TANDOORI GOBI | CAULIFLOWER RECIPES | EASY STARTER RECIPES

 Baked and Tawa method

Tandoori Gobi is a very easy starter recipe which i recently saw in TV show, but i have never tasted this Tandoori Gobi. Last weekend, i ordered  this easy starter recipe in a restaurant . Though we all liked the taste it was very spicy. On the way back, i bought one pack of cauliflower to try this at home following the recipe. I tweaked the recipe slightly, according to my preference.

This tandoori gobi, turned out very well and we all happily enjoyed this vegetarian starter.

MAAVADU RECIPE | VADU MANGO PICKLE | PICKLE RECIPES

Vadu mangai or maavadu , generally we get in summer season and i remember accompanying my mom to the central market in my town, to buy the tender mangoes . We make pickle out this vadu mangai . My mom always buy this vadu manga in bulk (10 padi) and she makes pickle in big jars and share with my athais who are all big fan of vadu manga pickle. Though i am not a big fan of maavadu i enjoy seeing this procedure of making maavadu. I love the maavadu water very much, a perfect combo for Curd rice. Make this easy maavadu pickle this summer and enjoy them with curd rice.

COOKING FOR GUESTS SERIES #20 |CHAAT RECIPES | EVENING SNACK MENU

Posting chaat recipes in cooking for guests series is my daughter's idea. Actually i made this for my kids as a snack when they came back from school. I made in small quantities and they finished all of them in few minutes . Generally they take some tiffin or variety rice  for lunch box and after coming back from school, they usually have full meal with rice, dal, curry and yogurt. So this will be filling for them as most of the days they go for some classes in the evening. If they have some snacks , both of them will feel hungry around 6 pm. But this snack was very filling for them and your guests can sure be pleased with this chaat menu for snack. They can easily have a light dinner after this filling chaat.
By the time i finished making, the kids reached home and i took the pictures in hurry.

MANGO PUDDING RECIPE | EGGLESS MANGO PUDDING RECIPE| MANGO RECIPES

Mango season started in full swing. My first order from Ministry of Mangoz has arrived last week. the alphonso mangoes were very tasty and they are organic too. We are really enjoying the mangoes and side by side i am trying out some mango recipes too. Mango pudding i wanted to make last year itself but some how missed it out during the mango season. I made this 2 days back and we all really enjoyed this mango pudding. I made this with agar-agar as i wanted to make the  vegetarian version of mango pudding.

METHI KHAKHRA RECIPE | METHI KHAKRA RECIPE

Khakhra | khakra is a crispy flat bread , originally a Gujarathi savoury snack. Few years back, when we are travelling to Delhi from Chennai, in train, i saw few people eating this khakras for breakfast. That was the first time i was introduced to this snack. Later i tasted it few times but never attempted at home.
 Last week one of my friend posted a picture of khakra in facebook and i had a fresh bunch of methi leaves at home too. So i wanted to try out this khakras and clarified few doubts with my friend. It was so easy to make at home and quite healthy as it is made with Wheat flour. It is bit time consuming but very much worth the effort. Try out this super healthy and easy tea time snack - Methi Khakra. Even if you are travelling you can make this and take as this will stay good for a week.

KEERAI KOOTU RECIPE | KOOTU RECIPES

Any variety of kootu is loved by all of us at home. Evn my son who sometimes won't eat some veggies, if i make in the form of kootu, he will have it without any complaints. Keerai kootu i made it almost once or twice a week and among all kootu recipes, this one with keerai|spinach we like a lot. My mom makes this with manathakkali keerai , which we grow in our garden. I still love the freshness of the kootu she makes with home grown keerai. This kootu recipe is very easy to make and very healthy too. Check out my Keerai Masiyal and Keerai poriyal.

COOKING FOR GUESTS SERIES #19 |WEEKEND BRUNCH IDLI |SAMBAR AND MORE

Cooking for guests , for many episodes i made the food for my own family . As you all know practically it is not possible for me to call guests every week. This particular meal i made specially for my friend, who was moving out of Singapore . She is a North Indian and loves South Indian food. When i invited her for dinner, she strictly told "Jeyashri don't make north indian food , please make it south indian" . And also she  didn't give me much trouble in deciding on the menu and told me that she want idli and sambar in the menu and also avial. So my job is so easy is and i decided the menu in few minutes and noted it down in a paper, so that i will not forget !!. We had a lovely moment and the entire family loved the food. I made the meal for dinner and you can make this for a weekend brunch too.
Planning to come back with some other interesting series soon.

MANGO CHOCOLATE POPSICLE | POPSICLE RECIPES | MANGO RECIPES

 Last week i got the season's first mangoes from an Indian shop, and i was totally excited to see them . For those who follow me on twitter know, as i already mentioned it there. As the season is slowly coming up here, the  mangoes for not very sweet, but nor very tasteless. They tasted ok, but varsha wanted me to make mango milkshake. I made for her and with one left over mango i made a mango chocolate Popsicle. I just added mango, cocoa powder, milk and sugar.It tasted very nice. Instead of cocoa powder you can nutella too.
For my friend's in Singapore, one of my friend is having a farm in India and she has started an online site for selling mangoes. You get nice hand picked fresh mangoes at affordable prices. Please visit MINISTRY OF MANGOZ to get your mangoes. ( This is not a paid or sponsored post)

PINWHEEL COOKIES RECIPE |EGGLESS COOKIES RECIPES

Pinwheel cookies i am attempting for the first time but i am  so happy with the results. I was in a dilemma whether to make  short bread cookies or chocolate chip cookies, but finally decided to make pinwheel cookies.  I saw few videos in you tube and had an idea as how to make pinwheel cookies. I made an basic eggless vanilla cookie dough and added some melted chocolate chip to make a chocolate dough. I am so happy with the results . Do give it a try at home and for sure your kids will love this.
The recipe of the basic cookies is from Joy of baking.

