Ghee / Clarified Butter

This is not a recipe post. At least, for the most part. This is mostly a post on what is clarified butter (better known as ghee in India). To Indians, ghee is one of the most basic ingredients in our kitchen. We have never stopped to think twice about it. However, like most other people living outside of India, I have rediscovered and delved much more deeply into my own roots, traditions, and culture only in the midst of a foreign country surrounded by eager and curious non-Indians. Their thoughtful and simple questions always take me by surprise and make me pause as I dig into my brain to find a logical answer for their "why" "what" and "how" questions. I have learned so much more about where I come from, thanks to those questions.

In that same vein, I remember nine years ago (wow nine years!) some of my newly formed American friends asking me incredulously, "Gee? what did you just say? Sorry, I don't understand what it is".  And I giggled. It was my turn to be incredulous. I thought they didn't understand my accent. So I spelled it out for them. G H E E. The stuff that comes from butter, that we use in our.... and I trailed off. I couldn't say "our food". And that's when it struck it me for the first time. There's so much about who I am that's alien to these people. As the immigration papers indicated, I truly was an alien in their midst!

Coming back to ghee, I had no idea how to explain it. It's melted butter, I began to say. But it's not just melted butter, I told myself. Thanks to google, I brought up wikipedia to form words to my thoughts. But in these nine years, so many things have changed in the West. People have become more aware and familiar with different cuisines, including Indian cuisine and culture. The concept of clarified butter is no longer that alien. Still, every time I bring it up, people continue to be fascinated and curious.

I know there are tonnes of videos and posts online on how to prepare clarified butter, clearly expounding on its properties, uses, etc, so I am not trying to educate the world with this post that's going to be tucked and buried in a far-flung corner of the internet. This is just something I felt like writing, both for the sake of completeness within this space, and for myself.

Milagu Vadai / Pepper Vadai (Anjaneyar Vadai)

Milagu vadai is a thin deep-fried disc prepared from coarsely ground whole black gram and lots of cracked black pepper. It is a common religious offering to the Hindu God, Hanuman (also known as Anjaneyar). Ever since I was three years old, I have had a special fascination and reverence towards this particular Hindu God. So, this vadai is a special favorite. I love its simple taste, and the feeling of peace, quite, and hope it evokes.

This is a very simple and easy preparation that takes no time at all to make.

Ragi & Jowar Porridge / Sweet Millet Porridge

Millet flours make excellent porridges, grubs, and cereals. They are cooked slightly with water, sweetened a little with jaggery or palm sugar, and served with warm milk. This makes an energizing breakfast, and even a quick and nutritious dinner that's both light and filling. In terms of healthy dessert options, this is really quite a nice one! 

My mom makes different kinds of porridges with millets and whole grains. I have written about one of them here. This is another very simple version with just two types of millets. To tone down the earthy aromas of the millets and to increase the flavor of the porridge, freshly ground cardamom and mace (javetri) are added. 

As a dessert, this is truly a yummy alternative!

Paneer & Onion Ragi Adai

Ragi (finger millet) flour is a hardy and nutritious substitute for rice or wheat. However, it is not always easy to directly substitute this millet for rice or wheat, because its structural properties interfere with the texture of the food and its visual appeal. But, if one looks beyond how the dish looks, there are many tasty, filling, and healthy meals that can be prepared with such millets. 

One among them is this adai (or savory pancake). My mom often prepares these, but when I was growing up, no one was a fan of these, mainly because of a preconceived notion and determination that it would not taste good if it looks weird! And most often, these adais are prepared with no other embellishments, and are simple and bare-boned with just ragi flour and salt. Doesn't sound particularly appetizing if put that way, does it? Sometimes, vegetables such as carrots and beans are added, but again, as kids, very rarely did we look forward to beans or carrots! So, it's partly all about the packaging and bells and whistles.

And like many others, I am also of the belief that one doesn't have to necessarily compromise on taste and flavor by choosing to eat healthy. Therefore, to market this dish, one can add an endless variety of spices or popular foods that carry mass appeal. So, in this adai, I added paneer and onions to boost the appeal and flavor of the dish.

Indian Vegetable Sides: Brinjal or Eggplant With Freshly Ground Spices

South-Indian cooking heavily uses four ingredients to prepare a common spice blend to season vegetables and lentil-based stews. The four ingredients are: bengal gram, coriander seeds, red chillies, and coconut. These ingredients are dry roasted (or roasted in a little oil) and ground to make a distinctly flavorful blend that elevates the taste of any simple dish.

