Fries will always dominate my comfort food world. It can be potato, sweet potato, zucchini, rutabaga, parsnips, you name it  I will eat them. The one I really crave for in winter is the masala carrot fries.
Carrots have this incredible natural sweetness that caramelises beautifully when you hit them with high heat. By tossing them mix of  spices you transform this bright orange root vegetable into a highly addictive snack. This dish is naturally gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and packed with fibre and whatever carrots can offer.  It strikes that perfect, magical balance between sweet, smoky, savory, and tangy. I bet you cant keep your hands off them.

Ingredients for carrot fries

Carrots: The colour of the carrots chosen to make this masala fries does not matter. you can have purple, yellow or orange carrots though orange is the most popular colour available. Choose firm and thick carrots which are fairly straight. This makes it easy to cut even batons.  

Oil: though we are not deep frying the oil helps to coat and create the crispy roasted top for the carrot fries. Any neutral oil is good enough like sunflower oil, vegetable oil or avocado oil. If using coconut oil or sesame oil, it will add the fragrance to the fries. 
Spices and seasoning: Salt and pepper remains the key seasoning for these fries. The spices that upgrade it to masala fries is cumin powder, chaat masala and the kashmiri chilli powder. Cumin powder adds a smoky flavour, the chaat masala a zing and peppiness and the kashmiri chilli powder a mild spice level. Kashmiri chilli powder is similar to paprika with a tiny bit more spiciness. If you prefer a bit more spice you can use chilli or cayanne powder. 

Lets make carrot fries

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Prep the carrots : wash and pat dried the carrots Peel your carrots and trim the tops. Cut 1cm-thick sticks. Try to keep them all roughly the same size so they cook at the exact same rate.

Pat your carrot sticks thoroughly dry with a paper towel after cutting add them into a large mixing bowl.

Spicing the carrots: sprinkle a mix of salt, cumin, paprika and chaat masala on the carrots sticks  Drizzle with oil and give them a good toss.

Spread Out and Bake:  Spread the carrots out onto your prepared baking tray. Leave a bit of breathing room between each stick. If they are piled on top of each other, they will steam instead of roast. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, giving them a good flip halfway through the cooking time to ensure they get evenly golden and crisp on all sides. Be gentle with them at this point.
Once done the carrots turn crisp and glossy.
Remove on to a serving dish and enjoy with a dip.

Can carrot fries get crispy like potatoes ?

If you’ve ever tried baking carrots before, you know they tend to go a bit soft and limp. That is because carrots are packed with water and lack the natural starch of a potato. To beat the sogginess in the oven, use these two methods as nonnegotiable
The Paper Towel Pat-Down: Getting the carrot sticks completely dry before adding oil stops them from steaming in their own juices.
The Starch Dusting: A tiny sprinkle of cornflour  or rice flour acts like an invisible shield. It absorbs moisture and creates a crisp, micro-textured crust as it bakes. Ensure that you toss the spices in with the cornflour before dusting so it coats evenly.

Can carrot fries be made in the airfryer?

Oh yes, follow the steps of prepping and spicing. Then spread the carrots with enough gaps between them. These fries turn out more crispy. 

Stay Connected

The carrot fries are undoubtedly one of our favorite fries. We love this with a cooling dip like Cacik, hope you do too. 

These masala carrot fries have been on our blog from Oct 2018. Funnily enough I hardly looked back at it till recently when it popped up on my socials as a memory. Coincidentally it was carrots special on Sunday Funday, so both together, It was time for this update. Hope you like it and please leave your comments below of how it turned out for you.

Here are some of the other carrot recipes from fellow bloggers.

• Carrot Cake Muffins from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Carrot Pudding from Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking
• Carrot Roulade from Sneha’s Recipe
• Grilled Carrots from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Nomato Soup – a Faux Tomato Soup with Carrots from A Messy Kitchen
• Roasted Carrots with Burrata from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Spicy Carrot Ginger Dressing from Food Lust People Love

We have added a few links to our blogs and afiiliates in this post. Hope you will like some of our suggestions. When you click on these links and use it to but these it will generate us a small commission revenue. This keeps our blog going, hope you can support that.

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Fresh Brussels sprout from the farmers market

Brussels sprouts| what are they?

How to prep some Brussels sprouts?

• The loose outer leaves and excess stem are clipped away and these easily burn while roasted leaving an unpleasant taste.
• Soak the sprouts in water for about 5 minutes, wash them and set them to drain.
• Pat dry and the sprouts are ready for use.

How do these roasted Brussels sprout taste?

Ingredients for this maple roasted Brussels sprout.

What more to add to these maple roasted Brussels sprout?

Nuts – walnuts or pecans chopped or broken bits of nuts after roasting the Brussels sprouts add so much crunch and nutrition. The subtle sweetness of maple works with the nuts really well.
Sweet potato – The soft roasted sweet potato is by far the best add on roots vegetable to this roast. I love the colours of the two together as it just screams autumn for me.

Furthermore, you can add carrots, parsnips, cauliflower too to make this a huge bowl of roast. If you pass the bowl to me, I will still pick out all the brussels sprouts before I choose the others.

Stay connected

We hope you will love to share with us your thoughts about our Brussels sprouts recipes and post. Do leave your comments for us to improve and also notes on the ones you love.  Take a moment to visit our youtube channel. Leaving you with our Facebook page  (click here) and Instagram (click here ) so you can take a peek. Don’t forget to follow us as we update these to the best of our efforts. Subscribe, share, like and evermore come back.

Collaborations

 Being a unique ingredient Brussels sprouts seemed the best fit to bring to my audience and I am re introducing it theough the Sunday funday group.. Though not so common in India, I am sure my global friends will like to try this recipe.

Stay safe and see you at the next post.

Learn 10 easy ways to feature the cabbage head in your home menu more widely  more often. These easy to achieve recipes will help you elevate the cabbage from just the basic coleslaw.  

The underrated cabbage seems to have shot into limelight. This probably is triggered by the article in Vogue promoting it to be the vegetable for 2026 and it is high time these leafy vegetables get some real use. It certainly is versatile and incredibly easy to use in most cuisines.

Familiarize yourself with the Cabbage varieties

The big head of cabbage does actually comes in a few different types, providing a bit of textural and pigment variation.

The common white cabbage: this is the most versatile of all cabbages. They are perfect for all sorts of recipes, mellow and crispy and sit well in salads too. Put these on the grill or tandoor to chargrill.

The red (or purple) cabbage: these are very similar to the white cabbage. It is the colour that attracts the eye. The red cabbage is usually seen in salads and as pickles. However they are equally good when stirfried or braised too.

Savoy (crinkled) cabbage: what is interesting about this variety is the crinkly texture of the leaves. These are great to filled and rolled to make skinny enchiladas!

Wombok: This slightly sweet Chinese cabbage or Wombok is perfect for Asian dressings and stirfries. They are super tasty as kimchi and pickled cabbages. For Indian recipes, I love using wombok for poriyal and kootus as it curls up well, providing a good textural feel.

Bokchoy:Though not typically considered a part of cabbage bokchoy falls under the cabbage family.Most Asian recipes do call for he green leafy bokchoy. They are more green and tender. The flavour is brilliant in Asian style soups and stirfry.

The love-hate relationship with cabbage

You certainly would have come across a bit of a love-hate relationship with cabbage.Some people love it and some are averse. Knowing the science behind it will ensure you know the reason for your dislike.

Cabbages are a part of the cruciferous vegetable family. They are naturally rich in sulfur compounds like glucosinolates.
When cabbages are cut or cooked they release these compounds as volatile sulfur gases. This is the weird fishy smell you may encounter. This may be the reason some people dislike the cabbage. 
There are ways of mitigating this as well when you are cooking. Scroll down to ensure you see the tips to ensure your cabbage experience is better.

Reasons to love the cabbage

Though there is dislike for cabbages among some, there are several more wonderful (and delicious) reasons to love it!

• Cabbages are low calorie vegetable. It is also nutrient dense. That makes it perfect to add volume to your meals.
• It carries high levels of fibre that ensure fullness and avoids constipation.
• Cabbages are good source of vitamins C and K . Both fresh and cooked cabbage are rich in them!
• Cabbages are diabetic-friendly as they are leafy vegetable, meaning they are low in sugar content.
• It has a good amount of folate as well.
• As for taste, they have a mild sweetness and are crisp to bite when fresh. When sauteed or grilled , they retain the sweetness.