FRUIT CHAAT RECIPE | MIXED FRUITS CHAAT

Fruit Chaat is a very healthy snack recipe.If  any kids who are fussy eaters, especially doesn't eat fruits , this is one of  the best way to make them eat fruits. Though i love to add Chaat masala to pineapple and guava,  suresh always advises me eat it as such. But once in a while me and my daughter varsha will eat in this way. Very long back, i have seen my friend making this fruit chaat for her son who is a fussy eater. Though it is always good and healthy to eat fruits as it is, once in a while we can have like this , for a change. During fasting days, we can have this fruit chaat too. Sometimes after some festival days if we have lot of fruits at home , we can make this also.

COOKING FOR GUESTS SERIES #18 | TAMIL NEW YEAR SPECIAL LUNCH MENU

இனிய தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்

This week in cooking for guests series , i have made full elaborate meal we cook for Tamil New Year. Tamil New year is celebrated tomorrow . When we were in India i used to cook elaborate  meal for all festivals. After coming here though i make the important items for each and every festival. The reason behind this not due to laziness, but most of the festivals come on working days and for lunch i will be the only person at home. Suresh and kids will pack lunch for office and school. Even it is on a holiday, nobody will eat an elaborate meal. But i wanted to make an elaborate meal for this cooking for guests series and today i will be sharing the Tamil New year lunch menu.
I couldn't get proper banana leaf , and the one which we get in cover was not so proper when i opened. It was bit wide and was difficult to cover in my lens too. Though i am satisfied with the meal i am not satisfied with the pictures. But i don't have option , as i don't get banana leaf in near by shop and i opened the leaf . just before serving the food. So the food was ready already and i have to click. Will update sometime .

POOSANIKAI KOOTU WITH TAMARIND | ASH GOURD KOOTU

Poosanikai kootu |ash gourd kootu is the one which is made in mils place during all festivals like deepavali, pongal, tamil new year, navaratri pooja and the list goes on. Whereas my mom makes Sambar for most of the occasions. All of them in the family likes this kootu very much and some times ash gourd will be replaced with brinjals too. Traditionally raw peanuts are added to this kootu but many times we replace with black channa too. We call it as poosnikai puliita kootu ( ash gourd kootu with tamarind) . This recipe is similar to Arachuvitta sambar but with few small variations.
   This recipe i clicked long back, but some how missed to post. When i was seeing the pictures album today, i saw this and as the pictures looked decent, i thought i will post. The step wise pictures , will be updated with good ones soon.
Checkout my Poosanikai Kalyana kootu .(without tamarind)

PLAIN PARATHA |PLAIN PARATHA RECIPE |PARATHA RECIPES

   As South Indians, we always make idli, dosa, upma for breakfast but parathas rarely take place in our menu for breakfast. Some times when i make aloo paratha for kids lunch box and keep the same for me for breakfast. During our trip to Delhi, ( i know i am talking too much about the trip, please bear with me) we happened to have parathas for breakfast on most of the days. But we all enjoyed as whenever we go for an international holiday we end up eating cornflakes, bread and juice for breakfast. Few years back when we go for a North India trip we hunt for places to have South Indian food , but now a days Indian Vegetarian food is more comfortable for us ,especially for me. These plain parathas i have added in my last week's cooking for guests menu. So if you have guest, you need not not make lot of chapathis, just few parathas you can make as they are thick.

MASALA CHAAS | MASALA CHAAS RECIPE

Masala Chaas i first had some 12 years back when we went to my firnd's place in Jaipur. She made masala chaas at home and tasted very nice. After that though i had few times at restaurants, never attempted to try at home. During our recent trip to Delhi, had lots of Masala Chaas in all places we visited. A tall of glass of masala chaas after breakfast kept us energetic throughout the day. I just made it few days back at home. Sharing the recipe of simple masala chaas today.
There are many variations to the recipe and mine is the basic simple one.

COOKING FOR GUESTS SERIES #17 | NORTH INDIAN MENU

This week i went so fast and i didn't plan any menu till Thursday night. But just before going to bed i soaked some rajma , as i thought i will make a North indian meal. Morning after the usual routine, i planned the menu , which can be made either for dinner or for lunch. This week's meal includes Carrot ginger soup, rajma masala, Kadai paneer, Plain paratha, mushroom puloa and fruit salad with ice cream. Actually this menu didn't much for me to cook . I totally enjoyed cooking this north indian meal and of course enjoyed eating too.
North indian meals are always most welcome among South indian friends. So if you have guests who are a big fan of North indian meal, just go ahead and make this meal.

APPLE PIE RECIPE | MINI APPLE PIE RECIPE

Apple pie ,i have tasted in McDonalds long back , but never thought i will make it at home one day. Last week i have seen making of an mini apple pie in a cookery show . I actually wanted to  try a vegetable pie , but my daughter Varsha who watched the TV show with me , was so particular to make the apple pie. So finally ii tried the mini apple pie today and it turned out very well. She totally enjoyed and the house is filled with fantastic aroma.

IDLI TIKKA RECIPE | KIDS FRIENDLY SNACKS RECIPE

Paneer tikka is always my favorite starter, but very recently i saw Idli tikka in a local food channel when i visited Delhi last week. It sounded very interesting to me. I thought i can make this for kids as they are on vacation now. This idli tikka was an super hit among my kids and i too loved this a lot.  Do try this easy kids friendly recipe at home. I made them with mini idlis. You can do this with normal idlis too.
Check out the how to make soft idlis