South Indian

Adigas Sambhar/Karnataka Style Hotel Sambhar

September 20, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Idli-sambhar is an emotion. This Adigas or Karnataka style hotel sambhar is spicy and slightly sweetish just like how the people of Karnataka love. Simple spices, daal, are all boiled together, to form the perfect fiery red, hot watery sambhar, which is perfect for fluffy idlis and vada. It sure will make your day a great one.

From joyful mornings, to painful waking moments to successful takeaway lessons / happy endings. To propitious experiences, and to new norms.

I land at 1.30 am, the security line is longer than I expected. I look around and see excited faces, emotions that are swelling to see their loved ones. Nervous and jittery hand movements and the phone rings. “Are you here, Ash?”, to which I excitedly scream “YESS”. I know two people are very eagerly waiting to see me, it’s almost been two years. In the blink of an eye — or it felt like that — I was done with security and at the carousel for the luggage. “URGHHH, why are my bags this delayed?” I ask myself, but I find myself surprisingly calm too. And there comes this brown baggage with a yellow tie that dad strung the last time I was in India, and oh, how I teased him when he tied that ugly looking thread. To that, he said: “At least it will stand out” ;). His face flashes in front of me. All the four bags come looking as eager for their owner as the owner itself….

Chayote Spinach Kootu with Kootu Podi

August 5, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Chayote kootu with spinach, made with a special kootu podi is simple, yet overflows with flavors and leaves you questioning what spice is added in it. It embodies the way I like to cook — that is to say, in a way that lets each ingredient shine.

A soothing bowl was needed because everything is getting overwhelming.

Don’t you prefer every day very much like another? I know, who likes it… Especially since we are going through that. With everything that’s going on, housework has doubled (don’t know why, or maybe I do), office work seems slow, I’ve been in my PJs a bit more than I’d want to, haven’t seen any of my friends in a while, and, to top all that, stress takes over with more reasons than one. You call a friend and everyone talks about the same situation, the same work, the same chores… I don’t blame them. It’s hard on everyone….

Best Kootu Podi (Iyengar Style)

August 4, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Kootu podi or vegetable lentil stew(kootu) powder makes it easy to make kootu in a matter of minutes. This is a recipe that goes back many years and comes straight from one of the best cooks that I knew.

When dinner bowls bring fond memories…

As I sit to write this recipe down, I’m taken back almost two decades, but it still feels like yesterday.

I moved to this place where my now twenty year old was one. The little kid had loads of energy, and I was a new mom who wanted to entertain him, expose him to nature, the park, people, and other kids. Typical mom, took him to basketball which he hated, music which he loved. In between all those classes, I’d walk with him around our neighborhood in circles…

The park was a small walk away, and it was also the place for women to catch up with each other, their outing. Since it was a new development, the crowd was young and in the same boat as I was. However, I missed my family back home, so anytime I saw older women from India, I made sure to talk to them. It felt like home….

Kathirikka Rasam/Eggplant Rasam

July 18, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Rasam is a quintessential side dish that’s enjoyed with rice. This kathirikka rasam is a very special rasam that’s served in temples, or on special occasions. It’s a specialty in some parts of Tamil Nadu that uses eggplant and a spice paste made with coconut.

Some recipes are just meant to come your way and steal your heart.

Even if you despise eggplant as I used to, you are going to like this one. Take this from someone who used to be a staunch eggplant hater.

Many of you who follow me on Instagram know I was in India for four months during this pandemic, from March to end of June. Let’s just say it wasn’t a fun one. However, like many things in life, things happen for a reason, and I chose to see the positive in everything….

Chettinad Prawn Masala

March 2, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Chettinad Prawn Masala has few spices, and big bold flavors. This is a recipe from the Southern part of India. This dish comes together quite quickly and very flavorful.

South Indian Curries are always close to my heart though. South India offers a variety of quite spicy curries. The spices are pretty similar in a lot of the curries, just vary a slight bit. But, to my amazement a simple fennel can change the whole flavor of the curry or a few curry leaves. Most of the time a chicken, mutton or even a fish curry is a slow cooked one. This one comes from a place called Chettinad. The local cuisine is simply one of the the most spiciest I’ve ever tried, Chettinad Cuisine….

