Uzhunnu Vada / Split Black Gram or Urad Daal Fritters

Uzhunnu Vada / Split Black Gram Fritters

I was never fond of these fritters and so never bothered to make them before marriage....Only after marriage I realized that I am married to a vada loving person , who can have this any time without counting on the number of them served to him.....He will be very happy to help me out in the kitchen if I decide to make vada which is the only factor that motivates me in vada making , as I still dont like them much...

I had started making these ones under the guidance of my MIL who is an expect in making them to perfection...

Queen of the Night...Nishagandhi

Jet Lag did a good thing to me....

Just because of it I was blessed to watch these nightblooming beauties commonly known as queen of the Night.....

Wish I had some poetic language to put in words their beauty and fragrance...

Here are some snaps to share with U all...

Nishagandhi..........Ready to Bloom by evening



Beetroot Kichadi / A tasty n colorful side dish for rice..

Beetroot Kichadi

Sometime back when my son was just about to start on solid food, my friend who is basically from Maharashtra , suggested me to give him some khichadi....At first it was the picture of Kerala kichadi in my mind and I was like , what........?

Then she explained to me what is Khichadi in Maharashtra and even gave me a sample to taste...That was indeed very delicious....Now that our friendship has grown over years, I too have learnt to make khichadi from her and we love to have it whenever we want a simple and easy one pot meal....

Spring Blooms.........

Is there any better sight than this on a Spring morning ?????

Rose

Mullu Murukku / Rice Fritters / Chakkli [ version 2 ]....With Roasted Gram

Rice Fritters / Mullu Murukku with Roasted Gram

Last day I noticed an interesting thing in my blog archive...It was the pattern in which the frequency of my posts were going over the last three years , With the largest number of posts in the months of Oct - Nov and the least in Jun - July....I have found out some explanations for it too....One may because of the spirit of getting ready for our usual trip to India in the month of Dec and the other may be magic of Spring turning to summer during this time of the year....Or it may be simply the way a typical Cancerian blogs...

Cant tell what exactly is behind it , better wait for some more years of blogging to get to the final conclusion.......

Black and White Wednesday....

My companion to go oven safe........

My first entry for the Black n White Wednesday series going at The Well seasoned cook 

It is time for Gardenia........

Gardenia

Palak Rice / Spinach Rice

Palak Rice

When rice is in the menu for lunch , as far as possible I try to go for a one pot meal, for two reasons.....


You can guess the first one....And that is my laziness to make elaborate side dishes separately....And the second one is because of my son...He likes to take rice for his preschool and if it is a one pot meal , it is easy for him to have it with spoon....

Kerala Boli / Obbattu / Holige / Puran Poli......And Diwali Wishes

Puran Poli / Boli

Diwali is almost here and I hope everyone is busy with the preparations..........


I thought of sharing a sweet recipe for today which was there in my 'TO DO' list from quite some time......Wanted to post it with the step wise pics and that's why it took so long to get published...

I am Tagged..........

Thanks Anzz of Anzz cafe for tagging my space....

Plz do check out Anzz Cafe to enjoy some fresh Recipe ideas along with her stunning presentation and beautiful clicks... I just loved her fried apple pies....It is truly a very tempting dessert...

Coming to the tagging part , if I were asked to answer the below questions from another blog it would have been easier..... Isn't it hard to choose from your own blog  ?.....I have tried my best and I think I have done a good job with the tagging game and  hope you all will enjoy reading.....

Here are the questions......

100 Yummy Diwali Sweet n Dessert Recipes from Indusladies ...E Book

The Indusladies has done a good job by compiling 100 Yummy Diwali Sweets n Desserts Recipes in an easy to download e Book form....So no need to hunt around for sweet recipes this festival season...Make good use of it and enjoy home cooking for this Diwali...

I had sent the following recipes for the e Book.....And my Madhura Seva was the one which got into the e Book....

• Rasgulla
• Urad daal laddu
• Jalebi with wheat flour
• Madhura Seva
• Rava Laddu
• Instant Mixed Nuts Laddu
• Rice Laddu / Ariyunda
• Instant Palgova
• Maaladu
• Mysore Pak
• Badam Halwa
  
  
  

Do check out the e Book and find all the interesting sweet recipes in it...

