tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29038925501381401332012-02-11T20:39:30.712-05:00Journal of a Foodie from KarnatakaKannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.comBlogger2751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-87158292105884940082012-01-21T10:36:00.003-05:002012-01-26T07:29:54.068-05:00

A few decades back, I was just a little kid. Whenever we went to a fancy restaurant to eat 'North Indian Food' we did order tomato soup, gobi manchurian, roti, panner and probably a vegetable subzi and fried rice- noodles. Finish it with the tall decadant 'Gud-Bud' icecream. I was a kid who loved slurping the scary red tomato soup. In fact soup to most of us back then meant tomato soup. Was it

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-23586821284507370772012-01-21T10:35:00.000-05:002012-01-21T10:35:21.148-05:00

We all love yogurt in my family. Sunny boy adores dairy, be it yogurt, be it butter or cheese. The other day I just opened my refrigerator to get some butter for blueberry muffins, I noticed that the butter had been gnawed all over. 'Could it be rats?' came a horrified thought, the very next second, Sunny boy grabbed the butter from my hand, 'Benne....Amma benne kodi, Thank you' and started

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-79604677056014388422012-01-18T22:35:00.000-05:002012-01-21T10:35:53.648-05:00

I love parties, it brings together some of my favorite things in the world - friends, food and good times. The other day I was pitching in with dessert for a potluck. I am always the dessert person!Wonder if I would have been a good pastry chef :) So there are few recipes that are actually easy to make, travels well and well appreciated. Fruit cake , Rasmalai  are few of those and Tiramisu and

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-58117804422091283102012-01-11T15:49:00.000-05:002012-01-21T10:36:05.309-05:00

It has been a benign winter till now. I guess we have earned it by going though the very eventful 2011 weather-wise, first the 'Snowmegadon', then 'Irene' then the scorching summer in between, of course the autumn snow fall that ruined my sunny boy's big day.Still there are cold days in between, that begs for food that warms you from within, things like hot rice, ghee and Tokku like Mango,

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-33397078838737253442012-01-08T15:27:00.000-05:002012-01-08T15:27:25.355-05:00

A very happy new year to all of you friends.. After a very busy party-season, I am still trying to get into the grove!Indeed it was lots of baking, lots of eating, lots of drinking, sleeplessness and then of course fun. Now as usual trying to eat healthy. That has only meant eating-healthy-meal followed by a soul-stomach-pleasing-regular-meal. Looks like I am better of eating the

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-8444373082689583802011-12-21T12:55:00.004-05:002011-12-29T15:08:22.136-05:00

My mother used to make three types of cakes before her old fashioned oven broke down on her. The regular butter-cake, Mango cake and Fruit cake. Fruit cake was the special of them all reserved for birthdays and special requests. We used to love it. It never lasted for more than two days. It never does. I have no clue why people complain of fruit cakes sitting idly in the fridge for years. This

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-30349082961408617502011-12-08T12:15:00.001-05:002011-12-08T21:54:03.088-05:00

Coconut chutney is the staple chutney amongst us Kannadigas. We probably eat a tonne or so of this chutney every year! Well obviously, we are people who have at least one to two coconut trees in the backyard and we make the best use of our resources. Therefore there are not many dishes which does not call for coconut. The recent 'eat-healthy' trend has damped our love for coconut a bit, but mine

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-38168808249048589642011-11-21T17:12:00.001-05:002011-12-13T14:36:18.179-05:00

Sometimes, the palate craves for something spicy, something that pops and dance to a Bollywood chart buster.. while the soul craves for something soothing and simple. On a day when you are hard put for time, there are very few options indeed.. This is one such pantry-constrained, time-constrained but not taste-constrained recipes.. We will need, Aloo 1 big (cubed) Palak 3 cup (chopped )

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-52083042002665601872011-11-18T13:04:00.001-05:002011-12-13T14:36:32.352-05:00

I love Panner..I keep looking for excuses to make panner! most of time, I need no excuses is another story.This time was actually an important birthday and could not have gone wrong with Panner Tikka Masala. Sunny boy was in good spirits that day and I was able to pull off the show with a relative ease!! This indeed is a time consuming dish and it requires at least an hour and half from start to

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-16152075000732404972011-11-15T15:32:00.001-05:002011-12-13T14:36:43.082-05:00

So, the official eating season is in full swing. We are have a good time eating. During such times, I realized that I tend to repeat a few rich-festive recipes very often Malai Kofta , Dum Aloo , and Panner Tikka Masala. Will be updating the last recipe very soon. Along with such curries it will be Jeera rice or of late Peas Pulao. Peas Pulao is not actually a Pulao in technical sense, it is

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-62708082093924988102011-11-14T14:57:00.001-05:002011-12-13T14:36:53.428-05:00

Uppittu...the word conjures up some really strong reactions. Lot of people I know either love or hate Uppittu. I myself can eat a bowl full of Avarekalu Uppittu with the greatest of delights, while abhorring the thought of eating the caked up rawa version, the version served on the great Indian railways as well as in most of north India as 'Upma', come on my cow would not eat it, if I had one,

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-63890797271869014432011-11-07T22:57:00.001-05:002011-12-13T14:37:06.706-05:00

How would a South Indian palate react to a very buttery-but-no-kick-even-after-a-mile preparation of a 'royal-urad' dal?? Well, just not very cordially. My first introduction to 'Raj' the royal 'mah' or urad dal was not all that friendly. Our erstwhile landlady in Amritsar had sent us this rich dish of plump kidney beans drowned in a combination of tomatoes, onions and butter. The beans I felt

