Ragi Vadai - Deep Fried "Ragi Adai" - Another Quick Snack!

கேழ்வரகு வடை  - Deep Fried "Ragi Adai" 

Memories about ragi adai, takes me to my childhood days in my grandparents house. i remember very vaguely.. like a dream.. it was a bright evening.. just few minutes after a heavy rain.. yet sunny.. around 4 pm.. the leaves were dripping water..

Karuvepilai Chutney (Curry Leaf Chutney)

Karuvepilai Chutney (Curry Leaf Chutney)

I have tried many versions of karivepilai chutney. But this recipe is awesome flavourful and goes very well with idli and dosai. perfectly sauteed curry leaves.. right amount of dry red chillies and tamarind gives this chutney a balanced flavour and taste which is perfect for idli/dosai or bajji/bonda. It is quiet easy to make in the busy mornings too. 

Rice Flour Puttu - Easy, Tasty and Healthy !

Rice Flour Puttu - Easy, Tasty and Healthy !

Puttu is another polite, easy to cook, no oil, steam cooked, good-to-eat and healthy dish. It is good for breakfast or dinner. It is one of the easily digestible food for sick people. 

Kanchipuram Idli (Kovil Idli) - Idli with a Flavour

Kanchipuram Idli - Idli with a Flavour

Kanchipuram idli is fondly known as "kovil idli". Kovil means temple in Tamil.

Chennai Hotel Style Coconut Chutney

Chennai Hotel Style Coconut Chutney

Aahhaaa.. is there anything better than hotel chutney! Such a simple and polite accompaniment with idli/dosai. Eventhough sambar is the hero.. it is so very incomplete without a coconut chutney.

Tomato Soup - Kids Favourite

Tomato Soup - Kids Favourite

Tomato soup - is the only soup my daughter asks as the first item in any restaurant. We would advice her that there are many more soup varieties in this world which she can try. But we never won her decision in this soup matter. 

Ulundhu Kali ( Urad Dhal Halwa ) - Healthy Traditional Food

Ulundhu Kali - Healthy Traditional Food

Ulundham/Ulundhu kali is a healthy food traditionally cooked in Tamil Nadu with black whole urad dhal and palm jaggery. These are the two main ingredients plus water. That is all..! you can also do this with whole white urad dhal. But whole black urad dhal is more nutritive and has more fibre and above all more flavour than the whole white urad dhal.

Since I did not have whole black urad dhal today, I used whole white urad dhal.

Kothamalli Chutney / Coriander Leaves Chutney - Flavoursome

Coriander Leaves / Kothamalli Chutney

Coriander is considered both an herb and spice since both its leaves and seeds are used as a seasoning condiment. Coriander leaves contain powerful detoxifying abilities. Happy to be born in a world where coriander grows. 😁

Chola Poori / Bhatoora

Chola Poori / Bhatoora

Chola poori is most of our favourites. When we were kids.. we used to eat this poori in exihibitions. The poori master used to make big flat dough, flips it in the air and this dough goes as high as 1 meter in the air above his head and then coolly slides into the hot oil in the big kadai in front of him. We used to watch this with our mouth open..

 

Tiffin Sambar for Idli/Dosa - Hotel Style

Tiffin Sambar - Hotel Style

This hotel style tiffin sambar is very easy and tasty and goes very well with idli, dosai or any tiffin items. this sambar needs a little masala paste to be prepared and after that the sambar is a super hit.

Uppu Urundai (or) Kara Kozhukattai - 100th Post

Uppu Urundai - Light Breakfast or Dinner

Uppu urundai is an traditional South Indian food item made with idli-rice.

Adai - Kara Dosai

Adai - Kara Dosai

Adai became one of my favourite dish only after my marriage. Before that it was in the not-my favourite list. Adai is such a balanced dish for breakfast or dinner. It has the right amount of cereals and pulses and above all coconut! coconut freshens any dish. 

Chicken Kuzhambu - with Idli - Weekend Special Breakfast

Chicken Kuzhambu / Chicken Pulusu - with Idli

Idli-chicken pulusu has traditionally been the breakfast in my mother's house for Deepavali and most of the Sundays. It gives me pleasure to make it even now for Deepavali festivals. My daughter and hubby too likes this special break fast.

