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My Heart Beets

Love What You Eat

About Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley. Thanks for reading my blog!

We’re a two person team here at MHB. I’m the writer and recipe maker and my husband, Roby, is my taste tester. He tells me when my recipes are “blog worthy.” Roby actually has a tough job. Don’t believe me? Try telling your wife you don’t like one of her recipes 😉 Thankfully he likes almost everything I make – and if he doesn’t like something, you won’t see it on the blog.

Rob and Ash

Rob and Ash

Roby and I have been really good friends since high school. We both went to the University of Virginia and after a couple years of being just friends who would occasionally and awkwardly hold hands – he asked me to be his girlfriend. On our five year dating anniversary, he proposed. And a year later, we were married. Twice.

"I Do" x 2

“I Do” x 2

One of the perks of marrying Roby was learning how to cook Keralite food. It’s crazy delicious and perfect for those following the paleo diet. I come from a Punjabi family so it’s fun to be able to bring both northern and southern Indian dishes to the table.

I currently have a full-time marketing job that I really enjoy (update: as of July 2015, I’m a full-time blogger!). With Rob spending super long hours at the hospital, I decided to spend some of my free time recipe testing and blogging. I love it and I’m also learning a ton of skills in the process (seo, web development, analytics, etc). For me, cooking is a blast. There isn’t much I enjoy more than jamming to my Mariah Carey pandora station while trying to cook, sing and dance all at the same time. (Side note, I think it’s awesome that Mariah Carey is still relevant. I’ve loved her music since second grade).

So, when I blog, I tend to refer to certain people who happen to play a big role in my life – my family. I’ll introduce you to them now.

Here’s a picture of me with my awesome younger brother, Rishi. This was taken back when we were in high school. We’ve been told that we should be in toothpaste commercial together. Maybe one day it’ll happen.

good looks run in the family.

good looks run in the family.

These are my lovely parents. They’re a hoot. They party more at their age than I do now… I saw them a couple hours after this picture was taken. They told me they didn’t know there was alcohol in the jello that their friends kept giving them. I’m not even kidding. They also once tried to convince me that a mango wine cooler was just mango juice. Um, no words.

the parents

the parents

This is our dog, Sasha. Actually, she’s my family’s dog but since Roby and I don’t have a dog yet – I’m calling her our dog. She’s incredibly spoiled. My mom and her other empty nester friends get together to throw their dogs birthday parties. Basically, for all intents and purposes, Sasha is more like my sibling. Yes, her birthday cake in the photo below is literally on a silver platter.

UPDATE!

In September 2016, the Thomas family grew from two to three! You can read about our newest little addition here:

The Best Thing I Ever Made.

My First Mother's Day!

My First Mother’s Day!

There concludes a short summary of my life thus far – sort of, for now. Thanks for reading 🙂 And if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter. Now go check out some of my recipes!

Comments

  1. New visitor to your site and, may I just say, I love you. I was recently diagnosed with Lupus Disease and I’ve had a really rough time watching my diet. I have a gluten intolerance as well as an intolerance to many other foods thanks to my new pal, Lupus. I also LOVE Indian food. So thank you, from the very bottom and deepest part of my heart, for sharing all of these recipes with me! 🙂 <3

    Reply

    • Kristen, thanks so much for the love! I promise you – the longer you continue to eat food that’s good for you, the easier it’ll be. Stay positive 🙂 I’m super happy to hear that you love Indian food and I hope you’ll love these recipes just as much <3

      Reply

      • I just found your blog searching for paleo curry recipes. i LOVE YOU!! I ended up cooking all kinds of your recipes. I especially love making the naan bread! It is so easy to make! I just want you to know how much I love your stuff!

        Reply

  3. Hi, I found you through the book with stolen content someone published on amazon, and I’m oh so glad I did! I’m not paleo, but I have gluten issues (probably celiac, but that’s another story..) Your recipes are so inspiring! I put them into paprika, so I can put them in my meal planner. I can’t wait to see what shows up in my email 🙂 Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Hi Gina, I’m so glad you found my blog too! I haven’t heard about Paprika, but it sounds awesome – I’ll be sure to check it out. Let me know what you think of any recipes you make 🙂

      Reply

  4. Hey Ashley! I just had to check out your blog after seeing your tweet this morning and I’m so glad I did. It’s adorable! I love all the recipes and especially all the commentary haha!! Btw your parents seem like a great time haha good for them! Indian food is something I’ve been wanting to experiment with for a while now, ever since I tried a recipe for curried chickpeas and it was amazing! So I’m really excited to get crackin on some of your recipes – especially the Shakshouka – I was drooling over the picture!! 😉 I’ll definitely be visiting a lot!
    Xo
    Kristin

    Reply

    • Hey Kristin 🙂 Thanks for the sweet comment – just saw it and it made my morning! I love your blog too – love the name! Also, your pictures are amazing! Glad to have made a new blogger friend!

      Reply

  5. Hi Ashley, I stumbled upon your blog looking for a recipe for ground beef, coconut and curry. So happy your site came up. The dish looks amazing and I love your story. Indian food is one of my favorites cuisines. I can’t get enough of it. Thanks for sharing your blog and your family.

    Sally

    Reply

  6. glad i found your website! i’m a filipino chica who tries to eat paleo which is harder when i visit my boyfriend’s parents for dinner, they are indian…and every time i eat indian food/bread/etc i get tummy aches esp i am lactose intolerant but i love paneer! anyway, i’m excited to try out your indian paleo recipes!! and share with my boyfriend and his family so they don’t think i’m weird not eating their food. 🙂

    Reply

  7. Thank you thank you thank you Ashley!! I found your site while looking up paleo recipe ideas, as I am trying to control my blood sugar (diabetics in my family) and am very sensitive to gluten. I *love* Indian food — I visited India (Kerala and Tamil Nadu) with my husband in 2008 and it was one of the best (spiciest!) times of my life! I will look forward to making more of your recipes.

    Reply

  8. Wow! So excited to have found your blog. I’m just starting the Whole30 before beginning a paleo diet and I’ve really been looking for some delicious recipes. There are plenty of them out there, but growing up in the diverse Bay Area, all of the American food recipes were sounding quite boring. So happy to see recipes with so much flavor on your blog!! Keep up the great work!!

