Navrathri is almost upon us. This festival of 9 days/nights is celebrated all over the country, albeit with differences in each region. In the North where I stay, it is meant for fasting and eating simple food. Unfortunately, much of this ‘simple, fasting food’ is deep fried and can pose a health hazard. In South…
Tag: #guilt-free
Pagarkkai Thengai Paruppu Curry (Bitter Gourd Coconut Lentil Curry)
I know that many people are not fans of bitter gourd (bitter melon). However, if prepared well, it does not taste bitter at all. In fact, it is a very tasty and versatile vegetable. It is a staple in my home during season. I love experimenting different dishes with this vegetable, though my all-time favourite…
Paatra (Taro Leaf Rolls)
One of the tastiest greens is taro leaf (arbi patta, chembu elai). It is normally available in North India (where I stay) during the monsoon months (July – September). I love this green and look forward to the season. As I have mentioned before, this leaf can cause allergic reactions unless extreme care is exercised….
Podi Pota Urulaikizhangu (Potato With Spice Powder)
There are several dishes that I am very familiar with, but do not often prepare. Mainly because these dishes, delightful as they are, are not top-of-mind. This potato in a spice powder is one such dish. It tastes heavenly, but I tend to rarely make it. A mistake that I must correct. I love potatoes…
Puttu (Steamed Rice & Coconut Savoury Cakes)
Puttu is a hugely popular breakfast dish (it is also served at lunch or dinner) from Kerala. From homes to roadside stalls to restaurants, puttu is available all over Kerala. Very healthy (it is steamed) and tasty, it is often served with kadala curry (black garbanzo beans, kala chana). There are several variations to the…
Pudalangai Kootu (Snake Gourd, Chichinda Curry)
Snake gourd is a summer vegetable. There are several varieties that are available, some very tasty, others rather tasteless. I do remember a time when this vegetable used to grow up to 6 feet long! But the varieties that are now available in the market are about a foot long. I had grown this in…
Idiaapam (String-hoppers)
I keep mentioning that something or other is my favourite dish! That’s because I have several such dishes. Here is yet another one – string-hoppers. Paired with ishtew (please see the section under breakfast in this blog for the recipe). All in my family love this particular breakfast. When we were kids in Singapore, my…
Stuffed Peerkangai (Ridge Gourd, Tori)
I get so much of ridge gourd every summer. It is a challenge to make this bland vegetable in different ways – that are tasty and tickles the palate. I often spend many evenings during summer researching this. It was on one such evening that I came across this very interesting recipe. And it tasted…
Vazhaithandu Thoran (Banana Stem Stir Fry)
The banana tree is a wonderful one. All it’s parts are edible, including flowers, raw banana, ripe banana and stem, Cleaning the flowers or stem, however, is a cumbersome process. In the case of the banana stem, the outer layers must be removed to reach the tender inner stem. These are then chopped into thin…
Kolmi Shaker Ghonto (Water Spinach Mixed Vegetables)
Water spinach (known as kalmi saag in Hindi and kolmi shaak in Bengali) is a very tasty green. I was introduced to this green during my early days in Singapore where it was plentifully available. In those regions, it is called kangkong. It is also widely used in oriental cuisine. I was pleasantly surprised to…
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