Karamani Poriyal – Yard Long Bean Stir Fry
This is a simple stir fry and can be served with rice and also as a dry subzi with roti. Yard long beans are good source of protein, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, iron, phosphorus, and potassium, and a very good source for vitamin C, folate, magnesium and manganese. This is a tasty and nutritious vegetable but most of us seldom cooks it. I am going to be a regular user of this vegetable from now on. You can simply blanch this vegetable and add it to your curries or stir fry. Ingredients: Karamani or long beans – 1 lb (1/2 kg) Oil – 2 tsp Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Urad dal – 1 tsp Few curry leaves Shredded coconut – 3 tbsp Ginger – 1/2 inch piece Garlic cloves – 3 Fennel seeds – 1 tsp Dry red chilies...
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Punjabi Chole – Chick Peas Curry
No matter which part of India we are from, we all share a liking for 2 things. AR Rahman’s music and Punjabi dhaba food. 🙂 Dhaba food like bhel puri, pani puri, channa kachori are like my most favorite food in the world. We had bought some frozen kachori from an Indian grocery store so I set out to make the perfect chole combination for it. And here is the Punjabi chole recipe I tried. Karthik (and I) loved it so much he even had it for dinner! The preparation for Punjabi Chole is different from the regular Channa Masala recipe but it tastes heavenly. Preparation Time: 60 minutes No of servings : 3-4 Spice Level : 3 out of 5 Ingredients: Kabuli Channa (Chick peas or Garbanzo beans) : 3 cups ( soak it overnight  or  soak it...
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Stuffed Karela Fry – Stuffed Bitter Gourd Fry
Karela or pagarkai (tamil) is Bitter Gourd. Stuffed Karela Fry is bitter gourd stuffed with spiced vegetable such as potatoes, carrots or mixed vegetables. I have used spiced potatoes today. Though you are not a huge fan of this vegetable due to its bitterness, try this recipe, your opinion may change just like mine. And for bitter gourd lovers, this is a treat. So try this at home and let me know your comments. Ingredients: Bitter gourd (Karela) – 4 Tamarind juice – 1 cup (from a marble size tamarind) Lime juice from half lime Salt – 1/2 tsp For Stuffing: Oil – 2 tsp Chopped onion – 1/2 cup Green chilies – 2 Fresh grated ginger – 1 tsp Fresh grated garlic – 1 tsp Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp Chili powder – 1 tsp Coriander powder –...
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How to make Ghee or Clarified Butter?
Ghee is clarifies butter and is commonly used in South Asian countries such as India. It all begins by boiling cow’s milk and removing and collecting the thick layer formed on top of the milk. The thick cream is refrigerated and churned using a wooden whisker or an electric whisker until sticky and creamy butter is formed on top and the rest becomes a thick and creamy buttermilk. Straining it gives you the butter. This butter is refrigerated and ghee is prepared out of it. You can also buy unsalted butter from store and prepare ghee. Â Ghee is used in the preparation of gravies, curries, pulao/ghee rice. Also used for seasoning and spreading on rotis. I hope the step by step instruction will help you to prepare ghee at home which is tasty and economical. Ingredients: Butter – 2...
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Masala Kuzhambu
I wanted to make something different for my husband. My mother-in-law gave this Masala Kuzhambu recipe and she said that my husband likes it a lot. I tried this and it is very good to have with rice and potato fry. Time of Preparation : 30 minutes Spice level : 3 No of Servings : 3 to 4 Ingredients: Onions – 1/2 cup (finely chopped) Tomato – 1/3 cup (finely chopped) Potato (small size) – 1 (boiled and cut into cubes) Drumstick – 1 (cut to 5 to 6 pieces) Sambar Powder – 1 tbsp (according to spice level) Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Salt – to taste Tamarind – small marble size Oil – 2 tbsp Masala to Grind: Coconut – 1/4 cup Fennel seeds – 1 tsp Split dalia – 1/2 tsp For Seasoning: Cinnamon stick –...
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Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry
Recently I started buying more sweet potatoes for Vinay. He is such a poor eater but sweet potato is a lifesaver for me. He loves it and he can eat it at any time without any refusal. So I ended up having some sweet potatoes left over in my pantry. I was looking for ideas for side dishes to make for the fried rice and just came across this idea for this recipe while browsing and tried making this curry. It came out really good. I was first hesitant to add chickpeas with coconut milk but felt adventurous and tried it. Guess what it came out really yummy. Preparation Time : 45 minutes No of servings : 3 Spice level : 2 out of 5 Ingredients: Sweet Potatoes : 1 (medium) ChickPeas : 1 cup (cooked) Cashews : 1/4...
