December 1, 2019

Wahan Mosdeng / Pork Chutney / Pork Bharta / Tripura Cuisine


Wahan Mosdeng is a popular Tripura cuisine in which pork is the key ingredient and apart from that, only minimal ingredients required to prepare this delicious salad. Wahan is nothing but pork and interestingly, this recipe is prepared without using a drop of oil. Yes! you read it right... this is zero oil recipe. This Wahan Mosdeng is also called as Pork Bharta and Pork chutney. Traditionally this recipe is prepared using pork but people who do not eat pork, substitute it with chicken.  The fresh ginger and roasted chilli gave a perfect flavour to the dish and personally, I loved it with rice.

Prepared this recipe for a blogger event "shhh cooking secretly challenge" which is happening among food bloggers every month. For this month, I got a first time chance to get paired with a lovely blogger Narmadha who blogs at namscorner.com. Don't forget to check out her page to view loads of  delicious recipes. She gave me coriander leaves and chilli as my secret ingredients which helped me to create this authentic Tripura recipe. Likewise, check out her page to know the secret ingredients given by me. She made an interesting, simple yet delicious recipe out of it.



Ingredients :

250 gms Pork, Cut into pieces
1 Big Onion, thinly sliced 
5-6 Green chillies ( Adjust according to taste bud ) 
1 1/2 Tbsp Ginger, finely chopped 
1/4 Cup Coriander leaves, finely chopped 
Salt to taste

Method :

Wash the pork pieces and pressure cook it for 3 whistles by adding little water. 

Open the lid and cook it for another 2 minutes or until the water gets absorbed. This helps to keep the flavour in pork. 

Once done, cut in small pieces and keep aside. 

Dry roast the green chillies and grind it without adding water. Keep aside. 

Take the chopped pork pieces in a bowl and add the ground chilli followed by thinly sliced onion, ginger, coriander leaves and salt. 

Mix well and serve. 



Serving Options :

Serve with Rice or Roti.


October 1, 2019

Kumbakonam Kadapa


I was wondering that how did I miss posting this famous and traditional dish "Kumbakonam Kadapa" on my page and that too being it as my native place delicacy. Kadapa is a delicious dish prepared using Moong dal, coconut and spices which pairs perfectly with Idly or Dosa. I must say that if you are visiting the temple city of Tamilnadu ( yeah! Kumbakonam is popularly known as Temple city of Tamilnadu ), this kadapa is a must try dish. Already the imagination of having hot, soft and fluffy idlis with this tasty kadapa is making me drool. Thanks to Shhh Secretly Challenge group for hosting Tamilnadu cuisine theme for this month challenge and Mayuri ji for giving me the lovely two ingredients , Moong dal and Bay leaf as my secret ingredients.


Shh secretly challenge is an interesting blogger event which is happening among few food bloggers. In this event, the bloggers are paired every month with the particular theme and the paired bloggers have to share their secret ingredients among each other. Using those ingredients, the dish has to be prepared and the secret ingredients are guessed by our co-bloggers. Interesting right!

So, if you are keen to know the secret ingredients given by me to my partner Mayuri ji, click HERE. She prepared a delicious and traditional sweet "Paal Kozhkattai" out of it. And also, her page is loaded with lots and lots of drool worthy recipes. So, don't miss to check out her page.


Here comes the recipe of the delicious Kumbakonam Kadapa....

Ingredients :

1 Tbsp Oil 
1 Bay leaf 
2 Cloves 
A small of Cinnamon 
1 Onion, finely chopped 
2 Green chillies, sliced 
3 Potatoes, boiled and mashed 
1/2 Cup Moong dal, cooked and mashed 
Less than 1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder 
Salt to taste 
Coriander leaves for garnishing 

To Grind :

1/4 Cup Coconut, grated 
2 Garlic pods, peeled 
3 Tbsp Roasted gram 
2 Green chillies 

Method :

Grind all the ingredients given in "To Grind" into a fine paste and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add bay leaf followed by cloves and cinnamon.

Add the chopped onion followed by green chillies and sauce until the onion turns translucent.

Now add the cooked and mashed dal.

Mix well and cook it for a minute.

Add the ground paste followed by turmeric powder and the required quantity of salt.

