Recipes From My Kitchen

Onion Sambar / Vengaya Sambar is one of the most popular sambar variety in South India. As it’s name suggests, the key ingredient of this sambar is Shallots/Madras Onions (small onion). It’s made using the freshly ground sambar masala ( arachuvitta masala).  The addition of shallots gives an excellent flavour and taste. It goes very well as a main course with hot rice and roasted potatoes, but it’s also a great accompaniment for Idli and Dosa as well.  In restaurants it’s served as an accompaniment with idli / dosa, especially for the sambar idli, the idli’s are dunked in piping hot flavourful vengaya sambar! Sambar is a staple in South India. It’s a tamarind based gravy with spices and cooked with tuar dal. Based on the preparation of spices, vegetable used, we can make many different varieties of sambar. This Vengaya sambar is different from other sambar varieties as it has a distinct flavor coming from the pearl onions and no other veggies are added to this sambar....

Also known as Anda Bhurji, Egg Bhurji is a spicy and flavourful Indian style scrambled eggs recipe that is quite famous in the streets of Northern and Western India. It is easy to make, healthy, and tastes delicious. Egg Bhurji is a satisfying combination of scrambled eggs and spicy onion which you can have during any time of the day. This is loved for breakfast in India, as it is not only because of its heavenly taste but also because it is super easy to make. Not only breakfast, but you can also have it for any meal of the day. It is very similar to Akuri, a Paris breakfast dish but Akuri is runnier as compared to Bhurji. This dish is especially loved by the ones who are going out for work on a regular basis or the ones who want to make something quick, healthy, and delicious for their breakfast or for their kid’s lunch box. Watch the recipe video!  Homemade Egg Bhurji Versus Street Style Egg Bhurji The difference between the Street Style and the Homemade Versi...

Kala chana pulao is a pulao of black chickpeas and rice seasoned with aromatics and spices. This high-protein, high-fibre, low-fat one-pot meal is a quick and convenient option when you are in a hurry or just too tired to cook an elaborate meal, but still want to eat delicious food. This easy kala chana pulao recipe for a healthy, nutritious, wholesome meal, which is also delicious, flavourful, and satisfying. Added bonus: it’s vegetarian and vegan friendly. Kala Channa Pulao makes a complete meal by itself. The carbohydrate from the rice and the protein from the channa together add great nutritional values to the meal. And the combination of spices add flavor and taste, making it delectable as well. This kala chana pulao recipe is a wonderful dish for weekend lunches, dinner parties, and potlucks. It’s also a great lunch box option for both children and adults. Ingredients: 1.5 cups kala chana, washed, soaked, boiled, drained, 2 cups India Gate Basmati rice , washed ...

Spicy, full of flavors and hearty, Chicken Chettinadu is a delicious chicken curry from the Chettinadu region of South India. It can be made dry or with gravy. You will find this one on the menu of almost every South Indian restaurant. The ingredient that makes the onion tomato base of this dish different from others is the freshly grounded Chettinad masala, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and green chillies. Chettinad masala gives it a hot and spicy flavor. It includes simple ingredients such as coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, and red dry chillies. Get the masala ready beforehand so that it takes less time to cook Chettinad Chicken. Serves - 4 Ingredients: 1/2 kg chicken, washed and drained, 1 medium onion, grated, 1 medium onion, finely chopped, 1 medium tomato, grated, 1 medium tomato, finely chopped, 2-3 tbsp curd, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 8-10 curry leaves, 2 whole red chillies, 2 whole green chillies, 1 + 1 t...