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Avarakkai Paruppu Usili – Lentil Fry
Paruppu Usili is a South Indian dish prepared by steaming lentils and cooking along with vegetables such as beans, cluster beans, broad beans, cabbage. This is one of the favorite dishes that my mom makes. I like it even without the vegetables. It is so simple to make. You can serve it as a side along with white rice and rasam or sambar. Try and let me know how you like it. Here you go… Preparation time: 40 mins No. of servings: 4 Spice level: 2.5 out of 5 Ingredients: Avarakkai or broad beans – 10 to 15 Toor dal (split pigeon peas) – 1/3 cup Channa dal (Split bengal gram) – 1/3 cup Dry red chili – 2 Garlic cloves – 2 (optional) Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp Salt Asafoetida Cooking spray or oil For seasoning: Oil –...
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Simple Kara Kuzhambu / Indian Spicy Curry
Kara Kuzhumbu is a popular dish in South India. This is a basic Kara Kuzhambu recipe with very less ingredients and very easy to make. My mother-in-law makes Kara Kuzhambu in this way. Whenever I feel bored to cook, I will make this Kara Kuzhambu and just papad. Time of Preparation : 30 minutes No of servings : 4 Spice level : 4 Ingredients: Onion – 1/4 cup (chopped lengthwise) Tomato – 1/2 (chopped) Small brinjal – 2 (cut lengthwise) Sesame oil – 3 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – a few Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Sambar powder – 1 1/2 tbsp Tamarind – lemon size Asafoetida – a pinch Method of Preparation: Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a thick bottomed kadai and add the mustard seeds. After it...
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Vazhakkai Kootu – Plantain Curry
Plantain or Vazhakkai is used widely in South Indian cuisine. The raw vegetable is used from preparing fritters to curries. Today I am going to share a wonderful recipe for preparing Vazhakkai kootu, which is a curry made of lentils, plantain and spices. You can serve it with white rice and rasam with papad or just with white rice. Try this and let me know your comments. Ingredients: Raw plantain – 2 Tamarind juice – 1 cup Toor dal – 1/4 cup Chana dal – 1/4 cup Oil – 1 tsp Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp Chana dal – 1 tbsp Urad dal – 1tsp Dry red chilies – 6 Asafoetida – a pinch Frozen or fresh shredded coconut – 3 tbsp Turmeric powder – 1 tsp Salt to taste For seasoning – Oil, mustard seeds, urad dal –...
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Spicy Okra Fry
Spicy Okra Fry is yet another simple side dish in Indian Cuisine. Okra fry can be made in so many different ways and this is one among them. Okra/vendakkai/bhindi is my favorite vegetable. When I was pregnant with Vinay  I ate okra almost every single day. It has some very good nutritional value. When we were kids my mom used to say “If you eat okra/vendakkai your brain development will be good and you will get good marks in maths”. That’s how I started eating okra… to get good marks in maths 🙂 My math scores were a different story. Try this recipe and let me know you like it. Also try some other okra recipe s from our kitchen here. Preparation Time: 30 minutes No of servings : 2-3 Spice Level : 3 out of 5 Ingredients: Okra/Vendakai/Bhindi : 2 cups...
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Cabbage Stir Fry
This is one of the easiest south Indian Side dishes. You can make it with so few ingredients and in such less time. There are lot of ways to make cabbage fry and this is one among them. My mother-in-law made this fry and it tasted soo good. I just love the flavor of cabbage. Try this simple cabbage fry recipe and let me know how it turned out for you. Preparation Time: 30 minutes Spice level : 2 out of 5 No Of servings : 2-3 Ingredients: Cabbage : 1 small head (washed and chopped in to small pieces) Onion : 1 small ( chopped) Chana dal : 1/2 tbsp Mustard seeds: 1 tsp Urad dal : 1 tsp Green Chilies : 3-4 (according to your spice level) Tomato : 1/2 (chopped into pieces) Method Of Preparation...
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Enchilada sauce
We (my husband & I) love mexican Food. I always love to make anything spicy. Enchilada is one of our fav dishes in Mexican Cuisine. I have always wanted to make that. Last sunday was our anniversary, I was gonna make a cake but decided why bake cake all the time let’s do something new & different and something favorite for my husband. I knew enchilada was one of them so I made this for my husband from scratch. It came out well. And you know what? He loved it and of course I was extremely happy, when you get compliments from your loved one. Enchilada Casserole is coming soon. Preparation Time: 45 minutes No of cups : 4 cups Ingredients: Red chilies : 5 Chicken Stock : 1 cup (low-sodium) Tomatoes : 4 (large) Poblano Pepper :...
