Navaratri Combo sweets and snacks

Navaratri 2019 is starting on September 29. I have posted Navaratri combo food post few years back. That post will be a combination of Tiffin items and sweets. Few of my friends and readers asked me to post dry sweets and snacks combos. Many times when you have sudden guests or if you are a working women, can plan and make this in advance and pack it for guests who come for Navaratri. We used to do friday Satsang at our home in Chennai, and those days, we used to pack murukku and nei urundai for guests who come for the bhajan. So curated a Navaratri combo sweet and snack, along with a Sundal.
Do check out my complete collection of Navaratri recipes, Navaratri Sundal and payasam recipes.
Weekend Lunch menu will be posted from next week.

Capsicum Sambar recipe, Paasi paruppu sambar

Capsicum Sambar recipe| Kudamilagai sambar| Paasi paruppu sambar, recipe with step by step pictures, no onion no garlic version of Sambar, pairs well with idli, dosa, pongal and also with rice. We usually add ladies finger, drumstick, small onions, brinjals, Pumpkin to Sambar. During my childhood days, capsicum is a rare thing to find in our place. Also it used to be very expensive too. So whenever we get capsicum in our market, amma makes Capsicum bajji. After i got married and moved to chennai, capsicum used to be available in most of the shops at reasonable price. I was introduced to Capsicum Sambar by my mil. She loves capsicum and puts in aval upma, sambar.. The smell of capsicum sambar used to be so divine for me, i still enjoy making sambar with capsicum.
This sambar i made using yellow moong dal | paasi paruppu. Generally sambar is made using toor dal in our homes. Paasi paruppu sambar is made for Tiffin items like idli, dosa and pongal. Do give this sambar a try and let me know how it turned out.
Also check out my

• Kalyana sambar
• Varuthuaracha sambar

Don't miss to check out the complete collection of No onion no garlic recipes. 

Bonda soup recipe

Bonda soup recipe| Urad dal bonda in moong soup, a popular Karnataka recipe, shared with step by step pictures. I tasted Bonda soup for the first time in a restaurant in Chennai. I loved the taste and wanted to make that at home one day. My friend who is a native of Karnataka passed the recipe to me few weeks back. As Bonda soup is a no onion no garlic recipe, i wanted to post it during this time. It is similar to our Tamil nadu Rasa vadai recipe. I made this during the weekend and it's a huge hit at home. I wanted to take the video but couldn't make it as i made this on  a weekend. Will try to upload when i do it next time. Do give this Bonda soup a  try, it's quite filling a and very tasty recipe. Check out my complete collection of No onion no garlic recipes.

Paneer fried rice, manchurian, Lunch menu 23

This week's Lunch menu is an Indo Chinese menu. Fried rice and Manchurian combo takes place rarely in my Kitchen, as personally i am not a fan of big fan of it. I was left with Paneer and a packet of baby corn in my refrigerator, so decided to go for this combo. To make it complete, i made fruit custard, one of my most favorite dessert. Right from the childhood, i love fruit custard. My mom makes this so often during mango season. Those days it was so rare and unique and so we look forward to this custard a lot. I happened to see some mango in the market yesterday, so wanted to include this in the menu.

Homemade Garlic naan on stove top

Homemade Garlic naan on stove top, without yeast, a popular Indian flat bread, recipe with full video and step by step pictures. Garlic naan is loved by everyone at home. Though i have never attempted making this at home, i always love to give it a try. I have posted Plain kulcha recipe and a Homemade Peshwari naan, with yeast. I just followed my Kulcha recipe for this recipe, as it doesn't contains any yeast. But this tried using half portion of whole wheat flour and half portion of all purpose flour. I turned out really well and my son who is a fan of garlic naan, loved it very much.
We served this Garlic naan with Green peas masala. Though paneer masala or chole is the usual combo for naan, trust me, the green peas masala combo turned out so well.

Pottukadalai vadai, Easy vadai recipes

Pottukadal vadai | Instant vadai recipe made using pottukadalai| chutney dal, easy to make crispy snack, recipe with full video and step by step pictures. Generally we make ulundu vadai or masala vadai by soaking dals and grinding it into a batter. This pottukadalai vadai is an instant one which doesn't needs any soaking, just grind the chutney dal and make the vadai. This is similar to the pattanam pakoda i posted some time back. If you have guests at home suddenly or if you crave for a deep fried snack on a rainy day evening, then this vadai is a perfect one for that.
Check out my

• Aval pakoda
• Medhu bonda

Hyderabadi Veg Dum Biryani, cauliflower pakoda, Lunch menu 22

Most of the houses will cook Biryani for a Sundal lunch. I have already posted Paneer biyani meal. This week's menu comes with a family's favorite Hyderabadi style Veg Dum biryani. Few week's back when my son ordered Veg biryani in a restaurant, it came with raita and cauliflower pakoda. I really loved that combo and shared the same today in our Indian lunch menu.

