Bharwan Karela | Stuffed Bittergourd | Bharwa Karela

Loaded with tasty masala stuffing, bitter sweet bharwan karela
12/28/2018 6:22:09 PM vindhyadesai

Bitter gourd or karela is always advertised as a vegetable not preferred by many. But infact it is one of those vegetables made regularly in many Indian homes. Karela, lauki or kaddu (bitter gourd, bottle gourd or pumpkin) atleast one of them will definitely feature on the menu. This might be the reason why it is not liked by many as it is dull, routine and boring. But how about we make the boring bitter gourd or karela interesting and a bit fancy. Bharwan karela is a very commonly made Punjabi dish.
Bharwan karela or stuffed bitter gourd as the name indicates has a flavourful masala stuffing filled into the cavity of karela and then cooked off in a sweet onion base. The flavours mingle so well in this dish and balance the pungent bitterness of the karela really well. Along with bharwan karela I served a simple Methi kadhi and some steamed rice, I say comfort food at its best! ... “Bharwan Karela | Stuffed Bittergourd | Bharwa Karela”

Carrot Saasme | Carrot Raitha | Saasme Recipes

Cooling with mellow sweet carrot flavours, simple carrot saasme
12/08/2018 1:44:57 PM vindhyadesai

A saasme or raitha provides a much needed cooling effect to the palate. If you used eating a spicy meal it is always good to balance with a cooling raitha on the side. Today let’s learn a slightly different kind of saasme, carrot saasme. A special thing about this saasme is it has a nice sweet taste and can be used as a dip just by itself.
For carrot saasme you can grind coconut and little mustard seeds add then mix it with carrot puree and yogurt/curd. Here I have made it plain and just added some chatpata flavours in the form of amchur powder and jeera-pepper powder to balance things. This is very much a kid-friendly recipe and helps cool off some spicy flavours. ... “Carrot Saasme | Carrot Raitha | Saasme Recipes”

Mangalore Southekayi Beejada Tambli | Tambli Recipes

Cooling and nutritious Mangalore southekayi beejada tambli
12/01/2018 8:05:53AM vindhyadesai

We often discard the leaves, seeds and peels of vegetables and fruits. There are some vegetables and fruits where the part should not be consumed (like apple seeds, tomato leaves or potato stalks) or is not edible like hard peels etc. But there is no reason why the seeds and peels cannot be consumed if they are edible. Mangalore southekayi beejada tambli is exactly the recipe which resonates the idea of using usually discarded element.
Mangalore cucumber or southekayi if it is tender, the seeds are very much edible or atleast the extract that comes out of it. So if you are making Mangalore southekayi huLi/sambar then store the seeds they can be used to make this Mangalore southekayi beejada tambli or saaru. The idea is to grind and extract the pulp and liquid out of the seeds. This liquid is then mixed with well beaten fresh yogurt. An aromatic tadka on top makes the tambli very tasty. ... “Mangalore Southekayi Beejada Tambli | Tambli Recipes”

Green Chilli Thokku | Hasi Menasinakayi Thokku | Thokku Recipes

Spicy and palate cleansing hasi menasinakayi thokku or green chilli thokku
11/26/2018 6:00:04 PM vindhyadesai

A spicy pickle always brightens up any meal. But making a pickle takes time unless it is an instant pickle. Another spicy dish that can brighten up a meal is thokku, spicy like a pickle and looks like a chutney. So here we are, making a spicy green chilli thokku or hasi menasinakayi thokku from Karnataka.
Green chilli thokku, will make your meal lip-smacking. Things are about to get hot in your meal! The important thing to make thokku is to fry the ingredients in oil well. For the green chilli thokku, the green chillies should be fried in oil till they develop blisters on the skin. It will break the heat and bring out the flavours and your green chilli thokku turns out super tasty! ... “Green Chilli Thokku | Hasi Menasinakayi Thokku | Thokku Recipes”

Dahi Chutney | Curd Chutney | Chutney Recipes

A cooling chutney or can also be served as a dip, curd chutney or dahi chutney
11/21/2018 10:00:40 PM vindhyadesai

Ever bored of grating loads of coconut to make chutney, trust me I always feel bored to grate coconut. So you know who my go to person is to grate coconut at home(you guessed it). But sometimes you might also run out of coconut or have very little fresh coconut left. And even if you make coconut chutney you need to make 2-3 varieties with different spice levels for different people at home! So here is one solution to fix all your coconut chutney woes, curd chutney or dahi chutney.
Curd chutney or dahi chutney is exactly what it is, dahi mixed with chutney. So grind your regular coconut chutney with the usual ingredients in a small quantity and then mix it with smooth curd/yogurt. Dahi chutney or curd chutney is spicy, tangy and even sweet. And you are saved the trouble of actually making 2-3 types of chutneys to adjust the spice. Everybody can just dig into this and enjoy the same chutney. ... “Dahi Chutney | Curd Chutney | Chutney Recipes”

