Bitter gourd was not one of my favourite vegetables. I used to intensely dislike the bitter taste. Things did not get much better whenever my father used to visit me. He was a great fan of bitter gourd. The more bitter, the better. He therefore used to request Hari to make just bitter gourd stir…
Tag: #vegan
Urulaikizhangu Bonda (Batata Vada, Potato Dumplings)
Bonda is comfort food for me. But we rarely made this at home when I was a kid. So, it was always a special treat when it was served. At family weddings, however, this was invariably on the menu for the evening snack (served with coconut chutney). One of the main reasons why I enjoyed…
Urulaikizhangu Bajji (Aloo Pakora, Potato Fritters)
It is now monsoon in India. This is the favourite anytime snack during the rainy season. Accompanied with a hot cup of tea. Of course, this snack is traditionally deep-fried. But the non-oil version is equally great. And goes as well with a herbal cup of tea! I am now so used to having this…
Sambar Powder
I have had several requests for the sambar powder recipe. As I have mentioned before, the taste of a good sambar depends almost completely upon the powder used. Of course, these powders are available at retail outlets all over the country. These, however, a characterless and highly avoidable as you will land up with an…
Aloo Tuk (Crispy Potatoes)
I came across this recipe when I was searching for deep fried snacks that I could convert to WFPB. This is an interesting Sindhi snack that uses baby potatoes. One can use regular potatoes too. I recently had lunch with a Sindhi friend and she served taro root tuk (arbi, chembu tuk). Delicious. I am…
Nellikkai Chutney (Indian Gooseberry, Amla Chutney)
Indian gooseberries are available during the winter and raw mangoes are available during the summer. I buy them when in season. Then brine them (boil water and a reasonable amount of salt, slightly more than required for the amount of water being used). Let the water cool. In the case of gooseberries, I normally roast…
Karamani Katharikai (Eggplant and Cowpeas, Baingan Lobia Curry)
This is one of my favourite eggplant dishes. Though a typical Palakkad dish, not very many people know about it. Several people have told me that they have never heard of this dish or tried this. Goes to prove that there are variations in recipes from household to household. This dish is not spicy at…
Parwal Masala (Pointed Gourd Curry)
I do not know the name of pointed gourd in Tamil or Malayalam. I understand it is simply called parwal. This vegetable is plentifully available in the region where I stay. Parwal (pronounced padwal) is a summer vegetable. It is a local vegetable and very inexpensive in season. I hated this vegetable, but used to…
Arai Keerai Kootu (Amaranth, Chowlai Curry)
Amaranth is one of the tastiest greens. I like both forms, the green and the red. I use this regularly in my cooking. Since it is widely used all over India, I find organic amaranth easily available. This green was a little bit of luxury when I was growing up in Singapore in the 60’s….
Pavakai Pachadi (Bittergourd Salad, Karela Raita)
Bittergourd may not be everyone’s favourite vegetable. It, however, comes packed with numerous health benefits. It is its sharp, bitter taste that most people dislike. Several recipes try various techniques to lighten or remove the bitter taste. But many of the recipes that I prepare does not taste bitter at all – with no extra…
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