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…

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…

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…

Moroccan Chickpea Soup (Modified)

I have been having a soup a day right through this winter. While I really enjoy my soups, I do hanker after something different every once in a while. It’s during one of those ‘dissatisfied’ moments that I began to browse for something really different. And turned my attention to Africa. I promptly landed on…

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…

Ellu Sevai (Sesame Rice Noodles)

Sevai is the South Indian term for rice noodles. These noodles are often served at breakfast or dinner. They are tasty and light on the stomach. There are several flavourings of these noodles – lemon, coconut. sesame, tamarind, eggplant, tomato… Or just plain. And the absolutely delicious idiappam (stringhoppers) that is served with an sodhi…

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…