Aloo Baingan | How to make aloo baingan sabzi?

Easy aloo baingan sabzi, mustardy, mildly spicy and flavourful
9/07/2016 9:46:12 PM vindhyadesai

A simple dry sabzi for everyday. Even those who do not like baingan/brinjal will also like this sabzi because the flavours are simple and tasty. Pungent mustardy flavour is imparted by adding pounded mustard seeds to oil before adding any other masala powders giving it the Bengal touch. You can even use mustard oil in place of pounded mustard seeds but the mustard flecks in between makes the sabzi very appealing. I have used regular garam masala, you can also use Punjabi garam masala if you want. Modify sabzi as per your taste. Do not overcook baingan which makes it mushy, unpalatable and unsightly sometimes. This sabzi is fast, fresh and simple and is an excellent side dish for rotis/phulkas/plain parathas/chapathis. Potatoes just work with eveything, they are so versatile! ... “Aloo Baingan | How to make aloo baingan sabzi?”

Coconut Rice | Tengu Anna | How to make coconut bhaat?

Simple, easy, flavourful coconut flavoured rice/bhaat
9/06/2016 9:30:09 PM vindhyadesai

Another simple, easy to prepare coconut rice/bhaat. Most homes have this dish during a festival or to pack for lunch box. This simple dish can sometimes become boring if prepared very often. Add a spin to it, bring in some festivity, add more flavour of coconut by adding cashewnuts, making it with basmati rice and also using coconut oil to make the tadka. Add lots of freshly grated coconut for that unmistakable aroma! Prepare this rice/bhaat and serve with a cool raitha or hasi majjige huLi or saasme (yogurt based cool raitha) and savour the flavours of this humble dish! Other bhaat recipes to try from FOI. ... “Coconut Rice | Tengu Anna | How to make coconut bhaat?”

Pineapple Gojju | Ananas Gojju | Pineapple Gotsu | How to make pineapple gojju?

Fruity, spicy, festive pineapple gojju
9/03/2016 4:21:01 PM vindhyadesai

In traditional South Indian cuisine it is customary to have a balance of all flavours when eating a meal, especially a big meal on a festival or in big spreads like in weddings. A pickle and a palate cleansing gojju are the most important dishes to get a balance of all the flavours. Gojju is like a curry but thicker and is served in small quantities as a little side dish to eat with hot rice. When we make gojju at home, it is often served as a side dish with chapathi or akki rotis(rice flour rotis). Pineapple gojju has a very festive taste to it with all the different spices, fruity, sweet and sour flavour of pineapple. Gojju/gotsu need not have a lot of oil added to it to make it tasty but it has to be mildly spiced and made into the right consistency. Try making this special pineapple gojju at home, here’s the recipe. Other gojju recipes on FOI. ... “Pineapple Gojju | Ananas Gojju | Pineapple Gotsu | How to make pineapple gojju?”

Uddina Bhaat | Urad Dal Rice | Ulundu Sadam | Uddina Anna

Aromatic and flavourful urad dal rice
08/12/2016 8:00:33 PM vindhyadesai

One more traditional recipe from Tamil Nadu & Karnataka. A simple yet aromatic and flavourful urad dal rice. This can be made for ceremonies, for lunch box or even for travel. It stays good at room temperature for a day and is best served with yellu gojju/yellu tuvayil along with roasted papad and yogurt. Try other bhaat recipes from FOI. ... “Uddina Bhaat | Urad Dal Rice | Ulundu Sadam | Uddina Anna”

Puliyogare | Puliyogare Gojju | Pulihora | Puliyodarai | How to make puliyogare?

Traditional Iyengar puliyogare with homemade gojju
08/02/2016 5:46:18 PM vindhyadesai

Tangy, sweet, spicy and even slightly bitter, all tastes in one dish. Puliyogare has to be one of those dishes. Traditional Iyengar Puliyogare made at home is an excellent dish for festivals. You can make the gojju ahead of time and store it and make puliyogare quite easily for your lunch box or even for a quick picnic. It is just mixing in gojju evenly with cooked and cooled rice. Cooked rice should not be sticky and you can eat the most wonderful puliyogare at home. The prasada/offering they give at temples has a unique taste. I would say this one will come quite close and it’s homemade, so no complaints. There are a few steps to make the gojju. I have segregated them to make it easy and each stage can be done separately. ... “Puliyogare | Puliyogare Gojju | Pulihora | Puliyodarai | How to make puliyogare?”

