One Day At A Time!

Some days I plan a whole week's meals ahead and shop accordingly. Well.. plans don't always work. Other days, I keep staring at the pantry and refrigerator to come up with some delicious menu. Turns out, South Indian Puliyogare is my plan of action for today. Puliyogare is a simple, yet tasty rice with a tangy tamarind flavor. Ingredients: Basmati Rice - 1 cup Raw Peanuts/Shenga - 1/4 cup Whole Cashews/Kaju - 2 tbsp (optional) Desiccated (dry) Coconut/Kopra - 1 1/2 tbsp Coriander Seeds/Dhane - 2 tsp Chana Dal/Split Chickpeas - 2 tsp Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 1/2 tsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1 tsp Methi/Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp Dry Red Chilies - 5 Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1 tsp Curry Leaves/Kadhipata - a sprig Jaggery/Gur - 1 tbsp Tamarind/Imli - a big lemon sized ball Oil - 2 1/2 tbsp Salt How to cook South Indian Puliyogare Rice: In a small bowl, add about 1 cup water. Add tamarind to the bowl and microwave it for 20 - 25 seconds. Let the ...

Looking for a crunchy instant snack? Here is one - a quick lemony Mumbai style Bhel. No need of any Mint or Tamarind Chutneys. Just a few ingredients easily available in your kitchen and store bought Nylon Shev does the trick for a filling snack. Ingredients: Puffed Rice/Kurmura - about 5 cups Red Onions (finely chopped) - about 3/4 cup Tomatoes (finely chopped) - about 1/2 cup Grated Carrots/Gajar - about 1/2 cup (optional) Roasted Peanuts/Shenga - about 1/2 cup Lime Juice - 4 tbsp Chat Masala or Aamchur Powder - 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Nylon Shev - about 1 cup Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - few sprigs Salt  How to make Instant Sooki Bhel: Discard the soft tomato pulp and finely chop the tomatoes. Finely chop onions and cilantro. And grate the carrots. If available, finely chopped raw green mango and pomegranate arils would be great for this Bhel as well. In a mixing bowl, add onions, tomatoes, carrots, cilantro, chat masala, chili powder, salt and lemon j...

Who doesn't like restaurant style crunchy fries, onion rings? Of course, they are deep fried and loaded with calories. These days, baking such addictive appetizers in an oven is a healthy alternative.   To see it for myself, I tried baking onion rings once. Since then, it has become a regular side with baked  Veggie Burgers  at our place. Trust me, you won't miss the fried ones. Ingredients: Yellow (Vidalia) Onion - 1 big Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs - about 2 cups Besan/Chickpea Flour - 1/2 cup Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Oil - about 3 tbsp Salt How to bake crunchy Onion Rings in an oven: Peel the onions and slice them 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick round slices. Separate them into rings. Sprinkle salt and fresh ground black pepper. Set it aside at room temperature for an hour or longer. Salt will soften the onions a little. Traditionally, onion rings are soaked in buttermilk to soften them. For me, just salt works fine. Line two baking dishes with aluminum foil...

Time for another breakfast recipe. But this time, its wholesome breakfast on the go. These homemade nutrition bars are perfect to start your day or as an anytime snack. It has whole grains, nuts and fruits. The best part about making it is, you get to pick your choice of fruits and nuts.

Hey everyone!  Thanks for all the emails and the sweet messages. I missed you guys too.  Hope you all had a great start in 2014. We are in the middle of severe winter weather and as the news readers say "Winter Wonderland". As far as new year resolutions, mine are still the same as last year... eat healthy, eat high calorie food in moderation and stay fit. Talking of healthy, let me tell you about a quick 20 minutes Oats dosa I made this weekend.

As you all know, South Indian Idli Dosa are quite common at our place for breakfast.  Now, some might find these idli dosa recipes time consuming. For them, today's Mung Cheela is perfect, which does not require any fermentation. These protein rich savory pancakes with Potato Sabji is a good way to start your day. Ingredients: Mung Dal/Split Green Gram - 1/2 cup Green Chilies - 2 Ginger - half inch piece Cumin/Jeera Seeds - 1/2 tsp Salt Oil How to make Mung Dal Cheela: Soak mung dal in plenty of water for about 4 hours or overnight. Wash the soaked dal well. Grind washed mung dal, green chilies, ginger, cumin and salt to a smooth, thick batter. Heat a flat cast iron pan for making cheela. Lightly grease the pan with cooking spray or oil. You can use butter or ghee as well. Pour a ladle full of batter on the hot pan and spread it in a circular motion to form a round dosa. Drizzle some more oil if required.  Roast both ...

