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.
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!
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....
..let us preserve some summer sunshine by making this vibrant sauce..
Summer is here. Farmer's Markets across Bay Area are bustling with tomatoes at their absolute best and also cheapest. Summer tomatoes are so much juicier and better when compared to their ghostly, almost powdery versions of the Winter. And Now is also the best time to get to work towards preserving a little sunshine by making a batch of homemade tomato sauce and freeze in a small containers, for later use. Not necessarily for colder months to come as I am pretty sure these will be used way before that. Almost every Indian curry starts with an onion-tomato base and this sauce compliment well with all of them.
Today's tomato sauce recipe is a South Indian version I stumbled upon in Madhur Jaffrey's 'Vegetarian Cooking' cookbook. The ingredients are basic pantry staples and the resultant sauce is very flavorful and aromatic. For this recipe, there is no blanching or peeling of tomatoes required. Just roughly chop them into chunks, mix in other ingredients, use some muscle power and let it simmer until it reaches a sauce-like consistency. Cool, blend and store/freeze. That is it. No fancy equipment except for a blender to puree the tomato-ey mixture.
Ask any South Indian, what is his/her favorite breakfast? I am pretty sure Idli or Dosa will top the list along with Ven Pongal accompanied by a version of Coconut chutney. These are the dishes that defined our care-free childhood days. These are also the dishes we tend to go back to for comfort, time and again in some form or fashion. Today's post is about Oats Pongal, an incarnation of a traditional white rice cooked with mung dal and black peppercorns recipe. It is super simple to make, perfect for busy weekdays. A touch of ghee, grated ginger and curry leaves makes it flavorful just like its original version. The consistency of the pongal is purely of personal choice. I like mine a bit soupy while there are others who would want a little thicker. Adjust water quantity and play with various mix-ins (mentioned in the recipe below) and you have a healthy, one pot meal (for breakfast, lunch or dinner) ready in minutes. Now, a spicy side like a simple Tomato Gotsu makes the pongal even more enjoyable. If you are short on time, a blob of Indian pickle or a handful of potato chips work too. Enjoy!
Today, October 24th 2015 is being celebrated as Food Day all over America. This year's focus is to move towards a greener diet, raising awareness about the critical importance of eating less meat and enjoying more whole plant-based foods as a way to become healthier and to help animals and the environment. Like never before, researchers are emphasizing the same point and I firmly believe that it leads for a better living and more compassionate eating. Don't you all agree? There are many events happening all over the country as a part of Food Day Green Meal program and to do my bit, I am participating in Food Day Blogger Takeover with a post filled with many delicious plant based recipes.
The idea here to present them in the form a South Indian Thali. A Thali (for those who are not familiar with the concept) is a typically 7 to 10 course meal served as platter with little bowls consisting of a wide variety of different dishes like vegetable curries, dals, papad/chips, rice, bread, pickle, a sweet dish and yogurt. Almost any Indian restaurant has a thali on their menu and mostly served during lunch times.
Now, Are you ready to see what dishes I have served in my (virtual) thali? Read along to know more and get the recipes!
If there is always one accompaniment while having breakfast at my mum's place, it is definitely this Under 15 minute Easy South Indian Coconut Chutney. I have been eating it with my idilis and dosas for as long as I remember and now I thought it is a perfect time to share the recipe with you all. All you need is fresh coconut and a handful of ingredients. Every south indian breakfast deserves a simple to make chutney as a side and after trying this version, I guarantee you will instantly fall in love, never to look back again! And while you are at it, don't forget to leave a comment on this post to mark your participation for the TWO book giveaways (Day 3) Scroll down for more details. If you haven't tried your luck already, do leave a comment on Day 1 and Day 2 giveaway blogposts as well. Good Luck!
I love featuring those Indian food recipes that are easy to whip up and remind me of home every time I make them. All my childhood, breakfast on every Sunday was either Mysore Bonda or some kind of Vada, served with a chutney or sambar. When memories are attached to food we eat, they taste even better. Isn't it? Today's version of vada has cabbage and onion that are dunked in ground urad dal. Just remember soaking the dal an hour before and there you have it - crispy and crunchy fritters ready to be chowed down in minutes!
