Gooseberry pickle(s) Spicy South Indian style and Trinidadian style

One of the best things about living in Scotland (& I am sure many other parts of the world) is being surrounded by farms and the change in seasons bringing wonderful "seasonal" fruits and veggies fresh from the farm. Best of all, is having a pick your own farm nearby which allows us to go in for a visit and pick fresh farm produce ourselves and pay for them (usually works out cheaper) by weight. Such trips make an excellent day out for the entire family and little children usually enjoy running about and seeing how their favourite fruits and veggies grow. On one such visit recently, we picked some late strawberries and lots of goose berries. I am familiar with Indian goose berries (nellikkai in Tamil) and love them in any form or fashion. The sour variety (aru-nellikkai) in particular is my favourite. Goose berries are rich in Vitamin C and can help fight off infections. The Scottish ones did not look anything like the Indian counterpart. But it tasted quite similar to the aru-nellikkais I knew. In fact, I prefer the Scottish ones since they are more tender and the seeds (yes there are many- unlike the Indian ones) are edible too! So using them to make pickles is a lot easier since I do not have to bother about taking the seeds out. After a days trip enjoying our farm visit, we pickled the gooseberries in both Trinidadian and South-Indian styles. While, Naz & I have both our preferred versions (no points of guessing!), Anjalie liked both of them (seems to depend on her mood) and ever the diplomat she says she likes a little bit of both! We like our pickles spicy so I give the recipe for what I used. But if trying out pickles for the first time, I will suggest to, go a bit easy on the peppers.

Vegetable kuzhi paniyaram

Off late we have been talking about trying something different for breakfast. I mean, other than the usual bread, crumpets, pancakes or idlis and dosas. I remember trying these paniyarams when I travelled with my parents to Karur, in South India, one summer when I was in high school. I remember that it was totally delicious and we all of us in the family ate them for breakfast every single day during that trip. The trouble was, none in our family know how to make it! I called my friend Boon (who is from that area) and got the recipe (& the vessel to make it) from her. If you do not have one of these paniyaram vessels you can just shallow fry them straight in the frying pan. I added some veggies (like grated carrots and sweet peppers) to the recipe, but, the original recipe just requires onions and other Indian seasoning. It turned out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and delicious (exactly as I remember it). Kuzhi in Tamil means a dent/hole. These paniyarams are made in a vessel with many dents (see pic below) and hence called kuzhi paniyaram. They can be sweet or savoury. Below is a recipe for the savoury variety.

You will need:

3 cups of idli batter
1 small onion (or use 1/2 med. onion)
1/2 carrot grated
1/4 cup sweet peppers chopped finely
2 fresh green chillies- chopped fine (optional)
1 inch ginger grated or 1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp oil for seasoning + extra for greasing the pot
salt to taste

Buckwheat Spinach Thepla

Theplas are unleavened bread typically made using bajra/pearl millet/kambhu flour from the North western parts of India (particularly Gujarat). It is very healthy and flavourful due to the spices added to make the dough. They have longer shelf life than bread made with atta/wheat flour. So they are excellent for taking with us for travelling or picnics. They also can be enjoyed hot or otherwise and can be frozen for later use. I usually get bajra flour from the Indian/Asian grocery store here. But when I run out of bajra flour (it does happen), between my trips to the Indian stores, I use buckwheat flour (readily available in many supermarkets). The resulting theplas are excellent if not better than the original recipe. The buckwheat flour has a natural sweet-malty taste that makes these theplas more appealing to children as well. As usual, I try to add some veggies, particularly, leafy greens like Methi or spinach to the roti. Thus making sure that the fussy one in the house, aka, hubby gets to enjoy these usually scorned upon veggies. It is easy to make and Anjalie loves to help with the rolling out of the roti. Since buckwheat is gluten free this recipe can be easily adapted for gluten-free diets.