When talking about comfort food, how can one not mention "Kadhi". This buttermilk soup has been a part of various cultures. Be it a Gujarati Kadhi, or a Maharashtrian Kadhi, a Punjabi Kadhi, or a Mor Khozumbu down South, its pretty much the same ingredients but uniquely distinct flavours. But if one were to analyse Kadhi's importance in Indian cuisine, then the only logical answer one can think of is most Indian cuisines are hot and fiery and to counter that, buttermilk is used. Kadhi, hence, becomes an instant seller as its full of flavours, tangy, and most importantly a comfort food to most people. Gujarati Style Kadhi is a delicious curry-based gravy that is made with curd and gram flour and is sweet and sour in taste. This mixture is spiced with ginger and green chilies, to add more flavour to the kadhi. A little sugar is also added to add that slight hint of sweetness to it. The tempering is the game-changer in this recipe and adds so much flavor to this yogurt...

One of the most popular Indian dishes is palak paneer – soft cottage cheese cubes in a mild spiced smooth spinach sauce. It is a smooth creamy dish made with fresh spinach leaves, paneer (cottage cheese), onions, herbs and spices. Palak paneer can be made vegan by substituting paneer with tofu and using cashew cream or coconut cream or skipping cream altogether. I always recommend blanching spinach before making any dish where the spinach leaves are used in large quantities and where a puree is made from the leaves. Blanching has many benefits and I have shared about these benefits in this post of Palak recipes. Palak Paneer Vs Saag Paneer Saag paneer and palak paneer are often considered to be the same. But palak paneer is not saag paneer. Both are different. Palak paneer is made only with spinach puree and saag is mixture or puree of various greens. In Punjabi or hindi language the word ‘saag’ means greens. Various leafy greens fall under this category of ‘saag’ – example amaranth le...

Lauki/ghia also known as bottle gourd or opo squash is used to make the fried dumplings and then added to a tangy tomato based gravy. The whole curry is mildly spiced and has a good flavour and slight tang due to tomatoes. The koftas along with the curry taste really yummy. This lauki ka kofta recipe requires you to do some prep work before hand like making the lauki koftas or pakoras. In this recipe I have made koftas. As a result, they don’t absorb much of the gravy. However if you make pakoras/fritters, they do absorb a lot of the gravy and swell up and can break also. So it's advisable to add them when you serve and not before. The difference between koftas and pakoras is the consistency of the mixture or batter. The kofta mixture is thicker. Whereas the pakora mixture has pouring consistency. You can choose whatever is easier for you to make. Pakoras will be much easier to make than shaping and making the koftas. You can make the kofta or pakoras beforehand and refrigerate. Th...

Mooli Ka Paratha is a popular Punjabi whole wheat flatbread stuffed with spiced grated radish. Mooli is the Hindi word for radish. To make punjabi style mooli ka paratha,  white radish is used. The radish should be fresh and tender. If the radish roots are hard and fibrous then it won’t be easy to grate them. The taste of the radish paratha made with fibrous and dense radish roots is not that great. Mooli paratha is another favourite paratha recipe from the land of Punjab. These delicious radish flatbread is usually served as breakfast in Punjabi homes. Even we have it for breakfast at home! There are two ways in which mooli ka paratha can be made. One is making it with a stuffing which is prepared and stuffed into the paratha. The important thing to note here is while making the paratha this way, we should remember to squeeze the extra juice from the grated mooli. Otherwise, the paratha might break. You can also use this mooli juice to knead the dough for making paratha. The rest...

Chickpea flour or besan is an integral part of Indian cuisine and is used for many dishes. Predominantly it is used as a coating or batter for many deep-fried snacks, but can also be used for curries too. One such easy dry curry recipe where besan is used with a combination of capsicum is this Shimla Mirch Besan Sabzi recipe. An easy and simple dry side dish made with chickpea flour and capsicum. This recipe and ideal everyday side dish which can be made within minutes with minimal ingredients available in the kitchen. It is generally served with phulkas, dal and rice on the side. Serves - 4 Ingredients: 2 large capsicum, cubed, 1 medium to large onion, finely chopped, 2-3 tbsp besan or gram flour, more if required,  2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp jeera, 1 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed,  1/4 th tsp hing, 1 tsp turmeric powder,  1 tsp red chilli powder 1 tsp aamchur powder,  Salt as per taste Method: In a large kadai heat 2 tbsp oil. Add the mustard an...