Broccoli fritters, Preethi Zodiac mixie review

Broccoli fritters, a simple and delicious snack recipe made using broccoli and other veggies, recipe with step by pictures and video. I got Preethi Zodiac Mixie, from Preethi kitchen appliances few months back. It comes with a Master chef jar which does a lot of function. Initially when i opened i was totally puzzled as how i am going to use all these facilities. But after few days i slowly got adjusted to it and now i can say, i am totally satisfied with the Master chef jar of Preethi zodiac Mixie. It does chopping, grating, kneading and slicing as well. It's quite useful for working women who always run out of time for chopping veggies. In this video, i will be showing the options available in the Master chef jar of Preethi zodiac.

Aloo paneer recipe, Aloo paneer masala

Aloo paneer masala recipe, paneer and potato cooked in rich tomato based gravy, recipe with step by pictures and video. Paneer masala always goes well with chapati, naan and rotis. We generally make different varieties of paneer gravy such as Paneer butter masala, shahi paneer, paneer do pyaza... Recently during our Hong kong trip, we ordered food from a dhaba wala guy and tasted the combo of paneer and chole masala. I loved the idea of paneer with chole and rajma. I wanted to try the combo of aloo and paneer. The aloo paneer masala turned out so well and was a super hit at home too. We had with rotis, you can serve with kulchas or lachha paratha too.
Check out other interesting combos

• Aloo Simla mirch masala
• Aloo palak recipe

Methi missi roti, Jaipuri veg pulao, Lunch menu 21

I planned to make a South Indian lunch for this week, but was running out of coconut and other stuff, so planned to make a North Indian platter with the available veggies. Jaipuri pulao, the rich veg pulao recipe, which is one of the popular recipe in Jeyashri's ktichen, paired with dhaba style dal, was a super hit combo at home. I have tried this methi missi roti for Jeyashri's kitchen mobile app. As i had methi leaves in the refrigerator, i wanted to make that too. 

Kozhukattai recipe, How to make Kozhukattai

Kozhukattai recipe in tamil, how to make kozhukattai, Kozhukattai recipe with sweet poornam, made using coconut and jaggery, detailed recipe step by step pictures.
Modakam | Kozhakattai we usually make for Ganesh chaturthi or Varalakshmi nombu. Also during aadi velli and thai velli also we make kozhukattai. I have already posted modakam recipe with video. Generally we use home made rice flour or idiyappam flour for making kozhukattai. I have posted different ways of making kozhakattai maavu. This recipe is made using raw rice, that is the outer poornam is made by grinding the soaked rice into a wet batter. This method gives really super soft kozhukattais and you never get lumps in the dough. Read the entire post thoroughly and go through the tips to get a perfect super soft kozhukattais. The same base works out well for ulundu kozhukattai as well.

Check out my complete collection of Ganesh chaturthi recipes.

Vazhakkai puttu, Vazhakkai podimas recipe

Vazhakkai putu| Vazhakkai podimas recipe, a dry curry with raw banana, cooked in a simple South Indian way. We generally make vazhakkai podimas without the addition of onion and garlic. I have shared a version of Vazhakkai podimas with video, in which we use a freshly ground spice powder. This vazhakkai puttu recipe i learnt from my friend, who shared with me the recipe of thakkali gotsu. She has been telling about this for a long time, but recently during  our morning walk, i asked her for the recipe and she shared the same. We loved the Vazhakkai podimas | Vazhakkai puttu with poondu rasam.
Check out my

• Chettinad style raw banana curry
• Vazhakkai fry

Arai puli kuzhambu, chow chow kootu, Lunch menu 20

After a short trip to Hong kong and had outside food for 5 days, we all craved for a home made food. This arai puli kuzhambu is one of my favorite . Few days back when i was talking with my sister, she was telling about amma's chow show kootu. So i decided to make that too, as i suddenly started craving for that. Though i don't know why the name arai puli kuzhambu, but i learned the recipe from my perimma. I saw her making this in my mom's kitchen and tried making at home. This is one of our family's favorite too. I planned to make a jeera rasam, but didn't make rasam.

