To be honest, both of us are not big soya fans, but this pulao was a welcome change from our usual menu. If you are looking for a variety rice dish, this is good. I’ve been getting requests for recipes using soya chunks, hope this one fits the bill. The dish is well flavoured on its own, so you can just have it with a raita and pickle also.

However, if you are looking for side dishes, check out the below recipes…

Veg: Paneer Peas Masala, Mushroom Peas Masala, Egg and Peas Kurma

Non Veg: Chicken Korma, Thattukada Beef Curry, Tomato Fish Masala

Step by step pictures…

Heat oil/ghee in a deep pan. Splutter the whole masala mentioned under rice. Add rice and fry it for 3-4 mins…

Add salt and 3 cups boiling water to the rice. Bring it to a boil and reduce the flame. Cover and cook till the water is dried completely and rice is done…

Soak the soya chunks in hot water for half an hour. Squeeze out the water completely…

Heat oil/ghee in a pan and add chopped onion. When it turns golden brown add ginger, garlic and green chilli. Cook for 2-3 mins…

Add masala powders, mix well. Fry for 2-3 mins. Add chopped tomatoes and mix well…

Add soya chunks and mix well. Add 3/4 cup of hot water and salt. Bring it to boil , reduce the flame and cover and cook till the soya is done. Add chopped coriander and mint leaves. Add lemon juice and mix well. Remove from fire…

Take a deep and wide vessel. Spread a layer of rice and top it with a layer of soya masala. Repeat the process till the rice and masala is done. The top layer should be rice. Cover it with a tight lid. Keep it on sim (lowest flame) for 10 mins. Open and mix it well. Serve hot…

Even during school/college days , I didnt mind getting up early, to have breakfast on time. That reminds me…  my Amma never had a tough time with both, my brother and myself, when it came to food. Her policy was this..  if you are hungry you’ll eat the food no matter what it is or how it is. Somehow that policy worked well with us. We were never forced to eat, actually on the contrary we were asked not to eat too much ;)

So coming back to breakfast… These days I prefer a long breakfast outside, to a  lunch or dinner. I can eat all I want and not worry about stuffing up myself, since the whole day is left to burn out the calories ;)

Some of my all time favourite dishes are also breakfast items, like Appam and Stew or Puttu and Chicken Mappas. In this recipe I’ve combined two things which I like best, Puttu and Beef :) If you like these two items, I’ve only one thing to say “Make it already!”

We had it just like that without any side dish, but I think Veg Stew is a good choice for this, if you prefer a side dish.

Step by step pics..

Add salt to the puttu podi and mix well. Add water little by little till the powder becomes moist/wet. Add half of the grated coconut to this & mix well. If too much of lumps is formed just run it in your blender/food processor for a few seconds. Keep aside the puttu mix for 10 minutes…

Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onions. When it turns golden brown, add chopped tomato and salt. Cook till the tomato becomes soft…

Add crushed pepper and garam masala. Mix well. Add shredded or minced meat and mix well…

Add around 1/4 cup of hot water, just to bring everything together. Cook till the water dries. Add chopped coriander leaves and mix well…

Put one tbsp of coconut as the first layer. Add 2 tbsp of meat masala as the second layer. The third layer should be 4-5 tbsp of puttu mix. Repeat the process, till the mould is filled. Make sure that the mould is not tightly packed. Cover the mould with the lid. Fill water in puttu kudam (pot). Place the puttu kutti on puttu kudam. Cook it on medium flame for around 5-7 minutes…

Apart from the usual idli/dosa, we hardly eat any veg stuff when we dine out. After trying out this recipe, I’m keen on trying more veg recipes.

This recipe is great as a starter/appetiser or as a side dish for fried rice. It has a nice crunch to it and the flavour is just awesome, if I say so myself ;) I’d say, this dish will brighten up a dull day with it’s look, texture and taste.