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-42706769843214225372011-11-04T13:29:00.001-04:002011-11-04T22:16:02.763-04:00

Wow! It is already November..Sunny boy turned two years old today..The entire previous month went into birthday party planning, Deepawali..It was a busy few weeks indeed. Now here we are Sunny boy graduates to a toddler from a baby. It is rather sad that he is no longer a baby. I just loved his smell after nursing, may be even after the clumsy burping and also all the spit ups..I loved to see him

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-13945664208073138272011-09-29T15:27:00.004-04:002011-09-30T16:30:58.529-04:00

It is my favorite part of the year. The festival season. Dasara is here and soon it will be Diwali and new year.As usual it is the time when the Doll collection sees the light of the year. This time it is special because my Sunny boy is old enough to  understand what it is all about. I do not have the 'Pattada Bombe' which  usually presides over the celebrations, hope to get one for the next

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-36303514858026943912011-08-31T14:41:00.000-04:002011-08-31T14:41:23.962-04:00

Ragi porridge for baby is a preferred food back home. Starting with the blander version and continuing it with a picky toddler can be hard. So I had to tweak the original recipe to make it more flavorful and nutritious. So here I am experimenting with a lot of ingredients to check what my little one likes. Finally this is what he liked!  Sure they grow up very fast.  We will need, Whole Ragi 

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-59231385403957788352011-08-30T13:52:00.000-04:002011-08-30T13:52:47.261-04:00

Festival season in full swing and here comes Sabakki payasa. As kids me and my sister called this one "gulle gulle payasa" aka 'bubble bubble' payasa, and the name has struck to it. Pearly bubbly milky delight it is still my sister's favorite dessert. To me it always reminds me of 'Pythons'.... well the story goes something like this. Mom was making this payasa one day probably the year was 1991.

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-54621663252790606732011-08-24T14:16:00.000-04:002011-08-24T14:16:51.953-04:00

I cannot believe the Sravana month is almost coming to an end! It feels like last week that we celebrated Ugadi..So official Hindu festival season has started. We have already had two sweets - Sabakki Payasa and Kesari Bhaath in as many weeks, one for Varamahalaxmi and then Krishnajanmastami, more to come in the next few weeks. After Honey went sugar free, I make sweets with a lot of guilt. I do

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-71201137645772962652011-08-22T14:01:00.000-04:002011-08-22T14:01:54.870-04:00

Happy Janmashtami ....Here is my little Krishna, after a meal of Gojjavalakki, Kosambari and Kesari Bhaath...

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-48487744440503129452011-08-22T13:27:00.000-04:002011-08-22T13:27:43.914-04:00

Continuing with the season's best.. Summer Squash We will need, Summer Squash  1 lb cleaned and chopped into chunks Garlic  2-3 cloves Chillies (red/ green) 4-5 (adjust according to taste) Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Tamarind - size of two peas Coriander a generous handful (optional) Black pepper  1/4 tsp Peanut oil  3 tbsp Mustard seeds a generous pinch Salt to taste Method: Heat oil in a Kadai.

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-2709692470905381192011-07-28T20:41:00.000-04:002011-11-22T13:37:28.549-05:00

What would you do if your CSA bombards you with a variety of Squash- Zucchini, yellow, grey!Try to eat as much as possible and pass it on to neighbors. What if neighbors grow Squash and are eager to double your kindness and send you back with two squash for every one that you tried to get rid of? You will try novel ways  to use up the squash.. So that is what happened here. Loads and and loads

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-74456586430855642412011-07-27T14:37:00.002-04:002011-07-27T14:40:01.935-04:00

I have always had Vangi Bhaat at the top of my 'Bucket List' it is now slightly refined. It ought to be the Eerinagere /Mysore Badanekayi aka fingerling eggplant Vangi baath. How can I describe the serendipitous reappearance of this miraculous vegetable (or botanically a fruit) and all the joy it has brought....This summer, we have been going to pick-your-own-farms. Just could not resist the

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-89749520210918388482011-07-18T23:23:00.000-04:002011-07-18T23:23:31.445-04:00

Continuing with the celebration of summer bounty here comes more vegetables, absolutely fresh and no sign of wax what so ever! The taste of fresh vegetables had actually become vague after years of consumption of the waxed supermarket stuff. But it is all coming back. The only gripe, the shortness of the season. Why cannot the sun be munificent for a few more months? Nothing can beat 'pick your

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-75004046881552832932011-07-17T10:43:00.000-04:002011-07-17T10:43:15.950-04:00

I cannot get enough of summer. Love the fresh vegetables that comes with it. Yesterday we got some as fresh as it could possibly get. We went to a pick your own farms and got a carton load of vegetables and we are loving every bit of it.  After a long time I chanced upon raw tomatoes. I started drooling right then and there thinking of this chutney. I pulled a few right off the vine. Although the

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-15810990848262308792011-07-11T13:18:00.000-04:002011-07-11T13:18:50.139-04:00

Hmm...summer in full swing and I am not complaining. Love the fresh local produce and the farmers market overflowing with vegetables and fruits. Suburban Organics is sending us all bounty of the season.. fresh strawberries, apricots, peaches and berries.. Amidst this bounty I decided to do some experimentation on myself. Inspired by fellow bloggers who found certain dietary changes beneficial, I

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-51393222534551432302011-06-27T14:40:00.001-04:002011-06-27T14:42:10.123-04:00

Summer is in full swing and we are loving it..I love patio dining. The other day we ate at one of these Tapas bars.. lots of good Tapas, my kind of munchies, small portions but a variety of ingredient. We loved most of the Tapas except one- the one with Goat Cheese. That was the first time I was eating Goat Cheese. OMG, it did smell like Goat. I felt like I was sitting and eating with dozens of

