Blog Feed: RedChillies

Mixed Berry Smoothie

Published on 2012-05-24 13:30:41

It is getting very close to the Memorial Day weekend and that means the summer is just around the corner. Even though it is an unofficial start, the temperature here in Texas is giving us a feel of what is in store for the next 4 months or so. With the winter being mild, the [...] > read more

Kele Podi/ Pan Fried banana Konkani style

Published on 2012-05-20 16:39:19

Have some extra bananas that are ripe and waiting to be used? Then this is a good way to make use of the ripe bananas. This is a typical GSB (Gowd Saraswath Brahmin) dish, commonly made in the Konkani households. I do have to mention that many people refer to the deep fried version as [...] > read more

Kairi ani Chana Gashi/ Raw Mango and Kabuli Chana Coconut Curry

Published on 2012-05-13 21:56:20

This coconut curry a Konkani dish is a delightful combination of spicy, sweet and sour. In Konkani cuisine, it is quite common to find a seasoned coconut curry with the combination of bean/legume and or vegetable. The ground coconut paste is called ‘Maasolu’ and depending on the type of seasoning that is done (mustard, garlic, [...] > read more

Aloo Methi/ Potato Fenugreek Dry Curry

Published on 2012-05-08 10:24:56

A classic combination of potatoes and fresh fenugreek leaves makes this one of the much loved curry by young and old alike. This delectable curry involves cooking potatoes in a mixture of onion, methi leaves along with tomatoes and other spices. Some people use tomatoes while others do not, I prefer using it as it [...] > read more

Dum Aloo/ Potato Biryani

Published on 2012-05-02 21:39:52

As you know, Biryani is rice based dish jazzed with meat, vegetables, dry fruits and aromatic spices which engulfs the taste buds. People who are experts in making this labor for hours in the kitchen to come up with its exotic taste. However this is a recipe for Biryani we came up with when we [...] > read more

Moolangi Polo/ Radish Dosa

Published on 2012-04-23 22:37:09

Sanna Polo is a specialty in Konkani (predominantly South Kanara) cooking. It is used as side dish and made predominantly of coconut and lentils and I make it often. When I saw an easy variation of this recipe (with radish) on Lakshmi Canteen blog I knew I had to try it. What makes this appealing [...] > read more

Simple Noodles with vegetables

Published on 2012-04-19 16:12:42

The other day a friend of mine asked me as to why I have not been posting Kids’ recipes often. She said it is helpful for moms like her with picky eaters to get some ideas for lunch boxes or otherwise. Well, I agreed and told her that I have not been posting as I [...] > read more

Appe Huli /Raw Mango Rasam

Published on 2012-04-10 10:48:14

For those in the United States hope you had a wonderful long Easter weekend. We had a relaxing three days, giving us a break from the hectic and sometimes crazy weekdays. The weather was perfect; not too hot or cold, accompanied with a beautiful sunshine that lifted the spirits up.  For most part I stayed [...] > read more

Tindora Subzi/ Tendli Talasani /Ivy Gourd Stir Fry

Published on 2012-04-05 09:19:07

One of the well loved vegetable in our house (just after potatoes) is Ivy Gourd/Tindora. Along with Tindora Rice, Tindora Coconut Curry, this is one dish that I make often when we have Tindora at home. I keep this very simple by adding only the basic seasonings; no complex curry powders or masala powders etc [...] > read more

Chatpata Chutney Sandwich

Published on 2012-03-28 15:38:20

Sandwiches are tasty snack can be put together in a jiffy and are perfect for lunches, picnics, outings and kids lunchboxes.  I enjoy eating sandwiches for lunch; they are light yet filling and doesn’t make you feel drowsy. Definitely good if you have one of those long boring Thursday afternoon status meetings that can put [...] > read more

Spicy Garlicky Potato Fry

Published on 2012-03-21 16:15:04

The one vegetable that comes to mind when I think of comfort food is potato. I crave for some potato dishes when I am hungry; a simple potato curry along with rasam not only satisfies the taste buds but chases away the blues.  No wonder this dish made its presence when I was hungry and [...] > read more

