You Will Need:

• 1 cup Black Beans - soaked overnight or for a min of 6 hrs
• 1 onion - chopped
• 2 large tomatoes
• 3-4 cloves of garlic -  finely chopped
• 1 bell pepper - chopped I used half a red & half a yellow
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tbsp salsa - I used store bought
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp cooking oil
• Fresh Parsley for garnish
• 2 1/2 cups or more of Vegetable stock

• 2 cups Quinoa
• 1 large potato - pressure cooked , peeled & roughly mashed
• A handful of roasted peanuts - coarsely crushed
• A pinch of turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 4-5 green chillies
• 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
• Fresh coriander for garnish
• Salt as per taste
• 1 tbsp cooking oil

• 2 cups Milk
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 tbsp semolina
• 1 tbsp fresh curds
• 3 tbsp desi ghee
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• Almond slivers for garnish

• 1 block of Paneer
• 1/2 cup Green Peas - Fresh/Frozen
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• Salt as per taste

Exactly 5 years ago on this day, I began a lovely journey with my food blog & it's quite surprising that after 60 months, I still love blogging.

Blogging did take a backseat last year due to my pregnancy & since the arrival of Baby K. But I still manage to steal some time & write a post when Baby K is napping or when the husband or my mother is baby sitting him. I hope, I will be able to blog & do photo shoots like before in the months to come.

I am giving away a copy of 'Mini Cakes' by Joanna Farrow. It's a cute little containing some 50 odd recipes of Mini Cakes, perfect for those cravings.

You Will Need:

• 1 large onion
• 3 ripe tomatoes
• 1 large carrot 
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 green chillies
• juice of 3 oranges
• 2 tbsp fresh cream (optional)
• Salt as per taste
• 1/2 tsp orange zest
• 2 tsp any cooking oil
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• Chilli flakes for garnish
• Parsley for garnish

This post is a little late as the temprature in Bangalore has come down considerable thanks to the Pre Monsoon showers since a couple of days. But a tall glass of juice is always welcome isn't it?

Summer means Mangoes, Watermelons, Chilled Lassi & lots of sweat nevertheless fun


We mostly eat watermelon as it is. Straight out of the fridge chopped into cubes & sprinkled with chaat masala. Offlate I started making juicing watermelon for Baby K & he loves it. And this is this summery drink was born




Juice watermelon in a juicer/blender. Strain to remove pulp.
Combine the rest of the ingredients except mint in a blender along with watermelon juice.
Pour into tall glasses. Garnish with fresh mint & serve chilled

• Pressure cook Toor dal along with chopped tomatoes with a pinch of turmeric
• Heat a small pan, & roast the ingredients mentioned in the list in a tsp of oil
• Gring the roasted ingredients along with grated coconut & Dalia into a smooth paste along with little water
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add mustard seeds & curry leaves, when they splutter, add the onions & saute until the onions turn transparent.
•  In a pan, add chopped drumsticks & potatoes with enough water for the vegetables to cook. Cover the pan with a lid
• When the vegetables are fully cooked, add cooked toor dal & tomatoes & the ground Sambar paste.
• Add a small piece of jaggery, Tamarind juice & salt to taste. Add some water, if necessary to get the desired consistency of a sambar
• Bring it to a boil & turn off the stove.
• Temper with mustard seeds & red chillies & transfer to a bowl.

Serve HOT with Rice/Idli/Dosa .. Enjoi !!!

• To make Sambar powder, roast all the ingredients mentioned in the list. Add roasted desicated coconut & powdered Dalia to this mixture & store in air-tight jars. Just add about 3 tsp of this powder to cooked vegetables & lentils & bring it to a boil. The sambar will thicken as you boil. This saves quite a bit of your time.
• Add copped Brinjal/Eggplant for enhanced flavors

Aloo Matar is one of my favorite 'Under 30 Mins' recipe. I always have potatoes in the pantry, they are so handy, aren't they? And,  I make sure that my freezer is stocked with frozen peas so that I can quickly turn it into a soup, add it to salads or other Indian Curries.

Now that Fresh Peas are in season, I buy them by kilos, shell them & freeze them in ziplock covers & use it whenever needed. It works out much cheaper that store bought Frozen Peas.



You Will Need:

• 3 large potatoes - scrubbed clean, peeled ,cut into medium sized chunks & immersed in cold water until used
• 3/4th cup green peas - fresh/frozen
• 1 large onion - finely chopped
• 150 ml Tomato Puree
• 1 tsp fresh ginger-garlic paste
• 2 green chillies - chopped
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
• Salt as per taste
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• Fresh coriander for garnish

How To:

We Kannadigas are very fond of Avarekalu/Flat Beans. And, when it is in season, Avarekalu rules the roost in every household. Be it Akki Rotti, Akki Tari Uppittu, Saaru, Usli, Sagu .. The list is endless.

• 2 cups Avarekalu/Flat Beans
• 2 large ripe tomatoes - halved
• 1/4 cup fresh grated coconut
• 5-6 green chillies
• 3 tsp Rasam powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Half a bunch of fresh coriander
• Salt as per taste

To Temper:

• 1 tsp desi ghee
• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• Add about 4 cups of water in a large pot, add some salt. Add Avarekalu, tomatoes & green chillies. Cover & allow them to cook. The avarekalu should be completely cooked yet firm. When done, fish out the green chilllies, tomatoes & about 2 tbsp of avarekalu, set aside & allow it to cool. Set aside the remaining avarekalu along with water
• Grind fresh coconut, cooked tomatoes, Green chillies & avarekalu that was set aside along with cumin seeds, turmeric powder, coriander & Rasam powder into a smooth paste adding little water.
• Reheat the avarekalu & water that was set aside. Add the ground paste & some salt. Let it come to a gentle boil. Turn down the heat & simmer for aboyt 5-6 mins.
• Temper with mustard seeds & garnish with fresh chopped coriander.