Here is the link to download the free e Book.

http://www.indusladies.com/forums/announcements/148569-free-download-100-yummy-diwali.html

Enjoy....

Kerala Unniyappam / Sweet Paniyaram / Dutch pancakes with rice

Unniyappam / Sweet Paniyaram

What is the recipe that first comes to your mind when there are over ripen bananas at home ??


Many may say Banana bread...... I do agree with that..


But for me these sweet little treats called Unniyappams are the first ones in the list , as my little one just loves them a lot....

Garden colors in Spring..

Hibiscus

Hibiscus

Lavender ....Yet to show its bloom

Lavender

Echeveria

Mulberries and the birds waiting to munch on them

Mandevilla

Broadbeans thoran / Stir fry ....Fresh from my spring harvest

Broad beans thoran

Broad beans which is a rich source of dietary fiber is the harvest of the season from my garden...Needless to say about the taste and freshness of home picked veggies.....Even my hubby who is not a big fan of vegetables had to agree with me today....


Here is a simple stir fry / thoran recipe with broad beans....

Urad Daal Laddu / Sunnulundalu

Urad Daal Laddu / Sunnulundalu

Navarathri / Dassera Wishes to all.....

Hope everyone is in festive mood and having a good time...

When I saw the Indus Ladies 100 Diwali Sweet Recipes EBook anouncement, I couldn't resist myself from sending something for the cookbook....And today's recipe is my entry for the event..

Beetroot - Chocolate Cake

Beetroot Chocolate Cake

Post Onam blues was holding me back from blogging for a while....Also we were taking our turns with fever and flu and saying good bye to winter.....So not yet completely recovered to pen down something.....

An Aussie Athappookkalam...

Our athappokkalam at home.....

Paal Payasam / Rice Pudding And Onashamsakal

Paal Payasam

Wishing you all a Happy and Prosperous Onam in advance....

It is that time of year again when Malayalis get nostalgic with their Onam memories....No matter where we are , the message of peace and togetherness which this festival brings along is something to be cherished...


Onam memories and experiences have undergone its own changes with each passing generation, as obvious from the usual hearing from our elder generation "What Onam now...It was all in our olden times  "....Right?


Being brought up in the capital city of Kerala , my Onam memories are limited to getting Onakodi [ the new dress gifted from the elderly member of family] , decorating Athappokalam / floral designs which happens mostly in school or college , taking turns in the Oonjal [ swing ] and the indispensable Onasadya.....More than all these , it was time for our family get together , having fun with cousins and enjoying sadya sitting just next to my grandpa....

In the midst of all these celebrations , do we have one moment to follow and remember what is the message of Onam , other than telling kids the story of King Mahabali being sent to patala by Vamana and his asking for a boon to come back and visit his people during Onam and all that.......
That was what I was also used to hear when I was a child....Just wanted to share a little thought on this note as I am sure that our next generation will definitely need more explanation on this story.....

Was it the king Mahabali who was destoryed by Vamana or the pride which was growing in him about his own virtues which was destroyed.....Think over and you will defintely get an answer when your little one asks about Onam the next time....So instead of the story they can get the real message behind this beautiful festival and treasure those values for the rest for their lives......[ Interested readers can follow the story as in Bhagavatham , here ].

Spring is in Air.......

Tulips

Is there anything which can better express the happiness of Spring in Air than the flowers in the garden??

They are just in time for Athachamayam , the first day when the homes in Kerala get ready with Athappokkalam [ Floral designs ]....

And the celebrations and preparations for Onam begin with this day..

The count down starts and the main Onam [ Thiruvonam ] arrives on the 10th day 

Let us spread the message of peace and happiness on each of these festive occasions..

Modakam / Sukhiyan

Modakam / Sukhiyan

Isn't it interesting to observe how the same dish is called by different names in different parts? ...... Today's is one such sweet snack from Kerala which is called Modakam towards  my home town and Sukhiyan towards the northern parts... 


Whatever be the name is , we love to have this healthy n tasty snack quite often for our evening tea... 

Manga Curry / Mango Pickle

mango pickle / manga curry

During my first Onam here, I was wondering whether I will have to buy store bought mango pickle for the sadya or not, as Mangoes were not something common that I found here...It should come from other states...But with the onset of Spring, [ which falls in time for Onam ] Mangoes start coming to market....The first time I saw raw mango in the shops here, was a moment of great joy...

