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.

7/27/21 7/27/21

Is Life a Race? - South Indian Vaal Dal (Butter beans)

Is life a race? As a kid growing up, it sure felt like one. At least life was a race academically, if not in other aspects. As a child of Indian immigrants, my parents were certain education was the only path to success. Getting good grades was paramount.

7/13/21 7/13/21

The Humble Box - Spicy Quick Pickled Radishes

Poet and Flower have slowly accumulated things. Things being a vague term to describe clothes, toys, books, and more toys. These items have slowly accumulated despite my best efforts. They have filled the kids' rooms and have slowly spilled out into other parts of the house.

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.

5/18/21 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.

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.

3/1/21 3/1/21

Things Do Not a Life Make - Idlis

Yesterday the postman delivered a package with two glasses and a seashell. My dad had carefully packed the box, and the delicate glasses had not broken. Every few weeks or so, he sends me small packages with things that used to be my Mother's.

2/15/21 2/15/21

Growing Up With Art - Uppit with Vegetables

Art surrounds us. G is an artist (and professor, and dad, and lots of other things). Sometimes I wonder how G and I managed to meet. My world has almost always been medicine, and we moved in different spheres with virtually no overlap.

2/7/21 2/7/21

Only One Way Forward? - Pink Masoor Dal

I am a physician. It is almost a cliché. Medicine was the only profession I could choose. My parents were Indian immigrants, this was part of their American dream - for their children to become doctors.

6/28/20 6/28/20

Beet Salad with Cumin and Cilantro

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.