Quick South Indian Egg Curry

January 9, 2020 By Asha Shivakumar

Tender soft eggs are soaked in a super flavorful curry with a coconut base. This easy South Indian egg curry recipe shows you how to cook a tasty curry using minimal ingredients, making it a perfect dish for a busy weekday dinner and its gluten free.

Eggs are my everyday lazy protein. Egg curry is my go-to lazy dinner.

When eggs are your protein, it’s one pot, quick and hearty. On my lazy days, eggs are what’s for dinner. This South Indian egg curry is one that appears on the menu every couple of weeks. It’s also one of my favorite go-to egg recipes when I have sudden guests, because you most likely have all the ingredients on hand and not only is it easy to make, it’s also incredibly flavorful. You add hard-boiled eggs to a spiced tomato sauce and in less than 30 minutes, dinner is done. Serve this on top of rice, roti or my no–yeast quick naan.…

Veggie Meatball Curry aka Pakoda Kurma

June 15, 2019 By Asha Shivakumar

Veggie Meatball Curry aka PAKODA kurma is made with lentils and soaked in a rich, flavorful curry. Great when served over ghee rice or jeera rice.

Sunday lunches have always been and still are very special. It’s mostly chicken curries with rice. There were days when it used to be vegetarian meals due to religious reasons and then came this meal.

Pakoda Kurma or Veggie Meatball Curry. The hearty curry base is a onion tomato base and the lentils vada is soaked and simmered in the curry….

bitter gourd curry/Paavakai Kozhumbu

March 9, 2019 By Asha Shivakumar

This bitter gourd curry is everything: tangy, spicy, sweet and sour and umami of flavors. Bitter gourd is also known as karela, paavakai, kakarakaya and more, is quite infamous for it’s bitterness. A vegetable that is not liked by many has a ton of nutrients and healing properties. This is the only way I can eat the bittergourd curry and you will love it too.

I would sit for hours and not touch this paavakai kozhumbu. Dad would be right by my side, looking at me and coaxing me to at least try it. Mum has already cleared out the table. We both, dad and I were adamant. He wanted me to eat a little and I didn’t have it. Mum would tell daddy, “it’s okay if she doesn’t want to eat it”. He would respond, she needs to at least try it. An hour and few mins in, he gets tired and realizes his little girl is a little bit more adamant than he is. After all who’s daughter is she and “I told you to leave her” was the look dad got from a smug faced mom:)….

OPA SQUASH DUMPLINGS IN SPICY CURRY-Kofta Curry

February 6, 2019 By Asha Shivakumar

Vegetable Kofta Curry is a very popular dish in India. This is my easy take on a classic which comes together in one pot. This opa squash and chickpea dumplings is simmered in a smooth sauce to make a delicious and delectable curry. Weeknight meal made easier.

Weeknight meals can be interesting, but not the most appealing looking at times. But, it was real. More often than not, the meals we get to share with family and friends do not take on the convivial, alluring nature we see promoted across blogs and boutique media. It’s easy to set a beautifully-styled farm table and encourage meaningful, open-hearted dialogue and then CONVENIENTLY disregard that meaningful, open-hearted dialogue is, by nature of our human-ness, a mess most of the time. The mess doesn’t sell.

It happens in a rush. Everyone’s got lots to do and you feel the need for extra couple of hours in a day….then comes the spicy yummy meal craving. One pot meals at his time does come in handy.

Here’s one I absolutely love….

Kohlrabi/Noolkol Edamame Fry

January 26, 2019 By Asha Shivakumar

Don’t be intimidated by kohlrabi/noolkol! This root vegetable is easily adaptable to many flavors and keeps it’s crunch. Delicious and Nutritious. This Kohlrabi/Noolkol Edamame Fry is a vegetarian lovers meat dish.

I’m always curious about other people’s comfort food. The stuff you eat when you’re sick or sad. I feel like it tells you so much about that person, where they came from, what they turn to feel better.

And when I ask people so many secrets spill out, gooey mushy nostalgic childhood food, some’s grandmother’s mutton, someone else who goes to a tiny box-line restaurant in old Shivajinagar for the flavors of that chicken that’s unbeatable, some else, who makes an elaborate meal from scratch to lose themselves in the method and to forget….