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A chaat is so incomplete without the dates and tamarind to spruce it up. This chutney is a very healthy one considering the ingredients that goes into it. This chutney is also known Khajur(Dates) Imli (Tamarind) ki Chutney. Though it is available at big supermarkets in bottled form, I prefer making it at home as it takes very less ingredients and also it is much more economical, super easy a
The Summer in Chennai is synonymous to Marina Beach, Molaga bajji, the crowd, balloons, fans and mask sellers, panju mittai (cotton candy), cone ice cream carts with bells and above all the sundal sold at the beach. There is immense pleasure in munching on them while enjoying the gentle chill breeze, listening to the waves lapping at the shore. This beach sundal recipe is an authentic one an
I’m a Lacto Vegetarian. Before you start thinking out loud, a lacto vegetarian diet includes all sorts of dairy products like milk, yogurt, butter, cheese, cream but excludes eggs. My Doc has been after me for a long time to include eggs in my diet, but for which I have yet to develop an appetite for. Recently I have started to eat eggs in the form of baked goodies and yes earlier I used to
Lychee / Litchi is a fruit grown in China and South East Asia that belongs to the soap nut family which happens to be rich in Vitamin C. Eating 9 lychee fruits a day, fulfills an adult’s requirement of their daily dose of Vitamin C says Wikipedia. But I hate this fruit like anything and never buy it at all. There is a reason why I never ask Hubby to go for grocery shopping because he h
One of my favorite combos with vegetables are potato and capsicum (bell peppers). In fact any thing with capsicum will do good for me. This side dish is a dry curry that pairs perfectly well with both rice and chapathis. As it is very easy to make, I prepare this curry in bulk and pack this for the kids with their chapathis by placing the subzi in the middle of the chapathi and roll them for
All these years, I thought pasta could be made at home only when you have a pasta maker at home but all that changed when I decided to make Lasagna sheets at home by hand as I do not have a pasta maker. If someone had told me that I would be making pasta from scratch a month ago let alone enjoy making it, I would have laughed at them, because seriously I had never even given it a thought. Wh
The most easiest, healthiest, chewy, homemade granola bars ever because it took me just 2 minutes to rustle up these bars. Isn’t that cool? 2 full minutes is all it takes to enjoy healthy snacking on the go. Also these bars do not use rolled oats and maple syrup unlike most of the granola bars, as they both come under imported goods in my place, cost a bomb. These bars takes just 5 ingredien
Torcettini / Torcetti are sugar coated, twisted cookies made from yeasted dough and have a bread-like soft texture on the inside while being crunchy on the outer. The caramelized bottom is the highlight of this cookie. Torcettini are smaller versions of Torcetti (meaning small twists), and these pear/ teardrop shaped twisted cookies are synonymous with the town of Saint Vincent in Valle d'Ao
The Word “Agua Fresca” means “Fresh Water” in Spanish and Watermelon Agua Fresca is a refreshing popular drink served throughout Mexico. As it is neither sweet and nor too heavy it is a perfect drink to quench your thirst especially during Summer. As Watermelons have 99% water content what better way to enjoy summer with this fruit to replace the salts we lose by sweating. This simple fruity
Panna Cotta is a classic and elegant Italian Dessert that will enthrall your guests when you serve this to them. I loved making this eggless dessert as Panna Cotta is the most simplest, quickest and easiest dessert that you could ever dream of making. It takes just 5 ingredients that are already available in your pantry. It also takes just 10 minutes to put this dessert together and the mo
My family needs a side dish compulsorily to go with Rice for lunch. They are not satisfied with just a papad or chips for the side dish. Having to think of some thing that does not get repeated during the week is one thing that I concentrate on. Though I sometimes feel so lazy having to come with something or other on a daily basis, it at least gives me the satisfaction to see that my kids a
I’m forever indebted to my younger son’s teacher for making him eat sprouts at last. I can’t thank her enough and words fail me. As many of you know how good sprouts are for you and the importance of its health benefits only increase manifold, especially if you happen be a vegetarian or vegan and depend on legumes and lentils for your day to day protein needs. Sprouting at home is one of the