Let it cook for 5 minutes and add water if kadapa is too thick.

Now add the potatoes to the kadapa and cook it for another couple of minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and remove from the flame.

Serve hot.


Serving Options :

Serve with Idly or Dosa.


June 30, 2019

Punjabi Chana Dal Masala


Chana dal masala is one of the delicious, comforting and easy to prepare dish which pairs perfectly with Roti or Jeera Rice. And no doubt that this curry is a nutritious and healthy dish as it is packed with proteins. The chana dal / Bengal gram is soaked and pressure cooked before adding to the masala. Though soaking of chana dal is not required in this recipe, I have done it to speed up the cooking process. I have included ginger and garlic paste in this recipe which can also be replaced with finely chopped ginger and garlic.



Sending this recipe to a lovely event Shhh Secretly cooking challenge which is happening among a group of food bloggers. For this June month, I was paired with a blogger Archana Gunjikar Potdar who blogs at The Mad Scientist's Kitchen. Her page is filled with loads of yummy recipes and yeah, if you are looking for simple and vegetarian diet then her page is the must visit one. Personally, I loved all the recipes which she has posted on her page. And coming to the challenge, she gave me Tomato and garlic as my secret ingredients for this month challenge and using those, prepared this flavourful punjabi dal masala recipe. Likewise, she prepared a delicious punjabi recipe Lauki ke Kofta using the secret ingredients given by me.


Here comes the detailed recipe for Punjabi Chana dal masala recipe...

Ingredients :

1/2 Cup Chana dal / Bengal Gram 
A pinch of Turmeric 
2 Tbsp Oil for preparing masala 
2 Tsp Oil or ghee for Tadka / Seasoning 
1/2 Tsp Cumin seeds 
2 Dry red chillies 
1 Tsp Ginger garlic paste 
1 Green chilli, sliced 
1 Onion, finely chopped 
2 Medium sized Tomatoes, finely chopped 
1 Tsp Red chilli powder 
1 Tsp Coriander powder 
1/2 Tsp Cumin powder 
1/2 Tsp Garam masala powder 
A pinch of turmeric powder
Finely chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste  

Method :

Soak chana dal for 1 hour. Though this process is not necessary, it helps to speed up the cooking process.

Pressure cook the soaked chana dal for 4 - 5 whistles or until soft by addling a pinch of turmeric powder and 1 1/2 cups of water.

Once done, remove from the flame and wait till the pressure gets released. Slightly mash the cooked chana dal and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add green chillies followed by ginger garlic paste.

Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until it turns translucent.

Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook until it turns soft and mushy.

Add all the masala powders along with the required quantity of salt and saute for a minute.

Add the cooked dal to the masala and mix well.

Let it boil for another 5 minutes and add the finely chopped coriander leaves.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small pan and add cumin seeds followed by dry red chillies.

Fry and add it to the prepared chana dal masala.

Remove from the flame and serve hot.


Serving Options :

Serve with steamed Rice, Jeera Rice or Roti.





















June 17, 2019

Chickpea Potato Dry Sabji or Curry


Chickpea potato dry sabji is a delicious and flavourful curry which pairs perfectly with Roti and can also be used as stuffing for Dosa or Bread. This recipe is quite easy to prepare and tastes heavenly. Prepared this delicious sabji for a recipe swap challenge which is happening among bloggers.


Recipe swap challenge is an interesting event happening among bloggers where couple of bloggers are paired and have to recreate the recipe from their partner's page. I was paired with a lovely blogger Sujata Roy who owns a fabulous page batterupwithsujata.wordpress.com which is filled with loads of amazing recipes. Thanks Sujata for sharing this delicious sabji recipe. Click HERE to check out the original recipe from her page.