Tips to cook the cabbage right

The sulfur smell that comes from cabbages can be reduced by following these.

• Use lemon juice: when you add lemon or vinegar to the shredded cabbage it greatly reduces the smell that develops. You can also add an acidic agent to the cooking water instead.
• Using an open pan: To saute or stirfry use an open pan and dong cover, and cook. This ensure the volatile compounds can escape.
• Quick cooking: Instead of slow boiling, always resort to quick boiling methods when using in soups. Slow cooking any of the cruciferous vegetables releases the sulfur compound, causing the smell.

Lets get some cabbage on the fork!

Cabbage recipe range from appetizers to mains. Apart from ease of cooking, cabbages are super versatile in absorbing the flavour and blending in with the flavours of the recipe. Here are some fabulous ones you should absolutely try.
Each of the recipe links are highlighted in blue. Clicking on them will lead you to the exact recipe. Lets start with some appetizers and dips

Cabbage pakoda: You cannot miss the crunch of this appetizer style recipe, perfect for entertaining. You can shred it or cut into cubes to make the pakoda. The chickpea batter with the spices makes it a delicious appetizer.

Tomato and cabbage salad: Now if you are on a summer plan or eating a bit healthier today, you have got to try this lean, fibre-rich recipe. The crunch of this salad with the acidity from tomatoes makes it a fantastic summer lunch.

Pickled red cabbage:This instant tangy pickled cabbage is a great addtion to home made burger, rolls or crunch wraps. We love to add a small bol of this to a meditteranean inspired grazing board as it pairs really well with the dips.

Now lets incorporate these into some mains that you can use much easier. 

Coconut cabbage soup: Carry the cabbage into winter with a comforting bowl of creamy coconut milk cabbage soup. This is a light soup that can be enriched by adding grains or cooked beans.

Paratha with cabbage: Bring in the comfort of cabbage in the form of a stuffed paratha. Made with maize flour, this is a brilliant flat bread recipe to serve with a simple dip or some Indian pickle.

Red cabbage pachadi: This low calorie red cabbage chutney pairs well with rice,flat breads and as a spread for a sandwich. 

Tandoori cabbage: This unique variation helps to ensure a good amount of flavour in the cabbage. It will definitely change any cabbage hater’s mind.

Shredded cabbage pasta: Ensure you have a hearty pasta with cabbage that lends itself well to Italian flavours. This shortcut pasta recipe does not use tomatoes.

Cabbage and spinach muthiyas: Muthiyas are steamed and stir fried snack from the Gujarathi cuisine. This variation ensures it is easy to adapt new variations.

Cabbage puli sadam: Put a twist on the classic puli saadam by adding shredded cabbage while stirfrying, giving it plenty of filling volume and fibre. Since cabbage takes up the spices and flavours well, this South Indian twist is a well-loved recipe.
Cabbage thoran: While going through cabbage recipes, you cannot ignore the  sadhya style cabbage thoran! This Kerala classic stirfry is one of the best warm salads.

Though you have a predominately Indian recipe collection here with cabbages, there is so much more you can do with these cabbages. You can make cabbage rolls,  add them to your momo filling, make coleslaw, chargrill them and so forth.

Stay connected

There are a couple of different bloggers who have  put forth their best cabbage recipes for you to try, so do checkout the links and their blogs through the links above.
We have used affiliate links to help your cooking successful on this blog. This in turn helps us earn a small income to keep this blog going. Hope you will find these link useful, but use them at your discretion. While you are here, here re two products that I find very useful.

Hair growth serum

In shower moisturizer

Dream lengths hair mask

When you try out these recipe please do let us know which one you liked the best in the discussion below.
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While trying to explore the diversity of cuisines across India, one root vegetable that gets so well used is the potato. May it be jeera aloo, urulakizhanagu stew, potato podimas or aloo dum biryani, you will find potato running its own show here. This pattern extends to all the Indian cuisine styles and the one that caught my attention recently was the Manipuri spicy alu kangmet.

What is alu kangmet?

Though the name sounds so complicated this is one of the simplest of the Manipuri cuisine. Basically it a spicy, mashed potato recipe. The ingredients that flavour are mustard oil, chillies, garlic scapes and ngari (fermented fish). in this vegetarian version, we have omitted the fermented fish. The raw onions served with it or mixed in as pieces with the mash flavour it different from classic mashed potatoes. 

Dietary profile for alu kangmet

Traditional alu kangmet has fermented fish paste added to it so it will not really be a vegan vegetarian recipe. However, the recipe we have made today is with most of the flavours without the fish paste making it vegan.
The recipe uses a bit of oil, but not enough to deep fry so I would say they are still low-oil recipes. However, don’t skip using mustard oil for the best flavour.
The aloo kangmet is certainly grain-free, nut-free and nightshade-free.

Ingredients and substitutions

Potatoes: The potatoes are the main ingredient for this recipe. Any variety of potato that cooks soft and mashes well like the Yukon gold or white potato is perfect for this recipe. You can use the same variety that we have used to make jeera aloo.

Garlic greens: The traditional recipe for alu kangmet uses green onions rather than regular onions. I had a small batch of green onions and that is what I have used for this recipe. If you don’t have any red Spanish onion or sweet pink onion can be substituted, 

Dry red chillies: Ooo this is a spicy recipe that packs in a punch. The dry red chillies roasted in oil are the ones that are mashed in with the potatoes. Use the spicier serrano dried or the milder bydigai (Kashmiri chilli)

Mustard oil: The mustard oil is absolutely needed to bring that classic Manipuri flavour to this dish. You will find these in the Indian grocery stores. Most of them say external application only, but read through and you will notice that it will be used for cooking in certain cuisines. The restriction is because of the high euric acids. There are tolerable limits established in certain countries that are deemed safe. The quantity used for this recipe is really small and under regulatory limits. If this is not an option for you, try olive oil or vegetable oil. I will not recommend coconut oil or sesame oil as it imparts a distinct South Indian flavour and takes away from the recipe.  

Salt: Can’t make this spicy mash without salt! Regular sea salt or Himalayan pink salt will make just the same. 

Let’s make alu kangmet

There are only a few steps that lead you to this spicy lip-smacking potato mash.

Prepping the potatoes: Boil and cool the potatoes. Peel them, gently mash them with a fork and set them aside. 

Making the spicy mix: Wash and clean the green garlic leaves. Remove all the dry leaves and chop them half half-inch pieces. Into a frying pan add oil and as it warms up add the mustard oil. Saute the green garlic
(garlic scapes) and then the dry red chillies till they are crisp. 

Bringing it all together: Add all this to the potato and mash the spices into the potatoes with salt. roll them up into small balls to serve with rice.  In the recipe card below are the details of this recipe and you can pin from here too to your board.

Serving aloo kangmet

Aloo kangmet is often served with tan (bread) at breakfast time. However, the small ball of aloo kangmet is so soothing to have with rice. If on a soft diet have this with porridge or congee.

Meal prep alu kangmet

Aloo kangmet stays so good for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator to have for the week, However, potatoes leach water and lose that soft texture you don’t want it frozen.Hence, I haven’t quite come to be successful in freezing this recipe.

If you are serious about meal prep, invest in a good set of glass boxes for storage. Check out these ones if you are in Australia. They are really a great investments. 

Other recipes from North Eastern India

North Eastern Indian cuisine is rarely blogged about. But each state and tribe brings out some unique flavours. Here are a few recipes we have blogged about earlier. Try some?

Chia al meh

Kechuri

Rosep aon

Phuklein

Collaboration

This recipe is a part of the Sunday Funday collection of “cook with roots”. The bloggers, under Mayuri have collaborated to put some useful recipes together that range in cuisine. Try these recipes that use potato,beets, sweet potato, ginger, parsnips, carrots etc.

Mayuri’s Jikoni : Arbi Ka Paratha

Cook With Renu: Beetroot Paneer Rice With Leftover Rice (Easy Lunchbox Recipe)

Food Lust People Love: Chantenay Carrot Ginger Soup

Sneha’s Recipe: Ginger Almond & Poppy Seed Vadi

A Messy Kitchen: Maple Miso Root Vegetable Medley

Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Parsnip and Leek Soup with Cumin and Mustard Seeds

Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Roasted Beet Galette

Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking: Roasties

Making Miracles: Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Stay connected

Hope you enjoy this spicy kick recipe that helps you explore the Manipuri vegetarian cuisine. When you make this simple recipe, do comment how you like it and how you served it. While you are here, subscribe to receive further updates.

