Almond Dry Fruit Roll Recipe | Badam Khajur Roll Recipe | Badam Dates Roll | Almond Roll - Indian Sweets Recipe

Ending this year with a sweet post, Almond Dry Fruit Roll recipe. This Year 2015 went well for us with good memories and fun. Now ready to welcome 2016 with the same hope and prayers. In terms of blog too, this year was good and Me & My blog got featured thrice in Aval Kitchen Magazine & Once In The Hindu, Chennai January Edition.  

Palak Vegetable Curry | Mixed Vegetables In Spinach Curry | Spinach Curry With Vegetables

I mostly pack rotis & Curry or sabzi for Lunchbox. At least three days in a week it will be rotis and a side for V's lunchbox. So i have to make different curry and sabzis every day, If you are my Instagram Follower then you might be knowing what I pack for my kids and V's lunchbox daily. Since I share their lunchbox pictures  and sometimes do share the recipes of sabzi and curry and Quick Rice Recipes too. If interested do follow on Instagram for more updates and recipe ideas. One of my kids' favorite spinach curry is Palak Paneer but I cannot make palak with paneer all the time. So sometimes it will be Tofu Palak or Aloo Palak for rotis. I also make Palak curry with mixed vegetables combo and this is my favorite spinach curry, this time took some pictures to share here. This is so simple recipe with great taste and a yummy side dish to go with Puris & Phulka.

Masala Pav Recipe | How To Make Mumbai Special Masala Pav Recipe | Masala Pav Chaat Recipe

Masala Pav is a popular roadside chaat of Mumbai. Like other chaats I have tasted Masala Pav in my Hometown, Tamil Nadu too. Masala Pav is nothing but a spicy onion-tomato masala curry stuffed between soft butter toasted Pav(Soft Buns/Dinner Rolls). This tastes so good and spicy and I love it more than Pav Bhaji.
I don't have any Idea about how they make the curry for Masala Pav until I saw Nalini's Post. Thanks to Nalini for sharing this easy peasy method, only thing I changed is I prepared the masala separately in a kadai and toasted the pav in griddle with butter and then added the masala and stuffed it. This is so yummy and addictive chaat, my kids loved it a lot and asked me for more but I didn't have enough masala. And Next day made it again for their lunch as Masala Pav Sandwich. So whenever, you plan to try this make sure you make enough masala, as it is addictive even kids will not stop with one masala pav :) Now off to the recipe

Plain Biryani Recipe | Kuska Biryani Recipe | Hotel Style Kuska Recipe

Plain Biryani or Kuska Biryani is popular in Tamil Nadu Non-Vegetarian Hotels & Restaurants. We never knew that Kuska is not a vegetarian Recipe, since in Hotels they use Meat or Chicken Broth to Make Kuska or sometimes they serve Chicken Biryani or Mutton Biryani without pieces. Then one we happened to saw a piece of meat on our plain biryani pack and from that time we stopped buying it during Saturdays. Plain Biryani/Kuska is prepared using Small grain rice, Seeraga Samba Rice which gives unique aroma and taste to the biryani. The Kuska prepared using the below method gives almost the Hotel style taste and flavor. I have tried with Seeraga Sambar rice but that time I didn't get time to take pictures. Later, I couldn't find Seeraga Samba rice even in Patel Brothers. So, I used Basmati Rice. This is a flavor rich one pot meal that requires Chicken or Meat Broth(I used Chicken Broth), Yogurt, Coconut Milk and mild spices blend. If you are a Biryani Addict, then for a change try this Plain Biryani and enjoy it with some Spicy Chicken Fry & Mutton Kurma.

Chicken Chukka Varuval | South Indian Chicken Roast Recipe | Spicy Chicken Chukka Fry Recipe

If you love South Indian Style Chicken Chukka Fry then this recipe is a must try. One of the best chicken chukka fry that can be served as an appetizer or as an accompaniment with Mild Pulao or Plain Biryani or with simple Rasam and Rice combo. After Purattasi Month, last month prepared this chicken fry and plain biryani for Sunday Lunch. This is similar to my Mil's chicken fry. She makes very spicy chicken fry using kuzhambu chicken(chicken pieces cooked from the kuzhambu/Chicken Gravy). At in laws place no one likes chicken served in gravy or curry, they prefer to eat deep fried chicken or chicken chukka roast. So My Mil makes chicken fry from the gravy chicken(without Coconut) and serve the plain gravy with Idli/Dosa. I like my mil's chicken varuval and it is different from my Mom's recipe. Later came to know the method and secret ingredients are homemade spice powders. I have tried this chicken fry few times and last time clicked some pictures to share here.
As I planned to make Plain Biryani / Kuska Biryani, I needed broth, so instead of preparing kuzhambu or gravy I simply boiled chicken with enough water and used boiled chicken to make this easy and spicy roast. For this chicken Roast I recommend to use Homemade Chilli Powder(with lentils &spices) or Kuzhambu Milagai Thool for authentic taste and flavor. Also use Sesame Oil or Peanut Oil. Now off to the recipe..

