Category: Foodie

When you steam corn and fresh peanuts for breakfast, remember: this is not just cooking, this is aromatherapy with consequences. Add one or two green chilies, some enthusiastically grated ginger, and—if you are morally prepared—a few crushed garlic cloves. Sprinkle pudina leaves and salt, and let the steamer do its magic. Important instruction: steam extra.…

For a change, I made this Kundurus rice. Almost the same process as making ‘Vangi Bath’ from Karnataka. Instead of traditional Vangi Bath masala, I used my homemade ‘Stuffed Kerala masala’ that I prepare and store. If you’re too busy scrolling social media to make your own masala, then go ahead and buy the ready…

When my host again made my favorite Andhra idli [which differs from Tamil idli], I was tempted to make the ‘Puli Kodsu’ that my mother used to make for us. Following her recipe, I made it, and it came out perfectly—just as a child learns from its mother rather than from others. In South India,…

Experimenting with Sankar, our helper in the ashram.  I made an all-in-one Millet-Suji batter for Idli, Dosa, Puttu, and Kuzhi Paniyaram with added bottle gourd and ridge gourd. Only the Kuzhi Paniyaram turned out a bit less than perfect, while the rest were relatively good. From a health perspective, this is a better alternative than…

Take time to enjoy solitude   There is joy in serving others—particularly entertaining guests. Similarly, there is joy in enjoying your life alone in solitude once in a while. After Rajesh left, I took a bath and sat with my breakfast, not at the dining table, but in the bay window, stretching my legs and…

Coriander Coffee  If you are a South Indian, you need not read this. Take a cup of Coriander seed (sabud dhaniya in Hindi) A teaspoon of dry ginger powder (known as ‘sont’ in Hindi) First fry coriander seed till it gets roasted.  Don’t burn it, but it should be roasted properly. Then make it as…

All depends upon our attitude Coriander Coffee  If you are a South Indian, you need not read this. Take a cup of Coriander seed (sabud dhaniya in Hindi) A teaspoon of dry ginger powder (known as ‘sont’ in Hindi) First fry coriander seed till it gets roasted.  Don’t burn it, but it should be roasted…