Stuffed Spring onion and Besan Paratha

Stuffed parathas are delish and have there own special place. The good part is that they can be stuffed with anything you like and then they turn into this healthy and yummy dish! Its one good way to make fussy eaters eat their veggies. But stuffing is not limited to veggies alone, but shredded chicken or lamb can also be used and thats a whole other story. Stuff cheese to make it cheese paratha. Stuff egg burji to make egg paratha. Stuff shredded...

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Neer More / Khara Lassi / Spiced up Buttermilk

In my house, sugar is prohibited to an extent...tho we still make so much sweet stuff, mostly my kids eat them if there is no spicy stuff (they like spicy stuff more), and we eat in moderation. So instead of sweet lassi, salt lassi is preferred in my house. Even my younger kiddo enjoys salted buttermilk if in the mood!! This was my Bro's favorite too. He used to make it often. Its nice to sip on chilled spicy lassi on a hot summer day. You get the...

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Chekkalu / Spicy and crunchy rice and lentil flats

  When I was young, this was one of my favorite snacks, spicy and crunchy. Looks like kids followed suit..they like them too, spicy and crunchy. In days long ago, there was a lengthy way in making these...soaking the rice, grinding into rice flour, then cooking and mixing the rice flour with the other ingredients and then making them flat and frying them. We kids used to help our mom making them flat. I remember we used sit around during...

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Stuffed Capsicum or Bell peppers with Potato curry

Past weekend, we had good weather and after a very long time we went out to Boston to enjoy our day and good weather. There were pretty tulip blossoms and cherry blossoms all around the city. We had a picnic lunch at Boston Harbor in the beautiful green lawns. Kids enjoyed running around, even behind the poor pigeons. Then we went to the Boston Aquarium and ended the day with eating in Quincy Market and watching the movie Avatar in 3D IMAX. It was...

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Mango Lassi

Mango Lassi is nothing but buttermilk with mango in it. If we were lucky enough to get real, fresh, ripe mangoes, I would have made it them. But as for now I settled with the substitute - Mango pulp in a tin :). Well thats the closest we can get to mangoes in pre-mango season or no mango season. We as kids always have enjoyed sipping on this heavenly drink, now my kids enjoy mango lassi whenever they go to Indian restuarants and so I make it at...

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Idli / Steamed rice cakes

Many people have many different versions of making idlis, the plain idlis I mean. You an always mix other veggies into it and make it healthy! or cover them with podi and make podi idlis or even idli upma! Tho its called rice cakes, they batter also contains daal or lentils in it and is fermented before the idlis are made. A special stand called idli stand which has plates with depressions for holding the batter and steaming them is used. It is...

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Coconut - Fried Gram Chutney / Kobari - Putnalpappu Pachadi / Idli Chutney

This is the most popular chuney which is made usually accompanying Idlis / steamed rice cakes or dosa / fried lentil and rice crepes . In some restuarants, plain coconut chutney is served, but in many homes this chutney is made. Its a very simple chutney made with coconut and fried gram or lentils. Fried gram is a special kind of daal or lentil which is called putnalpappu in telugu or buna channa daal in hindi or it is simply also known as chutney...

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Green chutney or Coriander - Mint chutney

This chutney if different from the regular chutney we make to eat with rice. For that chutney, which I have blogged before, it is tempered with some other ingredients. This is just a simple chutney which can be used as a side for fritters, pani pooris, chaats etc.,. Ingredients: 1 cup coriander leaves 1 cup mint leaves 4-5 green chillies lemon to taste salt to taste Method: Grind all ingredients to a smooth paste using some water if required....

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Date - Tamarind chutney

Many people make this differently. I make it easy and simple. Ingredients: 6-8 dates, pitted and chopped a lemon size ball of tamarind, squeezed sprinkle of salt and little bit of sugar 1/4 tsp chilli powder Method: Grind all ingredients together to a smooth paste using some water. Serve as a side for chaats, pani pooris, tikkis, fritters etc.,. Enjo...

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Pani pooris or Golgappas - Indian street food

Pani pooris or golgappas are one of my favorite street food. When I was in India, there were few places where we used to go specially for these yummy treats, one being golgappas, other aloo tikki chaat and other mirchi bajjis. Now a days almost every galli or street has these cartwallas who make it all the time. But still they all taste slightly different and nothing tastes better than the fresh made ones. Here I crave to eat these and when I think...

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Tempered - Sprouted Mung Lentils / Sprouted Moong daal Tadka chaat

Mung or Moong are beans or small yellow lentils which you can get with or without the green covering on them. They are healthy as they come under whole grain. They are called Pesarlu in Telugu. I use it to make pesarattu or dosa or crepes which I have blogged before. This time we used it in sprouting them and then tempering them or giving them a tadka. It tastes yummy with chopped onions, tomatoes and lemon juice. It can be enjoyed as a snack...

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Orange Berry Juice

My kids cannot wait for summer to arrive. Fresh fruits have just started coming into the markets and they are asking for smoothies...But I am still restraining from making them because of the chilliness. No icecream or even ice for that matter. But with the temperatures just warming up, I gave in to the wonderful mixed up fruit juice their father came up with at 10 in the night. Mind you, only some ice, cos it was already 10 in the night, and juice...

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Masala Stuffed Whole Tindora / Dondakai / Ivy gourd / Tendli

Here is an other use of the homemade 'any time use ground masala paste'. This time its for a vegetarian dish. As a kid it was dish we used to look out for. I like dondakaya like bendakaya (bendi) in any form. Stuffing it with the masala and frying it makes it really yummy and delish. The dondakai is cut like a vankai (brinjal) when making stuffed brinjal, is cut in a plus shape and stuffed with the masala. The only other additions to this are onion,...

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Andhra style Chicken Fry

This is one of the types of chicken curry we make at home. It is one of my favorite chicken fry too. We make it using the 'any time use ground masala paste'. It very easy as the masala is already ready, only add a few other simple ingredients and there you go, you have an amazing, good tasting chicken fry ready. We made it using boneless chicken, but any type of chicken can be used. And if you like crunchy onions with your chicken, this is the...

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Any time use - Ground Masala paste...veg or non-veg

Here is my recipe for any time masala paste. It goes good with veg or non-veg dishes. I have even used it in making biryanis, and it will taste good...I am telling you!!!..:) I usually make it in a lot and freeze it. Take a bit whenever I require it. I would suggest that you keep it in small one time containers, that will be easier. It will keep good atleast for a month in the freezer. I noticed that the coconut sometimes starts to smell if kept...

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