Chana dal halwa recipe

Chana dal halwa recipe, easy to make halwa recipe with step by step pictures and video, perfect for Indian festivals. I have tried moong dal halwa and wanted to try chana dal halwa for a long time. Some time back when we had a potluck, one of our friend made this chana dal halwa. It tasted so yum and asked her for the recipe later. She sent the recipe with exact measurements and shared the nuances of the recipe too. I kept on postponing to try that out, as festival season is up, i thought this is the right time to try and share the recipe. Only the soaking of chana dal takes time, otherwise i can say this is an easy recipe to try out. As Janmashtami is on August 23rd , check out my collection of Janmashtami recipes

Curd murukku recipe, Thayir muruku

Curd murukku | Thayir murukku recipe with step by step pictures and video, a simple murukku using rice flour and sour curd. Even if you are living in a place where you don't have access to any other stuff, you can do it using only rice flour. I loved the taste of sour curd with spices in this murukku. This is similar to the sago murukku which i posted already. The murukku was crispy and the slight sour sour taste added up to the taste. As janmastami is coming up, i thought i will post this easy murukku recipe. Even for diwali also we can make this curd murukku.
Check out my

• Uppu seedai recipe
• Vella seedai recipe
• Besan murukku

Celebrating 10 years of Jeyashri's Kitchen

Jeyashri's Kitchen is turning 10 today, 19th August 2019. When I started Jeyashri's Kitchen 10 years ago, I never knew that this journey will take to here. I am so grateful to you all who supported me from the beginning and traveling with me for these past 10 years.
An exciting journey with exploring new things everyday, and adapting to new technological changes has shaped me a lot. Living in Singapore, exposed to so many friends from different states of India, has given me a good exposure to variety of cuisines. I learnt  a lot and still a learning a lot from each and every person I meet.
Needless to say, this journey is never complete without the support of my family. Many times I am asked how my family helps me in my work. Many assume that my husband takes the pictures and makes videos. They generally don't interfere in what I am doing and I am free to do anything without asking permission from anyone. This is a huge support for me as I was not questioned for any of my activity. Jeyashri's kitchen is fully managed by me and from cutting veggies to cleaning the vessels and editing videos and taking pictures, is solely managed by me.

This space gave me many new friends and i gained much more confidence too in this journey. When I started Jeyashri's kitchen 10 years back, I never thought that I will write cook books, do television shows, live cooking demos, cookery classes and all. Every new milestone, though I feel so nervous, it boosts my confidence and shapes me in a better way.

Trusting the grace of the Almighty which is carrying me in this entire journey, marching towards the new beginning and excited to share many more new recipes with you all in the coming up years.
Whenever I feel like quitting or giving up, the motivational messages I get from you all, gives me confidence. Feeling so responsible for all your love and I will continue to give my best in my work.
Looking forward to your continuous support as always.
Follow Jeyashri's kitchen on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube to get updates on new recipes. 

Pavakkai pitlai, eggplant fry, lunch menu 19

This week's lunch menu is loaded with veggies as i had to clean up my fridge before leaving for a short vacation. In the plate i have my favorites, yes i love pavakai pitlai a lot. I still remember the pavakkai pitlai, my grandmother makes. The magic touch of her hands makes this dish so yum. Even after many years, i could recall the taste and smell of the pitlai she makes. My mom also makes it so yum, but i got the exact recipe and the technique of making bitter gourd pitlai from my sister. She clearly explained me the difference between arachuvitta sambar and pitlai and the right amount of spices for both. And coming to the  pan fried eggplant, i am a huge fan of eggplant and this one i love it a lot. And incidentally this happened to be a no onion no garlic menu platter.

Ellu podi recipe

Ellu podi recipe, a simple south Indian podi recipe, perfect accompaniment for rice. I wanted to try this ellu podi recipe for a long time, recently while talking to amma, asked her for the recipe. This ellu podi recipe is a perfect bachelor recipe. Even you can mix this with hot rice and temper with mustard seeds and pack for lunch box too. I have posted some interesting podi recipes in Jeyashri's kitchen. Check out

1. Pavakkai podi
2. Puliyodarai podi

I used white sesame seeds for making this ellu podi, you can use black sesame seeds also.

Pastamania Style Agilo olio pasta

Agilo olio pasta, a simple pasta recipe without any sauce, tossed in olive oil, chilli and garlic.
Pastamania is a popular food joint here in Singapore. They have few vegetarian options and among them we love the agilo olio pasta very much. I have posted a agilo olio pasta during my initial days of blogging which has with bread crumbs. I personally love this spicy agilo olio as it does not involve any pasta sauce. So if you are looking for  pasta recipe without sauce, then this agilo olio is the best one. This is a perfect recipe for bachelors and students who stay in dorms. Do give it a try and let me know how it turned out. Generally agilo olio is made using spaghetti pasta, but i love it with penne pasta or fussili pasta.
If you are looking for quick fix recipes, then you must try this agilo olio pasta.
Do check out my other easy pasta recipes