In this post there are some highlighted links in blue. Some of these lead to products that will pay me a small commission if clicked on or bought. Use these links if it is helpful to you and using your discretion.

This post updation had huge help from both Mayuri and Kayani who have introduced and guided me through the new group, with much motivation.

See you in the next post.

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• They are one pot so much less effort.
• The starchier sweetness improves your baking adding a ton more cozy feeling.
• When I bake my kitchen is warm at the same time.
• It is a recipe that you can do as a big batch with minimal prep and have all week long in the fridge.
• It pairs well with pasta, rice or any grains,can be rolled as wraps or made into a salad.

Ingredients for baked root vegetables.

The vegetables: the baked vegetable tray is one recipe that allows you so much flexibility in terms of what you can have. You can make it as colourful as you like or as monochrome as you prefer. Here is a list of vegetables I like to throw into the tray.

• Sweet potatoes
• Carrot
• Turnip
• Potato
• Radish
• Swedes
• Beetroot

For roasting: Olive oil, salt and herbs are the ones that work. The herbs I have chosen is rosemary and oregano. You can use thyme or basil as well. 

Lets make baked root vegetables

The baked vegetables is the best use of a roasting tray.

Prep the vegetables: choose starchy tough vegetables to start with. Wash thoroughly. Cut them into big chunks or dices as you prefer. Keep the beets separately. The carrots, potato sweet potato, radish, parsnip, swedes, turnip can all go together.

Coat them in flavours. Since the vegetables are going to be soft and bland, it is best to coat them with flavours. Sprinkle salt, pepper abd drizzle oil and toss them well. For flavours I prefer to add fresh study herbs that just dont burn away. Rosemary, oregano and thyme are my first choice. Go with what feels natural to you. You can replace the pepper with chilli flakes if you like the heat. Lets the vegetable mix sit while you preheat the oven
Ensure that the beets are coated and kept separate.

Bake: preheat the oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes. Place the vegetables on a roasting tray. Spread them out evenly. Poke in pieces of beets into the gaps so they cook along. Roast the vegetables for 35 to 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius on heat both from up and down. Half way through the time, flip the vegetables over to ensure even roasting. After about 35 minutes the vegetables will be ready and fork tender. Remove from heat and direct to the table. Or cool and proceed for storage.

Meal prep and storage

The baked root vegetables are wonderful to add bulk to any meal or in the lunch box.

Is this a vegan recipe?

Baked root vegetable is an excellent vegan platter. It is filling, a mix of good healthy fibre and carbs and perfect for any vegan meal.

How to make baked root vegetables into a salad?

Once you have the baked veggies in meal prep you can have a hearty salad with it. For the dressing I prepare a generous mix of lemon and lime juice with some pepper and salt. Then you need some freshness. Chop up some tomatoes, a cucumber and handful of oregano, mint and parsley. Add all this into the mixing bowl with double the quantity of baked vegetables. Pour the dressing over it. Toss well and serve immediately. They are great sides to meals and double up as salads. You can add a bunch to your breakfasts to as hash.

How do you ensure the beets don’t leech the colour all over?

There are a couple of ways you can achieve this. If you peel chop and place the beets separately, then place them on the tray to bake it will have zero leaching.
Another method is to ensure you add the beets right at the end, a quick toss in the oil and salt and straight into the oven.

Other baked recipes from us that make a good mealprep

Baked whole cauliflower

Dried peas nuggets

Baked veggie sheek kebabs

Paneer puffs

Stay connected

Hope you enjoy making this batch of low effort baked root vegetables. When you make your batch using this recipe, do share your thoughts and improvements in the comments below.
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Apple almond kheer is a delightful no sugar added Indian style dessert fit for any festival. Flavoured and thickened with almond flour it is a quick and easy recipe that is perfect for beginners.

I am  not good when it comes to viral recipe trials. By the time I decide buy the ingredients and try it, the trend is over!
Clearly,it needs much more devotion and promptness. So that is an area we shall leave it to the enthusiastic experts. However there is one recipe I have been wanting to try and was waiting for the apple season to come. Enjoy my version of the apple kheer with no added sugar. 

What is apple kheer?

Made with full fat milk that’s slow cooks rice grits,  kheer is a must try  dessert. This is traditionally served in festivals  and grand Indian  weddings. We have added a whole collection of kheer in our post- Payasam pathaman and kheer
Apple kheer a fusion dessert  that embodies the idea of a kheer but has apples and almond flour to flavour and thicken. It is not a super sweet version , rather one to share at dinners or home gatherings.

Is this diabetic friendly apple kheer?

I make this with no added sugar or sweetener, just the sweetness from the apples making it a bit more on the diabetic friendly Indian dessert side. Please be aware that the apples are sweet enough, so moderate the portion size.

Ingredients to make almond apple kheer

Apple: crunchy sweet apples are the base flavour for this kheer. Personally, I like pink lady or red apples to make this kheer. I would avoid tart green apples as they can be too sour and may split the milk.

Butter or ghee:To kick off the caramelization and the colour on the apples, unsalted bautter or a small amount of ghee is helpful.You can use coconut oil if you are making it vegan. 

Almond flour: the almond flour gives a rabdi like feeling to the kheer. I use the blanched almond flour. If you don’t have these you can grind a few almonds or soak them and grind with the milk. Instead of almonds you can used any nuts of your preference like cashews, pistachios. Melon seeds or puffed makhana(lily seeds) powder also taste good and thicken the kheer easily.

Milk: full cream milk is best suited for this recipe. It has the right consistency and doesn’t easily split the milk when adding the sauteed apples. I would avoid almond milk to make this kheer among the plant based ones as it easily splits. You could use coconut or soy as well.

Sweetener: I have actually not added any in this recipe as the apples were super sweet and we like a mild sweetness for our kheer. You can add sugar as the milk boils. If adding jaggery syrup or maple syrup add it after you remove from heat. Alternatively date paste will be lovely in this kheer.

Spices: the common sweet spices used in Indian desserts are saffron and cardamom. I have used a few strands of saffron and powdered cardamom to finish the recipe.

Let’s make almond apple kheer

It does take a few steps to make this kheer, however, it is not a hard recipe to follow some absolutely recommend beginners to try it.

To prep the Apple: the Apple can be chopped like I have done or grated to have a smoother kheer. It is optional to peel the apple as this will be all about mouth feel. I leave the peels in as it gives a good bite. Once prepped add the apples to a pan with a touch of unsalted butter. On a low heat let this mix cook down and caramelize. Ensure that this is a low heat process. You can cover the apples for a minute if you feel they are dry. This captures the water from the juices allowing the apples to steam.

Boil the milk: in a separate sauce pan,  boil the milk. As it bubbles and boils, stir in the almond flour.
Thicken the milk the almond flour is the thickening agent. When the milk has started boiling and rising a bit, lower the heat to a simmer. Sprinkle the almond flour on the boiling milk. Stir well ensuring it is lump free. Let this cook down for about 5 to 6 minutes with stirring in between.

Add the apples: add the cooked apples into the mix and mix well. You can take off the heat at this point.

Flavouring the kheer: sprinkle cardamom powder and a few kesar strands and mix well.  At this stage my kheer is done. If you prefer to add sugar or jaggery syrup do so at this stage and mix well.

Is this a vegan kheer?

If you are using plant based milks the recipe can easily be turned vegan. Coconut milk or soy tastes good. For sauteeing and caramelizing the butter, coconut oil is best. 

Can we make this with other fruits?

Of course  you can change the fruits to make a variety of kheer. Mango ,jackfruit or plantain banana will be my first choice.
You can try dates and dried figs too. When using sweet dry fruits adjust the sugar accordingly.

Other quick try kheers

Sabudhana kheer
Sweet potato kheer
Mothichoor ladoo kheer
Rajgira kheer
Manipuri black rice kheer

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When you try out this almond apple kheer, let us know in comments how much you liked it. Share it with family and friends.
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The moment you place a plate of stuffed vegetables feel so much more special that just stir frying.
This is the magic of bharwan. It is not vegetable specific and can be seen in most dominant cuisine styles.
In Indian recipes as well you will come across a large number of vegetables served as roasted or curries with stuffed produce. Okra, capsicum, bottlegourd, eggplants, chillies, bittermelon, lemons,  mushrooms, you name it, there will be a lipsmacking stuffed version of it.
Thats when we got these baby brinjals!! That too farmfresh baby brinjal (eggplant) spotted in the market deserves a wholesome approach. Here is my version of the tastiest stuffed baby eggplant.

