Our friends sent us loads of farm fresh tomatoes they harvested in their farm. Last week saw the making of a lot of tomato based recipes namely, tomato pickle, tomato rasam, tomato soup and Tamatar Pulao. Tomato Pulao is an extremely flavorful rice dish using ripe red tomatoes and rice.

Little pearl onions aka shallots have an intense flavor and give curries and intense flavor, be it vegetarian or meat based. I use them a lot in my regular cooking and today’s recipe has shallots as the star ingredient.

We Andhras love our Pachadis (chutney/condiment) and in our home pachadis are revered. Seriously. Mom makes the BEST pachadis you can ever imagine. The aromas that fill the kitchen during the preparatory process is something that has to be experienced. For instance, take today’s pachadi which calls for green chilies. The aroma of green chilies roasting is simply intoxicating while the sizzle of tempered spices hold promise of an eternally pleasing meal to come.

I haven’t posted any Indian Chinese recipes in a while and was going through the archives when I realized that I had not blogged a popular Indian Chinese appetizer, Vegetable Manchurian. Its prepared almost on the same lines as Gobi Manchurian except that we use finely chopped mixed vegetables instead of Gobi (Cauliflower).

Raw Plantains are a low glycemic source of carbohydrate and full of nutrition. Aratikaya as its called in our part of the world is a regular every day vegetable in South Indian vegetarian cuisine. The key is to use fresh and firm green plantains before they ripen to a yellow shade. Today’s stir fry recipe is perfect side dish with rice, sambar, papad and a bowl of yogurt.

Picked a whole lot of almost ripe tomatoes at the farmer’s market a few days ago and my pantry looks very colorful as the tomatoes ripen to a brilliant red shade. I put a few to good use yesterday when I prepared tomato pepper rasam and today I used a few ripe ones to make a Chettinadu Style Thakkali Kulambu. Spices like cinnamon, clove and cardamom bring a flavor and fragrance of their own while jaggery and coconut add a dose of sweetness that balance and complement the flavor of tangy tomatoes.

Its the sliminess and slippery feel of taro root which keeps away many from relishing its flavor. It is full of fiber, lot of starch and has a delicious creamy texture. Today’s recipe for chips is a deep fried version. You can even shallow fry the taro root slices which would yield a less crisp exterior but tasty nevertheless.

Lettuce salad is an all time favorite high raw food salad. I tend to go the raw food way once in a while to detox the body. I used what I had in the fridge to make myself a light and filling salad. I like the smoky flavor of roasted bell peppers and they make a great addition to today’s lettuce salad.

Palak Pakoda is a monsoon snack that is super easy and quick to make. I found the freshest farm grown spinach at the Farmer’s Market (rythu bazaar) and decided on making a North Indian style snack Palak Pakoda.

Andhra cuisine has a vast array of brinjal recipes. Today’s brinjal curry is a classic Andhra vegetarian recipe that is prepared on special occasions and can be considered for a party vegetarian menu. Quite a few Andhra vantalu (dishes) call for the use of sesame seeds.