Now that years have passed, I wait for spring to bless us with some mangoes.......
And finally they are here  this year too....

Jalebi / Jilebi.....With Whole Wheat Flour

Jalebi / jilebi

Kid's tastes keep changing every week or may be every day....My son is no different which keeps me on the roll trying new recipes daily......Today's recipe is on his favorites list for the time being....So let me try them before something new takes up the position.

Why I said NO to Plain Flour / Maida / The ALL PURPOSE FLOUR ?

By now I have shared a lot of recipes without plain flour especially for baking....

And I had already mentioned about my aversion for plain flour in one of my previous posts, 

but not elaborated on it.....

I felt it is a personal choice and it up-to you, if you want to use it or not...

But last day I got a mail forward about Maida which made me think over and I thought it is my duty to share with you all regarding it....

After all that should be the main purpose of a Blog......Right ?

The article that I recieved was in my mother tongue Malayalam and quite a lengthy one...

I am translating here just the highlights from it for you....

So if you are ready to read and make a change in your life plz go ahead...

Yes , it is a lengthy post for today...So take my warning before you proceed...

Poori or Puri / The fried Indian Bread

poori / puri

Ask my family what to prepare on a Sunday morning...., Without any delay they will unanimously vote for "Poori"......Though I think a bit about the frying and the oil and the calorie and stuff like that, will slowly go to their side and will agree as I too cant resist poori especially for an elaborate sunday morning breakfast.....

Ribbon Pakoda / Kerala Pakkavada...

Ribbon Pakoda / Pakkavada

Last week we had those continuous rain again in the midst of winter...And it was in one of those days we were craving for this ribbon pakoda, which is another savory snack from Kerala, known as Pakkavada....

Egg-less Choco almond cookies

Whole Wheat and Almond cookies

What would you do if your little one is fussy about eating at times and the only thing he asks for is chocolate ??......I know how irresistible CHOCO is.....Even at this age, I cant resist the temptations of it.......So I cant really blame my son .....

Ariyunda / Kerala's Rice Laddu

Ariyunda

Here is another Kerala snack from my kitchen....A low GI,  Guilt free snack to munch on anytime.........

It is one of those sweets that will take you down the memory lane....The one you can always link with your active childhood days munching on while running around....

Egg-less Pumpkin bread with the goodness of dates

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin bread was something I tried for the first time last year when the whole pumpkin that I bought for vishukani was waiting for my mercy....Otherwise I used to buy only cut pumpkin pieces just to add in Sambar or make Erissery....Once I tried this divine bread, no more buying cut pieces of pumpkin....

Home made pumpkin Puree....

Pumpkin Puree

It was while blog hopping that I happened to see Chefinyou's Pumpkin puree, and the lovely click made me mistook it for Mango puree for a moment......


Eyes will always see what you love to see.......Right ?

Yes, I am craving for those lovely Mangoes that the lucky ones in India are enjoying this summer...And flooding the blogging world with all sorts of lovely dishes with mangoes.....There is no other way than buying some canned mango here, which I am not for....
So let me wait for the Summer to arrive and bless us with some mangoes...

Kerala Parippu Curry / Moong Daal Curry / Split Green Bean Curry

Parippu Curry

Loved to see the sun shining after 2 weeks of continuous pouring....What a great relief...

In Kerala , the place which is blessed with a tropical weather I used run away from the scorching sun , longing to be in some place with a chilling weather....Never thought , I will be waiting to see sun this way.....Yes SUN is the source of all our energy....

Almond Fudge / Badam Halwa......with Almond meal

Almond Halwa

Last month we had some visitors from India and we were delighted to get a packet of Kaju Katli from one of our favorite shops in Bangalore.......Needless to say that it got over in a few minutes leaving us with more craving for something similar to that....

I had no other option than going into my pantry and there was this packet of almond meal that I had kept for making some almond cake....hmmmmmmmm, that taste of kaju katli was still there in my tongue and it changed my mind from trying a cake to this lovely almond halwa........

Cockatoo....

Cockatoo

Finally managed to watch Rio last week.....Loved it till the end....