Mixed Vegetable Gassi | Veg Ghasi | Gravy Recipes

Spicy side dish to serve with lacy neer dosa, Mangalore special mixed vegetable gassi
11/13/2018 9:24:30 PM vindhyadesai

Mixed vegetable curries in any form are always a hit in my house. I love a fragrant curry too but not the over spicy and oily ones. The aroma of freshly toasted spices along with the coconut brings out the flavours of all the added mixed vegetables. This mixed vegetable gassi is one such curry.
Mixed vegetable gassi is the perfect marriage of ingredients. Mild spices, coconut milk, some tamarind for some sourness. In Mangalore and coastal regions, a special curry called chana gassi is made. Here instead of chana we use mixed vegetables which is lighter on the stomach. ... “Mixed Vegetable Gassi | Veg Ghasi | Gravy Recipes”

Bombay Besan Chutney | Besan Chutney | Chutney Recipes

Tangy, mildly spicy and hot, an easy go-to side dish, Bombay besan chutney
10/28/2018 12:10:03 PM vindhyadesai

There are times when you have run out of vegetables and you are looking to make a side dish. Something that gets ready quickly and more than just grinding a simple chutney. So imagine making a chutney that has a nice texture that also looks like curry. This Bombay besan chutney is exactly that.
Very simple things go into this chutney and gets ready in a jiffy. Bombay besan chutney is similar to jhunuka or zunka from Marathi and North Karnataka. But it is popular all over South India. It is made as a dish for chapathi or dosa. ... “Bombay Besan Chutney | Besan Chutney | Chutney Recipes”

Vegetable Stew in Coconut Milk | Vegetable Stew | Curry Recipes

Creamy and delicious, with subtle yet fragrant vegetable stew in coconut milk
10/13/2018 3:53:33 PM vindhyadesai

All things stewed, I love them, they are the ultimate comfort food. A simple vegetable stew in coconut milk is my go to recipe. Be it, as a side dish with neer dosa or with some plain or special jeera rice, this stew is my favourite. Some mixed vegetables like potato, carrot, beans and some soft green peas all stewed in a simple coconut milk based curry, ultimate!
Here I have used some simple whole garam masala like elaichi, laung, kali mirch and dalchini, all in very small amounts for a subtle fragrance. Vegetable stew in coconut milk surely does sound complicated and time consuming. But all it needs is a little preparation, chopping vegetables in my opinion is the biggest task in this recipe. ... “Vegetable Stew in Coconut Milk | Vegetable Stew | Curry Recipes”

Bhindi Ka Salan | Bhindi Recipes | Curry Recipes

Spicy, delicious, loaded with nuttiness & full of flavour, Hyderabadi special Bhindi Ka Salan
10/06/2018 11:43:01 AM vindhyadesai

A spicy and delicious curry as an accompaniment with pulao, biryani or rotis is always welcome. Such curries enhance the taste of the dish even more and cleanses the palate. Such curries do not have to be oily or loaded with chillies to make them tasty. I have described one such lip-smacking recipe here, bhindi ka salan, Hyderabadi style!
Bhindi ka salan has a delicious masala paste going into it made with with roasted groundnuts, sesame, coconut and some fragrant spices. The flavours are then brought together by adding tamarind and jaggery balancing all the flavours. Ensure you are using fresh and tender bhindi/okra which makes bhindi ka salan really tasty. ... “Bhindi Ka Salan | Bhindi Recipes | Curry Recipes”

Capsicum Masala | Capiscum Curry | Gravy Recipes

Creamy, nutty & mildly spicy, capsicum masala, colourful capsicum in a peanut gravy
09/16/2018 12:58:19 PM vindhyadesai

A delicious, creamy and nutty gravy with roasted capsicum dices is today’s recipe. Capsicum masala is a super tasty side dish for chapathi or rotis. It is easy to make and is so rich and creamy. It has some simple everyday spice powders to bring out the flavours. The lightly browned capsicum makes it extra special.
When I said it is easy to make, do keep in mind it does not get ready in ten minutes. Allow some time for frying and grinding the masala. But it is easy in the sense that you do not need to run to the grocery store to buy specialty ingredients. The steps can also be done in parallel. Fry the capsicum in one pan and get the masala ready on the other side. Capsicum masala is then a breeze to prepare. ... “Capsicum Masala | Capiscum Curry | Gravy Recipes”