For The Cook In Me

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Easy Vathal Kuzhambu
2008-10-22 11:25:00
This tangy South Indian specialty gets its name from Vathal which is vegetables sun dried and then added to the gravy for flavour. The common vathal is made with sundakka (Turkey Berry), vendakka (Okra) or manathakkali (interestingly known as black nightshade in english). You can also add vegetables like brinjal or drumsticks for a different flavour.I had been using the MTR ready mix since I came to Singapore but decided to make the authentic version. I wasn't very confident since this is a very authentic recipe and may not come out well during the first try. I searched online and came across this relatively simple version that didn't require any grinding or roasting and decided to give it a shot.It came out much better than I expected so this one is definitely a keeper.What I Used:Shallots -12, halved or whole if not too bigVathal/Drumsticks/Aubergine - 1/2 cup (you can add pretty much any of these in the kozhambu for a unique flavour)Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp (or half cup tamarin...
More About: Vegetarian Recipes , Vegan , Easy

Bibimbap - A Korean One-Dish Meal
2008-10-19 08:04:00
Its been over 5 months since we moved to Singapore and since then I have been eating out quite a bit. TH and I have lunch out and while he finds it difficult to find good food outside (he is a vegetarian), its slightly easier for me. I am a very selective non-veg eater and after marriage, have been mostly sticking to vegetarian food. I mostly ask restaurants to customize their dishes by removing any red meat and substituting with vegetables if possible, or sometimes chicken. This is not easy considering South East Asian Cuisine has meat and seafood atleast in a hidden way, in the form of fish sauce or pork lard used for cooking.Anyway, since I normally experiment on different kinds of cuisines, I thought I will document some of the dishes here. The pics are going to be a bit fuzzy since I don't carry my camera with me everywhere and use my phone mostly.The other day, I went with 2 of my colleagues to a Korean restaurant called Seoul Kool and I tried the popular one dish Korean meal...
More About: Dish , Meal

Aloo Paratha
2008-10-16 12:10:00
Aloo Paratha really doesn't need an introduction to any Indian cuisine lover. I remember having it in an Indian restaurant in Dublin and though everything else tasted nothing (much) like Indian food, their Aloo Paratha was very near the real one. The best Alu Paratha I have ever tasted was in a well-known dhaba in Gurgaon lovingly called the Convergys Dhaba. Darsh took me there during one of our many visits to Gurgaon and I will never forget the taste of that paratha which was super-thick, soft, oozing in butter with a square butter piece on top that melts around the paratha as you eat. And they serve it with a really nice achaar (pickle). The paratha was hot till I finished eating it, that's how thick it was. Bliss..As with most street food, its impossible to get that taste at home for me. I chicken out and add very little butter and I guess that's for the best anyway. I like my parathas nicely browned and with avakka pickle while TH also takes curd with his.What I Used:For the...
More About: Vegetarian Recipes , Potato , Bread , Vegan

The Indian Recipes Round-Up
2008-10-13 15:02:00
This is one event that I almost regretted hosting because of many glitches that happened along the way. I was contacted by an ex-colleague currently with Warner Bros who wanted to promote a movie she was working with. She also promised movie tickets and various give-aways. It seemed like a fun idea and I happily agreed.But what do we do when people make empty promises and not only let you down but also tens of others who trust you and what you said? I have tried my best to communicate and follow up, but to no avail.Bottom-line: I promised some gifts for the participants and its very likely that I won't be able to keep that promise. It feels horrible and I sincerely apologize for that. To make things slightly better, I will be randomly picking 2 names from the list and send them a surprise gift with apologies since its the movie merchandise that I had originally promised.I did, however, manage to send movie tickets to most of the early birds. Again, my apologies to Jayashree for not...
More About: Recipes , Indian , Round Up , Round