Soy Chunks / Meal Maker Chilli

Published on 2012-03-14 13:17:44

At home we have been on-again off-again fan of the Soy Chunks also called as Soy Meal Maker. Nutrela is the Indian brand that makes this soy protein which has a meaty texture and is a good option for vegetarians. They are easily available in the Indian groceries.  Years ago after I discovered a vegetarian [...] > read more

Quick Mushroom Fried Rice

Published on 2012-03-07 13:21:32

It is not often that you would find recipes with mushroom in the RedChillies household. The reason being that the Chief Chef of the house (a.k.a me) is not a big fan of them. If I had my way then the mushrooms would not have seen the light of the day in our kitchen. J [...] > read more

Sweet Dalia Pongal

Published on 2012-02-28 22:48:33

Sweet Pongal is a South Indian traditional dish made with the combination of rice, jaggery and moong daal. It is like a thick porridge with gooey consistency.  This along with the spicy khichdi/ Khara Pongal is prepared during special occasions and also during the festival of Pongal/Sankranthi . This sweet pongal is something that is adored in our [...] > read more

Kothimbir Vadi / Savory Coriander snack

Published on 2012-02-22 10:14:08

Kothimbir Vadi is a popular starter / snack from Maharashtra. Kothimbir means coriander leaves in Marathi and vadi means wedges.  Coriander is chopped and steamed along with prepared chickpea flour and other spices. After it is steamed it is cut into desired shapes. At this point it can be eaten as is. But I like [...] > read more

Easy Apple Kheer

Published on 2012-02-14 10:49:14

Every time, I visit the produce section in the local grocery, the wide varieties of apples there on display catches my attention. With different sizes and colors they are a treat for the eyes. This time around the grocery had a sale on red delicious apples and I splurged and brought more than necessary.  I [...] > read more

Spicy Broken Wheat Pongal/ Dalia Khichidi

Published on 2012-02-07 22:07:57

Pongal is a famous tiffin item in South India. It is usually made of rice and moong daal in a pressure cooker with appropriate seasonings. I mostly make it with rice the traditional way, on occasions I make it with rava (Rava Pongal) but this time I made this Spicy Pongal using broken wheat/dalia.  I [...] > read more

Bhel Puri Recipe

Published on 2012-02-02 11:47:16

Bhel Puri is a combination of puffed rice along with vegetables and spicy, tangy chutney/auce. This is the most commonly sold chaat/fast food in many places in India. It is a snack with an iconic status in Western India. Bhelpuri is low-fat, delicious and eay to make!  After a long day at work, or on [...] > read more

Easy Corn Bread

Published on 2012-01-26 23:16:21

I remember years ago when we had taken a road trip to Austin, we were tired, hungry and were craving for something warm and hearty. It was dark and colder than the usual and with no many choices on hand we reluctantly stopped at a local café located on the highway. However we were in [...] > read more

Cabbage Coconut Curry/ Cabbage Kootu

Published on 2012-01-20 13:44:04

I vaguely remember eating this daal curry at a friend’s place years ago. Her mom had made this for lunch, and she had served it very lovingly. This recipe was new to me then and I recall having taken generous serving of this yummy curry. In Konkani cuisine we have quite a few varieties of [...] > read more

Back to the Roots- Gourmet Mushroom Kit Giveaway

Published on 2011-06-30 23:12:46

If you love mushrooms, mushroom dishes and love to cook with them, then why not try to grow them on your own? After all, growing your own veggies is a fulfilling, rewarding experience. However the process could be time consuming and for many even not > read more

Vermicelli (Semiya) Upma/ Shavige Uppittu

Published on 2011-06-27 21:42:23

This will probably be my last post for the Light Lunches Event here @RedChillies an on-going event for the month of June. This event focuses on light lunches that are easy on the calories, yet rich in taste and delicious.  Once such dish that fits t > read more

Lentil Vegetable Soup

Published on 2011-06-22 10:53:55

Lentils are commonly available and as we all know they are high in protein and nutritious. For this recipe, I brought the lentils from our regular store and not the Indian store. While writing this I realized that maybe the brown lentil is same as br > read more

