice, it is the ultimate stormy weather comfort food. 🌧️❤️

11/08/2026

New Cookware Test

Tired of flakes, stains, and sticky non-stick pans? It’s time to stop fearing stainless steel. 🍳

In this video, I’m testing out my new Meyer Select Tri-Ply 100% Nickel-Free Stainless Steel Kadai. This isn't a brand sponsorship—just a real kitchen test from someone who wanted to completely eliminate "forever chemicals" and degrading coatings from their daily cooking.

As someone with a nickel sensitivity, finding safe, durable cookware is a massive challenge. Most premium stainless steel contains nickel (like 18/10 or 304 grade) to add shine, but this specific nickel-free series was the ultimate game-changer for my kitchen health.

If you cook Indian food, you know the struggle: tomato-based gravies react with worn-out pans, white enamel cast iron stains permanently from turmeric, and cold dahi (yogurt) can crack hot enamel surfaces under thermal shock. Even those trendy hybrid honeycomb pans secretly hide chemical coatings in their valleys.

🔥 WHAT WE ARE COVERING:
• The non-stick trap: Why degraded pans actually force you to use more oil.
• The Water Droplet Test: The secret to turning raw steel into a naturally slick surface.
• The Ultimate Test: Forget eggs—we are frying starchy potatoes to prove it won't stick!
• The Steam-Release Trick: How a splash of water and a lid lifts stuck starches effortlessly.
• Oil Truths: Why viscous cold-pressed oils mean using less fat in your daily cooking.

Stainless steel doesn't have to be intimidating. Once you master the heat, it's a game-changer for healthy, toxin-free cooking.

Drop a comment below: Do you have a nickel allergy or sensitivity, and what cookware do you use? 👇

09/08/2026

Hi-protein Stuffed Peppers

Do you like stuffed peppers? I do. Today I am making high-protein vegetarian stuffed peppers using mild Bhavnagari chilies.

We are filling them with a savory, spiced soya mince that gives a rich flavor without the meat. We finish them in a velvety yogurt gravy that locks in moisture and keeps everything from sticking.

You can serve this as a side or a main course with rice or roti. I ended up eating it rolled up in a roti like a stuffed chili burrito.

Recipe in the comments

08/08/2026

Secret Sesame Potato Salad

I asked Google for a potato salad like German potato salad with sesame oil and it found a Nepali dish called Aloo Ko Achar! 🤯🇳🇵 Unlike Western recipes using waxy potatoes with mayo, this uses starchy potatoes for a light mash, fresh lime, and a hot tadka 🥔🥗 The secret is sesame powder and Nepali timur beej 🌶️ I swapped timur with toasted black pepper and fennel seeds for an amazing kick. You HAVE to make this! 🙌

Ingredients:
500g potatoes pressure cooked, peeled, cubed hot
3 tbsp white sesame seeds dry roasted, crushed
1 tsp black peppercorns dry roasted, coarsely ground
1/4 tsp fennel seeds dry roasted, coarsely ground
1 tbsp Kasundi mustard sauce
juice of 4 large Indian limes (1/4 cup)
2 tbsp neutral oil
3 long green chillies chopped
1 inch ginger chopped
1 cup red onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Instructions:
1. Roast sesame seeds until golden. Cool, put in zip-lock bag, crush with rolling pin.
2. Roast peppercorns and fennel, cool, grind coarsely.
3. Whisk kasundi into lime juice.
4. Heat neutral oil, pour hot over chillies, ginger, pepper-fennel powder. Cool.
5. Cube hot potatoes. Toss with salt, sesame powder, onions, cilantro, lime-kasundi, and tadka oil.
6. Drizzle toasted sesame oil, mix hot to slightly mash, serve immediately!

07/08/2026

Quick Curd Rice

Got leftover rice? Don’t look away because this recipe is a Blinkit-or-miss-it one! ⚡ Turn yesterday’s rice into a creamy, comforting bowl of Quick Curd Rice. Packed with a unique fennel-methi tadka and a tangy chaat masala punch, it’s the ultimate lazy-day meal. Eat it as a savory side or devour the whole bowl for dinner—just go for it! 🍚

Here is everything you need to recreate this exact recipe at home:

🛒 Ingredients List

The Base: 1.5 to 2 cups leftover rice, 1 to 1.5 cups fresh dahi (yogurt), ¼ to ½ cup milk or water (to smash the rice)

The Fresh Mix-ins: 1 small onion (finely chopped), 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped), 2 tsp chaat masala

The Spectacular Tadka: 1 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, ⅛ tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds, ¼ tsp fennel (saunf) seeds, 1 tsp skinned urad dal, 1 green chili (chopped), 1-inch ginger (chopped), 10-12 curry leaves

👩‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

Smash the Rice: Take your leftover rice and use water or milk to mash it down until soft and broken up.