Ingredients :

1 Cup Chickpeas 
2 Elachi 
1/2 inch Cinnamon 
2 Cloves 
3 Potatoes, cut into small cubes
1/4 Cup Oil 
1/2 Tsp Cumin seeds / Jeera 
A pinch of Hing powder 
2 Green chillies, finely chopped 
1 Big Onion, finely chopped 
1 Tsp Ginger garlic paste 
2 Tsp Red chilli powder 
1 Tsp Cumin powder 
1 Tsp Coriander powder 
1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder 
1/4 Tsp Garam masala powder 
1 Tsp Amchur powder / Dry mango powder 
1 Tsp Lemon juice 
1 Tsp Dry roasted mixed spices
Salt to taste 
Coriander leaves, finely chopped 

Mixed Spices :

2 Tbsp Cumin seeds 
2 Tbsp Coriander seeds 
3 Elachi 
1 inch Cinnamon stick 
3 Cloves 
2-3 Dry Red chillies

Method :

Dry roasted all the ingredients given in "Mixed spices" and grind into fine powder. Store it in an air tight container.

Soak chickpeas overnight and pressure cook it for 4-5 whistles along with elachi, cloves and cinnamon stick.

Once done, cool and grind the cooked chickpeas coarsely. ( Remove the spices before grinding )

Heat oil in a pan and add the cubed potatoes.

Fry it for couple of minutes and keep aside.

Add cumin seeds to the same pan along with hing powder, green chillies and onion.

Add ginger garlic paste and sautéed until the raw smell goes off.

Now add the ground chickpeas and mix well.

Add the fried potatoes followed by salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder.

Cover and cook until the potatoes gets cooked.

Once done, add lemon juice followed by amchur powder and mixed spices.

Remove from the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot.


Serving Options :

Serve with Roti or bread or dosa.










June 16, 2019

Jeera Rice / One Pot Meal / Lunchbox Recipe


Jeera rice is a simple yet flavourful rice which tastes delicious with any varieties of gravy and dal. The cumin and ghee flavoured basmati rice gives a lovely aroma while cooking and quite easy to make. There are many ways in preparing this aromatic rice and this is one of the easy method using one pot. The basmati rice is cooked along with the spices and jeera to give a flavourful dish. This is also a perfect lunchbox recipe. 


Prepared this aromatic Jeera rice for a Recipe Swap group challenge which is happening among bloggers. The bloggers will be paired each other and we need to cook recipes from the fellow bloggers webpage. I was paired with Jayashree Trao who blogs at evergreendishes.com. Her blog has many interesting, delicious and authentic recipes. I chose this delicious rice from her page as my family loves this rice. Click HERE to view her style of preparing Jeera rice. The recipe calls for pressure cooking but I made a change in that and did a slow cooking method.

Here comes an aromatic and flavourful Jeera rice....

Ingredients :

2 Tbsp Ghee 
2 Bay leaves 
2 Cloves 
2 Elachi 
1 inch Cinnamon 
1/4 Tsp Shajeera 
1 Tsp Cumin / Jeera seeds
1 onion, finely chopped 
2 Green chillies, sliced 
Few Mint leaves 
1 Cup Basmati Rice 
2 Cups Water 
Salt to taste 

Method :

Wash and soak basmati rice before starting the cooking process.

Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and add bay leaves followed by cloves, cinnamon, elachi, shajeera and cumin/jeera seeds.

Fry and add the finely chopped onion followed by green chillies and mint leaves.

Saute until the onion turns translucent and add the measured water along with the required quantity of salt. Let it boil.

Now drain the water from the rice and add it to the boiling water.

Simmer the flame and cover it with the lid.

Cook until the rice gets cooked.

Switch off the flame and keep it aside for 5 - 10 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves or mint leaves and serve.

Alternative method :

Fry some cashews and jeera in a ghee and then add it to the prepared rice.


Serving Options :

Serve with any gravy varieties and dal fry. 


                                                             Side dish Options 








































June 1, 2019

Ada Hengu Khechudi / Odia Cuisine / Ginger & Asafoetida Flavoured Rice


Ada Hengu Khechudi is a simple yet flavourful rice recipe prepared using ginger and asafoetida. Khechudi is nothing but Khichdi and this is served as prasadam / prasad in a famous temple in orissa called Puri Jaganathan. It is also commonly known as puri khichidi and Lord Jagananath's maha prasad. The preparation of this khechudi is quite easy with a minimal ingredients yet tastes flavourful. Addition of grated coconut is optional in this recipe. This flavourful rice pairs perfectly with Dalma.