What is a brinjal?

Brinjal, eggplants and aubergine are all the same.

The fruits of Solanum melongena is a sturdy shrub that grows easily. The fruits come in various shapes and colours. Some are deep purple and large and used for roasting. Some green or varigated, some elongated like a zucchini and some round like a little ball. The flavor profile is nearly the same. All can be roasted, boiled or grilled and rarely eaten raw.

Here are some recipes we have previously tried with eggplants.
Kashmir doudh wagun
Kerala vazhuthananga mezhukkuperatti
Srilankan wambat moju
Chettinad kathrikka podi varuval

Ingredients to make this peanut masala stuffed brinjals

Unlike the popular dry masala stuffed baingan recipe, this is one that uses fresh ground pastes and roasted peanuts. This makes the eggplants succulent ans keeps the moisture as it roasts.

Brinjal: since eggplants come in various sizes for this recipe what you need is small baby oval or rounded eggplants. The colour or variety is up to you it can be purple, variegated or the white variety. While coosing the eggplants for this recipe, ensure that they are all even sized so you can get them cooked evenly.

Peanut: roasted peanuts form the bulk of the filling.this not only gives the nutty creaminess but also makes this recipe much more nutritious. You can use peeled peanuts of keep in the skin on. Peanut butter is not suitable becoz of the oil content. 

Onion: the red onion provides the base masala flavour.Usually I prefer this and a smooth paste so it is easier to stuff the eggplant. You can choose shallots or white onions to make the same. Shallots will be a bit sweeter.

Fresh masala base: the true flavour of the recipe comes from the fresh pastes that are made. This is a combination of fresh ginger root, garlic and green chillies. When made a paste together, they create fresh and robust flavour paste. This combined with the peanuts make the stuffing so tasty.

Lemon juice: the final splash of Lemon juice once the recipe is done provides a summery freshness to the recipe. You can have lime, lemon or tart orange juice to make this shine.

Lets make bharwan baingan

The recipe is a bit of work between prepping the brinjals and making the masala paste. However, once that part is completed, it is fairly a easy process. Check the notes below so you can actually make it in larger quantities for meal prep. 

Mealprep the stuffed brinjal

Stuffed brinjal stays good in the refrigertor for up to a week, so we highly recommend this recipe to add to your meal prep. Though it takes a bit of time, if you have a large quantity of eggplants, do not hesitate to make a big batch and freeze for later. Complete the roasting process and cool before freezing. In this way, eggplants wont leach and the result when you thaw it back up is as good as the fresh ones. Freeze as a single layer first and then store them in a container. This ensures they do not stick to each other. 

Collaboration

As bloggers we always draw inspiration and ideas from each other and support in the growth and enthusiasm. This time in the Shh cooking secretly group we are exploring stuffed vegetables recipes which have such a huge variety to offer.Check just one more, stuffed capsicum from The mad scientist kitchen.

Stay connected

Stuffed brinjal recipes are a favorite for us in our house. When you try this version of peanut filled, stuffed eggplants do let us know how you liked this recipe in the comments below. The recipe my sound similar to Bharali vangi, however is far different in flavour. 

We would love to hear from you in the comments below.

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See you in the next post.

What is okoy?

Ingredients to make Filipino fritters

Ingredients the make pink vinegar dipping sauce

• The pink colour takes a few minutes to seep in so I prefer making the dipping sauce first.
• The pink dipping sauce is so easy to make.
• Finely chop the red onion and add it to a bowl, add the vinegar, salt and sugar.
• Stir well and set it aside for 10 minutes.

• I have used cabbage, pumpkin, carrots, a small capsicum that grew in the garden to make this recipe.
• Grate these so that they make a  easy mix and cook evenly.
• Add these into the mixing bowl. Use 1:1 ratio of glutinous flour to vegetable grated.
• Add the flour, salt and crushed black pepper.
• Mix this well and set aside for 10 minutes. do not add any water as the vegetables will provide enough moisture.
• Heat oil in a pan . Once oil is hot, lower the heat to medium.
• Scoop and shape the batter in to flat  and as far as round you can. Then gently place in the oil. Let this cook on on side and gently flip to the other side.
• Once both sides are golden and crispy, remove and drain from oil.
• The okoy is ready to have.

Meal prep the okoy

Other recipes from the Filipino cuisine

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Ingredients for jeera rice

Let’s make jeera rice

• Washing the rice and soaking: measure the rice and add to the bowl. it is so important to wash the rice multiple times till the water runs clear. Don’t pop it into a sieve and run it under water, it doesn’t help. Rather, rub the rice grain and drain the water each time. It takes about 3 to 4 washes to get the rice run clear. Drain well and set aside.
• Now to soaking, measure the water 1:5 times of the rice. Add to the drained rice and let it sit for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes ( can go up to 30 minutes), drain the rice and save the soaking water. The cooking water is the cooking medium later as you have already measured it out. 
• Saute the spices add ghee to the instantpot. Saute them on low heat till they are aromatic and slightly change in colour. The ghee is now flavored with the volatile oils of the spices. 
• Frying the rice: Frying the rice on  low heat for a a few minutes coats the rice grains with the aromatic ghee. This process also ensures that the rice does not stick to each other when cooking. I prefer to add the salt at this stage so it is evenly distributed. 
• Cooking the rice: Pour the soaking water that we drained and set aside, back into the rice. This water is enough for the cooking process. Place the lid and pressure cook for 1 whistle ( the Indian pressure cooker measure). Remove from heat. Let the pressure hold and naturally release. This takes about 15 minutes off the heat. 
• Fluff and garnish: When the pressure is naturally released, use a fork and fluff the rice gently. Be careful as the steam is still hot.  Once this is done, the jeera pulao is ready to be served.

Can I make this recipe in the instant pot or rice cooker? 

Should I soak the rice? 

Key points to remember.

• Do not use excess water to soak the rice. The water as per the ratio is plenty.
• Do not drain the soaking water and add fresh water afterwards to cook, this changes the ratio of water for cooking the rice to fluffy separate grains. 

Can we make this recipe vegan?

What pairs well with jeera rice?

Mealprep and storage

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What is sabhudhana kheer?

Ingredients to make sabhdhana kheer

What are the best tips to make sabhdhana kheer better?

• Cooking down the milk: reducing the milk actually brings forth a creamy density. This flaours the tapicoa pearls really well.
• Evaporated milk cuts down a fair bit of the cooking time. It also doesn’t take away from the flavour.
• In certain recipes for the kheer you will find the addition of milk powder. This again increases the creaminess of the milk.
• Soak the tapioca pearls: it is no fun to bite into a hard centered tapioca pearl. So ensure you wash and then soak the tapioca pearls for a couple of hours

Is jaggery suitable to be added to this kheer instead of sugar?

You can certainly use jaggery in the place of sugar to make this recipe. If using jaggery, do not add it like you do with sugar. Instead dissole the jaggery in a bit of warm water and make a syrup. oil the syrup and remove the impruitirs that skim on top. When the cooking process for the kheer is finished, add the jaggery syrup after you remove the kheer from the heat. This will ensure the kheer is not curdled.

Meal prep for this kheer

Serving ideas for sabhudhana kheer

Can I make this kheer vegan?

Can I make this a sugar free dessert?

Enjoy sipping this warm broth with pumpkin and soft tofu through winter months or as you recover.

Ever since her braces the tooth sensitivities are high and my daughter looks for something filling  yet soothing. That’s when we devised this soft tofu and pumpkin broth soup that has been a winner.
Served warm, the soup has a lot of liquid and soft cooked pumpkin pieces. The soft tofu can be added chunky or broken down to form more of an egg drop soup consistency. This is a bowl of pure comfort and nourishment at the same time. It is a beginner recipe that is needs a chopping board, knife and a cooking pot only. It is,

• low calorie
• gluten free
• devoid of nuts
• dairy free.

Ingredients for the pumpkin soft tofu soup

Pumpkin: the chunks of pumpkin give the body to this soup. Any variety is fine as long as they soften when cooked. I like the Japanese variety somehow as it has a smoother mouth feel. It is perfectly OK to swap this to butternut squash as well .

Soft tofu : this is the softness and the uniqueness of this soup. When cooked,the soft tofu assumes a soft jelly like texture. It cannot be swapped for firm tofu as it feels clunky. So no swaps please on the soft tofu.

Seasonings: Salt and pepper is plenty to right make this soup good. Yet I have a secret ingredient you should try.

