Indian Gooseberry Rice / Nellikai Sadham/Ari Nellikai Sadham

Gooseberries are seasonal favourites of any Indian household. I have this tree at home that gives small variety gooseberries. They are quite sour and can’t be consumed raw as much as I would like.

Vadacurry/Vadakari/Vadaikari

Hiya! Now I have got used to scheduling the posts amidst my work and its seems to give an enormous satisfaction that is unexplainable. Today I m with a recipe, that was introduced to me when i first stepped into Chennai for work. It sure swept me off my feet because the first try was from Mari Kadai, a famous shop known for its signature dish ’VADACURRY’. From then i have been eating various types with various additions and this version is that of my Mom-In Law’s which for sure a crowd pleaser. Do try it guys!

Arachuvita Sambar/Idi Sambar

Sambar or lentil stew is a famous South Indian accompaniment to rice/rice pancakes. The term ’arachuvita’ translates to being freshly ground whereas ’Idi’ means pound and so. On the whole it is a lentil stew made with freshly roasted and ground spices and coconut which gives a complex combination of robust flavors and tantalizing taste. I am a straight right fan of this sambar and I m  sure that this is going to be a keeper in your household too when you try it so here is the recipe. Do try it and let me know how it turned out for you!

Instant Mango Pickle/Kalyana Manga Urukkai/Manga Urukai

Instant mango pickle is a savior on those days when you want something simple yet spicy and with a sharp note of tart to go with simple rice dish. M is a big fan of anything mangoish..yeah.. so this is also in his favorites list and I make them often in mango season. Though I have used the round pickle variety of mango here, the best for this pickle is the kili mooku mangai/Totapuri/Ko Mangai variety or the slightly sweet big mangoes with red tinted light green skin which tastes yumm! It stays well for a week and goes well with curd rice.

Tomato Bath/Tomato Biryani

Tomatoes bath is a spicy and aromatic rice variety.  As I was perusing through my recipe list I was surprised to see that tomato rice did not make it through the list coz I frequently make them in different ways and not even one has ended up in here.

Egg Kothu Parotta/Mutta Parotta-Madurai Style

Here is another famous recipe from Madurai road side shops that is drool-worthy! I have had my fair share of egg parottas from various places and I have to say that some of the best comes from Madurai. Follow this recipe and I m sure you are in for a treat.

Garlic Pickle/Vellaipoondu Urukai-South Indian Style

Garlic pickles are tasty and spicy sides for curd rice. I am not a pickle person but I like garlic pickle especially because of the herby garlic flavors. This recipe is an authentic one from our family and it may seem a little different from the regular south Indian pickle preps.

Thattai/ Thattai Murukku

Thattai is a crispy dry snack famous in Tamil Nadu, made to relish during tea time and also during festivals in bulk as it has a pretty good shelf time. Anyone from a traditional tamil family will be familiar or in fact be a fan of this tasty snack.

Curd Rice/Bagala Bath

Curd rice is a comfort food for many and that includes M,A and me. We can eat curd rice as a meal by itself with just a couple of sides like pickle,kari vadam,seenivarakai vathal,sundakkai vathal,mor milagai and so.

Coriander Rice/Kothamalli/Malli Sadham

Rice is a staple for us South Indians, though we stack up chapathi/rotis for breakfast and dinner, lunch always means rice. Especially lunch box with rice is a welcome deal with M. Also he doesn’t complain about variety rice being served for lunch other than which he hates them. So I cook variety rice twice a week something as a quick fix on lazy/late mornings.

Kadala Curry For Puttu-Kerala Style/Chickpea Curry

Kadala curry is a kerala style chickpea curry made with coconut base. Its rich and yummy with bold flavors of spices. Usually its served with puttu, a steamed variety of rice cake. But m says they also serve it with kerala parotta. M likes them with rotis. I like them with appam. Anyways they taste good. This time I paired them properly with puttu. The recipe for puttu will be posted sometime soon!

Milagu Kuzhambu / Pepper Kuzhambu

As I have posted the lunch menu along with this kuzhambu I m here with the recipe. The kuzhambu is lip smackingly delicious and spicy and both M and I love this kuzhambu. Its my Amma’s special. Se pairs it with Kathirikkai kootu,paruppu thugayal and sutta appalam. I have made some changes to the pairings (lunch menu 3) and it was equally tasty. The recipe is authentic and I followed the recipe to the T as I don’t want even a slightest change in the taste and it worked. Do give it a try!

Aviyal/Avial

I Wish a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2015 to All ! 2014 has been a good year for me yeah! There has been a few downs as well. But hey! I started a blog which I have been dreaming off for a long time, I have lost a few pounds which was in my resolution list for almost past 3 years and I have initiated it this year which means I have taken some effort, I have taken the first step and I have done something right of course with the constant support from my family without which nothing would have been possible. So it was a wonderful year and I wish 2015 has better things in store for me.

Vazhakkai Varuval/Roasted Raw Plantain

M loves raw plantain/kachcha kela. I make this roast often as they are super easy and taste good. They are crispy & spicy outside and soft inside. They taste yum when served hot with rice and rasam.

Coconut Ladoo/Nariyal ka Ladoo/Coconut Balls

Coconut ladoo is a south Indian sweet that brings the true flavors of coconut and tastes yumm. M likes coconut ladoo so made these today. The ingredients are the same for both burfi and ladoo but the time period, color and the texture (patham) slightly differs.

Jhangri/Jangri/Imriti

I like jangris especially the Krishna sweets one. I used to gobble it one after another on festive days. The ghee flavor just makes me go gaga. But I have also had those mini jangris that has the rose essence flavors which I liked. So here is a humble try.

Aval Dosai/Poha Dosa/Sponge Dosa/Beaten Rice Pancakes

Aval Dosai is a spongy dosa that doesn’t require many tricks and techniques like the normal dosa batter and this was my go-to recipe during my early days of cooking.