Pav Bhaji Masala Recipe | Mumbai Special Pav Bhaji Recipe | How To Make Bhaji Masala | Step By Step Recipe

Pav Bhaji Masala Recipe with step by step photo. Today's recipe is a Mumbai Famous Pav Bhaji. Pav means Soft bun and Bhaji is mashed kind of vegetable curry with potatoes and other vegetables. Of all the chaat/street food recipes, Pav Bhaji is V's most favorite dish. I too like it but not much like him and the kids too. They love to have this bhaji masala with rotis, dosa, bread and even with Jeera Rice. So whenever I make bhaji masala for Pav I make it in bulk so that they have it for all three meals with rice and rotis too. I learned this Bhaji Masala from my Neighbor Friend 4 years back when we were in WI. She only suggested me to add a small Indian Eggplant/Brinjal along with potato and other vegetables to make Bhaji. Brinjal adds some nice buttery flavor and taste but it is optional. If using brinjal try to use tender and fresh small brinjals for fine taste.  I always prefer to add more vegetables to the curry but alternatively you can make this bhaji with potato and peas alone. Adding mixed vegetables gives good taste and flavor and also it is healthy. Try my Pav Bhaji Masala next time and do share your feedback. But I am sure, you will love it !

Masala Puri Chaat Recipe | Peas Masala Puri Chaat | How To Make Masala Puri Chaat

Chaat is my favorite snack and I love all varieties of Chaats. In India we used to enjoy Chaats at Hotel & chaat Shops. Amma doesn't know to prepare any chaat, she only makes Masala Pori & Beach Style Sundal Masala. So, Once or twice a month we go out to eat Chaats. But after coming here after Marriage I missed eating chaats and after moving to New Jersey, we enjoyed some tasty Chaats at Hot Breads. Then with the help of my North Indian friends, You Tube videos  and food websites I learned to make different chaat recipes at home. As everyone at home loves chaat, I often make simple chaats like Channa Chaat, Bhel Puri, Peas Masala Chaat at home. I always have Chaat Chutneys in my fridge. I prefer Dates Tamarind Chutney instead of Tamarind Chutneys for chaat. So I make it bulk and also it stays good for a month. If you have chutneys in hand, then making chaat is so simple and quick.
Now coming to the Peas Masala Puri,  is nothing but a Peas Masala served with crushed puri, chaat chutneys, onion, tomato & finally topped with generous sev. You can make any desired Peas Masala gravy like Green Peas Masala or Yellow Peas Ragda. I used my Green Peas Masala recipe and the chaat turned out super flavorful and delicious.

Homemade Ladi Pav Recipe | How to Make Pav Buns At Home | Eggless Ladi Pav Recipe

Homemade Ladi Pav | Pav Buns recipe with step by step photo. Today's recipe is a Mumbai Special Ladi pav a soft, airy and flavorful eggless buns. These buns are easy to make it at home without eggs. I often bake this Pav Buns at home and have taken pictures too but somehow the pictures got deleted 2 times and again last month took pictures when I made Pav Bhaji for our weekend Lunch. Pav Bhaji is our family's favorite recipe that too with Homemade Pav Buns. The pav has nice buttery flavor and extremely soft and fluffy texture. I like to eat these buns as such with jam and butter. I have tried this pav using Tangzhong method and using my Basic White Bread recipe. But this time tried Aparna's recipe and only added 1.5 tbsp milk powder to it. The Pav turned out super soft and flavorful. My kids enjoyed it a lot. Also this time made extra Pav Buns and tried Masala Pav, Vada Pav, so keep watching for more chaat and street food recipes.

Kesar Peda Recipe | Kesar Doodh Peda | Saffron Flavored Milk Peda Recipe - Easy and Quick Diwali Sweet Recipe

Kesar Peda Recipe with step by step photos. Just a day for Diwali and hope everyone is busy with Diwali preparations. I have started mine and this year I prepared Boondi Ladoo, Thenkuzhal, Ribbon Pakoda and planned to make few more sweets and snacks tomorrow. Today's recipe is a simple and quick sweet recipe, Kesar Peda / Saffron Flavored Milk Peda. I followed my Doodh Peda recipe and extra I added some milk & Saffron strands. Milk and saffron gave nice flavor and smooth and soft texture to the peda and the it turned out so good. Here, I used Milk Mawa Powder but you can also use milk powder(full fat or low fat milk powder).

Savory Maida Biscuits | Spicy Diamond Cuts Recipe | Kara Maida Biscuits Recipe

Diamond cuts/savory Maida Biscuits are one of the easiest spicy crunchy snack that is perfect for any occasion or anyday for tea time snack. I have already shared the recipe of Sweet Maida Biscuits and for this Diwali sharing the savory recipe. This is almost similar to the Namkeen/Namakparre. I have tasted Namakparre prepared by my Neighbor Aunt, she added extra spices and kasoori methi. And also the shape is slightly different will share that recipe sometime later. Now coming to Spicy Diamond cuts, i added Andhra Chilli powder, and my diamond biscuits were bit spicy and also got nice reddish golden color. This recipe is so simple and anyone can make them perfectly. These spicy biscuits are so addictive, even though my biscuits were spicy my kids loved it and the biscuits vanished in no time.

Coconut Besan Burfi Recipe | Besan Burfi With Coconut | Besan Burfi Diwali Sweet Recipe

Easy to Make Coconut Besan Burfi Recipe with step by step photos. Besan Ki Burfi was in my to do list, I have tasted Besan Burfi prepared by my friend. She makes Besan Ki Burfi for all special occasions at their house. But V doesn't like the authentic Besan Burfi with gram flour and lots of ghee. Hence I wanted to make Besan Burfi with some change and found this Coconut Besan Burfi recipe Here. This recipe was so simple and has our favorite coconut addition in the burfi. So immediately without any second thought tried it. The burfis turned out super good and Besan paired well with coconut and the burfis tasted so good and melts in mouth like Ghee Mysore Pak. I stored this Burfis in an air container for Diwali.

