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…
Category: Main Dishes
Mochakottai Kuzhambu (Lima Beans Curr
From a very early age, I have had dishes using lima beans flaming hot. My mind is therefore conditioned to eat this legume really chili hot. When Hari first joined my family, he made a dish using lima beans – and it was not hot at all. My taste buds were left with a sense…
Pineapple Rasam (Soup)
I have not had a pineapple rasam for over a decade, even though I really love it. That’s because my vegan doctor told me not to mix fruits with the main meal. Recently, another vegan doctor told me that it is perfectly alright to mix fruits with the main meal. I was confused. When I…
Aloo Posto (Potatoes And Poppy Seeds)
Aloo posto is nothing but a preparation of potatoes in a paste of poppy seeds. It tastes delicious and is a very famous Bengali dish. It is often eaten along with rice and lentils. It is very easy to prepare. I like potatoes in any form. I’d heard of aloo posto but had never tried…
Water Chestnut Curry
Visiting local vegetable markets in Delhi/NCR (National Capital Region) can prove very exciting, at times. I have found some rare gems like Ponnangani Keerai (Sessile Joyweed), Wood Apple, Jackfruit seeds, Greater Yam…. While some of these may be readily available in various parts of the country, they are rarely seen in Delhi/NCR. I always pick…
Vendhaya Keerai Sambar (Fenugreek Leaves Sambar)
It’s been a long time since I posted – mainly because I have been busy. But I did not want the new year to steal a march on me. And my first post in the new year is a sambar. As all my readers probably know, sambar is a tamarind based gravy that is mixed…
Long Eggplant Curry
I love eggplants in any form. It is the most versatile vegetable that I have come across. There are tens of varieties of eggplants; and hundreds of recipes. I have not even begun to scratch the surface of the different dishes using eggplants. But I love all the ones that I have tried. This recipe…
Omavalli Kuzhambu (Ajwain, Carom Leaves Curry)
Kuzhambus are normally tamarind based thick, spicy curries. But it is not always so. For example, mor kuzhambu is a yogurt based curry that is neither thick nor spicy. There are hundreds of tamarind based kuzhambus – each one with a distinctly different taste. Since these preparations are spicy, I do not prefer them in…
Kurukku Kaalan
I wonder why I haven’t posted the kurukku kalan recipe earlier. Possibly because I make this dish only once in a while. But definitely for Vishu (Malayalam New Year) and Onam (Malayali harvest festival).Kurukku means to reduce. Since this recipe was traditionally made with dairy yogurt, the yogurt was reduced by simmering. Hence the name….
Palakottai Kuzhambu (Jackfruit Seed Curry)
The recipe today is an exotic one. Jackfruit seed curry. I am very fond of jackfruit seeds. But, being based in North India, it is very difficult to find them. I had an elderly lady who used to supply me this every week. Since the Covid lockdowns began in February 2020, I have not seen…
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