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...

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..

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…

Dal Bhat w Rice

Today we are travelling to our neighboring country - Nepal to relish their National food - Dal Bhat with Rice.. When I was searching for the combos this was one of the first ones I had selected but could do it only yesterday!!! I made this for lunch and it was a very comforting and satisfying meal.. The best part is that you felt like eating home food but it is an International one!!! Serve this hot with steaming hot rice!!

Sautéed Mung Beans / Mung Beans Curry

Here comes a delicious, simple and healthy dish from dal.. I made this for breakfast yesterday we all loved it.. This will be a regular in my kitchen from now.. Try this and you will enjoy it!! This goes into Lentils in different ways theme for this BM..

Parupu Usli

Parupu usli is a very popular dish which is made from dals and green beans. This is served in almost all marriages and functions. This is very rich in nutrients from parupu which is rich in proteins and green beans which is a green vegetable. This one is also very appealing to the eye with green, yellow and red colors. It is a great accompaniment to mor kuzhambu, rasam or sambar. It is very filling as it comes with a lot of protein. Since the grinded dal tastes similar to vadai, we also call this vadaikkari..

Sprouts Salad

Do you like sprouts?? I love to enjoy them, but many do not like them as is... Sprouts can be used in many ways and this salad is a delicious way of enjoying it.. Enjoy this protein rich salad with only a few ingredients... Serve this cold and it will be a pleaser.. Serve this as a light snack or as a side..

Masala Peanuts–Microwave Version

I have made the Masala Peanuts in oven and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Today's recipe is from Nalini's blog which is made in the Microwave oven. We loved this version of the Masala Peanuts also.. Try this and you will know what I am talking about... You could add the spice powders according to taste and preference

Masala Peanuts (Protein Packed Power)

Looking for yet another healthy snack to keep munching??? Here comes a protein packed power food. We get similar ones in shops but those are fried and this one is baked. I got the recipe from here and loved it. Try this guilt free snack. It is very easy and tastes amazing..

Parupu Bonda

For this week BM we will be seeing a variety of snacks starting with a type of Bonda today. Fried items are many people's weakness.. You can just stop with one.. Same holds true for this delicious bonda. This bonda is made with a variety of lentils (parupu) along with spices ad herbs.

Varagu Adai / Kodo Millet Adai – Millet Recipes

Coming to the next recipe in Indian Bread Basket, my choice is with millets today. The minute, I was introduced to millets, this is one of first recipes I tried and have tried it many times. You do not miss rice here. In fact you will think you are eating regular adai which is made with rice..

Sprouts Dosa / Sprouts Uttappam

Lot of times, we want to eat some ingredients but the choice of relishing them are few that we know. So I always look for recipes that uses such ingredients and one of them is Sprouts. I have enjoyed sprouts mostly as is or in a salad. One more I tried was Sprouts Pulao and that was so yummy. Here comes another recipe that uses sprouts completely and you can enjoy these guilt free.. Serve this hot with tomato chutney. It makes for a nice evening tiffin, great breakfast and also a perfect lunchbox recipe.

Adai

Adai is a very famous tiffin or heavy dinner. It is also a festive food made during Karthigai. Adai tastes best when served hot. Some will prefer to eat Adai as is. The famous accompaniment for Adai is Aviyal, but tomato urugai tastes great too. onions and vegetables add a great taste and flavor, but they are also optional based on preference, availability and occassions.