Pasiparuppu Murukku Recipe | Moongdal Chaklis | Moongdal Murukku - Diwali Special Snack Recipe

Today's recipe is also a Diwali special snack, Pasiparuppu(Monngdal) Murukku recipe with step by step photos. This is one of my earlier post that I wanted to update with new pictures. Finally, for this Diwali I listed this crunchy melt in mouth Moongdal Murukku recipe along with other snacks & sweets recipes to share here. Like Butter Murukku, this is also a flavor rich, crispy and melt in mouth murukku. Traditionally, this Murukku is fried in coconut oil but I used Peanut Oil. Still the murukku got rich flavor due to dal and butter addition.

Milagu Karasev Recipe | Easy Pepper Sev | Black Pepper Karasev - Diwali Snack Recipe

Just 10 days for Diwali and I am yet to start my Diwali preparation. This year Diwali falls on our special day and it is double special for us, I have shared about how special day is Nov 10 to us on my old Post Here. It interested do checkout that post and some of blogger friends might have remember that I guess. Even though it is working day for V and kids, I planned few things to refresh and enjoy one of our life's special day.
Ok Now Coming to the recipe, Milagu Karasev. I am not much fond of Karasev but I like the Yellow colored Milgau Sev that is soft and mildly crunchy sev with full of black pepper flavor.

Badam Katli Recipe | Almond Burfi Recipe | Diwali Special Sweet Recipe - Badam Burfi !

Badam Katli/Badam Burfi recipe with step by step photos. Badam Katli is another easy and equally addictive sweet like Kaju Katli. I wanted to try this Badam Katli for long time and finally last week gave it a try. The first attempt wasn't successful, the burfis turned out too sweet and hard crisp due to more sugar i think. Then again tried with little less sugar quantity and the burfis turned out pretty good. I followed the same recipe of my Kaju Katli and only difference is instead of raw Almonds / Badam I used Blanched Almonds. If you have blanched almonds in hand then you can make this burfi in 15 minutes or less. My kids loved it a lot and I am planning to make it again for Diwali.

Coconut Burfi Recipe | Coconut Burfi Uing Mawa | Easy Diwali Sweet Recipe Ideas

Today i am sharing another easy and tempting Diwali sweet recipe, Coconut Burfi. This coconut burfi is very simple and you can make it in a jiffy. V and myself, both are fond of coconut burfi, the one we get in theaters crispy sugary coconut burfi made using fresh coconut. I have tried it many times but every time I ended up making hard burfi or soft juicy burfi, due to the moisture from fresh coconut or wrong syrup consistency. I referred and followed all the tips n tricks from my co-bloggers' post but i couldn't get it correctly.

Thattai Recipe | Rice Flour Thattai Recipe | Diwali Snack Recipes

Crispy & Crunchy Instant Rice Flour Thattai Recipe with step by step photos. Thattai is one of favorite savory snack but I rarely make thattai, since every time my thattai will end in soft and not a crispy and crunchy thattai. I have tried many recipes and none have come out good. Finally after attempting so many failure experience I got to know the proper trick and recipe for making crispy and yummy thattai. I have already shared a easy thattai using Ragi Flour, Ragi Thattai and today I am sharing the best and no fail Rice Flour Thattai Recipe. This recipe uses instant/readymade/store bought rice flour.  No need to use processed raw rice flour.  Simple isn't ?! Do give it a try for this Diwali and let me know how it turned out to you. The only trick is always use cotton cloth or paper towel to flatten the dough, by this way the excess moisture from the dough is absorbed and when fried in oil you get a nice crispy and crunchy thattai. I also made some mini thattais to enjoy my hometown special snack, Salem Thattuvadai Set. But my kids finished most of the thattais as such, may be will make it some other time to enjoy my favorite thattai set. Now off to the recipe...

Maa Laddu Recipe | Maladdu(Roasted Gram Dal Ladoo) | Pottukadalai Urundai

Today's recipe is another easy and quick traditional Indian Sweet, Maa Laddu. If you are looking for simple Prasad for Navaratri, then this Maa Laddu is one best choice. It is not only easy, a healthy snack/sweet for growing kids. During my childhood days, we used to eat sugar and roasted gram dal as snack when we don't have snack at home. Mostly, we powder it coarsely and have it as such or along with coconut. Whenever, me, my sister, cousins play with our cooking set, we make this pottukadalai maavu and we all ate together with those miniature dinner sets :) We used to play for hours together with our kitchen set. Those are golden days, wish i had some rewind button to go back and enjoy once again those childhood fun and care free life.
Now off to the recipe, For This Ladoo along with ghee, I also added 1 tbsp milk to get soft and smooth ladoos. Milk gives nice texture and taste to ladoos, but if you can skip it and use ghee alone to make Maa Laddu.

Black Beans Sundal | Varuthuaracha Sundal | Beans Sundal Using Roasted Spices | Masala Beans Paruppu Sundal Recipe - Navaratri Sundal Recipes

Happy Navaratri Wishes To all Who Celebrate the occasion. Navaratri started from today and my FB news feed is flooded with sundal varieties and Neivedhyam recipes for the occasion. Actually, I don't have any plans to share Sundal recipes this week since, last week I cook and clicked almost 10 recipes including chaats and main course. But today after seeing so many Navaratri related recipes I am tempted and wanted to share something related to the occasion.