So, it's no wonder that this blend is used to season and spice vegetables. In this version, brinjals (the small eggplant variety common in South-Asia) are stir-fried with turmeric and seasoned with this aromatic spice blend for a truly delicious vegetable side! This can also be mixed with rice for a really delicious brinjal-flavored rice called vaangi-bath. A small difference is that vaangi-bath is commonly prepared with green-colored eggplants that are first cooked by stewing in tamarind juice. Since it's next to impossible (currently) to find green eggplants in many places outside of India, regular brinjals are good enough substitutes. 

Commonly, really small brinjals are stuffed with this spice blend and then pan-fried for a crunchy and spicy dish called yenna kathirikkai. Since we don't get such small and tender brinjals here, I prepare this version, which is the deconstructed form of the former (plus this version takes way less oil)! My mom often prepares this at home.

This recipe can be used to prepare vegetables such as plantain, elephant yams, and other starchy but hardy vegetables. I know many people are not fond of eggplants/brinjals. But this dish might make them reconsider :)

Jowar Roti / Sorghum Flat-bread

Jowar/Sorghum is a type of millet. It is called Cholam / Solam in Tamil, and is a very commonly available cereal in villages. Jowar flour has a pleasant and mildly sweet taste to it, so it's also being used in baking circuits in the West. It's also gluten free, rich in protein, iron, calcium, fiber etc., making it a truly wonderful substitute for regular flour.

India (and South-Asia) grows plentiful amounts of a variety of millets. Before the allure of polished white rice, most families had a heavy intake of millets. Somehow, millets lost their appeal and came to be branded as a lowly, peasant food. It was not fashionable to say you had millet-based porridge for breakfast or that you ate some archaic sounding food.

Now, with the surge of popularity in quinoa as a nutritious substitute for grains like rice (and even wheat), there has been a resurgence in millet consumption in places like India where quinoa is sold at exorbitant prices! In the last couple of years, people have rediscovered their very own indigenous crops, millets, and grains that help the local economy and their health! Everything has come a full circle now, and it's become fashionable to use millets again :).

Anyway, regardless of all that, it's good news that people are taking millets more seriously. For example, jowar has been a staple for hundreds of thousands of hardworking agriculturalists in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Flat-breads made from jowar  (known as Jolada Roti) are even served in many restaurants in Bangalore, and that's how I know of these rotis.

The only slight hitch with regularly making jowar rotis is that it requires skill and experience. It's an art to make Jowar rotis paper thin and round by just beating and shaping the dough with the palm of your hand and fingers! This requires years of experience. So, over the years I have often given up on making these, because it used to be hard to get sorghum flour in stores here, and it was always intimidating to make these rotis without the use of a rolling pin! But, experience comes with practice, and you practice by repeatedly trying and not giving up :)

So, with that in mind, here's the simple recipe to make these rotis. I'm not an expert, so don't judge the shape of my rotis! :). You can even start by adding some sorghum flour to whole wheat flour to make rotis that can be rolled. 

Indian Vegetable Sides: Beans with Moong Dal

I often get asked how Indians cook their vegetables for sides. Do we add them to the spicy tomato-onion gravy served at restaurants? Do we roast them? Blanch them? Steam them? Saute them? Stir-fry them? What spices and ingredients go into them? etc.

So, I am going to be posting some basic recipes on the different ways we prepare vegetable sides. Since, I am most familiar with South-Indian cuisine, most of my vegetable sides are derived/based on that cuisine. 

Here's a very common and simple vegetable side that we prepare with minimal spices/seasonings. In this version, green beans are cooked with some moong dal (mung beans) for a tasty and healthy vegetable side that truly showcases the inherent flavor of the vegetable without the distraction of strong spices and smells.

You can use the same procedure to cook other vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, beetroot, cauliflower etc. (basically any non-starchy vegetable that doesn't have too much water content in it so that it can withstand its texture while being cooked with the dal).