Brussel sprouts, which look like mini cabbages taste great when roasted in an oven. That's one way we relish this veggie. Let me tell you about another way, a coleslaw. Generally, coleslaw is made with shredded raw cabbage and a mayonnaise dressing. I prefer cooking the brussel sprouts and a lighter green lime vinaigrette. Hope you all like it too. Ingredients: Brussel Sprouts - 1 pound Red Onions (thinly sliced) - about 1/2 cup Lime Zest - 1 tsp Lime Juice - 3 tbsp Olive Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard - 1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Black Olives - 4 Salt How to make Green Lime Brussel Sprouts Slaw: Blanch the Brussel Sprouts: Wash the Brussel sprouts well. Discard the woody hard parts of the Brussel sprouts.  Set aside a bowl of ice water to add the cooked Brussel sprouts. Heat 6 - 8 cups water in a big pot. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and Brussel sprouts. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, ad...

There was a time when I used to like just one kind of salad - Koshimbir , with a yogurt dressing. Lately, I have started enjoying other kinds too... the oil and vinegar based vinaigrettes. Today, lets eat a simple mixed fruit salad with an Orange Vinaigrette. Drizzle this colorful salad with honey, vanilla yogurt or a scoop of ice cream and your kids will love it too. Ingredients: Golden Apple - 1 Peaches - 2 Green Grapes - 1/2 cup Orange Juice - about 1/4 cup Olive Oil - 1 tbsp Light Brown Sugar - about 2 tsp Salt - 1/8 tsp Roasted Nuts - about 1 tbsp How to make Mixed Fruit Salad with an Orange Vinaigrette: In a big mixing bowl, prepare the dressing/vinaigrette. Add freshly squeezed orange juice, olive oil, sugar and salt. Whisk until all the ingredients are mixed well.  I have used light brown sugar. You can use healthier alternatives like honey, maple syrup, agave syrup. Add salt and more or less sugar based on the sweetness of the fruits. Now time...

I like to cook simple and easy, nutritious, wholesome meals. Leafy salads are one of my favorites, but they lack protein. Today's Three Bean Salad has both veggies and protein rich beans. I have used white and red beans. You can make it more colorful by adding black beans, pinto beans and so on. Hope you like this easy, flavorful salad. Ingredients: Green Beans/French Beans - about 2 cups Dry White Beans - 1/4 cup Dry Red Kidney Beans/Rajma - 1/4 cup Red Onions (finely chopped) - about 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 tbsp Olive Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard - 1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Salt How to make Three Bean Salad: Soak dry white beans and red beans in plenty of water overnight. Cook them in about 5 cups water in a pot until soft. Add salt and bring it to a boil.  Drain all the water. Save the cooked beans for later. Use any dry beans of your choice. Canned beans work fine too. Set aside a bowl of ice cold water to add the cooked...

What is your idea of a wholesome healthy meal? For me, it must include vegetables, proteins and complex carbohydrates. Plus, the food must be cooked in very less oil. Planning a tasty meal keeping these things in mind is not always possible. But, whenever I do, you guys will get to read all about it. Here is a simple yet delicious spinach and beans curry with Jowar flatbread . Ingredients: Baby Spinach Leaves/Palak - about 5 cups Dry White Beans - 1/2 cup Onion - 1 medium Garlic - 4 big cloves Tamarind/Chinch/Imli Paste - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Kitchen King Masala or any other spice mix - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Oil - 2 tbsp Salt How to make Spinach and White Bean Curry: Soak dry white beans in plenty of water overnight. Wash the soaked beans and cook them in 2 - 3 cups of water until soft. Add more water if required. Alternately, you can pressure cook them as well. Or canned beans work fine too. Finely chop onions....