    Reply

  9. Love your site! Just made the naan bread so good. In my oven as I type are the empanadas. Which I fill with leftover roast pork. I just sent a picture of the naan bread to my Instagram. And I post your web site. Do u have a Instagram account?

    Reply

  10. Oh my gosh, you are amazing and I’m so happy I found your site! I’m new to the paleo scene and LOVE my Indian desserts….so excited to find versions of gajar halwa and kheer I can try!! Thanks so much for posting all these recipes 🙂

    Reply

  11. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve been doing paleo since my daughter was born last June, and it’s really hard to find dishes that my boyfriend will also eat (sometimes he complains I don’t make enough ‘real food’) but so far EVERYTHING I’ve made from your blog has been a huge hit with him. You’re amazing! Thank you for doing the experimenting for the rest of us!

    Reply

  12. Love, love your blog!
    It is now on my “blogs to visit” and cook from list together with paleomg and Brittany Angel blogs. I haven’t tried any recipes yet. Trying to get all of the spices figured out. Butterchicken is the one I am going for, just need the fenugreek leaves. Here in Canada Indian food is so expensive at restaurants and not paleo. For how much we love the food, can’t go more than couple times per year (5 of us:)). Thank you for giving us options 🙂
    Cheers,
    Maria

    Reply

  13. Hi Ashley,

    You have great website. It is so easy to read, especially for foreigners like me. English is my third language, so sometimes it is hard. You are very friendly and nice person. Why did you start blogging? Is there someone who inspired you to start blogging? What is the purpose of your blogs?

    Reply

  14. Hi Kristen,

    I ran across your blog while searching recipes. I’m new to Paleo (about 2 months now) and find it to be the easiest way to eat (I won’t say “diet”). No funky diet foods, lots of flavor, and I’ve learned so much from paying more attention to what is in the food I buy. I’m reading ingredients before I buy anything and still trying to get over my horror at what I’ve been putting in my body!

    Your recipes include many foods I was concerned about missing, like naan, samosas, etc. I’m looking forward to making your peacha pie … and yes, I’m impressed with the name LOL. Thank you so much for all you’re work and experimenting to perfect your recipes…you are a blessing!

    Warmly,
    Tahirah

    Reply

  15. I found your website randomly through Pinterest and I’m so happy that I did! My husband and I recently switched to Paleo lifestyle. I’ve been tweaking my Gujarati recipes to the diet and I’m excited to add your Indian recipes to the mix!

    Reply

  16. Just found your blog and am really appreciating your Costco guides. I just wanted to say, you have the most amazing eyes! Hope you are having a great day!
    🙂

    Reply

  17. Love your website! My doctor recently started me on a FODMAP diet and although not all the recipes work, they give me lots of good ideas! The Naan bread was super easy!!

    Reply

  18. I love your website and your recipes! I made Paleo chicken fajitas using your Naan Bread as tortillas and they were fabulous! The Naan Bread is so versatile and great tasting. Thank you!

    Reply

  19. Hi, I’m a new subscriber. I’m trying to learn as much as I can about Paleo and natural living – as natural as we can get in a modern world. I been on Paleo diet for 4 months. After spending an adult life trying every diet under the sun, except the cabbage diet, I couldn’t see eating cabbage all day, I stumbled upon the Paleo concept. The last diet I was on was Nutrisystem. I cringe at the chemicals I was putting into my body. It had boiled down to weight watchers yet again or Paleo. I chose Paleo. I have lost 42.6 lbs and love cooking. The cooking surprises me. I’ve never been too much on cooking, but now that I’m getting new recipes and ideas, I love it, I’m hoping by this time next year I will be where I need to be and feeling great. I’m looking forward to reading your column and recipes.

    Reply

  20. Hello, I am a new subscriber from Australia. I found your blog a few months ago and then as with many things, I totally forgot all about it. However I did remember that I had seen a recipe for Samosas so went looking for it again and made them that night. Oh my god, they were just divine. I have added the recipe to my Paprika recipe manager app so that I will never lose it. I have yet to try it as Naan bread, but as both my hubby and I love indian food I will be trying it very soon. Can’t wait to have a look at your indian recipes as I love making the dishes from scratch – hate those jarred sauces!!
    Looking forward to receiving recipes via email from you 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Glenys, I’m happy have you as a subscriber! Glad you liked the samosa recipe – I hope you’ll let me know how any other recipes you try turn out for you! 🙂 Thanks for the comment!

      Reply

  21. Hello, I really enjoy your website. I have made some of your recipes and my husband and I enjoyed them immensely! I have been diagnosed having leaky gut and further testing is taking place next. Needless to say food has been an enemy for me and I have been very worried about what my future holds in what I can eat. I will say that finding your site has been a life saver for me. It’s given me hope where I didn’t think there was any. I have many medical issues and finding that food has been my enemy has been not only eye opening but traumatic. I have been going through traditional medicine and pill on top of pill. Now, I am turning to natural. “Physician heal thyself.” Keep the recipes coming. My food allergies are walnuts, bananas, asparagus, green beans, yeast, dairy, gluten, crab, pineapple and pecans. Everything I had been eating. All the best, Tammy

    Reply

  22. I just want to thank you for all your great recipes! I have been following Paleo for the past 6 months….gradually trying to omit grains, potatoes, rice etc from my diet. Your recipes have helped me so much……I am English and my husband is from Madras and we gave been married for 42years…..my Mum-in-law was the most amazing cook! I love my Indian food and you have made it possible for me too still enjoy it while following paleo. I love your naan recipe and also beetroot Thoran just to name a couple. Thank you so much ‘myheartbeets’!

    Reply

  23. I just came across one of your recipes for Paleo Naan on Pinterest and did a little jump for joy when I also saw a link to Paleo Samosas (one of the few things I will eat thats non Paleo cause I love them so much!) . I can’t wait to try your recipes!

    Reply

  24. Thank you so much for spending time sharing family and food. I grew up in the UK and spent my allowance money at every hole in the wall Indian restaurant I could find. My parents didn’t like ‘foreign food’. I have had a serious love affair with Indian cuisine for fifty plus years and to make it paleo just took it to a new level. Thank you again so much… I will be kitchen bound momentarily, okra in fridge right now heading to my face in minutes. You made my year. Good fortune to you and yours.

