Rice & Corn Salad; Light Meal On Monday; Vegan Recipe

Hi all!

Wish you all a very Happy New Year. This happens to be my first post of 2016. I had actually started wondering whether I would be able to post anything in this month or rather the next few months. The younger one appears for his X boards this year and currently he is writing his pre-boards.

2015 was a very tough year for the family but I’m more than glad that we fought and have survived it so far. God willing we would sail through it. Next few months are challenging till we finish the boards, after that I and kid will get some breathing space. I’m so looking forward to visiting my Mum whom I have’nt visited in 2years. I also intend to take a vacation with the family if S gets leave from his office. Our family vacation is equally due.

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Easiest Method Of Making Goda Shankarpaali; Shakkarpaare; Diwali Sweets; Step Wise

Hi All!

Navaratri are over and in a few days we would celebrate Deepawali, the festival of lights. It is now that time of the year when we clean up the house, buy new clothes and jewellery for the family and prep up for the festival.

Any celebration or festival is incomplete without sweets, savouries and good food. And Deepawali is the biggest festival for Hindus, so obviously, it is that time of the year when I gear up to make a lot of sweets and savouries for the family.

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Seemebadnekaayi Gojju ; Chayote Squash Curry Made In a Kannadiga Style ; Karnataka Cuisine

 

 

Hi all!!

Gojju is a very popular preparation in Karnataka. It is slightly sweet, quite sour and also quite a spicy curry which is very popular in a Kannadiga household. A variety of vegetables are used to cook this popular curry, one of the most popular being Bendekayi Gojju but I have never heard any one trying the Chayote Squash or Seemebadnekayi for making the Gojju.

I experimented with the Chayote Squash and to my surprise it tasted really good. Also, the Chayote absorbed all the flavours very well. Hubby was extremely surprised and loved the preparation. A gojju preparation, steamed rice and some curds and one is sorted. Simple wholesome meal which is far better than any five star hotel’s meal.

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Avarekaalu Akkitari Uppittu Made Using Borosil’s Digi Kook Rice Cooker- A Product Review

Hi!

Here comes the last and final review of the three products, that I had received from Borosil . The previous two reviews can be read here and here.

I can very happily say that this product has become an innate part of my kitchen. My every day rice gets cooked in the Borosil Digi Kook Rice Cooker and I’m very happy with the outcome.

Not only is the rice cooker very sleek and smart looking, with a great finish but the final product cooked in it has always turned out very well. There are days when I get busy with work and the delay timer on the rice cooker has come to my rescue there.

I put the rice in the rice cooker with the delay timer ‘ON’ and get absorbed in my work. The delay timer helps me get a well cooked rice at a time I want. Once the rice gets cooked, it moves into ‘Keep Warm’ mode, so one always gets a hot rice on the plate. Sounds fuss free right!!

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Halsinkayi Rassa ..A Heirloom Recipe For 6th Blog Anniversary | Vegan | Step Wise

Hello all!

21st May marks the anniversary day of my blog and today happens to be the 6th blog anniversary. Time does fly..looking back, there are so many memories associated with my blog..right from the day I started with my first post Maavinkaayi Chutney, to my recent last post on Vegan Galauti Kebab.

Yeah, I know that the kebab post was almost 2months back. Past two months were frantically busy during which I packed, moved into a new city and got settled. But today being a special day, I decided to post without any procrastination.

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Heralekai Chitranna | Citron Flavoured Rice | Narthangai Saadam | Gluten Free Recipe

 

Hi all!!

As much as I want to post here regularly, I’m unable to. It’s not that I do not cook regularly but some how it’s just not happening. And with exams round the corner, my head is focussing more on the kid who still needs to mature up and show responsibility towards his scores, leaving me a worried Mom. Please do pray for him, a sincere prayer has the strength to move a mountain too.

Last month was Pongal, which is one of the biggest festivals in TamilNadu. Four days of celebrations and most of the people and workers travel back to their native to celebrate the festival with their family. Many new buses and trains are run during this period, keeping the travel rush in mind. It’s believed that 35% population travels back to their native. My maid was no different, she had told me a month in advance that she would be taking leave for 5days.

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Crispy Coriander Stem Chutney | Easy Side Dish | Step Wise

 

Hi all!!

I am extremely happy with the response I received for the first post of the year Panko Crusted Mushroom and Buttermilk Croquettes. When a recipe I liked to make is liked by others too,  It gives me an immense sense of satisfaction, makes me smile within.

It’s winter time and the greens are abundantly available here but the variety I used to get in Delhi was huge and that I do miss here. I’m happy to see big and green bunches of fresh coriander in the market and I happily buy and use them in my cooking. I separate the leaves, stems and roots and use all of them.

The maximum flavour is there in stems and roots. Roots, I wash them thoroughly and add in my curries and lentils while they boil so that the roots release flavour. Later, I remove and discard the roots. The stems I use in my dry curries or in tempering. The green leaves gets used in making chutneys and as garnishes.