You will need:
2 cups buckwheat flour + plus extra for dusting
1 cup besan/chickpeas flour
2 tbsp curd
salt to taste
ginger- garlic paste 1/4 tsp
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
black pepper powder to taste
1/2 tsp chilli powder (for adults - optional)
500 gms spinach leaves- washed, coarsely chopped.
water, enough to make a smooth dough.
oil to grease the griddle

Sweet pepper Masala vadai/chickpeas patties

For a long while, now, I have been feeling like spending some time in India during the monsoons. I must say that, while growing up, it was one of my favourite times of the year. School was closed due to the torrential rain. Unlike the summer holidays when it was too hot, sticky and uncomfortable, this was lot cooler time of the year. Despite the rain, we would spend hours on end making paper boats and racing them against each other. Also, it was the perfect time to open up new books to read or play board games like ludo, pallangkuzhi/mancala with the whole family. But, best of all were those fantastic snacks that Mum, aunts and grand-mums seemingly whipped up quickly with a hot cup of tea (or hot-chocolate for children). The king of those snacks that included bread bondas, methu vadai, bajjis, samosas, vegetable puffs and pakodas is the masala vadai. It is crispy with a not-so smooth texture and spicy and that made it totally irresistible. The original masala vadai is a very popular snack in all of South India and has many variations in name and recipes. But one thing that all recipes have in common is that the patties are made with chickpeas lentils (not flour)/channa dal/kadala paruppu and onions. Of course, now that I am a Mum, I use this delicious snack to include veggies that Anjalie usually does not care much for, like spinach or other greens like kale, sweet peppers and aubergine. I guess, this sort of little manipulation skills come with the territory :) When using spinach it will be called "keerai vadai" which again is a common snack in Tamil Nadu and it is just as delicious. It is an easy to make snack and the only long time involved is in soaking the dal/lentils. Another change I make to the original recipe is that I add a little bit of Toor dal (pigeon peas) to this just for the better protein and amino acids content and lighter taste. But you can simply replace it with more channa dal to stick to the original recipe.

You will need:
1/2 cup Channa dal/kadala paruppu/split chickpeas
1/4 cup Toor dal/Tuvaram paruppu/split pigeon peas
2 fresh green chillies - chopped finely (for adults only)
2-3 dried Red chillies/ 1 tsp chilli flakes
3 Garlic cloves
1 inch Ginger
1 tbsp fennel seeds/sombhu
Salt- as needed
1/2 tsp garam masala (optional)
1 shallot -finely chopped
1/2 yellow/red and 1/2 green sweet peppers/kudai milagai chopped fine.
1 pinch Hing/perungayam/asafoetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
8-10 Curry leaves
3 tbsps coriander leaves chopped fine.

Thengai Saadam (South-Indian spicy coconut rice)

Whenever I think of picnics, I remember the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi, aadiperukku, when everyone celebrates the inundation of the river Cauvery by having picnics by river beds or at the beach. With the summer months rolling on here, we are also enjoying our picnics. Among the sandwiches and piroshkis, I still like carrying a little South-Indian style mixed rice, chitrannams, to these picnics and they provide a lovely variation to the picnic themes for us. The coconut rice (Thengai saadam) is perfect for barbecues and are great with a little pappadoms on the side. They can also be enjoyed in a normal meal with any curry of your choice.

You will need:
500 g of cooked long grain white rice (usually 300 g of raw rice yields 500 g of cooked rice).
salt to taste
1/4 cup desiccated coconut + 2 tbsp coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
Asafoetida- a small pinch
1/2 tsp urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
5-6 cashews halved and broken (avoid for children less than 5 yrs old due to chocking hazard)
1-2 dried red chillies
1-2 fresh green chillies chopped (optional)
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnish

To roast and grind to a powder (optional):
1/2 tsp urad dal + 1 tsp channa dal + dried red chillies to taste

Spicy Cauliflower-Butterbeans roast

Cauliflower is low in calorie, fat & carbs but high in dietary fibre, folate, water, and vitamin C. It is usually one of the favourite veggies for little children and adults. I regularly make Spicy Cauliflower-Butterbeans roast and it is still on our family favourites and most requested lunch/dinner side-dish. The plus side for me is that it is easy to make. This is a colourful dish that will captivate children's attention which means that the meal-time war is already won! By adding butter beans to this I am satisfied that we all get good amount of dietary fibre, protein and vitamins. So a food that is colourful, tastes good and healthy & easy to make. Now that is jackpot for me :)



You will need:
1 cauliflower- cut the florets & wash well
1 can butter beans drained and rinsed well
1 small onion
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder/paprika (adjust to taste)
1 tsp chopped coriander leaves to garnish
2 tbsp oil
optional for tempering:
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
pinch of asafoetida