    Reply

    • Thanks, Martha! I’m glad to hear you’re such a fan of Indian cuisine 🙂 And I’m glad to have you as a reader. I hope you will let me know how any recipes you try turn out for you!

      Reply

  25. I tried your nann, love indian food and was missing the bread, o.k. with the flavour but like a fluffier nann, is there something I could add

    Reply

  26. Hi Ashley

    I happen to find you on random.but I must say your site is very impressive.never been on a paleo diet before but I will definetly try your recipes. Keep up d good work

    Priya S

    Reply

  28. Ashley,
    I am absolutely in love with your website. For thee LONGEST time I have been trying to find Indian dishes to make myself, but believe it or not…it’s a rather difficult hunt. Perhaps that is because I am in the Midwest. That aside, I am so grateful you started this; definitely am looking forward to learning from these recipes!

    Reply

  29. Found your site a day or two ago (1 link led to another, you know how it goes). I’m mostly paleo and just starting a 2nd round of Whole 30 next week. ANYWAY, just read your bio above and I think I love you guys already! Looking forward to exploring your site and enjoying your recipes.

    Reply

  30. Just found your site and signed up for your newsletter. Delighted to find a paleo site with a real Indian bent as Indian food is my favourite cuisine. My son is spending a year in Bangaloru and while he grew up with my version of Indian food he is getting a chance to eat the real thing. I am so jealous. Your recipes look wonderful but I would like to alert you to a problem on your site – for some reason (I suspect one of your advertisers) isn’t loading properly and I get a ‘script has stopped working error’ on almost every recipe page. Every page takes forever to load and even after I cancel the script the site is very slow. Don’t know if there is anything you can do. As a clue I did go into the debugger on the Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe page and a dotted line rectangle – long and thin – showed on the screen while the debugger was open and the line in the code was something about ‘getrect’. Hope that helps. I really want to check out more recipes but this problem makes it very hard.

    Reply

    • Miriam, so glad you found my website!! I hope you’ll let me know how my recipes turn out for you 🙂 Also, thanks for letting me know about the ad issue. I’ll contact my ad network to figure it out but hopefully it’s working for you by now.

      Reply

  31. I am so happy there is a site like yours out there. My parents are from Kerala and sometimes when I am at work (shhh, don’t tell anyone) I look up Indian recipes. It is so nice to find a site that satisfies an Indian girl’s palate.

    Reply

    • Amy, thank you! And, lol, isn’t that what work is for? 😉 I’m glad you found my website – if you have a Keralite dish you want me to try and make, let me know!

      Reply

  32. Hi Ashley,
    Thank you for sharing your passion for cooking awesome, healthy food. I am new to your website and I am already excited about all I am going to learn about cooking. I have recently decided to follow a grain-free diet. I am healthy, according to my doctor, however, I don’t always feel good. I have occasional allergies and issues with pain in the joints…issues that can cause major problems down the road. Also, I am 15 lbs over-weight due to not eating right. So my goal is to eat clean, good food and I know that my body will take care of these issues by healing itself as I make smart food choices. Thank you for all the recipes you are sharing because it will make cooking fun and exciting for me to try new foods….I love cooking but I am not very creative in coming up with new recipes. I am about to make your 3 ingredient Paleo Naan. I have been craving bread but have managed to stay away from it…so I am excited to try your Naan. Have a great day!

    Reply

  33. I just returned from 8 days in India for work and thought I’d be tired of Indian food. But that didn’t happen! I made your Kofta Curry (from your cookbook) 2 days ago and it was a huge hit. The spices in the recipe made for an amazing flavor and the texture of the meatballs (pureed in the food processor) was very smooth. We loved the dish. Yesterday I again made your Sarson ka Saag in my crock pot. I’ve made it probably a half dozen times and love it each and every time. I use 1/2 mustard leaves and 1/2 spinach and add paneer in the final 2 hours of cooking time. With all these recipes, they taste even better on Day 2 as the flavors blend even more. With both dishes. of course, I served your paleo naan. I’m obsessed with your recipes! Thank you for creating and sharing them.

    Reply

  34. Hi Ashley! From your experience what would be the best oil to fry anything with? For example if I wanted to make somewhat paleo pakorey, I would probably prefer tallow but for vegetarians I can’t that. Any suggestions or have you experimented with avocado oil as far as deep frying?

    Reply

  35. I love cooking Indian food. My box of spices is like my alchemy set.
    Your crockpot goat curry was fantastic. I cooked it recently for my work buddies and they absolutely loved it. So easy and tasty. I have never cooked a curry in a crockpot before and was surprised how well it turned out. Thank you . Rob

    Reply

    • Rob, that’s great to hear! I feel the same way about my spices 🙂 Happy you and your friends loved the goat curry – I hope you’ll let me know if you try any of my other recipes!

      Reply

  36. Hi Ashley! Thanks so much for all these great recipes. I, like everyone else here 😉 made naan bread and it was delicious! I wasn´t sure I´d find an easy paleo naan recipe and voila, up pops your blog! Congratulations on the success of the blog. I´ll definitely be checking back to try more things! Oh and by the way, you´re a natural on video (must be that tv reporter background 😉

    Reply

  38. wow your so gorgrous to boot! stumbled across ur site love ur recipes going to try all the paleo breads, you both look terrific thanks for having such a great message and hope to see more! have totally bookmarked your site…

    Reply

  39. Hi Ashley,
    Your chicken curry recipe has become a firm favourite with my family. And they are picky! 😀
    Am exploring your other recipes as well.
    I love the 3-ingredient naan breads, although I am the only one in this case, lol. :3
    All the best from the Netherlands.
    Love, Ellen

    Reply

  40. Hi Ashley, so glad to have found your Blog, I do not know much about Paleo, but willing to learn. I am 83 years old, retired Farmer, do most of the cooking, and just recently got an Instant Pot, which, I just love!!!. gave one to my Son, and my Daughter, for Christmas present, and they both love them. Live in Southern Minnesota. looking forward to try some of your Instant Pot Recipes.