Arachu Vitta Sambar / Sambar with freshly ground spices

Arachu vitta sambar, meaning, sambar made with freshly ground spices, is a slightly special and tastier version of regular sambar (which is a tamarind and lentil stew made with vegetable/s or greens). It is commonly made during festive and special occasions, but in our house, I usually make only this kind of sambar, because it so much more flavorful with just a little extra step. Plus, adding freshly ground spices makes the sambar attain its optimum consistency every single time! It's rich, thick, and a very easy crowd pleaser!

In this recipe, I have added pearl onions and radish/daikon to make this sambar. Pearl onions (chinna vengayam) are a popular choice for this kind of sambar. You can add any (diced) vegetable/s of your choice using this basic procedure. Here's how it's done.

Vella Sevai / Indian Rice Noodles with Jaggery

The last few days, I have been boring people with my posts on Indian rice noodles called sevai. I dedicated some time to make these noodles using two different methods, and prepared the most common savory and sweet versions using the noodles.

In this post, I am wrapping up the series (at least for now!) by writing about another method of preparing the rice (to make the noodles), and summarizing all the different ways in which the noodles can be prepared. Firstly, you can either make a rice batter or rice flour. Then, you can either steam the rice batter to form "idlis" and then put the idlis through a noodle press and make the noodles, or you can make a rice dough with the batter/flour, cook the dough and then press through a noodle maker, or you can put the rice dough through a noodle press to make noodles and then steam the noodles. Sounds a little confusing? I have tried to elaborately list out the steps below. Hope it helps!

I'm also sharing a very simple recipe to sweeten the noodles. Savory versions of the noodles are more common than sweet versions. But, this sweet version is really the easiest of all. All it takes is to make a jaggery (or brown sugar) syrup that's flavored with coconut and cardamom. Mix and cook the sevai in this syrup for a fragrant and soft dessert

Ulutham Sevai / Indian Rice Noodles Spiced with Black Gram

Sevai is a short and delicate rice noodle that's popular in South-India. It takes on the flavor of the seasonings in which it is mixed, so there are many different ways of spicing these noodles. I have been posting some of the more common versions in this space. In this version, the rice noodles are mixed with a simple spiced seasoning made from black gram.

There are also a few different ways of making the rice noodles with either rice batter, or rice flour. I have written about two methods here and here. Today, I am writing about a third method.

This is a method that is very commonly used by most families. My in-laws follow this method, but this requires one to act fast and with skill, because the noodles need to be squeezed out when the cooked rice balls are hot. When they cool down, it becomes hard to squeeze them. This method also works much better using a traditional sevai nazhi made with iron and with a rotating equipment on top to squeeze out the noodles.

Paruppu Usili Sevai / Rice Noodles with Spiced Lentils

Sevai is Indian rice noodles. It is prepared through a slightly involved process with ground rice flour or rice batter that is cooked, thickened, and made into noodles. There are a few different ways of preparing these rice noodles.  I discussed one method here, here is another slightly varied method, which actually works much better using a traditional iron noodle press (sevai nazhi) because it  requires a stronger set of arms! My mom and her side of the family often use this method.

The prepared noodles are mixed with many types of spicy seasonings. In this version, bengal gram and yellow lentils are ground with chillies and curry leaves and fried to a crispy crumbly mixture. The noodles are then mixed with the spiced lentils to make a really tasty dish that is packed with protein, making the dish more healthy and nutritious, in addition to being delicious.

Sevai: Coconut Sevai and Lemon Sevai

Indian rice noodles are called sevai (or idiyappam). In terms of major South-Indian food types, sevai/idiyappam is a prominent category. These rice noodles are thin, delicate strands that are fluffy, airy, and very versatile, because they take on the flavors that you add to them. So there are so many different flavors that can be infused into the noodles, and they all taste good.

If the long strands of coiled noodles are served as such, it is called Idiyappam. When the long strands are broken to short strands and flavored with some seasoning, it is called sevai. Sevai is commonly had during certain religious days when people take a break from regular meals. Idiyappam is an extremely common breakfast food in most parts of South-India, especially in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

It's amazing that almost every culture has its own version of starchy noodles. The interesting fact about noodles is that it's a great way to economize on raw ingredients. In this case, rice. I find it incredible that home-cooks and women who'd been in kitchens all their lives had the ingenuity to come up with a series of labor-intensive processes to effectively convert rice into noodles. So, this is yet another dish that was on my to-blog list for a really long time. And every time, I put it off because I am hesistant of the manual labor required of this dish.

