Thakkali Sambar recipe | Easy tomato sambar

Thakkali sambar | Tomato sambar is an easy sambar recipe, generally made as a side dish for idli | dosa | Ven pongal. My grandmother makes thakkali sambar whenever she runs out of veggies in the kitchen. That she makes in the same way as we make drumstick sambar. This tiffin sambar recipe i followed the method which our neighbour aunty in Madurai used to make. As i got a huge pack of  super ripe tomatoes from little India, i thought i will make this easy tomato sambar. I have made a video of tomato sambar too. Try this at home and let me know how it turned out.
Check out my

• Thakkali kuzhambu
• Tomato pickle

Mango ginger lemonade | Mango recipes

Mango lemonade is a popular mango based juice made using fresh mango pulp and lemon juice. When i tried Grape juice few years back i added a small piece of ginger to this. That was a super hit at home. So i wanted to try the same with mango lemonade too. Generally for lemonade they make simple syrup, that is sugar syrup, but i wanted to make it simple so just added sugar as we do for other juices. Enjoy summer with mangoes. As mangoes are peak in season now, i will be posting a mango recipe every week. All mango lovers stay tuned.

Mango ginger lemonade

  Preparation Time : 15 mins | Cooking Time : Nil |Serves: 3 

    Alphonso mango  1 small
    Sugar  3-4 tblsp
    Ginger   a small piece (optional)
    Lemon juice  1 tblsp
    Water  3 cups
    Ice cubes   few
                                               Video of how to make mango lemonade

      
     

Method:

• Peel the skin of the alphonso mango and take out the pulp. It came out 3/4 cup of mango pulp.
• Grind the mango, ginger and sugar into a fine paste. Add little water while grinding. 

• After grinding transfer it to a wide bowl. Add 3 cups of water and few ice cubes.
• Add the lemon juice.

• Mix well using a whisk.
• Sieve it to get rid of the fibre from the ginger or mango if any.

• Mango lemonade is ready.

• Serve chilled.

Notes:

• Instead of lemon juice you can add 1/2 cup of orange juice too.
• If you do not want ginger skip it, but i highly recommend ginger as it was so refreshing.
• You can replace sugar with honey. 
• You can garnish with few mint leaves for an additional flavour too.
• I used alphonso mangoes for the mango lemonade, you use any variety of rip mango available in your place.

   

  

Caramel payasam recipe | Payasam recipes

Caramel payasam recipe with video

Caramel payasam | caramel kheer, is similar to the paal payasam recipe, with 3 major ingredients, but with a variation of caramelising the sugar. I have this payasam tried few times but i chose to post it today to celebrate a special event. Yes, my in laws are celebrating their 50th Wedding anniversary today. Yesterday they had a small get together in Chennai. As things were planned in the last minute i couldn't join the event. But my husband and his 2 brothers were there with them on this special occasion. So this caramel payasam comes as a virtual treat for them.
Check out my rice kheer recipe.

Caramel payasam recipe

  Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 35 Mins |Serves: 5-6

    Full cream Milk  4 cups
     Sugar  1/2 cup
     Nuts  to garnish (optional)
     Raw rice or millets or basmati rice  3 tbslp
     Salt  a pinch
                                        Video of how to make caramel payasam

          

     

Method:
  For this recipe pressure cooker works out well. If needed grease a pressure cooker with ghee. Though i don't do it i have seen my mami doing this.

• Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. You can use millets or basmati rice. Even seeraga samba rice works out well.
• Add 1/4 cup of sugar into the cooker. Do not add water. Keep the flame medium.

• Let the sugar caramalise and turn into golden brown, amber colour. 
• Do not stir it often. Just keep a close eye on this. 
• Once the sugar starts turning out golden colour, immediately pour the milk. 

• Better switch off the flame and pour the milk. You can add the raw milk. Be careful as it may splutter.
• Stir it once. You may find some sugar sticking to the bottom but do not worry, it will be ok once it is done.
• Drain the water from soaked rice and add it to the milk.

• Cover the lid of the cooker and give one whistle. Sometimes it may flow. 
• After one whistle, keep the flame in the lowest possible flame.
•  If your stove do not have this  option, heat a dosa pan and put the cooker on the top of the pan.  Keep in low flame and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Switch off the flame. Once the pressure completely subsides open the cooker.
• Add 1/4 cup of sugar, If you need the caramel payasam more sweeter add few more tblsp of  extra sugar.

• Stir it well.
• Add a pinch of salt. This balances the sweetness and the slight bitterness of the caramel. Thank you raji for giving me this tip. 
• Garnish with nuts. I used almonds and pistachios.

• We generally don't add cardamom in paal payasam. I feel the overpowering flavour of cardamom suppress the caramel flavour. 

Notes:

1. When you add sugar in the beginning for caramelisation, keep the flame medium. Once you see the light golden brown colour, be alert and it will immediately turn amber /honey colour. 
2. If you feel the basmati rice is big pulse it once in a mixie  and then soak it and add.
3. For me 1/2 cup sugar was just perfect but if you want some more sugar add it some more.
4. The entire payasam can be made on a heavy bottomed vessel. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour on a low flame like how we make the kerala payasam. 
5. Enjoy the caramel payasam | caramel kheer, hot or chilled. Both ways it taste yum.