Chettinad Aloo / Potatoes with Chettinad Masala
2008-10-10 10:48:00
Do not get thrown away by the blahh pic accompanying this recipe. You have to try it to see how awesome it tastes. Before I go any further, this recipe is an original one but from a cousin. She is very new to cooking and yet came up with this amazingly flavourful dish for us. I took the recipe from her (she just calls it throwing a few things together) and have made it twice in 2 weeks.I think I am beginning to like potatoes almost as much as TH!What I Used:Pototoes - 3 bigGinger garlic paste - 1 tbspRed chilli powder - 1.5 tspCardamom - 1Cinnamon - 1" pieceCloves - 2Star anise - 1 (optional)Grated / dessicated coconut - 2 tbspORKhus khus / poppy seeds - 1 tbsp, soakedSalt - to tasteFor temperingOil - 1 tbspMustard seeds - 1/2 tspUrad dal - 1/2 tspHow I Made It:1. Boil and mash the potatoes. Set aside.2. Grind together the cinnamon, cardamom, anise, cloves and coconut/couscous with no added water. Ok fine, you can add very little water if you absolutely must.3. Heat oil in a wide pa...
More About: Vegetarian Recipes , Potatoes , Potato , Vegan

Kadala Kozhambu / Chickpeas in Coconut Milk
2008-10-08 07:10:00
Today is a my mom-in-law's b'day and I wanted to do something for her that would be meaningful to both of us. Before I go any further I have to say how lovely she is to me, like my own mom :) TH thinks I look a bit like her :DShe is an amazing cook too and this is one of the first recipes I learnt from her since TH loves it. Its simple and looks mild but is amazingly flavourful, just like all her dishes are. She is super fast in the kitchen and is normally done cooking for the day by the time I am up (err.. which is around 7 in the morning :D). So here is to her and her special day. Happy B'day Amma :) Chickpeas / Kabuli Chana What I Used (Serves 2-3 people): Chickpeas/Kabuli Chana - 1/2 cup Thick coconut milk - 3/4 cup Tamarind - one marble sized ball (or 2tbsp if you are using paste) Sambar cum rasam powder - 1 tbsp - I ...
More About: Milk , Coconut , Vegetarian Recipes , Vegan

Easy Broccoli Soup
2008-10-06 07:49:00
Broccoli is very expensive in India so I have never cooked with this vegetable before. Its very widely available in Singapore and priced pretty much like any other vegetable so I bought some the other day. The only problem was, I didn't know what to make with it. Ignoring TH's comment to "cook it like you do with cauliflower, maybe Aloo Broccoli?", I started searching around for a good soup recipe since I was sure I had come across some nice ones before.Finally zeroed in on this very easy Broccoli Soup recipe from BBC - Food.What I Used:Broccoli - 2 cups, chopped (discard the thicker part of the stem)Vegetable stock - 4 cups (I used store-bought but here is a nice simple recipe if you want to make your own vegetable stock)Garlic - 3 to 4 cloves, choppedOlive oil - 1 tbspSalt and pepper - to taste (freshly ground pepper makes a lot of difference to the taste)How I Made It:1. Heat the oil in a pan and saute the garlic till it turns a light brown at the edges.2. Add the stock and the...
More About: Broccoli , Easy

Nablowhat? Nablowrimo!
2008-10-02 07:58:00
Nablowrimo or National Blog Writing Month is here! Get more details and a lip balm if you join, over at Amy's place. It essentially means I will be blogging every day in October, either here or in my other blog (cuz God knows I don't make 31 different dishes in a month to post it all here). I don't know how I am going to pull it off but its going to be great to challenge and stretch myself to this limit, especially with work getting more hectic by the second, what with the start of a new quarter and all. I have also decided to take better pictures starting this month. I am largely inconsistent with that and its time my blog had only good pictures and none of those blurry horrid bleghh onesthat I hate putting up here, but too lazy to re-take (this was a looong time ago, though). My first non-food macro picAnyway, here is to October. What I hope is going to be a great month, both blog-wise and otherwise. 

Keerai Masiyal - Cheera Curry - Mashed Spinach Curry
2008-09-29 06:53:00
This is a true blue Tamil Brahmin recipe and a great and easy way to include greens in your weeknight dinners. I used Amaranth Leaves for this, since they are always available in the Chinese wet markets here. Amaranth, also known as pigweed (anyone else find that name strange?)in English, Thotakura in Telugu, Araikeerai or Mulaikeerai in Tamil, is fast becoming my favorite kind of leaf-food. What's even better is, they are available cleaned and it just requires me to lightly wash it before cooking, as opposed to the tedious process of cutting the roots off and going inch by inch over the vegetable from root to tip looking for a grain of sand you are inevitably bound to miss and your husband is sure to bite into first thing at dinner.Chopped Amaranth LeavesI used amaranth leaves to make Palak Paneer too and this time around, didn't have the patience to try something that elaborate. 10 minutes of rummaging around in my recipe collection brought me to this nice and easy recipe for K...
More About: Curry , Spinach

