I am generally fond of greens. But one of the greens that I did not like was vine spinach (poi saag, pasalai keerai) as it always tasted raw. My cousin, Vanaja Raghuram, sent me a recipe to cook this green with chickpea. I tried out the recipe and it turned out really well. Since then,…
Tag: #oil-free
Payaru Mezhukuperati (Long Beans Stir Fry)
Several different types of vegetables can be used to make mezhukuprati. I have explained the meaning of this term in my post on raw banana and elephant yam mezhukuperati. These stir fry dishes are indeed tasty and pair well with rasam or morkootan (yogurt and coconut curry). This dish is very bland, unusual for Indian…
Punjabi Kadhi (Onion Fritters In A Yogurt Based Gravy)
I love the Punjabi kadhi. The gravy has a creamy texture. And the deep-fried fritters that are added to the gravy makes a delicacy when served with rice. I was very concerned when I adopted a WFPB diet some years ago – wondering how I was ever going to taste this kadhi again. I need…
Chembu Elai Curry (Arbi Patta Curry, Taro Root Leaves Curry)
Since the season for taro root leaves (I shall call it just leaves for the sake of brevity) is short, I thought I’d post this recipe on priority basis. But a word of warning on these leaves is called for. These leaves can cause irritation and rashes. One must therefore be very careful when using…
Aval Payasam (Flattened Rice Dessert)
Today is the first day of the month of Aashad (in Hindi), Aadi (in Tamil) and Karkadagam (in Malayalam). It is also called the Ramayana month. This month is considered very auspicious and the start of the festive season. Many temple festivals are celebrated during this month. However, it is also observed as a month…
Chundakai Vathal Kuzhambu (Turkey Berry Curry)
Vathals are sun dried vegetables. Several vegetables are capable of being preserved in vathal form. These include raw mango, cluster beans, bitter gourd, black nightshade berries (manathakali), eggplant, onion… Generally, the vegetables are half cooked in brine and sun dried. The salt acts as a preservative and these dried vegetables can be stored for months…
Thengai Sadam (Coconut Rice)
This is a very popular dish in South Indian homes. If you have cooked rice and grated coconut on hand, this can be prepared in no time at all. It is often made on festive days. Or when one is feeling lazy to cook an elaborate meal. This rice is full of flavour imparted by…
Paruppu Vada (Gram Medallions)
South India has a large variety of vadas, though many other Indian states also have their own versions. Vadas are basically savoury (a few are sweet too) medallion shaped snacks that can be consumed anytime, particularly at tea-time. Some have a hole in the centre, akin to a doughnut. The most popular vada is Medhu…
Payaru Thoran (Long Beans & Coconut)
Thoran is an extremely common dish in Kerala. A typical meal in South India invariably consists of rice and a wet dish, The wet dish is mixed with the rice while partaking. To accompany this combination, other wet or dry dishes are prepared. Thoran is one such dry dish, It is bland but extremely tasty….
Brinjal “Fry” (Eggplant, Bhaingan “Fry”)
There are hundreds of recipes using eggplant. Each one more delicious than the other. I have experimented with several recipes and all of them have turned out well. This is one of my particular favourites. I stumbled upon this accidentally. When Hari was on holiday, I had to cook myself. And I am a lazy…