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Recipe Of Heeng Vaale Kaale Chane Ki Chaat | Asafoetida Flavoured Black Chickpeas Chaat | Step Wise

Hi All!

Today I’m sharing a recipe that’s a family favourite. I’ve been cooking the Kala Chana/ Black Chickpeas for ages now in several ways and whenever I made them, there  was never a hard and fast set procedure that I would follow. Whatever ingredient, spice fancied that day or came into my mind was added and the Chana cooked.

A few years back, on one such occasion I made the Chana a bit differently. I had taken the extra precaution to over cook the Chana so that it was cooked more softer and almost on the verge of getting mushy and then again I cooked it like the other times, whatever came into my head I just added and made the Chana. To my surprise and delight it turned out finger licking tasty. Every one in the family loved it to the core and DH decided to call it ‘Heeng Vala Chana’. He also demanded that I should make them  again the same way, very soon.

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Sweetened Boondi | गोड़ बूंदी/ मीठी बूंदी | Diwali Snacks | Diwali Treats | Step Wise

Hi all!!

I am posting after a long time and with the Diwali approaching in a few days I’m all set to post recipes for the same. To start off I’m posting the colourful sweetened boondi. The coloured boondi not only looks attractive but tastes good too. My younger one who is quite finicky about eating sweets, loved it to the core.

These are easy to serve  and are welcomed by children, so you can call them a ‘kid’s delight’ too. Moreover, these can be used as garnishes on sweets. Also, can be served with rabadi and make a wholesome dessert.

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Kid’s Lunch Box Ideas| Thin Red Beaten Rice/Poha With Veggies | Step Wise | Vegan

 

Hi!

I had taken an opinion poll on Facebook fan page, on what all of you would like to read next on the blog and I got an overwhelming response and most of them asked for a healthy kid’s lunch box recipe, it goes to show that the prime concern for all mothers is how to feed healthy food to their children.

As a mother of a teenager, I thrive to feed veggies to my son in every possible way. I find his lunch box most crucial as it’s the meal he has at school in the afternoon. I have to keep coming up with ideas which sound interesting to him and he can proudly share with his friends. As I’ve mentioned earlier that his friends look out for his lunch box and a boring lunch box is not what he would like to show to his friends. I can’t give him junk food or a deep fried items regularly too, which he would most happily eat to increase my discomfort.

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Baked Savoury Gujiya With Corn Stuffing| भुट्टे के दानों की बेक्ड गुजिया

 
Hi All!!

My city is turning hot and humid and my days are most busy with parents around, son’s upcoming exams and regular chores at home and amidst all this chaos I’m gearing up for the first ever IFBMeet at Bangalore. I’m both nervous and excited. There’s excitement to meet the faces behind the well known food blogs and to stay together with a few blogger friends but there’s equal amount of nervousness which I really can’t understand why, I would call it as the fear for the unknown..

The few of the sponsors of the IFBmeet have encouraged bloggers to participate in contests, challenging to cook and create recipes  based on a core ingredient. Freedom Tree has thrown a challenge to the participants of IFBMeet to bake a savoury dish  which has fresh corn as one of the main ingredient. They are giving out a bake ware hamper to a winner. Browsing through their site I realised, there’s so much I would like to pickup as I’m always on a look out for props..

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Holy Mocktail or Betel Leaf - Indian Holy Basil- Tukmaria seeds-Coconut Water Mocktail | पान के पत्त्ते–तुलसी- नारियल पानी और सब्जा का शरबत | Drinks Recipe

 

Hi all!!

Today I’m posting a very simple to make drink which has the Indian flavours and benefits coming from the native ingredients Betel leaf/paan and Indian Holy Basil/tulsi . To add a more soothing and cooling touch to the drink, there’s coconut water and tukmaria seeds/subza or Indian Holy Basil seeds as well.

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Okra Curry With Yogurt and Roasted Peanuts | दही और मूंगफ़ली वाली भिंडी | Step Wise

 

 

Hi All!!

I’m sharing yet another simple curry with one of my favourite vegetable Okra/भिंडी/Bhindi. My penchant for this vegetable can be seen with the number of curries I’ve posted using it. And today I’m sharing THE most favourite version of mine.

As a child, I always over ate whenever my Mom made this curry and she kept pampering me by making it quite often. Post marriage it has now become a favourite with my husband and the elder one too. The younger one unlike me despises the Okra and that’s the reason that I’m unable to cook Okra that frequently in my kitchen. But there are days when I do not relent to his choice of not eating this vegetable and though half heartedly, he eats it. For a change he prefers to eat this version of Okra more than the others which is a kind of respite for me as a homemaker who has to keep every one satisfied.

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हरी मिर्च-अदरक के स्वाद वाले राजमा | Light to eat - green chilli and ginger flavoured Kidney beans & Jeera Rice | Lunch Combo-1 | Step Wise | No Onion & Garlic Recipe

Hi all!!