Garden Pasta Salad

Published on 2011-06-16 10:57:09

Don’t we all look for light healthy food options?  I do and I look for low fat, healthy, vegetarian lunch ideas all the time and that is the idea behind the Light lunch Event. Throughout the month of June I will be posting recipes of salads, sandw > read more

Guacamole Sandwich Flats

Published on 2011-06-10 09:48:22

Call them thin buns, sandwich thins, slim sandwich bread, sandwich flats they are the same, just names that companies come up with to market their brands. If you have not seen them, then think of the regular old chubby buns minus the extra trimmings > read more

Black beans, Corn & Rice Salad

Published on 2011-06-06 21:01:46

I am thrilled to kick start the Light Lunches event here with one of our favorite rice salads; South west inspired corn, black bean rice salad. We eat this regularly at Chipotle (chain of fast casual restaurant) and its enticing taste has prompted me > read more

Light Lunches Month @RedChillies plus a Cookbook Giveaway

Published on 2011-06-01 23:12:13

Remember the Dosa Month event I had a while ago? Well, I plan to do another event on similar lines for the month of June and the theme that I have chosen Light Lunches.  I have had several friends ask me what I do for lunch at work like if I eat out > read more

Chettinad Potatoes

Published on 2011-05-26 22:32:30

Inspiration as they say comes from unexpected places and this recipe is a testimonial to that. Few weeks ago, I was looking for some North Indian styled recipe using spinach on Sanjeev Kapoor’s website, hoping to find some inspiration and ideas, bu > read more

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Published on 2011-05-24 11:18:56

I am not much of a baker and I don’t bake often. But this blog and the kiddo have driven me in that direction and I am learning and enjoying as I go along. It has been a roller coaster ride, but with success like these that makes you want to do the > read more

The bug has bitten, come join us won’t you?

Published on 2011-05-20 10:19:40

Errr…..people, people before you jump to any conclusion, it is just the shutter bug that I am referring to, not any other type of bug!  You know, that interest and enthusiasm for amateur photography, right?  That is the bug I am referring to   W > read more

Banana Pepper, Raw Banana Dry Curry

Published on 2011-05-16 22:29:31

Hope you all had a good weekend. We had a wonderful yet busy weekend. We had a line of chores, but did not complete most of it. The usual complaint about the weekend is that it gets over very fast. During the week I enthusiastically plan for the week > read more

Capsicum Masala

Published on 2011-05-12 14:20:43

While there are many ways of cooking capsicum, this way of cooking capsicum/bell pepper is my all time favorite. For starters the pungent capsicum is cooked in a coconut masala which has a balanced combination of the essential 4 S. The four S’s bei > read more

Ghee Rice

Published on 2011-05-09 13:30:21

If you are looking for a rice recipe that is easy to prepare, rich in taste, aromatic and crowd pleasing then Ghee Rice is right for you. Generous use of ghee (clarified butter) along with cashews, raisins makes this dish rich and festive. This pairs > read more

Teppal Ambat (Potato Curry in Triphal spice)

Published on 2011-05-04 11:37:41

Teppal / Tirphal also called as Sichuan pepper is a rare spice Indian resembling a bigger version of black pepper. This is predominantly used in Maharashtra and coastal Konkan cooking.  If you are looking at this spice for the first time, then you m > read more

Banana Mango Milkshake

Published on 2011-04-29 14:26:35

This Banana Mango Milkshake is an easy, delicious and filling drink. Not only does it have a cooling effect, but provides good nutrition as well. This is also a good way of using up any extra ripe mangoes and or bananas. The kiddo has been showing so > read more

Mixed Greens Stir Fry/ Soppina Palya

Published on 2011-04-26 22:51:18

We get good varieties of greens all year around in our grocery and I end up buying at least two different types every week. The green leafy vegetables have a high nutritional value and are extremely rich in antioxidants, good source of iron and calci > read more

Dosa Recipes Roundup

Published on 2011-04-22 14:02:26

I had announced the Dosa Month @ RedChillies in the month of March, and during that month I had posted only Dosa (Indian savory  pancakes)recipes. To us Dosa +chutney is comfort, go to food and we love Dosas of any type. I did not get the opportunit > read more

