Keerai Kootu | Spinach and Lentils Curry with Coconut
Keerai Kootu | Spinach and Lentils Curry with Coconut It’s January (at least for another 3 days). The one month of the year when you really really want to give healthy-eating a chance. Cause you never know when those resolutions, schmesolutions are going to give way to a more practical reality. Plus, it’s the month … Continue reading
Mushrooms In Coconut Milk Curry
Mushrooms In Coconut Milk Curry Here’s a Thai-inspired coconut milk soup-like curry that you can customize as you please. If you’re wondering why I have oh-so-cautiously used “inspired” instead of Thai-style, its because I’ve added almost nothing that ought to go into a Thai recipe, except for the coconut milk, but still manged to find … Continue reading
7 Cup Barfi
7 Cup Barfi | 7 Cup Cake with Besan and Coconut It’s Diwali today and I am super-excited cause my little guy is actually excited about the festival this year.. yayy! It’s definitely not the same way it feels when you’re back home in India, where the streets and cities all light up days leading up … Continue reading
Hotel Style Coconut Chutney
Hotel Style Coconut Chutney I first tasted this version of coconut chutney at a party last year – SK made this right around Diwali last year, and it was exactly like the kind you find at the typical South Indian hotel/mess.. sooo good! It comes as no surprise, as it turned out her mom actually … Continue reading
Meen Kuzhambu | Fish Curry in Tamarind and Coconut Sauce
Meen Kuzhambu ~ Fish Curry in Tamarind and Coconut Sauce This dish never fails to excite. I haven’t had to make any changes to my mom’s version of this tangy-spicy tamarind-based curry. And the few times that I ventured out of the norm, to try out say a mustard-curry or something else hoping to discover another … Continue reading
Tropical Carrot Cake
Tropical Carrot Cake I realized not so long ago that I know very little about baking. Wouldn’t you say so if you found out I had no idea that cakes need their source of heat from the bottom and not the top?!? And as it had to be, I learnt it the hard way – after completely … Continue reading
Mushroom (Koon) Mutta Thoran | Kerala Style Mushroom-Egg Stir Fry
Mushroom (Koon) Mutta Thoran ~ Finely cut mushrooms stir fried with scrambled eggs and shredded coconut When Onam fell on a weekday this year, all I wanted to do was put together dinner with a few Kerala-style dishes that would appeal to a barely-mallu palette. This thoran is a perfect fit – D found it … Continue reading
Goan Shrimp Curry
When you read through a recipe, sometimes you are just not sure if you should really do everything that is called for. There are questions about whether certain things go together well or not. I felt somewhat that way when I came across this curry. It sure looked super yummy, but vinegar and coconut and … Continue reading
Karamani Puli Kuzhambu / Black-eyed peas in coconut-tamarind curry
Karamani Kuzhambu / Black-eyed peas in coconut-tamarind curry Another recipe using dried legumes, for those days when you are short on veggies and looking to use something from the pantry. Like most other traditional Kerala recipes, this one is quite easy to make and is done as soon as your beans are! What I like … Continue reading
Fish Puttu / Scrambled Fish with Spices
Fish Puttu / Scrambled Fish and Spices This recipe was one of those surprise discoveries a few years ago. I came across this on samai.in and seeing how easy it was, decided to try it in addition to making the usual (also an all-time-favorite) fish curry. We got hooked right away! It’s so simple and only takes … Continue reading
Pattani Sundal / Dried peas salad with green mango and coconut
Thenga Maanga Pattani Sundal / Dried peas salad with green mango and coconut Another Navratri special and a snack that just might bring back beach memories for those from Chennai 🙂 My favorite part of this beach sundal, given I’ve never had it in a beach setting, is the tanginess that hits you every time a bit … Continue reading
Squash Erissery / Easy Butternut Squash Curry with Lentils and Coconut
Squash Erissery / Easy Butternut Squash Curry with Lentils and Coconut We’ve been buying more frozen veggies these days, seeing that there does not seem to be much of a different nutrition-wise when using frozen produce if you cannot get fresh-from-the-farm produce or use fresh groceries within a few days of buying them, as they … Continue reading
Pasiparuppu Vella Payasam / Indian Pudding with Lentils and Jaggery
Pasiparuppu Vella Payasam / Indian Pudding with Lentils and Jaggery Navaratri season is here… well, even if you are not going to be observing fasts or doing poojas every one of the 10 days of this festival, it sure does set the mood for the holiday season. Festive season is in full swing in most … Continue reading
Green chutney with mint and coriander leaves / Dhaniya Pudhina thuvaiyal
Green chutney with mint and coriander leaves / Dhaniya Pudhina chutney This chutney stores really well, for over a week when refrigerated without introducing moisture, and goes so well with any tiffin or chat/ snack items. Mom used to make it often when we were kids and I just remember calling it “green chutney” from then on. … Continue reading
Chicken Korma / Chicken Curry with Coconut and Cashews
Chicken Korma / Chicken Curry with Coconut and Cashews For as long as I can remember, korma (or kurma) curries have been a favorite of mine.. whether it was the chicken / non-vegetarian version or just good-old vegetable korma. And at risk of sounding clichéd, I am going to say it is because of my mom. … Continue reading
Mushroom Biryani | Mushrooms and spices cooked with rice
Mushroom Biryani | Rice & Mushrooms cooked with coconut and spices I don’t even know where to begin to tell you just how flavorful this biryani can be! If you are strictly vegetarian, and okay with mushrooms, then please do try this: your friends that rave about the flavors from chicken or other meat-flavored biryanis can … Continue reading
Kola Urundai Kuzhambu / South Indian Meatball Curry
Kari Kola Urundai Kuzhambu / Indian Meatballs Curry with Kheema (Minced Goat or Lamb Meat) A chettinad specialty, and the Indian version of meatballs in a spicy tangy tamarind-based curry. The minced goat meat (kheema) is mixed with a special spice powder made with roasted gram flour, cinnamon, ginger-garlic, chilies, onions, etc. and made into meat … Continue reading
Kerala Kadala Curry / Chickpeas in a coconut flavored curry
Kerala Kadala Curry or Kadala Masala Curry ~ Chickpeas cooked with coconut-tomato-onion and spices. The perfect accompaniment for breakfast specials like Puttu / Idiyappam / Appam / Dosa. D’s parents are from Palakkad, and needless to say that’s my source for Kerala food and recipes. Kadala curry or Kadala masala curry as it is otherwise called, is … Continue reading
Sweet Kozhukattai / Vella Kozhukattai Recipe / Ganesh Chaturti Special
Sweet Kozhukattai / Vella Kozhukattai ~ Sweet dumplings of rice-flour filled with coconut, jaggery and other goodies. Lord Ganesha sure knew a thing or two about good food. His favorite dish is this sweet dumpling made with steamed rice, called Kozhukattai – also known by these other names: Kozhakkattai, Vella (jaggery) Kozhukattai, Modak, Kadubu, Kudumu, … Continue reading
Shrimp Varuval / Prawns In South Indian Masala
SHRIMP VARUVAL / PRAWNS STIR FRIED IN COCONUT AND SPICES ~ Shrimp (prawns) cooked in spicy South Indian masala Shrimps – hmm, they scare me. They are just too complicated for me to comprehend with all those “moving” parts – sorry if I offended anyone. But my husband (who I’ll simply call ‘D’ going forward), … Continue reading
Aish Cooks 