The vacations have got over and the younger kid started his school. Can’t believe that the younger one is in 9th grade. He continues to be the carefree, careless lad and I continue to be the worried mother . My prayers these days are largely for both my children, I hope and pray that they grow up into sincere, sensible human beings. The elder one has taken up photography seriously and wants to make a career in that. It’s his vacation time and he has been spending time with us. So, while he is around I ensure that I cook his favourites too and since he understands photography much better than me, pick up some photography tips as well , while I click.

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Stuffed Bitter Gourd With A Bengal Gram Filling | चना दाल वाले भरवां करेले | Step Wise | No Onion-Ginger-Garlic Preparation

Hello!

I’m back again with a vegetable which is not liked by many people and this time again I’m posting a stuffed version and that too using chana besan (Chickpea Flour) but used in an unprocessed form i.e, I’m using the lentils. In my previous version posted here years back, I had used the chickpea flour as well as the Bengal gram and Split black gram. Other than the Bengal Gram, the ingredients used in making both the fillings are quite different.

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खस्ता परत पूरी/ Layered Savory Spirals | Winner of ‘Only’ Event Of November |Vegetarian | Tea-Time Snack

Hello all!!

Let me start off by asking, How are you all? I’ve been away from blogging for almost a month or more and while I sit and type this post, I’m not too sure how frequently I would post. All the plagiarism issue has left me shaken somewhere and I must confess, I’m a bit worried too as I do not know how many more have copied my work which I’m not yet aware of..

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अवरेकाळु दोसा | Indian Pancake With Hyacinth Beans| Vegan | Gluten Free | Step Wise | Winner Of September’s Only Event

Hi All!!

It is that time of the year when Avarekaalu is seen frequenting in the market and if I notice a good quality beans, I’ve to buy it. It so happened that I bought a big batch of the beans and my MIL got me more from Blr, so I had a lot of peeled avarekalu/mochai/ hyacinth beans at home, ready to use.

Whenever I’ve Avarekalu at home, the things regularly made are the akkitari Uppittu, avarekalu saaru and the akki rotti. Once I went more experimental and tried ambode which did turn out well. Each of these recipes have been posted step wise for people to understand it methodically. I was getting tired of going back to the same recipes again and again. It’s not that I do not like them but one needs more variety to try and savour, isn’t it? Hence, this time I decided to try new recipes using the beans and the first recipe that I laid my hands on was the avarekaalu dosa..

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Kis's Lunch Box Ideas | Brown Rice & Red Beaten Rice Dosa With Onion-Tomato Chutney | Indian Pancake | Vegan | Gluten Free | Dairy Free | Step Wise

Hi All!!

Sorry for being away from the blog all of a sudden..the intention was definitely not to disappear but somehow life became too busy with traveling, then unpacking and getting back to a regular routine..

I’m posting yet another healthy preparation which is perfect for not only pregnant women but any health conscious person. I’m personally trying to move gradually to eating brown rice rather than the polished rice. I had attempted this  preparation using brown rice before we started on a tour and during my travel I had carried my laptop too so that I could finish the post but life was so hectic that I never found time to complete the post. Finally today I’ve just pushed myself to sit in front of the screen and finish the incomplete job.

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Bhawanee Singh’s Madhra | Himachal Pradesh Cuisine | Jain Recipe | Gluten Free | Shravan Special

 

Hi All!!

I love watching cookery shows, I can spend hours watching them if I have free time in hand. I love watching Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Rachael Ray..and the list goes on. Each and every cook has their favorite ingredient, own way of presentation, food styling and I learn a lot from their expertise and knowledge. I pick up so many handy tips. Out of the so many recipes that I must have watched, some get inscribed in my brain and two preparations which had left an impression on me were from NDTV good times, from the state of Himachal Pradesh…The name of the dishes and their location had got imprinted in my brain. I clearly remembered they were was called Madra and  Babroo , both were the preparations from Himachal Pradesh. The Madra/ Madhra is  a recipe famous in Chamba.

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Avarekaalu BissiBele Bhaath..a nice twist to the regular Bissi Bele Bhaath, Step Wise

 

Hi All!

I’ve already mentioned my husband’s love for the Avarekaalu/Hyacinth beans. Whenever I get hold of these beautiful beans, they definitely make it to my kitchen. Earlier I would always buy them in bulk at Bangalore and stock then it in the freezer. But now, since it’s available here, I buy the fresh pods and peel them and over the period I’ve mastered quick peeling too..

This time when I got the beans I decided again to experiment it with the regular bissi bele bhaath, where instead of adding all the veggies I added the beans and I must tell you, it was very tasty. The beans with it’s prominent flavor made the bhaath delicious and worth the try. Earlier too I’ve experimented with these beans  and made Ambode using Oats and an Upma using Barley. Other than these two experiments, the akki rotti , uppittu and saaru using these beans are the commonly made dishes at my place.

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