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-39519869061798982492011-06-16T21:55:00.000-04:002011-06-16T21:55:31.192-04:00

There are days when I do not want to use either the pressure cooker or our staple Toor Dal. Especially summers means an inherent preference for something light. On such days I go for dishes like Chutneys and Mosaru Shale. It does not need long hours in front of the stove. For Soppina Chutney, assorted greens can be used including Spinach, red spinach, Sorrel, Basale etc. Zucchini or Ridge gourd

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-34381926578167656202011-06-15T12:35:00.001-04:002011-06-15T12:56:00.587-04:00

Summer in right around the corner here in the East Coast.. Summer brings fresh local produce aka vegetables and fruits. It is like a huge celebration to see so many fresh vegetables. Now that fresh green peas has already started hitting the markets, it is definitely time to dish up some Usli- a winter favorite back home. We will need, Green Peas  3 cups Onion  1 large Garlic   3 cloves Ginger 

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-17302872056975451192011-06-07T14:27:00.001-04:002011-06-08T20:18:17.901-04:00

Hosting MLLA 35 was a wonderful experience. Thanks a lot Susan for giving me this opportunity. All the 42 entries were exciting, each in its own way.  Different ingredients, different cooking styles, different cuisines but the end results always delightful. So here we go with the roundup. Such diversity amongst the entries, it was quite difficult to segregate them into groups, then I decided to

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-9839115844492145712011-05-03T07:48:00.003-04:002011-05-03T08:45:30.736-04:00

Three years ago, on a dull dreary day in the depth of harsh Eastern winter, I decided to convert my love for food into something more substantial..  How about sharing it? How about introducing my love to others? How about translating it to words? I always thought Food-Writing was sexy. Growing up in India, I collected that part of Sunday Times that featured glossy pictures of exotic foods and

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-21003311333064976362011-04-16T12:34:00.000-04:002011-04-16T12:34:06.649-04:00

We are a big vegetable loving family! My gut is happy when I load it with Veggies.. Same with all my folks.I need at least 2 lbs / 1 kg of vegetable for Palya alone.So my effective weekly vegetable shopping means 7 * 2lb of vegetables.  Also we like our vegetables tender crisp, not soggy and shapeless. Therefore our option is limited to either Palya or Salads. So here is one of the most sought

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-49005018332985269302011-04-14T17:09:00.000-04:002011-04-14T17:09:28.537-04:00

It was Sriram Navami a couple of days back. As much as I remember Lord Rama on the occasion of his birthday, it is all about Panaka, Majjige and Kosambari. We did not celebrate the festival this time because my Grandmother was operated upon that day. We reserve the celebration for tomorrow. Thanks to Lord Rama my Grandmother is recuperating. Back to Ramanavami. For me this occasion somehow

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-22371896696427621472011-04-12T13:22:00.001-04:002011-04-12T13:22:37.402-04:00

I love Fridays. Something magical about not having to prep break fast the following morning, wake up early morning the next day and pack lunch box etc etc. The very thought of not having to do all that means its a Friday. So Fridays put me in the mood to make something luxurious but not too laborious. What better than Biriyani! We love it so much that two of us end up finishing a potful meant for

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-50626221507846897352011-04-10T15:15:00.000-04:002011-04-10T15:15:00.298-04:00

Ugadi 2011 was good. After a long long time, we had been to the temple on Ugadi had the 'Bevu-Bella' prasada there.  The cherry on the pie was the nice weather. So got to wear nice silk Saree and my little one got to wear his new Sherwani! Food wise it was a toned down affair. We just had Carrot Palya, Beans Palya, sprouted Moon beans Kosambari, Chitranna, Payasa, Tovve and Tili Saaru... Here

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-28807808539914899952011-03-24T19:34:00.001-04:002011-03-25T17:16:00.563-04:00

Winters in Karnataka is always mild. We have never seen a bone chilling winter! A shawl, a sweater or say a monkey cap is all we needed if we had get out early in the morning to fetch milk or something like that. My mother for instance never even owned a sweater till my father was posted to Northern part of the country where it does get a little colder. But that does not mean we southern

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-62687610386813300292011-03-19T13:22:00.002-04:002011-03-20T11:53:38.488-04:00

Sugar free update: Well, Honey managed to stick to the sugar free diet for the past two weeks...Surprisingly he has lost 5.5 lbs... Yes! No exaggerations here. That was a pleasant surprise. Me :( There was this big bag of Snickers lying in the pantry from the last Halloween, I had to eat it. The craving used to strike me so hard and every time I walked past the pantry, i had to grab one. I

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-57857766365828656492011-03-06T18:49:00.000-05:002011-03-06T18:49:59.165-05:00

Me and Honey have decided to go sugar-free for the next 2 may be 4 weeks. After reading so much about the effects of sugar on metabolism and after struggling to get back to pre-pregnancy weight both of us have decided to try going sugar free (for those of you wondering if a man puts on weight during his impending fatherhood- yes they do big time, in case of Honey almost as much as I did!). The

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-75519636265914303952011-03-01T13:26:00.002-05:002011-03-06T18:50:30.254-05:00

Happy Shivratri folks.. Shivratri is supposed to be a day of fasting. But in my family, we love to feast on Shivratri. My grandmother- Ajji makes loads of goodies for the occasion. Tambittu, Kodbale, Kadalebeja Unde aka peanut clusters..etc. Generally I stay away from making Tambittu, but starting this year I am planning to make it for the occasion: it is all about setting the tradition for my

