Kerala Crab Roast Masala
I am not really a crab person. You won?t find me ordering any form of crab meat in a seafood restaurant, or experimenting with crabs in my kitchen. But I will definitely clean up the plate and lick my fingers everytime my mom cooks this crab roast masala. Infact, I…
Soya and Vegetable Cutlets
When I think about vegetarian food, I feel the need to be more creative and try new things with vegetables. This is often so that my daughter also enjoys the food and does not throw tantrums about having to eat vegetables! I prepare Soya chunks from time to time? not…
Mutton Chilli
Indian cuisine is so full of variety and flavors. So many different cultures, all with their unique ways of using the same ingredients, and different methods of cooking ? there is always a lot to experiment and learn. This is a Goan ? Manglorean recipe for Mutton Chilli given to…
Chicken Liver Meatballs
Although it comes every year, it still hits us unexpectedly and in full force. Summer! Yes it is here, scorching, humid, blindingly sunny and so long. It is just starting and already I want it to end. But it?s a long way from respite, so I will stop dreaming about…
Puran Poli with Amti / Flatbread with sweet stuffing and tangy sauce
Growing up in Pune, neighbouring city to Mumbai and the cultural capital of Maharashtra, it is almost impossible to not fall in love with traditional Maharashtrian cuisine. Marathi influence is very strong in Pune, as it was once the bastion of Maratha Empire and local cuisine is easily available everywhere….
Mushroom and Carrot Pulao
I must admit that I have been a bit lazy the past few weeks and blogging was put on the backburner. Fishing from that dusty bag of good recipes in one corner of my brain, while also rummaging through image folders on my computer for corresponding pictures?. Phew a lot…
Cherry Tart
Recipe adapted from www.joyofbaking.com This is a recipe I’ve been planning to post for quite some time now. Coincidentally it has come up just as summer is arriving here, and the markets will soon be filled with cherries? those gleaming blood red fruits, plump and bursting with juices that stain your…
Indo-Chinese Chili Chicken with Gravy
Chili chicken is another one of those dishes that no one knows the origin of, but it is such a rage in India. Many innocent, na?ve children grow up crazy about Chicken Lollypop, Chili Chicken and Chicken Manchurian unaware for a long time that these dishes are not exactly part…
Hummus / Chickpeas dip
Looking for a great dip to go with breads and veggies for your next dinner party? Or maybe a healthy dip to snack on at work? Or perhaps just a simple vegan spread for your sandwiches and wraps? Enter the hummus! A versatile Middle Eastern dip, made from simple, handy…
Pita Bread / Arabic Khubuz
I find nothing more enticing than the aroma of fresh bread baking at home? Although baking bread takes a bit of practice, it is totally worth it. Fresh, warm bread served with dips, sauces or soups, is a classic comfort food ? simple and satisfying! Here is a recipe of…
Tuna with Vegetables
Canned fish is not really popular in India as yet. We Indians love our fresh catch of the day, from market to kitchen, cooked (and often consumed) on that day itself. I was introduced to canned tuna when I came to Dubai. Since, it has been an indispensable part of…
Bhindi Masala / Spicy Okra
I have said before, that bhindi / okra is one of the commonly cooked vegetables at home. Everyone likes it, and it is always a good addition to a whole Indian meal. Since it is such a versatile vegetable, you can cook it in several different ways. And if you…
Bidari Paratha
This is a super easy Indian bread?. A bit heavy on your waistline perhaps but extremely easy on your palate and you wouldn?t know how they disappear. I am not really sure about the origins of this Indian bread or which part of Indian cuisine it falls under. Not much…
Malabari Red Chicken
Firstly I would like to wish everyone a very happy new year! I hope for everyone that this year brings positive changes, success, good health and lots of yummy food 🙂 So my first recipe of 2014 is going to be of my favourite ingredient – Chicken! I have mentioned…
Egg Curry with Coconut milk
Appams are incomplete without this egg curry. The spicy-coconut-ty flavor of the curry blends well with the rice flour pancakes and the combination is simply amazing. Related recipes Facebook Twitter StumbleUpon Pinterest
Palappam / Rice flour pancakes
Christmas season is the season of engagements, weddings, baptisms, house-warming ceremonies and other such family festivities amongst Keralites (people from Kerala). Since it is an auspicious season and the weather is cool, the entire month is always packed with many family functions?. That means loads of shopping, travel, food and…
Fish Chilli
Indo-Chinese food has come a long way? everyone has a different take on it. It is common now for Indians to use a bit of soy sauce or chili sauce in their contemporary cooking. Most Indian households will have a basket of Chinese sauces and pastes used commonly in ?Chinese?…
Rava Ladoo
