Bake Fest # 28 - Event Announcement

I am happy to announce that Vardhinis Bake Fest is happening here for the month of February 2014. Thanks to Vardhini for giving me an another chance to guest host Bake Fest. As its a Valentine Month, i know many will be baking some fresh baked goodies for your loved ones so please do not forget to share all your wonderful & delicious bakes here. I expect all your co-operation and participation for the event.

Peanut Rice / Verkadalai Sadham - Easy Lunch Box Recipes!

I mostly prefer quick fix meal or some simple rice recipes for lunch. This peanut rice is one such quick simple meal that needs only few ingredients and and also an easy way to finish off some left over rice. This Peanut rice doesn't need any great side dish. Just a chips/Papad/Fryums is enough. Like other variety rices, this Peanut rice comes in rescue on some or lazy weekdays lunch. Since I love peanuts in any form, I used to add peanuts in most of my variety rices, upma and in all possible dishes. There are tons of variety rice recipes and different methods of Peanut rice, this is my convenient method with fresh coconut touch. Very flavorful and delicious rice, some fryums or papads with a bowl of peanut rice is enough for a happy & satisfying meal.

Thakkali Kuzhambu / Thakkali Kuzhambu For Rice(With Coconut)

I have already shared a Thakkali Kuzhambu recipe which is served with tiffins items like idli, dosa, Appam, idiyappam. Today's recipe is an authentic version/country style thakkali kuzhambu which pairs well with rice & ragi kali. This is my Appa recipe..i have already mentioned about him in that Thakkali Kuzhambu post. Dads mother was expired when he was 7 or 8 yrs old. So he was brought up by his elder brothers & Appa. My dad used to cook at home for his brothers & Appa.
This thakkali kuzhambu is one of his signature dish which he learned from his neighbor aunts. I slightly tweaked the recipe to my taste. This is different from our regular version of thakkali kuzhambu. For this kuzhambu dad used to add boiled tomato puree. This kuzhambu was sitting in my draft for about six months and today its Tuesday - Tamizhar Samayal event of Nalini, but i did not have any post related to the event except this kuzhambu, so without further delay will get it into the recipe...

Baked Mathri / Baked Methi Mathri / Methi Ki Mathri

Today's recipe is a popular North Indian Snack Methi Mathri, baked version. This is the first time i am trying this snack but have tasted the fried mathri from stores. Mathri is a flavorful, delicious savory crackers and there are few varieties like Methi, Peas,Dhaniya Mathri. I tried the Methi Mathri to make it a guilt free healthy snack i baked it instead of deep frying. The baked one also turned out so good crispy, crunchy and tasty. After a long search i finally experimented with the basic ingredients for Mathri and to my surprise it come out perfectly. We all loved this crunchy crackers, perfect & guilt free munch on movie time, game time. These flavorful crackers just vanished in no time. Also this is a very easy and simple recipe you don't need to knead the dough soft & elastic, just a mixing is enough and the important thing is the dough should be tight. Doesn't need butter like regular sugar cookies just a tbsp is enough or you can even replace it with oil.

Potato Rosemary Focaccia Pugliese / Potato Rosemary Focaccia

One of the best thing i did in the past year was i learned to bake 12 different Breads which i never ever tried or dreamed to bake at home. Its all possible only because of Aparna's We Knead To Bake Event. Thanks  to Aparna for all your wonderful bread recipes and am happy that Aparna extended the bread baking this year also with some new more members.

Beets Pasta Payasam / Beeta Pasta Kheer - My Guest Post To Viji !

Today's post I am happy to share a guest post to my friendly sis Viji of Virunthu Unna Vaanga. Long back i accepted to do a guest post for her but one or the other things kept me busy and was postponing. As today her Birthday and we friends usually make a virtual party post but i wanted to do the guest post which she asked me so that it will be on her space forever. My small b'day gift and hope she and her readers like it.
A few words about Viji's Virunthu & the wonderful person behind it. I came to know viji virtually only a year back. She is an enthusiastic blogger and friendly person. Its always pleasure chatting with her. She love sweets/desserts more than the savory food stuffs. That is also one of the reason for my today's post.
Virunthu Unna Vaanga has lots of traditional south Indian recipes, lovely bakes and many innovative recipes of her own. She puts more effort to share each and every recipe with detailed step wise pictures. I can see a vast difference in her recent pictures. She tries to take pics in day light and also i like the way she present each dishes.

Hariyali Chicken Kebab / Palak Chicken Kabab - Chicken Appetizer Recipe

We generally do not eat Chicken dishes outside, but very very rarely in a selective Indian Restaurants only that too few Constant recipes. Few weeks back on our visit to Devon Avenue, first time we tried Chicken recipes in one of the Indian Restaurants there and I was not OK with the tastes, but kids loved their Chicken Kebab & Chicken Cutlets. The kebab is nothing but any piece of meat marinated and cooked over open fire. But it can also be grilled or roasted or oven baked for our convenience too.