Bhindi, locally well known as Okra is our all time favorite vegetable. No one makes a fuss about eating okra at my place, be it a simple Bhindi stir fry or the saucy Bhindi Masala or the crisp pan fried  Bharwa Bhindi . Today I made a baked version of Bharwa Bhindi - okra stuffed with chickpea flour. If you haven't tried baking Okra yet, you must. Baked Okra turns equally tasty with far less oil. Ingredients: Okra/Bhindi/Lady's Finger - 25 medium size (about 1 pound) Besan/Gram Flour/Chickpea Flour - 1/2 cup Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp Coriander/Dhania Powder - 1 tsp Ajwain/Owa/Carom Seeds - 1 tsp Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Lemon/Lime Juice - 1 1/2 tbsp Salt Oil How to bake Stuffed Bhindi in an oven: Wash the okra well. Pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Set the okra aside. Stuffing: In a mixing bowl, add chickpea flour, chili powder, coriander powder, carom seeds, garam masala, turmeric, lime juice and salt to taste.  Add more or l...

Shallow fried vegetable cutlets are quite common at our place for evening snacks or as side dishes for meals. Its a good way to include more veggies in your diet. Today, I made these savory corn cakes to spruce up the leftovers.

Summer is here and so is the time to hydrate ourselves. As such, cucumbers are a part of our diet throughout the year, but its especially beneficial around this time of the year. One of the ways we love to relish this high water content vegetable is this simple refreshing salad. Its quite easy to put together, both in terms of time and ingredients. Ingredients: English Cucumber - 1 big Roma Tomato - 1 medium Red Onion - 1 small Lime Juice - 2 tbsp Olive Oil - 1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Cilantro/Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp Mint/Pudina Leaves - 5 Salt How to make Tangy Cucumber Salad: Peel the cucumber and thinly slice it. Thinly slice the tomato and onion as well.  Finely chop cilantro and mint. In a mixing bowl, add olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, mint, fresh ground black pepper and salt. Mix well. Add sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and onions.  Toss them well. Let the salad rest for 5 - 10 minutes. Check for seasonings and add more lime juice ...

As such, Thattai is a savory snack made on the festive occasion of Krishna Janmashtami. But, I made this along with many other goodies for our friends who are visiting us this weekend. Our weekend is going to be great with lots of fun stuff ... travel, chitchat and good food. Hope you guys have a good weekend too! Ingredients: Rice Flour - 1 cup Urad Dal / Split Black Gram Flour - 1/4 cup Desiccated (Dry) Coconut - 2 tbsp Ghee / Clarified Butter - 2 tbsp Chana Dal / Split Chickpeas / Split Bengal Gram - 3 tsp White Sesame Seeds / Til - 2 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp Asafetida / Hing - 1/4 tsp Sugar - 1/4 tsp Salt Oil for frying How to make Thattai: Soak chana dal in about 1 cup water for about 2 hours. Wash the soaked dal well. In a mixing bowl, add rice flour, urad dal flour, soaked chana dal, sesame seeds, chili powder, asafetida, sugar, salt and ghee. Mix well. Add water, little at a time and knead to make a slightly firm dough. Heat oil for...

I am a person who loves to eat, but always looks for easier, time saving ways of cooking. Today was somehow different. I had enough time to cook something elaborate for our lunch.  Here comes a spicy curry with fresh roasted spices, onions and coconut. You can cook any other vegetable, your favorite beans or lentils, mushrooms in this flavorful sauce as well.   Ingredients: Cauliflower/Phul Gobi - about 500 gm Desiccated (dry) Coconut/Suka Khobra - 1/2 cup Red Onions - 2 medium Coriander Seeds/Dhane - 1 1/2 tbsp Poppy Seeds/Khuskhus - 1/2 tbsp Shahjeera/Black Cumin - 1 tsp Cloves/Lavang - 2 Cinnamon/Dalchini - 1/4 inch piece Dry Red Chilies - 5 (Byadagi Variety) Bay Leaf - 1 Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - about 1 cup Green Chilies - 5 Ginger - an inch piece Garlic - 4 big cloves   Tomatoes - 2 small Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp Oil - 5 tbsp Salt How to cook Spicy Cauliflower C...

