I love my paranthas during winters. Especially with a raita and a pickle. But we very soon run out of ideas on what kind of paranthas to make. I suppose I am difficult to please. I was discussing the menu for the following day when Hari suggested a potato or radish parantha. I told him…
Category: Main Dishes
Maa Ki Dal (Black Lentil Dal)
This traditional recipe from the North Indian state of Punjab uses whole black lentils. This is not a lentil that I normally stock in my pantry. The urge was upon me to have maa ki dal – which I requested Hari quite a few times. Every time, the response was that we did not have…
Baked Cauliflower
I get loads of cauliflower in the Delhi winter. So much so that I get tired of the vegetable by the end of winter. But start missing it again during the hot summer months. Its not that I do not get the vegetable during the hot summer months. It’s just that I prefer to eat…
Vazhaithandu Mulakootal (Banana Stem Dal)
Mulakootal is a typical and traditional dish from Palakkad, a district of the Southern state of Kerala. You can use any one of several vegetables to prepare mulakootal – spinach, ash gourd, snake gourd, elephant yam, pumpkin, Chinese potatoes, any greens, raw banana, cabbage… The one I am presenting here today is prepared using vazhaithandu…
Motaikose Poduthuval (Cabbage Stir Fry)
A poduthuval is basically a stir fry garnished with grated coconut. Therefore, one can use any of several vegetables – cabbage, snake gourd, beetroot, French beans…. The method of preparation remains the same, only the vegetable varies. These dishes are very mildly spiced, but very tasty. I therefore prefer to pair them with a spicy…
Paruppu (Dal)
When I was a kid, both the main meals in my home were invariably rice, with accompanying kootan (dish to be mixed with rice) and a vegetable side. That’s because South Indians were primarily rice eaters. It was only on rare occasions that an Indian flat bread was made, always for dinner. None of the…
Tamater Ki Tari (Tomato Curry)
I make several kinds of tomato dishes – from just simple cooked and mashed tomatoes to gothsu. I like tomatoes, irrespective of whether it is with breakfast, lunch or dinner. Often, my tomato dishes are spicy, but the beauty of these dishes are that you can make it as spicy (or not at all) as…
Dal Fry
Dal fry is a typical North Indian lentil preparation with a distinctive and unique taste. I had always avoided making this dal as I was under the mistaken impression that the taste was primarily on account of the ghee (clarified butter) that is used in its preparation. I accidentally stumbled upon a recipe for this…
Thanjavur Drumstick (Pod From Moringa Tree), Potato And Eggplant Curry
Thanjavur (Tanjore) is a district of Thamizhnadu, famous for its iconic temples. Also equally well-known for its distinctive cuisine. This area has been a seat of Thamizh culture for several centuries and it’s cuisine has been handed down generation after generation. There are many temples in and around Thanjavur built by the Chola kings. Many…
Begun Bhaja (Roast Eggplant)
I had never been a fan of the large, round eggplant. That’s primarily because it is most often used to make bharta (mashed eggplant), which I am not very fond of. I subscribe to an organic food basket where I get 10 kgs. of vegetables every week – whatever is grown in the farm. And…
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