Prepared this fragrant and flavourful rice for an interesting event Shhh secretly cooking challenge which is happening among group of food bloggers. For this month, I was paired with a very talented and friendly blogger Jayashree Trao who blogs at evergreendishes.com. Odia cuisine was our theme of the month and I was given ginger and salt as my secret ingredients. Using those ingredients, prepared this flavourful one pot rice recipe which turned into a huge hit among my family members.


Click HERE to check out a delicious Odia recipe prepared Jayashree using the secret ingredients given me.


Recipe Source : Here 

Ingredients :

2 Tbsp Ghee / Oil 
2 Bay leaves 
2 Tbsp Grated Ginger 
1 Tsp Asafoetida / Hing powder 
2 Green chillies, sliced 
1 Cup Rice 
2 - 3 Tbsp Moong dal 
3 Cups Water 
Salt to taste 
4 Tbsp Grated Coconut ( Optional ) 

Method :

Heat oil or ghee in a pan and add bay leaves followed by green chillies, asafoetida and grated ginger.

Saute and add the measured water along with the required quantity of salt.

Now add rice and moong dal to the boiling water.

Cover and cook on a low flame until the rice is cooked.

Add grated coconut to the cooked rice along with a tablespoon of ghee.  ( optional )

Serve hot.


Serving Options :

Serve with Dalma or any curry. 




April 30, 2019

Vada Rice / Urad dal Vada Rice / Medu Vada Rice / Rice Varieties / Leftover Recipes

Urad dal Vada Rice

Are you bored of preparing Dahi Vada, Rasam Vada, Sambhar Vada etc using the leftover Medu vadas ? Then, this is the must try interesting recipe where the leftover ones are turn into a delicious meal. This Urad dal Vada Rice is a great way to turn the leftover vadas into a tasty and yummy lunch box recipe. As I have mentioned on my older posts, I love turning the leftover food into an interesting meal and have posted many delicious recipes using the leftovers. Click HERE to check out all the recipes.

Ever since we moved to Canada, last weekend was most fun as we got an invite from our cousin for a lovely get together to meet her friends and their family. Whatever the party or get together is about, the food is always involved right ;) Likewise, we had a sumptuous meal cooked by each family and the highlight was that the delicious spread was served on Vazhai illai ( Banana leaf). Each and every dish was truly delicious and yummy. We were back home with loads of beautiful memories and yummy medu vadas :) And yeah, using those vadas prepared this quick fix tasty rice for the next day lunch.

Rice using leftover vada

This rice pairs perfectly with Raita and Pickle. The addition of lemon juice and grated carrot helps to enhance the flavour and taste of the rice.

Rice using leftover medu vada

Ingredients :

1 Tbsp Oil 
1/4 Tsp Jeera / Cumin seeds 
1 Tbsp Chana dal / Bengal gram 
1 Tbsp Peanuts 
2 Dry red chillies 
1/2 Cup Grated Carrot
2 - 3 Urad dal Vadas / Medu Vadas ( Adjust the quantity according to the size of the vada ) 
1 Tsp Lemon juice 
Salt to taste 
2 Tbsp Finely chopped Coriander leaves
1/2 - 1 Cup Cooked Rice 

Method :

Firstly, finely chop the leftover vadas and keep aside. I have also crumbled the vadas into fine texture so that it gets mixed well with the rice. 

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. 

Once it starts spluttering, add chana dal followed by peanuts and dry red chillies. 

Fry and add the grated carrot along with the crumbled and chopped vadas. 

Sauce well and cook it for couple of minutes. 

Now add the cooked rice along with the required quantity of salt. 

Saute well and cook it for another minute. 

Now remove from the flame and add lemon juice followed by the chopped coriander leaves. 

Mix well and serve hot.

Rice using leftover urad dal vada

Serving Options :

Serve with Raita or Pickle. 

Medu Vada Rice recipe

April 27, 2019

Chickpeas & Avocado Salad Sandwich / Healthy Sandwich

Chickpeas & Avocado Salad Sandwich

Chickpeas & Avocado Salad Sandwich is a healthy and power packed breakfast to start a day with. This sandwich is quite easy to prepare if you have cooked chickpeas in refrigerator and yeah, canned ones can also be used. The proteins from Chickpeas and the beneficial fats from Avocado will keep you full and energetic.

