Pickles

GREEN CHILLI THOKKU

Green Chilli Thokku is a pickle made with green chillies, spices and tamarind.It is very tasty but very spicy and hot and goes with almost any dish as a side.In our house we call it as Molaga thogayal.My husband loves it to the core and demands making this almost twice a month.I make it but sometimes have to say no due to the extreme spiciness of the pickle.This traditional thokku a family favorite is in our house for generations from grandma to mom and then me.The tastiest combination is with curd rice or dosa,but it’s lingering taste would tempt you…

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Indian Festival Recipes, Navarathri Recipes, Payasam/Kheer Recipes

BROWN RICE KHEER

I have never tried kheer with brown rice though I make rice based payasam or kheer during festivities or when guests drop over.Brown Rice Kheer was a recipe I stumpled upon when I searching for recipes using brown rice.Brown rice is actually whole grain rice with the outer hull removed.It is not polished and has a nutty flavour and is chewier than white rice hence considered very healthy.It has a good source of magnesium, phosphorous, selenium and Vitamin B6.Also, jaggery has a good source of iron and is much better option than sugar.I made this recipe long back during winter.I…

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Diwali Sweets, Indian Festival Recipes, Sweets, Traditional Recipes

ADIRASAM

Adirasam is a deep fried type of Indian sweet from the Tamil cuisine.Also this is one of the traditional sweets made in Tamil Nadu during festivals and marriages.Though it requires a very ingredients,it is very difficult to attain the perfect texture and requires absolute concentration.It is made using rice flour and jaggery.The rice is soaked and dried and then powdered. Jaggery is made into a syrup and added to the rice flour,mixed and made in to balls which are flattened and deep fried.Some make it with syrup too,but I have never attempted to make that version. Somehow it was a…

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Diwali Sweets, Indian Festival Recipes, Sweets

MYSORE PAK

There are certain sweets which occupy an important role when served at any special occasion.Mysore Pak is a classic sweet of South India and is made at almost all celebrations.It is also said it is one of the difficult desserts to make and requires much expertise.I have seen mom making this as a child’s play and wondered many a times if I could attempt it even.It so happened that when last week when some friends came home for a small gathering,I choose to make these golden squares.I made this the previous day itself so that I can concentrate on other…

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Karnataka Recipes, Rasam

UDIPI RASAM

Udipi is a small town in Karnataka,which has a unique and tasty cuisine famous all over the world.The people of the region use a saatvik way of preparing food and onions and garlic are devoid of usage.I tasted this rasam once in the Udipi Sri Krishna temple and was mesmerized by its awesome flavour.In Karnataka rasam is called saaru and is one of the important part of the menu.They make with freshly homemade pudi which is nothing but powder with which this rasam is made.Besides the various rasam varieties,I relish on this rasam very much.I am sure once you prepare…

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Diwali Sweets, Indian Festival Recipes, Ladoo Recipes, Sweets

SOYA DATES LADOO

Today’s post also happens to be a dessert and that too a nutritious one.This is purely an imaginative and born out of innovation recipe.This one was made by me for a magazine contribution which included Soya recipes.Among many starters,main course and side dishes with Soya,I made this ladoo which was not only quick and easy to make but tasted awesome as well.I have made this with Soya flour,easily available in the market nowadays.But you can follow the same procedure using powdered Soya chunks. Whenever you are in a craving mood for a sweet try this one out.As you would see…

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Diwali Sweets, Indian Festival Recipes, Sweets

CARROT HALWA/GAJAR KA HALWA

Carrot Halwa or Gajar ka Halwa is also known as Gajrela is a sweet dessert pudding mainly associated with North of India.It is made during Diwali, Holi and family celebrations.Many people make it in different methods,either with pressure cooker,microwave or in an open pan which is slow cooked with grated carrots in milk and dry fruits.Almost everyone is addicted to this sweet delicacy and requires no reason to prepare and enjoy.I also made this just for the sake of blogging,but the enjoyment came along the way.As a blogger trying out new recipes and taking pictures is a weekly affair,if not…

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Drinks, Summer Coolers

PANEER SODA

Paneer Soda?Now what in the world is that?I can hear some of you asking.Paneer in Tamil is rose water and this drink is a one made of rose water and soda with ice cubes perfect for this summer.Many of you might have seen vendors in the streets selling in bottles a peculiar shaped bottle with a strange neck and a pebble in between.Pushing that open he would sell these and in this summer it would be selling as hot cakes.I have made a small attempt to a rose syrup at home as a preserve which can be stored for over…

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Diwali Sweets, Sweets, Vinayakar Chaturthi/Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes

KARJIKAI/DIWALI SWEETS

 I never had a sweet tooth, but have always awed at my mom who used to make sweets and savories with much ease.In my growing years in New Delhi,when kitchen was almost unknown to me,every now and then a new delicacy would pop up and surprise us.This is one such traditional recipe which my mother made and that too in no time.I have also seen my grandma who used to sit painstakingly near the stove to make these deep fried dumplings. As I had this post long pending in my draft,i thought of posting this today.Children nowadays have a liking of desserts like doughnuts,cakes and pastries,but have you ever thought that in our Indian Cuisine there are innumerable desserts that you might have not even heard of.This Karjikai is a sweet made with maida dough which is rolled as a chapati and filled with sweet filling of coconut,roasted gram and sugar.As you can see it is in the shape of semi circle.Besides making this sweet for Diwali,people also make this for Ganesh Chaturthi.But you can make this at any time of the year to treat your loved ones,right?Over to this sweet recipe of Karjikai.

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Drinks, Summer Coolers

ICED ORANGE TEA

Come summers,we all crave for juices and cool drinks and eat food that are cool and has lots of water content.It is becoming unusually hot here in Bangalore and the weatherman forecasts more heat.It is the first time I am experiencing this kind of hot weather here in the software capital of our country.I made lots of juices,milkshakes and smoothies this year to beat the heat and this tasty energetic tea with orange had been the best.It is an excellent cooler and revives your spirits almost immediately.Tea as we all know is a good anti-oxidant and reduces the risk of…

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Drinks, Mango Recipes, Summer Coolers

AAM PANNA

The summer is at it’s peak and the mangoes are in season.That has driven me to try this long pending to try on my list Aam Panna. Last week when i went to the market i purchased a few raw mangoes.We make pickles of various types with mangoes and eat the long cut pieces.Also there are a variety of gravies and of course as we all know,we make juices and shakes too. This is a North Indian cooler drink made with raw mangoes and is very popular there owing to it’s availability of varieties and numbers.I learnt that raw mangoes…

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