Learn how to make sambar rice in one pot i.e pressure cooker. One dish to clean, one plate to serve and a bunch of chips with a bowl of yogurt is all that is needed to make it a full lunch or dinner meal. On busy (read as lazy) weeknights, such recipe ideas help us fill our tummies easily and quickly. To save time, I tend to chop veggies like - okra, green beans, tomato, bottle gourd, drumstick and refrigerate in air tight boxes.
Learn how to make the softest dosas ever! A typical dosa is a traditional favorite in every South Indian kitchen. Today's recipe, aptly named as Sponge Dosa has been made many many times in ours is a new family favorite. Give it a try and you will enjoy it immensely. :-)
Learn how to make one of the easiest desserts ever - moong dal payasam with grated beetroot. It tastes great when served both as hot or cold. Depending on the season and mood, choose your version.The beetroot juice does add a nice, vibrant color and texture to the usual combination of dal, jaggery and fried nuts/raisins.
This post from my good blogger friend Sra got me thinking. I read it. re-read it and was even compelled to tweet it. I felt she hit a homerun by aptly putting in words how we, bloggers feel almost every time we hitthat"Publish" button. I did write a few words on how this blog got started in my anniversary post and today's version is just an extension of it - a contemplation of sorts on Why I Still Blog ..
+ I blog because it gives me joy, immense joy.
+ I blog because there is an under nourished writer in me. Sigh! I don't even consider myself good at expressing myself - to put in words how and what I feel. And I want to change that, one post at a a time.
+ I blog because I make new friends almost every day. I read new blog posts which give a different perspective to life in general and inspire me to do and cook better.
+ I blog because I get to share stories and take notice of those moments which otherwise would be lost in oblivion.
+ I blog because I want to know my own story many years down the line. How my thoughts were shaped, what I did and why I made certain choices.
+ I blog because it is my platform to find support, to help people around. Remember how so many of you rallied with me to raise funds for little girls at Vaidehi Ashram. I can never forget that heartwarming gesture and each one you who came forward and lend their hand has a special place in my heart.
+ I blog because it is a reflection on bit and pieces of my every day life. Not in its entirety, but you get an idea.
+ I blog because a lot of effort and passion goes into duplicating my mother's recipes; it's more than just a list of ingredients and a set of directions to follow. I want to remember the aroma of freshly ground spices in her kitchen, how my mother smiles at a perfect bowl of dal and how we discuss on what to make next for the blog - that is something I always, always wait for!
+ I blog because it challenges and inspires me in more ways I can ever imagine. I do fail many at times like not finishing VeganMoFo challenge last month, but the journey itself where I constantly brainstorm what to cook next and how to photograph within the limited resources I have is worthy enough to give any challenge an honest attempt.
So, tell me friends why do you blog? I know how much effort it takes to bring one post to life. I want to know what is that one thing that inspires you to do what you the best. :-)
Today's recipe is from one of the first blogs I read very diligently. - Mahanandi. I am proud to say that Indira, the vivacious lady behind this popular blog is a good friend and I even had an opportunity to talk to her once. She occasionally blogs about food now and her posts these days are mostly about her garden and menu plans. But, I still adore her as she is one of the few people who influenced me to start my own blog.
This is Recipe 60 added to 2013 Recipe Archive. Check out the rest of the recipes too.
I am feeling super lazy today. So much so that I don't want to move from this couch, ever.. Each one of us has such days right? Today, is my day! Now, as the lunch time approaches and my stomach starts to grumble, I crave for something super quick yet comforting to eat (read as drink!). That's when I made a big bowl of tomato chaaru for myself along with a small serving of rice. This recipe has a very special place in my heart as it is one of first few recipes I learnt from my mom. Whenever I missed her in a faraway land, this was my meal. Whenever I used to feel (home) sick or have cold or throat pain, this was my meal. Comforting in its true definition. Do you see the mug below? Yep, that is how I drink my chaaru every single time. It takes less than 15 mins to make this dish from start to finish and best part is there is no chopping required. Just grind, boil and season with tadka. That is it. Enjoy!
