The weather is finally transitioning into fall and each morning is a little crisper than the last. With this and some other lifestyle changes, I am craving earthier and warmer foods. I've been researching and practicing easter nutrition for a while (hint: post on Ayurveda coming soon) and thought i might try my hand at something a little different: risotto! As usual, I did not follow any recipe or ingredients list, but rather threw stuff together that sort of made sense and hoped for the best. Please excuse the sub-par food photography...I made this at 6pm after a day of yoga TT and there was like almost sunlight left! #keepitreal

Now that the bay area is having its Indian Summer I've fittingly found myself craving the savory and robust flavors of Indian cuisine, sans the heaviness of a cooked meal. I wondered how I could incorporate indian flavors into a salad of some kind and I immediately thought of a common appetizer called "chaat." It's a mix of tomatoes, onions, chickpeas and potato with yogurt and spices that's often found at street-side vendor carts in busy metropolitans like Chennai and Bombay as a quick snack on the go. I decided to recreate this as a salad that would pack in loads of fresh veg but provide that spicy zing that my brown-ness requires.

*Be forewarned that while all the fresh ingredients can be found at any grocery store, you will need to procure some special Indian spices either from a local Indian store or Amazon (I'll be sure to include links).