Manathakkali Keerai Thogayal (Black Nightshade Chutney/Dip)

In South India, there is a tradition of consuming black nightshade – both the greens as well as the berries. The berries are often sun-dried and used to temper a wonderful lentil based dish called Vathal Kuzhambu. Or deep-fried and consumed as a snack or an accompaniment in a meal. I, of course, air-fry them…

Vadu Manga (Tender Mango Pickle)

Vadu manga is a traditional South Indian pickle. It is easy to prepare and so, so tasty that I could live with it and vegan curd rice for ever. Traditional vadu manga pickle requires no oil whatsoever. However, I find the packaged product available on shop shelves always contain oil. I have been making this…

Olan (Ripe Pumpkin & Ash Gourd Curry)

I love olan. In the initial days after I had turned vegan, we used to have a monthly potluck consisting of only WFPB food. And there were prizes for the top 3 dishes, decided by popular vote. I was always tempted to make olan, but desisted. Mainly because olan has a very subtle taste. And…

Gobi Danthal

I had posted a write-up of this almost forgotten dish on Facebook a few days ago. It evoked a lot of interest and many requests for the recipe. But I must say that this dish requires patience as it involves collecting the stems of cauliflower over 2-3 weeks. I managed to get 4 medium sized…

Apple Payasam (Apple Kheer, Apple Sweet Pudding)

I don’t often prepare dishes that require cooked fruits as an ingredient. Mainly because my vegan doctor told me that it is not the healthiest way of eating fruits. However, I presume it is alright to cheat once in a while. I love this apple payasam so much that I decided to cheat a little…

Pok Choi Salad

Till about a couple of years ago, I had never bought pok choi. Of course, I had always consumed it whenever I stepped out for a Chinese meal. But the winter stock of pok choi  at the local organic market looked so tempting that I decided to buy a batch and experiment with this green….

Mirchi Ka Salan (Jalapeno Curry)

I had never heard of this dish till about a couple of decades ago. My first experience with it was on an Indian Airlines flight. Normally, airline food is quite boring. But I was fascinated with this dish – it tasted really wonderful. I tucked it away in a corner of my mind, saying to…

Gota Masala Bhara Baingana (Stuffed Brinjal)

The humble brinjal (baingan, kathrikai) is a really versatile vegetable. I used to hate it as a child. I now pick up various varieties of brinjals every week. Of late, I have been fortunate to find white brinjals (one of my favourites) at the weekly organic market at Sushant Arcade. I just love the white…

Coconut Chutney (Dip)

My post today is the very easy, but wonderfully tasty, coconut chutney. This is a classic. There are several variations to this chutney. The recipe presented here is the most basic one. This is made regularly in South Indian homes to accompany dosa, idly, pongal or, indeed, most breakfast dishes. Variations can include adding roasted…

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

I have been inundated with requests for the recipe of the Shepherd’s Pie that I posted on Facebook yesterday. Through Facebook and WhatsApp. I only tried it out as an experiment as I was tired of the usual sambar, thoran, etc. So I thought that I’d try out something different, but keep the load light…