Now, this sulphur crested cockatoo enjoying a slice of bread at my backyard reminded me of Nigel, the villain cockatoo of Rio....

Yes ..... they are a bit noisy at times...

But still , I haven't lost my admiration for them, every time I get to see  these guys..

Spicy Egg Roast / Kerala Mutta Roast

Egg Roast 

May has kept me busy more than what I had expected with two birthday boys at home.. Couldn't even manage to check the updates from my fellow bloggers....Hope everyone is having a good time in the Blogosphere....

Though I missed blogging a bit , it was equally good to Enjoy the Real World without any  wired and wireless connections....

Pineapple Smoothie.......

Pineapple Smoothie

Making of a Smoothie should be called a Recipe or not....? I am a bit confused whenever I post a Smoothie recipe , as the recipe for a Smoothie is always upto you.....Put whatever flavors of fruits you like in a blender and just blend them all together...A filling and healthy drink is ready in less than 5 mins. 

Vendakka Mezhukkupuratti / Okra Stir- fry / Bhindi Sabzi

Okra Stir- Fry

Enough of holidays now.....And it is time to get back to the normal routines...

Hope you all enjoyed the Easter holidays...

Here rain was there to spoil the holidays as usual.....But luckily , spared a few days in between when sun was there to let us have some fun and a few outings too......So on the whole it wasn't bad...

Happy Easter......

Autumn Bloom

Meen Pollichathu / Baked Fish in Banana leaf

Meen Pollichathu

This is another authentic Kerala recipe which tops my favorites list.....The first thing that comes to mind when I think of its preparation is the nice aroma of banana leaf in which the fish is wrapped...Please excuse me for using Aluminium foil instead, because of the unavailability of banana leaf here...If you are fortunate enough to get them ,please do try with banana leaf itself ....

Aval Payasam [ Beaten Rice Pudding / Poha Kheer ]

Aval Payasam

Happy Vishu to all my readers.....

Wishing  you all a very Happy and Prosperous Year ahead.

No Indian festival is complete without a dessert to go along with the long list of other delicacies......And Vishu is no exception, as there is the elaborate Sadya for lunch time....

Since today is a working day here, I've postponed the Sadya part for tomorrow, but not the dessert....So here is a simple and easy payasam recipe that I prepared today for the occasion.....

Vishu Ashamsakal....[ Happy Vishu ]

Instant Mixed Nuts Laddu....Snack on them anytime...

Mixed nuts Laddu

One day while baking almond cookies, the cookies got burnt a bit and then I got to taste those roasted almonds which I had put for topping....From then on I wanted to roast those left over  almond flakes and make something out of it....And there was some peanuts left in the pantry too....So just added all those bits and pieces and came up with this recipe for an instant and healthy snack...

Konju Theeyal....Spicy Prawn in roasted coconut gravy

Konju theeyal 

Theeyal got its name because of the roasted ingredients used in its gravy preparation...It is yet another delicacy from the land of coconut trees and so without mentioning, it has coconut as one of the main ingredients........It is a spicy preparation that goes well with rice......

Whole Wheat Dates Bread Recipe.... Egg-less n Sugarless

Whole Wheat Dates Bread

Home made breads will always give you the flexibility to choose healthy ingredients that suit  your taste......And no-knead ones can be made just in no time....
This lovely Dates bread is always one of the breakfast options in my home....

Kerala Egg Curry in Coconut Milk........

Egg Curry

Egg curry is a very handy recipe for a lazy Sunday morning...And it makes a wonderful combination with Puttu, Appam or Idiyappam......just naming a few items from the Kerala Kitchen.....You can always try and make your own combinations....

Eggless Blueberry Muffins...

Blueberry Muffins

Muffins are those little treats that you can make in no time...Also they will definitely leave a less messier kitchen compared to cakes....And dont ask me if they are egg-less too....No mess at all....You can finish the whole preparation process in 5 mins and wait for it to get baked.....Thats it...So they are my personal choice at times....

Home Made Butter .... !!!!!

Home Made Butter

Last day while shopping I saw some bottles of thickened cream in the Price Reduced Section.......Since butter was there in my shopping list, I just picked up the thickened cream  to try out some home made butter and to make some home made ghee thereafter.