    Reply

    • I’m so happy to hear that you found my blog and that you love the instant pot as much as I do! 🙂 I hope you’ll let me know how my recipes turn out for you!

      Reply

  41. Thanks for this blog! I just used your chicken curry recipe. I didn’t have time tonight, but I can’t wait to try making paleo naan. I have celiac’s disease and haven’t had naan in 4 years!!!

    Reply

  42. Ashley,

    As an Americanized-desi girl looking for Indian paleo meals and recipes from another fellow desi I heart you! Your recipes are easy to follow and I really appreciate your diverse collection. Thank you for gracing the internet with your delicious recipes!

    Reply

  43. Hi Ashley, I just found your site and am so glad that I did. I have lived for years being gluten and dairy free but have just found out that I have so many more food intolerances (the reason for continued sickness and not enjoying anything I ate). I can now cook and bake a variety of tasty dishes that my husband will also enjoy with me. Thank you so so much!!

    Reply

  44. Hello Ashley,

    I just joined your blog on October 15, 2016 and am much impressed, love it. I too love everything food-wise from the Middle and Far East. My dear wife and I were both born in the Dutch East Indies, now the Republic of Indonesia. No, we didn’t know each other then. That came after WW II ended when we were repatriated back to the Netherlands and met in the school system. Long story there. I never liked it in Holland, too cold and wet, and I emigrated to the States in 1957. I got reacquainted with my wife to be and she come over to the States in 1962 and were married. I am a double cancer survivor and now cancer free for four years. In the meantime I have done a lot of research in nutrition and health and have adopted the Paleo lifestyle as best I can.
    I now automatically convert all my recipes to Paleo regardless whether they are Western or Eastern. Our most favorite recipes are Indonesian, Thai, Indian, Chinese – – – oh heck, we like most everything. Yes, I do have many Indian and Thai recipes but most are Indonesian. I was born in 1934 in the city Surabaya on Java Island and my wife was born in 1941 in Batavia, now Jakarta on Java Island.
    After my retirement we settled in Florida but miss our daughter and grandson who live near Pittsburgh, PA.

    Sorry for the long intro and if you like to know more about us please ask.

    With kind regards, Piet, the Flying Dutchman.

    Reply

    • Hi Piet! So happy to have you as a blog reader 🙂 Thanks for sharing a little bit of your life with me. I love learning about my readers! I’m glad to hear you’re now cancer free – that’s wonderful news! I hope you will let me know what recipes you try from the blog and how they turn out for you!

      Reply

  46. Happy New Year, Ashley!
    Just wanted to say Thank You for the great recipes and I look forward to trying more. Also, I see that you and your husband went to the University of Virginia. I have been a professor at UVa (English department) since 2000. It’s too bad our paths didn’t cross! Best wishes!

    Reply

    • Thanks, Lisa! Happy New Year to you too! So sorry for the delay in replying to you! It’s too bad we didn’t have you as a professor – glad to see that you found my blog though (hopefully my grammar won’t make you cringe, lol). Let me know how my recipes turn out for you 🙂

      Reply

  47. Hi Ashley

    Do you have a weekly batch plan (meal prep) for Indian cuisine, preferably gluten free and dairy free. If you do, can you please let me know where to find it.

    Thanks

    Reply

  48. greetings from sunny south africa ashley, i am a south african indian came across ur blog looking for gluten free roti which ilove and use to make a lot of before i was diagnosed wit psorisasis 2years ago.imade some of your rotis las nite and dam!! they were good and i must say you look fab.in wedding pic love the red outfit.could you explain why the white wedding ?? which by the way you look beautiful aswell .

    lots of love
    godbless

    Reply

    • Hi Amanda! I’m glad you found my blog and that you like my recipes! My husband’s family is from South India (Kerala) and they are Catholic, which is why I’m wearing a white wedding dress 🙂

      Reply

  49. Hi
    Just cooked your goat curry. It was better than I could have possibly imagined. Thanks so much!
    Ian

    Reply

  51. Your wedding photos made me tear up! So beautiful!!

    And great recipes; I’m getting ready to try out the eggplant curry : ) Hope my husband likes it! (He would never tell me if he didn’t, but I am a master of knowing what he’s thinking, LOL)

    Reply

  52. Hi Ashley,

    WOW!! I just stumbled onto your blog when I was looking for ways to use almond flour. I’m not officially Paleo, but I’m gluten, dairy, and sugar free, so I’m kinda Paleo, right?

    Anyway, I adore the Indian food that I’ve eaten, which is not nearly enough. I have wanted to learn more about it and begin to learn cooking it, but it is SO intimidating to try to begin cooking it.

    AND HERE YOU ARE!!

    I’m ordering a couple of the spices for the Butter Chicken and will try that with your naan as soon as they arrive. Can’t wait!! So GLAD you are here!

    Reply

    • Sherry! I’m so glad you found my blog 🙂 And you are more Paleo than me lol – I’m pretty much just gluten-free these days. I can’t wait to hear what you think of my recipes!!

      Reply

  53. Hi Ashley, I purchase your ebook recently, and i did’nt get the link, to down load the ebook in my computer,
    the ebook is paid for, but i have no link, can you please send me the link to down load, it would be ashame
    that it’s paid for and not be able to down load.

    Thanks
    Sylvia

    Reply

  55. I’m new to Indian food, but I love it. I saw you have a previous Indian cookbook. I was wondering if you could direct me to where I could buy it. Thank you.

    Reply

  57. HI Ashley,

    I love your recipies and just bought your ebook. However i did not receive book yet…..does it take a few days to be emailed?

    Thanks,
    Rebia

    Reply

  58. Ashley, Roby, Antony; you’re amazing, I just wanted to thank you all for being my go to source of recipes. I’m paleo, love my Instant Pot, and love Indian cuisine even more. You make amazing things, Roby has a taste for the exquisite, and Antony is completely adorable!
    Thank you, to no end, for giving me amazing recipes for the niche food I love, despite my living in the uncultured middle of nowhere.
    You guys rock my socks!