Iyengar-style Arachuvitta kathirikkai vattral kozhambhu

Kuzhambu is a common South Indian curry usually made with vegetables and served with rice. Most of these Kuzhambhu varieties use dals (lentils) of some kind except for vattral/vatha kuzhambhu and koddu kuzhambhu. Vattral/vathal is a special way of preserving fresh vegetables by soaking in brine and drying them out in the sun to remove any moisture content. Such preserves can be stored for months and sometimes even years without spoiling. This was (& is) a great way to saving seasonal vegetables to use during the rest of the year. Vattral kuzhambhu incorporates these preserves/vattrals in a curry and makes them the star of the dish and avoids using any dals/lentils that could overpower the taste. Such a kuzhambhu is tangy, salty and spicy and is perfect with hot rice & vegetables & thogaiyals. Vattral kuzhambhu recipes vary depending on the regions, families and traditions. Even among the Iyengars there are two kinds of vattral kuzhambhu, one that uses fenugreek seeds (vendayam) and is commonly called vendhaya kuzhambhu and the other kind is arachu vitta (ground masala) vattral kuzhambhu. It is this arachuvitta variety that I miss most since my grand-mum passed away. Some how she made it taste fantastic. Although both my mum & I try and follow her recipe to the "T" it never comes close to doing justice to her's. But I still keep trying :) There is a saying in Tamil that some people have the "hand for flavour" (Kai manam) which some of us can only wish for! This is one such case :)

Barley Kichdi

Kichdis along with upma are a sort of quick to make comfort-food cum breakfast dishes in India. Upmas are more popular in the South, while, kichdis are more popular in the North. The main difference between upma and kichdis, given the very many variations of both dishes, is that upma is made with grains and veggies (usually wheat, but, now healthier options like oats are used). Kichdis on the other hand use grains, pulses and veggies. In a way, kichdis are one pot meal that include grains, pulses and vegetables thus completing a well rounded healthy vegetarian breakfast. I have been giving Anjalie barley kichdis from when she was around 8 months old. I used to pressure cook the kichdis for her until she was one year old. To this day she loves kichdis of any kind, but, largely favours barley kichdis. For little children, pressure cook to make sure that the dal and barley are well cooked and mashed and also skip mustard and cumin seeds until the children are a little older (about 1 year). For the recipe...


You will need:
1 cup pearl barley
½ cup moong dal (split yellow peas) or toor dal (split pigeon peas)
2 tsp oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds + ½ tsp cumin seeds (skip for children less than 1 yr old)
1 small onion
1 can mixed vegetables (100 g of fresh/frozen vegetables)
2 fresh chillies chopped (for adults – optional)
1 inch piece ginger grated
3 tbsp grated coconut (fresh or desiccated + 2 tbsp coconut milk)
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup water (more or less)
Coriander leaves for garnish

Chammanthi podi potta kari (spicy roasted vegetable)

While growing up, amma (mum) and patti (grand mums) used to make this roasted vegetable dish spiced with a spicy powder made from a combination of typical South-Indian spices such as dals, chillies, tamarind & peppercorn and serve them with rice, rasam and samabar. It was always my favourite kind of side-dish. Then one day, on the festival of Onam, I was invited to my friends' home where her Mum served a spice powder called Chammanthi. I was totally blown away with the spice combination with the lovely flavour of roasted coconut completely one with the rest of the spices. No, they do not actually compliment each other like in other dishes. They just enhance each other and become one. Unfortunately, I cannot think of any other way to describe it. Ever since, I have hunted for a chammanthi recipe that came close to my childhood memory and I finally found it at Bharathy's spicychilli blog here. I modified her chammanthi recipe (which does not include any dals unlike my grand-mum and mum's podi/spice powder) to include the dals to make this roasted vegetable. The end result was perfect spicy roasted vegetable greatly enhanced by the roasted coconut. I did save a little bit of the powder to mix with rice and eat like they do in Kerala :) Anyway, we enjoyed the dish so very much that I had to write it down asap and particularly thank Bharathy for the chammanthi recipe :) I chose to make brinjal/Indian aubergine (baby ones) for this. It turned out so good that both Naz & Anjalie who are not big fans of aubergine due to the gooey texture enjoyed it very much. That is high praise indeed. So here is the recipe for "modified" chammanthi podi potta kari...

