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.

6/6/21 6/6/21

Trying to Unplug From the World - Pistachio Marshmallows

We drove, finding ourselves on a one-lane road with signs saying 'high elevation, drive in the lowest gear'. We turned onto an even smaller road deep in the woods. It was our first vacation in over a year, and we were looking forward to being out in nature and simply relaxing.

5/25/21 5/25/21

Weekends are For Farmer's Markets - Ginger Lime Cheesecake

G hates farmer's markets. Perhaps that is somewhat strong. As we tell the kids, he does not prefer farmer's markets. This weekend, for the first time in over a year, we ventured back to the market.

5/18/21 5/18/21

Cooking from the Back of a Box - Chole

Growing up, my mother collected recipes. She would clip them from newspapers, magazines, and the back of boxes. She collected them all in a shoe box. When she was ready to cook, she would take out her box and look through them.

5/11/21 5/11/21

Forging New Paths - Khatti Bhaji | Hyderabadi Lamb and Spinach

Our culture is both our strength and our weakness. Growing up, my parents worked hard to give my brother and me a sense of where we came from and our strong Indian background. But it was hard. We lived in New Jersey and went to elementary school with a total of three other Asian children.

5/4/21 5/4/21

Always Learning - Pooris and Palya

Learning new skills is challenging. As children, Poet and Flower are constantly learning. Right now, they are learning to read. And to watch them slowly do this is fascinating. With each word, they sound it out slowly and carefully. CAT, kuh ahh tuh.

4/26/21 4/26/21

Expecting the Unexpected - Anda bi Seviyan | Vermicelli Upma

The large soft snowflakes kept coming down. Snow soon covered the ground, and it was a winter once again. The only catch was that it was late April and the start of spring. My spring garden was off to a roaring start, little radishes peeking out of the ground and lettuces growing.

4/20/21 4/20/21

Wishing on More Time - Vegetable Bhajia

I never seem to have enough time. My days are filled with work, school, errands, and a to-do list that never ends. In the evening, Flower will always ask for her fifth "last" book. Both Poet and Flower love to listen to us read books, and we could do it forever.

4/12/21 4/12/21

The Most Unlikely of Places - Hyderabadi Shrimp Curry

What sparks your creativity? We've been spending quite a bit of time outdoors, and Poet and Flower recently saw their grandmother's camping chair. First, they spontaneously decided they would design their own chair.

4/5/21 4/5/21

How to Change a Lightbulb - Dill Pickle Egg Salad

The house was suddenly cold. It was very cold. It was one of those snowy winter days where the heat is on constantly. You can hear the hum of the system as it pumps out hot air, keeping us all warm and toasty.

3/29/21 3/29/21

We Can Do Hard Things - Ginger Limeade

Avoid trail three at all costs. We had received a fair amount of advice about hiking in a new park. We had crossed the suspension bridge (a little unsteady, but not too bad). Then we climbed 70 steps (according to the sign), and we were now at a fork in the path.

3/22/21 3/22/21

Learning about Expectations - Masala Dosa

It had been some time since we had been out for dinner. Perhaps my expectations were too high. This dinner was before these times of social distancing, and before our favorite restaurants disappeared.

3/15/21 3/15/21

Jumping into the Deep End - Sabudana Kheer

I jumped into the deep end with careless abandon. I was maybe 5 or 6 years old and had taken a few swim lessons. As a master of the pool, I thought I could fearlessly swim on my own. But within a few seconds, I began to sink despite paddling furiously.

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.