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..

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..

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..

 

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..

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..

Mysore pak - Indian Sweets

Here comes a very authentic and traditional sweet that is prepared in our houses almost in all festive occassions.. It is said to have originated in Mysore (Karnataka), it is a very popular sweet and is made in many functions.. We make mysore pak also for parupu thengai. Parupu thengai is a cone shaped presentation of sweets prepared during marriages and authentic occassions. From wiki – “Mysore pak was first prepared in the kitchens of the Mysore Palace by a palace cook named Kakaasura Madappa”. Make sure you have everything ready before you start the process as you will have very little luxury time. Also keep a close watch when the color changes as you skip the time, then your mysore pak will not come correctly.. Next time I make this sweet I will try to take step wise clicks..

Tawa Idli - Street Food

Here we travel all the way to Hyderabad with this delicious street food made with idli... I got this recipe from here and this takes the level of idli from bring simple to exotic.. Serve this as-is or with coconut chutney!!

Australian Baked Potato Wedges w Sour Cream and Sweet Chili Sauce

Here we are travelling to Australia via these delicious potato wedges. The potato wedges are normally deep fried and served along with sour cream and sweet chili sauce.. Here I did make it little more healthier by baking it instead of deep frying it... This makes a great evening snack, party food and it is so kid friendly.. Actually friendly for all ages.. i mean who does not like potatoes??? Definitely I do.. Serve this super hot or hot!!!.. Now this completes week 1 of Combo Dishes… Here is the one I used for Sour Cream

Spaghetti and Veg Balls w Garlic Bread / Spaghetti w Meatless Balls

Today we are travelling to Italy by food for its very famous combo - Spaghetti and Meatless Meat Balls or Spaghetti and Veg Balls.. This marathon although was planned months ahead, I could not do much cooking or clicking as I had a baby recently and was on rest from house work and from cooking... Now that I am in to cooking, I am not yet doing it full fledged… This is one recipe which is a last minute preparation that was done just day before yesterday... As I write this post, I still have 2 more combos that I need to do for the next 2 days.. Yes it is a mess I know.. Hope I make it.. Coming to today's recipe, it was a big hit in our house and all of us enjoyed thoroughly... I made the very famous Spaghetti with Meatballs (without meat), So it is Spaghetti with veg balls and and served it with Garlic Bread… Here is the recipe to Garlic Bread

Veggie Fajita / Veg Fajita–Mexican Platter

Talk about simplicity and I cannot ignore this delicious recipe... When I was in US, the cuisine which has rice (other than Asian ones) is Mexican.. Love their beans and rice, cilantro rice etc.. Again this fajita is another dish that is part of their platter which is a elegant, simple and flavorful vegetables.. Be it burrito bowl or burrito or taco, veg fajita (pronounced as fa - hi - ta) is sure to be there.. Our favorite place was Chipotle where we used to relish burrito and taco and this fajita was so delicious and flavorful.. I surely miss them here in India (although I have so many other Indian options...). So I made them at home and we all relished it!! yummm...

So what is all in the platter? Tomato and Basil Tortillas, Cilantro Lime Rice, Veg Fajita, Sour Cream, Refried Beans, Corn Salsa and Cheddar Cheese

Spicy Potato Kari / Spicy Potato Fry

Potato is an universally liked vegetable, also available in many parts of the world.. This version of using the potato in a kari is a common dish in our household which is everybody's favorite.. Using a cast iron pan will make the browning better and also even.. This can be served along with Sambar saadam, Rasam saadam, Curd Rice, Bisi bela bath, Mixed rice etc.. Today I am serving this with Kaara Kuzhambu and steaming hot rice..

Spinach Mini Quiche w easy Crust / Mini Quiche with Crust / Eggless Quiche / Eggless Mini Quiche

Quiche is one of the recipes that I have not tried due to high amount of eggs in it.. Today I am sharing a delicious Quiche which is completely egg free.. So was this easy to do?? Yes and No.. The reason was I did mini quiche in muffin tin which does not have a loose bottom.. So had to research quite a lot to ensure that the base does not crack and also comes out clean.. I used the base recipe from cooks.com and the filling was my own.. The crust was so beautifully flaky and soft which is an interesting texture...