When we were young, all the masala powders – sambar powders would be ground in a grinding mill. The heavy stainless steel boxes would be filled with freshly ground hot masala from the mill. The milling process generated a lot of heat. After reaching home, the masala powder would be carefully spread on a newspaper to cool and dry. The whole house would smell spicy and people would sneeze here and there as the smell was so strong....

True authentic Tamilnadu Chettinad Spicy Vanjaram Fish Fry recipe from a karaikudi kitchen with step by step pictures. The story behind Vanjaram Fish Fry! Some years back my friend had gone to her home town on an emergency. We friends decided to take turns to send dinner for her husband. My turn came and my husband suggested that we call him home for dinner as it would be nice to be together after a long day at work....

How to make Udupi style rasam made with dal and tomato. Rasam with homemade rasam powder / saaru podi. Karnataka Udupi style tomato rasam recipe. Mangalorean style rasam. Rasam is something taken very seriously in South Indian kitchens. Udupi rasam is hot, sour and a little sweet from the jaggery rounding off the flavors so well.The colour and aroma makes it mouth watering. I adapted this recipe based on Hari Sankaran’s TV show....

My son is a fan of ammini kozhukattai. Apart from making it during festival times, it has become a staple lunch box item. I make the balls and the masala powder the previous night itself. I steam the balls in the morning and just toss it with the masala, just in time to be packed for the lunch box. We call it the “mini” kozhukattai’s. Here is how to do ammini kozhukattai....

Recipe for Tamil style Arasanikai – yellow pumpkin curry. Arasanikai kuzhambu made with a ground masala paste from scratch. Yellow pumpkin curry in coconut sauce. Perfect side dish for rice. Here are some of the items that will be useful for making this curry. Indian heavy duty mixie Kuzhambu milagai thool Unprocessed Jaggery Here is the video of how to make Arasanikai Kuzhambu – Yellow Pumpkin Curry Recipe Here is how to make Arasanikai Kuzhambu – Yellow Pumpkin Curry Recipe...

Easy and delicious potato masala made with a tangy and rich tomato cashew paste. A perfect side dish for roti and chapati. It’s vegan too. Here is an easy everyday recipe for baby potato gravy made with easy ingredients available in an Indian pantry. The tomatoes in this recipe are de-seeded, giving a creamy curry and the cashews add a nice richness to the curry. De-seeding the tomatoes for this recipe is a little extra step but it’s well worth it....

Planning a fun night at home doesn’t have to mean juggling frying pans and deep oil right before the first hand is dealt. Oven-baked samosas and easy sheet-pan treats give you all the crunch and comfort, with far less fuss. Once the trays are in the oven, you can step away and enjoy the evening without fuss. That short hands-free cooking time is perfect for greeting guests or setting out napkins and drinks....

Recipe for easy caramel payasam with broken rice and vanilla made in the instant pot. Easy recipe for caramel payasam. Making payasam/milk-based desserts has become effortless after the instant pot has come into the kitchen. No more stirring the milk for hours and standing in front of the stove keeping vigil so the milk does not boil over or scorch in the pan. Caramel Payasam is a super easy dessert and a crowd favorite at parties....

Cauliflower vadai made with blanched Cauliflower and spices. Gobi Vada / pakora recipe. Shallow fried Indian style Cauliflower fritters that are made without eggs, Vegan and Gluten-free. Cauliflower is the most versatile vegetable ever. There is a very funny quote about Cauliflower. “Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” The possibilities of a Cauliflower is endless. This is a very easy to do Cauliflower Vadai / Cauliflower fritters that can be put together in minutes....

This Creamy Greens and Tofu Power Bowl is a wholesome, under-500 calorie meal with the perfect balance of protein, carbs, and healthy fats. With 19.7g of protein, plenty of fiber, and nutrient-dense veggies, it’s a satisfying bowl that supports your health goals without compromising on flavor. Though it may seem like there are several elements, this bowl comes together surprisingly quickly. Each component uses simple ingredients and minimal prep, making it easy to cook in under 30-40 minutes....

