Moth Bean Kitchari | Matki Khichuri

There are many many versions of Kitchari – I recently saw a list of 90 different kitchari recipes. And that would just be the tip of the iceberg. Today we make kitchari with Moth Beans.

Moth Beans (pronounced Mot-h) are packed with nutrition. Here they are cooked with rice, onions, garlic, spices and tomato, for a delicious any-time meal or snack. Omit the onions and garlic if preferred.

Similar recipes include Bisi Bele Huriyanna, Moth Bean (Matki) Dal, Latka Kitchari, Bengali Vegetable Khichuri, and Cauliflower and Broken Wheat Kitchari.

Browse all of our Kitchari dishes, and all of our Rice recipes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Mid Summer dishes.

Sri Lankan Pineapple and Coconut Curry

As mentioned in previous posts, in India and Sri Lanka tropical fruits such as pineapple are often eaten sprinkled with chilli powder or black pepper (or maybe chaat masala) and salt. Lime juice or amchur can be added. Its delicious, easy, and a great outdoors snack.

But in South India and Sri Lanka, pineapple is also used in curries, often with coconut milk. This is a typical Sri Lankan Pineapple Curry with coconut milk, pandanus and Badapu Thuna Paha to flavour the dish. You can make your own Badapu Thuna Paha  (roasted Curry Powder), or purchase from a Sri Lankan or South Indian grocery. Or substitute any roasted curry powder.

Similar dishes include Pineapple Pulissery, Green Mango in Coconut Milk, Sri Lankan Okra Curry with Coconut Milk, and Aubergines in Coconut Milk.

Or browse our Pineapple recipes and all of our Sri Lankan dishes. Our Indian recipes are here, and Indian Essentials here. Otherwise, explore our Late Summer collection of recipes

Sri Lankan Pumpkin Curry with Roasted Coconut

Sri Lanka cuisine includes beautiful curries cooked in coconut milk, showing off the abundance of coconuts on this beautiful isle. This is another version of the Sri Lankan Pumpkin Curry, and in this one the flavours of coconut are layered with both roasted coconut and coconut milk. The recipe is adapted from Flavours of Sri Lanka.

Similar recipes include Sri Lankan Pineapple Curry, Green Mango in Coconut Milk, Sri Lankan Okra Curry with Coconut Milk, and Aubergines in Coconut Milk.

Or browse our Pumpkin recipes and all of our Sri Lankan dishes. Our Indian recipes are here, and Indian Essentials here. Otherwise, explore our Late Winter collection of recipes.

Plantain Moar Koottu | Plantain in Yoghurt Sauce

This dish is a yoghurt sauce served with cooked plantain. It is similar to an aviyal, but made with one vegetable only. Other vegetables that can be used instead of the plantain are amaranth stems, chow chow, ash gourd, and plantain stem.

The recipe is one of Meenakshi Ammal’s from her cook books Cook and See. One of our very special projects in the kitchen is to cook through these books, as they are very traditional Tamil recipes.You can find all of Ammal’s dishes that we have made here. Most of them are from Vol 1 so far.

Similar recipes include Moar Kuzhambu, Kerala Aviyal, Pulissery, and Pineapple Pulissery.

Browse all of our Koottu dishes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Early Autumn dishes.

MID SUMMER – Don’t Miss these Stunning INDIAN Dishes for Summer | SEASONAL COOKING

Mid Summer! It is holiday time. We travel, take it easy, visit the beach, read books and go to movies. We eat and drink. And there is nothing better to eat than Indian food. Enjoy these highlights from our Mid Summer Indian recipes.

You can browse all of our Mid Summer recipes here:

• Indian Deliciousness
• Summery Salads
• Fabulous Vegetables
• Dips, Sauces, Purees and Preserves
• Soup Recipes for Mid Summer
• Vegetarian BBQs
• Goodies, Grains, Lentils and More
• Special Drinks and Sweets
• Tips and Hints for Cooking in Mid Summer

Please let us know if you find links that are not working. We would love to fix them for you.

Yoghurt Curry (Kadhi) with Okra

Okra and yoghurt are a common pairing and here is another such recipe, flavoured with mustard oil and red and green chillies. The okra is fried until crisp and then served with the kadhi or yoghurt curry.

It is a typical dish from Odisha. Odia cuisine  uses less oil and is less spicy than many other parts of India while nonetheless remaining flavourful. Mustard oil is often used as the cooking medium.

Similar recipes include Okra and Cumin with Yoghurt Sauce, Ladyfinger Masala, and Kurkuri Bhindi.

Browse all of our Okra dishes and all of our Yoghurt recipes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Mid Summer dishes.