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Thanksgiving Vegetarian Gravy
This vegetarian gravy for thanksgiving is very easy to make and it goes well with the mashed potatoes. Usually they add nutritional yeast for the vegetarian gravy recipe. But I did not add that. Still it tasted good. Time of Preparation : 15 minutes Spice level : 3 No of Servings : 2 Ingredients: Oil – 3 tbsp Chopped Onion – 1/4 cup Garlic – 3 cloves (finely chopped) All purpose flour – 1/3 cup Soy sauce – 1 tbsp Salt – to taste Black pepper – 1/2 tsp (crushed) (according to spice level) Dried sage – 1/4 tsp Method of Preparation: Heat oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic and fry them  until translucent. Add the flour and soy sauce to form a smooth paste. Add some water, sage, salt, and pepper. Boil it till...
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Cranberry and Orange Relish
Thanksgiving turkey is not delicious without cranberry sauce. It is a must have with any Thanksgiving meal. It is one of the easiest things to make and enjoyed by most people at the table. This is one of the items you can make it in advance and keep it in the fridge and it will taste even better. Preparation Time :  15 minutes No of Servings : 4 Ingredients: Cranberries : 8 ounces (fresh or frozen) Orange Marmalade : 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter : 2 tbsp Grated Fresh Ginger : 1 tbsp Brown sugar or Granulated regular sugar : 1/2 cup Orange Juice : 1/2 cup Black Pepper : 1/4 tsp (crushed) Minced Cilantro : 1 tbsp ( optional) Method Of Preparation : In a saucepan melt the butter in medium heat. After that add grated ginger, stir it for...
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Thakkali Kuzhambu for Idly / Tomato Curry
My mom got this recipe from one of our family friends in Salem and then she used to make this Tomato Curry often. I love this Thakkali Kuzhambu especially with dosa and Kuzhipaniyaram. This is very simple to make and will be different from regular chutneys. Time of Preparation : 20 minutes Spice level : 3 No of Servings : 3 to 4 Ingredients: Roma tomatoes – 6 (chopped) Pearl Onions – 15 Red Chillies – 8 to 10 (according to spice level) Garlic – 6 cloves (pressed) Coconut – 1/4 cup (grated) Split dalia – 1 tbsp Oil – 2 tbsp Salt – to taste Coriander leaves – for garnishing For Seasoning: Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Cinnamon stick – 1″ Cloves – 2 Curry leaves – a few Method of Preparation: Heat oil in a pan and...
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Seppankizhangu Kara Kuzhambu – Colocasia Spicy Curry
Seppankizhangu Kara Kuzhambu is a popular dish in South India. It is spicy and is a great combination with white rice and papad (sutta appalam). It can also be served with dosa or idli. If you do not have colocasia at home, you can also make this kuzhambu with eggplant, drumstick or just shallots. I adapted the recipe from Jacob’s kitchen show from a popular Tamil TV channel. This is a wonderful dish. Try this at home and let me know your comments. Here you go… Ingredients: Cubed Colocasia (seppankizhangu) – 2 cups Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Urad dal – 1 tsp Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp A pinch of asafoeida Chili powder – 3 tsp Coriander powder – 3 tsp Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tbsp Sesame oil – 2 tsp Tamarind juice – 1 cup...
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Puri Masala / Indian Puffed Flat Bread with Potato Curry
In general everyone loves puri. When I was a kid I love to have puri on every sunday. The best combo is puri and potato masala. Potato masala is very easy to make and still I like to have it for sunday breakfast :). Time of Preparation : 45 minutes (for poori and masala) No of Servings : 3 Spice level : 3 Ingredients: For Puri: Wheat flour – 2 cups Rava – 1 tbsp (optional) Salt – 1/2 tsp Water – 1/2 cup (aprroximately) Oil – For frying For Masala: Potatoes (boiled) – 3 Onion (thinly sliced lengthwise) – 1 Tomato (small roma tomato) – 1 (finely chopped) Green chillies (slitted lengthwise) – 3 (according to spice level) Ginger – 1 tbsp (grated) Garlic – 2 cloves (pressed) Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Channa dal – 2 tbsp...
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Kathirikkai Gothsu – Eggplant Chutney
Kathirikkai Gosthu or Eggplant Chutney is an Indian condiment served along with Idli or Dosa or Upma or Pongal, etc. This method is a bit elaborated but the taste is just awesome with the flavor of moong dal. I will also post another version of this dish soon. I hope you all try this dish and send me your comments. Here you go… Preparation time: 60 minutes No. of servings: 6 to 7 Spice level: 3 out of 5 Ingredients: Big regular eggplant – 1 (or small Indian eggplant – 5) Chopped onion – 1 cup Tamarind juice – 1 cup (prepared from 1 and 1/2 tbsp tamarind) Moong dal (split mung bean) – 3 tbsp Sesame oil – 4 tbsp Asafoetida Mustard seeds – 1 tsp Urad dal – 1 tsp 6 to 7 Curry leaves For masala:...
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