Btw, can I please ask a favour from you? As you can see, I try my best to reply to each and every comment posted here. So if you’ve tried any recipe or if you’ve any doubt about any recipe, it would be great if you could use the comment form for the same rather than emailing me. Dont worry, you can post your feedback about the recipe irrespective of whether you like it or not. I publish all the comments, unless it’s vulgar or offending. Many others like you, love to read about the reviews before trying out a recipe and your comments are highly valued. I do hope you understand, thanks :)

So back to the recipe with step by step pictures…

Make a medium thick batter with cornflour, plain flour, salt and water…

Dip the whole baby corn in this batter and fry till it turns golden brown…

Cut the fried baby corn into medium size cubes. Keep it aside…

Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onion. When it turns golden brown, add ginger and garlic. Cook for 2-3 mins. Add crushed pepper and crushed red chilli. Stir well…

Add soya sauce and tomato ketchup. Add salt and 2-3 tbsp hot water just to bring everything together. Stir well. Add fried baby corns…

Combine everything. Add the chopped spring onions. Stir and remove from gas…

Recipe adapted from Vanitha Pachakam

Do you remember your school summer holidays? The long vacation of 2 months… the magical time when the sun rises only by noon time, the carefree time when you dont have to worry about any homework or class tests, the colorful break from the monotonous school uniform! I absolutely loved those days…

I spent my summer holidays with my cousins. We used to play house, beauty parlour, tailoring shop, hospital… those were crazy times! But one particular holiday stood out. I was enrolled in a summer camp with my school friends, Deepthi and Siji. We had many sessions in the camp like public speaking, embroidery, etiquette and not to mention cooking classes. We were the babies there, since the others were in high school or college and we were in middle school. We were so thrilled to attend the camp.

Though we tried to act like super matured girls around there, nobody treated us seriously! I dont think the three of us  learnt anything at all from that camp, but we had tons of fun. We always sat at the back bench giggling through out the session like a bunch of fools until we were told to move to the front!  I’m sure you also had similar experience with your friends were you acted crazy or stupid for no apparent reason… simpler times in life I say!

We were taught to make Russian salad, Chocolate cake and Jam tarts! Though we were ready to cook up a storm, all we got to do was clean dishes!  That was my first ever cooking class experience!  Also, that camp was the last time where I danced on a stage. All in all, it’s one of my fav summer holiday memories!

I remember making the jam tarts later at home. My cousin sister still complains about how I got everyone to praise me after force feeding them, the jam tarts ;)

That’s how my relationship with tarts started! But my loyalty lies with Fudge tarts. This is one of the items that I dont want to miss during my holidays. I love the Fudge tarts at Pandal Cake Shoppe and my second favourite are those at Ann’s Bakery.

If you like the caramel/butterscotch taste then this is a must try for you and it’s eggless too. No need to mention it’s super easy to put this together. You got the point right, then what are you waiting for? Get ready to have some fun in the kitchen :)

This tart is ideal for a tea party or kid’s b’day party or kitty party. Also, this is a good recipe to try out with your kids, who knows may be this baking experience with you will turn out to be one of their most cherished summer holiday memories :)

Step by step pictures…

Sieve together flour, powdered sugar, salt and baking powder. Add butter to this and rub it with your fingers till it resembles bread crumbs…

Add 1-2 tbsp of ice cold water gradually and form a soft dough. Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for 25 mins…

Take the dough from the fridge and divide into balls of equal size. Roll out each ball and place it in the greased tart tins. Prick the base all over with a fork…

Bake the tarts in the preheated oven for 15-20 mins or until it’s slightly brown around the edges of the tart. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely. Remove the tarts from the tins…

Heat 1/2 cup of sugar in a deep pan with 2 tbsp of water. Let the sugar turn a darker shade of brown…

Remove the pan from fire and add butter and cream to it. Stir well, bring it back to fire. Cook on low flame for 4-5 mins. Do not let it boil. Remove from fire and let it cool completely…

Add chopped nuts and raisins (no need to chop) to the caramel cream mixture and stir well…

Fill the cooled tarts with the caramel fudge mixture. Enjoy :)

During my first ever grocery shopping, I bought almost half a kg of fennel. That time, I didnt know there were different types of jeera. I just saw fennel and assumed it to be the “jeera” and bought it. I used it in all the recipes which uses cumin/jeera. I used it in thorans, dal curries etc; Until one day, when one of our friends told me I’m using the wrong kind of jeera!