• Spinach tomato pasta
• Indian style masala pasta

Dum Paneer kali mirch, ajwain paratha, lunch menu 18

It's almost 4 months now, i have started the lunch menu series. Thank you all for the support and motivation, which keeps me going. This week is a long weekend here in Singapore and i planned to make a meal with some paneer gravy. I planned to make Dum paneer kali mirch, a creamy delicious paneer recipe, which doesn't require the addition of tomatoes. Yes i had only one tomato when i started planning for the menu, so I decided to make this Dum paneer Kali mirch. Call me lazy, bit bored to make chapathi, decided to make Ajwain parathas and the entire menu was a super hit at home. They all polished off everything, before i finish my clicks. Check out my collection of Indian Lunch menu ideas.

Cabbage poricha kootu recipe

Cabbage poricha kootu recipe, with step by step pictures and video, a traditional South Indian kootu recipe made using veggies, dal and freshly ground masala. Poricha kootu is a very common item made in Tamil brahmin houses. We make it almost weekly once or twice. I personally prefer to have this with spicy Vatha kuzhambu. During our childhood days, especially when we have summer vacation, my athai used to make mixed veggies Poricha kootu in a large quantity and fry papads and keep. That combo will be so awesome and without bothering about the carbs intake we used to have 3-4 servings of rice for that poricha kootu appalam combo.
I have posted few varieties of kootu recipe in Jeyashri's kitchen. Do try this cabbage poricha kootu at home and share your feedback.
Also check out

• Raw banana kootu
• Pongal 7 kari kootu
• Drumstick kootu

Mushroom sandwich recipe

Easy to Mushroom sandwich recipe with step by step pictures and video, perfect for kids lunch box and back from school snack. Also this sandwich paired with a hot soup is a perfect one for a weeknight quick dinner too. I had some left over mushrooms after making Mushroom biryani. Last week one of my friend visited us home and she was talking about Mushroom Sandwich, then i decided to make this with my left over button mushrooms. It turned out so well. The most satisfying thing is the Mushroom sandwich was a super hit among kids. I added some cheese and they enjoyed a lot.
Check out other delicious kids friendly sandwich recipes

• Paneer sandwich
• Veg Mayonnaise sandwich
• Aloo chana chaat sandwich

Paneer Methi makhani, masala rice, lunch menu 17

Paneer gravies are our all time favorites, and i prefer to relish it during the weekends. The Paneer methi makhani is one among my favorites in my Paneer recipes collection. When i was planning for this week's lunch menu, i was thinking to make rotis only, but suddenly the idea of making plain paratha came in. It has been many years since i made it at home. We enjoyed the meal completely. We had some left over Millet curd rice and we had that in the last.

Avocado Taco chaat recipe

Avocado Taco chaat, yet another fusion recipe, with step by step pictures, a perfect party starter. We used to buy avocado rarely. As i am not a big fan of avocados and also feel it very heavy for tummy, i rarely buy them. But kids love Avocado milkshake. This time i bought the avocados to make an interesting toast. But the plan totally changed when the kids wanted Tacos. They tasted tacos in Chennai during our visit last month. But somehow they didn't like the outer shell and was asking to make it at home with the tacos available here. We decided to something using avocado and finally ended up in this Avocado Taco recipe. We all enjoyed the texture and taste of avocado in this fusion chaat recipe. I used the frozen red kidney beans and it will quite handy for us during such unplanned moments.
Check out

• Khakra chaat recipe
• Thai bhel puri  

Vella Sevai, Sweet idiyappam recipe

Vella sevai| sweet idiyappam, idiyappam with jaggery syrup, a traditional dish made using idiyappam or sevai, perfect for neivedyam for pooja. My mom always make sevai using traditional sevai nazhi, so whenever she makes that, apart from making he savory versions, she make this vella sevai too. I always love it but never tried it on my own. Last week when i posted a meal on Jeyashri's kitchen instagram along with this vella sevai, few of them messaged me to share the recipe. So made it today using store bought idiyapam. Do give it a try at home and you can make it for some festival days as a neivedyam.
Also check out some interesting Jaggery based traditional recipe

• Vella puttu recipe
• Vella aval
• Vella dosa

Pumpkin kuzhambu, Potato fry, lunch menu 16

This week's lunch menu is loaded with veggies. I have been experimenting with the Master chef jar of my new Preethi zodiac mixie. This week we have few of my favorits on the plate. Pumpkin is the veggie i used to hate during my childhood days, but later when i started cooking i developed a taste for it and now it is my favorite too. I love to add pumpkin in kuzhambu, Sambar and make soup out of it. I am yet to try the sweet version of the pumpkin curry which my mom makes quite often.

