Flavourful Brinjal Gravy - Complements any Biryani

Spicy Brinjal Gravy - Flavoured with roasted sesame seeds and groundnut paste

It is a beautiful combination - biryani and the brinjal gravy. this particular brinjal gravy.. where brinjals are sauted with lots of sesame oil.. sourness from tamarind extract.. infused with roasted peanut and sesame seeds paste flavour.. cooked perfectly till that above mentioned "lots of" sesame oil floats on top of the gravy.. final touch with the dash of jaggery.

Wood Apple Sweet Salad - Sweet-Sour Duet

விளாம்பழம் - Wood Apple Sweet Salad

Vilaam pazham (விளாம்பழம்) (Limonia acidissima) commonly known as wood apple was one of the mostly ignored or forgotten fruit in south India. during my childhood days, i too did not know anything about this fruit. we used to see in the markets during Krishna jayanthi and Vinayagar chathurthi, that is, during the month of August and September. As a child, i wondered how this was a fruit, as this did not have any of those fancy features of being a fruit. In my house they never used to buy this during the festival too as nobody was fond of this fruit. so, i never got to know anything about this fruit. and more over this fruit was not very appealing too.. looked corky.. rough.. dull colour.. it was more like a cricket ball... how to break it?!