Sambar is a lentil based vegetable stew or chowder based on a broth made with tamarind popular in South India. Sambar is made either exclusively with one of these vegetables or a combination of them – okra, carrot, radish, pumpkin, potatoes, tomatoes, brinjal(eggplant) and whole or halved shallots or onions. Sambar powder is a coarse powder made of roasted lentils, dried whole red chilies, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves with regional variations including cumin, black pepper, grated coconut, cinnamon, or other spices. The vegetables, tamarind pulp, sambar powder, turmeric, salt, and asafoetida are boiled together, until the vegetables…
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Peanuts are often found at our kitchen pantry. Apart from making chutneys and using a few in making Chivda, peanuts normally doesn’t have anything fancy to serve us. But No! hold on…this masala peanuts is not just quick but also gives you a kick on your palate. There are basically two kinds of masala peanut recipes… 1. Besan coated deep fried 2. Blanched and roasted with spices. Peanut itself carry a huge content of oil in it hence the deep fried option won’t be that healthy to consume. Hence i opted for the roasted one. It’s tangy and spicy and…
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Momordica charantia, known as bitter melon, bitter gourd, bitter squash or balsam-pearin English, has many other local names. Goya from Okinawan and karela from Sanskrit are also used by English-language speakers. It is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit, which is extremely bitter. Its many varieties differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit. As the name implies, this vegetable is a melon that is bitter. There are two varieties of this vegetable: One grows to about 20 cm long, is oblong and…
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Chivda – an Indian snack that is full of flavors and equally keeps a check on calories. Light and tasty Chivda is commonly found at Indian homes specially during festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi or Deepawali. I remember as a kid i had this at my neighbor’s place in Diwali. The chivda was light and fluffy and had and amazing crunch and flavor. Chivda has no particular recipe, it can be made as per your liking and choice of ingredients and taste. This particular version is guilt free as it has very less use of oil. I prefer making Chivda in…
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I was very new to Sindhi Biryani before i explored my friend Anisa Arif’s website http://shop.zaiqathespicestore.com/ . Before this i had tried Zaika’s Bombay Biryani Masala which i used few months back. It got published in various online food magazines too. Since then i am a huge fan if Zaika Spices. They are fresh, fine and absolutely aromatic. While ordering some spices , Sindhi Biryani Masala caught attention of mine this time. After having a word about it with Anisa, i decided to give it a try. The procedure followed to make this Biryani was the same, the only difference…
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Rājmā is a popular Indian vegetarian dish consisting of red kidney beans in a thick gravy with many Indian whole spices and usually served with rice and roti. Although the kidney bean is not of Indian origin, it is a part of regular diet in Northern India. The dish developed after the red kidney bean was brought to India from Portugal . Being a popular dish, it is prepared on important occasions. About 100 grams of boiled Rajma beans contain 140 calories. 5.7 grams of protein, 9.0 grams of fat and nearly 17.8 grams of carbohydrate.Rajma chawal, i.e. Rajma served…
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The word Korma/ Kurma comes from Mughlai cuisine. It means a royal gravy that is prepared with mutton, chicken, beef etc. The gravy is thick and rich with a little larger quantity of oil in it. Korma can be prepared either spicy or mild. It depends on your taste buds. Traditionally the Korma was made in a Big Handi, but gradually people adapted woks etc for cooking. I have also seen few cooking in a pressure cooker. Though it saves time and energy but trust me that authentic tastes lacks which you get in slow cooking. Mutton when cooked in…
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This is the first time i made Khandvi. Though i have heard a lot about this Gujrati delicacy and even tasted a couple of times. Always had a fear to try this as i had been hearing a lot about its tricky technique and method. The ingredients of Khnadvi are so similar to that of khaman dhokla, that can be easily available at home…only the method is different. Level of cooking i would say is difficult. To get those perfect size rolls is a tricky business. If the consistency of the mix is too thin, it wouldn’t roll…and if its…
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Let’s take a tour to Hyderabad today. Well had an opportunity to visit this city of Nawabi cuisines couple of times. Must admit, everything about Hyderabad is simply marvelous. The city show cases a splendid food culture in every corner. From gullis to mohallas ..from street food to fine dinning, Hyderabad has something special for each and everyone. The cuisine emphasises the use of ingredients that are carefully chosen and cooked to the right degree and time. Utmost attention is given to picking the right kind of spices, meat, and rice. Therefore, an addition of a certain herb, spice, condiment,…
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Flattened Rice or Poha is one such common snack of India which is made in almost every house in the country. Like my mom says Poha has to be our National breakfast which is consumed in heavy quantity both at homes as well as street side. Basically there are two variants of poha, thick and thin. The thin one is usually used for making crunchy mixtures, whereas the thick ones are used for making savories for breakfast. Kanda Poha, Aloo Poha or mex veg poha are some of the common favorites across the country. Since childhood i had been surrounded…
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Healthy morning starts with a healthy breakfast that keeps our tummy light and our body energized. We have grown up eating Cheela in breakfast. My mom use to make varieties of cheela. It’s not just instant but can be made with almost anything and everything. Besan, Suji, Atta etc are common flours for making a cheela. When made in a non-stick pan the cheela becomes crisp and oil free. Yesterday while shopping for vegetables i got lots of spring onions. Thought to utilize the leaves to its fullest. In Chattisgarh spring onions is used for making lot of things. It…
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Bottle Gourd is the only vegetable i always disliked as a kid. Lately, the two dishes made with bottle gourd which i started liking and later fallen in love with were Lauki Halwa and Lauki Kofta. I have seen my mom making typical spicy gravy with lots of bottle gourd dumplings drowned in it. Since long i had been wanting to make lauki kofta in a rich thick creamy gravy. Today while hunting veggies in the fridge i came across a lauki and some left over fresh cream/malai and of course the cashew nut paste which i always keep handy…