I had some cooked beans in freezer, so decided to make Black Beans sundal without onion and garlic using freshly roasted and ground spices. Also there's some left over cooked Moongdal used after for Poriyal, so added that too and to my surprise Black Beans Sundal turned out so awesome with lovely flavor and taste. Even though i don't like Sundal, I liked this Black Bean Sundal with Moongdal and roasted spices. I did not onions, so it can be offered as Prasad to God. If you have cooked beans in hand then you can make this sundal in just 10-15 minutes. Black Beans is a versatile Ingredient you can cook any kind of recipes from any cuisine, it tastes so great and this Authentic South Indian style Black Beans stir fry one such example. Now off to the recipe...

Sooji Uttappam | Rava Onion Uttappam(Oothappam) Recipe | Instant Uttappam Recipe |Savory Semolina Pancakes

Rava Onion Oothappam Recipe with step by step pictures. Sooji Uttappam is an Instant South Indian Breakfast recipe and this Uttappam doesn't require fermented batter. And It can be prepared instantly like Rava Dosa. How Cool Isn't?! This Sooji Uttappam comes in handy whenever you don't have Idli/Dosa Batter in hand. During weekends for breakfast I make this Sooji Uttappam and it
is one of our favorite breakfast recipe too. Onion Uttappam With Coconut Chutney is my favorite combo, I love Onion Uttappam and is my constant order at Salem KCB Hotel. They serve the best soft, flavorful and yummy Onion Oothappam. Next to the regular Idli/Dosa batter Oothappam we love this Sooji Oothappam as it quick, easy and tastes yummy too. For a change, Do try this Sooji Oothappam and enjoy with your family.

Pani Puri Recipe | Golgappa Recipe | How to Make Puris For pani Puri | Golgappa - Street Food Recipe

Pani Puri Recipe with step by step pictures. Pani Puri or Golgappa is a popular Indian street food snack and my most favorite of all chaats. Golgappa is  nothing but a crispy hallow puris stuffed with mashed potato, Sweet Tamarind chutney, some onions, cilantro and finally dipped in Spicy Mint Flavored Pani(water in Hindi) and the whole puri dunked in pani, then the whole stuff is stuffed into mouth..mmmm delicious!! The name itself enough to make me drool.

Homemade Flour Tortillas Recipe | Flour Tortilla Recipe Without Lard | Vegan Flour Tortilla Recipe

Homemade Flour Tortillas Recipe with step by step photos. Tortilla is a soft, round flat bread that is prepared using White or Wheat Flour or Maize. Flour tortillas are used to make Soft Flour Tacos, Quesadilla, Burritos & Wraps. We rarely eat Quesadilla/Burritos at Qdoba & Chipotle. We like Mexican dishes and I wanted to recreat some of our favorite recipes at home. Initially, I used to buy ready made flour tortillas but V doesn't like the flavor and taste of those ready made ones. So, we completely stopped buying the ready made ones. Few weeks back, my little one asked me whether he can have school lunch/hot lunch from school. Even Though I pack his favorite dishes for lunch box he still impressed with the hot lunch served at school.

Aloo Kulcha Recipe | Amritsari Aloo Kulcha | Punjabi Aloo Kulcha Recipe | Stove Top Aloo Kulcha Recipe

Amritsari Aloo Kulcha recipe with step by step photos. Aloo Kulcha is a popular Punjabi flat bread that is prepared using aloo/potato stuffing. Traditionally, kulchas are prepared in a clay oven but alternatively, you can make soft and puffy kulchas on stove top method too. This recipe is a fail proof recipe and it doesn't involve yeast to make dough. I have already shared Plain Kulcha and I followed the same method for making dough.
The potato stuffing I used here, is a simple recipe without any sauteing or use of fancy ingredients. Just a few simple ingredients/spices from your pantry is enough. Adding ajwain seeds to the stuffing gives good flavor and also aids in digestion. My kids loved this Aloo Kulcha a lot and asked me to make for their lunchbox sometime. Not only kids, even adults will love this soft and yummy kulchas a lot. You can even use this potato stuffing to make Aloo Paratha.

Spicy Rice Murukku Recipe | Onion Murukku Recipe | Rice Murukku(Chakli) With Onion

Rice Murukku/Mullu Murukku is my favorite of all murukku recipes. I have already shared the recipe for crispy and melt in mouth Rice Murukku with Pottukadalai flour. This Murukku recipe was similar to my previous recipe but with ground chilli and onion paste. Long Back, V bought a Rice Murukku packet from near by Indian store and it was so spicy and tasted different from the regular Rice Murukku. The Foodie/Food blogger mind started guessing the ingredients and came to know that the murukku was prepared using onion/shallots, green chilli along with other usual ingredients from the Ingredients Label. From that time I wanted to try Murukku with green chillies and shallots. And last week, tried this spicy Chaklis, followed my Rice Murukku recipe and to it added some ground chilli and onion paste. Spiciness from green chilli, mild sweetness from onion paired perfectly with Murukku. It tasted similar to onion fryums and we loved it a lot. These crunchy and spicy murukku makes a perfect tea time snack or even a side dish for Sambar Sadham & Rasam & Rice!

