For several years, weekends were normally spent in my home of my friend, D. R. Naidu. Protima, Naidu’s wife then, was (and is) a fabulous cook. She had influences from both West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. I have had pulusu countless times at her place. It is a wet dish in a tamarind gravy, native…
Month: June 2021
Dondakaya (Ivy Gourd) ‘Fry’
This is a recipe from the South Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telengana. In local parlance, ivy gourd is called dondakaya. This is a vegetable that I like and make a preparation of it once a week. But normally, it is a stir fry with a little coconut. This time, I was in the…
Achari Tori (Sponge Gourd In Pickle Sauce)
Ridge gourd is a vegetable that I buy regularly. It’s cousin, sponge gourd, is not one of my favourites. But I am never sure if this vegetable is called ridge or sponge gourd as various sources use these terms interchangeably. I therefore rarely buy the smooth one (referred to as Tori/Turai in North India). After…
Panchmel Dal (Mixture Of 5 Lentils)
How tastes change! I always liked the plain dals prepared in North India, but only with Indian flat breads. The thought of mixing a dal with rice was abhorrent to me. Not any more. I can now happily have dal-chawal (dal/rice). I have therefore been experimenting with different dals from the northern parts of India….
Moong (Mung Bean) Sprouts Salad
Sprouts are supposed to be super heathy. I therefore sprout several different kinds of lentils/legumes. My sprouts maker comes in very useful in doing this. Given the hot summers of India, the process is relatively quick. I can get sprouts in a couple of days. A sprout salad is on the table at least one…
Tofu Tikka Masala
I have never been fond of the traditional Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) Tikka Masala. The reasons are not far to seek. In my earlier avatar of being a vegetarian, I was invariably served one or two paneer dishes whenever I was invited to partake of lunch or dinner in any friend’s home. I had such…
Pasta Salad
I was never a salad person for most of my life. Somehow, the urge was never upon me. I used to notice several types of salad whenever I dined at buffets at restaurants. Though they all looked attractive, I would normally settle for a few pieces of cucumbers and tomatoes. Just so that I can…
Thakkali Gothsu (Tomato Dip)
Gothsu is a South Indian chutney used to pair with breakfast dishes such as dosa or idli. It can also pair with rice as an accompaniment. Or even Indian flat breads. Needless to say, gothsus are extremely tasty. The most well-known is the kathrikkai gothsu (eggplant dip). However, several vegetables can be used to make…
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