I haven’t come across fresh almonds. This is the first time I saw it in the super market. I got curious and though it was priced higher, I bought home a small pack. I didn’t know how to use it in my recipes. So the only way was to search…
COOKING BASICS
Idli
Idli is the most famous south Indian breakfast. Soft and fluffy idlis served with sambar chutney and vadai makes a delicious breakfast. In the last post I explained about getting the perfect batter for idlis. the next step is to steam the idlis. For making idlis we need idli mould…
Idli/ Dosa Batter
Idlis are very famous breakfast dish from South India. Every state has a different set of ingredients to get fluffy idlis. This is the way we get idlis in Tamil Nadu. Nowadays idli batter is readily available in the market. So it has become very rare to prepare batter at…
Manathakkali Vatral/ Dried Black Night Shade Berry
I once posted about Black Night Shade Berries/ Manathakkali (click to view post). When I saw it in the nearby shop, I bought 200gm of those to prepare the dry version. Vatral is usually prepared during summers while the sun is very hot. When summer commences, mom starts preparing vadagam and…
Curd / Yogurt
Curd also known as Thayir in Tamil, is an important part of Indian food. South Indians relish it with rice and no lunch is complete without curd rice and pickle. On the other hand north Indian recipes use curd as an important ingredient in cooking. The gravies are thickened with…
Poondu Legiyum
Priya of Bon Appetit is a good friend of mine. When she asked me to do a guest post, I readily agreed. I couldn’t select a recipe for the post. I wanted to make a traditional recipe for her. When I visited Coimbatore, mom asked me to prepare this poondu legium…
Red Chilly Powder
Red Chilly powder is an important ingredient in Indian recipes. Though you can buy it at stores, preparing it at home gives a nice colourful hot powder. While selecting red chillies, look for bright coloured chillies. Don’t buy dark coloured chillies because the colour of the powder will be darker…
Ponnanganni Keerai/ Water Amarnath Leaves
Ponnanganni Keerai also known as water amarnath leaves is a nutritious greens. This helps to increase eyesight. The name itself suggests the benifits of this keerai. Pon means gold. My grand mom used to say that pon agum kan ( you get golden eyes meaning the eyesight improves) is the…
Sweet Corn
Sweet corn can be boiled and relished with salt and pepper. This can also be used in soups, cutlets, pulaos and bakes. While boiling, the corn has to be boiled with the cob and then the kernels can be removed. This post deals on the method of preparing the corn…
Manathakkali / Black Night Shade Berry
When I went to the garden I saw the manathakkali plant in full bloom. There were so many flowers, fruits and raw berries. My mom used to prepare puli kulambu with the berries. The greens are also used in dishes such as masiyal and poriyal. The plant has medicinal properties…