Friday 19 December 2014

Gajar Ka Halwa | Carrot Halwa


Carrot halwa or gajar ka halwa - a classic Indian dessert and one of the most popular halwa recipes.  It is prepared with simple ingredients like grated carrot, milk, sugar and ghee, but the aroma and taste are awesome.  It is prepared on most of the festive occasions, especially Diwali, and even in weddings.  It can be served both warm or chilled.

There are different ways of making this halwa -- using milkmaid or khoya, microwave or just with milk.

I am giving the milk version here.  Though this version is a bit time-consuming compared to the others, it gives the best taste.


Carrot Halwa, Gajar ka Halwa


Sunday 14 December 2014

Gutti Vankaya Kura | Stuffed Brinjal Curry


Gutti Vankaya Kura or Stuffed Brinjal/Eggplant Curry is an authentic Andhra dish where baby brinjals are stuffed with a flavorful coconut and spice mix. There are quite a few variations with regard to the stuffing used.  My version is a very simple one which does not require too many ingredients, but still packs quite a flavorful punch!

This is a dry curry and goes very well with plain hot rice and ghee.


Gutti Vankaya Kura, Stuffed Brinjal Curry


Are you searching for more Brinjal recipes, do check out these  -- Begun Bhaja/Aubergine Fry, Vankaya Pachadi/Brinjal Chutney, Aloo Baingan Sabzi, Beguni/Aubergine Fritters, Vankaya Pulla Kura/Tangy Eggplant Curry.


Saturday 6 December 2014

Instant Oats Paniyaram | Oats Ponganalu | Oats Kuzhi Paniyaram


Paniyaram - also called Gunta Ponganalu is a popular breakfast dish in Andhra and a regular item in my weekly menu.  It is usually made using dosa batter.

This instant paniyaram dish is a slight variation from the usual paniyaram.  Here instant oats and rava/semolina are used.  It is quite delicious and healthy too.  This comes in handy during morning rush or when you have guests at home.

Serve with any chutney of your choice.


Oats Paniyaram, Oats Ponganalu


Sunday 23 November 2014

Channa Pulao | Kabuli Channa Pulao | Chickpea Pulao


Channa Pulao - a flavorful pulao made with white chickpeas.  An easy, healthy, one-pot meal - perfect for those lazy afternoons when you don't feel like cooking an elaborate meal.  Goes very well with any raita, especially onion raita.


channa pulao, chickpea pulao


Sunday 9 November 2014

Paneer Paratha | Cottage Cheese Stuffed Flatbread


Paneer Paratha - a popular Punjabi dish - is a delicious and healthy Indian flatbread filled with spiced paneer.  It is easy to prepare and can be had at any time of the day and is usually served with curd or any pickle.


paneer paratha, cottage cheese paratha


Sunday 26 October 2014

Dondakaya pachadi | Tindora Chutney | Kovakkai Chutney


Pachadis/chutneys are an essential part of Andhra cuisine.  They are part of everyday meal in most kitchens in Andhra.  Pachadis taste great with plain hot rice and ghee.

One such tasty pachadi from Andhra is the Dondakaya Pachadi.  It requires very few ingredients and can be prepared in a jiffy.


dondakaya pachadi, tindora chutney


Thursday 21 August 2014

Groundnut Chutney | Peanut Chutney | Verkadalai Chutney


Groundnut/Peanut Chutney - A quick and easy chutney recipe that takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.  It is a perfect accompaniment to idli, dosa, upma, rava idli and uttappam.  If you like the taste of peanuts, then you will love this chutney.  Many people add coconut, roasted gram or garlic to this chutney, but I prefer it as it is.  Try out this delicious chutney.


Groundnut Chutney, Peanut Chutney


Monday 18 August 2014

Potato and Peas Kurma | Urulaikilangu Pattaani Kurma | Aloo Matar Curry


Potato and Peas Kurma - a traditional fragrant curry from South India which tastes delicious and is very easy to prepare.  It goes very well with mild pulaos, rotis, puris, phulkas or paratha.

The same dish can be prepared with mixed vegetables too like carrot, beans, cauliflower, etc.  Check out the mixed vegetable kurma recipe here.

If you are looking out for more curries, check out ridge gourd curry, aloo matar, aloo gobi.


Potato Peas Kurma, Aloo Matar Curry


Sunday 17 August 2014

Red Spinach Chutney | Sigappu Keerai Chutney | Thotakura Chutney


Red spinach - also called red amaranth or Laal saag is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A and iron.  In fact, they contain almost thrice the amount of calcium than the other spinach varieties.  So it is a good idea to include it once or twice a week in our menu.

