How To Make South Indian Style Medu Vada (Lentil Fritters | Chillu Garelu) Recipe

Tweet

As I type this post, I can hear the pitter-patter of the incessant rain and cool wind gush outside my window. It has been pouring cats and dogs since morning and the dull weather isn't helping me stay focused on work at hand. Instead, my mind is wandering in hundred directions, especially towards something deep fried. Usually I am reluctant to heat a pot of oil but today, I gave in. Sharing a easy and fool proof recipe for Medhu Vada as we call in South India. It is one of most adored breakfast dishes and sometimes, we get down to enjoy these as appetizers/snacks. Don't miss out on these golden brown beauties. Enjoy.

Kadai Paneer Recipe with Homemade Kadai Masala Powder

Tweet

There are numerous paneer recipes and amongst all, Kadai Paneer has a special place in our hearts. Especially, when made with a freshly ground kadai masala, this luscious curry is to die for. Put your favorite music and do spend an hour on a Sunday afternoon to make this flavorful curry. Almost anything goes with this dish and I highly recommend some fried rice or if you are feeling lazy frozen naan from trader joes work too. 

Top 10 Food Memories of 2017 + Buttermilk Kootu Recipe (Vegetable Buttermilk Stew)

Tweet

Phew! there it is. an end of 2017. an end to an year I quickly want to forget and erase from my memory. Though the year started on a positive note, it quickly took a nose dive and by the end it felt like an unintentionally long and painful roller coaster ride. Amidst all this chaos, the blog took a big hit and I no longer felt like cooking or writing elaborate posts. I am super active on Instagram though and the only two positive things I will remember 2017 for are: my love for watercolor and how I found support from my bullet journal. Rest all let's say - it feels good to be forgotten. :-) 

There were a few moments though during the year, here and there where I took a few photographs of food and also tried a new recipe from Chandra Padmanabhan's book - Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine From South which you can find at the end of the post. As always, I have grand plans for self and for my hobbies in the coming year and only time will tell on how far I will be able to execute on them. For now, here are Top 10 food memories of 2017 I want to share with you all. 

Happy Holidays and Wishing you all a Joyous 2018 ahead! May the force be with you!

Happy Holidays! more watercolor artwork here on my other blog.

Freezer Cleanup Thali and MLLA Recipe

Tweet

It never goes away! - the nagging feeling that I am ignoring this blog and not being consistent in writing about what I love the most: F.O.O.D. The problem is I have not been cooking anything fancy or blog-worthy. Just basic meals like quick curries and lightly tempered dals with our usual rice. Another reason might be that these days I am into other interests like doodling (check out my #100DaysofDoodles project) and hand lettering. With a 9 to 5 job and a 3 hour commute to work, there is little time to spare and most of the times you will find me quietly sitting in a corner, with pen & paper in hand. :-)

..and what prompted me to publish a post is today's lunch which was all about emptying fridge/freezer as much as possible. Here is what I made just an hour ago....

My Legume Love Affair (MLLA) 107th Edition

Tweet

Hello lovely people! it is that time of the year again where I am hosting my favorite event in the entire blog-o-sphere: Lisa's My Legume Love Affair. :-) May 2017 marks its 107th edition and I want you guys to get those aprons on, to rock & roll and to celebrate the goodness and versatility of our lovely legumes!

Rules are pretty much the same and once your recipe is posted, add the URL using the Linky tool attached to the end of this post.. Non-bloggers can participate too. Details inside the post. I can't wait to see your recipe entries all month long. Happy Cooking!

How To Make Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe

Tweet

It was a balmy Sunday morning yesterday where I woke as usual, all geared up to get a few things done on my todo list and was sipping my morning tea when a realization hit like a thunder. If I do my math right, the year 2007 was when I first started blogging; that means this year marks the 10th year anniversary of my food blogging. OMG! 10 years? I have never done anything consistent for that long, ever. I am known to my friends and family to feel super excited about something and getting easily bored after an year or two. No! I thought. I can't abandon my blog anymore. Blogging has given me a sense of purpose when I needed the most, good friends who saw me stumble & grow and gave many cherished memories that still make me smile. I promised myself to blog consistently from now onwards.

I might not be blogging since past few months but I have been active on Instagram where I am sharing my adventures with latest love - Bullet Journalling. In the kitchen, my meals these days are quick and make ahead like today's recipe - Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce, which can be used in a number of different ways like pasta sauce, pizza sauce or even as a base for a quick soup. Make a big batch, store and enjoy. Happy Cooking!

My Legume Love Affair 104 Roundup

Tweet

..and just like that February 2017 came to an end and it is time to look at some amazing entries for My Legume Love Affair 104. Thank you all for your participation. Firstly, my apologies for not able to participate with any of my own recipe. Work has become incredibly hectic and once I reach home, all I do is have a quick dinner and hit the sack. There were days when I slept at 8:30 pm, only to feel groggy & tired even after a good night's sleep. Ok! enough of my boring life. Shall we jump into the lovely recipes received including one from a non-blogger - Teja.

