South Indian

Banana Chips or Banana and Parsnip Fries

May 30, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

The best Banana Chips EVER! Make your favorite fries at home with raw banana and parsnips. These are easy to make ahead of time and store for your evening chai or coffee, have it as a side for rice or top on fish, put it on everything basically.

Summer vacations back home was simple, sweet, lots of food(home made), naps and family time. As a working mom, my mother would always take off three months when I started my summer break, until I got married. She was dedicated and never once made me feel lonely(especially since I was the only child) or bored.

While we could buy the snacks from shops, mom always made sure to make fresh murrukku, sweets and chips to snack on. I thoroughly enjoyed my summer breaks. So many good memories, thanks to MOM.

Now, I try to make summer breaks as much as fun for my boys as it was for me. I take a break from work, social media and spend as much time together as possible. One thing I do find myself doing a lot is, grilling and cooking. The boys are always hungry(more hungrier) when they have nothing much to do.

So, I try to make snacks as much as I can at home, and this is one of my favorite treats, Banana Chips, a take on tapioca chips. I make large jars of this and we basically as a family finish it in a week or so. We top it on everything. It’s spicy and crunchy, and OH SO GOOD.

Happy Summer Break, Happy Snacking!!…

Indian Spicy Fish Parcels – And an Ode

May 15, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

White flaky Spicy Fish Parcels is simple, flavorful and authentic. Fish fillets are marinated in cilantro, red chilies, garlic, meethi/fenugreed, coconut oil, then wrapped in Indian-style banana leaves and pan fried. Serve very simply with some coconut and lime rice, it’s a treat.

A post dedicated to my dad. One year of lows and tears, but also thankful for those memories I created with HIM. Remembering him fondly, a person who has bequeathed me fond memories.

My dad and I had a weird relationship. We fought like crazy, like screaming crazy, and moments later made up and were never angry at each other. I remember he’d apologize to me always. He had strong opinions on how I dressed, disliked my edgy fashion choices at times. Dad felt that my parenting was too lenient. I questioned his beliefs and he gave up explaining rolling his eyes that he couldn’t change the way I thought. I’d say he was my toughest critic. But, in a large wedding hall, filled with five hundred people, sitting far away, his eyes would only be on me, admiring me. He was also my BIGGEST FAN!…

Rajasthani Onion Besan Paratha

May 1, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

Rajasthani Onion Besan Paratha is truly a treat. Crispy and spicy, they go well with a side of yogurt or boondi raita. It puffs up, blisters beautifully and the stuffing of onion and besan is out of the world tasty. This will transport you to an authentic Rajasthani home.

While the world knows about naan and almost every food blogger has a recipe, that’s not a flatbread we make often in Indian homes. Rotis, chapathis or parathas is the common flatbread we make. Stuffed parathas are a treat on weekends. And they are probably my favorite, stuffed Rajasthani onion besan paratha comes on top.

Paratha

Parathas are made out of whole wheat flour, folded and cooked on a griddle. Stuffed paratha dough is slightly most softer than a chapathi dough and it’s popularly stuffed with potatoes, radishes, you think of it, you can stuff it. Onion Parathas are very popular to the region of Rajasthan. It’s slightly more spicier than the normal stuffed parathas. They are cooked on a thick griddle, but if you have a tandoor, nothing like it. The tandoor fills the inside of the flat bread with air pockets and bakes them to perfection.

Don’t be deterred by the number of ingredients in the recipe—although the process may look time-consuming, parathas are actually quick to make. Cook it on low and make sure to crisp them up. How crisp you make them, however, is up to your taste….

Jeera Hing Aloo Mattar Fry- Cumin spiced Potato and Peas

April 1, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

This Cumin spiced Potato and Peas is a take on potato roast from Southern part of India~ this is a spring version and packs a punch. It uses the tiniest new potatoes you can find, and fresh garden peas. A perfect spring salad or serve with rotis.

Perfecting Indian food is truly an Art.

Indian cuisine has an overwhelming array of spices. The country’s fiery curries, complex rubs, and addictive street foods owe their flavor to a long list of spices from all over the world. These are combined, blended, fried, and toasted in millions of kitchens all over the country. The spices are not just for a layering effect of flavors, but also for their nutritional/medicinal values which are rooted in Ayurveda.

Having said that, Indian recipes also doesn’t have to be complex with a gazillion ingredients and steps. Sometimes all you need is couple of spices to make a dish, and you can taste India through that dish….

Urad Daal Halwa/Ulundu Urandai

March 11, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

Urad Dal Halwa or Ulundu Urandai is a sweet treat that’s very healthy, protein rich and a traditional recipe passed on by grandmothers.

My paternal grandmother was anything but traditional and conventional. She wanted all her grandkids to call her “Amma”(mom). She was progressive in many ways. I was 18 when she left us. I wasn’t matured enough to really ask her about her beliefs, her likes. Interestingly though, I didn’t need to interview her to know she was a lady after her own will. She danced to her own tunes.