Dried mushroom powder: This brings forth a soothing umami flavours to the dish. I choose the powder as at the moment my daughter finds it difficult to chew. If not you can add a few chopped pieces of shitake or brown Swiss. I would totally avoid enoki as it will make the soup a bit slimy and with the soft tofu it us not a great mouthfeel.

Broth : to be clear,  I cook the soup in water. However you will get a much more depth of flavour if you use a vegetable broth. If using the broth be mindful not to add salt till you have tested the salt levels.

Herbs: you can finish off this soup with herbs if you like. You can add chopped coriander leaves, chives or scallions.

Let’s make pumpkin soft tofu soup

This will be one of the easiest ways you will make a soup.

Prep the pumpkin: this is probably the most time consuming process in this whole recipe. Peel and chop the pumpkin into chunks. You can dice smaller if you like. Frozen pumpkin cubes work well too.

Cook the pumpkin in broth: into a cooking pot add the broth (or water) and the pumpkin cubes. Cover and cook till the pumpkin is soft and mashable.

Add the soft tofu: remove the block of tofu from the packaging. Cut them into cubes. once the pumpkin is cooked add the tofu into the soup. Simmer and cook for 5 minutes till the tofu steams well. Instead of cubes you can crush the tofu and add. This soup will resemble the egg drop soup.

Season and serve: adjust the salt and sprinkle some pepper into the soup and remove from heat. The soup is ready to be served. Serve warm.

Variations to the soup.

At times we like to spice it up a bit with this soup, so a teaspoon of sambal chilli paste or Thai curry paste into the broth adds a ton of flavour and a variation from the regular.

Likewise, along with the pumpkin, you can add any vegetable you choose. This adds a bit more variety to this broth. You could try zucchini, broccoli, cabbage or winter melon will be good in the recipe.

Meal prep and lunch boxes

The soup broth definitely tastes the best when warm. However, it can be prepared ahead. It stays good for up to 3 days. I wont recommend freezing the soup as it is nit worth that effort.

Other soup recipes that are handy when having braces.

Broccoli and peas soup
Cherry tomato soup
Avocado cold soup
Carrot and celery soup

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The pumpkin and soft tofu broth is a simple recipe. It is a perfect winter comfort or a bowl when you are just under the weather. Let me know if you like this version of a simple soup in the discussion below.
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Enjoy a lipsmacking thogayal made with dals and peels of the ridge gourd in traditional south Indian flavour. Pair it with meals of your choice to wow, your family.

What I see as a difference between home cooks and chefs is not just in the size of meals that we make. Chefs have to keep up with so many of our taste factors, cost control and visual appeal. Home cooks, do know the people they cook for, so fairly easier for them to play around with the ingredients to suit the home needs. Moreover, home cooks can focus on ensuring the best of nutrition from best of produce.What do you think

Here is an age old recipe that a lot of South Indian home cooks rely on, peerkangai thol thogayal.

What is peerkangai thol thogayal?

Peerkangai thol is the peel of ridgegrord. This along with roasted lentils, spices, coconut and tamarind is ground into a coarse paste. This is peerkangai thogayal or ridgegourd chutney. It is a popular recipe among all South Indian states and has a few different names, peechinga chutney in Kerala, beerakaya pachadi in Telugu,  heerakai chutney in Kannada.  Often paired with steamed rice, a dollop of ghee and some stirfried vegetables on the side, the recipe is a classic homestyle one.
The recipe as such is

• Vegan
• Gluten free
• Onion and garlic free
• No nightshade added
• And dairy free

Ingredients from ridge gourd chutney

 Angled loofah or ridge gourd belongs to the cucumber family. The tough outer skin has predominant ridges. The gourd as such has soft flesh that is cooked into curries or stirfries. The peel is the one we have used to make this recipe

Dals: the dals add volume and depth of flavour to this recipe. I use a mix of skinned black gram dal (urad dal) and chick pea dal(channa dal). When roasted thr dals and ground the dals add the necessary volume to the dish.
Spices:there is very minimal spices in the recipe. Red dried chillies are a huge part if the flavour. The second main flavour comes from curry leaves. Along with the salt, the small pinch of asafoetida added offsets any need for garlic or onion.
Coconut: grated coconut added a softness. The milky flavour of the coconut works well with the ridgegourd. Tamarind: there is a slight hint of sourness that you experience while having this recipe. This comes frontiers dried tamarind that is added and  ground along with the ingredients. It adds a zesty flavour to the dish when having with grains or breads.

Let’s make peerkangai thogayal

The recipe is a medium intensity one where the roasting of dals is the one that can go wrong as it burns easily.

Prep the peerkangai: the peel of the ridge gourd is the one used to make this recipe. However, the ridges have a tough fiber running through them that needs to be removed.

• Wash and pat dry the riodge gourd.
• Using a knife or peeler approach of the pointed ridges. This js where the fibres are.
• Press down the peeler and remove the green skin completely. Save this part of this chutney. Save the spongy part to make kootu or stirfry.

Roast the dals and spices: in a heavy bottomed pan, add the urad dal and channa dal and a tsp of coconut oil. Dry roast this on low heat. Add the curry leaves and red chillies as the dals start turning golden and roast all together till the chillies are crisp and the dals deep golden. Remove this from heat on to a plate and set it aside.

Roast the peerkangai thol: Add the skin. Stir fry this till the peels look deep green and vibrant. Remove and add to the same plate. Let this cool down as well.

Grind the thogayal: once cooler to handle add the roasted dals, chilli,curry leaves, sauteed ridgegourd peel, tamarind, salt and coconut to the food processor and blend into a coarse mix.
Remove the coarse ground mix to a bowl and the thogayal is ready to be served.

Best pairings with peerkangai thol thogayal

Here are a few ideas for you to try with this thogayal
Peerkangai thogayal with steamed rice, a small spoon of ghee and poriyal on the side is one great Sunday meal.
At home, we like this as a side to rasam rice and often with some kootu.
Alternatively, you can use this as a dip for idlies, dosa etc too.
We use this as a spread for wraps and sandwiches. Pretty much the thogayal and cheese sandwich is a great try. Use some  grana padano or  aged cheddar instead of saltier ones like feta.

Meal prep and lunch boxes

Thogayal stays well in the fridge for up to a week without any issues. It also freezes so well, that we often rely on a frozen block for quick lunches. We love thogayal cheese sandwiches for our lunch box. You could also use it to stirfry the rice with, like we made ghee podi rice.

Other chutneys and thogayals

Thogayals, chammandi and chutneys are a big part of South Indian meals. Here are a couple of ideas
Thenga chammandi
Curry leaves thogayal
Doddapathra chutney
Mango chammandhi
Watermelon rind thogayal

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The comfort of hot rasam on a plate with steamed rice and a ball of this thogayal is Sunday for us. We enjoy it as a meal together that screams simplicity yet home.Hope you enjoy making this chutney as much as we love bring it to you. If you make it slightly different tell us your version, we always love to try different ones .
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Milk is not one of my favorite drinks. I always disliked a cup of milk whether you add sweetness to it or not. So, when I was little my mum devised a few clever ways to make me have some. The one that I did not put up much of a fight with was for the warm cup of cardamom milk during the cooler months. As the slow autumn chill is coming through here currently, I had a sudden urge to try this elaichi doodh back again.

What is cardamom milk?

Cardamom milk is an excellent winter warm drink where steamed or boiled milk is infused with the aroma and flavour of cardamom. This elevates it from just being a drink to a copy dessert like feeling. It is also the same recipe called as cardamom moon milk.

Ingredients to make elaichi doodh

Milk: classic elaichi doodh used full cream milk. However, it is up to you to use skim, lactose free or half and half milk or plant milk like soy or oat. Ensure you have a thick bottomed pan to boil it in.

Cardamom: green cardamom pods are the ones used in the recipe. When you buy them,ensure they look deep sage green or slate green and are so fragrant as soon as you open the pack. The skin is discarded (use in curries or to make tea) and  the seeds are ground to add to the milk.

Sweetener: this can be entirely your choice. Honey, cane sugar, stevia, monk fruit or add none if you prefer it that way.

Let’s make cardamom milk

Making cardamom milk is as simple as slow boiling the milk and stirring in the cardamom powder and sweetener .

• Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods.
• Crush them well.
• Slow boil the milk till it is bubbly and frothy.
• Stir in the cardamom and remove from heat.
• Stir in the sweetener. If using honey, wait till the milk cools down a bit.
• Pour into cups and serve warm.

