Jeera Poli ( A sweet poori made from all purpose flour)

Hmmmm. Now what should I say. This is one of the most delectable sweets I’ve had. A sweet version of poori’s made with all-purpose flour, dipped in sugar syrup with cardamom and topped with crunchy titbits of almonds, cashews and pistachios. Yummylicious! huh?  Well, made this on my mom’s b’day and it was a huge hit. “Jeera” simply means sugar syrup. [...]

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Poori’s with Potato Masal and Chole( A wholesome whole wheat bread with matching sides)

Poori’s are wholesome whole wheat bread, that is an absolute favorite for both children and adults. In south india, its customary to serve poori (puri) with madras masal, which is a potato based side to go with them. However in North India, Poori’s are served with chole or channa- a garbanzo bean side dish. Both of them taste very good. Though, I personally like [...]

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Sundal Varieties ( “No Fat high protein” Legumes, seasoned with spices)

 
 In my previous posts, I wrote about  Navarathri and Saraswathi poojai-Vijayadashami and mentioned about sundals, but didn’t have a chance to write how each variety is made. When I came across the event  “My Legume Love Affair”- 15th helping in  Sia’s Monsoon spice, couldn’t resist a post dedicated to sundals. So, here it is…………
During Navrathri we make sundals [...]

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Krishna Janmaashtami( Sri Krishna Jayanthi- Lord Krishna’s Birthday)

Vishnu, the preservative aspect of the universe and one of the Hindu Trinity, is said to take birth in this mortal world of our’s, whenever it is overburdened with evil-doers and sinners, who by their wicked actions upset the equilibrium of the earth. One such incarnation is the birth of “Krishna ”as the son of king Vasudeva [...]

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“Rava Idli” from Scratch( Healthy Semolina Pancakes)

Why get the ready made mixes, when you can make yummy Rava idli’s from scratch, in a snap. It is really simple to make this and it is a very healthy tiffin option  & easy to digest and  most of all kids won’t make a fuss to eat this steamed treat. I also add some scraped carrots [...]

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Beach Eats( Tasty N healthy Snacks to eat at the Beach)

                            
Back home in Chennai,you hardly see Surfers,Colorful Umbrellas and kids with bathing suits making sand castles.That’s a very western thing.But you can see plenty of Kites Flying, mini Ferris wheels, Fishermen folk,Flower vendors,Peanut vendors and small stalls making hot beachy treats like Chilli Bajji-(a deep fried battered snack),Sutta Cholam-(corn,that has been cooked in flame like BBQ),Thengai Maangai [...]

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Delicious Pineapple Rasam( Tangy Tamarind and Pineapple soup)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasam
Rasam is a form of soup, a must in every South Indian household. It is made with Tamarind juice, aromatic spices and tomatoes for the most part. There are at least 15 varieties of Rasam, ranging from Tomato Rasam, Lemon Rasam, Dhal Rasam, Garlic Rasam, Pepper Jeera Rasam(Milagu-Jeera), Pepper Rasam, Goddu Rasam, Mysore Rasam and a whole bunch of [...]

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Orange Peel Vatha kuzhambu

Vatha Kuzhambu or Vetha Kuzhambu is a tangy gravy that is served with plain white rice. Originally, its  ”Vathal-Kuzhambu”-meaning  Vathal-Dried vegetable, which can be preserved for a long time and kuzhambu means gravy. Dried Vathals like Sundakai vathal, Manathakali vathals are used to make this kuzhambu. However, I really like the variations and absolutely love the fact that something [...]

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Sambar and Rasam Powder

The key ingredient in making Sambar and Rasam are the spice powders that go into them. I had mentioned in my Pumpkin Gothsu post, that I will be giving the sambar powder’s recipe soon. So, here it is. My mom makes these powders in India and would send it to me or when ever I go [...]

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Vaazhaipoo Parupu Usili( An Exotic side dish with Banana flower, spices and lentils)

If God created something that can be used from top to bottom, it is the Banana tree. Banana tree( Vaazhai maram) itself, along with the raw banana cluster( Vaazhai Thar), is used as an auspicious symbol  of prosperity in Wedding altars, temples and festive occasions. Banana leaf ( Vaazhai Ilai) is used as a platter in South Indian [...]

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