Quite a few dishes can be made with this red spinach - sambar, kootu, stir fry, chutney and can even be included in rotis (spinach rotis or keerai chapati).

Red spinach chutney is a yummy and healthy side dish and goes very well with plain hot rice, dosa and even rotis.

Thotakura Chutney, Sigappu keerai chutney

Wednesday 13 August 2014

Curd Rice | Thayir Sadam | Perugannam


Curd rice or Yogurt rice - Part of South Indian cuisine, is a true comfort food.  A meal in South India is not considered complete unless and until curd rice/thayir sadam is served.

It is really easy to prepare and does not require many ingredients.  The addition of ginger, curry leaves and coriander leaves add a beautiful flavor to the rice.  It is a complete meal by itself and does not require any special side dish, just any pickle will do.


Curd rice, Thayir Sadam


Monday 11 August 2014

Home-made Garam Masala Powder

Garam Masala Powder -- the spice blend that adds a beautiful flavor to the dishes.  It is an indispensable item in an Indian kitchen.  It is used either at the end of cooking (if using powder) or in the beginning (if using the pieces) to add flavor to a dish.  It needs to be used in small quantities only, else the smell can be overpowering.

To get more aroma in your dishes, use home-made garam masala powder.


Garam masala powder, home-made garam masala


Saturday 9 August 2014

Triangle Paratha | Triangle Roti | Plain Paratha


Triangle paratha or Plain paratha -- A very popular, yummy, triangle-shaped layered paratha/flat bread.  It is a common breakfast item and does not need any special side dish to go with it, just any pickle will do.  There are different types of parathas depending on the stuffing used like aloo paratha, mooli paratha, gobi paratha, paneer paratha, peas paratha, methi paratha etc.


Triangle paratha, plain paratha


Wednesday 6 August 2014

Masala Chai | Indian Spice Tea | Authentic Indian Chai


Masala Chai or Indian Spice Tea is flavoured tea made with tea leaves, milk, sweetener and a mixture of aromatic spices.  Though the origin for masala chai is India, it is now popular all over the world.  There is no fixed recipe for masala chai and every family has its own version.

Spice up your mornings with this masala chai.


Masala chai, Indian spice tea


Tuesday 5 August 2014

Lemon Pickle | Nimmakaya Uragaya | Nimboo Ka Achar


Lemon Pickle or Elumichai Oorugai - One of the most popular of Indian pickles and my personal favorite.  It is one of the most easiest pickles to prepare at home, but requires patience and time.  There are many variations in preparing this pickle depending on which part of India you are from -- lemon stuffed with salt and left for a week and then seasoned with spices, no-oil pickle, instant pickle, simple and sweet pickle, lemon pickle with ginger and garlic and so on and on.

Here is my version.  We love to have it with curd rice and upma.

Home-made pickles are always the best.. so go on and try this recipe.  If handled properly, this stays good for at least a year.


lemon pickle, nimmakaya uragaya


Monday 4 August 2014

Bendakaya pachadi | Vendakkai Pachadi | Okra Chutney


Bendakaya Pachadi/Okra chutney -- In any Andhra home or a sadya/wedding, a meal is incomplete without a pachadi.  Pachadis or chutneys are a great way to sneak in veggies in your menu.  If, on any day you are feeling lazy or have to cook just for yourself, this dish comes in handy because it is so easy to prepare and hardly takes about 15-20 mins max.

It is spicy, tangy and tastes yummy with plain hot rice and ghee.  This recipe can be prepared using other veggies too like brinjal, snake gourd, tomatoes, beerakaya or ridge gourd.


bendakaya pachadi, vendakkai chutney


Friday 1 August 2014

Masala Vada | Paruppu Vadai | Masala Vadai


Masala Vada/vadai or Paruppu Vada is a delicious and crispy savory fritter from South India.  It is generally prepared during festivals or special occasions like marriages, but is available now as a street food too.  It tastes divine when paired with coconut chutney.


masala vada, paruppu vadai


Monday 28 July 2014

Banana Stem Stir Fry with Lentils | Vazhai Thandu Paruppu Usili


Vazhai Thandu Paruppu usili is a popular stir fry dish from the south Indian cuisine made of banana stem and lentils.  It is an excellent side dish to rasam or sambar and plain hot rice.  Paruppu usili is made using other veggies too like beans, banana flower, cabbage, cluster beans.

Banana stem is cooked in different ways both in South Indian and Bengali cooking.  Some of the popular dishes are vazhaithandu kootu, vazhaithandu poriyal, vazhaithandu poritha kuzhambu, Thor Chenchki (in Bengal), etc.