Will cardamom milk induce sleep?

Cardamom as a spice  is a soothing relaxant. Along with milk that is well known for inducing sleep the Cardamom milk combination makes it and excellent combination. It certainly is not a remedy for sleeplessness. 

Can elaichi milk be vegan?

If you are following this recipe with soy milk, oat milk etc,  the recipe naturally becomes vegan, however you don’t want honey in the recipe.

Can we serve this chillied?

Absolutely, pop them into small bottles and leave them in thr refrigerator. If using UHT milk, it will stay for almost a week with no issues.

Milk recipes from this blog

Kesar doodh – aromatic saffron milk

Mexican Atole | Hot corn drink

Ulundhu paal | blackgram drink

Jeera milagu Kashayam paal | spiced milk

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Hope you are a better milk lover than I am and enjoy this recipe more often. Let us know if you have some soothing warm drink recipes like this that you absolutely love in the comments below.

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May it be any Indian festival, payasam, prathaman, pongal or kheer is the sweet ending. There is a certain bit of comfort we derive from hugging a bowl of this dessert. Resembling a pudding, the dessert is a combination of  a grain, fruits or seed cooked in milk and sweetened perfectly.Depending on the region where it is popular this dessert is slightly different and goes by the names payasam, payasa, payesh prathaman, pongal or kheer.

Why is this Indian pudding made?

Cleverly crafted the payasam or kheer is a age old tradition. The bowl of kheer symbolizes a celebration hence it is made for festivals, birthdays and any occasion to celebrate success. Combined with milk  (plant milk) and sweetness it is a beloved navivedyum (bhog) which is a divine offering.  If you look at the varieties carefully, you will notice the regional and seasonal changes that made to the basic recipe, still holding on to the very essence of celebration and sharing with love. 
Here is a collection of 25 varieties of this dessert that you can trust for your festival offering. Each one of them is tried and tested multiple times, some classic and some fusion. Save it and enjoy.

Try these payasam recipes

Payasams come in many forms. Listed here are some of the most popular and some unique payasams you must try when trying the south Indian meal.

Pink paal payasam: Kerala style payasam made with raw red rice and milk is a comforting recipe made famous for it pale pink hue. Made during Krishnashtami, Onam and Vishu the payasam is one of Kerala’s favorite.

Semiya payasam:  the classic adaptation of the thin vermicelli cooked in milk is one of the best propagated fusion recipes that we have all loved. Make it for a birthday, a get together or any festival and make some memories.This is also called the vermicelli kheer or seviyyan kheer.

Chatha chathayam: An ancient rice and coconut milk based kheer, flavored with jaggery and banana. This is a niche recipe made during Shastapreethi. It is also a vegan payasam.

Teff payasam :a clever use of the Ethiopian seeds to form a creamy payasam laced with shredded coconut.

Mongil arisi payasam: is a slow cooked pudding with bamboo rice and milk. It is a rare payasam recipe popular among the forest region where bamboo rice is more available.

Kadala parippu payasam: uniquely satisfying chickpea payasam from Sizzling tastebuds is to be savoured atleast once. The chickpea dal is roasted to bring out the best of flavours in this recipe.

Rice rava payasam:  Quick and easy payasam made with crushed rice (rice rava) and jaggery. Best part is it is done under 20 minutes, hence a brilliant idea for festival days that fall on busy week days.

Carrot payasam: orange or purple carrots make the most delicious drinking style payasam. Very often we make this during Navrathri.

Aval payasam: instant payasam idea with flaked rice and coconut milk the rice is loved for its quick comfort that I learnt from my husband’s family. 

Badami payasa: Enjoy this Karnataka style payasa made with almonds, coconut and milk from Preethis cuisine. It is rich and perfect for small serves and for festivals like Ugadi

Varagu paal payasam: slow cooked millet in milk is one of our house favorite. It is perfect for vrat days or naivedyum.

Nuruku godhambu payasam : done in Kerala style this crushed wheat based payasam is made during home celebrations. This is again a vegan payasam.

Chaler payesh: classic rice payesh made in Bengali style is a recipe from Evergreen dishes. The unique feature about thie recipe is the subtle fragrance from the added bayleaf.

What is the difference between payasam and prathaman?

For the love of Kerala, prathamans find thier way more often than payasams. Prathaman are a rustic style payasam made with coconut milk and jaggery. The slow cooked prathaman is often made with rice, fruits like plantain and jackfruit or dals. It is a bit thicker than payasam and best served on a banana leaf. This paysam stays good for a couple of days as well.These recipes are made for Onam, Vishu, Christmas and Easter.

Here is a collection of prathaman

Mango prathaman: Ripe mango and jaggery cooked in coconut milk is a seasonal prathaman recipe that is made often during Vishu.

Paalada prathaman : made using sundired rice flakes, milk and sugar the paalads prathaman is slightly different from the prathaman recipes that use jaggery and coconut milk.

Kadala parippu prathaman: made with Bengal gram the prathamn is a slightly ifferent version from the chickpea payasam.

Nendrapazham prathaman: made with ripe plantains nendrapazham prathaman is an unavoidable recipe for Onam once you have enjoyed it.

What is the difference between payasam and kheer?

Though cooked fairly similar, kheer is a smoother and thicker version of the Indian pudding compared to payasam. Compared to a payasam there is a lot of crushed nuts added to the kheers, where as in payasam it is a roasted bunch of nuts and raisins alonv with the ghee that is addded. Very often kheer can be seen served chilled where are payasams are preferably served warm. The differnece exists even in the way they are served. Payasams are served in a banana leaf or glasses with a spoon.however, kheer is usually served in small earthen bowls or any bowl as it is a bit thicker to have.

Must try kheer varities

Kheers as discussed re very similar to payasams. Here are some comforting and some special ones that you can use throughout the festival time

Rajgira Kheer: made popularly during navrathi season or vrat this is amde with popped amaranth seeds. gently and slowly cooked in milk it is an incredible mouth feel like little pops.

Sweet potato kheer:The most delicious creamy cooked sweet potato in milk an flavoured with jaggery or sugar and cardamom.

Chakhao ambui kheer: made with forbidden black rice it is a unique recipe that is fragrant and creamy and purple.

Kheer komola: this unique recipe with oranges in kheer is a seasonal speciality from The world through my eyes.

Mothichoor kheer: Fusion to the best,this kheer is made with crushed mothichoor ladoos and the warmth of milk.It is best served chilled.

Apple kheer: What is a better way to hve some apples than use them as a kheer. So fragrant this recipe from Mayuri’s jikoni will ensure your sweet tooth is well taken care of.

Bagarichi kheer: Bagar or millet based kheer is a delicate recipe made for Janmashtami, Check it out on The Madscientist Kitchen.

Paneer kheer; Is a royal creamy cottage cheese recipe, served chilled. This gluten free recipe is from Food trails.

Sago kheer: simple and easy yet comfortingly creamy kheer with tapioca pearls is one you should never miss. Make it with stands of saffron for that unique color and flavour.

Badam kheer: Soaked and ground almonds turned to the creamiest kheer. Try this from My cooking journey.

Phool Makahana kheer: Traditional kheer recipe made with foxnuts and nuts is a popular dessert for Holi, Navrathri or Diwali. Check it out from Cook with Renu.

Lauki kheer: Bottle gourd cleverly disguised as a dessert is an incredible idea for a kheer. Do try from Batter up with Sujata.

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Hope you have a sweet tooth to hold on to this incredible collection of Indian dessert that is essential to celebrate every festival at its best. Share with us if you have any unique ones you make so we can add it to the collection
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The India trip is exciting in many ways. Not only do I love being with my parents,  the travel but also the foods that I hardly get to see in my daily run in Sydney. However, it was getting to a point where the cooked foods were constant and I missed the simplicity of forking some salad for lunch. Invading into the kitchen garden, the bilimbi tree was almost as if it was waiting for me. This was the first time my daughter saw me climb a tree. She really did not believe I had the monkey in me. Anyway, now that’s proven!  we made a sour spicy salad to accompany the meals (just because amma won’t allow the bilimbi salad as a meal).

What is bilimbi?

A close relative of the carambola tree the bilimbi, Averrhoa bilimbi is a small tree that grows well in the tropics and a native of South East Asia.  Flowering as deep red inflorescence these turn into soft-skinned green fruit. This is bilimbi fruit that has a lot of culinary interest. The whole fruit is edible. The fruit grows in clusters from the stem. The fruit in local Indian names is irumban puli(malayalam) bimbuli (kannada), kamias(Tagalog). (Share with us more regional names if you have any for this fruit please).