Yellow Peas Masala | Sundal Masala Recipe | Yellow Peas & Chickpeas Masala Curry

Yellow Peas Masala/Sundal Masala is an interesting and healthy snack recipe that is similar to Chaat/Ragda Recipe. But this Sundal Masala is entirely different from North Indian Style chaats. More or less like a bean soup with simple spices. This kind of sundal masala is one of the popular street food of Tamil Nadu. In my home town, Salem, during evening time you could find lots of road side shop where they sell bhaji, bonda, pakora, thaatu vadai set, this Peas Masala & Chaats. And near to our house there was a small shop which was well known for all varieties of savory snacks. We have tasted almost all of their snack items and especially their Samosa Chaat & Cutlets are my favorite. It was a small shop with good hygienic environment.

Aval Pidikozhukattai Recipe | Red Poha Pidi Kozhukattai | Poha Sweet Modak Recipe | Aval Inippu Pidi Kozhukattai Recipe

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi Wishes To all Who celebrate the occasion. May Lord Ganesha Fill your Home With Prosperity, Fortune & Good Health. Finally, I am here with a quick Neivedyam recipe, Aval Pidi Kozhukattai recipe for Ganesh Chaturthi Ocassion.
Aval Pidi kozhukattai is one such easy and simple recipe that can be prepared within 20 minutes or less. Pidi Kozhukattai is a super easy ones when compared to the kozhukkati with stuffing. No need to worry about the crack, shape and filling. Also this kozhukkati was soft and yummy. My kids loved it a lot. I used Red Poha but you can also use regular poha variety.

Kulcha Recipe | How To Make Plain Kulcha Recipe | Kulcha Recipe - Stove Top Method | Easy Kulcha Recipe In 2 Ways

I am trying to update my blog at least twice or thrice in a week but due to one or the other reasons I couldn't update it regularly. I have handful of recipes lying in my draft for long time, also every week I cook at least one recipe for blog but still no boost to sit and write the post. Finally, I am here with my Kulcha Recipe post which i wanted to post 2 weeks back. One more reason for this kulcha post took time, that I don't have step wise pictures.

Egg Curry Recipe | Spicy Egg Curry | Capsicum Egg Curry

Today's recipe is a spicy Egg Curry that is prepared using freshly ground spices & tomato puree. The preparation process may look difficult and time consuming but actually you can make this curry in a jiffy. Last Week, I prepared this Egg Curry for our Dinner. At home, kids were sick and I wanted to make something spicy for them and this Egg Curry using freshly ground spices came to my mind. Also, i wanted to share this recipe here, so without any second thought prepared and clicked it. I served this Egg Curry with Jeera Rice for kids and I had it with rotis. Egg Curry pairs well with both rice & rotis.

Ragi Thattai Recipe | Thattai Recipe Using Ragi Flour | How To Make Ragi Thattai

Janmashtami Wishes to Everyone, Hope you had a wonderful celebration with your family and friends. We too had a good day with simple celebration at home. I couldn't post this Ragi Thattai Recipe on time. Anyway, this Ragi Thattai is a crispy, crunchy and yummy savory snack to enjoy with hot tea for evening snack or as Janmashtami Bakshanam  to offer Lord Krishna.
Actually, I wanted to post Rice Flour Thattai yesterday, but I don't have enough rice flour to make thattai and I was worried on seeing my Thattai Pictures on Instagram. And one of my Insta friend, Rekha who blogs at Resh Kitchen, suggested me to try Ragi Thattai. I was also interested with that idea and tried it immediately and planned to post this Yesterday. But somehow I lost the enthu by end of the day. This Ragi Thattais makes a great snack to enjoy with a cup of hot chai. These are super easy to make and the recipe as follows..

ThirattiPal Recipe | Homemade Palkova Recipe(From Whole Milk) | Traditional Method Of Making Palkova | Krishna Jayanthi Special Recipes

Thirattipal or Palkova is a traditional South Indian Sweet that is prepared using condensing milk with sugar until solidifies. I wanted to try this traditional method for long time, finally today tried it and the palkova turned out so perfectly. Its worth to try this lengthy, time consuming and tiring process to enjoy the final end product, Palkova. Nothing can beat the taste of this Freshly prepared Thirattipal from Whole Milk. Even without flavoring ingredients and ghee palkova smells and tastes divine.
I have already shared the quick method of Making Palkova using Condensed Milk(microwave method) and Palkova using Milk Powder.

Aval Laddu Recipe | Poha Ladoo | Easy Janmashtami Recipe Ideas | Poha Laddu Recipe In 10 Minutes

Today's post is a Janmashtami or Gokulashtami Special recipe,Aval Ladoo/Poha Ladoo that can be prepared in just 10 minutes or less. For Krishna Jayanthi, Aval or poha, Butter, milk are the most commonly used ingredients to make Neivedyam for Lord Krishna. So, I Wanted to share recipes with these ingredients and first comes here Quick Aval Ladoo Recipe. This Aval Laddoo tastes similar to Rava Ladoo and can be made in a jiffy. No special preparation required, a last minute recipe that comes handy for Neivedyam. Fresh Homemade Ghee takes this simple ladoo to next level, loved the flavor and also laddus tasted so yummy. Now off to the recipe..