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-25609316325394627482011-02-23T00:03:00.000-05:002011-02-23T00:03:32.338-05:00

I have been getting mails from new mothers all over requesting Bananti recipes..I thought I should go ahead with the write up and not wait for the photos given the time sensitive nature for the request. I hope all the people who requested for such recipe read this post. The basics are pretty clear. I mean traditional Bayaluseeme Karnataka style Banantana. I am mostly documenting the traditional

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-33578025549043372462011-02-15T13:19:00.000-05:002011-02-15T13:19:43.142-05:00

The umpteen Darshinis that populate every single street corner in Bangalore will have a few common favorites on their menu.  Undisputed King according to me is the Masale Dose. Honey contests it- dip-Idli means Idli dipped in a bowl of steaming hot Sambar or Chutney gets his vote. MIL on the other hand goes with Rave Idli. I have never seen her order something else! I for one will never change my

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-49948204855425615712011-02-12T16:20:00.001-05:002011-12-14T13:39:01.142-05:00

I am not a very big fan of soy products..'soy milk', I did say eww...Soy cheese I did say 'no thank you'. I did rather have my cup of milk-milk or 'cheese-cheese'. Tofu is still fine, nothing can beat Panner. Will I ever be a vegan? I do not think so, give me my yogurt, give me my cheese and I am as happy as a lark.  So what about this Temphe? I have been reading about Temphe in most western

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-7418897881626719652011-02-05T21:01:00.001-05:002011-02-06T21:39:04.727-05:00

The other day I had prepared some Pacchadi to go along with a Pulao and ritualistically started clicking pictures. Honey noticed it and asked if it was for my blog. I said it was. His reaction was horror! 'What! you do not yet have Pacchadi on your blog?....' The silence hung so heavy as if i had invited people for dinner and sent them away hungry. Our salad marathon is still on. We are managing

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-14083176964626099542011-02-03T12:19:00.001-05:002011-12-14T13:38:10.354-05:00

Our recent India visit meant a lot of good eating. My brother-in-law who disputes my argument that Karnataka is mostly known for its vegetarian cuisine treated us to this dish. My sister was a thorough vegetarian before her marriage and now she loves non-vegetarian. So, 'love' does change one's food preference :). My BIL, well I often refer to him as my cousin rather than the distant sounding '

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-88988484373884372542011-01-29T16:29:00.001-05:002011-02-05T21:02:01.340-05:00

Salad time here..Our salads traditionally are called Kosambari. Kosambari is a mixture of fresh vegetables, pulses and dressed with a touch of expeller pressed peanut oil, hing, mustard, green chillies, salt and lemon juice.  Some of the vegetables popular in Kosambaris include carrot, cucumber, kohlrabi, cabbage, radish, onions, tomatoes.... We will need.. Carrot       2 Cups grated Radish

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-85155957660829933372011-01-24T18:24:00.001-05:002011-01-24T18:30:47.497-05:00

New Years usually starts with resolution to eat healthy, loose weight etc etc.. many a new years, many a heros, many villains, once a hero, now a villain example carbs- once a villain now a hero example fats! and so many researches, so many  fads later I have finally decided to go back to my ultimate comfort food, the food that my folks have been eating for generations and led a healthy life. May

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-42469763159119691732011-01-14T11:58:00.000-05:002011-01-14T11:58:40.035-05:00

Happy Sankranti to all you wonderful people. Have a great time. Right now it is Carrot Halwa here! Well I did say Carrot Halwa is not the traditional sweet at this time of the year. It ought to be Pongal sweet and savory,but I am not a big fan of sweet Pongal. Besides, with sweet Pongal somehow there is always a problem of left overs. This weekend being a long weekend we are heading out and there

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-17476526787674956242011-01-12T16:56:00.001-05:002011-12-12T15:11:40.924-05:00

Sankranti is just round the corner. I had been procrastination the preparation of Yellu Bella and finally finished it today. It is a tradition in old Mysore area to exchange packets of Yellu Bella, Sakkare Acchu (Sugar candy), Sugarcane, Bananas and Yelchihannu a sort of berry. I remember as a little girl, well into my late teens I did wear the Resme Langa - the traditional long silk skirt and

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-52580327463150593632011-01-07T14:17:00.000-05:002011-01-07T14:17:40.107-05:00

My baking season has just come to an end? or my be a just begin. We have been having batches after batches of Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fruit cakes, Cheesecakes etc. Well I am not very good at frosting but then taste wise we had nothing to complain. All purpose flour 1.5 cups Sugar  3/4 to 1 Cup Heavy Cream about a cup Strawberry Puree  1/4 Cup / Coco powder  2 tbsp/ Orange Juice  1/4 Cup Butter

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-57435422983953758262011-01-01T22:32:00.001-05:002011-01-02T10:41:33.229-05:00

Wishing you all a happy and prosperous new year..Eat well and have a good time. It was all quiet all home this time around. With my little sunny boy we could not think of much.We loved the quiet new year celebration though. We had some Bisibelebath and Mango ice-cream with some Prosecco! I am ready with my first post for the new year. It is a grossly under appreciated vegetable i happened to

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-41865442875913632622010-12-29T15:13:00.000-05:002010-12-29T15:13:00.436-05:00

 Talipattu is a very filling breakfast. I remember asking mom to make this for me on days when I did foresee no time to break for lunch. These Talippattu kept me full and used to see me through the day! It is hardy and very nutritious. By the way my old faithful camera died. ...and this picture was shot on my handycam and I am not too happy with the results. But till the new camera is here this

