blogsJam : Indian Cooking & Recipes

In 1996 the owner of Hotel Vaishali, Jagannath B.Shetty, decided it was time to renovation. These was mostly to tackle the problem of vagabonds that occupy tables for long periods of time by ordering just coffee or tea and spend that time ogling at the honeys from nearby colleges. The brilliant .. read full article »

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Ingredients 1 medium sized cauliflower (soaked in boiling water for 1/2 hr) 2 tsp oil 1 tsp mustard seeds Few curry leaves 1 cup cooked greengram... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] read full article »

I rushed home with the ruby red gladioli for my mini dinner party. The food was ready. I needed to grill aubergines for the raita. Ditch the dress and heels in favour of denim and flip flops. Then welcome my guests smile on face, vintage Bollinger in hand. Of course, nothing is ever as simple. I .. read full article »

Every month, Zlamushka, she of the spicy kitchen, selects one blog and opens it up for a widespread taste-test. Last month, my blog was lucky enough to be chosen and tried and tasted; a lot of pav bhaji got made, I can tell you that much! This month, it is the turn of Meeta's spectacular blog, .. read full article »

The first harvest of Eggplant was rather modest. I just got one round eggplant. I first thought of making sambar with all the garden vegetables, but then I decided against it and thought, let me celebrate each and every vegetable. I had to buy 2 small eggplants from theIndian stores to make this .. read full article »

The house is reverberating with the voices of the kids...the summer holidays have begun, the bags have been packed, and later on today, we are going away for a couple of days to take a breather.Now, remember these orange cookies I made a few days ago? Well, I made them again... more than double .. read full article »

The morning was quite chill and it only had me snuggling against the twins again. I was already late and I had to get things ready for Konda. She was leaving early to school as she is participating in a program, where is the angel. Amma bought her a grown more than a year back, which looks more .. read full article »

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When I first had milk-cake (cake version of kalakand) as a ten-year old, my first question was "why is it called that? neither does it have frosting, nor is it milk!". Ten-year olds are so dumb! No offense to any other ten-year old before my nieces and nephews start complaining :)When I read .. read full article »

....not just pink, all those bright colors of orange, blue, yellow and green, just like the 3M Post-it notes. Also the bougainvillea pink which adorns the trees guarding the big bunglows and blankets the earth.Pink is for girls. Stereotyped feminism, just like the Barbie doll, to such an extent .. read full article »

Rösti (Röschti) is a Swiss gift to rest of the world. It is a scrummy dish made with Potatoes originally consumed majorly by the farmers of Swiss. But now its popularity has spread its wings not only by whole of Swiss but rest of the world too. Its thereby even considered as Swiss's National .. read full article »

In 1996 the owner of Hotel Vaishali, Jagannath B.Shetty, decided it was time to renovation. These was mostly to tackle the problem of vagabonds that occupy tables for long periods of time by ordering just coffee or tea and spend that time ogling at the honeys from nearby colleges. The brilliant .. read full article »

I was thinking to post pongal recipe from a long time. It taste yummy and good for stomach. In north india we call it khichdi only but in Bangalore I got to know it as Pongal. Only difference is mustard seeds & curry leaves. Rest ingredients are same as we make khichdi. One more point in pongal .. read full article »

Hi To All my Blogmates I have been missing all this while......I haven’t written anything here in quite some time ,just back to Blogging ,after a very long time........since I've had some time to blog. I think the bug has bitten me once again and I plan on hitting a few more Blogs whenever I .. read full article »

Hi To All my Blogmates I have been missing all this while......I haven’t written anything here in quite some ,just back to Blogging ,after a very long time........since I've had some time to blog. I think the bug has bitten me and I plan on hitting a few more Blogs whenever I can this year. .. read full article »

The last month has been busy with traveling to India, catching up with work, and then spending time with parents in the US. In this celebration and traveling, I missed a milestone of Ahaar. My blog turned TWO-years last month! This calls for a sweet celebration, doubly sweet for the belated blog .. read full article »

Let me say I have been preoccupied with something since yesterday! And like as with everybody else, I am more interested in finishing that job before I could think of a blog post right now. But I really didn't want to miss out a post for various reasons. First being, few dear friends have said .. read full article »