But cumin, is a totally different story. I blame jeeraka vellom (cumin flavoured hot water)  for that. During my school days, whenever we visit some place, the first thing offered was hot jeeraka vellom and I used to hate it those days. Somehow cumin reminds me of those days and I maintained my distance. Since change is the only constant thing in life, my attittude towards cumin also changed a bit. These days I like Jeera rice and I dont mind a bit of jeera in curries too.

Though this dish uses good amount of jeera, it’s not overpowering. It’s a very simple and quick dish to put together if you are in a hurry. It goes well with rice and roti.

Suggested rice dishes for this recipe: Veg Pulao, Jaldi Tomato Rice, Ghee Rice. You can also have it with plain rice.

Heat oil in a pan and crackle jeera. Add grated/crushed ginger and garlic. Cook for 2-3 mins…

Add chopped onion and cook till they become golden brown in colour. Add the masala powders and cook till the raw smell goes, around 2-4 mins…

Add chopped tomato along with salt and sugar, mix well. Add 1/4 cup water and cook…

When tomato becomes soft, add cooked potatoes. Add 1/4 cup hot water and combine well. Make sure the potato pieces are coated well with the masala. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves…

Recipe adapted from Vanitha Pachakam Magazine

Earlier I used to stock up something sweet all the time, but recently I’ve stopped that to form a healthy eating habit. These days, I snack dates or dried figs, when I feel like eating something sweet. But some days, I’ve this unstoppable itch to cheat. On such days, this is my go to recipe. It’s a quick fix dessert. It’s ready in less than 10 mins!

That reminds me… I should tell you something. Whenever I make the usual style of porridge with oats, it just tastes yucky! I know it’s not an adjective you expect to see on a food blog. But that’s the truth. Since there is so much of hype about “oats” these days, I wanted to include it somehow in our food. This payasam style suits me the best! I’m a big fan of anything with jaggery and coconut milk. From my experience, you can never go wrong with that combo.

Usually I don’t follow any particular measurements while making this, I just throw in whatever I feel like. But, since I wanted to share this with you, I noted down the measurements last time. Still, I’d suggest you to use this recipe as a guideline and you can work on it as you go, to suit your requirements. It’s an ideal recipe if you are looking for some healthy and nutritious dishes for your kids. I think they will like the smooth texture and sweetness of the dish. All in all, I’d say this recipe is definitely value for your time and effort, not to forget the money part too ;)

Since it’s a payasam recipe, I thought I’ll post this as Vishu special. Also, it’s my parents wedding anniversary on Vishu day. If there is one thing that they both agree unanimously, it’s sweets, especially payasam ;) They both have sweet tooth big time, so this post is for them too. Appa and Amma, wish you a very happy anniversary!

Wish you a Happy Vishu!

Here are some recipes for Sadya, if you are planning to make one.

Aviyal, Sambar, Parippu curry, Olan, Erissery, Kichadi, Rasam, Inji Curry, Thoran, Gothambu Payasam, Parippu Payasam, Semiya Payasam, Ada Pradhaman, Pal Payasam, Panchasara Varatti

Step by step pictures…

Add 1/3 cup water to the jaggery and melt it. Strain the melted jaggery…

Add oats to the strained jaggery. Cook till the jaggery is dried up…

Add medium thick coconut milk, bring it to a boil. When it starts to thicken, add crushed cardamom and thick coconut milk. Stir well…

Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashews and coconut bits, till it turns golden brown. Add this to the payasam serve hot…

Please read the notes section of the recipe before making this.

The only exception to that, is I make something sweet, a cake or a dessert. It’s my back up plan, just in case somebody drops in to wish us. So this is what I made this year.

It’s a very easy dessert to put together. It’s an ideal dessert, if you’re planning a party for a large group. You can whip up a fabulous looking and tasting dessert without much effort, sounds great, right? I got this recipe from my dear friend and neigbour Sonia. She made this dessert for us one Christmas and we both, Jose and myself were instant fans of this dessert!

I love these kind of recipes, where there is no cooking or baking involved. Just put together some wonderful ingredients and you are good to go!

