where recipes are made …
Kalkandu Pongal (கல்கண்டு பொங்கல்)is a simple one-pot delicacy that can be prepared for neivedhyam during the Navratri days. My H likes it very much, though I don’t prepare it that very often, maybe 2 or 3 times in a year. I don’t get the small-sized diamond kalkandu/sugar candy here, but only the rock sugar variety. …
Yaay!!! Hurray !!! Yes, I did it!!!! This sweet dish is my long term wish to prepare, click, and post. Though I prefer savories, there are some very particular sweets that I love for it. Jangri, Gulab Jamuns, Rasagulla, and Rasmalai. I know they are all very sugary and completely soaked up in syrup, yet …
I was MIA mode for some time now, due to other priorities in life. I am back into actions with loads of pictures of the recipes that I had cooked and clicked so far during this break. To start off after that festive food, I made this Sathumavu Urundai a.k.Health mix balls for a week’s …
Today is the official first day of Winter. But don’t ask me, its been snowing crazily over every weekend and we have been making snowman the third time until now. Come winter and here is the holiday season. Holidays call in for baking, and here is a basic foolproof recipe of shortbread cookie. This basic cookie …
With a school going kid and a toddler at home who are keeping me on to the toes, blogging had taken a back seat for a year. One of my 2020 new year resolutions was to keep my blog up and going. On this wonderful day of Thiruvadhirai or Arudhra Dharisanam, here comes the first …
This healthy Aval Ladoo is my kids’ recent favorite. This ladoo can be made in a jiffy with simply three ingredients that are available in the pantry. Also, it is very healthy with the addition of dates- a rich source of iron and also a natural sweetener. While having a random phone conversation with mom, she …
Paal Kolukattai is a very tasty traditional sweet that has numerous ways of preparation. This is very famous in the Chettinad area of Tamil Nadu and authentically prepared with jaggery and coconut milk. Some people also make it with regular whole milk and sugar or jaggery. This kolukattai is underrated because of its appearance like …
If you are a sweet tooth person, this sweet delicacy will definitely be on the top of your list. Rasgulla and gulab jamuns are distant cousins that have some things in common, yet are very unique in their own style. Rasgullas are very famous in the Eastern part of India, especially in Kolkatta. Rasgulla tastes …
The Tamil month of Aadi sets the beginning of various festivals in Tamil Nadu. It is customary in our house to celebrate every Aadi velli ( Aadi Friday) very religiously. The smell of agarbathi with flowers and boiling sambar along with a background of devotional songs is what I have grown up watching. My mom …
Payasam and kheers are a part of many Indian festivals. Even if it is a special occasion like a Friday pooja, payasams are offered as prasadam/ offering to the deity. When there is a packet of biscuits that you are bored with eating, transform it to this Biscuit payasam in a jiffy, and enjoy a …
Payasam is an integral part of any occasion and celebration. Every sumptuous meal always has a sweet ending with payasam. Semiya/ Vermicelli payasam is a very easy one to prepare at home. This payasam uses the same ingredients, yet, the process of preparing varies and this payasam tastes very different. Caramel is made from sugar …
Vella Seedai is one of the mandatory deep-fried South- Indian Snack during Krishna Jayanthi. It is one underrated snack because of the labor it goes into making this and also the risk it involves preparing it. Yes, it requires an immense amount of skill and practice to making this most delicious Vella seedai. The proportion …
Jackfruit is one of the very tasty tropical fruit. In India, Jackfruits can be seen in many people’s backyard. Jackfruit is a bit tricky and time-consuming to clean. However, the taste of the fruit is worth the time spent cleaning them up. This Jackfruit payasam is very famous in Kerala and is called as Chakka …
Kozhukattai is the main neivedhyam for Vinayagar Chaturthi. It is the favorite of Lord Ganesha. Kozhukattai is a simple steamed food with an outer covering of rice flour and an inner filling which may be sweet or savory. In southern parts of India, this is mandatory for Vinayagar Chaturthi. The sweet filling for Kozhukattai can …
Every festival is accompanied by a sweet dessert. In the same way, every Onam sadhya meal has at least two payasam in it. Usually, one of the payasam is made from rice, dal, or a combination of it with the addition of jaggery. If you are looking for a payasam with a combo of rice …
