Odisha is a small state in the eastern part of India. It has rich cultural, religious and historical heritage. However, the cuisine is not much known outside the state. I have tried some recipes from this state and really love the dishes.On another note, most of the East Indian states use a spice mixture call…
Tag: #gluten-free
Kala Chana Chaat (Black Chickpea Salad)
Chaats are basically street food. They normally contain a main ingredient with an assortment of vegetables and condiments – often spicy. There are numerous varieties of chaats available in India. No prizes for guessing that the main ingredient in this one is black chickpeas. It is very popular in many parts of the country. The…
Thai Vegetable Salad
I have begun to like my salads a lot these days. According to my vegan doctor, a salad should form half your plate for lunch and dinner. Rice or rotis should be a quarter and the remaining should can be cooked vegetables. If salads are playing such a big role in my meals, then they…
Nellikkai Arachu Kalakki (Indian Gooseberry Curry)
My post today is a very traditional dish from Palakkad district of Kerala, a Southern Indian state. This dish is so simple that many of you would wonder why I even bothered to post it. For me, this dish transports me to seventh heaven. It’s simplicity is deceptive. An ideal summer dish, packed with all…
Mediterranean Salad (Adapted)
I used to dislike salads, in my earlier days. Of late, however, I have really fallen in love with them. But more than the salads themselves, I enjoy the process of creating a salad recipe. There are potentially so many permutations and combinations in using various ingredients. I also try to customise salads that are…
Capsicum Masala (Bell Pepper Curry)
We recently made a vegetable biryani (recipe already in this blog). The usual dish served with biryani is a kurma. But I was not in a mood for spices such as cinnamon and bay leaves. I therefore googled for a gravy dish – spicy, yes. But not overpowering spices. Came across a video on YouTube….
Chettinad Vegetable Biryani
South India has a vast variety of flavoured rice – lemon, tamarind, coconut, peanut, sesame, mango, eggplant… A ‘flavoured’ rice in the rest of the country is largely biryani or pulau. All these wonderful preparations need the cooked rice to be separate and grainy. This is normally achieved by roasting the rice in a little…
Spicy French Beans
I find that there is not a lot that one can do with French beans, especially in Indian cooking. Unless I have not discovered many magical recipes using this vegetable. I normally end up making an usili or a thoran (check my blog for details). Or add it in pasta or Chinese food. So, discovering…
Bengali Potol Bhaja (Pointed Gourd Stir Fry)
I have often mentioned that I used to avoid pointed gourd like the plague, in years of yore. Until Hari arrived and made a dish using this vegetable. Since then, I have transformed into an ardent fan of this humble gourd that is abundantly available in summer. This vegetable is not much used in South…
Bengali Aam Dal (Red Lentils With Raw Mango)
I have often asked Hari to make Bengali dishes for me. But he always averred that Bengali food cannot be oil-free. I have to agree to that statement somewhat. The unique taste of Bengali food comes from the use of mustard oil. However, the unique taste of Kerala cuisine comes from the use of coconut…
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