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We Kannadigas make a variety of Holiges...This is one of the rustic types. MIL made it when she was here and this has been in my drafts for a long time. Looks like it is time to post it :) Unlike other Holiges this one does not have a filling but comes with a rich sauce. We will need, For the Pooris, Whole wheat flour ( like Ashirwad )    2 Cups Salt a pinch Peanut Oil to deep fry. For the

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Payasa is an ultimate comfort dessert. I know I did die for a good Cheesecake or say Chocolate Eclair but they satisfy just my sweet tooth, not my soul. I guess it is more to do with what we eat when we are young - the degree of familiarity.The aroma, textures that are familiar, makes me feel that they know the right spot to light up in my soul. We Kannadigas are notorious for serving Payasa for

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I love Ice Creams. I know this is not the time of the year for ice creams, but then for a person like me when is it not the right time to have one!! The single biggest craving  when I was expecting my son was Ice Cream and pity here in north America Ice Cream has a different meaning all together and is made with egg yolks... I never liked Hagen Daaz, but i never knew of the yolks in them till

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-72831103500664267962010-12-05T16:18:00.000-05:002010-12-05T16:18:46.424-05:00

Yay yay yay....it is that time of the year again, when I do not feel guilty eating goodies. Before the resolution comes into effect I go into binge-eating. It is a different issue that my resolutions weaken by the third week of January and fail by the end of February. At this time of the year it is all about baking. The nip in the air always turn my oven on!!  There is something about fall that

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-61219905382379955732010-11-19T16:29:00.001-05:002010-11-20T11:38:25.563-05:00

MIL makes this wonderful curry to go along with anything from Dosa to Chapati and everything in between!! We love it. It is rich and spicy and can satisfy any palate craving something savory. We will need, Mixed vegetables     2 cups Coconut grated         1/3 to 1/2 cup  Oil                              4 tbsp Mustard seeds             1/4 tsp Jeera                           1/2 tspSalt to

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-38376473074194278872010-11-11T16:00:00.001-05:002010-11-11T16:00:55.969-05:00

MIL is not just a sweet person but also a super cook. I have always wondered how her signature dishes taste consistently awesome every time she makes them, anytime, anywhere! Me..I get lost if I do not find my measuring cups and spoons :) This time around I measured all the ingredients so as to never go wrong. Honey adores Tomato Palya. I like it too. It goes very well with Chapatis and a

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-43686140367399275182010-11-08T14:55:00.000-05:002010-11-08T14:55:21.526-05:00

After a long vacation in India, cooking seems like a  very distant proposition! Food and family goes together and no wonder they say, a family that eats together, stays together. Back home it was all about endless dinner-lunch-breakfast invitations. Me and Honey had prepared a chart of all the eateries and restaurants we would visit when in Bangalore, alas, we did not have enough time for all the

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-44268318631169031452010-11-06T21:35:00.001-04:002010-11-12T18:53:19.653-05:00

It was Dasara just yesterday and it is already time to make Kajjayas! I am not complaining..Love the festival season. Let the festive season bring a lot of joy and prosperity to each one of you and your families! Happy Deepawali. Here is a peek at our Deepavali celebration..

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-60433028729659666482010-07-14T16:10:00.005-04:002011-12-14T13:41:30.661-05:00

My sister is married to a wonderful man from Coorg. Coorg is known for its coffee estate and of course fabulous non-vegetarian food. This recipe is courtesy bro-in-law. This recipe calls for both raw mango and sweet ripe mango. Initially I was hesitant to try the mixture, more so, because it also called for shrimp! But lo behold, the curry was exceptional. This one makes it to my bucket list. Ah

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-25809132719121797172010-07-14T15:43:00.001-04:002011-12-14T13:39:25.266-05:00

Susheela Aunty gave us this bowl of heavenly chicken curry that Honey demolished in minutes. It is a typical Gowda style curry that goes very well with Mudde . This recipe goes on to show that Karnataka has some very good non-vegetarian recipes to offer. Watch out for more such recipes...it is on the way. We will need, Chicken         1 lb cut into 1cubes Peanut oil       3 tsp Salt to

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-51773352510990776792010-07-09T21:52:00.001-04:002010-07-23T11:52:27.927-04:00

Rave unde is a simple and easily scalable sweet dish. We love it in our family. This recipe is courtesy Susheela aunty. Actually Rave Unde reminds me of Maha Ekadashi, a festival that we are supposed to celebrate by fasting but most often than not we end up feasting. Typically my grandmother would make Chakkli, Kodbale, Nippattu, Kobari Mithai, Rave Unde and Karjikai and store it in huge tins!

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-45646877392421942952010-07-02T22:34:00.002-04:002010-07-03T17:48:23.588-04:00

Introducing solids to little ones is a daunting task.. First time moms are especially confused! What to feed, when to feed, when to start, how to feed...etc. We need to figure out answers all by ourselves but then I can do my bit by posting the recipe for Ragi Sari the ragi gruel that is feed to babies back home. We have been feeding our little one Ragi Sari and he loves it...Go ahead and try it

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-48643688070664565922010-06-28T13:19:00.000-04:002010-06-28T13:19:56.105-04:00

My mother used to tell me a story about a destitute girl who prayed to lord Vishnu to help her ease the pangs of Hunger. Lord Vishnu appears before the girl and presents her an Akshayapatra that could produce Huggi on a particular command, stopping at another command. The girl is generous and kind and serves Huggi to needy. This triggers the neighbour's jealousy. The neighbour steals the Huggi

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-5845474120110509122010-06-25T12:58:00.001-04:002010-06-26T00:16:19.849-04:00