Buckwheat Puttu (Tamil Nadu sweet version)

Puttu is a typical South Indian dish that can be savoury or sweet. It is usually eaten as dessert or as part of breakfast. It is a healthy dish that requires little to no oil and is actually steamed flour flavoured with delicious coconut. Puttu is my dad's favourite sweet dish and, unfortunately, he has type 2 diabetes. So I came up with this recipe with buckwheat, which has low glycemic index, especially for him to be able to enjoy. "Puttu" in tamil means "to make a portion". There is a mythological story in Tamil that claims that Lord Shiva himself worked as a labourer in return for a portion of this Puttu dish :) I love this dish very much as well and I am willing to labour in the kitchen to make this any time too :) Usually Puttu is made with rice flour or wheat flour or ragi flour in the south of India. But as part of the healthy life style change I decided to make it this time with buckwheat flour instead.

This is one of the ancient dishes that grand-mums and great grand-mums took pride in making. But I do cheat and use food processor to make this. You can make this without using food processor or blender as well. Another change from the traditional recipe, I have made, is the use of buckwheat flour. Buckwheat is one of the food that has low glycemic index and is one of the healthy alternatives to rice and wheat. It is perfect for diabetics and can be made with sweeteners instead of sugar/jagerry for them. Traditional puttu calls for sesame oil, but, I use butter/ghee since Anjalie is allergic to sesame seeds. Also you can add roasted nuts along with raisins to the puttu, but, avoid this totally if making this dish for young children due to chocking hazard.

You will need:
1 cup buckwheat flour
scant 1/2 cup coconut milk/water (I used reduced fat coconut milk)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (fresh or dried or frozen)
1 tsp sesame oil/butter/ghee
3 tbsp brown sugar/jaggery/white sugar/any other sweetener (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp cane molasses (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cardamom powder
raisins to garnish

Milawat Paratha (mixed-up Paratha)

Parathas are flat breads that are usually stuffed with vegetable or meat fillings. Milawat paratha are a quicker version of the stuffed parathas. Instead of stuffing the flat bread, which will require rolling out twice, we just simply mix the filling into the dough for milawat parathas. They taste great and are full of flavour just like the stuffed parathas, but, just require less work. Weekends are great for making rotis for me since I will have Anjalie to help me roll them out :) I was planning on making Aloo/potato paratha and, so, had boiled some potatoes on Sunday. Just then, our friends called to ask if their 3 yr old could come over for a visit around lunch time and stay with us for the afternoon. I had only around 45 mins to finish making lunch and clear up the kitchen before they arrived so that we could all enjoy lunch together. So as a quick alternative, I decided to turn the aloo paratha into milawat paratha. It was not surprising that all of us, including our friends, enjoyed our lunch together and I got rave reviews for the parathas. So without further ramblings, here is the recipe...

You will need:

3 cups flour (I used equal amounts of atta, plain flour/maida and soya flour)

your choice of veggies: potatoes (peeled & boiled), 1 grated carrots/beetroot/broccoli/cabbage /cauliflower, spinach etc...

2 small tomatoes cooked, peeled and mashed

2 fresh chillies chopped (for adults-optional)

salt to taste

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste 

2 tbsp plain yoghurt (optional)

water enough to knead into dough

oil/ghee for greasing the skillet

Baingan da barta/Trinidadian Baigan choka/Kathirikai pachadi (Aubergine/Eggplant curry)

Like many children, Anjalie, also turned her nose up when we tried to give her aubergine for the first time. It took her some time to get used to the texture. We found she was more accepting of this spicy mashed curry made with aubergine. We first introduced this to her as a dip with rotis when she was around 7 months with reduced spice level and then slowly increased the spice level as she grew older. It is totally delicious and the full flavour of roasted aubergine is enhanced by the tangy tomatoes and complimented by the spices. This particular dish can be found in the cuisines from all over the world, including India, Trinidad, middle East, Greek, etc., and has many variations depending on the region. In Trinidad, at my in-laws house, this dish is typically eaten for breakfast with sada roti and is much loved. The Trinidadian version of this curry at my in-laws is made without involving any of the Indian spices and is spiced up with just fresh habernero peppers, yum! In my home in the south of India, we make this curry with plain yoghurt base which is another yummy variation of this versatile dish. This goes great with rotis, pitas, toasts, rice dishes, fresh veggies or anything that takes your fancy. Here are three variations of the recipe (Baingan bharta. Trinidad Baigan Choka and South Indian kathirikkai pachadi) and I hope you and your family get to enjoy this very soon.

