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.

Ganesh Chathurthi 2015 / Vinayaka Chathurthi 2015–Celebrations and Recipes

Happy Ganesh Chathurthi... Today (17.09.2015) is celebrated as Ganesh Chathurthi / Vinayaka Chathurthi and it is one of the most popular festivals in India.. Ganesh Chathurthi is celebrated as the birthday (rebirth) for Lord Ganesha.

A craft my daughter did in Nursery for Ganesh Chathurthi

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..

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..