Parippu Usili / Usli
2008-09-25 03:56:00
This is the quintessential Tamil Brahmin dish that I was unaware of till I met TH. This is his favourite side-dish to go with rice and rasam or kara kozhambu. I have posted this dish once before that was not an 'authentic' recipe. This is straight from my mom-in-law's recipe archive and I make it around once a week.The main ingredients are french beans and toor dal but the recipe is flexible enough to accommodate slight changes. Sometimes I use cluster beans instead of french beans and it works just as well. I have even heard some make cabbage usili but haven't tried this out myself. There are also different and healthier options to cook the dal as opposed to the traditional method of drenching it in oil and telling yourself its healthy cuz it has lentils (aka proteins).What I Used (to serve 4)French beans - 1 cup, cut into 1" pieces and boiledToor dal (tuvaram parippu) - 3/4 cupChanna dal (kadala parippu) - 2 tbspDried red chillies - 3 to 4Hing/asafoetida (kayam) - 1/4 tspTurm...
More About: Vegetarian Recipes , Vegan , Daal

Aloo Gobi / Potato-Cauliflower Dry Curry
2008-09-22 07:48:00
I am not a huge fan of Aloo Gobi but TH loves it! He loves anything with potatoes in it and cauliflower is his favourite vegetable. Last week he actually requested for this dish to have with chapatis, and it came as a surprise cuz normally he leaves the decision-making to me.This is a simple, easy recipe that was done in about 20 minutes, perfect for a weeknight quick-fix dinner. It is also unarguably one of the most popular dishes in North Indian restaurants everywhere, especially outside India. A meal out is not considered complete without a nice and mildly spiced Aloo Gobi to go with the rotis (flat Indian bread)What I Used (to serve 2):Cauliflower /Gobi - 2 cups, cut into floretsPotato es/Aloo - 2 medium sized ones, cubedOnions - 1 big, chopped fineTomatoes - 1 cup, pureedGinger garlic paste - 1 tsp (or use 2 garlic pods and a 1/2" piece of ginger, both minced)Chilli powder - 1/2 tspTurmeric powder - 1 pinch (about 1/4 tsp)Coriander powder (malli podi)- 1 tbspCumin powder (jeeraka...
More About: Vegetarian Recipes , Curry , Vegan

Paneer Tomato Salad
2008-09-17 11:06:00
This recipe has been in my archives for a long time now, simply because its really not much of a recipe - just a concoction of different ingredients that I like. I took a picture and saved it since it was just too colourful to pass without doing atleast that.Now I see a great opportunity to post it because this is for a cause. O Food For Ovarian Cancer Awareness. Its a competition that spreads awareness about Ovarian Cancer and features all ingredients that either starts or ends with O. The one I am featuring here is Tomato . For more details, please click here.What I Used:Ripe red tomatoes - 2Paneer /Indian cottage cheese - 1/2 cup, cubedCapsicum /green bell pepper - 1/2 cup, cubedBlack pepper powder - 1 tspChaat masala - 1/2 tspLime juice/vinegar - 1 tbsp or moreSalt - to tasteHow I Made It:1. Mix the chaat masala, pepper, salt and lime juice/vinegar well together.2. Mix the tomatoes, bell pepper and panner together, adding a bit of salt. Mash some of the tomato pieces so there is so...
More About: Salad , Salads

Mystery Masala Series - Sambhar Cum Rasam Powder
2008-09-15 10:12:00
This is my mom-in-law's superb recipe for sambhar cum rasam powder. But that doesn't mean you can only use it to make sambhar and rasam. I add it to a whole bunch of kozhambu and curries, recipes of which will follow soon.Until a week back, I had the powder from the batch she sent with me when we moved to Singapore. Last week I made this on my own. She does this in bulk and takes it to a dry mill but I used powders and gave it a twist in my mixer.This is the second masala powder recipe in my ignored-for-a-while Mystery Masala Series .You Will Need:Dry red chillies - 2 cupsDhania (coriander/kothamalli) - 2 cups Black Pepper - 20 gramsJeera (jeerakam/cumin seeds) - 25 grams Toor dal (tuvar dal/tuvara parippu) - 1/2 cupChana dal (Bengal gram/kadala parippu) - 1/2 cupFenugreek (methi/vendhayam/uluva) - 2 tbsp Turmeric (optional) - 2 tbspMethod:Dry roast all the ingredients till golden brown. Stir continuously and make sure you are standing over it till its done. P...

