OK this is going to be purely a recipe post. I have no interesting stories to tell. Really I got nothing. I think its all the Diwali sweets going to my head. (And pretty soon they will show up in other parts of my body too! uugh!) Well strict gym routine for the next 4 weeks. […]
Indian
Happy Diwali: Cashew nut and Date Fudge (Kaju and Date Halwa)
There is a reason Diwali is the most loved and most celebrated festival for all Hindus – it is a festival that spans 5 days! No wonder everyone loves it! In India kids get extended holidays during Diwali season and most offices are also closed for all the key Diwali days. Alas no such luck […]
Flattened Rice savory snack (Poha Chivda)
Diwali is just around the corner and so Diwali snacks and sweets need to be made! Well I ‘like’ to make them at home although nowadays everything is available at the store. But for me nothing can beat ‘home-made’! As kids we always loved Diwali – while most other kids loved the fire crackers more than […]
Chicken in an almond yoghurt sauce (Moghlai Chicken)
Imagine the goodness of almonds in your curry. Now add the most flavorful blend of spices to it. And then imagine ‘marinated in yoghurt’, tender, juicy, falling off the bone chicken pieces in this gravy. That my dear would be your Moghlai Chicken – A curry that originated in the Moghul era and was cooked for […]
Mango Shrikhand with Pooris (Aamrakhand)
Shrikhand is nothing but thick sweetened yoghurt which is a traditional sweet dish that seemed to have originated in the western part of India since it is popular in both Maharashtrian and Gujarati cuisine. Aamrakhand is when shrikhand is combined with mango pulp. Shrikhand I love love love. But with a caveat – it has […]
Rice noodle pudding (Paal Ada Paayasam)
Paal Payasam (Rice and Milk pudding) or Parippu payasam (lentil and coconut pudding) ? When asked to choose between these two at a sadya (a traditional Keralan feast) usually as part of a wedding or during Onam, my unhesitant answer would always be be ‘paal payasam’. Of course! The caramelized sugar mixed with the milk and […]
Peppery Lobster/Crab Stir Fry
Last month towards the fag end of school vacation, we decided to getaway last minute to the Cape for a couple days. Oh boy were we glad to do that! The gorgeous white sandy beaches and the blue waters proved to be just what we all needed for rejuvenating our mind and bodies. The kids […]
Onam Special: Lentil and Coconut Pudding (Parippu Paayasam)
A hearty and Happy Onam to all those who celebrate! To all us ‘Mallus’, Onam equates to ‘pigging out’ as that’s one festival (although not much unlike most other festivals! 🙂 ) where ‘food’ is the main attraction. And Onam sadya or the feast takes center stage. My childhood Onam memories are that of my […]
Green Beans with coconut (Beans thoran)
It never ceases to surprise me that the simplest of recipes sometimes are the most loved and relished! And I am often asked for the exact recipe. Many of my friends love this simple vegetable side dish of green beans with coconut.As in most Kerala dishes, coconut oil and coconut are the key ingredients in […]
Instant Rava Dosa (Savory Rice and Semolina Crepes)
I have admitted it before and I will say it again – Breakfast is not my thing really. Why? Well, for one, weekday mornings are so hectic and so I have to make do with cereal and or homemade cereal bars and two, I love to sleep in during the weekends (sheepish smile)… So making […]
Spicy Egg Roast (Kerala Mutta Roast)
You may wonder ‘Egg roast’? …now, what in the world is that? Well if you like your eggs spicy, you will just love this! This recipe is indigenous to Kerala where it is called ‘Mutta(egg) roast’. This is a dish often paired with Vella appams (rice hoppers or pancakes) or with Idiyappam (which are steamed […]
Beets in a yoghurt sauce (Beet root pachadi)
Pachadi is the name (in Kerala) for any side dish curry that is made using yoghurt and a vegetable like green mango, ash gourd, carrots or beet root. It is really an accompaniment to the main course, which is usually rice and some other vegetable curry. Growing up, ‘kumbalanga(ash gourd)’ and green mango pachadi was […]