Coconut Chutney - Simple yet Significant !

Coconut Chutney - Side Dish for Idli/Dosa/Pongal/Vadai/Upma

Coconut chutney - when I was thinking for a word to describe it.. i got the word "simple".. and was waiting for another word which really brings the "feel" for chutney in our menu and in our hearts. My daughter came out with the word "significant". Bingo! thats the word. Coconut chutney is such a simple yet significant side dish in our south Indian breakfast menu.

More side dishes and chutney recipes are here - Side dishes and chutneys 

Potato Masala for Poori / Chapathi

Potato Masala for Poori / Chapathi

Poori - Masala.. is there any one who does not like this combo breakfast. i can eat it for break fast, lunch and even for dinner..!! 

actually, in south india, we see this poori - potato masla.. as a made-for-each-other combo. we call it as poori-kezhangu. there might be other side dishes for poori like kurma.. or channa masala or salna or thick tomato thokku or what ever. but when you talk about poori-kizhangu.. thats when you are talking about "our food".

Pesarattu - Andhra Special Dosai

Pesarattu - Andhra Pesarattu

Pesarattu is type of dosa in Andhra which doesn't need fermentation. Pesarattu made with green moong dhal, has a subtle flavour of ginger and cumin seeds which makes it an unique dosa. The beautiful light green colour dosa with nice brown edges like laces, lavish sprinkle of finely chopped onions and simple coconut chutney - healthy and interesting combo.

Vadai / Medhu Vadai - Urad Dhal Fritters

Vadai / Medhu Vadai

Any festival is not complete without the vadai or medhu vadai. We three in our house love this medhu vadai and my folks love the way I make. The blend of the smell of vadai being deep fried, agarbathi and camphor brings you completely to the festival mood. Every one at home.. lots of talking.. lot of work as well.. fasting.. little tiresome.. still excited about festivals. Proud being a part of this culture.
Lets me take you to the recipe of this polite, tempting and yummy vadai/medhu vadai.

For more - Festival Foods, Vaazhaippu Vadai, Deepavali,

Vengaya Kaara Chutney - Raw Onion Spicy Chutney

Vengaya Kaara Chutney - Raw Onion Spicy Chutney for Ildi

This vengayam-kaara chutney - basically has 4 ingredients. This is my husband's favourite chutney. Here we use raw onion, red chillies and tamarind. Some of you might get scared hearing raw onion and red chillies.. but believe me.. you have to try this to actually believe it!

Yes, initially it does have strong raw onion flavour. That's why we add tamarind and chilli.

And tempering the chutney with lots of sesame oil and mustard seeds.. gives it an extra punch of flavour. So, practically, the raw smell of onion becomes very subtle with the tamarind, red chilli and sesame oil. This hot-spicy-tangy chutney recipe goes like this..

For more sidedish/chutney recipe click  - Sidedish / chutney

Idli Upma

Idli Upma

Do you have any previous days' left over idlies? Do not think about reheating it today and have it with some chutney. Instead.. think about idli upmaaaa !!! How many of you like.. when someone brings a small bowl of.. nice.. HOT.. grainy.. bright yellow.. cashews blinking.. roasted kadalai paruppu smiling here and there.. coriander sprinkled.. idli upma? I love it! It just cheers you up on a lazy evening. You know what.. when ever I make idlies, I make few extra so that I can make idli upma the next day😊. I prefer to make idli upma the next day because the fridge-stored firm idlies break down completely into crumbles when you crush with your hands. Here is the recipe..

For more breakfast recipes click here - Breakfast
Recipe for Idli
Basics of Idli Batter

Idli Upma

Idli

Idli - Soft Ildies

This morning, as I woke up, I was little excited to see the idli batter which I prepared last evening. When I entered the kitchen, I could see myself smiling as the smell of the fermented batter welcomes me. I was curious to open the lid and see the batter raised. It was as thrilling as it used to be in my college days when I open the culture plates to see the bacteria grown. I know.. it sounds gross to you right? 😝.. okay now back to idli.. You can get a detailed instructions about how to make the idli batter here. Any way I can give a short version of the idli recipe in this post. Now lets go to the recipe.

For more breakfast recipes click here - Breakfast
Left over idlies.. click Idli upma

Idlies with kadalai paruppu chutney