Mirchi Ka Salan
2008-09-14 13:28:00
Its been a while since I sent in anything for RCI - Regional Cuisine of India. I especially enjoy this event since it calls for a lot of experimenting and exposure to recipes that I haven't tried or tasted before. Starting from the Saarina Pudi I made for RCI - Karnataka to Bihari Shahi Paneer to Gujarati Khattai Aloo, all are recipes that soon became occasionals in my kitchen, not to mention the absolute ball I had during RCI - Kerala :DMirchi Ka Salan Bhavnagri Chillies This time's RCI is featuring Authentic Hyderabadi Cuisine. Ahh, Hyderabad! In my two and a half years in the city, I have tasted a bunch of authentic dishes like Dum Biriyani, Bagara Baingan, Do pyaaza, Rawgani Roti, Mirchi ka salan, Double ka meetha and a lot more. I personally didn't like Qubani ka meetha and haleem.Of all these dishes, Mirchi Ka Salan is my absolute favourite. It adds a wonderful flavour as a side dish to Biriyani. RCI this month gave me a good excuse to try it out myself. The process is slight...

The Saas Bahu Aur Sensex Contest
2008-09-11 08:47:00
This is to celebrate the spirit and individuality of Indian women worldwide. The educated, intelligent bunch of us who sometimes have to give up their career so that their family is well taken care. Who have to move away from home to pursue a career and reach success. Who inevitably face the challenge of choosing between two or more things that are equally important to her in life. They pretty much sum up the new India. PhD holders who choose to be housewives and not regretting giving up a career, women who balance work, family and ?me time?, fabulous mothers and wives who are all a part of the India that is now.Warner Brothers is releasing a movie called Saas Bahu Aur Sensex on the 19th of this month, honoring this theme. It?s about a bunch of real smart housewives who watch Saas Bahu serials on the side while also investing in the stock market, and doing great with their investments.Please visit their website by clicking here. You can watch the trailer, listen to the songs, read a...
More About: Contest , SAAS

Grilled Garlic Bread
2008-09-09 07:11:00
This is something I made for Sig's Grill It event, but was too busy to post it on time. Its very simple and tastes heavenly. But, you need to be a garlic lover for that. TH has sandwiches every morning and generally likes to stay from bread of any form over weekends. The one and only exception is garlic bread. We go out for pizza quite often and invariably end up stuffing ourselves because of the generous portions of garlic bread we ordered in the beginning. I like mine with cheese and TH likes it without. This is a grilled version of our good 'ol garlic bread, except that I didn't have baguette in hand, so used normal white bread and that its grilled on a toaster instead of baked. What I Used:Bread - 6 pieces, cut into triangles (Use baguette slices for a more authentic look and taste)Melted butter - 4 tbspMinced garlic - 6 podsSalt (if butter is unsalted) - 1/2 tspChillie flakes and oregano - for seasoningHow I Made It:1. Mix the butter with garlic and salt. 2. Spread this mixt...
More About: Garlic , Grilled

Aloo Tindora Curry
2008-09-08 05:34:00
This is another quick-fix recipe with bits and pieces of leftover vegetables. The way I feel about aloos (potatoes) is, if I have no other veggies to cook with or  not enough, then it makes a good add-on. I have tried it with different vegetables and recently, gave a shot at using it with tindora/ivy gourd. There was some tindora left over after making a stir-fry with it so I went ahead and came up with this recipe. What I Used:Tindora/Gerkins/Ivy Gourd/Kovakka - 1 cup, choppedAloo/Potato es - 2, cubedGrated coconut - 2 tbspDried red chillies - 4Jeera - 1 tspTurmeric powder - a pinchUrad dal - 1/2 tspMustard seeds - 1/4 tspCoconut oil - 2 tspSaltHow I Made It:1. Wash, peel and boil the potatoes till almost soft. 2. Cut the tindora in small pieces and boil in some water till cooked. 3. Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and urad dal. Break the red chillies into 3-4 pieces and fry lightly in the oil. Add jeera and turmeric powder and fry for about 10 seconds. 4. Finally ad...
More About: Curry

