Best of 2012 ~ Wrapping up for the year!

Mother earth has outlived the Mayan prediction and saved its beloved beings once again! The human race, amidst dilemmas debates about the end of the world, celebrated Christmas with peace and joy as always and is looking forward to the birth of yet another hopeful year! For us, bloggers? Yes, another year to wrap up; to review, feel proud and to showcase the best posts of the year. In spite of the hard work and the time involved for a blogger; food or general, he or she would admit...

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Easy Spicy Potato Roast

After the over doze of Christmas cakes, cookies, puddings and everything sweet, this potato roast served as an accompaniment for our simple meal, today. This dish is something I make very frequently for children, particularly as a side dish for their pack away lunch. An absolute kid freindly accompaniment! Today we woke up to see the cloudy dull morning.With no vegetables in the crisper, I...

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Date & Cocoa Raw Truffles

There are a few recipes you come across while surfing that develop an instant urge to try. It isn't the impatient need to savour but to t.r.y (and b.l.o.g right away if you are an obsessive blogger) Sometimes it's because of the simplicity of the recipe; at times being classic and mostly we get hooked because of its elegance and the way it is presented. Date & Cocoa Raw Truffles are one...

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Thumbprint Cookies

My son loves anything jam-centred. He has them as a meal apart snacking them. Surprisingly he wanted cookies instead of cakes this Christmas and I found myself searching for a simple cookie recipe of his kind. "Thumbprint Cookies are a very popular holiday cookie. They are made with a shortbread-like dough that is formed into balls and then rolled in either finely chopped nuts or dried...

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Kothu Parotta with Egg

Kothu Parotta is a famous street food in both Kerala and T.N. Astonishingly the ingredients and the method are the similar! Well, parottas are the favourite for both Malayalees and Tamils. Personally I love the kothu parotta version than the regular parathas with khurma. Undoubtedly parathas / parottas are gaining a  parallel fame about how unhealthy the dish is. Inspite of the controversies...

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Lime Rice

Lime rice, lemon rice or elumichai sadam is one of the simplest variety rices in T.N. It's undoubtedly one of the easiest to make and a very common lunch in the state. Since the meal is flavourful and tasty by itself, no accompaniments are needed and hence this serves a regular pack away meal for the school / office goers. This had again perhaps been the first dish I learnt as a married girl...

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Pori Urundai / Sweetened Puffed Rice Balls) for Karthikai

Deepavali just got over and I can't believe the next festival is almost here!  Thiru Karthikai ! Deepavali and Karthikai have way different stories of origin according to Hindu Mythology but both the festivals are similar in two main aspects. Festivals of  lamps and light. Festivals of fresh sweets...

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Diwali Greetings and a few easy to make recipes

Finally, the festival is almost here! The festival of victory of good over evil, the festival of happiness, cheer, sharing and love! Here are a few easy to make Diwali recipes, posted earlier, which you may find interesting.                                                ...

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Rasmalai for Diwali

Rasmalai. The irresistible Indian sweet. I doubt if anyone would hate this divine dessert. The spongy and mildly sweet paneer balls dunked in the richness of milk, creaminess of nuts and mingled flavours of cardamom and saffron. Heaven! I had been making rasgullas for the past few years inspired by a video recipe and when I slowly mastered the art of making  the perfect I was confident...

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Pasiparuppu Urundai / Moong dal Ladoos

Diwali is round the corner. Busy streets, people carrying heavy shopping bags, buzzing happily, children laughing, crowded sweet shops and there is merriment everywhere. I decided to start with the easiest sweet to welcome the festival. Moong dal ladoos or Pasi paruppu urundai is one among the easiest to make in the list. This healthy sweet has a good shelf life and I am reserving for my children...

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Kerala Chicken Curry / Nadan Chicken Masala (stepwise method)

caIn't believe the fact that it has been 3 weeks since I posted here. The reason is nothing else but holidaying/relaxing at mom's place. Brother and sister are here to add to the fun and time flies! Ignoring the heavy showers, sister and me strolled along the streets enjoying shopping. Under the same umbrella, literally drenched, we loved the feel of rain and buzz of the town after a long time....

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Rustic Wheat, Date & Walnut Bread

I came across this beautiful looking bread in Chinmayie's space. Ever since I had been dreaming baking this, taking pictures and savouring the heavenly stuff! The attractive part was that, the recipe of this bread seemed to be flexible and I loved the way she'd described....

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Rava Dosa / Sooji or Semolina Dosa

                          Rava Dosai served with 'Tiffin Sambhar' and 'Thengai Chutney' Rava Dosai or Rava Dosa is a Tiffin ( I love the way the Tamil name it ) which I hadn't mastered so far. I go 'bumper' every time I try. I come out with under cooked, torn,  or rather overly done dosas and go bonkers. Ah! here? The...

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Adding Some Life to Your Photograph - Exercises in Food Photography #5 by Aparna

I haven't tried shots of food someone holding for me, though I had been coming across lovely pictures of the same much around in blogosphere. Aparna's Photography lesson 5 finally inspired me to try the lovely theme of Adding some life to my Photograph! My daughter was home for a couple of days for Ganesh Chathurthi when I thought of making her pose for the shots. We could have done it better...