Puli pongal recipe

Puli pongal recipe with step by step pictures and video, a traditional recipe made using Broken rice and tamarind extract. This puli pongal is a no onion no garlic recipe. It tastes similar to puliyodarai but a one pot recipe made using broken rice | arisi kurunai. I haven't tried this but wanted to try it out for a long time. The recipe was shared by a reader of Jeyashri's kitchen, Mrs. Lakshmi, some time back. I used store bought arisi kurunai for making this puli pongal. If you want to make at home, was the rice and drain the water completely. Dry it in a shady place, inside the house for 10- 15 minutes. Pulse this in the mixie and use the kurunai for making puli pongal. Check out my arisi upma recipe to check how to make arisi kurunai at home. Traditionally puli pongal is made in a uruli (heavy bottomed brass vessel), but i made in pressure cooker to make it simple and easy.
Also check out

• Puli upma recipe
• Puli aval recipe

For my readers in Singapore, we get broken rice | arisi kurunai from Sri murugan stores outlets. We can use this kurunai for making puli pongal, arisi upma and pongal too. Sri Murugan stores has a wide range of grocery products, fresh vegetables and fruits. They do home delivery at your door steps. You can place your order through Sri Murugan iOs | android app.

Mushroom Biryani recipe

Mushroom Biryani  using seeraga samba rice, recipe step by step pictures and video, learn how to make Chettinad style Mushroom biryani in pressure cooker. Biryani is always a super hit in many houses. I wanted to try out Biryani using seeraga samba rice, a unique variety of rice used in South India for making Biryanis. Apart from making biryani, this seeraga samba rice can be used for making paal payasam, ven pongal, sakkarai pongal and curd rice too. I have tried Tomato biryani and Kuska biryani using this rice. The aromatic rice gives a nice flavour to the biryani and gives an authentic chettiand taste.
Check out other must try Biryani recipes

• Paneer Biryani recipe
• Chettinad Urulai Biryani

Milagu Kuzhambu, Paruppu Thogayal, Lunch menu 15

A popular Tamil brahmin style lunch combo is chosen for this lunch menu. Milagu Kuzhambu, fondly called as molagu kuzhambu, mixed with hot rice, accompanied with paruppu thogayal and sutta appalam(fire roasted papad), a divine combo in our house. But generally in addition to this we make one kootu or curry to include one vegetable in our meal. Generally Milagu kuzhambu is made on Saturdays or Sundays, the day we take oil bath. The reason is the pepper prevents us from getting cold after an oil bath. Also milagu kuzhambu is a must in post partum food. We include garlic in milagu kolambu when making for newly delivered moms. This spicy pepper gravy pairs beautifully with Aviyal and Seppankizhangu roast( arbi fry).

Vella dosai recipe, Jaggery dosai

Vella dosai | Jaggery dosai recipe, easy to make instant dosa recipe with step by step pictures. I love vella dosai, i tasted it for the first time after marriage at one our relatives house. Later when i moved to Singapore one day i suddenly remembered the vella dosai and attempted to make it at home. But it was a flop show. I couldn't get the perfect measurements and so the dosai got struck to the pan. Later i left that idea and moved on. I have posted Vella adai and it turned so well.
Few months back when our instagram friend Madhu posted about her grand mom's vella dosai with measurements, i noted down the measurements. Yesterday while going through the old notes in my phone, i saw this Lachu patti's version of Vella dosai. I want to share the recipe of no fail, instant vella dosai recipe today.

Monthly Indian Grocery list planner

Monthly grocery list planner| Indian Pantry essentials, i have been planning to share this for a long time. I have seen my mom who always meticulously plan everything. Not only the grocery but be it the veggies shopping, budget planning, wedding planning.. she does everything so well. And she maintains a record of everything for her own reference. I always order Monthly grocery for my family. Only vegetables i buy weekly once. But how much ever i plan i somehow miss few items and finally go to the shop for the missed items. Last time when i was talking to my mom i was telling her this and she told, keep a list of all grocery items and then check your pantry every month and place the order. The idea sounded brilliant and thought i will share with you all the list of Grocery items. Of course the quantity depends on the number of family members and the usage. This list contains the grocery list for a South Indian family, any things if i had missed out please mention in the comments section.
Also my Instagram friend Arch shared her list of Grocery in our common group few days back. I added few items to my list after seeing her list.

For my friends in Singapore, i order my Monthly grocery from Sri Murugan stores Singapore. Though they have the convenient option of ordering over phone, i still love to go to the shop and select my own grocery. I will make the bill and they will do the home delivery. We can order through Sri Murugan  iOs app and android app too. All the items mentioned in the list are available in Sri Murugan stores.