What does bilimbi taste like?

The crunchy and firm fruit is actually extremely juicy to bite into. The fruit is highly sour and acidic with a slight metallic after-taste. Unlike carambola, the fruit does not turn sweet upon ripening. If eaten raw, best tasted with a pinch of salt mixed with cayenne. Choose the younger fruit if you like a bit lesser intensity for the sourness, especially for salads. For curries, the ripe fleshy ones are more suited.

Ingredients for the salad

Apart from young bilimbi, you will need other ingredients. A small red onion that is finely sliced and a green chilli to add spiciness. You can either pound the chilli with salt to mix it in the salad or chop it in.  I have added a handful of fresh moringa leaves as the mesclun. If you don’t have access to them, use arugula or spinach in their place. Use fine salt to the season only at the end as it draws out a lot of juice from the bilimbi making the salad soggy.

The recipe card below gives the proportion of the ingredients. From this recipe card, you can directly save onto your pin board if you need to find some of the fruit too.

Pairing the moringa bilimbi salad.

Since the salad is sour and spicy, it will be a fabulous side to protein-rich preparations. Ideally, it will taste awesome with sheek kebabs, rajma cutlets,cheela or cutlets. If you chop the bilimbi fruit smaller, you can mix it with a basic bhel mix to make a tasty snack. We did not wait for all that but had it just as such with a classic South Indian thali.

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Kothavarakkai poriyal is a basic stir fry made with cluster beans. Valued for its medicinal properties this cluster beans stirfry is a gluten-free, vegan addition to your everyday Indian meals.

The visit to Bengaluru this time has seen so many changes. My mother-in-law is finally hooked on blogger world. She is now curious about the new idea. She was talking about bloggers, YouTubers and plenty more who have daily appearances on her devices. So, the suggestion to be videoed while she was making the daily food was welcomed instantly. So as a start, we have kothavarakkai poriyal from her kitchen.

What is kothavarakkai?

The tender pods of Cyamopsis tetragonoloba are used as a vegetable known in regional languages as guar, gawarfali, the green seed pods that grow in clusters are the product of interest. Grown in crop rotation the guar plant notably provides the legume but also improves the soil by nitrogen fixation. The low-calorie pods are a good source of fibre and potassium.

Did you know?

The much-valued commercial flour improver guar gum is extracted from the endosperm of the mature dry seeds of this plant. This is used in breadmaking, the cheese industry and ice cream manufacture.

Ingredients for this kothavarakkai poriyal

This kothavarakka proiyal is made by my mother-in-law. It is one of the simplest stirfries yet very very tasty. Here is the list of ingredients you need to prepare this
Cluster beans or kothavarakkai is the main ingredient in this recipe. Wash and clean the beans. Remove the beans from the thick stalk. Pinch off the tail as it tends to be a bit chewy. Now slice the beans as thin as you like.
Tempering: the classic south Indian tempering is of mustard seeds that crackle to flavour the coconut oil, a touch of dals (split lentils ) for the crunch, followed by curry leaves and red chillies that further flavour the oil.
Seasoning: the recipe is usually just seasoned with salt. However, if you like it spicy use about half teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder can be added.
Garnishes: the final addition of the freshly grated coconut adds a lot of difference to the dish. Honestly, it doesn’t feel the same with the desiccated coconut. However, grated frozen coconut still manages a good bit of flavour.
Additional adds:
Shallots: sliced shallots can be added along with the curry leaves. This gives a wonderful aroma to the poriyal. However, this is not common in Tambaram kitchens so my mother-in-law doesn’t use it.
Cumin: if you don’t have mustard seeds, use cumin. The cumin (jeera) gives a different flavour to the oil.

How to make the poriyal?

As a part of this new journey, we have made a short mature video of how the poriyal is prepared. My mother-in-law is the one who is making this so the measurements in the video are approximate. However, you can follow the recipe card below to get the exact measurements and step-by-step instructions. Hope you will like and share this video too. 

Serving suggestions

Kothavarakkai poriyal paired with steamed rice, quinoa or millets with a classic gravy like sundakkai thengaarachukozhambu or podipotta sambhar is a perfect South Indian meal.
To make an easy wrap use a spinach phulka as the base and fill up with this poriyal. If you have cooked potatoes mash add it up to give a  filling wrap.

Meal prep and storage

The poriyal can be made and saved for about 3 days if refrigerated. If storing for a week, I avoid adding the coconut. Since the coconut added is fresh add it after thawing. The cluster beans stirfry is not the best to be frozen. It turns a bit rubbery if texture.

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The sun-dried mango is a unique traditional preserve that is utilized as a pickle or as a component of curries and rasam. It is a summer tradition to make these maanga vattal. Try out this as my mother teaches me to make them.

One of the first things I ask for as soon as I drop my bags at Mum is for maanga vattal. This time was no different. With mango trees surrounding the house, these sundried mango pieces are a spicy quick treat that amma keeps with her hundred-odd varieties of pickles. When she said she had none in stock at this time I was a bit disappointed. I am sure she spotted it too. The next day there was a small basket of raw mangoes ready. So here we are capturing how the dried mango vattal is made. Win-win, I get the vattal and the learning of making it. Sharing the recipe here for you too to save and use when green mango is in season for you. 

Ingredients for the maanga vattal

Raw mangoes- Sour green mangoes are specifically chosen to make sundried mangoes. the variety we have here is called “pulian” which is a local favourite for its extreme sourness. these are picked fresh from the tree using net baskets to prevent them from falling down and damaging. 
Salt – Amma will not agree if it is not crystalline salt. She disapproves of the refined table salt as it has no flavour!! I agree, the minerals make the flavour better. 
Chillies the chilli used in this recipe is for the pickle flavour. You can make salted pieces too. The heat is usually from dried and powdered Serrano peppers. If not use cayenne powder.

The step-by-step process for making dried mango

Prepping the mangoes

Once the mangoes are chosen break off the stem and wash off the stain that drains. Take care to protect your face as the stain causes burns. Slice off the flesh from either side of the mango seed. You can cut this into halves or quarters. The seed can be preserved as such or the side flesh can be cut away and dried. 
Seasoning the mango pieces since it is a preserved form of mango, salt is the main preservative. Along with this chilli powder is added to provide spiciness and feel like a pickle. Once the salt and chilli are rubbed on the pieces. Leave this in the mixing bowl for a couple of hours so that the water from the mango is extracted with the salt.

Drying stages

3 to 5 days in the hot tropical sun is what makes the maanga vattal so perfect. The brined and seasoned mango pieces are arranged on a plate or clean cloth under the sun in a single layer. Try doing this early morning to avoid the sun glare. This will start drying and within a day the edges will curl up. Flip it over and dry it the next day. The pieces will shrink and roll as drying continues. After couple more days in the sun test if the centre is dry. When warm from the sun, the pieces will snap this is the best test for the drying process completed.

Storing the mango pieces

Once dried the maanga vattal shrinks to very small pieces. These can easily be stored in an airtight bottle in your pantry for up to a year. If the weather is a bit humid,  make sure you redry it in the hot sun say once in three months.
To use remove the necessary pieces with a dry spoon and seal the bottle back again 

How to use maanga vattal?

The dried raw mango pieces are a fantastic side to give a spicy sour bite to simple meals, kanjis or koozhu. If you soak the pieces in a tbsp or two of warm water they soften to form a pickle.
Amma makes a fabulous vattalkozhambu curry with maanga vattal that we had blogged about a long while ago – Click here for the link.
I use the manga vattal she gives to make a quick rasam by boiling the same with excess water, crushed garlic, rasam powder,  a shallot, curry leaves etc and seasoning to adjust. This is a thin rasam that is more like a soup broth than one to have with rice.

Stay connected 

Try out making these maanga vattals in summer this year. there are a few other vattals and vadams w keep stock. the Sago papad, avalakki sandige, kumbalanga kondattam, thamarakizhangu vattal are some we have in stock. However, I am learning new ones this year from my mother. Will share them with you as I get them right. Try out this manga vattal if you get fresh raw mangoes and then try out the vattal kozhambu with it. Share us a review when you make these and rate the recipe with 5 stars. Subscribe so we can bring you the latest content or connect with us via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Stay on to explore more posts as I go back to help my mother.