As banana stem is a rich source of fibre and vitamins and helps in weight loss too, it is a good idea to make it a part of our weekly menu.


vazhai thandu paruppu usili


Sunday 27 July 2014

Vankaya Pulla Kura | Tangy Eggplant Curry | Vankaya Pullagura


Vankaya Pullagura/pullakoora is a spicy and tangy Andhra dish.  The words "Pulla Kura" in telugu means tangy curry.  This is very easy to prepare as you add almost all the ingredients at one go in your pressure pan and cook them and temper with spices at the end.  I have used brinjals to prepare this pullagura, but you can prepare it using other veggies too like beerakaya (ridge gourd), dondakaya (tindora or ivy gourd), bendakaya (ladiesfinger) and even greens.


vankaya pulla kura, vankaya pullagura


Tuesday 28 January 2014

Potato Masala for Dosa and Poori | Potato Curry | Curry for Dosa


Potato Masala - A simple flavorful curry used as a filling inside the masala dosa.  It is prepared with boiled and mashed potatoes, onions, green chillies and spices.  There are several variations to the filling used inside the dosas depending on the region, but this potato/aloo masala is the most popular among them.  It is a fantastic accompaniment for all kinds of dosas and poori too.


Potato masala for dosa, Dosa masala

Monday 20 January 2014

Mullangi Sambar | Radish Sambar


Sambar - a very popular South Indian dish is prepared on a daily basis in most homes.  It is prepared mainly with toor dal, any veggies, tamarind and sambar powder.  There are many variations to the sambar depending on - the region (Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka), the ingredients (example, coconut, jaggery, tomatoes), the spice blend, the different veggies used etc., the flavor changes with each variation.

Am presenting here a basic sambar recipe and I have used radish.  The same can be prepared using other veggies like brinjal, ladiesfinger, drumstick, etc.


mullangi sambar, radish sambar


Friday 17 January 2014

Mattar paneer | Matar Paneer | Paneer Peas Masala


Matar Paneer/Mutter paneer -  an irresistible creamy curry prepared with paneer/Indian cottage cheese and peas.  The malai and cashews lend a beautiful creamy texture to the gravy.  It is a fantastic, mouthwatering side dish that goes very well with rotis, parathas, naan and any pulao.

Try this extremely popular Punjabi dish and am sure it will become your favorite too.
 

Matar paneer, Mattar paneer


Wednesday 15 January 2014

Dosa | Savory Crispy South Indian Pancakes | Plain Dosa


Dosa/Dosai, a staple breakfast in South India, is a thin, crispy crepe made rice and lentils.  There are different variations of dosa depending on the fillings or other ingredients used -- Paneer dosa, palak dosa, methi dosa, Masala dosa, Pesarattu, onion dosa, uttappam, rava dosa, etc.  It is generally served with:

Dosa, Plain dosa


Sunday 12 January 2014

Rava Ladoo | Rava Laddu Without Milk | Sooji Ka Ladoo


Rava laddoo/Sooji Ka Ladoo/Semolina Balls - A quick and easy sweet prepared during festivals, especially Diwali.  Traditionally, this laddu is prepared using rava, sugar and ghee.  The proportion of rava and sugar might differ from home to home.  Some prepare it with milk and coconut too, but this will reduce the shelf life of this sweet.

Am giving here the traditional recipe - the one without milk and coconut.


Rava laddu, Rava ladoo


Sunday 5 January 2014

Sambar Powder | Homemade Sambar Podi


Sambar Powder - one of the main ingredients required to prepare sambar.  It is used especially in South Indian homes on a daily basis in sambar, kootu or even poriyals.  There are quite a few varieties of sambar powders available in the market, but nothing can beat the flavor of home made sambar powder/podi.  This can be prepared in bulk and stored in air-tight containers for up to 6 months.

Every household has its own version of sambar powder.  This one is my mom's version and now I prepare it the same way too.

Sambar Powder, Homemade sambar podi


Thursday 2 January 2014

Potato Bajji | Potato Fritters | Aloo Bajji


Hot Bajjis -- anyone out there who can say NO to them?? Bajji is a simple and easy deep fried snack that requires very few ingredients and can be made in just under 15-20 minutes.  You can use any vegetable to prepare Bajjis -- potato, onion, brinjal, raw plantain, chilli, cauliflower, etc -- the more popular among them being the potato bajji.

Here is how you make the potato/urulaikizhangu bajji ...


Potato bajji, Potato fritters