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These Onion Bhajias are a quick and easy-to-make recipe that will be loved by the little ones and adults alike. I served the Onion Fritters with some dates chutney and green chutney, but ketchup will work well as well. This week for the blogging marathon, I chose to make three recipes from ‘How to Make Perfect Series’ published in The Guardian. This definitely made for a very interesting read as chef Felicity Cloake researched individual components of the particular recipe and came up with the best of the best....

Punjabi Chole or Channa Masala is a common subzi or side dish in Indian restaurant menus. They pair well as a side dish for Rotis or can be had with plain rice. This recipe is made from fresh ground chole masala which makes the flavor more vibrant. The Punjabi cuisine is very diverse, but there are dishes that are very specific to the region like Makki di roti and Sarson ka Saag....

Planning a menu to cook lunch or dinner is the hardest part of cooking for me. I love when I know what I have to cook. I am sure a lot of us have the same issue of deciding what to cook. This is my first lunch/dinner menu that I have put together. I am going to try my best and make more menus in the coming days. I am going to call this menu the comfort food menu in the South Indian Lunch Menu series....

Diwali / Deepavali is incomplete without this delicious lentil based dessert Ukkarai also known as Okkarai. Enjoy this delicious sweet with friends and family. Ukkarai also pronounced Okkarai is a traditional sweet made during the festival of Deepavali / Diwali . Growing up I have never eaten this as it is not in our tradition, but after coming to the blogging world, I have seen this many times and I was very tempted to make it sometime....

Sambar is usually the first-course dish in South India that is eaten with rice. Vendakkai Sambar also known as Okra sambar or ladies finger sambar is very flavorful and works great with rice or as a side dish to idli and dosai. This week I am doing dishes that are commonly found in South Indian Meals. Sambar is usually the first-course dish that is eaten with rice. Sambhar or Sambar is common in almost all the South Indian states, but they are called by different names....

Vendhaya keerai sambar is one of the most aromatic sambar recipes made with fresh methi leaves. The flavor and aroma of the methi leaf in the sambar are very tempting and taste delicious with rice or as a side for idli and dosai. Amma made the best-tasting sambars. Especially sambar recipes like this where we don’t use freshly ground spices. Her sambar flavors were just unique and even though I try to make her exact recipe, the flavors just are not like hers....

For the third and last day of the journey through the Asian countries, I have a Vietnamese Iced Coffee or Ca Phe Sua Da recipe. We traveled to India and Korea for the past 2 days with Papaya Lassi and Bori-Cha . If you are a coffee lover, you know that no beverage can equal coffee. We are one of those strict coffee drinkers who would not drink anything other than filter coffee....

Virgin Madras Cocktail is a drink that is very popular on ladies night and is usually made with 1 part of vodka, 2 parts of cranberry juice and 2 parts of orange juice. Vodka is substituted with club soda and made it virgin. After a month-long of the Regional Indian states Mega Marathon, we BMers are back to our routine. This week I chose the theme mocktails, and for the next three days I will be blogging about them....

Holidays are all about creating family traditions. Christmas is not a festival we celebrate, but ever since I came to the United States, I have enjoyed this festival very much. Once we had children, it became even more joyful, and we look forward to this time every year. We started putting up the Christmas tree and lights. We started waiting for Santa and exchanging gifts. Somewhere along the line came the tradition of passing out Christmas cookie tins every year to neighbors and teachers and bus drivers and janitors and everyone we knew along our way....

Akkaravadisal is a delicious and rich dessert made with rice cooked in milk and then simmered in syrup made with sugar candy. This dessert is perfect to celebrate the special occasion or for festivals. Today we are beginning the month long Mega Marathon and the theme is going to be A-Z recipes . To make the month even more exciting we have to make the recipes within 4 specific categories....

Coconut ladoo is a delicious and quick recipe to make for the festival season. It is made with freshly grated coconut and sweetened condensed milk. The last recipe under my theme for the week which is Diwali sweets and savories is this Coconut Ladoo. I started the series with Rava ladoo and ended it with yet another ladoo that can be made in under 30 minutes. The best part about this coconut ladoo is that it uses only half a can of condensed milk....

This Chocolate Fudge is a must-try recipe for a chocolate lover. With just 3 ingredients it cannot get easier to satisfy your sweet tooth. We are back to our regular blogging routine and I have a wonderful theme for this week. The last time when I chose this theme, I was able to make 3 very different and delicious recipes. The 3 ingredients energy bar is one of my fast-moving recipes and it is also one of my most viewed recipes....

Dosai Milagai podi or Idli Podi also known as chili powder for idli and dosai is something that you will find in every South Indian pantry. A spicy blend that is the perfect accompaniment for Idli, dosa or Uthappam. This year started as a very different year for me. I am missing a big part of me that I can never bring back, and so are a few of the recipes and things that I will never get....

These eggless Coconut Macaroons are a must-bake for this holiday season. These coconut Macaroons, made with just 4 ingredients, are the easiest cookies to bake. I love to make some kind of coconut cookies/bakes during the holidays to give a feel of the tropics. These eggless coconut macaroons do just that. Burst of flavor in every bite. And the best part is, these macaroons are so easy to make....

Fiery Habanero Sauce gives you all the heat you want plus a little more. True to its name, this Habanero sauce is Fiery and so delicious. Spicy food goes hand in hand with Indian recipes. Being born in India, I was used to eating spicy food when growing up. Decades of living here in the US have changed my taste buds and I no longer tolerate spice as I used to....

Stuffed Gobhi Paratha with some dal and yogurt is the classic comfort food. Stuffed paratha is the best way to get loads of vegetables in the diet and can be a filling meal. Stuffed paratha is the best way to get loads of vegetables in the diet. I have found that stuffed parathas are loved by kids and are always welcome in my house. Aloo paratha , or potato-stuffed paratha, is one of the most common parathas made....

Kale and Tomato pasta is a classic Italian-inspired dish that has been enjoyed by people all over the world for many years. The combination of the earthy and slightly bitter flavor of kale, the sweetness of ripe tomatoes, and the tender texture of pasta make for a delicious and satisfying meal. This dish is not only tasty but also loaded with health benefits, making it a favorite among health-conscious individuals. Making kale and tomato pasta is easy and requires only a few simple ingredients....

Milagu Jeera Rasam commonly just called Jeera rasam or milagu rasam is a wonderful rasam to sip on when experiencing minor cold symptoms. The pepper and cumin in the rasam act as a soothing relief. This pepper and cumin rasam mixed with hot rice and some ghee is something I grew up on. Rasam as such is a comfort food for me. A bowl of hot rasam and rice with some vegetable or appalam / papad is all I need to make myself comfortable....

This delicious Omavalli Chutney or Karpooravalli Chutney is made with Ajwain leaves, also known as the Mexican mint or Cuban Oregano. If you are looking to incorporate more herbs in your cooking, this Ajwain Leaves Chutney is a great recipe to start with. Karpooravalli or Omavalli plant is a perennial plant that is most commonly grown as an indoor plant year-round. My dear friend Aparna has a couple of beautiful, luscious plants growing in her house, and she gave me a couple of cuttings from her plants this summer....

Traditional and easy snacks like this Potato Bonda or Aloo Bonda are always fresh in our memories. These Urulaikizhangu Bonda are so simple to make and so delicious that you will keep coming for more. I still cannot believe that I have never made bonda before. In fact, it has been many years since I ate bonda. When I chose this month’s theme for BM, I decided that I would only do a non-Indian dish for the potato theme....