Step by step pictures…

Add the melted butter to biscuit crumbs. Layer the serving dish with this crumb and butter mixture. Press it down using your fingers. Keep it aside…

Dissolve the lemon jello in 2 cups of hot water. Stir well. Keep it aside. Combine cream cheese, thick cream, sugar and vanilla essence using a whisk…

Fold in the jello mix to the cheese mixture until it’s combined well. Pour this mixture over the crumb base. Refrigerate it till it sets, around 4-5 hrs. Spread the blueberry filling on top of the set dessert…

Savoury version of Pidi (Rice dumplings) was something new to me. We make a sweet version of it called as Unda Payasam as evening snack. The very first time I had savoury/spicy pidi was in Bombay, at one of our family friend’s house. But there the pidi was served on the side with chicken curry. The second time I had the savoury version was a few months ago, when my friend Sheena made it. The dish was loaded with flavour. This is a Malabar / Calicut version of Pidi. I guess the core part of the masala, ie the roasted coconut gravy remains the same in all the versions. Sheena was kind enough to come home and cook this dish, so that I can take the step by step pictures and share it with you. Thanks a ton dear :)

This is a one pot dish like biriyani. You can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Suit yourselves ;) It’s kind of a lengthy procedure when you look at the recipe as a whole. So do one thing, break it into different parts and I’m sure you’ll breeze through it. Though I’ve given the beef version, you can make it with chicken, mutton or even prawns. Anyways, my fav is the beef one!

I’m posting this recipe in advance, so that you can plan things accordingly. I very strongly recommend you to try this one, trust me, you are in for a treat my friend.

Wish you and your loved ones a Happy Easter! May the Lord Bless you abundantly! Have a great time with your loved ones :)

So here you go with the step by step recipe..

Add coconut, small onion paste and salt to rice flour. Mix well. Add hot water gradually and make a soft and non sticky dough…

Make small balls of dough almost equivalent to the size of a 50 paisa coin. Make a small dip in the ball, using your thumb. Steam these balls in low-medium heat for 8-10 mins…

Add sliced onion, chilli, turmeric, coriander powder, ginger & garlic, salt, curry leaves and water to the beef. Pressure cook the beef …

Heat oil and add chopped onion. When it becomes soft, add small onion…

When the onions turn golden brown, add ginger and garlic. Cook for 2-3 mins. Add masala powders and mix well. Cook till the raw smell goes, around 2-3 mins…

Add chopped tomato and green chilli and salt. Cook till the tomatoes become soft. Add this masala to the beef and mix well. Keep cooking the beef on low flame…

Heat oil and add grated coconut, chopped garlic, fennel seeds, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Fry it till the coconut turns golden brown in colour. Let it cool completely. Grind it to a smooth paste without adding water. Add the ground coconut paste to the beef mixture. Combine and keep cooking on low flame…

Add half of the cooked pidi and half of the thick coconut milk to this. Mix. Add the rest of the cooked pidi and coconut milk. Give a good mix and bring it to boil. It has semi dry consistency and the pidi, should be coated well with the masala. Add more hot water, if required, to adjust the consistency…

Ok, I’ll tell you about the connection between hair cuts and this recipe. Like a good hair cut, this cake gives you a refreshed feeling. The plain cupcake is light and fresh just like a haircut without any works. The frosted cupcake is like a haircut along with a blow dry ;) I know describing food with the help of haircuts, doesnt make sense. But whenever I have this cupcake, I kinda have the same feeling, is that weird?

Even if whatever I’ve just said, didnt make any sense to you, please try baking this. You will not be disappointed, it sure is a treat. The chilled version of frosted cupcake is a good dessert option.

Recipe source: Everyday Cookery, Baking Series

Recommended rice recipes for this curry: Ghee Rice, Vegetable Pulao, Jaldi Tomato Rice, Masala Pulao, Lemon Rice

Step by step pictures..

Soak cashew nut and poppy seed in 2 tbsp hot water for 10-15 mins. Grind them to a smooth paste…

Heat oil in a pan and add jeera. Add onion and fry till it becomes golden brown in colour. Add grated/crushed ginger and garlic. Cook for 2-3 mins, till the raw smell goes…

Add the masala powders. Cook for 2-3 mins. Add pureed tomato, salt and kasuri methi. Mix well…

When oil starts appearing, add paneer and peas. Mix well. Add 1.5 cups hot water. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat. Cover and cook till the gravy thickens…

Add cashew poppy paste to the curry. Stir and let it cook for 3-5 mins. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and remove from fire…