Sorekayi Kootu | Sorekayi Masale Kootu | Lauki Masala Kootu

Hot, spicy kootu with sorekayi/lauki
07/12/2016 7:58:48 PM vindhyadesai

There is nothing like a wholesome meal of rice mixed with saaru/rasam or sambar/huLi/kootu. Imagine hot sambar/kootu on rice with some ghee on top, that is a great combination. Kootu is a Karnataka style masale huLi/sambar, it is made with freshly roasted spices and ground with freshly grated coconut. Kootu also has a special type of tadka/vaggarne/tempering generally with groundnuts added to it. Any kind of vegetable can be used, doodhi/white pumpkin or mixed vegetables like carrots and beans can also be used instead of lauki/sorekayi. ... “Sorekayi Kootu | Sorekayi Masale Kootu | Lauki Masala Kootu”

Bisi Bele Bhaat | Bisi Bele Bhath | How to make bisi bele bhaat

Favourite and festive bisi bele bhaat
06/27/2016 9:27:47 PM vindhyadesai

Bisi Bele Bhaat (BBB) is the default dish for a big function like weddings in South Karnataka. It is a crowd favourite dish and made for most festivals and grand celebrations. It is a thick rice and lentils dish with loads of vegetables, fragrant spices and topped with cashews and groundnuts. Very filling and super tasty, generally served with masala corn flakes, potato chips and mixed raitha. Use freshly made masala and your BBB will be a hit. BBB is probably one of those dishes which people like it best when homemade rather than hotel style. Not many restaurants serve good bisi bele bhaat. So, why not try making it at home.
There are quite a few steps, keeping everything organized makes it easy without making you feel overwhelmed. Make dry BBB masala previous day or first thing before starting bisi bele bhaat. I have learnt this recipe from many people each with their own proportions for masala but credit has to go to my friend’s mother who gave me her handwritten recipe which I tried with some variations. Enjoy! ... “Bisi Bele Bhaat | Bisi Bele Bhath | How to make bisi bele bhaat”

Gujarati Kadhi

Tangy, creamy yogurt based gravy with sweet notes
05/24/2016 8:51:36 PM vindhyadesai

Kadhi is a yogurt/curd based dish made using besan(chickpea flour) to thicken it into a gravy like consistency. Besan also prevents yogurt from splitting when it is heated. Yogurt can be sour or sweet, it depends on the type of Kadhi you are making. Yes, there are various types of Kadhi that are made in India. Almost every state has its own type of Kadhi, from the Punjabi version which has pakodis to Rajasthani Kadhi which is not as sweet as Gujarati Kadhi. Then there are more variations from South India like majjige huLi from Mysore/Bangalore, majjige paladya made in North Karnataka, Mor Kulambu from Tamil Nadu. There are so many variations and every version is very comforting.
Gujarati Kadhi is sweet because of the sugar or jaggery. You can make this in a jiffy after a long day and feel comforted on a cold winter night or a hot summer evening. Kadhi has cooling properties, it is known that it prevents formation of phlegm and can be eaten for dinner as the yogurt is cooked.I generally serve this with ‘rotlis’ (rotis with ‘L’ are Gujarati rotis or phulkas smeared with desi ghee) or plain steamed rice. ... “Gujarati Kadhi”

Tomato Bhaat | Tomato Rice

Mildly fragrant and tangy tomato rice
04/16/2016 6:35:03 PM vindhyadesai

A tasty and flavourful rice for that busy working day. Easy to make and liked by most, tomato rice can be served with any raitha or just plain yogurt/curd. When I have excess tomatoes at home I always make tomato bhaat or tomato gojju both South Indian style. ... “Tomato Bhaat | Tomato Rice”

Rava Idli | Breakfast Recipes | Idli Recipes

Steamed savoury cakes made of cream of wheat/semolina
03/28/2016 4:23:28 PM vindhyadesai

Rava Idli, claimed to have been invented by MTR (Mavalli Tiffin Room) during World of War II is a savoury breakfast dish popular in South India especially Karnataka. It is made of coarse cream of wheat or semolina, a bunch of chopped coriander, golden fried cashews, raisins & dals.
Rava Idli makes a light yet filling breakfast and very good for digestion since it uses curd/yogurt. Yogurt is added along with a pinch each of baking powder, soda which make the idlis light and fluffy. Serve it with chutney or aloo masala or sambar
... “Rava Idli | Breakfast Recipes | Idli Recipes”