Sometimes simplicity belies a truth about one's cooking and it is hard to prepare simple food so delicately that there is no hiding behind artifice where each ingredient shines through by itself. It doesn't have to be those butter-laden pleasure bombs like Palak Paneer or Makhani. On a day when am out of time or bored of eating rich, high calorie food, I opt for dishes like today's which are quick, easy and come very handy with less than 5 main ingredients. This Arbi Curry is still a family favorite and my mum makes it at least weekly once. Its tangy and its zingy! Try it today.
10-12 arbi/colocasia/tara root/chamadumpalu
few curry leaves
salt - to taste
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
2 green chillies, chopped
2 tbsp (or more if desired) tamarind pulp
For Tadka -
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp each of - cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chana dal and urad dal
1 pinch of hing
Preparation:
1. Pressure cook arbi for 2 whistles. Peel and cut into even sized pieces.
2. Heat oil in a shallow pan and add all the ingredients listed under 'tadka'. On low-medium flame, let them sizzle a bit. Then add green chillies, curry leaves, tamarind pulp, salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Once the spices are cooked for 1-2 minutes on low flame, add boiled arbi. Toss gently until evenly coated. Cook on medium-high flame for 4-5 mins until they are nice & golden. Serve as a side with rice and rasam.
Toor Dal Chutney | Kandi Pachadi as we call in Telugu
Being a working mom, with two picky-not-so-obedient kids and no support from either of in-laws, it was quite challenging for my mother to effectively take care of both work and home fronts. But, she did such a beautiful balancing act that we never felt she was not around or we are not being fed with proper home-cooked meals. Eating out in fancy restaurants was a bit of a luxury for us, growing up and reserved for only super-special occasions like birthdays.
Simple ingredients, quick & easy chutney recipe
On days when my mother would reach late at home, she would quickly whip up this super simple chutney for us. My dad would put the rice in the rice cooker, melt the ghee and fry few papads by the time she is home. In less than 15 minutes everything would come together and dinner is served. Even till today, this recipe tops the list of favorite-childhood-recipes-one-cherishes-forever. !! :-)
{Recipe} Toor Dal Chutney | Kandi Pachadi
Ingredients
1/2 cup toordal (split pigeon peas)
3-4 dry, whole red chillies
a pinch of turmeric powder
1 garlic clove
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1 tbsp tamarind pulp
1 tbsp oil
salt - to taste
For Tadka - (1 tsp each of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal) + few curry leaves + a pinch of hing + 1 tbsp oil
Preparation:
1. Heat a pan and add oil. Once hot, roast the toor dal until its light browni-sh color. Add in red chillies, garlic and cumin seeds. Fry for 1-2 minutes on low heat. Season with turmeric and salt. Remove from heat and cool a bit.
2. Grind the dal mixture along with tamarind to a coarse mixture by adding water little by little. Transfer the chutney into a serving bowl.
3. Heat oil in a small pan and add all the ingredients listed for "Tadka". Once the mustard seeds start to splutter, pour the tadka over chutney and Mix well.
4. Serve it with hot rice, ghee and papads. Yummilicious!
my ammamma (grand mother) holding a batch of crispy fritters. Yum yum!
If you wish to have the world's best punugulu (as we call it in Telugu) a.k.a crispy fritters made with dosa batter, then you got to taste my ammama's. They are simply the best. She is over 75 years old and she still cooks with so much care and love. She is such an inspiration to me and my mother and I want to be like her when I am of that age. :-). When there is some left over dosa batter which has turned a little sour, this is one of easiest and best ways to enjoy while it lasts.
Punugulu | Punukulu | Crispy Fritters with Dosa Batter
This is the most basic version. Additionally one can add chopped onion, coriander leaves and/or curry leaves to the batter.
Ingredients:
1 cups of left over dosa batter
1 tbsp of rice flour
1 tbsp of rava/semolina
salt (if not added in the dosa batter)
1 green chilli, very finely chopped.
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
Sufficient oil for deep frying
Preparation:
1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except oil to make a smooth batter. Don't add any additional water. Set aside for atleast 30 mins.
2. Heat oil in a kadai. Once its hot, drop small balls of batter into it. Make sure not to overcrowd. Reduce heat to medium-low and using a slotted spoon, turn the fritters. Fry until light golden brown. Drain them onto paper towels.
“Lentils are friendly—the Miss Congeniality of the bean world.” ~ Laurie Colwin
Indeed they are!!
