Paneer in White Sauce / Paneer in white gravy

There are so many paneer side dishes out there and this one is a delicious addition… I made this one to serve along with roti and it tasted so yummy… I generally love recipes which do not need much chopping as I am little slow in chopping.. Since most of the items in this are grinded, you do not have to worry about chopping them perfectly… so it is one of my favorite recipes.. This Paneer in white sauce is a rich and creamy side dish..

Methi Malai Muttar

Methi Malai Muttar is a simple, quick and tasty side dish which tastes great with roti, chapathi or rice. This is one of the side dishes I make when pressed for time as it does not need much preparation.. I always have a pack of dried fenugreek leaves on hand and also frozen peas ready, so it is a very quick one… I have used dried methi leaves, but if you can lay your hands on the fresh ones, please use it…

Thakkali Kootu / Tomato Kootu

Quick meal??? The first thing that comes to my mind is this kootu with steaming hot rice... This one is a life saver as it takes very few ingredients, not much preparation and the meal is very comforting and tasty...

Recap of Buffet on the Table

Another month long marathon is over and today we will be enjoing the recap virtually.. This BM, although was announced so long ago was a very hectic one for me.. Most of the posts were done in the last minute and I had issues with my laptop, with my health and what not... I had so many thoughts of giving up as I thought I would not be able to complete.. Now when I look back, I am happy that I continued and did not give up... So here the virtual recap of the Marathon - Buffet on the table. Click on the recipe name or image to take you to the recipe…

Week 1 – Combo Dishes

Day 1 – Kaara Kuzhambu and Spicy Potatoes

Day 2 – Veggie Fajita w Mexican Platter w Tomato and Basil Tortillas, Cilantro Lime Rice, Veg Fajita,Sour Cream, Refried Beans, Corn Salsa

Carrot Parupu Usli

A month long marathon comes to an end today.. It was such a topsy turvy ride with so many posts done at the very last minute.. Phew!!!! Today’s recipe is going to be a simple curry with carrot.. Do you like veggies that are not spicy??? I am a yes and no.. I prefer spicy veg when accompanying my sambar rice or rasam rice or curd rice... Some veggies are exception, I do not mind the simple carrot curry with coconut, but love this spicy version which is a great accompaniment to any rice dish.. Adjust the spice according to your preference. I make the regular parupu usli with Beans and the recipe is here..

How to remove seeds from Grapes but retaining the skin

Why go through all the effort of removing the seed when you can filter them.. By doing so, you will also filter the skin and the goodness of the fruit is lost to a big level.. It is very essential to remove the seeds from the grapes before using them in juices, jams, ice creams etc.. It is a time consuming process, but all worth the effort. Now when the seeds are removed and the skin is used, you get the goodness of the skin and also the beautiful color with out adding artificial color.. The addition of skin also gives a better texture, wholeness and more opaque. I made this process for the grape juice and the grapes jam

Coconut Oil–how is it made / Coconut to Coconut Oil

Some items to me are just go to shop and buy, but I always love food factory shows. I watch a show called "Food Factory" in discovery and love it.. I had a live experience of how a product is made. Love to visit some places like Krispy Kreme Donuts where we see the factory of making donuts from shaping the doughnuts, to proofing the doughnuts to frying and glazing it. Next is the beautiful local hotels here in India where we can see the food getting cooked from where we order. Today we are going to be seeing my tour of “oil press” where coconut is made to coconut oil.

Shemai Custard / Semiya Payasam / Vermicelli Kheer

Some recipes are similar so much across many countries and today we are going to be seeing one such recipe.. I am talking about Shemai Custard which is soooo similar to the Semiya payasam we do in India.. It is a kheer or custard or payasam made with vermicelli also known as Semiya. It can be served for breakfast as it has all in one from milk to sweetness to the vermicelli.. It also graces any occasion and is very simple to make. It can be served both hot and cold.