Ingredients:600 gms boiled vegetables (Carrot, beans, cauliflower etc.)20 ml. oil3 green chillies sliced5 gms garlic sliced5 gms ginger sliced100 gms onions sliced thin2 sprigs curry leaves15 gms coriander powder15 gms chilli powder5 gms turmeric powdersalt as required60 ml. thick coconut milk10 .. read full article »

Bhinda Ni KadhiOkra Buttermilk SoupIngredients1 cup plain yogurt1 cup water2 tbsp besan/chickpea floursalt to tastesugar to taste7 - 9 fresh okra/bhindi/bhendi/bhinda/bhenda/Lady's fingers, cut into two pieces, slit2 fresh, green chilies, slitTempering1 tsp oil1 tsp ghee1/2 tsp cumin seeds1/2 .. read full article »

This recipe is sent to me by Sheetal. Before any of the people who know this dish bash me for picture of entirely different dish than the authentic “Caldinha” , I request to read my introduction. Some background of Caldinha in Sheetal’s words - “There is a Goan fish curry which is mostly .. read full article »

This is a good variation to normal vegetable upma. Also it can be made quickly with less ingredients, so it is always on my menu for breakfast. Try it sometimes.You need the following :Uppittu Rave/Semolina/cream of wheat - 2 cupsGreen Chillies - 2Onion-1 smallCurry leaves - from 1 lineOil - .. read full article »

We're not vegan yet, but we have been trying to eat more vegan and as you can see here, some of it is working out very, very well :) We know eating vegan is better for us and environmentally, for everyone else, too. Still it is so hard to give up a lot of foods you are used to eating, some on a .. read full article »

The Yellow Summer Squash is one of the most versatile vegetables available in the market.. This summer, the yellow squash graced my vegetable garden and fully in harvest.. The first dish I wanted to try with this fresh homegrown squash is the authentic black pepper gojju from my good old days. .. read full article »

A few days ago I had a wonderful lunch meeting with an editor of a local magazine. Over a slew of emails deciding on what time and day would best suit the both of us, she suggested we meet for Thai food. That’s when I knew I was going to really like her. And the moment she asked for her Tom .. read full article »

More than 6 weeks have rolled by and I haven't posted anything! Life has been hectic, no doubt, but I am enjoying every bit of it! The sleepless nights... okay, so it's waking up just once in the middle of the night..., the diaper changes, the baby talk and the coos and gurgles in response with .. read full article »

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Paratha is our all time favourite and we make different types of parathas. One of them is paneer paratha which is my husband's favourite. Whenever we bring paneer means only paratha will be made :). Paneer is not my liking so dont use it much. Therefore lots of paneer recipes are left to try. .. read full article »

Cucumber Ullel Cucumber Raita - South Canara wayIngredients3 small or 1 big cucumber, peeled & diced1 green chili, chopped1" ginger, peeled & mincedsalt to tasteGrind to a coarse paste1/4 cup fresh coconut2 byadgi chilies, roasted quickly in 1/2 tsp oil1 tsp tamarind pulp1/2 tsp mustard .. read full article »

A Food Blog list featuring on its cuisine or specialty, is what I thought was missing for a long time. Infact when I started blogging, I even created a blog specially for this purpose! Finally I was able to sit down with what I already have. But I would want this to be really comprehensive, .. read full article »

Ingredients:-100 gms chickpeas (Kadala/channa)300 gms yam (chenna/suran)300 gms plantains (athaka/kela)7 green chillies (pacha mulag)20 gms ginger 2 grated coconuts20 gms cumin seeds2 tsp. turmeric powdersalt as required50 ml. coconut oil10 gms mustard seeds50 gms coconut sliced5 dried red .. read full article »

Fish forms an important part of our diet. Growing up on the banks the mighty Brahmaputra, fresh riverine fish found their way into our dining table very, very often. Although we do have our rich versions of preparing them, the most common way of enjoying them would be a light, soup like curry .. read full article »

Puli Inji is one of the items served in Onam. The main ingredient in this dish is ginger. Ginger is a medicinal herb and is used in many curries in India. Puli inji has a sweet and sour taste. Here is another translated recipe from vanitha.Ingredients:-1. 100 gms ginger2. 5 green chillies3. .. read full article »

Chilli is a Mexican dish, more famous in Texas, U.S.A. It is stew like in consistancy and the original term "Chilli Con Carne" means chilli with meat whereas "Chilli Sin Carne" emphasizes upon the chilli being cooked meatless accompanying vegetables. More about the Chilli here.Chilli is our .. read full article »