Hulianna is Pulioggare's lesser known cousin. One of the rice dishes that are destined to be lunch-box-hits! I make a big batch, leave it in the refrigerator. Heating up each serving as I pack Honey's lunch box. We will need, Rice                       2 cups cooked and cooled Tamarind                   size of a lemon (Soaked in warm water for 15-20 minutes) Huli Pudi /Sambar Powder    1.5

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-79488841700039608562010-06-23T10:16:00.001-04:002010-06-26T00:16:54.721-04:00

Though it is not quite a native species groundnuts aka peanuts have been something my ancestors relished!! It has a cultivation history of least 150 years in the old Mysore region. Primarily an oil seed, it was also converted into favorite condiment like chutney. In my kitchen, it is the most accepted and adored Chutney. We like its versatility, taste and the ease with which it ends on the

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-18434417945194747212010-06-22T18:43:00.001-04:002010-06-26T00:17:29.069-04:00

Idlis are traditionally served with savory chutney, peanut, coconut etc. But we also relish it with sweet coconut chutney. It is my grand mother's specialty. My grand father is a very big fan of this chutney, so am I. It is pretty easy to whip up and makes a breakfast hearty and festive. We will need, Roasted Channa Dal / Kadale Pappu    1/4 Cup Shredded Coconut                               

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-47427863439955395252010-06-22T18:13:00.002-04:002011-03-03T17:34:19.972-05:00

Fermentation is very whimsical here in the US..How hard did i try to make the perfect Idlis that smells so much like home, just as soft, as pillowy...just as heavenly..It did take me quite a while, but now I guess I am in Idli heaven. The secret, ELGI Ultra Wet Grinder my MIL got me from India this summer..The timing could not have been better, as I call spring/Summer - "Idli Season". During this

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-20084595365506484172010-06-14T15:06:00.000-04:002010-06-14T15:06:57.792-04:00

Balida rotti literally means spread-flat bread! There is just so much to it, but the simplicity is what makes it so difficult.. I am yet to master the art of spreading the dough on a hot griddle. These are fat free and super healthy and is worth every effort it takes...Recipe courtesy : Aunty Susheela We will need Ragi flour  1 cup Salt Onions   1 medium minced Water Method: Mix ragi flour,

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-53742540829413350272010-06-08T22:18:00.002-04:002010-06-09T09:53:39.927-04:00

My blog is skewed disproportionately toward vegetarian fare till date. This is not intentional, just that Kannadigas are very vegetarian-friendly folks! Historically speaking, we are a creed who experienced strong religious stimulus endorsing vegetarian way of life! In the ancient period it was the Jain monks... Jains are so rigid in their practice of vegetarianism that they do not eat meals

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-44508592770265263302010-06-01T12:44:00.002-04:002010-06-26T00:22:58.744-04:00

Recently we moved from Connecticut to New Jersey. My belly has been more than happy ever since. So many varieties of Indian restaurants, Karnataka-styled Hoysala to Indo-China styled Nanking! I could not believe there was such a big Indian community to support all these restaurants. In fact there is! The coolest part of our new residence is our Kannadiga neighbour. Aunty Susheela, is a lady of

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-89160173533756231692010-05-11T12:55:00.001-04:002010-06-26T00:18:35.475-04:00

My MIL is with us these days. She is getting to know her brand new grandson and I am getting to know some of her delightful signature dishes. I am having the time of the world, getting to eat everything. Since I am out of the post-partum diet (more or less, still slightly hesitant about cabbage family and such stuff), I am eating everything she prepares. Of course all the love makes it

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-77961188462571110412010-05-07T12:19:00.001-04:002010-06-26T00:19:15.097-04:00

Dhabhas are a must-try food joints back home. As I remember, most restaurants in the city-centers in smaller towns of Karnataka (i.e. most cities apart from Bangalore and Mysore) had very few places serving non-vegetarian meals. There used to be something called 'Hindu Millitary Hotel' (HMH). These  eateries were the exact contrast to 'Bramhanara Upahara Mandira'. HMH served traditional meat

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-63965685108013546122010-04-23T17:29:00.002-04:002010-06-26T00:19:48.789-04:00

The Yellow Indian Pumpkins are one of those vegetables that grows like weeds back home in Karnataka. There was a time when most of our backyards had at least one Pumpkin creeper that we would scoff at the idea of having to buy them in the market. My grandmother probably would still not agree with the idea of buying pumpkins!! It used to so happen that these giant vegetables were just too much to

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-83644313978378170972010-04-18T17:11:00.003-04:002011-04-14T17:25:39.242-04:00

One of the most popular breakfasts back home is Akki Rotti, more so during winters when 'Avarekai'/Papdi Lilva aka flat beans crowd the markets. We consume tonnes and tonnes of Avarekai Usuli with innumerable Akki rottis each season. Even as I write this post, the tantalizing aroma of Usli whiffs the air around me, though it is well past winters...So much is my connection with Akki rotti-Usli. In

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-90844178586670058122010-04-16T19:12:00.000-04:002010-04-16T19:12:53.220-04:00

It is again cloudy and raining. It is so boring a day that I hardly feel like cooking anything. On such days we dish up some Menasina saaru, something that warms me up from within as well as takes just over a few minutes to cook. This is again one of the first foods that a new mother is served. It is also a tonic that does a world of good to a runny nose and a sore throat, a South Indian

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-14882560792699477582010-04-12T13:09:00.002-04:002011-12-14T13:36:44.961-05:00