Vendakkai Sambar, Pineapple rasam, lunch menu 14

After 2 weeks of vacation and generous flow of food in weddings and family functions, finally cooked up a meal for our lunch menu post. Since i didn't cook for the past 2 weeks i am so enthusiastic to enter into the kitchen. I had some frozen chickpeas and i decided to make sundal using that.

This week's lunch menu has

• Varagu rice (Kodo millet)
• Vendakkai sambar (with freshly ground sambar masala)
• Pineapple rasam
• Cabbage, carrot, peas poriyal (must try)
• Chickpeas sundal
• Store bought mixture- I bought the mixture from Sri krishna sweets, i have posted the recipe of similar madras mixture

If you want to know how i cooked the millet, do mention it in the comment box, i will make a detailed post on it. 

Stay tuned for interesting posts coming up in Jeyashri's kitchen. Great weekend ahead. 

Medhu bonda recipe, medhu pakoda

Medhu bonda | மெது போண்டா 
Medhu bonda recipe| medhu pakoda recipe with video and step by step pictures, deep fried tea time snack served in local tea shops in Tamil nadu. Pakoda | bonda are always a super hit accompaniment with tea. Generally we make crispy onion pakoda | vengaya pakoda at home for tea time snacks. This medhu bonda recipe is a softer one and we can see this on the road side tea shops around Tamil nadu. For the past 2 weeks i was on a vacation and traveled to my home town Madurai, for a couple of days and to Trichy for 2 days. The trip brought back memories of  child hood. Inspired by the tea shop bondas in the local shops, i came up with the recipe of Medhu bonda recipe. Do check out my

• Tea kadai masala vadai
• Vengaya pakoda
• Pattanam pakoda

Tomato Coriander chutney recipe

Tomato coriander chutney| Kothamalli thakkali chutney recipe with step by step pictures, a simple and chutney recipe made using tomato and coriander leaves, pairs well with idli| dosa. Most of the South Indian houses w make Idli | dosa for breakfast and dinner. Everyone look forward for interesting Chutney | sambar varieties for the idli, dosa. I have posted many varieties of chutney and sambar recipes in Jeyashri's kitchen. This tomato coriander chutney is a simple and tasty chutney, i made it little spicy to suit my taste buds. The addition of green and red chili gives a nice unique taste to the chutney. Check out the Complete collection of Chutney recipes from Jeyashri's Kitchen

Keerai molagootal, kurkuri bhindi Lunch menu 13

A simple South Indian lunch meal accompanied with a payasam is for this week's lunch menu. We all love Keerai molagootal and thengai thogayal combo. I planned to make ladies finger curry but kids asked for kurkure bhindi. Generally they don't ask anything much, so i decided to make it for this week's lunch menu. 

This week's lunch menu has

• Keerai molagootal
• Plain rice
• Thengai thogayal
• Kurkuri bhindi
• Mixed veg raita
• Sago carrot kheer

I have scheduled posts for the past 2 weeks as i was on a vacation to Chennai. I will be back with new recipes and interesting lunch menu ideas in the coming up weeks. Stay tuned.

Dahi Bhindi recipe

Dahi bhindi recipe, with step by step pictures, creamy yogurt based gravy using ladies finger, pairs well with roti, jeera rice or plain basmati rice. I have tried this Dahi bhindi recipe for a cookery demo here in Singapore. It was pretty much loved by the participants who attended the demo. A creamy gravy loved by everyone at home, paired it up with Plain basmati rice. Generally bhindi | ladies finger is loved by everyone at home. We make South Indian style Vendakkai curry or Vendakkai sambar or mor kuzhambu with vendakkai. If i want to make a North Indian version, i always make Kadai bhindi only. This Dahi bhindi is a must try recipe using ladies finger.

Lauki kofta, Masala paratha Lunch menu 12

Most of the time we make South Indian food for weekend lunch. But at times the North Indian food also takes place in the menu. But that will end mostly with curd rice. We get fresh Lauki in local shops and Indian shops over here too. I generally don't buy lauki often but i got it this time. I planned to make the lauki channa dal kootu but changed my mind and made this lunch menu platter.

On the plate

• Masala square paratha (with video)
• Lauki kofta recipe
• Mango salad 
• Curd rice

Do give this combo a try and stay tuned for interesting recipes coming up in the next week.