    

Rose milk shake recipe | Milkshake with ice cream

Rose milk shake recipe is influenced by Sri krishna sweets and MTR rose badam drink. I am a huge fan of rose milk from my childhood. Amma used to make this for us almost everyday in summer. We used to make rose milk popsicle in freezer trays and enjoy during summer vacation. Whenever i travel to Chennai, i buy this Rose badam drink bottle in Sri Krishna sweets and but Madras Mixture for kids as they are a big fan of that. I wanted to make it simple and serve it as a milkshake. I added few more nuts apart from badam. It tasted so yummy and kids loved it too. Check out my badam milkshake. 

Spicy Masala poori recipe | Travel friendly recipes

Spicy masala poori, i happened to taste this for the first time in our Europe trip last year. We landed in London and from there took a package holiday trip to Europe. The travel of 9 days was with a group of 40 people. Among that there is one big Gujarati family from US and also people from other parts of the world were there. The entire trip was awesome filled with joy,music and of course food. The gujarati family packed a whole lot of chivda and masala pooris and distributed to all of us during the entire trip. I have already posted the chivda recipe and since it is holiday season, i thought i will post the masala poori recipe too. It is a deep fried poori, which stays good for 2-3 days, but in the excellent weather of Europe it stayed good for 10 days. If you are making long train journeys, as khakras and dosas  this is also a perfect one.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins | Eggless baking recipes

Whole wheat chocolate chip muffins i recently came across in a facebook forum and tried it last week for kids snack box. If you are following jeyashirs kitchen on Instagram, you must have seen this in my story. As varsha bakes a lot now a days, it has been a long time since i baked anything. This eggless muffins was loved by kids and i thought i will make it again and post the recipe in jeyashri's kitchen. As the summer holidays are on, you can make this for kids and ask them to help you out in the kitchen too. Check out my eggless baking recipes. 

Kadamba chutney recipe | Vegetable chutney

Kadamba chutney | vegetable chutney is a easy South Indian chutney recipe, made with mixed vegetables. When amma was living in an apartment few years agao, they used to celebrate a festival there. During that time, there will be bulk cooking in a common place for all of them. On the last the day of the festival, they made this kadmaba chutney with all the left over veggies. Hooked by the taste of chutney she asked for the recipe and noted down too. Though i have heard the recipe from her, never attempted to make it at home. Few weeks while clearing up the refrigerator, i tried out this chutney. We all loved it with idli and dosa. Yesterday made this again for the posting this recipe of kadamba chutney in jeyashirs kitchen. Check out my full collection of chutney recipes.
Scroll down to read the notes section to see tips for variation.

Coconut milk pulao recipe | Thengai paal sadam

 Coconut milk pulao is a simple pulao recipe, where the basmati rice is cooked with aromatic spices and coconut milk, served with a spicy gravy. Amma rarely makes this thengai paal sadam, which she learnt from her friend. But we will look forward to this yummy rice and the combo at our home with be spicy aloo subzi. I still remember one of those rainy days, after i delivered Varun, i pestered amma to make this combo of coconut milk pulao and aloo subzi, and literally feasted on it. I used store bought coconut milk. You can use home made coconut milk too. 

Mixed Veg Raita | Thayir pachadi | South Indian raita recipes

Mixed veg raita | Thayir pachadi, a simple South Indian style raita made with a mix of raw veggies, pairs well with rice, parathas and can be consumed as it is too. As the summer is in peak,raitas are a part of our of daily lunch menu. I have already posted few raita recipes in jeyashris kitchen. I made this mixed veg raita today to pair with bisi bela bath, the meal i posted in my instagram page today.

Mixed veg raita

  Preparation Time : 15 mins | Cooking Time : 2 Mins |Serves: 3-4

     Mixed Vegetables*   1/2 cup
     Chilled yogurt  1 cup
     Salt  as needed
     Sugar  1/4 tsp
     Mustard seeds   1/4 tsp
     Oil  1 tsp
     Urad dal  1/4 tsp
     Green chili  1
     Curry leaves   few
     Asafoetida  a pinch
    Coriander leaves   few 
 *I used carrot, cabbage, capsicum,tomato and cucumber.
You can add onions and radish too.    
                                                  Video of mixed veg raita 

                

Method:

• In a wide bowl add chilled yogurt. Whisk it without any lumps. 
• If the curd is sour, add 1-2 tblsp of cold milk.

• Add salt and sugar. 
• Finely chop all the veggies. Alternatively you can grate carrot and cucumber too.
• Mix well.

• Just before serving, temper the mustard seeds, slit green chilies, urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves in 1 tsp oil.

• Add chopped coriander leaves.
• Mix well.
• Serve immediately. 

• You can have this mixed veg raita with any rice variety like sambar sadam, tomato rice, puliyodarai.

Notes:

1. Ensure that the yogurt is chilled.
2. If it is sour add 1-2 tblsp of cold milk to this.
3. If the yogurt is not too thick, put this in a clean cloth or a tea strainer and filter the water.
4. Give the tempering just before serving. The urad dal should be crunchy.
5. You can add grated ginger to the tempering.

    

Veg saagu recipe | Mixed veg sagu

Veg sagu is a kannadiga special recipe made with lots of vegetables in aromatic gravy with Indian spices. Though i have never tasted Veg sagu in MTR restaurant here, i have tasted this in my friend's place long back but couldn't remember the taste. A reader and good friend of mine shared her traditional recipe of making Veg saagu with me. I tried it yesterday and we all loved it. This veg sagu pairs well with set dosa and poori.