Matar Paneer - Peas with Indian Cottage Cheese
2008-09-01 10:14:00
This is a recipe totally "flicked" from Jugalbandi cuz this month they are featured on Zlamushka's Taste & Create.I had been meaning to make this dish for a while and had some left over paneer after making palak paneer. I always have frozen peas in the fridge, though my mom keeps telling me I should get fresh ones. Well, I will if I find them around, but till then, frozen ones will do. They are just so convenient!I have also been planning to make paneer at home one of these days. But my lazy self found that Mustafa Stores in Singapore stores paneer (among everything else under the sun!) so I am happily buying and stocking up on frozen Amul Paneer cubes.Anyway, I have the recipe below, the way I modified it but I have stuck to it pretty much entirely.What I Used: Serves 2-3Inspired by Recipe from Jugalbandi Cubed cottage cheese - 2 cups, fried a light brown.Green peas - 1 cup Chopped onions - 1 cup Chopped ginger - 1 tsp Chopped garlic - 2 tspTomatoes, pureed - 2 cupsCapsicu...
More About: Indian , Vegetarian Recipes , Cottage , Cheese , Peas

Click August '08 - Citrus
2008-08-31 08:11:00
I almost didn't manage to click on time. But I did. Phew! And only because the deadline was extended to the 1st of September. Citrus is such a beautiful theme and like many times before, the moment I heard the theme, I knew what I wanted to feature in my pic this month - oranges!Not exactly what I had in mind but close enough.Rockin' Orange
More About: Click , August , Oranges

Ginger Cookies
2008-08-29 09:25:00
When I redid this site a couple of months back, I added a link on the top navbar where readers could request a recipe. Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking. This is something you would probably find on Tarla Dalal's or maybe Marta Stewart's official site, not a teeny-weeny amateur cook aspiring to bake a perfect loaf of bread someday! But clearly, others have more faith in me than I myself do and I already have close to 12 recipe requests lying in my inbox. To everyone who submitted one, please be patient which I figure it out! Here is the first one in the series - Ginger Cookies .Personally I don't like ginger-flavoured anything except ginger tea. But when Soma from Kuwait requests Ginger Cookies, she gets ginger cookies. Soma, hope you try and enjoy this recipe.What I Used:Makes 24 cookiesAdapted from allrecipes 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used maida) 3/4 cup butter, softened ...

Nupur's Ultimate Bombay Street Food - Pav Bhaji
2008-08-27 07:34:00
Ever since we reached Singapore, TH and I have been craving for chaat. It is definitely available in places like Little India and Serangoon Road but when we do go there once in a while, we opt for a full fledged meal and never chaat. One day I decided I should just make pav bhaji at home. Pav Bhaji is TH's favourite and the easiest to make when it comes to variety of ingredients involved.The final taste was definitely 'cleaner' than you would find it on the streets but I did add copious amounts of butter like they do :DThis recipe is inspired by Nupur. Hers was the first search result when I was looking for a recipe. I have merely recreated her recipe here with the changes in measurements that I made. What I Used:Serves 4Cauliflower - 2 cups, cleaned and choppedPotato es - 1 cup, cubedCapsicum/green bell pepper - 1, mincedTomato paste - 1 cup (or fresh tomato puree - 1.5 cups)Peas - 1/2 cupGinger garlic paste - 2 tspTurmeric powder - a pinchRed chilly powder - 2 tspPav bhaji masal...
More About: Food , Bombay , Street