Mint & Coriander Thogayal / Pudina Kothamalli Thogayal

Everyone in my family is a fan of mint. I am thankful for that, because I know some that hate the smell and flavor of mint! I can't even imagine how people could hate mint! Anyway, this is a very common side-dish that's prepared at home. My mom loves green chutneys and thogayals, and everything green, and she makes them well too (my husband has his answer for why I'm obsessed with all things green ;)). And pudina (mint) thogayal, cilantro thogayal, and curry-leaf thogayal are her specialties.

Now that summer is in full swing, there is no shortage of herbs, fruits, and vegetables, especially mint. They take over your yard in no time and are so hard to control or get rid of (if you really wanted to). So with fresh mint galore, this is a wonderful way to make a flavorful, fragrant condiment that perfumes the entire house as it cooks. Every year, I wait for summer to make rich mint chutneys and thogayals. So, here it is!

Vendhaya Keerai Sambar / Methi Sambar

After almost 350 posts and three years of writing about South-Indian food, I finally get to sambar, the most ubiquitous of all South-Indian foods. What a cardinal sin this is! I have no excuse for putting off this post for so long, other than mere intimidation and self-doubt.

 Do I know enough about making a good pot of precious sambar? Good enough, at this point. But there's always things to learn and improvise.

Anyway, sambar is a basic lentil gravy/stew that is flavored with sour tamarind extract, vegetables or greens, spiced with a rich set of spices that make sambar powder, and seasoned with ghee or coconut oil to make a truly one-of-a-kind dish.

The recipe I am sharing today is the most basic form of sambar - no frills attached. This is the kind that is made almost every single day in most families in South India. In subsequent posts, I will write about slightly more nuanced versions of sambar.

Making sambar is all about knowing how much water to add. Water? Yes, water :). You can measure the water/liquid you add today and try to replicate it tomorrow, but if the chemistry is not just right, you will upset the sambar Gods. I am not saying this to make it seem like this is an unconquerable, finicky, complicated dish! But just to highlight the fact that although the procedure is simple and straightforward, there is a certain amount of skill (and a rabbit's foot) that is required to make a pot of sambar that truly balances all the spices, tartness, and flavors from the vegetables such that it hits all the right notes on your palate. But, worry not, I have a little trick that I mention in the end to make sure you can work around the uncertainties of sambar :)

Sambar is usually prepared with vegetables and very rarely prepared with greens such as fenugreek leaves. As I have mentioned before, fenugreek leaves are also nutrient rich like most greens. They have a slightly bitter taste to them, so stewing them in sambar with tamarind juice and spices is a great way to cut down the bitterness. But the leaves also have a nice aroma, so the whole dish becomes infused with a lovely aroma, thanks to the greens.

Methi Thepla

Methi Thepla is a dish that comes from the state of Gujarat in India. It is a flat-bread made from fresh fenugreek leaves mixed with wheat flour and chickpea flour. It is healthy and flavorful, and a popular picnic/travel food. 

I have had theplas from my sweet Gujarati friend in school. Her mom used to generously pack extra theplas for her so that she could share them with us. And for us folks, thepla was a truly exotic dish! Anyway, those were fun times. 

Methi theplas are very similar to methi parathas except that theplas have chickpea flour, which brings in some protein to the flat-breads. 

Thayir Saadam / Yogurt Rice

This post had to come some day :). A South-Indian cannot ignore the most humble and distinctive dish in our community for too long. What is yogurt rice? It is just as it sounds. It is yogurt mixed with rice. That's it, you ask? That's it, I say.

Well, almost.

Before I go further, I must clarify one thing. This post is by no means a recipe for yogurt rice. If I call this a recipe, I am inviting unending mockery from my entire community! This post is just an ode to thayir saadam where I highlight a few additions to make it really special. It would have never even occurred to me to talk about yogurt rice until a few years back.

Bisibelebath

Bisibelebath is a popular Karnataka dish. It is a uniquely spiced sambar dish (a spicy tamarind and lentil gravy) with lots of vegetables. Also, the lentils, rice, vegetables and spices are cooked and stewed together. Doing so, melds all the flavors nicely. Bisibelebath is also extremely moist, so it is cooked with generous amounts of water.

