Coconut Rice: Lunchbox Recipe

5 Jan

No fuss no spill – coconut rice is great in the lunchbox. Keep boiled and cooled rice handy to put this together easily on time-pressed mornings. Add a side of crispy spiced plantain or quick potato dry sabzi for some kick.

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Sookhi Sabzi Masala, South-Style

26 Dec

Sookhi Sabzi Masala South Indian

Four ingredients – each in equal measure – roasted and ground: and lo, there you have a delicious sookhi sabzi masala! Sprinkle the masala over dry sautéed veggies with some salt – you need no other seasoning.

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Poi Saag Toor Dal: Basale Leaves and Yellow Lentils

12 Dec

Basale Leaves with Yellow Lentils

I love cooking greens with toor dal – my go-to combination is spinach toor dal, mostly because spinach is easier to procure than other greens. When I do get my hands on poi saag (basale leaves/Malabar spinach), I alternate between cooking them in Bengali style or Andhra style – this poi saag toor dal recipe closely follows the Andhra style as in Sailu’s excellent blog.

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Tilwale Shimla Mirch: Sesame Bell Pepper

2 Dec

Sesame Bell Pepper - Tilwale Shimla Mirch

When the sharp juiciness of shimla mirch (green bell pepper/capsicum) is coupled with the delicate nuttiness of til (sesame seeds), something magical happens! Try tilwale shimla mirch (sesame bell pepper) to witness it yourself.

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How To Make Littis in a Paddu Maker

20 Nov

Littis in Paddu Maker

When a friend returned from Austin to Chennai, she brought back for her mother an ornate crockpot. Her mother unsurprisingly did not find much use for the contraption in her home cooking. For a while the crockpot was relegated to the far corner of her storage shelves. Till inspiration struck – and she converted the crockpot into a tulsi planter.

My story is not as drastic as that, but seeing my mother use her paddu maker for cooking littis raised a smile much like my friend’s story did. Paddus are not a staple food for us, so her paddu maker would mostly lie forlorn. One day my mother decided to give the equipment a "litti maker" makeover. The rounded fissures of the paddu griddle work perfectly as receptacles for litti balls. Slow cooking on the fire, with a turn or two in between, gives us littis close to the traditional fire-roasted ones.

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Baingan Mooli Patta Sabzi: Eggplant Radish Leaves Curry

12 Nov

Baingan Mooli Patta ki Sabzi

The onset of winter brings with it fresh white radish (mooli) topped with lush green leaves. Here’s a curry that puts those radish greens to excellent use: baingan mooli patta sabzi.

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