Almost 52 weeks ago, when Susan first announced an event dedicated to legumes, I was one of those who was super duper happy. Since then, I have been closely participating, following and sometimes guesthosting the My Legume Love Affair event. Each month, the MLLA roundup showcase such an amazing array of legume recipes and almost always it helped me to make my lunches and dinners a tad bit more interesting!
Lentils, dals in particular are a primary source of protein for we, vegetarians and form an essential part of our Indian cuisine. There are countless recipes using various forms and shapes plus these are easiest form of dried legumes to use. Today's reipce - Broccoli Paruppu Usili, is one such protein-packed-low-fat dish. Usually made with any kind of lentils and vegetables, this dish is a staple in Tamizh households and I have been meaning to make this for a really long time. It as delicious as I expected and will be made again & again. I am sure of it.
Sending this recipe as an entry to My Legume Love Affair # 52, this month guest hosted by dear Sra of When My Soup Comes Alive.
Below is a step by step pictorial about how to make the Broccoli Paruppu Usili is made.
Soak the dals and cut broccoli into florets.
grind together the soaked dals, green chiilies and salt. the mixture must be coarse and not too fine
In an idli cooker, place few spoon fuls of dal mixture on each plate and steam for 10-12 mins.
Boil the florets for few minutes.
heat oil and add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves. Add the broccoli florets and saute 2-3 mins. then sprinkle the dal mixture over the top and mix. Let it cook for 6-7 minutes on low-medium flame
Transfer in a serving bowl and sprinkle freshly grated coconut. Enjoy!
May Lord Ganesha shower his blessings and fulfill all our wishes. :-)
As promised in my yesterday's post, here I am with recipe of Dates and Sesame Poornalu. The traditional stuffing for such poornam boorelu is - (pressure cooked + mashed bengal gram (chana dal), jaggery, shredded coconut with a hint of cardamom powder). These are very commonly made in Andhra households during almost all festivals. The twist of (dates with sesame seed combo) is just as delicious as our classic version and will be a crowd pleaser. Do give them a try.
“A mother's love is something we keep locked deep in our hearts; always knowing it will be there to comfort us.” ~ Harmony Ferrario
Nagori Poori, all puffed up and ready to be devoured.
Yesterday was Mother's Day - a day that celebrates the essence of a mother, her importance in our lives, to cherish the everlasting bond we share with them and acknowledge their selfless love.
...well, if I may ask, do we really need a special day to express our feelings and make our mothers feel special? Honestly, all my mother would want is to hug her and plant a kiss on her cheek. That in itself is a mother's day for us. :-). I have talked about her many timesbefore and I never get tired of it. She is an inspiration to me and my little sister and would strive to be like her when I hit 50!
Make sure the dough is stiff.
uncooked poori.
Today's recipe - Nagori Poori is a recipe I bookmarked eons ago and the korma recipe is my mom's classic and a long time family favorite. It is very versatile and works best with any combination of vegetables, meat, eggs and paneer/tofu.
The weather here in Hyderabad is quite unpredictable these days. Durring one such chilly, gloomy days, my mother made these with spicy paneer korma on the side. Amidst some funny family conversations and while watching a old black & white Telugu movie, these pooris were devoured until the last morsel and gone in matter of minutes. :-)
1 cup maida/all purpose flour
2 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp yogurt/dahi
1/4 tsp ajwain/carom seeds
salt- to taste
1/2 cup or less water
oil - for frying
Preparation:
1. In a large bowl, mix maida, ghee, ajwain, salt and yogurt. Add water little by little and knead to a stiff dough.
2. Make small lemon sized balls of the dough and roll out into small rounds.
Note: Click here for step by step pictures of frying a traditional poori.
3. Heat oil. Slide one-poori-at-a-time into hot (not smoking) oil and it almost instantly rises up. For puffy pooris, the trick is to press down slightly. Fry until light golden brown. Drain all excess oil and drop them onto a paper towel. Serve immediately to enjoy them at their best taste.
Paneer Korma:
Cut paneer into small cubes and fry them in oil until light golden brown. Drain excess oil on paper towels. Follow this post for the korma recipe. Just add the fried paneer at the very end.
