Ugadi, Telugu New Year, is on 16th March, 2010. I have complied few festival recipes that can be prepared for Ugadi, making it convenient for my dear readers. Hope you enjoy preparing the recipes and relish the festive treats with family and friends.

Chaat is the most fascinating culinary concoctions prepared in the street corners or gallis of every city/town of our country. Isn’t the smell of street food enticing? Isn’t it exciting to watch the street food vendor swiftly assemble a plate of Chaat with all its colorful assortment of spices and chutneys?

I tried a different approach to prepare spinach and yellow moong dal away from the regular fare. I had a cup of coconut milk, left over, after preparing Poha Payasam which I decided to put to use. And it worked out nicely giving the dal a creamy texture and a rich flavor. A hearty bowl of dal with warm winter flavors.

I really appreciate this part of the year and even more farm fresh produce. This morning, my regular vegetable vendor brought home fresh Thotakura aka amaranth leaves. Isn’t it lovely cooking clean and fresh ingredients and transforming them into simple healthy meals?

Sharing the high raw food diet (1 day a week) that I had today, on request by my dear readers. Had a khatta meetha fruity salad for lunch which was light on the stomach with a delightful blend of flavors.

A priceless culinary treasure of North Indian cuisine. I specially love to prepare it during winter months, lasooni dal palak with hot rotis, a match made in heaven! Though humble-looking, its a pleasure to the palate, creamy, garlicky and finger licking good. Just a handful of common ingredients come together in a fragrant ghee tadka [...]

My foray into rasam making wasn’t very impressive during the many trial and error sessions of my early kitchen days. I would try numerous versions to replicate a flavor that I tasted at my Tamilian friend’s home or at a restaurant in Coimbatore or elsewhere during my travels to Tamil Nadu. Each home has its [...]

I cannot say enough good things about today’s sambar recipe. It has never let me down and its my favorite ever since I chanced upon Hemantji’s sambar podi. The key to a good aromatic sambar is ‘sambar powder’ and the vegetables that go into its making. There are numerous versions of sambar but this one is note worthy due to the magical sambar powder.

Though this lemony soup lacks in looks, it more than makes up taste-wise. Light, subtle, earthy and flavorful with a whiff of asafoetida. Best to sip as a soup or over white rice.

Our family friends sent us few yellow cucumbers aka dosakaya grown in their farm. Decided to put them to good use by pickling 2 large cucumbers while a small sized cucumber made itself available for a wonderful pappu kura.