Kadala Kuzhambu–Chickpeas Gravy - Pondicherry

Come and travel with me to the beautiful coastal territory of Pondicherry. It is an Union Territory consisting of four unconnected districts of Pondicherry, Karaikkal, Yanam and Mahe. The city of Puducherry is divided into two sections – The French quarter and the Indian quarter. From Wiki – “Many streets retain French names, and French-style villas are a common sight. In the French quarter, the buildings are typically colonial style with long compounds and stately walls. The Indian quarter consists of houses lined with verandas and with large doors and grills. These French and Indian style houses are preserved from destruction by an organisation named INTACH. The French language can still be seen and heard in Puducherry.” From mapsofindia – “The French and the Indo style have given birth to an innovative taste that is simply marvelous. The influence of the neighboring areas like Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala is also visible. The concoction of the various kinds of cuisines is something to be savored and relished” Coming to today’s recipe it is a kuzhambu made with garbanzo beans. You could also used peanuts instead of garbanzo beans.. You will not need to soak the groundnuts overnight. Just pressure cook it and use it. Kuzhambu and sambar varieties are part of our daily food. There are many varieties and variations. Each of them very comforting and lip smacking.. Eat them with rice and you can call it a meal.. A delicious kuzhambu which is tangy and lip smacking.. I got this recipe from here and loved it..

Bajre Ki Khisri / Kambu Ven Pongal - Haryana

From Gujarat, we travel to Haryana today. Haryana means – the house of Gods. Hari is one of the names of Lord Vishnu and ayana means home. Chyawanprash was first made here. From Wiki – “Haryana has a rich cultural heritage that goes back to the Vedic times. Dhosi Hill, the ashram of revered Rishi Chyawyan is an important site where Chyawanprash was formulated for the first time. Cattle being common in Haryana, dairy products are a common component of its cuisine.[54][55] Specific dishes include kadhi, pakora, besan masala roti, bajra aloo roti, churma, kheer, bathua raita, methi gajar, singri ki sabzi, and tamatar chutney. Lassi and sharbat and nimbu pani are three popular non-alcoholic beverages in Haryana. Liquor stores are common there, which cater to a large number of truck drivers. ”Coming to today’s recipe, it is a wholesome and delicious breakfast!! Khisri or Khichdi is so much similar to the Pongal we do in the South.. This one is very much like the Ven Pongal, but made with the very healthy whole green moong dal and bajra..

Paneer – Indian Cheese

Paneer is a homemade Indian cheese which has many applications from side dishes to chat to sweets. Paneer by itself has lot of taste and flavor of milk. Paneer can be made in advance and stored in refrigerator for around 3 –4 days. Although fresh paneer tastes best, stored paneer is close and much better than store bought ones. It is advisable to store paneer in submerged in water and change the water every day. This will give a better shelf life. Paneer can be made very quickly and takes less than 90 minutes from start to finish being ready. 1 liter 2% milk yielded around 160 grams of paneer. You can use lemon juice, vinegar or citric acid to break the milk. But when curd or whey is used, you get the maximum quantity of paneer. You could also add spices to the paneer while curdling and you get the spiced paneer. Once I have added Red chili flakes and the paneer was so cute with the little red dots from the flakes.

Channa Masala

Channa Masala is a very popular North Indian dish served with rice or roti or naan but the most popular is the Channa Batura when this is served with batura – Maida puri. It tastes best when served hot. It is made with Garbanzo beans and is a very simple recipe. There are many recipes for this channa masala and this is the one of the ways I make. If using the canned garbanzo beans, then no soaking or pressure cooking the beans is required and this is a big time saver.

Paasi Parupu Sundal (பாசி பருப்பு சுண்டல்) - Navarathri Sundal Recipes

Sundal is a very popular evening snack which is quick and easy. It can be prepared in less than 30 minutes from start to finish. This is a variety of Sundal. This is also a festive snack prepared during Navarathri. Paasi parupu is known for its rich protein content and can be easily digested.

Mushroom Aloo Mutter

For Vegan Thursdays, I chose to write Mushroom Aloo (Potato) Mutter (Peas) which is a great side served with rice or roti or naan. It tastes best when served hot. You can skip the peas soaking part if it is made with frozen peas, in which case, just thaw it.

Kaaramani Sweet Sundal / Kaaramani Vella Sundal

Kaaramani sweet sundal is a interesting and a different type of sundal. Unlike the regular sundals which are on the spicier side, this one is sweet and takes little more effort than the spicier ones. We make this authentic sweet sundal for Navarathri. I have used red kaaramani here. Kaaramani is a kind of a legume which is very very similar to Lobia (Black eyed pea)