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.

4/18/23 4/18/23

Syrup and Community- Maple Masala Paal

This is a lightly spiced milk served in South India. I used maple syrup to gently sweeten it instead of sugar. Ground almonds and cinnamon, cardamom and clove give it a heady delicious nutty taste. Perfect as a light dessert.

2/24/23 2/24/23

Kindness Counts - Set Dosa

Set Dosa

This is a variation on a classic dosa from Karnataka. It's golden brown one side and puffy and soft on the other. It's a lovely variation that is just as delicious.

1/16/23 1/16/23

Some Boundaries are Meant to be Pushed - Aloo Bonda

Boundaries surround us. They are everywhere. Driving to work - stop signs, stop lights, and double yellow lines in the middle of the road. And they exist in our lives both literally and figuratively. How do we know when a boundary can be pushed or not?

12/21/22 12/21/22

Making New Christmas Traditions -Pistachio Almond Shortbread

Shortbread is a classic dessert. Made from simply three ingredients, butter, sugar and flour, it's endlessly versatile. I love this recipe from King Arthur Baking. Drizzle with chocolate and pistachios, it's the perfect decadent little cookie.

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.

10/21/22 10/21/22

Going to the Beach (Again) - Chai Apple Crisp

It's the most magical place on earth. Or maybe the greatest; I'm not exactly sure what the phrase is. But Flower clearly did not think so.

9/29/22 9/29/22

Where Do We Come From? - Meethe Chongay

I am not from here. Here meaning the Midwest or even the United States. Where I am from is thousands (and thousands) of miles away, India.

7/10/22 7/10/22

A Little Bit of Everything - Perfect Raita

Vacations. Expectations run high, and they hold so much promise. But sometimes, things don't go as planned. Sometimes things go very, very wrong.

6/19/22 6/19/22

The Great Duck Race - Spiced Indian Coleslaw

Thousands of ducks raced by us. The canal was filled with them—little yellow rubber duckies with cute red noses. For a moment, you would have thought someone's bathtub had overflowed. It was the annual Duck Race.

6/12/22 6/12/22

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

6/3/22 6/3/22

The Lazy Days of Summer - Spiced Cauliflower

Summer rules! The lazy days of summer are finally here after a long and soggy spring. Indiana weather is fickle, and this year was no exception.

5/25/22 5/25/22

I'm an Old Mom - Masala French Toast

I'm an old mom. I wasn't twenty-nine or thirty. I was older when Poet and Flower were born. Or, in medical terms, I was what doctors refer to as advanced maternal age or AMA. Written in big capital letters in all my medical records from pregnancy. What does that even mean?

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.