A power packed meal to replenish yourself and to feed your body especially after a hard day at work is not so impossible if you happen to have all the ingredients at home. It becomes even more easier if you make and have a meal plan in advance. But no matter what and how much ever you plan, there is always a possibility for something to happen that may throw a spanner in your works and that
Of all the Andhra recipes, this mamidikaya pappu recipe (Raw Mango Dal) is my favorite. In fact I grew up eating this as a kid. A plate of hot steaming rice with this dal drizzled with a liberal dose of ghee along with an appalam/pappad is enough satisfy your hunger pangs during lunch. As my parents had settled down in Hyderabad after their marriage, my mom cooks recipes pertaining to An
I love vendakkai and my younger kiddo eats it raw and it happens to be a vegetable that is often made at my household. It is called as Bhindi in Hindi and okra/ladies finger in English. Many avoid cooking it as they become sticky and gooey on cooking and avoid it just for this very reason. As this stir fry remains dry even after a long time after cooking, it is very apt to pa
Paniyaram happens to be a classic Chettinad recipe that is usually had for breakfast or as an evening tiffin. They can be made either as a sweet one or a savory according to our taste buds. In my household everyone prefers the savory one very much and very recently I had exchanged my old pan for a new non stick pan as I felt that it gave good results. Paniyarams are a great way to
I await every summer for the bounty of raw mangoes to make their appearance so that I could make these Pachadi and enjoy to my heart’s content. “Pachadi” is nothing but a “relish” and this one goes especially good with rice. Mango pachadi is also present in the lunch spread made during the Tamil New Year. As the recipe is made with sour mango, sweet jaggery and slightly bitter fresh neem flo
I’m sure many of you are aware of the medicinal properties of basil leaves. But do you know the medicinal qualities of the basil seeds. Basil seeds are called as “Sabja Seeds” in Tamil and Hindi and is used in the making of a milk based drink called “Falooda” and other fruit juices as well. Today’s recipe is not even a full fledged recipe but it is to explain about the good qualities o
If you are on the look out for a sweet and spicy combination in a poriyal/curry for side dishes to rice, this is the recipe for you. As this curry is mildly spiced, the kids will love it. This curry tastes amazing and goes very well if had with a hot and spicy Kulambu rice. You can adapt the same recipe for good old potatoes as well but the taste will not be the same. As th
Ever had a cake for breakfast!!! Well if not, this will make a perfect Breakfast cake for you. This is such an easy peasy savory cake that’s adapted from Anjum Anand’s “Indian Food Made Easy” which I happened to borrow from the local library a few years back. That was the first time I chanced upon a savory cake that had vegetables in it and the recipe intrigued me. Despite
Whoever said that Soups are to be only enjoyed steaming hot and that too on a cold wintry day… This soup begs to differ on all fronts and the best thing is that this soup needs no cooking at all. Gazpacho is a Spanish style soup that is basically served cold/chilled, made from tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables along with spices. This watermelon Gazpacho is an adapted version of the tr
A perfect, white and soft bread is what you get by using this Tangzong method. This eggless bread recipe is perfect for making basic white bread at home which can be used to make toasts and sandwiches for breakfast. You can also bake this bread recipe into Dinner Rolls (Pav Buns) or as Stuffed buns. If not for the We Knead to Bake group started by Aparna, I would have never had a
Ever since I started using Couscous for Breakfast as Puttu, serving the kids in the mornings became such a breeze. But this is the first time, I’m using Couscous in a salad. With the summer building up to its peak, eating a full fledged meal is proving to be more difficult and having a wholesome diet with all the nutrients in a salad has become more than welcome. Indian summer salads use lot
The most easiest chocolate dessert that you can ever make and all it takes is just 2 ingredients and 10 minutes of your time to rustle up this quick chocolate dessert, which will be loved by kids and adults alike. The chocolate dipped almonds which I made along with these chocolate almond bark are so good to eat and will make a perfect Petit Fours for any type of party. When I was looking ou
Homemade Croissants has been on my wish list for a very long time and they were also the most postponed one considering the lengthy procedure. If not for the easy croissant recipe with the step wise instructions and the amount of discussions all the bakers of the We Knead to Bake group had, I seriously would not have considered to give this a shot. They turned out to be th