Andhra style peanut podi recipe

Peanut podi | Palli podi recipe with step by step pictures and full video, a perfect accompaniment for rice and also pairs well with idli| dosa too. I was looking for a perfect andhra style peanut podi for rice. Recently one of my friend's sister who visited her, shared me this Palli podi recipe, which she learnt from her mother in law. I tried the recipe few weeks ago, and it was a super hit in the family. So i wanted to share the recipe of the verkadalai podi. Though this goes very well with idli| dosa, i personally loved this with hot rice, ghee and papad. Do check out my other popular podi recipes

• Andhra style paruppu podi
• Kothamalli podi
• Nalla karam podi

Aloo masala recipe for poori

Potato masala | aloo masala recipe with step by step pictures, simple and easy dish,pairs well with poori and chapati. We always make South Indian version of Poori kizhangu also called as Poori masala, or sometimes we make channa masala too. This North Indian version though i have made couple of times at home, this time i clicked the pictures to share the recipe in Jeyashri's kitchen. Very long back i posted a no onion no garlic version of an aloo bhaji and an Aloo tamatar recipe too. Do try this aloo masala and i am sure you will enjoy it.

Rajma chawal, Kesar lassi, Lunch menu 11

Rice and Rajma, called as Rajma chawal is a super comfortable and one of our family's favorite meal. I always keep stock of soaked Rajma in my freezer so that i can make Rajma any time i want.  Mostly  i pack Rajma and rice for kids lunch box. Some times when i am not in a mood to cook and elaborate meal on a weekend, i make Basmati rice and rajma along with some lassi. So Today's lunch menu is Rajma chawal.

On the plate 

• Cashew pulao
• Rajma masala
• Kesar lassi
• Masala onion. 

For the masala onion, i thinly sliced the onions. Added it to a wide bowl. Added  1 finely chopped green chili, few chopped coriander leaves and a dash of chaat masala. Add salt to taste.

Mix well. Make it just before serving.

Millet Curd rice recipe

Millet Curd rice recipe with step by step pictures and video, a popular South Indian rice variety also called as Thayir sadam. For us South Indians, especially the Tamil Brahmin people, curd rice is a must one during our lunch meal. I have already posted a curd rice recipe and also shared the Temple style curd rice recipe. Generally raw rice or sona masoori rice is best suitable for making curd rice. Similarly we can make curd rice using Millets too. Varagu | kodo millet is the closest variety equivalent to raw rice. I make curd rice using millet many times at home . Even i have posted that in my Lunch menu 9 too. This Millet Curd rice i have done in my cookery demo once here in Singapore. It was super hit in the demo. A small variation from the usual recipe makes it more flavourful and yummy. Do check out other Millet recipe collections from Jeyashris kitchen.

For my friends in Singapore, we get good quality Millet from Sri Murugan Singapore. They have outlets island wide and they do home delivery too. We can order our monthly grocery through their Android and iOs app too. They have all varieties of millet and millet flour too. 

Mango salad recipe, Mango recipes

Mango salad recipe with step by step pictures, a healthy salad made using ripe mango and other healthy veggies, with a simple salad dressing. I always add raw mango in my salads, but this time i was so excited to try a salad using ripe mangoes. The Organic banganapally mangoes which i got from Wild seed Singapore were too tasty. So i tried this mango salad using their delicious mangoes. We all loved it and my little one who is a bit choosy, when it comes to new food, enjoyed it a lot and asked me for one more serving. The salad dressing balanced the sweetness of the mango.
Do give it a try and enjoy this mango season. Check out the complete collection of Mango recipes from jeyashris kitchen.

For my friends in Singapore, please do order Organic Banganapally mangoes from Wild seed by calling 81141178. They deliver island wide at your door steps.

Mor kuzhambu, Cabbage Paruppu usili, lunch menu 10

Mor kuzhambu and paruppu usili is a classic combo in Tamil Brahmin house. When i got married, most of the sundays will have Vazhaipoo paruppu usili and vatha kuzhambu. Though i love both the combo of vatha kuzhambu and mor kuzhambu for paruppu usili, most of the time i end making in Vatha kuzhambu only for paruppu usili.
The family loves both the combos and for them the veggie in the paruppu usili matters, especially the kids. We make usili with beans, cabbage, vazhaipoo, methi leaves and avarakkai. But some how it is difficult to make the kids vazhaipoo usili. So i always make kootu with vazhaipoo and they happily finish that.

Coming to today's lunch menu, we have a simple platter but yet a very popular combo.

• Mor kuzhambu (recipe with video)
• Cabbage paruppu usili (recipe with video)
• Onion vadam (mom made)
• Plain rice

The onion vadam is home made by my mom. Her onion vadam is loved by all in the family and she always packs exclusively for my daughter, her only grand daughter(rest all are grand son) .  

Stay tuned for the interesting recipes coming up in Jeyashri's kitchen in the coming week. 