Happy Cooking!

My Legume Love Affair (MLLA) 104th Edition

Tweet

Hello lovely people! I know things have been pretty quiet in this corner of web world and I blame my incapability to manage work, home life and other hobbies as the main reason. I have been active on Instagram though as photo-blogging is so much easier than a proper blogpost. But, I promise to be more proactive in spending some time on blogging from now on. My mojo for cooking and trying new recipes hasn't changed though. It is just the photographing, editing, writing and publishing a post that takes a lot more effort. Probably, if I make things simple like using phone pics and write my thoughts on easy, every day recipes, then blogging might become much more manageable. Don't you think? While I ponder on that thought, I want to first kick things off for this year by hosting my favorite event in the entire blog-o-sphere: Lisa's My Legume Love Affair. February marks its 104th edition and now are you guys ready to get those aprons on, to rock & roll and to celebrate the goodness and versatility of our lovely legumes!

Rules are pretty much the same and once your recipe is posted, add the URL using the Linky tool attached to the end of this post.. Non-bloggers can participate too. Details inside the post. I can't wait to see your recipe entries all month long. Yay!.

[VeganMoFo 2016] Plantain and Coconut Stir Fry (Green/Raw Banana Thoran) Recipe

Tweet

An integral part of Kerala cuisine, Thoran is a stir-fry essentially made with grated coconut and minimal spices. From potatoes to cabbage, carrots, green beans, broccoli or even pumpkin, you can make a thoran with almost any vegetable that can hold some shape after cooking. Today's version is made with my favorite vegetable - plantain or (green) raw banana. This is my go-to recipe whenever I am out of ideas; super tired or when I hardly have any fresh vegetables on hand. Happy Cooking!

[VeganMoFo 2016] Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes Recipe

Tweet

Tomato season is long gone here in California but I occasionally see a bag of small, cherry tomatoes here in the Farmer's Markets. Whenever I do, I eagerly grab a few. Most of the times, I eat them raw. I have a long commute to work so these serve as a handy, easy to carry snack to curb those 5 pm hunger pangs. But, this time around I put some extra effort to roast these beauties. I saw today's Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes recipe in Heidi Swanson's cookbook and instantly fell in love with its simplicity. You will be surprised on how little there is to do but by the end they are so flavorful that it is hard to stop nibbling on them. I ended munching an entire tray full of roasted tomatoes in one go and had to make an another batch to add to my favorite pasta and my weekly salad. Yumm-ee-dee-dum, I tell ya! 

[VeganMoFo 2016] My Mother's Simply Fried Cauliflower Recipe

Tweet

Every time I make these Simply Fried Cauliflower florets at home, I think of my mother and her cooking. Our favorite to this day, it is simply amazing how she used to deep fry almost everything without a drop of excess oil. There were times when we were kids - me & my sister used to just gobble right out of the frying pan. Especially on rainy days and Saturdays, these were an absolute must-make dish in our household. The ritual continued until I charted out to a far away land for my higher studies. Now, living worlds apart from her, I crave for her reassuring words during times of distress and most of all her comforting food. Amma, this post like many others on this blog is dedicated to you. I love you. I miss you. 

[VeganMoFo 2016] Tofu Masala Recipe

Tweet

What do you do with a slab of tofu lurking at the back of the fridge and with no more than 20 minutes on hand? You make today's recipe - an easy yet hearty Tofu Masala of course! When I saw it on Food and Wine for the first time, I wondered how ordinary the ingredients list is. But the end result in terms of flavor was nothing but ordinary. On a crazy weeknight, I served this dish with some prepared rotis and a bowl of fruit. Satisfied with happy bellies, we both called it a day and I thought how sometimes keeping the spices to minimum is a good thing. Trust me, this recipe is a perfect example of that! Do give it a try. Bon Appetit.

[VeganMoFo 2016] Spinach and Green Onion Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Tweet

I am still in a state of shock after what happened yesterday. How did it happen? How could it happen? I am not an American to understand the nuances of the Electoral Collage system in detail but I do know that Hate Cannot Win! Sadly it did. Way back in July, Michael Moore predicted Trump's win and gave 5 reasons in plain simple english . I happen to read it today and yes, it made perfect sense, though it is too late now. Here's hoping the next 4 years will be remembered for growth, progress and spreading positivity instead of spewing hatred on each other.

Coming to today's recipe, the title says it all - Green Mashed Potatoes! I saw Mark Bittman make this dish with dandelion greens which I conveniently with some spinach and spring onions. Any kind of greens will work and do make this for upcoming Thanksgiving to surprise your family & friends. Bon Appetit. 