Mor Kuzhambu Recipe | Poosanikai Mor Kuzhambu | South Indian Mor Kuzhambu Recipe

Mor Kuzhambu or Moru Curry is nothing but a buttermilk curry using coconut and lentils. Veggies like Poosanikai/White Pumpkin(Ash Gourd), Vendakka/Okra, Zucchini, Yam or Paruppu Urundai or even Masal Vadai can be used for Mor Kuzhambu. After Marriage, I did not cook Mor kuzhamu for 3-4 years because of V. I hate to cook for myself so, I do not cook mor kuzhambu and only 2 times I made it that too for Blog Post. But, I love mor kuzhambu a lot and can eat Mor kuzhambu for all three meals. Recently my kids too started liking Mor Kuzhambu..Luckily, my kids' taste buds are similar to mine and now I make once in 10 days for we three :)
 I have already shared Paruppu Urundai Mor Kuzhambu & Pachai Urundai Moru Curry recipe and this mor kuzhambu is easy,  without onion and garlic. For Padaiyal/Virunthu, we make this Mor Kuzhambu as it is without onions. This is a simple recipe with lovely flavor and taste. Here, I used White Pumpkin or Ash gourd but you can use any desired vegetable or even paruppu urundai to make this Moru Curry.

Methi Thepla Recipe | How To Make Methi Thepla | Methi Roti Recipe

Methi Thepla is popular Gujarthi Flat bread and is prepared using wheat flour/atta, gram flour, spices and fresh methi leaves. Methi Thepla or Methi Roti is a healthy, flavorful and delicious recipe that can be served as a main course for any meal. This Methi Roti doesn't require any fancy side dish, just a pickle or beaten curd is enough for a filling and satisfying meal. Due to the addition of gram flour, the rotis remains soft even after cooling. This way, it is good to pack for lunchbox or for picnic.
Try to use fresh Methi leaves for good taste and flavor. I used homegrown fresh methi leaves, as it was too tender and fresh I used the whole plant, just trimmed the root and finely chopped the plant and used it to make Methi Thepla. If using store bought methi bunches, just use leaves alone.

Channa Masala | Badami Channa Masala | Easy Chole Recipe | Chickpeas In Almond Onion Tomato Gravy

Vacation is all over and school started for kids from last Monday. From this year my lil' one is going full day school, So I get more free hours to look after myself and my blog too. For the past 2-3 months, I could not concentrate on my blog but still I cooked and clicked dishes whenever possible. Hope from now on wards I will be able to share recipes without any break. Now coming to today's recipe, Channa Masala / Badami Chole Masala. Usualy I cook Paneer or Tofu in rich Nut Based Onion Tomato Gravy. This time, for a change tried Chickpeas in rich Onion Tomato sauce using Almonds/Badam. It turned out so rich and yummy. I served with plain Kulcha and my kids loved this creamy chole masala a lot.

Inippu Ulunthu Vadai | Inippu Medhu Vadai Recipe | Inippu Vadai | Sweet Medhu Vada Recipe

Today's recipe is one of the traditional sweet recipe, Inippu Ulunthu Vadai or Sweet Medhu Vada. Inippu vadai is prepared using urad dal/black lentil and sugar combo with cardamom flavor. This sweet vada is one of my favorite sweet,but it is not prepared often like other sweets, my mom makes it only during special occasions or for padaiyal(pooja) or if we have guest at home. But we often buy it from our near by shop and enjoy it for our evening snack. My grandma used to say that dishes prepared using Urad dal are healthy for growing kids especially for girls. She suggest my mom to make Ulunthu kali, uluntham kanji, inippu vadai(with jaggery or karuppati)for me and my sister during the periods days. Ulunthu kali or kanji is good for girls' health and gives energy during those tiring days. These foods are not only healthy, tastes divine too. I will try to share the recipe for Uluntham Kanji sometime soon.

Mango Mocktail | Mango Lemon Soda | Summer Mango Drink Recipe

Summer started here and this week it was so hot and humid almost 91/94 F. I don't feel like going out, it is literally burning hot. Suddenly weather changes, it was only 60 -65 F until last week and it was nice to go out and enjoy the warm weather. Also we got good showers alternate days and some days mornings were bit cold too.

Lemon Sevai | Lemon Idiyappam Recipe | How To Make Lemon Sevai

Eid Mubarak to all who celebrate Eid. May The Almighty shower all his Mercy and blessing on you and your family. Have a Blessed Ramadan. Every year I miss to share Ramadan special recipes, hope at least next year i will share some best recipes.

During my school days, my best friend never fail to share the Ramadan feast with us. Auntie prepares elaborate meal on this special occasion, minimum of 7 or 8 varieties of sweets. I really miss those golden days. I still remember the taste of her sweets and the best Ramadan Biryani. As it is all prepared with lots of love it tastes the best. I will try to share some of her recipes here soon. Not only during Ramadan, whenever I visit my friend's place she treat us with feast and lots of love. She is one of the best Mom, my friend and her family are lucky and blessed to have her.

Now coming to the recipe, Idiyappam is our family's favorite recipe. We love both sweet and savory version. But Idiyappan with Thengai Paal/Sweetened Coconut Milk is me and my kids' favorite of all. V love Jaggery Idiyappam. Sometimes I feel lazy to make jaggery syrup for him and that time he ask me to make savory version with lemon. This Lemon Sevai is one of the easiest breakfast recipe for me on weekends. You can use either lemon or lime juice to make this savory version.