Bread uppittu is a variety of upma made using stale bread. We so much love it that we end buying bread to make it instead of using stale bread :). But I should mention that the Upma turns out better if the bread used is at least a couple of days old and kinda holds it shape. Also the best variety of bread will be the sweetish Iyengar bakery style bread. We do not get it often here, so I use '

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-1671147531634413062010-04-08T17:20:00.002-04:002011-02-05T21:02:52.619-05:00

It is raining bendekai here!!! Got to post this one. It has been lying in my folder for god-knows-how-long. So no banter, no nonsense, lets head straight to the recipe. We will need, Okra/ Bendakai   1/2 lb Yogurt                 1 cup Peanut oil            1 tbsp Green chillies        4-5 slit, adjust according to taste Mustard seeds      1/2 tsp Channa Dal          1 tsp Urad Dal

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-88732025191954420342010-04-06T09:29:00.004-04:002010-04-06T09:49:14.359-04:00

My love for Okras is legendary. Keep searching for new ways to eat them. Pushing mom for those forgotten recipes, came across this recipe. Mom made it after a long time and it was a super hit. I have been making it regularly these days.We will need,Okra/ Bendekai/ lady's finger 1 lbGreen Chillies 6 -10 adjust according to tasteTamarind extract

Smithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18371158961209194665noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-14132358073532617322010-03-29T18:13:00.001-04:002010-04-01T22:57:11.987-04:00

Moong dal is one of the oldest and most trusted foods in our part of the world. It is an approved food for new mothers, babies, senior citizens, those with weak digestion etc.  I have always loved it. One of my favorite ways to eat it is in the form of chutney. The recipe reflects the simplicity of ancient lifestyle. They needed no Microwave, no oven, nothing. They could accomplish the task of

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-91828966484103176322010-03-25T21:19:00.000-04:002010-03-25T21:19:45.041-04:00

Ridged gourd grows on a climber. It used to very common to have one in the backyard or sometimes on the compound wall /fence! So this is one go-to vegetable we are so used to back home. Just pluck a few gourds here and there bingo you have a wonderful curry ready in minutes. This is one of those made-in-minutes rustic curries. We love it for its complexity of flavours and simplicity of

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The sweet equivalent of Bisibelebath is probably Mysore Pak. Nothing represents ‘Karnataka’ better than Mysore pak after all the dish carries our Cultural Capital in its very name. The other day I was really amused when I noticed somebody writing about Mysore pak that it is originally from AP! Quite did not know Mysore was in AP. The legend is that the Mysore Maharajas were very fond of this

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-53865916577082874702010-03-18T18:55:00.001-04:002010-03-18T18:56:25.925-04:00

What do you cook when you ought to feel indulgent? No not biriyani! Not me... I am an Arida Huli gal!! Arida huli is another name for from the scratch vegetable curry. It is also sometimes referred to as Kootu. A rose by any name would smell as sweet! Arida Huli by any other name would taste just as indulgent.. This is a dish that is reserved for special occasions, may be a guest, may be a Sunday

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-85874567220076669762010-03-14T19:15:00.001-04:002010-03-14T19:17:23.172-04:00

Macaroons have become such a fashion statement these days. I have been waiting for a long time to achieve a certain degree of success in making them in my Kitchen. How lovely would it be to be able to make these ultimate indulgence in my own kitchen savour it at my own time and relax!! (RELAX is a word not often found in my dictionary these days with a four month old around ) But then these

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A new mothers dietary requirements are very different. Not only do new mothers require extra calories but breast feeding mothers are constrained by a variety of foods that needs to be avoided because of the weak digestive system of the new born. Traditionally new mothers are served this particular spice blend to improve the digestion of both newborns and the mother. The new mother starts her meal

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-4204028024029494232010-02-26T09:01:00.005-05:002011-02-05T21:04:06.549-05:00

My family loves yogurt based dishes. We Kannadigas are pretty good at making use of Yogurt in Paccchdi or Raita. We are not quite as innovative as the Moghuls who used it in gravies. These Pacchadis are not stand alone dishes, instead they can make a nice accompaniment to chutney, neutralizing the spicy heat of the Chutney. These Pacchadis are very mild and not to mention adds colour to the

Smithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18371158961209194665noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-71245888061265041192010-02-16T16:40:00.006-05:002010-02-26T09:30:38.702-05:00

I have developed an incredibly incurable sweet tooth! Of late I am craving for sweet like nobody’s business!! Now that my mother will be going back to India in two weeks, I am resorting to sweets for comfort. Mom is making all sorts of sweets to comfort me and my palate. She made Halkheer the other day. Kheer is one of those victuals associated with celebrations, festivities, joy and comfort.

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-88747819229259554052010-02-10T19:32:00.001-05:002010-02-26T14:34:14.196-05:00

Chutneys are incredibly versatile condiment. Of course chutney assumes a different dimension in the western world. In India chutney mostly conjures up images of freshly ground, fragrant sweet-sour-spicy condiment that goes well with practically everything from breads like Roti to hot rice. In the western hemisphere Chutney instead conjures up images of bottled sugary jelly like substance that has

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-42506002601901208402010-02-06T13:58:00.010-05:002010-02-26T14:37:20.128-05:00

Continuing with long lost traditional Kannadiga recipes, I present Gattakki Payasa. This particular sweet dish like all ancient recipes requires very few ingredients, the things that were handy back in the days when there were no commercial agriculture and supermarkets, and food mostly meant something that was harvested during the past season. As we can see the ingredients are simple. Broken rice

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-3879654081867797072010-02-04T14:49:00.007-05:002010-02-26T14:38:03.295-05:00