Dry til chutney or ellu podi is a common accompaniment on the side of a home-style thali. This dry condiment is a melange of lentils and sesame seeds with spices. Make some of this vegan, gluten-free ellu podi to complement your meals.

Molagapodi or the dry chutney that is used with dosa or idly comes in many flavours like garlic chutney podi and dhaniya podi. This adds a lot of variety to the same breakfasts that we make day after day or the simple home-style lunch. Also, it is one with a fantastic shelf life, thereby a boon to providing some relief to busy mornings. Here is another one that is handy, ellu podi.

Black and white sesame seeds

Sesame seeds are one of the tiniest ingredients that are common in the Indian kitchen. In fact, it is one of the hardest to harvest due to its size too. In the Asian markets, both black and white seeds are available. Both varieties of oil-rich seeds are rich in iron and calcium. Black sesame seeds are explored for their ability to reduce oxidative stress.

Hulled and unhulled sesame seeds

The polishing process at times removes the edible outer coating of the sesame seeds. This is the Hulled sesame seeds. If the outer coat is intact, it is unhulled. Nutritionally they are not very different. In addition, both hulled and unhulled seeds are equally edible roasted or raw. The hulled ones are brighter white and the unhulled white sesame seeds are slightly browned.

Ingredients for this til chutney

Sesame seeds- for this recipe I have used unhulled white sesame seeds. You can use black ones too and the podi looks much darker in colour. Upon roasting the sesame seeds have pop slightly and release the oils. upon grinding if the til chutney looks too oily roast some more of the lentils and adjust to form a dry powder.

Black gram dal- Urad dal or ulundu parippu is the base of most molagapodis. The skinned version is roasted and powdered. If using black sesame seeds, you can use the skinned black ones too. Roast well till they turn golden or aromatic.

Chickpea Dal-Bengal gram or kadala parippu is roasted separately and powdered with the urad dal. These two form the lentil base for most molagapodis. Roasted till slightly deeper brown the dal is crunchy and easy to powder.

Curry leaves- you can’t miss out on the karivepelai to give the classic ellu podi aroma. Add a handful if you have one. Dried ones will work well too, slightly roast before powdering.

Red chillies: depending on the spice levels you prefer can use a couple of different varieties here. The bydige or Kashmir red chilli adds a deep red colour without adding all that heat. Whereas the Guntur varieties give lighter red colour with a lot more pungent heat packed in. The ellu podi in the picture has bydige as I am not a huge fan of the heat.

Salt: Seasoning with salt is an absolute must to flavour and keep a good shelf life for the powder.

Hot tip:

On the first day, the salt doesn’t flavour well as the fresh ground chillies take over the flavour. However, taste test the next day to adjust the salt levels as by now the lentils will start absorbing the flavours and the pungent heat is slightly toned down.

Steps to make the dry til chutney

Roasting: dry and slow roasting of each ingredient ensures that the lentils are cooked and also that they can be powdered well. The sesame seeds crackle when roasted releasing the oil needed to bring the powder together. Each ingredient has a different time to roast, so have to be done separately.
Grinding: A spice mill or a coffee grinder can powder the spice mix. Powder the lentils and seasoning separately and then mix them well together. At times the sesame seeds will become mushy upon grinding as they release a lot of oil. Add a tablespoon or two of the lentil mix and grind further to reduce the stickiness.

Storing the ellu molagapodi

The til chutney will become rancid if exposed to air much faster. If you are making a batch store it in an airtight bottle on the countertop for about 15 days.  Use a dry spoon to serve it. If keeping for a bigger batch keep it in the fridge to slow down the loss of flavour.

Serving ideas for the til chutney

With lunch thali- The dry til chutney can replace the thogayal in the classic south Indian thali meal. It provides a lovely pickle kind of side to add flavour to the dishes.
With idly and dosa- Just like using molagapodi, Ellu podi can be used to dip the idlis and dosas to have. You can add a touch of oil to make a paste that can be smeared on the idlies.
Make a thogayal- Add two or three tbsp of warm water to about the same quantity of til chutney powder and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. This will form a thick soft chutney. Further you can dilute it with water if needed.
In variety rice- Just like we make pickle masala rice, sprinkle the chutney podi on the stirfrying leftover rice and make a delightful ellu rice. You can add a tempering of mustard seeds and garnish with coriander leaves to make it more flavourful.
In parathas- Add a tablespoon of til chutney to the atta before kneading it and mix well. This gives a unique flavour to the paratha when cooked, yet cannot be seen much.
Add to sandwiches and wraps– Use the til chutney in your rolls, wraps and sandwiches as this dry spice mix will add flavour without going soggy. Add cooked and drained beans, herbs, or a basic salad to the wrap to make it filling. Smear a bit of the paste-like ellu podi on the slices of bread and make a basic tomato-cucumber sandwich, it tastes amazing.

Collaborations

The dry til chutney recipe is added to the A_Z collection of recipes for the Alphabet T. Sesame seeds are Til in Hindi and this long-stay chutney is what I chose to showcase.

Stay connected

When you make this ellu podi, tag us or share with us how you like it. Leave us a comment with a 5-star rating to tell us how it is, we would love to hear from you. Stay subscribed as this year we will try our best to bring you a lot more recipes. Stay connected and see you again soon.

Enjoy a delightful yellow tomato salad bursting with summer flavour. Make it a celebration of your homegrown produce with this salad with the best citrus dressing. Make some, share some and enjoy the sun.
It certainly feels so special when your garden provides you with a few good summer produce. Since it is a rainy summer this year, we have planted a few tomatoes. One of the varieties we have is the yellow pear tomato instead of the cherry tomato. These are smaller and sweeter and sunshine yellow in colour. To our surprise, this started fruiting as most as soon as the first rains started. So here are showcasing this beautiful produce with summer fresh cabbages and cucumbers.

Ingredients for the easy summer salad

Yellow tomatoes: these are a variety of cherry tomatoes. They are sweet with a burst of that tomato flavour. You really don’t have to go looking for these, cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes will also do the job. If you have extra squishy ones, try our cherry tomato soup recipe.
Cabbage:  sweet and crunch cabbage forms the leafy base for this salad. It doesn’t matter if it is the red cabbage or the sweet white one. You can swap this for lettuce, arugula or mesclun.
Cucumber: Lebanese cucumbers are the plain complement to yellow tomatoes. Since they are water laden, there are lovely to have during summer, especially in a salad.
Seeds: mix the crunch part is the one that makes the salads more appetising. My go-to mix is flax, chia, sesame seeds and hemp. Depending on what you have at hand, just go with the flow. Popped quinoa tastes brilliant in this salad.

Herbs: Herbs add a good freshness to any salad. Since we are picking up some from the garden we have spring onions, gotugola ( Brahmi) and mint from the garden. So today’s batch pick-up goes right into the salad. You can add what you have at hand to brighten up the flavours. 

For the citrus vinaigrette.

Summer certainly is for those strong citrus flavours. This basic citrus vinaigrette has lemon zest, lemon juice, whole grain mustard, grated garlic and grated ginger along with salt. It has no oil added, you can add a teaspoon of olive oil if you like. Do you really need a dressing for this salad, maybe just lemon and salt will do, but it is far nicer with this basic lemon vinaigrette. Since we are using sweet tomatoes,  I have not added sugar or date syrup to them. If you are using this dressing for, say, coleslaw or basic garden salad mix, add a tsp of date syrup.

Putting together a meal

Option 1: The salad is actually a fantastic idea to serve at a BBQ or lunch. Make some crusty toast, and creamy cheese to add to a platter. Don’t forget to keep some chocolate crackles for desserts
Option 2: Pop some vegetable sheek kebabs on the barbecue. Toast up some flatbreads. Whip up some cacik sauce and roll up a kind of Greek gyros.
Option 3: Keep light to follow up with a cold drink, like berry kombucha and then serve some chocolate dessert brownies to make it up.

The recipe card below carries step-by-step guidance to make this easy summer salad. You can directly pin this onto your board to make during the tomato season. Share with us how you feel making this recipe in the comments below with a rating of upto 5 stars

Stay connected

As a home gardener, I get very excited when I see produce come up and the garden active with bees and butterflies. These have an emotional connection to the fruits kind of a sense of joy in their own way. Try your green thumb, you didn’t always have to get it right, but don’t give up.
When you make this yellow tomato salad, whatever type of tomato hope you enjoy the experience. Let us know in the comments how you feel about it and rate the recipe. Don’t forget the citrus dressing is perfect for kidney bean salad or edamame salad.
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