Recipes From My Kitchen

These are melt in the mouth delicious coconut laddoos are made with freshly grated coconut, milk & sugar. This three-ingredient traditional recipe is made as an offering to Lord Ganesha or any other diety for religious occasions. These nariyal laddoos are super easy to make and you can customize the flavor of the coconut laddoo with cardamom powder or saffron or skip them altogether. Makes 14 medium-sized laddoos Ingredients: 3 cups freshly grated coconut, 2 tsp ghee, 1-1/2 cup milk, 1 cup sugar, 1/4th cup milk powder, (optional) Method: Measure out all the ingredients and set it aside. Heat a heavy bottom pan and add the ghee. Add the fresh coconut and saute it on low flame for 3-4 mins. Now add the milk and keep stirring until all the moisture of the milk is evaporated. This might take about 7-8 mins on low flame. Next, add the sugar and mix well. Keep stirring continuously for another 6-7 mins until the sugar is melted and the mixture starts t...

Sundal is a dry legume-lentil preparation spiced, tempered along with fresh coconut. Sundal can be made with many legumes and lentils like kala chana, moong beans, peanuts, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, corn etc. Sundal recipes are prepared during Vinayaka Chaturthi or Navratri in South India as a naivedya / prasad offering. They are very easy to prepare and make for a healthy brunch or snack. Since they are quick to prepare, they can also be served as a side dish. This recipe has a slight variation than the temple sundal or traditional sundal. Here I have added some masala to bump up the flavours. This Masala Sundal is so good that it can be just had on its own without any accompaniments. Serves - 4 Ingredients: 200 gms chickpeas/Kabuli chana, soaked overnight, Water Salt to taste 2 tbsp freshly grated coconut For Masala: 1 tbsp sesame seeds, 2 tbsps coriander seeds, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 5 - 6 whole red chilies For Tempering: 2 tsp oil, 1...

One of the much-awaited festivals, Ganesh Chaturthi, is finally here. While every year Lord Ganesha’s arrival is celebrated with fervor, this year it is expected to be a low-key affair owing to the pandemic. Nevertheless, for those who plan to bring Ganesha home, we have something special for you today. Since Ganesha’s arrival is celebrated with various savories and sweets, modaks are believed to be his most favorite Modaks are a traditional preparation of rice flour dumplings filled with sweet coconut and jaggery filling. Makes - 21 medium sized modaks Ingredients: For The Outer Shell 1 cup rice, washed, and soaked for 4-6 hours, 2 cups water, 1 tbsp sesame oil/ghee, A pinch of salt For The Filling: 2 cups freshly grated coconut, ¾-1 cup grated jaggery, 1 tsp ghee, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder Method: To Make The Rice Dough: Grind the rice into a super-fine paste by adding just half cup water. Reserve the remain half. Ensure that the ground rice batter ...

Sparkly, crisp and vibrant, are the buzzwords that instantly pop in my head when I behold a glass of freshly extracted deep-red pomegranate juice. One of the most refreshing drinks, this sweet and tart juice is superbly satisfying and is a treasure trove of health benefits. Pomegranate is one of the healthiest fruits on earth. Pomegranate has many incredible health benefits for your body. It is called a divine fruit because it is the most mentioned fruit in theological books. Pomegranate has anti-oxidant, anti-viral, and anti-tumour properties and is said to be a good source of vitamins, especially vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E, as well as folic acid. This amazing fruit consists of three times as many antioxidants as both wine or green tea.  Health Benefits Of Pomegranates: Protects us from free radicals - Pomegranate is rich in anti-oxidants and thus protects our body from free radicals, which are responsible for premature ageing. Free radicals are form...

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...

Sweet Pongal is also known as Sakkarai Pongal in Tamil language and is a sweet dish made during festive occasions in South India. It is an important neivediyam for Lord Balaji. Our family diety being Lord Balaji, it's crucial that we start all puja's with a neivediyam of Pongal and Vadai to God. I have made this in the pressure cooker, but can be made in the traditional way by boiling rice and dal and adding jaggery to it. This is time consuming but tastes way too delicious than the pressure cooked one. Important Points While Preparing Sweet Pongal: Sweet pongal is always prepared from jaggery which also makes it more flavourful. But as an alternative, you can also use white crystal sugar or brown sugar as a replacement. I normally use sona masuri rice in this recipe and I recommend the same. Make sure it is cooked well before the jaggery syrup is added to it otherwise it will not mix well. The temple style sakkarai pongal recipe typically contains campho...