Coming to breakfast, I love including Soups and salads on my menu as it is more healthier. And especially, when you have picky eaters at home, I will suggest Soup as an ideal choice for breakfast. Being a mom I find mulitiple ways to include veggies on my kid menu. I have posted many interesting soup recipes earlier and listed few links of soup recipes at the end of the post. Don't forget to have a look.

In my today's post, I have used dried chickpeas which was soaked overnight and pressure cooked for 4 - 5 whistles. To be more honest, I can say that I have left couple of extra whistles to make it very soft as this recipe calls for the mashed chickpeas. If you want to prepare only salad, then do not over cook the chickpeas and add it as such without mashing it. Personally, I love adding chopped Avocados rather than the mashed or pureed ones to get that buttery taste in each bite. Alternatively, it can also be mashed or pureed when added with chickpeas.

If you like Avocado Sandwich then you might also like this recipe.. Check it out !

Avocado & Olives Sandwich


Ingredients :

5 - 6 Bread slices ( I have used Multi grain bread in this recipe ) 
1 Cup Chickpeas ( Apprx - 200gm and I have used dried chickpeas ) 
1 Big Finely chopped Avocado
5 - 6 Cherry Tomatoes
2 Tbsp Finely chopped Coriander leaves 
2 Tbsp Lemon juice 
Salt to taste 
1/2 Tsp Pepper powder 
2 Tbsp Olive oil 
1/4 cup Feta cheese 

Method :

Soak chickpeas overnight and pressure cook it for 4-5 whiles or until soft to mash it. 

Cool the boiled chickpeas and mash it using masher. ( alternatively this step can also be done by a blender ).

Transfer the mashed chickpeas in a bowl and add the chopped avocado followed by the remaining ingredients except feta cheese. 

Mix well and adjust salt. ( Salad is ready ! ) 

Now to prepare sandwich, toast the bread slices and spread the prepared chickpeas & Avocado salad evenly on it. 

Sprinkle feta cheese on top of the salad and serve.

Chickpeas & Avocado Sandwich

Serving Options : 

Serve with Tomato sauce and Lemon tea.

Avocado & Chickpeas Sandwich


Do you love Soup for your breakfast ? Then, check out these suggestions..

Carrot & Beetroot Soup

Chayote Soup  

Sausage Coconut Milk Soup

Egg Drop Ginger Soup 

Roasted Bell Pepper Soup









January 31, 2019

Aloo Kangmet / Manipuri Cuisine



Aloo Kangmet is one of the staple food of Manipur which is prepared using potato, dry red chilli and salt. The mashed potato is tossed with the coarsely ground red chillies and seasoned with salt. Traditionally mustard oil is used in most of their dishes. Though regular oil can be used, addition of mustard oil gives an extra flavour to the dish. This recipe is quite easy to prepare as it has a very minimal ingredients. This simple yet tasty aloo kangmet pairs perfectly with Roti or Rice.

Prepared this delicious side dish for a blogger event "SShhh Cooking Secretly" which is happening every month among few fellow bloggers. You must be familiar about the event, if you are following my page or else, just click HERE to get more information about the event and the recipes which I have prepared so far for the event.

 For January month, I was paired with a wonderful blogger Poonam Bachhav who blogs at https://poonambachhav.blogspot.com. Her page is loaded with more delicious and mouthwatering recipes so don't miss to check out her page. She gave me mustard oil and red chilli as my secret ingredients and using those, prepared this traditional dish named Aloo kangmet. Likewise, I gave her Ginger and peas as a secret ingredients. And using those, she prepared Manipuri Kichadi and Mangal Ooti which looks super yummy and inviting. Do visit her page and try it out.


Ingredients :

3 Big Potatoes, boiled 
4 - 5 Dry red chillies 
1 Tbsp Mustard Oil 
Salt to taste 
Coriander leaves for garnishing 

Method :

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and add dry red chillies.

Roast and remove from the flame.

Grind it coarsely in a blender and keep aside.

Meanwhile, mash the boiled potatoes and keep aside.

Now heat the remaining oil in a same pan and add the ground chillies followed by mashed potato and the required quantity of salt.

Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot.


Serving Options :

Serve hot with Roti or Rice.