Chole Bhatura, popular Punjabi street food fare is one of my favorite brunch items. Our Sunday brunch was Methi Chole and deep-fried indulgence, Batura. A comforting brunch you’d want to eat on a cold winter morning to nuture your body and soul. Its the first time I prepared this winning combination of kabuli channa and [...]

When I am in a hurry and rushed for time, I like to prepare one pot meals that are quick to prepare, filling and nutritious too. One such meal I made was with broken wheat (godhuma ravva/dalia), yellow moong dal and soya chunks. When a tin of soya chunks was staring at me, I decided [...]

I first prepared this Tex-Mex cuisine inspired dish from Nita Mehta’s ‘Mexican Vegetarian’ cookbook, a few weeks ago along side a meal consisting of home made corn chips with mango salsa, mexican rice and watermelon agua fresca. I made it again last week on a special request from my blog visitors. The soft swollen dumplings [...]

There is nothing more comforting, wholesome and nutritious than a bowl of rice and dal cooked with greens. Simple, honest food at its best is what I’d describe lentils cooked with greens. It was thotakura pappu and beetroot vepudu (stir-fry) with rice for lunch today. Thotakura (amaranth, chauli, mulakeerai) Thotakura aka amaranth leaves are available [...]

With some very basic ingredients usually available at home, you can whip up some comforting simple lentil based sweet dishes that are not high in calories yet delicious. One such traditional Indian dessert is Pesara pappu payasam prepared from good quality yellow moong dal, jaggery and milk. This humble earthy sweet dish was part of [...]

Chikkudu kaya happens to be a favorite vegetable in our household and I know there are quite a few of you out there who are not very fond of these mildly sweet plump beans. I always felt there is something addictive about the beans, especially during their non-availability in the local market and when those [...]

Both Satish and I like to snack on some tasty nibbles with our evening tea and one tea-time snack I prepare once in a while, are green moong dal fritters – full of earthy goodness, simple with few ingredients, flavorful and ones which Nehal also relishes. It hardly takes any effort to prepare them – [...]

I’m not sure if many of you have heard of sweet flavored ‘vada/garelu’. Dear reader, I’m talking of bellam (jaggery) garelu where deep fried crisp vadas are sweetened with jaggery syrup, a traditional sweet in our parts. Sometimes, during festivals or special occasions, when garelu are prepared, if there is any left over urad dal [...]

A treasured sweet dish, very dear to us Andhras, are these golden bewitching treats, Chandrakaantalu. Classified as pindivantalu (festive foods), these classic favorites are absolutely delicious making you crave for more even after you have had your fair share. I actually have to remove the serving plate from the table to keep us from finishing [...]

It’s festival time! Sankranti, our most auspicious harvest festival is just around the corner – time for indulgence, good food, new clothes and lot of fanfare. Preparation for Sankranti, begins weeks in advance at my grandmother’s (ammamma) home and is always centered around fun and traditional festive foods. Sankranti evokes memories of the warmth and [...]