Where food meets tradition
Kosambari or Kosmalli as it is known in Tamil households, is a festival food and it’s typically made with yellow lentils and cucumber. In this colorful twist on the classic, beetroot, carrot, pomegranate and cilantro come together to give it a rainbow hue and a delicious depth of flavor.
It was the day of Krishna Janmashtami and Amma and I were in the kitchen, deeply engaged in the task of making cheedai, sweet and savory rice balls, traditionally made as an offering to Lord Krishna on this day. Earlier in the day, we had …
A healthier version of one of the most popular Indian breakfast dish, this delicious poha is made by combining the goodness of millet flakes and sprouted lentils with the flavors of onions, potatoes, herbs and spices.
Red and ripe tomatoes are chopped and cooked down in oil and finished off with a punchy spice mix. Making a South Indian pickle doesn’t get easier or more delicious than this. It’s the perfect accompaniment for idlis, dosas, upma, curd rice and more.
There’s something so intensely satisfying about the calendrical ritual of making pickles, especially the raw mango kind. Read on..
An aromatic and delicious broth, this rasam is a celebration of the deep and sunny flavors of ginger and lemon. Ginger is brewed in water along with tomato, salt and turmeric, thickened with cooked toor dal, tempered with choice seasonings and finished off with a generous drizzle of lemon juice.
Tomato Kurma’s a South-Indian dish, that is aromatic, bright and bursting with flavors. Onions and tomatoes are cooked to a pulp, brightened with dry spices and enriched with a paste composed of coconut, cashew, fennel seeds and more. This gravy will make for a perfect …
Poriyal or Poduthuval as we call it in my family is a dry side-dish made of vegetables. For this delicious beans poriyal, chopped beans are cooked in a little oil seasoned with mustard seeds and urad dal and it’s finished off with a sprinkling of coconut-green chilies- Jeeragam (Cumin seeds) blend.
Arisi Upma’s yet another beautiful albeit lesser-known feather in the Iyer Samayal (SouthIndian) culinary hat. This hearty dish is made with pounded rice and lentils.