Weekend Getaway To Pearl Valley, Near Anekal

We are trying to make the most of the beautiful, beautiful weather in Bangalore lately. Of late, weekends see us on heading out on long drives, exploring places, seeing the city we live in with new eyes. One of my cousins has moved from the US of A, and we are – sort of – helping him get acquainted with Bangalore. Suits me just fine! So, that’s how we came to be checking out this place called Pearl Valley one gorgeous rainy weekend.

Read all about our experience at Pearl Valley, just in on the other blog!

Inji Oorugai| Oil Free Instant Ginger Pickle

The markets in Bangalore are flooded with baby ginger these days. You know, those very tender knobs of ginger that are almost white, with a pinkish tinge to them? That’s the sort of ginger that’s just perfect for the purpose of pickling, I say.

Today, I share with you the recipe for Inji Oorugai, a simple instant pickle I make using this baby ginger. This is a no-fuss pickle that needs the bare minimum of ingredients, time and effort to make. It’s a no-oil version too. And yet, it’s an absolute delight to eat, converting a bowl of curd rice into a blissful treat. It wouldn’t be wrong to call this a guilt-free pickle, one that all of us at home adore. It’s a good digestive too, this pickle.

Check out the recipe, just in on my other blog!

Thotada Mane: A Food Stop You Must Make In Srirangapatna

All of us city dwellers, every once in a while, need the sort of detox where we sit down peacefully in the midst of natural surroundings and gorge on homely, good food. Thotada Mane in Srirangapatna is just the right place for that.

Located a little over 100 km away from Bangalore, Thotada Mane is ideal for a weekend breakfast or lunch drive. I’m sure the rustic look of the place and the simple food served here will win you over. We were definitely charmed, when we made a pit-stop at Thotada Mane recently, en route to Mysore.

Read all about our experience at Thotada Mane, just in on my other blog!

Fada Lapsi| Broken Wheat Pongal

This festive season, try out this relatively guilt-free dessert called Fada Lapsi!

Fada Lapsi is a heritage Gujarati dessert made using broken wheat (dalia) and jaggery, considered highly auspicious. It is prepared to celebrate engagements, weddings and other festive occasions like Raksha Bandhan, Janmashtami and Diwali.

I make the Fada Lapsi the way a Gujarati family friend taught me years ago, an easy-peasy recipe that doesn’t require too much of expertise or effort. The end result, though, is supremely delicious and hearty.

Do try out the recipe and share your feedback!

Chilli Tofu

The weather in Bangalore has taken a sharp turn, lately. We’ve been having dark, overcast, rainy days that are quite chilly. This warrants for delicious, hot food, in our books! That’s how Chilli Tofu happened for lunch at our place, one recent weekend.

Today I share with you my recipe for Chilli Tofu, a delicious dish that is a burst of flavours. It’s a very easy thing to prepare, taking just about 10-12 minutes to put together. I have tried to make it as healthy as possible, by making a few little substitutions here and there.

This is a completely plant-based, vegan Chilli Tofu recipe. It can be made gluten-free as well.
Check out the recipe, just in on my other blog!

Pudina Pulav| Mint Vegetable Rice

I learnt how to make Pudina Pulav or Mint Vegetable Rice from my sister-in-law when I was a newlywed. This is a pulav with a South Indian bent, quite popular in restaurants and homes in this part of the country. It has always been a favourite in the husband’s family, and remains so till date. No wonder why, considering it is such an easy-peasy one-pot recipe, yet manages to be a flavour bomb. It can be made using very little oil, too.

Check out our family recipe for Pudina Pulav, just in on my blog!

Rajasthani Gatte Ki Sabzi

Here’s some Rajasthani fare from my kitchen – Gatte Ki Sabzi!

Gatte Ki Sabzi refers to a supremely delicious curry hailing from Rajasthan. Gram flour is mixed with a few spices, shaped into dumplings and cooked, then served with a delightful curd-based gravy. The tangy, spicy gravy is just the perfect complement for the soft, soft dumplings (gatte). Together, they make a wonderful accompaniment to parathas, rotis and the likes.

Check out my stepwise guide to making soft, melt-in-the-mouth, delish Gatte Ki Sabzi at home.

Ragi Roti|Gluten-Free Finger Millet Flatbread

I present to you today the recipe for ragi roti, a delicious flatbread made using finger millet. This is the Karnataka style of making ragi roti, quite a popular food in the homes and old-world restaurants of the state.

Ragi, as we all know, is loaded with health benefits, and this roti is a good way of harnessing them. This is a completely gluten-free preparation as well.

The roti requires very few ingredients and is quite simple to prepare, once you get the hang of it. I’ve shared tips and tricks in my post to help get it right.

Check out the recipe, just in on the other blog!

Mug Na Dhokla| Whole Green Moong Dhokla

More often than not in my kitchen, whole green moong gets used in dosa, sabzi, kurma, salad or chaat. Recently, however, I decided to use it to make Dhokla. The result was so finger-lickingly delicious that it became an instant favourite with everyone at home.

This Whole Green Moong Dhokla is a super healthy, steamed snack that can be whipped up in a jiffy. There’s a bit of prior preparation involved, but I can assure you that the delicious end result is totally worth it!

Check out the recipe, just in on my other blog.

Bun Halwa| Easy Bread Halwa Without Milk

My first tryst with Bun Halwa was at the iconic Gopu Iyengar’s in Madurai, a couple of years ago. It was on the ‘Specials’ list the day we visited, I was intrigued enough to order it, and I fell in love with the piping-hot dessert when it arrived. The service staff was kind enough to tell me how to go about making it, too.

I present to you today the way I prepare Bun Halwa at home, largely the way I learnt at Madurai, with a few little flourishes of my own. Let me tell you that this is one super simple dessert to make, one you can blindly trust when you have unannounced guests over and need to make a sweet treat in a jiffy. It’s a delicious, delicious way to use up those last few bakery buns or bread that have been lying around the house, threatening to go stale! 🙂

Head to my other blog to check out the recipe!