Carrot Kosambari/ Carrot Lentil Salad

Published on 2011-04-19 22:42:24

Kosambari is a traditional salad in Karnataka. It is prepared during major festivals, auspicious occasions, and marriages and even offered as ‘prasada’ in temples. This is also called as Koshimbir in Konkani and Maharashtra and is very easy to pr > read more

Easy Coconut Rice, Indian style

Published on 2011-04-16 17:45:05

In India coconut is one of the most common offerings to God.  Since is considered ‘sreshtha’ (superior) and auspicious it is offered as a way of prayer. It is first de-husked, broken along with the shell and then offered. After that the coconut > read more

Corn Chivda/ Corn Mixture

Published on 2011-04-12 10:49:15

Chivda is a popular snack of Maharashtra and North Karnataka usually made of flattened rice/poha. It is then spiced with masala and jazzed up with other ingredients like peanuts, raisins, cashews etc. When we talk about chivda, usually the picture of > read more

Palak Daal

Published on 2011-04-07 18:08:06

The past few days have been an emotional roller coaster ride for me. I did a normal WordPress upgrade on both Redchillies and FoodWorld but that went wrong and crashed both of them. I have done many upgrades before on both of them, but this time I wa > read more

Hello world!

Published on 2011-04-04 06:22:25

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging! > read more

Whole Moong Bean Dosa

Published on 2011-03-29 14:15:12

I learnt making this Dosa only after coming to the US. I had not tasted or heard of this Dosa while I was in Bangalore. But now I understand that this Dosa is referred to as Pesarattu in Telegu.  The procedure for this is pretty similar to making Ad > read more

Horse Gram Dosa /Kulitha Polo

Published on 2011-03-24 22:36:50

Konkani cuisine uses lot of Horse Gram (called as Kulith) in its cooking. There are so many recipes like ghashi, koddel, idli, the regular saar/upkari and this Dosa which uses Horsegram. People who are not familiar with this bean are surprised when I > read more

Set Dosa/ Aval Dosa/ Poha Dosa

Published on 2011-03-22 10:12:13

Unique to the state of Karnataka, the dosas are called ‘Set Dosa’ because they are served in a stack of three. These Dosas are famous in the restaurants and ‘darshinis’ of Bangalore along with Masala Dosa and Rava Dosa. I found an interesting > read more

Cornmeal Dosa

Published on 2011-03-17 14:24:20

You know how you plan something in advance, have plans to execute it methodically but then something happens and the plan takes a 180 turn? Well, this is what happened to me last week. Here I was all geared up for my Dosa Month event, and had few dos > read more

Plantain Dosa / Balekayi Dosa

Published on 2011-03-08 22:48:40

In our grocery we get good plantains all year around and so we buy it often. I usually make Raw banana fry, Banana curry or add it in sambhar most of the times. But recently I have leant making dosa from the green bananas. If this is something new to > read more

Vegetable Utthappam/Oothapam

Published on 2011-03-04 06:52:22

I would like to kick start the Dosa Month @ RedChilllies with the famous and tasty pancake from South India. These are savory pancakes that are topped with vegetables and made using left over dosa batter. These are soft and spongy but crispy around > read more

Dosa Month @ RedChillies

Published on 2011-02-28 14:21:27

Dosa is a perennial favorite, a star of all the seasons and a choice of young and old alike.   It’s a savory pancake, usually made of lentil and rice and is a staple food in South India. Typically they are crisp and golden brown on the outside an > read more

Avocado Chocolate Loaf

Published on 2011-02-25 10:16:12

Avocado in a cake? Sounds strange right? Even I had felt the same when I had initially seen the recipe.  I was searching the web for different ways of using avocado when I chanced on this recipe here. I have pretty much followed the recipe with some > read more

Fresh Coriander Chutney/ Dhaniya Chatni

Published on 2011-02-22 10:14:34

Chutney is a must in our house the day Idli or Dosa is made. Even if I have curry of some sort, to go along I still have to resort to making chutney as we cannot imagine eating them without chutney. Since Idli or Dosa is made every week in our house, > read more

