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.