Saturday 29 March 2014

Bachelors Karuvepillai Kuzhambu – No Grinding/Easy Karuvepillai Kuzhambu

Karuvepillai Kuzhambu/Curry leaves kuzhambu is a traditional, authentic and healthy made in Tamil Nadu (South India). I have already posted the authentic karuvepillaikuzhambu which involves grinding the curry leaves with other spices. But today I am sharing a simple, easy and shortcut method to make the same flamboyant kuzhambu but without grinding. Now, even bachelors can make karuvepillai kuzhambu with this fool proof method. Check out other delectable South Indian Kuzhambu Varieties here.

Here’s how to make Karuvepillai Kuzhambu with step by step photos….


Thursday 27 March 2014

Ajwain Paratha/Omam Paratha/Carom Seeds Paratha/How to make Triangle Parathas

I have been making different types of easy and quick paratha a lot lately, the hidden reason behind it is to pack lunch for my girls. This ajwain paratha is one such paratha. It is a flavourful and delicious paratha that can be made in no time and is a perfect lunch box recipe. Ajwain/Omam is very a common and a handy herb/seed in Indian households which helps in getting rid of stomach pain, indigestion and flatulence. Not only as a good digestive aid it has other health benefits as well. Ajwain is very useful in relieving sinus problems, cold and congestion. A quick tip, before going into the recipe, crush a few seeds of ajwain tie it in a soft cloth and heat the bundle over a warm tawa. Apply this warm bundle over the chest to relieve congestion.  Having said a few things about ajwain, let’s move on to the recipe. Check out other different types of  chapathis/parathas here.

Here’s how to make Ajwain/Omam paratha with step by step photos…

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Pasta with Chickpeas/Pasta e Ceci – Indian Version [Vegetarian]/ChickPea Pasta Recipe/How to make Pasta With Chickpea with step by step photos

 “Pasta e Ceci” means “Pasta and Chickpeas” which is actually a thick soup. In Rome pasta e ceci was traditionally eaten during lent (40 days before Easter) on Fridays, when the Catholic Church discouraged eating meat. Pasta e Ceci is found throughout Italy, the one food I could find in most of the menus when we visited Italy. But the pasta e ceci had the anchovies fillets added to it, but I have made a vegetarian version of Pasta e Ceci and added a little bit of Indian spices for added kick. Do try this pasta with chickpeas friends, you will surely find it interesting and stunning.

Here’s how to make Pasta e Ceci with step by step photos….

Monday 24 March 2014

Idli Milagai Podi – 2/Idli Podi with Roasted Gram/Idli Milagai Podi with Pottukadalai

Today I am going to share a very simple, flavourful and easy idli milagai podi made with roasted gram/pottu kadalai. This podi is not very spicy, but can be made spicy by adding more red chilli powder.

Here is how to make Idli Milagai Podi with photos…

Saturday 22 March 2014

Poondu Kuzhambu/Garlic Gravy – South Indian Special

Poondu Kuzhambu is a very healthy, delicious, spicy, authentic and traditional kuzhambu of TamilNadu. It is a tamarind based gravy with lots of garlic and perfect balance of spices. Do check  out other authentic South Indian kuzhambu varieties here.

Here’s how to make Poondu Kuzhambu with step by step photos…


Thursday 20 March 2014

Carrot Chapathi/Carrot Chapathi Recipe/How to make Carrot Chapathi with step by step photos

Carrot is my little girl’s favourite vegetable; addition of carrots in any dish puts a big smile on her face. Most of all it makes me happy and satisfied, because I can feed something healthy and filling. This carrot chapathi is one of my little girls favourite and she loves it in her lunch box. So, today I am sharing with you all this delectable, flavourful, colourful and healthy carrot chapathi. Meanwhile check out other interesting Breakfast Recipes here.

Here’s how to make Carrot Chapathi with step by step photos…

Tuesday 18 March 2014

Thavala Vadai Recipe/Thavala Vadai/Mixed Dal Vadai/How to Thaval Vadai with Step by Step Photos

Thavala vadai is an authentic and traditional prepared in Tamil Nadu. It is made with four different types of dals along with rice, coconut, chillies and ginger. It is a delectable and addictive tea time snack. Check out other different types of vadais here and other  interesting Starters/EveningSnacks/Appetizers here.

