COOKING FOR GUESTS RECIPES #9 - ADAI AVIYAL AND MORE

This week cooking for guests comes with an interesting South Indian Brunch menu. Generally at our houses we used to eat direct lunch everyday around 11 am, without having breakfast. This is what we call as Brunch. Now a days , when people get up late on a weekend morning , they eat lunch directly around 11 am without making breakfast.  A very few times i have experience of calling guests for Brunch as i find it bit hectic for me to make an elaborate meal and clean the house too by 11 am. I got few requests to post a south indian brunch menu . So in this menu i had made, adai, aviyal, puliyodarai, pineapple kesari and  curd rice.

COOKING FOR GUEST RECIPES #8 - INDO CHINESE RECIPE MENU

This week menu is again an indo-chinese menu like the menu which i posted on the 3rd week. This week we have long weekend here in Singapore for the occasion of Chinese New Year. Last weekend we went to a Indo chinese restaurant called Manchurian club ,for dinner. Varsha gave me an idea to prepare a meal by making all the items we ordered there. So during the eve of the long weekend i made this elaborate Indo -Chinese menu. Though it seems to be little elaborate , it took 2 hours for me to complete this meal. Let's go in detail as what i cooked.

COOKING FOR GUESTS #7 - SOUTH INDIAN TIFFIN | SNACK MENU WITH MYSORE BONDA AND MORE

Today's menu is again a evening menu like last week. During our India Trip last month, one day when i was in my mom's place , suddenly a family friend of us called that they are coming to meet us and they are on the way.  We guessed that it will take an hour for them to reach our place. I was wondering what amma is going to make for them as it was a very short notice. Without any tension on her face she soaked urad dal for making mysore bonda, kept hot water to make Thengai sevai with instant rice sevai . For sweet she was planning to kesari but i told her to make paal kesari and finally everything were done in 45 minutes.
When they reached we made hot bonda for them and they enjoyed the evening tiffin with hot ginger tea.(Will post the recipe soon) The sevai was served with sambar which was left over from afternoon's lunch.
  So for all of us who always break our head as what to make when we have sudden guests coming home, you can follow this menu too.
I couldn't take pictures on that day, but i made the same menu this evening and clicked the pictures

COOKING FOR GUESTS #6- EVENING SNACKS MENU- SAGO VADA ,CARROT HALWA AND MORE

This week, in cooking for guests recipe series, i have come up with a snack menu. When you have guests , who are coming during tea time, you can plan out this menu. I have planned the menu bit heavy and you can also skip any one item in this too.  I can suggest this same menu for a simple dinner too. Simple i meant is , with less items. You can add a Curd rice to this list and make it a Dinner menu also. So let's move on to the Snack menu .

COOKING FOR GUEST RECIPES #5 | AVAL PAKODA, CARROT KHEER AND MORE

This week cooking for guests will have a menu of my personal favorite , which i cooked for my own family. Actually i made this on the day before my birthday. When you are planning to cook for a small family , which you have invited, you can make lachha paratha, else stick on to phulkas. Carrot Kheer can be made on the previous evening and kept chilled in the refrigerator. Potatoes for Aval pakodas can be boiled in the morning and it will be used later. this menu serves good for both lunch as well as dinner. Generally if i palnned to make curd rice , i make it first as it will be nice when it is served chilled. Let us see in detail the menu i cooked .
Thank you aparna for this cute bowl (the one in which i have kept  carrot kheer)

COOKING FOR GUEST SERIES 4 | POONDU KUZHAMBHU, SEPPANKIZHANGHU FRY AND BADAM KHEER

Wish you all a very Happy New year . We are just settling back after a super fun filled vacation to Chennai. Last week i couldn't post the cooking for guest series as it was very hectic for me to sit and write for a post. I am totally down with throat pain, and cold. I will post some interesting menu soon and till that enjoy this simple lunch menu which i cooked for my own family for a Sunday brunch, before i leave for vacation .

