An Indian Food Blog

Maple Masala Paal
The trees towered above them. The canopy stood high above and dwarfed Poet and Flower. Flower was carefully carrying a a very full bucket of sap when plop, she tripped over her feet and fell into a sweet, sticky mountain of maple sap.

The latest recipes.

11/7/22 11/7/22

Gnomes in Disguise? - Spicy Lamb (Besan Gosht)

I sometimes think that children are really little gnomes in disguise. One moment they are adorable little children, and in a flash, they have turned into little creatures ready to wreak havoc and destruction.

6/12/22 6/12/22

Happy Birthday! - Bagara Khana (Hyderabadi Rice with Peas)

5/10/22 5/10/22

Going to the Movies - Naral ka Char (Coconut Egg Curry)

It was a big green monster. Or was it? On closer look, it wasn't a monster at all. It was a frog. It was a cute, cuddly green frog that talked. The Great Muppet Caper was the first movie I went to as a kid. I remember going to the movies for the first time.

4/1/22 4/1/22

The Allure of the Claw - Shrimp with Green Bananas

"The claw is our master." It is one of my favorite lines from the movie Toy Story. Those cute little aliens are looking up at the claw while in the giant toy machine. They don't realize the menace in this giant claw. The claw machine is one of my favorites at the arcade. It has the same powerful draw for me as for the little aliens. Maybe we all look up to the sky for different reasons.

3/9/22 3/9/22

Learning Through Others - Better Weeknight Kheema

We learn through our children. A friend said it recently. I hadn't heard that phrase in years, but I knew I had heard it somewhere. It took some time and reaching way back in my book of memories, and it came to me. It was something my mother said too. I've never really thought about it until now. And perhaps it is true in many ways.

3/4/22 3/4/22

Do You Love Rice? - Hyderabadi Shrimp Biriyani

Rice gets a bad rap. But, it has become a guilty pleasure. In the endless quest to cut down on carbs, rice has been seriously sidelined. It's no secret that I love rice. You can find plenty of recipes for rice on the blog.

1/21/22 1/21/22

The Big Crash - Spinach Bhaji

There was a big crash! Poet and Flower came home with huge news. They couldn't contain themselves, and the words poured out. Their friend had been in a car accident. No one was hurt, and he was ok, but this was something new for them. They detailed how he had been on his way to their favorite park, Bumpy Slide Park.

12/1/21 12/1/21

Grieving is not Taboo - Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan

Growing up, grieving always felt like a taboo. I remember my mother standing by the kitchen sink. I must have been eleven or twelve. She was washing dishes and crying. I asked her what was wrong, and she said that my grandfather had passed away. She looked out the window sadly and then went on washing the dishes.

11/9/21 11/9/21

The Meaning of the Holiday - Hyderabadi Shami Kebab

Thanksgiving has been an evolution for me. It has always been my favorite holiday, a time for my mother and me to cook together. For years, the goal was to have a beautiful Thanksgiving table with the classic roast turkey and all the sides. I will always miss cooking with my mom, but I know I am making new traditions with Poet and Flower.

10/8/21 10/8/21

How Much Time Do We Have? - Kufta ka Salan

How much time do we have? Sometimes it feels as though we have all the time in the world one moment and then none. Most of the time, we don't think about time at all because we believe there is so much of it.

9/1/21 9/1/21

Losing Important Things - Masala Kaleji (Masala Liver)

It's easy to lose things. I lose or misplace things all the time, like my keys or my wallet. I'll leave my wallet in another bag or on the counter and find myself halfway to the hospital only to realize I cannot buy lunch.

8/25/21 8/25/21

The Power of Childhood Experiences - Fish Vada

Childhood memories are powerful. I grew up hearing about my parents' childhood. But it is now only as an adult that I realize the importance of these stories. I would love to share experiences I had as a child with Poet and Flower.

Hi! I’m Sameena

Welcome! I'm Sameena. I'm a physician by day, mom on call round-the-clock and avid cook. Poet and Flower is an Indian food blog celebrating my passion for food and family. I learned to cook in my mother's kitchen. My kids, Poet and Flower, are both the inspiration for the blog and the main distraction which keeps me from it.