Though we get loads of baby potatoes in North India, I rarely buy them. That’s because I feel guilty consuming potatoes – even though I have read so much about how healthy potatoes are. Perhaps a conditioning of my pre-WFPB days when we were advised by doctors to limit our intake of potatoes. Last winter,…
Month: August 2022
Chembu Elai Kuzhambu
I am aware that taro roots are used widely across the world. But I am not sure about the leaves. For the sake of convenience, I am going to call this taro leaves (arbi patta, chembu elai). This is used in India to make a number of dishes like fritters, rolls and curries. But there…
Palak ‘Paneer’
Palak is spinach in Hindi. And paneer is cottage cheese. Palak paneer is a very popular dish in the North Indian states. You will often find it on dinner tables when guests come for dinner. It is a very tasty dish, very mild and easy on the stomach. I have never been a fan of…
Arbi Ka Bhartha (Mashed Taro Root)
Taro root is called arbi or arvi in Hindi and chembu in Thamizh. This rhizome is widely used in Indian cooking. But not very many people know about this mash recipe. Much more well known and popular is the classic baingan bhartha (mashed eggplant). I came upon this dish while I was a very junior…
Sivappu Keerai Thandu Puli Kuzhambu (Red Amaranth Stem Curry)
Many people classify amaranth, especially the red amaranth, a super food. Amaranth is a fantastic vegetable – all its parts are edible, including roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds. The seeds are a good substitute for cereals. I had planted some red amaranth seeds in my garden about 45 days ago. I now have a…
Chidambaram Kathrikkai Gothsu
Chidambaram is a small temple town in the South Indian state of Thamizhnadu. Most activity in the town revolves around the temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is a very old temple (more than 2,000 years) and huge. Many parts of the temple are in ruins. It is said that Shiva assumed his dancing form…
Eggplant And Yard Long Beans Mezhuku Peratti (Stir Fry)
I often find that even the simplest recipes taste wonderful. As with this mezhuku peratti. Mezhuku means grease. Peratti means stir fry. As the name suggests, this is a very simple recipe using vegetables (any one of raw banana, yam, eggplant or jackfruit seeds) and oil. The only spice added is turmeric powder. And a…
South Indian Dal Tadka
South India has a number of dals that are not commonly known. I have grown up on some of them and really miss them as I do not remember the recipes, only the taste. But I will rectify this situation with experimentation. It is in one of these experiments that evolved into this recipe –…
Proso Millet Lemon Sevai (Lemon Flavoured Millet Noodles)
Sevai is a very common breakfast dish in the southern parts of India. There is, however, a lot of confusion about the terminology of this fresh noodles. Sevai in North India refers to sevaiyan, a wheat vermicelli. Semia in North India refers to a kind of thin spaghetti. In South India, semia means exactly the…
Keerai Masiyal (Spinach Curry)
This recipe is so simple that even I can prepare it. It’s just spinach with some crunchy elements added in. It is one of the most popular dishes of Palakkad cuisine. I am sure it is also widely make in Thamizhnadu. There are several versions of this recipe. But the moment I use the term…
wholefoodplantbased 