Appe Saaru | Appe HuLi | Raw Mango Saaru

A must have summer-monsoon recipe, tangy raw mango saaru or appe saaru
07/31/2020 6:46:45 PM vindhyadesai

Recipes with mangoes are endless whether they are ripe or raw, we can make so many recipes. In our Indian cuisine, the options are so many I sometimes wonder who could have thought of those! So today we are going to learn one such easy and traditional recipe appe saaru or raw mango saaru. It is a palate cleansing dish and it tastes so good on a rainy monsoon day!
This recipe has been in the drafts all summer as I have been busy looking after little ‘S’. So the recipes are coming slow and steady. With the festival season started things are about to get busier in my house. So I thought, why not try and post one last mango recipe for this year in the form of appe saaru, a specialty of Malnad region. ... “Appe Saaru | Appe HuLi | Raw Mango Saaru”

Nucchina Unde | Bele Kadubu | Steamed Recipes

Loaded with protein and delicious flavour, steamed Karnataka special nucchina unde
12/22/2019 5:30:02 PM vindhyadesai

On a cold winter morning, imagine having a protein filled breakfast that is steamed and is very healthy for you. No, this is not some fancily described dish but our very own delicious Karnataka special nucchina unde. It is loaded with good protein coming from the dals and steaming these fun bundles makes them extra healthy. Nucchina unde is best enjoyed with bisi bisi paladya or kadhi. A chatpata pickle on the side elevates this dish even more.
For nucchina unde, I like to mostly use togaribele/toor dal, it gives nice body, it is easy to digest and has a sweet rounding taste. Other dals are added to enrich the dish and for different textures. The most important flavouring for nucchina unde is shunthi/ginger/adrak. It is essential for digestion and for the taste it brings out of the dals. I add jeera and black pepper, 2 of my most favourite spices. And I forgot to mention, I also add mustard, it gives a slight pungent taste and combined with coconut and green chilli makes it extra tasty. ... “Nucchina Unde | Bele Kadubu | Steamed Recipes”

Baalekayi Pepper Roast | Raw Plantain Roast | Snack Recipes

Crisp, peppery, a delicious snack or side dish with tomato saaru, baalekayi pepper roast
07/31/2019 9:29:02 PM vindhyadesai

Finding healthy ways to snack is a big area of your cooking life. It is easy to reach a sugary snack bar or a bag of those salty potato chips. But those calories will make you feel guilty, a normal scenario isn’t it! So how about we remove the guilt and also fix the snack. So let’s make raw banana pepper roast or baalekayi pepper roast.
It is such a fun snack with very minimal ingredients. The flavour obviously comes from black pepper which is freshly pounded and for that fragrant South Indian taste, curry leaves do the trick. A pot of your favourite masala chai and baalekayi pepper roast, what a combination! ... “Baalekayi Pepper Roast | Raw Plantain Roast | Snack Recipes”

Churmuri | Murmuri | Masala Puri | Snack Recipes

Karum Kurum churmuri, a low calorie snack to enjoy in the monsoon
06/25/2019 9:29:53 PM vindhyadesai

Tea time has arrived in my home and it is raining outside. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Onion pakoda? But sometimes you don’t feel like having something oily and it’a lot of work isn’t it? Ok ok, question session is over, let’s go make some karum karum churmuri or masala puri (don’t confuse with the masala/e puri chaat).
When I was thinking of a one-line summary for churmuri I had to put ‘karum kurum’ in it. That has to be the best way to describe it, there is no other way to it, in my opinion. There are certain things which have no words in any dictionary and you have to describe it just the way it looks or sounds. Just go by your instincts 🙂 ... “Churmuri | Murmuri | Masala Puri | Snack Recipes”

Saame Akki Ganji | Little Millet Ganji | Millet Recipes

Soft on the stomach and gut, saame akki ganji or little millet ganji
06/22/2019 10:05:52 PM vindhyadesai

On some evenings after having a big meal during the day we all want that one simple dish to finish the day. Usually hearty soups like spinach soup, hot and sour soup or a big bowl of potato corn chowder. But we always forget the simple grains we have consumed as a civilization, millets. Millets are now all the rage owing to healthy eating habits and fancy organic stores. It is good that we are getting back to these eating habits. So Saame akki ganji is what we bring to you today.
Saame akki or little millets or muraiya seeds are very tiny millets that look like miniature versions of the rice grain. A simple porridge made with this wonder grain is really very satisfying. I usually just serve Saame akki ganji with a twist of black pepper, melting oozy desi ghee and my homemade lime pickle. How wonderful does that sound! This sentence made me realise how easy it is to glam up a simple dish. ... “Saame Akki Ganji | Little Millet Ganji | Millet Recipes”