I love bisibelebath because it is as healthy as it is flavorful. It has copious amounts of vegetables and lentils, so it is an excellent one-pot-meal. In terms of the spices added, in addition to the usual combination of coriander seeds, bengal gram, coconut, and red chillies, aromatic whole spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom are added. I usually add a couple of more pulses/seeds in my enthusiasm to make the spice blend :).

Most people successfully prepare bisibelebath in a pressure cooker. They throw all the ingredients into it and cook it in no time. However, I have been apprehensive to use the pressure cooker to cook rice, lentils, and vegetables, all of which take different times (and different amounts of water) to cook. So, I have never experimented with the pressure cooker to avoid the risk of getting a mushed up mass of everything. Ideally, we cook the lentils, rice, and veggies separately and then add everything together for a final mix and boil with the freshly ground spices. But, the lazy cleaner in me would go to great lengths to use just one pot rather than three pots! So, this is my version of a one-pot-dish that you can carefully control as it cooks on the stove top.

We made bisibelebath for a recent dinner party. In all the flurry of activity to get things done, I didn't have the luxury of time to take pictures. So, the bisibelebath seems dry and unappetizing in the pictures. I will hopefully replace the pictures soon. 

Paal Poli / Milk Poli

Soft, fried discs of all-purpose flour soaked in a sweet, delicious and fragrant milk spiced with cardamom, saffron, nutmeg, pistachios and almonds, this is an elegant and classic South-Indian dessert!

My mom makes excellent polis (both jaggery based polis and this milk based polis), but specifically, her milk polis are always stellar winners! It's one of my absolute favorite desserts. Just the aroma of the spiced and sweet milk draws me to this dish. The milk base is very similar to that of ras malai, so this is sure to be a hit with everyone.

During a recent dinner with a big group of friends, my mom made these polis for dessert. They disappeared in no time and people couldn't stop gushing! So, this is perfect for entertaining too. Just a little planning a day ahead will make the process even more simpler. It was great to make this dish with my mom and learn some of the finer nuances of making this dessert taste really good!

So, here's the recipe (I halved the measurements for a smaller group).

Ragi Dosa / Finger Millet Crepes

Ragi is called finger millet. They are small grains that are red in color and are highly nutritious and packed with protein. It is commonly used in porridge and also to make crepes or savory pancakes such as this one. Ragi has a pleasant aroma and is extremely palatable.

Ragi dosas can be prepared with minimal effort and time. They require no fermentation and are really tasty and healthy alternatives to regular rice and black gram dosas. They even store well, so they can be stored for a few hours and had as left-over lunches or dinners. 

My mom is a big fan of ragi. Growing up, I think I have had as much ragi as I have had rice, and that's saying something if you are a South-Indian! Every breakfast of mine had ragi in it, and I am grateful for ingesting something whose nutritional value I am only now appreciating.

Radish Greens & Chard Dal

Most greens from root vegetables such as radishes, carrots, and beets are edible and even nutritious. They are commonly cooked with moong dal (mung beans) and flavored with a very simple and mild mix of cumin seeds, chillies, and sometimes, coconut. My mom and grandma add a little jaggery to spinach based dals and masiyals, so it gives a mildly sweet and savory taste to the dish. 

Here's how it's done.

Pulikachal / Puliyodharai

Pulikachal is a concentrated tamarind based spicy condiment. This is a defining condiment in South-Indian cuisine. It is mixed with cooked rice to make a really delicious rice called Puliyodharai. Puliyodharai is commonly served in temples as an offering. The spiciness and tartness of the dish make it really flavorful in a one of a kind way!

In simple terms, pulikachal is prepared by stewing tamarind juice and a few spices for a long time until the tamarind extract thickens and turns into a paste that can be scooped with a spoon.

This takes time to prepare, but is no way labor intensive. This my mom's, my grandma's, and my grand-aunt's recipe to make tasty pulikachal.

Eggless Lemon & Lime Cookies with Palm Sugar

I love a certain brand of lemon cookies that are handed out in specific airlines. Needless to say, my husband is also a big fan of citrus based desserts and sweets. So, this is actually long overdue.

I have been trying to bake with sugar substitutes like splenda or truvia, so that everyone can enjoy the baked treats. But, it's been a challenge to use these substitutes and get an end-product that is satisfying and not a complete compromise. My mom had been asking me about the availability of palm sugar here, and I was clueless. A quick visit to the organic section of our grocery store revealed the presence of several brands of palm sugar (coconut palm sugar), so I picked up a packet. And what a wonderful discovery! Palm sugar tastes wonderful - it is slightly less sweeter than regular white sugar, but with amazing smokey caramel undertones. I also read that palm sugar can be comfortably substituted for white sugar (measure to measure) while baking. So, I used palm sugar to bake these cookies and they turned out fantastic, probably even better than regular sugar!