Okra Rice Recipe | Spicy Okra Rice | Vendakkai Sadham | Indian Lunch Box Recipe

It is hard to feed my kids with some vegetables and one such vegetable is Okra aka Bhendi, Vendakkai. I usually make Poriyal with Okra(Okra Poriyal) and rarely Vendakkai Sambar or Puli Kuzhambu. V suggest me to serve poriyal mixed with rice rather than as a side dish for kids. It is easy to feed them the veggies, so I often make Cabbage Rice, Carrot Rice, Spinach Rice and this time tried Okra Rice with Okra and some Indian spices. To my surprise, this simple okra rice turned out super tasty and kids loved it. I served this mildly spiced Okra Rice With Boondi Raita. Boondi Raita paired well with the Okra rice. I used Pav Bhaji masala for this rice, it tasted almost like a Tawa Pulao with Okra. Now off to the recipe..

Homemade Ghee | How To Make Ghee At Home | Homemade Ghee From Cultured Butter | DIY Clarified Butter At Home

Homemade Ghee recipe with step by step recipe. Making ghee at home is a very simple process and all you need is a good quality butter or homemade butter. Ghee or clarified butter Ghee is prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from cream or cultured cream and removing the liquid residue. The texture, color and taste of ghee depend on the quality of the butter, I prefer to use cultured butter than the regular sweet cream unsalted butter.

Traditional way of making ghee at home is from cultured butter and the process includes 3 stages- Milk is boiled well and after cooling to warm temperature then yogurt/curd(culture) is added to make curd(8 hours). Then the curd is churned well to obtain cultured butter then that butter is melted/simmered to make ghee. Spices or herbs are added to make ghee more flavorful and healthy.

I remember my mom and aunt churn a big pot of fresh homemade curd to obtain butter then that butter is used to make ghee. But in recent days, we do not have time and patience to make ghee the traditional way and rely on quick fix method by buying store bought unsalted butter for instant process. The store bought unsalted butter is not cultured and they are made using centrifugal force. It is then pasteurized by heating it rapidly to a high temperature to eliminate potential disease-causing bacteria and help the butter stay fresh longer.

Mango Strawberry Popsicle | Mango Popsicle With Strawberry | Summer Fruit Popsicle Recipe

If you are looking for a simple, healthy summer treat dessert?! Then fresh fruit popsicles like Mango Popsicle, Watermelon Popsicle, Mango Strawberry Popsicle are the best one to enjoy during hot sunny days. These chilled frozen fruit desserts are not only delicious, colorful and also healthy. These real fruit popsicle are dairy free, gluten free, no preservatives needed and all you need is some sugar syrup, lime or lemon juice and desired fresh fruits or seasonal fruits like Mango, Watermelon, Strawberry, Pineapple etc., Mango is my most favorite fruit of all but dunno my kids do not like mangoes but they love mango Popsicle, mango lemonade, mango kulfi. They rarely eat mango fruit as such, so for them i try smoothies, milkshake and now Popsicle. Popsicle are easy to make and the result of frozen fruit puree is always amazing. I love making fruit Popsicle and kulfis. Before the mango season ends do try this Mango Strawberry Popsicle for your kids.Here you go.,

Ragi Malt(Sweet) Recipe | Dates Ragi Malt | Sweet Ragi Porridge Recipe | Ragi Malt With Dates & Nuts

Today's recipe is a healthy and equally delicious sweet porridge prepared using Ragi flour, Palm Jaggery, Dates & Nuts. I cook Ragi/Finger Millet once or twice in a week and mostly a savory dish like Ragi Adai or Ragi Idli for dinner or breakfast. Rarely make Ragi Puttu for kids and this time instead of Puttu I made Sweet Porridge/Ragi Malt. Instead of plain version with milk and sugar I made it extra healthy using dates puree and Palm Jaggery. Palm Jaggery and dates are natural sweetener and the porridge turned out super delicious and also the color of the porridge was so dark like chocolate malt. My kids loved it a lot.
Ragi/Finger Millet porridge are super healthy and delicious recipes for growing kids, so try to include at least once in a week in their diet. If you don't have dates in hand you can skip dates and make it as a plain ragi malt. Here I used store bought Organic Ragi Flour and Organic Palm Jaggery, for vegan option use Coconut milk or Almond milk. I have tried with coconut milk too. Theres not much difference in the taste of ragi malt using dairy milk and coconut milk. Cardamom powder enhances the taste and flavor but it is optional.

Paneer Pakora Recipe | Easy Paneer Snack Recipe - Paneer Pakora

Kids are in vacation and that is the reason for my absence here. The whole day I am busy with them, we play, cook, read, draw, play board/card games, go out for a walk and ride bike. So one or the other things kept me busy. I will try my best to be active here. Now coming to today's recipe, Paneer Pakora. Few weeks back I made this Paneer Pakora for tea time snack.
These pakoras are similar to south Indian bajis in which the paneer pieces are dipped in spicy besan batter and deep fried. As I am not much fond of bhajis, i made this paneer pakoras for kids and they loved it.  These paneer pakoras are gluten free and are very easy to make at home.

Strawberry Mousse Recipe | Eggless Strawberry Mousse | Easy Strawberry Mousse Recipe Without Egg & Gelatin

One of the easiest, light and delicious dessert to enjoy in this hot summer - Mousse / Mousse with any fruits combo. I made this Egg & Gelatin free Strawberry Mousse way long back. A must try dessert and also this strawberry mousse is so light, creamy and delicious dessert that can be prepared in less than 10 minutes. It only requires an hour of refrigeration for setting. You can also use this strawberry mousse to frost the cake or you make Trifle or use it to make no bake cheese cake /strawberry cheese cake. In the same way you can also make Mango Mousse, Apple, any Berry fruits

Sabzi Sandwich Recipe | Vegetable Sandwich Recipe | Mixed Veg Sabzi Sandwich - Easy Kids Lunch Box Recipe Ideas!