My family is pretty diverse when it comes to culinary tradition. Our family has of course grown in number with new members bringing in their own traditions along. My BIL is from Coorg, my eldest cousin has strong Hydrabadi roots, born in north Karnataka and lived in Kerala for close to two decades. My SIL is a tambram. So all of them have brought in their own array of delicacies. So our food

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-91032747935374133692010-01-18T19:01:00.005-05:002010-02-26T14:39:19.999-05:00

I love gobi Parathas and paneer parathas. I am reserving panner parathas for some other time.It is absolutely out of bounds for me right now.I made some for mom one of the week nights when she abstains from rice. It is simpler to use frozen cauliflower but fresh ones taste much better. I had the best gobi paratha of my life in Parathewali gali in Chandni Chowk, New Delhi. Back in those days it

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-82468111510812021242010-01-14T17:17:00.008-05:002010-02-26T14:40:09.265-05:00

Wishing you all a very happy sankranti. Sankranti, the harvest festival usually means sweet and savory 'pongal',cooked sweet potato, Avarekai and groundnuts. But back in the days of my granny, it was not sweet pongal but belladanna that used to occupy the center stage during Sankranti. Sankranti was also about exchanging Ellu-bella, a mixture of toasted sesame seeds, jaggery, coconut, roasted

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-68325323687338065662010-01-11T23:26:00.009-05:002010-02-26T14:52:51.529-05:00

his year our Festival season stretched well into the holiday season and the new year because Mom is here :) She made some delectable Hesarunde last week, we gobbled it up in no time. Yes!! the good news is that I was able to eat it. It is very much allowed during post partum period. I will ask mom to make an extra batch next week.. I am craving for good food like never before, not even during my

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-89569507208591206072010-01-06T13:04:00.005-05:002011-11-04T14:06:18.366-04:00

Though not a native fruit, Pineapple has somehow integrated into Kannada culinary fabric very well. So much so that it is an integral part of a Kannadiga wedding. One of the most popular way to use pineapple is to convert it into Gojju. Gojju is a thick accompaniment to rice that generically falls somewhere between curry and chutney. I would not serve it as a main course or a stand alone curry,

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-32905051613707578142010-01-03T19:21:00.003-05:002010-02-26T14:55:50.809-05:00

Mom loves jelly. So we had a great time with jelly this summer. There was a time when the instant jelly mix in the box contained gelatin therefore unsuitable for our consumption. And then there was vegetarian agar-agar that tasted more like figments of cardboard than jelly. But these days they have great tasting vegetarian instant jelly mix. I had a great time this fall with these jelly mixes. We

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-18287768193216877912010-01-02T15:29:00.004-05:002010-02-26T14:56:54.638-05:00

Everyone loves Aloo Paratha.. Me... I like it only if it is well made, no thick edges, sumptuous and spicy filling. It requires certain expertise to please me. I rank my own efforts in this direction quite lacking and it looks like a long way for perfection. But then expertise is all about practice, besides Honey really likes them. Aloo parathas do take a while to prepare, here is a short cut

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-14175360667222975102009-12-30T12:21:00.008-05:002011-12-12T14:12:32.417-05:00

Breast feeding mothers need extra calories. But they should also be very careful as to what they consume because babies have a weak digestive system and are sensitive to a lot of common foods well tolerated by adults. In fact every day vegetables like tomatoes, onions, green chilies can irritate breast fed babies leading to colic. To increase nutrition and calorific value of the mother’s meal as

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-52827636160840359202009-12-06T18:19:00.009-05:002010-02-26T15:06:19.826-05:00

Child birth in India is probably a celebrated affair like nowhere else in the world. So many rituals, so many festivities and such joy no wonder we are the second most populous nation on this planet!! It is also a critical period for the newborn as well as the new mother. A grueling experience for the mother, she needs to be taken care of the first few postpartum months. Back home, pregnant women

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-55912969049652739562009-12-01T19:46:00.006-05:002010-02-26T15:07:21.554-05:00

Herekai or ridged gourd is one my favorite vegetables. Though not as versatile as say the ash gourd, it is definitely something to have regularly on my shopping list. It is a vegetable which is quite popular back home. In fact i remember it growing in many a backyards just like that. So for a quick fix meal, just hop to the back yard, pluck a plumy gourd and bingo! dish out something truly

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-1039420990720111092009-11-28T14:16:00.007-05:002011-02-05T21:05:57.104-05:00

Fall is synonymous with apples here in New England. They grow so many varieties here I did not even know existed. For me apples meant Simla apples, small sweet and dull looking. (I also remember the Golden apples, but do not quite remember how it used to taste). But here apples are huge, shinny (because they are waxed and yucky), anywhere between maroon-golden-green in colour, very sweet to very

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-80193540222245387442009-11-23T15:19:00.004-05:002010-02-26T15:09:15.931-05:00

It is fall here and of course the onset of eating season! This time I am not doing much of baking because I am supposed to keep away from all such goodies for the next few weeks. So my baking season this time starts when the holidays are over. Till then it is just warm comfort foods that is easy to digest. Topping the list of such dishes will be Rasams and Tili Saaru of all variety. For me they

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2903892550138140133.post-17246479545932611482009-11-22T16:57:00.008-05:002010-02-26T15:10:30.569-05:00

Averebele is split dried Indian beans/papadi lilva/Avarekalu/Cow beans. It is such a delicacy back home that during winters (when the vegetable is in season) the vegetable finds its way into practically everything that comes out of the kitchen. During off season, the dried variety is used. Though the dried ones are no where close to the fresh ones in either flavour or taste, it is definitely

Kannada Cuisinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01966083828177889178noreply@blogger.com6