Palm sugar is called pana vellam (in Tamil) and is commonly available and used in India and rest of Asia. It has a low glycemic index (that is, it doesn't cause blood sugar spikes) and is rich in nutrients, so it is ideal for both people with diabetes as well as those that are trying to cut down on white sugar. Yes, it is definitely more expensive than regular sugar (outside of India/Asia, at least), so it's not economical to splurge on desserts with palm sugar alone. But, for special occasions, everyone can enjoy desserts made with palm sugar without much guilt.

These cookies are so lemony and chewy and fragrant, they are refreshing and yummy! Plus, because of the addition of palm sugar, the cookies have a slight caramel flavor and they are chewy and soft. And of course, they are not too sweet, so one can munch on a few too many without realizing how many have gone in! Palm sugar is similar to brown sugar in that, while used in baking cookies, they make the cookies soft and chewy. White sugar makes the cookies crisp. So, a mix of brown and white sugars ensures a chewy middle and crisp exterior, like Nestle Tollhouse cookies!

Anyway, I think my excitement at finding a good white-sugar alternative is palpable! I will stop now and go onto the recipe.

Olive Tapenade

Tapenade, a chunky topping to spread on crusty bread, is a very common Italian/Mediterranean French starter. Although its origin is French, the ingredients in it make it a common starter in Italian and Mediterranean restaurants. A while ago, we took my parents to an Italian restaurant, fingers crossed hoping they would like at least some of the dishes and the overall experience. This was before they had even tried pesto, so I wasn't sure what to expect from them. But, I have been pleasantly surprised at how well they are taking to different cuisines! I am impressed and proud that they are open to trying everything (even sloppy burgers), and find something to like and relate with every cuisine. At the Italian place, my mom loved the complimentary olive tapenade! She raved about it and said it tasted very similar to raw mango. So, this week, I thought of making some simple olive tapenade at home. 

Tapenades, especially olive tapenades are extremely easy to make. It involves just grinding olives and a few ingredients along with olive oil. So, here it is.

Puli Inji

Puli Inji is a tart, spicy, and sweet side-dish that is used like a pickle. It has lot of ginger, a little bit of chilli/spice, tamarind, and jaggery/brown sugar to make a tongue-clicking side-dish. It is served in weddings, but it's not fancy or laborious for everyday meals. 

We love puli inji, so my mom made some a few days back. In my mind, puli inji is like thokku (pickles prepared from grating the vegetable/fruit)

This puli inji does not have its typical rich brown color, because the jaggery I get here doesn't seem to have as much rich molasses in it.

Zucchini Thuvayal / Thogayal

Zucchinis and squashes are similar to many of the commonly available Indian squashes, so they fit well with Indian cuisine. I usually stir fry zucchini with common Indian curry powders to make a dry curry. Sometimes, I also make a thogayal (a thicker version of chutney) that is (I am told) very similar to peerkangai (ridge gourd) thogayal. I have heard that my husband's grandmother (my grand mother-in-law) makes a very tasty thogayal with zucchini. So, it's nice to record this recipe here.

So, here's how this simple thogayal is prepared.

Eggplant Gothsu / Brinjal Gothsu

This post is 3 years overdue. Three years ago, we planted 3 varieties of eggplants in our yard. And for a whole month, we were blessed with eggplants and more eggplants that we were overwhelmed. I think it was that year when we realized that we needed to plant small quantities of several different vegetables/fruits than concentrate on just 4 types of vegetables. I remember that summer of overflowing bags of tomatoes, bell-peppers, zucchinis and eggplants. Those were the only 4 veggies (or fruits) we had every single meal for a long time even after distributing many of them to friends and family! Anyway, so I was on an eggplant spree, and was making as many dishes as possible with fresh eggplants. And Gothsu was the first one everybody suggested that I make. 

I have realized that my version of gothsu (which God knows where I picked up from) is different from my mom's version, which is actually exactly the same as how my mother-in-law prepares gothsu. I add some moong dal to my gothsu, and I simplify the spices that go into it. But all in all, this is a tart and spicy side-dish that is easy to make.

