Puran Poli / Puranam Boli or Paruppu Boli is a traditional stuffed flatbread made for special occasions and festivals in India. The stuffing is made of lentils and jaggery and is hand-shaped and pan-fried. Indian festivals revolve around food. We have specific recipes that we make for every festival. Puran Poli or Puranam Boli is made not only during the wedding, but also on other festivals like Aavani Aavittam , Tamil New Year , and Karthigai Deepam ....

Spinach Enchilada Casserole is one of those quick casseroles that are easy to assemble early and then bake just before dinner. I served the dinner with Spanish rice, salsa, and refried beans. Enchilada is one dinner that makes its way into my monthly menu. Don’t jump to the conclusion that I am a very organized person and have monthly menus. Thinking about it, I hardly even know what is cooking that night....

Chettinad cuisine is known for its extreme deliciousness and this Chettinad Masala Cheeyam also known as Masala Seeyam is no exception. This is a perfect evening snack or a bite-size appetizer loaded with flavors and it will keep everyone coming back for seconds. After a day’s break, we are here with day 3 of the A - Z challenge. When choosing recipes with the alphabet C, I started out very enthusiastic and had some tough choices....

This Curried Cabbage recipe has a different flavor profile with lot of influence from the African region. It can be a good dinner recipe with rice on the side. When the international theme for the BM was announced, I was very happy. I see this being one way to read and learn in depth about a different cuisine. Out of the choices given, I chose to make African recipes for the next 3 days....

Jharkhand is a state in the Eastern part of India that was carved out of Bihar in the year 2000. Jharkhand that means ’ The land of Forests’ shares its border with Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal. Ranchi is the capital of the state and the state accounts for about 40 % of the mineral resources of India. Hindi, Bangla, urdu and English are the major languages spoken in the state along with Maithili and Santali....

South Indian pantry is very famous for many kinds of spiced masala powders. Ellu podi (Sesame powder) is one such masala. It is a quick and easy recipe to make and once we have this powder in hand, we can make this Sesame Rice in a jiffy South Indian pantry is very famous for many kinds of spiced masala powders. Ellu podi (Sesame powder) is one such masala. It is a quick and easy recipe to make and once we have this powder in hand, we can make this rice in a jiffy....

Cauliflower in any form is our favorite and one of our favorite recipes to make is the Gobi Butter Masala. This cauliflower subzi / curry works great with roti or rice. We are in our last week of the month and the year. This year just flew by with a lot of changes for me and my family. I hope the year ahead brings all of us peace and happiness in whatever we do....

Summer is not complete without making a batch of Tomato Pickle. This Instant Andhra Style Tomato Pickle is full of flavor and the addition of garlic takes it to the next level. Pickle is such a important part of the staple at my house and we can never have enough of it. Tomato pickle or Tomato Thokku is one such seasonal pickle that I make in summer months when there is an abundance of fresh tomatoes from our backyard....

Kachumber is a Simple Mixed Vegetable Salad that can be made is about 10 minutes. They are commonly served in Indian restaurants. Traditionally they are a cucumber, tomato, and onion salad. Kachumber The name Kachumber was enough to draw attention. I have eaten this salad many times in Indian restaurants but have never known it by its name. There have been very few times when I was able to eat this fresh in restaurants....

This South Indian-style eggplant fry is a delicious side dish for a quick evening dinner. Kathirikai kara curry is a perfect side dish for rice or roti/paratha. Brinjal is one of my favorite vegetables, and this stir fry is something I make regularly for lunch or dinner. We grow a lot of eggplant in our home garden and I try several different varieties. This kara curry is a great recipe to make with any kind of eggplant we have on hand....

Matar Paneer is one of the common side dishes for roti or paratha. This Mutter paneer is made with paneer and peas in a smooth gravy. It is a very simple dish and can be done with very basic ingredients. Summer vacation has started and I am in a very relaxing mode. The boys do drive me crazy throughout the day, but I am sort of enjoying that (I did not say it out loud)!...

Mediterranean style hummus wraps are a delicious and nutritious meal option that is perfect for those who love fresh, vibrant flavors. It is a versatile dish that can be customized to suit individual preferences, making it a great choice for a quick and easy lunch or dinner. I really enjoyed this theme of rolls and wrap this week. This is my last wrap/roll for the week and it involves my favorite hummus....

Spicy Roasted Makhana is a delicious and crunchy snack made with lotus seeds. Enjoy this spicy roasted foxnut snack that is also healthy and low in calories. This week, I am working on recipes that could be classified as Elevenses. Elevenses is an English practice to take a small break before lunch to consume a small snack or drink. Makhana is the newfound ingredient that I just discovered a few days ago....

Have you ever tried to make savory salsa with watermelon? If not, you need to give this delicious watermelon salsa or watermelon Pico de Gallo a try. One of the easiest recipes ever to make with watermelon and I guarantee that you will not miss your tomatoes in this. Watermelon, what can I say about this gorgeous fruit? We almost have a love-hate relationship with it. Ok, hold on! Not the kind of disliking hate, but the kind where we run out of ideas to use the entire fruit we just bought....

Til Ladoo or Tilgul Ladoo or Sesame Seed Ladoo is a Sankranti special sweet from Maharashtra. A traditional sweet made with sesame and jaggery to heat the body during the winter months. Til Ladoo or Tilgul Ladoo or Sesame Seed Ladoo is a special Maharashtrian sweet made on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. It is a delicious dessert made with essentially just 2 ingredients. I have added a little bit of cardamom powder for flavor, but it is totally up to your preference to add it or skip it....

If you are looking for the best side dish for Pongal or Idli / dosai , look no further than this simple onion and tomato gotsu. This Vengayam thakkali gothsu is the easiest ever side dish and is ready in under 20 minutes . All we need is the basic pantry ingredients to make this delicious side dish for pongal. Pongal is almost a staple in our house. I love eating Ven pongal and gothsu and that is quite evident with the number of pongal and gotsu recipes that I have on my blog....

Aloo Chaat is a very popular street food in India. This chaat is typically made by deep-frying parboiled potatoes and adding different spices to spike the flavors. Delhi is the capital of India and is situated in the northern parts. It is the largest city in India (area-wise) and is the second most populated city in the world. Delhi is a Union territory and is a very famous historical icon....

There is no festival complete without making fresh Gulab Jamun from scratch. The flavor and texture of the homemade Gulaab Jamun recipe are absolutely wonderful. Divya Pramil of ‘You Too Can Cook Indian Food’ came up with a marvelous idea for learning new recipes. Indian states are divided into 2 categories, South and North, and each month, both teams choose a recipe for the other team to try. Coming to the recipe, for me, Gulab Jamun was always something that I made from the packet....

Kathirikai Rasavangi or Brinjal Rasavangi is a very popular sambar / kootu or pitlai made in South Indian households. I love eggplant and this is one of my favorite to make. I love sambar recipes that are made with a lot of vegetables. Every time I make sambar, I add tons of vegetables in sambar as my boys love eating them. Hence I make kootu more often than I make regular sambar....

Kusli is more like the somasi that we make in the South and Ghujia in the North and is stuffed inside with semolina (rava), almond powder, and some sugar. Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India and is one of the fastest developing states. It is the major source of electricity and steel for India. The state was formed in 2000, by separating 16 districts of Madhya Pradesh. Raipur is the capital of the state....