Onion Uttappam

As a kid, I never order South Indian when we go out as we get it more tastier at home… Now if I have to order one, then my choice has always been (even now) onion uttappam.. And I always tell – extra onions!!! Yeah me crazy with onions and this uttappam is super yummy!!! This is served as a breakfast in many homes in Southern India.. You can add more delicious things like coriander leaves, curry leaves, green chili, carrot etc… Oh yeah that will also be yummm…

Eggless Cornmeal Bread / Buttermilk Cornbread / Eggless Cornbread

Cornbread is a very popular breakfast in the US.. It is made on the skillet or baked in the oven and served as breakfast. It is quite simple to do and very delicious.. I baked this in a 8 inch square dish and the height of the bread was about 1 1/4 inches.. You will get a taller one if you choose a smaller pan. You can also bake these in muffin tins. I got this recipe from allrecipes.com and made a few changes..

Belgium Vegan Waffles

Waffles - Ah I love it!! They are so delicious, so kid friendly and are so popular.. And as with the other foods, when made at home you can make them healthier and there are so many choices... I got this recipe from here and it is surely a keeper.

South American Cachapas

Do we all love recipes that are too simple, but looks exceptional??? Yeah... I am all for it.. You guessed it right, Today's recipe which I got from here is a very simple and elegant breakfast which is super quick to do... With just a few readily available ingredients, today we will relish a delicious pancake called cachapas from Venezuela. They are traditionally eaten with Queso de Mano (hand made cheese – soft one like mozzarella), but I used the cheese that I got locally here.

Spanish Gazpacho Soup / Creamy Gazpacho Andaluz

Today we will relish the Spanish Soup - Great Gazpacho Soup. This soup is screaming healthy with loads of veggies and so flavorful also.. This is one of the soups you can make the day before as it tastes best when served cold.. I got this recipe from Americas Test Kitchen. This is so flavorful, elegant and richer..

 

Tahini

Tahini is a very delicious paste made from sesame seeds. It makes a delicious and important addition to Mediterranean cuisine.. It is an important part of the hummus.. It is advised to store the tahini is the fridge to avoid spoiling. Also addition of oil is not compulsory, but it gives a creamier texture.

Homemade Cream Cheese

Cream Cheese is a delicious condiment served along with bagel and crackers. It is also used as an ingredient in making deserts like Cheesecake and Mousse. I got this recipe from Gayathri's blog and with only 2 ingredients, this is surely a keeper recipe.

Herbed Oil / Flavored Oil

Flavored oils are so much handy to have on hand and it is the best way to induce flavor and aroma into a dish. I made this flavored oil long ago (when I made my Focaccia Caprese). It is quite simple to do and can be stored for at least 15 - 20 days.

Grapes Jam–without Pectin

Today we are seeing a dish that is popular in all parts of the world.. The very humble – Jam!! I have started making jam in the last few years and every time I see loads of fruit, the first dish that comes to my mind is Jam!!! I have made many varieties of Jam but most of them uses Pectin to make the jam. Now this recipe is a Jam recipe that does not use Pectin, but gets the help from the pectin that is naturally in the grapes.. So this jam uses only 2 ingredients and gives you a beautiful jam with no pectin, no food color, no artificial preservatives and no essence also.. Trust me you get the bursting flavor of grapes and the beautiful color naturally… Although Jam is popular in many parts of the world, it is mainly used in English Breakfast – Bread and Jam.

Maangai Pachadi / Raw Mango Pachadi –Tamil New Year Pachadi

A delicious pachadi made during the Tamil New Year. Life is a combination of happy moments, sad moments, excitement, thrill etc and every year in the New Year we make this pachadi which is a combination of Sweetness (from jaggery), Bitterness (from neem flower), Sourness (from raw mango) and seasonings. This is very simple to make and is also delicious..

Coconut Milk–Thick and Thin Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is an important ingredient in many countries cooking. It is used to thicken gravies, served as a drink with sweetener, sometimes is served as a condiment. Coconut milk makes a great condiment due to its subtle flavor along with the mild sweetness. It will taste great with spicy Thai dishes.

Kanchipuram Idli / Kancheepuram Idli

Today we travel to the temple city - Kanchipuram. Kanchipuram is very famous for Silk Sarees (called Kanchipuram Pattu), temples, rich tradition and culture and food wise, this delicious idli. It has a beautiful aroma from the dried ginger powder and other spices. The recipe today is the very famous idli from this city. This is a very authentic recipe and has its unique taste, appearance and flavor..