Haal Kesari | Milk Kesari

Fudgy, melt in the mouth sweet, oozing with ghee and kesari flavour
04/21/2016 9:34:35 PM vindhyadesai

Made with ordinary ingredients found at home, it makes for a very satisfying sweet or dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth. It is made with fine cream of wheat, cashews, raisins, milk, ghee and sugar with saffron enhancing the flavour & colour. Most importantly it can be served warm, at room temperature and you can even make it ahead of time. The classic South Indian breakfast combination of upma & kesari together is called chow chow bhaat. ... “Haal Kesari | Milk Kesari”

How to make Desi Ghee

Golden nectar of melted butter
04/19/2016 9:16:24 PM vindhyadesai

Fresh homemade desi ghee/ shuddha tuppa, is very easy to make. You need butter (store bought organic butter is just fine) but unsalted and a little bit of patience. The result is a golden nectar of melted butter. Of all the dairy products I love ghee the most. Watch out for those calories though. It’s considered beneficial to eat a teaspoonful of ghee a day according to Ayurveda. (Note: Please consult your doctor if you have cholesterol or other medical issues) ... “How to make Desi Ghee”

Sorekayi Dosa | Lauki Dosa

Soft dosas made with sorekayi/lauki
04/18/2016 9:43:39 PM vindhyadesai

Sorekayi/Lauki or bottlegourd in any form is very good for health. Getting kids to eat lauki can be an arduous task. But when they cannot see that you are actually feeding them lauki it would make your job a lot more easier. These soft fluffy dosas are so tasty that no one can guess that you have added sorekayi/lauki in them. It is a type of squash mostly found in South Asia. It is a highly recommended vegetable to aid in weight loss. ... “Sorekayi Dosa | Lauki Dosa”

Palak Raitha

Cool raitha made with spinach
04/16/2016 7:53:42 PM vindhyadesai

If you are looking for a chutney replacement especially with akki roti (savoury rice flour rotis), then try this raitha made with spinach mixed in yogurt. The green specks of spinach in yogurt/curd are both cooling agents. Serve it with a spicy roti or it goes well with any bhaji or curry just to cool things off a bit. Spinach is rich in iron and A & K Vitamins. ... “Palak Raitha”

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”

How to cook rice

Cooked plain regular non-sticky rice for bhaat/pulao
04/15/2016 10:12:49 PM vindhyadesai

Cooking regular white rice for a bhaat or pulao and it turns sticky? I will illustrate and explain here a fool-proof method for cooking regular white rice which is non-sticky, non-starchy and easy to mix into a spicy South Indian pulao or that tangy lemon rice. You will no longer have a messy lump of rice in tasty masala. This method uses good old Sona Masuri rice a very popular variety in Karnataka and other southern states. The first method is the ‘Absorption method’. In this method, a measured quantity of rice is cooked with required amount of water till all the water is absorbed. ... “How to cook rice”

Cream of tomato soup

A bowlful of piping hot cream of tomato soup served with croutons
04/09/2016 10:09:10 PM vindhyadesai

A bowl of piping hot tomato soup has to be one of the most popular dishes on a cold winter night. I make this very often and we gulp it down with croutons or grilled cheese (grin). Make this for an early evening supper/dinner or serve it along with a starter during lunch. This one is surely a crowd favourite and is bound to go down well amongst kids. There are so many variations of tomato soup. It comes in the form of powder, canned tomato soup, fresh soup sold in containers, tomato soup cubes, tomato soup in cartons and many more. Why not make fresh tomato soup at home. Easy available ingredients and very simple to make. I have tried many variations of tomato soup. I like this variation from ‘thepioneerwoman’ especially the cheese croutons. ... “Cream of tomato soup”

Rajma Masala

Cream and smooth rajma in rich tomato gravy. Goes well with rotis, steamed or jeera rice
04/05/2016 11:00:51 PM vindhyadesai

One of my favourite comfort foods. I make this for a Sunday afternoon with rice and we also eat it for dinner with rotis. The gravy is tangy because of the tomatoes yet creamy because of the butter and cream. Sounds quite rich. But one can even skip adding the butter and cream, they’re totally optional.
Rajma or red kidney beans are originally from Mexico. They use it to make Mexican chilli dishes. Rajma is very popular in North India especially in Jammu and Kashmir which forms a staple part of their food. Rajma is very high in protein. The most important thing to remember while cooking rajma is to soak them for atleast 10-12 hours. I usually soak them for 24 hours to reduce cooking time. You can pressure cook them or boil them in water till done. ... “Rajma Masala”

Whole Wheat Pancakes | Pancake Recipes | Eggless Pancakes

Tasty and healthy whole wheat pancakes with blueberries and bananas
04/03/2016 3:56:46 PM vindhyadesai

Healthy and packed full of fibre are these whole wheat pancakes. They are light, fluffy, slightly sweet with a golden crisp texture on the outside. Make them for a quick Sunday morning breakfast or brunch and serve them with any kind of fruits or berries you have on hand. But remember, do not miss the bananas. Ripe bananas go really well with whole wheat pancakes.
Try more pancake recipes from FOI:
Applesauce Pancakes
Chocolate Pancakes

... “Whole Wheat Pancakes | Pancake Recipes | Eggless Pancakes”