Shrikand is a yogurt-based dessert that is popular in North- India. Shrikand is usually loaded with mild spices and served chilled during festivals and celebrations. It is one of the important dishes made during Janmashtami. The usual spices that are added to a shrikand are elaichi, kesar strands, rose water, rose petals, pureed mango. Each …
Ulundhu Kali is a very famous and traditional dish in the Tirunelveli region. There are different recipes of this Ulundhu Kali in other parts of TamilNadu too with variation in the proportion of ingredients added. However, the key ingredient in this is the Whole Black Urad dal. My Amma is a specialist in making this …
Kesari is an all-time favorite easy to make the sweet recipe. This is very popular in Tamil weddings and at home when there is an unexpected guest or even a quick sweet to satisfy the sweet cravings. My little A loves this Kesari and I remember him asking for yellow-colored Kesari during one of the …
Diwali is around the corner and many of us are gearing up with Diwali preparations. The joy of Diwali is complete with preparing sweets and sharing them with family/friends. From childhood, we have the tradition of making sweets at home and Amma tries a new variety every year. The process of cleaning up rice, dal, …
Nankhattai is a very famous Indian short cookie that is loaded with Indian flavors. The name Nankhattai origins from the words, “Naan” meaning shortbread and Khattai meaning “Biscuit”. Nankhattai is very famous in North India and Pakistan. Nankhattai is made with refined flour / Maida, Sooji, and Besan flour. I am not a great fan …
Sweet Pongal or Sakkara Pongal (சக்கரை பொங்கல்)is a famous sweet in south India, especially Tamil Nadu. This is cooked with newly harvested rice from the field at the juncture of the Pongal/harvest festival, which is predominantly celebrated in all parts of the state with great pomp and show. Marking the commencement of the year to …
Millets are becoming an essential part of everyone’s diet these days. While millets are available as a whole grain or flour, they are also available as rava or flattened rice /poha. I usually grab a pack of millet Poha during my grocery hauls. Poha upma is an usual affair with them. However, I wanted to …
Phirni is a Punjabi dessert that is made with rice and cooked in milk. The main difference between a Kheer and Phirni is that kheer is cooked with whole rice grain, while Phirni is cooked with grounded rice paste. The consistency of phirni is on a creamier side and it is definitely a crowd pleaser …
Valentines Day is a special occasion, not only for couples, but for any one we love most. If you are looking to make any last minute Valentine dessert for your loved ones, then this recipe is for you. It is easy to put together and can be made under 30 mins. The process is very …
Karnataka Cuisine is different in manyways. Though Rice, Ragi and steamed vegetables are the main ingredients of Karnataka Cuisine, they keep varying as we travel through different parts of Karnataka. Karnataka Cuisine has different cuisines within itself from Udupi cuisine, Davanagere cuisine, Uttar Karnataka Cuisine, Mangalore cuisine to name a few. Gasagase Payasa is a …
Custard Powder is a mixture of milk proteins and cornflour along with a little amount of sugar in it. The custard flour is available in stores in different flavors like banana, strawberry, oranges, and Mango. Each of the flavors has a unique taste in them. Custard powder is used as a base to make fruit …
Nei Appam is a very traditional Kerala recipe that is made with rice, jaggery, cardamom, coconut and cooked in ghee. It is called Kerala Unniappam and is a part of festivals from Onam, Chithra Vishu etc. “Unni” in Malayalam means small and “Appam” means made with rice. Though there are many dishes in various cuisines, …
Sooji/ Rava / Semolina is a very easily available ingredient in Indian households. The tradition of making some sweet on the last Friday of every Tamil month is followed in our households. For a Friday Pooja, I made this easy Sooji kheer with simple and easily available ingredients in the pantry. In under 20 mins, …
Panchamritham is a sweet offering served in Murugan temples. While many temples offer this neivedhyam, the divine PALANI/ PAZHANI MURUGAN temple in Tamilnadu is very known for this. Palani is a pilgrim town in the Dindugul district of Tamilnadu famously known for the Dhandayudhapani temple. The story of the shrine is that Lord Murugan wanted …