This is one of the recipes that have been in my backlog for a while. I actually made the ladoos during Diwali because this is one of the easy sweets traditionally made during Diwali and Ganesh Chathurthi; but missed out putting up the recipe. Well it is never too late?…
Chicken Varattiyathu
Hardly a week that goes by without chicken being served for atleast one meal in my house. There are hundreds of different ways one can cook chicken?. Tiny little variations to age-old recipes or completely new creations, chicken is a great ingredient to experiment with. This recipe is not an…
Creamy Cheesy Veggies
There is something about cheese and cream and how they melt together to make luscious, scrumptious, yumminess? It is also a great way to make vegetables more appetizing especially for kids?Everytime I am confronted by tidbits of different vegetables in the refrigerator I am a little worried about what to…
Eggless Chocolate Tofu Cake
You know that Tofu got on my radar a while ago, and I was in this phase when I was experimenting with it. Well, that was a good healthy phase? (sigh!) Around that time, one of our friends asked if I have ever tried baking eggless cakes, as those are…
Chakli / Murukku
I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Diwali!In India irrespective of what religion one follows, everyone gets caught up in the excitement, brightness and sweetness of Diwali. One of the most popular festivals of India, it is celebrated all over the country. It is like being in one…
Kerala Style Spicy Pork
Hello, I am back after a long vacation. It has been such a long time since I blogged and I have truly missed it. My vacation seemed to have lasted forever, India after Germany and when I got back, I dived right into daily routine. Well, vacation season in UAE…
Beef Cutlets
In Kerala, cutlets are very popular appetizers, a must-have at all occasions. Somewhat like meat balls, but served without gravy, cutlets are most commonly prepared with beef or fish. These flavorful appetizers, get gobbled up very soon? and so it is advisable to make in substantial batches! Related recipes Facebook…
Waffles
Finally my vacations have started! I have left behind the sweltering heat, humidity, sand storms and a load of daily life stress back in Dubai. I am visiting the cousins in Germany – my most favorite place to go for vacation. I cannot tell you how eagerly I had been…
Tofu Bhurjee / Spicy Tofu Scramble
You know my discovery of tofu is fairly recent and I fell in love with it when I made the Tofu Mattar. Ever since I have been stocking up tofu in my refrigerator and trying to integrate it into different foods. Even tried it in a plain eggless cake and…
Chicken Seekh Kebabs with Mint & Coriander dip
This is ideally a recipe for winter season. In Dubai, winters are so special. The weather is pleasant ? sunny, not too hot and not cold? just right? everyone is out taking in the perfectly balanced natural elements. Parks are full with families barbecuing? the smell of grilled meats mingled…
Cabbage Thoran / Cabbage with Coconut
Let me start by explaining what a thoran is. Ideally I should have done this when I posted the colourful carrot, beetroot and tendli thoran when I just started the blog. Nevertheless, it is never too late? thoran is basically the Kerala version of a stir-fry. We Keralites love our…
Spicy Chicken Masala
There is no dearth of chicken recipes out there?.the web world is swarming with so many poultry recipes that you can almost hear the clucking of numerous chickens!! And how can it not be, since it is one of the easiest, most delicious, accessible and affordable meats on the market….
Simple Yellow Dal
This weekend one of my close friends came over to spend the evening at our place. The highlight of the evening was the Chicken Biryani which she had been lusting after ever since she saw it here. So she self-invited herself and we over-stuffed ourselves over conversations about food! When…
Tofu Mattar / Tofu n? Peas Gravy
Firstly I would like to wish everyone Ramadan Kareem. Although I am not Muslim, having lived in Dubai for many years now and before this in Kuwait, I can?t help but join in the spirit of the season. So here is wishing everyone a blessed Ramadan! I have been meaning…
Kappa Vevichathu / Spiced Tapioca
In Kerala, the Red Fish Curry (or Meen Curry ? Meen meaning Fish) goes with Kappa / Tapioca almost by default. From Amoomas (grandmothers) at home, to small Kallu shaap (toddy shop) owners on the roadside, all serve a steaming plate of spicy red fish curry with this tapioca preparation…
Spicy Red Fish Curry
Why is it that when we are kids we love to spend all our time at our next-door friend?s house? Why do we love the food cooked at their house, rather than the food cooked by our mothers, no matter how good it is?? I was that kid; impervious to…
Mixed Pulses Curry / Dal
We Indians have a fascination for pulses and lentils. Various pulses are consumed in various forms all over India?from the humble sambar to the world famous dal makhani, legume preparations are part of daily diet and eaten with rice or rotis. Like any typical Indian household, my kitchen is always…
Bhindi Raita / Fried Okra in Yoghurt