Sabzi Sandwich / Mixed Vegetable Sandwich is one my kids' recent favorite recipe. I often make sabzi for rotis, Sabzi is nothing but a dry curry or stir fry with vegetables. I used to pack roti roll with dry side or stir fried veggies for sanjay's lunch box. He likes stuffed paratha and roti roll a lot than rice. But making rotis in the morning for both breakfast and lunch is sometime hard for me, so as a quick fix instead of roti, I made Sandwich using Sabzi and it was super hit with kids. We all loved it a lot and from that time whenever I bake or buy fresh bread then it will be Sabzi sandwich for the following day breakfast or lunch.

This Sabzi Sandwich is one of the best way to feed veggies to kids. You can use any number of vegetables for this sabzi, here I used carrot, beans, potato and green peas. Easy and healthy meal for kids. Even for adults this makes a filling and wholesome meal, I prefer whole wheat or multi grain bread for myself.

Jackfruit Seed Dry Curry Recipe | South Indian Jackfruit Seed Dry Curry | Easy Jackfruit Seed Recipe

Today's recipe is simple and easy to make dry curry or dry side dish recipe that is prepared using Jackfruit seeds.  Jackfruit seeds are edible and is used in Indian Cooking to make variety of recipes. Or it can be boiled with some salt and served as a snack. I love boiled jackfruit seeds for snacking and also I am lazy to make curry or kuzhambu with it. So always ended up eating as plain boiled jackfruit seeds.
This time for a change, tried this dry curry recipe for lunch along with Rasam. This dry curry makes an excellent side dish with rice and rasam or curd. I did not add tomatoes but you can also add 1 chopped tomatoes and make it like thokku.

Spinach Pulao | Palak Peas Pulao | Quick Palak Pulav - Easy One Pot Meal Recipe

Quick Palak pulao - One Pot Meal / Lunch Box recipe with step by step pictures. I prefer to cook one pot meal at least once in a week, it can be a Non-Veg Biryani for Sunday's lunch or Arisi Paruppu Sadham for Vegetarian Saturday Lunch or simple and quick one pot meal like pulao for weekdays lunch. I mostly pack rotis & sabzi/Dry side for my kid's lunch box but making rotis and sabzi all five days is not possible since I cook separate lunch for V.  So once in a week I pack rice for sanjay too, sanjay likes mild pulao for lunch, and the pulao should me mildly spiced and not loaded with more vegetables. Keeping that in mind, I prepared this easy peasy Spinach Pulao / Green pulao and he loved it a lot.
Spinach pulao/ Palak Pulao can be prepared in less time with simple ingredients. Recently,I started to use my freezer more, yes.,I started following few of my friends' technique
and freeze beasn, greens, chopped vegetables, seasonal fruits, coconut etc., And it really help me to cook both breakfast and lunch in an hour. For this pulao i used my frozen chopped spinach, put them in microwave with couple of tsps of water and cook in high heat for 2 minutes then blend it with green chilli, ginger and garlic. If you are using fresh spinach, then cook or blanch or use as it is.

Jackfruit Smoothie | Jackfruit Chia Smoothie Recipe | Jackfruit Banana Chia Smoothie | Chia Smoothie Recipes

Last month V bought a whole Jackfruit from Farm Fresh Market Store, yes., the whole fruit. We get Jackfruit here during season time but not as a whole fruit, they cut the whole fruit into 6 or 8 pieces and wrapped individually for sale. But this year, luckily got the whole Jackfruit here and that too the fruit was fully ripen with nice pretty golden color, tasted so so sweet and delicious. Even the honey dipped jackfruit will not taste that much sweet. We enjoyed the fruit to the core. First, I thought will make Kerala style Payasam and Halwa using that Jackfruit but you know the sweetness and the color of the fruit was so tempting and ended up eating them as such. I only tried this yummy and filling smoothie using Jackfruit and Banana Combo. So before the jackfruit season ends, try this tropical fruit smoothie and enjoy.

Mung Bean Pakora | Green Moongdal Bhajiya - Easy Savory Tea Time Snack

Moongdal Bhanjiya or Moong dal Pakora is a popular Mumbai Street food. It is nothing but a simple and easy to make savory snack, that is light and mildly spiced and perfect for evening tea time snack with hot garam chai or chilled beverage. Instead of yellow moongdal I used whole moong dal/green moongdal or mung bean for making this bhajiyas. Whole moong added nice texture and flavor to the bhajiya than the yellow dal.
These bhajiya has a great taste and flavor of freshly ground pepper, dhaniya seeds. Adding finely chopped onions is optional but I added few finely chopped for good crunch and flavor. My kids loved this bhajiyas a lot, this is sure an addictive and yummy snack. Please do try this for your kids and family and let me know how it turned out to you.

Mushroom Peas Kurma | Easy Mushroom Peas Kurma Recipe | Easy Side Dish For Chapati/Roti

Easy South Indian Style Mushroom Peas Kurma recipe with step by step pictures. Most of our dinner menu will be Phulka rotis and any vegetarian curry or Kurma or Sabzis. Sometimes for a quick side, I make Egg Bhurji or Paneer Bhurji With fresh Homemade Paneer.