Tales from the kitchen, culinary techniques, cultural practices, recipes,travel, health and life
Garden Sorrel leaves dal / chukkakura pappu Growing up in india we had access to a plenty of variety of greens . When I first moved to Syracuse , New York for my masters spinach was the only green that we had access to . Over the years , my fondness for greens has increased... Continue Reading →
I was never a fan of Chicken tikka masala because most times Ive tried it in restaurants the chicken is way overcooked and tasted like rubber to me. The reason behind this is tikka masala uses Chicken breast meat and it being a lean meat tends to dry out if not cooked correctly. The Chicken... Continue Reading →
Amaranth leaves are also called Thotakura in Telugu and Chauli in Hindi.Although we find the red amaranthus in asian stores regularly, the green one is hard to come by and I absolutely relish these in the spring season when they are available in stores.I am a strong believer in seasonal eating which warrants adding more... Continue Reading →
Charu in Telugu means a soup made from an extracted juice of vegetables.There are many versions of charu like pappu charu(made with dal), nimmakaya charu(made with lemon), majjiga charu(made with buttermilk) etc.In case you are wondering what is the difference between a charu and a rasam is, in rasam we add spices in addition to... Continue Reading →
Potatoes were like a banned item in our house while growing up.My dad was an extremely health conscious person and would only allow potato dishes on special occasions.That feeling somehow continued with me post marriage in that I don't cook potatoes that often except for special occasions at home, not for any reason but just... Continue Reading →
With the name of the dish most Indians might be remembering the Indian movie, but this is a classic recipe from the Telangana region in South India where goat/sheep or lamb brains are cooked in a delicious and spicy onion based gravy. The texture is similar to sweetbreads and is a luxurious dish rich in... Continue Reading →
Avial is a dish served with rice , typically for Onam Sadya.It is a delicacy from Kerala in which vegetables are stewed and topped with grated coconut and sometimes yogurt.I brought this ashgourd home and it has been sitting in my fridge and my mother in law told me today that she didn't know how... Continue Reading →
This recipe was from my chronicles of my very initial cooking experiments, unlike many others who start with simple dishes , my experience with cooking was through the sunday magazine booklets and with chicken directly. I made a million varieties of chicken when my brother visited us from his hostel for his holidays.Reminiscent of those... Continue Reading →
Prawn pepper masala  or Kuzhambu is one of my favorite dishes to eat whenever I visit Tamilian Restaurants. Succulent shrimp cooked in a spicy tamarind, garlic and curry leaf based sauce.The sauce is spicy, tangy and nutty and goes very well with seafood, eggs or taro as well and can be served with rice, roti,... Continue Reading →
We never grew up eating a lot of non vegetarian food, sundays were out treat day where we get to eat one non vegetarian item that mom made.This is my moms simple chicken curry with the basic spices available in your kitchen and can be made by a real novice.Preparation time35 minutes plus time for... Continue Reading →
Prathima Koneru 