You will need:
2 medium sized aubergine/egg plant
1 medium onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 inch ginger
2-3 medium tomatoes (peeled & mashed)
2 fresh green chillies for adults (optional) -slit in the middle
1/4 tsp mustard seeds (skip for children less than 1 year)
1/4 tsp cumin seeds (skip for children less than 1 year)
salt and black pepper to taste
coriander leaves &/or curry leaves for garnish
2 tsp oil

Spices (for Indian version):
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp clove powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp paprika or red chilli powder (for adults)
1 tsp butter/ghee
1 tsp lemon juice

Vegetable Uttappam (South Indian griddle cakes)

Uthappams make a great and balanced part of breakfast. It is made with dosa batter. It is quick and easy to make as well with left over dosa batter. More than idlis and dosas kids tend to like uttappam due to the attractive colours which is great since they will get to enjoy fresh veggies :) I had made dosa batter two days ago and had a little bit of it left over this morning. So with a little fresh veggies, we had a yummy and healthy breakfast. Instant Uttappam mixes are available, however, I am not sure what additional ingredients are added to keep them good. I prefer to make my own dosa batter and use it. This way I can make, idlis, dosas and uttappam with the same batter :)

For the dosa batter you will need:
1 cup white rice
1 cup parboiled rice
3/4 cup urad dhal (preferably skinned whole)
salt to taste




For the uttappam (any combination of the following):
sweet peppers chopped fine
carrots grated
cabbage grated/shredded
onion chopped fine
sweet corn
fresh green chillies chopped (for adults)
corriander coarsely chopped

Iyengar-style Poricha saatruamadhu/Poritha rasam (dhal soup)

This is my childhood favourites that my Paati (Grandmother) used to make in her Iyachombhu (traditional pot). Saatruamadhu which literally translates to "nectar fit for rice" which btw was totally fit for this rasam when my grandmother made it! It is also very healthy and mild that little children can enjoy it too. This rasam is usually made for new mothers and little children since tamarind, which is usually the main ingredient in rasams, is believed to hinder iron absorption in the body and so unhealthy for them. Anjalie loves this rasam as well, although, she just calls it daal for some reason :) It can double as daal soup and will be a great as a starter. So here is the recipe...


You will need:
1/2 cup toor daal cooked and mashed
curry and coriander leaves for garnish
1/2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp brown mustard seeds
a pinch of asafoetida/hing
salt to taste

To roast and grind:
1 tsp oil
1 tsp urad daal
1/2 tsp channa daal
1 tsp black peppercorn (use less for milder version)
1-2 dried red chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tomatoes

Aloo-Mattar (potato-peas gravy/curry)

Aloo-mattar is a popular North Indian side dish that are served in many Indian/Bangaldeshi/Pakistani restaurants. It is very versatile and goes with rice and roti dishes. I particularly like this dish for the sweet taste of garden peas balanced with the spicy gravy with the potatoes adding to body and flavour. It is easy to make at home and the spice level can be adjusted to suit the entire family. While I make this dish, I leave out the chillies, pav bhaji masala and the chilli powder for Anjalie and after removing her share out, I add them into our (adult) share and cook it for another min or so. Potatoes and peas have been Anjalie's favourite since she was 6 months old and it continues to be her favourite even now. This dish is a great way to encourage children to eat green peas as well.

You will need:

200 g of garden peas (Canned/frozen/fresh)

5-6 medium potatoes peeled and chopped to bite-size pieces

salt to taste

black pepper - 1/2 tsp

turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (for adults)

pav bhaji masala/kitchen king masala - 1/2 tsp (for adults)

garam masala - 1/4 tsp

coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

1/4 medium Onion- chopped fine

1 tsp tomato puree

1/2 tsp lemon juice

2 fresh green chillies (for adults) slit in the middle

coriander leaves for garnish

3/4 cup water

To grind to a paste:

3/4 medium onion

2 tomatoes

1 inch ginger (peeled)

3 cloves garlic

3 tbsp water

Soya Chapathi

Chapathis are Indian unleavened flat bread that are usually made with wholemeal wheat flour, Atta, which has less bran than regular wholemeal bread flour. I have found soya flour to be a great natural emulsifier when baking bread that results in the softest crust and crumbs. Not only that, it is high in protein and low in calorie and so is naturally very healthy. So I made soya chapathi last night by replacing 1/3 of the atta with soya flour. Since, soya flour has less gluten compared to wheat flour I still needed atta to make my chapathi. The end result was very soft and flavourful chapathis which my 3 yr old daughter eloquently described as "Yummiest chapathis!" It is very easy to make and the method is quite simple. Anjalie, as usual, helped in mixing and rolling out the chapathis while I took care of the cooking. So young children can most definitely "help" with this recipe and it can be quality time for the adults and children together. You can use the same recipe to make regular wheat chapathis by replacing the soya flour with atta. So here is the recipe...