South Indian Filter Coffee | Filter Coffee | Beverage Recipes

Piping hot South Indian filter coffee, like no other coffee in this world
06/16/2019 6:22:50 PM vindhyadesai

As I sit here watching the world cup match, trying to get some blogging done, all I want is a cup of South Indian filter coffee. And guess what, I finally took the time to photo shoot the best coffee in the world. For everyday recipes sometimes we just take them for granted but it is very essential to make sure we have good recipes up our sleeve. Here I have given the measurements of coffee and milk I like to use to make a medium strong filter coffee.
So how did coffee come to India? It’s definitely not a native crop. I had all these curious questions and I read up about it. Baba Budan, a Sufi Saint brought coffee to India. He is said to have carried 7 seeds of coffee and it is those seeds which spread throughout India. Amazing story isn’t it! South Indian filter coffee or degree coffee or just kaapi is a unique blend of coffee and another seed called chicory. Read on to find out more about the proportions. ... “South Indian Filter Coffee | Filter Coffee | Beverage Recipes”

Oven Roasted Haagalkayi Chips | Karela Chips

Crisp, oven roasted haagalkayi chips, savoury and enjoyable for a rainy evening
06/13/2019 9:38:47 PM vindhyadesai

All of us love crispy, salty and savoury snacks, don’t we? I love finding oven roasted snacks to make it interesting and yet keep them less in calories. Some examples include beetroot and potato skin crisps, roasted mung dal, bakery style roasted peanuts. So you get the drift, we are going towards a simple, healthy, oven roasted snack for today’s recipe, oven roasted haagalkayi chips.
Oven roasted haagalkayi chips are easily made with some tender haagalkayi/bitter gourd/karela. Scoop out the seeds, slice them, lightly oil and add your favourite masalas. All you then need to do is spread them evenly on a baking sheet/tray roast them off. All the fun and no calories and surprisingly they do not have any bitter flavour. ... “Oven Roasted Haagalkayi Chips | Karela Chips”

Maddur Vada | Maddur Vade | Snack Recipes

Monsoon & maddur vada, the perfect marriage, a tribute to the rainy season & Karnataka
06/09/2019 6:14:27 PM vindhyadesai

Crisp maddur vada is an emotion! I am not just writing a random sentence here, it is a fact! A small village called Maddur near Mysore in the beautiful land of Karnataka is where this wonder snack was invented. Like I have put in the tagline for this recipe, monsoon and maddur vada are synonymous. To welcome the elusive rain let’s do ti with a super snack!
For making Maddur vada you need to get the proportions of flour right to get a crispy and beautiful texture. But the most important thing to make crisp maddur vada is to use finely chopped onions. Here I have used my trusty chopper to do the job but do test your knife skills if you fancy it. One more important part of the process is to add a little smoking hot oil to the maddur vada to get the crispness. ... “Maddur Vada | Maddur Vade | Snack Recipes”

Squash Risotto | Risotto Recipes | Italian Recipes

Creamy squash risotto, one of the best comfort foods with arborio rice and soft squash
03/09/2019 10:59:55 PM vindhyadesai

Comfort foods such as a creamy risotto is one of my many dreams. I dream about eating a spoonful of risotto and feeling the warmth go down my throat. Am I making you hungry because I know I am by just describing about it. Let’s make it more real, so here I am, back with a recipe for pumpkin or squash risotto.
A creamy risotto is usually made with arborio rice or risotto rice which you can easily get in super markets. It sure sounds fancy and restaurant’sy but trust me it is easy to make it at home. All you need is good ingredients, water and patience. Risotto turns creamy by adding boiling water one ladleful at a time. ... “Squash Risotto | Risotto Recipes | Italian Recipes”

Chilli Noodle Soup | Noodles Soup | Soup Recipes

Spicy, lip smacking, chilli noodle soup, to clear your senses
03/02/2019 10:20:35 PM vindhyadesai

The cure for a nose block or even a running nose, yes both, is a nice piping hot soup. I find my solace in a comforting chilli noodle soup loaded with ginger and garlic. A chilli noodle soup is so comforting just the thought of it starts clearing my senses. Adding a swirl of honey provides some much needed comfort to a sore throat.
Anyway do not restrict chilli noodle soup to just comfort you on a bad day. Slurp on this wonder chilli noodle soup on any rainy or cold winter evening. It surely will make you feel more energetic and cheerful. It is all about the balance of those flavours. ... “Chilli Noodle Soup | Noodles Soup | Soup Recipes”