Snack time at my place! Its been a while, I made any fried goodies. Thanks to last night's leftovers, I had plenty of time to make this savory Ribbon Murukku. We love such crunchy munchies with our evening cup of tea. Ingredients: Rice Flour - 1 cup Besan / Gram Flour - 1/2 cup Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp White Sesame Seeds/Til - 1 tsp Asafetida/Hing - 1/2 tsp Sugar - 1/2 tsp Salt Oil for frying How to make Ribbon Pakoda: In a mixing bowl, add rice flour, gram flour, hot oil, chili powder, asafetida, sesame seeds, sugar and salt. Mix well. Now add water, little at a time and knead to make a stiff, non sticky dough. I added about 3/4 cup water. Divide the dough into 3 balls. Heat oil for deep frying. Heat the inner part of chakali / murukku maker with oil. Place the ribbon plate and add one dough ball. Close it with the lid. When the oil turns medium hot, hold the chakali maker above the frying pan. Carefully turn the handle so that the ribbon shaped mu...

What's cooking for lunch at your place?  We are having a simple roti sabji for lunch. A protein rich split chickpeas curry with soft, fluffy phulka. Today's recipe is the basic style of cooking an Indian curry, with onions and tomatoes. Add your personal touch to this curry by choosing your favorite Masala or spice mix. Ingredients: Chana Dal/Split Chickpeas/Split Bengal Gram - 1 cup Onion/Pyaz - 1 medium Tomatoes/Tamatar - 2 medium Garlic/Lahsun - 3 big cloves Ginger/Adrak - half inch piece Green Chili/Hari Mirch - 1 Red Chili Powder/Lal Mirch - 1 tsp Garam Masala or any other spice mix - 1/2 tsp Chat Masala or Aamchur (Dry Mango Powder) - 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Cilantro/Coriander/Dhania Leaves - few sprigs Salt Oil How to cook Chana Dal Masala: Soak chana dal in plenty of water for 20 - 30 minutes. Soaking is optional. Wash the soaked dal well. Heat about 4 cups of water in a pot. Add washed dal and cook until cha...

Anyone experiencing the Monday blues? I am feeling too lazy to cook anything.  But at the same time, I don't want any takeout either. South Indian lemony rice, well known as Chitranna, seemed like a nice easy lunch to cook. The crunchy peanuts and aromatic dals make this tangy rice a true delight as a meal or as a snack. Ingredients: Basmati Rice - 1 cup Raw Peanuts/Groundnuts/Shenga - 1/3 cup Chana Dal/Split Bengal Gram/Split Chickpeas - 2 tsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1 tsp Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi - 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves/Kadipata - a sprig Coriander/Cilantro/Dhania Leaves - few sprigs Green Chilies - 3 Onion - 1 medium Oil - 3 tbsp Lime/Lemon - 1 Salt How to make South Indian Chitranna: Wash rice well with water. Drain all the water. Cook washed rice with 1 1/2 cups water, little salt and 1/2 tbsp oil.  Oil is optional, but the cooked rice does not turn sticky because of oil. Fluff t...

Anyone who is familiar with the whole elaborate process of making South Indian Dosa, knows about the importance of measuring ingredients, quite similar to baking.  But, Mushti Polo is traditionally made using fistful of ingredients. Mushti refers to fistful in Konkani. Cooking using fistful of this and fistful of that is slightly inconvenient for me. As usual, my Mom has her recipe for me, where fistfuls are substituted with measuring cups. Ingredients: Medium Grain Rice/Idli Rice - 1 cup Thin Poha/Flattened Rice/Avalakki - 1/2 cup Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1/4 cup Shredded Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1/4 cup Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - 1 tsp Salt Oil How to make Konkani Mushti Polo: Soak medium grain rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds in plenty of water for 6 - 8 hours. Wash the soaked ingredients well. Grind soaked rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds, coconut and flattened rice flakes, in batches,...

Every Indian city is well known for its unique street food. So far, you have read all about Mumbai and Mangalore delicacies. How about Kolkata's delicious Kati Roll ! This loved street food of Kolkata is well known all over India as Vegetable Frankie. You can make these wraps in a number of ways .... with vegetables, with paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) or meat as well. Today I made these rolls with everyone's favorite potatoes and lots of colorful vegetables.