This recipe renewed my faith in the age old adage – “Failures are stepping stones to success .” There have been quite a few trials, the hits and misses before I could muster up the confidence and say, “I am not afraid of making you, Muruku!” These crispy, golden, deep-fried goodies need a special contraption – the muruku press. I would like to blame my […]
They are a team that are not so popular — Warm bread and warm weather. But a lazy evening at home prompted me to dig into the freezer for the persimmon puree that I froze over winter vacation. Persimmon is a fruit that has a special place in my heart! I have never tasted it until I came to the US. Grammie Jackie’s yard had […]
They looked like bell peppers, so should be as innocuous, I thought, when I first met these little golden bombs. With a Scoville score range of a 100,000 to 300,000, Habaneros abound not just with spice but also with flavor. The love for spice and the warm flavor of these gems prompted us to grow our own two summers ago. The bounty from the garden […]
And it is called ‘ridge gourd!’ Beerakaya, as is called in my native tongue, dons many a roles in our South Indian homes. Curry, as I have made today, when complimented with steaming hot rice and a dollop of ghee awakens those nostalgic thoughts that have seemed to be lost during the ordeal of growing up. Equally tantalizing are other transformations of this humble vegetable […]
Rice and lentils in a ratio that is sacred to each household are soaked all night, even until the first signs of dawn appear. They are then ‘thrown,’ more often with resentment of waking up early to feed the family, into a contraption, which we lovingly called, the wet grinder- belonging to a race superior than the dry’er counterparts! The resulting batter is then fermented […]
When marinated meat meets the sizzling pot, generously slathered with earthy, aromatic ghee, it is an indication for my family to get ready for the battle. Digging your fingers into the juicy, unctuous meat, scooping up the rice and a slice or two of lemon-dunked onion and hastily sending it to your mouth — an inevitable, messy journey which owes no apologies!