Vegetable Pakora with a cup of masala chai is comforting food on a pleasant winter evening. A vegan recipe that makes for a great party finger food. The standard Vegetable Pakora recipe calls for the use of mixed vegetables, chick pea flour and carom seeds.

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).

I always have left over Idlis when I prepare Idlis for breakfast or dinner. When I am in need of a quick snack, all I do is saute the crumbled cold refrigerated idlis with a spiced base of onions and lots of fresh coriander leaves. I tend to play with the spices each time I go the crumbled idli upma way.

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.

Amaranth leaves are much loved in our home and take the form of stir fry, dal and stews in our daily meals. In recent past, I have used these nutritious greens along with chick pea flour (besan) to prepare fritters. They are easy to make, work great as appetizers for parties and also make for a wonderful tea time snack.

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.