Trust me when I say, I used to run away from vegetables till a few years back. I was, (and still am) an ardent meat lover. However, now I love to cook and eat all kinds of vegetables. Thanks to my father-in-law who is an amazing cook (his mutton korma…
Chicken Biryani
Biryani is one of the most widely traveled Indian dishes. I say widely traveled because, just like butter chicken, and chicken tikka, it is not only well known across the world, but it also picks up nuances and transforms itself slightly wherever it goes adjusting to the taste of the…
Kumblanga Moru Curry/ Winter Melon / Ash Gourd with Yoghurt
The summer heat is rising in Dubai?. And as the temperature goes up, so does the consumption of yoghurt in my house? Moru Curry is simply beaten yoghurt that is tempered. It is an integral part of Kerala cuisine and there are as many varieties as the regions in the…
Chicken Chili / Spicy Shredded Chicken
Caution! – This is not a Chinese recipe? don?t let the name fool you as it fooled me. One evening when we were in the grips of hunger and there was no food at home, we decided to order from a small restaurant right across the house, as the travel…
Unniyappam/Rice Flour Fritters
When we were kids, we didn?t have to make difficult choices of what to snack on from the hundreds of choices available in the market or which cafeteria to visit for a quick bite. We binged on home-made goodies made in bulk and stored in air-tight containers by Mom. One…
Gajar ka Halwa / Carrot pudding
Rarely do I cook just for myself… Since I have a husband and a kid, I have to think about their tastes and take their likes and dislikes into consideration? But as I was in the mood to cook a camel on Thursday, and I was really missing my mom…
Crispy Fried Fish
The Dosas and Potato Sabji and Chutney were barely digested and I was already onto lunch. Got my hands on some really fresh Pomfret fish the previous day and I couldn’t wait to cook them. I make fish curry a lot but I absolutely love to fry fish when it…
Tomato and Coconut Chutney
As I mentioned in the Potato Sabji post, also made Tomato and Coconut chutney to go with the dosas yesterday. Chutneys have a special place in Indian cuisine. They are our equivalent to the West?s dipping sauces. In different parts of India, a varied mix of ingredients goes into the making…
Potato/ Aloo Sabji
Happy Weekend to my Middle East friends! Since yesterday I have been on a cooking spree? The day started with dosas paired with Potato sabzi and Tomato and Coconut Chutney. Although I didn’t get the time to click snaps of the dosas, I did manage to get shots of the…
Methi Aloo Sabji / Fenugreek Leaves with Potatoes
As a child, I used to hate healthy leafy greens, or any vegetables for that matter! As far as I know, most kids don?t like vegetables like Methi/Fenugreek or Palak/ Spinach. Most mothers try to convince, cajole and even force-feed their children to eat these greens leading to tantrums, quarrels…
Carrot, Beetroot and Tendli Thoran / Mixed Vegetables Kerala style
There are times when you go grocery shopping and the refrigerator is overstuffed with fresh stock of meat and poultry and fresh vegetables and all sorts of things that you buy in a flash of creative enlightenment (or perhaps it was just the promotional offer!), irrespective of whether you later…
Pasta with Chicken and Vegetables in White Sauce
My first encounter with pasta was strangely in Kuwait. I moved there after my wedding and lived there for a brief period, during which I tried a number of cuisines for the very first time in my life! Honestly I never kept a count? There was this shopping mall that…
Kerala Fish Curry with Coconut Milk and Mango
I was born and brought up in Pune. Being a city kid, going to Kerala for summer holidays meant small adventures with the native cousins, going back to nature and a lot of delicious traditional food. ?Everyday, there was something new and fun to try out like feeding the goats,…
Simple Fried Okra / Bhindi / Vendakya
Okras are extremely common in most Middle Eastern and Far Eastern regions. They are a popular part of Indian cuisine. Unlike western and Middle Eastern countries, where okras are typically cooked along-with meat; in India they mostly constitute a vegetarian meal. Whether stir-fried, cooked in spicy gravy, or used in…
Chole Masala (Chickpeas Curry)
Chickpeas curry or Chol? as more commonly known in India is another favorite at home. I end up making this almost every fortnight on popular demand. Chickpeas again belonging to the legume family are high in protein and minerals. I am beginning to think, my family has some affinity for…
Aloo Paratha
My brother is my first best friend. Inspite of a big age difference we share that unique bond – sometimes protective, sometimes possessive, sometimes mocking and irritating, most times a comfortable camaraderie full of memories… Yesterday I was thinking of my brother and that part of brain which is the…
White Peas Curry
Since my mother was my first inspiration, instructor and motivation to cook, I would like to start with one of her simple recipes. Dried white peas dishes are not as common as fresh green ones. Especially because they take time to cook. However on one of those days, where your…