Maladu/Pottukadalai Urundai
2008-08-25 09:25:00
Weddings! Phew! Tiring, exciting, colorful and family time! I love them. This time it was my sis-in-law who tied the knot and since this is the first wedding we are attending after outs, both TH and I were in the limelight too. And god knows how I love that! It was a typical Brahmin wedding with the works. Ours wasn't, so I was seeing most of the customs for the first time. Can I say phew again?I wanted to get back after this small and nice break with something sweet. One of the very few sweets I had in my archives - Maladu. I love it and prefer it to the besan ladoos. What makes this recipe even more special is that my mom, sis, niece and I made this two days before my wedding so put in the thamboola pai (a return gift bag for weddings that contains a coconut, betel leaves, turmeric, kumkum and sometimes a small box or steel vessel with sweets.) Mine contained all these things and these maladu. We made around 450 of them, wrapped them in butter paper and put them in small steel co...
More About: Sweets , Daal

Basics Of Indian Cooking Series - The Introduction
2008-08-13 11:43:00
Indian cooking is exciting and intimidating to most. Exciting because its such a lovely medley of flavours that is mostly unique to our Subcontinent. Intimidating because there is a widespread misconception that it?s too difficult to cook, too spicy, too hot, too oily, etc. I say misconception because all of the above need not necessarily true. Though I have immense passion for cooking and experimenting on those lines, my knowledge is anything but extensive. Mainly because of the huge regional differences in cuisines in India but mostly because of inexperience. Any cuisine for that matter needs practise and more practise till you can master it and get it right.But does that mean till then you end up with half baked or half cooked dishes? Not necessarily. There are really simple Indian dishes that anyone can try and make taste good with minimum effort.Here are some quick facts about Indian Cooking .- Indian cuisine can be broadly divided into North Indian and South Indian cooking, ea...
More About: Indian , Series , Introduction , Basics

Kala Channa
2008-08-12 10:13:00
My dad loves chickpeas, both the kabuli (white) version and the kala (black) variety. Though I am more a fan of kabuli chana and the yummy curry my mom makes with it, I am told that the black variety (nadan kadala in malayalam) is more nutritious.More research on chickpeas gave me some nice-to-know nutrition facts about it. "One hundred grams of mature boiled chickpeas contains 164 calories, 2.6 grams of fat (of which only 0.27 grams is saturated), 7.6 grams of dietary fiber and 8.9 grams of protein. Chickpeas also provide dietary calcium (49-53 mg/100 g), with some sources citing the garbanzo's calcium content as about the same as yogurt and close to milk. " - WikipediaHere is the recipe for authentic (as far as I could made it :D) Kala Chana. I recently bought a small packet of Caraway seeds, since I thought it would be nice to cook up something nice with them. Kala Chana is the first recipe in that series.What I Used: Black chickpeas (kala chana) - 1/2 cup...
More About: Vegetarian Recipes

Corn Peas Tomato Salad
2008-08-08 10:07:00
I am not much of a salad person. I mean, I do like them but not as a meal in itself. Most of the salads are ones I make as an accompaniment to the main course. Because of this I don't spend much time on them, especially the dressing. After beginning to work, I find myself pressed for time to make dinner and I feel bad when there is just one gravy and one curry with rice. TH never complains but still I feel guilty. So salads like these are my solution! I sometimes fill the gap with raita too, but about that in a different post :)Now onto the salad.What I Used:Serves 2 (on the side)Boiled Corn kernels - 1 cupBoiled peas - 1/2 cupFinely chopped onions - 1/2 cupFinely Chopped tomatoes - 1/2 cupMinced garlic - 1/4 tsp (1-2 cloves)Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp (I used white)Lime juice - 1 tbsp (or to taste)Salt - to tasteHow I Made It:1. Mix the salt, garlic and pepper with the lime juice.2. Mix all the veggies well and add the above lime juice mixture 10 minutes before serving.*Notes*- I some...
More About: Salad , Salads , Tomato , Peas

Okra Fry With Peanuts
2008-08-06 12:50:00
Ok, I know what you are thinking. After all that hue and cry I made about being an okra-hater and all that, I go ahead and post 3 okra recipes in a span of 2 months. Well, the reason is, its one of the 'Indian' vegetables that I see always in the wet market and end up buying it thinking I can make something passable with it. After all, we both really liked the Okra with Besan curry that I made, TH more so because it resembles usili.This is a dish I have tried in our office cafe when I was in Hyderabad. I always found it an interesting combination - ladies finger and peanuts. The crunch the peanuts gave to the curry was quite nice and though I wasn't sure what recipe the chef there used, I tried to replicate it the other day and it did come very close in taste.What I Used:Okra/ladies finger/vendakka - 15 (number of okras)Raw shelled peanuts - 3 tbspShallots - 4, choppedGarlic - 1 tsp, minced (optional, but add for more flavour)Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspSalt - to tasteOil - 1 tbsp...
More About: Peanuts