    P.S.: if Antony ever hits that picky eater stage, please post the foods you find that he likes, because my daughter (almost 5), has hit that nearly-infuriating stage, and I have no doubt that people would love real food for their picky kids- way better than chicken strips and ranch all the time >_<

    Reply

    • Luke, thank you!! I appreciate all of that so much – it is so nice of you to say 🙂 And I will definitely share what Antony likes when he gets to that picky stage – though right now I am thanking my lucky stars that he eats most of what I give him. He especially loves butter chicken and my vegan butter chicken recipe (butter chickpeas) – maybe you can try those with your daughter? He also really likes my vegan pumpkin mac and cheese recipe. Let me know if she ends up liking any of those!

      Reply

  59. Hi Ashley.. I’ve recently found your website. I love Indian cooking.. and have really grown fond if it more so since my son married a Punjabi. Her father is an excellent cook. I’m looking at your grey/brown lentil stew and it calls or a couple of tomatoes. At this time of year.. tomatoes are like cardboard. I hope you can help me translate to using canned tomatoes.. either whole or diced. Would you recommend one 14 oz can or ???

    Reply

  60. Hi My name is Wendy, I just joined your blog, I don’t join blogs! But I was on Pinterest looking for Taco Shells, and there was a link to your 3 ing naan bread. Every time I looked something up, there was your recipe. So the more I looked the more I liked, then found myself signing up on your blog. I’m Celiac, corn , soy, sugar intolerant 😳 , I’m making it work. Have a warm day ,
    Wendy

    Reply

  61. Hello, I am very excited to have found you as I think I have some dairy sensitivity and I’m looking for more flavor in my life! I recently purchased your book (5 days ago, I believe), but I never received the link.
    Please contact me. Thanks.

    Reply

  62. ashley i am going to cook goat for the first time tomorrow. any advice?

    i cut it up the goat into pretty small pieces and have it marinating in a vindaloo marinade now:
    red wine vinegar
    lemon juice
    garlic
    ginger
    turmeric
    cayenne
    garlic powder
    onion powder
    kosher salt

    in the coffee grinder i put in the following and grinded it up and added to the marinade
    cardamon (sp?)
    black pepper
    cumin
    corriander
    cloves

    have a bunch of plum tomatoes to help make the curry/broth and of course onions and more garlic and ginger. once that is going i am planning to put in the goat and cook at a very low temp until the goat is cooked.

    any suggestions? i cut the goat up pretty small so should cook fast. thinking i will throw in the bones with the little meat still on them in while i saute the onions and tomatoes.

    Reply

  63. Hi Ashley,
    I did so much enjoy your version and explanation of Onion Masala. Thank you very much! I have an Instant Pot and I love it! It is special for Indian dishes, in fact for many other ethnic dishes!
    Cheers from Winnipeg, Canada,

    Reply

  64. Hi Ashley! I just discovered your blog through a post from a friend and your microwave chocolate cake. That, and a good friend is an Instant Pot aficionado. I’m going to be making your recipes, and buying an Instant Pot. I love Indian food!

    Reply

  66. Hi Ashley,

    I’m Pam, and I love interesting and healthy food (Asian, East Asian, Latin American) – most “American” food is so boring and bland and overcooked :'( Fortunately my husband and son-in-law, who each grew up with a pretty boring menu and virtually no vegetables, like my cooking and like to try new things. So do my 3 and 4 year old grandkids, and they LOVE to help (or “help”). Both are good at peeling garlic, measuring, and stirring, and they love to run the food processor – under supervision, of course.

    My father was an Army officer who was stationed in a lot of interesting places, and who also was a fabulous cook. I grew up helping him and became an intuitive “method” cook – I rarely need to measure or follow recipes precisely, and can often duplicate dishes by smell and taste. (My sisters and I were hardly ever allowed in HIS kitchen without him checking to see what we were doing, though we did plenty of prep-work and clean-up). He made a curry that was similar to Korma curry, and also a wonderful Mango Chutney that he adapted from a recipe in a Honolulu newspaper in the 50s. When we lived in Hawaii I would climb our mango trees to pick the unripe mangos for it, and after I married and left home I used to make the chutney frequently. Now that US grocery stores are pretty well stocked with international ingredients I’ve found a few chutneys that are similar so I don’t make it homemade any more (plus we don’t have mango trees in Pennsylvania, and I developed an allergy to mango skin, so picking up the whole fruit and peeling it are out of the question for me).

    I’m also a recent Instant pot user, and I’m looking forward to trying more recipes and techniques from your book 🙂 . But today I’m headed out to get some silicone molds or a silicone cupcake/muffin pan that will fit in my IP so I can make individual “cheesecakes”. I also want to get whole cardamom to chop and sprinkle on top with chopped pistachios 🙂 I’ve been making Butter Chicken, and am looking forward to trying yours and your Naan.

    Reply

    • PS – I wanted to add that I had an Indian friend in grad school; she taught me to make a few things that were rather surprising to me, but really really good. One was a beef curry with potatoes, one was raita, (at the time yogurt wasn’t in my vocabulary), and a chopped-peanut based masala. Till I tried Valerie’s wonderful cooking, I didn’t know potatoes and cauliflower were in Indian food! Somewhere, I have my scribbled notes from cooking with her.

      Two things I really want to learn to make are Saag and Kheer – yum!

      Reply

      • I wish I could edit instead of adding – I love the two weddings! My daughter had two weddings as well; the first in the hospital, where she had been airlifted with a life-threatening condition. She and my husband and her new-husband were the only three in the hospital room, and his uncle who is a minister did the ceremony by phone. Then a month or so later, she had the second wedding on the scheduled date, same parents, same uncle/minister, same husband of course, but she wore a blush pink dress instead of a hospital gown, and a silver bracelet with hearts instead of a row of paper hospital bracelet.

        Reply

          • It was mucho scary. Actually four of us – my husband and me, she and her husband. And the uncle/minister via speaker-phone. Fortunately they already had the license and rings, in preparation for the planned wedding.

            Reply

  67. Hi Ashley,
    I was browsing through for a recipe and got hooked onto your blog.
    And man…was I hooked line and sinker !!!
    Totally love your simple and easy approach making yummy food.
    Cheers n happy cooking,
    Mini

    Reply

  68. Hi, what breed of dog is Sasha? I had a dog that looked like that but was a rescue so we didn’t know what breed it was. I love your recipes. Thanks.

