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My mom makes this spicy,tangy ‘Milagu kuzhambu’ whenever we come back home from a trip or vacation. The reason behind this is that we used to be tired from travel & from all those restaurant foods, this ‘kuzhambu’ is considered as a cleansing food. There are no vegetables involved, no onion/garlic , no extra spices. A very simple south indian style ‘pachadi’ (similar to yogurt based Raita with a Tadka) & a pappad (preferrably sutta appalam) are served as side dishes. This kuzhambu is a very common recipe in Tamil Brahmin community. Especially for nursing mothers we serve this kuzhambu…

“Paruppusili” in Tamil is nothing but a stir fry of vegetables that are spiced with lentils & dried redchillies. In Tamil Brahmin households paruppusili is a traditional dish that is mandatory in Kalyana Sapadu & in any type of feast during special occasions. The ideal combination of Paruppusili is either vathakuzhambu (spicy tangy onion curry) or morkuzhambu (buttermilk based gravy). French Beans,Banana Flower,Cluster beans are the common vegetables that are used in preparing Paruppusili. However in recent years I have made it with other veggies like Cabbage,Tindora and even with spinach. Brussel sprouts is similar to cabbage and has a…

Our dinners are usually Roti with a simple sabzi or sometimes I go the South Indian way and prepare Upma/Dosai. Its June and is supposed to be the start of Summer season here in UK. But the weather has been crazily cold for the past few days. All we crave is spicy, greasy foods. Yesterday night I prepared this spicy Tawa Pulao for dinner and it turned about absolutely delicious. I served it with Yogurt and crisps. The authentic street food version is prepared directly on the hot Tawa and the addition of Pav Bhaji masala takes this Pulao to…

‘Pitlai’ (பிட்ளை) is a traditional tamil brahmin dish which is prepared using either bittergourd or brinjal along with chickpeas. Unlike sambar, consistency of pitlai is very thick and can be served as a side dish to Idli/Dosa too. The recipe given below is exactly how my maternal grandmother and my mother makes it. However you could try few variations as mentioned below : – Kabuli channa or brown chickpeas is ideally used while making pitlai – You could substitue it with white chickpeas or green peas – Generally coconut paste is only used to spice the ‘pitlai’.However we do add…

Dal is an Indian dish prepared using various Legumes or Pulses. This protein rich, vegan dish can be served as an accompaniment to Rice or any type of Flat Breads. I have used Brown Lentils (whole masoor dal). However you could substitute it with canned Chick Peas, Kidney Beans or any other legumes. While serving the dal, you could also add a tbsp. of Butter to enhance the flavor. If you would like a more soupy consistency then add extra water accordingly. Since I was serving it with Rice I added less water to get creamy consistency. 

Sambar Rice is like the ‘kichdi’ of SouthIndia. Perfect comfort food to have during elaborate weekend lunch or sometimes during dinner too. This recipe is based on Tamil Nadu style of cooking. It is prepared generally from Rice and Toor Dal. In recent days due to various health reasons people are trying to switch from White Rice to millets for day to day cooking. This sambar sadham recipe is made using Barnyard Millet(Kuthiraivali in Tamil) & Masoor Dal. Also this is the best way to sneak in the vegetables and even fuzzy eaters will love this dish.The millet version tastes…

This is one of the quickest sundal recipes that I prepared during this navarathri season. I used Frozen Sweet corn kernels. If you are using fresh corn then make sure to cook it in boiling water for about 15-20 minutes with a pinch of salt and turmeric.

Broken wheat/cracked wheat or Daliya(in hindi) is a nutritious ingredient and a great way to start your day with this wholesome meal. You can prepare this idli batter the previous night,refrigerate it and can use it the next day morning for breakfast. I have not used Yeast to ferment the batter. T

I have used cabbage and onions to make balls. If you have any other veggies like carrot or beans you can add them too. A great alternate for the usual potato and paneer based koftas.

This thick, tangy and spicy curry is best with steaming hot rice.During my school days at Tirunelveli our monthly routine was to watch a morning show in either of these theatres PVT,Ram/Muthuram,Poornakala and then to have full meals at Hotel Bharani or Vasantham. They served the best karakuzh