Carrot Rice
2008-08-04 08:38:00
When I was about to leave to Hyderabad for 3 weeks, the vegetable tray had an assortment of veggies that were unused. Among them was one carrot, a few green chillies, 2 onions, some okra, 10 beans and so on. I fried the okra and made usili with the beans but was stumped on what to do with just one carrot. I could have made a salad but then thought I should probably add it to rice and make it a carrot rice!This is an easy rice dish that I have seen in many blogs. But most of them use chana dal in it. Since I was feeling plain lazy to soak, grind and all the rest of it, I made a simpler version. It came out quite tasty but next time I think I will try it with the dal and other masala in it.What I Used:Serves 2Cooked rice - 3 cupsGrated carrots - 1Green chillies - 3, slit lengthwiseGinger garlic paste - 1 tspCurry masala - 1 tspTurmeric - a pinchSalt - to tasteOil - 2 tspHow I Made It:1. Heat oil and saute carrots and green chillies in turmeric till the carrots become limp (for lack o...
More About: Rice , Carrots , Carrot

Cluster Beans With Yam
2008-07-31 05:41:00
Cluster Beans , a very interesting vegetable when I did some research on them. They are known by various names in different states in India and surprisingly in many of them, they are an integral part of their meals. In Kerala, this is not the case and I see it on our table only when we have visitors like my aunt or sis from Tamil Nadu.Cluster beans, known as Mattikaya in Telugu and Kothavarakkai in Tamil is popular in the north as Guar. In Malayalam, we just call it Kothavarakka, a slight variation in pronunciation from what its called in Tamil. I am a little confused about what Chitkaya/Chikkadikaya is? Is it another name for the vegetable in Telugu?Anyway, I got a pack of it in the Indian store and immediately grabbed it, thinking I will try what my mom normally makes with it - an aviyal or a in a tangy gravy with ground coconut and tomatoes.In the end, I ended up making a quick stir fry of it with elephant yam (chena). The combination turned out to be a winner and we loved it!What...
More About: Cluster

Brinjal Curry
2008-07-28 09:34:00
This is a super simple yet yummy recipe I got from a friend who had invited us for lunch when we had just moved here. She had made a lot of dishes and this was my absolute favourite. What's better, it uses only 4 main ingredients, not counting salt and oil! She also told me that this is an adaption of a SriLankan recipe.If you love brinjal (also known as aubergine, kathrikka, ennagayi, in various languages), then this is a sure shot winner recipe.What I Used:Brinjal - 1 cup, choppedOnions - 1 big, choppedRed chilli powder - 1 tspTurmeric powder - 1/4 tspGingelly oil (nallennai/sesame oil/til oil) - 3 tbspCurry leaves - 10Salt - to tasteHow I Made It:1. Heat oil and add the chopped brinjals. Note that you have to use gingelly oil for this dish. Anything else will spoil the taste completely.2. Fry till the pieces start breaking up and become a bit soft. At this stage, add the onions, turmeric powder, chilli powder, and curry leaves.3. Let it cook for a good 20-25 minutes till the oni...

Poori Masala
2008-07-24 07:39:00
This is one of the quickest meal I can make. The potato masala takes not more than 10-15 minutes and the pooris maybe 15 minutes. I hate rolling out chappathis so whenever I don't feel too guilty about deep frying, I go for this.I think this is one meal that can classify as truly Indian since its available and cooked in almost all the states of India, in some form or the other. In most cookbooks that feature state-specific specialties in India, this recipe finds its way in.I have started using Canola Oil for my cooking since I came to Singapore and it does seem really light and healthier than other cooking oil options. Its comparatively cheaper too. Read more about it here.Now, onto the recipe.For the PoorisWhat I Used:Makes about a dozen poorisWheat flour/atta - 2 cupsSalt - 1 tspWarm water - approx. 1 cupOil - to deep fryHow I Made It:1. Mix salt into the atta and make a thick dough (than used for chappathis) adding the warm water little at a time.2. You can leave the dough to re...
More About: Potato , Bread