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…
Category: Main Dishes
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…
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 –…
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…
Karuvepillai Kuzhambu (Curry Leaves Curry)
That’s a strange title – but that is exactly what this post is about. A curry make with curry leaves. I appreciate that curry leaves are not available in many parts of the world. But it is a hardy plant and can grow in most hot and/or humid climates. It will not survive only in…
Vendakkai Puli Pachadi (Okra In Tamarind Sauce)
You cannot imagine how good this tastes, especially when paired with a mulakootal (a bland wet dish to be mixed with rice). Some years ago, I ran a cooking class on behalf of Sharan. On the menu was a spinach mulakootal and this puli pachadi. All attendees were floored. They swore that they had never…
Tirunelveli Sodhi (Stew)
Two of my favourite breakfast dishes are idiappam (stringhoppers) and aapam (crepe). That’s because I love the stew that they are served with. This vegetable stew, in common parlance in India, is ishtew. It is also called sodhi. It’s an astounding dish with vegetables and spices all in a base of coconut milk. I have…
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