Mooli Paratha / Radish Paratha

Every summer, we pour our love and efforts into cultivating a small vegetable patch in our yard. And every year, we try to grow at least two vegetables or fruits that we have never grown before. This year, one of those vegetables is radish, actually, baby radish. Baby radishes are a home gardener's ideal vegetable. It takes 21 days from seed to vegetable to harvest! And true to that number, in 22 days, my husband pulled out a bunch of baby radishes. This weekend, there were several bunches of radishes. They go perfectly with sandwiches and salads, because they require no cooking. But, just to do something different with them, I thought of making radish parathas.

Parathas are stuffed Indian flat breads. The stuffing is either literally stuffed into pockets of wheat flour dough that are rolled out flat, or they are mixed into the dough while kneading it. The vegetable of choice is usually grated, spiced, and then partially (or fully) cooked.

So why are the pictures of the paratha slightly green colored, you may wonder. That's because radish greens are palatable and nutritious, and they are cooked with lentils to make dals. They can also be added to the paratha dough to make it healthier, and of course, to ensure every last shred of the crop is put to good use!

Grandma's Milagai Podi

This is yet another spice powder I'd been wanting to record. I realize there are two versions of several spice blends and dishes in this space - one from my mother's family and the other from my in-law's. My paternal side of the family has its own unique Andhra+Tamil version of everything, so I need to make it a personal project to get some precious recipes from my aunts. All these versions are equally important to me, because they come with their own stories, personal connections, and interesting variations. As the years go by, maybe one day I will make a fourth version by combining the three versions and confusing everyone :)

Anyway, since dosai is one of my absolute favorite foods, I have wonderful memories of gorging on crispy dosais and freshly made milagai podi at my grandma's place. My grandma used to add jaggery to milagai podi. And for us spice-sensitive people, she used to add a dash more of jaggery. So milagai podi with spice and sweetness intermingling in my taste buds as I chomp on idlis or doasis takes me back to summer vacations, grandma's cooking, and fun with cousins.

Peanut and Avocado Salad

This is a refreshing and nutritious salad with all the fixings to make a wholesome and filling snack or starter. 

Peanuts are full of protein, but are under utilized in our cooking. They are often used to season desserts or dishes, but are hardly used in the same manner as chickpeas or kidney beans are. 

While scrounging around for what to make for an evening snack, I started with the idea of making peanut sundal, and before I realized it, I was on a completely different course. Thankfully, the end result was liked by the family, so it was a fruitful diversion!

Rava Upma / Semolina Upma

To the few diligent readers of my blog, my apologies for posting so many upma recipes that are far too simple and basic for you! But upmas are such quintessential dishes in the South-Indian community, that in keeping with the main objective of this blog, I think they have to be recorded, however mundane they appear today. After this upma recipe, I promise to not post another upma recipe for a long long time!

Rava upma is considered as the mother of all upmas. It is the most common form of upma that features routinely in South-Indian families. It is often regarded as an easy quick-fix and a pre-evening "tiffin". 

Rava upma is commonly prepared with just onion, but I added broccoli along with onions. You can add any vegetable of your choice. 

Aloo Poha / Potato Aval Upma

Poha or aval is nothing but beaten rice flakes. Since rice is beaten into thin flakes, it cooks in no time and is a fantastic time saver when you are strapped for time and need to put a filling meal on the table. The versatility of poha lends itself to several kinds of dishes - from simple salads, snacks, main dishes, to desserts. And you can make the dishes as low-key or as fancy as you would like. 

Plain aval upma is usually put together with no vegetables. The rice flakes are soaked in hot water for a few minutes, during which time they plump and cook. They are then sauteed and stir-fried with some oil and mild spices, and that's it - an energizing meal is ready in minutes. Commonly, lemon juice or grated coconut or tamarind extract is added to make lemon aval, coconut aval or tamarind aval. By adding more vegetables and nuts, the upma is dressed up a little more, and is both more nutritious and appetizing! In this version, my mom adds lemon juice, coconut, and potatoes to make a flavorful upma!

It sounds like a carb-fest to add potatoes to rice flakes, but they go so well together, it's hard to resist! This is often called poor man's food, but don't let such titles trick you into not trying this simple, hearty meal.