Cashew pulao recipe

Cashew pulao| Kaju pulao recipe with step by step pictures and video, a super easy rice variety, perfect for lunch box too. Similar to jeera pulao, peas pulao this cashew pulao is a rich pulao variety, pairs well with rajma masala and dal varieties. Usually i prefer one pot rice varieties but i made this cashew pulao on stove top. Recently tried cooking basmati on stove top and loved the entire output so followed the same process. You can make the same cashew pulao in pressure cooker as an one pot meal too. Read the post and notes section completely, to get the variations and the pressure cooker method too.
We enjoyed the cashew pulao with rajma masala. 

Khakra chaat recipe

Khakra chaat recipe, a simple and easy to make chaat recipe, using methi khakras as the base. This is a perfect one for parties and potlucks. Just keep every thing in hand and assemble before serving. You can make this Khakra chaat using home made khakras or store bought ones too. Just as masala papad, we are making this chaat with khakra as base. I have used store bought khakra for this recipe. If you want to mkae Methi khakra at home do check out my recipe. I used the samosa chutney and the green chutney with raw mango for making this khakra chaat. You can use the sweet chutney and green chutney too.

Paneer Biryani, Caramel payasam Lunch Menu 9

Paneer Biryani in pressure cooker a super hit one pot meal. Last whole was too busy with my brother in lawa family around. We had so much fun with everybody and roamed around the city crazily. Once they all left i am not in a mood to cook an elaborate meal. So made an one pot Paneer biryani for lunch.
This paneer biryani is always a super hit among my friends and guests. Also in my debut TV show in Jaya tv, i made this Paneer biryani.
This weekend's lunch menu, Lunch menu 9, has (click on the name for recipes)

• Paneer Biryani
• Caramel payasam ( i used rice ada instead of rice)
• Millet curd rice 
• Avakkai mango pickle
• Onion raita (do check out to see the tip)

Do try the interesting lunch menu combos from Jeyashris kitchen. Stay tuned for more recipes coming up next week. 

Samosa chutney recipe, Sweet chutney

Samosa chutney recipe, the sweet chutney| meethi chutney recipe made using jaggery and tamarind pulp pairs well with Samosa, dhoklas and cutlets too. This chutney can be used in other chaats too. I have posted the Sweet chutney using dates, but somehow i like the thin chutneys they serve in the chaat shops when we order samosa. Recently one of our friend got this chutney for a potluck party. She brought this to accompany Dhokla. From that day i was thinking to try this out. I adapted the recipe from her and made some modifications to suit my taste. It turned out so yum and tasted, smelled the same way as we get in street side chaat houses. This can be stored for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. For samosa recipe with video click here. 

Green chutney with raw mango recipe

Green chutney for chaat and sandwiches, addition of raw mango in green chutney enhances the taste. I have posted few varieties for chaat chutney. A small variation in the ingredient, makes the taste so different and nice. We always add lemon juice to the green chutney to get the tanginess. This green chutney recipe with raw mango i learnt from Chef Venkatesh bhat recipe, which i wanted to try for a long time. As raw mango is in season now, i thought i will try and share it in this season. It turned out so well and i loved it for sandwich. I tried a street style sandwich recipe using the chaat chutneys and it was a super hit at home. I will share the recipe soon in jeyashris kitchen.
Check out my chaat chutney recipes

1. Green chutney
2. Kebab chutney
3. Sweet chutney
4. Red chutney

Sambar Sadam, Vazhakkai fry, Lunch menu combo 8

This weekend lunch menu combo comes with the most popular Restaurant style Sambar sadam with raw banana fry | vazhakkai fry. Generally we make bisibelabath, but this sambar sadam takes place in my kitchen, so rarely. We all love the raw banana fry so i want to pair it up with sambar sadam. This menu is similar to the quick lunch served in restaurants. We all enjoyed this South Indian lunch menu combo.

This week's lunch menu has

• Restaurant style Sambar style recipe ( with video)
• Vazhakkai fry (raw banana fry) 
• Home made vadam
• Cut mangoes
• Curd rice 
• Cut mango pickle 

Stay tuned for more interesting recipes coming up in Jeyashris kitchen. 

Mango Halwa recipe, Easy mango desserts

Mango Halwa recipe with step by step pictures, an easy and quick mango dessert made using mango puree corn flour and sugar as the main ingredients. I have already posted Mango sheera | mango kesari. This halwa is similar to the custard powder halwa or the karachi halwa. I wanted to try this for a long time but this time the Organic Alphonso mangoes which i got from Wild seed Singapore were too sweet, so i thought i will try this Mango halwa recipe. It turned out perfect and everyone at home loved the taste of the mango halwa.
This mango season don't miss to try out the Collection of Mango recipes from Jeyashris kitchen. For my friends in Singapore, do order the Organic Alphonso mangoes from Wild seed- 81141178