    Reply

  69. In your pea pulao recipe, u have said 6 mins for a cup of rice in the instant pot. I made it with a cup and ITV was perfect. If I double the qty of rice, how many mins do I set the instant pot for ??? Please reply. Thanks a lot.

    Padma

    Reply

    • Hi Padma, you can keep the cook time the same even if you double the quantity – it’ll just take longer to reach pressure. So keep it at 6 minutes 🙂 Let me know how it goes!

      Reply

  70. Hi Ashley! I happened across your amazing website while searching for keto friendly recipes. I think your recipes look great and I can’t wait to try them, especially your instant pot recipes. Anyways, recently (like last month) I got married. My amazing hubby is Punjabi. I’ve been doing my best to learn how to make Indian food and so far he’s a happy guy. I just started the keto diet and I’ve been trying to find recipes that will suit both of us- my diet and his taste buds! Is there any way you can put up some more Indian keto recipes? Thank youuu!

    Reply

    • Hi Charissa, I’m so glad you found my blog! And congratulations to you and your hubby!! I will definitely work on adding more keto-friendly Indian recipes to my blog 🙂 Thanks for letting me know you’re interested in that!

      Reply

  71. Hi Ashley,

    Such a neat blog you have that shows your passion for cooking.
    I am also looking for an option where I can go for slow cook in IP, reason being I want my little one to enjoy warm food and save time for me in the morning.

    That is why planning to cook overnight in slow cook option for packing her morning meals and at the same time wanna prepare for the night meal in the morning.

    Can we try all your recipes in this manner in slow cook option, I guess yes why not 🙂 Do you have a rough guess if they could convert in what amount of time in slow cook option ?

    Reply

    • Hi Harsha, thank you so much for the kind words! I actually tried making dal makhani on slow cook mode overnight – I set it to “low” rather than “medium” and it wasn’t done this AM so I ended up pressure cooking for 30 minutes. I typically don’t use the slow cook option on the IP so I’m not very familiar with it but I plan to test it more so as I do, I will update existing recipe notes if I’m able to figure out the timings. Thanks for letting me know you are interested 🙂

      Reply

  73. Hi Ashley,

    I want to try the IP chicken biryani recipe. Went through it and need one clarification- u said cook rice and chicken with water on high pressure 6 mins. Is high pressure same as pressure cook ?

    Reply

    • Hi Seema, are you using an instant pot? If so then use the pressure cook button – just make sure your instant pot is set to high pressure (there are two pressure options low and high). There will be a little light underneath indicating what pressure it is on – if you need any help just post in my Instant Pot for Indian Food facebook group and I can help there too!

      Reply

  74. I took a chance on the Instant Pot, really for the sake of making more dried beans and lentils (I’m of the “you don’t need another gadget camp”). I just want to say that I have made 1-4 recipes from your Indian Cooking cookbook every week since February. I am so thrilled to have access to truly delicious Indian Food here in Seattle (after living in SF, Fremont (CA) and NYC, I missed it)! Every time family visit us, I make them a spread of dishes. As a newly GF, dairy (lactose)-free individual, your recipes are so wonderful! I just need another pantry for all my 4lb+ bags of dal 😀 THANK YOU!!

    Reply

  75. Hi Ashley
    I am new to your website but as soon as I found it I was hooked. You make the recipes so easy to follow and I love all the tips and tricks you offer. I look forward to reading your news letter. I am going to make your Onion Masala .Great tips on how to store it and thank you for including where to buy those handy little containers I will be using them for my ginger garlic paste and chili paste as well.
    P.S. What a lovely family you have and congratulations on your beautiful baby Anthony Thomas

    Reply

    • Renee, I’m so happy to hear that you found my site and like it so much 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipes you try! And thank you – I appreciate that so much!

      Reply

      • I tried your artichoke hummus and it is fantastic! The only problem for me was that my blender couldn’t handle the thickness, to chop everything to a smooth consistency, and wouldn’t even move the top half of the mixture, so my hummus is a chunky one but still sooo good! Wondering what kind of blender you have, that will handle the very thick consistency of the hummus, move everything around, and chop everything to a smooth consistency?

        Reply

        • Diane, I’m so glad you liked the hummus! As for blender recommendations – I currently use a Blendtec but truthfully I think I’d suggest getting a Vitamix instead as mine hasn’t been working as well as it used to (though it is now several years old and has gotten plenty of use). Both of them are good high powered blenders though.

          Reply

  76. Hi Ashley,

    I’ve loved your recipes for quite a while (I bought your Indian Food cookbook when it came out). However, since I was diagnosed a month ago as having Type 2 diabetes, I have to avoid high carb foods (like breads) so your gluten free, paleo recipes are especially helpful. However, I have a request. Please consider putting the nutritional information in all your recipes, including the older ones. ( I notice the nutritional information is provided for some recipes.) This would be very useful as I have count carbs to keep my blood sugar level even. (I also count calories as I’m losing weight to help the diabetes) Providing this information would be very helpful to many people asI know there are lots of people counting carbs (for many different reasons).

    Reply

    • Hi Anna, I’m so glad to hear that you like my recipes 🙂 I’m sorry about your diabetes diagnosis – thank you for the feedback about nutritional information. It’s good to know that is helpful and needed! I am working on updating the nutritional information for all recipes however it takes quite awhile and so if there’s a particular recipe you’d like me to update sooner rather than later please let me know and I will put it at the top of my list!

      Reply

  77. Hi Ashley,

    I love your recipes and I’ve enjoyed using them, especially the Indian Instant Pot ones. Could you please consider including nutritional information (specifically calories, carbs & fibre)? I have Type 2 diabetes and I count carbs & fibre, it really makes a difference to my blood glucose levels (keeping track of the calories help me lose weight). I’m sure others would also find this information useful.

    Reply

    • Thanks Anna! I am slowly working on adding nutritional info to recipes however it takes me a little while – if there’s one in particular just leave a comment on that recipe to let me know and I will be sure to get to it first!

      Reply

  78. Hi,

    Could you please let me know if there are chapati tava and pressure cooker available for use. I am new to pittsburgh and I am looking for these kitchen gadgets which I can use for sometime and return as I will be staying here probably only for an year or less.