Here’s how to make Thavala Vadai with step by step photos…

Sunday 16 March 2014

Tres Leches Cake Recipe [Three Milk Cake] – Mexican Cake/Tres Leches Cake with step by step photos

This Tres Leches Cake is a special Mexican cake, I did for my girl’s birthday as an exotic treat and also to celebrate my 400th post. I thank each and every one of you to have encouraged me, supported me and helped me reach to this point. Before going into tres leches recipe, I would love to share a few things about this dense, moist, delectable and fantastic cake. Tres Leches Cake is a sponge cake, soaked in three different kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. This tres leches cake does not use butter, but it is a very light cake, with lots of air bubbles. It has a unique texture, despite of being soaked in the three milk  mixture, it does not have soggy consistency.

Here's how to make Tres Leches Cake with step by step photos....

Saturday 15 March 2014

Lemon Dal [Thoor Dal with Lemon] Recipe/Nimmakaya Pappu Recipe/How to make Lemon Dal with step by step photos

Lemon Dal/Nimmakaya pappu is a very special, simple to make delicious and comforting dal. It is a very popular and a common dish prepared in AndhraPradesh –South India. This simple yet delectable lemon dal is tangy and perfectly balanced with the addition of green chillies and red chillies.

Here’s how to make Lemon Dal with step by step photos…

Friday 14 March 2014

Aloo Jeera/Potatoes with Cumin seeds

Aloo Jeera is a simple. yet a very flavourful and delectable side dish for potato lovers. It is wonderful accompaniment for rice or rotis or breads and just makes a wholesome meal. Cumin seeds is a very common ingredient in each and every Indian kitchen. Apart from the unique flavour and taste cumin seeds have numerous health benefits. They have good amount of iron to fight anemia, so adding cumin seeds in our everyday cooking improves the iron level in our blood. The most well-known health benefit of cumin seeds is, it controls stomach pain, helps in digestion, nausea and morning sickness. Regular intake of cumin seeds in our diet helps in fighting common cold because of its antiseptic properties. Ok, I think now I will now move on to the recipe. Check out other delectable potato dishes here...

Here’s how to make Aloo Jeera with step by step photos…



Thursday 13 March 2014

Carrot Kosumalli/Carrot & Moong Dal Salad

Today I am going to share with you all a very simple, healthy and colourful salad/kosumalli. Kosumalli is a salad made with raw vegetables and soaked moong dal. Kosumalli is a very popular and traditional salad prepared on special festival days, weddings and meals in South India.

Here’s how to make Carrot Kosumalli with step by step photos…

Wednesday 12 March 2014

Dates & Nuts Cookies

All the kids love cookies, why not add something nutritious to the cookies to make it tastier and healthier. After having made the Dates & Nuts Cake, I wanted to make dates and nuts cookies for my kids. Actually to tell the truth, myself and my husband were glued to the cookie box. Believe it or not they are really addictive. I added chopped almonds but the choice of nuts can be yours. Ok now ladies, do try this scrumptious cookies and you will surely fall in love with it.

Here’s how to make Dates & Nuts cookies with step by step photos….

Kuska Biryani Recipe/Plain Biryani [Without any vegetables or meat]/How to make Kuska Biryani with step by step photos

Today I am going to share with you all a very simple and quick Kuska biryani. This is a plain biryani without any vegetables or meat, yet very flavourful and delectable. This kuska biryani was a special request from my readers for quite some time. So friends without much introduction I am moving on to the aromatic kuska biryani. Check out other delicious Vegetarian Rice varieties here.

Here’s how to make Kuska Biryani with step by step photos….

Monday 10 March 2014

Mini Doughnuts [Without Eggs]

Though I love krispy kerme and dunkin doughnuts, I always have special place for the mini doughnuts in my heart especially when I go to fairs and market place. The addictive and aromatic bite sized doughnuts are sold as street food, and one thing is for sure, you will never stop with one. I came across these mini doughnuts recipe, which does not require doughnut maker and gave it a shot immediately. These mini doughnuts look so crispy on the outside but so soft, airy and spongy in the middle. Do try it out friends; they are just fantabulous…

Here’s how to make Mini Doughnuts with step by step photos…


Sunday 9 March 2014

Vendakkai Pachadi/Okra Pachadi/Ladys Finger Pachadi

Pachadi is yet another common side dish prepared in South India. Now that summer is to start, serving different types of pachadi is the right way to beat the heat. I am just crazy about vendakkais/okra, I love them to the core. When the okra is cooked and mixed with yogurt, they just taste divine. Do try it friends, you will love it. Check out other different types of raitas/pachadis here.