She was not one to tell me: you need to learn to cook. All her boys were great cooks and helped her around. She most definitely didn’t scare me or her children into living a life like everyone did. She let me believe in me, gave me the strength to think for myself and supported me in ways no one did. She went against all norms. She had a big personality….

Hotel Style Vegetable Kurma

February 11, 2021 By Asha Shivakumar

This Hotel Style Vegetable Kurma is tasty, authentic and perfect with idli, dosa or appam. It’s made with plenty of veggies, including potatoes and cauliflower that have simmered in a spice-paste.

Some recipes are born out of necessity and this is definitely one of them.

I have a hankering for authentic meals quite often. At times being in US, with below average restaurant food makes me miss the traditional curries that we get in India even more. This mixed vegetable curry comes with dosa or idli in many restaurants and it’s so special, simple and so comforting.

My Vegetable Curry recipe has been in the works for a few months now and while you’ll need bit of fresh produce, the bulk of this recipe relies on pantry staples — spices. Then, with the fresh produce required, most of it is shelf stable for quite a long time — the onions, ginger, garlic, and potatoes….

Banana Blossom Poriyal – Vazhaipoo Poriyal

October 22, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Vazhaipoo Poriyal/Banana Blossom Sabzi or Banana Flower Stir fry is a very tasty side that goes perfect with a simple dal rice or perfect with chapathis. Made with potatoes and coconut, this is a vegetable which is very special and extremely healthy.

Vaazhai poo or Banana blossom/flower is widely used in Asian cooking. Known for it’s health benefits, this is also extremely tasty and rarely found in the markets.

Cleaning the banana blossom is quite a tedious task. It involves removing the outer purplish layer(bracts or petals), peeling the florets and meticulously removing the stigma and the plastic cover(perianth). It is so worth it!!

I learnt how to clean and cook this Vazhaipoo or Banana flower from my mom in law and her sister. They make it often and they have patience to clean a bunch of them. Late afternoons, they sit on the large dining table, oiling their hands and ready to take on the task of cleaning four to five banana flowers. They make amazing Vazhaipoo Vada, a fritter made out of the banana flower, which is so tasty. But, I love this poriyal that they make….

sweet bonda -Vada in Coconut Milk

October 20, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Sweet Bonda- soft spongy Urad Dal Vada soaked in sweetened coconut milk. It’s a heirloom recipe of a very culturally rich small community of a district in Tanjore/Thanjavur. Perfect Navratri Sweet.

The memories of this sweet bonda traces back to when I was about 14-15 yrs. Back road drives, our yearly trips with aunts, uncles and cousins.

That year we visited Tanjore, South India. Tanjore is known for many things: It’s paintings, the very popular temples that were build during the Chola empire, and their hospitality. How can I forget the food?! To this day, Thanjavur and it’s food has stuck with me. We stayed at my mom friend’s home. A traditional home with thatched roofs, inviting thinnai and beams that were intricately carved out of teak wood. There are not enough synonyms to describe how varied their food is and how very delicious it is.

Reaching Tanjore past midnight, we went straight to bed after a few minutes of obligatory talk….

Authentic Garam Masala

October 6, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

The most popular Indian spice blend is the garam masala. This fresh, fragrant, authentic and simple recipe is made from slow roasting the whole spices and grinding them.

Garam Masala is a common Indian spice blend, that’s perfumed and pungent, a combination of warming spices used to season many Indian dishes. Every household in India has a different recipe for this masala spice powder. It varies greatly across India, depending on the region, household and personal preference. And that’s why Garam Masalais so special and nuanced.

Garam masala is darker in color, spicy and not hot, and nothing in comparison to the other blends. A completely different flavor profile.https://youtu.be/v8uESTv1SMw

…

Pumpkin Dal with Beet Greens

September 27, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Cozy and comforting Pumpkin Dal or Poosanikai Kootu is perfect for autumn and cooler months. It’s easy to make and with the addition of beet greens adds so much more flavor.

Happy Autumn!!

It’s that time of the year when pumpkin and butternut squash is in abundance, and I’m all about pumpkin recipes, be it sweet or savory. I’ve been eating this pumpkin kootu or pumpkin dal from when I was a baby. I’ve always liked the slight sweetness in my curries and this one with chapathi or just plain rice is phenomenal.

Authentic South Indian everyday food/recipes uses very less spices, simple local ingredients and never over the top hot. It’s always fresh and few ingredients. This recipe uses channa daal for it’s bite and texture, creamy which also holds it’s shape. This pumpkin dal works best with channa dal/split yellow chickpeas or even split yellow moong daal.

Flavorful Indian food is so much faster and you can get the most authentic taste with just a few ingredients.Thanks to my mom for yet another healthy and delicious recipe that is a staple at home….