Sonth Panak | Tingling Ginger Warmer

In the depths of Winter we turn to hot drinks to warm the body. But there are herbs and spices that will also warm us from the inside. Rosemary is one, ginger another, and black pepper too. This drink uses ginger, cardamom and pepper and will tingle and warm your body in the coldest of weathers. It is consumed either warm or at room temperature, so is a no-fuss recipe.

In India, ginger is well known as a cure for colds and sore throats. Dry ginger powder mixed with water is said to work wonders to relieve stiff joints. You can see that this drink is essential during Winter.

The dry ginger powder is essential to this drink – for maximum effect, don’t substitute with ginger root. The ginger, cardamom and pepper do not dissolve completely. Do as I do and stir while drinking, or allow it to sit for 5 or so minutes, then strain.

Similar recipes include 30 Indian Dishes for Mid Summer, Chai for Winter Colds, Peppery Chai, and Tea for Rainy Weather.

Browse all of our Indian Drinks, our Winter Drinks, and all of our Drinks. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Mid Summer dishes.

Green Mango Rice | Mamidikaya Pulihora

India must be the country that has the most appreciation of rice. It boasts thousands of different rice varieties and many many more dishes that feature rice as the main ingredient. Rice is never ever relegated to a side dish, playing second fiddle to the main dish or dishes of the meal. There it is, front and centre, always. Pulaos, Kitcheri, Biryani, Bhats, Pongal and Mixed Rices are examples of well known rice dishes.

Pulihora is a South Indian rice which is usually made with tamarind. But the same dish can also be made with green mango or with lemon juice as the souring agent. It is a rice dish that plays homage to the love of sour tastes in Tamil Nadu and beyond. In this recipe, the tamarind is replaced with green mango, and some carrot adds a sweet counterbalance and colour.

This dish is also called mangai sadam and mavinakayi chitranna in different regions. The recipes vary a little, e.g. coconut might be added, but the  base is essentially the same. In South India mango pulihora is made during certain auspicious occasions and festivals too.

Similar dishes include 30 Indian Dishes for Mid Summer, Saffron Rice,  Saffron, Date and Almond Rice, Ghee Rice with Pandanus, and Green Mango and Coconut Rice.

Browse all of our Mixed Rice dishes, all of our Rice dishes, and Green Mango Recipes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and the Indian Essentials Series is here. Or explore our Early Summer dishes.

Thani Kootu

Thani Kootu is a popular Thanjavur recipe traditionally prepared for Sumangali Prarthanai, Sankaranthi and other festivals. In this dish, 5 different vegetables are prepared in separate jaggery kootus – a delicious and tangy South Indian base for the vegetables which is made with tamarind, freshly ground spices and jaggery. Jaggery brings out the tanginess of the tamarind in a surprising way.

Thani means stand alone in Tamil, and this indicates how the vegetables are made into separate dishes rather than mixed together. The different Thani Kootu dishes are generally serve with plain steamed rice. The base can also be served on its own without any vegetable added. It is pretty delicious!

To make it easy to prepare these dishes we make a large pot of the base Kootu, then divide it into five. The vegetables are cooked separately, and then added to the bases. It is common today to combine the vegetables in one dish, but traditionally, five different ones were made.

By the way, Sumangali Prarthanai is a thanksgiving religious function to honour our female ancestors.

The recipe is one of Meenakshi Ammal’s from her cook books Cook and See. One of our very special projects in the kitchen is to cook through these books, as they are very traditional Tamil recipes.You can find all of Ammal’s dishes that we have made here. Most of them are from Vol 1 so far.

Similar dishes include Plantain Moar Kootu, Okra Tamarind Kootu, Green Bean Kootu, and Brinjal Kootu.

Browse all of our Kootu dishes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Early Autumn recipes.

Bengali Pomelo Salad | Batabi Lebu Makha

Pomelo in Bengali is called Batabi Lebu, and it is often interpreted as Grapefruit in English. It is a pity because Pomelo is quite different, not as sour as grapefruit, and a terrific fruit for salads.

This is a common Bengali use for Pomelo – eating it with chilli, sugar and Indian rock salt (black salt, kala namak, which is strongly aromatic and actually pink in colour – it is different to Himalayan Salt, though). It is the sort of recipe that could also be used with green mango, for example, or other fruits and vegetables, even grapefruit. Interestingly, it is also good with the more mild Jicama (Yam Bean tuber).

Pomelo is a common fruit in Bengal, and comes into its season after the monsoons. It is a winter ritual to eat the citrusy fruit after lunch while soaking in any sun. There is a pink fleshed variety and a yellow fleshed variety. It has a range of different names across India.

Similar recipes include Pomelo Raita, Pomelo, Green Mango and Turkey Berry Salad, and Pomelo and Avocado Salad.

Browse all of our Pomelo dishes and our Pomelo Salads. All of our Indian recipes are here, and the Indian Essentials Series is here. Or explore our Early Summer dishes.