Here’s how to make Vendakkai/Okra Pachadi with step by step photos…

Andalusian Gazpacho/Spanish Chilled Tomato Soup

For this month’s IFC, Sharanya of Just Not The Cakes challenged us with exotic array of Andalusian cuisine from Spain. Andalusia is one of the most populous and second largest communites in Spain, stretching south from sunny cities Cordoba and Seville all the way to Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean sea. The name “Andalusia” was derived from the Arabic word “Al – Andalus”. Andalusia boasts many delicious foods offering travellers a chance to stimulate their palette while exploring.

You don’t have to be in Spain to enjoy an exotic Spanish soup, do you? So, I chose to do the Gazpacho and share it with you all. Gazpacho is a tomato based vegetable soup, traditionally served cold. It is a very healthy soup made with fresh vegetables and consumed during the summer months to beat the heat. Gazpacho is made with stale bread, tomatoes, cucumber, onions, capsicum, vinegar, olive oil and salt. The best part of gazpacho is, we can prepare this soup previous day and serve it either as an appetizer or as a main course with toasted bread. How hard can it be?

Here’s how to make Gazpacho with step by step photos…

Thursday 6 March 2014

Ambur Chicken Biryani [Both dum and oven method]/Ambur Chicken Biryani Recipe/How to make Ambur Chicken Biryani with step by step photos

Ambur is a town in Vellore District in Tamil Nadu. It is famous for making one of the best Biryanis in South India and is seen in most of the restaurant menus. Ambur is popular not only for biryanis, but also for leather tanning. Each town, district, community, hotels have their own way of making biryani like Dindukal biryani, Chettinad Biryani, Ponnusamy biryani, Anjapper biryani, Salem biryani etc. Though we try and taste different biryanis our search for it never ends. I have had Ambur Biryani back in Chennai several times and I just love it. This is Chef Dhamodharan's Ambur Chicken Biryani  with little changes. I have made this several times but I never get a chance to get the clicks. But this Sunday I made sure I could get as many pictures as possible to share it with you all. Also check out other interesting and mouthwatering Chicken Varuvals/Fry/Biryanis/Gravies etc hereMutton/goat Meat Recipes,Fish & Egg Recipes

Here’s how to make Ambur Chicken Biryani with step by step photos…

Tuesday 4 March 2014

Spinach & Sundried Tomatoes Pasta/Spinach & Sundried Tomates Pasta Recipe with step by step photos

I love to eat pasta, but I am not a cheese person. So most of the times, I try to avoid as much cheese as possible, but my kids love cheese to the core. Today I made creamy, healthy, tangy and flavorful pasta without adding cheese, it was really a winner. The addition of milk made it creamy, the addition of spinach made it healthy, addition of sun dried tomatoes gave some tanginess and the rest of all the ingredients gave a boost to the whole dish. Do check out other delectable pasta varieties here...

Here’s how to make Spinach Pasta with sun dried tomatoes with step by step photos…

Fennel Potato Fry

Today in Priyas Virundhu, I am going to share another delectable, easy, flavourful and tasty potato dish – Fennel Potato Fry. Actually I saw a chef making scallops with fennel and pepper powder, so I thought why not try it with potatoes. This fry tasted awesome and I strongly recommend you all to try this easy Fennel Potato Fry.

Here’s how to make Fennel Potato Fry with step by step photos…

Sunday 2 March 2014

Fish Moilee Recipe/Meen Moilee Recipe[Molee] – Kerala Special/Fish Moilee Recipe with step by step photos

Fish Moilee is a very famous South Indian – Kerala special made with coconut milk , green chillies and spices. Meen Moilee is extremely easy to make, it is really very mild and perfect for even younger kids. Try out this traditional and authentic dish of Kerala and have a great day.

Here’s how to make Fish Moilee with step by step photos…

Saturday 1 March 2014

Chicken Masala with Roasted Spices/Chicken Masala Recipe/Chicken Masala with Fresh Spices with step by step photos

This Chicken Masala is aromatic and made with freshly roasted and ground masala powder. I have already posted simple and quick chicken masala, but this chicken masala is a delicious variation with dry ginger powder and added twist. Also check out other interesting and mouthwatering Chicken Varuvals/Fry/Biryanis/Gravies etc hereMutton/goat Meat Recipes,Fish & Egg Recipes.

Here’s how to make Chicken Masala with step by step photos….