Easy pulao recipes such as this Mushroom and Peas Pulao will make a fantastic lunch box recipe both for kids and office goers alike. Pack this pulao for your kids lunch box, I assure you that the lunch box will come back empty and they will be asking you to make it often as well. As both the mushrooms and peas have high protein content and when combined and cooked along with rice, t
I can never forget the moment, when I tasted the awesome Puttu Kadala Curry at my neighbor's home for the first time. A typical preparation belonging to God's Own Country ~ Kerala, that the recipe has become so synonymous with the state itself. As the Kadala Curry is protein loaded and rich with the coconut gravy added to it, it makes a healthy and nutritious breakfast when eaten
This chocolate peanut butter will be your own homemade version of Nutella, if you happen to love it and eat it by spoonfuls. Yumm..., right. Whenever I think of the fact that I actually went and bought a peanut butter jar from the shop only to give it away to a friend as the kiddo did not like it and I myself did not know what to do with it many years ago, I feel like kicking myself,
Hey People!! So, How is everyone doing? Its been a long time and I did take my time this time to return that it almost feels like I'm coming out of hibernation as well. In my opinion every passing year is becoming more and more cold and even Chennai, where it feels like summer always was very cold this year. But guess what Spring is in the Air and it is time to shake of the
I love a good homey chocolate cake. It would be even better if I can rustle it up in a jiffy, one that does not require a whole lot of pots and pans which means a lot of cleaning up after the eating is done, one that takes only one bowl for the entire thing.... Too much to ask for right. But that is exactly what I made when I tweaked this One bowl Vanilla cupcake recipe into a fu
Its been a week since Hubby presented me with a DSLR camera for valentine's day and it would be an understatement if I say that I had been obsessed with the new toy. I'm still getting used to it and had been practicing like crazy but unfortunately my laptop died on me. This is what I say is perfect timing. It is going to take another 2 or 3 days for me to get my laptop back and I had no pl
Sago kheer happens to be one of my favorites as long as someone else makes it for me. Both the kheer and myself never got along well until a few years back and to be particular, before my marriage. We both date back to my school days and this kheer just curdled into one lumpy, ugly mess when I made it for the first time. My brother had called me to inform me that he won in a big competition
No matter how many side dishes you may have in your repertoire, you are always left wondering when it comes to preparing side dishes for rotis. At least that happens to be true in my case. It becomes even more tough when you do not happen to have any vegetables at hand and all of sudden guests drop by unannounced at your door step. That is exactly what happened last Friday. As we had a 3 day holi
In my household, as far as soups go, I do not have the luxury of opting for any shortcuts like using store bought bouillon/soup cubes which can save a hell lot of time. Arjun loves soups and I try to make a soup at least once in a fortnight and it has to be from scratch. Usually, I just make a plain tomato soup for him but recently my kids have taken a sudden affinity to pasta. Earlier they us
So, how warm is warm enough, asked my friend. She meant the water’s temperature for proofing the yeast. When I started out with yeast, even I used to wonder the same as I did not have a thermometer to check on the temperature and still do not have one. To get the perfect raised dough, the proofing of yeast is very important and if the water is not hot enough the dough will not rise or if the wate
My love for oranges is known to everyone in my family. I love citrus flavors very much and among them oranges are my favorite. I love the color and also anything and everything made with oranges. To prove my point, I have an Orange bread, Vegan Orange Cake, Shortbread Cookie and a delicious, mouthwatering Orange Kheer that will be a perfect dessert and not to mention a drink that will whet your a
Wishing you all a very Happy Pongal and also celebrating 6000 Facebook Likes. I feel so humbled with all the love being showered on me. The Second day of the pongal festival is also called as “Thai Pongal” and I had been very much busy with cleaning home, purchases and other related activities to celebrate the festival. In the 4 day long festival, my favorite is to eat Chakkarai Pongal that
Do not be surprised by the heading because what you read is correct, it took me all of 5 minutes to put together this bread and look what a beauty is has turned out to be. I still find it difficult to believe that to get a decent bread it just needs 5 minutes of our time. With this bread, you are hands free and there is literally no kneading required at all. But I do love kneading not that