COOKING FOR GUEST SERIES #3 |INDO CHINESE MENU

Indo Chinese menu is always liked by everyone at my home. For a change with usual chapathis this indo chinese menu with fried rice, manchurian, spring rolls, biscuit pudding and Ice lemon Tea, this combo is always a super hit among my kids and  guests. I made Spring rolls for starter. You can make Gobi Manchurian too. I made Spring rolls and put in a zip lock cover and kept in the freezer. I just fried before serving. Biscuit pudding also you can make ahead and keep it chilled the before day. Ice lemon tea can be made in the morning and kept in the refrigerator. Generally it is preferred to serve Ice lemon Tea if guests are coming for Lunch. Serve it before 7 if they are coming for dinner.

COOKING FOR GUEST SERIES #2 | NORTH INDIAN LUNCH | DINNER MENU

Whenever i call anybody for dinner i generally make a north Indian meal as it is liked by everyone . Generally i make the dessert the previous day . If making rotis i make the dough in the afternoon after lunch and will make all the dishes and roll the rotis in the last. Last week when the exams got over for kids and the school holidays started. As we all are in a relaxed mood and it was raining badly i planned to prepare an elaborate meal for dinner. I had soaked Channa in the morning as my son wanted Poori with Chole for Dinner. I made poori only for him and for the rest of us i made Roti.
We are going to India for 2 weeks and i will be posting the rest of the posts for this month from Chennai, for the first time. Generally i schedule posts, before vacation. I couldn't make it this time. I am prepared with my clicks and posts will come as usual.
Here is what i made on a rainy day for dinner. Click on the links below to see the recipes.

• MASALA PAPAD - FOR STARTER
• TOMATO SOUP
• CHANNA MASALA
• PHULKA
• VEGETABLE PULOA
• CAPSICUM RAITA - SCROLL DOWN TO THE LINK TO GET THE RAITHA RECIPE
• CURD RICE
• GULAB JAMUN ( YOU CAN USE STORE BOUGHT JAMUNS TOO)

 See you all with an interesting Guest Series in the coming week.

Technorati Tags: cooking for guests,vegetarian meal,north indian lunch menu,north indian dinner menu,tomato soup,masala papad,gulab jamun,channa masala,phulkas,veg puloa

COOKING FOR GUEST SERIES 1 |SOUTH INDIAN VEGETARIAN LUNCH MEAL

Atithi Devo Bhavah - which in sanskrit means "The Guest is God". I have grown up seeing my mom and patti treating guests coming to our house very nicely and my house is always filled with guests and my native place Madurai , city of Temple and our relatives and friends visit our place so often and stay for a day or a week to see nearby temples. My mom being a working women always pampered guests and never cooked a simple menu when guests are around. Those days we don't have maid at home too. As grown up in that situation i never missed a chance to invite people to home whenever i have time and cook elaborately for them. In fact i started this blog upon the sweet condition of Rak's as i have to send an entry for her event Cooking for Guests which she hosted on my request. 
Though now a days due to kids studies, my own personal work and hubby's office work weekends i never get time to call people to home but if i time permits and i call any of my friend's here i never miss to cook an elaborate meal for them . Though it is a big effort when they happily eat and say they enjoyed the food , that gives me a lot of happiness. 
Every time when i invite i break my head what to cook for them and so i started this Cooking for guest series. I will be posting the menu plans and it will be a mix of Lunch, dinner , breakfast or evening Tiffin. Even you can alter few items and can cook the menu for your family too if you don't have guests at home.   
Whatever you cook, cook with happiness and serve with lot of love, even though the menu is simple and not very hot , the love will make the guest feel completely satisfied. I think all of you agree with this . Happy cooking and happy hosting.
So my dear readers, be my Guest and join this journey for a visual treat. With your all your support i hope we all will enjoy this journey. Let me start with the South Indian lunch meal today.