Hayagreeva Maddi is a very famous dessert made with bengal gram/ channa dal and jaggery. It is often confused with the Kamala paruppu payasam or with the Pooranam/ sweet stuffing used to make puli and Modakams. But these are definitely different from both of them. The consistency of this hayagreeva Maddi is more of a …
Desserts are most loved part of the meal for many. From pastries, to kheer and ice creams, many people fall for it. However, most of them are made with refined sugars and it is hard to enjoy them without guilt. How about some fresh and easy dessert that can be made under 5 mins, that …
Ada Pradhaman is a Kerala delicacy. It is made with flattened rice strips that are cooked with jaggery syrup and finished off with thick coconut milk. Ada Pradhaman is. apart of marriages or as a part of the Onam Sadhya meal. There are a lot of ways to make this Kerala Ada Pradhaman. Some people …
Modak / Kozhukattai is a favorite prasadam made during the Vinayagar Chaturthi festival. Vinayagar Chaturthi is celebrated in many parts of India and modak/ kozhukattai is offered ,as it is the favorite one for Lord Ganesha. Kozhukattais are made in south India with an outer rice flour covering and an inner filling usually made with …
It’s that time of the year, where everyone’s home and life are lit up with joy and happiness. Diwali is a time where the family gathers up for the celebration. To add more joy to the celebrations, sweets and savories are prepared and shared. A quick and tasty sweet like this Kesar Rava Ladoo will …
Halwa is a traditional sweet that can be made with flour, vegetables, and even fruits. How about trying halwa with rusk? For most of us, teatime is not complete without those one or two pieces of rusk. While I got the rusks for this purpose, I had almost half a packet of them, left untouched. …
Kozhukattais are specialties from Tamilnadu and this Pidi Kozhukattai is a very traditional one made during Chaturthi in our household. we need the basic ingredients available in the pantry to make this Pidi kozhukattai. Unlike the modaks, they do not require poornam or filling to make them. It is more like a dump-and-go recipe, however, …
Payasam is an important party. South-Indian meal. Every festive meal in South India usually consists of poriyal, kootu, Avial, Pachadi with a three-course meal of Sambar, rasam, vathal kulambu and thayir . This is usually ended with a tasty payasam. Payasam is usually made with rice, millets, dals, sago, veermicelli, and fruits in a jaggery …
If you think of Kerala recipes, there are a lot of recipes that come to mind. Coming to sadhya meals, every meal will definitely have this Pradhaman to finish off an elaborate lunch. Pradhaman is a sweet dish made with fruits, dals, or rice ada. I love the Ada pradhaman. Also, I equally love this …
Evening Tea/Coffee time is very important for many families, as it is the time every one gets back from work and school. After the early lunch and the travel back from home, a hot cup of tea/coffee with a warm cake will do good until dinner time. We love mildly sweet cakes for tea time …
Watermelon is a favorite summer fruit. It is the best thirst quencher during the hot, sunny summer days. After enjoying the delicious fruits, dont throw away this flesh. Instead, make this delicious Watermelon rind halwa. It is so much delicious and kind of tastes like the Kasi Halwa- made with Ashgourd. Besan/Gram Flour acts as …
The King is back for his annual visit!!!!!!. There is no Summer time for us without Mangoes. I have hardly seen anyone that dislikes Mango. No wonder it is the King of Fruits. I sneak peek mangoes to any food that we love during summers to enjoy them all before gone. Eggless Mango Cake is …
Deepavali is all about celebration. when theres celebration, theres definitely good food. How about a quick sweet recipe that does not take much time and can be made with easily available ingredients at home? Heard it right! Rava and Coconut are easily available . Add in sugar and a bit of ghee to bring in …
The Holiday season is all about baking. While we love getting cookies and cakes from stores, they are no where near to the ones made at home with the loved ones. Also, if you are vegetarian with no eggs in your diet, the joy of eating a pure vegetarian cake made with minimal ingredients at …
Whether its fasting or festivals, sweets play an important role in them. However there are few restrictions in making sweets when preparing ladoo. How about a ladoo that can be prepared in a jiffy with very few ingredients in under 15 mins? I made this delicious ladoo with coconut and phool makhana/ fox nuts that …