Prep the Dahi: In a separate bowl, add the chaat masala to the fresh dahi and whisk until silky smooth.

Combine: Fold the chopped onion and cilantro into the dahi, then slowly incorporate the mashed rice a little bit at a time.

Tadka Time!: Heat ghee in a small pan. Add mustard, cumin, fennel, methi seeds, and urad dal. Once they sizzle, toss in the ginger, green chili, and curry patta.

Finish: Immediately pour the hot, aromatic tadka over your rice mixture and stir it right in.

💡 Chef's Tip: The longer you let it sit, the better it tastes!

How do you like to reuse your leftover rice? Let me know below! 👇

06/08/2026

Simple Beat Raita

The most underrated dish on an Indian Thali? Raita. 🥣✨

If you think you hate beets, this recipe will completely change your mind!

In the US, beets are usually relegated to the salad bar or instant pickles. But since moving to India, I’ve been eating a lot more of them—and this Vibrant Beet Raita is the reason why.

It is beautifully magenta, incredibly cooling, and the perfect comforting side dish when paired with simple dal tadka and rice. Because it skips heavy masalas and fiery heat, it is also absolutely perfect for elderly family members or small kids.

Ingredients & Measurements:
The Base: 1 whole beet (200g), half a small onion (finely chopped), 1 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped), ½ cup dahi (yogurt), ¼ tsp black salt, and regular salt to taste.
The Tadka (Tempering): 2 tsp oil, ¼ tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp cumin seeds, ⅛ tsp fennel seeds, 1 green chili (chopped), and 1 tsp ginger (chopped).

The Spice Bloom: ½ tsp coriander powder, ¼ tsp amchur (dry mango) powder, ½ tsp black pepper powder, and a pinch of red chili powder.

Quick Steps:
Pressure Cook: Scrub a 200g beet. Pressure cook on high for 8–12 minutes. Pro-tip: Use the minimum water needed for your cooker size! For my 3L cooker, that’s 1.25 cups.
Prep: Peel and grate the cooked beet. Mix with onion, cilantro, dahi, and black salt.

Tempering: Heat oil, bloom the whole seeds, then saute chili and ginger. Turn off the heat before stirring in the powdered spices.

Infuse: Pour the hot tadka over the raita, mix well, season with salt, and let it sit for 10 minutes so the oils infuse.

💡 Prefer a punchier kick? You can easily double up the spices, but this mild version is pure comfort food.

05/08/2026

Standout Eggless Brunch Strata

Are you ever confused about what to make for your vegetarian friends when hosting a special occasion or brunch?

Today I’m making my standout Eggless Brunch Strata, and moong beans are the star!

Now, you may be asking: what is a strata? It’s essentially a savory bread pudding.

The first time I made strata for my husband, he told me he would pay a premium for it in a restaurant!

Once you get the method down, the flavor combinations are endless. It is so rich and fluffy that egg-eaters won't believe there are no eggs in it (thanks, black salt!).

So if you’re trying to find something special for your next brunch or gathering, give this a try!

Pro Tips:

Always taste your batter for salt before baking, as the final saltiness will depend on the cheese you use.
This version is lighter on the cheese and veggies, but you can easily double both without needing to change the moong batter quantity!

Recipe in the comments

04/08/2026

My Signature Bhindi Rice

This is the one dish I am constantly requested to make—my signature Bhindi Rice!

Most people have never tried putting okra in their rice this way, but it is the ultimate comfort meal. My method is all about the layout: we build a rich, deeply caramelized onion-tomato bhuna at the bottom, layer perfectly fluffy par-boiled basmati rice in the middle, and place the flash-fried okra and freshly grated coconut strictly on the very top so everything stays beautifully tender without getting soggy.

I honestly don't even know what to officially call this dish at the end of the day—is it a pulao, a hybrid, or what? In my kitchen, we just call it delicious. If you are a beginner looking for a foolproof, unique recipe that hits every single flavor note, you need to try this technique.

Let me know in the comments what you think this dish should officially be called!

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