    Thank you.

    Reply

  79. Hi Ashley,

    I happened upon your blog today in looking for recipes to cook for meals for the upcoming week. I really love the option to toggle on/off different types of recipes to make searching easier. I follow Weight Watchers and I am wondering if you ever thought about including smartpoint values for your recipes? Have you heard of the food blog Skinnytaste? She does this, in case you want to take a peek and see how she has it set up. It might take a long time to get sorted out, but wanted to mention it in case you were interested!

    Thanks and looking forward to trying your recipes!

    Reply

    • Kaitlyn, thank you for the feedback! I will look into this but truthfully I am not familiar with weight watchers so wouldn’t know enough to comfortable include smartpoint values. Thanks for the feedback though – if there is enough interest I may have to learn!

      Reply

  80. Ashley, first of all, thank you so much for all you have given to your recipes, your site, and all of us. I have been using your recipes for years and they always put a big smile on the faces of my healthy family. Plus I’ve learned a ton about cooking from you! So thanks so much. You are doing something that matters.

    Here is my request: It is getting cooler out, so I wanted to make some Shepherd’s Pie. I am certain that you had one on your site in the past, but I cannot seem to find it, nor is it in South Asain Persuasion. Is it in a different cookbook or have you de-listed it for some other reason? The other one’s I’ve found in the Internet just don’t seem the same. Thanks!

    Reply

  81. Hi Ashley and Rob firstly I would like to congratulate you two on ur excellent paleo recipes specially liked the one on rice flour rotis excellent indeed am gluten intollerent and was looking forward for a rice flour alternative to wheat. wheat as we now know effects the pancreas and destroy the cells the run which leads to diabetes have been ingesting wheat products from childhood and have developed diabetes type 2.Your recipie hopefully should put me back to normalicy my sugar count has fallen from 400 plus to 160 due to insulin hopefully I want to keep my sugar count down.A healthy gluten free diet wud help I am told.Lets hope so.Am retired from the hotel industry and reside along with my wife in Goa 3 kids all grown up and settled.
    Want to enjoy my retired life with my wife but a strict diet restraines me.No matter try to make the very best of every day given as God’s precious gift.
    So to cut it short thanks once again for ur recipes will look into it other paleo recipes as well.Now I have to hunt for Organic rice flour.Any idea where I can purchase the same online.
    Thanks again and do continue ur good word will look forward to any future blogs from you.Wishing you two every success in all your endeavours
    Ronie

    Reply

  82. Dear Ashley,
    I came across your blog, when I was looking up toor dal, I am excited to try your recipe for dal in the instant pot. Your wedding pictures remind me of my wedding in 1985, I got a chance to go to India and fell in love and married a SadarJi, unfortunately some years later, things didn’t work out and we divorced. But I still love Indian food and his family. My favorite food being Matar Paneer and most food with paneer in it.😀.

    Reply

    • Kelly, I’m so glad you found my blog – I can’t wait to hear what you think of the dal 🙂 Sorry to hear things didn’t work out – but I’m so glad you still love Indian food! Look forward to hearing what you think of my recipes!

      Reply

  83. Hi, just found your ‘site and I need to ask a question about a takeout dish I’ve been trying to find a recipe for. I have looked and looked, it’s possibly just from this one takeout place in Baltimore though. They called it “chicken badam pasanda” It was chicken in an almond sauce. I’ve found a single recipe that is like it but not quite it. Please please please have you ever heard of anything like it? I’ve been looking for 8 years! Ugh!
    Thanks,
    Maura
    ps. I really appreciate how easy your site is to navigate and can’t wait to try the coconut flour nuggets!!!

    Reply

  84. Hi Ashley,
    I’m a Punjabi and my Indian cooking is awful. Today I tried your Onion Masala recipes in the Instant pot … love it, love it! Pardon my language, but your are a freaking genius. I went ahead and used the Masala for a simple Allo Sabji, my 10 yr old twin boys were,” mom, you are the best cook ever”. Thank you dear, I’m so glad I came across your blog when I was searching for Indian recipes that can cooked in instant pot. I’ll be trying Kerala Masala Egg Roast next!

    Reply

    • Hi Bipal! LOL this is the best comment ever, thank you so much for making my day! And your boys sound so sweet!! I can’t wait to hear how the masala egg roast goes – do let me know!

      Reply

      • I tried the Chicken Pulao as it looked less intimidating, it turned out so well, mum was literally Chef Ramsay in their eyes. I would definitely eliminated peppercorns the next time for the kids sake. Than the Egg Roast, OMG…in love! I did make an adjustment for the kids and added whip cream to tone down the spices. Would you recommend Coconut milk instead as its an south Indian dish?

        Reply

        • Aww I’m so happy to hear that! That must have felt so great! I’m so glad you liked the egg roast too! Yes, you can definitely use coconut milk – that’s what I’d go with next time 🙂

          Reply

  85. Hi Ashley,
    I am new to your site – I found you when I googled gluten-free, dairy free soups. I want to prepare your chicken wild rice for my college granddaughter who is coming to spend the weekend with us coming up real soon. She is – yep – gluten and dairy free so your recipe sounds just right for her. She loves soup. My question is – can I make this without using an instant pot? I don’t have one at this time. Thank you for your help. I apologize if you get this twice from me. I’m out in a territory I know very little about.

    Reply

    • Hi Sandra! I’m so glad you found my site 🙂 You can definitely make this over the stove top – it’ll just take longer to cook but it’ll still be delicious! My guess is that the wild rice will take 45 mins to an hour to cook on the stovetop – let me know if you try it this way!

      Reply

  86. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. I love Indian food and I love my instant pot. My husband and I “adopt” students from India that attend a university near us. We have over 90 “kids”. This pasty white lady can’t wait to try some of these yummy recipes.

    Reply

    • Cherri, WOW! That is so kind of you to take care of students from India – I’m sure it means so much to them!! 90 students… amazing! I can’t wait to hear what you think of my recipes 🙂

      Reply

  87. Love your recipes – concise thoughtful, successful!
    Is there a chance you can do a ras malai recipe?
    My favorite dessert and I’d love to surprise some
    friends.
    Thanks, johnC

    Reply

  88. Great site. Although a mallu, until I ran into your site, never ventured into making sambar and avial. Instapot combined with your awesome recipes turned out to be a great thing year. I also tried your stew (chicken and beef) and they turned out great. Thanks again for these great recipes. Have a great year ahead!