[VeganMoFo 2016] Roasted Christmas Beans (Tok-Cel Beans) Recipe

Tweet

Who is waiting for Thanksgiving week already? I sure am. :-) Have you got your holiday menu ready? Being vegetarian (who eats eggs), many at times I feel left out with not many options to eat except for some mashed potatoes and pasta. How wonderful would it be if we non-meaters get some love too! After writing a detailed post on how to cook dried beans from scratch, it is only fitting to share a legume recipe. Isn't it? How about an easy Roasted Bean recipe that could be served as a wonderful side-dish along with your Thanksgiving entries! I saw today's recipe on NPR and what immediately caught my attention was the use of simple yet intriguing ingredients. The original recipes was a feature on Lima Beans and I conveniently substituted them with Christmas Beans (without compromising taste), my new Farmer's Market find. Read more to get the recipe. 

[VeganMoFo 2016] How To Cook Dried Beans From Scratch

Tweet

Beans! Beans! And More Beans! I am a huge fan of beans and whenever I see a new variety in Farmer's Market, I quickly grab some to try a recipe or two. A bag of Christmas Beans (as pictured below) was one such impulse buys. Aren't they just beautiful to look at? How can one not buy? :-) Today's post is all about how to prepare and cook dried beans from scratch. Once you get the basics right, it is so much easier (and healthier) than canned version (with their absurd amounts of sodium levels). Personally, I think cooked beans also make a far more delicious meal than canned beans. There is also a information on how to store/freeze cooked beans with a few pretty photographs to look at. While you are soaking a batch of beans, don't forget to check out this entire list of legume recipes for some good ideas. Happy Cooking!

[VeganMoFo 2016] Zucchini Carpaccio Recipe

Tweet

Day 4 of ongoing VeganMoFo 2016 challenge is here and today I am about share a quick, no-cook Zucchini salad recipe I saw on NYT Cooking. I am also super kicked and doing a happy dance for another reason. Do you know the last time I posted FOUR recipes in a month was way back in 2015. Yep! it is always the case that I start off the month with best of intentions, slowly loose mojo and never share more than a recipe or two. Here's hoping at least this year (unlike 2014), I will successfully finish this VeganMoFo challenge. Read more and get this refreshingly easy recipe for Zucchini Carpaccio.

[VeganMoFo 2016] Sindhi Kadhi | Vegetables in Chickpea Flour Gravy Recipe

Tweet

All the kadhi (yogurt gravy) recipes I know so far are made with yogurt by default. Never had I ever tasted or encountered a dish which is named as a kadhi but without the use of any diary. Made just out of chickpea flour as a base for the gravy, today's recipe (Sindhi Kadhi) is an exception. If you are wary about how would it taste (just like I did), then you got to make it to believe how mind blowing it tastes. For several Sundays after I teetered on the recipe, I found myself eagerly making two portions of it for my upcoming weekday lunches. Did I tell you, it is a lovely make-ahead recipe too which keeps well for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. All I had to was warm it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, pour on top of some rice and enjoy my desk lunch. 

The recipe is from justagirlfrommumbai, one of my favorite Instagram accounts with beautiful (unpretentious) food photography and heart warming stories behind each one of them. If you are not following her already on IG and love food then give her a follow right way!

[VeganMoFo 2016] Andhra Style Gongura Pappu (Sorrel Leaves Dal) With Peanuts Recipe

Tweet

Sorrel leaves which can be easily found in any Farmer's Market (in the Bay Area at least) or in any Indian store is my absolute favorite way to make dal. Growing up my mother used to make it once a week and now I do too. Today's version of Gongura Pappu (Sorrel Leaves Dal) With Peanuts is a recipe I stumbled upon on Youtube while looking for easy weeknight dinner ideas. The only hard part is to remove the sorrel leaves from their stems and rest is just a breeze. If you have never made this version of dal before, I urge you to try some. Poured over a hot bed of rice and served with some crunchy chips, it tastes divine. Now, if you will excuse me, I will have to take leave to prepare the sorrel leaves bunch sitting next to me as I type this post. :-) Enjoy!

[VeganMoFo 2016] Breakfast Potato Hash with Bell Peppers and Onions Recipe

Tweet

Bonjour Novembre! You have arrived so fast this year. It feels like just few weeks ago we all merrily celebrated New Year's Day! :-) November is also time for my favorite event of the blog-o-sphere: VeganMoFo (Vegan Month Of Food), where many enthusiasts like me blog and celebrate vegan food all month long. I have attempted (and failed mid-way) VeganMoFo back in 2014. It is time to give everyday blogging a sincere try again. That's right, the challenge is to post a new vegan recipe every weekday of this month. I am definitely better prepared than last time around. Let's see how it goes! I hope you guys will give me company and cheer me along as I progress through this vegan recipe marathon? How about I kick start things by sharing an easy recipe for Breakfast Potato Hash with Bell Peppers and Onions. 

My Legume Love Affair 100 Roundup + $25 Amazon gift card Winner

Tweet

Au revoir Octobre and a special goodbye to My Legume Love Affair Edition #100 as well. We have got some amazingly unique entries all month long and with much fervor & gusto, I present to you this MLLA100 roundup post and also the lucky winner of $25 Amazon gift card winner (at the very end). Read along to know more...