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Kothu Chapathi with Egg ~ stepwise pictorial

                                                                    A blogger would know about the mid life bloggers' crisis. One of my buddy talks about having a bunch of exotic recipes drafted, but reluctant to push out to...

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Easy Breezy Coconutty Pepper Chicken

The past few days had been eventful. A visit to my husband's native place, sick son and a cradling ceremony. Now that he has recuperated well, we sent him back to his hostel. Every moment spent with my in-laws was special. It makes me feel I am back home after my mom's home stay! Too much love, too much care, too much food and too much comfort...my in-laws made me and my sick son feel so...

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Banana Walnut Bread - without eggs!

                                                                                  Tastespotted and Foodgawked I admire her. So does she. I appreciate her talents and creativity. So does she....

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Aval Payasam for Thiruvonam!

I am EXCITED! ...when I imagine the crispers and store rooms and pantries of every Malayalee around the globe, brimming with vegetables, fruits and groceries...children dressed in all colours flying kites and enjoying the newly tied swings... some of them still busy preparing for the Athappoo, the beautiful floral carpet... the last minute shopping... last minute garment alterations...

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Milk to Butter - a stepwise tutorial journey!

    Homemade Butter.      Doesn't that sound good...

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Bisibele Bhath with Drumsticks

Well, after a break it requires a real lot of energy to get back to blogging for me.  After loads of food; literally 'pigging out' breakfasts, lunches and dinners cooked by seasoned chefs around the world (did I tell you we were on a Royal Caribbean cruise in the Baltic for the final week of the holiday?) we realised the exquisiteness of the so called 'world cuisine'! French, Italian,...

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A Break

 I' ve heard my friends or people around me saying, "I have no time for that!", particularly to do something you had requested, wondering whether he or she shares the same interest as you do. I personally feel, it's really 'not' the lack of time as they mention, but the 'interest' and the way they 'prioritise' their things for the day. For example, a good friend of mine asked me how long I spend a day reading newspapers. My snappy answer was that "I absolutely have no time...

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Less is more, so let's keep it simple!

Less is more, so lets keep it simple! says Aparna in her much inspiring series of food photography- lesson #2. Core Idea - Less props, making the food the hero, thereby allowing one's eye to concentrate on the main focal point of the composition without distractions. Well, I would like to talk less too so that the photography gets more attention :)          ...

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Kathirikkai Kadalai Koottu / The Lentil based curry with Peanuts and Brinjals

A curry with groundnuts as the main ingredient was something totally new to me as a newly wedded girl in my husband's home. Soon I realised that this side dish gained a unanimous support in the 10 member family! When the general lunch menu of the house called for dal, sambhar, rasam, poriyal and curd to finish off, this curry was a rescue for the lazy days. Kadalai Kathirikkai Koottu served...

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Bitter Sweet Dark Chocolate Cake with Oreo Cookie Frosting

Bitter Sweet Dark Chocolate Cake with Oreo Cookie Frosting                                             For the Cake: All purpose flour- 1 1/2 cups Granulated sugar- 1 cup Butter, softened- 1/2 cup (you may also use 1/4 cup butter + 1/4 cup oil) Eggs- 2 Salt- a pinch Baking...

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Kerala Green Peas Masala

The basic recipe I follow for Green peas masala is just the same as for Mushroom masala. The onions, tomatoes and ginger- garlic all sautéed and ground for the gravy part into which the cooked peas is simmered. This recipe calls for an extra ingredient- coconut extract. And I should admit the fact that it the flavour is transformed to a huge extend by the addition of this single ingredien...

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Frosted Oreo Cookie Cake

 My sudden cravings for fudgy chocolate cakes are giving way to Oreo cookies these days.It happens all of a sudden, I get dressed, walk steadily, barge in the nearest super market which is 8 mins away from home, grab a pack and munch on the way! Weird, but let me be honest about it...

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Fish Molly ~ a cooking demo at Green Woods, Thekkadi

L astweek we had a two day break in Thekkady and the cute little resort we opted to stay was a new property named Green Woods. We were, quite relaxed with our stay, enjoying the extensive shirodhara, swimming in the pool, going happy with the food and most importantly strolling in the woods mesmerized by the faint aroma in the air.This is so special about the place, the aroma...

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Album For The Week ~ Malaichamy Kovil

It had been a while since I posted for 'a picture of the week series'. These pictures were shot in Theni on our way to Thekkadi last week. I had thought of sharing just a picture but decided upon posting a few just to get the feel of the place as an album, though an overload  :...

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Vegetable Broken Wheat Biriyani

These days I find myself substituting rice with whole wheat, surrendering to the pre occupied notion that wheat is healthier than starchy polished rice! Be them, idlies or upma I find comfortable enough with the variety of easily available broken whole wheat grains in the market. The vegetable broken wheat biriyani made here is a one pot meal after my hit recipe easy tomato biriyani :) The...

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Whole wheat Coconut and Cashew cake baked with Coconut Oil

Ihappened to see this interesting combo ultimately made into perfect moist muffins in Dershana's space and I found myself whipping up the cake the very same day! Dershana, a charming girl, hails from my native town, grew up in the same little community and completed her graduation from the same old college I had been, is my classmate Archana's cousin as well. This interestingly combined cake...

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