You will need:
2 cups atta/sifted wholemeal flour
1 cup soya flour
salt to taste
cool water (not cold) as needed to make a soft dough
flour for dusting
oil/butter/ghee as needed for cooking

Ginger (inchi) pachadi/raita

Ginger is considered as a miraculous herb in India. Both in India and China it is treated as a medicinal plant that can cure a lot of illness and is also consumed everyday due to it's many health benefits. It is believed to help with digestion, reduce inflammation, increase immune strength of the body and relieve stress. It is especially given to those who suffer from flu and cold. We are all three of us still recovering from the after effects of flu and still have persistent sore muscles and tiredness. So I wanted to give us all a bit of ginger in the hopes of garnering it's health benefits. The catch is to get Anjalie to consume ginger which is a bit too spicy for any toddler. I usually give her spiced tea, but, her tea is usually very milky and less spicy. So I wanted to try another method of giving her ginger tonight. In South India pachadi/raita is usually made with yogurt or sweetened with jaggery/sugar to be used as a side dish or to clear once palate between meal courses. Anjalie loves anything made with yoghurt and this seemed like a perfect way to get her to eat ginger. As expected she alone ate more than half of what I had made and it was a great success at dinner with much appreciation from both Naz & Anjalie. The recipe is quite mild and spice level can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of yoghurt used.


You will need:
2 inch ginger peeled and grated
1/2 cup plain yoghurt (preferably Greek-style)
salt to taste
fresh chillies (for adults) - optional
For tempering (optional):
1/2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp urad dhal

Pineapple rasam

Rasam and Sambar are two lentil based gravy/soupy dishes that is usually served with rice. Along with the differences between the two dishes, as a general rule, ripe fruits are used in rasams while vegetables and unripe fruits are used in sambar. Like all rules, there are of course exceptions to this. Traditionally, there are both new and old variations in sambar and rasam. Pineapple rasam is one such newer variation of rasam.

You will need:
1/2 tsp tamarind paste + 1 cup water to make tamarind water
1 cup cooked & mashed toor daal
1/2 cup pineapple juice/water
2 rings of canned pineapples (or fresh pineapples) cut into bitse size pieces
1 pinch hing/asafoetida
4-5 curry leaves for garnish.
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder



to roast and grind:
1 tsp toor daal
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
3-4 dried red chillies
1/2 tsp cumin seeds


for tempering (optional):
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp oil

South Indian spicy potatoes stir-fry

This is one of our family's favourites for a side dish to rice. Anjalie loves anything made with potatoes, in particular, this crispy potatoes. I usually make a smaller portion for her alone where I leave out chilli powder and use black pepper instead. However, I did not get a chance to take a step-by step picture of it tonight. Instead I give the pictures I took of the spicy version that I made for us adults. Other than the use of spices powder (chilli powder and sambar powder) the method given here is exactly the same as the one I use to make for her. You can adjust the amount of spices according to your taste to appeal to the whole family.


You will need:
5-6 medium potatoes
3 tbsps oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 urad daal
salt to taste
1 tsp sambar powder + 1 tsp chilli powder

South Indian Tomato rice

After a few days of eating bland food and soups due to being down with the flu, the entire family felt like eating something with a bit more zest (not necessarily spicy). I was also looking for something quick and easy since I still do not have much energy and am still recovering from the flu and an over-reacting immune system. Tomato rice is usually my go to easy to make "mixed rice" variety from the South-India called "chitrannams" literally translates to mini-meals. It truly can be a mini-meal in itself when served with crispy-spicy potatoes, pappadoms/crisps, raita and a salad. These chitrannams are ideal for travels and picnics. For this tomato rice  I prefer to use vine-ripened tomatoes, but you can use any of your favourite variety. But keep in mind that Tomato is the star of this recipe and better the quality tastier the rice.

You will need:
4 cups cooked long-grain rice
1/2 medium onion chopped
3 vine-ripened tomatoes chopped
2-3 fresh chillies chopped (optional)
1 inch ginger+3 cloves of garlic grated/1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp tomato puree
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp sambar powder/red chilli powder/paprika
salt to taste
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp split urad dal/black gram
1-2 dried red chillies broken/1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp coriander leaves for garnish (optional)