In many states of India, especially the southern states, there is a concept of ‘kootan’. Kootan means a gravy dish that can be mixed with rice for a meal. It is separate from a dish that is eaten along with rice and kootan. In other parts of the country, especially the northern states, the ‘dal’…
Unda Kuzhambu (Lentil Dumplings In A Tamarind Gravy)
Unlike most other parts of the country, South India has a tradition of ‘kootan’ to describe the gravy dish that is mixed with rice. Kootan is a generic Palakkad term that covers the entire range of sambar, kuzhambu, yogurt based dishes… but nor rasam. As it is easier to use a single word instead of…
Cucumber And Peas Dosa
Dosas are a very popular breakfast (or indeed anytime) dish. Originally from South India, they are now available in almost every nook and corner of the country. This spread has spawned several variations of this humble dish. I belong to a food group (not vegan, but vegetarian) that is immensely popular with over 23K members…
Raw Mango Salad
As a kid, I loved sour stuff. That fascination and preference continues. It is quite common in India to consume raw mangoes with salt and chili powder. But I can eat a raw mango with no accompaniment. I remember my mother invariably identifying correctly me as the culprit when she found her raw mangoes missing….
Dal Makhani (Creamy Lentils)
This is possibly one of the most well known dals of India. It is a great dish with the smooth taste of butter. Any restaurant in Indian serving North Indian food will have this dish on their menu. I have had this numerous times and always enjoy it thoroughly. i, of course, make this very…
Manga Thokku (Grated Raw Mango Pickle)
My post today is a little different. It’s a pickle. I don’t paste a lot of pickles as most Indian pickles use oil as the preservative. On a no-oil diet, it’s difficult to prepare pickles with no oil. When I first turned WFPB vegan some years ago. the only pickle that I could consume was…
Gujia
Gujia is a sweet dumpling made especially for the festival of colours, Holi. Normally, these are made with all purpose flour (maida), deep fried and then dunked into sugar syrup. So, you can guess how healthy the dumpling is. Plus, it is stuffed with thickened or dried milk and other ingredients. Therefore, the traditional gujia…
Oyster Mushroom Curry
I find North Indian cuisine using mushrooms quite often. But not so in most other parts of the country, though this is changing with increased experimentation with food. Mushroom was not my favouite either due to its rather slimy mouth-feel. But a few years ago, my friend asked me to test a mushroom recipe for…
Potlakaya Kura (Snake Gourd Curry)
I like to pair my dal/ kootan (the dish that is mixed with rice) with the vegetable main dish (broadly curry). I will call this dal for the sake of convenience. So, if the dal is bland, then the accompanying curry must be spicy and vice versa. What I have discovered while planning meals every…
Eggplant In Yogurt
Years and years ago, the Indian Express Group of Publications gifted me with a cookbook. It has been a treasured possession since then. It is now badly torn with constant use, but I still keep referring to it. I love many of the vegetarian recipes in the book and try to modify them to suit…
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