A summer afternoon lunch is not complete without this delicious instant mango pickle in most of the households in south India. It is called maanga oorgai in tamil and maavinkai uppinkai in kannada. It takes hardly ten minutes to prepare this pickle. It is summer here and the groceries are filled .. read full article »

This recipe I have seen in a magazine long time back. I made this many times and a good snack with a difference. It takes a little time but there is no compromise with taste :). So here I am presenting my version of pakora (I twisted it by chance) :).Ingredients: Sufficient For Two People3/4 Cup .. read full article »

Stuffed Bell Peppers is another Indian curry which is made by stuffing the bell peppers with vegetables and spices and served with a gravy along with chapathy or paratha. This is one of my favorite dish. I always wanted to try this at home and I finally made it. The output was really good. My .. read full article »

It was a sunny Sunday morning. I was up all early and not sure what to do. Of course, I have a dear space where I can relax and talk about what goes in our parts of the wood. But somehow I wasn't up to staring at the screen so early. So sat out with a cuppa of coffee and wondering how the day is .. read full article »

"The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight..."M. F. K. Fisher, The Art of EatingAccording to Mr Kanth, I am experiencing a phenomena of 'Writer's Block'. I disagree. First of all, I ain't no writer so it .. read full article »

I just made a super refreshing, summer salad -- one that left all the salad bowls empty in our house tonight! My Fennel Peach Salad was clean and crisp with a natural sweetness. Before all the peaches and fennel run out at our farmers' markets, I will be making this salad again and again :) and .. read full article »

Perhaps Chitranna, Uppittu, Avalakki are few items which I bet would not say 'no' when you are in a foreign land. Back home these are made on daily basis that say the name of uppittu........"plzzz amma don't give me concrete (we call uppittu as concrete.. ;D) to eat early in the morning"..this .. read full article »

Phodis - vegetables spiced and rolled in rava(samolina) and shallow/deep fried, are very popular among Konkanis. We make these from most of the vegetables. Some examples can be found in rava fries - post. These come very handy when we want to make a very quick side dish. They are very delicious .. read full article »

The champagne went in the fridge. The quality lamb was acquired. The stage was set for the mid-week girly dinner. Now I needed a recipe to really wow the girls on a Wednesday night. I chose to dust off one of my Indian cookbooks. Now, Indian cookbooks are objects of great desire in my home. I .. read full article »

Again on Sunday, late in the evening, i sat to make a birthday cake for my friend's daughter, who was turning two years old on Monday. The party theme was white and pink colours and this is what i came up with. I did not do more floral natural decorations and bought a doll from a supermarket and .. read full article »

Impressive appearance matched only by their delicious flavorBaking is an art and I am still a learner. In India we never owned an oven to try all those baking goodies at home. If we felt like eating cakes, breads, delicious pastries and rolls we used to depend on small bakeries in our town. I .. read full article »

''Mummy, do you feel sad that you don't have a daddy?'', asks Rengoni, and with tears swelling up in my eyes, I reply, ''Of course, darling''...a short answer, but with so much more, stored in my heart.For the pain, the sense of emptiness,that lump in your throat, that knot in your stomach, .. read full article »

What do you do when you want to sneak in those grains and legumes and beans in your little one's tummy, but all she wants is the Italian food all the time? You take your desi recipes and give them an Italian makeover!!;-) You rename it as "Italian Thali Peethzza" served with Marinara sauce. Your .. read full article »

Everyday seems to come with a new challenge and I am determined that I meet them all. The latest one on the breakfasts and another one given by hubby dear are top of my mind. Hubby dear has given me the mission of cooking all that I posted a year ago. Want to know the reason why? Well he feels .. read full article »

The main items for onam are usually the same everywhere. The dishes are sambar, aviyal, kuttu curry, olan, kalan and so on. But this is made differently in different places. Today I am putting here sambar made Trichur style.Ingredients:1. 6 dried red chillies2 tblsp. coriander1 tblsp. split .. read full article »

These last few days have been quite challenging, interesting and busy with new creations to indulge in and make them for occassions such as as weddings, birthdays et al.This fondant chocolate cake was made together with my friend Christine in five hours during late evening of Saturday, as the .. read full article »