Indian food, Andhra recipes and Global cuisine inspired cooking

Today’s chicken roast recipe is a huge hit at my home as well as with friends. Makes for a wonderful starter or side dish with rotis. I found this recipe at Varsha’s blog which has some authentic Kerala style non-vegetarian fare that I have bookmarked to try.

One of the best things about Amaranth leaves is its availability through out the year. A regular green in our kitchen and most times I prepare a dry saute. Today’s recipe is a simple and quick stir fry and makes a good side with rotis and rice. The final sprinkle of roasted sesame powder adds a nutty taste to the fry.

Methi, Gobhi and Matar are my winter favorites. North Indian tadka, aromatic spices, and season’s best produce brought together and you have a light, bright and flavorful stir fry. Rotis, Methi Gobhi Matar dry saute, salad and a cup of yogurt make for a filling and satisfying mid day meal.

Today we had rotis with Aloo Methi stir fry, pickle, salad and yogurt. I enjoy North Indian style subzis to go with rotis and can never get tired of them. With abundant methi leaves (menthu kura/fenugreek leaves) available, I am preparing a lot of methi based dishes keeping in mind its health supporting properties.

Barbati aka yard long beans are a regular fare at the local market though they hardly make an appearance at our dining table. This morning as Nehal was leaving for school, a young mobile vegetable vendor, greeted us at our doorstep to sell farm-fresh long beans, ridge gourd and raw plantains. These vegetables among others are grown on his small piece land situated in a village 28 kms away from Vizag.

Earlier I had blogged Beerkaya thokku pachadi using the peel of ridge gourd and the peeled ridge gourd was used to prepare a simple stir fry, Beerakaya Gasagasalu aka Ridge gourd Poppy seeds.

Nearly everywhere I looked, during my recent visit to the Rythu Bazaar, there were farm fresh, tender okra waiting to be picked. Bought half a kilo.

Through out last week weather played spoil sport. Very wet days. And such days call for a favorite vegetable of mine, Aakakarakaya aka Teasel gourd. Called Kantola in Hindi, am not sure what its called in other regional Indian languages.

Even a Karela hater will love this recipe. Today, the spotlight is on Tarla Dalal’s winning recipe. She used the simplest of ingredients to bring out a splendid mix of flavors and texture, far beyond what I had expected. The addition of roasted cashews and sesame seeds gave a crunchy, nutty touch to the spice-tinged, jaggery flavored crispy bittergourd. Made it twice already, within a span of a few weeks, its just that good.

Quick and simple eggplant stir fry with few ingredients. The addition of ginger-green chilli paste and the presence of spices especially hing (asafoetida) work a subtle magic on the sauteed brinjals, deepening the flavor, making it taste divine.