    Reply

  89. Hi Ashley, I love your recipes using instapot. I do a lot of juicing and there is pulp left over. I was wondering if you had recipe for delicious vege burger or vege cutlets that I can use for the pulp.

    Many thanks!!

    Reply

    • Hi Toral! I don’t but that’s a great idea – I bet you could make some tasty cookies that way! Try one of my oatmeal cookie recipes and add some carrot or fruit pulp to it 🙂 Or any coconut flour recipes – they absorb a lot of liquid and I bet you could easy add some in!

      Reply

  90. Thank you so much for publishing so many familiar recipes! I have been spoiled by my Dadima with authentic Punjabi food, but I just don’t have the time it takes to make it the way she does. It was so nice to see someone take recipes I’ve grown up with and adapt them for the Instant Pot!

    Reply

    • Kendall, I’m so happy to hear that! I know nothing will ever as good as grandma’s cooking – but hopefully these recipes will be a good enough reminder 🙂
      My toughest critic – my Punjabi father – has to approve of all of my Punjabi recipes before I share them here lol so hopefully you’ll love them! Can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipes you try!

      Reply

  93. I found your website quite by accident and I am so very happy that I did! Just made the curried cauliflower soup and the taste is incredible. It’s going to be a pleasant journey browsing through your recipe index and then discovering more scrumptious dishes. Many thanks 🙂

    Reply

  94. Found your website just now searching for healthy food bloggers in Pitt in hopes of finding some good local vegetarian friendly places while there on a work trip in June! Glad I found you as I like your cuisine!

    Reply

    • Caitlin, I’m so glad you found my blog!! I really need to work on a blog post with all my favorite local restaurants! While you’re here, check out B52 – it’s my favorite vegan restaurant in the city – the food is delicious! What area will you be in?

      Reply

  95. Hi Ashley-
    I love your blog and saw you have an instant pot cookbook out now. I eat mostly vegetarian and am wondering how many main dish vegetarian recipes are in your book? Thanks for any info you can give me!
    Michelle

    Reply

  96. This was amazing!!!! Thank you so much for the recipe! Korma is probably my favourite dish and anything store bought doesn’t even come close. I added a bit of coconut cream just to thicken my sauce and add extra creaminess, and my husband loved it! Will definitely be making this again. I was shocked at how simple it was to throw together to. Thank you, thank you, thank you! <3

    Reply

  97. Hi Ashley, I bought the kindle edition of your instant pot Indian cookbook & am excited to start making some of the delicious-looking-sounding dishes.
    Do you have a favorite recipe for RASAM? (Either Instant Pot or non-pressure cooler).
    A South Indian family in the West San Jose/Cupertino area I know makes the most incredible Rasam.
    But the mom doesn’t measure her ingredients, so it would be tough to replicate.
    Perhaps your Sambar recipe is sort of similiar?
    I’d love to hear back from you. Thanks for putting together such a great instant pot Indian cookbook.

    Reply

    • Hi Tracey, thanks for your support! I hope you love all of my recipes! I don’t have a rasam recipe on my blog yet but it is on my to-do list – I have tons of rasam ideas (I’ve had pineapple rasam on my brain for months now). My sambar isn’t similar unfortunately but it is delicious! Hopefully I’ll get around to sharing a recipe soon 🙂

      Reply

  98. Hi Ashely, Came across your site a few weeks ago, love the recipes, Being celiac the gluten-free dishes are very helpful. Also, the recipes have renewed my interest in using the instant pot again. We have made the butter chicken and a few other dishes, I am looking to cook more in the future and enjoy the Indian food.

    Reply

    • Jatinder, I’m so happy you found my site and are enjoying the recipes! Also good to know you find the gluten free recipes helpful 🙂 I’m so glad you liked the butter chicken – I can’t wait to hear what you think of the recipes you try!

      Reply

  99. Hi Ashley. I am going to make Instant Pot Kala Chana for my college-age daughter (adopted from Nepal) and her Indian roommate (from Kolkata). I am soaking the brown chickpeas tonight. Question: do you see any problem with me doubling the recipe? Srijana and Anoushka LOVE Indian and Nepali food, so I am thinking I’d like to make an increased quantity. Does this seem ok to you? If so, would I simply double ALL the ingredients? Thank you.

    Reply

    • Hi Jean! That’s so nice! You can certainly double the recipe – just double all of the ingredients but leave the cook time the same. I hope your daughter and her roommate like the recipe 🙂

      Reply

      • Thanks so much! I am just going to make it now. I see that your husband is Sikh, and maybe you are too. My daughter, Srijana (Nepali) has a Sikh boyfriend from Delhi. She and I have visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar with a Sikh friend of ours who lives in Delhi. We had lunch at the langar. Wow, what a huge production…. if you have never had langar at the Golden Temple, you should check it out… they have chapathi machines that crank them out and they go down a conveyor belt, and giant giant vats of dal. Incredible.

        Reply

        • Jean, that’s awesome! The Golden Temple is definitely a sight to see 🙂 We go every time we visit India – though it has been many years since I was last there. Very cool you got to experience it!

          Reply

      • Ashley: I wanted to let you know I did as you instructed to double the recipe, and it turned out perfectly! I doubled all the ingredients, and used 3 serrano chiles (with seeds). I made it in my Breville 6-quart multi-cooker. I was a bit worried at first because when I sliced the 4 onions (used 2 mm slicing blade in my Cuisinart) there was a mountain of onions…. but of course, when you put them in the pot to do the first step of saute x 20 minutes, they cook down a lot, so there is plenty of space for all the other ingredients. This made a nice big container of the finished dish for my daughter and her roommate. I wanted to give this feedback in case you or anyone else wants to double the recipe.

        Reply

  101. Hi. I appreciate the rice pudding Instant Pot recipe.
    I used whole goat milk, followed the instructions exactly, but my milk and rice burned on the bottom just a few minutes in.
    Any ideas why it went wrong for me?

    Reply

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