South India is home to unique flavors and textures in food. Using powders as cooking condiments is common around the world, but in South India, you actually get to eat powders with food. How cool is that! South Indian Gun powder is one such example. Also called Milagai Podi, South Indian gun powder is a…
If you fear cooking rice in an instant pot, I have some good news for you. You can make perfect rice in an instant pot no matter what kind of rice you are using. The common worry is that the rice will turn out mushy. However, you can make perfectly fluffy and tender rice in…
No one would believe you if you say you have been to South India and you do not know what chicken 65 is. From fine dining restaurants to quaint little cafes, from family dinners to streets stalls, chicken 65 seems to be the ruling appetizer and side dish in South India. Kerala-style chicken 65 is…
Gram flour or besan is a popular ingredient in Indian cooking. While it might come as a surprise to many, it is not just used as a flour for savory dishes like Besan dhokla but is also an important ingredient used in sweets. Besan ke ladoo, besan ka halwa, Mysore pak and besan barfi are…
One of the best things about South Indian culture is that we have a rule of minimal waste. Whenever they cook something, our ammas and paattis (mothers and grannies) make sure that nothing goes to waste. This is one of the reasons why so many South Indian foods are actually bi-products of leftovers. Now when…
Unni appam is the like if an apple fritter had a child with banana bread. Moist on the inside, crispy on the outside, and totally delicious. These small, sweet fritters are made out of rice flour, jaggery, bananas, coconut, and lots of southern Indian love. Unni appam ingredients come together to make a flavorful, sweet…
South India is famous for its unique cuisine and sambharam is one of those unique South Indian recipes that makes a surprisingly unique and refreshing drink. Sambharam is a yogurt based drink that is not sweet but yet very refreshing. It is a rejuvenating drink that feels like a sip from heaven on a hot…
Do you know what “Thari Kanji” is? If not, boy oh boy you are so not ready for this surprise. It is a semolina based drink from Malabar cuisine which is nothing like you have tried before. When you first see it, you will get confused on whether to eat it or drink it. Once…
When life gives you lemons, what do you do? Make lemonade? Nah, I’d rather make nimbu ka achar (lemon pickle) or better, lemon rice! Some days call for a quick lunch, and thanks to the Instant Pot, we have many options for a perfectly cooked, quick lunch now. Lemon rice is a popular South Indian…
Bhindi or okra should be crowned the queen of Indian summer vegetables. Be it fried okra, bhindi with gravy, bhujia, bhaaji, okra chips, or bhindi masala, you will find okra everywhere when it is in season. When Indian moms cannot decide what to cook, their pointer also goes automatically to some version of bhindi when…