We, The Gourmet Seven are back with a bang and from this month on it is only going to get better with a few more foodie friends joining us. This month we chose to cook some gourmet party food from the BBC Good Food site and I chose this Pizza recipe as I was sure that my kids would love it very much. After all what is a party without a Pizza, right. It came out fabulous but of course I had to mak
Wishing all my friends and readers a very Happy New Year. I wanted to ring in the New Year with something sweet. So, sharing with you all here is an eggless coffee cake that I made before New Year which I took to my native place where we celebrated the new year with all my relatives. As I had mentioned in Mocha Muffins post, except me all my relatives are hard core coffee addicts and I knew this
I made it... Duh!!! of course I made it. Uh!!! What I mean is that I actually made my own caramel sauce for the first time ever. I simply could not understand what I felt so terrified about this simple sauce. May be reading and listening to the scary stories made me feel that. But thanks to my friend that I tried it. You see, she did something very sweet for me and I wanted to thank her pro
Hope you all had a blessed Christmas friends... Last week was quite crazy at my end. With the exams getting over for the kids and packing for our trip to drop them off at their grandparents home and me making some goodies to be taken there and some to be delivered to our friends before starting, I was super busy without finding any time to sit and draft the posts. Apart from a coffee cake which I
These cookies are one of my favorites and you can get them in any bakery at my place, especially during Christmas as they give such a cheerful look and add to the festive atmosphere. I love tutti frutti and can eat them just as they are by handful and if you are new to tutti frutti, they are nothing but candied fruits. I had always known these cookies as Tutti Frutti cookies and was surprise
I hate coffee. Yes, you heard it right. I’m a tea person and I just can’t stand the smell of strong brewing coffee at all. My native being Kumbakonam, which is known for its aromatic and strong “Degee Kaapi” (Filter coffee), many of my friends and relatives just cannot understand my hatred for the beverage. Earlier whenever I visited a relative’s home and when offered coffee, I used to gulp it d
These bejeweled cookies are a delight to make and the coconut coating only enhanced the delight in eating them. I had always wanted to make them but somehow kept postponing them. I’m a way too lazy especially when it comes to baking cookies, as I have to do them in batches. There are so many varieties of the good old thumbprint cookies and this is just the basic one which I had baked eggless. I
To tell that I loved baking these cookies would be an understatement. I felt like a kid while watching these cookies develop the fissures on them. I just could not move away from the oven at all. This is the first time I’m baking these cookies and my first experience was just awesome. This is one of the most easy-peasy cookie that you can put together. I had no idea how these were going to taste
This sandwich is not for the faint hearted and for all those who are working out to lose weight, so please just drool and pass on.... This is loaded with two main goodness that life bestowed upon us, Cheese and Butter and I’m sure that you will be celebrated by your kids when you present them with this loaded sandwich. I do make a very mean egg sandwich, mind you. As the younger one’s sch
And the aliases do not just end with there.... These cookies are also called as an Italian Butter Nut, a Southern Pecan Butterball, a Snowdrop and a Viennese Sugar Ball. Wow, that’s a lot of names for such a humble cookie. But no matter how it is known as, it was an absolute pleasure to bake and munch on these cookies. These cookies were so easy to put together with just the regular things that
It had been my long time wish to bake these colorful cookies that I chance upon in the internet frequently. Finally made it last week and they turned out absolutely great, just the way I wished a perfect cookie to be. Slightly crisp around the edges and chewy in the middle and around. I did not even get a chance to store them. All were gone within minutes of taking them from the oven. When I sur
Hi friends, I’m back after a long break, I guess. Its been something or the other lately which took more priority and I had to leave this space of mine go hungry. But not anymore. I’m sure many of us may feel a bit stuffed and so full especially after the day we had celebrated and eaten too much and want to keep the food simple yet hearty the next day. If so, please meet the new comfort food
