Spices & Condiments

Steamed Chicken / Vegetable Momo with Spicy Momo sauce ..!

February 23, 2012

Momos are dumplings filled with a choice of spiced minced meat or vegetables and then steamed or fried as per choice – a delicious healthy snack..! . . I have had a very long week after Valentines. No, I have not been nursing my Valentines Day hangover, but my loved laptop decided to crash last week and I had to send it to the doctors. Now, all bloggers will agree with me that being stranded on a no internet world is a nightmare. I felt like I had lost touch with so many of my friends and a part of…

Unakka Chemmeen Chammanthi – Dry Shrimp Chutney

September 30, 2011

Unakka Chemmeen Chammanthi – dried roasted shrimps, coconut and dry red chilies make this flavorsome chammanthi. Many of my friend who visit this blog are aware of my love for condiments. Yup.! No matter how delicious the main course is I enjoy that small dab of achaar or chammanthi on the side. For me that insignificant underrated dish can make the difference between a meal and a great meal. What would a simple curd rice be without the spicy tangy lemon pickle accompanying it? Or the aromatic biryani without the creamy coconut curd chutney next to it? Well my logic…

Kadumanga Achar – Green Mango Pickle

September 20, 2011

What is your favorite food?? Well, it is indeed a very simple question and you have a variety of choices out there – cold ice creams, spicy gravies, delicious biryani , decadent desserts … so on and so forth. This question is worth a moment of thought. Whenever I think of my favorite food, there is this sudden inflow of names that come to mind, wonderful aroma in the air and delicious dishes flying around my head. I guess that is what happens to a foodie..!! But coming back to my favorite food, I would truly humbly say that it…

Naranga Curry / Wild Lemon Curry

September 7, 2011

It has been a long long time, oh it sure has..!! I had been off to India on my vacations and the time just flew. I have been eating , travelling and eating all the while. The rains were a welcome change from the dusty heat of Bahrain. I have not had a chance to post much during the last two months. I apologize. But hey all that is going to change as I have many nice recipes for you guys and I am back in dear Bahrain. So lets start off again this time with a simple recipe…

Chutta Thenga Chammanthi – Grilled Coconut Chammanthi

June 6, 2011

Flame grilled coconut, heat of fiery Red Chilies and the tang of good tamarind are ground together to make this chammanthi..!! South Indian take pride in their condiments be it the chammanthi podi, the chammanthi or the achars. They are a staple in most houses. I love to have a ground chammanthi as a side with choru no matter what other curries are there. The experience of mixing some well flavored chammanthi into hot rice and taking the first bite of it is just amazing. Well, this chammanthi has a unique taste and is quite different from the others…

Irumban Puli /Bilimbi Achar

June 1, 2011

Irumban Puli / Averrhoa Bilimbi Achar is a delicious medly of the sourness of the Bilimbi fruit and the spice of the fiery chillies – a good accompaniment to a bowl of hot steaming kanji. I know… I have not been posting for some time now. But I am very much here. Like I said in my other post, the weather is changing here and the kids had taken sick. It is sad enough having one kid sick, for me my entire family fell sick one after an another, an entire month of numerous cycles of antibiotics and bottles of…

Homemade Tea / Chai Masala

May 27, 2011

Masala in a cuppa Chai makes it all the more interesting at tea time, providing wholesome taste and health. In India, tea is the most commonly drunk beverage after water of course. People have anywhere between 2 to 5 cups of tea a day. It is not dependent on the weather or the time, but tea is a refreshing drink had by all. In India tea is had the British way, a tea decoction topped with milk and sweetened to taste. Roadside shops sell sweetened tea to travelers. Boys carrying huge cans of hot tea can be spotted in major railway and bus…

Making GHEE at home..!!

April 17, 2011

Ghee is basically clarified butter made from the cream obtained from cows milk. It is is mostly used in South Asian cuisine, especially the Indian, Pakistani, Nepali and Bangladeshi cuisine. Ghee has both culinary and religious uses. It is the main fuel in the Hindu lamp or diya. During certain Hindu festivals, ghee along with sugar, honey, milk and dahi is considered the panchamrita. It is also used in pujas and yagnas as it is considered to be the food of Gods. Ghee is used in a variety of foods. It gives that enticing aroma and flavor to any kind…

Kannimanga Achaar – a class apart..!!

April 8, 2011

A medley of nice tender salted green mangoes, spice from the Kashmiri chili and the small fenugreek seeds, all left to soak together to form a delicious Kannimanga Achaar..!! I had a craving for this sour and spicy pickle all through my pregnancy. Most ladies feel that this is the king of pickles / achaar. Most pickle preparations are elaborate with numerous ingredients and chopping and slicing to be done. This is one pickle which makes use of the smallest “kanni manga”. Kannimanga refers to the smallest , new baby green mangoes. These need to be plucked with immense care…

Manga Chammanthi – a green mango chutney..!!

March 28, 2011

Green mango ground along with shallots and spicy red chilies makes a great accompaniment to hot steaming rice..!! It has been raining mangoes in Kerala. No matter how well we try to hydrate ourselves, the heat always manages to zap the energy out of you. Hunger pangs strike often and heavy oily food gives a sick feeling in the stomach. During this time, I enjoy the simplest of meals, some kanji and chammanthi. Like I mentioned in a previous post, a chammanthi is something I cannot get enough off, and I devour it no matter what kind it is. Today…