As a typical south Indian, nothing satisfies me during lunch like lentils and rice. Whenever I used to return back home during my hostel days, I would ask my mom to make lentils. As they say “The journey home is never too long, Your heart arrives before the train.” Lentils and rice is what I used to crave the most. This is a simple everyday lentil Dal Fry recipe. The addition of coconut gives it such a nice flavor and aroma....

Cooking for a first date? All the best. You’ve skipped the uncomfortable restaurant chairs, the noisy atmosphere, and all the “so, what do you do?” conversations and decided to impress in your own kitchen. Romantic? Absolutely. Risky? Perhaps. The first dinner at home can be a sweet memory… or a complete fiasco that gets retold for years (and not in a good way). So, before you put on your apron and go on a culinary mission, let’s talk about the dishes you should avoid and other things to keep in mind....

How to make Srilankan style plain tea. Ceylon black tea. Local Srilankans make their tea with low grade tea leaves called as fannings or dust. The gradings vary and one of the common high grade tea used is OP – Orange Pekoe or BOP – Broken Orange Pekoe (These tea leaves are expensive). For local Srilankan tea, BOPF is used. BOPF – Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings. Fannings are also referred to as dust tea....

My ultimate comfort food has to be dosa. To me, nothing like a dosa from an iron pan. But many times iron pans just doesn’t work. Every household will have that worn out rusty dosa pans that they don’t use anymore. Its time to dust them as we are going to learn how to season them. Properly seasoned iron pan lasts a lifetime. Its durable. The older the pan gets with usage, better the pan gets....

I first tasted this dish at The Gateway Hotels – Karavalli Restaurant in Bangalore. We loved it a lot. The description of the dish was something like this. “Boneless chicken, marinated to perfection in a traditional mangalorean masala, tossed in yoghurt, green chillies and curry leaves.” It was true to every word of that description. The slight tang from the white bits of curdled yogurt and the aroma of curry leaves made this dish a winner to be remembered for a long time....

Recipe for Indian style lemon chicken recipe thats easy and bachelor friendly. Lemon chicken recipe with step by step pictures. To Grind Take a small mixie jar and add in the onion, garlic cloves and ginger. Add in quarter cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. Marinate the chicken Take a bowl and add in the cleaned chicken pieces. I like to use chicken with bone for this recipe....

Tawa Fried Cheese Veggie Roll Home-made vegetable rolls made with stuffed vegetables and cheese. Layered Vegetable rolls made with dough from scratch. Notes Active dry yeast or Instant yeast can […] Hot Chicken Stir Fry With Veggies And Brown Rice Healthy Meal Bowl – Hot Chicken Stir Fry With Veggies And Brown Rice | How To Cook Brown Rice In Cooker. We are going to […] Vegetable Paniyaram, Vegetable Kuzhi Paniyaram – My Paatis Paniyaram Batter Recipe This is my dad’s mom Kittamma Paati’s recipe....

Recipe for Traditional Kongunadu style Mutton Thanni Kuzhambu and Mutton Varuval Recipe. This is a two in one recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures and video. The Mutton Thanni Kuzhambu is a popular kuzhambu / curry in Kongunadu region especially in Erode and Salem areas. “Thanni” means water. The mutton curry is made to a watery / soupy consistency. After making the curry, the mutton pieces are removed from the curry and made into a stir-fry with lots of de-seeded red chillies and powdered black pepper....

Creamy Greens and Tofu Power Bowl This Creamy Greens and Tofu Power Bowl is a wholesome, under-500 calorie meal with the perfect balance of protein, carbs, and healthy fats. With 19.7g […]

Paruppu Payasam is a house favorite. This is my husbands favorite payasam. Coconut milk, lentils and the very mild flavor of cardamom and ghee makes the payasam sublime. Its a very traditional recipe and here is how to do it. Wash the moong dal. Take a bowl and add in the washed 1/3 cup moong dal and 1 cup water. I like to cook the moong dal in the pressure cooker....