Semiya Dosa

Published on 2011-02-19 14:46:13

I am so used to using Semiya/Vermecelli in either Yogurt Semiya or Vermecelli Kheer and the usual Semiya Upma that the idea of making Semiya Dosa intrigued me. I learnt this Dosa recipe from a colleague of mine at work who had got this for her lunch. > read more

Eggless Cardamom Cake

Published on 2011-02-13 12:07:43

Just when we thought that we were done with the bad winter weather, last week we were treated to a cold spectacle from Mother Nature. The flurry of snow, sleet, and ice good was good enough to keep us indoors for 4 days. Did I mention that the temper > read more

Potato, Broccoli Fry

Published on 2011-02-09 11:43:50

Many people I know are not fond of broccoli. But the nutritional benefit of this vegetable is hard to ignore. At home, we are not big fans of broccoli either, but we try to use it wherever possible. After it is cooked, it tastes more like cauliflower > read more

Low Fat Blueberry Muffins

Published on 2011-02-03 08:46:56

I don’t own a whole lot of cookbooks (pssst… I own only 3 of them) and among them the book Joy of Vegan Cooking is my favorite. This book has helped me improve my baking skills and also let me venture and experiment with vegan cooking. I have tri > read more

Plain Dosa and Chutney

Published on 2011-01-29 09:31:53

In our home Dosa chutney or Idli chutney gets transformed from a breakfast ritual to a Friday Dinner ritual. If it is Idli one week, then it is Dosa the other week. I soak the daal and rice Thursday morning while leaving for work and grind it in the > read more

Kashay– Nutritional Spiced Hot Drink

Published on 2011-01-25 22:18:52

Kashay (In Konkani) is a hot milk beverage that is common in many Konkani households. It is a spiced drink that is not only potent but a nutritional powerhouse as well. This is preferred as beverage choice by many people instead of the regular tea or > read more

Horse Gram Curry and Rasam (Kultha saar upkari)

Published on 2011-01-20 22:21:21

Konkani cuisine uses lot of Horse Gram (called as Kulith) in its cooking; there is the ghashi, koddel, chutney, dosa and this saar/upkari. This is a simple dry curry and rasam, delicious and nutritious as well. Horse gram is first soaked, cooked and > read more

Cabbage Chutney

Published on 2011-01-14 13:30:56

Wishing dear Readers a Happy Makar Sankranthi/ Pongal. Intrigued by the title? I know I was when I first heard this concept of cabbage chutney.  As I have said earlier for me chutney is something that is made of coconut, chilies, spices, herbs and s > read more

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published on 2011-01-11 19:13:02

Chocolate chip cookies are a staple in America and represent half of the cookies baked in each year. They sure are a delight for young and old alike with their soft cores, crispy edges and rich chocolate taste.  The Holiday week last month gave me o > read more

Kid’s Snack: Chana Aloo Tikki

Published on 2011-01-07 12:08:52

This recipe here is adapted based on our very own Aloo Tikki. The other day I had some left over cooked garbanzo beans/chickpeas and based on this idea of Falafel I combined this with the regular Tikki dough and made these Chana Aloo Tikki. Adding ma > read more

Spicy Pepper Jeera Rasam

Published on 2011-01-04 19:16:33

Winter is upon us and along with it comes the essential cold, cough sneezing sniffling etc. So at home, I try avoiding medicines as far as possible and look for some easy home made remedies. So far we have had good success with black pepper (Kali Mir > read more

Happy New Year – Coconut Burfi/ Nariyal Burfee

Published on 2010-12-30 22:44:17

Wish you all a Happy New Year. Hope the Year brings you joy, health and of course good food. (But not the extra weight!)  Hope you are all having a great time with family and friends, celebrating in style. We have a simple family tradition that we f > read more

Lauki ki Sabji

Published on 2010-12-28 22:15:05

  Lauki does not get cooked often in our house. This vegetable along with zucchini has been deemed as having sweet taste when cooked by DH and so they get ignored. Hence they do not find a good place in our kitchen. However recently one of my colle > read more